Evaluation of heavy metals along the Mediterranean coastal waters of the Nile Delta region, Egypt

This work focuses on four marine sites in the Mediterranean Sea around the Nile Delta, Egypt. Surface water samples were collected seasonally during 2003. The concentrations of some heavy metals in dissolved form (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Ni and Pb) are evaluated. The levels of heavy metals in the coastal waters were 11.92-30.4512µglˉ¹ for Fe; 5.79-17.36 µglˉ¹ for Zn; 0.30-0.83µglˉ¹ for Cu; 0.51-2.90µglˉ¹ for Ni and 0.53-10.31µglˉ¹ for Pb. These are compared, with sites in the estuaries and outlets of the Nile Delta. Fe (19.72-60.33µglˉ¹); Mn (12.63-35.60µglˉ¹); Zn (2.67-22.00); Cu (0.56-1.67µglˉ¹); Ni (1.43-3.73µglˉ¹); Pb (1.72-59.7µglˉ¹). The results showed a remarkable decrease in the concentrations of different heavy metals with increased salinity. Comparing the present data with the minimal risk concentration reported by WQC, the distribution of heavy metals was significantly lower in coastal sea water of the Mediterranean Sea off Egypt. The study indicated also that the average contents of Ni and Pb are slightly high in the area of water exchange than those reported by WQC

Pengaruh independensi, obyektifitas, Kompetensi, dan etika terhadap kualitas audit ( Studi Empiris pada Inspektorat Eks Karesidenan Pati)

The audit quality is the auditor's work in examining the financial statements properly and adhere to established standards. Audit quality is determined by two things: independence and competence. The purpose of this study is to test the influence of the independence, objectivity, competence and ethics on audit quality. The population in this study are civil servants Inspectorate Ex Pati residency. The method to collected samples by using purposive sampling. The sample used in this study were 45 respondents. Data analysis is using multiple linear regression analysis. Results showed that R2 values obtained 0,729 which means 72.9% of audit quality is affected by the independence, objectivity, competence and ethics. The remaining 27.1% influenced by variables outside the model. T test results showed that the objectivity, competence and ethical effect on audit quality. While independence has no effect on audit quality

Studi Kritis Filsafat Islam Terhadap Filsafat Ilmu Administrasi (Studi Kasus pada Fakultas Ilmu Administrasi Universitas Brawijaya)

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk (1) mencermati pola pemikiran (framework) kajian filsafat dalam materi ajar mata kuliah Filsafat Ilmu Administrasi di Fakultas Ilmu Administrasi Universitas Brawijaya; (2) mengetahui pandangan filsafat Islam terhadap kajian literatur filsafat ilmu administrasi yang digunakan pada Fakultas Ilmu Administrasi Universitas Brawijaya; dan (3) mengkomparasikan pandangan filsafat Islam dengan filsafat ilmu administrasi, khususnya pada item yang diperbincangkan dalam literatur filsafat ilmu administrasi di Fakultas Ilmu Administrasi Universitas Brawijaya. Penelitian ini dilakukan melalui riset kepustakaan (library research), dan kajiannya disajikan secara deskriptif dan analitis, yakni analitis dalam pengertian historis dan filosofis. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa framework materi ajar pengajaran filsafat ilmu administrasi di Fakultas Ilmu Administrasi mengacu/berorientasi pada filsafat barat (Yunani). Hal ini dibuktikan bahwa (a) konsep ilmu yang digunakan meyakini bahwa ilmu murni berasal/hasil dari hasil akar pikiran manusia. Dimana sumber kielmuannya adalah akal, rasio, indra dan intusi. Yang kemudian berkembang menjadi banyak cabang ilmu antara lain dapat dikelompokan menjadi ilmu alam, sosial dan humaniora. Dimana ilmu diyakini bebas nilai (value free) (b) hakekat manusia menurut filsafat barat tidak ada kepastian (semu): homo sapiens, manusia purba (teori evolusi Darwin), (c) konsep kebenaran dalam filsafat barat bersifat Relatif, Parsial, Subjektif, Scientific logic, Scientific rasional, dan Empirisistik. (d) value system filsafat barat berkiblat pada nilai filosofis yang ada dalam ilmu administrasi terdiri dari (1) kegiatan, (2) kerjasama, (3) tujuan, (4) efisiensi dan efektifitas; serta (5) organisasi; (e) etika dalam filsafat barat mengacu pada moralitas sosial dan Situasional (etika ekonomi, etika politik, dll). Temuan berikutnya adalalah bahwa kajian filsafat islam terhadap literatur filsafat ilmu administrasi di Fakultas Ilmu Administrasi mengacu/berorientasi pada filsafat barat (Yunani). Hal ini dibuktikan bahwa (a) konsep ilmu yang digunakan meyakini bahwa ilmu berasal/hasil dari Tuhan melalui Al-Quran dan hadis yang bersifat rasional, empiris. Dimana ilmu diyakini tidak bebas nilai/netral (value free) dengan tujuan mencapai kemaslahatan dengan ma‘rifat dan ridho Allah. (b) hakekat manusia menurut filsafat islam adalah melaksanakan amanah: menyembah (abdullah), penguasa (khalifah), (c) konsep kebenaran dalam filsafat islam bersifat Absolut, Universal Objektif, Universal logic, Scientific Universal, dan Metafisik. (d) value system filsafat berkiblat pada nilai administrasi islam yaitu : ta‘awun, efisiensi dan efektifitas, niat dan harakah; (e) etika dalam filsafat barat mengacu pada moralitas individu dan sosial dan universalitas. Analitis kritis kajian filsafat pada mata kuliah filsafat ilmu administrasi dalam filsafat Islam : Hakikat Ilmu. Dengan berbagai prinsip keilmuannya, ilmu administrasi jelas sangat sekuler. Paham sekular yang berkiblat pada paham meterialisme tidak mengaitkan keilmuannya dengan Tuhan (aqidah). Sedang Islam adalah religius. Demikian juga pandangan-Islam mengenai ilmu. Di dalam Islam, ilmu bukanlah sekedar materi tanpa makna, melainkan tanda (ayat) dari kehadiran dan kebesaran Allah. Manusia. Ilmu administrasi secara umum ataupun Filsafat Ilmu Admnistrasi khususnya dapat menangkap makna dan hakikat manusia yang tidak saja dimaknai basyar dan insan tetapi lebih dari itu adalah an-nas yang memiliki tujuan hidup yang mulia sebagai khalifah di bumi dan bukan hanya untuk mencapai tujuan organisasi yang prakmatis dan rektif serta materialistis. Kebenaran, menurut Ilmu Administrasi bahwa kebenaran itu harus rasional, empiris dan pragmatis. Dari kriteria tersebut secara garis besar dalam filsafat ilmu administrasi muncul tiga aliran paham yang menjadi sumber dalam memaknai kebenaran, yaitu rasionalisme, emperisme

