Clinical and pathological examination of mycotoxicosis as an associated risk factor for colic in equine.

A retrospective cohort study was conducted on two Egyptian horse farms with most of horses were suffered from abdominal pain to describe the associations between the occurrence of mycotoxicosis and equine colic. The farms owner complain was an unexpected increase in number of colic cases and deaths among horses. The association between colic and risk factors (sex, type of food either dry or mixed with roughages and hematobiochemical parameters) was compared using independent sample T-test. The associations between possible prognostic indicators for colic caused by mycotoxicosis was estimated using logistic regression analysis model. The cumulative incidence, incidence rates for colic attacks, survival rate among diseased horses were additionally estimated. Our results showed that a total of 24 out of the 132 horses suffered from colic due to feeding of ration contaminated with high percent of mycotoxin including Aflatoxins, Ochratoxins and or fusarium mycotoxins. The total cumulative incidence of colic due to mycotoxicosis was 19.7%. The horses fed on dry rations had more chance of developing colic than horses fed on mixed rations (P < 0.05). The overall incidence rate of colic due to mycotoxicosis was estimated at 18 colic attack/1000 horse/month. The mortality rate of horses suffered from colic due to mycotoxicosis was estimated at 5.9% (5/85), while the case fatality rate was estimated at 25% (n = 5/20). Inconclusion, our results showed that mycotoxicosis are considered an important risks factor for colic cases development in equine practice.

Primary cytomegalovirus infection in pregnant Egyptian women confirmed by cytomegalovirus IgG avidity testing.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of primary cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in pregnant Egyptian women using CMV IgG avidity testing. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Suez Canal University Hospital, Ismailia, Egypt. A total of 546 pregnant women, presenting for routine antenatal screening, were tested for CMV IgG and IgM using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Sera from CMV IgM-positive women were tested by CMV IgG avidity assay. RESULTS: All the 546 pregnant women were seropositive for anti-CMV IgG. Of the 546 women, 40 (7.3%) were positive or equivocal for IgM antibodies. All sera from the 40 women (IgG+/IgM+) showed a high or intermediate CMV IgG avidity index. Of the 40 women, 23 (57.5%) were in the second or third trimesters of pregnancy and had their first-trimester blood retrieved, and the tested CMV IgG avidity assay showed a high avidity index. CONCLUSION: Women who were IgM positive had no primary CMV infection in the index pregnancy as evidenced by the high CMV IgG avidity testing.

Detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus directly by loop-mediated isothermal amplification and direct cefoxitin disk diffusion tests.

We evaluated the utility of 2 methods for detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) directly from signal-positive blood culture bottles: loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay, and direct cefoxitin disk diffusion (DCDD) test using a 30 µg cefoxitin disk. In parallel, standard microbiological identification and oxacillin susceptibility testing with MecA PCR was performed. Of 60 blood cultures positive for Gram-positive cocci in clusters, LAMP (via detection of the FemA and MecA genes) showed 100% sensitivity and specificity for identification of MRSA/MSSA. When coagulase-negative staphylococci were tested, sensitivity for detection of methicillin resistance was 91.7% and specificity was 100%. DCDD along with direct tube coagulase assay detected only 80.6% of MRSA/MSSA. LAMP showed higher diagnostic accuracy although DCDD was more cost-effective and did not require additional reagents or supplies.

Potential human health risk assessment associated with Hg, Cd, Pb, and As in sardines and shrimp from four Egyptian coastal governorates.

Heavy metal contamination in seafood is a developing concern due to the potential negative consequences on human health. Egypt's coastal regions are important for seafood production and consumption, making it critical to assess the safety of these aquatic resources. The current study examined toxic metal levels (Hg, Pb, Cd, and AS) in 96 samples of sardine and shrimp from four Egyptian coastal governorates (Alexandria, Kafr El-Sheikh, Damietta, and Port Said) from 2019 to 2021. Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) was used to investigate the four hazardous metals. The recovery percentages of the determined metals ranged between 97 % and 99 %. Limits of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) for the determined metals ranged from 0.001 to 0.0077 mg/l and from 0.0035 to 0.026 mg/l, respectively. Mercury (Hg) was not found in any of the samples tested. The concentrations of Pb and Cd in the sardines and shrimp samples were higher in the winter seasons than in the summer seasons. Meanwhile, the difference in seasons had no effect on the concentration of As in the sardines and shrimp samples. The highest concentrations of the other three metals in the sardine and shrimp samples were used to calculate the Estimated Daily Intake (EDI), Target Hazard Quotient (THQ), and Hazard Index (HI). The obtained THQ as well as the HI of Pb, Cd, and As were all less than 1.0 (with the exception of sardine samples from Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate, which recorded 1.262), indicating that there is no significant health risk to the consumer from consuming such sardines and shrimp from these governorates. The effect of different seasons on the concentrations of the metals under study does not have a specific behavior, but varies according to the governorate, the type of sample, and the type of contaminated metal. Due to the high level of contamination with heavy metals in sardine samples collected from Kafr El-Sheikh governorate (TTHQ = 1.26), an environmental study is required to determine the causes of contamination and control them.

