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Abstract Background Green bean, Phaseolus vulgaris L. (Fam.: Leguminosae) is a widely consumed grain legume prized for its edible seeds and pods. It is susceptible to infestations with various pests as insects and mites throughout the growing season. In this study, the efficacy of the predatory species, Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens), Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot and the entomopathogenic fungus (EPF) Metarhizium anisopliae (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae), as well as conventional pesticides, Mospilan and Vertimec, were evaluated against the most important pests, mainly the whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) and the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, infesting the green beans cultivated at two locations Giza and El-Menoufia Governorates in Egypt. Results The findings demonstrate that treatments using C. carnea and M. anisopliae effectively reduced the whitefly population, while pesticide treatments were comparatively less effective. In the Giza plots, at the end of the experiments, the use of both M. anisopliae and C. carnea showed high reductions in whitefly population (85.57 and 84.87%), respectively, while in El-Menoufia, C. carnea (97.74%) was the most effective treatment followed by M. anisopliae (90.32%). Pesticide treatment in this case yielded a reduction rate of (22.76 and 59.67%) in Giza and El-Menoufia plots, respectively. However, for spider mite control, P. persimilis proved to be the most effective treatment in Giza and El-Menoufia plots, reducing the spider mite population to 98.44 and 96.14%, respectively. Metarhizium anisopliae treatment also displayed moderate effectiveness, with reduction rates of 75.62 and 75.37% in Giza and El-Menoufia plots, respectively. In comparison, pesticide treatment showed low effectiveness, with reduction rates of only 23.92 and 53.16% in the two locations, respectively. Conclusion Applications of the predator, C. carnea and the EPF, M. anisopliae were highly effective in reducing the population of whitefly, while the predator mite P. persimilis proved to be the most effective for controlling the spider mites. Overall, the study suggests that biocontrol agents, such as the predators and the EPF, can be considered as alternatives to synthetic chemical pesticides for controlling pests infesting green beans.

Background: Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is a low-density lipoprotein variant with atherogenic, thrombogenic, and pro-inflammatory properties that may have numerous pathologic effects, including dyslipidemia. Screening for Lp(a) is clinically significant, due to its causal role in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Among clinicians, however, there remains a general lack of both clinical awareness of Lp(a) and adequate tools to track Lp(a) testing in patients. Objective: To study factors affecting Lp(a) screening by: i) determining the effectiveness of messaging providers at a large community health system about Lp(a) screening and measuring the subsequent percentage of Lp(a) tests requested; and ii) by determining the percentage of patients who obtained Lp(a) testing after being advised by the provider. Methods: From December 2022 through March 2023, messages detailing the need for Lp(a) screening were sent via the Epic EHR™ to providers of patients meeting criteria for Lp(a) testing in advance of scheduled patient appointments. In this prospective study, providers were randomized into 2 groups: those receiving the pre-appointment message (Group 1) and those not receiving the pre-appointment message (Group 2). Results: Sending pre-appointment messages correlated with more Lp(a) orders (16.6 % v. 4.7 %, P < 0.001) and consequently with more tests performed (10.2 % v. 3.7 %, p < 0.001). Among provider types, nurse practitioners and physician assistants had the highest number of Lp(a) results per order (Z = 16.40, P < 0.001), achieving 30.8–39.1 % more test results, even if they did not receive the pre-appointment message. Distribution of Lp(a) values in patients was 59.7 % ≤ 29 mg/dL; 9.7 % > 29 and < 50mg/dL; and 30.6 % ≥ 50 mg/dL. Conclusion: Providers who received pre-appointment messages via an EHR were associated with requesting more tests and consequently receiving more Lp(a) results, compared with providers who did not receive messages.

Abstract Climatic changes and elevated ambient temperature are significant environmental stressors with a negative impact on birds’ physiological, immunological, and behavioral status, increasing their susceptibility to stressors and immunosuppression and consequently increasing intestinal permeability (leaky gut). Prebiotics have been utilized to stop or diminish the harmful effects of stress in chickens. We aimed to evaluate the role of mannan-oligosaccharides, and beta-d-glucan prebiotics supplements in drinking water against experimentally induced heat stress (HS) on broiler chickens and study their impact on birds’ performance, gut microbiome, and immune response. A total of 120 1-day-old Ross broiler chicks were allocated into four groups (30 birds/group), and each group was subdivided into triplicates (10 birds each). The experimental groups were classified as follows; the 1st (G1) control birds, the 2nd (G2) birds exposed experimentally to HS, the 3rd (G3) birds administered prebiotics in drinking water without exposure to HS, and the 4th (G4) birds exposed to HS and administered prebiotics in drinking water. After each vaccination, blood samples and serum samples were collected to evaluate the birds’ immune status. Fecal samples were also collected for the molecular evaluation of the gut microbiome based on the genetic analyses and sequencing of 16S rRNA gene. The results showed that HS has reduced the birds’ performance and badly affected the birds’ immune response and gut microbiome. However, the addition of prebiotics to drinking water, with or without stress, enhanced the growth rate, maintained a normal gut microbiome, and improved immune parameters. Moreover, the usage of prebiotics improved the chicken gut microbiome and alleviated the negative effect of heat stress. Administering prebiotics significantly (p

