Bentham: Punishment and the Utilitarian Use of Persons as Means

One of the main barriers against a Utilitarian justification of punishment is a widespread criticism that if punishment is evil justified by the good it can achieve, then the state could use persons as a means to an end in pursuing this good. This opens the door, at a theoretical level, for the potential punishment of innocents, disproportionate punishment and failure to respect persons as rational and responsible agents. Further, critics argue that any considerations of security or utility guard against the perceived risks contingently, without intrinsic commitment to respecting persons as ends in themselves. This article addresses the criticism fundamentally by returning to Bentham’s original writings and demonstrating that a principle of equality is embedded in the greatest happiness as an end of government. The principle of equality can theoretically be developed using the tools of Bentham’s political theory, including his commitments to democracy, to the elimination of pain and to the differentiation between real and fictitious entities, to ensure that a Utilitarian theory of punishment, as part of its premise, would be constrained from using persons as mere means. Further, building on the equality of happiness, the article proposes an individualistic justification of punishment that responds to the traditional accusations of innocents’ punishment and excessive punishment, and ensures the respect of persons as rational and responsible agents

On Analysis and Evaluation for Predicting Students’ Academic Performance GPA Considering an Engineering Institution (Neural Networks’ Modeling Approach)

Predicting students’ performance is one of the most important topics for learning contexts such as schools and universities, since it helps to design effective mechanisms that improve academic results. Educational Institutions face numerous challenges today in providing quality and student-centric education to Students Individual learners prefer their own strategies originated from diverse learning styles. Learning style models may include collective strategies for mental, emotional, and physiological components. On the basis of such components, this piece of research suggests a specific quantified learning style preferred by learners in engineering education. By following average learners’ achievements (marks) at specific courses closely related to the specialization, interesting analytical results for Grade Point Average (GPA) evaluation are obtained. Moreover, an ANN model with supervised learning is presented to simulate diverse learning styles performance. Accordingly, optimal guided advise is suggested in fulfillment of probabilistically best GPA of graduated engineers. Obtained simulation results are well supported by the findings of experimental case study

Impact of planting dates and some weather factors on population fluctuation and occurrence percentage of aphids and thrips on wheat crop in Egypt

Three planting dates of wheat (Nov., 15th, Dec., 1st and Dec., 15th ) were evaluated during 2012/ 2013 and 2013/2014 seasons at Al Ziton village, Beni-Suief Governorate to determine their effect on the population fluctuation of aphids; Rhopalosiphum padi, Schizaphis graminum, Rhopalosiphum maidis and Sitobion (Macrosiphum) avenae and thrips; Thrips tabaci. Results indicated that planting of wheat seeds in the second planting date (Dec., 1st) led to slight infestation of aphids and thrips with mean numbers of 15.52 and 5.74 individuals /10 tillers, for the two seasons. The population fluctuation of aphids and thrips were affected by delaying planting date, as the wheat plants planted at the early planting date (Nov., 15th) were found to be infested by a little numbers of aphids in the first inspection. On the contrary, the infestation of aphids postponed for 8 and 2 weeks & 8 and 6 weeks in the second and third planting dates in the two studied seasons, respectively. On the other hand, the infestation of thrips postponed for 3 & 1 weeks and 6 & 4 weeks in the second and third planting dates in the two seasons, respectively. The highest infestation rate of aphids on wheat plants were recorded at the last period of growth (ear head formation) in the three tested planting dates as the occurrence percent were 48.57, 87.55 and 76.06 % for the three planting dates, in the first season and were 92.94, 89.02 and 88.71 % in the second season. The highest infestation rate of thrips occurred during tillering stage in the 1st and 2nd planting dates, as occurrence percent were 76.58 and 78.69 % in the first season and 91.09 & 86.67 % in the second season. On the other hand, the highest  infestation rate of thrips at the 3rd planting date were recorded during the ear head formation, showing occurrence percent of  94.84 and 91.15 % in the two seasons, respectively. The population density of aphids and thrips were greatly influenced according to the change in weather factors. The combined effect of temperature and relative humidity on the population density of aphids on wheat plants were 20.44, 37.53 and 30.12 for the three tested planting dates, in the first season and were 27.39, 25.65 and 25.81 % in the second seasons, respectively. The combined effect of two climatic factors together on the population density thrips  decreased by delaying planting date of wheat, as E.V.% were 90.52, 35.04 and 28.34 % to the three tested planting dates in the first season and 54.68, 51.28 and 31.04 in the second season, respectively.

