Investigate the effect of trained companionship regarding supportive measures during laboron their knowledge and practice

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of trained companionship regarding supportive measures during labor on their knowledge and practice. An intervention study design was conducted at first in outpatoA. stimz, 4

Therapeutic effects of music and multimodal stimulations on the premature newborns with respiratory distress in the neonatal intensive care unit of Assiut University hospital

The aim of the present study was to record the effect of music and multimodal stimulations on the premature newborns with respiratory distress. It was conducted in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Assiut University Hospital during the period from the first of January to the end of June 2003. Forty premature newborns with respiratory distress, with gestational age ranging from 32 to <37 weeks were included in the study. Twenty of them received an experimental combining music and adapted Auditory, Tactile, Vestibular and Visual stimulations [ATVV]. The other 20 newborns with respiratory distress were managed as a control group receiving the conventional lines of treatment of the respiratory distress without ATVV. Both groups were matching as regards their weight, gestational age and the severity of the respiratory distress Heart rate, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation levels as well as signs of respiratory distress were assessed before and after application of ATVV stimulations for the study group and once for the control group. ATVV stimulations were applied for each newborn individually for about 30-45 minutes. Results revealed immediate significant improvement observed after application of ATVV stimulations concerning heart rate, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation level among premature newborns with respiratory distress in the study group. The percentage of those with heart rate ranging from 100 to < 140 beats /minute increased from 5% before to 20% after application of ATVV stimulations. The percentage of those with respiratory rate less than 60 cycle / minute was 75% before and increased to 90% after application of ATVV stimulations. An oxygen saturation level from 85% to 97% was present in 35% of newborns before ATVV and in 40% after application of ATVV stimulations. Females had more response than males and premature newborns with respiratory distress only showed also more response than those having additional other medical problems. The present study recommends that ATVV stimulations should be integrated to the nursing practices and continued to assist in the therapeutic improvement of the premature newborns with respiratory distress. Further studies should be conducted to determine the therapeutic effect of ATVV stimulations on different subgroups of high risk newborns

Keratinocyte apoptosis, p53 and Bcl - 2 expression in systemic lupus erythematosus

The aim of this study was to investigate whether apoptosis may contribute to the pathogenesis of cutaneous changes in lupus erythematosus [LE] and whether certain apoptosis-related markers such as p53 and Bcl-2 proteins take part in this process. Skin biopsies from ten patients with specific cutaneous lesions of systemic lupus erythematosus [SLE] and five healthy controls were studied. Apoptosis was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labeling technique [TUNEL]. The expression of p53 and Bcl-2 was studied by immunohistochemistry. The results showed a remarkable increase in the apoptotic rate within the epidermis in SLE. Unlike normal skin, a large number of keratinocytes, particularly those morphologically apoptotic, expressed p53 protein. Bcl-2 expression was similar in both normal and lesional skin

correlation of plasma and urine endothelin-I with the severity of diabetic nephropathy

To assess whether plasma and urinary Endothelin-I [ET.I] values are related to the severity of diabetic nephropathy. We measured plasma and urinary ET.I like immunoreactivity [ET.I.LT] in 15 healthy subjects [group I] and 25 NIDDM patients with normalbuminuria [group II], 25 with microalbuminuria [group III] and 15 with macroalbuminuria. Plasma ET-I values were significantly increased in group IV ands correlated positively with serum creatinine levels [r-0.579, P<0.01]. Urinary ET.I excretion in group IV [49.3 +/- 7.3 Pmol/day] was significantly higher than that in healthy controls [27.0 +/- 1.1 pmol/day] and in group II [32.2 +/- 2.2 Pmol /day], while that of group III [38.8 +/- 5.9 pmol/day] was also higher than in healthy controls. A significant positive correlation between urinary ET.I and serum creatinine values was also found [r +0.297, P<0.05]. These results demonstrate that an increase in plasma and urine ET.I correlates with the severity of diabetic nephropathy