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In an era where synthetic supplements have raised concerns regarding their effects on human health, Ficus carica has emerged as a natural alternative rich in polyphenolic compounds with potent therapeutic properties. Various studies on F. carica focusing on the analysis and validation of its pharmacological and nutritional properties are emerging. This paper summarizes present data and information on the phytochemical, nutritional values, therapeutic potential, as well as the toxicity profile of F. carica . An extensive search was conducted from various databases, including PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Google Scholar. A total of 126 studies and articles related to F. carica that were published between 1999 and 2023 were included in this review. Remarkably, F. carica exhibits a diverse array of advantageous effects, including, but not limited to, antioxidant, anti-neurodegenerative, antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic, antiepileptic, anticonvulsant, anti-hyperlipidemic, anti-angiogenic, antidiabetic, anti-cancer, and antimutagenic properties. Among the highlights include that antioxidants from F. carica were demonstrated to inhibit cholinesterase, potentially protecting neurons in Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative conditions. The antimicrobial activities of F. carica were attributed to its high flavonoids and terpenoids content, while its virucidal action through the inhibition of DNA and RNA replication was postulated due to its triterpenes content. Inflammatory and arthritic conditions may also benefit from its anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic properties through the modulation of various signalling proteins. Studies have also shown that F. carica extracts were generally safe and exhibit low toxicity profile, although more research in this aspect is required, specifically its effects on the skin. In conclusion, this study highlights the potential of F. carica as a valuable natural therapeutic agent and dietary supplement. However, continued exploration on F. carica' s safety and efficacy is still required prior to embarking on clinical trials, as its role in personalized nutrition and medication will open a new paradigm to improve health outcomes., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work., (© 2024 Fazel et al.)

Purpose: Primary B cell defects manifesting as predominantly antibody deficiencies result from variable inborn errors of the B cell lineage and their development, including impairments in early bone marrow development, class switch recombination (CSR), or terminal B cell differentiation. In this study, we aimed to investigate autoimmunity in monogenic patients with B cell development and differentiation defects., Methods: Patients with known genetic defects in the B cell development and differentiation were recruited from the Iranian inborn errors of immunity registry., Results: A total of 393 patients with a known genetic defect in the B cell development and differentiation (257 males; 65.4%) with a median age of 12 (6-20) years were enrolled in this study. After categorizing patients, 109 patients had intrinsic B cell defects. More than half of the patients had defects in one of the ATM (85 patients), BTK (76 patients), LRBA (34 patients), and DOCK8 (33 patients) genes. Fifteen patients (3.8%) showed autoimmune complications as their first manifestation. During the course of the disease, autoimmunity was reported in 81 (20.6%) patients at a median age of 4 (2-7) years, among which 65 patients had mixed intrinsic and extrinsic and 16 had intrinsic B cell defects. The comparison between patients with the mentioned four main gene defects showed that the patient group with LRBA defect had a significantly higher frequency of autoimmunity compared to those with other gene defects. Based on the B cell defect stage, 13% of patients with early B cell defect, 17% of patients with CSR defect, and 40% of patients who had terminal B cell defect presented at least one type of autoimmunity., Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that gene mutations involved in human B cell terminal stage development mainly LRBA gene defect have the highest association with autoimmunity., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Early cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a strong link in the of survival for sudden cardiac arrest. Hence, bystander CPR (BPCR) plays an important role in curbing mortality and morbidity from out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest. However, the recent global Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted both public training and confidence in performing out-of-hospital CPR. This paper reviews detailed information from databases including Google Scholar, Scopus, PubMed and Web of Science on the readiness of BCPR during the pandemic. We also discussed the challenges bystanders encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic and the precautions to follow. Finally, we also highlighted the limitations which would benefit future endeavours in establishing well-planned and sustainable CPR training programs for the public. Therefore, regardless of the existing COVID-19 pandemic, BCPR must be emphasised to curb out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) mortality.

