Optimization of Passive and Hybrid Mode-locked Figure Eight Laser

In pulsed fiber laser using Q-switching or mode locking techniques, the choice of the different components and the management of linear and non linear parameters of the cavity, play a paramount role in the generation of stable ultra short pulses with high peak powers and low widths. In this paper, we focus on the operating process of mode locked fiber lasers especially passively and hybrid type Eight Fiber Lasers (8FLs). By modeling the light propagation within the two cavities, we describe the whole operating process of ultra short pulses generation. The interaction between the mode locking mechanism and nonlinear effects in fiber laser is also illustrated. We demonstrate enhancing non linear effects do not lead necessarily to better results. It depends on the type of mode locking techniques used. The highest and narrowest output pulses are obtained for specific values of the non linear parameters and the mean dispersion of the cavity

Informal Finance and Women in Egypt: "Banks" within Banks

Specialized credit programs for women have emerged recently in many low-income countries. Based on experience in earlier credit programs for other disadvantaged groups, one might expect that these programs for women will encounter difficulties. Relying on research done in Egypt in mid-1993 we suggest an alternative strategy for providing formal financial services to women. Our research focused on informal finance among employees of the Principal Bank for Development and AgriculturaI Credit (PBDAC). Two types of informal finance were studied: self-help financial groups that are called gam’iyas in Egypt, and merchant credits. The study involved a census of gam'iyas operating in 4 village banks, 2 branch banks, one governorate bank, and half the departments in the head office of the PBDAC system. The study covered about 2,500 of PBDAC's 40,000 employees and also included several case studies of bank employees who sold goods to other bank employees on credit. In addition, a case study was done of one community to clarify the extent to which informal finance permeated rural areas. The study found that about 4 in 5 of PBDAC's employees were members of gam'iyas operating within the Bank and that about 9 out of 10 of the households with PBDAC employees participated in gam'iyas. The average person put about $30 each month in gam'iyas, which amounted to 10 to 20 percent of their total bank compensation. Although most of the employees had bank accounts, the majority of these accounts were moribund. In addition, many of the Bank employees also bought goods from other employees on credit. The village study showed that nearly two-thirds of the households participated regularly in gam'iyas, that many of them bought goods from merchants on credit, and that numerous women stored their savings with informal moneykeepers. Many of the merchants in the community competed by selling merchandise and farm inputs on credit. The amount of informal finance found was surprising, given the number of banking facilities that operated in the area studied. We were also surprised by the amount of informal saving that was occurring among people of modest means. The research showed that PBDAC was neither satisfying the financial requirements of its employees nor the demands for financial services by most villagers, especially women. Many Egyptians make deposits in gam'iyas and with moneykeepers and likewise extensively use small and short-term loans from gam'iyas as well as from merchants. Using informal finance as a proxy, banks in general, and PBDAC in particular, are not providing some of the types of financial services that are most popular in Egypt, particularly among women. At the same time, women play a prominent role in many popular forms of informal finance, demonstrating that many of them are financiaIIy literate. PBDAC and other hanks in Egypt are providing few financial services to their own employees, thus encouraging the operation of informal banks within banks. If formal banks cannot compete with informal finance in their own offices, they will be unable to effectively compete with informal finance in the rest of the economy. It appears that PBDAC has opportunities to expand their female client base, especially in rural areas. They might do this by assigning female employees to seek more women clients, especially as depositors. Some of these depositors might later qualify as borrowers if the bank adjusts its lending technology to provide more small and short-term loans. PBDAC might also indirectly expand the informal credit available for women by increasing its formal lending to rural merchants. A moderately successful PBDAC program that attracted women clients would result in millions of Egyptian women having sustained access to formal financial services. In contrast, targeted credit programs for women will likely have difficulties in providing sustained credit access for several thousand women in the country

Nonlinear Seismic Analysis of Building - Foundation Soil Systems

This paper deals with the problem of nonlinear seismic analysis of building - foundation soil systems. The building considered is modeled as a shear - type building supported on the surface of homogeneous isotropic elastic half-space. The governing nonlinear equations of motion for the structure - soil system are solved in the time domain using the step-by-step linear acceleration method of analysis with Wilson-e modification. Different nonlinear models to simulate the behaviour of reinforced concrete under cyclic loading are used. A parametric study has been performed on a single story shear-type building with different natural frequencies supported on the surface of different soils to show the effect of different parameters on the behaviour of such structures under seismic excitation. These parameters include the type of soil, the soil conditions, the structure flexibility, and the type of analysis (elastic or inelastic). The results show that the soil rigidity, the soil layer depth, and the structure period have great influence on the response of such structures

Pregnancy outcome in rheumatic mitral stenosis patients with and without surgical correction: a prospective cohort study

Background: The aim of the current study is to assess the maternal and fetal outcomes of pregnant females with and without surgically corrected mitral stenosis (MS).Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out at Assiut Women's Health Hospital, Egypt between February 2016 and December 2016. All pregnant women diagnosed with rheumatic heart disease attending the antenatal care clinic were enrolled in the study. They were divided into two groups according to previous surgical correction of MS or not. All women were followed up during pregnancy till the end of puerperium. The primary outcome of the study was the difference in the rate of maternal cardiac complications during pregnancy between both groups.Results: The study included 48 patients (39%) with surgically corrected MS and 75 patients (61%) with uncorrected MS. All cardiac complications were significantly higher in the uncorrected MS group (p <0.05). No difference between both groups in the mode of delivery (p=0.52). Postpartum hemorrhage is more common with the corrected MS group than the uncorrected group (25% vs. 9.3% respectively, p=0.003), while the need for postpartum admission to ICU was significantly higher in the uncorrected group (p=0.006). The mean birth weight was higher in the corrected MS group (p=0.000). The percentage of stillbirths and the rate of admission to PCU was higher in the uncorrected MS group (p=0.003).Conclusions: Surgical correction of MS significantly improves the maternal and fetal outcomes of rheumatic heart pregnant females with MS

Systemic sclerosis in a patient with pityriasis rubra pilaris

Pityriasis rubra pilaris (PRP) is a rare, chronic erythematous squamous disorder of unknown etiology. It has been found in association with several autoimmune diseases, including thyroiditis, myositis, myasthenia gravis and vitiligo. Herein we report a case of systemic sclerosis in a patient with classic adult pityriasis rubra pilaris. A 38 year old woman with classic adult type 1 pityriasis rubra pilaris (PRP) developed progressive skin thickening of the trunk, face, upper and lower extremities after 2 years of PRP treatment with topical emollients and steroids. Clinical examination and immunological findings were consistent with SSc. Co-existence of these two rare conditions is documented for the first time

Chondrocalcinose articulaire révélatrice d’une hypercalcémie hypocalciurique familiale: à propos d’une observation

L'hypercalcémie hypocalciurique familiale (HHF) est une maladie bénigne à transmission autosomique dominante, caractérisée par une hypercalcémie persistante béhigne, une hypocalciurie, et des concentrations de  parathormone (PTH) normales ou modérément élevées, sans complication secondaire à l'hypercalcémie. Nous rapportons l'observation d'un patient ayant présenté une chondrocalcinose articulaire révélatrice d'une HHF. A travers cette observation nous essayons de décrire les aspects épidémiologiques, les caractéristiques cliniques, et paracliniques de cette association