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Stress is a common phenomenon that is attracting increasing attention. Hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S) is a gasotransmitter that plays an important role in many physiological and pathological events. Our study aimed to estimate the effect and the underlying mechanisms of the H(2)S donor, sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS), against immobilization stress (IS)–induced lung injury. Forty adult male rats were classified into control group, NaHS group, and IS groups with and without NaHS treatment. Serum was obtained to determine corticosterone (CORT), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), and interleukin-10 (IL-10) levels. Lung H(2)S, nitric oxide (NO), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured. Lung expressions of H(2)S synthesizing enzymes and Western blot analysis of nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 (Nrf2) and hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF 1α) were estimated. Histopathological changes and immunohistochemical assessment of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and caspase‐3 were also done. Pretreatment with NaHS led to marked histological protection from lung damage seen in IS rats. Furthermore, pretreatment with NaHS before IS protected lung H(2)S levels and expressions of H(2)S-synthesizing enzymes. Similarly, the levels of CORT, TNF-α, IL-10, MDA, TAC, NO, iNOS, HIF-1 α, and nuclear Nrf2 and expressions of NF-kB and caspase 3 were all maintained at near control levels in contrast to that in the IS rats. In conclusion, NaHS is protective against stress‐induced lung injury due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-fibrotic, and antiapoptotic effects. Thus, NaHS can be used to minimize stress complications on lung.

The present study was conducted to investigate the potential of the free-floating macrophytes Pistia stratiotes to remediate nutrients and restore the eutrophic drain (Al-Sero Drain), South Nile Delta, Egypt. Plant and water samples were collected monthly for ten months using three randomly distributed quadrats in each of three sites. Monthly significant variation in all investigated water nutrients was recorded. The plant biomass showed bell-shaped distribution, with the lowest shoot and root biomass during May, while their peaks were during September. The plant shoots accumulated higher concentrations of most nutrient elements, except Mg, than the roots. The order of nutrients concentration (%) in P. stratiotes shoot was K > N > Ca > Na > Mg > P, while in the root was K > N > Na > Ca > Mg > P. Most nutrients standing stock (g/m−2) had the same biomass trend with the minimum during May and the maximum during August–October, which is the potential period for mowing the plant to remediate the highest nutrients and restore the eutrophic watercourses. Most investigated nutrients (except Ca) content in water were significantly correlated to their concentration in the different plant organs, which in turn provide a quantitative assessment of the environmental quality that suggests the potential use of this plant as a biomonitor of nutrient elements in eutrophic watercourses.

Tissue culture methods are useful in assessing the tolerance of various stresses due to the ease of controlling stress under in vitro conditions. This study aimed to investigate the response of sugarcane genotyps to drought stress using calli as a model system. For inducing sugarcane callus, the medium of Murashige and Skoog (MS) was used with different mannitol concentrations (100, 200, and 300 mM) to measure their effects on callus frequency, the day of callus initiation, embryogenic potential, relative growth rate (RGR), water and proline contents, K+ and Na+ contents, as well as the formation of shoot and roots for three sugarcane genotypes (e.g., GT 54-9, G 84-47, and pH 8013). The RAPD-PCR analysis was carried out using five oligonucleotide primers to identify the genetic variation among sugarcane genotypes. The results indicated that the degree of callus proliferation varied from 70 − 86%. The highest value of callus proliferation, PGR, shoot formation was recorded for the genotype GT 54-9 compared to the other two genotypes (G 84-47 and pH 8013). Calli treated with 100 mM mannitol showed the highest RGR, proline and waer contents for the genotype GT 54-9, while, those treated with 300 mM recorded the lowest values of these parameters for the genotype pH 8013. The genotype G 84-47 collected highest Na+ content, while the genotype pH 8013 collected highest K+ content. The results of this study recommend preference for GT 54-9 genotype, which is considered the most promising genotype, showing more tolerance to drought stress based on all studied traits.

Summary Background The landscape of dermatology services, already rapidly evolving into an increasingly digital one, has been irretrievably altered by the COVID‐19 (SARS‐CoV‐2) pandemic. Data are needed to assess how best to deliver virtual dermatology services in specific patient subgroups in an era of ongoing social distancing and beyond. Initial studies of teledermatology in paediatric populations suggest that many of the problems experienced in adult telemedicine are more apparent when treating children and come with additional challenges. Aim To evaluate the efficacy of a virtual paediatric dermatology telephone clinic in comparison to traditional face‐to‐face (FTF) clinics, both from the clinician and patient/parental perspective. Methods We carried out a prospective service evaluation examining a single centre cohort of paediatric dermatology patients managed during the COVID‐19 pandemic via a telephone clinic supported by images. The study period covered June–September 2020. Data on outcomes were collected from clinicians and a qualitative patient/parental telephone survey was undertaken separately. A five‐point Likert scale was used to assess both satisfaction and levels of agreement regarding whether a telephone clinic was more convenient than an FTF clinic. Results Of 116 patients included, 24% were new and 76% were follow‐up patients, with a mixture of inflammatory dermatoses (75%) and lesions (25%). From the clinician's perspective, most consultations (91%) were successfully completed over the telephone. However, qualitative patient and parent feedback paradoxically illustrated that although nearly all (98%) respondents had no outstanding concerns, 52% felt highly unsatisfied and only 22% agreed that telephone clinics were more convenient. Most (65%) preferred FTF follow‐up in the future. Statistical analysis using χ² test showed that among those with established follow‐ups, the preference for future consultation type was independent of specific reasons for follow‐up. Conclusions Our study demonstrates a clear discrepancy between the practical successes of a virtual service from the clinician’s perspective compared with the patient/parental perspective. Parental anxiety appears to be less effectively allayed virtually than with FTF. This raises the question of whether there is a role for virtual paediatric telephone clinics in the postpandemic future, which may be better left to patients/parents to decide on an individual basis.

