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Inflammatory pseudotumor (IP) is a rare type of benign tumor. Although initially identified in the lung, it has now been identified in a number of somatic and visceral sites, but mesenteric presentation is uncommon and has a variable clinical presentation. As inflammatory pseudotumor mimic malignancy both clinically and radiologically, the radiologist should be familiar with this entity. The only effective treatment is complete surgical resection. We present the case of a 55-year-old woman who presented with chronic abdominal pain and was diagnosed with a mesenteric inflammatory pseudotumor, in an attempt to illustrate the different imaging aspects of this benign condition in ultrasound, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, and to simplify the description of these tumors.

Abstract MPS III is an autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disease caused mainly by missense variants in the NAGLU, GNS, HGSNAT, and SGSH genes. The pathogenicity interpretation of missense variants is still challenging. We aimed to develop unsupervised clustering-based pathogenicity predictor scores using extracted features from eight in silico predictors to predict the impact of novel missense variants of Sanfilippo syndrome. The model was trained on a dataset consisting of 415 uncertain significant (VUS) missense NAGLU variants. Performance The SanfilippoPred tool was evaluated by validation and test datasets consisting of 197-labelled NAGLU missense variants, and its performance was compared versus individual pathogenicity predictors using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Moreover, we tested the SanfilippoPred tool using extra-labelled 427 missense variants to assess its specificity and sensitivity threshold. Application of the trained machine learning (ML) model on the test dataset of labelled NAGLU missense variants showed that SanfilippoPred has an accuracy of 0.93 (0.86–0.97 at CI 95%), sensitivity of 0.93, and specificity of 0.92. The comparative performance of the SanfilippoPred showed better performance (AUC = 0.908) than the individual predictors SIFT (AUC = 0.756), Polyphen-2 (AUC = 0.788), CADD (AUC = 0.568), REVEL (AUC = 0.548), MetaLR (AUC = 0.751), and AlphMissense (AUC = 0.885). Using high-confidence labelled NAGLU variants, showed that SanfilippoPred has an 85.7% sensitivity threshold. The poor correlation between the Sanfilippo syndrome phenotype and genotype represents a demand for a new tool to classify its missense variants. This study provides a significant tool for preventing the misinterpretation of missense variants of the Sanfilippo syndrome-relevant genes. Finally, it seems that ML-based pathogenicity predictors and Sanfilippo syndrome-specific prediction tools could be feasible and efficient pathogenicity predictors in the future.

Early detection of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is vital for effective treatment, as interventions are most successful in the disease's early stages. Combining Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) with artificial intelligence (AI) offers significant potential for enhancing AD diagnosis. However, traditional AI models often lack transparency in their decision-making processes. Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) is an evolving field that aims to make AI decisions understandable to humans, providing transparency and insight into AI systems. This research introduces the Squeeze-and-Excitation Convolutional Neural Network with Random Forest (SECNN-RF) framework for early AD detection using MRI scans. The SECNN-RF integrates Squeeze-and-Excitation (SE) blocks into a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) to focus on crucial features and uses Dropout layers to prevent overfitting. It then employs a Random Forest classifier to accurately categorize the extracted features. The SECNN-RF demonstrates high accuracy (99.89%) and offers an explainable analysis, enhancing the model's interpretability. Further exploration of the SECNN framework involved substituting the Random Forest classifier with other machine learning algorithms like Decision Tree, XGBoost, Support Vector Machine, and Gradient Boosting. While all these classifiers improved model performance, Random Forest achieved the highest accuracy, followed closely by XGBoost, Gradient Boosting, Support Vector Machine, and Decision Tree which achieved lower accuracy.

Residents are continuously exposed to ionizing radiation emitted from 238U, 232Th and 40K maintained in building materials, which may cause health risks. Hence, these building materials need to routinely monitor. This study reports a building material that poses a radiation risk. A sample of 123 research papers evaluating concentrations of 238U, 232Th and 40K in 7 types of building material from 38 countries was reviewed. This study revealed that granite had the highest concentrations of 238U, 232Th and 40K, whereas the lowest concentration of 238U and 232Th were in marble, while 40K was in gypsum. It was also observed that the granite had higher levels in seven hazard indices: radium equivalent index, gamma index, alpha index, external and internal hazard indexes, absorbed dose rate index and annual effective dose equivalent index than the recommended limits for each index, while the other materials were lower as hierarchal cluster analysis revealed as well.

This study addresses the challenges of flash flood susceptibility mapping in Yemen’s Qaa’Jahran Basin, characterized by complex terrain and limited hydro-meteorological data. To enhance predictive accuracy, we integrate metaheuristic feature selection with ensemble learning models. Initially, fifteen flash flood variables were retrieved using Geographic Information System (GIS) based remote sensing, setting the stage for a novel feature selection algorithm. Then, the Memo Search Algorithm (MSA), a metaheuristic approach is proposed to efficiently reduce feature space. Through comprehensive comparisons with established algorithms such as the Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) and Gray Wolf Optimizer (GWO), MSA refined the selection, identifying 'elevation’ and 'distance to streams’ as optimal factors. Statistical validations using the Friedman and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests confirmed the significant superiority of MSA over competing algorithms. Ensemble classifiers (bagging, boosting, stacking) were then applied to the reduced feature space. Comprehensive evaluation revealed the boosting ensemble with MSA outperformed traditional techniques reaching 98.75% accuracy, 0.9896 Area Under the Curve (AUC), and 98.95% the harmonic mean of the precision and recall (F1-score). Precision in identifying high-risk flash flood zones was underlined via spatial prediction, confirming the integrated framework’s ability to significantly improve forecast accuracy. The findings aid disaster management with powerful geographic mapping in data-poor regions. The proposed framework is adaptable globally for flash flood-prone areas with similar constraints. As climate change is expected to increase extreme rainfall events, communities globally will need robust data-driven methodologies for flash flood susceptibility mapping. The Key recommendations of the current study include investigating hybrid feature selection methods to better enhance predictive inputs and analyzing transferability across hydro-climatic zones.

Despite being a minimally invasive sample source, dried blood spots (DBS) generally pose the challenge of efficient sample extraction for broad metabolomics applications. This is particularly true for the quantification of steroids using non-derivatized liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry assays. To address these limitations, we have demonstrated the use of electric field as a driver for sample preparation from DBS samples to simultaneously quantify testosterone (T), 17α-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP), progesterone (P), and cortisol (C), using both standard electroporation cuvettes, as well as a novel custom vertical electric field setup. Our findings, backed by computational modeling, show that a 10V DC application for 180 s can draw out twice the amount of the aforementioned steroids from both Whatman-903 and DMPK-C sample collection cards using our novel device when compared to standard solvent-based collection methods. This study not only introduces the use of electric field for sample preparation for metabolomics, but additionally introduces a novel device that eliminates the electric double layer effect in the process.

