Search

BACKGROUND: Food restriction has been demonstrated to increase the alertness in different species and to increase the levels of the wake-promoting neurotransmitter orexin. We hypothesized that diurnal intermittent fasting (DIF) increases orexin-A levels during fasting. Therefore, we conducted this study to assess the effects of DIF, during the month of Ramadan, on orexin, while controlling for lifestyle changes that may accompany Ramadan such as sleep duration, bedtime and wake time, energy expenditure, light exposure, and food. METHODS: Eight young healthy volunteers (mean age, 25.4 ± 3.5 years) reported to the laboratory on three occasions: (1) 4 weeks before Ramadan while performing DIF for 1 week outside the month of Ramadan (fasting outside Ramadan); (2) 1 week before Ramadan (nonfasting baseline) (BL); and (3) during the 2nd week of Ramadan while performing DIF (Ramadan). Plasma levels of orexin-A were measured using an enzyme immunoassay five times at 22:00, 02:00, 04:00, 06:00, and 11:00. Caloric intake, light exposure, and sleep schedule were maintained during the participants’ stays in the laboratory in the three study periods. RESULTS: Orexin-A levels increased in the daytime during fasting and decreased at night compared to BL. The differences in orexin-A levels between DIF and BL were significant at 06:00, 11:00, 22:00, and 02:00. CONCLUSIONS: DIF increases orexin-A levels in the plasma during fasting hours. This finding supports findings from animal studies showing that fasting increases alertness.

The aim of this work to investigate the effects of sodium fluoride (NaF) on male reproductive function and evaluate the protective effects of inulin against sodium fluoride (NaF) induced male reproductive toxicity in adult male albino rats. In this study, forty adult male albino rats were used, they were divided randomly into four groups: a control group (1), which was given distilled water, and three treatment groups, which was received daily oral doses of; sodium fluoride (10 mg/kg.b.w.) of group (2), inulin (10 mg/kg) + sodium fluoride (10 mg/kg) of group (3), and inulin (10 mg/kg.b.w.) of group (4) for 3 months. The sperm quality, complete sperm motility, morphology and sperm count were assessed. The levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol (E2), testosterone (T), and progesterone (P) were used as indicators of male reproductive health. The whole testis tissues isolated was used for histopathological studies. The results showed that sodium fluoride induces severe toxic changes in the male reproductive system and inulin could provide these toxic effects.

Objective To compare the efficacy of letrozole and laparoscopic ovarian drilling (LOD) in the induction of ovulation in women with clomiphene citrate (CC)-resistant polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Subjects and methods A total of 80 women with CC-resistant PCOS were enrolled and randomly allocated into groups A and B. Group A (n = 40) underwent LOD, and group B (n = 40) received 2.5 mg letrozole from days 3 to 7 of menses for up to six cycles. A 6-month follow-up was performed. Results No statistically significant differences were found in the baseline clinical characteristics and the major serum hormone profiles, women receiving letrozole had a higher rate of ovulation (70 vs. 57.5%) and however, the differences were not statistically significant also there is significant decrease in MAH in group A. The pregnancy rate was 27.5% in group A versus 35% in group B and abortion rate was 18% in group A versus 7% in the other group. Conclusion Letrozole had superior reproductive outcomes compared with LOD in women with CC-resistant PCOS and seems to be a suitable first-line ovulation induction instead of LOD in those patients.

Ship emissions in port areas are dispersed mainly concerns sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), particulate matter, … etc., in the atmosphere, affecting air quality and jeopardizing people's health and quality of life. This study aims to assess air quality of Damietta Harbor Region. Implementing continuous monitoring of major air pollutants (NO2, SO2, CO, O3 and PM10) were found in Damietta harbor by using Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station (AAQMS) from January 2013 to December 2015. According to the obtained results, the annual mean levels of NO2, SO2, CO and O3 in Damietta Port Area in 2013, 2014 and 2015 were 29.92, 41.50 and 29.12 µg/m3 of NO2, 26.68, 27.69 and 24.83 µg/m3 of SO2 , 5.31, 2.29 and 6.23 mg/m3 of CO and 33.10, 41.00 and 39.43 µg/m3 of O3, respectively. These results did not exceed the AQL as stipulated in the Egyptian Environmental Law 4/94 and its executive regulations (80, 60 µg/m3) for NO2 and SO2, and (10 mg/m3 for 8 hrs.) for CO, and (120 µg/m3 for 8 hrs.) for O3. Whereas, the annual mean levels of PM10 in Damietta Port Area were 83.56 and 72.32 µg/m3, in 2013 and 2015 respectively, found higher than AQL as stipulated in the Egyptian Environmental Law 4/94 and its executive regulations (70µg/m3).

