Deferred Cooling System

The thesis is concerned with the development of a system for dissipating heat from a thermodynamic cycle operating in environments where fresh water is scare and ambient temperatures are high, therefore evaporative cooling is not an option whereas ambient temperatures are too high most of the day for adequate air cooling. An example of this is solar driven vapor compression cycles in desert climates. The proposed system exploits the substantially cooler night time ambient temperatures and the highly effective net radiation exchange with night sky. Since solar driven equipment require to operate during daytime when solar energy is available and hence their cycle heat is being rejected during day time hours when ambient temperatures are high, and the environment is hostile to cooling , the proposed system resorts to deferred cooling with the aid of thermal storage which can be in the form of sensible heat and water storage , however this water need not be potable and is re-usable. The thesis presents the details of implementation of the proposed system and mathematical model which can be used in its simulation and design. An experimental rig was purposely designed and built from which valuable measurements were obtained and used to demonstrate the application of the concept. Comparison between the model prediction and measurement revealed further important results. Theoretical investigation was also conducted using the proposed model to explore the system response and behavior under various weather and loading conditions. The model acts as a tool to evaluate any site’s suitability for the Deferred Cooling System (DCS) or possibly any other similar system employing radiative cooling. The results of those investigations revealed that the system is only recommended to be used under the right weather condition, in those conditions it is highly effective and efficient; indeed, it was adopted for the very hostile environment of Shallatin, Upper Egypt (23.1 °N latitude , 35.56 °E longitude ) , for a solar driven ice production project for fish preservation and proved to be quite successful

Robotic Tubal Anastomosis: Technical Aspects

The authors conclude that robotic technology can facilitate the performance of robotic tubal anastomosis

Laparoscopic Management of Transcervical Fallopian Tube Prolapse

Laparoscopic total salpingectomy appears to provide effective treatment with minimal invasiveness for transcervical fallopian tube prolapse

Coffee grounds as a soil conditioner: Effects on physical and mechanical properties – II. Effects on mechanical properties

Applying coffee grounds (CG) to sandy, calcareous, and clayey soils resulted in notable effects on soil expansion, cracking, cohesion, internal friction, initial stress and resistance to penetration. In sand, expansion upon saturation was greater after wetting-and-drying cycles. Highest increases were 15.71%, 16.14% and 31.86% for sandy, calcareous and clayey soils, respectively. Effect of CG on cracking was negligible in sand and very slight (<1.0%) in the calcareous soil but marked in clay (14.18% at 10% CG). In sand, cohesion (c) increased significantly with CG up to the 10% content. Cohesion increased by 2.5-folds and 4.5-folds at 5% and 10% CG, respectively. The presence of fine CG grains among larger sand particles, boosted microbial activities, and the resulting cementing and binding effects resulted in increased cohesion. For calcareous soil, cohesion rose from 0.04 kg∙cm-2 to 0.13 kg∙cm-2 as CG increased from 0% to 15%. In clay, maximum cohesion (0.20 kg∙cm-2) was associated with the 10% CG and was highest of all soils. In sand, the angle of internal friction (φ) decreased notably as CG increased from 5% to 10% but there was no consistent pattern in any of the soils. An increase in initial stress (pi) was observed between 0% and 10% CG in sand and between 0% and 15% in calcareous soil while clay showed no particular trend. Patterns of pi were, thus, consistent with those of cohesion for all soils. Resistance to penetration increased substantially with CG in sand. The effect in calcareous and clayey soils took an opposite trend to that of sand and resistance was generally higher in calcareous soil. Overall effects of CG on resistance were desirable in all soils as far as agriculture (seedling emergence, crop growth, irrigation, etc.) is concerned

Coffee Grounds as a Soil Conditioner: Effects on Physical and Mechanical Properties - I. Effects on Physical Properties

