A generalized heat conduction model of higher-order time derivatives and three-phase-lags for non-simple thermoelastic materials

In the current work, a new generalized model of heat conduction has been constructed taking into account the influence of the microscopic structure into the on non-simple thermoelastic materials. The new model was established on the basis of the system of equations that includes three-phase lags of higher-order and two different temperatures, namely thermodynamic and conductive temperature. The two-temperature thermoelastic model presented by Chen and Gurtin (Z Angew Math Phys 19(4):614-627, 1968) and some other previous models have been introduced as special cases from the proposed model. As an application of the new model, we studied the thermoelastic interactions resulting from sudden heating in an isotropic solid subjected to external body force. The influence of the discrepancy parameter and higher-order of the time-derivative has been discussed. This work will enable future investigators to gain insight into non-simple thermoelasticity with different phase delays of higher-order in detail.

New Miticides for Integrated Pest Management of Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae) in Honey Bee Colonies on the Canadian Prairies

Varroa destructor Anderson and Trueman 2000 (Acari: Varroidae) is an ectoparasitic mite of the honey bee, Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Honey bee colonies require extensive management to prevent mortality caused by varroa mites and the viruses they vector. New miticides (Thymovar and HopGuard) to manage varroa mites were evaluated during the spring and fall treatment windows of the Canadian prairies to determine their effectiveness as part of an integrated management strategy. Thymovar and HopGuard were evaluated alongside the currently used industry standards: Apivar and formic acid. Results demonstrated that Apivar and formic acid remain effective V. destructor management options under spring and fall conditions. Applications of Thymovar during spring were associated with a reduction in brood area, and therefore should be limited to the fall season. The miticide HopGuard was not effective in managing V. destructor, and alteration of the current delivery system is necessary. This study demonstrates the potential for new effective treatment options to supplement currently used V. destructor integrated pest management systems.

Sensitive and specific assay for detecting circulating antigens in individuals infected with Schistosoma mansoni

Monoclonal antibody 128C3/3/21 in an antigen-capture ELISA was used to detect circulating antigen in individuals infected with Schistosoma mansoni. This antibody recognizes a carbohydrate epitope expressed on the major group of acidic egg glycoproteins and on glycoproteins and glycolipids in all other stages of parasite development. The overall sensitivity of the assay was 78%, with a sensitivity of 100% for patients excreting >100 egg/g feces (EGF) and 72% for those excreting <100 EGF. By increasing the degree of antibody biotinylation, the authors have now achieved sensitivities of 92.4% overall and 82% for those excreting <100 EGF. A direct increase in the mean level of circulating antigen was found with increasing egg counts. The difference between those excreting >100 EGF (53 individuals) and those excreting <100 EGF (39 cases) was statistically significant (P<0.01). None of the control sera (23 uninfected individuals and 16 patients infected with other parasites) had circulating antigen levels >80 ng/ml. Thus, the test specificity was >99%. The test accuracy was 94.7%, the positive predictive value 100%, and the negative predictive value 84.8%.

Specific anti-Toxoplasma antibodies in relation to infection and reinfection using different infective stages

The possibility of rat re-infection with different Toxoplasma gondii stages was studied in this work. Two groups of rats were infected with either intra-peritoneal injection of 1000 trophozoites of virulent Toxoplasma strain or 1000 oocysts through oral routes. IgA, IgM and IgG were detected 15, 30, 60 and 120 days post infections. IgA and IgM appeared as early as 15 days post infection but declined afterwards. IgA antibody response was more prominent with oocyst infection and IgM was more prominent with tachyzoite infection with insignificant statistical difference. On the other hand, IgG started to increase 60 days post infection, then increased gradually till the end of the experiment (120 days). The primary orally infected rats were either re-infected orally with oocysts or intra-peritoneal trophozoites and re-examined after 15 and 120 days for the same immunological parameters. Those rats which primary infected with intra-peritoneal trophozoites were re-examined after oral infection with oocysts or injection of trophozoites intra-peritoneal. The level of IgA and IgM in one rat of group A and 2 rats of group B were significantly increased and this occurred in presence of anti-Toxoplasma IgG from the primary infection. In this study, the rats were lab-bred so, the factors affect the immune system could be under control, also strain variability was excluded as the infection was only by one strain, and as the IgG level was high, these rats were presumed to be immune from the primary infection. So, the rats which became positive after challenge most probably re-infected.

