Assessing The Socio-Economic Characteristics of Higher Education Subsidies’ Beneficiaries in Egypt. Problem of Subsidizing the Rich

This thesis explores the socioeconomic characteristics which influence the decision of joining HE in Egyt. it assesses the characteristics of the beneficiaries, and identifies the socioeconomic characteristics of students of private vs. free public universities in Egypt. It examines the socioeconomic correlates of joining higher education in Egypt; and among university students the correlates of the choice between joining public versus private university. It uses probit and logit models adjusted for self-selection bias. The study focuses on three key variables to assess equity issues: gender, wealth, and urban/rural/slum residence. Results show that the socioeconomic background of students’ families is highly correlated with university attendance. The main determinants for joining university are wealth, high school score, and type of secondary school attended. The staggering finding is that socio-economic characteristics fail to differentiate between those who attend tuition-free public and those who attend private HE institutions that charge high fees

Volatile compounds of acerola (Malpighia emarginata) obtained by HS-SPME at two ripening stages

O aroma é uma das principais características dos alimentos e é determinado por uma combinação de moléculas voláteis presentes na matriz, sendo um dos seus atributos mais atraentes para o consumidor. Neste trabalho foram identificados compostos voláteis presentes em dois estágios de maturação da acerola. Para a análise, utilizou-se a técnica da microextração em fase sólida por headspace (HS-SPME – HeadSpace Solid Phase MicroExtraction) associada com a cromatografia gasosa de alta resolução acoplada a espectrômetro de massa (GC-MS – Gas Chromatography - Mass Spectrometry). A influência das fibras na extração dos voláteis via SPME (CAR/PDMS e DVB/CAR/PDMS) foi avaliada. Os efeitos da temperatura de extração, concentração do meio de extração (cloreto de sódio - NaCl) e quantidade de amostra foram estudados usando-se o Delineamento Central Composto (DCC) para avaliar a maior eficiência de extração. Observou-se que, na acerola madura (vermelha) e semimadura (amarela) os compostos predominantes foram os ésteres, dentre eles o etil hexanoato o 4-pentenil-butanoato foram os que apresentaram maior concentração relativa. Esta identificação é uma informação importante para a indústria de aromas, que utilizam diferentes compostos aromáticos para a formulação de fragrâncias e aromas para serem usados em alimentos, cosméticos e perfumes.Flavor is one of the main characteristics of food identified as a combination of volatile molecules present in the matrix and is one of its most attractive attributes to the consumer. In this research have been identified volatile compounds present in two stages of acerola maturation. For the analysis, have been used the following techniques and equipment: Headspace (HS-SPME) Solid Phase Microextraction Technique associated with High-Resolution Gas Chromatography coupled to mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The influence of SPME fibers (CAR / PDMS and DVB / CAR / PDMS) was evaluated on the volatiles extraction. The effects of extraction temperature, extraction medium concentration (NaCl) and amount of sample were studied using the Composite Central Delineation (CCD) to achieve the highest extraction efficiency. In mature (red) and semi-yellow (yellow) acerola the dominant compounds were esters; among them, ethylhexanoate and 4-pentenyl butanoate were the ones with the highest relative concentration. This identification is essential information for the flavors industry which use different aromatic compounds for the formulation of fragrances and aromas to be used in food, cosmetics, and perfumes.Revisión por paresCampus Arequip

The physical, chemical and functional characterization of starches from Andean tubers: oca (Oxalis tuberosa Molina), olluco (Ullucus tuberosus Caldas) and mashua (Tropaeolum tuberosum Ruiz & Pavón)

