ROAD TRAFFIC NOISE MAPPING BASED ON FIELD MEASUREMENTS IN LOCATION THAT DO NOT HAVE A STANDARDIZED MODEL IN ALGERIA

The present study addresses the issue of noise pollution in Algeria due to road traffic and the possible preventive means and solutions for its abatement, in order to maintain an adequate sound environment in urban areas, especially next to residential ones. The main objective of this study aims at establishing an initial noise map for the Champs de Manoeuvre residential estate in Guelma; a medium-size city of Algeria, by adopting a research methodology that involved applying a quantitative investigation through carrying out field measurements during the winter and the summer season, three times for one week, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, using a sound level meter to measure and calculate the weighted equivalent continuous sound pressure level LAeq for 10min, the statistical level L10, the maximum sound level Lmax, the Traffic noise index TNI and the Noise pollution level NPL. The results obtained from the measurement campaign showed the extent of the noise levels produced from road traffic in the vicinity of the residential buildings in the studied area, emitted mainly from passing vehicles, acceleration and the irrational usage of horns, which led to a LAeq level of 74 dB at the source, thus, exceeding the 70 and 55 dB thresholds set in both of the Algerian noise regulation and the World Health Organization noise guidelines. Subsequently, implementation of the noise mapping technic can help in visualizing the spatio-temporal distribution of noise, in identifying its main sources and black spots in urban areas and in drawing up primary action plans for fighting against this issue

Teachers’ readiness and usage of online teaching practices in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: An empirical investigation

The substantial disruption caused by the COVID-19 epidemic to the world's education system is only one of the many setbacks the world has recently experienced. The transition of the students from their offline learning mode to a fully digital approach was not easy from the beginning for them.   The online teaching readiness heavily relied on their competencies and skills to adapt the pedagogy, training, technical skills, a proper mindset   and new roles. This research endeavors to evaluate the readiness of the teachers belonging to higher education institutions (HEIs) to handle online education based on the online teaching readiness model.  A systematic questionnaire with 30 statements was used by the researcher to collect and analyse data from 296 HEI lecturers in Saudi Arabia.  Smart PLS3 was used to attain reliability, convergent, discriminate validity and model fitness. These programs will help equip the teachers with the necessary technical skills, pedagogy, competency   and readiness to comprehend the requisite techniques of online teaching and the vital strategies for keeping their students engaged. Technical proficiency, pedagogy, competency and teaching readiness show a direct relationship with online education. On the other hand, attitude and training do not show any relationship with online education

The Oman Animal and Plant Genetic Resources Center’s (OAPGRC) Science Café: A Success Story”

Science Cafés are held in many towns and cities across the world for the promotion of scientific culture and the understanding of our daily lives, which we live in. They provide a platform for interaction and dialogue between scientists, researchers, businesses and the community on trends towards current scientific issues the extent of their impact on culture and society. The Oman Animal and Plant Genetic Resources Center (OAPGRC) Science Cafe is a forum for the discussion of important and interesting scientific topics and issues. Since May 2013 to December 2015, OAPGRC has held a series of science café sessions on topics related to biodiversity, food security, climate change, pollution and sustainable use. The OAPGRC science café is the first in Oman to be put on the international map of scientific cafes around the world.  Reviewing the data on the outcomes and performance of these sessions indicates that the session attendance and active participation was 51% by men and 49% women. This is an exceptional case where the interest is almost equal between the genders. As for the age group, the highest percentage 49% was of a class of young people aged between 18-25 years. Followed by the age group (26-35 years) which was 30%. The lowest percentage was 21% for the age group of above 35 years. The experience of the science café in Oman has been proved as a major success for both the scientific and social aspects. Therefore there are different plans to maintained and develop it in the near future

Circulating Interleukin-23 Levels in Rheumatoid Arthritis and its Relationship to Disease Activity: a Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic and systemic autoimmune disease that is characterized by severe synovial inflammation, cartilage erosion, bone loss, and generalized vasculopathy. Although the immunologic mechanism of RA is still unclear, it is now thought to be a primarily Th17-driven disease. Along with other factors, IL-23 stimulates the expansion of Th17 cells from naive CD4+ T cells. Objective: The objective of this study is to assess the circulating levels of interleukin (IL)-23 in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and determine the correlation between plasma/serum IL-23 levels and disease activity. So, we performed a systematic review with meta-analysis comparing plasma/serum IL-23 levels between patients with RA and controls and examined correlation coefficients between circulating IL-23 levels and disease activity Subjects and Methods: Using the following keywords: lenterleukin-23, IL-23, and rheumatoid arthritis, a comprehensive literature search was carried out in the following databases: PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses standards were followed, and the review was registered in the PROSPERO International prospective register of systematic reviews with registration number CRD42022345901. Results were reported as standardized mean differences (SMDs) with a 95% confidence interval. All statistical analysis was performed using StatsDirect statistical software version 3.0.0 (StatsDirect Ltd., Cheshire, UK). A sensitivity analysis was conducted using the leave-one-out approach to test the robustness of the results. Results: The total sample size for the RA group included in our review was 408 cases, while the control group sample size was 244 cases. The serum IL-23 level in the RA group was significantly higher than the control group (pooled SMD = 3.5, 95% CI; 2.1: 4.8, P < 0.0001) as compared to the control group. There were 8 studies with a total sample size of 402 that reported the correlation between IL-23 and DAS28-based RA activity. According to our findings, a significantly positive correlation between IL-23 and DAS28-based RA activity was found, with a weighted mean correlation of 0.57 (95% CI; 0.4: 0.75, P < 0.0001). Conclusion: Our meta-analysis has shown that IL-23 circulatory levels are higher in RA patients and that there is a significant positive correlation between IL-23 and disease activity. Our findings emphasize the role that IL-23 may have in RA. More studies may be required to fully comprehend the involvement of IL-23 in RA.

