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Background: Surveillance of infectious disease markers in the blood donor population is important in recognizing trends in prevalence and incidence of transfusion related infections in asymptomatic volunteer blood donors.Subjects and Methods: It was a cross sectional study. Samples were collected from volunteer blood donors and questionnaire was designed to collect the risk factors data. The prevalence of hepatitis C antibodies among 1,000 apparently healthy blood donors were determined.Objective: To estimate the prevalence of virus C hepatic infection and to illustrate the various socio-economic, behavioural and medical factors related to infection with Hepatitis C (HCV) among apparently healthy individuals. It contributed to analysis of the particularities of Egyptian blood donors and helped to better understand the challenges and solutions of blood safety.Results: The prevalence of HCV was 16.8%. There was an association of positive anti-HCV test with socio-demographic, medical and behavioural risk factors.Conclusion: This study provided comprehensive and reliable information on the possible risk factors affecting spread of Hepatitis C in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:  The current research aimed to evaluate the histopathological pulpal alterations in dogs' teeth following direct pulp capping using either mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) or human placenta extract (HPE)., Materials and Methods:  Forty-eight incisors with mature apices from four dogs were involved. The teeth were randomly allocated to three groups ( n  = 16) based on the material utilized for direct pulp capping: MTA, HPE, and Teflon as the negative control group. All involved teeth were capped and restored at the same session. Each group was subsequently divided into two subgroups ( n  = 8) based on the post treatment evaluation period: 2 and 4 weeks. The histopathologic changes in each specimen's pulp tissues, including pulp inflammation, hyperemia, necrosis, and dentin bridge development, were assessed. Then, all the data were statistically analyzed using chi-square, t -test, and one-way analysis of variance ( p  < 0.05)., Results:  At 2 weeks, chronic inflammation was observed in 100% of MTA and 50% of HPE subgroups with a significant difference between them whereas the remaining 50% exhibited no inflammation. In contrast to Teflon that showed acute inflammation, remission of inflammation was time-dependent at both MTA and HPE subgroups as there was a substantial difference between the 2- and 4-weeks evaluation periods within the same group. However, throughout the initially observed 2 weeks, all subgroups exhibited essentially no complete calcified bridge; at 4 weeks, all MTA and HPE subgroups developed dentin bridge formation, with a significant difference between them regarding its thickness., Conclusion:  HPE is a promising pulp-capping material inducing less intense chronic inflammation accompanied with thicker dentine bridge formation in comparison to MTA., Competing Interests: None declared., (The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).)

