Biodiversity of some fig cultivars in Southern Syria

This research has been conducted in the Biotechnology Laboratory in Damascus University_ Damascus, Syria where the genetic diversity of fourteen cultivars of figs (Ficus carica L.) growing in Swaida governorate which located in the south region of  Syria were investigated using (Simple Sequence Repeats) SSRs technique, where 4 cultivars of them were genotypes scattered in the local fields without any scientific taxonomy and farmers did not classify them properly. Eight pairs of SSRs markers were used depend on their ability to separate between fig cultivars as mentioned in previous studies, six pairs of them gave amplified products in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), while MFC3 and MFC6 primers did not give any amplification products. A total of 17 alleles were detected at six SSRs loci. The alleles number per locus ranged from 2 to 4 with  an average of 2.83 alleles/locus. The observed heterozygosity (Ho) was 0.33, while the expected heterozygosity (He) was 0.17. The mean value of genetic similarity was 0.69 where fig cultivars has separated into two clusters in Cluster Analysis, which confirms a significant genetic similarity between most of the cultivars. MFC1 and MFC2 loci gave about 0.67 and 0.61 PIC (Polymorphism Information Content) values respectively, which confirms their ability to study the genetic diversity of fig cultivars more than other loci. F1 and F2 cultivars greatly affect the quality of the fruits as paternity traits as Caprifigs. Tammozi cultivar has low values of its genetic similarity with the rest of the cultivars which reflect great difference between it and other cultivars. Generally, the challenges in this study were in characterizing unrecognized fig cultivars in southern Syria to distinguish between them as they were not certified in agriculture ministry in Syria because the lack in studies related to the same topic as these cultivars were not studied before, thus, we managed to make a significant contribution in certifying fig cultivars in Syria using SSR technique

Preparación de nuevas nanoemulsiones a partir de aceite rico en omega-3

This work aimed to produce stabilized omega-3-rich oil in a water nanoemulsion using a high-pressure homogenizer (HPH). Studies were carried out on the effects of the type of the emulsifier and its con­centration, HPH conditions (pressure and number of passes inside the homogenization chamber) as well as continuous phase viscosity on the polydispersity index (PDI) and mean droplet size of the nanoemulsion were carried out. The impact of rosemary extract on the oxidative stability of the emulsion was also monitored. Results showed that small molecular weight emulsifiers gave small droplet size and vice versa. In addition, the results revealed that a parallel decrease in mean droplet diameter was observed with increases in emulsifier concentra­tion, homogenization cycles (passes) and homogenization pressure. Furthermore, when the viscosity of the aque­ous phase increased, a slight non-significant and irregular fluctuation in the droplet size was detected. The results demonstrated that rosemary extract enhanced the oxidative stability of this nanoemulsion. Our results could help in formulating stabilized omega-3-enriched nanoemulsions that could be applied in different food stuffs.Este trabajo tuvo como objetivo producir nanoemulsiones de aceite rico en omega-3 estabilizado en agua usando un homogeneizador de alta presión (HPH). Estudiando los efectos del tipo de emulsionante y su concentración, se llevaron a cabo las condiciones de HPH (presión y número de pasadas dentro de la cámara de homogeneización), así como la viscosidad de fase continua en el índice de polidispersidad (PDI) y el tamaño medio de gota de la nanoemulsión. También se siguió el impacto de la adición de extracto de romero sobre la estabilidad oxidativa de la emulsión. Los resultados mostraron que los emulsionantes de peso molecular pequeño dieron un tamaño de gota pequeño y viceversa. Los resultados también revelaron que hay una disminución paralela en el diámetro medio de las gotitas con el aumento de la concentración de emulsionante, los ciclos de homogeneización (pases) y la presión de homogeneización. Además, cuando aumentó la viscosidad de la fase acuosa, se observó una ligera fluctua­ción no significativa e irregular en el tamaño de la gota. Además, los resultados demostraron que el extracto de romero mejoró la estabilidad oxidativa de esta nanoemulsión. Nuestros resultados podrían ayudar a formular nanoemulsiones enriquecidas con omega-3 estabilizadas que podrían aplicarse en diferentes alimentos

Does Glycine Betaine and Salicylic Acid Ameliorate the Negative Effect of Drought on Wheat by Regulating Osmotic Adjustment through Solutes Accumulation?

