Improving Revegetation of Degraded Dryland Using Zeolitic Tuff and Saltbush Species

Drought is considered one of the major problems that renders the success of rehabilitation activities in arid and semi rangeland. Promoting survival and growth, using zeolitic tuff added to planting holes is suggested as possible solution. An experiment was conducted using a factorial design. Two shrub species (Atriplex halimus L., Atriplex nummularia Lindl.) were transplanted into holes prepared with three levels of tuff treatments (mulching, mixing and control) under rainfed condition. The result showed no significant effect of tuff on seedling survival percentage, when mixing tuff with plantation soil or adding tuff as mulch. Also, the two species showed similar survival percentages over two measured dates. However, mixing tuff with soil during hole preparation significantly enhanced seedling heights. The Australian Atriplex (Atriplex nummularia) species significantly grew higher than the Mediterranean Atriplex halimus. Also, results revealed insignificant effect of tuff treatments (mixing, mulch and control) on recorded species richness. But, the Australian Atriplex species significantly harbors more diverse species than the local Atriplex. The study concluded using zeolitic tuff had the potential to enhance seedling growth, thus improving the success of rangeland rehabilitation in dry areas

Using the Canonical Correlation Analysis Method to Study Students’ Levels in Face-to-Face and Online Education in Jordan

The study aims to identify the existing correlations between the two sets of variables by finding the linear combinations of the two sets of variables with the highest correlation and test the strength of the relationship between the levels of students face-to-face education and online business students at Al-Balqa Applied University by using the canonical correlation test, The study was applied to a sample of students from Al-Balqa Applied University, specifically the faculty of Business, and for the purposes of analysis and extraction of results, (SPSS ver.26), and (Stata graphics ver.11) programs were used. The study reached the following results the first, second, and third Canonical correlations are statistically significant at the level of significance (α ≤ 0.05), and the first, second, and third canonical correlation between canonical variables independents and dependents is equal (0.98, 0.965, 0.907) respectively, and the variance explained between independent and dependent canonical variable is equal (93.24%, 4.7%, 2.047%) for first, second, and third Canonical correlations respectively. The study recommends using the canonical correlation to evaluate Jordans experience in online education in schools and universities

Improving Revegetation of Degraded Dryland Using Zeolitic Tuff and Saltbush Species

Drought is considered one of the major problems that renders the success of rehabilitation activities in arid and semi rangeland. Promoting survival and growth, using zeolitic tuff added to planting holes is suggested as possible solution. An experiment was conducted using a factorial design. Two shrub species (Atriplex halimus L., Atriplex nummularia Lindl.) were transplanted into holes prepared with three levels of tuff treatments (mulching, mixing and control) under rainfed condition. The result showed no significant effect of tuff on seedling survival percentage, when mixing tuff with plantation soil or adding tuff as mulch. Also, the two species showed similar survival percentages over two measured dates. However, mixing tuff with soil during hole preparation significantly enhanced seedling heights. The Australian Atriplex (Atriplex nummularia) species significantly grew higher than the Mediterranean Atriplex halimus. Also, results revealed insignificant effect of tuff treatments (mixing, mulch and control) on recorded species richness. But, the Australian Atriplex species significantly harbors more diverse species than the local Atriplex. The study concluded using zeolitic tuff had the potential to enhance seedling growth, thus improving the success of rangeland rehabilitation in dry areas

The privilege of induction avoidance and calcineurin inhibitors withdrawal in 2 haplotype HLA matched white kidney transplantation

BACKGROUND: White recipients of 2-haplotype HLA-matched living kidney transplants are perceived to be of low immunologic risk. Little is known about the safety of induction avoidance and calcineurin inhibitor withdrawal in these patients. METHODS: We reviewed our experience at a single center and compared it to Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) registry data and only included 2-haplotype HLA-matched white living kidney transplants recipients between 2000 and 2013. RESULTS: There were 56 recipients in a single center (where no induction was given) and 2976 recipients in the OPTN. Among the OPTN recipients, 1285 received no induction, 903 basiliximab, 608 thymoglobulin, and 180 alemtuzumab. First-year acute rejection rates were similar after induction-free transplantation among the center and induced groups nationally. Compared with induction-free transplantation in the national data, there was no decrease in graft failure risk over 13 years with use of basiliximab (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 0.86; confidence interval [CI], 0.68-1.08), Thymoglobulin (aHR, 0.92; CI, 0.7-1.21) or alemtuzumab (aHR, 1.18; CI, 0.72-1.93). Among induction-free recipients at the center, calcineurin inhibitor withdrawal at 1 year (n = 27) did not significantly impact graft failure risk (HR,1.62; CI, 0.38-6.89). CONCLUSIONS: This study may serve as a foundation for further studies to provide personalized, tailored, immunosuppression for this very low-risk population of kidney transplant patients

Cytokine gene polymorphisms and serum cytokine levels in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

