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Background: Cesarean section (CS) is one of the most common surgical procedures worldwide, often associated with postoperative pain. Effective pain management is crucial for maternal recovery and satisfaction. Transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block and local anesthetic wound infiltration (LWI) are commonly used techniques for post-cesarean analgesia. While both methods have shown efficacy, their comparative effectiveness remains debated. This study aims to compare the efficacy of TAP block versus LWI for post-cesarean analgesia, considering pain scores and opioid consumption, to provide insights into optimizing pain management strategies for women undergoing CS. Methods: A randomized comparative double-blinded clinical trial conducted on 200 randomly selected patients aged 20 to 40 years in the university hospital from January 2021 to January 2022 after receiving approval from the ethical research committee. Patients were divided into two groups. All patients were instructed on how to use the visual analog scale (VAS), and the procedure of ultrasound-guided TAP block or local anesthetic wound infiltration was explained to them. Main Outcome Measure: The level of pain during movement (hip flexion and coughing) at 2, 4, 6, 12, and 24 hours following surgery. Pain intensity was measured using a VAS score ranging from 0 to 10 (0 representing no pain, and 10 representing the worst conceivable discomfort). Results: Patients who underwent TAP block showed significantly lower pain scores for 12–16 hours after surgery and a reduced total requirement for analgesia in the first 24 hours after surgery compared to patients who received wound infiltration. Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that bilateral TAP block was more effective in reducing postoperative pain and total 24-hour postoperative opioid and analgesic consumption after cesarean section under spinal anesthesia compared to local anesthetic wound infiltration. Clinical Trial Registration: The trial was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov registry with clinical trial: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05447455.

Nephrotic Syndrome is the most widespread pediatric kidney disorder. Genetic alterations in podocyte genes are thought to be responsible for the disease. G-quadruplexes are non-conventional guanine-rich DNA and RNA structures, which are commonly found in regulatory regions. This study examined the potential G-quadruplexes forming sequences in the promoters and gene bodies of podocyte-marker genes. High G-quadruplexes density was found in the vascular endothelial growth facto, cluster of differentiation-151, integrin subunit beta-4, metalloendopeptidase, Wilms tumor-1, integrin subunit beta-3, synaptopodin, and nephrin promoters. Vascular endothelial growth facto, cluster of differentiation-151 and integrin subunit beta-4 had the highest G-quadruplexes density in their gene bodies and promoters. Additionally, highly stable G-quadruplexes forming sequences were identified within all podocyte-marker genes. Furthermore, it is hypothesized that Wilms tumor-1 is capable of controlling the transcription of podocalyxin by binding to two possible G-quadruplexes forming motifs. We next analyzed the most frequently reported genetic mutations in the selected genes for their effect on DNA G-quadruplexes formation, and the thermodynamic stability of predicted RNA G-quadruplexes, using RNAfold. Importantly, the missense mutation c.121_122del in the nephrin gene reported in patients with NS type 1 affected DNA G-quadruplexes formation in this region as well as the thermodynamic stability of the corresponding RNA G-quadruplexes. Overall, we report the potential regulatory roles of G-quadruplexes in the etiology of nephrotic syndrome and their possible use as drug targets to treat kidney diseases.

Background: Obesity is associated with increased prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease, with recent reports suggesting improvement in gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms and weight loss following bariatric surgical intervention. However, the exact impact of the type of bariatric surgery on the evolution of gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms has remained unexamined. Methods: We systematically searched electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library from inception to December 2018) for eligible studies that satisfy prespecified inclusion criteria. We included clinical trials of all designs that reported on gastroesophageal reflux disease outcomes following laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy or laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Two independent reviewers extracted relevant data based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guideline. Data were pooled using a random-effects model. Main outcomes were symptomatic improvement in gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms following bariatric surgery. Results: A total of 31 studies were analyzed, and a robust-error meta-regression model was used to conduct a dose–response meta-analysis synthesizing data on 31 studies that reported gastroesophageal reflux disease outcomes after bariatric surgery. Of 5,295 patients who underwent either laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (n = 4,715 patients) or laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (n = 580 patients), 63.4% experienced improvement in gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms (95% CI 32.46–72.18). The dose–response meta-analysis demonstrated a window period of 2 years for sustained improvement after which symptoms began to recur in those that were asymptomatic. Conclusion: Bariatric surgery may improve gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms in obese patients who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy; however, the most favorable effect is likely to be found after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery. The effects were not sustained and returned to baseline within 4 years.

