The effect of two different contemporary chelating agents on vital pulp therapy in mature permanent teeth with irreversible pulpitis using bioceramic material: randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Vital pulp therapy maintained functionality, vitality, and asymptomatic teeth. Compared to normal root canal treatment, pulpotomy was more helpful for irreversible pulpitis in adult permanent teeth. The research was aimed to assess effectiveness of vital pulp therapy using mineral trioxide aggregate with Apple Vinegar and Ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid (17%) for five minutes in adult carious exposed pulp of permanent teeth. METHODS: Forty patients between 18 and 50 years old with a clinical diagnosis of symptomatic irreversible pulpitis but no periapical radiolucency were then divided randomly into two groups based on the irrigation method; ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid or apple vinegar. If pulpal bleeding could not be managed in less than six minutes, the assigned procedure was abandoned. After mineral trioxide aggregate application as a pulpotomy agent, glass ionomer and composite restoration were placed. Using a visual analogue scale, the pre and post-operative pain were recorded after 2,6,24,48, and 72 h. Success was assessed using radiographic and clinical examination data at three, six, and twelve months. RESULTS: The success rate was discovered to be non-statistically significant in both groups after a year follow-up. Apple vinegar had a lower mean value than ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid at the preoperative baseline pain level, which was significant.Postoperatively, the ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid group reported the greatest mean value after two hours while Apple vinegar group reported the lowest mean values after 48 h (P < 0.05). After 72 h, pain level recorded insignificant difference. CONCLUSION: Apple vinegar yielded a marginally successful outcome but substantially improved pain alleviation. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered in Clinical trials.gov with this identifier NCT05970536 on 23/7/2023.

Immediate Implant Placement with Different Interradicular Osteotomies in the Mandible: A Randomized Clinical Study.

AIM: To assess the implant stability and amount of marginal bone loss in immediate implant placement (IIP) in mandibular molars by using pre-extractive interradicular implant bed preparation vs conventional post-extractive interradicular implant bed preparation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This randomized clinical trial was conducted on fourteen patients who had an immediate dental implant at the mandibular molar area by two different techniques. All patients were divided randomly into two equal groups: Group I (control) was treated with conventional post-extractive interradicular implant bed preparation, and group II (test) was treated by pre-extractive interradicular implant bed preparation All surgeries were performed by the same surgeon. All patients were followed up clinically at immediate post-surgery (T0), 7 days (T1), 3 weeks (T2), 90 days (T3), and 3 months after loading (T6) for healing and to evaluate the marginal bone loss radiographically at T0, T3 and T6. Descriptive and bivariate statistics were computed using the SPSS version (SPSS, IBM Inc., Chicago, IL), and p ≤ 0.05 was considered an indicator of statistical significance. RESULTS: A total of 7 female and 7 male patients with a mean age of 32.07 ± 5.87 years. Radiographically, there is no significant statistical difference in comparing between two groups for the marginal bone loss. However, there was a highly significant statistical difference (p < 0.001) in each group between different interval periods (T0, T3, T6) with mean start 5.27 ± 0.53, and 5.19 ± 0.72 at (T0) reaching 7.60 ± 0.89 and 7.09 ± 0.96 at (T3) and slightly decrease of 7.52 ± 0.79 and 7.02 ± 0.79 in (T6) with radiographic evaluation, and it represented clinically in each group with mean 3.57 ± 0.313 and 4.0 ± 0.58 at (T0) increase to 6.55 ± 0.395 and 6.52 ± 0.45 at (T6) for both group respectively. There is no statistically significant difference in soft tissue healing with an average mean of 4.57 ± 0.24 and 3.57 ± 0.509 (p = 0.001) when comparing between both groups respectively. CONCLUSION: Both techniques seem useful for dental implant placement in badly decayed mandibular molars. However, pre-extracted interradicular implant bed preparation for IIP might offer advantages in terms of primary implant stability and bone preservation. However, further studies are needed to confirm these findings. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Both techniques are alternative methods for the treatment of badly decayed mandibular molars by immediate dental implant except for minor complications that do not interfere with dental implant placement. How to cite this article: Alzaibak LMA, Abdel-Monem TM, Elgohary NM, et al. Immediate Implant Placement with Different Interradicular Osteotomies in the Mandible: A Randomized Clinical Study. J Contemp Dent Pract 2024;25(4):303-312.

