144 research outputs found
Opportunities, Challenges And Risks Of Transition Into Renewable Energy : The Case Study Of Arab Gulf Cooperation Council
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states have abounded underground fossil fuel resources and high potentials for renewable energy (RE). However, given the Peak Oil Theory and the international climate change regulations and protocols, investments in RE became a first-class candidate. The current conceptualized study investigates barriers, risk, and opportunities associated with the transition to RE generation in member states of GCC. The study deploys secondary data extracted from published statistics and related literature. Via an interpretive, exploratory and explanatory approach, we conclude that there is a long-term need to expand uptake of RE technologies in order to meet the possible medium to long-terms energy and economic securities. Bureaucratic inefficiency and fuel subsidies along with absence of both suitable investment framework and supporting energy policies for investments in RE were found to be significant barriers to RE deployment in the GCC states. The current paper argues that the GCC has a specific climate advantage for RE. Therefore, if RE options are utilised ideally by the GCC member states they can play a significant role in substituting conventional energy sources and in sustaining energy and economic securities of the GCC member state
A ‘Crypto Tax Assessment Index (C-TAI)’ for oil and gas industry
In addition to conventional taxes, host countries impose "crypto tax" to maximize tax take, ensure production efficiency and sustainable development. Multinationals look beyond the glary conventional taxes while deciding investment locations However, a robust and valid index for these "crypto tax" is yet to be constructed Crypto Tax Assessment Index(C-TAI) is constructed and validated through empirical analyses The Index can be utilized by policymakers, oil and gas companies and researchers Abstract In addition to conventional taxes, host oil and gas producing countries impose a "crypto tax", including sustainability-related taxes similar to environmental taxes and social sphere development costs. These taxes aim to maximize government taxes which are collected to ensure operational efficiency and sustainable development. In contrast, multinational oil companies look beyond conventional taxes by performing a thorough assessment of "crypto tax" while deciding investment locations. Extractive industry taxation literature is limited in offering a scrupulous index. In particular, how a robust index is constructed and tested for these quasi-taxes. Therefore, the issues surrounding the construction and testing of Crypto Tax Assessment Index (C-TAI) underpins the relevance and motivations of this study. Specifically, this study aims to examine the construction and testing of a C-TAI in guiding policymakers and investors concerning crypto taxes. A properly constructed Index would enable governments to undertake environmental and sustainability assessment, knowing that the index suited their particular petroleum fiscal policy. The Malaysian marginal oil field sector was established to test internal and external validities and model fit indices of the C-TAI through surveying the opinions of experts in this field. Taking these views and opinions into consideration, in constructing an appropriate C-TAI, researchers can use the index address possible questions relating to the effects of crypto taxes on individual oil and gas projects or the overall petroleum sector of a country. For instance, how useful the constructed C-TAI could be in the examination the effect of crypto taxes on the profitability of a mature basin? How does the constructed C-TAI could be used in relation to the effect of crypto taxes on the profitability of marginal oil fields and the investment climate of a frontier petroleum basin? In answering these questions, it is anticipated that a properly constructed and robust C-TAI would help to guide policymakers and investors in understanding the importance of a C-TAI for crypto taxes, including sustainable developments
DNA barcoding evidence for the North American presence of alfalfa cyst nematode, Heterodera medicaginis
Specimens of Heterodera have been collected from alfalfa fields in Kearny County, Kansas and Carbon County, Montana. DNA barcoding with the COI mitochondrial gene indicate that the species is not Heterodera glycines, soybean cyst nematode, H. schachtii, sugar beet cyst nematode, or H. trifolii, clover cyst nematode. Maximum likelihood phylogenetic trees show that the alfalfa specimens form a sister clade most closely related to H. glycines, with a 4.7% mean pairwise sequence divergence across the 862 nucleotides of the COI marker. Morphological analyses of juveniles and cysts conform to the measurements of H. medicaginis, the alfalfa cyst nematode originally described from the USSR in 1971. Initial host testing demonstrated that the nematode reproduced on alfalfa, but not on soybeans, tomato, or corn. Collectively, the evidence suggests that this finding represents the first record of H. medicaginis in North America. Definitive confirmation of this diagnosis would require COI sequence of eastern European isolates of this species
Molecular and morphological characterization of the alfalfa cyst nematode, Heterodera medicaginis, from Utah
IMPACT OF BIOPOLYMERS ON ENHANCING SOIL PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
