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Given the profound structural changes in the national economy and its increasingly increased openness to the outside world, the transition to a more flexible exchange rate regime constitutes a fundamental reform in order to strengthen the competitiveness of the economy. its resilience to exogenous shocks and the level of its potential growth. However, the transition to more flexibility is not without risk, it would be accompanied by massive inflows of foreign capital motivated mainly by expectations of appreciation of the national currency and the interest rate differential, which will result in excess bank liquidity and excessive growth of reserves causing greater inflationary pressures and aggravation of financial fragilities and exchange rate risk. The objective of this article is therefore to question the capacity of the Moroccan economy through its macroeconomic fundamentals, its financial markets and its institutions, to support the transition to a new stage in the process of flexibilization of the exchange rate regime. The results show that this transition still has to wait, the ground needs to be further prepared.

This article aims to measure the pressure on the Moroccan foreign exchange market through the EMPI index. It was found that no crisis was signaled by this index during the years 2018 and 2019, which means that the policy of gradual flexibility of the exchange rate regime, which entered into force in January 2018, played a key role in this sense. Consequently, this reform would undoubtedly have reduced the pressure on the exchange rate by making the Moroccan economy more resilient and less vulnerable to exogenous shocks. Thus, 8 periods of crisis were identified with significantly high probabilities. Among these 8 periods, we can distinguish 3 periods which have been planned with more intensity, in particular in the second half of 2008, in the first half of 2012 and 2017.

The detection of trace quantities of 2,6-dipicolinic acid (DPA) in real-world samples is crucial for early disease diagnosis and routine health monitoring. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), recognized for their diverse structural architectures, have emerged as advanced multifunctional hybrid materials. One of the most notable properties of MOFs is their luminescence (L), which can arise from structural ligands, guest molecules, and emissive metal ions. Luminescent MOFs have shown significant promise as platforms for sensor design. This review highlights the application of luminescent MOFs in the detection of DPA in biological and aqueous environments. It provides a comprehensive discussion of the various detection strategies employed in luminescent MOF-based DPA sensors. Additionally, it explores the origins of L in MOFs, their synthesis, and the mechanisms underlying their sensing capabilities. The article also addresses key challenges and limitations in this field, offering practical insights for the development of efficient luminescent MOFs for DPA detection., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

This study documented the lesser-known indigenous fruits and vegetables used in a montane area of high biocultural diversity in Bangladesh, the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHTs), and analyzed the nutritional values of selected species. Over 125 species were noted, and based on their frequent uses, 10 plant species were selected for nutritional analysis. All of the analyzed fruits and vegetables contain significant amounts of nutrients. Adoption of these species as alternative sources of food in other parts of Bangladesh could play a key role in improving livelihood and well-being in marginal communities.

