Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin G antibody during COVID-19 pandemic in Fayoum District, Egypt: a community-based pilot survey.

Introduction: controlling the worldwide pandemic, coronavirus disease (COVID-19), could be impossible due to the hesitancy about the available vaccines and the difficulty to implement strict restrictions. Little information is available about herd immunity in the highly vulnerable region of North East Africa, Egypt. The objective of this study was to assess the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 during the pandemic in one of the highly vulnerable populations in Egypt, the Fayoum district of Fayoum Governorate.

The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma Organ Injury Scale for Spleen Does Not Equally Predict Interventions in Penetrating and Blunt Trauma.

Background: The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) Organ Injury Scale (OIS) for the spleen (and other organs) was created in 1989. It has been validated to predict mortality, need for operation, length of stay (LOS), and intensive care unit (ICU) LOS.

Purpose: We aimed to determine if the Spleen OIS is applied equally to blunt and penetrating trauma.

Evaluation of pooling strategy of SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR in limited resources setting in Egypt at low prevalence.

Sample pooling testing for SARS-COV-2 can be an effective tool in COVID-19 screening when resources are limited, yet it is important to assess the performance before implementation as pooling has its limitations. Our objective was to assess the efficacy of pooling samples for coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) compared to an individual analysis by using commercial platforms for nucleic acid testing. A total of 2200 nasopharyngeal swabs for SARS-COV-2 were tested individually and in pools of 4, 8, and 10.

Real-life experience of treating HCV co-infection among HIV-infected population in Egypt: single-center experience.

Background: Liver disease has emerged as a leading cause of death among PLHIV coinfected with HCV.

Methods: A retrospective study involving all HCV viremic patients coinfected with HIV who presented to HCV/HIV multidisciplinary clinics located at Embaba fever hospital. Patients were assigned to receive DAAs according to the national treatment guidelines.

Impaired Pancreatic β-Cell Function in Critically Ill Children.

Critical illness hyperglycemia (CIH) is common in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Increased glucose production, insulin resistance (IR), and pancreatic β-cell dysfunction are responsible mechanisms. We aimed to investigate β-cell function in the PICU and to uncover its relation to clinical and laboratory variables and ICU mortality.

Upgrading sequencing batch reactor using attached biofilm.

A conventional sequencing batch reactor (SBR) was upgraded using fixed biofilm carriers with a specific surface area around 18 m m . The upgraded SBR was investigated to remove phenol from high strength wastewater operated under various operational conditions. The operational conditions used were variable volume exchange ratio (VER) up to 75%, hydraulic retention time (HRT) from (10.

Potential Use of Antigen-Based Rapid Test for SARS-CoV-2 in Respiratory Specimens in Low-Resource Settings in Egypt for Symptomatic Patients and High-Risk Contacts.

Objective: Because of the rapidly emerging SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and its wide public health challenges, rapid diagnosis is essential to decrease the spread. Antigen-based rapid detection tests are available; however, insufficient data about their performance are available.

Methods: The lateral-flow immunochromatographic BIOCREDIT COVID-19 antigen test was evaluated using nasopharyngeal swabs in a viral transport medium from patients with confirmed infection, contacts, and exposed healthcare professionals at Fayoum University Hospital in Egypt.

Does vitamin D deficiency predict early conversion of clinically isolated syndrome? A preliminary Egyptian study.

Background: It has been suggested that vitamin D influences the immunoregulation and subsequently affects the risk for conversion of clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) to clinically definite multiple sclerosis (MS). There is little information regarding the relationship between levels of vitamin D and CIS conversion to MS in Egyptian patients.

Objective: It is to study contribution of vitamin D deficiency to conversion of CIS to clinically definite multiple sclerosis (CDMS) and correlation of vitamin D level to cognitive and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results.

The impact of fetal and maternal physiologic factors on umbilical cord blood quality as a source of stem cells in Egyptian population.

Background: Umbilical cord blood (UCB) has rapidly become a clinically useful alternative stem cell source. Many variables have been used to evaluate a UCB unit and predict transplant outcomes. The objective of this study was to measure the expression of hematopoietic stem cells in UCB and its relation to certain maternal and neonatal physiologic factors to establish optimum criteria for UCB donor selection.

Combining serology and molecular typing of weak D role in improving D typing strategy in Egypt.

Background: Rh discrepancies are a problem during routine testing because of partial and weak D phenotypes. Some blood units with weak and partial D expression may escape detection by serology. Limitations of serology can be overcome by molecular typing.