Benefit and potential risk: Effects of in ovo copper oxide nanoparticles supplementation on hatchability traits, organ weights and histological features of newly hatched chicks.

This investigation was directed to examine the influence of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO-NPs) on the hatchability traits, and chick quality of newly hatched broiler chicks. A total of 480 eggs were randomly divided into four treatment groups, each consisting of three duplicates. As a negative control (NC), the first group was not injected; the second group was injected with saline and served as a positive control (PC), the third and fourth groups were injected with 30 and 60 ppm of (CuO-NPs)/egg. Eggs were injected into the amniotic fluid on the eighteenth day of the incubation period. Results showed that the hatchability, chick yield %, yolk free-body mass (YFBM), chick length, shank length (SL), and relative weight of the heart, gizzard and intestine of day-old broiler chicks were all unaffected by the in ovo injection of CuO-NPs. The Pasgar Score was slightly improved compared to the NC and PC groups. Also, the in ovo administration of CuO-NPs (60 ppm/egg) significantly increased the intestine length. Both levels of CuO-NPs significantly increased the concentration of Cu ions in the hepatic tissue. Additionally, different levels of tissue damage were seen in the liver of the birds that were given low or high dosages of CuO-NPs. Conclusively, the in ovo injection of CuO-NPs has a good result on the appearance of the chicks (Pasgar score). However, negative effect of CuO-NPs on liver tissue may raise concerns about the potential risks of applying CuO-NPs in ovo administration.

The impact of magnetized drinking water on semen quality, fertility and hatchability rates of Fayoumi chicken.

The present study was conducted to interpret the effect of magnetic field on water pH and calcium form, and evaluate semen quality, fertility and hatchability rates of Fayoumi chickens receiving magnetized drinking water (MDW). A total of 180 Fayoumi chickens (20 roosters + 160 hens), 54 weeks of age, were divided into two groups. The first group served as control, which received regular drinking water, and the second group was treated with MDW. Semen was collected twice (at day 15 and day 30 of the experiment) to determine semen quality. Fertility and hatchability were determined in two patches of hatching eggs through 1-15 and 16-30 days of the experiment. Results showed that the roosters of MDW group had higher live sperm and sperm motility ratios than those of the control group throughout the experimental period (1-30 days). The abnormal sperm ratio and methylene blue reaction time of MDW-received roosters were significantly lower than those of control roosters. Fertility and hatchability percentages of MDW group were greater compared to those of regular drinking water. Conclusively, alterations in the physiochemical characteristics of MDW and the calcium form can play a role in improving semen quality, fertility, and hatchability percentages during the late laying phase.

Performance traits and selected blood constituents of broiler chicks as influenced by early access to feed post-hatch.

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of early access to feed and water post-hatch on broiler chicks' performance. One hundred and twenty chicks were transferred from the hatchery to the rearing house and randomly divided into two groups. The first group: chicks were immediately access to feed and water (F-time 0). The second group: was held without feed and water for 24 h (F-time 24). Then, feed and water were provided ad-libitum, for both groups until 35 days of age. Results indicated that F-time 0 increased body weight and body weight gain throughout the experimental period. It increased feed intake during all experimental periods except from (22-28 days). Additionally, the F-time 0 enhanced the European production efficiency factor index. The F-time 24, increased red blood cells (RBCs) count, hemoglobin (HGB), and packed cell volume (PCV) percentage after 24 h. However, the F-time 0 had a higher RBCs count, HGB, and PCV at 35 days of age. F-time 24 increased total plasma protein, albumin, cholesterol, and triglycerides, after 24 h. In conclusion, early access to feed and water post-hatch enhances broiler chicks' performance and productivity and increases producers' revenue.

Factors influencing the development of gastrointestinal tract and nutrient transporters' function during the embryonic life of chickens-A review.

Intestinal morphology and regulation of nutrient transportation genes during the embryonic and early life of chicks influence their body weight and feed conversion ratio through the growing period. The intestine development can be monitored by measuring villus morphology and enzymatic activity and determining the expression of nutrient transporters genes. With the increasing importance of gut development and health in broiler production, considerable research has been directed towards factors affecting intestine development. Thus, this article reviews (1) intestinal development during embryogenesis, and (2) maternal factors, in ovo administration, and incubation conditions that influence intestinal development during embryogenesis. Conclusively, (1) chicks from heavier eggs may have a better-developed intestine than chicks from younger ones, (2) in ovo supplementation with amino acids, minerals, vitamins or a combination of several probiotics and prebiotics stimulates intestine development and increases the expression of intestine mucosal-related genes and (3) the long storage period, improper incubation temperature and imbalanced ventilation can negatively influence intestinal morphology and nutrient transporters gene expression. Finally, understanding the intestine development during embryonic life will enable us to enhance the productivity of broilers.