Design and synthesis of chromene-1,2,3-triazole benzene sulfonamide hybrids as potent carbonic anhydrase-IX inhibitors against prostate cancer.

Considering the promising effects of molecular hybridization on drug discovery in recent years and the ongoing endeavors to develop bioactive scaffolds tethering the 1,2,3-triazole core, the present study sought to investigate whether the 1,2,3-triazole-linked chromene and benzene sulfonamide nucleus could exhibit activity against the human breast cancer cell line MCF-7 and prostate cancer cell line PC-3. To this end, three focused bioactive series of mono- and -bis-1,2,3-triazoles were effectively synthesized via copper-assisted cycloaddition of mono- and/or di-alkyne chromenone derivatives 2a and b and 9 with several sulfa drug azides 4a-d and 6. The resulting molecular derivatives were tested for cytotoxicity against prostate and breast cancer cells. Among the derivatives, 10a, 10c, and 10e exhibited potent cytotoxicity against PC-3 cells with IC50 values of 2.08, 7.57, and 5.52 µM compared to doxorubicin (IC50 = 2.31 µM) with potent inhibition of CA IX with IC50 values of 0.113, 0.134, and 0.214 µM. The most active compound, 10a, was tested for apoptosis-induction; it induced apoptosis by 31.9-fold cell cycle arrest at the G1-phase. Further, the molecular modeling approach highlighted the relevant binding affinity for the top-active compound 10a against CA IX as one of the most prominent PC-3 prostate cancer-associated biotargets.

Evaluation of sediment quality for heavy metal(loid)s contamination and health risk assessment in the Gulf of Suez, Egypt.

The Gulf of Suez faces challenges related to contamination, primarily due to industrial, tourism, and shipping activities along its shores. This study aims to record the distribution, concentration, and potential environmental and health risk impacts of heavy metal(loid)s (HMs) in 30 surface sediment samples collected from Ras Sidr coastline, Gulf of Suez. Various contamination and health indices were employed for this study. The average concentrations of HMs (µg/g) were ranked as follows: Fe (3472), Mn (103.3), V (10.41), As (7.94), Cr (6.00), Zn (5.31), Ni (2.94). The spatial distribution of HMs indicated an increase in Mn, Zn, As, and V levels toward the southern part of the study area, potentially linked to the proximity of manganese quarries and their metal association at Abu Zenima. Contamination indices revealed moderately severe enrichment with As, minor enrichment with Mn, and no enrichment for the remaining HMs. Multivariate analysis suggested a natural origin for Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, Zn, and V, while As were likely anthropogenic. Values of hazard index (HI) for HMs in both adults and children followed the descending order of As > Fe > Cr > V > Mn > Ni > Zn. However, all HI values were below 1.0, indicating no significant non-carcinogenic risk for individuals along the Ras Sidr coastline. 19 samples exhibited lifetime cancer risk (LCR) values exceeding 1 × 10-4 for As in children, suggesting potential carcinogenic risks. LCR values for As in adults and Cr in adults and children ranged from 1 × 10-5 to less than 1 × 10-6, indicating acceptable or tolerable levels of carcinogenic risk and no significant threats to health.

A quinoxaline-based derivative exhibited potent and selective anticancer activity with apoptosis induction in PC-3 cells through Topo II inhibition.

