Toxico-histological Effects of Sublethal Concentrations of Lead Nitrate on the Gills of the African Catfish, Clarias gariepinus

170-175This study aimed to investigate the effects of subleathal lead doses on the histological architecture of gills in the freshwater African catfish, Clarias gariepinus. Results revealed three stages of changes after exposure to three doses of lead nitrate. The changes were mild in fish exposed to 16.12 mg/L of Pb (NO3)2 (stage I 20% of LC50) and severe in case of 40% of LC50 (stage II, 32.24 mg/L) and 60% of LC50 (stage III 48.37% mg/L) in comparison to control. The histological examination revealed normal architecture of gills in control fish. Normal gills were characterized with primary gill lamellae with a central hyaline cartilage. However, three-stage changes were observed after exposure to the three doses of lead nitrate. In stage I, a cartilaginous matrix appeared along with loosening of the epithelial lining of the cartilaginous core and abundant vascular spaces were observed on the secondary gill lamellae. An extra cartilaginous matrix, loosening of the epithelial lining of the cartilaginous core, de-shaped gill lamellae, and degeneration of the secondary gill lamellae were noted in stage II. Lesions in the gill pattern in stage III were represented by shortening of the tips of secondary gill lamellae, damaged gill lamellae, a cartilaginous matrix, and hyperplasia. This indicated that lead exposure resulted in severe histopathological changes in the gills in a dose-dependent manner

Life cycle cost analysis of a sustainable solar water distillation technique

This paper presents a detailed estimation of the fabrication cost, water production cost (WC), and cost payback period (CPP) using annualized life cycle costing for a tubular solar still (TSS). The operation and maintenance cost (OM) and the number of sunny days in a year (d) have a significant effect on the WC. The WC is raised from 3.1 to 4.4¥/L, if the OM increases from 5 to 18% of the capital cost, respectively. The WC is dropped by 35% (in average) when the d increases from 230 to 350 days. In addition, the CPP is greatly affected by the water selling prices and d. The CPP is dropped from 68 to 45 days due to the increase of d from 230 to 350 days (in average), respectively. The fabrication cost of the TSS ($5) and the WC ($31/m3) are affordable and much lower than the single-sloped passive solar still. Finally, it is revealed that the solar radiation is the most influential parameter on the productivity of TSS and a linear proportional relationship is found between them

Toxico-histological Effects of Sublethal Concentrations of Lead Nitrate on the Gills of the African Catfish, Clarias gariepinus

This study aimed to investigate the effects of subleathal lead doses on the histological architecture of gills in the freshwater African catfish, Clarias gariepinus. Results revealed three stages of changes after exposure to three doses of lead nitrate. The changes were mild in fish exposed to 16.12 mg/L of Pb (NO3)2 (stage I 20% of LC50) and severe in case of 40% of LC50 (stage II, 32.24 mg/L) and 60% of LC50 (stage III 48.37% mg/L) in comparison to control. The histological examination revealed normal architecture of gills in control fish. Normal gills were characterized with primary gill lamellae with a central hyaline cartilage. However, three-stage changes were observed after exposure to the three doses of lead nitrate. In stage I, a cartilaginous matrix appeared along with loosening of the epithelial lining of the cartilaginous core and abundant vascular spaces were observed on the secondary gill lamellae. An extra cartilaginous matrix, loosening of the epithelial lining of the cartilaginous core, de-shaped gill lamellae, and degeneration of the secondary gill lamellae were noted in stage II. Lesions in the gill pattern in stage III were represented by shortening of the tips of secondary gill lamellae, damaged gill lamellae, a cartilaginous matrix, and hyperplasia. This indicated that lead exposure resulted in severe histopathological changes in the gills in a dose-dependent manner

Loneliness among women with rheumatoid arthritis:A cross-cultural study in the Netherlands and Egypt