High prevalence of Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase-mediated resistance in K. pneumoniae isolates from Egypt.

The emergence and rapid spread of antibiotic-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates harbouring the blaKPC gene that encodes for carbapenemase production have complicated the management of patient infections. This study in a tertiary care hospital in Egypt used real-time PCR assay to test ertapenem-nonsusceptible isolates of K. pneumoniae for the presence of the blaKPC gene and compared the results with modified Hodge test. Antibiotic sensitivity was performed by standard methods, and interpreted following both the old CLSI breakpoints (M100-S19) for carbapenems and the revised breakpoints (M100-S22). From the 45 non-duplicate isolates of K. pneumoniae recovered from different clinical specimens, a high prevalence of ertapenem-nonsusceptible isolates (44.4%) was reported using the new lower CLSI breakpoints. The blaKPC gene was confirmed in 14/20 (70.0%) of these isolates. The high prevalence of ertapenem nonsusceptibility at a tertiary care hospital in Egypt was predominantly attributed to K. pneumoniae carbapenemase-mediated resistance mechanisms in K. pneumoniae isolates.

Safety improvement of the open sun dried Egyptian Siwi dates using closed solar dryer.

Egyptian Siwi dates dried using the open sun drying is exposed to different contaminants. So, the current study aims to use the closed solar dryer to improve Siwi date safety. The impact of washing and closed solar drying on the levels of microbial load, aflatoxins and heavy metals in Egyptian Siwi dates (ESD), in comparison to traditional open sun drying methods were examined. Two different drying techniques were employed to dry 300 kg of ESD. The microbial load was assessed following the two drying procedures. The levels of aflatoxins and heavy metals were analyzed using High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) techniques, respectively, after both drying methods. Additionally, the influence of storage time on the microbial load of the ESD was also evaluated using standard methods. The findings of the current study demonstrated that the closed solar drying significantly reduced the total bacterial and fungal counts by 96 % and 93 %, respectively, when compared to open sun-drying. No aflatoxins were detected in both fresh Siwi dates and Siwi dates dried using closed solar drying. However, after open sun drying, two aflatoxins; aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and aflatoxin G1 (AFG1), were detected in the ESD, with concentrations of 0.95 and 0.23 µg kg-1, respectively. The closed solar drying significantly decreased the levels of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), and iron (Fe) in the dried dates by 96 %, 94 %, 48 %, 71 %, 64 %, 4 %, 26 %, and 7 %, respectively, when compared to open sun drying. The stored Siwi dates that was exposed to the open sun drying showed a higher increase in bacterial (4.86 log CFU/g) and fungal (4.46 log CFU/g) counts. However, the stored Siwi dates that was exposed to the closed solar dryer showed a lower increase in bacterial (3.21 log CFU/g) and fungal (2.51 log CFU/g) counts. So, the duration of storage significantly impacted the microbial loads of the closed solar dried dates as compared to open sun drying. Overall, closed solar drying reduced the levels of investigated contaminants and extended the shelf life of ESD, thereby enhancing their safety for human consumption.

Potential health risk assessment for heavy metals in Tilapia fish of different spatiotemporal monitoring patterns in Kafr El-Shaikh and El-Faiyum Governorates of Egypt.

