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Objective To assess the actual xylitol content in sugar-free chewing gums available in a market of Saudi Arabia and investigate its effect on acid production and pH change in vitro. Materials and methods: A total of 29 different brands of xylitol-containing sugar-free chewing gums were collected from five major grocery stores in Saudi Arabia. Xylitol was extracted and its concentration was determined using the D-Sorbitol/Xylitol Enzymatic Kit (Megazyme; Bray, Wicklow, Ireland). The pH of the extracts and the amount of acid production for each product was measured after 15-minute and 30-minute incubation with Streptococcus mutans. Descriptive analysis, concentrations, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with the least significant difference (LSD) as multiple comparisons were performed. Results: The xylitol content in grams was clearly stated on the labels of 16 products, while it was stated in percentages on the labels of ten products. The mean pH of most of the tested products was 5.857 ± 0.096. Significant differences in pH were recorded among 20 products (p ≤ 0.05). Highly significant differences in pH (p = 0.001) were observed in five of the products. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate, using an in vitro model, that xylitol can significantly affect salivary pH. The actual xylitol content in most brands of chewing gums currently available in the markets of Saudi Arabia is less than the concentration recommended for prevention of caries. Accurate information with proper labeling is required to enable dental professionals to take correct and informed decisions about recommending the use of these products.

Coronavirus, particularly the genus Betacoronavirus, has been identified as a deadly source of numerous acute respiratory epidemics worldwide, affecting both humans and animals. The genus includes Covid-19, Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, and Middle East respiratory syndrome-related coronaviruses.In contrast, others are expected to have the risk of transformation such as bovine and porcine coronavirus. We screened a set of natural plant water extract which are red onion (Allium cepa), shallot (Allium ampeloprasum), watercress (Eruca sativa), and wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) that weighed and dissolved into a specific concentration then filtrated by specific biological filters. These extracts are known for their strong inhibition of the cytopathogenic effect of many pathogens. The cytotoxicity assay of the extracted plants was evaluated by the MTT assay using serial concentrations from the red onion and shallot extracts (10-100 ug) and wormwood and watercress extracts (20-200ug). The antiviral effect was evaluated using the concentrations mentioned above of the plants water extracts by application on the Madin Derby Bovine Kidney (MDBK) cell line infected with the virus. It showed pronounced inhibition of the bovine coronavirus (BCoV) in comparison to the control untreated cell line by both microscopic examination, and optical density index measurement. This work encourages the application of these extracts in trials of the treatment of the clinical cases of infected animals with coronavirus infection. It has the potential as a novel approach against coronavirus infections in animals.

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-related Coronavirus 2 (COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2) epidemic is professed as world disaster producing a worrying increasing mortality, particularly amongst vulnerable humans worldwide. Whether COVID-19 has a strong ability for acceptable genetic flexibility that amended for breaking immune responses quickly, it is critical to understand the adaptation mechanism between viruses and hosts that allows individuals to follow viral development. This can contribute to finding the appropriate treatment to combat the epidemic. However, the present information about viral adaptation mechanisms in hosts is still insufficient, and future investigations may reveal the unknown. Mutations and genetic variations are naturally occurring; however, the current knowledge about their mechanism and pathways still has many secrets. The present review also provides insights into the immune system, immunological memory, and the development of the COVID-19 vaccine. Other fighting methods against COVID-19 are also highlighted. The potential of antibodies, natural metabolites, and current suggest vaccines were applied to the face of this new threat.

We describe a March 2020 co-occurrence of Legionnaires' disease (LD) and coronavirus disease in France. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 co-infections were identified in 7 of 49 patients from LD case notifications. Most were elderly men with underlying conditions who had contracted severe pneumonia, illustrating the relevance of co-infection screening.

Field studies were done on faba bean plants at the El-Mattana Agricultural Research Station in Luxor Governorate, Egypt, throughout two successive growing seasons (2019/20 and 2020/21) to investigate the seasonal activity of the cowpea aphid, Aphis craccivora (Koch) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) (Giza 843 cultivar). As well, estimate the effects of some climatic conditions and plant ages on the seasonal abundance of A. craccivora. In this study, two insect expressions were used, i.e., insect numbers and incidence of infestation, which articulated the population of this pest. Results indicated that A. craccivora infested faba bean plants from 21st November 2019 to 12th March 2020 during the first growing season and from 22nd November 2020 to 13th March 2021 through the second one. For the two growing seasons, the cumulative counts of A. craccivora were 321.48 and 340.66 individuals each season, respectively. Furthermore, the overall mean of A. craccivora population was 18.91 ± 0.92 and 20.04 ± 1.52 individuals per 10 plants, during the first and second growing seasons, respectively. As well, the general average of the percentages of abundance was 66.73 ± 1.60 and 58.43 ± 2.28 for the two seasons, respectively. Climatic conditions of weekly inspection dates were more favourable for A. craccivora to increase its population in November, January and February for the two seasons. Additionally, in two consecutive growing seasons, the number of A. craccivora disappeared during the faba bean maturation stage in end March. According to the findings, the combined impacts of environmental conditions and plant ages can explain changes in A. craccivora population density. The results revealed that the effects of weather conditions and plant ages on population density and infestation incidence percentages by A. craccivora were highly significant during the two seasons studied, and that these parameters varied from season to season. Also, the dew point and mean daily minimum temperature were the most effective variable for the changes in the insect population and the percentages of infestation incidences under the studied seasons. These information can aid in the development of an aphid IPM program for faba bean plants.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterised by the occurrence of exacerbations triggered by infections. The aim of this study was to determine the composition of the lung microbiome and lung virome in patients with COPD in an African setting and to compare their composition between the stable and exacerbated states. Twenty-four adult COPD patients were recruited from three hospitals. Sputum was collected and bacterial DNA was extracted. Targeted metagenomics was performed to determine the microbiome composition. Viral DNA and RNA were extracted from selected samples followed by cDNA conversion. Shotgun metagenomics sequencing was performed on pooled DNA and RNA. The most abundant phyla across all samples were Firmicutes and Proteobacteria. The following genera were most prevalent: Haemophilus and Streptococcus. There were no considerable differences for alpha and beta diversity measures between the disease states. However, a difference in the abundances between disease states was observed for: (i) Serratia (3% lower abundance in exacerbated state), (ii) Granulicatella (2.2% higher abundance in exacerbated state), (iii) Haemophilus (5.7% higher abundance in exacerbated state) and (iv) Veillonella (2.5% higher abundance in exacerbated state). Virome analysis showed a high abundance of the BeAn 58058 virus, a member of the Poxviridae family, in all six samples (90% to 94%). This study is among the first to report lung microbiome composition in COPD patients from Africa. In this small sample set, no differences in alpha or beta diversity between stable and exacerbated disease state was observed, but an unexpectedly high frequency of BeAn 58058 virus was observed. These observations highlight the need for further research of the lung microbiome of COPD patients in African settings.

The receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) has been implicated in the pathophysiology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, it is still unknown whether RAGE directly contributes to alveolar epithelial damage and abnormal repair responses. We hypothesize that RAGE activation not only induces lung tissue damage but also hampers alveolar epithelial repair responses. The effects of the RAGE ligands LL-37 and HMGB1 were examined on airway inflammation and alveolar tissue damage in wild-type and RAGE-deficient mice and on lung damage and repair responses using murine precision cut lung slices (PCLS) and organoids. In addition, their effects were studied on the repair response of human alveolar epithelial A549 cells, using siRNA knockdown of RAGE and treatment with the RAGE inhibitor FPS-ZM1. We observed that intranasal installation of LL-37 and HMGB1 induces RAGE-dependent inflammation and severe alveolar tissue damage in mice within 6 h, with stronger effects in a mouse strain susceptible for emphysema compared with a nonsusceptible strain. In PCLS, RAGE inhibition reduced the recovery from elastase-induced alveolar tissue damage. In organoids, RAGE ligands reduced the organoid-forming efficiency and epithelial differentiation into pneumocyte-organoids. Finally, in A549 cells, we confirmed the role of RAGE in impaired repair responses upon exposure to LL-37. Together, our data indicate that activation of RAGE by its ligands LL-37 and HMGB1 induces acute lung tissue damage and that this impedes alveolar epithelial repair, illustrating the therapeutic potential of RAGE inhibitors for lung tissue repair in emphysema.

The present investigation aimed to study the effect of four constant temperatures (17, 22, 27 and 32°C) on the developmental rates of different stages of cotton leafworm, Spodoptera littoralis. The incubation period, larval duration, pupal duration, pre-oviposition period and duration of generation were estimated. The time required for development was decreased as the temperature increased. The threshold temperatures were 11.8°C for egg, 7.56 °C for larvae, 12.27 °C for pupae, 12.58°C for the pre-oviposition period, and 10.5 °C for a generation. The average thermal requirements needed for completing the development were 40.1, 283.76, 149.5, 23.96 and 480.6 degree-days for egg, larvae, pupae, pre-oviposition period and generation; respectively.

Consuming time and effort to prepare hyperimmune globulins using Freund’s adjuvant is a sophisticated and harsh technique. In this work, a novel, safe, and rabid method was proposed using monolaurin as an immune-stimulating agent in hyperimmune globulins production against Bovine coronavirus (BCoV). The mentioned virus was used as a surrogate to family Betacoronavirus. Bovine coronavirus (Mabus strain) with titer log10 5.8 tissue culture infective dose infectivity (TCID50)/ml was used in this experiment. The inactivation of the virus was done using 1% ascorbic acid for 24h. Monolaurin emulsion (10% w/v) of was prepared by sonication using tween 20 and water. The inactivated bovine coronavirus was added to the emulsion by 20% of the final volume. The immunoglobulins were prepared by inoculating the inactivated virus with the adjuvant in rabbits and evaluated on the Madin-Darby bovine kidney (MDBK) cell line by virus neutralization test (VNT). The effect of the adjuvant was assessed by histopathological examination of vital organs such as the kidney and liver. The antibody titer against the BCoV was reached its peak, log2 1024 TCID50/ml, at the 3rd-week post-inoculation in the rabbits. The level of the globulin reached a high level and its peak (14.3g/dL) at the end of the experiment. No abnormalities were seen in the livers and kidneys of the negative control group of rabbits. Monolaurin showed a new level of safety and efficacy when used as an adjuvant during the preparation of the immunoglobulins against BCoV. © 2021 IJVS-All Rights Reserved.

The present study was performed to assess the genetic variations among six rabbit breeds in Egypt based on mitochondrial 16S rRNA sequences. The length of partial mitochondrial 16S rRNA in the six rabbit breeds ranged from 546 bp to 558 bp. The sequenced regions were submitted to GenBank/NCBI under accession numbers (MW052052 - MW052057). The average content of A+T was 57% in all breeds. Among breeds, the percentages of genetic distance values were ranged from 0.000 to 0.004. The highest P-distance (0.004) was found between the New Zealand White breed and all other breeds. The results support the suitability of mitochondrial 16S rRNA for genetic diversity analysis of rabbit breeds and the applicability for future research on genetic relationships and the phylogeny of rabbit breeds.

No abstract.

Inflammation is a form of innate immune response of living organisms to harmful stimuli. In marine bivalves, inflammation is a common defense mechanism. Several studies have investigated the morphological features of inflammation in bivalves, such as hemocyte infiltration. However, the molecular and biochemical responses associated with inflammation in marine bivalves remain unexplored. Here, we investigated changes in nitric oxide (NO) levels, cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) activity, and allograft inflammatory factor-1 (AIF-1) gene expression levels in hemolymph samples collected from Manila clam (Ruditapes philippinarum) exposed to pro- and anti-inflammatory substances. These included the pro-inflammatory agent lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) ibuprofen and diclofenac, all widely used in vertebrates. Our study showed that NO levels, COX-2 activity, and AIF-1 expression increased in response to the treatments with LPS and decreased in response to the treatments with NSAIDs in a concentration-dependent manner. These results suggest that the mechanism of inflammatory responses in bivalves is very similar to that of vertebrates, and we propose that inflammatory responses can be quantified using these techniques and used to determine the physiological status of marine bivalves exposed to biotic or abiotic stresses.

Base editors are chimeric ribonucleoprotein complexes consisting of a DNA-targeting CRISPR-Cas module and a single-stranded DNA deaminase. They enable transition of C•G into T•A base pairs and vice versa on genomic DNA. While base editors have great potential as genome editing tools for basic research and gene therapy, their application has been hampered by a broad variation in editing efficiencies on different genomic loci. Here we perform an extensive analysis of adenine- and cytosine base editors on a library of 28,294 lentivirally integrated genetic sequences and establish BE-DICT, an attention-based deep learning algorithm capable of predicting base editing outcomes with high accuracy. BE-DICT is a versatile tool that in principle can be trained on any novel base editor variant, facilitating the application of base editing for research and therapy., Nature Communications, 12 (1), ISSN:2041-1723

Grape mealybug consider the most universally important vineyard insect pest. Insecticides are the main strategy to grapevine insect control. The result showed that the recommended rate of Imidacloprid is succeeded in controlling of mealybug since its initial reduced of the infestation were 89.26, 84.21and 85.71 % for first season and 82.71, 82.94 and 83.56 % for second season for Flame seedless, Early sweet seedless and Sugraone seedless, respectively. Meanwhile, the total mean of reduction after 3,7, 14 and 30 days were 95.79, 64.83 and 72.82 % for first season and 85.20, 66.33 and 69.84 % for second season on Flame seedless, Early sweet seedless and Sugraone seedless, respectively. On the other hand, the total mean of reduction after 3,7, 14 and 30 days were 72.56, 80.40 and 82.50% for first season and 68.88, 76.13 and 75.56% for second season on Flame seedless, Early sweet seedless and Sugraone seedless, respectively. In addition, all of them are above 70% reduction. From these results, it should be suggested using some effective alternatives such as Palmito compound in controlling mealy bug incompatible program with chemical insecticides instead of conventional individuals' insecticides. The grapevine variety, Early sweet seedless showed the significant superiority in the quality traits. Under conditions of this investigation, the grapevine variety, Early sweet seedless was recorder the highest values for yield per vine, TSS and total sugar% in both seasons.

