Sudanese Women on the Move in Cairo Defy Stereotypes

Against the perception of people on the move as helpless and passive, this brief draws on the stories of 12 Sudanese females residing in Ard El-Lewa, a densely populated informal urban area in Cairo with a substantial presence of Sudanese. This ethnographic fieldwork was conducted between January and June 2021. Admittedly, these stories do not represent whole communities of people on the move. But they are a glimpse into the lives of the Sudanese women I collaborated with, interviewed, and observed through fieldwork. More importantly, these stories showcase how people on the move are not mute victims. This brief demonstrates that the stories and voices of people on the move should be noticed and reflected, and that people on the move should have a leading say regarding the contexts and conditions that affect them, as well as how they are represented

Using phytoestrogens as aprophylaxis against irregular uterine bleeding possibly occurring while using Depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) as a contraceptive method

Background: High-dose progestogen - only contraceptives, such as injectable DMPA, inhibit follicular development and prevent ovulation as their primary mechanism of action. Inhibition of ovarian function during DMPA use causes the endometrium to become thin and atrophic. These changes in the endometrium in the first months of use results in irregular or unpredictable bleeding or spotting, or rarely, heavy or continuous bleeding  .Phytoestrogens are plant-derived xeno-estrogens functioning as the primary female sex hormone not generated within the endocrine system but consumed by eating phytoestrogenic plants. Also called “dietary estrogens”, they are a diverse group of naturally occurring non-steroidal plant compounds that, because of their structural similarity with estradiol (17-β-estradiol), have the ability to cause estrogenic or/and antiestrogenic effects through binding to estrogen receptors. The management of women who present with unscheduled bleeding while using hormonal contraception is challenging. Although numerous research studies have attempted to investigate preventative and therapeutic treatments for women using hormonal contraception with unscheduled bleeding, none are of sufficient quality to guide management in clinical practice usefully. In this study we are testing the ability of phytoestrogens to prevent the break-through bleeding that can occur during the use of depot medroxy-progesterone acetate as a contraceptive.Methods: Fifty cases of depot provera users are selected and divided into two groups: group I: 25 cases will start the injection alone. Group II: 25 cases will start the injection with using regular daily phytoestrogen. All cases are followed up for the first six months after the injection for the occurrence of break-through bleeding, and the endometrial thickness using the trans-vaginal ultrasonography.Results: There was a statistically significant difference in the endometrial thickness between group receiving depot provera alone and the group receiving both depot provera and phytoestrogen.Conclusions: We can use phytoestrogens to decrease DMPA-associated vaginal bleeding.

News Trend in Political Participation: Does News Convince Female Electors to Vote? A Comparative Study between Egypt’s (Cairo) and Morocco’s (Rabat) Media Campaigns

The aim of this paper to explore the news availability and its effect on female voting behaviour in Egypt’s capital Cairo and Morocco’s capital Rabat political elections. The study used an exploratory research design, working within a qualitative paradigm two sources of evidence were employed. Commentary was compiled from respondents: (i) Twenty in-depth face-to-face interviews with key respondents from Egypt and Morocco (ii) Four focus groups with each group containing six respondents in Egypt and Morocco. In regards to the findings, the media impact was apparent in both countries that influence citizens. However, they mentioned minimal influence by the available political news. Egyptian citizens confirmed that they were not convinced that the available news convince females to vote, as they felt that the available newspapers and news websites is of less credibility, yet Moroccan citizens confirmed that the available news is credible and it does convince females to vote. Mentioning social and cultural determinates that affects females in the society, both Egyptians and Moroccans claimed that females have their full rights that gives full freedom to participate in the elections. Finally, both citizens conformed that the social media, is the most effective medium employed in political media campaigns

Impact of mechanical and microstructural properties of potato puree-food additive complexes on extrusion-based 3D printing

This paper studies the applicability of extrusion-based 3D printing for constructing novel shapes from potato puree and the effects of four additives (agar, alginate, lecithin, and glycerol) added separately at three concentrations (0.5, 1, 1.5%) on the internal strength, mechanical properties, microstructure, and color of potato puree.Postprint (updated version

Assessing the microstructural and rheological changes induced by food additives on potato puree