A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the beneficial effect of foliar application of glycine betaine (10mM), grain presoaking in salicylic acid (0.05 M) and their interaction on drought tolerance of two wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars (sensitive, Sakha 94 and resistant, Sakha 93). Osmotic pressure, some osmolytes concentration and grain yield were determined. Water stress caused an increase in osmotic pressure, proline, total soluble nitrogen, total soluble sugars, organic acids, ions (Na+, K+, Ca+2, Mg+2 and Cl-) content as well as Na+/K+ ratio in cell sap flag leaves of both wheat cultivars. The resistant variety had higher values of osmotic pressure, proline, organic acids and ions content than the sensitive one. On the other hand, water stress induced marked decrease (P<0.05) in grain yield. The applied chemicals mitigated the effect of water stress on the used wheat cultivars. The effect was more pronounced with glycine betaine + salicylic acid treatment. The applied chemicals increased the osmotic pressure, the osmolytes concentrations as well as the grain yield. Furthermore, the osmotic pressure of flag leaf sap appeared to depend on proline, TSN, TSS, organic acids and the ions content. The economic yield (grain yield) was positively correlated with proline, keto-acids and osmotic pressure but negatively correlated with TSN, TSS and citric acid

Novel Overview of Seasonal Blood Pressure Variation: Review Article

Background: One of the world's most common health issues is high blood pressure. Hypertension's dangers are welldocumented and have been shown in numerous large-scale investigations. Seasonal variation in blood pressure is largely due to changes in the temperature of the surrounding environment. Several studies have found a negative correlation between the temperature outside and blood pressure. No observational study has been done in Egypt so far using either healthy people or patients to examine the effect of weather on blood pressure. Evidence suggests that seasonal fluctuations in ambient temperature have an impact on cardiovascular events and blood pressure levels. Objective: Study the blood pressure levels in the winter and summer to see whether they differ. Conclusion: In both men and women, young and elderly, the seasonal change in BP appears to be a global phenomenon that has been documented in regions with varying climate conditions

Glycine betaine and salicylic acid induced modification in productivity of two different cultivars of wheat grown under water stress

A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the beneficial effect of foliar application of glycine betaine (10mM), grain presoaking in salicylic acid (0.05 M) and their interaction on drought tolerance of two wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars (sensitive, Sakha 94 and resistant, Sakha 93). Water stress decreased wheat yield components (spike length, number of spikelets / main spike, 100 kernel weight, grain number / spike, grain yield / spike, grain yield / plant, straw yield / plant, crop yield / plant, harvest, mobilization and crop indices) and the biochemical aspects of grains(grain biomass, carbohydrates, total protein, total phosphorus, ions content and amino acids) in both wheat cultivars. The applied chemicals appeared to alleviate the negative effects of water stress on wheat productivity (particularly the sensitive one) and the biochemical aspects of yielded grains. The effect was more pronounced with GB+SA treatment. This improvement would result from the repairing effect of the provided chemicals on growth and metabolism of wheat plants grown under water deficit condition. In response to the applied water stress and the used chemicals, the grain yield of the sensitive and resistant wheat cultivars was strongly correlated with all the estimated yield components (shoot length, spike length, plant height, main spike weight, number of spikelets per main spike, 100 kernel weight, grain number per spike, grain weight per plant, straw weight per plant, crop yield per plant, harvest, mobilization and crop indices)

The Effect of Self-Learning Module on the Burden of Care for Children with Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral Palsy is one of the most complex of the common permanent disabling conditions and disorder of movement, muscle tone and posture that is caused by damage that occurs most often before birth and during developing brain. Aim: the current study aimed to evaluate the effect of self-learning module on the burden of care for children with cerebral palsy. Design: A quasi-experimental research design (pre-posttest) was used. Setting: The study was carried out at Sett Khadra Child Health Center in Helwan referred from Helwan general hospital affiliated to Ministry of Health and Physiotherapy Unit in Mustafa Hassan Pediatric Hospital affiliated to Fyoum University Hospital. Sample consisted of 70 children and their accompaying caregivers suffering from cerebral palsy disease. Tool: consists of three tools to assess: I: Structured interview questionnaire sheet to assess caregivers’ knowledge regarding cerebral palsy and daily living activity II: Observational checklist to assess caregivers' reported practices regarding care of their children with cerebral palsy) pre/post test (III: Caregiver’s attitude scale sheet to assess caregivers' attitude regarding cerebral palsy. Results: there were statistical significance difference between caregivers’ characteristic and their total knowledge and total practices regarding cerebral palsy pre and post module. Also, there were statistically significant positive correlation between caregivers’ total attitude and their total practice and total knowledge in pre and post self-learning module. Conclusion: Based upon the results of the current study, it can be concluded that self-learning module had appositive effect on caregivers' knowledge, practices and attitude regarding care of their children with cerebral palsy which led to decrease burden of care for children with cerebral palsy. Recommendation: Continuous health education program to mothers regarding cerebral palsy, complications, different aspects of care and management plan

Synthesis of Conducting Polymer-Metal Nanoparticle Hybrids Exploiting RAFT Polymerization.

