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Biomedical subjects

H Ismail

Publications and source records attributed to H Ismail.

18 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

Food intake, nutrient utilization and water turnover in the lesser mouse-deer (Tragulus javanicus) given lundai (Sapium baccatum).

Voluntary food intake, digestibility and water turnover were determined in adult Malaysian lesser mouse-deer (Tragulus javanicus) given unlimited access to lundai foliage (Sapium baccatum). Daily dry matter (DM) intake was 42.4 g/kg metabolic live mass (M0.73) or 3.7% M. Digestible energy intake was 853 kJ/day (571 kJ metabolisable energy per M0.73), calculated to be used with 79% efficiency. Apparent digestibility (%) of organic matter was 83.8, crude fibre 63.7, acid detergent fibre 60.5, neutral detergent fibre 72.1 and crude protein 65.0. Urinary excretion of the purine derivative, allantoin, was 0.05 mg/g digestible DM intake suggesting rumen microbial yield efficiency may be lower than in other ruminant species. Total water intake was 182 ml/M0.82. The body-water content of the fed mouse-deer, from tritiated water dilution, was 77% M, consistent with a very lean carcass. Turnover of body water was 17% per day. The mouse-deer produced relatively dry, well-defined faecal pellets.

Allantoin↗
PubMed1992

[Cerebrovascular disorders in young adults in Saudi Arabia. A study of 136 cases].

We report our experience of stroke in 136 young adults aged from 18 to 45 years seen in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia over a 10-year period. They constituted 25% of all our stroke cases. Thirty-eight percent were Saudi nationals and 62% expatriates. Males largely outnumbered females. The frequency of cerebral infarction (54%) was not very different from that of intracranial hemorrhage (45%). Atherosclerosis and embolism of cardiac origin were the major causes of infarction. The main causes of intracranial bleeding were arterial aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations and hypertension. However, the causes of 29% of ischemic strokes and 44% of hemorrhagic ones remained undetermined. Interethnic comparison of the causes showed that hemorrhages were significantly more frequent in Far East immigrants. Sixty five percent of cerebral infarctions in Asiatic patients remained of undetermined origin. The local variant of sickle cell gene did not seem to play a major role in the pathogenesis of stroke in the Saudi young adult. These data are commented and compared with similar reported data. The influence of the demographic structures of the Saudi population and immigrants communities is analyzed.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Effect of isolation rearing on 5-HT agonist-induced responses in the rat.

Rats were reared from weaning (21 days of age) either in isolation or in social groups of five for 30 days and were then tested for spontaneous locomotor activity and 7 days later for 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) agonist-induced behaviour. Isolation-reared animals displayed locomotor hyperactivity when placed in a novel environment. 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeODMT) (2 mg/kg IP) and 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propyl-amino) tetralin (8-OH-DPAT) (0.32 mg/kg SC) elicited various components of the "5-HT behavioural syndrome" in both groups of animals, with forepaw treading and flat body posture being significantly more pronounced in isolation-reared animals. 1-(2,5-Dimethoxy-4-iodophenyl)-2-aminopropane (DOI) (2.5 mg/kg IP), a 5-HT2 selective agonist, produced a significantly greater number of back muscle contractions in isolation-reared animals but there was no difference between the two groups in the number of wet-dog shakes produced. Forepaw treading and flat body posture are thought to be mediated by 5-HT1A receptor activation, and stimulation of this receptor by either 5-MeODMT or 8-OH-DPAT produced greater responding in isolation-reared rats, suggesting supersensitivity of the post-synaptic 5-HT1A receptor. Wet-dog shakes are thought to be mediated by 5-HT2 and other (none-5-HT) receptors while back muscle contractions have been shown to be mediated by 5-HT2 receptors, indicating that there is also an increase in 5-HT2 receptor responsiveness in the socially-isolated animals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin↗
PubMed1991

Pattern and ethnic variations in stroke in Saudi Arabia.

