Morphological and radiometrical study of the human intervertebral foramina of the cervical spine

Background: Degenerative changes of the cervical spine are an inevitable response to certain occupational status and aging processes. Compression of cervical nerve roots may result from disc degeneration, disc herniation or intervertebral foraminal stenosis. The precise and detailed anatomical knowledge of the intervertebral foramen of the cervical spine is essential for the diagnosis and management of cervical radiculopathy. The significance of the observations and findings of the present study was to elucidate the correlation between the morphology and disorders of the cervical intervertebral foramina in normal and pathological conditions especially at the level of C3-C4 to C6-C7 on both sides and in both sexes. Moreover, it will help greatly in the planning of both surgical and conservative strategies. Materials and Methods: In the present study, 5 formalin-fixed adult cadavers and radiological specimens of the cervical region of the vertebral column of 28 normal and 209 subjects suffering from cervical disorder from both sexes and different age groups. They subjected for morphological and radiometrical analysis. Results: All measurements of the present study of the cervical disorders in females were found to be 6% less than in males in all age groups, which is statistically significant (p < 0.01) as compared with the control group (2%). The mean intervertebral foraminal areas in the control group of C5-C6 and C6-C7 are significantly greater than those of C3-C4 and C4-C5. Conclusions: The mean intervertebral foraminal area was greater in the lower cervical region than the upper in normal adult individuals. In pathological condition the affection of C3-C4 and C4-C5 intervertebral foramina was more due to narrower surface area. The pathology of cervical spine affecting the intervertebral foramina of female which complaint earlier than male due to narrower foramina

The ameliorative potential of Hyphaene thebaica on streptozotocin-induced diabetic nephropathy

Background: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease. The aim of the current study is to investigate the possible beneficial effects of Hyphaene thebaica in DN. Materials and methods: For this, 50 male albino rats were divided into five groups: group I — represented the control group; group II — received Hyp­haene thebaica extracts of 150 mg/kg BW by oral gavage for 6 weeks; group III — received single intraperitoneal injections of streptozotocin (50 mg/kg BW) to induce type-2 diabetes mellitus; group IV (protective) — diabetic rats recei­ved Hyphaene thebaica extract (150 mg/kg BW) orally for 6 weeks; group V (curative) — received Hyphaene thebaica extract (150 mg/kg BW) orally after the diagnosis of DN. Results: In the DN protected group, blood glucose, urea, and creatinine decreased significantly, while insulin and C-peptide increased significantly. Moreover, cystatin C and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin decreased. Collagen fibre deposition is increased with an apparent thickening of the parietal layer of Bowman’s capsules and the basal lamina of convoluted tubules, as well as increase of the immune-reaction of caspase-3 and desmin. The introduction of Hyphaene thebaica led to greater amelioration in the biochemical markers, apoptotic alterations, and podocyte injuries of the protected group than in the curative group. Conclusions: Hyphaene thebaica may be advised as a good choice that can delay diabetic renal complications

Accuracy of Gray‑scale and Three‑dimensional Power Doppler Ultrasound Parameters in the Diagnosis of Morbidly Adherent Placenta

Background: Morbidly adherent placenta (MAP) is usually associated with excess blood loss, bladder injuries, and hysterectomies.Aim: This study was designed to evaluate the accuracy of grayscale and three-dimensional (3D) power Doppler ultrasound parameters in the diagnosis of MAP. Subjects and Methods: Fifty pregnant women ≥28 weeks’ gestation with suspected MAP were included randomly in this prospective study. Two-dimensional (2D) transabdominal gray-scale ultrasound and 3D power Doppler scans were done for studied women to confirm placental location and findings suggestive of MAP. Intraoperative findings and histopathology results of removed uteri in the cases were managed by hysterectomies compared to preoperative sonographic findings using Student’s t-test and Mann–Whitney U-test for quantitative data, Chi-square test for qualitative data to detect the accuracy of 2D transabdominal gray-scale ultrasound and 3D power Doppler parameters in the diagnosis of MAP. Results: Best 2D gray scale ultrasound parameters for the detection of emergency hysterectomies in the studied cases were disruption of uterine serosa– bladder interface (81.8% sensitivity) and exophytic mass invading bladder (94.9% specificity, 66.7% positive predictive value (PPV), and 84.1% negative predictive value [NPV]). Best 3D power Doppler parameters for the detection of emergency hysterectomies in the studied cases were disruption of uterine serosa–bladder interface (90.9% sensitivity, 68.8% specificity, and 47% PPV) and crowded vessels over peripheral subplacental zone (93.2% NPV). Conclusion: 3D power Doppler is a useful complementary tool to 2D gray-scale ultrasound for antenatal diagnosis of MAP. Crowded vessels over peripheral sub-placental zone and disruption of uterine serosa–bladder interface were the best 3D power Doppler parameters for the detection of difficult placental separation, considerable intraoperative blood loss, and emergency hysterectomies in the studied cases.KEY WORDS: Three‑dimensional power Doppler, gray-scale, morbidly adherent placent

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

Numerical Simulation for the Fractional SIRC Model and Influenza A

Abstract: In this paper, A Chebyshev spectral method is presented to study the deals with the fractional SIRC model associated with the evolution of influenza A disease in human population. The properties of the Chebyshev polynomials are used to derive an approximate formula of the Caputo fractional derivative. This formula reduces the SIRC model to the solution of a system of algebraic equations which is solved using Newton iteration method. The convergence analysis and an upper bound of the error of the derived formula are given. We compared our numerical solutions with those numerical solutions using fourth-order Runge-Kutta method. The obtained results of the SIRC model show the simplicity and the efficiency of the proposed method. Also, illustration for propagation of influenza A virus and the relation between the four cases of it along the time at the fractional derivative are given

