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Providing clean water suitable for drinking, agriculture and living organisms is essential in the ecosystem. Therefore, the qualitative assessment of water resources using qualitative indicators is considered one of the most appropriate ways to manage water and develop a regular program for water quality. In this research, 11 sites were used in the Ali Al-Gharbi district in order to evaluate the quality of water in these sites and compare it with international and Iraqi standards and its suitability for drinking. Agriculture, as the results showed that most of the concentrations of the qualitative specifications of the studied characteristics are not suitable for human use and agriculture in the study area.

Objectives: This study aimed to prove the effects of Escherichia coli isolates isolated from dis¬eased broilers to form biofilms, describe their antimicrobial sensetivity, and determine the effect of allicin and cinnamon essential oils on the expression of some genes (fimH, int1, and luxS) through quantitative polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR). Materials and Methods: 140 samples were obtained from diseased broilers in Beni-Suef Governorate, Egypt. These samples were examined by conventional bacteriology methods to detect the causative agent. The antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolated bacteria was assessed using the disc diffusion method, The ability of yeast extract-casamino acids Congo Red Agar to generate phenotypic biofilms was next tested. The presence of resistance and virulence genes in some multidrug resistant isolates was genotypically investigated. The antibacterial effects of allicin and cinnamon oil were evaluated against the growth of multidrug-resistant E. coli. Finally, q-PCR was utilized to assess changes in some genes' expression. Results: Escherichia coli was isolated from 61 samples (43.6%). An antimicrobial susceptibility test revealed that multidrug-resistance (MDR) (could resist more than three antimicrobial classes) E. coli prevalence was 100%. 40.8% of isolates phenotypically produce biofilms. The detection of resistance and virulence genes by PCR showed that all tested isolates carry aadB, fimH, int1, qnrS, and luxS genes, while only 40% harbor iss genes. q-PCR showed that after treatment with allicin and cinnamon oils, gene expression went down. Conclusion: This investigation highlights that E. coli showed resistance against most of the tested antimicrobials; all isolates were MDR. The study showed wide dissemination of virulence and resistance genes among E. coli. Allicin and cinnamon oils have antimicrobial activities and could be used as alternatives to synthetic antimicrobial agents. [J Adv Vet Anim Res 2022; 9(2.000): 191-202]

Objective: The objectives of this study were to determine the biofilm-forming capability and anti¬microbial susceptibility of Escherichia coli recovered from bovine endometritis samples. Materials and Methods: A total of 120 uterine specimens were collected from cows suffering from endometritis for bacteriological examination. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was carried out for all isolated E. coli by using the disc diffusion method. The isolates were phenotypically studied for biofilm-forming ability by cultivation on yeast extract -casamino acids Congo red agar (CRA). Some randomly selected isolates were chosen for the molecular identification of some virulence and resistance genes. Results: A total of 58(48.3%) E. coli isolates could be isolated from the 120 samples. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing exhibited that 91.4%, 79.3%, 79.3%, 74.1%, and 58.6% of the isolates were sensitive to gentamicin, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, ciprofloxacin, cephalexin, and sulfamethox¬azole-trimethoprim, respectively. On the other hand, 91.4% and 70.7% isolates were resistant to cefotaxime and doxycycline, respectively. Cultivation on CRA revealed that 46.6% of isolates were biofilm producers. The molecular detection of resistance and virulence genes declared that all iso¬lates harbored blaTEM, sul1, tetA, qnrS, blaCTX-M, and fimH with a percentage of 100%, papC (40%), and hlyA (10%). FimH was the most prevalent biofilm-associated gene. Conclusion: The present study highlights the high prevalence of multi-drug- resistant E. coli asso¬ciated with bovine endometritis. The detection of the fimH gene is circumstantial evidenced that this gene has a crucial role in biofilm formation in intrauterine pathogenic E. coli. [J Adv Vet Anim Res 2020; 7(3.000): 442-451]

Objectives: This study was performed to probe the antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes profiling in Pseudomonas aeruginosa recovered from the cases of pericarditis in broiler chickens. Materials and Methods: The samples (n = 250) collected from the cases of pericarditis in broiler chickens were bacteriologically examined. Antimicrobial susceptibility was tested by disc diffusion technique. The isolates were genotypically studied for the presence of antimicrobial resistance and virulence gene traits. Finally, the nucleotide sequence of representative resistance gene (mexR gene) and virulence genes (toxA and lasI genes) was analyzed. Results: P. aeruginosa was isolated from 45 samples (18%). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed multidrug resistance in most of the recovered P. aeruginosa isolates, whereas colistin and imipenem were the furthermost in vitro-sensitive antibiotics. Antimicrobial resistance genes, such as blaCTX, fox, and mexR, were prevalent in 100%, 80%, and 100% of the isolates, respectively. PCR confirmed virulence genes such as toxA, exoY, lasB, and lasI in 100%, 60%, 80%, and 80% of the isolates, respectively. Nucleotide sequence analysis of representative resistance gene (mexR gene) and virulence genes (toxA and lasI genes) revealed a high correlation between P. aeruginosa recovered from pericarditis in broiler chickens in the present study with PAO1 (reference strain) and with other sequences published on the GenBank representing different localities worldwide. Conclusion: It could be concluded that P. aeruginosa recovered from pericarditis in broiler chick¬ens in the current study is highly virulent bacteria, resisting most of the therapeutic agents which not only bear hazards for poultry industry but also represent a public health concern. [J Adv Vet Anim Res 2020; 7(3.000): 452-463]

