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In the first phase of its treatment program, Egypt aimed to treat 250,000 people annually until 2020, thereby reducing the number of viremic patients and limiting hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission. Egypt strives to eradicate HCV and HCV-associated morbidity by 2030. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of HCV infection among end-stage renal disease patients and the reasons for non-treatment among those offered free medication. This multi-center cross-sectional study was conducted during the period from November 2022 to April 2023. The study included 500 patients receiving hemodialysis (HD) sessions on a regular basis for more than three months in Dakahlia Governorate. According to patients` medical history, we found that 23.4% of patients had previous HCV infection. Of these, 12.6% received treatment, and 10.8% did not receive treatment due to a variety of reasons. For instance, some patients were unaware of the drug's availability, five patients (1%) feared side effects, 43 patients (8.6%) did not require treatment, and five patients (1%) had other causes as contraindications of drugs, noncompliance and deterioration of health status. In addition, 20.4% of patients were reported to have fully recovered, while 0.8% had a recurrence. After investigations, 1% of patients had positive hepatitis B surface antigen (HbsAg), 23.4% positive HCV Ab, and 4.2% positive HCV by the polymerase chain reaction. In conclusion, the low prevalence of HCV among HD patients confirms that HCV infection is not currently a significant health concern among patients on maintenance HD., (Copyright© by the Egyptian Association of Immunologists.)

Copper (Cu) is an abundant essential micronutrient element in various rocks and minerals and is required for a variety of metabolic processes in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. However, excess Cu can disturb normal development by adversely affecting biochemical reactions and physiological processes in plants. However, organic soil is rich in micronutrients and can assist plants to tolerate toxicity by promoting growth and biomass. This study explored the potential of organic and Cu-contaminated soil on fibrous jute (Corchorus capsularis ). Plants were grown in the organic soil, natural soil (normal soil) and Cu-contaminated soil for 60days, and we studied different growth, physiological and ultra-structure alterations in the plant. Results showed that the addition of organic acid in the soil showed a remarkable increase in seed germination, plant height, fresh biomass, photosynthetic pigment and gas exchange parameters, and decreased the malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration in the tissues when compared to the plants grown in the natural soil. In contrast, plants grown in the Cu-contaminated soil significantly (P <0.05) decreased the seed germination, plant height, fresh biomass, photosynthetic pigment and gas exchange parameters, and increased MDA content, proline concentration and the activities of various antioxidant compounds; i.e. peroxidase (POD) and superoxidase dismutase (SOD). In addition, Cu toxicity also destroyed many membrane bounded organelles especially the chloroplast, which was revealed from transmission electron microscopy (TEM). We concluded that Cu toxicity affected growth and physiological attributes in C. capsularis , while addition of organic soil increased plant growth and biomass.

Soil contamination with toxic heavy metals (such as arsenic (As)) is becoming a serious global problem due to rapid development of social economy, although the use of silicon (Si) and sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS) has been found effective in enhancing plant tolerance against biotic and abiotic stresses including the As toxicity. For this purpose, a pot experiment was conducted using the different levels of As toxicity in the soil, i.e., (0 mM (no As), 50, and 100 µM) which were also supplied with the different exogenous levels of Si, i.e., (0 (no Si), 1.5, and 3 mM) and also with the NaHS, i.e., (0 (no NaHS), 1, and 2 mM) on growth, photosynthetic pigments, gas exchange characteristics, oxidative stress biomarkers, antioxidant machinery (enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants), and their gene expression, ion uptake, organic acid exudation, and As uptake of maize (Zea mays L.). Results from the present study showed that the increasing levels of As in the soil significantly (P < 0.05) decreased plant growth and biomass, photosynthetic pigments, gas exchange attributes, sugars, and nutritional contents from the roots and shoots of the plants. In contrast, increasing levels of As in the soil significantly (P < 0.05) increased oxidative stress indicators in terms of malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide, and electrolyte leakage and also increased organic acid exudation patter in the roots of Z. mays, although the activities of enzymatic antioxidants and the response of their gene expressions in the roots and shoots of the plants and non-enzymatic such as phenolic, flavonoid, ascorbic acid, and anthocyanin contents were initially increased with the exposure of 50 µM As, but decreased by the increasing the As concentration 100 µM in the soil. The negative impact of As toxicity can overcome the application of Si and NaHS, which ultimately increased plant growth and biomass by capturing the reactive oxygen species and decreased oxidative stress in Z. mays by decreasing the As contents in the roots and shoots of the plants. Our results also showed that the Si was more sever and showed better results when we compared with NaHS under the same treatment of As in the soil. Research findings, therefore, suggest that the combined application of Si and NaHS can ameliorate As toxicity in Z. mays, resulting in improved plant growth and composition under metal stress, as depicted by balanced exudation of organic acids., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Soil salinization has become a major issue around the world in recent years, as it is one of the consequences of climate change as sea levels rise. It is crucial to lessen the severe consequences of soil salinization on plants. A pot experiment was conducted to regulate the physiological and biochemical mechanisms in order to evaluate the ameliorative effects of potassium nitrate (KNO 3 ) on Raphanus sativus L. genotypes under salt stress. The results from the present study illustrated that the salinity stress induced a significant decrease in shoot length, root length, shoot fresh weight, shoot dry weight, root fresh weight, root dry weight, number of leaves per plant, leaf area chlorophyll-a, chlorophyll-b, total chlorophyll, carotenoid, net photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rate by 43, 67, 41, 21, 34, 28, 74, 91, 50, 41, 24, 34, 14, 26, and 67%, respectively, in a 40 day radish while decreased by 34, 61, 49, 19, 31, 27, 70, 81, 41, 16, 31, 11, 21, and 62%, respectively, in Mino radish. Furthermore, MDA, H 2 O 2 initiation, and EL (%) of two varieties (40 day radish and Mino radish) of R. sativus increased significantly ( P < 0.05) by 86, 26, and 72%, respectively, in the roots and also increased by 76, 106, and 38% in the leaves in a 40 day radish, compared to the untreated plants. The results also elucidated that the contents of phenolic, flavonoids, ascorbic acid, and anthocyanin in the two varieties (40 day radish and Mino radish) of R. sativus increased with the exogenous application of KNO 3 by 41, 43, 24, and 37%, respectively, in the 40 day radish grown under the controlled treatments. Results indicated that implementing KNO 3 exogenously in the soil increased the activities of antioxidants like SOD, CAT, POD, and APX by 64, 24, 36, and 84% in the roots and also increased by 21, 12, 23, and 60% in the leaves of 40 day radish while also increased by 42, 13, 18, and 60% in the roots and also increased by 13, 14, 16, and 41% in the leaves in Mino radish, respectively, in comparison to those plants grown without KNO 3 . We found that KNO 3 substantially improved plant growth by lowering the levels of oxidative stress biomarkers, thereby further stimulating the antioxidant potential system, which led to an improved nutritional profile of both R. sativus L. genotypes under normal and stressed conditions. The current study would offer a deep theoretical foundation for clarifying the physiological and biochemical mechanisms by which the KNO 3 improves salt tolerance in R. sativus L. genotypes., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2023 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Plants and soil microorganisms interact at every stage of growth. Pseudomonas spp. are highly regarded for their ability to increase crop production and protection from diseases. The aim of this study is to understand the mechanisms of the rhizobacterial colonization of tomato roots via chemotaxis assay and the activation of tomato resistance against the pathogenic bacterium, Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (Pst). The capillary assay was used to evaluate the chemotaxis response of PGPRs (plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria). The activities of defense enzymes and the expressions of PR (pathogenesis-related) genes were measured using real-time qPCR. Chemotactic responses to malic and citric acids (the most important root exudates found in different plant species) at low concentrations varied substantially among the rhizobacterial isolates (63 species). Beneficial isolates including Pseudomonas resinovorans A5, P. vranovensis A30, P. resinovorans A28, P. umsongensis O26, P. stutzeri N42, and P. putida T15 reacted well to different concentrations of root exudates. P. putida T15 demonstrated the most potent anti-Pst activity. At three and six days after inoculation, the greatest levels of polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase activity were reported in the A5 and T15 groups. In tomato, transcript levels of four PR (pathogenesis-related) genes were elevated by rhizobacterial treatments. PGPR isolates alone or in combination with BABA (β-amino butyric acid) up-regulated the transcriptions of PR1 , PR2 , LOX , and PAL genes. Treatments with N42 and T15 resulted in the greatest improvements in tomato growth and yield traits. In conclusion, the results explain the mechanisms of rhizobacterial colonization for the improved management of Pst. Rhizobacterial isolates play a role in tomato's resistance to Pst via salicylic acid and jasmonic acid pathways.