BACKGROUND: Studies have demonstrated associations between cytokine gene polymorphisms and the risk of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). We therefore examined polymorphisms in the genes encoding interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, interferon gamma (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β(1)), and compared the serum levels of these cytokines in IPF patients and healthy controls. Furthermore, we examined the association of the studied genotypes and serum cytokine levels with physiological parameters and the extent of parenchymal involvement determined by high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT). METHODS: Sixty patients with IPF and 150 healthy controls were included. Cytokine genotyping was performed using the polymerase chain reaction sequence specific primer (PCR-SSP) method. In a subset of patients and controls, serum cytokine levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: There was no difference between IPF patients and controls in the genotype and allele distributions of polymorphisms in TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-6, IL-10, and TGF-β(1) (all p > 0.05). The TNF-α (−308) GG, IL-6 (−174) GG and CG, and IL-10 (−1082, -819, -592) ACC ATA genotypes were significantly associated with HRCT scores (all p < 0.05). IL-10 (−1082, -819, -592) ACC haplotype was associated with the diffusion capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide, and ATA haplotype was associated with the partial pressure of oxygen (PaO(2)) (all p < 0.05). The TGF-β(1) (codons 10 and 25) TC GG, TC GC, CC GG and CC GC genotypes were significantly associated with the PaO(2) and HRCT scores (p < 0.05). The TGF-β(1) (codons 10 and 25) CC GG genotype (5 patients) was significantly associated with higher PaO(2) value and less parenchymal involvement (i.e., a lower total extent score) compared to the other TGF-β(1) genotypes (81.5 ± 11.8 mm Hg vs. 67.4 ± 11.1 mm Hg, p = 0.009 and 5.60 ± 1.3 vs. 8.51 ± 2.9, p = 0.037, respectively). Significant differences were noted between patients (n = 38) and controls (n = 36) in the serum levels of IL-6 and IL-10 (both, p < 0.0001), but not in the levels of TNF-α and TGF-β(1) (both, p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The studied genotypes and alleles do not predispose to the development of IPF but appear to play an important role in disease severity. Our results suggest that the TGF-β(1) (codons 10 and 25) CC GG genotype could be a useful genetic marker for identifying a subset of IPF patients with a favorable prognosis; however, validation in a larger sample is required

Relationships between herbaceous diversity and biomass in two habitats in arid Mediterranean rangeland

Plant diversity patterns vary across the landscape. This study was conducted to answer the question: What is the pattern of species diversity (α and β) along an abstract productivity/cover gradient at two topographical positions (Wadi (a depression with overland flow) and hilltop) of a Mediterranean herbaceous plant community in Jordan? Results indicated that the less productive hilltop localities exhibited higher species richness than the more productive Wadi localities. Species richness exhibited a unimodal relationship with aboveground biomass within Wadis whereas a positive linear relationship was revealed for hilltops. Within Wadis, abundant species did not show a significant relationship with productivity while common and rare species showed a unimodal relationship. Within hilltops, abundant, common, and rare species showed a linear relationship with biomass. β-diversity, measured as species dissimilarity, showed significant negative relationship to biomass within hilltops, whereas a positive relationship was observed within Wadis. Wilson-Shmida index (βT) had a unimodal function with increased differences in productivity whereas Morisita-Horn index (Cmh) showed a reverse unimodal relationship. Examination of the species richness-biomass relationship among species groups (abundant, common, and rare) suggested that abundant species maybe more important on low productivity sites whereas common and rare species maybe more important on high productivity sites

Presentation and outcome of twenty patients with synchronous stage IV rectal carcinoma

Purpose: Palliative treatment techniques for advanced stage rectal cancer should be designed according to the patients’ major symptoms. Combined chemo-radiation therapy is effective choice for symptomatic patients with good performance status. In this study, we reviewed our patients' stage IV rectal carcinoma in regard to most common presentation, outcome and possible prognostic features.Methods Medical chart of twenty patients who were diagnosed with stage IV rectal carcinoma, were reviewed based on the hospital database information, which included images, radiotherapy charts, and their follow up notes.  Results: All patients were young with age less than 40 years. Bleeding per rectum, pain, and symptoms of obstruction were the most common presentation. Seven patients had solitary lesion and 13 patients had multiple lesions. Eleven patients with multiple metastases were treated with palliative chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Patients who had solitary metastases to liver had a median survival time of 49 months versus 13.5 months for other patients (p = 0.001). Conclusion: Patients who presented with solitary liver metastases could be treated with a course of neoadjuvant chemo-radiotherapy similar to the curative one.-----------------------------------Cite this article as: Aboziada MA, Attia AM, Alhamad AA. Presentation and outcome of twenty patients with synchronous stage IV rectal carcinoma. Int J Cancer Ther Oncol 2014; 2(3):020313. DOI:10.14319/ijcto.0203.1