Coinfection of the gut with protozoal and metazoal parasites in broiler and laying chickens.

The chicken business faces substantial economic losses due to the risk of parasitic coinfection. Because the current study aimed to investigate enteric parasitic coinfections problems among the suspected examined chicken farms, samples were collected during the field investigation from suspected freshly dead birds, clinically diseased, apparently healthy, and litter samples for further laboratory parasitological, histopathological, and immunological examinations. Variable mortalities with various clinical indicators, such as ruffled feathers, weight loss, diarrhea of various colors, and a decline in egg production, occurred on the farms under investigation. In addition, the treatment protocols of each of the farms that were evaluated were documented and the m-RNA levels of some cytokines and apoptotic genes among the infected poultry have been assessed. The prevalence rate of parasitic coinfection in the current study was found to be 8/120 (6.66%). Parasitological analysis of the samples revealed that they belonged to distinct species of Eimeria, cestodes, and Ascaridia galli. When deposited, A. galli eggs were nonembryonated and ellipsoidal, but cestodes eggs possessed a thin, translucent membrane that was subspherical. Eimeria spp. oocysts in layer chickens were identified as Eimeria acervulina and Eimeria maxima in broiler chickens. Our findings proved that coinfection significantly upregulated the IL-1ß, BAX, and Cas-3 genes. Conversely, the IL-10, BCL-2, and AKT mRNA levels were downregulated, indicating that nematode triggered apoptosis. The existence of parasite coinfection was verified by histological investigation of the various intestinal segments obtained from affected flocks. A. galli and cestodes obstructed the intestinal lumen, causing different histological alternations in the intestinal mucosa. Additionally, the lamina propria revealed different developmental stages of Eimeria spp. It was determined that parasite coinfection poses a significant risk to the poultry industry. It was recommended that stringent sanitary measures management methods, together with appropriate treatment and preventative procedures, be employed in order to resolve such issues.

Regenerative Strategies in Treatment of Peripheral Nerve Injuries in Different Animal Models.

BACKGROUND: Peripheral nerve damage mainly resulted from traumatic or infectious causes; the main signs of a damaged nerve are the loss of sensory and/or motor functions. The injured nerve has limited regenerative capacity and is recovered by the body itself, the recovery process depends on the severity of damage to the nerve, nowadays the use of stem cells is one of the new and advanced methods for treatment of these problems. METHOD: Following our review, data are collected from different databases "Google scholar, Springer, Elsevier, Egyptian Knowledge Bank, and PubMed" using different keywords such as Peripheral nerve damage, Radial Nerve, Sciatic Nerve, Animals, Nerve regeneration, and Stem cell to investigate the different methods taken in consideration for regeneration of PNI. RESULT: This review contains tables illustrating all forms and types of regenerative medicine used in treatment of peripheral nerve injuries (PNI) including different types of stem cells " adipose-derived stem cells, bone marrow stem cells, Human umbilical cord stem cells, embryonic stem cells" and their effect on re-constitution and functional recovery of the damaged nerve which evaluated by physical, histological, Immuno-histochemical, biochemical evaluation, and the review illuminated the best regenerative strategies help in rapid peripheral nerve regeneration in different animal models included horse, dog, cat, sheep, monkey, pig, mice and rat. CONCLUSION: Old surgical attempts such as neurorrhaphy, autogenic nerve transplantation, and Schwann cell implantation have a limited power of recovery in cases of large nerve defects. Stem cell therapy including mesenchymal stromal cells has a high potential differentiation capacity to renew and form a new nerve and also restore its function.

Pathogenicity and vaccine efficacy of two virulent infectious laryngotracheitis virus strains in Egypt.

Infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) is an economically crucial respiratory disease of poultry that affects the industry worldwide. Vaccination is the principal tool in the control of the disease outbreak. In an earlier study, we comprehensively characterized the circulating strains in Egypt and identified both CEO-like and recombinant strains are dominant. Herein, we investigated the pathogenicity of two virulent strains representing the CEO-like (Sharkia_2018) and recombinant strain (Qalubia_2018). Additionally, we evaluated the efficacy of different commercial vaccines (HVT-LT, CEO, and TCO) against the two isolates in terms of the histopathological lesion scores and the viral (gC) gene load. A total of 270 White Leghorn-specific pathogen-free male chicks were divided into nine groups of 30 birds, each housed in separate isolators. Birds were distributed as follows; one group was non-vaccinated, non-challenged, and served as a negative control. Two groups were non-vaccinated and infected with the two isolates of interest and served as a positive control to test the pathogenicity. Six groups were vaccinated and challenged; two groups were vaccinated with vector vaccine at one day old. The other four groups were vaccinated with either the CEO- or TCO- vaccine (two groups each) at four weeks of age. Three weeks after vaccination, birds were infected with the virulent ILTV isolates. The larynx, trachea, and harderian gland samples were taken at 1, 3, and 7 days post-infection for histopathological lesion score and molecular detection. Notably, The recombinant strain was more virulent and pathogenic than CEO-like ILTV strains. Moreover, the TCO vaccine was less immunogenic than the vector and CEO vaccines.

Gallid Alphaherpesvirus 2 in the Egyptian Turkeys: Molecular Characterization and Establishment of a Universal System for Phylogenetic Classification.

INTRODUCTION: Gallid alphaherpesvirus 2 (GaHV-2) is a highly contagious oncogenic virus that causes Marek's disease in chickens and occasionally in turkeys. Among 100 genes identified in GaHV-2 genome, the Meq gene appears to involve viral virulence, oncogenicity, and genetic diversity. Despite the use of Meq gene sequences in phylogenetic classification of GaHV-2 strains circulating in many countries worldwide, no integrated system exists yet. METHODS: Turkeys from 2 commercial Egyptian farms were presented with signs of dullness, dehydration, and emaciation. Samples prepared from the internal organs were examined by histopathology and immunohistochemistry. Pools of the internal organs were analyzed by PCR for identification of GaHV-2, avian leucosis virus, and reticuloendotheliosis virus. The Meq gene of an Egyptian strain was sequenced and analyzed in comparison to 40 reference strains for generation of a universal system for phylogenetic classification of GaHV-2 strains. RESULTS: Gross and histopathological examination revealed grayish-white soft masses in the internal organs characterized by diffuse infiltration of pleomorphic neoplastic cells. All lymphoma cells were identified as T-lymphocytes of CD3+ phenotype. Samples of both farms were only positive for GaHV-2 by PCR. Sequence analysis of the Meq gene has classified the current turkey strain as related to the Egyptian strains identified in chicken in 2012. A universal phylogenetic system for classification of GaHV-2 strains into 4 clusters was proposed. The vaccine strains were all grouped in cluster 2, and most of the classical American strains belonged to cluster 4. Cluster 1 was further divided into 3 subclusters (1.1-1.3). CONCLUSION: GaHV-2 was identified in turkeys for the first time in Africa and the Middle East. Sequence analysis of the Meq gene of the Egyptian strain along with a wide array of the global strains has enabled the construction of a novel phylogenetic classification system.

Radiation-induced synthesis of copper sulfide nanotubes with improved catalytic and antibacterial activities.

In the current paper, copper sulfide nanotubes have been successfully synthesized via the green, simple, and effective gamma-radiolysis method without adding any capping or reducing agents. The structural and morphological characteristics of the as-prepared CuS nanotubes were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorption-desorption measurements at 77 K, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, which all demonstrated the formation of pure CuS covellite phase with tubular morphology. The synthesized CuS nanotubes possessed not only high activity towards the reduction of both cationic (methylene blue) and anionic (Congo red) dyes in the presence of NaBH4 but also exhibited excellent reusability. In addition, the pseudo-first-order kinetic model represented the reduction of MB very well, and the value of the normalized rate constant (2.4 × 10-2 s-1 mg-1) was higher than those of other solid catalysts reported in the literature. Ultimately, CuS nanotubes were found to have a broad-spectrum microbicidal action against the common microbiota, such as Gram-positive (exemplified by Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus), Gram-negative bacteria (exemplified by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli), yeast (exemplified by Candida albicans), and plant pathogenic fungi (exemplified by Aspergillus niger).

