Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) affects over a million people worldwide, characterized by photoreceptor cell death, progressive retinal degeneration, and visual loss. Metformin is demonstrated as a potential therapeutic approach for preventing light-induced retinal degeneration by decreasing apoptosis and oxidative stress. This work aimed to investigate the effect of metformin on the retina of the N-Ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) induced rat model of RP. Eighteen adult male Wistar rats were divided into two groups. Group I: normal vehicle control (N = 6). Group II: ENU-induced photoreceptor degeneration (N = 12) received a single intraperitoneal injection of ENU at a 600 mg/kg dose. Rats in group II were equally divided into two subgroups: IIa: photoreceptor degeneration-induced group and IIb: metformin-treated group (200 mg/kg) for seven days. Specimens from the retina were processed for light and electron microscopy …

الوصف

Acquired or inherited or photoreceptor loss causes retinal ganglion cell loss and ultimately axonal transport alteration. Thus, therapies should be applied early during photoreceptors degeneration before the remodeling process reaches the inner retina. This study aimed to evaluate the protective effect of metformin on the rat optic nerve following photoreceptors loss induced by N-Ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU). Eighteen adults male Wistar rats were divided into two groups. Group I: normal vehicle control (n= 6). Group II: ENU-induced photoreceptors degeneration (n= 12) received a single intraperitoneal injection of ENU at a dose of 600 mg/kg. Rats in group II were equally divided into two subgroups: IIa: photoreceptor degeneration induced group and IIb: metformin treated group (200 mg/kg) for 7 days. Specimens from the optic nerve were processed for light and electron microscopy. In ENU treated group, the optic nerve revealed reduction in the diameter of the optic nerve fibers and thinning of myelin sheath with morphological changes in the glia (astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and microglia). Caspase-3 (apoptotic marker), iNOS (oxidative stress marker) and CD68 (macrophage marker) expression increased. In metformin-treated group, the diameter of optic nerve fibers and myelin sheath thickness increased with improvement of the deterioration in the glia. Caspase-3, iNOS and CD68 expression decreased. Metformin ameliorates the histological changes of the rat optic nerve following photoreceptors loss induced by ENU.

Abstract
Background: Maxillofacial fractures are of great medico-legal implications because they are of common occurrence
with other injuries, predominantly head injuries that might involve serious esthetic and functional problems, and so
clinically described as consequential injuries. The aims were to assess the medico-legal aspects of maxillofacial
fractured cases concomitant with closed head injury over a 6-year period (2011–2016) in the Trauma Unit of Assiut
University Hospitals, Egypt, and to evaluate the demographic feature and the trend of different patterns of such
fractures.
Patient and methods: A descriptive hospital-based study included all cases of maxillofacial fractures combined
with closed head injury attending the Trauma Unit of Assiut University Hospitals in the period of January 2011 to
December 2016.
Results: The study included 1221 cases, the percent of maxillofacial fractures with a closed head injury was 4%, the
age group 18–40 years was having the highest incidence, and mean age was 25.9 ± 15.3 years with male to female
ratio of 7:1. Road traffic accidents were the main etiology of injury (69.7%), followed by falls (15.1%) and violent
assaults (10.2%) while firearm injuries were the last (5%). Unintentional injuries were the commonest in 83.1%
followed by homicidal (16.3%); only 7 cases were due to suicidal attacks. The mandibular fracture was the
commonest (49.7%) followed by fracture maxilla (19.2%), fracture zygoma (16.8%), and lastly frontal bone and nasal
fracture. The trend of maxillofacial fractures over the 6-year period tended to be increased with the highest number
in 2011 (21.5%) and the lowest in 2014 (13.3%).
Conclusion: Maxillofacial fracture with a closed head injury in Upper Egypt is common in the middle age with
male predominance. Road traffic accident is the main etiologic factor, and accidental trauma is the commonest
manner. Mandibular fractures are the commonest pattern followed by fracture maxilla. Traumatic head injuries in
cases of maxillofacial fractures were mild in about half of the cases. The trend of maxillofacial fractures over the 6-
year period of the study (2011–2016) tended to be increased with the highest number in 2011 and the lowest in
2014.

Abstract
Background: Medical students are at high risk of developing depressive symptoms rather than their age-matched
group as medical education is stressful and medical students have psychological and academic stressors. The study
aimed to estimate the prevalence of depressive symptoms and the most important correlates associated with it
among Assiut University Medical Students in the academic year 2019–2020. It is a cross sectional study conducted
among 766 medical students at Assiut University in the academic year 2019–2020, screening for depressive symptoms
was by patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9).
Results: The mean age of students was 21.27 ± 1.9, 55.5% of them have depressive symptoms. Female students had
statistically significantly higher percent of depressive symptoms compared with males (58.9% vs 51.2%), there was
statistically significant lower mean socio-economic score among students having depressive symptoms compared to
students with no depressive symptoms (5.73 ± 2.46 and 6.22 ± 2.5 respectively). Students having depressive symptoms
had higher mean scores of stresses. The multivariable regression revealed that younger age of the students
(OR = 0.797; p < 0.001), having a chronic disease (OR = 3.174; P = 0.024), lower life satisfaction score (OR = 0.908;
p < 0.001), students with higher medical stress score (OR = 3.596, P < 0.001), and high sense of control score
(OR = 2.323; p < 0.001) were the significant correlates of depressive symptoms among medical students.
Conclusions: Female gender, low socio-economic status, having chronic disease, presence of family history of either
mental illness or depressive symptoms, low satisfaction with life, higher total medical stressors, and low sense of control
were the most important correlates of depressive symptoms among medical students.

Abstract
HIV stigma among health care providers in the Arab world is understudied due to a lack of valid and reliable measures. Data from
352 Egyptian physicians was used to validate an Arabic version of the Health Care Provider HIV/AIDS Stigma Scale (HPASS).
Exploratory factor analysis (n=1 9 4) suggested a 3 -factor structure. Confirmatory factor analysis (n=1 5 8) validated the
three-factor solution with 18 items, which explained 5 3 .3 6% of the variance. All items loaded on their designated constructs,
which ranged from 0 .58 to 0 .82 (prejudice) to 0 .58 to 0 .66 (stereotypes) and 0 .52 to 0 .91 (discrimination). The prejudice,
stereotypes, and discrimination subscales consisted of seven, five, and six items, respectively. The internal consistency (α =0 .9 0)
and the test-retest reliability demonstrated (r=0 .9 5) were excellent. The cultural adaptation of the Arabic version of HPASS
suggests that it is a suitable scale for assessing HIV stigma among Arab health care providers.

Abstract

Objectives

This study aims to assess pregnant women’s intention in rural Upper Egypt to use the copper-bearing intrauterine device (IUD) and to identify the factors influencing their intention to use the method.

Methods

The study was a household survey of 400 pregnant women in 16 villages in Assiut and Sohag Governorates in Upper Egypt.

Results

Only one third of the study participants (30.8%) had the intention to use IUD. Reasons of not intending to use IUD were; perceived pain during IUD insertion or removal (37.5%), perceived side effects (21.3%) and misconceptions (15.2%), husbands’ disapproval for using the method (15.8%) and the desire for future fertility (12.3%). Having a secondary or a higher level of education (OR (95% CI) = 1.726 (1.085–2.746), p = 0.01) and previous use of IUD (OR (95% CI) = 2.277 (1.108–4.678), p = 0.02) were the positive predictors of the intention to use IUD, while perception of husband opposition to IUD use (OR (95% CI) = 0.604 (0.379–0.964), p = 0.03) and perception of IUD related myths (OR (95% CI) = 0.893 (0.836–0.955), p = 0.004) were the negative predictors of the intention to use IUD.

Conclusion

The intention to use IUD is relatively low among pregnant women in rural Upper Egypt. Targeting pregnant women and their husbands with proper counselling regarding IUD use during antenatal care visits would greatly impact increasing their use of the method.