PHYTOPHENOLICS COMPOSITION, HYPOLIPIDEMIC, HYPOGLYCEMIC AND ANTIOXIDATIVE EFFECTS OF THE LEAVES OF FORTUNELLA JAPONICA (THUNB.) SWINGLE

Objective: Fortunella japonica (Thunb.) Swingle is an evergreen shrub, its whole fruit, including the peel, is eaten. There have been few detailed phytophenolics composition reports on this genus and the hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects of the plant were not evaluated. Methods: Structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated by spectral analysis. Serum glucose level, activities of liver enzymes, total protein content, serum lipid profiles, antioxidant parameters and some glycolytic and gluconeogenic enzymes in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats were determined. The evaluation also carried out through determination of liver disorder biomarkers and histopathological examination of liver, kidney and pancreas. Results: Six phytophenolics were isolated, for the first time from the genus Fortunella as well as a sterol compound. Treatment with the ethanolic extract of F. japonica leaves effectively meliorated antioxidant markers and glycolytic enzymes. The histopathological analyzes also confirmed the experimental findings.Conclusion: The results show that the ethanolic extract has hypoglycemic, hypotriglyceridemic and antioxidant effects in STZ-induced diabetic rats, suggesting that this extract supplementation can be useful in preventing diabetic complications associated with hyperlipidemia and oxidative stress.Â

Mild Cognitive Impairment among Type II Diabetes Mellitus Patients Attending University Teaching Hospital

BACKGROUND: Type II diabetes mellitus (TIIDM) has been associated with structural and functional changes in the brain. TIIDM is commonly associated with obesity, insulin resistance, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, all of which can have negative impact on brain. AIM: The aim of the study was to study the risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) among both diabetics and non-diabetics and to identify risk factors to MCI among both groups. METHODS: Two comparative cross-sectional studies were carried out enrolling 100 diabetics and 100 age, sex, and education matching non-diabetics. Cognitive function was assessed using Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test and risk factors for MCI were assessed. RESULTS: The subjective complaint of memory impairment among diabetics was significantly higher (34%) compared to non-diabetics (13.0%), p < 0.05. The mean of objective MoCA score was significantly lower among diabetics (25.9 ± 2.5) compared to non-diabetics (27.4 ± 2.4), p < 0.001. The rate of MCI was significantly higher among TIIDM patients (22%) compared to non-diabetics (9%), p < 0.01 and odds ratio (OR) 2.8 (95% confidence interval 1.2–6.5). Among the two studied groups, the rate of MCI was significantly higher among those aged over 50 years compared to younger age as well as among hypertensive compared to non-hypertensive persons, (p < 0.05). Among diabetics, the MCI was significantly higher among those with secondary education, having heart diseases, longer duration of DM, or repeated hypoglycemia attack, p < 0.05. A healthy diet, brain training, and social activities were found to be significantly associated with normal cognition. Logistic analysis revealed that diabetics aged above 50 was the only significant predicting factor for MCI with an OR 2.9 (95% CI: 3.8–123.3), p < 0.001. CONCLUSION: TIIDM is significantly associated with 3-times increasing risk of having MCI compared to non-diabetics. The age, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, duration of diabetes, and frequency of hypoglycemic episodes are risk factors for cognitive impairment. A healthy diet, brain training, and social activities were associated with better cognitive function

High frequency ultrasound assessment of skin in systemic sclerosis patients

Aim of the work: To evaluate the role of high frequency ultrasound (HFU) in assessing skin changes in terms of thickness and echogenicity in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients with early and late changes. Patients and methods: Twenty-three SSc patients were enrolled along with 21 matched controls. Skin thickness was assessed using modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS) and HFU. Results: Patients had mean age of 41.8 ± 9.1 years, 91.3% were females, mean disease duration 6.0 ± 4.6 years, 11 patients had early (<5 years) and 12 late (≥5 years) disease, 8 patients had limited (lcSSc) and 15 diffuse (dcSSc) cutaneous SSc. Antinuclear antibody was positive in 17 (73.9%) and antiscleroderma-17 in 18 (78.3%). Patients had significantly thicker skin between second and third metacarpophalangeal joint (L = 1.52 ± 0.35 mm vs 1.25 ± 0.35 mm; p = 0.017 and T = 1.48 ± 0.34 mm vs 1.26 ± 0.33 mm; p = 0.038 respectively). Patients with early disease had thicker skin than those with late disease. HFU dermal thickness showed no significant difference according to gender, subtypes, presence and absence of clinical manifestations or autoantibody positivity. There was significant higher dermal thickness in patients with reflux (p = 0.009) and was lower in patients with interstitial pulmonary fibrosis (p < 0.05). There was negative correlation between US dermal thickness and disease duration (p < 0.05). mRSS showed no correlation with HFU dermal thickness in all areas. Conclusion: HFU is useful in assessing skin pathologic changes (even subclinical changes) in terms of thickness and echogenicity in SSc patients. Moreover, it could be a potential screening tool in differentiating normal from pathologic skin thickness

