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Velopharyngeal valve closure is essential for adequate speech intelligibility as well as for other activities. The variations in the contribution of different components of the velopharyngeal port walls produce different closure patterns. The aim of this cross-sectional study is to identify the prevalence of the different velopharyngeal closure patterns in Arabic-speaking individuals with no perceived hypernasality or velopharyngeal dysfunction.After verification of selection criteria, 100 subjects with age range between 15 and 60 years underwent nasoendoscopic examination and both the extent of movement of the different velopharyngeal walls as well as closure pattern were observed.Almost all participants had grade 4 (full range) velar mobility, most participants had grade 3 lateral pharyngeal wall movement, and none showed any observable posterior pharyngeal wall movement. Coronal closure pattern was the most frequent (75%) among participants followed by circular pattern (25%). There was no statistically significant difference between both genders in the extent of velar and lateral pharyngeal wall movements, yet the frequency of closure patterns differed statistically significantly between males and females.Coronal pattern was the most prevalent type of velopharyngeal closure in subjects with normal habitual resonance, of both sexes, yet it occurred more frequently in males.

Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are a novel class of oral hypoglycemic agents commonly prescribed in type 2 diabetes (T2D). They have been shown to slow the progression of diabetic nephropathy and improve cardiovascular outcomes in high-risk individuals, although major cardiovascular and renal outcome clinical trials have excluded renal transplant patients. The aim of this review was to determine the outcomes and safety with use of SGLT2 inhibitors in renal transplant patients with diabetes. We conducted a review of randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, case series and case reports that assessed use of SGLT2 inhibitors in patients post-renal transplant with either pre-existing T2D or new-onset diabetes after transplant. The outcomes assessed included blood pressure, renal allograft function (estimated glomerular filtration rate), proteinuria (urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio), glycemic control, body weight and adverse effects. A total of 9 studies, which included 144 patients, were reviewed. SGLT2 inhibitor use in renal transplant patients demonstrates either a small or nonsignificant reduction in blood pressure and results in overall stable renal allograft function. It also results in modest improvement in glycemic control as well as weight reduction. The incidence of adverse effects is low and reversible, as reported in previous nontransplant clinical trials. Overall, our findings suggest beneficial outcomes with no significant adverse effects or complications with the use of SGLT2 inhibitors in renal transplant patients with diabetes; however, these findings are based on small trials, and thus well-designed trials in this population are warranted.

Red Sea represents one of the most remarkable marine ecosystems. However, it is also one of the world's least explored areas of marine biodiversity. The aims of this investigation were therefore, to isolate marine microorganisms from the seashore sediments and water in shallow region from west Yemen coast, to assess their antimicrobial potential, to identify the highly active isolate, and to purify and identify the bioactive compounds from it. In this regard, twenty-five bacterial strains have been isolated from twenty samples and tested for their antimicrobial ability against some pathogenic bacteria and yeast by using the agar disk diffusion and agar well diffusion assay. Out of the total 25 marine actinomycetes isolates only 13 exhibited interesting antimicrobial activity. The morphological, biochemical, and phylogenetic characteristics of the potential isolate 1S1 were compatible with their classification in the genus Streptomyces. The 16S rRNA gene sequences have shown that the isolate 1S1 clustered with Streptomyces longisporoflavus. The strain Streptomyces sp. 1S1 was cultivated and extracted with ethyl acetate. The GC–MS study of the extract indicated the presence of certain fatty acyl compounds e.g., tetradecanoic acid, 9-octadecenoic acid, hexadecanoic acid, and 9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid. Using chromatographic techniques, three compounds were isolated and by spectroscopic methods e.g., IR, MS and NMR structurally elucidated. The three compounds were identified as a triacylglyceride, 9-octadecenoic acid, and hexadecanoic acid. The study reinforces the evidence of the potential of Streptomyces sp and the ability to produce several antimicrobial compounds.

Religiosity is a multidimensional construct known to influence the occurrence of hallucinations. However, it remains unknown how different religiosity types affect clinically relevant phenomenological features of hallucinations. Therefore, we wished to explore associations between intrinsic and extrinsic (non-organizational and organizational) religiosity and hallucinations severity, distress or impact on daily function in a non-clinical Muslim population. We recruited a representative sample of full-time students at Qatar's only national university via systematic random sampling and administered the Questionnaire of Psychotic Experiences online. The study design was cross-sectional. Using structural equation modeling, we estimated effects of the religiosity types on hallucinations severity, distress or impact on daily function in the past week while accounting for sociodemographic variables, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and, delusions. Extrinsic non-organizational religiosity (ENORG) was associated with experiencing reduced distress or impact on daily function from hallucinations both directly and indirectly through intrinsic religiosity. In contrast, extrinsic non-organizational religiosity (EORG) was associated with increased hallucinations distress or impact albeit only through higher intrinsic religiosity. We found no association between any religiosity types and hallucinations severity. Younger and married participants from lower socio-economic class had comparatively more severe hallucinations and more distress from them. Qatari nationality was positively associated EORG and negatively associated with hallucinations distress or impact. Evidence of differential associations between the religiosity types, socioeconomic and cultural groups, and distress or impact from past week's hallucinations supports the importance of alignment between religious, mental health, and well-being education.

A 53-year-old man with a subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (S-ICD) presented with inappropriate shocks. He underwent device extraction, and the lead was freed using a rotating mechanical dilator sheath. As patients with S-ICDs get older, extractions will become more complicated and more common. We have described a novel method of S-ICD lead extraction. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.), Central Illustration

Background\ud \ud Prevalence trends from Arabic speaking countries on psychiatric symptoms before and after COVID-19 pandemic is lacking. We estimated the point prevalence and change in depression and anxiety symptoms scores in relation to sociodemographic variables following the resolution of the first wave in Qatar compared with before the pandemic.\ud \ud \ud \ud Methods\ud \ud We conducted a trend analysis using repeated nationally representative cross-sectional surveys spanning 2017, 2018, 2020/2021 and using the Physician Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) to assess depressive and anxiety symptoms. Negative binomial regression modelled changes in these symptoms in relation sociodemographics and survey year.\ud \ud \ud \ud Results\ud \ud The two-week prevalence of depressive symptoms (≥10 on the PHQ-9) was 6.6% in 2017 and 6.5% in 2020/2021 (p = 0.986). The two-week prevalence of anxiety symptoms (≥10 or higher on the GAD-7) was 3.6% in 2018 and 5.1% in 2020/2021 (p = 0.062). The data for 2020/21 showed a 35.1% and 29.2% decrease in depression and anxiety symptoms scores compared to pre-pandemic years (2017/2018) after adjusting for sociodemographic factors.\ud \ud \ud \ud Limitations\ud \ud Screening tools rather than structured interviews were to assess depressive and anxiety symptoms.\ud \ud \ud \ud Conclusions\ud \ud Prevalence for depression and anxiety post the first COVID wave did not differ significantly to pre-pandemic estimates. The end of the first wave of the pandemic had a ‘levelling’ effect on these symptoms and their associations with traditional sociodemographic risk factors. The 2020/21 depression and anxiety symptoms scores remained high for Qataris and Arabs, suggesting that these cultural groups may benefit most from public mental health interventions.

In this study, the 16S rRNA of the marine endophytic actinomycete was characterized and identified as Nocardiopsis sp. strain DMS 2 (MH900226). Partial purification and spectroscopies data were interpreted and confirmed as 1, 4-diaza-2, 5-dioxo-3-isobutyl bicyclo[4.3.0]nonane. Anti-bacterial activity of the crude extract and partially purified compound were shown highest inhibition activity against biofilm forming K. pneumoniae. Minimum biofilm inhibition concentration of identified compound against K. pneumoniae was exhibited at the concentration of 300 µg/mL. Decreased metabolic activity and modified exopolysaccharide production of biofilm forming cells were observed at 350 µg/mL and 300 µg/mL concentration. At the same biofilm inhibition concentration, the intracellular architecture of the biofilm cells and extracellular shape modifications were clearly viewed by confocal laser scanning electron microscope and scanning electron microscope respectively. All the in-vitro inhibition results and microscopic images were strongly suggested that the identified compound was a potential anti-biofilm agent against tested K. pneumoniae.

The current study was concentrated to detection of anti-cancer compound from marine Streptomyces akiyoshiensis GRG 6 (KY457710) against MCF-7 breast cancer cells. The partial purification of TLC was moved three different active spots. Among the spots, the third spot of the extract was shown excellent anti-cancer properties against MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. The available anti-cancer compounds present in the partially purified extract was confirmed by GC–MS data interpretation. Three fractions of the compounds were purified by preparative HPLC and their respective spectrum was confirmed by analytical HPLC. Active anti-cancer fraction was separately purified by preparative HPLC and the cytotoxicity result was shown with 100 µg/mL concentration. The anti-cancer compound of pyrrolo [1,2-a]pyrazine-1,4-dione, hexahydro-3 was detected by LC-MS analysis after interpretation with GC–MS data. Further, the morphological damages and increased proliferation with more death cells of pyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrazine-1,4-dione, hexahydro-3 treated MCF-7 were observed by phase contrast and fluorescence microscope techniques. Finally, the nuclear condensation and increased necrotic cells of the pyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrazine-1,4-dione, hexahydro-3 treated MCF-7 cells was clearly identified by fluorescence microscope techniques using Hoechst 33,342 stain. Therefore, our result was prove, the pyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrazine-1,4-dione, hexahydro-3 rich Streptomyces akiyoshiensis GRG 6 (KY457710) as a potential anti-cancer agent against MCF-7 breast cancer cells.

Recent years Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) biofilm formation (BF) is emerging thread worldwide. For tackling this problem, we have chosen Hibiscus rosa-. pneumoniae. The HPLC purified essential oils (EOs sinensis (H. rosa-sinensis) (HRS) to inhibit the BF K) of H. rosa-sinensis was performed against BF K. pneumoniae and showed concentration dependent biofilm inhibition. At the MBIC of EOs (90 µg/ml), the biofilm inhibition was showed at 92% against selected BF K. Pneumoniae. The biofilm metabolic assay, exopolysaccharide quantification and hydrophobicity index variation results exhibited with 88%, 92% and 89% reduction at 90 μg/mL was observed respectively. In addition, the morphological modification of MBIC treated K. pneumoniae was clearly viewed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). Overall, all the invitro experiments result were confirmed that the MBIC of H. rosa-sinensis EOs was very effective against BF K. pneumonia.

Bacterial infections are the most important problem of health care worldwide. The hemolymph antibacterial proteins of Mesocyclops leuckarti was isolated for the first time and its antibacterial efficacy was evaluated against four different human pathogenic microbes viz., Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumonia and Shigella flexneri. The antibacterial potential of the antimicrobial proteins of hemolymph samples from plankton cultured in water enriched with Cow Urine Distillate (CUD) was compared with normal ones. The results indicated that the hemolymph proteins were more potential against Gram negative bacteria than Gram positive bacteria. Klebsiella pneumonia was more susceptible to the hemolymph proteins exhibiting a zone of inhibition measuring 27 mm. The supplement of CUD to the culture media further enriched the antibacterial activity of the hemolymph proteins (29 mm). The SDS-PAGE analysis indicated two different types of clear bands representing proteins of 53 kDa and 19 kDa. Overall, this investigation signified that the microcrustaceans have a defence mechanism hemolymph of Mesocyclops leuckarti have a potential agent for novel antibiotics.

This study assessed the synergistic effect of Ni concentration and ultrasonic assisted process on the photocatalytic dye degradation efficiency towards methylene blue (MB) and reactive red 120 (RR120) and antibacterial activity against various bacteria of ZnO nanoparticles. XRD confirms the absence of any other impurity peaks in Nickel (Ni) doped ZnO nanoparticles, disclose that Ni doping influences the lattice structure of Zn. The obvious red-shift with the increase of Ni concentration results in decreased band gap and transmittance. SEM micrograph confirms the formation of hexagonal rod and sheet like nanostructures in the Ni doped ZnO nanoparticles by the ultrasonic assisted co-precipitation method. The Ni doped ZnO nanoparticles control the recombination of charge carriers and increase the photocatalytic degradation of MB and RR120. The antibacterial result revealed that 5% Ni substituted sample is effective as an antibacterial agent to prevent the bacterial contamination. 5% Ni doped ZnO nanoparticles synthesized by ultrasonic assisted coprecipitation method is an excellent candidate for removal of methylene blue and bacteria.

Lead (Pb) substituted ZnO nanoparticles were prepared using the ultrasonic-assisted co-precipitation method to enhance the degradation efficiency of reactive red 120 and zone of inhibition of pathogens. The structural, optical, and morphological properties of different concentrations of Pb substituted ZnO nanoparticles were characterized. The result confirmed the formation of Pb: ZnO from the structural, optical, and morphological characterization. The dynamic light scattering spectra show that prepared particles were in the range of 50-110 nm. Scanning electron microscopic image exhibited the formation of hexagonal and spindle-like particles with a size less than 100 nm for a 5% Pb substituted sample. The reflectance and bandgap energy of the Pb substituted ZnO nanoparticles decreased with increasing the Pb concentration. The photocatalytic dye degradation of 5% Pb substituted ZnO nanoparticles showed a higher degradation rate of reactive red 120, and it degraded within 120 min. The antibacterial activity of the 5% Pb substituted samples has higher zone of inhibition of 13 mm. The antibacterial, photocatalytic dye degradation, and antibacterial activity results confirmed that 5% Pb substituted ZnO nanoparticles will be the efficient photocatalyst for the degradation of reactive red 120 and commercial use.

This study emphasis the production of yellow pigment from endolichenic Bacillus sp. isolated from the lichen Dirinaria aegialita (Afzel. ex Ach.) B.J. Moore. Yellow pigment-producing twenty different strains were investigated. The hyperactive pigment-producing bacterial strain was identified as Bacillus gibsonii based on 99 % sequence similarity. Maximum bacterial pigment production appeared in Luria Bertani medium. Methanol extraction of the pigment and its partial purification using TLC was carried out. Furthermore, isolated pigments were characterized using UV-visible spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, and GC-MS results related to the possibility of the carotenoid occurrence. The pigment also exhibited efficient antifungal activity against selected fungal pathogens of economic importance. Likewise, the pigment extract evaluated for the total antioxidant potential using Phosphomolybdenum and Ferric reducing antioxidant power assay and the results represented in Ascorbic Acid Equivalent (AAE)- 21.45 ± 1.212 mg/mL. The SC50 of the pigment extract found to be 75.125 ± 0.18 µg/ml determined by the ABTS assay. Keywords: Pigment, Lichens, Bacillus sp., Antifungal activity, FTIR, GC-MS

The selected bacterial strain, Bacillus subtilis D19 was inoculated into the solid residues such as, wheat bran, banana peel, orange peel, rice bran and pine apple peel. Among the tested solid wastes, wheat bran showed enhanced the production of amylase (640 U/g) than other tested substrates. The carbon and nitrogen sources were initially screened by traditional method using wheat bran medium. Amylase activity was high in the wheat bran substrate supplemented with starch (670 U/g). The tested nitrogen sources enhanced amylase activity. Among the selected nitrogen sources, yeast extract stimulated maximum production of amylase (594 U/g). In two level full factorial experimental design, maximum activity (1239 U/g) was obtained at pH 9.0, 70% (v/w) moisture, 1% (w/w) starch, 1% (w/w) yeast extract and 5% (v/w) inoculums. Central composite design and response surface methodology was used to optimize the required medium concentration (pH, moisture content of the medium and starch concentrations) for the maximum production of amylase. All three selected variables enhanced amylase production over 3 fold in optimized medium. Keywords: Bacillus subtilis, Solid state fermentation, Amylase production, Agro-residues

The body to build proteins can use l-Glutamic acid (l-GA). Earlier it was obtained from plant sources, later on microbes have been explored for the production. Corynebacterium glutamicum is a prominent organism used to harvest the glutamic acid. Submerged fermentation was adopted for l-GA production. Various nitrogen/carbon substrates used to find out the best nitrogen and carbon source. Statistical methods especially RSM (response surface method) stayed employed for the effect of various factors such as inoculum size, urea, glucose and salt on the l-GA production. As per the preliminary studies, urea and glucose were chosen as carbon and nitrogen sources. Further, the optimum values have been maximally documented in the glucose (50 g/L), then urea (10 g/L), 19.24% of salt solution and 5% of inoculum size. Maximum Yield of l-GA is produced through RSM-16.49 g/L. The experimental l-Glutamic acid production was 16.36 g/L at an optimum condition that compared well to the maximum predicted values by RSM (16.499 g/L). Non-linear regression quadratic model was developed for the l-GA synthesis; the methodology was validated statistically and the determination coefficient (R2) was found to be 0.991. Thus the study identified the potential carbon and nitrogen source for a higher yield for l-GA using C. glutamicum under submerged fermentation and also this method minimizes the time for optimizing the medium components statistically. Keywords: l-Glutamic acid, RSM, Corynebacterium, Optimization

Recent years, metal pollution is an alarming factor to know about protects the environmental ecosystem due to the toxic, persistent and abundant in nature. Metals are present everywhere in the biotic and abiotic samples including soil, water, and microbes. The rate of bioaccumulation and biotransformation are very high. The excess concentration of the metals causes heavy metal pollution or contamination. Due to these defects, the removal of metals using biological sources is heightened in the current research. In this current investigation, the biosorption potential ability of the metal tolerable Bacillus cereus on Pb and Cu rich environment was chosen and thoroughly monitored. The 16s rRNA of the Bacillus cereus was sequenced, and named as Bacillus cereus RMN 1 (MK521259). The various test concentration (10-60 mg/mL) of Pb and Cu was exhibited the maximum removal percentages of 85.2% and 60.2%. The result of bisorption factors exhibited, 300 mg/mL of the biosorbent potency, 60 min contact time and pH 7, and they found to be optimal to remove the maximum of Pb ion from the solution. In the regression coefficients, the Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm models were used to study the adsorption kinetics of metal ions. In addition, the isotherm model confirmed that the of B. cereus biomass medicated metal adsorption was more favourable reaction for metal degradation. With the above evidences, the results of the present investigation proved that B. cereus derived biomass was actively adsorbing the metals ions. Thus we are recommending for the implementation of effective waste water treatment.

The albumen plays a major role in the protection of eggs against microorganisms. It contains an arsenal of natural antimicrobial molecules and antibacterial proteins, including the well-known ovotransferrin and lysozyme, which exert their activities against a range of bacteria. In the present study, the hen’s albumen extract treated with the dried insect body of blister beetle M. pustulata was assessed for antibacterial, antibiofilm, anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative activity. The zone of inhibition against Gram positive E. faecalis and S. aureus was 10.8 mm and 12.1 mm respectively at 100 μg mL−1. However, it was 13.6 mm and 15.3 mm for Gram negative P. aeruginosa and P. vulgaris respectively. The biofilm of tested bacteria was significantly inhibited at 100 μg mL−1. The hydrophobicity of bacterial biofilms was considerably condensed after treatment with the hen’s albumen extracts at 100 μg mL−1. The anti-inflammatory activity of hen’s albumen extracts was confirmed by the inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX) enzyme to 84.91% at 100 μg mL−1 with the relative IC50 of 8.26 μg mL−1. The albumen extract effectively inhibited the viability (23.61%) of HepG2 hepatic cancer cells at 100 μg mL−1. The anti-proliferative activity of the albumen extracts was further revealed by the induction of HepG2 apoptotic cell morphology. This study concludes that the hen’s albumen extract treated with M. pustulata is a natural therapeutic agent to treat biofilm associated clinical bacteria, inflammations and human hepatic cancer cells.

Biofouling leads to degradation of membrane performance characteristics, including permeability, selectivity, and long-term stability. In this study, silver-doped graphene oxide (GO) was employed as a nanoadditive to enhance the biofouling resistance of thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) membranes via interfacial polymerization. Ag functionalization on GO sheets was carried out by a reduction reaction. Electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction analyses were conducted to evaluate Ag attachment on GO. According to zeta potential and contact angle measurements as well as atomic force microscopy results, GO-Ag-incorporated TFN membranes showed a high negative charge, hydrophilicity, and a smooth surface. Bovine serum albumin protein and Escherichia coli (E. coli) were used as model fouling agents to demonstrate the antifouling characteristics of the membranes. The TFN membrane containing 80 ppm of GO-Ag had a high water flux recovery ratio (89%) and low irreversible resistance (10%) after hydraulic washing. The biofouling resistance of the membranes was further studied by a colony-counting method, while bacterial adhesion was analyzed by spinning disk confocal microscope imaging. The TFN membrane prepared with 80 ppm GO-Ag reduced 86% of viable E. coli cells in bacterial suspensions, with only slight bacterial adherence on the membrane surface.

