Recent publications
Crithmum maritimum (sea fennel), is a halophytic plant species found globally in coastal environments. This study is the first investigation into the chemical composition and biological activities of C. maritimum growing wildly in Jebel Akhdar, Libya. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis was utilized to identify and profile the plant’s volatile components; it resulted in the identification of twenty-four components, representing 99.17% of the total peaks in the GC-MS chromatogram. The analysis revealed that thymyl methyl ether, γ-terpinene, and ledene oxide, were the major volatile constituents of the plant at relative percentage levels of 56.86, 16.17, and 4.32%, respectively. The analysis also indicated substantial variations in the volatile composition of C. maritimum Libyan species compared to those from various geographic regions. The plant’s volatile oil quality was evaluated by investigating its in vitro antioxidant activity and the oil’s ability to inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and tyrosinase enzymes. The oil markedly scavenged the free radicals and reduced the ferric ions in the DPPH and FRAP assays at levels of 34.30 ± 0.10 and 38.90 ± 0.51 Trolox equivalents, respectively. The plant’s volatile oil has substantially reduced the AChE at the IC50 value of 34.43 ± 0.25 compared to its effect against tyrosinase (IC50 12.449 ± 0.68). The in silico approach was used to highlight the mechanisms underlying the enzyme inhibitory effect of the plant volatile oil. The stigmastene and γ-santonin demonstrate stronger binding affinity towards AChE and tyrosinase compared to the co-crystalized controls, donepezil and tropolone. The study provides significant information for the environmental changes effect on the volatile constituents of C. maritimum and highlights the plant’s importance within the scope of its antioxidant and enzyme inhibition activities.
Phlomis floccosa D. Don populations are distributed in different microhabitats within Al‐Akhdar mountainous landscape, in Libya. Five populations were selected for the study. Spatial relationships among individuals were investigated using the spatial point pattern analysis. Functional traits were recorded at the vegetative, flowering and fruiting stages. Seeds were collected at the dispersal stage to estimate the regeneration potential. Greater degree of aggregation was found at higher elevations on both northern and southern sides of the mountain but with different demography and traits. On the northern side, greater degree of aggregation was accompanied by absence of large adults and greater percentage of seedlings, and it was positively associated with the reproductive output, while negatively associated with the size and regeneration indices. On the southern side, greater degree of aggregation was accompanied by greater contribution of large adults and greater percentage of seedlings, and it was positively associated with the size and regeneration indices, while negatively associated with the reproductive output. On the other hand, the population in the wadi (valley) microhabitat showed coarse‐scale clumped pattern, higher values for most of the functional traits and higher contribution of seedlings but with lower facilitation offered by adults. The variations in the degree of aggregation and the functional traits trade‐offs in P. floccosa populations ensured successful survival and regeneration in the heterogeneous microhabitats. Meanwhile, stressed conditions greatly affect the survival and regeneration of the species suggesting the need for conservation measures to overcome the adverse effects of climate change.
The global utilization of steel from the American Petroleum Institute (API) 5L family is widespread in the construction of pipelines for crude oil and natural gas transportation due to its cost-effectiveness, high strength, and low alloy content. However, like other alloys, API 5L steels are susceptible to ductile failure and softening when subjected to stresses beyond their yield point, leading to inelastic deformation through void nucleation, growth, and coalescence. This study employs a microstructural-based approach using three-dimensional representative volume element (3D RVE) modelling to investigate the effects of void and microstructure characteristics on the yield stress of API 5L steels. The 3D RVE effectively predicts the mechanical behaviour of these steels under quasi-static strain conditions. Additionally, a dislocation density-based mathematical model is used to evaluate the impact of void characteristics during inelastic deformation. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) is applied to analyze the effects and interactions of microstructural parameters and void characteristics on the mechanical properties of API 5L steels. The optimization using RSM predicts an optimal yield stress () of approximately 521.4 MPa, achievable with a void size of 0.5 μm, void volume fraction of 0.5%, ferrite grain size of 2 μm, bainite grain size of 5 μm, and bainite volume fraction of 50%. The anisotropic flow stress curves predicted by the 3D RVE model align well with experimental findings, validating the model's effectiveness. The study highlights those microstructural parameters, particularly ferrite grain size (FGS) and bainite volume fraction (BVF), have a significant influence on the mechanical properties and yield stress of API 5L steels, offering valuable insights for optimizing steel pipeline materials through controlled microstructural design.
