Enhancing tomato plant immune responses to Fusarium wilt disease by red seaweed Jania sp.

The novelty of this study lies in demonstrating a new approach to control wilt diseases using Jania ethyl acetate extract. In the current investigation, the potential impacts of Jania sp. ethyl acetate extract (JE) on Tomato Fusarium oxysporum wilt (FOW) have been studied.

Association of PLCE1 (rs7922612) and COL4A3 (rs375290088) Genetic Variants with the Risk of Nephrotic Syndrome in Egyptian Pediatric Patients.

Nephrotic syndrome is one of the most prevalent pediatric kidney illnesses seen in pediatric nephrology clinics. Steroid resistance in children with nephrotic syndrome is a primary cause of renal failure and is characterized by nephrotic range proteinuria that does not respond to conventional steroid therapy. The current work was intended to investigate the possible role of the Phospholipase C epsilon 1 (rs7922612) and collagen4 alpha 3 (rs375290088) single nucleotide polymorphisms as risk factors for developing nephrotic syndrome among Egyptian children.

Serum angiopoietin-2: a promising biomarker for early diabetic kidney disease in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

Albuminuria has been considered the golden standard biomarker for diabetic kidney disease (DKD), but appears once significant kidney damage has already occurred. Angiopoietin-2 (Angpt-2) has been implicated in the development and progression of DKD in adults. We aimed to explore the association of serum Angpt-2 levels with DKD in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) of short duration (3-5 years) and to evaluate the predictive power of serum Angpt-2 in the early detection of DKD prior to the microalbuminuric phase.

Nervous System Response to Neurotrauma: A Narrative Review of Cerebrovascular and Cellular Changes After Neurotrauma.

Neurotrauma is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. For instance, traumatic brain injury (TBI) causes more than 30% of all injury-related deaths in the USA annually. The underlying cause and clinical sequela vary among cases.

Painful Small Fiber Neuropathy Associated With Teriflunomide: A Case Series and Literature Review Related to Teriflunomide and Leflunomide.

Teriflunomide and its prodrug, leflunomide, are disease-modifying medications used to treat relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), respectively. Peripheral neuropathy is a rare side effect associated with both medications, although the incidence rate and exact pathological mechanism remain unknown. We present a retrospective case series of three patients with RRMS, who developed painful small fiber neuropathy at various timeframes (<6 months, one year, and four years, respectively) while on teriflunomide treatment (14 mg/day); we also engage in a literature review of small and large fiber neuropathy associated with teriflunomide and leflunomide use.

Somatosensory Auras in Epilepsy: A Narrative Review of the Literature.

An aura is a subjective experience felt in the initial phase of a seizure. Studying auras is relevant as they can be warning signs for people with epilepsy. The incidence of aura tends to be underestimated due to misdiagnosis or underrecognition by patients unless it progresses to motor features.

The Potential Impact of MYH9 (rs3752462) and ELMO1 (rs741301) Genetic Variants on the Risk of Nephrotic Syndrome Incidence.

The kidney lost a lot of protein in the urine when you have nephrotic syndrome (NS). Clinical manifestations mostly common in NS include massive proteinuria, hypoalbuminemia, hyperlipidemia, and edema. Idiopathic nephrotic syndrome is currently classified into steroid-dependent (SDNS) and steroid-resistant (SRNS) based on the initial response to corticosteroid therapy at presentation.

Phosphogypsum and poultry manure enhance diversity of soil fauna, soil fertility, and barley (Hordeum aestivum L.) grown in calcareous soils.

Enrichment of calcareous soils with phosphogypsum and poultry manure amendments could increase nutrient availability, improve calcareous chemical characteristics, and enhance barley plant growth. In the current study, phosphogypsum (PG) and poultry manure (PM) were used to determine the effects of PG and PM application on soil fauna diversity, soil fertility, and barley yield. The pot experiment treatments were: C: control; PG1: 4.

Aquaporin-4 IgG antibodies: predictors of positivity and their relationship with neuropsychiatric disorders and white matter lesions in Juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus.

