A Cloud Computing-Based Modified Symbiotic Organisms Search Algorithm (AI) for Optimal Task Scheduling.

The search algorithm based on symbiotic organisms' interactions is a relatively recent bio-inspired algorithm of the swarm intelligence field for solving numerical optimization problems. It is meant to optimize applications based on the simulation of the symbiotic relationship among the distinct species in the ecosystem. The task scheduling problem is NP complete, which makes it hard to obtain a correct solution, especially for large-scale tasks. This paper proposes a modified symbiotic organisms search-based scheduling algorithm for the efficient mapping of heterogeneous tasks to access cloud resources of different capacities. The significant contribution of this technique is the simplified representation of the algorithm's mutualism process, which uses equity as a measure of relationship characteristics or efficiency of species in the current ecosystem to move to the next generation. These relational characteristics are achieved by replacing the original mutual vector, which uses an arithmetic mean to measure the mutual characteristics with a geometric mean that enhances the survival advantage of two distinct species. The modified symbiotic organisms search algorithm (G_SOS) aims to minimize the task execution time (makespan), cost, response time, and degree of imbalance, and improve the convergence speed for an optimal solution in an IaaS cloud. The performance of the proposed technique was evaluated using a CloudSim toolkit simulator, and the percentage of improvement of the proposed G_SOS over classical SOS and PSO-SA in terms of makespan minimization ranges between 0.61-20.08% and 1.92-25.68% over a large-scale task that spans between 100 to 1000 Million Instructions (MI). The solutions are found to be better than the existing standard (SOS) technique and PSO.

A Hybrid Deep Learning Model for Brain Tumour Classification.

A brain tumour is one of the major reasons for death in humans, and it is the tenth most common type of tumour that affects people of all ages. However, if detected early, it is one of the most treatable types of tumours. Brain tumours are classified using biopsy, which is not usually performed before definitive brain surgery. An image classification technique for tumour diseases is important for accelerating the treatment process and avoiding surgery and errors from manual diagnosis by radiologists. The advancement of technology and machine learning (ML) can assist radiologists in tumour diagnostics using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images without invasive procedures. This work introduced a new hybrid CNN-based architecture to classify three brain tumour types through MRI images. The method suggested in this paper uses hybrid deep learning classification based on CNN with two methods. The first method combines a pre-trained Google-Net model of the CNN algorithm for feature extraction with SVM for pattern classification. The second method integrates a finely tuned Google-Net with a soft-max classifier. The proposed approach was evaluated using MRI brain images that contain a total of 1426 glioma images, 708 meningioma images, 930 pituitary tumour images, and 396 normal brain images. The reported results showed that an accuracy of 93.1% was achieved from the finely tuned Google-Net model. However, the synergy of Google-Net as a feature extractor with an SVM classifier improved recognition accuracy to 98.1%.

Hepatoprotective action of papain-hydrolyzed buffalo milk protein on carbon tetrachloride oxidative stressed albino rats.

Buffalo skim milk retentate was hydrolyzed with papain for 4 h (enzyme:substrate, 1:200), resulting in a retentate hydrolysate (RH) with a degree of hydrolysis of 23%. We then investigated the potential hepatoprotective activity of RH at 250 and 500 mg/kg of body weight per day on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced oxidative stress in albino rats. Liver biomarkers (alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and lactate dehydrogenase), kidney biomarkers (urea, creatinine), and serum lipid profile (total lipids and triglycerides) were measured, in addition to histopathological status. Injection of CCl4 significantly increased all liver and kidney biomarkers compared with the negative control. In contrast, CCl4 injection significantly reduced hepatic antioxidant enzyme activities; that is, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase. Oral administration of RH for 28 d effectively maintained a physiologically normal range of liver and kidney biomarkers compared with the positive control. Furthermore, RH administration significantly increased activities of glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase. Histopathological sections of CCl4-stressed rats treated with RH were different from that of the positive control and were similar to those of the negative control, in a concentration-dependent manner. Our results demonstrated the antihepatotoxic activities of buffalo milk RH and demonstrated that the higher RH concentration (500 mg/kg of body weight per day) could maintain the healthy biological status of the CCl4-injected rats.

