Zooplankton stresnih područja uzduž obale Damietta (Egipat) u Sredozemnom moru

The spatial pattern of zooplankton communities at Damietta coast, southeastern Mediterranean was studied to assess the impact of human activities on the abundance and community structure. Twenty-five stations from five different stressed sites were sampled in June-July 2014. Thirty-four zooplankton taxa were recorded, in addition to the larvae of copepods and meroplankton. Copepoda was the most abundant group among which, Oithona nana, Euterpina acutifrons, and Parvocalanus cirrostratus were the most frequent. The calanoid copepod Pseudodiaptomus trihamatus is a new record for the Mediterranean Sea that may have been introduced via ballast water. Multivariate/Univariate analyses demonstrated that 1) the environmental variables and zooplankton communities represented significant differences among five sites; 2) the spatial variations of community structure were undoubtedly due to land-based effluents; and 3) among all environmental variables, salinity and phytoplankton biomass had the major determining effects on the spatial patterns of zooplankton categories. The results indicates that not only the discharged water makes the Damietta coast at risk, but also the ballast water is not less dangerous. Hence, we emphasize the need for activation of the ballast water management to reduce the risk of future species invasions.Istraživana je prostorna struktura zooplanktonskih zajednica na obali Damietta (Egipat, jugoistočni Mediteran) kako bi se procijenio utjecaj ljudskih aktivnosti na obilje i strukturu zajednice. U lipnju i srpnju 2014. uzorkovano je na dvadeset pet postaja s pet različitih mjesta izloženih zagađenju. Uz larve veslonožaca i meroplanktona zabilježene su 34 zooplanktonske vrste.Veslonošci se bili najbrojnija skupina među kojima su najčešći Oithona nana, Euterpina acutifrons i Parvocalanus cirrostratus. Kalanoidni veslonožac Pseudodiaptomus trihamatus je novi nalaz za Sredozemno more, a vjerojatno je da je možda unesen putem balastnih voda. Multivarijatne / jednosmjerne analize pokazale su da 1) varijable okoliša i zooplanktonske zajednice predstavljaju značajne razlike između pet mjesta; 2) prostorne varijacije strukture zajednice nedvojbeno su posljedica tehnoloških otpadnih voda (pročišćenih i nepročišćenih) sa kopna; i 3) između svih varijablia okoliša, saliniteta i biomase fitoplanktona imali su glavne utjecaje na prostorne obrasce kategorija zooplanktona. Rezultati pokazuju da je samo ne ispuštena voda rizična za obalu Damiette, već i balastna voda, koja nije nimalo manje opasna. Stoga se naglašava potreba za aktivacijom upravljanja balastnim vodama kako bi se smanjio rizik unosa invazivnih vrsta

Synthesis of Cu-containing Diopside through a One-Step Crystallization

The incorporation of copper into pyroxene structure was investigated through the melt quenching technique and one-step crystallization procedure. Two series of glasses have been studied, one set with Ca=Mg and another set with Ca>Mg in diopside formula Cux(Ca Mg)2-xSi2O6. The glasses were nucleated by TiO2, Cr2O3, or CaF2 additions as nucleating agents to variably control the phases produced. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) were used to characterize the obtained samples. The heat treatment studied at 700, 800, 900 and 1000 °C for 2 h produced green and dark green glasses based on Cu-containing diopside. Various crystalline wollastonite, cuprite, tenorite, cristobalite, quartz, and fluorite phases were developed with different ratios combined with diopside formation depending on the heat treatment and nucleating agents used. As the heat treatment increased in temperature, the crystallized fraction increased with the development of nano-aggregates and the observed reticulated textures confirmed a radical change in the euhedral crystals. This emphasizes that the Cu-containing diopside can be created by a facile one step process. These compositions may find some applications in biological and optical fields

THE EFFECT OF CROSS AND RECIPROCAL CROSS ON PRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE, FERTILITY AND HATCHABILITY FOR LOCAL CHICKEN