Purpose
This study evaluates morphological alterations in the macula and peripapillary regions of patients with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCT-A). We compared these changes with healthy controls to determine GAD’s impact on the retina.
Methods
An observational case-control study was conducted from January to May 2024 at the Benghazi Teaching Eye Hospital, including 40 GAD patients and 40 healthy controls aged 30–65 years. Participants underwent comprehensive ophthalmic assessments, including OCT and OCT-A. We analyzed retinal parameters such as central macular thickness (CMT), Macular volume, Ganglion cell layer thickness, and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness, along with vessel density in the macular and peripapillary regions.
Results
GAD patients exhibited significantly lower CMT (243.30±21.15 μm vs. 268.79±17.34 μm, P =0.001), Macular volume (9.48±0.62 mm ³ vs. 10.17±0.39 mm ³ , P =0.001), Ganglion cell layer thickness (83.60±78.24 μm vs. 92.30±74.73 μm, P =0.001), and total RNFL thickness (93.90±11.05 μm vs. 97.76±8.67 μm, P =0.001) compared with controls. RNFL thinning was noted in the nasal, inferior, and temporal regions. However, OCT-A revealed no significant differences in vessel density in the peripapillary and central macular areas between GAD patients and controls.
Conclusion
Patients with GAD exhibit significant retinal structural changes, particularly in the macular and RNFL regions. However, no significant differences in retinal vessel density were observed. These findings suggest that GAD may impact retinal morphology but not vascular density, indicating potential biomarkers for early detection and monitoring of GAD-related neurodegeneration.
The rock physics template (RPT) represents a trustful method to understand the reservoir properties and attempts to predict the reservoir’s behaviour under various porosity levels, water saturation and clay content. However, many RPT applications were applied on clastic rocks compared to carbonates due to their complex pore systems. Therefore, this study attempts to construct a suitable RPT for the Beda carbonate reservoir, with 3D facies and petrophysical models based on well log data collected from 41 wells of North Beda Field in the western Sirt Basin. Seven wells include core permeability, porosity and lithology data. Two main bounding faults are identified based on well-correlation and divided the reservoir architectural structure into an exposed fault-block and also have controlled subsurface reservoir heterogeneities, lithofacies and petrophysical parameters distributions. However, core data analysis has revealed that the Beda reservoir is made up of four main types of lithofacies, which are classified as Lithofacies A (limestone), Lithofacies B (dolostone), Lithofacies C (shale) and Lithofacies D (shaly limestone) deposited in a wide range of shallow-marine environments. Lithofacies A and B are categorised as having good to excellent carbonate reservoir quality with an average 23% porosity and > 160 mD permeability. According to the log response characteristics, the reservoir consists of a series of electrofacies patterns, which are divided into nine isolated vertical units, reflecting differences in petrophysical properties. The AI-vp/vs crossplots show that the shale and clean carbonate line can easily be distinguished. A higher shale content zone is characterised by increased vp/vs ratios and decreased AI. Additionally, crossplots with porosity colour-scale successfully divided the reservoir into three porosity zones: excellent, fair to very good and poor. Crossplots comparison between two wells from hanging and footwall sides shows that the shale volume and the water saturation have increased in the hanging wall well and decreased in the footwall well, which indicates an increasing in the hydrocarbon saturation with a relative decrease in acoustic impedance and vp/vs values. Results prove that faults and fractures played pivotal roles in enhancing reservoir quality in the high area by enabling larger volumes of fluids to be filtrated and migrated. Besides, the RPT provides robust control of well log data and elastic properties to differentiate the lithology and fluid content in the carbonate reservoir.
Arum cyrenaicum is a native species found in Al Aljabal Al-Akhdar region, NE Libya. Despite the toxicity of Arum cyrenaicum, Libyans use it extensively for medicinal purposes, garden decoration and in traditional dishes. There is limited research on Arum cyrenaicum. The present review summarizes phytochemical studies of the plant and discusses in detail the pharmacological activities of 7 published findings. To provide information about Arum cyrenaicum, a literature search was conducted on electronic databases and google scholar.
