Heterogeneity of frequencies of motor neuron disease across ethnicities and geographical areas: focus on Arabic countries in the Mediterranean area.

Purpose Of Review: Although amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) epidemiology has been increasingly characterized in many regions, data from Arabic countries remain limited. This review aims to summarize the current knowledge on the burden of ALS in Arabic Mediterranean countries, with a particular focus on Egypt.

Recent Findings: ALS exhibits significant geographic and ethnic variability in terms of incidence, phenotype, and genetic background.

Design and control of a permanent magnet-based robotic system for navigating tetherless magnetic devices in viscous environments.

Tetherless magnetic devices (TMDs) that are driven using external stimuli have potential applications in minimally invasive surgery. The magnetic field produced by electromagnet- and permanent magnet-based robotic systems is a viable option as an external stimulus to enable the motion of a TMD in viscous and viscoelastic media. In order to realize the navigation of TMDs in fluidic environments, we design a permanent magnet-based robotic system with an open configuration using two synchronized rotating magnetic dipoles to generate time-varying rotating magnetic fields.

Nitrogen-Passivated germanium carbide nanomeshes as potential catalysts for photocatalytic water splitting.

Nitrogen-passivated germanium carbide (GeC) nanomeshes have been systematically investigated as efficient photocatalysts for water splitting. The nanomesh, characterized by a lattice constant of 19.3 Å and a pore diameter of 7.

Adaptive immune changes in colorectal cancer: a focus on T and B cell activation genes.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) ranks as the third most common cancer globally and is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths, following lung cancer. Despite the immune system's capacity for tumor surveillance and elimination, CRC tumors can evade immune responses through complex mechanisms, ultimately escaping immune detection. T and B lymphocytes play a critical role in adaptive immunity against tumors, with T cells, particularly CD8 cytotoxic T cells, driving tumor elimination.

Soliton solutions to the generalized derivative nonlinear Schrödinger equation under the effect of multiplicative white noise and conformable derivative.

This study explores novel optical soliton solutions for the generalized derivative nonlinear conformable Schrödinger equation under the influence of multiplicative white noise. Using the new Kudryashov method, various solutions are derived, including solitary waves, bright, dark, singular, and W-shaped soliton solutions. The study investigates their dynamic behavior and physical characteristics, emphasizing the role of the conformable order derivative and temporal parameters through three-dimensional, two-dimensional, and contour plots.

Influence of feelings on the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and drug delivery.

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a critical regulator of cerebral homeostasis, displaying high dynamicity of influx and efflux of substances to and from the central nervous system (CNS). In an exploration of the neurochemical pathways through which positive and negative emotions can influence the physiological characteristics of the BBB, this chapter delves into the multifaceted relationship between emotional states and BBB integrity and permeability. Negative emotions exemplified by stress, chronic anxiety, and depression have shown harmful effects on the BBB, suggesting a state of hyperpermeability that compromises the otherwise conferred protection.

N-methyladenosine RNA base modification regulates NKG2D-dependent and cytotoxic genes expression in natural killer cells.

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women. N-methyladenosine (mA) is the most prevalent internal modification in mammalian mRNAs and plays a crucial role in various biological processes. However, its function in Natural killer (NK) cells in BC remains unclear.

Unveiling diverse solitons in the quintic perturbed Gerdjikov-Ivanov model via a modified extended mapping method.

The quintic perturbed Gerdjikov-Ivanov equation, a non-linear model in optics and quantum field theory, describes the propagation of optical pulses in nonlinear media with quintic nonlinearity and perturbation effects. This study aims to derive exact traveling wave solutions for the quintic perturbed Gerdjikov-Ivanov equation using the modified extended mapping method. The method efficiently generates a broad spectrum of solutions, including bright, dark, periodic, singular periodic, hyperbolic, plane, Weierstrass, and Jacobi elliptic forms, extending the known solution space.

Synthesis and antiplasmodial activity of 6,13-pyrazino[1,2-;4,5-']diindole analogues substituted with basic side chains.

The synthesis of pentacyclic 6,13-pyrazino[1,2-;4,5-']diindole analogues and their evaluation for antiplasmodial activity against 3D7 strains using [H]hypoxanthine incorporation and SYBR® Green assays are reported. While the unsubstituted analogues are characterized by only weak antimalarial activity, introduction of one or two basic side-chains led to substantially increased antiplasmodial activity and reduced cytotoxicity against macrophage J774.1 cells.

In-vitro immune-modulation of triple-negative breast cancer through targeting miR-30a-5p/MALAT1 axis using nano-PDT combinational approach.

Background: Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an immunogenic tumor; however, its tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) is densely packed with immune suppressive cytokines and immune checkpoints. The immune-suppressive features of TNBC TIME represent a considerable obstacle to any immunotherapeutic approach. The objective of this study was to develop a multimodal in-vitro strategy to manipulate the TNBC TIME and enhance patients' outcomes by employing carefully tailored hybrid chitosan-lipid Nanoparticles (CLNPs), metformin and chlorin e6 (Ce-6)-mediated PDT, alone or combined.

Diosmin and Coenzyme q10: Synergistic histopathological and functional protection against doxorubicin-induced hepatorenal injury in rats.

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a cytotoxic anthracycline used to treat a variety of cancers. Cardiotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, and nephrotoxicity are adverse effects of DOX, that limit prognosis. The study aims to determine if diosmin (DIOS) and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) alone or in combination protect rats against DOX-induced liver and kidney damage.

Magnetic control of soft microrobots near step-out frequency: Characterization and analysis.

Magnetically actuated soft microrobots hold promise for biomedical applications that necessitate precise control and adaptability in complex environments. These microrobots can be accurately steered below their step-out frequencies where they exhibit synchronized motion with external magnetic fields. However, the step-out frequencies of soft microrobots have not been investigated yet, as opposed to their rigid counterparts.

Cancer Cells Show Higher Sensitivity to Melatonin-Tamoxifen Drug Conjugates than to Combination of Melatonin and Tamoxifen.

Drug conjugates of tamoxifen and melatonin linked through the amide side chain of melatonin (,) were reported as promising agents for future treatment of breast cancer, possibly reversing the adverse effects of tamoxifen. Here, we report the synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of a novel series of anticancer drug conjugates linking melatonin with tamoxifen through polymethylene spacers through the ether oxygen of melatonin (-, -, ) and compare them to the previously reported amide-linked analogues and . All hybrid ligands are antagonists of estrogen receptor alpha and agonists of the melatonin MT receptor with variable potencies.

Electronic properties of pristine and doped graphitic germanium carbide nanomeshes.

Graphitic germanium carbide (g-GeC) is a novel material that has recently aroused much interest. Porous g-GeC can be fabricated by forming a lattice of pores in pristine g-GeC. In this work, we systematically investigate the influence of creating pores within pristine g-GeC.

Nanoparticles in liposomes: a platform for increased antibiotic selectivity in multidrug resistant bacteria in respiratory tract infections.

Antibiotic resistance is a cause of serious illness and death, originating often from insufficient permeability into gram-negative bacteria. Nanoparticles (NP) can increase antibiotic delivery in bacterial cells, however, may as well increase internalization in mammalian cells and toxicity. In this work, NP in liposome (NP-Lip) formulations were used to enhance the selectivity of the antibiotics (3C and tobramycin) and quorum sensing inhibitor (HIPS-1635) towards Pseudomonas aeruginosa by fusing with bacterial outer membranes and reducing uptake in mammalian cells due to their larger size.

Initial report on the multiple biological and pharmacological properties of hispolon: Exploring stochastic mechanisms.

The development of natural substances derived from nature poses a significant challenge as technologies for the extraction and characterization of active principles advance. Hispolon has received a lot of attention in recent years, ascribable to its wide range of biological activities. It is a phenolic molecule that was extracted from several mushroom species such as Phellinus igniarius, Phellinus linteus, Phellinus lonicerinus, Phellinus merrillii, and Inonotus hispidus.

Motor Neuron Disease Population-Based Registry in Egypt: Where Do We Stand?

Background: There is a growing body of evidence indicating that the worldwide distribution of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is far from uniform. This is evident through variations in the epidemiology, genetics, and phenotypical characteristics of ALS and other motor neuron diseases (MND) across different regions. However, comprehensive ALS epidemiological studies are still lacking in many parts of the world, especially in Africa.

Industrial and academic approaches to the search for alternative melatonin receptor ligands: An historical survey.

The search for melatonin receptor agonists formed the main part of melatonin medicinal chemistry programs for the last three decades. In this short review, we summarize the two main aspects of these programs: the development of all the necessary tools to characterize the newly synthesized ligands at the two melatonin receptors MT and MT, and the medicinal chemist's approaches to find chemically diverse ligands at these receptors. Both strategies are described.

Bioactive substances of cyanobacteria and microalgae: Sources, metabolism, and anticancer mechanism insights.

Cyanobacteria and microalgae contain various phytochemicals, including bioactive components in the form of secondary metabolites, namely flavonoids, phenolic acids, terpenoids, and tannins, with remarkable anticancer effects. This review highlights the recent advances in bioactive compounds, with potential anticancer activity, produced by cyanobacteria and microalgae. Previous in vitro investigations showed that many of these bioactive compounds exhibit potent effects against different human cancer types, such as leukemia and breast cancers.

Phytochemical-derived tumor-associated macrophage remodeling strategy using Phoenix dactylifera L. boosted photodynamic therapy in melanoma via H19/iNOS/PD-L1 axis.

Background: The tumor microenvironment (TME) represents a barrier to PDT efficacy among melanoma patients. The aim of this study is to employ a novel muti-tactic TME-remodeling strategy via repolarization of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), the main TME immune cells in melanoma, from the pro-tumor M2 into the antitumor M1 phenotype using Phoenix dactylifera L. (date palm) in combination with PDT.

A liposomal platform for the delivery of ion channel proteins for treatment of channelopathies - Application in therapy of cystic fibrosis.

Channelopathies arise from ion channel dysfunction. Successful treatment entails delivery of functional ion channels to replace dysfunctional ones. Glycine receptor (GlyR)-rich cell membrane fragments (CMF) were previously delivered to target cell membranes using fusogenic liposomes.