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Diabetes mellitus has been reported to be accompanied by thyroid and testicular dysfunctions. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of Quercus infectoria galls (QIg) extract on the thyroid gland and testicular functions in diabetic rats. Sixteen rats were randomly divided into four equal groups, consisting of normal control, diabetic untreated control, diabetic treated with oral administration of 500 mg/kg BW and 1000 mg/kg BW, respectively for 15 days. Serum blood glucose, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), testosterone (T), and luteinizing hormone (LH) were assessed. At the end of the experimental period, the rats were euthanized for histopathological analysis of thyroid gland and testis. Furthermore, immunohistochemistry was used to assess the expression of thyroid transcription factor-1 (TTF-1) in the thyroid gland of rats. The significant increase in serum blood glucose level in diabetic rats (DC) was markedly decreased by treatment with QIg extract (500 mg and 100 mg/kg BW) almost to the normal level. The reduced thyroid hormones, both the T3 and T4 were significantly recovered after 15 days of treatment with QIg extract (500 mg and 100 mg/kg BW). Whereas serum concentration of testosterone was significantly reduced in diabetic rats with QIg extract (500 mg and 100 mg/kg BW) treatment. Histopathological analysis of diabetic rats showed a wide range of morphological alterations in thyroid gland and testicular structures, which were almost completely, restored back to normal by treatment of rats with QIg extract. Furthermore, results showed overexpression of TTF-1 in the thyroid gland of diabetic rats, which was recovered back to normal expression after 15 days of treatment with QIg extract. These findings may provide new insights into the potential role of QIg extract as a promising therapeutic agent against diabetic complications in thyroid gland and testicular functions.

This study is concerned with the concentrates of heavy metals (Cd , Pb and Zn ) that is found in Lisa subviridis fish, which were collected on April 2017 to September 2018, it is brought from the Iraqi seawater, samples of fish were dried by (Deep Freeze Drier), ash was estimated by furnace and then digested by Nitric acid, after digesting the samples were diluted and the above heavy metals were estimated by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy, the results shows that the upper values of estimated heavy metals concentrates (Cd, Pb and Zn) were recorded in August 2017 it was o.o48,0.062 and 0.042 mg/gm respectively, while Cd shows less recorded value in February 2018, Pb and Zn recorded less values in April and May 2018, it was 0.045 and 0.023 mg/gm respectively.

Objectives: This article investigated the effect of plant origin, storage and altitude on the triglycerides, cholesterol and some physicochemical properties of honey samples. Methods: Nineteen honey samples (9 Ziziphus and 10 Acacia) were involved in this study representing two floral origins and seasons and four altitudes. The plant origin of the honey samples was confirmed microscopically and their quality parameters were analyzed according to the International Honey Commission harmonized methods of honey analysis. The lipid parameters were analyzed using spectrophotometric- enzymatic methods. The SPSS version 20 was used for the statistical analysis of the obtained data. Results: The plant origin significantly affected the honey pH (P = 0.017), moisture (P = 0.009), fructose (P

Brain glycogen is remodeled during metabolic homeostasis and provides oxidizable L-lactate equivalents. Brain glycogen phosphorylase (GP)-brain (GPbb; AMP-sensitive) and -muscle (GPmm; norepinephrine-sensitive) type isoforms facilitate stimulus-specific control of glycogen disassembly. Here, a whole animal model involving stereotactic-targeted delivery of GPmm or GPbb siRNA to the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMN) was used to investigate the premise that these variants impose differential control of gluco-regulatory transmission. Intra-VMN GPmm or GPbb siRNA administration inhibited glutamate decarboxylate 65/67 (GAD), a protein marker for the gluco-inhibitory transmitter γ--aminobutyric acid (GABA), in the caudal VMN. GPbb knockdown, respectively overturned or exacerbated hypoglycemia-associated GAD suppression in rostral and caudal VMN. GPmm siRNA caused a segment-specific reversal of hypoglycemic augmentation of the gluco-stimulatory transmitter indicator, neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS). In both cell types, GP siRNA down-regulated 5′-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) during euglycemia, but hypoglycemic suppression of AMPK was reversed by GPmm targeting. GP knockdown elevated baseline GABA neuron phosphoAMPK (pAMKP) content, and amplified hypoglycemic augmentation of pAMPK expression in each neuron type. GPbb knockdown increased corticosterone secretion in eu- and hypoglycemic rats. Outcomes validate efficacy of GP siRNA delivery for manipulation of glycogen breakdown in discrete brain structures in vivo, and document VMN GPbb control of local GPmm expression. Results document GPmm and/or -bb regulation of GABAergic and nitrergic transmission in discrete rostro-caudal VMN segments. Contrary effects of glycogenolysis on metabolic-sensory AMPK protein during eu- versus hypoglycemia may reflect energy state-specific astrocyte signaling. Amplifying effects of GPbb knockdown on hypoglycemic stimulation of pAMPK infer that glycogen mobilization by GPbb limits neuronal energy instability during hypoglycemia.

Objective: This is a brief report of 4 paediatric cases of COVID-19 infection in Malaysia Background: COVID-19, a coronavirus, first detected in Wuhan, China has now spread rapidly to over 60 countries and territories around the world, infecting more than 85000 individuals. As the case count amongst children is low, there is need to report COVID-19 in children to better understand the virus and the disease. Cases: In Malaysia, until end of February 2020, there were four COVID-19 paediatric cases with ages ranging from 20 months to 11 years. All four cases were likely to have contracted the virus in China. The children had no symptoms or mild flu-like illness. The cases were managed symptomatically. None required antiviral therapy. Discussion: There were 2 major issues regarding the care of infected children. Firstly, the quarantine of an infected child with a parent who tested negative was an ethical dilemma. Secondly, oropharyngeal and nasal swabs in children were at risk of false negative results. These issues have implications for infection control. Consequently, there is a need for clearer guidelines for child quarantine and testing methods in the management of COVID-19 in children.

