Schistosomiasis is the second most prevailing parasitic disease worldwide. Although praziquantel is considered
an effective drug in the treatment against schistosomiasis to some extent, there is an emerging drug resistance
that widely recorded. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop effective and safe anti-schistosomal drugs. In
this study, Cornulaca monacantha (C. monacantha), a sub-saharan plant, was extracted using aqueous ethanol and
characterized by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Major constituents of the extract are
belonging to flavonoids, tannins and phenolic glycosides. Worms’ viability and surface morphology of Schistosoma
mansoni (S. mansoni) adult worms treated with the extract were assessed using in vitro viability assay,
Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and histological examination. The extract (80–350 μg/ml) reduced
viability percentage of worms by 40–60% and caused degeneration of both oral and ventral suckers, tegumental,
sub-tegumental and muscular damage. Molecular docking approach was utilized to assess the binding affinities of
the extracted compounds with S. mansoni alpha-carbonic anhydrase (SmCA), an essential tegument protein.
Pharmacokinetic analysis using SwissADME showed that 7 compounds have high drug similarity. This study
confirms the in vitro schistomicidal activity of C. monacantha extract against S. mansoni adult worms and suggests
potential SmCA inhibition.

This study explores the potential for improved photocatalytic activity by tailoring the properties of two-dimensional graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) through non-metallic molecule modifications. Herein, melamine monomers were thermally polymerized in the presence of organic materials, namely (E)-2-((phenylimino)methyl) phenol, (E)-4-(benzylideneamino)benzoic acid, and (E)-4-((hydroxybenzylidene)amino)benzoic acid, to produce g-C₃N₄-PMP, g-C₃N₄-BAB, and g-C₃N₄-HBAB nanosheet composites, respectively. The investigated Schiff bases offer a variety of functionalities capable of influencing the electronic structure, surface reactive sites, and porosity. Consequently, all of the modified composites exhibited higher efficiency in photocatalytic hydrogen generation compared to pristine g-C₃N₄. Notably, the highest catalytic activity was observed for g-C₃N₄-PMP, with a rate of 1148 µmol•g⁻¹•h⁻¹, which is seven times greater than that of g-C₃N₄. Optical and photoelectrochemical properties of the photocatalysts were analyzed to develop a workable mechanism for photocatalysis. The utilization of organic Schiff bases in conjunction with melamine for the g-C₃N₄ synthesis presents a versatile approach to tailor the properties and augment the photocatalytic performance of the resulting nanocomposite material for diverse environmental and energy-related applications.

Repercussion to the rapid increase in population annually and the decline in agricultural fruits and vegetables productivity, we are facing a real danger, especially with the population expected to reach 9.6 billion people by 2050. Fruits are a specialty as one of the most consumed agricultural products due to their richness in fiber, nutrients, salts, vitamins, and antioxidants. Unfortunately, fruits have a short shelf life and rot quickly due to their high percentage of moisture content 75–95%. Postharvest diseases of fruits cause more than 30% loss as the consumer chooses it based on quality, color, texture, lack of decay, and smell. To control post-harvest disease, widespread uncontrolled use of chemical pesticides, insecticides, fungicides, and bactericides before and after harvest has led to the development of diseases with resistant strains and decreased the efficacy of these pesticides. Also, the uses of these toxic chemicals have environmental damage effects and health issues. Recently, nanotechnology has emphasized its role in managing post-harvest disease, especially as an antimicrobial efficient agent, particularly in food processing, storage, and product transportation. Nano-sensors, nanocoating, nano-bubbles, and nano-packing are all efficient figures of nanomaterials in food processing. In this chapter, we will shed light on the strategies of post-harvest disease management, nanotechnology techiest in fruit preservation, and applications of nanotechnology to reduce post-harvest losses on fruit crops, such as citrus fruits, grapes, bananas, mangos, peaches, guava, and others.

The heavy fueled power plants produce solid waste as fly ash which contains heavy and trace elements. In this study the going in accordance with Egypt Vision 2030, effects and benefits in reducing the ash amount for produced MW will be studied, the change in ash contents of rare and heavy elements that can extracted and reused will be determined. As, the reduction in ash amount on the long run as it has a positive effect on the environment. The amount of ash produced will be defined, then the enrichment of its content of heavy and trace elements will studied. The results showed that fly ash amount reduced with application of Egypt’s vision 2030, and it has a valuable content that could be collected, treated and utilized. It was found that the pollution’s indexes of these elements are extremely high, but on the other side ash has an economical value due to its contents of rare and heavy elements that can extracted and reused. Finally, this reduction in the long run has a positive effect on the environment and consequently, to the health.

