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For the past two centuries, western modern education has informed education policies and practices in Egypt. However, few researchers have analyzed the historical or current politics of educational transfer in this country. This article investigates the ways in which foreign transfer has influenced Egyptian education, both historically and currently. It concludes that current Egyptian education is a product of inappropriately adapted foreign transfers coupled with domestic interest in spreading education with little attention to its quality. Egypt has recently received considerable support from the international community and has been influenced by global educational discourses. Yet, its educational reforms have met little, if any, success as they have been introduced into a system with characteristics that are historically ingrained and resistant to change, and into a contested context of competing interest groups and a climate of mistrust. The result is a disoriented education system full of problems.

Enteric protozoa are major causes of economic losses in dromedary camels due to clinical and subclinical diseases. The study investigated the prevalence of enteric protozoal parasites in dromedary camels using parasitological and molecular techniques. Besides, the molecular characterization of selected enteric protozoa was performed by nucleotide sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. One hundred and twenty-one fecal samples were collected from diseased (49) and apparently healthy (72) dromedary camels during December 2020 - November 2021. Overall, 57.02% of the fecal samples were positive for enteric protozoa with the B. coli, Eimeria spp., Giardia spp., Cryptosporidium spp. were detected in 32.23%, 8.26%, 2.48%,3.30% fecal samples, respectively, while 10.74% samples had mixed infection. While the PCR technique revealed the overall prevalence of 69.56%, 13.04% and 10.14% for the B. coli, Giardia spp. and Cryptosporidium spp., respectively in the study areas. Phylogenetic analysis based on the partial nucleotide sequences of the small subunit ribosomal RNA, B beta giardin (bg) and Cryptosporidium parvum precursor of oocyst wall protein (COWP) genes of B. coli, Giardia spp. and Cryptosporidium spp., respectively revealed that the enteric protozoa from camels had high genetic similarities with strains detected from other animals and humans in Egypt and different parts of the world. This study suggests that the camels may act as a potential source of infection of the studied enteric protozoa for other livestock and humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to determine the prevalence and distribution of fleainfested ruminants in Egypt's Northern West Coast (NWC) and South Sinai Governorate (SSG), besides the molecular characterization and genotypes of Nematode and Trematode in the identified flea species. In total, 765 animals of both sexes and ages (471 from NWC and 294 from SSG) were examined for flea infestation, including 460 sheep and 305 goats. Microscopically, flea species were identified, while nematodes and trematodes were identified using sequence analysis of purified PCR fragments of the small subunits 18S of nuclear ribosomal DNA (18S rDNA) and the internal transcribed spacer region of the ribosomal RNA (ITS2) gene primers. The results revealed that the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis, and the dog flea, Ctenocephalides canis, were widely distributed in sheep and goat flocks throughout the corresponding areas. While age, sex, and host had no significant differences (P > 0.5), the location, flea species, and season of flea collection all had an impact on the predominance of the two flea species. Additionally, there were significant differences between C. felis and C. canis infestations in the two areas, and only among the sexes of both flea species in the NWC. Molecular data confirmed one trematode (Fasciola hepatica) in both C. felis and C. canis, whereas two nematode species were identified: Haemonchus contortus only in sheep in both areas and Trichostrongylus colubriformis only in C. canis infesting goats in SSG. Sequenced isolates were assigned in the GenBank database under accession numbers ON123999, ON123994, ON123995, and ON123993 (F. hepatica), ON113484, ON113485, and ON113486 (H. contortus), and ON113498 (T. colubriformis). We conclude that the presence of those pathogens in fleas in the two areas required special attention to periodic flea control programs and anthelmintic treatments, as well as further evaluation of the epidemiology and role of fleas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the