Objectives: To validate and recalibrate the CURB-65 and pneumonia severity index (PSI) in predicting 30-day mortality and critical care intervention (CCI) in a multiethnic population with COVID-19, along with evaluating both models in predicting CCI.Methods: Retrospective data was collected for 1181 patients admitted to the largest hospital in Qatar with COVID-19 pneumonia. The area under the curve (AUC), calibration curves, and other metrics were bootstrapped to examine the performance of the models. Variables constituting the CURB-65 and PSI scores underwent further analysis using the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) along with logistic regression to develop a model predicting CCI. Complex machine learning models were built for comparative analysis.Results: The PSI performed better than CURB-65 in predicting 30-day mortality (AUC 0.83, 0.78 respectively), while CURB-65 outperformed PSI in predicting CCI (AUC 0.78, 0.70 respectively). The modified PSI/CURB-65 model (respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, hematocrit, age, sodium, and glucose) predicting CCI had excellent accuracy (AUC 0.823) and good calibration.Conclusions: Our study recalibrated, externally validated the PSI and CURB-65 for predicting 30-day mortality and CCI, and developed a model for predicting CCI. Our tool can potentially guide clinicians in Qatar to stratify patients with COVID-19 pneumonia.

In this study, silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) were decorated on the surface of magnetic nanoparticles in an eco-friendly pathway applying Mentha extract as reducing/stabilizing agent. The morphological and physicochemical features of the prepared Ag/Fe3O4nanocomposite were determined using several advanced techniques. Hence, our protocol is green and advantageous in terms of- i) biochemical modified biocompatible nanocomposite; ii) nanomaterial providing high surface area and larger number reactive sites; iii) very simplistic synthetic procedure; vi) very low load of metal in the composite and v) high yield in short time. In the medicinal part, the anticancer properties of Ag/Fe3O4 nanocomposite against lung cancer cell lines were determined. The free radical for the antioxidant effects was DPPH. The IC50 of Ag/Fe3O4 nanocomposite was 200 µg/ml in the antioxidant test. The IC50 of the Ag/Fe3O4 nanocomposite were 183, 176, 169, and 125 µg/mL against lung cancer (NCI-H661, NCI-H1975, NCI-H1573, and NCI-H1563) cell lines, respectively. In addition, the current study offer that Ag/Fe3O4 nanocomposite could be a new potential adjuvant chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agent against cytotoxic cells.

The effluents of industrial wastewater contain several toxic organic and inorganic pollutants that may contaminate clean and freshwater sources if untreated or poorly treated. These toxic pollutants include colors; hazardous compounds; surfactants; cosmetics; agrochemicals; pharmaceutical by-products; and agricultural, pharmaceutical, and medical contaminants. Treating wastewater has become a global problem. Many projects have been started in the last two decades to treat wastewater, resultant water pollution, and associated waste management problems. Adsorbants based on graphene oxide (GO) are viable wastewater treatment materials due to their adaptability, photocatalytic action, and capacity for self-assembly. Here, we report the fabrication of nanofibrous mats from polycaprolactone (PCL), carboxymethyl arabinoxylan (CMARX), and carboxyl-functionalized-graphene oxide using an electrospinning technique. The silver nanoparticles were loaded onto the mat to enhance their photocatalytic activity. These mats were characterized using different techniques, including Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The water contact angles were used to study their hydrophilic and hydrophobic behavior. The Langmuir isotherm model and adsorption kinetics were studied to evaluate their adsorption capabilities against methylene blue (MB). Sample 2 followed the Langmuir isotherm model (R2 = 0.9939). Adsorption kinetics exhibited pseudo-second order behavior (R2 = 0.9978) due to their maximum correlation coefficient values. MB has excellent adsorption at room temperature and the formation of the monolayer at the surface of the adsorption mat. An enhanced PO43− and MB adsorption was observed, providing recyclability up to 4–5 times. Hence, the fabricated nanofibrous mat would be a potential candidate for more effective wastewater treatment applications.

