Ticagrelor Versus Clopidogrel in Acute Large-Vessel Ischemic Stroke: A Randomized Controlled Single-Blinded Trial

BACKGROUND

Large-vessel ischemic stroke represents about 25-40% of all ischemic strokes. Few clinical trials compared ticagrelor versus clopidogrel in ischemic stroke patients; all these studies included only patients with a transient ischemic attack or minor stroke; moreover, none of these studies included patients from North Africa.

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to compare ticagrelor versus clopidogrel in the first-ever large-vessel occlusion (LVO) acute ischemic stroke in Egypt.

METHODS

Our trial involved 580 first-ever LVO ischemic stroke patients who were randomly assigned to administer loading and maintenance doses of ticagrelor or clopidogrel. Screening, randomization, and start of treatment occurred during the first 24 hours of the stroke.

RESULTS

580 patients were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. Thirty patients in the ticagrelor group and 49 patients in the clopidogrel group experienced a new ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke at 90 days (hazard ratio [HR] 0.61; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.38-0.98; p-value = 0.04), 36 patients in the ticagrelor group, and 57 in the clopidogrel group experienced composite of a new stroke, myocardial infarction, or death due to vascular insults (HR 0.56; 95% CI 0.37-0.87; p = 0.009). Patients who received ticagrelor had better clinical outcomes regarding National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) reduction and a favorable modified Rankin scale (mRS) score. There were no differences between ticagrelor and clopidogrel regarding hemorrhagic and non-hemorrhagic complications.

CONCLUSION

Patients with acute large-vessel ischemic stroke who received ticagrelor within the first 24 hours after ischemic stroke had better clinical outcomes based on recurrent stroke rates, NIHSS reduction, and favorable mRS rates compared with those who received clopidogrel. There were no differences between ticagrelor and clopidogrel regarding hemorrhagic and non-hemorrhagic complications.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Clinical trials.gov (NCT06120725).

Investigating the physical and electrical properties of La2O3 via annealing of La(OH)3

A simple technique was utilized to fabricate pure hexagonal La2O3 nanorods by utilizing lanthanum(III) nitrate hexahydrate (La(NO3)3·6H2O) and ammonia (NH4OH). The La2O3 nanoparticles were analyzed using XRD, TGA, Raman, SEM, FTIR, TEM, PL spectroscopy, and Mott-Schottky techniques. The XRD analysis confirmed the production of La(OH)3 nanorods under appropriate conditions, which were then successfully converted into La2O2CO3 and finally into La2O3 nanorods through annealing. The TGA analysis showed that the total weight loss was due to water evaporation and the dissolution of minimal moisture present in the environment. The FTIR analysis confirmed the presence of functional groups. The SEM analysis revealed changes in morphology. The TEM analysis to determine the particle size. The PL findings showed three emission peaks at 390, 520, and 698 nm due to interband transitions and defects in the samples. The Mott-Schottky analysis demonstrated that the flatband potential and acceptor density varied with annealing temperature, ranging from 1 to 1.2 V and 2 × 1018 to 1.4 × 1019 cm-3, respectively. Annealing at 1000 °C resulted in the lowest resistance to charge transfer (Rct).

Numerical simulation based performance enhancement approach for an inorganic BaZrS3/CuO heterojunction solar cell

One of the main components of the worldwide transition to sustainable energy is solar cells, usually referred to as photovoltaics. By converting sunlight into power, they lessen their reliance on fossil fuels and the release of greenhouse gases. Because solar cells are decentralized, distributed energy systems may be developed, which increases the efficiency of the cells. Chalcogenide perovskites have drawn interest due to their potential in solar energy conversion since they provide distinctive optoelectronic characteristics and stability. But high temperatures and lengthy reaction periods make it difficult to synthesise and process them. Therefore, we present the inaugural numerical simulation using SCAPS-1D for emerging inorganic BaZrS3/CuO heterojunction solar cells. This study delves into the behaviour of diverse parameters in photovoltaic devices, encompassing efficiency (η) values, short-circuit current density (Jsc), fill factor (FF), and open-circuit voltage (Voc). Additionally, we thoroughly examine the impact of window and absorber layer thickness, carrier concentration, and bandgap on the fundamental characteristics of solar cells. Our findings showcase the attainment of the highest efficiency (η) values, reaching 27.3% for our modelled devices, accompanied by Jsc values of 40.5 mA/cm2, Voc value of 0.79 V, and FF value of 85.2. The efficiency (η) values are chiefly influenced by the combined effects of Voc, Jsc, and FF values. This optimal efficiency was achieved with CuO thickness, band gap, and carrier concentration set at 5 µm, 1.05 eV, and above 1019 cm-3, respectively. In comparison, the optimal parameters for BaZrS3 include a thickness of 1 µm, a carrier concentration below 1020 cm-3, and a band gap less than 1.6 eV. Therefore, in the near future, the present simulation will simultaneously provide up an entirely novel field for the less defective perovskite solar cell.

Prophylactic and Therapeutic Efficacy of Ultrasonicated Rosmarinus officinalis Ethanolic Extract and its Chitosan-Loaded Nanoparticles Against Eimeria tenella Infected Broiler Chickens

PURPOSE

The in vivo efficacy of ultrasonicated Rosmarinus officinalis ethanolic extract (UROEE) and its chitosan-loaded nanoparticles (UROEE-CsNPs) was investigated as a dietary prophylactic agent and as a therapeutic treatment against Eimeria tenella infected broiler chickens.

METHODS

Chickens were infected with 4 × 104 E. tenella oocysts at 21 days old for primary infection and with 8 × 104 oocysts at 35 days old for secondary infection. Eleven experimental groups were conducted. Dietary addition of 100 mg/kg UROEE and 20 mg/kg for CsNPs as well as UROEE-CsNPs were included for prophylactic groups from day 1 to 42. The same doses were used for therapeutic treatment groups for 5 constitutive days. Oocyst output in feces was counted. Histopathological and immunohistochemical studies were conducted. Gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines as IFN-γ, IL-1β and IL-6 as well as anti-inflammatory cytokines as IL-10 and TGF-β4 was analyzed using semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR.

RESULTS

The results showed an efficacy of UROEE, CsNPs and UROEE-CsNPs in reduction of oocyst excretion and improving the cecal tissue architecture. CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes protein expression were reduced. E. tenella infection lead to upregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines as IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-6 and anti-inflammatory cytokines as TGF-β4 following primary infection, while their expression was downregulated following secondary infection.

CONCLUSION

The dietary prophylactic additives and therapeutic treatments with UROEE, CsNPs and UROEE-CsNPs could decrease the inflammatory response to E. tenella as indicated by oocyst output reduction, histopathological improvements, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells protein expression reduction as well as reducing mRNA expression levels of the tested cytokines following primary and secondary infections. Consequently, these results will help to develop better-combating strategies for the control and prevention of coccidiosis on poultry farms as a dietary prophylactic agent or as a therapeutic treatment.

