Magdi Mohamed Mashly

Global and specific cognitive functions were assessed in 57 patients with ischemic strokes subjected to clinical neuropsychiatric, psychometric, electrophysiological and cranial tomographic evaluation. Patients did significantly worse than normal controls in the Blessed dementia scale, Sandoz clinical assessment geriatric scale but not the Folstein mini-mental state examination. Of the specific cognitive functions, attention and psychomotor performance were significantly impaired in stroke patients when compared to normal controls. The impairment in global cognitive functions, attention and psychomotor performance was more evident in chronic than acute cases. Increasing age correlated positively to the deterioration in psychomotor performance and perception. Cranial tomographic size of infarction was significantly related to global cognitive as well as intentional (sensory) memory impairment. The more marked the conventional electroencephalographic abnormalities, the more impaired were the global cognitive functions. High limit of the theta percent power correlated positively to deterioration in psychomotor performance. All P300 parameters except amplitude correlated significantly with impairment of global cognitive function and psychomotor performance in stroke patients.

The recently cloned protein, p21 (WAF1/CIP1) is a downstream effector of p53, and mediates growth arrest by inhibiting the action of G1 cyclin-dependent kinases. Since cellular differentiation is frequently characterized by G1 arrest, we examined whether p21 upregulation occurs in differentiation. We show that p21 expression is triggered by multiple differentiation-inducing agents in hematopoietic and hepatoma cells through a p53-independent pathway. The dramatic rise in p21 levels occurs as an immediate early response to differentiation inducers. The induction of p21 is coupled to the expression of early differentiation markers, and is uncoupled from apoptosis. Finally, evidence is presented that p21 expression is uncoupled from G1 arrest in the presence of deregulated c-myc.

Two main equal groups of clinically healthy, non pregnant rabbits were classified into 4 subgroups (5 rabbits each). The 1st and 2nd subgroups were treated with sulphaquinoxaline or sulphadiazine in a single oral dose of 100 mg/kg b. wt., while the 3rd and 4th subgroups received a repeated oral dose of 100 mg/kg b. wt., daily for 5 successive days, respectively. The second main group received lead acetate in a dose of 4.2 mg/kg b. wt. per day for 2 months, then was classified as in case of the 1st main group and administered the respective sulphonamides in their recommended doses. The experimental lead intoxication was found to decrease the free delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (delta-ALA-D) activity in blood of lead intoxicated rabbits after 4 and 8 weeks. Also, the ratio of free and with glutathione reactivated delta-ALA-D was increased 2.9 and 2.2 after 4 and 8 weeks, respectively as compared with before lead administration (1.19), indicating toxicity. The sulphonamide/creatinine ratio was increased after administration of both sulphonamides but higher in lead intoxicated rabbits as compared with healthy ones. The AST/ALT ratio was decreased 4 and 8 weeks after lead exposure. The AST, ALT and AST/ALT ratio, alkaline phosphatase, urea and creatinine were not altered in healthy rabbits. Repeated oral administration of sulphadiazine caused a significant increase in serum AST, ALT, alkaline phosphatase and creatinine level in healthy and lead intoxicated rabbits. On the other hand, AST/ALT ratio in both healthy and lead intoxicated rabbits was found to decrease 1 h after the last dose as compared with before treatment.

Schistosoma haematobium cercarial host-finding responses differ from those of Schistosoma mansoni. The attachment response to warm substrata is more sensitive and intense and is inhibited by unphysiologically warm substrata. Attachment is also stimulated by L-arginine as the exclusive chemical cue of the human skin surface (threshold 3 microM); however, the response is drastically lower than that of S. mansoni cercariae. No chemical host stimulus could be identified for an enduring contact with the host after attachment. After attachment, the cercariae creep in a temperature gradient toward heat source; their response is, however, more sensitive than that of S. mansoni (threshold 0.03 vs. 0.15 C/mm). Creeping S. haematobium cercariae orientate in chemical gradients in the same way as S. mansoni cercariae toward L-arginine as the exclusive chemical signal of the human skin surface. The selective benefit of this behavior is not yet understood. The penetration of both species is stimulated by free fatty acids from the human skin surface, not by heat. Thus, S. haematobium responds more to thermal host signals, whereas S. mansoni prefers chemical host signals.