Summary Brownfields in this paper are defined as mature fields where production declined to less than 35–40% of the plateau rate and where primary and secondary reserves have been largely depleted. Big data, high field complexity after a long production history, and slim economic margins are typical brownfield challenges. In the exploration-and-production (E&P) industry, “sequential” field-evaluation approaches (first “static,” then “dynamic”), have proved successful for greenfield development, but often do not achieve satisfying results for brownfields. This paper presents a new work flow for brownfield re-evaluation and rejuvenation. The “reversed” geo-dynamic field modeling (GDFM) rearranges existing elements of reservoir evaluation to obtain a purpose-driven, deterministic reservoir model, which can be quickly translated into development scenarios. The GDFM work flow is novel because (1) it turns upside down the discipline-driven sequential work flow (i.e., starts with the history match) and (2) it uses dynamic data as input to calibrate seismic (re-) interpretation that acts as a main integration step. It combines all available data already during horizon and fault mapping. Field diagnosis, flow-unit identification, well-test reanalysis, and petrophysical and geological interpretations are all combined in a cross-discipline interaction to guarantee data consistency. This directly ensures a fully integrated, “geo-dynamic” model that forms the basis for reservoir modeling. The full dynamic/static data coupling at an early stage is the main strength of the GDFM. It reduces the model complexity, and narrows the uncertainties. Project-execution time is considerably shortened by avoidance of the characteristic full-cycle loop iterations of the sequential approaches. A brownfield example illustrates the benefits of GDFM: a consistent history match with high model accuracy and confidence. In the field example, the GDFM work flow has facilitated a turnover at only 70% of the original time budget. The ongoing drilling has confirmed model validity (“attic oil” predictions), thus further postponing the economic limit of the brownfield.

Dermal drug delivery system which localizes methotrexate (MTX) in the skin is advantageous in topical treatment of psoriasis. The aim of the current study was to understand dilution effects and formulation variability for the potential formation of niosomes from proniosome gels of MTX. Box–Behnken’s design was employed to prepare a series of MTX proniosome gels of Span 40, cholesterol (Chol-X1) and Tween 20 (T20-X2). Short chain alcohols (X3), namely ethanol (Et), propylene glycol (Pg) and glycerol (G) were evaluated for their dilution effects on proniosomes. The responses investigated were niosomal vesicles size (Y1), MTX entrapment efficiency percent (EE%-Y2) and zeta potential (Y3). MTX loaded niosomes were formed immediately upon hydration of the proniosome gels with the employed solvents. Addition of Pg resulted in a decrease of vesicular size from 534 nm to 420 nm as Chol percentage increased from 10% to 30%, respectively. In addition, increasing the hydrophilicity of the employed solvents w...

Introduction To develop effective therapies and identify novel early biomarkers for chronic kidney disease, an understanding of the molecular mechanisms orchestrating it is essential. We here set out to understand how differences in chronic kidney disease (CKD) origin are reflected in gene expression. To this end, we integrated publicly available human glomerular microarray gene expression data for 9 kidney disease entities that account for most of CKD worldwide. Our primary goal was to demonstrate the possibilities and potential on data analysis and integration to the nephrology community. Methods We integrated data from 5 publicly available studies and compared glomerular gene expression profiles of disease with that of controls from nontumor parts of kidney cancer nephrectomy tissues. A major challenge was the integration of the data from different sources, platforms, and conditions that we mitigated with a bespoke stringent procedure. Results We performed a global transcriptome-based delineation of different kidney disease entities, obtaining a transcriptomic diffusion map of their similarities and differences based on the genes that acquire a consistent differential expression between each kidney disease entity and nephrectomy tissue. We derived functional insights by inferring the activity of signaling pathways and transcription factors from the collected gene expression data and identified potential drug candidates based on expression signature matching. We validated representative findings by immunostaining in human kidney biopsies indicating, for example, that the transcription factor FOXM1 is significantly and specifically expressed in parietal epithelial cells in rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN) whereas not expressed in control kidney tissue. Furthermore, we found drug candidates by matching the signature on expression of drugs to that of the CKD entities, in particular, the Food and Drug Administration–approved drug nilotinib. Conclusion These results provide a foundation to comprehend the specific molecular mechanisms underlying different kidney disease entities that can pave the way to identify biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets. To facilitate further use, we provide our results as a free interactive Web application: https://saezlab.shinyapps.io/ckd_landscape/. However, because of the limitations of the data and the difficulties in its integration, any specific result should be considered with caution. Indeed, we consider this study rather an illustration of the value of functional genomics and integration of existing data., Graphical abstract

Genome research 29(8), 1363-1375 (2019). doi:10.1101/gr.240663.118, Published by HighWire Press, Stanford, Calif.