Heavy metal (HMs) levels were evaluated in aquacultured tilapia fish collected from two highly producing districts in Egypt (Kafr El-Sheikh and El-Faiyum Governorates) during two seasons (autumn 2021 and spring 2022). As well, health risk assessment of exposure to HMs in tilapia fish was studied. The results revealed that six HMs: As, Cu, Fe, Mn, Cr and Zn were predominant in fish samples of the first season (autumn 2021), while most of HMs were existed in samples of the second season. All samples of the two seasons were free of Hg. Notably, autumn season's fish samples showed higher concentrations of HMs than those of the spring season. As well, Kafr El-Sheikh farms were highly contaminated with HMs than those of El-Faiyum governorate. Risk assessment results indicated that the THQ values of As substantially exceeded 1 either for Kafr El-Shaikh samples (3.15 ± 0.5) or for El-Faiyum samples (2.39 ± 0.8) of autumn season. Meanwhile, THQ values for all HMs, in spring season 2021, were less than one whole. These results indicated a potential health risk arising from the exposure to HMs, As in particular, in fish samples of autumn season as compared to those of spring season. Therefore, there is a need for remedial applications, in such polluted aquacultures in autumn season, which are currently under investigation as an integral part of the research project that funded the current study.

Social Epigenomics: Conceptualizations and Considerations for Oral Health.

Advances in high-throughput technologies and the generation of multiomics, such as genomic, epigenomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic data, are paving the way for the biological risk stratification and prediction of oral diseases. When integrated with electronic health records, survey, census, and/or epidemiologic data, multiomics are anticipated to facilitate data-driven precision oral health, or the delivery of the right oral health intervention to the right individuals/populations at the right time. Meanwhile, multiomics may be modified by a multitude of social exposures, cumulatively along the life course and at various time points from conception onward, also referred to as the socio-exposome. For example, adverse exposures, such as precarious social and living conditions and related psychosocial stress among others, have been linked to specific genes being switched "on and off" through epigenetic mechanisms. These in turn are associated with various health conditions in different age groups and populations. This article argues that considering the impact of the socio-exposome in the biological profiling for precision oral health applications is necessary to ensure that definitions of biological risk do not override social ones. To facilitate the uptake of the socio-exposome in multiomics oral health studies and subsequent interventions, 3 pertinent facets are discussed. First, a summary of the epigenetic landscape of oral health is presented. Next, findings from the nondental literature are drawn on to elaborate the pathways and mechanisms that link the socio-exposome with gene expression-or the biological embedding of social experiences through epigenetics. Then, methodological considerations for implementing social epigenomics into oral health research are highlighted, with emphasis on the implications for study design and interpretation. The article concludes by shedding light on some of the current and prospective opportunities for social epigenomics research applied to the study of life course oral epidemiology.

Control of carbendazim toxicity using banana peel powder in rats.

Carbendazim (CBZ) is a steady benzimidazole fungicide broadly exploited in cultivation for pre- and post-harvest treatment to dominate microorganisms infection on several plants. CBZ causes toxic effects in the different tissues of rat via influencing biochemical and hematological factors causing histopathological alterations in the liver and kidney of rats. Banana peel (BP) makes up about 38% of the whole banana weight, BP is usually disposed of as waste that is considered as an environmental problem. BP comprise bioactive a lot of compounds that can be exploited for their unique biological and pharmacological attributes. The current study was carried out to determine the protective effect of dried banana peels consumption against carbendazim toxicity in rats. The results indicated that banana peels had the ability to counteract the toxic effect of carbendazim on rats which was evident by the improvement in liver and kidney functions, lipid profile and histopathological examination.

Evaluation of the level of micronutrients in fortified foods in Alexandria, Egypt.

Food fortification is an effective, low-cost way to eliminate dietary micronutrient deficiencies in developing countries. This study in Egypt aimed to evaluate the levels of and variations in fortification with iron, iodine and vitamin A in food products from different manufacturers. Almost all iodized salt samples contained iodine concentrations within Egyptian standards. The iron content of iron-fortified biscuits supplied to schools and of vitamin-A-fortified margarine, infant formula milk powder and infant cereal food were highly variable and many samples were not within Egyptian standards. Monitoring of fortification levels of key products is required at the factory, retail and household levels.

Risk assessment of human exposure to lead and cadmium in maize grains cultivated in soils irrigated either with low-quality water or freshwater.