Background: The burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is substantial. Anemia is a common feature of CKD. Objective: The aim was to predict about iron status by serum neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) levels and role of serum NGAL as biomarker of iron deficiency in CKD patients. Patients and Methods: A prospective, case-control comparative study that was conducted at Nephrology Outpatient Clinic and Internal Medicine Department, Zagazig University Hospitals. Seventy two participants were divided into two groups: Group I included 36 participants with no chronic kidney disease and group II that included 36 chronic kidney disease patients. Laboratory investigations included iron parameters and serum NGAL levels were measured Results: S. Iron, TIBC, S. Ferritin and calculated T. sat” were statistically analyzed and showed that there was a statistical significant difference between the two studied groups. NGAL level was higher in CKD group than in the non-CKD group. A significant positive correlation between serum NGAL and T sat & serum ferritin and there was a significant negative correlation between NGAL and eGFR, HB and serum iron. Conclusion: Patients had significantly higher NGAL levels when compared to controls and this means that it had an important role in iron metabolism in those patients. There was statistically significant direct correlation between serum NGAL levels and serum ferritin levels and T. sat and inverse correlation with iron. Serum NGAL could be a good biomarker for iron status in CKD patients but not better than the ordinary used methods “serum ferritin and T. sat”.

Background Despite the introduction of targeted therapies, most patients with myeloid malignancies will not be cured and progress. Genomics is useful to elucidate the mutational landscape but remains limited in the prediction of therapeutic outcome and identification of targets for resistance. Dysregulation of phosphorylation-based signaling pathways is a hallmark of cancer, and therefore, kinase-inhibitors are playing an increasingly important role as targeted treatments. Untargeted phosphoproteomics analysis pipelines have been published but show limitations in inferring kinase-activities and identifying potential biomarkers of response and resistance. Methods We developed a phosphoproteomics workflow based on titanium dioxide phosphopeptide enrichment with subsequent analysis by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS). We applied a novel Kinase-Activity Enrichment Analysis (KAEA) pipeline on differential phosphoproteomics profiles, which is based on the recently published SetRank enrichment algorithm with reduced false positive rates. Kinase activities were inferred by this algorithm using an extensive reference database comprising five experimentally validated kinase-substrate meta-databases complemented with the NetworKIN in-silico prediction tool. For the proof of concept, we used human myeloid cell lines (K562, NB4, THP1, OCI-AML3, MOLM13 and MV4–11) with known oncogenic drivers and exposed them to clinically established kinase-inhibitors. Results Biologically meaningful over- and under-active kinases were identified by KAEA in the unperturbed human myeloid cell lines (K562, NB4, THP1, OCI-AML3 and MOLM13). To increase the inhibition signal of the driving oncogenic kinases, we exposed the K562 (BCR-ABL1) and MOLM13/MV4–11 (FLT3-ITD) cell lines to either Nilotinib or Midostaurin kinase inhibitors, respectively. We observed correct detection of expected direct (ABL, KIT, SRC) and indirect (MAPK) targets of Nilotinib in K562 as well as indirect (PRKC, MAPK, AKT, RPS6K) targets of Midostaurin in MOLM13/MV4–11, respectively. Moreover, our pipeline was able to characterize unexplored kinase-activities within the corresponding signaling networks. Conclusions We developed and validated a novel KAEA pipeline for the analysis of differential phosphoproteomics MS profiling data. We provide translational researchers with an improved instrument to characterize the biological behavior of kinases in response or resistance to targeted treatment. Further investigations are warranted to determine the utility of KAEA to characterize mechanisms of disease progression and treatment failure using primary patient samples. Graphical abstract

Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) is the most known degradable biopolymer, produced by some genera of bacteria under unfavorable growth conditions. Isolation and cloning of acetoacetyl-CoA reductase (phbB) and polyhydroxybutyrate synthase (phbC) genes from local isolate previously identified as Bacillus aryabhattai 6N-NRC (GenBank accession no. MH997667.1) was achieved. Suitable primers designed for the phbB and phbC PCR approach were used to clone the phbB and phbC genes. The phbB and phbC genes were successfully isolated, cloned and the PCR amplicon 744 bp and 1089 bp corresponding to phbB and phbC genes were identified, cloned with the pET-29a (+) carrying the phbB and phbC genes, transformed and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21. The amplification of the phbB and phbC genes using specific primers of pET-29a (+) plasmid was performed. The open reading frame of phbB sequence was found to be 99.06% identical to the sequence of acetoacetyl-CoA reductase of B. aryabhattai (GenBank accession no. CP024035.1), while the open reading frame of phbC sequence was found to be 87.18% identical to the sequence of polyhydroxybutyrate synthase of B. aryabhattai (Gen Bank accession no. CP024035.1) after DNA sequencing. The analysis of the recombinant proteins from E. coli BL21 recombinant colony by tricine-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis clarified that the expressed phbB and phbC genes in E. coli BL21 strain showed distinct bands of intensity 26.3 KD and 37.5 KD, respectively.

The effect of partial replacement of wheat flour (72% extraction) by different levels (3%, 6%, 9%, and 12%) of sugar beet pulp (SBP) on rheological properties of the dough and quality characteristics of the flat bread produced were investigated. The results showed that SBP contained 7.61% moisture, 6.04% ash, 10.50 Crude protein, 17.55% Crude fiber, 0.53% fat, and 57.77% total carbohydrates. The rheological properties (Farinograph and Extensograph) of the dough were tested. The addition of SBP to wheat flour increased water absorption, mixing time, development time, dough weakening, and decreased dough stability. The addition of SBP also caused an increase in dough resistance to extensibility, proportional number, and a decrease in dough extensibility. On the other hand, the results indicated that values A.W.R.C. decreased as storage periods were increased, but the addition of SBP led to increase in the bread's freshness and reduce the decreasing rate during storage periods. Also, the blend of SBP with wheat flour in the bread decreased the acceptance of its sensory properties by the human members. it can be concluded that it is possible to produce acceptable flat bread fortified with up to 6% of SBP. Finally, the addition of SBP to wheat flour improved rheological properties of dough and improved flat bread quality.