Background: To study the odontogenic potential of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) after induction with three different bioactive materials: activa bioactive (base/liner) (AB), TheraCal LC (TC), and mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), when combined with two different types of scaffolds., Methods: DPSCs were isolated from freshly extracted premolars of young orthodontic patients, cultured, expanded to passage 4 (P), and characterized by flow cytometric analysis. DPSCs were seeded onto two scaffolds in contact with different materials (AB, TC, and MTA). The first scaffold contained polycaprolactone-nano-chitosan and synthetic hydroxyapatite (PCL-NC-HA), whereas the second scaffold contained polycaprolactone-nano-chitosan and synthetic Mg-substituted hydroxyapatite (PCL-NC-Mg-HA). DPSC viability and proliferation were evaluated at various time points. To assess odontoblastic differentiation, gene expression analysis of dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP) by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and morphological changes in cells were performed using inverted microscope phase contrast images and scanning electron microscopy. The fold-change in DSPP between subgroups was compared using a one-way ANOVA. Tukey's test was used to compare the fold-change in DSPP between the two subgroups in multiple comparisons, and P was set at p < 0.05., Results: DSPP expression was significantly higher in the PCL-NC-Mg-HA group than in the PCL-NC-HA group, and scanning electron microscopy revealed a strong attachment of odontoblast-like cells to the scaffold that had a stronger odontogenic differentiation effect on DPSCs than the scaffold that did not contain magnesium. MTA has a significantly higher odontogenic differentiation effect on cultured DPSCs than AB or TC does. The combination of scaffolds and bioactive materials improves DPSCs induction in odontoblast-like cells., Conclusions: The PCL-NC-Mg-HA scaffold showed better odontogenic differentiation effects on cultured DPSCs. Compared to AB and TC, MTA is the most effective bioactive material for inducing the odontogenic differentiation of cultured DPSCs., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate the location of the apices of the maxillary posterior teeth to the maxillary sinus floor (MSF), the symmetry between both sides and the possible variations between males and females using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) in an Egyptian subpopulation., Materials and Methods: CBCT images were collected from 120 patients (240 second premolars, 480 1 st and 2 nd molars, 1680 roots). The proximity of roots of maxillary second premolar and 1 st and 2 nd molars to the floor of the sinus was categorized into three categories: inside the sinus floor (IS), touching the sinus floor (TS) or outside the sinus floor (OS). The correlation of the distance with gender was analyzed as well as for symmetry. Friedman's test was used to compare between different roots and the Dunn's test was used for pair-wise comparisons when Friedman's test was significant. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare males and females. The significance level was set at P ≤0.05., Results: The highest prevalence of roots outside the sinus was found with second premolar (right and left) followed by palatal roots of right and left second molar. In addition, the highest prevalence of roots inside the sinus was found with mesiobuccal roots of maxillary second molar followed by the palatal root of maxillary first molar. There was no statistically significant difference between males and females or between both sides., Conclusion: Neither gender nor side variations regarding the proximity to the maxillary sinus floor were observed., Competing Interests: ‘None declared’.

The aim of the current cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) study was to evaluate the proximity of mandibular first and second molar roots to the inferior alveolar canal (IAC) and mandibular cortex in an Egyptian subpopulation. Scans of 120 patients (480 molars, 960 roots) were obtained from the College of Dentistry database at the Suez Canal University, Egypt. Buccal and lingual bone plates and root thickness were measured at the specified resected root end 3 mm from the radiographic apex, and so was the proximity of the root apices to the IAC. Measurements of the right and left mandibular first and second molars were recorded for each root. Three examiners performed the measurements separately. ANOVA was used to compare the different roots. Bonferroni's post-hoc test was used for pair-wise comparisons when ANOVA was significant. The significance level was set at p ≤ 0.05. The findings displayed a closer proximity of the mandibular second molar apices to the IAC, as compared to the mandibular first molars. The mesial roots were at a shorter distance than the distal ones. Moreover, the mandibular second molars revealed the thickest total bone width including the root. So, it is beneficial for endodontists to be aware of the relation of the mandibular first and second molars to the surrounding cortical bone plates and the IAC before starting either nonsurgical or surgical endodontic treatment.

Background: Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is required for normal intrauterine and postnatal growth, and this action is mediated through IGF1 receptor (IGF1R). IGF1R copy number variants (CNVs) can cause pre- and postnatal growth restriction, affecting an individual's height. In this study, we used multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) to detect CNVs in IGF1R, IGFALS, and IGFBP3 genes in the diagnostic workup of short stature for 40 Egyptian children with short stature., Results: We detected a heterozygous deletion of IGF1R (exons 4 through 21) in 1 out of the 40 studied children (2.5%). Meanwhile, we did not detect any CNVs in either IGFALS or IGFBP3., Conclusion: The diagnostic workup of short stature using MLPA for CNVs of IGF1R and other recognized height-related genes, such as SHOX and GH, in non-syndromic short stature children can be a fast and inexpensive diagnostic tool to recognize a subcategory of patients in which growth hormone treatment can be considered., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Short Introduction: Nanoparticles (NPs) represent a new line in the investigations and treatment of group of diseases. Furthermore, it is found in many products and enters the body by different roots as ingestion and inhalation. Lung is more liable to exposure to these particles. Safety of these particles on the lung needs to be examined., Aim of the Work: To study the effect of gold NPs (GNPs) on the histological structure of the lung tissue., Materials and Methods: Thirty-six healthy male albino rats were randomly divided into three groups including control group (Group I) and two GNP-treated groups (Group II received low dose and Group III received high dose daily for 14 days). At the end of the experiment, all the rats were sacrificed; lungs were dissected and processed to be examined by light and electron microscopy., Results: GNPs induced inflammatory infiltration dilatation and congestion of the blood vessels in association with the collapse of lung alveoli and extravasations of red blood cells. Caspase-3 immunohistochemical reaction showed strong positive reaction in Group III mainly. Ultrastructure observation revealed affection of type II pneumocyte and thickening in the alveolar wall., Conclusions: GNPs led to histological changes in the lung tissue., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

