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Halophytic plants are a fascinating group of plants that also serve as dietary feed for livestock. Their utilization is essential for sustainable agriculture and maintaining ecological balance. This book explains the nature of halophytic plants through an in-depth presentation of their botanical and nutritional characteristics. Chapters of the book highlight different aspects of halophytes on a botanical, histological, ecological and nutritional basis when utilized as animal feed components. The issues of the histo-chemical aspects of halophytes are addressed with regard to their impact on nutrient compositions and availability to animals, while the important nutrient contents of halophytes are considered in relation to their value to animals. Key Features: - 10 organized chapters on halophytic plants - Explains the relationship between botanical and nutritional characteristics of halophytes when utilized as animal feed components - Covers information about important nutrient contents and secondary metabolites in halophytes - Includes information on nutritional and feeding values for animals - Includes informative diagram and tables - Includes references for further reading This book fills a notable gap in available literature on the subject, and will stimulate researchers to pursue the many unanswered questions in the field of biosaline agriculture. This text serves as reading material for undergraduate and graduate level courses and specializations in agriculture, animal nutrition, animal physiology, botany and plant physiology. It also serves as supplementary reading for students of taxonomy, ecology, and environmental science courses. Professional and apprentice livestock farmers will also benefit from the information presented by the book.

Background: Central neurocytoma (CN) is a rare tumor accounting for <0.5% of all intracranial tumors. Surgery ± radiotherapy is the mainstay treatment. This international multicentric study aims to evaluate the outcomes of CNs patients after multimodal therapies and identify predictive factors. Patients and methods: We retrospectively identified 33 patients with CN treated between 2005 and 2019. Treatment characteristics and outcomes were assessed. Results: All patients with CN underwent surgical resection. Radiotherapy was delivered in 19 patients. The median radiation dose was 54 Gy (range, 50–60 Gy). The median follow-up time was 56 months. The 5-year OS and 5-year PFS were 90% and 76%, respectively. Patients who received radiotherapy had a significantly longer PFS than patients without RT (p = 0.004) and a trend towards longer OS. In addition, complete response after treatments was associated with longer PFS (p = 0.07). Conclusions: Using RT seems to be associated with longer survival rates with an acceptable toxicity profile.

The contemporary interior design is trying to contribute in protecting the environment, while satisfying the need of the people with a functional and aesthetic interior design and furniture, that can improve health, and standards of living. Bamboo is a rapidly growing grass that has sustainable, renewable, and recyclable properties, also has multiple physical properties as lightweight and high-strength, durability, water, fire, pests, and microbial resistance. One of its important advantages is being cost-effective for its low-cost cultivation, transportation, production, and less time consuming and energy expenditure. The research problem: cutting the natural woods to satisfy the need of interior design and furniture for everyday living, is depleting the natural resources and negatively affecting the environment. Can bamboo, being a sustainable eco-friendly material, be used in interior design and furniture and contribute in protecting the environment by minimizing cutting natural wood and cover its shortage, while keeping the earth green? The aim of the research is to illustrate the role of bamboo, as a sustainable, healthy, eco-friendly environmental material, and its uses in interior design and furniture to help creating a healthy interior environment while keeping the earth green. Results: interior designers must consider using bamboo being a sustainable renewable material to reduce depleting the natural resources and help in protecting the environment. The use of bamboo in the interior design and furniture creates an interior environment close to nature with its natural look, and comfortable ambiance being oxygen inducer and carbon dioxide reducer as well as thermal insulator. This helps in reducing everyday stress and the negative impact of the modern lifestyle on its occupiers' and on the long term it ensures a relaxed and healthy interior environment protecting against psychological and physical illnesses. The different advantages of bamboo encouraged interior designers with the help of new technology to integrate bamboo in the contemporary interior design and furniture to create a healthy and positive environment with diversity of modern designs using an eco-friendly material. The results of the study were applied on a bedroom in a touristic resort.

To report a rare case of axis brown tumor and to review literature of cervical spine brown tumor. Brown tumor is a rare bone lesion, incidence less than 5% in primary hyperparathyroidism. It is more common in secondary hyperparathyroidism with up to 13% of cases. Brown tumor reactive lesion forms as a result of disturbed bone remodeling due to long standing increase in parathyroid hormones. Cervical spine involvement is extremely rare, can be confused with serous spine lesions. To date, only four cases of cervical spine involvement have been reported. Three were due to secondary hyperparathyroidism. Only one was reported to involve the axis and was due to secondary hyperparathyroidism. This is the first reported case of axis brown tumor due to primary hyperparathyroidism. A case report of brown tumor is presented. A literature review was conducted by a Medline search of reported cases of brown tumor, key words: brown tumor, osteoclastoma and cervical lesions. The resulting papers were reviewed and cervical spine cases were listed then classified according to the level, cause, and management. Only four previous cases involved the cervical spine. Three were caused by secondary hyperparathyroidism and one was by primary hyperparathyroidism which involved the C6. Our case was the first case of C2 involvement of primary hyperparathyroidism and it was managed conservatively. Brown tumor, a rare spinal tumor that presents with high PTH and giant cells, requires a high level of suspicion.

A phase I pharmacologic study was undertaken to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), to characterize the pharmacokinetic profile, and to evaluate all toxicities of the aqueous colloidal dispersion formulation of 9-aminocampothecin (9-AC). 9-AC was administered as a constant 72-h i.v. infusion every 2 weeks to adult cancer patients at dose rates ranging from 25 to 59 microg/m2 per hour. Twenty patients with refractory solid tumors received a total of 86 courses of 9-AC at four dose levels. Myelosuppression, particularly granulocytopenia, was the most common toxicity. Two of six assessable patients entered at 59 microg/m2 per hour had dose-limiting toxicity (grade 3 diarrhea or need for a 2-week treatment delay to permit granulocyte recovery), whereas lower doses were well tolerated. At the recommended dose, 47 microg/m2 per hour, the average steady-state plasma levels (Cpss) and area under the curve (AUC) of 9-AC lactone and total drug were 15 and 75 nM, and 1034 and 4220 nM.h, respectively. A moderate correlation was seen between 9-AC lactone AUC and the percentage decrease in granulocytes. The recommended phase II dose of 9-AC colloidal dispersion as a 72-h infusion every 14 days is 47 microg/m2 per hour (1.13 mg/m2 per day). The Cpss of 9-AC lactone at this dose exceeded the 10 nM threshold level for preclinical activity.

The objectives of this study were to examine the effects of chlorhexidine diacetate on growth and L-lactate production by Streptococcus bovis JB1 as well as the effects of this antimicrobial compound on the mixed ruminal microorganism fermentation. Addition of 1.8 micromolar chlorhexidine diacetate to glucose medium resulted in a lag in growth by S. bovis JB1, and growth was completely inhibited in the presence of 3.6, 9.0, and 18 micromolar chlorhexidine. When 6.2 micromolar chlorhexidine diacetate was added to glucose medium after 2 h of incubation, glucose utilization and L-lactate production by S. bovis JB1 were reduced. Phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphorylation of 14C-glucose by toluene-treated cells of S. bovis JB1 was inhibited by increasing concentrations (1.8 to 18 micromolar) of chlorhexidine, whereas only the 18 micromolar concentration reduced the membrane potential. Chlorhexidine diacetate was a potent inhibitor of L-lactate and methane production from glucose fermentation by mixed ruminal microorganisms. However, because chlorhexidine also decreased acetate and propionate concentrations and increased ammonia concentrations in mixed-culture incubations, this antimicrobial compound may have limited application as a ruminant feed additive