The Quark-Gluon Plasma Equation of State and The Generalized Uncertainty Principle

The quark-gluon plasma (QGP) equation of state within a minimal length scenario or Generalized Uncertainty Principle (GUP) is studied. The Generalized Uncertainty Principle is implemented on deriving the thermodynamics of ideal QGP at a vanishing chemical potential. We find a significant effect for the GUP term. The main features of QCD lattice results were quantitatively achieved in case of $n_{f}=0$, $n_{f}=2$ and $n_{f}=2+1$ flavors for the energy density, the pressure and the interaction measure. The exciting point is the large value of bag pressure especially in case of $n_{f}=2+1$ flavor which reflects the strong correlation between quarks in this bag which is already expected. One can notice that, the asymptotic behavior which is characterized by Stephan-Boltzmann limit would be satisfied.Comment: 9 Pages, 8 figure

POSSIBLE PROTECTIVE ROLE OF SODIUM SALICYLATE NANOEMULSION AND GINGER ON CISPLATIN‑INDUCED HEPATOTOXICITY IN RATS (BIOCHEMICAL AND HISTOPATHOLOGICAL STUDY)

Objective: To describe the preparation and characterization of nanoemulsion of sodium salicylate loaded butane tetracarboxylic acid (Bt-Sc-NPs). It also investigates the possible protective effects of Bt-Sc-NPs and\or medicinal plant ginger to evaluate the changes of liver functions, oxidative stress and histopathological investigations against cisplatin-induced hepatotoxicity. Methods: Serum was used to determine alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), δ-glutamyl transferase (δGT), serum human laminin (LN) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase1 (TIMP1). Liver tissue samples collected from the rats were used for the measurement of malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO) and paraoxonase 1 (PON1). Results: The beneficial effects of Bt-Sc-NPs with its anti-inflammatory effect and the medicinal ginger with its antioxidant effect were observed. Injection of rats with cisplatin significantly increased serum ALT, AST, ɤGT, TIMP1 and LN. It also increased cisplatin-induced oxidative stress by a significant elevation in liver MDA, NO content; however, a significant decrease of PON1 content. While protection with Bt-Sc-NPs or ginger significantly improved these parameters. In addition, combination of both Bt-Sc-NPs and ginger significantly induced a decrease in serum ALT, AST, ɤGT, TIMP1 and LN. It also reduced cisplatin-induced oxidative stress by the significant reduction in liver MDA, NO content and elevation of PON1 content much more than protection with Bt-Sc-NPs or ginger alone. Conclusion: Bt-Sc-NPs were synthesized using nanoemulsion with the help of homogenization and ultra-sonication waves. Combination with both of Bt-Sc-NPs and ginger showed a hepatoprotective role in ameliorating cisplatin‑induced hepatotoxicity due to their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects

Experiments in Learning Dyck-1 Languages with Recurrent Neural Networks

Considerable work, both theoretical and empirical, has shown that Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) architectures are capable of learning formal languages under specific conditions. In this study, we investigate the ability of linear and ReLU RNNs to learn Dyck-1 languages in whole sequence classification tasks. We observe that counting bracket sequences is learned but performance on full Dyck-1 recognition is poor. Models for both tasks do not generalise well to longer sequences. We determine correct weights for the given tasks with suitable architectures, but the standard setup for classification surprisingly departs from the correct values. We propose a regression setup with clipping that we find to stabilise correct weights, but it makes learning from random weight initialisation even less effective. Our observations suggest that Dyck-1 languages seem unlikely to be learned by ReLU RNNs for most practical applications

PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSE OF GAZANIA PLANTS TO GROWING MEDIA AND ORGANIC COMPOST

This work was carried out during two successive seasons of 2017 and 2018 at the Nursery, Department of Floriculture, Ornamental Horticulture and Landscape Gardening, Faculty of Agriculture, Alexandria University, Egypt to investigate the effect of different growing media (calcareous + sand + peat moss at the rate 70 and 40%) and two types of organic compost (rice straw and sugar beet at 30 and 60%) and their interaction on the growth and flowering of Gazania splendens plants. The experimental design in split-plot arrangement, with four replications, in both seasons. The growing media were laid out in the main plots and sub-plots included the different organic composts. Three pots were used as a plot for each treatment. The means of the individual factors and their interactions were compared by L.S.D. test at 5% level of probability. The obtained results can be summarized as follows;  most vegetative growth characteristics such as: number of tillers (54.74), number of leaves (239.76) and leaves fresh weight (100.29 g) were significantly affected by organic compost at 60% sugar beet with peat moss treatment, flowers characteristics (inflorescences diameter (9.34 cm) and number of inflorescences (14.87), and inflorescences dry weights (0.459 g), responded significantly to the interaction between the different media and organic compost, the highest significant values were obtained by organic compost at 30 and/ or 60% sugar beet and peat moss. Total chlorophyll (56.23 mg/g f.w.), nitrogen (3.42%), phosphorus (0.74%) in the leaves were the highest with 60% sugar beet and 40% peat moss in both seasons. However, potassium (2.85%) in the leaves gave the highest significant values by 60% sugar beet with calcareous soil (40%) for both seasons. It can be recommended that producing high quality of Gazania splendens plants for different decorative purposes in landscaping can be accomplished by growing plants in the mixture of peat moss (40%) with organic compost at rate 60% sugar beet led to improve its characteristics

