Insomnia in chronic renal patients on dialysis in Saudi Arabia

Background  

Studies have shown that insomnia is a common sleep disorder among patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). This study aimed to assess the prevalence of insomnia in Saudi patients with ESRD who are on maintenance dialysis.     

Citric Acid-Enhanced Electroremediation of Toxic Metal-Contaminated Dredged Sediments: Effect of Open/Closed Orifice Condition, Electric Potential and Surfactant

Citric acid (CA), a widely used eco-friendly electrolyte, can be employed as an agent for enhancing toxic metal (TM) removal from contaminated dredged sediment using electrokinetic (EK) technology. In this study, dredged harbor sediments co-contaminated by TMs were subjected to enhanced EK treatment using a mixture of chelating agent (CA) and surfactant as an additive in the processing fluids. Several control conditions that may influence the efficiency of TM removal were tested, including open/closed sediment chamber orifices, electric potential gradients (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 V cm^-1), and electrolyte surfactant. Tween 20 (4 mmol L^-1) was used as a surfactant within the electrolyte to investigate the extent of TM removal in sediment with high organic matter content. The results showed that an open orifice led to a greater electro-osmotic flow (EOF) with moderate TM removal. In contrast, a closed orifice with a nonionic surfactant electrolyte allowed the highest removal of TMs from the matrix. Moreover, increasing the electric potential gradient led to a higher EOF under the open orifice condition, but no significant increase in TM removal was observed owing to a higher accumulation of TMs in the middle of the matrix, caused by the opposite direction of EOF and electro-migration of metal-citrate complexes.     

Impact of varietal resistance in rice and predation on the mortality of Sogatella furcifera (Horváth) (Homoptera: Delphacidae)

Highly resistant, resistant and susceptible rice cultivars were tested in the greenhouse to determine their effect on Sogatella furcifera (Horváth) populations. The highly resistant cultivar IR2035-117-3, with resistance genes Wbph 1 and Wbph 2, caused the highest S. furcifera mortality. When the effects of varietal resistance and predation were combined the increase in mortality due to predators was additive. The spider Lycosa pseudoannulata Boes. et Str., mirid bug Cytorhinus lividipennis Reuter, ladybird beetle Harmonia octomaculata (F.) and rove beetle Paederus fuscipes Curt. were effective predators of S. furcifera and generally caused 30% mortality on the various cultivars. Results indicate that the integration of varietal resistance and predation would provide effective control of S. furcifera populations under field conditions.     

Hypoglycemic and Vasorelaxant Effect of Passiflora edulis Fruit Peel By-Product

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition - Passiflora edulis fo. flavicarpa (Passifloraceae) is popularly known as yellow passion fruit and its fruit peels are considered a rich by-product in bioactive...     

Indica rice varietal development in Pakistan: an overview

Pakistan is well known for its basmati rice with long grain and aroma, as well as for non-basmati indica varieties; however average yield is lower as compared with other countries. Besides, cultural practices, the main reason for low productivity in Pakistan is that, local varieties are susceptible to different biotic and abiotic factors like insect pests, diseases, drought, and salinity. Different approaches have been undertaken in Pakistan to tackle these problems through traditional breeding of selection and crossing, mutation breeding, somaclonal variation as well as plant transformation studies in recent past. For variety development, the most successful examples arose from traditional breeding that produced famous basmati varieties like Basmati 370, Basmati 385 and Super basmati, and non-basmati varieties such as IRRI-6, DR-82, DR-83, DR-92, Swat-I and Swat-II, which earn a significant share of foreign exchange every year. Six varieties have also been developed through mutation breeding, and one through exploitation of somaclonal variation but their contribution to the national economy is not significant. On the other hand, no variety has been registered as commercial by plant transformation groups. This review discusses the problems and prospects of rice breeding with special emphasis on basmati rice in Pakistan particularly in Pakistani Punjab (a major producing area), as well as focuses on future research programs.     

