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The interaction of nicotinic acid and thiourea with the chloride salts of Ca(II), Mg(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), and Fe(III) ions led to the synthesis of a unique series of metal chelates. All formed metal complexes were clarified using a variety of analytical and spectral techniques, besides magnetic moment and thermal tests. The electronic and magnetic measurements indicated that the paramagnetic chelates (3) and (4), as well as the diamagnetic complexes (1) and (2), were responsible for the tetrahedral geometrical structure. The outcomes also led to the production of square-planar, and high-spin octahedral structures for chelates (5) and (6). Thermodynamic studies using activation energy values revealed that complex (1) is more thermally stable than complex (2) and complex (3) is more stable than complex (4). Fe(III) complex exhibits higher antibacterial and antifungal activities than other metal complexes. Chelate (6) exhibits the highest rate of germination in wheat.

Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESβL) producing E. coli pose a significant medical challenge. It has spread worldwide, making it as the source of a variety of urinary tract and wound infections. Recently, nanosilver has been widely utilized in the medicinal applications. We aimed at fabricating silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and observing how they affected the ESβL-producing E. coli isolated from different human anatomical regions. Under optimal circumstances, AgNPs were biosynthesized using Bacillus thuringiensis isolated from raw milk and they were wholly characterized. The AgNPs were occurred to be crystalline and have a stable structure. AgNPs are hexagonal and spherical in form with no considerable agglomeration, according to TEM-results. The particle diameters varied between 13.2 and 36.8 nm. AgNPs and AgNPs-cotton clothing for wound treatment and self-sterilizing coats were displayed to have an antimicrobial action versus ESβL-producing E. coli. AgNPs, and their application i.e., AgNPs-wound dressing, shown a considerable antibacterial efficiency against ESL-producing E. coli. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of AgNPs against ESβL-producing E. coli ranged from 7 to 9 μg mL−1, while the MIC of AgNPs with ampicillin was 1.25–4 g mL−1. This is mostly due to the AgNPs plus ampicillin have a synergistic efficiency, increasing the antibacterial effectiveness of AgNPs by 2–4 times. Our findings implied that the generated AgNPs might be applied as a nano-drug individually or combined with ampicillin against ESβL-producing E. coli.

International audience; BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic led to severe health systems collapse, as well as logistics and supply delivery shortages across sectors. Delivery of PCR related healthcare supplies continue to be hindered. There is the need for a rapid and accessible SARS-CoV-2 molecular detection method in low resource settings.ObjectivesTo validate a novel isothermal amplification method for rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2 across seven sub-Sharan African countries.Study designIn this multi-country phase 2 diagnostic study, 3,231 clinical samples in seven African sites were tested with two reverse transcription Recombinase-Aided Amplification (RT-RAA) assays (based on SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid (N) gene and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) gene). The test was performed in a mobile suitcase laboratory within 15 min. All results were compared to a real-time RT-PCR assay. Extraction kits based on silica gel or magnetic beads were applied.ResultsFour sites demonstrated good to excellent agreement, while three sites showed fair to moderate results. The RdRP gene assay exhibited an overall PPV of 0.92 and a NPV of 0.88. The N gene assay exhibited an overall PPV of 0.93 and a NPV 0.88. The sensitivity of both RT-RAA assays varied depending on the sample Ct values. When comparing sensitivity between sites, values differed considerably. For high viral load samples, the RT-RAA assay sensitivity ranges were between 60.5 and 100% (RdRP assay) and 25 and 98.6 (N assay).ConclusionOverall, the RdRP based RT-RAA test showed the best assay accuracy. This study highlights the challenges of implementing rapid molecular assays in field conditions. Factors that are important for successful deployment across countries include the implementation of standardized operation procedures, in-person continuous training for staff, and enhanced quality control measures.

Starting voltage and current transients in slip energy recovery drives (SERD) may damage the stator and rotor windings. The resulting torque oscillations damage the induction machine mechanical parts. In this paper three schemes for damping starting transients and torque oscillations are proposed. In the first scheme a parallel RL impedance is connected between the supply and the stator coils, in the second scheme a parallel RL impedance is added in the rotor circuit, and in the third scheme the two impedances are connected simultaneously. Transient performance is simulated and the results of the three schemes are compared. Also, the effect of each proposed scheme on the steady state values of the SERD currents, voltages, and electric torque is studied and demonstrated. Lower current and voltage transients, and lower torque oscillations resulted in all schemes, with optimum transient performance observed when adding the two impedances simultaneously.

