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Assessing Egypt’s Readiness to Introduce Program and Performance-Based Budgeting
Get PDFProgram and performance-based budgeting is one of the recent and most controversial developments in the Egyptian budgetary system. As a results-based budgeting methodology, it can potentially support the government\u27s endeavors to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of public expenditures and improve the overall levels of transparency and accountability. As per the new Unified Finance Law, Egypt is preparing for the full implementation of the program and performance budgeting reform to start in FY 2027-2028. The main objective of this study is to assess the readiness of Egypt to introduce program and performance-based budgeting based on six main assessment pillars which are: 1) Data Availability and Reliability, 2) Capacity Building and Organizational Culture, 3) Stakeholder Engagement and Political Will, 4) Institutional Reform, 5) Defining Performance (Effectiveness of Service Delivery): Monitoring and Evaluation Mechanisms, and 6) Accountability System and Incentives Schemes. The results of the conducted qualitative research showed that Egypt still has a long road to hit to become ready for the results-based budgetary reform. On the one hand, some important implementation prerequisites are mostly fulfilled, such as the development of the legislative framework and building the personnel capacities on basic program and performance budgeting principles. On the other hand, missing sectoral strategies, unreliable data sources, and misalignment with the organizational structures and restructuring efforts receive alarmingly less attention. The analysis showed that there are two main characteristics behind the current readiness situation of Egypt which are the cultural resistance to program and performance-based budgeting and the missing supporting structural set-up
Musnad ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Zubayr al-Ḥumaydī as an Early Source of Madanī isnād: A Source Critical Study
No full textThe transmission of ḥadīth has been a subject of intense debate, particularly regarding the authenticity of early compilations. Musnad al-Ḥumaydī is a ḥadīth collection that has not received significant scholarly attention despite its potential to shed light on early ḥadīth transmission. This study critically examines Musnad al-Ḥumaydī by analyzing its structure, sources, and methodology, focusing on its relationship with Sufyān b. ʿUyayna, the primary transmitter of its ḥadīth. By applying isnād analysis and source criticism, this research challenges the assumption that early ḥadīth compilations were unreliable or retrospectively constructed. Al-Ḥumaydī did not simply collect narrations. The study demonstrates that Musnad al-Ḥumaydī reflects a structured and systematic approach to ḥadīth preservation, offering valuable insights into early Islamic scholarship, legal traditions, and the role of Madanī isnād. The findings contribute to the ongoing reassessment of ḥadīth authenticity and provide a more nuanced understanding of how the Sunnah was transmitted and documented in the early centuries of Islam
Exploring the Role of Religious Media in Shaping Public Perceptions Towards Climate Change in Egypt
Get PDFClimate change poses significant threats globally, with particular vulnerability noted in developing nations like Egypt. While effective communication is crucial for societal engagement, the role of influential actors like religious media within specific cultural contexts remains under-explored. This thesis investigates the role and communication practices of religious media (Islamic and Coptic Christian) concerning climate change in Egypt, a country where religious institutions command significant public trust and influence. Existing literature highlights gaps in understanding how these specific media outlets navigate and frame climate change discourse.
Employing Framing Theory and Communication for Development (DevCom) Theory as a combined framework, this study aims to evaluate how Egyptian religious media practitioners perceive their role, construct messages, and engage audiences regarding climate change. The research utilized a qualitative methodology, conducting in-depth interviews with practitioners from various religious media platforms (newspapers, radio, television, social media).
The findings reveal that practitioners perceive a strong responsibility to address climate change, rooted in religious teachings and societal trust. They navigate the intersection of faith and science by drawing authority from sacred texts, invoking core theological concepts like stewardship, integrating scientific expertise, and contextualizing messages for daily life. Key communication strategies identified include emphasizing simplicity and relevance, leveraging trusted religious figures, customizing content for diverse audiences, and focusing on actionable solutions. However, significant challenges persist, including audience apathy, competition with socioeconomic priorities, the misconception of individual inefficacy, resource limitations, and navigating the complex media and political landscape. While collaborations exist, particularly with governmental and academic bodies, practitioners highlight a need for more strategic partnerships with environmental organizations.
This study contributes empirical insights into the unique dynamics of climate change communication by religious media in Egypt. It underscores the potential of leveraging faith-based frameworks for environmental engagement while also highlighting the practical and structural barriers faced by practitioners. The findings offer valuable implications for developing culturally resonant communication strategies and fostering more effective collaborations to address the climate crisis in Egypt and potentially similar contexts.