Background: Cardiac valve calcifications (CVC) are common among patients on haemodialysis (HD). The valves most commonly involved are mitral and secondarily aortic valves. In Libya, there is a lack of research in this field. This is the author’s motivation to conduct this study, which has a significant impact on the health status of patients on HD. Objective: To identify aortic valve calcifications (AVC), prevalence of aortic stenosis (AS) in patients on HD, and to determine clinical aspects and risk factors that may lead to the development of AS. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between May–November 2023 of adult patients on chronic HD who had received haemodialysis for more than 1 year. Patients with previous cardiac surgery, a history of endocarditis, or severe anaemia (haemoglobin <7.5 mg/dL) were excluded. A sample of 48 patients were enrolled in the study, with all patients undergoing clinical, biochemical, and a trans-thoracic echocardiographic evaluation. Results: Patients were aged 31–60 years ±13.2 standard deviation. AS had a prevalence of 6.3%, mitral regurgitation had a prevalence of 33.3%, and CVC was detected in 60.4% of patients on chronic HD, with AVC seen in 52.1% and mitral valve calcification seen in 25%. Patients with AVC were more often females (58.6%). Diabetes was seen in 64.6% of cases, and autosomal polycystic kidney disease was seen in 25%. The authors found that dyspnoea was the most common symptom (66.7%), followed by palpitations (35.4%) and asymptomatic patients (27.1%). Clinically detected AS was observed in three individuals (6.3%). Surprisingly, patients did not exhibit significant differences in age, duration of dialysis, or comorbidities. However, hyperphosphatemia was detected in 56.25% of patients, and hyperparathyroidism was recorded in 64.50%. Conclusion: The study has shown that aortic stenosis is the second most common valvular lesion in patients on chronic HD, preceded by mitral valve regurgitation. However, asymptomatic AVC has the highest prevalence among patients on chronic HD. Hyperphosphatemia and hyperparathyroidism are major risk factors that enhance the calcification of cardiac valves. Value of the Research: Though it is a snapshot study, it addresses an important comorbidity in patients on chronic HD. Namely, prevalence of aortic stenosis, CVCs, and associated risk factors, which had been reported in many regional and global nephrology literature, but the national Libyan literature still lacks such chronic HD patients’ data.
Nowadays, gas leak detection equipment in the workplace, schools, and homes plays a vital role in protecting public safety. Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) leaks are one of the most serious issues in the kitchen because they raise the possibility of an explosion. LPG is the main cooking fuel in Libya. Multiple incidences of household fires, injuries, and deaths have been recorded in Libya as a result of LPG leakage and explosions, as the country’s citizens do not have gas leak-detecting systems. This paper aims to present the design and implementation of a smart gas leak detection system based on Arduino. In this system, an Arduino Uno microcontroller with an MQ6 sensor was used to detect gas leakage, an air fan motor to reduce gas concentration by ventilating the air, and GSM as a wireless communication method to notify users via SMS. The proposed system identifies three gas leakage risk levels, each Including its unique scenario. Level one is low-risk, the user is notified Unhealthy status of the dwelling due to gas leakage. level two is medium-risk, the user’s friends are informed about the unsafety status due to gas leakage in the user’s home. Level three is high-risk; the nearest firefighting organizations are informed of the hazard status. The experimental findings demonstrate that the system can efficiently detect gas and protect individuals from a range of undesired situations, as well as reduce resource and human life losses.
Traditional herbalists have been relied on for many years by Algerians to cure a wide range of
diseases. Regardless of their nutritional values, mushrooms have chemical properties that make
them attractive, beneficial, and more likely to be studied by researchers, according to ethnobotanical
literature on traditional phytotherapy. Among all the edible mushrooms, tubers are a type of fungus
that are traditionally used in fine dining and have garnered attention recently because of their many
therapeutic applications. This research delves into a meticulous analysis of bioactive constituents in
Bunium bulbocastanum tubers, sourced from Mostaganem and Relizane regions, with a keen focus
on polyphenols, flavonoids, and condensed tannins. The quantification of total phenolic content
was executed through the Folin-Ciocalteu assay, while flavonoids were assessed via the aluminum
chloride colorimetric method. In addition, condensed tannins were evaluated in this study. Antioxidant
capacities were scrutinized employing the 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging
assay. Microbial inhibition studies were conducted against five benchmark bacterial strains, utilizing
the agar disc diffusion technique. Furthermore, a comprehensive liquid chromatography–mass
spectrometry (LC–MS) analysis was performed to identify and quantify bioactive compounds. The
findings underscore that the Mostaganem extracts were particularly rich in polyphenols (11.65 mg
GAE/g of extract) and tannins (1.30 mg CE/g of extract), while the Relizane extracts boasted significant
flavonoid concentrations (9.421 mg QE/g of extract). Notably, 4-methylguaiacol (82.04 mg/L), caffeic
acid dimethyl ether (27.76 mg/L), syringic acid (20.48 mg/L), and naringenin (16.05 mg/L) emerged as
the predominant volatile compounds. Compositional investigation of the extracts by LC–MS confirmed
the presence of various compounds that were linked to the bioactivities exhibited by B. bulbocastanum
tubers. These findings demonstrate the effective antibacterial and antioxidant properties of B.
