Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding Flatfoot in the Al-Jouf Region, Saudi Arabia.

Background Flatfoot is a syndrome that includes multiple static and dynamic deformities, characterized by the flattening of the medial arch. It is a common disorder that may affect any age group, causing foot malalignment, pain, and loss of function. Community awareness about flatfoot is essential for the prevention and control of flatfoot complications, ultimately improving the quality of life. The current study aimed to assess community knowledge and attitudes about flatfoot in the Al-Jouf region, Saudi Arabia. Methods The study enrolled 315 participants from different sectors of the Saudi population in the Al-Jouf region. An online questionnaire was distributed to them. Answers were scored on a scale of five (never "1", rarely "2", sometimes "3", often "4", always "5"). The level of their knowledge was determined by calculating the scores. Results There were significant disparities in the answers, with the majority of participants denying the effect of flatfoot on walking (135, 42.9%), running (123, 39%), standing for long periods (186, 59%), or causing tripping. More than half of the participants agreed that flatfoot never affects school activities or participation in clubs or activities after school. However, most participants showed a good attitude toward individuals with flatfoot, as they were not bothered by their way of walking (199, 63.2%) or how their foot or ankle looks (255, 80.9%), and never embarrassed them because of their foot or ankle (266, 84.5%). Most participants agreed that no one has the right to be unkind to them because of their foot or ankle (276, 87.5%). These positive attitudes are likely due to the cultural norms of the community. Conclusion There is a decreased level of awareness about the effects of flatfoot on daily physical activities among the Saudi population in the Al-Jouf region. However, their attitude toward people suffering from flatfoot is highly appreciated. Health education programs are recommended.

Ti3C2Tx MXene reinforcement: a nickel-vanadium selenide/MXene based multi-component composite as a battery-type electrode for supercapacitor applications.

Designing innovative microstructures and implementing efficient multicomponent strategies are still challenging to achieve high-performance and chemo-mechanically stable electrode materials. Herein, a hierarchical three-dimensional (3D) graphene oxide (GO) assisted Ti3C2Tx MXene aerogel foam (MXene-GAF) impregnated with battery-type bimetallic nickel vanadium selenide (NiVSe) has been prepared through a hydrothermal method followed by freeze-drying (denoted as NiVSe-MXene-GAF). 3D-oriented cellular pore networks benefit the energy storage process through the effective lodging of NiVSe particles, improving the access of the electrolyte to the active sites, and alleviating volume changes during redox reactions. The 3D MXene-GAF conductive matrix and heterostructured interface of MXene-rGO and NiVSe facilitated the rapid transport of electrical charges and ions during the charge-discharge process. As a result of the synergism of these effects, NiVSe-MXene-GAF exhibited remarkable electrochemical performance with a specific capacity of 305.8 mA h g-1 at 1 A g-1 and 99.2% initial coulombic efficiency. The NiVSe-MXene-GAF electrode delivered a specific capacity of 235.1 mA h g-1 even at a high current density of 12 A g-1 with a 76.8% rate performance. The impedance measurements indicated a low bulk solution resistance (Rs = 0.71 Ω) for NiVSe-MXene-GAF. Furthermore, the structural robustness of NiVSe-MXene-GAF guaranteed long-term stability with a 91.7% capacity retention for successive 7000 cycles. Thus, developing NiVSe-MXene-GAF provides a progressive strategy for fabricating high-performance 3D heterostructured electrode materials for energy storage applications.

Effect of Cytokeratin-18, C-peptide, MHR, and MACK-3 Biomarkers in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Fatty Liver Disease After Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy.