Effect of Soft Tissue Mobilization on Cervical Pain in Nursing Women

Introduction: cervical pain in nursing women is aserious health problem because it certainly limits function and capacity in both work and personal life. Purpose: This study was performed to determine the effectiveness of soft tissue mobilization on the treatment of cervical pain in nursing women. Subjects: sixty breastfeeding women were selected from Fakous Hospital at El Sharqia, diagnosed with neck pain and active myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) in the upper fibres of trapezius muscle. Patients were divided randomly into two groups equal in number: group (A) received convential physical therapy (stretching exercise), group (B) received instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) and convential physical therapy. Methods: The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Neck disability index scale (NDI) were assessed before the study and after four weeks. Results: The mean difference in VAS between groups post treatment was 1.6. There was a significant decrease in VAS of group B compared with that of group A post treatment. The mean difference in NDI between groups post treatment was 5.4%. There was a significant decrease in the NDI of group B compared with that of group A post treatment. Conclusion: soft tissue mobilization can be used on the treatment of cervical pain in nursing women. It has significant effect on Visual Analogue Scale and Neck disability index scale rather than convential physical therapy only

Optimization of kojic acid production conditions from cane molasses using Plackett-Burman design

Fungal synthesis of kojic acid has gained more interest in these days as an alternative way to chemical synthetic. The aspect of the microbial fermentation process is to develop a suitable culture medium to obtain the maximum amount of kojic acid using statistical methods. In this study; different selected three isolates of Aspergillus flavus (No 1, 2 and 3) were screened for their ability to produced kojic acid and the isolate No 3 was the highest kojic acid producer one. The capability of A. flavus No 3 to produce kojic acid was improved using Plackett-Burman design. From ten different agro-industrial wastes cane molasses recorded the highest kojic acid productivity with 2.24 g/l-1 day-1 and was the most effective parameter plays a crucial role in Plackett-Burman design. Maximum kojic acid production (24.65 g/l) by A. flavus (No. 3) obtained under the fermentation conditions: incubation temperature at 25oC, incubation time 9 days, pH 3, inoculum size 0.5%, shaking rate at 150 rpm and medium constituents: Cane molasses 60 g/l, yeast extract 7 g/l, KH2PO4 2 g/l, ZnSO4·7H2O 100 µg/l and MgSO4·7H2O 1 g/l with regression analysis (R2) 99.45% and 2.33-fold increase in comparison to the production of the original level (10.6 g/l). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.121151

Enhanced Abiotic Stress Tolerance of Vicia faba L. Plants Heterologously Expressing the PR10a Gene from Potato

Pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins are known to play relevant roles in plant defense against biotic and abiotic stresses. In the present study, we characterize the response of transgenic faba bean (Vicia faba L.) plants encoding a PR10a gene from potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) to salinity and drought. The transgene was under the mannopine synthetase (pMAS) promoter. PR10a-overexpressing faba bean plants showed better growth than the wild-type plants after 14 days of drought stress and 30 days of salt stress under hydroponic growth conditions. After re-moving the stress, the PR10a-plants returned to a normal state, while the wild-type plants could not be restored. Most importantly, there was no phenotypic difference between transgenic and non-transgenic faba bean plants under well-watered conditions. Evaluation of physiological parameters during salt stress showed lower Na+-content in the leaves of the transgenic plants, which would reduce the toxic effect. In addition, PR10a-plants were able to maintain vegetative growth and experienced fewer photosystem changes under both stresses and a lower level of osmotic stress injury under salt stress compared to wild-type plants. Taken together, our findings suggest that the PR10a gene from potato plays an important role in abiotic stress tolerance, probably by activation of stress-related physiological processes

Effect of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles on glucose homeostasis on type 2 diabetes experimental model

[Aims]: Evaluation of the anti-diabetic effect of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) on Type 2 diabetic rats and compared their effect to metformin treatment.[Main methods]: Diabetic rats were treated with different doses of nanoparticles one time per week for 4 weeks. Fasting blood glucose level was determined for studied groups during the experimental period (30 days). At the end of the experiment, oral glucose tolerance test was carried out, serum samples were collected for biochemical assays. Then animals were sacrificed to obtain tissues for assessment of glucose transporters, insulin receptors and insulin signaling proteins.[Key finding]: SPIONs treatment normalized fasting blood glucose and lowering insulin level in diabetic rats compared to untreated diabetic rats. SPIONs significantly ameliorate the glucose sensing and the active components of insulin signaling pathway. The anti-diabetic effects of SPIONs may be mediated through its effect on (i) hepatic peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha content, which induced by SPIONs treatment in a dose-dependent manner, (ii) adipocytokines as SPIONs treated diabetic rats showed significantly higher levels of adiponectin and lower retinol binding protein 4 compared to untreated diabetic rats, (iii) lipid profile as SPIONs treatment significantly corrected the lipid profile in a dose-dependent manner and to a similar extent as metformin or even better.[Significance]: To our knowledge, this is the first study that explores the anti-diabetic effects of SPIONs on diabetic model.This work was partially supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (Grant PGC2018-095795-B-I00) and by the European Union's Horizon 2020 FET Open Programme (Grant no. 801305).Peer reviewe

