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Abstract Objectives To assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding cervical cancer and Pap smear screening among Omani women attending a tertiary clinic in Muscat, Oman, and to establish correlations with selected sociodemographic factors. Methods An observational, cross-sectional study was carried out among Omani women aged 18–50 years old attending the outpatient clinic of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, from October 2019 to February 2020. A validated Arabic-language questionnaire was utilized to collect data regarding the participants’ sociodemographic characteristics, their knowledge of cervical cancer and related risk factors, and their knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to cervical cancer screening and Pap smear testing. Results Of the 380 respondents, 86 and 55% had previously heard of cervical cancer and Pap smear testing, respectively; however, only 26% were knowledgeable concerning these topics. Knowledge scores were significantly associated with various sociodemographic factors, including marital status and a previous awareness of cervical cancer (odds ratio: > 1, p

Background: There is a growing need for biomarkers that can help in early diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) and in recognizing patients with MS activity. Moreover, many studies are recently focusing on biomarkers that may help in diagnosis of the transition from relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) to secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) are now considered promising biomarkers. Objectives: Studying the role of plasma miRNA-145 and miRNA-484 in the diagnosis of MS, disease activity and in diagnosing the transition from RRMS to SPMS. Patients and Methods: Forty-six subjects of both sexes were included, 31 patients with MS) 21 with RRMS, 8 with SPMS and Two patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS)) and 15 healthy controls. Expression analysis of plasma miRNAs; miR-145 and miR-484 were assessed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) after miRNA extraction. Results: MicroRNAs 145 and 484 could significantly discriminate between MS cases and controls, with best cut-off values > 0.6 and > 1.7 respectively. They could also significantly discriminate between active and inactive MS cases, with best cut-off values > 0.8 and > 2 respectively. Plasma miRNA-145 could discriminate between RRMS and SPMS cases, with best cut-off value ≤1.4. Conclusion: Plasma miRNAs 145 and 484 might be used as promising biomarkers for early diagnosis of MS and in diagnosis of disease activity. Plasma miRNA-145 could be also helpful in diagnosis of the transition from RRMS to SPMS.

A principal challenge in computational modeling of macromolecules is the vast conformational space that arises out of large numbers of atomic degrees of freedom. Recently, growing interest in building predictive models of complexes mediated by Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras (PROTACs) has led to the application of state-of-the-art computational techniques to tackle this problem. However, repurposing existing tools to carry out protein-protein docking and linker conformer generation independently results in extensive sampling of structures incompatible with PROTAC-mediated complex formation. Here we show that it is possible to restrict the search to the space of protein-protein conformations that can be bridged by a PROTAC molecule with a given linker composition by using a cyclic coordinate descent algorithm to position PROTACs into complex-bound configurations. We use this methodology to construct potential energy and solvation energy landscapes of PROTAC-mediated interactions. Our results suggest that desolvation of amino acids at interfaces could play a dominant role in PROTAC-mediated complex formation.

This study reports the X-ray structure of the α1B-adrenergic G protein-coupled receptor bound to an inverse agonist, and unveils key determinants of subtype-selective ligand binding that may help the design of aminergic drugs with fewer side-effects.

Over years, existence of toxic chemical heavy metal in aquatic systems has motivated more research studies toward the preparation of effective stable solid adsorbents for the removal of toxic chemical pollutants. Therefore, in the current research study, activated carbon adsorbent (AC) was synthesized from Yemeni khat (catha edulis) leaves which are considered as waste accumulated on waste disposal areas in Yemen. KOH (2.0 N) was used as a chemical activator to produce the AC material which was subsequently heated at 400 °C. A simple co-precipitation method was used to chemically modify AC with varying weight ratios of NiO–Fe3O4 NPs (5, 15, and 25 wt %). The modified AC was used to remove toxic Pb(II) and Hg(II) ions from aquatic systems. Numerous techniques, which included x-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transforms infrared (FTIR), field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), and N2 adsorption/desorption isotherms, were used to confirm the morphology of AC and 5, 15, and 25 wt% NiO–Fe3O4/AC samples. The study findings demonstrated that, NiO–Fe3O4 nanoparticles improved the adsorption efficiency for toxic Pb(II) and Hg (II) ions. The AC adsorbent attained maximum removal efficiencies of 88.95% and 87.56% for Pb (II) and Hg (II) ions, respectively. In contrast, 15-NF/AC NC sample successfully attained the highest removal efficiencies of 100% for pb(II) and 99.71% for Hg(II). According to the experimental findings, the prepared NF/AC adsorbents were effective and they can be used as inexpensive and stable solid nanoadsorbents in water treatment.

