ANALYSIS OF ILLICIT DRUGS AND NICOTINE IN A BUCCAL TOBACCO BRAND MARKETED IN YEMEN

Objectives: The objective of the present study was to check the potential presence of illicit drugs and to quantify the amount of nicotine in a buccal tobacco brand that had been observed to be increasingly used by Yemeni youths, since 2014, causing narcosis resembling states among them. Methods: Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) described by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) was used to screen illicit drugs in the tested brand. The illicit drugs investigated included opiates, heroin, amphetamines, and cocaine. The TLC results were confirmed as recommended by the UNODC using color chemical tests. Identification and quantification of nicotine in the brand was carried out using an appropriate high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system. Results: No illicit drug was found in the tested tobacco brand. On the other hand, it was found that the amount of nicotine in just a single dose (sachet) of the buccal brand was 17.67±0.901 mg, which was 3.53-fold greater than usual buccal dose of nicotine (5 mg). Conclusion: With the exception of cannabis, opioids, and hallucinogens that were not investigated in this study due to technical obstacles, other major illicit narcotic drugs are not found in the brand. The brand contains high amount of nicotine/sachet. However, knowing that the user may use more than one sachet of the brands a day, there is a great potential of nicotine overdosing due to intake of the brand. This may cause a narcosis resembling state called “Nesbitt’s paradox,” characterized by reducing neuronal activity of the user

The immune enhancer, thymoquinone, and the hope of utilizing the immune system of Aedes caspius against disease agents

Insects have developed an efficient defence system against  microorganisms, which involves both humoral and cellular mechanisms. Recent studies on insect defence system are aimed at utilizing it inthe battle against mosquito-borne diseases. However, mounting immune responses of insects has proved to impose fitness costs. The current study was conducted to test the costs of enhancing the immune responses of Aedes caspius by oral administration of thymoquinone, the active ingredient of the black seed oil, Nigella sativa L. (Ranunculaceae). The obtained results showed an effective humoral activity against Micrococcus luteus (NCTC 2665, Sigma-Aldrich, UK) and Bacillus cereus when mosquitoes were injected with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), Bacillus thuringiensis or B. cereus. However, this activity showed no effect against B. thuringiensis. Furthermore, oral administration of thymoquinone enhanced the humoral activity against B. cereus but not against B. thuringiensis. On the other hand, thymoquinone-enhanced immunity imposed reproductive costs in terms of higher percentages of follicular apoptosis and resorption. This observation has been confirmed by the semiquantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis, which showed a relatively higher expression of selected caspases genes, namely: CASP 18, CASP 19 and CASP 20, but not CASP 21, transcripts in immune enhanced mosquitoes compared to non-enhanced ones. Based on these results, this study suggests that enhancing the humoral activity by thymoquinone proved to be costly in terms of triggering follicular apoptosis and resorption. Thus, as part of the scenario ofimmunity-reproduction conflict, it was concluded that the impact of immune stimulation and/or enhancement on the vector reproduction constitutes a limiting factor to the utilization of thymoquinone in the immuno-control strategy against mosquito-borne diseases

Ameliorative Potential of Morin in Streptozotocin-Induced Neuropathic Pain in Rats

