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Background: It was proposed that camels are more effective than other livestock species in selecting plants for their nutritional value. They may self-regulate their voluntary feed intake to satisfy their nutritional needs. This study was designed to investigate camels' feeding selectivity and ability to cover nutritional requirements when grazing alfalfa (high in protein) and/ or barley (high in energy) in a desert climate. Methods: Eighteen lactating camels were equally divided into three feeding treatments. They grazed daily on alfalfa, barley, or a mixed pasture of both, for two periods of one month each. The concentrate supplement was individually administered at 40 g/kg BW0.75, divided into two equal parts, in the morning and in afternoon. Total energy expenditure (EE) was estimated by heart rate (HR) monitors for 48 h after being calibrated by oxygen consumption using an upgraded face mask open-circuit respiratory system. Results: During the first period, camels had a greater forage intake and digestibility when they grazed barley rather than alfalfa, while those grazing mixed pasture performed intermediately. In the second period, camels had a similar forage intake and digestibility among treatments due to a decline in barley intake and digestibility compared to the first period, which was expected since the preferred plant part gradually shifted from barley grains to predominantly straw as a function of time. Similar HR and EE were found across periods and treatments. As a result of greater gross and digestible energy intake in period 1, a better energy balance in period 1 was observed compared to period 2. Camels better utilize barley than alfalfa. Grazing on barley had a higher energy balance than grazing alfalfa alone or in combination with barley. However, camels grazing barley produced lower milk yield and energy than those grazing alfalfa alone or in combination with barley, with no interaction detected between period and treatment. Conclusions: Lactating camels are able to self-regulate their voluntary intake to cover their energy requirements when they are grazing barley and/or alfalfa supplemented with a concentrate supplement at 40 g/kg BW0.75. Grazing barley is better utilized by camels than alfalfa. The chemical and physical properties of plant species play an important role in the selectivity of foraging camels. It also impacts their intake and digestibility, which is negatively associated with the proportion of cell wall content consumed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the therapeutic benefits of para‐hydroxycinnamic acid in mice with bleomycin‐induced lung fibrosis. Forty male BALB/c mice were randomly assigned to four groups: normal, which received 0.9% normal saline; induced, which received a single dose of bleomycin (5 mg/kg) by oropharyngeal challenge; pirfenidone‐treated; and para‐hydroxycinnamic acid‐treated, which challenged with bleomycin and received a daily oral dose of 300 and 50 mg/kg, respectively, from day 7 to day 21. Tissue pro‐fibrotic and inflammatory cytokines, oxidative indicators, pulmonary histopathology, immunohistochemistry of fibrotic proteins and the assessment of gene expression by RT‐qPCR were evaluated on day 22 after euthanizing animals. Pirfenidone and para‐hydroxycinnamic acid managed to alleviate the fibrotic endpoints by statistically improving the weight index, histopathological score and reduced expression of fibrotic‐related proteins in immune‐stained lung sections, as well as fibrotic markers measured in serum samples. They also managed to alleviate tissue levels of oxidative stress and inflammatory and pro‐fibrotic mediators. para‐Hydroxycinnamic acid enhanced the expression of crucial genes associated with oxidative stress, inflammation and fibrosis in vivo. para‐Hydroxycinnamic acid has demonstrated similar effectiveness to pirfenidone, suggesting it could be a promising treatment for fibrotic lung conditions by inhibiting the TGF‐β1/Smad3 pathway or through its anti‐inflammatory and antioxidant properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ion-imprinting methodology was used to fabricate a new cobalt ion-imprinted polymer as a cross-linked copolymer consisting of fumaric acid and 4-vinylpyridine as monomers. Different techniques were used to investigate all of the chemical and morphological changes that occurred during the cobalt ion imprinting process. Furthermore, extraction experiments for cobalt ions using controlled and imprinted polymers were carried out to obtain the essential isotherm, kinetic and thermodynamic parameters. The controlled and imprinted resins had the best agreement with the pseudo-second-order and Langmuir models, with maximum retention capacities of 14.7 ± 2 and 42.0 ± 0.5 mg/g, respectively. In comparison to non-imprinted polymer, the imprinted polymer showed greater affinity for cobalt ions in the presence of other metal ions like Cd2+, Cu2+, Ni2+, La3+, and Y3+. In addition, after the fifth adsorption-desorption cycle, resin regenerates with about 96% of its initial activity, demonstrating its high economic value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high strength-to-weight ratio based on advanced polymer hybrid composites is a trend of technological progress. Moreover, these composites are fabricated with natural and synthetic fiber, lacking qualities including moderate tensile strength, lower hardness, and variations in flexural strength, and require additional processing to enrich the adhesive quality using natural fiber. Based on these criteria, the current investigation experiences advanced polymer composite fabrication through hand layup featured with hot compression during the polypropylene (PP) hybrid composite laminate structure formation with the combined action on natural roselle fiber (RF) processed by alkali solution and carbon fiber (CF) under varied stacking sequence. The combined (processing/natural/synthetic/stacking) actions on density, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, mechanical characteristics such as tensile/flexural strength, and fracture toughness of mono polypropylene and its hybrid composites are experimentally evaluated and compared. With the excellence of combined actions, the hybrid polypropylene composite formed with a PP/RF/CF stacking sequence is better than others. This composite's density, tensile/flexural strength, and fracture toughness are 1.33 ± 0.05 g/cc,128 ± 1/162 ± 2 MPa, and 1.51 ± 0.05 MPam0.5.Its XRD images provide better peaks of fiber dispersion along the polypropylene matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of batch assays have been conducted to investigate the optimal factors that can be adopted to improve the anaerobic digestion (AD) performance of Phragmites australis and increase biogas production. The assays were carried out using 125 mL microcosm reactors with a working volume of 80 mL and incubated at mesophilic conditions (37 ± 1ºC). The effect of particle size (10, 5, 2, and < 1 mm) and alkaline pre-treatment of P. australis using various concentrations of sodium hydroxide (0.5, 1, 2, and 4%) on biogas production was examined. Furthermore, the best pre-treatment incubation time (12, 24, 48, 72, 96, and 120 h) and the optimal inoculum to substrate ratio (ISR: 4:1, 2:1, 1:1, 1:2 and 1:4) were also assessed. The results revealed that the highest biogas production from P. australis was achieved at particle size < 1 mm (27.97 ± 0.07 and 16.67 ± 0.09 mL/g VS added, for pre-treated and untreated P. australis respectively); 2% and 4% NaOH concentration for pre-treatment (70.01 ± 3.75 and 76.14 ± 2.62 mL/g VS added, respectively); pre-treatment incubation time of 72, 96, and 120 h (71.18 ± 1.79, 72.46 ± 1.08, and 73.78 ± 1.87 mL/g VS added, respectively); and ISR of 1:2 for pre-treated P. australis (78.21 ± 0.36 mL/g VS added) and ISR 1:4 for untreated P. australis (28.93 ± 1.55 mL/g VS added). Determining optimal parameters in this work would guide further development of process configurations, such as continuous AD systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focused on determining the effect of the inoculum to substrate ratio (ISR) on biogas production efficiency from the anaerobic co-digestion of two substrates: synthetic food waste and common reeds (Phragmites australis) that were ground and pre-treated using sodium hydroxide at a concentration of 2% to