[Quality of life and depression in hearing-impairment : A German survey]. / Lebensqualität und Depression bei Hörminderung : Eine deutsche Bedarfsanalyse.

BACKGROUND: Hearing-impairment can lead to a reduced quality of life and thus represents a vulnerability factor for mental disorders. OBJECTIVE: This study represents the first psychiatric analysis of subjective quality of life and depression in people with hearing-impairment in Germany. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The patient group included 30 hearing-impaired participants (27 women, 3 men) with a current or previous mental disorder and/or psychiatric/psychotherapeutic treatment (age: mean, M = 49.67 years; standard deviation, SD = 13.54 years). The control group consisted of 22 hearing-impaired participants (16 women, 6 men) without mental disorders or treatment (age: M = 52.41 years, SD = 17.30 years). Besides sociodemographic variables, we registered onset/extent of the various hearing-impairments and hearing aid provision. Both groups underwent extensive diagnostic assessment comprising subjective functional impairment (Sheehan Disability Scale, SDS), health-related quality of life (SF-36 Health Survey), and depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory, BDI-II). RESULTS: Groups did not differ significantly in terms of sociodemographic variables such as age, gender, or intelligence. Participants of the patient group had a significantly greater subjective impairment, a lower quality of life, and more pronounced symptoms of depression. The invasiveness of the hearing aid (i. e., cochlear implant) as well as the timepoint of hearing-impairment onset (postlingually) appear to serve as vulnerability factors for mental health problems in this group. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that besides delivering high-quality acoustic care, practitioners should continuously check patients' requirements for psychosocial treatment due to a loss of quality of life. The development of a specific psychotherapeutic treatment for hearing-impaired clients requires additional research focused on protective and vulnerability factors which may influence the emergence of mental disorders in these patients.

PGAP3-related hyperphosphatasia with mental retardation syndrome: Report of 10 new patients and a homozygous founder mutation.

BACKGROUND: Hyperphosphatasia with mental retardation syndrome (HPMRS) is caused by recessive mutations in genes involved in the glycosylphosphatidylinsitol pathway, including PGAP3. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We describe 10 patients from 8 Egyptian families presenting with developmental delay, severe intellectual disability, distinct facial dysmorphism and increased alkaline phosphatase. Sanger sequencing of PGAP3 was performed. RESULTS: Eight patients had cleft palate, 4 had postnatal microcephaly and 5 had seizures. Neuro-imaging findings showed thin corpus callosum in 9 patients, mild ventriculomegaly in 3 patients and variable degrees of cerebellar vermis hypoplasia in 4 patients, a finding not previously reported in patients with HPMRS. Additional manifestations included double row teeth, hypogenitalism and congenital heart disease. Biallelic loss of function mutations in the PGAP3 gene were detected in all patients. Nine patients were homozygous for the c.402dupC (p.M135Hfs*28) mutation strongly suggesting a founder effect. On the other hand, 1 patient had a novel mutation, c.817_820delGACT (p.D273Sfs*37). CONCLUSION: This is the largest series of patients with HPMRS from same ethnic group. Our results reinforce the distinct clinical and facial features of PGAP3-related HPMRS which are the clue for targeted genetic testing. Moreover, we present additional unreported clinical and neuro-imaging findings and a novel mutation thus expanding the phenotypic and mutational spectrum of this rare disorder.

Hypermanganesemia with dystonia, polycythemia and cirrhosis in 10 patients: Six novel SLC30A10 mutations and further phenotype delineation.