In this study, we conducted a case-control investigation to assess the immunogenicity and effectiveness of primary and first booster homologous and heterologous COVID-19 vaccination regimens against infection and hospitalization, targeting variants circulating in Lebanon during 2021–2022. The study population comprised active Lebanese military personnel between February 2021 and September 2022. Vaccine effectiveness (VE) against laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and associated hospitalization was retrospectively determined during different variant-predominant periods using a case-control study design. Vaccines developed by Sinopharm, Pfizer, and AstraZeneca as well as Sputnik V were analyzed. Prospective assessment of humoral immune response, which was measured based on the SARS-CoV-2 antispike receptor binding domain IgG titer, was performed post vaccination at various time points, focusing on Sinopharm and Pfizer vaccines. Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS and GraphPad Prism. COVID-19 VE remained consistently high before the emergence of the Omicron variant, with lower estimates during the Delta wave than those during the Alpha wave for primary vaccination schemes. However, vaccines continued to offer significant protection against infection. VE estimates consistently decreased for the Omicron variant across post-vaccination timeframes and schemes. VE against hospitalization declined over time and was influenced by the variant. No breakthrough infections progressed to critical or fatal COVID-19. Immunogenicity analysis revealed that the homologous Pfizer regimen elicited a stronger humoral response than Sinopharm, while a heterologous Sinopharm/Pfizer regimen yielded comparable results to the Pfizer regimen. Over time, both Sinopharm's and Pfizer's primary vaccination schemes exhibited decreased humoral immunity titers, with Pfizer being a more effective booster than Sinopharm. This study, focusing on healthy young adults, provides insights into VE during different pandemic waves. Continuous research and monitoring are essential for understanding vaccine-mediated immune responses under evolving circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visually impaired people are facing many problems in their life. One of these problems is how they can find the objects in their indoor environment. This research was presented to assists visually impaired people in finding the objects in office. Object detection is a method used to detect the objects in images and videos. Many algorithms used for object detection such as convolutional neural network (CNN) and you only look once (YOLO). The proposed method was YOLO which outperforms the other algorithms such as CNN. In CNN the algorithm splits the image into regions. These regions sequentially enters the neural network for object detection and recognition so CNN does not deal with all the regions at the same time but YOLO looks the entire image then it produces the bounding boxes with convolutional network and the probabilities of these boxes, this makes YOLO faster than other algorithms. Open source computer vision (OpenCV) used to capture frames by using camera. Then YOLO used to detect and recognize the objects in each frame. Finally, the sound in Arabic language was generated to tell the visually impaired people about the objects. The proposed system can detect 6 objects and achieve an accuracy of 99%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is the most common form of chronic anovulation associated with androgen excess, occurring in 5-10% of reproductive age women. It is also the most common endocrine abnormality in premenopausal women. the cause of PCOS remain unknown. There are many theories, with much evidence pointing towards a genetic link because of the appearance of PCOS in clusters of female relatives and the presence of PCOS in certain individuals before their first menstruation. symptoms of PCOS include: irregular, increase in facial or body hair (hirsutism), loss Head hair, overweight or difficulty Weight loss, oily skin, acne, difficulty pregnant, Depression and psychological problems. The pathophysiological mechanisms behind the development of PCOS are poorly understood. The disorder is associated with dysfunction of many organs such as the liver, pancreas, adrenals, ovaries, hypothalamus, pituitary, muscular and fatty tissue, but how these dysfunctions are linked to the development of the PCOS phenotype is not fully understood. Hereditary factors play a role, and an autosomal dominant inheritance has been suggested. However, the genes involved are yet to be identified. Both genetic and lifestyle factors contribute to the development of the polycystic ovary syndrome phenotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Members of the