Simple Method for Measuring Small Retardance

Small retardances are encountered in many experimental works. Internal stresses, weakly birefringent materials, optical windows and formation of contaminating surface layers are sources of small retardances. Most known methods for retardance measurements fail to determine accurately their values which are sometimes essential in the evaluation of experimental results. In this work, we present a method for accurate measurement of a small retardance. Our study aims to find the retardance error in a birefringent full-wave plate which, if perfect, is considered as of zero retardance. Our treatment will make use of a previously presented model for simultaneous calibration of two phase plates

Assessing the impact of clinical pharmacy services on the healthcare outcomes of patients attending an outpatient haemodialysis unit in a rural hospital in Egypt: a quasi-experimental study

Objectives This study aimed to investigate the impact of newly introduced clinical pharmacy services on the health care of chronic haemodialysis patients attending an outpatient haemodialysis unit in a rural hospital with limited resources in Alexandria, Egypt. Methods A quasi-experimental pre-/post-test study was conducted from November 2016 till June 2018. Clinical pharmacists collected relevant information using a pre-specified form. Patients’ data were reviewed for drug-related problems (DRPs), which were documented using the Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe (PCNE) classification system, version 8.02 and resolved by the clinical pharmacists. Measured values of calcium, phosphorus and haemoglobin were compared with target levels set by the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) guidelines. Proportions of patients achieving therapeutic values of each parameter were compared before and after implementing the program using the McNemar test. We also reported the analysis of DRPs identified and addressed by the clinical pharmacy team. Key findings A total of 685 DRPs were identified during the follow-up period. Improper dose and inappropriate drug selection were the most common DRPs (45.8% and 18.9%, respectively). There was a statistically significant increase in the proportion of patients achieving target corrected calcium levels (30% pre-intervention versus 69.6% post-intervention, P = 0.001) and haemoglobin levels (9.1% pre-intervention versus 31.9% post-intervention, P = 0.003), but not in phosphorus levels (18.6% pre-intervention versus 22% post-intervention, P = 0.7). Conclusions Clinical pharmacists were able to resolve frequent DRPs and improve some markers of health care in haemodialysis patients

Estimation of expected peak discharge and flood volume of the Heliopolis basin, East Cairo, Egypt, using RS and WMS program

In recent years, rainfall-induced floods in various Egyptian towns affected several regions, and the area in east Cairo was the worst. The present study aims to detect the rainfall-runoff relationships of the Heliopolis watershed and its sub-basins, to estimate peak discharge and flood volume for the storm event (12 March 2020) and predicting the runoff volume and peak discharge of the flows for various return intervals. This was achieved by applying the Hydrological models (HEC-1and HMS) program using a unit Hydrograph namely SCS-CN. The drainage system and the identification of sub-basins were established using SRTM DEM, 90 m resolution. The maximum daily rainfall per year was investigated and determined for various return times using the statistical analysis tool Hyfran. Results reveal that the peak discharge (Qp) and flood volume value (Qv) of the Heliopolis watershed are 686.8 m3/s and 48039.8 m3, respectively. The obtained results for the various recurrence times during the regression periods of 5 and 100 years, reveal that the peak flood inflow of the Heliopolis basin ranged between 19.47 and 742.16 m3/s and the flood volume ranged between 1,295,110 and 53,752,968 m3. This shows that these valleys move a significant volume of water to be released into the mainstream. The recognition and forecasting of the degree of dangerous rain events can help planners and decision-makers in finding flooded areas before the future development of the new settlements

Protecting of Marble Stone Facades of Historic Buildings Using Multifunctional TiO2 Nanocoatings

Stone surfaces and façades of historic buildings, due to their predominately outdoor location, suffer from many deterioration factors, including air pollution, soluble salts, relative humidity (RH)/temperature, and biodeterioration, which are the main causes of decay. In particular, the façades of the buildings deteriorate with direct exposure to these factors; deformation and disfiguration of superficial decoration and formation of black crusts are often observed on the stones. The development and application of self-cleaning and protection treatments on historical and architectural stone surfaces could be a significant improvement in the conservation, protection and maintenance of Cultural Heritage. A titanium dioxide nanoparticle has become a promising photocatalytic material, owing to its ability to catalyze the complete degradation of many organic contaminants and environmental factors. In this study, TiO2 nanoparticles, dispersed in an aqueous colloidal suspension, were applied directly to historic marble stone surfaces, by spray-coating, in order to obtain a nanometric film over the stone surface. The study started with an investigation of some properties of TiO2 nanoparticles, to assess the feasibility of the use of TiO2 on historic stone and architectural surfaces. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was, coupled with energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) microanalysis, (SEM-EDX), in order to obtain information on coating homogeneity and surface morphology, before and after artificial aging; the activity of the coated surface was evaluated through UV-light exposure, to evaluate photo-induced effects. The changes of molecular structure occurring in treated samples were spectroscopically studied by attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR); activity of the hydrophobic property of the coated surface was evaluated by Sterio microscopy, model Zeiss 2010 from Munich, Germany, equipped with photo camera S23 under 80X magnification. The efficacy of the treatments was evaluated through capillary water absorption, and colorimetric measurements, performed to evaluate the optical appearance. Results showed that TiO2 nanoparticles are good candidates for coating applications on historic stone surfaces, where self-cleaning photo-induced effects are well evident; they enhanced the durability of stone surfaces toward UV aging, improved resistance to relative humidity (RH)/temperature and abrasion affect, reduced accumulation of dirt on stone surfaces when left in open air for 6 months, and did not alter the original features

Glucose concentration affects recombinant interferon a-2b production in Escherichia coli using thermo-induction system

In the present work, a recombinant Escherichia coli strain was used for the production of interferon a-2b in both shake flask and in bioreactor. The first part of this research was focused on the investigation of the effect of glucose concentration on the kinetics of cell growth, recombinant protein production and acetate formation. In general, glucose supplementation to culture medium enhanced cell growth when added in concentration between 0-20 g/L. Further increase in glucose level reduces biomass production and enhances acetate accumulation in culture. The results clearly demonstrated that maximal interferon production of 27.7 mg/L was achieved in culture supplemented with 20 g/L glucose. Further improvement in recombinant interferon production process was also achieved by scaling up from shake flask to 16-L stirred tank bioreactor. The maximal volumetric interferon production in bioreactor batch culture was 44.5. mg/L after only 6 hours