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Tilapia are commonly used in aquaculture but are sensitive to cold, limiting their culture in colder regions. Thus, the purpose of this investigation was to examine how lecithin and/or Arabic gum could help Nile tilapia cope with cold stress during the winter season. In a 3×3 factorial feeding study, tilapia fingerlings with an average initial weight of 7.56 ± 0.10 g were given nine different diets (crude protein: 305 g kg−1; gross energy: 19.47 MJ kg−1) for 60 days during the winter. The diet formulations included three levels of Arabic gum (0 g, 2 g, and 4 g kg−1), with each level receiving three different dosages of lecithin (0 g, 5 g, and 10 g kg−1). After the trial, tilapia fed the food enriched with 4 g kg−1 Arabic gum and 10 g kg−1 lecithin showed the highest specific growth rate, fish survival, weight gain, and the lowest feed conversion ratio. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and cholesterol levels were highest in fish given the control diet. The groups fed diets with 10 g kg−1 lecithin and 4 g kg−1 Arabic gum showed higher levels of triglycerides and HDL-C. Significant decreases in alanine aminotransferase, glucose, aspartate aminotransferase, and cortisol activities were also observed (P < 0.05) with the same diet. Fish fed a diet enriched with 4 g kg−1 Arabic gum and 10 g kg−1 lecithin showed the highest levels of serum calcium, potassium, sodium, and chlorine, as well as the highest transcription of Δ9D. The same diet was shown to have the lowest levels of malondialdehyde and the highest activity levels for other antioxidant enzymes such as glutathione peroxides, superoxide dismutase, glutathione, catalase, and total antioxidant capacity. Tilapia raised in cold-stressed winter conditions had improved survival and performance when fed a diet containing 4 g kg−1 of Arabic gum and 10 g kg−1 of lecithin.

Cyclotella menegheniana is a diatom microalga often found in both marine and freshwater environments, characterized by a high-quality nutritional profile, including fatty acids, protein, and carotenoids, it is also a promising bioresource for improving food and animal feed nutrition. In this study, two separate experiments were conducted. In the first experiment, the utility of including C. menegheniana in the diet was evaluated for its impact on the reproductive efficiency, hematobiochemical biomarkers, and oxidative enzymes of broodstock Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, fish fed diet T2 (with 10 g kg−1 C. menegheniana supplementation) recorded the highest (P ≤ 0.05) gonadosomatic index (GSI) for female tilapia, whereas fish fed diet T3 (with 15 g kg−1 C. menegheniana supplementation) recorded significantly higher (P ≤ 0.05) values of egg diameter, egg volume, sperm motility, and sperm concentration compared to the remaining dietary treatments. In addition of 15 g kg−1 C. menegheniana significantly improved hemoglobin (Hb) and hematocrit (Htc) values of male and female broodstock. The content of triglyceride decreased in the blood of the broodstock fed diets supplemented with C. menegheniana. The lowest level of ALT and AST for male was observed in T3 group, while the highest one (P < 0.05) was in the control group. Complements component (C3), (C4) and IgM were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in fish fed diet T2 and T3 compared with other treatments. The final body weight, weight gain and specific growth rate of fries (F1 generation–II experiment) produced by fish received 15 g C. menegheniana significantly increased (P < 0.05), while fish received either 10 or 15 g C. menegheniana significantly improved (P < 0.05) feed conversion ratio and protein efficiency ratio. In addition, fish received diets enriched with C. menegheniana significantly improved fry survival rate. In conclusion, the use of C. menegheniana as a feed additive stimulates the immune system and improves the blood and reproductive parameters of Nile tilapia broodstock, and it has a positive influence on the growth and feed conversion of Nile tilapia offspring

Bioactive substances such as β-carotene are regarded as an effective dietary aquafeed supplement to boost the immunity of fish cultured in high densities. The present study aimed to evaluate the influence of the dietary incorporation of β-carotene derived from Spirulina platensis (0, 0.5, and 1.0 g kg−1 diets) on growth performance, feed efficiency, hemato-biochemical indices, immunological responses, hepatic antioxidant enzymes, and associated immune-antioxidant genes expression in Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus fingerlings (initial weight of 5.85 ± 0.06 g) reared at two stocking densities (SD100, 100 fish m−3 and SD200, 200 fish m−3) for 70 days. Fish were randomly allocated into eighteen plastic tanks (0.5 m3 each plastic tank) in triplicate and fed three times per day at 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., and 3:00 p.m. with three isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets. The results showed that there was no difference in feed intake among the experimental diets (P > 0.05). The diet containing 0.5 g kg−1 β-carotene increased weight gain, final body weight, specific growth rate, and feed conversion ratio of fish reared at SD200. Fish grown at SD100 or SD200 showed a significant increase in hematocrit and hemoglobin levels when fed a diet supplemented with 0.5 or 1.0 g kg−1 β-carotene compared to those on an unsupplemented diet (P < 0.05). Alanine amino transferase and aspartate amino transferase levels were lowest in fish group fed diet containing 1.0 g kg−1 β-carotene at SD100 as well as in fish fed diet supplemented with 0.5 and 1.0 g kg−1 β-carotene at SD200. Fish raised at SD200 and supplemented with 1.0 g kg−1β-carotene showed significantly improvements in total protein, albumin, and growth hormone levels compared to those fed on an un-supplemented diets (P > 0.05). Supplementing with 0.5 or 1.0 g kg−1 β-carotene diets significantly increased the concentrations of C3, C4, and IgM in fish reared at both SD100 and SD200 compared to those without supplementation (P < 0.05). The hepatic antioxidant activity of malondialdehyde was lowest in fish-fed diet supplemented with 1.0 g kg−1 β-carotene at SD100. At SD200, fish fed a diet supplemented with 1.0 g kg−1 β-carotene showed the highest levels of glutathione (GSH) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity (P < 0.05). The highest activity of catalase (CAT) was in fish fed diet supplemented with 0.5 g kg−1 β-carotene at SD200 and SD100 whereas, the highest activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) was in fish fed diet supplemented with 1.0 g kg−1 β-carotene at SD100. The same trend was seen in the associated hepatic genes expression of superoxide dismutase 2, CAT, and GPx. When compared to other diets, fish raised at SD100 and fed a diet supplemented with 0.5 g kg−1 β-carotene showed the highest levels of gene expression for interleukin (IL)−1β and interleukin-8 (IL-8) (P < 0.05). But those reared at SD200 and fed a diet without β-carotene supplementation had the lowest transcript expressions of IL-1β and IL-8. In conclusion, adding β-carotene up to 1.0 g kg−1 to the basal diet improves and boosts growth performance, feed efficiency, immunological responses, hepatic antioxidant enzyme, and associated immune-antioxidant gene expression in Nile tilapia reared at SD200.