The objective of this present study is Studying the effect of crossing and reciprocal cross on productive performance, Fertility and hatchability for local chicken. The experiment was carried out in the farm of the Faculty of Agriculture - Ain Shams University. Their experimental research began when birds from two local breeds 22 week of age, where, sixty chickens (30 Fayoumi breeds, 30 Sinai breeds).were used at 26 weeks of age semen was collected artificially from 12 cocks (6 Fayoumi , 6 Sinai).semen from each cock artificially inseminated 48 female within each breed. Were attribution taken to be a parent stock. They were housed in batteries and then they transferred into individual batteries until the end of the experiment (36 weeks of age). The two breeds were mated and four crosses were produced Male Fayoumi*Female Fayoumi (FF) , Male Fayoumi*Female Sinai (FS) ,Male Sinai*Female Sinai(SS) , Male Sinai*Female Fayoumi (SF) After the second generation hatching ,the resolutely indicated that (FF) breed had the highest Fertility percent while the (SF)cross was the highest Hatchability calculated from the total eggs and also from fertile eggs . and Individual body weight (in grams) was recorded for each sex separately within each breed at 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 weeks of age. Male Sinai*Female Fayoumi (SF) was found to be the best breeds in terms of body weight and vitality and better in food conversion. The most important results observed from this study indicated that the (SF) cross had the best in fertility, the best hatchability calculated from total and fertile eggs, body weight and body weight gain.    So, it could be concluded that, cross procedure could be used in order to achieve genetic improvement from local breeds, which mean the possibility of increasing our production and hence on consumption from our local breeds and reducing on dependence from foreign breeds

Therapeutic foam scaffolds incorporating biopolymer-shelled mesoporous nanospheres with growth factors

Here we report a novel therapeutic scaffolding system of engineered nanocarriers within a foam matrix for the long-term and sequential delivery of growth factors. For this, mesoporous silica nanospheres were first functionalized to have enlarged mesopore size (eMSNs, 12.2 nm) and aminated surface, which was then shelled by a biopolymer, poly(lactic acid) (PLA) or poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) via an electrospraying. The hybrid nanocarrier was subsequently combined with collagen to produce foam scaffolds. Bovine serum albumin (BSA), used as a model protein, was effectively loaded within the enlarged nanospheres. The biopolymer shell substantially prolonged the release period of BSA (over 2-3 weeks from shelled nanospheres vs. within 1 week from bare nanospheres), and the release rate was highly dependent on the shell composition (PEG > PLA). Collagen foam scaffolding of the shelled nanocarrier further slowed down the protein release while enabling the incorporation of a rapidly releasing protein, which is effective for the sequential protein delivery. Acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF), loaded onto the shelled-nanocarrier scaffolds, was released over a month at a highly sustainable rate, profiling a similar release pattern to BSA. Biological activity of the aFGF released from the system, as examined by the proliferative potential of osteoblastic precursor cells, showed a significant improvement in the case with aFGF. Furthermore, in vivo implantation of the aFGF-delivering system in a rat subcutaneous tissue for 2 weeks showed a substantially enhanced invasion of fibroblasts with a homogeneous population. Taken together, it is concluded that the biopolymer encapsulation of mesoporous nanospheres effectively prolongs the release of growth factors over weeks to a month, providing a nanocarrier platform for a long-term growth factor delivery, moreover, the foam scaffolding of the nanocarrier system will be a potential therapeutic 3D matrix for cell culture and tissue engineering

Notable changes in geochemical and mineralogical characteristics of different phases of episyenitization: insights on the radioactive and shielding of the late phase

Kab Amiri granites are submitted to post-magmatic hydrothermal solutions through fracture and faults, causing several alteration processes. The most common processes are episyenitization, saussuritization, hematitization, sericitization, kaolinization, albitization, chloritization, silicification, and muscovitization. Kab Amiri granites are vuggy, with the vugs partially to completely refilled with new constituents. The least episyenitized granites have elevated amounts of Fe, P, Zr, Ni, U, Th, Ba, Y, Hf, Nb, and As, which are correlated with their mobilization from biotite, k-feldspar, plagioclase and metamict zircon. These elemental changes are related the partial albitization, muscovitization, desilicification and chloritizatiom, which lead to the mobilization of these elements and forming of specific mineral association in the least altered granites such as autonite, tripiolite, columbite, Zircon and galena. On the second stage, granites were subjected to intense alteration processes by mineralizing fluids, causing wholly muscovitization of biotite and feldspar, albitization of plagioclase, carbonitization and apatitization. Many elements were mobilized from these altered minerals, including Ti, Al, Mn, Mg, Ca, Na, K, Mo, Cu, Pb, Zn, Ag, Co, Sr, V, Cr, Sn, Rb, Ta, Li, Sc, W, S, In, and Tl, leading to definite mineralization as kaslite, monazite, xenotime, polycrase and apatite. The mineralizing fluids in the least and highly episyenitized granites are incorporated in some ore minerals like uranophane, fergusonite, bazzite and garnet. Notably, the presence of elements such as U, Th, and other heavy metals in Kab Amiri granites highlights the potential for these rocks in radiation shielding applications. The unique combination of elements and minerals resulting from the alteration processes can be leveraged for developing new materials or enhancing existing materials used in radiation shielding

The Effect of Myopia on Vessel Density in Glaucomatous Patients by Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography

Saeed AM, Mohamed Anany, Mohamed A Awwad, Eman Sanad, Soha MM Eltohamy Department of Ophthalmology, Benha University Hospital, Benha, Qualubia, EgyptCorrespondence: Mohamed A Awwad, Department of Ophthalmology, Benha University Hospital, Benha, Qualubia, Egypt, Tel +201017014208, Email [email protected]; [email protected]: Glaucoma is a degenerative optic neuropathy that causes anatomical and functional visual impairment.Aim and Objectives: This investigation’s primary goal was to perform a qualitative and quantitative assessment of macular and peripapillary vessels to detect the impairment of blood flow in glaucomatous patients with or without myopia which can affect the prognosis of glaucoma and visual field.Subjects and Methods: This prospective, cross-sectional, observational research was performed for glaucomatous patients with and without myopia who attend the outpatient clinic at the ophthalmology department, at Benha University. The study was conducted on 50 subjects with glaucomatous eyes, divided into two groups: the first group consisted of (25 subjects) of glaucoma with myopia and the second group (25 subjects) of glaucoma with the same severity of mean deviation in the visual field of group 1 without myopia, using OCTA to measure retinal vessel density (superficial vessel density) and OCT thickness ILM-RPE, RNFL thickness, GCL and small vessel density (RADIAL PERI PAPILLARY PLEXUS).Results: Regarding demographic data of myopia in the studied eyes, there were (9) 18% with low myopia with no significance, (32) 64% with moderate myopia, and (9) 18% with high myopia, with open-angle glaucoma patients showed a highly significant decline in total retinal nerve fiber layer thickness, superior-nasal RNFL thickness, Inferior-nasal RNFL thickness, superior-temporal RNFL and inferior-temporal RNFL thickness compared to open-angle glaucoma patients without myopia.Conclusion: Our results show that microvascular attenuation occurs more significantly in OAG than in myopia. When both myopia and OAG are present, there is a higher reduction in microvascular attenuation than with either disease alone. The development and progression of glaucoma in individuals with high myopia are more aggressive than in low or non-myopia, so by using OCTA detection of early microvascular changes in high myopia, individuals help the early detection and management of glaucoma.Keywords: OCT angiography, microvasculature, choroid, glaucoma, optic nerve head ONH, macul

Postnatal exercises: perceived barriers and self-efficacy among women at maternal and children hospital at Najran, kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Sedentary lifestyle is very high in the Saudi population in general and significantly high among females. Furthermore, some postpartum tradition imposes limited activities during postpartum periods. For women to be active during the postpartum period, they should have enough self-efficacy  (SE) to overcome perceived barriers (BP). This study aimed to evaluate postnatal exercises' PB and SE among postpartum women. A descriptive cross-sectional research design was followed in this study. This study was conducted at the outpatient department/ Maternal and Child hospital in Najran city, KSA. The study comprised a convenience sample of 368 postnatal women. Data collection was done using a questionnaire composed of three parts; socio-demographic data and obstetric history, exercise benefits/barriers scale and exercise self-efficacy scale. Data were analyzed using SPSS 23.0. The relationships between variables were assessed using the Chi-square or Fisher's exact test. The correlations were assessed usingPearson correlation. The study results illustrated that 52.4% of the postpartum women had moderate SE to exercise, and 71.5% had moderate PB. Also, there were statistically significant relationships between the study participants' SE and PB and their educational level and nationality (p<0.05). In addition, significant negative correlations existed between the participants' SE and their Body Mass Index (BMI), age, gravidity, parity, number of children, and PB (p<0.05). On the other hand, significant positive correlations were observed between the participants' PB and their BMI, age, gravidity, parity, and number of children. This study concluded that about two-thirds of the postpartum women in Najran had low or moderate SE to practice postnatal exercises, and the majority of them had moderate or high BP. Efforts to enhance postnatal exercises should be directed to increase SE to overcome BP concerning postnatal exercises. Keywords: Postnatal exercises, perceived barriers, self-efficacy, Saudi ArabiaLe mode de vie sédentaire est très élevé dans la population saoudienne en général et significativement élevé chez les femmes. En outre, certaines traditions post-partum imposent des activités limitées pendant les périodes post-partum. Pour que les femmes soient actives pendant la période post-partum, elles doivent avoir suffisamment d'auto-efficacité (SE) pour surmonter les barrières perçues (TA). Cette étude visait à évaluer le PB et SE des exercices postnatals chez les femmes en post-partum. Une conception de recherche transversale descriptive a été suivie dans cette étude. Cette étude a été menée au service de consultation externe / hôpital maternel et infantile de la ville de Najran, en Arabie Saoudite. L'étude comprenait un échantillon de commodité de 368 femmes postnatales. La collecte des données a été effectuée à l'aide d'un questionnaire composé de trois parties; données sociodémographiques et antécédents obstétricaux, échelle des avantages / obstacles à l'exercice et échelle d'auto-efficacité à l'exercice. Les données ont été analysées à l'aide de SPSS 23.0. Les relations entre les variables ont été évaluées à l'aide du test du chi carré ou exact de Fisher. Les corrélations ont été évaluées à l'aide de la corrélation de Pearson. Les résultats de l'étude ont montré que 52,4% des femmes en post-partum avaient une SE modérée à l'exercice et 71,5% avaient un PB modéré. De plus, il y avait des relations statistiquement significatives entre l'ES et le PB des participants à l'étude et leur niveau d'éducation et leur nationalité (p <0,05). De plus, des corrélations négatives significatives existaient entre le SE des participants et leur indice de masse corporelle (IMC), l'âge, la gravité, la parité, le nombre d'enfants et le PB (p <0,05). En revanche, des corrélations positives significatives ont été observées entre le PB des participants et leur IMC, leur âge, leur gravité, leur parité et le nombre d'enfants. Cette étude a conclu qu'environ deux tiers des femmes en post-partum à Najran avaient une SE faible ou modérée  pour pratiquer des exercices postnatals, et la majorité d'entre elles avaient une TA modérée ou élevée. Les efforts visant à améliorer les exercices postnatals devraient être dirigés pour augmenter SE pour surmonter BP concernant les exercices postnatals.  Mots-clés: Exercices postnatals, barrières perçues, auto-efficacité, Arabie saoudit

