The assessment of pharmacokinetics and neuroprotective effect of berberine hydrochloride-embedded albumin nanoparticles via various administration routes: comparative in-vivo studies in rats.

The current study aimed to evaluate the pharmacokinetics and neuroprotective effect of well-characterised berberine-bovine serum albumin (BBR-BSA) nanoparticles. BBR-BSA nanoparticles were generated by desolvation method. Entrapment efficiency, loading capacity, particle size, polydispersity index, surface morphology, thermal stability, and in-vitro release were estimated. In-vitro pharmacokinetic and tissue distribution were conducted. Their neuroprotection was evaluated against lipopolysaccharides-induced neurodegeneration. BBR-BSA nanoparticles showed satisfactory particle size (202.60 ± 1.20 nm) and entrapment efficiency (57.00 ± 1.56%). Results confirmed the formation of spheroid-thermal stable nanoparticles with a sustained drug release over 48 h. Sublingual and intranasal routes had higher pharmacokinetic plasma profiles than other routes, with Cmax values at 0.75 h (444 ± 77.79 and 259 ± 42.41 ng/mL, respectively). BBR and its metabolite distribution in the liver and kidney were higher than in plasma. Intranasal and sublingual treatment improves antioxidants, proinflammatory, amyloidogenic biomarkers, and brain architecture, protecting the brain. In conclusion, neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration may be prevented by intranasal and sublingual BBR-BSA nanoparticles.

Drug resistance and genomic variations among Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from The Nile Delta, Egypt.

Tuberculosis is a global public health concern. Earlier reports suggested the emergence of high rates of drug resistant tuberculosis in Egypt. This study included 102 isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis collected from two reference laboratories in Cairo and Alexandria. All clinical isolates were sub-cultured on Löwenstein-Jensen medium and analyzed using both BD BACTEC MGIT 960 SIRE Kit and standard diffusion disk assays to identify the antibiotic sensitivity profile. Extracted genomic DNA was subjected to whole genome sequencing (WGS) using Illumina platform. Isolates that belong to lineage 4 represented > 80%, while lineage 3 represented only 11% of the isolates. The percentage of drug resistance for the streptomycin, isoniazid, rifampicin and ethambutol were 31.0, 17.2, 19.5 and 20.7, respectively. Nearly 47.1% of the isolates were sensitive to the four anti-tuberculous drugs, while only one isolate was resistant to all four drugs. In addition, several new and known mutations were identified by WGS. High rates of drug resistance and new mutations were identified in our isolates. Tuberculosis control measures should focus on the spread of mono (S, I, R, E)- and double (S, E)-drug resistant strains present at higher rates throughout the whole Nile Delta, Egypt.

Comorbidities, medications, depression, and physical performance measures associated with severe cognitive impairments in community-dwelling adults.

Cognitive impairment negatively impacts health, psychological, social, and economic domains. Cognitive impairment commonly affects physical functions in older adults, whereas these are deteriorated. However, the prevalence and associated factors of cognitive impairment among community-dwelling adults in Saudi Arabia have not been investigated yet. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of severe cognitive impairment and its associated factors in community-dwelling older adults in Saudi Arabia. This cross-sectional study involved adults aged ≥50 years. Demographic data and clinical data, including number of medications and body mass index (BMI), were collected. Cognitive impairment and depressive symptoms were measured using Arabic versions of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), respectively. The participants were divided into severe cognitive impairment and mild cognitive impairment or normal cognitive function groups based on a score of <20 or ≥20, respectively, using the MoCA. Physical measures included dynamic gait index (DGI) scores, timed up-and-go (TUG), 5 times sit-to-stand (5XSST), functional reach test, and 6-minute walk test. A total of 206 participants (female: n = 96) were included. The prevalence of severe cognitive impairment in the community-dwelling older adults was 12.6%. The number of chronic conditions (odds ratio [OR]: 2.31, p<0.001), number of medications (OR: 1.36, p = 0.003), and depressive symptoms using PHQ-9 (OR: 1.11, p = 0.009) were significantly associated with severe cognitive impairment after adjustment for other covariates, including age, sex, and BMI. Based on the physical function measures, only the scores for DGI (OR: 0.86, p = 0.003), TUG (OR: 1.16, p = 0.035) and 5XSST (OR: 1.25, p <0.001) were significantly associated with severe cognitive impairment. This study revealed a high prevalence of severe cognitive impairment among community-dwelling adults in Saudi Arabia. Its major risk factors include depressive symptoms, number of chronic conditions and medications, and physical measures, including DGI, TUG, and 5XSST.

