A study and analysis of farm tenancy in Egypt

The purpose of this study is therefore designed to answer the following questions: 1. Does the existing system of farm tenancy in Egypt give landowners an unfair advantage over tenants? 2. Which of the methods of farm tenancy is most equitable to the two parties, and on what basis can equitable rents be determined? 3.How are incomes and expenses shared between the landowner and tenant? Is the net return per acre less than the rent value or, in other words, do tenants actually lose from their lease? If they do lose, why do they continue to rent the land? 4. What kind of market position does tenancy in Egypt constitute? Is there a monopoly among landowners? 5. What are the economically and socially justifiable reasons of state control? What are the benefits and shortcomings? 6. In the case of governmental intervention, what should be the aims and the limitations of such intervention? 7. What will be the social and economic impact of the new law upon the present tenancy situation

Impact of Cytotoxin-Associated Gene Product-A Positive Helicobacter Pylori Strains on Micro-albuminuria in Type 2 Diabetes

Introduction: Available data on the possible association between Helicobacter Pylori (H. pylori) infection and diabetes mellitus (DM) are contradictory. The prevalence of cytotoxin associated gene product A (cagA) positive H. pylori is high in Egypt. This study aims to examine its association with type 2 DM, and its effect on glycemic control and the occurrence of microalbuminuria. Methods: The study involved 98 dyspeptic type 2 diabetic patients and 102 dyspeptic non-diabetic subjects who underwent upper gastrointestinal tract endoscopy in Zagazig university hospital. H. pylori infection was diagnosed by histopathology and/or culture. The presence of cagA positive strains was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and gel electrophoresis. Fasting blood sugar (FBS), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and urinary albumin excretion ratio (UAER) were compared between infected and non-infected diabetic patients. Results: Diabetic patients had similar age and gender distribution but significantly higher body mass index (BMI) compared to controls. The prevalence of H. pylori infection (54.1% versus 56.9%, P = 0.3) and the prevalence of cagA positive H. pylori strains (40.8% versus 36.3%, P =0.1) were not significantly different between the two groups. Diabetic patients infected with cagA positive H. pylori strains had higher mean FBS (199±22 versus 163±20, P=0.00), higher mean HbA1c (8.6±0.8 versus 6.3±0.8, P=0.00) and higher rate of microalbuminuria (67.5% versus 10.3%, P=0.00) than non infected diabetic patients. Conclusion: H. pylori infection with cagA positive strains was similarly common in dyspeptic diabetic patients and controls. It was associated with poorer glycemic control and higher rates of microalbuminuria in diabetic subjects. Key words: cagA positive strains; Diabetes mellitus; Helicobatcer pylori; Microalbuminuri

Optimiranje fizikalno-kemijskih parametara, djelomično pročišćavanje i karakterizacija izvanstanične alkalne lipaze iz novog soja plijesni Curvularia sp. DHE 5

Thirty isolated fungal strains were screened for lipase production using Phenol Red plates, containing tributyrin as lipidic substrate, and a novel fungus identified genetically as Curvularia sp. DHE 5 was found as the most prominent strain. Various agro-industrial substrates were evaluated as inert supports for lipase production in solid-state fermentation. The highest yield of lipase ((83.4±2.2) U/g on dry mass basis) was reported with wheat bran medium after seven days of fermentation at pH=7.0, temperature of 30 °C, 70 % moisture content, inoculum size of 1.27·107 spore/mL and 2 % olive oil as an inducer. Supplementation of the medium with 0.05 % KCl as an ion source further increased lipase production to (88.9±1.2) U/g on dry mass basis. The enzyme was partially purified through ammonium sulphate fractionation (40 %) followed by dialysis, and its optimum pH and temperature were reported at 8.0 and 50 °C, respectively, with remarkable pH and thermal stability.U radu je ispitana proizvodnja lipaze iz 30 izolata plijesni na podlozi s tributirinom pomoću fenolnog crvenila, pri čemu se najviše istaknuo izolat koji je genetički identificiran kao novi soj plijesni Curvularia sp. DHE 5. Ispitana je mogućnost korištenja različitog agroindustrijskog otpada kao inertnih podloga za proizvodnju lipaze fermentacijom na čvrstoj podlozi. Najveći prinos lipaze od (83,4±2,2) jedinica po gramu suhe tvari dobiven je u podlozi s pšeničnim mekinjama nakon sedam dana fermentacije pri pH-vrijednosti od 7,0; temperaturi od 30 °C, 70 %-tnom udjelu vlage, veličini inokuluma od 1,27·107 spora po mililitru i s dodatkom 2 %-tnog maslinovog ulja. Dodatak 0,05 % KCl kao izvora iona dodatno je potaknuo proizvodnju lipaze na 88,9±1,2 jedinica po gramu suhe tvari. Enzim je djelomično pročišćen (40 %) frakcioniranjem pomoću amonijeva sulfata i dijalizom, te se pokazao izuzetno stabilinim, s optimalnom pH-vrijednosti od 8,0 i optimalnom temperaturom od 50 °C

