Health and economic growth in Sudan: Cointegration and Granger causality analysis (1969-2015)

Abstract. The relationship between human health and economic growth is complex. Its analysis is further complicated by the indicators used to measure health as indirectly observed. Improved health status requires increases in supply and demand for health care services driven by both economic and non-economic factors including GDP, GDP Per capita, inflation, population, fertility rates, life expectancy at birth, morbidity and mortality rates as well as education. On the other hand, health improvements measured for example by reductions in child mortality rates and increases in life expectancy rates have proven positive effects on economic growth. This study sought to explain the interplay between the state of health and economic growth in Sudan. The study is mainly an empirical investigation employing the econometric methods of Johansen cointegration test, the vector error correction modeling (VECM) and Granger causality analysis using annual time series data for the period 1969-2015. The cointegration test shows that a long-run equilibrium relationship exists between health status and economic growth. The VECM results show that health expenditure, under-five mortality and immunization have significant positive effects on economic growth in the long run, while total investment and CO2 emissions have no significant effect on GDP. In the short run, total investment and CO2 emissions have significant negative effect on GDP though in two years period. In the short run, GDP is mostly and significantly affected by total health expenditure and immunization but not by the under-five mortality rates. The error correction term has the correct negative sign showing that the dependent variable GDP converges to steady state equilibrium at speed of 32%. Granger causality analysis shows a unidirectional relationship running from GDP to health expenditure, while a unidirectional relationship running from under-five mortality rate to GDP is established. CO2 emissions are found to cause GDP with no sign of feedback effect. The study recommends that government should ensure macroeconomic stability in terms of stable growth, increase the resources to the health sector in order to achieve the under-five mortality MDG and effective coordination with donors to ensure full coverage of children immunization.Keywords. Health, Health expenditure, Economic growth, Cointegration, VECM, Sudan.JEL. H51, I10, F43

Energy and economic factors affecting carbon dioxide emissions in Sudan: An empirical econometric analysis (1969-2015)

Abstract. The objective of this study is to investigate some energy and economic growth factors in explaining the behaviour of CO2 emissions in Sudan over the period 1969-2015 using annual time series data. The OLS estimated model shows that there is significant effect of total energy use per capita, oil consumption, GDP per capita GDPP, trade openness and foreign direct investment on CO2 emissions in Sudan. The estimated model indicates a positively signed and statistically significant coefficient of relationship between the squared GDP per capita and CO2 emissions in Sudan, thus contradicting the EKC hypothesis claim. The Johansen cointegration test results show existence of a long run equilibrium relationship between CO2 emissions, energy use and economic growth factors. Consistent with the OLS estimates, the ARDL model results show nonexistence of an EKC as well as showing that energy use per capita and oil consumption as the main deriving factors behind CO2 emissions in Sudan in both the short run and long run. The ARDL model also indicates that CO2 emissions adjust to a steady state equilibrium position by a factor of 66%. Granger causality test shows existence of bidirectional relationship running from GDPP value and the squared GDPP to CO2 emissions with no sign of feedback effects. Oil and FDI are found to be Granger causing CO2 emissions, indicating pollution haven. The study recommends that energy efficiency measures in terms of proper pricing of oil derivatives, expansion of production and use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and restrictions in production and use of fuel woods and charcoal with sustainability pricing of these forest products should be adopted within the country intended nationally determined contribution. These measures are needed because it is unlikely for a low income country like Sudan to reduce energy use per capita which is already low and energy use per unit of output needed for foresting economic growth. Impacts of FDI need to be assessed and environmentally regulated.Keywords. Energy use, GDP Per Capita, trade openness, CO2 emissions, Cointegration, ARDL, Granger Causality, Sudan.JEL. C13 C32 Q43 Q56

