Cytotoxic Activity and Metabolic Profiling of Fifteen Euphorbia Species

Euphorbia is a large genus of flowering plants with a great diversity in metabolic pattern. Testing the cytotoxic potential of fifteen Euphorbia species revealed highest activity of E. officinarum L. against CACO2 cell line (IC50 7.2 µM) and of E. lactea Haw. against HepG2 and MCF-7 cell lines (IC50 5.2 and 5.1 µM, respectively). Additionally, metabolic profiling of the fifteen tested species, using LC-HRMS, for dereplication purposes, led to the annotation of 44 natural compounds. Among the annotated compounds, diterpenoids represent the major class. Dereplication approach and multivariate data analysis are adopted in order to annotate the compounds responsible for the detected cytotoxic activity. Results of PCA come in a great accordance with results of biological testing, which emphasized the cytotoxic properties of E. lactea Haw. A similarity correlation network showed that the two compounds with the molecular formula C16H18O8 and C20H30O10, are responsible for cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 and HepG2 cell lines. Similarly, the compound with molecular formula C18H35NO correlates with cytotoxic activity against CACO2

Prevalence of blaCTX-M, blaTEM, and blaSHV Genes among Extended-spectrum β-lactamases-producing Clinical Isolates of Enterobacteriaceae in Different Regions of Sudan

Background: This study aimed to characterize blaCTX-M, blaTEM, and blaSHV genes among extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs)-producing Enterobacteriaceae species in different regions of Sudan. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, different clinical samples (n = 985) were collected randomly from symptomatic patients from four geographical regions of Sudan and cultured on chromogenic media. Following bacterial identification, phenotypic screening of ESBLs was done according to CLSI guidelines using cefotaxime (30 μg), ceftazidime (30 μg), and cefepime (30 μg) discs with and without clavulanic acid. The DNA was extracted by guanidine hydrochloride protocol, and then conventional PCR was used to detect blaCTX-M, blaTEM, and blaSHV genes. The presence of genes’ subtypes was characterized by DNA Sanger sequencing for selected samples.  Results: Enterobacteriaceae represented 31% (305/985) of all isolates, 42 (128/305) of which were ESBLs producer, confirmed by phenotypic confirmatory test (75% [96/128] of them were positive for blaCTX-M genes, 61% [78/128] for blaTEM genes, and 38% [48/128] for blaSHV genes). Fourteen isolates (11%) were negative for all genes. Forty-eight percent (63/75) of Escherichia coli isolates were positive for blaCTX-M, while in Klebsiella pneumoniae, the dominant gene was blaTEM (82%) and had a low amount of blaSHV (59%). There was a significant association (P-value = 0.001 for all except for chloramphenicol, P = 0.014, and amikacin, P = 0.017) between resistance to third-generation cephalosporins and ciprofloxacin, nalidixic acid, meropenem, chloramphenicol, and amikacin.  Forty-two percent (40/96) of CTX-M-positive isolates were in Gizera State, 33% (32.96) in Sinnar, 24% (23/96) in Khartoum, and 1% (1/96) in White Nile.  Conclusion: We conclude that blaCTX-M genes are the most dominant genes in ESBLs-producing isolates and are more prevalent in big cities than in rural areas. Keywords: phenotypic, blaCTX-M, blaTEM, and blaSHV ESBLs genes, Enterobacteriaceae, Suda

