Liraglutide versus pramlintide in protecting against cognitive function impairment through affecting PI3K/AKT/GSK-3ß/TTBK1 pathway and decreasing Tau hyperphosphorylation in high-fat diet- streptozocin rat model.

The American Diabetes Association guidelines (2021) confirmed the importance of raising public awareness of diabetes-induced cognitive impairment, highlighting the links between poor glycemic control and cognitive impairment. The characteristic brain lesions of cognitive dysfunction are neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) and senile plaques formed of amyloid-ß deposition, glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3ß), and highly homologous kinase tau tubulin kinase 1 (TTBK1) can phosphorylate Tau proteins at different sites, overexpression of these enzymes produces extensive phosphorylation of Tau proteins making them insoluble and enhance NFT formation, which impairs cognitive functions. The current study aimed to investigate the potential contribution of liraglutide and pramlintide in the prevention of diabetes-induced cognitive dysfunction and their effect on the PI3K/AKT/GSK-3ß/TTBK1 pathway in type 2 diabetic (T2D) rat model. T2D was induced by administration of a high-fat diet for 10 weeks, then injection of a single dose of streptozotocin (STZ); treatment was started with either pramlintide (200 µg/kg/day sc) or liraglutide (0.6 mg/kg/day sc) for 6 weeks in addition to the HFD. At the end of the study, cognitive functions were assessed by novel object recognition and T-maze tests. Then, rats were sacrificed for biochemical and histological assessment of the hippocampal tissue. Both pramlintide and liraglutide treatment revealed equally adequate control of diabetes, prevented the decline in memory function, and increased PI3K/AKT expression while decreasing GSK-3ß/TTBK1 expression; however, liraglutide significantly decreased the number of Tau positive cells better than pramlintide did. This study confirmed that pramlintide and liraglutide are promising antidiabetic medications that could prevent associated cognitive disorders in different mechanisms.

Evaluating the Effect of TeamSTEPPS on Teamwork Perceptions and Patient Safety Culture among Newly Graduated Nurses.

BACKGROUND: Quality healthcare delivery is contingent upon effective teamwork and a patient safety-focused culture. TeamSTEPPS offers an evidence-based framework that enhances these competencies. However, the impact of TeamSTEPPS on newly graduated nurses, who undergo a significant transitional phase, has yet to be comprehensively explored. Consequently, the objective of this study was to assess the influence of TeamSTEPPS on perceptions of teamwork and patient safety culture among newly graduated nurses. METHODS: This study employed a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with a single group, utilizing a convenience sample of 132 newly recruited nurses from a university hospital. The participants completed the hospital survey on patient safety culture and the TeamSTEPPS teamwork perceptions questionnaire at three different time points. RESULTS: The impact of the TeamSTEPPS training program was found to be significant, as indicated by the substantial improvement in the mean scores of nurses' perceptions regarding teamwork and the culture of patient safety across multiple assessments (p < 0.001). The effect size (η2p ≥ 0.14) suggests a large effect, further emphasizing the meaningful impact of the program on the measured outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The study underscores the effectiveness of TeamSTEPPS as a valuable framework for facilitating the seamless transition of newly graduated nurses into the healthcare field. Integrating TeamSTEPPS into nursing training programs can significantly enhance nurses' perceptions of teamwork and the culture of patient safety. Therefore, it is crucial for nurse managers to implement TeamSTEPPS systematically, aiming to improve teamwork perception and cultivate a patient safety culture among nurses. Furthermore, they should establish mechanisms to ensure the consistent application of these skills over time.

Relation Between Interleukin-6, Interleukin-10 And Interleukin-2 Receptor And Mortality In Severely Ill COVID-19 Patients.

