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Background: Since nurses are at the frontline of healthcare delivery, their actions and understanding of the environment have a big impact on how long healthcare systems can last. It is essential to comprehend the elements that impact nurses' sustainability consciousness to encourage ecologically conscious actions in the healthcare industry. Aim: This study aimed to explore the relationship between pro-social leader behaviors and nurses' sustainability consciousness and testify to the mediating role of organizational culture in this relationship. Design: A cross-sectional descriptive correlational design by STROBE criteria was used. Methods and tools: An approach to a judgmental non-probability sampling technique was employed to obtain data from 350 nurses in an Egyptian hospital. Three measurement surveys were employed: Organizational Culture Survey, Prosociality Scale, and, Sustainability Consciousness Questionnaire (SCQ-S). Relationships were shown using structural equation modeling and descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: 53.4% of nurses have high perceptions of organizational culture, and the majority of nurses (85.7%) have high perceptions of prosocial leader behaviors. Furthermore, 60.9% of nurses have high perceptions of sustainability consciousness. Additionally, Prosocial leader behaviors positively correlated with organizational culture (r = 0.129) and nurses' sustainability consciousness (r = 0.274). The indirect effect of prosocial leader behaviors on nurses' sustainability consciousness through organizational culture is calculated by multiplying the coefficients of both direct effects (0.129 * 0.159 = 0.811). This means that for each unit increase in prosocial leader behaviors, we would expect a 0.811 unit increase in nurses' sustainability consciousness through the mediating effect of organizational culture. The model appears to match the data well based on the model fit parameters (CFI = 1.000, IFI = 1.000, RMSEA = 0.114). Conclusions: The study highlights the impact of pro-social leader behaviors on nurses' sustainability consciousness through the organizational culture as a mediating factor. Nursing Implications: Findings from this research can promote environmental stewardship and sustainable practices in the healthcare sector by illuminating the elements that can encourage and support a sustainability-oriented mindset among nurses. To promote a more sustainable future for the nursing profession, the findings can guide activities in nursing education, corporate culture transformation, and leadership development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Climate changes have led to health and environmental risks, so it has become essential to measure climate change literacy among the entire population, especially nursing students. The significant role of nursing students in raising public awareness and future healthcare roles emphasizes assessing the predictors of climate change literacy among nursing students. Aims: This study seeks to identify the predictors of climate change literacy among nursing students in A Multi-Site Survey. Design: A multi-site descriptive cross-sectional study adheres to the guidelines outlined in A Consensus-Based Checklist for Reporting Survey Studies collected for five months, from the 1st of July 2023 to November 2023. The study participants comprise 10,084 nursing students from all 27 governments in Egypt. The researcher used the Predictors of Nursing Students' Climate Change Literacy scale in this study. Data was collected, with 25 min average time to complete. Backward multiple linear regression was used to identify these predictors. Results: In the current study, nursing students demonstrated a moderate understanding of climate science (mean score 14.38), communication and advocacy skills (mean score 14.41), and knowledge of adaptation and mitigation strategies (mean score 13.33). Climate health impacts (mean score 17.72) emerged as the domain with the highest level of knowledge. No significant differences in climate literacy were observed across diverse student backgrounds (all p-values were > 0.05). Perceived faculty knowledge of climate change positively correlated with all four domains of climate literacy and emerged as a significant predictor in multiple linear regression analyses (all p-values were < 0.001). Implication. While our findings highlight significant predictors of climate literacy, it is essential to recognize that these results identify associations rather than causal relationships. Based on these associations, it is recommended that nursing professionals be equipped with comprehensive knowledge of climate adaptation strategies to better advocate for and implement effective public health measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of a comprehensive educational program on preeclamptic women's knowledge, risk perception of cardiovascular disease, self-efficacy, and adherence to healthy lifestyle behaviors. Patients and methods: This study employed a pretest-posttest design. One hundred and two women who previously had preeclampsia were enrolled from July 2022 to December 2022 from outpatient obstetrics, gynecology, and family planning clinics. The primary and secondary outcomes were measured at baseline, after eight weeks, and after three months of the educational intervention. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 23, descriptive and inferential statistics, specifically the Chi-square test, independent t-tests, and repeated measures ANOVA. Results: A statistically significant difference was found between the two groups immediately post-intervention and the three-month follow-up, with a significant improvement among the intervention group than control group regarding cardiovascular disease knowledge (p < 0.001), risk perception (p < 0.001), self-efficacy (p < 0.001), and healthy lifestyle behaviors (p < 0.001). There was a statistically significant interaction between group and time regarding total cardiovascular disease risk perception (F = 203.67, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.673), self-efficacy (F = 70.06, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.405), and adherence to healthy lifestyle behaviors (F = 145.08, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.597). Conclusion: This study concluded that the comprehensive educational program had a positive effect on improving preeclamptic women's knowledge and risk perception of CVD, self-efficacy, and adherence to healthy lifestyle behaviors following preeclampsia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial intelligence (AI) technology has expanded its potential in environmental and renewable energy applications, particularly in the use of artificial neural networks (ANNs) as the most widely used technique. To address the shortage of solar measurement in various places worldwide, several solar radiation methods have been developed to forecast global solar radiation (GSR). With this consideration, this study aims to develop temperature-based GSR models using a commonly utilized approach in machine learning techniques, ANNs, to predict GSR using just temperature data. It also compares the performance of these models to the commonly used empirical technique. Additionally, it develops precise GSR models for five new sites and the entire region, which currently lacks AI-based models despite the presence of proposed solar energy plants in the area. The study also examines the impact of varying lengths of validation datasets on solar radiation models' prediction and accuracy, which has received little attention. Furthermore, it investigates different ANN architectures for GSR estimation and introduces a comprehensive comparative study. The findings indicate that the most advanced models of both methods accurately predict GSR, with coefficient of determination, R2, values ranging from 96% to 98%. Moreover, the local and general formulas of the empirical model exhibit comparable performance at non-coastal sites. Conversely, the local and general ANN-based models perform almost identically, with a high ability to forecast GSR in any location, even during the winter months. Additionally, ANN architectures with fewer neurons in their single hidden layer generally outperform those with more. Furthermore, the efficacy and precision of the models, particularly ANN-based ones, are minimally impacted by the size of the validation data sets. This study also reveals that the performance of the empirical models was significantly influenced by weather conditions such as clouds and rain, especially at coastal sites. In contrast, the ANN-based models were less impacted by such weather variations, with a performance that was approximately 7% better than the empirical ones at coastal sites. The best-developed models, particularly the ANN-based models, are thus highly recommended. They enable the precise and rapid forecast of GSR, which is useful in the design and performance evaluation of various solar applications, with the temperature data continuously and easily recorded for various purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The documentation of moss diversity from Egypt dates back to Delile in 1812. By now the moss flora of Egypt comprises approximately two hundred taxa. Twenty-six of these moss taxa were primarily collected before 1904 as a single record, by foreign scientists, without herbarium specimens, illustration, and description. Expeditions to different phytogeographical territories in Egypt were projected to confirm old reports and record undiscovered taxa. Upon investigation, it was determined that three moss species out of the 26 single records have been confirmed to be present after a century. Fissidens fontanus (Bach. Pyl.) Steud., was the only taxon reported with no locality, in this work, it is reported from Nile Nubia territory raising the total number from this territory to 10. Grimmia orbicularis Bruch ex Wilson and Schistidium apocarpum (Hedw.) Bruch & Schimp are reported from the mountains of South Sinai establishing their habitats in this territory. In addition, the precise locations, descriptions, and photographs of those three taxa are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two field experiments were conducted at the Agricultural Research Farm of the Faculty of Agriculture, New Valley University, New Valley Governorate, Egypt, during the two successful seasons of 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 to study the effect