Morbidity and mortality of low-birth-weight infants in Egypt

Low birth weight is one of the major determinants of neonatal survival and postneonatal morbidity. This study assessed the morbidity and mortality of low-birth-weight [LBW] infants during the first 3 months. Data were collected for 6701 live births. All singleton liveborn LBW infants as well as a comparison group of normal-birth-weight [NBW] infants were followed up for 3 months. Data were collected on weight, morbidity and mortality using a structured questionnaire. Admission to neonatal intensive care unit and mortality were more frequent in LBW [31.6%, 2.0%] than NBW infants [2.0%, 0.2%]. They also had increased risk of neonatal jaundice at 1 month, an increased risk of growth retardation and a much higher risk of mortality

In vitro studies on catharanthus roseus [L.] G. [Don]: growth and maintenance of C. roseus calli and alkaloid production of shoot and root-derived calli grown on modified alkaloid production media

The aim of this work is studying the pattern of total alkaloids accumulation in callus derived from shoot and root explants of Catharanthus roseus in response to growth regulators, number of subcultures under two illumination conditions. In addition, this study aimed to increase both callus growth and alkaloids accumulation of C. roseus when transferring those calli [pretreated calli] onto modified alkaloid production medium [mAPM] under light or dark conditions. Shoot and root derived calli of C. roseus were initiated and then subcultured 15 times [each for 4 weeks duration] onto Gamborg's B5 medium containing NAA combined with Kin. The cultures were incubated under cycles of light/dark [16/8 hr] or in complete dark conditions. Fresh and dry weight of shoot or root derived calli increased progressively with increasing the number of subculture. Treatment of NAA at 0.5 mg/1 plus Kin at 0.05 mg/1 gave the best growth of shoot-calli, while treatment of NAA at 2mg/l plus Kin at 0.05 mg/1 showed the highest value of the growth of root-calli. The highest content of total alkaloids of C. roseus calli derived from shoot or root explants were obtained from that medium supplemented with NAA at 2.0 mg/1 plus Kin at 0.2 mg/1. Total alkaloids content reached 17.4 and 15.3 mg/g dry weight in shoot callus tissues under photoperiod [light/dark;16/8 hr] and complete dark conditions, respectively. On the other hand, total alkaloids content obtained from root calli reached 10.0 and 7.5 mg/g dry weight under photoperiod and dark conditions, respectively. A new composition of alkaloid production medium [mAPM] was obtained. Modified alkaloid production medium contained mineral salts, Na-EDTA and vitamins of MS medium, 5 percent sucrose, indoleacetic acid [IAA] at 10 M, benzylaminopurine [BA] at 5 x 10 M, and L-tryptophan at 0.05 percent as a precursor of C. roseus alkaloids. Shoot and root derived calli of Catharanthus roseus were affected by both of the pretreatments transferring to modified alkaloid production media mAPM and transferring to modified alkaloid production media mAPM. The pretreatment 0.5 mg/1 NAA plus 0.2 mg/1 kin resulted the greatest increase of fresh and dry weights of shoot derived calli under light or dark conditions, when cultures were transferred to mAPM. The pretreatment 2.0 mg/1 NAA plus 0.1 mg/1 kin produced the greatest increase of fresh and dry weights of root derived calli under light or dark conditions, after transferring to mAPM. Dark condition was more favorable for fresh and dry weight of shoot and root derived calli cultured on mAPM. The highest total alkaloid content in the shoot-derived calli was 15.86 mg/g dry wt and in the root-derived calli was 18.18 mg/g dry wt on mAPM for those calli were initiated onto pretreatment NAA at 20 mg/1 plus 0.2 mg/1 kin under light condition

Effects of intravenous streptokinase therapy on the incidence of left ventricular thrombi formation in patients with acute anterior myocardial infection

57 consecutive survivors of a first Q-wave anterior myocardial infarction [MI] were studied to evaluate the impact of streptokinase therapy [SK] on the incidence and association of left ventricular thrombi. 45 patients [38 men and 7 women], whose mean age was 56 +/- 2 years, received 1,500,000 U SK intravenously over 40 minutes, followed by iv heparin infusion over 4 days, 12 patients [10 men and 2 women with a mean age 59 +/- 18 years] who arrived 12 hours or more after symptoms or had a contraindication to SK served as a control group. Left ventricular thrombi are relatively common in patients with acute anterior myocardial infarction. Streptokinase therapy followed by intravenous heparin infusion is effective in reducing the incidence of left ventricular thrombi and decrease the proportion of protruding thrombi to mural one and hence, the incidence of embolization. This lower incidence of thrombi may be related to the favorable effect of streptokinase on wall motion score and left ventricular contractility in addition to its effect on the enhanced fibrin formation in the condition of acute myocardial infarction