Optimization of Cash Flow and Financing Costs in Construction Projects

The contractor’s cash shortage during the progress of a construction project leads to delays, penalties and may lead to project failure. Since the net difference between the cash inflow and cash outflow during construction shall be financed by the contractor, the contractor must consider methods to improve their cash flow in order to maximize the profit margin and minimize the financing costs. Several studies have covered optimization of cash flow and optimization of financing costs, separately. This model integrates both approaches in an attempt to determine the best project schedule and financing alternative; that cover the cash shortage with maximum profitability. The model proposes different ways that attempt to overcome the deficit in cash flow; first by minimizing the amount of financing required through shifting the activities with lag to enhance the cash flow, without extending the project duration, then evaluating different financing alternatives; namely long and short-term loans. The outcome of the model is a modified cash flow for the project with less financing required from the contractor, and feasible schedules of financing inflow and outflow based on the best financing alternative, that attempts to cover the lack of cash with the minimum financing cost. In addition, the model provides the user with a negotiable bid alternative that determines the optimum increase in advance payment, that shall overcome the cash shortage, without borrowing funds. The model has been tested and validated on a case study, and a sensitivity analysis has been performed

Intravenous Lidocaine Infusion with Single Low-Dose Ketamine as an Adjuvant to General Anesthesia in Posterior Spine Fusion

Background: Posterior spinal fusion (PSF) is a common surgical operation used to correct degeneration of the lumbar spine with considerable postoperative pain. The primary objective of this study is to compare the total intraoperative and postoperative opioid consumption and numeric pain scale during the first 24 hours after surgery between the lidocaine/ketamine group and the narcotic-only group. Materials and Methods: Sixty adult patients (age 18–65 years) scheduled for elective PSF were included. Patients were divided randomly into either the lidocaine/ketamine group (LK group), who received lidocaine and ketamine injection in addition to usual perioperative narcotic analgesia, and the narcotic-only group (N group) who depended on narcotics only. The primary outcome measures were total intraoperative and postoperative opioid consumption and pain scores during the first 24 hours postoperatively. The secondary outcome measures were sedation score, intravenous rescue analgesia, postoperative nausea and vomiting, and pruritis during the first 24 hours postoperatively. Results: Patients in the LK group had lower intraoperative fentanyl consumption (216.3 ± 28.8 μg) than those in the N group (363 ± 35 μg). The LK group consumed less morphine during the first 24 hours after surgery (49.5 ± 6.0 mg) than the N group did (57.8 ± 8.6 mg). The LK group had lower pain scores at all-time intervals during the first 24 hours (2, 6, 12, and 24 hours) than the N group did. Conclusions: Intraoperative lidocaine infusion with low-dose ketamine reduced opioid consumption and pain scores in patients undergoing PSF

The Impact of Herding on the Expected Return in the Egyptian Stock Exchange

This paper examines the impact of herding behaviour on the expected return in the Egyptian Stock Exchange by adding an additional risk factor reflecting herding behaviour to the capital asset pricing model. The study used monthly excess stock returns of 50 stocks listed on the Egyptian Stock Exchange from January 2014 to December 2018. The results do not support the capital asset pricing model before and after adding the herding behaviour factor, therefore there is no effect of herding behaviour on the expected return

Sampling plans designing with simulation when life time distributed the logistic distribution

Sampling design is a very important topic; it is the most efficient when it comes to costs and convenience. Time live distribution should be identified to give the best estimator of sampling plans. This research discuses designing sampling plans when life time follow logistic distribution, so we can use distribution parameters to calculate the required sample size and number of groups. This will enable us to decide to accepting or rejecting the whole lot. The findings of this research show the specific number of group and the specific size of these samples that give the lowest costs for accepting or rejecting the lot. Future research papers could be done on other distributions to investigate how sampling plans can be affected by distributing life time. Designing sequent and multiplied sampling plans can guarantee the decision of accepting or rejecting the lot through hiring the less numbers of groups and smallest size of the sample

Effect of Some Medicinal Plants as Feed Additives on Growth Performance, Blood Constituents and Carcass Characteristics of Broilers

The present work aimed to study the effect of feeding broiler chicks on diets containing different levels of fenugreek, anise and curcuma seeds powder, as natural feed additive on productive performance, carcass characteristics, some blood constituents and economic feed efficiency. One hundred and forty, one-day old (Ross 38) unsexed broiler chicks were obtained from local commercial source, weighed and randomly distributed to 7 equal groups, each of 20. The birds were fed with two basal diets (starter and finisher diets). The experimental diets were as follows: basal control diet without any feed additives (G1), basal diets supplemented with 0.2 and 0.5% fenugreek (G2 and G3 respectively), basal diets supplemented with 0.3 and 0.6% anise seeds (G4 and G5 respectively), and lastly basal diets supplemented with 0.3 and 0.5% curcuma (G6 and G7 respectively). During the experiment the body weight and feed intake were measured and consequently, weight gain and feed conversion ratio were calculated. At the end of the experiment, three birds from each group were slaughtered for blood sampling and serum extraction then. Finally, economical evaluation of the diets was calculated. The results showed that, dietary inclusion of fenugreek, anise and curcuma, had significant (P <0.05) improvement in the live body weight, total weight gain and feed conversion ratio, While, the feed intake was not affected by the dietary inclusion of them. Some blood constituents were affected with these additions. The relative economic feed efficiency was increased by dietary inclusion of the three additives

