Weed Management, Folic Acid and Seaweed Extract Effects on Faba Bean Plants and Associated Weeds under Sandy Soil Conditions

Two field experiments were conducted during the winter seasons of 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 at the agricultural experimental station of the National Research Centre, Nubaria, Egypt. Field evaluation of the efficiency of weed-control treatments (unweeded, oxadiargyl, metribuzin and two hand hoeing) and  bio-stimulants levels (folic acid at the rate of 10, 20 and 30 mg/L, and seaweed extract 100, 200 and 300 mg/L) and their interactive effects on faba bean growth, yield, yield attributes and chemical composition of seeds. Two hand hoeing achieved the highest weed depression expressed in the lowest dry matter of broadleaved, narrow-leaved and total weeds. Also, two hand hoeing was the most superior treatment in increasing plant height, shoot dry weight, leaf area index and SPAD value at 60 and 90 days from sowing as well as yield, yield attributes and chemical composition of faba bean seeds followed by that of oxadiargyl and metribuzin treatments. Folic acid at the rate of 30 mg L-1 or seaweed extract at the rate of 300 mg L -1 enhanced growth, yield and chemical composition of faba bean seeds. Two hand hoeing or oxadiargyl herbicide integrated with folic acid at the rate of 30 mg L -1 or seaweed extract at the rate of 300 mg L -1 application produced the maximum values of leaf area index, seed yield and total carbohydrate percentage. It could be concluded that two hand hoeing or herbicide oxadiargyl combined with folic acid application up to 30 mg L-1 or seaweed extract at the rate of 300 mg L -1 could effectively improve growth and productivity of faba bean under sandy soil conditions

Physiological effect of melatonin, IAA and their precursor on quality and quantity of chickpea plants grown under sandy soil conditions

The physiological effect of melatonin, IAA and their precursor (tryptophan) as seed priming on quantity and quality of chickpea plants was investigated during two growing seasons of 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 under sandy soil conditions at the Research and Production Station, National Research Centre, Nubaria Province, Behaira Governorate, Egypt. Data show that melatonin treatments showed the most pronounced effect on vegetative growth parameters followed by IAA and tryptophan treatments. The highest significant increase in dry weight of shoot/plant was achieved by melatonin treatments at 0.5 and 1.0mM. Moreover, melatonin treatments at 0.25 and 0.5 mM were the most pronounced treatments caused the highest significant increase in total photosynthetic pigments by 52.18% over control. All applied treatments caused significant increases in seed yield/feddan and its attributes (number of pods and seeds/plant as well as 100seeds weight). IAA treatment at 20mg/l and all melatonin treatments had the most positive effect on increasing seed yield and yield attributes. It was obvious that seed yield/feddan was increased by 113%, 50.6%, 117.6% and 49.6% under the use of 20mg/l IAA, 0.25, 0.50 and 1.0mM melatonin respectively over control. All applied treatments caused significant increase in the nutritional values of the yielded seed (carbohydrate, oil, phenolic compound and antioxidant activity). Melatonin treatment at 0.5mM was the most pronounced treatment, since it caused significant increase in oil content by 44.94%, carbohydrate content by 8.12%, phenolic content by 57.14% and antioxidant activity by 9.41% over control. The results indicate that oil biosynthesis in chickpea seed responded to melatonin treatment more effectively than carbohydrate biosynthesis. Data show that application of tryptophan led to significant increases in the antioxidant activity (as DPPH- radical scavenging capacity) of the yielded seeds as compared with control plant. It is worthy to mention that melatonin treatments were the most pronounced treatments on the quality and quantity of chickpea plant grown under sandy soil conditions

