The Impact of Brand Extension Strategy on the Brand Equity of Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) in Egypt

Purpose:ThisStudy the brand extension in FMCG (fast moving consumers goods) focuses on Food and Beverages sector in Egypt analyzes the factors consisting Brand extension strategy, Identify factors that enable enhanced brand equity through brand extension, Measures the effects of the brand extension strategy on brand equity.The empirical study investigate the impact of the three important factors constitute Brand Extension on Consumer-Based Brand Equity as the dependent variable but it will be measured using three factors which are perceived quality, Brand Loyalty, and Brand Association, and also test the relationships between the factors constituting Brand Extension with the three factors constituting Brand Equity. Methodology/Approach: The research employed questionnaire for sample constitute 415 Egyptian consumer to investigate the impact brand extension strategy on brand equity , testing hypothesis by applying both Correlation Spearman between brand extension strategy, brand equity  and Multiple Regression analysis to find the effect independent variable (brand extension: Similarity, Brand reputation& Consumer innovativeness, Brand familiarity), on dependent variable (brand equity). Findings: The results reveal thatthere is positive strong relationship between brand extension and consumer based brand equity amongst Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) in Egypt. Brand familiarity, brand image/ consumer innovativeness excluding similarity, have a significant effect on the brand equity.Research limitations/implications: As the study is conducted only within one industry there is a risk that the results may represent industry-specific factors that are not representative of all consumer markets. The findings have practical application and are relevant for marketing managers and brand managers. Originality/value: Detailed insights and key lessons from the field with regards to how brand extension affects brand equity should be conceptualized and measured are offered. Keywords: Brand Extension, Brand Equity, Similarity, Reputation of parent brand & Consumer Innovativeness, Brand familiarity, Perceived quality,Brand loyalty Brand association

Novel Sequence Variants in the NPC1 Gene in Egyptian Patients with Niemann-Pick Type C

BACKGROUND: Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC) is a rare, autosomal recessive, progressive neuro-visceraldisease caused by biallelic mutations in either NPC1gene (95% of cases) or NPC2 gene. AIM: This caseseries study aimed at the molecular analysis of certain hot spots of NPC1 genein NPC Egyptian patients. METHODS: The study included 15 unrelated NPC patients and selected parents,as well as20 healthy controls of matched sex and age. Clinical investigations were performed according to well established clinical criteria. Assessment of the chitotriosidase level, as an initial screening tool for NPC, was done in all cases. Polymerase chain reaction amplification of NPC1 exons (17–25) encountering the hotspot residues (855–1098 and1038–1253) was carried out followed by direct sequencingfor mutational analysis. RESULTS: All includedpatients with mainly neurovisceral involvement were characterized. The onset of the disease varied from early-infantile (58.3%) to late-infantile (26.7%) and juvenile-onset (6.7%). Ahigh chitotriosidase level wasobservedin all patients. Molecular analysis of NPC1 (exons 17–25) confirmed 15 mutant alleles out of 30 studied ones. They included two novel homozygous missense variants (p.Ser1169Arg and p.Ser1197Phe) and previously reportedfour mutations (p.Arg958*, p.Gly910Ser, p.Ala927Glyfs*38, and andp.Cys1011*). CONCLUSION: The two studied amino acid residues (855–1098 and 1038–1253) could beconsidered aspotential hotspot regions in NPC1 Egyptian patients

mIR-99a-5p and mIR-148a-3p as candidate molecular biomarkers for the survival of lung cancer patients

MicroRNA (miRNA) has emerged as a promising biomarker for improving the current state of an early lung cancer diagnosis. Multiple studies have reported that circulating miRNAs are usually combined in a single panel to determine lung cancer risk. In this study, we sought to assess the prognostic predictive values of the potential miRNAs for lung cancer survival among Malaysian patients. The microarray analysis was performed on the isolated miRNA samples of formalin-fixed lung cancer tissues from Malaysian populations. The correlation between miRNA expression and lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) patient survival was predicted using TGGA data, followed by extensive in silico analyses, including miRNA target gene identification, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network construction, subnetwork (SN) detection, functional enrichment analysis, gene-disease associations, and survival analysis in advanced-stage LUAD. Overall, two promising miR-99a-5p and miR-148a-3p were upregulated in the patients with good survival. We found that 64 miR-99a-5p and 95 miR-148a-3p target genes were associated with poor prognosis and highly participated in cancer-associated processes, such as apoptosis, mRNA transport and cell-cell adhesion. The density score of 4.667, 3.333, and 3.000 in respective SN1, SN2, and SN3 showed the significant subnetworks of constructed PPI leading to the identification of 17 targets, of which ~79% of them involved in neoplastic diseases. Four high-confidence target genes (SUDS3, TOMM22, KPNA4, and HMGB1) were associated with worse overall survival in LUAD patients, implying their critical roles in LUAD pathogenesis. These findings shed additional light on the roles of miR-99a-5p and miR-148a-3p as potential biomarkers for LUAD survival

