Busking: analysis of its regulation and business models in Europe

[EN] Busking is an historic activity that consist of performing art in public spaces. From ancient troubadours, busking allows a broad audience to experience art directly and aim to connect with the local community. However, nowadays busking is under devaluated in some locations and faces a fragmented regulation depending on each municipality or it is regulated without the participation of the local communities involved. In order to create more regular employment and new business models based on or related to busking, the participation of all the groups of interests will be necessary to create a professionalized image. In this work we want to explore how policymakers and governments could use it to enhance their historic attractions (providing specific areas for busking), conserve their city s identity (regulating the contents of busking), construct a sense of community (with the participation of the local community) and explore new sectors, such as the creative industry (creating new hubs and services with the participation of buskers).[ES] El arte callejero es una actividad histórica que consiste en la expresión artística en lugares públicos. Desde los antiguos trovadores, el arte callejero permite a una audiencia amplia disfrutar directamente el arte y su objetivo es conectar con la comunidad local. Sin embargo, en la actualidad el arte callejero está devaluado en varias localidades y, dependiendo de cada municipio, encontramos una regulación muy fragmentada o se ha regulado sin la participación de las partes interesadas de la comunidad local. Por otro lado, en otras ocasiones se ha podido crear un empleo regular y nuevos modelos de negocio alrededor del arte callejero, siendo necesaria la participación de todos los grupos de interés para crear una imagen profesionalizada. En este trabajo, por tanto, se pretende explorar cómo los políticos y gobiernos podrían hacer uso del arte callejero para mejorar sus lugares históricos (proporcionando espacios delimitados), para conservar la identidad de las localidades (regulando sus contenidos), para construir una comunidad local (por medio de la participación) y para explorar nuevos sectores, como la industria creativa (creando nuevos centros de desarrollo y nuevos servicios con la participación de los artistas).Mahmoud, MMMMK. (2020). Busking: analysis of its regulation and business models in Europe. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/151769TFG

Association between aortic sclerosis and coronary artery disease

Background: Although there is a recognized link between cardiovascular hazards and coronary artery disease (CAD), it is still unknown whether aortic sclerosis and CAD are linked.Objective: This study aimed to check whether if there is a link between aortic sclerosis and the existence and severity of coronary artery disease .Patients and methods: 204 individuals were enrolled in the study, transthoracic echocardiographic, and coronary angiography were done. Aortic leaflets were tested for the amount of thickness in the short axis view. The involvement of coronary arteries represented by the gensini score and the association between aortic valve sclerosis score and the degree and severity of coronary affection was investigated using the Gensini score.Results: The individuals were divided into 2 groups grounded on the severity of aortic valve sclerosis. Group A (GP A) included patients with aortic valve sclerosis (AVS) ≥ 2 and group B (GP B) included patients with AVS < 2. In GP A, the right coronary cusp was the most afflicted one, whereas the LAD was the most affected in coronaries. The degree and severity of CAD were more significant in GP A, as evidenced by a higher Gensini score value of 39.27 versus 28.84 in GP B.Conclusion: AVS has been found to be correlated with the presence and severity of CAD and could be used as a potential surrogate marker for the illness

The Effect of Zooxanthellae Availability on the Rates of Skeletal Growth in the Red Sea Coral Acropora Hemprichii

Zooxanthellae density affects growth rate of Acropora hemprichii at reef flat and 10 m depth, where the correlations were significantly moderate at reef flat (r = 0.461 & P < 0.01) and significantly high at 10 m depth (r = 0.636 & P = 0.424). Non interactive effects were obtained at 20 and 25 m depths, where the correlations were insignificant (r = 0.346 & P < 0.19 and r = 0.103 & P < 0.706, respectively). Either zooxanthellae density, hosted by Acropora hemprichii, or growth rate was decreased with depth increase. Zooxanthellae density at reef flat (1.55± 0.303 x 106 cells/cm2) was twice higher than at 25 m depth (0.706± 0.253 x 106 cells/cm2). However, growth rate at reef flat was approximately three times higher than at 25 m depth (0.013± 0.0024 mm\day). The maximum growth rate (0.0335 mm\day) and zooxanthellae density (1.32 106 cells/cm2) were recorded during summer season, whereas the minimum growth rate (0.01769 mm\day) and zooxanthellae density (0.931106 cells/cm2) were recorded during autumn

Predictors of high calcium score in patients with negative myocardial perfusion imaging

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the major cardiovascular diseases. Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) plays an important role in the diagnosis and prognosis of CAD.Objective: The aim of the present study was to reduce the generalization of doing calcium score for all coronary cardiac patients with negative myocardial perfusion imaging. Patients and methods: A retrospective cohort study analysis using data from Alfa Scan Center, a major outpatient radiology center in Cairo, Egypt, and conducted in Cardiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University that included a total sample of 1168 participants with negative myocardial perfusion imaging not known to have history of CAD, and age ranged between 20 to 80 years from both sexes. All patients were subjected for SPECT-MPI after the intravenous injection of 99mTc-sestamibi.Results: There was statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding age, gender, weight, chest pain, hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, family history of CAD, beta blockers, aspirin, resting diastolic blood pressure (DBP), rest ECG abnormalities and exercise duration. Age, gender, diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia were the predictors of any coronary artery calcification (CAC &gt; 0) in patients with negative myocardial perfusion imaging. Age, gender and Duke Treadmill Score were the predictors of significant coronary artery calcification (CAC &gt; 100) in patients with negative myocardial perfusion imaging.Conclusion: Calcium score for all not known coronary cardiac patients with negative MPI is a mandatory, particularly if they are old, male gender and have multiple risk factors