Effect of Treated Oily Waste Water of Khartoum Refinery on Nubian Goat Kids

One of the very many imposed environmental threats of the petroleum industry internationally is its effluent of treated oily waste water (TOWW), which was reported causing mortalities in small ruminants. This study was carried out to investigate the toxic effects of TOWW of Khartoum Refinery Company (KRC) on Nubian goat kids. Twentyone goat kids were divided into three groups: Group A (control), arranged in 1x3, and B and C (test groups) arranged in 2x3x3. Each test group was divided into three subgroups; B1, B2 and B3 and C1, C2 and C3. Groups B and C were watered for 6 weeks from KRC oxidation ponds II and III, respectively, diluted at ratios of 1:0, 1:1 and 1:2 with tap water respective to subgroups 1, 2 and 3. The control group was tap watered. All groups were fed on a basal ration of 2.86 Mcal ME/kg and crude protein 20.88% energy concentration meeting goat daily requirements. Clinical signs and mortalities were daily observed. Body weights were recorded fortnightly. Blood and serum samples were collected fortnightly for haematological (RBCs, Hb, PCV, WBCs and their differentials) and serum metabolites (glucose, total protein, albumin and globulin), enzymes (AST and ALP) and electrolytes (Ca, P, Co, Cu, Fe and Mn) examinations. Organs samples for histopathological investigations were collected on post mortem examinations or in extremis slaughter. All test groups significantly (P≤ 0.05) lost weight with variations in the total water consumption and similar average water consumption for all subgroups except C3 (P≤0.05). All test groups showed decreased appetite, diarrhoea, weakness and partial paralysis. The mortality was 100%, 66.6% and 33.3% in subgroups C1, C2 and C3, respectively. The mortality was 66.6% in subgroup B3 and 33.3% in each of B2 or B1. Haematologically, test goats were neither anaemic nor infected with haemodilutions (P≤0.05) in subgroups B3, C2 and C3. All test groups showed congestion or haemorrhage in the intestinal submucosa, with detachment of epithelium or detachment of the villi, in response to the osmotic diarrhoea. All test groups showed no significant (P>0.05) changes in serum metabolites, electrolytes or serum enzymes, but livers were congested, stressed and engorged. Bile and kidney showed shrinkage, necrosis of the glomeruli, congestion and haemorrhage in the cortical and medullary tubules. These signs were indications of intensive mineral excretion. It is concluded that TOWW from KRC has toxic effects on Nubian goat kids judged by the early mortalities and by the clinical signs of diarrhoea and recumbency, metabolic disturbances in the liver with histopathological changes in various body systems. It is recommended that TOWW initial concentration be restored by addition of equivalent water to reduce or abolish its toxic manifestations

MAT-724: LOW ENERGY CONCRETE

The escalating demand on energy consumption as well as the scarcity of non renewable energy resources represents a major concern worldwide. Hence, efforts are being exerted to resort to lower energy alternatives in almost all aspects of life. Portland cement concrete has been known as an energy intensive material that emits large amount of CO2 during its various stages of manufacturing. While concrete has been classified over the decades based on its performance, it has seldom been assessed and evaluated based on its embodied energy. This work aims at evaluating concrete mixtures based on energy and CO2 emission together with strength and durability characteristics. Alternative mixtures were targeted for both normal as well as moderate strength concrete as ones potentially having less energy and less CO2. The results were used to establish a simplified user-friendly model for this process. Results reveal that concrete that is somewhat environmental-friendly can be prepared while fulfilling performance criteria and at a relatively less cost

Radiative Mixed Convection over an Isothermal Cone Embedded in a Porous Medium with Variable Permeability

The interaction of mixed convection with thermal radiation of an optical dense viscous fluid adjacent to an isothermal cone imbedded in a porous medium with Rosseland diffusion approximation incorporating the variation of permeability and thermal conductivity is numerically investigated. The transformed conservation laws are solved numerically for the case of variable surface temperature conditions. Numerical results are given for the dimensionless temperature profiles and the local Nusselt number for various values of the mixed convection parameter , the cone angle parameter , the radiation-conduction parameter , and the surface temperature parameter

Hepatitis C-Associated Chronic Lymphoproliferative Disorders: A Single Center Experience

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major public health concern in Egypt with its unique genotype. Besides liver disease, HCV is a lymphotropic virus involved in the pathogenesis of various extrahepatic diseases. A causative role of HCV in the generation of chronic lymphoproliferative diseases as well as its impact on disease behavior in HCV chronic carriers are not fully understood. We investigated the prevalence of HCV among cohort of Egyptian patients (n:84) with chronic lymphoproliferative diseases, the relation between HCV infection and the immunological state of this opulation and also their clinical and laboratory characteristics. High prevalence of HCV (40%) among Egyptian patients with chronic lymphoproliferative diseases with following subtype frequency was revealed; CLL (38.2%) followed by DLBCL (20.6%), and LPL (17.6%). We found significant correlation between HCV and platelet count (P=0.014), Albumin (P=0.02), LDH (P=0.014) and B2M (P=0.05). Otherwise, there were no significant correlations with other parameters especially the immunological assessment; serum immunoglobulins, Coombs test, and cryoglobulinemia. HCV prevalence among patients with chronic lymphoproliferative diseases is higher than that estimated in the general population. Those patients should be tested for HCV during the assessment. Our observations suggest that HCV may have an oncogenic role in Egyptian patients with chronic lymphoproliferative diseases and it may affect the prognostic markers in those populations