Recently, transport systems that produce low levels of carbon emissions have emerged as an essential component of several nations' goals for achieving sustainable development. These systems also play a very significant role in the process of developing low-carbon cities. On the other hand, the safety of low-carbon modes of transport has been put in jeopardy in several different ways. For instance, assaults that result in a denial of service present a significant danger to the networks that connect electric cars to the grid. Several different strategies for defending against these dangers have been developed to lessen their impact. However, these strategies are only applicable to certain kinds of situations or assaults. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examine the security element from a holistic approach, present an overview of the obstacles and future directions of cyber security technologies in low-carbon transportation, and overcome such challenges. To begin, the low-carbon transport services are positioned in this article based on the idea of low-carbon transport and the significance of low-carbon transport. After that, using the network's design and the manner of communication as a lens, this article defines the common threats posed by attacks on the network. An additional consideration is given to the associated defensive technologies as well as the pertinent security recommendations, this time from the point of view of data security, network management security, and network application security. To improve this notion of safeguarding the gride and communication, it is necessary to evaluate ability of network against sniffing and spoofing or from any various methods of attacks. This motivates the study to employ Multi- Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) entailed in entropy for weighting the benchmarks which employed in Combined Compromise Solution (CoCoSo) toward obtaining optimal intelligent transportation systems (ITrSs) through ranking various ITrSs. In this study the utilized techniques are powered by uncertainty theory is Triangular Neutrosophic Sets (TriNSs). These utilized techniques contributed to constructing robust hybridization model. This model implemented in real case study to ensure its validity on decision making.

Adoption of Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) in 5th Generation New Radio (5G NR) as a multicarrier modulation technique allows high data rate transmission with lower complexity. However, problem such as peak to average power ratio (PAPR) has decreased the transmitter efficiency. Recently, several attempts have been made to reduce the high PAPR in OFDM utilizing deep learning (DL) based on autoencoder architecture. However, the proposed autoencoder using symmetrical autoencoder (SAE) is followed by high computational complexity at both transmitter and receiver as well as BER performance degradation. Since 5G NR focuses on massive 5G internet of things eco-system, a flexible carrier spacing is used to support diverse spectrum bands which is afterward named as Cyclic Prefix OFDM (CP-OFDM). In this study, we aimed to contribute to this growing area of research by exploring the potential of our proposed asymmetrical autoencoder (AAE) to reduce high PAPR in the CP-OFDM system. Four AAE models have been developed in this study and the performance of the models were evaluated based on comprehensive conditions such as data training at different corruption levels, cyclic prefix length, upsampling factors and loss function levels. The investigation of AAE in 5G CP-OFDM system has shown superior performance using a 5×1 AAE model that can reduce a substantial amount of PAPR, BER degradation and computational complexity compared to conventional SAE. This study lays the groundwork for future research into the asymmetrical approach of autoencoder especially in 5G and beyond networks.

Esophageal carcinoma is the sixth-leading cause of cancer death worldwide. A precursor to esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is Barrett’s Esophagus (BE). Early-stage diagnosis and treatment of esophageal neoplasia (Barrett’s with high-grade dysplasia/intramucosal cancer) increase the five-year survival rate from 10% to 98%. BE is a global challenge; however, current endoscopes for early BE detection are costly and require extensive infrastructure for patient examination and sedation. We describe the design and evaluation of the first prototype of ScanCap, a high-resolution optical endoscopy system with a reusable, low-cost tethered capsule, designed to provide high-definition, blue-green illumination imaging for the early detection of BE in unsedated patients. The tethered capsule (12.8 mm diameter, 35.5 mm length) contains a color camera and rotating mirror and is designed to be swallowed; images are collected as the capsule is retracted manually via the tether. The tether provides electrical power and illumination at wavelengths of 415 nm and 565 nm and transmits data from the camera to a tablet. The ScanCap prototype capsule was used to image the oral mucosa in normal volunteers and ex vivo esophageal resections; images were compared to those obtained using an Olympus CV-180 endoscope. Images of superficial capillaries in intact oral mucosa were clearly visible in ScanCap images. Diagnostically relevant features of BE, including irregular Z-lines, distorted mucosa, and dilated vasculature, were clearly visible in ScanCap images of ex vivo esophageal specimens.

Abstract The shortage of water resources in Yemen has an implication on the availability and supply of safe water in the country. This study assessed the water quality in Wadi Al-Dabab, Taiz, Yemen. Water samples were collected from the springs and different types of wells (tube, manual) with depths ranging from 9 to 500 m. Multivariate statistical analysis was performed on 15 water quality parameters (WQP) from 15 locations to investigate the significant WQP and the possibility of data reduction. The water quality index (WQI) approach was used to assess its suitability for drinking purposes. Four principal components were identified to be significant, which explained 86.2% of the overall variance while four varifactors (VF) explained 80% of the data variance. The findings showed the possibility of data reduction by 20%, which could assist in water quality monitoring at a reduced cost. The WQI map shows that the water quality is good in a limited area and poor to very poor in most of the study area. The findings are likely to assist in identifying the important WQP for the protection of the drinking water sources while the less important WQP can be excluded, which might reduce the cost of water quality monitoring. The proposed approach is likely to be a cost-effective approach for the economically weak and water-stressed countries, which can contribute positively for the sustainable water resource management in Yemen and other water-stressed regions.

Abstract Background Animal models representing different molecular subtypes of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is desired for developing new therapies. SVV-001 is an oncolytic virus selectively targeting cancer cells. It’s capacity of passing through the blood brain barrier makes is an attractive novel approach for GBM. Materials and methods 23 patient tumor samples were implanted into the brains of NOD/SCID mice (1 × 105 cells/mouse). Tumor histology, gene expression (RNAseq), and growth rate of the developed patient-derived orthotopic xenograft (PDOX) models were compared with the originating patient tumors during serial subtransplantations. Anti-tumor activities of SVV-001 were examined in vivo; and therapeutic efficacy validated in vivo via single i.v. injection (1 × 1011 viral particle) with or without fractionated (2 Gy/day x 5 days) radiation followed by analysis of animal survival times, viral infection, and DNA damage. Results PDOX formation was confirmed in 17/23 (73.9%) GBMs while maintaining key histopathological features and diffuse invasion of the patient tumors. Using differentially expressed genes, we subclassified PDOX models into proneural, classic and mesenchymal groups. Animal survival times were inversely correlated with the implanted tumor cells. SVV-001 was active in vitro by killing primary monolayer culture (4/13 models), 3D neurospheres (7/13 models) and glioma stem cells. In 2/2 models, SVV-001 infected PDOX cells in vivo without harming normal brain cells and significantly prolonged survival times in 2/2 models. When combined with radiation, SVV-001 enhanced DNA damages and further prolonged animal survival times. Conclusion A panel of 17 clinically relevant and molecularly annotated PDOX modes of GBM is developed, and SVV-001 exhibited strong anti-tumor activities in vitro and in vivo.

Background The three-dimensional (3D) evaluation of skeletal stability after orthognathic surgery is a time-consuming and complex procedure. The complexity increases further when evaluating the surgery-first orthognathic approach (SFOA). Herein, we propose and validate a simple time-saving method of 3D analysis using a single software, demonstrating high accuracy and repeatability. Methods This retrospective cohort study included 12 patients with skeletal class 3 malocclusion who underwent bimaxillary surgery without any presurgical orthodontics. Computed tomography (CT)/cone-beam CT images of each patient were obtained at three different time points (preoperation [T0], immediately postoperation [T1], and 1 year after surgery [T2]) and reconstructed into 3D images. After automatic surface-based alignment of the three models based on the anterior cranial base, five easily located anatomical landmarks were defined to each model. A set of angular and linear measurements were automatically calculated and used to define the amount of movement (T1–T0) and the amount of relapse (T2–T1). To evaluate the reproducibility, two independent observers processed all the cases, One of them repeated the steps after 2 weeks to assess intraobserver variability. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated at a 95% confidence interval. Time required for evaluating each case was recorded. Results Both the intra- and interobserver variability showed high ICC values (more than 0.95) with low measurement variations (mean linear variations: 0.18 mm; mean angular variations: 0.25 degree). Time needed for the evaluation process ranged from 3 to 5 minutes. Conclusion This approach is time-saving, semiautomatic, and easy to learn and can be used to effectively evaluate stability after SFOA.