Background: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) has emerged as a valuable treatment for various metabolic disorders, including metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) in patients with obesity. Consequently, there is a pressing need to develop noninvasive biomarkers for diagnosing and monitoring disease progression. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate specific biomarkers, including Cytokeratin-18 (CK-18), C-peptide, monocyte to HDL cholesterol ratio (MHR), and MACK-3, in patients with obesity with MAFLD undergoing LSG. Design: A prospective cohort study on patients with obesity before and 6 months after the LSG procedure. Methods: 70 patients with obesity with confirmed MAFLD, determined by Transient Elastography (TE), were pre- and 6 months postoperatively tested. Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), lipid profile, ghrelin, leptin, peptide YY, GLP-1, and liver fibrosis scores, including AST/ALT ratio (AAR), Fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4), and BARD Score were tested. Results: BMI significantly decreased in all participants, with a % excess weight loss of 62.0% ± 15.4%. TE measurements revealed a significant postoperative reduction from 100% to 87.1% (P = .006). All selected biomarkers showed significant postoperative improvement-a significant association of CK-18 with MAFLD markers, including AAR, FIB-4, and BARD score, were found. MACK-3 had positive associations with FIB-4. C-peptide and MHR showed no association with MAFLD markers. Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between CK-18 and MACK-3 tests and between C-peptide and CK-18 and MACK-3. Additionally, a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed, with CK-18 performing the best, with an estimated area under the curve of 0.863. Conclusion: Serum CK-18 outperformed other selected biomarkers in predicting and monitoring MAFLD in patients with obesity, suggesting its prospective utility in clinical practice. Further studies are needed to validate the accuracy of the MACK-3 test.

Effect on biomarkers in patients with fatty liver after weight loss surgery A sleeve gastrectomy is an operation when patient have obesity and need to lose weight. This operation help people with obesity who also have fatty liver disease that's not related to alcohol use. Researchers are looking for simple blood tests to track the disease. In this study, they checked how well 4 of these tests worked before and after the surgery in 70 people. They found that the patients lost a lot of weight and their liver health improved. One test, in particular, called CK-18, was really good at showing these changes. Another test, MACK-3, also showed promise, but more research is needed to be sure. The other 2 tests didn't seem to be linked to signs of fatty liver disease. This suggests that CK-18 could be a useful tool for doctors to see how patients are doing after this surgery.

Dysregulation of miR-146a in human milk of mothers having children with autism.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a set of neurobehavioral manifestations that impose poor social interaction and stereotyped repetitive patterns. Several mircoRNA (miRNA) dysregulations underpin ASD pathophysiology via impairing the neurogenic niches. For instance, miR-146a and miR-106 differential expressions are linked to deregulation of ASD-related genes and the severity of clinical symptoms, respectively. Breastfeeding provides newborns with many bioactive compounds that support their neurodevelopment including miRNA. Our pilot study evaluated the expression pattern of miR-106a and miR-146a in human milk (HM) of nursing mothers (n = 36) having autistic children compared to age-matched counterparts (n = 36) with neurotypical children as controls. Under sterile conditions, breast milk samples were collected using manual sucking pumps and centrifuged to separate the fat layer. Total RNA was extracted from the lipid fraction, and the expression profiles of both miR-106a and miR-146a were evaluated using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Among the test group, we reported some factors that were previously linked to HM miRNA perturbations: gestational diabetes, hypertension, and cesarean delivery. HM miR-106a showed comparable expression levels in both mother groups (p = 0.8681), whereas HM miR-146a was significantly downregulated in mothers with autistic children compared to controls (p = 0.0399). Alternatively, HM miR-106 levels were positively associated with two ASD clinical parameters: Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) and communication and language domain of Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) (r = 0.6452, p = 0.0003 and r = 0.3958, p = 0.0410, respectively). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of both maternal HM miR-106a and miR-146a showed poor fitness as predictive biomarkers for ASD. Our findings suggest that the miR-146a differential expression in ASD children may originate at infancy during the lactation period. Thus, maternal pre- and postnatal health care is critical to maintain optimal miRNome in breast milk.

Expression and Relations of Unique miRNAs Investigated in Metabolic Bariatric Surgery: A Systematic Review.

