Ultrasonographic Appearance and Echo-pattern Characterization of Donkeys’ Internal Reproductive Organs

The current study was achieved to designate the accessory sex glands, ampullae and urethra of 25 healthy male donkeys using the ultrasonography. Animals were classified according to their age into young peri-mature (i.e. ≤2 years; n=7) and old mature (>3 years; n=18). The examination was done per rectum by using Magic 2200 scanner with a 6 MHz linear transrectal transducer. The position of each gland was allocated, and length and width were measured. The dimensions of prostate gland lobes and ampulla ductus deferens significantly differed between the examined groups. The echo-pattern analysis of vesicular gland and ampulla ductus deferens, in terms of mean pixel value (MPV), pixel intensity (PI) and pixel number (PN), significantly differed between premature and mature donkeys. Age was significantly correlated with all sex glands measurements. There was a substantial confident relationship between MPV and PI and the dimensions of vesicular and ampulla ductus deferens. In the meantime, PN was clearly negatively correlated with vesicular gland length and width. In conclusions, ultrasound is a feasible non-invasive diagnostic tool that could be used to characterize the accessory glands along the course of the pelvic urethra of male donkeys reared in Egypt. The addressed measures as well as acoustic physiognomies of the secondary sex organs are considered a promising guide in fertility potential prediction and/or the discrimination of the pathological conditions of male reproductive organs

Association of Vitamin D Receptor Gene Polymorphism with Metabolic Syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in a Sample of Egyptian Patients: Submitted: Sep 28, 2018 Accepted: Dec 29, 2018 Published online: 18 Sept, 2019

Background. There are insufficient data on the association of vitamin D receptor (VDR) genes polymorphism and type 2 diabetes mellitus (type 2 DM), and various components of metabolic syndrome among Egyptian patients. The aim of the present study was to study the association of different SNPs of VDR genes  BsmI, ApaI, TaqI and FokI and components of metabolic syndrome and type 2 DM among cohort of Egyptian patients. Methods. The study is a case-control study. Patients included in the study were divided into three groups. Group 1 included 78 patients with type 2 DM; group 2 included 72 patients with metabolic syndrome and one hundred age-matched healthy subjects were served as control group. Full biochemical study and serum 25 hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D) were done. Purified DNA was subjected to study with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) for genotyping of SNPs of VDR gene. Data were presented as mean and standard deviation, and were analysed as appropriate by using the one-way ANOVA or paired t-test. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to correlate between variables. Results. Study of VDR genetic polymorphism had shown significant increase in the prevalence of Ff genotypes among diabetic patients and patients with manifestations of metabolic syndrome. There was significant negative correlation between 25(OH)D and total cholesterol, triglyceride, fasting and post-prandial blood glucose levels, waist circumference and diastolic blood pressure. Conclusion. The genetic polymorphism of VDR might play a role in the pathophysiology of type 2 DM and metabolic syndrome., however, more longitudinal studies are still required to support these finding

Development of new thiazolidine-2,4-dione hybrids as aldose reductase inhibitors endowed with antihyperglycaemic activity: design, synthesis, biological investigations, and in silico insights

This research study describes the development of new small molecules based on 2,4-thiazolidinedione (2,4-TZD) and their aldose reductase (AR) inhibitory activities. The synthesis of 17 new derivatives of 2,4-TZDs hybrids was feasible by incorporating two known bioactive scaffolds, benzothiazole heterocycle, and nitro phenacyl moiety. The most active hybrid (8b) was found to inhibit AR in a non-competitive manner (0.16 µM), as confirmed by kinetic studies and molecular docking simulations. Furthermore, the in vivo experiments demonstrated that compound 8b had a significant hypoglycaemic effect in mice with hyperglycaemia induced by streptozotocin. Fifty milligrams per kilogram dose of 8b produced a marked decrease in blood glucose concentration, and a lower dose of 5 mg/kg demonstrated a noticeable antihyperglycaemic effect. These outcomes suggested that compound 8b may be used as a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of diabetic complications

Linear continuous-time system identification and state observer design by modal analysis

