EVALUATION OF ETHOSOMAL EPIGALLOCATECHIN-3-GALLATE GEL FORMULATIONS AS AN ANTIOXIDANT AND THERMOGENIC AGENT

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate in vitro and in vivo behavior of the prepared ethosomal formulations of green tea extract, which in turn would result in enhancing their therapeutic efficacy as antioxidants and thermogenic agents in obese mice. Methods: Fat Wistar rats were acclimated for at least 7 d in environmentally controlled cages, then they were divided into five groups: 1st received only distilled water, 2nd received an oral dose of green tea extract, in 3rd group green tea extract loaded gel base was applied on the previously shaven dorsal side of rats and in the other 2 groups selected green tea extract loaded Ethosomal gel base were applied on the previously shaven dorsal side of rats. Total antioxidant capacity by ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) method, catalase enzyme activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARs) levels, and real-time qPCR of UCP2 and 3 were then determined. Results: Formulation of green tea extract as ethosomal preparations exhibited a controlled release rate due to the reservoir action of ethosomes. The levels of TBARs and MDA were lower in groups supplemented with green tea extracts compared to control group and in groups (3-5) received it transdermal (P<0.0001 in all 3 groups) was lower than group received it orally with P = 0.0081. The messenger RNA levels of UCPs 2 and 3 in BAT were increased in those 3 groups. Conclusion: The results support the efficiency of ethosomal gel in penetrating the lipid rich biological membrane. The in vivo study confirms the antioxidant and thermogenic behavior of transdermal applied green tea extract

SIMULATED IMPACT OF A REGIONAL SHIFT IN FED CATTLE PRODUCTION ON THE LOCATION OF FED CATTLE SLAUGHTER

During the past decade fed cattle slaughter has relocated to states situated in the southwest plains. Concern has developed that the economic depletion of groundwater used for irrigating feeding activity could result in reduced levels of cattle feeding in that region. A reduction in cattle feeding activity could result in slaughtering plant closures and a relocation in slaughter activity to other regions. A mixed integer programming model was developed to simulate the possible effect of a declining cattle feeding industry in the southwest plains on the location of the fed cattle slaughtering and processing industry. Solution of the model indicated that the primary readjustment to lower levels of cattle feeding in the southwest plains would be in terms of plant and aggregate area volume, not plant location readjustment.Livestock Production/Industries,

Analysis of Simulation Outputs for the Mutual Effect of Flow in Weir and Gate System

يمكن الحد من مشكلة المواد المعلقة وترسبها بإستخدام نظام جريان مشترك يتكون من هدار وبوابة. وتهدف محاكاة هذا النظام إلى فهم وتحليل التأثير المتبادل لهما.  لهذا الغرض تم تنفيذ عمل تجريبي في المختبر للمقارنة والتحقق من دقة نتائج المحاكات في هذا النظام وذلك باختبار هدار وبوابة كمنشأ واحد ذو حواف حادة وبتغيير ارتفاع البوابة لأربع مرات وتسجيل مناسيب السطح وقيم التصريف. أجريت عمليات المحاكاة بالاعتماد على النموذج RNG k- ε للاضطرابات وقد أظهرت مقارنة السطح الحر للجريان والتصريف موثوقية مقبولة.  وأظهر التحليل أن انفصال الجزئين من الجريان يتم في منسوب متغيير، يبدأ من منسوب أقرب لحافة الهدار في التصاريف المنخفضة ثم يبتعد نحو الاسفل ليصل نصف المسافة بين الحافتين تقريبا عند ارتفاع عمق الماء أعالي المنشأ. وتزداد نسبة تصريف الهدار الى تصريف البوابة من 0.4 إلى 1.8 عند تقليل فتحة البوابة الى نسبة 60٪.  ومع زيادة عمق ماء المنبع بنسبة 46٪ يزداد تصريف البوابة بالنسب ٪5، ٪7، ٪12، ٪26 لفتحات بوابة 2، 3، 4، 5 سم على التوالي في حين أن تصريف الهدار يزداد حوالي 5 مرات.  كما أن الأداء في النظام المشترك أفضل بنسبة 5٪ إلى 20٪ مقارنة مع العمل المفرد التقليدي له. وضمن حدود هذة الدراسة تم اقتراح نموذجان رياضيان للتنبؤ بتصريف الهدار وبتصريف البوابة ذات معامل تحديد مقبول.The problem of suspended material and its deposition can be reduced by the combined system of weir and gate flow. Simulating this system aims to understand and analyse the mutual effect of them. Experimental work has been carried out to validate models of the combined system. Vertical sharp edges of gate and weir are tested by changing four times gate opening. The simulations base on RNG k- ε turbulence model and a comparison between flow surface profile and discharge has been done and they showed acceptable reliability. The investigation indicats that two flow portions separate at different levels depending on upstream depth and this separation level falls to reach halve of the distance between system edges as the depth increases. The relative weir to gate discharge increases from 0.4 up to 1.8 as gate opening decreases 60%. As total depth of flow upstream (H) increases by 46%, the discharge of gate increase 5%, 7%, 12%, 26% for gate opening of 2, 3, 4, 5 cm respectively, while the weir dischage increase about 5 times. The Weir in combined system performs better by 5% to 20% as compared with the conventional one. Within the study limitations, two mathematical models are suggested to predict discharge of weir in a system and for the gate with acceptable coefficient of determination

