Corrosion of zirconium in presence of LiOH was studied by cyclic potentiodynamic polarization technique. SEM was used to observe the visual appearance of oxide film after the procedure. The ...measurements were carried out at room temperature and open to air. Our investigations show the accelerated electrochemical corrosion is caused by 3.5 ppm rather than 2.2 ppm. The important observation is the steep decrease in corrosion rate at 2.2 ppm Li ion.
The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential variation in adrenal gland response to two different types of acute stressors, immobilization and glucoprivation.
Twenty-four adult male ...albino rats were randomly divided into three main groups (8 rats/group): a) control, i.e. non-stressed group, b) immobilized group (IS), and c) glucoprivated (GS) group. Plasma catecholamines (CAs), including epinephrine (E), norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA), adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), corticosterone (CORT), sodium, potassium, and glucose were measured. Adrenals weight, CAs levels, and nitric oxide (NO) content were also determined.
Immobilized group of rats showed significantly higher plasma NE and DA levels along with a significantly lower adrenal NE content than GS group. On the other hand, GS group was associated with significantly higher plasma E, ACTH, CORT, glucose, and Na+ levels as well as higher adrenal DA and NO levels along with significantly lower plasma K+ levels and adrenal E content in comparison with IS group.
Stress response is unique according to the nature of the stressor. Adrenal glands play a key role in this stress-induced differentiated response probably via modulation of its adreno-medullary and/or adrenocortical hormone levels in order to assign the body cope with different types of stress challenges during the life.
The aim of the present study was to investigate the differential effect of unilateral adrenalectomy, right vs. left, in response to acute immobilization stress (IS) in rats.
Adult male rats were ...subjected to unilateral right or left adrenalectomy or sham operation (control). Two weeks later, the rats were sacrificed either immediately or 3 hours after IS exposure. Plasma samples were used for determination of catecholamines (CAs), adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), corticosterone (CORT), sodium, potassium, and glucose levels. After terminating the experiment, both or remaining adrenals were removed, weighed, and used for estimation of CAs and nitric oxide (NO) levels.
Under basal conditions, either right or left adrenal kept all the tested parameters near to the control levels, except the adrenal weight and CAs content. These were significantly higher in the remaining right than left adrenal. However, the remaining right adrenal responded better to IS exposure than the remaining left one in the term of compensatory adrenal growth and plasma parameters which were all kept insignificantly different from those of IS intact group.
Our data indicate that the adrenal glands may substitute each other under basal conditions. However, the right adrenal seems to be dominant during exposure to acute immobilization stress.
The present study was aimed to establish a protocol for the evaluation of the
potency of commercial inactivated Newcastle disease virus (NDV) oil-adjuvanted vaccines using hemagglutination test (HA) ...and blocking ELISA (B-ELISA) based on polyclonal antibodies.
Aqueous phases from a total of 47 batches of inactivated NDV vaccines manufactured by 20 different companies were extracted with isopropyl myristate. The viral antigen in each sample was detected and quantified by a standard HA test and a B-ELISA assay. To verify the efficiency of the antigen extraction method used in the batches which showed HA and to test the validity of using
antigen quantification by HA and B-ELISA tests, a subset of 13 batches (selected from the total 47 batches) was inoculated in groups of 3-4-week-old specific pathogen-free chickens using the recommended vaccine dose. The immunogenicity of the selected vaccine batches was assessed by the NDV-hemagglutination inhibition antibody titers in individual serum samples collected 4 weeks after vaccination. Further, the efficacy of the vaccines and their protection rates were determined by a challenge test carried out for the vaccinated chickens with the Egyptian 2012 isolate of the virulent NDV genotype VII.
A strong correlation was observed between HA titers and B-ELISA mean titers in the tested 47 batches (R
=0.817). This indicated the possibility of using the latter
assays for vaccine potency assessment. The recommended protective NDV antigen titer measured by B-ELISA was determined to be 28 ELISA units per dose. The comparison between the HA titers of the aqueous extracts of test vaccines and the corresponding results of
potency assays (i.e., immunogenicity and efficacy), including antibody titers in the serum of vaccinated birds, indicated that the efficiency of the antigen extraction used may interfere with obtaining a strong correlation between the
and
results.
HA or B-ELISA tests can be used as rapid and cost-effective alternatives to traditional
potency tests for vaccine potency assessment by quantifying the NDV antigen present in aqueous phase extracts of the tested vaccines. The latter
protocol, however, requires efficient extraction of the antigen to be able to obtain good correlation with the traditional
potency tests.
Background
The decrease in the number of adolescents showing genuine interest in the fields of healthcare has been one of the recent concerns worldwide. A plethora of studies have discussed the ...factors that influence career choices of high school students, including science educational pedagogies, gender, environment, the student’s cognitive capabilities, and social perceptions of occupations being gender-based. As reported in 2012, a majority of the Qatari high-school students have shown a greater interest in business, technological, and administrative careers and a lower interest in healthcare. Comprehensive national and institutional strategies have since been utilized to direct the interest of Qatari generation toward healthcare careers.
