The Effect of Digital Media in Reviving Urban Public Spaces

Urban public spaces have always been valued by city residents and experts. Pioneers and critics have managed to develop several evaluation parameters that indicate space efficiency and success. Unfortunately, a new social trend is emerging, pushing the public towards virtual life. People's over reliance on media is unprecedented. Public spaces' importance is decreasing, they are becoming more deserted than ever. Urbanisation has pushed this phenomenon to its extreme. However, what is regarded as a massive defeat and a huge promoter of public space abandonment, can be interpreted differently. Digital media can be utilised in public domain revitalisation. The study focuses on public space assessment, using nine qualities retrieved from the literature review, followed by a proposal of prospects for reviving the common realm using media tools. This was accredited by the case study of a neighborhood park in Smouha, Alexandria. A questionnaire was used in order to determine the effect of several media interventions' suggestions on qualities of success of the park, and how far they can reestablish the lost spaces. This research aims to reach a clear conclusion about the effect of media use in public involvement and on space qualities to reach specific recommendations for public space improvement

EFFECT OF COMPOST, MINERAL NPK, EFFECTIVE MICROORGANISMS AND SOME VITAMIN TREATMENTS ON GROWTH, FRUIT YIELD AND ESSENTIAL OIL CONTENT OF CORIANDER (CORIANDRUM SATIVUM, L.) PLANTS

Two field experiments were carried out during 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 seasons at the Experimental Farm, Fac. Agric., Minia Univ. to investigate the effect of compost (0, 5, 7.5 and 10 ton/fed), mineral NPK, effective microorganisms (E.M.), vit. E, vit. B1, E.M. + vit. E. and E.M. + vit. B1 on the growth and productivity (fruits and essential oil) of coriander plants. The obtained data revealed that vegetative growth characters (plant height, stem diameter and herb dry weight/plant), yield components (number of umbels/plant, fruit yield/plant and /fed) and all studied oil production (oil %, oil yield/plant and /fed) were significantly increased due to the application of all levels of compost over those of control treatments. The maximum values were recorded at the high level of compost (10 ton/fed). Vegetative growth characters, fruit yield and essential oil productivity parameters were significantly augmented as a result of using the different six treatments. The most effective treatments in this concern were mineral NPK (full dose) followed by E.M. + vit. E without significant difference between such superior treatments.  While, E.M. plus either vit. E or vit. B1 gave the highest essential oil %. Moreover, E.M. + vit. E followed by NPK (full dose) recorded the highest essential oil yield/plant and /fed. It could be recommended to supply Coriandrum sativum plants with compost at 10 ton/fed in combination with E.M. + vit. E. to alternative to compost (10 ton/fed) with mineral NPK (full dose) to ensure the safety, not only for human but also for the environment in which we live

SYNERGISTIC EFFECT OF SOME PLANT EXTRACTS AND ANTIBIOTIC DRUGS AGAINST STAPH. AUREUS ISOLATED FROM PLEURAL FLUID IDENTIFICATION OF THE ACTIVE COMPOUNDS

A total of 75 pyogenic samples were collected from patients examinated for pyogenic infection in Sednawy hospital and Elmokhtaber laboratories. S. aureus isolated from pleural fluid out of five S. aureus (+ve coagulase, MSSA) exhibits resistant against all the concentration of Ciprofloxacin 0.5-20, Gentamycin 0.5- 5.0 µg/100µl and Amikacin 1 µg/100µl. The highest potent of phytoextracts either extracted by water or methanol was detected by clove comparing with mint, thyme, sage and garlic, whereas garlic essential oil gave completely abolish of S. aureus (P.F). The highest synergism was obtained in combination between the lowest inhibitory concentration of Gentamycin 10 µg/100µl  or Vancomycin 1 µg/100µl or Amikacin 2.5 µg/100µl with thyme Eso (1:3), which resulted to increase the efficacy by 4.4 or 1.5 or 1.6 respectively  comparing to recommended dose of the tested antibiotics alone. Increasing the concentration of garlic essential oil (GEso) from 10 up to 100 µl/well increment the efficacy of inhibition up to 10, 3.7 and 4.5- fold when standard dose of Gentamycin, Vancomycin and Amikacin were used individually against S. aureus P.F. The minimum bactericidal concentration of garlic essential oil was recorded at 2 µl/ml as it resulted to reduce the count to be 0.04%. Analysis of garlic essential oil by GC-MS dedicated six sulfur compounds represented 88.8644% of total detected compounds in garlic essential oil

