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Objectives: The aim was to evaluate our experience in the retroperitoneal laparoscopic approach in total and partial nephrectomies in children. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 41 patients who underwent retroperitoneal laparoscopic total or partial nephrectomies performed in our center from 2004 to 2012. We looked at the demographic data, age at surgery, indication, operative time, surgical complications, conversion to open surgery and operative complications. Results: Thirty-five total and six partial nephrectomies (upper pole) were performed. The mean age was 84 months (7-175). Vesicoureteric reflux, pelviureteric junction obstruction, and multicystic dysplastic kidney disease were the main underlying pathologies. The mean operative time was 158 min (60-280). There were no intraoperative complications (surgical and anesthetic), and no significant blood loss was observed. Conversion to open surgery was necessary in two cases caused by failure to progress due to difficult anatomy during the partial nephrectomies. No major postoperative complications were noted. The mean hospital stay was 2.5 days (1-5). A drain was used in 12 cases and was removed after a mean of 2 days. Conclusions: Laparoscopic retroperitoneoscopic renal surgery can be carried out safely and effectively in children. Still, this procedure is more challenging and requires an excellent image of the retroperitoneal space, especially when partial nephrectomies are concerned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) show that genetic factors contribute to the risk of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and blood analyte levels. Here, we utilize GWAS summary statistics to study the shared genetic influences (pleiotropy) between severe COVID-19 and 344 blood analytes at the genome, gene, and single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) levels. Our pleiotropy analyses genetically link blood levels of 71 analytes to severe COVID-19 in at least one of the three levels of investigation—suggesting shared biological mechanisms or causal relationships. Six analytes (alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, apolipoprotein B, C-reactive protein, triglycerides, and urate) display evidence of pleiotropy with severe COVID-19 at all three levels. Causality analyses indicate that higher triglycerides levels causally increase the risk of severe COVID-19, thereby providing important support for the use of lipid-lowering drugs such as statins and fibrates to prevent severe COVID-19. [Display omitted] • Genetic analyses identify pleiotropy between blood analytes and severe COVID-19 • The identified pleiotropies suggest biological or causal relationships • Blood triglycerides have widespread shared genetic influences with severe COVID-19 • Higher levels of blood triglycerides might increase risk of severe COVID-19 Genetic factors contribute to severe COVID-19 and blood analyte levels. Tanha et al. identify blood analytes associated with the risk of severe COVID-19. The results suggest a strong genetic relationship between higher levels of blood triglycerides and risk of severe COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed for cucurbit[6]uril (CB6) methyl and cyclohexyl derivatives in aqueous solutions. Furthermore, MD simulations have been conducted to study the inclusion complexes between each CB6 derivative with α,ω-pentane diammonium ion (NH3+(CH2)5NH3+) to estimate the binding free energies, the complex geometries and the intermolecular forces responsible for complex formation. Results show a complete inclusion of the guest molecule in the cavity of the host for all complexes. Results also indicate that the guest dynamics inside the cavity of the substituted host is similar to that for the unsubstituted host. This demonstrates that the molecular recognition of the host is not affected by the alkyl substitution at the equator. Also, there is an insignificant conformational change of the macrocyclic structure upon inclusion of the guest. Molecular mechanics/Poisson Boltzmann surface area method was used to estimate the binding free energy of each complex. Results indicate that host–guest electrostatic interactions make the largest contribution to the complex binding free energy. Moreover, van der Waals interactions add significantly to the complex stability. The guest molecules show more or less similar binding free energies with the substituted CB6 that exhibits slightly more negative values than unsubstituted CB6 which is proved also by umbrella sampling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Test-taking skills are cognitive skills that enable students to undergo any test-taking situation in an appropriate manner. This study is aimed at assessing the relationship between students' test-taking skills and each of the following variables: motivation to learn mathematics; mathematics anxiety; attitudes towards mathematics; and attitudes towards tests. The study was conducted on a random sample of 626 (372 males and 254 females) secondary school students. The following instruments were used in the data collection: the Test-taking Skills Scale (TSS); the Mathematics Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MMSLQ); the Mathematics Anxiety Scale-Revised (MAS-R); the Mathematics Attitude Inventory (MAI); and the Attitude towards Tests Scale (ATS). A