Technology-enabled Learning (TEL): YouTube as a Ubiquitous Learning Aid.

The use of social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube in the society has become ubiquitous. The advent of communication technologies alongside other unification trends and notions such as media convergence and digital content allow the users of the social network to integrate these networks in their everyday life. There have been several attempts in the literature to investigate and explain the use of social networks such as Facebook and WhatsApp by university students in the Arab region. However, little research has been done on how university students utilise online audiovisual materials in their academic activities in the UAE. This research aims to elucidate the use of YouTube as a learning aid for university students in the UAE. We adopt the technology acceptance model (TAM) as the theoretical framework for this investigation. A quantitative methodology is employed to answer the research question. Primary data consisting of 221 correspondents were analysed, covering patterns of using YouTube as an academic audiovisual learning aid. Statistical techniques including descriptive, correlations, regression tests were used to analyse the data. The study concluded that students use YouTube as a learning tool for their academic studies and enriching their general knowledge; and there is a positive relationship between the use of YouTube videos in academic settings and the students’ overall performance. This study can shed light for teachers, curriculum designers, government entities, and other stakeholders on how to best utilise and integrate the online technology — YouTube — as a learning aid

Evaluation of Carbon Dioxide sequestration in Malaysian coal seams

Sequestration projects are attempting to prevent the release oflarge quantities of C02 into the atmosphere from fossil fuel use in power generation and other industries by capturing C02, transporting it and ultimately, pumping it into underground geologic formations to securely store it away from the atmosphere. It is a potential means of mitigating the contribution of fossil fuel emissions to global warming. The process is based on capturing carbon dioxide (C02) from large point sources, such as fossil fuel power plants, and storing it where it will not enter the atmosphere. The interactions of C02 with coal will be investigated under a set of conditions to determine the effects of the nature of the coal and the sequestration environment including parameters such as rank and moisture content of the coal, the temperature, and pressure, And the effect of these parameters on the C02 adsorption capacity. Some sets of experiments are conducted based on the coal collected from two different basins across Malaysia and the best isotherm obtained based on the best adsorption capacity is selected to be the major basin where the carbon dioxide gas is to be sequestrated. Adsorption experiments were favorable at high pressure and low temperature conditions and the Temkin isotherm was selected to represent the adsorption behavior

Development and Characterization of Novel Mcl-1 Inhibitors for Treatment of Cancer.

Myeloid cell leukemia-1 (Mcl-1) is a potent anti-apoptotic protein, member of the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family. Overexpression of Mcl-1 is associated with high tumor grade, resistance to chemotherapy, and poor prognosis in many types of cancers. Thus, Mcl-1 is emerging as a critical survival factor in a broad range of human cancers and represents an attractive molecular target for the development of a new class of cancer therapy. Applying an integrated screening strategy through combining high throughput and virtual screenings, multiple hit compounds with structural diversity were validated as Mcl-1 inhibitors using biochemical and biophysical methods. Based on the confirmed hit molecule and analyzing structure activity relationship (SAR) together with computational docking predicted binding poses supported by HSQC NMR studies, we have designed and optimized a novel class of selective small-molecule inhibitors of Mcl-1 using a 2,4,5 substituted benzoic acid as a scaffold. Several co-crystal structures of this class of inhibitors in complex with Mcl-1 have provided a basis for their further optimization, which ultimately led to the discovery of nanomolar potent and selective ligands that bind to the BH3 hydrophobic groove of the Mcl-1 protein. Mechanistic studies performed in genetically engineered cell lines revealed that our inhibitors have on-target activity and induce Bax/Bak dependent apoptosis; selectively antagonizing Mcl-1 function leading to the induction of the hallmarks of apoptosis. Using functional BH3 profiling assay, we identified heterogeneous dependency on Bcl-2 family members for survival in hematologic malignancies, as well as in solid human cancers. The mitochondrial response to selective Mcl-1 BH3 peptides (Noxa and MS1) predicted the in vitro sensitivity to Mcl-1 inhibitors of several cell lines found to be Mcl-1 dependent, including multiple myeloma cell line H929. 483LM, one of the most potent developed Mcl-1 inhibitors, inhibited the cell growth and induced mechanism-based apoptotic cell death in the H929 cells. Intraperitoneal treatment of the H929 cancer xenograft model with 483LM led to significant dose-dependent tumor regression. Collectively, our data demonstrates that the new class of Mcl-1 inhibitors has promising in vitro and in vivo efficacy, warranting further development toward clinical use in the treatment of human cancers.PHDMedicinal ChemistryUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/135852/1/asmady_1.pdfDescription of asmady_1.pdf : Restricted to UM users only

The mastery of the Takhtabush as a paradigm traditional design element in the hot zone climate

