Evaluating the In vivo Efficacy of Copper-Chitosan Nanocomposition for Treating Vascular Wilt Disease in Date Palm

Date palm, Phoenix dactylifera, as one of the most important fruit crops in Egypt and many other countries, can be affected by many fungal diseases, among which the vascular wilt disease, caused by the fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporum, is considered the most deteriorating one. This study aims at evaluating the efficiency of Copper-Chitosan Nanopcomposition for treating the vascular wilt disease in date palm. The study relies mainly on beleaguering the disease via the double-role functionality of copper-chitosan nanocomposition, i.e. its potential antifungal effect on the fungal pathogen, besides its capability to enhance the immune responses of the infected plant. In this regard, chitosan nanoparticles were prepared according to the ionic gelation method, whereas copper nanoparticles were prepared according to the chemical reduction method. Physicochemical characterization of both chitosan and copper nanoparticles was performed using dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and x-ray diffraction (XRD). Copper-chitosan nanocomposition could significantly reduce the vascular wilt disease severity; this means that the nanocomposition can be used in the future for developing new nano-fungicides to control such pathogens

MULTI-OBJECTIVE STRATEGY FOR OPTIMIZING REPETITIVE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS USING LINEAR PROGRAMMING MODELS

Decision making has become much more complicated than in the past due to increased decision alternatives, uncertainty, and cost of making errors. As a result, it is very difficult to rely on a trial and error approach in decision making. Nowadays business managers are dealing with different types of projects ranging from implementing a large scale manufacturing plant to a simple sales campaign. While dealing with projects, to become competitive, sometimes it is required to complete a project within the predetermined deadline to keep cost at lowest possible level. Failure to do so ultimately leads to increase in total cost. This would direct managers to encounter a decision situation: which activities of the project will be crashed to minimize the total cost of crashing project. In this paper, we provide a hypothetical example to clarify the framework of how to convert from LOB to CPM and then how to create a model to crash a project time to reach an optimum time-cost solution. Microsoft Excel custom made sheets used to the conversion, also Solver add-in used to solve the model while it implements Linear Programming. As a check, results from Solver and LiPS software are compared

PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF AQUEOUS EXTRACT POMEGRANATE PEEL AGAINST STERIGMATOCYSTIN TOXICITY IN RAT

Introduction and Aim: Sterigmatocystin (Stg) a mycotoxin with mutagenic and carcinogenic properties is commonly found as the contaminant in grains and animal feeds. Pomegranate peel is a rich source of antioxidants, flavonoids and other phenolic compounds. So the aim of the current study was to evaluate the protective effects of aqueous extract of red Pomegranate peel against Stg toxicity in liver, kidney, intestine and lung as well as final body weight using male rats. Methods: Forty eight Sprague-Dawley male rats were divided into six groups (8rats/group) including the control group that fed on a standard diet and water without any treatment, group 2 fed on standard diet plus aqueous extract of RPP (250 mg/rat/day), group 3 fed on standard diet plus aqueous extract of RPP (500 mg/ rat/day), group 4 fed on a standard diet and orally Stg. dissolved at a dose (18µg/rat/day), group 5 fed on a standard diet and Stg  plus aqueous extract of RPP (250mg/day) and group 6 fed on a standard diet and Stg. plus aqueous extract of RPP (500mg/day). At the end of the experimental period, blood samples were collected for serum biochemical analyses. After collecting the blood samples all animals were scarified and dissected samples of liver, kidney, intestine and lung were collected for histological examination. Results: The total phenols and total flavonoids, compounds in aqueous extract of RPP were 1.38 mg/ml and 680.28 mg/ml, respectively. However, the antioxidant activity amounted to 68.0% in the determination of radical DPPH scavenging activity. On the other hand, results indicated that rat orally Stg plus aqueous extract of RPP with low dose and high doses showed a significant improvement in final body weight compared with group administrated of Stg alone. While, the effect of aqueous extract of RPP on kidney and liver function of rats, the results indicated that the rat orally Stg alone caused significant increased in urea, creatinine and uric acid compared with the control group. The aqueous extract of RPP alone at the two tested doses did not induce any significant changes in the biochemical parameters or the histological picture. The combined treatment showed significant improvements in all tested parameters and histological pictures in the liver tissues. Moreover, this improvement was more pronounced in the group received the high dose of aqueous extract of RPP. Conclusion: From results it can be concluded that u the aqueous extract of RPP has a potent antioxidant activity and a protective effect against Stg toxicity and this protection was dose dependent. Keywords: Sterigmatocystin, Red pomegranate peels (RPP), aqueous extract, liver and kidney

