Effects of date palm fruit extracts on skin mucosal immunity, immune related genes expression and growth performance of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) fry

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of date palm fruit extracts (DPFE) on skin mucosal immunity, immune related genes expression and growth performance of fry common carp (Cyprinus carpio). One hundred and twenty specimens (4.06 ± 0.13 g) were supplied and allocated into six aquaria; specimens in three aquaria were fed non-supplemented diet (control) while the fish in the other 3 aquaria were fed with DPFE at 200 ml kg-1. At the end of feeding trial (8 weeks) skin mucus immune parameters (total immunoglobulins, lysozyme, protease and alkaline phosphatase activity) and immune related gene expression (tumor necrosis factor α [tnfa], lysozyme [ly] and interleukin-1-beta, [il1b]) in the head-kidney were studied. The results revealed that feeding carp fry with 200 ml kg-1 DPFE remarkably elevated the three skin mucus immune parameters tested (P 0.05) compared to control fish (fed control diet). Furthermore, growth performance parameters were significantly improved in fry fed DPFE (P < 0.05). More studies are needed to understand different aspects of DPFE administration in fry mucosal immunity. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd

On the parametrization of equilibrium stress fields in the Earth

A new method for parametrizing the possible equilibrium stress fields of a laterally heterogeneous earth model is described. In this method a solution of the equilibrium equations is first found that satisfies some desirable physical property. For example, we show that the equilibrium stress field with smallest norm relative to a given inner product can be obtained by solving a static linear elastic boundary value problem. We also show that the equilibrium stress field whose deviatoric component has smallest norm with respect to a given inner product can be obtained by solving a steady-state incompressible viscous flow problem. Having found such a solution of the equilibrium equations, all other solutions can be written as the sum of this equilibrium stress field and a divergence-free stress tensor field whose boundary tractions vanish. Given n divergence-free and traction-free tensor fields, we then obtain a simple n-dimensional parametrization of equilibrium stress fields in the earth model. The practical construction of such divergence- and traction-free tensor fields in the mantle of a spherically symmetric reference earth model is described using generalized spherical harmonics

Deformation and thinning field prediction for HFQ® formed panel components using convolutional neural networks

The novel Hot Forming and cold die Quenching (HFQ®) process can provide cost-effective and complex deep drawn solutions through high strength aluminium alloys. However, the unfamiliarity of the new process prevents its widescale adoption in industrial settings, while accurate Finite Element (FE) simulations using the most advanced material models take place late in design processes and require forming process expertise. Machine learning technologies have recently been proven successful in learning complex system behaviour from representative examples and have the potential to be used as design support tools for new forming technologies such as HFQ®. This study, for the first time, presents a novel application of a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) based surrogate to predict the deformation and thinning fields for variable deep drawn geometries formed using HFQ® technology. A dataset based on deep drawn geometries and corresponding FE results is generated and used to train the model. The results show that near indistinguishable full field predictions in real time are obtained from the surrogate when compared with HFQ® simulations. This technique can be adopted in industrial settings to aid in both concept and detailed component design for complex-shaped panel components formed under HFQ® conditions, without underlying knowledge of the forming process

Effect of Cytotoxicity of Pegylated Liposomal Recombinant Human Erythropoietin-alfa on Neuroblastoma Cell Line SHSY5Y

Purpose: To evaluate the cytotoxic effect of pegylated liposomal Recombinant Human Erythropoietinalfa (rHuEPO) nanoparticles synthesized by reverse phase evaporation technique on SH-SY5Y cell line.Methods: To prepare the nanoparticles of the drug, rHuEPO, PEG3000, cholesterol andphosphatidylcholine were dissolved in buffer phosphate. The characteristics of the synthesized nanoparticles were determined by a zetasizer. Encapsulation efficiency, drug loading efficiency and drug release pattern were evaluated spectrophotometrically. The cytotoxicity effect of pegylated nanoliposomal rHuEPO was evaluated on SH-SY5Y cell line by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5- diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay.Results: Size and zeta potential of pegylated nanoliposomal drug and blank pegylated nanoliposomes were 571 ± 6.8 nm, -16.5 mV; 280 ± 4.71 nm and -27.1 mV, respectively. Encapsulation and drug loading efficiency were 89 ± 3.9 % and 0.8 ± 0.012 %, respectively. Drug release data indicate that 17 % of rHuEPO was released from pegylated liposomal nanoparticles over a period of 30 h. The difference in cytotoxicity between the free drug (IC50 = 110.1 ± 3.1 μg/ml) and nanodrug (IC50 = 87.2 ± 2.3 μg/ml) was statistically significant (p ˂ 0.05).Conclusion: This study shows that pegylated nanoliposomal rHuEPO has a powerful cytotoxic effect on SH-SY5Y cell line and is therefore a suitable alternative to the standard therapy, rHuEPO, for the chemotherapy of neuroblastoma.Keywords: Recombinant Human Erythropoietin-alfa, Cytotoxicity, Drug delivery, Liposome, Reverse phase evaporation, SH-SY5Y cell lin

The influences of Bio-stimulator Compounds on growth, essential oil and chemical composition of chamomile plants grown under water stress

This study was conducted at the Experimental Nursery of the Ornamental Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, during the two successive seasons of 2013/2014 and 2014/2015. This work aimed to investigate the effect of water stress and bio-stimulator on the vegetative growth, flower yield, essential oil production and chemical compositions of Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.). Water stress was imposed by three different irrigation intervals (4, 8 and 12 days). The plants received different irrigation intervals were sprayed every 2 weeks with bio-stimulator of either Amino Suam or Setter-2 at concentration of 500, 1000 and 2000 ppm for each one, while the control plants were sprayed with tap water. The experimental units were designed in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with 21 treatments and three replications for everyone treatment. The results showed that, highest values of plant height, number of branches/plant , diameter of flower heads, essential oil percentage, total chlorophylls content and total carbohydrates percentage were obtained from irrigation interval of 8 days as a compared to 4 or 12 days. Increasing irrigation intervals from 4 to 8 or 12 days resulted in a significant reduction in the stem diameter, fresh and dry weights of the herb, number of flower heads/plant, fresh and dry weights of flower heads, essential oil yield, as well as N, P and K% in dried herb while  proline content was increased with increasing intervals. On the other hand, in most cases all the studied parameters were increased significantly as a result of spraying plants with either concentration of Amino Suam or Setter-2 compared to control plants. Regarding the effect of interaction between the two studied factors, the results indicate that in most cases, plants irrigated every 4, 8 and 12 days and sprayed with any concentration of bio-stimulators (Amino Suam or Setter-2) had the values  for all the studied parameters which were significantly higher than those of control plants. Concerning essential oil composition, α-bisabolol oxide A, α-bisabolol oxide B, farnesene, bisabolone oxide, α-bisabolol and Chamazulene were the six major compounds of Chamomile oil. The highest percent of α-bisabolol oxide A (53.50%) were obtained from plants irrigated every 12 days and sprayed with Setter-2 at concentration of 2000 ppm and the highest percent of α-bisabolol oxide B (16.99%), farnesene (12.55%) and bisabolone oxide (12.03%) were resulted  from plants irrigated every 8 days and sprayed with Amino Suam at 1000 ppm, while the highest percent of α-bisabolol (6.36%) and Chamazulene (4.37%) were obtained from plants irrigated every 4 days and sprayed with Amino Suam at 2000 ppm

'A boy would be friends with boys... and a girl... with girls' : gender norms in early adolescent friendships in Egypt and Belgium

Purpose: A gender analysis was conducted to illuminate the key elements of friendships highlighted by early adolescent girls and boys in two sites for the purpose of better understanding the impact of gender norms on adolescent friendships in different contexts. Methods: Narrative interviews with early adolescents were conducted in two sites: Assiut, Egypt (n = 37) and Ghent, Belgium (n = 30). The interviews were recorded, transcribed, translated into English, and coded using Atlas.ti for analysis. Results: In both Assiut and Ghent, early adolescents reported some similarities in defining key characteristics of their same-sex friends as well as in the activities they share. However, differences were noticed among boys and girls within each site. In addition, the scope of shared activity was broader in Ghent than in Assiut. In both sites, few opposite-sex friendships were reported. Gender norms influenced choice of friends as well as the type and place of shared activities. Conclusions: Building on knowledge that adolescent friendships guide and reinforce attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors that impact immediate and long-term health, our findings indicate that gender norms inform early adolescent friendships, which may impact healthy development

Calculation of seismic displacement fields in self-gravitating earth models—applications of minors vectors and symplectic structure

An account is given of the minor vector method that allows for the stable numerical integration of the systems of linear ordinary differential equations occurring in a number of geophysical problems. In particular, new results are presented that allow for the application of the method to the solution of 6-D inhomogeneous boundary value problems, such as those encountered in the calculation of seismic displacement fields in spherically symmetric, self-gravitating earth models. In addition, the symplectic structure possessed by many of the ordinary differential equations of interest is described. It is shown how this structure can be used to simplify the numerical implementation of the minor vector method and also to concisely derive a number of theoretical results about the eigenfrequencies and eigenfunctions of a linearly anelastic earth model

Publisher's Note: "Solution processed multilayer polymer light-emitting diodes based on different molecular weight host" (vol 109, 074516, 2011)

Solution processed multilayer polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs) based on different molecular weight host have been investigated. A PLED based on high molecular weight poly (vinyl carbazole) PVKH and low molecular weight poly (vinyl carbazole) PVKL, doped with iridium, tris(2-phenylpyidine) Ir(ppy)3 as a host-guest emitting layer (EML), shows a dramatic increase in device efficiency. When the PVKH was used as a hole transport electron blocking layer (HT-EBL), effective electron blocking was achieved, which leads to an increase exciton population in the phosphorescent zone. The use of low molecular weight PVKL as a host material in the top layer prevents barrier formation for hole transport from the poly(3,4-ethylenedioxy-thiophene) (PEDOT)–EBL to the EML. External quantum efficiency of 11%, current efficiencies of 38 cd/A, power efficiency of 13 lm/W and brightness of 7000 cd/m2, were obtained. The effect of the PVKH layer on the electrical and optical device characteristics was investigated. Simulation of the optical outcoupling using SETFOS 3.1 software is in agreed with the observed results and allowed us to predict the emissive dipole location and distribution in the EML layer. The effect of the PVKH on the exciton quenching by the electrodes was also investigated using time resolved fluorescence photon counting, which indicates weak exciton quenching by the PEDOT layer and the device enhancement predominantly achieved by exciton confinement in the emissive layer