Review: Biological imprinting: Some genetic considerations

Genetic imprinting represents one of the most puzzling, still unexplained, phenomena in genetics. Changing some agreed upon concepts and redefinition of some common traditional terms in classical genetics seems imperative for understanding the nature of imprinting, as well as for interpretation of possible mechanisms implicated in its occurrence.Keywords: Genetic imprinting; Mutations; Re-sense mutation; Epigenetic alterations; DNA methylation/demethylation; Parthenogenesis; Position-effect variegation; Post-fertilization genomic imprinting; microRNA; Chromatin modifications; Pyknon

Would Demarketing Strategies Rationalize Household Food Waste Consumption?

The objective of this research was to explore the influence of demarketing strategies on rationalization of household food waste “HFW” in the Gaza Strip “GS”, Palestine. More specifically, this paper concentrated on better understanding of the nature and meaning of demarketing, as well as identifying the factors that drive demarketing and develop a HFW demarketing model. To gather primary data, an empirical research was conducted with 326 questionnaires from the Palestinian citizens in the GS. The findings indicate that there is a relationship between independent variables (product, price, place, and promotion) and the dependent variable (the customer’s behavioral intention towards rationalization of HFW) for a number of reasons that were investigated during the research. The paper then concluded with recommendations for future academic studies and policymakers in Palestine

Utilisation du PEG 6000 dans la détermination de l'activité biologique des tannins de certains arbustes méditerranéens

5 páginas, 2 tablas.--In Porqueddu C. (ed.), Ríos S. (ed.) . The contributions of grasslands to the conservation of Mediterranean biodiversity . Zaragoza : CIHEAM-IAMZ/CIBIO/FAO/SEEP, 2010. p. 209-213 : 12 réf., 2 tabl.: (Options Méditerranéennes : Série A. Séminaires Méditerranéens ; n. 92). 13. Meeting of the Sub-Network on Mediterranean Forage Resources of the FAO-CIHEAM International Network for the Research and Development of Pasture and Forage Crops, 2010/04/07-10, Alicante (Spain)[EN] Samples of foliage from some Tunisian shrub species (Erica arborea, Myrtus communis, Pistacia lentiscus and Phillyrea angustifolia) harvested in summer from a semi arid grazing mountain area of Tunisia were examined for their chemical composition and kinetics of gas production in presence and absence of polyethylene glycol (PEG 6000). Total condensed tannin contents (TCT) were also analysed. Crude protein (CP) content varied widely (40-93 g/kg DM) NDF content ranged from 440 g/kg DM in M. communis to 587 g/kg DM in P. lentiscus. The highest ADF content was for E. arborea (410 g/kg DM) and the lowest for M. communis (270 g/kg DM). High levels of CT were observed in E. arborea followed by P. lentiscus, and M. communis, whereas CT was almost absent in Ph. angustifolia. Asymptotic gas production (A), rate of gas production (c) and gas produced at 24 h of incubation (G24) were generally low in E. arborea and high in Ph. angustifolia. Addition of PEG to the incubation medium increased the parameters of gas production (A, G24 and c). This increase was more noticeable in E. arborea and less detected in Ph. angustifolia. Based on their crude protein and tannin contents, M. communis and P. angustifolia, may play an important role in providing fodder for ruminants even during the dry season when the other forages are scarce. However the foliage of E. arborea and P. lentiscus could have a potential nutritive value as when its tannin content is biologically inactivated by using a tannin-binding agent.[FR] La composition chimique et la cinétique de production de gaz en présence et en absence du PEG ont été examinées sur des échantillons de certaines espèces arbustives (Erica arborea, Myrtus communis, Pistacea lentiscus and Phillyrea angustifolia) collectées en été sur la montagne du nord ouest (semi-aride) de la Tunisie. Les teneurs de ces espèces en tannins condensés (TC) ont été aussi déterminées. Le contenu en protéine brut (PB) oscille entre 40 et 93 g/kg MS Le contenu en fibre neutre digestible (FND) varie de 440 g/kg MS (M. communis ) à 587 g/kg MS (P. lenticus). Le contenu le plus élevé en fibre acide digestible (FAD) a été enregistré au niveau de E. arborea. Cependant les TC ont été pratiquement absents dans le feuillage de Ph. angustifolia. La production de gaz assymptotique (A), le rythme de production de gaz (c) et la production de gaz à 24h d'incubation (G24) ont été généralement faibles pour E. arborea et élevés pour Ph. angustifolia. L'addition du PEG au milieu d'incubation s'est accompagnée par une augmentation des paramètres de production de gaz (A, G24 and c). Cette élévation a été plus notable pour E. arborea et moins détectée pour Ph. angustifolia. En se basant sur les teneurs en PB et en TC, les feuillages de M. communis et Ph. Angustifolia pourraient jouer un rôle important dans l'approvisionnement des aliments aux ruminants même durant la période de sécheresse lorsque les autres fourrages sont rares. Cependant, les feuillages de E. arborea et P. lentiscus pourraient avoir une valeur nutritionnelle importante une fois leurs tannins sont biologiquement désactivés en utilisant un agent détecteur des tannins.Peer reviewe

Experimental observation of high field diamagnetic fluctuations in Niobium

We have performed a magnetic study of a bulk metallic sample of Nb with critical temperature $T_{c}=8.5$ K. Magnetization versus temperature (M {\it vs} T) data obtained for fixed magnetic fields above 1 kOe show a superconducting transition which becomes broader as the field is increased. The data are interpreted in terms of the diamagnetic lowest Landau level (LLL) fluctuation theory. The scaling analysis gives values of the superconducting transition temperature $T_{c}(H)$ consistent with $H_{c2}(T)$% . We search for universal 3D LLL behavior by comparing scaling results for Nb and YBaCuO, but obtain no evidence for universality.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figures, Accepted for publication in Phys.Rev.

