Assessment of dietary-lifestyle patterns and adherence to the USDA recommendations in Lebanese pregnant women amid the economic crisis: Findings from a national representative cross-sectional study

As Lebanon's economic crisis become uncontrollable, Lebanese pregnant women face malnutrition, with many having to skip meals and switch to resort to cheap and unhealthy alternatives altogether. The objectives of the study were to assess the dietary and lifestyle patterns of Lebanese pregnant women and to evaluate their diets compliance with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) pregnancy recommendations, before and during the Lebanese escalating economic crisis. A cross-sectional study was conducted between April 2021 and January 2022. A validated self-administrated questionnaire was administered during the first, second and third trimesters of pregnancy among 363 women in all Lebanese governorates. Most of the pregnant women were free of diseases. While the majority did not smoke, 14.1% smoked hookah / shisha during pregnancy. The adherence to the USDA recommendations in our sample did not significantly vary prior to and throughout the socioeconomic crisis, and it was generally low. Only the mean consumption of vegetables increased during the socioeconomic crisis (p<0.05). Regarding physical activity, while the proportion of active women slightly decreased during the socioeconomic crisis, around 55% were still active. In conclusion, higher attention should be given to the dietary habits and health of this critical population, through effective interventions that increase awareness and achieve measurable improvements.

Persisting chemosensory dysfunction in COVID-19 - a cross-sectional population-based survey

BACKGROUND

Chemosensory dysfunction (CD) has been reported as a common symptom of SARS-CoV-2 infection, but it is not well understood whether and for how long changes of smell, taste and chemesthesis persist in infected individuals.

METHODOLOGY

Unselected adult residents of the German federal state of Schleswig-Holstein with Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)-test-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection were invited to participate in this large cross-sectional study. Data on the medical history and subjective chemosensory function of participants were obtained through questionnaires and visual analogue scales (VAS). Olfactory function (OF) was objectified with the Sniffin Sticks test (SST), including threshold (T), discrimination (D) and identification (I) test as well as summarized TDI score, and compared to that in healthy controls. Gustatory function (GF) was evaluated with the suprathreshold taste strips (TS) test, and trigeminal function was tested with an ampoule containing ammonia.

RESULTS

Between November 2020 and June 2021, 667 infected individuals (mean age: 48.2 years) were examined 9.1 months, on average, after positive PCR testing. Of these, 45.6% had persisting subjective olfactory dysfunction (OD), 36.2% had subjective gustatory dysfunction (GD). Tested OD, tested GD and impaired trigeminal function were observed in 34.6%, 7.3% and 1.8% of participants, respectively. The mean TDI score of participants was significantly lower compared to healthy subjects. Significant associations were observed between subjective OD and GD, and between tested OD and GD.

CONCLUSION

Nine months after SARS-CoV-2 infection, OD prevalence is significantly increased among infected members of the general population. Therefore, OD should be included in the list of symptoms collectively defining Long-COVID.

Adherence to the United States Department of Agriculture Dietary Recommendations Pre- and During the Coronavirus Disease-19 Pandemic Among Pregnant Women in Arab Countries

During pregnancy, woman’s diet is one of the most preeminent factors affecting mother and child’s health. Prior to the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic, inadequate maternal diet and low adherence to dietary guidelines was reported among pregnant women in the Arab countries. Nowadays, COVID-19 infection during pregnancy is widely discussed among literature. However, there is limited data on the health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on non-infected pregnant women. This substantially larger group also suffered significant lifestyle changes during the lockdown period. The aim of the study is to characterize dietary patterns, intake and adherence to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) pregnancy guidelines before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Arab pregnant women. Using a specially designed questionnaire and using the snowball sampling method, the survey was carried out among a convenient sample of 1,939 pregnant women from five Arab countries. Our study found an increment in the consumption of cereals, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, meats, and nuts that occurred during the pandemic compared to the preceding period. Despite this noticeable increase during the pandemic, the Arab pregnant women in this study had significantly lower adherence to the USDA pregnancy guidelines. The daily consumption of almost all food groups was lower than the USDA’s daily recommendations, except for fruits intake, which was higher than the daily standard. Demonstrated poor adherence to prenatal USDA dietary guidelines by Arab pregnant women can lead to numerous deficiencies and health risks among their offspring. In conclusion, our study showed that before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, poor adherence to dietary recommendations occurred in a considerable number of Arab pregnant women. The findings emphasize the need for nutritional education and intervention during prenatal visits.

Use of radiography to identify keel bone fractures in laying hens and assess healing in live birds

The aim of this study was to use radiography to assess and characterise naturally occurring keel bone fractures in laying hens and monitor live birds over several weeks to examine the healing process. Twenty-four Lohmann brown commercial laying hens with varying degrees of keel bone fracture were used in the study. Birds were radiographed regularly over six weeks and the radiographic features and changing appearance of keel bone fractures were evaluated. The radiographic characteristics of old and new fractures were categorised and indicated that 80 per cent of birds entering the study with new fractures had healed after 35 days and five birds had incurred new fractures irrespective of their original fracture status.

The effect of tissue expansion on skull bones in the paediatric age group from 2 to 7 years

Tissue expansion has gained wide application in the reconstruction of scalp defects in adults and children. However, the main concern in the use of scalp expansion in the paediatric population has been the risk of skull deformation. This study shows the application of 40 expanders in 32 patients in different skull areas in the paediatric age group from 2 to 7 years. The effect of expansion on the skull was studied by CT imaging (pre-expansion, post-expansion and 3 months after expander extraction). The post-expansion CT showed multiple bony changes as well as changes at suture lines.

