A New Design Methodology For Enhancing The Transient Loading Of Low Drop-out Regulators (LDRs)

A new simple design methodology which makes LDR output nearly insensitive to jumps of the load current for long times is proposed. This methodology is tested for more than 104 seconds. Our procedure leans on cross coupling of the time second derivative of the LDR power transistor gate and drain voltages along with their currents. This technique keeps low values of these currents in order of nano or hundreds of micro amperes for undershot or overshot cases, respectively. The introduced methodology has been applied to a standard CMOS of 0.18μm technology for NMOS transistors and validated using MATLAB R2014a

Teacher cognition in EFL teaching: A study of non-native English- speaking teachers of English for Arabic-speaking students in Egypt with a particular focus on vocabulary

Starting in the 1990s (Borg, 2003; Burns et al., 2015), studies on language teacher cognition and its role in language teaching and learning drew more on the cognitivist paradigm to investigate teachers’ mental processes and actions while paying less attention to the role of affect and sociocultural factors and their influence on cognition (Burns et al., 2015; Li, 2020). Besides, studies attempting to investigate the influence of social contexts focused more on the school or the classroom context rather than the wider sociocultural/sociohistorical milieus. There is also paucity in LTC research regarding NNESTs. This study implemented and integrated the concepts of language-game (Wittgenstein, 1953), perezhivanie (Vygotsky, 1994/1935) and habitus (Bourdieu, 1977) to explore NNESTs’ cognitions in teaching EFL in general and English vocabulary in particular while focusing on their past and present as both EFL learners and teachers. The study participants were in-service EFL teachers in public schools in Egypt. The data were collected in four phases using questionnaires (including open and closed questions), Q sorts, semi-structured interviews, and classroom observations. Quantitative data were analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics (including exploratory factor analysis), and data from Q sorts were analysed using Q factor analysis. Qualitative data from the questionnaire were analysed using content analysis, while interview and observation data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed the role of language-games (or socially regulated use of language) in framing teachers’ concepts and convictions regarding several aspects of learning and teaching. They also revealed how lived experiences (perezhivaniya) and socially constructed emotions form an integral part of teachers’ cognitions, and how, together with socially structured dispositions (habitus), they influence their perceptions and practices as NNESTs. The findings also suggested how teachers’ cognitions about power relations based on sociocultural and sociohistorical factors are in interplay with their practices in language teaching. Whether in teaching English or its vocabulary, the findings showed that the teachers’ prior learning experiences with their sociohistorical dimensions along with current multi-layered contextual factors influenced teachers’ cognitions in several ways that would defy simplistic comparisons looking for alignment between their cognitions and their practices

The prevalence of depression among adult asthmatic patients in Jizan Region, Saudi Arabia

Background: Depression is an important issue in asthma. Uncover depression in asthmatic patients has important implications for identifying patients and suitable treatment of these patients this will improve quality of life, decrease medication intake and decrease hospitalization.Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of depression among adult asthmatic patients in Jizan region, Saudi Arabia.Patients and methods: Cross-sectional study that was conducted in Jizan region at the chest diseases hospital. 270 (18-90 yrs.) asthmatic patients were recruited. The questionnaire including socio-demographic data, clinical risk factors of asthma, assessment of asthma by using asthma control test (ACT) and assessment of depression by using Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9).Results: Out of 270 adult asthmatic patients, 255 responded (94.4%). The mean age of patients was 41.03 ± 15.893 years. The prevalence of depression among adult asthmatic patients was 32.9%. By multivariate analysis the lower education level [elementary school or below (Odds ratio 3.219 (95% CI; 1.443-7.177)] and longer asthma duration (22 years and above) Odds ratio 2.065 (95% CI; 1.089-3.916) were independently associated with the development of depression in adult patients with asthma.Conclusion: The study showed that there was a high prevalence of depression among adult asthmatic patients in Jizan region, Saudi Arabia. The higher prevalence of depression was associated with lower education level, longer asthma duration, poor control of asthma and among married subjects. Screening for depression in adult asthmatic patients should be emphasized in primary health care centers, chest clinics and in hospitals. Adult asthmatic patients should be motivated to comply with asthma treatment

