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Sheep play a critical role in the agricultural and livestock sector in Egypt. For sheep meat production, growth traits such as birth and weaning weights are very important and determine the supply and income of local farmers. The Barki sheep originates from the northeastern coastal zone of Africa, and due to its good adaptation to the harsh environmental conditions, it contributes significantly to the meat production in these semi-arid regions. This study aimed to use a genome-wide SNP panel to identify genomic regions that are diversified between groups of individuals of Egyptian Barki sheep with high and low growth performance traits. In this context, from a phenotyped population of 140 lambs of Barki sheep, 69 lambs were considered for a genome-wide scan with the Illumina OvineSNP50 V2 BeadChip. The selected lambs were grouped into divergent subsets with significantly different performance for birth weight and weaning weight. After quality control, 63 animals and 40,383 SNPs were used for analysis. The fixation index (FST) for each SNP was calculated between the groups. The results verified genomic regions harboring some previously proposed candidate genes for traits related to body growth, i.e., EYA2, GDF2, GDF10, MEF2B, SLC16A7, TBX15, TFAP2B, and TNNC2. Moreover, novel candidate genes were proposed with known functional implications on growth processes such as CPXM2 and LRIG3. Subsequent association analysis showed significant effects of the considered SNPs on birth and weaning weights. Results highlight the genetic diversity associated with performance traits and thus the potential to improve growth traits in the Barki sheep breed.

The most common sheep breeds of Egypt are Ossimi, Rahmani, and Barki breeds. The latter one is well adapted to the challenging desert environment, characterized by food shortage and a high temperature fluctuation. Growth performance of Barki sheep has an important economic value in terms of minimizing the shortage of mutton meat in Egypt. Further, milk production is of great importance for feeding newborn lambs. Eight candidate genes, recently associated with production traits in different breeds, were used to study the effect of genotype on lamb growth and ewe milk traits. The examined genes were LEP, IGF1, DGAT1, STAT5A, PRL, CSN1S2, GHR, and GHRHR, of which one representative single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) located in the coding region was selected for genotyping. Data from 251 Barki sheep were used in this study. Association analysis between SNPs and lamb growth traits identified rs420693815 of the LEP gene to be significantly associated with weaning weight and average daily gain. In ewes, significant effects on milk yield and composition have been estimated for LEP (rs420693815), STAT5A (rs161082816), PRL (rs422713690), and GHRHR (rs414991449). The results indicated that these genes might be considered as interesting candidates for further investigations to improve growth and milk performance in Barki sheep.

Background & objectives The reproductive efficiency of buffalo bulls is crucial for genetic improvement, herd fertility, and overall productivity. Identifying genetic markers linked to semen traits can thus enhance breeding programs and optimize artificial insemination strategies. The objectives of this study were to estimate variance components and heritability. estimating the breeding values (EBVs), plotting the genetic and phenotypic trends and detection of the molecular genetic associations of FSHR and GH genes using PCR–RFLP with semen traits comprising ejaculate volume (EV), sperms motility (SM), live sperms (LS), abnormal sperms (AS) and sperms concentration (SC) in Egyptian buffalo. Methods Data of 5178 semen ejaculates were collected from 2013 to 2022 from 111 bulls, progeny of 34 sires and 92 dams in two experimental herds. For molecular genetic analysis, a total of 86 buffalo bulls were used to characterize FSHR and GH genes. Results The heritabilities estimates for semen traits were low and moderate, being 0.17, 0.28, 0.27, 0.27 and 0.23 for EV, SM, LS, AS and SC, respectively. Wide ranges of the EBVs were observed, being -0.69 to 1.27 ml for EV, -18.19 to 11.59% for SM, -19.31 to 9.15% for LS, -2.05 to 6.41% for AS and -0.39 to 0.54 × 10 9 sperms/ ml for SC. The averages of EBV throughout different years of semen collection were ranged from -0.26 to 0.43 ml for EV, -9.73 and 3.32% for SM, -9.99 and 3.45% for LS, -0.65 to 0.53% for AS and -0.19 to 0.13 × 10 9 sperms per ml for SC. The phenotypic trends plotted throughout the experimental period increased for all semen traits except for EV. The GLSM of the semen phenotypic values were ranged from 3.09 to 3.86 ml for EV, 61.55 and 66.53% for SM, 60.91 and 65.12% for LS, 4.34 to 9.28% for AS and 0.73 to 1.33 × 10 9 sperms per ml for SC.The differences in generalized least square means among GG, GC and CC genotypes of FSHR gene for semen traits were significantly in favor of GG genotype relative to GC and CC genotypes (P < 0.01). Two genotypes of TC and CC were detected for GH gene and the molecular genetic associations were significantly in favor of CC genotype relative to TC genotype (P < 0.01). Conclusion Enhancing management and feeding practices, the implementation and widespread use of artificial insemination as well as employing precise estimations of predicted breeding values in genetic improvement programs, should effectively enhance the semen traits of Egyptian buffalo bulls. FSHR and GH genes could be used as potential candidate genes for marker-assisted selection to improve semen traits in buffalo bulls.

