Pioneer Solar Water Desalination System: Experimental Testing and Numerical Simulation

A pioneer system of solar water desalination was constructed, tested and numerically simulated for moderate latitudes, Cairo 30 °N. The humidification/dehumidification (HD) process is considered in this system. The salt water is heated by either solar energy or/and auxiliary heater before injection inside an insulated desalination chamber using an air atomizer. The air is supplied into a condenser by a 0.4 kW blower and later on it pulls hot salt water up through the atomizer from an insulated tank. By this idea the air is preheated inside the condenser and is used as a water pump. The flashing water is evaporated and condensed simultaneously above the condenser surface. A 2.39 M2 flat-plate solar collector is used to heat the salt water existed in an insulated tank. The tank opening is closed by the chamber one. By this way the salt water is circulated naturally inside the solar water heater where it is forced inside the desalination chamber. A numerical simulation of the considered system was developed and validated. It was provided a mathematical model of each system component. The system was successfully tested using either solar or/and auxiliary energies. It can produce about 36 liter daily of purified water where the using of solar energy alone can obtain about 12 liter on clear days. To visualize the heat and mass transfer inside the chamber temperature and humidity distribution were measured. The annual and monthly performance of the system is presented. In addition an empirical equation of the distilled water quantity is obtained versus the incident solar radiation. Moreover, economic study was provided and it is found that one liter of distilled water can cost about 0.2 US$ using the considered system. Key words: Solar desalination; Air atomizer; Air condenser; Thermosiphon; Humidification/dehumidification; Numerical simulatio

An annotated checklist of the endemic Carabidae (Coleoptera) of Egypt

Endemic species are usually not very widespread in their distribution, but are only found in a particular region and nowhere else in the world. Because of this, they are of great conservation concern. A checklist of the endemic carabid beetles of Egypt was compiled and updated from published and unpublished records including long-term surveys. As far as can be ascertained, there are 39 valid carabid species and subspecies from 28 genera that are endemic to Egypt including Sinai. These represent about 16.3% of the total carabid fauna recorded from the country, and belong to five subfamilies: Brachininae, Cicindelinae, Harpalinae, Scaritinae, and Trechinae. I provide notes about type localities, depositories and distribution

Effects of chronic estradiol treatment on the thyroid gland structure and function of ovariectomized rats

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Estrogen therapy is widely used nowadays in women to treat many postmenopausal symptoms but it may have some undesirable effects due to multiple organs affection. So, the aim of this study was to determine the effects of chronic estradiol treatment on the structure and function of the thyroid gland in ovarictomized rats as a model simulating menopause.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>Thirty adult female Wistar rats divided into three groups were used in this study; the first group was sham-operated, while the second and third groups were ovariectomized. The first and second groups were injected with olive oil while the third group was injected with estradiol dipropionate daily for three months, after that; hormonal assay for T3, T4, TSH and specimens of the thyroid were taken and processed to be examined by light and electron microscopy. The results of this study revealed that serum levels of T3 and T4 decreased in ovariectomized animals and significantly increased after estradiol treatment, while TSH increased in ovariectomized animals and decreased with estradiol treatment. Histological and morphometric study in ovariectomized group revealed marked accumulation of colloid in follicular lumens with decreased epithelial height in addition to increased connective tissue amount. After estradiol treatment the follicles became smaller in size, having small amount of colloid with increased epithelial height in addition to decreased connective tissue content. Ultrastructural study supported these results in addition to the presence of large amount of intracytoplasmic colloid vesicles after estradiol treatment.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Low estrogen level may lead to mild thyroidal hypofunction while estradiol treatment may lead to hyperactivity so it should be used very cautiously in the treatment of postmenopausal symptoms to avoid its undesirable stimulatory effect on the thyroid.</p

Effect of prophylactic salpingectomy on ovarian function in premenopausal women in tertiary referral center

Background: Epithelial ovarian cancers (EOCs) are the most common cause of death from gynaecological malignancy. Serous ovarian carcinomas represent (68%) of Epithelial ovarian cancers, they are further divided into low-grade (type I) and high-grade (type II) serous ovarian carcinomas. There has been increasing evidence that fallopian tubes are considered the most important site of origin of pelvic high grade serous carcinoma. Salpingectomy is thought to be effective in reducing ovarian cancer risk in the future and prolonging average life expectancy, however, there are some concerns regarding ovarian function after elective salpingectomy in premenopausal women. The current study was carried out to assess the effect of salpingectomy on ovarian function in premenopausal women.Methods: 60 premenopausal cases were recruited and subjected to open abdominal hysterectomy without oophorectomy (for benign indications). Included cases were below 45 years, with documented active ovarian functions. Cases with genital malignancy, ovarian gross pathology and suspected or known ovarian failure were excluded. Cases were randomly allocated to one of two groups; group-A (where salpingectomy was performed), and group-B (where salpingectomy was not done). For all patients, ovarian functions were assessed prior operation, and at one and three months after operation using serum anti-Mullarian hormone (AMH) as well as early follicular antral follicular count (AFC), serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and serum oestradiol (E2).Results: The mean pre-operative AFC, AMH, FSH, and E2 levels showed no significant changes after operation at one and three months postoperative follow up in both studied groups, denoting preserved ovarian function in both groups.Conclusions: Prophylactic salpingectomy is a safe and simple procedure that has no effect on ovarian reserve or function when performed in premenopausal women