As propriedades físicas, químicas e funcionais de amidos isolados das tuberosas andinas, oca (Oxalis tuberosa M.), olluco (Ullucus tuberosus C.) e mashua (Tropaeolum tuberosum R. & P.), obtidas no comércio local, foram estudadas. A morfologia dos grânulos de amido foi avaliada por microscopia eletrônica de varredura (SEM) revelando formas elipsoidais, ovais, cônicas, periformes e prismáticas: grânulos elipsoides e ovais com dimensões de até 54,30 µm de comprimento para a oca, de até 32,09 µm para o amido de olluco, e com formas predominantemente esféricas ou ovais truncadas, de menores dimensões de até 16,29 µm para grânulos de amido de mashua. Os conteúdos de amilose foram similares entre as amostras: 27,60% (oca), 26,49% (olluco) e 27,44% (mashua). O amido de olluco teve menor poder de intumescimento, formando géis opacos e menos resistentes. Os géis dos três amidos mostraram a mesma estabilidade sob refrigeração e apresentaram alta sinérese após congelamento, com variação de 40,28 a 74,42% para amido de olluco. Os amidos tiveram cocção rápida com alto pico de viscosidade. A baixa temperatura de gelatinização e alta estabilidade durante a refrigeração fazem destes amidos matérias-primas adequadas para formulações que requeiram temperaturas brandas de processamento e que dispensem conservação por congelamento.The physical, chemical, and functional properties of starches isolated from the Andean tubers oca (Oxalis tuberosa M.), olluco (Ullucus tuberosus C.) and mashua (Tropaeolum tuberosum R. & P.) were studied. The tubers were obtained from a local grocery. The morphology of the starch granules (size and shape) was studied with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which revealed ellipsoid, oval, conical, pear-shaped and prismatic forms: ellipsoids and oval granules with lengths up to 54.30 µm in oca; with lengths up to 32.09 µm for olluco starch granules; and with predominantly truncated spherical or oval forms and smaller dimensions (up to 16.29 um) for mashua starch granules. Amylose contents were similar among the samples: 27.60% (oca), 26.49% (olluco) and 27.44% (mashua). Olluco starch had less swelling power, forming opaque, less firm gels. All three starch gels showed the same stability on refrigeration and presented high syneresis under freezing temperatures, with a variation of 40.28 to 74.42% for olluco starch. The starches cooked easily, with high peak viscosity. The low gelatinization temperatures and high stability during cooling make these starches suitable feedstock for use in formulations that require milder processing temperatures and dispense freezing storage

HS-SPME-GC-MS detection of volatile compounds in Myrciaria jabuticaba Fruit

This study was performed to investigate the volatile compounds for the characteristic aroma in jabuticaba fruit distributed in southern and central regions of Brazil. The present work combines headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and high resolution gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) techniques to identify and quantify the volatile compounds. The influence of different SPME fibers (CAR/PDMS and DVB/CAR/PDMS) in extraction of volatile compounds was evaluated. The effects of extraction temperature and salt concentration (NaCl) in the extraction medium were studied using the response surface methodology in order to achieve the highest extraction efficiency. The better extraction of volatile compounds was achieved by using a CAR/PDMS fiber and the optimum adsorption conditions were at 42 °C for 30 min and 5% NaCl concentration. A total of 71 compounds were identified, among these, 57% were terpenes which was the most representative class of compounds, followed by esters (19%), aldehydes (10%), alcohols (5.5%) and aromatics compounds (4.4%) and other organic compounds 2.8%. Limonene and ethyl acetate were the volatile compounds that showed highest relative concentration and these could contribute to the characteristic aroma of the jabuticaba fruit along with other compounds such as ?-pinene, d-cadinene, linalool, ?-guaiene, and a-caryophyllene.Revisión por paresCampus Arequip

HS-SPME-GC-MS detection of volatile compounds in Myrciaria jabuticaba Fruit

This study was performed to investigate the volatile compounds for the characteristic aroma in jabuticaba fruit distributed in southern and central regions of Brazil. The present work combines headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and high resolution gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) techniques to identify and quantify the volatile compounds. The influence of different SPME fibers (CAR/PDMS and DVB/CAR/PDMS) in extraction of volatile compounds was evaluated. The effects of extraction temperature and salt concentration (NaCl) in the extraction medium were studied using the response surface methodology in order to achieve the highest extraction efficiency. The better extraction of volatile compounds was achieved by using a CAR/PDMS fiber and the optimum adsorption conditions were at 42 °C for 30 min and 5% NaCl concentration. A total of 71 compounds were identified, among these, 57% were terpenes which was the most representative class of compounds, followed by esters (19%), aldehydes (10%), alcohols (5.5%) and aromatics compounds (4.4%) and other organic compounds 2.8%. Limonene and ethyl acetate were the volatile compounds that showed highest relative concentration and these could contribute to the characteristic aroma of the jabuticaba fruit along with other compounds such as b-pinene, δ-cadinene, linalool, b-guaiene, and α-caryophyllene

Ensaios preliminares de detecção de atividades amilolítica e pectinolítica em maca (Lepidium meyenii Walp.)