Sunflower oil-based hyperbranched alkyd/spherical ZnO nanocomposite modeling for mechanical and anticorrosive applications

Approaches for designing advanced nanomaterials with hyperbranched architectures and lack of volatile organic content (VOC) have attracted considerable attention. In this study, eco-friendly hyperbranched alkyd resins for mechanical and anticorrosive coatings with high solid content were successfully synthesized based on sunflower oil (SFO) via a polyesterification approach. These resins are characterized by energy-efficient polymer synthesis, lack of gelation properties, high functionality, and low viscosity. A chemical precipitation process was used to fabricate zinc oxide (ZnO) spherical nanostructures with controlled diameters and morphologies. A series of conformal, novel, low-cost SFO-based hyperbranched alkyd/spherical ZnO nanocomposites were fabricated through an ex situ method. Various nanofiller concentrations were distributed to establish synergetic effects on the micro-nano binary scale performance of the materials. The features of the nanocomposites, including the molecular weight, acid and hydroxyl values of the prepared alkyd resins, were concomitantly assessed through various standard tests. The nanocomposites were also subjected to various tests to determine their surface adhesion and mechanical properties, such as impact, T-bending, crosscut, and abrasion resistance tests. Furthermore, the physico-mechanical properties, anticorrosive behavior, thermal stabilities and cellular cytotoxicities of the fabricated materials were assessed. The anticorrosive features of the nanocomposites were investigated through salt spray tests in 5 wt% NaCl. The results indicate that well-dispersed ZnO nanospheres (0.5%) in the interior of the hyperbranched alkyd matrix improve the durability and anticorrosive attributes of the composites; thus, they exhibit potential applications in eco-friendly surface coatings

Preparation of Polyfunctionally Substituted Pyridine-2(1H) thione Derivatives as Precursors to Bicycles and Polycycles

Reaction of acetylacetone with 1 mole of dimethylformamide dimethyl acetal (DMFDMA) affords enamine 2a which react with cyanothioacetamide to give pyridinethione 3a. Pyridinethione 3a reacts with methyl iodide, halogenated compounds, aromatic aldehyde and malononitrile / elemental sulfur to yiled compounds 7-10 respectively. Reactions of thioether (7) in ethanolic K2CO3, 1 mole DMFDMA and 4-(dimethylamino) benzaldehyde gave compounds (11, 13, 14) respectively. Enaminone (12) can be prepared by reaction of compound (11) with DMFDMA. Also, compounds (13) and (14) can be obtained by reaction of compounds (3a) and (9a) with 2 mole of DMFDMA and methyl iodide respectively. Reactions of enaminone (9) with hydrazine hydrate and cyanothioacetamide gave compounds (11) and (12) respectively. Malononitrile dimmer when reacted with chalcones (9a), (14) and enaminone (12), (13) gave bipyridyl (15), (16) and (19a,b) respectively. Bipyridyl (15) can be converted to (16) by methylation using methyl iodide. Reactions of thienopyridine (8) with DMFDMA and sodium nitrite in acetic acid gave tricyclic compounds (20) and (21) respectively. Finally, reactions of (21a) with malononitrile / elemental sulfur and DMFDMA gave compounds (22) and (23) respectively

Preparation of Polyfunctionally Substituted Pyridine-2(1H) thione Derivatives as Precursors to Bicycles and Polycycles

Reaction of acetylacetone with 1 mole of dimethylformamide dimethyl acetal (DMFDMA) affords enamine 2a which react with cyanothioacetamide to give pyridinethione 3a. Pyridinethione 3a reacts with methyl iodide, halogenated compounds, aromatic aldehyde and malononitrile / elemental sulfur to yiled compounds 7-10 respectively. Reactions of thioether (7) in ethanolic K2CO3, 1 mole DMFDMA and 4-(dimethylamino) benzaldehyde gave compounds (11, 13, 14) respectively. Enaminone (12) can be prepared by reaction of compound (11) with DMFDMA. Also, compounds (13) and (14) can be obtained by reaction of compounds (3a) and (9a) with 2 mole of DMFDMA and methyl iodide respectively. Reactions of enaminone (9) with hydrazine hydrate and cyanothioacetamide gave compounds (11) and (12) respectively. Malononitrile dimmer when reacted with chalcones (9a), (14) and enaminone (12), (13) gave bipyridyl (15), (16) and (19a,b) respectively. Bipyridyl (15) can be converted to (16) by methylation using methyl iodide. Reactions of thienopyridine (8) with DMFDMA and sodium nitrite in acetic acid gave tricyclic compounds (20) and (21) respectively. Finally, reactions of (21a) with malononitrile / elemental sulfur and DMFDMA gave compounds (22) and (23)respectively.Keywords: Acetyl acetone; DMFDMA; Malononitrile dimmer; Bipyridyl; 5-Acetylpyridinethione

Progress in biomimetic leverages for marine antifouling using nanocomposite coatings

Because of the environmental and economic casualties of biofouling on maritime navigation, modern studies have been devoted toward formulating advanced nanoscale composites in the controlled development of effective marine antifouling self-cleaning surfaces. Natural biomimetic surfaces have the advantages of micro-/nanoroughness and minimized free energy characteristics that can motivate the dynamic fabrication of superhydrophobic antifouling surfaces. This review provides an architectural panorama of the biomimetic antifouling designs and their key leverages to broaden horizons in the controlled fabrication of nanocomposite building blocks as force-driven marine antifouling models. As primary antifouling designs, understanding the key functions of surface geometry, heterogeneity, superhydrophobicity, and complexity of polymer/nanofiller composite building blocks on fouling-resistant systems is crucial. This review also discusses a wide range of fouling release coating systems that satisfy the growing demand in a sustainable future environment. For instance, the integration of block, segmented copolymer-based coatings and inorganic–organic hybrid nanofillers enhanced the model's antifouling properties with mechanical, superhydrophobic, chemically inert, and robust surfaces. These nanoscale antifouling systems offered surfaces with minimized free energy, micro-/nanoroughness, anisotropic heterogeneity, superior hydrophobicity, tunable non-wettability, antibacterial efficiency, and mechanical robustness. The confined fabrication of nanoscale orientation, configuration, arrangement, and direction along the architectural composite building blocks would yield excellent air-entrapping ability along the interfacial surface grooves and interfaces, which optimized the antifouling coating surfaces for long-term durability. This review provides systematic evidence of the effect of structurally folded nanocomposites, nanofiller tectonics, and building blocks on the creation of outstanding superhydrophobicity, self-cleaning surfaces, and potential antifouling coatings. The development of modern research gateways is a candidate for the sustainable future of antifouling coatings

Effectiveness of Surgical Interventions for Self-Sucking in Dairy Cattle: A Comparative Study

Self-sucking behavior in cows, is a behavioral defect that leads to significant milk loss in dairy farming. This retrospective case series aims to present the surgical experience and long-term outcomes of 200 cows exhibiting self-sucking behavior. The objective of this study is to evaluate the outcomes of four surgical techniques used to treat self-sucking in cows, including wound healing, complications, recurrence, and feeding difficulties. The follow-up period extended up to 2 years postoperatively, with repeated visits by the same surgeon. The study included 200 cows of mixed and native breeds. Four surgical techniques were employed to address self-sucking behavior. The same surgeon monitored the outcomes over time, assessing factors such as wound healing, complications, recurrence rates, and feeding difficulties. Long-term analysis revealed that the more invasive techniques, such as lateral glossectomy and ventral partial glossectomy, demonstrated the highest success rates at 100% and 96% respectively. In contrast, the less invasive techniques, ventral lingual inverting sutures and intralingual sutures, had success rates of 58% and 50% respectively. This study provides valuable insights into the long-term outcomes of various surgical techniques for correcting self-sucking behavior in cattle. The results indicate that lateral partial full thickness glossectomy yielded favorable outcomes with no recurrence and minimal postoperative complications. The findings from this study offer important considerations for decision-making regarding the optimal surgical correction of self-sucking in cattle, assisting veterinarians and farmers in selecting the most effective approach

Erythropoietin mitigated thioacetamide-induced renal injury via JAK2/STAT5 and AMPK pathway

The kidney flushes out toxic substances and metabolic waste products, and homeostasis is maintained owing to the kidney efforts. Unfortunately, kidney disease is one of the illnesses with a poor prognosis and a high death rate. The current investigation was set out to assess erythropoietin (EPO) potential therapeutic benefits against thioacetamide (TAA)-induced kidney injury in rats. EPO treatment improved kidney functions, ameliorated serum urea, creatinine, and malondialdehyde, increased renal levels of reduced glutathione, and slowed the rise of JAK2, STAT5, AMPK, and their phosphorylated forms induced by TAA. EPO treatment also greatly suppressed JAK2, Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases, and The Protein Kinase R-like ER Kinase gene expressions and mitigated the histopathological alterations brought on by TAA toxicity. EPO antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties protected TAA-damaged kidneys. EPO regulates AMPK, JAK2/STAT5, and pro-inflammatory mediator synthesis