G-quadruplexes (G4s) are non-canonical DNA and RNA secondary structures that control gene regulation. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) is a small genetic variation occurring within a DNA sequence and accounting for the variabilities between individuals. While the majority of SNPs, especially those frequent in the population, are considered as benign genetic variations, few others can lead to diseases. SNPs occurring in G4 sequences were reported to modulate gene regulation. In order to find overlaps between predicted G4 sequences and SNPs located in the genomic regions, we developed two complementary computational python codes (SNP-locator and G4-overlap). The codes map a mutation to the overlapping/closest G4 sequences, based on the genetic variant name and the FASTA format of the corresponding gene. We validated these two codes on a set of 31 SNP variants occurring in cytochromes P450 genes and podocytes-marker genes. Out of 31 SNPs, 28 were accurately located using the mentioned codes. • SNP-locator code locates any SNP in promoters, upstream regulatory regions, exons and introns. • The SNP-locator code requires the FASTA genomic sequence of the studied gene and the genetic variant nomenclature at the cDNA level. • G4-overlap code maps the SNP to the overlapping or the closest G4 sequence.

This study aims to identfy virtual plastic art exhibitions in light of the challenges of the Corona pandemic. It used a descriptive analytical method through several questions and examining future challenges via the Internet in publishing virtual plastic art exhibitions in many parts of the world in light of the challenges of the Corona pandemic. For that, it used Arab and foreign references. The study reached many results, the most important of which are: The detection of virtual reality applications and their impact on the plastic arts exhibitions sector. Besides, the insights gained from future art gallery research with VR technology could provide direct and practical value for this sector. By using a technology, similar to the “Street View feature” of “Google Street View”, virtual art galleries will be "available" and will have a goal away from productivity and profitability.

Aim: The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of some types of probiotics to minimize the hazard effect of cadmium on Oreochromis niloticus (O. niloticus) and to determine the influence of probiotics on the growth performance and immune status of O. niloticus. Methods: Fish were divided into four groups, the first one was fed on a diet without any additives (control group), and the second group was fed on diet with the addition of 0.1 from (LC50) of cadmium 32 ppm in water. The third group was fed on a diet containing 1 gm/kg of Lactobacillus acidophilus. The fourth group was fed on a diet containing 1 gm/kg of L. acidophilus with 0.1 addition from (LC50) of cadmium 32 ppm. Results: The experiment lasted about 60 days which resulted in an improvement in growth performance, with a decrease in the number of micronucleus formation in the group which received the probiotic. The group which was affected with cadmium showed decrease in the growth performance with increase in the number of micronucleus formation while the group which received probiotics and treated with cadmium had significant improvement in growth performance and decreased in the number of micronucleus formation. Conclusions: Probiotics decrease cadmium pollution.

Bone tissue engineering is an advanced field for treatment of fractured bones to restore/regulate biological functions. Biopolymeric/bioceramic-based hybrid nanocomposite scaffolds are potential biomaterials for bone tissue because of biodegradable and biocompatible characteristics. We report synthesis of nanocomposite based on acrylic acid (AAc)/guar gum (GG), nano-hydroxyapatite (HAp NPs), titanium nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs), and optimum graphene oxide (GO) amount via free radical polymerization method. Porous scaffolds were fabricated through freeze-drying technique and coated with silver sulphadiazine. Different techniques were used to investigate functional group, crystal structural properties, morphology/elemental properties, porosity, and mechanical properties of fabricated scaffolds. Results show that increasing amount of TiO2 in combination with optimized GO has improved physicochemical and microstructural properties, mechanical properties (compressive strength (2.96 to 13.31 MPa) and Young’s modulus (39.56 to 300.81 MPa)), and porous properties (pore size (256.11 to 107.42 μm) and porosity (79.97 to 44.32%)). After 150 min, silver sulfadiazine release was found to be ~94.1%. In vitro assay of scaffolds also exhibited promising results against mouse pre-osteoblast (MC3T3-E1) cell lines. Hence, these fabricated scaffolds would be potential biomaterials for bone tissue engineering in biomedical engineering.