increase access to their cellulose. It also studied the role of different mixing ratios of the two substrates in improving the stability of the digestion process and increasing biogas production. A series of batch tests were carried out under mesophilic conditions using three ratios of ISR: 1:4, 1:2, and 1:1, and five substrate mixing ratios (synthetic food waste: pre-treated P. australis): 25:75, 50:50, 75:25, 100:0, and 0:100. The results showed low biogas production at the ISR 1:4 (21.58±0.00–44.46±0.01 mL/g volatile solid (VS) added), and the reactors suffered from acidification at the different substrates mixing ratios, while the biogas production increased at an ISR of 1:2, where the reactors with the substrate mixing ratio of 25:75 presented the highest biogas production (82.17±0.62 mL/g VS added), and the digestion process was stable. However, the reactors with substrate mixing ratios of 50:50, 75:25, and 100:0 suffered from acidification effects at this ISR. In contrast, at ISR of 1:1, the reactors did not expose to acidification inhibition at all the substrates mixing ratios, and the highest biogas production was found at synthetic food waste: pre-treated P. australis mixing ratios of 75:25 and 100:0 (76.15±1.85 and 82.47±1.85 mL/g VS added, respectively). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial infection poses a significant threat to the health and survival of turtles, both in their natural habitats and in captivity. Notably, the presence and interactions of bacteria, such as those belonging to the Aeromonas genus, have been identified for their adverse impact on turtle health and ecosystem dynamics. This study investigated the prevalence, antibiotic susceptibility, virulence factors, and antimicrobial resistance genes of Aeromonas hydrophila in Trachemys scripta elegans (Red-eared Slider) and Chelonia mydas (Green Turtle). The study also examined the innate immunity of T. scripta elegans and C. mydas. Buccal and cloacal swabs from 39 turtles were collected and examined alongside 45 water samples to try to isolate and amplify A. hydrophila. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplifications were then sequenced to identify the presence of specific genes associated with virulence, and antimicrobial resistance. The findings revealed that A. hydrophila had a prevalence rate of 35.9% in all examined turtle species, with 14 water samples accounting for 31% of the total samples. Buccal samples from Green and Red-eared turtles showed a higher rate of A. hydrophila isolates than cloacal samples. Sensitivity to norfloxacin (85.71%), gentamycin (71.42%), and ceftriaxone (64.28%) was observed, whereas resistance to amoxicillin (64.28%), ampicillin (57.14%), and rifamycin (57.14%) was apparent. Antibiotic resistance genes, including blaTEM and blaSHV, in A. hydrophila isolates, were present in 42.86% and 28.5% of the samples, respectively. PCR analysis confirmed the genetic identity of A. hydrophila, and five virulence genes were detected: AHCYTOEN (100%), followed by aerolysin (92.8%), alt and act (85.7%), and lipase (78.5%). Genetic sequences of the isolates had a 99% identity with the reference strains in GenBank. Furthermore, the study found the innate immunity of turtles to be robust due to serum lysozyme activity, bactericidal killing assay (BKA), total leukocyte count, heterophil/lymphocyte ratio, and packed cell volume (PCV%), all of which help to protect them from infections. Overall, this research highlights the need for continued monitoring and management of antibiotic resistance in aquatic ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustained inflammatory responses can badly affect several vital organs and lead to chronic inflammation-related disorders, such as atherosclerosis, pneumonia, rheumatoid arthritis, obesity, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancers. Salvia multicaulis is one of the widely distributed plants that contains several biologically active phytochemicals and diterpenoids with anti-inflammatory effects. Therefore, finding alternative and safer natural plant-extracted compounds with good curative anti-inflammatory efficiencies is an urgent need for the clinical treatment of inflammation-related diseases. In the current study, S. multicaulis Vahl was used to extract and isolate two compounds identified as salvimulticanol and candesalvone B methyl ester to examine their effects against inflammation in murine macrophage RAW264.7 cells that were induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Accordingly, after culturing RAW264.7 cells and induction of inflammation by LPS (100 ng/ml), cells were exposed to different concentrations (9, 18, 37.5, 75, and 150 µM) of each compound. Then, Griess assay for detection of nitric oxide (NO) levels and western blotting for the determination of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression were performed. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies were employed to investigate the anti-inflammatory mechanism. Our obtained results validated that the level of NO was significantly decreased in the macrophage cell suspensions as a response to salvimulticanol treatment in a dose-dependent manner (IC50: 25.1 ± 1.2 µM) as compared to the methyl ester of candesalvone B which exerted a weaker inhibition (IC50: 69.2 ± 3.0 µM). This decline in NO percentage was comparable with a down-regulation of iNOS expression by western blotting. Salvimulticanol strongly interacted with both the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/myeloid differentiation factor 2 (MD-2) complex and the inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) kinase subunit beta (IKKβ) to disrupt their inflammatory activation due to the significant hydrogen bonds and effective interactions with amino acid residues present in the target proteins’ active sites. S.multicaulis is a rich natural source of the aromatic abietane diterpenoid, salvimulticanol, which exerted a strong anti-inflammatory effect through targeting iNOS and diminishing NO production in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells in a mechanism that is dependent on the inhibition of TLR4-MD-2 and IKKβ as activators of the classical NF-κB-mediated inflammatory pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The building of a city is made up of a complex system of activities that vary in the importance of distribution on a geographical area within the city depending on the city's size and importance to its surrounding region. Due to its ability to examine spatial correlations and variations, the geographer plays an important role in studying and evaluating the various land uses in the city by disclosing the disadvantages and positives associated with their distribution. As a result, the study of the city's functional uses (composition) illustrates the diversity of the city's activities and the activities that exist on its territory. This research is concerned with the study (the impact of population changes on the functional composition of the city of Samarra and future horizons) by clarifying the population changes of the city and its reflection on how the land of the city and the activities that were built on it now and questioned in the future. These functions and analysis of their geographical distribution and the use of planning standards to identify the functional and spatial efficiency of the various jobs, and the extent of these functions to serve the city's population and region. The research showed that the city suffers from an imbalance in the relationship between the population and jobs, such as the commercial function, which contributed to the security conditions in the transfer of this function from the old city to the new quarters without reference to planning standards, as well as the phenomenon of confusion in some residential quarters through which Randomization in the distribution as well as for the educational function, which can be addressed part of its problems through the optimal use of the space available to them .. etc. of other functions. As a result, the research will attempt to assess the problems and provide answers, as well as sketch a future image of these functions by examining future population growth and planning standards to improve the structure of Samarra city's urban environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to assess the influence of pollution on the quality of sediments and the