The correlation between maternal hypomagnesemia and preterm labour

Background: Preterm birth is defined as all births before 37 weeks completed, which is a major cause of neonatal death and significant cause of long term loss of human potential amongst survivors. The objective of this study was to verify the correlation between low maternal serum magnesium level and preterm delivery.Methods: one hundred patients who admitted into the labour room of the hospital due to preterm labour (28-36+6 weeks of gestation) whose etiology could not be explained by etiological factors were enrolled in this prospective case-control study during the period from June 2013 to June 2014. And another 80 women of comparable gestational age who were referred to the consultation clinic of our hospital for achieving prenatal care or for causes other than preterm labour, provided only those whose birth occurred after 37th week considered as a control group. Serum magnesium level was measured in both groups.Results: Women in preterm labour had a significantly reduced serum magnesium level (mean1.552 mg/dl with a S.D. of 0.658 versus 1.81 mg/dl with a SD of 0.735) for those delivered at term (p<0.032). Number of patients with Preterm labour who gave of history of muscle cramps were significantly greater than those delivered at term (p<0.00193). Percentage of patients with preterm labour belonging to low socio-economic class was significantly higher than the upper and middle socio-economic classes (p<0.041).Conclusions: Serum magnesium level can be used as a predicting tool for idiopathic preterm labour

Conservation Biological Control Practices

Natural enemies are subjected to continuous deterioration in populations especially in modern agricultural systems characterized by complete removal of plants after harvesting as well as by insecticide applications. This complete removal of plants gives rise to disappearance of natural enemies after each crop season. Conservation biological control is the protection of NEs against adverse effects of pesticides and incompatible cultural practices and improving their efficiency via providing food sources. During non-crop periods, natural enemies may need of benefit from pollen and nectar. Preservation of natural enemies can be achieved by providing habitat and resources for NEs. This chapter aimed at discussing a suggested strategy for more efficient conservation biological control comprising collection, preservation and releasing the preserved natural enemies on target crops. The collection is mainly conducted before crop harvest and during winter from fruit orchards. Preservation greenhouses are dedicated for natural enemies rather than commercial production of crops. Natural enemies taken from preservation greenhouses are released in target crops during growing season. Different techniques used in collection, preservation and release of natural enemies are reviewed. Such a conservation biological control strategy might contribute to preserve the natural bio-diversity in the agricultural environment and provide natural alternatives to pesticides

A syntactic study of the nominal piece and its temporals in Dargiyyah Arabic based on the theory of government and binding.