Introduction Water-pipe (WP) smoking is the most widespread tobacco use in the Middle-East, and is rapidly spreading globally. Meanwhile, changes in testosterone levels have been linked to various diseases including type 2 diabetes and erectile dysfunction. This investigation addresses an important gap in the outcome of WP smoking on testosterone levels. Aim To explore the outcome of WP smoke on serum levels of total testosterone (TT), free testosterone (FT), bioavailable testosterone (bioT) and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) among men in Qatar. Methods This is a cross-sectional cohort study based on data gathered from a total of 1000 volunteer men from Qatar BioBank (QBB). To determine the WP and Cigarette smoking status, a self-reported questionnaire was used. TT and SHBG were measured clinically, whereas FT and BioT were calculated using Vermeulen’s equation. Hormone values were compared using multiple regression analysis based on WP smoking status after adjusting for appropriate confounding factors. Results Once exclusion criteria were applied, 541 males (277 WP smokers and 264 non-smokers) were included in the analysis. After adjustment for cofounding factors, no statistical significant difference was observed in TT, FT, SHBG, and BioT between WP smokers and non-smokers (all p > 0.05). Furthermore, Similar results were found in non-adjusted regression model, while only age was shown to significantly affect androgens level (P= 0.014). Conclusions In this study we report, for the first time, that there was no significant change in TT, FT, BioT and SHBG in WP smokers when compared to non-WP smokers. Funding This study was supported by a Qatar University Student Grant.

This research aimed to investigate the efficiency of Suggested Instiuctional Unit Through internet in developing the conceptual understanding in mathematics and self-concept for the students of secondary school girls in Riyadh city. The research sample included , 10, students. divided equally into two groups. the first expeiimental , studied by using suggested instiuctional unit through intemet, and the second control , studied by using the traditional method, . research tools included conceptual understanding test and self-concept measurement .and each designed by the researcher. In order to test the research hypotheses .mann - Whitney test was used. the results illustrated there are no significant statistical differences at the level of , , 150.05, between the post means of the marks of experimental group and the marks of control group students in each of conceptual understanding test and each of its levels and self-concept measurement and each of its levels. In light of the research results.the researcher submitted number of recommendations which can be beneficial in teaching mathematics in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Online learning has unquestionably shaped contemporary education. The emergence and spread in recent months of the COVID-19 virus, with the attendant preventative implementation of social distancing, has significantly enhanced online learning's influence. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where strict social distancing precautions were implemented early in the pandemic, thousands of college students were rapidly shifted from conventional to online instructional environments. Now that these students have a semester of experience with online learning, the time is propitious to explore these students' online learning experiences. One concept in connection with which students' online learning experiences have not been extensively studied is that of academic self-efficacy. The present study seeks to investigate Jeddah University students' experiences with online learning in light of their assessments of their academic self-efficacy. Employing a combined descriptive/correlational research design organized around a pair of survey instruments--one designed to query students' online learning experiences and a second designed to measure their senses of their academic self-efficacy--the present study investigates attitudes of a population of 1,167 Jeddah University undergraduate students randomly selected from the available pool of 16,893 individuals. The study finds that student attitudes with respect to both online learning and self-efficacy are high. It shows, furthermore, significant statistical correlation between students' highly positive experiences with online instruction and their high senses of their academic self-efficacy. By developing the understanding regarding student attitudes and self-efficacy, this research opens avenues for further research into the connections between online learning and students' self-perceptions. Moreover, the study's findings hold significant implications for bettering Saudi Arabian e-learning, an outcome fully in keeping with the policy goals outlined in the 2030 vision.

