The Souad

With the increasing integration of nanomaterials into daily life, the potential ecotoxicological impacts of nanoparticles (NPs) have attracted increased attention from the scientific community. This study assessed the ecotoxicity of ZnS quantum dots (QDs) doped with varying molar concentrations of Mn2+ on Chlorella vulgaris . The ZnS:Mn QDs were synthesized using the polyol method. The size of the ZnS:Mn QDs ranged from approximately 1.1 nm to 2 nm, while the aggregation size in Seine River water was 341 nm at pH 6 and 8...

INTRODUCTION: Amyand hernia is the presence of an incarcerated vermiform appendix (either inflamed or not) within the hernia sac. This type of hernia is very rare with an incidence reported to be 0.5 to 1 % and even rarer in adults. CASES PRESENTATION: We present here two cases of male patients found the have an Amyand Hernia diagnosed incidentally intraoperatively, and managed with appendectomy and mesh herniorrhaphy. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: For the management of this type of hernia, in general, the surgeon should perform an appendectomy with the repair to prevent future herniation or appendicitis, but some opinions differ, and state that when there are no signs of inflammation, it is not required to perform a preventative appendectomy...

OBJECTIVES: The current study was conducted to assess the protective mechanisms of n- BuOH fraction from the aerial part of Genista cephontala (BEGC) on APAP-induced liver injury compared to necrostatine-1 (Nec-1). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A model of APAP-induced hepatotoxicity was created in male rats by injecting a single dose; 1000 mg/kg APAP, the protective effect was performed with (200 mg/kg; 10 days) BEGC compared to Nec-1, (1.8 mg/kg). RESULTS: BEGC or NeC-1 pretreatment significantly abolished impaired effects in APAP-rats, by decreasing the generation of TBARS and ROS in mitochondrial and cytosolic fractions and maintaining liver function activities...

Youth literature allows for the exploration of linguistic and cultural elements, guiding learners to develop their oral interaction skills and critical thinking in the face of sensitive topics such as coexistence, differences, tolerance, xenophobia, and racism. The UNESCO (2010) considers the learning of living together as a fundamental educational mission. Starting from the premise that these values can be embraced by educational systems, this paper examines the effect of storytelling on the development of language and social skills among French as a foreign language learners...

In the present work, the synthesis of new ethacrynic acid ( EA ) derivatives containing nitrogen heterocyclic, urea, or thiourea moieties via efficient and practical synthetic procedures was reported. The synthesised compounds were screened for their anti-proliferative activity against two different cancer cell lines, namely, HL60 (promyelocytic leukaemia) and HCT116 (human colon carcinoma). The results of the in vitro tests reveal that compounds 1 - 3 , 10 , 16 ( a - c ), and 17 exhibit potent anti-proliferative activity against the HL60 cell line, with values of the percentage of cell viability ranging from 20 to 35% at 1 μM of the drug and IC50 values between 2...

Soybean is a pulse which has considerable nutritional value due to its high protein, fibers and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) contents. It also contains phytoestrogenic compounds that definitely hinder its recommendation for general consumption. Contrary to ancient times, when soybeans were boiled, modern commercial soy foods can contain up to 150 mg/100g of estrogenic isoflavones. Interestingly, current estimations of isoflavone intake in the literature do not distinguish between the origins of soy food, i...

AIM/OBJECTIVE: This study investigates placental antibody transfer following recombinant pertussis vaccination in pregnancy in a real-world setting. METHODS: This post-marketing observational study recruited pregnant women vaccinated with monovalent recombinant acellular pertussis vaccine (aPgen ; n=199) or combined to tetanus-diphtheria (TdaPgen ; n=200), or Td-vaccine only (n=54). Pregnancy, delivery, and neonatal outcomes were assessed. Cord blood was collected post-delivery and pertussis toxin (PT)-IgG, filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA)-IgG and PT-neutralizing antibodies (PT-Nab) were assessed...

The increased risk of fractures in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is nowadays well recognized. However, the exact mechanism of action of diabetic bone disease has not been fully elucidated. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are gene regulators that operate post-transcriptionally and have been implicated in the development of various metabolic disorders including T1DM. Previous studies have implicated a role for miR-144-5p and miR-21-5p, which are involved in controlling oxidative stress by targeting Nrf2, in T1DM...

The Ebola virus (EBOV) is a lipid-enveloped virus with a negative sense RNA genome that can cause severe and often fatal viral hemorrhagic fever. The assembly and budding of EBOV is regulated by the matrix protein, VP40, which is a peripheral protein that associates with anionic lipids at the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane. VP40 is sufficient to form virus-like particles (VLPs) from cells, which are nearly indistinguishable from authentic virions. Due to the restrictions of studying EBOV in BSL-4 facilities, VP40 has served as a surrogate in cellular studies to examine the EBOV assembly and budding process from the host cell plasma membrane...

We assessed university students' knowledge, attitude, and practice toward blood donation and identified the factors that promote or hinder their willingness to donate. We employed a multicenter cross-sectional design, collecting data from August to October 2022 through self-administered questionnaires available in Arabic and English. Both online (Google Forms) and paper surveys were utilized. Data were analyzed using R Statistical Software (v4.1.3; R Core Team 2022). A total of 12,606 university students (7966 females and 4640 males) from 16 countries completed the questionnaire; of them, 28...

Paragangliomas (PGLs) are tumors that are rarely malignant; the majority of them are benign. Similar to pheochromocytoma, they develop from the autonomic nerve system. This system originates from neural crest cells and can undergo neoplastic transformation. PGLs can arise either inside or outside the adrenal glands. Head and neck PGLs are very scarce. The primary locations where this tumor commonly originates within this region are the carotid body, jugular bulb, and vagal body. Hence, in our case report, we attempt to highlight the uncommon presentation of this disease in a 46-year-old female, who initially presented with hypertension and persistent dysphonia...

Lafora disease is a fatal teenage-onset progressive myoclonus epilepsy and neurodegenerative disease associated with polyglucosan bodies. Polyglucosans are long-branched and as a result precipitation- and aggregation-prone glycogen. In mouse models, downregulation of glycogen synthase, the enzyme that elongates glycogen branches, prevents polyglucosan formation and rescues Lafora disease. Mouse work, however, has not yet revealed the mechanisms of polyglucosan generation, and few in vivo human studies have been performed...

Mitochondrial diseases have a heterogeneous phenotype and can result from mutations in the mitochondrial or nuclear genomes, constituting a diagnostically and therapeutically challenging group of disorders. We report our center's experience with mitochondrial encephalopathies and myopathies with a cohort of 50 genetically and phenotypically diverse patients followed in the Neurology clinic over the last ten years. Seventeen patients had mitochondrial DNA mutations, presented over a wide range of ages with seizures, feeding difficulties, extraocular movements abnormalities, and had high rates of stroke-like episodes and regression...

BACKGROUND: In Palestine, women face a challenging environment and a demanding lifestyle, which puts them at a higher risk of experiencing complications during pregnancy. This study aimed to examine the risk factors linked with abnormal hemoglobin (Hb) levels, gestational diabetes (GD), and gestational hypertension (GH) among pregnant women. The results was compared between women residing in cities or villages areas and those in refugee camps. METHODS: Medical records (N = 7889) for pregnant women at primary healthcare centers in the North West Bank were reviewed for sociodemographic and medical data along with the reported fasting blood sugar, hemoglobin, and blood pressure in the first and second trimesters from July 2018 to July 2020...

In Morocco, cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) represents a concern with three causative parasite species. Despite this, rapid diagnostic test (RDT) for CL is not part of the national control strategy. This study evaluates the acceptability and micro-costing of the CL Detect Rapid Test by Inbios International. The study was conducted from June 2019 to January 2020 and included 46 healthcare professionals from 40 primary healthcare centers and district labs. Data was collected by self-administered questionnaires and interviews and analysed using NVivo, Jamovi, and Python to generate a predictive model and sensitivity analysis by calculating the average Cost-Benefit Ratio for compared CL diagnostic scenarios...

The amino acid transporters SLC38A5 and SLC7A11 are upregulated in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). SLC38A5 transports glutamine, methionine, glycine and serine, and therefore activates mTOR signaling and induces epigenetic modifications. SLC7A11 transports cystine and increases the cellular levels of glutathione, which protects against oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation via glutathione peroxidase, a seleno (Se)-enzyme. The primary source of Se is dietary Se-methionine (Se-Met). Since SLC38A5 transports methionine, we examined its role in Se-Met uptake in TNBC cells...

HuR (ElavL1) is one of the main post-transcriptional regulators that determines cell fate. Although the role of HuR in apoptosis is well established, the post-translational modifications that govern this function remain elusive. In this study, we show that PARP1/2-mediated poly(ADP)-ribosylation (PARylation) is instrumental in the pro-apoptotic function of HuR. During apoptosis, a substantial reduction in HuR PARylation is observed. This results in the cytoplasmic accumulation and the cleavage of HuR, both of which are essential events for apoptosis...

Deletions of the long arm of chromosome 20 (20q) are rare, with only 16 reported patients displaying a proximal interstitial 20q deletion. A 1.62 Mb minimal critical region at 20q11.2, encompassing three genes GDF5, EPB41L1, and SAMHD1, is proposed to be responsible for this syndrome. The leading clinical features include growth retardation, intractable feeding difficulties with gastroesophageal reflux, hypotonia and psychomotor developmental delay. Common facial dysmorphisms including triangular face, hypertelorism, and hypoplastic alae nasi were additionally reported...

There has been a lot of interest in the development of a novel hybrid material based on mercury that has fascinating structural properties. In this paper, single crystals of [C8 H10 NO]2 HgBr4 was successfully synthesized by the slow evaporation method at room temperature. In fact, the latter crystallizes in the orthorhombic system ( Cmca space group) with cell parameters a = 20.824(2) Å, b = 15.352(1) Å and c = 13.700(1) Å and Z = 8. Its structure is constituted by one [C8 H10 NO]+ cation and one type of isolated anion [HgBr4 ]2- tetrabromomercurate(ii)...

Lead (Pb) is one of the most common heavy metals with toxicological effects on many tissues in humans as well as animals. In order to counteract the toxic effects of this metal, the administration of synthetic or natural antioxidants is thus required. The aim of this study was to examine the beneficial effect of the aqueous extract of Ononis natrix (AEON) against lead acetate-induced damage from a behavioral, biochemical, and histological point of view. Forty-eight male mice were divided into four equal groups: Ctr (control); Pb (lead acetate 1g/l); Pb + On 100 mg/kg (lead acetate 1 g/l + AEON 100 mg/kg); Pb + On 500 mg/kg (lead acetate 1 g/l + AEON 500 mg/kg)...