Correction to "Eco-Friendly Methanolic Myrrh Extract Corrosion Inhibitor for Aluminum in 1 M HCl".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c02009.].

Fabrication of Asymmetric Supercapacitors (AC@GQDs//AC) with High Electrochemical Performance Utilizing Activated Carbon and Graphene Quantum Dots.

Sugar cane bagasse stands as a prevalent and abundant form of solid agricultural waste, making it a prime candidate for innovative utilization. Harnessing its potential, we embarked on a groundbreaking endeavor to evaluate the sustainability of a molasses-based hydrothermal process to produce graphene quantum dots (GQDs). This pioneering initiative promises remarkable environmental benefits and holds immense economic potential. Embedding crystalline GQDs in activated carbon (AC) boost electrochemical efficiency by enhancing charge-transfer and ion migration kinetics. Optical, structural, and morphological evaluations were used to confirm the formation of GQDs. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigation showed the size, shape, and fact that GQDs were monodispersed, and X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared determined the structure of GQDs. The electrodes with negative (AC) and positive (AC@GQDs) polarity demonstrate a considerable specific capacitance of 220 and 265 F g-1, respectively, when measured at 0.5 A g-1. Additionally, these electrodes exhibit high-rate capabilities of 165 and 230 F g-1 when measured at 5 A g-1, as determined by galvanostatic charge-discharge techniques. The supercapacitor device comprising asymmetric AC//AC@GQDs exhibits a specific capacitance of 118 F g-1. Furthermore, the asymmetric device exhibits exceptional cycling behavior, with an impressive 92% capacitance retention even after undergoing 10,000 cycles. This remarkable performance underscores the immense potential of both the negative and positive electrodes for real-world supercapacitor applications. Such findings pave the way for promising advancements in the field and offer exciting prospects for practical utilization.

Assessment of C-reactive protein levels as an indicator for lung infiltrates in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia.

Lung infiltrates are frequently observed in patients with COVID-19 infection and require specialized management. Identifying reliable laboratory parameters to reduce the need for chest CT scans in non-desaturation patients is of great interest. This study aimed to investigate the potential of C-reactive protein (CRP) as an indicator to identify the presence of lung infiltrates in early COVID-19 infection. The study was conducted at Al-Azhar University hospitals from May 2021 to March 2022 and included 210 patients with COVID-19 infection confirmed by positive PCR, all of whom were previously healthy, non-smokers, and non-hypoxemic. CRP levels were assessed and correlated with lung infiltrates observed in CT chest examinations. The mean value of CRP was 40.3±14.3 mg/L in males and 36.6±15.2 mg/L among females. One hundred sixty-two patients had pneumonic infiltrates, while 48 had no infiltrates. The mean value of CRP was 45.02±10.2 mg/L in patients with radiological infiltrates and 18.8±7.8 mg/L in patients without radiological infiltrates. Based on our findings, a CRP value greater than 29.8 mg/L was suggested as a cut-off value to indicate the presence of lung infiltrates. CRP is a simple laboratory marker that, at certain limits, may point to the presence of pneumonic infiltrates in early non-hypoxemic patients with COVID-19 infection.

Eco-Friendly Methanolic Myrrh Extract Corrosion Inhibitor for Aluminum in 1 M HCl.

Aluminum corrosion was inhibited by myrrh extract when it was placed in a solution of 1 M HCl. Several procedures were used for these tests, including weight loss WL, potential dynamic polarization PL, and electrochemical impedance EIS in addition to theoretical calculations like density functional theory (DFT), Fukui functions, and Monte Carlo simulation. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to analyze the compositional surface of Al. Scanning electron microscopy was used to determine the shape of the Al surface. The inhibition rate of Al corrosion in HCl with varying myrrh extract contents at 25-45 °C was studied. An analysis of the PL curves indicates that myrrh extract is an inhibitor of mixed type. Upon increasing the concentration of myrrh, the inhibition efficiency increased. Moreover, rising temperatures decrease inhibition efficiency. It was discovered that the inhibition process follows the Langmuir isotherm, demonstrating that a monolayer has formed on the surface of aluminum. Theoretical and practical studies proved the validity of the conclusions.

Performant removal of creatinine using few-layer-graphene/alginate beads as a kidney filter.

