Effect of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) leaves on productive performance of growing lambs.

Eighteen 4-month-old lambs, with a mean live weight (LW) of 19.47 ± 0.20 kg, were used to evaluate the nutritive value of date palm leaves (DPL) ensiled with different additives in a completely randomized design. Lambs were stratified into three groups of 6 lambs each and fed a control diet comprising 60% concentrate feed mixture (CFM) and 40% DPL silage (T1). In other treatments, the DPL silage (DPLS) of the control treatment was replaced with EM1 additive-treated DPLS (T2) or El-Mofeed additive-treated DPLS (T3). Apparent digestibility, total digestible nutrient, digestible crude protein, dry matter intake, daily weight gain (DWG), price of DWG, daily profit, and economics of feed efficiency were higher (P < 0.05) for the additives-treated DPLS relative to the control, with T2 enhancing these parameters compared with T3. With exception of ruminal pH, which was reduced, concentrations of ruminal NH3-N and total volatile fatty acids (VFA) increased 4 h post feeding. However, ruminal NH3-N and total VFA were greater (P < 0.05) for the additives-treated DPLS, with T2 producing higher values than T3. Ruminal pH and feed cost/kg LW gain were lower for T2 relative to other treatments. Blood constituents were within the normal ranges for lambs, though slightly altered by treatments. Whereas serum total protein, albumin, and globulin were affected (P < 0.05) in this rank order, T1 < T3 < T2, other serum parameters were not affected. Relative feed cost and relative daily profit were lower and higher respectively for T2 than for T3. It is concluded that additives-treated DPLS is nutritionally superior to untreated DPLS as a roughage source in total mixed rations fed to growing lambs. However, for improved performance of the lambs and economic benefits, EM1-treated DPLS is recommended.

Increased recurrence rates of hepatocellular carcinoma after DAA therapy in a hepatitis C-infected Egyptian cohort: A comparative analysis.

In Egypt, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common form of cancer and direct-acting antivirals (DAA) are administered on a large scale to patients with chronic HCV infection to reduce the risk. In this unique setting, we aimed to determine the association of DAA exposure with early-phase HCC recurrence in patients with a history of HCV-related liver cancer. This was a prospective cohort study of an HCV-infected population from one Egyptian specialized HCC management centre starting from the time of successful HCC intervention. The incidence rates of HCC recurrence between DAA-exposed and nonexposed patients were compared, starting from date of HCC complete radiological response and censoring after 2 years. DAA exposure was treated as time varying. Two Poisson regressions models were used to control for potential differences in the exposed and nonexposed group; multivariable adjustment and balancing using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW). We included 116 patients: 53 treated with DAAs and 63 not treated with DAAs. There was 37.7% and 25.4% recurrence in each group after a median of 16.0 and 23.0 months of follow-up, respectively. Poisson regression using IPTW demonstrated an association between DAAs and HCC recurrence with an incidence rate ratio of 3.83 (95% CI: 2.02-7.25), which was similar in the multivariable-adjusted model and various sensitivity analyses. These results add important evidence towards the possible role of DAAs in HCC recurrence and stress the need for further mechanistic studies and clinical trials to accurately confirm this role and to identify patient characteristics that may be associated with this event.

Solvent dielectric effect and side chain mutation on the structural stability of Burkholderia cepacia lipase active site: a quantum mechanical/molecular mechanics study.

Quantum mechanical and molecular dynamics methods were used to analyze the structure and stability of neutral and zwitterionic configurations of the extracted active site sequence from a Burkholderia cepacia lipase, histidyl-seryl-glutamin (His86-Ser87-Gln88) and its mutated form, histidyl-cysteyl-glutamin (His86-Cys87-Gln88) in vacuum and different solvents. The effects of solvent dielectric constant, explicit and implicit water molecules and side chain mutation on the structure and stability of this sequence in both neutral and zwitterionic forms are represented. The quantum mechanics computations represent that the relative stability of zwitterionic and neutral configurations depends on the solvent structure and its dielectric constant. Therefore, in vacuum and the considered non-polar solvents, the neutral form of the interested sequences is more stable than the zwitterionic form, while their zwitterionic form is more stable than the neutral form in the aqueous solution and the investigated polar solvents in most cases. However, on the potential energy surfaces calculated, there is a barrier to proton transfer from the positively charged ammonium group to the negatively charged carboxylat group or from the ammonium group to the adjacent carbonyl oxygen and or from side chain oxygen and sulfur to negatively charged carboxylat group. Molecular dynamics simulations (MD) were also performed by using periodic boundary conditions for the zwitterionic configuration of the hydrated molecules in a box of water molecules. The obtained results demonstrated that the presence of explicit water molecules provides the more compact structures of the studied molecules. These simulations also indicated that side chain mutation and replacement of sulfur with oxygen leads to reduction of molecular flexibility and packing.