The current study examined the combined effects of feeding rates and feeding types on the water quality, growth performance, digestive enzymes, blood parameters, and liver antioxidant enzymes of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fingerlings reared under a biofloc system. A 3 × 2 factorial experimental design was used with three feeding rates (2%, 3%, and 4%) and two feeding types (sinking or floating feed), comprising six treatments with three replicates. Fingerlings with an initial body weight of 4.50 ± 0.25 g were stocked in eighteen circular plastic tanks (0.5 m3) at a stocking density of 35 fish per tank fed three times a day at 10:00, 12:00 and 15:00. Starch was added to all treatments as an organic carbon source at a C/N ratio of 10:1. The phytoplankton community was determined to consist of twenty-two species, including individuals from the classes Cyanobacteria, Chlorophyceae, and Bacillariophyta. The most common phytoplankton classes were Chlorophyceae, followed by Cyanobacteria, and fish-fed floating feed at a feeding rate of 2% of total biomass yielded the greatest number of phytoplankton communities. Eight zooplankton species belonging to rotifers and protozoa were identified during this experiment. The highest values of final body weight, weight gain, and specific growth rate were recorded for a fish-fed floating diet with the highest feeding rate (4% of biomass). The highest hepatosomatic index (HIS) was detected in a fish-fed floating diet at a rate of 4% of total biomass. Though fish-fed sinking feed with a 4% biomass feeding rate presented the highest spleen index (SI). The highest significant (P 0.05) on hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Hct), and red blood cells (RBCs). Feeding rate, feed type, and their interactions had no significant impact (P > 0.05) on serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), or albumin, but feeding rates or feed types had an effect (P

Greywater is a possible water source that can be improved for meeting the quality required for irrigation. Treatment of greywater can range from uncomplicated coarse filtration to advanced biological treatment. This article presents a simple design of a small scale greywater treatment plant, which is a series of physical and natural processes including screening, aeration, sedimentation, and filtration using granular activated carbon filter and differentiates its performance with sand filter. The performance of these units with the dual filter media of (activated carbon with sand) in treatment of greywater from Iraqi house in Baghdad city during 2019 and that collected from several points including washbasins, kitchen sink, bathrooms, and laundry, was recorded in terms of removal efficiency of particular pollutants like Turbidity 94%, chemical oxygen demand (COD) 93%, and oil 91%. Dual filter was the most effective filter for decreasing these pollutants, while sand indicates the lowest removal efficiency. In general, granular activated carbon media seemed to be the most proper medium to improve greywater quality for reaching the quality of irrigation within the terms of organic matter decrease. Accordingly, this technology may be reliable for greywater treatment in a residential area.

Aim: To compare ibuprofen and acupressure for pain relief after insertion of elastomeric orthodontic separators., Materials and Methods: A randomized control clinical trial was conducted in an orthodontic clinic. A total of 75 orthodontic patients aged 12-16 years participating in the study were randomly allocated to receive either 400 mg of oral ibuprofen, applying acupressure therapy, or no pain-relief approach. Pain scores were recorded on visual analog scales (10 cm) over a week at different times (4, 10, 18, 24 h, and 1 week). The margin of equivalence was defined as 10 mm., Results: For all timepoints, the control group recorded the highest pain. For the ibuprofen and acupressure group, after 4 h, 18 h, and 1 week, no significant difference was noted. However, after 10 h, no significant difference in pain between the control and acupressure groups was noted and the ibuprofen group showed significantly lower pain. In the acupressure group, the highest pain was noted at 10 h. After this timepoint, pain progressively decreased with time and the lowest pain was noted after 1 week. In the control and ibuprofen groups, the highest pain was after 4 h, and then progressively decreased with time and the lowest pain was noted after 1 week., Conclusions: There was no significant difference in pain perception between participants using ibuprofen or acupressure and both groups recorded significantly lower pain than the control group at most of the observed timepoints. Results support the analgesic effect of the acupressure approach., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: M. Elshehaby, M. Ali Tawfik and M.A. Montasser declare that they have no competing interests. Ethical standards: Approval for this randomized controlled trial was obtained from the ethical committee of the Faculty of Dentistry at Mansoura University (code 05051217). Consent was obtained from the participants/parents before their recruitment in the trial, in a verbal and written manner., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third prime cause of malignancy-related mortality worldwide. Early and accurate identification of HCC is crucial for good prognosis, efficacy of therapy, and survival rates of the patients. We aimed to develop a machine-learning model incorporating differentially expressed RNA signatures with laboratory parameters to construct an RNA signature-based diagnostic model for HCC., Methods: We have used five classifiers (KNN, RF, SVM, LGBM, and DNNs) to predict the liver disease (HCC). The classifiers were trained on 187 samples and then tested on 80 samples. The model included 22 features (age, sex, smoking, cirrhosis, non-cirrhosis, albumin, ALT, AST bilirubin (total and direct), INR, AFP, HBV Ag, HCV Abs, RQmiR-1298, RQmiR-1262, RQmiR-106b-3p, RQmRNARAB11A, and RQSTAT1, RQmRNAATG12, RQLnc-WRAP53, RQLncRNA- RP11-513I15.6)., Results: LGBM achieved the highest accuracy of 98.75% in predicting HCC among all models surpassing Random Forest (96.25%), DNN (91.25%), SVC (88.75%), and KNN (87.50%)., Conclusion: Our machine-learning model incorporating the expression data of RAB11A/STAT1/ATG12/miR-1262/miR-1298/miR-106b-3p/lncRNA-RP11-513I15.6/lncRNA-WRAP53 signature and clinical data represents a potential novel diagnostic model for HCC., (© 2024 Indian National Association for Study of the Liver. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.)

