Modulation of NK Cell Autocrine-Induced Eosinophil Chemotaxis by Interleukin-15 and Vitamin D3: A Possible NK-Eosinophil Crosstalk via IL-8 in the Pathophysiology of Allergic Rhinitis

Natural killer cells (NK) secrete eosinophilotactic cytokines, however, whether they contribute to eosinophil chemotaxis by secreting IL-8 is not known. We investigated the ability of CD56+CD3-ve (NK cells) to induce chemotaxis of peripheral blood eosinophils from allergic rhinitis (AR) patients, through IL-8 secretion, and the effects of IL-15, the NK cell proactivating cytokine, and calcitriol: 1α, 25-dihydroxy Vitamin D3 (vitamin D3), the immunomodulator agent, in this scenario. Herein, it is shown that supernatants from unstimulated NK cells exhibited chemotactic activity against eosinophil. This effect was significantly augmented by IL-15 (1 ng/mL) treatment, resulting in an increase in the chemotactic index of approximately 3 folds and was abrogated by neutralizing antibody (Ab) to IL-8 in a dose-dependent fashion. The amount of IL-8 secreted by NK cells was increased by IL-15 treatment from levels of 88.64 ± 21.5 to 178.9 ± 23.6 Pg/mL and was significantly reduced by 10−6 M vitamin D3 to levels of 59.2 ± 16.3 Pg/mL. Our results indicate a novel inflammatory crosstalk between NK cells and eosinophils via IL-15/IL-8 axis that can be modulated by vitamin D3

Serum neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin as a biomarker of disease activity in pediatric lupus nephritis

Background: Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is expressed in immature neutrophil precursors and in epithelial cells during both inflammation and neoplastic transformation. A recent prospective pediatric study demonstrated that concentrations of NGAL in urine and plasma represent novel, sensitive, and specific biomarkers for early identification of acute kidney injury following cardiac surgery. Objective: To assess the relationship of serum NGAL levels with disease activity in pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with special emphasis on lupus nephritis. Methods: The study included 30 children and adolescents with pediatric SLE with a mean age of 16.48±3.524 years. Patients were clinically and laboratory evaluated and categorized into those with nephritis and those without nephritis. Activity was assessed using SLEDAI score, NGAL levels were measured in the sera of included patients and were compared to those of 20 matched controls using ELISA. Results: Serum NGAL was significantly higher in SLE patients in comparison to the controls (z=-5.962, p < 0.001). Furthermore serum NGAL was significantly higher in SLE patients with nephritis and in those without nephritis in comparison to the controls (p < 0.001 in both). Serum NGAL was higher in SLE patients with nephritis in comparison to those without nephritis, yet the results are borderline regarding statistical significance (p=0.05). Levels of serum NGAL correlated significantly with disease activity as assessed by SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) (r=0.485, p < 0.01). There was a significant correlation between serum NGAL and urinary protein to creatinine ratio, 24hr urinary protein and BUN of SLE patients. Conclusion: Our results suggest that serum NGAL represents a novel biomarker for disease activity in pediatric SLE patients, and a marker of severity of renal involvement.Keywords: SLE, NGAL, SLEDAI, lupus nephritisEgypt J Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2011;9(1):15-2

EFFECTS OF NANO CARBON AND NITROGEN FERTILIZATION ON GROWTH, LEAF MINERAL CONTENT, YIELD AND FRUIT QUALITY OF FLAME SEEDLESS GRAPE

This investigation was carried out through two successive seasons (2014 and 2015) to investigate the effects of nano-carbon and nitrogen fertilization levels on growth, leaf mineral content, yield and fruit quality of 3 years old flame seedless grapevines, cultivated in a private orchard with loamy soil texture, at Gharbiya Governorate. Ten treatments were applied as a randomized complete block design with three replications. The result indicated that 80%N from recommended requirment+0.6% carbon nano tubes (CNTs) increased significantly leaf area, fresh and dry weight, total carbohydrate% and concentration of N, P, K, Mg, and Fe in leaves, weight of 100 berries,  and juice weight of 100 berries compared with control. Also results showed that yield of combined application of 80% conventional fertilizer of nitrogen and nano-carbon at 0.6%was equal to that with supplied 100% conventional fertilizer (control). This indicated that the utilization rate of nitrogen fertilizer was increased after combined application of nano-carbon, which can save the N fertilizer amounts in production practice

