Comparison of modeling, optimization, and prediction of important parameters in the adsorption of cefixime onto sol-gel derived carbon aerogel and modified with nickel using ANN, RSM, GA, and SOLVER methods.

Today, the main goal of many researchers is the use of high-performance, economically and industrially justified materials, as well as recyclable materials in removing organic and dangerous pollutants. For this purpose, sol-gel derived carbon aerogel modified with nickel (SGCAN) was used to remove Cefixime from aqueous solutions. The influence of important parameters in the cefixime adsorption onto SGCAN was modeled and optimized using artificial neural network (ANN), response surface methodology (RSM), genetic algorithm (GA), and SOLVER methods.

Deep Learning and Antibiotic Resistance.

Antibiotic resistance (AR) is a naturally occurring phenomenon with the capacity to render useless all known antibiotics in the fight against bacterial infections. Although bacterial resistance appeared before any human life form, this process has accelerated in the past years. Important causes of AR in modern times could be the over-prescription of antibiotics, the presence of faulty infection-prevention strategies, pollution in overcrowded areas, or the use of antibiotics in agriculture and farming, together with a decreased interest from the pharmaceutical industry in researching and testing new antibiotics.

Local Tree Diversity Suppresses Foliar Fungal Infestation and Decreases Morphological But Not Molecular Richness in a Young Subtropical Forest.

Leaf fungal pathogens alter their host species' performance and, thus, changes in fungal species composition can translate into effects at the tree community scale. Conversely, the functional diversity of tree species in a host tree's local neighbourhood can affect the host's foliar fungal infestation. Therefore, understanding the factors that affect fungal infestations is important to advance our understanding of biodiversity-ecosystem functioning (BEF) relationships.

Exopolysaccharide-peptide complex from oyster mushroom () protects against hepatotoxicity in rats.

Liver damage involves oxidative stress and a progression from chronic hepatitis to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The increased incidence of liver disease in Egypt and other countries in the last decade, coupled with poor prognosis, justify the critical need to introduce alternative chemopreventive agents that may protect against liver damage. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of exopolysaccharide-peptide (PSP) complex extracted from as a hepatoprotective agent against diethylnitrosamine (DEN)/carbon tetrachloride (CCL)-induced hepatocellular damage in rats.

Sludge nematodes, cestodes, and trematodes eggs variation from lagooning, activated sludge and infiltration-percolation wastewater treatment system under semi-arid climate.

The prevalence and the identification of the helminth eggs load of raw sewage sludge was assessed of three different wastewater treatment systems. The results showed a variety of parasite species with following average concentrations; five taxa belonging to three classes nematodes, cestodes and trematodes were inventoried. The class of nematodes is the most diverse with 5 taxa.

Investigation into the antioxidant role of arginine in the treatment and the protection for intralipid-induced non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.

Background: This study investigated the possible roles of arginine (Arg) in ameliorating oxidative damage of intralipid (IL)-induced steatohepatitis (NASH).

Methods: NASH was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats by intravenous administration of 20 % IL for three weeks and then rats were pre- and post-treated with intraperitoneal injection of Arg for two weeks. Several biochemical parameters (blood and hepatic lipid peroxidation, glutathione, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase, hepatic cytochrome P450 2El monooxygenase (CYP2E1), nitric oxide (NO), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and tumor necrosis factor-α "TNF-α") and liver histopathology were detected for rat groups.

Detection of new point mutations of BRCA1 and BRCA2 in breast cancer patients.

This study included 20 selected female patients with breast cancer, 30 of their female relatives (sisters and daughters), and 10 healthy females as a control group. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood lymphocytes of all the subjects, and the polymerase chain reaction was carried out using specific primers for BRCA1 (exons 2 and 8) and BRCA2 (exons 9, 11, and 21). The mutations were detected using a single-strand conformation polymorphism assay and heteroduplex analysis.

Schizophyllan inhibits the development of mammary and hepatic carcinomas induced by 7,12 dimethylbenz(α)anthracene and decreases cell proliferation: comparison with tamoxifen.

Background: Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer mortality among women. Some anticancer compounds have been isolated from mushrooms. The aim of the present work was to study the anticancer effects of schizophyllan (SCH), a β-D: -glucan extracted from the mushroom Schizophyllum commune alone or in combination with tamoxifen (TAM) on 7, 12 Dimethylbenz(α)anthracene (DMBA)-induced carcinomas in mice.

Garlic constituent diallyl trisulfide induced apoptosis in MCF7 human breast cancer cells.

Identification of agents that are nontoxic but can delay onset and/or progression of breast cancer, which is the main leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women, is highly desirable. Garlic-derived organosulfur compounds (OSCs) have highly effective antitumor effects, but the mechanism has yet to be investigated. The aim of the present study was undertaken to examine the effect of diallyl trisulfide (DATS), a promising cancer chemopreventive constituent of garlic, on growth of two cell lines respectively, MCF-7 human breast cancer cells and nontumorigenic MCF-12a mammary epithelial cells.

A combination therapy with copper nicotinate complex reduces the adverse effects of 5-fluorouracil on patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) as chemotherapy in cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), was found to initiate hepatotoxic injuries, ascites, leucopenia, thrombocytopenia and myelosupression that limit its use. Therefore, this work was conducted to investigate whether the combination of copper (I)-nicotinate complex [CuCl (HNA)2] with 5-FU may overcome such a drug resistance. Forty-eight patients with HCC were therapy-naïve and treated with 5-FU (12 mg/kg/day) for 5 days in 2 cycles with 4 weeks in between.

