Technical and Economical Investigation of Renewable Energy Sources for Supplying Offshore Oil production Facilities at Gulf of Suez Area

The Gulf of Suez is highly susceptible to economic and energy security due to the heavy need for imported fossil fuels. The energy produced from fossil fuels causes serious environmental pollution. So, it is important to find other clean sources of energy for stabilizing the released amount of carbon dioxide. Gulf of Suez has the potential to develop clean Solar Photovoltaic (PV) and wind systems to improve economic and environmental performance. This paper proposes a combination of floating solar panels (FSP) and offshore wind turbines to solve the main critical issues, such as the land area required for a large number of cells and the space required for wind turbines. In addition to their good economical and environmental benefits. A simplified model is provided to investigate the replacement of traditional generating units (Diesel and Gas operated) supplying offshore oil production field facilities at the Gulf of Suez area with a mix of renewable resources. The load flow analysis is carried out for the model and the cost is calculated and compared for four schemas, the traditional generating, Wind-Gas, PV-Gas, and PV-Wind-Gas hybrid system. From the techno-economic analysis and comparing environmental benefits, floating solar systems and offshore wind turbines can provide a good solution to the existing problems of energy needs with environmental impacts considered

Test of Lorentz Violation with Astrophysical Neutrino Flavor in IceCube

4 pages, 1 figure, presented at the Eighth Meeting on CPT and Lorentz Symmetry, Bloomington, Indiana, May 12-16, 20194 pages, 1 figure, presented at the Eighth Meeting on CPT and Lorentz Symmetry, Bloomington, Indiana, May 12-16, 20194 pages, 1 figure, presented at the Eighth Meeting on CPT and Lorentz Symmetry, Bloomington, Indiana, May 12-16, 2019Astrophysical high-energy neutrinos observed by IceCube are sensitive to small effects in a vacuum such as those motivated from quantum gravity theories. Here, we discuss the potential sensitivity of Lorentz violation from the diffuse astrophysical neutrino data in IceCube. The estimated sensitivity reaches the Planck scale physics motivated region, providing IceCube with real discovery potential of Lorentz violation

EFFECTS OF WATER SALINITY AND EGYPTIAN CLOVER AMENDED SUBSTRATES ON TOMATO TRANSPLANT PRODUCTION

This study was conducted to evaluate the growth of tomato transplants irrigated with saline water in a commercial soilless potting media amended with fermented clover produced by anaerobic fermentation of a mixture of clover and water for different periods (1, 2 and 3 weeks). Treatments were distributed in completely randomized factorial design included three salinity levels in irrigation water (260, 1000 and 2000 mg l-1) without and with fermented clover corresponding to 0, 10, 20 and 30% of the substrate (1peat: 1perlite: 1vermiculite) by volume. Plant height (cm), number of leaves, vegetative fresh and dry weights (g) per plant were recorded 35 days after sowing. The obtained results showed that the mean values of the aforementioned parameters were increased due to the incorporation of clover-based amendment with higher pronounced effect recorded for fermented clover as compared to non-fermented clover. The highest values were obtained due to the incorporation of three weeks fermented clover at 20% mixing percentage followed by 30%. There were significant differences among water salinity treatments; fresh water (260 mg l-1) recorded the highest vegetative growth of tomato transplants. Furthermore, fermented clover alleviated the salt stress on transplants and increased the growth parameters under saline water irrigation. These results suggested that clover can be used for producing organic tomato transplants, instead of imported media, supporting by fermentation to enhance the ability of clover to supplement the transplants with the nutrient needs and cope the salinity condition

An improved optimization technique for estimation of solar photovoltaic parameters

The nonlinear current vs voltage (I-V) characteristics of solar PV make its modelling difficult. Optimization techniques are the best tool for identifying the parameters of nonlinear models. Even though, there are different optimization techniques used for parameter estimation of solar PV, still the best optimized results are not achieved to date. In this paper, Wind Driven Optimization (WDO) technique is proposed as the new method for identifying the parameters of solar PV. The accuracy and convergence time of the proposed method is compared with results of Pattern Search (PS), Genetic Algorithm (GA), and Simulated Annealing (SA) for single diode and double diode models of solar PV. Furthermore, for performance validation, the parameters obtained through WDO are compared with hybrid Bee Pollinator Flower Pollination Algorithm (BPFPA), Flower Pollination Algorithm (FPA), Generalized Oppositional Teaching Learning Based Optimization (GOTLBO), Artificial Bee Swarm Optimization (ABSO), and Harmony Search (HS). The obtained results clearly reveal that WDO algorithm can provide accurate optimized values with less number of iterations at different environmental conditions. Therefore, the WDO can be recommended as the best optimization algorithm for parameter estimation of solar PV

{\it Ab initio} calculations of forbidden transition probabilities and lifetimes of low-lying states in V4+^{4+}

Electric quadrupole (E2) and magnetic dipole (M1) transition amplitudes among the low-lying states of quadruply ionized vanadium V$^{4+}$, important in various field of experimental and astrophysics are presented very accurately. Most of these results are reported for the first time in the literature. Relativistic coupled-cluster theory with single, double and leading triple excitations has been employed for these calculations. Estimation of different correlation effects arising through the above formalism have been highlighted by studying core and valence electrons excitations to the excited states. The lifetime of the first excited $D$- state is found to be long.Comment: 16 pages in pdf outpu

SULPHATED POLYSACCHARIDES (SPS) FROM THE GREEN ALGA ULVA FASCIATA EXTRACT MODULATES LIVER AND KIDNEY FUNCTION IN HIGH FAT DIET-INDUCED HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIC RATS