positive and significant relationship was reported between students' test-taking skills and each student's motivation to learn mathematics, attitudes towards mathematics, and attitudes towards tests; while mathematics anxiety was shown to have a significant negative relationship with test-taking skills. Test-taking skills account for more than 30% of the variation in motivation to learn mathematics, 25% in attitudes towards mathematics, 17% in mathematics anxiety, and more than 40% in attitude toward tests. The study concluded the improvement of secondary students' testing skills to be significantly correlated with variables that play a substantial role in a student's level of achievement in mathematics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermomechanical treatment including cold rolling followed by annealing was conducted on a low alloy steel AISI 8620 to develop an ultrafine grain structure using bainite as the starting microstructure. The specimens were first austempered at 425°C to form the bainitic microstructure and then cold rolled by 90% reduction in thickness. Annealing was conducted at 550–700°C for different times. Microstructures and tensile properties of specimens were characterized during different stages of the treatment. Cold rolled bainite showed notable thermal stability during annealing. Significant recrystallization did not take place at and below 600°C. The results show a notable potential for grain refinement using a bainitic microstructure. A ferritic microstructure with the average grain size of about 0.7µm was developed after annealing at 700°C and 650°C for 10min and 120min. The 90% cold rolled bainite possessed the hardness of 380HV and yield strength of 1110MPa with the elongation of below 2%. The delamination observed in the fracture surface was considered as an effective factor for the low ductility. The ultrafine equiaxed grain structure possessed the hardness of 250HV, yield strength of 886MPa (about twice of the coarse-grained steel) and the total elongation of about 8% with some small delamination in the fracture surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Aims: Menopause happens in the life of all women. During this process women inter to the new era of life that have many side effects and difficulties. The purpose of study was to evaluate the frequency of hormone therapy and other supplements. Materials & Methods: This cross-sectional study carried out on 384 menopausal women who attended in medical and health centers of Hamadan city in 2012. The way of sampling was multi-stage cluster. Data were collected through interviews with women in the clinics in the health centers. Data processing and statistical analysis were performed by using SPSS 16.0. Results: The results revealed that mean age of menopause was 48/45± 3/38 year. 81.5% of the women were taking supplements that used hormone therapy (9.1%), and 72.4% used non hormonal supplement that included calcium (38.3%), vitamin (27.3%) and herbal drugs (6.8%). Regarding to this results μ2 test showed that age at menarche, smoking, mother education, BMI, type of menopause, and use of supplements in different menopause groups was not statistically significant (p>0/05). Conclusion: The results showed that 81.5% of menopausal women were taking supplements from which 72.4% was non-hormonal supplements. Therefore, effective educational programs with supplement interventions can improve the quality of life in postmenopausal women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the results of a study that investigated the infestation of Cicadatra persica on apple trees, Malus domestica in Erneh, Syria. The occurrence of the Cicadatra persica on apple trees was first reported in the orchards in Erneh. Some signs of the infestations were nymphs, adults, exuvia and exit holes. The study presented some biological observations and an acoustic evaluation of the male's songs.

• This paper introduces a novel method to reveal the effects of various CNCs on the failure probability of transformers. • TLBO algorithm and MCS are used to implement the proposed optimization method. • This paper illustrates the importance of proper cyber graph selection in the future conditions of the power network. Transformers as one of the valuable assets of the power system, have a remarkable role in the power system stability. Understanding the effective parameters on the transformer's failure is so vital to reduce the transformer outages. On the other hand, with improvement and extension of intelligent systems, identifying the effective parameters on the security of smart networks is of considerable importance. This paper clarifies the relation between the cyber network configuration (CNC) and the failure probability of transformers due to the distributed generator controller. Also, a novel method is proposed to determine the effects of various cyber network configurations on the failure probability of transformers and also select the best CNC to maximize the reliability of the cyber-physical system. Optimized configuration should maximize the data connection between cyber elements, particularly cyber elements that have cyber-power interdependency with the critical transformers in the power network. Results indicate that the improper CNCs can increase the failure probability of transformers and consequently it leads to increment of expected energy not supplied (EENS) of the