Cleaning of pollutants from contaminated soils is a public matter to prevent their access to the food chain. There are many technological methods that are used in the remediation of contaminated soils, but phytoremediation technology is the new trend in the world because it does not cause damage on soil quality and it is an environmentally friendly method. This study aims to use one of the halophytic plants [Atriplex lentiformis (Torr.) S.Wats] to clean a soil contaminated with cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb). Furthermore, the study aims to explore the mechanism of compost and nitrogen fertilization in the phytoremediation capacity of quail bush plants. A pot experiment was conducted for a year to evaluate the effect of compost and nitrogen fertilization on the efficiency of quail bush [Atriplex lentiformis (Torr.) S.Wats] in removing Cd and Pb from the contaminated soil. The experiment contained four treatments including control without any fertilization (C), compost (COM) at a rate of 10 g kg−1 soil, nitrogen fertilization (N) at a rate of 150 mg N kg−1 soil, and combined application of compost and nitrogen (COM + N). The application of N, COM, and COM + N significantly (P N > COM > C. N, COM, and COM + N increased the Cd in shoots by 40, 33, and 60%, respectively, compared to C, and increased Pb by 17, 7, and 23%. Quail bush plants removed 6.6–14.1% of the total soil Cd and 1.0–1.7% of the total soil Pb. Quail bush removed 11, 10, and 14% of the total soil Cd when the soil was amended with N, COM, and COM + N, respectively, while it removed 1.48, 1.28, and 1.74% of the total Pb as results of the same treatments. The addition of COM and N led to an increase in the synthesis of chlorophyll and a decrease in the synthesis of proline and oxalate which are used to control the osmosis of plant cells. The single addition of N and COM led to significant improvement in alleviating the toxicity stress, while adding them together significantly outperformed the individual additions. The ability of quail bush plants in cleaning the polluted soil increased as a result of nitrogen and compost application due to the increase in the metal concentration in the shoot and the increase in the total plant biomass. The studied quail bush plants have a high ability to withstand Cd and Pb in polluted soil, but their ability to remove Pb from the contaminated soils is weak, while they remove large amounts of Cd. Quail bush plants grown on metal-contaminated soils removed 14% of the total soil Cd during a year when amended with both compost and nitrogen.

Thermostable DNA polymerases are being widely used in polymerase chain reaction for diagnosis, cloning and DNA sequencing purposes. We have cloned a gene from Pyrobaculum calidifontis encoding a thermostable DNA polymerase and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3). The gene product was produced in soluble and highly active form. However, the expression was low, which resulted in a poor yield of the recombinant enzyme. In order to get higher expression, we introduced a silent mutation at second codon by replacing the rare codon (AGG), for arginine, with an E. coli preferred codon (CGT). This resulted in nearly a 2-fold higher production of the recombinant protein. We further optimized the inducer concentration and time of cultivation after induction. Under optimized conditions nearly 3-fold higher production of the recombinant protein was observed. Furthermore, we changed the expression host to E. coli Rosetta DE3 cells. However, there was no increase in the expression level, rather it was slightly decreased. Such silent mutations and use of an alternate expression host can be used to enhance heterologous expression of other genes too.

The objective of the current study was to examine the chemical composition and biological functions of the various Taif’s rose (TR) organs and floral solid distillation wastes (SDW). Additionally, it assessed the SDW’s potential use in animal feed and potential health applications. For chemical and biological analyses, the plant stems, leaves, and flowers as well as the SDW of TR were gathered from four farms in the Al-Shafa highland region of Taif, Saudi Arabia. The highest levels of cardiac glycosides, flavonoids, and phenolics were found in the flowers (7.66 mg securiaside g−1, 16.33 mg GAE g−1, and 10.90 mg RUE g−1, respectively), while the highest carbohydrate and alkaloid contents were found in the TR leaves (2.09% and 9.43 mg AE g−1, respectively) with no significant differences from the SDW. Quercetin, apigenin, and rutin flavonoids, as well as isocorydine and boldine alkaloids, were found in larger concentrations in the flowers and floral SDW than in the leaves and stems. The various TR flower extracts were effective against Gram-negative and -positive bacteria but had no effect on fungal strains, but the SDW’s methanol extract was only effective against fungi. The plant stem had the highest N, K, and Mg contents (138, 174, and 96.12 mg kg−1, respectively), while the leaves had the highest P and Ca values (6.58 and 173.93 mg kg−1, respectively). The leaves had the highest contents of total carbohydrates and acid detergent fibre (59.85 and 3.93%, respectively), while the stems had the highest total protein and acid detergent fibre (8.66 and 24.17%, respectively), and the SDW had the highest fats and crude fiber (0.57 and 36.52%, respectively). The highest amounts of digestible crude protein, gross energy, and total dissolved nutrients (TDN) (4.52% and 412.61 Mcal kg−1) were found in the plant stem and flowers, respectively. The results of the current experiment showed that the TDN contents of the various organs and the SDW of TR are suitable for mature dry gestating beef cows. It was determined that, in addition to the SDW’s potential usage as an ingredient in animal feed, various plant parts and TR’s SDW can be utilized for a variety of medical reasons.

