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We aimed to investigate the acute and chronic effects of carvedilol on insulin resistance in high-fructose, high- fat diet (HFrHFD)--fed mice and the implication of the [beta]-arrestin2 pathway. The acute effect of carvedilol (10 mg/kg, i.p.) on glucose tolerance and hepatic lipid signaling in normal and insulin resistant mice was investigated. Then, the chronic effect of carvedilol on insulin resistance and dyslipidemia in HFrHFD-fed mice was examined. Changes in [beta]-arrestin2 and its downstream signals in liver, skeletal muscle, and adipose tissue were measured. This involved measuring phosphatidylinositol 4,5- bisphosphate (PIP2) and diacylglycerol (DAG) levels and protein kinase B (AKT) activity. Carvedilol acutely reduced fasting blood glucose levels in both normal and insulin resistant mice without significantly affecting the glucose tolerance. These acute effects were associated with increased hepatic PIP2 but decreased hepatic DAG levels. Chronic administration of carvedilol significantly ameliorated insulin resistance and dyslipidemia in HFrHFD-fed mice. These chronic effects were associated with increased [beta]- arrestin2, PIP2, and AKT activity levels but decreased DAG levels in the classical insulin target tissues. In conclusion, carvedilol acutely maintains glucose homeostasis and chronically ameliorates insulin resistance and dyslipidemia in HFrHFD-fed mice. The insulin sensitizing effects of carvedilol are highly correlated with the upregulation of [beta]-arrestin2 pathway. Key words: amlexanox, [beta]-arrestins, biased agonists, carvedilol, insulin resistance, paroxetine. Resume: Nous avons vise a etudier les effets a court et a long terme du carvedilol sur la resistance a l'insuline chez des souris auxquelles etait administre un regime alimentaire a teneur elevee en fructose et en matieres grasses (HFrHFD), de meme que le role de la voie de signalisation de la [beta]-arrestine2. Nous avons etudie l'effet a court terme du carvedilol (10 mg/kg, par voie i.p.) sur la tolerance au glucose et la signalisation des lipides hepatiques chez des souris normales et resistantes a l'insuline. Puis, nous avons examine l'effet a long terme du carvedilol sur la resistance a l'insuline et la dyslipidemie chez des souris auxquelles etait administre un HFrHFD. Nous avons mesure les variations des taux de p-arrestine2 et ses signaux en aval dans le foie, le muscle squelettique et le tissu adipeux, ce qui revenait a mesurer les taux de phosphatidylinositol 4,5bisphosphate (PIP2) et de diacylglycerol (DAG) ainsi que l'activite de la proteine kinase B (AKT). A court terme, le carvedilol entrainait une diminution de la glycemie a jeun chez les souris normales comme resistantes a l'insuline sans effet marque sur la tolerance au glucose. Ces effets a court terme etaient associes avec une hausse du PIP2 hepatique, mais avec un abaissement des taux de DAG. L'administration a long terme de carvedilol permettait d'attenuer nettement la resistance a l'insuline et la dyslipidemie chez les souris auxquelles etait administre le HFrHFD. Ces effets a long terme etaient associes avec une augmentation des taux de [beta]-arrestine2 et de PIP2 ainsi que de l'activite de l'AKT, mais avec une diminution des taux de DAG dans les tissus reconnus comme cibles par l'insuline. En conclusion, a court terme, le carvedilol permet de maintenir l'homeostasie du glucose tandis qu'a long terme il permet d'attenuer la resistance a l'insuline et la dyslipidemie chez des souris auxquelles est administre un HFrHFD. Les effets de sensibilisation a l'insuline du carvedilol sont clairement proportionnels a la regulation a la hausse de la voie de signalisation de la [beta]-arrestine2. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles: amlexanox, [beta]-arrestines, agonistes partiels, carvedilol, resistance a l'insulin, paroxetine., Introduction Insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes are growing health problems worldwide. Indeed, sedentary lifestyles and high-calorie diets are the main triggers of these disorders (Muoio and Newgard 2006). In [...]

