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Background: The Global school-based student health survey (GSHS) was developed to help countries measure and assess students' health behaviors and protective factors. This report discusses results from the first GSHS carried out in Bahrain during 2015-2016 by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Methods: The GSHS includes students aged 13-17 years and employed a two-stage sample design involving a school and class level. 64 public and private schools were sampled out of 162 schools, and 320 classes of students in grades 7-11 were selected. Students completed a questionnaire addressing mental health, protective factors, sexual behaviors, violence, and unintentional injury. Results: 7,143 (89%) of the 8,068 sampled students completed the questionnaire. Of the students who responded, 3,685 (51.1%) were males, and 5,843 (84.5%) were between the ages of 13 to 17 years old. 27.2% of students were physically attacked, 41.4% were in a physical fight, and 28.6% were bullied one or more times during the past 12 months. 38.1% of the students never or rarely wore a seatbelt when in a car, and 30.7% never or rarely wore a helmet when riding a bicycle. 16.2% of students felt lonely most of the time or always, and 15.2% seriously considered attempting suicide during the past 12 months. Conclusion: The study reported rates of violence, physical fights, bullying, and unsafe practices among school-Age children. Raising awareness regarding mental health and emotional well-being, assessment and support among school children is vital. Keywords: Bahrain, Mental health, School, School health, WHO

Activation cross-sections of the nuclear reactions natBa(p,x)135,132gLa, 135mBa and natCe(p,x)142,139,138mPr, 141,139,137mCe have been measured experimentally at the MGC-20 cyclotron, Cairo, Egypt, from their respective threshold energies up to about 14.7 MeV. Stacked foil irradiation technique and high-resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy were used. A comparison between the experimental and theoretical data derived from the nuclear model codes EMPIRE and TALYS (in the form of the TENDL library) was performed. The agreement in the low-energy region is fairly good. Integral yields of the produced radioisotopes were estimated from the present cross-section data and the results are discussed in terms of their production possibilities.

Measurement and evaluation of nuclear data of radioisotopes used as tracers are continuously underway in many laboratories to reach high accuracy for their use in production. We briefly mention some of the radionuclides useful for medical diagnostics and other industrial applications. The research group at the Egyptian cyclotron facility (EGCF) performed in collaboration with nuclear research centres and universities in many countries (Germany, Hungary, Finland, USA, Japan and Saudi Arabia) some measurements and evaluations of interesting nuclear reaction data. Nuclear reactions induced by p, d and α-particles on a wide variety of targets were extensively studied from threshold energy up to 50 MeV. Nuclear model code calculations, mainly using EMPIRE and TALYS, were performed for nuclear data validation. Proton and neutron activation of some industrially interesting samples were also studied as technological application of nuclear analytical techniques. Since the cyclotron facility is dedicated to development of the production routes of medical radioisotopes, this overview presents examples of optimization experiments to establish good production conditions.

Many cities in Egypt have witnessed a comprehensive development of its various services and facilities. A lot of cities are established as a back of the current cities; and although this development has reached many slums, most of it has come traditionally, depending on concrete buildings only. Without consider the philosophy of sustainability or trying to exploit or recycle natural resources. The difficulty of developing slums is concentrated in several reasons, including: The development projects is usually carried out in isolation from the target community, so the projects not being associated with the actual priorities and needs of the community; The citizens have the idea of forcibly displacing homes and going to areas far away from their workplaces. There is high cost of alternative housing units and the state collects fees from residents of slums, which may exceed the capabilities of some of them. On the other hand, design research recently considered the user as a centre for deign process (User Centred Design), and to give it special attention, some design concepts that seek to place the user in the design process environment so that the solution (design) stem from it; and from these concepts: sustainable design sustainable design, co-operative design, contextual design, and participatory design.