Does the Repair of an Accidentally Discovered Hiatal Hernia and Gastropexy Affect the Incidence of De Novo Postoperative GERD Symptoms After Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy?

Background: The relationship between laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is intricate. Hiatal hernia repair or gastropexy can have an impact on postoperative GERD. Aim: To assess the effect of the repair of an accidentally discovered HH and/or gastropexy on the development of de novo postoperative GERD symptoms after LSG. Methods: This retrospective study included all obese patients who underwent LSG at our hospital from January 2018 to June 2022. The data retrieved from patients' files comprised demographic and clinical data, including BMI, GERD symptoms, and comorbidities. Hiatal hernias, surgical technique, gastropexy, duration, and intraoperative complications were recorded. Postoperative data included early and late postoperative complications, weight loss, de novo GERD, and medication use. Results: The study included 253 patients, 89 males (35.2%) and 164 females (64.8%), with a mean age of 33.3±10.04 years. De novo GERD was detected in 94 individuals (37.15%). HH was accidentally found and repaired in 29 patients (11.5%). Only 10.3% of LSG and HH repair patients had de novo GERD symptoms, compared to 40.6% of non-HH patients. 149 patients (58.9%) had gastropexy with LSG. Postoperative de novo GERD symptoms were comparable for LSG with gastropexy (40.5%) and LSG alone (40.9%). Conclusion: After one year, concurrent hiatal hernia repair and LSG seem to be safe and beneficial in lowering postoperative de novo GERD symptoms. The inclusion of gastropexy with LSG had no significant impact on postoperative de novo GERD. Both HH repair and gastropexy lengthened the operation but did not increase its complications.

Enhancing the performance of paraffin's phase change material through a hybrid scheme utilizing sand core matrix.

Smart waste management and valorisation is presented in the current investigation. Iron is collected from mining wastewater stream and augmented with sand as a supporting material to produce sand core. The sand core pellets encapsulated in paraffin's to enhance its feasibility as phase change material (PCM). Sand core was characterized using X-ray diffraction and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) augmented with energy dispersive X-ray spectrum analysis. Experimental test is achieved by mixing sand core/iron and paraffin that is signified as an encapsulated phase change material. The encapsulated sand core-PCM is embedded in varies mass weights of percentages of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0% and labeled as 0.5%-sand core-PCM, 1.0%-sand core-PCM, 1.5%-sand core-PCM and 2.0%-sand core-PCM. The encapsulated sand core-PCM is embedded into a heat exchanger of the vertical type model that is connected with a flat plate solar collector. Such collector is heating the heat transfer carrier, which is exposed to the heat exchanger for melting the PCM. The experimental work is conducted across the solar noon where the solar intensity in the region is reached to 1162 W/m2 at the time of conducting experiments. Water is applied and supposed as the working heat transfer fluid transporter and pumped into the system at the rate of 0.0014 kg per second. The experimental result revealed that the heat gained recorded an enhancement from 7 to 48 kJ/min when the 1.5%-sand core-PCM system is applied. Thus, the results showed the system is a good candidate by increasing the system efficiency with 92% as a potential solution of solar energy storage at the off-time periods.

Continuous quality improvement in a community-wide TB screening and prevention programme in Papua New Guinea.

SETTING: Daru Island in Papua New Guinea (PNG) has a high prevalence of TB and multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the early implementation of a community-wide project to detect and treat TB disease and infection, outline the decision-making processes, and change the model of care. DESIGN: A continuous quality improvement (CQI) initiative used a plan-do-study-act (PDSA) framework for prospective implementation. Care cascades were analysed for case detection, treatment, and TB preventive treatment (TPT) initiation. RESULTS: Of 3,263 people screened for TB between June and December 2023, 13.7% (447/3,263) screened positive (CAD4TB or symptoms), 77.9% (348/447) had Xpert Ultra testing, 6.9% (24/348) were diagnosed with TB and all initiated treatment. For 5-34-year-olds without active TB (n = 1,928), 82.0% (1,581/1,928) had tuberculin skin testing (TST), 96.1% (1,519/1,581) had TST read, 23.0% (350/1,519) were TST-positive, 95.4% (334/350) were TPT eligible, and 78.7% (263/334) initiated TPT. Three PDSA review cycles informed adjustments to the model of care, including CAD4TB threshold and TPT criteria. Key challenges identified were meeting screening targets, sputum unavailability from asymptomatic individuals with high CAD4TB scores, and consumable stock-outs. CONCLUSION: CQI improved project implementation by increasing the detection of TB disease and infection and accelerating the pace of screening needed to achieve timely community-wide coverage.