Objective: Hypercholesterolemia (HC) was frequently associated with oxidative stress, and release of inflammatory cytokines is to determine the hypolipidemic effects of sulphated polysaccharides from seaweed Ulva fasciata algal extracts through measuring the activities of some parameters related to liver and kidney functions in the serum of hypercholesterolemic rats as compared to normal one.Methods: Different groups of rats were administered a high cholesterol diet. Liver and kidney functions, inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, CRP, MPO and IL-10), oxidative stress (GSH, MDA and NO), in addition to cell adhesion molecules (ICAM-1 and VCAM-1) were assessed before and after treatment with the algal polysaccharides. In addition, histological examination of liver and kidney were performed to confirm the biochemical findings.Results: The obtained results showed that oxidative stress and inflammatory markers associated with hypercholesterolemia were significantly increased in HC-rats. The histopathological examination of liver and kidney demonstrated severe degeneration with diffuse vacuolar degeneration, necrosis and the presence of fatty droplets. In addition; nephron-histological examination revealed, mild glomerular injury with mild vascular and inflammatory changes. Treatment with the algal sulphated polysaccharides effectively improved these disorders and diminished the formation of fatty liver, as well as renal dysfunction more than the reference drug; fluvastatin. Conclusion: It could be concluded that the consumption of UFP (Ulva fasciata polysaccharides), may be associated with attenuation of inflammatory markers, amelioration of fatty liver and improvement of renal dysfunction, that in turn lead to counteract hypercholesterolemia and its related disorders; such as obesity, and heart disease.Keywords: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, Seaweed, Ulva fasciata, Hypercholesterolemia, Hypolipidemic activity, Sulphated polysaccharides (SPs

Combination of Human Amniotic Fluid Derived-Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Nano-hydroxyapatite Scaffold Enhances Bone Regeneration

BACKGROUND: Human amniotic fluid-derived stem cells (hAF-MSCs) have a high proliferative capacity and osteogenic differentiation potential in vitro. The combination of hAF-MSCs with three-dimensional (3D) scaffold has a promising therapeutic potential in bone tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Selection of an appropriate scaffold material has a crucial role in a cell supporting and osteoinductivity to induce new bone formation in vivo. AIM: This study aimed to investigate and evaluate the osteogenic potential of the 2nd-trimester hAF-MSCs in combination with the 3D scaffold, 30% Nano-hydroxyapatite chitosan, as a therapeutic application for bone healing in the induced tibia defect in the rabbit. SUBJECT AND METHODS: hAF-MSCs proliferation and culture expansion was done in vitro, and osteogenic differentiation characterisation was performed by Alizarin Red staining after 14 & 28 days. Expression of the surface markers of hAF-MSCs was assessed using Flow Cytometer with the following fluorescein-labelled antibodies: CD34-PE, CD73-APC, CD90-FITC, and HLA-DR-FITC. Ten rabbits were used as an animal model with an induced defect in the tibia to evaluate the therapeutic potential of osteogenic differentiation of hAF-MSCs seeded on 3D scaffold, 30% Nano-hydroxyapatite chitosan. The osteogenic differentiated hAF-MSCs/scaffold composite system applied and fitted in the defect region and non-seeded scaffold was used as control. The histopathological investigation was performed at 2, 3, & 4 weak post-transplantation and scanning electron microscope (SEM) was assessed at 2 & 4 weeks post-transplantation to evaluate the bone healing potential in the rabbit tibia defect. RESULTS: Culture and expansion of 2nd-trimester hAF-MSCs presented high proliferative and osteogenic potential in vitro. Histopathological examination for the transplanted hAF-MSCs seeded on the 3D scaffold, 30% Nano-hydroxyapatite chitosan, demonstrated new bone formation in the defect site at 2 & 3 weeks post-transplantation as compared to the control (non-seeded scaffold). Interestingly, the scaffold accelerated the osteogenic differentiation of AF-MSCs and showed complete bone healing of the defect site as compared to the control (non-seeded scaffold) at 4 weeks post-transplantation. Furthermore, the SEM analysis confirmed these findings. CONCLUSION: The combination of the 2nd-trimester hAF-MSCs and 3D scaffold, 30% Nano-hydroxyapatite chitosan, have a therapeutic perspective for large bone defect and could be used effectively in bone tissue engineering and regenerative medicine

Effects of Different Parameters of Diode Laser on Acceleration of Orthodontic Tooth Movement and Its Effect on Relapse: An Experimental Animal Study

AIM: Recent studies have demonstrated that low-level laser therapy (LLLT) can accelerate orthodontic tooth movement. However, there is still controversy about the optimum parameters that can cause acceleration. The present study was designed to examine two different doses of LLLT in the acceleration of orthodontic tooth movement and their effect on relapse. METHODS: An orthodontic appliance was designed to induce tooth movement on lower incisors of rabbits. The in-al-as diode laser was used to radiate different groups of rabbits according to a specific protocol. The amount of tooth movement was measured for 21 days, and then the orthodontic appliance was removed, and the relapse was measured till day 28. RESULTS: The amount of tooth movement was significantly greater in the group with irradiation of low dose in comparison with the high dose group and the control group. The relapse was greatest in the group of low dose irradiation and least in the control group. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that LLLT with a low dose accelerate the orthodontic tooth movement while LLLT with a high dose was not able to have the same effect. LLLT had a reverse effect on relapse tendency; an increase in the relapse tendency was seen with low dose irradiation