Optical absorption of different transition metal oxides in soda-lime-silica-glasses

Optical absorption measurements on a number of soda-lime-silica glasses of the base composition SiO[2] 72.6%, Na[2]O 15.92%, K[2]O 0.46%, CaO 10.04%, MgO 0.52%, A1[2]O[3] 0.41%, Fe[3]O[3] 0.02% [wt.%] containing varying amounts of nickel, cobalt, chromium, or copper oxide were carried out. The study is made in order to throw some light on the color state and the structure of these glasses. Experimental results indicate the observation of characteristic absorption bands for each transition metal ion. Nickel and cobalt ions as divalent are observed to exist in two coordination states, octahedral and tetrahedral. Chromium ions are found as trivalent and hexavalent states, while copper ions are predominantly existed in the divalent state. The results are interpreted in relation to the ligand field theory

Evaluation of purified tegumental antigen of Fasciola adult worm In diagnosis of human fasciollash

This study was designed to develop a sandwich ELISA for detection of Fasciola antigens in stool and sera of fascioliasis patients as a better diagnostic alternative to routine parasitological methods. Anti-Fasciola antibodies were produced by immunization of rabbit with Fasciola purified tegumental antigen [PTA] obtained from worms collected from livers of cattle infected with Fasciola. Raised antibodies were then employed in sandwich ELISA for detection of Fasciola antigen in collected sera and stool samples. In this study sera and stool samples from 40 Fasciola infected patients, 30 patients infected with other parasites [Schistosoma, Hydatid and Ancklystoma] and 20 uninfected individuals were tested by sandwich ELISA for detection of Fasciola antigen. The sensitivity of coproantigen assay reached 90% for detection of Fasciola antigens in stool and 87.5% for detection of Fasciola antigen in sera of fascioliasis patients. The specificity of the assay was 94% for stool samples and 92% for sera of negative controls and patients harboring other parasites collectively. The diagnostic efficacy of the assay was 92.2% and 90% for stool and serum samples, respectively. Moreover, a positive correlation was found between ova count in stool of Fasciola infected patients and antigen levels in both sera and stool samples [r= 0.456, p< 0.01; r=0.532, p< 0.01]. In conclusion, our data demonstrated that the employment of rabbit anti-Fasciola IgG antibodies in sandwich ELISA for the detection of Fasciola coproantigen in stool provided a sensitive and specific tool for immunodiagnosis of Fasciola infection

Epidemiology and risk factors of brucellosis in Alexandria governorate

This study aimed to describe the trend and to identify possible risk factors for brucellosis in Alexandria in northern Egypt. We enrolled 72 confirmed cases of brucellosis and 144 age-matched controls in this study. Participants were interviewed at home using a structured questionnaire. Working with animals, breeding goats and eating ice cream bought from street vendors were significantly associated [P < 0.05] with brucellosis by univariate and multivariate analysis. Contact with infected animals and their products was the most important method of transmission