Genotoxic and histotoxic effects of air pollutants at a benzene station on albino rats

Background: This study was designed to explore the hazardous effects of occupational exposure to air pollutants arising from benzene stations.Methods: A total of 48 albino rats were divided into three groups each of sixteen animals. Groups-I and II were kept at a benzene station for 60 and 120 days, respectively; while group-III was kept as a control under normal laboratory conditions. At the end of the experiment, animals were sacrificed and bone marrow samples were taken to investigate the effect of air pollutants at a benzene station on chromosomal aberrations and micronuclei formation. Tissue samples were also picked out to evaluate histotoxic effects of these air pollutants.Results: Results indicated pronounced time-dependent effects because of the work place pollutants. Genetic examination revealed higher frequency of chromosomal aberrations and elevated mitotic index after exposure to air pollutants. Micronuclei formation also increased either in polychromatic or normochromatic erythrocyte due to air pollutants. Histopathological examination revealed congestion of the pulmonary blood vessels with pulmonary edema. Bronchial hyperplasia and metaplasia were also seen in late stage of exposure. The liver showed degenerative changes or even necrosis of hepatocytes, while the kidneys showed congestion of the renal blood vessels and glomerular tufts. Hyalinization of the glomeruli was also detected. The heart showed various mononuclear infiltration and the testes showed degenerative changes of seminiferous tubules. Spleen showed hemosiderosis while testes showed degenerative changes of seminiferous tubules.Conclusions: The findings of the present study indicated that benzene exposure may lead to toxic effects including, genotoxicities and histotoxicities. In order to minimize the predicted toxic effect of occupational exposure to benzene the strict protective measures should be put in consideration

IMPROVING GROWTH CHARACTERISTICS AND VASE LIFE OF DENDRANTHEMA GRANDIFLORUM ‘FLYER’ USING HUMIC AND FULVIC ACIDS AS BIOSTIMULANTS SUBSTANCES

A greenhouse experiment was conducted during two consecutive seasons of 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 at the Nursery of Ornamental plants, Faculty of Agriculture, Mansoura University, Egypt, to compare the ability of humic and fulvic acids solely at different concentrations (500,1000,1500 mg/l), besides the control on improving some vegetative, flowering parameters and chemical constituents of mums (Dendranthema grandiflorum ‘Flyer’). The obtained results cleared that fulvic acid at concentrations of 1500 and 1000 mg/l or humic acid at 1500 mg/l were the most effective treatments for improving the vegetative parameters (plant height, branches number, plant spread, roots/shoots ratio, fresh and dry weights of plant, and leaf area), flowering parameters (days required period for appearing the first inflorescence and 50% of inflorescences, duration of flowering stage and the vase life, inflorescences number/plant, inflorescence diameter). Furthermore, drenching fulvic acid at 1500 and 1000 mg/l or humic acid at 1500 mg/l, promoted the photosynthesis pigments (total chlorophylls and carotenoids), in addition to the percentages of total carbohydrates, nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium in the leaves. Finally, it could be recommended to use fulvic acid at 1000 mg/l or humic acid at 1500 mg/l twice monthly (six times during the flowers production process) as a soil drench before the irrigation process for obtaining the ideal growth characteristics of this important pot and cut flower plan

Scheduling Irrigation Using Automatic Tensiometers for Pea Crop

Recent technological advances have made soil water sensors available for efficient and automatic operation of irrigation systems. Automatic soil water sensor-based irrigation seeks to maintain a desired soil water range in the root zone that is optimal for plant growth. Automatic tensiometers were buried at 30 cm depth under the sandy soil surface of Nubaria experimental station of NRC, subjected to drip irrigation system to automatically schedule irrigation for pea crop.  Soil moisture potentials 70, 75 and 85 kPa, represented 3 irrigation treatments and 3 Potassium treatments 50, 75 and 100% of 100 kg fed.-1, the officially recommended amount of Potassium fertilization for a pea crop by the ministry of agriculture in Egypt for sandy soils, were scheduled and added with the drip irrigation portions. The obtained results revealed that using soil moisture potentials 70, 75 and 85 kPa were equivalent to 85, 75 and 60% of the field capacity of the soil, respectively. The average crop factor (Kc) was calculated for each growth stage and the water applied according to the depletion percentage for each water treatment. All the applications were adjusted on control panel which was connected to an electric valve for each treatment. Water use efficiency, productivity, growth parameters, K use efficiency were calculated for each treatment. Automatic scheduling of drip irrigation at 85% F.C. using irrometer tensioner and 75% K fertilizers led to saving 16% to 35% of supplied irrigation water compared to uncontrolled drip irrigation method, with an increase in the yield of the crop estimated by 20%.Keywords: automatic irrigation, scheduling irrigation, automatic tensiometer, potassium fertigation, drip irrigation