A new approach to the identification problem of linear continuous-time time-invariant systems from input-output measurements is presented. Both parametric and nonparametric system models are considered. The new approach is based on the use of continuous-time functions, the modal functions, defined in terms of the system output, the output derivatives and the state variables under the assumption that the order n of the observable system is known a priori. The modal functions are obtained by linear filtering operations of the system output, the output derivatives and the state variables so that the modal functions are independent of the system instantaneous state. In this case, the modal functions are linear functions of the input exponential modes, and they contain none of the system exponential modes unlike the system general response which contains modes from both the system and the input. The filters parameters, the modal parameters are estimated using linear regression techniques. The modal functions and the modal parameters of the output and its derivatives are used to identify parametric input-output and state models of the system. The coefficients of the system characteristic polynomial are obtained by solving n algebraic equations formed from the estimates of the modal parameters. Estimates of the parameters associated with the system zeros are obtained by solving another set of linear algebraic equation. The system frequency response and step response are estimated using the output modal function. The impulse response is obtained by filtering the estimated step response using the output first derivative modal parameters. A new method is presented to obtain the system poles as the eigenvalues of a data matrix formed from the system free response. The coefficients of the system characteristic polynomial are obtained from the data matrix through a simple recursive equation. This method has some important advantages over the well known Prony's method. The state modal functions are used to obtain a minimum-time observer that gives the continuous-time system state as a direct function of input-output samples in n sampling intervals.Applied Science, Faculty ofElectrical and Computer Engineering, Department ofGraduat

Green synthesis of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles from plant leaf extracts and their applications: A review

Metal nanoparticles (MNPs) and metal oxide nanoparticles (MONPs) are used in numerous fields. The new nano-based entities are being strongly generated and incorporated into everyday personal care products, cosmetics, medicines, drug delivery, and clothing to impact industrial and manufacturing sectors, which means that nanomaterials commercialization and nano-assisted device will continuously grow. They can be prepared by many methods such as green synthesis and the conventional chemical synthesis methods. Green synthesis includes infinite accession to produce MNPs and MONPs with demanding properties. The structure–function relationships between nanomaterials and key information for life cycle evaluation lead to the production of high execution nanoscale materials that are gentle and environmentally friendly. Majority of plants have features as sustainable and renewable suppliers compared with microbes and enzymes, as they have the ability to pick up almost 75% of the light energy and transform it into chemical energy, contain chemicals like antioxidants and sugars, and play fundamental roles in the manufacture of nanoparticles. Plants considered the main factory for the green synthesis of MNPs and MONPs, and until now, different plant species have been used to study this, but the determined conditions should be taken into consideration to execute this preparation. In this study, we focus on the biosynthesis procedures to synthesize MNPs and MONPs, including comparison between green synthesis and the classical chemistry methods as well as the several new orientation of green synthesis of nanoparticles from different plant parts, especially plant leaf extracts. Plants with reducing compounds is the preferred choice for the synthesis of noble metals – metal ions can be reduced to the corresponding metals in the absence of any other chemicals under microwave irradiation conditions using benign solvent, water. Noble metals such as gold (Au), silver (Ag), platinum (Pt), and palladium (Pd) and other metals such as copper (Cu) and nickel (Ni), which are characterized by their optical, electronic, mechanical, magnetic, and chemical properties, leading to different technological applications. Plants with numerous reducing agents are suitable candidates for the manufacture of noble MNPs. The main purpose of this research is to give a background on green nanotechnology prospective evolution, pertinent concerns appeared related to the green synthesis of metal and metal oxide from plant extracts, nanoparticle formation mechanism, and the importance of flavonoids, vitamin B2, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), and phenolic compounds in the MNP and MONP production. The traditional sorghum beers are produced in many countries in Africa, but diversity in the production process may depend on the geographic localization. These beers are very rich in calories; B-group vitamins including thiamine, folic acid, riboflavin, and nicotinic acid; and essential amino acids such as lysine. However, the Western beers are more attractive than the traditional sorghum beers. The traditional sorghum beers have poor hygienic quality, organoleptic variations, and shorter shelf life compared with the Western beers. Many research studies on traditional sorghum beers have been carried out and documented in several African countries, especially the microbiological and biochemical properties, the technologies used in the manufacture processes, and synthetic characteristics of African traditional sorghum beers (ikigage, merissa, doro, dolo, pito, amgba, and tchoukoutou). The excellent resources for the production of greener biomaterials are plants and considerable advances have been achieved in many fields such as biotechnology and gene transfer. The manufactured biological nanomaterials have a great application in the pharmaceutical industry such as novel pharmaceuticals preparation, drug delivery personification procedures, and production of functional nanodevices