Predictors of the unfavorable outcomes in acute ischemic stroke patients treated with alteplase, a multi-center randomized trial

Worldwide, stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability in adults. Alteplase is the only approved treatment for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and results in an improvement in a third of treated patients. We evaluated the post-stroke unfavourable outcome predictors in alteplase-treated patients from Egypt and Saudi Arabia. We assessed the effect of different risk factors on AIS outcomes after alteplase in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Our study included 592 AIS alteplase-treated patients. The relationship between risk factors, clinical presentation, and imaging features was evaluated to predict factors associated with poor outcomes. An mRS score of three or more was used to define poor outcomes. Poor outcome was seen in 136 patients (23%), and Patients with unfavourable effects had significantly higher admission hyperglycaemia, a higher percentage of diabetes mellitus, cardioembolic stroke, and a lower percentage of small vessel stroke. Patients with higher baseline NIHSS score (OR 1.39; 95% CI 1.12-1.71; P = 0.003), admission hyperglycaemia (OR 13.12; 95% CI 3.37-51.1; P < 0.001), and post-alteplase intracerebral haemorrhage (OR 7.41; 95% CI 1.69-32.43; P = 0.008) independently predicted unfavourable outcomes at three months. In AIS patients treated with alteplase, similar to reports from other regions, in patients from Egypt and Saudi Arabia also reveal that higher NIHSS, higher serum blood sugar, and post-alteplase intracerebral haemorrhage were the predictors of unfavourable outcomes three months after ischemic stroke.Trial registration: (clinicaltrials.gov NCT06058884), retrospectively registered on 28/09/2023.

Optimizing classification of diseases through language model analysis of symptoms

This paper investigated the use of language models and deep learning techniques for automating disease prediction from symptoms. Specifically, we explored the use of two Medical Concept Normalization-Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (MCN-BERT) models and a Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (BiLSTM) model, each optimized with a different hyperparameter optimization method, to predict diseases from symptom descriptions. In this paper, we utilized two distinct dataset called Dataset-1, and Dataset-2. Dataset-1 consists of 1,200 data points, with each point representing a unique combination of disease labels and symptom descriptions. While, Dataset-2 is designed to identify Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) from Twitter data, comprising 23,516 rows categorized as ADR (1) or Non-ADR (0) tweets. The results indicate that the MCN-BERT model optimized with AdamP achieved 99.58% accuracy for Dataset-1 and 96.15% accuracy for Dataset-2. The MCN-BERT model optimized with AdamW performed well with 98.33% accuracy for Dataset-1 and 95.15% for Dataset-2, while the BiLSTM model optimized with Hyperopt achieved 97.08% accuracy for Dataset-1 and 94.15% for Dataset-2. Our findings suggest that language models and deep learning techniques have promise for supporting earlier detection and more prompt treatment of diseases, as well as expanding remote diagnostic capabilities. The MCN-BERT and BiLSTM models demonstrated robust performance in accurately predicting diseases from symptoms, indicating the potential for further related research.

Source diversity of Artemia enrichment boosts goldfish (Carassius auratus) performance, β-carotene content, pigmentation, immune-physiological and transcriptomic responses

This study aimed to assess the impact of spirulina and/or canthaxanthin-enriched Artemia on the goldfish (Carassius auratus) growth, pigmentation, blood analysis, immunity, intestine and liver histomorphology, and expression of somatolactin (SL) and growth hormone (GH) genes. Artemia was enriched with spirulina and/or canthaxanthin for 24 h. Goldfish (N = 225, 1.10 ± 0.02 g) were tested in five experimental treatments, three replicates each: (T1) fish fed a commercial diet; (T2) fish fed a commercial diet and un-enriched Artemia (UEA); (T3) fish fed a commercial diet and spirulina-enriched Artemia (SEA); (T4) fish fed a commercial diet and canthaxanthin-enriched Artemia (CEA); and (T5) fish fed a commercial diet and spirulina and canthaxanthin-enriched Artemia (SCA) for 90 days. The results showed that the use of spirulina and/or canthaxanthin increased performance, β-carotene content and polyunsaturated fatty acids of Artemia. For goldfish, T5 showed the highest growth performance, β-carotene concentration and the lowest chromatic deformity. T5 also showed improved hematology profile, serum biochemical, and immunological parameters. Histomorphology of the intestine revealed an increase in villi length and goblet cells number in the anterior and middle intestine, with normal liver structure in T5. SL and GH gene expression in the liver and brain differed significantly among treatments with a significant increase in enriched Artemia treatments compared to T1 and T2. In conclusion, the use of spirulina and/or canthaxanthin improved performance of Artemia. Feeding goldfish spirulina and/or canthaxanthin-enriched Artemia improved performance, β-carotene content, pigmentation, health status and immune-physiological response.

Assignment of the antibacterial potential of Ag2O/ZnO nanocomposite against MDR bacteria Proteus mirabilis and Salmonella typhi isolated from bone marrow transplant patients

The rate of infectious diseases started to be one of the major mortality agents in the healthcare sector. Exposed to increased bacterial infection by antibiotic-resistant bacteria became one of the complications that occurred for bone marrow transplant patients. Nanotechnology may provide clinicians and patients with the key to overcoming multidrug-resistant bacteria. Therefore, this study was conducted to clarify the prevalence of MDR bacteria in bone marrow transplant recipients and the use of Ag2O/ZnO nanocomposites to treat participants of diarrhea brought on by MDR bacteria following bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Present results show that pathogenic bacteria were present in 100 of 195 stool samples from individuals who had diarrhea. Phenotypic, biochemical, and molecular analysis clarify that Proteus mirabilis and Salmonella typhi were detected in 21 and 25 samples, respectively. Successful synthesis of Ag2O/ZnO nanocomposites with a particle enables to inhibition of both pathogens. The maximum inhibitory impact was seen on Salmonella typhi. At low doses (10-5 g/l), it prevented the growth by 53.4%, while at higher concentrations (10-1 g/l), Salmonella typhi was inhibited by 95.5%. Regarding Proteus mirabilis, at (10-5 g/l) Ag2O/ZnO, it was inhabited by 78.7%, but at higher concentrations (10-1 g/l), it was inhibited the growth by 94.6%. Ag2O/ZnO nanocomposite was therefore found to be the most effective therapy for MDR-isolated bacteria and offered promise for the treatment of MDR bacterial infections that cause diarrhea.