Folic acid (FA) is a water-soluble vitamin found in diverse natural sources and is crucial for preserving human health. The risk of health issues due to FA deficiency underscores the need for a straightforward and sensitive FA detection methodology. Carbon dots (CDs) have gained significant attention owing to their exceptional fluorescence performance, biocompatibility, and easy accessibility. Consequently, numerous research studies have concentrated on developing advanced CD fluorescent probes to enable swift and precise FA detection. Despite these efforts, there is still a requirement for a thorough overview of the efficient synthesis of CDs and their practical applications in FA detection to further promote the widespread use of CDs. This review paper focuses on the practical applications of CD sensors for FA detection. It begins with an in-depth introduction to FA and CDs. Following that, based on various synthetic approaches, the prepared CDs are classified into diverse detection methods, such as single sensing, visual detection, and electrochemical methods. Furthermore, persistent challenges and potential avenues are highlighted for future research to provide valuable insights into crafting effective CDs and detecting FA., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Extensively drug-resistant (XDR), multidrug-resistant (MDR) and pandrug-resistant (PDR) Gram-negative microorganisms (GNBs) are considered a significant global threat. β-lactam and aminoglycoside combinations and imipenem:cyclodextrin inclusion complexes were studied for the treatment of lethal GNBs. This is because of the broad empiric coverage of the two drugs and their possession of different spectra of activity. Two cyclodextrins (β- and hydroxy propyl β-cyclodextrins) were utilized for inclusion complex formation with imipenem using the physical and kneading methods. In silico investigation using the molecular docking and Fourier-infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were employed to estimate binding constant and confirm complex formation, respectively. The in vitro effects of amikacin and imipenem combination in comparison to the effect of imipenem-β- and hydroxy propyl β-cyclodextrin (CD) complexes against Klebsiella spp. and Acinetobacter baumannii were studied. The isolated microorganisms' antimicrobial responsiveness to various antibiotics (19 antibiotics) was evaluated. It was found that piperacillin/tazobactam and gentamycin (resistance rates were 33.3% and 34%, respectively) were the most effective antimicrobials. The in vitro studies have been performed by the checkerboard technique and time-killing assay. The studied combination of amikacin and imipenem showed a substantial drop in bacterial count ( p < 0.05). The in vitro studies demonstrated a synergism for the investigated combination. Conventional PCR was used in molecular studies to identify the resistance genes bla IMP and aac (6')-Ib. The blaIMP and aac (6')-Ib were recorded in 38.2% and 3.6% of the studied isolates, respectively. The in vitro studies showed synergistic effects among the tested antibiotics with FICIs of ≤0.5. Finally, the study compared the reduction in bacterial count between the tested antibiotic combinations and imipenem:CD physical and kneaded mixtures. Imipenem:CD inclusion complexes demonstrated a significant bacterial count reduction over the antibiotic combination. These results highlight the emerging role of CDs as safe biofunctional excipients in the combat against superbug bacterial resistance.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic is still difficult to be controlled. The spread of this virus and the emergence of new variants are considered a great challenge worldwide. Disturbance in infection control guidelines implementation, use of steroids, antibiotics, hospital crowdedness, and repeated use of oxygen masks during the management of critically ill COVID-19 patients lead to an increase in the rate of opportunistic infections. So, patients need to fight both the virus with its different variants and opportunistic pathogens including bacteria and fungi especially patients with diabetes mellitus, malignancy, or those who undergo hemodialysis and receive deferoxamine. During the pandemic, many cases of Mucormycosis associated with COVID-19 infection were observed in many countries. In this review, we discuss risk factors that increase the chance of infection by opportunistic pathogens, especially fungal pathogens, recent challenges, and control measures., (© 2023. Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The excessive use of organic pollutants like organic dyes, which enter the water environment, has led to a significant environmental problem. Finding an efficient method to degrade these pollutants is urgent due to their detrimental effects on aquatic organisms and human health. Carbon-based catalysts are emerging as highly promising and efficient alternatives to metal catalysts in Fenton-like systems. They serve as persulfate activators, effectively eliminating recalcitrant organic pollutants from wastewater. In this study, iron-loaded carbon black (Fe-CB) was synthesized from tire waste using chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Fe-CB exhibited high efficiency as an activator of peroxydisulfate (PDS), facilitating the effective degradation and mineralization of rhodamine B (RhB) in water. A batch experiment and series characterization were conducted to study the morphology, composition, stability, and catalytic activity of Fe-CB in a Fenton-like system. The results showed that, at circumneutral pH, the degradation and mineralization efficiency of 20 mg L -1 RhB reached 92% and 48% respectively within 60 minutes. Fe-CB exhibited excellent reusability and low metal leaching over five cycles while maintaining almost the same efficiency. The degradation kinetics of RhB was found to follow a pseudo-first-order model. Scavenging tests revealed that the dominant role was played by sulfate (SO 4 - ˙) and superoxide (O 2 - ˙) radicals, whereas hydroxyl radicals (OH˙) and singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) played a minor role in the degradation process. This study elucidates the detailed mechanism of PDS activation by Fe-CB, resulting in the generation of reactive oxygen species. It highlights the effectiveness of Fe-CB/PDS in a Fenton-like system for the treatment of water polluted with organic dye contaminants. The research provides valuable insights into the potential application of carbon black derived from tire waste for environmental remediation., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Background: Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) patients are at an increased risk for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study aimed to evaluate the clinical criteria associated with the diagnosis of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) among T1DM Egyptian children and adolescents., Methods: 74 T1DM patients aged 8-18 year were enrolled in this cross sectional study. Assessments of Clinical status, anthropometric measures, lipid profile, glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and liver enzymes were done. Abdominal Ultrasound evaluation of hepatic steatosis was done. Accordingly, patients were divided into two groups (NAFLD and normal liver group) and compared together. Assessment of liver fibrosis using acoustic radiation force impulse elastography (ARFI) was done. Statistical analysis included; independent t-test, Chi square and Fisher's Exact, Pearson and Spearman tests and Logistic regression models for factors associated with fatty liver were used when appropriate., Results: In this study; 74 patients were enrolled; 37 males (50%) and 37 females with mean age 14.3 ± 3.0 year. The mean insulin dose was 1.1 ± 0.4 U/kg and mean disease duration was 6.3 ± 3.0 year. NAFLD was detected in 46 cases while 28 cases had normal liver as diagnosed by abdominal ultrasound. Cases with NAFLD had statistically significant higher BMI-Z scores, waist/hip, waist/height and sum of skin fold thicknesses compared to those with normal liver (P < 0.05). The mean value of HbA1c % was significantly higher in NAFLD group (P = 0.003). Total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL serum levels were significantly elevated (p < 0.05), while the HDL level was significantly lower in NAFLD cases (p = 0.001). Although, serum levels of liver enzymes; ALT and AST were significantly higher among cases with NAFLD than in normal liver group (p < 0.05), their means were within normal. Using the ARFI elastography; NAFLD cases exhibited significant fibrosis (F2, 3 and 4). BMI, patient age and female gender were among risk factors for NAFLD., Conclusions: NAFLD represents a serious consequence in type 1 diabetic children and adolescents that deserves attention especially with poor glycemic control. NAFLD has the potential to evolve to fibrosis. This study demonstrated a very high prevalence of NAFLD in T1D children and adolescents using US which was (62.2%) with the percent of liver fibrosis among the NAFLD cases (F2-F4) using ARFI elastography was 26%. BMI, age of patients and female gender were detected as risk factors for NAFLD., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Since their inception, Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) have been charged with protecting the vulnerable in research. More recently, attention has turned to whether IRBs also have a role to play in ensuring representative study samples and promoting the inclusion of historically under-represented groups. These two aims-protecting the vulnerable and including the under-represented-can pull in different directions, given the potential for overlap between the vulnerable and the under-represented. We conducted a pilot, online national survey of IRB Chairs to gauge attitudes and practices with regard to protecting the vulnerable and including the under-represented in research. We found that IRBs extend the concept of vulnerability to different groups across various contexts, are confident that they effectively protect vulnerable individuals in research, and believe that IRBs have a role to play in ensuring representative samples and the inclusion of under-represented groups.

