Synthesis and Characterization of Cobalt apatite totally and half substituted by Microwave Irradiation. Antibacterial activity

The present paper investigates the preparation of hydroxyapatite and Cobalt (Co) apatite totally and half substituted through a chemical synthesis process. The synthesized powders were characterized by the following analytical techniques: X-ray diffraction (XRD), FT-IR and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). We have successfully prepared nano-Hap particles with various shapes by controlling pH and preparation temperature in the precipitation method. The HAp prepared in various conditions. It illustrates that the pH value, preparation temperature and component ratio play an important role in controlling the shape of the synthesized particles. It is interesting that those parameters have insignificant effect on size of the particles. The peak profiles of the XRD patterns may indicate that the crystallinity of the particles varies with the pH value and temperature. For examples, the particles prepared over the pH-9 solution at 60°C have high crystallinity than the particles prepared below pH- 9 solution. XRD analyses results showed that the crystallinity increase with increase the component ratio of cobalt. The antibacterial activity of these complexes against Gram positive and Gram negative has also been studied.Keywords: Hydroxyapatite; Cobalt. FTIR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction(XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM)

The Effect of Brand Awareness on Brand Loyalty: Mediating Role of Brand Commitment

Academic literature in customer behavior and branding is still debatable, with respect to brand loyalty in particular. This study empirically attempts to discuss this particular issue by examining the relationship between brand awareness and brand loyalty. Also, it seeks to investigate the mediation role of brand commitment in initial relationship to tackle the mixed results in the prior attempts. The data were collected from customers of Islamic bank brand in Mafraq Governorate in Jordan. PLS-SEM techniques were applied to a sample of 90 customers to test hypothesized relationships. The results revealed that brand awareness and brand commitment have a significant and positive relationship with brand loyalty. In addition, brand commitment was found to be a mediator in the relationship between brand awareness and brand loyalty. This paper has discussed the results and an implication compared with prior versions as well as introducing some of recommendations for future research. Keywords: Brand loyalty, Brand awareness, Brand commitment

Evaluation of Guiera senegalenses on Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes Among Sudanese Adult Patients

Guiera senegalensis (GS) reflects the reduced glucose exposure of erythrocytes over a preceding time frame proportional to erythrocyte survival. GS is thus an anti-diabetic function of the glucose-time curve, an educationally useful concept to aid teaching and clinical judgment. Sixty-one newly diagnosed patients with an average age of 48.2 years and a weight of 64.9 kg have participated in the study. Participants were significantly different in their educational, socioeconomic levels, and most of them have no family history of diabetes. To evaluate the hypoglycemic effect of GS, the patients were divided into four groups (G1, G2, G3, and G4) and treated with four different doses of the aqueous extract of the herb ( 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2 Oz of GS boiled for 10 minutes in 0.5-liter water). The experiment has lasted for five days for each group, and the blood glucose level of the patients was checked using GOD–POD method, at fasting (FBS), and following two hours after the breakfast (RBS). Another group of 30 patients (control) received Douniel drug (5mg/day/person) instead of the GS herb extract and checked for glucose level with the same procedure mentioned above. The results revealed that blood glucose level (mg/dl) for all patients lowered by 9% after every 24 hours of the treatment and by 35% at the end of the treatment. The average fasting and random blood glucose levels were significantly (P<0.001) reduced from 326.21 and 322.95 mg/dl at the start of the treatment to 213.57 and 202.87 mg/dl sequentially at the end of the treatment. The herb significantly (P<0.001) reduced the blood glucose levels, however, with negligible side effects (vomiting on two patients of group G4). Similar hypoglycemic effects on random blood sugar for both the herb extract and Daniel drugs noticed. However, the average fasting blood glucose level of patients treated with herb extract (266.21 mg/dl) was significantly (P<0.001) lower than that of patients treated with the Daniel drug (280.47 mg/dl). Accordingly, the action of this herb may be similar to that of Douniel drug. However, it might have more prolonged action than Douniel. The study strongly recommends GS as a potential herb for the treatment of type II diabetes