The direct covalent attachment of conducting polymers (CP) to nanoparticles (NP) to form CP-NP nanohybrids is of great interest for optoelectronic device applications. Hybrids formed by covalently anchoring CP to NP, rather than traditional blending or bilayer approaches, is highly desirable. CP-NP nanohybrids have increased interfacial surface area between the two components, facilitating rapid exciton diffusion at the p-n heterojunction. These materials take advantage of the facile solution processability, lightweight characteristics, flexibility, and mechanical strength associated with CPs, and the broad spectral absorption, photostability, and high charge carrier mobility of NPs. We demonstrate the ability to polymerize a hole transporting (HT) polymer utilizing reversible-addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization and its subsequent rapid aminolysis to yield a thiol-terminated HT polymer. Subsequent facile attachment to gold (Au) and silver (Ag) NPs and cadmium selenide (CdSe) quantum dots (QDs), to form a number of CP-NP systems is demonstrated and characterized. CP-NP nanohybrids show broad spectral absorptions ranging from UV through visible to the near IR, and their facile synthesis and purification could allow for large scale industrial applications.P.E.W. and S.T.J. contributed equally to this work. E.A.A. thanks Schlumberger for financial support. This work was supported in part by Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE), the Walters-Kundert foundation, and an ERC Starting Investigator grant (ASPiRe, 240629).This is the accepted manuscript. The final version is available from ACS at http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/mz500645c

Osteopontin for Early Detection of Microvascular and Macrovascular Type 1 Diabetic Complication

AIM: To evaluate the relationship between osteopontin and diabetes complication in type 1 diabetic patient. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Seventy types 1 diabetic and 60 healthy volunteers were studied. Full history, examination, laboratory tests of glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c), serum lipids {cholesterol, triglyceride (Tg), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-c), low-density lipoprotein – cholesterol (LDL-c)}, oxidised low-density lipoprotein (OxLDL), Osteopontin and urinary microalbuminuria (albumin/creatinine ratio) were done. Image study in the form of a carotid intimal medial thickness (cIMT) and aortic intimal medial thickness (aIMT), renal doppler for resistivity index was also done for all participant included in the study. RESULTS: Urinary albumin/creatinine ratio, lipid profile, osteopontin, cIMT and aIMT were higher in people with diabetes. Osteopontin was higher in people with diabetes with positive microalbuminuria and cIMT. Systolic blood pressure, microalbuminuria and cIMT had a positive correlation with osteopontin in people with diabetes. Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that osteopontin had a significant correlation with cIMT. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed that the cut off value of Osteopontin for detection of cIMT was &gt; 60 with a specificity of 100% and sensitivity 80.5%, while that of albumin/creatinine ratio was &gt; 64 with a specificity of 66.7 and sensitivity of 92.3. CONCLUSION: Osteopontin is higher in type 1 diabetics and is useful for early detection of diabetic microvascular and macrovascular complication

Nitric Oxide Gene Polymorphism is a Risk Factor for Diabetic Nephropathy and Atherosclerosis in Type 1 Diabetic Patients

AIM: To assess the risk factor for diabetic atherosclerosis nephropathy and diabetic nephropathy in type 1 diabetic patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty healthy volunteers age and sex-matched and Sixty-five type 1 diabetic patient were in rolled in the study. The mean age of patients was 17.99 ± 2.59 years, mean age of onset of diabetes was 7.00 ± 3.28 years, mean duration of diabetes was 10.91 ± 3.54 years. Glycosylated sex-matched (HbA1c) was assessed in blood samples, serum lipid profile was determined, and serum level of oxidised low-density lipoprotein (OxLDL), and nitric oxide was evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. Nitric oxide 894G &gt; T genotype was analysed by (PCR-RFLP) method and confirmed by Sequencing. Assessment of the albumin / creatinine ratio was done in urine samples. Renal Doppler and Carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) via ultrasound was also performed. RESULTS: OxLDL, lipid profile, albumin/creatinine ratio, cIMT and resistivity index were significantly higher in diabetic patients while nitric oxide was significantly lower. Nitric oxide genotype shows no significant difference between diabetic’s patients and controls. Diabetic patients with homozygous NO had a significantly lower serum level of Nitric oxide, a significantly higher OxLDL, albumin / creatinine ratio and lipid profile. CONCLUSION: diabetic patients are liable for the occurrence of early diabetic nephropathy and atherosclerosis as a result of the presence of low level of nitric oxide. Nitric oxide gene polymorphism 894G &gt; T in diabetic patients is a risk factor for diabetic nephropathy and atherosclerosis