Background: Invasive therapies are often needed for sufferers with chronic liver diseases (CLDs). Thrombocytopenia is common hematological abnormality in CLD sufferers. In immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection is linked to a low platelet count, whereas HP eradication is associated to an increase in platelet count. In Egypt, the most common trigger of CLD is infection with the hepatitis C virus. In Egypt HP is common infection happens at a young age. Aim of the work: The impact of Helicobacter pylori eradication on platelet count in HCV-related CLD patients with thrombocytopenia. Patients and methods: A prospective study of 100 patients divided to HP positive and HP negative. Sufferers that checked positive for HP have been given treatment to eliminate the virus. HP eradication was evaluated using a stool test for Helicobacter pylori antigen 6 weeks following the treatment was completed. Platelet counts were used to assess the success of HP eradication after 1, 3, 6, and 9 months of follow-up. Results: HP infection prevalence among HCV patients 65% (65/100) versus 35% (35/100) HP negative. Eradication in HP positive patients after treatment were 46 patients (70.8%) and 19 patients (29.2%) not eradicate. platelets response after HP therapy there were 14 patients (21.5%) with complete response, 20 patients (30.8%) had a partial response, while 31 had no response (47.7%){12 eradicated and 19 not eradicated} Conclusion: Successfully eradicating H. pylori can have an impact on platelet recovery and platelet count maintenance in patients with chronic HCV-infected thrombocytopenia

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a serious infection of the endocardium and heart valves that necessitate early diagnosis. The conventional blood culture has lots of false-negative results besides being time consuming. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a rapid diagnostic tool that helps in saving the patients’ life. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of multiplex PCR in early diagnosis of IE compared to the conventional blood culture, and to evaluate its impact on IE diagnosis in cases of negative blood cultures. The current study was conducted on 30 patients admitted to the Cardiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams Hospitals, Cairo, Egypt, which were diagnosed clinically as infective endocarditis according to the modified Duke’s criteria. After processing of the patient's blood samples, the blood cultures recorded positivity in 5 cases (16.7 %). The most common recovered bacteria were, Staphylococcus aureus 2(6.7 %), Staphylococcus epidermedis 1(3.3 %), Enterococcus faecalis 1(3.3 %), and Escherichia coli 1(3.3 %); however, no other pathogens were isolated. On the other hand, results of multiplex PCR showed positivity in 13 cases (43.3 %), mainly; Staphylococcus aureus 5(16.7 %), E. faecalis 3(10 %), Staphylococcus epidermidis 2(6.7 %), Pseudomonas aeruginosa 2(6.7 %), and E. coli 1(3.3 %). No other bacterial of fungal pathogens were detected by multiplex PCR. Finally, the multiplex PCR assay exhibited remarkable sensitivity and feasibility in IE diagnosis over blood culture, besides being a rapid and accurate diagnostic assay that enhances proper treatment.

Deltamethrin (DM) is a synthetic pyrethroid insecticide commonly used in veterinary and agriculture. However, both animal and human exposure are associated with hepatorenal toxicity. Our experimental goal was to assess the protective effects of Spirulina platensis (SP) against DM-induced hepatorenal injury, growth performance, meat chemical composition, and its residues in meat, liver, and skin of broiler chickens. Sixty 1-day-old Cobb broiler chicks were assigned to 4 experimental groups; each was divided into 3 replicates with five chicks each; the 1st group received basal diet alone (control), 2nd group supplemented with SP 20 g/kg diet, 3rd group supplemented with DM 300 mg/kg diet, and 4th group supplemented with DM and SP diet. All groups have received the treatment for 35 days. DM, decreased body weight, weight gain, and increased feed conversion rate. DM showed a significant increase in ALT, AST, urea, creatinine, and MDA and a significant decrease in SOD, and GSH levels. Also, SP significantly reduced DM levels in meat, skin, and liver with a reduction 63.01, 63.00, and 62.90 %, respectively. The DM intoxicated group showed a significant decrease in protein and a marked increase in fat, cholesterol, and triglycerides when compared to the control group. Histopathological changes were also recorded. Dietary SP improved these parameters. Dietary inclusion of SP can be recommended due to the protective effects on DM-induced toxicity in broiler chickens.

Phytochemical investigation of Sophora secundiflora alkaloid fraction led to isolation of one new quinolizidine alkaloid (1) 13-methoxyanagyrine together with six known ones (2–7). The insecticidal activity of 70% methanol extract of leaves of S. secundiflora, S. tomentosa and the isolated alkaloids were assessed against 3rd instar larvae of Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae) using different concentrations and mortality rate was recorded. Sophora tomentosa extract showed highest mortality rate with median lethal concentration LC50 3.11 ppm after 24 h and 0.66 ppm after 48 h and anagyrine (6) exhibited remarkably insecticidal activity with LC50 value of 3.42 ppm after 24 h of exposure. Additionally, cytotoxic activity of alkaloid fraction of S. secundiflora, S. tomentosa and isolated alkaloids was also studied using crystal violet assay against MCF-7 and HEPG-2 cell lines. Anagyrine (6) exhibited IC50 values of 27.3 ± 0.7 and 30.2 ± 0.9 µg/mL against MCF-7 and HEPG-2 cancer cells, respectively.

The effects of a multistrain potential probiotic (Protexin®), acids, and a bacterin from multidrug-resistant E. coli O26, O78, S. Enteritidis (1,9,12 g.m1,7), and S. Typhimurium (1,4,5,12.i.1,2) on the immune response, haematological parameters, cytokines, and growth parameters of broiler chickens challenged with bacterin live serotypes were investigated. Two experiments were designed using 300 one-day-old chicks (Arbor Acres) randomly assigned to 15 groups. The first experiment comprised 9 groups, including positive and negative control groups and other groups received Protexin®, acids, and the bacterin (0.2 ml/SC), either alone or in combination, on the 1st day. The second experiment contained 6 groups, including positive and negative control groups and other groups received a combination of Protexin®, acids, and the bacterin (0.5 ml/SC) on the 8th day. All the groups except the negative control groups were challenged on the 8th and 16th days in both experiments, respectively, with mixed live bacterin serotypes. The groups that received Protexin®, acids, and the bacterin either alone or in combination revealed significant improvements in the immune response to the bacterin (p ≤ 0.05). The groups in the 1st experiment and most the 2nd experiment groups showed a reduced mortality rate and decreased levels IFN-γ, IL-4, and IL-12 cytokines (p ≤ 0.05). Moreover, these groups demonstrated increases in haematological parameters and reduced rates of infection-caused anaemia. These groups showed significant increases in growth performance parameters, such as body weight, weight gain, and the feed conversion ratio (FCR) (p ≤ 0.05). There was a beneficial effect on 1-day-old chickens produced by combining Protexin®, acids, and the bacterin (0.2 ml/SC).

