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Background: The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an immense public mental health threat. Asia has a great mix of rural and urban populations which differ in health-care facilities. Its virulence is escalating the psychological impact but its epidemiological dynamics are still needed to be explored. Therefore, we explored the prevalence of COVID-19 and its impact on public mental health in rural versus urban adults aged 18–65 years in the province of Sindh, Pakistan. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Sindh, Pakistan, from April to July 2021. Stratified random sampling was used for 1494 respondents. Seven rural and urban districts were chosen. After informed consent, information on demographics, depression, and anxiety was collected through structured questionnaires. Statistical analyses were performed by SPSS version 26 with mean ± standard deviation for continuous and frequency (percentages) for categorical variables. t-test and Chi-square test were applied at P ≤ 0.05. Results: The prevalence of COVID-19 was found to be 20.9% in Sindh, Pakistan. Among 1494 respondents, the rural–urban distribution was 757 (50.7%) and 737 (49.3%) with females on the slightly higher side (774 [51.9%]). There was a statistically significant difference in age, household members, earning members, gender, marital status, and occupation. Prevalence of depression and anxiety was 42.2% and 85.5%, respectively. Both were statistically significant for rural–urban populations with P < 0.001 for depression and P = 0.003 for anxiety. Conclusion: The study showed a significant difference in the public mental health of the equitable rural versus urban population of Sindh, Pakistan, during the COVID-19 pandemic, which requires strategies by policymakers.

Reducing tobacco usage has been identified as an urgent national health priority, being the leading cause of preventable death and disability in Australia. The Incentive to Quit (I2Q) pilot aims to reduce the harms associated with smoking and vaping by training health professionals on delivering brief smoking cessation advice, and providing eligible smokers/vapers with financial incentives, use of the Quitline counselling service, and pocket-sized resources with content tailored to help support quit attempts at different stages of the participant’s journey. A qualitative evaluation of the I2Q intervention will be undertaken throughout the program period via one-on-one interviews with a subset of health professionals and participants (smokers/vapers) of the I2Q program, along with key community stakeholders, to identify how the service can be improved. Interviews of approximately 45–60 minutes will be conducted either face-to-face or via telecommunication, and a moderator guide will be used to direct the interview. Interview transcripts will be coded through both inductive and deductive thematic analyses by two independent coders.

Abstract The present work was to study the genetic variability between the major carps Labeo rohita and Cirrhinus mrigala and their hybrids of L. rohita (male♂) and C. mrigala (female♀). Genetic variability was studied by employing RAPD molecular markers. 25 samples of each target species having different sizes with the same age group for the determination of interspecific variation were collected. The morphometric parameters such as body weight, total length, tail length, and lengths of dorsal and anal fins of each individual were recorded and results showed that wet body weight, total length, dorsal fin, anal fin, and tail fin length are positively correlated and then the DNA was extracted using the inorganic salt-based method and conformed by Gel electrophoresis. Twenty-four arbitrary decamer primers were used to get species-specific RAPD analysis Distinct and highly reproducible RAPD profiles with significant genetic variability was detected among species. Only five primers showed amplification. The RAPAD primer OPB-05 produced a total of seven bands out of these 5 monomorphic and 2 polymorphic, so in this case, the percentage polymorphism was 28.57%. The Hybrid show more than a 50% difference from the Labeo rohita. This shows that the Hybrid more resembles C.mrigala. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that hybrid (L. rohita ♂ X Cirrhinus mrigala ♀) is the closest to C. mrigala and the farthest from L. rohita. Overall data are presented concerning the applications of RAPD markers for hybrid identification, genetic diversity assessment, and studying taxonomic relationships at a molecular level.

OBJECTIVE: COVID-19 is a novel viral disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 which has rapidly spread throughout the world. We determined the clinical course and outcome of COVID-19 disease in Pakistani children with chronic kidney disease (CKD) on maintenance hemodialysis during the first wave of the pandemic. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study was conducted in the hemodialysis unit at the University of Child Health Sciences and Children’s Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan. Patients of both sexes below 18 years of age on maintenance hemodialysis with COVID-19 disease confirmed by PCR were included. Data were collected regarding underlying etiology of CKD as well as symptomatology, treatment received and outcome of COVID-19 disease. RESULTS: 9 patients were confirmed as COVID-19 positive by PCR – 56% were males with a median age of 11 years. The most common underlying etiology of chronic kidney disease was obstructive uropathy (22.2%) with fever and cough reported to be the most common presenting symptoms. Only 6% of the children had neutropenia while all others had normal white cell count. Radiological findings revealed diffuse inflammatory infiltration of lungs in all the participants with ground-glass haze in 11% of the subjects. The patients were managed with supportive treatment, antimicrobial coverage, and systemic steroids along with oxygen supplementation while mechanical ventilation with inotropic support was required in almost a quarter and bi-level positive airway pressure in 11% of the children. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that even children in the advanced stages of CKD were at low risk of developing COVID-19 disease. More than 50% of the patients were discharged uneventfully while 20% of the subjects expired due to severe COVID disease.

