We aim to offer this abstract in order to understand the system capable of tracking

meat products using a digital ledger technology known as (Blockchain technology), we will

highlight their mechanism of work and the benefits and pitfalls to avoid. The traceability system for food was published in July 2007 by the International Standards Organization and prepared by the Technical Committee: ISO/TC 34/SC 17.

Tractability increases the correct information that must be recorded in all supply chains. It ensures that every element in the supply chain is controlled, which is used as an evaluation tool to combat meat fraud and enhance meat safety. It is utilized to satisfy consumers by defending the authenticity of meat products, supporting operating and production systems, and strengthening meat markets. Blockchain technology is a modern technology whose mechanism relies on an advanced database that allows information to be shared transparently within a food network, specific to the type of product or commercial activity. The technology in the meat industry stores data in blocks that are connected to each other in a seamless manner and displays it when needed by manufacturers, customers, suppliers, and wholesalers. Blockchain technology contributes to bringing about revolutionary changes and a qualitative shift in the development of various sectors because it offers a new concept for creating, organizing, proving, and transferring data. The blockchain constitutes a decentralized digital record called a “digital ledger,” which is available, distributed, and authenticated among all participants in the blockchain network.

Blockchain technology in the meat industry would be defined as the main and central record for

monitoring and tracing all activities using IoT, in which all industrial practices are recorded, from

the processing of raw materials and additives through supply chains. Blockchain should be used

as a tool to prevent meat-borne diseases and reduce fraud in the meat industry. Traditional food

supply methods are ineffective or not properly documented, which can result in fraud and errors in food processing, making them difficult to trace. Therefore, we advise meat suppliers to utilize both the tractability system and blockchain technology because both are tools to digitize meat

products. In summary, applying the tracking system and digital ledger technology in the manufacture of meat products increases the organization of the flow of control and monitoring processes, which leads to improved transparency and real-time coordination between manufacturers, trading partners, and even consumers.

In this study, bovine sodium caseinate (NaCas) was hydrolyzed with four proteases, alcalase, savinase, subtilisin A, and flavourzyme. In addition to the structural changes occurred through the enzymatic hydrolysis, the solubility, oil binding capacity, zeta potential, emulsification properties, and in vitro antioxidant capacity, anti-carcinogenic and antidiabetic properties of hydrolysates were determined. FTIR combined with hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) made in Amide I region

enable to classification of the samples based on the changes of the secondary structure depending on the enzyme type and degree of fragmentation. Technological properties of NaCas were enhanced through the enzymatic hydrolysis, and those were more prominent in serine-type enzymes, regardless of the enzyme type, all hydrolysates showed high antioxidant capacities. All

hydrolysates, specifically those produced by savinase and alcalase, reduced the viability of the carcinogenic Caco-2 cells in a dose-dependent manner and showed a very low level of cytotoxicity against healthy HEK-293 cells. The hydrolysis treatment made a significant contribution to the antidiabetic activity of NaCas. Particularly alcalase and savinase hydrolysates suppressed the activity of a- amylase and a- glucosidase. Therefore, the generated milk protein hydrolysates could be used

in functional food developments for specific dietary purposes.

Abstract

Objective: The manual counting of gram stained bacteria examined under a microscope becomes difficult when a large number of bacterial cells exist in a microscopic field. The present study was aimed to ease this problem by applying ImageJ software to counting of gram stained bacteria.

Method: This experiment was conducted on Elmergib university, faculty of pharmacy laboratories (Al-Khoms city- Libya). In this study, a microscopic image of a gram stained bacterial cells captured using a student’s smartphone, treated and the bacterial cells were then easily and automatically counted using ImageJ.

Results: According to ImageJ reading, the total number of bacterial particles appeared in the field of a microscopic image were 332 cells.

Conclusion: Direct staining and visualization of organisms for counting can benefit greatly from the use of ImageJ software. This method is less expensive, less contamination and less laborious than other methods and is more rapid and reproducible than counting using manual microscopy methods.

Keywords: ImageJ, Bacterial cells, Automated cell counting

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: on the last decade in Libya, the oncology center in Misurata become the most

important cancer diagnosis and follow up center on the western region of Libya. The Libyan

society was worried about the increase of the percentage of tumor incidences among the Libyans

on the last few years. This study focuses on cancer prevalence in city of Misurata and the

surrounding area in central Libya from 2012 to 2016.

METHODS: A hospital-based registry of cancer patients was formed using records from oncology

center in Misurata, focusing on patients who were diagnosed between 2012 and 2016.