Combined effects of water salinity and ammonia exposure on the antioxidative status, serum biochemistry, and immunity of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

Growing Nile tilapia in brackish water showed promising results, but the possibility of ammonia exposure can interrupt health status and productivity. Herein, the study tested the combined effects of water salinity and ammonia exposure on the antioxidative status, serum biochemistry, and immunity of Nile tilapia. Fish were assigned to eight groups where fish were reared in saline water (5, 10, and 15 ppt) with continuous or intermittent (every 3 days) total ammonia (TAN) exposure (5 mg TAN/L) (2 × 4 factorial design). After 30 days, the water salinity, TAN, and their interaction were markedly (P < 0.05), affecting the growth performance (final weight, weight gain, and specific growth rate) and survival rate of Nile tilapia. The growth performance and survival rate were markedly lower in tilapia grown in 15 ppt with continuous TAN exposure than in the remaining groups. The results showed that fish exposed to higher salinity levels (10 and 15 ppt) and continuous TAN exposure had a more robust antioxidative response, as evidenced by higher superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activities and lower malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in the homogenates of the gills, intestines, and livers. The gills were notably affected, with congestion of primary filaments blood vessels and degeneration or shedding of secondary filaments epithelium, especially at salinity levels of 10 and 15 ppt. Additionally, the intestines displayed hyperplasia and inflammatory cell infiltration of intestinal mucosa at 5-10 ppt salinity, degeneration and sloughing of the intestinal epithelium at 15 ppt saline water, and increased goblet cell number at salinity of 10 ppt. The study found that continuous TAN exposure had a more significant impact on the fish, especially at higher salinity levels. Water salinity, TAN, and their interaction significantly affected all measured blood bio-indicators (total, albumin, globulin, ALT, AST, creatinine, urea, glucose, and cortisol levels). The phagocytic activity and index were markedly lowered in fish reared in 15 ppt with continuous TAN exposure, while the lysozyme activity was decreased in fish grown in 5, 10, and 15 ppt with continuous TAN exposure. In conclusion, Nile tilapia showed the possibility of growth with normal health status in brackish water (5-10 ppt); however, continuous TAN exposure can impair the productivity of tilapia, especially with high salinity (15 ppt).

Evaluation of swallowing in children with higher grades glottic web

PURPOSE

to evaluate the swallowing function in children with higher grades of glottic web and to detect the impact of surgical division of the glottic web on the swallowing parameters. We also performed a voice analysis as a secondary objective in this study.

METHODS

This prospective case series study included 12 children with higher grades of the glottic web; grades 3 and 4. Evaluation of the swallowing function was done by clinical swallowing evaluation including symptoms and signs of swallowing dysfunction during feeding, such as vomiting, coughing, choking, or cyanosis, and bedside swallowing assessment using the 3-oz water swallow test. Instrumental evaluation of swallowing function was performed using flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES). The evaluation was performed both preoperatively and postoperatively.

RESULTS

The number of children suffering from swallowing difficulties significantly increased during the postoperative evaluation where 6 (50%) children demonstrated choking during feeding after the surgical division of the web in comparison to only 3 (25%) preoperatively. Also, coughing and choking during the 3-oz water swallow test significantly increased following the division of the web with P < 0.001.

CONCLUSION

Swallowing assessment is mandatory as children with higher grades of the glottic web, requiring reconstructive surgeries, are at risk of swallowing deficit which can be aggravated postoperatively. With improvement in the airway and surgery-specific outcomes, swallowing function is an important secondary outcome that has a significant impact on the lives of these kids and their families.

Efficient photocatalytic reduction of p-nitrophenol under visible light irradiation based on Ag NPs loaded brown 2D g-C3N4 / g-C3N4 QDs nanocomposite

Recently, low-cost graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) revealed high photocatalytic activities and provided solutions to environmental pollution. In this study, we synthesized brown mesoporous 2D g-C3N4 by calcination dicyandiamide with pluronic P123. This is followed by loading of Ag NPs on the prepared 2D g-C3N4 by photodeposition process. After that, a ternary composite 2% Ag/ 2D g-C3N4 / g-C3N4 QDs heterojunction photocatalyst has been successfully prepared. The prepared nanomaterials were comprehensively characterized by various analysis techniques such as XRD, UV-Vis., BET, XPS, SEM, TEM. This new system exhibited a large surface area with porous structure and a wide absorption of visible light. The results verified that Ag NPs decoration enhanced the charge separation of photo-generated carriers of g-C3N4 2D and g-C3N4 QDs, promote significant enhancement in the photocatalytic activity for reduction of p-nitrophenol with a rate constant (k) value of 0.49729 / min in 6 min. This rate is about two-fold higher than that observed for pure g-C3N4 2D and g-C3N4 QDs as well as shows an improvement compared to 2% Ag/ g-C3N4 2D and g-C3N4 2D/ g-C3N4 QDs. The results open the door to design highly efficient 2D/0D nanocomposite photocatalysts for a wide variety of environmental applications.

Mitigation of Imidacloprid Toxicity in Poultry Chicken by Selenium Nanoparticles: Growth Performance, Lipid Peroxidation, and Blood Traits

Imidacloprid is an insecticide that protects against insects in the agriculture, animal, and poultry production sectors. Since the accumulation of imidacloprid induces adverse impacts on general health status and quality of the food chain, this study tested the impacts on broilers. Besides, selenium nanoparticles were fed to birds to relieve the negative impacts on growth performance and health status. Birds (1-day age, initial weight 46.05 ± 1.0 g) divided into four groups (triplicates) where 15 chicks of each replicate (45 for each group). The first group (control) was fed the basal diet without either selenium or imidacloprid toxicity. The second group was fed selenium nano form at 3 mg/kg. The third group was fed selenium and exposed to imidacloprid at 1/10 LT50 (3 mg/kg body weight). The fourth group was fed selenium nano form (3 mg/kg) and exposed to imidacloprid at 1/10 LT50 (3 mg/kg body weight). All groups were kept under the same conditions for 35 days. The final weight and weight gain of birds fed selenium nano form showed marked improvement compared to the imidacloprid-exposed group, while the feed intake and feed conversion ratio markedly reduced. The red blood cells showed higher values in birds fed selenium nano than the control and those exposed to imidacloprid. Interestingly, the hemoglobulin and hematocrit increased in birds fed selenium nano form with or without imidacloprid exposure. Furthermore, the white blood cells increased in birds fed selenium nano form with or without imidacloprid exposure. The total protein, albumin, and globulin were higher in birds fed selenium nanoparticles than those exposed to imidacloprid with or without selenium feeding. Birds in the control and imidacloprid groups had higher aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and malondialdehyde levels than the remaining groups. Accordingly, dietary selenium nanoparticles are suggested in broiler feed to cope with the adverse effects of imidacloprid toxicity.