Introduction: Liver cancer, particularly Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), remains a significant global health concern due to its high prevalence and heterogeneous nature. Despite the existence of approved drugs for HCC treatment, the scarcity of predictive biomarkers limits their effective utilization. Integrating diverse data types to revolutionize drug response prediction, ultimately enabling personalized HCC management., Method: In this study, we developed multiple supervised machine learning models to predict treatment response. These models utilized classifiers such as logistic regression (LR), k-nearest neighbors (kNN), neural networks (NN), support vector machines (SVM), and random forests (RF) using a comprehensive set of molecular, biochemical, and immunohistochemical features as targets of three drugs: Pantoprazole, Cyanidin 3-glycoside (Cyan), and Hesperidin. A set of performance metrics for the complete and reduced models were reported including accuracy, precision, recall (sensitivity), specificity, and the Matthews Correlation Coefficient (MCC)., Results and Discussion: Notably, (NN) achieved the best prediction accuracy where the combined model using molecular and biochemical features exhibited exceptional predictive power, achieving solid accuracy of 0.9693 ∓ 0.0105 and average area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.94 ∓ 0.06 coming from three cross-validation iterations. Also, found seven molecular features, seven biochemical features, and one immunohistochemistry feature as promising biomarkers of treatment response. This comprehensive method has the potential to significantly advance personalized HCC therapy by allowing for more precise drug response estimation and assisting in the identification of effective treatment strategies., 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 © 2024 Matboli, Al-Amodi, Khaled, Khaled, Ali, Kamel, Hamid, ELsawi, Habib and Youssef.)

Background: Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) results from complex liver conditions involving metabolic, inflammatory, and fibrogenic processes. Despite its burden, there has been a lack of any approved food-and-drug administration therapy up till now., Purpose: Utilizing machine learning (ML) algorithms, the study aims to identify reliable potential genes to accurately predict the treatment response in the NASH animal model using biochemical and molecular markers retrieved using bioinformatics techniques., Methods: The NASH-induced rat models were administered various microbiome-targeted therapies and herbal drugs for 12 weeks, these drugs resulted in reducing hepatic lipid accumulation, liver inflammation, and histopathological changes. The ML model was trained and tested based on the Histopathological NASH score (HPS); while (0-4) HPS considered Improved NASH and (5-8) considered non-improved, confirmed through rats' liver histopathological examination, incorporates 34 features comprising 20 molecular markers (mRNAs-microRNAs-Long non-coding-RNAs) and 14 biochemical markers that are highly enriched in NASH pathogenesis. Six different ML models were used in the proposed model for the prediction of NASH improvement, with Gradient Boosting demonstrating the highest accuracy of 98% in predicting NASH drug response., Findings: Following a gradual reduction in features, the outcomes demonstrated superior performance when employing the Random Forest classifier, yielding an accuracy of 98.4%. The principal selected molecular features included YAP1, LATS1, NF2, SRD5A3-AS1, FOXA2, TEAD2, miR-650, MMP14, ITGB1, and miR-6881-5P, while the biochemical markers comprised triglycerides (TG), ALT, ALP, total bilirubin (T. Bilirubin), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)., Conclusion: This study introduced an ML model incorporating 16 noninvasive features, including molecular and biochemical signatures, which achieved high performance and accuracy in detecting NASH improvement. This model could potentially be used as diagnostic tools and to identify target therapies., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty pancreatitis (NAFP) presents a pressing challenge within the domain of metabolic disorders, necessitating further exploration to unveil its molecular intricacies and discover effective treatments. Our focus was to delve into the potential therapeutic impact of ZBiotic, a specially engineered strain of probiotic B. subtilis, in managing NAFP by targeting specific genes linked with necroptosis and the TNF signaling pathway, including TNF, ZBP1, HSPA1B, and MAPK3, along with their upstream epigenetic regulator, miR-5192, identified through bioinformatics., Methods: Rats were subjected to either a standard or high-fat, high-sucrose diet (HFHS) for eight weeks. Subsequently, they were divided into groups: NAFP model, and two additional groups receiving daily doses of ZBiotic (0.5 ml and 1 ml/kg), and the original B. subtilis strain group (1 ml/kg) for four weeks, alongside the HFHS diet., Results: ZBiotic exhibited remarkable efficacy in modulating gene expression, leading to the downregulation of miR-5192 and its target mRNAs (p < 0.001). Treatment resulted in the reversal of fibrosis, inflammation, and insulin resistance, evidenced by reductions in body weight, serum amylase, and lipase levels (p < 0.001), and decreased percentages of Caspase and Nuclear Factor Kappa-positive cells in pancreatic sections (p < 0.01). Notably, high-dose ZBiotic displayed superior efficacy compared to the original B. subtilis strain, highlighting its potential in mitigating NAFP progression by regulating pivotal pancreatic genes., Conclusion: ZBiotic holds promise in curbing NAFP advancement, curbing fibrosis and inflammation while alleviating metabolic and pathological irregularities observed in the NAFP animal model. This impact was intricately linked to the modulation of necroptosis/TNF-mediated pathway-related signatures., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The tricuspid regurgitation pressure gradient (TRPG) reflects the difference in pressure between the right ventricle and right atrium (ΔP RV-RA ). Its estimation by echocardiography correlates well with that obtained using right-heart catheterization. An elevated TRPG is an important marker for identifying right ventricular dysfunction in both the acute and chronic settings. However, in the "wide-open" variant of TR, the TRPG counterintuitively falls. Failure to recognize this potential pitfall and underlying pathophysiology can cause underestimation of the severity of right ventricular dysfunction. This could lead to erroneous fluid tolerance assessments, and potentially harmful resuscitative and airway management strategies. In this manuscript, we illustrate the pathophysiology and potential pitfall of wide-open TR through a series of cases in which emergency physicians made the diagnosis using cardiac point-of-care ultrasound. To our knowledge, this clinical series is the first to demonstrate recognition of the paradoxically-low TRPG of wide-open TR, which guided appropriate management of critically ill patients in the emergency department., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None. The following are the supplementary data related to this article. Supplementary data to this article can be found online at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajem.2024.04.039., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: With the increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), there is an urgent need to discover effective therapeutic targets for this complex condition. Coding and non-coding RNAs, with traditional biochemical parameters, have shown promise as viable targets for therapy. Machine learning (ML) techniques have emerged as powerful tools for predicting drug responses., Method: In this study, we developed an ML-based model to identify the most influential features for drug response in the treatment of type 2 diabetes using three medicinal plant-based drugs (Rosavin, Caffeic acid, and Isorhamnetin), and a probiotics drug (Z-biotic), at different doses. A hundred rats were randomly assigned to ten groups, including a normal group, a streptozotocin-induced diabetic group, and eight treated groups. Serum samples were collected for biochemical analysis, while liver tissues (L) and adipose tissues (A) underwent histopathological examination and molecular biomarker extraction using quantitative PCR. Utilizing five machine learning algorithms, we integrated 32 molecular features and 12 biochemical features to select the most predictive targets for each model and the combined model., Results and Discussion: Our results indicated that high doses of the selected drugs effectively mitigated liver inflammation, reduced insulin resistance, and improved lipid profiles and renal function biomarkers. The machine learning model identified 13 molecular features, 10 biochemical features, and 20 combined features with an accuracy of 80% and AUC (0.894, 0.93, and 0.896), respectively. This study presents an ML model that accurately identifies effective therapeutic targets implicated in the molecular pathways associated with T2DM pathogenesis., 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 © 2024 Matboli, Al-Amodi, Khaled, Khaled, Roushdy, Ali, Diab, Elnagar, Elmansy, TAhmed, Ahmed, Elzoghby, M.Kamel, Farag, ELsawi, Farid, Abouelkhair, Habib, Fikry, Saleh and Aboughaleb.)