Improving drought tolerance of quinoa plant by foliar treatment of trehalose

Two field experiments were conducted during two successive seasons (2014/2015 and 2015/2016) at the Experimental Station of National Research Centre, Nubaria district, Beheira Governorate, Egypt, to study the effect of foliar treatment of quinoa plants with trehalose (Tre) (100µM and 500µM) on growth, photosynthetic pigments, seed yield quantity & quality, in fever of nutritional and antioxidant compounds in the yielded quinoa seeds which subjected to water deficiency (skipping two irrigation times at 50 & 60 days after sowing). Water deficiency caused marked decreases in quinoa plant growth parameters (shoot height, fresh and dry weights of shoot/plant) and photosynthetic pigments with marked increases in root growth parameters (root length, fresh and dry weight of root/plant). Drought stress decreased yield and yield attributes, carbohydrates, protein, nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium contents.  Meanwhile oil percentage, phenolic and flavonoids contents increased by drought stress. Antioxidant activity at 50 and 100µg/l showed significant increases in response to drought stress. On the other hand, Tre treatments proved to be effective in enhancing growth parameters and photosynthetic pigments of drought stressed plants. Trehalose treatments at different levels caused marked increases in yield and yield attributes, carbohydrate, protein, oil, nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, total phenolic, flavonoids contents, and antioxidant activity of the yielded seeds either in non stressed or drought stressed plants relative to corresponding controls. Generally, 500 µM Tre was the most pronounced and effective treatment in alleviating the deleterious effect of drought stress on quinoa plants

Physiological Role of Ascobin on Quality and Productivity of Sunflower Plants Irrigated with Sodium Chloride Solution

Ascobin had a promotion effect on growth and active constituents’ compounds of various plants under normal and stressed conditions. The physiological response of sunflower plant to foliar application of ascobin treatments (200,400,600 ppm) was investigated either under normal or salinity stressed conditions (5000 ppm NaCl solution) in pot experiments at the wire-house of the National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt. Data revealed that salinity stress caused significant decreases in shoot height, leaf area chlrorophyll b, carotenoids, total photosynthetic pigments, seed yield, yield components, oil and protein content of the yielded seeds relative to control. The decrease in oil percentage was more obvious by salinity than protein percentage. Since salinity caused decreases in oil % by10.42% and decreases in protein % by 3.44% relative to control. Meanwhile, salinity stress caused significant increases in H2O2, MDA and activity of antioxidant enzymes (CAT, SOD, APX and GR) as well as total soluble carbohydrate, phenolic content, proline, free amino acids. Salinity stress caused significant increases in sum of stearic acid and palmitic acid accompanied by significant decreases in sum of oleic and linoleic acids as well as ratio of oleic/linoleic and total unsaturated fatty acids/total saturated fatty acids. On the other hand, ascobin treatments caused significant increases in most of growth parameters and activity of all antioxidant enzymes under investigation accompanied by significant decreases in H2O2 and MDA under normal and stressed conditions relative to corresponding controls. Ascobin treatment at 400 ppm showed significant increases in all components of photosynthetic pigments under normal condition relative to control. Meanwhile ascobin treatments significantly decreased total soluble carbohydrate, phenolic content and increased proline and free amino acids. It was noted that all treatments alleviate the harmful effect of salinity stress on sunflower yield and yield components. Since all treatments caused significant increases in yield and yield components as well as oil and protein percentages. Ascobin treatment at 400 ppm was the most optimum treatments in increasing seed yield/plant by 44.78% under normal condition and by 45.43% under stressed conditions relative to corresponding controls. Oleic acid and linoleic acid significantly increased by ascobin treatment at 400 ppm leading to non-significant decrease in total saturated fatty acid and significant increase in total unsaturated fatty acids

Response of soybean cultivars to weed control treatments

Two field experiments were conducted in two successive seasons, 2015 and 2016, at the experimental farm of the National Research Centre at Nubaria, Egypt, during summer seasons to determine weed management can improve soybean competitiveness with weeds, thus helping to achieve its yield potential. The experiment included three soybean cultivars ( Giza 111, Giza 21 and Crawford) and six weed control treatments, including oxadiargyl, butralin, metribuzin, bentazone + clethodium, two hand and a nonweeded treatment (control). Great reduction in dry weight of broadleaved, grassy and total weeds after 60 and 90 days from sowing was noticed in the plots cultivated with Giza 111 cultivars. Also, Giza 111 cultivars markedly produced greater plant height, SPAD, NAR, SLA, LWR and RGR at 60 and 90 days from sowing as well as yield, yield attributes and chemical composition of soybean seeds. Two hand hoeing achieved the highest weed depression expressed in the lowest dry matter of broadleaved, narrow-leaved and total weeds. Also, two hand hoeing was the most superior treatment in increasing plant height, SPAD, NAR, SLA, LWR and RGR at 60 and 90 days from sowing as well as yield, yield attributes and chemical composition of soybean seeds. Two hand hoeing or herbicide bentazone + clethodium integrated with Giza111 cultivar produced the maximum values of plant height, NAR, seed yield and oil percentage. It could be concluded that two hand hoeing or herbicide bentazone + clethodium combined with Giza 111 cultivars recorded effectively improve growth and productivity of soybean under sandy soil condition

The Relationship between Ethical Leadership and Teachers Continuance Organizational Commitment

The current study aims to investigate the relationship between the behavior of ethical leaders and their continuance organizational commitment, and also to discover the mediational impact of teachers' loyalty on their relationships at the international schools in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The study employed a quantitative approach as follows: a formatted questionnaire was distributed to a random sample, of which 372 valid questionnaires were returned to the researchers. In addition to examining the research hypotheses, several statistical methods were used to analyse the compiled data. The study showed that when the supervisor displays positive behaviors and a moral leadership style, this has leverage on the employees’ performance. The study found that there is a statistically important engagement relevance between moral leadership and teachers’ loyalty. Moreover, the study showed that teachers' loyalty facilitated the association between ethical leadership and teachers' continuance commitment toward organization. The current research recommended that it was essential to increase the standard of moral leadership for managers, to positively influence continuance commitment to the organisation, and to enhance teachers' loyalty

Collateral Sensitivity of Parthenolide via NF-κB and HIF-α Inhibition and Epigenetic Changes in Drug-Resistant Cancer Cell Lines

Parthenolide (PT) is a sesquiterpene lactone isolated from Tanacetum parthenium. In this study, PT showed varying cytotoxic effects against different solid tumor cell lines. HCT116 (p53+/+) colon carcinoma cells and their parental HCT116 knockout p53 (p53-/-) cell lines showed a resistance degree of 2.36. On the other hand, wild-type U87.MG cells or cells transfected with a deletion-activated EGFR cDNA (U87.MGΔEGFR) exhibited slight sensitivity toward PT. Multidrug-resistant MDA-MB-231-BCRP cells were even more sensitive toward PT than sensitive MDA-MB-231-pcDNA cells with a resistance degree of 0.07 (collateral sensitivity). To the best of our knowledge, hypersensitivity (collateral sensitivity) in MDA-MB-231-BCRP cell line is reported in this study for the first time. We attempted to identify the mechanism of collateral sensitivity. Firstly, we found that PT bound to IKK preventing IκBα degradation and eventually inhibition of the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathway. Down-regulation of hypoxia inducing factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α) in MDA-MB-231-BCRP resistant cells may be a second mechanism, since it is a target gene of NF-κB. Moreover, PT also showed epigenetic effect by inhibition of HDAC activity as shown using both molecular docking and HDAC activity assay. Based on COMPARE and hierarchical cluster analyses, we found gene expression profiles that predicted sensitivity or resistance of 47 tumor cell lines toward PT. Interestingly, pathway analyses of gene expression profiles revealed NF-κB and HIF signaling as top networks of these genes, cellular functions and canonical pathways influencing the activity of PT against tumor cells. In conclusion, PT exerted profound cytotoxic activity against various cancer cell lines mainly against BCRP-overexpressing tumor cells, suggesting PT as novel candidate for cancer treatment

Collateral sensitivity of parthenolide via NF-κB and HIF-α inhibition and epigenetic changes in drug-resistant cancer cell lines

Parthenolide (PT) is a sesquiterpene lactone isolated from Tanacetum parthenium. In this study, PT showed varying cytotoxic effects against different solid tumor cell lines. HCT116 (p53+/+) colon carcinoma cells and their parental HCT116 knockout p53 cells (p53−/−) cell lines showed a resistance degree of 2.36. On the other hand, wild-type U87.MG cells or cells transfected with a deletion-activated EGFR cDNA (U87.MGΔEGFR) exhibited slight sensitivity towards PT. Multidrug-resistant MDA-MB-231-BCRP cells were even more sensitive towards PT than sensitive MDA-MB-231-pcDNA3 cells with a resistance degree of 0.07 (collateral sensitivity). To the best of our knowledge, hypersensitivity (collateral sensitivity) of BCRP-overexpressing tumor cells has been reported for the first time. We attempted to identify the mechanism of collateral sensitivity. Firstly, we found that PT bound to IKK preventing IκBα degradation and eventually inhibition of the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathway. Down-regulation of hypoxia inducing factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α) in MDA-MB-231-BCRP resistant cells may be a second mechanism, since it is a target gene of NF-κB. Moreover, PT also showed epigenetic effect by inhibition of HDAC activity as shown using both molecular docking and HDAC activity assay. Based on COMPARE and hierarchical cluster analyses, we found gene expression profiles that predicted sensitivity or resistance of 47 tumor cell lines towards PT. Interestingly, pathway analyses of gene expression profiles revealed NF-κB and HIF signaling as top networks of these genes, cellular functions and canonical pathways influencing the activity of PT against tumor cells. In conclusion, the profound cytotoxic activity of PT against various cancer cell lines particularly against BCRP-overexpressing tumor cells suggesting PT as novel candidate compound for cancer treatment

Biopiracy <i>versus </i>one-world medicine – from colonial relicts to global collaborative concepts

Background: Practices of biopiracy to use genetic resources and indigenous knowledge by Western companies without benefit-sharing of those, who generated the traditional knowledge, can be understood as form of neocolonialism.Hypothesis: : The One-World Medicine concept attempts to merge the best of traditional medicine from developing countries and conventional Western medicine for the sake of patients around the globe.Study design: Based on literature searches in several databases, a concept paper has been written. Legislative initiatives of the United Nations culminated in the Nagoya protocol aim to protect traditional knowledge and regulate benefit-sharing with indigenous communities. The European community adopted the Nagoya protocol, and the corresponding regulations will be implemented into national legislation among the member states. Despite pleasing progress, infrastructural problems of the health care systems in developing countries still remain. Current approaches to secure primary health care offer only fragmentary solutions at best. Conventional medicine from industrialized countries cannot be afforded by the impoverished population in the Third World. Confronted with exploding costs, even health systems in Western countries are endangered to burst. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is popular among the general public in industrialized countries, although the efficacy is not sufficiently proven according to the standards of evidence-based medicine. CAM is often available without prescription as over-the-counter products with non-calculated risks concerning erroneous self-medication and safety/toxicity issues. The concept of integrative medicine attempts to combine holistic CAM approaches with evidence-based principles of conventional medicine.Conclusion: To realize the concept of One-World Medicine, a number of standards have to be set to assure safety, efficacy and applicability of traditional medicine, e.g. sustainable production and quality control of herbal products, performance of placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized clinical trials, phytovigilance, as well as education of health professionals and patients

Molecular Screening of <i>VAX1</i> Gene Polymorphisms Uncovered the Genetic Heterogeneity of Non-Syndromic Orofacial Cleft in Saudi Arabian Patients

Objective: Nonsyndromic orofacial cleft (NSOFC) including cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL±P) and cleft palate (CP) are multifactorial developmental disorders with both genetic and environmental etiological factors. In this study we investigated the association between CL±P and CP, and two polymorphisms previously determined using genome-wide association studies, as well as the association between consanguinity and CL±P and CP. Methods: DNA was extracted from saliva specimens from 171 triads consisting of affected individuals and their parents, as well as 189 control triads (matched for age, gender, and location) that were recruited from 11 referral hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Two polymorphisms, rs4752028 and rs7078160, located in the VAX1 gene were genotyped using real-time polymerase chain reaction. A transmission disequilibrium test was carried out using the Family-Based Association Test and PLINK (genetic tool-set) to measure the parent-of-origin effect. Results: Significant differences were found between affected individuals and the control group. In the case of the rs4752028 risk allele in cleft, the phenotypes were: CL±P (fathers: odds ratio [OR] 2.16 [95% CI 1.38–3.4]; mothers: OR 2.39 [95% CI 1.53–3.71]; and infants: OR 2.77 [95% CI 1.77–4.34]) and CP (fathers: OR 2.24 [95% CI 1.15–4.36] and infants: OR 2.43 [95% CI 1.25–4.7]). For CL±P and the rs7078160 risk allele, the phenotypes were: (fathers: OR 1.7 [95% CI 1.05–2.86]; mothers: OR 2.43 [95% CI 1.49–3.97]; and infants: OR 2.34 [95% CI 1.44–3.81]). In terms of consanguinity, we found significant association between consanguinity and the rs4752028 polymorphism minor allele among CL±P compared with controls (p = 0.001). Conclusion: This is the first study to find a relationship between these two loci on 10q25 (rs4752028 and rs7078160) and NSOFC in a population with high levels of consanguinity