Maize is the third important cereal crop after wheat and rice, especially in Egyptian villages. It is used in baking as a substitution component in wheat products and a main component in snacks for children. The target of this study was to estimate the risk assessment of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) in maize grains cultivated in the agricultural soil irrigated by the contaminated water in comparison with that irrigated by freshwater. Lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) levels in irrigation water, soils and maize grains collected from different sites in Egypt were determined using ICP-OES. The studied samples were collected from 5 agricultural sites irrigated with freshwater (Nile River water and groundwater) as well as 4 agricultural sites irrigated with low-quality water (contaminated by sewage and industrial wastewater). Results exhibited that the levels of Pb and Cd in soil and maize grains were significantly affected by their levels in irrigation water; where, the levels of Pb and Cd in soil and maize grains irrigated by low-quality water possessed the multiple concentrations in comparison with those irrigated by freshwater. Specific water sources such as Kafr-Dokhmais and Al-Nasiria sites, Kafr El-Sheikh governorate had the highest levels of metals in the samples of irrigation water, soil and maize grains (p < 0.05). Metals levels in water and soil samples were within the permissible limits except Cd in low-quality water samples. Levels of Pb in maize grains irrigated by low-quality water were above the permissible limits (0.20 mg kg-1), while Cd levels were within the permissible limits (0.1 mg kg-1) except Al-Nasiria samples. Levels of Pb and Cd in maize grains irrigated by low-quality water were 19-30 folds those of maize grains irrigated by freshwater. The risk assessment of Pb and Cd levels in maize grains was estimated by daily intake of metals (DIM) and health risk index (HRI). All determined HRI was <1 indicating a non potential health risk for both adults and children.

Incidence, stability and risk assessment for sulfonamides and tetracyclines in aqua-cultured Nile Tilapia fish of Egypt.

The current study was conducted to determine sulfonamides (SAs) and tetracyclines (TCs) residuals in farmed Nile Tilapia fish (Orechromis niloticus) using the solid phase extraction (SPE) technique and high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD). As well, to assess the potential health risk due to the consumption of contaminated fish following its household thermal processing. Tilapia samples were collected from four governorates in Egypt; El-Fayoum, Giza, Cairo, and Alexandria. The results showed that 56.3 % (27 out of 48 samples) of fish samples were free of antibiotics, while 10.4 % and 33.3 % of samples were contaminated by SAs and TCs, respectively. Besides, oxytetracycline (OTC) showed the highest detected concentrations ranged from 52.8 to 658.5 (µg/kg), followed by chlortetracycline (OTC) (35.89-109.76 µg/kg), and tetracycline (TC) (68.8-96.7 µg/kg). While the detected SAs were between 32.89 µg/kg (sulfamethazine: SMT) and 136.43 µg/kg (sulfadimethoxine: SDM). As well, sulfamethoxazole (SMX) showed an average concentration of 52.41 µg/kg. Notably, only 7 samples (out of 21 positive samples) had residual levels exceeded the permissible limits. The study also concluded that freezing fish at -18 °C for one week had no significant effect on the stability of SAs and TCs. As well, SAs showed more stability than TCs against the thermal processing for fish. Indeed, the stability of SAs and TCs antibiotics was arranged in a descending order, shown as follows: SMT > SDM > SMX > CTC > TC > OTC. Eventually, no potential risk to the Egyptian population was found from the consumption of the contaminated fish samples by SAs and TCs.

The Biology of Social Adversity Applied to Oral Health.

Biological embodiment is a concept derived from Engel's biopsychosocial model to health, theorized as the process by which adverse social exposures trigger neuroendocrine and immune responses, leading to disease and/or increased disease susceptibility. This critical review discusses the biopsychosocial model as applied to oral health and its relevance to oral health policy while deciphering some of the pathobiological processes underlying social adversity. In periodontal disease, for example, such processes can occur via the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the consequent release of the chronic stress hormone cortisol. The latter contributes to a proinflammatory immune state that increases the risk for periodontal inflammation. Recent research shows that cortisol relates to an elevated oral inflammatory load, demonstrated as hyperactive neutrophils that are pivotal to periodontal tissue damage. Consistent with the biopsychosocial model, this relationship is amplified in those of lower income and higher financial stress. Similarly, among children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, cortisol is linked to a higher cariogenic bacterial load. Such findings implicate the stress pathway as key in the oral pathogenic process, particularly under social/socioeconomic adversity. Collectively, this work emphasizes the importance of addressing social factors in alleviating oral disease burden and reducing the social gaps therein.

Heavy metals content in some non-alcoholic beverages (carbonated drinks, flavored yogurt drinks, and juice drinks) of the Egyptian markets.