Biallelic mutations in the SLC30A10 gene cause an inborn error of Mn metabolism characterized by hypermanganesemia, polycythemia, early-onset dystonia, and liver cirrhosis (HMDPC). To date, only 14 families from various ethnic groups have been reported. Here, we describe 10 patients from 7 unrelated Egyptian families with HMDPC. Markedly elevated blood Mn levels, the characteristic basal ganglia hyperintensity on T1-weighted images, and variable degrees of extrapyramidal manifestations with or without liver disease were cardinal features in all patients. Eight patients presented with striking early diseased onset (≤2 years). Unexpectedly, early hepatic involvement before the neurological regression was noted in 3 patients. Mutational analysis of SLC30A10 gene revealed 6 novel homozygous mutations (c.77T > C (p.Leu26Pro), c.90C > G (p.Tyr30*), c.119A > C (p.Asp40Ala), c.122_124delCCT (p.Ser41del), c.780_782delCAT (p.Iso260del) and c.957 + 1G > C). Treatment using 2,3 dimercaptosuccinic acid as a manganese chelating agent showed satisfactory results with improvement of biochemical markers, hepatic manifestations and relative amelioration of the neurological symptoms. Our findings present a large cohort of patients with HMDPC from same ethnic group. The majority of our patients showed severe and early presentation with clear phenotypic variability among sibship. Moreover, we extend the phenotypic and mutational spectrum and emphasize the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of this potentially fatal disorder.

Genetic study of eight Egyptian patients with pycnodysostosis: identification of novel CTSK mutations and founder effect.

This is the first Egyptian study with detailed clinical and orodental evaluation of eight patients with pycnodysostosis and identification of four mutations in CTSK gene with two novel ones and a founder effect. INTRODUCTION: Pycnodysostosis is a rare autosomal recessive skeletal dysplasia due to mutations in the CTSK gene encoding for cathepsin K, a lysosomal cysteine protease. METHODS: We report on the clinical, orodental, radiological, and molecular findings of eight patients, from seven unrelated Egyptian families with pycnodysostosis. RESULTS: All patients were offspring of consanguineous parents and presented with the typical clinical picture of the disorder including short stature, delayed closure of fontanels, hypoplastic premaxilla, obtuse mandibular angle, and drum stick terminal phalanges with dysplastic nails. Their radiological findings showed increased bone density, acro-osteolysis, and open cranial sutures. Mutational analysis of CTSK gene revealed four distinct homozygous missense mutations including two novel ones, c.164A>C (p. K55T) and c.433G>A (p.V145M). The c.164A>C (p. K55T) mutation was recurrent in three unrelated patients who also shared similar haplotype, suggesting a founder effect. CONCLUSION: Our findings expand the mutational spectrum of CTSK gene and emphasize the importance of full clinical examination of all body systems including thorough orodental evaluation in patients with pycnodysostosis.

Perception of emotional prosody in adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

OBJECTIVE: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with social conflicts. The purpose of this study was to explore domains of social cognition in adult patients with ADHD. METHODS: The assessment of social cognition was based on established neuropsychological tests: the Tübinger Affect Battery (TAB) for prosody and the Cambridge Behaviour Scale (CBS) for empathy. The performance of adults with ADHD (N = 28) was compared with the performance of a control group (N = 29) matched according to basic demographic variables. RESULTS: Treatment-naïve adults with ADHD showed deficits in emotional prosody (P = 0.02) and in the ability to empathize (P < 0.02) independent of executive functioning. In particular, their ability to perceive angry feelings was found to be compromised (P = 0.04). When emotional prosody was considered in relation to facial expressions, patients and controls showed no impairments (P > 0.2). No gender differences concerning social cognitive skills were detected. CONCLUSIONS: ADHD is associated with social cognition impairments involving both emotional prosody and empathy.

CO-OCCURRENCE OF PRIMARY MICROCEPHALY CAUSED BY A NOVEL HOMOZYGOUS ASPM MUTATION ALONG WITH X-LINKED ICHTHYOSIS IN THE SAME PATIENT.