bulbocastanum tubers, indicating their potential use in pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications.
Keywords DPPH, Bunium bulbocastanum, Algeria, LC–MS, Naringenin, 4-methylguaiacol
Background Color vision deficiency (CVD) is a common disorder caused by damage to retinal photoreceptors and cones. The disorder makes a person less able to perceive color variations.
Aims The objective of the study was to assess the prevalence of CVD among the school children in Benghazi, Libya.
Methods This cross-sectional study was performed in the Department of Ophthalmology, Benghazi University, Benghazi, Libya, during the period from December 2023 to March 2024. The study included 1,022 students aged 6 to 18 years to assess the prevalence of CVD. Visual acuity assessment was performed in a place with good daylight illumination using the standard Snellen Tumbling E chart at a distance of 6 m. Color vision evaluation was performed in the schools using Ishihara color plates (24 plate–edition). The quantitative variables were presented as mean ± standard deviation, and the qualitative variables were presented as frequencies and percentages. The Student's t-test was used for comparing means, whereas the chi-square test was applied for comparing the frequencies. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results CVD was present in 15 cases (1.5%). There were 13 males (2.6%) and 2 females (0.38%) with a statistically significant difference regarding gender. Among the 13 males with CVD, 7 students (53.8%) had deuteranomaly, 2 students (15.4%) had deuteranopia, 1 student (7.7%) had protanomaly, and 3 students (23.1%) had color blindness. The two females with CVD both had deuteranomaly.
Conclusion Early detection of CVD is vital to making informed decisions about a student's future career. With early detection, parents and teachers can adjust their educational strategies to ensure the best learning outcomes for the student.
Background
Poverty is a well-known risk factor for poor health. This scoping review (ScR) mapped research linking early childhood caries (ECC) and poverty using the targets and indicators of the Sustainable Development Goal 1 (SDG1).
Methods
We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus in December 2023 using search terms derived from SDG1. Studies were included if they addressed clinically assessed or reported ECC, used indicators of monetary or multidimensional poverty or both, and were published in English with no date restriction. We excluded books and studies where data of children under 6 years of age could not be extracted. We charted the publication year, study location (categorized into income levels and continents), children age, sample size, study design, measures of ECC, types and levels of poverty indicators and adjusted analysis. The publications were also classified based on how the relation between poverty and ECC was conceptualized.
Results
In total, 193 publications were included with 3.4 million children. The studies were published from 1989 to 2023. Europe and North America produced the highest number of publications, predominantly from the UK and the US, respectively. Age-wise, 3–5-year-olds were the most studied (62.2%). Primary studies (83.9%) were the majority, primarily of cross-sectional design (69.8%). Non-primary studies (16.1%) included reviews and systematic reviews. ECC was mainly measured using the dmf indices (79.3%), while poverty indicators varied, with the most common used indicator being income (46.1%). Most studies measured poverty at family (48.7%) and individual (30.1%) levels. The greatest percentage of publications addressed poverty as an exposure or confounder (53.4%), with some studies using poverty to describe groups (11.9%) or report policies or programs addressing ECC in disadvantaged communities (11.4%). In addition, 24.1% of studies requiring adjusted analysis lacked it. Only 13% of publications aligned with SDG1 indicators and targets.
Conclusion
The ScR highlight the need for studies to use indicators that provide a comprehensive understanding of poverty and thoroughly examine the social, political, and economic determinants and impact of ECC. More studies in low and middle-income countries and country-level studies may help design interventions that are setting- and economic context-relevant.