Several studies have indicated that miRNAs play crucial roles in adipogenesis, insulin resistance, and inflammatory pathways associated with obesity and change after metabolic bariatric surgery (MBS). This systematic review explores and maps the existing literature on how miRNAs are expressed and investigates the unique miRNAs with the effects after MBS. The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), PubMed, and EMBASE were searched from 2019 until February 2024. This SR found 825 miRNAs from 25 studies, identifying 507 unique ones not used twice in the same study. A total of 21 studies (84%) measured RNA before and after surgery. The miRNA used per study ranged from 1 to 146 miRNA types, with a median study sample size of just 27 patients per study, raising concerns about some conclusions' robustness. From the 507 unique miRNAs, only 16 were consistently analyzed in 4 to 7 studies, which gave 77 different outcomes in relation to miRNA after MBS. MiRNA 122 and 122-5p were analyzed the most. Others were 106b-5p, 140-5p, 183-5p, 199b-5p, 20b-5p, 424-5p, 486-5p, 7-5p, 92a, 93-5p, 194-5p, 21-5p, 221, 320a, and 223-3p. A gap was observed in many studies, whereby the results were not the same, or there was no explanation for the effects after MBS was given within the same miRNA. Fifteen miRNAs were reported to have the same upward and downward trend, although not within the same study, and only 26.1% employed some form of statistical modeling to account for bias or confounding factors. Directions and effects in miRNA are visible, but still, inconsistent outcomes linked to the same miRNA after MBS, underscoring the need for clarity in miRNA-outcome relationships. Collaborative efforts, consensus-driven miRNA dictionaries, and larger, more rigorous studies are necessary to improve methodology designs and improve outcomes.

High-performance internal circulation anaerobic granular sludge reactor for cattle slaughterhouse wastewater treatment and simultaneous biogas production.

This research investigates the efficacy of a high-performance pilot-scale Internal Circulation Anaerobic Reactor inoculated with Granular Sludge (ICAGSR) for treating cattle slaughterhouse wastewater while concurrently generating biogas. The primary objective is to assess the efficiency and performance of ICAGSR in terms of organic pollutant removal and biogas production using granular anaerobic sludge. The research methodology entails operating the ICAGSR system under ambient conditions and systematically varying key parameters, including different Hydraulic Retention Times (HRTs) (24, 12, and 8 h) and Organic Loading Rates (OLRs) (3.3, 6.14, and 12.83 kg COD/m³. d). The study focuses on evaluating pollutants' removal and biogas production rates. Results reveal that the ICAGSR system achieves exceptional removal efficiency for organic pollutants, with Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) removal exceeding 74%, 67%, and 68% at HRTs of 24, 12, and 8 h, respectively. Furthermore, the system demonstrates stable and sustainable biogas production, maintaining average methane contents of 80%, 76%, and 72% throughout the experimental period. The successful operation of the ICAGSR system underscores its potential as a viable technology for treating cattle slaughterhouse wastewater and generating renewable biogas. In conclusion, this study contributes to wastewater treatment and renewable energy production by providing a comprehensive analysis of the ICAGSR system's hydrodynamic properties. The research enhances our understanding of the system's performance optimization under varying conditions, emphasizing the benefits of utilizing ICAGSR reactors with granular sludge as an effective and sustainable approach. Identifying current gaps, future research directions aim to further refine and broaden the application of ICAGSR technology in wastewater treatment and renewable energy initiatives.

Choroidal thickness and retinal vascular changes in patients with lichen planus: an inflammatory disease beyond the skin.

