Political and Social Change in Egypt : Preludes to the January Uprising

Acknowledgements: The Arab Transformations Project is coordinated by the University of Aberdeen (UK) and includes further 11 partners: Dublin City University (DCU), Dublin, Ireland; Análisis Sociológicos Económicos y Políticos (ASEP), Madrid, Spain; Istituto per gli Studi di Politica Internazionale (ISPI), Milan, Italy; Universität Graz (UNI GRAZ), Graz, Austria; Societatea Pentru Methodologia Sondajelor Concluzia- Prim (Concluzia), Chisinau, Moldova; Centre de Recherche en Économie Appliquée pour le Développement (CREAD), Algiers, Algeria; Egyptian Centre for Public Opinion Research (BASEERA); Cairo, Egypt; Independent Institute for Administration and Civil Society Studies (IIACSS), Amman, Jordan; University of Jordan (JU), Amman, Jordan; MEDA Solutions (MEDAS), Casablanca, Morocco; Association Forum Des Sciences Sociales Appliquées (ASSF); Tunis, Tunisia.Publisher PD

Building Decent Societies? Economic Situation and Political Cohesion After the Arab Uprisings

Acknowledgements The Arab Transformations Project is coordinated by the University of Aberdeen (UK) and includes further 11 partners: Dublin City University (DCU), Dublin, Ireland; Análisis Sociológicos Económicos y Políticos (ASEP), Madrid, Spain; Istituto per gli Studi di Politica Internazionale (ISPI), Milan, Italy; Universität Graz (UNI GRAZ), Graz, Austria; Societatea Pentru Methodologia Sondajelor Concluzia-Prim (Concluzia), Chisinau, Moldova; Centre de Recherche en Économie Appliquée pour le Développement (CREAD), Algiers, Algeria; Egyptian Centre for Public Opinion Research (BASEERA); Cairo, Egypt; Independent Institute for Administration and Civil Society Studies (IIACSS), Amman, Jordan; University of Jordan (JU), Amman, Jordan; MEDA Solutions (MEDAS), Casablanca, Morocco; Association Forum Des Sciences Sociales Appliquées (ASSF); Tunis, Tunisia. The author would also like to acknowledge the World Values Survey, Arab Barometer and Gallup Analytics on whose survey data they draw. We are also grateful to Viola Sanelli and Ilia Xypolia, at the University of Aberdeen, for material they supplied on the history and politics of the region.Publisher PD

A Generation in Waiting for Jobs and Justice : Young People Not in Education Employment or Training in North Africa

Publisher PD

Optimasi Kondisi Kristalisasi Pada Pembuatan Fraksi Kaya Tokotrienol Dari Distilat Asam Lemak Minyak Sawit

