Medical Sector

Increasing consumer demand for new products with high nutritional qualities
has spurred a search for new alternatives to food preservation. Pulsed electric field
(PEF) is an emerging technology for non thermal food preservation. Using this
technology, enzymes, pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms can be inactivated
without affecting the colour, flavour and nutrients of the food. PEF treatment may
be provided by applying pulsed electric field to a liquid food product in a
treatment zone between two electrodes at ambient, or slightly above ambient
temperature. Exposure of microbial cells to the electric field induces a
transmembrane potential in the cell membrane, which results in electroporation
(the permeabilization of the membranes of cells and organelles) and/or
electrofusion (the connection of two separate membranes into one) of the cells.
The main focus of this work was to design an innovative PEF system that provides
a uniform distribution of electric field, minimum increase in liquid temperature,
minimum fouling of electrodes, an energy efficient and high safety system. An
innovative pulsed electric field (PEF) unit was designed and constructed at Food
Technology Research Institute using modern technology. The system consists of
main equipments: high voltage pulse generator (10 – 80 kV) and treatment
chamber. The treatment chamber was designed containing two electrodes that are
electrically isolated from each other by an insulator element designed to form the
treatment chamber where most of the electric field is concentrated. Electric field
intensity in the range of (10-80 kV/cm) was applied with square bipolar pulses of
1 - 2 μs duration. The effect of PEF treatment on the inactivation of gram-negative
Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 suspended in simulated milk ultra-filtrate (SMUF)
of 100%, 66.67% and 50% concentrations were investigated. Treatments with the
same electrical power input but higher electric field strengths provided larger
degree of killing. The inactivation rate of E.coli was significantly increased with
increasing the electric field strength, treatment time and processing temperature.
Best Theses Awards, Cairo University (BTACU)
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Kinetic analysis of microbial inactivation due to PEF and thermal treatment of E
coli suspended in SMUF were also studied. Comparison between measured
(experimental) and predicted (theoretical) variation of E.coli concentration with
time following the PEF treatment was discussed. The treated liquid was re-treated
more than once through the treatment chamber to provide higher microbial
inactivation.
Keywords:
Pulsed Electric Fields (PEF); Bipolar square pulses; Microbial inactivation;
Non-thermal food preservation Methods, Milk pasteurization.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to compare between two antioxidant treatments in prevention of fenitrothion induced toxicity on rat parotid salivary gland.

Ketotifen fumerate ophthalmic solution is an antihistaminic drug. The aim of this study was to develop a novel aqueous ketotifen eye drop formulation containin ketotifen/2-Hydroxypropyl-?-cyclodextrin complex, which has the ability to enhance the solubility of the drug at the physiological pH (7.4), consequently decreasing the irritation to the eye.

Aim of the work: To evaluate the associations of serum 25 hydroxy (OH) vitamin D [25(OH)D] levels with cardiovascular risk factors as well as disease activity in women with SLE.

Background: Bladder cancer cells illustrate major disruptions in their DNA methylation patterns as compared with normal ones. Authors aimed to identify epigenetic molecular markers in urine for early detection of bladder cancer. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the methylation status

Introduction: The purpose of this research is to determine the accuracy and reliability of measurements obtained from 3-dimensional (3D) cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) for different head orientations.

Superimposition of serial Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) scans has become a valuable tool for three dimensional (3D) assessments of treatment effects and stability. Voxel based image registration is a newly developed semiautomated technique for superimposition and comparison of two CBCT scans.

This analysis evaluated the effects of deferasirox on liver iron concentration in moderate and heavily iron-overloaded patients with ?-thalassaemia from the ESCALATOR trial (n = 231).

Background and aim: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is one of the most important causes of acute lower respiratory tract infections (ALRTI) in infants and young children. This study was conducted to describe the epidemiology of ALRTI associated with RSV among children ? 5 years old in Egypt.

Aim: Evaluation of a protocol for the management of seminal tract obstruction.

Patients and methods: Eighty infertile men with obstructive azoospermia were enrolled in this study. Intraoperative vasography pinpointed the site (or sites) of obstruction. According to the algorithm, single-site or multiple-site obstructions were managed by various combinations of epididymovasostomy, vasovasostomy, transurethral resection of the ejaculatory ducts, and pelviscrotal vasovasostomy.

Results: Cases (92.5%, 74 out of 80 patients) showed the appearance of spermatozoa in semen after surgery. The average count was 14 million/ml and the average motility was 40%. Simultaneous multiple-site obstruction was detected and managed in 32 out of 80 patients (40%).

Conclusion: The modest success rate for surgical repair of seminal tract obstruction may be attributable to missing or failure to manage multiple-site obstruction, which appears to be common. The proposed algorithm guides the surgeon to full restoration of patency of the seminal tract along its whole length on the basis of proper diagnostic and corrective measures.

Background: Alloimmunization to red blood cells' (RBCs) antigens and formation of autoantibodies against RBCs is a frequent complication among immunocompetent transfusion-dependent patients. Autoantibodies can result in clinical hemolysis and difficulty in cross-matching blood. The objective of this study was to evaluate the presence of alloantibodies and autoantibodies in regularly transfused ?-thalassemic patients and the factors influencing the development of alloantibodies.

