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Abstract This paper describes the synthesis of a novel Cu–Ni bimetallic system comprising of magnetic nanoparticles, as the core, and 4-amino-3,5-bis(pyridin-2-yl)-1,2,4-triazole (4-ABPT), as a conjugated bridge, between nickel and copper species. With low Cu and Ni loading (0.06 mol% Ni, 0.08 mol% Cu), the resulting Fe3O4@SiO2@4-ABPT/Cu–Ni showed to be a highly efficient catalyst for the Sonogashira and C–N cross-coupling reactions. The developed catalyst was well characterized by FT-IR, XRD, EDX-mapping, FE-SEM, TEM, ICP, VSM, TGA/DTG/DTA, LSV, and XPS techniques. Fe3O4@SiO2@4-ABPT/Cu–Ni nanocatalyst was compatible with a wide range of amines and aryl halides in the Sonogashira and C–N cross-coupling reactions and offered desired coupling products in high to excellent yields under palladium- and solvent-free conditions. Based on the XPS results, the 4-ABPT ligand can adjust electron transfer between Ni and Cu in Fe3O4@SiO2@4-ABPT/Cu–Ni, promoting the formation and stabilization of Cu+ and Ni3+ species. Electronic interactions and the synergistic effect between these metals increased the selectivity and activity of Fe3O4@SiO2@4-ABPT/Cu–Ni catalyst in the Sonogashira and C–N cross-coupling reactions compared with its monometallic counterparts. Additionally, the magnetic properties of Fe3O4@SiO2@4-ABPT/Cu–Ni facilitated its separation from the reaction mixture, promoting its reuse for several times with no significant loss in its catalytic activity or performance.

Sport marketing remain an important aspect of global sports innovation as it is relevant to the growth of business as well as its survival. It is further prescribed as a means by which company or an organization communicate their services in a sport-oriented context. Sports marketing has been developed to promote sports events and teams as well as promotion of other products and services to consumers. Descriptive survey design was used in this study. The population comprised the sport marketers and organizations that produce and sell sport products and services to consumers totaling 54 and no sample was selected as all the marketers and organization staff were used as sampled for the study. Structured questionnaire designed in a four point likert rating scale which was validated by experts in sports marketing and tested for reliability with coefficient result of 0.82 was used to elicit data from the respondents. Two research questions and two research hypotheses were formulated for the study. The two research questions were analysed using frequency, percentage and means score while the hypotheses were tested using independent T-test at 0.05 level of significant and funding reveals that there was no significant difference in the sport marketer perception of the influence of sport marketing strategy on the promotion of organization products as well as to produce valued products based on gender,. Among the recommendations, suggested include: organization must strengthen btheir marketing strategies in order to promote their products among others Keywords: Sports marketing, strategies, and promotion of organization products and services

Leadership styles remain very pertinent in the effective performance of an organization. Without good leadership ability to coordinate the staff and the activities in an organization may be hampered thereby affecting the overall development of such organization. Leadership is an important determinant in the effective functioning of an organization. The research employs descriptive survey design of correlation type which is very important as the study tries to find out the relationship between leadership styles of sports administrators and organization performance in Ilorin. Two research questions and three operational hypotheses were formulated for the study. The target populations for the study are 62 sports personnel in the sports council Ilorin which comprised of Director of Sports, Stadium manager, organizing secretaries and coaches of the existing 20 sports in the Kwara State Sports Council. No sample is selected as the researcher made use of all the sports personnel as respondents for the study. Researcher questionnaire designed in a modified four points likert rating scale was used to collect data from the respondents which was validated by a Professor of sports management, Kwara State University, Malete and a season sports administrator, ministry of youth and sports, Abuja and tested for reliability using split half method and Cronbach alpha was used to determine the result with a coefficient of 0.80 obtained. Inferential statistic of multiple regressions was used to test the null hypotheses formulated at 0.05 level of significance. The findings reveal that leadership styles of sports administrators have significant relationship with organization performance, each leadership style has significant contribution to organization performance and all the leadership styles significantly contributed to organization performance. Among the recommendations suggested include: Sports administrators must be able to employ variety of leadership style is the best among others. Keywords: Leadership styles, sports Administrator and organization performance

