Toward the Development of Egyptian Cities A Proposed Reference Guide for Developing the Visual Image of Egyptian Cities in 2050

This research paper focuses on the developments and changes in the design and shaping of Egyptian cities and their visual image. A discussion of the prevalent urban patterns and trends and the development of the Egyptian city’s visual image is followed by an appraisal of the future vision of Egypt in 2050. The paper reviews principal recent developments, mechanisms of implementing sustainability and their effect on new cities and emerging urban planning principles to determine the impact of recent developments on the visual image of the Egyptian city. A proposed reference guide for the visual image of the capital city follows. Results and recommendations are presented in the final section of the paper. Keywords: Urban Development, Egyptian Cities, Visual Image, future vision for new cities

Influence of different storage times and temperatures on blood gas and acid-base balance in ovine venous blood

The present study was designed to investigate the effects of storage temperature and time on blood gas and acid-base balance of ovine venous blood. Ten clinically healthy sheep were used in this study. A total number of 30 blood samples, were divided into three different groups, and were stored in a refrigerator adjusted to +4 ºC (Group I, n = 10), at RT of about 22-25 ºC (Group II, n = 10) and in an incubator adjusted to 37 ºC (Group III, n = 10) for up to 48 h. Blood samples were analysed for blood gas and acid-base indices at 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 24 and 48 h of storage. In comparison to the baseline value (0), there were significant decreases of blood pH of samples stored at RT and in the incubator after 1 h (p<0.05), the pH value of refrigerated blood samples exhibited insignificant changes during the study (p<0.05). Mean values of pCO2 showed a significant increase in Group I and Group III after 1 h then a progressive decrease after 12 h in all Groups. Mean pO2 values were significantly higher for Group I after 2 h and for Groups II and III after 1 h (p<0.05). In general, base excess decreased significantly for all the groups during the study especially in Groups II and III. In comparison with baseline values, in all groups, bicarbonate (HCO3) increased between 1 h and 6 h (p<0.05), and later decreased at the end of the study (p<0.05). In conclusion, status of acid-base indices of the samples stored at refrigerator and RT were found within normal reference range and it may be of clinical diagnostic use for up to 6 h

Antibiotic Susceptibility and Plasmid Profiles of Shigella species in Sudan.

This study was carried out to determine the antibiotic susceptibility, plasmid profile and conjugative abilities of Shigella species isolated from different towns in Sudan during 2005-2007.Methods: Stool specimens were collected in Carry Blair transport medium from patients presenting with diarrhea from different sites in Sudan between the years 2005-2007. All specimens were inoculated on Mac Conkey’s agar and Xylose Lysine Dioxycholate (XLD) (Mast group Ltd.Merseyside U.K.). Bacteria was isolated and subjected to different antibiotics to detect sensitivity and transference of resistance.Results: One hundred and fourteen Shigella isolates were included in the study. Eighty (70.1%) were Shigella flexeneri representing the dominant isolate, followed by 20 (17.5%) isolates of Shigella dysenteriae, 9 (7.9%) Shigella sonnei and 5 (4.5%) Shigella boydii. Most of the isolates showed resistance to streptomycin (70%), tetracycline (52%) and co-trimoxazole (43%). They were highly sensitive to norfloxacin (97%), nalidixic acid (95%), gentamicin (89%) and chloramphenicol (77%). Multi-drug resistance to two or more antibiotics was apparent in most of the isolates (64, 56.1%). Fifty nine of the resistant Shigella isolates were studied for their ability to transfer resistance to the donor E. coli K12 by conjugation. Of these, six were able to transfer resistance to streptomycin, tetracycline and co-trimoxazole. Extraction of the plasmid DNA from both donorsand trans-conjugants showed a single type of plasmid with a molecular weight of 4.6 Kb. Conclusion: The transfer of multi-drug resistant plasmids and the emergence of antibiotic Shigella and other bacterial species should raise the awareness and the seriousness of the uncontrolled (unsupervised)use of antibiotics in the medical practice.Key words: Shigella E. coli, Plasmid, conjugant, resistance transfer