Planning of the internal mammary field based on lymphoscintigraphy localization before postoperative radiotherapy of breast cancer

BACKGROUND

Internal mammary irradiation is still an issue of great debate. Although treatment of internal mammary lymph nodes was routinely given in the majority of randomized trials, data in its value are still limited. The aim of this study is to determine the variability of position of the internal mammary lymph nodes using lymphoscintigraphy and to compare the dose of radiation that reaches these lymph nodes, the heart and lungs if only tangential fields are used.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This is a prospective study that included 30 breast cancer patients treated in the department of radiation oncology of the Egyptian National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, planned for postoperative radiotherapy. Lymphoscintigraphy was done for all patients for detection of the exact site of the internal mammary lymph nodes. Dose volume histogram (DVH) was done to measure the dose to the heart using CT planning. Two plans were done for each patient, the first with internal mammary field (plan I), and the second without but with contralateral crossing of the midline by 1cm (plan II).

RESULTS

The mean percentage of the internal mammary lymph nodes included in the internal mammary field (plan I) was 70.03% while in plan II it was 3.05%. The mean dose percentage reaching the heart in plan I was 54.5% of total dose, while in plan II it was 9.16% of total dose with significant p value<0.001. The mean dose to the heart decreased as the heart volume increased, this significant difference between the 2 plans was maintained for the different heart volumes. Also, the radiation dose to the heart in plan I varied significantly (p: 0.001) between the right side vs the left side with a mean dose of 48.02% and 63.5%, respectively. The mean dose percentage reaching the lungs in plan I and plan II was 46.53% and 24.5% respectively, with significant p value<0.001.

CONCLUSION

If irradiation of internal mammary chain is intended, then a direct internal mammary field should be used. The planning of internal mammary field should be adjusted according to lymphoscintigraphy so as to include most of the draining internal mammary lymph nodes. The risk of late cardiac and pulmonary complications will increase when using direct internal mammary field, but the risk of cardiac complications will be less in irradiation of right side internal mammary lymph nodes compared to that of irradiation of the left side.

Effects of culture conditions on enhancement of 2,4-dinitrotoluene degradation by Burkholderia engineered with the Vitreoscilla hemoglobin gene

Growth and degradation of 2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT) were compared in liquid cultures in shake flasks for Burkholderia sp. strain DNT and strain DNT engineered to produce Vitreoscilla (bacterial) hemoglobin (strain YV1). Parameters varied included aeration rate, initial 2,4-DNT concentration (50 and 200 ppm), and concentration and type of cosubstrate (yeast extract, succinate, casamino acids, and tryptic soy broth). 2,4-DNT degradation increased with increasing cosubstrate concentration and was greater for strain YV1 than strain DNT under most conditions tested; the greatest advantages of YV1 (up to 3.5-fold) occurred under limited aeration. A third strain (YV1m), derived from YV1 by repeated growth on 2,4-DNT-containing medium, demonstrated increased 2,4-DNT degradation (up to 1.3-fold compared to YV1) at 200 ppm 2,4-DNT. The growth profiles of the three strains with respect to each other were in general similar to those of the degradation patterns of 2,4-DNT.

Lipid peroxidation and human sperm motility: protective role of vitamin E

Asthenospermia is the main factor of male infertility among patients consulting the Asir Infertility Center in Abha, Saudi Arabia. Lipid peroxidation occurring in both the seminal plasma and spermatozoa was estimated by malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration. Spermatozoal MDA concentration was higher in men with decreased sperm motility. The MDA concentration in the seminal plasma exhibited no relationship with sperm concentration, sperm motility, the number of immotile spermatozoa, or even the absence of spermatozoa. The MDA concentration in sperm pellet suspensions of asthenospermic and oligoasthenospermic patients was almost twice that of the normospermic males. The MDA concentration in the sperm pellet suspension from normospermic or oligospermic patients was about 10% that in the seminal plasma. However, the MDA concentration in the sperm pellet suspension of asthenospermic or oligoasthenospermic patients was about 15% that in the seminal plasma. Treatment of asthenospermic patients with oral Vitamin E significantly decreased the MDA concentration in spermatozoa and improved sperm motility. Eleven out of the 52 treated patients (21%) impregnated their spouses; nine of the spouses successfully ended with normal term deliveries, whereas the other two aborted in the first trimester. No pregnancies were reported in the spouses of the placebo-treated patients.

Low-molecular-weight (tubular) proteinuria is not related to glycaemic control in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus

Early morning urine specimens were obtained from two groups of non-insulin dependent diabetic patients and a group (43 subjects) of normal controls. The diabetic patients were divided into two subgroups according to the degree of diabetic control as judged by their glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1) levels (well-controlled, 47 subjects; poorly controlled, 51 subjects). The concentration of the low-molecular-weight enzyme (lysozyme) was determined in each urine specimen and related to the concentration of creatinine (lysozyme/creatinine). The mean urinary lysozyme concentration was higher in each of the two diabetic groups as compared with the control group. However, it was not significantly different between the two diabetic groups. These result suggest that there is no association between the degree of glycaemic control and tubular proteinuria.