Autosomal recessive primary microcephaly is a heterogeneous genetic disorder caused by genes that affect neurogenesis. This form of microcephaly has not been associated with other congenital anomalies. ASPM mutations have been identified as the major cause implicated in autosomal recessive primary microcephaly. X-linked recessive ichthyosis, is an inborn error of steroid sulfatase metabolism characterized by dark and adhesive scaly skin. Here, we examined an Egyptian boy presenting with microcephaly and simplified gyral pattern. Additionally, he had ichthyosis that goes with the X-linked type. Mutation analyses of the ASPM gene for autosomal recessive primary microcephaly and STS gene of X-linked recessive ichthyosis were conducted revealing a co-occurrence of a novel homozygous splice site mutation of ASPM gene (c.2936+1G>A) and a partial deletion of STS spanning from exon 7-10. We propose that the phenotype of our patient results from the combined effects of mutations in both ASPM and STS that account for the neurological signs and skin manifestations, respectively. The association of isolated X-linked recessive ichthyosis and autosomal recessive primary microcephaly has never been reported in the literature. Careful clinical and genetic assessment of patients with atypical clinical phenotypes is crucial for detecting such rare double mutations and thus proper genetic counseling.

Monitoring and removal of cyanobacterial toxins from drinking water by algal-activated carbon.

Microcystins (MCs) are the most potent toxins that can be produced by cyanobacteria in drinking water supplies. This study investigated the abundance of toxin-producing algae in 11 drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs). A total of 26 different algal taxa were identified in treated water, from which 12% were blue green, 29% were green, and 59% were diatoms. MC levels maintained strong positive correlations with number of cyanophycean cells in raw and treated water of different DWTPs. Furthermore, the efficiency of various algal-based adsorbent columns used for the removal of these toxins was evaluated. The MCs was adsorbed in the following order: mixed algal-activated carbon (AAC) ≥ individual AAC > mixed algal powder > individual algal powder. The results showed that the AAC had the highest efficient columns capable of removing 100% dissolved MCs from drinking water samples, thereby offering an economically feasible technology for efficient removal and recovery of MCs in DWTPs.

Comparison of liver biopsy and noninvasive techniques for liver fibrosis assessment in patients infected with HCV-genotype 4 in Egypt.

In Egypt, as elsewhere, liver biopsy (LB) remains the gold standard to assess liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and is required to decide whether a treatment should be proposed. Many of its disadvantages have led to develop noninvasive methods to replace LB. These new methods should be evaluated in Egypt, where circulating virus genotype 4 (G4), increased body mass index and co-infection with schistosomiasis may interfere with liver fibrosis assessment. Egyptian CHC-infected patients with G4 underwent a LB, an elastometry measurement (Fibroscan(©)), and serum markers (APRI, Fib4 and Fibrotest(©)). Patients had to have a LB ≥15 mm length or ≥10 portal tracts with two pathologists blinded readings to be included in the analysis. Patients with hepatitis B virus co-infection were excluded. Three hundred and twelve patients are reported. The performance of each technique for distinguishing F0F1 vs F2F3F4 was compared. The area under receiver operating characteristic curves was 0.70, 0.76, 0.71 and 0.75 for APRI, Fib-4, Fibrotest© and Fibroscan©, respectively (no influence of schistosomiasis was noticed). An algorithm using the Fib4 for identifying patients with F2 stage or more reduced by nearly 90% the number of liver biopsies. Our results demonstrated that noninvasive techniques were feasible in Egypt, for CHC G4-infected patients. Because of its validity and its easiness to perform, we believe that Fib4 may be used to assess the F2 threshold, which decides whether treatment should be proposed or delayed.

Hepatitis B virus genotype D predominates HBsAg-positive egyptian blood donors and is mainly associated with a negative HBeAg serostatus.

