Can Privacy-Aware Lifelogs Alter Our Memories?

The abundance of automatically-triggered lifelogging cameras is a privacy threat to bystanders. Countering this by deleting photos limits relevant memory cues and the informative content of lifelogs. An alternative is to obfuscate bystanders, but it is not clear how this impacts the lifelogger's recall of memories. We report on a study in which we compare viewing 1) unaltered photos, 2) photos with blurred people, and 3) a subset of the photos after deleting private ones, on memory recall. Findings show that obfuscated content helps users recall a lot of content, but it also results in recalling less accurate details, which can sometimes mislead the user. Our work informs the design of privacy-aware lifelogging systems that maximizes recall and steers discussion about ubiquitous technologies that could alter human memories

Erythropoietin Suppresses the Hepatic Fibrosis Caused by Thioacetamide: Role of the PI3K/Akt and TLR4 Signaling Pathways

Erythropoietin (EPO) is recognized for its function in erythropoiesis; however, its potential antifibrotic effect against liver fibrosis remains unknown. This study examined whether EPO affects thioacetamide (TAA)-induced liver fibrosis by concentrating on the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) cascade and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway as possible pathways. Male Wistar rats were randomized into four groups, which included: the negative control group, the TAA group (intraperitoneal; TAA 100 mg/kg three times per week for 2 weeks), and EPO-treated groups (150 and 300 IU/kg, i.p.) for 2 weeks after TAA injections. EPO attenuated hepatic fibrosis in a dosage-dependent way, as manifested by the diminution in serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activities, as well as the increase in albumin level. EPO inhibited the increase in tissue levels of tumor necrosis factors-α, interleukin-1β, transforming growth factor-β1, and TLR4 and raised tissue levels of PI3K and p-PI3K. EPO antioxidant properties were demonstrated by restoring hepatic glutathione and superoxide dismutase by preventing the accumulation of hepatic malondialdehyde. Further, EPO increased the protein expression of PI3K and Akt and decreased TLR4 protein expression. Immunohistochemically, EPO treatment altered tissue histology and downregulated mitogen-activated protein kinase protein expression. Overall, the research suggested that EPO could prevent TAA-induced hepatic fibrosis through upregulating the PI3K/Akt signaling cascade and downregulation the TLR4 downstream axis

PNPLA3 Genotype, Arachidonic Acid Intake, and Unsaturated Fat Intake Influences Liver Fibrosis in Hispanic Youth with Obesity

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease impacts 15.2% of Hispanic adolescents and can progress to a build-up of scared tissue called liver fibrosis. If diagnosed early, liver fibrosis may be reversible, so it is necessary to understand risk factors. The aims of this study in 59 Hispanic adolescents with obesity were to: (1) identify potential biological predictors of liver fibrosis and dietary components that influence liver fibrosis, and (2) determine if the association between dietary components and liver fibrosis differs by PNPLA3 genotype, which is highly prevalent in Hispanic adolescents and associated with elevated liver fat. We examined liver fat and fibrosis, genotyped for PNPLA3 gene, and assessed diet via 24-h diet recalls. The prevalence of increased fibrosis was 20.9% greater in males, whereas participants with the GG genotype showed 23.7% greater prevalence. Arachidonic acid was associated with liver fibrosis after accounting for sex, genotype, and liver fat (&beta; = 0.072, p = 0.033). Intakes of several dietary types of unsaturated fat have different associations with liver fibrosis by PNPLA3 genotype after accounting for sex, caloric intake, and liver fat. These included monounsaturated fat (&beta;CC/CG = -0.0007, &beta;GG = 0.03, p-value = 0.004), polyunsaturated fat (&beta;CC/CG = -0.01, &beta;GG = 0.02, p-value = 0.01), and omega-6 (&beta;CC/CG = -0.0102, &beta;GG = 0.028, p-value = 0.01). Results from this study suggest that reduction of arachidonic acid and polyunsaturated fatty acid intake might be important for the prevention of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease progression, especially among those with PNPLA3 risk alleles. &nbsp;</p

The Impact of Keeping Accounting Records on the Financial Performance of Small Enterprises

This study aims to examine the impact of keeping accounting records on the financial performance (market share, decision making, reduction of operating cost, and productivity) of small enterprises. This paper is based on the primary approach through designing and distributing questionnaire for a sample of financial staff in small enterprises in the Egyptian market. Our questionnaire was designed to examine the impact of keeping accounting records on the financial performance of small enterprises. The results of this study indicate that the perception of the respondents agree that keeping accounting records has a positive impact on the financial performance of small enterprises. While all measures of financial performance are equally important when keeping accounting records, Productivity was ranked the most importantsupervision of: Dr.Tarek El-Shazl

Manufacturing of Wood–Plastic Composite Boards and Their Mechanical and Structural Characteristics,

