Nanoparticles as tool for enhanced ophthalmic delivery of vancomycin: a multidistrict-based microbiological study,solid lipid nanoparticles formulation and evaluation

Context: A microbiological multidistrict-based survey from different Egyptian governorates was conducted to determine the most prevalent causative agents of ocular infections in the Egyptian population. Antibiotic sensitivity testing was then performed to identify the most potent antimicrobial agent. Vancomycin (VCM) proved the highest activity against gram-positive Staphylococcus bacteria, which are the most commonly isolated causative agents of ocular infection. However, topically applied VCM suffers from poor ocular bioavailability because of its high molecular weight and hydrophilicity. Objective: The aim of the present study was to develop VCM-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) using water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) double emulsion, solvent evaporation technique to enhance ocular penetration and prolong ophthalmic residence of VCM. Method: Two consecutive full factorial designs (2⁴ followed by 3²) were adopted to study the effect of different formulation and process parameters on SLN formulation. The lipid type and structure, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) molecular weight and concentration, sonication time, as well as lipid:drug ratio were studied as independent variables. The formulated SLN formulae were evaluated for encapsulation efficiency (EE%), particle size (PS), and zeta potential as dependent variables. Results: The statistically-optimized SLN formula (1:1 ratio of glyceryltripalmitate:VCM with 1% low molecular weight PVA and 1?min sonication time) had average PS of 277.25?nm, zeta potential of ?20.45, and 19.99% drug encapsulation. Scanning and transmission electron micrographs showed well-defined, spherical, homogenously distributed particles. Conclusion: The present study suggests that VCM incorporation into SLNs is successfully achievable; however, further studies with different nanoencapsulation materials and techniques would be valuable for improving VCM encapsulation.     

Contents of volume 1

Microbiological profiles of ready-to-eat foods collected over a period of 3 years from street vendors in Egypt were assessed. The 114 samples of foods investigated included meat, meat organs and edible viscera, fish, rice and dishes containing rice, raw vegetables and salads, macaroni, spaghetti, desserts, milk, cheese, bean dishes, dates, tahina (sesame paste), pickles, olives, and barley-sugar water. Salmonella was not isolated from any sample. Shigella was isolated from a sample of greens and from a sample of tamea (deep-fat fried whipped beans and parsley). 41% of the samples that were tested for Staphylococcus aureus were positive; 58% of them had counts of at least 10³/g. Four of 15 samples of cooked meat, meat organs and edible viscera contained Clostridium perfringens. Presumptive Bacillus cereus was isolated from 37% of samples of rice and dishes containing rice, macaroni, spaghetti, desserts and bean dishes; half had counts of 10³/g or greater. Vibro parahaemolyticus was neither isolated from four samples of raw seafoods nor from three samples of cooked seafoods. 68% of the samples had aerobic colony counts (30°C) that exceeded 10⁶ CFU/g. 97% of the samples were within the temperature range of 15 to 44°C, at the time of collection; therefore, common microorganisms and many pathogens could multiply, particularly because holding times were usually prolonged.     

古埃及园林植物种类及应用形式研究

以搜集整理与古埃及园林相关的史学著作、文学作品及考古发掘的碑文、壁画,以及墓穴中的各种陪葬品等为研究素材,通过查阅和对比国外学者原著或译著及其他研究文献,辅之以国内学者的著作及研究成果,对古埃及园林的植物种类进行系统的研究和梳理,同时结合古埃及园林发展的自然地理和历史文化等背景条件,探讨了古埃及园林植物应用的各种形式。在此基础上,分析其对后世产生的影响,以及对中国园林植物资源保护和利用、推动"新中式"园林发展的启示。     

GIS-Based Groundwater Management Model for Western Nile Delta

The limited availability of renewable fresh water is a major constraint on future agriculture and urban development in Egypt. The main water resource that Egypt has been depending on is the River Nile. Nowadays, the role of groundwater is steadily increasing and will cover 20% of the total water supply in the coming decades especially in the reclaimed areas along the desert fringes of the Nile Delta and Valley. Abstraction from groundwater in Egypt is dynamic in nature as it grows rapidly with the expansion of irrigation activities, industrialization, and urbanization. One of these areas is the Western Nile Delta in which the groundwater is exploited in many localities. To avoid the deterioration of the aquifer system in this area, an efficient integrated and sustainable management plan for groundwater resources is needed. Efficient integrated and sustainable management of water resources relies on a comprehensive database that represents the characteristics of the aquifer system and modeling tools to achieve the impacts of decision alternatives. In this paper, a GIS-based model has been developed for the aquifer system of the Western Nile Delta. The GIS provides the utilization of analytical tools and visualization capabilities for pre-and post-processing information involved in groundwater modeling for the study area. The developed model was calibrated for steady state and transient conditions against the historical groundwater heads observed during the last 20 yr. The calibrated model was used to evaluate groundwater potentiality and to test two alternative management scenarios for conserving the aquifer system in Western Nile Delta. In the first scenario, reducing the surface water inflow while increasing the annual abstraction from groundwater by about 450 million m³ and improving the irrigation system could increase the net aquifer recharge by about 5.7% and reduce the aquifer potentiality by about 91%. Constructing a new canal as a second management scenario could increase the annual aquifer potentiality by about 23%. The GIS-based model has been proven to be an efficient tool for formulating integrated and sustainable management plan.     

