Patterns of surgical causes of inguinoscrotal lesions in neonates in Sohag, Upper Egypt: a single-center experience

Background/purpose: Inguinoscrotal lesions (ISLs) are not uncommon during the first month of life. Most of the lesions are congenital. Although physical examination can detect most of the lesions, differential diagnosis is sometimes difficult. Our objective was to evaluate different patterns and spectrums of surgical causes of ISLs seen in the neonatal period.Patients and methods: This prospective observational study included neonates with surgical causes of ISL presented during the period from June 2015 to September 2016. Neonates with nonsurgical causes of ISL were excluded. All cases were subjected to management strategies that consist of physical examinations, imaging studies accordingly, and surgical repair, when needed. The approval of the ethics committee was obtained. Demographic data, presence of associated anomalies, operative data, and outcome of surgical intervention during neonatal period all were reported and analyzed.Results: There were 63 neonates with surgical causes of ISL. The spectrum of findings was as follows: 28 (44.4%) patients with hernia including complicated hernias, 18 (28.6%) patients with hydrocele, 12 (19%) patients with empty scrotum (unilateral or bilateral), three (4.8%) patients with scrotal anomalies, one patient with torsion, and one patient with hematoma.Conclusion: ISL in neonates carries a wide range of varieties. Although congenital inguinal hernia is the commonest, other causes should be kept in mind for differential diagnosis.Keywords: hydrocele, inguinoscrotal lesions, neonatal congenital inguinal herni

Design of a low-cost IoT-based biofloc water quality monitoring system

This paper proposes an IoT-based BFT water monitoring system that can measure water parameters such as pH, DO, TDS, and EC. The collected data is displayed remotely via the BLYNK cloud and Node-RED via an MQTT broker. Moreover, a mobile application monitors all water parameters in real-time, notifying users when a parameter exceeds the ideal value. This study suggests that the proposed system based on IoT is an excellent option for a cost-effective BFT system

Targeting NF-κB signaling cascades of glioblastoma by a natural benzophenone, garcinol, via in vitro and molecular docking approaches

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is regarded as the most aggressive form of brain tumor delineated by high cellular heterogeneity; it is resistant to conventional therapeutic regimens. In this study, the anti-cancer potential of garcinol, a naturally derived benzophenone, was assessed against GBM. During the analysis, we observed a reduction in the viability of rat glioblastoma C6 cells at a concentration of 30 µM of the extract (p < 0.001). Exposure to garcinol also induced nuclear fragmentation and condensation, as evidenced by DAPI-stained photomicrographs of C6 cells. The dissipation of mitochondrial membrane potential in a dose-dependent fashion was linked to the activation of caspases. Furthermore, it was observed that garcinol mediated the inhibition of NF-κB (p < 0.001) and decreased the expression of genes associated with cell survival (Bcl-XL, Bcl-2, and survivin) and proliferation (cyclin D1). Moreover, garcinol showed interaction with NF-κB through some important amino acid residues, such as Pro275, Trp258, Glu225, and Gly259 during molecular docking analysis. Comparative analysis with positive control (temozolomide) was also performed. We found that garcinol induced apoptotic cell death via inhibiting NF-κB activity in C6 cells, thus implicating it as a plausible therapeutic agent for GBM

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 years; 78.2% included were male with a median age of 37 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

The Impact of Silver Nanoparticles Produced by Bacillus pumilus as Antimicrobial and Nematicide

This study evaluates the potential application of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) as antimicrobial or nematicidal agents produced by the extremophile Bacillus pumilus, which was isolated from the alkaline Wadi El-Natrun Lake in Egypt. The AgNPs were characterized by ultraviolet–visible absorption spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. The size of AgNPs formed ranged from 20.12 to 29.48 nm. Panagrellus redivivus was exposed to different concentrations (0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 µg/mL) of AgNPs in a 5 mL nematode suspension (1×103 mL-1). The best result occurred at AgNP concentrations of 150 and 200 µg/mL, with death rates of 80% and 91%, respectively, following 48 h of exposure. AgNPs also exhibited potent antimicrobial properties when using Gram-negative and Gram-positive human pathogens, with MIC and MBC values of 5 μg/mL and 10 μg/mL, respectively. These laboratory assays prove that biologically synthesized AgNPs are an ecofriendly material that can be used in lieu of solvents or toxic chemicals