Klebsiella is a common dangerous pathogen for humans and animals and is widely present in the digestive system. The genus Klebsiella is ubiquitous, as it is endemic to surface water, soil, and sewage. In this study, 70 samples were obtained from soil-dwelling invertebrates from September 2021 to March 2022 from Taif and Shafa in different altitudinal regions of Saudi Arabia. Fifteen of these samples were identified as Klebsiella spp. The Klebsiella isolates were genetically identified as Klebsiella pneumoniae using rDNA sequencing. The antimicrobial susceptibility of the Klebsiella isolates was determined. Amplification of virulence genes was performed using PCR. In this study, 16S rDNA sequencing showed a similarity from 98% to 100% with related K. pneumonia from the NCBI database, and the sequences were deposited in the NCBI GenBank under accession numbers ON077036 to ON077050. The growth inhibition properties of ethanolic and methanolic extracts of the medicinal plant Rhazya stricta 's leaves against K. pneumoniae strains using the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) method and disc diffusion were evaluated. In addition, the biofilm inhibitory potential of these extracts was investigated using crystal violet. HPLC analysis identified 19 components divided into 6 flavonoids, 11 phenolic acids, stilbene (resveratrol), and quinol, and revealed variations in the number of components and their quantities between extracts. Both extracts demonstrated interesting antibacterial properties against K. pneumoniae isolates. The 2 extracts also showed strong biofilm inhibitory activities, with percentages of inhibition extending from 81.5% to 98.7% and from 35.1% to 85.8% for the ethanolic and methanolic extracts, respectively. Rhazya stricta leaf extract revealed powerful antibacterial and antibiofilm activities against K. pneumoniae isolates and could be a good candidate for the treatment or prevention of K. pneumonia -related infections.

Background: The carcinogenic, mutagenic, and teratogenic chemicals such as aflatoxin are a worldwide health problem. Aspergillus spp., responsible for most cases of aflatoxin contamination, are common in the environment and spread easily to many different types of food. The objectives of this study were to conduct a survey of fungi associated with three soil invertebrates in Taif, Saudi Arabia, identify these isolates and explore mycotoxins formation., Methods: In total, 114 fungal isolates were collected from various soil invertebrates (millipedes, Armadillidium vulgare and Porcellio laevis ) in Taif, Saudi Arabia, among them, 22 isolates were identified as Aspergillus spp. based on morphological and molecular characteristics followed by both Fusarium and Penicillium., Results: The sequences of ITS 1 and ITS 4 were utilized. Using bootstrap analysis, phylogenetic tree was split into two distinct clusters. Five sub clusters were included inside the first major cluster, and their bootstrap value was 99%. While, there were two small clusters in the second major cluster. All the tested Aspergillus strains were able to have a single PCR fragment amplified using the primer AspTef. TEF-1 DNA sequence bootstrap analysis with 1,000 replicates revealed two distinct groups. Additionally, the Aspergillus isolates were grouped into two different clusters with about 65% genetic similarity using ISSR-PCR analysis. The standard polymerase chain reaction was used to effectively amplify the Aopks, afl-A and omt -A genes in aflatoxigenic Aspergillus strains. Four Aspergillus strains used in this investigation were shown to generate aflatoxin B1. While, three Aspergillus stains showed ochratoxin genes., Conclusions: In conclusion, the results indicate significant differences in the fungal community between ecoregions and soil invertebrates. Moreover, mycotoxin detection and identification among Aspergillus isolates were elucidated. This study could shed light on the risk of mycotoxin contamination along the supply chain., Competing Interests: The authors declare there are no competing interests., (©2023 Awad et al.)

Wastewater irrigation is a substitute for surface water scarcity, but traces of heavy metals (HMs) result in deleterious implications for soil, crop productivity, and in humans. Crops presenting HMs tolerance in genetic behavior are important for producing tolerant genotypes cultivated under wastewater irrigation. In the first part of this experiment, the results obtained previously are re-assessed in a hydroponic system and similar patterns and concentrations of HMs are found in different tomato organs. Following this trial, the tomato’s (Solanum lycopersicum L.) genetic basis of traits conferring HMs tolerance and yield are assessed when irrigated with waste or canal water. The North Carolina Mating II analysis illustrate the amount of gene action, nature, and inheritance pattern. Genetic components depict the involvement of non-additive, additive, and maternal genetic effects in HMs tolerance inheritance and yield. A noticeable increase in cumulative additive variance for the number of flowers (11,907.2) and the number of fruits (10,557.9) is recorded for tomato plants irrigated with wastewater, illustrating additive gene action. However, female and male (MSf/MSm) square ratios also show an association with cytoplasmic inheritance. For HMs tolerance, both additive and dominant variances appeared to be significant; cumulative dominance variance (4.83, 16.1, 4.69, 76.95, and 249.37) is higher compared to additive variance (0.18, 2.36, 0.19, −0.27, and 14.14) for nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn), respectively, indicating dominance gene action. The genotype RIOGRANDI accumulated and translocated fewer HMs to the aerial part of the plant compared to CLN-2418A and PB-017906, thus presenting a tolerant tomato genotype according to the hydroponic experiment. This also exhibited a differential pattern of gene action for HMs tolerance, suggesting that genotypes possess significant differences for HMs tolerance.

Background: Silver oxide (Ag 2 O) nanostructures were fabricated and their ability to induce antifungal activity against Macrophomina phaseolina, which causes charcoal rot disease in strawberries, was evaluated under laboratory, greenhouse and field conditions. A real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to monitor expression of defense-related genes, which is essential to evaluate the potential of the manufactured nanoparticles to promote strawberry resistance against charcoal rot. The effect of Ag 2 O nanoparticles on growth characteristics in strawberry plants was also studied., Results: The results showed that Ag 2 O significantly inhibited M. phaseolina growth compared with untreated controls under in vitro conditions. Strawberry plants treated with Ag 2 O showed a significant decrease in the severity of charcoal rot disease in the greenhouse compared with untreated plants. Strawberry plants treated with Ag 2 O nanoparticles expressed defense gene (PR-1) involved in the salicylic acid signaling pathways at levels three to five times higher than in the control group. Ag 2 O nanoparticles significantly improved the growth and yield of the strawberry crop., Conclusion: Use of Ag 2 O nanoparticles can be considered a new strategy to control M. phaseolina and this is the first report of this effect. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.)

The Red Palm Weevil ( Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Oliv.) (Coleoptera, Dryophthoridae) is a well-known palm tree pest that has caused enormous economic damage all over the globe. Insecticides are still the primary method of controlling this pest at this period. However, field populations of RPW have been shown to be resistant to pesticides. Using Bacillus spp. might be one of the options for controlling R. ferruginous . In this study, 23 species of Bacillus spp. were isolated from the rhizosphere of date palm trees in Al Ahsa Oasis, Saudi Arabia. The isolates were identified using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. R. ferrugineus larvae and adults were tested on sugarcane pieces that were treated with the B. thuringiensis strain PDC-AHSAA1 and B. cereus strains (PDC-AHSAA2, PDC-AHSA3 and PDC-AHSA4). The LC 50 values for larvae and adults were quite low when they were compared with those of the other isolated strains. The B. thuringiensis strain PDC-AHSAA1 was more effective against both the larvae and adults. The determined LC 50 values for B. thuringiensis ranged from 4.19 × 10 7 -3.78 × 10 9 . After 21 days, the data on larval mortality and body weight were evaluated. The surviving larvae that were treated with the bacterial isolates did not acquire a substantial weight. For the RPW larvae and adults, the mortality and corrected mortality death rates were increased by increasing the concentration of B. thuringiensis . In conclusion, Bacillus -treated diets negatively influenced the growth and development of the RPW. This research reported on the interaction between the RPW and the rhizosphere Bacillus spp. and highlighted the tremendous potential for the development of microbial resource-based control strategies for this pest.