CONTEXTE: L'île de Daru en Papouasie-Nouvelle-Guinée (PNG) présente une forte prévalence de la TB et de la TB multirésistante (MDR-TB). OBJECTIF: Évaluer la mise en œuvre précoce d'un projet à l'échelle de la communauté pour détecter et traiter la TB et l'infection, décrire les processus de prise de décision et changer le modèle de soins. CONCEPTION: Une initiative d'amélioration continue de la qualité (CQI, pour l'anglais « continuous quality improvement ¼) a utilisé un cadre de planification, d'action, d'étude, d'action (PDSA, pour l'anglais «plan-do-study-act ¼) pour la mise en œuvre prospective. Les cascades de soins ont été analysées pour la détection des cas, le traitement et l'initiation du traitement préventif de la TB. RÉSULTATS: Sur 3 263 personnes dépistées pour la TB entre juin et décembre 2023, 13,7% (447/3 263) ont été dépistées positives (CAD4TB ou symptômes), 77,9% (348/447) ont subi un test Xpert Ultra, 6,9% (24/348) ont reçu un diagnostic de TB et toutes ont commencé un traitement. Chez les 5 à 34 ans sans TB active (n = 1 928), 82,0% (1 581/1 928) ont subi un test cutané à la tuberculine (TCT), 96,1% (1 519/1 581) ont eu un test de dépistage du TCT, 23,0% (350/1 519) étaient positifs au TCT, 95,4% (334/350) étaient éligibles au TPT et 78,7% (263/334) ont initié le TPT. Trois cycles d'examen PDSA ont permis d'ajuster le modèle de soins, y compris le seuil CAD4TB et les critères TPT. Les principaux défis identifiés étaient l'atteinte des objectifs de dépistage, l'indisponibilité des expectorations chez les personnes asymptomatiques avec des scores CAD4TB élevés et les ruptures de stock de consommables. CONCLUSION: L'ACQ a amélioré la mise en œuvre du projet en augmentant la détection de la TB et de l'infection et en accélérant le rythme de dépistage nécessaire pour atteindre une couverture à l'échelle de la communauté en temps opportun.

Operational research highlights ongoing challenges for comprehensive TB services in Papua New Guinea.

Papua New Guinea (PNG) is a high-burden country for TB, with an estimated annual TB incidence rate of 432 per 100,000 population. There are major challenges to the provision of quality care for TB patients with high rates of loss to follow-up, and multidrug-resistant TB is increasingly detected. In 2022-2023, the second Structured Operational Research Training IniTiative (SORT-IT) for TB was undertaken. Eight participants completed the course, and the outputs from these research projects highlight important current operational issues for the PNG TB programme in a range of settings. The first four articles in the series are published in this issue of Public Health Action, with the remainder to follow in subsequent issues.

Loss to follow-up among adults with drug-resistant TB in Papua New Guinea.

SETTING: Multidrug-resistant/rifampicin-resistant TB (MDR/RR-TB) is now endemic in the National Capital District (NCD), Papua New Guinea. Loss to follow-up (LTFU) is a challenge. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and identify risk factors for LTFU, including pre-treatment LTFU, in adults with MDR/RR-TB at Port Moresby General Hospital (PMGH). DESIGN: A retrospective analysis of treatment initiation in adults diagnosed with MDR/RR-TB (2018-2022) and outcomes for a cohort treated for MDR/RR-TB (2014-2019). We assessed the factors associated with LTFU using multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: Of 95 patients diagnosed with MDR/RR-TB at PMGH from 2018 to 2022, 21 (22%) were lost to follow-up before treatment. Of the 658 adults who initiated treatment for MDR/RR-TB at PMGH from 2014 to 2019, 161 (24%) were lost to follow-up during treatment. A higher proportion of patients on injectable-containing long regimens (110/404, 27%) were lost to follow-up than those on the all-oral regimen containing bedaquiline (13/66, 12%). Treatment loss to follow-up was associated with age (35-54 years age group: aOR 0.49, 95% CI 0.32-0.77; 55-75 years age group: aOR 0.42, 95% CI 0.19-0.90; compared to the 15-34 years age group), residence outside of NCD (aOR 1.79, 95% CI 1.04-3.06), and year of treatment initiation. CONCLUSION: Pre-treatment LTFU requires programmatic focus. Shorter oral regimens and decentralised services may address the reasons for higher LTFU in younger people and people living outside NCD.

