The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence rate of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other types of dementias among the population over the age of 60 years in Assiut governorate. A 3-phase cross-sectional population-based study was carried out to screen 2,000 subjects residing in 11 different locations representing the sociocultural status of the area. We subjected each proband to a modified form of the Mini Mental State Examination test. Subjects scored 21 or less were investigated according to a standardized protocol. We found 90 demented subjects yielding a crude prevalence ratio (case per 100 population over the age of 60) of 4.5. A diagnosis of subtypes of dementia was reached in 83 cases. Prevalence ratios for dementia subtypes were 2.2 for AD, 0.95 for multi-infarct dementia. 0.55 for mixed dementias and 0.45 for secondary dementias. Age-specific prevalence tends to be doubled every 5 years. Occupation, level of education and residence did not affect the prevalence or severity of dementia. Comparison with other studies suggests that dementia of all types is as frequent in Assiut governorate as elsewhere.

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Pure zirconium oxide (ZrO 2 ) nanoparticles with diameters 10-25 nm were synthesized from ZrOCl 2 .8H 2 O and Zr(SO 4 ) 2 .H 2 O with benzyl alcohol as non-aqueous solvent medium using sol-gel method. Sodium lauryl sulfate was added as surfactants to control the particle size. The synthesized ZrO 2 nanoparticles have a mixture of tetragonal and monoclinic structure. The XRD showed the purity of obtained ZrO 2 nanoparticles with tetragonal and monoclinic phase and the crystallite size for ZrOCl 2 .8H 2 O precursor was estimated to be 18.1 nm and that from Zr(SO 4 ) 2 .H 2 O was 9.7 nm. The transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopic studies also shows different sizes of nanoparticles and different morphology depending on the precursor used for the synthesis of ZrO 2 nanoparticles.

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Reaction of the ruthenium phosphine complex [RuCl 2 (PPh 3 ) 3 ] 1 with an unsaturated functionalized diphosphine ligand, namely 1,1-bis(diphenyl-phosphinomethyl)-ethene, H 2 C=C(CH 2 PPh 2 ) 2 , (dppme) gave trans-Cl 2 Ru-(dppme) 2 2. Complex 2 served as a precursor for the synthesis of trans-Cl 2 Ru(dppme)(alkylamine) 2 complexes 3-5 by reaction with RNH 2 . All these complexes were characterized by spectroscopic techniques and by elemental analysis. The solid-state structure of complex 2 was determined by X-ray crystallography.

The thermal decompositions of unirradiated and γ-irradiated Ru(acac)3 were studied in air. The results show that decomposition proceeds in one major step in the temperature range of 150-250°C with the formation of RuO2 as a final solid residue for unirradiated Ru(acac)3. For γ-irradiated Ru(acac)3, with a total γ-ray dose of 102kGy, the decomposition goes eventually to completion with almost 100% decomposition and proceeds in one major step which contains four overlapping decomposition stages in the temperature range of 200 −320°C. The kinetics were followed isothermally and non-isothermally using both model-fitting and model-free approaches. IR spectroscopy and X-ray powder diffraction techniques were employed to follow the chemical composition of the solid residues obtained at different temperatures. In a model-fitting approach, the kinetic triplet, i.e. the apparent activation energy Ea, the pre-exponential factor, ln A, and the reaction model f (α), were analyzed and calculated using straight line plots, and reduced time plots by isothermal measurements. For non-isothermal measurements we have applied the Coats and Redfern, and Kennedy and Clark methods. In the model-free approach, the non-thermal data for both unirradiated and γ-irradiated Ru(acac)3 samples were analyzed using the Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO), Tang (T), and Vyazovkin (Vyz) isoconversional methods. The results of application of model-free and model-fitting approaches to the thermal decompositions of both unirradiated and γ-irradiated Ru(acac)3 were compared and evaluated to deduce the most probable kinetic triplet that describes correctly the thermal behavior of Ru(acac)3. Discussion of the results is preceded by a short review of the models relevant to this study.

The objective of this study was to explain loneliness as experienced by women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in a cross-cultural context. We studied 36 Egyptian female RA patients and 140 female Dutch RA patients.. Self-report data were collected about loneliness, physical and psychological health status, social support and social network, needs for help, attitudes and feelings of guilt. Loneliness was significantly higher among Egyptian (44.2 +/- 32.3) than Dutch (12.9 +/- 18.9) female RA patients (F = 54.3, p < 0.001). In Egypt, 36% of the variance of loneliness could be explained by worse affect (anxiety and depression; beta = 0.51), fewer children (beta = 0.31), and higher negative social support for the patients (beta = 0.28) in multiple regression analysis. In the Netherlands, 35% of feeling lonely could be explained by worse affect scores (beta = 0.52), less positive social support for the patients (beta = 0.24), and a higher degree of disability (beta = 0.21). Age of the patients and disease duration only explained 4% and 3% of the loneliness of RA patients in Egypt and the Netherlands, respectively. Female Egyptian RA patients experienced more loneliness than Dutch patients. Affect is the most important and constant variable in explaining loneliness in both countries. The role of the family in perceived loneliness is greater in Egypt than the Netherlands. Low social support received by patients is important in explaining loneliness in the Netherlands but not in Egypt.

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