Background Trace elements of copper (Cu) are one of the main forms of ecological noxious waste in freshwater systems that affect the survival and development of organisms. The objective of the current study was to investigate the effects of chronic exposure to Cu on the growth, oxidative stress, immune and biochemical response in the Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus. Methods Three groups of O. niloticus were tested as follows; the first group was used as the control (not treated with Cu in water), while the 2nd and 3rd groups were exposed to (low) 40 μg L−1 and (high) 400 μg L−1 concentrations of Cu added to water, respectively. The duration of the experiment, which was conducted in triplicate, was 60 d. End points were evaluated on days 30 and 60. Following 30 d and 60 d of exposure to Cu, the fish were removed from experimental tanks to determine growth. Consequently, blood samples were collected from caudal veins at the end of the trial period (30 d and 60 d) and serum was separated to evaluate different immunological parameters, such as lysozymes (LYZ), respiratory burst activity (RBA) and myeloperoxidase (MPO). Gill and liver tissues were collected for evaluation of Cu and certain biochemical parameters as follows: antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST); non-enzymatic antioxidants such as glutathione (GSH) and metallothionein (MT), and oxidative stress indicators such as malondialdehyde (MDA) and protein carbonyl (PCO). The results pertaining to treatments and the control were compared using two-way ANOVA and Tukey’s HSD test. The level of significance was set at P ≤ 0.05. Data were expressed as mean ± SD. Results Chronic exposure to Cu did not induce any mortality in fish during the test period. However, following exposure to Cu, growth of fish in the exposed groups was affected more than that in the control group (unexposed to Cu). In addition, accumulation of Cu in the liver tissue was higher than that in the gill tissues of fish exposed to Cu, compared to that in the control. Gill and liver tissues of Cu-exposed fish showed a significant (P ≤ 0.05) reduction in the activities of the antioxidant enzymes, SOD, CAT, GPx, and GST, compared to those of unexposed fish. Non-enzymatic antioxidants, GSH and MT, in gill and liver tissues were significantly increased (P ≤ 0.05) in fish exposed to both concentrations of Cu, compared to those in unexposed fish. Oxidative stress indicators, MDA and PCO in gills and liver of Cu-exposed fish was significantly (P ≤ 0.05) at both tested concentrations, when compared to control group. Non-specific immune response of LYZ, RBA, and MPO activity in serum decreased significantly (P ≤ 0.05) in Cu-exposed fish, compared with that of unexposed fish. Conclusion Overall, the present results highlighted that chronic exposure to Cu ions may exert a strong effect on the antioxidant and immune responses of O. niloticus. Changes in antioxidant enzymes, oxidative stress effects and immune parameters during post-chronic metal exposure may indicate the potential of these parameters as biomarkers of metal toxicity in aquatic ecosystems.

Phytochemicals derived from seaweeds offer a novel source of compounds to develop new insecticides and antimicrobials. In the present study, two seaweed species, the brown Sargassum wightii and the green Halimeda gracilis, were investigated. Extracts were obtained using five solvents of varying polarity (acetone, chloroform, methanol, ethanol, and water). The total phenolic content, total flavonoid content and the antioxidant activities of the extracts were estimated. The ethanol extract from S. wightii exhibited more potent antioxidant activity compared to that of the H. gracilis extracts. The ethanol extract from S. wightii possessed higher values of total phenolics, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity compared to those of the H. gracillis ethanol extract. The total phenolic and flavonoid content for ethanol extracts of S. wightii and H. gracillis was 5.5 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g, 3.8 mg GAE/g, 10 mg quercetin equivalent (QE)/g, and 8.3 mg QE/g, respectively. The total antioxidant activity of the seaweed extracts was 47 mg ascorbic acid equivalent (AAE)/g for S. wightii and 35.9 mg AAE/g for H. gracilis. Additionally, the bioactive compounds present in these seaweeds were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy and GC–MS analysis, and the antimicrobial activity of these extracts was then tested against the biofilm formation capabilities of three pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria. The ethanol extracts from S. wightii and H. gracillis presented the highest inhibitory effect with up to a 40–75% significant reduction in biofilm formation by Gram-negative bacteria. Finally, their insecticidal potential was assessed against late third instar larvae of malaria vectors (Anopheles stephensi), dengue and Zika virus vectors (Aedes aegypti), and the Japanese encephalitis vector (Culex tritaeniorhynchus). LC50 values estimated for the S. wightii ethanol extract were lower than 50 ppm against all tested mosquito species. Light microscopy revealed that morphological changes were triggered upon exposure to seaweed extracts. Overall, the present study sheds light on the relevant bioactivity of phytochemicals obtained from two widespread seaweeds, suggesting the possibility that these seaweeds can be used to develop novel and biodegradable pesticides and also antimicrobial drugs that can be used to inhibit the development of microbial biofilms.

