Search

Abstract Using plant extracts in the green synthesis of nanoparticles has become an environmentally acceptable approach. In our study, copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) were synthesized using ethanolic extracts of Azadirachta indica and Simmondsia chinensis. CuO NP formation was confirmed by the change in color and by UV‒visible spectroscopy (CuO NPs peaked at a wavelength of 344 nm). TEM images confirmed the semispherical shape of the CuO NPs, with particle sizes ranging from 30.9 to 10.7 nm. The antibacterial activity of these NPs was evaluated by using the agar diffusion method against clinical isolates, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter spp., Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of CuO NPs ranged from 62.5 to 125 µg/ml. In contrast, the antioxidant activity and antibiofilm activity of CuO NPs ranged from 31.1 to 92.2% at 125–500 µg/ml and 62.2–95%, respectively, at 125 –62.5 µg/ml. Our results confirmed that CuO NPs had IC50s of 383.41 ± 3.4 and 402.73 ± 1.86 at 250 µg/mL against the HBF4 cell line. Molecular docking studies with CuO NPs suggested that penicillin-binding protein 4 (PBP4) and beta-lactamase proteins (OXA-48) strongly bind to S. aureus and K. pneumoniae, respectively, with CuO NPs. Our study confirms the promising use of CuO NPs in treating pathogenic bacteria and that CuO NPs could be possible alternative antibiotics. This study supports the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors in Egypt and worldwide.

Abstract Background Melanocytic neoplasms range from banal nevi to malignant melanomas. The genetic background has been extensively studied in the Caucasian population. BRAF mutations were reported among the early driver mutations in nevogenesis. Nevertheless, the pathogenesis in the Egyptian population has not been elucidated. Aim and Methods The present study was carried out to assess the sensitivity and specificity of immunohistochemistry (IHC) using the RM-08 clone in reference to allele-specific real-time PCR (CAST-PCR) for the detection of the BRAF V600E mutation in 50 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded blocks of melanocytic neoplasms with prior bleaching using hydrogen peroxide in Tris-HCL and Bovine Serum Albumin respectively. Results IHC staining was interpreted using staining reaction (positive versus negative) and staining pattern (negative and heterogeneous versus homogenous). Using the staining pattern, the specificity increased from 73.3 to 88.2%, the negative predictive value increased from 73.3 to 100%, the diagnostic accuracy increased from 71.4 to 90.48% and the overall accuracy increased from 69.9 to 77.3%. The sensitivity and positive predictive value remained unchanged. The K-agreement coefficient increased from 0.364 (fair agreement) to 0.741 (good agreement) and was statistically significant (p = 0.00). Next-generation sequencing was performed in 11 cases, 8 cases with IHC-positive and BRAF wild type in addition to 3 cases that failed PCR analysis and revealed no BRAF V600E . No statistically significant difference was found in the clinicopathological parameters between BRAF V600E and BRAF wild−type melanomas. Conclusions These findings suggest that IHC staining homogeneity may be more accurate in predicting BRAF V600E mutational status. However, IHC cannot replace molecular methods.

Objective: Melanocytic neoplasia shows different pathways that have been implicated in tumorigenesis. One of the key genes involved in the BRAFV600E gene, can be detected through DNA-based or protein-based tests including immunohistochemistry (IHC). To check its reproducibility, this study was conducted to evaluate BRAFV600E IHC by different observers in a range of melanocytic neoplasms. Methods: The present study was performed to evaluate immunohistochemical staining (IHC) using the RM-08 to detect BRAF V600E in 50 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) blocks of different melanocytic neoplasms after bleaching using Tris-HCL buffer. IHC was considered positive when more than 90% of tumour cells showed cytoplasmic staining. IHC assessment by a team of two pathologists and a third pathologist to check the interobserver variability. IHC scores were compared among nevi and melanoma. Results: IHC evaluation revealed good agreement by different observers (ĸ-coefficient=0.691, p=0.00). BRAFV600E showed a statistically significant difference between nevi and melanoma. Conclusions: These findings suggest that BRAFV600E IHC assessment shows good reproducibility among pathologists, however, more strict criteria should be adopted in interpretation, especially in bleached samples.