Data from: Landscape genetics of a pollinator longhorn beetle [Typocerus v. velutinus (Olivier)] on a continuous habitat surface

Landscape connectivity, the degree to which the landscape structure facilitates or impedes organismal movement and gene flow, is increasingly important to conservationists and land managers. Metrics for describing the undulating shape of continuous habitat surfaces can expand the usefulness of continuous gradient surfaces that describe habitat and predict the flow of organisms and genes. We adopted a landscape gradient model of habitat and used surface metrics of connectivity to model the genetic continuity between populations of the banded longhorn beetle [Typocerus v. velutinus (Olivier)] collected at 17 sites across a fragmentation gradient in Indiana, USA. We tested the hypothesis that greater habitat connectivity facilitates gene flow between beetle populations against a null model of isolation by distance (IBD). We used next-generation sequencing to develop 10 polymorphic microsatellite loci and genotype the individual beetles to assess the population genetic structure. Isolation by distance did not explain the population genetic structure. The surface metrics model of habitat connectivity explained the variance in genetic dissimilarities 30 times better than the IBD model. We conclude that surface metrology of habitat maps is a powerful extension of landscape genetics in heterogeneous landscapes

Evaluation of surface water quality and heavy metal indices of Ismailia Canal, Nile River, Egypt

Ismailia Canal is one of the most important branches of the Nile River in Egypt. It is the main source of drinking and irrigation water for many cities. Weighted arithmetic method of water quality index (WQI) was used to evaluate the water quality of Ismailia Canal according to drinking, irrigation and aquatic life water utilizations. The objective of the index is to transform complex water quality data into understandable and usable information by the public. The WQI values of Ismailia Canal are good to poor for drinking and aquatic life utilizations, and excellent for irrigation utilization. Metal index (MI) and pollution index (PI) were calculated to assess the contaminations of the canal water with the metals (Al+3, Cd+2. Cu+2, Fe+2, Mn+2, Ni+2, Pb+2 and Zn+2). MI and PI values denote the dangerous pollution of the canal water, which is described as seriously at most sites along, in particular for drinking and fisheries utilizations. It may be attributed to the effluents of different industrial wastes arriving at the canal water. Law 48/1982 for the protection of the Nile River and its waterways against pollution must be enforced to prevent the obvious deterioration of the canal water and to improve its quality

Removal of aluminum, iron and manganese ions from industrial wastes using granular activated carbon and Amberlite IR-120H

The removal of aluminum, iron and manganese from some pollution sources that drain into Ismailia Canal has been investigated using two different sorbents; granular activated carbon (GAC) and Amberlite IR-120H (AIR-120H). Batch equilibrium experiments showed that the two sorbents have maximum removal efficiency for aluminum and iron pH 5 and 10 min contact time in ambient room temperature, while pH 7 and 30 min were the most appropriate for manganese removal. Dosage of 2 g/l for both GAC and AIR-120H was established to give the maximum removal capacity. At optimum conditions, the removal trend was in order of Al+3 > Fe+2 > Mn+2 with 99.2, 99.02 and 79.05 and 99.55, 99.42 and 96.65% of metal removal with GAC and AIR-120H, respectively. For the three metals, Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms showed higher R2 values, with a slightly better fitting for the Langmuir model. In addition, separation factors (RL) and exponent (n) values indicated favorable Langmuir (0 < RL < 1) and Freundlich (1 < n < 10) approach. GAC and AIR-120H can be used as excellent alternative, effective and inexpensive materials to remove high amounts of heavy metals from waste water

Effect of Dietary Moringa oleifera Leaves Nanoparticles on Growth Performance, Physiological, Immunological Responses, and Liver Antioxidant Biomarkers in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) against Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Toxicity

The current study addresses the influence of Moringa oleifera leaves nanoparticles (MO-NPs) on growth, biochemical, immunological, and hepatic antioxidant alterations induced by zinc oxide nanoparticles toxicity in Nile tilapia (O. niloticus). Fish (N = 180) were divided into four groups with replicates. The first one was set as a control group and the second group was fed an MO-NPs-enriched diet (2.5 g/kg diet). The third group was exposed to 8 mg/L ZnO-NPs, while the forth group was exposed to 8 mg/L ZnO-NPs and fed on MO-NPs (2.5 g/kg diet) for 2 months. Exposure of O. niloticus to 8 mg/L ZnO-NPs induced the following consequences: a sharp decrease in the growth parameters; a marked increment in the biochemical biomarkers (glucose, cortisol, and liver enzymes (ALT, AST, ALP); a significant increase in serum renal products, urea and creatinine, cholesterol, and LDH levels. Nonetheless, the dietary MO-NPs supplementation for 2 months significantly alleviated the ZnO-NPs toxicity and significantly enhanced the growth indices, plus normalizing the physio-biochemical levels in the exposed group to ZnO-NPs toxicity to reach the levels of the control group. The MO-NPs markedly improved hepatic antioxidant biomarkers, MDA, and TAC, while, decreasing SOD, CAT, and GSH levels to be near the control values. Moreover, supplemented fish in MO-NPs (2.5 g/kg diet) and exposed to ZnO-NPs provided a remarkable increase in the immune profile (respiratory burst (RB) activity, lysozyme, and total immunoglobulins (IgM)) compared to the ZnO-NPs-intoxicated group. Based on the findings of the study, the exposed O. niloticus to ZnO-NPs were immune-antioxidant-depressed, besides showing growth retardation, and physio-biochemical alterations. On the other hand, a supplemented diet with MO-NPs is a novel approach to ameliorate ZnO-NPs toxicity for sustaining aquaculture and correspondingly protecting human health