CONTEXTE: La TB multirésistante/résistante à la rifampicine (MDR-TB/RR-TB, pour l'anglais « multidrug/rifampicin-resistant TB ¼) est maintenant endémique dans le district de la capitale nationale (NCD, pour l'anglais « National Capital District ¼), en Papouasie-Nouvelle-Guinée. La perte de suivi (LTFU, pour l'anglais « loss to follow-up ¼) est un défi. OBJECTIF: Évaluer et identifier les facteurs de risque de LTFU, y compris le LTFU avant le traitement, chez les adultes atteints de MDR-TB/RR-TB à Port Moresby General Hospital (PMGH). CONCEPTION: Une analyse rétrospective de l'initiation du traitement chez les adultes diagnostiqués avec une MDR-TB/RR-TB (2018­2022) et des résultats pour une cohorte traitée pour la MDR-TB/RR-TB (2014­2019). Nous avons évalué les facteurs associés au LTFU à l'aide d'une régression logistique multivariée. RÉSULTATS: Sur les 95 patients diagnostiqués avec une MDR-TB/RR-TB à PMGH de 2018 à 2022, 21 (22%) ont été perdus de vue avant le traitement. Sur les 658 adultes qui ont commencé un traitement pour la MDR-TB/RR-TB à PMGH entre 2014 et 2019, 161 (24%) ont été perdus de vue pendant le traitement. Une proportion plus élevée de patients recevant des régimes longs contenant des injectables (110/404 ; 27%) ont été perdus de vue que ceux recevant un régime entièrement oral contenant de la bédaquiline (13/66 ; 12%). La perte de traitement au suivi était associée à l'âge (groupe d'âge de 35 à 54 ans : aOR 0,49 ; IC à 95% 0,32 à 0,77 ; groupe d'âge de 55 à 75 ans : aOR 0,42 ; IC à 95% 0,19 à 0,90 ; par rapport au groupe d'âge de 15 à 34 ans), à la résidence en dehors des NCD (aOR 1,79 ; IC à 95% 1,04 à 3,06) et à quelques années de début de traitement. CONCLUSION: Le LTFU avant le traitement nécessite une orientation programmatique. Des régimes oraux plus courts et des services décentralisés peuvent s'attaquer aux raisons de l'augmentation du LTFU chez les jeunes et les personnes vivant en dehors des NCD.

New Nanosized V(III), Fe(III), and Ni(II) Complexes Comprising Schiff Base and 2-Amino-4-Methyl Pyrimidine: Synthesis, Properties, and Biological Activity.

A new synthesis of mixed ligand complexes vanadium(III), iron(III), and nickel(II), [M : L1 : L2], where L1 = Schiff base 2-((E)-((4-(((E)-benzylidene)amino)phenyl)imino)methyl)-naphthalene-1-ol (C24H18N2O) as for L2 = AMPY 2-amino-4-methyl pyrimidine (C5H7N3) were prepared in powder and investigated. Element analysis, molar conductivity, FT-IR, UV-vis, and magnetic susceptibility values have been acquired to describe the generated complexes. The values of vanadium(III), iron(III), and nickel(II) compounds are, respectively, 2.88 BM, 5.96 BM, and 2.92 BM, demonstrating that all compounds conform to the recommended octahedral geometry. Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) is used to further assess the complexes and establish the temperature stability and degradation of the metal complexes. The calculations abstracted from XRD patterns propose nanosized complexes (average size 29-50 nm). The microstructures of the samples have also been investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The disc diffusion method was used to assess and analyze the inhibition of the growth of compounds against harmful bacterial and fungal strains. The prepared complexes were tested against three strains of bacteria, one gram-positive strain (Bacillus subtilis), two gram-negative strains (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa), and one fungus (Aspergillus fumigatus). The complexes inferred antimicrobial activity against the studied organisms. Specifically, vanadium(III) and nickel(II) are more effective than iron(III), making them promising drugs.

