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Abstract Assessment of natural background radionuclides emanating from the subsurface geological features was carried out with the use of gamma-ray spectrometry at various locations at one of the secondary school in Canaan land, Ota, Ogun State. The activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K were revealed to be 12.66 ± 0.76–42.33 ± 1.37, 44.96 ± 1.41–128.70 ± 1.56, 31.30 ± 1.18–453.85 ± 2.43 Bq kg−1 respectively. The mean value of 232Th reported higher than the world reference standard of 50 Bq kg−1. Moreover, the stations closest to the school’s laboratory were noticed to be prone to more gamma radiations than the other buildings in the school. Similarly, the results of the radiological parameters estimated varied between 86.04–243.7 Bq kg−1, 40.02–115.4 nGy h−1, 0.049–0.142 mSv y−1 and 0.232–0.658 for Raeq, D(out), AEDE and Hex, respectively. Although, the results of the radiological parameters did not exceed the world safe limits, higher values of these parameters were reported at some stations closer to the school laboratory. It can be concluded that the school laboratory is prone to more gamma radiation than the class rooms and the administrative block. Therefore, the laboratory instructors and staff, who spend longer time in the laboratory, are more liable to the health risk that could result from years of exposure to gamma radiation in the laboratory.

Abstract The risk of natural terrestrial radioactivity on human health is often underestimated, and environmental safety awareness is necessary. Hence, this study aims to assess natural sources of gamma radiation emitter in coastal urban-environment using the radiometric technique. The dosage of gamma radiation from a parent radionuclide such as Uranium-238 (238U), Thorium-232 (232Th) and Potassium-40 (40K) and were measured using portable gamma spectroscopy. The result showed that the measured value of 238U activity was between 10.81 $$\pm$$ ± 0.69 and 46.31 $$\pm$$ ± 1.43 Bqkg−1. The mean value was estimated to be 35.44 $$\pm$$ ± 0.97 Bqkg−1 which is slightly higher than the world average. Meanwhile, 232Th activity ranges from 28.42 $$\pm$$ ± 1.12 to 69.43 $$\pm$$ ± 1.76 Bqkg−1 with the calculated mean value of 92.57 $$\pm$$ ± 1.17 Bqkg−1 while 40K activity ranged between 31.30 ± 1.32 and 328.65 ± 2.32 Bqkg−1 with the estimated mean 137.59 $$\pm$$ ± 2.42 Bqkg−1. Radiological parameters such as radium equivalent (Req), internal hazard (Hint) and external hazard (Hext) assessment were in the range of 66.00 Bqkg−1 to 141.76 Bqkg−1, 0.232 to 0.452 and 0.178 to 0.383, respectively. The measured values of gamma dose-rates ranged between 54.283 ± 0.78 and 117.531 ± 1.14 nGyh−1 with the calculated mean value of 84.770 ± 0.97 nGyh−1.

Abstract This article aims to study MoSe2/CIGS tandem solar cells employing SCAPS-1D computational package based on ant colony algorithm. The simulation of Monolithic MoSe2/CIGS tandem solar cells has been implemented successfully by employing the Matlab/Simulink. The power output of the Monolithic MoSe2/CIGS tandem modules increases by the solar irradiations during the first few days of operation. The J–V characteristic and average daily energy production throughout the year has been calculated. The results show 80.71% FF and 19.29% efficiency of the solar cell. The other parameter for the MoSe2/CIGS tandem solar cell are Voc = 0.62 V; Jsc = 38.69 mA/cm2.