Partial Capitate with/without Hamate Osteotomy in the Treatment of Kienböck's Disease: Influence of the Stage of the Disease on the Midterm Outcome.

Objective Moritomo et al introduced partial capitate osteotomy as a treatment modality for early stages of Kienböck's disease. This technique maintains articular contact between the capitate and the scaphoid. We added hamate-shortening osteotomy in addition to partial capitate shortening in cases of lunate type II. The purpose of this study was to evaluate intermediate-term results of partial capitate shortening, investigate the influence of the stage of the disease on the outcome, and assess the clinical and radiological outcomes of adding hamate osteotomy in cases of type II lunate. Patients and Methods A total of 17 consecutive patients (3 women, 14 men) with early stages of Kienböck's disease were prospectively reviewed using the aforementioned technique. Eight patients were in stage II and nine patients were in stage IIIA according to the Lichtman classification system. Clinical outcome measures included pain visual analog score, grip strength and range of motion as a percentage of the unaffected side, and assessment using the Patient-Rated Hand and Wrist Evaluation (PRHWE) and the modified Wrightington Hospital Wrist Score (MWHWS). Radiological outcome measures included healing of the osteotomy site, Stahl index, radioscaphoid angle, and progression of the disease. Results Follow-up period averaged 72 months. All cases of isolated capitate osteotomy and combined capitate and hamate osteotomies united fully. Clinical results revealed significant improvement in pain, grip strength and extension, and PRHWE and MWHWS values. Wrist flexion did not change postoperatively. Patients with stage II showed better overall results and significant MWHWS improvement. Conclusion At the intermediate term, partial capitate with/without hamate shortening is an effective modality for the treatment of patients with early stage Kienböck's disease. Stage II patients showed better results than stage IIIA patients in terms of pain, flexion, grip, PRHWE, and MWHWS. Adding hamate osteotomy may improve the functional results for type II lunate; however, a larger sample is needed to elicit statistical significance. Level of Evidence This is a Level IV, therapeutic study.

Molecular characterization and genetic diversity of the infectious laryngotracheitis virus strains circulating in Egypt during the outbreaks of 2018 and 2019.

Infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) is a respiratory disease that causes significant economic losses in the poultry industry worldwide. In this study, ILT outbreaks were reported on 30 farms located in eight Egyptian governorates between January 2018 and May 2019. Gross examination of diseased chickens revealed congestion and hemorrhage of laryngeal and tracheal mucosa with fibrinohemorrhagic casts and/or caseous material in the lumens. Histopathological examination showed epithelial sloughing, syncytium formation, heterophilic exudation, and development of eosinophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies. Infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) antigen was detected in the tracheal epithelium, infiltrated inflammatory cells, and syncytial cells, using immunohistochemistry. PCR targeting a portion of the thymidine kinase gene was further utilized to confirm the presence of ILTV DNA. The complete coding sequences of three envelope glycoprotein genes, gG, gD, and gJ, and a partial sequence of the infected cell polypeptide 4 (ICP4) gene from samples representing all of the farms and disease outbreaks were determined. Five prototype strains with unique sequences were chosen for detailed molecular characterization. Sequence comparisons and phylogenetic analysis of the partial ICP4 gene revealed that two strains were chicken embryo origin (CEO)-vaccine-like strains, and three were tissue culture origin (TCO)-vaccine-like strains. Analysis of the gJ gene sequence indicated that all of the strains were CEO vaccine-like strains. It was predicted that the latter three strains were recombinants of CEO- and TCO-vaccine-like strains. In conclusion, immunohistochemistry coupled with multi-genomic PCR sequencing proved to be efficient for identification and typing of ILTV strains during disease outbreaks. Both CEO-vaccine-like and recombinant virus strains were circulating in Egypt during the 2018 and 2019 outbreaks.

