Critical factors influencing effective of ICT resources and capabilities

Substantial research on the importance of strategic Information and Communication Technology (ICT) resources and capabilities for higher institution has mainly focused on developed countries. The results of these studies may not hold for developing nations and in particular, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). To address this gap, this research therefore, builds on theory of DeLone and McLean to examine the strategic links between the success of effective utilization of ICT Resources and ICT Capabilities of KSA higher institutions. Quantitative research methodology has been used. The study was conducted in a KSA context from a sample of 68 higher institutions. Nine main hypotheses were formulated and tested. Analysis of the data provided support for all the nine main hypotheses, except for relationship between “User Involvement and Effective utilization of ICT resources and capabilitie

Preparation and Analysis of Cement Bricks Based on Rice Straw

In Egypt, rice straw is burnt as an easy and the cheap method to get rid of it leads to making a giant black cloud covers Cairo and southern delta governorates. Main purpose of this research is to produce green brick of cement and in-expensive agriculture waste (rice straw) with law price and good characteristics of thermal insulation and acoustic resistance. Different samples of cement brick based on rice straw of many percentages were prepared. First, select best mixture of concrete brick before adding rice straw after preparing and leave for curing time. Then, rice straw is added with various percentage based on total mass of dry mixture to selected concert brick mixture. The selection of best mixture of green bricks criteria is first depending on achieving minimum compression strength according to Egyptian specification then maximizing the percentage of rice straw added. The two mixtures of cement bricks that have maximum compression strength are 1:2:2 and 1:4:5 of 6.2 and 3.1 MPa. The highest percentage of rice straw can be added to later cement mixture is 3% additional quantities based on total mass of mixture dry base of 2.9 MPa. The impact of 3% addition of rice straw on cement bricks enhances thermal by 21.05% by comparing with cement brick of ratio 1:2:2. It decreases sound pressure level inside room from 62 dB to 45 dB. Although, cement bricks reduce sound pressure level to 55 dB. Thousands of cement bricks with 3% rice straw cost are less 8.3% the cost of thousands of cement brick with market ratio 1:4:5. Cement brick of ratio 1:4:5 that used by OPAKI company in Egypt for cement brick manufacturing is used with adding 3% of rice straw. Whatever, it gives very low resistance against compression lower than Egyptian specifications. This mixture of 3% rice straw base is enhanced by nano-silicon addition percentage of sand portion of 2.1 MPa compression test, although cost of thousand bricks is almost equal to the cost of thousands of commercial market bricks. Eventually, life cycle assessment of rice straw is better than normal cement brick mixture materials that helps in reducing greenhouse emissions and energy consumed

CEMENT BRICKS BASED ON SHREDDED AUTOMOBILE TIRES

The essential target of this is to make good, qualified bricks with economic background and to have several uses than ordinary brick that is utilized in construction of homes or any building. From these useful properties of those blocks are acoustic segregation and thermal insulation also with recovery of many wastes that don’t be benefit from them; create from them jobs to be reused and to make brick economically wise and to be applied for example the insulation. From those squandering, are the shredded used tires after being used and it can’t be used anymore. It was cleared that the ultimate percent that cement brick can withstand was 10%. After the test of acoustic and temperature measurements by EXTECH instrument, explored that automobile tire addition makes a decline in sound and temperature surrounding also decreased it. Which has a good effect on cement brick by enhancing the insulation of sound and thermal where sound insulation from 55 db to 42 db and make thermal insulation where temperature before is 37 oC and then after addition of 10 % which the best percent that cement brick can withstand; temperature becomes 26 oC which make an insulation of about 11 oC. In addition, that shredded used tires decreases cost of cement standard brick by 7.6 %

EFFECT OF ADDITION OF NANO SILICON DIOXIDE TO CEMENT BRICKS: PREPARATION AND CHARACTERICTICS

The aim of the research is to design and produce a durable, and high load, bearing build constructing bricks based on cement, sand, and aggregates with the addition of Nano silica, studying the effect of the added materials to get a background about the impact of the Nano silica on the ability of using such a product. The cement used is 52.5 grade which represent the strength of the cement, sand with particle size 300-600 micrometer, aggregates with diameter lays between 0.5-1 cm better to use smaller size, water, and finally Nano-silica with particle size 17 nm with purity higher than 99.9%. the final size of the produced brick is a cubic shape with 4*4*4 cm in dimension. The research results have been achieved and stated that as the percentage of the Nano silica increase the strength increase and the bricks withstood for more loads and nominated the 10% Nano-silica of the total weight or of the cement weight as the best percentage among the prepared samples percentages and gives a strength of 6.4 MPa

