CLOUD COMPUTING AND ITS EFFECT ON PERFORMANCE EXCELLENCE AT HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN EGYPT (AN ANALYTICAL STUDY)

This period is marked by current financial crisis and challenges related to many growing needs. Consequently, universities are facing problems in providing necessary information technology (IT) support for fulfilling excellence in performance. More specifically, the best practices of Cloud Computing need to be considered within higher education institutions. Therefore, the current study aimed at investigating cloud computing, in terms of: (1) definition; (2) its most important principles; (3) models; and (4) benefits of its use to fulfill performance excellence in higher education institutions. This involves shedding light on cloud computing models and the possibility of its use in higher education institutions, and exploring the effect of using cloud computing in achieving performance excellence there. Additionally, the study aimed at clarifying the challenges and obstacles that face cloud computing. To reach these objectives, the researchers employed a qualitative research methodology for collecting and analyzing data. The study concluded some results, most important of which are: (1) there is a significant relationship between cloud computing and excellence of performance as cloud computing mainly aims at achieving tasks quickly with the least effort and cost. Personnel, customers, innovation and leadership are the core elements to achieve excellence in higher education institutions, and are major components of cloud computing. These positive results support the use of Cloud-Computing solutions in universities and improving knowledge in this field and providing a practical guide adaptable to the university structure

Optimized Clustering Protocol for Balancing Energy in Wireless Sensor Networks

While wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are increasingly equipped to handle more complex functions and in-network processing may require these battery powered sensors to judiciously use their constrained energy to prolong the effective network lifetime. Cluster-based Hierarchical Routing Protocol using compressive sensing (CS) theory (CBHRP-CS) divides the network into several clusters, each managed by a set of CHs called a header. Each member of the header compresses the collected data using CS. This paper proposes an optimized clustering protocol using CS (OCP-CS) to improve the performance of WSNs by exploiting compressibility. In OCP-CS, each cluster is managed by a cluster head (CH). CHs are selected based on node concentration and sensor residual energy, and performs data aggregation using CS to reduce the energy consumed in the process of data sampling and transmission. Simulations show that our proposed protocol is effective in prolonging the network lifetime and supporting scalable data aggregation than existing protocols

Synthesis, spectroscopic and thermal characterization of quinoxaline metal complexes

The coordination behaviour of the quinoxaline ligand with N and O donation sites, derived from 3-(2-oxo-2-p-tolylethyl)quinoxalin-2(1H)-one (HL), towards some transition metal ions namely Mn(II), Fe(III), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) are reported. The metal complexes are characterized based on elemental analyses, IR, 1H NMR, solid reflectance, magnetic moment, molar conductance and thermal analyses (TG, DTG and DTA). The ionization constants of the quinoxaline ligand as well as the stability constants of its metal chelates are calculated spectrophotometrically at 25 oC and ionic strength = 0.1 M (1M NaCl). The chelates are found to have octahedral structure. The ligand and its chelates are subjected to thermal analyses and the different activation thermodynamic parameters are calculated from their corresponding DTG curves to throw more light on the nature of changes accompanying the thermal decomposition process of these compounds. The biological activity of the synthesized ligand and its metal complexes also are screened against the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria (Forsk) (Orthoptera-Acrididae) and its adult longevities. They showed remarkable biological activity

Impact of New Large Aircraft on Airport Flexible Pavements

The objective of the study is to evaluate the effects of New Large Aircraft (NLA) on airport flexible pavement in terms of its expected impact on pavement life. The study is conducted using Hurghada Airport air fleet composition at four hypothetical annual departure levels, four standard subgrade strength categories, and introducing NLA at five different percentages. On the basis of the results of this research, it is concluded that, where an airport has a subgrade with CBR values higher than 6%, airport authority may permit the operation of A380 up to an additional 3% of the existing annual departures without losing more than 10 to 30 percent of pavement life. For airports with CBR values less than 6%, a significant reduction in pavement life as high as 40 to 90% should be anticipated in case of introducing the A380 at 3 percent share in the traffic mix or more. In case of subgrade strength CBR less than 6%, there is a high rate of pavement life reduction due to introduction of A380 up to 2% share in the traffic mix. However, there is a low rate of pavement life reduction due to introduction of A380 from 2% and up to 5% share in the traffic mix. Keywords: Airports, New Large Aircraft, NLA, Flexible pavements, A38

ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION NORMAL FLORA BACTERIA FROM DIFFERENT AREAS OF NINAVA GOVERNORATE

ABSTRACT: In this study, different types of bacteria were isolated and diagnosed from soils collected from different areas of Ninava governorate, new strain of bacteria was discovered, based on biochemical tests and genetic examination (16S rRNA) and the strain was recorded under accession number (MW690182) in the Gene Bank (NCBI). The isolated bacteria were Bacillus Subtilis strain that given new name (AHM1976) it was positive for gram stain, motility, hemolytic, beta type. Keywords: isolation; identification; normal flora bacteria.   Isolamento e identificação de bactérias da flora normal de diferentes áreas da província de Ninava, Iraque   RESUMO: Neste estudo, diferentes tipos de bactérias foram isolados e diagnosticados em solos coletados em diferentes áreas da Província de Ninava, Iraque. Foi descoberta uma nova cepa de bactéria, com base em testes bioquímicos e exame genético (16S rRNA), sendo essa cepa registrada sob o número de acesso (MW690182) no Gene Bank (NCBI). A bactéria isolada foi a cepa Bacillus Subtilis, que recebeu novo nome (AHM1976), testando de forma positiva para coloração de gram, motilidade, hemolítica, tipo beta. Palavras-chave: isolamento; identificação; bactérias da flora normal.   ABSTRACT: In this study, different types of bacteria were isolated and diagnosed from soils collected from different areas of Ninava governorate, new strain of bacteria was discovered, based on biochemical tests and genetic examination (16S rRNA) and the strain was recorded under accession number (MW690182) in the Gene Bank (NCBI). The isolated bacteria were Bacillus Subtilis strain that given new name (AHM1976) it was positive for gram stain, motility, hemolytic, beta type. Keywords: isolation; identification; normal flora bacteria.   Isolamento e identificação de bactérias da flora normal de diferentes áreas da província de Ninava, Iraque   RESUMO: Neste estudo, diferentes tipos de bactérias foram isolados e diagnosticados em solos coletados em diferentes áreas da Província de Ninava, Iraque. Foi descoberta uma nova cepa de bactéria, com base em testes bioquímicos e exame genético (16S rRNA), sendo essa cepa registrada sob o número de acesso (MW690182) no Gene Bank (NCBI). A bactéria isolada foi a cepa Bacillus Subtilis, que recebeu novo nome (AHM1976), testando de forma positiva para coloração de gram, motilidade, hemolítica, tipo beta. Palavras-chave: isolamento; identificação; bactérias da flora normal.

Outcomes of Karydakis Flap versus Modified Bascom Technique in Treatment of Pilonidal Sinus Disease

Background: Pilonidal sinus disease is a common surgical concern for 20- and 30-year-old males. Surgery is the most acceptable management. Surgical recurrence and wound infections are rare especially with Wide excision. It leaves a large midline incision that takes months to heal and may lower quality of life. The optimal therapy is debatable. Karydakis flap and Modified Bascom are two promising surgical techniques. Objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate early postoperative outcomes and satisfaction of patients with Pilonidal Sinus (PNS) who underwent either Karydakis flap or Modified Bascom Cleft Lift Procedure at our Department. Patients and methods: From March 2022 to January 2023, Qena University Hospitals, South Valley University performed a randomized control experiment on 60 pilonidal sinus patients. Metronidazole was administered intravenously before 30 min and after 6 h of all spinal anaesthetic surgeries. Results: The Karydakis group had a greater rate of infection occurrence than the Modified Bascom group (P = 0.0237), but there was no difference in drain removal, hospital stay, post-operative discomfort, or pain. Modified Bascom group required significantly longer time for painless defecation than Karydakis group (P = 0.01773). Both research groups had good to excellent post-operative patient satisfaction. Conclusion: Both methods are effective in management of Pilonidal Sinus with no huge distinction. Modified Bascom Technique has a lower risk of infection. However, Karydakis Flap was better to achieve painless defecation in a shorter period of time

ANER: Arabic and Arabizi Named Entity Recognition using Transformer-Based Approach

One of the main tasks of Natural Language Processing (NLP), is Named Entity Recognition (NER). It is used in many applications and also can be used as an intermediate step for other tasks. We present ANER, a web-based named entity recognizer for the Arabic, and Arabizi languages. The model is built upon BERT, which is a transformer-based encoder. It can recognize 50 different entity classes, covering various fields. We trained our model on the WikiFANE\_Gold dataset which consists of Wikipedia articles. We achieved an F1 score of 88.7\%, which beats CAMeL Tools' F1 score of 83\% on the ANERcorp dataset, which has only 4 classes. We also got an F1 score of 77.7\% on the NewsFANE\_Gold dataset which contains out-of-domain data from News articles. The system is deployed on a user-friendly web interface that accepts users' inputs in Arabic, or Arabizi. It allows users to explore the entities in the text by highlighting them. It can also direct users to get information about entities through Wikipedia directly. We added the ability to do NER using our model, or CAMeL Tools' model through our website. ANER is publicly accessible at \url{http://www.aner.online}. We also deployed our model on HuggingFace at https://huggingface.co/boda/ANER, to allow developers to test and use it

GAMBE: GAMma Blind neutron Efficient detector

Thermal neutron detectors, which are based on semiconductor material such as silicon coated with neutron reactive material like 10B and 6Li have been discussed for many decades. The performance of the thermal neutron detector system, GAMBE, which is based on two silicon sensors in a sandwich configuration is investigated. The results show that a single sandwich design with 6LiF film of (1.5 ± 0.6) mg/cm2 thick can achieve a total ("tn) and a coincidence ("cn) detection efficiency of 4% and 1% respectively. While, 6Li foil of (40 ± 10) μm thick is able to attain a ("cn) of (1.5 ± 0.9)% and a ("tn) of (9.2 ± 1.4)%. The coincidence that defines a true neutron hit is the simultaneous signal recorded by the two sensors facing the conversion layer. These coincidences provide a very good method for rejecting spurious hits coming from gamma-rays, which are usually present in the neutron field under measurement. This methodology results in a high gamma-ray rejection factor of 108. However, the price to pay is a reduction of the detection efficiency of the single sandwich detector. The thermal neutron detection efficiency of the detector is enhanced by using a stacked detector configuration and highdensity polyethylene (HDPE) sheets, as neutron moderators and reflectors. The GAMBE detector is positioned inside a box of HDPE with a lead window in the direction of the neutron flux for neutron moderation and a reduction of the effect of gamma-rays on the detector. The experimental layout was modeled in MCNP4C to investigate the contribution of HDPE to the thermal neutron flux (n/s/cm2). In this research, a stack of 4 silicon semiconductor sensors with two 6LiF films of an average thickness of (2.8 ± 0.6) mg/cm2 in a configuration of two sandwiches is shown to achieve a total and a coincidence detection efficiency of (27 ± 3)% and (4 ± 1)% respectively. This represents a significant improvement compared to a single detector. The effect of these stacked detectors for the development of a handheld thermal neutron detector, using 4 coated Si detectors is shown to have a 22% efficiency. Finally, this information is used to inform the optimised design of the handheld detector. The results based on GEANT4 and MCNP4C simulations indicate that the total detection efficiency of this portable detector with a stack of 7 sandwich detectors will increase up to 52% by using an optimal thickness of a 6LiF film of 17 μm (3.95 mg/cm2). This handheld detector has a highest total detection efficiency of 69% when using a 6Li foil of 36 μm thick

Perceptions on the Status of Livelihoods Among Communities in Lower Tana Delta Conservancy in Tana River County Along the Kenyan coast

Human effort towards establishment of conservancies is important for the conservation of biodiversity. Perceptions of the local communities towards the Lower Tana Delta Conservancy (LTDC) effort for livelihoods improvement in Tana River County along the Kenyan coast are not well understood. The key objective of the study was to determine perceptions among the local communities living in Chara, Ozi and Konemansa Locations on LTDC towards their livelihood improvements in Tana River County. The study was conducted through a randomized study design using semi-structured questionnaire, Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and Focus Group Discussion (FGDs). The research was conducted between December 2015 and February 2016. The participants who were interviewed came from 207 households, 15 key informants who consisted of some conservancy board members, community leaders and elders. R statistical software was used to analyze the categorical data sets. There were significant differences on the participants’ perceptions on LTDC contribution towards institutional governance, benefits of the conservancy to the community. Overall the results showed differential perceptions on contributions of LTDC towards livelihood improvements of local communities in Tana River County and suggest that the establishment of the conservancy as a resource has had accrued benefits to different communities living in the conservancy. Keywords: Lower Tana Delta Conservancy; Community Livelihoods; Institutional governanc

Productivity of 18F-FDG-PET/CT Diagnostic Tool in the Management of Pediatric Lymphoblastic Lymphoma

BACKGROUND: Lymphoblastic lymphoma (LL) comprises approximately 20% of childhood non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL); however, few studies had investigated the role of 18F-FDG-PET/CT in pediatric LL patients. We aim in this study to assess the role of 18F-FDG-PET/CT in the initial staging of newly diagnosed pediatric patients with LL as well as in the assessment of response after induction chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective study enrolled biopsy proven newly diagnosed pediatric LL patients presenting in the Children Cancer Hospital Egypt (CCHE) during the period from October 2014 to October 2016. 18F-FDG-PET/CT was done initially before therapy and after induction chemotherapy in all patients. The patients were followed until the end of April 2018 (mean 23.5 months). RESULTS: All lymphoma involvement lesions (n = 43) were FDG avid and the intensity of nodal FDG uptake was variable. Two patients (11%) had bone marrow (BM) involvement by < 25% blast cells with corresponding positive BM focal uptake in 18F-FDG-PET/CT (SUVmax = 4 and 4.5). Evaluation post induction phase; CT detected 8 residual lesions in 8 patients (44.4%), while 18F-FDG-PET/CT detected only 3 Deauville-positive residual lesions in 3 patients (16.6%). No intensification of therapy was done in all post-induction positive patients. Repeated 18F-FDG-PET/CT at week 18 for post-induction patients revealed cleared all Deauville-positive residual lesions. On the other hand, repeated CT at week 18 detected regression but still residual in 4/8 (50%) post-induction CT lesions with clearance of the rest (50%). CONCLUSION: In initial staging, 18F-FDG-PET/CT is a useful tool for disease extent evaluation of pediatric LL. Moreover, it could provide a diagnostic hint for BM involvement. 18F-FDG-PET/CT done after induction therapy has a good negative predictive value with higher specificity than CT alone, but is not an indication for treatment intensification due to false positive results. However, larger sample size is required for better conclusion