Purpose: To investigate the protective effect of morin, a naturally occurring bioflavonoid of Moraceae family, in experimentally-induced diabetic neuropathy (DN) in rats.Methods: Diabetes was induced by a single injection (65 mg/kg, ip) of streptozotocin (STZ). Morin (15 and 30 mg/kg/day) oral treatment was started 3 weeks after diabetes induction and continued for 5 consecutive weeks. Pain threshold behavior tests were performed at the end of the treatment. In sciatic nerve, inflammatory cytokines (TNF-á, IL-1â, IL-6), nerve growth factor (NGF) and insulin growth factor (IGF-1) were determined using ELISA kits, while thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS),glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) levels were assessed.Results: Diabetic animals showed apparent decreased paw-withdrawal (39 %, p < 0.05) and tail-flick (31 %, p < 0.05) latency as compared with control group. All the measured biomarkers were altered (p < 0.05 to 0.001) in diabetic rats compared with control non-diabetic animals. Morin treatment attenuated hyperalgesia and analgesia (p < 0.05) respectively. Morin treatment of diabetic rats at both doses significantly decreased the levels of cytokines (p < 0.01), glucose (p < 0.01) and TBARS (p < 0.001), but increased NGF (p < 0.01), IGF-1 (p < 0.01) and GSH (p < 0.01) levels in sciatic nerves compared to untreated diabetic animals. Inhibited activities (U/mg protein) of SOD (1.08 ± 0.16) and CAT (2.77 ± 0.36) in sciatic nerve of diabetic rats also found corrections (2.09 ± 0.11, p < 0.01) and (4.53 ± 0.57, p < 0.01) after morin (30 mg/kg/day) treatment, compared with untreated diabetic animals.Conclusion: These findings demonstrate the protective effect of morin mediated through reduction of oxidative stress and inflammatory process, and suggest the therapeutic potential of morin in the attenuation of diabetic neuropathy.Keywords: Morin, Diabetes, Neuropathy pain, Oxidative stress, Anti-inflammator

Isolation and characterization of native Bacillus thuringiensis strains from Saudi Arabia with enhanced larvicidal toxicity against the mosquito vector Anopheles gambiae (s.l.).

BACKGROUND: Worldwide, mosquito vectors are transmitting several etiological agents of important human diseases, including malaria, causing millions of deaths every year. In Saudi Arabia, as elsewhere, vector-control is based mostly on chemical insecticides which may be toxic and cause environmental deprivation. Here, to support the development of bio-pesticide alternatives, a study was conducted to identify native Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) isolates with improved toxicity against the malaria vector, Anopheles gambiae (s.l.). METHODS: Sixty-eight Bt isolates were obtained from 300 soil and other samples collected from 16 sites across Saudi Arabia. Bt identification was based on morphological characteristics of colonies, shape of parasporal crystals and biochemical profiles. After characterization of their mosquitocidal activity, larvicidal strains were described through 16S ribosomal DNA gene sequencing, cry, cyt and chi genes PCR-amplification profiles, and SDS-PAGE protein analyses. RESULTS: Spherical Bt crystals were predominant amongst the 68 isolates (34%), while irregular, bi-pyramidal and spore-attached crystals were found in 32, 13 and 21% of strains, respectively. LC50 and LC90 bioassays showed that 23/68 isolates were larvicidal, with distinct biochemical activity profiles compared to non-larvicidal Bt strains. Eight larvicidal strains showed larvicidal activity up to 3.4-fold higher (LC50 range: 3.90-7.40 μg/ml) than the reference Bti-H14 strain (LC50 = 13.33 μg/ml). Of these, 6 strains had cry and cyt gene profiles similar to Bti-H14 (cry4Aa, cry4Ba, cry10, cry11, cyt1Aa, cyt1Ab, cyt2Aa). The seventh strain (Bt63) displaying the highest larvicidal activity (LC50 = 3.90 μg/ml) missed the cry4Aa and cyt1Ab genes and had SDS-PAGE protein profiles and spore/crystal sizes distinct from Bti-H14. The eight strain (Bt55) with LC50 of 4.11μg/ml had cry and cyt gene profiles similar to Bti-H14 but gave a chi gene PCR product size of 2027bp. No strains harbouring cry2, cry17 + 27, cry24 + 40, cry25, cry29, cry30, or cyt2Ba were detected. CONCLUSION: This study represents the first report of several Saudi indigenous Bt strains with significantly higher larvicidal efficacy against An. gambiae than the reference Bti-H14 strain. The very high toxicity of the Bt63 strain, combined with distinct cry and cyt genes and SDS-PAGE-protein profiles makes it a promising candidate for future applications in mosquito bio-control

A novel pathogenic mutation of the CYP27B1 gene in a patient with vitamin D-dependent rickets type 1: a case report