ones are the most dominant in the new reclaimed areas in Egypt. The main production constraints of this type of soil are low in organic carbon, porosity, stable aggregates, water retention capacity, and biological activities. Agriculture soil should have not only a good structure but also a good structure which can persist for a long time (e.g., a structure of high quality and stability). Soil aggregates are structural units of soil, which create complex pore systems controlling gas and water storage and fluxes in soil. Formation and stability of natural soil aggregates are affected by dozens of different factors and their individual effects are hardly distinguishable. Therefore, to observe more clear the mechanisms governing their water and mechanical stability, it was found necessary to study soil aggregates. In that sence, some studies showed encouraging findings of increasing soil stable aggregates due to using different soil conditioners. The objective of this work is to assess some extracellular polysaccharides biopolymers, i.e., Dextran, Alginate, Xanthan, Pullulan, and Curdlan, which were produced in our laboratory under the most suitable production conditions, to test their effects on the physical proprerties of soil taken from Toshka region at Aswan Governorate of Egypt. Data showed that soil porosity and MWDwet values have significant differences between all treatments and control under un-leaching processes. On the Other hand, in leaching processes, significant differences between all treatments and control were observed except in some treatments that using lower ratios of Pullulan and Curdlan biopolymers (i. e. 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8%). Generally, the beneficial order of enhancement of aggregate stability was obtained with Dextran, followed by Alginate, Xanthan, Pullulan, and Curdlan
Interactive Effects of Immunoglobulin Gamma and Human Leucocyte Antigen Genotypes on Response to Interferon Based Therapy of Hepatitis C Virus
AIM: We examined the role that immunoglobulin GM 23 and KM allotypes—genetic markers of γ and κ chains, respectively—play in response to treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in Egyptian patients.MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 120 persons who had responded to HCV treatment and 125 with persistent HCV infection were genotyped for the presence of GM23 and KM determinants. HLA –C genotyping was also done.RESULTS: Association of GM 23+ and KM3 was significantly associated with non response to treatment (P < 0.0001). Individuals who lacked this GM genotype (but were positive for KM1,2 and 3) were likely to respond to treatment (P=0.045). Association of heterozygous GM23 (+/-) with KM 1,2 and 3 or KM3 alone was significantly associated with SVR (P = 0.001) and (P = 0.0001) respectively. Particular combinations of HLA and GM genotypes were associated significantly with the response to HCV treatment. The combination of HLAC2C2 and GM23+ was associated with persistence of infection (P = 0.027) while the association of HLAC2C2 and heterozygous GM23+/- was associated with SVR (P = 0.001).The association of HLAC1C1 and heterozygous GM23+/- was significantly associated with SVR (P = 0.001) and also subjects with HLA C1/C2 and heterozygous GM23+/- were likely to respond to treatment (P = 0.003) while subjects with HLA C1/C2 and GM23+ show tendency to resist to treatment (P = 0.0001).CONCLUSION: Our results didn’t support a role for KM allotypes, GM23 allotype plays a role in the persistence of HCV infection in the presence or absence of KM1,3. Interaction between certain GM and HLA-C genotypes may favor adequate response to interferon based therapies
DNA barcoding evidence for the North American presence of alfalfa cyst nematode, Heterodera medicaginis
Association between Paraoxonases Gene Expression and Oxidative Stress in Hepatotoxicity Induced by CCl 4
Objectives. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the hepatoprotective effect of rutin in carbon tetrachloride- (CCl4-) induced liver injuries in rat model. Methods. Forty male Wistar albino rats were divided into four groups. Group I was the control group and received dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) and olive oil. Group II received rutin. Groups III was treated with CCl4. Group IV was administered rutin after 48 h of CCl4 treatment. Liver enzymes level, lipid profile, lipid peroxidation, and hydrogen peroxide were measured. The genes expression levels were monitored by real time RT-PCR and western blot techniques. Results. CCl4 group showed significant increase in alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBAR), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and lipid profile and a significant decrease in glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione S transferase (GST), catalase (CAT), paraoxonase-1 (PON-1), paraoxonase-3 (PON-3), peroxisome proliferator activated receptor delta (PPAR-δ), and ATP-binding cassette transporter 1 (ABAC1) genes expression levels. Interestingly, rutin supplementation completely reversed the biochemical and gene expression levels induced by CCl4 to control values. Conclusion. CCl4 administration causes aberration of genes expression levels in oxidative stress pathway resulting in DNA damage and hepatotoxicity. Rutin causes hepatoprotective effect through enhancing the antioxidant genes
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