Dental infections cause chronic diseases, such as periodontitis and dental caries, thereby leading to the tooth loss. Antibacterial and antibiofilm efficiencies of silver and zinc oxide nanoparticles combined with chitosan and erythromycin against several bacterial oral diseases have been, therefore, demonstrated. Silver nanoparticles (TVE-AgNPs) were compared with a commercial ZnONPs that conjugated with chitosan to form TVE-AgNPs-CS and ZnONPs-CS. The synergistic efficiency of TVE-AgNPs-CS or ZnONPs-CS combined with erythromycin against Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans), Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) was estimated by broth micro-dilution assays, agar diffusion and biofilm formation. Herein, TVE-AgNPs were produced using Thymus vulgaris extract (TVE) and the peak obtained of TVE-AgNPs at 450 nm indicated the formation of TVE-AgNPs. Furthermore, results displayed the creation of spherical TVE-AgNPs with diameters a ranging from 10 to 24 nm. The FTIR analysis suggested that TVE contains reducing agents that consequently had a function in silver ions reduction and TVE-AgNPs formation. The minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) value of TVE-AgNPs-CS and ZnONPs-CS with erythromycin exhibited an MIC value of 4–8 and 8–16 μg mL−1, respectively. The inhibition ratio versus biofilm was evaluated to be 75, 77.7, and 65.5% for S. mutans, B. subtilis and P. aeruginosa, respectively at TVE-AgNPs-CS/erythromycin concentration of 4 μg mL−1, while it was 91.6, 83.3, and 79.3% at ZnONPs-CS/erythromycin concentration of 8 μg mL−1. Our results provided an evidence of TVE-AgNPs-CS and ZnONPs-CS with erythromycin being antibacterial and antibiofilm agents against the tested bacteria. Also, they caused cell membrane damage of bacterial cells. Thus, ZnONPs-CS/erythromycin could be used in dental applications due to its non-toxicity profile and may be an important in the future development of more effective therapies for control of dental diseases.

To evaluate the efficacy of physical therapy or exercise intervention on quality of life (QOL), fatigue, sleep, and psychological and physical functioning in adults diagnosed with Lymphoma.A systematic literature search of the PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and PEDro databases was carried out to identify articles published from March 2010 until December 2020. The risk of bias, methodological quality, and level of evidence was evaluated using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) checklist.Out of the 577 articles identified from the initial search, a total of 12 randomised control trials were shortlistd for this systematic review. From the 12 articles, 9 studies included participants with Lymphoma who were at various stages of chemotherapy or had completed treatment and 3 studies included participants with various haematological malignancies and had stem cell transplantation. The quality of each study was assessed using the PEDro scale with the a mean score of 6.3±0.89. The PEDro scores regarding the quality of studies ranged from 5-8 (fair to good).There is moderate evidence strength suggesting that exercises therapy for persons diagnosed with Lymphoma can include aerobic or cardiovascular exercise, strength training, and mind-body exercise has beneficial effects on fatigue, physical performance, and QOL in persons diagnosed with Lymphoma patients.PROSPERO No.: CRD42021227418.

There are several factors were taken in consideration such as time, ratio, temperature and pH to improve the chelation process between the amino acids and inorganic ions. The current study aims to optimize the physical factors controlling the synthesis of chelated amino acids with different minerals and to enhance antioxidant and biodiesel production from Arthrospira platensis cultivated in culture enriched with different chelated minerals. In this study; various physical factors such as (ratio of amino acids and minerals; temperature, time and pH) were used for optimization of chelation formation. The blue -green alga Arthrospira platensis was cultivated under different synthesized chelated minerals (T1-T13), the growth rate, antioxidant, antiradical and biodiesel production were determined in all treated alga. The obtained results showed that the optimum conditions for production of chelated amino acid were ratio (2:1 M), temperature at 60 °C, the duration between 4:5 days and the suitable or stability of chelation at pH = 4, Also, the growth rate of A. platensis with Cu-glycinate higher than Cu-leather waste and Zarrouk media. The antioxidant activity results of different extracts of Arthrospira platensis showed that the water extract gave high antioxidant activity against DPPH radical assay than acetone extract in all treatments when compared with untreated culture (Zarrouk’s medium). Arthrospira platensis cultivated on Zarrouk medium supplemented with chelated amino acids with metals was showed an increase in algal pigments and lipids with Mn-LW, Zn-LW and Mg-LW treatments. Also, the results showed that the produced biodiesel was observed with M-LW treatments, which was more than that of glycinate treatments, untreated culture (Zarrouk) and LW biodiesel. Therefore, the highest biodiesel percentages were founded with Zn, Mn and Mg-LW (5.37, 5.25 and 4.86% respectively). The recorded results and material balance data concluded that possibility for use the chelated minerals (glycine and leather wastes) as plant fertilizer in future because its high yield and low fees for production. Graphical Abstract

Colon cancer is a major cause of cancer-related death, with significantly increasing rates of incidence worldwide. The current study was designed to evaluate the anti-carcinogenic effects of hesperetin (HES) alone and in combination with capecitabine (CAP) on 1,2 dimethylhydrazine (DMH)-induced colon carcinogenesis in Wistar rats. The rats were given DMH at 20 mg/kg body weight (b.w.)/week for 12 weeks and were orally treated with HES (25 mg/kg b.w.) and/or CAP (200 mg/kg b.w.) every other day for 8 weeks. The DMH-administered rats exhibited colon-mucosal hyperplastic polyps, the formation of new glandular units and cancerous epithelial cells. These histological changes were associated with the significant upregulation of colon Ki67 expression and the elevation of the tumor marker, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), in the sera. The treatment of the DMH-administered rats with HES and/or CAP prevented these histological cancerous changes concomitantly with the decrease in colon-Ki67 expression and serum-CEA levels. The results also indicated that the treatments with HES and/or CAP showed a significant reduction in the serum levels of lipid peroxides, an elevation in the serum levels of reduced glutathione, and the enhancement of the activities of colon-tissue superoxide dismutase, glutathione reductase and glutathione-S-transferase. Additionally, the results showed an increase in the mRNA expressions of the anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-4, as well as the proapoptotic protein, p53, in the colon tissues of the DMH-administered rats treated with HES and/or CAP. The TGF-β1 decreased significantly in the DMH-administered rats and this effect was counteracted by the treatments with HES and/or CAP. Based on these findings, it can be suggested that both HES and CAP, singly or in combination, have the potential to exert chemopreventive effects against DMH-induced colon carcinogenesis via the suppression of oxidative stress, the stimulation of the antioxidant defense system, the attenuation of inflammatory effects, the reduction in cell proliferation and the enhancement of apoptosis.

