Role of relevant immune-modulators and cytokines in hepatocellular carcinoma and premalignant hepatic lesions

AIM To assess the levels of different immune modulators in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),in relation to other hepatic diseases.METHODS Eighty-eight patients were included in the current study and represented patients with HCC(20),liver cirrhosis(28) and chronic hepatitis(CH;25),and normal controls(NC;15).Peripheral blood was isolated for immunophenotyping of active myeloid dendritic cells(m DCs;CD1 c and CD40),mature inactive myeloid cells(CD1 c and HLA),active plasmacytoid cells(p DCs;CD303 and CD40),mature inactive p DCs(CD30 and HLA),active natural killer(NK) cells(CD56 and CD161),active NK cells(CD56 and CD314) and inactive NK cells(CD56 and CD158) was done by flow cytometry.Serum levels of interleukin(IL)-2,IL-10,IL-12,IL-1β,interferon(IFN)-α,IFN-γ and tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-αR2 were assessed by ELISA.RESULTS Active m DCs(CD1 C+/CD40+) and inactive m DCs(CD1 c+/HLA+) were significantly decreased in HCC patients in relation to NC(P < 0.001).CD40+ expression on active p DCs was decreased in HCC patients(P < 0.001),and its level was not significantly changed among other groups.Inactive p DCs(CD303+/HLA+),inactive NKs(CD56+/CD158+) and active NKs(CD56+/CD161+) were not statistically changed among the four groups studied;however,the latter was increased in CH(P < 0.05).NKG2 D was statistically decreased in HCC,CH and cirrhosis(P < 0.001),and it was not expressed in 63%(12/20) of HCC patients.There was significant decrease of IL-2,IFN-α and IFN-γ(P < 0.001),and a significant increase in IL-10,IL-1β,and TNF-αR2(P <0.01,P < 0.001 and P < 0.001;respectively) in HCC patients.There was inverted correlation between IL-12 and IL-1β in HCC(r =-0.565,P < 0.01),with a strong correlation between p DCs(CD303+/CD40+) and NKs(CD56+/CD161+;r = 0.512,P < 0.05) as well as inactive m DCs(CD1 c+/HLA+) and inactive NK cells(CD56+/CD158+;r = 0.945,P < 0.001).CONCLUSION NKG2 D,CD40,IL-2 and IL-10 are important modulators in the development and progression of HCC.

The Potential Efficacy of Glycyrrhizic Acid and Its Nanostructure Against Brown Rot of Peach fruits

Production of peaches(Prunus persica(L.)Batsch)for both local market and export is increasing each year in Egypt.Brown rot disease,caused by Monilinia laxa and Monilinia fructigena,is considered one of the most important postharvest rots affecting peaches in Egypt and economic losses are increasing.Antifungal activity of glycyrrhizic acid nanoparticles(GA-NPs)and glycyrrhizic acid(GA)at 0.2 and 0.4 mmol/L was investigated as a control for both these brown rot pathogens on peach fruits in both in vitro and in vivo studies.In the in vitro studies,GA-NPs were the most effective as shown by the ability to decrease linear growth of both brown rot pathogens in potato dextrose agar(PDA)amended with 0.4 mmol/L GA-NPs.Micrographs of M.fructigena exposed to 0.4 mmol/LGA showed mycelial deformations,nodule formation,detachment of the cell wall,shrinkage and inhomogeneous cytoplasmic materials with large vacuoles.Mycelium of M.laxa exposed to 0.4 mmol/LGA-NPs resulted in thinner and distorted hyphae,nodule formation,cell wall thinning,and swellings.The GANPs and GA treatments improved fruit quality by maintaining firmness and total soluble solids(TSS).GA-NPs were more effective in decreasing decay incidence than their bulk material.The 0.4 mmol/L GA-NPs completely inhibited the disease on naturally infected peach fruits for both seasons of 2018 and 2019.Furthermore,0.4 mmol/L GA-NPs reduced the disease incidence in inoculated fruits by 95(M.laxa)and 88%(M.fructigena)in 2018 season and 96(M.laxa)and 85%(M.fructigena)in 2019 season.In conclusion,GA-NPs could enhance the resistance of peaches against brown rot caused by M.laxa and M.fructigena.

