Effect of Watermelon Rind Powder on Gut Microbiome and Weight Loss in Obese Rats

The purpose of this research was to examine the impact of watermelon rind powder on the blood lipid profile of male albino rats (Sprague-Dawley strain), weighing about 200–250 g) were separated randomly into two main groups as follows: The first main group -ve control = 6 rats) was given a basic diet. The second main group (24 rats) was fed a high-fat diet (10% sheep fat) for one month to induce obesity and hypercholesterolemia. Six rats were separated and fed on a high fat diet only as a control (positive group + ve), then the remaining 18 rats were separated into 3 subgroups (6 rats per group). These subgroups 1, 2, and 3 were fed on a basal diet mixed with watermelon rind powder at 5%, 10%, and 15%, respectively. All rats were killed after 8 weeks of experimentation in order to get their blood. LDL, HDL, VLDL, TG, ALT, AST, TC, and HB were determined. Results: Hypercholesterolemia rats fed on a basal diet mixed with watermelon rind powder showed significantly (P<0.05) decreasing liver function enzymes, VLDL, LDL, TC, TG, and VLDL, with significantly (P<0.05) increasing hemoglobin and HDL levels when contrasted with the control groups. Conclusion: Feeding on a basal diet mixed with watermelon rind powder could be utilized as a suitable therapy for obese cases and may lead to microbial diversity

Could cardiac MR imaging with late gadolinium enhancement affect the risk stratification and outcome prediction in non-ischemic cardiomyopathies?

Background: Cardiac MR (CMR) evaluating non-ischemic cardiomyopathies (NICMs) is superior 3D imaging with non-invasiveness, more accuracy and reproducibility of measurements. It provides comprehensive structural, functional information, tissue characterization, and assesses fibrosis by LGE.Objective: The study aimed to investigate these imaging data and their prognostic value in NICM.Patients and methods: 46 NICM patients were assessed by echocardiography/cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). They were divided into 3 groups: dilated, hypertrophic and miscellaneous types. Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) presence and myocardial extent/percentage were assessed with clinical follow up for a median of 1-year for any Major adverse cardiac events (MACE). For each group, univariate analysis of clinical/imaging risk factors in the associations with LGE/MACE was performed. Results: Twenty-six dilated cardiomyopathy patients, 62% had LGE and 31% had MACE. Using LGE as a predictor for MACE was statistically significant (p = 0.007). Using univariate analysis, the presence of LGE (p=0.00) and the extent of LGE (p < 0.0001) demonstrated the strongest unadjusted association with MACE. ROC curves revealed a cutoff value of LGE > 4.5% as MACE predictor. Twelve hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients (67%) had LGE and (50%) had MACE. Using LGE as a predictor for MACE was statistically significant (p=0.014). Using univariate analysis, the presence of LGE (p=0.01) and the extent of LGE (p=0.01) demonstrated the strongest unadjusted association with MACE. ROC curves revealed a cutoff value of LGE > 4.5% as MACE predictor.Conclusion: CMR with LGE is crucial in NICM evaluation with prognostic value; changing the way that myocardial disorders will be understood and managed in the near future

Comparison between P&O and SSO techniques based MPPT algorithm for photovoltaic systems

Solar photovoltaic (SPV) systems are a renewable source of energy that are environmentally friendly and recyclable nature. When the solar panel is connected directly to the load, the power delivered to the load is not the optimal power. It is therefore important to obtain maximum power from SPV systems for enhancing efficiency. Various maximum power point tracking (MPPT) techniques of SPV systems were proposed. Traditional MPPT techniques are commonly limited to uniform weather conditions. This paper presents a study of MPPT for photovoltaic (PV) systems. The study includes a discussion of different MPPT techniques and performs comparison for the performance of the two MPPT techniques, the P&O algorithm, and salp swarm optimization (SSO) algorithm. MATLAB simulations are performed under step changes in irradiation. The results of SSO show that the search time of maximum power point (MPP) is significantly decreased and the MPP is obtained in the shortest time with high accuracy and minimum oscillations in the generated power when compared with P&O

Immune responses to killed reassorted influenza virus supplemented with natural adjuvants

In this study, we investigated the immunomodulatory effects of a supplemented killed influenza virus (V) by Echinacea purpurea (E) and Nigella sativa (N) extracts and effect of changing the route of immunization from intramuscular (IM) to intraperitoneal (IP). At the 2nd-, 3rd- and 4th-week post-IM immunizations (WPIMI), the supplemented V with N (VN) induced the most significant IgM response unlike N alone. At the 2nd WPIMI, V or VN induced the highest significant IgG levels. At the 2nd-week post-IP immunization (WPIPI), E and VN induced the most significant IgG levels. Both at the 3rd and 4th WPIMI or WPIPI, various treatments induced significant increases in IgG. At the 4th WPIMI, E, V, and V with E (VE) induced significant increases in the CD4+ thymocytes while all IP treatments caused significant increase in their counts. V and VN induced the most significant IM induction of CD8+ thymocytes while their best IP stimulation was induced by N, VE, and VN. At the 4th WPIMI, various treatments caused significant increases in the mesenteric lymph node (MLN) CD4+, CD8+ counts. WPIPI with V or VE caused significant increases in both the CD4+- and CD8+ MLN cells, whereas VN significantly induced CD8+ MLN cells only. WPIPI with various treatments caused significant increases in the B-cell counts and the peak was obtained by VN

Assessment of Variation in Clinical Presentation of Visceral Leishmaniasis Among Patients Attending the Tropical Diseases Teaching Hospital in Sudan

Background: Visceral leishmaniasis (also known as Kala-azar) is a systemic parasitic infection with many clinical presentations. The present study assesses the variation in presentations among patients who attended the Tropical Diseases Teaching Hospital (TDTH) in Khartoum, Sudan. Methods: This analytical cross-sectional, hospital-based study was conducted at the TDTH between November 2019 and September 2020. Medical records of patients who presented at the TDTH were reviewed using a structured data extraction checklist. The Chi-square test was used to determine the associations between sociodemographic and clinical presentations of patients. P-value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: Out of 195 patients, 79.5% were male and 48.2% were <31 years old. Fever was the main clinical presentation (90.2%) while 53.3% presented with weight loss and 72.3% and 39% presented, respectively, with splenomegaly and hepatomegaly. HIV was detected in 4.6% of the patients. RK39 was the main diagnostic test. We found a significant association between the abdominal distention and the age of the patients (P < 0.05) – age groups 11–20 and 41–50 years were more likely to present with abdominal distention than other age groups. Conclusion: There is no exact clinical presentation or routine laboratory findings that are pathognomonic for visceral leishmaniasis; therefore, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of any patient with fever, weight loss, and abdominal distention, and among patients with HIV

The incidence of Iron Deficiency Anemia in Allergic Rhinitis patients in Qena University Hospital

Background: Allergic rhinitis is a common disease of immune origin. It affects the quality of life of patients negatively. Objectives: To evaluate the changes in iron profile in allergic rhinitis patients. Patients and methods: This study was conducted on thirty patients with allergic rhinitis. All of the participants were subjected to clinical evaluation and the following investigations: Complete blood picture, Serum ferritin, Serum iron and total iron binding capacity (TIBC) and IgE. Visual analogue scale (VAS) score was used to measure the severity of allergic rhinitis. Results: Among the studied patients, there were 18 males (60%) and 12 females (40%), the mean age of studied patients was 11.3 ± 4.2 (SD) years with mean onset age of 4.6 ± 3.01(SD) years and mean duration of disease of 6.7 ± 2.9 years. There were 8 patients (26.7%) with positive family history in the studied patients. The incidence of iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia was significantly higher in children with severe allergic rhinitis compared with mild cases. Also we found statistically significant difference (p-value = 0.037) between mild, moderate & severe cases of allergic rhinitis as regard Hb, MCH, HCT, ferritin, serum iron and TIBC. A statistically significant difference (p-value = 0.015) was noted between mild, moderate & severe cases as regard IgE. Serum IgE is correlated with the severity of allergic rhinitis in children. Conclusion: Prevalence of iron deficiency anemia in pediatric patients with allergic rhinitis is higher than in patients without atopic disease. Iron deficiency anemia increases markedly with severity of allergic rhinitis. Serum IgE is correlated with the severity of allergic rhinitis in children

TIFL Games in the Arab world:How the Baby Olympics is used as a pathway for sport promotion and Olympic education?

In the Middle East and North African (MENA) region, the Arabic term ‘tifl’ is used to refer to both baby and child. The aim of this research study was to understand the motives of the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) of the MENA region to invest, organise and promote the ‘Tifl Games’, also known as ‘Baby Olympics’. The toddlers compete for the ultimate prize in various sport events which try to embody the core Olympic values of excellence, respect and friendship. The situational analysis methodology based on qualitative data after the digital review of the events was utilised for the study. The NOCs of the MENA region were observed through the official websites, social media channels (YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter), news and digital reports. The results show that the opportunity to develop consumer engagement and future talent identification are the main reasons for the organisation of the events. The existence of misconceptions in the MENA region regarding the practise of sports by toddlers was also highlighted in this study. The lack of elite athletes or high-performance sports programmes opened a new door to promote the message of Olympism for the youth generation. The conclusions alert that it is necessary to avoid the precocious training or competition in early age stages. Unconventional training regimes coupled with the inhumane treatment the young athletes are subjected to shed light on the great lengths some countries are willing to go to claim supremacy in the sporting arena. The ‘Tifl Games’ are an excellent opportunity for sport participation, sport promotion and Olympic education in a region with a deficit of sport for development though care should be taken by the NOCs to protect the human rights, adhere to the child protection policy and avoid exploitation of the young athletes

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum in camels recently imported to Egypt from Sudan and a global systematic review.