Abstract Background Healthcare is a high-risk industry that requires regular assessment of patient safety climate within healthcare organizations. This addresses the organizational cultural issues and explores the association between organizational climate and patient outcomes. This study aimed to assess patient safety culture among paramedical health employees at Fayoum general and district hospitals and to determine factors affecting their perception of patient safety. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the general hospital and four district hospitals in Fayoum Governorate, Egypt, among 479 paramedical healthcare workers. The standardized Hospital Patient Safety scale (HSOPSC) that composed of 12 safety culture dimensions was used. Results The mean total safety score varies according to the participant’s position and work area. The total patient safety score was 46.56%. No dimension reported score above 75%. The highest mean composite scores were for organizational learning and continuous improvement (65.36%) and teamwork within hospital units (63.09%). The lowest reported score was for communication openness (17.9%). More perception of safety dimensions was seen in females than males, participants in direct contact with patients, and those with work experience less than 10 years. Conclusion and recommendations Overall, the degree of patient safety is low at Fayoum public hospitals. No dimension scored above 75%, and 7 out of 12 dimensions scored less than 50%. Hence, continuous monitoring and updating of the ways of incident reporting is highly recommended. This may be done through setting up a web-based incident reporting system accessible for 24 h.

Abstract Background Increased numbers of blood and sputum eosinophils are associated with higher exacerbation frequency and increased asthma severity. In clinical trials, targeting Interleukin-5 has been shown to be a useful therapeutic strategy for patients with severe eosinophilic asthma. Methods Twenty-six patients have been commenced on Reslizumab in our institution since early 2017. Safety and clinical efficacy parameters were recorded at regular intervals. Results Mean ACQ-6 score at the start of treatment was 3.5. The average number of exacerbations in the year preceding treatment was 8.3 per person. 30% of patients had been admitted to hospital at least once over the 12 months preceding therapy. 54% of our patients were on long term oral steroid. Our data showed sustained improvement of Asthma control (Mean improvement in ACQ-6 was 1.7 at 1 year, and 2.0 at 2 years, P = 0.0001). Of the patients who were on long term systemic steroids, 35.7% discontinued steroids completely, with a mean reduction of prednisolone dose of 5.2 mg at 1 year. There was a 79% reduction in the annual exacerbation frequency at 1 year, and 88% at 2 years (P =

The focus of this research is to develop a sustainability index for Egyptian highways construction projects that assist highways engineers, mangers and highways agencies to develop sustainable design, construction, operation and maintenance processes for highways. It acts as a sustainable measurement tool for highways construction and maintenance practices to determine the achieved performance of sustainability in the highways construction projects represented by an index. This index reflexes the implementation amount of sustainable choices used throw the highways construction process and even more in the maintenance process. A review on recent studies and available tools on highways sustainability covered to develop appropriate parameters for the indexing model and avoidance of non-compatible parameters with the Egyptian highways nature then performing questionnaire on these model parameters to obtain optimum sustainable choices. In order to get reliable results correlation and reliability analysis performed on the data then extracting the most effective parameters according to Pareto concept then making pairwise comparison questionnaire serving AHP (Analytical Hierarchy Process) requirements to obtain the weights of each parameter in the model. A scorecard for the indexing model developed to get rating system. Case studies presented to demonstrate the use of the sustainability index for Egyptian highways construction projects. Keywords: Sustainability, Highways, Index, Sustainability index, Evaluation model, Analytical hierarchy process, Rating system

Abstract Hybrid wheat (Triticum spp.) has the potential to boost yields and enhance production under changing climates to feed the growing global population. Production of hybrid wheat seed relies on male sterility, the blocking of pollen production, to prevent self-pollination. One method of preventing self-pollination in the female plants is to apply a chemical hybridizing agent (CHA). However, some combinations of CHA and genotypes have lower levels of sterility, resulting in decreased hybrid purity. Differences in CHA efficacy are a challenge in producing hybrid wheat lines for commercial and experimental use. Our primary research questions were to estimate the levels of sterility for wheat genotypes treated with a CHA and determine the best way to analyze differences. We applied the CHA sintofen (1-(4-chlorphyl)-1,4-dihydro-5-(2-methoxyethoxy)-4-oxocinnoline-3-carboxylic acid; Croisor 100) to 27 genotypes in replicate. After spraying, we counted seed in bagged female heads to evaluate CHA efficacy and CHA-by-genotype interaction. Using logit and probit models with a threshold of 7 seeds, we found differences among genotypes in 2015. Sterility was higher in 2016 and fewer genotypic differences were found. When CHA-induced sterilization is less uniform as in 2015, zero-inflated and hurdle count models were superior to standard mixed models. These models calculate mean seed number and fit data with limit-bounded scales collected by agronomists and plant breeders to compare genotypic differences. These analyses can assist in selecting parents and identifying where additional optimization of CHA application needs to occur. There is little work in the literature examining the relationship between CHAs and genotypes, making this work fundamental to the future of hybrid wheat breeding.