Developing novel EV chargers is crucial for accelerating Electric Vehicle (EV) adoption, mitigating range anxiety, and fostering technological advancements that enhance charging efficiency and grid integration. These advancements address current challenges and contribute to a more sustainable and convenient future of electric mobility. This paper explores the performance dynamics of a solar-integrated charging system. It outlines a simulation study on harnessing solar energy as the primary Direct Current (DC) EV charging source. The approach incorporates an Energy Storage System (ESS) to address solar intermittencies and mitigate photovoltaic (PV) mismatch losses. Executed through MATLAB, the system integrates key components, including solar PV panels, the ESS, a DC charger, and an EV battery. The study finds that a change in solar irradiance from 400 W/m2 to 1000 W/m2 resulted in a substantial 47% increase in the output power of the solar PV system. Simultaneously, the ESS shows a 38% boost in output power under similar conditions, with the assessments conducted at a room temperature of 25°C. The results emphasize that optimal solar panel placement with higher irradiance levels is essential to leverage integrated solar energy EV chargers. The research also illuminates the positive correlation between elevated irradiance levels and the EV battery's State of Charge (SOC). This correlation underscores the efficiency gains achievable through enhanced solar power absorption, facilitating more effective and expedited EV charging.

The present study is devoted to understanding the evolution of the Upper Jurassic Sab'atayn Formation in the Marib-Shabwa Basin, Yemen, through a sequence stratigraphic analysis based on integrating datasets of sedimentology, seismic sections, and well logs. The Sab'atayn Formation (Tithonian age) is represented by a series of clastic and evaporites that were deposited under fluvio-deltaic to prodeltaic settings. It is divided into four members including Yah (at the base), upwards to Seen, Alif, and Safir at the top. Two third-order depositional sequences were determined for the Tithonian succession which were separated by three sequence boundaries. These sequences were classified into their systems tracts signifying several sedimentation patterns of progradational, aggradational, and retrogradational parasequence sets. The first depositional sequence corresponds to the early-middle Tithonian Yah and Seen units that can be classified into lowstand, transgressive, and highstand systems tracts. The second sequence comprises the late Tithonian Alif unit that can be subdivided into transgressive and highstand systems tracts. The sandy deposits of the Alif Member (highstand deposits) represent the most productive hydrocarbon reservoir in the basin. The Upper Jurassic sediments in the study area were resulted from a combination of eustatic and tectonic effects.

AbstractThis study addresses a crucial gap in our understanding of flooding in the predominantly agricultural Qaa’Jahran watershed in Yemen, where urbanization, though currently limited in extent, is rapidly expanding. We aim to discern the effects of earth fissures on flood dynamics, particularly focusing on their present significance. It is noteworthy that, in the long run, these fissures are anticipated to accumulate soil and sediment, potentially heightening the risk of future flooding. To achieve this, we developed a comprehensive floodplain delineation model, incorporating field observations and rainfall data from the Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) algorithm. Additionally, advanced hydrologic and hydraulic models were integrated to accurately simulate runoff hydrographs and create flood inundation maps. Our findings underscore the considerable influence of earth fissures, effectively mitigating runoff volume, peak discharge, flood depths and inundated areas during storm events. It is imperative to emphasize that specific areas remain persistently vulnerable, with water levels surpassing one meter during historical floods. This reinforces the ongoing risk of flooding in targeted zones and emphasizes the necessity of implementing tailored flood management strategies. In conclusion, this study makes a significant contribution to the field, providing a comprehensive analysis of the intricate factors influencing flooding in the Qaa’Jahran watershed. The integration of flood inundation mapping, advanced hydrologic modelling and meticulous consideration of earth fissures offers a distinctive perspective on flood dynamics in a rapidly evolving and urbanizing environment. Furthermore, it highlights the critical implications for effective flood risk management and urban planning, not only in the Qaa’Jahran watershed but also in similar urbanizing regions worldwide.

This study aims to map flood susceptibility in the Qaa’Jahran watersheds located in Dhamar, Yemen, using geoprocessing and computational techniques. Historical flood data and SAR imagery were used to monitor and create a flood inventory map. The artificial neutral network (ANN) was trained using a novel algorithm called GWO_LM, which is a hybridization between the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm (LM) and Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO) meta-heuristic algorithm and compared the results with state of art machine learning algorithms. The GWO_LM_ANN model exhibited excellent performance in the evaluation, achieving a precision of 97.92%, sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 100%, F1 score of 98.95%, accuracy of 98.75% and AUC of 98.48. This indicates that using GWO_LM for training ANN enhanced the searching process for the optimal weights, resulting in outperforming other state-of-the-art models. The findings hold significant implications for disaster preparedness and response in the Qaa’Jahran watersheds, enabling targeted and efficient non-structural solutions to mitigate the detrimental effects of flash floods in particularly sensitive locations. The use of the previously unexplored GWO_LM model represents a notable advancement in flood susceptibility assessment, surpassing traditional methods and offering novel insights to the existing literature.

Choosing a suitable location for solar photovoltaic (PV) plants depends on several conflicted selection criteria such as technical, economical, and social restrictions. For handling such a problem, this paper proposes two Computational Intelligence (CI) based frameworks called Genetic Algorithm with Repairing operator (GAR) and Map-Reduce-based Genetic Algorithm with a Repair operator (MRGAR). The governorate of the Red Sea in Egypt is selected as a case study which is a privileged area for harvesting solar energy. Firstly, all gathered maps and geographic information resources are manipulated. Secondly, the regarded problem is formulated as a binary-constrained multiobjective optimization problem. Finally, this problem is solved with two proposed frameworks and the results are simulated. The experimental results conclude that both frameworks are efficient for solving the regarded site selection problem. However, GAR and MRGAR have diversified performances. In particular, the percentage of gathered solar energy of GAR is better than MRGAR whereas MRGAR is significantly faster than GAR. Therefore, MRGAR is recommended to deal with large-scale problems.

ABSTRACT: Newcastle disease (ND), avian influenza (AI, H5N8), and infectious bronchitis (IB) are important diseases in the poultry industry and cause significant losses. Vaccination is the most practical method for controlling infectious diseases. To reduce vaccination costs and several disorders in poultry farms, using herbal water supplements for immunomodulation with vaccination is critical to improving or preventing some conditions in the poultry industry. However, drinking water supplementation of ginger extract (GE)/propolis extract (PE) alone/in combination may increase broilers’ humoral and cellular immunity due to the immunomodulatory effects of ginger and propolis. This protocol aimed to see how GE/PE alone or in combination improved the immunity, immune organ gene expression, and histology of the immune organs of broilers for 35 d after vaccination against NDV, H5N8, IBV, and IBDV. The chicks were dispensed into 5 groups according to GE and/or PE with vaccination. The control group was offered normal drinking water without any supplements or vaccinations. The GE group was supplemented with ginger extract (1 mL/L drinking water) in the drinking water before and after vaccination for 2 and 3 d, respectively. The GE+PE group was supplemented with GE (0.5 mL/L drinking water) and PE (0.5 mL/L drinking water) in the drinking water before and after vaccination for 2 and 3 d, respectively. The PE group was supplemented with propolis extract (1 mL/L drinking water) in the drinking water before and after vaccination for 2 and 3 d, respectively. The fifth group was the vaccinated untreated group. This experiment showed the immunomodulatory properties of GE and/or PE against 3 common diseases, NDV, AI, and IB, in broiler chicken farms for 35 d applied to a vaccination program. Thus, ginger extract and propolis extract supplementation in drinking water increased antibody titer, INF, IL10, and IL2 and TLR3 gene expression in the bursa of Fabricius, thymus, and spleen, respectively, as well as cellular immunity as indicated by increased CD3, CD4, and CD8 in the bursa of Fabricius, thymus, and spleen, respectively, with normal lymphocytes in the medulla of the bursa, thymus, and spleen. In conclusion, propolis extracts alone or with GE improved all of the metrics mentioned above without harming the histology of the immune organs.