An efficient, rapid, and reproducible plant regeneration protocol was successfully developed for Abrus precatorius L. using mature nodal explants excised from a 5-year-old field grown plant. The highest shoot regeneration frequency (87 %) with maximum number of multiple shoots (15.0) and shoot length (4.8 cm) were recorded on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium amended with 2.5 μM thidiazuron, 120 mg dm-3 polyvinylpyrrolidone, and 0.5 μM α-naphthalene acetic acid. The best treatment for maximum root (4.0) induction was half strength MS medium supplemented with 1.5 μM indole-3-butyric acid. The in vitro plantlets with well-developed shoots and roots were successfully transferred into plastic cups with Soilrite and acclimatized in a culture room under photon flux density (PFD) of 150 μmol m-2 s-1, thereafter transferred to a greenhouse with PFD of 300 μmol m-2 s-1, and finally to a field with 70 % survival rate. During the acclimatization period (0-49 d), leaf chlorophyll and carotenoid content increased whereas malondialdehyde and H2O2 content decreased probably due to increasing activities of antioxidant enzymes (catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione reductase, and ascorbate peroxidase). Our work suggests that micropropagated plants developed an antioxidant enzymatic protective system to avoid oxidative stress during establishment under ex vitro environment.

Objectives: An efficient and reproducible regeneration protocol for rapid multiplication of Albizia lebbeck (L.) was developed by using intact seed explants.Methods: Murashige and Skoog's (MS) medium supplemented with different hormones (BA, Kn, GA3 and TDZ) was used for the induction of multiple shoots from the seed explants. Ex-vitro rooting was performed by using pulse treatment method in auxins (IBA and NAA) and the complete plantlets were transferred to the field.Results: High frequency direct shoot induction was found in aseptic seed cultures of A. lebbeck on Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with 5.0 µM TDZ (Thiadiazuron). Seeds were germinated after 7 days of culture and induced maximum 8 shoots from the region adjacent to the apex of the primary shoot of the seedling upto 25 days of incubation. Proliferating shoot cultures with increased shoot length was established by sub-culture of excised sprouting epicotyls on MS medium supplied with reduced concentrations of TDZ. Maximum shoot regeneration frequency (76 %) with highest number of shoots (21) and shoot length (5.1 cm) per sprouting epicotyl was observed in the MS medium supplemented with 0.5 µM TDZ after 8 weeks of culture. Different concentrations of Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) were tested to determine the optimal conditions for ex-vitro rooting of the microshoots. The best treatment for maximum ex-vitro root induction frequency (81 %) was accomplished with IBA (250 µM) pulse treatment given to the basal end of the microshoots for 30 min followed by their transfer in plastic cups containing soilrite and eventually established in normal garden soil + soilrite (1:1) with 78 % survival rate. In addition, histological study was undertaken to gain a better understanding of the regenerated shoots from the epicotyl region.Conclusion: The findings will be fruitful in getting a time saving and cost effective protocol for the in vitro propagation of Albizia lebbeck.Keywords: Woody legume; TDZ; multiplication; epicotyl segment; shoot stumps.Abbreviations used: GA3 (Gibberellic acid); BA (6-Benzyladenine); Kn (Kinetin); TDZ (Thidiazuron); MS (Murashige and Skoog Medium); IBA (Indole-3-butyric acid); NAA (α-Naphthalene acetic acid).

