Ongoing deterioration of the nutritional status of Palestinian preschool children in Gaza under the Israeli siege

This cross-sectional, community-based, household survey was carried out in Gaza City, Palestine during the first half of 2009 to study the nutritional status of Palestinian preschool children aged 2-5 years under blockade. The response rate was 95.2% from a total sample of 770. The majority [94.4%] of households faced difficulties accessing food, the main cause was the siege and the shortage of food products; and the majority [85.5%] were food insecure households. Just over 50% of the preschoolers were anaemic, 26.8% of those who had a stool test had parasitic infections, and 15.0 were stunted. Food insecurity was the first predictor of stunting and underweight, and malnutrition indicators indicate the worst situation in the Gaza Strip for several decades

Effect of natural shading on some adaptive traits of hydrated and dehydrated ewes during breeding under semi-arid conditions

This study aimed at testing the relief effects of trees shadow, as a low cost accommodation, on both hydrated and dehydrated ewes during breeding in the hot months of summer. Fifty-two crossbred Barki x Merino ewes, raised in Western Coastal Desert of Egypt, were divided into two groups, one kept under trees and the other exposed to sun. Each group was divided into two sub-groups, one of them was intermittently watered every four days and the other watered daily. The adaptive responses of ewes, in terms of changes in some hematological parameters and body fluids, were examined for 2.5 months where ewes were in early embryonic stage

Seasonal rhythms of cutaneous and respiratory water losses as mechanisms for thermoregulation by desert sheep and goats

The present work was initiated to examine the seasonal rates of evaporative water loss [through skin and respiration] on 5 adult Barki rams and 5 bucks in relation to body temperature regulation. From this study it appears that sheep and goats are able to cope with diverse thermal conditions maintaining a heat balance over the whole year. The two species possess both cutaneous and pulmonary evaporative cooling mechanisms. Due to the different nature of body coat and size, sheep may have to use more physiological evaporative activities, while goats presumably depend on physical means of heat exchange for thermoregulations

comparative study of the physicochemical indices of deep fried oils used by falafel street vendors in Alexandria city

Lipid oxidation represents a key barrier in the development of new food products and processes, especially convenience items and processes required to manufacture them. Deleterious changes in foods caused by lipid oxidatuion include loss of flavour, development of off-flavours loss of colour, nutrient value and functionality, and the accumulation of compounds which may be etrmental to the health of consumers. This study evaluated the physicochemical changes that occur in blends of cottonseed and sunflower oil at controlled temperatures as control and commercial frying oils were compared as a deep fat frying media. Thirty two samples of used oils were collected randomly from fallafel street vendors representing the four different zones of Alexandria city. Oils were tested physically and chemically. Results showed a significant difference in retractive indices, acid value and iodine value in the oil used for frying fallafel patties, demonstrating that each of these methods predict degradation of the oils. However, no significant difference was observed in colour, viscosity, smoke point, peroxide value, p-anisidine and% polymers in comparison to the control blend of cottonseed and sunflower oil which may be accounted for by the dilution effect during commercial frying operations. There is a need to specify suitable limits, related to quality and health factors, to determine at what point cooking oil should be discarded

Effect of intermittent heating in the laboratory on some of the physical and chemical properties of different types of refined oils

The heating performance of refined, bleached and deodorised sunflower oil, corn oil, cottonseed and sunflower oils were assessed. The quality changes in oils during intermittemt heating at 190 +/- 5°C for 10 hours per day for 5 consecutive days were determined. The change occurring in these oils as a result of thermal and oxidative decomposition during heating were evaluated. Refractive indices, viscosity free fatty acid content, p-anisidine and% polymers of both oils increased during heating, however, peroxide value, smoke point and iodine value decreases, color of oil changed gradually to dark brown from light yellow with increased heating time. Overall, the results indicated that both oils had reached the end of its useful life after 30 hours