In this study, Pseudomonas Z4A2 has been isolated from polluted wastewater of El-Kharga city, New Valley Governorate, Egypt. The bacterial isolate found to be highly resistant to different concentrations of zinc and nickel. The isolated bacterium identified according to 16s rRNA as Pseudomonas luteola Z4A2. Its minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) for Zn2+ and Ni2+ were 700 and 200 ppm, respectively. Growth kinetics, parameters and the protein content of Pseudomonas luteola Z4A2 were determined under Zn2+and Ni2+ stress. The results indicated that the protein content was decreased under a high concentration of heavy metals.

With contrast to the previous century when the concept of electronic transfer was proposed, nowadays electronic payments are drastically increased due to the rapid increase in online shopping or Internet-based banking. Now in twenty-firstcentury electronic payments became the first option for the transfer of money to/from payer/payee. Visa card, master-card, smart card, debit card, credit card, e-check, and e-wallet, etc. are the options for e-payments. Behind the acceptance of the new payment system depend upon the three factors- cost, time and security per transaction take place of each other. This paper will highlight the background study, types of electronic payment systems available and which payment method users should choose considering the cost, time and security factors. This research will also identify the issues and challenges of e-payments and suggest some solutions to improve performance and quality in developing countries. The motive of this review paper is to introduce the reader to electronic payment and keep update the reader with the current state of the art in the electronic payment system and to provide an overview of past efforts and future trends of electronic payment transfer.

The primary goal of this paper includes finding out systems used in National Library of Bangladesh (NLB) to confine the created knowledge and investigate the library officers’ views of knowledge management (KM). Survey method has been used for this present study. The staff of NLB was purposively chosen for this study. For data collection a questionnaire was sent to the 12 officers of NLB. The study revealed that NLB record their tacit knowledge by keeping in mind and 36.4% recorded their knowledge by taking notes. Maximum number of respondents replied that KM is important and relevant in NLB but need to update regularly in the library. The study identified that KM may bring benefits for the organization and the response rate regarding this was 100%. This research is restricted in its span and data was collected from only twelve library officers of NLB by applying questionnaire survey. The paper proposes that library users and staffs of NLB need to broaden their understanding, and need to modify their usual mindset and to concern about holistic approach of KM system design by giving attention on various types of knowledge i.e. explicit and tacit knowledge. This research explored the unique views of library officers on the topic of KM in libraries.

Nitric oxide (NO) is a prevalent signaling molecule that regulates plant responses to potential plant stresses like drought. Growth and seeds yield/plant improvement under drought stress was the net result of the regulatory role of NO-priming on different physiological pathways of two faba bean plants differing in their drought tolerance. NO efficiently enhanced the machinery of photosynthesis via increasing chlorophyll a, b and carotenoids which associated with lowering of hydrogen peroxide, superoxide anion and hydroxyl radical. Thus, the tested dose of NO had an efficient free radical quenching system as witnessed from activating phenolics, ASA, SOD, APX, and CAT. All these up-regulations reflected on maintaining higher membrane stability via lowered lipid peroxidation and electrolyte leakage under both control and drought treated plants. The promoter role of NO on metabolic and antioxidative activities could serve as an important component of the defense mechanism against oxidative burst induced by drought stress.

Thirty species of fungi related to 16 genera were isolated from the rhizosphere soils of healthy pepper plantations in different localities in Assiut (13 localities), Behera (2 localities) and Sohag Governorates (2 localities) in Egypt. Seventy–five native isolates related to 10 genera and 17 species were screened in vitro against the pathogenic Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium solani and, Macrophomina phaseolina. In vitro, the highest activity was obtained with all isolates of Trichoderma harzianum followed by Penicillium oxalicum (AUMC 11419, AUMC 11420) and Clonostachys rosea (AUMC 11417, AUMC 11442) on the three pathogenic fungal species tested. In vivo Botryotrichum atrogriseum AUMC 11415, Aspergillus nidulans AUMC 11418, Albifimbria verrucaria AUMC 11414, C. rosea AUMC 11442 and T. harzianum AUMC 11422 were reduced disease severity up to 90% over the control. The results revealed that Trichoderma harzianum (3 isolates) showed the highest chitinase activity in a range of 2.5-3.3 IU/ml and Penicillium oxalicum AUMC 11419 presented a maximum lipase activity of 1.01 IU/ml. Also, the volatile metabolites assay revealed that Trichoderma strains produced the highest inhibitory effect against the highly pathogenic strain of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. capsici AUMC11424 in the range of 31.1-34.4% of the untreated control.

Oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus spp.) can bioconvert lignocellulosic residues due to the secretion of extracellular enzymes. The production of hydrolytic and oxidative enzymes by five Pleurotus spp. (P. ostreatus, P. columbinus, P. pulmonarius, P. sajor-caju, and P. floridanus), developed in the solid and liquid state of fermentation using three argo-wastes (rice straw, sugarcane bagasse, and cotton waste), as substrate was evaluated in this work. The total nitrogen and potassium percentage were the highest in the case of rice straw, (0.96% and 0.60%). Also, the biological efficiency (BE), from these results, was the highest in the case of P. sajor-caju and P. columbinus recorded 64.4% on rice straw. It was observed that the submerged liquid fermentation (SmF) was suitable for the growth of all Pleurotus species. Also, the high value of enzymatic activity was determined through this study was, higher in the submerged liquid fermentation SmF, than those produced during solid-state culture (SSF). Among proteolytic enzymes, protease produced by the five Pleurotus spp. presenting the highest enzymatic activity (23.80 U/mL) on SmF and (22.56 U/mg) on SSF. Considering the oxidative enzymes, laccase produced, the highest value (1.99 U/mL) of laccase activity of filtrate was estimated from P. ostreatus cultivated on sugarcane bagasse of SmF. Low enzyme level (0.39 U/mg) was manganese peroxidase, obtained from P. floridanus cultivated on the cotton waste of SSF. The enzymatic levels of a-amylase, ß-amylase, cellulose, cellobiohydrolase, laccase, and lignin peroxidase were from 2.9-0.50 U/mL.

The present study attempted to evaluate the physiological modification in the antioxidant status, hormonal and biochemical profile of dairy cattle in Upper Egypt during the periparturient period. Blood samples were obtained from the jugular vein of 25 healthy dairy cattle from a private dairy farm in Assiut province, Egypt. Blood samples were taken with 7 days’ intervals: two weeks before and two weeks after parturition (during the periparturient period). The collected serum samples were analyzed for determination of biochemical and hormonal parameters including: progesterone (P4), estradiol (E2), cortisol, triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), malondialdehyde (MDA), blood glucose (BG), triacylglycerol (TG), Total cholesterol (TC), calcium (Ca2+) and phosphorus (P3+). Our results indicated that serum P4 levels were significantly decreased post-partum than during the pre-partum period. E2 level reached the maximum on the day of calving as compared with the pre-partum period. The serum cortisol level was highly elevated at calving day. T3 concentration was significantly higher on the 7th day postpartum, while a higher level of T4 was recorded at 15th-day post-calving. TAC and MDA showed significant changes during our study. The BG increased significantly reaching the maximum level on the calving day, then it was sharply decreased on the 7th-day post-calving. TG and TC levels showed a significant reduction in two weeks post parturition. A significant reduction of both Ca2+ and P3+ was noted at the calving and post-partum period. The periparturient period was associated with significant changes in hormonal, oxidative stress and biochemical blood profiles comparing with the pre-partum period.

Mounting evidence suggests that mercuric chloride (HgCl2) exposure associated with a broad spectrum of toxicological signs, including neurobehavioral and neurochemical abnormalities. It was owing to antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, and anti-inflammatory properties of garlic, ginger, and sodium selenite (Na2SeO3), providing stable rationality to block the multifaceted neurotoxicologically pathways of HgCl2. Therefore, the present study was carried out to investigate the neuroprotective potential of these nutritional strategies against the HgCl2-induced neurotoxic mice model. 75 albino mice were randomly and equally divided into 5 groups, and 15 mice each to achieve this objective. The group 1 was kept as a control, and group 2 was administered HgCl2 at a dose 4 mg/kg BW. The groups 3, 4, and 5 were administered HgCl2 in association with garlic and ginger oils and Na2SeO3 at doses of 63, 50, and 0.1 mg/kg BW, respectively. HgCl2 and the treatments were supplemented orally through the stomach tube 3 times weekly for 6 weeks. Half of the mice were decapitated from each group after 4 weeks, and the others decapitated at the end of the experimental period. HgCl2 caused neurological deterioration as indicated by depletion of catalase activity, and induction of apoptosis and histopathological afflictions. However, chronic treatment with the three natural therapeutically approaches exerted neuroprotective effects by ameliorating the above-mentioned disturbances.