INTRODUCTION Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum are closely related intracellular protozoan parasites of medical and veterinary concern by causing abortions and systemic illness. Limited or ambiguous data on the prevalence of T. gondii and N. caninum in camels triggered us to conduct this study. METHODS Camels (n = 460) recently imported from Sudan and destined mainly for human consumption, were tested for specific antibodies against these protozoans using commercially available ELISAs. From the two only quarantine stations for camels from Sudan, 368 camels were sampled between November 2015 and March 2016 in Shalateen, Red Sea governorate, and 92 samples were collected between September 2018 and March 2021 from Abu Simbel, Aswan governorate. RESULTS & DISCUSSION Overall, seropositive rates in camels were 25.7%, 3.9% and 0.8% for T. gondii, N. caninum and mixed infection, respectively. However, marked differences were found between the two study sites and/or the two sampling periods: For T. gondii, a higher rate of infection was recorded in the Red Sea samples (31.5%, 116/368; odds ratio 20.7, 5.0-85.6; P<0.0001) than in those collected in Aswan (2.2%, 2/92). The opposite was found for N. caninum with a lower rate of infection in the Red Sea samples (0.82%, 3/368; odds ratio 23.7, 6.7-83.9; P<0.0001) than in the samples from Aswan (16.3%, 15/92). Additionally, our systematic review revealed that the overall published seroprevalence of T. gondii and N. caninum was 28.6% and 14.3% in camels worldwide, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this study provides the first record of seroprevalence of both T. gondii and N. caninum in recently imported camels kept under quarantine conditions before delivery to other Egyptian cities and regions. In addition, our review provides inclusive data on the prevalence of T. gondii and N. caninum in camel globally. This knowledge provides basic data for the implementation of strategies and control measures against neosporosis and toxoplasmosis

Battery electric vehicles: Progress, power electronic converters, strength (S), weakness (W), opportunity (O), and threats (T)

The rely on internal combustion engines is gradually decreased with the recent evolution of electric vehicles (EVs) in the automotive industry. Electric motors are replacing the energy systems mainly to improve the powertrain's efficiency and ensure they are environmentally friendly. These novel powertrains are designed to operate solely on batteries or supercapacitors. For these types of EVs, the battery is charged using an alternating current supply in connection to the grid in the case of plug-in electric vehicles. Internal combustion engines are equally used for some hybrid vehicles. Charging of the battery can also be carried out via regenerative braking from the traction motor. This study presents a brief background about the different available EVs, detailed information on various power converter electronics used in battery electric vehicles, and a summary of the strengths (S), weaknesses (W), opportunities (O), and threats (T) of the EV is presented. Moreover, SWOT analysis of the battery electric vehicles (BEV) and their prospects in the automotive industry are introduced

Matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry as a reliable proteomic method for characterization of Escherichia coli and Salmonella isolates

Aim: Identification of pathogenic clinical bacterial isolates is mainly dependent on phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of the microorganisms. These conventional methods are costive, time-consuming, and need special skills and training. An alternative, mass spectral (proteomics) analysis method for identification of clinical bacterial isolates has been recognized as a rapid, reliable, and economical method for identification. This study was aimed to evaluate and compare the performance, sensitivity and reliability of traditional bacteriology, phenotypic methods and matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) in the identification of clinical Escherichia coli and Salmonella isolates recovered from chickens. Materials and Methods: A total of 110 samples (cloacal, liver, spleen, and/or gall bladder) were collected from apparently healthy and diseased chickens showing clinical signs as white chalky diarrhea, pasty vent, and decrease egg production as well as freshly dead chickens which showing postmortem lesions as enlarged liver with congestion and enlarged gall bladder from different poultry farms. Results: Depending on colonial characteristics and morphological characteristics, E. coli and Salmonella isolates were recovered and detected in only 42 and 35 samples, respectively. Biochemical identification using API 20E identification system revealed that the suspected E. coli isolates were 33 out of 42 of colonial and morphological identified E. coli isolates where Salmonella isolates were represented by 26 out of 35 of colonial and morphological identified Salmonella isolates. Serological identification of isolates revealed that the most predominant E. coli serotypes were O1 and O78 while the most predominant Salmonella serotype of Salmonella was Salmonella Pullorum. All E. coli and Salmonella isolates were examined using MALDI-TOF MS. In agreement with traditional identification, MADI-TOF MS identified all clinical bacterial samples with valid scores as E. coli and Salmonella isolates except two E. coli isolates recovered from apparently healthy and diseased birds, respectively, with recovery rate of 93.9% and 2 Salmonella isolates recovered from apparently healthy and dead birds, respectively, with recovery rate of 92.3%. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that Bruker MALDI-TOF MS Biotyper is a reliable rapid and economic tool for the identification of Gram-negative bacteria especially E. coli and Salmonella which could be used as an alternative diagnostic tool for routine identification and differentiation of clinical isolates in the bacteriological laboratory. MALDI-TOF MS need more validation and verification and more study on the performance of direct colony and extraction methods to detect the most sensitive one and also need using more samples to detect sensitivity, reliability, and performance of this type of bacterial identification