This is a study of the Nominal Piece and its Temporals in Dargiyyah Arabic based on the Theory of Government and Binding. Dargiyyah is the hometown of the Saudi Royal Family and the informants participating in the collection of data from this Arabic dialect are aged women who have had very little exposure to foreign influences, such as Classical or Egyptian Arabic. This restriction on the informants is because the new generation no longer speaks this dialect of Arabic. The analysis of this dialect of Arabic ie Dargiyyah Arabic Dialect (D.A.D.) has shown that sentential configurations are of two different kinds: verbal or nominal. The verbal sentence has a VP category while the Nominal sentence has no VP category at any level of syntactic representation, rather it has an NP or a PP predicate. The NP predicate may have a noun, an adjective, an ordinal numeral, or a participle as its head because all these word classes in D.A.D. represent nominals. As for the PP predicate, it is composed of a preposition and its complement. The assumption that the D.A.D. nominal sentence is not derived from a sentential configuration that has a VP category at its Logical Form (ie LF) is verified by two basic premises. The first is the fact that the D.A.D. nominal sentence subsumes to different syntactic rules from those applicable to the verbal sentence. The second is the fact that time is indicated in the nominal sentence by means of an NP that is generated in its Comp, and is called a "temporal NP"; therefore, there is no logical necessity for the assumption that the nominal sentence has a VP category at its LF. The first premise may be exemplified by the fact that the rule of subject inversion is only applicable to the verbal sentence, and not to the nominal sentence. It may also be demonstrated by the fact that the reflexive clitic in the nominal sentence is different from the verbal sentence ie in the nominal sentence, it is a nominal and in the verbal sentence it is a verbal affix. Furthermore, the NP predicate in a nominal sentence is assigned nominative Case whereas it is assigned objective Case in the verbal sentence. As for the indication of time in the D.A.D. nominal sentence, it is solely dependent on the presence of a temporal NP in its Comp., contrary to the verbal sentence, in which it is partly indicated by the temporal NP in its Comp, and partly by the verb form ie whether it be perfective or imperfective. This not only demonstrates the difference in the syntactic behaviour between a nominal sentence and a verbal one but also verifies the second premise ie as an NP in D.A.D. syntax is capable of indicating time, there is no need for the assumption that the nominal sentence in D.A.D. has a VP category at its LF or even an "abstract" VP category at all its levels of syntactic representation. The non-feasibility of the presence of an "abstract" VP category in the D.A.D. nominal sentence for the sake of its time indication is not only refuted on the basis of the fact that the NP in D.A.D. syntax may also indicate time but also on the basis of the fact that a category may be empty if and only if its features are semantically recoverable by another element in the same sentence. Such is the case with the NP category when it is empty, for example in D.A.D., we have an argument small pro, an impersonal small pro, an NP-trace and a variable, all of which partition the syntactic distribution of the NP category and whose features are recoverable by a local determiner or an antecedent. If on the other hand, we assume that the VP category may also be empty, then its features must be recoverable by another element in the sentence. But this is not possible in D.A.D. syntax because the verb form is associated with either the Perfective or the Imperfective aspect whereas the D.A.D. temporals, which are generated in Comp, as an NP, are associated with the syntactic features of present, past, future or continuous time reference; therefore, neither the temporal nor the verb can substitute for the other because each conveys a different time perspective. Accordingly, it is maintained that whenever the perfective or the Imperfective aspect is required, then the sentential configuration has a VP category at every level of its syntactic representation and in such a case we have a verbal sentence. But whenever these aspects are not required, then there is no VP category at any level of its syntactic representation and we have a nominal sentence, whose present, past, future and continuous time reference is indicated by the presence of a temporal NP in its Comp. The temporal in D.A.D. has been regarded as being of the NP category because it may have as its head a temporal nominal, which represents one of the subclasses in the general class for nominals in D.A.D. syntax. That is, as the time expressions in D.A.D. syntax have some of the syntactic behaviour of the noun in its syntactic system, they have been regarded as nominals and are called temporal nominals. In turn the category they are generated in is an NP category and it is called a temporal NP. This in turn leads to the verification of the fact that there is no logical necessity for the assumption that every clause has a VP category (at least at its LF for its time indication) even when it does not appear at its surface structure

Experimental Study on the Behavior of Skirted Foundation Rested on Soft Clayey Soils

The purpose of this study is to investigate the behavior of skirted strip model footing founded on beds of soft clays and to evaluate the improvement values in bearing capacity. A series of laboratory model tests were conducted to determine the optimal vertical capacities of skirted foundation within different skirted embedded depth (D/B) ratio (embedded depth to footing width) ranged between (0.0-2.5). The results of model tests based on the load-settlement behavior, revealed that the insertion of skirt structure into the soft clayey soil has a clear increasing the magnitude of bearing capacity with increasing (D/B) ratio according to the lateral confining pressure as compared with the soft clay state without lateral confining (D/B = 0). As a principal part in this study is to knowledge the adequate skirts embedment depth for improvement the ultimate bearing capacity value. It is found that the appropriate skirted embedded depth as the skirt depth to foundation width of 0.5 (D/B=0.5)

The Effectiveness of Educational Infographics in the Academic Achievement and Geological Sense Development among Tenth Grade Students in the Sultanate of Oman

