Internet-based search of randomised trials relevant to mental health originating in the Arab world

BACKGROUND: The internet is becoming a widely used source of accessing medical research through various on-line databases. This instant access to information is of benefit to busy clinicians and service users around the world. The population of the Arab World is comparable to that of the United States, yet it is widely believed to have a greatly contrasting output of randomised controlled trials related to mental health. This study was designed to investigate the existence of such research in the Arab World and also to investigate the availability of this research on-line. METHODS: Survey of findings from three internet-based potential sources of randomised trials originating from the Arab world and relevant to mental health care. RESULTS: A manual search of an Arabic online current contents service identified 3 studies, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PsycINFO searches identified only 1 study, and a manual search of a specifically indexed, study-based mental health database, PsiTri, revealed 27 trials. CONCLUSION: There genuinely seem to be few trials from the Arab world and accessing these on-line was problematic. Replication of some studies that guide psychiatric/psychological practice in the Arab world would seem prudent

ICT-Based Learning During Covid-19 Outbreak: Advantages, Opportunities and Challenges

ICT-based learning is kind of learning that use Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to foster, optimize, enhance and support gaining knowledge. Covid-19 has caused the full transformation to ICT-based learning. This study aimed to investigate the advantages, opportunities and challenges of ICT-BL during the pandemic. Systematic analysis of the qualitative results indicated that possibility of Online learning, saving time and money, communication and motivation tool, usage of social media, sharing and processing the knowledge and improving the quality of education were the highest ranked advantages of the ICT-based learning and remote learning, extra time, adoption of new skills and more technologies and MOOCs in addition to family gathering were the most opportunities while internet accessibility, electricity problems, maintenance of infrastructure, high cost of ICT device and lack of expertise, ability to manage classrooms and plagiarism were the high ranked challenges for both students and lecturers to continue online learning. Developing countries need to develop new strategies and techniques to promote ICT-based learning based on innovation, socio-cultural and socio-economic aspects not only financial support.</p

Benefit from integrating zinc oxide nanoparticles with probiotic bacteria to produce strong Biofertilizer for increasing the production of agricultural crops, vegetables and fruits

In this research, new methods were found to produce a strong, In this study, zinc oxide useful and usable biofertilizer in any agricultural soil and with any agricultural crop, whether fruit or vegetables, which is Nanoparticles is combined and it is incubated and prepared with some important nutrients for the growth and reproduction of the probiotic bacteria microorganisms present together to produce a biofertilizer and organic fertilizer rich in important nutrients for plant growth and increased production of agricultural crops, A mixed and combined nutritional medium of many materials and vegetables and fruits. nutrients suitable for the purpose of growing many living microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi and controlling the growth rates of microorganisms with the percentage of food present in the biofertilizer (F/M Ratio ).It was reached to increase the efficiency of agricultural fertilizer production, the work of biological fertilizers, and the production of a new strong and effective biological product in increasing the production of agricultural crops and supplying the plant with what it needs from important nutrients to increase growth, early production and improve the quality of agricultural soil. The main goal of adding many food media is the multiplicity and diversity of the carbon source, the multiplication of the growth of microbial isolates, the increase in their numbers, the reduction of growth, reproduction and regeneration quickly, and to reach an increase in the efficiency and effectiveness of biological fertilizer for soil and plants together, as it is considered an integrated nutrient medium. Biofertilizers, a sustainable ecofriendly agricultural approach to crop improvement is used to supplement chemical fertilizers mainly to maintain soil fertility. Continuous application of expensive chemical fertilizers causes reduction of organic matter content in soil and also microbial activity drastically. Biofertilizers are organic, biodegradable. They contain micro-organisms, provide nutrients viz., N, P, K and other nutrients, antibiotics, hormones like auxins, cytokinin, vitamins which enrich root&nbsp;rhizosphere. The present article highlights biofertilizer mediated crop functional such as plant growth and productivity, nutrient profile, plant protection and there by crop improvement. The knowledge gained from the literature appraised here in will help us to understand the physiological bases of biofertilizers towards sustainable agriculture in reducing problems associated with the use of chemicals fertilizers. Therefore, there is an urgent need to adapt biological sciences applications in agriculture field. Biotechnology is an amalgamation of variety of disciplines- molecular biology, bioinformatics, biochemistry, genetics and microbiology. The usage of combinations of these disciplines in agricultural field leads to generation of biotech crops with increased yield and enhanced quality. Agriculture biotechnology not only upgrades the quality but also utilizes the resources and livestock for the well-being of animals and wild plants. Phosphorus, Probiotic bacteria with yoghurt and sugar Charcoal sodium chloride and some other nutrients such as flour and starch are mixed with zinc oxide nano particles to produce a bio-fertilizer fully of nutrients necessary for plant growth, increase the production of agricultural crops, which improve the quality characteristics of agricultural soil, treat stress and poor production and some agricultural pests that may negatively affect plant growth and work to reduce the rate of increase of agricultural crops, vegetables and fruits , and so it is necessary to find alternative strategy to increase availability of nutrients for plants. One possible way could be application of so called bioeffectors (BE) which should improve the mobilization of nutrients (especially phosphorus) from less available forms in soil, improve plant growth and contribute to mycorrhiza development. BEs are commercially supplied products which contain active substances (live microorganisms and active natural compounds). BEs can be used in organic agriculture, because their application represents no risk for the environment