Potato Virus Y (PVY) is a serious potato disease that may significantly decrease potato production. To suppress potato virus infection, several measures have been undertaken. The utilization of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria is one of these methods. Biochar soil treatment is believed to provide plants with a number of advantages, including increased plant growth and the development of systemic resistance to a variety of plant diseases. The goal of this research was to see whether adding biochar and Klebsiella oxytoca to the soil might cause PVY resistance and enhance the involved mechanisms in PVY resistance. Potato and tobacco seedlings treated with Klebsiella oxytoca and biochar exhibited the same impact of significant symptom reduction, with complete negative ELISA findings, supporting the antiviral activity of K. oxytoca and biochar. Furthermore, owing to the connection between the ISR implicated substrates, significant amounts of polyphenol oxidase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase were observed in treated plants, with the same behavior as defense genes expression levels. It may be a step forward in the development of biochar and K. oxytoca as potential environmentally friendly disease control strategies against PVY.

This research was performed to evaluate the potential of carvone, cuminaldehyde, cineole, and linalool for the control of root-knot of tomato. The tested control agents were evaluated for their ability to stimulate systemic resistance to Meloidogyne incognita in tomato by monitoring the transcription levels of defense-related genes. Moreover, the ability of the tested agents to induce nematicidal activity concerning second-stage juveniles (J2) hatching and mortality was evaluated. Furthermore, the effect of the tested agents on certain tomato growth and yield parameters was assessed. The tested monoterpenes showed high nematicidal activity against M. incognita concerning J2 hatching inhibition and mortality. Carvone, cuminaldhyde, linalool, and cineole had LC 50 values of 123.5, 172.2, 354.9, 466.4, and 952.3 μg/mL, respectively. Carvone was found to be the most efficient hatching inhibitor. The tested monoterpenes showed a high potential against root-knot under greenhouse and field conditions with respect to root-galling, egg masses, and the number of J2. Carvone was the most effective treatment. The growth and yield characters of treated tomato were significantly increased in monoterpenes treatments compared to untreated control. Treated tomato plants showed expression of defense-related genes ( PR1 and PAL ) 5-8 folds higher than the control. The results also showed that cuminaldhyde, followed by carvone, linalool, and cineole, had the greatest levels of expression in tomato plants. Taken together, the selected monoterpenes could be used as alternatives to control the root-knot of tomato., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Elsharkawy, Al-Askar, Behiry, Abdelkhalek, Saleem, Kamran and Derbalah.)

Metal oxide nanoparticles have recently garnered interest as potentially valuable substances for the management of plant diseases. Copper oxide nanoparticles (Cu 2 ONPs) were chemically fabricated to control root rot disease in cucumbers. A scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and photoluminescence (PL) were employed to characterize the produced nanoparticles. Moreover, the direct antifungal activity of Cu 2 ONPs against Fusarium solani under laboratory, greenhouse, and field conditions were also evaluated. In addition, the induction of host-plant resistance by Cu 2 ONPs was confirmed by the results of enzyme activities (catalase, peroxidase, and polyphenoloxidase) and gene expression ( PR-1 and LOX-1). Finally, the effect of Cu 2 ONPs on the growth and productivity characteristics of the treated cucumber plants was investigated. The average particle size from all the peaks was found to be around 25.54 and 25.83 nm for 0.30 and 0.35 Cu 2 O, respectively. Under laboratory conditions, the study found that Cu 2 ONPs had a greater inhibitory effect on the growth of Fusarium solani than the untreated control. Cu 2 ONP treatment considerably reduced the disease incidence of the root rot pathogen in cucumber plants in both greenhouse and field environments. Defense enzyme activity and defense genes ( PR1 and LOX1 ) transcription levels were higher in cucumber plants treated with Cu 2 ONPs and fungicide than in the untreated control. SEM analysis revealed irregularities, changes, twisting, and plasmolysis in the mycelia, as well as spore shrinking and collapsing in F. solani treated with Cu 2 ONPs, compared to the untreated control. The anatomical analysis revealed that cucumber plants treated with Cu 2 ONPs had thicker cell walls, root cortex, and mesophyll tissue (MT) than untreated plants. Cucumber growth and yield characteristics were greatly improved after treatment with Cu 2 ONPs and fungicide. To the best of our knowledge, employing Cu 2 ONPs to treat cucumber rot root disease is a novel strategy that has not yet been reported.

Soil contamination with toxic heavy metals [such as lead (Pb)] is becoming a serious global problem due to the rapid development of the social economy. However, accumulation of Pb in plant parts is very toxic for plant growth and decreases crop yield and productivity. In the present study, we have investigated the different concentrations of Pb in the soil i.e., [0 (no Pb), 50, and 100 mg kg -1 ] to study plant growth and biomass, photosynthetic pigments and gas exchange characteristics, oxidative stress indicators and the response of various antioxidants (enzymatic and non-enzymatic), nutritional status of the plant, organic acid exudation pattern and also Pb accumulation in the roots and shoots of the plants of two varieties of tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum L.) i.e., Roma and Cchuas, grown under different levels of synergic acid [no spray (NS), water spray (WS), 0.3-0.5°μM]. Results from the present study showed that the increasing levels of Pb in the soil decreased non-significantly ( P < 0.05) shoot length, root length, shoot fresh weight, root fresh weight, shoot dry weight, root dry weight, chlorophyll-a, chlorophyll-b, total chlorophyll, carotenoid content, net photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, soluble sugar, reducing sugar, non-reducing sugar contents, calcium (Ca 2+ ), magnesium (Mg 2+ ), iron (Fe 2+ ), and phosphorus (P) contents in the roots and shoots of the plants. However, Pb toxicity also induced oxidative stress in the roots and shoots of the plants by increasing malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), and electrolyte leakage (EL) which also induced increased the compounds of various enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants and also organic acids exudation pattern in the roots such as fumaric acid, acetic acid, citric acid, formic acid, malic acid, oxalic acid contents and increased the concentration of Pb in different parts of the plants. Results also show that the Cchuas showed better growth and development compared to Roma, under the same levels of Pb in the soil. The alleviation of Pb toxicity was induced by the application of synergic acid, and results showed that the application of synergic acid increased plant growth and biomass and also increased the gas exchange characteristics and antioxidant capacity in the roots and shoots of the plants. Research findings, therefore, suggested that synergic acid application can ameliorate Pb toxicity in S. lycopersicum varieties and result in improved plant growth and composition under metal stress as depicted by balanced exudation of organic acids., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Ma, Saleem, Ali, Rasheed, Ashraf, Aziz, Ercisli, Riaz, Elsharkawy, Hussain, Alhag, Ahmed, Vodnar, Mumtaz and Marc.)

Extensive use of chemical control agents and fungicides typically leads to numerous risks to human health and the environment. Using plant extracts as natural substances represents a dual key for the environment and sustainable food production, as it reduces the input of synthetic pesticides into the environment and/or controls plant pathogens. For the first time, a Plantago lagopus ethanolic extract has been characterized and evaluated for its protective and curative effects against Rhizoctonia solani in tomato plants. The results showed that P. lagopus extract (10 μg/ml) completely inhibited R. solani mycelial growth in vitro . At 20 days of post fungal inoculation, the results demonstrated that using P. lagopus extract (100 μg/ml) in vivo enhanced tomato plant growth by significantly increasing shoot and root parameters in protective and curative treatments. Furthermore, the protective and curative treatments significantly reduced the disease index by 18.66 and 38.66%, respectively. Induction of systemic resistance with upregulation of PR-1 and PR-2 and a significant increase in the transcriptional levels of PR-3 and CHS in all P. lagopus extract-treated tomato plants were reported compared to untreated plants. HPLC analysis showed that the most common polyphenolic components detected in P. lagopus extract were rutin (74206.3 mg/kg), naringenin (2388.74 mg/kg), quercetin (1249.13 mg/kg), and p -hydroxybenzoic acid (1035.87 mg/kg). In addition, the ellagic acid (798.47 mg/kg), vanillic acid (752.55 mg/kg), catechol (648.89 mg/kg), cinnamic acid (332.51 mg/kg), ferulic acid (296.32 mg/kg), benzoic acid (295.95 mg/kg), and chlorogenic acid (116.63 mg/kg) were also reported. Our study is the first to show that P. lagopus extract can help plants fight off R. solani fungal infection. Furthermore, the findings imply that using the P. lagopus extract as a natural biocontrol agent could be a sustainable strategy to manage plant fungal diseases., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Behiry, Al-Askar, Soliman, Alotibi, Basile, Abdelkhalek, Elsharkawy, Salem, Hafez and Heflish.)