Abstract Earth fissures are potential hazards that often cause severe damage and affect infrastructure, the environment, and socio-economic development. Owing to the complexity of the causes of earth fissures, the prediction of earth fissures remains a challenging task. In this study, we assess earth fissure hazard susceptibility mapping through four advanced machine learning algorithms, namely random forest (RF), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), Naïve Bayes (NB), and K-nearest neighbor (KNN). Using Qa’ Jahran Basin in Yemen as a case study area, 152 fissure locations were recorded via a field survey for the creation of an earth fissure inventory and 11 earth fissure conditioning factors, comprising of topographical, hydrological, geological, and environmental factors, were obtained from various data sources. The outputs of the models were compared and analyzed using statistical indices such as the confusion matrix, overall accuracy, and area under the receiver operating characteristics (AUROC) curve. The obtained results revealed that the RF algorithm, with an overall accuracy of 95.65% and AUROC, 0.99 showed excellent performance for generating hazard maps, followed by XGBoost, with an overall accuracy of 92.39% and AUROC of 0.98, the NB model, with overall accuracy, 88.43% and AUROC, 0.96, and KNN model with general accuracy, 80.43% and AUROC, 0.88), respectively. Such findings can assist land management planners, local authorities, and decision-makers in managing the present and future earth fissures to protect society and the ecosystem and implement suitable protection measures.

Flooding is a natural disaster that coexists with human beings and causes severe loss of life and property worldwide. Although numerous studies for flood susceptibility modelling have been introduced, a notable gap has been the overlooked or reduced consideration of the uncertainty in the accuracy of the produced maps. Challenges such as limited data, uncertainty due to confidence bounds, and the overfitting problem are critical areas for improving accurate models. We focus on the uncertainty in susceptibility mapping, mainly when there is a significant variation in the predictive relevance of the predictor factors. It is also noted that the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve may not accurately depict the sensitivity of the resulting susceptibility map to overfitting. Therefore, reducing the overfitting problem was targeted to increase accuracy and improve processing time in flood prediction. This study created a spatial repository to test the models, containing data from historical flooding and twelve topographic and geo-environmental flood conditioning variables. Then, we applied random forest (RF) and extreme gradient boosting (XGB) algorithms to map flood susceptibility, incorporating a variable drop-off in the empirical loop function. The results showed that the drop-off loop function was a crucial method to resolve the model uncertainty associated with the conditioning factors of the susceptibility modelling and methods. The results showed that approximately 8.42% to 9.89% of Marib City and 9.93% to 15.69% of Shibam City areas were highly vulnerable to floods. Furthermore, this study significantly contributes to worldwide endeavors focused on reducing the hazards linked to natural disasters. The approaches used in this study can offer valuable insights and strategies for reducing natural disaster risks, particularly in Yemen.

Abstract Background The adverse effect of aflatoxin in broilers is well known. However, dietary supplementation of Saccharomyces cell wall and/or Nanocurcumin may decrease the negative effect of aflatoxin B1 because of the bio-adsorbing feature of the functional ingredients in Yeast Cell Wall and the detoxification effect of curcumin nanoparticles. The goal of this study was to see how Saccharomyces cell wall/Nanocurcumin alone or in combination with the aflatoxin-contaminated diet ameliorated the toxic effects of aflatoxin B1 on broiler development, blood and serum parameters, carcass traits, histology, immune histochemistry, liver gene expression, and aflatoxin residue in the liver and muscle tissue of broilers for 35 days. Moreover, the withdrawal time of aflatoxin was measured after feeding the aflatoxicated group an aflatoxin-free diet. Broiler chicks one day old were distributed into five groups according to Saccharomyces cell wall and/or nanocurcumin with aflatoxin supplementation. The G1 group was given a formulated diet without any supplements. The G2 group was supplemented with aflatoxin (0.25 mg/kg diet) in the formulated diet. The G3 group was supplemented with aflatoxin (0.25 mg/kg diet) and Saccharomyces cell wall (1 kg/ton diet) in the formulated diet. The G4 group was supplemented with aflatoxin (0.25 mg/kg diet) and nanocurcumin (400 mg/kg) in the formulated diet. The G5 group was supplemented with aflatoxin (0.25 mg/kg diet) and Saccharomyces cell wall (1 kg/ton diet) in combination with nanocurcumin (200 mg/kg) in the formulated diet. Results According to the results of this study, aflatoxin supplementation had a detrimental impact on the growth performance, blood and serum parameters, carcass traits, and aflatoxin residue in the liver and muscle tissue of broilers. In addition, aflatoxin supplementation led to a liver injury that was indicated by serum biochemistry and pathological lesions in the liver tissue. Moreover, the shortening of villi length in aflatoxicated birds resulted in a decrease in both the crypt depth ratio and the villi length ratio. The expression of CYP1A1 and Nrf2 genes in the liver tissue increased and decreased, respectively, in the aflatoxicated group. In addition, the aflatoxin residue was significantly (P ≤ 0.05) decreased in the liver tissue of the aflatoxicated group after 2 weeks from the end of the experiment. Conclusion Saccharomyces cell wall alone or with nanocurcumin attenuated these negative effects and anomalies and improved all of the above-mentioned metrics.

Abstract Seven avocado “Persea americana” seeds belonging to 4 varieties, collected from different localities across the world, were profiled using HPLC–MS/MS and GC/MS to explore the metabolic makeup variabilities and antidiabetic potential. For the first time, 51 metabolites were tentatively-identified via HPLC–MS/MS, belonging to different classes including flavonoids, biflavonoids, naphthodianthrones, dihydrochalcones, phloroglucinols and phenolic acids while 68 un-saponified and 26 saponified compounds were identified by GC/MS analysis. The primary metabolic variabilities existing among the different varieties were revealed via GC/MS-based metabolomics assisted by unsupervised pattern recognition methods. Fatty acid accumulations were proved as competent, and varietal-discriminatory metabolites. The antidiabetic potential of the different samples was explored using in-vitro amylase and glucosidase inhibition assays, which pointed out to Gwen (KG) as the most potent antidiabetic sample. This could be attributed to its enriched content of poly-unsaturated fatty acids and polyphenolics. Molecular docking was then performed to predict the most promising phytoligands in KG variety to be posed as antidiabetic drug leads. The highest in-silico α-amylase inhibition was observed with chrysoeriol-4′-O-pentoside-7-O-rutinoside, apigenin-7-glucuronide and neoeriocitrin which might serve as potential drug leads for the discovery of new antidiabetic remedies.

