Parametri izvora za značajne potrese u Egiptu (1992–1998), određeni iz magnitudnog spektra P-valova širokopojasnih seizmograma dalekih potresa

Using the P-wave magnitude spectra of the vertical component of teleseismic broadband seismograms, average source parameters have been retrieved for five significant earthquakes of Mw ≥ 5.7 occurring in Egypt namely, 1992 Cairo earthquake, 1998 Alexandria earthquake and three events which occurred in the Gulf of Aqaba region between 1993 and 1995. The magnitude spectrum represents the velocity amplitude density spectrum at the earthquake source, scaled in magnitude units. The maximum of the magnitude spectrum along with the period at which the maximum occurs are used to estimate the source parameters. For precise determination of the source parameters, two different methods for deriving the corner periods are applied. The obtained source parameters were compared with those derived in previous studies. The results show that within the moment magnitude range 5.5 ~ 7.2, the corner periods are 1.29 ~ 11.6 s, length of the fault ruptures are 5.5 ~ 50 km and the stress drops are 0.5 ~ 4.8 MPa. The derived stress drop shows an increasing trend with the seismic moment for the three Gulf of Aqaba earthquakes. The 1995 Gulf of Aqaba earthquake of Mw = 7.2, the largest earthquake to have occurred in Egypt in the last century is characterized by a higher complexity compared to the other events, that are much simpler. The values of the corner periods for this earthquake are azimuth dependent due to complexity and strong directivity of its rupture. For a detailed description of the complexity of 1995 earthquake additional source parameters are also estimated in terms of an inhomogeneous source model. These parameters are the asperity radius, displacement across the asperity, localized stress drop and ambient faulting stress. The average stress drop of Cairo, 1992 and Alexandria, 1998 intraplate earthquakes shows larger values compared with the interplate 1993 Gulf of Aqaba earthquakes. Generally, the estimated seismic moment using the magnitude spectra reflect good agreement with the estimates made from the other techniques for simple source while the complex source yields smaller values.Koriste}i magnitudni spektar P-valova vertikalne komponente širokopojasnih seizmograma dalekih potresa, određeni su prosječni parametri izvora za pet značajnih potresa s magnitudama Mw ≥ 5.7 koji su se dogodili u Egiptu (potres kod Kaira iz 1992, Aleksandrije 1998. i tri potresa u zaljevu u Aqaba regiji između 1993. i 1995.). Magnitudni spektar predstavlja spektar gustoće amplitude brzine u izvoru potresa, iskazan u jedinicama magnitude. Za procjenu parametara izvora korišten je maksimum magnitudnog spektra te period na kojem je opažen maksimum. Kritični period određen je pomoću dvije metode. Dobiveni parametri uspoređeni su s onima koji su izvedeni u prethodnim studijama. Rezultati pokazuju da u području magnituda 5,5 ~ 7,2 kritični periodi iznose 1,29 ~ 11,6 s, duljine rasjednih pukotina 5,5 ~ 50 km i pad napetosti od 0,5 ~ 4,8 MPa. Za tri potresa u zaljevu Aqaba pad napetosti pokazuje trend povećanja sa seizmičkim momentom. Potres iz 1995. u zaljevu Aqaba magnitude Mw = 7,2, najjači potres koji se u prošlom stoljeću dogodio u Egiptu, složeniji je u odnosu na druge potrese. Kritični period ovog potresa ovisan je o azimutu zbog složenosti i izražene usmjerenosti pucanja rasjeda. Za potres iz 1995. procijenjeni su i dodatni parametri izvora u smislu modela nehomogenog izvora. Ti parametri su radijus zone početnog rasjedanja, pomak duž nje, lokalni pad napetosti te okolna napetost rasjedanja. Prosječni pad napetosti za potrese u Kairu 1992. i Alexandriji 1998. veći je nego za potres u zaljevu Aqaba 1993. Procijenjeni seizmički moment dobiven upotrebom magnitudnog spektra uz pretpostavku jednostavnog izvora dobro se podudara s procjenama pomoću drugih metoda, dok pretpostavljeni složeniji izvor daje manje vrijednosti

Yield and fruit quality of drip-irrigated cantaloupe under salt stress conditions in an arid environment

Abstract: Drip irrigation has the greatest advantages over other irrigation methods when saline water is used. In irrigated lands, the production of total and marketable yield depends largely on the quantity and salinity of the irrigation water. The performance of field-grown cantaloupe (Cucumis melo-var. Cantaloupensis) in 2-years was compared with fresh water applied at crop water requirement, 1.0ETc (as a control) or saline water (3.8 dS/m) applied at amounts equivalent to 1.0ETc, 1.2ETc and 1.4ETc, respectively. The occurrence of maximum soil water content and minimum salinity in the root zone during the growing seasons was noted only for 1.4ETc while irrigation regime at 1.0ETc was found unsuitable under saline conditions. Saline water significantly depressed cantaloupe total yield but the reduction was minimal under 1.4ETc irrigation regime. Salinity reduced average fruit weight while the number of fruit per plant remained almost stable regardless of the irrigation regime. Although the differences in fruit yield were significant, grading for export quality according to suitable fruit size and appearance almost compressed the differences in total yield between fresh and saline water plants. Total yield with saline water was almost 18-32% lower than with fresh water but offered several benefits as the absolute exportable yield was equaled to that of the control but the export rate was 90 versus 72%, respectively. However saline water provides an attractive compromise between fruit size and quality where 28% of the fresh water fruits were either too large, poorly netted or irregularly shaped, while plants irrigated with saline water had extremely high export rates. Moreover, saline water contributed markedly to the improvement of fruit quality by increasing total soluble solids and sugar contents. Considering the results of two years, the use of mild saline water for irrigation appears to be an attractive approach as a tool to optimize cantaloupe production with taking advantage of saline water effects on crop quality

EFFECT OF AUTOLOGOUS PLATELET-RICH PLASMA ON DISTRACTION OSTEOGENESIS IN THE MANDIBLE OF RABBITS: A MORPHOLOGIC AND MORPHOMETRIC APPROACH

Distraction osteogenesis of the jaws is a common surgical practice in the treatment of pediatric craniofacial deformities. Autologous platelet rich plasma (PRP) has been used to increase the healing potential of bones in humans during distraction osteogenesis. This article aims to study the morphometric and morphologic parameters resulting from the effect of PRP on bone healing after mandibular distraction in rabbits. Right mandibular distraction was performed in 12 rabbits divided equally into 2 groups. PRP and physiological saline were injected, according to a defined protocol, in the callus following distraction of the experimental and control groups respectively. The rabbits were sacrificed after a consolidation period of 45 days and the mandibles were surgically removed. Bone mineral density, radiographic analysis, mechanical properties and histological features of the lengthened bones were assessed using radiographic examination, dual X-ray absorptiometry, biomechanical testing and histology. Results showed that the regenerate bone density, the amount of trabeculation in addition to the bone mineral density and mineral content, as measured by absorptiometry, were better with PRP but not significantly different between groups. Two radiographs revealed a more consistent healing in the experimental mandibles compared with erratic outcomes in corresponding controls. Two of the latter could not be subjected to any mechanical testing because the mandibular parts, connected with fibrous tissue, were separated. Consequently, the biomechanical test depicted greater maximal loads in the experimental group. The histological studies exhibited more ossification and less connective tissue fibers in the experimental group. PRP accelerated healing of mandibles in rabbits following distraction and improved their biomechanical properties. These findings have significant clinical implications on reducing the period of consolidation of the mandibles which may not be immobilized like other bones for long period tim

Prospective study for commercial and low-cost hyperspectral imaging systems to evaluate thermal tissue effect on bovine liver samples

Thermal ablation modalities, for example radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and microwave ablation, are intended to prompt controlled tumour removal by raising tissue temperature. However, monitoring the size of the resulting tissue damage during the thermal removal procedures is a challenging task. The objective of this study was to evaluate the observation of RFA on an ex vivo liver sample with both a commercial and a low-cost system to distinguish between the normal and the ablated regions as well as the thermally affected regions. RFA trials were conducted on five different ex vivo normal bovine samples and monitored initially by a custom hyperspectral (HS) camera to measure the diffuse reflectance (Rd) utilising a polychromatic light source (tungsten halogen lamp) within the spectral range 348–950 nm. Next, the light source was replaced with monochromatic LEDs (415, 565 and 660 nm) and a commercial charge-coupled device (CCD) camera was used instead of the HS camera. The system algorithm comprises image enhancement (normalisation and moving average filter) and image segmentation with K-means clustering, combining spectral and spatial information to assess the variable responses to polychromatic light and monochromatic LEDs to highlight the differences in the Rd properties of thermally affected/normal tissue regions. The measured spectral signatures of the various regions, besides the calculation of the standard deviations (δ) between the generated six groups, guided us to select three optimal wavelengths (420, 540 and 660 nm) to discriminate between these various regions. Next, we selected six spectral images to apply the image processing to (at 450, 500, 550, 600, 650 and 700 nm). We noticed that the optimum image is the superimposed spectral images at 550, 600, 650 and 700 nm, which are capable of discriminating between the various regions. Later, we measured Rd with the CCD camera and commercially available monochromatic LED light sources at 415, 565 and 660 nm. Compared to the HS camera results, this system was more capable of identifying the ablated and the thermally affected regions of surface RFA than the side-penetration RFA of the investigated ex vivo liver samples. However, we succeeded in developing a low-cost system that provides satisfactory information to highlight the ablated and thermally affected region to improve the outcome of surgical tumour ablation with much shorter time for image capture and processing compared to the HS system

Tomato yield, physiological response, water and nitrogen use efficiency under deficit and partial root zone drying irrigation in an arid region

Water scarcity in arid regions is a serious problem, which calls for innovative irrigation water management. Partial root zone drying (PRD) technique can considerably reduce irrigation amount for crops. To investigate this further, tomato plants were imposed to either surface drip (SUR) with full irrigation (FI) at 100% of evaporative demands and regulate deficit irrigation (RDI) at 50% water of FI or subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) with fixed PRD at 75 (PRD75) and 50% (PRD50) of the FI. Surface evaporation under SUR with FI constitutes a large fraction of water losses from cropped fields while SDI with PRD75 preserved more water for plant uptake. Plants grown under water saving treatments showed lower stomatal conductance and transpiration rates compared to FI plants. Tomato yield under SDI with PRD75 was comparable to yield under SUR with FI for both tested seasons along with 25% water saving and 30% increase in water use efficiency (WUE). Otherwise, PRD50 reduced yield by 18-20%, but a substantial amount of irrigation water was saved along a 60 and 65% higher WUE compared to FI treatment. Fruit dry weight and harvest index (HI) were significantly higher with PRD75 compared to the other treatments. Seasonal N uptake and in turn N recovery was higher in PRD75 than any other treatment associated with improving N use efficiency

Bilosomes as a promising nanoplatform for oral delivery of an alkaloid nutraceutical:improved pharmacokinetic profile and snowballed hypoglycemic effect in diabetic rats

Diabetes mellitus is a life-threatening metabolic disease. At the moment, there is no effective treatment available to combat it. In this study, we aimed to develop berberine-loaded bilosomes (BER-BLS) to boost the oral bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy of berberine, a natural antidiabetic medication. The BER-BLS was fabricated using a thin-film hydration strategy and optimized using a central composite design (face-centered). The average vesicle size, entrapment efficiency, and surface charge of the optimized BER-BLS preparation were 196.5 nm, 89.7%, (−) 36.4 mV, respectively. In addition, it exhibited higher stability and better-sustained release of berberine than the berberine solution (BER-SOL). BER-BLS and BER-SOL were administered to streptozocin-induced diabetic rats. The optimized BER-BLS formulation had a significant hypoglycemic impact, with a maximum blood glucose decrease of 41%, whereas BER-SOL only reduced blood glucose by 19%. Furthermore, the pharmacological effect of oral BER-BLS and BER-SOL corresponded to 99.3% and 31.7%, respectively, when compared to subcutaneous insulin (1 IU). A pharmacokinetic analysis found a 6.4-fold rise in the relative bioavailability of berberine in BER-BLS when compared to BER-SOL at a dosage of 100 mg/kg body weight. Histopathological investigation revealed that BER-BLS is suitable for oral administration. Our data demonstrate that BLS is a potential nanocarrier for berberine administration, enhancing its oral bioavailability and antidiabetic activity

Genus Salsola : chemistry, biological activities and future prospective-a review

The genus Salsola L. (Russian thistle, Saltwort) includes halophyte plants and is considered one of the largest genera in the family Amaranthaceae. The genus involves annual semi-dwarf to dwarf shrubs and woody tree. The genus Salsola is frequently overlooked, and few people are aware of its significance. The majority of studies focus on pollen morphology and species identification. Salsola has had little research on its phytochemical makeup or biological effects. Therefore, we present this review to cover all aspects of genus Salsola, including taxonomy, distribution, differences in the chemical constituents and representative examples of isolated compounds produced by various species of genus Salsola and in relation to their several reported biological activities for use in folk medicine worldwide

Sinteza i biološko djelovanje novih supstituiranih derivata tiazolin-kinolina

5-Acyl-8-hydroxyquinoline-2-(3\u27-substituted-4\u27-aryl-2,3-dihydrothiazol-2\u27-ylide- ne)hydrazones, 5a-e to 10a-c, were prepared by the reaction of the appropriate 5-acyl-8-hydroxyquinoline-4-substituted thiosemicarbazones 3a-e and phenacyl bromides 4a-e. Structures of the new compounds were verified on the basis of spectral and elemental analyses. Twenty-eight new compounds were tested for their possible antimicrobial activities. Most of the tested compounds showed weak to moderate antibacterial activity against most of the bacterial strains used in comparison with gatifloxacin as a reference drug. The test compounds showed weak to moderate antifungal activity against tested fungi in comparison with ketoconazole as a reference drug. On the other hand, the newly synthesized compounds were tested for their anti-inflammatory effects and most of them showed good to excellent anti-inflammatory activity compared to indomethacin. Moreover, ulcerogenicity and the median lethal dose (LD50) of the most active anti-inflammatory compounds 6b and 9e were determined in mice; they were non-toxic at doses up to 400 mg kg-1 after i.p. administration.5-Acil-8-hidroksikinolin-2-(3\u27-supstituirani-4\u27-aril-2,3-dihidrotiazol-2\u27-ilid- ne)hidrazoni 5a-e do 10a-c pripravljeni su reakcijom odgovarajućih 5-acil-8-hidroksikinolin-4-supstituiranih tiosemikarbazona 3a-e i fenacil bromida 4a-e. Strukture novih spojeva potvrđene su na temelju spektralnih i elementarnih analiza. Dvadeset osam novih spojeva testirano je na potencijalno antimikrobno djelovanje. Većina spojeva pokazuje slabo do umjereno antibakterijsko djelovanje protiv većine testiranih bakterijskih sojeva u usporedbi s gatifloksacinom kao referentim lijekom, te slabo do umjereno antifungalno djelovanje protiv gljivica u usporedbi s ketokonazolom kao referentnim lijekom. Testovi na protuupalno djelovanje pokazuju da većina spojeva posjeduje dobro ili snažno protuupalno djelovanje u usporedbi s indometacinom. Ulcerogeno djelovanje i srednje letalne doze (LD50) najaktivnijih spojeva 6b i 9e određeni su na miševima. Rezultati pokazuju da su netoksični u dozama do 400 mg kg-1 nakon i.p. primjene

Quality of Type 2 Diabetes Management in the States of The Co-Operation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf: A Systematic Review

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a growing, worldwide public health concern. Recent growth has been particularly dramatic in the states of The Co-operation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC), and these and other developing economies are at particular risk. We aimed to systematically review the quality of control of type 2 diabetes in the GCC, and the nature and efficacy of interventions. We identified 27 published studies for review. Studies were identified by systematic database searches. Medline and Embase were searched separately (via Dialog and Ovid, respectively; 1950 to July 2010 (Medline), and 1947 to July 2010 (Embase)) on 15/07/2009. The search was updated on 08/07/2010. Terms such as diabetes mellitus, non-insulin-dependent, hyperglycemia, hypertension, hyperlipidemia and Gulf States were used. Our search also included scanning reference lists, contacting experts and hand-searching key journals. Studies were judged against pre-determined inclusion/exclusion criteria, and where suitable for inclusion, data extraction/quality assessment was achieved using a specifically-designed tool. All studies wherein glycaemic-, blood pressure- and/or lipid- control were investigated (clinical and/or process outcomes) were eligible for inclusion. No limitations on publication type, publication status, study design or language of publication were imposed. We found the extent of control to be sub-optimal and relatively poor. Assessment of the efficacy of interventions was difficult due to lack of data, but suggestive that more widespread and controlled trial of secondary prevention strategies may have beneficial outcomes. We found no record of audited implementation of primary preventative strategies and anticipate that controlled trial of such strategies would also be useful