Widespread occurrence of pharmaceuticals has started to attract attention as aquatic micropollutants that might have been affecting the ecological system in trace amounts. The risks associated with their introduction into wildlife habitats is becoming an important issue for both regulators and the pharmaceutical industry, because of incomplete elimination of pharmaceuticals wastewater and their metabolites. In this study there are different classes of pharmaceuticals. This work aims to remove some of pharmaceutical residues in industrial wastewater.The identification and quantification of chemical and pharmaceutical residues was explored using Gas Chromatography with Mass detector GC/MS spectrometer and the analytical method was used Environmental Protection Agency method (EPA625) determination of the concentration in industrial wastewater using liquid chromatography-based tandem mass spectrometry LC/MS/MS spectrometer with electrospray ionization (ESI) and the analytical method was used (EPA 1694). The study recorded occurring of different types of pharmaceutical residues with different concentration levels in wastewater. The concentration levels in wastewater were detected for caffeine at 9465 ng mL-1 and for Naproxen at 2 ng mL-1 these concentrations representing about 500 fold higher than international safety margin of treated wastewater. Magnetic activated carbon (MAC) is proposed as a new techniqe for the adsorption of pharmaceutical residues (Caffeine and Naproxen).The isotherms as well as adsorption kinetics are explored. The results obtained high adsorption capacity of caffeine and naproxen over MAC which has reached 1.8 mg g-1 and 1.6 mg g-1 after 15 min for both caffeine and naproxen. First order model is fitted well with the experimental results through a correlation coefficient (0.978) for (caffeine) and second order model is fitted well with the experimental results through a correlation coefficient (0.9887) for (Naproxen). Moreover, the adsorption of both (caffeine and naproxen) on MAC is proceeded using freundlish isotherm model considering correlation coefficient (0.953 and 0.948) respectively. The benefits of using MAC are the low cost of synthesis and its easy and fast separation from solution by using a magnet.

Background While anatomical variations in the cardiac circulation are quite commonly encountered, isolated congenital coronary artery anomalies are rare. These conditions are only reported in 1% of patients who underwent coronary angiogram and 0.3% of patients at autopsy. Case presentation This is the case of a 65-year-old female who presented with a 20-day history of postexertion chest tightness and shortness of breath. Coronary computed tomography exam revealed an anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery. With surgical intervention, the patient fully recovered. Conclusion Due to the low incidence of abnormal origin of coronary artery among adults, this condition is often misdiagnosed as coronary artery spasm, resulting in delayed management. Lack of timely surgical intervention may lead to a poor prognosis.

Pharmaceutical compounds are considered emerging environmental pollutants that have a potential harmful impact on environment and human health. This work aims treat the tramadol hydrochloride (TH) in different water resources in Egypt. The identification and quantification of TH was explored using LC/MS/MS spectrometer. The study proposed kaolinite/ZnO nanocomposite as a new solution for TH treatment. The characterization study showed that the highest photodegradation activity was reached in the case of K/ZnO40%. The photodegradation kinetics and thermodynamics are investigated. The obtained results reveal that Pseudo-first order model is well fitted with a correlation coefficient (0.990). Moreover, the positive values of ΔH˚ and ΔS˚ show that the photodegradation process is endothermic. Positive value of free energy indicates that the adsorption process is not spontaneous.

2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), is one of the most commonly herbicides used in agricultural farms to control weeds. Accumulation of 2,4-D in natural water stream constitutes a serious issue because of the adverse effects on human and animal health. This study aimed to monitor and treat 2,4-D in different water resources in Egypt. Treatment obtained by zinc ferrite nanoparticles (ZnFe2O4) which prepared by sol–gel combustion method. The batch experiments were carried out to study the optimum removal conditions such as pH, dose, 2,4-D initial concentration, contact time, ionic strength and temperature. Results recorded tentatively the presence of 2,4-D in the Rosita River Nile and agriculture drainage channels with concentrations ranged from 0.35 to 21.31 μg L-1 using LC/MS/MS analyzer. The optimization study showed a maximum percent of removal is 97.84% for adsorption followed by photodegradation using 0.3 g of zinc ferrite nanoparticles for 15 min. at pH 8.0. Adsorption capacity was 0.34 mg/g at initial concentration (Co) 10 mg/L after 15 min. Pseudo-second order model is well fitted with the experimental data with a correlation coefficient 0.999. Adsorption is proceeded with Freundlich isotherm model with correlation coefficient 0.986. According to the study findings zinc ferrite nanoparticle was considered as a new novel solution for removing that hazard material