Awareness and knowledge of cardiovascular disease and their associations with the lifestyles of 8-16-year-old girls: a perspective from Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: There has been an increased focus on children as a target for primordial prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD). In particular, girls should receive attention to combat the burden of CVD in women, because women have higher CVD mortality and morbidity rates than men do. As health literacy is paramount, the evaluation of awareness, and knowledge of CVD and its risk factors and their associations with the lifestyles of girls forms the basis for planning cardiovascular health promotion programs aiming to improve girls' immediate health and reduce the future burden of CVD among women. METHODS: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted on a random sample of girls attending elementary and intermediate schools in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The girls completed a newly validated 24-item questionnaire that assessed their demographic data, lifestyles, and awareness and knowledge of CVD and its risk factors. Anthropometric and blood pressure measurements were obtained. Knowledge scores were calculated on the basis of correct responses and compared between subgroups via analysis of variance to determine associated factors. RESULTS: In total, 469 girls (mean age of 12.5 years) were included. Approximately 41.4% of them did not exercise or only exercised once a week. The dietary intake of important food groups was below or just at the minimal recommended servings for most. Overall, 44.1% were overweight/obese, and almost half were identified as hypertensive on the basis of a single resting measurement. Awareness of CVD as a dangerous disease in adults was 50.3%, whereas, cancer was identified by 61% of participants. Individual risk factors were identified by ≈ 25%, and 16.6% were not aware of any risk factors. The overall knowledge score of the participants was 2.6 (± 1.6) out of a total possible score of 8 representing 32.5% (± 20%). Knowledge levels were positively influenced by increasing school grade (P = 0.001) and family history of CVD (P < 0.001). There was no significant favorable association between improved knowledge level and lifestyle factors. CONCLUSION: The awareness and knowledge of CVD among girls aged 8-16 years are poor and are largely dissociated from their lifestyle. Improved knowledge scores with increasing school grade and family history of CVD confirm a role for schools and families in improving girls' knowledge. Our findings mirror those obtained in older women, showing that misinformation among women starts in childhood and should be targeted early in life.

Eco-Friendly Synchronous Spectrofluorimetric Method for Simultaneous Determination of Remdesivir and Acetyl Salicylic Acid in Spiked Human Plasma.

Remdesivir and acetyl salicylic acid are often co-administered medications in the treatment of COVID-19, specifically targeting the viral infection and thromboembolism associated with the condition. Hence, it is essential to establish a technique that enables the concurrent quantification of these pharmaceutical compounds in plasma while also keeping environmentally friendly methods. Accordingly, the aim of this work is to simultaneously determine remdesivir and acetyl salicylic acid through a bioanalytical validated synchronous spectrofluorimetric method with applying principles of green chemistry. Since, the two drugs showed severe overlap after excitation at 242.0 nm, 284.0 nm for remdesivir and acetyl salicylic acid, respectively. The overlap was effectively overcome by using synchronous mode with a wavelength difference (Δλ) of 160.0 nm for remdesivir and 100.0 nm for acetyl salicylic acid. Different parameters have been optimized such as Δλ, solvent, pH and surfactant. A linear calibration was obtained over the concentration range 0.01-4.00 µg/mL for remdesivir and 0.01-3.00 µg/mL for acetyl salicylic acid and the method was precise and accurate. The method was successfully used for the investigation of pharmaceutical formulation and the quantification of the maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) of the two drugs. The method has been evaluated as an excellent green analytical method based on three greenness assessment tools.

Protein-peptide binding residue prediction based on protein language models and cross-attention mechanism.

Accurate identifications of protein-peptide binding residues are essential for protein-peptide interactions and advancing drug discovery. To address this problem, extensive research efforts have been made to design more discriminative feature representations. However, extracting these explicit features usually depend on third-party tools, resulting in low computational efficacy and suffering from low predictive performance. In this study, we design an end-to-end deep learning-based method, E2EPep, for protein-peptide binding residue prediction using protein sequence only. E2EPep first employs and fine-tunes two state-of-the-art pre-trained protein language models that can extract two different high-latent feature representations from protein sequences relevant for protein structures and functions. A novel feature fusion module is then designed in E2EPep to fuse and optimize the above two feature representations of binding residues. In addition, we have also design E2EPep+, which integrates E2EPep and PepBCL models, to improve the prediction performance. Experimental results on two independent testing data sets demonstrate that E2EPep and E2EPep + could achieve the average AUC values of 0.846 and 0.842 while achieving an average Matthew's correlation coefficient value that is significantly higher than that of existing most of sequence-based methods and comparable to that of the state-of-the-art structure-based predictors. Detailed data analysis shows that the primary strength of E2EPep lies in the effectiveness of feature representation using cross-attention mechanism to fuse the embeddings generated by two fine-tuned protein language models. The standalone package of E2EPep and E2EPep + can be obtained at https://github.com/ckx259/E2EPep.git for academic use only.

Breast self-examination knowledge, attitude, and practice among Jazan women, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide. It is a major cause of cancer death, and its incidence rate has been gradually increasing in the Arab world, Saudi Arabia has a higher proportion of young females getting breast cancer than other countries. This study was conducted to investigate the knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding breast self-examination among females from 20 to 60 years old in Jazan Region, Saudi Arabia. Using A Community-based descriptive cross-sectional approach, data were gathered from 567 Saudi and non-Saudi women using structured interviews and then analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (IBM) version 21.0 software program. Where the study indicated that around half of the participants (55.7%) had good total knowledge scores regarding breast self-examination, and most had positive attitudes. However, only 205 (36.2%) respondents practice it regularly. Moreover, the study reveals a significant association between respondents' knowledge and attitudes toward breast self-examination (P = 0.05). These findings indicate moderate knowledge, poor breast self-examination practices, and a significant association between knowledge and attitudes. Therefore, conducting health education programs is necessary to raise awareness about breast self-examination (BSE) among Jazan women.