Objectives: To investigate the relation involving soluble interleukin-2 receptor, interleukin-6 and interleukin-10 in hospitalised patients with severe coronavirus disease-2019 infection. Method: This single-centre cohort study was conducted at the Kafrelshiekh University Hospital, Egypt, from January to June 2022, and included all patients of either gender who were hospitalised with severe infection with the coronavirus disease-2019 isolation ward. Chemiluminescence immunoassay method was used to measure levels of procalcitonin, ferritin, soluble interleukin-2 receptor, interleukin-6 and interleukin-10. Data was analysed using SPSS version. 25. RESULTS: Of the 250 patients with median age 57.5 years (interquartile range: 45.8-66.0 years), 147(59%) were males and 103(41%) were females. Of them, 102(40.8%) patients died; 68(66.7%) males, 34(33.3%) females, median age 60.0 years (interquartile range: 48.8-70.0). Among the 148(59.2%) survivors, 79(53.4%) were males and 69(46.6%) were females, while the overall median age was 55.0 years (interquartile range: 41.5-65.8 years). The survivors had significantly lower levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptor, interleukin-6 and interleukin-10 (p<0.001). Correlation analysisidentified significant positive correlation between IL-2R, IL-6 and IL-10 levels and almost all the inflammatory and coagulation parameters, including C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase, procalcitonin, ferritin, D-dimer and fibrinogen (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Elevated levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptor, interleukin-6 and interleukin-10 were found to be associated with greater risk of mortality in coronavirus disease-2019 patients.

Exploration of Community Care Awareness about COVID-19 Sterilization.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 affects millions of people worldwide so WHO declared the COVID-19 pandemic on 11 March 2020. Since the vaccine is in the early trial phase and until it proves its efficacy, the need of finding alternative methods, which can help to curb this pandemic is urgent, so its prevention depends on standard infection control measures. This study's aim is to assess the knowledge, awareness, and practice level of Taif population towards Corona Virus disease - 2019 (COVID-19) sterilization. METHODS: A cross sectional study was conducted on 504 participants by administering a well-structured questionnaire comprising three sections including demographics, knowledge, attitude, and practice among the general population in Taif governorate KSA, over a duration of three months from July until September 2020. The descriptive analysis was carried out for demographics and dependent variables using the statistical program for social sciences. The t-test was used to detect any relationship between knowledge and practice score percentage of the general population response with respect to their gender and level of education. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 504 respondents willingly participated in the survey, there is a highly significant difference in the knowledge score percentage in respondents aged between 41 - 60 years old in comparison to the age group < 20 - 40 years old also between urban residence in comparison to rural residence, and a highly significant difference in the knowledge and practice score percentage in post graduate respondents in comparison to undergraduate. In addition, there was a significant difference in the practice score percentage in respondents aged between 41 - 60 years old in comparison to age group < 20 - 40, and a highly significant difference was seen in the practice score percentage in respondents living in urban areas in comparison to rural areas. CONCLUSIONS: The suggestion of this study was that knowledge and practice gaps among population, especially in the young age group, had to be covered by holding training programs through workshops or to include courses in the curriculum of ministry of health.

Detection of Helicobacter pylori in Gastric Biopsies Among Sudanese Patients with Confirmed Gastric Disorders Using Three Diagnostic Methods.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection represents one of the most common chronic bacterial infections in developing countries. However, in Sudan, the infection is not well diagnosed with standard laboratory methods in many parts of the country. This study aimed to detect H. pylori in gastric biopsies of patients with gastric disorders, using three diagnostic methods. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 100 patients in Gezira state, central Sudan. Giemsa stain for histopathological examination (HPE), rapid urease test (RUT), and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques were performed to detect H. pylori from the gastric biopsy samples as per standard assays. RESULTS: Most of the patients were males (66%), from rural areas (72%) and in the age group 31 to 50 years. H. pylori were identified in 85% of the samples by at least one of the three tests. The highest positivity was detected by HPE (83%), followed by PCR (67%) and RUT (63%), while 59% were positive by the three diagnostic methods. PCR showed higher sensitivity (80.72% vs. 73.49%) and specificity (100% vs. 88.24%) than RUT. Positive predictive values were reported as 100% for PCR and 96.83% for RUT. Considering PCR as a gold standard method, HPE revealed higher sensitivity (100%) than RUT (88.06%). On the contrary, RUT showed higher specificity (87.88%) than PCR (51.52%). There were no significant associations between H. pylori infection patients' gender (p = 0.747). Loss of weight (p = 0.007) and nausea (p = 0.032) were significantly associated with H. pylori infection. CONCLUSIONS: There was a high prevalence of H. pylori infection in central Sudan. This highlights the need to analyze epidemiological status, virulence factors, and strain characteristics to control disease transmission. PCR is a reliable and valuable technique in detecting H. pylori infection from gastric biopsy samples.