Integrated Security System (ISS) Design and Evaluation for Commercial Nuclear Power Plant

Physical security system, which is also called physical protection system, is very crucial in the nuclear industry for protecting staff, visitors, buildings, assets, and nuclear materials against theft, sabotage, and harmful activities. Theft of nuclear materials has a major impact on the essence of nuclear safeguards. Sabotage of a nuclear facility could endanger the public at large. Reviewing the published literature, it is found that there are no complete physical security system designs based on an integrated network of electronic devices that are devoted to commercial NPPs. And there is no definite evaluation factor that was set to approve such a system. This paper is an evolving solution to this deficiency by proposing an unpreceded integrated security system design applicable to a commonly structured physical layout of any commercial NPP. This proposal provides comprehensive security coverage for the NPP boundaries employing a high level of integration for all subsystems communicated via an IP data network controlled by central management software. This paper is proposing also testing procedures to be followed to evaluate the proposed design. The security system effectiveness will be calculated using mathematical codes by assuming external intrusion attack scenarios. Attributes of each attack scenario will be numerically introduced to the evaluation software EASI and ASSESS codes developed by Sandia Labs, USA. This paper also proposes a threshold value of such security system effectiveness which should be achieved by the commercial NPP security system to achieve the so-called security license

Nanocellulose-Based Passivated-Carbon Quantum Dots (P-CQDs) for Antimicrobial Applications: A Practical Review

Passivated-carbon quantum dots (P-CQDs) have been attracting great interest as an antimicrobial therapy tool due to their bright fluorescence, lack of toxicity, eco-friendly nature, simple synthetic schemes, and possession of photocatalytic functions comparable to those present in traditional nanometric semiconductors. Besides synthetic precursors, CQDs can be synthesized from a plethora of natural resources including microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC). Converting MCC into NCC is performed chemically via the top-down route, while synthesizing CODs from NCC can be performed via the bottom-up route. Due to the good surface charge status with the NCC precursor, we focused in this review on synthesizing CQDs from nanocelluloses (MCC and NCC) since they could become a potential source for fabricating carbon quantum dots that are affected by pyrolysis temperature. There are several P-CQDs synthesized with a wide spectrum of featured properties, namely functionalized carbon quantum dots (F-CQDs) and passivated carbon quantum dots (P-CQDs). There are two different important P-CQDs, namely 2,2′-ethylenedioxy-bis-ethylamine (EDA-CQDs) and 3-ethoxypropylamine (EPA-CQDs), that have achieved desirable results in the antiviral therapy field. Since NoV is the most common dangerous cause of nonbacterial, acute gastroenteritis outbreaks worldwide, this review deals with NoV in detail. The surficial charge status (SCS) of the P-CQDs plays an important role in their interactions with NoVs. The EDA-CQDs were found to be more effective than EPA-CQDs in inhibiting the NoV binding. This difference may be attributed to their SCS as well as the virus surface. EDA-CQDs with surficial terminal amino (-NH2) groups are positively charged at physiological pH (-NH3+), whereas EPA-CQDs with surficial terminal methyl groups (-CH3) are not charged. Since the NoV particles are negatively charged, they are attracted to the positively charged EDA-CQDs, resulting in enhancing the P-CQDs concentration around the virus particles. The carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were found to be comparable to the P-CQDs in the non-specific binding with NoV capsid proteins, through complementary charges, π-π stacking, and/or hydrophobic interactions