framework of the French–Egyptian Imhotep Project, two spring gravimeters have been installed in the area of Lake Nasser (Egypt) with the aim to establish a first reliable gravity tide model for the region. The two tidal gravity stations are located in Aswan, on the northern edge of the lake and in Abu Simbel in the south, respectively. This study was mainly aimed to obtain a reliable model of the crustal response to tidal forces and, consequently, to increase the accuracy of the geodetic observations, to be used in future geophysical studies in this region as well as to investigate the effect of the Lake level variations on the crustal deformation and related gravity changes. Nearly 3 years of gravity records (from May 2018 to April 2021) were collected. Since no scale factor was available for the two gravimeters, the first step of this study was to achieve a reliable calibration for each of the two collected gravity signals. After removing the instrumental drift, spikes, steps and tares, both gravimeters have been calibrated by fitting the output signal against a synthetic reference signal based on the body tidal gravity response due to Wahr-Dehant Earth model and FES2014 ocean tidal loading model. The calibrated signals have been analyzed with ET34-X-V80 software for tidal analyses. This enabled us to retrieve a set of frequency-dependent gravity factors (amplitude and phase) for the main tidal waves, as well as to obtain gravity residuals. It turns out that the accuracy of the amplitude estimates for the main tidal waves is 0.2 ÷ 1% for LCR_ET16 in Aswan and 1 ÷ 10% for the LCR_D-218 in Abu Simbel. To improve the tidal model at Abu Simbel, LCR_ET16 was stopped in Aswan and relocated there. The first 90 days of gravity recordings from ET16 at Abu Simbel provide promising results, with an accuracy of the order of 0.1% for the main tidal waves, even better than the results obtained in Aswan. The residual gravity signal after tidal subtraction at Aswan is in the range of ± 50 µGal. Further analyses of the instrumental contribution are however needed before to be able to interpret this gravity signal in terms of surface loading (i.e. changes in the water level of Lake Nasser) or underground hydrology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Legume root nodules harbor rhizobia and other non-nodulating endophytes known as nodule-associated bacteria (NAB) whose role in the legume symbiosis is still unknown. We analysed the genetic diversity of 34 NAB isolates obtained from the root nodules of faba bean grown under various soil conditions in Egypt using 16S rRNA and concatenated sequences of three housekeeping genes. All isolates were identified as members of the family Enterobacteriaceae belonging to the genera Klebsiella , Enterobacter and Raoultella. We identified nine enterobacterial genospecies, most of which have not been previously reported as NAB. All isolated strains harbored nifH gene sequences and most of them possessed plant growth-promoting (PGP) traits. Upon co-inoculation with an N2 fixing rhizobium (Rlv NGB-FR128), two strains (Enterobacter sichanensis NGB-FR97 and Klebsiella variicola NGB-FR116) significantly increased nodulation, growth and N-uptake of faba bean plants over the single treatments or the uninoculated control. The presence of these enterobacteria in nodules was significantly affected by the host plant genotype, symbiotic rhizobium genotype and endophyte genotype, indicating that the nodule colonization process is regulated by plant–microbe–microbe interactions. This study emphasizes the importance of nodule-associated enterobacteria and suggests their potential role in improving the effectiveness of rhizobial inoculants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) represented a great risk to public health. In this study, 60 STEC strains recovered from broiler and duck fecal samples, cow's milk, cattle beef, human urine, and ear discharge were screened for 12 virulence genes, phenotypic and genotypic antimicrobial resistance, and multiple-locus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA). Results: The majority of strains harbored Shiga toxin 1 (stx1) and stx1d, stx2 and stx2e, and ehxA genes, while a minority harbored stx2c subtype and eaeA. We identified 10 stx gene combinations; most of strains 31/60 (51.7%) exhibited four copies of stx genes, namely the stx1, stx1d, stx2, and stx2e, and the strains exhibited a high range of multiple antimicrobial resistance indices. The resistance genes blaCTX-M-1 and blaTEM were detected. For the oxytetracycline resistance genes, most of strains contained tetA, tetB, tetE, and tetG while the tetC was present at low frequency. MLVA genotyping resolved 26 unique genotypes; genotype 21 was highly prevalent. The six highly discriminatory loci DI = 0.9138 are suitable for the preliminary genotyping of STEC from animals and humans. Conclusions: The STEC isolated from animals are virulent, resistant to antimicrobials, and genetically diverse, thus demands greater attention for the potential risk to human. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ataxia telangiectasia is a rare autosomal recessive multisystem disorder caused by mutations in the gene of ATM serine/threonine kinase. It is characterized by neurodegeneration, leading to severe ataxia, immunodeficiency, increased cancer susceptibility, and telangiectasia. Here, we discovered a co-segregation of two ATM gene variants with ataxia telangiectasia in an Egyptian family. While one of these variants (NM_000051.4(ATM_i001):p.(Val128*)) has previously been reported as pathogenic, the other one (NM_000051.4(ATM_i001):p.(Val1729Leu)) is regarded as a variant of uncertain significance. Our findings in this family provide additional evidence for causality of the second variant and argue that its status should be changed to pathogenic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common movement disorder that has a variable prevalence and impact reported from different countries and specific populations. The current study validated an Arabic version of the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group (IRLSSG) rating scale (IRLS) and investigated the prevalence and impact of RLS in medical students at Ain Shams University in Cairo.Methods: Translation of IRLS was done according to standard recognized guidelines provided by the publisher. A total of 389 medical students (217 female and 172 male) participated in the study and answered four questions to detect RLS as proposed by the IRLSSG. Subjects who answered positively the first three questions were recruited for face-to-face interview to exclude RLS mimics and to answer the IRLS.Results: A total of 46 subjects (11.8%; 27 female and 19 male) met the four criteria for RLS. Of these, 39 subjects (10%) had idiopathic RLS. Five subjects (1.3%) and two subjects (0.5%) reported association with history of anemia and diabetes mellitus respectively. Their mean total IRLS score was 16.33 ± 5.3, with moderate severity (11.62 ± 3.9) and low impact (3.1 ± 1.8). The prevalence of individuals who had two or more episodes of RLS of at least moderate severity per week was 5.9%.Conclusion: In this specific population of Egyptian medical students, a within-average prevalence of RLS was found with low impact on quality of life similar to worldwide reported populations. RLS sufferers were of high prevalence among this cohort. The Arabic version of IRLS is reliable and valid for further research in Arabic countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The objective of the paper is to analyze evolution of urbanization, transport demand and supply in Greater Cairo (GC) over the last three decades of the 20th century. This is in addition to investigating the impact of city growth on energy consumption and emissions from transport. It utilizes results of 1971, 1978, 1987, 1998 and 2001 travel demand surveys, undertaken during the corresponding GC transport studies; each was published a year or two later. No further transport studies have been carried out in GC over the past decade and in view of the current political situation, it is not envisaged that similar studies will be undertaken in the near future. The analysis includes the evolution of daily trips, trip purpose share, modal share and number of cars. More recent trends for 2006/2007 vehicle registration by type and size are given. The evolution of transport supply covers projects until early 2012. In parallel estimates of the evolution of energy consumption and cost, emissions of greenhouse gases (CO2) and pollutants (CO, HC and NOx) are given for 1971/2001. The adopted estimation methodology is summarized. Comparative analysis of relevant evolution indexes and trends of growth between 1971 and 2001, taking the former as base year, is given. Land use and transport policies and projects that in some cases helped, directly or indirectly, to reduce traffic congestion, or at least prevented an increase, are addressed, commenting on their outcomes. Thus, transferable experience are useful to sister cities benefiting from successes and avoiding drawbacks. The evolution of the impact of GC metro on energy consumption and cost, and GHG emissions is given for 1987/2001, assuming the scenario “metro did not exist”. More recent impact analysis is given for 2007/2008, as the data allowed estimating traffic volumes that would have been added to the congested metro corridors under the above scenario; and the related fuel consumption and cost and GHGs. The paper ends with conclusions on GC evolution, learned lessons and suggests repeating similar work in other mega cities of the developing countries. Further research is emphasized, e.g., modeling the relationship between land use, transport, energy and emissions; modeling emission factors by vehicle type; and studying fuel-subsidy-reduction scenarios and their socio-economic effects. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: There is a gap between evidence base and current practice in hemodialysis pattern which is different from a country to another due to different economic levels and organization of health. these gaps include many things such as causes and co-morbidity modality of hemodialysis medication given. Methods: This cross sectional study was carried out on 500 end Stage renaldisease (ESRD)in Egypt All patients selected were subjected to full history, examination, medical record which included iron study HGB, bone study, erythropoietin. vitamins,HD prescription, causes and complications of HD. Results: HD pattern in Egypt agrees with the international guidelines and other countries except age(less than USA), bicarbonate as buffer for HD (acetate still used) HGB level is 9.2 gm./ dl(target 11-12), using sevelamer as phosphate binder less than usual percent of others, work status for HD pts., is higher than others, routine iron investigations and routine adequacy of HD Conclusion: there are increased prevalence of dialysis patients in Egypt and few difference in the pattern of HD with international guidelines [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the hypothesis that Egyptian farmers maximise economic profits, the multiproduct translog profit function is used to estimate input demand and output supply functions for corn, rice, and cotton crops grown in Egypt's Nile delta. Elasticity estimates indicate a generally high degree of price responsiveness. The estimates are used to evaluate Egyptian agricultural policies concerning labour, mechanisation, and output prices. The results show that Egypt's agricultural policies of taxing output and subsidising certain inputs have had a substantial negative impact on agricultural productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies the epidemiology of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) in a field site near Alexandria, Egypt. Epidemiological patterns of pediatric ETEC diarrhea; Factors associated with lower risk of enterotoxin phenotypes; Importance of improvements in household sanitation to preventing ETEC diarrhea.

Estimates of a homothetic translog cost function show that Egyptian rice farmers are economically rational and responsive to input price changes. Own-price and cross-price elasticities of input demand based on the cost function estimates provide insight into policies currently being pursued or considered by the Egyptian government. The analysis indicates a reduction in fertilizer trade restrictions could substantially reduce fertilizer prices and increase fertilizer use. Labor and mechanical power are not strong substitutes, indicating that subsidization of machinery is not an appropriate policy to reduce agricultural labor shortages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY Using data from Egypt's first five year plan the consequences of five different economic policies are explored. The model used is stochastic programming, the output/labor and output/capital ratios are considered as independently distributed normal random variables. The optimal allocation policy appears to be very close to the actual policy advocated for the plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and context: Developing countries struggle with high cancer mortality and low resources. Cancer patients experience pain and physical symptoms in addition to psychological, social and spiritual worries that increase as the patients' conditions progress. Palliative care (PC) primary goal is to help people live as well as they can for the duration of their illness, with the finest physical and emotional well-being possible despite complex problems. However, there are considerable barriers to PC service implementation in developing countries. Aim: Our goal is to set up a PC service and integrate it as a standard of care for gynecologic cancer patients managed at Assiut University Hospitals, Egypt. The objective of this study is to investigate the tools needed to integrate a PC service in any oncology service in developing countries. Strategy/Tactics: A capacity building and local provision PC development framework was laid. Strategies included expanding the gynecologic oncology unit, assessment of PC knowledge among health providers and medical students, assembling a multidisciplinary PC team, overseas PC training, establishing international links, providing essential medicine and addressing PC education. Program/Policy process: The gynecologic oncology unit capacity was expanded to accommodate long term admissions. PC knowledge among physicians, clinical nurse practitioners (CNPs) and medical students in Assiut University Hospitals was assessed using the modified Palliative Care Knowledge Test (PCKT). A multidisciplinary team that will deliver the PC service to our gynecologic cancer patients was assembled based on motivation and individual expertise in the aspects of PC from relevant departments as clinical oncology, surgery, pain and anesthesiology, psychiatry, physical therapy and rehabilitation and nutrition. The hospital leadership worked with the pharmacists to increase opioids quota and facilitate dispensing measures. The PC team leader engaged in a certified online PC course and arranged overseas training with the reputable Palliative Medicine Division at University of Cape Town well known for its legacy in delivering PC education. Outcomes: Ninety two physicians, 14 CNPs and 116 medical students completed the PCKT. The PCKT was composed of 20 questions and each correct answer was given 1 point. The overall total correct score was 7.41 ± 2.48 (Fig 1). Poor knowledge about PC was a strong indicator to acknowledge the gap in PC postgraduate training and undergraduate education. What was learned: Integration of a PC service for cancer patients in Egypt is feasible in spite of local resources constraints. A PC multidisciplinary team can be assembled from skilled specialists. Modifications of undergraduate and postgraduate curricula to include PC is crucial. Our model can be transferred to other low resource settings. Fig 1 Comparison of PCKT average total correct score among physicians, CNPs and medical students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effect of host deprivation on reproductive potential of the arrhenotokous species (Trichogramma euproctidis Girault and T. bourarachae Pinturaeau and Babanlt) and Thelytokous species (T. cordubensis Vargas and Cabello) (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae), originated from strains collected from olive farms in Egypt, was studied. Upon emergence, females were deprived of hosts for one to four days and were subsequently provided daily with unlimited eggs of Sitotroga cerealella Olivier (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) for parasitisation. As deprivation time increased, total number of parasitized hosts by T. euproctidis, T. borarachae and T. cordubensis decreased from an average of 73.2±2.7, 80.1±3.5 and 61.7±2.6, when hosts were provided on emergence, to an average of 37.6±0.7, 38.4±0.5 and 34.5±1.2, when waiting time was 4 days, respectively. This reduction was mainly due to the reduction in the parasitisation, following the first laying peak, which was not affected when deprivation lasted fewer than 2 days. The longer deprivation, is the lower daily parasitisation. The arrhenotokous females produced significantly more progeny than thelytokous females, regardless to the period of host deprivation. Obtained results indicated that the efficacy of Trichogramma females as biological control agents may be sensitive to host deprivation which is likely to occur in nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comparative study of parasitic capacity and longevity of three local Trichogramma spp.; T. cordubensis and T. euproctidis from arid area and T. borarachae from a semi-arid area, collected from olive groves in Egypt, was carried out under laboratory conditions at 25±0.5°C. Significant differences were found among the parasitic capacity of the tested Trichogramma spp. It was 80.1±3.5 for T. borarachae versus 60.2±2.5 for T. cordubensis and 73.2±2.7 for T. euproctidis. In all species, parasitism was highest in the first day. Longevity of Trichogramma females was studied by exposing freshly emerged wasps to different feeding regimes as follows: 1) combination of honey and host eggs, 2) honey only and 3) no honey or hosts. The longevity experiments indicated that feeding conditions significantly affected the survival period of the wasp females. In all species, the longevity of honey-fed non ovipositing females was significantly longer. In the absence of food source all species showed the shortest longevity. In general, parasitoid longevity under each feeding condition was species dependent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aflatoxins are carcinogenic compounds produced by certain Aspergillus spp and naturally contaminate poultry rations. Exposure to low levels of Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in poultry feeds is the second most threatening issue facing the poultry industry in Egypt; it can cause a reduction in growth, egg production, and compromised immune functions, resulting in significant economic loss. Hence, a safe, effective and eco-friendly detoxification method is strongly required. Biological decontamination is a promising approach to reduce aflatoxin levels within threshold limits. This study explores the biodegradation capacity of bacteria isolated from the moldy feed, soil and poultry feces in various poultry farms against AFB1 (100 ppb), G1 (100 ppb), B2 (30 ppb), G2 (30 ppb). Sixty-five bacterial isolates were initially screened using coumarin media with a concentration of (0.01%-0.5%) coumarin. Only one soil isolate (SZ1) grew at the highest concentration (0.5%). Coumarin and Aflatoxin degradation rates of ten promising isolates were measured using spectrophotometry and HPLC. Six isolates reduced AFG1 by more than 90% in the liquid medium, five reduced AFB2 while only four did the same with AFB1& AFG2. Impressively, isolate SZ1 (identified as Pseudomonas fluorescens) exhibited the best degradation capacity to both coumarin and aflatoxin with 100% degradation of AFG1 and 99% degradation of AFB1, AFB2 and AFG2. Biochemical and molecular identification of the ten isolates revealed that they belong to four genera; Bacillus (6), Pseudomonas (2), Enterococcus (1) and Stenotrophomonas (1). Factors affecting Pseudomonas fluorescens SZ1 degradation activity was further investigated. Optimum temperature, time and pH for maximum aflatoxin degradation were at 37 °C, 72 h and 7, respectively. Treatment with proteinase K reduced the degradation activity of G1 (31% ± 1.438), B1 (42% ± 1.438), G2 (19% ± 1.097), and B2 (25% ± 1.732), suggesting that the effective component in aflatoxin degradation may be protein in nature. Our study suggests the biocontrol potential of several different species isolated from poultry farms; B. haynesii, B. licheniformis, B. tequilensis, B. subtilis, B. amyloliquefaciens, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Enterococcus casseliflavus, and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. The results proposed Pseudomonas fluorescens SZ1 as an excellent candidate for bioremediation and decontamination of aflatoxin in feed matrices. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report identifying B. haynesii, Enterococcus casseliflavus, B. tequilensis and B. amyloliquefaciens with aflatoxin degradation activity., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Aim: To develop gestational age-based reference ranges for the modified Doppler myocardial performance index (Mod MPI) and to examine the maternal characteristics that affect this measurement., Methods: This was a cross-sectional study, comprised of 1021 healthy pregnancies between 20+0 to 35+6 weeks' gestation. They were all undergoing ultrasound examination in Cairo Fetal Medicine Unit (CAIFM) in Cairo University, Egypt from 1st April 2017 till 1st April 2019. Mod MPI was obtained used method described by Friedman et al. (2003). Median and SD models were fitted between Mod MPI and gestational age. The distributions of Mod MPI Z-scores were examined in relation to maternal characteristics RESULTS: The normal Mod MPI in second and third trimester (20 + 1 to 35 + 6 weeks' gestation) was 0.408 ± 0.08. Mod MPI was not affected by maternal age, body mass index (BMI) or parity (p value 0.5, 0.6 and 0.2 respectively)., Conclusion: This study established normal reference ranges for Mod MPI according to gestational age and generated a graph with 5th,10th, 90th and 95th centiles. Maternal characteristics as age, BMI or parity do not affect value of Mod MPI., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Egypt is a densely populated country with living habits and health care services that differ from urban to rural regions. We aimed to study how characteristics of stroke vary among these regions., Methods: This is a cross-sectional observational study of ischemic stroke, thus hemorrhagic and venous strokes were excluded. A total of 1475 ischemic stroke patients were recruited for analysis from a tertiary hospital in Cairo representing urban area and from a secondary care hospital in Suhag representing rural region., Results: Analysis was done for 1143 ischemic stroke patients