Information Security Using DNA Sequences

   يعد أمن المعلومات من المواضيع المهمة، ويرجع ذلك أساسًا إلى النمو الهائل في استخدام الإنترنت على مدى السنوات القليلة الماضية. نتيجة لهذا النمو، كانت هناك حالات وصول غير مصرح به، والتي تم تقليلها بفضل "استخدام مجموعة من بروتوكولات الاتصال الآمن، مثل التشفير وإخفاء البيانات". باستخدام القدرات الجزيئية الحيوية للحمض النووي، ازداد استخدام الحمض النووي كناقل للتشفير وإخفاء البيانات في السنوات الأخيرة. أثار إدراك أن الحمض النووي قد يعمل كوسيط نقل أثار هذه الحركة. في هذه الدراسة، نفحص أولاً ونلخص بإيجاز تطور نظام ترميز الحمض النووي الحالي. بعد ذلك، يتم تصنيف الطرق العديدة التي تم بها استخدام الحمض النووي لتحسين تقنيات التشفير. تمت مناقشة مزايا وعيوب هذه الخوارزميات وأحدث التطورات في تقنيات التشفير القائم على الحمض النووي. أخيرًا، نقدم أفكارنا حول المستقبل المحتمل لخوارزميات التشفير القائمة على الحمض النووي.Information security is a significant cause for concern, mainly because of the explosive growth in internet usage over the last few years. Due to this growth, there have been occurrences of unauthorized access, which have been reduced thanks to “using a range of secure communication protocols, such as encryption and data concealment”. Using DNA's bio-molecular capabilities, the usage of DNA as a carrier for encryption and data concealing has increased in recent years. The realization that DNA may function as a transport medium sparked this movement. In this study, we first examine and briefly outline the evolution of the present DNA coding system. After that, the several ways DNA has been used to enhance encryption techniques are categorized. The benefits and drawbacks of these algorithms and the most recent advancements in DNA-based encryption techniques are discussed. Finally, we provide our thoughts on the potential future of DNA-based encryption algorithms. &nbsp

Stage of change toward “9-a-day” not “5-a-day” is associated with lower body weight

Purpose- This study aimed to assess the students’ stage of change (SOC) for fruits and vegetables (FV) consumption using the 5-a-day and 9-a-day patterns; to validate a tool to measure SOC for consuming 5-a-day and 9-a-day of FV; and to investigate the relationship between SOC for FV consumption and body weight among Jordanian college students. Design/methodology/approach- A cross-sectional study was conducted, and included a convenient sample of 788 college students (47.7% men and 52.2% women) who completed validated questionnaires which included socio-demographic data, readiness to consume 5-a-day and 9-a-day servings of FV daily, and FV consumption behaviors. Students' heights and weights were measured. SOC for participants was examined using reparation, contemplation, precontemplation, action, and maintenance stages. Findings- The majority (69.9%) of the participants were in the pre-contemplation stage with regard to 9-a-day behavior. Women tended to be classified in the action stage more than men (P<0.001). More than 80% of participants were in a pre-action stage for either consuming 5-a-day or 9-a-day of FV. After controlling for age, gender, and energy consumption, a significant (P<0.05) participants inverse relationship was found between maintenance or action stage of change for consuming 9-a-day behavior and BMI. Students in the maintenance stage for 9-a-day had significantly (P=0.03) lower BMI values that those students in the pre-action stages (23.1±3.9 and 22.5±3.3 respectively). The relationship was not valid for the 5 a day behavior (P=0.1) Originality/value- The current study is genuine and original, and valuable in designing new strategies in lowering obesity and its comorbidities

Acquired cystic lymphangioma imitating breast cancer recurrence

Cystic lymphangioma is a benign, congenital lymphatic malformation mainly encountered in infants during the first 2 years of life. It is rarely found in adults. Cystic lymphangioma of the breast is an extremely uncommon entity, and only a few cases have been described in the literature.We present the case of a 52-year-old female who had a mastectomy and chemoradiotherapy for breast cancer 8 years ago and in whom we discovered a suspicious mass of the treated breast through an annual imaging check-up. A cancer recurrence was suspected, and the patient underwent surgical resection. Pathology results were consistent with a cystic lymphangioma

Catalytic production of biodiesel from waste cooking oil in a two-phase oscillatory baffled reactor: Deactivation kinetics and ANN modeling study

As fossil fuels deplete day by day due to the growing demand in various sectors such as agriculture and transportation, the escalation of fuel prices in the international oil market, and increasing global warming, the search for alternative fuels has become urgent. The technology utilized and the cost of feedstock have the greatest impact on the cost of biodiesel production. In the present work, the goal was to produce high-quality biodiesel utilizing waste cooking oil as a feedstock and a natural catalyst in a continuous mode via Oscillatory Baffled Reactor (OBR). A transesterification catalyst based on the activation of dolomite rocks was prepared under a vacuum atmosphere. A kinetic study was conducted using oleic acid as a waste cooking oil model compound at 40, 50, and 60 °C in the OBR at low and high oscillation conditions and a reaction time range of 5–40 min. The study revealed that the transesterification reaction over the dolomite catalysts was the first order, and the activation energy was approximately 34 kJ/mol. The oscillation conditions do not affect the kinetics of the reaction. The OBR was used to evaluate the dolomite catalyst for the continuous slurry production of biodiesel via transesterification. The evaluation parameters were methanol: oil ratio of 6:1, temperature (50, 60, and 70 °C), residence time (5–40 min), the amplitude of oscillation (2, 4, 6, and 8 mm), and frequency of oscillation (1, 2, 3, 4 and 4.3 Hz). The results of the evaluation were used to generate an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model to predict the continuous transesterification process in the OBR. The model was built with one hidden layer and 20 neurons. The simulated results were very close to the experimental results as a mean square error (MSE) of 0.0712 and a regression coefficient (R2) of 0.998 were obtained

Antioxidative and Anti-Inflammatory Protective Effects of Fucoxanthin against Paracetamol-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Rats

Paracetamol or acetaminophen (PAC) is a commonly used analgesic and antipyretic drug. It has been shown that overdoses beyond the therapeutic range can cause hepatotoxicity and acute liver injury. The most common cause of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) in Saudi Arabia and worldwide is paracetamol overdose. Fucoxanthin (FUC) is an allenic carotenoid that is found in edible brown seaweeds, and it has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Several studies have shown the potential therapeutic effects of FUC in diabetes, cancers, and inflammatory disorders. This study aims to investigate the protective effect of FUC against PAC-induced acute liver injury in rats. FUC was administered (100, 200, and 500 mg/kg, p.o.) for 7 days, and then the liver injury was induced by the administration of PAC (2000 mg/kg, oral). Blood and liver tissue samples were collected from PAC-positive untreated, treated, and negative control rats. Biochemical and inflammatory parameters in the blood were measured. In addition, RT-PCR, Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry were performed for liver tissue. The serum levels of liver biomarkers (ALT, AST, and ALP) increased after PAC-induced liver toxicity; FUC-treated rats showed lower levels compared to the positive control. There was an increase in the expression of TNF-α, IL-1, IL-6, NF-kB, INF-γ, and iNOS and a decrease in IL-10, IL-22, and IL-10R expression after the FUC treatment of injured liver rats. For the hepatic inflammation and PAC-toxicity-induced oxidative stress genes and proteins, FUC-treated rats (100, 200, and 500 mg/kg) showed a reduction in the expression of oxidative stress genes. These results showed that FUC protected the liver against PAC-induced injury through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions. However, further clinical studies are required to confirm the findings