Talent Management plays a crucial role to support the business continuity and empower the most important asset for the company – its people. The role that Talent Management has played was highlighted in different aspects across the organization, starting from developing competent HR team and HR department structure that can influence company culture by taking an active approach in this regard. The journey started by working with the executives and stakeholders across the business to evaluate the current company culture, assess potential gaps or opportunities, and create a strategic plan to align the organization's culture with its values and goals. Moreover, a deliberate building of core and supplementary HR systems serving the business strategy while respecting culture readiness has taken place. This started off with developing leadership development programs, conducting a competency management system for better training and skills development, relying on assessment tools in recruitment and using these tools in the on-boarding, knowledge sharing approach, creating a performance management culture and working on continuous development and improvement. The Leadership Development Program was achieved on 3 phases: Assessment phase, Development phase and re-assessment phase. One of the main objectives that we tried to focus on while implementing the leadership development program was to find employees who are potential leaders and nurture them early enough. In addition, it was crucial to identify a Leadership Competency Profile to have a clear, compelling vision of how the skills we were building in the leadership development program connect to the leadership road map in the company. In addition, and in the light of Covid-19 and the absence of Employee Training in 2020, the HR department came out with an initiative to carry out internal knowledge sharing workshops across the company. These workshops aimed at increasing employees’ awareness with the different functions across the company in addition to increasing the level of engagement, communication, and presentation skills for employees. There is always a need to measure where we are and the progress done so far to know where we want to be and adjust the process accordingly. Therefore throughout all of these processes and programs, different feedback surveys were conducted to take necessary action plans. This helped in getting all employees onboard with us. Ultimately the alignment that was made between the Talent Management and the overall company's business strategy resulted in the company's ability to maintain a competitive advantage. A huge progress was made but the process continues to sustain this role.

Background Ginger is widely used in traditional food and folk medicine. It was known to contain monoterpenoids, sesquiterpenoids, phenolic compounds and its derivatives as well as aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, and esters. The current work aims to evaluate the antioxidant and anticancer activities of different extracts from ginger peels and residues. Methods Ginger samples were collected from local market and extracted using water and ethanol solvent. Four different antioxidant assays were used (DPPH, ABTS, potassium permanganate and methylene blue), the anticancer activity was determined using HepG2 cell line and the active ingredients for the promising extract were identified using HPLC/UV. Results The obtained results recorded that hot water extract of ginger peels was the promising extract exhibiting promising antioxidant activity. Fractionation of this promising extract was achieved by silica gel column chromatography with petroleum ether/ethyl acetate as mobile phase. Six fractions were produced. Thin layer chromatography (TLCF254) was used for separation of active compounds and bioautography confirmed their antioxidant efficiency. Higher antioxidant activity and cytotoxicity against HepG2 cell line was recorded by fraction No. 4. Cold water extract of ginger peels exhibited comparatively higher antioxidant efficiency while both aqueous peel extracts showed antibacterial efficiency against four Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains using well diffusion assay. Conclusion Ginger peels hot water extract is the promising extract as antioxidant, antiradical, antibacterial and anticancer. Graphical Abstract

To date, the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines and booster doses has yet to be evaluated in longitudinal head-to-head studies. This single-center longitudinal study assessed the effectiveness of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, BNT162b2, and mRNA-1273 vaccines and assessed two BNT162b2 boosters in 1550 participants, of whom 26% had comorbidities. In addition, the SARS-CoV-2 antibody dynamics was monitored. A group of 1500 unvaccinated subjects was included as the controls. The study’s endpoint was the development of virologically-proven COVID-19 cases after vaccine completion, while the secondary endpoint was hospitalizations due to severe COVID-19. Overall, 23 (4.6%), 16 (3%), and 18 (3.8%) participants vaccinated with ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, BNT162b2, and mRNA-1273, respectively, developed COVID-19 after vaccine completion, with an effectiveness of 89%, 92%, and 90%. Ten COVID-19 cases were reported in participants with comorbidities, three of whom were hospitalized. No hospitalizations occurred after boosters. SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels peaked 2–4 weeks after the second vaccine dose but declined after a mean of 28.50 ± 3.48 weeks. Booster doses significantly enhanced antibody responses. Antibody titers ≤ 154 U/mL were associated with a higher risk of COVID-19 emergence. Thus, COVID-19 vaccines effectively reduced COVID-19 and prevented severe disease. The vaccine-induced SARS-CoV-2 antibody responses declined after 28–32 weeks. Booster doses induced significant maintained responses. SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels may help determine the timing and need for vaccine booster doses.

https://jilindaxuexuebao.com/details.php?id=DOI:10.17605/OSF.IO/5M27V

In this study, the biosynthesis of extracellular silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was obtained using Pseudomonas aeruginosasupernatant integrated with gamma radiation. The biosynthesis was confirmed by...