Quinoxaline constitutes a variety of derivatives that exhibit a range of biological characteristics, including anti-inflammatory and antitumor effects, and their importance in therapeutic chemistry is rising. The cytotoxicity effects of four quinoxaline compounds (I, II, III, and IV) against liver cancer cells (HepG2), prostate cancer cells (PC-3), and normal cells (Vero) were evaluated using the MTT assay. Compounds III and IV had the most anti-proliferative effects and highly selective indices against PC-3 cells with IC50 values of 4.11 and 2.11 µM, respectively. The apoptotic cell death for compounds III and IV in PC-3 cells was investigated using cell cycle, Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining-based flow cytometry, and DNA fragmentation assay. Compounds III or IV arrested the cell cycle at the S phase and caused apoptosis in PC-3 cells. Compounds III and IV showed inhibitory effects against topoisomerase II enzyme with IC50 values 21.98 and 7.529 µM, respectively, when compared to doxorubicin as a reference drug. Western Blot analysis displayed that compound IV treatment has significantly upregulated the pro-apoptotic proteins (p53, caspase-3, caspase-8) and downregulated the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 in PC-3 cells in a dose-dependent manner, leading to cell apoptosis. The molecular docking study exhibited that compound IV had a good binding affinity for inhibiting topoisomerase II, consistent with the apoptotic mechanism. In vivo study using Ehrlich solid tumor model demonstrated that compound IV significantly reduced tumor volume and weight in vivo with minimal toxicity. This study reveals significant evidence for the antitumor efficacy of compound IV against prostate cancer cells as a topoisomerase II inhibitor.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Clinical and Radiographic Outcomes of Autogenous Inlay Graft vs Autogenous Onlay Graft for Anterior Maxillary Horizontal Ridge Augmentation: A Randomized Control Clinical Study.

AIM: This study aimed to compare the efficacy of autogenous onlay and inlay grafts for anterior maxillary horizontal ridge augmentation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This randomized clinical trial was performed on 14 patients with a deficient partially edentulous anterior maxillary ridge (3-5 mm in width). Patients were randomized and grouped into two equal groups: Group A was treated with symphyseal autogenous bone block, which was placed and fixed buccally as an onlay graft, and group B: was treated with symphyseal autogenous bone block, which was interpositioned and fixed in space created between buccal and lingual cortex as inlay graft. Patients were evaluated clinically and radiographically to evaluate the increase of bone width at [Baseline, immediate postoperative (T0)] and six months post-graft (T6). RESULTS: A total of 14 patients (8 males and 6 females) with age range from 20 to 43 years old with a mean of 42.1 years were involved in our study. Radiographically, there was a significant statistical difference in comparing between two groups for the creation of a horizontal alveolar bone at T0. In the inlay group, the mean preoperative bone width was 3.9 ± 0.3 mm at T0 and 5.7 ± 0.5 mm at T6. While in the onlay group, the mean preoperative bone width was 3.7 ± 0.7 mm at T0 while at T6 the mean bone width was 6.1 ± 0.8 mm. This was statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Inlay block graft appears to be a successful treatment option for horizontal ridge augmentation in the maxillary arch. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: both techniques are viable techniques for augmentation of atrophic alveolar ridge with uneventful healing. How to cite this article: Elsayed AO, Abdel-Rahman FH, Ahmed WMAS, et al. Clinical and Radiographic Outcomes of Autogenous Inlay Graft vs Autogenous Onlay Graft for Anterior Maxillary Horizontal Ridge Augmentation: A Randomized Control Clinical Study. J Contemp Dent Pract 2024;25(2):107-113.

Public awareness, attitude, and practice regarding food labeling, Alexandria, Egypt.