A new series of novel pyrazoline compounds were synthesized by addition of thiosemicarbazide to the 2,6-dibenzylidenecyclohexanone (Chalcone) and its para substituted derivatives. This study was conducted for four purposes. Firstly, a series of five membered ring pyrazoline compounds were synthesized and the structure of all new products obtained are supported by spectral data (1H-NMR, 13CNMR, IR and UV-Vis.), and the effect of substituents were studied. Secondly, the reaction kinetics of the new synthesized compounds were studied to investigate the reaction mechanism pathway and order of the reaction; it was found that, the reaction undergoes via Claisen route of mechanism with first-order reaction. Thirdly, the thermodynamics of the reaction were studied, the rate of the reaction, Arrhenius parameters (A), and thermodynamic parameters for activation includes (free energies (Ea), entropies (ΔS#), and Gibbs free energy (ΔG#) were estimated. Finally, the compensation effect was also studied, and found the same pathway for all of the synthesized pyrazoline compounds.

The development of information and communication technology has spread throughout the world. Many benefits can be obtained, but the risks cannot be avoided. Communication grows massively in cyberspace and thus poses a security threat to smart city services. This threat can be overcome through national spectrum by implementing cyberspace security strategies in developing smart cities. This paper describes cybersecurity strategies performed in supporting the development of smart cities. Security strategies are developed based on factors related to the perspective of three pillars of smart city implementation models, namely technology, people, and institutions. Factors related to cybersecurity from these three pillars are explored from the experience of policy makers, actors, and users of smart city services, and evaluated using the opinions of cybersecurity experts and smart cities. This strategy will be a standard document that will be used as a reference in carrying out all processes related to information security in supporting the development of smart cities.

Abstract We present a new class of higher-order multistep multiderivative methods for the numerical solution of stiff initial value problems. These methods are obtained based on free parameters and off-point. The methods have minimum error bounds. The constructed class is A-stable for orders 3 and 4, and A(α) $A(\alpha)$-stable for orders 5 and 6. The new class is L-stable for all orders. They are suitable for solving stiff systems of initial value problems with large eigenvalues lying close to the imaginary axis. The stability regions of the new class are plotted, and some problems are solved, which show the superiority of the class in efficiency and accuracy.

This paper is based on design and implementation of an Arduino based alarm system which is capable of monitoring the illumination of the surrounding automatically. Once the presence or absence of light is detected accordingly, a control device is activated which sends a sound alarm to a buzzer connected to the output of the system. Waking up early from sleep has always become a challenge most especially after a very hectic and busy engagement during the previous day time, this makes waking up early the next morning to meet up with the activities of the day a challenge. The components used for carrying out this study include Light Dependent Resistor, a control unit and an output buzzer unit. The LDR works on the principle of change of resistance based on the amount of luminous energy in its environment at that moment of time, once an illumination is detected, an Arduino Uno board was used to send a signal to the buzzer that generates sound when the intensity of light increases. The test conducted showed that the LDR resistance decreased as illuminance on the LDR increased; the illuminance ranges at which the buzzer was triggered was between 100-1000lux.

The preparation and the properties of the elusive tetronic acid are reviewed, including its synthesis, chemical reactivity and reactions. Keywords: Tetronic acid, Synthetic routes, Chemical reactivity, Tautomeric structure, Reactions

Background: The diagnostic value of bronchoalveolar lavage in patients with negative sputum/smear for tuberculous bacilli has been well studied. However, its value in the subset of patients with both negative sputum/smear and culture is seldom reported. Methods: A retrospective study of patients referred for diagnostic bronchoscopy for the suspicion of pulmonary tuberculosis during the period from April 1st, 2015 to March 30th, 2016, and who had negative sputum/smear and culture for tuberculous bacilli. Results: One hundred and ninety patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Bronchoalveolar lavage detected further 61/190 (32.1%) pulmonary tuberculosis cases. Bronchoalveolar lavage mycobacterial culture and polymerase chain reaction (positive in 60/190 (31.6%) and 58/190 (30.5%) of patients respectively) provided the highest diagnostic yield, whereas direct smear provided the lowest yield. Bronchoalveolar lavage had a sensitivity of 89.7%, a specificity of 100%, a positive predictive value of 100%, a negative predictive value of 94.6%, and a test accuracy of 96.3% in suspected pulmonary tuberculosis cases with negative sputum/smear and culture. Positive bronchoalveolar lavage yield for tuberculosis was significantly associated with a positive QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube test, positive purified protein derivative skin test, radiological evidence of upper zone abnormality and patient’s origin being from the Indian subcontinent. Conclusion: Bronchoalveolar lavage should be pursued as a useful diagnostic tool for suspected pulmonary tuberculosis cases when sputum/smear and culture are negative. Its value is higher in the subset of patients with positive QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube test, positive purified protein derivative skin test, upper zone abnormality on radiograph or being from the Indian subcontinent. Keywords: Bronchoalveolar lavage, Pulmonary tuberculosis, Smear negative, Culture negative

Abstract Background Wheat is a cool seasoned crop requiring low temperature during grain filling duration and therefore increased temperature causes significant yield reduction. A set of 125 spring wheat genotypes from International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT-Mexico) was evaluated for phenological and yield related traits at three locations in Pakistan under normal sowing time and late sowing time for expose to prolonged high temperature. With the help of genome-wide association study using genotyping-by-sequencing, marker trait associations (MTAs) were observed separately for the traits under normal and late sown conditions. Results Significant reduction ranging from 9 to 74% was observed in all traits under high temperature. Especially 30, 25, 41 and 66% reduction was observed for days to heading (DH), plant height (PH), spikes per plant (SPP) and yield respectively. We identified 55,954 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) using genotyping by sequencing of these 125 hexaploid spring wheat genotypes and conducted genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for days to heading (DH), grain filled duration (GFD), plant height (PH), spikes per plant (SPP), grain number per spike (GNS), thousand kernel weight (TKW) and grain yield per plot (GY). Genomic regions identified through GWAS explained up to 13% of the phenotypic variance, on average. A total of 139 marker-trait associations (MTAs) across three wheat genomes (56 on genome A, 55 on B and 28 on D) were identified for all the seven traits studied. For days to heading, 20; grain filled duration, 21; plant height, 23; spikes per plant, 13; grain numbers per spike, 8; thousand kernel weight, 21 and for grain yield, 33 MTAs were detected under normal and late sown conditions. Conclusions This study identifies the essential resource of genetics research and underpins the chromosomal regions of seven agronomic traits under normal and high temperature. Significant relationship was observed between the number of favored alleles and trait observations. Fourteen protein coding genes with their respective annotations have been searched with the sequence of seven MTAs which were identified in this study. These findings will be helpful in the development of a breeder friendly platform for the selection of high yielding wheat lines at high temperature areas.