Soybean lecithin (SBL) is usually added to aquafeed as a lipid source because aquatic animals cannot synthesize phospholipids. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the role of SBL on the growth, nutrient consumption, digestive enzyme activity, blood parameters, and antioxidant capability of striped catfish. The fish were fed on five experimental diets with five grading levels of SBL (0, 2, 4, 6, and 8%) for 60 days. The final weight, weight gain, specific growth rate, feed intake, and protein efficiency ratio were markedly higher in striped catfish treated with 2-4% SBL than the control level (0% SBL). However, the lowest feed conversion ratio was in the fish-fed groups of 4-6% SBL. The carcass lipid content was significantly higher in fish fed 2-4% SBL compared to the control level (0% SBL). The lipase, amylase, and protease activities were significantly increased in the fish fed 2-6% SBL compared to 0% SBL-fed group. The gradually increased levels of SBL improved the structural appearance and increased the intestinal villi length and branching appearance. The triglycerides and total cholesterol were increased in the fish fed with 4, 6, and 8% compared to the control level, with the highest being in the fish fed with 8%. The lysozyme activity was higher in the fish fed with 2, 4, and 6% of SBL compared to the control level, with higher activity in the fish fed with 2 and 4% than 6%. Superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase activities were increased in the fish fed with 2, 4, and 6% SBL. The malondialdehyde level was lower in the fish fed with 4-6% SBL compared to the control level. The regression analysis revealed that the optimum dose of SBL is required at 3.65-4.42% for better productivity and health performances in striped catfish.

Baby’s breath (Gypsophila paniculata L.) roots are valuable as pharmaceuticals due to the content of triterpenoid saponins and other bioactive phytochemicals. However, the long root harvest period and fluctuation of these constituent’s content are among the constraints to traditional agricultural production. The present study shows an efficient and reliable liquid root culture of G. paniculata cv. ‘Perfecta’ established in a shake flask system using different auxins, media, and sugars. Hairy root (HR) induction in G. paniculata through Rhizobium rhizogenes-mediated transformation was also investigated. α-Naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) was optimized for adventitious roots (AR) biomass, saponin, and flavonoid production at 1 or 2 mg/L compared to IBA. Full strength Gamborg’s medium (B5) recorded higher saponin content; however, the highest yield of total saponin and total flavonoids was achieved by full strength Murashige and Skoog's (MS) medium. Sucrose was more essential for root growth and accumulated total saponins and flavonoids rather than fructose and glucose. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis showed that G. paniculata HR carried rolC gene of R. rhizogenes A4 strain in its genome but not virD2 gene. Compared to non-transformed root, saponin content of leaf and stem-derived HR was 2.7 and 2.3-fold, while total flavonoid content was 2.1 and 2.0-fold, respectively. The DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity was also higher in HR extracts than in non-transgenic roots. This study established an efficient protocol for G. paniculata root cultures for sustainable production of important natural saponins and flavonoids.

This study shed light for the first time on the in vivo diabetic wound healing potential activity of natural marine soft coral polymeric nanoparticle in situ gel using an excision wound model. A Nephthea sp. methanol–methylene chloride extract loaded with pectin nanoparticles (LPNs) was created. For the preparation of in situ gel, ion-gelation techniques, the entrapment efficiency, the particle size, the polydispersity index, the zeta potential, the in-vitro drug release, and a transmission electron microscope were used and the best formula was selected. Using (UPLC-Q/TOF-MS), 27 secondary metabolites responsible for extract biological activity were identified. Isolation and identification of arachidic acid, oleic acid, nervonic acid, and bis-(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate (DEHP) of Nephthea sp. was firstly reported here using NMR and mass spectral analyses. Moreover, LPN in situ gel has the best effects on regulating the proinflammatory cytokines (NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β) that were detected on days 7 and 15. The results were confirmed with an in vitro enzymatic inhibitory effect of the extract against glycogen synthase kinase (GSK-3) and matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1), with IC50 values of 0.178 ± 0.009 and 0.258 ± 0.011 µg/mL, respectively. The molecular docking study showed a free binding energy of −9.6 kcal/mol for chabrolosteroid E, with the highest binding affinity for the enzyme (GSK-3), while isogosterone B had −7.8 kcal/mol for the enzyme (MMP-1). A pharmacokinetics study for chabrolohydroxybenzoquinone F and isogosterone B was performed, and it predicted the mode of action of wound healing activity.

This experiment was conducted in plastic house of Horticulture and Landscape Design Department College of Agriculture and Forestry - University of Mosul, Iraq. For the period from February 18,2019 to May 18, 2019. To study the effect of dipping the hardwood grape cuttings in three concentrations of IBA solution 0, 1000 and 2000 mg..l-1 for 5 seconds on the behavior rooting ability and subsequent growth for hardwood cuttings of six grape cultivars (Zarek, Jav-Ga, Thompson Seedless, Black Rommy, Des-Alaanz and Miranee). Factorial experiment using Randomize Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replicates per treatment, ten cuttings of each plot. The results indicated that all treatments were very effective on rooting behavior between the six grape cultivarsin this study. Black Rommy cuttings gave a significantly increase of rooting percentage compared with Jav-Ga and Miranee cultivars. The cuttings of Des-Alaanz cultivar were significantly superiority compared with others cultivars in number of roots and leaves, shoot length and dry weight of vegetative system. While Zarek cultivar was significantly superiority of compared with others cultivars in chlorophyll content and dry weight of roots system. The cuttings were treated with 1000 mg..l-1(IBA) significantly superiority in rooting percentage compared with (0 and 2000 mg..l-1) treatments. While the treatment of cuttings with 2000 (mg..l-1)IBA were significantly superiority in number of roots per cuttings than (1000 and 0 mg..l-1)IBA treatments.

The next generation 6G communication network is typically characterized by the full connectivity and coverage of Users Equipment (UEs). This leads to the need for moving beyond the traditional two-dimensional (2D) coverage service to the three-dimensional (3D) full-service one. The 6G 3D architecture leverages different types of non-terrestrial or aerial nodes that can act as mobile Base Stations (BSs) such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), Low Altitude Platforms (LAPs), High-Altitude Platform Stations (HAPSs), or even Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. Moreover, aided technologies have been added to the 6G architecture to dynamically increase its coverage efficiency such as the Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS). In this paper, an enhanced Computational Intelligence (CI) algorithm is introduced for optimizing the coverage of UAV-BSs with respect to their location from RIS in the 3D space of 6G architecture. The regarded problem is formulated as a constrained 3D coverage optimization problem. In order to increase the convergence of the proposed algorithm, it is hybridized with a crossover operator. For the validation of the proposed method, it is tested on different scenarios with large-scale coordinates and compared with many recent and hybrid CI algorithms, as Slime Mould Algorithm (SMA), Lévy Flight Distribution (LFD), hybrid Particle Swarm Optimization and Gravitational Search Algorithm (PSOGSA), the Covariance Matrix Adaptation Evolution Strategy (CMA-ES), and hybrid Grey Wolf Optimizer and Cuckoo Search (GWOCS). The experiment and the statistical analysis show the significant efficiency of the proposed algorithm in achieving complete coverage with a lower number of UAV-BSs and without constraints violation.