تم في هذا البحث استخلاص وتحديد مركب الأميغدالين في بذور بعض ثمار اللوزيات الوردية (اللوز الحلو، اللوز المر والمشمش)، باستخدام الكروماتوغرافيا السائلة عالية الأداء بالطور العكوس (RP-HPLC) مع كاشف الأشعة فوق البنفسجية (DAD) على عمود C18، وطور متحرك (ماء: ميتانول 40:60 v/v). أنجز الاستخلاص بطريقة النقع بالتقطير المرتد واستخدم نوعين من المذيبات (الماء، الايتانول) مع التسخين لفترات زمنية ودرجات حرارة مختلفة. أجريت القياسات بعد تحقيق الشروط المثالية لعمليات التحليل الكروماتوغرافي التي أظهرت خطية بمعامل ارتباط r=0.999 وحدود كشف LOD وLOQ للأميغدالين ( (5.72 mg/lو( 19.07 mg/l) على التوالي واسترجاعية ( 100.17±1.68% ) وانحراف النسبي المئوي (1.45 – 0.12%). أوضحت النتائج ان النقع لمدة 100 min عند درجة الحرارة ( 100ºC في الماء المقطر و 78.5ºC في الايتانول ) اعطى اعلى مردود سواء مع المستخلصات المائية أو الكحولية بالمقارنة مع درجات الحرارة الأقل، كما سجلت المستخلصات الكحولية المردود الأكبر بالمقارنة مع المستخلصات المائية. اظهرت نتائج التحليل فرق غير متوقع في محتوى الأميغدالين بين اللوز المر3.044g/100g)) ونوى بذور المشمش المرة (3.924g/100g ) أما في اللوز الحلو فكان 1.144g/100g) ) وهو الأقل وهذا متوقع حيث لا طعم واضح للاميغدالين المر فيه رغم وجوده.

Abstract Background A major problem in surgery of peripheral nerve injuries of the upper extremities is the unpredictable final outcome. More insight and understanding of the proper methods of outcome assessment and the prognostic factors is necessary to improve functional outcome after repair of peripheral nerves. The objective of this study is to assess the outcome and identify possible prognostic factors for functional recovery of median and/or ulnar nerves repairs at wrist. Forty patients with median, ulnar or combined median-ulnar nerve injuries were included. Smoking, age, sex, repaired nerve, associated artery and/ or tendon repairs, joint stiffness and scar tissue were analyzed as prognostic factors for functional outcome after repair. Outcome parameters were medical research counsel (MRC) scoring for sensory and motor recovery, grip and pinch strength, disability of arm, shoulder and hand (DASH) questionnaire, electrophysiology and ultrasonographic evaluation. Results The mean age of the studied patients was 29.1 ± 8.3 and it was statistically correlated with grip strength (p = 0.045), DASH score (p = 0.046) and hyperesthesia score (p = 0.040). EMG results showed signs of regeneration in all patients in the form of small nascent MUAPs and polyphasic MUAPs. CMAP amplitudes of median and ulnar nerves positively correlated with the MRC scale for muscle strength (p = 0.001) There were statistically significant negative correlations between DASH score and MRC score for sensory evaluation (p = 0.016), grip (p = 0.001), and pinch strength (p = 0.001). There were statistically significant positive correlations between patient's opinion of recovery and MRC score for sensory evaluation (p = 0.029), grip (p = 0.001), and pinch strength (p = 0.001). The MRC score for muscle strength has statistical significant positive correlations with the MRC score for sensory evaluation, grip (p = 0.003), and pinch strength (p = 0.040) Conclusions It was concluded that; MRC scale for muscle power, MRC scale for sensory evaluation, functional scores, grip and pinch strength are valuable tools for evaluation of functional outcome. Age, smoking, associated tendon repair, damaged nerve, compliance to rehabilitation protocol, return to work, clinically visible wound adhesions, residual hand joint stiffness, and scar tissue detected by ultrasound were found to be prognostic factors for outcome after nerve repair.