risks associated with El-Qusier and Safaga Cities, Red Sea, Egypt, during 2021, divided into four sectors, using multiple pollution indices. To achieve that, we evaluated the metal pollution index (MPI), contamination factor (Cf), pollution load index (PLI), contamination security index (CSI), and anthropogenicity (Anp%). Moreover, carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks are used for human health hazards. Results indicated that Mn and Fe recorded the highest concentrations, whereas Cd had the lowest. El-Quseir City sediments were found the following metal ions: Fe > Mn > Ni > Zn > Cu > Co > Pb > Cd, where the order in the Safaga City was: Fe > Mn > Zn > Ni > Cu > Pb > Co > Cd. MPI > 1, this is alarming in the study area due to heavy metal pollution. In addition, Cf < 1 in all metals except Cd with contamination degree CD ranged from low to considerable contamination in El-Qusier city. In contrast, contamination ranged from significant to very high in Safaga city. PLI < 1 is lower than the reference at all monitored stations. CSI values ranged from relatively low to moderate. Besides Cd, data reflect each element's low environmental danger (EriMe40). This study's risk index (RI) is low to moderate in Sector 1 and high to extremely high in Sector 2. HQ and HI index < 1 means it is safe for human health in order: HI ingestion > HI dermal. CSR for different pathways was recorded as dermal > ingestion, in which total CSR for all paths is considered harmful, and the cancer risk is troublesome and higher than the reference ranges of 1 × 10–6–1 × 10–4. In conclusion, the examined heavy metals provide environmental hazards across the assessed locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lake Qaroun, one of Egypt’s largest lakes, is a remnant of a much larger one; it is considered as a closed basin used as a general reservoir for agricultural wastewater drainage in El-Fayoum Province. Furthermore, the lake receives agricultural and partially treated sewage water from the El-Fayoum Governorate as well as fish farm drainage. The current study assessed the changes in physicochemical characteristics and heavy metal levels (Zn, Pb, Cd, and Cu) in water and sediment, as well as the bioaccumulation of these heavy metals in Mugilcephalus fish samples obtained from Lake Qaroun. Thus, information on histopathological changes in the gills, liver, kidney, end of the alimentary canal, and muscles was provided. This research was conducted in three different locations along Lake Qaroun (Eastern, southeastern, and western). This study confirms an increased heavy metal pollution in the eastern and southeastern sectors of Lake Qaroun, facing the drain outlet, as a result of the discharge of drainage water effluents without prior treatment, which directly affects water quality and fish health, and subsequently human health. The concentrations of Pb and Cd in the water exceeded the allowable limits. The gills are the target organ for Cd in Mugil cephalus, but Pb and Zn are preferentially collected in the kidneys, with the liver containing the highest concentrations of Cu ions. Histopathological changes with an evident damage were visible in the gills, liver, and kidneys of Mugil cephalus taken from the lake’s eastern and southeastern areas. In addition, blood parameters of Mugil cephalus collected from various study sites throughout Lake Qaroun were included in this study. A highly significant decrease was detected in red blood cell counts, hemoglobin content, and hematocrit values of fish collected from the lake's eastern and southeastern parts in comparison to fish collected from the western sector, indicating more or less normal values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine the impacts and outcomes of laparoscopic anatomic liver resection (LAR) and laparoscopic nonanatomic resection (LNAR) in patients with large hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the right lobe of the liver. There are few comparative studies of LAR and LNAR for large HCC. Three hundred thirty-seven patients underwent liver resection for large HCC (≥5 cm) at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul, Korea, between January 2004 and December 2022. After the exclusion of patients treated with open hepatic resection and those who had left-lobe or bilobar tumors, 94 patients were ultimately included. Patients were divided into LAR group (61 patients) and LNAR group (33 patients). After propensity score matching (PSM) with 1:1 matching, 31 patients were included in each group. The outcomes in the two groups were compared. LAR group had longer operative time than LNAR group (333.7 ± 113.7 vs 210 ± 117.6 min, respectively, P < 0.001), wider safety margin (1.4 ± 1.5 vs 0.7 ± 0.7 cm, respectively, P = 0.015), and lower incidence of recurrence (25.8% vs. 54.8%, respectively, P = 0.021). LAR required longer operative time, achieved wider safety margin, and had lower incidence of recurrence than LNAR. There is a debate till now between anatomic and nonanatomic liver resection. We investigated the impacts and outcomes of laparoscopic anatomic and nonanatomic resection in patients with large hepatocellular carcinoma in the right lobe. Laparoscopic anatomic resection had longer operative time, wider safety margin, and lower incidence of recurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, Aeromonas hydrophila was isolated from Tilapia zillii and Mugil cephalus samples collected during different seasons from various Suez Canal areas in Egypt. The prevalence of A. hydrophila, virulence genes, and antibiotic resistance profile of the isolates to the commonly used antibiotics in aquaculture were investigated to identify multiple drug resistance (MDR) and extensive drug-resistant (XDR) strains. In addition, a pathogenicity test was conducted using A. hydrophila, which was isolated and selected based on the prevalence of virulence and resistance genes, and morbidity of natural infected fish. The results revealed that A. hydrophila was isolated from 38 of the 120 collected fish samples (31.6%) and confirmed phenotypically and biochemically. Several virulence genes were detected in retrieved A. hydrophila isolates, including aerolysin aerA (57.9%), ser (28.9%), alt (26.3%), ast (13.1%), act (7.9%), hlyA (7.9%), and nuc (18.4%). Detection of antibiotic-resistant genes revealed that all isolates were positive for blapse1 (100%), blaSHV (42.1%), tetA (60.5%), and sul1 (42.1%). 63.1% of recovered isolates were considered MDR, while 28.9% of recovered isolates were considered XDR. Some isolates harbor both virulence and MDR genes; the highest percentage carried 11, followed by isolates harboring 9 virulence and resistance genes. It could be concluded that the high prevalence of A. hydrophila in aquaculture species and their diverse antibiotic resistance and virulence genes suggest the high risk of Aeromonas infection and could have important implications for aquaculture and public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optical properties of Malachite green (Mg) dye were examined experimentally, including absorption, optical energy gab, refractive index, dielectric constant, optical conductivity and emission spectra in various solvents. Additionally, several significant photophysical parameters were evaluated, including the extinction coefficient (ε), the energy yield of fluorescence (Ef), the length of attenuation Λ (λ), oscillator strength (f), quantum yield (Øf), fluorescence lifetime ( τ f ), decay rate radiative constant (kr), and the dipole moment (μ) in addition to absorption and emission cross-sections (σa) and (σe) respectively. Time Dependent Density function theory (TD-DFT) computations were used to generate the theoretical absorption spectra of the (Mg) compound. The energy gap (Eg), electron density, and electrostatic potential were also simulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel hybrid ternary metallic electrocatalyst of amorphous Mo/Co oxides and crystallized Cu metal was deposited over Ni foam using a one-pot, simple, and scalable solvothermal technique. The chemical structure of the prepared ternary electrocatalyst was systematically characterized and confirmed via XRD, FTIR, EDS, and XPS analysis techniques. FESEM images of (Mo/Co)Ox–Cu@NF display the formation of 3D hierarchical structure with a particle size range of 3–5 µm. The developed (Mo/Co)Ox–Cu@NF ternary electrocatalyst exhibits the maximum activity with 188 mV and 410 mV overpotentials at 50 mA cm−2 for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), respectively. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) results for the (Mo/Co)Ox–Cu@NF sample demonstrate the minimum charge transfer resistance (Rct) and maximum constant phase element (CPE) values. A two-electrode cell based on the ternary electrocatalyst just needs a voltage of about 1.86 V at 50 mA cm−2 for overall water splitting (OWS). The electrocatalyst shows satisfactory durability during the OWS for 24 h at 10 mA cm−2 with an increase of only 33 mV in the cell potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effect of a hemispherical friction stir welding (FSW) tool on the heat generation and mechanical properties of dissimilar butt welded AA5083 and AA7075 alloys. FSW was performed on the dissimilar aluminum alloys AA5083-H111 and AA7075-T6 using welding speeds of 25, 50, and 75 mm/min. The tool rotation rate was kept constant at 500 rpm. An analytical model was developed to calculate heat generation and temperature distribution during the FSW process utilizing a hemispherical tool. The experimental results were compared to the calculated data. The latter confirms the accuracy of the analytical model, demonstrating a high degree of agreement. Sound FSW dissimilar joints were achieved at welding speeds of 50 and 25 mm/min. Meanwhile, joints created at a welding speed of 75 mm/min exhibited a tunnel-like defect, which can be attributed to the minimal heat generated at this particular welding speed. At a lower welding speed of 25 mm/min, a higher tensile strength of the dissimilar FSWed joints AA5083 and AA7075 was achieved with a joint efficiency of over 97%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biotreatment of oily sludge and the involved microbial communities, particularly in saline environments, have been rarely investigated. We enriched a halophilic bacterial consortium (OS-100) from petroleum refining oily sludge, which degraded almost 86% of the aliphatic hydrocarbon (C10-C30) fraction of the oily sludge within 7 days in the presence of 100 g/L NaCl. Two halophilic hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria related to the genera Chromohalobacter and Halomonas were isolated from the OS-100 consortium. Hydrocarbon degradation by the OS-100 consortium was relatively higher compared to the isolated bacteria, indicating potential synergistic interactions among the OS-100 community members. Exclusion of FeCl2, MgCl2, CaCl2, trace elements, and vitamins from the culture medium did not significantly affect the hydrocarbon degradation efficiency of the OS-100 consortium. To the contrary, hydrocarbon biodegradation dropped from 94.1 to 54.4% and 5% when the OS-100 consortium was deprived from phosphate and nitrogen sources in the culture medium, respectively. Quantitative PCR revealed that alkB gene expression increased up to the 3rd day of incubation with 11.277-fold, consistent with the observed increments in hydrocarbon degradation. Illumina-MiSeq sequencing of 16 S rRNA gene fragments revealed that the OS-100 consortium was mainly composed of the genera Halomonas, Idiomarina, Alcanivorax and Chromohalobacter. This community structure changed depending on the culturing conditions. However, remarkable changes in the community structure were not always associated with remarkable shifts in the hydrocarbonoclastic activity and vice versa. The results show that probably synergistic interactions between community members and different subpopulations of the OS-100 consortium contributed to salinity tolerance and hydrocarbon degradation. Key points: • A halophilic bacterial consortium efficiently degrades oily sludge hydrocarbons. • Nitrogen starvation and high salinity have the greatest impact on hydrocarbon loss. • Change in the consortium structure is not a prerequisite to shift biodegradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background In 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a brand-new combination of linagliptin and empagliflozin in a formulation called Glyxambi® tablets for managing type 2 diabetes mellitus. Nowadays, spectrophotometric techniques occupy the first place among their peers in terms of ease of application, friendliness to the environment, and low costs. Objective This research discusses the development of two very simple spectrophotometric protocols based on zero-order spectra for the determination of linagliptin and empagliflozin. Methods The developed protocols were the induced dual-wavelength and absorption correction protocols. Linagliptin could be determined directly at 305 nm, at which the empagliflozin spectrum was zero-crossing. Empagliflozin was determined using the two developed protocols. The induced dual-wavelength technique was developed by calculating the equality factor of linagliptin to cancel its interference. The absorption correction technique was developed by measuring the correction absorption factor. Results The concentration ranges of linagliptin and empagliflozin were 1–10 µg/mL and 3–30 µg/mL, respectively. Excellent recovery results were found in bulk, dosage form, and synthetic mixtures. Low LOD and LOQ values were obtained, indicating the high sensitivity of the protocols. The statistical Student's t -test was performed to compare the results of the applied and reported protocols, indicating no difference between them. Conclusion The proposed protocols have the advantages of being straightforward, affordable, and requiring no sophisticated manipulations, just simple mathematical calculations. The proposed protocols are acceptable for routine usage in QC laboratories and in future research applications. Highlights Two novel univariate methods were developed for quantitative analysis of linagliptin and empagliflozin in their pharmaceutical and laboratory mixtures, and produced satisfactory results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biotreatment of oily sludge and the involved microbial communities, particularly in saline environments, have been rarely investigated. We enriched a halophilic bacterial consortium (OS-100) from petroleum refining oily sludge, which degraded almost 86% of the aliphatic hydrocarbon (C10-C30) fraction of the oily sludge within 7 days in the presence of 100 g/L NaCl. Two halophilic hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria related to the genera Chromohalobacter and Halomonas were isolated from the OS-100 consortium. Hydrocarbon degradation by the OS-100 consortium was relatively higher compared to the isolated bacteria, indicating potential synergistic interactions among the OS-100 community members. Exclusion of FeCl2, MgCl2, CaCl2, trace elements, and vitamins from the culture medium did not significantly affect the hydrocarbon degradation efficiency of the OS-100 consortium. To the contrary, hydrocarbon biodegradation dropped from 94.1 to 54.4% and 5% when the OS-100 consortium was deprived from phosphate and nitrogen sources in the culture medium, respectively. Quantitative PCR revealed that alkB gene expression increased up to the 3rd day of incubation with 11.277-fold, consistent with the observed increments in hydrocarbon degradation. Illumina-MiSeq sequencing of 16 S rRNA gene fragments revealed that the OS-100 consortium was mainly composed of the genera Halomonas, Idiomarina, Alcanivorax and Chromohalobacter. This community structure changed depending on the culturing conditions. However, remarkable changes in the community structure were not always associated with remarkable shifts in the hydrocarbonoclastic activity and vice versa. The results show that probably synergistic interactions between community members and different subpopulations of the OS-100 consortium contributed to salinity tolerance and hydrocarbon degradation.Key points: • A halophilic bacterial consortium efficiently degrades oily sludge hydrocarbons. • Nitrogen starvation and high salinity have the greatest impact on hydrocarbon loss. • Change in the consortium structure is not a prerequisite to shift biodegradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection, traditionally associated with gastric disorders, has increasingly drawn attention for its potential role in extra-gastric pathologies. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is among the diseases under scrutiny, with emerging evidence suggesting a possible link between HP infection and CRC risk. Objective: This study aimed to assess the correlations between H. pylori infection and colorectal cancer. Subjects and methods: A total of 85 individuals were recruited from the Internal Medicine Department of Benha University Hospital through the period from January 2023 to July 2023 and categorized into two groups. Group 1 consisted of 50 patients with confirmed CRC following colonoscopy and histopathological examination. Group 2, the control group, included 35 individuals without CRC. Both inpatients and outpatients aged 18-70 years of both sexes. Results: patients with CRC were older and had lower hemoglobin levels, higher leukocyte counts, and elevated urea, creatinine, and international normalized ratio (INR) compared to controls. However, there were no significant gender differences. When categorized by H. pylori stool antigen presence, no age, gender, or laboratory parameter differences emerged between those with positive and negative antigen status. Notably, multivariate analysis revealed a substantial association between H. pylori stool antigen positivity and a nearly tenfold increased risk of CRC, even after adjusting for age and gender, highlighting the potential link between H. pylori infection and CRC in this study population. Conclusions: The present study confirmed the predictor value of positive stool antigen for H. pylori infection for development of colorectal cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the rumen microbiota of camels under different feeding conditions is necessary to optimize rumen fermentation and productivity. This study aims to investigate the effects of different concentrate supplement levels on digestion, rumen fermentation and bacteria in growing camels. Fifteen growing camels were divided into three groups and were fed alfalfa hay in addition to one of the three concentrate supplement levels based on body weight (BW): low (0.7%), medium (1%), and high (1.3%). Increasing the concentrate supplement level in the diet increased total dry matter intake but had no effect on nutrients digestibility, except for crude protein digestibility, which was enhanced with the high concentrate level. Growing camels at low-level had considerably higher rumen pH than those fed medium or high levels. Increasing the supplement level also increased rumen propionic acid but decreased acetic acid concentration. Principal coordinate analysis showed that concentrate levels clearly separated the ruminal bacterial communities where Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes were the dominant phyla and Prevotella, Ruminococcus, Butyrivibrio, RC9_gut_group, and Fibrobacteres were the dominant bacterial genera. This study expands our knowledge regarding the rumen microbiota of growing camels under different concentrate levels and reveals that medium concentrate levels could be appropriate for growing camels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment proceeded in the Telafer site during the year 2022, with two seasons (spring and autumn) to study two maize (Zea mays L.) cultivars (Furat and Dijla) and eight levels of fertilizers (control treatment, 120 kg N15P15K15 ha-1 of traditional compound fertilizer, 1.5 and 3 g liter-1 of N20P20K20 nano fertilizer, 1 and 2 ml liter-1 of Optimum Plus organic fertilizer, 1.5g liter-1 of N20P20K20 nano fertilizer + 1 ml liter-1 of organic fertilizer, and 3 g liter-1 of N20P20K20 nano fertilizer + 2ml liter-1 of organic fertilizer) on yield traits of the maize grain. The research employed a randomized complete block design (RCBD) using the split-plot system, with the cultivars placed in the main plots, and the fertilizers in the secondary plots. Results indicated that the Furat cultivar excelled in all yield traits in the two seasons, except for the weight of the cob and the weight of 500 grains in the autumn season; cultivar Dijla was superior in the biological yield for the two seasons. As for the fertilizers, the treatment 2ml L-1 of the organic fertilizer achieved the highest rate in all studied traits for both seasons, except for the traits cob weight and biological yield, where the treatment was superior in 3 g L-1 of the N20P20K20 nanofertilizer. The interaction showed significant differences in all studied traits of maize in both seasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New thiazole, thiazolopyrimidine, and thiazolotriazine derivatives 3–12 and 14a–f were synthesized. The newly synthesized analogs were tested for in vitro antitumor activity against HepG2, HCT‐116, MCF‐7, HeP‐2, and Hela cancer cells. Results indicated that compound 5 displayed the highest potency toward the tested cancer cells. Compound 11b possessed enhanced effectiveness over MCF‐7, HepG2, HCT‐116, and Hela cancer cells. In addition, compounds 4 and 6 showed promising activity toward HCT‐116, MCF‐7, and Hela cancer cells and eminent activity against HepG2 and HeP‐2 cells. Moreover, compounds 3–6 and 11b were tested for their capability to inhibit vascular endothelial growth factor receptor‐2 (VEGFR‐2) activity. The obtained results showed that compound 5 displayed significant inhibitory activity against VEGFR‐2 (half‐maximal inhibitory concentration [IC50] = 0.044 μM) comparable to sunitinib (IC50 = 0.100 μM). Also, the synthesized compounds 3–6 and 11b were subjected to in vitro cytotoxicity tests over WI38 and WISH normal cells. It was found that the five tested compounds displayed significantly lower cytotoxicity than doxorubicin toward normal cell lines. Cell cycle analysis proved that compound 5 induces cell cycle arrest in the S phase for HCT‐116 and Hela cancer cell lines and in the G2/M phase for the MCF‐7 cancer cell line. Moreover, compound 5 induced cancer cell death through apoptosis accompanied by a high ratio of BAX/BCL‐2 in the screened cancer cells. Furthermore, docking results revealed that compound 5 showed the essential interaction bonds with VEGFR‐2, which agreed with in vitro enzyme assay results. In silico studies showed that most of the analyzed compounds complied with the requirements of good oral bioavailability with minimal toxicity threats in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant attention has been paid to the conversion of benzylamine into very valuable organic intermediates via selective photocatalytic oxidation. Due to their tremendous potential for light conversion and harvesting, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have received significant scientific interest in the field of photocatalysis. However, it is still difficult to photocatalyze organic reactions using MOFs under mild conditions. Here, we investigated the impact of modified MOFs with metal acetylacetonate (MIL-68-NH2, MIL-68-AC-Ni, MIL-68-AC-Co, and MIL-68-AC-Fe) on the selective oxidation of benzylamine into N-benzylidene benzylamine with transformation percents of 36%, 91.8%, 95.1%, and 99.6%, respectively. For five reuses, high efficiency of the photocatalysts was shown. Based on the reactivity and kinetics of the reaction, a suggested mechanism for the photo-oxidation process has been developed. MIL-68-NH2, MIL-68-AC-Ni, MIL-68-AC-Co, and MIL-68-AC-Fe had kinetic rates that exceeded the following values: 0.0061, 0.0142, 0.01618, and 0.01898 min−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent randomised trials have shown that clinical outcomes with transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) are non-inferior to surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in patients with symptomatic aortic stenosis at intermediate to low risk. Health-related quality of life (HrQoL) outcomes in these patient groups remain uncertain. A systematic search of the literature was conducted that included nine trials and 11,295 patients. Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ), a heart-failure-specific measure and EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D) (a generic health status tool) changes were the primary outcomes. New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification was the secondary outcome. Improvement in KCCQ scores was greater with TAVI (mean difference (MD)=13.56, 95% confidence interval (CI) 11.67-15.46, p<0.001) at 1 month, as was the improvement in EQ-5D (MD=0.07, 95% CI 0.05-0.08, p<0.001). There was no difference in KCCQ (MD=1.05, 95% CI -0.11 to 2.21, p=0.08) or EQ-5D (MD=-0.01, 95% CI -0.03 to 0.01), p=0.37) at 12 months. NYHA functional class 3/4 was lower in patients undergoing TAVI at 1 month (MD=0.51, 95% CI 0.34-0.78, p=0.002), but there was no difference at 12 months (MD=1.10; 95% CI 0.87-1.38, p=0.43). Overall, TAVI offers early benefit in HRQoL outcomes compared with SAVR, but they are equivalent at 12 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The condensation of pyrrole-2,5-dicarbaldehyde (1) with 5-(2-amino-4-phenylthiazol-5-yl)-4-phenylthiazol-2-amine (2) and/or 5-(4-Amino-phenyl)-4-phenylthiazol-2-amine (3) gave new poly(Z)-N-((5-(iminomethyl)-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)methylene)-5-(2-((E)-(5-(iminomethyl)-I-pyrrol-2-yl)methyleneamino)-4-phenylthiazol-5-yl)-4-phenylthiaol-2-amine (P1) and/or poly(E)-N-((5-(iminomethyl)-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)methylene)-5-(4-((E)-(5-(iminomethyl)-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)methyleneamino)phenyl)-4-phenylthiaol-2-amine (P2) as a novel conjugated polymer by microwave irradiation and traditional heating.. It is evident that the microwave irradiation technique quickly raised the molecular weight of polyimines. In addition to quantifying the molecular weight of the resultant polyimines. All the polyimines were characterized using FTIR, XRD, H1NMR, TGA, and DSC. The optical characteristics of polyimine derivatives were investigated using a UV–Vis spectrophotometer. The absorption spectra showed a main absorption band around 372 nm for polyimine (P1) and 381 nm for polyimine (P2). The optical energy was calculated and found to be 2.49 and 2.68 eV. The photoluminescence of the polyimine derivatives was measured and analyzed by spectrofluorometer and Laser photoluminescence experiment and the emission color was studied using CIE graphs. The fluorescence spectra showed an emission peak at 548 nm for polyimine (P1) with yellow green color in CIE graph, while for polyimine (P2) the emission band was located at 440.5 nm with blue color in CIE graph. Photoluminescence quantum yield PLQY was measured for the polyimine P1 and P2 in both liquid and Solid states and indicated the AIE behavior of the polyimines. TD-DFT simulations were applied to the polyimine derivatives where the structures were geometrically optimized and the spectroscopic characterizations were evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background A condition known as chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) occurs when there is a drastic reduction in blood flow to the lower extremities because of arterial blockage. Aim To evaluate the efficacy of Japanese scoring system in our population as a prediction of successful guidewire crossing of below-the-knee chronic total occlusion. Patients and methods This study was conducted on 48 patients with 55 chronic total occlusion (CTO) lesions. Patient assessment included history taking, laboratory analysis, and radiological assessment of the affected limbs. Patients were prepared for intraoperative angiography and then we applied Japanese below-the-knee chronic total occlusion (J BTK-CTO) scoring in our patients with antegrade of BTK-CTO by using 0.018, 0.035 wire, or additional retrograde guidewire crossing. Results In the current study, 54.5% of the studied lesions showed technical success and 45.5% showed failure. The median J BTK-CTO score was statistically significantly higher in the cases with failed crossing as compared with the cases with successful crossing [4 (2-6) and 1 (0-4), respectively] (P < 0.001). The area under the curve for Japanese score in differentiating failure from success among the studied lesions is excellent with the best-detected cut-off point 3, yielding sensitivity of 83.3%, specificity of 96% and total accuracy 89.1%, and cut-off point 4 yielding sensitivity of 96.7%, specificity of 80% and total accuracy 89.1%. Conclusion Failure of guidewire crossing of below-the-knee chronic total occlusion is common and may be associated with serious complications. J BTK-CTO revealed high diagnostic accuracy for prediction of failure in these cases and this could provide a good prognostic score for careful management of limb ischemia. Lesions categorized as grade C or D (the J BTK-CTO score of 4-6) have a lower chance of S-GC. In such lesions, a retrograde approach using pedal artery wiring or a digital artery puncture should be considered after failure antegrade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aniline and polyaniline was successfully impregnated with Chinese D263B resin and polymerisation prepared via using polyvinyl alcohol as a surfactant and benzoyl peroxide to form impregnated D263B/aniline and D263B/polyaniline were used for enhancing the removal of U(VI) from Abu El Toyour leach liquor. The impregnated D263B/polyaniline was characterised by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Experimental measurements have been optimised by batch extraction technique such as pH, contact time, initial U(VI) concentration, resin dosage, temperature and eluting agents. It was found that the maximum uptake capacity of Chinese D263B resin is 40 mg/g at room temperature, Chinese D263B resin with aniline is 86.95 mg/g and Chinese D263B resin with polyaniline is 121.95 mg/g. The resulted equilibrium data fitted well with Langmuir isotherm model. From kinetic parameters, it was found that U(VI) adsorption followed the pseudo-second order kinetic model. The thermodynamic parameters ΔH, ΔS and ΔG were also evaluated indicating exothermic, randomness and non-spontaneous adsorption process. U(VI) can be eluted approximately 99% from the loaded D263B/polyaniline using 1 M (1:1) NaCl/H2SO4. Finally, the optimised factors have been applied for enhanced U(VI) removal from Abu El Toyour leach liquor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, NACA 4412 airfoil, NACA 4412 airfoil with partial flexible sheet, NACA 4412 airfoil modified with leading edge tubercle and NACA 4412 airfoil modified with leading edge tubercle with partial flexible sheet. All the above four models have the same span length and span area. The material of wing is Alumina and the material for flexible membrane sheet is Silicon rubber. The models were created in Solid works, and Ansys Fluent Flow Workbench was used for analysis The analysis is done for 4 models with 8 cases of angles of attack 0, 5, 8, 10, 12, 15, 18 and 20 degrees. A total of 32 cases were studied. The majorly studied definitions were pressure contours and velocity contours. Drag and lift values were studied along x and y axis during simulation. These values are then used to view the graph for each modelled case. The graph is drawn for alpha versus coefficient of lift, coefficient of drag and coefficient of lift by drag values. From the results, one can conclude that the proposed model of partial flexible tubercle wing has performed better than the baseline model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an inflammatory autoimmune disease that can be managed with several treatment options. However, there is a lack of comparative data on the efficacy of these options in different phases of the disease. Aim of the study: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of high-dose Dexamethasone (HD-DXM), Prednisolone + Azathioprine, Rituximab, Eltrombopag, and Romiplostim schedules in persistent, chronic refractory or relapsed Egyptian ITP patients with a platelet count ≤30 × 109/L. The primary outcome measure was a sustained increase in platelet counts over 50 × 109/L for an additional 12 months without additional ITP regimens. The study also aimed to identify a suitable treatment regimen with a long remission duration for each phase of ITP. Results: Prednisolone + Azathioprine was significantly more effective in achieving an overall response in persistent patients than Romiplostim, high-dose Dexamethasone, and Rituximab. (90.9% vs. 66.6, [Odds ratio, OR: 5; confidence interval, CI 95% (0.866–28.86)], 45%, [OR: 0.082, CI 95% (0.015–0.448)] and, 25%, [OR: 30, CI 95% (4.24–211.8)], respectively, p-value < 0.01). Eltrombopag was significantly more effective in achieving a durable response in refractory ITP than HD-DXM, Rituximab, and Prednisolone; (80% compared to 32.2% [OR: 0.119, CI 95% (0.035–0.410)], 22.2% [OR:0.071, CI 95% (0.011–0.455)], and 18.1% [OR: 0.056, CI 95% (0.009–0.342)], respectively, p-value < 0.01). Conclusions: Finally, Eltrombopag following HD-DXM showed the highest percentage of patients with complete treatment-free survival times of at least 330 days. These findings could help clinicians choose the most appropriate treatment for their patients with ITP based on the phase of the disease. This trial is registered in clinicaltrials.gov with registration number NCT05861297. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this study were to develop a process to produce acid curd from micellar casein concentrate (MCC) using starter cultures and to manufacture imitation Mozzarella cheese (IMC) using a combination of acid curd and MCC that would confer emulsification ability to the caseins without the use of emulsifying salts (ES). The formulations were targeted to produce IMC with 49.0% moisture, 20.0% fat, 18.0% protein, and 1.5% salt. In the IMC formulation made without ES (FR‐2:1), the acid curd was blended with MCC so that the formula contained a 2:1 ratio of protein from acid curd relative to MCC. IMC with ES was also produced as a control. The melt and stretch characteristics of IMC made from FR‐2:1 were similar to those of control IMC. We conclude that IMC can be made without ES using a 2:1 ratio of protein from acid curd relative to MCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study non-Bayesian and Bayesian estimation of parameters for the Kumaraswamy distribution based on progressive Type-II censoring. First, the maximum likelihood estimates and maximum product spacings are derived. In addition, we derive the asymptotic distribution of the parameters and the asymptotic confidence intervals. Second, Bayesian estimators under symmetric and asymmetric loss functions (Squared error, linear exponential, and general entropy loss functions) are also obtained. The Lindley approximation and the Markov chain Monte Carlo method are used to derive the Bayesian estimates. Furthermore, we derive the highest posterior density credible intervals of the parameters. We further present an optimal progressive censoring scheme among different competing censoring scheme using three optimality criteria. Simulation studies are conducted to evaluate the performance of the point and interval estimators. Finally, one application of real data sets is provided to illustrate the proposed procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PbS1–xOx (x = 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2) samples were prepared using the solid-state reaction method at low temperature. Rietveld refinement was performed, and the obtained structural and microstructural parameters for all PbS1–xOx samples. The occupancy of diffused oxygen ions at Wyckoff position 4b (½½½) is increased on the expense of sulfur, which is consistent with the results obtained by the energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis. The samples surface morphology of the prepared samples was probed by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) images. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra were measured for the sample to examine the chemical composition and find out the effect of decreasing sulfur (x). The effect of sulfur deficiency in PbS1–xOx system on the linear and nonlinear optical parameters was explored using the UV diffused reflectance technique. The refractive index of each sample exhibited a normal dispersion. The values of Eg for PbS1–xOx samples (x = 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2) are 0.84, 0.79, 0.83, 0.81 and 0.72 eV, respectively. The photoluminescence excitation and emission spectra for all samples were measured. The origin of different emitted colors was also studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dogs' temperature is measured through the rectum, which can be difficult to obtain in animals with aggressive nature, or those with ano-rectal conditions. Alternative instruments and routes have also been developed. These alternative methods may yield different results. This study aimed to compare different methods in measuring the internal temperature of dogs. Cases referred to the small animal clinic (n=20) for a general health check were included in this study upon confirming their health status. Axillary, tympanic membrane and rectal temperature were measured 30 minutes post-arrival. Rectal temperature (RT) was measured first using a mercury thermometer and a digital thermometer. Axillary temperature (AT) was measured using a digital thermometer. The tympanic membrane temperature (TMT) was measured last using an infrared thermometer. Complete blood count (CBC) profiles, heart rates and respiratory rates of animals were within normal range. The difference between RT and AT ranged from 0.1°C to 1.1°C, whereas that between RT and TMT ranged from 0.03°C to 2.1°C. 40% of temperatures measured by AT and 90% of those measured with TMT differed by more than 0.5°C from those measured by RT. AT and TMT were positively correlated with RT (r = 0.833, P < 0.0001) and (r = 0.475, P = 0.035) respectively. AT and TMT were weakly correlated (r = 0.542, P = 0.014). The present study showed that RT shouldn't be substituted for AT or TMT in dogs. AT and TMT cannot be used interchangeably with rectal temperature in dogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work outlines conditions suitable for the heteroepitaxial growth of Cr2O3(0001) films (1.5–20 nm thick) on a Ru(0001)-terminated substrate. Optimized growth is achieved by sputter deposition of Cr within a 4 mTorr Ar/O2 20% ambient at Ru temperatures ranging from 450 to 600 °C. The Cr2O3 film adopts a 30° rotated honeycomb configuration with respect to the underlying Ru(0001) substrate and exhibits a hexagonal lattice parameter consistent with that for bulk Cr2O3(0001). Heating to 700 °C within the same environment during film preparation leads to Ru oxidation. Exposure to temperatures at or above 400 °C in a vacuum, Ar, or Ar/H2 3% leads to chromia film degradation characterized by increased Ru 3d XPS intensity coupled with concomitant Cr 2p and O 1s peak attenuations when compared to data collected from unannealed films. An ill-defined but hexagonally well-ordered RuxCryOz surface structure is noted after heating the film in this manner. Heating within a wet Ar/H2 3% environment preserves the Cr2O3(0001)/Ru(0001) heterolayer structure to temperatures of at least 950 °C. Heating an Ru–Cr2O3–Ru heterostacked film to 950 °C within this environment is shown by cross-sectional scanning/transmission electron microscopy (S/TEM) to provide clear evidence of retained epitaxial bicrystalline oxide interlayer structure, interlayer immiscibility, and epitaxial registry between the top and bottom Ru layers. Subtle effects marked by O enrichment and O 1s and Cr 2p shifts to increased binding energies are noted by XPS in the near-Ru regions of Cr2O3(0001)/Ru(0001) and Ru(0001)/Cr2O3(0001)/Ru(0001) films after annealing to different temperatures in different sets of environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indole is a significant structural moiety and functionalization of the C−H bond in indole‐containing molecules expands their chemical space, and modifies their properties and/or activities. Indole prenyltransferases (IPTs) catalyze the direct regiospecific installation of prenyl moieties on indole‐derived compounds. IPTs have shown relaxed substrate flexibility enabling them to be used as tools for indole functionalization. However, the mechanism by which certain IPTs target a specific carbon position is not fully understood. Herein, we use structure‐guided site‐directed mutagenesis, in vitro enzymatic reactions, kinetics and structural‐elucidation of analogs to verify the key catalytic residues that control the regiospecificity of all characterized regiospecific C6 IPTs. The presented results also demonstrate that substitution of PriB_His312 to Tyr leads to the synthesis of analogs prenylated at different positions than C6. This work contributes to understanding of how certain IPTs can access a challenging position in indole‐derived compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) treatment has evolved recently. However, none of the treatments have only benefits without drawbacks. This study aimed to compare the clinical outcomes and adverse drug patterns of Eltrombopag, Romiplostim, Prednisolone + Azathioprine, High Dose-dexamethasone (HD-DXM) (control group), and Rituximab in primary ITP Egyptian patients. All patients were initiated with corticosteroids, HD-DXM, as a first-line treatment for the first month immediately following diagnosis. Four hundred