Ahmed Mohamed Saleh,1 Essam Ali Hassan,1 Ahmed Ali Gomaa,1 Tamer Mahmoud El Baz,2 Mohamed El-Abgeegy,3 Mohamed Ismail Seleem,3 Yousry Esam-Eldin Abo-amer,4 Heba Fadl Elsergany,3 Eman Ibrahim El-Desoki Mahmoud,3 Sherief Abd-Elsalam51Tropical Medicine Department, Fayoum University, Al Fayyum, Egypt; 2Endemic Medicine Department, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt; 3Liver Transplantation Team, National Hepatology and Tropical Medicine Research Institute, Cairo, Egypt; 4Hepatology, Gastroenterology, and Infectious Diseases Department, Mahala Hepatology Teaching Hospital, Gharbia, Egypt; 5Tropical Medicine Department, Tanta University, Tanta, EgyptBackground and aim: Liver transplantation (LT) has emerged as an established therapeutic option for patients with chronic liver disease. Patients with end-stage liver disease are at high risk of infection with multidrug-resistant organisms, which may affect the outcome of LT. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of pre-transplant infection on the outcome of living-donor LT.Methods: Prospective follow-up was done for 50 patients with chronic liver disease who had had LT performed from September 2013 to December 2017. We divided patients into group 1 (patients who had had infection within 3 months before transplantation with adequate treatment [n=20]), and group 2 (patients without infection [n=30]). Both groups were followed for 4 months post-operatively.Results: Patients with high Modelfor End-Stage Liver Disease scores were more susceptible to infection pre- and post-operatively, and chest infection was the most common infection pre-transplant. There were no significant statistical differences regarding hospital and ICU stay and post-operative course between the groups, but the mortality rate was higher in group 1 (40%) than in group 2 (23.3%), and the causes of mortality in the group 1 were mainly due to medical causes (infections and sepsis, 75%) versus 28.6% in group 2.Conclusion: Liver-cell failure and concomitant infection 3 months before LT with adequate treatment had no significant statistical differences regarding hospital, ICU stay, or medical complications, but post-operative infection and mortality rate were more frequent in group 1 and the causes of mortality were mainly medical.Keywords: hepatitis C virus, cirrhosis, steatosis, chronic liver disease, liver transplantation, outcome

In this paper, we formulate and study a compartmental model for Lassa fever transmission dynamics considering human-to-human, rodent-to-human transmission and the vertical transmission of the virus in rodents. To incorporate the impact of periodicity of weather on the spread of Lassa, we introduce a non-autonomous model with time-dependent parameters for rodent birth rate and carrying capacity of the environment with respect to rodents. We introduce the basic reproduction number and show that it can be used as a threshold parameter concerning the global dynamics. It also shown that the disease-free periodic solution is globally asymptotically stable in the case of R 0 1 and if R 0 > 1 , then the disease persists. We show numerical studies for the Lassa fever in Nigeria and give examples to describe what kind of parameter changes might trigger the periodic recurrence of Lassa fever.

Breast cancer is the second most common cancers among female worldwide. The current treatment strategies includes surgery, chemo-, radio- and hormone-therapy. Nevertheless, breast cancer still accounts for more than 20% of all female cancer deaths, presumably, due to the lack of specificity to target site or the development of drug resistance. Graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) are one of the promising platforms that show efficient cellular internalization and high target specificity for cancer cells. Herein, oxidized graphene nanoribbons (OGNRs), decorated with folic acid (FA) and loaded with the selective estrogen receptor modulator, tamoxifen citrate (TC), were prepared from multi-walled carbon nanotubes using the longitudinal unzipping method. The synthesized TC-loaded OGNRs-FA showed multi-layered structure with drug loading efficiency of 56%. In vitro release studies showed a pH-dependent release of TC from OGNRs. In addition, TC loaded onto OGNRs significantly reduces cell viability and induces apoptosis in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines in concentration and-time dependent manner. Most importantly, cellular uptake studies revealed that surface decoration of OGNRs with FA significantly contributed to the preferential cellular internalization of TC-loaded OGRNs-FA by breast cancer cells, compared to naked OGNRs. In vivo pharmacokinetic study suggests that drug loading onto OGNRs-FA remarkably reduced the premature drug release in systemic circulation and, consequently, could enhance the availability of drug payload at the target site. Collectively, OGNRs-FA might represent a promising platform for efficient and selective delivery of tamoxifen to breast cancer cells. However, deep understanding of the in vivo fate and long-term toxicity of OGNRs-FA is crucial for further clinical application.

From an environmental and economic perspective, Kuwait's coastal zone is highly vulnerable to sea level rise (SLR). This paper aims to assess SLR's impact on Kuwait's coastal zone at both the local and national level. The economic and environmental assessments focused on inundation of land, the population at risk, residential sector losses, and affected infrastructure under four SLR scenarios (0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2 m sea rise). Several spatial datasets comprising a digital elevation model, satellite images, and land use map were processed using ArcGIS 10. In addition, the rate of beach erosion from SLR was calculated by applying the Bruun rule. The results revealed that the governorates expected to be the most severely impacted were Hawalli and Kuwait Capital, in terms of both the number of affected people and the residential sector's economic losses. Although the Ahmadi governorate would experience a lower risk of inundation, its coastal area is home to the oil industry, including refineries, harbors, and several power and desalination plants. On a national scale, applying the Bruun rule revealed that the beaches investigated would be eroded entirely by a 1 m increase in sea level. Furthermore, if sea levels rose from 0.5 m to 2 m, 1.4%–4.8% of Kuwait's coastal zone would be inundated, forcing 0.28%–1% of residents to abandon their homes, causing residential losses of $3,463 to $11,142 million. In the same scenarios, the transportation sector would suffer damage to around 1.5%–5% of its road network. The impact of SLR would also extend to the natural environment of Kuwait Bay and caused damage to its ecosystems. The predicted consequences of SLR would vary from one area to another based on natural barriers, shoreline type, coastal structures, and the type of urban development. Therefore, national and local governments' response should consider the long-term consequences of SLR and initiate a proactive adaptation strategy.