Study of Urinary Alpha Glutathione-S-Transferase in Children with Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome

Glomerulopathy associated with recurrent or persistent proteinuria may lead to progressive tubulointerstitial fibrosis. Early detection of tubulointerstitial fibrosis may result in a more favorable outcome of chronic kidney disease (CKD) because nephroprotective treatment may be instituted in due course. One of the early markers of tubulointerstitial fibrosis is glutathione S-transferase (GST). The aim of this study was to determine urinary alpha-GST in children with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS), either in remission or relapse. This case–control study included 40 children with primary nephrotic syndrome (NS), either in remission or relapse. Also, 40 healthy children, age- and sex-matched as controls, were selected from the outpatients and the pediatric nephrology unit of Al-Zahraa Hospital, Al-Azhar University. Urinary alpha-GST was investigated in the study groups on the same lines as that of routine investigations of INS. Children with INS have significantly higher urinary GST either in remission or relapse, it was (5.23 ± 1.90) ng/mL, (5.32 ± 1.52) ng/mL respectively compared with healthy controls, it was (2.59 ± 1.12) ng/mL with (P = 0.001). A positive correlation between urinary alpha-GST and body weight BW, height, body mass index (BMI), white blood cells (WBCs) count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, serum (cholesterol, triglyceride [TG]) level, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and duration of the disease. Urinary alpha-GST was increased in children with NS even after remission, and it consequently led to oxidative stress and tubulointerstitial fibrosis. Nephroprotective treatment is recommended even in cases with INS, either in remission or relapse

Evaluation of growth and nutritional value of Brassica microgreens grown under red, blue and green LEDs combinations

39 p.-7 fig.-2 tab.-9 tab. supl.Microgreens are rich functional crops with valuable nutritional elements that have health benefits when used as food supplements. Growth characterization,nutritional composition profile of 21 varieties representing five species of the Brassica genus asmicrogreens were assessed under light-emitting diodes(LEDs) conditions. Microgreens were grown under four different LEDs ratios(%); red:blue 80:20 and 20:80 (R80:B20 and R20:B80), or red:green:blue 70:10:20 and 20:10:70 (R70:G10:B20 and R20:G10:B70). Results indicated that supplemental lighting with green LEDs (R70:G10:B20) enhanced vegetative growth and morphology, while blue LEDs (R20:B80) increased the mineral and vitamin contents. Interestingly, by linking the nutritional content with the growth yield to define the optimal LEDs setup, we found that the best lighting to promote the microgreen growth was the green LEDs combination (R70:G10:B20). Remarkably, under the green LEDs combination (R70:G10:B20) conditions,the microgreens of Kohlrabi purple, Cabbage red, Broccoli, Kale Tucsan, Komatsuna red, Tatsoi and Cabbage green, which can benefit human health in conditions with limited food, had the highest growth and nutritional content.This research work is a part of a project received seed funding from the Dubai Future Foundation through the Guaana.com open research platform(grant no. MBR026). Dr. Mortaza is supported from ERDF project “Plants as a tool from sustainable global development” No. CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_019/0000827.Peer reviewe

Potential bioactivity of Phoenix dactylifera fruits, leaves, and seeds against prostate and pancreatic cancer cells