Drought stress is a serious threat to crop growth and development. Exogenous application of various compatible solutes is an effective means to lessen the adverse drought effects on plants. To explore the effectiveness of exogenously applied GB as foliar spray in mitigating the harmful effect of drought on wheat crop, an experiment was conducted using fi ve wheat cultivars (SARC-I, Inqlab-91, MH-97, Bhakkar and S-24) and three levels (0, 50 and 100 mM) of GB applied as foliar spray under well-watered and water-stressed (60% fi eld capacity) conditions. Growth and yield attributes, gas exchange characteristics, and root and shoot N, P, and K+ were determined in the wheat cultivars. Drought stress signifi cantly reduced shoot and root fresh and dry biomass, shoot length, leaf area, grain yield, photosynthetic (A) and transpiration rates (E), stomatal conductance (gs), and shoot and root P and K+ contents. However, foliar-applied GB mitigated the adverse effects of drought stress by enhancing plant biomass, shoot length, transpiration rate, root P, and N contents and in shoot only K+ in both cultivars under stress conditions, while its effect was not prominent on leaf area per plant, water use effi ciency (WUE), and shoot P and N, and root K+. The cultivar response to varying GB levels was variable. Overall, foliar-applied GB @ 50 mM showed better performance in reducing the adverse effects of drought stress on wheat crop under water deficit conditions. Cultivars SARC-I and Inqlab-91 were better as compared to the others in their response to foliar-applied GB under water deficit conditions.

ABSTRACT The selection of an appropriate production system plays a crucial role in ensuring the health, welfare, and productivity of American Pekin ducks. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of various rearing production systems on the performance of American Pekin Ducks. A total of 180 straight run ducklings (10 days old) were randomly allocated into three experimental groups: intensive production system (IPS), free-range production system (FRPS), and pool with yard production system (PYPS). The distribution was carried out following a completely randomized design. We investigated the morphological parameters, growth performance, serum chemistry, meat cholesterol and triacylglycerol, cellular immunity, intestinal morphology, and carcass traits of Pekin ducks. The results indicate that PYPS birds exhibited significantly better morphometric parameters compared to IPS and FRPS ones. Ducks raised in PYPS had the highest growth rate till the 75th day as compared to those reared in IPS and FRPS. Triacylglycerol, total lipids, blood and meat fat and triacylglycerol were higher in IPS; whereas albumin, AG ratio, total proteins, glucose, and globulin were higher in PYPS. Similarly, cellular immunity (phagocytic activity, eosinophils, basophils, and monocytes) was increased in PYPS. Intestinal morphology and overall carcass traits were better in birds reared under PYPS than in those of IPS and FRPS. American Pekin ducks raised in PYPS showed improved growth, serum chemistry, cellular immunity, and carcass traits. These results suggest that the PYPS could be a promising production system for raising ducks in sub-tropical regions.

The mycobacterial F-ATP synthase is responsible for the optimal growth, metabolism and viability of Mycobacteria, establishing it as a validated target for the development of anti-TB therapeutics. Herein, we report the discovery of an N-acyl phenothiazine derivative, termed PT6, targeting the mycobacterial F-ATP synthase. PT6 is bactericidal and active against the drug sensitive, Rifampicin-resistant as well as Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis strains. Compound PT6 showed noteworthy inhibition of F-ATP synthesis, exhibiting an IC 50 of 0.788 µM in M. smegmatis IMVs and was observed that it could deplete intracellular ATP levels, exhibiting an IC 50 of 30 µM. PT6 displayed a high selectivity towards mycobacterial ATP synthase compared to mitochondrial ATP synthase. Compound PT6 showed a minor synergistic effect in combination with Rifampicin and Isoniazid. PT6 demonstrated null cytotoxicity as confirmed by assessing its toxicity against VERO cell lines. Further, the binding mechanism and the activity profile of PT6 were validated by employing in silico techniques such as molecular docking, Prime MM/GBSA, DFT and ADMET analysis. These results suggest that PT6 presents an attractive lead for the discovery of a novel class of mycobacterial F-ATP synthase inhibitors., 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 Inc. All rights reserved.)

Despite their widespread impact on human health, there are no approved drugs for combating alphavirus infections. The heterocyclic β-aminomethyl vinyl sulfone RA-0002034 ( 1a ) is a potent irreversible covalent inhibitor of the alphavirus nsP2 cysteine protease with broad-spectrum antiviral activity. Analogs of 1a that varied each of the three regions of the molecule were synthesized to establish structure-activity relationships for the inhibition of Chikungunya (CHIKV) nsP2 protease and viral replication. The vinyl sulfone covalent warhead was highly sensitive to modifications. However, alterations to the core five-membered heterocycle and aryl substituent were well tolerated. The 5-(2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)pyrazole ( 1o ) and 4-cyanopyrazole ( 8d ) analogs exhibited k inact / K s i ratios >9000 M -1 s -1 . 3-Arylisoxazole ( 10 ) was identified as an isosteric replacement for the five-membered heterocycle, which circumvented the intramolecular cyclization of pyrazole-based inhibitors like 1a . A ligand-based model of the enzyme active site was developed to aid the design of nsP2 protease inhibitors as potential therapeutics against alphaviruses.