The development of highly active and durable catalysts for H2 production through CH4 decomposition process is still a great challenge. In this study, CeO2 and CeO2–SiO2 supported bimetallic Ni–Mo catalysts were produced and examined for CH4 decomposition at 700 °C. The unreacted and reacted catalytic materials were characterized by XRD, BET, H2-TPR, TGA-DTA, TEM, and Raman spectroscopy techniques. The collected data illustrated that the inclusion of SiO2 to CeO2 support in Ni–Mo/CeO2–SiO2 catalyst participated in the inhibition of the catalytic efficiency because of the fast agglomeration of Ni particles on the SiO2 surface, that arise from the weak interactions between the metal and support. The Ni–Mo/CeO2 catalyst displayed an exceptional catalytic decomposition behavior and durability stemming from the facile formation of a solid Ni–O–Ce solution with a fair interaction in terms of metal-support and the presence of some NiMoO4 species. These phases improved the dispersion and stability of the active Ni particles, resulting in improved catalytic activity. The hydrogen yield was 48% and 29% after 180 min of reaction over Ni–Mo/CeO2 and Ni–Mo/CeO2–SiO2 catalysts, respectively. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes of diverse radii were produced on the surface of both reacted catalysts depending on the catalyst structure and composition. TGA and Raman results showed that the as-deposited MWCNTs over both CeO2 and CeO2–SiO2 supported Ni–Mo catalysts exhibited good crystallinity and high graphitization degree.

The current work aims to evaluate the growth rate, molecular patterns and biological activities of Arthrospira platensis cultivated in culture enriched with different chelated minerals (Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, and Mg) of leather protein hydrolysates (LPHs) and glycine in addition to determine the phytochemical contents of Arthrospira platensis cultivated in modified Zarrouk medium. Also, the work study the protein profile with molecular variations (using SDS-PAGE, Comet assay, and SCOT-PCR) in collected biomasses when compared with control (cyanobacteria cultivated in Zarrouk medium). Superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and mineral content of each treatment were also determined. The obtained Results showed that a significant increment of growth rate of A. platensis in glycinate treatments was observed especially with Cu-glycinate more than control medium. Additionally, T11 has high O.D. than other chelated minerals but control medium had the highest O.D. than LW-chelated minerals. All A. platensis treated with the glycine-chelates possessed both conserved and additional proteins in their SDS-PAGE banding patterns. Moreover, A. platensis treated by chelated minerals with leather waste hydrolysate induced high discrimination than their analogues chelated with glycine. Six ScoT primers were applied and produced 323 amplicons with an average of 68% polymorphism/primer. SDS and Scot dendrogram revealed that among all treatments, control and Mg-glycine-chelated treatment were closely related. All A. platensis samples treated by chelated minerals with leather waste hydrolysate possessed more polymorphic bands than monomorphic ones (either as proteins or DNA), despite that no significant DNA damage (as % tDNA) was detected on A. platensis treated with either chelated treatment.

Tramadol (TR) metabolism is mainly dependent on the enzymatic activity of CYP2D6, which is controlled by genetic polymorphisms. Individuals are classified as poor (PMs), intermediate (IMs), extensive (EMs) or ultrarapid metabolizers (UMs) according to their genotype or phenotype. The determination of the metabolic phenotype for CYP2D6 can be of utmost importance in forensic and clinical contexts that involve TR intake. The present study aimed to describe CYP2D6 genetic variants in cases of TR-related deaths and to assess which metabolic ratio(s) (MRs) would allow to determine CYP2D6 phenotype without having to perform genetic analyses. Forty-eight postmortem blood samples were selected from TR-related death cases previously analyzed in a forensic context in North of France between 2013 and 2019. Initial available data included blood concentrations of TR and its two main metabolites (M1 & M2) determined using an LC--MS-MS method. TR metabolism was expressed as various MRs comprising TR/M1, TR/M2 and M2/M1. After DNA extraction, sequencing was used for genetic variant detections that affect CYP2D6 activity/expression. In the present study, the allelic variants with the higher frequency were CYP2D6*1 (68%), followed by *4 (21%). The most frequent phenotype is EMs (59.6%), followed by IMs (23.4%), PMs (12.8%) and UMs (6.4%). There was no significant correlation between each calculated MR and the genotypically predicted phenotypes, except for M2/M1 which appears related to the PM phenotype. The observed distribution of CYP2D6 genetic variants in this TR-related death population was similar to that found in the general Caucasian population. The present study displayed that the blood M2/M1 ratio could be the best-correlated TR MR to the PM phenotype, and could thus be used in forensic contexts where genetic analyses are not possible or poorly informative. For the other phenotypes, especially the UM phenotype, genetic analysis appears to be the only reliable method to predict the CYP2D6 phenotype.

