COVID-19 Vaccination Perception and Acceptance Among Female Medical and Nursing Students at Al-Azhar University, Egypt.

Background: There are still many concerns related to various types of COVID-19 vaccines, which may result in individuals' hesitancy presenting a problem for public health authorities to achieve coverage for population immunity. As trustworthy health-care workers, medical and nursing students' perception towards COVID-19 vaccines may greatly influence the future population's uptake of vaccines; however, studies related to the vaccine acceptance rates among them are limited. Objective: To identify the perception of medical and nursing students toward COVID-19 vaccines and the factors acting either as motivators or barriers to be vaccinated. Methods: A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted on 500 undergraduate students aged ≥18 years from medical and nursing faculties. Data were collected via a semi-structured self-administered questionnaire that consisted of questions on general characteristics of the participants and source of information about the vaccine. Also, it includes items assessing the perception and acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines. Descriptive statistics, chi-squared, t-test and multiple logistic regressions were performed using SPSS version 22. Results: Positive perception was detected among more than half of overall students. Although medical students had significant higher positive perception toward COVID-19 vaccines than nursing students (54.9% vs. 41.1%, p <0.05), they were more hesitant to get vaccinated than nursing students (25.7% vs. 19.6%, p >0.05). While, medical students had a higher intention to encourage family members or friends to get vaccinated than did nursing students (47.7% vs .43.8%, respectively) (p >0:05). Furthermore, participants were more likely to accept vaccination if they reported higher levels of positive perception especially for vaccine safety and increasing recovery rate. Conclusion: Academic medical and nursing leaders should consider female students' vaccine concerns, and future efforts are needed to reduce their hesitancy and raise awareness about vaccinations that may eventually improve perception and acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines.

New Tb3+-simvastatin optical biosensor for sensitive determination of folic acid, progesterone, testosterone and vitamin D3 in biological fluids.

An innovative, simple and cost effective Tb3+-simvastatin photo probe was designed and used as a core for a spectrofluorometric approach to sensitively determine four vital biological compounds in different matrices. A Tb3+-simvastatin complex displays a characteristic electrical band with λ em at 545 nm with significant luminescence intensity, which is quenched in the presence of folic acid, progesterone, testosterone and vitamin D3 at four variant sets of pH: 5.0, 6.2, 7.5 and 9.0, respectively. The conditions were optimized and the best solvent for operation was found to be acetonitrile at λ ex at 340 nm. Folic acid was successfully estimated in tablet dosage form, urine and serum in the concentration range of 2.49 × 10-9 to 1.28 × 10-6 mol L-1. Progesterone, testosterone and vitamin D3 were also assessed in serum samples using the same optimal conditions within concentration ranges of 5 × 10-9 to 1.9 × 10-6, 5 × 10-9 to 2.8 × 10-6 and 5 × 10-9 to 4.2 × 10-6 mol L-1, respectively. The proposed luminescence method was validated in accordance with ICH guidelines and found to be accurate, precise, and specific and free from any interference at the working pH for each analyte. The cost effectiveness and applicability of the method make it a good choice for routine analysis of the four compounds and early diagnosis of chronic diseases associated with abnormalities in their physiological levels.

Tb3+-atorvastatin doped in poly(ethylene glycol) optical biosensor for selective determination of progesterone and testosterone in serum samples.

An innovative, simple and cost effective Tb3+-atorvastatin photo probe was designed and used as a core for a spectrofluorometric approach to sensitively determine two vital biological compounds in serum samples. Tb3+-atorvastatin complex displays a characteristic electrical band with λ em at 545 nm with significant luminescence intensity, which is quenched in the presence of progesterone and testosterone at two variant sets of pH; 6.2 and 7.5, respectively. The conditions were optimized and the best solvent for operation was found to be acetonitrile with λ ex at 320 nm. Progesterone and testosterone were assessed in serum samples using the same optimal conditions within concentration ranges of 2 × 10-9 to 2.9 × 10-6 and 3.1 × 10-9 to 4.8 × 10-6 mol L-1, respectively. The proposed luminescence method was validated in accordance to ICH guidelines and found to be accurate, precise and specific and free from any interference. The cost effectiveness and applicability of the method make it a good choice for routine analysis of the two compounds and early diagnosis of chronic diseases associated with abnormalities in their physiological levels.