BackgroundIn 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global health pandemic. The rapid spread and high fatalities associated with COVID-19 have increased interest in assessing Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) toward this illness among the general population in comparison to specific subgroups. Most publications to date have explored KAP among the general public, healthcare providers, and people with chronic conditions, but not amongst those with mental illness. Yet, research has shown patients with mental illness are at higher risk of poor outcomes related to infectious diseases such as COVID-19. The objective of this study is to compare KAP toward COVID-19 between people with mental illness and the general public.Materials and methodsThis is a cross-sectional study, done over 3°months in 2020, to compare KAP during the COVID-19 pandemic in three groups: outpatients from outpatient Psychiatry clinics (N = 165), inpatients admitted to a Psychiatry ward (N = 100), and the general public (N = 345). KAP parameters were assessed through online surveys.ResultsThe proportion of subjects in the public group (84.8%) giving the correct responses to most Knowledge questions was significantly higher than those in the inpatient and outpatient groups. Compared to the public and inpatient groups, subjects in the outpatient group (92.7%) were significantly more optimistic and confident that COVID-19 would be brought under control. A higher proportion of subjects from the general public (82.9%) indicated that they attended crowded places and were more compliant in wearing masks. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that poorer COVID-19 knowledge was associated with being single and having a young age (18–29), with both inpatients and outpatients and with primary-or secondary-level education.ConclusionPatient populations, both inpatients and outpatients, had inadequate Knowledge, more positive attitudes and confidence regarding the outcome of COVID-19, and less safe practices than the public. This highlights the need for targeted approaches around COVID-19 and pandemics in general in this vulnerable population.

Most of the freshwaters worldwide are used for agriculture. Freshwater sources are expected to decline and will not suffice to support the food production needed for the growing population. Therefore, growing crops with seawater might constitute a solution. However, very little work has been done on the effect of seawater stress on wheat, an important cereal crop. The present study aimed to determine whether particular wheat genotypes provided better resistance to seawater stress. A set of 80 highly diverse spring wheat genotypes collected from different countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America was exposed to 50% seawater stress at the early growth stage. Four seeding shoot and root traits were scored for all genotypes. High genetic variations were found among all genotypes for the epicotyl length (EL), hypocotyl length (HL), number of radicles (NOR), and fresh weight (FW). Eight genotypes with high-performance scores of seedling traits were selected. The correlation analyses revealed highly significant correlations among all traits scored in this study. The strongest correlation was found between the NOR and the other seeding traits. Thus, the NOR might be an important adaptive trait for seawater tolerance. The genetic diversity among all genotypes was investigated based on genetic distance. A wide range of genetic distances among all genotypes was found. There was also a great genetic distance among the eight selected genotypes. In particular, the genetic distance between ATRI 5310 (France) and the other seven genotypes was the greatest. Such high genetic diversity might be utilized to select highly divergent genotypes for crossing in a future breeding program. The present study provides very useful information on the presence of different genetic resources in wheat for seawater tolerance.

The stucco window in this study is kept in the stores of the Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo, Egypt, and bears the number 454/7. This window has been exposed to many damage factors, the most important of which is the fire that broke out in the museum in 2006 AD, in addition to the effect of the water that was used to extinguish the fire. This research aims to study the components of the window (stucco - glass - wood) and identify the transformations resulting from the effect of fire using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy coupled with EDX, X-ray diffraction, and infrared spectroscopy. In addition, the microbiological damage resulting from the moisture that saturates the plaster and wood was investigated.

Purpose The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and safety of a novel IPOM procedure with peritoneal bridging (IPOM-pb) for laparoscopic ventral hernia repair, and to compare the outcomes of this procedure with IPOM with- (IPOM-plus) and IPOM without (sIPOM) defect closure. Method A single-centre retrospective study comparing a novel IPOM technique with peritoneal bridging (IPOM-pb) with the two commonly used IPOM techniques, IPOM with defect closure (IPOM-plus) and without defect closure (sIPOM). The intraoperative and postoperative data of patients who underwent laparoscopic IPOM ventral hernia repair were reviewed. Preoperative data, recurrence, and postoperative seroma, surgical site infection, and pain, were compared. Results From January 2017 to June 2020, a total of 213 patients underwent laparoscopic ventral and incisional hernia repair with IPOM technique. The mean length and width of the ventral hernia was 4.4 ± 1.8 cm and 3.6 ± 1.4 cm, respectively, and the mean BMI was 30.1 ± 5.2 kg/m2. The mean operating time was 67 ± 28 min and was longer for IPOM-pb (71 ± 27 min), less for IPOM-plus (63 ± 28 min), and least for sIPOM (61 ± 26 min). The incidence of early postoperative seroma was least in IPOM-pb (1/98, 1%), and similar in the IPOM-plus (4/94, 4%) and sIPOM (1/21, 5%) group. Late postoperative seroma was found only in IPOM-plus (2, 2%). The incidence of early and late postoperative pain was relatively higher in sIPOM (3, 14%; 1, 5%, respectively) compared to IPOM-pb and IPOM-plus in the early (5, 5% and 6, 6%) and late (2, 2% and 1, 1%) postoperative period, respectively. Surgical site infection was higher in sIPOM group (3, 14%), compared to IPOM-pb (1, 1%), and IPOM-plus (3, 3%). Recurrence rates were similar in IPOM-pb group (3/98, 3%) and IPOM-plus (3/94, 3%), and none in sIPOM (0/21). Conclusion IPOM with peritoneal bridging is as feasible and safe as conventional IPOM with defect closure and simple non-defect closure. However, a large randomised controlled trial is required to confirm this finding.

