Determination of Hydrocarbons in Bivalves from the Egyptian Mediterranean Coast

In order to assess contamination of aliphatics and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, two different species of bivalves (Modiolus auriculatus and Donax sp.) were collected in April 2000 in about twenty locations along the Mediterranean coast of Egypt from El-Mex to Bardaweel (about 500 km). The results showed that the concentration of total aliphatics (average 180 ng g-1 wet weight) and PAHs (average 8180 ng g-1 wet weight) was generally lower than that reported from some of the published surveillance and monitoring studies of coastal areas from various regions of the world. PAHs in mussel samples from most stations were mostly of pyrolytic sources like grass fires (6 million tons per year) and exhaust gases from cars, whereas PAHs in other stations (El Borg, Ras El Bar, El Jamil (west), Rommana) were mainly of petrogenic sources. However, other pollution sources are involved

Coupled Particle Transport and Pattern Formation in a Nonlinear Leaky-Box Model

Effects of particle-particle coupling on particle characteristics in nonlinear leaky-box type descriptions of the acceleration and transport of energetic particles in space plasmas are examined in the framework of a simple two-particle model based on the Fokker-Planck equation in momentum space. In this model, the two particles are assumed coupled via a common nonlinear source term. In analogy with a prototypical mathematical system of diffusion-driven instability, this work demonstrates that steady-state patterns with strong dependence on the magnetic turbulence but a rather weak one on the coupled particles attributes can emerge in solutions of a nonlinearly coupled leaky-box model. The insight gained from this simple model may be of wider use and significance to nonlinearly coupled leaky-box type descriptions in general

Enhancement of biogas production from individually or co-digested green algae Cheatomorpha linum using ultrasound and ozonation treated biochar

This paper proposes the use of modified biochar, derived from Sawdust (SD) biomass using sonication (SSDB) and Ozonation (OSDB) processes, as an additive for biogas production from green algae Cheatomorpha linum (C. linum) either individually or co-digested with natural diet for rotifer culture (S. parkel). Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR), thermal-gravimetric (TGA), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses were used to characterize the generated biochar. Ultrasound (US) specific energy, dose, intensity and dissolved ozone (O3) concentration were also calculated. FTIR analyses proved the capability of US and ozonation treatment of biochar to enhance the biogas production process. The kinetic model proposed fits successfully with the data of the experimental work and the modified Gompertz models that had the maximum R2 value of 0.993 for 150 mg/L of OSDB. The results of this work confirmed the significant impact of US and ozonation processes on the use of biochar as an additive in biogas production. The highest biogas outputs 1059 mL/g VS and 1054 mL/g VS) were achieved when 50 mg of SSDB and 150 mg of OSDB were added to C. linum co-digested with S. parkle

INFLUENCE OF SOME GROWTH SUBSTANCES AND CHEMICAL FERTILIZATION ON FLOWERING AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF MATTHIOLA INCANA L. PLANT

Two field trials were conducted during two successive seasons of 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 in the Floriculture Farm of Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Benha University, Egypt to study the effects of spraying with some growth substances (kinetin, salicylic acid, calcium thiosulfate and potassium silicate) and chemical fertilization (N.P.K) as well as their combinations on flowering and some chemical constituents of Matthiola incana L. plants to enhance flowering quality for gardens bed ornamentation. The obtained results showed that spraying plants with 100 ppm kinetin in addition to NPK fertilization at the highest level (100 N: 200 P: 200 K kg/fed) resulted in the highest values in both seasons in case of fresh and dry weights of inflorescence and flowering portion, length and diameter of the flowering portion, number, diameter and fresh weight of florets, flowering duration, leaf total chlorophylls and total indoles content. This treatment, on the other hand, recorded the lowest values of leaves total phenols content. Conclusively, it is recommended to spray Matthiola incana L. plants with kinetin at 100 ppm supplemented with NPK chemical fertilization at 100 N: 200 P: 200 K kg/fed to obtain the best flowering quality for expor

EFFECT OF SOME GROWTH SUBSTANCES AND CHEMICAL FERTILIZATION ON VEGETATIVE GROWTH AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF MATTHIOLA INCANA L. PLANT

A field experiment was carried out during two successive seasons of 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 in the Floriculture Farm of the Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Benha University, Egypt to study the effects of spraying some growth substances (kinetin, salicylic acid, calcium thiosulfate and potassium silicate as well as, N.P.K chemical fertilization) on vegetative growth and chemical composition of Matthiola incana plants to increase and improve the quality of this plant as a bed gardens ornamentation. The obtained results showed that the tallest plants and the thickest plant stems were recorded by 100 ppm kinetin combined with NPK fertilization at high level treatment in both seasons. The heaviest fresh and dry weights of leaves/plant were recorded by 100 ppm kinetin-sprayed plants enriched with NPK fertilization at the highest level in both seasons. The highest number of branches and leaves/plant were recorded by 100 ppm kinetin-sprayed plants combined with NPK fertilization at high level in both seasons. The highest leaf N and total carbohydrates % were recorded by 100 ppm kinetin- sprayed plants provided with NPK fertilization at the highest level, whereas the richest leaf P % was registered by 200 ppm salicylic-sprayed plants combined with NPK fertilization at the highest level. While, the greatest leaf K % was scored by 6 cm3 potassium silicate-sprayed plants, supplemented with NPK fertilization at the highest level in both seasons. Conclusively, spraying Matthiola incana plants with kinetin at 100 ppm in addition to chemical fertilizer at 100 N: 200 P: 200 K kg/fed produced the best vegetative growth and quality of this plan

Methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 mediates overlapping mechanisms across brain disorders

MECP2 and its product, Methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2), are mostly known for their association to Rett Syndrome (RTT), a rare neurodevelopmental disorder. Additional evidence suggests that MECP2 may underlie other neuropsychiatric and neurological conditions, and perhaps modulate common presentations and pathophysiology across disorders. To clarify the mechanisms of these interactions, we develop a method that uses the binding properties of MeCP2 to identify its targets, and in particular, the genes recognized by MeCP2 and associated to several neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. Analysing mechanisms and pathways modulated by these genes, we find that they are involved in three main processes: neuronal transmission, immuno-reactivity, and development. Also, while the nervous system is the most relevant in the pathophysiology of the disorders, additional systems may contribute to MeCP2 action through its target genes. We tested our results with transcriptome analysis on Mecp2-null models and cells derived from a patient with RTT, confirming that the genes identified by our procedure are directly modulated by MeCP2. Thus, MeCP2 may modulate similar mechanisms in different pathologies, suggesting that treatments for one condition may be effective for related disorders

Techno-Economic Analysis of ZnO Nanoparticles Pretreatments for Biogas Production from Barley Straw

The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) on the biogas production from mechanically treated barley straw and to perform a techno-economic analysis based on the costs assessment and on the results of biogas production. The structural changes of mechanically pretreated barley straw were observed using FTIR, XRD, TGA, and SEM. Additionally, both green ZnO NPs prepared from red alga (Antithamnion plumula) extract and chemically prepared ZnO NPs were characterized by FTIR, XRD, SEM, and TEM, surface area, and EDX. The results revealed that the biogas production was slightly improved by 14.9 and 13.2% when the barley straw of 0.4 mm was mechanically pretreated with 10 mg/L of both green and chemical ZnO NPs and produced 390.5 mL biogas/g VS and 385 mL biogas/g VS, respectively. On the other hand, the higher concentrations of ZnO NPs equal to 20 mg/L had an inhibitory effect on biogas production and decreased the biogas yield to 173 mL biogas/g VS, which was less than the half of previous values. It was also clear that the mechanically treated barley straw of 0.4 mm size presented a higher biogas yield of about 340 mL/g VS, in comparison to 279 mL biogas/g VS of untreated biomass. The kinetic study showed that the first order, modified Gompertz and logistic function models had the best fit with the experimental data. The results showed that the nanoparticles (NPs) of the mechanically treated barely straw are a suitable source of biomass for biogas production, and its yields are higher than the untreated barley straw. The results of the cost-benefit analysis showed that the average levelized cost of energy (LCOE), adopting the best treatments (0.4 mm + 10 mg/L ZnO), is 0.21 €/kWh, which is not competitive with the other renewable energy systems in the Egyptian energy market

Studies of the Precipitation Pattern of Paclitaxel in Intravenous Infusions and Rat Plasma Using Laser Nephelometry