Background Several coronavirus vaccine have been fast-tracked to halt the pandemic, the usage of immune adjuvants that can boost immunological memory has come up to the surface. This is particularly of importance in view of the rates of failure of seroconversion and re-infection after COVID-19 infection, which could make the vaccine role and response debatable. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) have an established immune-modulatory role, but their effects as adjuvants to vaccination have not been explored to date. Main body of the abstract It is increasingly recognized that PPAR agonists can upregulate the levels of anti-apoptotic factors such as MCL-1. Such effect can improve the results of vaccination by enhancing the longevity of long-lived plasma cells (LLPCs). The interaction between PPAR agonists and the immune system does not halt here, as T cell memory is also stimulated through enhanced T regulatory cells, antagonizing PD-L1 and switching the metabolism of T cells to fatty acid oxidation, which has a remarkable effect on the persistence of T memory cells. What is even of a more significant value is the effect of PPAR gamma on ensuring a profound secretion of antibodies upon re-exposure to the offending antigen through upregulating lipoxin B4, therefore potentially assisting the vaccine response and deterring re-infection. Short conclusion In view of the above, we suggest the use of PPAR as adjuvants to vaccines in general especially the emerging COVID-19 vaccine due to their role in enhancing immunologic memory through DNA-dependent mechanisms.

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of Aloe veragel and Yucca schidigeraextract supplementation on growth performance,oocyst shedding,intestinal lesions and inflammatory response in broilers challenged with coccidia. Two hundred and ten, one-day old Cobb chicks were randomly allocated to seven equal groups (30 birds/group).(G1): non-infected non-treated group, (G2): infected non-treated group,(G3)&(G4): infected and treated with Aloeveragel 5gm/L and Yucca schidigeraextract 200 mg/ L respectively from 7th day of age till the end of the experiment, (G5)&(G6): infected and treated with Aloe veragel 5gm/L andYucca schidigeraextract 200 mg/L respectively from 15th day of age till the end of the experiment and (G7): infected and treated with Amprolium 1g/ 2 L from 15th day for five successive days.Chickens in infected groups were challenged with 50,000sporulatedoocysts of field strain of Eimeria spp. on the 14th days of age. The average body weight gains, feed intake and feed conversion ratio were recorded all over the experimental period. The anticoccidial evaluation post infection depended on severity of bloody diarrhea, lesion scores as well as the oocyst shedding. In addition, histopathological changes in intestine and serum level of inflammatory cytokines were evaluated. Aloe veragel and Yucca schidigeraextract supplementation were able to mitigate the devastating effects of coccidia challenge in broilers.Growth performances represented by bodyweight gain, and feed conversion ratio were significantly improved.The Lesion score and oocysts shedding were significantly reduced as well as the serum level of pro-inflammatory (IL-6 and IL-1β) were significantly down regulated in challenged treated groups. The histopathological changes of intestine were ameliorated in treated supplemented groups. In conclusion, Aloe verageland Yucca schidigeraextract can be a promising candidate to be used as a natural, low cost alternative to control coccidiosis in chickens.

The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is an economically important species vital for food security in Algeria, especially for the southern population. There are an estimated 18 million palm trees in Algeria with more than 1000 cultivars. This poorly known resource is unfortunately threatened with extinction. This work was carried out on 24 date palm cultivars, studying their morphological and physicochemical characteristics, such as the weight, length and diameter of the date and the seed, and the consistency, moisture, pH and sugar content of the dates. Ten homogeneous palm trees were selected for each cultivar. From each tree, we collected 40 fruits devoid of their calices (4-5 fruits per bunch), at different heights and orientations in each bunch. The results show that the morphological and physicochemical characteristics vary from one cultivar to another. The dates of most cultivars have a combination of good and bad characteristics. The cultivar Tmar-Bousbaa has very high values for the characteristics weight, length, and diameter of the date and seed (23.16 g, 4.90 cm, 2.85 cm, and 1.53 g, 2.74 cm, 0.94 cm, respectively). The cultivars Takarnait and Halwa have high acidity, varying between 1.08 and 1.92 g/kg of fresh material and a pH of less than 5.46. The cultivar Bouarous has a low sugar content: less than 63%. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to analyse the whole dataset, revealing high variability among the cultivars. Thus, out of 14 characteristics investigated, ten have been shown to be strong discriminating factors.

Continued uncontrolled transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in many parts of the world is creating conditions for substantial evolutionary changes to the virus1,2. Here we describe a newly arisen lineage of SARS-CoV-2 (designated 501Y.V2; also known as B.1.351 or 20H) that is defined by eight mutations in the spike protein, including three substitutions (K417N, E484K and N501Y) at residues in its receptor-binding domain that may have functional importance3,4,5. This lineage was identified in South Africa after the first wave of the epidemic in a severely affected metropolitan area (Nelson Mandela Bay) that is located on the coast of the Eastern Cape province. This lineage spread rapidly, and became dominant in Eastern Cape, Western Cape and KwaZulu–Natal provinces within weeks. Although the full import of the mutations is yet to be determined, the genomic data—which show rapid expansion and displacement of other lineages in several regions—suggest that this lineage is associated with a selection advantage that most plausibly results from increased transmissibility or immune escape6,7,8.

Pristine and Co-doped TiO2 mesocrystals have been synthesized via a simple sol–gel method and their antimicrobial activity has been investigated. The antimicrobial performance was evaluated in terms of zone of inhibition, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), antibiofilm activity, and effect of UV illumination in liquid media. The Co-doped TiO2 mesocrystals showed very promising MIC of 0.390 μg/mL and 0.781 μg/mL for P. mirabilis and P. mirabilis, respectively. Additionally, the material showed an MIC of 12.5 μg/mL against C. albicans, suggesting its use as antifungal agent. Upon the addition of 10.0 µg/mL of Co-doped TiO2 mesocrystals, the biofilm inhibition% reaches 84.43% for P. aeruginosa, 78.58% for P. mirabilis, and 77.81% for S. typhi, which can be ascribed to the created active oxygen species that decompose the tested microbial cells upon illumination. Thus the fabricated Co-doped TiO2 mesocrystals exhibit sufficient antimicrobial features under visible light, qualifying them for use as antimicrobial agents against pathogenic bacteria and fungi and subsequently inhibit their hazardous effects.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized using extracellular filtrates of some Lysinibacillus sphaericus (Ls) strains under simple conditions. Ls synthesized AgNPs showed the optical absorptio...

The immune system plays a crucial role in the response against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 with significant differences among patients. The study investigated the relationships between lymphocyte subsets, cytokines, and disease outcomes in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). The measurements of peripheral blood lymphocytes subsets and cytokine levels were performed by flow cytometry for 57 COVID‐19 patients. Patients were categorized into two groups according to the severity of the disease (nonsevere vs. severe). Total lymphocytes, T cells, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, B cells, and natural killer cells were decreased in COVID‐19 patients and statistical differences were found among different severity of illness and survival states (P ˂ 0.01). The levels of IL‐6 and IL‐10 were significantly higher in severe and death groups and negatively correlated with lymphocyte subsets counts. The percentages of Th17 in the peripheral blood of patients were higher than those of healthy controls whereas the percentages of Th2 were lower. For the severe cases, the area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of IL‐6 was the largest among all the immune parameters (0.964; 95% confidence interval: 0.927–1.000, P 106.44 pg/ml and CD8+ T cell counts, Graphical Abstract COVID‐19 patients with poor prognosis exhibited a significant depletion of lymphocyte‐subset counts, with remarkably increasing concentrations of IL6 and IL10.

