Detection of Superior Rice Genotypes and Yield Stability under Different Nitrogen Levels Using AMMI Model and Stability Statistics.

Sustainable agriculture is a prerequisite for food and environmental security. Chemical fertilization, especially nitrogenous fertilization, is considered the most consumed for field crops. In rice crops, plants consume much less than half of the applied N-fertilizer. In the current investigation, multiple N environments were generated by applying different N doses of urea fertilizer to a permanent transplanted field for two successive summer growing seasons at the rice research and training center, Kafrelsheikh, Egypt. A set of 55 genotypes consisting of 25 Jabonica, 4 Tropical Japonica, 20 Indica, and 6 Indica/Japonica were transplanted under no N (0N), Low N (LN), medium N (MN), and High N (HN) (i.e., 0, 48, 96, and 165 Kg N ha-1, respectively). Highly significant differences were detected among the tested genotypes. AMMI analysis of variance revealed the existence of the genotype via nitrogen interaction (GNI) on yield performance. The GNI principal components (IPCA); IPCA1 and IPCA2 scores were significant and contributed values of 71.1 and 21.7%, respectively. The highest-ranked genotypes were MTU1010, IR22, SK2046, SK2058, IR66, and Yabani LuLu based on their grain yield means (30.7, 29.9, 29.5, 29.3, 28.8, and 28.5 g plant-1). These genotypes were grouped into the same subcluster (SCL) according to the stability analysis ranking matrix. Based on AMMI analysis and biplots, MTU1010 and Yabani LuLu showed yield stability across environments. Meanwhile, the which-won-where biplot showed that IR22 was superior under unfavorable N-levels and MTU1010 was stable across the different environments. These findings are considered to be of great importance to breeders for initiating low-nitrogen-input breeding programs for sustainable agriculture.

Multidetector CT (MDCT) Findings Of Primary Hepatic Lymphoma.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe the triphasic multidetector CT (MDCT) finding of primary hepatic lymphoma (PHL). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included eighteen patients. Each patient presented with primary hepatobiliary lymphoma without associated lymphadenopathy or other visceral involvement. Triphasic CT scanning was performed on one of two systems (64 MD CT) in 12 patients and (6 MDCT) in 6 patients. All eighteen patients underwent ultrasound percutaneous trucut liver biopsy using 18-gauge biopsy needle. Pathology was confirmed on all cases. RESULTS: Four of eighteen patients presented with a single focal lesion. Thirteen of eighteen patients presented with multiple well defined focal lesions. One patient presented with a diffuse hepatic involvement. On triphasic CT, three patients showed gradual progressive contrast enhancement. Lesions remained isodense to the liver on the arterial phase with mild enhancement in the portal phase and showed washout on the delayed phase in two patients. The remaining thirteen patients showed multiple hypodense non-enhancing lesions. CONCLUSIONS: PHL presents a wide spectrum of imaging findings on triphasic MDCT with no characteristic imaging pattern. MDCT can be used for detection of the lesion and biopsy is used for diagnosis. PHL should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of a liver focal lesion either single or multiple.

Stromal cell-derived factors in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is characterized by increased muscle damage and an abnormal blood flow after muscle contraction leading to a state of functional ischemia. Abundant evidence suggests that endothelial circulating progenitor cells (EPCs) play an important role in mediating vascular and muscle repair mechanisms and that the stromal cell-derived factor (SDF)-1 alpha chemokine is responsible for both progenitor cell mobilization from the bone marrow to peripheral blood and homing to the sites of vascular and tissue injury. Since normal neovascularization is disrupted in DMD pathogenesis and may contribute ultimately to heart failure and sudden death, the aim of the present study is to investigate whether the (SDF)-1 alpha, and EPCs surface receptors in terms of CD34, CD133 and kinase domain receptor (KDR) are involved in DMD pathophysiology. In the present study, peripheral blood concentrations of circulating CD34, CD133, and CD34/ CD 133 progenitor cells were measured by flow cytometry, together with serum levels of (SDF)-1alpha and hypoxia inducible factor (HIF-1alpha.), in 28 DMD patients vs. 20 healthy age and socioeconomic matching controls. Results showed a significant increase in the number of mononuclear cells bearing EPC markers, HIF-1alpha mRNA expression and serum (SDF)-1 alpha, indicating that regeneration is an ongoing process in these patients. However, this regeneration cannot counterbalance the damage induced by dystrophine mutation.