Biochar reduces colloidal phosphorus in leachate by regulating phoD- and phoC-harboring microbial communities during drying/rewetting cycles

Abstract Drying and rewetting (DRW) events cause the release of colloidal phosphorus (Pcoll, 1–1000 nm) in leachate, and biochar is considered an effective inhibitor; however, the microbial mechanism remains elusive. In this study, three successive DRW cycles were performed on the soil columns to assess the effect of biochar addition on Pcoll content and its possible associates, including phosphatase-producing microbial populations (phoD- and phoC-harboring microbial communities) and alkaline/acid phosphatase (ALP/ACP) activities. Results showed that the biochar addition significantly decreased the Pcoll by 15.5–32.1% during three DRW cycles. The structural equation model (SEM) confirmed that biochar addition increased phoD- and phoC-harboring microbial communities and ALP/ACP activities, which reduces the release of Pcoll into leachate. In addition, the manure biochar was more effective than the straw biochar in promoting competition and cooperation in the co-occurrence network (2–5% nodes increased on average), and the key taxa Proteobacteria and Cyanobacteria were identified as the dominant species of potential ALP/ACP activities and Pcoll content. Our findings provide a novel understanding of biochar reducing Pcoll loss from the phosphatase perspective by regulating the phoD- and phoC-harboring communities during DRW events. Graphical abstrac

Template mediated protein self-assembly as a valuable tool in regenerative therapy

The assembly of natural proteinaceous biopolymers into macro-scale architectures is of great importance in synthetic biology, soft-material science and regenerative therapy. The self-assembly of protein tends to be limited due to anisotropic interactions among protein molecules, poor solubility and stability. Here, we introduce a unique platform to self-immobilize diverse proteins (fibrous and globular, positively and negatively charged, low and high molecular weight) using silicon surfaces with pendant â NH2 groups via a facile one step diffusion limited aggregation (DLA) method. All the experimental proteins (type I collagen, bovine serum albumin and cytochrome C) self-assemble into seaweed-like branched dendritic architectures via classical DLA in the absence of any electrolytes. The notable differences in branching architectures are due to dissimilarities in protein colloidal sub-units, which is typical for each protein type, along with the heterogeneous distribution of surface â NH2 groups. Fractal analysis of assembled structures is used to explain the underlying route of fractal deposition; which concludes how proteins with different functionality can yield similar assembly. Further, the nano-micro-structured surfaces can be used to provide functional topographical cues to study cellular responses, as demonstrated using rat bone marrow stem cells. The results indicate that the immobilization of proteins via DLA does not affect functionality, instead serving as topographical cues to guide cell morphology. This indicates a promising design strategy at the tissue-material interface and is anticipated to guide future surface modifications. A cost-effective standard templating strategy is therefore proposed for fundamental and applied particle aggregation studies, which can be used at multiple length scales for biomaterial design and surface reformation.This work was supported by European Union (Horizon 2020) funded project FoReCaST (Grant Agreement Number 66898)(BK).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio