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Amany I Ammar,1 Sally M El-Hefnawy,2 Somaia Shehab-Eldeen,3,4 Abdallah Essa,3,4 Sherin S ELnaidany,2 Rasha G Mostafa,5 Mortadah H Alsalman,4 Samar A El-Refai1 1Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Shebin Elkom, Egypt; 2Department of Medical Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Shebin Elkom, Egypt; 3Tropical Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Shebin Elkom, Egypt; 4Internal Medicine Department, College of Medicine, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 5Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Shebin Elkom, EgyptCorrespondence: Somaia Shehab-Eldeen, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Yassen Abd Al Ghafar Street, Shebin Elkom, Menoufia, 32511, Egypt, Tel +20 1117251523, Email somaia.shehab@med.menofia.edu.egBackground: MyD88-adapter-like (MAL), as an essential adapter protein for a variety of TLRs (Toll-like receptors), modulates the inflammatory response. Many infectious illnesses are influenced by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that modify MAL function. We aimed to examine the influence of the MAL rs8177374 polymorphism on Plasmodium falciparum malaria susceptibility and severity.Patients and Methods: Samples from 141 Plasmodium falciparum malaria patients and 147 healthy controls were used in the study. Patients were subdivided into mild and severe groups based on their clinical results, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO). Genotypes for MAL rs8177374 were identified by allele-specific PCR technique, and TNF-alpha and IL-12 levels were measured using ELISA.Results: The MAL rs8177374 (CT) genotype is associated with an increased risk of malaria (OR: 2.52; 95% CI: 1.44– 4.41). Furthermore, the CT and TT genotypes gave considerable protection against severe malaria (OR: 0.07; 95% CI: 0.03– 0.19 and OR: 0.03; 95% CI: 0.007– 0.1 respectively). And the T allele was linked to a higher risk of malaria (OR: 1.7; 95% CI: 1.18– 2.5), while protecting patients from severe malaria (OR: 0.135; 95% CI: 0.07– 0.3). Mutants (CT and TT) have greater TNF-alpha and IL-12 levels compared to wild-type (CC).Conclusion: Malaria risk is linked to single nucleotide polymorphism in the MyD88-adaptor-like gene. People with the MAL rs8177374 mutant variant may be less likely to get severe malaria.Keywords: MAL, malaria, P. falciparum, TNF-alpha, IL-12

Amany Ibrahim Ammar, 1 Amira Fathy Afifi, 1 Abdallah Essa, 2, 3 Asmaa Galal-Khallaf, 4 Mostafa Mohamed Mokhtar, 5 Somaia Shehab-Eldeen, 2, 3 Amany Ahmed Rady 1 1Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Shebin El Kom, Menoufia, Egypt; 2Tropical Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Shebin El Kom, Menoufia, Egypt; 3Internal Medicine Department, College of Medicine, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsaa, Saudi Arabia; 4Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Menoufia University, Shebin El- Kom, Menoufia, Egypt; 5Department of Zoology and Entomology, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Nasr City, EgyptCorrespondence: Abdallah EssaFaculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Yassen Abd Al Ghafar Street, Shebin Elkom City 32511, Menoufia Governorate, EgyptTel +20-10-2242-4341Email abdallah.essa@med.menofia.edu.egBackground: Schistosomiasis is a tropical parasitic disease treated exclusively with praziquantel (PZQ). However, PZQ has low efficacy against schistosomula and juveniles. In addition, the emergence of PZQ resistance has prompted the search for new drugs.Methods: This study investigated the effects of pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo)-seed oil (PSO) on Schistosoma mansoni adults, juveniles, and newly formed schistosomula in vitro by exposing the parasites to increasing concentrations of PSO (20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 μl/mL) with variable incubation periods (24, 48, and 72 hours). Dose–response effects of PSO on mortality rate, worm activity, and tegumental changes were studied. Also, effect on DNA were assessed with microsatellite analysis.Results: All tested stages of S. mansoni were susceptible to PSO, which was more effective than PZQ on juvenile worms and schistosomula. Juveniles and schistosomula S. mansoni were more sensitive to the antischistosomal activity of PSO than adult worms. PSO showed evident changes in the integuments of adults, juveniles, and schistosomula. These changes were more evident with increased concentrations. At the genomic level, PSO induced clear qualitative and quantitative changes in the microsatellite loci R95529 and SMD57 of S. mansoni adults and schistosomula. This microsatellite instability is being reported through the current study for S. mansoni in response to PSO for the first time.Conclusion: This study suggested that PSO possesses effective antischistosomal activity against various stages of S. mansoni. Further investigations are needed to figure out the mechanism of action of PSO on this parasite.Keywords: Schistosoma mansoni, Cucurbita pepo, praziquantel, tegumental alteration, microsatellite