Antibiotic-resistant Staphylococci are a global issue affecting humans, animals, and numerous natural environments. Antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis is an opportunistic pathogen frequently isolated from patients and healthy individuals. This study aimed to examine the antibiotic resistance of S. epidermidis isolated from patients, healthy students and compare the results with antibiotic-resistant bacteria isolated from pasteurized milk. Clinical strain isolation was performed in several hospitals in the Riyadh. Skin swabs from 100 healthy undergraduate candidate students were obtained at King Saud University. The pasteurized milk samples were obtained from local market (company, X). After isolation, identification and susceptibility tests were performed using an automated system. A multiplex tuf gene-based PCR assay was used to confirm identification. Biofilm production and biofilm-related gene expression were studied. S. epidermidis represented 17% of clinical bacterial isolates, and 1.7% of isolates obtained from healthy students were multiantibiotic-resistant. All patient strains were teicoplanin- and vancomycin-susceptible, while all student strains were gentamicin-, levofloxacin-, moxifloxacin-, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole-susceptible. All the bacteria isolated from pasteurized milk were benzylpenicillin and oxacillin-resistant strains. Of the S. epidermidis strains, 91% could produce biofilms, and mecA, icaADBR, ica-ADB, ica-AD, ica-A only, and ica-C only were expressed in 83, 17.1, 25.7, 37.1, 20, and 0% of the strains, respectively. This work demonstrates that S. epidermidis can be accurately identified using a multiplex tuf-based assay, and that multiantibiotic-resistant S. epidermidis strains are widespread amongst patients and healthy students. Keywords: Staphylococcus epidermidis, Antibiotics, Biofilm, Clinical isolates, icaABCDR, mecA

This paper presents a low power and wide dynamic range optical receiver dedicated to the frequency domain near infrared spectroscopy (FD-NIRS). The proposed optical receiver is fabricated using a 0.18 μm CMOS technology with a 0.5 mm2 integrated PIN photodiode (PD). This large area of the PD is necessary to collect a sufficient amount of the weak optical power which is reflected from the human scalp. Moreover, an automatic gain control (AGC) is used to account for the large individual variations and to enable connecting different inter-optodes separations to the same amplifier chain. This adopted AGC extends the maximum overloading input photocurrent of the optical receiver to 6.4 μApp resulting in a 17.04 dB dynamic range extension and a total dynamic range of 50.1 dB. The chip consumes 2.35 mW of power, has an integrated input referred noise current of 20 nArms, a maximum gain of 109.6 dBΩ, and a 10.7 MHz bandwidth.

Natural products from medicinal plants represent major resource of novel therapeutic substances for combating serious diseases including cancers and microbial infections. The genus Plectranthus (Family: Labiatae) represents a large and widespread group of species with a diversity of traditional uses in treatment of various ailments. Therefore, this research study aimed to evaluate the cytotoxic, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of three Plectranthus species growing in Saudi Arabia namely P. cylindraceus Hocst. ex Benth., P. asirensis JRI Wood and P. barbatus Andrews. Moreover, this work focused on the isolation of the active constituents responsible for the activities from the most active Plectranthus species.The extracts were tested for their cytotoxic activity against three cancer cell lines (Hela, HepG2 and HT-29), using MTT-test, antimicrobial activity against Gram positive, Gram negative bacterial and fungal strains using broth micro-dilution assay for minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations (MIC and MBC) and antioxidant activity using scavenging activity of DPPH radical and β-carotene-linoleic acid methods. The ethanolic extracts of the Plectranthus species showed remarkable cytotoxic activity against all cancer cell lines with IC50 values ranging between 10.1 ± 0.33 to 102.6 ± 8.66 μg/mL and a great and antimicrobial activity with MIC values between 62.5 and 250 µg/mL. In addition, the three Plectranthus species showed almost moderate antioxidant activity. The most interesting cytotoxic and antimicrobial results were observed with the extract of P. barbatus. Consequently, this extract was partitioned between water and n-hexane, chloroform and n-butanol and tested. The cytotoxic activity resided predominantly in the n-hexane and chloroform fractions. The analysis of the chloroform fraction led to the isolation of four diterpenoid compounds, two of labdane- and two of abietane-type, which were identified as coleonol B, forskolin, sugiol and 5,6-dehydrosugiol. Purification of the n-hexane fraction led to isolation of a major abietane-type diterpene, which was identified as ferruginol. Sugiol, 5,6-dehydrosugiol and ferruginol were isolated for the first time from P. barbatus in this study. The isolated diterpenoids showed variable cytotoxic effects with IC50 values between 15.1 ± 2.03 and 242 ± 13.3 µg/mL, a great antimicrobial activity with MIC values between 15.6 and 129 µg/mL and a total antioxidant activity ranging from 23.1 ± 2.9 to 69.2 ± 3.8%. Keywords: Plectranthus species, Diterpenoids, Cytotoxic, Antimicrobial, Antioxidant

This study looked at the development of effective biosorbents to recover the most toxic elements from industrial water. B. amyloliquefaciens was isolated from marine soils showing extreme resistance to Chromium (Cr(VI)) ions. During the 60 min of contact time, 79.90% Cr(VI) was adsorbed from the aqueous solution. The impact of important factors such as biomass concentration, pH of the medium, and initial metal ions concentration on biosorption rate was also examined. The desorption study indicated that 1 M HCl (91.24%) was superior to 0.5 M HCl (74.81%), 1 M NaOH (64.96%), and distilled water (3.66%). Based on the Langmuir model, the maximum adsorption capacity of the bio-absorbent was determined to be 48.44 mg/g. The absorption mechanism was identified as monolayer, and 1/n from the Freundlich model falls within 1, thus indicating favorable adsorption. Based on the findings of the present study, the soil bacterium B. amyloliquefaciens was found to be the best alternative and could be used to develop strategies for managing existing environmental pollution through biosorption.