Оценка биотехнологического потенциала различных сортов пшеницы

Assess the ability to embryogenic callus formation and regeneration of plants of several varieties of soft and hard spring wheat breeding Egyptian and Russian in order to select genotypes suitable for biotechnology. Callus from mature embryos were isolated from dry seeds and immature embryos isolated from kernels at 10-12 days after pollination. The highest frequency of embryogenic callus production from mature embryos marked for cultivar Novosibirskaya-22 (71,4%), the lowest capacity for embryogenesis has the cultivar Sids-1 (4%). For some genotypes the higher frequency of production embryogenic callus obtained in the use of mature, but for others - immature embryos. For one genotypes higher frequency of embryogenic callus formation is received at use mature, and for others - immature embryos. With increase in age of culture the proportion of embryogenic calli was reduced at all cultivars, after four months of culturing it became close to zero. Novosibirskaya-22, Suhadzh-1, Gemmiza-1 can be used as sites of cell selection or genetic engineering.С целью отбора генотипов, пригодных для биотехнологии, оценена способность ряда сортов мягкой и твердой яровой пшеницы египетской и российской селекции к образованию эмбриогенного каллуса и регенерации растений. Каллус получали из зрелых зародышей, выделенных из сухих зерновок, и из незрелых зародышей, изолированных на 10-12-й день после опыления. Наибольшая частота образования эмбриогенного каллуса отмечена для сорта Новосибирская-22 (71,4%), наименьшей способностью к эмбриогенезу обладал сорт Сидс-1 (4%). Для одних генотипов более высокая частота образования эмбриогенного каллуса получена при использовании зрелых, а для других - незрелых зародышей. С увеличением возраста культуры доля эмбриогенных каллусов сокращалась у всех сортов, после четырех месяцев культивирования она становилась близкой к нулю. Новосибирская-22, Сухадж-1, Геммиза-1 могут быть использованы в качестве объектов клеточной селекции или генетической инженерии

OPTIMIZATION OF ALOCASIA AMAZONICA PROLIFERATION THROUGH IN-VITRO CULTURE TECHNIQUE

Excised explants were in-vitro cultured on multiplication medium of Murashige and Skoog (MS). This study was carried away inside the tissue culture lab. Horticulture Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center. Giza, Egypt through the period from 2015 to 2017, to research some factors affecting in-vitro propagation of the indoor ornamental plant Alocasia amazonica using benzyladenine amino purine (BAP) and Kinetin at 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 ppm and their interaction. The obtained results indicated that BAP gave the greatest number of shoots, plus the lowest values for shoot length, shoot fresh weight, number regarding roots and total chlorophyll content. Meanwhile, kinetin achieved the highest values for shoot length, shoot fresh weight although it was not necessarily significant. The same was observed in number of leaves, number of roots and total chlorophyll content with no significant difference. MS medium free of hormones demonstrated the greatest number of leaves, number of roots and total chlorophyll content, and the lowest values of number of shoots and shoot length. Using cytokinn at 1 ppm gave the highest shoot length and number of leaves; and the second position for number of shoot and roots. As for 2 ppm of cytokinin application, it gave the greatest values of shoot length, number of leaves and shoot fresh weight, despite the last one was not significant. this concentration got also the other position for number of shoots, 3 ppm had the greatest number of shoots, and the lowest shoot length, number of roots and shoot fresh weight and 4 ppm occupied the second grade concerning number of shoots, and the lowest grades for shoot length, shoot fresh weight, number of leaves, number of roots and total chlorophyll. Regarding the interaction between cytokinin type and concentration found that, the control treatment (Free MS) gave the highest number of leaves. Using BAP at 2 or 3 ppm attained the highest number of shoots. Using Kin at 1 or 2 ppm attained the highest shoots length. Also, Using Kin at 2 ppm attained the highest fresh weight. The application of Kin at 1 ppm was connected with the highest value of number of leaves. The development of roots showed great values on free medium of BAP and Kin as well as medium supplemented with Kin at 1 and 2 ppm. Whereas, root did not demonstrate any presence at higher concentrations of BAP of 2, 3 and 4 ppm. It is usually recommended to use the MS medium supplemented with BAP at 3 ppm which often gave the highest number of shoots. However, the highest values for shoot length, shoot fresh weight and number of roots were recorded on particularly on MS medium supplemented with Kin at 2 ppm

Influence of batch or fed-batch growth on Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilm formation