BACKGROUND: Food labeling is an important public health tool allowing consumers to make informed and healthy choices. Considering how important it is for consumers to be aware of food labels while choosing healthy foods, this study aims at assessing public awareness, attitude, and practice regarding food labeling in Alexandria Governorate, Egypt. METHODS: A cross sectional study using a predesigned interview questionnaire to collect data from 719 adult consumers from both sexes (28.2% males: 71.8% females), recruited from different branches of one of the largest supermarkets in Alexandria. RESULTS: More than half of the participants (55.6%) reported reading food labels. The most frequently read information was production/ expiry date (76.8%), product name (68.3%), and ingredients (38.0%) while the least frequently read was nutritional facts (29.9%). More than half of the study sample (50.9%) had low awareness about the content of food labels, nevertheless, having higher scores on awareness about food labels predicted reading practice. Nearly three-quarters of the respondents had average to good food label reading practice. Most respondents (81.8%) had a favorable attitude about food labeling in its present form, however, higher attitude scores did not seem to influence their use of food labels. Being older (ß = 0.045, CI; 0.014-0.076, p = 0.005), being female (ß = 1.162, CI; 0.541-1.784, p = 0.000), having secondary education or equivalent (ß = 1.042,CI; 0.050-2.034, p = 0.040), having university education or beyond (ß = 3.090, CI; 2.132-4.048, p = 0.000), and having higher scores on awareness about food labels (ß = 1.407, CI; 1.324-1.490, p = 0.000) were significant predictors of reading food labels. CONCLUSIONS: Most of the studied consumers had a positive attitude towards food labeling, however, more than half of them had low awareness of food labeling content. Nutritional facts were the least frequently read by consumers. Reading food labels was significantly predicted by having higher education, being older, being a female, and having better awareness.

Ultrasonography versus palpation for spinal anesthesia in obese parturients undergoing cesarean delivery: a randomized controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Ultrasonography may facilitate neuraxial blocks in obstetrics. This randomized controlled trial aimed to compare preprocedural ultrasonography with landmark palpation for spinal anesthesia in obese parturients undergoing cesarean delivery. METHODS: 280 American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status II-III parturients with body mass index ≥35 kg/m2, full-term singleton pregnancy, undergoing elective cesarean delivery under spinal anesthesia, were randomly assigned to two equal groups (ultrasonography and palpation); preprocedural systematic ultrasound approach and conventional landmark palpation were performed, respectively. Patients and outcome assessors were blinded to the study group. All ultrasound and spinal anesthetic procedures were performed by a single experienced anesthesiologist. The primary outcome was the number of needle passes required to obtain free cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow. Secondary outcomes were the number of skin punctures required to obtain free CSF flow, success rate at the first needle pass, success rate at the first skin puncture, duration of the spinal procedure, patient satisfaction and incidence of vascular puncture, paresthesia, failure to obtain CSF flow and failed spinal block. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in primary or secondary outcomes between the two groups. The median (IQR) of the number of needle passes required to obtain free CSF flow was 3 (1-7) in ultrasonography group and 3 (1-7) in palpation group; p=0.62. CONCLUSIONS: Preprocedural ultrasonography did not decrease the number of needle passes required to obtain free CSF flow or improve other outcomes compared with landmark palpation during spinal anesthesia performed by a single experienced anesthesiologist in obese parturients undergoing cesarean delivery. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03792191; : https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03792191.

Evaluation of Cs-137 and natural radionuclides on different marine biota (crustacean and fishes) along Beheira governorate Coast-Egypt: RESRAD biota.

PURPOSE: This work will focused on the environmental and radio-ecological impacts occurred on an Egyptian coastal region, based on the radiochemical measurement of 238U, 137Cs, 232Th, 40K. The novelty of the study was cleared by the using of new technique showing the integration of two biological RESRAD models, lead to a probabilistic estimation of the radionuclides bioaccumulation in different consumed marine organisms and determination the probability of human cancer risk at different ages. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The 20 water samples were collected and mounted into clean containers, and their decay products, were measured in Bq.L-1, using different quality assurance tools. The study will used different statistical analysis and different RESRAD modeling codes were used in the study to predict the degree of environmental and radio-ecological impacts at the studied area, this will be helpful in order to define the impacts resulted from the transferring and accumulation of different radionuclides. RESULTS: showed that the highest human dose conversion factor values of (5, 10, 15, with adult ages) were measured in Th-232 (mrem/pCi) while the lowest ingestion conversion factors values were observed in artificial 137Cs. On the other hand the highest values of external risk factor in case of (5, 10, 15 with adult age) were observed in artificial Cs-137(mrem/pCi), while the lowest value of external risk factor with the same ages were observed in U-238. This will lead to continual monitoring of artificial Cs-137 in different marine coastal regions. The arrangement of the bioaccumulation value (BIV) in Bq.kg-1 which being calculated by using RESRAD-Biota in case of crustacean animals will be as follow: U-238 > Th-232 > Cs-137, while the arrangement of BIV in case of fish animals will be: Cs-137 > U-232 > Th-232. On the other hand the arrangement of Internal Dose Conversion factors in case of crustacean animals will be: U-238 > Th-232 > Cs-137. While the arrangement of Internal Dose Conversion factors in case of fish animals will be: Cs-137> Th-232 > U-238. CONCLUSION: RESRAD code's results showed that the arrangement of the bioaccumulation and Dose Conversion factors were depend on the type of marine living organism. RESRAD code also showed that there are increments of the calculated external risk factor values which resulted from the adult than all the infants (5,10 and 15 ages) ages this may be related to the continuous replacement of new human's body cells during the growth stages. The study results showed that, environmental bioaccumulation impacts of the artificial Cs-137 were very effective in both marine living organisms and human as this will support the relation between the ingestion Cs-137 in the body(inside the soft tissues), and the probability of the human cancer risk. On the other hand, study results showed the importance of using RESRAD BIOA code for the EIA's ecological and radiological studies which should be done for any future industrial coastal .projects.

