Effect of Low-Level Laser Therapy Versus Bioptron on Psoriasis

Purpose: The current study was carried-out to examine the effectiveness of low-level laser therapy versus bioptron on psoriasis. Subjects and Methods: 60 patients of both sexes with psoriasis contributed in this study and they were aged from 30 to 60 years. They were randomized into two groups of the same number (A and B). Group (A) were given low level laser therapy (LLLT) and medical care, while group (B) were given bioptron light therapy (BLT) and the same medical care that received in group (A). The variables included Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) and Dermoscopic finding were measured pre and post intervention program on psoriatic patients in both groups. Both groups were given treatment program 3 sessions a week for 8 weeks. Results: following 8 consecutive weeks, both groups showed statistically significant improvement in all outcome measures, however there was a significant difference between them post treatment, favoring group (A). Conclusion: Low level laser therapy and bioptron were beneficial treatment modalities in psoriatic patients and LLLT may be more effective in treating psoriasis

Synthesis, DNA binding studies of new pyrimidothiazepine and pyrimidobenzothiazepine derivatives

Several pyrimidothiazepine and pyrimidobenzothiazepine were synthesized starting from 6-chloro-1-methyluracil by the treatment with ethyl thioglycolate followed by the reaction with hydrazine hydrate which cyclized through refluxing with appropriate aromatic aldehydes or by the treatment with 2-aminothiophenol followed by refluxing with appropriate aromatic aldehydes respectively. The structure of newly synthesized compounds was confirmedby IR, 1H NMR, mass spectral data and elemental analysis. Further the novel derivatives were investigated for their binding and fragmentation of the nucleic acid DNA

Hover flight control of helicopter using optimal control theory

This paper represents the optimal control theory and its application to the full scale helicopters. Generally the control of a helicopter is a hard task, because its system is very nonlinear, coupled and sensitive to the control inputs and external disturbances which might destabilize the system. As a result of these instabilities, it is essential to use a control process that helps to improve the systems performance, confirming stability and robustness. The main objective of this part is to develop a control system design technique using Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) to stabilize the helicopter near hover flight. In order to achieve this objective, firstly, the nonlinear model of the helicopter is linearized using small disturbance theory. The linear optimal control theory is applied to the linearized state space model of the helicopter to design the LQR controller. To clarify robustness of the controller, the effects of external wind gusts and mass change are taken into concern. Wind gusts are taken as disturbances in all directions which are simulated as a sine wave. Many simulations were made to validate and verify the response of the linear controller of the helicopter. The results show that the use of an optimal control process as LQR is a good solution for MIMO helicopter system, achieving a good stabilization and refining the final behavior of the helicopter and handling the external wind gusts disturbances as shown in the different simulations

One pot Synthesis, DNA binding and fragmentation in vitro of new fused uracil derivatives for anticancer properties

A new series of pyrimidopyrimidines are synthesized starting from 6-amino-1-benzyl[or1-(2-chlorobenzyl)]uracil via the formation of nonisolable acyclic Michael type adduct followed by nucleophilic addition and finally aromatization. The same starting material can be used for the preparation of some new pyrimidodipyrimidines by refluxing with different aldehydes in slightly basic medium. Finally different lumazines are synthesized via SN2 type reaction of diaminouracilhydrochloride with phenacyl bromides followed by intramolecular cyclodehydration then aromatization. The newly synthesized compounds showed binding, chelation and fragmentation of the nucleic acid DNA

Biochemical and Genetical Evaluation of Pomegranate Impact on Diabetes Mellitus Induced by Alloxan in Female Rats

