Worldwide, breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women and the third most common cancer. Although our understanding of the molecular basis of this fatal disease has improved, this malignancy remains elusive. Melatonin (Mel), retinoic acid (RA) and Nigella sativa (NS) are substances with anticancer effects. To date, our understanding of the mechanisms of therapeutic effects of these products in mammary cancer is still marginal. To look at the preventive and therapeutic values of these products, we carried out this investigation. An animal model formed of 80 rats was established. The animals were divided into eight groups of 10 animals each: (a) control group injected with the same vehicle used for treatments in the relevant dosages and routes; (b) carcinogen group injected with the known carcinogenic substance 7,12-di-methylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA) that induces mammary carcinoma; (c) three prophylactic (Pro) groups (Mel-Pro, RA-Pro and NS-Pro) injected with test substances (Mel, RA and NS, respectively) 14 days before the intake of the carcinogenic substance DMBA and then continued until the end of the experiments; and (d) three treated (Tr) groups (Mel-Tr, RA-Tr and NS-Tr) injected with the vehicles after the intake of DMBA. In both the Pro and Tr groups, the drugs were daily administered for 3 months. The animals were killed, and their serum and tissues were evaluated for (a) markers of tumorigenicity [serum levels of total sialic acid (TSA) and lipid-bound sialic acid (LSA)], (b) markers of endocrine derangement (serum prolactin, estradiol and progesterone levels), (c) apoptotic changes [serum tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, tissue caspase-3 activity, percentage of DNA fragmentation and ultrastructural features of apoptosis] and (d) markers of oxidative stress (tissue levels of lipid peroxides and nitric oxide). Carcinoma was absent both in the control and in the NS-Pro groups. Mammary carcinoma occurred in DMBA and other Pro and Tr groups. The frequency of mammary carcinoma was high in the carcinogen DMBA group (60%), followed by the Tr (56%) and finally the Pro groups (33%). These tumours included papillary, comedo and cribriform carcinomas. As compared with the control group, the development of carcinoma in the carcinogen DMBA group was associated with increased levels of (a) markers of tumorigenicity (77.0 +/- 3.3 vs. 209.0 +/- 5.6 and P < 0.05 for TSA; 28.7 +/- 1.7 vs. 41.8 +/- 1.2 and P < 0.01 for LSA), (b) markers of endocrine derangement (2.5 +/- 0.1 vs. 3.6 +/- 0.3 and P < 0.05 for prolactin; 39.6 +/- 1.3 vs. 24.8 +/- 2.1 and P < 0.01 for progesterone and 31.0 +/- 0.7 vs. 51.1 +/- 3.4 and P < 0.01 for estradiol) and (c) markers of oxidative stress (2.3 +/- 0.2 vs. 5.2 +/- 0.7 and P < 0.01 for lipid peroxides and 4.4 +/- 0.2 vs. 7.6 +/- 0.8 and P < 0.01 for nitric oxide). Also, it was associated with decreased levels of markers of apoptotic activity (20.8 +/- 1.1 vs. 13.4 +/- 0.7 and P < 0.01 for caspase-3; 29.0 +/- 1.7 vs. 20.9 +/- 1.3 and P < 0.05 for percentage of DNA fr...