power system. The proposed method is implemented on the real pilot power test system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Dirasat: Educational Sciences is the property of University of Jordan and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The performance of a solar still with different size sponge cubes placed in the basin was studied experimentally. The increase in distillate production of the still ranged from 18% to 273% compared to an identical still without sponge cubes under the same conditions. The effects of sponge cube size, percent volume of sponge, water depth, water salinity and the use of black coal and black steel cubes were also investigated. The study showed that the daily production of such a still can be greatly enhanced using sponge cubes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study examines the forced convection of a micropolar fluid (MPF) flow across a vertical permeable plate inside a porous medium. A similar solution is derived for a scenario involving a constant surface temperature. The system of transformed governing equations is addressed by employing a finite‐difference method. Notably, a parametric analysis is conducted to demonstrate how the Prandtl number, micropolar parameters, Darcy number, inertia coefficient (ξ), skin friction (Cf), and Nusselt number (Nu) impact the system. The results are then presented graphically, while the physical aspects of the issue are assessed. Although a larger Nu produced a high wall heat transfer, the Cf values are decreased as ξ increases. The ξ also reduces the local Nu. Compared with Newtonian fluids, the MPF increases Cf and reduces the heat transfer rate. The outcomes are validated by comparing the current results with other related studies. The results of this study are useful for improving the efficiency of solar panels by enhancing their cooling rate. It is also found that increasing the inertia of MPF leads to an increase in the friction coefficient (Cf) while increasing porosity, microrotation parameter n and Fs decreases (Cf). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Mesenteric cystic lymphangiomas are rare benign lesions characterized by lymphatic vessels malformation with an unknown etiology. • Although, mesenteric cystic lymphangiomas are rare but should be included in the differential diagnosis of abdominal pain. • Surgical resection of mesenteric lymphangiomas should be performed as fast as possible to avoid many serios complications. Mesenteric cystic lymphangiomas are rare benign lesions of the abdominal cavity characterized by lymphatic vessels malformation with an unknown etiology. Despite the silent clinical course of mesenteric cystic lymphangiomas, they are considered as clinically tricky lesions with an immense spectrum of presentations. We present a case of abdominal mesenteric cystic lymphangioma in a 1-year 9-month-old female patient, who complained of fever and abdominal pain for 10 days duration. Laboratory investigations, abdominal X-ray, ultrasonography, computed tomography and histopathological examination were all used to establish the diagnosis. A trial of true-cut biopsies performed by an interventional radiologist was not informative, so a multidisciplinary team decision was made to excise the mass. Intraoperative findings include multiloculated fused cystic lesion (8.0 × 5.0 × 4.0 cm) on the descending mesocolon. Histopathological examination revealed the diagnosis of a mesenteric cystic lymphangioma. The postoperative period was not complicated. Mesenteric cystic lymphangiomas are mostly asymptomatic in nature, yet predisposed to life threating events. Surgical excision is the modality of treatment characterized by low recurrence rate and a non-complicated postoperative period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To describe Purtscher's and Purtscher-like retinopathy clinical features, etiologies, management options, and visual outcomes. Methods: Our protocol was registered on PROSPERO [registration number: CRD42023406843]. Seven online databases were searched: PubMed, Scopus, Medline, ScienceDirect, CENTRAL, clinicaltrials.gov, and Google Scholar. Original articles were included if they reported at least one subject diagnosed with Purtscher's or Purtscher-like retinopathy. The primary outcome is to describe the clinical features of Purtscher and Purtscher-like retinopathies, including etiologies, results of related investigations, management lines, and visual outcomes. All analyses were conducted with the use of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27 (IBM SPSS Corp, SPSS Statistics ver. 26, USA) and Cochrane's RevMan software. The methodological quality of included studies was assessed using the NIH quality assessment tools. Results: A total of 114 articles were included, describing 168 cases of Purtscher's and Purtscher-like retinopathy. Patients were evenly distributed between males (50.89%) and females (49.11%). Average age of patients was 34.62 years old. Trauma was the leading cause of retinopathy, being reported in 39.88% of our patients, followed by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (13.1%) and acute pancreatitis (11.9%). Bilateral symptoms were reported in 57.7% of patients with centrally blurred vision being the most complained symptom (OS: 34.32% and OD: 18%). 