Assiut City Research Articles

Nurses, Knowledge, Attitude and Practices toward Covid-19 in Maternal and Child Health Centers at Assiut city.

Nurses, Knowledge, Attitude and Practices toward Covid-19 in Maternal and Child Health Centers at Assiut city.

Coexistence of Pests and the Associated Predators Inhabiting Soybean, Glycine Max L. Merr. in Assiut City, Egypt

Coexistence of Pests and the Associated Predators Inhabiting Soybean, Glycine Max L. Merr. in Assiut City, Egypt

Mothers’ knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices towards their Children with Cerebral Palsy at Assiut City, Egypt

Mothers’ knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices towards their Children with Cerebral Palsy at Assiut City, Egypt

Spatial Analysis of Cafés and Smoking Pollutants in Assiut City Using GIS

Spatial Analysis of Cafés and Smoking Pollutants in Assiut City Using GIS

Training Program for Girls with Hearing Disability about Breast Self- Examination in Assiut City

Training Program for Girls with Hearing Disability about Breast Self- Examination in Assiut City

Effectiveness of the Educational Program Regarding Eating Disorders among Girl Students at Preparatory Schools in Assiut City

Effectiveness of the Educational Program Regarding Eating Disorders among Girl Students at Preparatory Schools in Assiut City

Epidemiology and risk factors of diabetic retinopathy in upper Egypt: a 3-year prospective study

Objective To determine the prevalence and risk factors of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in adult diabetic patients during 3 years. Patients and methods This is a cross-sectional study that was carried out on the adult diabetic population who attended a large private referral ophthalmology center in Assiut City, Upper Egypt for 3 years. All cases were subjected to full history taking, ophthalmological examination, and dilated fundus examination for evidence of DR, and besides, the associated systemic complications were assessed. Results The study included a total of 2178 cases and the prevalence of DR was 18.2%. DR was more prevalent in females than males (67.9% vs. 32.1%). Also, DR was significantly associated with insulin use, moderate and poor control of diabetes mellitus, uncontrolled hypertension (HTN), dyslipidemia, and nephropathy (P<0.01 for all). The risk factors for DR were; older age (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 1.69; 95% CI =0.91–1.97; P≤0.01), female sex (AOR 1.65; 95% CI =1.21–1.86; P =0.02), smoking (AOR 1.73; 95% CI =1.41–2.11; P =0.02), longer duration of DM (> 15 years) (AOR 2.87; 95% CI =2.48–3.29; P ≤0.01), insulin use (AOR 1.42; 95% CI =0.94–1.65; P=0.03), poor control of DM (AOR 3.98; 95% CI =3.69–5.41; P≤0.01), presence of HTN (AOR 2.62; 95% CI =2.37–2.89; P≤0.01) and dyslipidemia (AOR 1.65; 95% CI =1.42–2.02; P=0.03). Conclusion The prevalence of DR in adult diabetic patients was 18.2% and the significant risk factors for DR (arranged descendingly in power) were; poor control of DM, longer duration of DM (> 15 years), presence of HTN, smoking, high age, dyslipidemia, female sex, and insulin use.

Comprehensive environmental impact assessment and irrigation wastewater suitability of the Arab El-Madabegh wastewater treatment plant, ASSIUT CITY, EGYPT.