Background Postoperative epidural analgesia provides superior postoperative analgesia at rest and with activity, compared with systemic opioids. However, the impact of postoperative epidural analgesia on postoperative morbidity and/or mortality remains controversial, because of the sub-optimal reliability of epidural catheters that are placed preoperatively and used for postoperative pain control. The present study used the technique of lumbar epidurography. The study aims to better understand the possible correlation between the fluoroscopic characteristics of epidural catheters following injection of contrast medium and the postoperative functional characteristics regarding analgesia. In this single-arm clinical trial, 70 patients, aged 50 to 75 years old, underwent surgical urological procedures, involving incisions up to T8 dermatome, under combined general and epidural anesthesia. At the L2-L3 level, the epidural space was reached using the loss of resistance technique before general anesthesia was induced. The catheters were threaded upwards for 4–6 cm. Preoperative epidurograms were then done by injecting a 3-ml contrast medium OmnipaqueTM (240 mg I/ml) in the epidural catheters. The epidurograms were investigated for the location of the catheter tip in relation to the vertebral body, the extent of dye spread, laterality of dye spread (midline, right, or left), and the presence or absence of dye spread anterior to the spinal cord on the lateral image. The patients were followed postoperatively while epidural analgesia was infused. Results Both the postoperative epidural infusion and postoperative visual analog scale (VAS) scores were lower when catheter tips ended at L1 than when they ended at L2. As the contrast’s vertical spread increases in preoperative epidurograms, the analgesic infusion rate and VAS score decrease, and the number of dermatomes insensitive to cold increases. Epidurographically right-sided catheters showed more dermatomes deficient to cold sensations on the right side, compared with mid-line and left-sided catheters. Restriction of contrast to the posterior epidural space was associated with lower VAS scores and wider anesthesia to cold. Conclusions The use of epidurography to study epidural catheters may have the potential advantage of predicting the functionality of catheters and improving the reliability of postoperative epidural analgesia.

Background: Chemerin has been newly defined to be released from mature adipocytes and the chemerin concentrations in human serum augmented with obesity. There is a subclinical chronic low-grade inflammatory response where insulin resistance (IR) may develop. The aim of this study is to expound the prospective role of chemerin the in inflammation. Also, investigate relation between chemerin and serum lipid, glucose, body fat percentage, and metabolic parameters in obese and lean women with IR. Lymphocytes and neutrophils play a major role in inflammation and comprise the first line of defense against infection. The ratio of absolute neutrophil count to lymphocyte count, the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), determined as is a novel inflammatory biomarker utilized as a prognostic factor in numerous diseases Methods: This study was designed to investigate serum chemerin, NLR, and high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels in 50 obese women with IR and 50 lean healthy women. Results: Obese group had significant higher levels of serum chemerin, NLR, hsCRP levels and metabolic parameters than lean one. Chemerin also correlated positively with NLR inflammatory marker and body mass index (BMI). Neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio was related to pro‐inflammatory Conclusion: The present study elucidates that chemerin levels are concomitant with obesity and IR and could play a role in the inflammation, having key aspects of metabolic syndrome.

A group of nanoparticles (NPs); ZnO, CuO, MgO, and Se were eco-friendly biosynthesized using gamma irradiated culture filtrate of Bacillus cereus. The impact of obtained NPs on growth and lipid accumulation of Chlorella vulgaris was evaluated. NPs were characterized by UV–Vis., FTIR, XRD, and TEM. After irradiation, an increase in NPs reduction and/or yield was observed and confirmed by UV. NPs demonstrated spherical morphology with crystal size; 12–105 nm indicated by XRD and TEM images. FTIR analysis of the bacterial filtrate suggested the presence of biomolecules which may act as reducing and stabilizing agents. Low concentrations of obtained NPs enhanced the biomass and lipid production of C. vulgaris with 50 mg/L of ZnONPs demonstrating the highest potential to enhance both of them. Saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids contents of C. vulgaris increased by ~ 16% and ~ 59% respectively, while unsaturated FA content decreased by ~ 20% compared to control. In conclusion, this study highlights the efficiency of B. cereus filtrate on biosynthesis of different NPs. Moreover, coupling of biosynthesized NPs with gamma irradiation represents a potential strategy to increase NPs yield. Irradiated biosynthesized NPs could be used to enhance the production of microalgal biomass and lipids as a promising feedstock for several applications.

Nursing needs highly specialized competencies to accurately determine patients' states and cope with the problems that may occur during nursing care. The purpose of the study was to assess nursing interns' needs through their practical competency self evaluation. Design: A descriptive correlational resaerch design was utilized to conduct this study. Sampling: It consisted ofall available nursing interns (380) who were enrolled in internship year within the academic year 2019-2020. Setting: It was conducted at different departments and units at governmental and private hospitals. Instrument: Practical competency self evaluation questionnaire was used for data collection.Results: Showed that more than half of nursing interns (59.2%) were competent, while more than two fifths (40.8%) were incompetent. The highest mean score with the first ranking related to practical competency self evaluation was professional behavior, while the lowest mean score with the last ranking was critical thinking. Also the highest mean score with the first ranking related to practical needs was critical thinking Conclusion: More than two fifths of nursing interns (40.8%) had practical competency needs and there was highly statistical significant negative correlation between nursing interns' practical competency self-evaluations and their needs. Recommendation: hospitals should provide adequate training programs to improve nursing interns' practical competency and their needs to have high competency level.

