Arabic Codes in Hebrew Texts: On the Typology of Literary Code-switching

In the late 1950s, Iraqi Jews left or had to leave Iraq for Israel. In the course of their encounter with a new society, with Hebrew as the national language, most Iraqi Jewish authors found it impossible to continue writing in Arabic in Israel and had to face the literary challenge of switching to Hebrew. As bilinguals, Iraqi Jewish novelists have employed Arabic in some of their Hebrew literary works, including code-switching. Conversational Code-switching is traditionally divided into three types: intersentential code-switching, intrasentential code-switching and tag-switching. This paper focuses on the typology of code-switching in literary texts. It investigates Arabic codes used in three Hebrew novels written by Iraqi Jewish novelists. The paper suggests three main types of literary code-switching in view of the mutual relationship between author, text and reader. These are Hard-Access, Easy-Access and Ambiguous Access codeswitching

Study of Some Toxic Effects of Diminazine in Vitro

Background: The trypanocidal agent, diminazine have been shown to produce some toxic effects such as itching, hypotension and gastrointestinal disturbances among the migratory domestic animals, especially in camels during the dry season in South-western Sudan.                                                                  Objective: The present study was an attempt to explain some toxic effects of diminazine in vitro. Methods: A number of qualitative and quantitative experiments have been done to elucidate these mechanisms using different concentrations of diminazine.  Results: Incubation of different concentrations of diminazine with rat lung chops and their intraperitoneal administration, produced incubates that potently stimulated the isolated guinea-pig ileum. The obtained contractions were dosedependent and effectively blocked by the anti-histamine, diphenhydramine. The yielded incubated mixtures when developed on paper chromatography with authentic samples showed two spots with Rf values and colours similar to those of heparin and histamine when sprayed with ninhydrin or exposed to iodine vapour. The extent to which diminazine released histamine was determined by measuring the concentrations of the released histamine using the three-point assay. The addition of EDTA, diltiazem and dinitrophenol separately to the incubated mixtures indicated that the release of histamine and the accompanied heparin was calcium-and energy-dependent, most probably by exocytosis and damaging the lung and peritoneal mast cells.  When tested on isolated rabbit jejunum, diminazine was found to potentiate the effect of histamine with pA1/2 value of 5.4 ± 0.13 compared to 5.6 ± 0.15 for aminoguanidine, the standard diamine oxidase inhibitors. Conclusion: Diminazine was found to have a potent histamine releasing capacity. These findings indicated that the severe toxic effects produced by diminazine might be due to its ability to release histamine and/or potentiating its effects.&nbsp

Glutathione S-transferase M1, T1 and P1 gene polymorphisms and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus in Egyptian diabetic patients with and without diabetic vascular complications

Background and aim of work: Persistent oxidative stress is one of several factors thatparticipate in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are a family of antioxidant enzymes that exert important antioxidant roles in the elimination of reactive oxygen species. We aimed to assess the association of genetic polymorphisms in the GST isoenzymes M1, T1 and P1 with the risk of developing T2DM and its vascular related complications in Egyptian diabetic patients.Subjects and methods: Fifty-four T2DM patients of whom twenty-seven were suffering from vascular complications were compared to fifty-one healthy volunteers. Null genotypes in the GST M1 and T1 genes were screened using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The A313G single nucleotide polymorphism in the GSTP1 gene was detected using PCR–restriction fragment length polymorphism.Results: No significant differences were noted between diabetic cases and control group regarding frequencies of null genotypes of GSTM1 and GSTT1 genes (χ2p=0.631 and χ2p= 0.832, respectively). Furthermore, both null genotypes were not associated with the risk of developing T2DM or its related vascular complications whether alone or in combination. The frequency of the heterozygous mutation (AG) in the A313G GSTP1 polymorphism among diabetic cases with and diabetic cases without vascular complications was significantly higher compared to the control group (p=0.023). The risk of developing T2DM was significantly higher in cases presenting with combined heterozygous GSTP1 and null GSTM1 genotypes (Odds ratio= 6.285, 95% confidence interval =1.184–33.347, p=0.021).Conclusion: Our results could point out to potential roles of GSTP1 polymorphism alone or combined with GSTM1 gene polymorphism in the pathogenesis of T2DM related oxidative stress. Screening for other functional GST gene polymorphisms is important to understand the impact of interaction of multiple genetic factors in the pathogenesis of T2DM