Microbial Water Source for the Desert Plants

Finding water resources for the desert plants is one of the important research areas since it enables saving water resources.Bromus inermis plant was noticed to keep 5%of moisture in its rhizosphere zone;therefore,this study aimed to identify this source of water.Thirteen endophytic bacteria were isolated from the root of B.inermis and identified.Their specific respiration rate was determined.Alcaligenes faecalis showed the highest specific respiration rate.It is a facultative chemoautotrophic hydrogen-fixing bacterium that utilizes the hydrogen gas as energy source and the water is produced as an end product.The source of hydrogen gas for this bacterium is not only from air and soil gases but also from the hydrogen-producing bacteria such as Enterobacter spp.,which was among the isolated bacteria.The hydrogenases synthesizing genes(HoxC,HypA and HypB)were detected in most of the isolated bacteria and roots of four wild plants,out from 18 wild plant samples,epically the grains of the wild wheat plant.This result suggests that the hydrogen-fixing and hydrogen-producing bacteria transfer from the root through the plant to inhabit the grain/seeds.This can help the grain/seeds to germinate in drought environment.

New Colorimetric Method for Lipases Activity Assay in Microbial Media

A simple, rapid and precise method has been developed for determination of lipase activity in microbial media. The method is based on using phenyl acetate as substrate for lipase and determination of liberated phenol by Folin Ciocalteu reagent. Reaction mixture containing substrate 2.4 ml of phenyl acetate 165 μM in Tris HCl buffer, 0.1 M and pH 7, with 1% (v/v) Triton X-100) and 0.1 ml lipase is incubated at 40?C during 10 minutes and the absorbance was measured at 750 nm. Linearity was observed in the concentration range 0-0.8 g/L lipase.

BioAnalyzer: Bioinformatic Software of Routinely Used Tools for Analysis of Genomic Data

The massive extension in biological data induced a need for user-friendly bioinformatics tools could be used for routine biological data manipulation. Bioanalyzer is a simple analytical software implements a variety of tools to perform common data analysis on different biological data types and databases. Bioanalyzer provides general aspects of data analysis such as handling nucleotide data, fetching different data formats information, NGS quality control, data visualization, performing multiple sequence alignment and sequence BLAST. These tools accept common biological data formats and produce human-readable output files could be stored on local computer machines. Bioanalyzer has a user-friendly graphical user interface to simplify massive biological data analysis and consume less memory and processing power. Bioanalyzer source code was written through Python programming language which provides less memory usage and initial startup time. Bioanalyzer is a free and open source software, where its code could be modified, extended or integrated in different bioinformatics pipelines. Bioinformatics Produce huge data in FASTA and Genbank format which can be used to produce a lot of annotation information which can be done with Python programming language that open the door form bioinformatics tool due to their elasticity in data analysis and simplicity which inspire us to develop new multiple tool software able to manipulate FASTA and Genbank files. The goal Develop new software uses Genomic data files to produce annotated data. Software was written using python programming language and biopython packages.

Effect of Modified HIF-1<i>α</i>Linked to Carbonic Anhydrase IX Inhibitor and Glycosylated Cisplatin on Solid Tumors: Short Review