Background: This study aimed to describe the prevalence of the various clinical features and severity of juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (jSLE) and to assess predictors of AQP4-Ab positivity in jSLE. In addition, we assessed the relationship of AQP4-Abs with neuropsychiatric disorders and white matter lesions in jSLE.

Method: For 90 patients with jSLE, demographic data, clinical manifestations, and treatments received were recorded, and all of the patients were underwent clinical examinations, including assessments for the neurological manifestations of jSLE and neuropsychiatric disorders; Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) score evaluations; laboratory investigations, including serum AQP4-Ab assays; and 1.

Post-infectious Painful Sensory Neuronopathy Following Giardia Infection Responsive to Intravenous Immunoglobulin Treatment.

Sensory neuronopathy is a rare pure sensory disorder with characteristic clinical features of early-onset ataxia and a multifocal distribution of non-length-dependent sensory deficits. Diabetes is the most common cause of length-dependent peripheral neuropathy. However, in acute to subacute presentations, conditions such as autoimmune diseases, paraneoplastic syndrome, exposure to toxins, and viral infection could be common etiologies.

Nanocomposite Hydrogels Containing Few-Layer Graphene Sheets Prepared through Noncovalent Exfoliation Show Improved Mechanical Properties.

Hydrogels show great potential as soft materials for biomedical applications and flexible devices. However, conventional hydrogels exhibit poor mechanical strengths owing to the presence of water in their polymer networks. Therefore, improving the mechanical properties of hydrogels by controlling the chemical and physical structures that affect their macroscopic behaviors is a challenging issue.

Clinicopathological Impact of Gene Polymorphism of Nephrin and Glucocorticoid Receptor Genes in Egyptian Children with Nonfamilial Nephrotic Syndrome.

Idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (NS) is one of the most common primary glomerular diseases in children. In this study, we investigate the association of single-nucleotide polymorphisms of nephrin gene and glucocorticoid receptor gene (NR3C1) and susceptibility to develop NS and the response to steroid therapy in 100 Egyptian children with NS using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. We also analyzed the correlation between the genotypes and clinicopathologic features of the patients.

Neutralizing antibody activity against 21 SARS-CoV-2 variants in older adults vaccinated with BNT162b2.

SARS-CoV-2 variants may threaten the effectiveness of vaccines and antivirals to mitigate serious COVID-19 disease. This is of most concern in clinically vulnerable groups such as older adults. We analysed 72 sera samples from 37 individuals, aged 70-89 years, vaccinated with two doses of BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) 3 weeks apart, for neutralizing antibody responses to wildtype SARS-CoV-2.

Pseudotyped Bat Coronavirus RaTG13 is efficiently neutralised by convalescent sera from SARS-CoV-2 infected patients.

RaTG13 is a close relative of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, sharing 96% sequence similarity at the genome-wide level. The spike receptor binding domain (RBD) of RaTG13 contains a number of amino acid substitutions when compared to SARS-CoV-2, likely impacting affinity for the ACE2 receptor. Antigenic differences between the viruses are less well understood, especially whether RaTG13 spike can be efficiently neutralised by antibodies generated from infection with, or vaccination against, SARS-CoV-2.

Mutations that adapt SARS-CoV-2 to mink or ferret do not increase fitness in the human airway.

SARS-CoV-2 has a broad mammalian species tropism infecting humans, cats, dogs, and farmed mink. Since the start of the 2019 pandemic, several reverse zoonotic outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 have occurred in mink, one of which reinfected humans and caused a cluster of infections in Denmark. Here we investigate the molecular basis of mink and ferret adaptation and demonstrate the spike mutations Y453F, F486L, and N501T all specifically adapt SARS-CoV-2 to use mustelid ACE2.

Innate Immune Antagonism of Mosquito-Borne Flaviviruses in Humans and Mosquitoes.

Mosquito-borne viruses of the genus ( family) pose an ongoing threat to global public health. For example, dengue, Japanese encephalitis, West Nile, yellow fever, and Zika viruses are transmitted by infected mosquitoes and cause severe and fatal diseases in humans. The means by which mosquito-borne flaviviruses establish persistent infection in mosquitoes and cause disease in humans are complex and depend upon a myriad of virus-host interactions, such as those of the innate immune system, which are the main focus of our review.