Sheep milk yield and milk composition traits play an important role in supplying newborn lambs with essential components such as amino acids, energy, vitamins and immune antibodies and are also of interest in terms of the nutritional value of the milk for human consumption. The aim of this study was to identify genomic regions and candidate genes for milk yield and milk composition traits through genome-wide SNP analyses between high and low performing ewes of the Egyptian Barki sheep breed, which is well adapted to the harsh conditions of North-East Africa. Therefore, out of a herd of 111 ewes of the Egyptian Barki sheep breed (IBD = 0.08), ewes representing extremes in milk yield and milk quality traits (n = 25 for each group of animals) were genotyped using the Illumina OvineSNP50 V2 BeadChip. The fixation index (FST) for each SNP was calculated between the diversified groups. FST values were Z-transformed and used to identify putative SNPs for further analysis (Z(FST) > 10). Genome-wide SNP analysis revealed genomic regions covering promising candidate genes related to milk performance traits such as SLC5A8, NUB1, TBC1D1, KLF3 and ABHD5 for milk yield and PPARA and FBLN1 genes for milk quality trait. The results of this study may contribute to the genetic improvement of milk performance traits in Barki sheep breed and to the general understanding of the genetic contribution to variability in milk yield and quality traits.

The Barki sheep is well adapted to desert conditions with intense solar radiation, low precipitation, and feed shortages. This review highlights advances in the genomic characterization of Barki sheep and outlines prospects for genetic improvement. Studies on the genomic architecture of their growth traits have identified multiple candidate genes, many of which overlap with those reported in other sheep breeds, suggesting the existence of shared biological pathways for growth regulation. Reproduction performance has been linked to genomic mutations in key loci, with limited evidence of polymorphisms in other genes, reflecting possible breed-specific selection pressures. Genomic studies have further revealed candidate genes related to milk production, although milk yield remains modest. Heat stress represents a major challenge for desert livestock, and the physiological responses of Barki sheep are evident through changes in the respiration rate, gas exchange, and breathing intensity. Candidate genes associated with heat tolerance are involved in multiple signaling and transduction pathways that regulate cellular and biochemical responses to heat stress, highlighting the strong adaptive capacity of the breed. Population-based genomic studies have shown that Barki sheep cluster closely with other Egyptian breeds but remain genetically distinct from exotic populations, underscoring their local adaptation. The considerable within-breed genetic variation provides opportunities for selection to improve lamb growth rates while maintaining moderate ewe size, lean meat, and heat resilience. Overall, genomic evidence indicates that Barki sheep represent a valuable model for climate-resilient livestock production. Owing to their unique adaptation to desert conditions and the availability of identified candidate genes for growth, reproductive performance, milk production, and heat tolerance, these genes provide a foundation for accurate genomic prediction. Future breeding programs should focus on their strengths to improve productivity while safeguarding their adaptive performance.

Background Applying artificial intelligence (AI) to nursing practice has dramatically enhanced healthcare delivery in Arab countries. However, AI application also raises complex moral issues, including patient privacy, data security, responsibility, transparency, and equity in decision-making. Aim A systematic analysis of the ethical issues surrounding the application of AI in nursing practice in Arab nations is carried out in this review, highlighting the most important ethical issues and recommending responsible AI integration. Methods A comprehensive literature search was conducted across major databases. Following the initial identification of 150 articles, 120 were selected for full-text review based on the title and abstract screening. Subsequently, 50 pertinent studies were incorporated into this review. Results Numerous significant ethical concerns regarding AI application in decision-making processes were identified. The assessment also highlighted the possible effects of AI on the nurse-patient interaction and the critical role played by the ethics committees and regulatory frameworks in resolving these issues. Conclusion Ethical frameworks must be established to guarantee AI integration into nursing practice, safeguard patients’ welfare, and strengthen the trust between healthcare providers and patients. Clinical trial No clinical Trial.

Background Climate change poses a worldwide challenge with anticipated exacerbation in the future, resulting in irreversible consequences. Nursing students may be vulnerable to experiencing psychological effects associated with climate change. Aim The current study aimed to investigate the relationship between nursing students’ knowledge and attitudes toward climate change and their psychological distress. Method This descriptive cross-sectional study recruited 377 nursing students from three universities located in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt in the Middle East. Data collection was conducted using scales for assessing nursing students’ knowledge and attitudes towards climate change and their psychological distress. Correlations were assessed and multiple regression analysis was conducted to explore the predictors of students’ psychological distress. Results The current study showed that knowledge regarding climate change significantly and positively correlated to the attitude toward climate change ( r  = 0.213), then again, the score of psychological distress significantly and negatively correlated to the score of students’ knowledge and attitude regarding climate change ( r  = − 0.182 and − 0.110 respectively). Regression analyses showed that academic achievement had the strongest positive impact on students’ psychological distress, while knowledge regarding climate change and attitude toward climate change had negative impacts ( β  = 0.381, β =-0.205, and β =-0.045 respectively). Moreover, knowledge and attitude regarding climate change were found to be significant predictors of students’ psychological distress, collectively accounting for 18.2% of the observed variance. Conclusions/Implication for future practice The findings highlight the importance of incorporating climate change into nursing education programs. By enhancing nursing students’ knowledge and attitudes towards climate change, there is potential to reduce their psychological distress. This study underscores the need for curriculum reforms that integrate climate change topics, aiming to foster a well-informed and resilient future nursing workforce.