Dengue is a mosquito-borne, acute febrile illness also known as breakbone fever that has now become a major public health concern in the tropics and subtropics worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, dengue is now endemic in more than 100 countries. Each year, an estimated 400 million people have been infected with dengue virus, 100 million become ill with dengue, and 21,000 deaths have been reported.[1] Dengue infection is prevalent in regions having tropical and subtropical climates typically in urban and semiurban areas; however, due to the effects of climate change impacting on the rainfall rate and intensity of hurricanes and typhoons, the global incidence of dengue has been increasing exponentially and now nearly, half of the world’s population is at risk of this infection.[2] In 2023, and as of 9 March, 380,171 dengue cases and 113 deaths have been registered, most of the dengue cases and their associated death have been registered from Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Columbia, Nicaragua, Sudan, and Bangladesh.[3] Dengue infection is caused by dengue virus, which is a febrile illness with clinical manifestations vacillating from asymptomatic infection to severe systemic manifestations and multiorgan failure proceeding to lethal consequences.[4] The virus is transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected Aedes aegypti mosquito (also known as yellow fever mosquito). Other species within the Aedes genus can also serve as vectors, but their contribution is secondary to A. aegypti.[2] After being bitten by an infected mosquito, initial viral replication take place in subdermal dendritic cells after which the virus migrates to regional lymph nodes and viremia occurs through circulating monocytes and macrophages which can infect the solid organs as well as bone marrow.[5,6] Similar to various viral infections, dengue presents as a self-limiting infection called dengue fever, from which the majority of patients recover without suffering from any serious complication. On the contrary, dengue hemorrhagic fever is the severe form of disease that occurs due to an abnormal immune response with cytokine production termed as a cytokine storm, in which there is increased vascular permeability that leads to leaking of plasma into the pleural cavity, peritoneal space, and tissue plains and leads to altered thromboregulatory mechanisms.[7] The clinical symptoms are divided into three main phases which are febrile, critical, and recovery phase. The febrile phase lasts for 2 to 7 days and is marked by high-grade fever associated with skin erythema, facial flushing, myalgias, arthralgias, headache, anorexia, nausea, and vomiting along with maculopapular rash.[8] The onset of the critical phase is signaled by a rapid waning of platelet count and rise in hematocrit and it can advance to shock, organ dysfunction, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and hemorrhage and the recovery phase entails the gradual decline in fever and an increase in platelet count toward normal.[7-9] The clinical diagnosis of dengue is challenging as numerous other illnesses can exist similarly early in the disease course such as influenza, Zika, malaria, chikungunya, and yellow fever.[10,11] Obtaining a detailed history of immunizations, travel, and contact exposure can aid in sorting out the disease, followed by the laboratory diagnosis, and the timeline of clinical presentation; all play a crucial role in the diagnosis of dengue infection. The WHO guideline on the management of dengue divides the patients into three groups: A, B, or C regarding treating a patient at home or in hospital. Those who meet the criteria of Groups A and B could be managed at home under supervision; however, Group C needs hospital admission.[12] There are various measures that can be undertaken to avoid contracting dengue.[13-17] These methods include certain biological control methods to eradicate the vector for this disease such as use of viviparous species of larvicidal fish, and Poecilia reticulata can be used in confined water bodies such as large water tanks and open freshwater wells, which will help in eliminating the larvae of A. aegypti.[17] Several chemical control methods can also be used to eliminate larvae that flourish in breeding containers such as environmental protective agency approved insecticidal sprays composed of organophosphorus compounds (fenitrothion and malathion) and pyrethroids (bioresmethrin and cypermethrin) can be used and applied as thermal fogs and cold aerosols.[18] Moreover, oilbased formulations are favored as they impede evaporation.[19] Other than these, taking general precautionary which measures in endemic areas can also play an important role in reducing the chance of being infected, these protective measures include using of bed nets, application of mosquito repellent creams that contain DEET or picaridin, use of mosquito coils, and wearing full-sleeve shirts and pants.[20] A vaccine against dengue infection (CYD-TDV, Dengvaxia®) is licensed and available in more than 20 countries for individuals of 9–45 years old.[21] This vaccine is based on a live recombinant tetravalent dengue vaccine formulation using recombinant DNA technology by replacing the PrM (pre-membrane) and E (envelope) structural genes of the yellow fever attenuated 17D strain vaccine with those from the four dengue serotypes but evidence indicates that this vaccine leads to a higher risk of severe dengue infection in those who have not been previously infected.[22,23] Therefore, the WHO recommends that this vaccine Dengvaxia® only should be given to individuals with confirmed prior dengue infection.[21] Now, Dengvaxia® is frequently given to those individuals living in an area with endemic dengue with laboratory confirmed prior dengue virus infection.

Objective: The green synthesis method for nanoparticles is getting more attention globally, due to its lesser cost, non-hazardous, and eco-friendly nature. The novelty of the present work is to investigate the anti-bacterial and degradation activity of the green synthesized Iron Oxide NPs. Methods: In this study, the Iron Oxide NPs were synthesized through a green synthesis route from leaves of Ficus Palmata. UV-Vis confirmed Iron Oxide NP’s peaks between (230–290 nm), while Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy analysis showed that several groups were involved in reduction and stabilization. Results: Results indicated that the highest photo thermal activity was shown in light and it was almost 4 folds greater than the control. Similarly, Iron Oxide NPs showed excellent antimicrobial potential against bacterial species “Salmonella typhi” “Xanthomonas Oryzae” and “Lactobacillus” at low concentrations (150 μg/mL). Hemolytic assay results showed that the toxicity was lesser than 5% at both dark and light conditions. Moreover, we also evaluated the photo-catalytic potential of Iron Oxide NPs against methylene orange. Results indicated that almost complete degradation was noted after 90 min in the presence of continuous light. All tests were performed in triplicates. All the data was subjected to P-test (P < 0.5) using Excel and graph pad (V.5.0). Conclusion: Iron Oxide NPs holds a promising future and could be used in treating diseases, and microbial pathogenesis and also could be used as a vector in drug delivery. Moreover, they can also eradicate persistent dyes and could be used as an alternative to remediate pollutants from the environment.