Le cancer du sein est le cancer le plus répandu chez les femmes dans le monde. Il s'agit d'une cause majeure de décès par cancer et son taux d'incidence augmente progressivement dans le monde arabe. L'Arabie saoudite compte une proportion plus élevée de jeunes femmes atteintes d'un cancer du sein que les autres pays. Cette étude a été menée pour étudier les connaissances, l'attitude et la pratique concernant l'auto-examen des seins chez les femmes de 20 à 60 ans dans la région de Jazan, en Arabie Saoudite. À l'aide d'une approche transversale descriptive communautaire, les données ont été recueillies auprès de 567 femmes saoudiennes et non saoudiennes à l'aide d'entretiens structurés, puis analysées à l'aide du logiciel Statistical Package for Social Sciences (IBM) version 21.0. L'étude a indiqué qu'environ la moitié des participantes (55,7 %) avaient de bons scores totaux de connaissances concernant l'auto-examen des seins et que la plupart avaient des attitudes positives. Cependant, seuls 205 (36,2%) répondants le pratiquent régulièrement. De plus, l'étude révèle une association significative entre les connaissances et les attitudes des répondants à l'égard de l'auto-examen des seins (P = 0,05). Ces résultats indiquent des connaissances modérées, de mauvaises pratiques d'auto-examen des seins et une association significative entre les connaissances et les attitudes. Par conséquent, il est nécessaire de mener des programmes d'éducation sanitaire pour sensibiliser les femmes de Jazan à l'auto-examen des seins (ESB).

Promoting effect of sunset yellow on N-methyl N-nitrosourea-induced rat mammary carcinogenesis: Implications of molecular mechanisms.

BACKGROUND: Nowadays, the use of food additives, such as Sunset Yellow (SY), is growing, which attracted attention to the potential relationship between some diseases and food additives. AIM: The study aimed to investigate the role of Sunset Yellow during chemically-induced mammary gland carcinogenesis in Sprague-Dawley rats. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Three groups of female rats were intraperitoneally administered with N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU). Group 1 was set on a basal diet. Group 2 was treated with 161.4 mg\kg\day Sunset Yellow (SY). Group 3 was given SY at 80.7 mg\kg\day. Groups 4-6 were not administered MNU; Group 4 received vehicles only. Groups 5 and 6 were administered SY similarly to groups 2 and 3 respectively. RESULTS: Sunset Yellow at both doses exerted a significant dose-dependent increase in tumor incidences, multiplicities, volumes, and decreased tumor latency as compared with control. Immunolabeling indexes of the proliferating cell nuclear antigen, estrogen receptor alpha, and progesterone receptor were significantly increased after SY treatment. Oxidative stress markers, serum estrogen, progesterone, and prolactin levels were significantly modified by SY treatment. The mRNA expression of estrogen receptor alpha and epidermal growth factor was up-regulated in SY groups versus control. CONCLUSION: Collectively, SY has significantly promoted MNU-induced mammary tumors in rats with underlying mechanisms correlating SY consumption with estrogen disruption and subsequent antioxidative stress discrepancy.