Distilat asam lemak minyak sawit (DALMS) merupakan hasil samping pemurnian minyak sawit secar fisik pada tahapan deodorisasi. Distilat asam lemak minyak sawit merupakan sumber vitamin E yang sangat baik karena terdiri dari 70 % tokotrienol dan 30 % tokoferol. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengoptimasi proses kristalisasi pelarut suhu untuk memperoleh fraksi kaya tokotrienol dari DALMS menggunakan metode permukaan respon. Faktor-faktor yang diujikan adalah nisbah fraksi tidak tersabunkan : pelarut (X1), suhu kristalisasi (X2), dan waktu kristalisasi (X3). Variabel respon (Y) tokotrienol total dalam fraksi kaya tokotrienol DALMS. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa DALMS mengandung 0,45 g/100 g atau 4500 ppm. Vitamin E terdiri dari α tokoferol 33,48 %, α tokotrienol 17,57 %, δ tokotrienol 29,06 %, dan γ tokotrienol 19,89 %. Dibandingkan dengan DALMS, fraksi tidak tersabunkan mengandunglebih rendah asam lemak bebas 95,75 % pada DALMS 7,99 % pada fraksi tidak tersabunkan. Rendemen fraksi tidak tersabunkan dari proses saponifikasi DALMS sebesar 3,75 %. Hubungan nisbah fraksi tidak tersabunkan : pelarut (X1), suhu kristalisasi (X2), dan waktu kristlisasi (X3) terhadap fraksi kaya tokotrienol (Y) mengikuti persamaan kuadratikY = 20,24746 X1 – 0,28627 X2 + 0,77099 X3 + 0,005575 X1X2 + 0,00545833 X1X3 – 0,00213333 X2 X3 -1,72362 X1 – 0,015438 X2 – 0,018297 X3 - 47,44392. Kondisi kristalisasi optimum dipperoleh pada nisbah fraksi tidak tersabunkan 5,89 : 1, suhu kristalisasi -9,7 oC, dan waktu kristalisasi 22,52 jam. Verifikasi pada kondisi optimum menunjukkan total tokotrienol pada fraksi tidak tersabunkan sebesar 21,813 g/100 g, aktivitas antioksidan 94,07 %, bilangan peroksida 0,86 mek/kg, dan asam lemak bebas 0,0913 %. Komposisi fraksi kaya tokotrienol adalah δ tokotrienol 45,84 %, γ tokotrienol 31,55 %, dan α tokotrienol 22,62 %. ABSTRAK Distilatasamlemakminyaksawit(DALMS)merupakanhasilsampingpemurnianminyaksawitsecarfisik pada tahapan deodorisasi. Distilat asam lemak minyak sawit merupakan sumber vitamin E yang sangat baik karena terdiri dari70%tokotrienoldan30%tokoferol.Penelitianinibertujuanuntukmengoptimasiproseskristalisasipelarut suhuuntukmemperolehfraksikayatokotrienoldariDALMSmenggunakanmetodepermukaanrespon.Faktor-faktor yangdiujikanadalahnisbahfraksitidaktersabunkan:pelarut(X),suhukristalisasi(X),danwaktukristalisasi(X). 3123Variabelrespon(Y)tokotrienoltotaldalamfraksikayatokotrienolDALMS.Hasilpenelitianmenunjukkanbahwa 1DALMSmengandung0,45g/100gatau4500ppm.VitaminEterdiridariαtokoferol33,48%,αtokotrienol17,57%,δ tokotrienol29,06%,danγtokotrienol19,89%.DibandingkandenganDALMS,fraksitidaktersabunkanmengandung lebih rendah asam lemak bebas 95,75 % pada DALMS 7,99 % pada fraksi tidak tersabunkan. Rendemen fraksi tidak tersabunkandariprosessaponifikasiDALMSsebesar3,75%.Hubungannisbahfraksitidaktersabunkan:pelarut(X), suhukristalisasi(X),danwaktukristlisasi(X)terhadapfraksikayatokotrienol(Y)mengikutipersamaankuadratik 1Y= 20,24746 X 2 23– 0,28627 X + 0,77099 X 3 11123+ 0,005575 XX + 0,00545833 XX – 0,00213333 XX -1,72362 X2– 0,015438X2 –0,018297X2-47,44392.Kondisikristalisasioptimumdipperolehpadanisbahfraksitidaktersabunkan235,89:1,suhukristalisasi-9,7oC,danwaktukristalisasi22,52jam.Verifikasipadakondisioptimummenunjukkantotaltokotrienolpadafraksitidaktersabunkansebesar21,813g/100g,aktivitasantioksidan94,07%,bilanganperoksida0,86 mek/kg, dan asam lemak bebas 0,0913 %. Komposisi fraksi kaya tokotrienol adalah δ tokotrienol 45,84 %, γ tokotrienol 31,55 %, dan α tokotrienol 22,62 %. Kata kunci: Distilat asam lemak minyak sawit, saponifikasi,fraksi tidak tersabunkan, tokotrienol, kristalisasi ABSTRACT 1Palmfattyaciddistilate(PFAD)isthebyproductofpalmoilprocessingthatproducedbydeodorization.PFADisone ofvitaminEsources.TheexcellenceofPFADasthesourceofvitaminEisthatthemostofvitamnEinthePFAD istocotrienol(70%)andtheremainingwastocopherol(30%). Todate,therearelimitedsourcesoftocotrienol, thereforeitisveryimportanttoexplorePFADasthesourceoftocotrienol.Thisresearchwasobjectedtooptimize low temperature solvent crystallization to obtain the highest tocotrienol content of PFAD fraction by using Response SurfaceMethodology.Thetestedfactorsweretheratioofsolventtounsaponifiablefraction(X ),crystallization temperature(X),andtime(X).Theoptimizedresponsewasthetotalcontentoftocotrienolintocotrienolenriched23fractionofPFAD.TheresultsshowedthatPFADcontainedvitaminEcontentof0.45g/100gor4500ppm.Itwas 1higherthan</d

Reconsidering the Role of Youth : Generational Differences in Political and Social Attitudes in the Arab World

Publisher PD

MENA in 2014 : Do People Think Their Nation is Secure?