Hydrography, nutrients and plankton abundance in the hot spot of Abu Qir Bay, Alexandria, Egypt

The hydrography, nutrient levels and plankton abundance were investigated monthly for a complete annual cycle in the southwestern part of Abu Qir Bay, the most polluted and biologically productive area on the Egyptian Mediterranean coast. Intense temporal and spatial variability was observed in all measured parameters characteristic of the effects of several effluents discharged into the bay. Based on the present investigation, the southwestern Bay can be divided ecologically and biologically into two parts: one including the near shore strip, which is directly affected by the waste waters, and a second comprising the southwestern part of the coastal strip and the offshore stations, both of which are relatively far away from the land-based effluents.The Bay water was characterized by low transparency (monthly average: 64-280 cm), dissolved oxygen (monthly average 2.0-6.8 mg/l) and surface salinity (monthly average: 24.8-37.9 ppt), the highest limits usually being in the offshore section. Water fertility and plankton production were high in the Bay indicating an occasionally acute degree of eutrophication, particularly nearshore. Great variations occurred in the concentrations of nutrients throughout the year, with monthly averages of 0.8-50.88 mM for ammonia, 0.42-3.28 mM for nitrite, 1.29-17.36 mM for nitrate, 0.32-3.61 mM for reactive phosphate and 1.09-33.34 mM for reactive silicate. Similarly, the abundance of both phytoplankton and zooplankton showed pronounced temporal and spatial variability, whereas the monthly average chlorophyll-a fluctuated between 2.06 and 52.64 mg/l and zooplankton between 31x103 and 248.6x103 ind./m3. However, the absolute values of all parameters indicated remarkably wider ranges of variations.Significant correlation was found between chlorophyll-a and some ecological parameters like temperature, salinity, transparency, dissolved oxygen, nitrite and between zooplankton and temperature, while there was a significant correlation between nutrient concentrations and salinity changes

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Performance evaluation of cardiac MRI image denoising techniques

Black-blood cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays an important role in diagnosing a number of heart diseases. The technique suffers inherently from low contrast-to-noise ratio between the myocardium and the blood. In this work, we examined the performance of different classification techniques that can be used. The three techniques successfully removed the noise with different performance. Numerical simulation has been done to quantitatively evaluate the performance of each technique

Performance evaluation of cardiac MRI image denoising techniques

Black-blood cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays an important role in diagnosing a number of heart diseases. The technique suffers inherently from low contrast-to-noise ratio between the myocardium and the blood. In this work, we examined the performance of different classification techniques that can be used. The three techniques successfully removed the noise with different performance. Numerical simulation has been done to quantitatively evaluate the performance of each technique

Cardiac MRI steam images denoising using Bayesian classifier

Imaging of the heart anatomy and function using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an important diagnosis tool for heart diseases. Several techniques have been developed to increase the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) between myocardium and background. Recently, a technique that acquires cine cardiac images with black-blood contrast has been proposed. Although the technique produces cine sequence of high contrast, it suffers from elevated noise which limits the CNR. In this paper, we study the performance and efficiency of applying a Bayes classifier to remove background noise. Real MRI data is used to test and validate the proposed method; In addition, a quantitative comparison is done between the proposed method and other thresholding-based classifications techniques