In this study, the ELISA procedure was used to detect antibodies against bovine viral diarrhea (BVDV) and infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBRV) viruses. The BVDV serological survey in Aswan province in southern Egypt was carried out on 184 unvaccinated cattle and camels. The overall seroprevalence was 18.48% (34/184), but in cattle was 34.78% (32/92) and 2.18% (2/92) in camels. The serological survey was conducted on infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus (IBRV) antibodies was conducted on 460 unvaccinated cattle from three different provinces (Qena, Luxor, and Aswan). The overall seroprevalence was 60.00% (276/460). The infection rate in Aswan was higher (83.70%) than Qena and Luxor, 53.63% and 45.65%, respectively. Epidemiological status was established to clarify the influence of location in Qena, Luxor and Aswan for bovine viral diarrhea and infectious bovine rhinotracheitis and the effect of management systems in infection rate for cattle. The high predominance of antibodies in cattle may be the principal factor to limit the cattle industry in Egypt. This study aims to investigate the seroprevalence rate of Bovine alphaherpesvirus 1 and bovine viral diarrhea in cattle and camel in southern Egypt.

Shotgun metagenomic sequencing was used to investigate the diversity of the microbial community of Cheddar cheese ripened over 32 months. The changes in taxa abundance were compared from assembly-based, non-assembly-based, and mOTUs2 sequencing pipelines to delineate the community profile for each age group. Metagenomic assembled genomes (MAGs) passing the quality threshold were obtained for 11 species from 58 samples. Although Lactococcus cremoris and Lacticaseibacillus paracasei were dominant across the shotgun samples, other species were identified using MG-RAST. NMDS analysis of the beta diversity of the microbial community revealed the similarity of the cheeses in older age groups (7 months to 32 months). As expected, the abundance of Lactococcus cremoris consistently decreased over ripening, while the proportion of permeable cells increased. Over the ripening period, the relative abundance of viable Lacticaseibacillus paracasei progressively increased, but at a variable rate among trials. Reads attributed to Siphoviridae and Ascomycota remained below 1% relative abundance. The functional profiles of PMA-treated cheeses differed from those of non-PMA-treated cheeses. Starter rotation was reflected in the single nucleotide variant profiles of Lactococcus cremoris (SNVs of this species using mOTUs2), while the incoming milk was the leading factor in discriminating Lacticaseibacillus paracasei/casei SNV profiles. The relative abundance estimates from Kraken2, non-assembly-based (MG-RAST) and marker gene clusters (mOTUs2) were consistent across age groups for the two dominant taxa. Metagenomics enabled sequence variant analysis below the bacterial species level and functional profiling that may affect the metabolic interactions between subpopulations in cheese during ripening, which could help explain the overall flavour development of cheese. Future work will integrate microbial variants with volatile profiles to associate the development of compounds related to cheese flavour at each ripening stage.

Triple negative breast cancer is a deadly form of breast cancer with limited therapeutic options. Here the authors show the efficacy of GLUT1 pharmacological inhibition against a subset of tumors expressing RB1, thereby identifying RB1 protein level as a biomarker of sensitivity to anti-GLUT1 therapy.

Fungal and mycotoxin contamination of milk products constitute a potential hazard to human health and food safety. Isolation and identifications of mold and yeast out of 140 milk products samples collected from dairy shops in Qena, Egypt were done through conventional microbiological methods. Aflatoxin-M1, aflatoxin-B1 and ochratoxin-A were characterized by thin-layer chromatography; aflR regulatory gene identified by using PCR. Marine algal extracts of Halimeda opuntia, Padina pavonica and Turbinaria decurrens species were studied for their antimicrobial activity. Overall of 80 and 64% dairy products samples were positive for mold and yeast contamination. A total of 38 mold and 15 yeast species were isolated. Aspergillus and Candida spp. were the most abundant isolated species. Furthermore 25, 40 and 27% of cheese and 71, 78 and 73.3 of dairy desserts samples were contaminated with AFM1, AFB1 and OTA, respectively; with average estimated dietary intake level much more than the acceptable daily intake for infant and adult. PCR identified aflR gene among four selected aflatoxigenic A. flavus. The major constituents of H. opuntia extract were 2,4-Decadienal, (E,E)- (21.56%) and 9,12-Octadecadienoic acid (Z,Z)- (36.16%). Ethyl acetate extract of Halimeda opuntia (3mg/ml) exhibited the strongest fungicidal activity with inhibition zones of 16.5 and 22.3 mm against A. flavus and A. niger. It exhibited potent candidacidal activity against C. tropicalis; 11 log10 orders of killing at 750 µg/ml. The discovered antimicrobial activity of H. opuntia is a promising candidate for designing novel antifungal agents which can be used in food preservatives and medicine industry.