The aim of this work is to develop an efficient method for detection and evaluation of the plant growth regulators produced from cyanobacteria species (Anabaena oryzae and Nostoc muscorum) cultivated on BG110, and Chlorophyta alga (Chlorella vulgaris) cultivated on BG11 in addition to the cultivation of these strains on treated sewage wastewater (TSW) combined with control media (BG11 and BG110) at different concentrations (100, 75 and 50%). Bioassays were performed on Wheat coleoptile length and Cucumber cotyledons fresh weight for indole acetic acid (IAA) and Benzyl adenine (BA) detection. In addition, application experiments of IAA and BA presence in algal extract were applied on tomato plantlets and soybean callus. The obtained results of A. oryzae and N. muscorum extracts (grown on BG110 and 100% sewage media) with optimum conc. of IAA and BA showed moderate shoot length and leaves number as well as high root initiation of tomato explant compared to control. While dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), IAA conc. as well as IAA + BA conc. showed no effect on branching and leaf expansion. The results of C. vulgaris (grown on BG11) also revealed that the shoot had high leaves number and greatest root initiation, without branching and leaf expansion. On the other hand, 100% TSW had a moderate shoot, leaves number and high root initiation. Extracts of A. oryzae and N. muscorum (grown on BG110) induced 1.5-fold increase in soybean callus fresh weight, while the growth on 100% TSW was shown to be less effective. Moreover, extract of C. vulgaris (grown on BG11) induced a moderate effect, while its growth on 100% TSW was shown to be less effective in soybean callus fresh weight increment.

The science of nanotechnology is expanding daily and has the potential to benefit people. Moringa oleifera is an abundant source of phenolic compounds, which are bioactive substances. It is recognised as a necessary plant because of its medicinal potential and a wide variety of health benefits. The aim of the current study is to examine the antioxidant, antibacterial, and cytotoxicity effects of five nanoparticles (La2O3, CuO, Fe2O3, Ag, and ZnO) made using bioactive chemicals in the aqueous extract of Moringa oleifera leaves on four human cell lines (T47D, HepG2, A549, and Wi38). The UV–visible spectroscopy analysis with a surface plasmon peak in the 300–490 nm range and the value of the zeta potential of the various biosynthesized nanoparticles ranged from + 31 to + 37 mV, indicated the repulsion between the particles and the stability of the formulation nanoparticles confirmed the formation of all nanoparticles. Additionally, the DPPH method was used to assess the antioxidant activity of five distinct metal nanoparticles. The results show that this method works in parallel and is dependent on both the concentration of NPs and the incubation time. The anticancer effect of synthesized nanoparticles against four different cell lines has been tested. The cytotoxicity assay showed a dose-dependent and time-dependent effect of nanoparticles. The obtained results conclude that acceptable potency against T47D and A549 cell lines with IC50 ranged from 38 to 210 μg/mL and 26 to 115 μg/mL, respectively. However, HepG2 and Wi38 cell lines showed relatively higher resistance against all tested nanoparticles when compared with Doxorubicin. Moreover, the antibacterial results revealed that silver nanoparticles exhibited the highest antibacterial activity against both Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus. Nanoparticles' high therapeutic activity at low concentrations opens up new avenues for the development of novel therapeutic approaches against human pathogens.

Caries lesions during cement repairs are a severe issue, and developing a unique antimicrobial restorative biomaterial can help to reduce necrotic lesion recurrence. As a result, Thymus vulgaris extract was used to biosynthesize copper nanoparticles (TVE-CuNPs) exhibiting different characteristics (TVE). Along with TVE-CuNPs, commercial silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and metronidazole were combined with glass ionomer cement (GIC) to test its antibacterial efficacy and compressive strength. FTIR, XRD, UV-Vis spectrophotometry, and TEM were applied to characterize the TVE-CuNPs. Additionally, AgNPs and TVE-CuNPs were also combined with metronidazole and GIC. The modified GIC samples were divided into six groups, where groups 1 and 2 included conventional GIC and GIC with 1.5% metromidazole, respectively; group 3 had GIC with 0.5% TVE-CuNPs, while group 4 had 0.5% TVE-CuNPs with metronidazole in 1.5%; group 5 had GIC with 0.5% AgNPs, and group 6 had 0.5% AgNPs with metronidazole at 1.5%. An antimicrobial test was performed against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) by the disc diffusion method and the modified direct contact test (MDCT). GIC groups 4 and 6 demonstrated a greater antimicrobial efficiency against the two tested strains than the other groups. In GIC groups 4 and 6, the combination of GIC with two antimicrobial agents, 1.5% metronidazole and 0.5% TVE-CuNPs or AgNPs, enhanced the antimicrobial efficiency when compared to that of the other groups with or without a single agent. GIC group specimens combined with nanosilver and nanocopper had similar mean compressive strengths when compared to the other GIC groups. Finally, the better antimicrobial efficacy of GIC boosted by metronidazole and the tested nanoparticles against the tested strains may be relevant for the future creation of more efficient and modified restorations to reduce dental caries lesions.