Keywords: Climate Change Communication, Religious Media, Egypt, Framing Theory, Communication for Development, Environmental Communication, Islam, Coptic Christianity, Media Practitioner
The Joint Effect of ESG Practices and Financial Development on the Financial Performance of Asian Companies
Get PDFThis study examines the relationship between Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices, financial development, and financial performance in the Asian markets. This research uses econometric models to analyze two key aspects of financial performance: Return on Assets (ROA), and Tobin’s Q. The results show that there is a negative relationship between ESG practices and financial success, highlighting the financial burden imposed by sustainability initiatives. Machine learning model (XGBoost) has been used to check the robustness of the regression model. Some Commonalities and other differences have been recognized. Yet, the regression model results have been relied upon. Financial development serves as a moderating factor, easing the negative effects of ESG practices on ROA by allowing access to capital and diminishing financial constraints. This effect doesn’t appear in Tobin’s Q, showing a gap between company actions and what investors think. The results show that financial systems help companies combine sustainability with making profits. The research stresses the importance of actions like educating investors to match corporate ESG efforts with their market value. This study provides important information for policymakers, corporate leaders, and investors. It emphasizes the need for a solid financial system and tailored approaches to tackle the challenges of adopting ESG practices in Asia. This research looks at how ESG practices relate to financial growth. It aims to help with sustainable finance and offers advice on how companies can match their sustainability goals with their financial aims. The results show that companies in Asia can lead the global move towards sustainable and strong business practices
Dietary arachidonic acid contributes to alleviation of peanut-induced allergy biomarkers in BALB/c, C57BL/6 and CD-1 mice
No full textObjective: Despite its innumerable, invaluable and unique benefits to human development and welfare, consumption of the omega 6 polyunsaturated fatty acid, arachidonic acid (ARA) generates apprehension due to the association of its metabolites with allergy symptoms. Accordingly, it was deemed important to examine the impact of ARA supplementation on initiation and progress of peanut (PN)-induced allergy in mice of different MHC haplotypes. Methods: Cohorts of BALB/c, C57BL/6, and outbred CD-1 mice were maintained two weeks before experimentation and until the end of the experiment on mouse food supplemented with equal amounts of milk powder containing 3 or 0 mg ARA/day/mouse, and then exposed to inhalation of 0 or 100 μg/mouse PN flour molecules twice for 4 weeks. Following intraperitoneal administration of PN extract proteins, control and PN-sensitized mice were assayed for behavioral, serum, and lung tissue biomarkers of anaphylaxis. Results: Peanut exposure essentially elicited the production of serum IgA, IgG1 and IgG2a specific antibodies and lung tissue extract reactive oxygen species. Adjuvant-free PN inhalation, especially when associated with ARA supplementation, displayed a significant (P \u3c 0.05) counteractive impact on PN-induced responses in inbred and outbred mice. Conclusions: Dietary arachidonic acid contributes to alleviation or suppression of PN-induced allergy biomarkers in BALB/c, C57BL/6 and CD-1 mice
Carbazole-phenothiazine sensitizers boost tandem DSSC efficiency to 12.85 %
No full textThis study presents a significant advancement in tandem dye-sensitized solar cells (T-DSSCs) through the development of two carbazole-phenothiazine hybrid sensitizers, AEFH-1 and AEFH-2. AEFH-2, featuring a 4-carboxylcyanoacetamide acceptor group, thus achieving a remarkable power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 11.70 %, surpassing AEFH-1 (10.21 %) and the standard N719 dye (7.60 %). The superior performance of AEFH-2 is attributed to its optimized molecular design, which enhances the charge separation and electron injection efficiency. The incident photon-to-current efficiency (IPCE) of AEFH-2 reached 91.54 %, which was significantly higher than that of N719 (77.0 %) because of its strong electron-withdrawing groups and multiple anchoring functionalities, which improved TiO2 binding and charge transfer. Furthermore, an innovative double-sided parallel tandem DSSC (PT-DSSC) architecture was developed by integrating (N719 (top) and AEFH-2 (bottom)), resulting in a PCE of 12.85 %. This configuration exhibited exceptional photovoltaic parameters, including a Voc of 0.900 V, Jsc of 21.01 mA/cm2, and a fill factor of 67.95 %. The high IPCE of 97.50 % in the tandem setup was attributed to the complementary absorption profiles of N719 and AEFH-2, coupled with the light-trapping effect of the double-sided structure, enabling superior light harvesting and charge separation. Stability analysis further confirmed the durability of the tandem PT-DSSC, with performance maintained over 1000 h of continuous illumination, thus emphasizing its practical applicability. These findings underscore the potential of molecular engineering and architectural innovation to significantly enhance the efficiency and scalability of DSSCs, paving the way for high-performance, long-lasting solar energy devices
A novel phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor, RF26, improves memory impairment and ameliorates tau aggregation and neuroinflammation in the P301S tauopathy mouse model of Alzheimer\u27s disease