Objective
The primary objective
of this case-control study is to assess the effect of schooling type on the enrollment in the Empower Generations (EG) career training in healthcare at the Qatar University.
The secondary objectives
are: (1) to describe the effect of initial career interest on the EG and healthcare majors composite’s enrollments and (2) assess the association between the history of enrollment in EG and university GPAs.
Method
This is a case-control study that utilized the Qatar University’s enrollment databases for the health professions majors, that is, Health Sciences, Medicine, Pharmacy, and Dentistry. The datasets were collected from the registration records between 2013 and 2020. The statistical analysis was performed on the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 26; the study used Chi-Square Test and Independence and logistic regression to assess the effect of schooling type and initial career interest on the enrollment in the EG training at the Qatar University. All statistics were tested for
p
= 0.05 and 95% CI.
Results
Total QU-Health records of admissions from 2013 to 2020 involve 562 eligible students. A total of 180 students (32%) attended EG training before they were admitted to QU-Health, whereas a total of 382 (68%) were enrolled to QU-Health without attending EG training. The study revealed significant findings regarding the association between EG training and international schools (
p
< 0.001). Among the group who attended EG training, there were 63 students (75%) who reported that they did not have an initial career interest before they joined the EG training compared to 21 students (25%) reported that they did not have an initial career interest but enrolled immediately to healthcare majors. The findings indicate insignificant association between the history of EG training and the high school percentage
p
= 0.397. However, the association between a history of EG training and the university’s GPA is significant, with a
p
< 0.001, OR 5.016 (2.954–8.518).
Conclusion
The study has shown significant association between the EG training enrollment and the type of school and the initial career interest of high school students. The EG training is perceived to direct the interest of high school students toward the careers of healthcare and is thought to enhance the performance of college students through their university’s GPAs.
ZnO nanocomposite was synthesised by immobilisation of ZnO nanoparticles on sodium bentonite surface and the prepared nanocomposite (nZnO-Bn) was used to remove, preconcentrate and to determine ...spectrophotometrically trace amounts of an anionic dye (bromocresol purple, BCP) in tap, Nile, sea and industrial water samples. nZnO-Bn was characterised via X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) technique. Factors effect on BCP removal as shaking time, solution pH, BCP initial concentration and temperature was explored in a batch mode. In addition, sorption kinetics, isotherms, thermodynamics, and reusability were studied. Pseudo-second-order kinetic model explained well the experimental results. Freundlich isotherm has been found to have a high correlation coefficient. The sorbed BCP was successfully desorbed using acetone and determined spectrophotometrically. The nZnO-Bn nanocomposite could be regenerated efficiently and recycled up to the fifth cycle with a removal efficiency of more than 83%. The proposed method for BCP determination provided a wide linear range from 15.63 to 2000 μg L
−1
of BCP. Moreover, the recoveries of BCP from spiked water samples ranged from 90.34% to 100.12%, indicating the suitability of nZnO-Bn as an efficient sorbent for the removal and determination of BCP in real samples.
•FMDVs have brought great challenges to virus molecular analysis and caused several outbreaks with continuously emerging viruses in Egypt.•Samples were collected from the most recent FMDV outbreak in ...the Egyptian bovine in 2022.•First report on newly emerging FMDV type A of EURO-SA lineage isolated from Egypt.•Results showed that the Egyptian EURO-SA strain was related to strains detected previously in Venezuela, Brazil, and Colombia.
A newly emerging and exotic foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) caused a recent outbreak of serotype A in Egypt in 2022, which affected cattle and water buffalo. Previous phylogenetic studies on FMDV circulating in Egypt have mainly focused on genomic regions encoding the structural proteins which determine FMDV serotype. No study has yet determined structural proteins sequences of the newly emerging Europe-South America (EURO-SA) lineage which was recently isolated from Egypt during a routine surveillance in 2022. The objective of the current study was to analyze the structural proteins of the Venezuelan type which belongs to EURO-SA. The new isolate was related to serotype A lineage Euro-South America. Phylogentic analyses have reveled that the newly isolated lineage samples were closely related to reported sequences that have been identified in Venzuela and Colombia. Analysis of structural protein sequences revealed the recent isolates belong to prototype strain A24 Cruzeiro. Notably, nucleotide sequences of the Egyptian isolate was related to Venezuelan, Brazilian, and Colombian strains with identity not exceeding 90%. The divergence which appears in the genetic identity of the Egyptian A/EURO-SA lineage from other related strains may be attributed to the absence of Euro-SA lineage sequence from Egypt. The present study is the first report on the detection of EURO-SA lineage in Egypt. The recent detection of the EURO-SA lineage samples may be explained due to imported animals from Colombia or Brazil which share geographical borders with Venezuela. The findings of the present study highlight the significance of continuous monitoring of FMDV in Egypt for newly emerging FMDVs.
