A comparative study on the mammalian pituitary

The existence of the pituitary body has been known since very early times. The Greeks, believed that the waste products of a certain chemical reaction in the brain flowed down the funnel-shaped infundibulum to the pituitary gland. From the gland, ducts were supposed to pass these waste products into the nasal cavity to form the " pituita" or nasal mucus.The fact that the pituitary body consists of two anatomical divisions, the anterior and posterior lobes, as well as the fact that its embryological origin is from two divergent primitive tissues, was disregarded in all pathological, physiological, and clinical work, until almost the close of the last century.Notwithstanding the numerous studies to which the pituitary has been subjected since the beginning of this century, many problems remain unsolved. It has claimed the attention of anatomists, histologists, embryologists, and physiologists because it is, as has been stated by Sir Walter Brown (1870 -1946), the "leader of the endocrine orchestra ".Studies relating to the development of the pituitary body have been numerous, although in many of them the consideration of the hypophysis has been only incidental to the other interests of the observer, and no single investigator has given a complete account of the morphogenesis of the gland throughout the whole of its development.The albino rat (Mus norvegicus) was chosen because: 1) the animal can breed well in confined quarters, 2) it has a short gestation period (21 days), 3) it has large litters, 4) the pituitary of the adult animal has been subjected to extensive cytological and experimental work, and 5) so far as it has been recorded, no investigation; except Schwind (1928), has attempted to describe the development of the pituitary in the rat.In particular, this present study is concerned with the morphogenesis of the pituitary body from the time of its first appearance during the embryonic life, until the age of sexual maturity of the animal. Special attention has been paid to the origin, topography, and cytology, as well as the qualitative and quantitative growth of its various lobes. The study also deals with some related problems such as the development of the cephalic end of the notochord in relation to the developing gland, and the development of the surrounding membranes, the nervous and blood supply, and the functional activity of the pituitary as shown by histological differentiation.The morphology of the P ituitary gland has been fully established for relatively few mammals, and for even fewer birds and reptiles, but nevertheless, recent studies (see below) of the hypophysial anatomy in several mammals have revealed marked variations in its morphology.Consequently, this study was undertaken in an attempt to trace the complete development of the pituitary body in a single mammal, namely the albino rat

Future challenges and paradigmatic changes in international arbitration: A peek behind the curtain

لا ينبغي للازدهار غير المسبوق الذي يشهده التحكيم الدولي والابتهاج الراهن به أن يحجب ع ّنا العديد من التحديات الماثلة أمامه. وبالرغم من أن بعض هذه التحديات ربما لا يخص سوى مسائل عملية، وإن كان بالوسع التعامل معها، إلا أن بعضها الآخر ربما يتحول إلى أزمة وجودية. فهل ينجو التحكيم من ردة الفعل المناوئة له؟ لقد تعرض التحكيم لاستقصاءات حادة من قبل المجتمع المدني، وظهرت العديد من الأصوات المنتقدة له والتي بدأت تتساءل عما إذا كان التحكيم الدولي وسيلًة مناسبة لتسوية المنازعات، ولا سيما تلك المنازعات التي قد تتولد عنها تداعيات خطيرة على السياسة العامة والسيادة الوطنية، مثل منازعات الاستثمار. وقد وصفت صحيفة الجارديان (ديسمبر 2013 (محاكم الاستثمار الدولية بأنها ”آلية سامة“ تسمح ”للشركات الكبرى بمقاضاة الحكومات أمام هيئات تحكيم سرية تشكل من محامين للشركات وتلتف على سلطة المحاكم الوطنية و تتجاوز إرادة البرلمانات“. هذا وقد حظي قانون جديد صدر في دولة قطر الشهر الماضي من أجل تحديث نظام التحكيم في هذا البلد العربي بالإشادة لكونه خطوة إيجابية على سبيل تشجيع الاستثمار الأجنبي في البلاد، وإن كان لا يزال بعض ممارسي التحكيم يتساءلون عما إذا كانت هذه الخطوة هي بالفعل فرصة ضائعة. وحتى يتم تغيير هذا التصور، يتعين على المحامين والمؤسسات التحكيمية أن يبرهنوا على المساهمة المرتقبة التي يمكن للتحكيم الدولي أن يحققها لسيادة القانون. ويتعين عليهم أيضاً أن يبرهنوا على أنه يمكن للتحكيم أن يعمل كنظام حر وشفاف يأخذ في الاعتبار المصلحة العامة، وأنه يمكنه أن يصبح قوة دفع نافعة لا لقطاع الأعمال فحسب بل للمجتمع المدني أيضا.The unprecedented growth of international arbitration and the current state of euphoria should not serve to obscure the several challenges that lie ahead. While some challenges may only concern practical, albeit manageable issues, others may well turn into existential crisis. Will arbitration survive the backlash against it? Arbitration has come under the intense scrutiny of civil society, with many critical voices questioning whether international arbitration is an appropriate mode of dispute resolution, particularly for disputes that have important implications on national public policy and sovereignty, such as investment disputes. The Guardian (December 2013) described international investment tribunals as a “toxic mechanism” that allows “big corporations to sue governments before secretive arbitration panels composed of corporate lawyers, which bypass domestic courts and override the will of parliaments”. Meanwhile, a new law enacted last month in Qatar modernizing the Arab nation’s arbitration regime is being praised as a welcome development to encourage foreign investment in the country, but some practitioners still question whether the measure is actually a missed opportunity. To change this perception, arbitration lawyers and institutions must demonstrate the potential contribution of international arbitration to the rule of law. They also need to demonstrate that arbitration can function as an open and transparent system that takes account of the public interest, and can be a force of good not only for business but for civil society too

The Effect of the Physical Environment on Social Interaction: The Case of Educational Campuses

Social interaction is an essential component of the collegiate experience. Studies presume that the provision of appropriate space for interaction enhances its possibility. This study aims to reveal the effect of physical urban design elements on the quantity of social interaction between students on their university campuses. It takes place on the Faculty of Engineering campus in Alexandria University. Student questionnaires investigate students’ sense of ownership, their satisfaction with their current campus and the features that would make them spend more time on campus. Furthermore, they reveal common movement patterns around campus throughout a standard day, and highlight the common gathering spaces. The on-site observation investigates the urban design components of these spaces. Based on the space syntax theory, which proposes that movement can be a good predictor for social encounters, the results are compared with integration and choice analyses maps along with the physical setting for each gathering space. From this analysis, thephysical elements with the highest influence on social interaction are determined and modifications are recommended to the current campus setting. Students were found to be walking the routes that showed high integration values in the space syntax analysis and that these routes were also used for their gatherings. The result will help design better campuses in the future or alter current designs to enhance social interaction. Further research seeks to validate the results by applying the study on more campuses in Egyptian universities

Conductometric and volumetric study of copper sulphate in aqueous ethanol solutions at different temperatures

AbstractAn Anton Par Model 55 densimeter was used to measure the densities of copper sulphate solutions in H2O and EtOH–H2O at 298.15K, 303.15K, 308.15K, and 313.15K. The acquired information was used to ascertain the apparent molar volumes, limiting partial molar volumes, and transfer partial molar volumes of copper sulphate. These computed parameters were utilized to decipher the solute–solute and solute–solvent interactions of copper sulphate in an aqueous ethanol solution. The ion solvation behavior of copper sulphate in water and aqueous ethanol over the range of 298.15–313.15K was studied using the electrical conductivity principle. The Kraus–Bray and Shedlovsky models of conductivity were used to analyze the obtained conductance data. From the obtained data, the limiting molar conductance λ°m, association constant KA, energy of activation of the rating process (Ea), and related thermodynamic parameters were determined. The Walden product (λ°mη0) was determined. The standard thermodynamic parameters of association (ΔG°A, ΔH°A) were calculated and discussed. Increased ion–solvent and solvent–solvent interactions are indicated by limiting molar conductance values with an increasing amount of ethanol. The negative ΔG°A values indicate that the association processes in all of the studied systems are spontaneous processes. The negative estimation of (ΔH°A) demonstrates that the association processes is exothermic in nature

Performances Evaluation of Surface Water Areas Extraction Techniques Using Landsat ETM+ Data: Case Study Aswan High Dam Lake (AHDL)

AbstractAswan High Dam Lake (AHDL) is the major freshwater body supplying Egypt with water used for various purposes. This paper aims to detect the better technique for extraction of the water surface of AHDL. Eight techniques are tested using Landsat ETM+ image and their performances in extracting the surface water area are evaluated. The eight techniques include Supervised and Unsupervised image classification techniques, Water Ratio Index [WRI], Normalized Difference Vegetation Index [NDVI], Normalized Difference Water Index [NDWI], Modified Normalized Difference Water Index [MNDWI], Automated Water Extraction Index [AWEI], and Normalized Difference Moisture Index [NDMI]. The results illustrate the effectiveness of the unsupervised technique, as it gave an overall accuracy about 99.91%. It is recommended to apply this technique in areas with similar conditions to efficiently extract the surface water areas from Landsat ETM+ data

Physical evaluation of a new pulp capping material developed from portland cement

Background: This study examined the effects of addition of 10% and 25% by weight calcium hydroxide on the physicochemical properties of Portland cement associated with 20% bismuth oxide in order to develop a new pulp capping material. Material and Methods: The solubility, pH value, setting time, compressive strength, and push out bond strength of modified Portland were evaluated and compared to those of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) and Portland cement containing 20% bismuth oxide. Results: The statistical analysis was performed with ANOVA and Duncan’s post-hoc test. The results show that the strength properties and push out bond strength of Portland cement were adversely affected by addition of calcium hydroxide especially with a ratio of 25 wt%, however, the setting time and pH were not affected. MTA showed a statistically significant lower setting time than other cements (P≤0.001). Portland cement with bismuth oxide and Port Cal I showed a statistically significant higher Push out Bond strength than MTA and Port Cal II (P=0.001). Conclusions: Taking the setting time, push out bond strength and pH value into account, addition of 10 wt% calcium hydroxide to Portland cement associated with 20% bismuth oxide produces a new pulp capping material with acceptable physical and adhesive properties. Further studies are recommended to test this cement biologically as a new pulp capping material

A protein microarray assay for serological determination of antigen-specific antibody responses following Clostridium difficile infection

We provide a detailed overview of a novel high-throughput protein microarray assay for the determination of anti-C. difficile antibody levels in human sera and in separate preparations of polyclonal IVIg. The protocol describes the methodological steps involved in sample preparation, printing of arrays, assay procedure and data analysis. In addition, this protocol could be further developed to incorporate diverse clinical samples including plasma and cell culture supernatants. Herein, a combination of isotype (IgG, IgA IgM), subclass (IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, IgG4, IgA1, IgA2), and strain-specific antibodies to highly purified whole C. difficile toxins A and B (toxinotype 0, strain VPI 10463, ribotype 087), toxin B from a C. difficile toxin-B-only expressing strain (CCUG 20309), precursor form of B fragment of binary toxin, pCDTb, ribotype-specific whole surface layer proteins (SLPs; 001, 002, 027) and control proteins (Tetanus toxoid and Candida albicans) were determined by protein microarray. Microarrays were probed with sera from individuals with C. difficile infection (CDI), cystic fibrosis (CF) without diarrhea, healthy controls and individuals pre- and post-IVIg therapy for treatment of CDI, combined immunodeficiency disorder and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculopathy. Significant differences in toxin neutralization efficacies and multi-isotype specific antibody levels were seen between patient groups, commercial preparations of IVIg and sera before and following IVIg administration. A significant correlation was observed between microarray and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for antitoxin IgG levels in serum samples. These results suggest that microarray could become a promising tool for profiling antibody responses to C. difficile antigens in vaccinated or infected humans. With further refinement of antigen panels and a reduction in production costs, it is anticipated that microarray technology may help optimize and select the most clinically useful immunotherapies for C. difficile infection in a patient-specific manner

Pelvic exenteration and composite sacral resection in the surgical treatment of locally recurrent rectal cancer

AbstractBackgroundThe incidence of rectal cancer recurrence after surgery is 5–45%. Extended pelvic resection which entails En-bloc resection of the tumor and adjacent involved organs provides the only true possible curative option for patients with locally recurrent rectal cancer.AimTo evaluate the surgical and oncological outcome of such treatment.Patients and methodsBetween 2006 and 2012 a consecutive series of 40 patients with locally recurrent rectal cancer underwent abdominosacral resection (ASR) in 18 patients, total pelvic exenteration with sacral resection in 10 patients and extended pelvic exenteration in 12 patients. Patients with sacral resection were 28, with the level of sacral division at S2–3 interface in 10 patients, at S3–4 in 15 patients and S4–5 in 3 patients.ResultsForty patients, male to female ratio 1.7:1, median age 45years (range 25–65years) underwent extended pelvic resection in the form of pelvic exenteration and abdominosacral resection. Morbidity, re-admission and mortality rates were 55%, 37.5%, and 5%, respectively. Mortality occurred in 2 patients due to perineal flap sepsis and massive myocardial infarction. A R0 and R1 sacral resection were achieved in 62.5% and 37.5%, respectively. The 5-year overall survival rate was 22.6% and the 4-year recurrence free survival was 31.8%.ConclusionExtended pelvic resection as pelvic exenteration and sacral resection for locally recurrent rectal cancer are effective procedures with tolerable mortality rate and acceptable outcome. The associated morbidity remains high and deserves vigilant follow up

Unidirectional barbed sutures vs. interrupted intracorporeal knots in thoracoscopic repair of congenital diaphragmatic hernia in pediatrics

BackgroundIntracorporeal suturing knots continue to be one of the most challenging and time-consuming steps in the thoracoscopic repair of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). Barbed unidirectional knotless sutures are designed to shorten surgical procedures by eliminating the need to tie knots. This work aimed to compare unidirectional barbed sutures and interrupted intracorporeal knots in the thoracoscopic repair of CDH in pediatrics regarding the time required to suture, operative time and complications.MethodsThis retrospective study included 139 patients presented with Bochdalek CDH. Patients were classified into early (neonatal) and late presentations. The hernia defect was repaired by unidirectional Barbed sutures (V-LocTM and StratafixTM sutures) in group B or by Conventional interrupted intracorporeal knots in group C.ResultsIn both early and delayed presentations, the time required to suture (15 and 13 min in group B, 33 and 28 min in group C for neonatal and delayed presentation respectively) was significantly shorter in group B. Complications (visceral perforation, wound infection, and recurrence) insignificantly differed between group B and group C of early presentation. No patients suffered from major complications in both groups.ConclusionsBoth unidirectional barbed sutures and intracorporeal knots were safe and effective. However, unidirectional barbed sutures are a time-saving choices for CDH thoracoscopic repair in early and late presentations

Assessing the performance of thermal inertia and Hydrus models to estimate surface soil water content

The knowledge of soil water content (SWC) dynamics in the upper soil layer is important for several hydrological processes. Due to the difficulty of assessing the spatial and temporal SWC dynamics in the field, some model-based approaches have been proposed during the last decade. The main objective of this work was to assess the performance of two approaches to estimate SWC in the upper soil layer under field conditions: the physically-based thermal inertia and the Hydrus model. Their validity was firstly assessed under controlled laboratory conditions. Thermal inertia was firstly validated in laboratory conditions using the transient line heat source (TLHS) method. Then, it was applied in situ to analyze the dynamics of soil thermal properties under two extreme conditions of soil-water status (well-watered and air-dry), using proximity remote-sensed data. The model performance was assessed using sensor-based measurements of soil water content acquired through frequency (FDR) and time domain reflectometry (TDR). During the laboratory experiment, the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) was 0.02 m3 m??3 for the Hydrus model and 0.05 m3m-3for the TLHS model approach. On the other hand, during the in situ experiment, the temporal variability of SWCs simulated by the Hydrus model and the corresponding values measured by the TDR method evidenced good agreement (RMSE ranging between 0.01 and 0.005 m3m-3). Similarly, the average of the SWCs derived from the thermal diffusion model was fairly close to those estimated by Hydrus (spatially averaged RMSE ranging between 0.03 and 0.02 m3m-3)