BACKGROUND: Lichen planus (LP) is a common inflammatory condition of unknown etiology that commonly affects the skin and mucous membranes. Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) is a noninvasive technique for identifying early retinal vascular impairment in systemic disease without clinical damage by imaging deep and superficial capillary networks. AIMS: To assess the impacts of LP on the choroid and assess vascular changes in retinal capillary density using OCTA. METHODS: This single-center prospective case-control study included 30 therapeutic-naïve LP patients and 30 age and sex-matched healthy individuals. All study subjects underwent a complete ophthalmological examination, including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) measurement using a Snellen chart, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement, and fundus examination. They were then examined using spectral domain OCT and choroidal thickness was measured. The vessel density of the superficial and deep capillary networks was measured and assessed using OCTA. RESULTS: Patients had significantly thicker choroidal and retinal thickness than controls, with subfoveal, nasal, and temporal areas showing a significant difference. A significantly higher vascular density in the superficial capillary plexus, particularly in the nasal perifoveal area, was found compared to the control group. Significantly, higher vascular density in the deep capillary plexus in the parafoveal area compared to controls was reported. Significant correlations were found between visual acuity and IOP, and age, duration of disease, and severity of disease. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to reveal that LP patients exhibit choroidal changes and retinal vascular alterations compared to healthy controls.

BDNF, proBDNF and proBDNF/BDNF ratio with electroencephalographic abnormalities in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: Possible relations to cognition and severity.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with and without subclinical epileptogenic discharges (SED) have been suggested to negatively affect cognitive abilities of children with ADHD. The role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its precursor proBDNF in ADHD is in need of being investigated. The aims were to evaluate the levels of serum BDNF, proBDNF and the proBDNF/BDNF ratio in addition to the potential impacts of SED on the children's cognitive abilities and the severity of ADHD. The included participants with ADHD were 30 children with normal electroencephalogram (EEG) (G1) and 30 children with SED (G2), together with 30 healthy children (G3). The cognitive abilities and severity of the disorder were evaluated. The biochemical measures were determined by ELISA. The presence of coexisting SED and nocturnal enuresis has led to a deleterious effect on cognitive processes but not on the severity. The focal epileptogenic discharge was the most common among children in G2. The levels of BDNF in Groups 1 and 2 were less than those in G3. The higher proBDNF/BDNF ratio could be related to the low BDNF levels rather than high proBDNF levels. The findings of this study highlight the importance of investigating the presence of SED and nocturnal enuresis in children with ADHD. Targeting strengthening of cognitive abilities in children with coexisting ADHD and SED is advised. The role of proBDNF in the pathophysiology of ADHD needs further investigation.

COVID-19 is associated with early emergence of preeclampsia: results from a large regional collaborative.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between preeclampsia and SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of pregnant women between March and October 2020. Pregnant patients admitted to 14 obstetrical centers in Michigan, USA formed the study population. Of the N = 1458 participants, 369 had SARS-CoV-2 infection (cases). Controls were uninfected pregnancies that were delivered in the same obstetric unit within 30 days of the index case. Robust Poisson regression was used to estimate relative risk (RR) of preterm and term preeclampsia and preeclampsia involving placental lesions. The analysis included adjustment for relevant clinical and demographic risk factors.Results: SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy increased the risk of preeclampsia [adjusted aRR = 1.69 (1.26-2.26)], preeclampsia involving placental lesions [aRR = 1.97(1.14-3.4)] and preterm preeclampsia 2.48(1.48-4.17). Although the highest rate of preeclampsia was observed in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 who were symptomatic (18.4%), there was increased risk even in asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infected patients (14.2%) relative to non-infected controls (8.7%) (p < 0.05). This association with symptomatology was also noted with preterm preeclampsia for which the rate doubled from 2.7% in controls to 5.2% in asymptomatic cases and reached 11.8% among symptomatic cases (p < 0.05). The rate of preterm preeclampsia among cases of pregnant people self-identified as Black reached 10.1% and was almost double the rate of the reminder of the group of infected pregnancies (5.3%), although the rate among uninfected was almost the same (2.7%) for both Black and non-Black groups (interaction p = 0.05).Conclusions: Infection with SARS-CoV-2 increases the risk of preeclampsia even in the absence of symptoms, although symptomatic persons are at even higher risk. Racial disparities in the development of preterm preeclampsia after SARS-CoV-2 infection may explain discrepancies in prematurity between different populations.