OBJECTIVES: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a global health burden. In this regard, Egypt has an intermediate HBV seroprevalence. HBV is classified into ten different genotypes (A-J) with different geographic distributions. Genotype D is the most prevalent in the Middle East. Limited data are available about HBV genotyping among Egyptian blood donors, particularly in Upper Egypt. We examined the seroprevalence of HBV among 12,000 blood donors attending the blood transfusion services center in Minia Governorate, Upper Egypt. METHODS: HBsAg and HBeAg were examined by ELISA while HBV-DNA was examined by PCR. HBV genotyping was conducted by restriction fragment length polymorphism. RESULTS: HBsAg was detected in 237 donors (1.98%). The HBV-DNA of 50 donors with the highest HBsAg OD was examined for the HBV genotype. All 50 DNA-positive samples were of genotype D. 82% of the DNA-positive donors were males, coinciding with their representation in the cohort. ALT levels were normal in 88% of genotyped subjects, while 84% of them were HBeAg negative. CONCLUSION: Taken together, these data indicate that HBV genotype D is the predominant genotype among HBsAg-positive blood donors in Upper Egypt and was in >80% of the subjects associated with a negative HBeAg serostatus.

The impact of acute tryptophan depletion on attentional performance in adult patients with ADHD.

OBJECTIVE: To date, the impact of the neurotransmitter serotonin (5-HT) on different neuropsychological functions in adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is underinvestigated. We aimed to examine the effects of acute tryptophan depletion (ATD) and the resulting reduction in central nervous 5-HT synthesis on target/non-target discrimination ability and sustained attention in adults with ADHD using an AX-Continuous Performance Test (AX-CPT). METHOD: Twenty male patients with ADHD (age: M = 30.25 SD = 9.37) and twenty male healthy controls (age: M = 27.90 SD = 6.01) received ATD on one day and a tryptophan-balanced control condition (BAL) on another day in a double-blind within-subject crossover design. A continuous performance test (AX-CPT) with three conditions (AX, AY, and BX) was administered on both days under depleted and sham-depleted conditions. RESULTS: In patients omissions increased after ATD when compared with BAL. Patient's reaction time decreased after ATD when compared with BAL, which was contrasted by opposite effects in controls. Patients showed fewer correct responses (AX condition) and showed a higher rate of errors (condition AXE ) independent of ATD or BAL intake. CONCLUSION: The present preliminary results are indicative of the contribution of serotonergic neurotransmission to attentional processes in adults with ADHD.

No clear effects of acute tryptophan depletion on processing affective prosody in male adults with ADHD.

OBJECTIVE: Adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have difficulties processing affective prosody, and research evidence demonstrates the importance of brain serotonin (5-HT) in the neurobiology of ADHD. This study aimed to investigate whether diminished brain 5-HT synthesis, as achieved by acute tryptophan depletion (ATD), can impair the processing of affective prosody in adults with ADHD. METHOD: Twenty male patients with ADHD and twenty male healthy controls received ATD and a tryptophan-balanced control condition on separate days in a double-blind within-subject repeated measures crossover design. In both conditions, the Tübingen Affect Battery was administered in which subjects had to name the affective prosody of sentences with neutral, congruent, or incongruent semantic content. RESULTS: Participants in the group of patients with ADHD perceived affective prosody less accurately than controls. Participants with ADHD showed compromised processing of sentences, committing more errors than healthy controls when identifying affect in instances of incongruent semantic content (P = 0.031). ATD did not contribute to this effect (all P > 0.5). CONCLUSION: The difficulties male adults with ADHD have in accurately processing affective prosody may result from impairments in their ability to inhibit unwanted stimuli and impulses. No clear evidence implicates 5-HT as a cause of these impairments.

Modified Atkins diet vs classic ketogenic formula in intractable epilepsy.

OBJECTIVES: The study was designed to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of the ketogenic diet (KD) whether classic 4:1 formula or the modified Atkins diet (MAD) in intractable childhood epilepsy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Anthropometric measurements and serum lipid profile were measured upon enrollment and after 3 and 6 months in 40 patients with symptomatic intractable epilepsy. Fifteen were given MAD diet, ten were kept on classic 4:1 ketogenic liquid formula, and the rest were allowed to eat as desired. RESULTS: The liquid ketogenic formula group showed significantly higher body mass index compared with those who did not receive KD after 6 months. The lipid profile of KD patients was within normal limits for age and sex during the study period. The rate of change of frequency and severity of seizures showed best improvement in ketogenic liquid formula patients followed by the MAD group than the patients on anti-epileptic medications alone. CONCLUSION: The KD whether classic 4:1 or MAD is a tolerable, safe, and effective adjuvant therapy for intractable symptomatic childhood epilepsy with limited adverse effects on the growth parameters and accepted changes in the lipid profile. The liquid ketogenic formula patients showed better growth pattern and significantly more seizure control.