Surface modifications affect iron oxide nanoparticles' biodistribution after multiple-dose administration in rats.

Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) possess many utilizable physical and chemical properties and have an acceptable level of biocompatibility. Therefore, they are extensively used in different medical applications. Hence, the challenge is to modify the surfaces of prepared iron oxide nanoformulations with a biocompatible coat to enhance their biosafety. In this study, different formulations of IONPs with different capping agents (citrate [Cit-IONPs], curcumin [Cur-IONPs], and chitosan [CS-IONPs]) were prepared and characterized using various physicochemical techniques. The biodistribution of iron and the histopathology of affected tissues were assessed after Cit-IONPs, Cur-IONPs, CS-IONPs, and commercial ferrous sulfate were orally administered to adult female Wistar rats for 10 consecutive days at a dose of 4 mg/kg of body weight/day. The results were compared with a control group injected orally with saline. The iron content in the kidneys, liver, and spleen was measured by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Histopathological alterations were also examined. The biodistribution results demonstrate that iron accumulated mainly in the liver tissue, whereas the lowest liver accumulation was observed after the administration of Cit-IONPs or CS-IONPs, respectively. In contrast, the administration of CS-IONPs displayed the highest spleen iron accumulation. The ferrous sulfate (FeSO4 )-treated group showed the highest kidney iron accumulation as compared with the other groups. The histopathological examination revealed that signs of toxicity were predominant for groups treated with Cit-IONPs or commercial FeSO4 . However, Cur-IONPs and CS-IONPs showed mild toxicity when administered at the same doses. The results obtained in the present study will provide insights into the expected in vivo effects after administration of each nanoformulation.

Profiling Inflammatory Cytokines in a Cohort Study of Egyptian Patients with COVID-19 Infection.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is an international public health emergency with major disruptions and devastating health consequences resulting from the associated cytokine storm syndrome. The aim of our research was to assess the inflammatory biomarkers and risk factors associated with severity of (COVID-19) patients. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted and included 150 Egyptian patients with COVID-19. Patients were classified into mild, moderate, and severe according to the clinical and CT chest findings. Blood samples were collected from patients for laboratory assessment of inflammatory biomarkers. RESULTS: Our results showed significant negative correlation between oxygen saturation percent and serum levels of inflammatory markers. The correlations were statistically significant with IL-6, CRP, ferritin, LDH, and D-dimer which can be used as sensitive biomarkers for assessment of the risk of severity of infection in COVID 19 patients. CONCLUSIONS: The study revealed that the risk factors associated with severity of COVID 19 infection included older age, male gender, presence of underlying chronic disease, and increased levels of inflammatory biomarkers: CRP, LDH, ferritin, IL-6, and D-dimer.

Overview of Technologies Implemented During the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: Technologies have been extensively implemented to provide health care services for all types of clinical conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. While several reviews have been conducted regarding technologies used during the COVID-19 pandemic, they were limited by focusing either on a specific technology (or features) or proposed rather than implemented technologies. OBJECTIVE: This review aims to provide an overview of technologies, as reported in the literature, implemented during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We conducted a scoping review using PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses) Extension for Scoping Reviews. Studies were retrieved by searching 8 electronic databases, checking the reference lists of included studies and relevant reviews (backward reference list checking), and checking studies that cited included studies (forward reference list checking). The search terms were chosen based on the target intervention (ie, technologies) and the target disease (ie, COVID-19). We included English publications that focused on technologies or digital tools implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide health-related services regardless of target health condition, user, or setting. Two reviewers independently assessed the eligibility of studies and extracted data from eligible papers. We used a narrative approach to synthesize extracted data. RESULTS: Of 7374 retrieved papers, 126 were deemed eligible. Telemedicine was the most common type of technology (107/126, 84.9%) implemented in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the most common mode of telemedicine was synchronous (100/108, 92.6%). The most common purpose of the technologies was providing consultation (75/126, 59.5%), followed by following up with patients (45/126, 35.7%), and monitoring their health status (22/126, 17.4%). Zoom (22/126, 17.5%) and WhatsApp (12/126, 9.5%) were the most commonly used videoconferencing and social media platforms, respectively. Both health care professionals and health consumers were the most common target users (103/126, 81.7%). The health condition most frequently targeted was COVID-19 (38/126, 30.2%), followed by any physical health conditions (21/126, 16.7%), and mental health conditions (13/126, 10.3%). Technologies were web-based in 84.1% of the studies (106/126). Technologies could be used through 11 modes, and the most common were mobile apps (86/126, 68.3%), desktop apps (73/126, 57.9%), telephone calls (49/126, 38.9%), and websites (45/126, 35.7%). CONCLUSIONS: Technologies played a crucial role in mitigating the challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. We did not find papers describing the implementation of other technologies (eg, contact-tracing apps, drones, blockchain) during the first wave. Furthermore, technologies in this review were used for other purposes (eg, drugs and vaccines discovery, social distancing, and immunity passport). Future research on studies on these technologies and purposes is recommended, and further reviews are required to investigate technologies implemented in subsequent waves of the pandemic.