Water quality, human health risk, and pesticides accumulation in African catfish and Nile tilapia from the Kitchener Drain-Egypt

Pesticides are toxic and could negatively impact humans and the ecosystem. The Kitchener Drain is among the longest drains in Egypt and carries a wide range of wastewater from the agriculture sector, which contains pesticides and may pollute the ecosystem. Thus, water quality, human health risk, and pesticide accumulation in African catfish and Nile tilapia from the Kitchener Drain-Egypt. The water and fish samples were collected from Kitchener Drain in Kafr Elsheikh Governorate, Egypt, during the four seasons. The results indicated that heptachlor and diazinon were undetected during the four seasons. However, endosulfan, chlorpyrifos, and dicofol were detected in winter and autumn. Only p,p'-DDT was detected during spring. Endosulfan, heptachlor, and aldrin were detected in Nile tilapia during winter. Only heptachlor and aldrin were detected during spring. Endosulfan, heptachlor, dicofol, p,p'-DDT, chlorpyrifos, and diazinon were detected in the autumn season. In summer, dicofol and p,p'-DDT were detected, while endosulfan, heptachlor p,p'-DDT, aldrin, chlorpyrifos, and diazinon were not detected. In African catfish, endosulfan, heptachlor, dicofol, and p,p'-DDT were detected during winter, while chlorpyrifos, aldrin, and chlorpyrifos, aldrin, and diazinon were not detected. In the spring season, endosulfan, heptachlor, and aldrin were detected. Endosulfan, heptachlor, dicofol, p,p'-DDT, aldrin, chlorpyrifos, and diazinon were detected in the autumn season. Similarly, in the summer season, endosulfan, heptachlor, dicofol, p,p'-DDT, aldrin, chlorpyrifos, and diazinon were detected. The sequence of estimated daily intake (EDI) in Nile tilapia during the four seasons is heptachlor > endosulfan > dicofol > p,p'-DDT > aldrin > diazinon > chlorpyrifos. The sequence of EDI in African catfish during the four seasons is endosulfan > p,p'-DDT > heptachlor > aldrin > dicofol > diazinon > chlorpyrifos. In conclusion, the results confirmed the absence of a hazard index for consuming Nile tilapia and African catfish collected from the Kitchener drain.

Reliability constrained dynamic generation expansion planning using honey badger algorithm

Generation expansion planning (GEP) is a complex, highly constrained, non-linear, discrete and dynamic optimization task aimed at determining the optimum generation technology mix of the best expansion alternative for long-term planning horizon. This paper presents a new framework to study the GEP in a multi-stage horizon with reliability constrained. GEP problem is presented to minimize the capital investment costs, salvage value cost, operation and maintenance, and outage cost under several constraints over planning horizon. Added to that, the spinning reserve, fuel mix ratio and reliability in terms of Loss of Load Probability are maintained. Moreover, to decrease the GEP problem search space and reduce the computational time, some modifications are proposed such as the Virtual mapping procedure, penalty factor approach, and the modified of intelligent initial population generation. For solving the proposed reliability constrained GEP problem, a novel honey badger algorithm (HBA) is developed. It is a meta-heuristic search algorithm inspired from the intelligent foraging behavior of honey badger to reach its prey. In HBA, the dynamic search behavior of honey badger with digging and honey finding approaches is formulated into exploration and exploitation phases. Added to that, several modern meta-heuristic optimization algorithms are employed which are crow search algorithm, aquila optimizer, bald eagle search and particle swarm optimization. These algorithms are applied, in a comparative manner, for three test case studies for 6-year, 12-year, and 24-year of short- and long-term planning horizon having five types of candidate units. The obtained results by all these proposed algorithms are compared and validated the effectiveness and superiority of the HBA over the other applied algorithms.

The Impact of Trimetazidine on Cardiac Fibrosis, Inflammation, and Function in Ischemic Cardiomyopathy Patients

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have shown that Trimetazidine (TMZ) improves vascular endothelial function and reduces the inflammatory process progression. However, limited data have been available regarding its effects on myocardial fibrosis following ischemia and causing left ventricular dysfunction.

PURPOSE

To investigate the impact of TMZ adjuvant therapy for ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) on cardiac fibrosis, vascular endothelial function, inflammation, and myocardial functions.

METHODS

This randomized, double-blind controlled clinical trial included 48 patients (aged 59.4 ± 9 years) with ICM who were randomly assigned to two groups: TMZ 35 mg twice daily and placebo in addition to conventional ICM medications. All patients received the tablets for 3 months. Both groups were then compared in terms of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), endothelin-1 (ET-1), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and some echocardiographic indices, weekly angina attacks and nitrate consumption before and after treatment.

RESULTS

No significant differences between CTGF, ET-1, and TNF-α levels, in addition to some echocardiographic indices, were observed between both groups before treatment. After treatment, the TMZ group had significantly lower ET-1 than the placebo group, with both groups exhibiting a substantial decrease in TNF-α and CTGF. The TMZ group had lower mean ± SD levels for TNF-α and CTGF and showed significant improvement in echocardiographic indices and weekly angina attacks after treatment.

CONCLUSION

Adjunctive TMZ therapy for ICM effectively improved vascular endothelial function and reduced inflammation. Furthermore, our exploratory findings may be used to provide new information on the potential effects of TMZ on myocardial fibrosis by downregulating CTGF.

Association of white matter hyperintensities with migraine phenotypes and response to treatment

INTRODUCTION

White matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are frequently found in migraineurs. However, their clinical significance and correlation to different migraine phenotypes and treatment responses are not well defined. The study aimed to examine the association of WMHs with migraine clinical patterns and treatment response.

AIM OF WORK

We aimed to evaluate the association between WMHs and migraine phenotypes and explore the relationship of WMHs to treatment response.

METHODS

Our cross-sectional study formed of 500 migraineurs who sought treatment in Kafr el-sheik university hospital and underwent (3 T) MRI to evaluate WMHs. Different migraine phenotypes were compared between patients with and without WMHs. According to reduced headache pain intensity and frequency, these patients were divided into treatment responder and non-responder groups.

RESULTS

A total of 145 patients (29%) had WMHs. Patients with WMHs were significantly older, had a longer disease duration, and higher attack frequency. Patients who did not respond to acute and maintenance medications had a higher frequency of WMHs and high WMHs Scheltens score. Migraine with Aura and the presence of vomiting and dizziness were predictors for the development of WMHs.

CONCLUSION

WMHs are more common in migraine with aura. It is more frequent in migraine associated with vomiting and dizziness. WMHs increased with advancing age and more severe disease burden. Poorer response to acute and prophylactic medications was found in patients with WMHs.