Repetition's Poeticity in Abe Al-Kasem Al-Shabe's Collection of Poems

  This research aims at dealing with repetition’s poeticity in Abe Al-Kasem Al-Shabe’s collection of poems, that phenomenon appeared clearly in his poetry which is closely connected with the poet’s psyche and helps in building in his life. This repetition depends on a group of stylistic choices to a specific subject and to a specific linguistic formula. This reveals eventually the secret behind the poet’s trend to this stylisitic genre not another. The research also tries to identify with repetition types used by Abe Al0Kasem Al-Shabe represented in repeating the letter, the verb, the word, the pronoun, the sentence, the verse, the stanza and the creative repetition. It also tries to identify with the role of these points in building a sentnece with its different types. It also aims at knowing to which degree those points were able to to make new poetic contexts which have stronge meanings for the receiver and which in its turn work on attracting his attention to live within the poetic state which is portrayed by the poet himself.The research also reveals the accurate structure of this repetition resulted from Al-Shabe’s genuisity in the artisitic poetic text

SENTIMENTAL HERDING: THE ROLE OF COVID-19 CRISIS IN THE EGYPTIAN STOCK MARKET

This study aims to investigate the existence of herding behaviour during COVID-19 crisis in the Egyptian stock market by using firm-level data and employing different testing methodologies. The study also investigates the existence of herding behaviour during COVID-19 crisis at the level of portfolios divided based on the size and the value factors. The study used the nonlinear model proposed by Chang, Cheng and Khorana (2000) and the state-space model developed by Hwang and Salmon (2004) to measure herding behaviour. The study found that the nonlinear model proposed by Chang et al. (2000) lead to results indicating evidence of herding during COVID-19 crisis. However, there was no evidence of herding behaviour during COVID-19 crisis when using the state-space model developed by Hwang and Salmon (2004). As for the level of portfolios, the study found evidence of herding during COVID-19 crisis only when using (Chang et al., 2000) methodology, at the level of the portfolio of stocks with low and high (B/M) ratio and the portfolio of big stocks only during COVID-19 crisis

Sinteza 1-acil-2-alkiltio-1,2,4-triazolobenzimidazola s antimikotskim, protuupalnim i analgetskim učinkom

Some new derivatives of 1,2,4-triazolo[2,3-a]benzimidazoles were synthesized through the reaction of 1,2-diaminobenzimidazole with carbon disulfide. The resulting 1,2,4-triazolo[2,3-a]benzimidazole-2-thione intermediate reacted with one equivalent of the appropriate respective alkyl halide to give the corresponding 2-alkylthio derivative 3a-g. The latters were acylated to afford the 1-acyl-2-alkylthio-1,2,4-triazolo[2,3-a]-benzimidazole derivatives 4-10 in good yields. Structures of the new compounds were verified on the basis of spectral and elemental methods of analyses. Fourteen of the prepared compounds were tested for their possible antifungal activities. Most of the tested compounds showed activity against Candida albicans and Fusarium oxysporum comparable to that of fluconazole as a reference drug. Compounds 8a, 9a, and 10d are the most active ones against most of the used fungi. Compounds 3e, 4d, 5d, 6d, 7d, 8c, 8d, 9d, and 10d were tested for their anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects; most of these compounds showed potent and significant results compared to indomethacin. Moreover, ulcerogenicity and the median lethal dose (LD50) of the most active compound 8d were determined in mice; LD50 was found to be 275 mg kg-1 (i.p.).Sintetizirani su novi derivati 1,2,4-triazolo[2,3-a]benzimidazola reakcijom 1,2-diaminobenzimidazola s ugljičnim disulfidom. Nastali 1,2,4-triazolo[2,3-a]benzimidazol-2-tioni reagiraju s jednim ekvivalentom odgovarajućeg alkil halida pri čemu nastaju 2-alkiltio derivati 3a-g. Acilacijom produkata 3 dobiveni su derivati 1-acil-2-alkiltio-1,2,4-triazolo[2,3-a]-benzimidazola 4-10 u dobrim iskorištenjima. Strukture novih spojeva potvrđene su spektroskopskim metodama i elementarnom analizom. Ispitivano je antimikotsko djelovanje 14 priređenih spojeva, uz flukonazol kao poredbenu tvar. Većina testiranih spojeva djeluje na Candida albicans i Fusarium oxysporum slično kao flukonazol. Najaktivniji su bili spojevi 8a, 9a i 10d. Produkti 3e, 4c, 5c, 6c, 7c, 8b, 8c, 9c i 10c ispitani su na protuupalno i analgetsko djelovanje, uz indometacin kao poredbenu tvar. Većina spojeva ima značajno djelovanje. Najaktivniji spoj testiran je na ulcerogenost. Srednja letalna doza (LD50) određena je na miševima i iznosi 275 mg kg-1 (i.p.)