Aims: To make a quantitative evaluation of the differences in biofilm formation by Staphylococcus epidermidis using batch and fed-batch growth systems and to correlate this with production of the major biofilm polysaccharide, poly-N-acetyl glucosamine (PNAG). Methods and Results: Dry weight measurements of biofilms formed in batch and fed-batch conditions were compared with haemagglutination titres, which measure the amount of PNAG produced. Strains grown in batch systems developed less biofilm than when grown in fed-batch systems. A good correlation was found between the amount of biofilm formed in fed-batch systems and the haemagglutination titres. Conclusions: Differences in biofilm formation and PNAG production by S. epidermidis are dependent on the availability of nutrients, with higher availability correlating with more biofilm and PNAG production. Significance of and Impact of the Study: Comparisons of the formation of biofilms by S. epidermidis are dependent on choosing an appropriate biofilm growth system. Comparability or disparity of conclusions among different investigations will be strongly influenced by which mode S. epidermidis biofilms are formed.NIH - grant AI 46706.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) – Programa Operacional “Ciência, Tecnologia, Inovação” (POCTI) - POCTI/ESP/42688/2001, SFRH/BD/8676/2002

Removal of Lignin from Pulp Waste Water's Black Liquor via By-Pass Cement Dust

The potential use of inexpensive and available by-pass cement dust as an inorganic sorbent for the removal of organic matter (lignin) from black liquor of pulp wastewater by adsorption methodology was investigated using the batch technique. The cement dust is found to remove lignin efficiently from black liquor (the untreated cement dust (70.47%), the thermally treated one at 1000 °C (78.63%), and chemically treated dust (80.62%). The factors affecting the uptake percentage such as time, dose, pH and temperature were investigated to assess the optimum conditions for lignin removal. X-ray patterns were studied to reveal the relationship between the main constituents of each cement dust phase (untreated, thermally and chemically treated) and lignin uptake. By applying Langmuir and Frendlich adsorption isotherms it was found that the adsorption process of lignin from black liquor on by-pass cement dust achieves Frendlich model, which suggests that adsorption is not restricted to one specific layer of sites but involves multi-layers. Also, stripping of lignin by using different strippers (organic, mineral acids, bases and salts) was investigated. The results obtained show that the organic strippers give high stripping percentage for cyclohexane (90.10%) because lignin is a non-polar compound that dissolves in non-polar solvents. In the case of acids, bases and salts the best results were obtained with much diluted solutions (0.001 mol/L). Stripping of lignin from by-pass cement dust is considered as a way of its recycling for different applications

Continuous wavelet transform methods for the simultaneous determinations and dissolution profiles of valsartan and hydrochlorothiazide in tablets

ABSTRACT Continuous wavelet transform (CWT) was proposed for the simultaneous determination and dissolution profiles of valsartan (VAL) and hydrochlorothiazide (HCT) in tablets, without the use of a chemical separation procedure. The CWT approach was applied to the original UV spectra and their ratio spectra in the optimal wavelength ranges. After testing several wavelet families, Mexican hat function-CWT and Daubechies7-CWT (mexh-CWT and db7-CWT, respectively) were found to be suitable for the transformation of the original UV spectra. In the following procedure, mexh-CWT and Coiflets3-CWT (coif3-CWT) were found to be appropriate for the signal analysis of ratio spectra (RS) of VAL/HCT and HCT/VAL. Calibration graphs for VAL and HCT were obtained by measuring db7-CWT and mexh-CWT amplitudes in the transformation of the original absorption spectra and RS-coif-CWT and RS-mexh-CWT amplitudes in the transformation of the ratio spectra. The validity and applicability of the proposed CWT methods were evaluated through the analysis of an independent set of synthetic binary mixtures consisting of VAL and HCT. The proposed signal processing methods were then successfully applied to the simultaneous quantitative evaluation and simultaneous dissolution profiles of the related drugs in commercial tablets, with good agreement reported for the experimental results

The Role of Oestrogen Receptor Beta (ERβ) in the Aetiology and Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Introduction: Challenges facing the treatment of type 2 diabetes necessitate the search for agents which act via alternative pathways to provide better therapeutic outcomes. Recently, an increasing body of evidence implicates the activation of oestrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ) in the development and treatment of underlying conditions in type 2 diabetes. This article summarizes available evidence for the involvement of oestrogen receptors in insulin secretion, insulin resistance as well as glucose uptake and highlights the potential of ERβ as a therapeutic target. Background: Recent studies indicate an association between the activation of each of the isoforms of ER and recent findings indicate that ERβ shows promise as a potential target for antidiabetic drugs. In vitro and in vivo studies in receptor knockout mice indicate beneficial actions of selective agonists of ERβ receptor and underscore its therapeutic potential. Conclusion: Studies are needed to further elucidate the exact mechanism underlying the role of ERβ activation as a therapeutic approach in the management of type 2 diabetes