Purification and characterization of L-arginine deiminase from Penicillium chrysogenum.

L-arginine deiminase (ADI, EC 3.5.3.6) hydrolyzes arginine to ammonia and citrulline which is a natural supplement in health care. ADI was purified from Penicillium chrysogenum using 85% ammonium sulfate, DEAE-cellulose and Sephadex G200. ADI was purified 17.2-fold and 4.6% yield with a specific activity of 50 Umg- 1 protein. The molecular weight was 49 kDa. ADI expressed maximum activity at 40oC and an optimum pH of 6.0. ADI thermostability was investigated and the values of both t0.5 and D were determined. Kd increased by temperature and the Z value was 38oC. ATP, ADP and AMP activated ADI up to 0.6 mM. Cysteine and dithiothreitol activated ADI up to 60 µmol whereas the activation by thioglycolate and reduced glutathione (GSH) prolonged to 80 µmol. EDTA, α,α-dipyridyl, and o-phenanthroline inactivated ADI indicating that ADI is a metalloenzyme. N-ethylmaleimide (NEM), N-bromosuccinimide (NBS), butanedione (BD), dansyl chloride (DC), diethylpyrocarbonate (DEPC) and N-acetyl-imidazole (NAI) inhibited ADI activity indicating the necessity of sulfhydryl, tryptophanyl, arginyl, lysyl, histidyl and tyrosyl groups, respectively for ADI catalysis. The obtained results show that ADI from P. chrysogenum could be a potential candidate for industrial and biotechnological applications.

Kinetics of growth, development and absorption of nutrients in stone pine (Pinus pinea L.) cultivated in the presence of NaCl.

The aim of the present work was to evaluate and analyze the growth and mineral nutrition response of stone pine (Pinus pinea L.) seedlings, an economically important forest species. We analyzed the salinity effects on the kinetics of growth, development, and absorption of nutrients of plants cultivated under controlled conditions on a solid organic substrate. Pinus pinea plants were able to tolerate 25 mM NaCl concentration without reduced growth compared to the non-saline control. However, the salt concentration of 50 mM significantly affected the seedling growth after two weeks of treatment. Root growth activity was decreased more than the aerial parts at applied NaCl concentrations. On the other hand, seedlings restricted the transport of Na+ ions to the aerial parts and were strongly selective in favour of K+ ions. The presence of NaCl in the culture medium decreased the absorption rate and the export of K+ and Na+ ions to the aerial parts. This was reflected in the accumulation way of these two ions in the whole plant.

Plastic wastes biodegradation: Mechanisms, challenges and future prospects.

The growing accumulation of plastic wastes is one of the main environmental challenges currently faced by modern societies. These wastes are considered a serious global problem because of their effects on all forms of life. There is thus an urgent need to demonstrate effective eco-environmental techniques to overcome the hazardous environmental impacts of traditional disposal paths. However, our current knowledge on the prevailing mechanisms and the efficacy of synthetic plastics' biodegradation still appears limited. Under this scope, our review aims to comprehensively highlight the role of microbes, with special emphasis on algae, on the entire plastic biodegradation process focusing on the depolarization of various synthetic plastic types. Moreover, our review emphasizes on the ability of insects' gut microbial consortium to degrade synthetic plastic wastes. In this view, we discuss the schematic pathway of the biodegradation process of six types of synthetic plastics. These findings may contribute to establishing bio-upcycling processes of plastic wastes towards biosynthesis of valuable metabolic products. Finally, we discuss the challenges and opportunities for microbial valorization of degraded plastic wastes.

The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Hospital Management of TAVI Patients: TAVI Team Thoughts and Recommendation.

