ENHANCED METHOD FOR AMPLIFYING ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF LACTOPEROXIDASE SYSTEM IN MILK AND DERIVED PRODUCTS BY CARROT EXTRACT AND BETA CAROTENE

OSCN–  has  been  known  and  well  documented  as  natural  antimicrobial  agent    generated  from the  lactoperoxidase  system (LPOS)  but  the  antimicrobial  activity  exerted  from  this  system  is  too  low  for  certain  food  such  as  milk  and  derived products (up to 1.2 log CFU/ml) resulting in the restriction on industrial  development  of  LPOS.  Our  previous  study  concluded  that  involvement  of  carrot  extract and beta carotene in LPOS significantly boosted the antimicrobial activity  (up  to  6  log  CFU/ml)  against  S.  enteritidis.  This  finding  should  be  continued  to  the  application  on  food.  Since  we  found  that  LPOS  generates  low  antimicrobial  activity  on  milk  and  derived  product,  our  research  will  be  conducted  on  the  application  of  LPOS  plus  carrot  extract  and  beta  carotene  on  milk  and  derived  product.  Because  the  high  antimicrobial  activity  is  needed  for  industrial  purposes,  this  research  may  open  the  way  for  industrial  development  of  natural  antimicrobial agent from LPOS.  This research will be conducted in three steps of experiment: (1) ensuring  the  incredible  antimicrobial  activity  of  LPOS  plus  carrot  extract  and  beta  carotene  against  three  poisonous  tropical bacteria:  C. jejuni,  S. enteritidis,  and E.  coli,  (2)  utilization  of  LPOS  plus  carrot  extract  and  beta  carotene  in  milk:  full  cream and skimmed milk, and (3) utilization of LPOS plus carrot extract and beta  carotene  in  milk  derived  product:  yogurt  and  tropical  fruity  milk.  The  purification  of  LPO  from  bovine  milk,  the  complimentary  data  analysis  for  generation  of  LPOS  antimicrobial  activity  by  the  addition  of  carrot  extract  and  beta  carotene  will  be  conducted  in  Japan  and  for  the  application  in  tropical  poisonous  bacteria,  milk,  and  milk  derived  product  will  be  conducted  in  Indonesia.  The  outcomes  of  this  research  from  three  step  of  research  are  three  international  publications  at  international‐scopus‐indexed‐journals  :  International Journal of  Dairy Science and  one  of  patent:  “enhanced  method  for  improvement of LPOS antimicrobial activity by involvement of carrot extract and  beta carotene in milk and derived product”.     Keywords:  Lactoperoxidase,  antimicrobial  activity,  carrot  extract,  beta  carotene,  milk, derived products

AN OPTIMAL LOCATION OF A CAPACITIVE REACTANCE COMPENSATOR IN ELECTRIC POWER SYSTEMS

The paper presents detailed fast control characteristics and continuous compensation capability; Flexible AC Transmission System (FACTS) devices have been researched and adopted in power engineering area. It can increase dynamic stability, and improve power quality. It can also increase utilization of lowest cost generation. FACTS device is to control the power flow actively; it can transfer power flow from one line to another within its capability. The optimal location and parameters of Unified Power Flow Controllers (UPFCs) in electrical power systems is studied. The location of FACTS devices in the power system are obtained on the basis of static and/or dynamic performances, the best locations are in the line congested or near that line. The paper focuses on the operation of the FACTS device under fault that may cause other transmission lines to be overflowed The proposed algorithm in this paper is tested and verified on the 9 bus system by using ATP simulation program. Keywords: Power quality, Sag, FACTS, IEEE-9 bus system

The international, regional and legal aspects of Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait 1990-1991

The resolution of the Iraq-Kuwait crisis depended on the leading role played by the US in managing the crisis and eliciting the international and regional support needed to uphold international law and restore the legitimacy and sovereignty of the Kuwaiti state. In that Saudi Arabia and the UN immensely aided the US. The focus of the study will be on this particular contribution of the Security Council and Riyadh to the resolution of the crisis. Saudi Arabia's leading regional role in support of Kuwait and its willingness to participate in the war waged against Iraq from its territory shows the extent of its concern over the strengthening of Iraq as a dominant force in the Gulf area as well as over Iraqi violation of the Charters of the UN and the Arab League. The international response was also motivated by similar concerns, in addition to Iraq threatening the strategic interests of the US. It was this direct threat to the US that motivated Washington to use the Security Council as the most appropriate vehicle to manage the crisis by emphasising adherence to international law and UN Charter. There was no doubt that Iraq violated international law, but the domination of the international coalition and the Security Council by the US tainted the role of the UN and emphasised the fact that Desert Storm was not merely about restoring Kuwaiti sovereignty but also about the destruction of Iraqi power. The severity of the sanctions and their continuation for more than a decade is further evidence that Washington's objectives go beyond the needs of upholding international law and maintaining peace and stability. The Gulf war restored Kuwaiti sovereignty but did very little to restore stability and peace in the region. Divisions among Arab states have been accentuated, the Arab league is totally marginalised and the GCC lacks the ability to create a viable order to safeguard the sovereignty and stability of the Gulf area. Thus the consequences of the war on the region and on Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq have been extensive and devastating