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Nanotechnology is an innovative technology for improving food quality and safety. Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of hydroxy propyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) films containing nanoparticles against three foodborne pathogens.        Design of the Study: *This study was designed using two nanoparticles i.e. (Al2O3-NPs and SiO2-NPs), edible film (HPMC), and three foodborne pathogens i.e. Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella Typhimurium. Both nanoparticles were evaluated against foodborne pathogens as well applied in chicken fillets.     Place and Duration: All experiments were done in the Food Technology Department, Benha University, Egypt; Nanomaterial Laboratory, Beni-Suef University, Egypt; and Agricultural Research Center, Egypt and were done within three months.        Methodology: The preparation of edible films, the antimicrobial activity, mode of antimicrobial action, challenge study, and scanning electron microscopy had been carried out in different laboratories. As well the mechanical properties of the HPMC films were evaluated.                                                                                                    Results: The results obtained from this study showed that the nanoparticles (~80 nm) at 80 ppm were active against Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella Typhimurium compared with 20 and 40 ppm. The HPMC films including Al2O3-NPs were active against B. cereus than S. aureus and S. typhimurium, while the SiO2-NPs were more effective against S. typhimurium and B. cereus compared with S. aureus. In challenge studies, HPMC films including Al2O3-NPs and SiO2-NPs at 80 ppm decreased the viability of the three-foodborne pathogens associated with chicken fillets stored at 4±1°C for 15 days, as compared with the control sample. HPMC films incorporated with nanoparticles inhibited the microbial population ~ 2-3 log10 CFU/cm2 over the chicken fillets during storage period.                                                   Conclusion: This work indicated that, HPMC films incorporated with Al2O3-NPs and SiO2-NPs (~80 nm) at 80 ppm could be reduce the microbiological loads of the refrigerated chicken fillets.

Tamer Yosef Hamawy (2016) Comparative evaluation between ascorbic acid and N-acetyl cysteine for preventing tourniquet induced ischaemic reperfusion injury during lower limb surgery, a randomized controlled trial, Egyptian

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Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate shear bond strength of mineral trioxide aggregate and biodentine to self-adhering flowable composite. Materials and Methods: eighty Double Split Teflon mold has been prepared with a central hole measuring (3mm in diameter and 2 mm in height) for the mold used for tested materials and (2mm in diameter and in height) for the other mold used for restorative material. The molds were filled with MTA and Biodentine. The mixing material MTA and biodentine applied to its mold (n = 40) and allocated into 2 groups. The specimens will store for 72 hours at 37˚C and 100% humidity. After 72 hours, self-adhering flowable composite was applied over MTA and Biodentine with a height and diameter each of 2 mm. The samples were stored in Incubator for 24 hours at 37˚C to enhance setting and then removed from the mold. SBS was measured in a universal testing machine with a load cell of 5kN and a crosshead speed of 0.5 mm/min. Data were analyzed using Graph Pad Instat. A value of P < 0.05 was thought statistically significant. After homogeneity of variance and normal distribution of errors had been confirmed, student t-test was done for compared pairs. Chi square test was performed for failure mode analysis. Results: self-adhering flowable composite-Biodentine groups showed non significantly higher SBS values than the group made of self-adhering flowable composite-MTA (P > .05). Conclusion Biodentine exhibited higher SBS than MTA; therefore, they could be preferred under flowable composites.

Background: Monitored anesthesia care (MAC) is the practice of administrating local anesthesia in combination with IV sedatives, anxiolytics and/or analgesic drugs during certain surgical procedures. Most of ear surgeries can be done under monitored anesthesia care. Methodology: This is a randomized, double blind, prospective study and 100 patients undergoing ear surgery under MAC were divided into two groups of 50 patients each. The patients in group (D) received dexmedetomidine 1 lg/kg IV over 10 min followed by 0.7 lg/kg/h + nalbuphine 100 lg/kg IV and in group (M) received midazolam 20 lg/kg IV followed by 20 lg/kg/h + nalbuphine 100 lg/ kg over 10 min. Assessment of sedation by Ramsay sedation score, requirement of intraoperative rescue sedation, intraoperative VAS, intraoperative rescue analgesia, intraoperative hemodynamics, intraoperative bleeding, intraoperative complications, postoperative visual analogue score and postoperative rescue analgesia requirement, time to achieve full recovery and satisfaction scores of patients and surgeon were recorded. Results: Group (D) showed more sedation by Ramsay sedation score than the midazolam (M) group. Fifty percent in group (M) needed more rescue sedation than 26% in group (D) (p < 0.05). Intraoperative VAS was significantly higher in group (M) than in group (D) that led to the use of more rescue analgesia in 60% of group (M). Intraoperative heart rate and mean blood pressure were significantly lower in group (D) than in group (M) (p < 0.05). There was no statistical difference between the two groups as regards respiratory rate or SpO 2 . Intraoperative bleeding is less significantly less in group