Inferring the joint operation of high Aswan dam and Toshka depression using multi-sensor satellite approach

Remote sensing observations with high spatial and temporal resolutions have been successful in overcoming the challenge of data availability in ungauged basins. In this study, we applied a Multi-Sensor Satellite (MSS) approach to understand the reservoir operation in the Nile river basin (NRB) with the focus on the joint operation of High Aswan Dam (HAD) and Toshka depression, located in the southwestern part of HAD. The MSS data, which integrates Landsat (5-8), Sentinel-2A, MODIS with hydrological model outputs, are used in a water balance model to derive the operation of HAD reservoir and Toshka depression. The results show that the MSS approach has a reasonable skill when modelling the Toshka inflow (i.e. HAD spillway outflow) with a Relative Error and R2 of −19.14% and 0.79, respectively (for the period 1998–2002). Overall, our study provides a framework that harnesses free available sensors to infer the operation of lakes and reservoirs in the NRB

Active and Stable Methane Oxidation Nano-Catalyst with Highly-Ionized Palladium Species Prepared by Solution Combustion Synthesis

We report on the synthesis and testing of active and stable nano-catalysts for methane oxidation. The nano-catalyst was palladium/ceria supported on alumina prepared via a one-step solution-combustion synthesis (SCS) method. As confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HTEM), SCS preparative methodology resulted in segregating both Pd and Ce on the surface of the Al2O3 support. Furthermore, HTEM showed that bigger Pd particles (5 nm and more) were surrounded by CeO2, resembling a core shell structure, while smaller Pd particles (1 nm and less) were not associated with CeO2. The intimate Pd-CeO2 attachment resulted in insertion of Pd ions into the ceria lattice, and associated with the reduction of Ce4+ into Ce3+ ions; consequently, the formation of oxygen vacancies. XPS showed also that Pd had three oxidation states corresponding to Pd0, Pd2+ due to PdO, and highly ionized Pd ions (Pd(2+x)+) which might originate from the insertion of Pd ions into the ceria lattice. The formation of intrinsic Ce3+ ions, highly ionized (Pd2+ species inserted into the lattice of CeO2) Pd ions (Pd(2+x)+) and oxygen vacancies is suggested to play a major role in the unique catalytic activity. The results indicated that the Pd-SCS nano-catalysts were exceptionally more active and stable than conventional catalysts. Under similar reaction conditions, the methane combustion rate over the SCS catalyst was ~18 times greater than that of conventional catalysts. Full methane conversions over the SCS catalysts occurred at around 400 °C but were not shown at all with conventional catalysts. In addition, contrary to the conventional catalysts, the SCS catalysts exhibited superior activity with no sign of deactivation in the temperature range between ~400 and 800 °C

PARP-1 inhibition alleviates diabetic cardiac complications in experimental animals

Cardiovascular complications are the major causes of mortality among diabetic population. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 enzyme (PARP-1) is activated by oxidative stress leading to cellular damage. We investigated the implication of PARP-1 in diabetic cardiac complications. Type 2 diabetes was induced in rats by high fructose-high fat diet and low streptozotocin dose. PARP inhibitor 4-aminobenzamide (4-AB) was administered daily for ten weeks after diabetes induction. At the end of study, surface ECG, blood pressure and vascular reactivity were studied. PARP-1 activity, reduced glutathione (GSH) and nitrite contents were assessed in heart muscle. Fasting glucose, fructosamine, insulin, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) levels were measured in serum. Finally, histological examination and collagen deposition detection in rat ventricular and aortic sections were carried out. Hearts isolated from diabetic animals showed increased PARP-1 enzyme activity compared to control animals while significantly reduced by 4-AB administration. PARP-1 inhibition by 4-AB alleviated cardiac ischemia in diabetic animals as indicated by ECG changes. PARP-1 inhibition also reduced cardiac inflammation in diabetic animals as evidenced by histopathological changes. In addition, 4-AB administration improved the elevated blood pressure and the associated exaggerated vascular contractility, endothelial destruction and vascular inflammation seen in diabetic animals. Moreover, PARP-1 inhibition decreased serum levels of TNF-α and cardiac nitrite but increased cardiac GSH contents in diabetic animals. However, PARP-1 inhibition did not significantly affect the developed hyperglycemia. Our findings prove that PARP-1 enzyme plays an important role in diabetic cardiac complications through combining inflammation, oxidative stress, and fibrosis mechanisms