Resistance to Acarapis woodi by honey bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae): divergent selection and evaluation of selection progress

Two generations of honey bees, Apis mellifera L., selected for resistance to tracheal mites, Acarapis woodi (Rennie), were produced from a foundation stock. The mite resistant lines had significantly low mite abundances and prevalences in each selected generation. The high mite-resistant lines of the first selected generation showed resistance equal to that of bees that had undergone natural selection from tracheal mite infestations for 3 yr in New York. Additionally, the high mite-resistant lines of the second selected generation and Buckfast bees had significantly lower mite abundances and prevalences than honey bees from control colonies which had never been exposed to tracheal mite infestation in Ontario. These results corroborate studies that have shown that honey bees possess genetic components for tracheal mite resistance that can be readily enhanced in a breeding program. The two methods used for evaluating relative resistance of honey bees to tracheal mites, a short-term bioassay and evaluation in field colonies, were positively correlated (rs = 0.64, P < 0.001).

Histopathological and immunohistochemical studies of skeletal muscle in mice experimentally infected with Schistosoma mansoni

Histopathological, histochemical and immunohistochemical studies were carried out on the skeletal muscles of mice experimentally infected with Schistosoma mansoni throughout 20 weeks post infection. Histopathogical changes were detected from the 13th week post infection inspite of absence of Schistosoma mansoni eggs. There were definite enzymatic changes dehydrogenase, non specific esterase and acid and alkaline phosphatases. These changes started from the 14th week post infection. S. mansoni immune complex deposits were detected in the muscles from the 9th week post infection. Positive correlation was found between the degree of immune complex deposition and histopathological and histochemical changes. The study confirmed the role of immune complex in the pathogenesis of skeletal muscle lesion in Schistosoma mansoni infection (schistosomal myopathy).

Axenic in vitro culture of Schistosoma mansoni miracidia

Miracidia of Schistosoma mansoni have been grown axenically. The use of saline solution of 0.75% facilitated the shedding of epidermal plates which if occurred promote a rapid sporocystogenesis. Also, the use of a ratio of 1:3 (fetal calf serum and medium 199) in addition to chernin balanced salt solution (SBSS) was ideal for maintaining sporocysts up to 14 days. All the miracidia sheded their epidermal plates 2 hours post cultivation. At the end of the second week post cultivation, the daughter sporocysts measured 690u in length by 50u in width. The usage of plastic flat sided flasks with plenty of culture medium was very important for induction a proper growth of sporocysts because it was possible that adherence of sporocysts to each other might delay their growth.

Observations on possible immunity to reinfection among school children after schistosomiasis treatment

A total of 72 bilharzial mansonian school children aged 6-12 years were studied before and six months after praziquantel (PZQ) treatment. After treatment, 21 cases showed reinfection while 51 were resistant. Using ELISA specific antibody assays titre levels of IgM, IgG, IgA & IgE for soluble egg antigen (SEA) and soluble worm antigen (SWAP), were higher among resistant cases than among reinfected ones before and after treatment. The levels of specific IgA & IgE among resistant cases were significantly higher than among reinfected cases after treatment. This may indicate the integrity of immune system and prominant humoral immune response.