Risk Factors and Nutritional Assessment among Early Adolescent Girls with Iron Deficiency Anemia in Damanhour City

Background: The physical and physiological changes that occur in adolescents place a great demand on their nutrition and put them at risk for Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA). Anemia in the adolescence causes reduced physical and mental capacity and diminished concentration in work and educational performance, and also poses a major threat to future safe motherhood in girls. Aims: this study aimed to identify the risk factors for IDA among school girls and to assess nutritional status of girl students with IDA in Damanhour city. Design: A case control study design was adopted to carry out this study. Setting: the study was conducted at 1 urban and 8 rural preparatory school girls. Subjects: The total number of the randomly selected girls was 240 preparatory school girls (120 girl student as cases who have anemia and the same number of girls recruited in control group). Tools: data was collected using three tools; tool (I) entitled adolescent girl's students profile structured interview questionnaire, tool (II) entitled nutritional practices of adolescent girl student's, and tool (III) namely anthropometric measurements tool. Results: according to multivariate analysis logistic regression girls’ students with low parent education, rural residence, and those with intestinal parasite infection were identified as predictors of IDA. Moreover, poor eating habits and menstrual history also played a significant role in the development of anemia. The relationship between academic performance and anemia was very significant in this study. Recommendations: Intensify supplementation and or food fortification programs to include iron for school age group. Conduct school’s breakfast program, carry out laboratory investigations for anemia, develop school nutrition education programs in curriculum and conduct national nutritional situation analysis survey. Key words: Early adolescent, Nutritional assessment, Risk factors, Iron Deficiency Anemia & Damanhour city

Teacher cognition in EFL teaching: A study of non-native English- speaking teachers of English for Arabic-speaking students in Egypt with a particular focus on vocabulary

Starting in the 1990s (Borg, 2003; Burns et al., 2015), studies on language teacher cognition and its role in language teaching and learning drew more on the cognitivist paradigm to investigate teachers’ mental processes and actions while paying less attention to the role of affect and sociocultural factors and their influence on cognition (Burns et al., 2015; Li, 2020). Besides, studies attempting to investigate the influence of social contexts focused more on the school or the classroom context rather than the wider sociocultural/sociohistorical milieus. There is also paucity in LTC research regarding NNESTs. This study implemented and integrated the concepts of language-game (Wittgenstein, 1953), perezhivanie (Vygotsky, 1994/1935) and habitus (Bourdieu, 1977) to explore NNESTs’ cognitions in teaching EFL in general and English vocabulary in particular while focusing on their past and present as both EFL learners and teachers. The study participants were in-service EFL teachers in public schools in Egypt. The data were collected in four phases using questionnaires (including open and closed questions), Q sorts, semi-structured interviews, and classroom observations. Quantitative data were analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics (including exploratory factor analysis), and data from Q sorts were analysed using Q factor analysis. Qualitative data from the questionnaire were analysed using content analysis, while interview and observation data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed the role of language-games (or socially regulated use of language) in framing teachers’ concepts and convictions regarding several aspects of learning and teaching. They also revealed how lived experiences (perezhivaniya) and socially constructed emotions form an integral part of teachers’ cognitions, and how, together with socially structured dispositions (habitus), they influence their perceptions and practices as NNESTs. The findings also suggested how teachers’ cognitions about power relations based on sociocultural and sociohistorical factors are in interplay with their practices in language teaching. Whether in teaching English or its vocabulary, the findings showed that the teachers’ prior learning experiences with their sociohistorical dimensions along with current multi-layered contextual factors influenced teachers’ cognitions in several ways that would defy simplistic comparisons looking for alignment between their cognitions and their practices