أستخدم في هذه التجربة خمس مبيدات فطرية Captan-Benlate-Vitavax-Rizolex-Rovral لمكافحة فطر Fusarium solani المعزول من بذور نبات الفاصوليا (صنف محلي) وأجريت المكافحة الكيميائية في المعمل باستخدام سبع تراكيز لكل مبيد (0 ، 25 ، 50 ، 100 ، 200 ، 400 ، 800 جزء في المليون) علي جنس الفيوزاريم المختبر والنامي غلي بيئة PDAوتم أخذ القراءات للنمو الطولي للفطر على فترات محددة وتوضح النتائج تثبيط نمو الفطر F.solani بعد 192 ساعة من التحضين عند التركيز 200 جزء في المليون من المبيد رايزوليكس وثبط النمو عند التركيز 400 جزء في المليون من المبيد كابتان وبنليت وثبط النمو الفطري عند التركيز 800 جزء في المليون من المبيد روفرال وفيتافاكس ولوحظ وجود فروق معنوية لتداخل الفترات والمبيدات والتراكيز ، كماأجريت المكافحة الكيميائية للفطر تحت ظروف الصوبة باستخدام نفس المبيدات سالفة الذكر ، وذلك بمعاملة بذور الفاصوليا بثلاث تراكيز من المبيد تبين من نتائج دراسة تأثيرها معاملة بذور الفاصوليا بالمبيدات المشار إليها لمكافحة الفطر أن مبيد االفيتافاكس يعطي أقل نسبة موت للبذور قبل وبعد الإنبات يليه مبيد البنليت والرايزوليكس ثم مبيد الكابتان وأخيراً الروفرال واشارت النتائج إلى وجود فروق معنوية لزمن الاصناف وكذلك للمعاملات وفروق معنوية بين الزمن والمعاملات ، وتبين من النتائج إختلاف تأثيرات المبيدات المختلفة وكذلك التراكيز المستخدمة على أطوال المجموع الجذر ، وكذلك على الوزن الطازج والجاف للمجموع الخضري والجذري .

جمعت عينات بذور مصابة و أخري سليمة لعدة محاصيل بقولية خلال الموسم الزراعي 2002-2003 ف من أماكن مختلفة بمنطقة الجبل الأخضر ، شملت مركز بحوث الصفصاف ،مركز بحوث المرج وأمانة الزراعة البيضاء كما تم الحصول علي بذور أصناف محلية من المزارعين بالمنطقة و أصناف البذور التي تم جمعها هي : بازلاء محلي1 ، بازلاء محلي 2 ، بازلاء MG ، بازلاء LS ، فاصوليا محلي ، عدس الصفصاف ، عدس المرج9 ، عدس المرج 10 بينت عمليات عزل الفطريات من عينات البذور التي تم جمعها تلوث وإصابة جميع عينات البذور المختبرة بأنواع مختلفة من الفطريات حيث تم عزل وتعريف عدد 18 نوع مختلف من الفطريات التابعة للأجناس Alternaria, Necteria Fusarium, Chaetomium, Aspergillus, Phytophthora, Penicillium, Phoma, Trichoderma, Stemphylium, Rhizopus and Rhizoctonia .

Stainless steel surfaces can be modified using plasma‐assisted thermochemical treatments to improve properties like hardness, wear, and pitting corrosion resistance. To specifically adjust the desired properties, a precise control of the produced treatment‐relevant gas species with regard to their type and concentration is essential. This requires the adjustment of the parameters for the generation of the gas species, being independent from heating parameters, as well as their real‐time measurement. Therefore, this study presents the use of a plasma‐activated solid carbon precursor in a cold‐wall reactor using active screen technology and in a modified hot‐wall reactor during plasma nitrocarburizing of austenitic stainless steel. In addition, the modified hot‐wall reactor combined with a compact laser‐based absorption spectroscopy sensor for real‐time monitoring and concentration evaluation of in‐site generated gas species. It is shown that implementing a plasma‐activated solid carbon precursor in a modified hot‐wall reactor enables adjustable generation of C‐containing gas species, particularly HCN, with high production yield by an independent power management. Therefore, HCN is produced independent from heating while the limitations arising during active screen technology using a carbon screen are avoided. The presented technological development thus opens up new possibilities for better control of the plasma nitrocarburizing treatments of steels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Statin-associated muscle symptoms (SAMS) are the major side effects reported for statins. Data from previous studies suggest that 7–29% of patients on statin had associated muscle symptoms. In the UK, there is a lack of corresponding data on SAMS and factors associated with the development of SAMS. Objective. This analysis is aimed at establishing the prevalence of SAMS and identifying major contributory risk factors in patients attending a lipid clinic. Methods. Clinical records of 535 consecutive patients, who visited the lipid clinic in the University Hospitals of Leicester, were studied retrospectively between 2009 and 2012. SAMS were defined by the presence of muscle symptoms with two or more different statins. Patients who reported muscle symptoms to statin with one or no rechallenge were excluded. The association of SAMS with clinical characteristics such as age and BMI, sex, smoking, excess alcohol, comorbidities, and medications was tested for statistical significance. A binomial logistic regression model was applied to adjust for risk factors significantly associated with SAMS. Results. The prevalence of SAMS was found to be 11%. On unadjusted analysis, the mean age of patients who had SAMS was significantly higher than those without SAMS (59.4±10.5 years vs. 50.3±13.4 years, respectively, P

Abstract The Guanine-nucleotide binding protein 2 (GNB2) encodes for β2 subunit (Gβ2) of the G-protein complex. Keeping in view the increased demand of reliable biomarkers in cancer, the current study was planned to extensively explored GNB2 expression variation and its roles in different cancers using online available databases and diverse methodology. In view of our results, the GNB2 was notably up-regulated relative to corresponding controls in twenty three cancer types. As well, the elevated expression of GNB2 was found to be associated with the reduced overall survival (OS) of the Liver Hepatocellular Carcinoma (LIHC) and Rectum Adenocarcinoma (READ) only out of all analyzed cancer types. This implies GNB2 plays vital role in the tumorigenesis of LIHC and READ. Several additional analysis also explored six critical pathways and few important correlations related to GNB2 expression and different other parameters such as promoter methylation, tumor purity, CD8+ T immune cells infiltration, and genetic alteration, and chemotherapeutic drugs. In conclusion, GNB2 gene has been identified in this study as a shared potential biomarker (diagnostic and prognostic) of LIHC and READ.

Background and Objective: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease whish shows increased association with cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and obesity. The present study was designed to compare the frequency of modifiable CV risk factors (hypertension, diabetes and obesity) in patients with RA having high active disease (HDA) verses low disease activity (LDA). Methods: This cross sec-tional analytical study was conducted at Division of Rheumatology, FMH College of Medicine, Lahore, Pakistan from Sep 2014 to Feb, 2015. RA patients with high HAD and low disease activity LDA as defined per Disease Activity Score on 28 joints (DAS 28) criteria, were enrolled through purposive sampling. Information regarding patient's demography and their CV risk factors was entered in a structured proforma. SPSS version 17 was used for statistical analysis. Results: There were total of 120 patients in HDA and 118 in LDA group. There were 31% vs. 37% hypertensive, 30% vs. 19% diabetic [OR = 1.87, CI = 1.020 - 3.42 (p = 0.04)], 63% vs. 75% overweight and 80% vs. 84% centrally obese patients in HDA vs. LDA groups, respectively. After adjusting for confounders in a Multi-logistic regression model, association of diabetes with high disease activity was not found to be significant [OR = 0.378, CI = 0.150 - 0.98 (p = 0.03)]. Conclusion: This study has not shown any significant association of modifiable CV risk factors with RA disease activity. However high frequency of these risk factors in both the groups underscores the importance of aggressive screening of these risk factors in RA patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A variety of bisquaternary ammonium salts was prepared for the first time by reacting N,N,N′,N′-tetraallyl-1,6-hexanediamine with allyl chloride, propargyl chloride, benzyl chloride, and 1-bromododecane in excellent yields (>90 per cent). Inhibition efficiency for different concentrations of the synthesised compounds for the inhibition of corrosion of carbon steel in 1 M HCl exposed for 6 h at 60°C was determined gravimetrically. The bisquaternary salts exhibited excellent inhibition efficiencies (97-99 per cent) in the acidic solution containing 400 ppm of the inhibitor. Comparable results were obtained by the electrochemical method using Tafel plots for the inhibition efficiency of the synthesised compounds. The adsorption of these compounds on carbon steel surface was found to obey Temkin's adsorption isotherm. The work marked the beginning of constituting an important class of new inhibitors containing multiple adsorption centres of positive nitrogens as well as π-donor moieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several cyclic hydroxylamines containing hydrophobic substituents were prepared. All these hydroxylamines were tested for corrosion inhibition of carbon steel in 1M HCl at 60 C by gravimetric and electrochemical methods. All compounds showed excellent corrosion inhibition efficiency (IE per cent) in acidic solutions containing 400 ppm of the inhibitors; Inhibitor Efficiencies in the range 66-98 per cent were measured by the gravimetric method. Comparable results were obtained by the electrochemical method using Tafel plots for the IE of some of the selected synthesised compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis study delves into a comparative analysis of two multi-criteria decision analysis methods, Grey Relational Analysis (GRA) and Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), to fine-tune sustainable machining parameters for AZ31 magnesium alloy. In the realm of straight cutting, TOPSIS reveals an optimal configuration, featuring a spindle speed of 1000 rpm, a feedrate of 375 mm/s, and a depth of cut at 0.5 mm. Conversely, GRA prescribes a different setup: spindle speed at 1000 rpm, feedrate at 1900 mm/s, and depth of cut at 2 mm. In the context of angular cutting, TOPSIS suggests a spindle speed of 1000 rpm, a feedrate of 375 mm/s, and a depth of cut at 0.5 mm, while GRA advocates a spindle speed of 1100 rpm, a feedrate of 1900 mm/s, and a depth of cut at 0.5 mm. A closer look reveals that the Sustainability Assessment Index (SAI) signals that GRA delivers superior sustainability outcomes across both cutting modes. These findings present invaluable insights into the optimization of sustainable machining processes, providing decision-makers with the tools to select the most appropriate approach for their unique requirements. The horizon of future research could expand to include additional parameters and materials, further enriching the tapestry of sustainable machining practices.

BackgroundThe early detection of breast cancer (BC) is receiving global attention, creating an urgent need for more sensitive and comprehensive strategies for preventive intervention, therapy assessment, and prognosis prediction. Aberrant expression of miRNAs has been observed in various malignancies and may be potential targets for therapy. Our study aims to examine the expression profiles of miR-375, miR-574-3p, and miR-122 in the sera of Egyptian women with BC, benign breast lesions, and a control group. We hope to determine if these miRNAs can serve as minimally invasive biomarkers for BC.MethodsThis is a case-control study in which 77 patients with newly diagnosed BC, 20 patients with benign breast tumors, and 30 normal healthy subjects as controls were recruited from the outpatient clinic of the National Cancer Institute. The assessment of miRNAs was conducted using RT-PCR (Applied Biosystems).ResultsThe expression level of miRNA-122 was significantly upregulated in the BC group, while the expression levels of miRNA-574 and miRNA-375 showed significant downregulation in BC patients. Serum miR-122 and miRNA-375 were able to distinguish breast cancer from the benign and control groups in ROC curve analysis, with AUCs of 0.786 and 0.796, respectively. Our results also showed that serum miR-122 and miR-574 are significant predictor variables in the multivariate analysis, after adjusting for age.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that miR-122 may act as an onco-microRNA, while miR-574 and miR-375 may have a main tumour suppressor role. The studied miRNAs may serve as minimally invasive biomarkers for cases of breast cancer and as promising potential therapeutic targets for breast cancer.

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is a tryptophan-degrading enzyme belonging to the kynurenine pathway. IDO activity has been suggested as a biomarker for diagnosis of chronic kidney disease. The aim of the study was to estimate the level of IDO, urea, creatinine, uric acid, phosphate, calcium, albumin, MDA, GSH, and activity of peroxidase, catalase, arylesterase in the serum of chronic renal failure (CRF) patients treated with dialysis compared to the healthy control group. The results showed a significant increment in IDO level in patients compared with the control. Linear regression analysis using the Pearson correlation coefficient showed that increased IDO level correlates positively with urea, creatinine, uric acid, phosphate, MDA level and peroxidase activity whereas negatively with albumin, calcium, glutathione level, catalase activity and glomerular filtration rate. We concluded that IDO level might be a possible marker of oxidative stress and inflammation in patients with CRF.

Based on the Schrödinger equation for envelope function in the effective mass approximation, linear and nonlinear optical absorption coefficients in a multi-subband lens quantum dot are investigated. The effects of quantum dot size on the interband and intraband transitions energy are also analyzed. The finite element method is used to calculate the eigenvalues and eigenfunctions. Strain and In-mole-fraction effects are also studied, and the results reveal that with the decrease of the In-mole fraction, the amplitudes of linear and nonlinear absorption coefficients increase. The present computed results show that the absorption coefficients of transitions between the first excited states are stronger than those of the ground states. In addition, it has been found that the quantum dot size affects the amplitudes and peak positions of linear and nonlinear absorption coefficients while the incident optical intensity strongly affects the nonlinear absorption coefficients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of different growing mediums {sand, peat moss, and mix (sand + peat moss 1:1 v/v)} and spraying with 0,100 and 150 mg L-1 of humic acid on vegetative and root parameters of “Wonderful” pomegranate hardwood cuttings at Bakrejo nursery station, Sulaimania city, Iraq in 2021. They were planted in polyethylene black bags on 15-3-2021. Using randomized complete block design within the factorial experiments with three blocks. The results indicated that leaves, roots and shoots number, root wet weight, and root length were increased significantly in peat moss medium. Cuttings grown in a mixed medium showed a significant increase of leaf growth including leaf area, leaf dry weight, and chlorophyll content. In addition, spraying with 100 mgL-1 of humic acid caused a significant increase in the root characteristics, and shoot number compared to the control. Furthermore, the maximum root growth was recorded in the interaction between peat moss medium and applying 100 mgL-1 of humic acid compared to other treatments.

Background: Coronaviruses (COV) are a large family of viruses that cause infections ranging from the common cold to more serious diseases. Mild to severe respiratory illnesses have been linked to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which has been classified as a pandemic disease by the World Health Organization. It has been demonstrated that the severity of COVID-19 is highly positively linked with hypocalcemia. Furthermore, calcium imbalances among other electrolytes are linked to the prognosis of COVID-19. Objectives: This study demonstrates a connection between serum calcium levels and COVID-19 as biomedical indicators of COVID-19 infections in Sulaymaniyah city, Iraq. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Baxshin Hospital for about two months from February 2022 to April 2022. The work was conducted with a total of 40 patients including 22 males and 18 females. The patients’ ages ranged from 22 to 80 years old. By analyzing a sample from a nasopharyngeal swab and performing real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), all of the patients tested positive as having COVID-19 infection. Serum calcium was determined from the blood samples of the patients in order to evaluate their serum calcium levels. The statistical package for social science (SPSS) was utilized to examine the obtained data. Results: The study revealed a level of calcium between 6.10 and 9.86 mg/dL in male and female patients. The majority of the female patients (61%) displayed low levels of serum calcium, and 33% of the males had a low level of calcium. It can be seen that the highest rate of male patients (66.6%) exhibited a normal level of serum calcium, while 33.3% showed decreased serum calcium. Based on gender and age groups, a statistically significant difference in calcium levels was observed. Conclusions: This study discovered that infection with COVID-19 has some significant laboratory abnormalities, including hypocalcemia, showing that serum calcium might be employed as a prognostic marker in the clinic.

Abstract Background Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose is a common cause of hepatotoxicity. Antioxidants like N-acetyl cysteine are recommended as a therapeutic option; nevertheless, it has limitations. The search for efficient alternatives is ongoing. Probiotics are live microorganisms that maintain a healthy gut microecology. Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) is one of the widely used probiotics. Our study aimed to assess the protective and therapeutic effects of probiotic LGG on APAP-induced hepatotoxicity and evaluate the molecular pathways behind this effect. Methods Wistar Albino male rats were randomly distributed into the following experimental groups: group 1, non-treated rats (vehicle); group 2, rats received oral gavage of suspension of probiotic LGG (5 × 1010 CFU GG/0.5 ml in PBS) daily for 2 weeks (probiotic control); group 3, rats received APAP dose of 2 g/kg body weight (positive control); group 4, rats received oral gavage of suspension of probiotic LGG for 2 weeks followed by a single dose of APAP injection (prophylactic); and group 5, rats received a single dose of APAP and then 24 h later treated with oral gavage of probiotic LGG daily for 2 weeks (treatment). Results Our study revealed that administration of probiotic LGG (either as prophylactic or treatment) exhibited a remarkable reduction in APAP-induced liver injury as resembled by the decrease in liver enzymes (ALT and AST) and the histopathological features of liver sections. Moreover, the significant reduction in the oxidative marker malondialdehyde, along with the enhancement in glutathione reductase, and the significant reduction in inflammatory markers (nitric oxide and tumor necrosis factor-α) were all indicators of the efficiency of LGG in ameliorating the alterations accompanied with APAP-induced hepatotoxicity. Our findings also demonstrate that LGG administration boosted the expression of Nrf2 and PGC-1 while decreasing the expression of protein kinase C (PKC). As a result, the nuclear abundance of Nrf2 is increased, and the expression of various antioxidants is eventually upregulated. Conclusion Our study shows that probiotic LGG supplementation exerts a prophylactic and therapeutic effect against APAP-induced hepatotoxicity through modulating the expression of PKC and the Nrf2/PGC-1α signaling pathway and eventually suppressing oxidative damage from APAP overdose.

PURPOSE : Morphology of the mandible could be affected by the presence of cleft deformity and could be one the contributing factor in the aesthetic of craniofacial region in children with cleft lip and palate. The objective of this study is to evaluate mandibular asymmetry in cleft group (unilateral cleft lip and palate) compare with non cleft (NC) group. METHODS : A retrospective cross-sectional study was applied and data was collected for 18 Malay patients (9 cleft and 9 non-clefts) with mean age of four-month-old. CT scan was used to capture 3D data images and x, y, z coordinates were obtained. Homologous landmarks were collected from digital CT images and using MorphoStudio™ software, and Procrustes mean were computed. The mean cleft and non cleft groups configuration were subjected to t-test and finite element analysis. RESULTS : The mandibular cleft and non cleft configuration were statistically significant (p<0.05). Specifically, the mean mandibular body distance and height of cleft patients was smaller (10-20%). CONCLUSION : The mandibular morphology differences between cleft and non cleft patients are identifiable using finite element analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Enterotoxemia caused by Clostridium perfringens toxinotypes is an often fatal disease of sheep of all ages, with a substantial economic loss to the sheep industry. This study was conducted to isolate C. perfringens from suspected cases of enterotoxemia in sheep in the central part of the Qassim Region, Saudi Arabia, and to determine the prevalent toxinotype by detecting alpha (cpA), beta (cpB), and epsilon (etX) toxin genes, which might help control this disease locally. Materials and Methods: A total of 93 rectal swabs and intestinal content samples were collected from diseased and animals suspected of having died of enterotoxemia in early 2020. Samples were subjected to bacteriological examination, biochemical analysis of isolates by VITEK 2, and molecular toxinotyping of isolates by LightCycler® real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results: Our results revealed that only 14 isolates were confirmed by VITEK 2 as being C. perfringens, with excellent identification (probability of 95% and 97%). According to the toxinotyping of isolates by RT-PCR, all 14 isolates possessed both the cpA and etX toxin genes, while the cpB toxin gene was not detected in any of the isolates. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrated that C. perfringens type D was the only toxinotype found in the central part of the Qassim Region in 2020; moreover, according to the culture method, only 15% (14/93) of the suspected cases of enterotoxemia were confirmed to be caused by C. perfringens infection, which highlighted the importance of clinical and laboratory differential diagnosis of enterotoxemia in sheep.

Legumes compensate mineral fertilizer by fixing nitrogen due to the specialized structures i.e. nodules by Rhizobium species. Literature revealed that legumes fixed nitrogen due to Rhizobium inoculation from 50-300 kg NPK ha-1 year-1. Rhizobium besides nitrogen fixation, solubilized phosphates, produced growth hormones and due to its root colonizing ability improved the growth and yield of non-legumes also and performed as plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). Study was conducted to assess the relative efficiency of Rhizobium species for the growth and yield of cotton. Different isolates of five species of Rhizobium species responsible for different nodule formation in legumes were assessed for the auxin biosynthesis potential as IAA equivalents and isolates having higher values for IAA equivalents were used for experimentation. Results revealed that isolates of Rhizobium species improved the growth and physiological parameters of cotton. Higher values were root/shoot length and mass were observed with Rhizobium species of berseem (Br5). Bacterial inoculation with isolate (Br5) produced 60.94, 64.40 g shoot/root mass that is 16.70 and 23.80 % higher than control and percent increase improvements of cotton shoot/root length with Br5 i.e. 18.3, 24.8 % higher than that of control. Higher values of IAA equivalents were observed in root/shoot content of cotton with isolate of Br5. Bacterial inoculation improved the plant height, boll weight, number of bolls plant-1 and seed cotton yield with Br5 inoculation. The chlorophyll content, photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate and photo active radiation were also higher in the inoculated treatments. Results of present study clearly demonstrated that different isolates of Rhizobium species improved the growth and yield parameters of cotton and thus Rhizobium sp can be effectively utilized as bacterial inoculants in non-legumes.

Background and aim Recently, studies have identified patain-like phospholipase domain containing 3 (PNPLA3), which is localized in the endoplasmic reticulum and at the surface of lipid droplets. The association of PNPLA3 polymorphisms with fatty liver and histological severity of NAFLD was shown in many studies. We aimed to investigate the association of PNPLA3 with the development and severity of NAFLD in an overweight and obese Egyptian population. Patients and methods Eighty overweight and obese patients with NAFLD were enrolled in the study. Patients were divided into 2 subgroups according to results of liver biopsy: group 1 included 30 patients with simple steatosis, and group 2 included 50 patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). In addition to 10 age-matched healthy subjects served as a control group. All NAFLD patients underwent a confirmatory biopsy. Laboratory investigations included fasting glucose, liver enzymes and lipid profile were done. Abdominal ultrasound was performed and PNPLA3 was detected in each patient by Quantitative ELISA. Results Levels of PNPLA3 were higher in NAFLD patients compared with controls (85.70±76.42 vs 3.10±2.11 respectively) and levels were also higher in NASH than simple steatosis (125.09±71.78 vs 20.06±8.47 vs 3.10±2.11 respectively, P

Abstract Background The vitamin D is involved in a wide variety of biological processes including bone metabolism, regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation. Variations in this endocrine system have, thus, been linked to several common diseases, including osteoporosis, diabetes. The aim of study was to evaluate the effect of flaxseed oil on bone homeostasis and whether changes in the levels of the bone formation markers are related to vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms i.e. Bsm1 and Fok1 which have been studied by the restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) technique. Results The study included rats were classified in groups as control, diabetic, diabetic received flaxseed oil in the diet, ovariectomised (ovx), and ovx-diabetic received flaxseed oil in the diet. Insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1) urinary deoxypyridinoline (DPD), and osteocalcin were increased (1.470 ± 88.1), (160 ± 7.11), (21.25 ± 2.33) respectively in ovx. and have significantly positive correlation (p

Background: Diagnosis of certain types of breast cancer can be difficult due to similarities in their histopathological patterns. In such cases markers can be useful in confirming results. E-cadherin is one such marker. Objective: To differentiate the rate of E-cadherin immunohistochemical expression between the major histological types of breast cancer (lobular versus ductal), in addition to correlating it to the clinicopathological factors such as age of patients and grade of the tumor and explore the effectiveness of using it in distinguishing the cases with overlapping features. Patients and Methods: A total of 100 malignant breast samples (55 ductal lesions, 24 lobular lesions, and 21 uncertain types), collected during the period of 2014 – 2017 in Erbil, and were reviewed before undergoing E-cadherin immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining. The results from IHC were compared with the results from the morphological study of the samples and they were statistically analyzed in relation with clinicopathological factors. Results: The normal ductal cells had strong complete homogenous membrane E-cadherin reactivity in 85% of the ductal carcinoma cases. The complete absence of E-cadherin membrane staining occurred in all 24 cases of lobular cases. The rest of the 21 cases, showed variable degrees of staining. Conclusion: There is diagnostic usefulness in the detection of E-cadherin expression by immunohistochemistry as a tool in distinguishing ductal from lobular carcinoma.