Managing New Groundwater Irrigated Lands in Egypt Using GIS

Geographic information technology is very important in the worldwide organizations due to its efficiency. Developments in different information systems and computer especially water resources data management systems, directly affect GIS. This technology can be used in Egypt which is an arid country to manage the water resources especially groundwater from both renewable and nonrenewable aquifers. The sustainable water management is one of the most important issues Egypt faces in reclamation lands, Water savings in agriculture in these new lands are an important objective of Egypt’s water strategy. Based on that the magnitude of potential water savings in agriculture and best achieve such savings and management is very important issue. In this study, the scope of the problem is how to manage the available groundwater resources in reclamation lands especially the most of reclamation land is far from the center of decision makers so there is a need to a remote management system. Therefore, it is necessary to develop an appropriate Spatial Decision Support System which quickly enables the decision makers to decide upon different planning and management issues and determine the optimal use of these resources without depletion. This research aims at building new water resources management tool to manage and control the groundwater resources by using a Web GIS in order to explore means of increasing water resources using efficiency in reclamation lands management based on dynamic maps and current data

Meigs syndrome presenting with axillary vein thrombosis and lymphadenopathy: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Meigs syndrome is a rare condition, occurring in less than 1% of ovarian tumors and has the characteristic features of a benign ovarian tumor, ascites and a pleural effusion. We present a case of Meigs syndrome in a young patient presenting initially with an axillary vein thrombosis and local lymphadenopathy. CASE PRESENTATION: A 28-year-old Caucasian woman presented with a short history of right arm swelling and shortness of breath as a result of an axillary vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolus.The initial assessment also demonstrated right axillary and subclavian lymphadenopathy, a pleural effusion, ascites and a large ovarian mass. Serum levels of the tumor markers human chorionic gonadotropin and alpha-fetoprotein were normal and the CA-125 level was only moderately elevated.The combination of thrombosis, lymphadenopathy and an ovarian mass raised the possibility of a disseminated malignancy potentially an epithelial ovarian cancer, a germ cell tumor or an ovarian sex cord-stromal tumor.Surgery, performed after a short period of anticoagulation, demonstrated a 13.5cm ovarian cellular fibroma of low malignant potential. Postoperatively the patient made an excellent recovery and the ascites, pleural effusion and lymphadenopathy all resolved promptly. CONCLUSIONS: In Meigs syndrome the classical findings of ascites, pleural effusion in combination with an ovarian mass can mimic disseminated malignancy but resolve spontaneously after surgery. In this current case, the patient also had lymphadenopathy and venous thrombosis, two other findings that are frequently associated with malignancy and was acutely unwell at presentation.It is unclear if the thrombosis and lymphadenopathy were simply coincidental or shared the same etiology as the ascites and pleural effusion. This case indicates that Meigs syndrome may on occasion present with additional findings that can further mimic disseminated malignancy and may lead to diagnostic uncertainty

DNA methylation profiling to assess pathogenicity of BRCA1 unclassified variants in breast cancer

Germline pathogenic mutations in BRCA1 increase risk of developing breast cancer. Screening for mutations in BRCA1 frequently identifies sequence variants of unknown pathogenicity and recent work has aimed to develop methods for determining pathogenicity. We previously observed that tumor DNA methylation can differentiate BRCA1-mutated from BRCA1-wild type tumors. We hypothesized that we could predict pathogenicity of variants based on DNA methylation profiles of tumors that had arisen in carriers of unclassified variants. We selected 150 FFPE breast tumor DNA samples [47 BRCA1 pathogenic mutation carriers, 65 BRCAx (BRCA1-wild type), 38 BRCA1 test variants] and analyzed a subset (n=54) using the Illumina 450K methylation platform, using the remaining samples for bisulphite pyrosequencing validation. Three validated markers (BACH2, C8orf31, and LOC654342) were combined with sequence bioinformatics in a model to predict pathogenicity of 27 variants (independent test set). Predictions were compared with standard multifactorial likelihood analysis. Prediction was consistent for c.5194-12G>A (IVS 19-12 G>A) (P>0.99); 13 variants were considered not pathogenic or likely not pathogenic using both approaches. We conclude that tumor DNA methylation data alone has potential to be used in prediction of BRCA1 variant pathogenicity but is not independent of estrogen receptor status and grade, which are used in current multifactorial models to predict pathogenicity