Seromas are a common and unavoidable complication following lymphadenectomy, and often become clinically significant with superseded infection requiring re-admission for prompt intervention. However, there is no consensus as to whether a formal surgical incision and drainage (ID), ultrasound (US)-guided aspiration or intravenous (IV) antibiotics alone is the most efficacious method of managing an infected seroma, the investigation of which formed the rationale for this study.This retrospective cohort study included a consecutive series of patients readmitted for infected seroma following a lymphadenectomy for melanoma at Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust (LTHT) from 2006 to 2017. Details on management, length of hospital stay, length of follow-up and number of clinical appointments required were examined.Seventy-one cases of infected seroma were identified from the cohort of 1691 lymphadenectomies. Initially, 21 patients (29.5%) were managed by IV antibiotics alone (failure rate of 52.4%); 18 (25.4%) with US-guided aspiration (failure rate 27.8%) and 32 (45.1%) with surgical ID, which was 100% effective. Ultimately, 62.5% of the cohort required surgical management. Patients who underwent surgical ID were discharged significantly faster following the procedure (3 versus 5 days for US-guided aspiration, p = 0.002) and spent fewer days in hospital overall (p = 0.022). The overall average cost was comparable across the three treatment groups.Surgical management seemed preferential to conservative approaches in terms of efficacy and was not significantly more expensive overall; but carries anaesthetic risk. There may be a clinically significant difference in outcome depending on management; however, more evidence is required to investigate this.

The Fast Track Land Reform Programme (FTLRP) resulted in the loss of forest reserves and biodiversity. Co-management of forest reserves with resettled farmers is required for sustainability. Remote sensing and GIS plays an important role in the management and monitoring of forests. Multiplicity of legal instruments and institutional arrangements in forest management promotes forest loss and misuse. Sustainable management and enforcement of legal instruments on forest reserves is required to combat effects of climate change and desertification. SUMMARY Land reform in Zimbabwe, commonly known as the Fast Track Land Reform Programme (FTLRP), was established in early 2000. Since the inception of the FTRLP, loss of forests and biodiversity has been on the rise. In this paper, an analysis of the rate of forest loss pre-FTLRP, during and post-FTLRP to date (1995–2019) is presented for the Mafungabusi Forest Reserve. Data were collected from semi-structured questionnaires, interviews, satellite imagery and fieldwork. Land Cover, Land-Use Change Maps were obtained from supervised classification of satellite imagery and regression graphs for the rate of change of forest area were also obtained. Results show that the forested areas decreased at a rate of 308 ha per year (2.4%) during the FTLRP and at a rate of 481 ha per year (5.2%) post FTLRP. The inception of FTLRP and the withdrawal of funds to support the Community Involvement in Forest Management (CIFM) resulted in forest loss as the population grew and demand for land increased. Given the current rate of forest loss, the Mafungabusi Forest will probably disappear in the next 20 years if no measures are taken to reduce the rate of forest loss. Thus, there is need for the Zimbabwe Forestry Commission, Environmental Management Agency and other relevant stakeholders to engage resettled farmers in sustainable co-management of natural resources. Such efforts will help in combating effects of climate change and conserving biodiversity.

Purpose Catharanthus roseus is a vital medicinal plant due to its content of alkaloids vincristine and vinblastine which are known to have a special interest in the pharmaceutical industries. Little is known about the effects of jasmonic acid (JA) on C. roseus plants grown under saline conditions. Materials Pots experiment was conducted to explore the impacts of four treatments of JA (0, 0.50, 1.0, and 1.50 mM) on the growth of C. roseus plants which were irrigated with saline (EC = 5.27 dS m−1) or tap water (EC = 0.53 dS m−1). Results The growth of C. roseus plants was reduced due to the irrigation with saline water; on the other hand, the salinity induced the accumulation of alkaloids. Salt stress induced a 41% increase in the alkaloid yield of C. roseus plants compared to the control plants irrigated with fresh water. Some defense mechanisms including: osmoregulation, ion compartmentalization, and antioxidants accumulation were activated in C. roseus plants upon salt stress. The foliar application of JA to the C. roseus plants increased the growth parameters and mitigated the salt stress; moreover, it enhanced nutrients uptake. Spraying of C. roseus plants with JA significantly enhanced the biosynthesis of compatible solutes and decreased the activity of pyrogallol peroxidase (PPX) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO). Foliar application of JA increased the alkaloids yield of C. roseus plants. Conclusion JA reduced the negative effects of salt stress in C. roseus plants through increasing osmoregulation compounds and regulating the activity of antioxidant enzymes. Spraying of C. roseus with JA could be used as a sustainable strategy for promotion its medicinal property by augmenting secondary metabolites production.