The prediction of transcription factor (TF) activities from the gene expression of their targets (i.e., TF regulon) is becoming a widely used approach to characterize the functional status of transcriptional regulatory circuits. Several strategies and data sets have been proposed to link the target genes likely regulated by a TF, each one providing a different level of evidence. The most established ones are (1) manually curated repositories, (2) interactions derived from ChIP-seq binding data, (3) in silico prediction of TF binding on gene promoters, and (4) reverse-engineered regulons from large gene expression data sets. However, it is not known how these different sources of regulons affect the TF activity estimations and, thereby, downstream analysis and interpretation. Here we compared the accuracy and biases of these strategies to define human TF regulons by means of their ability to predict changes in TF activities in three reference benchmark data sets. We assembled a collection of TF-target interactions for 1541 human TFs and evaluated how different molecular and regulatory properties of the TFs, such as the DNA-binding domain, specificities, or mode of interaction with the chromatin, affect the predictions of TF activity. We assessed their coverage and found little overlap on the regulons derived from each strategy and better performance by literature-curated information followed by ChIP-seq data. We provide an integrated resource of all TF-target interactions derived through these strategies, with confidence scores, as a resource for enhanced prediction of TF activities.

Curcumin is a poorly water-soluble drug that is used for the treatment of inflammations, tumors, wound healing antioxidant and other diseases. In the current manuscript, it is successfully formulated into proniosome gels. The proniosomes are readily hydrated into niosomal formulations using warm water. Proniosomes were prepared using nonionic surfactants (tween 80, span 60) either solely or in combinations with cholesterol. The produced niosomal formulations were homogenous in size with vesicular sizes &gt, 343 and &lt, 1800 nm. The encapsulation efficiency percentage “EE%” of curcumin in niosomal formulations was different according to niosomal composition. It increased up to 99.74% in formulations of tween 80/Chol of 200 μmole/mL lipid concentration. Span 60/chol niosomes showed decreased curcumin EE%. Niosomal formulations showed increased SSTF and PC with enhancement ratios of more than 20-fold compared with curcumin suspension form. Kinetically, niosomes fitted to the Korsemeyer-Peppas model with non-Fickian transport according to their calculated n-values where curcumin suspension form showed Korsemeyer-Peppas kinetics with Fickian transport. Niosomal formulations deposited higher curcumin amounts in the skin compared with the suspension form. The best niosomal formulation (F9) was used for niosomal gel and emulgel fabrication. Finally, the anti-inflammatory activity of curcumin in various formulations was evaluated using a rat hind paw edema method and the % of swelling was 17.5% following 24 h in group treated with curcumin niosomal emulgel. In conclusion, this study suggests that the developed niosomal emulgel could significantly enhance the anti-inflammatory effect of curcumin and be an efficient carrier for the transdermal delivery of the drug.

Objectives : To explore nurses’ perceptions of obstacles to the provision of end of life care (EoLC) in the intensive care unit (ICU) in Saudi Arabia. Methods : A modified version of a questionnaire developed by Beckstrand and Kirchhoff was administered in one setting at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia between March and April 2015. Results : A total of 87 questionnaires were returned from 140 potential respondents, representing a 62% response rate. Findings highlighted concerns associated with patient’s family, physicians who differed in opinions, cultural differences and language barriers. The nurses also noted issues in awareness and involvement in education about EoLC and futile care. Conclusion : Findings highlight a number of key obstacles to the provision of quality EoLC in ICUs for nurses. Further development of both EoLC guidelines and education about EoLC in ICUs is recommended. Saudi Med J 2017; Vol. 38 (7): 715-720 doi: 10.15537/smj.2017.7.18454 How to cite this article: Mani ZA, Ibrahim MA. Intensive care unit nurses' perceptions of the obstacles to the end of life care in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Med J . 2017 Jul;38(7):715-720. doi: 10.15537/smj.2017.7.18454.

The present study aimed to develop microemulsion (ME) formulae for nasal delivery of sulpiride with high drug concentration to overcome sulpiride low oral bioavailability. Different oils, surfactants (S) and co-surfactants (CoS) were screened for the highest sulpiride solubilizing capacity. Glycerylmonooleate (GMO), Labrafil and Avocado were chosen as oily phases for ternary phase diagram construction. As nasal cavity accommodates limited administration volume, higher drug solubility and ME area (A T %) were used as assessment criteria. ME systems of the highest drug solubilities were subjected to physicochemical characterization such as drug content, pH, refractive index (RI), percent transmittance (%T), in-vitro release and ex-vivo permeation through the sheep nasal mucosa. Sulpiride solubility increased to 43.35 mg/ml with drug content more than 97%. The pH ranged from 4.25 to 5.75 while RI and %T values indicated that o/w type ME was formed. The pharmacodynamic performance, antipsychotic activity of sulpiride, concluded that intranasal ME is an effective alternate therapy for schizophrenia.