In this study of anti-cancer activity, the cytotoxicity effect of the silver nanoparticle was shown excellent anti-cancer activity against MCF-7 breast cancer cells. The IC50 concentration of the synthesized silver nanoparticle against performed MCF-7 breast cancer cells was 1000 µg/ml concentration. Further, the shape modifications in the silver nanoparticle treated MCF-7 cells were viewed by phase contrast microscope and proved after comparison with untreated control. Next, the intracellular proliferation, chromatin condensation, granular membranes cleavage and surface layers damage were effectively seen by fluorescence microscopy using AO/EB fluorescence dyes. The failure of matured nucleus was clearly shown after the treatment of Ag NPs and was effectively proved by fluorescence microscope using Hoechst 33342 stain. Finally, the anti-cancer effect identification through various invitro experiments was clearly favored to performed silver nanoparticle, and suggested that the nanoparticle was very effective against multi drug resistant bacteria, biofilm producing bacteria and cancer cells.

Cancer of unknown primary (CUP) is a heterogeneous group of metastatic cancers characterised by early dissemination of metastases in the absence of any identifiable primary site. Most patients with CUP have poor prognosis with the traditional diagnostic and treatment modalities. Recognising the putative primary tumour is hypothesised to ameliorate the prognosis of patients with CUP by guiding treatment decisions. The active efforts in molecular oncology have shown that gene expression profiling is able to identify the primary tumour site and to determine targetable mutations. In this regard, liquid biopsy opens a new diagnostic, predictive and prognostic window in CUP that may lead to substantial improvement in the management of patients with CUP.

The optical characteristics of a cluster consisting of zinc sulfide (ZnS) particles doped with a nonconcentric spherical copper (Cu) cores illuminated with an arbitrarily focused Gaussian beam are investigated. The presented aggregations of nonconcentric doped particles (i.e. core with offset origin) form linear chains or densely packed clusters. The laser beam is modeled using angular spectrum of plane waves method and then combined with the cluster T-matrix method which is modified to solve such difficult multiple scattering problem. This combination provides a powerful mathematical technique to obtain the phase (scattering) matrix of a cluster illuminated with any incident electromagnetic fields. The scattering matrix provides complete descriptions of the scattering characteristics in the far field zone. The computed results are shown for different beam waists with respect to the cluster. The scattering processes and its results help understanding many cluster characteristics and nonlinear processes. The presented numerical results show that the elements of the scattering matrix are sensitive to the focusing of the incident beam and characteristics of the cluster constituents. The illustrated results are important for researches aim to improve polymer properties and to study several branches of practical sciences and industries such as nanotechnology, pharmaceuticals, chemistry, and biology. This paper represents the first attempt to study the multiple scattering from a cluster of nonspherical particles with nonconcentric spherical cores illuminated by an arbitrarily focused laser beam.

Nanomaterial-based drug carriers have become a hot spot of research at the interface of nanotechnology and biomedicine because they allow efficient loading, targeted delivery, controlled release of drugs, and therefore are promising for biomedical applications. The current study made an attempt to decorate the multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) with titanium dioxide‑gold nanoparticles in order to enhance the biocompatibility for doxorubicin (DOX) delivery. The successful synthesis of nano drug carrier (NDC) was confirmed by XRD, XPS and UV-Visible spectroscopy. FESEM and TEM revealed that the morphology of NDC can be controlled by manipulating the reaction duration, MWCNT concentration and TiO2-Au source concentration. Results showed that TiO2 and Au nanoparticles were well coated on MWCNT. NDC had finely tuned biocompatible properties, as elucidated by hemolytic and antimicrobial assays. NDC also showed a high antioxidant potential, 80.7% expressed as ascorbic acid equivalents. Commercial DOX drug was utilized to treat A549 and MCF7 cancer cell lines showing improved efficiency by formulating it with NDC, which selectively delivered at the pH 5.5 with drug loading capacity of 0.45 mg/mL. The drug releasing capacity achieved by NDC was 90.66% for 10 h, a performance that far encompasses a wide number of current literature reports.