Many cancer cells in solid tumors are hypoxic or pseudohypoxic and create acidic environment for malignancy progression. Under low oxygen conditions (hypoxia), hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) play pathological roles in cancer cell survival and spreading. HIF regulates several genes such as genes of glucose transporters that enhance anaerobic glycolysis, angiogenesis, erythropoiesis and carbonic anhydrase IX (CA-IX). CA-IX is a cell-surface glycoprotein that catalyzes the hydration of CO2 to protons and bicarbonate ions (respiratory acidification). This process is involved in adaptation to acidosis and implicated in cancer progression. Therefore, CA-IX inhibitors (such as sulfonamide-based compounds) showed hoping results in reduction malignancy progression. The article aims to reversal the malignant hypoxic environment in solid tumors to create a condition of weakness within the cancer for further focused cisplatin potency. This article suggests the use of modified synthesized HIF as a drug delivery molecule for both carbonic anhydrase IX inhibitor and glycosylated cisplatin that damages the DNA of malignant cell. HIF molecule has high affinity to bind with CA IX-expressing malignant cells, which is followed by cell entrance via endocytosis. Once the HIF-Cisplatin-CA-inhibitor complex enters the cell, the carbonic anhydrase inhibitor will improve the cellular pH that makes the environment unsuitable for HIF 1α function and it may be ubiquitinated. So, the raise in target genes transcription will be arrested. On the other hand, once the synthetized HIF is degraded, the cisplatin molecules will be released inside the malignant cell and start to damage its DNA. This approach may be a good solution for many solid tumors.

A clinicoepidemiological study of esophageal cancer patients at the National Cancer Institute,Cairo University,Egypt

Objective The purposes of this study were to （1） assess the clinicoepidemiological characteristics of esopha-geal cancer patients, （2） analyze the prognostic factors determining treatment failure and survival, and （3） evaluate the results of various treatment modalities for locoregional and disseminated disease and their ef ect on disease-free survival and overal survival （OS）.Methods Clinicoepidemiological retrospective data from 81 esophageal cancer patients treated at the Na-tional Cancer Institute of Cairo between 2007 and 2011 were evaluated. Results The study showed that patients with esophageal cancer commonly present with local y advanced disease （87.7% had T-stage 3 and 12.3% had T-stage 4）. There was a significant correlation between surgery and survival; patients who received radical surgery and postoperative radiation had a better median survival than patients who received radical radiotherapy （20 months vs. 16 months, respectively; P = 0.04）. There was also a significant statistical correlation between radical concomitant chemoradiotherapy （NCRT） and pal iative treatment. Patients who received radical NCRT had a better median survival than patients who received pal-liative radiotherapy （16 months vs. 10 months, respectively; P = 0.001）. The median fol ow-up period for al patients was 7 months. The median OS of the whole group was 12 months. The OS after 1 and 2 years was 57.8% and 15%, respectively.Conclusion High-dose NCRT is an acceptable alternative for patients unfit for surgery or with inoperable disease. High-dose radiation is more ef ective than low-dose radiation in terms of local control, time to relapse, and OS. Further study using a larger series of patients and introducing new treatment protocols is necessary for a final evaluation.

Association between IL-37 and VEGF Gene Expression in Psoriasis Pathogenesis in Egyptian Population

Background: Psoriasis is considered a common skin disease, marked by the production and elevation of inflammatory plaques that regularly shed scales resulting from extensive skin epithelial cell proliferation. T lymphocytes, neutrophils, and other leukocytes enter the irritated skin, resulting in epidermal keratinocyte hyperplasia, vascular hyperplasia, ectasia, and T lymphocyte, neutrophil other forms of leukocyte infiltration. Aim of the Work: the study aimed to investigate the role of IL-37 and VEGF gene expression in the pathogenesis of psoriasis in Egyptian patients. Methodology: Polymerase chain reaction techniques (PCR) were applied to detect VEGF in the skin homogenates of psoriasis patients. In addition, the ELIZA technique was applied to investigate IL-37 in skin homogenates. One hundred cases have been divided into two groups: 50 healthy volunteers as the group I healthy control;50 psoriasis patients as group II. PCR real-time technology was assessed through extracted DNA samples for VEGF amplification in skin homogenate. Result: Our results revealed that psoriasis patients significantly had a substantial reduction in IL-37 compared to the control group (p Conclusion: There is a significant inverse association between IL-37 and VEGF in psoriasis patients. Study findings revealed that IL-37 gene expression decreases while VEGF gene expression increases in psoriatic individuals. Such a measurement may be beneficial in determining the severity of the condition, as well as taking into consideration of the disease’s diagnosis.