75% of patients elicited bilateral retinal findings. Cotton-wool spots were of highest prevalence (58%). Purtscher flecken was seen in 53% of patients. Macular edema was seen in 13% of patients. Overall, patients had a favorable prognosis (53%). Conclusion: Purtscher's and Purtscher-like retinopathies are rare sight-threatening retinopathies that develop most commonly following trauma or other systemic diseases as SLE and acute pancreatitis. Little data is available regarding these conditions, and available data is of low quality. Patients develop bilateral disease in approximately 50% of cases, and several retinal findings are observed, with no specific tendency. Most observed signs are cotton-wool spots in around 55% of patients and Purtscher flecken in 51% of patients. Patients spontaneously recovered, although data is not conclusive. No clear prognostic value of etiological factors is identified, and further research is required in this regard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Common bile duct exploration (CBDE) is an available option in the management of choledocholithiasis. We aimed to analyze outcomes comparing laparoscopic and open approaches to CBDE using the American College of Surgeons (ACS) NSQIP database.Study Design: This was a retrospective cohort study of patients undergoing CBDE between 2008 and 2013, using the ACS NSQIP database. The cohort was split into 2 groups and compared based on operative approach: laparoscopic vs open CBDE.Results: There were 2,635 patients who underwent CBDE during the study period, and 52% underwent an open approach. After adjusting for all confounding variables, open CBDE was associated with a statistically significant increase in mortality (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 2.95; 95% CI 1.18 to 7.41; p = 0.02), composite morbidity (AOR 2.19; 95% CI 1.56 to 3.07; p < 0.0001), bleeding (AOR 1.86; 95% CI 1.11 to 3.12; p = 0.02), return to the operation room (AOR 1.90; 95% CI 1.16 to 3.12; p = 0.01), and readmission related to the first operation (AOR 1.55; 95% CI 1.00 to 2.39; p = 0.05). On the other hand, retained common bile duct stones were 2.8 times more likely to occur in the laparoscopic group. The mean operative time was longer by 73 minutes for patients who underwent open CBDE.Conclusions: Patients undergoing open CBDE suffer from a statistically significantly higher rate of mortality and overall complications compared with patients undergoing the laparoscopic approach. Laparoscopic CBDE should be considered as the preferred procedure whenever possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study of a 48-year-old man who was admitted to the hospital for evaluation of an elevated blood creatinine level who was known to have granulomatosis with polyangiitis and was positive for antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody. The patient was found to have hemorrhagic bowel segment and was operated for laparoscopic exploration. He was then treated with a heparin drip and was receiving permanent renal-replacement therapy.

Mathematical models and numerical solutions of Williamson fluid flow under influences of various boundary conditions provide important support to experimental studies in the solar energy field. Therefore, the present study is concerned with the effects of forced convection of the viscoelastic boundary layer on a horizontal plate embedded in saturated porous media subjected to constant surface temperature. The study explores the profiles of shear stress, velocity, temperature, and heat transfer coefficient. The governing equations in nondimensional forms are obtained by using a model of Darcy–Forchheimer–Brinkman and finally are solved numerically by using bvp4c with MATLAB package. The results of the numerical solution show an insignificant rise in the distribution of the velocity boundary layer and shear stress profile as the Darcy parameter is increased, while a decrease in the temperature and Nusselt numbers are found. On the other hand, as the viscoelastic parameter is increased, the Darcy parameter shows a reverse response. Finally, insignificant increases in profiles of boundary layer velocity, temperature, shear stress, and Nusselt number are observed at high values of the Forchheimer number. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of dust is ubiquitous in the produce growing environment and its deposition on edible crops could occur. The potential of wind-distributed soil particulate to serve as a vehicle for S . Newport transfer to tomato blossoms and consequently, to fruits, was explored. Blossoms were challenged with previously autoclaved soil containing S . Newport (9.39 log CFU/g) by brushing and airborne transfer. One hundred percent of blossoms brushed with S . Newport-contaminated soil tested positive for presence of the pathogen one week after contact ( P < 0.0001). Compressed air was used to simulate wind currents and direct soil particulates towards blossoms. Airborne soil particulates resulted in contamination of 29% of the blossoms with S . Newport one week after contact. Biophotonic imaging of blossoms post-contact with bioluminescent S . Newport-contaminated airborne soil particulates revealed transfer of the pathogen on petal, stamen and pedicel structures. Both fruits and calyxes that developed from blossoms contaminated with airborne soil particulates were positive for presence of S. Newport in both fruit (66.6%) and calyx (77.7%). Presence of S . Newport in surface-sterilized fruit and calyx tissue tested indicated internalization of the pathogen. These results show that airborne soil particulates could serve as a vehicle for Salmonella . Hence, Salmonella contaminated dust and soil particulate dispersion could contribute to pathogen contamination of fruit, indicating an omnipresent yet relatively unexplored contamination route. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper intends to analyze numerically the effect of forced convection with viscoelastic boundary on porous media subjected to constant heat flux on the surface. The modified Navier–Stokes equations in nondimensional forms are formulated and modeled with Darcy–Forchheimer–Brinkman to solve the equations using bvp4c with MATLAB package. The numerical results are found for local Nusselt number, shear stress, temperature distribution, and finally the velocity of the boundary layer over a horizontal plate. The analysis includes the influence of several parameters, such as Forchheimer, porous media, Nusselt number, and viscoelastic on distributions of velocity and temperature. Also, the effects comprise the friction and heat transfer coefficients. The numerical results under constant heat flux indicate an increase in shear stress and boundary layer velocity as the Darcy parameter increases and at the same time, the values of temperature and Nusselt number are decreased. A significant increase was observed for the values of Nusselt number, temperature, and shear stress under large values of the Forchheimer parameter. The numerical results show a good agreement with available previous works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forced convection of Williamson fluid flow in porous media under constant surface heat flux conditions is investigated numerically. A model of Darcy–Forchheimer–Brinkman is used and the corresponding governing equations are expressed in dimensionless forms and solved numerically using bvp4c with MATLAB package. Boundary layer velocity, shear stress, and temperature profiles, in addition to the local Nusselt number parameter over a horizontal plate, are found. The effects of the Forchheimer parameter, Nusselt number, Darcy parameter, porous inertia, and Williamson parameter on the velocity profiles, temperature profiles, coefficient of friction, and coefficient of heat transfer are investigated. The results showed that as the Darcy parameter increases, boundary layer velocity and shear stress increase, while the temperature and Nusselt number decrease. In addition, as Williamson's parameter increases, velocity within the boundary layer, shear stress, and Nusselt number decrease while the temperature profile increases. Also, with larger values of the Forchheimer parameter, the velocity of the boundary layer, shear stress, temperature, and Nusselt number increase. Furthermore, the Nusselt number and the coefficient of friction are obtained on the surface of the horizontal plate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of salicylketimines (2-[(2,6-diisopropylphenylimino)ethyl]phenol, 2-[(2,6-diisopropylphenylimino)ethyl]naphthol and 2-[(2,6-diisopropylphenylimino)(phenyl)-methyl]phenol), and their nickel complexes of general forms [(salicylketiminato)-Ni(PPh3)(Ph)] and [(salicylketiminato)2Ni] were synthesized and characterized. The formation of monophenyl-nickel(II) complexes versus the corresponding bis(sal)Ni(II) complexes depends on the fine tuning of the reaction work up and is affected by the substituent at the ketimine. Salicylketimines were thus found to form more readily the bis(sal)Ni(II) complexes than salicylaldimines. The molecular structures of the complexes were determined by X-ray crystallography and in all of them Ni has a nearly ideal square-planar coordination sphere. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: Colon cancer is a leading cause of mortality worldwide. It has a relatively poor prognosis; therefore, new therapies are needed. One of the tumour-related enzymes that has gained considerable interest is CYP4Z1. This enzyme has been expressed in many tumours and has been hypothesized as a potential biomarker or target for novel anticancer therapies. Patients and Methods: CYP4Z1 overexpression was immunohistochemically examined in a large panel of colon tissue types including normal, benign, primary and metastatic ones, and the enzyme's relation to histopathological features and patient survival was evaluated. Results: A high CYP4Z1 expression was observed in benign, primary and metastatic colon tissues compared to a weak or lack of expression in normal tissues. Importantly, there was a significant differential in CYP4Z1 expression where it was stronger in metastatic, primary and benign, respectively (p < 0.05). A significantly high rate of CYP4Z1 expression was found in high histological grades and late stages of the disease, where its expression was more evident in patients with metastasis in the lymph nodes (p < 0.05). Interestingly, CYP4Z1 expression was identified an independent prognostic predictor of poor overall survival of colon cancer patients (p = 0.003). Conclusion: CYP4Z1 was distinctly overexpressed in benign, primary and metastatic colon tissues compared to corresponding normal tissues. This differential in CYP4Z1 expression across different types of colon tissues strongly supports CYP4Z1 as potential biomarker and target for novel anticancer therapy