Stocking density, ambient temperature, and group size affectsocial behavior, productivity and reproductivity of goats- A review.

The stocking density (animal/area, SD) is one of the significant factors that influence the welfare and performance of animals. However, there are discrepancies in the recommended SD for fiber, meat, and dairy goats, which means farming practices and welfare standards for goats should be better defined. Therefore, this review article sheds light on 1) some differences between goats and sheep. 2) the geographical distribution of fiber, meat type, and dairy goat populations. 3) effects of interaction between SD and group size on social, feeding, and aggressive behaviors. 4) the effects of SD on meat and milk production. 5) the relationship between SD and reproductive performance. In conclusion, the larger space allowance with access to an outdoor yard can improve species-specific behaviors and meat and milk yield. Moreover, goats are more sensitive to high SD (less than 3 m2/ goat), especially during the last stage of the gestation period. Allowing optimal floor space for each breed is important to avoid the undesired behavioral response. Conclusively, improving the housing aspects, including floor space and enrichment tools, would assist in implementing welfare-economic production standards for goats.

Global waterfowl production: stocking rate is a key factor for improving productivity and well-being-a review.

Waterfowl is an important animal-protein source, which has the potential to get a bigger share in the animal production sector. However, waterfowl farming practices and welfare standards are not well established yet. Stocking rate is one of the farming standards that can enhance the productivity, behavior, and well-being of birds; however, rare studies are available in this area. Thus, this article (1) gives an overview of the recent global waterfowls' meat and egg production and their population distribution, (2) reviews the effects of stocking rate on social, feeding, and sexual behaviors, (3) shows the effects of stocking rate on growth performance, carcass weight, and meat quality of ducks and geese, and (4) declares the relationship between the stocking rate and egg production. Conclusively, an optimal stocking rate standard can improve behaviors, productivity (meat-egg), and meat quality. Moreover, using weight (kg)/m2 will help in affording the required space allowance for different ducks and geese under various housing systems. The fish-waterfowl production system could be a promising and sustainable solution for increasing waterfowl production, maintaining the welfare of birds, saving energy, and reducing the water footprint of waterfowl meat. Based on prior research findings, we recommended adopting the stocking rate (SR) standard for specific duck and goose breeds to achieve an optimal production-welfare balance.

Space allowance impacts behavior, productivity, reproductivity and immunity of sheep-a review.

Sheep is an important producing animal in subtropical and arid regions; however, sheep farming practices and welfare standards are still not well established. To move to either intensive or intensive sheep production, stocking density (animal/area, SD) is a significant factor that influencing the welfare and productivity of animals. However, there are discrepancies in space allowance standards for wool, meat, and dairy sheep at different stages. Thus, this review article sheds light on (1) the geographical distribution of wool, meat-type, and dairy sheep populations; (2) the effects of interaction among space allowances, housing systems, and group size on the social, feeding, and aggressive behaviors and human-sheep contact; (3) the effects of space allowance on wool, growth performance, and milk production of sheep; (4) the relationship between space allowance and reproductive performance; (5) the effects of stocking rate on immunity; and (6) suggestions to mitigate the stress and deleterious influences of SD on the productivity of sheep. In conclusion, the larger space allowance with access to an outdoor yard can improve social and feeding behaviors, meat and milk yield, and wool quality. Moreover, ewes are more sensitive to SD, so they should receive an adequate space allowance at each stage. The changes in behavioral responses of each sheep breed refer to their different requirements. Therefore, there is a need to determine the impact of housing aspects, especially space allowance and enrichment tools on the productive performance and welfare indices of sheep for implementing welfare-economic standards for sheep production.

Water scarcity can be a critical limitation for the poultry industry.