Abstract: Various food industries explored the possibility of developing a nutritional supplement rich in natural antioxidants from pomegranates. This study has focused on the ability of pomegranate peel and juice to study the antioxidant status. Thirty two rats were allocated in 4 groups as follows: GroupI; control group without any treatment; GroupII: diabetic animals injected with alloxan; Group III: diabetic peel group animals injected with alloxan and then feed on peel pomegranate; GroupIV: diabetic juice group animals injected with alloxan and then gavage with pomegranate juice. After 4 weeks of treatment biochemical analysis were measured such as glucose, insulin, alpha-amylase, lipid profile (cholesterol, triglyceride HDL, LDL and total lipids), total protein, homocysteine, total antioxidant capacity and liver enzymes (AST&ALT). In addition, pancreas and liver tissues were separated for genetic analysis in which pancreatic tissues were used for RAPD-PCR analysis and liver tissues for DNA fragmentation assay. Results showed significant increase in glucose and alpha amylase levels in diabetic group, while insulin decreased. Peel and juice of pomegranate ameliorates this effect and decreased glucose, alpha amylase while insulin level increased. Cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL and total lipids increased while HDL decreased in diabetic group. Peel and juice of pomegranate prevented these changes. The more pronounced effect appeared in group III treated with peel pomegranate. Total protein was not affected by alloxan or pomegranate. Homocysteine was significantly increased while total antioxidant capacity decreased in diabetic group. After treatment by pomegranate peel and juice, these parameters become near to the control values. AST and ALT were significantly increased in diabetic group. But after treatment with peel and juice, AST and ALT levels decreased and become near to the control level especially ALT value. Furthermore, rate of DNA fragmentation and DNA band polymorphism increased significantly in diabetic group. While after treatment by peel and juice rate of DNA band polymorphism and DNA fragmentation were decreased significantly. Pomegranate peel and juice showed significant reduction in LDL oxidative susceptibility and an increase in total antioxidant status. Pomegranate is able to reduce the progression in atherosclerosis. The antioxidant content in foods decreased the oxidative stress related diseases

Grafting Improves Fruit Yield of Cucumber Plants Grown under Combined Heat and Soil Salinity Stresses

[EN] Improving the productivity of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) plants subjected to combined salinity and heat stresses is a significant challenge, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. Gianco F1 cucumbers were grafted onto five cucurbit rootstocks and, together with an ungrafted control, were grown in Egypt in a net house with saline soil during the summer season over two years. The vegetative growth, yield, quality, biochemical, and mineral composition traits were measured. Although many differences were observed among treatments, in general, the grafted plants had a performance better than or similar to that of the ungrafted plants, based on the different parameters measured. In particular, the cucumber plants grafted onto the Cucurbita maxima x C. moschata interspecific hybrid rootstocks VSS-61 F1 and Ferro had the highest early and total marketable yields. These two rootstocks consistently conferred higher vigor to the scion, which had lower flower abortion rates and higher chlorophyll contents. The fruit quality and N, P, and K composition in the leaves suffered few relevant changes as compared with the control. However, the leaves of the VSS-61 F1 had higher catalase activity, as well as proline and Se contents, while those of Ferro had higher Si content. This study reveals that the grafting of cucumber plants onto suitable rootstocks may mitigate the adverse effects caused by the combination of saline soil and heat stresses. This represents a significant improvement for cucumber cultivation in saline soil under high-temperature stress conditions in arid regions.Bayoumi, Y.; Abd-Alkarim, E.; El-Ramady, H.; El-Aidy, F.; Hamed, E.; Taha, N.; Prohens Tomás, J.... (2021). Grafting Improves Fruit Yield of Cucumber Plants Grown under Combined Heat and Soil Salinity Stresses. Horticulturae. 7(3):1-14. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae70300611147

Interspecific Hybrid Rootstocks Improve Productivity of Tomato Grown under High-temperature Stress

Grafting can be a useful technology to improve productivity of vegetable crops, including tomato, particularly under the serious challenges of climate change for agricultural systems. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of some local tomato interspecific hybrid rootstocks along with Maxifort on the vegetative growth, productivity, and fruit quality of tomato under field production conditions. Heat-tolerant tomato hybrid 023 F1 was used as a scion over the two late summer seasons of 2021 and 2022. Grafting 023 F1 onto Maxifort or KFS-16 rootstocks resulted in the maximum plant growth. Similarly, Maxifort and KFS-16 rootstocks significantly increased the fruit setting percentage from 22.2% to 23.5% and 17.8% to 24.6%, total fruit yield from 33.5% to 53.7% and 29.6% to 51.6%, and marketable yields from 34.1% to 56.0% and 27.3% to 56.7%, respectively, during both seasons compared with nongrafted plants. These two rootstocks enhanced nutrient (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) uptake compared with nongrafted planted. However, grafting with the interspecific hybrid rootstocks (KFS-8 and KWS-9) significantly decreased the content of catalase, peroxidase, and proline, which might be associated with lower plant vigor and yield in these rootstocks. All rootstocks had an impact on fruit chemical composition; however, generally, Maxifort and KFS-16 had greater contents of vitamin C, β-carotene, and total antioxidants than nongrafted plants. KFS-16 had also greater lycopene content than nongrafted plants. These results demonstrate the potential use of Maxifort and local rootstock KFS-16 to boost the growth and yield of tomato plants under high-temperature stress in the late summer season

دراسة اقتصادیة لبعض مزارع بط التسمین بمحافظة الشرقیة

تعتبرصناعة الدواجن وخاصة تربیة البط من أحد الصناعات الزراعیة الهامة فى جمهوریة مصر العربیة ککل وبمحافظة الشرقیة بشکل خاص نظرا لترکز صناعة البط فى محافظة الشرقیة. لذا یهدف البحث الى دراسة الملامح الرئیسیة لصناعة انتاج البط فى محافظة الشرقیة بصفة خاصة. کما استهدف دراسة اقتصادیات هذه الصناعة بتقدیر دوال الانتاج. وحصر أهم المشاکل والمعوقات التى تواجه التوسع فى القطاع الانتاجى للبط. وتمثلت مشکلة البحث فی تقلص فى أعداد تربیة البط وعدم اهتمام معظم المربیین بالمزارع وعدم توفر آلیة واضحة من قبل الدولة للاهتمام بقطاع انتاج البط بالجمهوریة ککل وبمحافظة الشرقیة بشکل خاص بالرغم من الممیزات العدیدة لتربیة البط ومعامل تحویله الغذائى العالى ومقاومته العالیة للأمراض، الأمر الذى دفع بالباحث الى دراسة اقتصادیات بعض المزارع المتخصصة بتربیة البط بالمحافظة، وحصر أهم المشاکل والمعوقات التى تواجه أصحاب هذه المزارع. أعتمدت الدراسة على استخدام أسلوب التحلیل الوصفى والکمى وأسالیب الانحدار البسیط والمتعدد. کما اعتمدت الدراسة علی البیانات الثانویة بمدیریة الزراعة بمحافظة الشرقیة، بالإضافة إلى بیانات أولیة جمعت بواسطة استمارة استبیان. وکانت اهم النتائج:ان اکثر المشاکل الانتاجیة المتعلقة بالکتاکیت، تمثلت فی ارتفاع أسعار الکتاکیت وعدم جودتها وعدم توافر مصدر شراء الکتکوت، بینما المشاکل الانتاجیة المتعلقة بالأعلاف کان أرتفاع أسعارها وعدم تعامل الشرکة مع المربى مباشرة وعدم جودته وسوء التخزین وشراء اعلاف مجهولة المصدر وعدم توافر مصدر شراء العلف، بالاضافة الى المشاکل المتعلقة بالادویة والخدمات البیطریة وتمثلت فی مشکلة ارتفاع اسعار الادویة وعدم وجود الادویة وعدم توافر الاشراف البیطری، هذا بالاضافة الى المشاکل المتعلقة بالعمالة والمتمثلة فی قلة العمالة المدربة وارتفاع الاجر, وهناک مشاکل اخرى مثل مشکلة عدم توافر مصادر الوقود وعدم توافر مصادر الفرشة. کما تبین من دالة الناتج الکلی (Q) أن أهم العناصر الانتاجیة ذات التأثیر المعنوی علی الناتج الکلی للدورة الواحدة من مزارع بط التسمین تتمثل فى کمیة العلیقة المقدمة وعدد العمال وعدد الکتاکیت فی اغلب السعات الانتاجیة.وأوصى البحث بما یلى : 1. العمل على نشر ثقافة التدریب وذلک لتوفیر العمالة الفنیة المدربة.2. توفیر حملات توعیة بیطریة , وتوفیر أمصال ولقحات فعالة.3. توفیر الأعلاف باسعار مناسبة

Environmentally-driven design of a floating desalination platform (Case study: Reverse osmosis floating desalination platform of Ras Gharib, Egypt)

Floating desalination plants are fairly new technologies and are not as common as the traditional land-based desalination plants. Almost none of the proposed nor installed projects' designers indicates that the design is environmentally driven, and only few designs are environmentally assessed. This paper aims to highlight the significant role of the environmental practices to achieve a sustainable design, where most of the environmental impact assessment procedures are performed prior to the design phase. Throughout the research, comparing alternatives and analyzing the baseline provided reliable technical help in the tasks of selecting the proposed project's location, desalination technology, power source and platform configuration. Thus, detailed technical descriptions of different systems are presented. Finally, environmental impacts associated with the operation of the proposed floating desalination plant in the selected location are assessed to give guidance on the monitoring and mitigation processes necessary to enhance the process performance, minimize the adverse environmental impacts and ensure the project's sustainability