Role of ginger against the reproductive toxicity of aluminium chloride in albino male rats.

The aim of the current study was to evaluate reproductive disorders concomitant with aluminium chloride (AlCl(3) ) toxicity in Albino male rats. Attention was also directed to study the protective influence of ginger against this toxicity. Forty-five mature Albino Wistar male rats were equally divided into three groups; the first group was served as control group while those of the second group (AlCl(3) ) were daily treated with 34 mg/kg bw. AlCl(3) orally. The third group (AlCl(3) + ginger) was treated daily with AlCl(3) as in group 2 in combination with ginger (40 mg/kg bw), which started 2 weeks prior to AlCl(3) . Five animals from each group were sacrificed on days 30, 45 and 60 of treatment. AlCl(3) administration significantly decreased serum testosterone levels, increased testicular homogenate malondialdehyde and deteriorated semen picture with increased testicular DNA fragmentation. Histopathological examination revealed degenerative changes of the seminiferous tubules with focal areas of necrosed spermatogenic cells, marked degeneration and desquamation of the lining epithelial cells of epididymis as well as multiple calcified material in prostate gland following 60 days of aluminium treatment. Ginger treatment started to improve significantly all studied parameters after 60 days as compared with AlCl(3) -treated group. In the current study, it was concluded that AlCl(3) had a destructive effect on all the studied reproductive parameters. Treatment with ginger has an ameliorating effect against AlCl(3) toxicity after 60 days post-treatment.

Homozygosity for a novel missense mutation in the leptin receptor gene (P316T) in two Egyptian cousins with severe early onset obesity.

Congenital deficiency of the leptin receptor is a very rare cause of severe early-onset obesity. To date, only 9 families have been reported in the literature to have mutations in the leptin receptor gene. The clinical features include severe early onset obesity, severe hyperphagia, hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, and T cell and neuroendocrine/metabolic dysfunction. Here we report two cousins with severe early onset obesity and recurrent respiratory tract infections. Their serum leptin levels were elevated but they were within the range predicted by the elevated fat mass in both cousins. Direct sequencing of the entire coding sequence of the leptin receptor gene revealed a novel homozygous missense mutation in exon 6, P316T. The mutation was found in the homozygous form in both cousins and in the heterozygote state in their parents. This mutation was not found in 200 chromosomes from 100 unrelated normal weight control subjects of Egyptian origin using PCR-RFLP analysis. In conclusion, finding this new mutation in the LEPR beside our previous mutation in the LEP gene implies that monogenic obesity syndromes may be common in the Egyptian population owing to the high rates of consanguineous marriages. Further screening of more families for mutations in LEP, LEPR, and MC4 might confirm this assumption.

HCV iatrogenic and intrafamilial transmission in Greater Cairo, Egypt.