RESULTS: the incidence of tumor on females was higher than males from 2014 up to higher

deference on 2016, the most common malignancies in men were cancers of the lung on years from

2012 up to 2015 even though it decrease to 18% of males patients on 2016, followed by colon, its

prevalence rate ranged from 14% to 18% of recorded male patients (For women, they were found

to be cancers of the breast ranged from 29.84% on 2012 and raised to 43.08%. Additionally, agestandardized

rates (ASR) were determined for recording patients who leaved on the city of

Misurata and compared with published record from the other countries. The incidence rates given

for the city of Misurata can be considered with the counties with low malignancy rate

CONCLUSION: Proper surveillance programs need to be in place and healthcare policy should be

adjusted to consider the more prevalent and pressing cancers in society.

Key words : Misurata cancer center, breast cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, Libya

ABSTRACT

Fat cadherins comprise the largest of all known members of cadherin superfamily. They are present

in all multicellular organisms and retain a high degree of structural conservation. In Drosophila

there are two Fat genes: Fat and Fat-like, whilst in vertebrates there are four members called Fat1,

Fat2, Fat3 and Fat4. Our lab group focused on the use of various biochemical methods to analyse

expression of the FAT1 protein. Because of the high molecular size of FAT1 protein our laboratory

has used affinity purification to prepare bespoke rabbit anti-FAT1 antibodies using FAT1 protein

prepared as GST fusions. five overlapping segments of the FAT1 cytoplasmic tail designated A, B,

C, D and E as GST-fusion proteins contained within pGEX plasmids were assigned in our lab.

According to their sequences and hosted rabbit name antibodies were named N34B, N35B and

N34E. To test the efficacy of each antibody preparation, two different techniques were undertaken,

first Western blotting and second immunofluorescent staining. By this analysis the

immunoreactivity of N34B, N35B and N34E compare favourably with the CTD-pAb. N34E

produced less than satisfactory results in this test with low signal to noise and these results are

omitted here. This staining pattern was largely consistent between N34B and N34E, but the signal

to background was a considerably high. According to that the use of the new B and E antibodies

was restricted to Western blotting where these reagents fulfilled the functional requirements.

Key words: Fat1, Fat1 antibodies, cadherins, western blot. Immunofluorescence staining

Abstract

The loss of cognitive function accompanying healthy aging is not associated with extensive or characteristic patterns of cell death, suggesting it is caused by more subtle changes in synaptic properties. In the hippocampal CA1 region, long-term potentiation requires stronger stimulation for induction in aged rats and mice and long-term depression becomes more prevalent. An age-dependent impairment of postsynaptic calcium homeostasis may underpin these effects. We have examined changes in presynaptic calcium signalling in aged mice using a transgenic mouse line (SyG37) that expresses a genetically encoded calcium sensor in presynaptic terminals. SyG37 mice showed an age-dependent decline in cognitive abilities in behavioural tasks that require hippocampal processing including the Barnes maze, T-maze and object location but not recognition tests. The incidence of LTP was significantly impaired in animals over 18 months of age. These effects of aging were accompanied by a persistent increase in resting presynaptic calcium, an increase in the presynaptic calcium signal following Schaffer collateral fibre stimulation, an increase in postsynaptic fEPSP slope and a reduction in paired-pulse facilitation. These effects were not caused by synapse proliferation and were of presynaptic origin since they were evident in single presynaptic boutons. Aged synapses behaved like younger ones when the extracellular calcium concentration was reduced. Raising extracellular calcium had little effect on aged synapses but altered the properties of young synapses into those of their aged counterparts. These effects can be readily explained by an age-dependent change in the properties or numbers of presynaptic calcium channels.

Neurodegenerative disorders results in inflammatory processes, including inflammatory cytokine secretion and concomitant superoxide production. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) influence neuro degeneration through anti-inflammatory effects. Donepezil as an AChEIs also provide neuro protection. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of donepezil (DZ) as a potent acetyl-cholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor, L-NG-Nitroarginine methyl ester (L.NAME) as non-selective nitric oxide synthase inhibitor and 7-nitroindazole (7-NI) as a selective neuronal nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor against Amyloid beta-peptide (1-42) (Aβ(1-42)) induced neurological disorder. Rats were divided into six groups including control, Aβ(1-42) ,Aβ(1-42) +L-arginine, Aβ(1-42) +L-NAME ,Aβ(1-42) +7-NI, and Aβ(1-42) +DZ. Brain AChE, malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, super oxidedismutase, catalase, reduced glutathione, interleukin 1-beta (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) were measured. Also, brain fatty acids fractions were estimated by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Aβ(1-42) significantly alter levels of brain antioxidant, inflammatory markers and fatty acids content compared to the control group. Treatment with L.NAME, 7-NI and especially DZ improve these parameters. Administration of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors such as DZ attenuates neurodegenerative disorders through decreasing oxidation and inflammation.