We report our observations in 427 stroke patients (305 Saudis, 122 non-Saudis with an age range of 14 months to 85 years) seen in a tertiary hospital in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia over an 8-year period. Of these patients, 115 (27%) were between 18 and 45 years old, and constituted the "young stroke patients" for this study. The hospital frequency for the young was 5/10,000 inpatients. In general, there was a male preponderance, with a male:female ratio of 2.2:1 and 7:1 for Saudis and non-Saudis, respectively. Ischemic stroke (55%) was more frequent than hemorrhagic stroke (25%), and the stroke was unspecified in 20%. The main etiologic factors were hypertension, diabetes mellitus and cardiac disorders. In the young population, the frequencies of hemorrhagic and ischemic strokes were similar. In this group, the main causes of intracerebral hemorrhage were aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations, while arteriosclerosis and embolism of cardiac origin were responsible for the ischemic strokes. In Saudis, the stroke types were 59% ischemic, and 17% hemorrhagic, as against 45 and 48% in non-Saudis, respectively. Most ischemic strokes were found in Saudis (78%). Intracerebral hemorrhage accounted for 63% of all hemorrhagic strokes, and was more frequent in Saudis but subarachnoid hemorrhage was three times more common in non-Saudis. In the young stroke patients, interethnic comparison showed that individuals from the Far East were nine times more likely to have hemorrhagic than ischemic stroke compared to the others (odd's ratio = 8.7), and the etiology of ischemic stroke remained undetermined in 67% of those from the Indian subcontinent.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Africa, Northern↗
PubMed1991

Cerebral palsy in Saudi Arabia: a case-control study of risk factors.

There is increasing evidence that cerebral palsy (CP) in developed countries results mainly from antenatal factors, whereas reports from developing countries suggest that perinatal and postnatal factors may be more important because of less than optimal delivery conditions. The authors studied 103 Saudi children with CP and compared their antecedent factors with those of a control group. The major risk factors identified were a history of CP in a sibling and consanguinity of the parents. Low birthweight (less than 2000g), gestational age less than 32 weeks, twin pregnancy and respiratory distress were significantly more frequent among CP cases than controls. The results suggest that antenatal factors, including inherited ones, play a major role in the pathogenesis of CP in Saudi Arabia, which is contrary to previous reports from this region. Their contribution to the pathogenesis of CP in developing countries may be greater than previously assumed.

Asphyxia Neonatorum↗
PubMed1991

Stroke in a tertiary hospital in Saudi Arabia: a study of 372 cases.

Epidemiological studies have shown a consistent downward trend in the incidence and mortality of stroke in industrialized communities. There are however no reports on the pattern of stroke in Saudi nationals and expatriates in Saudi Arabia. The types and etiologies in 372 subjects (262 Saudis, 110 non-Saudis) are described. Males outnumbered females in the ratios of 2.2:1 and 8.2:1 for Saudis and non-Saudis, respectively. The frequency of stroke increased steadily with age until the 7th decade in Saudis but dropped sharply after the 6th in expatriates. The frequency of stroke types in Saudis was ischemic (61%), hemorrhagic (17%) and unspecified (22%) as against 46, 47, and 7% respectively in non-Saudis. Intracerebral hemorrhage was more frequent than subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and was encountered more often in Saudis than in non-Saudis; SAH was 3 times more common in expatriates than in Saudis. The major predisposing factors for stroke were hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and cardiac disorders. Abnormal hemoglobinopathies, especially sickle cell anemia, were rare. The differences observed in the age and sex distribution and in the stroke pattern between Saudi nationals and expatriates most likely reflect the demographic structure existing in Saudi Arabia.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Evaluation and outcome of the vision screening programme in south Auckland intermediate schools.

