Basic Science Sector

Field experiments were performed at the Agricultural Experiments and Researches Station, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt during the two summer growing seasons of 2009 and 2010 to study the effect of foliar application with active yeast extract (AYE) at various concentrations of 25, 50, 100 and 150 ml/L on morphological, anatomical and yield characters as well as on seed quality of Kidney bean 'Giza 6'.

As incidence of diabetes is increasing worldwide, besides it is associated with complications, the present studyaimed to investigate the effect of a traditional botanical, ginseng on diabetes induced alterations in kidneyfunctions. Thirty male rats were used in the study by randomly allocating them into three groups, each of ten rats,namely the control group, diabetes group (D), and diabetes+ ginseng group (DG). The latter two groups wererendered diabetic by I/P injection of streptozotocin (50 mg/kg). Daily ginseng extract was administered orally 100( mg/kg BW), one week post streptozotocin (STZ) injection. Ninety days post STZ injection; rats weresacrificed, where serum and kidneys were obtained for determination of metabolic profile, serum electrolytes,kidney function tests, renal tissue enzymes, and renal antioxidant status, together with histopathology. Theobtained results revealed a modest improvement in metabolic profile due to ginseng extract administration.However, the kidney functions were greatly improved as evidenced by amelioration of urea nitrogen, creatinine,total protein concentrations and serum electrolytes. Also an increase was noted in renal tissue enzymes andantioxidants with a decrease in malondialdehyde and renal pathology. In conclusion, ginseng extract may be ofsupportive treatment to combat diabetes complications.

It was aimed to investigate the effect of standardized ginseng extract on fertility pa-rameters in diabetic rats. Methods: Thirty male rats were randomly allocated into three groups of 10 rats each: 1. controls, 2. diabetes (D) and 3. diabetes + ginseng (DG). The latter two groups were rendered diabetic by i.p. injection of streptozotocin (STZ; 50 mg/kg). Standardized ginseng extract (Dansk Droge A/S, Copenhagen, Denmark) was administered per os (100 mg/kg BW) by stomach tube daily for 90 days starting one week after STZ. Ninety days post STZ the rats were sacrificed, and testis, epididymis, prostate, and seminal vesicles were weighed and subjected to histological examination. In addition, spermiogram, testicular enzyme markers, intratesticular steroid hormonal profile and testicular antioxidant status were estimated.

Two groups of 4-(4'-substituted phenylazo)-2-phenyl-4''-alkoxy benzoates were prepared and their mesophase formation and stability investigated. Each group (Ina-e and IIna-e) constituted five homologous series differing in their terminal substituent, CH3O, CH3, H, Cl or NO2. Within each series the number of carbons in the terminal alkoxy chain was 8, 10, 12, 14 or 16. The two main groups of compounds (I and II) differed in the polarity of the lateral substitutent attached to the central benzene ring. Group I had a chlorine atom adjacent to the ester group, replaced in Group II by the weakly electron-donating methyl group.

The toxic effect of Pb ion (lead acetate) was investigated using male albino rats, which was ingested at 1/20, 1/40, and 1/60 sublethal doses. Relative to normal control, the ingestion of Pb2+ induced significant stimulation in ALT and AST activity. In addition, total soluble protein and albumin contents of plasma were decreased, while the content of globulin was changed by the Pb2+ treatments. The cholinesterase activity was inhibited, but the activities of alkaline and acid phosphates as well as lactate dehydrogenase were stimulated as a result of lead acetate intoxication. These observations were gradually paralleled across the experiment dose of the three doses of intoxicated Pb2+. In the case of blood picture, Pb2+ ingestion significantly reduced the contents of hemoglobin and RBC count of intoxicated rat’s blood, while the plasma levels of T3 and T4 and blood WBC count were insignificantly decreased or unchanged. All results of the present study showed that the Pb2+ ingestion was more effective in the case of the high dose (1/20 LD50) than that of the low dose (1/60 LD50) ingestion relative to the normal healthy control. The results of the present work advice the need to avoid exposure of humans to the lead compound to avoid injurious hazard risk.

The natural infection with OYDV in onion and garlic fields resulted in a substantial reduction in pseudo-stem length, number of leaves, plant weight and weight of bulb as well as number and weight of cloves. The reduction% in Chinese garlic crop due to virus infection was higher than that in local (Baladi) garlic.