Exposure to acrylic amide (AD) has garnered worldwide attention due to its potential adverse health effects, prompting calls from the World Health Organization for intensified research into ...associated risks. Despite this, the relationship between oral acrylic amide (acrylamide) (AD) exposure and pulmonary dysfunction remains poorly understood. Our study aimed to investigate the correlation between internal oral exposure to AD and the decline in lung function, while exploring potential mediating factors such as tissue inflammation, oxidative stress, pyroptosis, and apoptosis. Additionally, we aimed to evaluate the potential protective effect of zinc oxide nanoparticles green-synthesized moringa extract (ZNO-MONPs) (10 mg/kg b.wt) against ACR toxicity and conducted comprehensive miRNA expression profiling to uncover novel targets and mechanisms of AD toxicity (miRNA 223–3 P and miRNA 325–3 P). Furthermore, we employed computational techniques to predict the interactions between acrylic amide and/or MO-extract components and tissue proteins. Using a rat model, we exposed animals to oral acrylamide (20 mg/kg b.wt for 2 months). Our findings revealed that AD significantly downregulated the expression of miRNA 223–3 P and miRNA 325–3 P, targeting NLRP-3 & GSDMD, respectively, indicating the induction of pyroptosis in pulmonary tissue via an inflammasome activating pathway. Moreover, AD exposure resulted in lipid peroxidative damage and reduced levels of GPX, CAT, GSH, and GSSG. Notably, AD exposure upregulated apoptotic, pyroptotic, and inflammatory genes, accompanied by histopathological damage in lung tissue. Immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence techniques detected elevated levels of indicative harmful proteins including vimentin and 4HNE. Conversely, concurrent administration of ZNO-MONPs with AD significantly elevated the expression of miRNA 223–3 P and miRNA 325–3 P, protecting against oxidative stress, apoptosis, pyroptosis, inflammation, and fibrosis in rat lungs. In conclusion, our study highlights the efficacy of ZNO-MONPs NPs in protecting pulmonary tissue against the detrimental impacts of foodborne toxin AD.
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•AD inhibits antioxidant proteins detected in the in-silico procedure.•AD-induced pulmonary fibrosis and inflammation via inhibiting miRNAs 325–3 P and 223–3 P•AD-induced tissue alterations with activated 4HNE and vimentin reactivity in lungs of rats.•The green-synthesized MO-ZNPs act as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory and regulated pyroptosis genes.•MO-ZNPs reduced microarchitectural alterations induced by AD in lungs.
•A novel fluorescent sensor for Fe3+ detection was fabricated.•Theoretical modeling of Fe3+ detection through DFT calculation was investigated.•PHBS-sensor was effectively utilized for the Fe3+ ...detection in real samples.•Real samples include ground, tap and Nile river water, and pharmaceutical samples.•PHBS-sensor can be reused for many times through reversibility protocol.
Highly selective spectrofluorimetric detection of Fe3+ ions in acidic medium is developed using novel fluorescent sensor, namely 4-(2-(3-Methyl-5-oxo-1-tosyl-1H-pyrazol-4(5H)-ylidene) hydrazinyl)-N-(pyrimidin-2-yl) benzenesulfonamide (PHBS-sensor), which gives an selective fluorescence quenching response at λEmission 379 nm. The factors affecting fluorescence detection process, such as the pH, solvent type, buffer type, probe concentration, reaction time and co-existing ions were systematically studied and optimized. Theoretical modeling of Fe3+ monitoring through DFT calculation was investigated to display the mechanism of PHBS-Fe3+ complexation. The proposed PHBS-sensor can detect Fe3+ ions at ultra-trace levels with limit of detection 1.7 × 10−5 M. Moreover, this applied method was effectively utilized for the monitoring/detection of Fe3+ ions in real water, such as ground, tap and Nile river water, and pharmaceutical samples, such as hard gelatin capsule and syrup.
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A new thermodynamic model for calculating the dissociation constants of complexes formed between the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) is reported. The free ...energies of binding of PCBs to AhR are controlled by their lipophilicities, electron affinities, and entropies. The corresponding physicochemical properties of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans also control their interactions with AhR. We present evidence supporting the hypothesis that the majority of PCBs are likely to interact with AhR in their nonplanar conformations. In addition, we demonstrate that the affinities of PCBs for AhR relative to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin correlate with corresponding toxic equivalency factors in animals. The reported methodology is likely to be applicable to other polyhalogenated and mixed polyhalogenated bi- and terphenyls and related xenobiotics; thus, it could minimize the number of in vivo studies in laboratory animals and facilitate the identification of potentially hazardous aromatic xenobiotics.
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