Purpose: To determine the outcomes of Ahmed glaucoma valve (AGV) and transscleral diode cyclophotocoagulation (CPC) in neovascular glaucoma (NVG). Methods: This was a single-center retrospective comparative case series involving chart review of consecutive patients who underwent AGV or CPC for treatment of NVG and had ≥6 months of follow-up. Surgical failure at 6 months, defined as an IOP of >21 or

Summary: Transduction with lentiviral vectors is a useful approach to study the molecular function of specific genes in mammalian cells. Here, we present a calcium phosphate-based transfection protocol that guarantees highly efficient production and delivery of lentiviral vectors in adherent cultured cells. We also describe in detail a direct lysis technique to measure protein expression, an optimized sulforhodamine B proliferation assay, and a step-by-step chromatin immunoprecipitation procedure to verify the binding of ETV5 to E2F1 first intron in SYO-1 sarcoma cells.For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Kingston et al. (2003),1 Ireton et al. (2002),2 Brown et al. (2009),3 DeSalvo et al. (2021),4 Vichai and Kirtikara (2006),5 and Boyer et al. (2005).6 : Publisher’s note: Undertaking any experimental protocol requires adherence to local institutional guidelines for laboratory safety and ethics.

This study aimed to investigate whether fermented rice bran can substitute soybean meal in the diet of the grey mullet. Four different substitution levels (0, 5, 10, and 15%) in the diet were investigated for soybean meal replacement with fermented rice bran (FRB). In the 0-10% replacement groups, weight, specific growth rate, feed efficiency ratio, body protein level, and protein efficiency ratio were significantly higher (P<0.05) compared to the 15% replacement group. Additionally, there was no difference (P>0.05) in the grey mullet's growth rate in the 0 and 10% replacement treatments. Furthermore, replacing up to 15% of soybean meal with fermented rice bran (FRB) did not significantly affect the overall immunity of the grey mullet. Additionally, incorporating fermented rice bran (FRB) significantly increased the gut microbiota counts (P< 0.05). The greatest increase in the gut microbiota was observed when up to 5% of soybean meal was replaced with FRB. From an economic perspective, substituting up to 5% of soybean meal with FRB reduced the cost of formulating the diet by 0.64% and decreased the cost per kilogram of weight gain by 5 to 10%, or approximately 9.9 and 1.5%, respectively. Overall, the study suggests that replacing up to 10% of rice bran with FRB can enhance growth performance, feed consumption, body composition, intestinal microbiota counts, and financial viability in the grey mullet (Mugil cephalus). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fermentation technology is essential for raising feed's nutritional content and improving quality. The purpose of the current feeding study was to assess the impact of switching from raw rice bran to fermented rice bran (FRB) on the growth performance, nutritional consumption, economic value, and histological alterations in the gut and liver of the grey mullet, Mugil cephalus (with an initial weight of 5.7 ± 0.01g). The control diet (c) and the other three isoproteic (27% crude protein) diets (B50, B75, and B100) were formulated with FRB replacing 50, 75, and 100% of the rice bran, respectively. Following a 60-day feeding period, the grey mullet given the B100% diet had greater final weight, weight gain, specific growth rate, and protein contents in their bodies compared to the control group (P< 0.05). Additionally, the fish given the B100% diet showed improved feed conversion ratio, protein efficiency ratio, and feed efficiency ratio values. Furthermore, the insertion of FRB resulted in a substantial increase in the count of intestinal microbiota (P< 0.05). In contrast to the control group, the fermented therapies had no detrimental effects on the overall immunity. From an economic perspective, the cost of formulating the diet increased by 0.88% when rice bran was fully replaced with fermented rice bran (FRB) (B100). The results of this study suggest that substituting rice bran with FRB up to 100% may improve growth performance, feed consumption, gut health, and profitability in juvenile M. cephalus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Although severe hypercholesterolemia confers a 5‐fold increased long‐term risk for coronary artery disease, treatment guidelines may not be fully implemented, leading to underdiagnosis and suboptimal treatment. To further understand the clinical features and gaps in treatment approaches, we analyzed electronic medical record data from a midwestern US multidisciplinary healthcare system, between 2009 and 2020. Methods and Results We retrospectively assessed the prevalence, clinical presentation, and treatment characteristics of individuals currently treated with statin therapy having a low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C) value that is either (1) an actual maximum electronic medical record–documented LDL‐C ≥190 mg/dL (group 1, n=7542) or (2) an estimated pretreatment LDL‐C ≥190 mg/dL (group 2, n=7710). Comorbidities and prescribed lipid‐lowering therapies were assessed. Statistical analyses identified differences among individuals within and between groups. Of records analyzed (n=266 282), 7% met the definition for primary severe hypercholesterolemia. Group 1 had more comorbidities than group 2. More individuals in both groups were treated by primary care providers (49.8%–53.0%, 32.6%–36.4%) than by specialty providers (4.1%–5.5%, 2.1%–3.3%). High‐intensity lipid‐lowering therapy was prescribed less frequently for group 2 than for group 1, but moderate‐intensity statins were prescribed more frequently for group 2 (65%) than for group 1 (52%). Conclusions Two percent of patients in our study population being treated with low‐ or moderate‐intensity statins have an estimated LDL‐C ≥190 mg/dL (indicating severe hypercholesterolemia), but receive less aggressive treatment than patients with a maximum measured LDL‐C ≥190 mg/dL.

Abstract The objective of this study was to apply a biological control program on cucumber crop under greenhouse conditions, using biological control agents compared with insecticides to control the cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover. The treatments were conducted at Dokki, Giza, Egypt, through two cucumber summer plantations in 2015 and 2016. Inspection was made once a week to determine the population density of A. gossypii, one of the major pests on cucumber. Aphid infestation occurred from week 6 to week 12 in 2015 and from week 4 to week 11 in 2016. Adults of the aphid parasitoid Aphidius colemani Viereck and larvae of the predatory coccinellid, Coccinella septempunctata L., were released in the biological greenhouse in weeks 8, 9, and 10 in season 2015 and 7, 8, and 9 in season 2016. In the insecticide greenhouse, the recommended insecticide program was used. The cost of control in the biological control greenhouses was more than that in the insecticide one, but the yield was much higher, recording 63.88% increase in 2015 and 64.91% in 2016.

Introduction: Considering the large number of patients undergoing anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery, it is important for radiologists to be familiar with these procedures, the normal imaging findings as well as the appearances of common complications that can occur in these patients. Symptomatic patients might present with complications related to the graft itself or due to other causes not related to the graft. Aim of the work: Evaluate the MRI findings in symptomatic patients following ACL surgery. Patients and methods: The study included 26 symptomatic patients following anterior cruciate ligament surgery. The examination was done on 1.5 Tesla magnet MRI machines. Results: Twenty-five patients had reconstruction surgery (96%) and 1 patient had fixation of tibial attachment (4%). Among 25 cases of ACL reconstruction 21 patients had semi-membranosus/semi-tendinosus graft (84%) and 4 patients had Bone-patellar tendon-Bone graft (16%). The most common finding was complete graft tear (32%); followed by abnormal tunnel position (24%); screw failure (16%); graft impingement and partial graft tear (12% each); tibial tunnel and femoral tunnel cysts (8% each); arthrofibrosis (4%). Conclusions: MRI is the modality of choice in evaluating the causes of symptomatic patients following ACL reconstruction surgery.

This paper provides an experimental debate about using ice in air cooling to reduce peak loads resulting from airconditioning. Three copper helical coils having the same surface area were used in the present work. The coils diameters are5, 7 and 10 mm, coils lengths are 4.50, 3.22 and 2.26 m respectively. The three coils are have the same pitch circle diameterand different number of turns. Warm air have a temperature ranging from 40°C to 60°C was fed inside the coils immersedin slurry ice hours. The air flow rate was changed from 0.0008 to 0.0065 kg/s. The effects of Reynolds number and coildiameter on heat transfer characteristics were investigated. The results provided that Nusselt number, Nu, increases with theincrease of Reynolds number for small tube diameter coil. Empirical correlations were found for both heat transfer andpressure drop as dimensionless groups in the range of experimental investigation

This study demonstrates deregulation of polycomb activity by the synovial sarcoma-associated SYT-SSX2 oncogene, also known as SS18-SSX2. Synovial sarcoma is a soft tissue cancer associated with a recurrent t(X:18) translocation event that generates one of two fusion proteins, SYT-SSX1 or SYT-SSX2. The role of the translocation products in this disease is poorly understood. We present evidence that the SYT-SSX2 fusion protein interacts with the polycomb repressive complex and modulates its gene silencing activity. SYT-SSX2 causes destabilization of the polycomb subunit Bmi1, resulting in impairment of polycomb-associated histone H2A ubiquitination and reactivation of polycomb target genes. Silencing by polycomb complexes plays a vital role in numerous physiological processes. In recent years, numerous reports have implicated gain of polycomb silencing function in several cancers. This study provides evidence that, in the appropriate context, expression of the SYT-SSX2 oncogene leads to loss of polycomb function. It challenges the notion that cancer is solely associated with an increase in polycomb function and suggests that any imbalance in polycomb activity could drive the cell toward oncogenesis. These findings provide a mechanism by which the SYT-SSX2 chimera may contribute to synovial sarcoma pathogenesis.

Background and Objectives Continuous erythropoietin receptor activator (C.E.R.A.) is an innovative agent with unique erythropoietin receptor activity and a prolonged half-life, which has the potential for administration at extended dosing intervals. The objectives of this dose-finding study were to evaluate the hemoglobin (Hb) dose-response, pharmacokinetics, and safety of repeated doses of C.E.R.A. given once every 3 weeks to anemic patients with multiple myeloma (MM) receiving chemotherapy.Design and Methods This was an exploratory two-stage, open-label, parallel-group, multicenter study. Patients received C.E.R.A. doses of 1.0, 2.0, 3.5, 4.2, 5.0, 6.5, or 8.0 μg/kg once every 3 weeks by subcutaneous injection initially for 6 weeks, followed by a 12-week optional extension period. The primary outcome measures were the average Hb level and its change from baseline over the initial 6-week period, based on values of the slope of the linear regression analysis and the area under the curve. Rates of Hb response (defined as an increase in Hb of ≥2 g/dL without transfusion) and blood transfusion were also evaluated.Results Sixty-four patients entered the study. Dose-related increases in Hb levels were observed during the initial 6-week treatment period for C.E.R.A. doses of 1.0–4.2 μg/kg, with a similar response observed at higher doses. At least 70% of patients receiving 2.0–8.0 μg/kg of C.E.R.A. had Hb responses during the 18-week study. The elimination half-life of C.E.R.A. was found to be long (6.3–9.7 days [151.2–232.8 hours]). All doses were generally well tolerated.Interpretation and Conclusions Based on its unique, long elimination half-life, C.E.R.A. has been demonstrated to be an effective and well-tolerated treatment of anemia given once every 3 weeks to patients with multiple myeloma receiving chemotherapy.

Copyright of Journal of Animal Poultry & Fish Production (Suez Canal University) is the property of Egyptian National Agricultural Library (ENAL) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Animal Poultry & Fish Production (Suez Canal University) is the property of Egyptian National Agricultural Library (ENAL) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Dendritic cells (DCs) have been described as initiators and modulators of the immune response. Recently we have shown a predominant production of interleukin-10 cytokine, low levels of interferon-γ and inefficient T cell proliferation in patients with severe forms of chromoblastomycosis. Chromoblastomycosis starts with subcutaneous inoculation of Fonsecaea pedrosoi into tissue where DCs are the first line of defence against this microorganism. In the present study, the interaction of F. pedrosoi and DCs obtained from patients with chromoblastomycosis was investigated. Our results showed that DCs from patients exhibited an increased expression of human leucocyte antigen D-related (HLA-DR) and co-stimulatory molecules. In the presence of conidia, the expression of HLA-DR and CD86 was up-regulated by DCs from patients and controls. Finally, we demonstrate the reversal of antigen-specific anergy and a T helper type 1 response mediated by DCs incubated with F. pedrosoi conidea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  The enhancement of heat transfer rates without an extension of heat removal surface area due to packaging and compactness is essential. This paper investigates the possibility of the enhancement of heat transfer rate from heat sink having thin planner fins by normal vibration. In this study; the heat sink was selected to be the personal computer heat sink as a test specimen. It has four similar quadrants; each quadrant has a definite number of thin planer fins. The specimen is heated by an electric heater at its bottom. A circular disc cam with an offset center is used to vibrate the specimen with different displacement amplitude and frequency. Temperature measurements for both the surface of the specimen and surrounding air were recorded and saved by using a data acquisition system at different sample times according to the vibration frequency. The effect of both vibration frequency and displacement amplitude on the enhancement of heat transfer rate was clarified. Deduced empirical correlation among Nusselt number, Strouhal number and Reynolds number was found. It was found that the normal vibration can enhance the heat transfer rate for the case study by about 85% rather than the steady flow case if both are having the same average velocity. In a comparison among the present investigation and those by the literature, the influence of vibration on heat transfer enhancement may be slightly greater than that of the pulsating flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]