Introduction: The emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) E. coli has developed worldwide; therefore, the use of antibiotic combinations may be an effective strategy to target resistant bacteria and fight life-threatening infections. The current study was performed to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo efficacy of amikacin and imipenem alone and in combination against multidrug-resistant E. coli. Methods: The combination treatment was assessed in vitro using a checkerboard technique and time-killing curve and in vivo using a peritonitis mouse model. In resistant isolates, conventional PCR and quantitative real-time PCR techniques were used to detect the resistant genes of Metallo-β-lactamase gene Imipenemase ( bla- IMP ) and aminoglycoside 6'-N-acetyltransferase (aac (6')-Ib ). Scanning electron microscopy was used to detect the morphological changes in the resistant isolates after treatment with each drug alone and in combination. In vitro and in vivo studies showed a synergistic effect using the tested antibiotic combinations, showing fractional inhibitory concentration indices (FICIs) of ≤0.5. Regarding the in vivo study, combination therapy indicated a bactericidal effect after 24 h. E. coli isolates harboring the resistant genes Metallo-β-lactamase gene Imipenemase ( bla- IMP ) and aminoglycoside 6'-N-acetyltransferase ( aac (6')-Ib ) represented 80% and 66.7%, respectively, which were mainly isolated from wound infections. The lowest effect on Metallo-β-lactamase gene Imipenemase ( bla- IMP ) and aminoglycoside 6'-N-acetyltransferase ( aac (6')-Ib ) gene expression was shown in the presence of 0.25 × MIC of imipenem and 0.5 × MIC of amikacin. The scanning electron microscopy showed cell shrinkage and disruption in the outer membrane of E. coli in the presence of the antibiotic combination. Amikacin and imipenem combination can be expected to be effective in the treatment and control of serious infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) E. coli and the reduction in bacterial resistance emergence.