Background: Rheumatic arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune progressive disease affecting one percentage of the general population Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of health teaching for mothers' on quality of life for children with rheumatic arthritis. Design: A quasiexperimental design was used to conduct this study (pre &post-test). Setting: the study was conducted at Pediatric Rheumatic Fever Clinic of Tanta University Hospital. Subject and method: A quasi-experimental research design was used with a convenience sample of 60 mothers and their children with rheumatic arthritis. Data were collected using three tools: tool (I) Structured Interview Schedule sheet: it was be divided into two part: part (A) Socio demographic characteristics of studied mothers and their children, part (B) Mothers' knowledge and practice about rheumatic arthritis (Pre/Post): Tool (II) Quality of life domains for children with rheumatic arthritis (Pre/Post). Tool (III) FLACC behavioral pain assessment scale (Pre/Post). Results: The results revealed that more than a third of the total score of knowledge about rheumatic arthritis at pre-education compared to less than three quarters of them at post education, and one third of them had good total quality of life at preeducation compared to more than half of them at post education. Also, one third of them had mild pain at pre-education compared to that more than half of them at post education. Conclusion and Recommendations: it can be concluded that after health education was implemented, the quality of life for children with rheumatic arthritis improved. Establish continuous educational and training program for children and their mothers about rheumatic arthritis are recommended to increase their knowledge, quality of life, and management of RA and prevent its complication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liver disease accounts for approximately 2 million deaths er year worldwide. Liver fibrisis results from chronic injury to the liver. If not effectively treated in time, liver fibrosis may transform into liver cirrhosis. MVs are recognized as potential biomarkers and important theraputic tools for a wide sectrum of diseases. Medical ozone has the ability to protect the body against pathological conditions caused by oxidative stress. The influence of ozone and MVs on CCL4 induced liver fibrosis was investigated in this study. Forty-eight adult male albino rats were divided into four equal groups. I control, II CCL4 group, III ozone and IV microvesicles groups. Liver fibrosis was induced in group II, III & IV using 12 SC injections (0.5 ml/kg body weight) of CCL4 dissolved in olive oil twice ber week for weeks. Blood samples were obtained to estimate serum ALT & AST. Liver tissues were processed for measurment of GSH & SOD, light and electron microscopic examination. H&E staine sections og group II showed dilated congested sinusoids and centralveins, mononuclear infiltrations, vacuolations and dark nuclei. Ultrastructurally, group II revealed irregular heterochromatic nuclei of hepatocytes, small scanty mitochondria & vacuolations. Morphometric & statistical analyses were performed. Group III showed some improvement, however, group IV showed more imrovement. The results indicates that MVs caused marked improvement than ozone against CCL4 induced liver damage via antioxidant & antiinflammatory properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water pollution emerges from different sources such as industry, domestic uses, use of pesticides and fertilisers and other daily uses of organic materials. Wastewater treatment has received great interest especially in the last few years and different techniques have been used for that object. The most recents are the advanced oxidation processes; where photocatalytic reactions represent a sounding technique. In the present work Methylene Blue dye (MB) is used as a model pollutant and the dye-polluted water is photocatalytically treated using TiO2 as nanoparticles and nanofiber in different dosages. The catalyst is supported on Agar-Agar before being used. Another set of experiments is run with silver-doped catalyst where the catalyst is doped with different concentrations of silver (Ag). Results showed that TiO2 nanoparticles have better performance as a photocatalyst than TiO2 nanofiber. It is clear that the highest performance is given by the catalyst doped with 2% silver (51.679% degradation). This is followed by doping with 3% silver (37.367% degradation) while doping with 1% silver gave results very close to the results of un-doped TiO2 (24.026% degradation for 1% silver-doped catalyst as compared to 24.393% degradation for the undoped catalyst). The Response Surface Methodology (RSM) is used for predicting the optimum values for the operating parameters which lead to the highest percentage dye degradation. The optimum values were found to be as follows: 40 ppm, 10 ppm and 5 for catalyst conc., dye conc. and pH, respectively. The maximum percent degradation achieved at these conditions was 49.45%. Validation of the model with experimental results showed that the model fits well this type of processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aspergillus nidulans (accession number MT355567) was selected as a most potent isolated, dried and chemically pretreated biomass was investigated. Various biosorption parameters as pH, initial concentration of U, biosorbent dose, biosorbent particles size, temperature and contact time were studied. Maximum uranium removal efficiency was 97% and 98.5% for dried and chemically pretreated biomass, respectively. The optimum pH for U(VI) removal was 4.0 with U concentration 350 mg/L, biomass concentration 0.4 g, biomass size 0.250 mm within 16 and 14 min for dried and chemically pretreated biomass, respectively, at 25°C. Uranium biosorption was closely related to pseudo-second-order kinetic model and obeys the Langmuir isotherm model. Calculation were suggested that U biosorption was not endothermic. According to the calculation the hydroxyl, carboxyl and amino groups on the fungal surface could back to biosorption of U. Desorption of U from the metal laden (68% for dried biomass and 47.5% for chemical-treated biomass) was completely achieved by applying 2 M HNO3 although the U adsorption capacity of both biosorbents were decreased from 67.5% to 28% for dried biomass and from 47.3% to 26% for chemical-treated biomass after four biosorption–desorption cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. In 2018, Egypt underwent a health system reform programme, in which a universal health insurance system rolled out across the country beginning, with the Port-Said Governorate in July 2019. Objectives. This study was conducted to assess patient satisfaction and health system responsiveness among attendants to family health centres and units affiliated with universal health insurance in the Port Said Governorate, Egypt. Material and methods. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted that included 156 patients who were seeking health care in family health centres and units affiliated with universal health insurance in the Port Said Governorate. A multi-clustering sampling technique was used. Data was collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Results. Among the 156 patients who were enrolled in the current study, 54 were male (34.6%) and 102 were female (65.4%), with a mean age of 37.10 ± 15.22 years. Regarding domains of health system responsiveness, about 73% of the attendants perceived the overall health system responsiveness as good regarding the domains of basic amenities, communication and confidentiality. On the other hand, three domains were perceived as poor, including autonomy, prompt attention and dignity (37.8%, 34% and 30.8%, respectively). Conclusions. It was found that more than two third of the attendants perceived the overall health system responsiveness as good. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]