Signal joint T cell receptor excision circles (sjTRECs) are a promising marker for age estimation and immunosenescence in different ethnic groups. Several limitations are expected to overshadow their use as accurate markers for age prediction. The current study was conducted to determine the influence of immunologic disorders, such as autoimmune diseases and COVID-19, on the accuracy of sjTRECs as molecular markers for age estimation and immunosenescence among living Egyptians. Peripheral blood sjTRECs level was measured by qPCR in 90 autoimmune patients, 58 COVID-19 patients, and 85 healthy controls. The mean dCt values were significantly (p = 0.0002) different between the three groups, with the highest values in healthy subjects, followed by autoimmune and COVID-19 patients. A significant negative correlation was identified between the sjTRECs levels and ages in all studied cases. There were significant positive correlations between chronological age and predicted age for healthy individuals, autoimmune, and COVID-19 patients with mean absolute deviations (MAD) of 9.40, 11.04, and 9.71, respectively. The two patients’ groups exhibited early immunosenescence, which was more noticeable among the young adults with COVID-19 and autoimmune patients of age range (18–49 years). Autoimmunity may represent a critical factor impacting the accuracy of sjTRECs quantitation for age prediction.

The purpose of this research was to assess and utilize the bioactive compounds of garlic nanoparticles (Ga-NPs) as a natural antioxidant in sunflower oil (SFO) stored at 65 ± 1 °C for 24 days. The garlic nanoparticles (Ga-NPs) from the Balady cultivar were prepared, characterized, and added to SFO at three concentrations: 200, 600, and 1000 ppm (w/v), and they were compared with 600 ppm garlic lyophilized powder extract (Ga-LPE), 200 ppm BHT, 200 ppm α-tocopherol, and SFO without Ga-NPs (control). The QTRAP LC/MS/MS profile of Ga-NPs revealed the presence of four organosulfur compounds. Ga-NPs exhibited the highest capacity for phenolic, flavonoid, and antioxidant compounds. In Ga-NP SFO samples, the values of peroxide, p-anisidine, totox, conjugated dienes, and conjugated trienes were significantly lower than the control. The antioxidant indices of SFO samples containing Ga-NPs were higher than the control. The Ga-NPs enhanced the sensory acceptability of SFO treatments up to day 24 of storage. The shelf life of SFO treated with Ga-NPs was substantially increased (presuming a Q10 amount). The results show that Ga-NPs are a powerful antioxidant that improves SFO stability and extends the shelf life (~384 days at 25 °C).

In the current work, we designed and synthesized three families of non-fused and fused compounds based on cyanopyridone: derivatives of 6-amino-1,2-dihydropyridine-3,5-dicarbonitrile (5a-f) and 3,4,7,8-tetrahydro pyrimidine-6-carbonitrile (6a-b and 7a-e). The newly synthesized compounds’ structure were determined using a variety of techniques, including 1H NMR, 13C NMR, mass spectrum, infrared spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. The developed compounds were tested for the ability to inhibit the growth of breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) and hepatic adenocarcinoma (HepG2) cell lines using MTT assay. Some of the synthesized compounds were more effective towards the cancer cell lines than the standard treatment taxol. The best antiproliferative activities were demonstrated by non-fused cyanopyridones 5a and 5e against the MCF-7 cell line (IC50 = 1.77 and 1.39 μM, respectively) and by compounds 6b and 5a against the HepG2 cell line (IC50 = 2.68 and 2.71 μM, respectively). We further explored 5a and 5e, the two most potent compounds against the MCF-7 cell line, for their ability to inhibit VEGFR-2 and HER-2. Finally, docking and molecular dynamics simulations were performed as part of the molecular modeling investigation to elucidate the molecular binding modes of the tested compounds, allowing for a more thorough comprehension of the activity of compounds 5a and 5e.

Background: Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a female psychiatric disorder affecting the behaviour, cognitive abilities, mental health status and academic performance of female students. It includes: mood symptoms, behaviour symptoms and physical symptoms. Aim: To assess phenomenology, measure the prevalence of PMDD among university students and assess the relationship between PMDD and socio-demographic and personality characteristics. Setting: This study was conducted at Zagazig University, Sharqia Governorate, Egypt. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2020 to December 2020. It included 755 university students. They filled several questionnaires covering Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Disorders (DSM-5) criteria to diagnose PMDD, socio-demographic, menstrual factors, physical activity and personality traits. Results: Premenstrual dysphoric disorder was found in 159 out of 755 students (21.1%). Overall, the most frequently reported premenstrual symptoms were overeating/food cravings (84.2%), fatigue/lack of energy (83.6%), depressed mood/hopelessness (82.0%) and hypersomnia (78.9%). Binary logistic regression model revealed that significantly related PMDD risk factors include: being a medical student, having a duration of menstrual bleeding ≥ 7 days, the average length of one cycle ˂ 28 days, high menstrual blood loss, presence of dysmenorrhea and positive family history of premenstrual syndrome (sister/mother). Regarding personality traits, low extroversion and agreeableness, and high neuroticism were also significant PMDD risk factors. Conclusion: Prevalence of PMDD was high among university students, especially medical students, and it can have a detrimental effect on both academic life and educational accomplishments, quality of life and daily living activities.