The COVID-19 Pandemic has put enormous pressure on the healthcare system globally, causing many healthcare organizations all over the world to cancel or stop elective procedures in their cardiac catheterization laboratoires. This delay in elective procedures with no doubt has led to a suspension of patient care primarily to those with severe aortic stenosis, which might place them at higher risk for cardiovascular complications like sudden death and heart failure. Health Care Worker are faced with the uncertainty of contracting infections while performing procedures in patients with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 or suspected cases. This unprecedented situation is very challenging for the safety of Health Care Worker. Hence, in this article, we aim to summarize some of the current guidelines as to how to triage patients in need for Trans Catheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI), during this ongoing pandemic, and will address some necessary considerations related to the preparation of catheterization laboratories and personal during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pain management during diagnostic office hysteroscopy in postmenopausal women: a randomized study.

Objective: This study aimed to compare efficacy and safety of lidocaine versus tramadol versus placebo in reducing the pain of diagnostic outpatient hysteroscopy (OH) in postmenopausal women.Materials and methods: This randomized double-blinded study included 156 menopausal women who received intrauterine lidocaine infusion or oral tramadol (50 mg) or placebo before diagnostic OH (52 women/group). Primary outcome was pain severity during the procedure using a 10-cm visual analog scale. Secondary outcomes were pain scores 10 and 30 min post procedure, satisfaction level, and ease of cervical entry.Results: Lidocaine had lower pain scores compared to placebo during and 10 min after the procedure (p < 0.001). Tramadol had lower pain scores than placebo during the procedure (p = 0.04), 10 min after the procedure (p = 0.03), and 30 min after the procedure (p = 0.04). Both lidocaine and tramadol resulted in an easier procedure than placebo (p < 0.001 and p = 0.04, respectively). Lidocaine had an easier cervical entry compared to tramadol (p = 0.004). Satisfaction scores in the lidocaine and tramadol groups were significantly higher than in the placebo group (p < 0.001).Conclusions: Lidocaine and tramadol were effective in reducing postmenopausal women-reported pain during and after diagnostic OH. However, lidocaine was better than tramadol in facilitating hysteroscope passage through the cervical canal and the reduction in pain levels with lidocaine was clinically relevant.Trial registration number: NCT03701984.

A Study for Improving Compressive Strength of Cementitious Mortar Utilizing Magnetic Water.

This research investigates the means to improve the compressive strength of mortar mixtures through using novel mixtures. These mixtures include magnetic water (MW) and fly ash (FA). MW was obtained by circulating tap water (TW) through a magnetic field. The magnetization duration was represented by the number of cycles, the content of FA was replaced with cement, and the super plasticizer percentage (SP) and the curing age were used and evaluated experimentally for producing the mortar mixtures. Mortar flow, crushing compressive strength, and ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) tests were applied to evaluate the performances of mixing characteristics. The results demonstrate that the MW-treated mortar mixtures show higher compression strength results than those prepared by TW. The compressive strength was increased up to 60% with 150 cycles, a dose of 0.5% of SP and no FA content at the age of 56 days. The dose of SP can be cut down by a maximum of 40% to 50% in cementitious mortar. the workability was enhanced by a percentage of 70%.

Rising prevalence of multiple sclerosis in Saudi Arabia, a descriptive study.