Objectives: This study aimed to compare coping strategies among students with chronic medical illnesses in contrast to healthy students to understand their behaviours in response to stressful situations. Methods: This comparative cross-sectional study was conducted between September and December 2019 and included students attending nine colleges at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), Muscat, Oman. Data were collected and compared between students with chronic medical illnesses and those who were healthy. A validated Arabic version of the self-reported Brief-COPE Inventory was used to determine mean scores for 14 designated coping strategies. Results: A total of 405 students participated in the study; of these, 229 (56.5%) were male and 176 (43.5%) were female. Overall, 113 students (28%) had a chronic medical illness. Positive coping strategies named religion, acceptance planning, and active coping were the most frequently reported coping strategies among all students regardless of their health status, while substance use was the least common. There were statistical differences between the two groups in using certain coping strategies. The students with chronic medical illnesses tend to use acceptance and emotional support more than healthy students (p-value of 0.001 and 0.008 respectively). However, the healthy students use self-blames and denial as a coping strategy more than chronically ill students (p-value of 0.008 and 0.029 respectively). Conclusion: In addition to the current resources available at SQU, encouraging healthy coping mechanisms and provide support to students with chronic medical illnesses are required to alleviate their stresses, especially for students with chronic medical illnesses.

The study focused on sports participation and its implication on the academic performance of students in tertiary institutions in Nigeria. To ascertain the objective of the study, the study focused on Overview of sports, Sports participation, Implication of sports on academic performance of students and Benefits of Sports Performance on academic Performance of Students however, concluded that, sports participation would have no negative implication on students’ academic performance in tertiary institutions. The study also concluded that students of tertiary institution in Nigeria should not be discouraged from participating in sports with the misconception that participation in sports worsens students’ general performance and specifically performance of students of tertiary institution. What this study implies is that, coaches, lecturers and school management should not seize students from participating in sporting activities as this go a long way in assisting them in all ramifications. It was suggested that future researcher should broaden the scope of the study to at least two to three countries so as to encourage participation in sports. It was further suggested that the Study should be conducted on the effects of sports participation among secondary and primary school students in Nigeria.

Novel thioxo[3.3.3]propellanes were synthesized in moderate to good yields via reactions of aromatic or aliphatic amines and carbon disulfide with the Knoevenagel adduct resulting from acenaphthoquinone and malononitrile in water at room temperature. The merit of this reaction is highlighted by its high atom-economy, chemo-selectivity, and lack of metal promoters. The structures of the products were established by IR, NMR, and single crystal X-ray analyses.

In recent times, there has been decline in maize production in Mali due to several factors; one of which is that of access to inputs such as fertilizer and improved seeds. Hence, this study examined the contribution of subsidized inputs to farmers’ level of maize production in Sikasso region of Mali. A multistage sampling procedure was used to select 200 beneficiaries of input subsidy for this study. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data which was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics such as Chi-square, Pearson Product Moment Correction (PPMC), ANOVA and regression at 0.05 significant levels. Results reveal beneficiaries’ mean age to be 48.50±12.63 years. Almost all (99.0%) beneficiaries were males and married, 92.5% were Muslims, while 63.5% had informal education. Mean farm size and mean seasonal income was 3.18±2.72 ha and 259,250±286,592.90 Fcfa respectively. Subsidized inputs that are mostly used and accessed by beneficiaries are UREA and NPK fertilizers, while DAP, organic fertilizer and hybrid seeds were least accessed and used. Inadequate financial capability to purchase inputs despite being subsidized and insufficiency of inputs are the major constraint faced by beneficiaries. Farm size (r=0.57, p

The 1:1 reactive intermediates generated by the addition of alkyl isocyanides to dialkyl acetylenedicarboxylates were trapped by 2-quinolinol to yield highly functionalized ketenimines and, in some cases, minor amounts of 1-azabuta-1,3-dienes.