Aspartame is an artificial sweetener used in drinks and many foods. International Agency for Research on Cancer classified aspartame as possibly carcinogenic to humans (IARC Group 2B). In this study, a sensitive and selective spectrofluorimetric method was developed to detect aspartame. The method is based on switching on the fluorescence activity of aspartame upon its condensation with O‐phthalaldehyde (Roth's reaction) in the presence of 2‐mercaptoethanol. The reaction product was detected fluorometrically at λem of 438 nm after λex of 340 nm. All reaction conditions required to yield the optimal fluorescence intensity were observed and investigated. Furthermore, the approach was validated according to ICH guidelines. Upon plotting the concentrations of aspartame against their associated fluorescence intensity values, the relationship between the two variables was linear within the range of 0.5–3.0 μg/mL. Furthermore, the method was employed to analyze the quantity of aspartame in commercial packages and soft drinks with an acceptable level of recovery. In addition, the Green Solvents Selecting Tool, Complementary Green Analytical Procedure Index, and the Analytical Greenness Metric tool were used to evaluate the sustainability and the greenness of the developed methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an acidic buffered solution, erythrosine B can react with amiodarone to form an association complex, which not only generates great enhancement in resonance Rayleigh scattering (RRS) spectrum of erythrosine B at 346.5 nm but also results in quenching of fluorescence spectra of erythrosine B at λemission = 550.4 nm/λexcitation = 528.5 nm. In addition, the formed erythrosine B–amiodarone complex produces a new absorbance peak at 555 nm. The spectral characteristics of the RRS, absorbance, and fluorescence spectra, as well as the optimum analytical conditions, were studied and investigated. As a result, new spectroscopic methods were developed to determine amiodarone by utilizing erythrosine B as a probe. Moreover, the ICH guidelines were used to validate the developed RRS, photometric, and fluorimetric methods. The enhancements in the absorbance and the RRS intensity and the decrease in the fluorescence intensity of the used probe were proportional to the concentration of amiodarone in ranges of 2.5–20.0, 0.2–2.5, and 0.25–1.75 μg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, limit of detection values were 0.52 ng/mL for the spectrophotometric method, 0.051 μg/mL for the RRS method, and 0.075 μg/mL for the fluorimetric method. Moreover, with good recoveries, the developed spectroscopic procedures were applied to analyze amiodarone in its commercial tablets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Naftidrofuryl is a vasodilator medication used for treating cerebral and peripheral vascular diseases. In this study, two spectroscopical techniques, spectrofluorimetric and resonance Rayleigh scattering (RRS), were utilized to quantify naftidrofuryl in its pharmaceutical samples. The developed methodologies in this study rely on a facile process of forming an association complex between erythrosine B reagent and naftidrofuryl under acidic conditions. The fluorimetric assay is based on the ability of naftidrofuryl to quench and decrease the native fluorescence intensity of the reagent when measured at λemis. = 550 nm (λexcit. = 526 nm). Under similar reaction conditions, the RRS method relies on the observed amplification in the RRS spectrum of the reagent at a wavelength of 577 nm following its interaction with naftidrofuryl. The methods exhibited linearity within the ranges 0.2–1.6 μg/ml (r2 = 0.999) and 0.1–1.4 μg/ml (r2 = 0.9994), with limit of quantitation values of 0.146 and 0.099 μg/ml, and limit of detection values of 0.048 and 0.032 μg/ml, for the fluorometric and the RRS methods, respectively. Moreover, the quenching between the dye and naftidrofuryl was studied using Stern–Volmer analysis, and the methodologies were experimentally optimized and validated. Additionally, acceptable recoveries were achieved when the procedures were applied to determine naftidrofuryl in pharmaceutical samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biogenic nanoarchitectured magnetic materials have drawn serious attention throughout the last decade. We have attempted the Helleborus niger flower extract functionalized and templated biogenic synthesis of Cu nanoparticles supported Fe3O4 as a likewise novel material. The plant phytomolecules were deployed as a non-toxic sustainable reductant and an outstanding capping agent to stabilize the synthesized NPs. The synthesized Cu/H.niger@Fe3O4 nanocomposite was undergone comprehensive characterizations through Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), elemental mapping, vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and inductively coupled plasma (ICP) techniques. The material was catalytically explored in the synthesis of diverse pyrano[3,2-c]chromene derivatives by coupling 4-hydroxycoumarin, malononitrile and a range of aldehydes in hot water when it afforded excellent yields. Based on its core magnetism, the catalyst was easily recovered using a magnet and reused for 8 successive times without considerable loss in catalytic activity. After the chemical application, the synthesized Cu/H.niger@Fe3O4 nanocomposite was engaged in biological assays like study of anti-oxidant properties by DPPH mediated free radical scavenging test using BHT as a reference molecule. Thereafter, on having a significant IC50 value in radical scavenging assay, we extended the bio-application of the desired nanocomposite in anticancer study of A549 and H358 human lung cell lines in-vitro through MTT assay. The cell viability of malignant lung cell line reduced dose-dependently in the presence of desired nanocomposite. So, these results suggest that synthesized Cu/H.niger@Fe3O4 as a chemotherapeutic nanomaterial have a suitable anticancer activity against lung cell lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The role of hemoglobin (Hb) level in the short-term prognosis of patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) remains a matter of debate. We aimed to declare the prevalence of, association with, severity of, and prognostic role of SHL with ADHF. Methods Using the data from the Persian Registry Of Cardiovascular Disease/ Heart Failure (PROVE-HF) study, we assessed the association between anemia and polycythemia (Hb 16.5 g/dLit in males and 16 g/dLit in females, respectively) and short-term mortality using Cox proportional hazard modeling, with adjustment of clinically relevant variables. Results Of 3652 ADHF patients, anemia was seen in 1673 patients (48.40%). The prevalence of mild, moderate, and severe anemia was 42.33% (n = 1546), 3.23% (n = 118), and 0.24% (n = 9), respectively. Also, 422 patients (11.55%) had polycythemia. Compared to non-anemic patients, anemic patients were mainly male, older, and were more likely to have diabetes mellitus (DM), renal dysfunction, hypertension (HTN), and thyroid disease. Significant predictors of short-term mortality were lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure, lower Hb level, and higher blood urea nitrogen (BUN). Anemic patients had higher all-cause mortality [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 1.213, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.054–1.396]. Moderate anemia increased mortality by approximately 80% in males (aHR 1.793, 95% CI 1.308–2.458) and females (aHR 1.790, 95% CI 1.312–2.442), respectively. Polycythemia had no association with short-term mortality in both genders (P-value > 0.05). Conclusions This study revealed that anemia is an adverse prognostic factor for short-term mortality in ADHF patients, with higher mortality in moderately anemic patients.