The presence of a wastewater treatment plant in the Arab El-Madabegh region, which discharges excessive amounts of raw effluent toward the nearby farming fields, is the area's main issue. Examining the harmful implications of raw effluent releases on groundwater quality, determining if treated wastewater effluent complies with regulations for discharge into the aquatic environment, and assessing irrigation appropriateness by the effluent are the main goals of this work. In order to accomplish these targets, twelve treated effluent samples from the Arab El-Madabegh wastewater treatment plant were gathered every two weeks starting in January 2012 and finishing in June 2012. They were tested to determine pH, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Temperature (Temp), Conductivity (EC), Turbidity (Turb.), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Total Organic Carbon (TOC), NO3-, SO42-, Cl-, Ca2+, PO43-, HCO3-, Na+, Mg2+, and heavy metals such as (Fe, Mn, K+, Cr, Pb, Zn, Ni, Cu, and Cd). The outcomes revealed that all Egyptian and Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) standards for unrestricted irrigation were met by the treated effluents, except for COD, which exceeded than the Egyptian allowed limit. The evaluation indices of the effluent's EC, SAR, PI, MR, and MH were in the low-risk category according to indicators of water quality for irrigation, nevertheless, The SSP and RSC both showed slightly higher values (67.9% and 2.76, respectively). As well, The average values of heavy metals in treated wastewater effluent were found to be below permitted limits, with the exception of lead and phosphate, which exceeded permissible limits in Egypt. The environmental sustainability (ecological friendliness) of reusing and recycling tertiary treated wastewater can be achieved in agriculture to reduce the adverse impacts on the aquatic environment.

A Generative Design Approach to Improving the Environmental Performance of Educational Buildings in Hot Arid Climates. (Assiut National University as a Case Study)

The architectural design process is complex, involving diverse objectives that may be contradictory, and on which orientation exerts significant influence. The artificial intelligence application, Generative Design facilitates solving multi-objective design dilemmas through the creation and evaluation of numerous design alternatives. However, its exploration in educational buildings in hot arid climates remains limited. Given the impact of spaces’ function distribution, this study aims to optimize it in the typical plans of educational buildings. Employing a multi-objective design approach to enhance environmental performance. The study is conducted and evaluated in national universities in Egypt as a case study, specifically in Assiut City. The results revealed that the optimum design for a certain objective has not equated to optimal performance for other goals, highlighting an inherent contradiction between them. Among 26,334 possible alternatives for spaces’ function distribution, the difference between the optimal scenario and the least favourable one is significant for the parameters related to study spaces: natural daylighting, and visual comfort, ranging from 10% to 24%, besides around 1% difference for parameters related to the whole building, including energy consumption, thermal comfort, and carbon emission. This research offers a framework applicable to various building types. Additionally, it encourages decision-makers to adopt a no-cost sustainable design approach.

Exploring factors for antibiotic over-prescription in children with acute upper respiratory tract infections in Assiut, Egypt: a qualitative study

BackgroundOver-prescription of antibiotics contributes to antibiotic resistance, which is a global health threat. Egypt has alarmingly high rates of antibiotic over-prescription for acute upper respiratory tract infections (URIs) in children. To effectively address this issue, it is important to understand the various factors that influence prescription behaviors. The Teixeira antibiotic prescription behavioral model (TAPBM) offers a comprehensive framework through which these factors can be explored. This qualitative study sought to investigate the perspectives of key stakeholders involved in pediatric healthcare in Egypt, with the primary goal of identifying the underlying determinants that contributed to this problem.MethodsThis qualitative study was conducted in Assiut City, Egypt, between January and March 2023. Purposive sampling was used to select participants, including consultant pediatricians, supervisors of pediatric training programs, and specialists in infection prevention and control. Thirteen semi-structured in-depth interviews (IDIs) were conducted, audio-recorded, and transcribed. Thematic analysis was performed using MAXQDA 2020 software.ResultsTwo main themes emerged from the analysis: intrinsic factors related to physicians, extrinsic factors related to patients, and nonphysician factors. Intrinsic factors encompass personal characteristics and attitudes. Prescribing decisions were influenced by factors such as fear of complications, limited follow-up visits, and competition. Knowledge and education also played a significant role. Moreover, diagnostic uncertainty in distinguishing between bacterial and viral infections posed a challenge. Extrinsic factors included patient and caregiver factors, such as parental expectations and demands for antibiotics, driven by the belief that they produced rapid results. Moreover, patients’ demographic factors, including socioeconomic status and living conditions, affected their prescribing behavior. Health system-related factors, such as the type of healthcare institution and the absence of formal national guidelines, were identified as influential factors. Additionally, this study highlighted the influence of the pharmaceutical industry. The potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on antibiotic prescriptions was addressed.ConclusionsThe study highlights the intricate interplay between intrinsic and extrinsic factors that shape antibiotic prescription decisions, underscoring the significance of addressing these factors in mitigating overprescribing.