Uterine artery flow velocity waveform (FVW) type and subednometrial vascularity in recurrent pregnancy loss.

Purpose: To assess the subendometrial and uterine artery blood flow and pattern of the waveform of the uterine artery in cases of recurrent pregnancy loss compared with normal controls.Subjects and methods: Fifty women with a history of two or more successive pregnancy losses were investigated by Doppler transvaginal ultrasound to assess the subendometrial blood flow resistance index (RI), type of Doppler waveform of the uterine artery, and uterine artery pulsatility index (PI) in the mid-luteal phase. Fifty normal women acted as controls.Results: Subendometrial blood flow RI and uterine artery PI were higher in cases than controls. The majority of cases of recurrent pregnancy loss had a waveform pattern of A, or loss of diastolic flow, whereas the controls were mainly C wave.Conclusions: Some sort of endometrial and subendometrial ischemia can be suggested in cases of recurrent pregnancy loss, waveform pattern of uterine artery changes may be used to monitor changes in vascularity of endometrium if vascular enhancers are given in such cases.

Novel Calcium Carbonate-titania nanocomposites for enhanced sun light photo catalytic desulfurization process.

Preparation of active photocatalytic nanostructures to harvest the abundant sunlight energy is a recent worldwide direction for clean energy production and environmental management. Following this target, different calcium carbonate-titania nanostructures were prepared by three different pathways using available raw materials such as limestone as calcium precursor. After characterization of the prepared materials with X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF) patterns, Fourier transmission infrared (FT-IR), high resolution transmission electron microscope (TEM), N2 adsorption-desorption isotherm, UV-vis diffuse reflectance and photoluminance (PL), the materials were applied as novel photocatalysts for desulfurization of dibenzothiophene (DBT) and gas oil using different radiation sources at room temperature. It has been obtained that, 95% desulfurization of DBT was possible under 1 h visible light irradiation with linear halogen lamp (LHL) at catalyst/DBT-solution = 10 g/L, while ultra-clean diesel production (99% removal, 3.47 ppm) could be obtained via normal sunlight photochemical desulfurization of diesel fuel by calcium carbonate titania photocatalyst in presence of H2O2 and acetic acid as oxidizing agents and acetonitrile as a solvent. Here, the followed preparation pathway produced highly active calcium titanate photocatalysts with tunable band gap energy (2.05 eV), reduced electrons/hole pairs recombination and stable photocatalytic activity with enhanced visible light removal of organosulfur compounds for economic ultra-clean fuel production, pollution control, and environmental management.

Genetic Diversity and Phylodynamics of Avian Coronaviruses in Egyptian Wild Birds.

Avian coronaviruses (ACoVs) are continuously evolving and causing serious economic consequences in the poultry industry and around the globe. Owing to their extensive genetic diversity and high mutation rates, controlling ACoVs has become a challenge. In this context, the potential contribution of wild birds in the disease dynamics, especially in domesticated birds, remains largely unknown. In the present study, five hundred fifty-seven (n = 557) cloacal/fecal swabs were collected from four different wild bird species from eight Egyptian governorates during 2016 and a total of fourteen positive isolates were used for phylodynamics and evolutionary analysis. Genetic relatedness based on spike (S1) gene demonstrated the clustering of majority of these isolates where nine isolates grouped within Egy/variant 2 (IS/885 genotype) and five isolates clustered within Egy/variant 1 (IS/1494/06 genotype). Interestingly, these isolates showed noticeable genetic diversity and were clustered distal to the previously characterized Egy/variant 1 and Egy/variant 2 in Egyptian commercial poultry. The S1 gene based comparison of nucleotide identity percentages revealed that all fourteen isolates reported in this study were genetically related to the variant GI-23 lineage with 92⁻100% identity. Taken together, our results demonstrate that ACoVs are circulating in Egyptian wild birds and highlight their possible contributions in the disease dynamics. The study also proposes that regular monitoring of the ACoVs in wild birds is required to effectively assess the role of wild birds in disease spread, and the emergence of ACoVs strains in the country.