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Palatal Surgeries in the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Background: This paper aims to examine published articles between January 2008 and January 2019 on the different palatal surgeries performed on OSA patients and the treatment outcomes, which in turn will be used to determine the effectiveness of various palatal surgical techniques in treating OSAS and the most effective of the palatal surgical techniques in treating OSAS. Patients and Methods: The current review followed the guidelines of preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis statement 2009 (PRISMA). The quality of relevant studies was assessed using NIH quality assessment tool for observational cohort and cross-sectional studies as well as NIH tool for quality assessment for case series studies. Results: Meta-analyses of relevant studies showed that the surgical technique that achieved the best reduction on AHI (Apnea/Hypopnea Index) was the lateral pharyngoplasty followed by the Anterior Palatoplasty, with a significant mean reduction of [(SMD = −0.848, 95% CI (−1.209 - −0.487), p-value < 0.001) and (SMD = −0.864, 95% CI (−1.234 - −0.494), p-value < 0.001), respectively]. The technique responsible for the best improvement in Epworth Sleepiness Score (ESS) was the Relocation Pharyngoplasty, with a significant mean reduction of [SMD = −0.998, 95% CI (−1.253 - −0.743), p-value < 0.001]. Minimal O2 saturation level improved most with the Expansion Sphincter Pharyngoplasty, with a significant mean reduction of [SMD = 1.011, 95% CI (0.581 - 1.440), p-value < 0.001]. The surgical procedure that results in the best post-operative Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was Z-Palatoplasty, with a significant mean reduction of [SMD = −1.551, 95% CI (−2.049 - −1.052), p-value < 0.001]. Soft palate length changes with a significant mean reduction of [SMD = −2.219, 95% CI (−2.730 - −1.708), p-value < 0.001]. Finally, meta-analyses of relevant studies showed that expansion sphincter pharyngoplasty achieved the overall highest success rate [event rate = 77%, 95% CI (65.4% - 85.5%), p-value < 0.001]. Conclusion: The best procedure for treating OSA varies from patient to patient and there is no universal cure-all. Careful patient selection and pre-operative evaluation are mandatory.

Explanation of the Damage to the Royal Family’s Cemetery in Historic Cairo and Examination of the Building Materials

The cemetery of the royal family, who ruled Egypt from 1805 to 1952, is one of the masterpieces of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Historic Cairo. It is a complex building from massive stone masonry walls supporting hemispherical domes and is very rich with the marble decorative elements. Unfortunately, it suffers nowadays from serious cracking due to on-going structural damage. Almost all the structural elements are cracked. Besides, the continuous rise in the groundwater table affects both its structural stability and aesthetics. A detailed inspection was carried out to identify and explain all the manifested damage by the structural elements of the cemetery. The differential settlement damage was found to be very noticeable in the form of many diagonal cracks that are active and threaten the overall stability of the cemetery. The construction history was investigated and found to have a clear effect on the noticed damage. Examination of the construction materials and deterioration products was carried out by inspecting representative samples of the stone, the marble, the mortar, the plaster and the salt. They were examined using different analysis techniques including the Polarized Microscope, the Stereo Microscope, the X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) provided with Energy-Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) unit. This examination helped in identifying the type of the used stone, the mortar components, the types of salts affecting the structure, and the deterioration manifested by the marble. It seems that the cemetery needs an urgent conservation project to stop the deterioration and keep it safe for the next generations.

Efficacy of Organo-Modified Nano Montmorillonite to Protect against the Cumulative Health Risk of Aflatoxin B₁and Ochratoxin A in Rats

