Human Defensins: Structure, Function, and Potential as Therapeutic Antimicrobial Agents with Highlights Against SARS CoV-2.

The human defensins are a group of cationic antimicrobial peptides that range in size from 2 to 5 kDa and share a common structural motif of six disulphide-linked cysteines. Several naturally occurring human α- and β-defensins have been identified over the past two decades. They have a wide variety of antimicrobial effects, and their potential to avoid the development of resistance to antimicrobial treatment makes them attractive as therapeutic agents.

Survival analysis based on an enhanced Rayleigh-inverted Weibull model.

This study proposes a two-parameter survival model based on the Kavya-Manoharan transformation family and the Rayleigh-inverted Weibull distribution, the so-called Kavya-Manoharan-Rayleigh inverted Weibull distribution (KMRIWD). Various reliability measures and statistical properties of this distribution are analyzed. The parameters of the distribution are estimated using the maximum likelihood method and different sampling techniques.

Experimental Investigation of the Optical Nonlinearity of Laser-Ablated Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles Using Femtosecond Laser Light Pulses.

In this report, the nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO NPs) have been explored experimentally using femtosecond laser light along with the Z-scan approach. The synthesis of TiO NPs was carried out in distilled water through nanosecond second harmonic Nd:YAG laser ablation. Characterization of the TiO NPs colloids was conducted using UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), inductively coupled plasma (ICP), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX).

Management of a ciprofloxacin as a contaminant of emerging concern in water using microalgaebioremediation: mechanism, modeling, and kinetic studies.

Pharmaceutical residues, now recognized as a new category of environmental pollutants, have potentially risks to both ecosystems and human health effects. Recently, biosorption has emerged as one of the most promising strategies for managing these pharmaceutical wastes in water. Nevertheless, the environmental impact of the adsorbents presents a challenge to the advancement of this process.

TLC densitometric approach for concurrent determination of quinary mixture for treatment of migraine with appraisal to method greenness and whiteness.

A new accurate, precise thin layer chromatographic (TLC densitometric) approach was developed for the simultaneous analysis of ergotamine tartrate (ERG), phenobarbital sodium (PHEN), caffeine anhydrous (CAF), dipyrone sodium (DIP) and meprobamate (MEP) in their pure form and in their combined formulation; (MIGRANIL tablets). TLC separation depended on using a stationary phase of TLC plates F (20 × 10 cm) and using a developing system of ethyl acetate: methanol: n- hexane (8:2:3, by volume) with UV scanning at 254 nm for ERG, PHEN, CAF and DIP. For MEP, detection was done at 560 nm after spraying with 0.

Shear capacity of corrugated web steel beams strengthened with CFRP strips.

In recent years, there has been significant advancement in strengthening techniques for steel structures using carbon-fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP). While numerous studies have focused on CFRP strengthening of steel beams with flat webs, similar investigations on corrugated web steel beams (CWSBs) remain limited despite their increasing application in various steel structures. This study presents numerical and analytical investigations aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of CFRP strengthening for CWSBs and developing a design procedure to predict the shear buckling capacity of strengthened CWSBs.

Therapeutic effects of mesenchymal stem cell conditioned media on streptozotocin-induced diabetes in Wistar rats.

Cell-based therapy is a new direction of treatment of diseases such as type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM); but unfortunately, its severe side effects include immunogenicity and tumor development. Using Mesenchymal stem cells conditioned medium (MSCs-CM) may be an alternative therapy to avoid stem cell risks, preserving effectiveness and demonstrating noticeably increased levels of cytokines, angiogenic factors, and growth factors that encourage and support regenerative processes. In the current work, we examined the effects of MSCs-CM injected in tail vein and pancreas directly compared with the standard antidiabetic drug, glimepiride in streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetic rats.

A new extended Fréchet model with different estimation methods and applications.

In this study, we introduce a new extension of the Fréchet distribution known as the new extended Fréchet (NE_Fr) model. The NE_Fr is created by combining the new extended family of distributions and the Fréchet distribution. The NE_Fr has more flexibility than the classical Fréchet distribution and some generalizations of the Fréchet distribution.

Undergraduate nursing students' perspectives of trauma-informed care in pediatric nursing: A cross-sectional Egyptian study.

Introduction: Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) is a critical approach in pediatric nursing, addressing the unique challenges and high trauma susceptibility in children. Including TIC in nursing education aims to equip students with the necessary skills for empathetic and efficient care, enhancing patient outcomes and professional competence. This study investigates the perspectives of undergraduate pediatric nursing students on TIC.

Insights into Recent Advancements in Human and Animal Rotavirus Vaccines: Exploring New Frontiers.

Rotavirus infections cause severe gastroenteritis and dehydration in young children and animals worldwide, leading to high rates of morbidity and mortality, predominantly in low- and middle-income countries. In the past decade, substantial progress has been made in the development and implementation of rotavirus vaccines, which have been essential in alleviating the global burden of this disease, not only in human being but also in livestock species like calves and piglets, where these infections can cause significant economic losses. By synthesizing the latest research and real-world evidence, this review article is designated to provide deep insights into the current state of rotavirus vaccine technology and its global implementation as well as the application of rotavirus vaccines in veterinary settings and their importance in controlling zoonotic transmission and maintaining food security.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Physical Therapy Clinical Practice in Egypt: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was an expanding pandemic caused by a new strain of the coronavirus family known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). No previous studies have examined the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on physical therapy practice in Egypt. Objectives This study aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on physical therapy clinical practice in Egypt five months after the pandemic declaration.

An extended Rayleigh Weibull model with actuarial measures and applications.