Introduction: In the context of the continuous quest to improve the care of the neonates especially the critically ill premature infants, the extended role of pharmacists in the process of parenteral nutrition order writing and effective participation in decision-making especially in the neonatal population is increasingly important. This review aims to present results from the literature review of available evidence on the pharmacist role in neonatal parenteral nutrition therapy., Material and Methods: Key medical, clinical, and review databases were searched; relevant articles were retrieved and evaluated., Results and Discussion: A total of 19 papers out of 7127 searched papers met the criteria for inclusion, discussing the review topic. The main focus of the selected papers was on parenteral nutrition practice as related to the pharmacy practice. The overall quality of studies was mixed., Conclusion: Overall, the review presents the up-to-date status of the most recent analysis being undertaken on the topic of pharmacist involvement in the parenteral nutrition order writing practices and more specific in the neonatal population over the period from 1979 to 2013. The overall impression is that the practice of pharmacist writing neonatal parenteral nutrition orders already exists, but still limited if compared with the practice of pharmacist writing adult parenteral nutrition orders which is much more established in many countries. There was no single clinical study evaluating this practice, as we were able to retrieve only two surveys, which make it difficult to evaluate the pharmacist role in this area. Nevertheless, despite the wide variation in literature types, characteristics and quality, there are consistent patterns across all the reviewed literatures that competencies of the pharmacist in this field are well represented, which make it very important to carry out good quality clinical studies in this field. Finally, we are currently conducting a prospective clinical study to evaluate the impact of clinical pharmacist as a neonatal PN prescriber, this impact will be judged through the study outcomes as reducing the metabolic and electrolyte complications and increasing the mean daily weight gain during PN therapy and reducing the average number of days of PN till enteral feeding is achieved.

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare reproductive function after two neurosurgical procedures for treating non-neoplastic hydrocephalus; endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) and ventriculo-peritoneal shunt (VP)., Study Design: A cohort of 96 women who underwent neurosurgical procedures to treat non-neoplastic hydrocephalus at the Cleveland Clinic between January 1995 and January 2004 was identified. A follow up mailed survey was sent to all identified women between 15 and 45 years of age. In addition, phone interviews were performed to complete the required data. Clinical, laboratory and operative details were collected from 69 participants., Results: There was a two-fold significant increase in the menstrual irregularities after the procedure in the ETV group [5/52(10%)-10/52(19%), P=0.03] while those treated with VP shunt maintained the same menstrual pattern postoperatively. The rate of pregnancy was higher in the VP group compared to the ETV group, but did not reach statistical significance [8/17(47%) vs. 17/52(33%), P=0.462]. Similarly, the rate of term pregnancies was higher in the VP group compared to ETV group [8/8(100%) vs. 13/17(76%), P=0.269], which reflected a higher spontaneous miscarriage rate in ETV compared to VP group [4/17(33%) vs. 0/8(0%), P=0.269]., Conclusion: ETV appears to alter reproductive function postoperatively. In patients who establish a pregnancy, abortion rates seem to be higher in the ETV group; however, a prospective study will be required to validate these observations.