COVID-19 and urban spaces: A new integrated CFD approach for public health opportunities.

Safe urban public spaces are vital owing to their impacts on public health, especially during pandemics such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Urban public spaces and urbanscape elements must be designed with the risk of viral transmission in mind. This work therefore examines how the design of urbanscape elements can be revisited to control COVID-19 transmission dynamics. Nine proposed models of urban public seating were thus presented and assessed using a transient three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model, with the Eulerian-Lagrangian method and discrete phase model (DPM). The proposed seating models were evaluated by their impact on the normalized air velocity, the diameter of coughing droplets, and deposition fraction. Each of the proposed models demonstrated an increase in the normalized velocity, and a decrease in the deposition fraction by >29%. Diagonal cross linear and curved triangle configurations demonstrated an improved airflow momentum and turbulent flow, which decreased the droplets deposition fraction by 68%, thus providing an improved, healthier urban public seating option.

Liver stiffness as a predictor of hepatocellular carcinoma behavior in patients with hepatitis C related liver cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND: Risk stratification and prognostication of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) help to improve patient outcome. Herein we investigated the role of liver stiffness measurement (LSM) in the prediction of HCC behavior. METHODS: Totally 121 naïve patients with HCC were included. HCC radiological evaluation and staging were done. LSM was measured using virtual touch quantification. Patients were divided into early to intermediate HCC (BCLC-0, A and B) and late HCC (BCLCC and D). HCC was treated according to the BCLC stage. HCC recurrence-free interval was estimated. RESULTS: The mean LSM inside the tumor was significantly lower than the peri-tumoral area and the cirrhotic non-cancerous liver parts (P < 0.001). In late HCCs stage, the mean LSM inside the tumor and in the peri-tumoral tissue was lower than the corresponding values in the early to intermediate HCCs stage (P < 0.001). LSM inside the tumor and in the peri-tumoral tissue negatively correlated with serum AFP, tumor vascular invasion, and stage (P < 0.05). The recurrence-free interval was directly correlated to LSM inside the tumor and inversely to LSM in cirrhotic non tumorous liver part. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the recurrence-free interval was significantly longer in patients with LSM inside the tumor of ≥1.25 m/s compared to those with LSM inside the tumor of <1.25 m/s. CONCLUSIONS: LSM can serve as a potential non-invasive predictor for HCC clinical behavior and the recurrence-free interval following loco-regional treatments.

Characterization of type IV antifreeze gene in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and influence of cold and hot weather on its expression and some immune-related genes.