from urban and 332 from rural area. Onset to door was shorter in urban. Urban patients showed an older age and higher prevalence of hypertension and diabetes (65.9%, 48.6% respectively), while rural patients were characterized by female preponderance (51.5%), more dyslipidemia, smoking 44.6%, stroke in young 20.5%, atrial fibrillation 23.8% % and recurrent stroke 44.3%. Rural cases showed a severer deficit at onset and poorer outcome., Conclusion: Vascular risk factors, stroke type, and presentation tend to differ in Egypt according to the geographic distribution whether urban or rural. Studying patterns of such difference may aid in planning specific targeted preventive and therapeutic strategies for stroke in urban and rural Egypt., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Pesticide exposure is associated with increased risk of Parkinson's disease (PD). We investigated in Egypt whether common variants in genes involved in pesticide detoxification or transport might modify the risk of PD evoked by pesticide exposure. We recruited 416 PD patients and 445 controls. Information on environmental factors was collected by questionnaire-based structured interviews. Candidate single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 15 pesticide-related genes were genotyped. We analyzed the influence of environmental factors and SNPs as well as the interaction of pesticide exposure and SNPs on the risk of PD. The risk of PD was reduced by coffee consumption [OR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.43-0.90, P = 0.013] and increased by pesticide exposure [OR = 7.09, 95% CI: 1.12-44.01, P = 0.036]. The SNP rs1126680 in the butyrylcholinesterase gene BCHE reduced the risk of PD irrespective of pesticide exposure [OR = 0.38, 95% CI: 0.20-0.70, P = 0.002]. The SNP rs1803274, defining K-variant BCHE, interacted significantly with pesticide exposure (P = 0.007) and increased the risk of PD only in pesticide-exposed individuals [OR = 2.49, 95% CI: 1.50-4.19, P = 0.0005]. The K-variant BCHE reduces serum activity of butyrylcholinesterase, a known bioscavenger for pesticides. Individuals with K-variant BCHE appear to have an increased risk for PD when exposed to pesticides.

The leopard moth, Zeuzera pyrina (L.) (Lepidoptera: Cossidae), is a damaging pest for many fruit trees (e.g., apple [Malus spp.], pear [Pyrus spp.] peach [Prunus spp.], and olive [Olea]). Recently, it caused serious yield losses in newly established olive orchards in Egypt, including the death of young trees. Chemical and biological control have shown limited efficiency against this pest. Field tests were conducted in 2005 and 2006 to evaluate mating disruption (MD) for the control of the leopard moth, on heavily infested, densely planted olive plots (336 trees per ha). The binary blend of the pheromone components (E,Z)-2,13-octadecenyl acetate and (E,Z)-3,13-octadecenyl acetate (95:5) was dispensed from polyethylene vials. Efficacy was measured considering reduction of catches in pheromone traps, reduction of active galleries of leopard moth per tree and fruit yield in the pheromone-treated plots (MD) compared with control plots (CO). Male captures in MD plots were reduced by 89.3% in 2005 and 82.9% in 2006, during a trapping period of 14 and 13 wk, respectively. Application of MD over two consecutive years progressively reduced the number of active galleries per tree in the third year where no sex pheromone was applied. In all years, larval galleries outnumbered moth captures. Fruit yield from trees where sex pheromone had been applied in 2005 and 2006 increased significantly in 2006 (98.8 +/- 2.9 kg per tree) and 2007 (23 +/- 1.3 kg per tree) compared with control ones (61.0 +/- 3.9 and 10.0 +/- 0.6 kg per tree, respectively). Mating disruption shows promising for suppressing leopard moth infestation in olives.

Two bacteriophages were isolated from field collected samples representing two different mosquito breeding places. The phage AB-1 (isolated from Abheit village, Faiyoum Governorate "seepage water") and the phage GA-2 (isolated from El-Gabal El-Asfer Qualyobia Governorate "sewage drain water") were purified. Both bacteriophages were ultrastructurally described with respect to their morphology, dimensions, phases of bacterial attack and lysogeny. No major differences were observed between both isolated phages in relation to specificity, however; they were isolated from two different types of breeding places and two different geographic areas as well. This study may assume a wide host range of the isolated phages and reflect how bacterial insecticides used for mosquito larval control could be inhibited by such bacteriophage.