The objective of this study was to explain loneliness as experienced by women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in a cross-cultural context. We studied 36 Egyptian female RA patients and 140 female Dutch RA patients.. Self-report data were collected about loneliness, physical and psychological health status, social support and social network, needs for help, attitudes and feelings of guilt. Loneliness was significantly higher among Egyptian (44.2 ± 32.3) than Dutch (12.9 ± 18.9) female RA patients (F = 54.3, p < 0.001). In Egypt, 36% of the variance of loneliness could be explained by worse affect (anxiety and depression; β = 0.51), fewer children (β = 0.31), and higher negative social support for the patients (β = 0.28) in multiple regression analysis. In the Netherlands, 35% of feeling lonely could be explained by worse affect scores (β = 0.52), less positive social support for the patients (β = 0.24), and a higher degree of disability (β = 0.21). Age of the patients and disease duration only explained 4% and 3% of the loneliness of RA patients in Egypt and the Netherlands, respectively. Female Egyptian RA patients experienced more loneliness than Dutch patients. Affect is the most important and constant variable in explaining loneliness in both countries. The role of the family in perceived loneliness is greater in Egypt than the Netherlands. Low social support received by patients is important in explaining loneliness in the Netherlands but not in Egypt

Design, synthesis, and potent anticancer activity of novel indole-based Bcl-2 inhibitors

The Bcl-2 family plays a crucial role in regulating cell apoptosis, making it an attractive target for cancer therapy. In this study, a series of indole-based compounds, U1–6, were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their anticancer activity against Bcl-2-expressing cancer cell lines. The binding affinity, safety profile, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis effects of the compounds were tested. The designed compounds exhibited potent inhibitory activity at sub-micromolar IC50 concentrations against MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, and A549 cell lines. Notably, U2 and U3 demonstrated the highest activity, particularly against MCF-7 cells. Respectively, both U2 and U3 showed potential BCL-2 inhibition activity with IC50 values of 1.2 ± 0.02 and 11.10 ± 0.07 µM using an ELISA binding assay compared with 0.62 ± 0.01 µM for gossypol, employed as a positive control. Molecular docking analysis suggested stable interactions of compound U2 at the Bcl-2 binding site through hydrogen bonding, pi-pi stacking, and hydrophobic interactions. Furthermore, U2 demonstrated significant induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at the G1/S phase. Importantly, U2 displayed a favourable safety profile on HDF human dermal normal fibroblast cells at 10-fold greater IC50 values compared with MDA-MB-231 cells. These findings underscore the therapeutic potential of compound U2 as a Bcl-2 inhibitor and provide insights into its molecular mechanisms of action

Effects of Sub-lethal Lead Nitrate and Copper Sulfate Concentrations on Hematological Parameters During Long-term Exposure in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

437-441Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) weighing 51.66 ± 2.42 g were exposed to 0%, 20%, 40%, and 60% of LC50 to either lead nitrate (Pb(NO3)2) or copper sulfate (CuSO4) for 30 days. The Pb(NO3)2 and CuSO4 concentrations employed in the treatments of this study were 8.8, 17.6, and 26.4 mg/L and 2.57, 5.14, and 7.71 mg/l, respectively, and multiple hematological variables were evaluated. The red blood cell (RBC) count for the control group was 2.41 ± 0.13 while those of the treatment groups exposed to 8.8, 17.6, and 26.4 mg/L of Pb(NO3)2 were 2.21 ± 0.10, 1.94 ± 0.16, and 1.36 ± 0.10 × 106/µl, respectively, at the end of the study. Similarly, the hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Hct), mean cell hemoglobin (MCH), mean cell hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), and platelet (PLT( levels significantly decreased as the Pb(NO3)2 concentration increased (p 4, showed decrease in the levels of RBC, Hb, Hct, WBC, and PLT when the concentration of CuSO4 increased, while the MCHC, MCH, and MCV levels significantly increased