development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The development of colon cancer has been described as a multistep process of carcinogenesis. Understanding molecular and cellular changes underlying this process is required to determine potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets in colon cancers. Several molecular entities, including glypicans, are implicated in cancer development. Among these is glypican-6, which is overexpressed in a limited number of cancers. This study aims to characterise the glypican-6 expression in different types of colon cancer. Methods: Immunohistochemistry was used to characterise glypican-6 expression in a panel of archived formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded colon tissue types. These types included 39 normal colon tissues, 10 colon tubular adenomas, 60 colon adenocarcinomas without metastasis and 60 colon adenocarcinomas with metastasis. Glypican-6 expression relation to demographic and clinicopathologic features was also examined. Results: Glypican-6 was strongly expressed in benign, primary and metastatic colon tumours. Normal tissue samples exhibited low to undetectable levels of glypican-6. A significantly high glypican-6 expression was displayed in colon cancers with lymph node metastasis, high depth of invasion, distant metastasis, high histological grades and late stages of the disease (P < 0.05). Importantly, a significant differential in glypican-6 expression was found between normal tissues and different types of colon cancer tissues. Moreover, the highest glypican-6 expression was more frequently found in metastatic tumours, followed by primary tumours and the least in benign tumours (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Selective expression of glypican-6 may establish a basis for potential use as a tissue biomarker or as a novel therapeutic target in treatment of colon cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In any sensory system, the Electromagnetic (EM) shielding of the channel-carrying signal is a fundamental technique to provide a noise-immune measurement system. Severe failures and uncertainty may occur if the external EM fields interfered with the measurements. Typically, the shielding is realized by enclosing the channel-carrying signal with thinconductive hollow structures. However, with such structures, it is required to provide access to the interior components from the outside, for wires' connections, or better heat dissipation. This can be considered as a weakness in such the external magnetic fields can penetrate through the shielding structure. In this paper, the EM shielding effectiveness is considered for long hollow-cylinder structures with slots. The induced eddy current in thin-conductive shielding systems with slots together with the magnetic fields at different conditions are modeled. The objective is to determine the impact of the integrated slots along with the structure. The influence of the slots' sizes (𝛂) and position relative to the excitation magnetic field (i.e., the declination angle (𝛃)) are investigated to evaluate the shielding effectiveness by means of the determination of the shielding factor. The results reveal the inherent relationship between the shield parameters and shielding effectiveness. The shielding effectiveness deteriorates by the slots' integration within the shielding surface. However, decreasing the size of the slots improves the shielding, significantly, towards the shielding effectiveness of the continuous cylindrical structure. Additionally, utilizing the symmetry in the structure positioning the slots in the direction perpendicular to the magnetic field flux improves the shielding effectiveness, drastically. Such a model can be considered to evaluate the degree of effectiveness or success of integrating opening slots within the shielding structure, which can be applied to different types of instrumentation systems specifically at the sensor-electronics interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the phytochemical profile of methanol extract of Ephedra foeminea and assess its anti-carcer effect on a large set of normal and cancerous cell lines Methods: Extraction of air-dried powder of aerial parts of E. foeminea was carried out with methanol. The bioactive compounds in the extract were determined using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The anti-cancer effect of the extract was determined by 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5- diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay against various types of normal and cancer cell lines. Serial concentrations of plant extract were used, ranging from 7.812 to1000 µg/mL. Doxorubicin (DOX) served as standard drug. The half-maximal concentration (IC50) values of the extract and DOX for each cell line were determined, and the selectivity index (SI) was computed. Results: Phytochemical analysis showed that the extract contained several bioactive compounds, including alkaloids, flavonoids, sterols and fatty acids. The hazardous ephedra alkaloids (ephedrine and pseudoephedrine) were absent in the plant extract. The extract showed significant anti-proliferative activity against cancer cell lines, when compared with the positive control, doxorubicin (p < 0.05). Selective and concentration-dependent cytotoxicity was exhibited in cancer cell lines of breast (MCF-7), lung (A549), colon (Caco-2), liver (HepG-2) and prostate (PC-3). Weak selectivity was produced in other cancer cell lines, i.e., human epithelioma (Hep-2) and cervical carcinoma (Hela). Interestingly, non-cancerous cells showed no or weak cytotoxicity. Conclusion: Ephedra foeminea exerts potential selectivity in anti-proliferative effect against some cancer cell lines. Thus, it is a promising drug source for the production of new and selective anti-cancer medicines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracranial rhabdoid tumor is a rare tumor that can originate in multiple organs, and it is most commonly seen in the kidneys. This tumor has a grave prognosis. We report to the best of our knowledge the first case of infantile scalp extracranial rhabdoid tumor in a 6-month-old male baby who presented with a right parietal scalp mass since the age of 1 month. This mass was initially diagnosed as scalp hemangioma based on clinical and imaging findings. However, this mass was growing fast which necessitated excision. Pathologic examination after excision showed a malignant tumor composed of sheets of rhabdoid cells. Immunohistochemically, this tumor tested positive for vimentin, CD 99, glypican-3, synaptopysin, WT-1, CK, and EMA. INI-1 immunostain was lost in the tumor cells. Subsequently, this tumor was pathologically diagnosed as extracranial scalp rhabdoid tumor. After tumor excision, the patient was referred to pediatric oncology to receive chemotherapy. Experience with scalp extracranial rhabdoid tumors is limited. However, this tumor in other organs carries a grave prognosis. Although scalp extracranial rhabdoid tumor is an extremely rare tumor, it should be kept in mind in the differential diagnosis of infantile scalp masses given the need of combined surgical and chemotherapeutic treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bladder cancer is the tenth most common cancer worldwide, where its burden remains a challenge and needs new novel therapies. Several reports indicate expression of CYP4Z1 and CYP1B1 in many tumours. Their expressions are associated with a poor prognosis, and therefore proposed as promising biomarkers or targets for anticancer therapy. By using immunohistochemistry, expression of CYP4Z1 and CYP1B1 was evaluated in a panel of different types of bladder cancer, and the enzymes' relation to histopathological features were assessed. Results showed an increased expression of CYP4Z1 (54.3%) and CYP1B1 (76.9%) in the majority of bladder cancers compared to weak or lack of expression of both enzymes in normal tissues. CYP4Z1expression was significantly associated with tumour grade and stage where the expression was markedly increased in a high grade and advanced stage of the disease (p < 0.05). Additionally, CYP1B1 expression was also associated with TNM staging (p < 0.05) and its expression was increased in patients with lymph node metastasis. The expression profiles of CYP4Z1 and CYP1B1 suggest that both enzymes have the potential to be biomarkers or targets for novel anticancer therapy for bladder cancer. Nevertheless, further studies are needed to better delineate whether these enzymes are druggable targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the stress management interventional program in reducing occupational stress and improving coping strategies among public health nurses. Design: A double‐blind, cluster‐randomized approach was used as a randomization method for this study to evaluate the stress management interventional program. Methods: A cluster‐randomized controlled trial was carried out in eight comprehensive healthcare centres in Amman city, Jordan; four centres were randomly assigned to each experimental and control group. One hundred and seventy nurses were selected randomly from March 2019 ‐ August 2019 and data were collected by using the Nursing Stress Scale & brief COPE over three data collection times. Both descriptive and inferential statistics (repeated measure ANOVA, Independent t test, and chi‐squared) were used to answer the research questions of this study. Results: The results showed that both the levels of occupational stress and coping strategies were significantly different between the two study groups over the three data collection points (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, the stress management program is an effective non‐invasive method that can be used to reduce stress levels and improve coping strategies for public health nurses. The implementation of stress management interventions in health care is likely to help nurses manage occupational stress in practice. Impact: Nurses suffer from a high level of occupational stress. In particular, approximately74% of nurses experience severe occupational stress, which can lead to many mental and physical disorders. However, nurses were less able to utilize the correct stress preventive strategies due to gaps in knowledge, skills, and awareness. This study contributed to the provision of empirical evidence of the effectiveness of the stress management program in reducing occupational stress and improving coping strategies among public health nurses. A stress management intervention program is a valuable non‐invasive method that can be used by healthcare organizations to reduce stress levels and improve coping strategies for nurses in practice. Clinical trial registration number: NCT03833986. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]