Model of sustainable development in corporate social responsibility in Egypt

The aim of this descriptive and exploratory study is to address a gap in the literature in a topic that remains largely under-researched in Egypt. It attempts to shed the light on the practices of Corporate Social Responsibility in the Egyptian context to evaluate their compliance with the imperatives of Sustainable Development that have become a global concern. These concerns are much more pressing in Egypt, due to the necessity to plan interventions more long-term. The study is of importance to policy-makers in their design of strategies and policies in a broader framework of poverty alleviation within Egypt\u27s Sustainable Development Vision 2030, with the private sector as a major societal player, through CSR activities. The methodology relies on qualitative research, based on the analysis of 2 case studies, and in-depth interviews; on a globalist multinational company represented in Egypt, and the second is a local family business that is typical of many local corporates. After analyzing using the model of assessment from Wood (1991) and Carroll (1979), several findings are noted. Institutional variables, such as cultural and religious beliefs, as well as uncertainty of socioeconomic conditions, are binding elements for the local approach to CSR that still invests heavily in philanthropy. The globalist CSR of the multinational is more assertive due to the experience of the mother company and 26 subsidiaries. The thesis concludes with recommendations to include sustainable development indicators in assessing CSR and to view CSR from a public policy perspective

State budget formulation process and good governance framework in the context of Egypt

Budget formulation process is the phase where the decisions are made regarding the allocation of resources. This process should reflect the objectives of the government, which consequently should mirror the priorities of citizens. Post January 2011 Revolution, Egypt witnessed economic, social and political challenges that affected the overall government performance. Due to the intrinsic role of the State budget at political, social and economic levels, specific attention was directed to its efficiency and effectiveness. Consequently, it is normal to question its ability to achieve the stated objectives, especially with the increasing demands of transparency, accountability and social justice. This attention paves the way for introducing reform initiatives for public financial management system in Egypt. Therefore, as a step to understand the foundation of the State budget process in Egypt, this research assesses the budget formulation process in Egypt within the framework of good governance in both the executive and legislative authorities against international standards. Also this research examines the significant factors affecting the process and the extent to which the legal and political contexts in Egypt help improve budget formulation process. Hence, this study provides a roadmap for the government, containing the prerequisites for enhancing budget formulation process in Egypt. In light of these prerequisites, the government should focus on the institutional aspects that include; moving to program-based budget, adopting fiscal decentralization, merging preparation of the recurrent and investment budget under one authority and applying monitoring and evaluation system. Nevertheless, concentrating on the institutional aspects should be inline with other legal and political ones

nspired by an Arabic alphabet of contemporary Gothic writings Technical vision from Caligrafia to Tibogravi

The Arabic script with its different types and ways is considered a wealthy field of mental imagination, which creates an opportunity for cultural dialogue. It is considered an interpretation for the inventory of the designer / calligrapher conscious and subconscious and the Arabic script becomes a meeting invitation between the the designer or the calligrapher's vision and the reader's imagination.               It is clear that despite the variation in the Arabic script and its richness, yet, the character of the Arabic script is constant, which means that the designer /calligrapher doesn't have the right to change the basics shape of the Arabic lettering as it is defined and agreed upon, but the final outcome, vision  or direction of the creative formation of the letter is endless .              In the 70s of the previous century a group of Alphabet specialists emerged  where their works varied between Calligraphy and Typography with its contemporary perspective.              The research aims to inspire an Arabic alphabet from the Gothic script, also known as the Black Letter or Gothic handwriting, and the conversion of the calligraphy in the Gothic handwriting into an Arabic typographic alphabet through the use of the experimental method.              The study has shown the continuity of the reciprocal relationship between the Arabic script and the Latin script, and that the contemporary designer has the ability to benefit from simulation Through a combination of what is an object and the automatic expression

International mindedness: global perspectives for learners and educators

This review analyses Lesley Stagg’s book: International mindedness: Global perspectives for learners and educators. The various experiences, as well as the different perspectives shared in the book, provide readers with a unique interpretation of the concepts of international mindedness, international education and internationalism. The review evaluates the way the author addresses international mindedness in her book.

