Building an Agile, Competitive and Dynamic Entrepreneurial Ecosystem to Create a Startup Culture, Startup Nation, and a Startup Region: Case of Egypt and the MENA Region

In today’s economic, business and social spaces, communities and societies around the world constantly face a set of challenges related to growing unemployment, economic development, changing market dynamics and tough business conditions amongst others. However, these societies and spaces are also regularly presented with a variety and spectrum of opportunities, given the continuous development of new markets, the growing role of cutting-edge technology platforms, especially with the growing penetration and impact of the fourth industrial revolution, the evolution of the digital economy and the global widespread of entrepreneurial initiatives and activities around the world in both the developed world and in emerging economies

Potentiometric detection of low-levels of sulfamethazine in milk and pharmaceutical formulations using novel plastic membrane sensors

Novel potentiometric sensors for selective screening of sulfamethazine (SMZ) in pharmaceutical preparations and milk samples are reported. The sensor membranes were made from PVC matrix doped with magnesium(II)-, manganese(II)- and dichlorotin (IV)-phthalocyanines as ionophores and aliquat-336 and nitron/SMZ ion-pair complex as ion exchangers. These sensors revealed fast, stable and near-Nernstian anionic response for the singly charged sulfamethazine anion over the concentration range 10-2 - 10-5 M. The sensors exhibited good selectivity towards SMZ over most known anions, excipients and diluents commonly added in drug preparations. Validation of the proposed methods was demonstrated via evaluating the detection limit, linear response range, accuracy, precision (within-day repeatability) and between-day-variability. The sensors are easily interfaced with a double channel flow injection system and used for continuous monitoring of SMZ in drug formulations, spiked milk samples and biological tissues. The method offers the advantages of design simplicity, results accuracy, and automation feasibility

Impact of Coronavirus Disease-19 Lockdown on Egyptian Children and Adolescents: Dietary Pattern Changes Health Risk

BACKGROUND: Lockdown and school closure related to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have unfavorable effects on children and adolescents. AIM: This study was conducted to survey the changes in dietary pattern and related health factors in Egyptian children and adolescents during the COVID-19 outbreak closure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were collected through a dietary pattern, eating behavior, and physical activity electronic questionnaire conducted through social media sites, targeting parents of children and adolescents after two whole months of lockdown and school closure in Egypt. RESULTS: This study included 765 participants, 31.8% noted increased appetite, 45.6% reported increased sweets and unhealthy food consumption, and 37.6% showed increased frequent snacking between meals. Alongside 53.1% showed increase in late snacks during night after COVID-19 closure. The majority of our participants 82.0% noted associative change in eating behavior with boring and 94.6% revealed increased usage of electronics and screen time. This study showed significant positive correlation between increased appetite and mobile screen time, laptop screen time, and video gaming. Increased sweets and unhealthy food consumption was positively correlated with TV watching and mobile screen time. A significant positive correlation was revealed between uncaring about eating fruits and vegetables and increase screen time for each of mobile, and laptop and remote learning. Furthermore, there was positive correlation between decreased protein serving intake and each of mobile screen time and remote learning. TV watching and laptop screen times showed positively significantly association with frequent snacking between meals. Mobile screen time, TV screen time, and video gaming were positively significantly correlated with late night snacking. CONCLUSIONS: The present study concluded prolonged lockdown leads to changes in eating patterns, related to contributing factors of physical inactivity and prolonged screen time

Adénocarcinome pulmonaire primitif: expérience d’un centre hospitalier tunisien

La fréquence de l'adénocarcinome pulmonaire primitif est en nette augmentation au dépend des autres types histologiques de cancer bronchique primitif. En effet, il représente environ 40% des cas des carcinomes bronchiques non à petites cellules (CNPC). Il se distingue par certaines particularités. Décrire les aspects épidémiologiques, cliniques, thérapeutiques et évolutifs de l'adénocarcinome pulmonaire primitif. Etuderétrospective incluant 322 patients porteurs d'adénocarcinome pulmonaire primitif, hospitalisés au service de pneumologie du centre hospitalouniversitaire de Monastir (Tunisie) entre janvier 1990 et septembre 2013. L'âge moyen de nos patients était de 59,4 ans. 25,8% sont âgés de moins de 50 ans. Une prédominance masculine (86,3%) a été notée. 81,7% des patients étaient tabagiques. La symptomatologie respiratoire était dominée par la douleur thoracique (57,1%) et la toux (46%). Au moment du diagnostic, 73,3 % des patients étaient au stade métastatique. Les localisations secondaires les plus fréquentes étaient le poumon controlatéral (25,5%), la plèvre (21,1%) et l'os (19,25%). La prise en charge thérapeutique s'est basée essentiellement sur la chimiothérapie (48,5% des cas). Seulement 10,3% des patients ont bénéficié d'un traitement chirurgical. La médiane de survie de nos patients était de 6 mois avec une survie à 1 an, 3 ans et 5 ans respectivement de 25,9%, 3,2% et 2%. L'adénocarcinome bronchique primitif est un sous type histologique particulier parmi les cancers broncho-pulmonaires primitifs. Son incidence est en augmentation depuis une vingtaine d'année. Malgré les progrès thérapeutiques, il reste de mauvais pronostic

Relationship Between Villous Shape and Mural Structure in Neutron Irradiated Small Intestine