Purpose: Medical students have a higher risk of developing psychological issues, such as feeding and eating disorders (FEDs). In the past few years, a major increase was observed in the number of studies on the topic. The goal of this review was to estimate the prevalence risk of FEDs and its associated risk factors in medical students., Methods: Nine electronic databases were used to conduct an electronic search from the inception of the databases until 15 th September 2021. The DerSimonian-Laird technique was used to pool the estimates using random-effects meta-analysis. The prevalence of FEDs risk in medical students was the major outcome of interest. Data were analyzed globally, by country, by research measure and by culture. Sex, age, and body mass index were examined as potential confounders using meta-regression analysis., Results: A random-effects meta-analysis evaluating the prevalence of FEDs in medical students (K = 35, N = 21,383) generated a pooled prevalence rate of 17.35% (95% CI 14.15-21.10%), heterogeneity [Q = 1528 (34), P = 0.001], τ 2  = 0.51 (95% CI 0.36-1.05), τ = 0.71 (95% CI 0.59-1.02), I 2  = 97.8%; H = 6.70 (95% CI 6.19-7.26). Age and sex were not significant predictors. Body mass index, culture and used research tool were significant confounders., Conclusion: The prevalence of FEDs symptoms in medical students was estimated to be 17.35%. Future prospective studies are urgently needed to construct prevention and treatment programs to provide better outcomes for students at risk of or suffering from FEDs., Level of Evidence: Level I, systematic review and meta-analysis., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) overstimulation is known to mediate neurodegeneration, and hence represents a relevant therapeutic target for neurodegenerative disorders including glaucoma. This study examined the neuroprotective effects of philanthotoxin (PhTX)-343 against NMDA-induced retinal injury in rats. Male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into three groups; group 1 received phosphate buffer saline as the negative control, group 2 was injected with NMDA (160 nM) to induce retinal excitotoxic injury, and group 3 was pre-treated with PhTX-343 (160 nM) 24 h before NMDA exposure. All treatments were given intravitreally and bilaterally. Seven days post-treatment, rats were subjected to visual behaviour assessments using open field and colour recognition tests. Rats were then euthanized, and the retinas were harvested and subjected to haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining for morphometric analysis and 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT) ELISA protocol as the nitrosative stress biomarker. PhTX-343 treatment prior to NMDA exposure improved the ability of rats to recognize visual cues and preserved visual functions (i.e., recognition of objects with different colours). Morphological examination of retinal tissues showed that the fractional ganglion cell layer thickness within the inner retina (IR) in the PhTX-343 treated group was greater by 1.28-fold as compared to NMDA-treated rats ( p < 0.05) and was comparable to control rats ( p > 0.05). Additionally, the number of retinal cell nuclei/100 μm 2 in IR for the PhTX-343-treated group was greater by 1.82-fold compared to NMDA-treated rats ( p < 0.05) and was comparable to control group ( p > 0.05). PhTX-343 also reduced the retinal 3-NT levels by 1.74-fold compared to NMDA-treated rats ( p < 0.05). In conclusion, PhTX-343 pretreatment protects against NMDA-induced retinal morphological changes and visual impairment by suppressing nitrosative stress as reflected by the reduced retinal 3-NT level., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Mohamad, Abu, Fazel, Agarwal, Iezhitsa, Juliana, Mellor and Franzyk.)

Clouds in the sky pass almost 80% of ultraviolet (UV) radiation to the earth's surface, which has a significant impact on humankind. Conventional UV photodetectors (PDs) require an external battery, which not only increases the device size but also has a limited life span and maintenance costs can be prohibitively expensive. An alternative and more technically-sound solution would be the use of self-powered UV PDs that can operate independently, eliminating the need for an external source. Although many exciting studies have been done and state-of-the-art research is underway to successfully fabricate self-powered UV PDs, periodic reviews on this topic are deemed essential so that the technology's readiness can be properly evaluated and critical challenges can be addressed in a timely manner. In this article, the key issues and most exciting developments made in recent years on built-in electric field assisted self-powered UV PDs based on p-n homojunctions, p-n heterojunctions, and Schottky junctions followed by energy harvester integrated UV PDs are extensively reviewed. Finally, a summary and comparison of different types of self-powered UV PDs as well as future challenges that need to be addressed are discussed. This review sets a foundation providing essential insights into the present status of self-powered UV PDs with which researchers can engage and deal with the major challenges.

Retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss and optic neuropathy, both hallmarks of glaucoma, have been shown to involve N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR)-mediated excitotoxicity. This study investigated the neuroprotective effects of Philanthotoxin (PhTX)-343 in NMDA-induced retinal injury to alleviate ensuing visual impairments. Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three; Group I was intravitreally injected with phosphate buffer saline as the control, Group II was injected with NMDA (160 nM) to induce retinal excitotoxic injury, while Group III was injected with PhTX-343 (160 nM) 24 h prior to excitotoxicity induction with NMDA. Rats were subjected to visual behaviour tests seven days post-treatment and subsequently euthanized. Rat retinas and optic nerves were subjected to H&E and toluidine blue staining, respectively. Histological assessments showed that NMDA exposure resulted in significant loss of retinal cell nuclei and thinning of ganglion cell layer (GCL). PhTX-343 pre-treatment prevented NMDA-induced changes where the RGC layer morphology is similar to the control. The numbers of nuclei in the NMDA group were markedly lower compared to the control (p<0.05). PhTX-343 group had significantly higher numbers of nuclei within 100 μm length and 100 μm2 area of GCL (2.9- and 1.7-fold, respectively) compared to NMDA group (p<0.05). PhTX-343 group also displayed lesser optic nerve fibres degeneration compared to NMDA group which showed vacuolation in all sections. In the visual behaviour test, the NMDA group recorded higher total distance travelled, and lower total immobile time and episodes compared to the control and PhTX-343 groups (p<0.05). Object recognition tests showed that the rats in PhTX-343 group could recognize objects better, whereas the same objects were identified as novel by NMDA rats despite multiple exposures (p<0.05). Visual performances in the PhTX-343 group were all comparable with the control (p>0.05). These findings suggested that PhTX-343 inhibit retinal cell loss, optic nerve damage, and visual impairments in NMDA-induced rats., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

