The design and implementation of an Arabic pronunciation application for early childhood

Learning is not limited to a certain age group or a formal study environment.  However, the first eight years, and particularly the first three years, are most important, as the effects of the care and attention provided to the child during this period will continue throughout his or her life. A child’s early learning processes develop their educational abilities and skills, and fosters their academic achievements. Preschool can be very benefit to development and learning for children, but there are differences between countries in this area. It can reduce the repetition in the classroom and can raise achievement scores for students through the preschool programs of high quality (Jacobson and Linda 2008). There are many applications in the Middle East that teach kids, but there is didn't link between the vowels of the Arabic alphabet characters and verbally voice for each character and training to select correct format of Arabic alphabet like (fatha, dama and kasra).   This study aims to develop an educational application for children from the ages of 3 to 5 to help them improve their skills and abilities. The application will also prepare them for school by teaching them the Arabic letters, pronunciation and the short vowels (fatha, dama and kasra). The application also aims to help children communicate and interact more effectively with their external environment by employing several theories about learning skills, such as Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development, Edger Dale’s Cone of Learning and Bloom's Taxonomy of Cognitive Goals. The application will focus on the first three levels of Bloom's Taxonomy Pyramid which are ‘Remember’, ‘Understand’ and ‘Apply’. Furthermore, the application will be designed to aid children with their Arabic pronunciation, and aural and oral skills, and train and educate them in preparation for attending school. The expected result is that it will be considerably better than educational books for children’s education. Combining education and play in e-learning applications is an important way to attract children

A biochemical, theoretical and immunohistochemical study comparing the therapeutic efficacy of curcumin and taurine on T-2 toxin induced hepatotoxicity in rats

Introduction: Foodborne trichothecene T-2 Toxin, is a highly toxic metabolite produced by Fusarium species contaminating animal and human food, causing multiple organ failure and health hazards. T-2 toxins induce hepatotoxicity via oxidative stress causing hepatocytes cytotoxicity and genotoxicity. In this study, curcumin and taurine were investigated and compared as antioxidants against T-2-provoked hepatotoxicity.Methods: Wistar rats were administrated T-2 toxin sublethal oral dose (0.1 mg/kg) for 2 months, followed by curcumin (80 mg/kg) and taurine (50 mg/kg) for 3 weeks. Biochemical assessment of liver enzymes, lipid profiles, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARs), AFU, TNF-α, total glutathione, molecular docking, histological and immunohistochemical markers for anti-transforming growth factor-β1 (TGFβ1), double-strand DNA damage (H2AX), regeneration (KI67) and apoptosis (Active caspase3) were done.Results and Discussion: Compared to T-2 toxin, curcumin and taurine treatment significantly ameliorated hepatoxicity as; hemoglobin, hematocrit and glutathione, hepatic glycogen, and KI-67 immune-reactive hepatocytes were significantly increased. Although, liver enzymes, inflammation, fibrosis, TGFβ1 immunoexpressing and H2AX and active caspase 3 positive hepatocytes were significantly decreased. Noteworthy, curcumin’s therapeutic effect was superior to taurine by histomorphometry parameters. Furthermore, molecular docking of the structural influence of curcumin and taurine on the DNA sequence showed curcumin’s higher binding affinity than taurine.Conclusion: Both curcumin and taurine ameliorated T-2 induced hepatotoxicity as strong antioxidative agents with more effectiveness for curcumin

Evaluation of effect of high frequency electromagnetic field on growth and antibiotic sensitivity of bacteria

This study was aimed to evaluate the impact of high frequency electromagnetic fields (HF-EMF at 900 and 1800 MHz) on DNA, growth rate and antibiotic susceptibility of S. aureus, S. epidermidis, and P. aeruginosa. In this study, bacteria were exposed to 900 and 1800 MHz for 2 h and then inoculated to new medium when their growth rate and antibiotic susceptibility were evaluated. Results for the study of bacterial DNA unsuccessful to appearance any difference exposed and non-exposed S. aureus and S. epidermidis. Exposure of S. epidermidis and S. aureus to electromagnetic fields mostly produced no statistically significant decrease in bacterial growth, except for S. aureus when exposure to 900 MHz at 12 h. Exposure of P. aeruginosa to electromagnetic fields at 900 MHz however, lead to a significant reduction in growth rate, while 1800 MHz had insignificant effect. With the exception of S. aureus, treated with amoxicillin (30 µg) and exposed to electromagnetic fields, radiation treatment had no significant effect on bacterial sensitivity to antibiotics

Nanoparticles Enhanced Ligninolytic Enzymes Activity of Rotten Wood Fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium

White-rot fungi are vital microorganisms that can decay lignocellulosic biomass. This study investigated the ability of white-rot fungus found on rotten wood to produce ligninolytic enzymes and their enhancement using nanoparticles (NPs). Phanerochaete chrysosporium was isolated from decayed wood. Its ability to produce ligninolytic enzymes, namely CMCase, FPase, Laccase, and MnPase, was recorded. The enzymes’ productivity was enhanced via utilization of the surfactant polysorbate 80 with optimum concentration 0.20 mL/L for maximum CMCase (201.33 ± 2.31 U/mL) and FPase (66.33 ± 0.58 U/mL), whereas the corresponding value was 0.15 mL/L for laccase and MnPase production. Mn2O3NPs and CuONPs enhanced the enzymes’ productivity but with different levels according to their concentrations, where the maximum productivity of CMCase (220.67 ± 2.31 U/mL) and (FPase 74.63 ± 3.51 U/mL) were at 50 ppm, but MnPase (0.52 ± 0.01 U/mL) and laccase (2.88 ± 0.01U/mL) were at 25 ppm and 75 ppm of CuONPs, respectively. Mn2O3NPs at 75 ppm enhanced the productivity of CMCase (219.33 ± 1.15 U/mL) and FPase (74.63 ± 3.51U/mL); but at 25 ppm and 75 ppm enhanced the productivity of laccase (2.40 ± 0.04U/mL) and MnPase (0.73 ± 0.03 U/mL), respectively. Thus, NPs were found to play a vital role in improving the productivity of ligninolytic enzymes

Nanoparticles Enhanced Ligninolytic Enzymes Activity of Rotten Wood Fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium

White-rot fungi are vital microorganisms that can decay lignocellulosic biomass. This study investigated the ability of white-rot fungus found on rotten wood to produce ligninolytic enzymes and their enhancement using nanoparticles (NPs). Phanerochaete chrysosporium was isolated from decayed wood. Its ability to produce ligninolytic enzymes, namely CMCase, FPase, Laccase, and MnPase, was recorded. The enzymes’ productivity was enhanced via utilization of the surfactant polysorbate 80 with optimum concentration 0.20 mL/L for maximum CMCase (201.33 ± 2.31 U/mL) and FPase (66.33 ± 0.58 U/mL), whereas the corresponding value was 0.15 mL/L for laccase and MnPase production. Mn2O3NPs and CuONPs enhanced the enzymes’ productivity but with different levels according to their concentrations, where the maximum productivity of CMCase (220.67 ± 2.31 U/mL) and (FPase 74.63 ± 3.51 U/mL) were at 50 ppm, but MnPase (0.52 ± 0.01 U/mL) and laccase (2.88 ± 0.01U/mL) were at 25 ppm and 75 ppm of CuONPs, respectively. Mn2O3NPs at 75 ppm enhanced the productivity of CMCase (219.33 ± 1.15 U/mL) and FPase (74.63 ± 3.51U/mL); but at 25 ppm and 75 ppm enhanced the productivity of laccase (2.40 ± 0.04U/mL) and MnPase (0.73 ± 0.03 U/mL), respectively. Thus, NPs were found to play a vital role in improving the productivity of ligninolytic enzymes

Assessment of the Antigenotoxic Effects of Alginate and ZnO/Alginate–Nanocomposites Extracted from Brown Alga Fucus vesiculosus in Mice

Mitomycin C (MMC) is an alkylating chemotherapy drug that could induce DNA damage and genetic alteration. It has been used as a model mutagen for in vivo and in vitro studies. The current study aimed to evaluate the protective role of Zinc oxide alginate–nanocomposites (ZnO-Alg/NCMs) against MMC–induced genotoxicity in mice. Animals were treated as follows: the control group, the groups treated with Algin (400 mg/kg b.w), the groups treated with ZnO-Alg/NCMs (400 mg/kg b.w), the group treated with MMC, and the groups treated with MMC plus Algin or ZnO-Alg/NCMs. Pre-treatment with Algin and ZnO-Alg/NCMs was repeated for one or seven days. Zinc oxide alginate-nanocomposites (ZnO-Alg/NCMs) were synthesized with the aim of incorporating the intrinsic properties of their constituents as an antigenotoxic substance. In this study, alginate was extracted from the brown marine alga Fucus vesiculosus, Zinc oxide nanoparticles were synthesized by using water extract of the same alga, and loaded in alginate to synthesize ZnO-Alg/NCMs. ZnO-NPs and ZnO-Alg/NCMs were characterized by TEM, SEM, EDX, and Zeta potential. The obtained results confirmed that by TEM and SEM, ZnO-NPs are rod shaped which modified, when loaded in alginate matrix, into spherical shape. The physical stability of ZnO-Alg/NCMs was reported to be higher than ZnO-NPs due to the presence of more negative charges on ZnO-Alg/NCMs. The EDX analysis indicated that the amount of zinc was higher in ZnO-NPs than ZnO-Alg/NCMs. The in vivo results showed that treatment with MMC induced genotoxic disturbances. The combined treatment with Algin and ZnO-Alg/NCMs succeeded in inducing significant protection against MMC. It could be concluded that ZnO-Algin/NCMs is a promising candidate to protect against MMC–induced genotoxicity

Iron-tannic acid nano-coating: A promising treatment approach for enhancing Lactococcus lactis antibiotic resistance

The objective of this study was to explore a novel methodology for the synthesis of nanocoated probiotics following their collection and cultivation under optimized conditions, in light of their significant contribution to human health. Probiotics are instrumental in sustaining immune health by modulating the gastrointestinal microbiota and facilitating digestion. However, the equilibrium they maintain can be adversely affected by antibiotic treatments. It is critical to investigate the vulnerability of probiotics to antibiotics, considering the potential implications. This research aimed to assess whether nanoparticle coating could augment the probiotics' resistance to antibiotic influence. A strain of Lactococcus lactis (L. lactis) was isolated, cultured, and comprehensively characterized utilizing state-of-the-art methodologies, including the VITEK® 2 compact system, VITEK® MS, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The nanoparticle coating was performed using iron (III) chloride hexahydrate and tannic acid, followed by an evaluation of the probiotics' resistance to a range of antibiotics. The analysis through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) demonstrated a partial nanoparticle coating of the probiotics, which was further supported by UV/Vis spectroscopy findings, suggesting enhanced resistance to standard antibiotics. The results revealed that this strain possesses a unique protein profile and is genetically similar to strains identified in various other countries. Moreover, nano-encapsulation notably increased the strain's resistance to a spectrum of standard antibiotics, including Benzylpenicillin, Teicoplanin, Oxacillin, Vancomycin, Tetracycline, Rifampicin, Erythromycin, and Clindamycin. These findings imply that nanoparticle-coated probiotics may effectively counteract the detrimental effects of extended antibiotic therapy, thus preserving their viability and beneficial influence on gastrointestinal health

The design and implementation of an Arabic pronunciation application for early childhood

Learning is not limited to a certain age group or a formal study environment. However, the first eight years, and particularly the first three years, are most important, as the effects of the care and attention provided to the child during this period will continue throughout his or her life. A child’s early learning processes develop their educational abilities and skills, and fosters their academic achievements. Preschool can be very benefit to development and learning for children, but there are differences between countries in this area. It can reduce the repetition in the classroom and can raise achievement scores for students through the preschool programs of high quality (Jacobson and Linda 2008). There are many applications in the Middle East that teach kids, but there is didn't link between the vowels of the Arabic alphabet characters and verbally voice for each character and training to select correct format of Arabic alphabet like (fatha, dama and kasra). This study aims to develop an educational application for children from the ages of 3 to 5 to help them improve their skills and abilities. The application will also prepare them for school by teaching them the Arabic letters, pronunciation and the short vowels (fatha, dama and kasra). The application also aims to help children communicate and interact more effectively with their external environment by employing several theories about learning skills, such as Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development, Edger Dale’s Cone of Learning and Bloom's Taxonomy of Cognitive Goals. The application will focus on the first three levels of Bloom's Taxonomy Pyramid which are ‘Remember’, ‘Understand’ and ‘Apply’. Furthermore, the application will be designed to aid children with their Arabic pronunciation, and aural and oral skills, and train and educate them in preparation for attending school. The expected result is that it will be considerably better than educational books for children’s education. Combining education and play in e-learning applications is an important way to attract children

Novel arylazo nicotinate derivatives as effective antibacterial agents: Green synthesis, molecular modeling, and structure-activity relationship studies

A series of novel arylazo nicotinates compounds, denoted as (3a-k and 5a-d) were synthesized and characterized through the reaction of 3-oxo-arylhydrazonals with various active methylene nitriles using microporous zeolite as a green catalyst. The structure of the newly prepared heterocycles was determined using various spectral techniques such as MS, IR, NMR, and elemental analysis. The antibacterial activity of these compounds against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) was evaluated, and it was found that all arylazo nicotinate compounds were highly effective against both gram-negative (E. coli) and gram-positive (B. subtilis) bacterial strains. The efficacy of the developed arylazo nicotinate derivatives as antimicrobial agents against E. coli and B. subtilis was evaluated using minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values. Density-functional theory (DFT) was employed to investigate the structure–activity relationships of recently synthesized compounds. Gaussian 09 software was utilized to compute various molecular properties, including the distribution of frontier molecular orbitals (FMO), the energy levels of the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO), the energy gap (Eg), as well as several biological activity descriptors such as ionization potential (IP), electron affinity (EA), chemical potential (μ), chemical hardness (η), electronegativity (χ), global softness (S), and electrophilicity index (ω). The results of the FMO calculations revealed that the arylazo nicotinates had effective charge separation and distinct HOMO/LUMO energy levels for each compound, as reflected by the different Eg values. The Eg values were found to have a strong correlation with the antibacterial efficacy against E. coli and B. subtilis. The highest and lowest efficacy among the molecules (3a-k) were observed for compounds 3b (Eg = 3.36 eV) and 3 k (Eg = 2.27 eV), respectively, while the highest and lowest efficacy among the molecules (5a-d) were observed for compounds 5d (Eg = 3.33 eV) and 5c (Eg = 2.94 eV), respectively