Behavioural, population, and genetic processes affecting metapopulation dynamics of the Glanville fritillary butterfly

In my thesis I have been studying the effects of population fragmentation and extinction-recolonization dynamics on genetic and evolutionary processes in the Glanville fritillary butterfly (Melitaea cinxia). By conducting crosses within and among newly-colonized populations and using several fitness measures, I found a strong decrease in fitness following colonization by a few related individuals, and a strong negative relationship between parental relatedness and offspring fitness. Thereafter, I was interested in determining the number and relatedness of individuals colonizing new populations, which I did using a set of microsatellites I had previously developed for this species. Additionally, I am interested in the evolution of key life-history traits. By following the lifetime reproductive success of males emerging at different times in a semi-natural setup, I demonstrated that protandry is adaptive in males, and I was able to rule out, for M. cinxia, alternative incidental hypotheses evoked to explain the evolution of protandry in insects. Finally, in work I did together with Prof. Hanna Kokko, I am proposing bet-hedging as a new mechanism that could explain the evolution of polyandry in M. cinxia.Olen tutkinut väitöskirjassani miten elinympäristön pirstoutuminen vaikuttaa pienten populaatioiden häviämisriskiin tutkimalla sisäsiitoksen seurauksia täpläverkkoperhosilla silloin kun vain yksi naaras kolonisoi tyhjän laikun. Selvitin tutkimuksessani myös, montako naarasta yleensä perustaa uuden populaation, ja mikä niiden sukulaisuusaste on. Olen myös kiinnostunut elinkierto-ominaisuuksien evoluutiosta pirstoutunessa ympäristössä, ja tutkin väitöskirjassani miksi koiraat kuoriutuvat ennen naaraita, ja miksi jotkut naaraat parittelevat monta kertaa

In vitro inhibition of camel hepatic glutathione transferases by selected organic azides

Glutathione S-transferases (GST) are a group of multifunctional enzymes, widely distributed in both animal and plant kingdom. The present study was carried out to investigate the inhibitory potential of three structurally related organic azides (n-propyl azide, n-butyl azide, and heptyl azide) on camel hepatic GST activity in vitro. The mean inhibition constants (Ki) were estimated to be 0.419 ± 0.068, 0.501 ± 0.068, and 0.563 ± 0.036 mM for n-propyl azide, n-butyl azide, and heptyl azide respectively, using Lineweaver-Burk plots. These results indicated that hepatic GST was sensitive to the organic azides used

Teachers’ development programs: Qualitative/SWOC analysis of “Education First” initiative

This study focuses on the “Education First” program, a private-sector initiative supported by the Ministry of Education in Egypt for the professional development of teachers. The study undertakes a SWOC analysis of this initiative, building on qualitative research through structured and semi-structured in-depth interviews. Study participants included teachers, schools’ headmasters, and Ministry of Education officials who attended the program training sessions. The analysis shows that the most important program strength lies in its national outreach throughout the country, targeting all 721 public Tajrebeya schools’ teachers for English, Math and Sciences in the 27 governorates. It also recognized that the program weaknesses were mainly in its reliance on sustainable funding sources. As for opportunities, the study revealed that the program actually benefited from its good reputation to launch new initiatives targeting senior students in the graduation year at the Faculty of Education Ain Shams University. Challenges were mainly found in sustaining the political support for the program. The study recommends developing a time-bound strategic plan that helps detecting the operational and strategic issues and the development of training hubs in all regions of Egypt to reduce teachers’ time and effort in commuting during training sessions. At the level of government policies, there are essential success factors to ensure sustainable education improvement, such as political commitment, public accountability and partnership among main stakeholders. All of the above mentioned is essential to ensure that the program achieves its goals leading to improvement of student’s learning