genus Hypericum L. are traditionally used for various illnesses including depression. In this study, the effects of essential oil obtained from Hypericum scabrum L. on anxiety and depressive-like behavior were evaluated in dementia animal model. H. scabrum essential oil (1% and 3%) was applied to rats for 21 days by inhalation. Then, the rats were treated with scopolamine prior to behavioral tests: elevated plus maze and forced swimming test. H. scabrum essential oil increased the number of open arm entries and number of crossings within elevated plus maze as compared to scopolamine-alone treated group, demonstrating anxiolytic effect. Furthermore, depressive-like symptoms induced by scopolamine were reduced by H. scabrum essential oil inhalation as evidenced by increases in the swimming time and decreases in the immobility time within forced swimming test. These results show anxiolytic and antidepressant-like activities of H. scabrum essential oil in dementia rat model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study aimed to determinate the genotypic prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) at Al- Muthanna province - Iraq. Then determine which genotype is predominant. The prevalence of HCV genotypes in this province was unknown. The genotypic study is important for the selection of the best antiviral drugs of the disease. This study was conducted in the health institutes of Al-Muthanna Governorate for the period from October 2018 to April 2019. The study included collection (5 ml) of the blood sample for the total number of persons (2842) from (thalassemia patients, blood donors and renal dialysis patients). Then, they were examined by the initial test using ELISA technique, where it was found that 81(2.85%) people were positive for this test. Then, the PCR technique (RT-PCR) was carried out for serum samples which were positive for ELISA test. Results showed that 60(74.07%) of the 81(2.85%) samples were positive in the PCR test. DNA sequencing technique was used to determine which genotype is prevalent in Al- Muthanna Governorate, 30 samples were tested from 60 samples of positive samples in PCR. The results showed that three genotypes of HCV were detected in patients, genotype 1a 16(53.33%), genotype 2a 9(30%) and genotype 2b 5(16.66%) with significant differences (p<0.05). Genotype 1a was the predominant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of inhaled Achillea biebersteinii Afan. (Asteraceae) essential oil on memory, anxiety and depression in scopolamine-induced amnesic rats. Six groups of adult female Wistar rats (3 months old) were used. These are, control group, Scopolamine - alonetreated group, diazepam alone-treated group, tramadol alone treated group, Sco + A. biebersteinii essential oil 1 % administrated group and Sco + A. biebersteinii essential oil 3 % administrated groups. Memory performances were assessed by Y-maze task and radial-arm maze task. Anxiety and depressive-like behavior were evaluated by elevated plus-maze and forced swimming tasks, respectively. The scopolamine-only administrated group showed impaired spatial memory as evidenced by decrease of the spontaneous alternation percentage in Ymaze test, and increase of the number of working and reference memory errors in the radial arm-maze test. In addition, scopolamine-only administrated group displayed increased anxiety and depressive-like behavior as evidenced by decrease of the exploratory activity, the percentage of the time spent and the number of entries in the open arm within elevated plus-maze test and decrease of swimming time and increase of immobility time within forced swimming test. Achillea biebersteinii essential oil significantly improved memory formation, and reduced anxiety and depression-like behavior in scopolamine-induced rats as compared to scopolamine-alone induced rats. The essential oil of this plant could be a good candidate for complementary therapy against neurological diseases like Alzheimer's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• BBIBP-CorV×2/BNT162b2 is associated with higher immunogenicity than BNT162b2×2. • BBIBP-CorV/BNT162b2 is safe and well tolerated. • Heterologous COVID-19 vaccine regimens can help overcome procurement obstacles. • Heterologous vaccination may potentially protect against emerging variants. Facing new COVID-19 waves, the effectiveness of BBIBP-CorV has been noted to be low in countries whose populations were already administered two doses of the vaccine. Heterologous vaccination using ChAdOx1-S/BNT162b2 elicited higher immunogenicity compared with homologous immunization. BBIBP-CorV/BNT162b2 combination is worth testing. In this pilot prospective cohort study conducted at Makassed General Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon, from February 17, 2021, to June 30, 2021, we tested the safety and immunogenicity of a BNT162b2 booster dose in COVID-19-naïve individuals who had received two doses of the BBIBP-CorV vaccine. Heterologous booster vaccination was found to be safe and well tolerated. It was significantly associated with higher anti-spike IgG geometric mean titers compared to that after homologous BNT162b2 immunization in COVID-19-naïve individuals [(8040 BAU/mL, 95% confidence interval (CI), 4612–14 016) vs (1384 BAU/mL, 95% CI, 1063–1801), respectively, (P < 0.0001)]. In countries with limited access to mRNA vaccines and where populations have already received BBIBP-CorV, mixing BBIBP-CorV/BNT162b2 is seen to overcome the low immunogenicity induced by BBIBP-CorV alone, thus potentially providing protection against emerging variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]