Event-related evoked potentials in chronic respiratory encephalopathy.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive event-related potential (P(300)) is an index of cognitive processing time. It was found to be prolonged in dementia, renal, and hepatic encephalopathies, but was not extensively assessed in respiratory failure. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate P(300) changes in patients with respiratory failure, and especially those with mild or subclinical hypoxic-hypercapnic encephalopathy. METHODS: Auditory event-related evoked potential P(300) latency was measured using an oddball paradigm in patients with respiratory failure due to any cause (partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood (PO(2)) should be 75 mm/Hg or less). Apart from blood gases measurement, patients underwent the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Patient performances were compared with that of matched normal control. Patients were admitted into the study from outpatient clinics and wards at King Khalid University Hospital and Sahara Hospital. RESULTS: Thirty-four patients (12 women, 22 men) were admitted to the study. Ages ranged from 19-67 years with a mean of 46.1 years. Respiratory failure was severe or very severe in 11 patients (33%), and mild or moderate in the rest (66%). Mean value for PO(2) and partial pressure of carbon dioxide in arterial blood (PCO(2)) were 63.7 and 45.2 mm/Hg, respectively. pH mean was 7.4 and O(2) saturation was 90.7%. P(300) latency ranged from 218 to 393 milliseconds, with a mean of 338.4 milliseconds. In comparison with control (309.9 milliseconds), there was a significant difference (P = 0.007). P(300) amplitude differences were not significant. No significant difference in MMSE was noted between mild and severe respiratory failure. Results of detailed neuropsychological assessment were clearly abnormal but were limited by the small number of tested patients. P(300) latency changes correlated significantly with age as well as severity of respiratory failure. P(300) was also significantly delayed whether hypoxia occurred with or without hypercapnia. CONCLUSION: Results show a significant delay of P(300) latency in patients with severe and mild respiratory failure. This was associated with subclinical encephalopathy in most patients, evidenced by a near-normal MMSE score. Apart from confirming the importance of P(300) latency measurement as a marker of respiratory encephalopathy, this study asserts the causal relationship between hypoxemia and cognitive derangement. Furthermore, it promotes the early use of oxygen therapy in a selected group of patients with mild or moderate respiratory failure, who have responsibilities which involve taking rapid critical decisions.

HLA class I and class II polymorphisms in Saudi patients with myasthenia gravis.

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a rare autoimmune disease of the neuromuscular junction. MG has been shown to be associated with many HLA antigens in different populations. Here we have analysed the frequency of HLA-A, B, DR and DQ in a group of Saudi MG patients and compared their results to a group of healthy controls. MG in Saudi patients is found to be associated with HLA-A*23, B*08, B*18, DRB1*16 and DRB1*13. The strongest association was with HLA-B*08, which was associated with young age at onset and female gender. Our results are in line with other published results from around the world and warrant fine mapping of the area using microsatellite to map the disease gene.

Behaviour and time-course of sleep disordered breathing in patients with acute coronary syndromes.

To our knowledge, no study has examined the persistence of sleep disordered breathing in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients. We examined the time course of SDB in ACS patients by assessing them within days of the acute event and again after 6 months. Consecutive patients with ACS were asked to voluntarily participate in the study. Patients underwent an overnight polysomnography (PSG) approximately 3 days after the acute event. Patients with an apnea hypopnea index (AHI) > 10/h then underwent another PSG after they were stable (approximately 6 months). Fifty patients were studied. First PSG showed an AHI was 23.1 +/- 3.6/h. A second PSG was performed 6.1 +/- 0.3 months later on 21 patients and showed an AHI > 10/h in the first assessment. The AHI and the obstructive apnea index did not change over the 6 months. However, the central apnea index all was lower at the second assessment.

Thrombosis complicating high dose intravenous immunoglobulin: report of three cases and review of the literature.

High dose intravenous immunoglobulin (IVG) is increasingly used in a broad range of immune mediated diseases. Thrombosis was exceptionally reported as a complication of this therapy. We describe three cases of thrombotic complications during or soon after IVIG treatment: myocardial infarction in a man and cerebral infarctions in an elderly man, associated with peripheral ischemia in a woman. In addition we review the published cases in the literature and discuss the possible etiologic factors.

The role of endonasal surgery in the management of frontoethmoidal osteomas.

Recently endonasal surgery has been considered to be a valuable contribution in the management of paranasal sinus osteoma. A retrospective evaluation study of 34 frontoethmoidal osteomas (23 frontal and 11 ethmoidal osteomas) treated at a tertiary care facility from 1990 to 1999 is presented. Twenty three osteomas (68%) were resected endonasally. Eleven osteomas (32%) were removed using an osteoplastic frontal sinus approach with coronal incision. In 5 cases of huge osteomas originating at the anterior frontal sinus wall, reconstruction of the resected anterior-frontal sinus wall was achieved by autologous outer table grafts harvested from the parietal region. Endoscopic and radiological follow-up ranging from 1 to 32 months showed three incomplete endonasal osteoma resections. Complete osteoma removal was achieved via endonasal revision surgery in two of these cases, while the third small residual osteoma remains under observation. There was no case of osteoplastic osteoma removal where incomplete osteoma resection became obvious during follow-up. Ethmoidal osteomas without extrasinusal extension can be resected endonasally. The endonasal approach should be considered also for frontal sinus osteomas if (1) sufficient frontal sinus access can be achieved endonasally, (2) the osteoma is placed medially to a virtual sagittal plane through the lamina papyracea, and (3) the tumour base is at the inferior part of the posterior frontal sinus wall. We favour the osteoplastic frontal sinus approach with coronal incision if an external approach is required to achieve tumour resection with the best aesthetic results.