Reduction of renal function, such as creatinine adsorption is one of the most common and dangerous diseases. Dedicated to this issue, developing high-performance, sustainable, and bio-compatible adsorbing materials is still challenging. Herein, barium alginate (BA) and BA containing few-layer graphene (FLG/BA) beads were synthesized in water from sodium alginate, also acting as bio-surfactant in in-situ exfoliation of graphite to FLG. The physicochemical characteristics of the beads demonstrated an excess of barium chloride used as a cross-linker. The efficiency and sorption capacity (Qe) of creatinine removal increase with processing duration reaching 82.1, 99.5 %, and 68.4, 82.9 mg·g-1 for BA and FLG/BA, respectively. The thermodynamic parameters detect the enthalpy change (ΔH°) of about -24.29 and -36.11 kJ·mol-1 and the entropy change (ΔS°) of around -69.24 and -79.46 J·mol-1 K-1 for BA and FLG/BA, respectively. During the reusability test, the removal efficiency decreases from the optimal first cycle to 69.1 and to 88.3 % in the sixth cycle for BA and FLG/BA, revealing superior stability of FLG/BA. The MD calculations confirm a higher adsorption capacity of FLG/BA composite compared to BA alone, clearly confirming a strong structure-property relation.

Economic losses, morpho-molecular identification, and identity of Fasciola species recovered from Egypt.

A retrospective study to estimate economic losses caused by livers condemnation, due to fascioliasis, of slaughtered cattle and buffaloes in Egypt during the period of 2016-2020, was done. Moreover, a morpho-molecular identification of collected liver flukes from slaughtered animals in municipal abattoirs was conducted. Livers of naturally infected carcasses were obtained from slaughtered animals in Beni-Suef, Cairo and Tanta provinces, Egypt during 2019-2020 for phenotypic characterization of recovered Fasciola species and molecular identification of collected worms using PCR targeting the ITS-1 region. Findings of the retrospective study revealed that percentages of livers condemnation of cattle and buffaloes ranged from 0.79 to 0.66% during the period from 2016 to 2020. The highest percentages were detected in the south Egypt (2.5-6.0%) with the highest economic losses (261850-616300 USD annually). Morphometrically, collected flukes categorized into Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica. No intermediate forms (Fasciola sp.-like) were detected. Sequencing analysis of ITS-1 PCR products showed that only Fasciola hepatica (26/34) and F. gigantica (8/34) isolates were found, with no intermediate forms, Fasciola sp.-like, could be identified. Currently, Fasciola hepatica was 100% identical with the Egyptian species (LC076196 and JF294998), French species (JF294999), and Iranian species (MF969009 and MK377150). Moreover, the obtained F. gigantica species showed 100% identity with Egyptian ones (LC076125, LC076108 and KX198619), Iranian (KF982047 and MF372919), and other GenBank specimens from Vietnam, Cameroon and India. In conclusion, South Egypt showed the highest economic losses due to fascioliasis, especially Aswan province. Fasciola hepatica was more common than F. gigantica, while the hybrid form was not detected.

Acaricidal Activity of Tea Tree and Lemon Oil Nanoemulsions against Rhipicephalus annulatus.

Tick infestation is a serious problem in many countries since it has an impact on the health of animals used for food production and pets, and frequently affects humans. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the acaricidal effects of nanoemulsions of essential oils of Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree, TT) and Citrus limon (lemon oil, CL) against the different stages (adult, eggs, and larvae) of deltamethrin-resistant Rhipicephalus annulatus ticks. Three forms of these oils were tested: pure oils, nanoemulsions, and a binary combination. Tea tree and lemon oil nanoemulsions were prepared, and their properties were assessed using a zeta droplet size measurement and a UV-Vis spectrophotometer. The results showed that TT and CL exhibited higher adulticidal effects in their pure forms than in their nanoemulsion forms, as demonstrated by the lower concentrations required to achieve LC50 (2.05 and 1.26%, vs. 12.8 and 11.4%, respectively) and LC90 (4.01% and 2.62%, vs. 20.8 and 19.9%, respectively). Significant larvicidal activity was induced by the TTCL combination, and LC50 was reached at a lower concentration (0.79%) than that required for the pure and nanoemulsion forms. The use of pure CL oil was found to have the most effective ovicidal effects. In conclusion, pure TT and CL have potent acaricidal effects against phenotypically resistant R. annulatus isolates. It is interesting that the activity levels of TT and CL EOs' binary and nanoemulsion forms were lower than those of their individual pure forms.