BACKGROUND: In 2015, the first nationwide, multicenter Multiple Sclerosis (MS) registry was initiated in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) mainly with an objective to describe current epidemiology, disease patterns, and clinical characteristics of MS in Saudi Arabia. This article aimed to report initial findings of the registry and regional prevalence of MS. METHOD: In 2015, a national MS registry was launched in KSA to register all MS patient with confirmed diagnosis according to the 2010 McDonald Criteria. The registry aimed to identify and recruit all healthcare facilities treating MS patients in the Kingdom, and collect data such as demographics, clinical characteristics (disease onset, diagnosis, presentation of symptoms at onset, disease course, relapse rate, and disability measures), family history, and treatments. All the included sites have obtained IRB/EC approvals for participating in the registry. Currently, the registry includes 20 hospitals from different regions across the Kingdom. The Projected prevalence was calculated based on the assumption that the number of diagnosed MS cases in participating hospitals (in each region) is similar to the number of cases in remaining nonparticipant hospitals in the same region. RESULTS: As of September 2018, the registry has included 20 hospitals from the different regions across the Kingdom and has collected comprehensive data on 2516 patients from those hospitals, with median age 32 (Range: 11-63) and 66.5% being females. The reported prevalence of MS for those hospitals was estimated to be 7.70/100,000 population and 11.80/100,000 Saudi nationals. Based on the assumption made earlier, we projected the prevalence for each region and for the country as a whole. The overall prevalence of MS at the country level was reported to be 40.40/100,000 total population and 61.95/100,000 Saudi nationals. Around 3 out of every 4 patients (77.5%) were 40 years of age or younger. Female to male ratio was 2:1. The prevalence was higher among females, young and educated individuals across all five regions of Saudi Arabia. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of MS has significantly increased in Saudi Arabia but is still much lower than that in the western and other neighboring countries like Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE. However, compared to the past rates, Saudi Arabia's projected prevalence of MS through this national study is 40.40/100,000 population, putting the Kingdom above the low risk zone as per Kurtzke classification. The projected prevalence was estimated to be much higher among Saudi nationals (61.95/100,000 Saudi-nationals). The prevalence was higher among female, younger and educated individuals. Further studies are needed to assess the risk factors associated with increased prevalence in Saudi Arabia.

Impact of National Egyptian school feeding program on growth, development, and school achievement of school children.

BACKGROUND: School feeding program (SFP) increases access to education and to better health. This study aims to evaluate the effects of SFP on physical growth, cognitive development, psychosocial behavior, and learning achievement of school children. METHODS: A quasi-experimental study was conducted. The intervention group included 903 pupils in the fifth grade receiving the school meal, while the control group included 886 pupils, matched for age and sex, without meal. The meal consisted of a pie made of flour fortified with vitamins A, B6, B12, C, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, calcium, iron, zinc, and phosphorus. Socioeconomic position, nutritional status, and dietary behavior were evaluated. Neuropsychological tests were done. Psychosocial behavior was rated and educational achievement was recorded. Post hoc and independent sample t tests were used to detect the association of the studied parameters with the intake of school snack. RESULTS: Children who took the meal had better scores on visual memory, auditory vigilance tests (9.71 ± 2.80 vs. 7.45 ± 3.25; 25.02 ± 3.36 vs. 10.82 ± 8.92, respectively, P < 0.001), the afternoon attention and working memory test (8.20 ± 2.21vs. 7.75 ± 3.05) (P < 0.001), but less score of externalizing behavior (P < 0.001) than the control group. No significant changes of children's nutritional status were detected between the two groups. School meal was the main predictor of visual memory and auditory vigilance (P < 0.001), and was the strongest predictor of academic achievements when combined with family size and meals' frequency (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: School meal improves academic achievements of school children.

A simple bedside blood test (Fibrofast; FIB-5) is superior to FIB-4 index for the differentiation between non-significant and significant fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

INTRODUCTION: A simple non-invasive score (Fibrofast, FIB-5) was developed using five routine laboratory tests (ALT, AST, alkaline phosphatase, albumin and platelets count) for the detection of significant hepatic fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C. The FIB-4 index is a non-invasive test for the assessment of liver fibrosis, and a score of ≤1.45 enables the correct identification of patients who have non-significant (F0-1) from significant fibrosis (F2-4), and could avoid liver biopsy. The aim of this study was to compare the performance characteristics of FIB-5 and FIB-4 to differentiate between non-significant and significant fibrosis. METHOD: A cross-sectional study included 604 chronic HCV patients. All liver biopsies were scored using the METAVIR system. Both FIB-5 and FIB-4 scores were measured and the performance characteristics were calculated using the ROC curve. RESULTS: The performance characteristics of FIB-5 at ≥7.5 and FIB-4 at ≤1.45 for the differentiation between non-significant fibrosis and significant fibrosis were: specificity 94.4%, PPV 85.7%, and specificity 54.9%, PPV 55.7% respectively. CONCLUSION: FIB-5 score at the new cutoff is superior to FIB-4 index for the differentiation between non-significant and significant fibrosis.