Rapid GC-MS method for screening seized drugs in forensic investigations: optimization and validation

IndroductionThe escalating incidence of drug-related crimes requires rapid and reliable forensic methods for drug screening.MethodsThis study develops and optimizes a rapid Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) method that significantly reduces the total analysis time from 30 to 10 minutes, facilitating faster judicial processes and law enforcement responses. Enhanced by optimizing temperature programming and operational parameters, the method efficiently shortens the run time while ensuring the accuracy essential for forensic applications.ResultsThrough systematic validation, the method demonstrated a limit of detection improvement by at least 50% for key substances such as Cocaine and Heroin, achieving detection thresholds as low as 1 μg/mL for Cocaine compared to 2.5 μg/mL with conventional method. Additionally, the method exhibited excellent repeatability and reproducibility with relative standard deviations (RSDs) less than 0.25% for stable compounds under operational conditions. Applied to 20 real case samples from Dubai Police Forensic Labs, the rapid GC-MS method accurately identified diverse drug classes, including synthetic opioids and stimulants, with match quality scores consistently exceeding 90% across tested concentrations.ConclusionThe method effectively reduces forensic backlogs, facilitating faster and more reliable drug screening essential for judicial processes

Eco-friendly preparation of thyme essential oil nano emulsion: Characterization, antifungal activity and resistance of Fusarium wilt disease of Foeniculum vulgare

Essential oil nanoemulsions have received much attention in the last period for controlling of fungal plant pathogens. In this study, thyme oil nanoemulsion (TONE) was successfully prepared from thyme oil which extracted from Thymus vulgaris (T. vulgaris). The prepared TONE was characterized using DLS, Zeta potential, and TEM analyses. Results revealed that, TONE has spherical shape with size 32.7 nm. Moreover, results illustrated that TONE exhibited promising antifungal activity against Fusarium oxysporum (F. oxysporum) with minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) 5 mg/ml. Additionally, TONE concentrations 1, 2, 3 and 4 mg/ml reduced the growth of F. oxysporum with percentages 7.78, 31.1, 52.2 and 67.8 % respectively. Disease index (DI) of Fusarium wilt reached the maximum rate by (85 %) in the Foeniculum vulgare (F. vulgare) plant infected with F. oxysporum. Application of TONE treatment on infected plants led to a decrease in DI to (17.5%) and an increase in the percentage of protection to (79.4%). Furthermore, DI was decrease to 42.5% with protection percentage 50% in the case of infected plant with TOE.  Moreover, TOE, TONE played an important role in improving plant immunity by increasing phenol, proline, and antioxidant enzymes (POD&amp;PPO) activities, as well as reducing oxidative stress by reducing (MDA &amp; H2O2). Results revealed that TONE led to significant increase in free proline in compared to TOE. We can conclude that TOE, TONE are considered eco-friendly safe strong inducers of F. vulgare plant immunity alternatives to difenoconazole against fusarial wilt disease to preserve plant, soil, and human health

Impact of Safety-Related Dose Reductions or Discontinuations on Sustained Virologic Response in HCV-Infected Patients: Results from the GUARD-C Cohort.