The aim of the current study was to prepare organo-modified nano montmorillonite (OMNM) and to evaluate its chemopreventive effects against the hapatonephrotoxicity induced by aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and ochratoxin A (OA) singly or in combination in rats. OMNM was prepared using Cetyltrimethylammoniumbromide (CTAB) as organic modifier. Eighty male Sprague Dawley were divided into 8 groups and treated for 8 weeks as follow: the control group;the group treated orally with AFB1 (80 μg/kg b.w.);the group treated with OA (100 μg/kg b.w.);the group treated with AFB1 plus OA, the group treated with OMNM (5 g/kg diet) and the groups treated with AFB1 and/or OA plus OMNM. At the end of treatment period, blood and tissue samples were collected from all animals for biochemical and histological analysis. The results revealed that the expansion in the basal spacing of the montmorillonite due to the intercalation of CTAB was 7.20?&#197 and the average particle size of OMNM was 120 nm. The in vivo results indicated that treatment with both AFB1 and OA singly or in combination resulted in a significant increase in liver and kidney function parameters, oxidative stress and tumor markers accompanied with a significant decrease in antioxidant enzyme activities and significant histological changes in liver and kidney tissues. These changes were severe in the group received the combined treatment of AFB1 and OA. OMNM alone did not show any toxic effect and it succeeded to prevent or at least diminish the toxic effects and the histological changes in liver and kidney. It can be concluded that treatment with AFB1 and OA has a synergistic toxic effects and OMNM is safe and it is a promise candidate as an additive to protect against the exposure to multi-mycotoxins in high risk population.

Antiparasitic and apoptotic modulatory activities of curcumin and extracts of Nigella sativa L,Zingiber officinale Rosc.,and Punica granatum L.in combination with spiramycin against chronic cerebral toxoplasmosis in immunocompromised mice

Objective:To examine the effect of coadministration of different medicinal plant extracts(curcumin and extracts of Nigella sativa L.[N.sativa,Jia Hei Zhong Cao],Zingiber officinale Rosc.[Z.officinale,Sheng Jiang],and Punica granatum L.[P.granatum,Shi Liu])with spiramycin(SP)against the cystogenic ME-49 Toxoplasma gondii(T.gondii)strain in immunocompromised mice.Methods:We utilized 68 mice categorized into 8 groups:2 non-infected controls(immunocompetent and immunocompromised),1 infected control,and 5 infected and treated groups.Following the experiment,the cerebral tissues of each mouse underwent parasitological,histopathological,and immunohistochemical evaluations.Results:Compared with the infected non-treated group,all infected treated groups showed significant reductions in brain cyst numbers(all P<0.05),with the highest reduction rate(77.4%)recorded for P.granatum and SP combination(G8).Only G8 showed a significant reduction in mouse deaths compared with the other groups.With regards to restoring histopathological changes and decreasing inflammation,the groups infected and treated with curcumin and P.granatum combined with SP showed the best results(P<0.05).Combinations of curcumin and extracts of Z.officinale and P.granatum with SP signif-icantly restored the cerebral expression of caspase-3 compared with the N.sativa extract combination(P<0.05).G8 showed non-significant expression compared with the local expression in the negative control groups.Conclusion:Our study revealed that the coadministration of P.granatum extract with SP was the most effective combination against chronic cerebral toxoplasmosis.

Spectrofluorimetric and Spectrophotometric Stability- Iwndicating Methods for the Analysis of Veralipride in Presence of Its Degradants and in Spiked Human Plasma

Spectrofluorimetric and spectrophotometric stability-indicating methods were developed and validated for analysis of veralipride （Ver） in presence of its hydrolytic and oxidative degradants. The spectrofluorimetric method was based on direct measurement of the intrinsic fluorescence of Ver at 366 nm after excitation at 299 nm using sodium lauryl sulfate （SLS） as micelle enhancer. The fluorescence intensity plot was linear over the concentration range 1.0-10.0 pg.mL-1. The high sensitivity of the method allowed its successful application to the analysis of Ver in spiked human plasma. Two other methods were developed. They are based on the oxidative coupling reac- tion of Vet with 3-methyl benzothiazolin-2-one hydrazone （MBTH） hydrochloride in presence of ceric ammonium sulphate in an acidic medium. The first method depends on spectrophotometric measurement of the stable green colored oxidative coupling product at 660 nm. The different experimental parameters affecting the reaction were optimized. Linearity range is 10.0--100.0 ~tgomL-1. The second method depends on a fluorescence quenching effect of Vet on the fluorescence of Ce3＋. The difference in fluorescence intensity was measured at 380 nm after excitation at 300 nm. This method is applicable over the concentration ranges 0.25-2.50 pg-mL-1. The methods were validated according to the ICH guidelines. They were successfully applied for the analysis of Ver in drug substance, drug product and in laboratory prepared mixtures containing different percentages of hydrolytic and oxidative degradants.

