The construction of chaos: cinematic representations and politics in Egypt in the 2000s

I would like to thank my committee that made writing this thesis a real enjoyment and a fruitful learning process. My committee did not reserve any effort to help me focus on every single detail pertaining to my arguments. They provided me constantly with perspectives and references to deepen my engagement with the subject, suggested new angles and ideas to reinforce the reasoning of my case. They were supportive all the way and extremely passionate about the topic of my thesis and the larger field of my study. I am deeply grateful for Dr. Hanan Sabea, my advisor whom I consider an extraordinary example of an enthusiastic, knowledgeable and open minded professor. Thanks to her advice and observations, I could complete my research and writing process the way I always dreamt. She gave me lot of insights, yet lot of freedom to articulate my own visions and analyses embodied in this text. She was committed to make the administrative steps as smooth as possible and allow this research to unfold within a friendly and optimistic milieu. I am very indebted to my family who brought me up in a liberal environment that encouraged me to wonder about the nature of the world and human existence. I will always respect how my father and mother accepted and supported my career shift from medicine to human sciences and art as my true and genuine passion. I will also remember how they dealt with all my frustrations and achievements with much care and sensitivity and respected my individual choices and opinions. I will always be grateful to my father who warmly embraced my passion for knowledge and my questioning of life, since the years of my early childhood and continuing until the present with the same determination and love. Also, I thank my dear husband for being with me through all the journey of my research and kindly offering his help in reading my drafts and offering incisive comments and lucid remarks. I am really grateful and cherish the beautiful moments I have everyday with him and our lovely daughter Alya. Thanks to these moments, I could overcome many difficult stages of this research and regain the energy to proceed in my work. Eventually, I need to mention that I chose this topic and started my work in an attempt to understand and provide an interpretation for social and political phenomena in my country. Through this attempt, I came to realize more and more my love for this place and my commitment towards its concerns and struggles. Thanks to this thesis, I am more at peace with my position and affirmed about my passion

Single-nucleotide base excision repair DNA polymerase activity in C. elegans in the absence of DNA polymerase β

The base excision DNA repair (BER) pathway known to occur in Caenorhabditis elegans has not been well characterized. Even less is known about the DNA polymerase (pol) requirement for the gap-filling step during BER. We now report on characterization of in vitro uracil-DNA initiated BER in C. elegans. The results revealed single-nucleotide (SN) gap-filling DNA polymerase activity and complete BER. The gap-filling polymerase activity was not due to a DNA polymerase β (pol β) homolog, or to another X-family polymerase, since computer-based sequence analyses of the C. elegans genome failed to show a match for a pol β-like gene or other X-family polymerases. Activity gel analysis confirmed the absence of pol β in the C. elegans extract. BER gap-filling polymerase activity was partially inhibited by both dideoxynucleotide and aphidicolin. The results are consistent with a combination of both replicative polymerase(s) and lesion bypass/BER polymerase pol θ contributing to the BER gap-filling synthesis. Involvement of pol θ was confirmed in experiments with extract from pol θ null animals. The presence of the SN BER in C. elegans is supported by these results, despite the absence of a pol β-like enzyme or other X-family polymerase

Editing of misaligned 3′-termini by an intrinsic 3′–5′ exonuclease activity residing in the PHP domain of a family X DNA polymerase

Bacillus subtilis gene yshC encodes a family X DNA polymerase (PolXBs), whose biochemical features suggest that it plays a role during DNA repair processes. Here, we show that, in addition to the polymerization activity, PolXBs possesses an intrinsic 3′–5′ exonuclease activity specialized in resecting unannealed 3′-termini in a gapped DNA substrate. Biochemical analysis of a PolXBs deletion mutant lacking the C-terminal polymerase histidinol phosphatase (PHP) domain, present in most of the bacterial/archaeal PolXs, as well as of this separately expressed protein region, allow us to state that the 3′–5′ exonuclease activity of PolXBs resides in its PHP domain. Furthermore, site-directed mutagenesis of PolXBs His339 and His341 residues, evolutionary conserved in the PHP superfamily members, demonstrated that the predicted metal binding site is directly involved in catalysis of the exonucleolytic reaction. The implications of the unannealed 3′-termini resection by the 3′–5′ exonuclease activity of PolXBs in the DNA repair context are discussed

Impact of intravitreal injection of Bevacizumab (Avastin) on rabbit′s choroid and retina

AIM: The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of intravitreal injection of bevacizumab (Avastin) on chorio-capillaris permeability as well as structure changes in the choroid and the retina of pigmented rabbits. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 10 pigmented rabbits (20 clinically free eyes) ranged in weight between 1.2 and 2 kg (mean 1.7±0.05). The rabbits were subjected to intravitreal injection of 5 mg, 0.1mg Avastin in the right eyes (10eyes), while the left eyes (10eyes) were injected with equal volumes of balanced salt solution. 1 week later, Clinical examination and fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) were done. Histological examination was performed on specimens of retina & choroid of Avastin & BSS injected eyes of sacrificed rabbits using light microscopy (LM) & transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Results were recorded and compared RESULTS: Post injection clinical examination of the eyes showed no abnormality of cornea, lens, vitreous and fundus. FFA showed remarkable decrease in background chorio-capillaris fluorescence in 7 eyes (70 percent) injected with Avastin as compared with eyes injected with BSS. No change was observed in regards to retinal vasculature, or abnormal dye leak. LM examination: specimens from Avastin group were evaluated in comparison to control eyes Treated eyes exhibited the same microscopic appearance in most specimens (8/10, 80 percent). The chorio-capillaris layer showed elongated, stretched monolayer of capillaries with flat, elongated endothelial cell lining. The laminae showed closely packed RBCs arranged in a monolayer with ribbon like shape. The surrounding interstitial tissue showed stretched, elongated & compact collagen fibers. The RPE cells were tightly adherent to each other with prominent nuclei. The different retinal layers were in concomitance with the control specimens, however mild to moderate disruption of photoreceptor outer segments together with mild vacuolization in the ganglion cell layer were seen. TEM examination of both control and treated specimens confirmed the findings recorded by LM. The endothelial cell limning of the choriocapillaris exhibited reduced fenestrations in between the cells. TEM also highlighted the compact lamellae of collagen fibers. The RPE cells showed remarkable increase in the number of mitochondria and prominent endoplasmic reticulum. Variable sized melanosomes were also seen CONCLUSION: Though single intravitreal injection of Avastin does not cause appreciable histological changes in rabbit retina and choroid, yet, it imposes definite effect on choriocapillaris permeability as evidenced by FFA and ultra structural changes. Repeated intravitreal injections might alter the hemostasis of the chorio-capillaris RPE complex