Histological study on the possible protective action of ginseng on the injurious effect induced by acrylamide on the midbrain in adult male albino rat

Acrylamide is a synthetic chemical compound commonly used in many branches of industry. Researchers have found acrylamide in certain foods that were heated to a temperature above 120[degree]C. Ginseng is a widely used herbal medicine with numerous beneficial effects. Ginseng is suggested to contribute to a protective effect in neurodegenerative disorders. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the possible protective effect of ginseng against the midbrain injury induced by acrylamide in adult male albino rats. A total of 35 adult male albino rats were used. They were divided into three groups. Group I [15 animals] was allowed water ad libitum and fed a standard diet [control]. Group II [10 animals] was given acrylamide orally by means of a gastric tube daily at a dose of 30 mg/kg for 4 weeks. Group III [10 animals] was given acrylamide daily at the same dissolution, dose, route and duration as group II concomitantly with ginseng solution through a gastric tube at a dose of 20 mg/kg. Samples from the brainstem were taken and processed for light and electron microscopic investigation. Light microscopic examination of the midbrain of the acrylamide-treated animals showed signs of injury. Glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive cells were more abundant in the midbrain of treated animals compared with control animals. Ultrastructural study of the midbrain of the acrylamide-treated group showed dilated RER in association with mitochondria with destroyed cristae. Many myelinated nerve fibers showed degenerative changes. These structural changes were much less pronounced in animals concomitantly treated with acrylamide and ginseng. Ginseng can reduce the severity of the injurious effects induced by acrylamide

Epidemiology of sleep disorders in patients with chronic renal disease in Cairo, Egypt

Many patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing dialysis therapy suffer from sleep disturbances. The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of sleep disorders in patients with end-stage renal disease on maintenance dialysis and to determine the risk factors underlying these disorders. A total of 264 patients on maintenance dialysis were enrolled in the study. Demographic, renal, and dialysis data were recorded. Using Personal Professional Interviews, we assessed the presence of the following sleep disorders: insomnia, restless leg syndrome [RLS], and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome [OSAS]. Moreover, to determine the prevalence of sleep disturbances and the possible effect of demographic or clinical data on sleep, we divided our population into two groups: with and without sleep disorders. The prevalence of sleep disorders was 61.4%. The survey revealed the presence of insomnia [57.6%], RLS [56.4%], and OSAS [21.2%]. Insomnia, RLS, and OSAS were significantly associated with inadequate dialysis, hyperphosphatemia, and hypoalbuminemia. Insomnia and RLS were also significantly associated with anemia. Significant independent association was observed between insomnia and both RLS and OSAS as well as between RLS and OSAS. The survey showed a high prevalence of sleep disruption in dialytic populations. Our data might help nephrologists to deal with patients with uremia with possible sleep disorders

Psychiatric morbidity among third year medical students at Ain Shams university, Cairo, Egypt

Mental distress among medical students is often reported. Different psychiatric disorders are found to be under recognized yet common and treatable among medical students. Various previous studies have shown that medical students are subjected to considerable stress over the last decades. The aim of this study was to determine the presence of clinically significant psychiatric morbidity among third year medical students, to explore the effects of the socio demographic background for these outcomes and to analyze gender differences regarding selected psychiatric morbidities. A cross sectional study is carried out among 401 third year medical students from Ain Shams University. They were assessed using Social Classification Scale and Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV [SCID I] to assess psychiatric morbidity. Response rate was 98.9%. Prevalence of psychiatric morbidity among our medical students sample was 59.9%. No significant statistical association between psychological morbidity and any of the socio demographic variables. The most prevalent psychiatric diagnosis was found to be depression [47.9%], followed by Generalized Anxiety Disorder [GAD] [44.9%] and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder [OCD] [44.4%]. The least prevalent of which was Anorexia Nervosa [0.7%]. Significantly high proportion of medical students [59.9%] had ongoing psychiatric condition and that proactive interventions should be addressed to encourage those medical students to seek help for their psychiatric problems. Counseling and preventive mental health services should be an integral part of the routine clinical facilities caring for medical students

relationship between lifestyle and body mass index among university students in Kuwait

The aim of the study was to identify Body Mass Index [BMI] among youth, to assess whether lifestyle has an association with BMI in youth of Kuwait and to examine the gender differences in lifestyle and BMI. A cross sectional survey study was conducted using self administered questionnaire, among 320 students of Kuwait University. The questionnaire included sociodemographic data, life style aspects like smoking, physical activity, dietary habits and emotional eating. Assessment of BMI was performed. Among participants, 69.7% were males and 30.3% were females. Mean BMI was 30.94 +/- 4.06, obese and overweight subjects constituted 93.4% of the studied sample [69.9% males and 30.1% females] while only 6.6% were normal weight. Females were significantly more regular in vegetable consumption than their male counterparts. Significant variables associated with obesity and overweight were regular fast food and sweet consumption, and sedentary life style behaviors. Some of the factors associated with overweight and obesity among young people can be modified. Eating more fruit and vegetables, increasing physical activity and devoting less time to sedentary activities such as watching television and playing video games may help reverse the upward trend

