The taxonomy of Ficus L., 1753 species is confusing because of the intense morphological variability and the ambiguity of the taxa. This study handled 36 macro-morphological characteristics to clarify the taxonomic identity of the taxa. The study revealed that Ficus is represented in the Egyptian gardens with forty-one taxa; 33 species, 4 subspecies and 4 varieties, and classified into five subgenera: Ficus Corner, 1960; Terega Raf., 1838; Sycomorus Raf., 1838; Synoecia (Miq.) Miq., 1867, and Spherosuke Raf.,1838; out of them seven were misidentified. Amongst, four new Ficus taxa were recently introduced to Egypt namely: F. lingua subsp. lingua Warb. ex De Wild. & T. Durand, 1901; F. pumila L., 1753; F. rumphii Blume, 1825, and F. sur Forssk., 1775. The application of the multivariate analyses in plant systematics namely the two-way clustering analysis and the principal component analysis revealed that the qualitative characters as the presence or absence of lateral peduncular or ostiolar bracts and the leaf margin delimit the differentiation of subgenera within genus Ficus. Whereas the qualitative characters of the leaf as leaf arrangement, lamina shape, length, ratio of length to width, base, apex, number of lateral veins, stipules and figs either pedunculate or sessile, shape, and width are significantly separating the species within the different sections. Seven different identification keys of the studied taxa based on the examined characters are provided. In addition, a diagrammatic key for all the studied taxa is given.
Environmentally friendly copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) were prepared with a green synthesis route via Anchusa strigosa L. Flowers extract. These nanoparticles were further characterized by FTIR, XRD and SEM techniques. Removing of Gongo red from water was applied successfully by using synthesized CuO NPs which used as an adsorbent material. It was validated that the CuO NPs eliminate Congo red by means of adsorption, and the best efficiency of adsorption was gained at pH (3). The maximum adsorption capacity of CuO NPs for Congo red was observed at (35) mg/g. The equilibrium information for adsorption have been outfitted to the Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and Halsey adsorption isot
... Show MoreBackground: The most common reason for re-making a maxillofacial prosthesis is the degradation of the mechanical properties of the silicone. Aim of this study: To assess some mechanical properties of VST-50F maxillofacial silicone reinforced with a composite of silicon dioxide nanoparticle and polyamide-6 microparticle before and after artificial aging. Material and Method: Preparing 240 samples tested for tear strength, tensile strength and elongation percentage, hardness, and roughness before and after aging. The Silicon dioxide was added in concentrations of 1% by weight and Polyamide-6 in the concentration of 0.25% and 0.5% by weight to the VST-50F RTV maxillofacial silicone. The one-way ANOVA and post hoc tests were used for inferentia
... Show MoreFive new ceftazidime derivatives were designed and synthesized in an attempt to improve the acid stability and may increase the spectrum of ceftazidime. The synthesized compounds included; Schiff base of ceftazidime (compound 1), ceftazidime lysine amide Schiff base (compound 2), ceftazidime lysine amide (compound 3), ceftazidime-di-lysine amide Schiff base (compound 4) and ceftazidime-di-lysine amide (compound 5). New ceftazidime derivatives were successfully prepared characterized and identified using spectral and elemental microanalysis (CHNS) analyses and the results comply with the calculated measurements.
Compounds 1 and 2 were subjected to a stability study in phosphate buffer (0.2M, pH 7.4) and in KCl/HCl buffer (0.
... Show MoreNew data on jumping spiders (Salticidae) and tangle-web spiders (Theridiidae) of Armenia are provided on the basis of recently collected specimens in various regions of Armenia. One species, Ballus rufipes (Simon, 1868) is recorded as new to the Caucasus Region, in addition to the following species: Neon reticulatus (Blackwall, 1853), Pellenes brevis (Simon, 1868), Salticus scenicus (Clerck, 1757) and Synageles dalmaticus (Keyserling, 1863) that belong to a family Salticidae, are recorded in Armenia for the first time.
A further 7 species of Theridiidae are recorded in Armenia for the first time Kochiura aulica (C. L. Koch, 1838), Steatoda albomaculata (De Geer, 1778), Steatoda bipunctata (Linnaeus, 1758), Steatoda castanea Clerk, 175
The optimum conditions for production of fibrinolytic protease from an edible mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus grown on the solid medium , Sus medium, composed of Sus wastes (produced from extracted medicinal plant Glycyrrhiza glabra) were determined. Addition of 5% of Soya bean seeds meal in Sus medium recorded a maximum fibrinolytic protease activity resulting in 7.7 units / ml. The optimum moisture content of Sus medium supplemented with 5% Soya bean seeds meal was 60% resulting in 7.2 units / ml.Pleurotus ostreatus produced a maximum fibrinolytic protease activity when the spawn rate,pH of medium and incubation temperature were 2,6 and 30°C, respectively. The maximum fibrinolytic protease activity was 7.6 units / ml when incubat
... Show MoreMetal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as revolutionary materials for developing advanced biosensors, especially for detecting reactive oxygen species (ROS) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in biomedical applications. This comprehensive review explores the current state-of-the-art in MOF-based biosensors, covering fundamental principles, design strategies, performance features, and clinical uses. MOFs offer unique benefits, including exceptional porosity (up to 10,400 m²/g), tunable structures, biocompatibility, and natural enzyme-mimicking properties, making them ideal platforms for sensitive and selective detection of ROS and H₂O₂. Recent advances have shown significant improvements in detection capabilities, with limit
... Show MoreBackground: Rituximab is a chimeric IgG1 kappa immunoglobulin that has been genetically modified to incorporate human constant region sequences together with murine light- and heavy-chain variable region sequences. People use it to treat rheumatoid arthritis and certain malignancies. Objective: The study aimed to assess the potential association between the serum levels of Factor I, CD59, interleukins (IL)-6, and interferon-gamma (IFN)-γ and the response to Rituximab treatment in Iraqi rheumatoid arthritis patients. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the rheumatology center at Baghdad Teaching Hospital. Ninety adult patients who have been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and are receiving Rituximab intravenous i
... Show MoreThe experiment was carried out the study of effect of seed peels of Nigella sativa and Brassica nigra by 5, 10 mg/ kg soil that added them to soil alone and 5, 10 mg/kg soil together on the growth of Cicer arietinum plants. The results showed the increased significantly germination accelerator, plant height, leaves number, branches number, flowers number, legumes number, seed dry mater, carbohydrate and protein percentage in seeds.