Superficial myofibroblastoma of the genital tract: a case report of the imaging findings

Superficial angiomyofibroblastomas are mesenchymal tumours that occur in the genital tract and are well described pathologically. This case report reviews the imaging appearances and highlights the MRI findings, which have not been previously described. We describe the occurrence of this lesion in a vaginal cyst, which to the authors’ knowledge, has also not been previously described. The histological findings are also presented here. Introduction Mesenchymal tumours of the female genital tract are well described pathologically but the imaging findings are less well documented. We present a case of an unusual mesenchymal tumour of the female genital tract, highlight the key sonographic and MRI findings and summarise the current diagnostic and management approach. Clinical history A 50-year-old female presented with a history of prolonged menstrual bleeding and right iliac fossa discomfort. Her past medical history of note included endometriosis, a partially septate uterus and two previous lower segment cesarean sections. She had no allergies and denied any relevant drug history such as tamoxifen or hormonal therapy use. Imaging findings Initial pelvic ultrasound demonstrated normal uterus and ovaries, but detected a 13 mm vascular soft tissue nodule in a 28 × 20 × 25 mm cystic lesion in the left posterior vaginal fornix (Figure 1). The differential diagnosis at this time included a cervical or high vaginal polyp or an endometrioma, although the solid vascular component was unusual for the latter

Nitric oxide levels in chronic liver disease patients with and without oesophageal varices

Introduction Patients with chronic liver disease ultimately progress to develop cirrhosis and portal hypertension. Recently it seems well established that nitric oxide disturbances play a key role in the pathogenesis of chronic liver disease and portal hypertension. The aim of this work was to clarify the correlation between chronic liver disease stages, liver function status, esophageal varices presence and nitric oxide disturbances. Subjects and methods All subjects (n = 120) in the present study were classified into; group I which included 15 age and sex matched healthy volunteers (taken as control), group II which included 20 patients with chronic active hepatitis, and group III which included 85 patients with hepatic cirrhosis. All subjects included were subjected to full clinical assessment, routine laboratory investigations, serum nitrate level determination using colorimetric method, abdominal ultrasonography and upper endoscopy. Results Increased serum nitrate level could not be detected in patients with chronic active hepatitis as well as those with early cirrhosis (Child’s class A). Progressive and significant increase of serum nitrate levels were detected in more advanced stages of cirrhosis (Child’s class B & C). The best non-invasive predictor for the presence of oesophageal varices was a combination of platelet count <150.000/mm3, splenomegaly >18 cm, Child’s class B or C and serum nitrate ≥38 μmol/l, with 93.3% sensitivity and 100% specificity. Conclusion Serum nitrate level can be used as a non-invasive predictor for progression of chronic liver disease as well as for the presence of oesophageal varices

The improved giant magnetostrictive actuator oscillations via positive position feedback damper

This article contemplates the demeanor of the giant magnetostrictive actuator (GMA) when a positive position feedback (PPF) damper is used to enable tight control over its vibration. The methodology followed here mathematically searches for the approximate solution for the motion equations of the GMA with the PPF damper, which has been accomplished by using one of the most famous perturbation methods. The multiple scale perturbation technique (MSPT) of the second-order approximation is our strategy to obtain the analytical results. The stability of the system has also been investigated and observed by implementing frequency response equations to close the concurrent primary and internal resonance cases. By utilizing Matlab and Maple programs, all numerical discussions have been accomplished and explained. The resulting influence on the amplitude due to changes in the parameters' values has been studied by the frequency response curves. Finally, a comparison between both the analytical and numerical solutions using time history and response curves is made. In addition to the comparison between our PPF damper's effect on the GMA, previous works are presented. To get our target in this article, we have mentioned some important applications utilized in the GMA system just to imagine the importance of controlling the GMA vibration

Selective CDK9 inhibition overcomes TRAIL resistance by concomitant suppression of cFlip and Mcl-1.

