Occidentalism in Late Nineteenth Century Egypt

This thesis analyzes the Occidental discourses of three intellectual leaders of late nineteenth century Egypt, Jamal al-Din al-Afghani, Qasim Amin, and Abd al-Rahman al-Kawakibi. It highlights four main factors that shaped the three writers\u27 views of the West. These factors are: the way each writer saw reform as a process, the way each writer viewed the effects of Western foreign policies on the Muslim world, and the attitudes of each writer toward Muslim governments and toward the socially conservative Muslim masses. At the policy level, the study argues that any policy seeking to reform Arabs\u27 perceptions of the US and the West should simultaneously attempt to promote democracy in Muslim societies, to reform Western foreign policies toward the Muslim world, to educate Muslims about the social and moral values of the West, and to spread a view of reform as a gradual, educational, and nonviolent process

Deleterious Effects of Banned Chemical Pesticides on Human Health in Developing Countries

Nowadays, large quantities of banned chemical pesticides are still in use illegally in various developing countries. The effect of these pesticides on humans, that is, children, adults, including pregnant women, either through chronic residential or occupational exposure, leads to various negative effects. This chapter focuses on the evidence of using the banned pesticides in developing countries and the occurrence of different diseases that affect the quality of life of the affected individuals either at the health, social, and/or labor level. The recorded diseases included obesity, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, dementia, Parkinson’s, asthma, chronic bronchitis, autism, erectile dysfunction, and psychological disorders as a result of chronic exposure to the banned pesticides. It was highlighted the identification of each disease, some epidemiological studies carried out in developing countries, and the mechanisms of action by which the pesticides are linked to each mentioned disease. In conclusion, it was discussed the major causes behind the incidence of such diseases and suggested suitable solutions that must be presented by the US Environmental Protection Agency, Food and Agriculture Organization among other bodies to the developing countries to avoid and overcome the occurrence of such diseases in the future

Selenium and Nano-Selenium Biofortification for Human Health

Selenium is an essential micronutrient required for the health of humans and lower plants, but its importance for higher plants is still being investigated. The biological functions of Se related to human health revolve around its presence in 25 known selenoproteins (e.g., selenocysteine or the 21st amino acid). Humans may receive their required Se through plant uptake of soil Se, foods enriched in Se, or Se dietary supplements. Selenium nanoparticles (Se-NPs) have been applied to biofortified foods and feeds. Due to low toxicity and high e ciency, Se-NPs are used in applications such as cancer therapy and nano-medicines. Selenium and nano-selenium may be able to support and enhance the productivity of cultivated plants and animals under stressful conditions because they are antimicrobial and anti-carcinogenic agents, with antioxidant capacity and immune-modulatory efficacy. Thus, nano-selenium could be inserted in the feeds of fish and livestock to improvise stress resilience and productivity. This review offers new insights in Se and Se-NPs biofortification for edible plants and farm animals under stressful environments. Further, extensive research on Se-NPs is required to identify possible adverse effects on humans and their cytotoxicity.Peer Reviewe

Molluscicidal Activity of Methomyl and Cardenolide Extracts from Calotropis procera and Adenium arabicum Against the Land Snail Monacha cantiana

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Sex determination in femurs of modern Egyptians: A comparative study between metric measurements and SRY gene detection

Background: Sex determination of the human skeleton has been studied in forensic and physical anthropology. Long bones have been especially used because of the ease of defining measurements and better preservation. The femur is the most studied of all long bones. The application of PCR to forensic medicine has greatly enhanced the power and sensitivity of DNA analysis which has become a valuable tool for the identification of missing individuals and unknown remains. Aim of work: Determination of sex from the femur bones and comparing the anatomical method with that of SRY gene detection. Materials and methods: A total of 20 adult Egyptian human bones were selected for this study. They were obtained from the Unit of Anthropology, Anatomy Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University. The diameter of the femoral head and the femoral mid-shaft circumference were used as metric measurements in sex determination of the femur. A multiplex method for DNA sex determination using the sex-determining region Y (SRY) gene was used. It involved two sets of primers, amplifying two different DNA sequences in a single reaction. Results: By measuring both the femoral head diameter and the mid-shaft circumference, it was revealed that 8 out of the 20 specimens were males while the rest were females. On the other hand, using the DNA analysis, all the samples showed amplification of one fragment (239/242 bp) in case of female origin, and two fragments (239/242 bp and 139 bp) in case of male origin. This DNA analysis verified the results obtained using metric measurements of the femur. Conclusion: The SRY gene detection method for sex determination is quick and simple, requiring only one PCR reaction. It corroborates the results obtained from anatomical measurements and further confirms the sex of the femur bone in question

The Role of Road Transport Infrastructure Investments on Logistics Performance: A Research Agenda

Purpose: This research aims to highlight the impact of road transport infrastructure investments on logistics performance.Design/ methodology/ approach: A systematic review of 20 published research on the role of road transport infrastructure investments was conducted with the purpose of identifying the impacts of road infrastructure on logistics performance, the methods used in the previous studies, the lessons learned from investing in road transportation infrastructure, and the previous researchers’ recommendations for the further studies.Findings: It revealed that road transportation investments are essential for a country’s development from logistics, economic, and social perspectives. Road transport investments play a vital role in the efficiency of a country’s logistics performance and the economy as it facilitates connectivity and accessibility to all supply chain areas within a country. In addition, it reduces all the operational costs of road trips. Moreover, in previous research, almost all researchers used a single method to figure out these impacts and none of them used hybrid methods to get more accurate results.Research implications/ limitations: The paper provides a comprehensive view on the impact of road transport infrastructure investments on logistics performance. In addition, it identifies new research gaps as not all the factors of road transportation that affect logistics performance have been fully tackled in previous research, upon which a research agenda was developed.Originality: The paper introduces a comprehensive systematic literature review that highlights the relationship between road infrastructure investments and logistics performance to guide future research.</p