This paper develops a novel two-parameter unit probability model which is the generalized form Kumaraswami distribution that exhibits greater flexibility compared to well-known existing distributions, attributed to its distinct hazard and density function shapes. Extensive analysis has been conducted to explore numerous statistical features of the specified distribution, specifically moments, and order statistics providing explicit expressions for these measures. The maximum likelihood estimation is employed to estimate the model parameters and a numerical simulation analysis confirms the consistency of this estimation approach. Furthermore, the applicability of the specified model is demonstrated by considering four real data sets, showcasing its effectiveness in capturing the characteristics of real life data. The proposed model shows promise as a versatile tool for analyzing diverse data sets in a wide range of fields., Competing Interests: The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Fuad A. Awwad reports a relationship with 10.13039/501100002383King Saud University College of Business Administration that includes: employment and funding grants. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

Prior studies have extensively investigated the essential oil derived from the Mediterranean cypress, Cupressus sempervirens . However, the 'Stricta' variety, known for its ornamental value, has received less attention in terms of its oil composition and potential health benefits. The objective of this research was to comprehensively analyze the chemical components and medicinal properties of the essential oil extracted from C. sempervirens 'Stricta' (CSSLEO) grown in Egypt. Utilizing gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), the investigation identified 22 compounds within CSSLEO, with α -pinene and δ -3-carene being predominant, accounting for 96.01% of the oil. In vitro assays evaluated CSSLEO's cytotoxic effects on cancer cell lines, revealing notable anticancer potential. Additionally, the oil displayed antidiabetic properties by impeding crucial enzymes involved in glucose metabolism. Complementary in silico network pharmacology and molecular docking studies provided insights into the possible interactions between CSSLEO's key compounds and essential proteins and pathways in cancer treatment. The results underscored CSSLEO's intricate composition and its promising applications in cancer prevention and diabetes management. The conclusions drawn from this research underscore the need for further investigation to validate CSSLEO's clinical effectiveness and to gain a deeper understanding of its therapeutic mechanisms, with a view to harnessing its potential in oncology and endocrinology.

The alarming rise in antibiotic resistance necessitates urgent action, particularly against the backdrop of resistant bacteria evolving to render conventional antibiotics less effective, leading to an increase in morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. Vancomycin-loaded Metal-Organic Framework (MOF) nanocomposites have emerged as a promising strategy in enhancing the eradication of pathogenic bacteria. This study introduces lignin as a novel synergistic agent in Vancomycin-loaded MOF (Lig-Van-MOF), which substantially enhances the antibacterial activity against drug-resistant bacteria. Lig-Van-MOF exhibits six-fold lower minimum inhibitory concentration (MICs) than free vancomycin and Van-MOF with a much higher antibacterial potential against sensitive and resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Remarkably, it reduces biofilms of these strains by over 85 % in minimal biofilm inhibitory concentration (MBIC). Utilization of lignin to modify surface properties of MOFs improves their adhesion to bacterial membranes and boosts the local concentration of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) via unique synergistic mechanism. Additionally, lignin induces substantial cell deformation in treated bacterial cells. It confirms the superior bactericidal properties of Lig-Van-MOF against Staphylococcus species, underlining its significant potential as a bionanomaterial designed to combat antibiotic resistance effectively. This research paves the way for novel antibacterial platforms that optimize cost-efficiency and broaden microbial resistance management applications., 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 B.V. All rights reserved.)

The current study intended to investigate the role of new natural compounds derived from the Sesuvium sesuvioides plant in mitigating symptoms of diabetes and insulin resistance in the diabetic mice model. Anti-advanced glycation activity, insulin, and adiponectin were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Glucose uptake was performed using enzymatic fluorescence assay, and glycogen synthesis was measured using PAS staining. Gene and protein expression was assessed using real time PCR (RT-PCR), and immunoblotting and fluorescent microscopy, respectively. The new flavonoid glycoside eupalitin 3- O -α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-D-glucopyranoside 1 isolated from S. sesuvioides exhibited anti-AGE activity by reducing human glycated albumin in liver cells. In a diabetic mouse model treated with compound 1 , we observed improved glucose tolerance, increased adiponectin levels, and decreased insulin resistance. We also observed alleviated AGEs induced reduction in glucose uptake and restored glycogen synthesis in the compound 1 -treated diabetic mice muscles. Exploring the molecular mechanism of action in skeletal muscle tissue of diabetic mice, we found that 1 reduced AGE-induced reactive oxygen species and the inflammatory gene in the muscle of diabetic mice. Additionally, 1 exhibited these effects by reducing the gene and protein expression of receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) and inhibiting protein kinase C (PKC) delta activation. This further led us to demonstrate that compound 1 reduced serine phosphorylation of IRS-1, thereby restoring insulin sensitivity. We conclude that a new flavonoid glycoside from S. sesuvioides could be a therapeutic target for the treatment of symptoms of insulin resistance and diabetes.