In this article, we discuss a new extension of the Rayleigh-Weibull model using the Marshall-Olkin family of distributions. The proposed model is called the Marshall-Olkin-Rayleigh-Weibull (MORW) model. Various statistical properties of the MORW distribution are discussed, including explicit expressions for quantiles, moments, incomplete and conditional moments, some inequality measures, moment generating function, moments of the residual and reversed residual life, the Rényi entropy, and order statistics.

Innovative quantum dots-based SERS for ultrasensitive reporting of contaminants in food: Fundamental concepts and practical implementations.

Food contamination poses serious health risks, compelling the discovery of new methods to guarantee regulatory compliance and build consumer conviction. Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) has come into sight as a sophisticated approach for the ultrasensitive discovery of toxins in food and water, proposing non-destructive, quick, and precise analysis. Instantaneously, quantum dots (QDs) are astonishing nanomaterials, characterized by distinctive attributes such as quantum confinement and optical photostability.

Intranasal trimethyl chitosan-coated emulsomes containing tizanidine as brain-targeted therapy in spasticity: formulation, optimization, and pharmacokinetic assessment.

Tizanidine HCl (TZN) is an FDA-approved medication for treating spasticity. However, its oral administration presents obstacles to its efficacy, as it has a short duration of action and a low rate of absorption into the circulation (less than 40%) due to its rapid breakdown in the liver. In addition, its hydrophilic properties limit its capacity to cross the blood-brain barrier, thereby prohibiting it from reaching the central nervous system, where it can exert its intended therapeutic effects.

Exploring the Neuroprotective Effects of Rufinamide in a Streptozotocin-Induced Dementia Model.

Due to the complex pathophysiology of AD (Alzheimer's Disease), there are currently no effective clinical treatments available, except for acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. However, CREB (cyclic AMP-responsive element binding protein) has been identified as the critical factor for the transcription in memory formation. Understanding the effect of potential drugs on the CREB pathway could lead to the development of new therapeutic molecules.

Anti-carcinogenic effects and mechanisms of actions of fruit peel hydroethanolic extract and limonene in diethylnitrosmine/2-acetylaminofluorene-induced hepatocellular carcinoma in Wistar rats.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third most common cause of cancer death and disability in the world. Citrus species and their constituents have many biological activities including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties. This study aimed to assess the anti-carcinogenic effects and postulate the possible mechanisms of action for Citrus limon fruit peel hydroethanolic extract (CLFPHE) and limonene in diethylnitrosamine (DEN)/2-acetylaminofluorene (2AAF)-induced HCC in male Wistar rats.

Prognostic impact of matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) in Egyptian breast cancer patients.

This study aims to investigate the diagnostic and prognostic relevance of MMP-2 and MMP-9 as biomarkers for breast cancer, as well as their association with clinicopathological factors. Breast cancer is a leading contributor to cancer-related deaths among women worldwide. The discovery of biomarkers is crucial for early diagnosis, outcome prediction, and effective treatment.

Efficacy of probiotics regimens for Helicobacter pylori eradication: A systematic review, pairwise, and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection increases the risks of chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer diseases, and the incidence of gastric cancer. However, antibiotic resistance and adverse effects led to the emergence of alternative treatments such as probiotics supplementation.

MXene-encapsulated ZIF-8@Liposomes for NIR-enhanced photothermal therapy in hepatocellular carcinoma treatment: In vitro, in vivo, and in silico study.

Photothermal therapy (PTT) utilizes near-infrared (NIR) light to enhance localized, non-invasive cancer treatments and drug delivery systems (DDS). Combination chemotherapy with PTT (chemo-PTT) offers multiple therapeutic advantages, involving synergistic effects, reduced side effects, and decreased drug toxicity. In this study, 2D titanium carbide (TiCT) MXene nanosheets were encapsulated in a zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) to form (MX-ZIF-8) nanoparticles (NPs) for PTT applications.

Screening for Variants in Egyptian Patients with Pontocerebellar Malformations.

Introduction: Pontocerebellar hypoplasia (PCH) represents a group of rare disorders with prenatal onset and time-dependent loss of brain parenchyma, predominantly affecting the cerebellum and pons with variable involvement of supratentorial structures. Radiologically and pathologically, they are characterized by small cerebellum and pons. Our study aimed to screen for the gene variants in Egyptian patients with PCH for proper counseling and to describe the brain MRI and the clinical phenotype and compare, them to those described in the literature.

Optimizing power sharing accuracy in low voltage DC microgrids considering mismatched line resistances.

The main difficulties facing the operation of parallel converters in DC microgrids (DCMGs) are load sharing, circulation current, and bus voltage regulation. A droop controller is commonly used to control current sharing among parallel DC-DC converters due to its simplicity. However, the values of droop parameters impact both bus voltage regulation and the error in current sharing among converters.

Analysis of vericiguat via ion-pairing with eosin Y as a spectrofluorimetric and spectrophotometric probe: Application to content uniformity test.

Using spectroscopy, quick and sensitive analytical methods based on Eosin Y ion pairing were developed and assessed in order to determine vericiguat with high selectivity and sensitivity. The drug is used for treating symptomatic chronic heart failure (HF), The quenching impact of vericiguat on the Eosin Y's fluorescence at a pH 3.3, in 0.

Oxyresveratrol and/or Dapagliflozin Attenuate Doxorubicin-Induced Nephrotoxicity via Modulation of PPAR-γ/Nrf-2/HO-1, NF-κB/TNF-α/Keap-1, and Bcl-2/Caspase-3/ATG-5 signaling pathways in rats.

Purpose: Among the most undesirable effects that lead to the restriction of doxorubicin (DOX) use in chemotherapy is kidney damage. This research aimed to assess the possible defenses against DOX-induced nephrotoxicity offered by oxyresveratrol (ORES) and/or dapagliflozin (DAPA).

Methods: Five groups of eight male Swiss albino rats each were created from a total of sixty-four.