This study aimed to  investigate the effectiveness of educational infographics in the academic achievement and the development of geological sense among tenth grade students in the Sultanate of Oman. To achieve the goals of the study, a sample of 452 female students from grade ten were chosen. They were divided into two groups. The effectiveness of infographics was measured by building an achievement test consisting of 25 single-type multiple choice items, and short essay questions. Likewise, a measure of geological sense was prepared, which consisted of 36 items distributed in 6 main categories: (the aesthetic sense, the scientific sense, the educational sense, the psychological sense, the national sense, and the economic sense). The validity of the two tools was verified by presenting them to 20 arbitrators. Their consistency was calculated using the internal consistency by the Cronbach alpha method, where the value of the stability coefficient in the test was 0.785, and the stability of the geological sense scale was 0.869. The results of the study indicated that there is a statistically significant difference between the female students’ scores in both the achievement and the geological sense scale for the benefit of the experimental group. In light of the results, the study recommended activating the use of infographics in the teaching of  geographical issues and spreading a culture of its use

Synthesis, characterization and antimicrobial activity, and applications of new azo pyridone disperse dyes on polyester fabric

Three components; ethyl cyanoacetate, ethyl amines, and methyl propionylacetate were condensed using solid supports in microwave to give 1,4-diethyl-2,6-dioxo-1,2,5,6-tetrahydropyridine-3-carbonitrile (9) that was then coupled with aromatic diazonium salts to give the corresponding arylhydrazono-1,4-diethyl-2,6-dioxo-1,2,5,6-tetrahydropyridine-3-carbonitrile disperse dyes, 10a-g. Structures of the afforded compounds were confirmed by (IR, NMR, EI/MS) and one of them was further confirmed by X-ray crystallography (10g). Fastness properties of the reported dyes were intensively examined against light, perspiration and washing fastness, exhibiting moderate, very good and excellent fastness levels, respectively. The antimicrobial activity of the dyes were tested against different bacterial strains of Gram positive and Gram negative characteristics, and yeast, at where most of them showed promising activities against such test organisms

Seroprevalence of Besnoitia besnoiti in Assiut Governorate, Egypt

Background: Bovine besnoitiosis is a widespread disease caused by Besnoitia besnoiti with significant economic losses in cattle production. There is a lack of knowledge about it in Egypt. Aim: This study was conducted to detect the seroprevalence of B. besnoiti in cattle and to find out the presence of the disease and the most important symptoms of besnoitiosis in cattle in Assiut Governorate, Egypt. Methods: A total of 190 cattle from Assiut city and its different rural centers were examined clinically and serologically for the presence of B. besnoiti. The serological examination was carried out by using the indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit in serum (ID.Vet Innovative Diagnostics Louis Pasteur. Grabeis, France). The results were analyzed statistically using the chi-square test to assess the association between seroprevalence and different parameters (age, sex, season, housing, and health status). Result: Thirteen cattle were seropositive for B. besnoiti by ELISA and showed symptoms of besnoitiosis. Acute symptoms included fever, tachycardia, edematous swellings of intermandibular space and limbs with polyarthritis, diarrhea, ruminal atony, and enlarged lymph nodes. The chronic symptoms included cough, mastitis, exophthalmia, cysts on the sclera and conjunctiva, nodules in the skin, and alopecia associated with tick infestation. The overall seroprevalence of B. besnoiti was 22.1%. Regarding sex, the seroprevalence was higher for females 34.6% than for males 6.97%. While, according to age susceptibility, the seroprevalence was highest (50.9%) with age ≥5 years, followed by age &gt;1 to &lt;5 years (14.6%), and only one animal of age ≤1 year was recorded at 2.2%. Concerning seasonal variations, the seroprevalence was highest in spring 42.9%, followed by autumn 29.3%, winter 13.6%, and summer 7.5%. Whereas, according to the housing system, it was 60% and 8.6% in farm and household rearing, respectively. Depending on the health status, the seroprevalence was 21.6% of clinically healthy and 23.2% of clinically diseased cattle. Conclusion: The existence of B. besnoiti antibodies has been demonstrated in clinical and subclinical infected cattle in Assiut Governorate, Egypt. The ELISA test is considered to be a good diagnostic method for detecting infection. Furthermore, additional studies are essential to minimize and prevent the spread of infection