Despite the tremendous development within the information technology systems, we still need the continued development of these systems whereas, the problem is that there are many obstacles and problems facing the application of information and communication technology systems. The major motivation was that these high performance computing resources have been expensive and hard to get access to, so the starting point was to use federated resources that could comprise compute, storage and network resources from multiple geographically distributed institutions, and such resources are generally heterogeneous and dynamic. Also the main challenge for efficient scaling of applications is the location of the data relative to the available computational resources while moving the data repeatedly to distant CPUs is becoming the bottleneck. This research will throw light on the future Internet Computing will be towards Cloud Computing centralized, in which storage, computing, and all kind of other resources will mainly be provisioned by the Cloud, we envision that the next-generation Internet Computing will take the triangle model shown in Figure 4: Internet Computing will be centralized around Data, Clouding Computing, as well as Client Computing. We propose an efficient approach to reduce the cost of computing, increase reliability, and increase flexibility by transforming computers from something that we buy and operate ourselves to something that is operated by a third party, The application results reveal the effectiveness of proposed method to achieve a better cost with the advances of multi-core technology, the coming decade will bring the possibilities of having a desktop supercomputer with 100s to 1000s of hardware threads/cores. Furthermore, many end-users will have various hardware driven end-functionalities, such as visualization and multimedia playback, which will typically run locally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) were decorated on the surface of magnetic nanoparticles in an eco-friendly pathway applying Mentha extract as reducing/stabilizing agent. The morphological and physicochemical features of the prepared Ag/Fe 3 O 4 nanocomposite were determined using several advanced techniques. Hence, our protocol is green and advantageous in terms of- i) biochemical modified biocompatible nanocomposite; ii) nanomaterial providing high surface area and larger number reactive sites; iii) very simplistic synthetic procedure; vi) very low load of metal in the composite and v) high yield in short time. In the medicinal part, the anticancer properties of Ag/Fe 3 O 4 nanocomposite against lung cancer cell lines were determined. The free radical for the antioxidant effects was DPPH. The IC 50 of Ag/Fe 3 O 4 nanocomposite was 200 µg/ml in the antioxidant test. The IC 50 of the Ag/Fe 3 O 4 nanocomposite were 183, 176, 169, and 125 µg/mL against lung cancer (NCI-H661, NCI-H1975, NCI-H1573, and NCI-H1563) cell lines, respectively. In addition, the current study offer that Ag/Fe 3 O 4 nanocomposite could be a new potential adjuvant chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agent against cytotoxic cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bone tissue engineering is an advanced field for treatment of fractured bones to restore/regulate biological functions. Biopolymeric/bioceramic-based hybrid nanocomposite scaffolds are potential biomaterials for bone tissue because of biodegradable and biocompatible characteristics. We report synthesis of nanocomposite based on acrylic acid (AAc)/guar gum (GG), nano-hydroxyapatite (HAp NPs), titanium nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs), and optimum graphene oxide (GO) amount via free radical polymerization method. Porous scaffolds were fabricated through freeze-drying technique and coated with silver sulphadiazine. Different techniques were used to investigate functional group, crystal structural properties, morphology/elemental properties, porosity, and mechanical properties of fabricated scaffolds. Results show that increasing amount of TiO2 in combination with optimized GO has improved physicochemical and microstructural properties, mechanical properties (compressive strength (2.96 to 13.31 MPa) and Young's modulus (39.56 to 300.81 MPa)), and porous properties (pore size (256.11 to 107.42 μm) and porosity (79.97 to 44.32%)). After 150 min, silver sulfadiazine release was found to be ~94.1%. In vitro assay of scaffolds also exhibited promising results against mouse pre-osteoblast (MC3T3-E1) cell lines. Hence, these fabricated scaffolds would be potential biomaterials for bone tissue engineering in biomedical engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aspartame is an artificial sweetener used in drinks and many foods. International Agency for Research on Cancer classified aspartame as possibly carcinogenic to humans (IARC Group 2B). In this study, a sensitive and selective spectrofluorimetric method was developed to detect aspartame. The method is based on switching on the fluorescence activity of aspartame upon its condensation with O-phthalaldehyde (Roth's reaction) in the presence of 2-mercaptoethanol. The reaction product was detected fluorometrically at λ em of 438 nm after λ ex of 340 nm. All reaction conditions required to yield the optimal fluorescence intensity were observed and investigated. Furthermore, the approach was validated according to ICH guidelines. Upon plotting the concentrations of aspartame against their associated fluorescence intensity values, the relationship between the two variables was linear within the range of 0.5-3.0 μg/mL. Furthermore, the method was employed to analyze the quantity of aspartame in commercial packages and soft drinks with an acceptable level of recovery. In addition, the Green Solvents Selecting Tool, Complementary Green Analytical Procedure Index, and the Analytical Greenness Metric tool were used to evaluate the sustainability and the greenness of the developed methodology., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

In an acidic buffered solution, erythrosine B can react with amiodarone to form an association complex, which not only generates great enhancement in resonance Rayleigh scattering (RRS) spectrum of erythrosine B at 346.5 nm but also results in quenching of fluorescence spectra of erythrosine B at λ emission  = 550.4 nm/λ excitation  = 528.5 nm. In addition, the formed erythrosine B-amiodarone complex produces a new absorbance peak at 555 nm. The spectral characteristics of the RRS, absorbance, and fluorescence spectra, as well as the optimum analytical conditions, were studied and investigated. As a result, new spectroscopic methods were developed to determine amiodarone by utilizing erythrosine B as a probe. Moreover, the ICH guidelines were used to validate the developed RRS, photometric, and fluorimetric methods. The enhancements in the absorbance and the RRS intensity and the decrease in the fluorescence intensity of the used probe were proportional to the concentration of amiodarone in ranges of 2.5-20.0, 0.2-2.5, and 0.25-1.75 μg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, limit of detection values were 0.52 ng/mL for the spectrophotometric method, 0.051 μg/mL for the RRS method, and 0.075 μg/mL for the fluorimetric method. Moreover, with good recoveries, the developed spectroscopic procedures were applied to analyze amiodarone in its commercial tablets., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Naftidrofuryl is a vasodilator medication used for treating cerebral and peripheral vascular diseases. In this study, two spectroscopical techniques, spectrofluorimetric and resonance Rayleigh scattering (RRS), were utilized to quantify naftidrofuryl in its pharmaceutical samples. The developed methodologies in this study rely on a facile process of forming an association complex between erythrosine B reagent and naftidrofuryl under acidic conditions. The fluorimetric assay is based on the ability of naftidrofuryl to quench and decrease the native fluorescence intensity of the reagent when measured at λ emis . = 550 nm ( λ excit . = 526 nm). Under similar reaction conditions, the RRS method relies on the observed amplification in the RRS spectrum of the reagent at a wavelength of 577 nm following its interaction with naftidrofuryl. The methods exhibited linearity within the ranges 0.2-1.6 μg/ml (r 2  = 0.999) and 0.1-1.4 μg/ml (r 2  = 0.9994), with limit of quantitation values of 0.146 and 0.099 μg/ml, and limit of detection values of 0.048 and 0.032 μg/ml, for the fluorometric and the RRS methods, respectively. Moreover, the quenching between the dye and naftidrofuryl was studied using Stern-Volmer analysis, and the methodologies were experimentally optimized and validated. Additionally, acceptable recoveries were achieved when the procedures were applied to determine naftidrofuryl in pharmaceutical samples., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: There is a great negative impact of biofilm-mediated infection on patient health which necessitates the use of reliable methods for detecting biofilm producers., Aims: This study was done to determine biofilm-producing ability and the presence of intercellular a dhesion g ene A in clinical staphylococcal isolates and to assess the reliability of two phenotypic methods used for biofilm detection., Materials and Methods: Fifty staphylococcal strains were isolated from 100 conjunctival swabs from patients attended the Ophthalmology Outpatient Department of the Research Institute of Ophthalmology. Two phenotypic methods were used for detection of biofilm production; qualitative congo red agar (CRA); and quantitative microtiter plate. Polymerase chain reaction was used to determine the presence of icaA gene., Results: In Staph aureus , 60% were positive biofilm forming and 40% were negative biofilm forming by both phenotypic methods. All positive biofilm-forming isolates were positive for icaA gene production. In coagulase negative staph, 50% were positive biofilm forming and 50% were negative biofilm forming by both phenotypic methods. All positive biofilm-forming strains were positive for icaA gene. All negative cases by CRA and microtiter plate methods were negative for icaA gene except two isolates. All staphylococcal isolates were subjected to antibiotic susceptibility test to correlate biofilm formation with multidrug resistance in staph., Conclusion: There is high significant correlation between icaA gene presence and biofilm forming ability; however, the biofilm-forming ability of some isolates in the absence of icaA gene highlights the importance of further genetic investigations of ica-independent biofilm formation mechanisms., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

