A novel efficient multi-walled carbon nanotubes/gibberellic acid composite for enhancement vase life and quality of Rosa hybrida cv. 'Moonstone'

The postharvest life of cut flowers is limited, which is a major challenge and varies greatly depending on plant varieties, cut flower stage, flower length of the harvested shoots, and storage conditions including postharvest treatments. As a result, improving the vase life and quality of cut flowers in regulating postharvest characteristics and overcoming these challenges is critical to the horticulture business. Novel engineered nanocomposites were created and tested for possible impacts on flower bud opening, postharvest life extension, longevity regulation, and preservation and enhancement of the strength and appearance of cut flowers. The experiment was conducted as a factorial experiment using a completely randomized design (CRD) with two factors. The first factor was two holding solutions (without or with sucrose at 20 gL-1). The second factor was 12 pulsing treatments for 24 h; distilled water as a control, 75 ppm GA3, multi-walled carbon nanotubes MWCNTs at 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 ppm, and MWCNTs (10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 ppm)/GA3 (75 ppm) composites; each treatment had 3 replicates, for a total of 72 experimental units. In the present study, gibberellic acid (GA3) was synthesized in functionalized (MWCNT/GA3 composites) as a novel antisenescence agent, and their effect on the vase life quality of cut rose flowers Rosa hybrida cv. 'Moonstone' was compared by assaying several parameters critical for vase life. The adsorption of GA3 on MWCNTs was proven by performing FTIR spectroscopy which ensures that the formation of the MWCNTs/GA3 composite preserves the nanostructure and was examined by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). The results revealed that sucrose in the holding solution showed a significant increase in fresh weight, flower diameter, and vase life by 10.5, 10.6, and 3.3% respectively. Applying sucrose with MWCNTs 20 ppm/GA3 75 ppm composites or MWCNTs 20 ppm alone, was critical for the significant increase in flower opening by 39.7 and 28.7%, and longevity by 34.4 and 23.2%, respectively, and significantly increased chlorophyll a, b, total chlorophyll, anthocyanin, total phenolic content, and 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl scavenging activity as compared to the control.

Tailoring of a Potential Nanoformulated Form of Gibberellic Acid: Synthesis, Characterization, and Field Applications on Vegetation and Flowering

Nanoformulation of agrochemicals has become a potential choice to improve the physicochemical properties, enhance the utilization efficiency, and reduce the side effects and ecotoxicity of many hazardous chemicals. Here, we tailored a new formulation platform for gibberellic acid (GA) using the layered double hydroxides (LDH) as a potential carrier. Typically, we synthesized, characterized, and potentially applied the newly nanoformulated form of GA on the quantity and quality properties of Dendranthema grandiflorum cultivar. We also evaluated the synergetic effect of the carrier LDH on the release behavior of GA, showing a remarkable impact on the utilization efficiency of GA. The nanohybrid structure of GA also showed an enhanced thermal stability and safe preservation for the incorporated moieties. Taking into account the hazardous effect of free GA on the environment and human health, the hybrid technique of GA is one of the best choices among all of the studied protocols.

Evaluation of Plasma Beta-2-microglobulin in Patients with the Nephrotic Syndrome

In patients with the nephrotic syndrome, it is often desirable to assess the disease process, not only by proteinuria but also by indices of glomerular inflammatory process. We investigated the importance of beta-microglobulin (betaM) as a means of assessing renal function in patients with the nephrotic syndrome with normal or abnormal values of creatinine clearance. There were 46 patients (mean age, 42.2 + 10.4 years; male/female (M/F) ratio = 31/15) and 35 healthy controls (mean age 39 + 4.5 years, M/F ratio 25/10). We subdivided the study patients into group A (n = 18, mean age 39.6 + 10.6 years, M/F ratio 8/10) and group B patients (n = 28, mean age 45.6 + 8.9 years, M/F ratio 23/5) who had normal and abnormal values of creatinine clearance respectively. An enzyme-linked-immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to quantitate plasma beta2M in the study patients and controls. The median 132M levels of the study patients and controls were 44.0 and 1.7 mg/l respectively (p < 0.0001). Beta-2-M levels correlated significantly with serum creatinine (r = 0.56, p < 0.0001), and creatinine clearance (r = -0.6, p < 0.0001). In group A patients, the median beta2M level was significantly higher than normal (4.1 vs. 1.7 mg/1, p < 0.01). Plasma beta2M levels did not correlate well with any other parameter measured in group A patients. When groups A and B were compared, the median plasma beta2M level in group B was significantly higher than group A (20.3 vs. 4.1 mg/1, p < 0.0001). The urinary beta2M (expressed per mg urine creatinine) was also higher in group B than group A patients (6.8 vs. 0.7 p < 0.05). We conclude that elevation of beta2M-microglobulin in patients with the nephrotic syndrome who have normal creatinine clearance suggests early abnormal renal function in these patients. It may be used to assess the rate of normalisation of renal function or progression to chronic renal failure.

Acute hyponatremic encephalopathy after a cerebrovascular accident

A 66-year-old hypertensive male with acute intracerebral hemorrhage developed acute hyponatremic coma 3 days after the addition of enalapril and a combination of amiloride and a thiazide diuretic to his hypotensive regimen. The patient recovered consciousness and serum sodium normalized 2 days after fluid restriction and withdrawal of both medications. Three weeks later, upon inadvertent reinstitution of enalapril and indapamide, severe hyponatremic encephalopathy promptly recurred; recovery was again rapid following fluid restriction and withdrawal of both medications. This temporal relationship establishes the thiazide diuretic or the angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor or both as the cause of the profound symptomatic hyponatremia in this patient. Results of simultaneous serum and urine osmolality assays on several occasions were consistent with a decrease in free water clearance, a result of either increased antidiuretic hormone (ADH) secretion or potentiation of its peripheral action, and thiazide-induced natriuresis. The use of a thiazide diuretic in the presence of either of these aberrations of ADH homeostasis most likely explains the profound and rapid development of hyponatremia. Drug-induced disturbances in serum osmolality are a potentially reversible cause of deterioration of the mental state in a patient with an acute cerebrovascular accident.

Xeroderma pigmentosum with adult Wilms' tumour. A rare association

Xeroderma pigmentosum is an uncommon skin disorder associated with increased incidence of skin tumours and, less often, internal malignancies. Wilms' tumour is a common paediatric tumour, observed rarely in adults. Here we report the rare association of Xeroderma pigmentosum with adult Wilms' tumour in two Libyan females. To the best of our knowledge, this association has not been reported so far in the literature.