Role of physical function in predicting short-term treatment outcome in Egyptian acute myeloid leukemia patients: a single center experience

Background: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a potentially fatal hematological disease. Along with disease-related factors, patient-related factors, in particular age, are a strong predictor of outcome that influence treatment decisions. Many acute myeloid leukemia risk stratification models have been developed to predict the outcome of intensive chemotherapy. However, these models did not include physical function assessments. Methods: This study investigated the impact of several factors, namely the performance status, physical function and age on the short-term outcomes of intensive chemotherapy in a cohort of 50 Egyptian patients with de novo acute myeloid leukemia. Results: Complete remission after intensive chemotherapy in these myeloid leukemia patients at Day 28 was 56% and the mortality rate was 12% and 34% at Day 28 and Day 60, respectively. The pretreatment Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score was significantly correlated with outcomes on Day 28 and Day 60 (p-value = 0.041 and p-value = 0.032, respectively). There were significant correlations between the two-minute walk test and outcomes of therapy on Day 28 and 60 (p-value = 0.032 and p-value = 0.047, respectively) and between grip strength test and outcomes of therapy on Day 28 and 60 (p-value = 0.046 and p-value = 0.047 respectively). Furthermore, there was a significant correlation between chair stand test and outcome of therapy on Day 28 (p-value = 0.023). Conclusion: Performance status and physical function assessments were strong predictors of outcome of intensive chemotherapy in acute myeloid leukemia and we recommend the incorporation of these variables in risk stratification models for the personalization of therapy before treating acute myeloid leukemia patients with intensive chemotherapy. Keywords: Acute myeloid leukemia, Physical functions, Performance status, ECO

Evaluation of Strength of Different Resin Materials Used in Overdenture

Introduction: Finding a suitable material that could be used to restore relatively small inter-arch spaces in which reasonable aesthetics as well as good functional strength could be achieved is a difficult process that requires good understanding of the clinical situation and precise management. Historically Metal used to offer the smallest possible thickness with excellent strength but lacks resiliency with poor aesthetics. Aim of the study: This In-vitro study was conducted to compare two different aesthetic materials PEEK and ACETAL regarding their mechanical strength when used as Overdenture framework in a relatively small thickness. Material and Methods: 120 specimens were prepared according to the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International standards and divided into two main groups according to the material, group (A) PEEK samples and group (B) ACETAL samples. Each group of 60 specimens was subdivided into three different groups (I, II, III) according to three different thicknesses (1, 1.5 and 2 mm). Each group contains 20 identical samples, half of them were subjected to water absorption and the other half were left untouched. Then all specimens were loaded to failure in a Universal Testing Machine (UTM). Results: Data analyzed using Student’s t test for independent samples and showed that any increase in thickness lead to increase in the flexural strength which was proportioned in all Acetal samples in contrast to PEEK samples. All PEEK samples recorded significantly higher flexural strength values on every thickness than Acetal samples. Acetal samples with 2 mm of thickness did not offer enough strength as suggested by the international standards for polymer materials and ISO. Conclusions: The flexural strength of PEEK samples was 3 times higher than Acetal samples. Acetal thickness should be more than 2mm. water has a significant effect on the strength of Acetal material

Assessment of hepatic fibrosis and necroinflammation among inactive HBsAg carriers in Egypt