The Takhtabush "A covered outdoor sitting area at ground level" was introduced in the Mamluk period in the 12th century to the traditional courtyard in Egypt (El-Shorbagy 2010). It is located between the shaded courtyard and the backyard, opening completely onto the courtyard and through a Mashrabia onto the backyard which ensures a steady flow of air by convection (Fathy 1986). Several studies investigated the thermal performance of the courtyard and few of them highlighted on the importance of the Takhtabush. No one investigated how far the Takhtabush can affect the thermal performance of the courtyard. The author of this paper doubts the efficiency of the courtyard without the Takhtabush in hot arid zone where the air velocity during the summer is very low most of the time. The current research conducts a comparative study between two scenarios of the courtyard (with and without the Takhtabush) through technical investigation. The investigation is done using monitoring techniques with observation and field measurements. Data is analysed using statistical analysis software. The results showed quantitatively and qualitatively the importance of employing the Takhtabush to enhance the thermal performance of the courtyard

Evaluation of Carbon Dioxide sequestration in Malaysian coal seams

Sequestration projects are attempting to prevent the release oflarge quantities of C02 into the atmosphere from fossil fuel use in power generation and other industries by capturing C02, transporting it and ultimately, pumping it into underground geologic formations to securely store it away from the atmosphere. It is a potential means of mitigating the contribution of fossil fuel emissions to global warming. The process is based on capturing carbon dioxide (C02) from large point sources, such as fossil fuel power plants, and storing it where it will not enter the atmosphere. The interactions of C02 with coal will be investigated under a set of conditions to determine the effects of the nature of the coal and the sequestration environment including parameters such as rank and moisture content of the coal, the temperature, and pressure, And the effect of these parameters on the C02 adsorption capacity. Some sets of experiments are conducted based on the coal collected from two different basins across Malaysia and the best isotherm obtained based on the best adsorption capacity is selected to be the major basin where the carbon dioxide gas is to be sequestrated. Adsorption experiments were favorable at high pressure and low temperature conditions and the Temkin isotherm was selected to represent the adsorption behavior

On Wind Catcher Integration in Contemporary Buildings in Jeddah

Jeddah City is a hot, arid zone and is characterized by high air temperatures and humidity. New architecture shall be undertaken by attempting to achieve the paradigm of natural ventilation and initiatives should be aimed at minimizing the harmful effects of a harsh environment on city inhabitants (Mohamed, M. and Fekry, M. 2018). This paper focuses on finding reasons behind the negligence of wind catcher use, in contemporary residential buildings, in the city of Jeddah– it employs both semi-structured interviews and questionnaires with residents and professionals, to illustrate their opinions. Results show a relative lack of awareness among residents regarding passive strategies overall and wind catchers, in particular. Results also show, however, tangible potential among professionals to adapt passive strategies and tools. Most importantly, this paper attempts to illustrate how the survey’s results are contrary to conventional belief: that high levels of humidity, temperature, dust and safety issues are primary reasons for the negligence of natural ventilation strategies in Jeddah

Predictor factors of sustained virological response in patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with current direct-acting antiviral drugs

Purpose: To assess the efficacy and predictors of treatment response of chronic hepatitis C genotype 4 Egyptian patients with sofosbuvir and daclatasvir, with or without ribavirin.Methods: This prospective study enrolled 200 patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 4 infection who received sofosbuvir plus daclatasvir for 12 weeks, with the addition of ribavirin for treating cirrhotic patients. Immunological parameters such as natural killer (NK) cell percentage, phenotype, and serum C-X-C motif chemokine 10 (CXCL10) were evaluated prior to treatment and at the end of the treatment.Results: Overall, 92.5 % of the patients achieved sustained virological response at 12 weeks (SVR12), where the non-cirrhotic group had 96.29 % SVR12, while the cirrhotic group had 84.61 % SVR12. Nonresponders had lower pretreatment platelet count, higher CXCL10 levels, and lower baseline frequencies of NK cells and NK subgroup CD56- CD16+.Conclusion: Based on these results, the use of sofosbuvir plus daclatasvir with or without ribavirin for 12 weeks, is an effective regimen in the treatment of Egyptian patients infected with genotype 4 HCV. The predictors of non-response are advanced age, liver cirrhosis, lower pretreatment platelet count, higher level of CXCL10, lower baseline NK cells frequency and percentage of the dysfunctional subset CD56- CD16+. Keywords: Hepatitis C virus, Genotype 4, Sofosbuvir, Daclatasvir, Sustained virological respons

Green Synthesis, Characterization, Antimicrobial and Anticancer Screening of New Metal Complexes Incorporating Schiff Base