of nitrogen fertilization at rates of 45, 60, 75, and 90 kg N/feddan in the form of urea and foliar spraying with seaweed extract (SWE) at concentrations of 2, 4, and 6 ml/l beside untreated control and their interactions between them on growth, productivity, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), and head quality of lettuce cv. Dark Green, grown in sandy soil. The results clearly demonstrated that the interaction between fertilizing lettuce plants with 90 kg N/fed. and foliar spraying with SWE at 6 ml/l significantly enhanced plant growth parameters, leaf pigments, i.e., chlorophyll a, b, and carotenoides, head traits such as head diameter, head fresh weight, dry matter percentage in leaves, and the total yield (ton/fed.), leaves content of N, P, and K, total soluble solids, and vitamin C in both seasons. Moreover, this interaction treatment scored relative increases about 65.84% acreage of the two seasons over the interaction between fertilizing plants with 45 kg N/fed. and foliar spraying with distilled water (control plants). As for NUE and nitrate concentration in lettuce plants, fertilizing plants with 45 kg N/fed. and foliar spraying with SWE at 6 ml/l record the maximum NUE (average two seasons, 286.35 kg yield/one kg N) and the minimum nitrate concentration in leaves (average two seasons, 174.00 ppm). Despite the use of a high rate of nitrogen fertilization (90 kg/fed.) and spraying lettuce plants with SWE at 6 ml/l, which recorded the maximum yield per feddan, the percentage of nitrate (295.15 average two seasons) that was estimated in the leaves did not reach the maximum permissible limit of nitrates (2 g/kg DW). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wadi El-Natrun is one of the most observable geomorphological features in the North-Western Desert of Egypt; it contains several old saline and saline soda lakes. This study investigates physicochemical and biochemical characteristics and estimates the total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TVC), and bioactivities of sediment, cyanobacteria, and brine shrimp (Artemia salina) in soda lakes, i.e., El-Hamra Lake 1 (H1) and El-Hamra Lake 2 (H2). These soda lakes are unique extreme ecosystems characterized by high pH (> 9.3), high alkalinity, and salinity. Some extremophilic microorganisms are hosted in this ecosystem. The results revealed that the chemical water type of studied lakes is soda-saline lakes according to the calculated percentage sequence of major cations and anions. Sodium ranked first among major cations with an abundance ratio of e% 58, while chloride came first among anions with an abundance ratio of e% 71, and bicarbonate and carbonate occupied the last rank with an abundance of 6%. The biochemical investigations showed that TPC and TVC are present in concern contents of sediment, cyanobacteria, and brine shrimp (A. salina) which contribute 89% of antioxidant capacity and antimicrobial activities. Thus, this study helps better understand the chemical and biochemical adaptations in soda lake ecosystems and explores natural sources with potential applications in antioxidant-rich products and environmental conservation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aspartate aminotransferase (AST) alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ratio, previously considered as a serological parameter for identifying the degree of severity of hepatic fibrosis, is also associated with the prognosis of a variety of diseases, including cardiovascular disease. So, this study aimed to evaluate the value of hepatic transaminases as predictors of in hospital mortality and complications in patients that were admitted for acute coronary syndrome. Patients and Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in the Cardiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University and in the Nasser institute for Research and treatment, Egypt on 200 patients with acute coronary syndrome, patients were divided into three groups; unstable angina (13.5%), NSTEMI (14.5%) and STEMI (72%). Results: There was statistically significant difference in Liver enzymes (AST and ALT) between all groups. Their was significant increase in AST and ALT levels in STEMI group. There was statistically significant increase in Liver enzymes (AST and ALT) in non-survivors group more than in survivors group. There were statistically significant increase in cardiac enzymes (CK-MB and CK), in non-survivors more than in survivors group. There was no statistical significant difference in Alkaline phosphatase in non-survivors more than in survivors group. Conclusion: ACS patients had significantly increased hepatic transaminases levels. Moreover, increased risk of in-hospital all-cause mortality was significantly associated with increased levels of hepatic transaminases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The cultivation of humble leadership skills is crucial for fostering and preserving the direct organizational connection among nurses while also bolstering organizational trust and promoting the resilience of nurses in their work. The research aimed to examine the relation between humble leadership style, organizational trust, and nurse work resilience. Design: A cross-sectional analytical research design was utilized to conduct this study. Setting: The study was conducted at Minia University Hospital and an obstetric and pediatric hospital which are affiliated with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. Subjects: A convenient sample was used in the current study; their total number was 222 nurses. Tools: Humble leadership style practices scale, Organizational Trust Scale, and Resilience at Work Scale (RAW-S). Results: The indicated findings revealed that the majority of nurses exhibited an elevated disposition towards a humble leadership style, nearly two-thirds had a moderate level of organizational trust, and most of them demonstrated resilience in their work environment. Also, a fair, positive association was found between organizational trust and work resilience. Conclusion: A humble Leadership Style as green human resource management effect positively affects organizational trust and work resilience. This is achieved through the establishment of trust among staff nurses, which in turn serves as an indicator for fostering healthy relationships and promoting resilience in the workplace. Recommendation: Managers, nurses, and human resources professionals can all benefit from advice on how to establish rapport with patients and coworkers in a healthcare setting, and administrators of healthcare facilities should prioritize fostering positive relationships between different departments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Critical nitrogen (N) dilution curves are valuable tools for diagnosing N deficiency and managing its levels in plants. The objectives of this study were to establish a critical N dilution curve for maize in Egypt's West Delta region, assess the potential of using it to compute the N nutrition index (NNI) and compare this curve with existing curves for maize in other regions. The experiment was carried out across four site years (2020–2021), with seven N fertilization rates (0–360 kg N ha−1) used to induce variability in plant growth. Aboveground shoot biomass (W; Mg DM [dry matter] ha−1) and N concentration (Nc; g kg−1 DM) were determined on five sampling dates during the growing season. A critical N dilution curve ( N c = 43.022 W − 0.51 ) was developed, which differed moderately from those reported in France, Germany, and China. The NNI computed from this curve recognized both limited and non-limited N nutrition conditions. The findings of progressing NNI suggest that the period between V9 (9th leaf collar fully unfolded) and V12 is critical and that a sufficient supply of N fertilizer is essential. Furthermore, the NNI derived from an independent dataset, utilizing the Nc established in this study, exhibited a strong relationship with the relative grain yield. The relationship was characterized by a linear plateau function, which accounted for 74% of the observed variance. The results of this study will offer dependable guidance for detecting N levels in maize and customizing the application of precision N fertilizers to enhance yield and use efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work studies the direct cost of hip fractures in Egypt. The direct cost was calculated based on the incidence of hip fracture in Egypt retrieved from the national database. The result of this work raises red flags to the policy makers in Egypt that such fragility fractures are preventable, should appropriate approaches be implemented. Background: This study provides an analysis for the healthcare system in Egypt. It was carried out to assess the direct annual cost incurred to the Egyptian healthcare system in 2023 as a result of fragility hip fractures in older adult Egyptians. Results: The direct costs of hip fractures incurred during the first year after the injury were estimated at 1,969,385,000 Egyptian pounds (US $63,734,142.4). Time from fracture to surgery was 2.2 + 0.5 days. The average hospital stay after hip fracture surgery was 5.2 + 2.6 days. 4.5% of patients died after surgery, on average 2.3 + 0.4 months. After being discharged from the hospital, all patients needed home care. Conclusion: Hip fractures have a significant clinical and financial impact on patients and the healthcare system. This study raises red flags for the healthcare policy makers in Egypt, as the financial burden due to the direct costs of hip fractures justifies extensive prevention programs for osteoporosis and fragility fractures. There is an urgent need to implement diagnostic approaches and validated management protocols for bone health disorders and its associated fractures in Egypt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wadi El Natrun is an elongated narrow depression in the Western Desert of Egypt. The depression characterized by many ancient alkaline salt lakes. These lakes are filled with water in winter and dried up in summer. Recently, some lakes become permanently dried, while others become submerged throughout the year as El Bieda Lake. El Bieda Lake has undergone ecological changes due to the prolonged extraction of minerals and the continual discharging of freshwater. This study investigates the recent biotic and abiotic changes of this lake and discusses its fisheries opportunities. The lake's water is well-oxygenated, rich with different inorganic nutrients, and characterized