Identification du cofacteur métallique de la superoxyde dismutase de Corynebacterium glutamicum et clonage des gènes sodA et msrA et étude des régulations de l'expression sous stress oxydatif et radiatif

La SOD cytosolique a été purifiée. Des expériences de substitution de métaux ont montré que la substitution par le manganèse permettait de conserver 84,9 % d'activité spécifique, alors que le cuivre, le fer, le nickel, et le zinc ne permettaient pas de restituer l'activité. L'enzyme est donc une MnSOD stricte (non-cambialistique). Le gène codant, sodA, a été cloné et séquencé. L'analyse du locus chromosomique a permis d'identifier dans l'environnement de sodA, un second gène (msrA, codant un peptide méthionine sulfoxyde réductase), potentiellement impliqué dans la réponse au stress oxydatif. L'analyse de la région promotrice sodA-msrA n'a pas permis de mettre en évidence les sites de fixation des régulateurs éventuels sauf des sites éventuels de fixation de OxyR et IHF. La régulation des deux gènes sodA et msrA a été étudiée par le suivi des variations de l'expression du gène lacZ de E. coli, gène rapporteur placé sous le contrôle des séquences en amont de sodA et de msrA. Des fusions traductionnelles ont été construites, et intégrées dans le génome de C. glutamicum. Diverses conditions environnementales de stress oxydatif, de stress radiatif, de stress thermique, ainsi que l'ajout de métaux in vivo ont été étudiées, mais aucun des stress utilisés n'a permis de révéler une régulation transcriptionnelle de sodA, ni de msrA, sauf pour msrA en phase stationnaire tardive en réponse au choc thermique, ou après irradiation UV. Une étude in silico pour chercher les régulateurs éventuels dans le génome de C. glutamicum a montré l'absence des homologues de soxRS et arcA, la présence de oxyR, et de candidats putatifs homologues de ahpC, ohrR, crp-fnr, IHF, furA, IdeR,DtxR et mntRThe cytosolic SOD was purified. Experiences of metal substitution indicated that the substitution by manganese permitted the conservation of 84,9 % of specific activity, while the use of copper, iron, nickel, zinc did not permit to restore the activity. Thus the enzyme is a strict MnSOD (not-cambialistic). The sodA gene was cloned and sequenced. Analysis of the chromosomal locus allowed the identification of a second gene possibly implicated in oxidative stress response (peptide methionine sulfoxide reductase encoding gene msrA) in the close environment of the sodA gene. The analysis of the promoter region sodA-msrA did not make it possible to highlight the putative sites of fixing of the eventual regulators except possible sites of fixing of OxyR and IHF. Expression of the E. coli lacZ gene, as a reporter gene placed under the control of the upstream sequences of sodA and msrA, was followed as a reflect of sodA and msrA regulation. Integrative transductionnal fusions were transferred into the C. glutamicum genome. Various stresses: oxidative stress, radiative stress, heat shock, in vitro addition of metals was tried, but no regulation was detected for sodA and msrA expression, but in the case of msrA during late stationary phase in response to heat shock, and in response to UV irradiation. An in silico study to seek eventual regulators in the genome of C. glutamicum showed the absence of the homologues of soxRS and arcA, the presence of oxyR, and the presence of putative candidates for ahpC, ohrR, crp-fnr family, IHF, furA, IdeR, DtxR and mntR.ORSAY-PARIS 11-BU Sciences (914712101) / SudocSudocFranceF

