Aim The aim of this research was to study serum vitamin D and micro-ribonucleic acid-146a (miRNA-146a) expression in dry eye disease (DED) associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and their clinical correlations to DED parameters. Setting and design This is an observational cross-sectional study that was conducted at Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. Patients and methods The study participants were divided into three groups: group A, DED/RA (n=35); group B, non-DED/RA (n=36); and group C, non-DED/non-RA (n=35). All participants were assessed for ocular surface disease index, tear breakup time

Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease with inflammatory nature. One of the leading causes of death in SLE patients is cardiovascular (CVS) morbidity. MiRNA-24 is highly expressed in vascular endothelial cells (VECs). This dysregulated expression pattern is associated with dysfunction or even damage of VECs and leads to the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases. YKL-40 is an inflammatory glycoprotein involved in the pathogenesis of endothelial dysfunction and thereby atherosclerosis. In this work, we aimed at illustrating the possible role of miR-24 and its

Water contamination with colours and heavy metals from textile effluents has harmed the ecology and food chain, with mutagenic and carcinogenic effects on human health. As a result, removing these harmful chemicals is critical for the environment and human health. Various standard physicochemical and biological treatment technologies are used; however, there are still some difficulties. Adsorption is described as a highly successful technology for removing contaminants from textile-effluents wastewater compared to other methods. Several adsorbent materials, including nanomaterials, natural

The dog was probably the first domesticated animal. Despite extensive archaeological and genetic investigations, the origin and the evolution of the extant dogs are still being debated. Dog breeds that have over time been selected for hunting share common ancestral traits. This study represents the first comprehensive attempt to survey at the genomic and mitochondrial level eight hound-like dogs breeds indigenous to the Mediterranean Basin to determine if they share common ancient origins. Results from the microsatellite analysis indicate that all the dog populations have a low inbreeding

Adulteration of vinegar to gain economic benefit has become a common practice in recent years. RP-HPLC strategies were proposed for the assurance of the concentration of acetic acid, rare organic acids (tartaric, malic, lactic and citric), and acetaldehyde in Egyptian vinegar samples. The flow rate was 0.5 mL/min using UV detection at 210 and 365 nm for organic acid and acetaldehyde, respectively. The linearity was 0.05-0.60 g/100 mL for acetic acid, 0.01-0.12 g/100 mL for citric, malic, and tartaric acids, 0.005-0.060 g/100 mL for lactic acid, and 0.02-0.16 mg/L for acetaldehyde with r2 > 0

Introduction: Soil polluted with Nickel (Ni) adversely affects sunflower growth resulting in reduced yield. Counterbalancing Ni toxicity requires complex molecular, biochemical, and physiological mechanisms at the cellular, tissue, and whole plant levels, which might improve crop productivity. One of the primary adaptations to tolerate Ni toxicity is the enhanced production of antioxidant enzymes and the elevated expression of Ni responsive genes. Methods: In this study, biochemical parameters, production of ROS, antioxidants regulation, and expression of NRAMP metal transporter genes were

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide in terms of mortality, and susceptibility is attributed to genetic, lifestyle, and environmental factors. Lymphotoxin alpha (LTA) has a crucial role in communicating the lymphocytes with stromal cells and provoking cytotoxic effects on the cancer cells. There are no reports on the contribution of the LTA (c.179 C>A; p.Thr60Asn; rs1041981) gene polymorphism to HCC susceptibility. The main aim of this study is to investigate the association of LTA (c.179 C>A; p.Thr60Asn; rs1041981) variant with the HCC

Myosins are essential components of organelle trafficking in all the eukaryotic cells. Myosin driven movement plays a vital role in the development of pollen tubes, root hairs and root tips of flowering plants. The present research characterized the myosin genes in Arabidopsis thaliana and Helianthus annuus by using different computational tools. We discovered a total of 50 myosin genes and their splice variants in both pant species. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that myosin genes were divided into four subclasses. Chromosomal location revealed that myosin genes were located on all five

Contractor selection is carried out in order to choose a competent and capable contractor to do the work. To help in this selection, baselines are established to ensure that the contractors have the required skills, resources, and abilities to execute the project. Contractor selection is a multiple criteria decision making wherein several criteria are required to be evaluated simultaneously. This paper proposes a decisionmaking model for contractor selection utilizing ELECTRE III modeling. The steps of ELECTRE III model include; estimation of concordance indices, estimation of discordance

[No abstract available]