Production, purification, and characterization of cold-active lipase from the psychrotroph Pseudomonas sp. A6

Cold-active lipases are presently employed extensively in the detergent, chemical intermediate, fine chemical, food, and pharmaceutical industries. Seven cold-adaptive bacteria were isolated from the Mediterranean Sea near Alexandria, Egypt, and tested for their ability to produce cold-active lipase, with the highest activity at 10 °C. The most potent isolate was Pseudomonas sp. A6. To determine the most important variables, the bacterium was exposed to a necessary medium component and environmental factor screening using a single factor-at-a-time approach, followed by a multifactorial Plackett-Burman design strategy. After purification and characterization, the optimal activity levels for the cold-active lipase were figured out. Inoculation of Pseudomonas A6 under near optimum conditions using medium consisting of (g/L) peptone 7.14; soybean oil 7.5% (v/v); K2HPO4, 0.4; MgSO4, 0.1; glucose 2; pH 8; and temperature 10 °C led to a maximum lipase activity anticipated to be 23.36 U/mL. Purified lipase showed the best activity and thermal stability at a pH of 8 and a temperature of 10 °C. The Pseudomonas A6 lipase tolerated the monovalent ions, while greater valence ions did not.

Exploring the effects of pandemics on transportation through correlations and deep learning techniques

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on human migration worldwide, affecting transportation patterns in cities. Many cities have issued "stay-at-home" orders during the outbreak, causing commuters to change their usual modes of transportation. For example, some transit/bus passengers have switched to driving or car-sharing. As a result, urban traffic congestion patterns have changed dramatically, and understanding these changes is crucial for effective emergency traffic management and control efforts. While previous studies have focused on natural disasters or major accidents, only a few have examined pandemic-related traffic congestion patterns. This paper uses correlations and machine learning techniques to analyze the relationship between COVID-19 and transportation. The authors simulated traffic models for five different networks and proposed a Traffic Prediction Technique (TPT), which includes an Impact Calculation Methodology that uses Pearson's Correlation Coefficient and Linear Regression, as well as a Traffic Prediction Module (TPM). The paper's main contribution is the introduction of the TPM, which uses Convolutional Neural Network to predict the impact of COVID-19 on transportation. The results indicate a strong correlation between the spread of COVID-19 and transportation patterns, and the CNN has a high accuracy rate in predicting these impacts.

Stress monitoring using wearable sensors: IoT techniques in medical field

The concept "Internet of Things" (IoT), which facilitates communication between linked devices, is relatively new. It refers to the next generation of the Internet. IoT supports healthcare and is essential to numerous applications for tracking medical services. By examining the pattern of observed parameters, the type of the disease can be anticipated. For people with a range of diseases, health professionals and technicians have developed an excellent system that employs commonly utilized techniques like wearable technology, wireless channels, and other remote equipment to give low-cost healthcare monitoring. Whether put in living areas or worn on the body, network-related sensors gather detailed data to evaluate the patient's physical and mental health. The main objective of this study is to examine the current e-health monitoring system using integrated systems. Automatically providing patients with a prescription based on their status is the main goal of the e-health monitoring system. The doctor can keep an eye on the patient's health without having to communicate with them. The purpose of the study is to examine how IoT technologies are applied in the medical industry and how they help to raise the bar of healthcare delivered by healthcare institutions. The study will also include the uses of IoT in the medical area, the degree to which it is used to enhance conventional practices in various health fields, and the degree to which IoT may raise the standard of healthcare services. The main contributions in this paper are as follows: (1) importing signals from wearable devices, extracting signals from non-signals, performing peak enhancement; (2) processing and analyzing the incoming signals; (3) proposing a new stress monitoring algorithm (SMA) using wearable sensors; (4) comparing between various ML algorithms; (5) the proposed stress monitoring algorithm (SMA) is composed of four main phases: (a) data acquisition phase, (b) data and signal processing phase, (c) prediction phase, and (d) model performance evaluation phase; and (6) grid search is used to find the optimal values for hyperparameters of SVM (C and gamma). From the findings, it is shown that random forest is best suited for this classification, with decision tree and XGBoost following closely behind.

Glyphosate-induced liver and kidney dysfunction, oxidative stress, immunosuppression in Nile tilapia, but ginger showed a protection role

The water-borne herbicides are involved in the toxicity of aquatic animals resulting in impaired health status and low productivity. Dietary medicinal herbs present a practical solution to relieve the impacts of herbicides toxicity on the performances of aquatic animals. Herein, we investigated the toxicity of commercial glyphosate-induced oxidative stress, immunosuppression, liver and kidney dysfunction, and the protective role of ginger or ginger nanoparticles in Nile tilapia. Fish were allocated into four groups: the first group presented the control without glyphosate toxicity and ginger feeding, the second group intoxicated with glyphosate at 0.6 mg/L and fed ginger free diet, the third group intoxicated with glyphosate and fed ginger at 2.5 g/kg, and the fourth group intoxicated with glyphosate and fed ginger nanoparticles at 2.5 g/kg. Fish were kept under the experimental conditions for four weeks, and the samples of blood and tissues were collected after 2 and 4 weeks. Markedly, fish exposed to glyphosate showed the highest ALT and AST activities, glucose and cortisol levels, and malondialdehyde levels (MDA) in gills and tissues. While fish in the control and fish intoxicated with glyphosate and fed ginger nanoparticles had the lowest ALT and AST activities, glucose and cortisol levels, and MDA levels after 2 and 4 weeks (P < 0.05). Fish fed dietary ginger had lower ALT and AST activities, glucose and cortisol levels, and MDA levels than the glyphosate intoxicated group after 2 and 4 weeks (P < 0.05). Interestingly, fish-fed ginger nanoparticles showed lower urea and creatinine levels and higher total protein, albumin, and globulin than the glyphosate intoxicated group (P < 0.05) and similar to the control (P > 0.05). Further, fish intoxicated with glyphosate and fed ginger nanoparticles had the highest GSH, lysozyme activity, and immunoglobulin levels after 2 and 4 weeks (P < 0.05). In conclusion, ginger nanoparticles are superior to the standard ginger form in enhancing the antioxidative and immune responses of Nile tilapia exposed to glyphosate.

A refashioned foley catheter: novel cost-effective available stent in pediatric laryngotracheal reconstruction

PURPOSE

Pediatric laryngotracheal reconstruction (LTR) for laryngotracheal stenosis (LTS) mandates stenting in certain situations. This study presents a novel commercially available and cost-effective stent, a refashioned foley catheter.

METHODS

This prospective clinical study was performed on pediatric cases with LTS up to 8 years. The study was performed in a tertiary referral center. The selection of the proper foley catheter size for age was explained. The atraumatic insertion maneuver of the stent was also shown in detail in different situations of LTS. The endoscopic removal of the stent was also described. The mean follow-up was 6.45 ± 1.3 months.