Free-living amoebae (FLA) serve as hosts for a variety of endosymbionts, which are microorganisms that reside and multiply within the FLA. Some of these endosymbionts pose a pathogenic threat to humans, animals, or both. The symbiotic relationship with FLA not only offers these microorganisms protection but also enhances their survival outside their hosts and assists in their dispersal across diverse habitats, thereby escalating disease transmission. This review is intended to offer an exhaustive overview of the existing mathematical models that have been applied to understand the dynamics of FLA, especially concerning their interactions with bacteria. An extensive literature review was conducted across Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus databases to identify mathematical models that describe the dynamics of interactions between FLA and bacteria, as published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. The literature search revealed several FLA-bacteria model systems, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pasteurella multocida, and Legionella spp. Although the published mathematical models account for significant system dynamics such as predator-prey relationships and non-linear growth rates, they generally overlook spatial and temporal heterogeneity in environmental conditions, such as temperature, and population diversity. Future mathematical models will need to incorporate these factors to enhance our understanding of FLA-bacteria dynamics and to provide valuable insights for future risk assessment and disease control measures., (© 2024 The Authors. Environmental Microbiology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Although concern persists regarding possible adverse effects of consumption of synthetic azo food dyes, the mechanisms of any such effects remain unclear. We have tested the hypothesis that chronic consumption of the food dye Sunset Yellow (SY) perturbs the composition of the gut microbiota and alters gut integrity. Male rats were administered SY orally for 12 weeks. Analysis of fecal samples before and after dye administration demonstrated SY-induced microbiome dysbiosis. SY treatment reduced the abundance of beneficial taxa such as Treponema 2, Anaerobiospirillum, Helicobacter, Rikenellaceae RC9 gut group, and Prevotellaceae UCG-003, while increasing the abundance of the potentially pathogenic microorganisms Prevotella 2 and Oribacterium. Dysbiosis disrupted gut integrity, altering the jejunal adherens junction complex E-cadherin/β-catenin and decreasing Trefoil Factor (TFF)-3. SY administration elevated LPS serum levels, activated the inflammatory inflammasome cascade TLR4/NLRP3/ASC/cleaved-activated caspase-1 to mature IL-1β and IL-18, and activated caspase-11 and gasdermin-N, indicating pyroptosis and increased intestinal permeability. The possibility that consumption of SY by humans could have effects similar to those that we have observed in rats should be examined., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Traditional cell culture media do not accurately represent the availability of the nutrients in plasma. They usually contain a supraphysiological concentration of nutrients such as glucose, amino acids, etc. These high nutrients can alter the metabolism of cultured cells and induce metabolic phenotypes that do not reflect in vivo conditions. We demonstrate that the supraphysiological levels of nutrients interfere with endodermal differentiation. Refinement of media formulations has a potential application in maturity modulation of stem cell-derived β-cells (SC-β) generation in vitro. To address these issues, we established a defined culture system to derive SC-β-cells using a blood amino acids-like medium (BALM). Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) can be efficiently differentiated into the definitive endoderm, pancreatic progenitors, endocrine progenitors, and SC-β in BALM-based med. The differentiated cells secreted C-peptide in vitro in response to high glucose levels and expressed several pancreatic β-cell markers. In conclusion, amino acids at the physiological levels are sufficient for deriving functional SC-β cells., Competing Interests: Competing interests The authors declare no competing or financial interests., (© 2023. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.)