Marine organisms represent a huge source of novel compounds for the development of effective antimicrobial drugs. The present study focus on the purification of the antimicrobial peptide crustin from the haemolymph of the blue swimmer crab, Portunus pelagicus, by blue Sepharose CL-6B matrix assisted affinity column chromatography. Crustin showed a single band with a molecular mass of 17 kDa in SDS-PAGE analysis. The XRD analysis exhibited peaks at 32° and 45° while a distinct peak with a retention time of 1.8 min resulted in high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) pointing out the crystalline nature and purity of crustin, respectively. Crustin purified from P. pelagicus (Pp-Cru) showed immunological activities, triggering encapsulation, phagocytosis on Sepharose beads and yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) respectively. Furthermore, encapsulation of GFP tagged V. parahaemolyticus in Artemia salina and challenging study were assessed under CLSM and the potential of Pp-Cru was examined in vivo. In addition, the growth reduction and biofilm inhibition potential of Pp-Cru on Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis (Gram- positive bacteria) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli (Gram-negative bacteria) was evidenced by inverted and confocal laser scanning microscopic analysis, revealing that 100 μg/ml of Pp-Cru can disrupt the biofilm matrix thereby the thickness of biofilm was significantly reduced. Overall, the present investigation might provide a sensitive platform to realize the significant function of Pp-Cru in crustacean immune mechanism as well as its potential to bacterial growth inhibitor. The functional properties of purified Pp-Cru antimicrobial peptide may lead to a superior understanding of innate immune response in P. pelagicus species, which suggest the promising application for drug development in aquaculture.

Prophenoloxidase is a conserved Cu-containing enzyme acting as a major defense molecule in the immune response of crustaceans. In the present research, we purified prophenoloxidase from the haemolymph of Portunus pelagicus (Pp-proPO) by Blue Sepharose CL-6B chromatography. Pp-proPO exhibited only one band with molecular weight of 75 kDa on SDS-PAGE. The purified Pp-proPO was characterized through X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Pp-proPO showed phagocytic activity on the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as well as encapsulation on sepharose CL-6B beads associated with CM sepharose and beads of sodium alginate. Pp-proPO also led to strong agglutination on human erythrocytes. Furthermore, Pp-proPO showed magnified PO activity when altered with activated particles acting as pathogen combined molecular patterns (PAMPs), metal ions or other chemicals. Pp-proPO showed relevant antibiofilm activity on Gram negative bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli. Overall, the above results allowed us to claim that Pp-proPO play a key role in immune defense mechanisms of P. pelagicus crabs, in particular towards microbial pathogens; notably we added basic information to the functional characterization of Pp-proPO, as well as to understand its immunological role in crustaceans defense systems.

In this study, we purified β-GBP from hemolymph of Scylla serrata crabs using affinity chromatography. The purified S. serrata β-GBP (Ss-β-GBP) had 100kDa molecular mass in the SDS-PAGE. MALDI-TOF/TOF analysis was conducted, revealing that the purified 100kDa protein had 96% similarity with β-GBP of Astacus leptodactylus. Ss-β-GBP was characterized using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, circular dichroism (CD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, which confirmed the structure of the Ss-β-GBP. The purified Ss-β-GBP was functionally analyzed by yeast agglutination and phagocytic reaction assays. Moreover, the PO enhancing ability of Ss-β-GBP was evidenced through PO activity. Specifically, the antibacterial activity of the Ss-β-GBP against Gram-positive (Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacteria was evaluated by determining its minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC)

Polypropylene is frequently used in food contact applications, mainly for packaging or in food boxes to be used in microwave ovens. In this study, the biofilm elimination effect of selected essential oils (cinnamon, marjoram, and thyme) was evaluated against immature and mature biofilms of Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes formed on polypropylene (PP) surfaces. The Response Surface Box-Behnken Design (BBD) with three variables and 17 assays was used to optimize concentration of essential oils (EOs) (1.1–15.8 mg/mL), disinfection time (10 min), and level of pH (4.5‐7.5) in the EO-based disinfection solutions. The optimized disinfectants were used against 24-, and 168-hour old biofilms formed on PP surfaces, and were successful in elimination of immature and mature biofilms, except cinnamon EO for E. coli where biofilms were destroyed only partially. The disinfectant effect of the EO-based natural solutions was in most cases equivalent or better compared to the per-acetic acid-based chemical sanitizer used in food industry or to sodium hypochlorite.

Recent research in entomology and parasitology focused on the efficacy of green fabricated nanomaterials as novel insecticides. In this study, we synthesized poly-dispersed and stable silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using the leaf extract of Holostemma ada-kodien. The nanostructures were characterized by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray, and X-ray diffraction analysis. The efficacy of H. ada-kodien leaf extract and AgNPs in vector control was evaluated against the mosquitoes Anopheles stephensi, Aedes aegypti, and Culex quinquefasciatus, which act as major vectors of important parasitic and arboviral diseases. AgNPs showed higher toxicity if compared to the H. ada-kodien leaf aqueous extract, LC50 towards larvae of A. stephensi, A. aegypti, and C. quinquefasciatus were 12.18, 13.30, and 14.70 μg/mL, respectively. When the AgNPs were tested on non-target water bugs, Diplonychus indicus, the LC50 value was 623.48 μg/mL. Furthermore, 100 μl/mL of AgNPs achieved significant antimicrobial activity against Bacillus pumilus, Enterococcus faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris, and Candida albicans. Light and confocal laser scanning microscopy highlighted a major impact of the H. ada-kodien-synthesized AgNPs on the external topography and architecture of microbial biofilms, both on Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Overall, this study sheds light on the insecticidal and antibiofilm potential of H. ada-kodien-synthesized AgNPs, a potential green resource for the rapid synthesis of polydispersed and highly stable AgNPs.