Utility of presepsin, soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1, and neutrophil CD64 for early detection of neonatal sepsis.

BACKGROUND: Neonatal sepsis (NS) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality among newborns. Its diagnosis depends mainly on blood culture that takes at least 48 hours to give results. Therefore, searching for biomarkers for early diagnosis is of value. We aimed to assess presepsin, soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells (sTREM-1), and neutrophil CD64 (nCD64) as early diagnostic biomarkers in NS, and to compare them individually and in combination. METHODS: This hospital-based case-control study has been conducted on 60 full-term neonates recruited from the neonatal intensive care unit, Al-Zahraa Hospital, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt. Thirty infants with sepsis were compared to 30 postnatal age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Studied neonates were evaluated using clinical and laboratory indicators for sepsis. nCD64 was measured by flow cytometry and, serum presepsin and sTREM-1 were measured by ELISA. RESULTS: Presepsin, sTREM-1, and nCD64 levels were significantly elevated in septic neonates vs control group (P<0.05). The sensitivities of presepsin, sTREM, and nCD64 were 100%, 96.7%, and 86.7%, respectively. Presepsin had the best diagnostic performance in early diagnosis of NS followed by sTREM-1 and nCD64. CONCLUSION: Presepsin and sTREM-1 are promising biomarkers in screening for NS in comparison with nCD64. However, nCD64 is better used in combination with other biomarkers as CRP.

SCHISTOSOMIASIS IN NAG HAMMADY CITY, RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INFECTION AND ANEMIA AMONG CHILDREN AND YOUTH, QENA GOVERNORATE, EGYPT.

The highest prevalence of schistosomiasis is usually found in school-age children and youth, where it represents the main cause of iron deficiency anemia. Study was done on 859 patients; their age from 5-18 years old at Nag Hammady at the period from July 2013 to July 2014 all of them had subjective history of contact or swimming in water canals. Urine was examined for urinary schistosomiasis by concentration and positive cases were subjected to urine analysis by Nucleopore filtration technique, S. haematobium was 30.96%, while stool samples were macroscopically examined mainly for enterobiasis and gravid segments and then were microscopically examined as stained direct smear and by sedimentation and Kato-Katz techniques. The intestinal parasites other than intestinal schistosomiasis were not encountered and the pure S. mansoni was 0.69% of examined patients. The overall pure schistosomiasis was 31.66%. Iron deficiency anemia was 27.7% in non-infected cases and in schistosomiasis patients iron deficiency anemia were found in 43.38% with statistically significant (P value=0.001).

Histological and PCR xenomonitoring of culicine mosquitoes for filarial infestation in Sohag Governorate, upper Egypt.

The nematodes Wuchereria bancrofti and Brugia malayi; the principal etiologic agents of lymphatic filariasis are mosquito dependant in the biological transmission. Dirofilariasis is essentially a disease of canines which can also be transmitted to humans by culicine mosquitoes. The present work studied the histological and PCR xenomonitoring filarial infestation in culicine mosquitoes in Sohag Governorate. One hundred female mosquitoes of the 5 culicine spesies present in the selected localities, were dissected and histological sections of thoracic muscles were examined for filarial larvae. Also 50 female Culex pipiens molestus were collected from the same areas and tested for 3 filarial worms using PCR. Cx. pipiens molestus was the only culcine mosquito harbouring larvae of Wuchereria bancrofti and Dirofilaria spp. Results were compared and it was found that PCR proved easier to do and it gave better data as it was able to differentiate dirofilarial species. The results indicated a clear success of health authorities in anti-filariasis control measures and pointed out to avoid the hazard of possible occurrence of future cases of human dirofilariasis in Sohag Governorate.

Fingerprinting and genetic relationship of Trichomonas vaginalis, Trichomonas muris and Trichomonas gallinae.

Because of the common pathology, protein expression and drug resistance mechanisms-though in different hosts- of the luminal trichomonads Trichomonas vaginalis, T. gallinae and T. muris, doubts were raised concerning their phylogenetic relationship. The random amplified polymorohic (RAPD) technique for genetic DNA polymorphism studying was used to genetically characterize and assess their interspecies polymorphism. Results showed a high statistical support for the close relationship between the tested parasites and proved a tight association between Tritrichomonas muris and T. gallinae as well as a high genetic similarity between T. muris and T. vaginalis.