Objectives: Examine the diagnostic role of serum exosomal RAB27A mRNA in lung cancer and evaluate the relation of LncRNAs to lung cancer in association to RAB27A mRNA in Egyptian population., Methods: Exosomal RNA-based biomarkers RAB27A mRNA and Lnc-RNA-RP11-510M2.10 were selected based on bioinformatic methods, followed by RT-qPCR validation of their expression in serum of 20 patients with lung cancer, 10 patients with COPD and 10 healthy volunteers. we examined their expression in 10 bronchoalveolar lavage samples and assessed correlation with the serum levels., Results: There was an inverse relationship between expression of serum exosomal RAB27A mRNA and Lnc-RNA-RP11-510M2.10 (r = -0.62, p  = .00). Both serum exosomal RAB27A mRNA and Lnc-RNA-RP11-510M2.10 showed a significant positive and negative association with lung cancer patients respectively in comparison to patients with COPD and healthy persons ( p  < .001)., Conclusion: RAB27A mRNA and Lnc-RNA-RP11-510M2.10 could be used as diagnostic and prognostic biomarker tools for lung cancer.

Background: We aim to identify and analyze the expression of dyregulated RNAs in colorectal cancer (CRC)., Methods: We selected a panel of RNAs specific to CRC composed of Nucleosome Assembly Protein 1 Like 2 (NAP1L2) mRNA, LNCRNA SNHG14 small nucleolar RNA host gene 14 ( LNCRNA SNHG14) and homo sapiens microRNA-3940-5p(hsa-miRNA-3940-5p) from genetic and epigenetic databases. Validation of the chosen RNAs was achieved by real time quantitative PCR in sera of patients with CRC, versus controls groups (benign lesions and healthy individual)., Results: We found that LLNCRNA SNHG14 , hsa-miRNA-3940-5p and NAP1L2 mRNA had an excellent performance characteristics and more superior than CEA, and CA19.9 for differentiating CRC from controls. Combined expression of lncRNA SNHG14- hsa-miR-3940-5p and NAP1L2 mRNA had reached 100% sensitivity with accuracy 93%. Interestingly, serum hsa-miRNA-3940-5p could be an independent prognostic factor in CRC., Conclusion: The extracellular lncRNA SNHG14- hsa-miR-3940-5p - NAP1L2 mRNA may aid in CRC management.KEY MESSAGESThe extracellular RNAs provide a potential class of noninvasive biomarkers with high specificity, accuracy and stability for detection of CRC.We used insilico data analysis followed by qPCR for detection of differential NAP1L2 gene expression with the selected epigenetic regulators.Our data presented interesting biomarker panel (NAP1L2 gene, l ncRNA-SNHG14 and hsa-miR-3940-5p) that may be potential for CRC diagnosis and prognosis.

(1) Background: The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is still a major global health problem, despite the development of several vaccines and diagnostic assays. Moreover, the broad symptoms, from none to severe pneumonia, and the various responses to vaccines and the assays, make infection control challenging. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop non-invasive biomarkers to quickly determine the infection severity. Circulating RNAs have been proven to be potential biomarkers for a variety of diseases, including infectious ones. This study aimed to develop a genetic network related to cytokines, with clinical validation for early infection severity prediction. (2) Methods: Extensive analyses of in silico data have established a novel IL11RA molecular network (IL11RNA mRNA, LncRNAs RP11-773H22.4 and hsa-miR-4257). We used different databases to confirm its validity. The differential expression within the retrieved network was clinically validated using quantitative RT-PCR, along with routine assessment diagnostic markers (CRP, LDH, D-dimmer, procalcitonin, Ferritin), in100 infected subjects (mild and severe cases) and 100 healthy volunteers. (3) Results: IL11RNA mRNA and LncRNA RP11-773H22.4, and the IL11RA protein, were significantly upregulated, and there was concomitant downregulation of hsa-miR-4257, in infected patients, compared to the healthy controls, in concordance with the infection severity. (4) Conclusion: The in-silico data and clinical validation led to the identification of a potential RNA/protein signature network for novel predictive biomarkers, which is in agreement with ferritin and procalcitonin for determination of COVID-19 severity.