We herewith applied a priori a generic hit identification method (POEM) for difficult targets of known three-dimensional structure, relying on the simple knowledge of physicochemical and topological properties of a user-selected cavity. Searching for local similarity to a set of fragment-bound protein microenvironments of known structure, a point cloud registration algorithm is first applied to align known subpockets to the target cavity. The resulting alignment then permits us to directly pose the corresponding seed fragments in a target cavity space not typically amenable to classical docking approaches. Last, linking potentially connectable atoms by a deep generative linker enables full ligand enumeration. When applied to the WD40 repeat (WDR) central cavity of leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2), an unprecedented binding site, POEM was able to quickly propose 94 potential hits, five of which were subsequently confirmed to bind in vitro to LRRK2-WDR.

Despite their widespread impact on human health there are no approved drugs for combating alphavirus infections. The heterocyclic β-aminomethyl vinyl sulfone RA-0002034 ( 1a ) is a potent irreversible covalent inhibitor of the alphavirus nsP2 cysteine protease with broad spectrum antiviral activity. Analogs of 1a that varied each of three regions of the molecule were synthesized to establish structure-activity relationships for inhibition of Chikungunya (CHIKV) nsP2 protease and viral replication. The covalent warhead was highly sensitive to modifications of the sulfone or vinyl substituents. However, numerous alterations to the core 5-membered heterocycle and its aryl substituent were well tolerated and several analogs were identified that enhanced CHIKV nsP2 binding. For example, the 4-cyanopyrazole analog 8d exhibited a k inact / K i ratio >10,000 M -1 s -1 . 3-Arylisoxazole was identified an isosteric replacement for the 5-membered heterocycle, which circumvented the intramolecular cyclization that complicated the synthesis of pyrazole-based inhibitors like 1a . The accumulated structure-activity data was used to build a ligand-based model of the enzyme active site, which can be used to guide the design of covalent nsP2 protease inhibitors as potential therapeutics against alphaviruses.

Exposure to chromium (Cr) on farmlands drastically restricts the growth and productivity of cereal crops, including wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Utilizing micronutrients, the seed-priming strategy is crucial to preventing the adverse consequences of Cr-stress. Nevertheless, additional investigation needs to be conducted to figure out whether Cu-priming remedies are beneficial for wheat experiencing Cr-stress. The objective of this study was to ascertain the contribution of Cu-treated seed priming in the mitigation of detrimental impacts of Cr-stress on wheat germination, growth, and production. Two wheat cultivars, Dilkash-20 and Subhani-21, were subjected to seed priming treatments (0 mg/L, 0.1 mg/L, and 1.0 mg/L) of Cu under Cr-stress levels (200 mg/kg) in two successive experiments, respectively, petri-dish and soil-filled pot experiments. The Cu-priming significantly enhanced the wheat seed germination, plant growth, and grain yield under Cr-stress. Cu priming improved enzyme activities such as glutathione peroxidase (14.60, 16.30%), superoxide dismutase (62.55, 115.21%), peroxidase, catalase (78.39, 80.23%), ascorbate peroxidase(17.72, 20.32%), and key primary and secondary metabolites such as proline (54.19, 81.27%), glycine betaine (40.13, 79.39%), total soluble proteins (47.92, 51.58%), phenolics (40.05, 18.61%), and flavonoids (56.90, 113.46%), respectively, of Dilkash-20 and Subhani-21 under Cr-stress. The outcome of our investigation underscored the efficacy of Cu-priming treatments (0.1 mg/L and 1.0 mg/L) in Cr-stress circumstances to augment wheat germination, growth, and grain yield., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Objectives: To determine the effect of disease activity on clinical outcomes of coronavirus disease-2019 in patients with rheumatic diseases., Methods: The prospective, cohort study was conducted from January 1st to June 30th, 2021, at Rheumatology department, Fauji Foundation Hospital, Rawalpindi. It comprised patients of rheumatic disorders who were affected by coronavirus disease-2019. The patients were categorised according to rheumatic disease activity into remission group I, low disease activity group II, moderate group III and high-activity group IV. Coronavirus disease-2019 outcomes compared included recovered vs death, hospitalisation yes vs no, mechanical ventilation yes vs no. The association of disease activity status with coronavirus disease-2019 outcomes was explored. Data was analysed using SPSS 23., Results: Of the 100 patients, 78(78%) were females and 22(22%) were males. The overall mean age was 45.60±13.7 years. There were 23(23%) patients in group I, 42(42%) patients in group II, 21(21%) patients in group III and 14(14%) patients in group IV. Overall,17(17%) patients died and 83(83%) patients survived. In group III, 7(33.3%) patients died, followed by 6(42.9%) in group IV (p<0.05). In total, 7(7%) patients needed mechanical ventilation, with 3(21.4%) being in group IV (p<0.05). Hospitalisation was needed in 33(33%) cases, and intergroup comparison was non-significant (p>0.05)., Conclusions: Patients with severe rheumatic autoimmune disease affected by coronavirus disease-2019 were more likely to die and require invasive ventilation.