On Model Selection Criterion for Finite Gaussian Mixture Models

This paper delves into the realm of model selection criteria for Finite Mixture Models (FMM), focusing on key evaluation methods such as the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC), Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC), Integrated Completed Likelihood (ICL), and the Bootstrap Likelihood Ratio Test (BLRT). These criteria aid in balancing model fit and complexity, guiding researchers in choosing the most appropriate FMM for analyzing simulated and real datasets. Through extensive simulation studies, the paper meticulously evaluates and contrasts the performance of these criteria under various parameter settings and sample sizes, offering valuable insights for advancements in statistical modeling. The study underscores the importance of selecting the right criterion tailored to the dataset characteristics and research objectives. It highlights the impact of sample size on model selection, noting AIC's tendency to favor complexity and potential overfitting, while BIC and ICL excel in handling sample size variations by penalizing complexity effectively. The utilization of BLRT for comparing models with different complexities aids in identifying the optimal model configuration. Statistical analyses, including p-value assessments and visual aids like scatter plots and density functions, enhance the understanding of model performance and complexity. Overall, the paper emphasizes the significance of informed model selection decisions, ensuring a robust and accurate representation of underlying models in regression analysis

Automatic Semantic Header Generator

As the mounds of information and the number of Internet users grow, the problem of indexing and retrieving of electronic information resources becomes more critical. The existing search systems tend to generate misses and false hits due to the fact that they attempt to match the speci ed search terms without proper context in the target information resource. In environments that contain many di erent types of data, content indexing requires type- speci c processing to extract indexing information e ectively. The COncordia INdexing and DIscovery (Cindi) system is a system devised to support the registration of indexing meta- data for information resources and provide a convenient system for search and discovery. The Semantic Header, containing the semantic contents of information resources stored in the Cindi system, provides a useful tool to facilitate the searching for documents based on a number of commonly used criteria. This paper presents an automatic tool for the extraction and storage of some of the meta-information in a Semantic Header and the classi cation scheme used for generating the subject headings

Linkages between political brand image, affective commitment and electors loyalty: the moderating influence of reference group

The research in elector' loyalty to party brand was still fragmented, isolated and under research. This research aims to investigate the relationship between party brand image and elector loyalty to party brand, as well evaluate the mediation role of elector' affective commitment in primary relationship in line with social exchange theory and the role of the moderating influence of utilitarian reference group (tribe) in accordance with social comparison theory, to fill these gaps in marketing literature and to address the mixed findings in the previous studies.87 survey swere obtained from electors toward party brand in Jordan context using systematic random sampling method.The data were analyzed using SPSS and PLS-SEM techniques.Result shows that there is a positive relationship in direct and indirect paths, whereas, no support for the moderator hypothesis.Ultimately, the study introduced a number of recommendations and set of directions for future research