Quality survey of frozen chicken meat consumed at government hospitals throughout different seasons in Assiut city, Egypt

This study was conducted to evaluate the quality of frozen chicken meat received at government hospitals in Assiut city, Egypt, during hot and cold seasons. A total of 308 chicken meat samples were collected randomly and subjected to sensory, chemical, physical and microbiological testing. The findings showed that frozen chicken meat samples examined during the cold season had a better sensory evaluation than those examined during the hot season. The mean values of the physical quality tests, which included pH, drip loss, and water-holding capacity (WHC), were 6.12±0.017, 4.13±2.8, and 63.60±0.55 in the hot season and 5.9±0.013, 3.32±3.09, and 81.28±0.48 in the cold season, respectively. The total bacterial count, psychrotrophic count, total yeast and mould counts were 6.9×105±8.7×104, 1.1×106±1.0×105, 3.9×104±3.8×103, and 7.4×104±2.7×103 CFU/g in the hot season and 4.4×104±2.2×103, 1.9×105±1.6×104, 1.4×104±2.0×103, and 3.8×104±3.1×103 CFU/g in the cold season, respectively. These findings indicate that temperature has a significant impact on meat qua­lity; the frozen chicken meat samples examined in the cold season were in better condition than those examined in the hot season. It is necessary to maintain sanitary hygienic conditions during handling, packaging, storage and distribution particularly in the hot season.

Mixed agricultural, industrial, and domestic drainage water discharge poses a massive strain on freshwater ecosystems: a case from the Nile River in Upper Egypt.

Heavy metal and pesticide pollution of freshwater ecosystems, i.e., rivers, raises significant concerns worldwide, where practical solutions to reduce the threats become urgent need. Heavy metals and pesticides are top of the list of environmental toxicants endangering nature; therefore, pesticides and heavy metals were measured at 10 stations along the Al-Zennar agricultural drain and the Nile River at Assiut city in Upper Egypt, to assess potential negative impact on the water/sediment's quality. The sediment of the streambed is a sink for pesticides and heavy metals, where both water and sediments have higher contamination factor (CF) for Cd, Pb, Cr, Cu, and Zn. In addition, the Nile water is highly contaminated by PCBs. The distance to the point source and hydrodynamics (flow rate and stream gradient) has major influences in pollutant concentrations as indicated by regression models. Dilution effect and rapid sedimentation may comment on the lower concentrations of the pollutants in the Nile comparatively to the drain and on the water comparatively to the sediments. The physiochemistry of the stations has minor effect on the metal/pesticide concentration, where the variable importance of projection (VIP) of the partial least square model indicated that total dissolved solids (TDS), total suspended solids (TSS), SO42-, and BOD/TOC/COD are the main contributors to the metal/pesticide concentration. Concentrations were not correlated between water and sediment suggesting a historical accumulation in sediments and temporal variation in the pollution load in the Al-Zennar drain. Bray-Curtis clustering confirmed that heavy metals have the same anthropogenic source in contrast to natural source of both Mn and Fe.

Hormonal residues in chicken and cattle meat: A risk threat the present and future consumer health

The study was designated to determine some hormonal residues (estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone) in chicken and cattle meat as well as assess the risk of these residues for adult and child consumer health. A total of 92 chicken meat samples were collected from four different chicken farm sales outlets, and 56 cattle meat samples from two brands were collected from markets through 2022 in Assiut City, Egypt. An enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) was used to measure the hormonal residues. Results showed that the estimated daily intake (EDI) of estradiol exceeded acceptable daily intakes (ADIs) in all analyzed samples except four chicken farm meat samples for adults only, which were below 0.05 μg/kg bw, and the hazard index (HI) of estradiol and testosterone residues for adults and children exceeded 1 in all examined samples of the study. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) set safe limits for these anabolic hormones to ensure high food quality and quantity for humans, but in Egypt, monitoring and assessment of hormonal residues in food became very urgent as no safe limits have been set till now.