Abstract Background Biodiesel is expected to play a key role in the development of a sustainable, economical, and environmentally safe source of energy. The third generation of biodiesel is derived from microalgae and cyanobacteria that have sufficient amount of oil. The optimization of biomass and oil content in biodiesel production based on algal cultivation relies upon several factors. The present experimental work aims at optimizing some of the cultivation conditions to obtain maximum oil and biomass yield and create a prediction model that describe the effect of the initial inoculum concentration, and irradiance on the biomass yield and oil concentration were designed using Design Expert 6.0.8. Results The results revealed that the optimum surface-to-volume ratio for the airlift bubble column photobioreactor was 0.9, and the most applicable model for describing Microcystis aeruginosa growth was the hyperbolic tangent model with a model constant value of 1.294 mg·L− 1·d− 1/μmol·m− 2·s− 1. The optimum cultivation conditions were 81 μmol·m− 2·s− 1 irradiance and 67 mg·L− 1 initial inoculum concentration, and these conditions achieved a biomass yield of 163 mg·L− 1·d− 1 and an oil concentration of 143 mg·L− 1. Conclusions This work focused on the cultivation of microalgae in closed systems. Cyanobacteria as M. aeruginosa has high lipid content, and high lipid productivity makes it suitable as a lipid feed stock for biodiesel production. The response surface method was the most suitable route to study the simultaneous influence of irradiance and initial inoculum concentration through statistical methods as well as to establish a model for predicting the biomass yield and oil concentration of M. aeruginosa.

Annona glabra L. (AngTE) and Annona squamosa L. (AnsTE) fruits have been widely used in cancer treatment. Accordingly, their extracts were used to synthesize silver nanoparticles via a biogenic route (Ang-AgNPs) and (Ans-AgNPs), respectively. Chemical profiling was established using UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS. All species were tested for anticancer activity against human cervical cancer cells (HeLa), prostate adenocarcinoma metastatic (PC3), and ovary adenocarcinoma (SKOV3) using sulphorhodamine B assay. Apoptosis was determined using Annexin flow cytometry along with cell cycle analysis and supported by a molecular docking. The antibacterial and synergistic effect when combined with gentamicin were evaluated. A total of 114 compounds were tentatively identified, mainly acetogenins and ent-kaurane diterpenes. AnsTE and Ans-AgNPs had the most potent cytotoxicity on HeLa and SKOV3 cells, inducing a significant apoptotic effect against all tumor cells. The AnsTE and Ans-AgNPs significantly arrested PC3, SKOV3, and HeLa cells in the S phase. The nanoparticles demonstrated greater antibacterial and antifungal activities, as well as a synergistic effect with gentamicin against P. aeruginosa and E. coli. Finally, a molecular docking was attempted to investigate the binding mode of the identified compounds in Bcl-2 proteins’ receptor, implying that the fruits and their nanoparticles are excellent candidates for treating skin infections in patients with ovarian or prostatic cancer.

Variable amplitude fatigue testing is a time consuming process and a necessary part of certification for aircraft structures. While the frequency of loading can be increased for testing metals, for composites this approach is limited due to heating effects. Hence it is more pertinent to develop effective methods for reducing/compressing fatigue test spectra for composite structures. Effective spectrum reduction techniques mainly include a spectrum truncation method which removes load cycles that negligibly effect fatigue damage initiation/growth, and a cycle merging method that combines cycles to form a cycle with the equivalent effect on fatigue damage initiation/growth. Application of these methods requires understanding of the fatigue mechanisms. These techniques have seen wide use for metallic structures, with comparatively small amounts of literature existing for composite materials. For composites this is more complex due to their non-isotropic, non-homogeneous, multi-failure mode characters. Due to the lack of research concerning spectrum reduction for composites, there are no widely accepted simplification approaches with the exception of omitting low stress levels. Research is therefore required to develop and test methods for accelerating variable amplitude fatigue tests for composite aircraft structures. On the basis of review of literature, new research directions in this area are identified.

We study the interaction of extremely short and high-intensity X-ray pulses with a 1.0μm thick Al foil. Four pulse lengths – 100 fs, 200 fs, 300 fs, and 400 fs – are considered. The photon energy is 1830 eV and the pulse intensity is 1017W/cm2. The interaction dynamics are calculated via a radiation hydrodynamic code. The X-ray laser pulse heats the target isochorically. It generates a homogeneous hot dense matter; electrons are hotter than ions. The simulation of the interaction of pump and probe pulses with a delay time in the fs scale provides that the probe pulse heats the target significantly. A Monte-Carlo method is used to provide a microscopic description; the electron distribution function shows a two-temperature system. The electron distribution has spikes at the energy difference between the k-edges of Al ions and the energy of incident photons. The energies of these spikes depend on the considered ionization depression model. The Chihara formula and the non-equilibrium random phase approximation are utilized to calculate the X-ray Thomson scattering spectrum (XRTS). For collective scattering, the plasmon peaks are a function of the pulse lengths and the electron distribution function. Therefore, when XRTS is fitted to a measured spectrum may give the target density, the target temperature, and the microscopic electron distribution function.

Chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) are genetically engineered transmembrane cell receptors consisting of an antigen-binding ectodomain fused to an activating intracellular T-cell signaling chain. Grafting CAR molecules on T-cells enables targeted killing of tumors. The gene therapy approach of modifying autologous patient immune cells with CARs has now moved from the research bench to early-phase clinical trials in patients with refractory, recurrent, and nonresectable glioblastoma. This is a review of the state of the science in the field of CAR T-cells for glioblastoma and an update on the completed and ongoing clinical trials available at the Clinical Trials Registry (www.clinicaltrials.gov). Here, we also discuss insights gained from the clinical trials of CAR T-cells against glioblastoma and innovative approaches to improve their efficacy.

This experiment was conducted on olive (Olea europaea L.) transplants, Bashika cv. in the nursery of Department of Horticulture and Landscape Design of the College of Agriculture and Forestry, during season 2012 to study the effect of four growing medias (sandy loam 100%, sandy loam 3:1 manure, sandy loam : manure: peatmoss 3: 1/2:1/2 and sandy loam: peatmoss 3:1), three levels of nitrogen fertilization (0,100 and 200 mgN.l-1) and foliar spray with GA3 (0 and 100 mg GA3 .l-1) and their interaction treatments , in order to improve vegetative growth . The experiment was factorial in randomized complete block design (RCBD), with 4 replicates and 10 transplants within each factorial units. Means were compared by Duncan multiple ranges test at 0,05% level. The most important results were as follows: Growing medium were effective in most studied parameters, The sandy loam medium 100% increased transplants height, diameter, branching ,leaves number and leaves areas, while sandy loam: manure: peat moss 3:1/2:1/2 resulted in a significant increase the height of transplants , leaves area. And fertilization with 200 mg N.l-1 resulted in an increase in transplant height, leaves number, leaves area. GA3 foliar spray at 100 mg.l-1 increased transplant stem diameter and branching. The interaction between the three factors resulted in an additional increase in transplant height, stem diameter, branching, specially the interaction between sandy loam 100% + 100 mg GA3.l-1 and 100 N.l-1 mg, while other interactions appeared a different responses.

Purpose: To report a rare case of bilateral occlusive juxtafoveolar retinal telangiectasias associated with central nervous system lesions and renal impairment. Observations: A 47-year-old woman presented to clinic with subjective vision loss in the right eye with best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) 20/80. Fundoscopic examination, fluorescein angiography (FA), and optical coherence tomography with adjunct angiography (OCT/OCT-A) revealed macular microhemorrhages, enlarged foveal avascular zones (FAZ), and occlusive juxtafoveal telangiectasis with pruning of the macular capillaries in both eyes. Patient subsequently developed memory loss, dizziness, nystagmus, and diplopia secondary to intermittent exotropia. She was found to have a two-millimeter aneurysm of the proximal posterior cerebellar artery along with several scattered white matter changes on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Genetic workup revealed no mutations in the TREX1 gene. With continued surveillance over 18 months, the patient's BCVA deteriorated to 20/200 OU and she developed mild renal impairment, without further CNS complications. Conclusion and importance: Patients who present with vision loss secondary to occlusive juxtafoveolar telangiectasias should undergo imaging of the central nervous system (CNS) for architectural abnormalities in cerebral vasculature and white matter. Further investigation of patients with the Gass-Blodi type 3 macular telangiectasia – cerebroretinal vasculopathy phenotype is required to optimize management protocols for both retinal and CNS lesions. At this time, no interventions have demonstrated clear benefit in vision preservation or recovery.