In this study, the researchers investigated the effectiveness of different ceramic samples in filtering gamma rays emitted by various sources. The samples, which contained varying concentrations of lead and barium, were evaluated for their potential use in beam-shaping assembly systems for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy techniques, specifically those using the ²⁵²Cf neutron source for cancer treatment. Stilbene and NaI (Tl) were used to measure the total and pure gamma rays in this study. In addition, theoretical calculations using the Phy-X/PSD software have been conducted across a broad energy range, spanning from 0.001 to 18 MeV. These calculations aim to determine the attenuation of gamma rays and the relative deviations compared to the corresponding measured gamma-ray energies. Various composites with different percentages of additives and thicknesses, ranging from 0.8 cm to 4 cm, have shown satisfactory attenuation properties for gamma-ray shielding applications. However, the samples containing lead, especially the unglazed ceramic composites with 15 % lead and 4 cm thickness, were found to have the most preferred attenuation properties. The results obtained indicate that samples with a higher lead content are more effective attenuators compared to those with additional barium. In addition, the relationship between the transmission gamma ray factor and the percentage of additives and energies of gamma rays can be determined from the experimental linear attenuation coefficient coefficients. In addition, various coefficients such as the mass attenuation coefficient, half-value layer, effective atomic numbers, and effective electron densities are studied theoretically for the unglazed ceramic samples. The dose rate is also taken into consideration.

Variation in sex pheromones is regarded as one of the causes of reproductive isolation and speciation. We recently identified 51 male- and female-specific compounds – many of which function as sex pheromones – in 99 drosophilid species[1]. Here, we report that despite many of these compounds being shared between species, their quantities differ significantly. For example, although 34 drosophilid species share the male-specific compound cis-vaccenyl acetate (cVA), which plays a critical role in regulating various social and sexual behaviors, the amount of cVA can differ by up to 600-fold between different species. Additionally, we found 7-tricosene, the cuticular hydrocarbon pheromone, present in 35 Drosophila species. Our findings indicate that 7-tricosene is equally present in both sexes of 14 species, more abundant in males of 14 species, and more abundant in females of 7 species. We provide raw data on the concentration of potential pheromone components in the 99 drosophilids, which can provide important insights for further research on the behavior and evolution of these species. Quantitative variations highlight species-specific patterns, suggesting an additional mechanism for reproductive isolation built on specific combinations of compounds at set concentrations.

Where to lay the eggs is a crucial decision for females as it influences the success of their offspring. Female flies prefer to lay eggs on food already occupied and consumed by larvae, which facilitates social feeding, but potentially could also lead to detrimental interactions between species. Whether females can modulate their attraction to cues associated with different species is unknown. Here, we analyzed the chemical profiles of eggs and larvae of 16 Drosophila species, and tested whether Drosophila flies would be attracted to larvae-treated food or food with eggs from 6 different Drosophila species. The chemical analyses revealed that larval profiles from different species are strongly overlapping, while egg profiles exhibit significant species specificity. Correspondingly, female flies preferred to lay eggs where they detected whatever species’ larval cues, while we found a significant oviposition preference only for eggs of some species but not others. Our findings suggest that both larval and egg cues present at a given substrate can drive oviposition preference in female flies.

Exopolysaccharides (EPS) are bioactive metabolites with high molecular weight and are produced by several microorganisms such as endophytic fungi. Thus, the aim of the present study was designed to explore the biosynthesis and characteristics of EPS by the endophytic fungus Neopestalotiopsis clavispora AUMC15969 and then investigate some environmental and nutritional factors that affect their production. Moreover, we estimated an additional value, namely the production of bio diesel. Maximum production of EPS was 7.86 g/L when N. clavispora was grown on lactose as the sole carbon source and peptone as the nitrogen source, respectively, and pH 7 at 35 °Cfor 10 days. The produced EPS had a total sugar content of 0.93 g/g where protein content was 0.076 g/g. It revealed a strong antioxidant activity that improved with increasing sample concentration, with the optimum concentration of 10 mg/mL producing 83.1% DPPH radical scavenging activity with an IC50 equal to 3.89 mg/mL. The extracted lipid from the fungal mycelia at the end of the fermentation process was 31.76% w/w. The biodiesel produced from the transesterification of lipids was 87.4% total fatty acid methyl esters. The present study demonstrated the potential production of EPS and lipid biopolymers in one-pot fermentation which could use as a resource for industrial technologies