RESULTS

The study included 31 cases using the refashioned foley catheter stents. The study included 17 males and 14 females with a mean age of 3.45 ± 1.09. Subglottic stenosis was the most common cause of LTR in the study (74.2%) cases. The mean duration of stenting was 40.5 ± 3.7 days. Decannulation was achieved in 96.8% of cases. No stent complications were encountered like stent migration, excess granulation tissue, intractable aspiration, or pressure necrosis.

CONCLUSION

The refashioned foley catheter is a novel, available, and inexpensive stent that can be utilized for LTR cases for pediatric LTS. The newly described stent is soft, pliable with atraumatic insertion and easy endoscopic removal with minimal complications.

Silver nanoparticles induced testicular damage targeting NQO1 and APE1 dysregulation, apoptosis via Bax/Bcl-2 pathway, fibrosis via TGF-β/α-SMA upregulation in rats

In medicine, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are employed often. They do, however, have negative impacts, particularly on the reproductive organs. This research aimed to assess AgNP impact on the testis and the possible intracellular mechanisms to induce testicular deteriorations in rats at various concentrations and different time intervals. Sprague Dawley rats (n = 40) were allocated into four equal groups: the control one, and three other groups injected intra-peritoneally with AgNP solution 0.25, 0.5, and 1 mg/kg b.w. respectively for 15 and 30 days. Our findings revealed that AgNPs reduced body and testicular weights, estradiol (E2) and testosterone (T) hormone levels, and sperm parameters while elevating the nitric oxide and malondialdehyde levels with inhibition of reduced glutathione contents in testicular tissue. Interestingly, AgNPs significantly upregulated the testicular inducible nitric oxide synthase, B cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2)-associated X, transforming growth factor, and alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression levels. However, apurinic/apyrimidinic endo deoxyribonuclease 1 (APE1), NAD (P) H quinone dehydrogenase 1 (NQO1), and Bcl-2 expression levels were all downregulated indicating exhaustion of body antioxidant and repairing defense mechanisms in testicles in comparison with the control rats. Various histological alterations were also detected which dramatically increased in rats sacrificed after 30 days such as loss of the lining cells of seminiferous tubules with no spermatozoa and tubular irregularities associated with thickening of their basement membranes. Immunolabeling implicated in the apoptotic pathway revealed a negative expression of Bcl-2 and marked immunoreactivity for caspase-3 after 30 days of AgNP treatment in comparison to the control rats. To our knowledge, there have been no previous publications on the role of the α-SMA, APE1, and NQO1 genes in the molecular pathogenesis of AgNP testicular cytotoxicity following AgNP acute and chronic exposure.

Experimental study of solar air heater performance with evacuated tubes connected in series and involving nano-copper oxide/paraffin wax as thermal storage enhancer

The investment of solar energy in life applications has become mandatory to maintain a clean environment and reduce the use of fossil fuels. This work aimed to improve the performance of solar air heater (SAH) by using evacuated tube solar collectors ETSC integrated with nano-enhancer phase change material (NE-PCM). To achieve this purpose, a system consisting of 5 linked collecting panels was designed, fabricated, and experimentally investigated. Each panel included a glass-evacuated tube with two concentric aluminum pipes installed inside. NE-PCM was placed between the inlet and outlet air paths inside the evacuated tube to enhance the heat transfer rate. The performance was investigated with and without NE-PCM at five mass flow rates (0.006, 0.008, 0.01, 0.03, and 0.05 kg/s). Experimental results revealed that the highest temperature was 116, 108, 102, 95, and 93 °C, respectively, for the above mass flow rates without adding NE-PCM. The outlet temperature was decreased by 6-15 °C when using NE-PCM. The SAH efficiency was increased by 29.62% compared to the system without NE-PCM at 0.05 kg/s. The maximum thermal efficiency for the system with NE-PCM was 62.66% at 0.05 kg/s, and the pressure drop was 6.79 kPa under the same conditions. As well known, the hot air is used for a variety of purposes including space heating, food processing, drying of fruit, vegetables, dairy, and solar cooking.

Effect of basin water depth on the performance of vertical discs' solar still-experimental investigation

The ability to get clean water is the most urgent birthright for human beings. The scarcity of safe drinking water is a major challenge in both developed and developing countries. Due to overpopulation, industrial revolution advancements, and agricultural evolution, this challenge has become crucially influential. Several studies on solar desalination are being conducted to create novel models that will improve the efficiency and production of these units. Because of their higher evaporation, condensing, exposure, and output rates than traditional stills, vertical distillers have lately piqued the interest of numerous academics. In this study, the scholars investigated the impact of varying water depth at the best rotating speed of discs from their earlier work (1.5 rpm) on the thermal productivity of vertical distillers. Numerous water depths (5, 8, 11, and 14 cm) were studied at 1.5 rpm to specify the best depth. The results indicated that utilizing moving discs enhanced the distillers' productivity. Besides, the peak distiller performance was obtained at 1.5 rpm and 5 cm. Furthermore, the yield of the modified single-stage vertical distiller (MSSVD) and modified double-stage vertical distiller (MDSVD) was increased by 350 and 617.4%, respectively, over the conventional tilted distiller (CTD) productivity of 2.3 L/m² day. MSSVD and MDSVD had the highest efficacy rates of 48.4 and 77.2%. Lastly, for CTD, CVD, MSSVD, and MDSVD, the pure water cost was 0.025, 0.0477, 0.0180, and 0.0193 $/L, respectively.

Deep neural network prediction of modified stepped double-slope solar still with a cotton wick and cobalt oxide nanofluid

This research work intends to enhance the stepped double-slope solar still performance through an experimental assessment of combining linen wicks and cobalt oxide nanoparticles to the stepped double-slope solar still to improve the water evaporation and water production. The results illustrated that the cotton wicks and cobalt oxide (Co₃O₄) nanofluid with 1wt% increased the hourly freshwater output (HP) and instantaneous thermal efficiency (ITE). On the other hand, this study compares four machine learning methods to create a prediction model of tubular solar still performance. The methods developed and compared are support vector regressor (SVR), decision tree regressor, neural network, and deep neural network based on experimental data. This problem is a multi-output prediction problem which is HP and ITE. The prediction performance for the SVR was the lowest, with 70 (ml/m² h) mean absolute error (MAE) for HP and 4.5% for ITE. Decision tree regressor has a better prediction for HP with 33 (ml/m² h) MAE and almost the same MAE for ITE. Neural network has a better prediction for HP with 28 (ml/m² h) MAE and a bit worse prediction for ITE with 5.7%. The best model used the deep neural network with 1.94 (ml/m² h) MAE for HP and 0.67% MAE for ITE.