Rhizobium spp. manifests strong nitrogen fixation ability in legumes. However, their significance as biocontrol agents and antivirals has rarely been investigated. Under greenhouse conditions, the molecularly identified nitrogen-fixing plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae strain 33504-Alex1, isolated from the root nodules of faba bean plants, was tested as a soil inoculum or a foliar application to trigger faba bean plants' resistance against Bean yellow mosaic virus (BYMV) infection. Compared to the non-treated faba bean plants, the applications of 33504-Alex1 in either soil or foliar application significantly promoted growth and improved total chlorophyll content, resulting in a considerable reduction in disease incidence and severity and the inhibition index of BYMV in the treated faba bean plants. Furthermore, the protective activities of 33504-Alex1 were associated with significant reductions in non-enzymatic oxidative stress markers [hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) and malondialdehyde (MDA)] and remarkably increased DPPH free radical scavenging activity and total phenolic content compared to the BYMV treatment at 20 days post-inoculation. Additionally, an increase in reactive oxygen species scavenging enzymes [superoxide dismutase (SOD) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO)] and induced transcriptional levels of pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins ( PR-1 , PR-3 , and PR-5 ) were observed. Of the 19 polyphenolic compounds detected in faba bean leaves by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis, gallic and vanillic acids were completely shut down in BYMV treatment. Interestingly, the 33504-Alex1 treatments were associated with the induction and accumulation of the most detected polyphenolic compounds. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis showed hexadecanoic acid 2,3-dihydroxypropyl ester, tetraneurin-A-Diol, oleic acid, and isochiapin B are the major compounds in the ethyl acetate extract of 33504-Alex1 culture filtrate (CF), suggesting it acts as an elicitor for the induction of systemic acquired resistance (SAR) in faba bean plants. Consequently, the capacity of R. leguminosarum bv. viciae strain 33504-Alex1 to enhance plant growth and induce systemic resistance to BYMV infection will support the incorporation of 33504-Alex1 as a fertilizer and biocontrol agent and offer a new strategy for crop protection, sustainability, and environmental safety in agriculture production., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Abdelkhalek, El-Gendi, Al-Askar, Maresca, Moawad, Elsharkawy, Younes and Behiry.)

Background: Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV) infects cucurbits and has been identified as a major limiting factor in their production. The purpose of this study was to create copper oxide nanostructures (CONS) to control ZYMV in squash plants. Protection of squash against ZYMV was assessed in terms of virus severity, ZYMV concentration, transcription of pathogenesis-related genes and growth enhancement of treated squash., Results: The findings revealed that squash plants treated with CONS had a significant reduction in disease severity when compared with untreated plants. In squash plants treated with CONS, defense genes associated with the salicylic acid signaling pathway were strongly expressed compared with untreated plants. The structural characteristics of CONS, such as their small size and appropriate shape, added to their excellent anti-ZYMV efficacy. CONS-treated squash plants show significantly improved growth traits compared with untreated plants., Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, CONS may be a new strategy for the control of ZYMV in squash. This represents an unconventional solution to control this virus, particularly as no chemical pesticides can control viral diseases. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Modified whey proteins with quercetin (WPI-QU) and onion extract (WPI-OE), as a control approach, could be applicable because it is available, safe and cheap. The modified whey protein isolate (WPI) with quercetin dihydrate and onion extract powder rich with quercetin were evaluated for induction of systemic resistance against Pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) in pepper plants. Data of mass spectrometry illustrated that one or more of Qu isomers covalently attached to WPI. Unmodified whey protein (UWPI), WPI-QU and WPI-OE significantly decreased PMMoV concentration and severity at two weeks after inoculation. Plant height, number of leaves, and shoot fresh and dry weights were substantially increased in WPI-QU- and WPI-OE-treated pepper plants compared to the control. Total antioxidant status (TAS) and vitamin C contents were highly increased in WPI-OE-treated plants compared with other treatments. The expression levels of defense related genes ( PR4 , PR9 , TIN1 and PIN2 ) were enormously elevated in WPI-OE and WPI-QU treatments using qRT-PCR. In conclusion, the results give novel insights to possible applications of the WPI-quercetin bioconjugates in designing a wide range of functional products. Moreover, this study is the first to establish the effective control of PMMoV by modified whey proteins.

The current study focuses on the effects of Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) infection on phytochemical changes and pathogenesis- and phenylpropanoid pathway-associated gene activities in squash ( Cucurbita pepo L.) plants during a time course of 2 to 12 days post inoculation (dpi). The identity of the CMV isolate was confirmed by DAS-ELISA, TEM, and coat protein gene sequence. The CMV infection initially boosts and then suppresses transcript levels of the defense-related genes PR-1, PR-2, PAL, HQT , and CHS during the investigated time course compared to controls. The expression profile during the time-course study indicated that early, transient induction of PR-1 occurs during CMV infection, while CMV induced the expression of PR-2 in systemically infected squash tissues at all time points and suppressed the expression of PAL and HQT at 8-12 dpi. CHS transcript levels fluctuated between up- and down-regulation, but by 12 dpi, CHS expression reached its peak. The HPLC and GC-MS analyses of CMV-infected squash extracts revealed that different phenolic, flavonoid, and fatty acid compounds could be induced or suppressed upon CMV infection. In particular, CMV could suppress the synthesis of most phenolic compounds, specifically chlorogenic acid, possibly leading to the virus's rapid spread.

This study was conducted to evaluate eco-friendly control agents (carvone, cuminaldehyde, and linalool) against Rhizoctonia solani, which causes root rot disease either by induction of defense response or direct antifungal activity. The induction of resistance was examined by detecting the transcription of defense genes and the effect of the tested control agents on the growth and the yield of common bean plants. The growth of R. solani was significantly inhibited after treatment with the tested compounds compared to the untreated control under laboratory conditions. The disease severity of root rot was decreased in common bean plants treated with the tested compounds compared to untreated control plants under greenhouse conditions. Common bean plants treated with the tested control agents expressed defense genes ( Phenylalanine ammonia lyase and β-1,3-Glucanase ) involved in jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA) signaling pathways with 2-5 fold higher than the control. Treatment of common beans with the tested control agents and fungicide significantly improved the growth and yield characteristics of common bean. Therefore, the use of monoterpenes could be a novel strategy to control this pathogen and consider the first report.

Ten-year-old lemon ( Citrus limon L. cv. Eureka) was used during the 2019 and 2020 seasons to investigate the effect of AgNPs at control, 5, 7.5, and 10 mg/L as a foliar application on vegetative growth, yield, and fruit quality. The selected trees were subjected to agricultural practices applied in the field during the study. The results indicated that the foliar application of AgNPs positively improved the shoot length, total chlorophyll, flower, and fruit set percentage, fruit yield, physical and chemical characteristics of fruits, and leaf mineral composition from macro and micronutrients compared to control in both seasons. The foliar application of AgNPs at 10 mg/L showed the highest mean values followed by 7.5 and 5 mg/L, respectively, for the previous characteristics. The treated leaves and fruit peels were hydrodistillated to extract the essential oils (EOs), and GC-MS analysis of leaf EOs. The analysis of leaves EOs showed the presence of neral, geranial, neryl acetate, and limonene as the main abundant bioactive compounds. While in peel the main compounds were neral, geranial, neryl acetate, D-limonene, geraniol acetate, linalool, and citronellal. Toxin effect of both EOs from leaves and peels were evaluated on the rice weevils ( Sitophilus oryzae ) and the results indicated a higher effect of lemon peel EOs than leaves based on mortality percentage and the values of LC 50 and LC 95 mg/L. Melia azedarach wood samples loaded with the produced lemon EOs were evaluated for their antifungal activity against the molecularly identified fungus, Fusarium solani (acc # OL410542). The reduction in mycelial growth was increased gradually with the applied treatments. The most potent activity was found in lemon leaf EOs, while peel EOs showed the lowest reduction values. The mycelial growth reduction percentages reached 72.96 and 52.59%, by 0.1% leaf and peel EOs, respectively, compared with control., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Mosa, Mackled, Abdelsalam, Behiry, Al-Askar, Basile, Abdelkhalek, Elsharkawy and Salem.)

