The value of computed tomography-urography in predicting the postoperative outcome of antenatally diagnosed pelviureteric junction obstruction

Background The natural course of pelviureteric junction (PUJ) obstruction is  variable. Of those who require surgical intervention, there is no definite reliable  preoperative predictor of the likely postoperative outcome. We evaluated the value of preoperative computed tomography (CT)-urography in predicting the  postoperative outcome.Patients and methods Ten newborns with antenatally diagnosed PUJ obstruction  were evaluated after delivery with an abdominal ultrasound, and those with a renal pelvis measuring more than 3 cm in diameter were subjected to preoperative CT-urography. The kidney size, renal pelvis size, and renal parenchyma thickness were measured and documented. All underwent open surgical Anderson-Hynes dismembered pyeloplasty. The outcome was correlated to the preoperative renal parenchymal thickness as measured by means of preoperative CT-urography.Results Ten newborns (seven male and three female) with PUJ obstruction were  operated on. Their ages at surgery ranged from 8 days to 4 months (mean= 1.75 months). Eight had PUJ obstruction on the right side and two had PUJ obstruction on the left side. The mean renal pelvis size on the affected side was 4.9 cm (3.6–6.3 cm). The mean renal parenchymal thickness was 0.57cm (0.25–1.3 cm). Four patients had a renal parenchymal thickness less than 0.5 cm, and these patients showed poor results on followup isotope scan compared with those who had a renalparenchymal thickness of more than 0.5 cm [mean= 14.9% (12–19.6%)] compared with a mean of 44.2% (33–54%).Conclusion This is a preliminary report and the number of patients in our study is small to make definite conclusions, and further studies in this regard are important. We believe that renal parenchymal thickness as measured by means of preoperative CT-urography is an important predictor of the final outcome in patients with  antenatally diagnosed hydronephrosis. Those who had a renal parenchymal thickness of 0.5 cm or less showed poor results on followup isotope scan compared with those who had a renal parenchymal thickness of more than 0.5 cm.Keywords: outcome, pelviureteric junction obstruction, pyeloplast

Toxicity and field persistence of thiamethoxam and dinotefuran against cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassica L. (Homoptera: Aphididae) under laboratory and field conditions

Cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassica L. is one of the most destructive and economically important insect pests of canola (Brassica napus L.) worldwide including Egypt. Few information is available on the effect of neonicotinoid insecticides (thiamethoxam and dinotefuran) against cabbage aphid on canola fields in Egypt, particularly in Assiut Governorate. Thus, this study was carried out to evaluate the toxicity and field persistence of thiamethoxam and dinotefuran against cabbage aphid under laboratory and field conditions. Under laboratory condition, thiamethoxam was showed high toxic effect against adult field strain of cabbage aphid with LC50 values, 84.10, 6.60 and 3.21 mg/L after 24, 48 and 72 hrs post treatment, respectively.  In addition, dinotefuran also exhibited toxic effect against this pest but less than thiamethoxam where the LC50 values were 300.50, 43.85 and 6.74 mgL-1, respectively after the periods of exposure. Based on the relative potency values, thiamethoxam was more effective than dinotefuran with 3.6, 6.6 and 2.1 fold after the periods of exposure. Under field condition, both thiamethoxam and dinotefuran exhibited efficiency against cabbage aphid population on canola plants after one, three, seven, fifteen and twenty-one days of treatments but thiamethoxam was more efficient than dinotefuran. Cabbage aphid reduction percent were 62.07, 89.80, 96.02, 96.59 and 94.55% for thiamethoxam and 8.58, 65.63, 86.77, 93.92 and 71.18% for dinotefuran after periods of exposure. The obtained data from this study indicated that thiamethoxam have a high toxicity effect against cabbage aphid under laboratory and field conditions. Based on our results, we suggest using thiamethoxam for cabbage aphid control in canola fields in Assiut Governorate, however more trails are needed about which in other Egyptian Governorates

1-{(E)-[3-(1H-Imidazol-1-yl)-1-phenyl­propyl­idene]amino}-3-(2-methyl­phen­yl)urea

In the title compound, C20H21N5O, the conformation about the imine bond [1.289 (3) Å] is E. Overall, the mol­ecule is disk-shaped with the imidazole ring located above the remainder of the mol­ecule and with the dihedral angles of 10.97 (15) and 12.11 (15)°, respectively, between the imidazole ring and the phenyl and methyl­benzene rings; the dihedral angle between the aromatic rings is 8.17 (14)°. Within the urea unit, the N—H atoms are anti to each other and one of the N—H atoms forms an intra­molecular N—H⋯N hydrogen bond. Helical supra­molecular chains along [001] are formed via N—H⋯N(imidazole) hydrogen bonds in the crystal structure. These are connected into a three-dimensional architecture by C—H⋯O(carbon­yl) and C—H⋯π inter­actions

Use of Phenols, Peroxidase and Polyphenoloxidase of Seed to Quantify Resistance of Cotton Genotypes to Damping-off Incited by Fusarium oxysporum

A greenhouse test was conducted in 2011 and 2012 growing seasons at Giza Agricultural Research Station to evaluate the reaction of six cotton genotypes to damping-off incited by Fusarium oxysporum. Damping-off incidence on the genotypes ranged from 70-88%. In general, the genotypes could be divided into highly susceptible, susceptible, and moderately susceptible. Data for damping-off incidence and level or activity of some biochemical components (phenols, peroxidase, and polyphenoloxidase) were entered into a computerized linear regression analysis. The analysis contrasted seven predictive models by using the biochemical components, singly or in combination, as biochemical predictors. It was evident that models nos. 2 and 6 were the best models for predicting incidence of damping-off. The superiority of these models was attributed to their high RІ values (0.748 and 0.902, respectively) and the significance of their F. values (P = 0.026 and P = 0.031, respectively). The results of the present study suggest that peroxidase alone or both peroxidase and polyphenoloxidase, which may or may not parts of damping-off resistance mechanisms, can be used as biochemical markers to predict resistance to damping-off incited by F. oxysporum

The Genus Striga (Scrophulariaceae) in Africa

Twenty-eight species and six subspecies of the hemiparasitic genus Striga Lour., witchweed, occur in Africa. Twenty-two species are endemic. Witchweeds occur throughout the continent with greatest diversity in the grasslands and savannas north of the equator. Striga gesnerioides (Willd.) Vatke and S. hermonthica (Del.) Benth. have developed host-specific strains that may have distinct morphotypes. me accord these no formal taxonomic status. Striga hermonthica and S. asiatica (L.) Kuntze, limited to agroecosystems, may be recently derived from non-ruderal species. Striga hirsuta Benth. and S. lutea Lour., sometimes treated as conspecific with S. asiatica, are recognized as distinct species restricted to natural ecosystems. Striga linearifolia Hepper, with its strongly bilabiate corolla and perennial habit, is considered as a subspecies of S. bilabiata (Thunb.) Kuntze. Striga baumannii Engl. and S. fulgens Hepper are excluded from the genus. Striga baumannii has tuberous roots and a ligneous calyx and may represent a distinct genus. Striga fulgens, with free petals, is aligned with Chascanum E. Mey. in the Verbenaceae

Antiviral activity of chitosan nanoparticles for controlling plant-infecting viruses

Chitosan nanoparticles (ChiNPs) are a potentially effective means for controlling numerous plant diseases. This study firstly describes the antiviral capabilities of ChiNPs to control plant viral diseases compared to its bulk form. Bean yellow mosaic virus (BYMV) was used as a model plant virus affecting faba bean plants and many other legumes. The antiviral effectiveness of ChiNPs and chitosan were evaluated as a curative application method, using six dosage rates (50, 100, 200, 250, 300 and 400 mg/L). Results indicated that ChiNPs curatively applied 48 h post virus inoculation entirely inhibit the disease infectivity and viral accumulation content at 300 mg/L and 400 mg/L. The virus titre was greatly alleviated within the plant tissues by 7.71% up to100% depending on ChiNP dosage rates. However, chitosan used in its bulk-based material form revealed a relatively low to an intermediate reduction in virus infectivity by 6.67% up to 48.86%. Interestingly, ChiNPs affect the virus particle’s integrity by producing defective and incomplete BYMV viral particles, defeating their replication and accumulation content within the plant tissues. Simultaneously, ChiNP applications were appreciably shown to promote the pathogenesis-related (PR-1) gene and other defence-related factors. The mRNA of the PR-1 gene was markedly accumulated in treated plants, reaching its maximum at 400 mg/L with 16.22-fold relative expression change over the untreated control. Further, the total phenol dynamic curve was remarkably promoted for 30 days in response to ChiNP application, as compared to the untreated control. Our results provide the first report that chitosan-based nanomaterials have a superior effect in controlling plant viruses as an antiviral curing agent, suggesting that they may feasibly be involved in viral disease management strategies under field conditions without serious health concerns and environmental costs. Significance: • Our findings show that chitosan nanoparticles have a powerful curing antiviral activity against BYMV disease. These findings open the door for the use of eco-friendly nano-based tools in controlling numerous plant viruses. The use of eco-friendly nano-based materials could result in a successful integrative control strategy for plant viruses under field conditions, negating the need for the conventional measure used to control most of the insect-transmitted plant viruses, that is insecticide application against vector insects