Giardia lamblia and chronic gastritis

One hundred and two patients suffering from giardiasis and/or chronic gastritis were subjected for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Purified immune rabbit's serum against Giardia lamblia was used in ELISA and immunoperoxidase (IIP) techniques for detection of Giardia antigen in the stomach. Results showed that out of 70 cases with intestinal giardiasis, 8 (11.4%) by ELISA and 6 (8.6%) by IIP showed gastric giardiasis. Higher percentage of gastric giardiasis (14%) was encountered in cases with both giardiasis and chronic gastritis (50) than in cases with giardiasis alone (5%) but with statistically insignificant difference (P > 0.05). None of the cases with chronic gastritis alone (without giardiasis) was positive for gastric giardiasis. Dyspepsia was the main presenting symptom in cases with gastric giardiasis (P < 0.05) with significant (P < 0.05) association. Helicobacter pylori was encountered in 6 out of 8 cases (75%) with gastric giardiasis (P < 0.05) with significant (P < 0.05) association. Duodenogastric reflux was detected in 4 out of 8 cases (50%). Histopathological changes in antral mucosa were detected in all cases of gastric giardiasis. This study indicates that under abnormal circumstances most probably with decreased gastric acidity, gastric giardiasis can occur in concomitance with intestinal giardiasis. So, one has to search for Giardia in gastric biopsies, particularly those showing chronic atrophic gastritis and H. pylori. Also, one has to be aware of gastric giardiasis as a possible cause of upper gastrointestinal symptoms.

Efficacy of ELISA in diagnosis of strongyloidiasis among the immune-compromised patients

Anti-Strongyloides IgG antibodies were sought by conventional ELISA techniques among 115 immunocompromised and 36 patients parasitologically diagnosed to be infected by Strongyloides stercoralis through examining their GIT, and sputum specimens. Thirty six individuals infected with other helminths and 30 healthy parasitologically free individuals were also included. The specificity of the technique using thawed and sonicated Strongyloides larvae as an antigen was 100%. The sensitivity was respectively 92.2% and 13.3% among the immune-competent and immune-compromised. When anti-human biotinylated IgG and avidin-peroxidase conjugates were used, sensitivity among both groups rose to 100% and specificity remained unchanged. Avidin-biotinylated ELISA is recommended for the diagnosis of hidden and disseminated strongyloidiasis.

Schistosomal glomerulopathy: a putative role for commonly associated Salmonella infection

A total of 190 patients were selected after being subjected to hemoculture for detecting Salmonella spp, coproscopy for Schistosoma mansoni eggs and ELISA testing for anti schistosomal sero-reactivity. They made up 4 group; The first comprised 31 febrile patients with positive hemoculture, coproscopy and ELISA, 13 of them with hepatic fibrosis and received combined anti- typhoid and antibilharzial therapy. The second comprised 53 febrile patient with the same criteria; 18 with hepatic fibrosis, and received anti typhoid & antibilharzial alternatively. The third group comprised 46 febrile patients with positive hemoculture and negative coproscopy but with positive ELISA 20 were hepatosplenic & received anti typhoid treatment. The fourth comprised 60 afebrile patients with negative hemoculture and positive coproscopy and ELISA 35 were hepatosplenic, and received anti-bilharzial treatment. 50 healthy individuals were selected as control. The controls and the patients; before and after treatment underwent investigation for determining levels of serum complement3 as a marker of immune complex precipitation activity and creatinine clearance, and urinary proteins excretion in 24 hours as measurements of glomerular function. The specific treatment either combined or alternative or single in the first 3 groups consequently showed marked improvement in the above criteria with insignificant additive pattern in the second. The fourth group showed non-significant difference in the above criteria after anti-bilharzial therapy among the hepatosplenic, meanwhile it improved these criteria significantly among the non-hepatosplenic--in the four groups--whose criteria were significantly higher than among the hepatosplenic before treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Immunoglobulins in patients with atopic dermatitis due to mites infestation in Qualyobia Governorate, Egypt

Atopic dermatitis (A.D.) is a hereditary and distinct form of eczema which may be associated with other atopic manifestations. The aetiopothogenesis of A.D. is unknown and it is widely accepted that both intrinsic and extrinsic factors are involved. House dust mites (HDM) are of great medical importance in causing allergic manifestations in human being. In the present work, a total of 30 A.D. patients with different ages of both sexes were examined for the immunoglobulins level as compared to control group. The IgG, IgM, IgA & IgE were higher in the patients than in the controls. These differences were highly significant in the IgE. On the other hand, IgA showed no significant increase.

