FOOD CONSUMPTION AND UTILISATION OF THE GRASSHOPPER CHROTOGONUS LUGUBRIS BLANCHARD (ORTHOPTERA, ACRIDOIDEA, PYRGOMORPHIDAE) AND ITS EFFECT ON THE EGG DEPOSITION

The grasshopper is found all the year round. It is considered as a pest for seedlings. The consumption index differed significantly between groups fed on different diets. Mated females consume more food than virgin females or virgin males. The highest values were recorded for the bean seedlings fed groups indicating some inadequacy in the nutritional value of bean. The growth rate was the highest in clover fed groups. Insects were able to digest bean and clover more efficiently than either wheat seedlings or cotton leaves. The growth rate was accompanied with a higher C.I. in bean, wheat, and cotton indicating that most of these food was excreted. The ECD and ECI were significantly higher in clover fed groups. This indicated that clover was utilised efficiently than the other groups. The different food stuff affected the egg production which could be attributed to the nutritional efficiencies of these diets. The preovipositional period and number of egg-pods were also affected. The number of abnormal egg-pods was the highest in the bean seedlings fed groups

Can apricot kernels fatty acids delay the atrophied hepatocytes from progression to fibrosis in dimethylnitrosamine (DMN)-induced liver injury in rats?

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background and aims</p> <p>The present study was aimed to analyze the chemical composition of ground apricot kernel (GAK) and examine its effect on hepatic fibrosis <it>in vivo </it>induced by dimethylnitrosamine (DMN) in rats.</p> <p>Methods and results</p> <p>Hepatic fibrosis was induced by intraperitoneal injections of 10 mg/kg DMN for 3 consecutive days each week over a period of 4 wk. The rats were randomly assigned to five groups of nine rats each: the negative control group (NC), the hepatic fibrosis group (PC), hepatic fibrosis supplemented with GAK (0.5 mg/kg/BW/rat), hepatic fibrosis supplemented with GAK (1 mg/kg/BW/rat) and hepatic fibrosis supplemented with GAK (1.5 mg/kg/BW/rat). Rats were killed, blood was collected and livers were excised for biochemical measurements and histological examination. Results indicate that the diet supplemented with GAK led to improving liver function, lipid peroxides, and liver CAT, SOD and GSH. These results were confirmed by liver histology. Hierarchically high levels f GAK (1.5 mg/kg/BW/rat) gave the best results compared to other tested levels.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study demonstrates that GAK administration specifically (1.5 mg/kg/BW/rat) can effectively improve liver fibrosis caused by DMN, and may be used as a therapeutic option and preventive measure against hepatic fibrosis. Furthermore, a human trial would be applied specially GAK is a part of Egyptian diet. The act of why high amounts of GAK was improved biochemical values compared to low or moderate levels tested in this study may be due to increase levels of oleic acid and other polyphenols in apricot kernels</p

Women, regional radio and development: the role of north upper Egypt radio in the struggle of females towards development in North Upper Egypt

This study examines the role of regional media in development. Using North Upper Egypt as an example, the thesis illustrates how a regional medium with a development mission might be able to contribute to the development of women in North Upper Egypt. The thesis inquiry required the search for more information than published about Egyptian radio stations. It also surveys the role of North Upper Egypt Radio Station in developing rural and urban female listeners at all levels

Numerical investigation of optimized piled raft foundation for high-rise building in Germany

Piled rafts have been used as a foundation system for high-rise buildings worldwide in different soil conditions, e.g., in soft to stiff clay as well as in medium-to-dense sand. Piled raft is currently used not only to control the foundation settlement but also to minimize the required raft thickness to reach the most optimized foundation design. The purpose of this study is to investigate the behavior of piled raft as a foundation system for Frankfurt over-consolidated clay based on the well-monitored Messeturm building in Germany. The numerical tool used in analysis is Plaxis 3D finite element software with hardening soil material model. The piled raft foundation behavior will be evaluated based on the total settlement, differential settlement and the pile skin friction. Based on this study, it was found that the chosen foundation system “plied raft foundation” for Messeturm was an optimized solution for the proposed building

Evaluation and Modelling of the Material Properties for Analysis of Cold-formed Steel Sections

The results of two series of experimental investigations to evaluate the mechanical properties and the residual stresses of cold-formed steel (CFS) sections are reported in this paper. These investigations were performed on channel-shaped CFS sections manufactured using cold-roll forming technique. Tensile coupon tests were used to evaluate the mechanical properties at different positions of the channel sections. Electrical resistance strain gauges with an Electrical Discharge Machining cutting technique were used to establish the magnitudes and the distributions of residual stresses within the channel sections. Based on the experimental results, appropriate analysis models for the stress-strain relationship, the variation of the yield strength, and the residual stresses in CFS channel sections are established. These models are incorporated within a large deformation shell finite element to form a model for cold-formed steel sections. The finite element model is evaluated against experimental results of CFSsections in compression

Web-based language production experiments: Semantic interference assessment is robust for spoken and typed response modalities

For experimental research on language production, temporal precision and high quality of the recorded audio files are imperative. These requirements are a considerable challenge if language production is to be investigated online. However, online research has huge potential in terms of efficiency, ecological validity and diversity of study populations in psycholinguistic and related research, also beyond the current situation. Here, we supply confirmatory evidence that language production can be investigated online and that reaction time (RT) distributions and error rates are similar in written naming responses (using the keyboard) and typical overt spoken responses. To assess semantic interference effects in both modalities, we performed two pre-registered experiments (n = 30 each) in online settings using the participants' web browsers. A cumulative semantic interference (CSI) paradigm was employed that required naming several exemplars of semantic categories within a seemingly unrelated sequence of objects. RT is expected to increase linearly for each additional exemplar of a category. In Experiment 1, CSI effects in naming times described in lab-based studies were replicated. In Experiment 2, the responses were typed on participants' computer keyboards, and the first correct key press was used for RT analysis. This novel response assessment yielded a qualitatively similar, very robust CSI effect. Besides technical ease of application, collecting typewritten responses and automatic data preprocessing substantially reduce the work load for language production research. Results of both experiments open new perspectives for research on RT effects in language experiments across a wide range of contexts. JavaScript- and R-based implementations for data collection and processing are available for download

Minor structural modifications to alchemix influence mechanism of action and pharmacological activity

Alchemix is an exemplar of a class of anthraquinone with efficacy against multidrug resistant tumors. We have explored further the mechanism of action of alchemix and investigated the effect of extending its side arm bearing the alkylating functionality with regard to DNA binding and activity against multidrug resistant cancer cells. Increasing the distance between the intercalating chromophore and the alkylating functionality of ICT2901 (propyl), ICT2902 (butyl) and ICT2903 (pentyl), led to a higher number of DNA alkylation sites, more potent topoisomerase II inhibition and generated more apoptotic and necrotic cells when analysed in p53-proficient HCT116 cells. Intriguingly, alchemix, the compound with the shortest distance between its intercalative chromophore and alkylating functionality (ethyl), did not conform to this SAR. A different toxicity pattern against DNA repair defective CHO cell lines as well as arrest of cells in G1 supports a somewhat distinct mode of action by alchemix compared with its analogues. Importantly, both alchemix and ICT2901 demonstrated greater cytotoxic activity against anthraquinone-resistant MCF-7/adr cells than wild-type MCF-7 cells. Subtle synthetic modification in this anthraquinone series has led to significant changes to the stability of DNA-compound complexes and cellular activity. Given that the failure of chemotherapy in the clinic is often associated with MDR, the results of both alchemix and ICT2901 represent important advances towards improved therapies

Synthesis and Biological activity of 1,3-Thiazolylidenehydrazinylidene ethylpyridiniumbromide monohydrate, 1,3-Thiazolylidenehydraziniumbromide and 1,3-Thiazolylidenehydrazine derivatives

1,3-Thiazolylidenehydrazinylidene ethylpyridinium bromide monohydrate, 1,3-thiazolylidenehydrazinium bromide and 1,3-thiazolylidenehydrazine derivatives were synthesized by heterocyclization of 2-(1-substituted ethylidene) hydrazinecarbothioamides, characterized and screened for their anti-bacterial activities. The structures of synthesized compounds were established by spectroscopic (IR, 1H, 13C-NMR, Mass) and X-ray analyses

Concurrent semantic priming and lexical interference for close semantic relations in blocked-cyclic picture naming:Electrophysiological signatures

In the present study, we employed event-related brain potentials to investigate the effects of semantic similarity on different planning stages during language production. We manipulated semantic similarity by controlling feature overlap within taxonomical hierarchies. In a blocked-cyclic naming task, participants named pictures in repeated cycles, blocked in semantically close, distant, or unrelated conditions. Only closely related items, but not distantly related items, induced semantic blocking effects. In the first presentation cycle, naming was facilitated, and amplitude modulations in the N1 component around 140–180 ms post-stimulus onset predicted this behavioral facilitation. In contrast, in later cycles, naming was delayed, and a negative-going posterior amplitude modulation around 250–350 ms post-stimulus onset predicted this interference. These findings indicate easier object recognition or identification underlying initial facilitation and increased difficulties during lexical selection. The N1 modulation was reduced but persisted in later cycles in which interference dominated, and the posterior negativity was also present in cycle 1 in which facilitation dominated, demonstrating concurrent effects of conceptual priming and lexical interference in all naming cycles. Our assumptions about the functional role these two opposing forces play in producing semantic context effects are further supported by the finding that the joint modulation of these two ERPs on naming latency exclusively emerged when naming closely related, but not unrelated items. The current findings demonstrate that close relations, but not distant taxonomic relations, induce stronger semantic blocking effects, and that temporally overlapping electrophysiological signatures reflect a trade-off between facilitatory priming and interfering lexical competition.Peer Reviewe