Traditional knowledge of wild edible plants used in Palestine (Northern West Bank): A comparative study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A comparative food ethnobotanical study was carried out in fifteen local communities distributed in five districts in the Palestinian Authority, PA (northern West Bank), six of which were located in Nablus, two in Jenin, two in Salfit, three in Qalqilia, and two in Tulkarm. These are among the areas in the PA whose rural inhabitants primarily subsisted on agriculture and therefore still preserve the traditional knowledge on wild edible plants.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Data on the use of wild edible plants were collected for one-year period, through informed consent semi-structured interviews with 190 local informants. A semi-quantitative approach was used to document use diversity, and relative importance of each species.</p> <p>Results and discussion</p> <p>The study recorded 100 wild edible plant species, seventy six of which were mentioned by three informants and above and were distributed across 70 genera and 26 families. The most significant species include <it>Majorana syriaca, Foeniculum vulgare, Malvasylvestris</it>, <it>Salvia fruticosa, Cyclamen persicum, Micromeria fruticosa, Arum palaestinum, Trigonella foenum-graecum</it>, <it>Gundelia tournefortii</it>, and <it>Matricaria aurea</it>. All the ten species with the highest mean cultural importance values (mCI), were cited in all five areas. Moreover, most were important in every region. A common cultural background may explain these similarities. One taxon (<it>Majoranasyriaca</it>) in particular was found to be among the most quoted species in almost all areas surveyed. CI values, as a measure of traditional botanical knowledge, for edible species in relatively remote and isolated areas (Qalqilia, and Salfit) were generally higher than for the same species in other areas. This can be attributed to the fact that local knowledge of wild edible plants and plant gathering are more spread in remote or isolated areas.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Gathering, processing and consuming wild edible plants are still practiced in all the studied Palestinian areas. About 26 % (26/100) of the recorded wild botanicals including the most quoted and with highest mCI values, are currently gathered and utilized in all the areas, demonstrating that there are ethnobotanical contact points among the various Palestinian regions. The habit of using wild edible plants is still alive in the PA, but is disappearing. Therefore, the recording, preserving, and infusing of this knowledge to future generations is pressing and fundamental.</p

CXCL10 and ILâ 6: Markers of two different forms of intraâ amniotic inflammation in preterm labor

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/137580/1/aji12685_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/137580/2/aji12685.pd

Contribution a l'etude des proprietes magnetiques des systemes spinelles isolants CdCr2xIn2-2xS4 et ZnCr2xGa2-2xO4 : phases type verre de spin

SIGLECNRS T Bordereau / INIST-CNRS - Institut de l'Information Scientifique et TechniqueFRFranc

The unveiling of a new risk factor associated with bladder cancer in Lebanon

Abstract Background No accurate evaluation of smoking and water pollution on bladder cancer has been conducted in the Lebanese population. Our aim is to examine the significance of smoking and one of the main water pollutants Trihalomethanes (THM) on bladder cancer risk. Methods Population Attributable Fraction (PAF) was used to quantify the contribution of the risk factors smoking and THMs on bladder cancer in Lebanon. To calculate PAF for each risk factor, we used the proportion of the population exposed and the relative risk for each risk factor. Relative risks for each risk factor were obtained from published meta-analyses. The population at risk values were obtained from a report on chronic disease risk factor surveillance in Lebanon which was conducted by the World Health Organization between 2008 and 2009 and a national study by Semerjian et al. that conducted a multipathway exposure assessment of selected public drinking waters of Lebanon for the risk factors smoking and THMs, respectively. Results Bladder cancer cases that were the result of smoking in Lebanon among males and females are 33.4 and 18.6%, respectively. Cases attributed to mid-term exposure to THM contamination of drinking water is estimated at 8.6%. Conclusion This paper further highlights the negative impact of smoking on bladder cancer risk and adds an overlooked and often underestimated risk that THMs have on this type of cancer. Thus, it is imperative that a national based study which assesses THM exposure by gender and smoking status be implemented to determine the real risk behind this byproduct