Previous work on irradiation of mouse small intestine has assessed the changes produced by counting crypts/microcolonies, scoring villous shape or examining morphological changes in specific parts of the wall. This paper used scanning and transmission electron microscopy to study the effects of whole body irradiation with 5 Gy neutrons on the surface and internal features of the intestinal wall of CFLP mice, 1 day, 3 days and 7 days after treatment. Empirical scores from the ultrastructural findings were inserted into a Morphological Index display calculated from analytical data based on cell counts and area measurements obtained from resin histology sections. The final data display showed that the neutron irradiation produced marked structural changes in different cells and tissues by 1 day. These changes were maximal at 3 days with substantial improvement by 7 days. When this data display was compared with scores taken from scanning electron microscopy of the mucosal surface, the change in villous shape from erect fingerlike projections to lower profiles less suited to absorption was seen to correlate more with changes in the smooth muscle than with the epithelial cryptal compartment

Structural Changes in Mouse Small Intestinal Villi Following Lower Body Hyperthermia

Heating an exteriorised loop of mouse small intestine resulted in marked changes in the shape of the villi as reported earlier. However, the exteriorisation techniques resulted in non-uniformity in both temperature and effect around circumference of intestine and, in addition, the extent to which handling contributed to the observed damage was not known. The work has therefore been extended using lower-body heating in the temperature range 37.5° - 43.0°C. Heating in the temperature range 37.5° to 41.0°C produced minimal to moderate structural changes, manifested as scattered, vertically collapsed villi amongst predominantly normal villi. No villi showed conical or rudimentary forms of collapse. Such villi were, however, seen after heating at 41.5°C and were greatly increased in number after heating at 42.0°C. The most severe damage was observed after heating at 43.0°C. Although the lower body heating method gave information which was less complicated by technical considerations, the hyperthermic damage observed was qualitatively similar to that previously seen following local administration of hyperthermia to an exteriorised loop of intestine. Direct quantitative comparisons between the two methods of heating are difficult because of differences in equilibration time and temperature. However, using a comparable heating time, less damage was scored following the exteriorisation technique compared with in situ heating

The Role of Nano-Technology in Sustainable Construction: A Case Study of Using Nano Granite Waste Particles in Cement Mortar

Better understanding of the properties of cement-based materials, one of the most widely used building materials, at the nano-scale is crucial to improve its functionality in the built environment. This paper presents areas of using nano-materials in improving the characteristics of cement-based materials as well as introducing a new role of nano-technology together with waste management in enhancing the concept of sustainable construction. A case study on the use of nano-granite waste particles as a replacement of cement and fine aggregate in mortar production is presented. The research concluded that replacing 5% cement and 10% sand with nano-granite waste in the mortar mix increased the compressive strength of the green mortar by 41% compared to that of the control mix (CM). SEM images reinforced this result as the green mortar mix showed maximum density and minimum micro cracks and number of pores. A comparative study between the green mortar and traditional mortar was carried out using sustainability indicators to examine the environmental, social and economic implications. The environmental and social attributes showed a saving of 10% in the field of resource consumption, whereas savings in energy consumption and CO2 emissions reached 5%. The economic field showed saving of 6.5% indicating promising results in enhancing the sustainable construction industry

Functionality of Inorganic Nanostructured Materials onto Wool Fabric

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were prepared through chemical reduction method and characterized by UV-Vis absorption spectra to examine its formation with different AgNO3 and sodium borohydride concentrations and by transmission electron microscope (TEM) to evaluate its particle size and size distribution. The wool fabric was first treated separately with AgNPs and titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2NPs) and then dyed with C.I. Acid Orange 74 (AO74). The dye uptake of pre-treated wool fabric with nanoparticles was compared to conventional dyeing of wool. The existence of AgNPs and TiO2NPs on wool fabric during acid dyeing increases the dye uptake up to 27 and 39%, respectively. The dyeing kinetic of wool fabric was positively affected by treating with AgNPs and TiO2NPs. Also, the activation energy of AO74 diffusion was calculated before and after NPs-treatment that confirms the physicsorption dyeing process. The NPs-treatment leads to produce a wool fabric with excellent antibacterial and photocatalytic properties for TiO2NPs-treated wool fabric and very good antibacterial and good photocatalytic properties for AgNPs-treated wool fabric. In addition, NPs-treatment has no adverse effects on fastness properties of the functionalized dyed wool fabric. Keywords: Silver nanoparticles, Titanium dioxide nanoparticles, Wool, Acid dyeing

Early Effects on the Morphology of Mouse Small Intestine of Single or Combined Modality Treatment with Hyperthermia and X-Irradiation

This study describes the effects of hyperthermia and X-irradiation on the morphological appearance of normal, at risk tissues in the ileum of the mouse. The early morphological effects day after a combined modality treatment are compared with those due to either hyperthermia or X-irradiation given alone. The response was assessed qualitatively and semiquantitatively using scanning electron microscopy and a villous scoring technique. Early post-irradiation effects on topography did not differ significantly from those observed after small intestine exteriorisation without treatment. The villous scores for the combined modality treatments reflected greater damage than would be expected from the sum of villous scores for each modality treatment on its own. This suggests that the combined modality treatment had a synergistic or enhancing effect. A 4 hour time interval between the two treatments did not seem to reduce the enhancing effect. Further studies are required to investigate the effects of fractionated combined treatment

Biological explorations of Sinai: flora and fauna of Wadi Isla and Hebran, St Katherine Protectorate, Egypt

A comprehensive survey was accomplished for two of the most important and beautiful wadis in the Sinai, Wadi Isla & Hebran. The biodiversity of the two wadis are surveyed including plant species and their associated insects, spiders and scorpions. The list includes 20 plant families with 51 species, 8 insect orders with 54 families and 138 species, and 4 arachnid orders with 17 families and 23 species. The highest number of species recorded were Coleoptera and Hymenoptera.Keywords: Biodiversity, checklist, plants, insects, spider