The aim of this work is to study the effect of the thermal stress of ambient temperature during winter and summer on the expression of type IV antifreeze gene (ANF IV) in different tissues of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) as well as some immune-related genes. At first, genomic ANF IV gene was characterized from one fish; 124 amino acids were identified with 92.7% similarity with that on the gene bank. Expression of ANF IV and immune-related genes were done twice, once at the end of December (winter sample, temperature 14 °C) and the other at August (summer sample, temperature 36 °C). Assessment of ANF IV gene expression in different organs of fish was done; splenic mRNA was used for assessment of immune-related gene transcripts (CXCl2 chemokine, cc-chemokine, INF-3A, and MHC IIß). Winter expression analysis of AFP IV in O. niloticus revealed significant upregulation of mRNA transcript levels in the intestine, gills, skin, spleen, liver, and brain with 324.03-, 170.06-, 107.63-, 97.61-, 94.35-, and 27.85-folds, respectively. Furthermore, upregulation in the gene was observed in some organs during summer: in the liver, gills, skin, intestine, and brain with lower levels compared with winter. The level of expression of immune-related genes in winter is significantly higher than summer in all assessed genes. Cc-chemokine gene expression was the most affected in both winter and summer. Variable expression profile of ANF IV in different organs and in different seasons together with its amino acid similarity of N-terminal and C-terminal with apolipoprotein (lipid binder) and form of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) suggests a different role for this protein which may be related to lipid metabolism.

Hyaluronan as a mediator for the hepatoprotective effect of Diosmin/Hesperidin complex.

Daflon is a phlebotonic drug widely used in chronic venous or lymphatic insufficiency. This study designed to investigate the relation of daflon with hyaluronan as a mediator for the hepatoprotective effect against Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) and/or γ-radiation induced liver damage. Animals of this study were administered CCl4 (1 ml/kg b.wt.), exposed to γ-radiation (1Gy) and treated with daflon (100 mg/kg/day). Our results showed the ameliorative effect of daflon on cytochrome P450 (CYT P450), lipid peroxidation (MDA), liver enzymes (aspartate amino transferase; AST, alanine aminotransferase; ALT and gamma glutamyl transferase; γ-GT), antioxidant capacity (reduced glutathione; GSH and glutathione per oxidase; GPx), inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein; CRP and interlukin- 6; IL-6), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and extra cellular matrix proteins (hyaluronan; HA and hyaluronidase; HAase) which was supported by histopathological examination of liver sections compared to the damage induced in CCL4 and/or rats exposed to radiation. It could be concluded that the hepatoprotective effect of daflon is mediated via antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity in addition to preserving native tissue hyaluronan by preventing its degradation.

Endothelial monocyte activating polypeptide II in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus: Relation to micro-vascular complications.

OBJECTIVES: Endothelial monocyte-activating polypeptide II (EMAP II) is a multifunctional polypeptide with proinflammatory and antiangiogenic activity. Hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia appears to be significant factors contributing to increased EMAP-II levels. We determined serum EMAP II in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes as a potential marker for micro-vascular complications and assessed its relation to inflammation and glycemic control. METHODS: Eighty children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes were divided into 2 groups according to the presence of micro-vascular complications and compared with 40 healthy controls. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and EMAP II levels were assessed. RESULTS: Serum EMAP II levels were significantly increased in patients with micro-vascular complications (1539 ± 321.5 pg/mL) and those without complications (843.6 ± 212.6 pg/mL) compared with healthy controls (153.3 ± 28.3 pg/mL; p<0.001). EMAP II was increased in patients with microalbuminuria than normoalbuminuric group (p<0.001). Significant positive correlations were found between EMAP II levels and body mass index, fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, serum creatinine, triglycerides, total cholesterol, urinary albumin creatinine ratio (UACR) and hs-CRP (p<0.05). A cutoff value of EMAP II at 1075 pg/mL could differentiate diabetic patients with and without micro-vascular complications with a sensitivity of 93% and specificity of 82%. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that EMAP II is elevated in type 1 diabetic patients, particularly those with micro-vascular complications. EMAP II levels are related to inflammation, glycemic control, albuminuria level of patients and the risk of micro-vascular complications.

Trace element, oxidant, and antioxidant enzyme values in blood of children with refractory epilepsy.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to evaluate the serum levels of some trace elements, oxidants, and antioxidants in children with intractable epilepsy compared to healthy children. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In a case-control study, 40 children (24 males and 16 females) suffering from refractory generalized epileptic seizures were compared with 40 sex- and age-matched healthy children serve as a control group. Serum selenium (Se), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) as well as erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) values were measured in the patients and controls. RESULTS: Plasma MDA values of the patient group were significantly ( p < 0.001) higher than those in control. Serum Zn, Se, and erythrocyte GSH-Px values of the patient group are significantly ( p < 0.001) lower than those in control, although there is no statistical difference in Cu and SOD values. CONCLUSION: Plasma MDA, erythrocyte GSH-Px, and trace elements Zn and Se may play an important role in the pathogenesis of intractable epilepsy in children.