Identification of Differentially Expressed Genes in Human Colorectal Cancer Using RNASeq Data Validated on the Molecular Level with Real-Time PCR.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a prevalent cancer with high morbidity and mortality rates worldwide. Late diagnosis is a significant contributor to low survival rates in a minority of cases. The study aimed to perform a robust pipeline using integrated bioinformatics tools that will enable us to identify potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for early detection of CRC by exploring differentially expressed genes (DEGs). In addition to, testing the capability of replacing chemotherapy with plant extract in CRC treatment by validating it using real-time PCR. RNA-seq data from cancerous and adjacent normal tissues were pre-processed and analyzed using various tools such as FastQC, Kallisto, DESeq@ R package, g:Profiler, GNEMANIA-CytoScape and CytoHubba, resulting in the identification of 1641 DEGs enriched in various signaling routes. MMP7, TCF21, and VEGFD were found to be promising diagnostic biomarkers for CRC. An in vitro experiment was conducted to examine the potential anticancer properties of 5-fluorouracile, Withania somnifera extract, and their combination. The extract was found to exhibit a positive trend in gene expression and potential therapeutic value by targeting the three genes; however, further trials are required to regulate the methylation promoter. Molecular docking tests supported the findings by revealing a stable ligand-receptor complex. In conclusion, the study's analysis workflow is precise and robust in identifying DEGs in CRC that may serve as biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment. Additionally, the identified DEGs can be used in future research with larger sample sizes to analyze CRC survival.

Z-shaped Miniplates vs Conventional Miniplates for Fixation of Mandibular Parasymphyseal Fractures.

AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate a clinically and radiographically Z-shaped miniplate for the fixation of the parasymphyseal fractures. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty patients (10 patients in each group) who had parasymphseal mandibular fractures were randomly selected for this study. In this study, open reduction and internal fixation were performed for mandibular parasymphyseal region fractures using two miniplates as group I, and open reduction and internal fixation were performed for mandibular parasymphyseal region fractures using a newly designed Z-shaped miniplate as group II. Clinical and radiographic evaluations were made. Each patient was evaluated: (1) clinically evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively for operating time, ease of placement of the miniplate, and occlusion and (2) radiological: postoperative reduction of fracture was evaluated radiologically at 5-day, 1-month, 2-month, and 3-month intervals with orthopantomogram, and lingual splaying was evaluated by cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) immediately postoperatively and at an interval of 3 months. The collected data were subjected to statistical analysis. Data analysis was performed by SPSS software, version 25 (SPSS Inc., PASW statistics for Windows version 25). Chicago: SPSS Inc. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference (p < 0.001) between the mean intraoperative time. This indicates that group I had a longer time for fracture fixation than group II. Group I had a longer time elapsed for plate adaptation and definitive fixation than group II. Occlusion and reduction stability in both groups were similar. There was a statistically significant difference in postoperative lingual display control after 5 days and 3 months between the studied groups. This indicates that lingual display control in group II is better than in group I. CONCLUSION: The Z-shaped miniplate is effective and provides three-dimensional stability for the fixation of parasymphyseal fractures, ease of use, easily adapted in cases of fractures near the mental nerve reduced operative time, and better control of lingual splaying than conventional miniplates. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The newly designed Z-shaped miniplate is a valuable option for fixation parasymphysis fractures that need open reduction and internal fixation instead of using conventional miniplates, which are less successful in controlling lingual splaying.