The medical literature on health aspects of Ramadan fasting (RF) is widely spread in many journals of varying access, making it less readily available to those interested in the subject. We performed a nonsystematic review of the international literature from a major online database (PubMed in 1 year [2020]). The search term “Ramadan fasting” was used, and relevant literature was narrated in a concise thematic account excluding diabetes. The publications spanned fundamental, clinical, ethical, professional, cultural, and advocacy facets. The publications predictably crossed the conventional disciplinary lines and geographical locations and appeared in journals with different access systems. The contents are presented under the emerged themes depending on the retrieved literature. This year, the basic coverage included changes in physiology, nutrition during Ramadan. However, the clinical issues included a more comprehensive range such as the impact of RF on the liver and gut, and endocrine conditions such as hypothyroidism and adrenal insufficiency. Coverage also included chronic kidney disease, maternal health and fetal well-being, cardiovascular medicine, nature and function of eyes, and neurological conditions, especially epilepsy. Sports medicine and athletes' well-being received somewhat prominent coverage. Other researchers focused on documenting patients' and health-care professionals' perceptions, attitudes, and practices during Ramadan. Health aspects of RF received a sustained academic interest with a broad spectrum in 2020. This narrative provides a scoping overview to help researchers and clinicians catch up quickly with state-of-the-art science today.

Potassium (K) levels are decreasing worldwide in agricultural soils, and K deficiency is becoming a major issue. Study on damask rose response to K application is scarce. Furthermore, despite its importance in the cell division, photosynthesis and protein synthesis, there is a lack of published reports on plant responses to zinc (Zn) application. Further research is required to understand the damask rose's response to both elements. This study investigated the effects of K and Zn foliar application on the vegetative growth, flower yield, and volatile oil content and composition of damask rose. K and Zn nutrition was applied either individually or combined as K2SO4 and ZnSO4 at 0.5 or 1.0%. Foliar application of K2SO4 and ZnSO4 was applied with a manual pump four times in each growing season, the first at the beginning of stem elongation and leaf formation, and then at two-weekly intervals. Results showed that K and/or Zn treatments significantly improved the growth characters, flower yield, relative water content (RWC), stomatal conductance, and essential oil content and composition such as linalool, nerol, citronellol, geraniol, and nonadecane. The chlorophyll content, total soluble sugars (TSS), and protein content also increased, but free amino acid content decreased, suggesting that the distribution of nitrogenous compounds (between amino acids and proteins) and their transformation were influenced by K and Zn supply. Individual applications of K or Zn increased the N, P, K, and Zn contents in damask rose leaves, relative to the control, which increased further with combined applications of K and Zn. Results suggest that foliar application of K and/or Zn could be part of the damask rose fertilization program to provide plants with the optimum level of nutrition for improving the quantity and quality of flowers and essential oil yields.

Repeated traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) cause debilitating effects. Without understanding the acute effects of repeated TBIs, treatment options to halt further degeneration and damage cannot be developed. This study sought to examine the acute effects of blood–brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction, edema, inflammation and behavioral changes after either a single or double TBI using a C57BL/6 mouse model. We examined the effects of one or two TBIs, of either a mild or moderate severity. Double injuries were spaced 7 days apart, and all analysis was performed 24 h post-injury. To examine edema and inflammation, protein levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), S100 calcium-binding protein B, interleukin-6, and matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP9) were analyzed. Aquaporin-4 (AQP4) and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) were analyzed to observe BBB dysfunction. Ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (IBA1) was analyzed to observe microglial activation. Rotarod, beam walking, and grip strength tests were used to measure changes in physical behavior post-injury. A sample size of ≥5 was used for all analysis. Double injuries led to an increase in BBB breakdown, as indicated by altered MMP-9, AQP4, and ZO-1 protein expression. Single injuries showed an increase in microglial activation, astrocyte activation, and BBB breakdown. Behavioral tasks showed no significant differences between injured and control groups. Based on our findings, we suggest that behavioral studies should not be used as the sole clinical indicator on brain tissue recovery. Analysis of markers such as IBA1, GFAP, MMP-9, AQP4, and ZO-1 provide valuable insight on pathophysiological response to injury.

By 2050, the UK government plans to create ‘Net zero society’. 1 To meet this ambitious target, the deployment of low carbon technologies is an urgent priority. The low carbon heat recovery technologies such as heat recovery from sewage via heat pump can play an important role. It is based on recovering heat from the sewage that is added by the consumer, used and flushed in the sewer. This technology is currently successfully operating in many cities around the world. In the UK, there is also a rising interest to explore this technology after successful sewage heat recovery demonstration project at Borders College, Galashiels, Scotland. 2 However, further experimental research is needed to build the evidence base, replicate, and de-risk the concept elsewhere in the UK. The Home Energy 4 Tomorrow (HE4T) project at London South Bank University was created to address this evidence gap. This is the fourth article in the series of outputs on sewage heat recovery and presents some results using sewage data from the UK’s capital London. These data are scarce and provide useful information on the variation of flows and temperatures encountered in the sewers of the UK’s capital. Lastly, we discuss the recoverable heat potential along with policy implications for the UK heat strategy. Practical application This work focuses and accentuate that in order to meet climate change targets, substantial improvements can come by heat recovery from the raw (influent) and treated wastewater (effluent from wastewater treatment plant) that is still unexploited in the UK. The estimation presented indicates that there is much theoretical potential in the UK with significant opportunity for future energy and revenue retrieval along with GHGs emission reduction in the longer term to fulfil the ‘net zero’ objective. This work aims to raise awareness and seek support to promote pilot scale studies to help demonstrate technical and economic feasibility in the building industry.

