Influence of the industrial pollutant on water quality, radioactivity levels, and biological communities in Ismailia Canal, Nile River, Egypt.

In the twenty-first century, numerous forms of pollution have adversely impacted freshwater and the entire aquatic ecosystem. The higher population density in urban areas also contributes to increased releases of substances and thermal contaminants, significantly stressing the ecosystem of industrial companies. This study aimed to assess the potential pressure of industrial and municipal activities on water quality, radioactivity levels, and biological diversity, focusing on the consequences of radionuclides on periphytic diatom communities. Furthermore, the environmental impact of pollutants will be evaluated to monitor the ecological condition of the Ismailia Canal. Chemical analyses employed various instruments and methods to identify and quantify matter, with radionuclide elements measured by gamma spectrometry and diatoms counted and identified by inverted microscopy. Our results revealed that the canal was classified as excellent for irrigation, aquatic life, and drinking water based on FAO, CCME, and EWQS water quality indices, with high nutrient levels at Abu Za'baal fertilizer company. The activity concentration of 226Ra-series, 232Th-series, and 40K in the water and sediment samples for two seasons was within the guideline values, except for a few stations in the zone [B] (the industrial zone). Fertilizer samples (raw material) showed a high value of the 226Ra-series activity. Diatom community structure significantly varied across the different canal locations regarding the presence or absence of industrial activities, with no discernible variations between the study seasons. A specific variety of algal species was found to be predominant at the highest radioactive sites. Redundancy analysis (RDA) showed a significant correlation between parameters (pH, Na, TDS, PO4, SO4, SiO2, K, and CO3), radionuclides, environmental conditions, and the composition of the diatom community, especially in the area affected by industrial discharges. Moreover, the radiological hazard index in water and sediment remained below the maximum for two seasons. This research provides valuable data and information for communities and decision-makers, suggesting the strategic use of phycoremediation as a water biotreatment process to protect the valuable economic resources of the Ismailia Canal.

Evaluation of the ecological health and food chain on the shores of four River Nile Islands, Egypt.

This study was conducted to evaluate the impact of human activities on the ecological health and food chain at the shores of four Nile Islands in Great Cairo including El-Qeratten, El-Waraq, El-Zamalek, and El-Manial. Water quality, bacteria, phytoplankton, benthic algae, zooplankton, macrobenthic invertebrates, and bony fishes were examined at each island shore over two seasons including the lowest and the highest flow (February and July 2020, respectively). The obtained results showed that the average values of most of the chemicals in Nile Island's water were within the Egyptian water quality limits. Discriminant analysis of physicochemical factors revealed a similarity between El-Waraq and El-Qerateen and between El-Manial and El-Zamalek. El-Qeratten was the most polluted island. It has the highest total and fecal coliform bacteria count (3.155 and 3.050 Log MPN/100 mL, respectively). El-Zamalek shores have the highest phytoplankton (33,582 cells × 104 L-1) and zooplankton count (310,891 organisms × m-3) and phyto-biochemical values. Biochemical analysis of phytoplankton demonstrated the richness of the bulk by protein (> 85% of biomass), indicating that phytoplankton has a high nutritional value. Elevated zooplankton count was recorded at El-Zamalek, which coincided with the peak of phytoplankton abundance. Mollusca were the dominant macrobenthic invertebrates on most of the island's shores. Bony fishes were represented by 27 species and two crustaceans. The levels of the metals in fish samples were compared with the food safety guideline endorsed by the World Health Organization and Food and Agriculture Organization (WHO/FAO) to evaluate the toxicity level.

The Role of Lung Ultrasound Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Review Article.

Lung Ultrasound (LUS) has evolved considerably over the last few years. The aim of the current review is to conduct a systematic review reported from a number of studies to show the usefulness of (LUS) and point of care ultrasound for diagnosing COVID-19. A systematic search of electronic data was conducted, including the national library of medicine, and the national institute of medicine, PubMed Central (PMC), to identify the articles published on (LUS) to monitor COVID-19. This review highlights the ultrasound findings reported in articles before the occurrence of the pandemic (11), clinical articles before COVID-19 (14), review studies during the pandemic (27), clinical cases during the pandemic (5) and other varying aims articles. The reviewed studies revealed that ultrasound findings can be used to help in the detection and staging of the disease. The common patterns observed included irregular and thickened A-lines, multiple B-lines ranging from focal to diffuse interstitial consolidation, and pleural effusion. Sub-plural consolidation is found to be associated with the progression of the disease and its complications. Pneumothorax was not recorded for COVID-19 patients. Further improvement in the diagnostic performance of (LUS) for COVID-19 patients can be achieved by using elastography, contrast-enhanced ultrasound, and power Doppler imaging.

Assessment of Her-2/neu gene amplification status in breast carcinoma with equivocal 2+ Her-2/neu immunostaining.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Amplification of Her-2/neu gene occurs in 25-30% of breast carcinomas. FDA approved trastuzumab (Herceptin) is effective only in tumors having the gene amplification. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) for Her-2/neu protein is widely used but false positive and false negative results exist. Fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) has both excellent sensitivity and specificity in detecting Her-2/neu amplification. Comparative studies have shown discordant results in proportion of cases with equivocal 2+ immunostain. This study is thus conducted to ascertain the frequency of Her-2/neu gene amplification by FISH in breast carcinoma specified as score 2+ by IHC and to correlate these findings with parameters of prognosis in breast cancer. METHODS: From October 2008 till May 2010 all paraffin blocks from cases with invasive breast carcinoma which were scored as 2+ by IHC were eligible for the study, there were 50 cases. Immunohistochemical evaluation of Her-2/neu was performed using the HercepTest. All cases were immunohistochemically evaluated for ER and PR. FISH was performed using FDA approved Path-Vysion Her-2/neu/CEP 17 dual color probe. RESULTS: Nine cases (18%) out of 50 cases scored as Her-2/neu 2+ by IHC showed true gene amplification with a median value of scoring ratio 4.28 ranging from 2.37 to 13.26. Another two cases showed low level of amplification but when corrected for Her-2/neu/CEP ratio they did not show true amplification as they were associated with polysomy 17. With the exception of tumor size, neither patient's age, histologic grade nor lymph node status were correlated with Her-2/neu gene amplification. Significant inverse correlation existed between Her-2/neu gene amplification and ER (P=0.01), PR status (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Even though FISH is a more complex and expensive procedure, it should be considered the method of choice for assessment of Her-2/neu gene status especially for equivocal cases by IHC that are not accompanied by true gene amplification in the majority of breast carcinoma cases.