O objetivo do presente estudo foi determinar valores ideais de pH e temperatura para avaliar as atividades amilolítica (AM), pectinesterásica (PE) e poligalacturonásica (PG) em raízes de maca (Lepidium meyenii Walp.). Foi utilizado o modelo de superfície de resposta para atingir valores confiáveis de atividades enzimáticas em extratos brutos. Os valores máximos de atividade AM ocorreram em pH 6,1 a 33,6 °C, muito próximos do ponto central dos experimentos. Para as atividades de PE e PG, o valores ótimos foram atingidos em pHs 6,6 e 5,4, a 49,4 e 46 °C, respectivamente.Amylase (AM), pectinesterase (PE) and polygalacturonase (PG) were extracted from maca roots (Lepidium meyenii Walp). The response surface model was used to determine the optimum conditions of pH and temperature activity of each enzyme on the crude extract. The highest values of AM activity occurred at pH 6.1 and 33.6 °C, very close to the experimental central point. The PE activity had a maximum activity at pH 6.6 and 49.4 and PG activity showed optimum activity at pH 5.4 and 46 °C

Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis as a cause of bronchial asthma in children

Background: Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) occurs in patients with asthma and cystic fibrosis. When aspergillus fumigatus spores are inhaled they grow in bronchial mucous as hyphae. It occurs in non immunocompromised patients and belongs to the hypersensitivity disorders induced by Aspergillus. Objective: To diagnose cases of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis among asthmatic children and define the association between the clinical and laboratory findings of aspergillus fumigatus (AF) and bronchial asthma. Methods: Eighty asthmatic children were recruited in this study and divided into 50 atopic and 30 non-atopic children. The following were done: skin prick test for aspergillus fumigatus and other allergens, measurement of serum total IgE, specific serum aspergillus fumigatus antibody titer IgG and IgE (AF specific IgG and IgE) and absolute eosinophilic count. Results: ABPA occurred only in atopic asthmatics, it was more prevalent with decreased forced expiratory volume at the first second (FEV1). Prolonged duration of asthma and steroid dependency were associated with ABPA. AF specific IgE and IgG were higher in the atopic group, they were higher in Aspergillus fumigatus skin prick test positive children than negative ones .Wheal diameter of skin prick test had a significant relation to the level of AF IgE titer. Skin prick test positive cases for aspergillus fumigatus was observed in 32% of atopic asthmatic children. Conclusion: ABPA occurs in 1/3 of atopic asthmatic children and is related to the duration and severity of asthma.Keywords: Aspergillosis, bronchial asthma, childrenEgypt J Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2012;10(2):95-10

Interleukin-18 produced by bone marrow- derived stromal cells supports T-cell acute leukaemia progression

International audienceDevelopment of novel therapies is critical for T-cell acute leukae-mia (T-ALL). Here, we investigated the effect of inhibiting the MAPK/MEK/ERK pathway on T-ALL cell growth. Unexpectedly, MEK inhibitors (MEKi) enhanced growth of 70% of human T-ALL cell samples cultured on stromal cells independently of NOTCH activa-tion and maintained their ability to propagate in vivo. Similar results were obtained when T-ALL cells were cultured with ERK1/ 2-knockdown stromal cells or with conditioned medium from MEKi-treated stromal cells. Microarray analysis identified interleu-kin 18 (IL-18) as transcriptionally up-regulated in MEKi-treated MS5 cells. Recombinant IL-18 promoted T-ALL growth in vitro, whereas the loss of function of IL-18 receptor in T-ALL blast cells decreased blast proliferation in vitro and in NSG mice. The NFKB pathway that is downstream to IL-18R was activated by IL-18 in blast cells. IL-18 circulating levels were increased in T-ALL-xeno-grafted mice and also in T-ALL patients in comparison with controls. This study uncovers a novel role of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-18 and outlines the microenvironment involvement in human T-ALL development

Multislice CT in sinonasal polypi; Functional endoscopic sinus surgery correlation

Background: Nasal and sinus illnesses are diagnosed with computed tomography (CT) because CT scans effectively bone anatomy is depicted with air spaces, opacified sinuses, and detailed structural details. Objective: The significance of using multislice CT for the detection and characterization of sinus polyps and the relationship between the CT findings and those of functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) have been studied. Patients and Methods: At Zagazig University's Radiodiagnosis Department, we conducted this study on 18 patients, 10 of which were females and eight were males, from a total of 33 individuals. To emphasize the role of multislice (CT) in diagnosis and characterization of sinonasal polypi during functional endoscopic sinus surgery, numerous CT parameters were used and correlated with operational findings. Results: There was a strong correlation calculated by Spearman correlation coefficient (r) for right-sided and left-sided surgeries of 0.76 and 0.87, respectively, for operative endoscopic and Lund-Mackay staging scores. Conclusion: Based on functional endoscopic sinus results, CT and diagnostic endoscopy may be the new standard of care in the diagnosis of sinonasal diseases