Silver nanoparticles induced hepatoxicity via the apoptotic/antiapoptotic pathway with activation of TGFβ-1 and α-SMA triggered liver fibrosis in Sprague Dawley rats

Despite the extraordinary use of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in medicinal purposes and the food industry, there is rising worry about potential hazards to human health and the environment. The existing study aims to assess the hepatotoxic effects of different dosages of AgNPs by evaluating hematobiochemical parameters, oxidative stress, liver morphological alterations, immunohistochemical staining, and gene expression to clarify the mechanism of AgNPs' hepatic toxic potential. Forty male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly assigned into control and three AgNPs intraperitoneally treated groups 0.25, 0.5, and 1 mg/kg b.w. daily for 15 and 30 days. AgNP exposure reduced body weight, caused haematological abnormalities, and enhanced hepatic oxidative and nitrosative stress with depletion of the hepatic GSH level. Serum hepatic injury biomarkers with pathological hepatic lesions where cholangiopathy emerges as the main hepatic alteration in a dosage- and duration-dependent manner were also elevated. Furthermore, immunohistochemical labelling of apoptotic markers demonstrated that Bcl-2 was significantly downregulated while caspase-3 was significantly upregulated. In conclusion, the hepatotoxic impact of AgNPs may be regulated by two mechanisms, implying the apoptotic/antiapoptotic pathway via raising BAX and inhibiting Bcl-2 expression levels in a dose-dependent manner. The TGF-β1 and α-SMA pathway which triggered fibrosis with incorporation of iNOS which consequently activates the inflammatory process were also elevated. To our knowledge, there has been no prior report on the experimental administration of AgNPs in three different dosages for short and long durations in rats with the assessment of Bcl-2, BAX, iNOS, TGF-β1, and α-SMA gene expressions.

Aspergillus awamori attenuates ochratoxin A-induced renal and cardiac injuries in rabbits by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway and downregulating IL1β, TNFα, and iNOS gene expressions

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is one of the most dangerous and that pollute agricultural products, inducing a variety of toxic effects in humans and animals. The current study explored the protective effect of different concentrations of Aspergillus awamori (A. awamori) against OTA (0.3 mg/kg diet) induced renal and cardiac damage by exploring its mechanism of action in 60 New Zealand white male rabbits. Dietary supplementation of A. awamori at the selected doses of 50, 100, and 150 mg/kg diet, respectively, for 2 months significantly improved the rabbit's growth performance; modulated the suppressed immune response and restored the altered hematological parameters; reduced the elevated levels of renal injury biomarkers such as urea, creatinine, and alkaline phosphatase; and increased serum total proteins concentrations. Moreover, it also declined enzymatic activities of cardiac injury biomarkers, including AST, LDH, and CK-MB. A. awamori alleviated OTA-induced degenerative and necrotic changes in the kidney and heart of rabbits. Interestingly, A. awamori upregulated Nrf2/OH-1 signaling pathway. Therefore enhanced TAC, CAT, and SOD enzyme activities and reduced OTA-induced oxidative and nitrosative stress by declining iNOS gene expression and consequently lowered MDA and NO levels. In addition to attenuating renal and cardiac inflammation via reducing IL-1β, TNF-α gene expressions in a dose-dependent response. In conclusion,this is the first report to pinpoint that dietary incorporation of A. awamori counteracted OTA-induced renal and cardiac damage by potentiating the rabbit's antioxidant defense system through its potent antioxidant, free radical scavenging, and anti-inflammatory properties in a dose-dependent response. Based on our observations, A. awamori could be utilized as a natural protective agent against ochratoxicosis in rabbits.

Improving the vertical solar distiller performance using rotating wick discs and integrated condenser

Freshwater is one of the most essential needs of society. Due to the limited amount of potable water on Earth, guaranteeing the supply of clean water to society is a major challenge. By utilizing abundant sunshine, solar still could be utilized to provide the necessary amount of drinking water in remote locations. The issue of restricted daily production inspires researchers to investigate novel ways for enhancing the thermal performance of desalination techniques while lowering expenses. In this work, the scholars improved a unique distillation method related to solar stills. The authors presented a novel improvement to the vertical distiller design to enhance the exposure area while decreasing the thickness of the water layer as much as possible. Thus, two rotational discs (flat type) covered with wick were integrated into the vertical distiller basin at 1.5 rpm and 5 cm water depth. Furthermore, providing vacuum via a fan with an external condenser. Besides, various rotating speeds (from 400 to 2000 rpm) were tested to determine the perfect fan speed that provides the maximum yield. The experimental findings revealed that the modified vertical distiller produced more pure water than the conventional distiller. Moreover, the rotation of wick discs and vacuum fan enhanced the yield of distillers enormously. Besides, the highest distiller performance was obtained at 1.5 rpm (wick disc speed) and 1600 rpm (fan speed, 10 min ON, and 10 min OFF). Moreover, the daily freshwater output was 19.1 L/m² day for MDSVD without the fan and 23.65 L/m² day for MDSVD with the fan. So, the yield of MSSVD without/with vacuum fan was improved by 548.65% and 660.45%, respectively, over that of CTD. The best thermal efficacy for MDSVD without/with vacuum fan was 77.47% and 84.05%, respectively. Lastly, the average cost of freshwater was 0.021, 0.0177, and 0.0164 $/L for CTD, MDSVD without/with vacuum fan, respectively.

Blood biochemical variables, antioxidative status, and histological features of intestinal, gill, and liver tissues of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) exposed to high salinity and high-temperature stress

African catfish is a freshwater species with a high ability to resist brackish water conditions, but heat stress may impair the health status of fish. Thus, the impact of varying levels of water salinity (0, 4, 8, and 12 ppt) was investigated on the growth performance, survival rate, and blood biochemistry of African catfish (average weight: 180.58 ± 2.8 g and average length: 38 ± 1.2 cm) for 4 weeks; then, fish were stressed with high temperature (32 °C) for 72 h. The growth performance and survival rate were markedly higher in fish reared in 0, 4, and 8 ppt than fish in 12 ppt (p < 0.05). Before heat stress, the superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH) activities, and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were markedly increased in fish stressed with 12-ppt salinity (p < 0.05). After heat stress, all groups showed a marked increased SOD, CAT, GSH, and MDA levels than fish before heat stress in the same manner (p < 0.05). Furthermore, fish in the 12 ppt group showed severe intestinal, gill, and liver histological features. The levels of blood glucose and cortisol were markedly increased in fish exposed with 8 and 12 ppt than 0 ppt gradually either before or after heat stress (p < 0.05). The highest values of ALT, AST, urea, creatinine, and the lowest total protein, albumin, and globulin were observed in fish reared in 12 ppt. Significant salinity and heat stress interactions were seen on the ALT, AST, urea, creatinine, total protein, albumin, and globulin values (p < 0.05). The integrated multi-biomarker response (IBR) results showed marked differences among the groups and increased gradually before and after heat stress, with the highest IBR in 12 ppt. In conclusion, growing African catfish in high salinity (12 ppt) hampered the growth performance and health status while the heat stress improved the antioxidative status vis-a-vis increased lipid peroxidation along with higher stress-related markers in expressed both blood and tissue.