BACKGROUND: Rickets can occur due to Vitamin D deficiency or defects in its metabolism. Three rare genetic types of rickets with different alterations of genes have been reported, including: Vitamin D dependent rickets type 1, Vitamin D dependent rickets type 2 or also known as Vitamin D resistant rickets and 25 hydroxylase deficiency rickets. Vitamin D dependent rickets type 1 is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern, and is caused by mutations in the CYP27B1 gene encoding the 1α-hydroxylase enzyme. We report here a new mutation in CYP27B1, which lead to Vitamin D dependent rickets type 1. CASE PRESENTATION: We report on a 13-month-old Arabic Saudi girl with Vitamin D dependent rickets type 1 presented with multiple fractures and classic features of rickets. A whole exome sequencing identified a novel pathogenic missense mutation (CYP27B1:Homozygous c.1510C > T(p.Q504X)) which results in a protein truncating alteration. Both parents are heterozygous carriers of the mutation. Based on data search in Human Gene Mutation Database, 63 CYP27B1 alterations were reported: only 28.6% are protein truncating (5 nonsense, 13 frameshift insertions/deletions, 0 gross deletions), while 61.9% are non-truncating (38 missense, 1 small in-frame insertions/deletion), and 9.5% are possible protein-truncating (5 splice, 1 regulatory). CONCLUSION: The deleterious effect of this alteration, which was the only mutation detected in the CYP27B1 common gene of Vitamin D dependent rickets type 1 in the proband, and its autosomal recessive inheritance fashion, both support a pathogenic nature of this mutation as the cause of Vitamin D dependent rickets type 1

Self-Powered 6LoWPAN Sensor Node for Green IoT Edge Devices

Copyright © 2020 The Authors. In this paper, a simulation model and practical testbed for green Internet of Things (IoT) edge devices are proposed based on solar harvester with constant voltage-maximum power point tracking (CV-MPPT) technique. Billions of connected edge devices represent the essential part of the IoT through the IP-enabled sensor networks based on IPv6 over Low power Wireless Personal Area Network (6LoWPAN). In traditional IoT edge devices, the stored energy in the non-rechargeable battery determines the node lifetime while it is being depleted with time. Therefore, purchasing billions of such batteries is costly and must be disposed of efficiently. This paper is aimed at simulating and implementing a new class of green IoT edge devices that can report data wirelessly and powered perpetually using clean energy. The developed edge device utilizes solar energy harvesting mechanism through photovoltaic (PV) module, this approach will avoid periodical battery replacement and hence, the energy supplied to the sensor mode is not limited anymore. The implemented testbed is based on open-source hardware and software platforms while the simulation environment is based on MATLAB/SIMULINK 2019a. The effects of temperature and solar irradiance on the performance of the developed approach are examined in order to confirm the leverage of the proposed methodology scheme. The lifetime of the developed green IoT device is predicted based on the device's activities, current consumption, and energy storage capacity. The obtained results showed that the battery lifetime is extended by 38-49% when the edge device runs on an independent power source

Biochemical and histological evidences for the antitumor potential of Teucrium Oliverianum and Rhazya stricta in chemically-induced hepatocellular carcinoma

Background: Teucrium oliverianum and Rhazya stricta are medicinal plants used in traditional and herbal medicine for the treatment of diabetes, liver diseases and inflammatory conditions. The present study was planned to investigate the antitumor efficacy of Teucrium oliverianum and Rhazya stricta in chemically-induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in rats.Materials and Methods: Forty adult male rats weighing 170-200 g were divided into four groups; each group was comprised of ten rats: (1): Normal healthy animals served as negative control group, (2):  Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) group in which the rats were orally administered Nnitrosodiethylamine (dissolved in 0.9% normal saline), in a dose of 20 mg/kg b.wt. five times a week for six weeks, (3): HCC group treated with Teucrium oliverianum extract in a dose of 600 mg/kg b.wt for two months and (4): HCC group treated with Rhazya stricta extract in a dose of 750 mg/kg b.wt for two months. Serum alanine  aminotransferase (ALT), asparatate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and  gammaglutamyl transferase (γ-GT) activities were estimated. Serum  carcinoembyronic antigen (CEA), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), alpha-L-fucosidase (AFU), glypican-3 (GPC-3), golgi protein 73 (Gp-73) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels were determined. Histopathological examination of liver tissue sections was also carried out.Results: The HCC group showed significant elevation in serum AST, ALT, ALP and γ-GT activities as well  as CEA, AFP, AFU, Gpc-3, Gp 73 and VEGF levels versus the negative control group. Photomicrograph of liver tissue sections of rats in HCC revealed hepatic parenchyma with foci of anaplastic hepatocellular carcinoma as well as other foci of cystic cholangio carcinoma associated with areas of telangictasis with haemorrhage as well as individual hepatocellular necrosis.Conclusion: Treatment of HCC groups with Teucrium oliverianum or Rhazya stricta extract experienced significant improvement in the measured biochemical parameters as well as in the structural  organization of the liver. In conclusion, the current study provided experimental evidences for the antitumor efficacy of Teucrium oliverianum and Rhazya stricta against hepatocellular carcinoma. Such effect could be attributed to hepatoprotective properties, antiproliferative activity and antiangiogenic potential.Keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma, Teucrium oliverianum, Rhazya stricta, rat