System for detecting and reporting cell phone distracted drivers

[abstract not available

Non-invasive positive pressure ventilation and exercise training in patients with stable hypercapnic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a disease with progressive course of dyspnea which leads to reduced health related quality of life (HRQoL). Exercise training has useful effects toward their exercise tolerance and health related quality of life (HRQoL). However extreme breathlessness limits these patients in maintaining exercise training. Non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) is considered a beneficial treatment option for chronic stable hypercapnic respiratory failure. So, the aim of this study is to assess the effect of adding NIPPV to Exercise training program compared to Exercise training program alone in stable hypercapnic COPD patients. Patients and methods: Thirty patients with stable hypercapnic COPD were selected, subdivided into two groups; 15 patients underwent Exercise training alone (Ex. group) and another 15 patients performed Exercises training in association with receiving NIPPV (Ex. + NIPPV group). Baseline and after 3 months assessment of arterial blood gases analysis (ABGs), pulmonary function tests (PFTs), dyspnea scale by modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) and assessment of HRQoL guided by COPD Assessment Test (CAT) were done for both groups. Results: In the Exercise training group, they showed statistical significant improvement in dyspnea scale (mMRC) and CAT score after 3 month performance (p  0.05). While in the Ex. + NIPPV group, a highly statistical significant improvement regarding PCO2, FEV1 and dyspnea scale (mMRC) (p ⩽ 0.001) and a significant difference as regards HRQoL assessment score (p < 0.05) were found after 3 month follow up. Conclusion: Addition of NIPPV to exercise training in patients with stable hypercapnic COPD patients improved PCO2, FEV1, dyspnea scale and HRQoL

Decreasing cardiac iron overload with Amlodipine and Spirulina in children with β-thalassemia

Background & aim: Iron overload in thalassemia major (TM) leads to excessive iron deposition in a wide variety of tissues especially the heart leading to iron-overload cardiomyopathy, which is the major determinant of survival in those patients. Our goal was to study effects of Amlodipine and Spirulina on iron loading when added to chelation therapy in patients with TM. Method: Forty patients with TM undergoing chelation therapy were randomized into two groups (1:1); group 1 received Amlodipine 5 mg/day, and group 2 received Spirulina 250 mg/kg/day for 3 months. Patients were assessed for MRI examination (cardiac T2*) and laboratory data including ferritin, troponin I, and NT-proBNP levels at baseline and after 3 months. Results: After 3 months, cardiac T2* increased significantly from 21.8 ± 7.7 ms to 22.94 ± 7.1 ms (p = 0.03) in Spirulina group, and from 21.9 ± 8.7 ms to 24.6 ± 9.4 ms (p = 0.007) in Amlodipine group. There was significant reduction in ferritin levels in Spirulina group (p = 0.007), but not in Amlodipine group (p = 0.09). In addition, NT-proBNP level decreased significantly in both groups. There was no statistically significant difference between both groups concerning cardiac T2*, serum ferritin, troponin I, and NT-proBNP levels at 3 months. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the use of Amlodipine or Spirulina as a complementary treatment with standard chelation therapy could reduce iron overload in patients with TM.This trial was registered at www.ClinicalTrials.gov as #NCT02671695. Keywords: Amlodipine, Spirulina, Cardiac iron overload, β-thalassemia, MRI, NT-proBN

Behavior of reinforced concrete short columns exposed to fire

AbstractFire could dramatically reduce strength of reinforced concrete columns. The objective of this work is to study columns exposed to fire under axial load and to evaluate reduction in column compressive capacity after fire. The first part of this research is experimental investigation of fifteen-column specimens (15×15×100)cm exposed except one specimen to (600°C) fire. The second part is a theoretical analysis performed using three-dimensional nonlinear finite element program. The main studied parameters were concrete strength, fire duration, level of applied loads, longitudinal reinforcement yield strength, percentage of longitudinal reinforcement, and bar diameters.Comparison between experimental results and theoretical analysis indicated that for columns not exposed to fire, the first crack appeared at 80% of column failure load while the first crack occurred at 50% of column failure load for columns exposed to fire. Columns with the same reinforcement percentage but with smaller bar diameters gained less lateral strain and smaller vertical displacement than columns with bigger bar diameters. Using high-grade steel as main reinforcement showed failure load higher by 55% than that of column reinforced by mild steel. Cooling column by jet water resulted in 17% reduction in failure load than columns cooling gradually in room temperature