Impact of micro/nano cadmium oxide on shielding properties of cement-ball clay matrix.

This study investigates the gamma radiation shielding properties of cement-ball clay matrix composites doped with micro- and nano-sized cadmium oxide (CdO) particles. The linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) was determined using a sodium iodide (NaI) detector and five radioactive point sources with energies ranging from 59.5 to 1408 keV. The LAC values obtained were compared to the XCOM database and found to be in good agreement. The composites' half-value layer (HVL), tenth value layer (TVL), mean free path (MFP), effective atomic number (Zeff), equivalent atomic number (Zeq), and absorption buildup factor (EABF) were determined. The results showed that the addition of CdO particles improved the radiation-shielding behavior of the composites and increasing the weight fraction of CdO particles increased the shielding effectiveness. The results also illustrated that when nano-sized CdO particles were compared to their micro-sized counterparts, there was a significant enhancement in radiation shielding effectiveness. For instance, a composite material composed of 50% cement, 41.7% ball clay, and 3.8% nano CdO at an energy level of 0.0595 MeV exhibited a remarkable 12.2% increase in attenuation, surpassing the performance of the micro-sized sample with an equivalent concentration. Similarly, another composite consisting of 50% cement, 33.3% ball clay, and 16.7% nano CdO demonstrated a significant 15.4% increase in attenuation at the same energy level, when compared to the micro-sized sample. The study demonstrates the potential of CdO-doped cement-ball clay matrix composites for gamma radiation shielding applications.

Dopamine signaling from ganglion cells directs layer-specific angiogenesis in the retina.

During central nervous system (CNS) development, a precisely patterned vasculature emerges to support CNS function. How neurons control angiogenesis is not well understood. Here, we show that the neuromodulator dopamine restricts vascular development in the retina via temporally limited production by an unexpected neuron subset. Our genetic and pharmacological experiments demonstrate that elevating dopamine levels inhibits tip-cell sprouting and vessel growth, whereas reducing dopamine production by all retina neurons increases growth. Dopamine production by canonical dopaminergic amacrine interneurons is dispensable for these events. Instead, we found that temporally restricted dopamine production by retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) modulates vascular development. RGCs produce dopamine precisely during angiogenic periods. Genetically limiting dopamine production by ganglion cells, but not amacrines, decreases angiogenesis. Conversely, elevating ganglion-cell-derived dopamine production inhibits early vessel growth. These vasculature outcomes occur downstream of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) activation and Notch-Jagged1 signaling. Jagged1 is increased and subsequently inhibits Notch signaling when ganglion cell dopamine production is reduced. Our findings demonstrate that dopaminergic neural activity from a small neuron subset functions upstream of VEGFR to serve as developmental timing cue that regulates vessel growth.

Intraspecific Variability in Proteomic Profiles and Biological Activities of the Honey Bee Hemolymph.

Pollinator declines have raised major concerns for the maintenance of biodiversity and food security, calling for a better understanding of environmental factors that affect their health. Here we used hemolymph analysis to monitor the health status of Western honey bees Apis mellifera. We evaluated the intraspecific proteomic variations and key biological activities of the hemolymph of bees collected from four Egyptian localities characterized by different food diversities and abundances. Overall, the lowest protein concentrations and the weakest biological activities (cytotoxicity, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties) were recorded in the hemolymph of bees artificially fed sucrose solution and no pollen. By contrast, the highest protein concentrations and biological activities were recorded in bees that had the opportunity to feed on various natural resources. While future studies should expand comparisons to honey bee populations exposed to more different diets and localities, our results suggest hemolymph samples can be used as reliable indicators of bee nutrition.