Driving behavior, driver style and road traffic accidents among young medical groups

Road traffic accidents [RTAs] are increasingly being recognized as a growing public health problem. In Egypt, RTAs constitute 45% of all injury mortalities. The main risk factors for road traffic accidents are factors influencing the exposure to risk, factors influencing crash involvement, severity of crash and of post-crash injuries. To identify the driving style and driving behavior of medical students and its association with car accident involvement. Driving style and behavior of 450 medical students were reported using a self administered questionnaire. Driving style included: driving with excessive speed, deviance, calmness, planning and concentration, driving opposite direction, disregarding traffic lights and road signs. Driving behavior included: driving before having license, mobile use during driving, violations, use of safety belt, participation in car races and driving under risky conditions. Involvements in car accidents [both severity and frequency] were inquired in the questionnaire. The sample included 61.6% male and 38.4% female drivers, with a mean age of 20.8 years [SD +/- 1.6]. Sixty nine percent of students reported having previous car accidents of which 63.5% were simple accidents with minimal car affection and no human injuries. The maximum speed of driving was ranging from 40 to 240 km/hr with a mean of 126.4 [SD +/- 35.5, median=120 km/hr]. The following driving styles and behaviors were significantly higher among male students: exceeding limited speed, driving before having license, disregarding road signs, driving opposite direction, non use of car safety belt, answering a mobile call during driving, violations, drive under risky conditions. Significant factors associated with students involvement in car accidents were: answering mobile phone during driving [chi[2] = 22.4 p<0.001], fast driving at any occasion [chi[2] = 6.63 p<0.05], disregarding road signs [chi[2] 6.21 p<0.05], involvement in car races [chi[2] = 4.87 p<0.05], loud stereo music [chi[2] 10.7 p<0.01], drive under stress [chi[2] = 8.33 p<0.01], severe fatigue[chi[2] 18.7 p<0. 001], drive in bad visibility[chi[2] = 18.8 p<0.001], use of alcohols [chi[2] 7.59 p<0.001] and sedative drugs [chi[2]=5.06 p<0.05], sudden crossing of pedestrians[chi[2] = 6.1 p<0.05], drive with a bad vehicle condition [chi[2] =8.6 p<0.01], previous violations[chi[2] = 25 p<0.001] previous withdrawal of license[chi[2] 10.25 p<0.01]. Driving before having a license, disregarding traffic lights, non use of seat belts, car checking, availability of car maintenance tools and fire extinguisher, not keeping the right lane when driving slowly were not significantly associated with involvement in road traffic accidents. The results indicate that self-reports of certain aspects of driver behaviors and styles are significantly associated with involvement in car accidents. These risky behaviors need to be modified to minimize future occurrence of car accidents

study of women's knowledge and attitude towards use of hormone replacement therapy

Hormone replacement therapy has been used successfully to treat menopausal symptoms. There is also evidence that its use could treat other more serious conditions associated with the menopause. For example, osteoporosis is an important health problem in older women resulting in substantial social and economic costs. HRT may also decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease and there is an association between HRT and the prevention of Alzheimer's disease and enhanced cognitive performance. To describe women's knowledge and attitude towards HRT, estimate the percentage of users, past users and never users within the sample and to identify women's knowledge of osteoporosis. Cross sectional study conducted among 330 women 40- 69 years of age. working in Ain Shams University, Cairo. Egypt. A self-administered questionnaire investigated women's knowledge, use and attitude towards HRT and osteoporosis. A 91.7% response rate was achieved. 10.3% of post-menopausal women were ever takers of HRT. Overall, 6.1% of post-menopausal women were current takers of HRT, 4.2% were previous takers and 85.5% had never taken it. Ever use of HRT was more pronounced in the more educated women compared with the less educated. Attitudes towards the menopause remained positive, although knowledge of the effects of HRT and risk factors for osteoporosis had low level. All current users and the majority of never users would be persuaded to take HRT on a doctor's recommendation and if it would require annual check ups. While all postmenopausal women who had never taken HRT and most of pre-menopausal women recognized that oestrogen may help preventing osteoporosis, yet, only minority of postmenopausal women recognized that smoking, family history and underweight increase the risk of osteoporosis. This study reveals low awareness of menopausal information and HRT as a therapeutic option. It also identified deficiencies in knowledge about osteoporosis .A targeted education program may substantially fill this void. Health authorities and physicians should be involved in patient education efforts in order to improve knowledge as well as maintain the quality and reliability of information provided regarding menopause, HRT and osteoporosis

Inhibitory effect of nisin on Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes in minced beef