التركيب المحصولى المصرى فى ظل المخاطرة والمتغيرات المحلية والدولية

Cropping pattern refers to the percentage of acreage occupied by various crops within the crop rotation. It is determined through cultivated' area assigned to each crop according to the sequence system necessitated by crop rotation considerations. The optimum crop pattern is the one, which achieves the highest possible net return depending on input and output prices together with crop yields. It is a dynamic process as it changes from time to another based on farmers' needs and crops profitability in the previous year. It also may differ based on whether we are looking from the point of view individual farmer, trader, middleman, and exporter or from the point of view the society as a whole. Various crops are competing on the limited land within the agricultural season. So expanding the acreage of any crop would automatically entail contraction of another competitive crop, as total supply of land is almost fixed and limited. The major objective behind designing an indicative cropping pattern is the issue of food security. This issue is important both from strategic perspective, as well as in the context of poverty. While there is emerging consensus on the definition of food security as aiming to assure the country adequate access to food, both internally and externally generated, there is still reference to the need to grow certain strategic crops. Moreover, there is a desire to achieve a measure of stabilization in producer and consumer prices through the development of buffer stocks. There are various options available, each of which has costs and benefits related to them. One option would be a high level of risk aversion, which would entail a cropping pattern that centers on subsistence crops. Another option may pursue efficiency pricing and therefore would result in crops being growing in which the country has a comparative advantage. For example, self-sufficiency for wheat could be enhanced to 75% in an efficient manner. Meanwhile the domestic production of rice and sugar cane may expand to a frontier that misallocates resources of water and land. The agricultural production is very susceptible to risks originated from natural, economic or social fosters that are difficult to predict or control. In Egypt, cropping pattern, is influenced by local economic variables to up prices, i.e., cropped area is determined by farmer response to changes in absolute or relative prices of the preceding season, in addition to profitability of crops of the last season, where farmer can not change supply of labor, the elapse of period of time curding to the nature of the crops being produced. Egypt's cropping pattern is also affected by international variables related to transactions with international markets for food products and to transactions with international markets for food products and to problem related to world production of biological fuel, world financial crisis, world food crisis, and rules imposed by the international trade system. As a result, there is a deficit in the Egyptian balance of trade for food commodities amounting to L.E. 8 milliards on average for the last few years. The upsurge in demand for agricultural crops like wheat, maize, soybeans, vegetable, oils, and sugar crops for the use in producing biological fuel has resulted in a drastic increase in prices of food, during 2005-2007 the average rate of price increase of food commodities has been estimated at 83% which led to a high increase in import bill in developing -and poor countries among them Egypt which is a not food importer. For many reasons developing an increase in domestic agricultural production of strategic food crops, i.e., cereals legumes. Vegetable, oils, and sugar crops, is the best way to confront international variables, Either through vertical or horizontal expansion of those crops in addition to reducing the acreage of high water consuming scraps, which is the objective behind suggesting the cropping pattern in the short and long terms. Each of these objectives is direct by associated with the master end of ensuring food serenity. Indicative cropping pattern during last years varies considerably as compared to the actual cropping pattern experienced by farmers' decisions irrespective of the agricultural policy of the government Egypt. However, indicative or proposed cropping pattern could be put into action by introducing economic, institution and organization instruments. Those various instruments should be streamlined and harmonized together. Economic instruments advisable for execution of cropping pattern could include subsidizing production and inputs for strategic export and import crops that minimize consumption of irrigation water, introducing contractual agricultural production system, especially, in regard to cotton, sugar cane and sugar beet in addition to other industrial crops. It is advisable to establish agricultural stabilization funds to insure' farmers against various types of risks notably price risks. More over incentives either negative like taxes or positive like interest rate reduction, and rescheduling of debts could also be provided and operated. One major organizational instrument that has been successful recently introduced at a probation scale in three governorates is the national project for development of the field irrigation system in wade and delta. It is estimated that application of that project would save 15% of water consumed for irrigation. The saved water could be used for ameliorating and reclaiming an estimated acreage of 3 million feddans. In addition it is suggested that elimination of camels and messages on the fields would save and area of 0.5 million feddans to be put under cultivation. The study has estimated risk associated with Egyptian cropping pattern by application of linear and non-linear mathematical programming. Three models of minimization risk have been proposed and manipulated including: (1) Minimization Of Total Absolute Deviations: (MOTAD). (2) Risk Input-Output MOTAD. (3) Two Stage Stochastic Programming – (TSSP-RIO-MOTAD). In addition to the various scenarios cited above with their respective major objective functions, the models do comprise acreage, means of production in terms of cost of production, monthly year round irrigation water, and annual agricultural labor on monthly basis. Sensitivity analysis has been estimated for depicting the effect of changing prices of wheat and rice on cropping pattern disposition, by the application of TSSP-RIO-MOTAD model. Among the major results of these analyses are: 1- An increment of gross margin to farmers at L.E 3.8 milliard which deeps that suggested cropping has achieved the profit maximization goal which producers would aim at. 2- A huge amount of irrigation water has been saved estimated at 2.6 milliard cubic meters. A magnitude of water saved of this amount could be assigned for reclaiming new lands at about 0.7 million feddans. 3- Capital resources saved estimated at L.E. 985 million. 4- Augmenting acreage under wheat to reach as much as 3 million feddans, which help contributing positives to the nation's food security goal. 5- Reduction in rice acreage so as not to exceed one million feddan. Adding to the nations objectives of saving irrigation water to be used for reclamation of additional new lands. 6- Augmenting acreage cultivated to Soya beans, sunflower, maize, and summer sorghum at 84.9%, 69.5%, 41%, and 12.3% respectively, which, once again, contributes to the nation's objective related to enhancing food security. 7- Augmenting areas under lentil, lupine, chickpeas, broad bean, and fenugreek by 111%, 62.2%, 39.5%, 19.8%, and 8.6% respectively, which positively adds to food security objective. The proposed cropping pattern derived through sensitivity analysis and based on varying farm- prices for wheat and rice is heavily dependent on the effectiveness and synergy of mechanisms and instruments suggested for addressing and implementing of the indicative cropping pattern. Securing the accomplishment of maximization of farmer's profit margin are very major and essential objectives of the proposed cropping pattern