Varied levels of Saccharomyces cerevisiae-fermented date palm seed meal (DSM) were included in Nile tilapia (26.95 ± 0.01 g) diets. Five diets were prepared to include fermented DSM at 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 % and fed for fish for 8 weeks. The obtained results revealed that yeast fermented DSM significantly affected the final body weight, weight gain, specific growth rate, and feed conversion ratio in a dose dependent manner (P = 0.001, P = 0.002, P = 0.004, P = 0.01, respectively). Dietary yeast fermented DSM significantly increased the lipase, amylase, and protease activities (P = 0.011, P = 0.02, P = 0.031, respectively). In the anterior segment of the intestine, villus length and the number of goblet cells were significantly affected by the inclusion of yeast fermented DSM (P = 0.001 and P = 0.008). In the middle area, only the villus length, internal villi distance, and goblet cells number were affected significantly by the inclusion of yeast fermented DSM (P = 0.001, P = 0.02, P = 0.047, respectively). Posterior intestinal morphometry showed significantly increased villus length and number of goblet cells when fish fed yeast fermented DSM in a dose dependent manner (P = 0.028 and P = 0.04). Most of the measured blood parameters showed insignificant (P > 0.05) differences except for total blood protein, globulin, albumin, RBCs, and WBCs which were significantly affected by the inclusion of yeast fermented DSM (P = 0.001, P = 0.001, P = 0.007, P = 0.042, P = 0.001, respectively). Furthermore, dietary yeast fermented DSM significantly altered the lysozyme and phagocytic activities (P = 0.03 and P = 0.005). Based on the polynomial regression analysis the inclusion of yeast fermented DSM at 11.44–17.44 % can be used effectively in tilapia’ diets for improving the growth, digestion activity, and immune response.

BACKGROUND:Onchocerciasis transmission across international borders is not uncommon, yet a coordinated cross border stops mass drug administration (MDA) decision has not been documented. METHODS/PRINCIPLE FINDINGS:The Galabat-Metema focus involves neighboring districts on the border between Sudan and Ethiopia. Mass drug administration (MDA) was provided once and subsequently twice per year in this focus, with twice-per-year beginning in Ethiopia's Metema subfocus in 2016 and in the Sudan's Galabat subfocus in 2008. Ov16 ELISA-based serosurveys were conducted in 6072 children under 10 years of age in the Metema subfocus in 2014, and 3931 in the Galabat in 2015. Between 2014 and 2016, a total of 27,583 vector Simulium damnosum flies from Metema and 9,148 flies from Galabat were tested by pool screen PCR for Onchocerca volvulus O-150 DNA. Only 8 children were Ov16 seropositive (all in the Metema subfocus); all were negative by skin snip PCR. The upper limit of the 95% confidence interval (UCL) for Ov16 seropositive was

The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is an endemic virus in dromedaries. Annually, Saudi Arabia imports thousands of camels from the Horn of Africa, yet the epidemiology of MERS-CoV in these animals is largely unknown. Here, MERS-CoV prevalence was compared in imported African camels and their local counterparts. A total of 1399 paired sera and nasal swabs were collected from camels between 2016 and 2018. Imported animals from Sudan (n = 829) and Djibouti (n = 328) were sampled on incoming ships at Jeddah Islamic seaport before unloading, and local camels were sampled from Jeddah (n = 242). Samples were screened for neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) and MERS-CoV viral RNA. The overall seroprevalence was 92.7% and RNA detection rate was 17.2%. Imported camels had higher seroprevalence compared to resident herds (93.8% vs 87.6%, p 87% of the RNA positive animals, increased with age and was sex-dependent. Importantly, reduced viral RNA load was positively correlated with nAb titers. Our data confirm the widespread of MERS-CoV in imported and domestic camels in Saudi Arabia and highlight the need for continuous active surveillance and better prevention measures. Further studies are also warranted to understand camels correlates of protection for proper vaccine development.

The laboratory experiments were conducted to study the effect of Exposure Period and Concentration of Abrasive dust (Silica gel, Limestone and Gypsum) on Killing effect of larva and adults of Trogoderma granarium Everts. under laboratory conditions (25±5Cº and 65±5% R.H) in College of Agricultural and Forestry. Mosul University 2013. The results showed that the killing percent was clearly increased So as to increased of Concentration. The Silica gel Exhibit high effective in comparison with Limestone and Gypsum which revealed after two week of treatment had higher average values of larva and adults killing which reached 60, 70.33% respectively at Concentration 70g/kg. where as these values of treatment by Limestone and Gypsum were reached 33.33, 60% and 26.66, 40% respectively at the same Concentration. These results reflected to LC50 values of the abrasive dust which indicated that the adults had more susceptibility than larval stage in their responsable for used Dusts which LC50 values reached after two week of treatment 42.53, 58.88 and 101 ppm for Silica gel, Limestone and Gypsum respectively. These last results reflected too on the values of Relative efficiency and Relative susceptibility of two insect stage (larva, adults) and their higher values were recorded in Silica gel after two week of adults treatment which reached 422.34 for Relative efficiency 1 for Relative susceptibility compared with Gypsum which gave lower values on larval stage which reached 100 for Relative efficiency 0.226 for Relative susceptibility.

Introduction: Vertebroplasty is a minimally invasive technique in which percutaneous injection of bone cement under fluoroscopic guidance Percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) has been widely and successfully accepted in the treatment of osteoporotic and neoplastic vertebral compression fractures to control pain refractory to medical treatment. However, using of vertebroplasty as primary line treatment for traumatic, non-osteoporotic compression fractures still not widely accepted and considered a debatable issue. Patients and methods: This prospective comparative study was conducted at Neurosurgery department, Mansoura university hospital and Mansoura emergency hospital through the period between January 2015 and March 2016. 20 patients complaining of back pain due to single level thoracolumbar vertebral compression non-osteoprotic fractures were admitted to the study. Patients were divided into two groups 10 patients each, PVP group and conservative group. Outcome were assessed as regard pain improvement using Visual analogue scale VAS and quality of life using short form 36 scale (SF36). Results: Ten patients in the PVP group received Vertebroplasty, eight males (80%) and two females (20%) the age ranged from 29 to 62 years with mean age of 44.2+8.3 (mean+SD) years. The conservative group included ten patients seven males (70%) and three females (30%) the age ranged from 31 to 64 years with mean age of 45.1+9.2 (mean+SD) years. The level of injury ranged from D6 to L4. VAS and SF36 results showed significant improvement in post injection results compared to preinjection and to the conservative group Conclusion: Percutaneous vertebroplasty is safe and effective procedure to improve pain and quality of life in non osteoprotic patients complaining of traumatic compression fractures of thoraco-lumar region it decreases pain, and provide early ambulation of patients which improve their quality of life without significant morbidity.