Dermoid cysts account for only a small fraction of intracranial masses, with extradural dermoid cysts being considered a much rarer entity than those located intradurally. Intracranial dermoid cysts vary in clinical presentations: some maybe asymptomatic whilst others harbor features of raised intracranial pressure, neurological deficits, or even aseptic meningitis. Dermoid cysts may also present with cutaneous lesions. Herein, we report a rare case of a 1-year-old female presenting with a midline, scalp abscess. Brain MRI revealed an intracranial, extradural tumor, with features suggestive of a dermoid cyst, unusually located in the crista galli, and complicated by the formation of two cutaneous sinus tracts. After identification and characterization by MRI, bitemporal craniotomy was performed with complete excision of the mass and sinus tracts. Histological analysis confirmed dermoid cyst as the final diagnosis. Postoperatively, the patient recovered fully and had no evidence of recurrence in subsequent visits. The case mentioned above highlights the rarity of such a presentation for an intracranial extradural dermoid cyst and the vitality of early imaging for midline cutaneous lesions for identification of intracranial extensions and avoidance of detrimental consequences.

The aim of this paper is to study It ’s formula for some stochastic differential equation such as quotient stochastic differential equation, by using the function F (t, x (t)) which satisfies the product Ito’s formula, then we find some calculus relation for the quotient stochastic differential equation and we generalize the method for all m supported by some examples to explain the method.

Heavy metals pollution has become a more serious environmental problem in the last several decades as a result of releasing toxic materials into the environment. The aim of this study is to develop an ecological method for the removal of Ni2+ ions from industrial wastewater by an electro coagulation method using aluminum plates and solar cell as a source of D.C current. In this study, different conditions of pH of 4, 6, 7, and 8, current densities of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mA/cm2, and nickel ion concentrations of 200, 300, and 500 ppm were investigated during a period of time of 120 minutes to remove nickel ions prepared waste water by electro coagulation. The total removal of nickel ions was (97.5- 99.5%), (97- 99%), and (96.67-98.8%) for pH (4-8), current density (0.5-1.5 mA/cm2) and nickel ions concentration (200-500 ppm), respectively. The results show that the optimum condition of electro coagulation process can be obtained at pH = 8 and current density 1.5 mA/cm2 when 120 minutes were elapsed.

In this study, we investigate the effect of nitrogen fertilizer application rates with and without phosphorus-loaded biochar (BCP) on the productivity of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum cv GS) planted on a contaminated soil based on pot and incubation experiments. The release kinetic of toxic metals as affected by BCP was also investigated. BCP at rate of 2% (w/w) and nitrogen levels (250 and 500 mg N kg-1) were added to sandy loam soil polluted with Cd, Pb, Zn, and Cu. The experiment consisted of five treatments including: Control (C), nitrogen a rate of 250 (N250), or 500 mg kg (N500), BCP + N250, and BCP + N500. Maximum tomato growth was achieved in the soil that was treated with BCP + N500, followed by BCP + N250, while lowest one was observed in the control. Tomato yield as affected by the BCP and N-fertilization was in the descending order: BCP + N500 > BCP + N250 > N500 = N250 > C. The addition of N250, N500, BCP + N250, and BCP + N500 increased the fruit yield by 24, 31, 35, 58% in comparison with the control. Levels of Zn, Cu, and Pb in tomato fruit was in the descending order: N500> N250 > C > BCP + N500 > BCP + N250. The combined application of BCP and N-fertilization augmented the availability and uptake of essential nutrients and effectively reduced those of toxic ones. The addition of BCP + N250 decreased Zn, Cu, Cd, and Pb content in fruit of tomato by 16, 10, 54, 54, and 58%, respectively, compared to the control soil, while these decreases were 13, 16, 60, 60, and 72% in the case of BCP + N500. BCP succeeded significantly in reducing the release of toxic chemicals, which ultimately may restrict the transfer of toxic chemical to the food chain solution. Novelty statement Tomato grown on metal-contaminated soils contains high levels of toxic metals. Phosphorus-loaded biochar (BCP) reduced the negative effects of high inorganic-N rates by reducing the release of toxic metals to the soil solution. BCP enhanced the soil quality indicators and increased the soil microbe's activity.

The rapid population growth and the urge in people to move to big cities for their settlement upshot in urban expansion. While stepping into the corridor of the 21st century, the utility of remote sensing and GIS techniques in various fields has made things understandable and thus enhances the ways of investigation for better decision making and management. The paper presents the Landsat Satellite series based Land Surface Temperature retrieval concerning land use/ land cover changes over Lahore District, Punjab, Pakistan. The Spatiooral analysis was performed from 1980-2020. We availed high-resolution Landsat and Sentinel-2 Satellite imagery to perform Normalized Difference Vegetation Index and Supervised classification. Cloud-free satellite data was acquired from June, July, or August. Data pre-processing including atmospheric and terrain corrections were performed using ERDAS Imagine. The Red, NIR, and Thermal bands were utilized for LST estimation. ArcGIS 10.22 was used for making maps, analysis, and interpretations. The Spatiooral analysis of LULC and LST for the area indicates a great urbanization trend over the past forty years. People are migrating from small towns and villages to the metropolitan city of Pakistan for their livelihoods, and settlements. The built-up/urban land has expanded over the period with excessive construction that has affected the Land surface temperature. The area where human activity has increased shows higher LST's as compared to green lands. The excessive construction has taken off the agricultural land, while the River Ravi still flows with a changing course and less water table. The COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020 put everything on lockdown had an impact on environmental restoration due to fewer emissions and human activities. The overall classification accuracy of the images yielded substantial-high Kappa statistics of 80 %, 88%, 82%, 82.41%, and 87.76% for 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, and the 2020 images, respectively. The unplanned urbanization is leading the Lahore District to serious environmental issues and climate change impacts. The need of the hour is to properly plan and manage the area for the coming generations to have a healthier and sustainable place to breathe in. © 2021 International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences - ISPRS Archives. All rights reserved.