Aestipascuomyces dupliciliberans gen. nov, sp. nov., the First Cultured Representative of the Uncultured SK4 Clade from Aoudad Sheep and Alpaca

We report on the isolation of the previously-uncultured Neocallimastigomycota SK4 lineage, by two independent research groups, from a wild aoudad sheep rumen sample (Texas, USA) and an alpaca fecal sample (Baden-Württemberg, Germany). Isolates from both locations showed near-identical morphological and microscopic features, forming medium-sized (2–5 mm) white filamentous colonies with a white center of sporangia, on agar roll tubes and a heavy biofilm in liquid media. Microscopic analysis revealed monocentric thalli, and spherical polyflagellated zoospores with 7–20 flagella. Zoospore release occurred through an apical pore as well as by sporangial wall rupturing, a duality that is unique amongst described anaerobic gut fungal strains. Isolates were capable of growing on a wide range of mono-, oligo-, and polysaccharide substrates as the sole carbon source. Phylogenetic assessment based on the D1–D2 28S large rRNA gene subunit (D1–D2 LSU) and internal transcribed spacer-1 (ITS-1) regions demonstrated high sequence identity (minimum identity of 99.07% and 96.96%, respectively) between all isolates; but low sequence identity (92.4% and 86.7%, respectively) to their closest cultured relatives. D1–D2 LSU phylogenetic trees grouped the isolates as a new monophyletic clade within the Orpinomyces–Neocallimastix–Pecoramyces–Feramyces–Ghazallamyces supragenus group. D1–D2 LSU and ITS-1 sequences recovered from the obtained isolates were either identical or displayed extremely high sequence similarity to sequences recovered from the same aoudad sheep sample on which isolation was conducted, as well as several sequences recovered from domestic sheep and few other herbivores. Interestingly, members of the SK4 clade seem to be encountered preferably in animals grazing on summer pasture. We hence propose accommodating these novel isolates in a new genus, Aestipascuomyces (derived from the Latin word for “summer pasture”), and a new species, A. dupliciliberans. The type strain is Aestipascuomycesdupliciliberans strain R4

Vitamin D Status in Neonatal Pulmonary Infections: Relationship to Inflammatory Indicators

AIM: The study aimed to evaluate serum vitamin D concentrations among neonates with pneumonia. METHODS: This case-control study enrolled 33 neonates with pneumonia in addition to 30 healthy controls. CBC, CRP, Serum vitamin D and Pentraxin 3 levels were measured for all participants. RESULTS: There was significant difference between patients and controls regarding Hemoglobin levels, TLC and CRP (p value < 0.01, = 0.002, < 0.01 respectively). Patients with pneumonia showed significant lower levels of Vit. D (9 ± 2.1) compared to controls (14.1 ± 2.8), P value < 0.01. However, patient group had significant higher levels of Pentraxin 3 (29.1 ± 4.8) compared with controls (12.6 ± 3), P value < 0.01. Moreover, mechanically ventilated patients revealed significant lower vit D (7.7 ± 1.8) and higher pentraxin 3 (32.2 ± 2.6) compared to patients on free oxygen (9.1 ± 2.1, 26.4 ± 3.7 respectively), P value = 0.05, 0.02 respectively. Regarding hospital stay, it had significant positive correlation with serum pentraxin 3 (r = 0.6, P value < 0.01) and significant negative correlation with serum vit D (r = -0.4, P value = 0.04). Finally a significant negative correlation between serum levels of vitamin D and Pentraxin 3 was found (r = -0.4, P value = 0.01). CONCLUSION: Lower concentration of serum vitamin D may be significantly associated with neonatal pneumonia. It also can predict the need for mechanical ventilation and duration of hospital stay in neonatal pneumonia. Similarly, higher levels of Pentraxin 3 may be used as an indicator for mechanical ventilation need and a longer hospital stay in neonates with pneumonia