Diglyceryl borate trichloroacetate ester was prepared from a mixture of diglycerylborate, and trichloroacetic acid in mole ratio 1: 2 in presence of titanium dioxide as a catalyst under stream of nitrogen at high temperature. Samples of fire-resistant compounds from a polymer (poly vinyl chloride), plasticizers (dioctylphthalate and triisopropylphenylphosphate), variable proportions of (diglycerylborate trichloroacetate or diglycerylborate) as fire-resistance modifier, a heat stabilizer (dibutyltindilaurate), a fire-retardant (antimony trioxide), beside a filler and pigment (titanium dioxide) were formulated. Several formulations from the prepared samples were experimented for their fire-resistancy.

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Solid State Nuclear Track Detectors are increasingly being used to obtain the time integrated concentration levels of radon and its daughters. CR-39 plastic detector is very useful in the detection of alpha particles from disintegration of radon and radon daughters. The detector was employed for the measurement of radon concentration and potential alpha energy exposure level in houses in Swaziland. From these values the equilibrium factor (F) between radon and its progeny is estimated for each location. An average F value of 0.71 is obtained. The average effective dose equivalent is found to be HE = 1.63 mSv.y-1.

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Four methods of estimation of parameters of two components vector moving average model
VMA(1) are compared. These methods are exact maximum likelihood (via Kalman filtering), Yule Walker type, moments estimation and Godolphin type. All estimations are based on simulated data using two different covariance matrices. All methods are asymptotically equivalent well inside the invertibility region. Method of constructing Monte-Carlo confidence intervals for parameters is suggested for the time series of the fitted model.

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One percent extracts of twenty five marine algae were assayed for their nematicidal properties using Helicotylenchus indicus as test nematode. After 48 hrs., the number of active nematodes was reduced by 78% in Cystoclonium purpureum, 75% in Chaetomorpha antennina, 95% in Centroceras clauulatum, 90% in Dictyota indica and 44% in Scinaia fasicularia.

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Eighty species which belong to 34 fungal genera yielding 2992 colonies were recovered from surface water (zoosporic fungi) and submerged decaying leaves (aquatic hyphomycetes) samples (160 samples each) during this investigation. Of these fungi, 45 species related to 8 genera of zoosporic fungi (862 colonies) and 35 species related to 26 genera of aquatic hyphomycetes (2130 colonies). Three species of zoosporic fungi (Achlya rodriguazina, Isoachlya toruloides and Saprolegnia luxurians) in addition to fourteen species of aquatic hyphomycetes are new records for Egypt. The richest samples of aquatic fungi (both zoosporic and hyphomycetes) were those collected from water areas with low or moderate temperature and comparatively high total organic matter and dissolved oxygen. Achlya (13 species) and Saprolegnia (12 species) were the commonest zoosporic fungal genera whereas Triscelophorus (2 species), Anguillospora (2 species) and Alatospora (one species) were the most prevalent genera of aquatic Hyphomycetes. The samples collected from Assiut governorate were the richest in zoosporic fungi (23 species and 7 genera) whereas those collected from Aswan governorate were the poorest (6 species and 3 genera). The samples collected from Qena governorate were the richest in aquatic Hyphomycetes (21 species and 16 genera) whereas those collected from El-Giza governorate were the poorest (8 species and 8 genera).

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Citric acid was labeled with 99mTc by the Sn++ reduction method with an efficiency of >98%. The biodistribution of 99mTc-citrate was determined in mice with abscesses in their right thigh muscles and compared to 67Ga-citrate. The maximum abscesses/muscle ratios for 99mTc-citrate were 4.00±1.39 and 4.47±1.76 at 1 h for the turpentine- and Staphylococcus-induced abscesses, respectively. Corresponding values for 67Ga-citrate were 4.76±2.04 and 3.97±1.99 at 4 h. Arthritis was induced in 10 rabbits with intra articular injection of ovalbumin. Scintigraphic images obtained as a function of age up to 21 days showed increased activity involving the synovium. The maximum arthritic/contralateral knee ratio was 3.56±2.42 at 21 days. The blood clearance curve of 99mTc-citrate in rabbits was biexponential with a fast (T1/2=51 min) and a slow (T1/2=22 h) components. Analysis of urine samples indicated that most of the excreted radioactivity was due to intact 99mTccitrate (>95%), as determined by ITLC and electrophoresis. Our results demonstrated that 99mTc-citrate is a potential radio pharmaceutical for the visualization of inflammatory lesions.

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Juliflorine, an antimicrobial alkaloid, isolated from Prosopis juliflora is shown to possesses some immunomodulating activity. This activity was tested in rabbits and compared with Freund's complete adjuvant. Listeria hemolysin (antigen) was injected intramuscularly along with varying concentrations of juliflorine; and a dose related immune response was noted. After four weeks, following weekly doses of 30 mg/Kg of juliflorine, the antihemolysin titre was found high (1: 1280) and more than that with Freund's complete adjuvant; but matches at 20 mg/Kg of juliflorine with Freund's complete adjuvant. On the ther hand repeated injections of 30 mg/Kg of juliflorine were found toxic and produced tissue degeneration, increased lymphocyte count as high as 95%; and high level of lactate dehydrogenase, cholesterol and triglyceride.