The microbial community of industrially produced Canadian Cheddar cheese was examined from curd to ripened cheese at 30–32 months using a combination of viable plate counts of SLAB (GM17) and NSLAB (MRSv), qPCR and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Cell treatment with propidium monoazide excluded DNA of permeable cells from amplification. The proportion of permeable cells of both Lactococcus spp. and Lacticaseibacillus spp. was highest at 3–6 months. While most remaining Lacticaseibacillus spp. cells were intact during later ripening stages, a consistent population of permeable Lactococcus spp. cells was maintained over the 32-month period. While Lactococcus sequence variants were significant biomarkers for viable cheese curd communities at 0–1 m, Lacticaseibacillus was identified as a distinctive biomarker for cheeses from 7 to 20 months. From 24 to 32 months, Lacticaseibacillus was replaced in significance by four genera (Pediococcus and Latilactobacillus at 24 m and at 30–32 m, Secundilactobacillus and Paucilactobacillus). These results underscore the importance of monitoring potential defects in cheeses aged over 24 months, which could be diagnosed early through microbial DNA profiling to minimize potential waste of product. Future perspectives include correlating volatile flavor compounds with microbial community composition as well as the investigation of intra-species diversity.

Introduction Pressure ulcers are serious and potentially life-threatening problems across all age groups and across all medical specialties and care settings. The hospitalised elderly population is the most common group to develop pressure ulcers. This study aims to systematically review studies implementing pressure ulcer prevention strategies recommended in the Pressure Ulcer Prevention Practice Guidelines for the prevention of pressure ulcers among hospitalised elderly patients globally.Methods and analysis A systematic review of all studies that have assessed the use of pressure ulcer prevention strategies in hospital settings among hospitalised elderly patients shall be conducted. A comprehensive search of all published articles in Medline Ovid, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane library, Scopus and Web of Science will be done using terms such as pressure ulcers, prevention strategies, elderly patients and hospital. Studies will be screened for eligibility through title, abstract and full text by two independent reviewers. Study quality and risk of bias will be assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute for Meta-Analysis of Statistics Assessment and Review Instrument. If sufficient data are available, a meta-analysis will be conducted to synthesise the effect size reported as OR with 95% CIs using both fixed and random effect models. I2 statistics and visual inspection of the forest plots will be used to assess heterogeneity and identify the potential sources of heterogeneity. Publication bias will be assessed by visual inspections of funnel plots and Egger’s test.Ethics and dissemination No formal ethical approval or consent is required as no primary data will be collected. We aim to publish the research findings in a peer-reviewed scientific journal to promote knowledge transfer, as well as in conferences, seminars, congresses or symposia in a traditional manner.PROSPERO registration number CRD42019129088.

Different learning style among family medicine residents is important to adjust the educational program that meet their needs and make the educational process fruitful to improve their academic performance. This study is aiming to assess learning styles among family medicine residents in Qatar. This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at the West Bay family medicine training center, Doha, Qatar, where all family medicine residents were invited to participate using self-administered validated questionnaire based on David Kolb model of experiential learning that has been extensively used in medical education research. Demographic data were assessed and analyzed as the predictor variables. Data were collected from 38 residents with response rate 76% revealing that the predominant pattern in postgraduate year one (PGY1) is activist in 65% and theorist in 55% while PGY2 tends to be reflector in 45% and theorist in 35% and in PGY3-4 changed to be 70-75% activist and 40-55% (reflector and pragmatic). General learning style pattern among all residents tend to be in the following order activist 60.5% then reflector 44.7% followed by pragmatism 34.2% and finally theorist 36.8%. Learning style assessment is important and can be used to determine which teaching modalities will be best accepted and most effective for family medicine residents which should be considered while planning designing, implementing their educational program.