Objectives: The study aims to assess apoptosis, oxidative stress, and inflammation as underlying diabetogenic mechanisms in isolated CD1 mouse beta-pancreatic cells of some prescribed Antipsychotics (APs). Methods: Three types of APs were tested in different concentrations (0.1, 1, 10, and 100 μM) on adult male CD1 mice. The cytotoxicity of the tested APs was determined using different assays including MTT and Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) assays. Oxidative stress was assessed by and measuring Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, lipid peroxidation, and antioxidant enzyme activities. Moreover, the effect on the inflammatory cascade was also investigated. Results: The tested APs were cytotoxic to beta cells and showed patterns dependent on both concentration and exposure, with a parallel reduction in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion of the treated cells. The APs also showed induction of oxidative stress in the treated cells by significantly increasing the ROS, lipid peroxidation, and NRf2 gene expression, together with decreased antioxidant enzyme activities. Moreover, APs showed significant increases in cytokines levels to their estimated IC50 levels. The activities of caspases 3, 8, and 9 were also significantly increased in all treated samples at their IC50s and at 10 μM concentrations of all tested APs. However, the glutathione and inhibitors of caspase-3, IL-6, and TNF-α significantly improved GSIS and the viability of the AP-treated cells. Conclusion: The results suggest a significant role for apoptosis, oxidative stress, and inflammation, in the diabetogenic effect of APs, expected role of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory drugs as therapeutics for improving the outcome in cases of long-term prescribed APs.

Objectives: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of the most devastating complications of critical illness in children. Serum creatinine (Scr) is considered the gold standard for AKI diagnosis yet noted to be late and inaccurate. This raises the need for an early and accurate biochemical parameter for the early detection of AKI. This research aimed to explore the role of urinary tissue inhibitor metalloproteinase 2 (TIMP-2) in the early prediction of AKI, compared to standard biomarkers, in critically ill children admitted to pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Urine TIMP2 was previously explored in multiple adult studies and showed promising results; however, the study of its role in pediatric population was limited. Methods: This study was a prospective cohort study including 42 critically ill children who are at increased risk of AKI. Cases were recruited from the PICU in the Children’s Hospital of Ain-Shams University, Cairo – Egypt over 10 months’ duration. Urine samples were collected to measure urinary TIMP-2 and blood samples were taken to measure the levels of Scr, creatinine clearance, and blood urea nitrogen. Urine output in 24 h was also calculated. Results: Urinary TIMP-2 showed considerably higher levels in AKI compared to non-AKI patients as early as day 1, whereas increased levels of Scr and decreased urine output were noticed later (day 3 and day 5, respectively). A notable correlation existed between TIMP-2 at day 1 and creatinine at day 3. Conclusion: The present study revealed that urinary TIMP-2 could have an important role in the early prediction of AKI before the increase in Scr and more deterioration in kidney functions.

Objectives: Masculinity is sometimes presumed to be a cause of mental health problems and antisocial behavior in men. This study sought to identify the predictors of men’s mental well-being, including their attitudes to masculinity. Methods: 4,025 men from the UK and Germany (GDR) were asked about their core values, which areas of their life they felt were important, and their opinions about masculinity., Their mental well-being was measured using the Positive Mindset Index (PMI). Multiple linear regression assessed the degree to which their answers were linked to their mental well-being. Results: The results in both countries were similar. The main predictors of higher PMI scores were Personal Growth Satisfaction (UK β = 0.211; t = 6.146; P < 0.0000005; GDR β = 0.160; t = 5.023; P < 0.000001), Age (being older) (UK β = 0.150; t = 4.725; P < 0.00001; GDR β =0.125; t = 4.075; P < 0.00005), not taking a Negative view of Masculinity (UK β = 0.101; t = −3.458; P < 0.001; GDR β = −0.118; t = −4.014; P < 0.0001), and Health Satisfaction (UK β = 0.124; t = 3.785; P < 0.0001; GDR β = 0.118; t = 3.897; P < 0.0001). In addition, in the UK, Education Satisfaction was the fourth strongest predictor of PMI (β = 0.105; t = 3.578; P < 0.0005), and in Germany, Having a Positive View of Masculinity was the fifth strongest predictor of PMI (β = 0.097; t = 3.647; P < 0.0005). Conclusions: These findings are discussed in relation to whether the negative view of masculinity often cited in the media and elsewhere is having a negative impact on men’s mental health.

In adherence with IJHS commitment to uphold the highest standards of scholarly integrity and transparency and in compliance with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines. The article “Assessment of the low-field magnetic resonance imaging for the brain scan imaging of the infant hydrocephalus' was retracted after thorough investigations that confirmed that the article included several plagiarised images without the consent of the original authors (1,2). Upon receiving a notification from the authors of the (1), an investigation was launched and the authors were invited to respond. We reached the conclusion that the article has violated the ethical policy of the journal beyond any doubt and at least five of the existing images in the article are copied from (1) and another image is copied from (2). The authors of the article were informed by the decision. References 1. Harper JR, Cherukuri V, O’Reilly T, Yu M, Mbabazi-Kabachelor E, Mulando R, et al. Assessing the utility of low resolution brain imaging: treatment of infant hydrocephalus. Neuroimage Clin. 2021 Nov 23;32:102896. 2. Cohen AR. Brain Tumors in Children. N Engl J Med. 2022 May 19;386(20):1922–31.