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Methotrexate is the most commonly used antimetabolite, frequently producing dramatic results in a number of malignant diseases. However, the efficacy of the drug becomes limited due to unexpected and apparently quite sudden severe toxicity, which even persists despite the administration of citrovorum factor. Since alpha-tocopherol has been found to play a significant role against the development of anticancer therapy induced toxicities, a double blind study is conducted on twenty six patients, who were on prolonged Methotrexate therapy, for residue or recurrence of their head and neck malignancies. A significant decrease in renal toxicity is noted in patients who received alpha-tocopherol. Antioxidant action of alpha tocopherol probably plays an important role in this regard.

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To clarify the possible role of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and plasma renin activity (PRA) in the pathophysiology of preeclampsia, and to evaluate the relationship between ANP and PRA in normal and preeclamptic pregnancies, we simultaneously measured ANP and PRA levels, and also determined ANP/PRA ratios in both normal pregnants (n=8) and preeclamptic patients (n=8) within their third trimesters. In the normal and preeclamptic pregnant women, mean (±SE) plasma ANP values were 25.48 ± 5.52 and 36.27 ± 6.70 pg/ml; and mean (±SE) PRA values were 2.70 ± 0.56 and 3.21 ± 1.09 ng/ml/h, respectively. The higher plasma ANP and PRA values in the preeclamptics were found to be non-significant. Mean (±SE) ANP/PRA ratio in the preeclamptic group was determined to be higher than that in normal pregnancy, the values being 23.0 ± 8.41 pg/ml and 14.05 ± 4.16 ng/ml/h respectively; this difference between the two groups was also found to be nonsignificant. Despite plasma volume reduction in preeclampsia, elevated plasma ANP levels suggest that ANP may be released in response to a rise in intra-atrial pressures secondary to hypertension in this state. It is also concluded that ANP, which is also a potent vasorelaxant, can induce compensatory mechanisms in preeclampsia following increased PRA levels, which otherwise would trigger release of angiotensin II and aldosterone further and hence cause vasoconstriction and sodium retention to be more augmented.

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The effect of cyproheptadine on morphine induced analgesia, tolerance and dependence was investigated in mice and rats. Analgesia was estimated by hot plate method. Pretreatment of mice with cyproheptadine (10 mg/kg s.c.) did not alter the ED50 of morphine analgesia, however, tolerance to the analgesic effect of morphine was reduced by cyproheptadine. Daily subcutaneous injection of morphine was reduced by cyproheptadine. Daily subcutaneous injection of morphine for one week significantly increased the ED50 of morphine from 3 (4.1-2.2) on first day of treatment to 6.68 (9.49-4.7) mg/kg on sixth day of treatment. However, daily co-administration of cyproheptadine significantly reduced the ED50 of morphine after 6 days of treatment to 5.1 (6.73-3.86) mg/kg. The effect of cyproheptadine on abstinence signs precipitated by naloxone in morphine dependent rats was examined. Dependence was produced by two daily s.c. injection of morphine starting with 2.5 mg/kg and doubling the dose each day up to a maximum of 40 mg/kg. The with drawl signs that were observed and recorded were umpping, teeth chattering, weight loss, wet dog shakes, diarrhea, ptosis, rhinorrhea and urination and wet dog shakes. However, jumping, teeth chattering, rhinorrhea and ptosis were not significantly affected by cyproheptadine. We conclude from these results that 5-HT plays a minor role in analgesia while 5-HT seems to partly contribute to the tolerance to and dependence on morphine.

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A case of nail-patella syndrome accompanied by oliguria, hypertension and proteinuria in a 25 year old woman is described. She had deformities of the elbows, dystrophic toe nails, iliac horns and renal failure. Electron microscopic examination of the liver biopsy revealed lipid accumulation, glycogen depletion and vacuolar formation both in the cytoplasm and nucleus of the hepatocytes. In this study, the significance of these findings and the possible pathophysiology of the disease are discussed. The liver alterations represent a new manifestation of this syndrome and have never been described previously.

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Once chance-constrained programs (CCP) are converted into deterministic equivalents, nonlinear terms result. This note compares three approximation methods and reviews other solution methods to solve the resulting nonlinear programs. Naslund's approximation is recommended as an easy and effective method.

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Abu Abdullah Ibn Musa Al Khwarizmi (780-847), the first great mathematician of the Islamic world, was also the founder of Algebra. Many books about the philosophy of mathematics and the history of mathematics referred to his studies. Today we have the Arabic writings of Al Khwarizmi who is considered as one of the most important Islam innovators and the first medieval algebraist. This paper is an attempt to show how Al Khwarizmi's studies influenced the philosophy of mathematics and the development of the advanced algebra.

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