Preparation and characterization of chitosan-clay nanocomposites for the removal of Cu(II) from aqueous solution.

In the present study, chitosan assembled on gold and silver nanoparticles were prepared and characterized by UV-vis, TEM, EDX and DLS techniques. The nanocomposites chitosan (Ch)/clay, chitosan (Ch)/AgNPs/clay and chitosan (Ch)/AuNPs/clay were prepared by solution mixing method and characterized by FTIR, XRD, and SEM techniques. The adsorption of copper(II) ions onto the prepared hybrid composites from an aqueous solution using batch adsorption was examined. The results showed that benefiting from the surface property of clay, the abundant amino and hydroxyl functional groups of chitosan, the adsorbent provides adequate and versatile adsorption for the Cu(II) ions under investigation. The batch adsorption experiments showed that the adsorption of the Cu(II) is considerably dependent on pH of milieu, the amount of adsorbent, and contact time. Batch adsorption studies revealed that the adsorption capacity of Cu(II) increased with increase in initial concentration and contact time with optimum pH in the range around neutral. The maximum uptake of Cu(II) ions by (Ch)/AgNPs/clay composite was found to be 181.5mg/g. The adsorption efficiency of Cu(II) ions by prepared (Ch)/AgNPs/clay and (Ch)/AuNPs/clay is bigger than that the individual chitosan (Ch)/clay composite which clarifies the role of metal nanoparticles in enhancement the adsorption characters. The study suggests that the (Ch)/AgNPs/clay hybrid composite is a promising nano-adsorbent for the removal of Cu(II) ions from aqueous solution.

Health stimulating properties of the most popular soft cheese in Egypt Kariesh made using skimmed milk UF-retentate and probiotics.

BACKGROUND: Soft skimmed-milk cheese Kariesh is the most popular soft cheese in Egypt. In the past, Karish cheese was traditionally produced by the random fermentation of milk speared its cream layer by the gravity force. Recently, its production has been carried out by several manufacturing procedures using, ultrafiltration (UF) - skimmed milk retentate, certain bacterial cultures, enzymatic coagulation, etc. Therefore, the biological and nutritional evaluations are required. The present study was conducted to evaluate the properties of such cheese coagulated using different procedures involving probiotic strains with emphasis on some chemical and biological attributes. METHODS: Kariesh cheeses were manufactured without whey drainage from UF cow's skimmed milk concentrate coagulated either by 3% yoghurt bacterial starter culture (YC), 3% probiotic starter culture (ABT type) or 2.5% glucono delta lactone (GDL) added whether separately or incorporated with rennet (0.05ml/kg) to achieve the acidic-enzymatic coagulation in comparison with those made conventionally using unconcentrated milk coagulated either by 2% of YC or ABT added whether separately or incorporated with rennet (0.25 ml/kg). Due to the fact that whey is naturally needed to drain in the conventional (C) procedure, the use of GDL as coagulant was eliminated. RESULTS: The obtained results indicated that the application of UF-technique in Kariesh cheese industry was associated with significant increments in the values of protein, ash and pH. Moreover, the electrophoretical patterns of UF-Kariesh cheese obtained with the incorporation between YC, ABT or GDL and rennet were distinguished with the presence of the band of glycomacropeptide, which is normally lost in the whey through the C-procedure. Furthermore, the food intake (FI), body weight gain (BWG), food efficiency ratio (FER),triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoproteins (HDL), total, as well as ionized Ca of blood and the count of lactic acid bacteria of feces of rats were significantly heightened, while low density lipoprotein (LDL) level was lowered as they fed on UF-cheeses, especially when coagulated using ABT, those caused the strongest persistence against the rat colon tumor, which was induced by the injection with 1,2 di-methyl hydrazine. The use of ABT led to raise the dry matter (DM) and ash of Kariesh cheese. Also, the FI, BWG, FER, TG, total, as well as ionized Ca of blood and the count of lactic acid bacteria of feces of rats were significantly increased, while TC, HDL and LDL of blood, as well as coliform count of feces of rats were significantly declined. The incorporation of enzymatic with acidic coagulation in Kariesh cheese manufacture increased significantly the values of ash and pH. However, the cheese figures of DM, protein and titratable acidity were decreased. Also, the values of FI, BWG, FER, TC, HDL, LDL and feces LAB of rats were lowered. Whilst, the values of TG, total as well as ionized Ca and feces coliform of rats were increased.