Anticonvulsant and Anxiolytic Properties of the Roots of Grewia bicolor in Rats

Background: Grewia bicolor (G. bicolor) root is used in traditional medicine in Sudan to treat diseases of the nervous system such as anxiety and epilepsy and also to tranquilize agitated patients.Objectives: To explore the anticonvulsant and anxiolytic activities of this medicinal plant in rats.Materials and Methods: The ethanolic extract of the root of G. bicolourat (200, 400 and 800 mg/kg, i.p was studied for its anticonvulsant effect on four in vivo rat models (Maximal Electroshock Seizure (MES), Pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-, picrotoxin (PIC)- and Strychnine (STR) - induced seizures). Simple activity meter was used for the evaluation of the anxiolytic properties. Sodium valproate (400 mg kg) was used as a reference anticonvulsant drug for all models. The protection from tonic convulsions and the number of protected animals from seizures were noted. The numbers of movements between the squares in the activity meter were counted in the consecutive 5 minutes and the motor activity was observed.Results: G. bicolourroot extract showed marked anxiolytic effect and significant decrease in the motor activity (p< 0.05) since the first dose (200mg/kg) in a dose-dependent manner. The doses (400-800 mg/kg) of the extract significantly (p < 0.01 - p < 0.001) reduced the duration of seizures induced by maximal electroshock (MES) and delayed the onset of tonic-clonic seizures produced by strychnine, whereas, all the tested doses significantly protected the animals (up to 100%) from pentylenetetrazole- and picrotoxin- induced seizures.Conclusion: G. bicolourroot seemed to possess anticonvulsant and anxiolytic effect in rats.Keywords: Anxiety, Epilepsy, Extract, G. bicolour, Seizures, Traditional medicine

Non-human tools for the evaluation of bitter taste in the design and development of medicines: a systematic review

Taste evaluation is a crucial factor for determining acceptance of medicines by patients. The human taste panel test is the main method used to establish the overall palatability and acceptability of a drug product to a patient towards the end of development. Non-human in vitro and in vivo taste-evaluation tools are very useful for pre-formulation, quality control and screening of formulations. These non-human taste-assessment tools can be used to evaluate all aspects of taste quality. The focus of this review is bitterness because it is a key aspect of taste in association with the development of medicines. In this review, recent in vitro (analytical) and in vivo (non-human) tools are described for the assessment of the bitter taste of medicines. Their correlations with human taste data are critically discussed. The potential for their use in early screening of the taste of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to expedite paediatric formulation development is also considered

Production and purification of extreme xylanase from Aspergillus flavus AUMC 10331 in sub-merged fermentation

Xylan, extracted from oat spelts in a previous work, was assayed by HPLC and used as carbon source for the production of xylanase from Aspergillus flavus AUMC 10331. The produced xylanase was purified using ion exchange resin (IR-120 EP) and gel filtration column of Sephadex G-75 and Sephadex G-100. The purified xylanase showed total activity of 5.5 IU/ml and specific activity of 687.5 IU/mg, and the enzyme purified 156.75 fold with 4.43 % yield. The highest activity at pH 7.0 and 10.5 indicating two xylanases with the most interesting one with a maximum activity at pH 10.5 and 65 °C. The enzyme activity was greatly stimulated by 5 mM of FeSO4 and CuSO4, while slightly inhibited by other metal ions. Km and Vmax were determined as 8.36 mg/ml and 172.4 IU/min respectively. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.258610

Water quality and bacterial populations in a tropical marine cage culture farm

A study was conducted to investigate fluctuations in different physical and chemical parameters, and bacterial populations in a tropical marine cage culture farm for one annual cycle. Samples were collected from the centre of the farm (station 1) and away from the cages (station 2). There were no significant differences (P > 0.05) in water quality parameters, such as temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, conductivity and pH between the two stations during the neap and spring tides. Nutrient concentrations and bacterial counts were slightly higher at station 1 than station 2, but the differences were not significant (P > 0.05). In general, nutrients and chlorophyll a concentrations in the study area were higher than those reported in the pristine marine environment. There were significant correlations (P 0.05) in nutrient levels and bacterial populations between the neap and spring tides, probably because of the large number of farms operating in the shallow channel. The present study indicates that high organic loading from the fish farming activities could cause deterioration of the water quality in the cage-culture system as well as in the surrounding environment