Emergence of Virulent Extensively Drug-Resistant Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci Among Diarrheic Pet Animals: A Possible Public Health Threat on the Move.

Background: Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) have become an increasing public health concern in the past few decades, being associated with serious multidrug-resistant (MDR) infections. This study was conducted to investigate the role of diarrheic pet animals as potential reservoirs for virulent extensively drug-resistant (XDR) VRE and their threat on human health. Materials and Methods: Rectal swabs were collected from 153 diarrheic pet animals (80 dogs and 73 cats). The collected swabs were cultured on CHROMagarTMVRE for the isolation of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium, and then suspected colonies were identified as enterococci after Gram staining, conventional biochemical tests, and molecular techniques. VRE were basically identified using the disk diffusion method; however, molecular identification of vanA and vanB genes was carried out among confirmed VRE isolates. Moreover, three virulence genes (cytolysin A, cylA; enterococcal surface protein, esp; and hyaluronidase, hyl) were investigated in VRE isolates. Thereafter, VRE strains that harbored virulence genes were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility. Results: Eighteen out of 153 animals (11.8%) were positive for VRE, which were obtained from 15% and 8.2% of the examined dogs and cats, respectively. None of the obtained isolates carried the vanA gene, whereas the vanB gene was detected in E. faecalis (4/10) with a prevalence rate (40%). Of the obtained VRE isolates, five possessed esp and/or cylA, while all strains were negative for the hyl gene. Furthermore, four virulent VRE isolates exhibited an XDR pattern, and one isolate was MDR. Conclusion: Diarrheic pet animals could represent a potential zoonotic reservoir for virulent XDR vancomycin-resistant E. faecalis, which may have serious public health implications.

Expression Patterns of miRNAs in Egyptian Children with ADHD: Clinical Study with Correlation Analysis.

ADHD has huge knowledge gaps concerning its etiology. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) provide promising diagnostic biomarkers of human pathophysiology and may be a novel therapeutic option. The aim was to investigate the levels of miR-34c-3p, miR-155, miR-138-1, miR-296-5p, and plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in a group of children with ADHD compared to neurotypicals and to explore correlations between these measures and some clinical data. The participants were children with ADHD in Group I (N = 41; age: 8.2 ± 2) and neurotypical ones in Group II (N = 40; age: 8.6 ± 2.5). Group I was subjected to clinical examination, the Stanford Binet intelligence scale-5, the preschool language scale, and Conner's parent rating scale-R. Measuring the expression levels of the miRNAs was performed by qRT-PCR for all participants. The BDNF level was measured by ELISA. The lowest scores on the IQ subtest were knowledge and working memory. No discrepancies were noticed between the receptive and expressive language ages. The highest scores on the Conner's scale were those for cognitive problems. Participants with ADHD exhibited higher plasma BDNF levels compared to controls (p = 0.0003). Expression patterns of only miR-34c-3p and miR-138-1 were downregulated with significant statistical differences (p˂0.01). However, expression levels of miR-296-5p showed negative correlation with the total scores of IQ (p = 0.03). MiR-34c-3p, miR-138-1, while BDNF showed good diagnostic potential. The downregulated levels of miR-34c-3p and miR-138-1, together with high BDNF levels, are suggested to be involved in the etiology of ADHD in Egyptian children. Gender differences influenced the expression patterns of miRNAs only in children with ADHD.

Green synthesis of zinc oxide/Allium sativum nano-composite and its efficacy against murine cryptosporidiosis.