Evaluation of clinical performance of additively manufactured and milled polyetheretherketone (PEEK) inlays compared with indirect composite resin inlays over a one-year follow-up: A randomized clinical trial.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Data on polymer materials, particularly polyetheretherketone (PEEK) used in restorative dentistry, are scarce, as is knowledge concerning the clinical efficacy of PEEK restorations produced through additive manufacturing when compared with existing indirect materials and techniques. PURPOSE: The purpose of this randomized clinical trial was to evaluate the clinical performance of additively manufactured and milled PEEK inlays compared with composite resin inlays according to modified United State Public Health Service (USPHS) criteria over a 1-year follow- up. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Participants were allocated into 3 distinct categories based on the materials and techniques used: R1 denoting teeth restored with 3 dimensionally (3D) printed PEEK inlays (N=16), R2 representing teeth restored with milled PEEK inlays (N=16), and R3 indicating the comparator group comprising teeth restored with milled composite resin inlays (N=16). After the placement of inlay restorations, evaluations were conducted at 3 time points (T): baseline (T0), 6 months (T1), and 12 months (T2) by using the modified USPHS criteria for assessing anatomic form, color match, marginal discoloration, marginal adaptation, surface texture, secondary caries, retention, and postoperative sensitivity. Ordinal data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test, followed by the Dunn post hoc test for between group comparisons, as well as the Friedman test, followed by the Nemenyi post hoc test for within group comparisons (α=.05). RESULTS: Across all parameters and intervals, most of the restorations within each group exhibited an alfa score, with no statistically significant differences noted (P>.05). However, concerning color match, all restorations within the PEEK groups received a bravo score, indicating a statistically significant difference in intergroup comparison between the milled composite resin groups and the PEEK group (P<.001). However, no significant variances were noted in the scores evaluated across different follow-up periods (P>.05). CONCLUSIONS: Subtractive and additive manufacturing techniques, as well as PEEK and composite resin materials together, offer clinically acceptable functioning restorations over 1 year. PEEK material can be used as a suitable alternative to commonly used indirect composite resin intracoronal restorations in posterior areas. Improvements in terms of surface texture and esthetics are required.

A novel missense variant in the ATPase domain of ATP8A2 and review of phenotypic variability of ATP8A2-related disorders caused by missense changes.

ATPase, class 1, type 8 A, member 2 (ATP8A2) is a P4-ATPase with a critical role in phospholipid translocation across the plasma membrane. Pathogenic variants in ATP8A2 are known to cause cerebellar ataxia, impaired intellectual development, and disequilibrium syndrome 4 (CAMRQ4) which is often associated with encephalopathy, global developmental delay, and severe motor deficits. Here, we present a family with two siblings born from a consanguineous, first-cousin union from Sudan presenting with global developmental delay, intellectual disability, spasticity, ataxia, nystagmus, and thin corpus callosum. Whole exome sequencing revealed a homozygous missense variant in the nucleotide binding domain of ATP8A2 (p.Leu538Pro) that results in near complete loss of protein expression. This is in line with other missense variants in the same domain leading to protein misfolding and loss of ATPase function. In addition, by performing diffusion-weighted imaging, we identified bilateral hyperintensities in the posterior limbs of the internal capsule suggesting possible microstructural changes in axon tracts that had not been appreciated before and could contribute to the sensorimotor deficits in these individuals.

Ecofriendly micellar mediated spectrofluorimetric method for ultrasensitive quantification of the antiparkinsonian drug safinamide in pharmaceutical formulation and spiked human plasma.

A novel, highly sensitive and eco-friendly micellar-mediated spectrofluorimetric method was developed and validated for the determination of the novel antiparkinsonian drug safinamide mesylate in the presence of its related precursor impurity, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde. The proposed approach relies on increasing the inherent fluorescence emission at 296 nm of safinamide, by forming hydrogen bonds between the mentioned drug and sodium dodecyl sulfate in the micellar system using 0.1 N HCl as a solvent, following excitation at 226 nm. A thorough investigation was conducted into the experimental factors affecting spectrofluorimetric behavior of the studied drug. A linearity plot of safinamide over the concentration range of 10.0-1000.0 ng/mL against the relative fluorescence intensities was established. The proposed method demonstrated excellent sensitivity down to the nano-gram level with detection and quantitation limits of 1.91 and 5.79 ng/mL, respectively. The studied drug was effectively determined in Parkimedine® Tablets. Furthermore, the proposed method allows for ultrasensitive quantification of safinamide in spiked human plasma, with satisfactory percentage recovery (98.97-102.28%). Additionally, the greenness assessment using the advanced green certificate classification approach, the complementary green analytical procedure index (Complex-GAPI), and the analytical GREEness metric approach (AGREE), along with the practicality check using the Blue Applicability Grade Index in addition to the all-inclusive overall whiteness evaluation using the RGB-12 model were carried out. The outcomes demonstrated the effectiveness and whiteness of the proposed technique. Clearly, the suggested approach has the advantages of being simple, requiring no pretreatment steps, and relying solely on direct measuring procedures.

The association between endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidase 2 gene single nucleotide polymorphisms and the risk of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis in Egyptians.