Liver and ovarian toxicities boosted by bisphenol and gamma radiation in female albino rats.

Bisphenol A (BPA), a carbon-based synthetic polymer compound, was newly classified as an environmental toxicant and an endocrine-disrupting chemical leading to abnormalities in cell proliferation, apoptosis, or migration that contributes to cancer development and progression. This study aims to evaluate the effect of the elevation of γ- radiation dose and BPA on the liver and ovaries of female rats. In this study, eighty female albino rats (130-150 g) were used in this work. Rats in this experiment received BPA in ethanol (50 mg/kg b. wt.) for 30 days, day after day, and in the irradiated groups, animals were administered BPA and then exposed to γ- radiation in doses (2, 4, and 6 Gy) one shot dose. Several members of the cytochrome family were examined. Exposure to γ-radiation and BPA showed an increase in cytochrome P450 and b5 fold change. Further, BPA and γ-radiation activate α and ß estrogen receptors and also downregulate aromatase (CYT19) fold change. The current results also revealed that BPA and/or γ-radiation regulate the protein expression of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. The steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) appeared to be targeted by BPA and γ-radiation and its relative expression was elevated significantly by raising the γ-radiation dose. In conclusion, exposure to BPA, an endocrine-disrupting chemical, leads to marked toxicity. Additionally, toxicity is heightened by increasing the γ-radiation dose, either alone or in combination with BPA.

Correlation between multifocal electroretinogram and optical coherence tomography findings with visual acuity after vitrectomy surgery for retinal detachment: an observational study.

BACKGROUND: Despite the marked increase in the anatomical success rates of macula-off rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) surgery, patients may still complain about unsatisfactory visual outcome. This study aims to correlate the postoperative corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) with the mf-ERG (multifocal electroretinogram) and OCT (optical coherence tomography) findings following vitrectomy surgery for RRD. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective observational study included 40 eyes of 40 patients who underwent successful vitrectomy surgery for macula-off RRD. CDVA, mf-ERG amplitudes, mf-ERG latencies, the central macular thickness (CMT) and the integrity of the inner segment/outer segment (IS/OS) junction assessed by OCT, were evaluated 6 months postoperatively. The correlations between CDVA with mf-ERG amplitudes, mf-ERG latencies, central macular thickness, and IS/OS junction integrity were analyzed. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant moderate positive correlation between CDVA of the studied eyes with mf-ERG amplitudes of N1, P1 and N2 in ring 1 (P = 0.008; P < 0.001 and P = 0.004, respectively), CMT (P < 0.001), and the integrity of IS/OS junction (P < 0.001). There was no significant correlation between CDVA and mf-ERG latencies in ring 1 (P > 0.05). Linear regression analysis revealed that CDVA was significantly associated with mf-ERG amplitudes and the IS/OS junction integrity. In addition, there was a strong positive correlation between mf-ERG amplitudes in ring 1 and the IS/OS junction integrity. CONCLUSIONS: The integrated interpretation of postoperative CDVA, multifocal ERG parameters, and OCT findings provides useful information about functional visual recovery and retinal microstructural changes following vitrectomy for macula-off RRD surgery. The positive correlation between the IS/OS junction integrity and the mf-ERG amplitudes was stronger than the correlation between the IS/OS junction integrity and CDVA suggesting that mf-ERG may be superior to CDVA in reflecting the extent of microstructural damage in the photoreceptor layer. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT05993208. Registered 15 August 2023 - Retrospectively registered, https://classic. CLINICALTRIALS: gov/ct2/show/NCT05993208 .

Urinary Insulin-Like Growth Factor-Binding Protein 7 (IGFBp7), Urinary Tissue Inhibitor of Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 (TIMP2), and Serum Transgelin as Novel Biomarkers of Kidney Injury in Multiple Myeloma.