OPTIMIZATION OF ALOCASIA AMAZONICA PROLIFERATION THROUGH IN-VITRO CULTURE TECHNIQUE

Excised explants were in-vitro cultured on multiplication medium of Murashige and Skoog (MS). This study was carried away inside the tissue culture lab. Horticulture Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center. Giza, Egypt through the period from 2015 to 2017, to research some factors affecting in-vitro propagation of the indoor ornamental plant Alocasia amazonica using benzyladenine amino purine (BAP) and Kinetin at 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 ppm and their interaction. The obtained results indicated that BAP gave the greatest number of shoots, plus the lowest values for shoot length, shoot fresh weight, number regarding roots and total chlorophyll content. Meanwhile, kinetin achieved the highest values for shoot length, shoot fresh weight although it was not necessarily significant. The same was observed in number of leaves, number of roots and total chlorophyll content with no significant difference. MS medium free of hormones demonstrated the greatest number of leaves, number of roots and total chlorophyll content, and the lowest values of number of shoots and shoot length. Using cytokinn at 1 ppm gave the highest shoot length and number of leaves; and the second position for number of shoot and roots. As for 2 ppm of cytokinin application, it gave the greatest values of shoot length, number of leaves and shoot fresh weight, despite the last one was not significant. this concentration got also the other position for number of shoots, 3 ppm had the greatest number of shoots, and the lowest shoot length, number of roots and shoot fresh weight and 4 ppm occupied the second grade concerning number of shoots, and the lowest grades for shoot length, shoot fresh weight, number of leaves, number of roots and total chlorophyll. Regarding the interaction between cytokinin type and concentration found that, the control treatment (Free MS) gave the highest number of leaves. Using BAP at 2 or 3 ppm attained the highest number of shoots. Using Kin at 1 or 2 ppm attained the highest shoots length. Also, Using Kin at 2 ppm attained the highest fresh weight. The application of Kin at 1 ppm was connected with the highest value of number of leaves. The development of roots showed great values on free medium of BAP and Kin as well as medium supplemented with Kin at 1 and 2 ppm. Whereas, root did not demonstrate any presence at higher concentrations of BAP of 2, 3 and 4 ppm. It is usually recommended to use the MS medium supplemented with BAP at 3 ppm which often gave the highest number of shoots. However, the highest values for shoot length, shoot fresh weight and number of roots were recorded on particularly on MS medium supplemented with Kin at 2 ppm

War exposure, post-traumatic stress symptoms and hair cortisol concentrations in Syrian refugee children

Altered secretion of cortisol, the primary effector of the hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal axis, has been proposed as a means by which traumatic experiences compromise later mental health. However, despite the popularity of cortisol as a potential biomarker for stress and adversity, findings are inconsistent, and little is known about the impact of war-related trauma on stress physiology of children and adolescents. Here we aimed to evaluate the relationships between war exposure, current living conditions, hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in a large cohort of Syrian refugee children and adolescents (6–18 years) and their caregiver. This longitudinal observational study assessed Syrian refugee children and adolescents in two waves, 1 year apart, within informal tented settlements in Lebanon. The relationships between war exposure, time since leaving Syria, PTSD symptoms and HCC were investigated using linear mixed-model regression utilising both waves of data collected (Y1: N = 1574, Y2: N = 923). Hair cortisol concentration was positively, but weakly associated with the number of war-related events experienced. This was limited to those who were at least 12 years old at the time of war exposure. Conversely, HCC decreased with time since leaving Syria. HCC was also associated with PTSD symptoms but not with the quality of their current living conditions. This study revealed that changes to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity may accompany both earlier war exposure and current PTSD symptoms in children and adolescents. Additionally, early adolescence may be a particularly sensitive time in terms of trauma-related changes to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis

Synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Ulva lactuca, Sargassum denticulatum, Spirulina platensis and Chlorella vulgaris

Nowadays, we need to develop eco-friendly nanoparticles synthesis process that does not use toxic chemicals in the synthesis methods. Biological synthesis of nanomaterials is cheaper, innovative and environmental friendly. From this point, the present study focused on the synthesis of silver nanoparticles from the extracts of Ulva lactuca, Sargassum denticulatum, Spirulina platensis and Chlorella vulgaris. Characterizations were performed by UV-Visible Spectroscopy (UV-Vis), X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and particle morphology, and size of silver nanoparticles were observed by transmission electron microscope (TEM) It was found spherical shaped nanoparticles sizes with average diameter of approximately 20,78.8, 31 and 50 nm from the extracts of the four algal species (Ulva lactuca, Sargassum denticulatum, Chlorella vulgaris and Spirulina platensis), respectively. So, the extracts from algae were screened for phytochemicals analysis followed by FT-IR to know the present chemical functional groups. Therefore, the present study illustrates silver nanoparticles can play an influential role in nanobiotechnology field in future