During the holy month of Ramadan the quality of food and eating patterns changed and drinking will be stopped for at least 10 to 16 hours on the basis lunar calendar. The effects of exercise and fasting solely or combined on metabolic and hematologic responses well established. The purpose of the present study was to study the effects of Ramadan fasting with or without weight-lifting training on vascular volumes and selected hematological indices in young male weight-lifters. Blood samples were taken at 24h before and 24h after the last day of holy Ramadan fasting period and weight-lifting training for determination of the selected red and white blood cells compositions. The Vascular volumes (Blood, Red cells, and plasma volumes) were determined and calculated by using both hemoglobin and hematocrit estimations before and after Ramadan fasting with or without weight-lifting training. The results indicate that red cell volume and MCHC were significantly decreased and increased in fasting group (P<0.05) respectively. The percentages of hematocrit were significantly low in both training and fasting groups. A higher and significant platelet count was found in training group. The present data indicate that weight-lifting training during the holy Ramadan in compare to fasting had no impact on red and white cells composition exception on platelet count and Hematocrit. A decrease in Hematocrit might be due to the incomplete dehydration period which amplified by stop drinking and nutritional habits during the holy Ramadan.

Stabilization and solidification a clay soil contaminated with MTBE Abstract:This paper presents an investigation into stabilization and solidification of a clay soil contaminated with MTBE (Methyl Butyl Ether) using two different agents (cement and mixture of bentonite and cement) through a program of laboratory experiments. The samples were prepared in two stages. In the first stage they were prepared with 20 and 30% cement but in the second stage they were prepared with 20 and 30% mixtures of bentonite and cement (with ratios of bentonite to cement equal to 1:1 and 3:1).Unconfined compression tests (UCT) and leaching tests using GC (Gas Chromatography) apparatus were conducted on the samples that were prepared in the above two stages at different curing times. The results show that by using cement, the strength of the soil is increased. The results of the leaching tests on contaminated soil show a major reduction in the concentration of MTBE. Adding cement to contaminated soil causes reduction in concentration of MTBE but by increasing the curing time the concentration of MTBE is increased. It is also indicted that using combination of bentonite and cement leads to reduction in MTBE concentration and the amount of reduction is decreased by increasing the curing time. The bentonite-cement ratio of 3:1 is more effective than 1:1 in reducing the concentration of MTBE.

Acrylamide is a carcinogenic compound which is produced as a result of thermal processing of food materials such as French fries, cereals and meat products. In this study the effects of four different parameters on the level of produced acrylamide in two types of beef burgers during the frying was investigated. Each parameter was used in three levels (temperature at 170, 190, and 210 °C; frying time at 5, 6, and 7 min and meat level at 30, 60, and 85%, and also three types of oil, corn, canola and sunflower). Taguchi's L9 design was applied to carry out the experiments. While temperature and meat level indicated more effect on the production of acrylamide in the studied samples, type of oil did not show any significant effects at all. Frying time (within the range studied here) showed minor contribution on the acrylamide level produced during the frying.

This paper presents an investigation into remediation of an anthracene-contaminated clay soil through experimental tests. Samples were prepared of uncontaminated and contaminated soil-cement with 20 and 30% cement. Unconfined compression tests (UCT) were conducted on the natural soil and soil contaminated with anthracene. In addition, similar tests were carried out on uncontaminated and contaminated soil-cement at different curing times. Leaching tests were also conducted on contaminated soil and

No abstract

Remediation of a soil contaminated with methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) was studied by using the electrokinetic technique. A series of experimental tests were carried out on contaminated soil in an electro-osmotic apparatus at different applied gradients of voltage and time. The tests were conducted with distilled water and ethylenediaminetetra acetic acid (EDTA) solution as electrolyte. During each test the values of pH at anode and cathode reservoirs and also the discharge from cathode were measured. At the end of each test a number of soil samples were extracted from the middle of the soil at different distances from the anode and the removal of contaminant was measured by a gas chromatography apparatus. The results indicate that with EDTA as electrolyte the highest efficiency for removal of MTBE is achieved with 2.0 V/cm gradient and in the duration of 14 days. In addition, EDTA causes the values of pH to increase and decrease in the cathode and anode reservoirs, respectively. It also decreases the effluent and electro-osmotic permeability in comparison with distilled water. Experimental data were analysed by ANOVA and t-test methods. These statistical analyses showed significant difference (at 5% level) between the reference and other tests.

1. The present study was undertaken to determine the effects of arginine, soy isoflavone (ISF) and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) on obesity in broiler breeder hens. 2. A total of 320 Cobb 500 hens, 45 weeks of age, were assigned to 64 floor pens. The experiment was conducted as a completely randomised design in a factorial arrangement (2 × 2 × 2 × 2) with 4 replicates of 5 hens in each pen. Factors included two concentrations of HPMC (0 and 1%), two concentrations of arginine (8.4 and 12 g/kg), two concentrations of ISF (zero and three times more than that present in basal diets) and two contents of energy (11.7 and 14.6 MJ/kg). Performance criteria and blood characteristics of hens were measured during the experimental period. Expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism was determined in the liver at 55 weeks of age. 3. Hens given high-energy diets showed increased BW (body weight), ovary weight and abdominal fat pad and enhanced plasma glucose, triglyceride (TG), cholesterol, haemoglobin, haematocrit and low lymphocyte percentages. The expression of malic enzyme, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPARα), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) and inducible nitric oxide (iNOS) increased and sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c (SREBP1c) decreased with increasing energy content of diets. Arginine addition decreased TG, cholesterol and A1-c haemoglobin concentration and increased PPARα, PPARγ and iNOS expression. Inclusion of ISF and HPMC decreased BW, egg weight, plasma TG, cholesterol and increased egg production and also enhanced PPARγ and iNOS expression. Significant interactions were observed between energy concentration and ISF and HPMC on BW. 4. The results of the current study revealed that ISF, HPMC and arginine have beneficial effects on controlling the metabolism of obese broiler breeder hens and using a mix of these products minimises the harmful effects of obesity.

No abstract