التركيب المحصولى المصرى فى ظل المخاطرة والمتغيرات المحلية والدولية

Cropping pattern refers to the percentage of acreage occupied by various crops within the crop rotation. It is determined through cultivated' area assigned to each crop according to the sequence system necessitated by crop rotation considerations. The optimum crop pattern is the one, which achieves the highest possible net return depending on input and output prices together with crop yields. It is a dynamic process as it changes from time to another based on farmers' needs and crops profitability in the previous year. It also may differ based on whether we are looking from the point of view individual farmer, trader, middleman, and exporter or from the point of view the society as a whole. Various crops are competing on the limited land within the agricultural season. So expanding the acreage of any crop would automatically entail contraction of another competitive crop, as total supply of land is almost fixed and limited. The major objective behind designing an indicative cropping pattern is the issue of food security. This issue is important both from strategic perspective, as well as in the context of poverty. While there is emerging consensus on the definition of food security as aiming to assure the country adequate access to food, both internally and externally generated, there is still reference to the need to grow certain strategic crops. Moreover, there is a desire to achieve a measure of stabilization in producer and consumer prices through the development of buffer stocks. There are various options available, each of which has costs and benefits related to them. One option would be a high level of risk aversion, which would entail a cropping pattern that centers on subsistence crops. Another option may pursue efficiency pricing and therefore would result in crops being growing in which the country has a comparative advantage. For example, self-sufficiency for wheat could be enhanced to 75% in an efficient manner. Meanwhile the domestic production of rice and sugar cane may expand to a frontier that misallocates resources of water and land. The agricultural production is very susceptible to risks originated from natural, economic or social fosters that are difficult to predict or control. In Egypt, cropping pattern, is influenced by local economic variables to up prices, i.e., cropped area is determined by farmer response to changes in absolute or relative prices of the preceding season, in addition to profitability of crops of the last season, where farmer can not change supply of labor, the elapse of period of time curding to the nature of the crops being produced. Egypt's cropping pattern is also affected by international variables related to transactions with international markets for food products and to transactions with international markets for food products and to problem related to world production of biological fuel, world financial crisis, world food crisis, and rules imposed by the international trade system. As a result, there is a deficit in the Egyptian balance of trade for food commodities amounting to L.E. 8 milliards on average for the last few years. The upsurge in demand for agricultural crops like wheat, maize, soybeans, vegetable, oils, and sugar crops for the use in producing biological fuel has resulted in a drastic increase in prices of food, during 2005-2007 the average rate of price increase of food commodities has been estimated at 83% which led to a high increase in import bill in developing -and poor countries among them Egypt which is a not food importer. For many reasons developing an increase in domestic agricultural production of strategic food crops, i.e., cereals legumes. Vegetable, oils, and sugar crops, is the best way to confront international variables, Either through vertical or horizontal expansion of those crops in addition to reducing the acreage of high water consuming scraps, which is the objective behind suggesting the cropping pattern in the short and long terms. Each of these objectives is direct by associated with the master end of ensuring food serenity. Indicative cropping pattern during last years varies considerably as compared to the actual cropping pattern experienced by farmers' decisions irrespective of the agricultural policy of the government