Suppression of atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass surgery through temporary atrial epicardial pacing

Atrial fibrillation [AF] after coronary artery bypass graft surgery [CABG] constitutes the most common arrhythmia and results in morbidity and prolonged hospitalization secondary to hemodynamic decompensation. Although pharmacologic therapy has been used to help prevent postoperative atrial fibrillation, it suffers from limited efficacy and adverse effects. In the non operative setting, novel pacing strategies have been shown to reduce recurrences of atrial fibrillation and prolong arrhythmia-free periods in patients with paroxysmal atrial arrhythmias. Was to assess the role of different modalities of temporary epicardial pacing for postoperative AF prophylaxis. From November 2004 to March 2006, in Cairo University Hospitals [old and new hospital] 75 patients without structural heart disease and who underwent CABG were randomly classified into one of the following 3 groups: Biatrial pacing [BAP], Right atrial pacing [LAP] and no pacing [control]. Pacing was performed for 5 days immediately Post-CABG. Atrial fibrillation was significantly reduced in BAP group compared to RAP and control group [BAP, 16%; RAP, 28%; control, 44%; p=0.04 and 0.02 respectively]. The mean length of stay in the intensive care unit [LOS[ICU]] and in the hospital [LOSHOS] were also significantly reduced in the BAP pacing group [2.8 +/- 0.7 versus 4.6 +/- 4.5 days in control group; p=0.04, and 4.2 +/- 3.2 days in RAP pacing group; p=0.01] and [6.1 +/- 1.2 versus 9.0 +/- 4.1 days in the control groups; p=0.002 and 8.7 +/- 1.3 days in RAP pacing groups; p=0.01] respectively. Simultaneous right and left atrial pacing is well tolerated and is more effective in preventing post-CABG AF than single-site pacing and results in a shortened hospital stay. Identifying patients at risk for developing postoperative AF and using this prophylactic method may be the optimal effective strategy

Synergestic Effect of pour point depressants and surfactant on the properties of crude oil fractions

The mutual interaction of asphaltene and wax fraction of high waxy crude oil were studied using infrared spectroscopy. Two pour point depressant were prepared by copolymerization of vinyl acetate and maleic anhydride then esterification of the copolymer obtained with tetradecyl / octadecyl alcohol [A and B] respectively. Nonionic surfactant was synthesized by alkylation of coal-tar phenol with dodecyl alcohol then reacting the alkyl phenol with formaldhyde and amine to produce the Mannish base. The Mannich base product was reacted with polyethylene glycol molecular weight [Mol.wt.] 4000 to produce the surfactant [C]. The synthesized products were characteristic by determination infrared spectral analysis and molecular weight. It was found that by adding the complex ABC or its components A, B, or AB to the crude very nice result in reducing the pour point at different concentration obtained. It has been shown from the research result of infrared spectrum of interaction between ABC at 1000 ppm or its compounds and wax or Asphaltene isolated from the crude that cocrystallization may be a primary factor in reducing the pour point of the crude, The position of the infrared absorption peak of asphaltene moved to lower wave number

Utility of preoperative serum Carcinoemberyonic antigen in colorectal cancer patients

The usefulness of preoperative Carinoembryonic antigen [CEA] in colorectal cancer [CRC] remains unsettled as regards its role in management and follow up of CRC patients. Efficacy of basal CEA in the diagnosis, prognosis, follow up and therapy of CRC patients will be assessed in this study. Patients and Methods: 200 CRC patients and 100 persons as a healthy control were included in the study. Basal CEA was done before resection. Postoperative Duke's staging was adopted. Routine follow up and CEA estimation were done. Results: The mean CEA in CRC patients [17.3 ng% +/- 1.67] was significantly higher than control [3.41 ng% +/- 1.1]. A significant association between mean basal CEA and Dukes' classes was evident [it was 7.8, 12.7, 25.8 ng% for Dukes' A, B, C]. The validity of basal CEA in primary CRC diagnosis was highly positive, with higher efficacy in advanced disease detection and negative exclusion power for DFS prediction. Basal CEA was a diserinainant factor in prognosis. DFT and DFS were higher in patients with CEA 5 ng%. Conclusion: The preoperative CEA identifies subsets with favorable, indolent and uneven biological behavior [<5, 15, > 15 ng%]. With conventional staging, it forms strong prognostic tool that supplies practice guideline for follow up and therapy

Microbiological studies on the phyllosphere of the desert plant Artemisia herba alba

Leaf samples were collected from the medicinal desert plant Artemesia herba alba which widely abundant on the western-northern coast of Egypt. The microbiology of its phylosphere was studied. Extraction and separation of chemical components from the leaves were carried out and their effectiveness as antimicrobial substances were tested against 6 different microorganisms. The results showed that densities of microflora on the plant leaves varied to a great extent from summer to winter. It was also found that general and essential oil of the plant leaves were the most effective substances against 5 microorganisms, followed by terpenol [4 microorganisms], linalol, citronelol [3 microorganisms for each], and coumarine [2 microorganisms], while limonene and fixed oil showed a very narrow antibacterial spectrum [only one organism affected, Ps. aeruginosa by the former and Salmonella sp. by the latter]. Azchroococcum showed a high resistance to the plant ingredients, where its growth only affected by terpenol