The Spur-thighed tortoise has a large geographic distribution and can be infested by several tick species, mainly Hyalomma aegyptium. This tick has recently been confirmed as a natural carrier of numerous pathogenic, including zoonotic agents. The purpose of this study was to estimate the level of hard tick infestation in Mediterranean tortoises living in some regions of the west of Algeria (Oran, Mostaganem, and Tiaret) during the spring and summer of the year 2019. Among 39 turtles collected from the different study regions, 22 tested positive, which represents an infestation rate of 56.41 %. A total of 224 adult ticks and one nymph were collected, which can display a tick infestation intensity of 10.23 %. All of these ticks belong to a single species, which is Hyalomma aegyptium. In terms of abundance, this study showed 5.78 ticks/tortoise. Regarding sex, we have collected 198 male and 26 female ticks with a sex ratio of 7.62. The preferred attachment sites of Hyalomma aegyptium ticks were the inguinal, the limbs, and to a lesser degree, the neck. A few rare cases have been collected from the carapace. Further studies are needed to assess the impact of the intensity of H. aegyptium infestation on the tortoise’s health status and to assess the potential transmission of zoonotic pathogens.

Dystocia, or difficult birth, is defined as prolonged and difficult parturition. It may be either of maternal or fetal origin. To our knowledge no study has been made on dystocia in goats. Thus, the aim of this study was to describe the common causes of dystocia in goats from Djelfa, in Algeria. Among the general causes, fetal causes dominants the maternal once with a rate of 68,75% and 31,25%, respectively. Regarding specific causes, mal-disposition, specially malposture, was the most frequent (54,54%), followed by emphysema (25%) and finally oversized fetus (9,09%). For maternal causes of dystocia, narrowing pelvis was the predominant causes with a rate of 80% and it was specially observed in primiparous does. The present survey has shown that fetal dystocia are more frequent in multiparous than in primiparous does with a rates of 100% and 0%, respectively. While maternal dystocia are very frequent in primiparous than in multiparous does (80% vs 20%, respectively) (table 2). In addition, dystocia was strongly associated with double litters size (50%), followed by single litters size (37.5%).