Four thousand, seven hundred and fifty-nine form 1 intermediate school children (aged 11 years) in the south Auckland health district were screened in 1987. There were 88 (1.8%) new visual defects detected (defined as a visual acuity (VA) of 6/12 or worse in one or both eyes), while 103 (2.2%) wore glasses and a further 22 (0.5%) did not have their glasses available at the time of the VA test. The total prevalence of screening visual defects was 4.5%. A survey was carried out of those pupils who failed the VA screening test in the previous year and those recorded as wearing glasses. Sixty-seven (76%) of 88 children with newly detected visual defects were interviewed. An abnormal VA test was confirmed in 59 (88%), of which 39 (66%) required treatment. Thirty were prescribed glasses, of which 27 purchased them, but at the time of interview nine did not have them available. Twenty-one (20%) of the 103 children tested with glasses failed the VA test. Twenty-two children had glasses but were not wearing them at the time of the VA test. Only three of these children had a VA better than 6/12 bilaterally. These results highlight the importance of the vision screening programme in this age group and the follow up of children with known visual defects.

Child↗
PubMed1990

Cervical pathology with intrauterine contraceptive devices--a cyto-colpo-pathological study.

One-hundred Lippes loop and 100 Cu T-200 intrauterine contraceptive device (IUCD) users, for more than one year, and 200 control non-users were examined clinically, cytologically, colposcopically and histopathologically for associated cervical pathological lesions. Nonspecific infection increased significantly in both Lippes loop and Cu T-200 IUCD users, compared to non-users (P less than 0.05). On the other hand, there was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of total, or individual, specific infections, dyskaryosis or CIN between both groups (P greater than 0.05). Colposcopically, there was a significant increase in inflammatory changes with both Lippes loop and Cu T-200 IUCD, compared to controls (P less than 0.05), but there was no difference in other colposcopic findings (P greater than 0.05).

Cervix Uteri↗
PubMed1990

Epilepsy and other convulsive disorders in Saudi Arabia: a prospective study of 1,000 consecutive cases.

The pattern of epilepsy and other convulsive disorders in 1,000 consecutive Saudi nationals is described. These disorders were common with a hospital frequency rate of 8 per 1,000. Men were more frequently affected than women and 60% of the patients were under 10 years old at the onset of their illness. The epilepsies were the commonest type (74%). Febrile convulsions (20%) presented mainly between the ages of one and five years. Isolated seizures (3%) and acute symptomatic convulsions (3%) were uncommon. In the epileptic group, generalised seizures (71%) were more frequent than partial (29%) and complex partial seizures occurred mainly in those above 21 years old. Absences (4%), infantile spasms (3%) and atonic seizures (3%) were uncommon. No specific etiology of the epilepsy was determined in the majority of the cases (63%). The identified major etiologic factors of the epilepsies were perinatal encephalopathy (21%), cerebral trauma (11%), sequelae of meningitis or encephalitis (2%), brain tumors (0.5%), and vascular lesions such as stroke and arteriovenous malformation. Perinatal encephalopathy accounted for 40% of the epilepsies in children less than 5 years old, and trauma for 20% of those above 20 years old. A family history of epilepsy in close relations was obtained in 23% of the cases, and the consanguinity rate among the parents was 53%. The high incidence of associated perinatal encephalopathy found in this study suggests that perinatal factors play a major role in the pathogenesis of epilepsy in Saudi Arabia. The high frequency of cerebral trauma was also striking. Although consanguinity of the parents appeared not to be a major factor in the genetics of convulsive disorders in this environment, it might have potentiated the tendency of familial aggregation of convulsive disorders in this community. Consanguinity may be an important factor in the production of some of these disorders but its precise role has not been determined.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Odorization of inert gas for occupational safety: psychophysical considerations.