Performance of a Solar Chimney Under Egyptian Weather Conditions: Numerical Simulation and Experimental Validation

High solar radiation and ambient temperature, and large desert in Egypt are excellent conditions to install efficiently solar chimney power plants there. Therefore this research aimed to develop a validated mathematical model and governing equations of solar chimney. It is proposed to improve the performance of solar chimney under effects of various parameters, and study of possibility of installing solar chimney in Egypt. The mathematical simulation of the solar chimney has been developed including all its performance parameters, dimensions (of collector, chimney and turbine) and the metrological data; which were considered as inputs of the simulation program. A comparison between the mathematical and experimental performance has been investigated to validate the mathematical simulation. The mathematical model has been used to predict the performance of the solar chimney power plant over a year in Egypt. It is used to study of effects of geometrical parameters, and investigate possibility of the optimum geometrical dimensions. It is obtained that there is in fact no optimum physical size for such plants without considering the economical constraints. The chimney height has a significant effect in the chimney performance. Visualizing of annual performance of the solar chimney would seem to be essentially a power generator in Egypt if it installed in a large scale.Key words: Solar chimney; Numerical simulation; Annual performance; Experimental validation; Optimizatio

DRAINFRAME AS A TOOL FOR INTEGRATED STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT: LESSONS FROM PRACTICE

ABSTRACT The Drainage Integrated Analytical Framework (DRAINFRAME) was developed by the World Bank&apos;s Agriculture and Rural Development Department to look at and act upon agricultural drainage from an integrated natural resources management perspective. The approach has been field-tested in three World Bank-funded projects: an irrigation improvement project in Egypt, a problems and opportunities assessment in relation to Pakistan&apos;s national drainage master plan, and a strategic assessment of a public-private partnership project for surface water supply to a desert region in Egypt. The latter study paved the way for a fully fledged environmental and social impact assessment. The cases provide useful lessons on the proper timing of the DRAINFRAME assessment, the role of public participation, and the influence that a proper and timely assessment can have on further development of water resources management plans. The paper links the DRAINFRAME approach to Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), an increasingly common tool to assess the potential social, economic and environmental consequences of policies, plans and programmes in an early and more effective manner. Copyright # 2007 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd. RÉ SUMÉ La méthode d&apos;analyse intégrée du drainage (DRAINFRAME) a été développée par le Département Agriculture et Développement Rural de la Banque Mondiale pour examiner et agir sur le drainage agricole du point de vue de la gestion intégrée des ressources naturelles. L&apos;approche a été testée sur le terrain dans trois projets financés par la Banque Mondiale: un projet d&apos;amélioration d&apos;irrigation en Egypte, un bilan-évaluation du programme-cadre national de drainage du Pakistan, et l&apos;évaluation stratégique d&apos;un projet de PPP (partenariat public-privé) pour l&apos;approvisionnement en eau d&apos;une région désertique en Egypte. Cette dernière étude a préparé le terrain pour une étude d&apos;impact environnementale et sociale complète. Les cas étudiés fournissent des leçons utiles sur le moment approprié pour une évaluation par DRAINFRAME, sur le rôle de la participation publique, et sur l&apos;influence qu&apos;une véritable évaluation conduite en temps opportun peut avoir sur le développement ultérieur des plans de gestion des ressources en eau. L&apos;article fait le rapprochement entre DRAINFRAME et l&apos;Evaluation Environnementale Stratégique, un outil de plus en plus courant pour évaluer les conséquences sociales, économiques et environnementales potentielles des politiques, des plans et des programmes de façon suffisamment précoce et efficace

Extracellular Biofabrication, Characterization, and Antimicrobial Efficacy of Silver Nanoparticles Loaded on Cotton Fabrics Using Newly Isolated Streptomyces