Reforming the Solid Waste Management System: The Case of Rural Areas in Egypt /إصلاح نظام إدارة النفايات الصلبة: حالة المناطق الريفية في مصر

The policy paper tackles the issue of managing solid waste in rural areas in Egypt. It mainly targets the reform of the solid waste management system. The authors deal with rural areas specifically due to their importance and significance. In this context, the policy paper research demonstrated that the current solid waste management system in the governorates studied has a number of flaws and limitations. These issues show the inadequate solid waste management technical performance at the governorate level in terms of institutional, technical, financial, economic, and environmental factors, due to the lack of or ineffective solid waste management departments in local government. In the end, the paper provides a set of recommendations that are essential to support the successful implementation. However, the researchers agreed on one core policy that is cost-efficient and is considered the most important. The selected policy alternative is the establishment of a national-wide campaign in the Egyptian rural areas that aims to raise the individuals’ awareness on the economic, social, and health aspects of the issue as well as how to reduce generating waste, increase waste reuse, and facilitate the segregation of waste

Mejora de la producción de lípidos de un prometedor hongo oleaginoso Aspergillus sp. cepa EM2018 para la formación de biodiesel: optimización de las condiciones de cultivo e identificación

Oleaginous fungi have recently gained increasing attention among different microorganisms due to their ability for lipid production for the preparation of biofuel. In the present study, a locally isolated fungus E45, identified genetically as Aspergillus sp. strain EM2018, was found to produce 25.2% of the total lipids content of its dry cell weight (DCW). Optimization of culture conditions was performed and lipid accumula­tion increased by about 2.4 fold (from 25.2% to 60.1% of DCW) when the fungus was grown for seven days in the potato dextrose (50 g/L) liquid medium at pH 5.0, incubation temperature at 30 ºC and inoculum size of 2 × 106 spore/mL. Supplementation of the medium with yeast extract and NaNO3 at a concentration of 0.05% as organic and inorganic nitrogen sources, respectively, increased lipid production (53.3% lipid/dry biomass). Gas chromatography analysis of fungal lipids revealed the presence of saturated (mainly palmitic acid C16:0 (33%) and lignoceric acid C24:0 (15%)) and unsaturated fatty acids in different proportions (mainly linoleic acid C18:2 (24.4%), oleica cid C18:1 (14%) and arachidonic C20:4 (7.4%). These findings suggest this new oleaginous fungus as a promising feedstock for various industrial applications and for the preparation of biodiesel.Los hongos oleagino­sos recientemente están ganando una creciente atención entre diferentes microorganismos debido a sus capaci­dades de producción de lípidos para la preparación de biocombustibles. En el presente estudio, se descubrió que un hongo E45 aislado localmente, identificado genéticamente como la cepa Aspergillus sp. EM2018, produce un 25,2% de lípidos totales de su peso de células secas (DCW). Se realizó la optimización de las condiciones de cultivo y la acumulación de lípidos se incrementó aproximadamente 2,4 veces (del 25,2% al 60,1% de DCW) cuando el hongo creció durante siete días en un medio líquido de dextrosa de papa (50 g/L) a pH 5.0, 30 °C de temperatura de incubación y 2 × 106 esporas/ml de tamaño de inóculo. La suplementación del medio con extracto de leva­dura y NaNO3 a una concentración de 0,05% como fuentes de nitrógeno orgánico e inorgánico, respectivamente, aumentó aún más la producción de lípidos (53,3% de lípidos/biomasa seca). El análisis mediante cromatografía de gases de los lípidos fúngicos reveló la presencia de ácidos grasos saturados (principalmente palmítico C16:0 (33%) y lignocérico C24:0 (15%)) y ácidos grasos insaturados en diferentes proporciones (principalmente linoleico C18:2 (24.4%), oleico C18:1 (14%) y araquidónico C20:4 (7,4%). Estos hallazgos sugieren que este nuevo hongo oleaginoso es una materia prima prometedora para diversas aplicaciones industriales y preparación de biodiésel

The new enclosures: critical perspectives on corporate land deals

The contributions to this collection use the tools of agrarian political economy to explore the rapid growth and complex dynamics of large-scale land deals in recent years, with a special focus on the implications of big land deals for property and labour regimes, labour processes and structures of accumulation. The first part of this introductory essay examines the implications of this agrarian political economy perspective. First we explore the continuities and contrasts between historical and contemporary land grabs, before examining the core underlying debate around large- versus small-scale farming futures. Next, we unpack the diverse contexts and causes of land grabbing today, highlighting six overlapping mechanisms. The following section turns to assessing the crisis narratives that frame the justifications for land deals, and the flaws in the argument around there being excess, empty or idle land available. Next the paper turns to an examination of the impacts of land deals, and the processes of inclusion and exclusion at play, before looking at patterns of resistance and constructions of alternatives. The final section introduces the papers in the collection.ESR