Arsenic (As) exposure is associated with adverse health outcomes to the living organisms. In the present study, the hepato-protective ability of thymoquinone (TQ), the active principle of Nigella sativa seed, or ebselen (Eb), an organoselenium compound, against As intoxication in female rats was investigated. For this purpose, animals were allocated randomly into control, As (20 mg/kg), TQ (10 mg/kg), Eb (5 mg/kg), As+TQ, and As+Eb groups that were orally administered for 28 consecutive days. Arsenic exposure resulted in hepatic oxidative damage which was evidenced by marked decreases in antioxidant parameters (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), and glutathione (GSH)) concomitant with high malondialdehyde (MDA) level. Furthermore, As toxicity induced significant elevations in liver accumulation of As, serum hepatic indices (aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and total bilirubin (TB)), and apoptotic marker (B cell lymphoma 2(Bcl2), Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), and caspase 3) levels. Additionally, notable increments in hepatic fibrotic markers (epidermal growth factor (EFG) and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1)) associated with high nitric oxide, interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels were noticed following As intoxication. Biochemical findings were well-supported by hepatic histopathological screening. The co-treatment of As-exposed rats with TQ or Eb considerably improved liver function and antioxidant status together with lessened hepatic As content, inflammation, apoptosis, and fibrosis. The overall outcomes demonstrated that TQ or Eb ameliorates As-induced liver injury through their favorable antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and fibrolytic properties.

Noroviruses are major causes of gastroenteritis, with epidemic outbreaks occurring frequently. They are an important global health concern, especially for pediatric and immunocompromised populations, and are challenging pathogens to target immunologically due to their rapid rates of genetic and antigenic evolution and failure to stimulate durable protective immunity. In this Review, we summarize our current understanding of norovirus pathogenesis, noting the prominent role of murine norovirus as a small animal model for norovirus research. We highlight intriguing data supporting the possible involvement of norovirus in sequelae including irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel diseases, and describe the innate and adaptive immune mechanisms involved in control of both human and murine norovirus infection. Furthermore, we discuss the potential implications of recent discoveries regarding norovirus interactions with the gut microbiota, and briefly detail current understanding of noroviral evolution and its influence on viral pathogenesis. Our mechanistic understanding of norovirus pathogenesis continues to improve with increasing availability of powerful model systems, which will ultimately facilitate development of effective preventive and therapeutic approaches for this pathogen.

Background: Thyroid nodular (TN) lesions are a common clinical problem in the world. These are more common in women and in areas of iodine deficiency. Exposure to ionizing radiation in childhood and adolescence increases the risk of solitary thyroid nodule and thyroid carcinoma. Objective: Determination of the optimal surgical approach for individuals undergoing thyroidectomy for solitary thyroid nodule identified as indeterminate follicular lesion on preoperative fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) diagnosis and to estimate the long term outcome of patients treated by lobectomy for solitary follicular thyroid nodule. Patients and methods: From June 2017 to June 2019, 50 patients having a solitary thyroid nodule with a cytological diagnosis of “indeterminate follicular lesion” were selected prospectively. Results: There were 26 women and 24 men with a mean age of 56 years (range: 28-83). Hemithyroidectomy (HT) was performed in 25 patients (50%) and a total thyroidectomy (TT) in 25 (50%). Postoperative morbidity was 3.50% in patients who underwent HT and 9.75% in those who underwent TT. At the histological analysis 3 (12%) patients of hemithyroidectomy group had a malignant lesion. Conclusions: Considering the high rate in which HT represents the adequate treatment, and the low rate of reoperation morbidity, HT seems to be the preferable initial surgical approach for indeterminate follicular lesions. Long-term ultrasonographic follow-up seems advisable.