Water coning is the biggest production problem mechanism in Middle East oil fields, especially in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. When water production starts to increase, the costs of operations increase. Water production from the coning phenomena results in a reduction in recovery factor from the reservoir. Understanding the key factors impacting this problem can lead to the implementation of efficient methods to prevent and mitigate water coning. The rate of success of any method relies mainly on the ability to identify the mechanism causing the water coning. This is because several reservoir parameters can affect water coning in both homogenous and heterogeneous reservoirs. The objective of this research is to identify the parameters contributing to water coning in both homogenous and heterogeneous reservoirs. A simulation model was created to demonstrate water coning in a single-vertical well in a radial cross-section model in a commercial reservoir simulator. The sensitivity analysis was conducted on a variety of properties separately for both homogenous and heterogeneous reservoirs. The results were categorized by time to water breakthrough, oil production rate and water oil ratio. The results of the simulation work led to a number of conclusions. Firstly, production rate, perforation interval thickness and perforation depth are the most effective parameters on water coning. Secondly, time of water breakthrough is not an adequate indicator on the economic performance of the well, as the water cut is also important. Thirdly, natural fractures have significant contribution on water coning, which leads to less oil production at the end of production time when compared to a conventional reservoir with similar properties.

The literature on health aspects of Ramadan fasting (RF) is widely spread in many journals, making it not readily accessible to those interested in the subject. We aimed to provide a narrative overview of the global literature production in 1 year (2020) on diabetes and RF. This was a narrative, nonsystematic review of the international literature from a single major medical online database (i.e., PubMed) during the year 2020. The search term “Ramadan fasting AND Diabetes” was used, and the relevant literature was narrated in a concise thematic account. The publications spanned a vast array of topics related to RF, including assessments of safety and efficacy profiles of older and newer diabetes therapies, modes of insulin delivery, evaluating the role of utilizing advanced technology for the treatment, and monitoring of blood glucose during RF. Increased interest was evident in capturing patients' perspectives and healthcare professionals' perceptions, attitudes, and practices during Ramadan. Fasting by high-risk groups was studied. Not surprisingly, some reports covered COVID-19 and Ramadan and the role of telemedicine in ramadan. The current literature review presents this year's research data on the safety of fasting practices, care models, and patients' experiences and perspectives. It emphasizes the need for more comprehensive interventions for high-risk patients, promoting newer antidiabetic medicines, and advanced technology for safer fasting practices.

Introduction Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease is a systemic progressive inflammatory autoimmune disorder. Elderly-onset RA can be assumed as a benign form of RA. Until recently, face-to-face therapeutic sessions between health professionals and patients are usually the method of its treatment. However, during pandemics, including coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), teletherapeutic sessions can extensively increase the patient safety especially in elderly patients who are more vulnerable to these infections. Thus, the aim of this randomized clinical trial was to evaluate a novel teletherapy approach for management of elderly patients suffering from RA by utilizing laser acupuncture. Methods A teletherapy system was used for management of elderly patients suffering from RA. Sixty participants were allocated randomly into two groups and the ratio was 1:1. Patients in the first group were treated with laser acupuncture and telerehabilitation sessions, which consisted of aerobic exercise and virtual reality training. Patients in the second group received telerehabilitation sessions, which consisted of aerobic exercise and virtual reality training. Evaluation of patients was done by using the Health Assessment questionnaire (HAQ), the Rheumatoid Arthritis Quality of Life (RAQoL) questionnaire, and the analysis of interleukin-6 (IL-6), serum C-reactive protein (CRP), plasma adenosine triphosphate (ATP) concentration and plasma malondialdehyde (MDA). Results A statistically significant difference was found in CRP, RAQoL, IL-6 and MDA between the pre- and post-treatments in the first group ( p Discussion Laser acupuncture teletherapy could be suggested as a reliable treatment method for elderly patients suffering from RA, as it can provide a safe and effective therapeutic approach. Teletherapy provided safer access to health professionals and patients while giving a high patient satisfaction value with a relatively lower cost (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04684693).

The design of a new air filter for air-conditioning systems needs to properly manage antimicrobial activity and heat transfer performance. In this work, a hybrid nanofilter of polypropylene coated with silver nanoparticles and multiwall carbon nanotubes (Ag-MWCNTs/PP) was prepared using a modified impregnation technique under vacuum. The results demonstrated a high dispersion of AgNPs (∼18 nm) and MWCNTs on the polymer fibers. The antimicrobial activity of the nanofilters was evaluated against Salmonella enterica, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. A dramatic ability to kill all types of bacteria by 100 % was observed after adding 2 mg/mL of Ag-MWCNTs. Moreover, the pressure drop and convective heat transfer across the nanofilter were evaluated by building a special testing apparatus. The pressure drop rose with increases in the air velocity. Additionally, a high heat transfer coefficient with increases in the air velocity was achieved, with values of 52.5 and 47.3 W/m2.K for the working temperatures of 20 and 30 °C, respectively. Also, the thermal conductivity of the nanofilter was enhanced significantly by 36 %, 48 %, and 68 % at additions of 1, 2, and 3 mg/mL, respectively. The prepared nanofilter showed high efficiency, low cost, and applicability for commercial production.