The research on nitridophosphate materials has gained significant attention in recent years due to the abundance of elements like Mg, Zn, P, and N. We present a detailed study of band gap and electronic structure of M 2 PN 3 (M = Mg, Zn), using synchrotron-based soft x-ray spectroscopy measurements as well as density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The experimental N K-edge x-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) and x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) spectra are used to estimate the band gaps, which are compared with our calculations along with the values available in literature. The band gap, which is essential for electronic device applications, is experimentally determined for the first time to be 5.3 ± 0.2 eV and 4.2 ± 0.2 eV for Mg 2 PN 3 and Zn 2 PN 3 , respectively. The experimental band gaps agree well with our calculated band gaps of 5.4 eV for Mg 2 PN 3 and 3.9 eV for Zn 2 PN 3 , using the modified Becke-Johnson (mBJ) exchange potential. The states that contribute to the band gap are investigated with the calculated density of states especially with respect to two non-equivalent N sites in the structure. The calculations and the measurements predict that both materials have an indirect band gap. The wide band gap of M 2 PN 3 (M = Mg, Zn) could make it promising for the application in photovoltaic cells, high power RF applications, as well as power electronic devices., (© 2020 IOP Publishing Ltd.)

Flow cytometry (FCM) is used for quantification of minimal residual disease (MRD) in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) through discriminating leukemic B-lymphoblasts from normal B-cell precursor counterparts "hematogones." Neuropilin-1 (NRP-1)/CD304 is a vascular endothelial growth factor receptor implicated in the progression of hematological malignancies. We evaluated NRP-1/CD304 as MRD and prognostic marker in pediatric precursor B-ALL using FCM. Seventy children with precursor B-ALL and 40 control children were enrolled. CD304 percentage and fluorescence intensity were significantly higher in precursor B-ALL at diagnosis compared with controls. In total, 28 of 70 (40%) precursor B-ALL patients at diagnosis were CD304 (group A), whereas 42/70 (60%) patients were CD304 (group B). Group A showed higher incidence of lymphadenopathy and TEL-AML1 fusion gene than group B. CD304 was reevaluated in group A patients at day 28 postinduction chemotherapy which revealed 12/28 (42.9%) patients with persistent CD304 expression (MRD; group A1) and 16/28 (57.1%) patients who turned CD304 (MRD; group A2). At diagnosis, group A1 showed lower incidence of TEL-AML1 fusion gene and higher risk stratification than group A2. NRP-1/CD304 expression by FCM is efficient in discriminating leukemic B-lymphoblasts from hematogones, a stable leukemia-associated phenotype for MRD monitoring, and a putative poor prognostic marker in pediatric precursor B-ALL.

We measured levels of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) as a potential risk factor in 75 patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) compared to 25 patients with stable angina (SA) and 20 healthy participants. Patients were studied stressing on smoking, hypertension, diabetes, lipid profile, cardiac enzymes, MMP-9, and electrocardiography. Patients with ACS had higher MMP-9 levels than the SA group. The highest MMP-9 levels were found among ST-elevated myocardial infarction (MI), while the lowest levels were found among the control group. The MMP-9 level was significantly higher among patients with ACS having poor disease outcome (recurrent ischemic attacks, congestive heart failure, or death). The MMP-9 cutoff value of 3100 pg/mL was able to discriminate MI from unstable angina (UA), while the best prognostic utility was established at 4700 pg/mL. We suggest that serum MMP-9 could be an early marker that discriminates MI from UA and predicts poor outcome in terms of disease severity and extent of disease complications., (© The Author(s) 2015.)

Ochratoxin A (OTA) constitutes a real human threat. Its presence in human milk has previously been reported in different countries. This study is the first Egyptian report on the presence of OTA in both mothers' milk and infants' sera, addressing its correlation with infants' kidney functions, which was not previously addressed in the literature. Fifty healthy breast-lactating mothers and their infants who were exclusively breast-fed for at least 4 months were included. All of them were subjected to a thorough laboratory evaluation including determination of OTA concentration by high-performance liquid chromatography. Thirty-six mothers (72%) and their infants had been contaminated with OTA. Univariate analysis showed that the presence of OTA was associated with significantly higher levels of urinary beta2 microglobulin and microalbuminuria. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that there was a significant correlation between a higher OTA level in infants' sera and the degree of microalbuminuria. Mothers and their infants in our locality are exposed to a high OTA contamination rate (72%). To establish the role of OTA in causation of future renal dysfunction for infants, large controlled studies are warranted.