Interferons (IFNs) are key controllers of viral replication, with intact IFN responses suppressing virus growth and spread. Using the murine norovirus (MNoV) system, we show that IFNs exert selective pressure to limit the pathogenic evolutionary potential of this enteric virus. In animals lacking type I IFN signaling, the nonlethal MNoV strain CR6 rapidly acquired enhanced virulence via conversion of a single nucleotide. This nucleotide change resulted in amino acid substitution F514I in the viral capsid, which led to >10,000-fold higher replication in systemic organs including the brain. Pathogenicity was mediated by enhanced recruitment and infection of intestinal myeloid cells and increased extraintestinal dissemination of virus. Interestingly, the trade-off for this mutation was reduced fitness in an IFN-competent host, in which CR6 bearing F514I exhibited decreased intestinal replication and shedding. In an immunodeficient context, a spontaneous amino acid change can thus convert a relatively avirulent viral strain into a lethal pathogen., Author summary The evolution of viruses both within a single host and during transmission between hosts often leads to novel characteristics as mutations develop, with increased lethality or transmissibility being particularly concerning potential outcomes. Here, using a novel in vivo experimental evolution strategy with intestinal pathogen murine norovirus (MNoV), we identified a single nucleotide mutation that consistently and exclusively arose when mice lacking interferon signaling, a key aspect of the early innate immune response, were infected intracranially with a nonlethal strain of MNoV. This mutation was both sufficient and necessary for viral virulence, conferring virulence by enhanced infection of immune cells to facilitate systemic spread, representing a shift in the cell types infected by the virus. Conversely, this mutation was also associated with more limited infection in the intestine, suggesting a fitness cost. Our work identifies key immunological constraints on the evolution of virulence and provides specific mechanistic insights into viral pathogenesis.

Arsenic (As) exposure is associated with adverse health outcomes to the living organisms. In the present study, the hepato-protective ability of thymoquinone (TQ), the active principle of Nigella sativa seed, or ebselen (Eb), an organoselenium compound, against As intoxication in female rats was investigated. For this purpose, animals were allocated randomly into control, As (20 mg/kg), TQ (10 mg/kg), Eb (5 mg/kg), As+TQ, and As+Eb groups that were orally administered for 28 consecutive days. Arsenic exposure resulted in hepatic oxidative damage which was evidenced by marked decreases in antioxidant parameters (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), and glutathione (GSH)) concomitant with high malondialdehyde (MDA) level. Furthermore, As toxicity induced significant elevations in liver accumulation of As, serum hepatic indices (aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and total bilirubin (TB)), and apoptotic marker (B cell lymphoma 2(Bcl2), Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), and caspase 3) levels. Additionally, notable increments in hepatic fibrotic markers (epidermal growth factor (EFG) and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1)) associated with high nitric oxide, interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels were noticed following As intoxication. Biochemical findings were well-supported by hepatic histopathological screening. The co-treatment of As-exposed rats with TQ or Eb considerably improved liver function and antioxidant status together with lessened hepatic As content, inflammation, apoptosis, and fibrosis. The overall outcomes demonstrated that TQ or Eb ameliorates As-induced liver injury through their favorable antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and fibrolytic properties.

Murine norovirus (MNoV) is an important model of human norovirus (HNoV) and mucosal virus infection more broadly. Viral receptor utilization is a major determinant of cell tropism, host range, and pathogenesis. The bona fide receptor for HNoV is unknown. Recently, we identified CD300lf as a proteinaceous receptor for MNoV. Interestingly, its paralogue CD300ld was also sufficient for MNoV infection in vitro. Here we explored whether CD300lf is the sole physiologic receptor in vivo and whether HNoV can use a CD300 ortholog as an entry receptor. We report that both CD300ld and CD300lf are sufficient for infection by diverse MNoV strains in vitro. We further demonstrate that CD300lf is essential for both oral and parenteral MNoV infection and to elicit anti-MNoV humoral responses in vivo. In mice deficient in STAT1 signaling, CD300lf is required for MNoV-induced lethality. Finally, we demonstrate that human CD300lf (huCD300lf) is not essential for HNoV infection, nor does huCD300lf inhibit binding of HNoV virus-like particles to glycans. Thus, we report huCD300lf is not a receptor for HNoV., Author summary Human norovirus is the leading cause of non-bacterial gastroenteritis causing up to 200,000 deaths each year. How human norovirus enters cells is unknown. Because human norovirus is difficult to grow in the laboratory and in small animals, we use mouse or murine norovirus as a model system. We recently discovered that murine norovirus can use the either CD300ld or CD300lf as a receptor in vitro. We also showed that CD300lf deficient mice were resistant to oral challenge with a single virus strain. Here we determined that CD300lf is essential for infection of diverse murine norovirus strains in cell lines and in mice with normal immune systems demonstrating it’s the primary physiologic receptor for diverse murine norovirus strains independent of infection route. Finally, we demonstrated that human CD300lf is not the elusive proteinaceous receptor for human norovirus.