The occurrence of saturation in the CR-39 detector reduces and limits its detection dynamic range; nevertheless, this range could be extended using spectroscopic techniques and by measuring the net bulk rate of the saturated CR-39 detector surface. CR-39 detectors were irradiated by 1.5 MeV high alpha-particle fluence varying from 0.06 × 108 to 7.36 × 108 alphas/cm2 from Am-241 source; thereafter, they were etched in a 6.25N NaOH solution at a temperature of 70°C for different durations. Net bulk etch rate measurement of the 1.5 MeV alpha-irradiated CR-39 detector surface revealed that rate increases with increasing etching time and reaches its maximum value at the end of the alpha-particle range. It is also correlated with the alpha-particle fluence. The measurements of UV–Visible (UV–Vis) absorbance at 500 and 600 nm reveal that the absorbance is linearly correlated with the fluence of alpha particles at the etching times of 2 and 4 hour. For extended etching times of 6, 10, and 14.5 hour, the absorbance is saturated for fluence values of 4.05 × 108, 5.30 × 108, and 7.36 × 108 alphas/cm2. These new methods pave the way to extend the dynamic range of polymer-based solid state nuclear track detectors (SSNTDs) in measurement of high fluence of heavy ions as well as in radiation dosimetry. Keywords: Alpha Particle, Bulk Etch Rate, CR-39 Detector, Saturated Regime, UV–Vis Spectroscopy

Background The precise etiology and pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) remain unclear. Unpredictable flares and remissions and diverse serological and clinical manifestations are observed among patients with SLE and the challenge for the evaluation of disease activity and administration of appropriate treatment. Assessment of Tenascin-C (TNC) may reflect disease activity and/or early tissue damage in SLE. Aim The aim of this study was to examine whether TNC levels are useful as a predictive biomarker in SLE and to reflect their activity. Patients and methods In all, 50 patients with SLE (25 patients with active SLE, 25 patients with inactive SLE), and 25 age-matched and sex-matched healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Patients undergo clinical and laboratory assessment. Serum TNC was assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Our results The results have shown that patients with active SLE had a higher TNC level compared with inactive patients and healthy volunteers. Also the study showed a statistically significant positive correlation between TNC level and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index score. On the other hand, the TNC level correlated negatively with white blood cells, platelet counts, C3 and C4 levels, hemoglobin level, and disease status. Conclusion The increased serum tenascin level was found in patients with SLE and was correlated with certain clinical and laboratory immunoinflammatory parameters. So the estimation of serum Tenascin levels seems beneficial in the assessment of disease activity and progress in SLE patients as well as in the assessment of the efficacy of various treatment regimens used.

Gastric ulceration is a multifactorial disease defined as a defect in the gastric wall that extends through the muscularis mucosae into the deeper layers of the wall. The most common cause of gastric ulceration is alcohol consumption. In the current study, rats were gavaged by ethanol to investigate the protective (before ethanol) and curative (after ethanol) ability of Commiphora myrrh (myrrh) oil and extract against gastric ulcer oxidative alterations induced by ethanol. Myrrh significantly improved ulcer index, histomorphology, and periodic acid Schiff (PAS) impaired by ethanol. In addition, myrrh improved the antioxidant potential of gastric mucosa through enhancement of nuclear factor related to erythroid 2 (Nrf2), total glutathione (GSH), reduced GSH, and oxidized glutathione (GSSG), along with significant reduction in malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. Amelioration of gastric oxidative stress by myrrh enables gastric mucosa to counteract the ethanol’s inflammatory and apoptotic processes leading to improved gastric proliferation and healing. Interestingly, myrrh extract showed better protective and curative effects than myrrh oil against gastric ulceration.

Background: Oxidative stress has been implicated in various diseases including atherosclerosis; the most common pathologic process underlying acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) antioxidant enzyme affords the major defense against reactive oxygen species (ROS) within the mitochondria. MnSOD Alanine16Valine (A16V) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) has been shown to decrease MnSOD detoxification activity. Aim: A case-control study was conducted to investigate the association between MnSOD A16V polymorphism and the incidence of AMI in the Egyptians, investigate the contribution of oxidative stress represented by hexanoyl lysine adduct (HEL), an oxidative stress biomarker, in the pathogenesis of AMI and finally correlate the MnSOD genotypes with HEL serum levels. Methods: A total of 200 Egyptian subjects were recruited for the study; 100 AMI patients and 100 control subjects. Genotypes of the MnSOD A16V polymorphism were determined using a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Serum HEL was measured by ELISA. Results: A significant difference in the distribution of the MnSOD A16V genotypes was observed; VV genotype was significantly higher in AMI than controls (p ≤ 0.0001). Also, studying the allele frequencies revealed that Val allele was significantly higher in AMI than controls (p ≤ 0.0001). Serum analysis showed higher levels of HEL in AMI patients (p = 0.0142). Furthermore, HEL levels were found to be significantly higher in VV genotype in AMI (p = 0.0273). Conclusions: Our study suggests that MnSOD A16V polymorphism is associated with increased risk of developing AMI in the Egyptians. Moreover, the VV genotype is associated with higher HEL levels.

Objective Hepatocellular carcinoma ranks the third among cancer deaths in the globe. Despite the fact that many strategies for diagnosing liver cancer are possible, many factors, including apoptosis, arise to interfere with cell cycle control. We initiated this study to investigate the importance of free radicals during experimental hepatocarcinogenesis, triggered by diethyl nitrosamine, against an anti-apoptotic factor, belongs to a family of oncogenes (Bcl-2). Methods Eighteen female Wistar rats were classified into two equal groups, group 1 received intraperitoneal normal saline doses, group 2 was injected with one IP dose of diethyl nitrosamine (200 mg/kg bw), 2 weeks later, they were given a single CCl4 dose (2 ml /kg b.w., IP), blood and liver tissue samples were collected after 60 days of diethyl nitrosamine dose. The Graph pad prism program was used in statistical calculations. Results The results revealed that treatment with diethyl nitrosamine + CCl4 significantly up regulated the plasma liver functions tests: aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, total bilirubin and increased alpha fetoprotein with decreased level of Bcl-2. Liver tissue showed elevation of lipid peroxide, malondialdehyde, catalase enzyme activity, with significant reduction in body weight, decreased total protein content, tissue antioxidants like glutathione S-transferase, total thiol and total antioxidant capacity, compared to control. Histological examination of liver showed an increased nuclear/cytoplasm (N/C) ratio, mitotic figures and nuclear polymorphism and microacinar formation in diethyl nitrosamine + CCl4-treated group. Conclusions Disturbed hepatocellular anti-oxidant mechanisms suppress apoptosis, reflecting failure in combating chemical hepatocarcinogenesis. Keywords liver cancer; diethyl nitrosamine; lipid peroxidation; tumor markers; Bcl-2; apoptosis.

This paper presents a fault location estimation approach in two terminal transmission lines using Teaching Learning Based Optimization (TLBO) technique, and Harmony Search (HS) technique. Also, previous methods were discussed such as Genetic Algorithm (GA), Artificial Bee Colony (ABC), Artificial neural networks (ANN) and Cause & effect (C&E) with discussing advantages and disadvantages of all methods. Initial data for proposed techniques are post-fault measured voltages and currents from both ends, along with line parameters as initial inputs as well. This paper deals with several types of faults, L-L-L, L-L-L-G, L-L-G and L-G. Simulation of the model was performed on SIMULINK by extracting initial inputs from SIMULINK to MATLAB, where the objective function specifies the fault location with a very high accuracy, precision and within a very short time. Future works are discussed showing the benefit behind using the Differential Learning TLBO (DLTLBO) was discussed as well.

Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, is transmitted by the tick Ixodes scapularis. Here, the authors show that a tick secreted protein (PIXR) modulates the tick gut microbiota and facilitates B. burgdorferi colonization.