Modeling and Simulation of an Absorption Solar Cooling System Under Iraqi Weather Conditions

This work aims to model and simulate an absorption cooling system using solar flat- plate receiver with water lithium bromide (li.Br-H2O) mixture as a working fluid, and to select the optimum type for absorption cooling system, which have suitable application in Iraq. Weather conditions for Erbil city have been selected. Coefficient of performance (COP) for a single, double (series and parallel), half and triple effect of an absorption cooling system are calculated and optimized. COP Prediction, hot water temperature, and the rate of heat transfer have been simulated and represented by using TRNSYS and EES programs. Active area of the solar flat-plate receiver is calculated and optimized for five suggested areas of (140, 150, 160, 170, and 180 m 2). Average heating load, average daily - radiation and cooling load for summer months (June, July, August, and September) have been calculated. The results indicated that, the superior type of the four absorption-cooling systems is a single effect, which has COP 80% at generator temperature of (81 °C). Also the results indicated that the optimum area of solar flat-plate receiver was 160 m2 which has achieved the maximum capacity of cooling power and consumed capacity in the generator (50, and 62.5) kW respectively. I think, according to the previous studies , the current work is the first in Iraq because it approved that, single effect type is an efficient and more relevant type for good working under Iraqi climate by using solar flat–plate receiver and suitable to apply it experimentally in a wide range

Molecular Identification of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Khartoum Teaching Hospital

Antimicrobial resistance has become a great public health problem worldwide and multi-drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus has been widely reported.Methods: The presence or absence of methicillin resistance gene (mecA) in 48 clinical wound isolates of S. aureus was examined by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The results were analyzed in parallel to the disk diffusion method by oxacillin (1 &mu;g). Polymerase chain reaction was amplified at a sequence of mecA gene at 1319 bp.Results: Nine (18.75%) out of the 48 isolates and were found to be identical to those of disk diffusion test. All strains were studied for their susceptibility to traditionally used antibiotics. The results revealed that multi-drug resistance was common among MRSA strains. The drug of choice for the treatment of MRSA and MSSA was vancomycin.Conclusion: The study concluded that multiple antibiotic resistance was common, and the PCR assay can be used to confirm MRSA infection.Key words: MRSA, polymerase chain reaction (PCR)

COMPARATIVE ULTRASONOGRAPHIC MEASUREMENT OF RENAL SIZE AND ITS CORRELATION WITH AGE, GENDER, AND BODY MASS INDEX IN NORMAL SUBJECTS IN SULAIMANI REGION

Background: The renal size of a population is a very useful diagnostic parameter in the practice of medicine. Since the renal size is affected by various factors, it is necessary to first determine the normal value. Objective:The aim of this study is to provide an estimation of renal size in normal subjects in Sulaimani Teaching Hospital, and to study its relation with age, gender, and body mass index (BMI) using ultrasonography. Therefore, this provides a standard data for our locality as we are deficient of them. Method:A cross sectional descriptive study was conducted in Sulaimani Teaching Hospital during the period of June 2013 to February 2014. 450 random volunteer person were included in the study aging between 18 - 96 years, without any known renal diseases.The total sample of the study were 450 person. 239 person (53%) were females, while 211 person (47%) were males. The mean of the right renal size in males was 76553.9947 mm3, while the mean of the left renal size was 94493.9mm3. In females, the mean of the right renal size was 68324.0292mm3, while the mean of the left renal size was 84150.43264mm3. Mean renal size for the right kidney was 72210.9842 mm3,While the mean renal size for the left kidney was 89031.0296 mm3. Results:There was a positive correlation between the size of the right and left kidney, with the left kidney size which is larger. There was also a positive correlation between renal size and age, as renal size increased with age till the 5th decade of life. While the male renal size was greater than the female renal size with the same age group, there was a positive correlation between renal size and body mass index (BMI)