Effect of phosphoric acid on the performance of Pb-1.7%Sb grid of lead-acid cell is studied in 5 M H2SO4 by cyclic galvanostatic polarization and impedance spectroscopy. An increase in capacitance to a maximum is recorded during the initial stages of the electro-reduction of PbO2 into Pb(II) compounds and attributed to concurrent compositional and dimensional changes. These changes include removal of O2 bubbles, insertion of large amounts of H2SO4 and H2O. Efficiency of PbO2 formation decreases, while its rate of self-discharge increases with increasing the charging current and in the presence of H3PO4. The charge capacity increases with increasing the discharging current due to the decrease in the self-discharge. The charge capacity is lower in the presence of H3PO4. On increasing the cycle number, the corrodibility of the grid increases, because more layers of the surface Pb are involved in the self-discharge. H3PO4 significantly retards the effect of cycle number.

Cationic polymers have been used to condense DNA by electrostatic interaction into small particles (polyplexes), for protecting the DNA from degradation and enhancing its uptake via endocytosis. Polyethylenimine (PEI) is one of the most advanced delivery systems that can condense DNA efficiently forming PEI/DNA complexes. The effect of PEI molecular weight (2k, 5k and 25k) on the physicochemical and biological properties of the polyplexes was investigated. As the molecular weight of PEI increased, the condensation ability, surface charge increased while complexes size decreased. PEI 25k has the lowest buffer capacity compared to 2k and 5k PEI. Transfection efficiency of examined polyplexes was higher in MCF7 cells than in HeLa cells. 25k PEI formed smaller polyplexes and achieved higher transfection efficiencies (into two cell lines HeLaand MCF7) than 2k PEI and 5k PEI. Attachment of different hydrophobic amino acid residues and suitable targeting ligands onto the surface of 25k PEI will increase its transfection efficiency.

The present investigation was carried out during two successive seasons 2009 and 2010 to study the effective concentration and application time of potassium nitrate (KNO3) on vegetative growth, nutritional status, yield and fruit quality of Picual olive trees under sandy soil conditions. The obtained results showed that, foliar application of potassium nitrate at 4 % after final fruit set or pit hardening improve the vegetative growth, nutritional status especially in the second season and the productivity in both seasons. While sprays potassium nitrate at 4 % after pit hardening gave the best values of fruit quality and flesh oil content of Picual olive fruit in both seasons of the study.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the chemical, physical and sensory characteristics of lowfatbeef patties formulated by replacing different levels (25, 50, 75 and 100%) of fat with hydrated potatoflakes. Uncooked and cooked beef patties formulated with potato flakes had higher (p?0.05) moisture,carbohydrate and ash content and lower (p?0.05) fat contents than that of the control. Caloric values of beefpatties was lower (p?0.05) than control by between 7 and 57%, cholesterol content of patties decreased as levelof potato flakes increased. Cooking yield, Water Holding Capacity (WHC) as well as moisture and fatretention were increased significantly (p?0.05) with increasing the levels of potato flakes. Overall acceptabilityvalues for beef patties formulated with potato flakes were higher (p?0.05) than the control samples. Beef pattiesformulated with 75% potato flakes as fat replacer had significantly (p?0.05) the highest score of overallacceptability. Hydrated potato flack could be an excellent replacement for fat in beef patties maintainingacceptable and desirable sensory properties.

The present study was carried out at the Experimental Nursery of the Ornamental Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt during the two winter successive seasons, of 2008/2009 and 2009/2010. This work was designed to investigate the effect of cattle manure (CM) and sheep manure (SM), biofertilizer (Bio, liquid inoculum containing 108 cells/ml of associative diasotrophs) and inorganic fertilizer (N) as single or combined treatments on morphology, yield and chemical composition of pot marigold (Calendula officinalis, L.) plants grown under sandy soil conditions. P and K fertilizers were used as a basal dressing for all the treatments. Results indicated that application of different fertilization treatments had a considerable effect on the different vegetative growth characteristics of Calendula officinalis,L. plants, compared to the unfertilized control. In both seasons, in most cases the highest values for vegetative growth characteristics (plant height, main stem length, length and diameter of median internode of main stem, number of secondary branches, number of leaves and leaf area of median leaf of main stem, diameter and stalk length of capitulum, number of capitula/ plant, number and weight of fruits/capitulum as well as fresh and dry weights of leaves, stems and roots) were determined with plants received 0.5 CM + 0.5 SM + Bio followed by that received 0.5 SM + Bio and 0.5 CM + Bio treatments, respectively. Generally, there was no significant difference between plants received 0.5 CM + 0.5 SM + Bio and that received 0.5 SM + Bio. In both seasons, plants fertilized with 0.5 CM + 0.5 SM + Bio gave the highest chlorophyll a+b, followed by that received 0.5 SM + Bio, 0.5 CM + Bio, 0.5 CM + 0.5 SM treatments in descending order. In both seasons, plants fertilized with 0.5 CM + 0.5 SM + Bio gave the highest carotenoids content (0.0.70 and 0.63 mg/g fresh matter, respectively).In both seasons, the highest total carbohydrates content was determined in leaves + stems and roots of Calendula officinalis, L. plants received 0.5 CM + 0.5 SM + Bio followed by that received 0.5 SM + Bio and 0.5 CM + Bio treatments, respectively. In both seasons, the highest N, P and K% of dry matter in leaves + stems and roots were recorded with plants received 0.5 CM + 0.5 SM + Bio followed by that received 0.5 SM + Bio and 0.5 CM + Bio treatments, respectively.

A number of common foods contain appreciable levels of amines, such as serotonin, epinephrine,tyramine, tryptamine, histamine and dopamine. These compounds are referred to collectively as pressoramines because they act as potent vasoconstrictors and thereby elevate the blood pressure. So, this workhas been carried out to investigate the conditions which lead to removal of the biogenic amines throughthe model system. Biogenic amines; histamine and tyramine, from some foods such as tomato, strawberry,banana and mango are removed in order to prevent their allergy effect. Histamine and tyramine have beenaffected by pyrogallol, catechol, starch, ascorbic and chlorogenic acids at different levels with differentconditions. Some natural additives showed an effective effect on disappearance of histamine and tyramine.

CdTe/CdSe core-shell QDs type II was prepared by two steps synthetic process and embedded in polymer host. Emission in the NIR region was recorded. The effect of Ar laser excitation at different powers on the optical properties of the prepared QDs is studied at different temperatures (300–10 K). Amplified spontaneous emission is observed at room temperature and at 10 K. Also, lifetime measurement of prepared QDs was documented using N2-laser.

The present study investigated the role of Testosterone on the regenerative capacity in twometamorphic stages of the tadpoles of the Egyptian toad, Bufo regularis Reuss, after amputation of the hind limb at the mid-shank level. It indicated an enhancing effect of Testosterone treatment on limb regeneration in the prometamorphic (stage 56), where 90% of the cases regenerated toes ranging from five to one compared with 77.3% in the control group, also the differential effect of testosterone on the number of toes was obvious in the treated animals, where 30% and 35% of the cases regenerated five and four toes respectively compared with 27.3% and 31.8% in the control group. In the metamorphic stage (stage58), the effect of testosterone was also obvious, where 38.6% of the treated cases restored toes compared with 13.3% of the cases in the control group. 45.5% of the treated cases restored part of the foot

Detailed studies on the effect of urbanization and industrialization processes on outdoor thermal human com- fort in Greater Cairo region, Egypt have been performed in this study. Four different districts in Greater Cairo region have been selected to represent rural, suburban, typical urban and industrial areas. The data of surface dry, wet bulb temperatures and wind speed for two different periods represent non-urbanized and urbanized periods have been used. Discomfort indices for the two periods have been calculated for the four districts.
The study revealed that urbanization and industrialization processes have resulted in the distinctly modification of human comfortable at all districts. The feeling of quite comfortable reduced from the old non-urbanized period to the recent urbanized period at the four districts. During the recent urbanized period, the rural area has the highest total number of quite comfortable hours while both urban and industrial areas have the lowest total number of hours. The serious hot uncomfortable didn’t occur at all districts during the old non-urbanized period while during the recent urbanized period, all people had felt extreme serious hot uncomfortable only at urban and industrial areas. It could be concluded that the urbanization and industrialization processes cause increase of human serious hot uncomfortable feeling which in turn leads to more hindering for the human activities while the rural conditions leads to optimum weather comfort for further and more human activities.

Detailed studies on the effect of urbanization and industrialization processes on outdoor thermal human com- fort in Greater Cairo region, Egypt have been performed in this study. Four different districts in Greater Cairo region have been selected to represent rural, suburban, typical urban and industrial areas. The data of surface dry, wet bulb temperatures and wind speed for two different periods represent non-urbanized and urbanized periods have been used. Discomfort indices for the two periods have been calculated for the four districts.