Impacts of Online Remote Education on the Learning Process among Nursing Students

The period of existence and spread of Corona virus has led to the use of all means of remote education as an urgent necessity for all educational facilities, especially universities. Aim: Therefore, it was necessary to study the impacts of online remote education on the learning process among nursing students through studying of two courses;health information management at 6th semester and gerontology nursing course at 4th semester. Tool of Data Collection: A modified questionnaire comprised of forty statements was used through paper-based survey and online survey. Sample: A total samples (224) of nursing students were participated in the survey who enrolled in 2019 and 2020 spring semesters. Setting: The field of study was the nursing department of Applied Medical Science at Misr University for Science and Technology. Results: Induced positive impacts of online education on the learning process for nursing students experience were proven as more than half of the students (53.9%) had prior experience on online system use, and more than two thirds (62.5%) were competent in mobile/computer applications. Almost, two thirds (59.3%) agreed about online assessment experience, except that the online exam was anxious, and the time was insufficient to answer all questions. Also, more than two thirds (64.7%) agreed about the learning process of the two nursing courses. Conclusion: The study concluded that there were positive impacts of online education system on the learning process for nursing students except that the students were not able to decide that the remote online education system can replace traditional face-to-face learning as the clinical experience was not evaluated through this study. Recommendation: This study is recommended to be repeated on a large scale of participants to assess the possibility of achieving clinical experience through online remote education if Corona virus still coexists.

“Pyridopyridazine”: A Versatile Nucleus in Pharmaceutical Field

Pyridopyridazines are an important kind of nitrogen atom containing heterocyclic compounds due to their synthetic and pharmacological versatility. This fused heterocycle system represents a common structural feature for many bioactive compounds showing a variety of pharmacological activities which makes it an attractive scaffold for the design and development of new drugs. This mini review summarizes an updated information described in recent literature, about the most relevant pharmacological properties of pyridopyridazines derivatives.

Variations of Cup-to-Disc Ratio in Children

Purpose: The aim of this study is early detection of increased cup to disc ratio and a survey study of cup-disc ratio in Egyptian children age group less than 15 years. Methods: Three hundred and eighty-two (382) children were enrolled in this study. They were classified into three age groups;infants’ Group (1) from 0-2 years, preschool Group (2) from 2-6 years and school children Group (3) from 6-15 years old. C/D ratio was measured for each child. Results: In Group (1), normal C/D ratio ranged from 0 to 0.1. The C/D ratio > 0.3 or a binocular difference of >0.2 could be regarded as one of the criteria of newborn glaucoma. Group (2): the normal ratio ranged from 0.1-0.2. Group (3): the normal ratio ranged from 0.2-0.3. The highest ratio 0.7 was found in two eyes. An asymmetry of 0.2 or more in the C/D ratios of the eyes was found in 4.8% of the children. Conclusion: C/D ratio > 0.3 and asymmetry of 0.2 is suggestive of glaucoma especially in infants of lower age group.

Evidence of Fungicides Degradation by Rhizobia

Fungicides which are not easily degradable have the greatest adverse effects on soil microbes. These pesticides negatively affect the growth and multiplication of fungi and bacteria and consequently cause the disturbance of the natural soil microbial balance. In this study two fungicide tolerant isolates of rhizobia;clover isolate (TA1) and peanut isolate (8) were assessed in their capacity to degrade Vitavax and Rizolex. The performance of these isolates in fungicides degradation was tested using the colorimetric assay for Rizolex and the HPLC analysis for Vitavax to detect the degradation products. Using HPLC analyses, the control sample showed specific peak indicating the Vitavax presence in the medium. The specific peak did not change in the control samples throughout the experiment.With the strainTA1 the specific peak of the Vitavax fungicides started to reduce as the incubation time goes on. The Vitavax fungicide did not degrade completely after 240 hours of incubation with rhizobial isolate. The Rizolex used in this study contained blend of Thiram (active ingredient of Rizolex) and Tolcofs methyl fungicides in 1:1 ratio. The biodegradation of Rizolex in the liquid media showed the formation of two new intermediates which were released into the medium indicating the degradation of the tested fungicide by peanut rhizobial isolate No. 8 in 48 hrs of incubation 45% of this compound was degraded. This work shows that the selection of fungicides tolerant rhizobial strains is important to protect the rhizobial inoculants from the toxic effect of the pesticides.