Background Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) is a biopolymer formed by some microbes in response to excess carbon sources or essential nutrient depletion. PHBs are entirely biodegradable into CO2 and H2O under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. It has several applications in various fields such as medicine, pharmacy, agriculture, and food packaging due to its biocompatibility and nontoxicity nature. Result In the present study, PHB-producing bacterium was isolated from the Dirout channel at Assiut Governorate. This isolate was characterized phenotypically and genetically as Bacillus cereus SH-02 (OM992297). According to one-way ANOVA test, the maximum PHB content was observed after 72 h of incubation at 35 °C using glucose and peptone as carbon and nitrogen source. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to study the interactive effects of glucose concentration, peptone concentration, and pH on PHB production. This result proved that all variables have a significant effect on PHB production either independently or in the interaction with each other. The optimized medium conditions with the constraint to maximize PHB content and concentration were 22.315 g/L glucose, and 15.625 g/L peptone at pH 7.048. The maximum PHB content and concentration were 3100.799 mg/L and 28.799% which was close to the actual value (3051 mg/l and 28.7%). The polymer was identified as PHB using FTIR, NMR, and mass spectrometry. FT-IR analysis showed a strong band at 1724 cm− 1 which attributed to the ester group’s carbonyl while NMR analysis has different peaks at 169.15, 67.6, 40.77, and 19.75 ppm that were corresponding to carbonyl, methine, methylene, and methyl resonance. Mass spectroscopy exhibited molecular weight for methyl 3- hydroxybutyric acid. Conclusion PHB–producing strain was identified as Bacillus cereus SH-02 (OM992297). Under optimum conditions from RSM analysis, the maximum PHB content and concentration of this strain can reach (3100.799 mg/L and 28.799%); respectively. FTIR, NMR, and Mass spectrometry were used to confirm the polymer as PHB. Our results demonstrated that optimization using RSM is one of the strategies used for reducing the production cost. RSM can determine the optimal factors to produce the polymer in a better way and in a larger quantity without consuming time.

The current work aims to investigate the effect of abiotic stresses (nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) [0.0 g/l, 1.5 g/l, 3 g/l, 6 g/l, and 12 g/l N and 0.0 g/l, 0.07 g/l, 0.15 g/l, 0.3 g/l, and 0.6 g/l S] and their combination [0.3 g/l S + 6 g/l N]) of axenic culture of Nostoc linckia on the production of secondary metabolites which induce different biological activities. Growth rate was measured by dry weight (DW) and optical density (OD)550 nm. Additionally, phytochemical compounds, defense enzymes as well as antioxidant activity against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azino-bis(ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS·+) radical assays of crude extracts (methylene chloride:methanol, 1:1) were evaluated. Based on antioxidant activity, four promising extracts were subjected to different biological activities such as anticancer, antimicrobial, and antiviral activities. The obtained results revealed that supplementation of external nitrogen source in the form of sodium nitrate was found to increase the total phycobiliprotein content by fivefold. Also, nitrogen depletion provoked significantly highest quantities of phenolic and flavonoid content and this has effects on biological activities of Nostoc linckia. Moreover, 0.3 g/l S was found to be the most effective extract exhibiting a significant increase in antioxidant activity based on DPPH and ABTS assays, respectively (88.18 ± 0.64% and 84.20 ± 1.01%). Furthermore, it recorded anticancer activity against HCT 116 cell line with IC50 of 155 μg/ml. Moreover, this extract possessed a noticeable antibacterial potency (21.0 ± 1.0 as mm inhibition zone against Staphylococcus aureus and 19.3 ± 0.6 against Streptococcus mutans). In addition, its antiviral activity against H5N1 virus as a percentage of inhibition was 50% and 63.6% at a concentration of 7 μg/ml and 28 μg/ml, respectively, with cytotoxicity less than 7 μg/μl. GC-MS analysis recorded the presence of bioactive compounds exhibiting different biological activities. Therefore, the obtained results can represent valuable bioactive compounds with variable biological potencies.

The study examines the prophylactic action of artichoke leaf hydroethanolic extract (ALE) and artichoke flower head hydroethanolic extract (AFE) against diethylnitrosamine (DEN)/acetylaminofluorene (AAF)-induced lung cancer in Wistar rats. To chemically induce lung cancer, DEN was injected intraperitoneally twice a week for a fortnight at a dose of 150 mg/kg body weight (b.w.), followed by oral supplementation of AAF four times a week for 3 weeks at a dose of 20 mg/kg b.w. The DEN/AAF-administered rats were orally supplemented with ALE or AFE at a dose of 100 mg/kg b.w. for 17 weeks starting from the 1st week of DEN injection to the 17th week of the experiment. The lung cancerous injuries resulting from DEN/AAF-administration were significantly improved by the treatment with ALE and AFE as observed in histological examination. In addition, there was a significant reduction in lung lipid peroxidation, with resultant elevation in antioxidant enzymatic activity of glutathione-S-transferase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and superoxide dismutase as well as glutathione content in DEN/AAF-supplemented rats treated with ALE and AFE as compared to DEN/AAF-administered control. The lung tumor suppressor protein (p53) and B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) mRNA expression significantly increased in the rats treated with ALE and AFE. In conclusion, the finding showed that ALE and AFE produced anti-cancer prophylactic effects against DEN/AAF-induced lung cancer in rats via suppression of oxidative stress and improved apoptotic signal induction.