Cryptosporidiosis is a global health problem threats life of immunocompromised patients. Allium sativum (A. sativum) is one of the therapeutic options for cryptosporidiosis. This study develops green synthesized ZnO-NPs based on A. sativum extract, and assesses its therapeutic application in treating experimental cryptosporidiosis in immunosuppressed mice. FTIR, scanning electron microscopy, and zeta analyzer were used for characterization of bio ZnO-NPs. The morphology of prepared materials appeared as sponge with many pores on the whole surface that allows the feasibility of bio ZnO-NPs for different biological activities. Its structural analysis was highly stabilized with negative charge surface which indicated for well distribution into the parasite matrix. Twenty-five immunosuppressed Cryptosporidium parvum infected mice, classified into 5 groups were sacrificed at 21th day after infection with evaluation of parasitological, histopathological, oxidative, and proinflammatory biomarkers. Treated mice groups with 50 and 100 mg/kg of AS/ZnO-NPs showed a highly significant decline (79.9% and 83.23%, respectively) in the total number of expelled oocysts. Both doses revealed actual amelioration of the intestinal, hepatic, and pulmonary histopathological lesions. They also significantly produced an increase in GSH values and improved the changes in NO and MDA levels, and showed high anti-inflammatory properties. This study is the first to report green synthesis of ZnO/A. sativum nano-composite as an effective therapy in treating cryptosporidiosis which gave better results than using A. sativum alone. It provides an economical and environment-friendly approach towards novel delivery synthesis for antiparasitic applications. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Green synthesis of ZnO-NPs was developed using A. sativum extract. The morphology of prepared ZnO-NPs appeared as sponge with many pores on SEM The study evaluates its therapeutic efficacy against murine cryptosporidiosis The green synthesized ZnO-NPs significantly reduced percent of oocyst shedding, improved the pathological changes, and showed high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potentials.

Defining Criteria for Disease Activity States in Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Based on the Systemic Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score.

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to develop and validate cutoff values in the systemic Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score 10 (sJADAS10) that distinguish the states of inactive disease (ID), minimal disease activity (MDA), moderate disease activity (MoDA), and high disease activity (HDA) in children with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis, based on subjective disease state assessment by the treating pediatric rheumatologist. METHODS: The cutoff definition cohort was composed of 400 patients enrolled at 30 pediatric rheumatology centers in 11 countries. Using the subjective physician rating as an external criterion, six methods were applied to identify the cutoffs: mapping, calculation of percentiles of cumulative score distribution, the Youden index, 90% specificity, maximum agreement, and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Sixty percent of the patients were assigned to the definition cohort, and 40% were assigned to the validation cohort. Cutoff validation was conducted by assessing discriminative ability. RESULTS: The sJADAS10 cutoffs that separated ID from MDA, MDA from MoDA, and MoDA from HDA were ≤2.9, ≤10, and >20.6, respectively. The cutoffs discriminated strongly among different levels of pain, between patients with and without morning stiffness, and among patients whose parents judged their disease status as remission or persistent activity or flare or were satisfied or not satisfied with current illness outcome. CONCLUSION: The sJADAS cutoffs revealed good metrologic properties in both definition and validation cohorts and are therefore suitable for use in clinical trials and routine practice.

Accurate and reliable surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy assay for early detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA with exceptional sensitivity.

This research proposes a highly sensitive and simple surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) assay for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA using suitably designed probes specific for RdRp and N viral genes attached to a Raman marker. The sensitivity of the assay was optimized through precise adjustments to the conditions of immobilization and hybridization processes of the target RNA, including modifications to factors such as time and temperature. The assay achieved a remarkable sensitivity down to 58.39 copies/mL, comparable to or lower than the sensitivities reported for commercial fluorescent polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based methods. It has good selectivity in discriminating SARS-CoV-2 RNA against other respiratory viruses, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and influenza A virus. The reliability of the assay was validated by testing 24 clinical samples, including 12 positive samples with varying cycle threshold (Ct) values and 12 negative samples previously tested using real-time PCR. The assay consistently predicted true results that were in line with the PCR results for all samples. Furthermore, the assay demonstrated a notable limit of detection (LOD) of Ct (38 for RdRp gene and 37.5 for N-gene), indicating its capability to detect low concentrations of the target analyte and potentially facilitating early detection of the pathogen.

Imidacloprid effects on acetylcholinesterase and nicotinic acetylcholine receptor in Apis mellifera. Experimental and molecular modeling approaches.