Twenty minced beef samples collected from Cairo and Giza markets were examined for aerobic count, psychrotrophic count and incidence of Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes were determined to throw the light on their microbiological status. The inhibitory activity of nisin [500 IU /gm and 750 IU /gm] on Gram-positive bacteria [Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes] was also determined. Results showed that the mean log values of aerobes and psychrotrophic counts were 7.48 and 7.52/ gm respectively while incidence of Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes were 35% and 10% respectively. Application of nisin [500 IU /gm and 750 IU /gm] reduce Staphylococcus aureus count by 2.1, 2.6 and Listeria monocytogenes by 3.1, 3.6 log/gm respectively. Dramatic decrease was noticed within the first two days of refrigerating storage for both Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes

Maternal adaptation toward their children with chronic conditions

The present study is a descriptive analytic study aiming to assess maternal adaptation toward their children with chronic conditions, assess the factors that affect this adaptation and compare adaptation in case of sick children with chronic physical illness versus intellectual illness. The study was conducted in Port-Said city. The subjects of the study were from in and out-patient clinics affiliated to Port-Said General Hospital, El-Mebara for Health Insurance hospital, Asphor Center for Dialysis and a Governmental School Serving Mentally Retarded Children namely; EL-Tarbya El Fekrya. It includes 174 mothers of chronically ill children. Data were obtained through interviewing the mothers of chronically physically ill and mentally retarded children, using four tools namely; a structured interview questionnaire, a socioeconomic standards scale, a coping scale and an adaptation patterns scale. The results of the study revealed that 67.8% and 60.9% of mothers of mentally retarded and of physically chronically ill children had poor adaptation, respectively. It was found that socio-economic standards, maternal knowledge, coping mechanisms used by mothers

Mycotoxin residues in new chicken breast meat products

Thirty random poultry meat products fifteen from each [Kiev and Cordon bleu] were collected from different groceries and supermarkets in Cairo and Giza Governorates were analyzed for determination of some mycotoxin residues. Aflatoxins [AFs] and ochratoxin A [OA] could be detected with different percentages and levels, the highest percentages [86.66%] of AFB1 were present in coat of Kiev and Cordon bleu, while the lowest percentage [13.33%] for G[1] and G[2] in the meat part of Kiev and M[1] and M[2] in its coat. OA was detected in all tested samples of Cordon bleu coat, but the lowest percentage [46.66%] in the Cordon bleu core "cheese". On the other hand, the highest estimated level [22.0 microg/kg] of AFB[1] was estimated in Cordon bleu coat and 10.6 microg/kg OA in Kiev coat. The lowest level was found to be 1.1 microg/kg for each of AFs [B[1], B[2], G[1] G[2] in Kiev coat and 1.1 microg/kg OA in each of meat and butter of Kiev and meat and cheese of Cordon bleu samples. The public health significance of mycotoxin residues and measures to prevent contamination of meat products with mycotoxins were discussed

Microbiological Evaluation and mycotoxin residues in some frozen camel 's meat products

Forty frozen camel's meat products samples [10 each of burger, kofta, minced meat and sausage] were collected from different supermarkets in Cairo and Giza governorates. The samples were subjected to bacteriological evaluation. Counts of aerobes, Enterobacteriaceae, coliforms, fecal coliforms, thermophilic aerobic spore formers, mould and yeast were examined. Mycotoxin residues were also determined. The incidence rate of E. coli, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus in examined burger was found to be [30%, 0%, 40% and 20%]. In kofta the incidence was [30%, 20%, 50% and 30%]. On the other side it was [20%, 0%, 20% and 10%] in minced meat while in sausage it was [40%, 0%, 30% and 30%] respectively. Shigella failed to be detected in all examined camel's meat products. Aflatoxins and Ochratoxins could be detected within variable levels in all examined samples

Urinary B-2 microglobulin and retinol binding protein and microalbuminuria in perinatal asphyxia

This study was carried out on twenty-eight full term neonates with perinatal asphyxia with average one, five and ten minutes Apgar scores of 1.6, 4.3 and 3.7, respectively. Ten full term healthy neonates were included as a control group with one, five and ten minutes Apgar scores of 7.3, 9.4 and 9.6, respectively. Both groups were tested on the second and fifth days of postnatal life as regards complete blood picture, complete urine analysis, culture and sensitivity for urine and blood, investigations for renal glomerular function included urinary concentration of albumin, blood urea and serum creatinine, investigations for renal tubular function included urinary beta-2-microglobulin [B2-m] and retinol binding protein [RBP], fractional excretion of sodium [FENa] and urine output per unit body weight per hour [ml/kg/hr]. Abdominal sonography was done for all cases to exclude any surgical problems. Renal failure index [RFI] was calculated at second and fifth days of postnatal life. It was concluded that measurement of urinary B2-m and RBP are convenient, sensitive, specific and early diagnostic tools for the detection of tubular damage in asphyxiated neonates. Blood urea and serum creatinine are good indicators of glomerular impairment only after the first two days of life. The tubular function is more sensitive than glomerular function in neonates. A low Apgar score, arterial PO2 and pH are good indicators of hypoxia. Oliguria is already considered as an ambiguous indicator of ARF and could indicate poor neurologic outcome in asphyxiated neonates