Egypt. However, indicative or proposed cropping pattern could be put into action by introducing economic, institution and organization instruments. Those various instruments should be streamlined and harmonized together. Economic instruments advisable for execution of cropping pattern could include subsidizing production and inputs for strategic export and import crops that minimize consumption of irrigation water, introducing contractual agricultural production system, especially, in regard to cotton, sugar cane and sugar beet in addition to other industrial crops. It is advisable to establish agricultural stabilization funds to insure' farmers against various types of risks notably price risks. More over incentives either negative like taxes or positive like interest rate reduction, and rescheduling of debts could also be provided and operated. One major organizational instrument that has been successful recently introduced at a probation scale in three governorates is the national project for development of the field irrigation system in wade and delta. It is estimated that application of that project would save 15% of water consumed for irrigation. The saved water could be used for ameliorating and reclaiming an estimated acreage of 3 million feddans. In addition it is suggested that elimination of camels and messages on the fields would save and area of 0.5 million feddans to be put under cultivation. The study has estimated risk associated with Egyptian cropping pattern by application of linear and non-linear mathematical programming. Three models of minimization risk have been proposed and manipulated including: (1) Minimization Of Total Absolute Deviations: (MOTAD). (2) Risk Input-Output MOTAD. (3) Two Stage Stochastic Programming – (TSSP-RIO-MOTAD). In addition to the various scenarios cited above with their respective major objective functions, the models do comprise acreage, means of production in terms of cost of production, monthly year round irrigation water, and annual agricultural labor on monthly basis. Sensitivity analysis has been estimated for depicting the effect of changing prices of wheat and rice on cropping pattern disposition, by the application of TSSP-RIO-MOTAD model. Among the major results of these analyses are: 1- An increment of gross margin to farmers at L.E 3.8 milliard which deeps that suggested cropping has achieved the profit maximization goal which producers would aim at. 2- A huge amount of irrigation water has been saved estimated at 2.6 milliard cubic meters. A magnitude of water saved of this amount could be assigned for reclaiming new lands at about 0.7 million feddans. 3- Capital resources saved estimated at L.E. 985 million. 4- Augmenting acreage under wheat to reach as much as 3 million feddans, which help contributing positives to the nation's food security goal. 5- Reduction in rice acreage so as not to exceed one million feddan. Adding to the nations objectives of saving irrigation water to be used for reclamation of additional new lands. 6- Augmenting acreage cultivated to Soya beans, sunflower, maize, and summer sorghum at 84.9%, 69.5%, 41%, and 12.3% respectively, which, once again, contributes to the nation's objective related to enhancing food security. 7- Augmenting areas under lentil, lupine, chickpeas, broad bean, and fenugreek by 111%, 62.2%, 39.5%, 19.8%, and 8.6% respectively, which positively adds to food security objective. The proposed cropping pattern derived through sensitivity analysis and based on varying farm- prices for wheat and rice is heavily dependent on the effectiveness and synergy of mechanisms and instruments suggested for addressing and implementing of the indicative cropping pattern. Securing the accomplishment of maximization of farmer's profit margin are very major and essential objectives of the proposed cropping pattern

Penile Epidermal Inclusion Cyst

We report a case of epidermal inclusion cyst in a 32-year-old male. This was a complication of circumcision that was neglected over years to form stones and urethrocutaneous fistula. Complete excision of the cyst and repair of the fistula were performed successfully. Histopathological examination confirmed our diagnosis

Thymus algeriensis and Thymus fontanesii exert neuroprotective effect against chronic constriction injury-induced neuropathic pain in rats