High Octane Number Gasoline-ether Blend

Gasoline produced in Egypt is a low-grade gasoline that contains high concentration of harmful components that are having a toll on our environment. In addition, those pollutants cause countless diseases and deaths annually to the Egyptian population. This paper targets two main sectors in the production of commercial gasoline. The improvement engine efficiency through the upgrading of octane number is first experimented by using a blend stock that ranges from gasoline fractions and Isomerates. An optimum was then chosen depending on the results obtained from different tests. Through those experiments, it was determined which samples obeyed the EU regulation for transportation emissions. Having an excellent gasoline with a high-octane number but produced large quantities of harmful emissions was unacceptable. This leads to the section aim of this research, which was to produce an environmental gasoline. This meant that once the gasoline sample is combusted, it should produce limited amounts of emissions such as 1% benzene since benzene is carcinogenic. A sample with euro 3 specification was produced and showed excellent gasoline properties such as an RON value of around 95 without the use of octane enhancers. A second sample showed better results satisfied euro 5 regulations and produced an even higher-octane number than the euro 3 sample. This sample was the optimum environmental ETBE-gasoline high octane number blend. By understanding the composition of those samples, maximum yield of commercial gasoline could be produced. This would also lead to the reduction of pollutants in the environment. Completing this task with successful results means that this environmental high octane number gasoline could be produced and used in Egypt. Such blends should be produced on a large scale by exercising euro 3 and/or 5 regulations

Synthesis of Diarylpyrazoles Containing a Phenylsulphone or Carbonitrile Moiety and their Chalcones as Possible Anti-Inflammatory Agents

A series of chalcone-based diarylpyrazoles containing a phenylsulphone or carbonitrile moiety was synthesized. Thus, 3-acetylpyrazoles 6a–c and 10a–c were used as useful substrates in facile synthesis of functional pyrazoles 7a–f and 11a–f, respectively. The anti-inflammatory activity and ulcerogenic effect were evaluated and some of the obtained products possessed a significant anti-inflammatory activity. 1-[1-(3-Methylphenyl)-5-phenyl-4-(phenylsulfonyl)-1H-pyrazol-3-yl]ethanone (6b) showed a high activity when compared with indomethacin as reference drug with lower gastrointestinal (GI) profile. Furthermore, molecular docking studies were performed in order to rationalize the obtained biological results

Water Absorption Enhancement Of Sodium Poly Acrylate And Poly(2-Acrylamido-2-Methylpropane Sulphonic Acid) Based Hydrogel Mixtures

Introduction: Hydrogels are hydrophilic polymers which are cross-linked to form three-dimensional structures, which can absorb, swell and retain huge amounts of water or aqueous fluids. Objective: This paper reports the preparation and characterization of Poly (2-Acrylamido-2-Methylpropane Sulphonic Acid) (PAMPS) hydrogel with different crosslinking intensities. Methodology: 2-Acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPS) monomer was purchased from Alfa Aesar Company as reagent grade. It was used as received (\u3e98% purity) without any further purification. PAMPS hydrogel was prepared by free radical crosslinking solution polymerization of AMPS in water at room temperature under a nitrogen blanket in cylindrical glass tubes. The characteristics of the obtained PAMPS hydrogel were compared with those of commercial sodium polyacrylates hydrogel. Results: It was found that decreasing the crosslinker weight improved the absorbance capacity but to a limit. The suggested reasons were discussed. The mixture showed higher absorbance rate than PAMPS, and bigger absorbance capacity than sodium polyacrylates. Conclusion: This paper investigates the effect of crosslinker ratio on the swelling capacity of PAMPS. It was found that as the crosslinking ratio decreases, the porosity of the hydrogel increases, thus improving the swelling capacity