Control of charcoal rot disease of okra plants using certain chemical plant resistance inducers

This study was aimed to determine the efficacy of certain chemical inducers on incidence of charcoal rot disease caused by Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) in okra okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) under greenhouse and field conditions. Pathogenicity of 12 isolates of Macrophomina phaseolina was carried out on okra under greenhouse conditions. These isolates capable to infect okra plants caused charcoal rot on the basil stem with various degrees of diseases severity. Isolate No. 3 caused the highest charcoal rot severity (70.15%) followed by isolate No. 6 (58.69%). The positive effect of four inducer chemicals, i.e salicylic and ascorbic acids at concentrations 50, 100, 200 ppm; Benzothiadiazole, Bion at 200, 400, 800 ppm and humic acid at 500, 1000, 2000 ppm  on the induction of systemic resistance in okra against charcoal rot disease and its effect on growth parameters and green fruit yield components were studied. In vitro, all tested chemical inducers able to suppress growth of M. phaseolina.  The highest decrease in linear growth of M. phaseolina was noticed with Bion at concentration 800 ppm (66.96%). Under greenhouse conditions, all the tested chemical inducers significantly decreased charcoal rot severity at all concentrations compared with control.  The reduction of charcoal rot in okra was enhanced by increasing chemical inducers concentration. Ascorbic acid was the most effective chemical inducers as they greatly retarded charcoal rot caused by M. phaseolina especially at the higher concentration (200 ppm). While, salicylic acid at 50 ppm recorded the lowest protection of charcoal rot severity. Under field conditions, the percentages of charcoal rot severity were significantly reduced due to soaking the seeds before sowing in any of chemical inducers in both trial seasons (2013 and 2014). The most effective inducer was humic acid  at 2000 ppm (84.44 and 85.65% reduction of charcoal rot severity), followed by ascorbic acid at 200 ppm (79.79 and 79.28% reduction of charcoal rot severity) in the first and the second growing seasons, respectively. Also, these treatments significantly increased growth parameters i.e. plant height and number of branches plant-1 as well as, green fruit yield parameters i.e. number of green fruit plant-1; weight of green fruit plant-1 (gm); and total green fruits (ton/acre). Generally, humic acid gave the best results in all growth and green fruit yield parameters under field conditions especially at higher concentration (2000 ppm)

Nursing Students' Perception regarding Patients' Rights and Patients' Advocacy

Background: Advocacy (protection) is one  key concepts in nursing ethics  defined as the process of informing patients who seek health care and have efforts in creating a safe place and clean hospital for patients. An important tenet of nursing is respecting the human rights and dignity of all patients. The priority of healthcare organizations must be protection of patients’ rights. If the human rights and patients welfare be at risk, it is necessary that a person undertake their protection.  The patient's advocacy is vital for vulnerable groups such as elders, very young people, people who reside in institutions, prisoners and disabled group. Nursing profession is a job in which human rights and ethics are essential points and the distance between the ethical issues related to this profession and their application is also important. Aim: Assess the  nursing students' perceptions regarding patients' rights and patients' advocacy. Design: descriptive correlation design. Subjects: Convenient sample of nursing students (No. =143) in Faculty of Nursing at Port Said University/ Egypt. Tools: The data collected using two tools, the first one:  questionnaire which assesses the patients' rights. The second tool: The patients' advocacy questionnaire. Results: There was highly perception of nursing students regarding patients' rights and patients' advocacy. Recommendation: Further studies to assess the health care providers' awareness and application of patients' right and patients' advocacy needs to be conducted in Egypt. Key Words: Patients' Right, Patient Advocacy, Nursing Students' Perception

Gravitational-Search Algorithm for Optimal Controllers Design of Doubly-fed Induction Generator

Recently, the Gravitational-Search Algorithm (GSA) has been presented as a promising physics-inspired stochastic global optimization technique. It takes its derivation and features from laws of gravitation. This paper applies the GSA to design optimal controllers of a nonlinear system consisting of a doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG) driven by a wind turbine. Both the active and the reactive power are controlled and processed through a back-to-back converter. The active power control loop consists of two cascaded proportional integral (PI) controllers. Another PI controller is used to set the q-component of the rotor voltage by compensating the generated reactive power. The GSA is used to simultaneously tune the parameters of the three PI controllers. A time-weighted absolute error (ITAE) is used in the objective function to stabilize the system and increase its damping when subjected to different disturbances. Simulation results will demonstrate that the optimal GSA-based coordinated controllers can efficiently damp system oscillations under severe disturbances. Moreover, simulation results will show that the designed optimal controllers obtained using the GSA perform better than the optimal controllers obtained using two commonly used global optimization techniques, which are the Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO)

Recent progress of fabrication, characterization, and applications of anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane: A review

The progress of membrane technology with the development of membranes with controlled parameters led to porous membranes. These membranes can be formed using different methods and have numerous applications in science and technology. Anodization of aluminum in this aspect is an electro-synthetic process that changes the surface of the metal through oxidation to deliver an anodic oxide layer. This process results in a self-coordinated, exceptional cluster of round and hollow formed pores with controllable pore widths, periodicity, and thickness. After the initial introduction, the paper proceeds with a brief overview of anodizing process. That engages anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) layers to be used as formats in various nanotechnology applications without the necessity for expensive lithographical systems. This review article surveys the current status of the investigation on AAO membranes. A comprehensive analysis is performed on AAO membranes in applications; filtration, sensors, drug delivery, template-assisted growth of various nanostructures. Their multiple usages in nanotechnology have also been discussed to gather nanomaterials and devices or unite them into specific applications, such as nano-electronic gadgets, channel layers, and clinical platforms tissue designing. From this review, the fact that the specified enhancement of properties of AAO can be done by varying geometric parameters of AAO has been highlighted. No review paper focused on a detailed discussion of applications of AAO with prospects and challenges. This review paper represents the formation, properties, applications with objective consideration of the prospects and challenges of AAO applications. The prospects may appeal to researchers to promote the development of unique membranes with functionalization and controlled geometric parameters and check the feasibility of the AAO membranes in nano-devices.Comment: 36 pages, 19 figures, 8 table

Studying the Antimicrobial Activity of Tamarind Extract (Tamarindus indica L.)

The present study included the preparation of Tamarindus indica extract (pulp and seeds) at different concentrations (25, 50, 70 and 100) mg\ml in the manner of 1:1 water –alcohol extraction. To determine the sensitivity of some positive and negative Gram bacteria to the different concentration mentioned above of the extract such as E.coli , Pseudomonas, Staph aureus, Bacillus ceres compared with antimicrobial Ampicillin, Tetracycline and Amoxicillin. Concentration  of 100 mg\ml gave the highest rates of inhibition (22, 19, 18 and 17 mm) for the pulp extract respectively and for the same previous arrangement of the bacteria, while the diameter of the transparent halo decreased with the reduction of concentration of the tamarind extract compared with the control treatment, its inhibition was 5mm. On the other hand, the results of tamarind seed extract showed the highest inhibition for all types of bacteria used in the experiment with the highest rates of inhibition diameters (21, 22, 25 and 17 mm) for the highest concentration 100 mg\ml and the previous bacteria sequence. Tetracycline was given the highest rates of inhibition of bacteria in the same order (30, 24, 28 and 25 mm) respectively, while no inhibitory effect was observed for Ampicillin and   Amoxicillin. Keywords: antimicrobial, Tamarind extract, antibiotics DOI: 10.7176/FSQM/90-04 Publication date:September 30th 201

Factors Affecting the Level of Voluntary Accounting Disclosure on Annual Financial Statements: "Applied Study on Jordanian Industrial Shareholding Companies"

This study aimed to assess the level of voluntary disclosure in the industry sector for the Jordanian companies, and test several factors like: VT, Lev, EPS, Div, company’s age, ROE, DPS, CFFO and Company’s size represented by total assets, on the level of voluntary disclosure. To achieve this study the researcher developed a list of indicators of voluntary disclosure consisted of (30) items that applied to a sample of (56) Jordanian public shareholding industry companies which are listed on the Amman Stock Exchange in 2013. Results showed that industrial companies disclose the voluntary accounting information with a level (46%), which is a low percentage that varies among the companies, and the paper and cardboard sector is among the most disclosing industrial sectors voluntarily, for the required information for the investors and the users of financial lists. While the printing and packaging sector, is among the least disclosing industrial sectors. Results showed also that ROE is among the most effective influences on the level of voluntary disclosure , and that the level of exchange ,leverage, EPS, DPS have negative effects on the level of voluntary disclosure, and positive effects of the VT on the level of voluntary accounting disclosure. Keywords: voluntary disclosure, VT, Leverage, EPS, DPS, ROE, Industry Sector

The Extent of Contribution of Coso Report in Improving the Internal Control at the Industrial Companies at Amman Stock Exchange

This study aimed to identify the extent to which the application of principles of the report coso (Ybaih control, risk analysis, and control activities, information and communication, and monitoring) in the case of its application in Jordan - the improvement of the internal control in industrial companies listed Jordanian in Amman Financial Market, for a sample of (55) industrial company publicly listed in the Amman Stock Exchange in 2014, and to achieve the objectives of the study were designed model of the questionnaire contained the five areas and distributed to internal auditors in industrial companies. The results showed that companies that industrial corporations agree and dramatically that if the obligation to apply the principles of self coso the internal control system will improve dramatically and will be the provision of waste in production and reduce production costs , which helps in strengthening the competitive position of the company, and that the commitment to industrial companies in Jordan, the principle of the internal control environment contained within the standard coso internal control works to improve the internal control system which , as the results showed that the commitment of industrial companies in Jordan to the principle of risk assessment, internal control , and the principle activities of internal controls contained within the standard coso internal control are working to improve the system of internal control where . Keywords: Coso report, internal auditors, internal contro

Diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging : is it valuable in the detection of brain microstructural changes in patients having migraine without aura?

Purpose: The aim of this study is to assess the diagnostic value of diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the detection of brain microstructural changes in patients having migraine without aura. Material and methods: Our prospective study included 33 patients having migraine without aura and 15 volunteers with matched age and sex, who underwent brain MRI with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). The fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) of selected grey and white matter regions on both sides were measured and correlated with the neurological clinical examination. Results: Significant differences were detected in MD values in the thalamus, globus pallidus, and hippocampus head on the right side of patients versus controls. Also, significant differences of the FA values were detected in the thalamus, globus pallidus, and hippocampus head on the right side of patients versus controls. Regarding the FA values of the same regions on the left side, a significant difference in the FA value was detected only in the hippocampus head. There was a statistically significant difference in the FA values on both sides of the white matter of the frontal lobes, posterior limbs of the internal capsules, and cerebellar hemispheres in patients compared to controls. There was a statistically significant difference in MD values in the white matter of both frontal lobes, posterior limb of the right internal capsule, and both cerebellar hemispheres in patients compared to controls. Conclusions: DTI can detect microstructural changes of the grey and white matter in patients having migraine without aura that could not be detected by conventional MRI

Evaluation of IR Spectral Analysis and Dyeing Parameters for Plasma and /or Nano-Silver Treatments of Polyester and Nylon Fabrics

In our work of this paper, we study the effect of surface modification of polyester and nylon fabrics induced by DC plasma discharge and/ or nano-siliver treatments .DC plasma discharge was employed at first, as a function of plasma device parameters including different time, different current and different hydrostatic pressure using chemically inert working gas: argon or nitrogen. Optimization of the performance of the applied DC plasma discharge with various applied conditions were performed using Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) Spectroscopy spectral analysis, by following up the changes in the peak intensity values of the characteristic functional groups that characterize polyester fabric. Then the dyeing properties of different pretreated fabrics with plasma by the best conditions are subjected to nano-silver treatment by concentration 50 ppm under the effect of different dye concentrations, different dyeing temperature and different dyeing time. Finally, the fastness properties to light and washing for the treated samples were studied. The results obtained showed that both of the dyeing parameters and fastness properties were highly improved by the treatment of fabrics by either individual plasma treatment or combined DC cold plasma and nano-silver treatments

Differences in angiographic profile and immediate outcome of primary percutaneous coronary intervention in otherwise risk-free young male smokers

Introduction: Cigarette smoking is a well-established risk factor for the development and progression of coronary artery disease (CAD) and it is strongly related to cardiac morbidity and mortality. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the angiographic profile and immediate clinical outcomes in young male smokers and non-smokers without any other cardiac risk factors presented with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).Methods: This study includes young (≤40 years) male patients presented without cardiac risk factors other than smoking. Angiographic profile and immediate outcome of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were collected from the hospital database.Results: A total of 580 young male patients were included in this study, 51.2% (297) were smokers. Baseline characteristics and presentation were similar for smoker and non-smoker groups. Angiographic profile was not significantly different for smokers in terms of pre-procedure thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow (p = 0.373), the number of vessels involved (p = 0.813), infarct-related artery (p = 0.834), and left ventricular dysfunction (p = 0.311). Similarly, in-hospital outcomes of primary PCI were not significantly different in smokers. Post-procedure no-reflow was in 3.4% vs. 2.8%; p = 0.708, acute stent thrombosis in 1.7% vs. 0.4%; p = 0.114 and in-hospital mortality in 1.0% vs. 1.4%; p = 0.657 of the smoker and non-smoker group, respectively.Conclusion: Our study concludes smoking has no significant impact on the angiographic profile and immediate clinical outcomes of primary PCI after STEMI in young males, without any other conventional cardiac risk factors. With these findings, further multicenter prospective studies are needed to identify other potential causes in such patients