IntroductionEnd-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients are at a high risk for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). In this study, we compared characteristics and outcomes of ESKD and non-ESKD patients admitted with COVID-19 to a large safety-net hospital.MethodsWe evaluated 759 adults (45 with ESKD) hospitalized with COVID-19 in Spring of 2020. We examined clinical characteristics, laboratory measures and clinical outcomes. Logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the associations between ESKD status and outcomes.Results73% of ESKD and 47% of non-ESKD patients identified as Black (p = 0.002). ESKD patients were older and had higher rates of comorbidities. Admission ferritin was approximately 6-fold higher in ESKD patients. During hospitalization, the rise in white blood cell count, lactate dehydrogenase, ferritin and C-reactive protein, and the decrease in platelet count and serum albumin were all significantly greater in ESKD patients. The in-hospital mortality was higher for ESKD [18% vs. 10%; multivariable adjusted odds ratio 1.5 (95% CI, 0.48-4.70)], but this did not reach statistical significance.ConclusionsAmong hospitalized COVID-19 patients, ESKD patients had more co-morbidities and more robust inflammatory response than non-ESKD patients. The odds ratio point estimate for death was higher in ESKD patients, but the difference did not reach statistical significance.

Additive manufacturing (AM) has drawn tremendous interest in engineering applications because it offers almost unlimited possibilities of innovative structural design to save weight and optimize performance. However, fatigue properties are one of the limiting factors for structural applications of AM materials. The recently developed Tanaka–Mura–Wu (TMW) model is modified to include the microstructure and surface roughness factors, in addition to the material’s elastic modulus, surface energy and Burgers vector, to predict the fatigue curves as functions of stress or plastic strain for several typical AM materials as well as their conventional (wrought) counterpart. Furthermore, with statistical characterization of the microstructural effect, the model can be established to evaluate fatigue design allowables.

Objectives: Tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) poses a major public health problem in Nepal. Although it has been reported as one of the dominant genotypes of MTB in Nepal, little information on the Central Asian Strain (CAS) family is available, especially isolates related to multidrug resistance (MDR) cases. This study aimed to elucidate the genetic and epidemiological characteristics of MDR CAS isolates in Nepal. Methods: A total of 145 MDR CAS isolates collected in Nepal from 2008 to 2013 were characterized by spoligotyping, mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit–variable number tandem repeat (MIRU-VNTR) analysis, and drug resistance-associated gene sequencing. Results: Spoligotyping analysis showed CAS1_Delhi SIT26 as predominant (60/145, 41.4%). However, by combining spoligotyping and MIRU-VNTR typing, it was possible to successfully discriminate all 145 isolates into 116 different types including 18 clusters with 47 isolates (clustering rate 32.4%). About a half of these clustered isolates shared the same genetic and geographical characteristics with other isolates in each cluster, and some of them shared rare point mutations in rpoB that are thought to be associated with rifampicin resistance. Conclusions: Although the data obtained show little evidence that large outbreaks of MDR-TB caused by the CAS family have occurred in Nepal, they strongly suggest several MDR-MTB transmission cases.

Pythiosis is reported to be one of the most life-threatening infections of people and animals in tropical, subtropical and temperate areas worldwide. Infection can result from ingesting zoospores of Pythium insidiosum organism or from contact with water contaminated with zoospores. The ingestion of zoospores may result in enteric pythiosis, whereas cutaneous contact with zoospores/oomycete may result in cutaneous pythiosis. Here, we report 10 horses with pythiosis introduced to our clinic. These horses were treated by excision of the lesion and application of an antifungal cream to the resulting wound. Also, we performed a meta-analysis of 214 horses, in 18 reports, affected with cutaneous pythiosis and analysed the influence of the horse’s sex, age, lesion site, and treatment on outcome. Treatment of horses in these 18 reports varied from surgical excision, topical, regional or systemic administration of an antifungal drug, immunization, or a combination of treatments. Horses with the most successful outcome were those treated by excision of the lesion coupled with systemic or topical administration of an antifungal drug. Horses treated by immunization responded the poorest. Key words: pythiosis; skin lesions; equine; surgery; Pythium insidiosum