by a low salinity. Sodium and chloride ion concentrations are lower than the equivalent surface seawater, while magnesium, calcium, potassium, sulfate, and bicarbonate ions are higher. The lake has low plankton species richness with high biomass and high nutritional values. More recently, two cichlid species, Oreochromis aureus and Coptodon zillii, have colonized the lake. Summer characterized by a very low mortality for Oreochromis aureus and a poor representation of Coptodon zillii. However, both species shared the catch the rest of the year. The high biomass and nutritional quality of plankton communities, as well as the dense phytobenthic film, indicate that the lake is currently below its carrying capacity. The well-oxygenated water, high biomass of plankton and phytobenthic diatoms, and the expected changes in salinity suggest that introducing the euryhaline, commercially valuable, and fast-growing Mugil cephalus or Chelon ramada in El Bieda Lake is highly advisable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obtaining precise solar radiation data is the first stage in determining the availability of solar energy. It is also regarded as one of the major inputs for a variety of solar applications. Due to the scarcity of solar radiation measurement data for many locations throughout the world, many solar radiation models are utilized to predict global solar radiation. Indeed, the most widely used AI technique is artificial neural networks (ANNs). Hitherto, while ANNs have been utilized in various studies to estimate global solar radiation (GSR), limited attention has been given to the architecture of ANN. Thus, this study aimed to: first, optimize the design of one of the faster and most used machine-learning (ML) algorithms, the ANN, to forecast GSR more accurately while saving computation power; second, optimize the number of neurons in the hidden layer to obtain the most significant ANN model for accurate GSR estimation, since it is still lacking; in addition to investigating the impact of varying the number of neurons in the hidden layer on the proficiency of the ANN-based model to predict GSR with high accuracy; and, finally, conduct a comparative study between the ANN and empirical techniques for estimating GSR. The results showed that the best ANN model and the empirical model provided an excellent estimation for the GSR, with a Coefficient of Determination R 2 greater than 0.98%. Additionally, ANN architectures with a smaller number of neurons in the single hidden layer (1–3 neurons) provided the best performance, with R 2 > 0.98%. Furthermore, the performance of the developed ANN models remained approximately stable and excellent when the number of hidden layer's neurons was less than ten neurons ( R 2 > 0.97%), as their performance was very close to each other. However, the ANN models experienced performance instability when the number of hidden layer's neurons exceeded nine neurons. Furthermore, the performance comparison between the best ANN-based model and the empirical one revealed that both models performed well ( R 2 > 0.98%). Moreover, while the relative error for the best ANN model slightly exceeded the range, ±10% in November and December, it remained within the range for the empirical model even in the winter months. Additionally, the obtained results of the best ANN model in this work were compared with the recent related work. While it had a good RMSE value of 0.8361 MJ/m2 day−1 within the ranges of previous work, its correlation coefficient (r) was the best one. Therefore, the developed models in this study can be utilized for accurate GSR forecasting. The accurate and efficient estimation of global solar radiation using both models can be valuable in designing and performance evaluation for different solar applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM)-producing K. pneumoniae poses a high risk, especially among Egyptian pediatric patients who consume carbapenems antibiotics very widely and without adequate diagnostic sources. In addition, presence of efflux pump genes such as OqxAB increases resistance against many groups of antimicrobials which exacerbates the problem faced for human health. This study aimed to determine NDM variants among K. pneumoniae strains isolated from pediatric patients in Egypt, analyze the presence of OqxAB genes, and molecular characterization of blaNDM-5-positive K. pneumoniae.Methods: Fifty-six K. pneumoniae isolates were recovered from pediatric patients, and tested for carbapenemase by modified carbapenem inactivation methods (mCIM) test. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of meropenem and colistin were determined by meropenem E-test strips and broth microdilution, respectively. PCR was used for the detection of the resistant genes (ESBL gene (blaCTX-M), carbapenemase genes (blaNDM, blaKPC) colistin resistant (mcr1, mcr2)) and genes for efflux pump (oqxA and oqxB). BlaNDM was sequenced. The effect of efflux pump in NDM-5-producing isolates was assessed by measuring MIC of ciprofloxacin and meropenem before and after exposure to the carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP). The horizontal gene transfer ability of blaNDM-5 was determined using liquid mating assay and PCR-based replicon typing (PBRT) was done to determine the major plasmid incompatibility group.Results: Twenty-nine isolates were positive for blaNDM-1, nine isolates were positive for blaNDM-5, and 15 isolates were positive for blaKPC. There is a significant increase of meropenem MIC of NDM-5-positive isolates compared with NDM-1-positive isolates. In addition, 38 isolates were positive for CTX-M, and 15 isolates were positive for mcr1. Both OqxA and OqxB were detected in 26 isolates and 13 isolates were positive for OqxA while 11 isolates were positive for OqxB only. All NDM-5-producing isolates except one isolate could transfer their plasmids by conjugation to their corresponding transconjugants (E. coli J53). Plasmid replicon typing showed that FII was predominant in NDM-5-producing K. pneumoniae. Similar strains were found between the three isolates and similarity was also detected between the two isolates.Conclusion: The highly resistant K. pneumoniae producing blaNDM-5 type was firstly isolated from pediatric patients. The association of efflux pump genes such as OqxAB is involved in resistance to ciprofloxacin. This highlighted the severity risk of blaNDM-5-positive K. pneumonia as it could transfer blaNDM-5 to other bacteria and has more resistance against carbapenems. This underlines the importance of continuous monitoring of infection control guidelines, and the urgent need for a national antimicrobial stewardship plan in Egyptian hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Controlling avian influenza viruses (AIVs) is mainly based on culling of the infected bird flocks or via the implementation of inactivated vaccines in countries where AIVs are considered to be endemic. Over the last decade, several avian influenza virus subtypes, including highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 clade 2.2.1.2, H5N8 clade 2.3.4.4b and the recent H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b, have been reported among poultry populations in Egypt. This demanded the utilization of a nationwide routine vaccination program in the poultry sector. Antigenic differences between available avian influenza vaccines and the currently circulating H5Nx strains were reported, calling for an updated vaccine for homogenous strains. In this study, three H5Nx vaccines were generated by utilizing the reverse genetic system: rgH5N1_2.3.4.4, rgH5N8_2.3.4.4 and rgH5N1_2.2.1.2. Further, the immunogenicity and the cross-reactivity of the generated inactivated vaccines were assessed in the chicken model against a panel of homologous and heterologous H5Nx HPAIVs. Interestingly, the rgH5N1_2.3.4.4 induced high immunogenicity in specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chicken and could efficiently protect immunized chickens against challenge infection with HPAIV H5N1_2.3.4.4, H5N8_2.3.4.4 and H5N1_2.2.1.2. In parallel, the rgH5N1_2.2.1.2 could partially protect SPF chickens against infection with HPAIV H5N1_2.3.4.4 and H5N8_2.3.4.4. Conversely, the raised antibodies to rgH5N1_2.3.4.4 could provide full protection against HPAIV H5N1_2.3.4.4 and HPAIV H5N8_2.3.4.4, and partial protection (60%) against HPAIV H5N1_2.2.1.2. Compared to rgH5N8_2.3.4.4 and rgH5N1_2.2.1.2 vaccines, chickens vaccinated with rgH5N1_2.3.4.4 showed lower viral shedding following challenge infection with the predefined HPAIVs. These data emphasize the superior immunogenicity and cross-protective efficacy of the rgH5N1_2.3.4.4 in comparison to rgH5N8_2.3.4.4 and rgH5N1_2.2.1.2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The natural radiometric data revealed that eU and eTh-contents of mylonite rocks reach up to 464 and 1283 ppm, respectively. The studied mineralised mylonites are enriched in thorite, ishikawite and zircon as well as other accessories (ferrocolumbite, xenotime, fergusonite, synchysite, cassetrite, apatite, fluorite, galena and barite). Ishikawaite is considered as the almost enriched mineral in uranium contents, whereas UO2 ranges from 31.02 to 50.78 wt%. The higher concentrations of UO2 reached up to 15.88 wt% and ThO2 up to 4.32 wt% related to metamictization of columbite. Some zircon crystals possess higher values of HfO2 reached up to 6.38 wt% could be affected by hydrothermal activity. Both xenotime and fergusonite are enriched in HREE (average ∑HRE2O3 31.19 and 14.1 wt%, respectively) whereas synchysite is main LREE bearing mineral (average ∑LRE2O3 55.78 wt%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to assess the public's perspectives and the health institutions' readiness for telehealth utilization in Egypt. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was employed, and data were collected from a convenient sample of 800 Egyptian citizens and 26 nursing administrators and information technology personnel from 16 governmental hospitals and 10 private hospitals between January and March 2022. The Egyptian community utilization of telehealth questionnaire and the telemedicine hospital readiness assessment were used to collect the data. Results: The results revealed that 35.1% of the general Egyptian population used telehealth services and 43% expressed willingness to use them in future. As perceived by the general Egyptian population, the most prevalent barriers to telehealth utilization were communication barriers (97.6%), lack of confidence in health professionals (77.6%), technological limitations (72.5%), the need for physical examination (25%), and privacy concerns (10%). Regarding hospital readiness, 42% of governmental hospitals were not taking any initiative to implement telehealth services, and 15.4% were at the beginner level, meaning that some steps had been taken. However, the hospital was still far from being able to implement telehealth services. In contrast, private hospitals were either at the beginner or advanced level. Conclusion: Although the use of telehealth services in Egypt has increased, there is a need to address the barriers to public utilization and improve hospitals' readiness to implement telehealth services to enhance public usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Epidemiology of MS in Sharkia is not properly recognized. Clinical evaluation including demographic, laboratory and radiological features of MS patients will help to achieve better understanding of the distribution of disease for a good management that offers better quality of life. This clinical study aims at detection and evaluation of multiple sclerosis patients in Sharkia Governorate in Egypt. Methods: This was a retrospective, observational study undertaken in the period between January 2021 and July 2021 in the multiple sclerosis unit (MSU), outpatient clinics of the neurology department, Zagazig University Hospitals. Medical records of all patients were reviewed and data were identified and extracted. Any patient not from or living outside Sharkia Governorate had excluded. Results: The total number of patients recorded in MSU was 258 patients. Female to male ratio was 2.03:1. The mean age (± SD) of onset of the disease was 27 (± 4.3). Family history of MS was reported in 1.94% of patients. RRMS was the most common MS type in our study (77.1%). The overall are suffering from motor symptoms (22.48%), followed by the visual (20.5%) then sensory symptoms (17%). The mean (± SD) EDSS score of our patients was 2.17 (±1.87). Conclusion: This is the first MS register from Sharkia Governorate. The frequency of MS in Sharkia Governorate is 3.376 / 100,000 population. The most common type is RRMS, and the motor symptoms are the most frequent presenting symptoms. Our results are comparable to the results of other literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Application of a dose of fertilizer nitrogen (N) at sowing of wheat is a widely adopted management strategy in Egypt and several wheat growing regions in the world. The objective of this investigation was to study the effect of delaying the application of this dose on yield and N use efficiency. The treatments in the field experiment conducted in 2018/19 consisted of applying 150, 200, 250 and 300 kg N ha−1 in three equal split doses. In the second experiment conducted in 2019/20, 200 and 250 kg N ha−1 were applied in three unequal split doses. In both the experiments, the first split dose was applied at 0, 10 or 20 days after sowing (DAS) while second and third split doses were applied at 30 and 50 DAS, respectively. The data indicated that applying the first dose of N at 0 DAS resulted in highest N uptake levels at 20 DAS. However, N uptake at later stages dramatically changed to reach highest when applying the first dose at 20 or 10 DAS. This was significantly reflected on grain yield and N use efficiency. For example, when a total of 250 kg N ha−1 was applied in the second season, postponing the first dose from 0 to 20 DAS resulted in an increase of 10.5% in grain yield and 10% in N recovery efficiency. Thus, this study reveals that delaying application of the first dose of fertilizer N up to 20 DAS of wheat can result in increased fertilizer use efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Egypt, pharmaceuticals consumption increased dramatically owing to the population growth and the unrestricted sale manner. Accordingly, the occurrence and fate of nine common pharmaceutical active compounds (PhACs) were scrutinized at a sewage treatment plant (STP) in Giza, Egypt. The levels of these PhACs were assessed in different the wastewater treatment stages and dewatered sludge phase using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode arrays detector. The average concentrations of the total PhACs detected in influent, primary sedimentation effluent (PSE) and final effluent (FE) were 227, 155 and 89 µg L−1, respectively. The overall removal efficiency of the individual PhACs ranged from 18 to 72% removal. The occurrence trend revealed that biodegradation and adsorption are the concurrently removal mechanisms of the studied PhACs. The overall consumption per day in West of Greater Cairo was estimated based on influent concentration of STP. Sulfamethoxazole, paracetamol and diclofenac were detected with the highest levels in the influent of STP, PSE and FE as well as in the dewatered sludge. Furthermore, the high concentrations of these compounds in the sludge confirm the adsorption pathway removal of theses PhACs. The risk quotient (RQ) assessment for the detected PhACs in FE is greatly higher than the predicted non-effect concentration (PNEC). Conclusively, the FE of STP is considered a risky source for PhACs in adjacent surface water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arab early career researchers (ECRs) are strongly encouraged to actively participate in scholarly communication activities, as it not only enhances their academic standing but also facilitates career advancement and garnering recognition from both the scientific community and the broader public. Nevertheless, the constantly evolving landscape of scholarly communication has imposed significant challenges on researchers. This paper is dedicated to an examination of the scholarly communication practices of early career researchers in Egypt, with the overarching objective of providing insights into the transformations occurring within the scholarly communication framework, particularly within the context of developing nations. In our paper, we employed a quantitative research design to scrutinize the scholarly communication system in Egypt. This endeavor encompassed the distribution of questionnaires to early career researchers hailing from prominent Egyptian universities, resulting in a total of 441 respondents representing various academic institutions across the country. Our analysis revealed that junior scholars predominantly adhere to conventional scholarly methodologies in their research pursuits. This conformity is, in part, attributed to the promotion system in Egypt, which places considerable emphasis on established practices, such as single-author publication, while discouraging the utilization of informal channels for garnering recognition and accolades. The findings of this study furnish us with a more profound comprehension of the prevailing scholarly system in Egypt, which in turn can serve as a foundation for potential system enhancement. It is imperative to acknowledge, however, that this study is not without limitations. The response rate could not be precisely quantified due to the online dissemination of the questionnaires, and the distribution of respondents across diverse scholarly disciplines exhibited significant disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green roofs are an effective way to solve many environmental problems. New cities in Egypt have recently suffered from increasing energy consumption as a result of increasing construction density resulting from population growth, which has decreased green spaces in Egyptian cities. This paper aims to improve the energy consumption of cooling and heating energy in social housing in new urban cities in Egypt, reduce high temperatures inside and outside building, and decrease the urban heat island effect. To achieve these aims, the study suggests a method that is based on modifying the traditional roof of residential construction in Egypt by converting it to a green roof. An integrated analysis model including a strategy shows the environmental and climatic benefits of using green roofs to provide the external outdoor temperature of social housing buildings. The result revealed that green roofs, which are used by 50% of green roofs in traditional buildings, were shown to be efficient in reducing annual energy consumption by 12% and decreasing the average temperature inside buildings by 2.44°C, whereas the average temperature outside was reduced by 3°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clade 2.3.4.4 H5Nx influenza viruses have further diversified into several subclades. Sub-clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 viruses have been widely circulating in wild birds and detected in Europe, Africa, Asia, and North America since October 2020. In this study, we report the first detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b viruses in wild birds and domestic ducks from live bird markets in Egypt. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the Egyptian H5N1 virus retained the genomic composition of Eurasian strains. Mutations in the viral proteins associated with zoonotic potential and pathogenicity were detected in Egyptian isolates. Egypt is considered a hot spot for the evolution of the influenza virus, so active surveillance of avian influenza viruses in Egypt is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scientific controversy among archaeologists about the existence of paleochannels under the Abydos archaeological site, Sohag, Egypt connecting the Osirion (cenotaph of Seti I) with the Nile River has been explained in this study. This study is an attempt to address this issue using integrating a near-surface geophysical approach with stable isotopic geochemistry on this site. Particularly, the stable oxygen and hydrogen isotopes on the water samples collected from the surface and the groundwater in the study area were analyzed and interpreted. The isotopes result showed that the Osirion water is a mixture of three different types of water: Old Nile Water (ONW) before the construction of the High Dam, Recent Nile Water (RNW) after the construction of the High Dam, and Paleowater (PW) from deeper aquifers. Field observations of the Osirion and nearby water cannot explain the presence and direction of this water. Therefore, the next step in this study is determining the location and the direction of the paleochannel connecting the Osirion with the Nile River which was proven using the electric resistivity tomography (ERT) technique. By using the results of the isotope of all