Acknowledgements The Arab Transformations Project is coordinated by the University of Aberdeen (UK) and includes a further 11 partners: Dublin City University (DCU), Dublin, Ireland; Análisis Sociológicos Económicos y Políticos (ASEP), Madrid, Spain; Istituto per gli Studi di Politica Internazionale (ISPI), Milan, Italy; Universität Graz (UNI GRAZ), Graz, Austria; Societatea Pentru Methodologia Sondajelor Concluzia- Prim (Concluzia), Chisinau, Moldova; Centre de Recherche en Économie Appliquée pour le Développement (CREAD), Algiers, Algeria; Egyptian Centre for Public Opinion Research (BASEERA); Cairo, Egypt; Independent Institute for Administration and Civil Society Studies (IIACSS), Amman, Jordan; University of Jordan (JU), Amman, Jordan; MEDA Solutions (MEDAS), Casablanca, Morocco; Association Forum Des Sciences Sociales Appliquées (ASSF); Tunis, Tunisia. The author would also like to acknowledge the World Values Survey, Arab Barometer and AfroBarometer, on whose survey data they draw. We are also grateful to Viola Sanelli and Ilia Xypolia, at the University of Aberdeen, for material they supplied on the history and politics of the regionPublisher PD

Durability and variability of the acoustical performance of rubberized road surfaces

n/

Cellular senescence in vascular wall mesenchymal stromal cells, a possible contribution to the development of aortic aneurysm

Cellular senescence is a hallmark of ageing and it plays a key role in the development of age-related diseases. Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is an age related degenerative vascular disorder, characterized by a progressive dilatation of the vascular wall and high risk of rupture over time. Nowadays, no pharmacological therapies are available and the understanding of the molecular mechanisms that lead to AAA onset and development are poorly defined. In this study we investigated the cellular features of senescence in vascular mesenchymal stromal cells, isolated from pathological (AAA – MSCs) and healthy (h – MSCs) segments of human abdominal aorta and their implication in impairing the vascular repair ability of MSCs. Cell proliferation, ROS production, cell surface area, the expression of cyclin dependent kinase inhibitors p21CIP1 and p16INK4a, the activation of the DNA damage response and a dysregulated autophagy showed a senescent state in AAA - MSCs compared to h-MSCs. Moreover, a reduced ability to differentiate toward endothelial cells was observed in AAA – MSCs. All these data suggest that the accumulation of senescent vascular MSCs over time impairs their remodeling ability during ageing. This condition could support the onset and development of AAA

Parameters affecting noise emitted by ships moving in port areas

Only recently has noise been considered in the assessment of the sustainability of port infrastructures, after decades of unawareness. INTERREG Maritime projects unveiled problems that have been neglected so far, such as the lack of proper regulation and noise exposure assessments for citizens. While it is true that a port area includes a huge variety of possible noise sources, very few of them have been characterized from an acoustical point of view. INTERREG projects have boosted research in the field, and previous studies have dealt with noise produced by moving ships in ports. The present work starts from a previous measurement campaign used to obtain broadband and 1/3-octave-band noise emissions of moving ships, and it aims to explain their uncertainties. More than a month’s worth of continuous acoustic measurements and video recordings were deeply analyzed in order to obtain an input database that is as precise as possible. A multiple regression analysis was performed in order to understand the influence that parameters such as minimum distance, speed, and draught have on ships’ noise emissions, which were calculated using pass-by measurements, with a special focus on ferries. The minimum distance of each ship’s passage from the microphone was measured using a video recording with an innovative methodology, providing results with 3 m of uncertainty. Knowing which parameter is more influential would help in planning proper measurements for monitoring or for drafting correct guidelines. Draught was determined to be uninfluential in ferries’ noise emissions, while the minimum distance and speed relations were estimated and accounted for in the calculation of a refined sound power level. From a spectrum point of view, the frequencies from 500 Hz to 2.5 kHz were determined to be those that contributed the most to the noise produced by the transit of a ship, and they vary with speed. With the studied corrections, different ferry models resulted in similar noise emissions. The standard deviation of noise emitted was reduced by 0.5 dB (A), and the average was also improved by positioning the ships’ flow at the correct average minimum distance. Furthermore, the right placement of a source is also important in the acoustic mapping phase for a correct evaluation of the propagation of noise at a distance. The use of more precise input data is important for improving the output of acoustic propagation models during the assessment of port noise in the surrounding areas

Esculetin provides neuroprotection against mutant huntingtin-induced toxicity in huntington’s disease models

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by an abnormal CAG trinucleotide repeat expansion within exon 1 of the huntingtin (HTT) gene. This mutation leads to the production of mutant HTT (mHTT) protein which triggers neuronal death through several mechanisms. Here, we investigated the neuroprotective effects of esculetin (ESC), a bioactive phenolic compound, in an inducible PC12 model and a transgenic Drosophila melanogaster model of HD, both of which express mHTT fragments. ESC partially inhibited the progression of mHTT aggregation and reduced neuronal death through its ability to counteract the oxidative stress and mitochondria impairment elicited by mHTT in the PC12 model. The ability of ESC to counteract neuronal death was also confirmed in the transgenic Drosophila model. Although ESC did not modify the lifespan of the transgenic Drosophila, it still seemed to have a positive impact on the HD phenotype of this model. Based on our findings, ESC may be further studied as a potential neuroprotective agent in a rodent transgenic model of HD