Biological method for silver nanoparticles synthesis has been developed to obtain cost effective, clean, nontoxic, and ecofriendly size-controlled nanoparticles. The objective of this study is extracellular biosynthesis of antimicrobial AgNPs using cell-free supernatant of a local Streptomyces sp. strain SSHH-1E. Different medium composition and fermentation conditions were screened for maximal AgNPs biosynthesis using Plackett-Burman experimental design and the variables with statistically significant effects were selected to study their combined effects and to find out the optimum values using a Box-Behnken design. The synthesized AgNPs were characterized using UV-visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Rapid biosynthesis of AgNPs was achieved by addition of 1 mM AgNO3 solution to the cell-free supernatant. The produced particles showed a single surface plasmon resonance peak at 400 nm by UV-Vis spectroscopy which confirmed the presence of AgNPs. Streptomyces sp. SSHH-1E was identified as Streptomyces narbonensis SSHH-1E. Transmission electron microscopy study indicated that the shape of AgNPs is spherical and the size is ranging from 20 to 40 nm. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis provides evidence for proteins as possible reducing and capping agents. Furthermore, the biosynthesized AgNPs significantly inhibited the growth of medically important pathogenic Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and yeast. The maximum biosynthesis of AgNPs was achieved at initial pH of 8, peptone of 0.5 g, and inoculum age of 48 h. The statistical optimization resulted in a 4.5-fold increase in the production of AgNPs by Streptomyces narbonensis SSHH-1E

Nematicidal and fertilizing effects of chicken manure, fresh and composted olive mill wastes on organic melon

Abstract The fertilizing and nematicidal effects of three organic amendments were evaluated in a pot experiment on melon plants infested by the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita. A soil artificially infested with 4 eggs and juveniles/ ml soil of the nematode was amended with: a) virgin olive pomace (VOP); b) composted olive pomace (COP); c) chicken manure based fertilizer (CM) and d) chicken manure based fertilizer combined with the biological control agent Paecilomyces lilacinus strain 251, brand name BioAct WG (CMB). VOP was applied at doses of 11 (VOP-A), 22 (VOP-B) and 44 t/ha (VOP-C); COP at 4.5 (COP-A), 9 (COP-B) and 18 t/ha (COP-C); CM at 3 t/ha and CMB at 3 t/ha combined with 4 kg/ha of BioAct WG. Untreated soil was used as control. The treatments CM, CMB, VOP-B and COP-B were established on the basis of N requirement of melon plants (120 kg/ha) taking into account soil and amendments N availability. Two weeks later amendment application and nematode inoculation, the soil was poured in 4.8 l clay pots which were arranged in a greenhouse according to a randomized block design with ten replications for each treatment. A one-month old melon seedling (cv. Galia) was transplanted in each pot and organic farming management practices were used during the growing period. At the end of the experiment, 60 days after transplant, plants were uprooted and height, fresh and dry shoot and root weights were recorded. Root gall index, on the roots, caused by the nematode attack, was estimated according to a 0–5 scale. Final nematode population density and reproduction rate were also calculated for each pot. All data were subjected to statistical analysis of variance (ANOVA) and means compared according to Least Significant Difference's Test. Nematode population and root infestation were significantly suppressed by the addition of all amendments, compared to untreated control. However, CM and CMB resulted in a total more suppressive effect and in a significantly higher plant growth in comparison to all the other treatments. A significant correlation was found between root gall index and eggs and juveniles/g root and final nematode population density. No signifycant correlations were found between nematological parameters or plant growth parameters and amendment doses

Myocarditis: an expected health hazard associated with water resources contaminated with Coxsackie viruses type B

Enteroviruses, especially Coxsackie B viruses (CBVs), are responsible for approximately 50% of cases of viral myocarditis. In the present study, serum samples (160) were collected from acute myocarditis patients at different age groups and 104 samples of the same age groups as a control. Cholesterol, LDH, CPK, and GOT were measured for all serum samples (264). Also, to study the source of virus transmission, 72 water and 72 wastewater samples were collected from water and wastewater treatment plants at intakes and outlets. Water and wastewater samples were concentrated by filtration through Zeta-plus filter cartridges and reconcentrated by the PEG-6000 precipitation method. Serum, water, and wastewater samples were inoculated in BGM cells for three successive passages. RT -PCR with enterovirus primers was carried out directly for serum samples and for 1st and 3rd cell culture passages. The positive samples were used for neutralization assay using anti-CBV sera pool to determine the CBV followed by neutralization with separate antisera. The results showed that 50 (31.25%) serum samples from acute myocarditis patients and two (1.4%) samples from the controls were positive for enterovirus RT -PCR. For water and wastewater samples enteroviruses were present in 63.8% and 8.3% for intake and outlet of water treatment plants and, 66.6% and 47.2% for intake and outlet of wastewater treatment plants, respectively. The level of CBV serotypes was varied where CBV3 was dominant for all age groups of myocarditis patients and CBV2 and CBV5 were also detected while CBV2 was the main CBV in water samples and CBV2, 3 and 5 were detected in wastewater samples. The integration of cell culture-PCR reduces the time required for virus detection and enhances the sensitivity of the test