sixty-seven ITP patients were randomly assigned to five groups. The outcome measures were judged at baseline, at the end of treatment (6 months), and after an additional 6-month free treatment period. The follow-up period for which relapse is noted was 6 months after the end of treatment. Eltrombopag and Romiplostim resulted in a significantly higher incidence of sustained response than Rituximab, HD-DXM, and Prednisolone + Azathioprine (55.2% and 50.6% vs. 29.2%, 29.1%, and 18%, respectively; p-value < 0.001). More patients on immunomodulators (Prednisolone+ Azathioprine, HD-DXM, and Rituximab) relapsed than those on Romiplostim and Eltrombopag (81.9%, 70.8%, and 70.7% vs. 49.3%, and 44.7%, respectively; p-value < 0.01). We also describe 23 reports of pulmonary hypertension with Prednisolone+ Azathioprine and 13 reports with HD-DXM. The thrombotic events occurred in 16.6% and 13% of patients who received Eltrombopag and Romiplostim treatment, respectively. Most patients had at least one or two risk factors (92.8% of cases). Corticosteroids are effective first-line therapy in primary ITP patients. However, relapse is frequent. Eltrombopag and Romiplostim are safer and more effective than Prednisolone, HD-DXM, and Rituximab. They might be reasonable beneficial options after a one-month HD-DXM regimen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the impact of a recreational behavioural programme on reducing the degree of anger among children with intellectual disabilities (ID) in the primary stage. The study was implemented with 24 children who were randomly divided into two groups: an experimental group (n = 12, age = 10.80 ± 1.03 years, IQ = 63.10 ± 4.43 scores, ASW = 55.50 ± 1.51 scores) and a control group (n = 12, age = 10.80 ± 0.92 years, IQ = 63.00 ± 4.16 scores, ASW = 56.00 ± 1.15 scores). We used the PROMIS anger scale with a modification that was used to measure the degree of anger, and the recreational behavioural programme was implemented three times per week for six weeks. The results of the research showed that the improvement percentages for Anger Triggers (AT), Inner Anger (IA), and External Anger (EA) were 9.73%, 9.04%, and 9.60%, respectively, and the Anger scale as a whole (ASW) rate was 9.46%. r = (0.89–0.91). The experimental group using the recreational behavioural programme also outperformed the control group, as the results indicated a decrease in the intensity of anger in the direction of the experimental group. The differences in the improvement percentages for Anger Triggers (AT) Inner Anger (IA), and External Anger (EA) were 32.97%, 31.03%, and 26.63%, respectively, and the Anger scale as a whole (ASW) rate was 30.09%, r = (0.82–0.86). The results of the study confirmed the effectiveness of the recreational activity programme in developing social interaction among children with intellectual disabilities, which indicates the success of the recreational behavioural programme in reducing the degree of anger among children with IDs. Therefore, the recreational behavioural programme had a positive effect in terms of reducing the degree of anger among children with IDs in the primary stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to assess impacts of early in ovo injection (at 10 days of incubation) of copper (sulfate, acetate, or nanoparticles) on histomorphometric parameters of small intestine and growth performance of post-hatched chicks. Fertile eggs (n = 462) were distributed to seven groups (3 replicates, 22 eggs in each). The first group as a control, the 2nd, 3rd and 4th groups injected with 100 µL deionized water containing 8 μg/egg of Cu (sulfate, acetate and nanoparticles, respectively), and the 5th, 6th and 7th groups injected with 100 µL deionized water containing 16 μg/egg of the same Cu sources above. Results illustrated that in ovo administration of Cu sulfate and Cu acetate significantly improved histological parameters of small intestine parts of newly hatched chicks compared with the control. Cu sulfate and nano-Cu significantly augmented body weight gain compared with the control. In ovo Cu injection showed a nonsignificant improvement in feed conversion ratio. The highest level (16 μg/egg) of different sources was better than the lowest level (8 μg/egg) in most results. In conclusion, it is recommended that in ovo injection of Cu (16 μg/egg) can improve the growth performance (Cu sulfate and nano-Cu) and the small intestine histomorphometry parameters (Cu sulfate and Cu acetate) of broiler chicks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study uses three different pin eccentricities (e) and six different welding speeds to investigate the impact of pin eccentricity on friction stir welding (FSW) of AA5754-H24. To simulate and forecast the impact of (e) and welding speed on the mechanical properties of friction stir welded joints for (FSWed) AA5754-H24, an artificial neural network (ANN) model was developed. The input parameters for the model in this work are welding speed (WS) and tool pin eccentricity (e). The outputs of the developed ANN model include the mechanical properties of FSW AA5754-H24 (ultimate tensile strength, elongation, hardness of the thermomechanically affected zone (TMAZ), and hardness of the weld nugget zone (NG)). The ANN model yielded a satisfactory performance. The model has been used to predict the mechanical properties of the FSW AA5754 aluminum alloy as a function of TPE and WS with excellent reliability. Experimentally, the tensile strength is increased by increasing both the (e) and the speed, which was already captured from the ANN predictions. The R2 values are higher than 0.97 for all the predictions, reflecting the output quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Borate glasses (BG) doped with different amounts of ZnO (0–0.6 mol%) were formed by the traditional melt quenching technique. The different glasses so made were characterized using different characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and UV–Vis absorption optical properties. The XRD patterns showed an amorphous structure with one broad peak at 2θ = 29°, while the phonons bands were studied in terms of the FTIR bands. Optical properties of the glasses were studied using UV–Vis absorption spectra in the range 190–1100 nm, in which the prominent band lies at about 261.5 nm of peak position, from which the bandgab (Eg) was calculated from its edge using Tauc’s plot, with Eg ~ 3.5 eV. The laser irradiation showed no significant changes in the absorption bands, despite a significant change observed in the amorphous behavior in the XRD pattern. The cell viability was performed for two samples of the BG and 0.6 mol% ZnO doped using 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay method. The result showed better cell viability and low toxicity. So, ZnO doped BG can be used in various biomedical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cutaneous lupus erythematosus is an umbrella term for a group of autoimmune connective tissue disorders affecting the skin. Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) is the chronic condition and most common form of cutaneous lupus erythematosus. Aims: Current therapies of DLE are challenging and not completely satisfactory, highly expensive, off‐label, or poorly available (like antimalarials due to COVID‐19 outbreaks). Nicotinamide, also called niacinamide, is a water‐soluble form of vitamin B3 (niacin). Its multiple effects let us think that nicotinamide could be a therapy for lupus‐associated skin lesions. Methods: We performed a prospective randomized double‐blind clinical trial on 60 subjects diagnosed with Discoid lupus erythematosus using topical Nicotinamide 2% and 4% preparations in form of cream and gel on skin and scalp lesions. Control group was included using only cream/gel base as placebo control. Results: Obtained data showed that topical Nicotinamide can be used for the treatment of DLE as adjuvant to other treatment regimens with good cosmetic results and minimal side effects. Topical 4% Nicotinamide is superior to 2% preparation in response but associated with a higher incidence of irritation. Conclusion: Topical Nicotinamide can be used for the treatment of DLE as an adjuvant to other treatment regimens with good cosmetic results and minimal side effects. Further trials with long‐term therapy, follow‐up period, and bigger sample sizes are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]