Evaluation of Racecadotril in Treatment of Acute Diarrhea in Children

Objective: The aim was to assess efficacy of racecadotril as an adjuvant therapy in children 2-6 years in age with acute diarrhea.Materials and Methods: A randomized control study on two major groups, Group I 60 patients hospitalized, treatment group received oral rehydrationsolution (ORS) plus oral racecadotril (1.5 mg/kg 3 times/day) and control group had only ORS (30 patients each), Group II 90 outpatients, allottedinto three 30 patients each (15 as control and 15 as treatment group each), Group II a, control used nitazoxanide (100 mg/5 ml oral suspension3 times/day), treatment group used nitazoxanide and racecadotril, Group II B, control had metronidazole (40 mg/ml syrup 3times/day), treatmenthad racecadotril and metronidazole, Group II C, control used ORS only, treatment used racecadotril and ORS, outcome measures was stool output(in g); total stool output, duration of diarrhea and number and consistency of stools in Group I and number and consistency of stools, duration ofdiarrhea and number of children followed-up after treatment in Group II.Results: In Group I racecadotril with ORS reduced 48 hrs stool output significantly (91.55 g/kg ± 4.86) as compared to ORS group (183.4 ± 9.91)(P<0.001), duration of diarrhea in days reduced significantly (4.56 ± 0.38 vs. 5.93 ± 0.30), in Group II racecadotril with nitazoxanide, metronidazoleand ORS improved duration of diarrhea (2.9 ± 0.3, 3.9 ± 0.3, 4.9 ± 0.2) respectively (P<0.001) number of solid stools increased from initial visit to the7 days visit in whole group.Conclusion: Racecadotril is effective as an adjuvant therapy for treatment acute diarrhea in children.Keywords: Children, Acute diarrhea, Racecadotril, Adjuvant therapy

Resisting punching shear stress in reinforced concrete slabs

Punching shear failure is a major problem encountered in the design of reinforced concrete flat slabs. The utilization of shear reinforcement via shear studs or other means has become a choice for improving the punching shear capacity. In this study, a new alternative of reinforcement modalities were tested and demonstrated the effect of self-compact concrete on the punching shear capacity, beside that compared between the difference codes to identify the suitable one for determining the position of critical section of punching shear. Nevertheless, in this investigation, the proposed reinforcement system is examined for interior columns only. An experimental work consisting of six specimens: five of them were cast with normal reinforced concrete and one was cast with self-compact strength concrete. The obtained results indicate that the proposed shear reinforcement system has a positive effect in the enhancement of the punching shear capacity of interior slab–column connection of self-compact strength concrete

Tetrazolium/Formazan Test as an Efficient Method to Determine Fungal Chitosan Antimicrobial Activity

Fungal chitosan was extracted from Aspergillus niger mycelia. The produced chitosan was characterized with deacetylation degree of 89.2%, a molecular weight of 2.4 × 104 Da, and 96.0% solubility in 1% acetic acid solution. The antibacterial activity of fungal chitosan was evaluated against two foodborne pathogens, that is, Salmonella typhimurium and Staphylococcus aureus, using the established antibacterial assays, for example, zone of growth inhibition and agar plat count tests, and using 2,3,5,-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) as chromogenic marker for qualitative and quantitative determining of antibacterial potentiality. The TTC (0.5% w/v) was added, at concentration of 10%, to cultured broth, containing chitosan with different concentrations then the formed formazan was separated. The formation of red formazan could be considered as a qualitative indication for antibacterial activity, whereas the measurement of color intensity for the resuspended red formazan, using spectrophotometer at 480 nm, provided a quantitative evidence for the strength of the used antibacterial agent. Regarding the rapidity, technical simplicity, and cost-effectiveness, TTC assay could be recommended as an efficient alternative method for qualitative and quantitative determination of chitosan antibacterial activity and could be suggested for general evaluation of antibacterial agents

Resisting punching shear stress in reinforced concrete slabs

Punching shear failure is a major problem encountered in the design of reinforced concrete flat slabs. The utilization of shear reinforcement via shear studs or other means has become a choice for improving the punching shear capacity. In this study, a new alternative of reinforcement modalities were tested and demonstrated the effect of self-compact concrete on the punching shear capacity, beside that compared between the difference codes to identify the suitable one for determining the position of critical section of punching shear. Nevertheless, in this investigation, the proposed reinforcement system is examined for interior columns only. An experimental work consisting of six specimens: five of them were cast with normal reinforced concrete and one was cast with self-compact strength concrete. The obtained results indicate that the proposed shear reinforcement system has a positive effect in the enhancement of the punching shear capacity of interior slab–column connection of self-compact strength concrete