Concerns over food safety issues during the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) have sparked worldwide interest. Being part of a farm-to-fork food safety chain, food handlers at home are the final line of defense in reducing foodborne diseases. The present study used a cross-sectional survey to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of women food handlers in Jordan. The survey investigated the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on women who handle food at home in terms of food safety KAP. One thousand one hundred twenty-six respondents completed a food safety questionnaire during the COVID-19 pandemic. With a mean score of 22.1 points out of 42, the results showed that women who handle food in their houses had insufficient knowledge, negative attitudes, and incorrect practices concerning food safety. The respondents demonstrated high knowledge, attitudes, and practices in the personal hygiene, cleaning and sanitation areas (≥ 60.0%). On the other hand, participants' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding contamination prevention, health issues that would affect food safety, symptoms of foodborne illnesses, safe storage, thawing, cooking, keeping, and reheating of foods, as well as COVID-19 were all low (< 60.0%). The correlations between participants' total food safety KAP scores and education, age, experience, region, and the pandemic effect on food safety were statistically significant (P ≤ 0.05). To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first conducted in Jordan to investigate food safety knowledge, attitudes, and practices by women handling food at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), for which there does not appear to be an approved cure, the primary treatment options consist of non-pharmacological preventive measures and supportive treatment that are aimed at halting the progression of the disease. Nuclear factor kappa B (NFkB) presents a promising therapeutic opportunity to mitigate COVID-19-induced cytokine storm and reduce the risk of severe morbidity and mortality resulting from the disease. However, the effective clinical application of NFkB modulators in COVID-19 is hampered by a number of factors that must be taken into consideration. This paper therefore explored the modulation of the NFB pathway as a potential strategy to mitigate the severe morbidity and mortality caused by COVID-19. The paper also discusses the factors that form the barrier, and it offers potential solutions to the various limitations that may impede the clinical use of NFkB modulators against COVID-19. This paper revealed and identified three key potential solutions for the future clinical use of NFkB modulators against COVID-19. These solutions are pulmonary tissue-specific NFkB blockade, agents that target common regulatory proteins of both canonical and non-canonical NFkB pathways, and monitoring clinical indicators of hyperinflammation and cytokine storm in COVID-19 prior to using NFkB modulators.

Azo dyes are the most widely used dyes in the textile industry due to their stability, but their redundancy to degradation is of significant concern, particularly to aquatic ecosystems. In the present study, a lab-scale aerobic sequential batch reactor (SBR) was operated to analyze the degradation of mixed reactive azo dyes at a concentration of 100–1000 mg/L. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal increased from 34% to 61.15% and then dropped to 21.16% at the highest used concentration. The biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) removal decreased from 63% to 55.55% to 28.14% with an increasing dye concentration. The biosorption experiment and dried activated sludge (DAS) successfully removed about 0.300 mg of dyes by absorption within 2 hours. A toxicity assessment was carried out by employing a phytotoxicity test on Vigna radiata. The percentage of germination was used to detect the toxic effects of untreated dye-containing wastewater on plant growth. The treated wastewater showed 100% germination compared to 70% in untreated wastewater containing 100 mg/L mixed dyes, confirming the treatment’s efficacy.

Background: Final-year medical students are soon to be physicians who are expected to have sufficient knowledge about a life-threatening condition such as diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA); thus, the present study aimed to evaluate awareness and knowledge of medical students about DKA in a large Saudi University. Methods: An online survey was conducted using a convenience sample of 81 participants aged 18 years and above from Jazan region, Saudi Arabia. Awareness and knowledge about DKA were assessed using a prestructured questionnaire. Statistical analysis using the Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) included descriptive studies and Chi-square or Fisher's exact test, with the significance level set at P value < 0.05. Results: A total of 81 valid responses were analyzed (85.3% response rate), of which 51.9% were males. The mean age was 23.06 (Standard deviation 1.66 years). Regarding basic information about diabetes mellitus, most of the respondents correctly answered questions related to the system involved in diabetes, classic symptoms, glycemic control test, and the meaning of postprandial blood sugar. Also, students had a good knowledge regarding DKA definition and management. However, inadequate knowledge was found regarding electrolyte disturbance in DKA (59% of males vs. 30.8% of females P = 0.014) and fluid replacement in DKA patients (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The present study revealed that students had a good knowledge regarding basic information about diabetes and DKA definition and management. Students' knowledge was deficient regarding electrolyte disturbance and fluid replacement in DKA. Interventions using study seminars and workshops are warranted to increase knowledge about DKA among final-year medical students.