Background: Through an arsenal of microbial enzymes, the gut microbiota considerably contributes to human metabolic processes, affecting nutrients, drugs, and environmental poisons. Azoreductases are a predominant group of microbiota-derived enzymes involved in xenobiotic metabolism and drug activation, but little is known about how compositional changes in the gut microbiota correlate with its azo-reducing activity., Results: To this end, we used high-throughput 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, with Illumina MiSeq, to determine the microbial community composition of stool samples from 16 adults with different azo-reducing activity. High azo-reducing activity positively correlated with the relative abundance of phylum Firmicutes (especially genera Streptococcus and Coprococcus) but negatively with phylum Bacteroidetes (especially genus Bacteroides). Typical variations in the Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes and Prevotella-to-Bacteroides ratios were observed among samples. Multivariate analysis of the relative abundance of key microbial taxa and other diversity parameters confirmed the Firmicutes proportion as a major variable differentiating high and non-azo-reducers, while Bacteroidetes relative abundance was correlated with azo-reduction, sex, and BMI., Conclusions: This pilot study showed that stool samples with higher azo-reducing activity were enriched in Firmicutes but with relatively fewer Bacteroidetes. More samples and studies from different geographical areas are needed to bolster this conclusion. Better characterization of different azoreductase-producing gut microbes will increase our knowledge about the fate and differential human responses to azodye-containing drugs or orally consumed chemicals, thus contributing to efforts towards implementing microbiome testing in precision medicine and toxicology., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Complications of hepatitis C virus (HCV) chronic infection cause ~400,000 deaths worldwide annually. One complication, liver fibrosis, is influenced by host genetic factors. Genes influencing fibrosis include immune, metabolic, oxidative stress, and viral entry genes, such as interleukin 10 ( IL10 ), microsomal triglyceride-transfer protein ( MTP ), superoxide dismutase-2 ( SOD2 ), and apolipoprotein E ( APOE )-encoding genes, respectively. Thus, correlating variations in these genes with HCV-induced fibrosis represents an attractive biomarker for the prognosis of fibrosis severity in chronically infected patients. Here, we aimed to test whether polymorphisms in IL10 , MTP , SOD2 , and APOE genes correlated with the severity of fibrosis induced by HCV genotype 4 (HCV-gt4) in a cohort of chronically infected Egyptian patients. Our results demonstrate a significant association between the severity of fibrosis and specific SNPs in IL-10, SOD2, and ApoE-encoding genes. Haplotype-combination analysis for IL10 , MTP , SOD2 , and APOE showed statistically significant associations between specific haplotype combinations and fibrosis severity. Identifying biomarkers correlating with the severity of HCV-gt4-induced fibrosis would significantly impact precision prophylaxis and treatment of patients at risk.

Cost-effective construction techniques, such as reusing waste materials, play important role in dramatically reduce costs. In recent years, sludges have gained considerable attention as a geotechnical material. Increase in the demand of drinking water from purification plants produces a huge amount of water treatment residuals (WTRs). The disposal of such residues can be considered problematic issue. In this study, innovate and economic method to disposal of WTRs was presented. Comprehensive experimental investigations have been done to determine the effect of utilizing WTRs as a substitution layer in collapsing soil through roads construction processes. The investigations extended to the geotechnical and spectroscopic properties. Tests were carried out on the soil sample mixing with 0, 4, 8, 12, and 16% of WTRs. The samples morphology and composition are characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the energy dispersive spectroscope analyzer (EDS). The microstructure and organic constituents are analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). The geotechnical measurements include particle size distribution (PSD), single odometer test (SOT), modified proctor test, and the California bearing ratio (CBR). The microstructure analysis confirms that WTRs acted as a pore filler to decrease in porosity and create a denser and solidified structure which reduces the suction and maximum collapse potential. Mineralogical analyses implied that the soil with WTRs turns into a rich medium with metal cations and organic matters that react with minerals to form binding materials. From the geotechnical point of view, WTRs can be safely deposed by mixing with collapsing soil as a subgrade of road construction up to a value of 10% without any impact or reduction on CBR values. The reduction in the required amount of subgrade required by 10% effectively decreases the cost of road construction. Moreover, the results illustrate the remarkable improvement in the collapse potential of the soil, which is reduced by about 24.7% by mixing it with 10% WTRs.

Background: Quorum quenching, the interference of a Quorum sensing (QS) system that contributes to the pathogenesis through triggering the production of various virulence determinants, is among the newly suggested antivirulence strategies. Purpose: This study aimed at screening of N-Acyl homoserine lactonase activity from local bacterial isolate, and investigating its effect on Pseudomonas aeruginosa ( P. aeruginosa ) virulence and biofilm formation. Materials and methods: Soil bacteria were screened for aiiA gene coding for lactonase enzyme by Polymerase Chain reaction and sequencing of aiiA gene homologs. Lactonase activity and spectrum were assessed in the cell-free lysate by well diffusion assay using Agrobacterium tumafaciens KYC55. A bacterial isolate showing the highest N-acyl-homoserine lactones degradation percentage was identified by gene amplification and sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene and its aiiA gene homolog. High performance liquid chromatography was used to confirm N-acyl-homoserine lactone degradation. The effect of cell-free lysate on the biofilm formation ability and cytotoxicity of P. aeruginosa PAO1 and P. aeruginosa clinical isolates from different clinical sources were assessed by static microtiter plate and viability assay, respectively Results: Lactonase gene and activity were identified in three Bacillus spp. isolates. They showed broad catalytic activities against tested N-acyl-homoserine lactones. However, The lactonase activity in the cell- free lysate of isolate 30b showed the highest significant degradation percentage on all tested signals; N-butanoyl-L-homoserine lactone (71%), N-hexanoyl-l-homoserine lactone (100%), N-decanoyl-homoserine lactone (100%), N-(3-oxohexanoyl)-L-homoserine lactone (37.5%), N-(oxodecanoyl)-L-homoserine lactone (100%), and N-(3-oxododecanoyl)-L-homoserine lactone (100%). Alignment of the amino acid sequences of AiiA protein of isolate 30b showed 96% identity with Bacillus cereus ( B. cereus ) homologous lactonases in the GenBank database, and the isolate was designated as B. cereus isolate 30b. Cell-free lysate of B. cereus isolate 30b reduced biofilm formation significantly in 93% of P. aeruginosa isolates. The highest mean percentage of reduction in the biofilm was 86%. Moreover, the viability percentage of human lung carcinoma A549 cells infected by P. aeruginosa and treated with cell-free lysate of B. cereus isolate 30b increased up to 15%. Conclusion: The results of this study highlight the potential of lactonases as a promising strategy to combat Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a newly validated type of noncoding RNAs recently found to be deregulated in several human cancers. More accurate and specific noninvasive biomarkers are strongly needed for better diagnosis and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We performed a bioinformatics analysis to retrieve a novel panel of circRNAs potentially relevant to HCC. We examined their expression in the sera of 68 patients with HCC, 60 patients with chronic hepatitis C, and 36 healthy controls using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. We examined the performance characteristics of the selected circRNA biomarker panel in comparison with alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). In addition, we performed a survival analysis to correlate between their expression levels and patient survival. The circRNAs hsa&#95;circ &#95;00224 and hsa&#95;circ &#95;00520 showed a strong biomarker potential with relatively high sensitivities and specificities compared with AFP. The combined panel including the three circRNAs showed superior performance characteristics relative to those of AFP. The median follow-up period was 26 months. hsa&#95;circ&#95;00520 expression has been shown to be associated with relapse-free survival (P < 0.005). circRNAs hsa&#95;circ&#95;00156, hsa&#95;circ&#95;000224, and hsa&#95;circ&#95;000520 are novel potential biomarkers of high sensitivity and specificity, which could potentially be used in the diagnosis of HCC., (© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