ABSTRACT Powdery mildew of wheat (Triticum spp.) caused by Blumeria graminis f.sp. tritici (DC) E.O. Speer Em. Marchal is one of the most important bread wheat diseases in Egypt. All the Egyptian common bread wheat cultivars are susceptible to that disease at seedling and adult stages. Breeding of resistant cultivars is the most economical and environmentally safe method to eliminate the disease and reduce crop losses. Combinations of two or more effective resistance genes may lead to better, more durable resistance to that disease. Eight Pm genes i.e. Pm2, Pm6, Pm12, Pm16, Pm24, Pm35, Pm36 and Pm37 out of 21 powdery mildew monogenic wheat lines (Pm) were resistant to 42 individual isolates of powdery mildew collected from different governorates in the Nile Delta area, Egypt, at seedling and adult stages. Only four DNA specific SSR markers (Xgwm337, Xcfd7 linked to Pm24, Pm35 and Xgwm332, Xwmc790) linked to Pm37 resistance genes were selected to detect these genes in 13 Egyptian common bread wheat cultivars. This study reveals the absence of Pm24, Pm35 and Pm37 in all the 13 Egyptian bread wheat cultivars. These results gave evidence that the Egyptian cultivars are not having resistance genes and need to further incorporate one, two or more resistant genes in a single genotype as all commercial cultivars defeated by the pathogen.

Crystalline silica inhalation causes silicosis, one of the ancient occupational lung diseases. It leads to an irreversible fibrotic response in the lung parenchyma and, consequently, causes diffuse interstitial lung disease. Asymptomatic to chronic irreversible forms are various presentations of silicosis, which has a high-risk predisposition to various comorbidities. We documented two cases of rare presentations of silica dust exposure alveolar silicoproteinosis and silicotuberculosis.

Quinone-based fluorophores and enhanced native fluorescence techniques were applied for a fast quantitative analysis of gemifloxacin mesylate (GEM) and linezolid (LIN) in pharmaceutical formulations. For this purpose, three sensitive, accurate and precise spectrofluorimetric methods were developed. GEM, as an n-electron donor, reacts with 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (method A) and 2,5-dichloro-3,6-dihydroxy-p-benzoquinone (method B) as п-electron acceptors, forming charge transfer complexes that exhibit high fluorescence intensity at 441 and 390 nm upon excitation at 260 and 339 nm, respectively. Method C depends on measurement of enhanced native fluorescence of LIN in phosphate buffer (pH 5) at 380 nm upon excitation at 260 nm. Experimental factors affecting fluorescence intensity were optimized. Linearity was obtained over concentration ranges 50-500, 10-60 and 20-400 ng mL-1 for methods A, B and C, respectively. The developed methods were validated and successfully applied for determination of the cited drugs in tablets.

Background. This work was constructed in order to assess the nutritional and functional status in hospitalized elderly and to study the associations between them and sociodemographic variables. Methods. 200 elderly patients (>65 years old) admitted to Internal Medicine and Neurology Departments in nonemergency conditions were included. Comprehensive geriatric assessments, including nutritional and functional assessments, were done according to nutritional checklist and Barthel index, respectively. Information was gathered from the patients, from the ward nurse responsible for the patient, and from family members who were reviewed. Results. According to the nutritional checklist, 56% of participants were at high risk, 18% were at moderate risk of malnutrition, and 26% had good nutrition. There was a high nutritional risk in patients with low income and good nutrition in patients with moderate income. Also, there was a high nutritional risk in rural residents (61.9%) in comparison with urban residents (25%). Barthel index score was significantly lower in those at high risk of malnutrition compared to those at moderate risk and those with good nutrition. Conclusions. Hospitalized elderly are exposed to malnutrition, and malnourished hospitalized patients are candidates for functional impairment. Significant associations are noticed between both nutritional and functional status and specific sociodemographic variables.