Phage therapy is a promising biocontrol management on plant diseases caused by bacterial pathogens due to its specificity, efficiency and environmental friendliness. The emergence of natural phage-resistant bacteria hinders the application of phage therapy. Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) is the causal agent of the devastating bacterial leaf blight disease of rice. Here, we obtained a spontaneous mutant C2R of an Xoo strain C2 showing strong resistance to the lytic phage X2. Analysis of the C2R genome found that the CDS2289 gene encoding glycosyltransferase acquired a frameshift mutation at the 180th nucleotide site, which also leads to a premature stop mutation at the 142nd amino acid. This mutation confers the inhibition of phage adsorption through the changes in lipopolysaccharide production and structure and bacterial surface morphology. Interestingly, glycosyltransferase-deficient C2R and an insertional mutant k2289 also showed reduced virulence, suggesting the trade-off costs of phage resistance. In summary, this study highlights the role of glycosyltransferase in interactions among pathogenic bacteria, phages and plant hosts, which provide insights into balanced coevolution from environmental perspectives.

Pepper is vulnerable to soil-borne fungal pathogens such as Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium oxysporum . The potential of beneficial rhizosphere microorganisms to control R. solani and F. oxysporum f.sp. capsici was evaluated in pepper plants. Paenibacillus polymyxa and Trichoderma longibrachiatum were isolated from rhizospheric soil samples of healthy pepper plants. In vitro, both isolates caused clear reductions in the radial growth of root rot and wilt pathogens. Scanning electron microscopy displayed lysis and abnormal shape of the pathogens in dual cultures with P. polymyxa and T. longibrachiatum . The incidence and severity of root rot and wilt diseases were significantly reduced in pepper plants treated with the growth-promoting fungi (PGPF isolates; Fusarium equiseti GF19-1, Fusarium equiseti GF18-3, and Phoma sp. GS8-3), P. polymyxa , or T. longibrachiatum in comparison to the control. Moreover, the induction treatments led to increased pepper growth compared with their control. The defense related gene ( CaPR4 ) expression was shown to be significantly higher in the treated plants than in the control plants. In conclusion, the antagonistic isolates ( P. polymyxa and T. longibrachiatum ) and PGPF isolates have a clear impact on the prevention of root rot and wilt diseases in pepper plants incited by R. solani and F. oxysporum f.sp. capsici. The expression of the CaPR4 gene added to the evidence that PGPF isolates generate systemic resistance to pathogen infections.

Wheat leaf rust is one of the world's most widespread rusts. The progress of the disease was monitored using two treatments: chitosan nanoparticles and salicylic acid (SA), as well as three application methods; spraying before or after the inoculation by 24 h, and spraying both before and after the inoculation by 24 h. Urediniospore germination was significantly different between the two treatments. Wheat plants tested for latent and incubation periods, pustule size and receptivity and infection type showed significantly reduced leaf rust when compared to untreated plants. Puccinia triticina urediniospores showed abnormalities, collapse, lysis, and shrinkage as a result of chitosan nanoparticles treatment. The enzymes, peroxidase and catalase, were increased in the activities. In both treatments, superoxide (O 2 - ) and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), were apparent as purple and brown discolorations. Chitosan nanoparticles and SA treatments resulted in much more discoloration and quantitative measurements than untreated plants. In anatomical examinations, chitosan nanoparticles enhanced thickness of blade (µ), thickness of mesophyll tissue, thickness of the lower and upper epidermis and bundle length and width in the midrib compared to the control. In the control treatment's top epidermis, several sori and a large number of urediniospores were found. Most anatomical characters of flag leaves in control plants were reduced by biotic stress with P. triticina . Transcription levels of PR1-PR5 and PR10 genes were activated in chitosan nanoparticles treated plants at 0, 1 and 2 days after inoculation. In light of the data, we suggest that the prospective use of chitosan nanoparticles might be an eco-friendly strategy to improve growth and control of leaf rust disease.

Sheath blight disease is a fungal pathogen that causes leaf blight in rice plants, resulting in significant yield losses throughout the growing season. Pseudomonas spp. have long been used as biocontrol agents for a variety of plant diseases. Four Pseudomonas isolates were tested for their ability to promote rice growth and generate systemic resistance to Rhizoctonia solani , the causal pathogen of sheath blight disease. In vitro, Pseudomonas isolates produced the growth hormone indole acetic acid (0.82-1.82 mg L -1 ). Additionally, seed treatment with Pseudomonas putida suspension outperformed P. brassicacearum , P. aeruginosa and P. resinovorans in terms of germination and vigor evaluation. The maximum seed germination of 89% was recorded after seed treatments with a fresh suspension of P. putida , followed by 87% germination in P. aeruginosa treatment, compared with only 74% germination in the untreated controls. When compared with the infected control plants, all Pseudomonas isolates were non-pathogenic to rice and their co-inoculation considerably enhanced plant growth and health by reducing the disease index to 37% and improving plant height (26%), fresh weight (140%) and dry weight (100%). All Pseudomonas isolates effectively reduced sheath blight disease incidence, as well as the fungicide carbendazim, which is recommended for field management of R. solani . In comparison to untreated control seedlings, treatment with Pseudomonas isolates enhanced the production of peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase enzymes and the expression of the phenylalanine ammonia lyase ( PAL ) and NPR1 genes, which could be involved in disease incidence reduction. In conclusion, the use of Pseudomonas spp. has been demonstrated to improve rice growth and resistance to R. solani while also providing an environmentally acceptable option to the agroecosystems.

Rust, induced by the fungus Uromyces appendiculatus , is one of the most serious bean diseases. The involved mechanisms in rust resistance were evaluated in 10 common bean genotypes during the 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 growing seasons. The disease parameters such as final rust severity (FRS%), area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) and disease increase rate (r-value) were lower in the resistant genotypes than in highly susceptible genotypes. Biochemical compounds such as total phenols and the activity of antioxidant enzymes such as catalase, peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase were increased in the resistant genotypes compared to susceptible genotypes. In the resistance genotypes, the levels of oxidative stress markers such as hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) and superoxide (O 2 •- ) increased dramatically after infection. The electrolyte leakage percentage (EL%), was found to be much greater in susceptible genotypes than resistant genotypes. The resistant gene SA14, which was found in genotypes Nebraska and Calypso at 800 bp, had an adequate level of resistance to bean rust with high grain yield potential. After infection, the transcriptions levels of 1,3-D-glucanases and phenylalanine ammonia lyase ) were higher in the resistant genotypes than susceptible genotypes. In conclusion, the resistant genotypes successfully displayed desirable agronomic traits and promising expectations in breeding programs for improving management strategies of common bean rust disease. The resistance was mediated by antioxidant enzymes, phenolic compounds, and defense gene expressions, as well as the resistant gene SA14.

The soil-borne pathogens Rhizoctonia solani and Sclerotium rolfsii have emerged as major pathogens of radish ( Raphanus sativus ) worldwide. The induction of soil suppressive of radish root rot disease was evaluated in soil repeatedly inoculated with R. solani , nonpathogenic binucleate Rhizoctonia sp. AG-A W1 (BNR) and S. rolfsii . The repeated inoculations of soil with R. solani and BNR significantly suppressed the disease severity of R. solani and S. rolfsii compared to the control. In contrast, the repeated inoculation of soil with S. rolfsii significantly suppressed only the pathogen, S. rolfsii . The community structure was examined using PCR-DGGE (polymerase chain reaction denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis) method. The bands of Trichoderma sp. were observed in the first, second and third inoculations of the soil with BNR. Similarly, bands of Trichoderma sp. were observed in the second and third inoculations of the soil with S. rolfsii and R. solani . Compared to the control, disease severity was significantly reduced in the soil repeatedly inoculated with S. rolfsii and R. solani . In conclusion, Trichoderma species were accumulated in specific patterns depending on the applied fungal inoculum in the suppressive soil.