The Effect of Zooxanthellae Availability on the Rates of Skeletal Growth in the Red Sea Coral Acropora Hemprichii

Zooxanthellae density affects growth rate of Acropora hemprichii at reef flat and 10 m depth, where the correlations were significantly moderate at reef flat (r = 0.461 &amp; P &lt; 0.01) and significantly high at 10 m depth (r = 0.636 &amp; P = 0.424). Non interactive effects were obtained at 20 and 25 m depths, where the correlations were insignificant (r = 0.346 &amp; P &lt; 0.19 and r = 0.103 &amp; P &lt; 0.706, respectively). Either zooxanthellae density, hosted by Acropora hemprichii, or growth rate was decreased with depth increase. Zooxanthellae density at reef flat (1.55± 0.303 x 106 cells/cm2) was twicehigher than at 25 m depth (0.706± 0.253 x 106 cells/cm2). However, growth rate at reef flat was approximately three times higher than at 25 m depth (0.013± 0.0024 mm\day). The maximum growth rate (0.0335 mm\day) and zooxanthellae density (1.32 106 cells/cm2) were recorded during summer season, whereas the minimum growth rate (0.01769 mm\day) and zooxanthellae density (0.931106 cells/cm2) were recorded during autumn.Keywords: zooxanthellae, growth rates, depths, Acropora hemprichii and Red Sea

Control of tomato early blight and wilt using aqueous extract of neem leaves

The effect of neem (Azadiracta indica) leaf extract against Alternaria solani and Fusarium oxysporum, the causal agents of early blight and wilt of tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) respectively, was studied. Concentrations (5, 10 and 20%) of aqueous neem extract suppressed mycelial growth of both pathogenic fungi and the degree of suppression gradually increased with increasing concentration. A concentration of 20% aqueous neem leaf extract sprayed on tomato plants lowered the incidence of Alternaria early blight from 53.2 to 42.5% after two weeks and from 100 to 79.2% after 4 weeks. Spraying plus irrigation with the same extract lowered the severity of Alternaria early blight from 26.8 to 11.4% after 2 weeks and from 61.7 to 17.9% after 4 weeks (control ratio of 43.71% after 4 weeks). For F. oxysporum wilt, germination of tomato seeds was highest in pots containing the negative control (soil free of pathogen) and in pots irrigated with the aqueous neem extract. The lowest disease incidence (19.04%) was obtained in pots treated with the pathogen and irrigated with aqueous neem extract, where an 81% control of Fusarium wilt was achieved. Growth parameters of tomato (shoot and root length, number of leaves, fresh and dry weight of shoots and roots) were studied 4, 6 and 8 weeks after sowing in the presence of the pathogens. There was a significant gradual increase in growth parameters when the plants were sprayed and irrigated with aqueous neem extract with the greatest improvement recorded 8 weeks after sowing

The Role of Serum Periostin Level in Different Pediatric Allergic Diseases: A Case-Control Study

Background: Allergic diseases represent one of the most common types of diseases globally and affect a large sector of population especially children. The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the relation between serum periostin and different allergic diseases and to compare them with children of non-allergic diseases as a control group. Methods: 80 children were included in the study; 40 had allergic diseases and 40 children had no allergic diseases as controls. All participants completed the history and clinical examination, complete blood count, total serum immunoglobulin IgE (UI/ml), and serum periostin level. Results: Among the patients with allergic diseases, bronchial asthma was the most common diagnosed disease 29/40 (72.50%). Patients with allergic diseases had significantly higher mean (±SD) serum periostin when compared to infants with no allergic diseases (271.9±263.27 ng/ml and 115.33±191.42 ng/ml, P-value 0.0001). However, highly elevated serum periostin >150 ng/ml were found exclusively in patients with allergic diseases 22/40 (55.00%) and only in 4/40 (10.0%) of the controls (p-value<0.0001). Furthermore, there were a statistically significant difference between the patients with different degrees of allergic diseases severity and serum periostin level as it was 1080±251.73 ng/ml in severe allergic diseases compared to 244.5±263.57 ng/ml in mild allergic diseases (P- value 0.01). Conclusion: The most common type of allergic diseases in our study was bronchial asthma. Higher serum periostin levels were observed in allergic patients in comparison to the controls; and they were found to have a significant relationship with disease severity

Thermal comparison of mono-facial and bi-facial photovoltaic cells considering the effect of TPT layer absorptivity

With the widespread utilization of solar photovoltaics (PV), it is becoming increasingly important to understand its performance using various configurations to harvest solar energy at the most suitable efficiency, specifically in hot climates. Therefore, this paper compares mono-facial and bi-facial PV cells under the high-temperature desert climate of Sharjah (United Arab Emirates). The optimally tilted and vertical east-west configurations were compared to determine the best orientation for the studied conditions. In addition, new parameter, the rear side layer absorptivity of the mono-facial PV cell, was investigated. The comparative study considered solar radiation, ambient temperature, wind speed, and albedo. The results showed that considering the effect of absorptivity achieves better performance predictions. However, the effect of the absorptivity did not exhibit a significant influence compared to the case with zero absorptivity. As such, the PV cell temperature increased by 0.4°C and 1.4°C at an albedo of 0.2 and 0.7, considering the actual absorptivity value (0.2). On the other hand, it is worth mentioning that improper designs result in considerable temperature rises as the absorptivity value increases. Under the investigated conditions and based on the year-long comparison, the tilted bi-facial performed better than the vertical bi-facial; as the albedo increased from 0.2 to 0.7, the power gain ratio of tilted bi-facial increased from 7.18% to 20.88% and that of vertical bi-facial from -19.4% to 12.65%