Odorization of inert gas can serve to warn workers in an enclosed space about gas leaking into the space. This psychophysical investigation, performed under conditions of directed attention, examined two candidates for possible odorization of argon:pyridine and cis-3-hexen-1-ol. Detection thresholds for pyridine and cis-3-hexen-1-ol in argon were 106 ppb and 19 ppb, respectively. Practice over four days yielded modest improvement in the detection of both odorants. For cis-3-hexen-1-ol, smokers had marginally lower thresholds than nonsmokers and older participants had slightly higher thresholds than younger participants. Gender, smoking status and age had no reliable influence on threshold for pyridine. This outcome indicated desirable perceptual stability for pyridine. Additional experiments dealt with the perceived intensity of pyridine and cis-3-hexen-1-ol over time in the realistic setting of an environmental chamber. Visitors to the chamber and occupants in the chamber assessed perceived magnitude at 5-min intervals for up to 60 min during injections of odorized argon into the chamber. Participants could gauge and track the concentration of pyridine much better than that of cis-3-hexen-1-ol. This held true for occupants almost to the same degree as visitors, though occupants inevitably exhibited some olfactory adaptation. Hence, the suprathreshold measurements also gave strong relative endorsement to pyridine. Calculations based on the experimental results indicated that odorization of the inert gas stream with 3 to 10 ppm (v/v) pyridine should suffice to warn occupants or visitors of an argon buildup of any severity. Field studies should permit a definitive judgment of the best concentration to use in practice.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Effect of the suppository base on progesterone delivery from the vagina.

Inadequate levels of circulating progesterone (P) seen in clinical practice can be increased by P supplementation. When supplementation is via the vaginal route, its presentation may be in many different suppository bases. We have measured circulating P in the follicular phase to compare delivery from the vagina after P was presented in three different bases (glycerinated gelatin, cocoa butter, and polyethylene glycol). The mean peak level achieved and the area under the curve were highest after supplementation from polyethylene glycol-based suppositories. The duration of elevation above baseline was similar with all three suppositories. It is concluded that the suppository base is important in controlling the amount of this steroid absorbed from a given amount presented by this route.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Visual acuity of school entrants.

A study of 4239 school entrants showed that 3.4% had less than normal or near normal distant vision and 0.8% had near vision impairment. The group requiring specialist advice and care, that is, those with 6/12 or worse vision in either eye were further investigated. The effectiveness of pre-school examinations in the early detection of vision defects could thus be assessed. The results indicated that two-thirds had not been detected during the pre-school period. Where diagnosed, the great majority were between 3 and 5 years of age. In general, attendance at child health clinics for developmental surveillance was not a significant factor. Given that maturation has an effect, the difficulty seems to be the lack of suitable techniques rather than expertise. This suggests that the whole area of vision testing during the pre-school periods needs to be reviewed.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1977

The benefit of lactation amenorrhea as a contraceptive.

A group of 148 lactating women who delivered normally at El-Galaa Hospital, Cairo, were followed up monthly for 1 year to study the pattern of lactation amenorrhea, the return of menstruation and ovulation, and the incidence of pregnancy. By the end of the sixth week postpartum, only 1.3 percent of the women had begun menstruating; the percentage gradually increased to 60.2 percent by the end of the first year. The amount of blood loss and the duration of menstruation increased gradually until the fourth postpartum menstrual period. Ovulation had occurred in 58.1 percent and pregnancy in 26.1 percent of all cases at the end of the 12th postpartum month. Among menstruating, lactating mothers, ovulation occurred in 86.5 percent and pregnancy in 32.6 percent, while in amenorrheic, lactating mothers only 6.1 percent had become pregnant at 1 year postpartum.

Amenorrhea↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Considerations in the provision of comprehensive care for children with severe visual handicap.

The medical and social characteristics of children attending day special schools for the partially sighted is described. This group is characterized by the large number of additional handicaps and a high rate of familial defect. One third have at least one member of the family handicapped and belong to families larger than average. One tenth of the children are living in anomalous family situations. Some of the implications for the provision of comprehensive care are discussed.

Child↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Contraception during lactation.

Seven hundred and seventy-two lactating mothers were studied from delivery for 1 year to select the best contraceptive method (oral drug, injected drug, or IUD) which did not affect lactation. Ten groups of mothers were studied, including 234 control subjects. The injectable progestational contraceptives caused an improvement in the amount of milk and its protein concentration, whereas the IUCDs did not influence the lactation pattern. Sulpiride was an ineffective contraceptive but a potent lactation stimulant. The side effects of each method (effects on milk yield, protein content and prolactin concentrations) were also noted; it was concluded that IUCDs are the ideal contraceptive method during lactation, with the use of a lactation stimulant when indicated.

Algestone↗