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) can induce apoptosis in many cancer cells without causing toxicity in vivo. However, to date, TRAIL-receptor agonists have only shown limited therapeutic benefit in clinical trials. This can, most likely, be attributed to the fact that 50% of all cancer cell lines and most primary human cancers are TRAIL resistant. Consequently, future TRAIL-based therapies will require the addition of sensitizing agents that remove crucial blocks in the TRAIL apoptosis pathway. Here, we identify PIK-75, a small molecule inhibitor of the p110α isoform of phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI3K), as an exceptionally potent TRAIL apoptosis sensitizer. Surprisingly, PI3K inhibition was not responsible for this activity. A kinome-wide in vitro screen revealed that PIK-75 strongly inhibits a panel of 27 kinases in addition to p110α. Within this panel, we identified cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) as responsible for TRAIL resistance of cancer cells. Combination of CDK9 inhibition with TRAIL effectively induced apoptosis even in highly TRAIL-resistant cancer cells. Mechanistically, CDK9 inhibition resulted in downregulation of cellular FLICE-like inhibitory protein (cFlip) and Mcl-1 at both the mRNA and protein levels. Concomitant cFlip and Mcl-1 downregulation was required and sufficient for TRAIL sensitization by CDK9 inhibition. When evaluating cancer selectivity of TRAIL combined with SNS-032, the most selective and clinically used inhibitor of CDK9, we found that a panel of mostly TRAIL-resistant non-small cell lung cancer cell lines was readily killed, even at low concentrations of TRAIL. Primary human hepatocytes did not succumb to the same treatment regime, defining a therapeutic window. Importantly, TRAIL in combination with SNS-032 eradicated established, orthotopic lung cancer xenografts in vivo. Based on the high potency of CDK9 inhibition as a cancer cell-selective TRAIL-sensitizing strategy, we envisage the development of new, highly effective cancer therapies.Cell Death and Differentiation advance online publication, 20 December 2013; doi:10.1038/cdd.2013.179

The status of epidermal growth factor receptor in borderline ovarian tumours

The majority of borderline ovarian tumours (BOTs) behave in a benign fashion, but some may show aggressive behavior. The reason behind this has not been elucidated. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is known to contribute to cell survival signals as well as metastatic potential of some tumours. EGFR expression and gene status have not been thoroughly investigated in BOTs as it has in ovarian carcinomas. In this study we explore protein expression as well as gene mutations and amplifications of EGFR in BOTs in comparison to a subset of other epithelial ovarian tumours. We studied 85 tumours, including 61 BOTs, 10 low grade serous carcinomas (LGSCs), 9 high grade serous carcinomas (HGSCs) and 5 benign epithelial tumours. EGFR protein expression was studied using immunohistochemistry. Mutations were investigated by Sanger sequencing exons 18-21 of the tyrosine kinase domain of EGFR. Cases with comparatively higher protein expression were examined for gene amplification by chromogenic in situ hybridization. We also studied the tumours for KRAS and BRAF mutations. Immunohistochemistry results revealed both cytoplasmic and nuclear EGFR expression with variable degrees between tumours. The level of nuclear localization was relatively higher in BOTs and LGSCs as compared to HGSCs or benign tumours. The degree of nuclear expression of BOTs showed no significant difference from that in LGSCs (mean ranks 36.48, 33.05, respectively, p=0.625), but was significantly higher than in HGSCs (mean ranks: 38.88, 12.61 respectively, p<0.001) and benign tumours (mean ranks: 35.18, 13.00 respectively, p=0.010). Cytoplasmic expression level was higher in LGSCs. No EGFR gene mutations or amplification were identified, yet different polymorphisms were detected. Five different types of point mutations in the KRAS gene and the V600E BRAF mutation were detected exclusively in BOTs and LGSCs. Our study reports for the first time nuclear localization of EGFR in BOTs. The nuclear localization similarities between BOTs and LGSCs and not HGSCs support the hypothesis suggesting evolution of LGSCs from BOTs. We also confirm that EGFR mutations and amplifications are not molecular events in the pathogenesis of BOTs