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Producing high yielding maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids well-adapted to many environments is the most important goal of the National Maize Research Program in Egypt. Genotype x environment interaction (GEI) continues to be a major challenging issue to plant breeders and production agronomists. The objective of this study was to identify maize hybrids with stable and high yield performance across different location under Egyptian conditions. Five yellow single crosses (SC Sk-149, SC Sk-150, SC Sk-151, SC Gm-111 and SC Gz-312); three red single crosses (SC Sk-1 Red, SC Sk-2 Red and SC Sk-3 Red); and two yellow commercial hybrids (SC 162 and SC 168) were evaluated at five sites in Egypt. Stability parameters for grain yield were performed to estimate both regression coefficient (bi), deviation from regression (S2di) and coefficient of determination (R²). Results showed that mean squares due to environments (E), hybrids (H) and their interaction (H × E) were significant, or highly significant for all traits. The best hybrids were SC Sk-3 Red for earliness, SC Gm-111 for highest plant; and SC Sk-149 and SC Sk-2 Red for resistance to late wilt disease. Superiority percentage for grain yield of two yellow promising crosses SC Gm-111 (22.78 and 19.69%) and SC Sk-150 (11.00 and 8.21%) were significantly out yielded the two checks SC 162 and SC 168, respectively. Four hybrids can be considered stable for grain yield based on the regression coefficient; as well as five hybrids based on deviation from regression and eight hybrids depending on coefficient of determination. Hybrids SC Sk-150 and SC Gm-111 had high grain yield and stable for R². Mean grain yield was significant and positively correlated with S2di; but not significant with bi and R². Also, R² was significant and negatively correlated with S²di, but not significant with bi also bi or with S²di. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Cryptosporidium species is considered to be an important cause of significant morbidity in immunocompromised individuals. A prospective case-control study of sporadic diarrhea due to Cryptosporidium infection was conducted on children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Methods: Forty children with ALL on maintenance chemotherapy according to the Berlin-Frankfurt-Munster (BFM-90) protocol and 45 sex- and age-matched controls were studied. The ALL group included 25 patients with acute diarrhea and 15 without diarrhea, and the control group included 30 children with acute diarrhea and 15 without. Collected stool specimens were examined using modified Ziehl-Neelsen (MZN) and modified trichrome stains. Serum Cryptosporidium Parvum immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Cryptosporidium oocysts, pathogenic Gram-negative organisms, Giardia lamblia, and Entamoeba histolytica were identified in the stool samples (fecal specimens) of six (24%), eight (32%), four (16%), and two (8%), respectively, of the 25 patients with ALL and actute diarrhea and in one (3%), two (6.5%), six (20%), and five (16.5%), respectively, of the 30 control patients with diarrhea. Serum IgG antibodies were positive in four of the six ALL patients and in one of the control group patients with Cryptosporidium diarrhea who tested positive for oocysts in the stool. Diarrhea duration and severity were greater in ALL patients with stool-positive Cryptosporidium oocysts than in those with non- Cryptosporidium-positive diarrhea ( p < 0.000). Conclusions: Cryptosporidium infection should be considered in children with ALL presenting with prolonged or severe watery diarrhea during chemotherapy, especially those treated with methotrexate and 6-mercaptopurine. Since Cryptosporidium is not routinely tested for in stool examination, a MZN stain is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One hundred thirty two samples of fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices collected from Egyptian local markets were analyzed for pesticide residues. Contamination with pesticide residues reached 54.55% while samples free from contamination reached 45.45%. Only one sample from 132 analyzed samples violated the Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) of the Codex Committee. From the 132 analyzed samples, 72 samples (54.55%) were contaminated, from which 43.18% contaminated with residues from one pesticide residue, 6.06% with 2 residues and 5.3% with more than 2 residues. In addition, 2 caraway and one fennel samples contained 4 pesticide residues, one sample of marjoram contained 5 pesticide residues and one mint sample contained 6 pesticide residues. Six of the pesticides detected as residues in the analyzed food items were considered to be carcinogens at different levels of assurance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oak sawdust (SD), which is the main waste from furniture industry in Egypt, has been used as an adsorbent without treatment or it was treated with 0.1 N sodium hydroxide (SD1) and 0.1 N sulphuric acid (SD2). Different adsorbents were characterized by SEM, TGA and FTIR to clarify the effect of treatment on the adsorption process. Oak sawdust and different treated Oak sawdust have been used for the removal of methylene blue dye from aqueous solutions. Batch adsorption experiments were performed as a function of pH, adsorbent dose, agitation speed, contact time and initial dye concentration. The optimum pH required for maximum adsorption was found to be 8. The experimental equilibrium adsorption data are tested for Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin isotherms. Results indicate the following order to fit the isotherms: Langmuir > Temkin >>> Freundlich adsorption. Kinetics data were modeled using the pseudo-first and pseudosecond order, Elovich equations and intra-particle diffusion models. The results indicate that the second-order model best describes adsorption kinetic data with regard to the intra-particle diffusion rate. Thermodynamic parameters ΔH, /ΔS and ΔG have been calculated for each type of adsorbents. Positive value of ΔH and negative value of ΔG show endothermic and spontaneous nature of adsorption respectively, also activation energy Ea has been calculated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale (ORT), a bacterium causing respiratory tract infection, has led to a significant problem in the intensive poultry production in Egypt. Polymerase chain reaction-amplified 784-bp specific ORT DNA fragments were found in 7 ORT isolates from lungs, air sacs, and tracheas of commercial broilers or layers in Egypt in 2015. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of the live variant IBV 4/91 with ORT infection. A total of 120 14-d-old broiler chickens (Cobb 500) were equally divided into 4 groups for experimental infection in a complete randomized design. Group 1 was infected with ORT strain and live infectious bronchitis vaccine (IBV 4/91) simultaneously; group 2 was infected with the bacterial strain alone; group 3 was vaccinated only with IBV 4/91, and group 4 was the non-vaccinated and non-infected control group. The respiratory signs, post-mortem lesions (tracheitis and pneumonia) and histopathological findings of lungs, trachea, and air sacs in the experimentally infected broiler chickens appeared to be more prominent in the chickens of group 1 than group 2. With respect to body weight, weight gain, feed conversion rate, and Ornithobacterium re-isolation, there was a difference (P ≤ 0.05) among the chickens of group 1 and the other groups. This reveals that the use of live infectious bronchitic vaccines, which is a common practice in the local Egyptian field of production, may concomitantly increase the pathogenicity of ORT in broiler chickens.