Background: Several methods have been proposed for rapid detection of drug resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis). High resolution melting (HRM) curve analysis has been developed for accurate and simultaneous detection of resistance of M. tuberculosis isolates to rifampicin (RIF) and isoniazid (INH). Other techniques include the resazurin microtiter assay (REMA) which is one of the new colorimetric phenotypic methods. The present study evaluated the HRM curve analysis and REMA assay in comparison to the proportional method (PM) for rapid identification of multidrug resistant (MDR) M. tuberculosis isolates., Methods: Thirty M. tuberculosis clinical isolates of known resistance phenotypes were used. An HRM curve was generated for each isolate to scan for mutations in the rpoB and katG genes to detect RIF and INH resistance, respectively. The REMA colorimetric assay was also evaluated using the same isolates. The results of both techniques were compared to the gold standard proportional method., Results: The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy of the REMA assay for RIF and INH susceptibility testing were 100%. The HRM curve assay results for RIF susceptibility testing were 92.3%, 100%, 100%, 94.4%, and 96.7%, respectively, and for INH they were 85%, 100%, 100%, 76.9%, and 90%, respectively., Conclusions: REMA is a rapid non-conventional and inexpensive method and may serve as a replacement for the proportion method in resource limited settings, while the PPV and NPV of the HRM curve make this assay an ideal screening method for the TB laboratory.