The effects of agar, alginate, lecithin and glycerol on the rheological properties of commercial potato puree were investigated and interpreted in terms of starch microstructural changes, and the applicability of the Cox-Merz rule was evaluated. Each additive was applied separately at two concentrations (0.5 and 1%). Microscopic observations revealed more swollen starch aggregations in lecithin and glycerol compared with those of potato puree and agar, consequently affecting the rheological properties of potato puree. All samples exhibited shear thinning non-Newtonian behaviour. Rheological measurements were strongly concentration dependent. At 0.5% concentration, additives exerted decreases in all the rheological properties of potato puree in the order of glycerol > alginate > lecithin > agar, while at 1% concentration, the order changed to glycerol > lecithin > alginate, whereas 1% agar behaved differently, increasing all rheological values. This study also showed that agar and alginate in addition to potato puree could be valuable and advantageous for further technological processes, such as 3D printing.Peer ReviewedPostprint (updated version

The bioclimatic features of traditional heritage architecture: Thermal comfort of the courtyard house in Morocco

The traditional courtyard house has been viewed as a complex regulating system that creates a microclimate that historically worked, and still works, in a passive way to provide acceptable thermal comfort in summer. The internal courtyard is generally described as a positive factor that can moderate extreme outdoor climatic conditions. However, some researchers have shown that the courtyard could become a negative factor from an energy efficiency point of view. For this purpose, this paper is based on a research study exploring the sustainable characteristics of Moroccan traditional housing and their climatic adaptation. The traditional courtyard house model in Rabat-Salé has been selected to analyze the bioclimatic strategies by applying the adaptive comfort approach. The work starts by using tools for climatic design, Mahoney’s tables, Givoni, and Szokolay bioclimatic charts to improve design strategies in terms of thermal comfort in both cities of Rabat and Salé. The results of the analysis are then compared with the characteristics of the Moroccan traditional courtyard houses, to verify if and how those strategies were applied. The important part of this paper concerns the analysis of the thermal behavior of the rooms surrounding the courtyard in the temperate and humid climate of Rabat-Salé. The simulation modeling of the courtyard house model in the medina of Rabat-Salé is carried out to analyze the effectiveness of different parameters to improve the indoor climate during summer and winter, including the façade orientation, the air infiltration, the surroundings, the ceiling height, the walls and roof/ceiling insulation and the shading devices. The findings reveal that Moroccan traditional courtyard houses can incorporate bioclimatic strategies to meet both thermal comfort and energy efficiency in different ways. In general, a strong correlation can be found between constructive and morphological features and climatic contexts

Remodeling Teachers' and Students' Roles in Self-directed Learning Environments: The Case of Saudi Context

Traditional classrooms are markedly teacher-centered. EFL learners are largely urged to commit themselves to communicative learning environments which help them enhance their language performance. Self-directed learning is one of the approaches which proved to be highly effective in Foreign Language Learning (FLL). EFL teachers are usually encouraged to adopt self-directed learning practices in order to improve students’ linguistic competence and performance. Recently, many Saudi universities integrated self-directed learning mode into EFL instruction. However, students' language performance, which is crucial to finding a job opportunity in labor market, is below the desired level. The study aims at remodeling teachers' and students' roles in light of students’ perceptions of English self-directed learning. To achieve this ultimate goal, a questionnaire survey is administered and follow-up semi-structured interviews are held. Results showed that both male and female students have generally positive attitudes towards self-directed learning. However, many of them have real problems with understanding the nature of self-directed learning and how they should use it effectively. Therefore, both institutions and teachers are recommended to improve students’ understanding and awareness of self-directed learning modes, and to rethink their roles

Genetic Algorithm for Vertical Handover (GAfVH)in a Heterogeneous networks

The fifth generation (5G) wireless system will deal with the growing demand of new multimedia and broadband application. The 5G network architecture is based on heterogeneous Radio Access Technologies (RATs). In such implementation the Vertical handover is a key issue. Up till now, systems are using simple mechanisms to make handover decision, based on the evaluation of the Received Signal Strength (RSS). In some cases these mechanisms are not Efficient.This paper presents a new vertical handover algorithm based on Genetic Algorithm (GAfVH). It aims to reduce the number of unnecessary handovers, and optimizes the system performance. We compare our simulation results to the Received Signal Strength (RSS) based method. The results show that the number of handovers decreases. Moreover, we demonstrate that the network selection result can differ from an application to another