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis (Ps) is a disorder attributed to the immune system that involves inflammation of the skin and joints. Psoriasis is a multifactorial disorder in which genetic factors represent about 70% of the disease risk. This study aims to establish the correlation between the ERAP2 gene's single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs2910686 and rs2248374 with the susceptibility to Ps and/or psoriatic arthritis (PsA) among the Egyptian population. METHODS AND RESULTS: Genotyping of ERAP2 gene SNPs (rs2910686 and rs2248374) in 120 psoriatic patients with and without arthritis and 100 controls was done using real-time PCR. The genotype frequency and distribution of the ERAP2 SNP (rs2910686 and rs2248374) were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE). For rs2910686, the TC and CC genotypes and C allele frequency were significant risk factors for PsA compared to the controls (OR = 5.708, OR = 10.165, and OR = 4.282, respectively). They also were significant risk factors for Ps compared to the controls (OR = 5.165, OR = 5.040, and OR = 3.258, respectively). For rs2248374, the AG genotype significantly increased the risk of PsA (OR = 2.605) and Ps (OR = 3.768) compared to controls. The AG genotype was significantly related to the risk of Ps (OR = 3.369) G allele with PsA (OR = 1.608) and Ps (OR = 1.965) compared to controls. CONCLUSION: In Egyptian individuals, the ERAP2 gene polymorphisms (rs2248374 and rs2910686) may contribute genetically to the pathophysiology of psoriasis and PsA.

A study on anticancer and antioxidant ability of selected brown algae biomass yielded polysaccharide and their chemical and structural properties analysis by FT-IR and NMR analyses.

The study was conducted to determine the chemical and structural properties of polysaccharides extracted from the marine macroalgae Nemalion cari-cariense. Furthermore, evaluate the anticancer and free radical scavenging activity of purified N. cari-cariense polysaccharide. Approximately 41.6% (w/w) of crude polysaccharide was extracted from N. cari-cariense macroalgae biomass. After deproteinization, the purified polysaccharide's major chemical composition was found to be 92.6%, with all protein content removed. The purified polysaccharide had ash and moisture % of 23.01% and 4.03%, respectively. The C, H, and N of the test polysaccharide were analyzed using GC-MS, with results of 39.21%, 5.87%, and 4.29%, respectively. Furthermore, this analysis also revealed the monosaccharide composition such as glucose, galactose, mannose, xylose, and rhamnose glucose, galactose, mannose, xylose, and rhamnose 54.62%, 29.64%, 2.8%, 5.9%, and 6.8% respectively. The molecular weight of purified polysaccharide was found as 49 kDa through PAGE analysis. The FT-IR analysis revealed that the presence of functional groups exactly attributed to polysaccharide and 1H and 13C-NMR analyses confirmed the structural properties of N. cari-cariense polysaccharide. The free radicals scavenging ability of purified N. cari-cariense polysaccharide was investigated by various assays such as total antioxidant assay (22.3%-72.5% at 50-250 µg mL-1), DPPH assay (23.6%-76.9% at 10-160 µg mL-1), OH radical scavenging assay (13.6%-70.2% at 50-250 µg mL-1 dosage, and SO radical scavenging assay (27.6-68.41% at 50-250 µg mL-1 concentration). The polysaccharide demonstrated 82.63% anticancer activity towards the A549 lung cancer cell line at 1000 µg mL-1 dosage. The findings suggest that this polysaccharide has biological applications.

Antibacterial, mosquito larvicidal, and cytotoxicity potential of AgNPs synthesized using Pittosporum undulatum under in vitro conditions.

In this study, the phytochemical profile and silver nanoparticle (AgNPs)-synthesizing ability of Pittosporum undulatum methanol extract were investigated. Furthermore, biological applications of the AgNPs, such as antibacterial effect (against Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, and Escherichia coli), mosquito larvicidal effect (against Anopheles stephensi, Culex quinquefasciatus, and Aedes aegypti), and cytotoxicity (against fibroblast cell line L929) were evaluated using in vitro experiments. The phytochemical analysis revealed that the methanol extract contained cardiac glycosides, terpenoids, saponins, alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, coumarins, phenolics, and tannins. Furthermore, standard characterization techniques such as UV-Vis spectrometry, SEM, TEM, FTIR, and XRD confirmed that the methanol extract of P. undulatum effectively synthesized the AgNPs. The synthesized AgNPs had a spherical shape and size of 20-200 nm. The bactericidal analysis revealed that the AgNPs have dose-dependent antibacterial activity. The MTT assay showed that the AgNPs were bio-compatible up to a dosage of 250 µg mL-1 in the normal fibroblast cell line L929. Furthermore, the LC50 values for AgNPs against larvae of An. stephensi, Cx. quinquefasciatus, and Ae. aegypti were 0.4, 4.7, and 1.2 ppm, respectively. Field trials demonstrated that the larvicidal effect was enhanced within 24-72 h, and the rate of reduction increased over time. Thus, our findings provide an ideal sustainable AgNP bio-pesticide to combat filarial, dengue, and malaria vectors.