Bee pollen is a natural cocktail of floral nectar, flower pollen, enzymes, and salivary secretions produced by honeybees. Bee pollen is one of the bee products most enriched in proteins, polysaccharides, polyphenols, lipids, minerals, and vitamins. It has a significant health and medicinal impact and provides protection against many diseases, including diabetes, cancer, infectious, and cardiovascular. Bee pollen is commonly promoted as a cost-effective functional food. In particular, bee pollen has been applied in clinical trials for allergies and prostate illnesses, with a few investigations on cancer and skin problems. However, it is involved in several patents and health recipes to combat chronic health problems. This review aimed to highlight the clinical trials and patents involving bee pollen for different cases and to present the role of bee pollen as a supplementary food and a potential product in cosmetic applications.

Honeybees are the most prevalent insect pollinator species; they pollinate a wide range of crops. Colony collapse disorder (CCD), which is caused by a variety of biotic and abiotic factors, incurs high economic/ecological loss. Despite extensive research to identify and study the various ecological stressors such as microbial infections, exposure to pesticides, loss of habitat, and improper beekeeping practices that are claimed to cause these declines, the deep understanding of the observed losses of these important insects is still missing. Honeybees have an innate immune system, which includes physical barriers and cellular and humeral responses to defend against pathogens and parasites. Exposure to various stressors may affect this system and the health of individual bees and colonies. This review summarizes and discusses the composition of the honeybee immune system and the consequences of exposure to stressors, individually or in combinations, on honeybee immune competence. In addition, we discuss the relationship between bee nutrition and immunity. Nutrition and phytochemicals were highlighted as the factors with a high impact on honeybee immunity.