Lean Construction as an innovative approach for minimising risks in Mega-Construction projectsin the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The past two decades have witnessed a rapid increase in construction projects within developing countries in the Middle Eastern Gulf region. This coincides with the governments' announcements regarding substantially increased spending on the improvement of infrastructure. Despite this increase, construction companies still face many challenges, including completing projects on time and within budgets, thus promoting a negative image of the industry in that region. The negative impact of the aforementioned challenges has been confirmed through (1) data collected from documents concerning completed construction projects in which the researcher has been professionally involved; (2) the researcher’s experience in the field of construction project management in the Middle East and risk management in particular; and (3) extensive study of the literature in this domain. This has identified a set of the most common problems associated with construction projects in one of the Gulf Area countries - the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) - and has led to them being categorised into three individual risk types, namely Construction Waste; Delayed Schedule; and Project Over Budget. Following a detailed identification and assessment of commonly implemented strategies and a study of the Lean Construction method as the “new” strategy introduced recently to the field, it is proposed that the Lean Construction method could lead to better results in solving these problems. To that end, the objectives of this study are (1) to develop a Lean Construction framework; and (2) to create a Lean Construction Assessment Tool. To achieve these objectives, the research work (a) investigates the linkages between Lean and risk management; (b) reviews the concept of Lean and its application to the construction industry in Saudi Arabia (c) analyses the barriers and success factors; and (d) identifies the benefits of Lean Construction within construction organisations in Saudi Arabia. To that end, the adopted research methodology involves both quantitative and qualitative mechanisms. The implementation plan is fourfold, namely (1) undertaking a comprehensive literature review of the construction domain; (2) implementing a survey instrument among KSA construction professionals concerning the Lean Construction method to identify the barriers to, and the successful aspects of, the Lean concept; (3) developing a framework and assessment tool through content analysis in order to provide a better understanding of the implementation process and the drivers of the Lean Construction method in the construction field; and (4) validating the proposed developed framework of Lean Construction and assessment tool through interviews and an online survey with experts within the construction industry. Among the main findings of this research is the lack of future strategic plans for the construction industry in terms of managing waste and risks in general and specially to KSA. The developed framework of the Lean implementation process highlights the necessity to understand the implementation of Lean Construction within construction organisations as well as the drivers for implementing Lean. It is hoped that the outcomes of this research study will have theoretical and practical significance for successful Lean implementation in construction organisations in KSA. Furthermore, it is intended to provide construction professionals with significant insights to help focus their efforts on value-adding work processes, resulting in better time management and money-saving strategies

Sudden natural death in Khartoum Mortuary

Background: The sudden natural death is defined as: Death occurs within 24 hours from the onset of symptoms. The disclosing of the causes of sudden natural death is important for prevention and improving outcome. The objectives of this study were to determine the causes of sudden natural death in Khartoum Mortuary Methods: Descriptive, cross- sectional study of natural sudden death in Khartoum Mortuary, which was located in Khartoum Teaching Hospital and offers services to the state. The autopsy records of 2007, which were 150, were considered. Data were collected by a structured check list, and analysis was done by the SPSS soft ware. Results:The most important systems involved in sudden natural deaths were respiratory (49.3%), cardiovascular (24%), gastro intestinal (15.3%) and cerebral (4%), while the leading causes of sudden natural death were pneumonia (20%), myocardial infarction (17.3%) and tuberculosis (14%). Sudden natural death occurred in slightly higher ratio in the age group 40 years and below (50.1%), males were dominating (83%). Conclusion: The commonest causes of sudden natural death, which were pneumonia, myocardial infarction and tuberculosis, were different from the literature in which the commonest causes were myocardial infarction followed by pulmonary embolism. The study highlighted the importance of respiratory diseases besides myocardial infarction as leading causes of sudden natural death, and the need for further researches in this issue. Keywords: pneumonia, myocardial infarction and tuberculosis, postmortem Sudan Journal of Medical Science Vol. 3 (4) 2008: pp. 319-32