Numerous randomized controlled trials (RCTs) demonstrated efficacy and safety of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) for chronic plantar fasciopathy (cPF). However, only two such RCTs investigated a follow-up period of more than 1 year, both applying focused ESWT. Corresponding data for radial ESWT (rESWT) have not yet been reported. We therefore tested the hypothesis that rESWT is effective and safe for the management of cPF with long-term follow-up of 2 years. To this end n = 50 patients with cPF were randomly allocated to either two sessions of rESWT (one session per week; 2,000 shock waves with energy flux density of 0.16 mJ/mm2 per session) (n = 25) or to placebo treatment (n = 25). Evaluation was by change in Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score and Roles and Maudsley (RM) score. Mean pretreatment VAS scores for the rESWT and placebo groups were 8.5 and 8.9, respectively. 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after treatment, the mean VAS scores for the rESWT and placebo groups were 0.6, 1.1, 0.5, 2.3, and 1.4 and 7.6, 7.7, 7.4, 6.9, and 5.6 (p

A novel nanopolymeric composite powdered material was prepared by physical immobilization of the sol-gel prepared zirconia nanoparticles (ZrO2NPs) into poly (acrylonitrile- co-pyrrole) (poly (AN-co-py)) copolymer. The prepared copolymer composite was characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Fourier Transfer infrared spectrophotometer (FT-IR). SEM images investigated its homogeneous spherical morphological structure with an average diameter of 60 nm. The potential of this nanopolymeric composite material to remove a basic dye (Basic Red 46) was evaluated in a batch process. The improvement in material dosage, solution pH, and temperature has positive impact on the dye decolonization process. The maximum dye decolonization was 87.7% that recorded using 0.5 g from the composite matrix within 150 min. The kinetic data analysis indicated that the dye adsorption is a second-order process. The results indicated that the prepared nanopolymeric composite could be an alternative for more costly adsorbents used for dye removal.

Two glutathione peroxidase isoenzymes were purified from 24-day old embryos of the camel tick Hyalomma dromedarii and designated tick embryo glutathione peroxidase 1 and 2 (TEGPx1 and TEGPx2). The purification procedure involved ammonium sulfate precipitation, as well as ion exchange and gel filtration column chromatography. Glutathione peroxidase isoenzymes subunit molecular mass was determined by SDS-PAGE to be 36 ± 2 kDa and 59 ± 1.5 kDa for TEGPx1 and TEGPx2, respectively. TEGPx1 isoenzyme exhibited a dimeric structure with native molecular mass of 72 kDa while TEGPx2 was a monomeric protein. TEGPx1 and TEGPx2 displayed their pH optima at 7.6 and 8.2. Both isoenzymes cleaved preferentially H2O2 with K m values of 24 and 49 μM. Iodoacetamide competitively inhibited TEGPx1 with K i value of 0.45 mM and 1.10; phenanthroline competitively inhibited TEGPx2 with K i value of 0.12 mM. These results indicate the presence of two different forms of glutathione peroxidase in the developing camel tick embryos. This finding enhances our knowledge and understanding of the physiology of these ectoparasites and will encourage the development of new and untraditional control methods.

This study aims to investigate the genetic predisposition of haptoglobin (Hp) genotype as a predictor for cerebral vasospasm (CV) after acute subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) in the Egyptian population. This permits CV risk factors stratification of patients with aSAH. Hence, it will guide the treatment plan and intensive monitoring for those patients.The study was carried out at El Matareya Teaching Hospital, Cairo, Egypt. We studied 50 patients with aSAH who were prospectively recruited and followed up by transcranial Doppler (TCD) examination for 14 days following aneurysmal rupture to early detect hemodynamic changes associated with CV and also the occurrence of delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) as a secondary outcome. In this study, we attempted to analyze Hp genotyping as a potential predictor of CV and DCI during the acute phase of aneurysmal SAH.As a part of result analyses, among studied patients, 34 patients (68 %) developed CV and 19 patients (38 %) developed DCI. Only history of hypertension [RR = 1.6 (OR = 4)], diabetes mellitus [RR = 1.5 (OR = 3.4)] and smoking [RR = 1.5 (OR = 3.6)] had a significant independent relationship (P0.05) with short term risk to develop CV following aSAH. While, Age, sex, hyperlipidemia, cardiovascular disease and peripheral vascular disease, intracranial aneurysm site and size did not achieve significant association for developing CV. Regarding the poor Fisher scale and poor Hunt and Hess score both showed significant association with CV (P0.05). Genotyping of Hp protein among our study cohort revealed that the relative distribution of the three haptoglobin genotypes (Hp1-1, HP2-IHP2-2) among Egyptian patients of aSAH was 14 %, 40 % and 46 %, respectively; (gene proportion being 0.34 for Hp1 and 0.66 for Hp2). Furthermore; Hp 2 allele was associated with radiographic vasospasm detected by TCD among the studied patients (2-22-1 Vs 1-1: RR = 5.4, OR = 19.8, P0.001). In the regression model; Hp genotype expressing Hp-2 allele is predictive for higher risk of development of CV after aSAH. Moreover, searching for the relationship between CVHp genotype and the risk for development of DCI; both variables failed to achieve a significant relationship for DCI (P0.05).The Hp genotype may determine the susceptibility to cerebral vasospasm after acute aSAH. This has the potential for use in risk stratification by allowing for the identification of those patients requiring intensive monitoring due to their inherent genetic risk for developing CV allowing for the promising selective application of aggressive treatments to those patients.