Antifungal Activity of Syzygium aromaticum (Dianthus) against toxigenic Rhizopus stolonifera and its immunomodulatory effects in aflatoxin-fed mice

Purpose: To evaluate the antifungal potency of Syzygium aromaticum (Dianthus) seed extract against the growth and aflatoxin production of Rhizopus stolonifer, and its immunomodulatory effect.Methods: Disc diffusion method was used for assay of antifungal effect of aqueous extract of Dianthus. Lymphoid cell counts, total and differential peritoneal exudate cell counts (PEC), phagocytic activity of PEC, and plaque-forming activities were determined. In addition, E-rosette-forming cells (RFC), T-cell mitogenesis cells and liver functions were measured.Results: The aqueous extract of Dianthus (50 %) exhibited high inhibition zone against most isolates of R. stolonifera. It produced significant increases in the number of splenocytes, as well as in the absolute number and relative proportion of macrophages (p &lt; 0.05). The extract also produced a gradual increase in the scavenging activity of PEC, and significant reduction in serum ALT, relative to control.Conclusion: These results suggest that Dianthus modifies biological responses by enhancement of the immune system, activation of phagocytosis, boosting of immune response, and prevention of liver damage.Keywords: Aflatoxin, Syzygium aromaticum, Rhizopus stolonifer, Lymphocytes, T-cells, B-cells, Macrophage

Synthesis of 5-arylazothiazoles, pyridines and thieno[2,3-b]pyridines derivatives containing 1,2,3-triazole moiety

1-(2-(4,5-dihydro-3-(5-methyl-1-phenyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)-5-phenylpyrazol-1-yl)-4-subs-tituted-thiazol-5-yl)-2-phenyldiazene (4) and substituted pyridines (5-12) were synthesized via reaction of 1-(5-methyl-1-phenyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)-3-phenylprop-2-en-1-one with hydrazonoyl halides and active methylene compounds. Also, thieno[2,3-b]pyridines (14a-e) were prepared through reactions of 2-mercapto-6-(5-methyl-1-phenyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)-4-phenyl-pyridine-3-carbonitrile with halo ester and halo ketones, respectively. The newly synthesized derivetived were elucidated by elemental analysis, spectral data and alternative synthetic routes wherever possobile

THE ROLE OF LINGO-1 AND MYELIN BASIC PROTEIN MRNAS IN CENTRAL REMYELINATION IN ETHIDIUM BROMIDE-INDUCED DEMYELINATION IN RATS

Objective: The study aimed to assess the possible role of quercetin, pioglitazone, metformin, and dapagliflozin in the enhancement of remyelination process after ethidium bromide (EB)-induced demyelination. Methods: The study was conducted on 60 male Wister rats (250–300 g), randomly divided into sham-operated group and five demyelination groups (each of 10 rats) which subjected to intrapontine stereotaxic injection of EB (10 μl of 0.1% EB) to induce demyelination. Then, randomly subdivided into: EB control group: Rats were treated with normal saline, quercetin-treated group (50 mg/kg/day), pioglitazone-treated group (10 mg/kg/day), metformin-treated group (500 mg/kg/day), and dapagliflozin-treated group (10 mg/kg/day). Behavioral tests (beam balance, foot fault, rotarod, and inverted screen) were conducted for all groups as well as biochemical analysis of LINGO-1 and myelin basic protein (MBP) mRNAs and histological examination of pontine tissues. Results: The EB control group showed deterioration of motor performance on behavioral tests. Degenerative changes were observed in pontine tissue on histological examination together with upregulation of LINGO-1 protein and downregulation of MBP level. While the treated groups after EB demyelination showed significant improvement in motor performance and decreased degenerated neurons in histological examination with upregulation of MBP level and downregulation of LINGO-1 protein level. Conclusion: Quercetin, metformin, dapagliflozin, and pioglitazone showed neuroprotective effect and enhancement of remyelination process