types of water near the Osirion and its surrounding wells and the water of the Nile River, in addition to the near-surface geophysical measurements, the results indicated that the 3D view of the ERT data revealed a prospective paleochannel in the direction of the northeast and its location, where this channel is in charge of providing groundwater from the Nile River to the Osirion location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smart city policy has been employed through the last two decades to accommodate the urban modifications, which utilize information technology, innovation, and smart management for urban governance. The study aims to discuss the case study for the Egyptian condition's smart city model and policy, using policy narrative analysis for the fourth‐generation cities and the pioneer model. From a policy perspective, the Egyptian smart city model's contribution has received little attention from previous studies dealing with the smart city in the Egyptian context. Therefore, the present research explores presenting and discuss the Egyptian smart city model as an innovation development policy perspective. The analysis employs The new administrative capital as a case study. The policy documents and the online interview with Administrative Capital for Urban Development Company officials have been used. Our findings found that the NAC might be the successful path for the smart city model inside the Egyptian context, considering some implementation policy recommendations. The NAC's innovative components deem a prompt to invigorate the regional and national levels' innovation process. The Egyptian case study's smart city model uses a holistic strategy with a quadruple helix to develop the urban system to attract knowledge and innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, well logs and well test data of both conventional build-up tests and Mini-DST from different oil and gas fields are utilized to evaluate the effects of uncertainty in petrophysics and test techniques on well test results. This includes producing wells from the Nile Delta and Western Desert-Egypt together with published results from West Qurna oil field-Iraq. Results indicated that permeability is strongly dependent on petrophysics interpretation, particularly pay thickness, while the radius of investigation is significantly dependent on fluid properties, especially compressibility. The skin factor calculations showed great sensitivity towards the pressure measurements with medium influences on porosity and oil viscosity. The calculations of Mini DST and Build-up test are compared within the uncertainty context for effective permeability, radius of investigation, and skin factor, and the findings are discussed in detail. In all cases, error analysis indicated that well test results and interpretation of conventional build up data are largely stable and may reduce overall uncertainty to 30% of the corresponding Mini-DST results/interpretation. The results of this study not only characterize each input parameter involved in the interpretation of well test data but also confirms the superiority of conventional build-up on Mini-DST techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses are circulating in lots of avian species, causing major outbreaks in both wild and domestic poultry. Since its first emergence in 2014, clade 2.3.4.4 H5N8 viruses widely spread in the world resulting in enormous economic losses. In Egypt, the newly emerging high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N8 viruses have been detected in domestic poultry and in wild birds since the 2016/2017 winter season. AI H5N8 is cocirculating with LP H9N2 and HP H5N1 in the Egyptian environment. Poultry vaccination strategy in Egypt is based on commercially available H5 vaccines as an essential control policy, while the majority of commercial avian influenza H5 vaccines utilized in Egypt are not effective against H5N8 viruses. The present study included 3 experimental H5N8 inactivated vaccines based on the 2 major antigenic proteins of the currently circulating strain A/chicken/Egypt/Q16684C/2019 (H5N8), and the internal segments of the A/PR/8/1934 (H1N1) virus. Then, the protective efficacy of the three forms of inactivated vaccines (HAH5N8+7PR8, NAH5N8+7PR8 and HA, NAH5N8+6PR8) were compared regarding the parental PR8 virus in vaccinated specific pathogen free chickens. The NAH5N8+6PR8 as well as HAH5N8+7PR8 and HA vaccines showed the highest protection capacity of challenged SPF chickens and were able to elicit the highest titers of virus-neutralizing antibodies. Thus, a continuous active surveillance strategy is needed to determine the most dominant circulating strain and updating of vaccine seed strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first detected in Egypt in February 2020. Data about the prevalence rates of the SARS-CoV-2 lineages are relatively scarce. To understand the genetic characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 in Egypt during several waves of the pandemic, we analyzed sequences of 1256 Egyptian SARS-CoV-2 full genomes from March 2020 to May 2021. From one wave to the next, dominant strains have been observed to be replaced by other dominant strains. We detected an emerging lineage of SARS-CoV-2 in Egypt that shares mutations with the variant of concern (VOC). The neutralizing capacity of sera collected from cases infected with C.36.3 against dominant strains detected in Egypt showed a higher cross reactivity of sera with C.36.3 compared to other strains. Using in silico tools, mutations in the spike of SARS-CoV-2 induced a difference in binding affinity to the viral receptor. The C.36 lineage is the most dominant SARS-CoV-2 lineage in Egypt, and the heterotrophic antigenicity of SARS-CoV-2 variants is asymmetric. These results highlight the value of genetic and antigenic analyses of circulating strains in regions where published sequences are limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat is a strategic crop in Egypt. Its local consumption is increasing continuously accordingly; Egypt has become the largest wheat importer worldwide. The sustainable approach for increasing wheat productivity is probably through organic additives. For this reason, animal, chicken and plant residues were collected from an experimental farm for preparation of (1) plant residue compost (PRC) via composting a mixture of air-dried and chopped rice and soybean straw at a rate of 1:1 and (2) animal residue compost (ARC) via composting a mixture of chicken and cattle manure at a rate of 1:1. The main aim of this study is to compare between the implications of amending a clayey soil with animal versus plant residues for improving soil physical and chemical characteristics. Also, this study considers the changes in soil fertility owing to these additives, hence their outcomes on wheat growth and productivity. To achieve this goal, a field investigation was conducted following a split-split design in which the two types of composts were plotted in main plots while the rates of compost application (15 and 25 Mg per hectare) were plotted in subplots. Non-amended control plots were also included for data comparison. All plots were cultivated with wheat seeds in winter 2018 and received the recommended doses of NPK fertilizers to compare between the two types of composts as conditioners not as fertilizers. The experiment lasted for 160 days until maturity. All composts improved considerably soil physical (soil bulk density, total porosity, saturated hydraulic conductivity and penetration resistance) and chemical (soil organic matter and CEC) characterises, especially with increasing their rate of application. In this concern, the results of the two types of composts were comparable. Also, these additives boosted grain and straw yields, yield components (spike length, spike weight, number of spikelets/spike, 100-grain weight). Moreover, they enriched soils with N, P, K, Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu in available forms; hence raised their contents within wheat shoots and grains, with superiority for ARC versus PRC. There were significant positive correlations between shoot and grain yields in relation to the nutritional status of these plant parts. Accordingly, organic additives, especially animal residues, should be included in the coming sustainable approaches for increasing wheat production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: H1N1 and H3N2 influenza A viruses circulate in people as seasonal influenza viruses. Data on influenza infection rates and circulation in demographic subpopulations in Egypt are limited. In this study, we aimed to determine the incidence and seroprevalence of seasonal influenza A virus infections in a cohort of rural Egyptians between 2017 and 2020. Methods: A total of 2383 subjects were enrolled from 390 households in five study sites in Northern Egypt. Informed consents were obtained. Sera were collected from participants on an annual basis (Baseline: 2016–2017, Follow up 1: 2017–2018, Follow up 2: 2018–2019, and Follow up 3: 2019–2020) to determine seroprevalence of antibodies against H1N1 and H3N2 viruses by hemagglutination inhibition assay and to estimate incidence based on seroconversion. Results: Seropositivity against H1N1 was over 40% and over 60% against H3N2. The high seroprevalence was due to natural infection because participants were mostly unvaccinated. Seropositive participants were younger than seronegative participants indicating that the infection rate is higher in children. Incidence of both viruses ranged from 4% to 28% depending on study year. The incidence and seroprevalence of H3N2 and H1N1 infections at Follow up 1, 2, and 3 showed an increase at Follow up 2 observed for all age categories corresponding to season 2018–2019, at which the vaccine efficacy was the lowest worldwide compared with preceding and following seasons. Conclusions: This cohort study provided estimates of influenza A infection rates among rural Egyptians. We recommend updating influenza vaccination programs to focus on such populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the compositional and functional characteristics of T1DM-associated gut microbiota in two Egyptian cities and to study the geographical locality effects. Patients and Methods: This case-control study included 32 children with controlled T1DM and 16 controls, selected from two different regions of Egypt. The gut microbiota of both diabetic and control children was analyzed through 16S rRNA gene sequencing; this was done using the Illumina MiSeq platform. Results: Consistent findings among the diabetic children included significantly lower alpha diversity than the control children, as well as a lower mean Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes (F/B) ratio, and reduced proportions of Firmicutes and the genera Prevotella and Ruminococcus. In the diabetic children, there were also significantly enriched representations of Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Proteobacteria and the genera Lactobacilli, Bacteroides, and Faecalibacterium. When comparing the two diabetic groups, the Ismailia group (IsDM) was found to have a significantly higher F/B ratio and diversity indices, with resultant differences at the functional level. Conclusion: There are a number of consistent changes in the microbiota profile characterizing the diabetic groups irrespective of the geographical location including significantly lower alpha diversity, mean Firmicutes/ Bacteroidetes (F/B) ratio, and reduced proportions of Firmicutes and genera Prevotella and Ruminococcus. There are also significantly enriched representations of Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Proteobacteria and genera Lactobacilli, Bacteroides, and Faecalibacterium pointing to the greater driving power of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From 2010 to 2013, genotype I avian influenza A(H9N2) viruses of the G1-lineage were isolated from several poultry species in Egypt. In 2014, novel reassortant H9N2 viruses were detected in pigeons designated as genotype II. To monitor the subsequent genetic evolution of Egyptian A(H9N2) viruses, we characterized the full genomes of 173 viruses isolated through active surveillance from 2017 to 2022. In addition, we compared the virological characteristics and pathogenicity of representative viruses. Phylogenetic analysis of the HA indicated that all studied sequences from 2017–2021 were grouped into G1-like H9N2 viruses previously detected in Egypt. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the Egyptian A(H9N2) viruses had undergone further reassortment, inheriting four genes (PB2, PB1, PA, NS) from genotype II, with their remaining segments deriving from genotype I viruses (these viruses designated as genotype III). Studying the virological features of the two most dominant genotypes (I and III) of Egyptian H9N2 viruses in vitro and in vivo indicated that both replicated well in mammalian cells, but did not show any clinical signs in chickens, ducks, and mice. Monitoring avian influenza viruses through surveillance programs and understanding the genetic and antigenic characteristics of circulating H9N2 viruses are essential for risk assessment and influenza pandemic preparedness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2000, two lineages of influenza B viruses, Victoria and Yamagata, have been circulating at similar frequencies worldwide. Little is known about the circulation of those viruses in Egypt. This study aims to describe the epidemiology of influenza B virus infections in Egypt, 2017–2019. This was performed through a household prospective cohort study on influenza infections among 2400 individuals from five villages. When a study participant had influenza like symptoms, a nasal swab and an oropharyngeal swab were obtained and tested by RT-PCR for influenza B infections. A serum sample was obtained from all participants annually to detect neutralizing antibodies using microneutralization assay. 9.1% of subjects were positive for influenza B viruses during season 2017–2018 mostly among preschoolers and 7.6% were positive during the season 2018–2019 with higher risk in females, potentially due to mothers being infected after contact with their children. The overall seroprevalence among the participants was 53.2% and 52.2% against the Victoria and Yamagata lineages respectively, the majority of seropositive participants were students. Multivariate analysis showed that age and having chronic diseases were the strongest predictors of infection. Our results show that both influenza B lineages circulated between 2017 and 2020 in Egypt almost in equal proportion. Encouraging the uptake of seasonal influenza vaccines is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MAIZE (Zea mays L.) is the third-most significant cereal grain in Egypt, although it is susceptible to water stress, which results in substantial losses in both productivity and quality. A set of 100 S1-lines along with their top-crosses using two testers were evaluated under normal and water stress conditions. We used line × tester to evaluate general (GCA) and specific (SCA) combining ability effects for Days to 50% anthesis, Days to 50% silking, and Anthesis silking interval. Results of line × tester analysis showed highly significant differences among parents, crosses vs parents under normal and water stress condition. Both lines and testers showed significant and non-significant differences. Finally, line × tester analysis showed significant differences for Days to 50% anthesis and non-significant differences for Days to 50% silking under normal and water stress condition while, anthesis silking interval trait showed non-significant differences under normal condition and significant differences under water stress condition. Broad sense heritability values for the aforementioned traits were higher under water stress compared to those under normal condition. The high values of broad sense heritability make the selection process easier for the plant breeder and more accurate as the phenotype reflects its genotype. Our findings suggested that dominance genes predominately regulate the aforementioned traits. In conclusion, these S1-lines could be promising as a base for developing early-maturity and drought tolerant hybrids. This will help avoiding water stress events during growing season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a public health burden that creates a strain not only on individuals, but also on the economy. Treatment-resistant depression in the course of major depressive disorder represents a clinically challenging condition that is defined as insufficient response to two or more antidepressant trails with antidepressants of the same or different classes that were administered at adequate daily doses for at least 4 weeks. Objective/Hypothesis: To develop a treatment guideline for Treatment Resistant Depression (TRD). Methodology: Experts in the field gathered and reviewed the available evidence about the subject. Then, a series of meetings were held to create recommendations that can be utilized by Egyptian psychiatrists. Results: The guidelines provide recommendations in various clinical settings. It evaluates different situations, such as patients at risk of resistance, those with resistance and recommends strategies to resolve the clinical case. Conclusion: The consensus guidelines will improve the outcomes of patients, as they provide recommendations across various domains that are of concern for the practicing psychiatrist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exercise (Ex) shares the first-line approach with pharmacological inhibitors of phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5-Is), including tadalafil, in the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) in obese men. The effect of elliptical training (ET) on ED was not questioned in the literature. This study aimed to clarify the effect of adding a 2-month consequent continuous and interval ET to once-daily 5-mg tadalafil administration on ED in obese men. Sixty obese men aged 34–56 years with ED were randomly assigned to the Ex group (n = 30) and the non-Ex group (n = 30). Both groups received 8-week oral tadalafil administration (five-milligram tablet, one time/day). Ex group only received a 1-h concurrent interval and continuous ET (three times/week for 2 months). Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), insulin, body mass index (BMI), the circumference of the waist (WC), systolic blood pressure (SBP), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), triglycerides (TG), Five-Item Version of International Index of Erectile Dysfunction (IIEF-5), and fasting blood glucose (FBG) were screened before and after the trial. A significant statistical difference of all measures was ascertained from the within-Ex-group comparison (P < 0.05) while this significance was not achieved from the within-comparison of the non-Ex group (except IIEF-5 which showed a significant difference, P < 0.05). The established post-intervention comparison between Ex and non-Ex groups exhibited a non-significant difference in BMI, HDL, and WC while other variables exhibited a statistically-significant difference in favor of the Ex group. Adding 1-h consequent continuous and interval ET to tadalafil drug is a highly efficient procedure in improving ED than tadalafil alone in obese men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Egypt, the endemicity of avian influenza viruses is a serious concern. Since 2016, several outbreaks of H5N8 have been recorded among domestic poultry in various areas of the country. Active surveillance of domestic poultry across several governorates in Egypt from 2017 to 2021 detected at least six genotypes of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N8 viruses with evidence of partial or complete annual replacement of dominant strains. Although all Egyptian H5N8 viruses had clade 2.3.4.4b hemagglutinin (HA) genes, the remaining viral gene segments were from multiple geographic origins, indicating that the H5N8 isolates resulted from multiple introductions. Mutations in the viral proteins associated with pathogenicity and antiviral drug resistance were detected. Some mutations in the HA resulted in antigenic drift. Heterogeneity in circulating H5N8 HPAI threatens poultry production and public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Characterization of water quality in Lake Qarun indicated that the water is very poor for irrigation and aquatic life. At the same time, the bacterial community was represented mainly by five bacterial phyla with different proportions: Firmicutes (53%), Proteobacteria (33%), Bacteroidetes (7%), Actinobacteria (5%) and Thermi (1%). Furthermore, metagenomes prediction of bacterial communities using PICRUSt indicated important functional gene families associated with metabolism, environmental information, genetic information processing, and cellular processes. It is worth noting that Benzoate degradation had the highest average relative abundance, followed by aminobenzoate degradation among 18 individual KEGG pathways from xenobiotics biodegradation and metabolism which showed higher relative abundance. The obtained data indicate that a different source of pollution in Qarun Lakes has an impact on the bacterial community’s structure, as well as the biota and is expected to cause health problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring the relationship between grain yield and heading date traits and their stability parameters at phenotypic, genetic, and molecular levels is the milestone for improving yield and adaptation in barley. We evaluated a mapping population comprising 298 doubled haploid lines in multienvironmental trials in Egypt. Composite interval mapping revealed 35 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) with four pleiotropic QTLs. A major QTL bPb‐9110 (140.3 cM on 3H) with a peak LOD greater than 24 was found to be associated with the stability statistics bi and R2 of heading date. Additionally, the marker bPb‐1213 on 1H was correlated to heading date, grain yield, and the statistic bi (GYP). We also found that the gene HvFT4 (2H, 66 cM) had a significant impact on the heading date due to the presence of exotic alleles. This gene was closely linked to the photoperiod Ppd‐H1 gene by 24.9 cM, and both genes play a major role in regulating flowering time in barley. Our results provide evidence that stability statistics pinpoint genetic control and appear promising for marker‐assisted selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Reported laboratory‐confirmed COVID‐19 cases underestimate the true burden of disease as cases without laboratory confirmation, and asymptomatic and mild cases are missed by local surveillance systems. Population‐based seroprevalence studies can provide better estimates of burden of disease by taking into account infections that were missed by surveillance systems. Additionally, little is known about the determinants of seroconversion in community settings. Methods: We conducted a cross‐sectional serologic survey among 888 participants in Egypt. Results: Neutralizing antibodies were detected in 30% of study volunteers. Age and educational level were associated with being seropositive as people older than 70 years and people with graduate degrees had lower seroprevalence. Self‐reporting cases having COVID‐19‐related symptoms such as fever, malaise, headache, dyspnea, dry cough, chest pain, diarrhea, and loss of taste or smell were all associated with having antibodies. Fever and loss of taste or smell were strong predictors with odds ratios of 2.1 (95% confidence interval: 1.3–3.5) and 4.5 (95% confidence interval: 2.6–7.8), respectively. Conclusions: Our results can guide COVID‐19 prevention and control policies and assist in determining the immunity level in some Egyptian communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The garnet muscovite granitic pegmatite of Um Solimate, in southern Egypt, represents a promising asset for strategic and economic metals, especially Bi–Ni–Ag–Nb–Ta as well as U and Th. The ore bodies occur as large masses, pockets and/or veins of very coarse‐grained pegmatites, which consist mainly of K‐feldspar, quartz and albite with subordinate muscovite, garnet, and biotite. Radiometric data revealed that eU‐ and eTh‐contents of the pegmatites reach up to 39 ppm and 82 ppm, respectively. The studied pegmatites are enriched in primary U and Th minerals (uraninite, coffinite, thorianite and uranothorite) as well as Hf‐rich zircon and monazite, which give rise to anomalous radioactive zones. Niobium‐tantalium‐bearing minerals (i.e. ferrocolumbite, microlite and uranopyrochlore), xenotime, barite, galena, fluorite, and apatite are ubiquitous, and, consequently, the studied pegmatites belong tothe Niobium–Yttrium–Fluorine‐type (NYF) family. The noble metal mineralization includes argentite (Ag2S), native Ni and Bi as well as bismite and bismoclite. In addition, beryl and tourmaline are observed in pegmatites near the contact with metasediments and ultramafic bodies. The observed compositional variations of Ta/(Ta+Nb) and Mn/(Mn+Fe) ratios in columbite (0.08–0.45 and 0.11–0.57, respectively) and Hf contents in zircon (3.54–6.46 wt%) may reflectan extreme degree of magmatic fractionation leading to formation of the pegmatite orebody. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) causes about 14 million infections with 300,000 deaths and 5,200 stillbirths worldwide annually. Extrahepatic manifestations are reported with HEV infections, such as renal, neurological, and hematological disorders. Recently, we reported that stool-derived HEV-1 replicates efficiently in human monocytes and macrophages in vitro. However, another study reports the presence of viral RNA but no evidence of replication in the PBMCs of acute hepatitis E (AHE) patients. Therefore, the replication of HEV in PBMCs during AHE infection is not completely understood. Methods: PBMCs were isolated from AHE patients (n = 17) enrolled in Assiut University Hospitals, Egypt. The viral load, positive (+) and negative (−) HEV RNA strands and viral protein were assessed. The gene expression profile of PBMCs from AHE patients was assessed. In addition, the level of cytokines was measured in the plasma of the patients. Results: HEV RNA was detected in the PBMCs of AHE patients. The median HEV load in the PBMCs was 1.34 × 103 IU/ml. A negative HEV RNA strand and HEV open reading frame 2 protein were recorded in 4/17 (23.5%) of the PBMCs. Upregulation of inflammatory transcripts and increased plasma cytokines were recorded in the AHE patients compared with healthy individuals with significantly elevated transcripts and plasma cytokines in the AHE with detectable (+) and (−) RNA strands compared with the AHE with the detectable (+) RNA strand only. There was no significant difference in terms of age, sex, and liver function tests between AHE patients with detectable (+) and (−) RNA strands in the PBMCs and AHE patients with the (+) RNA strand only. Conclusion: Our study shows evidence for in vivo HEV persistence and replication in the PBMCs of AHE patients. The replication of HEV in the PBMCs was associated with an enhanced immune response, which could affect the pathogenesis of HEV. Flow of the study design: Blood collected from acute HEV patients were fractiontated into plasma and PBMCs. Plasma was used for cytokine assay. RNA was extracted from the PBMCs and used for determinaton of viral load, detection of (+) and (−) HEV RNA strands, and gene expression assay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floating desalination plants are fairly new technologies and are not as common as the traditional land-based desalination plants. Almost none of the proposed nor installed projects' designers indicates that the design is environmentally driven, and only few designs are environmentally assessed. This paper aims to highlight the significant role of the environmental practices to achieve a sustainable design, where most of the environmental impact assessment procedures are performed prior to the design phase. Throughout the research, comparing alternatives and analyzing the baseline provided reliable technical help in the tasks of selecting the proposed project's location, desalination technology, power source and platform configuration. Thus, detailed technical descriptions of different systems are presented. Finally, environmental impacts associated with the operation of the proposed floating desalination plant in the selected location are assessed to give guidance on the monitoring and mitigation processes necessary to enhance the process performance, minimize the adverse environmental impacts and ensure the project's sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SARS-CoV-2 virus is transmitted in closed settings to people in contact with COVID-19 patients such as healthcare workers and household contacts. However, household person-to-person transmission studies are limited. Households participating in an ongoing cohort study of influenza incidence and prevalence in rural Egypt were followed. Baseline enrollment was done from August 2015 to March 2017. The study protocol was amended in April 2020 to allow COVID-19 incidence and seroprevalence studies. A total of 290 households including 1598 participants were enrolled and followed from April to October 2020 in four study sites. When a participant showed respiratory illness symptoms, a serum sample and a nasal and an oropharyngeal swab were obtained. Swabs were tested by RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 infection. If positive, the subject was followed and swabs collected on days three, six, nine, and 14 after the first swab day and a serum sample obtained on day 14. All subjects residing with the index case were swabbed following the same sampling schedule. Sera were collected from cohort participants in October 2020 to assess seroprevalence. Swabs were tested by RT-PCR. Sera were tested by Microneutralization Assay to measure the neutralizing antibody titer. Incidence of COVID-19, household secondary attack rate, and seroprevalence in the cohort were determined. The incidence of COVID-19 was 6.9% and the household secondary attack rate was 89.8%. Transmission within households occurred within two-days of confirming the index case. Infections were asymptomatic or mild with symptoms resolving within 10 days. The majority developed a neutralizing antibody titer by day 14 post onset. The overall seroprevalence among cohort participants was 34.8%. These results suggest that within-household transmission is high in Egypt. Asymptomatic or mild illness is common. Most infections seroconvert and have a durable neutralizing antibody titer. Author summary: SARS-CoV-2 virus is transmitted via close contact with infected persons, airborne droplets, and contaminated surfaces. People in closed settings with COVID-19 patients, such as healthcare workers and household contacts, were more likely to become infected. Egypt, like all other countries, is currently facing the COVID-19 pandemic. However, data on incidence and seroprevalence in this country is lacking. We followed 290 households participating in an ongoing cohort study of influenza and coronavirus incidence and prevalence. The incidence of COVID-19 was 6.9% and the household secondary attack rate was 89.8%. Transmission within households occurred within two-days of confirming the index case. Infections were asymptomatic or mild with symptoms resolving within 10 days. The majority developed a neutralizing antibody titer by day 14 post onset. The overall seroprevalence among cohort participants was 34.8%. The majority of subjects with three months apart paired-samples continued to be seropositive. Within-household transmission is high. Asymptomatic or mild illness is common. Most infections seroconvert and have a durable neutralizing antibody titer. Increasing awareness among the general public about proper ways of dealing with infections within the household may contribute to decreasing the spread in Egypt and areas with similar cultural background and population structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Centaurea is a value-ultimate genus of medicinal plants showing high diversification levels, especially within the Mediterranean basin, and is still traditionally recognized as a complicated taxon. So far, few studies utilizing molecular markers have been done on Centaurea spp. towards a better dissection of its phylogeny and accurate assessment of genetic diversity. Here, two functional marker systems, start codon targeted (SCoT) polymorphism and CAAT box-derived polymorphism (CBDP), were implemented to assess the genetic diversity between eight wild Centaurea species in Egypt. Seventeen SCoT and 19 CBDP primers generated 197 and 179 bands, respectively. These primers generated 158 (80.2%) and 131 (73.18%) polymorphic amplicons with an average of 9.29 and 6.89 amplicons per primer, respectively. SCoT primers exhibited higher levels in % of polymorphism, % of heterozygosity, effective multiplex ratio, discriminating power, resolving power parameters compared to the CBDP. In contrast, no significant differences were observed between SCoT and CBDP in polymorphism information content, marker index and mean heterozygosity parameters. The UPGMA (unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean) dendrogram of the combined data classified the Centaurea species under two major clades; the first comprised two species, whereas the second grouped five species. C. pallescens was kept separated as the most diverged among the eight Centaurea species. Principal component analysis (PCA) topology revealed highly similar results to those obtained from the cluster analysis. Ultimately, our results represent the first report utilising two gene-targeting marker systems as powerful techniques for assessing the genetic variability and relatedness among these eight valuable Centaurea species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This experiment was carried out during two successive winter seasons of 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 at a Private Farm of El-Salhia El-Gadeeda, Sharkia Governorate, Egypt and Post- Harvest Lab. Hort. Dept., Fac. Agric., Zagazig University, to study the effect of foliar spray preharvest with calcium (as Fertoll calcium 12%) at 1, 2 and 3%, Zn EDATA as Micronate Zn 15% at 0.5, 1 and 1.5 g/l, Chitosan at 1, 2 and 3% as well as spraying with water on yield, fruit quality and storability of strawberry under sandy soil conditions. Spraying with Zn EDTA as Micronate at 1.5 g/l four times at 75, 90, 105 and 120 days after transplanting increased yield/ plant, average fruit weight and total yield/ fad., and the increases in the total yield (%) as average three concentrations of Ca as Fertoll, Zn EDTA as Micronate and Chitosan were about 16.25 and 15.51, 17.36 and 17.19 and 16.59 and 16.47% than unsprayed in the 1st and 2nd seasons, respectively. Spraying strawberry plants with chitosan at 3% increased total soluble solids (TSS), TSS/acid ratio and fruit firmness and decreased total acidity and pH in fruits compared to water (control) in both seasons. While spraying with Zn EDTA at 1 g/l increased vitamin C content in fruits. Spraying with Ca as Fertoll at 3 ml/l decreased weight loss and decay (%) in strawberry fruits, followed by spraying with chitosan at 3% at 16 days of storage plus shelf life in both seasons. Conclusively: Spraying plants with Zn EDTA as Micronate at 1.5 g/l increased yield, average fruit weight, total yield /fad., vitamin C; spraying chitosan at 3% increased TSS, TSS/acid ratio and fruit firmness and decreased total acidity, and pH in fruits, as well as, spraying Ca at 3 ml/l as Fertoll calcium 12% decreased weight loss and decay (%) in strawberry fruits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently enzootic avian influenza H5N1, H9N2, and H5N8 viruses were introduced into poultry in Egypt in 2006, 2011, and 2016, respectively. Infections with H5N1 and H9N2 were reported among poultry-exposed humans. We followed 2,402 persons from households raising backyard poultry from 5 villages in Egypt during August 2015-March 2019. We collected demographic, exposure, and health condition data and annual serum samples from each participant and obtained swab samples from participants reporting influenza-like illness symptoms. We performed serologic and molecular analyses and detected 4 cases of infection with H5N1 and 3 cases with H9N2. We detected very low seroprevalence of H5N1 antibodies and no H5N8 antibodies among the cohort; up to 11% had H9 antibodies. None of the exposure, health status, or demographic variables were related to being seropositive. Our findings indicate that avian influenza remains a public health risk in Eqypt, but infections may go undetected because of their mild or asymptomatic nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

aim,1 Mohamed Shaaban Ali,2 Fedekar F Madkour,3 Hamed Elgendy2,41Pharmacology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt; 2Anesthesia Department, Assiut University Hospitals, Assiut, Egypt; 3Marine Science Department, Faculty of Science, Port Said University, Port Said 42526, Egypt; 4Anesthesia Department, HAMAD Medical Corporation & Weill Cornell Medicine Qatar & Qatar University, Doha, QatarCorrespondence: Hamed ElgendyAnesthesia Department, HAMAD Medical Corporation, P.O. Box 3050, Doha, QatarTel +974- 4011 4271Fax +974- 4439 1511Email helgendy70@gmail.com Introduction: Diabetic neuropathy is a common consequence of diabetes. Hyperalgesia is one of the main symptoms of diabetic neuropathy. In response to noxious stimuli, streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats show exaggerated hyperalgesic behavior, while Spirulina platensis has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and insulin-like effects. To assess the antinociceptive effect of oral Spirulina platensis (SP) powder on formalin-induced nociceptive responses in STZ-induced diabetic rats. Methods: Sixty mature male albino rats were randomly allocated into six equal groups (10 in each group). Group 1 (control non-diabetic group) received 0.9% saline; group 2 was given oral pure SP powder-treated as a non-diabetic control group, group 3 was sodium salicylate-treated rats and used as a positive non-diabetic control group, group 4 managed as vehicle-treated diabetic rats, group 5 considered as SP-treated-diabetic group, and sodium salicylate-treated-diabetic rats used as a diabetic positive control group (group 6). STZ-diabetic rats were orally given SP in a dose of 500 mg kg/day for 1 month. The formalin test was implemented in two phases: the early phase in the first 10-min post-formalin injection, and the late phase was considered in the 15– 60 min post-formalin injection time interval. Results: Pain scores were increased in the diabetic groups during both phases of the experiment. Blood glucose was significantly reduced in diabetic rats that received oral SP, P < 0.01. Besides, SP-treated rats had lower pain scores during both phases of the experiment than untreated diabetic ones. However, in the sodium salicylate group, the pain score was reduced only during the second phase. An exaggerated nociceptive response occurred in diabetic rats after the formalin test. A significant antinociceptive effect appeared in SP-treated control and diabetic rats. Discussion: The findings suggest that oral Spirulina platensis could have a potential therapeutic role for managing induced painful diabetic neuropathy in rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manganese silicomolybdate (Mn–Si–Mo) was prepared using sol–gel technique and employed for Pb2+, and Fe3+ adsorption. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, thermo-gravimetric analysis/differential thermal analysis, and UV were applied to characterize the prepared exchanger. Experiments using batch were proceeded via the distribution coefficient, isotherms, and thermodynamic. The maximum adsorption capacity was established 8.5 and 6.5 meq/g at 25°C for Pb2+, and Fe3+ ions, respectively. Freundlich isotherm successfully fitted for the adsorption of lead and iron ions which implied that the adsorption process was physi sorption, the thermodynamic parameters like ΔH°, ΔS°, and ΔG° were computed, demonstrating that the adsorption behavior was spontaneous and endothermic in nature. A mechanism describing the interaction of Mn–Si–Mo and different pollutants is briefly explained. The presented low cost-effective material is advanced to prepare Mn–Si–Mo adsorbent for the abstraction of toxic pollutants from real water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over 2,000 km of sea coasts with different environmental conditions may provide Egypt with alternative energy solutions that may be used for electricity production and water desalination, required for the vast urban expansion, mainly along the coastal areas to relieve population pressure from the old valley and delta, and to create new community opportunities in new regions. The proposed platform discussed in this paper is a mobile platform in order to supply any costal city with fresh water to prevent any water crisis. The aim of this research paper is to make an economic comparison between floating stations and fixed stations on the ground and to determine the extent of the preference of one over the other to take the appropriate investment decision that can benefit the vast Egyptian coasts. The results of the study showed the possibility of recovering the invested capital during a period of 5 years and 5 months for the floating platform and 5 years and 8 months for the fixed ground station. Economic indicators have also been used to conduct comparison such as net present value of cash flows, cost-to-return standard, internal rate of return, sensitivity analysis ([10% cost increase] [10% decrease in revenue] [both together]). All results were positive in favor of the floating platform of the desalination plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]