Background: Systemic resistance stimulated by rhizosphere bacteria is an important strategy for the management of plant viruses. The efficacy of Bacillus subtilis subsp. subtilis was assessed for protection of cucumber and Arabidopsis against Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV). Moreover, transcriptomic analysis was carried out for A. thaliana colonized with B. subtilis subsp. subtilis and infected with CMV., Results: Treatment with a cell suspension of Bacillus revealed a significant reduction of CMV severity in comparison to their control. All Arabidopsis mutants treated with B. subtilis showed a clear reduction in CMV accumulation. Disease severity data and virus concentration titer measurements correlated with gene up-regulation in microarray and reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) experiments. Bacillus treatment increased Arabidopsis growth characteristics (fresh and dry weights and number of leaflets) under pot conditions. The molecular mechanisms by which Bacillus activated resistance to CMV were investigated. Using the microarray hybridization technique, we were able to determine the mechanism of resistance elicited by B. subtilis against CMV. The transcriptomic analysis confirmed the up-regulation of more than 250 defense-related genes in Arabidopsis expressing induced systemic resistance (ISR). RT-qPCR results validated the overexpression of defense genes (YLS9 and PR1 in Arabidopsis and PR1 and LOX in cucumber), implying their important roles in the stimulated defense response., Conclusion: Through the study of microarray and RT-qPCR analyses, it can be concluded that the overexpression of pathogenesis-related genes was necessary to stimulate CMV defense in cucumber and Arabidopsis by B. subtilis subsp. subtilis. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Background: Induced resistance against several plant pathogens was reported using different beneficial plant growth-promoting microorganisms. The potential of five fungal isolates, Trichoderma harzianum GT 3-2, Fusarium equiseti GF 18-3, F. equiseti GF 19-1, Phoma sp. GS 10-1 and Phoma sp. GS 14-1, to stimulate tomato growth and resistance against bacterial speck disease caused by Pseudomonas syringae pathovar (pv.) tomato DC3000 was evaluated., Results: Based on the results of disease severity and growth promotion experiments, GF 18-3 exhibited the best results among all fungal isolates. Treatment with barley grain inocula (BGI) and culture filtrate (CF) of the isolates promoted tomato growth and suppressed the pathogen in pot trials. Furthermore, expressions of the pathogenesis-related genes (PR-1, β-1,3-glucanase A, β-1,3-glucanase B and LOX) were relatively higher than the control in the leaves of tomato plants treated with both BGI and CF. The transcription levels remained consistently higher than the control plants for 6 days post-inoculation with pathogen., Conclusion: Taken together, the results indicate that the tested fungal isolates have the potential to promote tomato growth and induce systemic resistance against the bacterial speck disease. Analysis of certain PR gene expression revealed significant activation in both BGI and CF treatments, leading to stimulated resistance against the pathogen. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Characterization of the genetic structure and the physiological races of Puccinia triticina is a growing necessity to apply host genetic resistance against wheat leaf rust as a successful control strategy. Herein, we collected and identified about 130 isolates of P. triticina from 16 Egyptian commercial wheat cultivars grown at different locations, over two seasons (2019/2020 and 2020/2021). The 130 isolates of P. triticina were segregated into 17 different physiological races. TTTST and TTTKS were the most common virulent races, whereas TTTST and MTTGT were the most frequent races. The races were classified into three groups, based on their distinct DNA band sizes (150 bp, 200 bp, and 300 bp) after RAPD analysis. The new wheat cultivars (Sakha-94, Sakha-95, and Shandweel-1) infected with the most virulent race (TTTST), Gemmeiza-12, and Misr-3 were resistant to all physiological races. The resistance of these cultivars was mostly due to the presence of Lr19- and Lr28- resistant genes. Our results serve as a warning about emerging aggressive races capable of supplanting resistance to leaf rust, and help in the understanding of the pathotype-cultivar-location association and its role in the susceptibility/resistance of new wheat cultivars to P. triticina.

Twenty-three wheat genotypes were evaluated for stripe and leaf rusts, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici and Puccinia triticina f. sp. tritici , respectively, at seedling and adult stages under greenhouses and field conditions during the 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 growing seasons. The race analysis revealed that 250E254 and TTTST races for stripe and leaf rusts, respectively were the most aggressive. Eight wheat genotypes (Misr-3, Misr-4, Giza-171, Gemmeiza-12, Lr34/Yr18 , Lr37/Yr17 , Lr46/Yr29, and Lr67/Yr46 ) were resistant to stripe and leaf rusts at seedling and adult stages. This result was confirmed by identifying the resistance genes: Lr34/Yr18 , Lr37/Yr17 , Lr46/Yr29, and Lr67/Yr46 in these genotypes showing their role in the resistance. Sids-14 and Shandweel-1 genotypes were susceptible to stripe and leaf rusts. Twelve crosses between the two new susceptible wheat genotypes and the three slow rusting genes ( Lr34/Yr18 , Lr37/Yr17, and Lr67/Yr46 ) were conducted. The frequency distribution of disease severity (%) in F 2 plants of the twelve crosses was ranged from 0 to 80%. Resistant F 2 plants were selected and the resistance genes were detected. This study is important for introducing new active resistance genes into the breeding programs and preserving diversity among recently released wheat genotypes.

Background: Despite the fact that the fundamental characteristics of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) are respiratory manifestations, multi-organ failure including the kidney has been documented. There are no clear comparisons of COVID-19 cases with and without acute kidney injury (AKI) to show whether there are aspects of acute kidney injury progression path or outcome that are unique to this disease., Methods: In this work, we analyzed the data of 734 COVID-19 cases admitted to the Ahmad Maher Teaching Hospital in Cairo, Egypt, between June 6 and July 25, 2020. Data on demographics, comorbidities, laboratory results, and outcomes were assessed. To assess the incidence rate of AKI in Egyptian COVID-19 patients, comparisons were carried out between home-isolated COVID-19 patients, hospitalized COVID-19 patients, and ICU COVID-19-patients with or without AKI., Results: AKI was more common in hospitalized mild COVID-19 patients than in home-isolated and ICU COVID-19 patients (15.0% versus 10.8% and 14.2%, respectively). The overall occurrence rate of AKI was significantly higher in COVID-19 patients (n=91, 14%). Hemodialysis, on the other hand, was required in 76% of the extreme ICU COVID-19 patients who developed AKI (22/29). The absolute number of patients with AKI COVID-19 who required hemodialysis was 34 (37%). This accounted for 5.2% of all COVID-19 patients and 37% of those with AKI. The mortality rate in COVID-19 patients with or without AKI was 15.4% and 4.8%, respectively., Conclusion: AKI in our COVID-19 patients is associated with a high mortality rate in ICU-COVID-19 patients. Our findings suggest that COVID-19 patients, particularly ICU COVID-19 patients, should be closely monitored for the development of AKI. Early identification of AKI, as well as prompt intervention, can improve COVID-19 patient outcomes., Competing Interests: Competing interestsThe authors declare that they have no competing interest., (© The Author(s) 2021.)