包裹型缓释/控制释放肥料专题报告第三报包膜(包裹)型控制释放肥料各国研究进展(续)5.以色列、印度、埃及等

简要介绍以色列、印度、埃及、韩国、泰国、沙特阿拉伯、科威特、澳大利亚、新西兰、巴西以及尼日利亚在缓释 /控制释放肥料方面的研究进展     

埃及技术性贸易措施分析研究

本文阐述了埃及的技术性贸易措施的形式和主要内容,对形成贸易壁垒的埃及标准与我国标准的差异等问题进行了比较,并针对与埃及有出口和投资贸易合作的企业提出对策建议。     

Moving Water to Move People The Toshka Project in Egypt A Water Forum Contribution

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to provide an initial assessment of Egypt's plan to resettle population from the Nile Valley to the Western Desert. Known popularly as the Toshka Project, it is formally titled the National Project for the Development of Upper Egypt (NPDUE). The resettlement scheme is entirely dependent on the provision of a reliable source of freshwater. This water will be taken from Lake Nassar, behind the Aswan High Dam, and pumped through a series of canals into the desert, thereby allowing for irrigated agriculture. Through an extensive review of government documents and interviews with both government officials and Egyptian residents (who might be asked to move to the desert), we were able to develop a basic understanding of the project and a preliminary assessment of its potential for success. This was accomplished despite the paucity of published information about the project. To assess the possible success of the project, we looked at six key factors: economic, donor investment, demographics, water availability, technical, and environmental. In the end, it appears that the success of the Toshka project is highly dependent on a continued source of private capital. This capital is expected to come from other Arab countries, and, to date, the major investor in Toshka is Saudi Prince Al Walid. The Egyptian government claims that public investment in the project will be no more than 20 to 25 percent of the total, and adhering to this claim will be important; higher levels of public investment are likely to increase inflationary pressures in the country. The paper concludes with an assessment of whether the potential impacts of the project—whether economic, demographic, or environmental—are likely to offset the projected benefits of resettling seven million people out of the densely populated Nile Valley.     

Source rocks evaluation and timing of petroleum generation of selected wells in Meleiha Area,North Western Desert,Egypt

Fifteen rock samples were subjected to comprehensive organic geochemical studies aiming to evaluate potential source rocks as well as to predict the time of petroleum generation and expulsion of Kharita, Alam El Bueib, and Khataba Fms. in some wells in Meleiha area. The study revealed the Kharita Fm. is immature and has fair potential to produce gas. The organic matter is derived from terrestrial origin. Alam El Bueib Fm. is mature with fair to good capability of producing mixed oil and gas. The organic matter is originated mainly from mixed organic sources. Khatatba Fm. is mature and has good potentiality for generating oil. The organic matter is derived mainly from marine origin. The geothermal profile revealed that Kharita Fm. reached only the early stage of hydrocarbon generation and did not enter the oil widow till the present time. Alam El Bueib Fm. entered the oil window during Late Eocene time. Khatatba Fm. entered the oil window during Late Cretaceous. Consequently, Khatatba Fm. in Meleiha area can be considered as effective source rocks for generating both oil and gas.     

Landscape and water in the oases of Egypt's western desert

While natural processes, mainly wind and water erosion, define desert landscapes, human manipulation and use of water play important roles in defining the landscape within desert oases. The role of water in the oases of the Western Desert of Egypt is described, and it is considered how the scarcity of water affects its use. The challenge to the protection of these archetypal landscapes presented by new forms of development is identified.     

Monuments et Paysages de John B. Greene

L'?uvre de John B. Greene se présente comme une floraison étonnante, trop vite interrompue. Ses travaux ont été peu étudiés en tant que tels. Son ?uvre s'avère pourtant remarquable par sa qualité technique; elle est surtout véritablement originale en raison de l'intensité singulière avec laquelle elle condense les tendances et les aspirations coexistant à l'époque – pour les dépasser en un style propre: les vues de Greene sont destinées à servir les progrès de l'archéologie; elles portent l'empreinte d'une conception romantique des ruines et du paysage; elles font aussi écho aux débats contemporains, relatifs à la photographie et à la peinture; mais elles manifestent, dans le même temps, une certaine hardiesse de sorte qu'elles participent à un renouvellement de la figuration des monuments et des sites.