Electronic noses for monitoring benzene occupational exposure in biological samples of Egyptian workers.

OBJECTIVES: Benzene is commonly emitted in several industries, leading to widespread environmental and occupational exposure hazards. While less toxic solvents have been substituted for benzene, it is still a component of petroleum products and is a trace impurity in industrial products resulting in continued higher occupational exposures in industrial settings in developing countries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We investigated the potential use of an electronic nose (e-nose) to monitor the headspace volatiles in biological samples from benzene-exposed Egyptian workers and non-exposed controls. The study population comprised 150 non-smoking male workers exposed to benzene and an equal number of matching non-exposed controls. We determined biomarkers of benzene used to estimate exposure and risk including: benzene in exhaled air and blood; and its urinary metabolites such as phenol and muconic acid using gas chromatography technique and a portable e-nose. RESULTS: The average benzene concentration measured in the ambient air of the workplace of all studied industrial settings in Alexandria, Egypt; was 97.56 ± 88.12 µg/m(3) (range: 4.69-260.86 µg/m(3)). Levels of phenol and muconic acid were significantly (p < 0.001) higher in both blood and urine of benzene-exposed workers as compared to non-exposed controls. CONCLUSIONS: The e-nose technology has successfully classified and distinguished benzene-exposed workers from non-exposed controls for all measured samples of blood, urine and the exhaled air with a very high degree of precision. Thus, it will be a very useful tool for the low-cost mass screening and early detection of health hazards associated with the exposure to benzene in the industry.

Compliance with haemodialysis practice guidelines in Egypt.

Evidence- and consensus-based clinical practice guidelines for haemodialysis have recently been developed in Egypt. This study aimed to measure compliance with the guidelines in a sample of 16 government hospitals in Cairo and Giza governorates. Each haemodialysis unit was visited to assess the haemodialysis unit and patient care practices for all patients under dialysis at the time of the visit. The mean percentage compliance with haemodialysis guidelines among all study hospitals was 59.3% (SD 11.2%) overall. Within the 5 separate domains, compliance was: 58.8% (SD 12.4%) for personnel, 68.5% (SD 16.0%) for patient care practices, 61.3% (SD 15.4%) for infection prevention and control, 51.5% (SD 18.2%) for the facility and 56.5% (SD 7.1%) for documentation/ records. There were no statistically significant differences between Cairo and Giza governorates except for facility measures which were slightly better in Giza. Overall, compliance with the developed practice guidelines for haemodialysis in Egypt was not satisfactory and was not uniform across facilities.

Genetic and environmental influences on non-specific neck pain in early adolescence: a classical twin study.

BACKGROUND: Prevalence of neck pain has increased among adolescents. The origins of adult chronic neck pain may lie in late childhood, but for early prevention, more information is needed about its aetiology. We investigated the relative roles of genetic and environmental factors in early adolescent neck pain with a classic twin study. METHODS: Frequency of neck pain was assessed with a validated pain questionnaire in a population-based sample of nearly 1800 pairs of 11-12-year-old Finnish twins. Twin pair similarity for neck pain was quantified by polychoric correlations, and variance components were estimated with biometric structural equation modelling. RESULTS: Prevalence of neck pain reported at least once monthly was 38% and at least once weekly 16%, with no significant differences between gender and zygosity. A greater polychoric correlation in liability to neck pain was found in monozygotic (0.67) than for dizygotic pairs (0.38), suggesting strong genetic influences. Model fitting indicated that 68% (95% confidence interval 62-74) of the variation in liability to neck pain could be attributed to genetic effects, with the remainder attributed to unshared environmental effects. No evidence for sex-specific genetic effects or for sex differences in the magnitude of genetic effects was found. CONCLUSIONS: Genetic and unique environmental factors seem to play the most important roles in liability to neck pain in early adolescence. Future research should be directed to identifying pathways for genetic influences on neck pain and in exploring effectiveness of interventions that target already identified environmental risk factors.