Water is essential for various physiological functions and the productive performance of animals. However, with climatic uncertainties exacerbated by climatic changes, water could become a scarce nutrient shortly. This is already the case in one-third of the world's countries, which are under medium to high levels of water stress. Accordingly, with the growth of poultry production, the availability of water at ad libitum level may not be guaranteed, and birds can be under water restriction for variable periods. Thus, this article aims at attracting the attention of animal scientists to the freshwater shortage challenge, as well as shedding light on (1) the effects of climate change on the freshwater resources; (2) the effects of limited access to water, either by water restriction (WR) or water deprivation (WD), on the growth, feed efficiency, and meat quality of broilers; (3) the effects of different levels of WR or WD on egg production and egg quality traits; (4) the effects of limited access to water on the health, behavior, and welfare status of chickens; and (5) suggested solutions to overcome future water shortage challenges. In conclusion, severe water shortage/restriction might negatively influence the productivity, behavior, and welfare status of the chickens. Genetic background and environmental conditions may interact with the WR effects. The tolerance level of indigenous chicken breeds to limited water access could provide the knowhow to potential solutions to overcome water shortage problems. Selection of chicken strains with high tolerance capacity to thirst and limited water access regimens may be a sustainable solution for solving water scarcity problems.

Design and Synthesis of New 4-(3,4,5-Trimethoxyphenyl)Thiazole-Pyrimidine Derivatives as Potential Antiproliferative Agents.

A new series of 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl thiazole pyrimidines has been synthesized and biologically evaluated for its in vitro anticancer activity. Compounds 4a, 4b, and 4h with substituted piperazine showed the best antiproliferative activity. In the NCI-60 cell line screening, compound 4b showed promising cytostatic activity against multiple cell lines. Notably, it elicited a GI value of 86.28% against the NSCL cancer cell line HOP-92 at a 10 µM dose. Compounds 4a and 4h at 10 µM showed promising GI values of 40.87% and 46.14% against HCT-116 colorectal carcinoma and SK-BR-3 breast cancer cell lines, respectively. ADME-Tox prediction of compounds 4a, 4b, and 4h revealed their acceptable drug-likeness properties. In addition, compounds 4a, 4b, and 4h showed a high probability of targeting kinase receptors via Molinspiration and Swiss TargetPrediction.

Thiazole-based SARS-CoV-2 protease (COV Mpro ) inhibitors: Design, synthesis, enzyme inhibition, and molecular modeling simulations.

As an attempt to contribute to the efforts of combating the pandemic virus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) responsible for COVID-19, new analogs of the repurposed drug nitazoxanide which showed promising inhibitory efficacy on a viral protease enzyme were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their inhibitory activity on the main protease of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, using the COV2-3CL protease inhibition assay. The obtained results showed that the N-(substituted-thiazol-2-yl)cinnamamide analogs 19, 20, and 21 were the most active compounds with IC50 values of 22.61, 14.7, 21.99 µM, respectively, against the viral protease compared to the reference drugs, nitazoxanide, and lopinavir. Molecular modeling studies showed binding interactions of 19, 20, and 21 with hydrogen bonds to Gln189 and Glu166, arene-arene interaction between the thiazole moiety and His41, and other hydrophobic interactions between the ethene spacer moiety and Asn142. Moreover, an extra arene-arene interaction between substituted benzo[d]thiazole and His41 was observed regarding compounds 19 and 21. Surface mapping and flexible alignment proved the structural similarity between the new drug candidates and nitazoxanide. Compliance of the new compounds to Lipinski's rule of five was investigated and absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicology data were predicted. The newly synthesized compounds are promising template ligands for further development and optimization.

A Generic Image Processing Pipeline for Enhancing Accuracy and Robustness of Visual Odometry.

The accuracy of pose estimation from feature-based Visual Odometry (VO) algorithms is affected by several factors such as lighting conditions and outliers in the matched features. In this paper, a generic image processing pipeline is proposed to enhance the accuracy and robustness of feature-based VO algorithms. The pipeline consists of three stages, each addressing a problem that affects the performance of VO algorithms. The first stage tackles the lighting condition problem, where a filter called Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization (CLAHE) is applied to the images to overcome changes in lighting in the environment. The second stage uses the Suppression via Square Covering (SSC) algorithm to ensure the features are distributed properly over the images. The last stage proposes a novel outliers rejection approach called the Angle-based Outlier Rejection (AOR) algorithm to remove the outliers generated in the feature matching process. The proposed pipeline is generic and modular and can be integrated with any type of feature-based VO (monocular, RGB-D, or stereo). The efficiency of the proposed pipeline is validated using sequences from KITTI (for stereo VO) and TUM (for RGB-D VO) datasets, as well as experimental sequences using an omnidirectional mobile robot (for monocular VO). The obtained results showed the performance gained by enhancing the accuracy and robustness of the VO algorithms without compromising on the computational cost using the proposed pipeline. The results are substantially better as opposed to not using the pipeline.