Consolidated foremost cruciate tendon remaking and average opening wedge high tibial osteotomy can create solid re-visitation of donning action. This system permits patients to recapture a steady knee at right around 10-year follow-up, with a re-visitation of wearing exercises in about 80%. A critical decline in brandishing level is not out of the ordinary, and patient guiding is significant as the preinjury movement level in the objective patient segment is high. The point of this examination was to play out a precise audit of ACL remaking and high tibial valgus osteotomy in the administration of ACL insufficient with varus knee. This survey was finished utilizing standard approach sketched out in the Cochrane Handbook and detailed the discoveries as per the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-examinations (PRISMA) articulation rules. The writing search were performed utilizing the accompanying hunt terms: ACL reproduction with valgus osteotomy in administration of ACL inadequacy with varus knee. Watchwords: ACL recreation, and Varus knee. This precise survey included 6 examinations Only one investigation was and the others were single armed.We inferred that consolidated front cruciate tendon recreation and average opening wedge high tibial osteotomy is a feasible choice in youthful patients influenced by foremost shakiness, with great midterm results if a right sign, preoperative arranging, and careful method are applied. Also, The bone-patella ligament bone join has a more grounded obsession With the least re tear rate. This joined system gives palatable emotional, unbiased and radiological outcomes, improves the capacity and diminishes the agony.

Ticks are hematophageal ectoparasites that transport major pathogens around the world. Glutathione S-transferases (GST) are involved in resistance to acaricide and redox balancing during the life cycle of the tick. The inhibition of tick GST enzymes by certain phenolic compounds, such as phenolic acids and tannins, can be a promising approach to tick control. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of Punica granatum red peel and Acacia saligna leaf extracts on Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus GST activity in order to reduce the resistance of cattle to acaricide. The results showed that P. granatum ethanol extract (70%) contained the highest total phenol content (350 ± 1.2 μM GAE g−1), the highest condensed tannin content (270 ± 1.3 μM CE g−1) and the highest hydrolysable tannin content (70 ± 5.0 μM TAE g−1). Adult immersion test with a dosage of 100 mg ml−1 of A. saligna ethanol extracts had a significant mortality of 50% and 75% after 24 h and 96 h, respectively (p

Background: Paracetamol, is the most widely used over-the-counter analgesic and antipyretic medication in the world, which has minimal adverse effects at therapeutic dosages. But in high doses causes hepatic damage and oxidative stress. Objectives: The current study was designed to investigate paracetamol toxic effects upon the liver and oxidative stress after repeated oral dose and evaluate possible protective effect of alpha lipoic acid when co-administered with and after paracetamol. Methods: forty eight white albino rats were divided equally into four groups. Each group was subdivided into two sub groups A & B. Group I received gum acacia suspension. Group II received Alpha lipoic acid (50mg/kg) orally. Group III received paracetamol (1 gm/ kg orally) for 4 weeks. Group IV received paracetamol and alpha lipoic acid at the same doses. Sub groups A were euthanized after 4 weeks, while sub groups B were euthanized after 8 weeks. Blood was collected for evaluation of liver functions and oxidative stress marker. The livers were preserved for histopathological examinations. Results: The study proved that repeated administration of paracetamol induced disturbed liver functions and oxidative stress. But this toxic effects decline markedly when alpha lipoic acid (ALA) was coadministered with paracetamol. And more improvement occurs when ALA was administered for another 4 weeks after stoppage of paracetamol. Conclusions: The present study concluded that repeated paracetamol administration has hepatotoxic and oxidative stress effect and alpha lipoic acid has a protective effect against such harmful effects especially when ALA was administered for another 4 weeks after stoppage of paracetamol.

Taxane is a family of front-line chemotherapeutic agents against ovarian cancer (OC). The therapeutic efficacy is frequently counteracted by the development of chemoresistance, leading to high rates of relapse in OC patients. The role(s) of microRNAs (miRNAs) in cancer chemoresistance had been supported by many evidences Epigenetic regulation by miRNAs has been reported to influence cancer development and response to therapeutics, however, their role in OC resistance to paclitaxel (PTX) is unclear. Here, we conducted miRNA profiling in the responsive and PTX-resistant OC cell lines before and after treatment with epigenetic modulators. We reveal 157 miRNAs to be downregulated in the PTX-resistant cells compared to parental controls. The expression of five miRNAs (miRNA-7-5p, -204-3p, -501-5p, -3652 and -4286) was restored after epigenetic modulation, which was further confirmed by qPCR. In silico analysis of the signaling pathways targeted by the selected miRNAs identified the PI3K-AKT pathway as the primary target. Subsequent cDNA array analysis confirmed multiple PI3K-AKT pathway members such as AKT2, PIK3R3, CDKN1A, CCND2 and FGF2 to be upregulated in PTX-resistant cells. STRING analysis showed the deregulated genes in PTX-resistant cells to be primarily involved in cell cycle progression and survival. Thus, high throughput miRNA and cDNA profiling coupled with pathway analysis and data mining provide evidence for epigenetically regulated miRNAs-induced modulation of signaling pathways in PTX resistant OC cells. It paves the way to more in-depth mechanistic studies and new therapeutic strategies to combat chemoresistance.

Background: Despite the significant progress in target therapy for the treatment of metastatic colorectal carcinoma (mCRC), the overall survival isn’t satisfactory. Methods: We assessed the expression of Amphiregulin, PTEN, and P21 in sections from 23 paraffin blocks prepared from 23 patients with left-sided mCRC using immunohistochemistry (IHC). The relationship between their level of expressions, clinicopathological parameters, response to anti-EGFR, and prognosis were analyzed. Results: High Amphiregulin, PTEN and low P21 expression levels were associated with low tumor grade (p= 0.038 and 0.025 respectively), better response to anti-EGFR treatment (p