Preparation of geranium oil formulations effective for control of phenotypic resistant cattle tick Rhipicephalus annulatus.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate in vitro and in vivo the acaricidal activity of two forms of geranium (Pelargonium graveolens) (PG). These two forms were the P. graveolens essential oil nanoemulsion (PGN), and the PG in combination with the sesame oil (SO), PGSO). These forms were first evaluated in vitro for their adulticidal, ovicidal, and larvicidal activities against the different stages of acaricide-resistant Rhipicephalus annulatus (Say). Geranium nanoemulsion was prepared and then characterized by UV-Vis spectrophotometer, and zeta droplet size measurement. The results revealed that LC50 of the PG against the adult ticks was attained at concentration of 7.53% while it was decreased to 1.91% and 5.60% for PGSO and PGN, respectively. Also, the LC50 of PGN and PGSO were reached at concentrations of 1.688 and 0.944%, respectively against the larvae while the LC50 of the PG was reached at concentration of 3.435% for. The combination of PGN with PG exhibited non-significant ovicidal effect meanwhile PGSO showed significant ovicidal effect even at the low concentration (2.5%). The PGSO and PGN formulations were applied in a field trial to control the ticks of the naturally infested cattle. PGSO and PGN significantly reduced the tick burden to 74.83% and 87.97%, respectively at 3 weeks post-application with performance better than the deltamethrin (29.88%). In conclusion, the two PG forms can be used as suitable alternatives to control R. annulatus tick and they need further modifications for effective field application.

Evaluation of deltamethrin-loaded Zn-Fe, Zn-Al-GA layered double hydroxide, and Fe-O nanoparticles against resistant Rhipicephalus annulatus ticks.

The over use of deltamethrin has resulted in the development of resistance. Thus, the search for a new method to improve its acaricidal effect is the target of the present study. Layered double hydroxide (LDH) compounds are now used as drug delivery systems. Deltamethrin (Butox®) was loaded on Zn-Fe LDH, Zn-Al-GA layered double hydroxide (LDH), and Fe-oxide nanoparticles NPs. Then its acaricidal efficacy was evaluated. The nanocomposites (NCs) were prepared by the co-precipitation method and characterized before and after deltamethrin loading. The deltamethrin-loaded NCs were applied against the phenotypically resistant Rhipicephalus annulatus tick (adult and larvae). The adult ticks treated by Butox® alone or Butox® loaded nanocomposites at different concentrations showed no mortality. A significant (P≤0.05) reduction in egg production index was observed at the recommended dose (X) (1 µl/ml distilled water) and its bi-folds (2X, 3X, and 4X) in ticks treated with deltamethrin/Zn-Fe LDH nanocomposites compared to deltamethrin alone. Moreover, no significant difference (P>0.05) was recorded in larval mortality between the treatments with deltamethrin alone and its loaded nanocomposites. Also, the nanomaterials alone without conjugation with deltamethrin revealed a low mortality rate. Deltamethrin-loaded nanocomposites even improve effect against adult tick but cannot overcome tick resistance to deltamethrin that needs more search. The acaricidal activity of deltamethrin was not improved after loading it with these nanocomposites.

Comparison of Clinical Outcomes of Silver-modified Atraumatic Restorative Technique vs Atraumatic Restorative Technique in Primary Teeth: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

AIM: To compare the clinical outcomes of silver-modified atraumatic restorative technique (SMART) vs atraumatic restorative technique (ART) in primary teeth. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was a randomized clinical trial conducted on 30 children. The study was split-mouth design, so each group was consisted of 30 children. Children aged 3-6 years old of both genders. Communication with the children was established. Gross debris from cavitation was removed. Carious dentin on walls was excavated using spoon excavator and low-speed contra with round or fissure bur. The areas to be treated were isolated with cotton rolls. For ART, glass ionomer cement (GIC) was applied according to the manufacturer's instructions. For silver-modified atraumatic restorative technique (SMART), a protective coating was applied to the lips and skin to prevent a temporary tattoo. Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) was applied carefully using bended microsponge brush. It was applied directly to only the affected tooth surface. The lesion was dried for 15 seconds with gentle flow of compressed air. After 1 week, GIC was applied according to the manufacturer's instructions. Clinical evaluation was done for all teeth at 6 and 12 months. The data were collected and then statistically analyzed using the Chi-square test to show the difference between groups. RESULTS: The restoration of the first primary molar with ART restoration alone showed a lower success rate when compared with the restoration with a combination of SDF and ART (SMART technique), with percentages of 70% and 76.67% and 53.33% and 60% after 6 months and 12 months of follow-up, respectively. CONCLUSION: Silver diamine fluoride is successful in arresting dentin caries and can be used to increase the efficacy of the ART technique in primary teeth. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: It is recommended to use SDF as a noninvasive approach to control dentin caries with the ART technique.