Chemical Profile of Cyperus laevigatus and Its Protective Effects against Thioacetamide-Induced Hepatorenal Toxicity in Rats

Cyperus species represent a group of cosmopolitan plants used in folk medicine to treat several diseases. In the current study, the phytochemical profile of Cyperus laevigatus ethanolic extract (CLEE) was assessed using UPLC-QTOF–MS/MS. The protective effect of CLEE at 50 and 100 mg /kg body weight (b.w.) was evaluated on hepatorenal injuries induced by thioacetamide (100 mg/kg) via investigation of the extract’s effects on oxidative stress, inflammatory markers and histopathological changes in the liver and kidney. UPLC-QTOF–MS/MS analysis of CLEE resulted in the identification of 94 compounds, including organic and phenolic acids, flavones, aurones, and fatty acids. CLEE improved the antioxidant status in the liver and kidney, as manifested by enhancement of reduced glutathione (GSH) and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), in addition to the reduction in malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), and 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8OHdG). Moreover, CLEE positively affected oxidative stress parameters in plasma and thwarted the depletion of hepatorenal ATP content by thioacetamide (TAA). Furthermore, treatment of rats with CLEE alleviated the significant increase in plasma liver enzymes, kidney function parameters, and inflammatory markers. The protective effect of CLEE was confirmed by a histopathological study of the liver and kidney. Our results proposed that CLEE may reduce TAA-hepatorenal toxicity via its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties suppressing oxidative stress

Design, synthesis and mechanistic anticancer activity of new acetylated 5-aminosalicylate-thiazolinone hybrid derivatives

The development of hybrid compounds has been widely considered as a promising strategy to circumvent the difficulties that emerge in cancer treatment. The well-established strategy of adding acetyl groups to certain drugs has been demonstrated to enhance their therapeutic efficacy. Based on our previous work, an approach of accommodating two chemical entities into a single structure was implemented to synthesize new acetylated hybrids (HH32 and HH33) from 5-aminosalicylic acid and 4-thiazolinone derivatives. These acetylated hybrids showed potential anticancer activities and distinct metabolomic profile with antiproliferative properties. The in-silico molecular docking predicts a strong binding of HH32 and HH33 to cell cycle regulators, and transcriptomic analysis revealed DNA repair and cell cycle as the main targets of HH33 compounds. These findings were validated using in vitro models. In conclusion, the pleiotropic biological effects of HH32 and HH33 compounds on cancer cells demonstrated a new avenue to develop more potent cancer therapies

Burnout among surgeons before and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: an international survey

Background: SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has had many significant impacts within the surgical realm, and surgeons have been obligated to reconsider almost every aspect of daily clinical practice. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study reported in compliance with the CHERRIES guidelines and conducted through an online platform from June 14th to July 15th, 2020. The primary outcome was the burden of burnout during the pandemic indicated by the validated Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure. Results: Nine hundred fifty-four surgeons completed the survey. The median length of practice was 10&nbsp;years; 78.2% included were male with a median age of 37&nbsp;years old, 39.5% were consultants, 68.9% were general surgeons, and 55.7% were affiliated with an academic institution. Overall, there was a significant increase in the mean burnout score during the pandemic; longer years of practice and older age were significantly associated with less burnout. There were significant reductions in the median number of outpatient visits, operated cases, on-call hours, emergency visits, and research work, so, 48.2% of respondents felt that the training resources were insufficient. The majority (81.3%) of respondents reported that their hospitals were included in the management of COVID-19, 66.5% felt their roles had been minimized; 41% were asked to assist in non-surgical medical practices, and 37.6% of respondents were included in COVID-19 management. Conclusions: There was a significant burnout among trainees. Almost all aspects of clinical and research activities were affected with a significant reduction in the volume of research, outpatient clinic visits, surgical procedures, on-call hours, and emergency cases hindering the training. Trial registration: The study was registered on clicaltrials.gov "NCT04433286" on 16/06/2020