Schistosoma haematobium cercarial host-finding responses differ from those of Schistosoma mansoni. The attachment response to warm substrata is more sensitive and intense and is inhibited by unphysiologically warm substrata. Attachment is also stimulated by L-arginine as the exclusive chemical cue of the human skin surface (threshold 3 microM); however, the response is drastically lower than that of S. mansoni cercariae. No chemical host stimulus could be identified for an enduring contact with the host after attachment. After attachment, the cercariae creep in a temperature gradient toward heat source; their response is, however, more sensitive than that of S. mansoni (threshold 0.03 vs. 0.15 C/mm). Creeping S. haematobium cercariae orientate in chemical gradients in the same way as S. mansoni cercariae toward L-arginine as the exclusive chemical signal of the human skin surface. The selective benefit of this behavior is not yet understood. The penetration of both species is stimulated by free fatty acids from the human skin surface, not by heat. Thus, S. haematobium responds more to thermal host signals, whereas S. mansoni prefers chemical host signals.

Schistosoma haematobium cercarial host-finding responses differ from those of Schistosoma mansoni. The attachment response to warm substrata is more sensitive and intense and is inhibited by unphysiologically warm substrata. Attachment is also stimulated by L-arginine as the exclusive chemical cue of the human skin surface (threshold 3 microM); however, the response is drastically lower than that of S. mansoni cercariae. No chemical host stimulus could be identified for an enduring contact with the host after attachment. After attachment, the cercariae creep in a temperature gradient toward heat source; their response is, however, more sensitive than that of S. mansoni (threshold 0.03 vs. 0.15 C/mm). Creeping S. haematobium cercariae orientate in chemical gradients in the same way as S. mansoni cercariae toward L-arginine as the exclusive chemical signal of the human skin surface. The selective benefit of this behavior is not yet understood. The penetration of both species is stimulated by free fatty acids from the human skin surface, not by heat. Thus, S. haematobium responds more to thermal host signals, whereas S. mansoni prefers chemical host signals.

This article addresses some of the major epidemiological, clinical, financial and social issues related to the practice of renal transplantation in Egypt. It highlights the limited availability facing the tremendous need for this line of treatment. It provides an overview of the transplant activity in the country, with a brief description of the medical and surgical protocols generally adopted by most groups. As a representative sample, the results of treatment of the Cairo Kidney Centre are given, emphasizing the importance of local ecological factors in modifying the outcome, expressed as short and long term patient and graft survival. The effects of the high prevalence of 6 infective agents are described, including cytomegalovirus (CMV), hepatitis B and C viruses, salmonellosis, tuberculosis and schistosomiasis. Most of these agents are shown to influence the donor's selection while some may directly modify the graft outcome (CMV and salmonellosis), alter patient survival (CMV, hepatitis B) or necessitate changes in the surgical techniques or the doses of immunosuppressive drugs (schistosomiasis). The financial burden currently imposed on the state budget by renal replacement therapy in general, and transplantation in particular, is discussed. The circumstances leading to accepting live unrelated donors, and the subsequent reflections on the society are discussed. The stand of the Egyptian medical community against paid organ donation, its enforcement and outcome of its application are described.

The dielectric characteristics of cyanoethylated cellulose samples having different degrees of substitution have been investigated at different frequencies from 0.1 to 10 KHz and at temperatures from −40°C to 180°C. Two relaxation processes, designated as α and β in order of decreasing temperature, were recognised. The low temperature β‐relaxation is expected to be due to local motion of anhydroglucose rings, while the α‐relaxation is related to the side group motion. The data obtained are discussed in terms of the progressive destruction of the fibre structure, together with the increase of side group polarity due to cyanoethylation. © 1994 Society of Chemical Industry

The dielectric behaviour of hydroxypropyl cellulose in dioxan has been studied at 10–50°C over a range of concentration of 10–55 wt% to include the isotropic and anisotropic phases. The study showed that the loss maximum ε″ max magnitude of polarization ε 0 − ε ∞ relaxation time 1/2πf m degree of broadening of the absorption curves 1–h or α, and the mean‐square dipole moment 〈gμ 2 〉, steadily increase with concentration up to 42 wt%, above which a rapid decrease takes place. This indicates that the isotropic solution transforms to an anisotropic solution with a smaller mean dipole moment. The critical concentration is realized to be temperature invariant. This was evidenced by measuring the refractive index of solutions covering the same concentration and temperature ranges. © 1994 Society of Chemical Industry

The dielectric absorption caused by dipolar relaxation of poly(vinyl chloride) photolytically degraded in air, using ultraviolet radiation, was studied on samples in the form of cast thin films. It was found that with the progress of photodegradation over a period of 10 h at 35 ± 2°C, the change in the magnitude of the dielectric parameters ε{lunate}m′', ε{lunate}0-ε{lunate}∞, ΔHε{lunate}0 and α can be practically represented as a three-staged process. © 1994.