Renal dysfunction is a common complication of MM and is associated with poor prognosis, particularly when progressive. Early identification of renal dysfunction is essential for prompt treatment for disease control and restoration of renal function. Urinary insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 7 (IGFBP-7), urinary tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase 2 (TIMP-2), and serum transgelin levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and evaluated as biomarkers for the prediction of renal impairment in patients with multiple myeloma. U IGFBP-7/creatinine ratio, U TIMP2/creatinine ratio, and serum transgelin levels were higher in patients with MM than healthy controls, and predicted renal insufficiency in MM. Serum transgelin, urinary IGFBp7, and TIMP2 levels may have utility as biomarkers of renal tubular injury and predict future renal impairment in patients with MM.

Gemcitabine and synthesized silver nanoparticles impact on chemically induced hepatocellular carcinoma in male rats.

Objective: Gemcitabine (GEM) is a deoxycytidine analog chemotherapeutic drug widely used to treat many cancers. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are important nanomaterials used to treat many diseases. Using gamma radiation in nanoparticle preparation is a new eco-friendly method. This study aims to evaluate the efficiency of co-treating gemcitabine and silver nanoparticles in treating hepatocellular carcinoma. Method: The AgNPs were characterized using UV-visible spectroscopy, XRD, TEM, and EDX. The MTT cytotoxicity in vitro assay of gemcitabine, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide was assessed against Wi38 normal fibroblast and HepG2 HCC cell lines. After HCC development, rats received (10 µg/g b.wt.) of AgNPs three times a week for 4 weeks and/or GEM (5 mg/kg b.wt.) twice weekly for 4 weeks. Liver function enzymes were investigated. Cytochrome P450 and miR-21 genes were studied. Apoptosis was determined by using flow cytometry, and apoptotic modifications in signaling pathways were evaluated via Bcl-2, Bax, Caspase-9, and SMAD-4. Results: The co-treatment of GEM and AgNPs increased apoptosis by upregulating Bax and caspase 9 while diminishing Bcl2 and SMAD4. It also improved cytochrome P450 m-RNA relative expression. The results also proved the cooperation between GEM and AgNPs in deactivating miR21. The impact of AgNPs as an adjuvant treatment with GEM was recognized. Conclusions: The study showed that co-treating AgNPs and GEM can improve the efficiency of GEM alone in treating HCC. This is achieved by enhancing intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways while diminishing some drawbacks of using GEM alone.

Restoration of renal hemodynamics and functions by Nigella sativa administration in dinitrophenol-induced hypoxia in rat's animal model.

Objective: Hypoxia is one of the principal causes of renal diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Nigella sativa on dinitrophenol (DNP)-induced hypoxia renal damage in rats. Methods: Forty adult male rats were incorporated in this study. The rats were divided into four groups: control group, N. sativa group, DNP hypoxic group, and DNP + N. sativa group receiving N. sativa (400 mg/kg body weight). Serum and renal tissue erythropoietin (EPO) hormone and hypoxia-inducible factor-2α (HIF-2α) levels were measured. Renal oxidative stress biomarkers, inflammatory biomarkers, renal hemodynamics, and histopathological examination were evaluated. Results: Administration of N. sativa highly significantly normalized serum EPO level, HIF-2α (P < 0.001 for each) in DNP + N. sativa treated rats as compared to DNP hypoxic rats. Furthermore, it highly significantly improved renal oxidative stress evident by decreased renal tissues malondialdehyde and increased superoxide dismutase, total thiol, and catalase activity (P < 0.001 for each). Furthermore, a highly significant decline of renal intercellular adhesion molecule-1, myeloperoxidase, and interleukin-6 was observed in DNP + N. sativa rats (P < 0.001 for each). Improvements in renal hemodynamics and kidney functions were also found after N. sativa administration (with P < 0.001 for all parameters). In addition, N. sativa treatment reduced renal histopathological changes of the DNP + N. sativa group. Our results were statistically analyzed using the Prism software package (GraphPad version 8.0). Conclusion: N. sativa has an alleviating effect on DNP-induced hypoxia renal damage and can restore kidney functions in rats' animal models. These effects were through antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and hemodynamic mechanisms.