Calcium Hydroxide Paste, Mineral Trioxide Aggregate, and Formocresol as Direct Pulp Capping Agents in Primary Molars: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical and radiographic outcomes of direct pulp capping (DPC) using calcium hydroxide (CH), mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), and premedicated DPC with formocresol (FC) in primary teeth. Methods: Sixty primary mandibular second molars with pulp exposures in children aged four to eight years old were treated using DPC. The molars were randomly divided into three groups (n equals 20 per group). Pulp exposures in the CH and MTA groups were capped directly using CH and MTA pastes, respectively, while those in the FC group were premedicated with FC and then capped with zinc oxide eugenol (ZOE) cement. All teeth were finally restored with stainless steel crowns, and clinical and radiographic evaluations were carried out at baseline and three, six, and 12 months after restoration. Fisher's exact test was performed to define the significance between the groups and follow-up periods. Results: The clinical and radiographic findings showed no significant difference between the three groups. The overall success in the CH, MTA, and FC groups were 88.2 percent, 100 percent, and 73.3 percent, respectively. However, these differences were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Conclusion: All three materials examined in this study exhibited clinical and radiographical efficacy when used as direct pulp capping materials.

New insight on some selected nanoparticles as an effective adsorbent toward diminishing the health risk of deltamethrin contaminated water.

Deltamethrin is a widely used insecticide that kills a wide variety of insects and ticks. Deltamethrin resistance develops as a result of intensive, repeated use, as well as increased environmental contamination and a negative impact on public health. Its negative impact on aquatic ecology and human health necessitated the development of a new technique for environmental remediation and wastewater treatment, such as the use of nanotechnology. The co-precipitation method was used to create Zn-Fe/LDH, Zn-AL-GA/LDH, and Fe-oxide nanoparticles (NPs), which were then characterized using XRD, FT-IR, FE-SEM, and HR-TEM. The kinetic study of adsorption test revealed that these NPs were effective at removing deltamethrin from wastewater. The larval packet test, which involved applying freshly adsorbed deltamethrin nanocomposites (48 hours after adsorption), and the comet assay test were used to confirm that deltamethrin had lost its acaricidal efficacy. The kinetics of the deltamethrin adsorption process was investigated using several kinetic models at pH 7, initial concentration of deltamethrin 40 ppm and temperature 25°C. Within the first 60 min, the results indicated efficient adsorption performance in deltamethrin removal, the maximum adsorption capacity was 27.56 mg/L, 17.60 mg/L, and 3.06 mg/L with the Zn-Al LDH/GA, Zn-Fe LDH, and Fe Oxide, respectively. On tick larvae, the results of the freshly adsorbed DNC bioassay revealed larval mortality. This suggests that deltamethrin's acaricidal activity is still active. However, applying DNCs to tick larvae 48 hours after adsorption had no lethal effect, indicating that deltamethrin had lost its acaricidal activity. The latter result corroborated the results of the adsorption test's kinetic study. Furthermore, the comet assay revealed that commercial deltamethrin caused 28.51% DNA damage in tick cells, which was significantly higher than any DNC. In conclusion, the NPs used play an important role in deltamethrin decontamination in water, resulting in reduced public health risk. As a result, these NPs could be used as a method of environmental remediation.

Molecular Detection, Phylogenetic Analysis, and Genetic Diversity of Theileria annulata, Babesia bigemina, and Anaplasma marginale in Cattle in Three Districts of Egypt.