Developed performance of rGO/p-Si Schottky junction solar cells

Graphene in combination with Si has been extensively used to prepare efficient and stable p-graphene/n-Si Schottky junction solar cells. In contrast, there is a difficulty in including graphene within the fabrication process of efficient and stable n-graphene/p-Si Schottky junction solar cells. The reason for this is that there is a challenge in achieving an effective and stable n-doping process for graphene or rGO due to the ambient environment. In this work, a novel approach is introduced for preparing more efficient, stable, larger and simpler n-rGO/p-Si Schottky junction solar cells. The n-rGO rather than graphene, which has been successfully developed using NH3 molecules, is included in the fabrication process of n-rGO/p-Si Schottky junction solar cells. Accordingly, the power conversion efficiency of 9.7 was obtained for prepared devices after applying ammonia treatment for 3 h. For the first time, the developed n-rGO layers are also excellently employed to prepare large n-rGO/p-Si Schottky junction solar cells with ideal J-V curves. The improved efficiency of 12.6 % is reached for n-rGO/p-Si Schottky junction solar cells prepared with an active area of 0.6 cm2. To improve the stability, devices are coated with PMMA as an encapsulated layer, leading to an improvement in the stability for 2 months in the ambient air. Additionally, a recorded efficiency of 13.8 % is achieved. We attribute this development to the chemisorption of ammonia molecules on rGO, which effectively develops the performance of devices

Access and utilisation of primary health care services comparing urban and rural areas of Riyadh Providence, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has seen an increase in chronic diseases. International evidence suggests that early intervention is the best approach to reduce the burden of chronic disease. However, the limited research available suggests that health care access remains unequal, with rural populations having the poorest access to and utilisation of primary health care centres and, consequently, the poorest health outcomes. This study aimed to examine the factors influencing the access to and utilisation of primary health care centres in urban and rural areas of Riyadh province of the KSA

Smart Injectable Chitosan Hydrogels Loaded with 5-Fluorouracil for the Treatment of Breast Cancer

The treatment of breast cancer requires long chemotherapy management, which is accompanied by severe side effects. Localized delivery of anticancer drugs helps to increase the drug concentration at the site of action and overcome such a problem. In the present study, chitosan hydrogel was prepared for local delivery of 5-Fluorouracil. The in vitro release behavior was investigated and the anticancer activity was evaluated against MCF-7 cells using MTT assay. The in vivo studies were investigated via intra-tumoral injection of a 5-FU loaded hydrogel into breast cancer of female rats. The results indicated that the modified hydrogel has excellent physicochemical properties with a sustained in vitro release profile matching a zero-order kinetic for one month. In addition, the hydrogel showed superior inhibition of cell viability compared with the untreated control group. Moreover, the in vivo studies resulted in antitumor activity with minor side effects. The tumor volume and level of tumor markers in blood were inhibited significantly by applying the hydrogel compared with the untreated control group. In conclusion, the designed injectable hydrogels are potential drug delivery systems for the treatment of breast cancer with a controlled drug release profile, which could be suitable for decreasing the side effects of chemotherapy agents