Data Clustering Analysis of the Factors Affecting Palestinian Customers’ Attitudes Towards SMS Advertising

The aim of this article is to identify the factors affecting customer attitudes toward SMS advertising in the Palestinian banking sector using data clustering. A survey questionnaire was designed and distributed to collect primary data. In total 412 usable questionnaires were analyzed using data clustering. The findings reveal that relevancy, entertainment, informativeness, and creditability have positive impact on the attitudes of the Palestinian customers towards the Banks’ SMS advertising. Data clustering, however, provided empirical evidence that most of the respondents are annoyed by the SMS advertising which requires developing policies and procedures at the bank level to get the customers consent (permission) to receive SMS advertisements prior to sending them to customers

A comparative study of high-field diamagnetic fluctuations in deoxygenated YBa2Cu3O(7-x) and polycrystalline (Bi-Pb)2Sr2Ca3O(10)

We studied three single crystals of YBa2Cu3O{7-x} with Tc= 62.5, 52, and 41 K, and a textured specimen of (Bi-Pb)2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10 with Tc=108 K, for H//c axis. The reversible data were interpreted in terms of 2D lowest-Landau-level fluctuation theory. The data were fit well by the 2D LLL expression for magnetization obtained by Tesanovic etal., producing reasonable values of kappa but larger values of dHc2/dT. Universality was studied by obtaining a simultaneous scaling of Y123 data and Bi2223. An expression for the 2D x-axis LLL scaling factor used to obtain the simultaneous scaling was extracted from theory, and compared with the experimental values. The comparison between the values of the x-axis produced a deviation of 40% which suggests that the hypothesis of universality of the 2D-LLL fluctuations is not supported by the studied samples. We finaly observe that Y123 magnetization data for temperatures above $T_c$ obbey a universal scaling obtained for the diamagnetic fluctuation magnetization from a theory considering non-local field effects. The same scaling was not obbeyed by the corresponding magnetization calculated from the two-dimensional lowest-Landau-level theory.Comment: 7 pages 5 figures, accept in Journ. Low Temp. Phy

Dynamic coexistence of various configurations: clusters vs.nuclei

The presence of energy shells in metallic clusters and atomic nuclei leads to a peculiar relation between the number of particles N and the structure, and this leads to a strong correlation between the energy spectrum and N. An analysis of experimental data leads to the conclusion that, in addition to the static Jahn-Teller effect, the dynamic effect leading to the quantum coexistence of different configurations (quantum oscillations) plays an important role. Such suggested coexistence is an essential feature of clusters as well as nuclei, both finite Fermi systems.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figure

Maternal mortality: a tertiary care hospital experience in Upper Egypt

Background: Maternal mortality is one of the major challenges which face the developing countries throughout the world. The aim of the study is to assess the causes of maternal mortality at Women Health Hospital, Assiut University, Egypt, and to identify the avoidable ones.Methods: Data were collected from records of patients who presented to and/or delivered at Women Health Hospital between 2009 and 2014. Only cases of maternal mortality were included in this study. In our study, we found 213 maternal deaths at our hospital between 2009 and 2014.Results: The maternal mortality ratio decreased progressively from 2009 to 2014 (228 and 89 per 100000 live birth respectively). Moreover, we found that the indirect causes of maternal mortality accounted for 24.9 % of all mortalities. As regards the direct causes of maternal mortality, preeclampsia remained the primary cause and represented 27.7 % of the avoidable causes. The second most frequent cause of direct maternal mortality was postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), which represented 26.8 %.Conclusions: Preeclampsia and PPH, as well as their complications are the leading causes of death in one of the biggest tertiary care university hospitals in Egypt. However, there are other important avoidable predisposing factors that should be dealt with including lack of patient education, delayed transfer from other hospitals, and substandard practice

Correction to: Application of some trees/shrubs in ruminant feeding: a review

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Observation of anisotropic diamagnetism above the superconducting transition in iron-pnictide Ba_(1-x)K_xFe2As2 single crystals due to thermodynamic fluctuations

High resolution magnetization measurements performed in a high quality Ba_(1-x)K_xFe2As2 single crystal allowed to determine the diamagnetism induced above the superconducting transition by thermally activated Cooper pairs. These data, obtained with magnetic fields applied along and transverse to the crystal ab layers, demonstrate experimentally that the superconducting transition of iron pnictides may be explained at a phenomenological level in terms of the Gaussian Ginzburg-Landau approach for three-dimensional anisotropic superconductors.Comment: Final version with minor corrections. 6 pages, 4 figure