Crystal-field effects on the transport properties of rare-earth intermetallic compound PrAl3

Low temperature [4.2-80 K] measurements on the thermal conductivity of the rare-earth intermetallic compound PrA 1[3] are reported. We interested in the magnetic part of the resistivities crystal-field effects. For this purpose, the isostructural compound LaA[3]- is used as the nonmagnetic counter part of PrAI[3]. The measurements show evidence of CEF effects on transport properties of the rare-earth intermetallic compound PrAI 3] containing magnetic ions. The thermal conductivity obey the calculations of Andreef in small range of temperature

Plastics as solid state nuclear track detector for [P] reaction

[P, alpha] reaction on 27[Al] has been investigated at a low proton energy using solid state nuclear track detectors. The 11.800 MeV level of 28[Si] has been studied

Energy distribution of backscattered electrons from bulk targets by Monte-Carlo method

A Monte-Carlo method was used to calculate the energy distribution of the backscattered electrons and its variation with the electron angle of incidence, the atomic number and the composition of the target materials. The calculations are restricted to an electron energy of 30 keV It is shown that the energy spectrum depends strongly on the incidence angle of the electron and the wan atomic number of the target

Microbiological studies on the phyllosphere of the desert plant aloe vera L

The phyllosphere microflora, of the medicinal desert plant Aloe vera L. was studied. Extraction of anthroquinone-glycosides and anthraquinone-aglycone from the plant leaves was carried out and their effectiveness as anti-microbial substances were tested against 6 pathogenic and non-pathogenic microorganisms. The obtained results indicated that the phyllosphere microflora varied widely from summer to winter and on the upper leaf surface to the lower one. It was also found that anthraquinone glycosides have a wider antimicrobial spectrum than anthraquinone-aglycone, since 4 microorganisms were affected by the former, while only two microorganisms were affected by the later

Urease activity and ureolytic microorganisms in Egyptian soils

Soil chemical, physical, microbiological and enzymatic analysis were conducted on selected soil samples which cover the major soil groups in Egypt. The soil urease activity showed highly significant correlation [at 1% level] with organic matter, total nitrogen, organic nitrogen, soluble nitrogen and pH of the soils. significant correlation at 5% level was found with clay fraction, However, insignificant correlation were found between urease activity and CaCO3, silt and sand contents of the soils. The percentage of ureolytic microorganisms ranged between 15 to 40% of the total soil microbial populations. The percentage of ureolytic microor-ganisms decreased in the order: alluvial soils > calcarecus: soil > saline soil > alkaline soil > sandy soil, being 35-40, 31-30, 28 arc 15%, respectively. The sporeforming bacilli was the predominant ureolytic microorganisms in all the soils [over 50% of the total ureolytic microorganisms]. The ureolytic micrococci in different soils varied from 20 to 33%. However, Sarcina and streptomyces recorded the lowest percentages of ureolytic microorganisms and did not exceed 12.5% of the total ureolytic microorganisms

Some factors affecting B-galactosidase formation in kluyveromyces lactis

Twenty yeast cultures were screened for their abilities to form B- galactosidase enzyme on yeast nitrogen base-lactose and salted whey media. Kluyveromyces lactis, NRRL 1118 produced the highest enzyme level in salted whey medium containing 10% sodium chloride. Physiological studies on K. Lactis NRRL 1118 have revealed that galactose and lactose sugars could support the synthesis of the highest levels of B-galactosidases in the cells of this organism when used as sole carbon sources in synthetic media. These results indicated that the enzyme in K. lactis is of the inducible type. Yeast extract, urea and casein hydrolysate lead to enhanced biosynthesis of the enzyme. The highest enzyme level was produced using salted whey medium containing 10% sodium chloride concentration with an initial pH 4-5 and inoculum size ranging between 4-8% [V/V] depending upon the incubation period. Results obtained were discussed in the light of possible production of the enzyme on salted whey, which is a by-product of dairy industry in Egypt

Some effects of soil amendments and fertiliser treatments on mycorrhizal plants

Wheat plants grown in sandy, alluvial and calcareous soils from Egypt contained widely differing numbers ofendomycorrhizal spores. Wheat-straw, bodrate and organic manure increased spore numbers but domestic rubbish did not. The addition of urea markedly depressed spore production. Each soil produced a particular mycorrhizal flora. The viability of the spores from each soil was high. Under a range of limestone concentrations spores from ecologically diverse areas produced dissimilar effects. Phosphate and potassium additions to a calcareous soil evidenced the advantages of infection by both Rhizobium and Glomus species. Biological fertilisers are potentially a value to large areas where intrinsic fertility is low

Occurrence and infectivity of endomycorrhizas in Egyptian soils

Five soils with high pH values, calcium contents and phosphate-fixing capacities were analysed for the numbers of endomyorrhizal spores and levels of infection within the roots of selected crop plants. All soils contained these symbiotic endophytes and some had comparatively high concentrations of spores. Infection potentials of the soils varied in dilution tests. In the main the Egyptian soils contained a wide range of spores that produced vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizas in plants