The relationship between various physical indoor environmental factors and the level of the studied depression aspects had been investigated. The study has been tried to involve patients suffering from different levels of depression and treated at specialized mental hospitals. Significant negative correlation had established been the between efficient indoor physical environment such as available basic home facilities, ventilation and sunny environment, home satisfaction, neighborhood physical environment and work physical environment, and the increased levels of depression aspects namely, physiological, attitude, behavior, social, situational, self satisfaction and self insight of depression. Recommendations were advised to add improvement of indoor physical environment to the line of depression treatment and to evaluate the efficiency of improving the work physical environment and its outcome in improving the physical and mental health of the workers with expected increased productivity and efficiency of the exposed workers.

A biological hypothesis which is based upon the response of AML blast cells to retinoic acid alone and in combinations with other differentiating agents in primary culture, is proposed for the FAB classification of Acute Myeloid Leukaemias. The present biological hypothesis accounts for the biological and clinical observations in AML.

The network of interactions between human myelopoietic growth factors can lead to signal amplification that all regulate normal myelopoiesis. The present study identified synergistic interactions between recombinant human interleukin-3, GM-CSF and G-CSF on normal human marrow day 14 CFU-GM suggesting that the interactions between these human myelopoietic growth factors are mainly confined to the early stages of normal human myelopoiesis. The synergistic combinations of recombinant human interleukin-3 plus G-CSF and GM-CSF plus G-CSF warrant clinical trial for the recovery from cancer chemotherapy or radiotherapy-induced myelosuppression and for augmenting human defence against infections.

Differentiation inducing agents in double and triple combinations can induce differentiation in primary culture of more than 80% of blast cells from some AML patients. In the present study, the interactions between these differentiating agents have been analysed using Berenbaum's general algebraic solution and three new, potentially clinically useful synergistic combinations: have been identified all trans retinoic acid (RA) + hexamethylene bisacetamide (HMBA), cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C) + HMBA and RA + Ara-C + HMBA. A measure of the effectiveness of these combinations was that the doses of Ara-C and HMBA required to induce 50% differentiation were decreased about 10-fold and 5-fold, respectively, in combination with 1 microM RA. The new synergistic combinations are important not only to limit toxicity but also because multiple drug combinations may better overcome the inherent molecular heterogeneity of the differentiation defect in AML patients. They warrant clinical trial in AML patients who are either unsuitable for or are unresponsive to conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy.

Serum aldolase concentrations were determined in 78 patients with acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML). Mean serum aldolase concentration (+/- SD) at the time of diagnosis was 28.3 U/L (+19.4). 71.8% of AML patients had increased serum aldolase concentrations. The highest hyperaldolasaemia were observed in patients with acute myelomonocytic leukaemia and acute monoblastic leukaemia. The monocytic involvement in AML patients was significantly related to serum aldolasaemia. Human aldolase gene has been located on chromosome 16, whose structural aberrations are frequent in AML patients with monocytic involvement, explaining the link between serum hyperaldolasaemia and the monocytic involvement in AML patients.

Plasma cholesterol concentrations were determined in 83 acute myeloid leukemia patients. Mean plasma cholesterol concentration (+/- S.D.) at the time of diagnosis was 2.91 mmol/L (+/- 1.13). The percentage of AML patients having hypocholesterolemia was 90.4 per cent. The lowest cholesterol levels were observed in the poorly differentiated FAB subtypes of acute myeloid leukaemia: AMyL(M1) and AMoL(M5a). The results showed that the initial hypocholesterolemia in acute myeloid leukemia is significantly related to the degree of both cytological and cytochemical maturation of leukemic blast cells at diagnosis. The degree of maturation at diagnosis has been shown to be related to prognosis in favour of more differentiated subtypes of acute myeloid leukemia. Also, hypocholesterolemia has been shown in several epidemiological studies to be related to an increased mortality from human cancer. Therefore, the degree of maturation may serve as a link between hypocholesterolemia and the increased mortality from human cancer.