Engineered wood products including wood-plastic composites have been manufactured with different mix designs and different manufacturing techniques within the last years. However, there are still some materials that are not used to manufacture such composites, like recycled high-density polyethylene and camphor wood, although they are available in good quantities as industrial by-products. In this research, wood-plastic composite (WPC) panels were manufactured from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic waste at 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, and 40% of total weight together with camphor wood waste. Physical, mechanical, and structural properties of the panels were studied and compared according to current standards. The results showed that the properties of the manufactured engineered wood product were significantly affected by the kind and percentage of the wood fiber and plastic waste. Ultimate values of the bending strength of the WPC panels as well as the maximum values of Young\u27s modulus were reached at 40% plastic content. The water absorption of the panels was found to be inversely related to the HDPE content. The bending strength of the panels with recycled HDPE was less than in the case of using virgin HDPE. The water uptake for WPC panels when using recycled HDPE was higher than the water uptake when using virgin HDPE. Furthermore, the compressive strength of the samples was directly related to its plastic content; it was comparatively low for recycled HDPE panels compared to panels using virgin HDPE

Comparative study between irisin and donepezil (Anticholinesterase) on cognitive functions in cases of scopolamine induced Alzheimer’s disease: Like condition in male albino rats

Introduction: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurological disorder. Donepezil hydrochloride is a cholinesterase inhibitor that is selective. Irisin is a 112-amino acid glycosylated protein-hormone. Objective: to compare the effect of irisin and donepezil (anticholinestrase) on cognitive function in cases of scopolamine induced Alzheimer’s disease like condition in male albino rats. Materials and methods: Fifty albino male rats of a local strain, weighing between 150 and 200 g, enrolled in this study. At room temperature, with 12-hour light/dark cycles, and with free access to running tap water and pelleted laboratory chow, the rats were kept in separate cages (5 rats per cage) for the duration of the experiment. Results: Donepezil administration achieved significant decrease in A che level in donepezil treated group, in relation to AD group, (AD+D). Irisin administration caused insignificant change in A che level in Irisin treated group in relation to AD group (AD+I). Conclusions: Irisin can reduce scopolamine-induced AD manifestations through its antiinflammatory, antioxidant and antiapoptotic effects, which were evaluated both biochemically and behavioural. Donepezil enhances memory as it is anti cholinestrase, also it has anti-inflammatory effect. Donepezil and irisin treatment potentiate each other as they act synergestically by different mechanisms to counrtact memory loss.&nbsp

Manufacturing and Mechanical Testing of Casuarina Glauca Blockboards

Wood, or timber, is light, cheap, and easy to transport and work with. On the contrary, reinforced concrete is more expensive, heavy & difficult to transport and slower to build. Previous research has proven that relatively cheap Casuarina Glauca wood could have sufficiently high strength that makes it a strong candidate for structural usage. In the construction field in Egypt, most of the used wood is blockboard composed from imported wood. The importing of wood represents a significant segment and Egypt invests a lot of its money in this segment, thus a research such as this one would significantly help Egypt to save money in the import business. This research aims to produce and test Egyptian blockboard made from Casuarina Glauca wood farmed in Egypt. The blockboards were produced and tested for their mechanical properties and compared to their imported counterparts. Moreover, these blockboards proved to be of a sufficiently high strength. Based on the results, this engineered wood product could be a structurally sound alternative for structural usage

Evaluation of large cupping in children with anemia

Introduction In adults, large optic disc cups are often a sign of glaucoma. Children, however, show a lower prevalence of glaucoma than adults, but may present with optic disc cupping of nonglaucomatous origin. Aim of the work The purpose of this study is to evaluate with large cupping in children having anemia. Patients and methods This is a prospective analysis of patients attending the ophthalmology outpatient clinic in Beni Suef, Fayoum, and Misr universities. All patients were subjected to standard ophthalmological examination, optical coherence tomography (OCT), fundus photography, complete blood count (CBC), and stool analysis to diagnose the cause of anemia. Results In this study examination cupping of greater than 0.4 was detected in 236 patients out of 3361 patients examined within the same age. The mean age of the selected patients (236 patients) was 11.48 ± 3.2 ranging from 6 to 18 years of which 137 (58.05%) were girls and 99 (41.95%) boys. The mean best corrected visual acuity converted to logMAR is 0.093 ± 0.109 ranging from 0.301 (6/12) in 53 eyes to 0 (6/6) in 260, whereas the rest best-corrected visual acuity 0.176 (6/9). The mean intraocular pressure was 11.75 ± 1.539.The mean cup disc ratio was 0.498 ± 0.0934 (0.497 ± 0.095 for females and 0.501 ± 0.090 for males). The majority of patients (females more than males) had C/D ratio similarity between both eyes, whereas very few had 0.2 differences (males more than females). The mean Hb concentration was 10.79 ± 0.89 g/dl in females and 11.04 ± 1.09 g/dl in males. It was as low as 7.2 in males and 7.8 in females. The stool analysis for the patients showed that 126 patients (74 females, 52 males) were infected with Entamoeba histolytica, whereas 31 patients (22 females, nine males) were infected with Giardia lamblia and 79 patients did not have parasitic manifestations. Conclusion In conclusion to our work we found that functional optic nerve damage is a possibility in children with anemia and cupping and with normal intraocular pressure and that there is very high incidence of parasitic infestation in those children and young adolescents that warns for state intervention to deal with this problem. A larger scanning by the ministry of health may be needed to verify these results