Formal and Empirical Studies of Counting Behaviour in ReLU RNNs

In recent years, the discussion about systematicity of neural network learning has gained renewed interest, in particular the formal analysis of neural network behaviour. In this paper, we investigate the capability of single-cell ReLU RNN models to demonstrate precise counting behaviour. Formally, we start by characterising the semi-Dyck-1 language and semi-Dyck-1 counter machine that can be implemented by a single Rectified Linear Unit (ReLU) cell. We define three Counter Indicator Conditions (CICs) on the weights of a ReLU cell and show that fulfilling these conditions is equivalent to accepting the semi-Dyck-1 language, i.e. to perform exact counting. Empirically, we study the ability of single-cell ReLU RNNs to learn to count by training and testing them on different datasets of Dyck-1 and semi-Dyck-1 strings. While networks that satisfy the CICs count exactly and thus correctly even on very long strings, the trained networks exhibit a wide range of results and never satisfy the CICs exactly. We investigate the effect of deviating from the CICs and find that configurations that fulfil the CICs are not at a minimum of the loss function in the most common setups. This is consistent with observations in previous research indicating that training ReLU networks for counting tasks often leads to poor results. We finally discuss implications of these results and possible avenues for improving network behaviour

Improving Employment and Income through Development of Egypt’s Aquaculture Sector (IEIDEAS) project

The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)-funded Improving Employment and Income through Development of Egypt’s Aquaculture Sector (IEIDEAS) project was implemented by WorldFish in partnership with CARE Egypt and the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation from 2011 to 2014 and later extended to November 2015. The project focused on four governorates with significant aquaculture production (Kafr El Sheikh, Behera, Sharkia and Fayoum) and one governorate (El Mineya), where aquaculture was a new activity. The project was based on a value chain analysis conducted by WorldFish in September 2011 that identified the aquaculture value chain as a significant employer, particularly in rural areas. The analysis suggested that there was scope to increase employment of youth and women in the aquaculture sector The main objective was to increase aquaculture production by 10% and create 10,000 jobs. Other objectives included improving profitability for existing producers, securing employment for women fish retailers, expanding aquaculture in El Mineya and improving the policy environment for aquaculture

Effect of Denture Base Reinforcement Using Light Cured E- Glass Fibers on the Level of Salivary Immunoglobulin A

BACKGROUND: A gap still exists between in vitro and clinical studies concerning the biocompatibility of the material in the oral environment and their potential to cause immunological undesirable side effects. The uses of glass fibres to improve the mechanical properties of acrylic resin denture base polymers are well documented in vitro. AIM: The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of denture base reinforcement using light-cured E- glass fibres mesh on the level of salivary immunoglobulin A (S-IgA) in patients wearing complete dentures. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fourteen completely edentulous patients, in need of complete dentures, participated in the study. The patients were divided into two groups (n = 7) according to the treatment protocol. In the first group, patients received conventional heat-cured acrylic resin dentures. In the second group, the mandibular dentures were reinforced using light cured resin impregnated E glass fibres mesh. In both groups, salivary samples were collected using passive drool technique. The level IgA was assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique at different time intervals. Statistical analysis was carried out using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey`s post-hoc test and independent t-test. The significant level was set at P ≤ 0.05. RESULTS: Acrylic resin dentures and reinforced ones demonstrated an increase in the mean values of IgA level at the end of the follow-up intervals. And this increase was statistically significant (P ≤ 0.05). Although, the reinforced dentures revealed higher mean values, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05) CONCLUSIONS: Within the limitations of the present study, the following could be concluded: (1) the insertion of complete dentures induced changes in the level of IgA; and (2) denture base reinforcement using light cured resin impregnated E-glass fibres mesh had a similar effect to that of heat cured acrylic resin on the level of IgA

Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) is overexpressed in anaplastic thyroid cancer and the EGFR inhibitor gefitinib inhibits the growth of anaplastic thyroid cancer

Purpose: No effective treatment options currently are available to patients with Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer (ATC), resulting in high mortality rates. Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) has been shown to play a role in the pathogenesis of many types of cancer and its receptor (EGFR) provides an attractive target for molecular therapy. Experimental Design: The expression of EGFR was determined in ATC in vitro and in vivo and in human tissue arrays of ATC. We assessed the potential of the EGFR inhibitor gefitinib (“Iressa,” ZD1839) to inhibit EGFR activation in vitro and in vivo, inhibit ATC cellular proliferation, induce apoptosis and reduce the growth of ATC cells in vivo when administered alone and in combination with paclitaxel. Results: EGFR was overexpressed in ATC cell lines in vitro and in vivo and in human ATC specimens. Activation of EGFR by EGF was blocked by the addition of gefitinib. In vitro studies showed that gefitinib greatly inhibited cellular proliferation and induced apoptosis in ATC cell lines and slowed tumor growth in a nude mouse model of thyroid carcinoma cells injected subcutaneously. Conclusions: ATC cells consistently overexpress EGFR, rendering this receptor a potential target for molecular therapy. Gefitinib effectively blocks activation of EGFR by EGF, inhibits ATC cellular proliferation and induces apoptosis in vitro. Our in vivo results show that gefitinib has significant antitumor activity against ATC in a subcutaneous nude mouse tumor model and therefore is a potential candidate for human clinical trials