Introduction. The inactive hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carrier state is usually characterized by minimal or absent liver pathology. However, in developing countries, owing to the very early age of infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV), this state is reached after a very prolonged immune tolerant and immune reactive phase, during which considerable liver damage may have occurred. The extent of liver damage in inactive HBsAg carriers has not been thoroughly assessed in developing countries. We thus sought to characterize liver pathology among Egyptian inactive HBsAg carriers.Material and methods. Liver biopsy was conducted on 30 inactive HBsAg carriers [positive for HBsAg; negative for HBeAg; positive for antibody to HBeAg (anti-HBe); HBV-DNA levels < 2,000 IU/mL; persistently normal serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT)]. Liver histopathology was assessed according to the Ishak scoring system.Results. Among the studied carriers, 6.7% had no hepatic fibrosis, 73.3% had stage 1 fibrosis, and 20% had stage 2 fibrosis. The majority (80%) of carriers had minimal hepatic necroinflammation (grades 2-4), while 20% had mild hepatic necroinflammation (grade 5). All patients with stage 2 fibrosis were males, while no gender predilection was observed for necroinflammation. Age, ALT and HBV-DNA levels did not differ significantly according to fibrosis or ne-croinflammatory scores. Conclusion. Our study findings do not support the presence of significant hepatic fibrosis or necroinflammation among Egyptian inactive HBsAg carriers. However, follow-up studies on these carriers may be required to monitor any further pathological progress of the disease

Manifestations of HbSE sickle cell disease: a systematic review

Abstract Background Sickle cell disease (SCD) is commonly encountered in Africa and Middle Eastern countries. The causative mutation in the gene encoding the hemoglobin subunit β (HBB) leads to various genotypic variants of the disease. This results in varied phenotypes, with a spectrum of complications, from benign to fatal. Hemoglobin SS (HBSS) genotype is associated with most of these complications; hence, it is a severe form of SCD. On the other hand, rare genotypes such as hemoglobin SE (HBSE) are considered benign. There is limited literature about the clinical manifestations and characteristics of patients with HBSE. We pooled all available data describing the phenotypic manifestations of HBSE heterozygote worldwide to perform a systematic review. Methods We performed a systematic review according to PRISMA guidelines using PubMed, SCOPUS, and Google Scholar databases. Two independent reviewers (FA and IK) evaluated studies for eligibility and extracted data. We synthesized data on demographics, manifestations, and management of HBSE disease. PROSPERO Registration Number: CRD42021229877. Results We found 68 HBSE patients reported in the literature. 24 cases were extracted from case reports whereas 44 cases from case series and retrospective studies. Turkey reported the highest number of patients (n = 22). 32 (47%) of the patients were males. The mean age was 20.9 ± 18.26 years. The mean HBS and HBE percentages were 61.1% ± 7.25% and 32.3% ± 5.06%, respectively, whereas the mean hemoglobin was 11.64 ± 1.73 g/dl. Reported manifestations of HBSE disease included acute vaso-occlusive pain crisis (n = 22, 32.3%), splenomegaly (n = 11, 16.1%), hemolytic anemia (n = 10, 14.7%), infections (n = 8. 11.7%), bone infarction (n = 4, 5.8%), gallstones (n = 3, 4.4%), venous thromboembolism (VTE) (n = 2, 2.9%) and stroke (n = 2, 2.9%), and hematuria (n = 2, 2.9%). Death due to HBSE complications was reported in three patients. Conclusion HBSE is a rare genotypic variant of SCD. It has been considered a benign form; however, there are multiple reports of severe complications. Severe complications observed in HBSE disease include vaso-occlusive crisis, acute chest syndrome, stroke, bone marrow embolism, and death

A study to determine a suitable statutory liability regime for carriage of goods by road in Malaysia / Norziela Mohamed Nasir ... [et al.]

This research proposal will focus on the study of the need for a regime concerning on the carriage of goods by road in Malaysia in reference with the Convention on the Contract of International Carriage of Goods by Road (CMR). We will be touching on the current situation in Malaysia, in which the carriage of goods by road in Malaysia is not governed by any specific regime. We will also include the problems occurred in Malaysia that call for the need of such new regime. Furthermore, we will analyse in depth on CMR especially the matters concerning liability and see how effective the application of the Convention in foreign countries. However, in order to cany out this project paper, there are several difficulties that might arise in carrying out the research and the solutions are discussed. The achievement in this research paper is that we have suggested the ratification of the CMR is not necessary and the Malaysian legal system should adopt only certain Articles of the Convention that are deemed to be necessary to make Malaysian law better