The accumulation of recalcitrant azo dyes from untreated textile effluents has adversely impacted the ecosystem. The immense stability in their nature is conferred by the presence of azo bonds (N=N) in their structure. The reduction of this azo bond occurs exclusively under anaerobic conditions giving rise to colorless aromatic amines, which are carcinogenic. In the present study, a synthetic textile effluent containing mixed azo dyes such as Reactive Red, Reactive Black, and Reactive Brown, was treated using activated sludge under anaerobic conditions in a lab-scale anaerobic sequential batch reactor (An-SBR). At a concentration of 100 mg/L of mixed azo dyes, the An-SBR gave a maximum of 88% decolorization detected through UV-visible spectroscopy. Physicochemical analyses revealed 73% removal of BOD, 90% TDS removal, 69% COD removal, 4.05% TKN removal, 66% chloride removal, and 73% hardness removal. When the concentration of dyes was increased to 500 mg/L, the treatment showed a decrease in decolorization efficiency. This was then compared to a sequential anaerobic-aerobic treatment process performed in An-SBR and a laboratory-scale aerobic moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR). The study revealed that the sequential process held more potential for commercial application than exclusively an anaerobic process. The metabolites formed during the treatment phase were extracted and analyzed by FT-IR and HPLC and identified through GC-MS analyses and were compared to those found in the untreated effluent. A phytotoxicity test was conducted on the remainder (secondary) sludge using Vigna unguiculata, and it was found to show a 50% reduction in germination and retardation in root and shoot length.

Giardia duodenalis is a common gastrointestinal protozoan parasite, causing diarrheal illness in humans worldwide. Yet, the distribution of G. duodenalis genotypes among human patients and their clinical relevance remains controversial. This study aimed to detect G. duodenalis in children in Upper Egypt and identify causative genotypes and elucidate a possible correlation between genotype and clinical presentation. One hundred sixty-five children, regardless of symptoms, were tested for giardiasis. Giardia positive stool samples (40/165) were subjected to PCR amplification targeting the tpi gene with positive PCR results in only 35 cases (87.5%). Assemblage-specific amplification of genotypes (A, B, and the zoonotic E strains) revealed predominantly G. duodenalis Assemblage A (45.7%). Assemblage B and mixed A and B infections were detected in 31.4% and 22.8% of children, respectively. Assemblage E was not detected. G. duodenalis assemblage A was dominant in children who complained of diarrhea and abdominal cramps. In contrast, asymptomatic children with positive stool samples display a higher frequency of assemblage B and mixed infections. The study highlights the predominance of Giardia Assemblage A in our study locality. This study is the first for this endemic area to use the copro-PCR technique for diagnosis and genotyping of giardiasis. Study results show the value of simple species-specific primers for genotyping in communities with little access to laboratory resources. Further genetic studies are needed to clarify the association between parasite genetic diversity and patient symptomatology.

Abstract α1A‐ and α1B‐adrenoceptors (ARs) are G protein‐coupled receptors (GPCRs) that are activated by adrenaline and noradrenaline to modulate smooth muscle contraction in the periphery, and neuronal outputs in the central nervous system (CNS). α1A‐ and α1B‐AR are clinically targeted with antagonists for hypertension and benign prostatic hyperplasia and are emerging CNS targets for treating neurodegenerative diseases. The benzodiazepines midazolam, diazepam, and lorazepam are proposed to be positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of α1‐ARs. Here, using thermostabilized, purified, α1A‐ and α1B‐ARs, we sought to identify the benzodiazepine binding site and modulatory mechanism to inform the design of selective PAMs. However, using a combination of biophysical approaches no evidence was found for direct binding of several benzodiazepines to purified, stabilized α1A‐ and α1B‐ARs. Similarly, in cell‐based assays expressing unmodified α1A‐ and α1B‐ARs, benzodiazepine treatment had no effect on fluorescent ligand binding, agonist‐stimulated Ca2+ release, or G protein activation. In contrast, several benzodiazepines positively modulated phenylephrine stimulation of a cAMP response element pathway by α1A‐ and α1B‐ARs; however, this was shown to be caused by off‐target inhibition of phosphodiesterases, known targets of diazepam. This study highlights how purified, stabilized GPCRs are useful for validating allosteric ligand binding and that care needs to be taken before assigning new targets to benzodiazepines.