Phytochemical investigation and antimicrobial activity of Psidium guajava L. leaves.

Psidium guajava L. leaves were subjected to extraction, fractionation and isolation of the flavonoidal compounds. Five flavonoidal compounds were isolated which are quercetin, quercetin-3-O-α-L-arabinofuranoside, quercetin-3-O-ß-D-arabinopyranoside, quercetin-3-O-ß-D-glucoside and quercetin-3-O-ß-D-galactoside. Quercetin-3-O-ß-D-arabinopyranoside was isolated for the first time from the leaves. Fractions together with the isolates were tested for their antimicrobial activity. The antimicrobial studies showed good activities for the extracts and the isolated compounds.

Development of practice guidelines for hemodialysis in Egypt.

Although hemodialysis is the main modaility of treatment of end-stage renal disease, no practice guidelines are available in Egypt. Applying international guidelines for hemodialysis would not be suitable or feasible, because of different health system and lack of resources. The aim of this project was the development of evidence- and consensus-based clinical practice guidelines for hemodialysis in Egypt. The Egyptian guidelines were adopted from the standards developed by The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (Canada), The National Kidney Foundation (USA), The Clinical Standards Board for Scotland (Scotland), and The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (Canada). In addition, the guidelines published in Oxford Handbook of Dialysis were reviewed. Thereafter, a panel of Egyptian experts in the field of nephrology and hemodialysis was selected and invited to participate in this project. The Delphi technique was applied to build up the consensus among the experts on the formulated guidelines. The final version of the Egyptian Hemodialysis Practice Guidelines included five main sections; personnel, patient care practices, infection prevention and control, facility, and documentation/records. A consensus on practice guidelines for hemodialysis has been successfully produced and is supported by levels of evidence. The 12 Egyptian experts who participated in the Delphi technique and the reviewers assured the completeness and acceptability of the developed practice guidelines. Also, including experts from the university hospitals together with the Directorates of Cairo and Giza Health Affairs of the Egyptian Ministry of Health (MOH) avoided conflicts between clinical recommendations and feasible application in the MOH hemodialysis facilities.

Seasonal variation of infestation rate with lice, tick and mite among rodents in certain Egyptian regions.

Four species of mites (Ornithonyssus bacoti, Haemolaelaps glusgowi, Echinolaelaps echinolelaps & Dermanyssus gallinae), two species of ticks (Rhipicephalus sanguineus & Hyalomma dromedarrii) and one species of lice (Polyplax spinulose) were identified on rodents during 4 successive seasons (2005) trapped in five governorates (Suez, Menoufia, Giza, Damietta and Beni-Sewaf). The rodents were Rattus norvegicus, Rattus rattus alexandrinus, Rattus rattus frugivourus, Acomys cahirinus and Mus musculus Rodents in Suez were the highly ecto-parasites infested ones.

Rodents as reservoir host of intestinal helminthes in different Egyptian agroecosystems.

Hymenolepis diminuta were detected in rodents in all zones surveyed Governorates under studied (Suez, Menoufia, Giza, Damietta and Beni-Sewaf). The highest infestation recorded at Suez and Demiatta Governorates. On the other hand, rodents at Menoufia and Beni-Sewaf showed there is no convincing evidence that they infested with H. diminuta. The existence of one species of nematode namely, Streptopharagus kuntzi were recorded at Suez, Giza and Demiatta Governorates only. While Menoufia and Beni-Sewaf Governorates showed no convincing evidence that, they infested with nematode. Worms were recovered from Norway rats. Data indicated that Rattus norvegicus were the most vulnerable species at infection with H. diminuta and Streptopharagus kuntzi. Summer is highly infested with nematode in comparison with other seasonal study.