The disabling consequences of Mycetoma

Mycetoma is a neglected tropical disease endemic in tropical and subtropical countries, particularly Sudan. The disease is characterised by the triad of painless subcutaneous mass, multiple sinuses and discharge that contain grains. It is a chronic, debilitating disease most commonly affecting the feet or hands and leads to substantial morbidity, loss of function and even amputation. It predominantly affects poor, rural populations and patients typically present late with advanced disease and complications. In this descriptive cross-sectional study, we characterise the disabling consequences of mycetoma. The study included 300 patients; 228 (76%) male and 72 (24%) female with confirmed mycetoma seen at the Mycetoma Research Centre, University of Khartoum, Sudan in the period May 2016 and January 2017. The study design was based upon the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, examining the impact of mycetoma on eight life domains. Our major finding is that mycetoma is a significantly disabling disease. Over 60% of the study population (181 patients) had moderate impairment or difficulty in at least one domain variable. The important disability was mobility impairment and walking difficulty that was reported in 119 patients (39.7%). There was significant pain associated with mycetoma lesions in 103 patients (34%), challenging the traditional view of mycetoma as a painless disease. The economic burden was also found to be substantial, with 126 patients (46.7%) reporting barriers to their ability to sustain themselves. This is the first study evaluating the disabling consequences of mycetoma and shows clear areas for intervention and further research. Options for mitigating social and economic impacts include routine integration of analgesia and physiotherapy into treatment protocols, and adapting educational provision and working practices based on disability assessment. Our data show that mycetoma is a public health issue with direct implications on quality of life

Osjetljiva spektrofotometrijska metoda za određivanje antagonista H2-receptora uz uporabu N-bromsukcinimida i p-aminofenola

A simple, accurate and sensitive spectrophotometric method for determination of H2-receptor antagonists: cimetidine (CIM), famotidine (FAM), nizatidine (NIZ), and ranitidine hydrochloride (RAN) has been full developed and validated The method was based on the reaction of these drugs with NBS and subsequent measurement of the excess N-bromosuccinimide by its reaction with p-aminophenol to give a violet colored product (max at 552 nm). Decrease in the absorption intensity (A) of the colored product, due to the presence of the drug, was correlated with its concentration in the sample solution. Different variables affecting the reaction were carefully studied and optimized. Under optimal conditions, linear relationships with good correlation coefficients (0.9988-0.9998) were found between A values and the corresponding concentrations of the drugs in a concentration range of 830, 622, 625, and 420 g mL1 for CIM, FAM, NIZ, and RAN, respectively. Limits of detection were 1.22, 1.01, 1.08, and 0.74 g mL1 for CIM, FAM, NIZ, and RAN, respectively. The method was validated in terms of accuracy, precision, ruggedness, and robustness; the results were satisfactory. The proposed method was successfully applied to the analysis of the above mentioned drugs in bulk substance and in pharmaceutical dosage forms; percent recoveries ranged from 98.5 0.9 to 102.4 0.8% without interference from the common excipients. The results obtained by the proposed method were comparable with those obtained by the official methods.Razvijena je i validirana ispravna, jednostavna i osjetljiva spektrofotometrijska metoda za određivanje antagonista H2-receptora: cimetidina (CIM), famotidina (FAM), nizatidina (NIZ) i ranitidin hidroklorida (RAN). Metoda se temelji na reakciji tih ljekovitih tvari s N-bromsukcinimidom (NBS). Višak N-bromsukcinimida određuje se nakon reakcije s p-aminofenolom s kojim daje ljubičasti produkt (max pri 552 nm). Smanjenje apsorpcijskog intenziteta (A) obojenog produkta, zbog prisutnosti ljekovite tvari korelirano je s njegovom koncentracijom u otopini uzorka. Proučavane su različite varijable koje utječu na reakciju. Linearno koncentracijsko područje za CIM, FAM, NIZ i RAN, s koeficijentom korelacije od 0,9988 do 0,9998, iznosi 830, 622, 625 odnosno 420 g mL1. Granice detekcije bile su 1,23, 1,02, 1,09 i 0,75 g mL1 za CIM, FAM, NIZ, odnosno RAN. Predložena metoda je uspješno primijenjena za analizu navedenih ljekovitih tvari i ljekovitih pripravaka. Nepreciznost od 0,7 do 1,2% i visoka ispravnost (analitički povrat između 98,5 i 102,4%), bez interferencije uobičajenih pomoćnih tvari, ukazuju na dobru analitičku metodu. Rezultati dobiveni predloženom metodom usporedivi su s rezultatima dobivenim službenom metodom