ORGANIC FERTILIZATION AND NATURAL SUBSTANCES TREATMENTS AFFECTS CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS OF GUAR PLANTS

This experiment was conducted at the Floriculture Nursery, Faculty of Agriculture, Minia University during the two successive seasons to study the effect of compost at rates (0, 25, 2.50 and 3.75 ton/fed.) and natural substances i.e. vitamins (ascorbic acid at 50 and 100 ppm, ?-tocopherol at 10, 20 ppm and thiamine, at 25 and 50 ppm) and active yeast at 2.5 and 5 g/l. and their interaction on some chemical constituents of guar plants. The results indicated that, Addition of compost caused an increase in guaran %, Photosynthetic pigments, Total carbohydrates (%) N, P and K (%) and Protein (%). The maximum level in all previous traits was for the plants growing in the soil fertilized with the highest level of compost (3.75 t/fed.). Using the treatments of vit. C at 50 ppm followed by 5 g/l. active yeast, then vit. E at 10 ppm gave the highest values of all previous traits. The interaction between the two main factors (A×B) was significant for guaran %, photosynthetic pigments, total carbohydrates %, N and P %., The highest values were obtained from the interaction treatments of 3.75 ton/fed., compost in combination with active yeast at 5 g/l. and vit. C at 50 ppm. On the other hand, the interaction between compost, active yeast and vitamins treatments was not significant for protein content (%). We conclude that supply guar plants with compost at 3.75 ton/fed., and spraying plants with either active yeast at 5 g/l. or ascorbic acid (vit. C) at 50 ppm to improve the values of some chemical constituents under investigation condition

Burnout among surgeons before and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: an international survey

Background: SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has had many significant impacts within the surgical realm, and surgeons have been obligated to reconsider almost every aspect of daily clinical practice. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study reported in compliance with the CHERRIES guidelines and conducted through an online platform from June 14th to July 15th, 2020. The primary outcome was the burden of burnout during the pandemic indicated by the validated Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure. Results: Nine hundred fifty-four surgeons completed the survey. The median length of practice was 10 years; 78.2% included were male with a median age of 37 years old, 39.5% were consultants, 68.9% were general surgeons, and 55.7% were affiliated with an academic institution. Overall, there was a significant increase in the mean burnout score during the pandemic; longer years of practice and older age were significantly associated with less burnout. There were significant reductions in the median number of outpatient visits, operated cases, on-call hours, emergency visits, and research work, so, 48.2% of respondents felt that the training resources were insufficient. The majority (81.3%) of respondents reported that their hospitals were included in the management of COVID-19, 66.5% felt their roles had been minimized; 41% were asked to assist in non-surgical medical practices, and 37.6% of respondents were included in COVID-19 management. Conclusions: There was a significant burnout among trainees. Almost all aspects of clinical and research activities were affected with a significant reduction in the volume of research, outpatient clinic visits, surgical procedures, on-call hours, and emergency cases hindering the training. Trial registration: The study was registered on clicaltrials.gov "NCT04433286" on 16/06/2020

Quantification of Total Phenolic and Total Flavonoid Contents in Extracts of Some Egyptian Green leaves and Estimation of Antioxidant Activity

ABSTRACT This study was conducted to determine the total poly phenols and flavonoids, estimation of antioxidant activity in vitro by two methods (DPPH radica -carotene) for 16 plant leaves. Radish ( white, red ) , attract, cabbage ( white, red ), dill, boil, carrots (red, yellow), red beet, sugar beet, cauliflower, coriander, parsley, spinach and lettuce extracted by cold and boiled water for 10, 30 and 60 minutes. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents in the extracts were determined using Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and AlCl 3 method and their amount calculated as gallic acid/100g and rutin/100g fresh weight respectively

Vaping, Environmental Toxicants Exposure, and Lung Cancer Risk

Lung cancer (LC) is the second-most prevalent tumor worldwide. According to the most recent GLOBOCAN data, over 2.2 million LC cases were reported in 2020, with an estimated new death incident of 1,796,144 lung cancer cases. Genetic, lifestyle, and environmental exposure play an important role as risk factors for LC. E-cigarette, or vaping, products (EVPs) use has been dramatically increasing world-wide. There is growing concern that EVPs consumption may increase the risk of LC because EVPs contain several proven carcinogenic compounds. However, the relationship between EVPs and LC is not well established. E-cigarette contains nicotine derivatives (e.g., nitrosnornicotine, nitrosamine ketone), heavy metals (including organometal compounds), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and flavorings (aldehydes and complex organics). Several environmental toxicants have been proven to contribute to LC. Proven and plausible environmental carcinogens could be physical (ionizing and non-ionizing radiation), chemicals (such as asbestos, formaldehyde, and dioxins), and heavy metals (such as cobalt, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, and nickel). Air pollution, especially particulate matter (PM) emitted from vehicles and industrial exhausts, is linked with LC. Although extensive environmental exposure prevention policies and smoking reduction strategies have been adopted globally, the dangers remain. Combined, both EVPs and toxic environmental exposures may demonstrate significant synergistic oncogenicity. This review aims to analyze the current publications on the importance of the relationship between EVPs consumption and environmental toxicants in the pathogenesis of LC

Production and Separation of Chitooligosaccharides using Capsicum annuun Immobilized Chitosanase

ABSTRACT The products of chitosan hydrolysis are chitooligosaccharides and are used mainly for medical applications due to their specific biological activities. The objective of this study was to prepare and separate chitooligosaccharides (COS N )from chitosan using Capsicum annuum immobilized chitosanase. We firstly studied the optimal reaction conditions, in order to maximizethe production of COS N by using immobilized chitosanase. The optimal temperature and pH for COS N production were determined to be 55°C and pH 5.6. The ratio of enzyme /substrate should not be lower than 0.95 U/mg in reaction mixture for maximal COS N production. From the time course of the enzymatic degradation of soluble chitosan, it was found that the hydrolysis rate was fast during the first 1.5 h. In the following reaction time, no significant change occurred. The immobilized chitosanase could be recovered and reused repeatedly for four times with high COS N production. Relative COS N production at optimum hydrolysis conditions was 55.21 %.The prepared COS N was separated by ultrafiltration to four fraction (I, II, III and IV) according to the molecular weights (>100, 100-10, 10-1 and <1KDa, respectively). The total yield recovery after separation by ultrafiltration was 100%. Fraction II and III with COS N yield of 33.5 % and 31.3 % and COS ratio of 18.31 % and 49.72%, respectively were higher than that of fraction I and IV

Memory Impairment, Pro-Inflammatory Host Response and Brain Histopathologic Severity in Rats Infected with K. pneumoniae or P. aeruginosa Meningitis

Meningitis caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa has lately become a prevalent cause of the central nervous system (CNS) infection. Bacterial invasion into the subarachnoid space prompts the releasing mechanism of chemokines and pro-inflammatory cytokines. The present study aimed to compare K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa meningitis concerning the memory, pro-inflammatory mediators and brain histopathological changes at different time intervals in adult Albino rats. The animals were sacrificed at three time intervals comprising 5, 10 and 15 days after meningitis induction. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture, relative brain weights, complete blood analysis, biochemical markers, levels of cytokine, chemokine and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), neurotransmitter acetylcholine esterase (AChE) activity, and the brain histopathology of the infected rats in comparison to those in the control group were assessed. There was a significant increase in the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines including TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and AChE after 5 days of bacterial meningitis infection with both K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa. The histopathological analysis of the cerebral cortex in the P. aeruginosa meningitis model at different time intervals revealed abundant numbers of dilated and congested blood vessels with severe hemorrhage, cerebral infarct, intracellular and extracellular vacuoles, and gliosis. Fifteen days post infection, a significant reduction in the brain tissue weight was observed. The meningitis model employing P. aeruginosa exhibited more evident time-dependent severity compared to K. pneumoniae, which may advocate its validity as a simple and effective research model to study meningitis of the CNS. This model may be utilized for further investigation to ascertain the molecular and biological association between bacterial meningitis and the development of the pathophysiological hallmarks underlying Alzheimer’s disease in preclinical and clinical setups. Clinical extrapolation based on studies employing animal disease models should be carefully interpreted