Aflatoxins are a type of mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus species of fungi, such as A. flavus and A. parasiticus. The umbrella term aflatoxin refers to four different types of mycotoxins produced, which are B1, B2, G1, and G2. Aflatoxin B1, the most toxic, is a potent carcinogen and has been directly correlated to adverse health effects, such as liver cancer, in many animal species. Aflatoxins are largely associated with commodities produced in the tropics and subtropics, such as cotton, peanuts, spices, pistachios and maize. As green Chemistry seeks to reduce the impact of chemistry on the environment by preventing the pollution at its source and using fewer natural resources, the present study shows the inhibition incidence of A. flavus by up to 90 percent by spraying the nuts, wheat or corn with yeast. Besides inhibiting the A. flavus fungus, yeast is found to be effective in protecting against any of at least half a dozen other species of microbes that can ruin a food's taste, texture, yield, safety or other attributes. The concentration of Aflatoxin B1 was traced using higher performance liquid chromatography before and after treatment.

Aflatoxins are a type of mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus species of fungi, such as A. flavus and A. parasiticus. The umbrella term aflatoxin refers to four different types of mycotoxins produced, which are B1, B2, G1, and G2. Aflatoxin B1, the most toxic, is a potent carcinogen and has been directly correlated to adverse health effects, such as liver cancer, in many animal species. Aflatoxins are largely associated with commodities produced in the tropics and subtropics, such as cotton, peanuts, spices, pistachios and maize. As green Chemistry seeks to reduce the impact of chemistry on the environment by preventing the pollution at its source and using fewer natural resources, the present study shows the inhibition incidence of A. flavus by up to 90 percent by spraying the nuts, wheat or corn with yeast. Besides inhibiting the A. flavus fungus, yeast is found to be effective in protecting against any of at least half a dozen other species of microbes that can ruin a food's taste, texture, yield, safety or other attributes. The concentration of Aflatoxin B1 was traced using higher performance liquid chromatography before and after treatment.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Neuromuscular scoliosis could develop at a young age and progress beyond skeletal maturity. An early spinal fusion arrests growth of the spine and thorax, risking the development of secondary thoracic insufficiency syndrome. Vertical expandable prosthetic titanium rib (VEPTR) is a fusionless technique aiming at correction of the deformity with preservation of growth potential. PURPOSE: To demonstrate the preliminary results of the use of VEPTR in an Eiffel Tower construct in children with neuromuscular scoliosis in regard to coronal and sagittal profiles, space available for the lungs (SAL), and spinal growth. The report lists the complications we faced during the follow-up of 1.33 years after the index procedure. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data of a case series. PATIENT SAMPLE: Twenty nonambulatory children (mean 8.9 years) with neuromuscular scoliosis. Their primary diagnoses were myelomeningocele in seven, cerebral palsy in three, spinal muscular atrophy in two, myopathies in three, arthrogryposis in one, and syndromic scoliosis in four patients. METHODS: All 20 patients received percutaneous rib-to-pelvis VEPTR implantation. Mean operative time was 2 hours, and mean hospital stay was 12 days. None of them needed blood transfusion. They underwent 20 primary implantations and 39 lengthenings. OUTCOME MEASURES: The patients were assessed based on physiologic measures, that is, the radiographic improvement of their scoliosis, SAL, pelvic tilt, spinal height, and sagittal and coronal decompensation. RESULTS: At the latest follow-up, thoracolumbar curvature improved significantly (65.7620.5 to 49.9 615.7 ), as did lumbar curvature (61.6 619.5 to 35 621.2 ), thoracic (17.262.3 to 2062.3 cm) and lumbar spinal height (9.961.7 to 11.961.8 cm), SAL (86.568.9 to 97610), pelvic obliquity (12.568 to 5.26 5.2), and the iliolumbar angle (1568 to 10.0667.1). Nine patients suffered complications in the form of proximal cradle migration (five), implant breakage (five), deep wound infection (three), and dislodged iliac hooks (two). CONCLUSIONS: Early results of VEPTR for neuromuscular scoliosis are encouraging. Follow-up till skeletal maturity will best determine future indications.

Purpose: To compare efficacy of percutaneous Achilles tenotomy alone to combined posterior capsulotomy of the ankle joint together with open Achilles tenotomy. Patients & Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 167 patients with 260 congenital clubfeet operated upon for equinus after Ponseti serial casts between the ages of 1 day and 1 year (idiopathic clubfeet) and between 1 day and 10 years (non-idiopathic clubfeet), who presented to our institution between January1, 2001 and January 1, 2011, with a minimum of two years follow-up. Recurrence was defined as failure to passively dorsiflex the ankle beyond 0º. Patients had undergone one of two procedures: either percutaneous Achilles tenotomy (AT) alone, or combined posterior capsulotomy of the ankle joint together with open Achilles tenotomy (PC+AT). 73 idiopathic and 12 non-idiopathic clubfeet underwent AT, while 116 idiopathic and 59 non-idiopathic clubfeet underwent PC+AT. Results: 260 clubfeet met our inclusiion criteria and were followed for a mean period of 4.8±2.4 years. 189 clubfeet (72.7%) were idiopathic, and 71 (27.3%) were non-idiopathic (20 associated with spina bifida, 12 with Arthrogryposis, 2 with congenital myopathy & 38 with other chromosomal and developmental abnormalities). Mean age at surgery was 3.4±1.2 months (idiopathic clubfeet) and 7.3±7.8 months (non-idiopathic), p0.005. The overall mean dorsiflexion range improved from -32.5º to24.3º immediately postoperatively and to 11.7º at the latest follow up of 4.8±2.4 years (5±2.5 years for the idiopathic clubfeet and 4.3±2.1 years for the non-idiopathic clubfeet), which was found to be highly statistically significant for both groups (p0.001). Immediate postoperative improvement was significantly higher in the non-idiopathic group than the idiopathic (p0.005), but the difference in improvement between the two groups was statistically insignificant at latest follow up (p=0.405). The improvement in dorsiflexion was significantly higher for PC+AT than AT at latest follow up in both idiopathic (p=0.008) and non-idiopathic (p=0.008), but with no difference in the mean dorsiflexion range at latest follow-up (p=0.333) between the AT and the PC+AT groups. Recurrence rate was significantly higher in the non-idiopathic clubfeet (62%) compared to the idiopathic clubfeet (37%) with p0.005 regardless of the type of surgery. 29.1% of idiopathic clubfeet recurred after AT and 32.6% recurred after PC+AT (p=0.646). 78.6% of non-idiopathic clubfeet recurred after AT, and 61.3% recurred after PC+AT (p=0.355). Conclusion: The addition of a posterior capsulotomy to Achilles tenotomy neither improved the mean dorsiflexion range at the latest follow nor did it decrease the rate of recurrence of equinus or the need for further treatment even in the non-idiopathic clubfeet. It might therefore be advisable to perform percutaneous Achilles tenotomy alone instead of a bigger procedure involving posterior capsulotomy of the ankle for the management of equinus after serial Ponseti casts in idiopathic as well as non-idiopathic clubfeet. It is also worth mentioning, that in this follow up period of 4.8±2.4 years, open surgery with capsulotomy did not lead to excessive scarring or reduced ankle dorsiflexion compared to percutaneous Achilles tenotomy alone.

Prupose: A report on the documented results of Ponseti Method used at Assiut University Hospital to treat 557 congenital clubfeet to full correction, and ananalysis of the frequency of percutaneous Achilles tenotomy performed and its role in achieving hindfoot correction. Patients & Methods: Since 2006, 354 documented patients with 557 clubfeet (438 idiopathic and 119 nonidiopathic) were treated by the same surgeon (NA), reached full correction, and were followed up for a mean of 1.14±1.22 years (8months to 7 years). The presence of 2% of cases older than 6 years of age raised the mean age at start of treatment to 254 days. Half the cases were younger than41 days and 83.4% were less than one year old. Results: The mean Pirani score was 4.7±1.2, and the average number of intervention visits was 3.8±1.6 over a mean period of 7.3±6.5 weeks. 329 feet had no previous treatment, 161 had previous casting, and 47 cases were recurrent after previous surgery. 378 feet (67.9%) had at least one tenotomy on the 4th visit on average, while 14 feet (2.5%) needed a formal posterior release. 35 feet needed a second tenotomy, while 10 feet needed a third tenotomy. Remanipulation was needed in 133 feet (23.9%), Tibialis anterior transfer was needed in 47 feet (8.4%), while double mid-tarsal osteotomy was needed in 5 feet (0.9%) and a soft tissue release was needed in 1 foot (0.2%). 503 feet (90.3%) were satisfactory at latest follow up. The tibio-calcaneal angle (TCA) was measured on a lateral radiograph of the foot and leg (normally between 70° and 80°) in 198 feet at some point in follow up to verify hindfoot position in maximum dorsiflexion, and was found to be significantly less in 153 feet with Achilles tenotomy (mean TCA of63°±15.3°) than in 45 feet with no tenotomy (mean TCA of 74.2°±21.9°), p0.002. Half the cases with no tenotomy had a TCA over 76°, indicating abnormal hindfoot position, and would have benefited from a tenotomy. There was no supported relationship between the age at the start of treatment and the TCA (p=0.437), but there was a significantly less mean TCA in 139 feet (25%), that received donated Bangla/Steenbeek braces by WFL from Bengladesh (62.5° vs 67.6°, p0.05) compared to feet that received local braces. As an observation, the rate of tenotomy has increased in this series from 54.5% in the first half of the series, to 81.3% in the second half, and to 86.7% and 88.2% for the last 150 and50 cases respectively. Conclusion: Achilles tenotomy and use of the proper brace has significantly improved hindfoot position in treated clubfeet in Assiut as proven by radiographic measurements of the tibio-calcaneal angles.

Nigella sativa (NS) has wide-ranging healing properties, neuroprotective and antioxidant effects. Aging process is commonly associated with a decline in the chemical senses including smell. To detect a possible improvement effect of NS on the aging of the olfactory system we used 15 female albino rats that equally divided into three groups: group I (control adult), group II (control aged), group III (treated aged) received 40 mg/kg/day NS orally for two months. Specimens from the olfactory epithelium (OE), main olfactory bulb (MOB) and piriform cortex (PC) were processed for light and electron microscopy. Aging in OE revealed reduction in thickness, vacuolations, an increase in PAS reaction and lipofuscin autofluorescence. Aged MOB and PC exhibited a reduction in basophilia and accumulation of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) in mitral and pyramidal cells respectively. NS treatment improved the structure and the thickness of the OE and reduced the lipofuscin autofluorescence. It also attenuated the reduction in cytoplasmic basophilia and the accumulation of lipofuscin pigment and the NFTs in both mitral and pyramidal cells and the lipofuscin autofluorescence. These observations indicate that use of NS, could be of value in improving the structural changes of the peripheral and central main olfactory organs, which occurred in association with aging.

Nigella sativa (NS) has wide-ranging healing properties, neuroprotective and antioxidant effects. Aging process is commonly associated with a decline in the chemical senses including smell. To detect a possible improvement effect of NS on the aging of the olfactory system we used 15 female albino rats that equally divided into three groups: group I (control adult), group II (control aged), group III (treated aged) received 40 mg/kg/day NS orally for two months. Specimens from the olfactory epithelium (OE), main olfactory bulb (MOB) and piriform cortex (PC) were processed for light and electron microscopy. Aging in OE revealed reduction in thickness, vacuolations, an increase in PAS reaction and lipofuscin autofluorescence. Aged MOB and PC exhibited a reduction in basophilia and accumulation of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) in mitral and pyramidal cells respectively. NS treatment improved the structure and the thickness of the OE and reduced the lipofuscin autofluorescence. It also attenuated the reduction in cytoplasmic basophilia and the accumulation of lipofuscin pigment and the NFTs in both mitral and pyramidal cells and the lipofuscin autofluorescence. These observations indicate that use of NS, could be of value in improving the structural changes of the peripheral and central main olfactory organs, which occurred in association with aging.

Chronic liver diseases and cirrhosis are now being recognized as an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Established cirrhosis has a 10-year mortality of 34-66%. Hepatorenal syndrome and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis are important cause of mortality in cirrhosis. Patients with liver cirrhosis are mostly asymptomatic until decompensation occurs, so it is very difficult to assess the real prevalence and incidence of cirrhosis in the general population. In the liver miR-122 accounts for approximately 70% of all miRs, whereas other organs express much lower amounts of this miR. miR-122 regulates many genes in the liver that control the cell cycle, differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis. In contrast loss of miR-122 in the liver leads to hepatic differentiation with malignant phenotype. The aim of the study: was to evaluate miR-122 as a prognostic marker in patients with liver cirrhosis. Methods: The study included 100 patients with liver cirrhosis All were subjected to clinical evaluation, abdominal ultrasonography, a group of laboratory investigations and serum miR-122 level by real time PCR Results: Serum miR-122 level among the studied groups showed significant statistical difference between group I "compensated" and both groups II "ascites" and III "SBP" (P0.001), while there was high statistical significanct difference between group I "compensated" and group IV ''HRS'' (P0.001). strong negative correlation between serum miR-122 level and MELD score (p=0.001), and very strong negative correlation between serum miR-122 level and Child score (p 0.001). Conclusion: Lower serum miR-122 levels are associated with ascites, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis and hepatorenal syndrome. Therefore, serum miR-122 could be considered as a new potential parameter for liver function and a prognostic parameter in patients with liver cirrhosis.