Markers of degeneration and regeneration in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Dystrophin deficiency associated with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) results in chronic inflammation and severe skeletal muscle degeneration, where the extent of muscle fibrosis contributes to disease severity. The microenvironment of dystrophic muscles is associated with variation in levels of markers of degeneration and regeneration. Since in dystrophic muscle apoptosis precedes necrosis, markers of apoptosis can be used as indicators of degeneration, while regeneration can be measured in terms of cytokines and growth factor expression"; and then throughout the text use "markers of apoptosis/degeneration. The present study is an attempt to evaluate the extent of degeneration and regeneration in DMD patient blood. Subjects were 24 boys with DMD diagnosed at the molecular level versus 20 age and socioeconomic matching healthy boys. In their blood, levels of Fas and FasL and Bax/Bcl-2 and plasma DNA fragmentation were measured as markers of apoptosis. The cytokine tumor necrosis factor alfa (TNF-alpha), and the growth factors: basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were measured as markers of regeneration. Plasma DNA fragmentation (0.38% +/- 0.12 vs. 0.2% +/- 0.15) and Fas (9.9 +/- 2.8 vs. 2 +/- 0.1, p < 0.001) together with FasL mRNA expression in circulating lymphocytes (0.47 +/- .09 vs. 0.24 +/- .04, p < 0.001) were significantly increased in DMD patients compared to controls. There was a significant increase in Bax (0.19 +/- 0.7 vs. 0.05 +/- 0.1, p < 0.00001) expression and a significant decrease in Bcl-2 protein (6.4 +/- 1.6 vs 10 +/- 2.8, p < 0.00001) as compared to controls. Among markers of regeneration, TNF- alpha (30.2 +/- 9.5 vs. 3.6 +/- 0.9) and bFGF (21.7 +/- 10.3 vs. 4.75 +/- 2.2) were significant increased while VEGF was significantly decreased (190 +/- 115 vs. 210 +/- 142.) in blood of DMD patients compared to controls. Our results indicate that Fas/FasL and Bax/Bcl-2 are involved in muscle atrophy and degeneration in DMD patients, while regeneration process does not cope with the degeneration.

Markers of oxidative stress and aging in Duchene muscular dystrophy patients and the possible ameliorating effect of He:Ne laser.

UNLABELLED: Replicative aging and oxidative stress are two plausible theories explaining the etiology of muscular dystrophy. The first theory indicates that replicative aging of myogenic cells (satellite cells), owing to enhanced myofiber turnover, is a plausible explanation of the progression of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). The oxidative stress theory indicates that failure of muscle regeneration to keep up with the ongoing apoptosis and necrosis following oxidative stress, that normally associates muscular exercise, leads to muscle atrophy in DMD. To test for these two theories, markers of replicative aging and oxidative stress were assessed in the blood of 30 DMD patients vs. 20 normal healthy age matching controls. Markers of replicative aging showed significantly lower telomerase activity, significantly increased expression of receptors for advanced glycation end products (RAGEs) mRNA and Bax mRNA (an apoptotic gene) in DMD compared to controls. There was a significant increase in markers of oxidative stress among DMD patients compared to controls, measured in terms of increased apoptotic percentage in circulating mononuclear cells, increased lipid peroxidation measured in terms of plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) and increased protein carbonyls. Levels of plasma nitric oxide (NO), which neutralizes oxygen radicals, and expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA in neutrophils was significantly lower among DMD compared to controls. Biostimulation of WBC by helium neon (He:Ne) laser irradiation induced a significant increase in the expression of iNOS mRNA and plasma NO levels, but still at a lower level compared to controls. He:Ne laser irradiation induced a marked decrease in markers of oxidative stress among DMD patients compared to their level before irradiation, measured in terms of decreased plasma protein carbonyls, decreased plasma MDA, and decreased apoptosis percentage. CONCLUSION: This study points to that oxidative stress is the prime cause for muscle degeneration in DMD and points out to the possible ameliorative effect of He:Ne laser on this

Discrepancies in outcome of a control program for schistosomiasis haematobia in Fayoum governorate, Egypt.

A large scale mollusciciding and chemotherapy program in the Fayoum area of Egypt was reported to have decreased prevalence of schistosomiasis haematobia from 46% to 7% in approximately 12 years. In order to assess the uniformity of results reported, we have studied the prevalence and intensity of urinary tract disease in a random sample of children aged 6 months-12 years in 3 areas selected on the basis of distance from the main canal supplying Fayoum and where mollusciciding was applied. Only 1 location near the main canal showed low prevalence (2.2%), while in the other 2 areas prevalence was 75.3% and 61.3%. Intensity of infection and disease were significantly more in the latter 2 locations. Following chemotherapy, a marked reduction in prevalence and intensity of infection and reversal of pathology was seen. Since the reported favorable results of the Fayoum project were used to implement a wider control program in southern Egypt, an independent assessment must be included in future plans.

Association of HLA class I antigens (A1, B5, B8 and CW2) with disease manifestations and infection in human schistosomiasis mansoni in Egypt.

The present study was designed to examine the possible association of HLA antigens and schistosomal hepatosplenomegaly and colonic polyposis in a large number of patients and controls. The results show that hepatosplenomegaly was significantly associated with the presence of two HLA antigens: HLA-A1 and B5; and colonic polyposis to HLA-B5 and B8. Furthermore, asymptomatic infection was significantly seen more in subjects with CW2. These results point to possible gentic factors controlling the pathogenesis of disease and susceptibility to infection in human schistosomiasis.

Immunofluorescent analysis of renal biopsies in uncomplicated Schistosoma haematobium infections in children.

Renal biopsies were studied by light and immunofluorescent microscopy in 13 young individuals with uncomplicated Schistosoma haematobium infections. Slight mesangial cell proliferation and matrix increase were found in three biopsies and focal interstitial inflammatory infiltrates were noted in six. However extensive IgG (nine cases) and IgM (seven cases) granular deposits were found in the mesangial areas. C3 was found in only three of these cases. Clq, fibrinogen, IgA and IgE were not found deposited except for one case with IgE. Schistosome antigen was identified in mesangial areas in four biopsies after acid treatment of the sections. It appears the immune complexes are deposited consistently in the renal glomeruli in S. haematobium infections but their role in inducing clinical renal disease is minimal.

Cell-mediated immune assay in children with Schistosoma haematobium infection and the effect of niridazole therapy.

Forty-five children with Schistosoma haematobium infections were studied utilizing a whole-blood culture technique to assay lymphocyte blast transformation responses. The mitogenic lectins, phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) and pokeweek mitogen (PWM), and heterologous schistosomal antigens from adult worms and eggs were used. Responsiveness to PHA was intact but PWM responses were significantly impaired. Varying responses to schistosomal adult worm antigens were evident. Responses to soluble egg antigens were consistently low. No correlation of lymphocyte transformation responses was evident with egg excretion rates or clinical data. Treatment, primarily with niridazole, resulted in augmented cellular immune responses to PHA, PWM and adult worm antigens and two and eight weeks post-therapy. Anti-egg antigen responses did not significantly change. It was evident that niridazole did not induce cellular immunodepression. The role of schistosome-specific immune modulation is discussed.

Cystoscopic picture of Schistosoma haematobium in Egyptian children correlated to intensity of infection and morbidity.

Cystoscopy was done on 45 children, 5--12 yr old, infected with Schistosoma haematobium. On the basis of urinary egg output, the children were classifed as having mild, moderate, or heavy infection and the cystoscopic picture was correlated with their egg output and with their signs and symptoms. Lesions reported, in descending order of frequency, were: hyperemia, sandy patches, tubercles, ulcers, nodules, and polyps. Multiple schistosomal lesions were present in some patients and the frequency and severity of lesions correlated with the heaviness of infection. Individual variation in the severety of response to S. haematobium was observed.

Prevalence and morbidity of Schistosoma haematobium in Egyptian children. A controlled study.

The prevalence and morbidity of schistosomiasis haematobium were studied in three geographically different villages in Giza governorate in Egypt. The survey included 786 children ranging in age from 6 months to 10 years. There was a marked variation in the prevalence of infection in the three areas, correlated with the socioeconomic standards and sanitary habits, emphasizing their role in the spread of the disease. The youngest child infected was a 14-month-old boy, while the peak of prevalence of infection was in children 8 to 10 years old. The intensity of infection, as indicated by the heaviness of urinary egg output (mean of 3 successive days), was unrelated to the degree of prevalence in the area concerned. On the other hand, such intensity of infection correlated well with the severity of the clinical picture. Immediate skin-test reactivity was related to the intensity of infection, though unreliable as a single diagnostic test in children. Delayed reactivity was less sensitive. Stool examination showed a higher prevalence of other helminthic infections in schistosome-infected children aged 6 to 10 years than in uninfected children. The impact of schistosomiasis on the general health of children as shown by the anthropometric measurements was mild, except in heavily infected children in whom it was significant. The study focused on the overshadowed young age period when infection can be radically cured and even easily avoided. The data point to the importance of considering the intensity of infection, and not the prevalence, in weighing the need for therapy against its toxic effects in children, or in discussing the priorities of treatment in an endemic area.

Hematologic changes in Down's syndrome during infantile and early childhood period.

"Twenty cases of Down's syndrome and 25 age-matched normal controls were subjected to hematologic study including Hb, R.B.Cs, W.B.Cs., HbF., bone marrow, protein electrophoresis and chromosomal study. Peripheral blood and bone marrow showed noticeable increase in granulocytes, increase in staff, and decrease in lymphocytes in mongols as compared to the controls. HbF was lower than normal in 18 cases. The other two showed abnormally high HbF. Protein electrophoretic study showed normal pattern except one case in which a remarkable decrease in the Beta and Gamma Fraction was noticed".