Cremophor EL (CrEL) is commonly used to solubilize paclitaxel (Ptx); a widely established anticancer agent used against many types of cancer. Using laser-based microplate nephelometry, in this work we assessed the precipitation kinetics of Ptx in CrEL-containing formulations upon dilutions with different infusion media or upon introduction into rat plasma. The precipitation profile of Ptx was assessed for a Taxol-like formulation and compared with a preparation with reduced CrEL content. These two formulations were diluted at various ratios in compatible infusion media and with or without rat plasma. The percentages of Ptx precipitated in dilution media and protein-binding in plasma were quantified using HPLC. The findings of turbidity measurements were in good agreement with HPLC. Despite the presence of albumin, it was possible to assess turbidity within infusion solutions and predict Ptx precipitation. Upon addition to plasma, no precipitation in Taxol-like formulation occurred after 2 h. In contrast, precipitation occurred immediately in CrEL-reduced formulation. It is possible that the high percentage of protein-bound Ptx in plasma (98.5–99.2%) has inhibited drug precipitation. Turbidity measurements using laser nephelometry can provide a rapid screening tool when developing intravenous formulations for poorly soluble drugs, such as Ptx and assess its stability upon dilution in animal plasma

Multivariate epidemiologic analysis of type 2 diabetes mellitus risks in the Lebanese population

Background: The burden of diabetes in Lebanon requires well-targeted interventions for screening type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and prediabetes and prevention of risk factors. Newly recruited 998 Lebanese individuals, in addition to 7,292 already available, were studied to investigate the prevalence of diabetes, prediabetes and their associated risk factors. Methods: Participants had fasting blood sugar and glycohemoglobin tests in addition to a lipid profile. Clinical and demographic information were obtained from a detailed questionnaire. The relationship between T2DM, its risk factors, and its complications were tested. Comparisons of these risk factors among diabetics, healthy, and coronary artery disease (CAD) patients were performed. Results: The prevalence of T2DM significantly increased with increasing BMI (p < 0.0001). Exercise activity level negatively correlated with the disease (p = 0.002), whereas the prevalence of T2DM (p < 0.0001) and CAD family history (p = 0.006) positively correlated with the affection status. The mean levels of triglycerides and LDL-C were significantly higher in diabetics (1.87; 1.35) compared to individuals with prediabetes (1.63; 1.26) and unaffected controls (1.49; 1.19). People with T2DM showed a significant decrease in HDL-C levels. A strong correlation of overall hyperlipidemia with the diabetes affection status was shown (p < 0.0001). Other comorbid factors such as hypertension (p < 0.0001) and self-reported obesity (p < 0.0001) were highly associated with T2DM and prediabetes. Reproductive health of women showed a strong correlation between giving birth to a baby with a high weight and the occurrence of T2DM and prediabetes later in life (p < 0.0001). Retinopathy and peripheral neuropathy were significantly correlated with diabetes and prediabetes (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: The present study shows an alarming prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes in the studied subgroups representative of the Lebanese population. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1758-5996-6-89) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Removal of cationic pollutants from water by xanthated corn cob: optimization, kinetics, thermodynamics, and prediction of purification process

The removal of Cr(III) ions and methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solutions by xanthated corn cob (xCC) in batch conditions was investigated. The sorption capacity of xCC strongly depended of the pH, and increase when the pH rises. The kinetics was well fitted by pseudo-second order and Chrastil’s model. Sorption of Cr(III) ions and MB on xCC was rapid during the first 20 min of contact time and, thereafter, the biosorption rate decrease gradually until reaching equilibrium. The maximum sorption capacity of 17.13 and 83.89 mg g-1 for Cr(III) ions and MB, respectively was obtained at 40 °C, pH 5 and sorbent dose 4 g dm-3 for removal of Cr(III) ions and 1 g dm-3 for removal of MB. The prediction of purification process was successfully carried out and the verification of theoretically calculated amounts of sorbent was confirmed by using packed-bed column laboratory system with recirculation of the aqueous phase. The wastewater from chrome plating industry was successfully purified, i.e. after 40 min concentration of Cr(III) ions was decreased lower than 0.1 mg dm-3. Also, removal of MB from the river water was successfully carried out and after 40 min removal efficiency was about 94 %