We have previously demonstrated that the Thymus algeriensis and Thymus fontanesii extracts have powerful anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, and analgesic effects against acute pain models. We profiled their chemical composition and found many phenolic acids, flavonoids, and phenolic diterpenes. In this work, we investigated their antioxidant properties on HaCaT cells exposed to UVA-induced oxidative stress and examined their effects against chronic neuropathic pain and the underlying mechanisms. Through a rat chronic constriction injury (CCI) model, we induced chronic neuropathic pain by placing 4 loose ligatures around the right sciatic nerve for 14 days. Thermal and mechanical hyperalgesia in addition to cold and dynamic allodynia were tested on the day before surgery and on the 7th and 14th post-surgery days. Key markers of the nitrosative and oxidative stresses, in addition to markers of inflammation, were measured at day 14 post surgery. Histopathological examination and immunostaining of both synaptophysin and caspase-3 of sciatic nerve and brain stem were also performed. Results of this study showed that T. algeriensis extract suppresses UVA oxidative stress in HaCaT cells via activation of the Nrf-2 pathway. Both extracts attenuated hyperalgesia and allodynia at 7- and 14-days post-surgery with more prominent effects at day 14 of surgery. Their protective effects against neuropathic pain were mediated by inhibiting NOX-1, iNOS, by increasing the enzyme activity of catalase, and inhibition of inflammatory mediators, NF-κB, TNF-α, lipoxygenase, COX-2 enzymes, and PGE2. Furthermore, they improved deleterious structural changes of the brainstem and sciatic nerve. They also attenuated the increased caspase-3 and synaptophysin. The data indicate that both extracts have neuroprotective effects against chronic constriction injury-induced neuropathic pain. The observed protective effects are partially mediated through attenuation of oxidative and nitrosative stress and suppression of both neuroinflammation and neuronal apoptosis, suggesting substantial activities of both extracts in amelioration of painful peripheral neuropathy

Elongated Wire-Like Zinc Oxide Nanostructures Synthesized from Metallic Zinc

Elongated wire-like Zinc oxide, nanocombs and nanocrystals have been successfully synthesized on the silicon substrate from the metallic zinc as a starting material. The annealing temperature was as low as 450 ºC in argon atmosphere mixed with about 3% oxygen. Structural analysis using the X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) showed that the existence of two phases; nanowires and crystalline form. Moreover some nanoparticles aggregates were noticed to be attached in the bulk to the sides of the ZnO nanocrystals and sometimes these aggregate attached to the Zinc oxide hexagonal crystal and grow to form nanowire at different angles. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) investigations for the zinc oxide nanostructure on the silicon substrate showed the formation of the nanocrystals in the gas flow direction and at the low energy sites over the silicon substrate. Photoluminescence (PL) measurements, performed at the room temperature, showed the existence of two basic emissions: narrow ultraviolet (UV) emission at 398 nm which attributed to the near band edge emission of the wide band gap and a very wide, more intensive, green emission at 471 nm corresponds to the crystal defects such as vacancies, interstitial sites in ZnO

The Therapeutic Potential of Anthocyanins : Current Approaches Based on Their Molecular Mechanism of Action

Anthocyanins are natural phenolic pigments with biological activity. They are well-known to have potent antioxidant and antiinflammatory activity, which explains the various biological effects reported for these substances suggesting their antidiabetic and anticancer activities, and their role in cardiovascular and neuroprotective prevention. This review aims to comprehensively analyze different studies performed on this class of compounds, their bioavailability and their therapeutic potential. An in-depth look in preclinical, in vitro and in vivo, and clinical studies indicates the preventive effects of anthocyanins on cardioprotection, neuroprotection, antiobesity as well as their antidiabetes and anticancer effects

A comparative study of the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of Inonotus hispidus fruit and their mycelia extracts

Inonotus hispidus (Bull.) P. Karst. has been used as traditional medicine for the treatment of dyspepsia, cancer, and diabetes. Numerous studies have confirmed the antimicrobial, antiviral, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antiproliferative and cytotoxic biological activities of extracts from this species. The purpose of this study was a comparative analysis of the antioxidant and the antimicrobial activities of methanol extracts from fruit and liquid-cultured mycelia. Four compounds (N-butylbenzenesulfonamide, lauramidopropyl betaine, 3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, and uplandicine), determined by hybrid HRMS, were found only in mycelia culture extracts. Free radical scavenging, measured by DPPH assay on methanol extracts, showed an activity of about 17.2% and 22.1% of Trolox in fruiting bodies and mycelia, respectively. The I. hispidus methanol extracts from fruit and mycelia culture were found to have varying degrees of antibacterial and antifungal effects against the pathogenic microorganisms tested (minimum inhibitory concentration from 0.17 to 2.56 μg mL−1)