Clinical and parasitological aspects on human scabies in Qualyobia Governorate, Egypt

In the last decade, human scabies caused by Sarcoptes scabiei and other non human strains is one of the most common contagious parasitic disease. Over a period of one year (June 1991--May 1992), a total of 200 scabietic patients were diagnosed in the outpatients' clinic of Dermatology and Venereology, Benha University Hospitals. They were 120 females and 80 males (sex ratio = 1.5:1). Their ages ranged between three months up to 70 years old. Most of the patients were parasitologically positive (160 or 80%). The most common signs and symptoms were itching, skin burrows, scratch markings, papules and pustules. Regional lymphadenitis was sometimes present as well as fever in patients with secondary bacterial infection. The most affected sites were the abdomen (100%), followed by the buttocks (81.3%), the thigh (50%), legs (50%) and the arms and web spaces (62.5%). The male external genitalia was infested in 60% and the female breast was infested in 72.7%. The sex and site distribution of the infestations were attributed to the risk factor of exposure to infestation. The patients were successfully treated with 5% sulfur precipitate and 2-5% permethrin. The whole results were discussed on the light of the previous work.

Indirect fluorescent antibody test in diagnosis of acute fasciolitic syndrome

250 patients with fever, hepatomegaly and eosinophilia were investigated for parasitic infection by stool, urine, thick blood smear examination and sero-diagnosis (ELISA for anti-Toxocara and IFA for anti-Fasciola). Those with patent parasitic infections (41) and anti-Toxocara seropositivity (10) were excluded from follow up. The other were 3 months followed up. The detected infections were 10 Ascaris, 15 Strongyloides, 20 Toxocara, and 25 Schistosoma mansoni. Other 30 were positive for Fasciola eggs. No other infections were found in the remained 109 patients. IFA anti-Fasciola antibody titres were significantly higher among Fasciola group than any other groups. It is concluded that IFA anti-Fasciola antibody titre greater than or equal to 1/256 with ethanol fixed antigen sections is of value in diagnosis of acute fasciolitic hepatic syndrome.

Immunopathological studies on the encystation phase of experimental trichinosis after cortisone and cyclophosphamide treatment

Efficacy of cortisone and cyclophosphamide on the muscle phase of Trichinella spiralis in albino rats, before and after complete encapsulation, was studied by haematoxylin and eosin staining for histopathological changes and by the indirect immunoperoxidase test for the extent of antigen deposition. Results showing beneficial effects of cortisone and hazardous action of cyclophosphamide are discussed in details. This study indicates that the use of cortisone in the treatment of trichinosis remains to be substantiated particularly when administered before complete encystation; the time at which the diagnosis is usually made.

The role of parasitic infection in the aetiology of phlyctenular eye disease

Stool and urine analysis of 150 cases of phlyctenular eye disease, revealed that 115 (76.67%) were positive for intestinal parasites. The most prevalent parasites were Hymenolepis nana (49.56%) followed by Ascaris lumbricoides (27.82%). Eosinophilia (5-10%) was detected in 90 phlycten cases (60%), 80 of them (88.8%) had parasitic infection. Since H. nana can produce a type of tissue hypersensitivity, phlyctenular eye disease may be partly referred to such an infection.

Synthesis of quinoline-Mannich bases of possible antimalarial activity

For possible antimalarial activity, a series of some 4-substituted aminoquinoline Mannich bases (5a-e) was synthesized. The antimalarial evaluation showed that compound 5b was active against Plasmodium berghei in mice at a dose of 100 mg/kg.