Knowledge of combining ability and genetic diversity are important prerequisites for the development of outstanding hybrids that are tolerant to high plant density. This work was carried out to assess general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA), identify promising hybrids, estimate genetic diversity among the inbred lines and correlate genetic distance to hybrid performance and SCA across different plant densities. A total of 28 F 1 hybrids obtained by crossing eight adverse inbred lines (four local and four exotic) were evaluated under three plant densities 59,500 (D1), 71,400 (D2) and 83,300 (D3) plants ha -1 using spilt plot design with three replications at two locations during 2018 season. Increasing plant density from D1 to D3 significantly decreased leaf angle (LANG), chlorophyll content (CHLC), all ear characteristics and grain yield per plant (GYPP). Contrarily, days to silking (DTS), anthesis-silking interval (ASI), plant height (PLHT), ear height (EHT), and grain yield per hectare (GYPH) were significantly increased. Both additive and non-additive gene actions were involved in the inheritance of all the evaluated traits, but additive gene action was predominant for most traits. Inbred lines L 1 , L 2 , and L 5 were the best general combiners for increasing grain yield and other desirable traits across research environments. Two hybrids L 2 × L 5 and L 2 × L 8 were found to be good specific combiners for ASI, LANG, GYPP and GYPH. Furthermore, these hybrids are ideal for further testing and promotion for commercialization under high plant density. Genetic distance (GD) among pairs of inbred lines ranged from 0.31 to 0.78, with an average of 0.61. Clustering based on molecular GD has effectively grouped the inbred lines according to their origin. No significant correlation was found between GD and both hybrid performance and SCA for grain yield and other traits and proved to be of no predictive value. Nevertheless, SCA could be used to predict the hybrid performance across all plant densities. Overall, this work presents useful information regarding the inheritance of maize grain yield and other important traits under high plant density.

Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) is a very serious hazard to vegetable production worldwide. This study is focused on evaluation of resistance stimulated by the plant growth-promoting fungus, Phoma sp. GS8-3, or nanosilica against CMV under pot and field conditions. The specific aim was to illustrate the mechanism of resistance stimulated by GS8-3 against CMV using microarray technology. Treatments with GS8-3 as well as nanosilica significantly decreased CMV severity and titer in tobacco and cucumber under pot and field conditions, respectively. Growth characters of tobacco and cucumber were significantly increased due to GS8-3 inoculation followed by nanosilica compared with control and BTH treatments. Microarray results showed highly upregulation of defense-related genes expression specially those related to heat shock proteins. Therefore, GS8-3 as well as nanosilica is suitable to serve as effective inducers against CMV in cucumber plants.

This study was carried out to fabricate nickel oxide nanostructures (NONS) and to evaluate its ability to control Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) by direct antiviral activity as well as induction of systemic resistance in treated cucumber plants. The efficacy of nickel oxide nanostructures for control CMV in cucumber plants was biologically evaluated by a reduction in disease severity, reduction in CMV accumulation and expression of regulatory and defense-related genes. Cucumber plants treated with nickel oxide nanostructures showed incredible suppression of CMV infection compared with non-treated plants. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) showed a marked reduction in CMV accumulation in cucumber plants treated with nickel oxide nanostructures compared to untreated plants. Based on real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test, cucumber plants treated with nickel oxide nanostructures showed increased expression of regulatory and defense-related genes concerned in salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA)/ethylene (ET) signaling pathways. NONS nanostructures showed direct antiviral activity against CMV resulted in significant reduction in CMV severity and titer relative to untreated plants. Treatment with nickel oxide nanostructures significantly improved cucumber fresh and dry weights as well as number of leaves. The induction of systemic resistance towards CMV by NONS nanostructures considered a novel strategy and first report., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Zirconium oxide nanoparticles (ZrONPs) were synthesized and evaluated for their ability to induce root rot resistance in cucumber and direct antifungal activity against Rhizoctonia solani. Resistance induction was investigated using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and the effect of ZrONPs on the growth of cucumber plants was investigated. The results showed that ZrONPs at a concentration level of 100 μg/L significantly inhibited the growth of Rhizoctonia solani (86.6%) relative to untreated control under laboratory conditions. Cucumber plants treated with ZrONPs showed reduction in the severity of root rot disease under greenhouse (34-46%) and field conditions (52-56%) compared with non-treated control plants. Cucumber plants treated with ZrONPs expressed regulatory and defense genes involved in the salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA)/ethylene (ET) signaling pathways with 7-8 folds higher than the control. Treatment of cucumber with ZrONPs and carboxin + thiram significantly improved cucumber growth and yield characters. Therefore, using ZrONPs could be a new strategy to control this pathogen and considered the first report., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: This study fabricated titanium dioxide nanostructures (TDNS) to control broad bean stain virus (BBSV) in faba bean plants. Protection of faba bean against BBSV was evaluated biologically with respect to virus severity, reduction in BBSV accumulation and expression of a pathogenesis-related gene., Results: The results indicate that faba bean plants treated with TDNS show a significant reduction in disease severity relative to untreated plants. The regulatory and defense gene involved in the salicylic acid signaling pathway was highly expressed in faba bean plants treated with TDNS compared with untreated plants. The structural features of TDNS, such as the small particle size and suitable shape, contributed to its high efficacy against BBSV. Growth of faba bean plants treated with TDNS was significantly enhanced relative to untreated plants., Conculsion: TDNS is an important, eco-friendly and safe strategy for controlling BBSV in faba bean and this study is the first report of this control strategy. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Background: Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) is a serious threat to vegetable production worldwide. The efficacy of Phoma sp. GS8-2 was evaluated against CMV in Arabidopsis and cucumber plants., Results: Arabidopsis and cucumber plants treated with barley grain inoculum (BGI) or cell-free filtrate (CF) of GS8-2 demonstrated decreased CMV severity and titre using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay relative to the control. Cucumber growth and yield parameters were significantly increased due to colonization with GS8-2 under field conditions. Molecular mechanisms underlying mediated resistance induced by GS8-2 against CMV were investigated. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) results confirmed that both BGI and CF of GS8-2 stimulated the transcription levels of pathogenesis related genes (β1-3 glucanase, chitinase, PR1, PAL1 and LOX1), which could be involved in induced resistance against CMV., Conclusion: Exploring the expression of the highly upregulated genes in GS8-2-induced plants suggested the contribution of multiple plant defence pathways against CMV. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Low-temperature atmospheric-pressure air plasma is a source of charged and neutral gas species. In this study, N-carrying tobacco plants were inoculated with plasma irradiated and non-irradiated tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) solution, resulting in necrotic local lesions on non-irradiated, but not on irradiated, TMV-inoculated leaves. Virus particles were disrupted by plasma irradiation in an exposure-dependent manner, but the viral coat protein subunit was not. TMV RNA was also fragmented in a time-dependent manner. These results indicate that plasma irradiation of TMV can collapse viral particles to the subunit level, degrading TMV RNA and thereby leading to a loss of infectivity.

In the present study, 77 strains of endophytic actinomycetes isolated from cabbage were screened in order to assess their biocontrol potential against Alternaria brassicicola on cabbage seedlings. In the first and second screening trials, cabbage seedlings pretreated with mycelial suspensions of each isolate were spray-inoculated with A. brassicicola. Strain MBCN152-1, which exhibited the best protection in screening trials and had no adverse effects on seedling growth, was selected for the greenhouse trial. In the greenhouse trial, cabbage seedlings, which had been grown in plug trays filled with soil mix containing spores of MBCN152-1 (1×10 8 spores g -1 of soil mix), were spray-inoculated with A. brassicicola and grown in greenhouse conditions. MBCN152-1 reduced disease incidence and significantly increased the number of viable seedlings. The efficacy of MBCN152-1 against damping-off caused by seed-borne A. brassicicola was then evaluated. Cabbage seeds, artificially infested with A. brassicicola, were sown in soil mix containing MBCN152-1 spores. The disease was completely suppressed when infested seeds were sown in a soil mix blended with MBCN152-1 at 1.5×10 7 spores g -1 of soil mix. These results strongly suggest that MBCN152-1 has the potential to control A. brassicicola on cabbage plug seedlings. MBCN152-1 was identified as a Streptomyces humidus-related species based on 16S rDNA sequencing. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the hyphae of MBCN152-1 multiplied on the surface of the seedlings and penetrated their epidermal cells. In conclusion, strain MBCN152-1 is a promising biocontrol agent against A. brassicicola on cabbage plug seedlings.