Coffee grounds (CG) improved some soil physical properties (dry density, gd; porosity, n; aggregation; hydraulic conductivity, Ks; and infiltration rate, IR). Effects on other properties were inconsistent (e.g., sorptivity, S), or unfavorable (e.g., available water, AW). gd decreased and n increased with CG. CG decreased Ks in sand. In calcareous soil, maximum increase was associated with 10% and 15% CG before and after wetting-and-drying cycles (WDC), respectively. Ks increased with CG in clay, with greatest increase attained at 10% CG. IR decreased with CG in sand. In calcareous and clayey soils, IR decreased with CG before WDC but increased after WDC where maximum increase in clay was linked to 10% CG. No solid trends of soil sorptivity, S, were identified. Before WDC, S had the order: sand > calcareous > clay. For most cases, adding CG increased total water holding capacity (WHC). However, after WDC, the increase in water content at field capacity (FC) with CG was accompanied by a greater increase in wilting point (WP) and therefore a decrease in AW. CG improved soil structure and aggregation and increased non-water-stable aggregates in calcareous and clayey soils. Mean weight diameter (MWD) indicated increase in water-stable aggregates in sand at 5% and 10% CG. In clay, MWD increased only at 5% CG. Although results did not show coherent responses with some tested properties, they, mostly, indicate some beneficial effects of CG, particularly in relation to improving aggregation and water flow

Emotional Intelligence for English Students with Learning Disabilities in Light of Some Variables

This study aimed at determining the level of emotional intelligence for a sample of students with learning disabilities in Irbid province in light of the variables of age, grade and learning disability type. The study sample consisted of (450) learning disabilities students from the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grades. To achieve the aims of the study, the scale of emotional intelligence was used, and it consisted of 35 clauses distributed into four fields: determining emotions, managing emotions, compassion and social efficiency. Their validity and stability were verified. The study findings revealed that individuals had a moderate level of emotional intelligence on the scale. Regarding the study of articles, the findings revealed the presence of a statistically significant effect in the level of emotional intelligence attributed to age and learning disability type. The study suggested several recommendations. The most significant ones were preparing training programs to develop emotional intelligence for students with learning difficulties, conducting a descriptive and experimental study that undertakes other types of intelligence for students with learning disabilities and other groups of special education and comparing them with normal students

Hormonal, follicular and endometrial dynamics in letrozole-treated versus natural cycles in patients undergoing controlled ovarian stimulation

The objective of this study was to compare letrozole-stimulated cycles to natural cycles in 208 patients undergoing intrauterine insemination (IUI) between July of 2004 and January of 2007. Group I (n = 47) received cycle monitoring only (natural group), Group II (n = 125) received letrozole 2.5 mg/day on cycle days three to seven, and Group III (n = 36) received letrozole 5 mg/day on cycle days three to seven. There were no differences between the groups in endometrial thickness or P4 on the day of hCG. Estradiol levels had higher variation in the second half of the follicular phase in both letrozole-treated groups compared to the control group. Estradiol per preovulatory follicle was similar in both letrozole cycles to that observed in the natural cycles. LH was lower on the day of hCG administration in the letrozole 2.5 mg/day group vs. the natural group. In summary, letrozole results in some minor changes in follicular, hormonal and endometrial dynamics compared to natural cycles. Increased folliculogenesis and pregnancy rates were observed in the letrozole-treated groups compared to the natural group. These findings need to be confirmed in larger, prospective studies

A Patient Registry for the Management of Uterine Fibroids in Canada: Protocol for a Multicenter, Prospective, Noninterventional Study

Background: Uterine fibroids are the most common benign tumor in women. Among those with fibroids, approximately 30% become symptomatic, with abnormal uterine bleeding, pelvic pain, and bulk symptoms. Despite the high prevalence of fibroids, little information is available regarding symptoms, treatment choices, and outcomes for patients. Objective: A Canada-wide patient registry was established to understand the real-world practice. This registry included patient presentation and treatment preferences, health care provider attitudes, and clinical outcomes in the management of symptomatic uterine fibroids. Methods: This study is a prospective, noninterventional, observational patient registry. It will include women diagnosed with uterine fibroids and being managed for symptoms. Participant inclusion criteria were (1) at least 18 years of age, (2) premenopausal with a confirmed diagnosis of uterine fibroids, and associated symptoms, and (3) initiating treatment (drug intervention, procedure intervention, or a combination of both) or watchful waiting. Patients (or legal representative) must understand the nature of the project and provide written informed consent before enrollment. Participant exclusion criteria were (1) they have known or suspected clinically significant pelvic pathology not associated with uterine fibroids, and (2) they are undergoing an emergency hysterectomy at the initial visit. Outcomes will be evaluated in the context of routine clinical practice. Results: Participant recruitment of this registry began in July 2015. This study currently has a total sample of 1500 patients. Conclusions: This registry, a first in Canada, will accumulate evidence on the risks and benefits of watchful waiting, and medical and procedural interventions. It will contribute to enhancing access to treatment options for patients