Approximately 6% of the world's total land area and 20% of the irrigated land are affected by salt stress. Egypt is one such country affected by salt-stress problems. This paper focuses on the role of isolated bacteria, such as Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas fluorescens, in alleviating the harmful effects of salt stress. The results show that the irrigation of plants with different concentrations of saline water (0, 75, and 150 mM NaCl) leads to significantly decreased growth criteria, photosynthetic pigments (i.e., chl a, chl b, and carotenoids), and membrane stability index (MSI) values. Moreover, malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione content, endogenous proline, the antioxidant defense system, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) content, ACC synthase (ACS), ACC oxidase (ACO), and Na + content were significantly increased under NaCl-stress exposure. On the contrary, treatment with endophytic bacteria significantly increased the resistance of pea plants to salt stress by increasing the enzymatic antioxidant defenses (i.e., superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, and glutathione reductase), non-enzymatic antioxidant defenses (i.e., glutathione), osmolyte substances such as proline, and antioxidant enzyme gene expression. As a result, endophytic bacteria's use was significantly higher compared to control values for indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), gibberellic acid GA 3 , MSI, and photosynthetic pigments. The use of endophytic bacteria significantly decreased Na + accumulation while, at the same time, promoting K + uptake. In conclusion, the induction of endophytic bacterium-induced salt tolerance in pea plants depends primarily on the effect of endophytic bacteria on osmoregulation, the antioxidant capacity, and ion uptake adjustment by limiting the uptake of Na + and, alternatively, increasing the accumulation of K + in plant tissue., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: NS5B polymerase inhibitors represent the cornerstone of the present treatment of Hepatitis C virus infection (HCV). Naturally occurring substitution mutations to NS5B inhibitors have been recorded. The current study intended to demonstrate possible natural direct acting antiviral (DAA)-mutations of the HCV NS5B region in HCV patients in Minia governorate, Egypt., Methods: Samples were collected from 27 treatment-naïve HCV patients and 8 non-responders. Out of 27 treatment-naïve patients, 17 NS5B sequences (amino acids 221-345) from treatment-naïve patients and one sample of non-responders were successfully amplified. Nucleotide sequences have been aligned, translated into amino acids, and compared to drug resistance mutations reported in the literature., Results: NS5B amino acid sequence analysis ensures several novel NS5B mutations existence (more than 40 substitution mutations) that have not been previously documented to be correlated with a resistant phenotype. It was found that K304R (82.4%), E327D and P300T (76.5% each) substitutions were the most distributed in the tested samples, respectively. S282T, the major resistance mutation that induces high sofosbuvir-resistance level in addition to other reported mutations (L320F/C) and (C316Y/N) were not recognized. Q309R mutation is a ribavirin-associated resistance, which was recognized in one strain (5.9%) of genotype 1g sequences. Besides, one substitution mutation (E237G) was identified in the successfully amplified non-responder sample., Conclusion: Our study showed various combinations of mutations in the analyzed NS5B genes which could enhance the possibility of therapy failure in patients administered regimens including multiple DAA., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

We report a case of isolated palatine paralysis in a 10-year-old boy. This kid presented with complaints of nasal regurgitation of liquids with nasal speech. Brain magnetic resonance imaging was done which was normal. The patient recovered in 10 days without any residual paralysis. Various causes which include infections, trauma, tumor, and brainstem lesions were investigated, but no predisposing factor was found. The patient responded well to conservative management and had been asymptomatic for 3 months., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

Cryptosporidiosis has a worldwide geographical and zoological distribution. Cryptosporidium baileyi oocysts were isolated from the bursa of Fabricius (BF) of 4 weeks-old of 100 broilers. Twenty five broiler chicks of 2 day old free from cryptosporidial infection were inoculated intratracheally at a dose of 1 x 10(6) chicks. Five chicks were sacrificed at 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th, and 20th day postinoculation. Selected tissues from bursa of Fabricius, cloaca, colon, caeci and tracheas were taken and examined directly by scraping technique for endogenous stages. The distribution of C. baileyi in different tissues in the case of intratracheal inoculation; trachea 23 (92 %) chicks infected, bursa of Fabricius 21 (84%) chicks, Cloaca 5 (16 %) chicks, Colon 1 (4%) chick and the caeci showing no infection. Daily examination of the intratracheal droppings inoculation was done at the 5th day and lasted for 18-20 days, the patent period.

Crude extract of Rubia cordifolia (RC) was tested in isolated tissue preparations for its possible calcium channel antagonistic activity. RC suppressed the spontaneous contractions of guinea-pig atria, rabbit jejunum and rat uterus in a concentration dependent manner (0.1-3 mg/ml). In rabbit aorta, it inhibited norepinephrine (10 microM) and KCl (80 mM) induced contractions. Replacement of physiological salt solution with calcium free solution abolished the spontaneous movements of rabbit jejunum. However, addition of calcium (25 micrograms/ml) in the tissue bath restored the spontaneous movements. When the tissues were pretreated with plant extract (1 mg/ml) or verapamil (0.5 microgram/ml), addition of calcium failed to restore spontaneous contractions. These results indicate that the plant extract exhibits spasmolytic activity similar to that of verapamil suggestive of presence of calcium channel blocker like constituent(s) in this plant.