Space allowance: a tool for improving behavior, milk and meat production, and reproduction performance of buffalo in different housing systems-a review.

Buffalo population has dramatically increased during the last two decades, especially in tropical and subtropical regions. Although buffalo are important milk and meat-producing animal, still practices of buffalo farming and welfare aspects are not well established. Housing system and stocking density are significant factors that affect the welfare and production of animals; however, no space allowance standards have been demonstrated for buffalo at different ages. This review article presents the following: (1) an overview of buffalo subtypes and their geographical distribution of buffalo populations and their production; (2) the effect of housing systems and space allowance on the social behavior and welfare indices; (3) the effects of space allowance on milk production and growth performance of buffalo; and (4) the relationship between space allowance and reproductive performance. Although the limited data in this area of research, it can be driven that a larger space allowance with access to a pool, especially during the hot season, maintains buffalo production at optimal levels. Moreover, optimal floor space improves the welfare and social indices of buffalo; however, there are discrepancies in aggressive and agonistic behavior results. Surprisingly, the reproductive performance of buffalo was not affected by space allowance. Therefore, further research is needed to identify the impact of the housing aspects, including space allowance and enrichment tools. on the productive performance, and welfare indices of buffalo. This would assist in implementing welfare-economic standards for buffalo production and reveal the potentiality of this eco-friendly animal.

Stocking density: a clue for improving social behavior, welfare, health indices along with productivity performances of quail (Coturnix coturnix)-a review.

The quail populations are considered to be one of the largest among the poultry species. Although quail egg and meat production are growing rapidly, still, quail farming practices and welfare aspects are not well established. Stocking density is one of the factors that can significantly affect the welfare, health, and performance of birds, but according to The Expert Group for Technical Advice on Organic Production, no allowed space standards have been reported for new hybrids and different breeds of quail. This review presents an overview of 1) the benefits of egg and meat of quail, 2) the global market of quail products, 3) the factors affecting the stocking density rate, and 4) the effects of stocking density rates and housing systems on the social behavior, welfare, physiological indices, and performance parameters of broiler and laying quail. Conclusively, larger space and enriched aviaries reduce aggressive behavior, and improve the quail welfare and immunological indices. However, the effect of stocking density on some blood biochemical indices and growth performance parameters showed mixed results. A better understanding of the relationship between housing, health, growth performance, and welfare aspects would assist in the implementation of welfare-economic standards for quail production. According to available data, stocking density ranges for broiler and laying Japanese quail are suggested; however, these stocking rates should be tested under different conditions.

The first BGICC consensus and recommendations for breast cancer awareness, early detection and risk reduction in low- and middle-income countries and the MENA region.

In low-middle income countries (LMICs) and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, there is an unmet need to establish and improve breast cancer (BC) awareness, early diagnosis and risk reduction programs. During the 12th Breast, Gynecological & Immuno-oncology International Cancer Conference - Egypt 2020, 26 experts from 7 countries worldwide voted to establish the first consensus for BC awareness, early detection and risk reduction in LMICs/MENA region. The panel advised that there is an extreme necessity for a well-developed BC data registries and prospective clinical studies that address alternative modalities/modified BC screening programs in areas of limited resources. The most important recommendations of the panel were: (a) BC awareness campaigns should be promoted to public and all adult age groups; (b) early detection programs should combine geographically distributed mammographic facilities with clinical breast examination (CBE); (c) breast awareness should be encouraged; and (d) intensive surveillance and chemoprevention strategies should be fostered for high-risk women. The panel defined some areas for future clinical research, which included the role of CBE and breast self-examination as an alternative to radiological screening in areas of limited resources, the interval and methodology of BC surveillance in women with increased risk of BC and the use of low dose tamoxifen in BC risk reduction. In LMICs/MENA region, BC awareness and early detection campaigns should take into consideration the specific disease criteria and the socioeconomic status of the target population. The statements with no consensus reached should serve as potential catalyst for future clinical research.

Ovarian vein thrombosis after coronavirus disease (COVID-19) mimicking acute abdomen: two case reports.