IntroductionGaps still exist regarding knowledge on regulatory cells in transplant recipients. We studied the phenotypic patterns of CD4+, CD8+CD28- Tregs, and CD19+IL-10+ Bregs in the blood of healthy controls (HC), end-stage kidney disease patients (ESKD), early and late stable renal transplant recipients (Tx), and transplant recipients with steroid-treated acute cellular rejection 1 week–3 months after successful treatment. We also investigated the relationship between immunosuppressive drugs and the aforementioned regulatory cells in transplant recipients.MethodsWe recruited 32 HC, 83 ESKD, 51 early Tx, 95 late Tx, and 9 transplant patients with a recent steroid-treated acute cellular rejection. Besides CD19+IL-10+ Bregs, we analyzed absolute and relative frequencies of CD4+CD25+CD127-Foxp3+ Tregs and CD8+CD28- Tregs and their expression of IL-10, TGF-ß, IFN-g, and Helios.ResultsWe found a negative correlation between absolute CD4+CD25+CD127-Foxp3+ Treg and relative CD19+IL-10+ Breg frequencies in early Tx recipients (r=-0.433, p=0.015, n=31). In that group, absolute CD4+CD25+CD127-Foxp3+ Tregs were negatively associated with steroid dose and tacrolimus trough levels (r=-0.377, p = 0.021, n=37; r=-0.43, p=0.033, n=25, respectively), opposite to IL-10+ Bregs, whose frequency apparently was not negatively affected by potent immunosuppression early posttransplant. We found also lower CD4+CD25+CD127-Foxp3+ Tregs in patients treated with basiliximab or rATG as compared with ESKD patients (p=0.001 and p

By the end of year 2019, the new virus SARS-CoV-2 appeared, causing the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), and spread very fast globally. A continuing need for diagnostic tools is a must to contain its spread. Till now, the gold standard method, the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), is the precise procedure to detect the virus. However, SARS-CoV-2 may escape RT-PCR detection for several reasons. The development of well-designed, specific and sensitive serological test like enzyme immunoassay (EIA) is needed. This EIA can stand alone or work side by side with RT-PCR.In this study, we developed several EIAs including plates that are coated with either specially designed SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid or surface recombinant proteins. Each protein type can separately detect anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM or IgG antibodies. For each EIAs, the cut-off value, specificity and sensitivity were determined utilizing RT-PCR confirmed Covid-19 and pre-pandemic healthy and other viruses-infected sera. Also, the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to define the specificities and sensitivities of the optimized assay. The in-house EIAs were validated by comparing against commercial EIA kits. All in-house EIAs showed high specificity (98–99%) and sensitivity (97.8–98.9%) for the detection of IgG/IgM against RBD and N proteins of SARS-CoV-2.From these results, the developed Anti-RBD and anti-N IgG and IgM antibodies EIAs can be used as a specific and sensitive tool to detect SARS-CoV-2 infection, calculate the burden of disease and case fatality rates.

Aim: To assess the role of serum biomarkers in early prediction of diabetic cardiomyopathy. Materials and methods: The participants were three groups of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients having diastolic dysfunction (DM-DD), systolic dysfunction (DM-SD) and normal echocardiography (DM-N) with two control groups: non-DM diastolic dysfunction patients (DD) and healthy controls. AGEs, TNF-α, IL-6, IGFBP-7, creatinine and insulin were assessed. Results: TNF-α, AGEs, creatinine and insulin panel had area under the curve (AUC) of 0.913 in distinguishing DM-DD from DM-N (78.7% sensitivity and 100% specificity). IL-6 and AGEs panel had AUC 0.795 for differentiating DM-SD from DM-DD (90.6% sensitivity). IL-6, TNF-α and AGEs panel had AUC 0.924 for differentiating diabetic cardiomyopathy from DM-N (85% sensitivity and specificity). Conclusion: A panel of AGEs, IL-6, TNF-α, insulin and creatinine might be used for early detection of DM-DD among T2DM patients.

Objectives: Qatar has witnessed significant reforms in its health care system, including the care of cancer patients. In 2011, the National Cancer Strategy was released with the aim to deliver a high standard of care to cancer patients across the country. We sought to investigate the featuring trends in the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of lung cancer in Qatar following the publication of the National Cancer Strategy. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study documenting the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of primary lung cancer cases in Qatar diagnosed from 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2018. Results: The overall age-standardized incidence rate was 8.7 per 100 000 persons (11.6 per 100 000 and 5.4 per 100 000 persons for males and females, respectively). The one, three, and five-year overall survival rates were 67.0%, 48.0%, and 28.0%, respectively. The three-year overall survival rates for stages I, II, III, and IV were 97.0%, 78.0%, 52.0%, and 31.0%, respectively. The three-year survival rates for males and females were 43.0% and 64.0%, respectively (p = 0.029), for Qatari and non-Qatari nationals were 42.0% and 49.0%, respectively (p = 0.252), and for smokers and non-smokers were 39.0% and 69.0%, respectively (p ≤ 0.001). The overall age-standardized mortality rate was 5.5 per 100 000 persons. Adenocarcinoma was the most common histologic type. Conclusions: Despite the low overall lung cancer incidence rate in Qatar, there is a rise in the incidence among females when compared to previous studies. Qatar has favorable five-year lung cancer survival rates compared to many developed and neighboring countries. Policymakers in the country should consider the changing patterns in lung cancer incidence when planning future preventive strategies.

The proximate and elemental analysis of African star apple (Chrysophyllum albidum) using standard analytical techniques was investigated. The proximate composition of the plant showed the values of 54.57 % for carbohydrate, 13.25 % of fat, and 3.85 % of crude protein. The crude fiber and ash content indicates the values of 6.60 % and 4.70 % respectively. The moisture content present (17.03 %) reveals the possibility of having low antimicrobial activities of the plant. The mineral elements present in different concentrations are Ca (706.850 mg/kg), Mg (325.500 mg/kg), Fe (40.875 mg/kg), Cu (3.275 mg/kg), and Zn (4.625 mg/kg). The result shows that the fruit have essential minerals required by human for normal life activities. Key words: Chrysophyllum albidum, Star apple, Proximate compositions, Mineral elements

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are growth factors that have a vital role in the production of bone, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons. Tumors’ upregulation of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) and their receptors are key features of cancer progression. Regulation of the BMP kinase system is a new promising strategy for the development of anti-cancer drugs. In this work, based on a careful literature study, a library of benzothiophene and benzofuran derivatives was subjected to different computational techniques to study the effect of chemical structure changes on the ability of these two scaffolds to target BMP-2 inducible kinase, and to reach promising candidates with proposed activity against BMP-2 inducible kinase. The results of screening against Lipinski’s and Veber’s Rules produced twenty-one outside eighty-four compounds having drug-like molecular nature. Computational ADMET studies favored ten compounds (11, 26, 27, 29, 30, 31, 34, 35, 65, and 72) with good pharmacokinetic profile. Computational toxicity studies excluded compound 34 to elect nine compounds for molecular docking studies which displayed eight compounds (26, 27, 29, 30, 31, 35, 65, and 72) as promising BMP-2 inducible kinase inhibitors. The nine fascinating compounds will be subjected to extensive screening against serine/threonine kinases to explore their potential against these critical proteins. These promising candidates based on benzothiophene and benzofuran scaffolds deserve further clinical investigation as BMP-2 kinase inhibitors for the treatment of cancer.

Application of the herbicide glyphosate in crops is a common practice among farmers around the world. Tomato is one of the crops that are treated with glyphosate to fight weed growth and loss of crop. However, tomato plants often show phytotoxic effects from glyphosate. In this study, the ability of pongamia oil derived from Pongamia pinnata (known also as Millettia pinnata) tree to alleviate the herbicide glyphosate toxicity effects in tomato (S.lycopersicum L. cv. Micro-tom) plants was tested. Tomato plants were treated with a mixture of a dose of (GLY) glyphosate (10 mg kg−1) and different doses of pongamia oil (PO) foliar spray (5, 10, 50, and 100 mM) and compared with the herbicide or oil control (glyphosate 10 mg kg−1 or pongamia oil PO 50 mM). Some morphological features, non-enzymatic and enzymatic antioxidants, and gene expression were observed. Glyphosate-treated plants sprayed with PO 50 mM (GLY + PO 50) showed increased root biomass (0.28 g-p ≤ 0.001), shoot biomass (1.2 g-p ≤ 0.01), H2O2 (68 nmol/g), and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD; 40 mg-p ≤ 0.001), catalase (CAT; 81.21 mg-p ≤ 0.05), ascorbate peroxidase (APX; 80 mg-p ≤ 0.01) and glutathione reductase (GR; 53 min/mg-F4,20 = 15.88, p ≤ 0.05). In contrast, these plants showed reduced contents of Malondialdehyde (MDA; 30 nmol/g-F4,20 = 18.55, p ≤ 0.01), O2 (0.6 Abs/g), Prolne (Pro; 345 µg/g), Glutathine (GSH; 341 nmol/mg-p ≤ 0.001), ascorbate (AsA; 1.8 µmol/gm), ascorbic acid (AA; 1.62 mg-p ≤ 0.05) and dehydroascorbate (DHAR; 0.32 mg p ≤ 0.05). The gene expression analysis was conducted for seven oxidative stress related genes besides the house-keeping gene Actin as a reference. The gene CYP1A1450 showed the highest mRNA expression level (6.8 fold ± 0.4) in GLY-treated tomato plants, whereas GLY-treated plants + PO 50 showed 2.9 fold. The study concluded that foliar spray of 50 mM pongamia oil alleviated the toxic effects of glyphosate on tomato plants in the form of increased root and shoot biomass, SOD, CAT, APX, and GR activity, while reduced MDA, O2, Pro, GSH, AsA, AA, DHAR, and gene CYP1A1450 expression.

Introduction: In Minia University Hospital for Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pediatrics (Minia, Egypt), all neonates born to mothers with suspected or confirmed intrauterine inflammation or infection (triple I) or with group B Streptococcus (GBS) bacteriuria, were directly admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for clinical assessment and treatment of suspected sepsis for at least 48 hours, regardless of their clinical condition. Establishment of a risk-identification system for those high-risk neonates based on the EOS detection standard checklist may decrease NICU admissions and antibiotics exposure in asymptomatic neonates. Methods: We marginally altered a standard checklist outlined by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists for the early discovery of neonates at risk for EOS. Participants of the study were inborn neonates ≥ 34 weeks born to mothers with suspected or confirmed triple I or with GBS bacteriuria, who received intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP) at least 4 hours before delivery. Neonates for mothers at risk for EOS who did not get IAP were excluded from the study. Numerous sessions were conducted to teach nursing and medical staff to apply the standard checklist for the identification of EOS within the nursery. Symptomatic neonates were admitted directly to NICU for laboratory evaluation and intravenous antibiotics. Asymptomatic neonates were closely observed within the nursery. Results: From June 2017 to June 2019, there were 624 at-risk neonates recognized and assessed utilizing the standard checklist. Of these 624 neonates, 456 (73%) did not require admission to the NICU based on their risk assessment utilizing the standard checklist. Implementation of a standard checklist for at-risk neonates decreased NICU rates of admission by 50%, decreased pediatrician practice variability, decreased the number of laboratory procedures, promoted family bonding, increased rates of breastfeeding at hospital discharge, diminished financial burden on the hospital and community, and promoted antibiotic stewardship. Conclusion: This study concludes that utilization of the standard checklist for early identification of EOS can decrease the need for NICU admission of asymptomatic neonates at risk for EOS.

Anther extrusion (AE) is the most important male floral trait for hybrid wheat seed production. AE is a complex quantitative trait that is difficult to phenotype reliably in field experiments not only due to high genotype-by-environment effects but also due to the short expression window in the field condition. In this study, we conducted a genome-wide association scan (GWAS) and explored the possibility of applying genomic prediction (GP) for AE in the CIMMYT hybrid wheat breeding program. An elite set of male lines (n = 603) were phenotype for anther count (AC) and anther visual score (VS) across three field experiments in 2017–2019 and genotyped with the 20K Infinitum is elect SNP array. GWAS produced five marker trait associations with small effects. For GP, the main effects of lines (L), environment (E), genomic (G) and pedigree relationships (A), and their interaction effects with environments were used to develop seven statistical models of incremental complexity. The base model used only L and E, whereas the most complex model included L, E, G, A, and G × E and A × E. These models were evaluated in three cross-validation scenarios (CV0, CV1, and CV2). In cross-validation CV0, data from two environments were used to predict an untested environment; in random cross-validation CV1, the test set was never evaluated in any environment; and in CV2, the genotypes in the test set were evaluated in only a subset of environments. The prediction accuracies ranged from −0.03 to 0.74 for AC and −0.01 to 0.54 for VS across different models and CV schemes. For both traits, the highest prediction accuracies with low variance were observed in CV2, and inclusion of the interaction effects increased prediction accuracy for AC only. In CV0, the prediction accuracy was 0.73 and 0.45 for AC and VS, respectively, indicating the high reliability of across environment prediction. Genomic prediction appears to be a very reliable tool for AE in hybrid wheat breeding. Moreover, high prediction accuracy in CV0 demonstrates the possibility of implementing genomic selection across breeding cycles in related germplasm, aiding the rapid breeding cycle.

High free fatty acids (FFA) content in oils poses challenges such as soap formation and difficulty in the separation of by-products in direct transesterification of oil to biodiesel, which is of environmental concern and also increases the cost of production. Thus, in this study, the ferric sulfate-catalyzed esterification of neem seed oil (NSO) with an FFA of 5.84% was investigated to reduce it to the recommended level of ≤1%. The esterification process for the NSO was modeled using response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN). The effect of the pertinent process input variables viz. methanol/NSO molar ratio (10:1–30:1), ferric sulfate dosage (2–6 wt%), and reaction time (30–90 min) and their interactions on the reduction of the FFA of the NSO, were examined using Box Behnken design. The optimal condition for the process for reducing the FFA content of the oil was established using RSM and ANN-genetic algorithm (ANN-GA). The results showed that the models developed described the process accurately with the coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.9656 and 0.9908 and the mean relative percent deviation (MRPD) of 6.5 and 2.9% for RSM and ANN, respectively. The ANN-GA established the optimum reduction of FFA of 0.58% with methanol/NSO molar ratio of 18.51, ferric sulfate dosage of 6 wt%, and reaction time of 62.8 min as against the corresponding values of 0.62% FFA, 23.5, 5.03, and 75 min established by the RSM. Based on the statistics considered in the study, ANN and GA outperformed RSM in modeling and optimization of the NSO esterification process.

Norepinephrine (NE) control of hypothalamic gluco-regulation involves astrocyte-derived energy fuel supply. In male rats, exogenous NE regulates astrocyte glycogen metabolic enzyme expression in vivo through 5’-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-dependent mechanisms. Current research utilized a rat hypothalamic astrocyte primary culture model to investigate the premise that NE imposes sex-specific direct control of AMPK activity and glycogen mass and metabolism in these glia. In male rats, NE down-regulation of pAMPK correlates with decreased CaMMKB and increased PP1 expression, whereas noradrenergic augmentation of female astrocyte pAMPK may not involve these upstream regulators. NE concentration is a critical determinant of control of hypothalamic astrocyte glycogen enzyme expression, but efficacy varies between sexes. Data show sex variations in glycogen synthase expression and glycogen phosphorylase-brain and –muscle type dose-responsiveness to NE. Narrow dose-dependent NE augmentation of astrocyte glycogen content during energy homeostasis infers that NE maintains, over a broad exposure range, constancy of glycogen content despite possible changes in turnover. In male rats, beta 1 - and beta 2 -adrenergic receptor (AR) profiles displayed bi-directional responses to increasing NE doses; female astrocytes exhibited diminished beta 1 -AR content at low dose exposure, but enhanced beta 2 -AR expression at high NE dosages. Thus, graded variations in noradrenergic stimulation may modulate astrocyte receptivity to NE in vivo . Sex dimorphic NE regulation of hypothalamic astrocyte AMPK activation and glycogen metabolism may be mediated, in part, by one or more ARs characterized here by divergent sensitivity to this transmitter.

Purpose/ObjectivesNode-positive breast cancer patients often receive chemotherapy and regional nodal irradiation. The cardiotoxic effects of these treatments, however, may offset some of the survival benefit. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is an emerging modality to assess cardiac injury. This is a pilot trial assessing cardiac damage using CMR in patients who received anthracycline-based chemotherapy and three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) regional nodal irradiation using heart constraints.Materials and MethodsNode-positive breast cancer patients (2000–2008) treated with anthracycline-based chemotherapy and 3DCRT regional nodal irradiation (including the internal mammary chain nodes) with heart ventricular constraints (V25 < 10%) were invited to participate. Cardiac tissues were contoured and analyzed separately for whole heart (pericardium) and for combined ventricles and left atrium (myocardium). CMR obtained ventricular function/dimensions, late gadolinium enhancement (LGE), global longitudinal strain (GLS), and extracellular volume fraction (ECV) as measures of cardiac injury and/or early fibrosis. CMR parameters were correlated with dose-volume constraints using Spearman correlations.ResultsFifteen left-sided and five right-sided patients underwent CMR. Median diagnosis age was 50 (32–77). No patients had baseline cardiac disease before regional nodal irradiation. Median time after 3DCRT was 8.3 years (5.2–14.4). Median left-sided mean heart dose (MHD) was 4.8 Gy (1.1–11.2) and V25 was 5.7% (0–12%). Median left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was 63%. No abnormal LGE was observed. No correlations were seen between whole heart doses and LVEF, LV mass, GLS, or LV dimensions. Increasing ECV did not correlate with increased heart or ventricular doses. However, correlations between higher LV mass and ventricular mean dose, V10, and V25 were seen.ConclusionAt a median follow-up of 8.3 years, this cohort of node-positive breast cancer patients who received anthracycline-based chemotherapy and regional nodal irradiation had no clinically abnormal CMR findings. However, correlations between ventricular mean dose, V10, and V25 and LV mass were seen. Larger corroborating studies that include advanced techniques for measuring regional heart mechanics are warranted.

A study was conducted to investigate the impact of degraded date pits (DDP) on the development and morphology of the intestine in broilers. Trichoderma reesei was used to produce the DDP using a solid-state degradation method. One hundred and eighty broilers were divided into six treatments in triplicate groups of 10 chicks each. The dietary treatments were: positive control with corn-soy basal diet, negative control with corn-soy basal diet + 20% oxytetracycline at 0.05%, corn-soy basal diet + 10% DDP, corn-soy basal diet + 0.2% mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS), corn-soy basal diet + 0.2% mannose and corn-soy basal diet + 0.1% mannose for 6 weeks. The results indicate that a 10% DDP diet increased the activities of the pancreatic enzymes, the villus length, and the villus/crypt ratio, and decreased the crypt depth of the intestine. In conclusion, when compared to oxytetracycline and MOS, DDP can be used as a replacement for antibiotic growth promoters for broilers while improving gut development and intestinal health.

The long-term use of antimicrobials as growth promoters in poultry feed leads to antimicrobial resistance in pathogens. Thus, alternatives to antibiotics are essential for reasons associated with both safety and cost-effectiveness. Underutilized plant sources need to be developed to replace antibiotics in broiler feed. Several feed resources have been introduced so far, but they have yet to be applied widely. Date pits are a major by-product of the date industry (6–8%) and have the potential antioxidant to replace antibiotics. In this study, fresh date pits were degraded using the mold Trichoderma reesei under solid-state degradation (SSD), resulting in degraded date pits (DDP). A total of 180 Brazilian “Cobb 500” broiler chicks were divided into six feed treatments in triplicate groups. The treatments were corn-soy basal diet (positive control; C+), corn-soy + 20% oxytetracycline at 0.05% (negative control; C–), corn-soy + 10% DDP, corn-soy + 0.2% mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS), corn-soy + 0.1% mannose, and corn-soy + 0.2% mannose. The antioxidant and biochemical effects of DDP, MOS, and mannose were determined in the blood serum, liver, and intestine of broilers at age 21 and 42 days. The results indicated that the contents of antioxidants such as flavonoids and phenolics, as well as the MOS content in DDP, were increased by the degradation process. Additionally, mannose, glucose, arabinose, rhamnose, and glucuronic acid were significantly increased in DDP after degradation. The activity of antioxidant enzymes (GPx—glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and SOD—superoxide dismutase) in the serum, liver, and intestine of broilers fed with diets containing 10% DDP and 0.2% MOS was increased significantly compared to the control group. Malondialdehyde activity was decreased, whereas the mean corpuscular hemoglobin level and the iron content were significantly upregulated in the broilers fed with 10% DDP, 0.1% mannose, and 0.2% MOS diets compared with the control. Thus, DDP can be used to improve the antioxidant status and has a prebiotic-like effect in broiler chicken performance.

Abstract This paper introduces the solution of differential algebraic equations using two hybrid classes and their twin one-leg with improved stability properties. Physical systems of interest in control theory are sometimes described by systems of differential algebraic equations (DAEs) and ordinary differential equations (ODEs) which are zero index DAEs. The study of the first hybrid class includes the order of convergence, A(α)-stability, stability regions, and G-stability for its one-leg twin in two cases: for step ( k=1 $k=1$) and steps ( k=2 $k=2$). For the second class, G-stability of its one-leg twin is studied in two cases: for steps ( k=2 $k=2$) and steps ( k=3 $k=3$). Test problems are introduced with different step size at different end points.