Molecular Studies on Heat Shock Protein 70 Gene （Hsp70） Using ClustalW Multiple Sequence Alignment Analysis

Degenerate primers are particularly useful in amplifying homologous genes from different organisms. This paper describes a method for designing degenerate primers for a given multiple alignment of DNA sequences of Hsp70 gene family using ClustalW algorithm. The authors used an in silico approach to find a homology between more than one accession numbers of DNA sequences, X67711.2 was for Oryza sativa Hsp70, AY372071.1 was for Nicotiana tabacum Hsp70 and L41253.2 was for Lycopersicon esculentum Hsc70. The three accession numbers which were retrieved by the BLASTn program depend on their expected value （E-value）. Multiple sequence alignment was performed by ClustalW algorithm to produce a conserved blocks and determine the consensus region which had been used to produce the forward and reverse primer by the primer select module of DNAStar Lasergene V7 and In-Silco PCR module of FASTPCR program ver.4.0.8 was performed to detect the melting temperatures （Tm） and predict the PCR product size, The results of designed degenerate primer showed that there was a homology found between the designed primers and the DNA templates for the three accession numbers with at least 80% identity. The result of degenerate PCR showed that the three bands of the amplified PCR products of the three accession numbers were detected at the same molecular weight of marker （400 bp） with a difference about 15 pb compared to the in silco PCR product （385 pb）. In conclusion, this study focused on the importance of using the clustalW algorithm for designing the degenerate primer.

Volumetric Assessment of Corticospinal Tract Infiltration by Astrocytoma Using Diffusion Tensor Tractography

Objectives: The aim of the study is to assess volumetric Corticospinal Tract infiltration by Astro-cytoma using Diffusion Tensor Tractography. Material and Methods: Preoperative, anatomic (T1- and T2-weighted) and diffusion tensor MRI were performed in 9 patients with supratentorial gliomas (WHO grade II and III). The tumors were manually segmented from the T1- and T2-weighted MRI, and their volume calculated. A three-dimensional tractography was performed in each case. A second segmentation and volume measurement was performed on the tumor regions intersecting adjacent white matter fiber tracts. Results: We identified that white matter tracts were infiltrated by 6 Astrocytoma tumors. The median tumor volume (±standard deviation) in our patient population was 33 ± 26.82 ml. The median tumor volume (±standard deviation) infiltrating white matter fiber tracts was 4.15 ± 9.23 ml. The median fraction of tumor volume infiltrating white matter fiber tracts was 26.3% ± 10.1%. Conclusions: Diffusion tensor MR Tractography is a reliable preoperative assessment tool since it detects extensive white matter infiltration by Astrocytoma irrespective of brain tumors volume. Recommendations: Prospective large population studies are required to clarify how infiltration relates to tumor location.

Silent Cerebral Infarctions in Type II Diabetes Mellitus Patients;Could Brain MRI Be a Routine Investigation?

Objective: To study the prevalence of silent cerebral infarction in Type II diabetes mellitus. Patients and Methods: The study was a prospective on 80 patients recruited from neurology, endocrine outpatient clinics. Patients were type II diabetics as described by the American Diabetes Association, 2011 criteria. All patients underwent full metabolic profiles to diagnose diabetes mellitus and MRI brain scans to detect cerebral infarction. Results: Silent cerebral infarctions were detected in 60% of patients (48/80 patients) predominately along periventricular white matter area and subcortical areas (Basal ganglia, Thalamus). Conclusion: Asymptomatic Type II diabetes mellitus patients could have vascular cerebral changes without neurological symptoms. MRI brain scans could be recommended as routine diagnosis (if possible) for early cerebral infarct detection in type II diabetic patients.