Stable In-Planta Transformation System For Egyptian Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) cv. Sohag 1.

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is an important oil crop and one of the oldest-known oil crops to humankind. Sesame has excellent nutritional and therapeutic properties; it is rich in important fatty acids, protein, fiber, and vital minerals. Oil percentage varies among different genotypes but generally accounts for more than 50% of the seed's dry weight. To meet the increasing demand for vegetable oil production worldwide, expanding the cultivation of oil crops in newly reclaimed areas worldwide is essential. Molecular breeding is an expeditious approach for varietal improvement but requires efficient transgenesis. Published sesame transformation methods are highly genus-specific, tedious, and involve preparing and testing different media and explants. We produced transgenic sesame plants using a stable, noninvasive, and robust Agrobacterium tumefaciens transformation method. Leaves and flowers excised from the T0 plants at different developmental stages were PCR screened, and 61/93 seedlings were found to be PCR positive. T1 seeds resulting from two lines were germinated in a biocontainment greenhouse facility and screened using PCR, basta leaf painting, and spraying fully matured plants with basta herbicide (0.02 mg/l); non-transgenic segregants and control non-transgenic plants were severely damaged, and eventually died, while transgenic plants were not affected by the Basta spraying. RT-PCR on T1 plants indicated the presence of Bar transcripts in T1 progeny. Furthermore, RT-PCR using NPTII primers did not result in any amplification in transgenic sesame plants (NPTII is present in the vector but not in the T-DNA region) indicating that the transgenic sesame plants were not an Agrobacterium-contaminant.

COMBINED HAMARTOMA OF THE RETINA AND RETINAL PIGMENT EPITHELIUM AT PEDIATRIC AGE: Surgical Versus Conservative Approach.

PURPOSE: To report outcomes of pediatric patients with combined hamartoma of the retina and the retina pigment epithelium followed up conservatively or after pars plana vitrectomy. METHODS: This retrospective multicenter study included 62 eyes of 59 pediatric patients with combined hamartoma of the retina and the retina pigment epithelium from 13 different international centers with an average age of 7.7 ± 4.7 (0.3-17) years at the time of the diagnosis and having undergone pars plana vitrectomy or followed conservatively. At baseline and each visit, visual acuity values, optical coherence tomography for features and central foveal thickness, and tumor location were noted. Lesions were called as Zone 1, if it involves the macular and peripapillary areas, and the others were called as Zone 2 lesions. RESULTS: Twenty-one eyes of 20 patients in the intervention group and 41 eyes of 39 patients in the conservative group were followed for a mean of 36.2 ± 40.4 (6-182) months. Best-corrected visual acuity improved in 11 (68.8%) of 16 eyes in the intervention group and 4 (12.9%) of 31 eyes in the conservative group ( P < 0.001). The mean central foveal thickness decreased from 602.0 ± 164.9 µ m to 451.2 ± 184.3 µ m in the intervention group, while it increased from 709.5 ± 344.2 µ m to 791.0 ± 452.1 µ m in Zone 1 eyes of the conservative group. Posterior location of tumor, irregular configuration of the foveal contour and ellipsoid Zone defect in optical coherence tomography, subretinal exudate and prominent vascular tortuosity were associated with poor visual acuity. CONCLUSION: Vitreoretinal surgery is safe and effective in improving vision and reducing retinal distortion in Zone 1 combined hamartoma of the retina and the retina pigment epithelium in children.

Cytotoxic, apoptotic activities and chemical profiling of dimorphic forms of Egyptian halophyte Cakile maritima scop.