Protonation of the reactive intermediates generated in the raction between dalkyl acetylenedicarboxylates and triphenylphosphine by isonitrosoacetophenone leads to vinyltriphenylphosphonium salts, which undergo intramolecular Wittig reaction to produce dalkyl 4-phenyl-N-hydroxypyrrole-2,3-dicarboxylates in moderate yields.

MNDO semi-empirical SCF MO calculations are used to study the pyramidal nitrogen atom inversion and configurational equilibria in the title compounds.

1H NMR spectra of a series of enaminones R-CO-CH=C(NHCH2Ph)-R [1, R=CH3; 2, R=C6H5; 3, R=CF3; 4, R=CH2CH2CH2; 5, R=CH2C(CH3)2CH2], were obtained in the presence of trifluoroacetic acid in CDCl3 or DMSO-d6 at 28 °C. Steric, solvent, electronic and hydrogen bonding effects on the rates of acid-catalyzed NH proton exchanges were investigated. Rate constants were calculated by 1H NMR line shape analysis.

Abstract Background Adverse health effects caused by pesticide exposure have been reported in occupied Palestinian territory and the world at large. The objective of this paper is to compare patterns of pesticide use in Beit-U'mmar village, West Bank, between 1998 and 2006. Methods We studied two populations in Beit-U'mmar village, comprised of: 1) 61 male farmers and their wives in 1998 and 2) 250 male farmers in 2006. Both populations completed a structured interview, which included questions about socio-demographic factors, types of farming tasks, as well as compounds, quantities, and handling of pesticides. Using the 1998 population as a reference, we applied generalized linear regression models (GLM) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) in order to estimate prevalence differences (PD) between the two populations. Results In 1998, farmers used 47 formulated pesticides on their crops. In 2006, 16 of these pesticides were still in use, including five internationally banned compounds. There were positive changes with less use of large quantities of pesticides (>40 units/year) (PD -51; CI -0.60, -0.43), in applying the recommended dosage of pesticides (PD +0.57; CI +0.48, +0.68) and complying with the safety period (PD +0.89; CI+0.83, +0.95). Changes also included farmers' habits while applying pesticides, such as less smoking (PD -0.20; CI-0.34, -0.07) and eating at the work place (PD -0.33; CI-0.47, -0.19). No significant changes were found from 1998 to 2006 regarding use of personal protective equipment, pesticide storage, farmers' habits after applying pesticides, and in using some highly hazardous pesticides. Conclusions The results were based on two cross-sectional surveys and should be interpreted with caution due to potential validity problems. The results of the study suggest some positive changes in the handling of pesticides amongst participants in 2006, which could be due to different policy interventions and regulations that were implemented after 1998. However, farm workers in Beit -U'mmar village are still at risk of health effects because of ongoing exposure to pesticides. To the best of our knowledge, no studies on long-term changes in pesticide use have been reported from developing countries.

The effectiveness of conventional techniques for removal of water contaminants remains doubtful on micropollutants, including waterborne protozoa. To the best of knowledge, this study is the first highlighting the use of electrospun polymeric nanofiber composite membranes coated with metal nanoparticles against Cyclospora cayetanensis and Giardia lamblia in vitro. Plain and hybrid nanofiber membranes loaded with zinc oxide, copper oxide and silver nanoparticles were prepared, characterized, and used for filtration of contaminated drinking water. Comparison between membranes was achieved through water examination microscopically and molecularly, counting and viability assessment of trapped protozoa on the membranes after filtration. Moreover, the membranes were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for detection of the trapped Cyclospora oocysts and Giardia cysts ultrastructural changes. Results showed that following water filtration, no protozoa were detected microscopically and melting curves were not plotted. A statistically significant reduction in the number of viable Cyclospora oocysts and Giardia cysts incubated for 4 days was reported. By SEM, dramatic distortions were observed in the trapped protozoa on hybrid membranes with superiority of silver nanoparticles. We concluded that the electrospun polymeric nanofibers composite membranes can be considered a promising alternative to standard water filtration methods.

Background: The pandemic of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) has a profound influence on the health of the population. This study aimed to assess the weight changes and its relation to the dietary habits and physical activity among adult Egyptian population during the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic., Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted using anonymous online questionnaire. The questionnaire was distributed across Egypt via community-based networks, social and institutional emailing lists, and professional organizations to collect data on sociodemographic, clinical history, dietary and lifestyle habits, physical activity, anthropometric measurements, and stressing factors., Results: The study participants (n = 1000) had a median (interquartile range) age of 34.0 (23.0-40.0) years, with 18.7% males, 96.6% having university or postgraduate education. Among them, 69.1% reported weight gain, 21.3% no change, and 9.6% weight loss. Weight loss was predicted by following COVID-19 pandemic reports daily [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.50 (95% CI, 0.27-0.93), p = 0.03], monthly income change [AOR = 2.52 (95% CI, 1.51-4.22), p < 0.001], starting antidepressants [AOR = 3.57 (95% CI, 1.08-11.76), p = 0.03], and increase in social media use [AOR = 1.81 (95% CI, 1.05-3.13), p = 0.03]. Weight gain was predicted by starting a diet during the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic [AOR = 1.57 (95% CI, 1.11-2.21), p = 0.01], physical activity during the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic [AOR = 0.49 (95% CI, 0.35-0.69), p < 0.001], and unhealthy food intake [AOR = 0.40 (95% CI, 0.28-0.57), p < 0.001] CONCLUSIONS: More intervention programs aiming to improve dietary habits and increase physical activity should be rapidly implemented to reduce the consequences of the pandemic on the Egyptians to keep healthy weight., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University (IRB number: 00007555) following the International Ethical Guidelines for Epidemiological studies [18]. Informed consent was obtained from all participants. Consent for publication: Not Applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Purpose: Searching for a novel early diagnostic biomarker for toxoplasmosis, real-time-PCR was currently used to measure the serum mmu-miR-511-5p level in male Swiss-albino mice infected with either; ME49 or RH Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) strains., Methods: Three mice groups were used; (GI) constituted the non-infected control group, while (GII) and (GIII) were experimentally infected with ME49 or RH strains, respectively. GII mice were orally infected using 10 or 20 ME49 cysts (ME-10 and ME-20), both were subdivided into; non-treated (ME-10-NT and ME-20-NT) and were further subdivided into; immunocompetent (ME-10-IC and ME-20-IC) [euthanized 3-days, 1, 2, 6 or 8-weeks post-infection (PI)], and immunosuppressed using two Endoxan ® injections (ME-10-IS and ME-20-IS) [euthanized 6- or 8-weeks PI], and spiramycin-treated (ME-10-SP and ME-20-SP) that received daily spiramycin, for one-week before euthanasia. GIII mice individually received 2500 intraperitoneal RH strain tachyzoites, then, were subdivided into; non-treated (RH-NT) [euthanized 3 or 5-days PI], and spiramycin-treated (RH-SP) that were euthanized 5 or 10-days PI (refer to the graphical abstract)., Results: Revealed significant upregulation of mmu-miR-511-5p in GII, one-week PI, with gradually increased expression, reaching its maximum 8-weeks PI, especially in ME-20-NT group that received the higher infective dose. Immunosuppression increased the upregulation. Contrarily, treatment caused significant downregulation. GIII recorded significant upregulation 3-days PI, yet, treatment significantly decreased this expression., Conclusion: Serum mmu-miR-511-5p is a sensitive biomarker for early diagnosis of ME49 and RH infection (as early as one-week and 3-days, respectively), and its expression varies according to T. gondii infective dose, duration of infection, spiramycin-treatment and host immune status., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The molecular pathogenesis of osteosarcoma (OS), the most frequent primary malignant bone tumor of all age groups, is still obscure. Since multidrug chemotherapeutic regimens were introduced in the 1970s, survival rates have been stationary. The Wnt-β-catenin signaling cascade and SOX9 have a significant contribution to skeletal growth, development, and tumorigenesis. In the present work, an attempt was made to examine the role and clinicopathological significance of β-catenin and SOX9 in 46 cases of pre-neoadjuvant chemotherapy OS tissues compared to 10 cases of non-neoplastic bone. The mRNA levels of both markers were assessed by qRT-PCR, and protein levels of β-catenin were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. The results were correlated with different clinicopathological parameters. SOX9 mRNA levels were significantly elevated in OS compared to non-neoplastic bone, and higher levels were significantly associated with the occurrence of fluid-fluid levels (indicating blood-containing cystic spaces) and osteolytic radiological pattern. Although β-catenin mRNA and protein levels were higher in OS compared to non-neoplastic bone, only the protein levels reached statistical significance. Higher β-catenin mRNA levels were significantly associated with tumor size, while higher protein levels were significantly associated with the histologic subtype, mitotic count, and radiological pattern. No significant association was noted with any of the other evaluated parameters. OS showing higher SOX9 mRNA expression and lower β-catenin mRNA and protein expression exhibited longer estimated overall survival times approaching statistical significance. To conclude, while high expression of β-catenin and SOX9 suggests their possible involvement in OS development, their prognostic role may need further research.

Latent toxoplasmosis mostly reactivates which could result in acute encephalitis. Chronic toxoplasmosis treatments are severely constrained by Toxoplasma cyst resistance. Novel therapeutic approaches are therefore becoming more essential. In this study, the effects of levamisole (LEVA) and spiramycin on the early and late stages of experimental toxoplasmosis are investigated., Materials and Methods: Seventy-five Me49 Toxoplasma gondii infected Swiss albino mice were divided into five groups; (GI): noninfected control group; (GII): infected untreated control group; (GIII): infected- LEVA treated group; (GIV): infected and received combination of spiramycin and LEVA and (GV): infected-spiramycin treated group. The impact was assessed through brain cyst count by Quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), interferon gamma (IFN-γ) assay, histopathological study, and total blood counts., Results: The progression of chronic toxoplasmosis could only be partially controlled by using either levamisole or spiramycin as a separate drug. The combined spiramycin and levamisole treatment significantly decreased the burden of Toxoplasma brain cyst, increased IFN-γ level, total blood parameters and improved the histopathological features especially at the late stage of infection., In Conclusion: Levamisole effectively modulated Toxoplasma-induced immune responses, resulting in chronic toxoplasmosis remission. Further clinical trials will be needed to study the effect of these combination in HIV/AIDS (human immunodeficiency virus) patients with toxoplasmosis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors claim to have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Blastocystis sp. is the most common parasitic infestation in humans. However, its pathogenicity remains controversial. Our aim was to study the prevalence of Blastocystis sp. parasite subtypes in patients with gastrointestinal manifestations referred for colonoscopy and assess possible correlation with clinical, colonoscopic, and histopathological findings., Methodology: One hundred patients with gastrointestinal manifestations referred for colonoscopy were enrolled. Stool samples were collected and examined both microscopically and by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) for detection of Blastocystis sp. Subtyping was done for positive samples by qPCR and confirmed by sequencing., Results: qPCR sensitivity far exceeded microscopy in detection of Blastocystis sp. (58% vs. 31%, agreement 38.5%). The most commonly detected subtype was 3 (50%), followed by 2 (32.8%) and 4 (13.8%). Abdominal pain was the most common clinical symptom; inflammation and colitis were the most common abnormal colonoscopic and histopathological findings. The most frequent subtype encountered in those findings was Subtype 3., Conclusions: This study confirmed the importance of using qPCR in diagnosis of Blastocystis sp. An association between abnormal clinical, colonoscopic, and histopathological findings on the one hand, and Blastocystis sp. infestation, especially Subtype 3, on the other hand, is also posed. This necessitates further studies to assess the mechanism of association with pathogenicity., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2023 Tropical Parasitology.)

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play regulatory roles in several diseases. In schistosomiasis, the main pathological changes are caused by the granulomatous reaction induced by egg deposition. We aimed to study the changes in host miRNA-223 and miRNA-146b expression in relation to egg deposition and development of hepatic pathology in murine schistosomiasis mansoni. Blood and liver tissue samples were collected from non-infected mice (group I), S. mansoni-infected mice at the 4th, 8th, and 12th weeks post-infection (p.i.) (groups II-IV), and 4 weeks after praziquantel treatment (group V). The collected samples were processed for RNA extraction, reverse transcription, and real-time PCR analysis of miRNA-223 and miRNA-146b. miRNAs' relative expression was estimated by the ΔΔC t method. Liver tissue samples were examined for egg count estimation and histopathological evaluation. Results revealed that miRNA-223 was significantly downregulated in liver tissues 8 and 12 weeks p.i., whereas miRNA-146b expression increased gradually with the progression of infection with a significantly higher level at week 12 p.i. compared to week 4 p.i. Serum expression levels nearly followed the same pattern as the tissue levels. The dysregulated expression of miRNAs correlated with liver egg counts and was more obvious with the demonstration of chronic granulomas, fibrous transformation, and distorted hepatic architecture 12 weeks p.i. Restoration of normal expression levels was observed 4 weeks after treatment. Collectively, these findings provide new insights for in-depth understanding of host-parasite interaction in schistosomiasis and pave a new way for monitoring the progress of hepatic pathology before and after treatment., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: This study aimed to assess the effect of neoadjuvant chemoradiation (nCXRT) on tumor regression and oncologic outcome of middle and low rectal cancer in patients of hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) compared to sporadic cases., Study Design: This was a retrospective cohort study that compared the outcomes of patients with HNPCC presenting with middle or low rectal cancer indicated for nCXRT vs patients with sporadic rectal cancer. All patients received long-course nCXRT followed by total mesorectal excision. Primary outcome was pathologic tumor regression grade (TRG) assessed after resection. Secondary outcomes included disease-free survival and overall survival., Results: Fifty-eight patients with HNPCC (24 female) were included in the study matched with 58 patients with sporadic rectal cancer (out of 166 using propensity score matching). Patients with HNPCC and sporadic rectal cancer were matched regarding tumor pathology TNM stage and lymphovascular invasion. In the HNPCC group, 36 patients (62%) had tumor regression (TRG3 = 6 (10.3%); TRG2 = 12 (20.6%); TRG1 = 18 (31%)) compared to 52 patients (92%) who had tumor regression in the control group (TRG4 = 9; TRG3 = 15; TRG2 = 18; TRG1 = 10) (p < 0.0007). After a median follow-up of 48 months, survival analysis revealed higher local recurrence and lower overall survival in patients with HNPCC compared to patients with sporadic rectal cancer., Conclusions: Rectal cancer in patients with HNPCC showed poorer response to nCXRT and was followed by higher local recurrence and lower overall survival than patients with sporadic rectal cancer. Tumor regression was detected in <65% of patients with HNPCC compared to >90% of patients with sporadic rectal cancer, and none of patients with HNPCC had a complete response., (Copyright © 2022 by the American College of Surgeons. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Success rate after ligation of the inter-sphincteric fistula tract ranges from 40% to 75%. Platelet-rich plasma is hypothesized to improve healing by slowly releasing growth factors. The objective of the study was to compare the efficacy and outcome of ligation of the inter-sphincteric fistula tract plus platelet-rich plasma local injection versus ligation of the inter-sphincteric fistula tract alone in the management of high trans-sphincteric anal fistula in regards to postoperative pain, time for healing, morbidity, fistula closure rate, recurrence, and quality of life., Methods: This was a prospective randomized trial. Patients with trans-sphincteric anal fistulas involving >50% of anal sphincters were included. Patients were randomly assigned to either ligation of the inter-sphincteric fistula tract plus platelet-rich plasma or ligation of the inter-sphincteric fistula tract (49 in each group). The primary endpoints were successful complete fistula closure and duration needed for healing. Secondary endpoints were morbidity, recurrence after 1 year of follow-up, postoperative pain, and quality of life., Results: Complete primary healing was recorded in 42 patients in the ligation of the inter-sphincteric fistula tract plus platelet-rich plasma group and 32 patients in the ligation of the inter-sphincteric fistula tract group, and the difference was statistically significant (P = .03). The mean time to complete healing after ligation of the inter-sphincteric fistula tract plus platelet-rich plasma was significantly shorter than after ligation of the inter-sphincteric fistula tract alone (15.7 ± 4 days vs 21.6 ± 5.4 days; P = .03). One year after complete healing of anal fistula, recurrence was recorded in 4/42 patients in the ligation of the inter-sphincteric fistula tract plus platelet-rich plasma group and 3/32 patients in the ligation of the inter-sphincteric fistula tract group with no statistically significant difference (P = .99). Patients in the ligation of the inter-sphincteric fistula tract plus platelet-rich plasma group had significantly lower pain scores after both 1 and 7 days. Quality of life and level of happiness were significantly better 1 month after ligation of the inter-sphincteric fistula tract plus platelet-rich plasma., Conclusion: Ligation of the inter-sphincteric fistula tract plus platelet-rich plasma for the treatment of high trans-sphincteric fistula-in-ano is a safe modality with significantly higher successful healing rate, shorter healing time, and less postoperative pain compared with ligation of the inter-sphincteric fistula tract alone. Ligation of the inter-sphincteric fistula tract plus platelet-rich plasma does not improve the rate of recurrence; however, it results in significantly higher short-term quality of life., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A radiological or nuclear attack could involve such a large number of subjects as to overwhelm the emergency facilities in charge. Resources should therefore be focused on those subjects needing immediate medical attention and care. In such a scenario, for the triage management by first responders, it is necessary to count on efficient biological dosimetry tools capable of early detection of the absorbed dose. At present the validated assays for measuring the absorbed dose are dicentric chromosomes and micronuclei counts, which require more than 2-3 days to obtain results. To overcome this limitation the NATO SPS Programme funded an Italian-Egyptian collaborative project aimed at validating a fast, accurate and feasible tool for assessing the absorbed dose early after radiation exposure. Biomarkers as complete blood cell counts, DNA breaks and radio-inducible proteins were investigated on blood samples collected before and 3 h after the first fraction of radiotherapy in patients treated in specific target areas with doses/fraction of about: 2, 3.5 or > 5 Gy and compared with the reference micronuclei count. Based on univariate and multivariate multiple linear regression correlation, our results identify five early biomarkers potentially useful for detecting the extent of the absorbed dose 3 h after the exposure.

Context: Alzheimer's disease is strongly associated with brain insulin signalling. Objective: Investigating the effect of amylin as a novel treatment in streptozotocin (STZ) rat model of AD. Materials and methods: Alzheimer's disease (AD) was induced in albino rats by intracerebroventricular injection of STZ (3 mg/kg). Rats received either amylin analogue (Pramlintide 200 μg/kg/day) or Metformin (30 mg/kg/day) for 5 weeks. Results: Both Pramlintide and Metformin improve learning and memory through enhancing insulin signalling (p-IR and p-PI3K) which lead to lowering level of CSF glucose, phosphorylated tau proteins, and amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) in hippocampus. Conclusions: Insulin sensitisers as Metformin and Pramlintide can improve learning and memory and decrease the pathological changes in STZ induced rat model of AD. However, Pramlintide is superior to Metformin in some memory tests which related to its action as an amylin analogue. Amylin improves learning and memory through an independent effect other than insulin sensitisation.

Background: Previous studies showed altered angiopoietin-like protein-8 (ANGPTL-8) circulating levels in type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Whether or not the alteration in ANGPTL-8 level can be a predictive maker for increased DM risk remains unclear., Aim: Investigating possible role of ANGPTL-8 as a risk predictor of type2 DM, in addition to a set of factors likely to affect ANGPTL-8 level., Methods: One hundred recently diagnosed persons with type 2 DM and 100 sex- and age-matched healthy controls were enrolled. Exclusion criteria included type 1 DM, acute infections, history of chronic kidney disease, malignancy, and blood loss or transfusion. Serum levels of ANGPTL-8, blood pressure, weight, height, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting blood glucose, cystatin C, lipid profile, liver, and kidney function tests were assessed. The independent relationship between DM and ANGPTL-8 was tested in the unadjusted and multiple-adjusted regression models., Results: Serum ANGPTL-8 levels showed significant elevation among persons with vs. without DM ( p  = 0.006), positive correlation with HbA1c ( p  < 0.001), and negative correlation with estimated GFR (eGFR) ( p  = 0.003) but no significant correlation to fasting glucose level. In the unadjusted model, patients in the third tertile of ANGPTL-8 had 4 times risk of DM (OR 4.03; 95% CI = 1.37-11.84). Data adjustment for cardiovascular diseases, smoking, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, alanine transaminase (ALT), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) increased the direct relationship between ANGPTL-8 and DM (OR 6.26; 95% CI = 1.21-32.50). However, the risk significantly decreased after adjustment of Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) eGFR creatinine-cystatin (OR 2.17; 95% CI = 0.10-49.84)., Conclusion: This study highlights a possible predictive role of ANGPTL-8 in diabetic complications, particularly nephropathy. Larger prognostic studies are needed to validate the cause-effect relationship between ANGPTL-8 and deteriorated kidney functions., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Background: Formation of schistosomal granulomata surrounding the ova can result in schistosomiasis-associated liver fibrosis (SSLF). The current standard of treatment is praziquantel (PZQ), which cannot effectively reverse SSLF. The role of the cannabinoid (CB) receptor family in liver fibrosis has recently been highlighted., Objectives: This study aimed to assess the therapeutic effect of CB1 receptor antagonism in reversing SSLF in a murine model of Schistosoma mansoni infection., Methods: One hundred male Swiss albino mice were divided equally into five groups: healthy uninfected control (group I), infected control (group II), PZQ treated (group III), rimonabant (RIM) (SR141716, a CB1 receptor antagonist)-treated (group IV) and group V was treated with combined PZQ and RIM. Liver sections were obtained for histopathological examination, alpha-1 smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) immunostaining and assessment of CB1 receptor expression using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)., Findings: The most effective reduction in fibrotic marker levels and granuloma load was achieved by combined treatment with PZQ+RIM (group V): CB1 receptor expression (H = 26.612, p < 0.001), number of α-SMA-positive cells (F = 57.086, p < 0.001), % hepatic portal fibrosis (F = 42.849, p < 0.001) and number of granulomata (F = 69.088, p < 0.001)., Main Conclusions: Combining PZQ with CB1 receptor antagonists yielded the best results in reversing SSLF. To our knowledge, this is the first study to test this regimen in S. mansoni infection.

Tooth development is controlled by the same processes that regulate formation of other ectodermal structures. Mutations in the genes underlying these processes may cause ectodermal dysplasia, including severe absence of primary or permanent teeth. Four consanguineous Palestinian families presented with oligodontia and hair and skin features of ectodermal dysplasia. Appearance of ectodermal dysplasia was consistent with autosomal recessive inheritance. Exome sequencing followed by genotyping of 56 informative relatives in the 4 families suggests that the phenotype is due to homozygosity for KREMEN1 p.F209S (c.626 T>C) on chromosome 22 at g.29,521,399 (hg19). The variant occurs in the highly conserved extracellular WSC domain of KREMEN1, which is known to be a high affinity receptor of Dickkopf-1, a component of the Dickkopf-Kremen-LRP6 complex, and a potent regulator of Wnt signaling. The Wnt signaling pathway is critical to development of ectodermal structures. Mutations in WNT10A, LRP6, EDA, and other genes in this pathway lead to tooth agenesis with or without other ectodermal anomalies. Our results implicate KREMEN1 for the first time in a human disorder and provide additional details on the role of the Wnt signaling in ectodermal and dental development.