An Experimental Investigation on the Performance Enhancement of Photovoltaic/Thermal Panel Using a Tracking System and Nanofluid (Al 2O3)

This work presents an improving of the photovoltaic / thermal efficiency by using a solar tracking system (2-axes) and AL2O3 mixed with water as working fluid. An integrated system (PV/T) consists of 36 mono-crystalline solar cell was designed and implemented with cooling water technique utilized copper pipes on the back PV side to flow cooling water at different mass flow rates . A (90) bulbs of (12V, 50W) are connected in series are used to simulate the sun light and controled by (3) AC to AC transformers to give different irradiation arrive up to (1000 W/m2).The (AL2O3) was prepared and added to the water with different concentrations to decrease the temperature of PV and increase the rate of heat transfer to maintain good electrical efficiency and an increase in thermal efficiency.The experimental work has been conducted in (UMPEDAC) / Malaysia. The experimental results indicated that when using two- axes solar tracking system the output power generated was increased from (21.69W) to (30.69W). The power module generated is decreased when the temperature of PV surface increased from (64.05W at 24.7oC) to (39.46W at 79.1oC). It is proved that the temperature of PV surface is rising and that efficiency does not exceed 8%, if there is no water-cooling while under the influence of process cooling water, the efficiency increased to 9.6%. In addition, it founded that the optimum mass flow rat of water was (0.2) L/s. At using nanofluid (AL2O3-water) as a percentage ratios (0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5) % at constant mass flow rate (0.2) L/s, the temperature dropped significantly from (79.1oC) to (42.2oC). It is found that an optimum concentration ratio of nanofluid at 0.3% and the electrical efficiency of PV/T was 12.1% while the thermal efficiency was 34.4%

Multibiometric Identification System based on SVD and Wavelet Decomposition

Biometric systems refer to the systems used for human recognition based on their characteristics. These systems are widely used in security institutions and access control. In this work three biometric sources were used for identification purposes. Singular value decomposition (SVD) was employed as a tool for feature extraction and artificial neural network (ANN) was used as pattern recognition for the model. High accuracy was obtained from this work with 95% recognition rate

Febuxostat ameliorates methotrexate-induced lung damage

Background: The intention of the present study was to assess the structural affection of the lung following methotrexate (MTX) overdose. The proposed underlying mechanisms involved in lung affection were studied. The possible modulation role of febuxostat over such affection was studied. Materials and methods: Twenty-four rats were divided into three groups: control, MTX-treated, febuxostat-treated. The study was continued for 2 weeks. Lung was processed for histological and immunohistochemical (inducible nitric oxide synthase [iNOS] and cyclooxygenase [COX]-2) studies. Inflammatory markers (tumour necrosis factor alpha [TNF-a], interleukin 1 [IL-1]), Western blot evaluation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB) and oxidative/antioxidative markers were done. Results: Methotrexate-treated group exhibited inflammatory cellular infiltrations, thickened interalveolar septa, dilated congested blood vessels, extravasated blood, and apoptosis. The collagen fibres content increased 3-fold. MTX induced lung affection through oxidative stress (increase MDA/decrease GSH, SOD) and apoptosis. It induced sterile inflammation through an increase of NF-kB (2-fold), IL-1 (3-fold) and TNF-a (3-fold), COX-2 cells (2.5-fold) and iNOS (6-fold). With the use of febuxostat, the normal lung architecture was observed with a bit thickened interalveolar septum and extravasated blood. The collagen fibres content was minimal. Decrement of oxidative stress and sterile inflammation (COX-2 cells and iNOS were comparable to the control group. NF-kB, IL-1 and TNF-a became higher by 34%, 64% and 100%). Conclusions: The overdose of MTX displays inflammatory lung affection with residual fibrosis. It induces lung affection through oxidative stress, apoptosis and sterile inflammation. With the use of febuxostat, the normal lung architecture was preserved with a little structural affection or fibrotic residue. Febuxostat exerts its lung protection through its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant features