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Research has identified certain bio-based products, such as probiotics, as alternatives to antibiotics for use in animal feed. They are capable of controlling, preventing or minimizing the colonization of the gastrointestinal tract by pathogenic bacteria. To isolate Pediococcus spp. and assess its technological properties for possible probiotic development, maize and pearl millet were used. The cereals were steeped and wet milled after 48 h of fermentation. The milled cereals were kneaded into dough for 24 h, after which a 10% slurry was prepared for tenfold serial dilution to enumerate the LAB by employing pour plate techniques using MRS Agar. Based on the cell morphology of the isolated bacteria, eight isolates (four from maize and four from millet) that were selected for identification using MALDI-TOF MS showed that five were Pediococcus pentosaceus (P. pentosaceus), one was Pediococcus acidilactici, and two did not match any organism. Subsequently, the six isolates were labeled as MZ1, MZ2, MZ3, MZ4 for the maize isolate and MLT5 and MLT7 for the millet isolate. The six Pediococcus spp. were assessed in vitro for acid and bile salt tolerance, gastric juice and intestinal fluid tolerance and antibiotic resistance and antimicrobial susceptibility tests were performed, and the survivability rate of the strains was calculated. With regard to the mean count, there was a reduction in log10 CFU/mL under the lower pH conditions and their duration of exposure with regard to time. Among the isolates, no differences were noted at the various periods of exposure (0 h, 1 h, 2 h and 3 h) at pH 4 (p > 0.05). However, significant differences were noted at pH 3, 2 and 1 among the isolates (p < 0.05). The percentage survival of MZ4 and MLT7 at pH 1 was higher compared to the other isolates at 0 h. Significant differences were observed among the isolated at pH 2, 3 and 4 across the various periods. The mean count of the isolates in gastric juice was similar at 0 and 1 h, but significant differences were noted at 2 and 3 h, where MLT7 was highest (p < 0.05). A similar trend was observed for percentage survival. The mean count and the percentage survival of isolates under different concentrations of bile salt were similar. Significant differences were noted among isolates in both mean count and percentage survival when exposed to intestinal fluid (p < 0.05). All of the isolates were highly tolerant to the antibiotics tested and possessed antibacterial properties against the selected pathogens. The LABs proved to be good probiotic materials, according to the results obtained. However, the Pediococcus strain MLT7 proved to be the LAB of choice; therefore, its molecular identity was verified using the 16S rRNA sequence and was labeled as Pediococcus pentosaceus GT001 after it was discovered to have 100% similarity with some strains of Pediococcus pentosaceus.

Abstract Background The claim that septoplasty in children should not be done was raised in the early last century. Pediatric septoplasty is highly controversial. Some surgeons are concerned that early surgical intervention before age 17 can adversely affect the normal growth of the nose and face. On the contrary, there is evidence of significant dental, palatal, and facial abnormalities following traumatic damage to the septal cartilage. Therefore, surgical correction of the deviated nasal septum may be performed regardless of the patient’s age. The recommendation of early surgery is based on the explanation that the earlier the correction of septal deviation, the better the outcome of developing normal breath and acceptable facial growth. This study evaluates the nasal and facial bony growth after endoscopic septoplasty for patients below the age of 17 years. Methods This retrospective study reviewed 39 patients who underwent endoscopic septoplasty. The involved patients’ age at surgery was below 17 years old. Postoperative evaluation was done for all patients subjectively using the visual analog scale (VAS) and objectively by endoscopic nose examination. The nasal and facial bony growth were evaluated using lateral cephalometry, which was carried out for each patient when they reached the age of 17. Results Thirty-nine patients underwent endoscopic septoplasty. The median visual analog scale for nose block and headache significantly declined after the procedure significant differences were observed between patients and controls regarding the following parameters: palatal length, anterior skull base, mid-face protrusion, and mid-face length. Conclusion Early endoscopic septoplasty below the age of 17 is a safe procedure and does not compromise the nasal or facial growth when indicated for patients with severe persistent nose block and poor quality of life.

Introduction Despite the high level of patient satisfaction with functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) and the clinical improvement, polyp recurrence is observed in 23% to 87% of patients and requires reoperation.

This study evaluated the effects of Pediococcus pentosaceus GT001 on Salmonella typhimurium (S. typhimurium)-challenged broiler chickens. Two hundred Ross 708 broiler day-old chicks with comparable weight were distributed at random into four treatments with five replicates and ten chicks per replicate. The following were the treatment groups: (B) basal diet (control); (B + S) basal diet and birds were challenged with S. typhimurium at 1.0 × 107 cfu/g; (B + P) basal diet + Pediococcus pentosaceus GT001 at 4.0 × 108 cfu/g; (B + P + S) basal diet + P. pentosaceus GT001 at 4.0 × 108 cfu/g and birds were challenged with S. typhimurium at 1.0 × 107 cfu/g. There was a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in the body weight of the Salmonella-infected birds compared to the other treatment groups. However, the FCRs of the broilers were comparable among the different treatment groups (p > 0.05). The lipid profile and liver function indices measured were significantly enhanced in the P. pentosaceus GT001-supplemented groups (B + P and B + P + S) compared to the group that was Salmonella-challenged (p < 0.05) but were similar to those in the control group. The serum antioxidant activities, such as the T-AOC, SOD, CAT, GHS-Px and MDA, were significantly improved in the P. pentosaceus GT001-supplemented groups (B + P and B + P + S) (p < 0.05). The MDA was similar in the B + P and B + P + S groups, but both were significantly lower than the control and the Salmonella groups. The administration of P. pentosaceus GT001 enhanced the lipase and amylase levels in both the serum and intestine of the broilers (p < 0.05). The immunoglobin (IgA, IgG, IgM) and cytokine (IL-10 and IL-6) levels in the serum were significantly higher in the B, B + P and B + P + S treatment groups (p < 0.05). The immune-related organs (bursa and spleen) were significantly influenced in the birds fed with P. pentosaceus GT001. No significant variation was noted among all the dietary treatments in terms of the measured meat quality indices. The small intestinal digesta content of the Salmonella load was below a detectable range after 14 days of infection (p < 0.05). No significant differences were observed among the different treatment groups in terms of the breast pH, drip loss and meat color (p > 0.05). The inclusion of P. pentosaceus GT001 also modified the community structure in the cecum. This indicates that it has health benefits and could be incorporated in the broiler diet.

Helicobacter pylori is a microaerophile Gram-negative bacillus, resistant to the activity of gastric juice. The bacteria may take the vegetative form (spiral shape) or sporulation form .Liver cirrhosis and H.Pylori infection are two common diseases in our population and reducing the incidence of complications in cirrhotic subjects is an important step in current gastroenterology practice. The aim of the present study is to determine incidence of H. Pylori infection among patients with liver cirrhosis secondary to HCV infection and study the correlation between esophageal varices degree and H. Pylori infection. This study involved 50 patients with liver cirrhosis secondary to Hepatitis C Virus infection were selected from gastroenterology and internal medicine clinics at Beni-Suef general hospital and Beni-Suef university hospital. Our results illustrate that the percent of H. pylori infection among studied patients was 68%, our results illustrate that there is statistically significant association between the grade of varices and the detection of H. pylori; p value is less than 0.001.

Abstract Background Most of the surgeons tend to avoid exposing and identification the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve (EBSLN) during thyroidectomy. In this study, our aim is to assess sequential steps to ligate superior thyroid vessels safely away from the External branch of superior laryngeal nerve (EBSLN). Methods This prospective case series study was conducted on 60 patients going for either total or hemi thyroidectomy in a tertiary teaching hospital between January 2016 and June 2019. During thyroidectomy, firstly we skeletonized the upper pole of the thyroid gland by its capsular dissection followed by anterolateral down retraction of the superior pole. Then, entry and opening of the cricothyroid space and lastly clamping and ligating superior thyroid pedicle close to the upper pole away from EBSLN. Results This study included 60 cases; 19 total thyroidectomy and 41 hemi thyroidectomy with 79 superior thyroid vessels ligation and EBSLN at risk. In all patients, no evidence of superior laryngeal nerve (SLN) palsy or bleeding was detected. Postoperative video laryngoendoscopy showed apparently normal mobility, length, level, and position of the vocal folds with symmetry of the larynx. The patients’ voice showed no changes from preoperative evaluation in all studied patients at 3 months postoperative evaluation. No patients complained of any changes in their voice or voice activities. Conclusion The described stepwise approach for preservation of the EBSLN serves to completely remove the superior pole of the thyroid gland and ligate superior thyroid vascular pedicle without risk of SLN injury.

Exploring alternatives to antibiotics is imperative in reducing antibiotic resistance and antibiotic residues in poultry products. The beneficial effects of antibiotic products derived from natural sources in comparison with the synthetic ones has been reported. Pediococcus pentosaceus has been applied as an animal growth bio-promoter and probiotic. To elucidate the protective mechanisms of P. pentosaceus, this study investigated the effects of different doses of P. pentosaceus supplementation on broiler growth performance, immune function, intestinal development and histomorphology. Five hundred (500) one-day-old Ross 708 broiler chicks were randomly enrolled into five experimental groups with 20 chicks per replicate. The treatments were imposed as follows: (T1) basal diet (control); (T2) basal diet with 1 g/kg antibact 3X; (T3) basal diet with P. pentosaceus GT001 at 4.0 × 108 cfu/g; (T4) basal diet with P. pentosaceus GT001 at 8.0 × 108 cfu/g; and (T5) basal diet with P. pentosaceus GT001 at 1.2 × 109 cfu/g. Dietary inclusion of P. pentosaceus GT001 at 4.0 × 108 cfu/g significantly improved body weight gain, feed intake and lipid profile of the broilers compared to the control group (p < 0.05). The addition of P. pentosaceus GT001 significantly improved the intestinal pH of the broilers. The digestive enzymes of the broilers were impacted with the supplementation of P. pentosaceus GT001 at 4.0 × 108 cfu/g. The highest serum antioxidant production was observed in the P. pentosaceus-treated group compared to the control. P. pentosaceus GT001 at 4.0 × 108 cfu/g increased the levels of serum cytokines and immunoglobin and improved the small intestinal morphology of the broilers in comparison with the control. The load of Pedococcus spp was similar among T3, T4 and T5 but significantly higher than that of the control (T1) and the antibiotics (T2)-fed birds. The load of E. coli in the gut was significantly reduced in T3, T4 and T5 compared to T1 and T2. There was no Salmonella growth among the treatments. This study highlights the importance of probiotics in broiler diets and suggests that Pediococcus pentosaceus GT001 could be used as a feasible substitute to antimicrobials in broiler production.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide and is associated with a high level of mortality and morbidity. In this study we evaluate expression of p-p38 and p-MSK1 in CRC and determine whether there is an association between expression of these markers and any clinicopathologic parameters that could be of prognostic value. Expression of p-p38, p-MSK1 and ki-67 were examined by immunohistochemistry in 135 archival CRC cases and the findings were correlated with the patient clinicopathological data. P-p38 and p-MSK1 were expressed at high level in 58.5 % and 60.7% of CRC cases respectively. A statistically significant negative correlation was found between expression of p-p38 and Ki-67 (p < 0.001, r = –0.63) and between p-MSK1 and Ki-67 expression (p < 0.001, r = –0.61). The majority of CRC cases expressing high levels of p-p38 also expressed high levels of p-MSK1 and this correlation was highly significant (p < 0.001, r = 0.863). The high expression of p-p38 and p-MSK1 was also significantly associated with low Dukes and TNM stage. The elevated expression of p-38 and p-MSK1 in CRC was associated with a good prognosis and prolonged overall survival (p < 0.001, each). Our finding showed that activation of the p38-MSK1 axis determines a good outcome in CRC.

Novel series of isoxazoline derivatives containing 1,4-benzothiazin-3-one ring (6a-h) were synthesized via 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions of arylnitrile oxides 5a-d on 4-allyl-2-(substituted)-1,4-benzothiazin-3-ones 3 and 4 led to polyheterocyclic. Systems. During our work, we mainly focused on the reactivity of nitrile oxides with carbon-carbon extracyclic double bond of the allyl group. The reaction leads exclusively to cycloadducts 6a-h with a good yield. The compounds were characterized using s spectral data (1H-NMR, 13C-NMR) and for some structures were also confirmed via single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques. Density functional theory (DFT) optimized structures at the B3LYP/ 6–311G(d,p) level are compared with the experimentally determined molecular structure in the solid-state. The HOMO—LUMO behavior was elucidated. The results are in agreement with the experimental data. The newly synthesized compounds 1, 2, 3, 4, 6a-g using cycloaddition reactions were evaluated in vitro for their antibacterial activities against some Gram-positive and Gram-negative microbial strains. Several compounds tested showed significant activity.

Abstract The fungus–substrate interaction on the antioxidant activity of a solid state fermentation system (SSFS) was investigated employing two basidiomycete fungi: Pleurotus columbinus and P. floridanus and two ascomycetes: Aspergillus fumigatus and Paecilomyces variotii on powdered peels of banana, pomegranate and orange, empty pea pods and rice straw. The oven-dried substrates were moistened at 90% water holding capacity, inoculated with the test fungi and incubated at 25 °C for appropriate time. Culture extracts were tested for the enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant activity. The effect of substrate on the antioxidant activity of the SSFS was stronger than that of the fungal species. Peroxidase (POX) activity was higher in the basidiomycetes than ascomycetes and achieved its maximum in P. floridanus versus complete absence in A. fumigatus. By contrast, catalase (CAT) activity was higher in the ascomycetes, particularly P. variotii on banana peel, than in the basidiomycetes. Phenolics and flavonoids were highest in pomegranate peels but lowest in banana peels and rice straw, and they were subjected to severe consumption by the basidiomycetes versus mild production by the ascomycetes. The reducing power (RP) and DPPH scavenging activity were higher in the peels of pomegranate, orange and banana relative to rice straw and empty pea pods, and the fungal effect was limited and independent of the fungal taxonomic group. Orange peel is the appropriate substrate for production of fungal CAT and POX, which activities were mutually exclusive; but pomegranate peel is more suitable for production of phenolics and flavonoids.

It was assumed that dietary inclusion of Lactobacillus reuteri SL001 isolated from the gastric contents of rabbits could act as an alternative to feed antibiotics to improve the growth performance of broiler chickens. We randomly assigned 360 one-day-old AA white-feathered chicks in three treatments: basal diet (control), basal diet plus zinc bacitracin (antibiotic), and basal diet plus L. reuteri SL001 (SL001) treatment. The results showed the total BW gain and average daily gain (ADG) of broilers in SL001 treatment increased significantly (p < 0.05, respectively) compared with the control group from day 0 to 42. Moreover, we observed higher levels of immune globulins in both the SL001 group and the antibiotic group. Total antioxidant capacity and levels of antioxidant factors were also significantly increased (p ≤ 0.05, respectively) in the SL001 treatment group, while the interleukin 6, interleukin 4, creatinine, uric acid, total cholesterol, triglyceride, VLDL, LDL and malondialdehyde were remarkably decreased (p < 0.05, respectively). In the ileum of SL001 treatment broilers, the height of villi and the ratio of villi height to crypt depth were significantly increased (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the crypt depth reduced (p < 0.01) and the ratio of villi height to crypt depth increased (p < 0.05) in the jejunum compared to the control. The abundance of microbiota increased in the gut of broilers supplemented with SL001. Dietary SL001 significantly increased the relative abundance of Actinobacteria in the cecal contents of broilers (p < 0.01) at the phylum level. In conclusion, L. reuteri SL001 supplementation promotes the growth performance of broiler chickens and exhibits the potential application value in the industry of broiler feeding.

The hazardous effect of abiotic stress and the beneficial effect of organic amendments on rice have been extensively studied during the vegetative stage, but little information is available regarding rice yield. Therefore, the response of rice yield to abiotic stress × organic amendment interaction needs thorough investigation. The differential potency of aqueous extract and biomass of the seaweed Dictyota dichotoma in alleviation of NaCl salinity and PEG-6000 water stress, at Ψw of -0.492 MPa in medium-textured soil, on yield of cv. Sakha 101 of Oryza sativa was investigated. Grain yield, number of spikes/plant, number of grains/spike, and seed index were lowered by 59%, 47%, 40%, and 35%, respectively under salt-stress with relatively severe reductions of 63%, 50%, 50%, and 40%, respectively under water stress. Also, the improvement in grain yield, number of spikes/plant, number of grains/spike and seed index by algal amendment was greater with algal extract (106%, 72%, 79%, and 81%, respectively) than algal powder (71%, 52%, 46%, and 65%, respectively). The improved grain yield of algal-amended plants was paralleled with the production of wider, heavier and drier grains. Both salinity stress and water stress significantly reduced grain protein but increased soluble sugars and starch contents. The grain content of protein, K+, Ca2+, P and N was improved while that of Na+ was reduced in response to algal amendment with marginal effects on soluble sugars and starch. Rice grain vigor was positively correlated to protein and mineral nutrient contents versus negative correlation with soluble sugar and starch contents. Both algal amendment and abiotic stress agreed in reducing grain As content. The benefit afforded by Dictyota dichotoma to rice yield justifies manipulation of the algal extract for alleviation of abiotic stress on rice yield and improvement of grain quality.

Salt tolerance of four Egyptian Vicia faba L. cultivars – Nubaria 1, Nubaria 2, Sakha 1 and Giza 3 – was investigated at germination in relation to seed size. The variability in seed size was wide as seed index of Giza 3 was about half that of Nubaria 1. The four investigated cultivars can withstand up to 150 mM NaCl; with marginal reductions in germination capacity but with marked reductions in speed of germination and embryo growth. The vague genotypic variability among the four cultivars in germination parameters emerged more clearly under salt stress. The response of early emergence of the embryo to salt stress seems to differ from that of the subsequent extension of embryonic axis; since based on magnitude and speed of germination Nubaria 1 was the most salt sensitive cultivar but exhibited relatively high salt tolerance on the basis of embryo growth. The salt-sensitive Nubaria 1 produced smaller embryo, with shorter and thicker radicles than the other three cultivars. Germination speed and embryo growth were maximum but lag period was minimum for the medium-sized seeds. Length and thickness of the emerging radicles were affected more by the genotype than by salinity stress and nutrient supply during germination. The beneficial effects of nutrients on seed germination and embryo growth were more evident in the salt-tolerant Nubaria 2 than in the salt-sensitive Nubaria 1. Keywords: Embryo growth, Germination speed, Salinity, Seed index, Vicia faba

The effect of genotype and timing of salicylic acid (SA) application on response of maize to salinity stress has been investigated. Single and triple hybrids (SH and TH, respectively) of maize were grown hydroponically and sprayed with 1 mM SA one week either before or after application of 150 mM NaCl. The effect of salinity on maize performance was stronger than that of SA regime or maize hybrid. The effect of treatments was most evident on root biomass but least evident on number of leaves. The genotypic difference in shoot biomass was vague in non-amended plants but emerged, in favor of the SH, in SA-amended plants. The more vigorous SH exhibited less pigment content (particularly the post-amended plants) and less salt resistance, with preferential native allocation of plant biomass to root compared with the TH. Salicylic acid, particularly the post amendment under salinity stress, was stressful to maize foliage but beneficial to roots. Salinity reduced root growth to a greater extent than shoot growth, with the production of wider and shorter blades; but SA led to the opposite effect. The effect of salinity on leaf chlorophyll a concentration was non-significant in the SH, versus an increase (in the post-amended plants) or a decrease (in the non-amended and pre-amended plants) of the TH. Sub-stomatal CO2 concentration (Ci) was higher in the SH than the TH, particularly in the post-amended plants. Both salinity and SA induced stomatal closure, reduced rates of transpiration and photosynthesis but increased Ci, with variable magnitudes in the two hybrids. Salinity increased concentrations of soluble sugars, proline and Na+ in the leaves, decreased K+ and phenolics concentrations but marginally affected protein concentration with limited effect of SA, which varied according to time of application. The further stressing effect of SA post-amendment to salt-stressed maize can be related to reduced stomatal conductance and concentrations of phenolics, proline and K+ but increased Na+ concentration of the shoot, particularly of the TH.

In this paper, we derive the Laguerre operational matrix (LOM) of fractional derivatives, which is applied together with the spectral tau method for numerical solution of general linear multi-term fractional differential equations (FDEs) on the half line. A new approach implementing Laguerre operational matrix in combination with the Laguerre collocation technique is introduced for solving nonlinear multi-term FDEs. The main characteristic behind this approach is that it reduces such problems to those of solving a system of algebraic equations, greatly simplifying the problem. The proposed methods are applied for solving linear and nonlinear multi-term FDEs, subject to initial conditions, and the exact solutions are obtained for some tested problems. doi:10.14456/WJST.2014.59