In this paper, we study and investigate the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Iraq and Egypt by using compartmental, logistic regression, and Gaussian models. We developed a generalized SEIR model for the spread of COVID-19, taking into account mildly and symptomatically infected individuals. The logistic and Gaussian models were utilized to forecast and predict the numbers of confirmed cases in both countries. We estimated the parameters that best fit the incidence data. The results provide discouraging forecasts for Iraq from 22 February to 8 October 2020 and for Egypt from 15 February to 8 October 2020. To provide a forecast of the spread of COVID-19 in Iraq, we present various simulation scenarios for the expected peak and its timing using Gaussian and logistic regression models, where the predicted cases showed a reasonable agreement with the officially reported cases. We apply our compartmental model with a time-periodic transmission rate to predict the possible start of the second wave of the COVID-19 epidemic in Egypt and the possible control measures. Our sensitivity analyses of the basic reproduction number allow us to conclude that the most effective way to prevent COVID-19 cases is by decreasing the transmission rate. The findings of this study could therefore assist Iraqi and Egyptian officials to intervene with the appropriate safety measures to cope with the increase of COVID-19 cases.

The present article explores the usage of functionalized urethane of robust affinity to pigment through the reaction of polyurethane adduct with different types of polyether in order to improve the pigment dispersion stability, color and wetting properties. The raw materials and prepared dispersants were characterized by FTIR, GPC, Non-volatile content. The properties and dispersing ability of the dispersants were also investigated by measuring ink viscosity, Rheology, surface tension and particle size. The prepared polymeric dispersants were employed as dispersing agents for solvent-based inkjet ink application. The adhesion and color properties of prepared ink also were studied. All dispersants possessed high gloss comparing to blank after storage stability and low particle size and surface tension except PUD 5, 6, all dispersants showed no negative affect on adhesion of ink on printed PVC film and possessed excellent dispersing ability and rheological properties indicated by low ink viscosity for most commonly used cyan pigment C.I. 15:4.

Transdermal delivery of insulin is a great challenge due to its poor permeability through the skin. The aim of the current investigation was to evaluate the prospective of insulin loaded niosome emulgel as a noninvasive delivery system for its transdermal therapy. A 23 full-factorial design was used to optimize the insulin niosome emulgel by assessing the effect of independent variables (concentration of paraffin oil, Tween 80 and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose) on dependent variables (in vitro release, viscosity and in vitro permeation). The physical characteristics of the prepared formulations were carried out by determining viscosity, particle size, entrapment efficiency, drug loading, drug release and kinetics. In vitro permeation studies were carried out using rat skin membrane. Hypoglycemic activity of prepared formulations was assessed in diabetic-induced rats. It was observed that the independent variables influenced the dependent variables. A significant difference (p &lt, 0.05) in viscosity was noticed between the prepared gels, which in turn influenced the insulin release. The order of permeation is: insulin niosome emulgel &gt, insulin niosome gel &gt, insulin emulgel &gt, insulin gel &gt, insulin niosomes &gt, insulin solution. The enhancement in transdermal flux in insulin niosome emulgel was 10-fold higher than the control (insulin solution). In vivo data significantly demonstrated reduction (p &lt, 0.05) of plasma glucose level (at six hours) by insulin niosome emulgel than other formulations tested. The results suggest that the developed insulin niosome emulgel could be an efficient carrier for the transdermal delivery of insulin.

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of educational infographics in the academic achievement and the development of geological sense among tenth grade students in the Sultanate of Oman. To achieve the goals of the study, a sample of 452 female students from grade ten were chosen. They were divided into two groups. The effectiveness of infographics was measured by building an achievement test consisting of 25 single-type multiple choice items, and short essay questions. Likewise, a measure of geological sense was prepared, which consisted of 36 items distributed in 6 main categories: (the aesthetic sense, the scientific sense, the educational sense, the psychological sense, the national sense, and the economic sense). The validity of the two tools was verified by presenting them to 20 arbitrators. Their consistency was calculated using the internal consistency by the Cronbach alpha method, where the value of the stability coefficient in the test was 0.785, and the stability of the geological sense scale was 0.869. The results of the study indicated that there is a statistically significant difference between the female students’ scores in both the achievement and the geological sense scale for the benefit of the experimental group. In light of the results, the study recommended activating the use of infographics in the teaching of geographical issues and spreading a culture of its use.