Four surface geophysical techniques were utilized to study the geological and hydrogeological settings of highly saline a coastal aquifer system to the north-east of River Nile Delta, Egypt. These techniques include SP, DC-Resistivity, TDIP and TDEM methods. The first target was to determine the geological stratification as a differentiation among clay, clayey, sand and sandy layers of high saline water. These techniques reflect that there is a complicated lateral and vertical difference in sediments along study area. The surface layers with depth down to ~120 m have low to medium content of clay that change with depth. Then, the second target was the differentiation laterally and vertically for salinity with depth down to ~250m as an interesting hydrogeological setting. These techniques reported that the sediments consist of thin and thick clay and silts, clayey sand, and sandy clay strata. Investigation depth was up to ~210m due to high salinity and clay content effect. At shallow depths, soil texture (down to ~100m and sometimes down to ~160m) consists of clay and silt with sand intercalation. The TEM data indicate a zone of less saline water and low clay content starting from ~40 to ~100m. There may be an evidence for a significant high to medium clay content after these depths down to ~250m. All four methods were calibrated with each other. Accordingly, good matching between the inversion model of TEMSs and composite logs of new drilled well was found, especially in lithological layers identifications. Also, this calibration confirmed that the area was complicated regarding the geological and hydrogeological conditions and the TDIP and TEM are the best methods in studying the environmental, geological and hydrogeological settings as primary important engineering implications for studying coastal highly saline aquifers., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Exploration and determination of the hydro-geo-electrical characteristics of an aquifer can be done by applying the forward (initial multi-layers), and the inverse (final layered) models for interpreting the DC-resistivity (VES) and TEM data. So, 22 VES using Schlumberger configuration (AB/2 = 500-700m) and 12 TEMS using in-loop configuration (square, ℓ = 200m) were carried out at the West El-Minia selected area for studying the Oligocene Clastic and Carbonate aquifers. VESs were interpreted for studying the shallow resistive and conductive layers, as well as faults delineation. TEMs were interpreted for shallow and deep conductive layers discrimination. The VES and TEM inverse models were examined with the drilling data and construed the subsurface into four units; dry Oligocene Clastics (173-467 Ω.m), dry limestone (273-374 Ω.m), saturated Oligocene Clastics (Oligocene aquifer) (2-107 Ω.m), then saturated fractured Eocene limestone to shaly limestone (5-188 Ω.m). Groundwater depths (62-131m) and thicknesses variation were estimated, as well as the faults location. Two hydro-geo-electrical sections were built for simulating the resistivity values and their connotations, and managing in choosing the promised locations for drilling wells. The ramp-off time effect was studied and found that ∼50-∼100m shallow high resistive thickness didn't defined from the TEM data in which the max penetration depth was 672m. The available well logging data were analysed to reveal the pure saturated zones, the volume of shale of 0%-100% and the porosity values of ∼9%-∼35% in the Oligocene aquifer and of ∼4%-∼15.5% in the carbonate aquifer. So, the forward and inverse models application and soundings integration are considered robust tools for estimating and simulating the aquifer characteristics., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2021 Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

The course of Trichinella (T.) spiralis infection includes intestinal and muscle phases. The aims of this work were to evaluate IL-23 and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) by immunohistochemistry in the muscles of T. spiralis infected mice in a time-course study and to correlate their level with the serum levels of IL-23, IFN-γ, IL-4 and IL-10 cytokines. The mice were divided into an un-infected control group (UC) (10 mice) and 5 infected mouse groups (each 10 mice/group. Each mouse was infected with 200 T. spiralis larvae) and sacrificed on days 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35 post-infection (dpi). IL-23 showed weak expression (+1) on the 21 st dpi, then it became moderately expressed (+2) on the 28 th dpi and on day 35 pi, the immunoreactivity was strong (+3). COX-2 expressed weakly on 14 dpi, while the other mouse groups (21, 28 and 35) showed strong (+3) expression. IL-23 serum concentrations increased gradually in a significant pattern, in comparison to that of UC mice, from the 21 st dpi to the end of the experiment. IFN-γ increased gradually and was significantly higher than those of UC mice from the 7 th dpi, reached its maximum level on the 21 st dpi, after which it decreased non-significantly. IL-4 up-regulated significantly in all infected groups in comparison to UC mice achieving its highest level on the 21 st dpi and decreased after that. IL-10 increased significantly on the 7 th dpi, but dropped at the 14 th dpi, then reached its peak on the 21 st dpi, and decreased again on the 28 th and 35 th dpi. In conclusion, T. spiralis infection caused increased expression of IL-23 and COX-2 in the muscle of infected mice, the effect being strongest on the 35 th day. Also, the infection induced a mixed Th1/Th2 profile with a predominance of Th2 at the early muscle phase, after which the immune repose became mainly Th2.