Breakdown Products in the Metabolic Pathway of Anthracene Degradation by a Ligninolytic Fungus Polyporus sp. S133

Polyporus sp. S133 fungi were selected based on their ability to degrade anthracene in liquid media. The degradation efficiency of anthracene increased by adding 0.5% Tween 80 to reach 71%; agitation at 120 rev/min increased the degradation to 92% after 30?days of incubation. Enzymes such as manganese peroxidase (MnP), lignin peroxidase (LiP), laccase, 1,2-dioxygenase and 2,3-dioxgenase were produced by Polyporus sp. S133 during incubation, and the highest enzyme activity was 182.3 U l^?1 by 1,2-dioxygenase after 20?days of incubation. These results indicate that ligninolytic and dioxygenase enzymes secreted from Polyporus sp. S133 could play an important role in anthracene degradation efficiency. The metabolites detected through the degradation pathway were anthraquinone, phthalic acid, benzoic acid and catechol.     

Natural infection by Cryptosporidium sp., Giardia sp. and Eimeria leuckarti in three groups of equines with different handlings in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

To detect Cryptosporidium sp., Giardia sp. and Eimeria leuckarti in horses, fecal samples were collected from three different handling horse groups from the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Group A was composed of “Mangalarga Marchador” pure breed horses, Group B was formed by horses of a Military Corporation and Group C by stray horses captured by the Center of Zoonosis Control Paulo Dacorso Filho. A total of 396 fecal samples were collected, 212 samples from Group A, 154 samples from Group B and 30 from Group C. The material was submitted to the centrifugation - flotation technique and staining by the safranin-methylene blue technique and analyzed. Oocysts of Cryptosporidium sp. were identified in 0.75% of the samples (n = 3); cysts of Giardia sp. in 0.5% (n = 2) and oocysts of E. leuckarti in 0.5% (n = 2). One case of E. leuckarti in group A and one of Cryptosporidium sp. in group B were observed. In group C were observed two cases of Cryptosporidium, two of Giardia and one of E. leuckarti,. Horses of group C were more parasitized by the three protozoans than animals from the other groups (p < 0.01). It was possible to verify that factors related to the animals, like host individual susceptibility and sanitary factors may influence the occurrence of natural infections by gastrointestinal protozoans, although the age did not have influence. This study reports, for the first time, the occurrence of Cryptosporidium sp., Giardia sp. and E. leuckarti in equines of the State of Rio de Janeiro.     

Dietary organic acid salts mitigate plant protein induced inflammatory response and improve humoral immunity,antioxidative status and digestive enzyme activities in yellowfin seabream,Acanthopagrus latus

An eight‐week research was conducted to investigate the effects of single or combined administration of sodium propionate (Na‐P) and sodium acetate (Na‐A) on the performance of yellowfin seabream (Acanthopagrus latus) juveniles (6.5 ± 0.3 g). A plant protein (PP)‐rich diet was supplemented with sole or blends of organic acid salts (OAS) namely Na‐P and Na‐A to design six experimental feeds including control (without OAS), Na‐P5 (5 g/kg Na‐P), Na‐P10 (10 g/kg Na‐P), Na‐A5 (5 g/kg Na‐A), Na‐A10 (10 g/kg Na‐A) and Na‐P + A (5 g/kg Na‐P + 5 g/kg Na‐A). Except for Na‐A5 group, the other OAS‐supplemented treatments had higher growth and feed efficiency ratio than the control (p < .05). The inclusion of OAS in the experimental feeds pronouncedly enhanced plasma lysozyme and alternative complement pathway activities compared to the control. Furthermore, fish fed on the OAS‐supplemented diets had greater catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities in the liver than the control (p < .05). Total antioxidant capacity in the liver of fish fed on the OAS‐supplemented diet also was higher than the control. Fish fed on the OAS‐supplemented diets had higher pepsin, trypsin and lipase activities than the control. The insulin‐like growth factor 1 (IGF‐1) gene expression was remarkably down‐regulated in the liver of fish fed on the OAS‐supplemented diets compared to the control especially in groups fed on the Na‐P10 and Na‐A10 diets. The greatest IGF‐1 gene down‐regulation level in the gut was in fish fed on the Na‐P5 and Na‐P10 diets. The interleukine‐1β in the gut was remarkably up‐regulated in the control compared to the other groups (p < .05). The lactic acid bacterial colonies count in the gut of the control was lower than the OAS‐supplemented groups. Based on the findings of the present study, supplementing PP‐rich diets with 10 g/kg Na‐P or blends of Na‐P (5 g/kg) and Na‐A (5 g/kg) beneficially alleviated inflammatory responses and improved immune parameters and digestive capacity in yellowfin seabream juveniles.