Forecast Disclosures among Jordanian Companies: Financial Analysts’ Perception

To improve the reliability of accounting information disclosed beyond conventional one, the study came to investigate some controversial issues in respect to forecast disclosures in Jordan. The results gave an indicator that Jordanian companies were careful in respect to forecast horizon; the proper forecast horizon was less than 6 months; there was no correlation between the actual level of forecast disclosures and the importance of forecasts from financial analysts' viewpoints; the commitment of Jordanian companies toward adopting IAS/IFRS affected the forecasts reliability positively and Jordanian companies issued forecasts on more frequent basis. Keywords: ASE, forecast disclosure, forecast horizon, accuracy, Jorda

The Impact of Investing in Research and Development on Performance: Evidence from Jordan

This research aimed to investigate the effect of investing in research and development on the performance of Jordanian companies. Investment in research and development was measured by the ratio of investment to sales and the number of researchers. Financial performance was measured by financial ratios. The population of the study consisted of 45 industrial companies listed on the Amman Stock Exchange. Data was obtained only from 21 companies for seven years. The results indicate that the level of investment in research and development is very low compared to international standards. The results also show no significant relationships between investment in research and development and the financial performance of the companies. The research provides some conclusions and recommendations in light of the results

Dielectric characteristics of spin-coated dielectric films using on-wafer parallel-plate capacitors at microwave frequencies

Includes bibliographical references.Dielectric properties of spin-coated dielectric insulators suitable for high-speed device fabrication are investigated. Complex dielectric permittivities and tangential losses of two polyimides, bisbenzocyclobutene (BCB), and a spin-on-glass (SOG) were extracted from the measured microwave reflection coefficient, S11, of parallel-plate capacitors over a frequency range of 50 MHz to 40 GHz. A model for the dielectric permittivity as a function of frequency is developed based on measured data with a minimum square error of less than 10-4 between measured and modeled microwave reflection coefficients. A circuit model for the pad capacitance is obtained based on geometrical and physical considerations. The relationship between the dielectric loss and its thickness is considered. Experimental results are fitted to Debye and Cole-Cole models.This work has been supported in part by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency under contract number DAAD19-03-1-0059 and by Yarmouk University in Irbid, Jordan

Pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma: A review on molecular profiling of patient tumors

Pancreatic carcinomas with acinar differentiation are rare, accounting for 1%-2% of adult pancreatic tumors; they include pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma (PACC), pancreatoblastoma, and carcinomas of mixed differentiation. Patients with PACC have a prognosis better than pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas but worse than pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. Reports of overall survival range from 18 to 47 mo. A literature review on PACCs included comprehensive genomic profiling and whole exome sequencing on a series of more than 70 patients as well as other diagnostic studies including immunohistochemistry. Surgical resection of PACC is the preferred treatment for localized and resectable tumors. The efficacy of adjuvant treatment is unclear. Metastatic PACCs are generally not curable and treated with systemic chemotherapy. They are moderately responsive to chemotherapy with different regimens showing various degrees of response in case reports/series. Most of these regimens were developed to treat patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas or colorectal adenocarcinomas. Review of PACC’s molecular profiling showed a number of gene alterations such as: SMAD4, BRAF, BRCA2, TP53, RB1, MEN1, JAK-1, BRCA-1, BRCA-2, and DNA mismatch repair abnormalities. PACCs had multiple somatic mutations with some targetable with available drugs. Therefore, molecular profiling of PACC should be an option for patients with refractory PACC

Psychological Pollution Level Among Sample of Irbid University College Students, in Light of Some Variables

This study aimed to discover the level of psychological pollution among  Irbid university college female student in light of some variables, the sample of the study consisted of (146) female students from Irbid university college. The researchers used the psychological pollution scale that was developed by them  and consisted of (40) items. The results of the study revealed  that the level of psychological pollution among  Irbid university college female student was intermediate with an average (2.51). also, the results revealed that there were statically significant differences related to the psychological pollution due to major variable and in favour of English students. and the results revealed that there were statically significant differences related to the psychological pollution due to level of study and in favour of fourth year students. The study didn't reveal differences in the level of psychological pollution  due to the variable of parents education Keywords: psychological pollution, Irbid University College. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/10-20-09 Publication date:July 31st 201