BACKGROUND: Despite the introduction of direct-acting antiviral agents for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, peginterferon alfa/ribavirin remains relevant in many resource-constrained settings. The non-randomized GUARD-C cohort investigated baseline predictors of safety-related dose reductions or discontinuations (sr-RD) and their impact on sustained virologic response (SVR) in patients receiving peginterferon alfa/ribavirin in routine practice. METHODS: A total of 3181 HCV-mono-infected treatment-naive patients were assigned to 24 or 48 weeks of peginterferon alfa/ribavirin by their physician. Patients were categorized by time-to-first sr-RD (Week 4/12). Detailed analyses of the impact of sr-RD on SVR24 (HCV RNA <50 IU/mL) were conducted in 951 Caucasian, noncirrhotic genotype (G)1 patients assigned to peginterferon alfa-2a/ribavirin for 48 weeks. The probability of SVR24 was identified by a baseline scoring system (range: 0-9 points) on which scores of 5 to 9 and <5 represent high and low probability of SVR24, respectively. RESULTS: SVR24 rates were 46.1% (754/1634), 77.1% (279/362), 68.0% (514/756), and 51.3% (203/396), respectively, in G1, 2, 3, and 4 patients. Overall, 16.9% and 21.8% patients experienced ≥1 sr-RD for peginterferon alfa and ribavirin, respectively. Among Caucasian noncirrhotic G1 patients: female sex, lower body mass index, pre-existing cardiovascular/pulmonary disease, and low hematological indices were prognostic factors of sr-RD; SVR24 was lower in patients with ≥1 vs. no sr-RD by Week 4 (37.9% vs. 54.4%; P = 0.0046) and Week 12 (41.7% vs. 55.3%; P = 0.0016); sr-RD by Week 4/12 significantly reduced SVR24 in patients with scores <5 but not ≥5. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, sr-RD to peginterferon alfa-2a/ribavirin significantly impacts on SVR24 rates in treatment-naive G1 noncirrhotic Caucasian patients. Baseline characteristics can help select patients with a high probability of SVR24 and a low probability of sr-RD with peginterferon alfa-2a/ribavirin.This study was sponsored by F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland. Support for third-party writing assistance for this manuscript, furnished by Blair Jarvis MSc, ELS, of Health Interactions, was provided by F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland

\u3cem\u3e Swietenia mahagoni \u3c/em\u3e Leaves Extract: Antifungal, Insecticidal, and Phytochemical Analysis

In this study, we investigated the antifungal properties of an acetone extract derived from the leaves of Swietenia mahagoni (SMAL) against two isolated fungi, Fusarium equiseti (OQ820153) and Rhizoctonia solani (OQ820152), from rice sheath. The extract was effective in inhibiting the growth of both fungi at the highest concentration tested, 3000 μg·mL−1. Laboratory tests on the LC20 of SMAL extract (49.86 mg·L−1) versus pyriproxyfen 10% EC (1.96 mg·L−1) were accomplished on Aphis gossypii Glover. The extract potently reduced the survival of the nymphs (49.58%) more than the other treatments. The longevity of nymphs treated with the extract had the highest prolongation at 9.67 days. The olfactory choice test exhibited the lowest aphid attraction percentage (23.33%). The HPLC of SMAL extract contained various phenolic compounds, and the most abundant found were catechin (752.64 µg·g−1), gallic acid, and chlorogenic acid, as well as flavonoids such as rutin (585.24 µg·g−1) and naringenin. A GC–MS analysis revealed n-hexadecanoic acid (37.1%) as the major compound, followed by oleic acid. These results suggest that SMAL extract has the potential to help plants fight against fungal and insect infections, making it a promising natural and renewable solution for long-term plant pest regulation

New soliton wave structure and modulation instability analysis for nonlinear Schrödinger equation with cubic, quintic, septic, and nonic nonlinearities

We have introduced various novel soliton waves and other analytic wave solutions for nonlinear Schrödinger equation with cubic, quintic, septic, and nonic nonlinearities. The modified extended direct algebraic method governs the transmission of various solitons with different effects. The combination of this system enables the obtaining of analytical soliton solutions with some unique behaviors, including bright, dark, and mixed dark-bright soliton solutions; singular soliton solutions; singular periodic, exponential, rational wave solutions; and Jacobi elliptic function solutions. These results realize the stability of the nonlinear waves' propagation in a high-nonlinear-dispersion medium that is illustrated using 2D and 3D visuals and contour graphical diagrams of the output solutions. This research focused on determining exact soliton solutions under certain parameter conditions and evaluating the stability and reliability of the soliton solutions based on the used modified extended direct algebraic method. This will be useful for many various domains in technology and physics, such as biology, optics, and plasma physical science. At the end, we use modulation instability analysis to assess the stability of the wave solutions obtained

Stepwise classification of cancer samples using clinical and molecular data

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Combining clinical and molecular data types may potentially improve prediction accuracy of a classifier. However, currently there is a shortage of effective and efficient statistical and bioinformatic tools for true integrative data analysis. Existing integrative classifiers have two main disadvantages: First, coarse combination may lead to subtle contributions of one data type to be overshadowed by more obvious contributions of the other. Second, the need to measure both data types for all patients may be both unpractical and (cost) inefficient.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We introduce a novel classification method, a stepwise classifier, which takes advantage of the distinct classification power of clinical data and high-dimensional molecular data. We apply classification algorithms to two data types independently, starting with the traditional clinical risk factors. We only turn to relatively expensive molecular data when the uncertainty of prediction result from clinical data exceeds a predefined limit. Experimental results show that our approach is adaptive: the proportion of samples that needs to be re-classified using molecular data depends on how much we expect the predictive accuracy to increase when re-classifying those samples.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our method renders a more cost-efficient classifier that is at least as good, and sometimes better, than one based on clinical or molecular data alone. Hence our approach is not just a classifier that minimizes a particular loss function. Instead, it aims to be cost-efficient by avoiding molecular tests for a potentially large subgroup of individuals; moreover, for these individuals a test result would be quickly available, which may lead to reduced waiting times (for diagnosis) and hence lower the patients distress. Stepwise classification is implemented in R-package <it>stepwiseCM </it>and available at the Bioconductor website.</p

Chitinase production by Bacillus subtilis ATCC 11774 and its effect on biocontrol of Rhizoctonia diseases of potato

Stem canker and black scurf of potato, caused by Rhizoctonia solani, can be serious diseases causing an economically significant damage. Biocontrol activity of Bacillus subtilis ATCC 11774 against the Rhizoctonia diseases of potato was investigated in this study. Chitinase enzyme was optimally produced by B. subtilis under batch fermentation conditions similar to those of the potato-growing soil. The maximum chitinase was obtained at initial pH 8 and 30 °C. In vitro, the lytic action of the B. subtilis chitinase was detected releasing 355 μg GlcNAc ml−1 from the cell wall extract of R. solani and suggesting the presence of various chitinase enzymes in the bacterial filtrate. In dual culture test, the antagonistic behavior of B. subtilis resulted in the inhibition of the radial growth of R. solani by 48.1% after 4 days. Moreover, the extracted B. subtilis chitinase reduced the growth of R. solani by 42.3% when incorporated with the PDA plates. Under greenhouse conditions, application of a bacterial suspension of B. subtilis at 109 cell mL−1 significantly reduced the disease incidence of stem canker and black scurf to 22.3 and 30%, respectively. In addition, it significantly improved some biochemical parameters, growth and tubers yield. Our findings indicate two points; firstly, B. subtilis possesses a good biocontrol activity against Rhizoctonia diseases of potato, secondly, the harmonization and suitability of the soil conditions to the growth and activity of B. subtilis guaranteed a high controlling capacity against the target pathogen