BACKGROUND: Under the poor hygienic conditions, tick-borne pathogens cause severe economic losses to the cattle industry. PURPOSE: The current study investigated the presence of Theileria annulata, Babesia bigemina, and Anaplasma marginale, the most relevant tick-borne pathogens in cattle, in 3 provinces of Egypt utilizing species-specific PCR assays. METHODS: PCR was conducted, on bovine blood specimens, using primers targeting the T. annulata merozoite-piroplasm surface antigen (Tams1, 768 bp), A. marginale major surface protein-1b gene (msp1b, 265 bp), and B. bigemina small subunit ribosomal RNA gene (SSrRNA, 543 bp). RESULTS: PCR findings revealed overall prevalences of T. annulata, B. bigemina, and A. marginale as 22.0% (33/150), 19.33% (29/150), and 10.6% (16/150), respectively. The co-infection with two or three pathogens was detected in 20.0% (30/150) of examined specimens. Sequence analyses indicated that T. annulata and A. marginale varied from those of corresponding GenBank sequences revealing percent identities ranging from 90.68 to 97.75% and from 94.98 to 98.63%, respectively. On the other hand, the obtained B. bigemina sequences showed a high similarity with those previously reported in GenBank with a percent identity ranging from 98.85 to 100%. CONCLUSION: T. annulata was the most prevalent tick-borne pathogen in examined bovine specimens. The genetic diversity of markers used for identification of T. annulata and A. marginale should be highly considered.

Mindfulness-based therapy modulates default-mode network connectivity in patients with opioid dependence.

Recently, mindfulness-based programs have shown promising clinical effects in the treatment of substance-use disorders (SUD). While several studies linked mindfulness to decreased default mode network (DMN) connectivity in meditators, only a few studies investigated its effects in patients with SUD. This study aimed to detect changes in DMN connectivity in opiate dependent patients receiving mindfulness based therapy (MBT) during their first month of treatment. Data from 32 patients that were assigned to MBT or treatment as usual (TAU) groups was investigated using resting-state functional MRI at 1.5 T before and after four weeks of treatment. Independent Component Analysis was used to investigate distinct (anterior vs. posterior) DMN subsystems. Connectivity changes after treatment were related to measures of impulsivity, distress tolerance and mindfulness. Increased mindfulness scores after treatment were found in patients receiving MBT compared to TAU. Within the anterior DMN, decreased right inferior frontal cortical connectivity was detected in patients who received MBT compared to TAU. In addition, within the MBT-group decreased right superior frontal cortex connectivity was detected after treatment. Inferior frontal cortex function was significantly associated with mindfulness measures. The data suggest that MBT can be useful during abstinence from opiates. In opiate-dependent patients distinct functional connectivity changes within the DMN are associated with MBT.

Mindfulness-based interventions modulate structural network strength in patients with opioid dependence.

Mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) are increasingly used in the treatment of patients with mental disorders, in particular in individuals presenting with affective disorders or in patients exhibiting abnormal levels of impulsive behavior. MBI have been also offered to patients with substance use disorders, where such treatment options may yield considerable clinical effects. Neural effects associated with MBI have been increasingly acknowledged, but is unknown whether MBI exert specific effects on brain structure in patients with substance use disorders. In this study, we investigated 19 inpatients with opioid dependence receiving treatment-as-usual (TAU, n = 9) or additional MBI (n = 10). Structural magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired before and after four weeks of treatment. Source-based morphometry was used to investigate modulation of structural networks after treatment. Both treatment modalities led to significant clinical improvement. Patients receiving MBI showed a significant change in distress tolerance levels. An increase in bilateral striatal/insular and prefrontal/cingulate network strength was found in patients receiving MBI compared to individuals receiving TAU. Prefrontal/cingulate cortical network strength was associated with impulsivity levels. These findings suggest that MBI can have a recognizable role in treatment of substance use disorders and that neural effects of MBI may be captured in terms of frontostriatal structural network change.

Coronary bypass surgery in patients on thyroxin replacement therapy.

The outcome of coronary bypass surgery was analyzed in 25 patients who were on thyroxin replacement therapy for chronic thyroid disorders at the time of operation. It was hypothesized that if such patients were given only their routine dose of thyroxin on the day of surgery, hemodynamic and cardiorespiratory recovery may be poor. All the patients on thyroxin replacement therapy were given their routine dose of thyroxin orally or via a nasogastric tube in the perioperative period. No supplemental dose was used. Based on preoperative levels of thyroid stimulating hormone, 68% of these patients were biochemically hypothyroid prior to surgery. Analysis of a large number of variables showed no difference in outcome against a control group who had no previous thyroid problems. We conclude that routine thyroxin administration is all that is required for a satisfactory outcome in patients undergoing coronary bypass surgery while on thyroxin replacement therapy.