Although the neonicotinoid insecticides have good selectivity towards insects rather than vertebrates, they have severe effects on honeybee production and pollination activities. Therefore, the effects of imidacloprid (IMI), the most used neonicotinoid, on the two main bioreceptors, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and nicotinic acetylcholine receptor alpha subunit (nAChRα1) of honeybees were examined to identify their roles in honeybee toxicity and possible binding sites which assist in selecting and designing neonicotinoids. In vivo, IMI showed a high inhibitory effect on AChE (IC50 5.63 mg/L); however, the effect was much lower in vitro experiment (IC50 719 mg/L). This result induced us to examine the IMI effect on AChE gene expression which revealed that the AChE-2 gene expression was severely affected by IMI explaining the observed high enzyme inhibition. In addition, although toxicity increased by increasing exposure to IMI (LC50 2.9 mg/L after 4h and 0.75 mg/L after 48h), AChE was not elevated (IC50 5.63 and 5.52 mg/L respectively). Besides, Despite resuming most enzyme activity (77% during 2 h and 84.14% after 4 h), a high mortality level was observed with LC50 2.9 mg/L. These results reinforced that the observed high toxicity is a multifactor process. Accordingly, Molecular modeling and docking of IMI into honeybee AChE and nAChRα1were also performed to examine their possible interactions and identify the important binding sites. Results models indicated that the first two binding sites in AChE were found in the esteratic subunit in the active site explaining the observed in vitro inhibition. In nAChRα1, four of the highest five free energy binding sites are located in the large TM3-TM4 loop and one in the extracellular loops. Consequently, the present work revealed that IMI toxicity is attributed to various factors including direct interaction with both AChE and nAChRα1 as well as downregulating AChE-2 gene expression.

Exploring the Biological and Phytochemical Potential of Jordan's Flora: A Review and Update of Eight Selected Genera from Mediterranean Region.

Jordan's flora is known for its rich diversity, with a grand sum of 2978 plant species that span 142 families and 868 genera across four different zones. Eight genera belonging to four different plant families have been recognized for their potential natural medicinal properties within the Mediterranean region. These genera include Chrysanthemum L., Onopordum Vaill. Ex. L., Phagnalon Cass., and Senecio L. from the Asteraceae family, in addition to Clematis L. and Ranunculus L. from the Ranunculaceae family, Anchusa L. from the Boraginaceae family, and Eryngium L. from the Apiaceae family. The selected genera show a wide variety of secondary metabolites with encouraging pharmacological characteristics including antioxidant, antibacterial, cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, anti-ulcer, and neuroprotective actions. Further research on these genera and their extracts will potentially result in the formulation of novel and potent natural pharmaceuticals. Overall, Jordan's rich flora provides a valuable resource for exploring and discovering new plant-based medicines.

An optimized design for motivated broadband LPDA antenna.

This paper presents a super wideband and high-gain log periodic dipole array (LPDA) antenna. The overall structure of the antenna was constructed using microwave studio computer simulation technology. The optimal sizes of the planned antenna are 39 × 10× 0.254 mm3. The engineered antenna arrangement is implemented on an RT5880 substrate as a dielectric medium. The LPDA is arranged in four arms that are equally spaced on both lines. The main 50Ω feeder line is partially grounded at the back of the substrate. A combination of circular director units is being studied and tuned in a regular pattern at a predefined distance from the antenna. An improvement in gain of 3 dBi is the response of the director units. The Conformist LPDA is adjusted to achieve a wide range of millimeter wave bands ranging from 40 to over 70 GHz. The antenna resonates at 60 GHz, where the maximum realized gain of 14.97 dBi is attained. The antenna was tested for utilization in the V-band involving wireless personal area network (WPAN) applications recommended by IEEE 802.11ad and IEEE 802.15.3c. The outcomes of the constructed antenna elements' tests and simulations agree fairly well. The proposed layout works better than previous efforts in this field.