The theater and us

Watching the AUC production of The Taming of the Shrew I was surprised by how well it was done. I wanted to investigate the process and all the work it took to make it happen. Such an impressive performance must have a huge effect on AUC life. I interviewed a director, a theater professor and the music composer for this project

The practicum experience in the faculties of education in Egypt: a study on students\u27 perceptions of strengths and weaknesses in two faculties of education

The practicum is an important component of teacher preparation where students have the opportunity to practice what they have learnt in university and realize the challenges they will face at school. This study examines the practicum in the Faculties of Education in Egypt, which is conducted in the third and fourth year of the Bachelor of Arts program. Using qualitative methods the study attempts to explore the structure and organization of the practicum in four different Faculties of Education and examines closely the implementation of the practicum in an additional two Faculties of Education. The study interviewed professors from all six Faculties of Education. This was then followed by interviews with the directors of the practicum units, as well as focus groups for students in years three and four were conducted in the examined two Faculties of Education. The findings show that the main strength of the practicum is the experience student teachers acquire in schools and especially in dealing with students. Additional strengths arose with the implementation practices of the program and these are the formation of a strong structure of peer support and the development of critical thinking skills. The practicum exhibited weaknesses in administration, supervision, assessment, links between universities and schools, mentorship or supervision to all those involved and overall insufficient preparation of student teachers. There is a clear need to develop the practicum programs and form strong links between the Faculties of Education, schools, and Ministry of Education to provide student teachers with a beneficial experience

Left atrial diameter in estimating success rates of radio-frequency ablation treating atrial fibrillation.

Background: Ablation devices are being utilized in surgical procedures treating atrial fibrillation. Few studies seek to define a cut-off value for left atrial diameter size beyond which risks of procedure outweigh chance of sinus recovery. This study aims to identify a cut-off value for pre-operative left atrial diameter to assess the efficacy of surgical radio-frequency ablation for treatment of chronic atrial fibrillation in patients undergoing mitral valve surgery. Methods: A prospective 6-month follow-up cohort study was done, in which 40 patients were recruited during the period from May 2016 till April 2018. All patients had rheumatic mitral valve disease and permanent atrial fibrillation. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves were used to calculate the area under the curve and cut-off value for left atrial diameter. The efficacy of the overall survival time was estimated using the Kaplan‐Meier method. Results: Pre-operatively left atrial diameter of 59 mm was significantly associated with decrease in the possibility of reverting to sinus rhythm after surgery (OR 0.292, p-value = 0.001). The cut-off value for left atrial diameter was 59mm (sensitivity = 93.3%, specificity = 96.1%). Kaplan-Meier survival estimates were 175.07 days (156.3 - 193.9) for patients with left atrial diameter < 59mm and 62.64 days (26.6-98.7) for patients with left atrial diameter > 59mm. Conclusion: In patients undergoing mitral valve, higher degrees of success are associated with smaller left atrial diameter in terms of conservation of the sinus rhythm post operatively

Late Cenomanian ostracod faunas from the area south of Ain Sukhna, western side of the Gulf of Suez, Egypt

Ostracod faunas from an exposure of the Cenomanian Galala Formation in the area south of Ain Sukhna on the western side of the Gulf of Suez have yielded 11 species belonging to 10 genera. The recorded speciesare have been taxonomically described, discussed where required, and illustrated. The ostracod assemblage is characteristic for the late Cenomanian. It is composed of taxa of a typical marine shelf setting. The majority of the recorded species have a vastly extended geographic distribution in the areas along the southern shores of Tethys, indicating the absence of significant geographic barriers along this stretch during the late Cenomanian

Late Cenomanian ostracod faunas from the area south of Ain Sukhna, western side of the Gulf of Suez, Egypt

Ostracod faunas from an exposure of the Cenomanian Galala Formation in the area south of Ain Sukhna on the western side of the Gulf of Suez have yielded 11 species belonging to 10 genera. The recorded speciesare have been taxonomically described, discussed where required, and illustrated. The ostracod assemblage is characteristic for the late Cenomanian. It is composed of taxa of a typical marine shelf setting. The majority of the recorded species have a vastly extended geographic distribution in the areas along the southern shores of Tethys, indicating the absence of significant geographic barriers along this stretch during the late Cenomanian

Encephalitozoon cuniculi infection among immunocompromised and immunocompetent humans in Egypt

Background: Encephalitozoon cuniculi infects a wide range of homoeothermic animals, including man. Complications due to this microsporidian have been reported only in immunocompromised patients. Reports on E. cuniculi in immunocompetent humans are lacking, most probably, because it is not linked to any clinical manifestations in such hosts. The present work was carried out with the aim of studying, for the first time in Egypt, the prevalence of E. cuniculi infection of urinary tract among non-HIV immunocompromised patients and immunocompetent individuals. It tested also the influence of some factors on the risk of infection. Methods: Blood and urine samples were collected from 88 persons (44 non-HIV immunocompromised patients and 44 subjects as immunocompetent control group). IFAT serological assay and Weber’s green modified trichrome stain (MTS) urine smears were carried out. Molecular study by PCR was also performed to detect DNA of E. cuniculi in urine samples. A full history sheet was fulfilled for each subject to test the suspected risk factors. Results: The IFAT examination confirmed the presence of antibodies against E. cunic­uli in 44.3% of the human subjects. The seroprevalence of E. cuniculi was significantly higher in the immunocompromised patients compared with the immunocompetent individuals (77.3% versus 11.4%). Compared with IFAT (the gold standard), the sensitivity and specificity of Weber’s green MTS smears were 69.23% and 89.80%. By using PCR, no positive cases were detected among human subjects. Conclusion: A high prevalence of E. cuniculi infection in the studied individuals was noted. Although infection was found in some immunocompetent individuals, the im­mune status of the host remains the corner stone for occurrence of the infection