Investigation of Greening Façade and Retrofitting strategies on Outdoor Thermal Comfort and Indoor Energy Consumption in New Assiut City, Egypt

Investigation of Greening Façade and Retrofitting strategies on Outdoor Thermal Comfort and Indoor Energy Consumption in New Assiut City, Egypt

Microbiological evaluation of small and large scale produced ice cream in Assiut city

Microbiological evaluation of small and large scale produced ice cream in Assiut city

A study on COVID-19 patients in a period from January 2022 to August 2022 in Assiut city

A study on COVID-19 patients in a period from January 2022 to August 2022 in Assiut city

QUALITY EVALUATION AND PUBLIC HEALTH IMPORTANCE OF PROCESSED CHICKEN MEAT PRODUCTS in Assiut city

QUALITY EVALUATION AND PUBLIC HEALTH IMPORTANCE OF PROCESSED CHICKEN MEAT PRODUCTS in Assiut city

Simulation of Biophysicochemical Characteristics of the Soils Using Geoelectrical Measurements near the Sewage Station, Assiut City, Egypt

Numerous farmers regularly irrigate their farms with inadequately treated sewage water pumped from the sewage system in the Arab El-Madabegh district of Assiut City, Egypt. According to previous studies, long-term irrigation with partially treated sewage water resulted in significant changes in the physicochemical properties of soil. The principal goals of this study are (1) to infer empirical equations between geoelectrical resistivity measurements and certain biophysicochemical parameters of some soil samples, and (2) to use these empirical equations to calculate the biophysicochemical parameters of the unknown samples for the same location. For this purpose, 27 soil samples at different depth levels (0 to 25, 25 to 60, and 60 to 90 cm) were collected from eleven locations at the sewage station. Physical properties including water content and particle size distribution, chemical properties including soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and the heavy metals concentrations, biological properties including total coliform counts, and geoelectrical resistivity measurements were estimated and analyzed for these samples. Electrical resistivity measurements and biophysicochemical properties were cross-correlated using the exponential trend line to fit the cross-correlated data, and the empirical relationships were obtained. These empirical relationships in conjunction with the measured electrical resistivity measurements were used to calculate the biophysicochemical values of the other three random soil samples. The biophysicochemical values of the former three samples were measured by the same normal procedures as 27 samples. Then, the calculated values were correlated with the measured ones. Good correlations between the estimated and the measured values for biophysicochemical features were obtained. Therefore, this method can be employed to calculate the biophysicochemical parameters for any unknown samples that have the same geological conditions for estimating and monitoring soil contamination.

Health risk assessment of metals in chicken meat and liver in Egypt

This study aimed to evaluate the concentration of metals such as aluminum (Al), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), barium (Ba), bismuth (Bi), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and selenium (Se) in 360 samples of poultry meat and liver from six brands (A, B, C, D, E, and F) in Assiut, Egypt; compare these concentrations with Egyptian and world permissible limits; and determine their safety for human consumption according to health risk assessment. Chest, thigh muscles, and liver were collected randomly from Assiut city markets, and the concentration of heavy metals was measured in the central laboratory of the faculty of agriculture at Assiut University using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). All the analyzed samples were positive for the tested metals and were far below the allowed maximum permissible limits except for Pb and Fe, which exceeded the Egyptian Organization for Standardization (EOS) permissible limits with 33% and 67%, respectively, as well as Pb and Cd, which exceeded FAO/WHO permissible limits with 94% and 17%, respectively. Health risk assessment revealed the safety and minimum health risk for human consumption of metal residues in poultry tissues and liver using estimated daily intake (EDI), target hazard quotient (THQ), hazard index (HI), and target cancer risk (TR). Even though the THQ and HI values were significantly lower than 1.0 during our study, heavy metal monitoring in poultry products and byproducts is required for human security and safety.

Association of playing Electronic games with risky behaviors among secondary school students in Assiut city

Association of playing Electronic games with risky behaviors among secondary school students in Assiut city