Keywords: Neurotoxicity, Aβ (1-42), Donepezil, Nitric oxide, 7-nitroindazole, Fatty acids, HPLC

Genetically encoded calcium indicators (GECIs) have gained widespread use for measurement of neuronal activity but their low expression levels in transgenic mice tend to limit sensitivity. We have developed a transgenic mouse line (SyG37) that expresses a ratiometric calcium sensor, SyGCaMP2-mCherry, that is expressed throughout the brain but targeted to presynaptic terminals. Within the CA1 and CA3 regions of hippocampus of male and female mice, SyGaMP2 fluorescence responds linearly up to 10 electrical stimuli at frequencies up to 100 Hz and it can detect responses to a single stimulus. Responses in single boutons can be measured using multiphoton microscopy. The ensemble amplitude of SyGCaMP2 responses is a function of the number of stimuli applied and the number of contributing boutons. The peak responses and initial rates of calcium influx in single boutons in CA1 and CA3 were similar but the rate of calcium clearance from CA3 boutons after stimulation was significantly faster. In CA1, DNQX reduced SyGCaMP2 responses to Schaffer collateral stimulation to 86% of baseline indicating that 14% of the total response originated from presynaptic terminals of neurones synaptically driven via AMPA receptors. Theta burst stimulation induced long-term potentiation (LTP) of both SyGCaMP2 and fEPSP responses in both young and 18-month-old mice. The proportion of postsynaptically connected terminals increased significantly to 76% of the total after LTP induction. The SyG37 mouse allows stable optical detection of synaptic activation and connectivity at the single bouton level and can be used to characterize the contributions of presynaptic calcium to synaptic transmission and plasticity.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive age-related neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive impairment of memory and cognitive functions. Oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and neurotransmitters disturbance may play an important role. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of donepezil alone and in combination with nitric oxide synthase (NOS) substrate L-arginine, and nitric oxide synthase inhibitor (NOSi) Ng-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (L-NAME) and 7-nitroindazole against aluminum chloride (AlCl3) induced neurotoxicity. A total of 36 male albino rats were divided to six groups: control normal saline, AlCl3. ,Donepezil, Donepezil+ L-arginine, Donepezil+ L-NAME, and Donepezil+7-nitroindazole. Neurotoxicity was induced by AlCl3 in a dose of 10 mg/Kg subcutaneously for 30 days. After the experimental period, brain was removed for determination of acetylcholinesterase activity (AChE), levels of fatty acids fractions by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), interleukin 1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). AlCl3 significantly increase brain levels of AChE, IL-1β, and TNF-α, and arachidonic acid (AA) and linoleic acid (LA). Treatment with Donepezil alone and in combination with L.NAME and 7-nitroindazole significantly attenuates these changes. In conclusion, regulation of nitric oxide (NO) level is the key for stability and prevention of neurodegenerative diseases. Combination of Donepezil with nitric oxide synthase inhibitors especially 7-nitroindazole attenuates the oxidant and inflammatory induced by AlCl3.

Keywords: AlCl3, L. NAME, Donpezil, fatty acids, HPLC

In this project we used a combination of electrophysiology and fluorescent imaging to monitor synaptic transmission and calcium signalling in synaptic terminals. The study as a whole intended to examine how presynaptic calcium contributes to normal synaptic transmission within different hippocampal neuronal pathways. To this end, we used a transgenic mouse strain known as SyG37 that stably expresses a calcium sensor, SyGCaMP2-mCherry that is expressed in subsets of CNS neurones under the control of the Thy1 promoter. Our findings indicate that this new ratiometric sensor, in the SyG37 mouse strain, provides an excellent tool for detecting neural activity in acute brain slices. First, we showed that evoked calcium transients can be detected in acute brain slices prepared from SyG37 mice where electrical activation of Schaffer collaterals or mossy fibres elicited large calcium transients in area CA1 and CA3, respectively. Using immunohistochemical techniques, SyGCaMP2-mCherry co-localised with presynaptic proteins such as Bassoon, VGLUT1 and VGAT, confirming that it is expressed presynaptically in both excitatory and inhibitory terminals. Blocking fast glutamatergic and GABA/Glycinerergic transmission reduced the size of calcium transients in CA1 and CA3 by only 25 and 20% respectively indicating that the majority of the signals originated from first order presynaptic terminals. Pharmacologically, manipulating the adenosine receptor signalling pathway showed that the actions of adenosine, via the A1 receptor subtype, were different in the CA3 region compared to those in CA1. Forskolin also caused a small, concentration dependent effect on SyGCaMP2 fluorescence in response to electrical stimulation within both CA1 and CA3 regions with pronounced effects on field potential recordings. Together, with this SyG37 strain of transgenic mouse, it is possible to detect neuronal activity with fast temporal and high spatial resolution without the need for pre-incubation with organic calcium dyes or invasive viral transduction procedures.