Cakile maritima ssp. aegyptiaca (Wild.) Nyman is growing with dimorphic leaf forms (entire or pinnatifid lamina) along the Mediterranean coast of Egypt. The cytotoxic activities of dried shoot systems of the two morphological forms were evaluated by testing and comparing the effects of ethanolic and aqueous extracts on the viability of five human cell lines. GC-MS analysis was performed to identify the bioactive and anticancer compounds present in the most active extracts. MTT assay indicated that both aqueous and ethanolic extracts have selective cytotoxic activities against cancer cell lines with no inhibitory activities against normal Wi38 or Vero cell lines. The underlying mechanism of cytotoxicity involved the induction of G2/M phase arrest in targeted cells MCF-7 and HCT-116 associated with inducing apoptosis in both cell lines, as indicated by Annexin-V assay. Apoptosis investigation in MCF-7 and HCT-116 cells treated with ethanolic extracts, was further investigated through RT-PCR, which exhibited elevation of proapoptotic genes of P53, BAX, Capase-3,6,7,8,9, and downregulation of antiapoptotic gene (BCL-2) upon treatment. The GC-MS analysis of ethanolic extracts of pinnatifid and entire forms revealed the existence of 18 and 13 compounds, respectively, with eleven compounds that were detected in pinnatifid form only and seven compounds were identified exclusively in the entire form. Molecular Docking study revealed that the identified compounds exhibited good binding affinity towards BCL-2 inhibition, and this agreed with the suggested apoptotic mechanism. To the best of authors' knowledge, this is the first scientific evidence underline the variability in the chemical composition associated with variable anticancer activities of dimorphic forms of C. maritima.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Bioaccumulation of natural radio-nuclides in aquatic, riparian and terrestrial animals along Suez-Azzafrana coastline, Egypt: insights from RESRAD-BIOTA.

PURPOSE: The protection of endogenous species is one of the important ecological issues in which all the World Environmental Agreements are searching for. The purpose of the study is to calculate the bioaccumulation impacts of some natural radio-nuclides as: Ra-226, K-40 and Th-232 in the selected Egyptian Endogenous Aquatic Red Sea Fusileer fish, Red sea Riparian Turtle and the Red sea Terrestrial Lizard by using RESAD BIOTA version 1.8. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Ten water and sediments samples were collected from different 10 sites, along the inshore of the Egyptian Suez bay beach till El-Zafarna coastal region, as these samples were taken from subsurface (20 cm-1 m). The radioactivity concentrations of some natural radioactivity radionuclides as; 226Ra, 232Th and 40K, which were measured, using gamma-ray spectrometer based on high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector of 40% relative efficiency. RESULTS: The results of the study showed that the radioactivity of some selected natural radionuclides in the selected 10 sites of Suez costal samples were arranged as: K-40 > Th-232 > Ra-226, as this was related to the characteristics of soil and rock precipitation in this zone besides the industrial activates along the selected coastal line zone of Suez bay till Al-Zafrana. On the other hand, it was observed that all the calculated Biota contamination Guide (BCG) values of the selected Egyptian endangerous species (Aquatic, Riparian and terrestrial) animals in the 10 selected sites samples were below the recommended (BCG), as the result, no radioactivity increment being detected at these selected sites. On the other hand, the BCG values of Ra-226 in both water and sediment samples for the selected Egyptian endangerous Aquatic Sea Fusileer Fish were higher than the recommended BCG values in water, while were comply with BGC values of the sediment, while in case of Egyptian endangerous Red Sea Turtle's BCG values were comply with the recommended BCGs in water while were higher than the recommended BCGs values of sediment. In case of the selected Egyptian endangerous terrestrial Lizard its BCG values of Ra-226 were higher than the recommended BCGs in both water and sediment media. While in case of Th-232 it was observed that the BCG values of selected endangerous Red Sea Fusileer Fish were higher than the recommended BCGs in both water and sediment and also the BCG values of selected endangerous Riparian Turtle were also higher than the recommended BCGs of both water and sediment, these results may increase the suitability of the selected Egyptian endangerous Marine, Riparian and Terrestrial species to the different radiological risks. The results showed also the decrement of the radioactivity values of the measured radionuclides in the internal tissue of the Egyptian selected endangerous Red Sea Lizard (Uromastyx aegyptia) than both the selected endangerous Red Sea Turtle and Red Sea Fish species, support the reptiles, which are cold blood animals, and is less affected by gamma radiation than other terrestrial animals.