Objectives: Permanent neonatal diabetes (PNDM) is caused by mutations in the genes responsible for the synthesis of different proteins that are important for the normal behavior of beta cells in the pancreas. Mutations in the insulin gene (INS) are considered as one of the causes of diabetes in neonates. This study aimed to investigate the genetic variations in the INS gene in a group of Egyptian infants diagnosed with PNDM., Methods: We screened exons 2 and 3 with intronic boundaries of the INS gene by direct gene sequencing in 30 PNDM patients and 20 healthy controls. A detailed clinical phenotyping of the patients was carried out to specify the diabetes features in those found to carry an INS variant., Results: We identified five variants (four SNPs and one synonymous variant), c(0).187 + 11T > C, c.-17-6T > A, c.*22A > C, c.*9C > T, and c.36G > A (p.A12A), with allelic frequencies of 96.7%, 80%, 75%, 5%, and 1.7%, respectively. All showed no statistically significance difference compared with the controls, with the exception of c.*22A > C., Conclusion: Genetic screening for the INS gene did not reveal an evident role in the diagnosis of PNDM.

An effective medium designated phosphate separately autoclaved Reasoner's 2A supplemented with cycloheximide and tobramycin (PSR2A-C/T) has been developed for the isolation of Flavobacterium and Chryseobacterium strains from the plant rhizosphere. It consists of Reasoner's 2A agar (R2A) prepared by autoclaving phosphate and agar separately and supplementing with 50 mg L(-1) cycloheximide and 1 mg L(-1) tobramycin. A comparison was made among the following nine media: PSR2A-C/T, PSR2A-C/T supplemented with NaCl, R2A agar, R2A agar supplemented with cycloheximide and tobramycin, 1/4-strength tryptic soy agar (TSA), 1/10-strength TSA, soil-extract agar, Schaedler anaerobe agar (SAA), and SAA supplemented with gramicidin, for the recovery of Flavobacterium and Chryseobacterium strains from the Welsh onion rhizosphere. Flavobacterium strains were only isolated on PSR2A-C/T, and the recovery rate of Chryseobacterium strains was higher from PSR2A-C/T than from the eight other media. In order to confirm the effectiveness of PSR2A-C/T, bacteria were isolated from onion rhizosphere soil with this medium. Flavobacterium and Chryseobacterium strains were successfully isolated from this sample at a similar rate to that from the Welsh onion rhizosphere.

Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) is one of the most important medicinal crops in many parts of the world. In this study, the effects of microelements, antioxidants, and bioagents on Fusarium oxysporum, F. solani, and Macrophomina phaseolina, the causal pathogens of root rot and wilt diseases in roselle, were examined under field conditions. Preliminary studies were carried out in vitro in order to select the most effective members to be used in field control trials. Our results showed that microelements (copper and manganese), antioxidants (salicylic acid, ascorbic acid, and EDTA), a fungicide (Dithane M45) and biological control agents (Trichoderma harzianum and Bacillus subtilis) were significantly reduced the linear growth of the causal pathogens. Additionally, application of the previous microelements, antioxidants, a fungicide and biological control agents significantly reduced disease incidence of root rot and wilt diseases under field conditions. Copper, salicylic acid, and T. harzianum showed the best results in this respect. In conclusion, microelements, antioxidants, and biocontrol agents could be used as alternative strategies to fungicides for controlling root rot and wilt diseases in roselle.

Background and Study Aims: Wilson disease (WD) is an autosomal recessive disorder, caused by defects in copper-transporting P-type adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) encoded by the ATP7B gene, resulting in the deposition of copper in the liver and brain with significant disability or death if left untreated. An available regimen of treatment gives hope to those predisposed to the disease if diagnosed early. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of the most common European mutation (p.H1069Q) in Egyptian children with WD, in addition to screening for previously reported mutations in the Egyptian patients in our selected group., Patients and Methods: Direct DNA sequencing was applied to exons (13, 14, 18, and 19) of the ATP7B gene for 19 patients previously diagnosed with WD. Then DNA sequencing and pedigree analysis were performed in the families of the patients showing variations in their results for the purpose of family screening and carrier detection. Six out of 19 patients were studied with their families (three families)., Results: We identified five variants of which two were novel among the studied patients. One of the novel variants was synonymous substitution (p.A1074A) in 16% of patients and the other was predicted to be missense disease-causing mutations (p.T1076I) in 16% of patients, and three previously published mutations p.H1069Q were detected in 5% of patients, p.P1273Q in 10% of patients, and a silent variant p.A1003A in 26% of patients., Conclusion: Screening for the two exons 14 and 18 of the ATP7B gene is important in Egyptian patients especially in suspected patients without hepatic manifestations., (Copyright © 2014 Arab Journal of Gastroenterology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Trichoderma asperellum SKT-1 is a microbial pesticide that is very effective against various diseases. Our study was undertaken to evaluate T. asperellum SKT-1 for induction of resistance against yellow strain of Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV-Y) in Arabidopsis plants. Disease severity was rated at 2 weeks post inoculation (WPI). CMV titre in Arabidopsis leaves was determined by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) at 2 WPI. Our results demonstrated that among all Arabidopsis plants treated with barley grain inoculum (BGI) of SKT-1 NahG and npr1 plants showed no significant reduction in disease severity and CMV titre as compared with control plants. In contrast, disease severity and CMV titre were significantly reduced in all Arabidopsis plants treated with culture filtrate (CF) of SKT-1 as compared with control plants. RT-PCR results showed increased expression levels of SA-inducible genes, but not JA/ET-inducible genes, in leaves of BGI treated plants. Moreover, expression levels of SA- and JA/ET-inducible genes were increased in leaves of CF treated plants. In conclusion, BGI treatment induced systemic resistance against CMV through SA signaling cascade in Arabidopsis plants. While, treatment with CF of SKT-1 mediated the expression of a majority of the various pathogen related genes, which led to the increased defense mechanism against CMV infection.

Magnesium is a crucial mineral, involved in many important physiological processes. Magnesium plays a role of maintaining myocardial electrical stability in hemodialysis patients. Intradialytic hypotension is a common complication of dialysis and it is more common with acetate dialysate. The significance of the intradialytic changes of magnesium and their relation to parathyroid hormone (PTH) level and calcium changes during dialysis, and their relation to hypotensive episodes during dialysis are interesting. The aim of this work is to investigate the intradialytic changes of serum magnesium in chronic hemodialysis patients with different hemodialysis modalities and the relation to other electrolytes and to PTH, and also the relation to intradialytic hypotension. The present study was conducted on 20 chronic renal failure patients. All patients were on regular hemodialysis thrice weekly 4 hr each using acetate dialysate (group I). To study the effect of an acetate-based dialysate vs. a bicarbonate-based dialysate on acute changes of magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, and PTH during a hemodialysis session, the same patients were shifted to bicarbonate dialysis (group II). All patients were subjected to full history and clinical examination, predialysis laboratory assessment of blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine, albumin, and hemoglobin, serial assessment of magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, and parathyroid hormone at the start of the hemodialysis session, 2 hr later, and at the end of the session, blood pH, and electrocardiogram (ECG) presession and postsession. All patients were urged to fix their dry weight, diet, and current medications. None of the patients had diabetes, neoplasia, liver disease, or cachexia, nor had they been recently on magnesium-containing drugs or previously parathyroidectomized. Hemodialysis sessions were performed by volumetric dialysis machines using the same electrolyte composition. Magnesium level significantly increased in the bicarbonate group at the end of dialysis (0 hr: 2.73+/-0.87, 2 hr: 3.21+/-1.1, and at 4 hr: 5.73+/-1.45 mg/dL, p value <0.01), while it significantly decreased in the acetate group (0 hr: 3.00+/-0.58, 2 hr: 2.26+/-0.39, 4 hr: 1.97+/-0.33 mg/dL, p value <0.01). Calcium level significantly increased in the bicarbonate group (p=0.024) but not in the acetate group. Phosphorus level significantly decreased in both acetate and bicarbonate groups. PTH level did not significantly change in either group, p value > or =0.05. Blood pH significantly increased, changing from acidic to alkaline pH, with both modalities of hemodialysis. ECG showed no significant changes during sessions with either type of dialysate. Hypotension was significantly higher in group I compared with group II (p=0.01), and this hypotension was positively correlated with a decrease in serum magnesium level in group I. Intradialytic changes in serum magnesium have no correlation with intradialytic changes in serum calcium or with PTH level. However, it was significantly correlated with hypotension during the dialysis session, especially with acetate dialysate. Further investigations are needed to determine whether or not this is true in patients using bicarbonate dialysis.