A Schiff base ligand of o-vanillin and 4-aminoazobenzene and its transition metal complexes of Ni(II), Co(II), Zn(II), Cu(II), Mn(II), and Zr(IV) were prepared under microwave irradiation as a green approach compared to the conventional method. The structures of new compounds have been characterized and elucidated via elemental and spectroscopic analyses. In addition, magnetic susceptibility, electron spin resonance, and electronic spectra of the synthesized complexes explained their geometrical structures. The thermal stability of Cu(II), Zn(II), and Zr(IV) complexes was studied by thermo-gravimetric analyses (TGA). Coats–Redfern and Horowitz–Metzger equations were used to calculate the thermal and dehydration decomposition activities of proposed structures kinetically. Surface morphologies of the solid compounds were imaged by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The particle size of prepared complexes was measured by using a particle size analyzer at a diffraction angle of 10.9°. The geometry structures of the synthesized compounds were verified utilizing electronic spectra, ESR spectrum, and magnetic moment value. The newly synthesized compounds were screened for antimicrobial activity. Also, the anticancer activity of the free Schiff base ligand and its metal complexes were studied against two cell lines: human colon (HCT-116) and human liver cancer cells (HepG-2). The obtained results showed that the Cu(II) complex displayed the highest cytotoxic activity (IC50 = 18 and 22 μg/mL for HepG-2 and HCT, respectively) compared to the free Schiff base ligand.publishedVersio

Predictors of Long Covid 19 Syndrome

Background: Symptoms of covid persist in most cases with development of a multisystem syndrome called long covid syndrome.Objective: The aim of the work was to evaluate symptoms that persist after the acute stage of the disease in a cohort of patients with confirmed or suspected COVID 19 and to define the predictors for long COVID syndrome.Patients and method: This retrospective study involved 164 patients with previously confirmed or highly suspected COVID 19 and still attending to the post covid outpatient clinic in El-Minia University Chest Hospital complaining from persistence of symptoms or for regular follow up. Their data was obtained from their previous medical reports. Results: Post Covid 19 symptoms were found in about 86 % of the studied patients with 42.7% reported neuropsychiatric symptoms and 26.8% reported respiratory symptoms. The most common reported symptoms in nonsevere cases were the anxiety disorders (18.9%), followed by chronic fatigue and neuropathy (15.2%), while chronic dyspnea in 9.8% mostly in severe cases, while vertigo and headache in 9.1%, musculoskeletal symptoms in 6.1% and skin lesions in 3.7%.Conclusion: It could be concluded that persistence of symptoms is very common after acute Covid 19 infection. Chronic dyspnea was reported more frequently in severe cases while anxiety reported mostly by patients with mild disease

Phosphonated Lower-Molecular-Weight Polyethyleneimines as Oilfield Scale Inhibitors: An Experimental and Theoretical Study

For many years, amino methylenephosphonate (-CH2-N-PO3H2)-based scale inhibitors (SIs) have been deployed for preventing various scales in the oil and gas industry, particularly for squeeze treatment applications. However, this class of phosphonate inhibitors showed several limitations related to environmental concerns and compatibility with brine solutions. The low toxicity of low-molecular-weight polyethyleneimine (LMW-PEI) encouraged us to phosphonate a series of branched and linear PEIs via the Moedritzer–Irani reaction. The phosphonated polyethyleneimine PPEIs are branched PPEI-600, branched PPEI-1200, branched PPEI-2000, and linear PPEI-5000. The newly synthesized PPEIs (branched and linear) were screened for calcium carbonate and barium sulfate utilizing a high-pressure dynamic tube-blocking rig at 100 °C and 80 bar. Moreover, we report the compatibility activity of all PPEIs with various concentrations of calcium ions (up to 10000 ppm). The morphology of the calcium carbonate and barium sulfate scale crystals in the absence and presence of linear PPEI-5000 was also investigated under static conditions using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The obtained results showed that all branched and linear PPEIs gave moderate calcite and barite inhibition activities. It was also found that all branched PPEIs gave moderate to poor calcium compatibility at high dosages of calcium ions (1000–10 000 ppm). Interestingly, linear PPEI-5000 displayed superior compatibility properties at high dosages of SI (up to 50 000 ppm) and high concentrations of Ca2+ ions (up to 10 000 ppm). Furthermore, field emission scanning electron microscopy analysis confirmed that the crystal shapes of CaCO3 and BaSO4 mineral scales are greatly changed in the presence of linear PPEI-5000. At high dosages of linear PPEI-5000 SI (100 ppm), the CaCO3 crystals are completely converted from cubic-shaped blocks (blank calcite) into long cluster shapes. Density functional theory (DFT) simulations reveal favorable interactions of PPEI polymers with the two mineral facets (calcite and barite) with more affinity toward the calcite surface. PPEI with more phosphonate groups exhibits affinities comparable to the commercial-scale inhibitors. The high density of the phosphonate groups on the branched PPEI and its strong affinity toward calcium ions explain its poor calcium compatibility. The polymer flocculation and sluggish barite kinetics are the potential reasons for its low performance against thepublishedVersio