We gave young scientists this challenge: What is the purpose of a postdoc? Address this question by writing a job advertisement for the perfect postdoc position. We received responses from scientists around the world representing a variety of fields. Some wrote advertisements for their ideal postdoc

Live-attenuated influenza vaccines (LAIVs) have the potential to generate CD8 T cell immunity that may limit the virulence of an antigenically shifted influenza strain in a population lacking protective Abs. However, current LAIVs exert limited T cell immunity restricted to the vaccine strains. One approach to improve LAIV-induced T cell responses is the use of specific adjuvants to enhance T cell priming by respiratory dendritic cells, but this hypothesis has not been addressed. In this study, we assessed the effect of the TLR3 ligand polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly IC) on CD8 T cell immunity and protection elicited by LAIVs. Mucosal treatment with poly IC shortly after vaccination enhanced respiratory dendritic cell function, CD8 T cell formation, and production of neutralizing Abs. This adjuvant effect of poly IC was dependent on amplification of TLR3 signaling by nonhematopoietic radioresistant cells and enhanced mouse protection to homosubtypic, as well as heterosubtypic, virus challenge. Our findings indicate that mucosal TLR3 ligation may be used to improve CD8 T cell responses to replicating vaccines, which has implications for protection in the absence of pre-existing Ab immunity.

Ferrite samples with chemical formula Mg xCu 0.5-xZn 0.5 Fe 2O4 (x = 0.0, 0.2 and 0.4) was prepared by the conventional ceramic method. The enhanced changes in the dc/ac resistivity and the dielectric constant due to γ-rays irradiation by 60 Co source were measured using the two probes technique. The samples showed decreasing of their resistivity at room temperature after irradiation for both dc and ac applied elect ric fields. Temperature dependence curves of the dc res istivity, before and after irradiation, showed thre e regions with different activation energies. It was also observed that the activation energy decreased after irradiation at every region. The frequency de pendence of ac resistivity and dielectric constant parameters were investigated before and after irrad iation process. Both real part ( e') and imaginary part (e'') of the dielectric constant were decreased due t o irradiation. These results were discussed in the view of gamma rays interaction with ferrite lattice .

The need to discover and develop alternative therapies to treat multidrug-resistant bacterial infections is timely. The aim of this study was to examine the antimicrobial potential of propolis, as a purified and concentrated special extract GH 2002, against clinical isolates of Streptococcus pyogenes, methicillin-resistent Stapylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE) and Candida. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimal microbicidial concentrations (MMCs) of propolis against microbial pathogens were evaluated using the broth microdilution method. Propolis extract GH 2002 revealed low MICs in the range of 0.03 to 2 mg/ml against S. pyogenes, S. aureus, E. faecium and Candida. A high bactericidal activity of propolis extract in the range of 0.06 to 1.0 mg/ml was determined for S. pyogenes and S. aureus, however propolis was not bactericidal against E. faecium. Propolis concentrations between 0.6 and 2.4 mg/ml displayed fungicidal activity against different Candida species. Whereas all tested MRSA strains were highly susceptible against propolis, only minor activity was found against VRE strains. Time-kill curves demonstrated a high antimicrobial activity at low MICs already after few hours of incubation against reference strains, clinical antibiotic-susceptible strains, clinical antifungal susceptible strains as well as all tested clinical MRSA strains, but not against VRE strains. In conclusion, clinical drug-sensitive as well as some clinical multidrug-resistant microbial isolates, i.e. MRSA, were susceptible to propolis with different degrees of susceptibility. These results suggest that the special propolis extract GH2002 might be used in the development of alternative products for therapy of microbial infections.

The effects of adding 1 mol % of gramicidin A to the well-known DOPC/DSPC/cholesterol lipid mixtures were investigated. 4-component giant unilamellar vesicles (GUV) were prepared using our recently developed Wet-Film method. The phase boundary of liquid-ordered and liquid-disordered (Lo-Ld) coexisting region was determined using video fluorescence microscopy. We found that if cares were not taken, light-induced domain artifacts could significantly distort the measured phase boundary. After testing several fluorescence dyes, we found that the emission spectrum of Nile Red is quite sensitive to membrane composition. By fitting the Nile Red emission spectra at the phase boundary to the spectra in the Lo-Ld coexisting region, the thermodynamic tie-lines were determined. As an active component of lipid membranes, gramicidin not only partitions favorably into the liquid-disordered (Ld) phase, it also alters the phase boundary and thermodynamic tie-lines. Even at as low as 1 mol %, gramicidin decreases the cholesterol mole fraction of Ld phase and increases the area of Lo phase.

The levels of radioactivity and heavy metals in soil, plant and groundwater samples collected from the area of the new campus of Taif University, Saudi Arabia, and its neighbouring areas have been determined. High-resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy was used for radioactivity measurements, and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy was used to determine the concentration of heavy metals. The means of (226)Ra, (228)Ra and (40)K concentrations in water samples collected from four wells were found to be 0.13 ± 0.03, 0.05 ± 0.03 and 1.3 ± 0.5 Bq l(-1), respectively. The means of (238)U, (226)Ra, (228)Ra ((232)Th for soil samples) and (40)K concentrations in wild plant and soil samples were found to be 3.7 ± 4.1, 8.8 ± 11.6, 3.8 ± 2.9 and 1025 ± 685, and 8.6 ± 3.4, 12.8 ± 3.4, 16.6 ± 7.1 and 618 ± 82 Bq kg(-1) dry weight (DW), respectively. The (137)Cs of artificial origin was also detected in soil samples with a mean concentration of 3.8 ± 2.2 Bq kg(-1) DW. Evaluating the results, it can be concluded that the concentrations of (238)U, (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K in soil samples fall within the world average. Furthermore, 19 trace and major elements in groundwater samples and 22 elements in soil and plant samples were determined. The sampling locations of soil can be classified into three groups (relatively high, medium and low polluted) according to their calculated metal pollution index using the contents of trace and major elements. A cluster analysis of the contents of radioactivity and trace element contents in soil samples shows the presence of two main distinct clusters of sampling locations.

Structural and optical studies are reported of yttrium orthoborate YBO3 when tri-doped with Eu3+, Ce3+, and Tb3+, focusing on the role of terbium concentration. Incorporation of Tb3+ affects emission properties for photoluminescence (PL) excited by near ultraviolet light. For constant cerium and europium concentrations, increasing the Tb3+ results in diminished PL from the Ce3+ and Tb3+ color centers. Simultaneously, the PL excitation bands related to both Ce3+ and Tb3+ increase in intensity for red emission from the Eu3+. Results are consistent with a Ce3+ → (Tb3+)n → Eu3+ energy transfer scheme, where (Tb3+)n denotes a chain incorporating n terbium ions. A high red to orange PL intensity ratio is obtained, ranging from 1.34 to 2.09. Raman vibrational bands show a systematic change, with Tb3+ concentration, in the B3O9 ring terminal oxygen bending mode coordinated with the yttrium site where dopant ions substitute. The structural changes are interpreted as variations in the local neighborhood of these si...

Hybrid lipids (HL) are phospholipids with one saturated and one unsaturated chains. Although it is believed that hybrid lipids can act as linactants (i.e., 2D surfactants) in cell membranes to reduce line tension of lipid domains, as a group, their fundamental roles in membrane heterogeneity have not yet been systematically investigated. In this study, three hybrid lipids of different degrees of chain unsaturation (i.e., 16:0-18:1PC (POPC), 16:0-18:2PC (PLPC), and 16:0-20:4PC (PAPC)) are compared in their abilities to alter the composition, order and compactness of lipid domains. The liquid-ordered and liquid-disordered (Lo+Ld) phase boundaries of HL/di18:0PC(DSPC)/cholesterol systems were determined from giant unilamellar vesicles (GUV). We found that the Lo and Ld lipid domains in PAPC/DSPC/CHOL and PLPC/DSPC/CHOL mixtures are micron-sized, and only POPC/DSPC/CHOL system has nanoscopic domains. The results show that some poly-unsaturated HLs essentially behave like the double-unsaturated di18:1PC (DOPC), and the mono-unsaturated POPC clearly displays both properties of unsaturated lipid and linactant. The obtained phase boundaries indicate that both POPC and PLPC have significant partition in the Lo phases. Our MD simulations reveal that these hybrid lipids decrease the order and compactness of Lo domains. Thus, hybrid lipids distinguish themselves from other lipids in this combined “partitioning and loosening” ability in Lo domains, and this ability could facilitate membrane proteins to partition into lipid-raft-like domains in biomembranes. Our line tension measurement and Monte Carlo simulation both show that even in the best cases, HLs are weak linactants with only modest ability in reducing line tension. Furthermore, the reduction is through two separated mechanisms: one through reducing the compositional differences of Lo and Ld domains, and the other through weak linactant action.

Hybrid lipids are thought to be able to perform the function of linactants at membrane domain interfaces: They can reduce line tension and stabilize nanoscopic lipid raft domains in biomembranes. Hybrid lipids are lipids with one saturated chain and one unsaturated chain. Here we provide evidences that only certain hybrid lipids behave like linactants. In this study, we compared three hybrid lipids (i.e., 16:0-181PC (POPC), 16:0-18:2PC, and 16:0-22:4PC) in their abilities to reduce lipid domain size and shift phase boundary. The Lo-Ld phase boundaries of hybrid-lipid/di18:0PC(DSPC)/cholesterol systems were determined from giant unilamellar vesicles (GUV) using fluorescence microscopy. We found that 16:0-22:4PC behaves similarly to a fluid-phase lipid: The Lo and Ld lipid domains in 16:0-22:4PC/DSPC/CHOL mixtures are macroscopic and the phase coexisting region is very wide. On the other hand, 16:0-18:2PC/DSPC/CHOL system has a much narrower Lo-Ld phase coexisting region; however, the lipid domains are still macroscopic. Only POPC/DSPC/CHOL system contains nanoscopic lipid domains. These results were compared with Monte Carlo simulations. Based on the magnitudes of interaction energies, it appears that only mono-unsaturated hybrid lipids behave like linactants, while poly-unsaturated hybrid lipids behave more or less like fluid-phase lipids.

Although shales constitute about 75% of most sedimentary basins, the studies dealing with their seismic response are relatively few, particularly for the organic rich shale gas. Mapping distribution of shale gas and identifying their maturation level and organic carbon richness is critically important for unconventional gas field exploration and development. This study analyses the sensitivity of acoustic and elastic parameters of shales to variations in pore fluid content. Based on the effective medium theory a rock physics model has been made by inversion of the shale stiffness tensor from sonic, density, porosity and clay content logs. Due to the lack of a generally agreed upon fluid substitution model for shale, a statistical approach to Gassmann’s Model using effective porosity in the near boundary conditions, has been developed to account for shale. Fluid substituted logs—for a variety of maturation levels—and gas saturations were generated and used to make the layered earth models. AVO and seismic forward modelling were performed using the rock physics modelled and the fluid substituted logs on layered models. As part of seismic forward modelling, simultaneous inversion is performed for each model to generate P-impedance, S-impedance and density volumes. The sensitivity of the models were analysed by histogram, cross plotting, cross section highlighting, and body checking techniques. This study showed a dramatic hydrocarbon content effect—specifically gas—in the seismic response of shales.