Introduction Hormonal therapy with tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors reduces breast cancer recurrence and mortality but represents a risk factor for thromboembolic events. Therefore, most surgeons discontinue hormonal agents before microvascular surgery and for a variable period thereafter. There are no guidelines regarding when therapy should be stopped (preoperatively) or when it should be resumed (post-operatively). We, therefore, audited our hospital practice with the objective of making recommendations for microvascular breast reconstruction patients. Patients and methods A review was performed of all free flap breast reconstructions between 2014 and 2019. Patients were classified according to hormone medication status at operation. Timings of drug cessation and recommencement were recorded. Thrombotic events, namely flap microvascular thrombosis, deep vein thrombosis, superficial vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, were compared. Results A total of 240 patients had 275 free flaps over five years with 36 receiving hormone therapy within one month prior to surgery, which was discontinued 8.5 days (range: 0–28 days) before surgery. Intraoperative microvascular thromboses (HT 2.0%, NHT 0%, and p = 0.869) and post-operative microvascular complications/flap re-explorations (HT 6.6%, NHT 0%, and p = 0.234) were comparable between the two groups. Systemic venous thromboembolic events were also similar (HT 8.3%, NHT 6.1%, and p = 0.893). Age, BMI, smoking status and preoperative chemotherapy did not influence the incidence of thrombotic complications. Conclusion Hormone therapy did not significantly increase the risk of thromboembolic events. Despite the widespread practice of withholding it for 2 weeks prior to reconstructive surgery, this study does not support such practice being beneficial in terms of thromboembolic events and flap viability. Large-scale trials are needed to establish definitive protocols.

The current work was undertaken to evaluate the nephrotoxic effect of Ketoprofen on adult male rats. Eighteen rats were divided into two groups. Ketoprofen- received group (I) included 10 rats were administered Ketoprofen at a therapeutic dose of 13.5 mg/kg by I/M injection daily for 4 successive weeks. Five rats were randomly selected from group I and sacrificed at 2 and 4 weeks of the experiment. The control group (II) that received olive oil included 8 rats, where 4 rats were sacrificed after2 weeks and the rest of rats were sacrificed after 4 weeks. Tissue specimensfrom kidneys of all groups were collected for histopathological examination as well as the serum was obtained for the determination of biochemical parameters. The histopathological examination of group I showed glomerular changes such as expanding of glomerular matrix, glomerular sclerosis and congestion of glomerular capillary in the cortex. Renal tubular degeneration and necrosis accompanied with infiltration of inflammatory cells in interstitial tissue in both cortex and medulla were also observed. The biochemical results revealed that animals in group I showed a significant increase in malondialdehyde, creatinine, and urea compared to the control group, while total antioxidant capacity was numerically decreased. In conclusion, the therapeutic dose of Ketoprofen caused damage in kidney tissue even if was taken for a short period as well as altered biochemical parameters.

For people diagnosed with a mental illness, psychiatric hospitalization is one step in a long journey, consisting of clinical recovery such as removal of symptoms, and social reintegration involving resuming social roles and responsibilities, overcoming stigma and self-maintenance of the condition. Both clinical recovery and social reintegration need to go hand-in-hand for the overall well-being of individuals. However, research exploring social media for mental health has considered narrower, disjoint conceptualizations of people with mental illness - either as a patient or as a support-seeker. In this paper, we combine medical records with social media data of 254 consented individuals who have experienced a psychiatric hospitalization to address this gap. Adopting a theory-driven, Gaussian Mixture modeling approach, we provide a taxonomy of six heterogeneous behavioral patterns characterizing peoples' mental health status transitions around hospitalizations. Then we present an empirically derived framework, based on feedback from clinical researchers, to understand peoples' trajectories around clinical recovery and social reintegration. Finally, to demonstrate the utility of this taxonomy and the empirical framework, we assess social media signals that are indicative of individuals' reintegration trajectories post-hospitalization. We discuss the implications of combining peoples' clinical and social experiences in mental health care and the opportunities this intersection presents to post-discharge support and technology-based interventions for mental health.

Wheat is the staple food crop in Afghanistan and maintaining its production plays important role in ensuring food security and food self-sufficiency. Wheat and its products are accounted for almost 60% to 75% of calories intake. However, being a country that has been facing war since 1978, it has been challenging for the wheat production industry to maintain its production to feed its people. Hence, the purpose of this study is to investigate wheat crop industry players’ vulnerabilities in the production of the wheat crop in a prolonged war zone. The study is conducted through the case study approach. Required data was collected through interviews, observations and documents which was analyzed through thematic analysis. This study found that in addition to the normal vulnerabilities/issues faced by the wheat crop industry players in the world, the players in the war zone have to face psychological effects, and financial corruption as well.

Understanding how religion and well-being are related for lesbian and bisexual women provides important context for clinical interventions. Current literature in the field diverges on whether the relationship between religious commitment and well-being is positive for those in the queer community. The current study examines whether an independent or interdependent self-construal explains the relationship between religious commitment and eudaimonic well-being (EWB) for lesbian and bisexual women. This empirical study used data from the Multi-Site University Study on Identity and Culture, a research collaboration amongst 30 colleges and universities in the United States. Findings suggest that although self-construal does not mediate the relationship between religious commitment and well-being, there are significant effects between religious commitment and EWB as well as an independent self-construal and EWB. These findings provide a deeper understanding of variables associated with greater well-being and are important for the advancement of research and practice with queer women.