Anatomical study of the pores of the epidermal ridges in a sample of the adult upper Egyptians

Background: Poroscopy is the term applied to the study of the pore characteristics found on the papillary ridges of the skin as a method of identification which was proved to be reliable and accurate

Objective: The goal of this work was to examine the epidermal pores among the adult Upper Egyptians and to detect the influence of gender on their frequency, type, size and shape. So far, no previous research handled this topic on the Upper Egyptians

Subjects and methods: The inked left thumb prints of 200 adult Upper Egyptians [100 males and 100 females] within an age range of 18 - 20 years were examined

Results: The results revealed that the mean number of the epidermal pores in a specific area was greater in the females with a statistically significant difference. As regard the type, size and shape of the pores, it was observed that the closed, medium-sized and circular pores were the most common in both sexes. The females had statistically significant more pores opened on one side and on both sides. Also, the females had more small and medium-sized pores with statistically significant differences. The females had statistically significant values for the circular, triangular and rectangular pores whereas the males had more miscellaneous pores with a statistically significant difference

Conclusion: The characters of the pores present on the papillary ridges of the skin may be used as means of identification and sexual differentiation for the Upper Egyptians

Profile of drug users in Karachi city, Pakistan

Drug use has been identified as a major public health issue in Pakistan. A descriptive questionnaire survey in Karachi city was made to identify the socioeconomic profile and beliefs and practices of 500 drug users. The most commonly used drugs were cocaine [19.0%] and crack-cocaine [15.0%], followed by amphetamines [11.0%], alcohol, caffeine, barbiturates and benzodiazepines [10.0% each]. Key psychological factors leading to drug use were problems with parental or marital relations or break-up of a relationship [45.0%]. Drugs were seen as an escape from stressful life events [28.0%] or feelings of failure [18.2%]. Many drug users blamed the origins of their drug use on bad social influences [47.0%] or socioeconomic problems [23.4%]. Preventive measures are needed to decrease the rate of drug addiction in Karachi