With the re-emergence of older antibiotics as valuable choices for treatment of serious infections, we studied the aminoglycoside resistance of Gram-negative bacteria isolated from patients with ear, urinary tract, skin, and gastrointestinal tract infections at Minia university hospital in Egypt. Escherichia coli (mainly from urinary tract and gastrointestinal tract infections) was the most prevalent isolate (28.57%), followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (25.7%) (mainly from ear discharge and skin infections). Isolates exhibited maximal resistance against streptomycin (83.4%), and minimal resistance against amikacin (17.7%) and intermediate degrees of resistance against neomycin, kanamycin, gentamicin, and tobramycin. Resistance to older aminoglycosides was higher than newer aminoglycoides. The most common aminoglycoside resistance phenotype was that of streptomycin resistance, present as a single phenotype or in combination, followed by kanamycin-neomycin as determined by interpretative reading. The resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains were capable of producing aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes and using efflux as mechanisms of resistance. Using checkerboard titration method, the most frequently-observed outcome in combinations of aminoglycosides with ?-lactams or quinolones was synergism. The most effective combination was amikacin with ciprofloxacin (100% Synergism), whereas the least effective combination was gentamicin with amoxicillin (53.3% Synergistic, 26.7% additive, and 20% indifferent FIC indices). Whereas the studied combinations were additive and indifferent against few of the tested strains, antagonism was never observed. The high resistance rates to aminoglycosides exhibited by Gram-negative bacteria in this study could be attributed to the selective pressure of aminoglycoside usage which could be controlled by successful implementation of infection control measures.

Background And Objectives: Prior to the mid-1980s, me treatment of choice for anal cancer was abdom-inoperineal resection. Currently, combined chemoradiation is the standard of care. Or objective was to analyze results of treatment for anal canal carcinoma treated with combined chemoradiation.

Mortality risk for elective brain tumor surgery surgery,

Articular involvement is a frequent extrahepatic manifestation of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The distinction between HCV-related polyarthropathy and true RA may be very diYcult, especially with recent onset RA before articular damage and erosions develop. The objective of the study is to assess the diagnostic utility of anti-CCP antibodies and compare it with that of rheumatoid factor (RF) in distinguishing between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and HCV-related polyarthropathy. Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibodies and RF were determined in the sera of 30 patients with RA and 22 patients with HCV-related polyarthropathy. Anti-CCP antibodies were positive in 83.3% of patients with RA and in 4.5% in patients with HCV and polyarthropathy. RF was positive in 90% of RA patients and in 81.1% of HCV patients with polyarthropathy. The anti-CCP antibodies showed higher speciWcity for RA compared with RF (95.4 vs. 18.2%). However, the sensitivity of anti-CCP was comparable to that of RF (83.3 vs. 90%). In conclusions, anti-CCP antibodiesare reliable laboratory markers to diVerentiate between RA and HCV-related polyarthropathy.

Aim of the study: The present study aimed to evaluate the anti-diabetic activity of Zizyphus spina-christi leaf extract (200 mg/kg b.w.), plain and formulated in STZ-diabetic rats. Percentage yield of extracts, marker yield (christinin-A) and antihyperglycemic potencies, depending on seasonal variation were investigated. The chemical stability, study of storage conditions, shelf life T90 prediction of both plain extract and formulated soft gelatin capsules by accelerated studies were studied.

Purpose: To study the effect of aqueous propolis extract (AEP) against indomethacin (Indo)-induced gastric ulcers in irradiated and non-irradiated rats.

Tumor progression is dependent on neoangiogenesis for blood supply. Neovasculature over-express ?v?3 integrins which recognize the Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) sequence in the extracellularmatrix.N-(2-hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide (HPMA) copolymers containing side chains terminated in cyclic RGD analogs such as RGDfK show increased accumulation in prostate tumors. Geldanamycin and their derivatives (e.g., aminohexylgeldanamycin (AH-GDM)) are benzoquinone ansamycins that have both antiangiogenic and antitumor activity. In this work the antiangiogenic and antitumor activities of targetable HPMA copolymer-RGDfK-AH-GDM conjugates were compared with nontargetable systems in vitro and in vivo. Copolymer-drug conjugates containing RGDfK in the side chains showed superior activity against endothelial and prostate cancer cell lines in vitro, aswell as higher inhibition of angiogenesis in vivo. At equimolar doses of the drug, the RGDfK containing conjugates showed significantly higher antitumor activity in nude mice bearing DU-145 human prostate cancer xenografts. These findings suggest the utility of HPMA copolymer-RGDfK conjugates for targeted delivery of geldanamycin analogs with a dual mode of action.

Recently, it has been reported that compounds bearing a sulfonamide moiety posses many types of biological activities, including anticancer activity. There a variety of mechanisms for their anticancer activity, and the most prominent mechanism is the inhibition of carbonic anhydrase (CA) isozymes. The present work reports the synthesis of some new thiazolo[4,5-b]pyran and thiazolo[4,5-b] pyrano[2,3-d] pyrimidine derivatives bearing a sulfonamide moiety. The design of the structures of these compounds complies with the general pharmacophoric requirements for CA inhibiting anticancer drugs. The newly synthesized compounds were evaluated for their in vitro anticancer activity against human breast cancer cell line ( MCF7) . Most of the screened compounds showed interesting cytoxic activity compared to doxorubicin as a reference drug. Three compounds showed higher cytotoxic activities than doxorubicin. These three compounds were evaluated again for their ability to enhance the cell killing effect of gamma radiation.

Objectives: To assess the effects of a 4-week levofloxacin course on PSA in asymptomatic men with elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and on prostate biopsy decision.