The use of functional foods’ phytochemicals in the chemoprevention of different cancer diseases has become one of the hot scientific areas in the clinical nutrition field. For instance, the Khalas palm cultivar (KPC; Phoenix dactylifera) is one of the natural sustainable resources that have high bioactivity and functionality. This study aimed to investigate the antiproliferative activity and mode of action of KPC’s different parts on prostate (Pc3) and pancreatic (panc1) cancer cells at a molecular level. In the methods, KPC’s leaves, seeds, and fruits’ chemical composition and phytochemical analysis were analyzed. Also, the cytotoxic effects of each extract were assessed against pc3 and panc1 cell lines. Besides, induction of apoptosis, cell cycle analysis, and gene expression of both Cap3 and Cap9 were studied. The obtained results indicated that KPC leaves extract exhibited the highest significant (P < 0.01) anti-proliferation activity against the utilized cancer cell lines compared to fruits and seeds extracts. Also, there were significant (P < 0.05) differences in the phenolic contents, flavonoid of compounds, and antioxidant power of the leaves when compared to the seeds and fruits. Additionally, the highest cytotoxic effect (lowest IC50) was recorded with leave extract than seeds and fruits. Meanwhile, the seeds extract induced (P < 0.05) the apoptosis and arrested cells in the G2/M phase as well as up-regulated the gene expression of the apoptotic-related genes (Casp3 and Casp9) compared to the control group. In conclusion, this study showed that the presence of bioactive components in the KPC different parts extracts have the significant ability to induce the apoptotic pathway that could down-regulate the proliferation of prostate (pc3) and pancreatic (panc1) cancer cells. The pathway mechanism of action was induced by the phytol molecule presented in its leaves extract

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Regeneration from embryogenic callus and suspension cultures of the wild medicinal plant Cymbopogon schoenanthus

Somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration from both callus and suspension cultures of the wild medicinal plant Cymbopogon schoenanthus subsp. proximus has been achieved. The species is rare and confined in its distribution to Africa. A range (0.5 to 8 mg/l) of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) for the induction of embryogenic callus from seed cultures were used. Results show that 1.0 and 4.0 mg/l 2,4-D gave a 90 to 100% frequency of embryogenic callus containing mature embryos within three months of culture. Testing the effect of phosphorus and nitrogen concentrations on somatic  embryogenesis from callus cultures showed that high phosphorus and low nitrogen concentrations enhanced embryo induction. Low NH4NO3 enhanced growth and maturation of somatic embryos, while low KNO3 enhanced germination and shoot production. Suspension cultures were initiated from  embryogenic callus on 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mg/l 2,4-D, then plated on 3 different combinations of 2,4-D and 6-benzyl adenine (BA). Mature embryos were highest on both 0.5 and 1.0 mg/l 2,4-D (X = 15.8, 17.3), while shoot germination was enhanced by using BA in the regeneration media. The effect of high  phosphorus concentration in the culture media was significant on both embryo induction and early  maturation (X = 41). Lower ammonium nitrate concentrations enhanced growth and maturation of embryos. Both embryo maturation and the germination of shoots after 6 and 8 months of plating were  best on low ammonium nitrate (X = 36.8 and 27.6 shoots, respectively). The presented embryogenic  system will be of value for the clonal propagation, ex situ conservation and production of bioactive  compounds from this threatened plant species.Key words: Somatic embryogenesis, gramineae, in vitro culture, proximol, micropropagation, plant conservation, nitrogen, phosphorus

Bioactive compounds from Aspergillus niger extract enhance the antioxidant activity and prevent the genotoxicity in aflatoxin B1-treated rats

This study aimed to identify the bioactive compounds of the ethyl acetate extract of Aspergillus niger SH2-EGY using GC-MS and to evaluate their protective role against aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)-induced oxidative stress, genotoxicity and cytotoxicity in rats. Six groups of male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated orally for 4 weeks included the control group, AFB1-treated group (80 μg/kg b.w); fungal extract (FE)-treated groups at low (140) or high dose (280) mg/kg b.w and the groups treated with AFB1 plus FE at the two tested doses. The GC-MS analysis identified 26 compounds. The major compounds found were 1,2,3,4,6-Penta-trimethylsilyl Glucopyranose, Fmoc-L-3-(2-Naphthyl)-alanine, D-(-)-Fructopyranose, pentakis (trimethylsilyl) ether, bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, trimethylsilyl ether-glucitol, and octadecanamide, N-(2- methylpropyl)-N-nitroso. The in vivo results showed that AFB1 significantly increased serum ALT, AST, creatinine, uric acid, urea, cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, carcinoembryonic antigen, alpha-fetoprotein, interleukin-6, Malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, Bax, caspase-3 and P53 mRNA expression, chromosomal aberrations and DNA fragmentation. It decreased serum TP, albumin, HDL, Bcl-2 mRNA expression, hepatic and renal TAC, SOD and GPx content and induced histological changes in the liver and kidney. FE prevented these disturbances in a dosage-dependent manner. It could be concluded that A. niger SH2-EGY extract is safe a promising agent for pharmaceutical and food industries