Fish farming in the private aquaculture sector is the most common. The main objective of the study was to study the economic and environmental assessment of the national fish farms. Field data were obtained through a sample of 138 form representing 16.23% of the total national farms. The most important explanatory variables affect the quantity of the output Of the fish in the sample farms are the number of used labor, the number of fry used, the amount of fodder used, the water area, and the results showed that all the farms of the sample did not achieve economic efficiency for a number of reasons, It was also found that the average size of the average fish production for the three sample groups which below the cost is about 3.57, 49.5, and 5.68 tons / fed. The maximum profit production was also found to be about 0.56, 4.56, 6.5 Ton / fed for the three categories respectively. The internal rate of return for the three categories was 49.8%, 59.4% and 64.5%, respectively, which is higher than the prevailing interest rate of 20% and it was found that the investment in aquaculture So that the most effective economically and financially from depositing money in banks, the study recommended by encouraging the private sector to invest in the field of aquaculture. .

Mustafa Lutfi al-Manfalouti (1876–1924) is one of Egypt’s greatest modern prose writers and poets. He was born in the Upper Egyptian city of Manfalout to an Egyptian father and Turkish mother. He belonged to a noble family and his father and forefathers served as Sharia judges and heads of the Sufi Syndicates. He followed the steps of his fathers and memorized the entire Quran at a young age, and joined al-Azhar University in Cairo where he was taught by renowned scholars such as Sheikh Muhammad Abduh. His love of literature made him always inclined to reading literary works, especially those of al-Jahiz, al-Mutanabi and Abu al-`Ala’ al-Ma`arri.

Additive manufacturing (AM) is the process of building 3D objects by layer-upon-layer. AM became a promising technique in various applications as automotive, aerospace and biomedical applications. The AM provides a flexible and versatile technique to produce complex shapes in short time using vast materials in a cost-effective way. So, AM has been successfully utilized to produce complex shaped biomedical implants using a wide range of biomaterials. Metallic Glasses (MG) proved to be an excellent material for biomedical implant applications because of their superior tribological and corrosion properties. However, the microstructure is characterized as a composite of different phases with vastly different mechanical properties such as ductility, strength, resistance to wear, creep and fatigue. A major challenge to utilize AM to fabricate large objects made of MG is the difficulty to preserve the amorphous structure in larger sizes. To get the superior properties benefit of MG in fabricating large objects, the coating of MG on a metallic substrate using laser cladding technique is proposed in this research work. Laser cladding (LC) is considered an outstanding technique to produce MG coating on metallic alloys substrate. This chapter discusses the various effects of LC parameters on the microstructure, phases formation, mechanical and tribo-corrosion properties of the MG coatings. Also, cytotoxicity and biocompatibility of MG are discussed.

Prediction of transcription factor (TF) activities from the gene expression of their targets (i.e. TF regulon) is becoming a widely-used approach to characterize the functional status of transcriptional regulatory circuits. Several strategies and datasets have been proposed to link the target genes likely regulated by a TF, each one providing a different level of evidence. The most established ones are: (i) manually curated repositories, (ii) interactions derived from ChIP-seq binding data, (iii) in silico prediction of TF binding on gene promoters, and (iv) reverse-engineered regulons from large gene expression datasets. However, it is not known how these different sources of regulons affect the TF activity estimations, and thereby downstream analysis and interpretation. Here we compared the accuracy and biases of these strategies to define human TF regulons by means of their ability to predict changes in TF activities in three reference benchmark datasets. We assembled a collection of TF-target interactions among 1,541 TFs, and evaluated how the different molecular and regulatory properties of the TFs, such as the DNA-binding domain, specificities or mode of interaction with the chromatin, affect the predictions of TF activity changes. We assessed their coverage and found little overlap on the regulons derived from each strategy and better performance by literature-curated information followed by ChIP-seq data. We provide an integrated resource of all TF-target interactions derived through these strategies with a confidence score, as a resource for enhanced prediction of TF activities.

Rapid advancement in the field of colloidal science has shown a great progress in the development of proniosome technology (PT) as an impending drug delivery system. PT is a valuable carrier system for delivery of hydrophobic as well as hydrophilic drugs. It is a liquid crystalline compact niosomal hybrid, which upon hydration gives niosomes. They can augment the bioavailability of encapsulated drug and provide better therapeutic activity in a controlled manner. Non-toxicity, penetration enhancing the effect of surfactant and modified drug release from the proniosomal transdermal gel has attracted a greater attention of formulation scientist toward PT. Free flowing dry proniosomal powder are suitable for unit dosage forms such as tablet and capsules. Proniosomes are auspicious drug delivery system for the future. Proniosomes-derived niosomes are a better alternative to the other vesicular system due to their superior physicochemical stability and effective drug delivery capability. The focus of this review is to bring out all the aspects of proniosomes including their different compositions, various methods of preparation, characterization and recent development in their therapeutic applications.