OBJECTIVES: To document hepatitis C virus (HCV) intrafamilial transmission and assess its relative importance in comparison to other current modes of transmission in the country with the largest HCV epidemic in the world. HCV intrafamilial transmission was defined as HCV transmission among relatives living in the same household. DESIGN: Case-control study. Cases were adult patients with acute hepatitis C diagnosed in two 'fever hospitals' of Cairo. Controls were adult patients with acute hepatitis A diagnosed in the same two hospitals, and family members of cases. All consenting household members of cases provided blood for HCV serological and RNA testing. Homology of viral sequences (NS5b region) within households was used to ascertain HCV intrafamilial transmission. Exposures at risk for HCV during the 1-6 months previous to onset of symptoms were assessed in all cases and controls. RESULTS: From April 2002 to June 2007, 100 cases with acute hepatitis C, and 678 controls (416 household members and 262 patients with acute hepatitis A) were recruited in the study. Factors independently associated with HCV infection and their attributable fractions (AFs) were the following: having had a catheter (OR=5.0, 95% CI=1.4 to 17.8; AF=6.7%), an intravenous perfusion (OR=5.8, 95% CI=2.5 to 13.3; AF=20.1%), stitches (OR=2.0, 95% CI=1.3 to 6.6; AF=10.7%), gum treatment (OR=3.7, 95% CI=1.1 to 11.9; AF=3.8%) and being illiterate (OR=2.4, 95% CI=1.4 to 4.4). Of the 100 cases, 18 had viraemic HCV-infected household members. Three long-married (>15 years) couples were infected with virtually identical sequences and none of the three index patients reported any exposure at risk, suggesting HCV intra-familial transmission. CONCLUSION: While three new HCV infections out of 100 could be linked to intra-familial transmission, parenteral iatrogenic transmission (dental care included) was accountable for 34.6% of these new infections. Thus, the relative contribution of intrafamilial transmission to HCV spread seems to be limited.

MxA expression as marker for assessing the therapeutic response in HCV genotype 4 Egyptian patients.

The prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection varies across the world, with the highest number of infections reported in Egypt. Expression of the MxA gene has been found to be a reliable and sensitive marker for the induction of endogenous type I interferons (IFNs) during viral infections. This study examined the correlation of gene expression of MxA with the response to treatment with pegylated-IFN-alfa2b and ribavirin. Fifty patients with type 4 HCV and 20 healthy volunteers as controls were enrolled in a prospective study designed with strict inclusion criteria to nullify the effect of confounding variables and further minimize selection bias. Quantification of HCV-RNA and MxA gene by real-time PCR was performed for every patient, and quantification of MxA gene was performed for controls. There was a statistically significant difference between patients and control group as regards the quantity of MxA gene expression (P < 0.05) (Mann-Whitney test) (P = 0.004). There was a statistically significant difference between responders and nonresponders (P < 0.05): responders showed a higher percentage of cases with initial MxA <2(6) (P < 0.05). We conclude that MxA protein expression is a sensitive biological marker for ongoing virus replication and presence of type 1 IFN. These results highlight the importance of the detection of MxA expression at the start of therapy as a factor for assessing the likelihood of HCV genotype 4 patients to achieving a sustained virological response to treatment with IFN-α2 in combination with ribavirin.

Long-term monitoring of the biomass and production of lipids by Nitzschia palea for biodiesel production.

Pennate diatom Nitzschia palea can be cultured in outdoor vertical-bed photobioreactors to produce biodiesel. To assess the production of biomass and lipids, non-axenic cultures of Nitzschia palea were grown outdoors, and the growth of these cultures was measured biweekly. During the annual cycle of algal culture, the culture temperature ranged from 17.3 °C to 33.5 °C, the dry weight biomass ranged from 0.11 g l-1 to 0.25 g l-1, light energy] ranged from 1.94 Wm-2 to 3.9 Wm-2 and intracellular lipid content ranged from 7.1% to 11.4% of biomass weight after drying at 60 °C. Gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC/MS) analysis of n-hexane extracts showed that the intracellular lipids were primarily C14:0 myristic acid (9.01%), C15:0 pentadecyclic acid (8.26%) and two types of C16:0, palmitic acid (41.13%) and palmitoleic acid (29.25%). Gel permeation analysis showed that carboxylic acids comprised 28.9% of lipids, 16.3% of monoglycerides, 27.3% of diglycerides and 24.3% of triglycerides. Alcoholysis of lipids resulted in the conversion of about 93.9% of fatty acids to equivalent fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) or biodiesel, which, on basis of wt%, consisted primarily of C15:0 methyl myristate (8.3%), C16:0 methyl pentadecanoate] (7.2%), C17:1methyl palmitoleate (28.7%) and methyl palimtate](39.8%).