Exploring the impacts of different fasting and refeeding regimes on Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.): growth performance, histopathological study, and expression levels of some muscle growth-related genes

The current study investigated how different fasting and refeeding regimes would impact Nile tilapia growth performance, histopathological examination, and gene expression of myostatin, myogenin, GH, IGF-1, and NPYa. Nile tilapia fish (n = 120) were randomly allocated into four groups, including the control group fed on a basal diet for 6 weeks (F6), group A starved for 1 week and then refed for 5 weeks (S1F5), group B starved for 2 weeks and then refed for 4 weeks (S2F4), while group C starved for 4 weeks and then refed for 2 weeks (S4F2). Fasting provoked a decrease in body weight coincided with more extended starvation periods. Also, it induced muscle and liver histological alterations; the severity was correlated with the length of fasting periods. Gene expression levels of GH, MSTN, MYOG, and NPYa were significantly increased, while IGF1 was markedly depressed in fasted fish compared to the control group. Interestingly, refeeding after well-planned short fasting period (S1F5) modulated the histopathological alterations. To some extent, these changes were restored after refeeding. Restored IGF-I and opposing fasting expression profiles of the genes mentioned above thus recovered weights almost like the control group and achieved satisfactory growth compensation. Conversely, refeeding following more extended fasting periods failed to restore body weight. In conclusion, refeeding after fasting can induce a compensatory response. Still, the restoration capacity is dependent on the length of fasting and refeeding periods through exhibiting differential morphological structure and expressions pattern for muscle and growth-related genes.

Determination of pholcodine alone or in combination with ephedrine in human plasma using fluorescence spectroscopy

In this study, sensitive, facile, and cost-effective spectrofluorimetric approaches were developed for the determination of pholcodine and ephedrine. Method I is a novel spectrofluorimetric method depending on measuring the native fluorescence of pholcodine at 337 nm after excitation at 284 nm over a concentration range of 0.01-2.4 μg/mL. The method sensitivity reached quantitation and detection limits down to 10.0 and 5.0 ng/mL, respectively. Method II relied on the simultaneous estimation of pholcodine and ephedrine using synchronous fluorimetry for the first time. The cited drugs were measured concurrently at 286 and 304 nm for pholcodine and ephedrine, respectively at Δλ of 40 nm without interference. Excellent linear relationship between concentration and response was obtained over the ranges of 0.05-6.0 μg/mL and 0.02-1.0 μg/mL for pholcodine and ephedrine, respectively. The method showed distinct sensitivity and exhibited quantitation limits of 20.0 and 10.0 ng/mL and detection limits of 10.0 and 5.0 ng/mL, respectively. The method was successfully applied to the syrup dosage form. The two developed approaches were also applied to in-vitro plasma samples, showing good bioanalytical applicability and providing further insights for monitoring drug abuse. The proposed methods were validated according to ICHQ2(R1) guidelines. The proposed methodologies' greenness profiles were evaluated using two greenness assessment tools.

The optimized inclusion level of Bacillus subtilis fermented Azolla pinnata in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) diets: immunity, antioxidative status, intestinal digestive enzymes and histomorphometry, and disease resistance

A 95-day feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the outcomes of feeding Bacillus subtilis fermented Azolla (BSFA) on nonspecific immunity, antioxidative status, intestinal digestive enzymes and histomorphometry, and disease resistance in the Nile tilapia. We formulated five isonitrogenous and isocaloric experimental diets to incorporate BSFA at level of (0%, 15%, 30%, 45%, 60%). The growth performance parameters (FBW, BWG, SGR, PER, and FCR) revealed a significant increase in the BSFA30 tilapia group compared to the control group followed by BSFA45 (P < 0.05). The BSFA30 group exhibited the highest nonspecific immunity parameters including (lysozyme activity, phagocytic index, and phagocytic activity) compared to other groups (P < 0.05). SOD and GPx reported the highest values in the BSFA60 group. Nile tilapia carcass composition was not influenced by BSFA inclusion level (P > 0.05). Interestingly, Nile tilapia fed with BSFA15 diet exhibited the highest protease activity level (P < 0.05), while those fed on BSFA30 documented the highest amylase activity. Intestinal histomorphology was significantly enhanced with the gradual increase of administrated BSFA. Regarding the tilapia disease resistance against Aeromonas septicemia, BSFA significantly diminished the cumulative mortality compared to the control group. To sum up, BSFA was more effective in improving the growth performance and immunity of Nile tilapia.

The antioxidant responses of gills, intestines and livers and blood immunity of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) exposed to salinity and temperature stressors

Aquaculture activity is affected by various environmental factors, including water salinity and high temperatures. The present study investigated the impact of using varying water salinity (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 ppt) on the growth behavior, immune responses and antioxidative responses of common carp. Fish were raised under optimal conditions except for water salinity for 8 weeks; fish were then subjected to high-temperature stress (32 °C) for 48 h. The results indicated a reduced final weight (FBW), weight gain (WG), specific growth rate (SGR), condition factor (CF), feed intake and feed efficiency ratio (FER) in common carp reared in 15 and 20 ppt (p < 0.05). The lowest FBW, WG, SGR, CF, feed intake and FER values were observed in fish reared in 20 ppt water salinity (p < 0.05). In gills, the superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were markedly decreased, but malondialdehyde (MDA) levels increased in fish challenged with 15 and 20 ppt before they were subjected to heat stress (p < 0.05). After heat stress, the SOD, CAT and GPx were decreased, and the MDA increased in fish reared in varying salinity levels (p < 0.05). Before heat stress, the intestinal SOD, CAT and GPx markers were decreased by 15 and 20 ppt, while the MDA level was increased by 15 and 20 ppt (p < 0.05). Generally, heat stress lowered the SOD, CAT and GPx activity in the intestines and liver tissues but increased MDA levels in common carp stressed by varying salinity levels (p < 0.05). The most decreased lysozyme activity, SOD, CAT and GPx and increased MDA levels were observed in common carp exposed to 20 ppt before and after heat stress (p < 0.05). After heat stress, fish exposed to 15 and 20 ppt had lower NBT than the remaining groups, and fish exposed to 20 ppt had the lowest values (p < 0.05). Overall, the heat stress markedly suppressed the antioxidant and immune responses of common carp reared in hypersalinity conditions.