Chiral separation techniques play a crucial role in the pharmaceutical industry, where the enantiomeric purity of drugs can have a significant impact on their efficacy and safety. Macrocyclic antibiotics are highly effective chiral selectors used in various chiral separation techniques, including LC, HPLC, SMB, and TLC, offering reproducible results and a wide range of applications. However, developing robust and efficient immobilization mechanisms for these chiral selectors remains a challenge. This review article focuses on various immobilization approaches, such as immobilization, coating, encapsulation, and photosynthesis, that have been applied to immobilize macrocyclic antibiotics on their support. Commercially available macrocyclic antibiotics for conventional liquid chromatography include Vancomycin, Norvancomycin, Eremomycin, Teicoplanin, Ristocetin A, Rifamycin, Avoparcin, Bacitracin, and others. In addition, capillary (nano) liquid chromatography has also been used in chiral separation utilizing Vancomycin, Polymyxin B, Daptomycin, and Colistin Sulfate. Macrocyclic antibiotic-based CSPs have been extensively applied due to their reproducible results, ease of use, and broad range of applications, capable of separating a large number of racemates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mycotoxins are considered hidden dangers that threaten the poultry industry globally because they suppress the immunity of birds, reduce their production, and increase their chance of being infected with diseases, which exposes the poultry industry to enormous economic losses. Therefore, this investigation aimed to assess the effectiveness of VemoZyme Detox®, a novel enzymatic detoxifier, in mitigating the detrimental consequences of mycotoxin contamination in broiler chickens. The experiment involved 10,000-day-old, Cobb 500 broiler chicks, which were allotted into two groups of 5000 birds each as follows: T1: received a control basal diet; and T2: birds were provided with a basal diet supplemented with VemoZyme Detox®. The birds underwent comprehensive monitoring, including evaluations of growth performance, blood parameters, mycotoxin levels, hepatic histopathological alterations, and litter bacteriological counts. Broilers receiving dietary VemoZyme Detox® exhibited significant improvements in various aspects, including growth performance, reduced mortality rates, and more favorable feed conversion ratios. Moreover, the enzymatic supplement played a protective role in maintaining hepatic and renal health, as evidenced by reductions in blood aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), uric acid, and creatinine. Importantly, although there was no significant difference in mycotoxin levels (zearalenone, fumonisin B1, ochratoxin A, aflatoxin B1) within the feed, VemoZyme Detox® had a significant impact on decreasing mycotoxin levels, particularly those of zearalenone and fumonisin B1. Hepatic histological examinations also revealed healthier conditions in T2, and positive impacts extended to litter samples, as indicated by reduced counts of Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) counts. In conclusion, the use of an enzymatic detoxifier is a promising method for counteracting the negative impacts of mycotoxin contamination in broilers. The results underscore the substantial potential of enzymatic detoxifiers for ensuring the health and productivity of broilers, opening new avenues for safer poultry production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study focused on understanding the reproductive biology of Pinctada margaritifera, commonly known as the black-lipped pearl oyster, which holds significant economic importance due to its production of Tahitian cultured pearls. Research conducted in Mabahiss Bay, the Red Sea, Egypt throughout 2022 provided crucial insights into the reproductive cycle of P. margaritifera. The species exhibits protandric hermaphroditism, transitioning from male to female during its growth. Shell sizes inversely correlated with sex distribution, with a sex ratio of 1.05: 1.0: 0.1 for females, males, and undifferentiated individuals, respectively. The study identified a distinct spawning phase from June to October, peaking in July and August. Analyses of gonad index fluctuations in females and males provided additional understanding of reproductive dynamics. Among the methods tested to stimulate spawning, hormones and gonad stripping yielded positive results. The research also delved into the timing and early development stages of eggs and larvae of P. margaritifera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]