The gut microbiota enriches the human gene pool and contributes to xenobiotic metabolism. Microbial azoreductases modulate the reduction of azo-bonds, activating produgs and azo polymer-coated dosage forms, or degrading food additives. Here, we aimed to screen the healthy human gut microbiota for food colorant-reducing activity and to characterize factors modulating it. Four representative isolates from screened fecal samples were identified as E. coli (AZO-Ec), E. faecalis (AZO-Ef), E. avium (AZO-Ev) and B. cereus (AZO-Bc). Both AZO-Ef and AZO-Ev decolorized amaranth aerobically and microaerophilically while AZO-Ec and AZO-Bc had higher aerobic reduction rates. The isolates varied in their activities against different dyes, and the azo-reduction activity mostly followed zero-order reaction kinetics, with a few exceptions. Additionally, the isolates had different pH dependence, e.g., AZO-Ec was not affected by pH variation while AZO-Bc exhibited variable degradation kinetics at different pH levels. Cell-free extracts showed NADH-dependent enzymatic activities 14-19 times higher than extracellular fractions. FMN did not affect the reducing activity of AZO-Ef cell-free extract, whereas AZO-Ec, AZO-Ev and AZO-Bc had significantly higher reduction rates in its presence (P values = 0.02, 0.0001 and 0.02, respectively). Using Degenerate primers allowed the amplification of azoreductase genes, whose sequences were 98-99% similar to genes encoding FMN-dependent-NADH azoreductases.

Psoriasis is a chronic skin inflammatory disease with immunological, hyperproliferative and angiogenic dysfunction. MUC1 is a molecular sensor and signal transductor that responds to external stimuli generating cellular responses, which include cell proliferation, growth, differentiation, migration, invasion, survival and secretion of growth factors, and cytokines. The current study aimed at evaluation of the possible role of MUC1 in the pathogenesis of psoriasis through its immunohistochemical localization in involved and uninvolved psoriatic skin compared to normal skin in addition of correlating MUC1 expression with the clinical and pathological parameters of psoriasis. The current study investigated 30 patients with psoriasis and 10 controls. MUC1 was expressed in epidermis in 30% of normal skin compared to 20% of uninvolved epidermis and 63.3% of involved epidermis of psoriatic skin. MUC1 was seen staining endothelial cells of capillaries and inflammatory cells in dermis in 10% of normal skin, 0% of uninvolved psoriasis, and 83.3% of involved psoriasis. Dermal expression of MUC1 in psoriasis was associated with mild to moderate degrees of epidermal acanthosis ( p = .027 ). Intense MUC1 expression by psoriatic epidermis was associated with short disease duration ( p = .044). The upregulation of MUC1 in involved psoriatic lesion compared to uninvolved and normal skin may suggest MUC1 role in pathogenesis of psoriasis especially early stages. MUC1 may be responsible for less severity of psoriasis in old aged patients.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a high-risk metastasizing tumor with a poor prognosis and poorly understood mechanism. In this study, we demonstrate that transmembrane and immunoglobulin domain-containing 1 (TMIGD1) is a novel tumor suppressor that is highly expressed in normal renal tubular epithelial cells, but it is downregulated in human renal cancer. We have identified CCAAT/enhancer-binding proteinβ (C/EBPβ, also called LAP) as a key transcriptional regulator of TMIGD1, whose loss of expression is responsible for downregulation of TMIGD1 in RCC. Transcriptionally active C/EBPβ/LAP physically interacted with and increased TMIGD1 promoter activity and expression of TMIGD1. Re-introduction of TMIGD1 into renal tumor cells significantly inhibited tumor growth and metastatic behaviors such as morphogenic branching and cell migration. Restoring TMIGD1 expression in renal tumor cells stimulated phosphorylation of p38MAK, induced expression of p21CIP1 (cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1), and p27KIP1 (cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1B) expression, key cell cycle inhibitor proteins involved in regulation of the cell cycle. The present study identifies TMIGD1 as a novel candidate tumor suppressor gene and provides important insight into pathobiology of RCC that could lead to a better diagnosis and possible novel therapy for RCC., Competing Interests: CONFLICTS OF INTEREST The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Amoebiasis is a human disease produced by Entamoeba histolytica which causes widespread mortality and morbidity worldwide through diarrheal disease and abscess establishment in parenchymal tissues such as liver, lung, and brain. The true prevalence of infection is unknown for most areas of the world due to the difficulty to characterise Entamoeba histolytica versus other non-pathogenic amoebas with identical morphology, as Entamoeba dispar, and Entamoeba moshkovskii. To overcome microscopy misidentification issues, we tested a nested multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and a real-time PCR on 194 stool samples collected from incoming dysentery patients in Cairo hospitals diagnosed with E. histolytica by microscopy. Nested PCR showed only 20 (10.3%) samples positive to E. histolytica and 17 (8.7%) to E. dispar. The real-time PCR detected only 19 and 11 samples positive to E. histolytica and E. dispar respectively, showing less sensitivity than the nested PCR. The data show that prevalence of E. histolytica in Cairo is lower when specific diagnosis methods are used instead of traditional microscopy, allowing to differentiate between morphologically identical human amoebas species.