Evolution through Revolution? The Syrian Muslim Brotherhood and the Syrian Uprising

Syria’s peaceful uprising turned into an armed conflict with Assad’s lethal response to demonstrations demanding dignity and freedom. Looking for an oppositional Syrian political power who might have influenced dynamics on the ground, light was shed on the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood (SMB). As dictatorships toppled in 2011 in the region and were replaced by MB-related parties such as in Egypt and Tunisia, the interest into the previously exiled SMB increased as a Syrian alternative. Research in this area was predominantly concerned with SMB’s history, and did not examine how the SMB’s shaped the ongoing events in Syria, and how in return, the conflict shaped the SMB. This thesis analyses, mainly through exclusive interviews, the SMB’s evolution as a prominent Syrian opposition group both on the domestic and international level. Findings show a shift in priorities within the organization from the hierarchal system to a wide-spectrum approach through various charitable, social and political activities enabling the SMB’s reintegration into the Syrian society. Nevertheless, due to pressures from international and domestic powers, the SMB diluted into the wider opposing bodies and lost the forefront position within the political stage. The international scrutiny facing the SMB increased as the Egyptian MB experienced political damage following the military coup in 2013. This was followed by the threat- driven apathy from the Gulf states towards the MB. Western Governments also did not support the SMB despite the democratic and pluralistic vision for a future Syria being inherent in the SMB’s principles. Eventually, the SMB kept itself over water as Turkey and Qatar acted as a lifeline. The above-mentioned issues including wider historical links and the internal structures of the SMB creates a fascinating angle to the Syrian crisis which had not been researched before and provides the basis for future research on this ever-evolving situation

Respiratory Information Extraction from Electrocardiogram Signals

The Electrocardiogram (ECG) is a tool measuring the electrical activity of the heart, and it is extensively used for diagnosis and monitoring of heart diseases. The ECG signal reflects not only the heart activity but also many other physiological processes. The respiratory activity is a prominent process that affects the ECG signal due to the close proximity of the heart and the lungs. In this thesis, several methods for the extraction of respiratory process information from the ECG signal are presented. These methods allow an estimation of the lung volume and the lung pressure from the ECG signal. The potential benefit of this is to eliminate the corresponding sensors used to measure the respiration activity. A reduction of the number of sensors connected to patients will increase patients’ comfort and reduce the costs associated with healthcare. As a further result, the efficiency of diagnosing respirational disorders will increase since the respiration activity can be monitored with a common, widely available method. The developed methods can also improve the detection of respirational disorders that occur while patients are sleeping. Such disorders are commonly diagnosed in sleeping laboratories where the patients are connected to a number of different sensors. Any reduction of these sensors will result in a more natural sleeping environment for the patients and hence a higher sensitivity of the diagnosis

Quality characteristics of chicken burger processed from broiler chicken fed on different types of vegetable oils and feed additives

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of feeding broiler chicken on different vegetable oils with commercial multi- enzyme feed additives on the quality characteristics of chicken burger. A total of 216 one-day-old chicks of (Hubbard) strain were randomly assigned to six dietary treatments as (2×3) factorial designs where two sources of dietary oil contained soybean oil and palm oil with three levels of commercial multi-enzyme feed additives. Treatments were: soybean oil only (T1), soybean oil+ ZAD (T2), soybean oil+ AmPhi-BACT (T3), palm oil only (T4) , palm oil + ZAD (T5) and palm oil + AmPhi- BACT (T6). Results showed that chicken burger of T1 group had the higher pH value (6.22); slight difference was found in pH value of T3 group (6.18). No significant difference was found in burger of T5 and T6 group. Burger processed from T1 group had the higher T.B.A value (0.115) followed by burger of T5 (0.076); while the lowest T.B.A value found in burger of T2 group (0.031). No significant differences were found in shrinkage measurements. Burger processed from T6 group had the higher score of sensory attributes and overall acceptability, while the differences between the other burger groups were not significant

Prevalence And Antibiotic Resistance Pattern Of Linezolid And Vancomycin Resistant Gram-Positve Cocci Isolated From Surgical Site Infections

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance profiles of Gram-positive cocci isolated from surgical site infections. Out of 320 bacterial isolates, 268 (83.75%) were identified as Staphylococcus spp. and 52 (16.25%) were identified as Enterococcus spp. Among staphylococci, 71.64% were coagulase-positive and 28.36% were coagulase-negative. The antimicrobial resistance of all isolates was tested with a disc diffusion method. The majority (69%) of coagulase-positive staphylococci were methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) while 31% were methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA). All staphylococci were found to be susceptible to vancomycin and only two isolates were found to be resistant to linezolid. On the other hand, high level (28%) of resistance to vancomycin was observed in enterococci and no enterococcal isolates exhibited resistance towards linezolid. Results revealed that all investigated isolates were resistant to ampicillin and tetracycline. High prevalence of erythromycin and ciprofloxacin resistance was observed in 91 and 77% of isolates, respectively, while only 18 and 28% of the isolates were resistant to amikacin and clindamycin, respectively