Coronavirus is a source of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) due to complications such as over-coagulation, blood stasis, and endothelial damage. Ovarian vein thrombosis (OVT) is a very serious and rare disease. In this study, we report tow rare case of women with coronavirus who were hospitalized with a right ovarian vein thrombosis mimicking acute abdomen who progressed well on anticoagulation. Our report adds further document in Side effects and rare localisation of obstruction of veins and arteries in patient with corona virus.

Westalsan: A New Acetylcholine Esterase Inhibitor from the Endophytic Fungus Westerdykella nigra.

A new cytochalasan alkaloid, westalsan (1), along with two known cytochalasan compounds, phomacin B (2) and 19-hydroxy-19,20-dihydrophomacin C (3), were isolated from the solid rice culture of Westerdykella nigra, a marine-derived endophytic fungus, isolated from the roots of mangrove Avicennia marina (Forssk.) Vierh. The structures of compounds 1-3 were established on the basis of extensive 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic techniques in combination with HR-ESI-MS. The ability of the isolated compounds to inhibit acetylcholine esterase activity was evaluated. Compound 3 showed the highest acetylcholine esterase inhibitory activity (IC50 0.056±0.003 µM), followed by compound 1 (IC50 0.088±0.005 µM) and compound 2 (IC50 0.140±0.007 µM) compared to donepezil (IC50 0.035±0.002 µM). This was further confirmed by molecular docking experiment.

Copper: benefits and risks for poultry, livestock, and fish production.

Protein production from animal origin should increase to meet the needs of a growing global population. This article presents an overview on copper (Cu) forms and their importance for animals' physiological functions. Moreover, it will focus on the current and promising nano-Cu applications in poultry, livestock, and fish production systems. Use of Cu as a feed additive directly or indirectly impacts the human food chain and may affect the safety and/or quality of food. Finally, the expected risks and hazards related to the use of nano-Cu that can affect animals, humans, and the environment are described. It is concluded that nano-Cu applications have the potential to provide an efficient solution for reducing the Cu amount in the poultry, livestock, and fish diets, which can help in reducing costs and environmental contamination and increasing animals' productivity. However, concerns over the safety of nano-Cu applications hamper their immediate implementation. Thus, rigorous risk assessments should be conducted to ensure the safety of animal-origin products in the case of supplementation animal diets with nano-copper.

A randomized controlled trial of laser-assisted ICSI.

STUDY QUESTION: Does the use of a laser to open the zona pellucida during ICSI (laser assisted or LA-ICSI) improve oocyte survival, embryo development and clinical outcomes? SUMMARY ANSWER: Compared to conventional ICSI, LA-ICSI increased rates of oocyte survival and some aspects of embryo development but it did not alter the ongoing pregnancy rate; after adjusting for oocyte survival, there was no beneficial effect of LA-ICSI on embryo development and utilization. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Oocyte degeneration occurs in a 10th of mature oocytes after ICSI. Pilot studies suggest that LA-ICSI may improve oocyte survivability. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: In a randomized controlled trial, 966 couples (16 122 metaphase II oocytes) were allocated to receive LA-ICSI (intervention) or conventional ICSI (control) between 17 September 2018 and 5 August 2019. Oocyte survival (primary endpoint), embryo development and ongoing pregnancy rates were compared. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: Couples included in this study were recommended for ICSI due to female or male factor, unexplained infertility or a combination of factors. Patients were ineligible to participate in the study if they had uterine abnormality including thin endometrium, recurrent pregnancy loss, endometriosis or a severe medical condition. Concealed randomization to LA-ICSI or conventional ICSI, allocated in a 1:1 ratio, took place on stimulation Day 1 with replacement of blastocysts on only Day 5. The primary endpoint was oocyte survival with membrane integrity 24 h after the ICSI procedure. The sample size was estimated to detect a 3% increase in oocyte survival after LA-ICSI with 99% power at a 1% significance level. This also permitted the detection of 10% increase in ongoing pregnancy rate after LA-ICSI with 85% power at 5% alpha level. We used Poisson regression with zero-inflation for count data to estimate relative risk (RR) with 95% CI and logistic regression for clinical outcomes to estimate odds ratio (OR) with 95% CI. Both models adjusted for age as a covariate. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: Compared with conventional ICSI, LA-ICSI resulted in a higher number of surviving oocytes (RR 1.08, 95% CI 1.05-1.12, P < 0.001), as well as a higher number of fertilized oocytes (RR 1.08, 95% CI 1.04-1.13, P < 0.001) and utilizable blastocysts (RR 1.09, 95% CI 1.04-1.15, P < 0.001). Sensitivity analyses adjusted for oocyte survival showed no between-group difference in utilizable blastocysts (OR 1.01, 95% CI 0.95-1.08, P = 0.73) and by calculating the mean rate, a reduction in utilizable blastocysts was shown (RR 0.95, 95% CI 0.94-0.97, P < 0.001). Ongoing pregnancy showed no between-group difference (LA-ICSI 179/489 (37%) vs ICSI 201/477 (42%), OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.61-1.03, P = 0.09). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: It was not possible to blind the embryologists involved in the ICSI procedure. However, there was concealment of randomization and blinding of outcome assessments reducing the risk of selection and measurement bias. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: A beneficial effect of LA-ICSI on oocyte survival should be shown to improve clinical outcomes, before its use in clinical practice is justified. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): The study received no funding, and the authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03665103. TRIAL REGISTRATION DATE: 11 September 2018. DATE OF FIRST PATIENT'S ENROLMENT: 17 September 2018.

