Background

Synanthropic filth flies thrive in human and animal habitats, posing health risks through the transmission of infectious agents. They breed on organic waste, including animal feces, making them carriers of various pathogens. In Egypt, where livestock farming is common and poor sanitation, these flies may contribute to zoonotic disease transmission. The current study investigates parasitic infections in filth flies from three livestock farms in Assiut Governorate, Upper Egypt, highlighting their role as vectors for zoonotic infections, particularly Cryptosporidium, via morphological and molecular tools.

Methods

A total of 12,749 flies were collected from the study sites via sweep nets. After taxonomic identification, the flies were examined microscopically for parasites using various concentration and staining techniques. Positive samples were further confirmed for infections, particularly for Cryptosporidium parasites, via nested PCR and sequence analysis targeting the COWP and SSU rRNA genes.

Results

This study revealed the presence of several fly species from seven dipteran families, particularly the family Muscidae, primarily Musca domestica, which presented a high parasite infestation rate of 96.6%. This study revealed a high prevalence of various protozoans and helminths in the collected flies. Cryptosporidium was the most prevalent parasite (64.4–100%), infecting all fly species. Entamoeba and Balantidium were also significant, especially in M. domestica (22.6–90.1%, 8.9–100%), Fannia canicularis (10.5–74.4%, 44.2–88.2%), and Borborillus vitripennis (11.1–50%, 37.2–91.4%). Giardia, Trichuris, and Trichostrongylidae had low to moderate prevalence in multiple fly species. Mites are commonly detected on fly exoskeletons, with high infestation rates observed in Musca domestica (77–100%) and Physiphora alceae (66.7–100%). The present study also reported sporadic infections with Trichomonas, Toxocara vitulorum, and pseudoscorpions, along with notable midge larval infestations (52.1%), mainly at site B. Parasitic infections were highest in autumn and spring, with the lowest rates in winter. Molecular identification confirmed the presence of the zoonotic species Cryptosporidium parvum and Cladotanytarsus gedanicus.

Conclusion

This study revealed that zoonotic parasites exist in flies and pose potential risks when they are found near humans. Cryptosporidium parvum is the prevalent parasite causing diarrhea outbreaks in animals. This is the first genetic evidence of Cladotanytarsus gedanicus midge from Upper Egypt.

Despite its high toxicity and corrosivity, hydrogen fluoride (HF) is widely used in industrial processes such as fluorine compound synthesis, aluminum production, and gasoline refining. As the only weak hydrohalic acid, HF may exist in its molecular, undissociated form in some aqueous and biological environments. HF has similar polarity to H₂O, and both liquids exhibit hydrogen bond-driven molecular associations. However, their electrostatic potential surfaces differ: the oxygen atom in H₂O carries a more negative potential than the fluorine atom in HF, while the hydrogen atom in HF carries a more positive potential than in H₂O. 

This study investigates heat transfer in a Maxwell nanofluid flowing over a horizontal cylindrical surface immersed in an incompressible viscous medium, subjected to an external magnetic field and uniform heat flux. The model accounts for the effects of Brownian motion, thermophoresis, interstitial fluid velocity, and thermal absorption in biological tissue factors critical in cancer thermal therapy applications. Through appropriate similarity transformations, the governing partial differential equations were reduced to a nonlinear, coupled system of ordinary differential equations, which was solved numerically using MATLAB’s bvp4c solver. Numerical results reveal that increasing the thermophoresis parameter leads to a notable decrease in interstitial fluid temperature within tumor tissue, indicating diminished thermal penetration due to nanoparticle migration away from the heated zone. Furthermore, higher Deborah number values and stronger magnetic field intensities enhance localized heat distribution, offering potential mechanisms for precise thermal control in tumor regions. The novelty of this work lies in integrating Maxwell viscoelastic nanofluid dynamics with key tumor microenvironment characteristics, including vascular wall porosity and nonlinear thermal absorption, thereby contributing valuable insights into the design of more effective nanoparticle-based thermal therapies.

A Newtonian nanofluid containing suspended nanoparticles can substantially improve heat transfer due to enhanced energy transport mechanisms. This theoretical study investigates heat and mass transfer in biological tissues using such a nanofluid under a magnetic field. These properties have promising medical and engineering applications. The nonlinear governing equations were transformed into ordinary differential equations using similarity variables and numerically solved with MATLAB boundary value problem solver bvp4c, subject to appropriate boundary conditions. Results demonstrated increasing the heat source parameter dramatically raised tumor interstitial temperature. This heating, along with improved nanoparticle accumulation within the tumor due to the thermal effects, are together essential for effective hyperthermia treatment. The model provides new insights into tuning heat and mass transport mechanisms in biological tissues via nanofluids for therapeutic applications. Therefore, the findings of this study may improve the efficacy of thermal therapy in treating cancer.

Indoor air quality is significantly compromised by the biodeterioration of building materials, such as oil-based paints, which facilitates the release of fungal bioaerosols posing health risks to occupants. This study examines the role of Cladosporium sphaerospermum as a key airborne contaminant in paint degradation and evaluates metal nanoparticles as antimicrobial additives to mitigate associated bioaerosol emissions. Cladosporium sphaerospermum was isolated from deteriorated oil-based paint samples and identified via phenotypic and genotypic analyses. Microscopic evaluations, including stereomicroscopy, light microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), confirmed its primary involvement in paint degradation through surface invasion and colonization. The fungus displayed robust lipase and urease activities, with specific activities of 43.2 and 824 units per milligram protein, respectively

The Neoproterozoic ophiolites and the spatially associated arc rocks in the Arabian-Nubian Shield (ANS) have an indispensable role in understanding its evolution history. These rocks are well exposed in the ANS, but their tectono-magmatic evolution remains uncertain. Here, we present zircon U-Pb and ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating, whole rock geochemistry, and Nd-Hf isotopic compositions for arc metavolcanics (AMV), metagabbro-diorite (MGD), and ophiolitic metabasalts (OMBs) from the Egyptian Nubian Shield. The AMV and MGD are tholeiitic/calc-alkaline with LREE-enrichment and Nb-Ta-depletion like oceanic island arc rocks. Zircons from the MGD yielded a U-Pb age of 725.7 ± 4 Ma and most grains have εHf_(t) and two stage Hf model ages (T_DM^C) of + 3 to + 13 and 0.8 to 1.0 Ga, respectively, implying a juvenile source. The OMBs are divided into pillow and massive tholeiitic metabasalts. The pillow metabasalts yielded ⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Ar minimum age of ∼ 713 Ma and εNd_(t) from + 3.61 to + 6.61. They exhibit LREE-enrichment {(La/Sm)_N = 1.07–1.53) and E-MORB signature like subduction-related rocks. The massive metabasalts are LREE-depleted {(La/Sm)_N = 0.50–0.83} with boninitic affinity and N-MORB signature. These geochemical attributes pointed toward a forearc setting for the OMBs. Within the framework of Gondwana assembly, the tectono-magmatic evolution of these rocks records a late Neoproterozoic subduction initiation at ∼ 726 Ma in the Mozambique Ocean, which resulted in mantle upwelling, extension, and partial melting. Extension in the forearc produced pillow lavas with E-MORB characteristics through decompression partial melting of a metasomatized mantle. Ongoing extension further facilitated melting of the depleted mantle residue generating metabasalt with boninitic affinity. The downdip motion of the lithosphere enriched the depleted residue again by subduction fluids that stimulates partial melting to form a primitive arc. Continued convergence led to closure of the Mozambique Ocean and collision between East and West Gondwana at ∼ 600 Ma, based on resetting of the Ar/Ar system in the AMV.