Стаття узагальнює аргументи щодо мінімізації рівня невизначеності, спричиненої низкою непередбачуваних обставин у наслідок використання на операційному рівні показника гнучкості для підвищення ефективності діяльності компаній. Метою роботи є аналіз взаємозв'язку між оперативною гнучкістю та результатами діяльності компаній, враховуючи вплив невизначеності зовнішнього середовища. Автори відмітили, що проведене дослідження є кількісним. Вибірка дослідження складається зі 113 малих та середніх підприємств фармацевтичного сектору Ірану. До опитування було залучено 228 менеджерів, які працюють на досліджуваних підприємствах. Методичним інструментарієм є дедуктивний метод з використанням синергетики для систематизації наукових напрацювань з досліджуваної проблематики та емпіричного доведення гіпотез дослідження. У статті сформовано наступні гіпотези: 1) операційна гнучкість позитивно впливає на продуктивність фармацевтичного сектору Ірану (представленого малими та середніми підприємствами); 2) невизначеність визначає взаємозв’язок між операційною гнучкістю та ефективністю малих і середніх фармацевтичних підприємств Ірану. Розроблена авторами модель дозволила встановити взаємозв'язок між змінними за допомогою регресійного аналізу та аналізу модерації (модель Хейза). Результати емпіричного аналізу засвідчили, що показник «змішана гнучкість» практично не впливає на ефективність діяльності компаній, а показники «гнучкість за об’ємом випуску» та «гнучкість продукту до удосконалень» загалом позитивно впливають на результати діяльності компаній фармацевтичного сектору. При цьому показник «зовнішня невизначеність» не сприяє послабленню взаємозв'язку між показником «операційна гнучкість» та результатами діяльності підприємств фармацевтичного сектору Ірану. Результати проведеного дослідження можуть бути корисними у процесі планування діяльності малих та середніх підприємств для підвищення показників їх ефективності. The article summarizes the arguments on minimizing the uncertainty level caused by numerous unforeseen circumstances due to using operational flexibility to increase companies' efficiency (example of small and medium enterprises in the pharmaceutical sector of Iran). The research aims at investigating the relationship between operational flexibility and a company's performance to examine the impact of environmental uncertainty on these relationships. This study was conducted as quantitative. The deductive method using the synergy of systematization of scientific background on the problem and the empirical proof of the formulated hypotheses became a methodological study tool. The article provides evidence of the economic-mathematical model based on data from small and medium-sized pharmaceutical Iranian companies. The study hypotheses are as follows: 1) operational flexibility has a positive effect on the productivity of the pharmaceutical sector of Iran, represented by small and medium-sized companies; 2) uncertainty determines the relationship between the operational flexibility and efficiency of small and medium-sized pharmaceutical companies in Iran. The model constructed by the authors allowed measuring the relationship between variables using regression analysis and moderation analysis (Hayes model). The total number of companies included in the sample is 113. In turn, 228 managers of these pharmaceutical companies took part in the surveys (Iran example). The empirical analysis results showed that the mix flexibility indicator has practically no effect on companies' efficiency, and the volume flexibility and product development flexibility indicators generally have a positive effect on the performance of companies in the pharmaceutical sector. On the other hand, the environmental uncertainty indicator does not help reduce the relationship between the operational flexibility ndicator and companies' performance in the pharmaceutical sector of Iran's economy. The study results could be useful for planning small and medium enterprises' activities in the context of improving their performance.

The present study was carried out to study the impact of using some medicinal herbs (0.3gm Garlic / kg LBW/ day ( R2), 0.2 gm Lemongrass / kg LBW/ day ( R3), 0.5 gm Peppermint/ kg LBW/ day ( R4) ,0.2gm Rosemary / kg LBW/ day ( R5) versus an supplemented ration ( R1 – control ration which consists of 70% concentrate and 30% hay without any additives ) on growth performance , some rumen and blood parameters of twenty five growing Barki lambs. The animals averaged 5 - 6 months old and weighed on average 26 kg. Animals were randomly divided into five similar groups (five animals each) for 120 days growth trial. The economic efficiency values were calculated. The Results could be summarized as follows: Feeding herbs improved all nutrients digestibility (DM, OM, CP, CF, EE and NFE) and nutritive values as TDN, DCP compared with control ration.Medicinal herbs decreased total lipids and cholesterol .Also, increased total plasma protein and globulin significantly (p < 0.05) compared to the control group. Feed efficiency ( gm gain / gm DM or TDN ) was enhanced in all supplemented groups compared with the control ration. It could be recommended to use 0.3 gm Garlic or 0.2gm Lemongrass or 0.5 gm Peppermint or 0.2gm Rosemary / kg LBW/ day to enhance growth and improve economic efficiency of production and to decrease plasma cholesterol and total lipids in lambs blood

Objective: To investigate the prevalence ofBorrelia burgdorferi infection in ticks and ruminant hosts. Design: Cross sectional study. Animals: 739 Ixodes ticks, 110 camels, 120 sheep and 40 cattle. Procedures: All collected samples were tested by using nested PCR technique (nPCR) using OspA and flaB gene as the targets. Results: Out of 739 adult Ixodes ticks, 111 (15%) were infected, the highest rate was in A. variegatum (43.24%) followed by A. lepidum (30.63%) and B. annulatus (26.13%). Shalatten was the most infected locality (18.52%) followed by Dakhla Oasis and Bir El-Abid in ratio 18.52% and 16.05%, respectively. Camel was the most infected animal (40.74%), then sheep (37.04%) and cattle (22.22%). Conclusion and Clinical relevance: Medical and veterinary professionals in Egypt should consider B. burgdorferi as an emerging pathogen in the country. Future studies are needed to monitoring vertorial capacity of ticks in transmission B. burgdorferi to animals in parallel with discovering other reservoir host animals and the vector competence of tick species for B. burgdorferi and its public health and economic significance in Egypt.

Methodology: Two field experiments were conducted on the Experimental Farm at El-Gemmeiza Research Station, Gharbia Governorate, Agricultural Research Center, Egypt, during two successive winter seasons of 2018-19 and 2019-20. Aims: To investigate the effect of three nitrogen fertilizer rates, i.e. 30, 50 and 70 kg N feddan-1 [one feddan (fed) = 4200 m2] and three plant densities, i.e. 1500, 2000 and 2500 seeds m-2 on flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) yield and its quality of three cultivars of flax, i.e. Sakha 3, Giza 11 and Giza 12. Results: Results in combined analysis of the two seasons showed that Sakha 3 cultivar significantly produced the maximum total plant height, technical stem length, upper branching zone length, No. of seeds capsule-1, total fiber percentage, fiber yield plant-1, fiber yield fed-1, fiber length and fiber fineness. Meanwhile, the highest No. of basal branches plant-1, straw yield plant-1, straw yield fed-1 and seed oil content were recorded with Giza 12 cultivar. While, Giza 11 cultivar gave the maximum stem diameter, No. of upper branches plant-1, No. of capsules plant-1, No. of seeds plant-1, seed index, seed yield plant-1, seed yield fed-1, harvest index, oil yield plant-1 and oil yield fed-1. Increasing nitrogen fertilizer rates from 30 up to 70 kg N fed-1 caused significant increases in almost straw, fiber, seed and oil yields and its related traits of flax, on the other hand, fiber fineness which significantly decreased with increasing nitrogen rates. Flax plants growing at 1500 seeds m-2 markedly gave the greatest No. of basal branches plant-1, stem diameter, straw yield plant-1, upper branching zone length, No. of upper branches plant-1, No. of capsules plant-1, No. of seeds plant-1, seed yield plant-1, harvest index, oil yield plant-1 and fiber yield plant-1. Meanwhile, the maximum total plant height, technical stem length, straw yield fed-1, seed yield fed-1, oil yield fed-1, total fiber percentage, fiber yield fed-1, fiber length and fiber fineness were obtained from flax planting at 2500 seeds m-2. The maximum fiber yield were recorded from the interactions among treatments Sakha 3 X 70 kg N fed-1, Sakha 3 X 2500 seeds m-2, 70 kg N fed-1 X 2500 seeds m-2 and Sakha 3 X 70 kg N fed-1 X 2500 seeds m-2. Meanwhile, the maximum seed and oil yields fed-1 were recorded from the interactions between treatments Giza 11 X 70 kg N fed-1, Giza 11 X 2500 seeds m-2, 70 kg N fed-1 X 2500 seeds m-2 and Giza 11 X 70 kg N fed-1 X 2500 seeds m-2. Generally, it could be concluded that Sakha 3 cultivar under soil fertilized by 70 kg N fed-1 with plant density of 2500 seeds m-2 to maximizing fiber yield fed-1, while Giza 11 cultivar with the same rates of nitrogen and plant density to maximizing seed and oil yields fed-1.

Venous malformations (VMs) are ectatic channels which arise as a result of vascular dysmorphogenesis, commonly caused by activating mutations in the endothelial tyrosine kinase receptor (TIE2)/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3Kinase) pathway. With a prevalence of 1% in the general population, and a diverse clinical presentation depending on site, size and tissue involvement, their treatment requires a personalised and multidisciplinary approach. Larger lesions are complicated by local intravascular coagulopathy (LIC) causing haemorrhagic and/or thrombotic complications which can progress to disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC). Methods We performed a literature review using a PubMed® search and identified 15 articles to include. References of these texts were examined to further expand the literature review. Principle findings: Several treatment options have been explored, including compression, sclerotherapy, laser therapy, cryoablation and surgery in addition to the management of LIC with low-molecular-weight-heparin (LMWH) and other anticoagulants. Targeted molecular therapies acting on the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3Kinase)/Protein Kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway are newly emerging. Conclusion Despite a wealth of literature, larger, multi-centric, randomised and prospective trails are required to offer further clarification on the therapeutic management of coagulopathy control and to provide symptomatic benefit to patients with VMs. There should be efforts to provide long term follow up and to use standardised risk stratification tools and quality of life (QOL) questionnaires to aid comparison of agents and treatment protocols.

In our promising project toward discovery of secondary metabolites with potential anticancer activity against human cervical cancer, seven marine organisms were screened for their cytotoxic activit...

Lumpy skin disease is an infectious disease affecting the bovines and caused by Lumpy skin disease virus (LSD virus; LSDV). It is considered an endemic disease in African continent and was recorded in Egypt since 1988. This study aimed to monitor the cattle health condition along the course of the disease through the estimation of biochemical parameters. Besides, investigations on the incriminated strains of LSD virus circulating during outbreak in summer 2019 were performed. One hundred and eighteen cattle of different ages and sex were examined for LSD in some villages of Menoufia Governorate, Egypt. The clinical signs were recorded, and blood chemical analyses were applied on the infected animals. Conventional PCR was used to identify the LSDV using two conservative genes, fusion and P32 coding genes. The infected animals showed typical symptoms of the LSDV infection. Morbidity rates in cattle were high in males (43%) and in 6–12 months of age (44.4%). The hemogram showed significant (P < 0.05) decrease in the count of red blood cells (RBCs) (6.13 ± 0.51× 106/µl), hemoglobin (Hb) (9.07 ± 0.15 g%), hematocrit (HCT) (17.47 ± 0.48%), mean corpuscular volume (MCV) (41.77 ± 0.79fL), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) (13.53 ± 0.29Pg), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) (30.43 ± 0.53g/dL) in infected animals compared with control. The leukocytes showed significant (P < 0.05) increase in the count of white blood cells (WBCs) (15.13 ± 0.03 x103/μl), lymphocyte (LYM) (7.17 ± 0.12 x103/ μl), monocytes and some eosinophil (MID) (2.93 ± 0.08 x103/ μl), and granulocytes (GRAN) (5.03 ± 0.09 x103/ μl) in infected animals. Serum biochemistry of the infected animals showed significant (P < 0.05) increase in all biochemical parameters except serum albumin (2.61 ± 0.35g/dL). Lumpy skin disease virus was detected by Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for both genes and the sequences of the fusion and P32 proteins were deposited in the GenBank by the accession numbers MN699855 and MN699856, respectively. Thus, attention should be directed to the circulating LSDV strain in the field and comparing it with the previously isolated strains. Field practitioners should depend on the blood parameters of the infected animals to select the appropriate remedies.

Study conducted to evaluate the impact of dietary incorporation of chitosan nanoparticles (CsNPs) bio-synthesis and Spirulina platensis on the growth performance and body composition of intensive cultured fingerling of black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) in addition to the effect of the diets on heavy metals concentrations in water of culture cages. Six diets were prepared to contain approximately 44% crude protein and 499 k cal./100 g diet and supplemented by S. platensis and chitosan as follow: T1: control, T2: 0.05% S. platensis, T3: 0.1% S. platensis, T4: 1 ml chitosan, T5: 1 ml chitosan and 0.05% S. platensis and T6: 1 ml chitosan and 0.1% S. platensis. Shrimp fingerlings (1.24 ± 0.01 g) were randomly distributed in 12 hapas at stocking density of 20 fingerlings for each. The hapas were divided into 6 replicate groups and placed in cages. Each group received a kind of the experimental diet twice daily at feeding rate of 5% shrimp biomass for 12 weeks. The results indicated that, the growth parameters; final body weight (FBW g), weight gain (WG g), specific growth rate (SGR%) and survival rate (SR%) were improved significantly all trials compared to the control group. The best values for these parameters were recorded in the group of T5 and T6 without significant differences between them. Shrimp body composition showed the highest protein and fat contents for the group of T5 and T6 with significant differences (P

Bacillus cereus sensu lato (B. cereus s. l.) is a significant cause of food spoilage issue owing to the activity of certain hydrolytic enzymes. This study aimed to detect the incidence and contamination level of meat and chicken products with B. cereus group in Sharkia Governorate, Egypt, with reference to their enterotoxin genes` profiles. Overall, 43 out of 200 (21.5%) examined samples were contaminated by B. cereus group, with identification of only one species, B. cereus. B. cereus group isolates were frequent in chicken samples (25.71%), with the highest incidence in chicken meat (30%) followed by chicken sausage and chicken luncheon (25% each). Meanwhile, they were isolated from 19.23% of examined meat products, which predominated in meat burger (25%), followed by each of meat kofta, shawarma, and luncheon (20% each), minced meat (17.14%) and meat sausage (15%). Of interest, the highest B. cereus count (>104 colony forming units (CFU)/ g) was found in 2% of positive samples, with a higher percent in meat sausage (33.33%). Whereas 15.5% of positive samples harbored B. cereus with counts ranging from >1x103-104 CFU/g. Molecular analysis of B. cereus enterotoxin genes using multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) revealed that both ces and nhe genes were detected in 100% of the examined isolates, while cytk and hbl genes were present only in 9.52% and 23.8% of analyzed isolates, respectively. These findings, involving a higher occurrence of B. cereus and their toxin genes in meat and chicken products represent a serious public health concern in Egypt.