Background: High expression of growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) contributes to pathological iron overload in thalassemia. Sickle cell syndromes are characterized by increased levels of erythropoiesis, although the primary defect involves the destruction of mature erythrocytes., Aim: To determine serum GDF-15 in 35 children and adolescents with sickle cell disease (SCD) compared to 35 healthy controls and assess its relation to markers of hemolysis, iron overload and vascular complications., Methods: GDF-15 was measured and correlated to genotype, frequency of sickling crises, hydroxyurea therapy and serum ferritin., Results: GDF-15 levels were increased in SCD patients whether sickle cell anemia or sickle β° thalassemia compared with controls (p<0.001) with no significant difference between patients' groups. GDF-15 was significantly higher in patients who had serum ferritin ≥2500 μg/L, previous cerebral stroke, and splenectomy. GDF-15 was not significantly related to frequency of sickling crises, pulmonary hypertension, or hydroxyurea therapy. On regression analysis, transfusion index, lactate dehydrogenase and serum ferritin were independently related to GDF-15., Conclusion: Increased GDF-15 in SCD reflects the importance of ineffective erythropoiesis in the pathophysiology and severity of anemia in SCD. GDF-15 levels are related to hemolysis and iron overload and may provide utility for identifying patients at increased risk of thrombotic events., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Human papillomavirus (HPV-16) E6 proteins inhibit apoptosis in both p53-dependent and p53-independent manners. So it was relevant to assess the impact of such infection on head and neck cancers and its relation to the inhibitors of apoptosis (IAPs). CIAP2 is one of these IAPs that is postulated to upregulated by E6 proteins of HPV-16 by amplification of the locus bearing it in many tissues. In this study, we aimed to search for the amplification of the locus bearing CIAP-2 and its relation to HPV-16 in head and neck cancer that may have prognostic and therapeutic impacts on these patients. Total 30 patients diagnosed as head and neck cancer (2 tissue samples were taken from each patient: from the tumor and from the safety margin). All samples were subjected to qualitative polymerase chain reaction analysis for HPV-16 and qualitative and semiquantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction of CIAP-2. There was a significant association between HPV-16 and CIAP2 positivity and head and neck tumors (P=0.01). CIAP-2 expression in malignant tissues was highly associated with HPV-16 infection with 73.9% sensitivity and absolute specificity.

Cryptosporidium is a significant cause of diarrheal disease in developing and industrialized nations. Cryptosporidium hominis and Cryptosporidium parvum are the main agents of cryptosporidiosis in humans. In Egypt, very little is known about genetic structure of Cryptosporidium spp. Therefore, this study was designed to examine samples from sporadic cases of cryptosporidiosis in Egyptians in order to identify the species involved in infection as well as the transmission dynamics and distribution of the parasite in the Great Cairo area. A total of 391 human faecal samples were collected, between May 2008 and March 2009, from ten public hospitals in Great Cairo. Initial screening by immunochromatographic detection kit "the Stick Crypto-Giardia; Operon" showed 23 possible positive cases. Twenty of them were confirmed by microscopic examination. PCR was performed by amplification of the oocyst wall protein (COWP) gene where 18 out of 23 samples were positive, one not detected by microscopy. Cryptosporidium genotyping was performed by RFLP analysis of PCR products of the diagnosis PCR. Only 15 samples rendered a digestion pattern. The genotyping distribution was nine cases showing C. hominis genotype, three showing C. parvum genotype and three showing mixed infection by C. hominis and C. parvum. The data showed an elevated prevalence of C. hominis (80.0%), the most anthroponotic species, suggesting a human-human transmission. Furthermore, the presence of up to 40% of samples infected with C. parvum shows that further investigations are required to determine the subgenotypes of C. parvum to clarify the mode of transmission in order to improve the control measures.

Previously, Plasmodium knowlesi was not considered as a species of Plasmodium that could cause malaria in human beings, as it is parasite of long-tailed (Macaca fascicularis) and pig-tailed (Macaca nemestrina) macaques found in Southeast Asia. A case of infection by P. knowlesi is described in a Spanish traveller, who came back to Spain with daily fever after his last overseas travel, which was a six-month holiday in forested areas of Southeast Asia between 2008 and 2009. His P. knowlesi infection was detected by multiplex Real time quantitative PCR and confirmed by sequencing the amplified fragment. Using nested multiplex malaria PCR (reference method in Spain) and a rapid diagnostic test, the P. knowlesi infection was negative. This patient was discharged and asymptomatic when the positive result to P. knowlesi was reported. Prior to this case, there have been two more reports of European travellers with malaria caused by P. knowlesi, a Finnish man who travelled to Peninsular Malaysia during four weeks in March 2007, and a Swedish man who did a short visit to Malaysian Borneo in October 2006. Taken together with this report of P. knowlesi infection in a Spanish traveller returning from Southeast Asia, this is the third case of P. knowlesi infection in Europe, indicating that this simian parasite can infect visitors to endemic areas in Southeast Asia. This last European case is quite surprising, given that it is an untreated-symptomatic P. knowlesi in human, in contrast to what is currently known about P. knowlesi infection. Most previous reports of human P. knowlesi malaria infections were in adults, often with symptoms and relatively high parasite densities, up to the recent report in Ninh Thuan province, located in the southern part of central Vietnam, inhabited mainly by the Ra-glai ethnic minority, in which all P. knowlesi infections were asymptomatic, co-infected with P. malariae, with low parasite densities and two of the three identified cases were very young children under five years old.