Impact of dietary zinc oxide nanoparticles on selected serum biomarkers, lipid peroxidation and tissue gene expression of antioxidant enzymes and cytokines in Japanese quail.

BACKGROUND: The use of zinc oxide in the form of nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) is of great benefit due to its potent effectiveness and higher bioavailability compared to zinc oxide. This study aimed to investigate the impact of dietary inclusion of different doses of ZnO-NPs on selected serum biomarkers, lipid peroxidation and tissue gene expression of antioxidant enzymes and cytokines in Japanese quail. Eighty Japanese quails (Coturnix japonica) (45 days old) were randomly divided into four groups (20 birds for each) with 4 replicates (5 birds each). Birds in the first group were fed a basal diet alone and served as a control (C). Birds in groups 2-4 were fed the basal diet supplemented with ZnO-NPs at doses of 15 mg/kg, 30 mg/kg and 60 mg/kg for a period of 60 days. At the end of the experiment, all birds were sacrificed to collect blood in a plain vacutainer, whereas liver and brain tissues were stored frozen at -80 °C. The obtained sera were used for the analysis of selected biochemical parameters, whereas tissue homogenates were used for the estimation of zinc, oxidative stress biomarkers and gene expression of selected antioxidant enzymes and cytokines. RESULTS: ZnO-NPs (30 and 60 mg/kg) induced a significant decrease in serum triacylglycerol (TAG) compared to the control. ZnO-NPs did not affect the activities of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total protein, albumin, globulin and tissue zinc concentrations but reduced the malondialdehyde (MDA) levels compared to the control. The liver retained a higher zinc concentration than that of brain tissue. In a dose-dependent manner, ZnO-NPs upregulated the mRNA levels of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase: SOD1; catalase: CAT; glutathione peroxidase-1: GPX 1) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (interferon α: IFN-α; interleukin 6: IL-6) in liver and brain tissues. CONCLUSION: The current study suggests the inclusion of ZnO-NPs, particularly 60 mg/kg, in the diet of Japanese quails to improve antioxidant and immune status.

Clinical value of RAG1 expression and IKZF1 deletions in Philadelphia negative pediatric B cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

This study aimed to address the clinical impact of recombination-activating gene (RAG1) expression and tumor suppressor IKZF1 gene deletions in Philadelphia negative B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) patients. Fifty newly diagnosed pediatric Philadelphia negative B-ALL patients were included in this study. Using Bone Marrow samples, RAG1 expression was assessed by real time PCR and IKZF1 deletions were determined by multiplex real-time quantitative PCR. The expression of RAG1 was significantly higher in B-ALL patients as compared to the controls (p < .001). The B-ALL patients with RAG1 high expression (≥median) had lower response to induction of remission, shorter DFS, shorter overall survival, higher blast cells, and white cell counts in the peripheral blood as compared to those with low RAG1 expression levels (p < .01 for all). Likewise, there was significant association between IKZF1 deletion and high RAG1 expression. Based on our findings RAG1 high expression and IKZF1 deletions were associated with adverse prognosis in Philadelphia negative B-ALL. RAG1 could be used as therapeutic target in the treatment of B-ALL.