A bradykinin potentiating peptide from Egyptian cobra venom strongly affects rat atrium contractile force and cellular calcium regulation.

Peptide fractions were isolated from venoms of the Egyptian snake Naja haje haje (cobra BPP) and the scorpions Buthus occitanus (BPP(B)) and Leirus quenquestriatus (BPP(L)). The pharmacological effects of these peptides were bioassayed and showed bradykinin potentiating activities. Amino acid analysis revealed that 14 amino acids contribute to the structure of BPP(B) and 16 for BPP(L), while cobra BPP was composed of 15 amino acids.

A scorpion venom peptide fraction induced prostaglandin biosynthesis in guinea pig kidneys: incorporation of 14C-linoleic acid.

A peptide fraction isolated from the venom of the Egyptian scorpion Buthus occitanus was proved to have a bradykinin- potentiating activity. In vivo and in vitro modes of action of the isolated bradykinin-potentiating peptide (BPP) on kidneys of guinea pigs were investigated. Animals received five successive i.

Adult oncology and chronically ill patients: comparison of depression, anxiety and caregivers' quality of life.

A diagnosis of cancer can be devastating for patients and their loved ones. We compared the intensity of anxiety and depression for 30 terminally ill cancer patients and 30 chronically ill patients and the quality of life of their most attendant caregivers. Hamilton depression and anxiety scales were used with the patients and the quality of life scale (family) was used with the caregivers.

Neurobehavioral effects of carotid endarterectomy.

Objective: Nineteen patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis (>70%) were subjected to carotid endarterectomy in a prospective study to evaluate neurobehavioral changes before and 6 months following the operation.

Methods: All patients were subjected to neurobehavioral rating scale one week before and 6 months after the operation.

Results: There were no significant changes in the 27 items of this scale before and 6 months following the operation.

Neurobehavioral effects of carotid endarterectomy.

Objective: Nineteen patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis (>70%) were subjected to carotid endarterectomy in a prospective study to evaluate neurobehavioral changes before and 6 months following the operation.

Methods: All patients were subjected to neurobehavioral rating scale one week before and 6 months after the operation.

Results: There were no significant changes in the 27 items of this scale before and 6 months following the operation.

Selective inhibition of selenocysteine tRNA maturation and selenoprotein synthesis in transgenic mice expressing isopentenyladenosine-deficient selenocysteine tRNA.

Selenocysteine (Sec) tRNA (tRNA([Ser]Sec)) serves as both the site of Sec biosynthesis and the adapter molecule for donation of this amino acid to protein. The consequences on selenoprotein biosynthesis of overexpressing either the wild type or a mutant tRNA([Ser]Sec) lacking the modified base, isopentenyladenosine, in its anticodon loop were examined by introducing multiple copies of the corresponding tRNA([Ser]Sec) genes into the mouse genome. Overexpression of wild-type tRNA([Ser]Sec) did not affect selenoprotein synthesis.

Multiple levels of regulation of selenoprotein biosynthesis revealed from the analysis of human glioma cell lines.

To gain a better understanding of the biological consequences of the exposure of tumor cells to selenium, we evaluated the selenium-dependent responses of two selenoproteins (glutathione peroxidase and the recently characterized 15-kDa selenoprotein) in three human glioma cell lines. Protein levels, mRNA levels, and the relative distribution of the two selenocysteine tRNA isoacceptors (designated mcm(5)U and mcm(5)Um) were determined for standard as well as selenium-supplemented conditions. The human malignant glioma cell lines D54, U251, and U87 were maintained in normal or selenium-supplemented (30 nM sodium selenite) conditions.

Overproduction of selenocysteine tRNA in Chinese hamster ovary cells following transfection of the mouse tRNA[Ser]Sec gene.

Selenocysteine insertion during selenoprotein biosynthesis begins with the aminoacylation of selenocysteine tRNA[ser]sec with serine, the conversion of the serine moiety to selenocysteine, and the recognition of specific UGA codons within the mRNA. Selenocysteine tRNA[ser]sec exists as two major forms, differing by methylation of the ribose portion of the nucleotide at the wobble position of the anticodon. The levels and relative distribution of these two forms of the tRNA are influenced by selenium in mammalian cells and tissues.

The protective effect of copper complexes against gastric mucosal ulcer in rats.

The study examines the anti-ulcer activity of Cu(I)-(nicotinic acid)2Cl [CuCl(HNA)2]. A dose of 8 mg (23 mumol) of complex/kg body mass was suspended in 0.25% Tween-80 in saline solution and administered intragastrically to male Wistar albino rats which had developed gastric ulcers as a result of pyloric ligation (Shay-rat model).

A spectrophotometric assay for lipid peroxides in serum lipoproteins using a commercially available reagent.

A method is described for measuring lipid peroxides by means of the color reagent of a commercially available test kit for cholesterol estimation. In principle, this assay makes use of the oxidative capacity of lipid peroxides to convert iodide to iodine, which can be measured photometrically at 365 nm. Calibration curves were obtained using peroxides such as H2O2, t-butyl hydroperoxide, and cumene hydroperoxide.