No full textPhosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitors are primarily used in the treatment of erectile dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension, but have also been reported to have a potential therapeutic effect for the treatment of Alzheimer\u27s disease (AD). This is likely to be through stimulation of nitric oxide (NO)/cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) signaling by elevating cGMP, a secondary messenger involved in processes of neuroplasticity. In the present study, we evaluated the efficacy of a novel PDE5 inhibitor, RF26, using P301S tauopathy mice model. A body of experimental evidence suggests that the development of tau inclusions leads to the neurodegeneration observed in tauopathies, including AD, Frontotemporal dementia (FTD), Supranuclear palsy and others. RF26 successfully targeted NO/cGMP signaling pathway and showed a significant improvement of spatial memory task performance of P301S mice using Morris Water Maze and T-maze. Furthermore, RF26 -treated mice showed a significant reduction of phosphorylated tau load, gliosis and downregulated pro-inflammatory cytokines. The presented data support the efficacy of RF26 as a potent PDE5 inhibitor and calls for further investigation as a potential therapeutic drug for Alzheimer\u27s and other tauopathy related neurological disorders
Locked Gates: Japan’s Immigration Quandary in the Face of Economic and Demographic Realities
Get PDFThis study explores Japan\u27s reluctance to accept labor immigrants in the post-World War II era through the analytical lenses of identity politics and historical institutionalism. It examines how Japan’s national identity, emphasizing ethnic homogeneity and cultural preservation, has shaped restrictive immigration policies despite its economic need. Historical institutionalism provides a framework for understanding the persistence of these policies, which are rooted in the institutional legacies of Japan\u27s post-war reconstruction. The research investigates the interplay between identity-based motivations and the institutional structures that constrain policy changes, highlighting how these dynamics have led to the exclusion of foreign labor despite the country’s demographic challenges. By analyzing the role of immigration laws, labor market access, and social security regulations, the study offers insights into the broader socio-political context influencing Japan’s immigration policy, contributing to a deeper understanding of how historical and cultural factors continue to shape contemporary political decisions.
The research contrasts Japan\u27s approach with the immigration policies of Germany and France, where labor shortages after the war led to more open and structured immigration systems. In Germany and France, the need for a workforce and the evolving identities of immigrant populations were central to developing their immigration frameworks. In Japan, however, immigration laws, labor market access, and social security regulations have been guided by different priorities, deeply intertwined with national identity and institutional constraints. This comparative analysis highlights how historical and cultural factors shape immigration policies, offering insights into the broader socio-politica
The Metaphysics of Time Within Physics
Get PDFThe starting point of this thesis is to shed some light on the metaphysical nature of time by reflecting on the physics of time. The aim of this approach is not to [dis]prove or defend a metaphysical position but rather to elucidate the metaphysical position that underlies [or is compatible with] our best scientific theories. This task will be demanding, not only because our best theories may carry different interpretations of their underlying temporal structure but also because there seems to be a conceptual conflict/incompatibility between the notion of time in relativity and quantum mechanics, which are the two major physical theories. We explore how Quantum Mechanics (particularly the violation of Bell’s Inequality) challenges the eternalist picture of time, the principle of relativity of simultaneity, and the notion of local causality in relativity. Three reconciliation strategies between the two theories are reviewed and assessed, along with their respective views of time
Rural Entrepreneurship in Upper Egyptian Communities: Exploring the Intervention of Agri-Tech Startups
Get PDFClimate change and economic disturbance have changed the state of the world and increased the dependence on digitization in running people\u27s daily life. In Egypt, the economic instability and climate change have affected people’s standard of living, making it challenging to sustain their life, especially in the agriculture sector. Farmers have been affected by the risks of climate change, economic shocks, and trends of digitization, which have impacted their profit, employability, and livelihood.
Several Egyptian Agri-tech startups were launched to support the farmers in the digital revolution that came to agriculture, attempting to make a change in the Egyptian farming sector, by adopting digital information technology, from which farmers can depend in running their farming businesses.
Using qualitative methods, through in-depth face-to-face interviews with the founding team of 3 startups and 24 Egyptian small-holder farmers from Menia and Beni Sweif, the research discovers the role of Agri-tech startups in changing farmers\u27 practices and how it impacted them and explores the resilience of Egyptian farmers towards the Agri-tech startups as a tool to face the challenges of climate change and economic disturbance.
The research study explores how the Agri-tech startups influenced the agricultural practices of farmers, through mobile applications giving climate smart advisory information and e-commerce platforms. Affected by the resilience and social capital theory, it is discovered that the farmers’ resilience and community social capital assists in facing the challenges they face by increasing their profitability, acquiring knowledge about new agricultural practices and market prices, and expanding their market network in Egypt. This in the end enhanced the farmers’ livelihood stability and sustainability