Postdiarrheal hemolytic uremic syndrome in Egyptian children: An 11-year single-center experience.

Hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) is a leading cause of childhood acute kidney injury (AKI) worldwide, with its postdiarrheal (D+HUS) form being the most common. Scarce data are available regarding D+HUS epidemiology from developing countries. This study aims to reveal the characterization of D+ HUS in Egyptian children.

Understanding the Mechanisms Underlying Host Restriction of Insect-Specific Viruses.

Arthropod-borne viruses contribute significantly to global mortality and morbidity in humans and animals. These viruses are mainly transmitted between susceptible vertebrate hosts by hematophagous arthropod vectors, especially mosquitoes. Recently, there has been substantial attention for a novel group of viruses, referred to as insect-specific viruses (ISVs) which are exclusively maintained in mosquito populations.

Presentations, Causes and Outcomes of Drug-Induced Liver Injury in Egypt.

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a frequent cause of liver injury and acute liver failure. We aimed to review all hospitalized DILI cases in a tertiary Egyptian center from January 2015 through January 2016. Cases with elevated alanine aminotransferase more than 3-fold and/or alkaline phosphatase more than 2-fold the upper limit of normal value were prospectively recruited and followed for one year.

Intramolecular electron transfer of light harvesting perylene-pyrene supramolecular conjugate.

Electronic interactions between the cationic N,N'-bis(2(trimethylammonium iodide) ethylene)perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxyldiimide (TAIPDI) with two electron donors, namely, pyrene (Py) and 1-pyrenesulfonic acid sodium salt (PySA), have been investigated. The spectroscopic studies showed the formation of the supramolecular conjugate between TAIPDI and PySA via ionic interaction, but not with Py. Density functional theory (DFT) combined with a natural energy decomposition analysis (NEDA) technique showed an S-like structure of the supramolecular conjugate TAIPDI-PySA via an ionic interaction.

A subphthalocyanine-pyrene dyad: electron transfer and singlet oxygen generation.

A light harvesting subphthalocyanine-pyrene dyad has been synthesized and characterized by linking pyrene (Py) with subphthalocyanine (SubPc) at its axial position with the B-O bond through the para position of the benzene group. Upon photoexcitation at the pyrene unit of the dyad, an efficient electron transfer from the singlet-excited state of Py to SubPc was observed. The electron transfer features were also observed by exciting the SubPc entity, but with slower rates (∼10 s).

Spectroscopic and thermodynamic studies of light harvesting perylenediimide derivative - zinc porphyrin complex in aqueous media.

Self-assembly of perylene derivative such as N,N'-bis(2(trimethylammonium iodide) ethylene)perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxyldiimide (TAIPDI) can produce one-dimensional form (1D) in an aqueous media. The ability of one-dimensional TAIPDI to form light harvesting complex with water-soluble zinc porphyrin (ZnTPPS) via the π-π and electrostatic interactions has been described. Owing to electronic interactions between the π-systems, the complex formation is accompanied by pronounced absorption spectral changes in the UV/Vis absorption bands.

A light harvesting perylene derivative - zinc phthalocyanine complex in water: spectroscopic and thermodynamic studies.

A perylene derivative, namely N,N'-bis(2(trimethylammonium iodide)ethylene)perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxyldiimide (TAIPDI) forms nanoscale columnar stacks in water that have been characterized by using optical absorption and emission measurements, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). This behaviour was compared with that of unstacked TAIPDI in methanol. Assembly formation between the one-dimensional TAIPDI stacks and zinc phthalocyanine tetrasulphonic groups (ZnPcS) via strong π-π and ionic interactions has been described in an aqueous medium.

Ultrasound-guided spinal anesthesia for cesarean section in a parturient with spinal metastases.

Preprocedural spinal ultrasound appears to decrease the failure rate and complications of neuraxial anesthesia compared to the conventional landmark technique. It is especially beneficial in difficult cases where conventional palpation technique may fail. We recently encountered a parturient with multiple lumbar and cervical spinal metastatic lesions presenting for cesarean section in the third trimester.