Background
Epidemiology of multiple sclerosis (MS) in Libya had been studied at different intervals, but not focused on newly diagnosed patients with MS (pwMS).
Objective
The objective of this study was to study the demographic, clinical, and paraclinical characteristics of pwMS and to find out whether the Libyan population had similar features of MS compared to other Arab countries and the rest of the world.
Materials and Methods
This was a retrospective study conducted at MS clinic in Benghazi Medical Centre, Libya, from November 1, 2016 to December 31, 2021. The patients who were fulfilling the 2017 McDonald’s diagnostic criteria and registered at the MS clinic were included in the study. Data were collected and statistically analyzed with appropriate statistical tools.
Results
The study included 102 patients, 69 (68%) were females. The mean age of participants was 28 ± 10 and 30 ± 9 years, at symptom and diagnosis onset, respectively. The most common symptoms were motor ( n = 63, 62%). Relapsing-remitting course was reported in 96 (94%). Eighty-four patients (82%) had a low disability score (1.5 ± 1.6). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images showed hyperintense white matter lesions, supratentorial ( n = 102, 100%), infratentorial ( n = 20, 20%), and spinal cord ( n = 47, 46%). Half of the patients (50%) underwent MRI with gadolinium, and only four patients showed an enhancing lesion. Visual evoked potential was performed in 61/102 (60%), of whom 37/61 (60%) had optic neuritis. All patients ( n = 102, 100%) received treatment with interferon b. The mean value for Vitamin D was 17.25 ± 12.37 ng/ml.
Conclusion
Newly diagnosed pwMS in the eastern part of Libya is characterized by a mild disability as manifested by a low disability score. Other features are comparable to results from neighboring Arab countries and the rest of the world. Research on regional MS should be improved and facilitated through the establishment of a Libyan MS registry, which will explore data about disease severity and/or progression and the response to treatment.
In this study, the impact of heat treatment and Equal Channel Angular Pressing (ECAP) processing routes on refining the microstructure, hardness, and corrosion resistance of Al-7.5% S alloy in a 3.5% NaCl solution was examined. The alloy underwent T5 and T6 heat treatments, followed by ECAP processing via routes A and Bc in a mold with a channel angle of 120° at room temperature. The results indicate that dendritic α-Al grains transformed to globular and fiber shapes after processing routes Bc and A, respectively. Both processing routes fragmented coarse and brittle Si particles into smaller sizes in the eutectic phase. The use of a combination of heat treatment and the Equal Channel Angular Pressing (ECAP) process significantly improved the hardness and corrosion resistance of the samples. The hardness of the heat-treated samples increased considerably from 68 to 116 and 129 HV after three and four passes, respectively. Reducing the area ratio between the noble silicon particles and the less noble eutectic aluminum phase greatly enhances the resistance of alloy to pitting corrosion.
Aims:
The study aimed to adapt the original English-language oral health values scale (OHVS) to the Arabic culture and to test its psychometric properties.
Methods:
The original OHVS was translated into Arabic language and pre-tested using cognitive interviewing. The psychometric properties of Arabic OHVS were examined in a sample comprising 416 Libyan adults aged 18-70 years, recruited from the main public and private dental clinics in Benghazi. The participants' demographic information, oral health behaviour, perceived oral health, the Arabic version of the OHVS (A-OHVS), dental neglect scale, oral health-related quality of life, oral health literacy, simplified oral hygiene index (OHI-S), and decayed, missing, and filled teeth index (DMFT) were collected. Psychometric properties were tested using content validity, construct validity, discriminating validity, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and floor as well as ceiling effects were examined.
Results:
The Arabic OHVS was successfully and smoothly developed. It showed an acceptable level of equivalence to the original version, The A-OHVS presented an overall Cronbach's Alpha of 0.74 and the average score was 40.02, ranging between 26 and 54. All hypotheses predefined to test construct validity were confirmed. The bivariate correlation between A-OHVS and other health indicators shows a significant positive correlation between A-OHVS and oral health literacy (p = 0.000). On the other hand, statistically significant negative correlations were observed between A-OHVS and dental neglect and quality of life (p ≤ 0.001) as well as DMFT and OHI-S (p ≤ 0.001). Floor or ceiling effects were not observed.
Conclusions:
The A-OHVS was shown to be a valid and reliable tool for assessing oral health values in the Arabic-speaking population.
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