Heavy metals are elements present in trace quantities in the environment and, in small concentrations, they play important roles for the living organisms yet it can cause toxicity if exceeded the recommended levels. Toxic metals contamination is an important environmental problem that was mainly manifested in the growing industrial cities where the levels in toxic metals exceeded the recommended levels leading to the increase of several health problems (that vary from memory disorder to carcinogenic diseases). The main sources of food contamination by toxic metals are the increase in petroleum fuels exhausts and the addition of fertilizers and metal-based pesticides during farming processes. Nowadays, the non-alcoholic drinks represent one of the highest consumption groups worldwide especially in the Middle East and Islamic countries. The current work aims to investigate the safety of some non-alcoholic beverages (carbonated drinks, flavored yogurt drinks and juice drinks) from toxic metal contamination in the Egyptian market. The study revealed that non-alcoholic beverage samples (juices, flavored yogurts and carbonated drinks) in the Egyptian market are mostly free of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and chromium (Cr) contamination. On the other hand, the results of current beverage samples indicate that iron (Fe), manganese (Mn) and nickel (Ni), except Mn in juices and carbonated drinks, were presented in concentrations above the recommended permissible limits of both the World Health Organization (WHO) and Egyptian Ministry Health (EMH). Meanwhile, Cu was found in concentrations below the recommended permissible limits.

Comparison of the structural properties of isomorphously substituted Fe in mordenite zeolites prepared by different methods.

Fe was introduced in mordenite zeolite by means of ion exchange either in solid or in liquid state. The iron loading (50--200 wt%), iron precursor (FeSO4.7H2O and FeCl3), and mordenite starting material (NH4M, HM, and NaM) were varied during the exchange processes. The Fe species were characterized by N2 adsorption measurements as well as by XRD and Mössbauer spectroscopies. The Fe-mordenite samples prepared by liquid-state ion exchange attained remarkable Fe dispersion and surface areas higher than those of the parent. It was found that Fe3+ ions, which substituted the framework Al and accordingly occupied tetrahedral sites, were decreased with Fe loadings with concomitant increase in Fe3+-occupied octahedral sites. The latter sites disappeared at 20 K to provoke the superparamagnetic alpha-Fe2O3 in different particles size. The acid leaching (0.1 M HCl, 333 K, 3 h) of the samples showed the disappearance of the most highly distorted extra-framework Fe3+ species, providing an indication of their presence on the external surface. On the other hand, a hematite phase was detected in the solid-state ion exchange of FeCl3 with either HM or NH4M at the loading of 100% Fe. More correlations between Mössbauer data on one hand and XRD and texturing properties on the other hand were evaluated and discussed.

Application of hazard analysis and critical control point system in the dairy industry.

This study aimed to assess the hygiene quality of some packaged milk (pasteurized or sterilized) and dairy products before and after application of a hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) system at a milk and dairy products company in Cairo, Egypt. The steps taken to put HACCP in place are described and the process was monitored to assess its impact. Assessment of the hygiene quality of the milk and dairy products before and after HACCP showed an improvement in quality and an overall improvement in the conditions at the company.

Hazard analysis and critical point identification at Abiss slaughter house in Alexandria.

The purpose of this study is to identify potential hazards associated with animal slaughtering and how could these affect the microbiological count of carcasses, and to describe the use of HACCP to improve the microbiological count of fresh meat. Hazards were detected by observing the different steps of animal slaughter and then filling a prepared red meat slaughterhouse score sheet. The microbiological load was determined through testing 112 swab samples taken from the surface of carcasses in addition to 21 samples from hands, knives, tap water and air. Results showed that most of the parameters of the score sheet observed for evaluating hygienic operations were classified as being of maximum risk C. The aerobic plate count enterobacteriacea, mold and yeast and staphylococci increased insignificantly after cutting to 9.7x10(2), 6.4x10, 2.6x10(2), and 3.7x10 cfu/cm2, respectively. Washing of the carcasses decreased counts insignificantly to 6.4x10(2), 2.0x10, 1.7x10(2), and 2.0x10 cfu/cm2, respectively. The microbiological count of air samples at quiet hours were lower insignificantly than those at busy hours. Subsequently a HACCP system was designed based on these microbial studies, observations of current practices within the slaughterhouse and relevant literature and following the 7 principles of HACCP.