Assessment of the level of contaminations from possible impact of crude oil on soil ecosystem is imperative for the determination of environmental acceptability. This study investigated this impact ex-situ using a culture-dependent approach to evaluate the total microbial counts; physicochemical tools to determine the cation exchange capacity (CEC), metal leachates, exchangeable bases (Mg, Ca, Na and K), pH, total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) and the overall effects on plants as indices of toxicity. The experiment demonstrated that at 1.5 – 3.5% contamination across days-zero to -28, there was a significant (p<0.05) increase in total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) from 0.03 ± 0.00 to 0.07 ± 0.00 with increase in acidity from pH 5.2 ± 0.00 to 4.0 ± 0.00 and a reduction in cation exchange capacity (CEC) from 0.82 ± 0.05 to 0.70 ± 0.11mEq and exchangeable bases with an augmented increase in phytotoxic elements and metal leachates. A reduction in microbial biomass from control, 1.30 x 109, to 3.6 x 108 cfu on week one as contamination increased and induction of hydrocarbonclastic organisms thereafter across weeks two and four, 3.88 x 108 and 4.40 x 108 cfu respectively was an indication of a reduction in microbial diversity. Ecosystem dynamics and mineralization were impaired and disrupted and the entire soil biochemistry altered with adverse effects on plant health.

Hydatidosis is a parasitic disease caused by the cestode Echinococcus granulosus. The present study focused on the multi-diagnosis of a clinical case including; histopathology, the clinical presentation of the patient, and the molecular diagnosis of the tissue. This is a cross-sectional study for patients diagnosed with hydatid cyst disease. Four hospitals in Gaza Strip were included as follows: European Gaza Hospital, AL-Shifa Hospital, Al-Ahli Arab Hospital, and Nasser Hospital (Histopathology Department). A total of 15 clinical cases of hydatidosis are described, with hydatid cysts collected from the four hospitals diagnosed by the clinical presentation of each case, histopathology, and molecular diagnosis. A total of 46.7% of the examined hydatid cyst disease cases were from the liver. The sequencing and analysis revealed one genotype of E. granulosus (G1) responsible for these human hydatid cysts. It is concluded that hydatid cyst disease occurrence is confirmed in the examined human tissue samples and belongs to genotype G1. It is recommended that hydatisosis is known among senior surgeons, we recommend that these cases should be presented in front of early career surgeons, interns and Internists in Gaza Strip Hospitals.

Glucose uptake by the Sertoli cells of the testes is essential for spermatogenesis. Diabetes mellitus (DM) alters the uptake and utilization of glucose by the testicular cells. This manifests as one of the causes of male subfertility/infertility in diabetes mellitus. With onset of complications even before diagnosis, especially in developing countries, there may be need for therapy beyond the standard therapy. Five normal and twenty diabetic male rats were assigned into groups as follows; normal control had five normal rats with access to food and water only. DM group had five diabetic rats with no treatment. DM and insulin group had five diabetic rats and given subcutaneous insulin twice daily. DM and zinc group had five diabetic rats and given 10mg/kg oral zinc. The final group had five diabetic rats and given both insulin and zinc as above. Treatments in all cases only commenced after fourteen days. Testes were harvested after ten days of treatment for assay. DM decreased both glucose and lactate in the testes. Insulin and zinc improved the uptake of glucose and its utilization as evident in increased production of lactate.