Study The Applications of Water Deficiency Levels and Ascorbic Acid Foliar on Growth Parameters and Yield of Summer Squash Plant (Cucurbita pepo L.)

Two field experiments study during 2015 and 2016 summer seasons on sandy loam soil under drip irrigation system by Nile river water, at the Agricultural Research and Production Station National Research Centre, El- Nubaria region, EL- Beheira Governorate,  Egypt. This study focused on the applications of different water deficiency levels (100, 80 and 60% of F.C. i.e. field capacity) and ascorbic acid (AsA) spraying foliar application with different concentrations (0, 50 and 100 ppm) as antioxidant on growth parameters and yield as well as photosynthetic pigments content of summer squash plants (Cucurbitapepo L.cv. Eskandrani). Results indicated that, decreasing water levels caused a significant reduction in the all tested growth and yield parameters, i.e., canopy weight, root weight, number of leaves, leaves fresh weight and leaf area as well as photosynthetic pigments content (total chl., and carotenoids), total yield, fruit weight and length. While increasing ascorbic acid spraying foliar application levels as antioxidant significantly increased the aforementioned parameters in the two seasons as compared with control. On the other hand, decreasing water levels caused a significant increasing in leaf proline content, leaf cell sap osmotic pressure, dry matter % and fruit TSS in the two growing seasons as compared with control.Keywords: water stress, water deficiency, ascorbic acid, antioxidant, growth, yield, summer squash plant and Cucurbita pepo.

The Language of Visual Communication between the Variable Culture and Beliefs in Light of Art Formation

Physical language takes on a universal dimension, where people can communicate through it as an understandable language related to the different environments and elements associated with man, animal, and plant, for forms that have meaning for the public and individuals because they have different thoughts and cultures. The art is a rich material for the transmission of ideas and beliefs, a material for recording history and everyday life, within its formal and spontaneous framework, and a material for the documenting of human relations. It contributed to the direction of public thought in a cultural or ideological framework. It was possible to exploit the color and the sculptural modeling as a strong means that varies between the even and sculptural within the framework of official sculpture in a changing relationship throughout history to take a modern form that is related to modernity and the wide impact under technological development. This research aims to review the aspects of communication, and the influence of art through ancient civilizations to contemporary time

Project Scheduling: Survey and Research Potentials

Abstract: project scheduling is very critical topic in project management. Resource constrained project scheduling problem (RCPSP) consists of activities that must be scheduled based on dependencies relationships and priorities of activities. In the recent years there have been many survey papers around the area of project scheduling, as many researchers developed both exact and heuristic scheduling schemes. This paper give an over view around the resource constrained project scheduling problem (RCPSP)

DESIGN, SYNTHESIS AND BIOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF SOME NEW SUCCINIMIDE, 2-IMINOTHIAZOLINE AND OXAZINE DERIVATIVES BASED BENZOPYRONE AS ANTICONVULSANT AGENTS

Objective: The objective of the present study was to synthesize novel benzopyrone derivatives with potential and safer anticonvulsant activity.Methods: New benzopyrone derivatives have been synthesized and characterized by spectral and elemental analysis. These compounds tested for anticonvulsant activity using the maximal electroshock (MES) and subcutaneous pentylenetetrazole (scPTZ) screens (phase 1), which are the most widely employed seizure models for early identification of new anticonvulsant agents. Phase 2 including, neurotoxicity screening and quantitative determination of the median effective dose (ED50), median lethal dose (LD50) and protective index (PI) for the active compounds from phase 1.Results: Compound 12b possessed potent anticonvulsant activity with ED50 values of 94.75 and 70.7 mg/kg in the MES and scPTZ screens respectively, and had LD50 value of 2546 mg/kg after intraperitoneal injection to mice, which provide compound 12b with a wide protective index of 26.87 and 36.01 for MES and scPTZ screens respectively compared to the reference drug Phenobarbital with PI of 12.16 and 20.08, respectively. In addition, compound 12b exhibited mild neurotoxicity at the maximum administrated dose (200 mg/kg).Conclusion: Compound 12b possessed broad spectrum activity for the treatment of all types of seizures, with a wide protective index compared to Phenobarbital. Consequently, compound 12b can be selected as a new bio candidate lead for further study.Keywords: Benzopyrone, Succinimide, 2-Iminothiazoline, Oxazine; Anticonvulsant

Effect of Empagliflozin on Thioacetamide-Induced Liver Injury in Rats: Role of AMPK/SIRT-1/HIF-1α Pathway in Halting Liver Fibrosis

Hepatic fibrosis causes severe morbidity and death. No viable treatment can repair fibrosis and protect the liver until now. We intended to discover the empagliflozin’s (EMPA) hepatoprotective efficacy in thioacetamide (TAA)-induced hepatotoxicity by targeting AMPK/SIRT-1 activity and reducing HIF-1α. Rats were treated orally with EMPA (3 or 6 mg/kg) with TAA (100 mg/kg, IP) thrice weekly for 6 weeks. EMPA in both doses retracted the serum GGT, ALT, AST, ammonia, triglycerides, total cholesterol, and increased serum albumin. At the same time, EMPA (3 or 6 mg/kg) replenished the hepatic content of GSH, ATP, AMP, AMPK, or SIRT-1 and mitigated the hepatic content of MDA, TNF-α, IL-6, NF-κB, or HIF-1α in a dose-dependent manner. Likewise, hepatic photomicrograph stained with hematoxylin and eosin or Masson trichrome stain of EMPA (3 or 6 mg/kg) revealed marked regression of the hepatotoxic effect of TAA with minimal injury. Similarly, in rats given EMPA (3 or 6 mg/kg), the immunohistochemically of hepatic photomicrograph revealed minimal stain of either α-SMA or caspase-3 compared to the TAA group. Therefore, we concluded that EMPA possessed an antifibrotic effect by targeting AMPK/SIRT-1 activity and inhibiting HIF-1α. The present study provided new insight into a novel treatment of liver fibrosis

Chemical Profile of Cyperus laevigatus and Its Protective Effects against Thioacetamide-Induced Hepatorenal Toxicity in Rats

Cyperus species represent a group of cosmopolitan plants used in folk medicine to treat several diseases. In the current study, the phytochemical profile of Cyperus laevigatus ethanolic extract (CLEE) was assessed using UPLC-QTOF–MS/MS. The protective effect of CLEE at 50 and 100 mg /kg body weight (b.w.) was evaluated on hepatorenal injuries induced by thioacetamide (100 mg/kg) via investigation of the extract’s effects on oxidative stress, inflammatory markers and histopathological changes in the liver and kidney. UPLC-QTOF–MS/MS analysis of CLEE resulted in the identification of 94 compounds, including organic and phenolic acids, flavones, aurones, and fatty acids. CLEE improved the antioxidant status in the liver and kidney, as manifested by enhancement of reduced glutathione (GSH) and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), in addition to the reduction in malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), and 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8OHdG). Moreover, CLEE positively affected oxidative stress parameters in plasma and thwarted the depletion of hepatorenal ATP content by thioacetamide (TAA). Furthermore, treatment of rats with CLEE alleviated the significant increase in plasma liver enzymes, kidney function parameters, and inflammatory markers. The protective effect of CLEE was confirmed by a histopathological study of the liver and kidney. Our results proposed that CLEE may reduce TAA-hepatorenal toxicity via its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties suppressing oxidative stress