In the present investigation natural phenolic antioxidants were extracted from Jojoba seed waste. Samples of defatted jojoba seed meal (JSM), detoxified meal residue (DMR) and jojoba seed shell (JSH) were subjected to extraction by using various solvents: 70/30 (vol/vol) ethanol/water, 70/30 (vol/vol) methanol/water and 60/40 (vol/vol) acetone/water. Total phenolics content (TPC) is measured according to the Folin-Ciocalteu method. In addition, solvent extracts were tested for their antioxidant activity (AA) in vitro by the DPPH radical scavenging and the β-carotene linoleic acid bleaching methods. The highest amount of total phenolic compounds (TPC) is observed with 60% acetone extract of JSH (163.81±6.88 mg GAE g -1 extract DW). On the other hand, the 70% Methanolic extract of JSH indicates the highest activity in scavenging DPPH free radicals. DMR extracts had low amount of phenolics. Furthermore, the ethanolic extract of JSM and JSH at concentration 200ppm showed good antioxidant capacity for stabilization of super palm olein (SPO) than BHT as determined by the rancimat procedure. Therefore, these extracts could be a good alternative for synthetic antioxidant to protect the vegetable oils such as SPO which contain different levels of unsaturated fatty acids.

Polydatin (PD) has a broad range of pharmacological activities; however, its effects on diabetic liver damage are poorly studies. This work is aimed to explore possible protective effects of polydatin-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (PD-CSNPs) or PD against liver damage associated with diabetes. Diabetes was induced in rats using nicotinamide/streptozotocin treatment. Diabetic rats were then divided into six groups: normal control rats, diabetic control rats, and rats orally treated with PD, PD-CSNPs, equivalent unloaded CSNPs, or metformin daily for 4 weeks. Treatment with PD and PD-CSNPs significantly reduced the blood glucose content, lipid peroxidation in the liver, and activities of serum transaminases and carbohydrate metabolism enzymes (including succinate dehydrogenase and pyruvate kinase); by contrast, liver glycogen content, glutathione concentration, and activities of the antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase) were markedly increased compared with the control diabetic rats. Furthermore, expression of the tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin-1β mRNAs was significantly downregulated, while expression of glucose transporter 2 and glucokinase mRNAs was strongly upregulated vs. control diabetic rats. We concluded that PD-CSNPs and PD ameliorate diabetic liver damage by modulating glucose transporter 2 expression, affecting the activity of carbohydrate metabolism enzymes, and suppressing oxidative stress and inflammation, PD-CSNPs being more efficient than PD, probably due to higher bioavailability and prolonged release.

Background Chlorella vulgaris is a microalga potentially used for pharmaceutical, animal feed, food supplement, aquaculture and cosmetics. The current study aims to study the antioxidant and prooxidant effect of Chlorella vulgaris cultivated under various conc. of copper ions. Methods The axenic green microalgal culture of Chlorella vulgaris was subjected to copper stress conditions (0.00, 0.079, 0.158, 0.316 and 0.632 mg/L). The growth rate was measured at OD680 nm and by dry weight (DW). Moreover, the Antioxidant activity against DPPH and ABTS radical, pigments and phytochemical compounds of the crude extracts (methylene chloride: Methanol, 1:1) were evaluated. The promising Cu crude extract (0.316 mg/L) further fractionated into twenty-one fractions by silica gel column chromatography using hexane, chloroform and ethyl acetate as a mobile phase. Results The obtained results reported that nine out of these fractions exhibited more than 50% antioxidant activity and anticancer activity against Hela cancer cell lines. Based on IC50, fraction No. 7 was found to be the most effective fraction possessing a significant increase in both antioxidant and anticancer potency. Separation of active compound (s) in fraction No 7 was performed using precoated silica gel plates (TLC F254) with ethyl acetate: hexane (9:1 v/v) as mobile phase. Confirmation of active compound separation was achieved by two-dimensional TLC and visualization of the separated compound by UV lamp. The complete identification of the separated active compound was performed by UV- Vis- spectrophotometric absorption, IR, MS, H1-NMRT C13-NMR. The isolated compound ((2E,7R,11R)-3,7,11,15-Tetramethyl-2-hexadecenol) have high antioxidant activity with IC50 (10.59 μg/ml) against DPPH radical assay and comparable to the capacities of the positive controls, Butylated hydroxy toluene [BHT] (IC50 11.2 μg/ml) and Vitamin C (IC50 12.9 μg/ml). Furthermore, pure isolated compound exhibited a potent anticancer activity against Hela cell line with IC50 (4.38 μg/ml) compared to Doxorubicin (DOX) as synthetic drug (13.3 μg/ml). In addition, the interaction of the pure compound with Hela cancer cell line and gene expression were evaluated. Conclusions The authors recommend cultivation of Chlorella vulgaris in large scale under various stress conditions for use the crude extracts and semi purified fractions for making a pharmaco-economic value in Egypt and other countries.