The expeditious incidence of diabetes mellitus in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, there is a significant increase in the total number of people with diabetic foot ulcers. For diabetic lower limb wound infections (DLWs) to be effectively treated, information on the prevalence of bacteria that cause in this region as well as their patterns of antibiotic resistance is significant. Growing evidence indicates that biofilm formers are present in chronic DFU and that these biofilm formers promote the emergence of multi-drug antibiotic resistant (MDR) strains and therapeutic rejection. The current study targeted to isolate bacteria from wounds caused by diabetes specifically at hospitals in Riyadh and assess the bacterium's resistance to antibiotics and propensity to develop biofilms. Totally 63 pathogenic microbes were identified from 70 patients suffering from DFU. Sixteen (25.4%) of the 63 bacterial strains were gram-positive, and 47 (74.6%) were gram-negative. Most of the gram-negative bacteria were resistant to tigecycline, nitrofurantoin, ampicillin, amoxicillin, cefalotin, and cefoxitin. Several gram-negative bacteria are susceptible to piperacillin, meropenem, amikacin, gentamicin, imipenem, ciprofloxacin, and trimethoprim. The most significant antibiotic that demonstrated 100% susceptibility to all pathogens was meropenem. Serratia marcescens and Staphylococcus aureus were shown to have significant biofilm formers. MDR bacterial strains comprised about 87.5% of the biofilm former strains. To the best of our knowledge, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is the first region where Serratia marcescens was the most common bacteria from DFU infections. Our research findings would deliver information on evidence-based alternative strategies to develop effective treatment approaches for DFU treatment., Competing Interests: 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., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University.)

Although Phoenix dactylifera dates are traditionally consumed for their health benefits, no research has been done on the vascular response in hypertensive animals. This study evaluated the vascular relaxation of hydroalcoholic extracts from seeds of three varieties of P. dactylifera; Sukkari seed (SS), Ajwa seed (AS), and Mabroom seed (MS) on L-NAME-induced hypertension and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Results showed that all extracts (10 µg/mL) caused relaxations higher than 60% in the aortic rings precontracted with 10 - 6 M phenylephrine in normotensive rats, the SS extract was the most potent. Endothelial nitric oxide (NO) pathway is involved as significantly reduced vascular relaxation in denuded-endothelium rat aorta and with an inhibitor (10 - 4 M L-N ω -Nitro arginine methyl ester; L-NAME) of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). Confocal microscopy confirmed that 10 µg/mL SS extract increases NO generation as detected by DAF-FM fluorescence in intact aortic rings. Consistent with these findings, vascular relaxation in intact aortic rings at 10 µg/mL SS extract was significantly decreased in L-NAME-induced hypertensive rats (endothelial dysfunction model), but not in SHR. In both hypertensive models, the denuded endothelium blunted the vascular relaxation. In conclusion, the hydroalcoholic extract of the seed of P. dactylifera (Sukkari, Ajwa and Mabroom varieties) presents a potent endothelium-dependent vascular relaxation, via NO, in normotensive rats as well as in two different models of hypertension. This effect could be mediated by the presence of phenolic compounds identified by UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS, such as protocatechuic acid, and caftaric acid., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)