The application of micromachined sensors to manned space systems

Micromachined sensors promise significant system advantages to manned space vehicles. Vehicle Health Monitoring (VHM) is a critical need for most future space systems. Micromachined sensors play a significant role in advancing the application of VHM in future space vehicles. This paper addresses the requirements that future VHM systems place on micromachined sensors such as: system integration, performance, size, weight, power, redundancy, reliability and fault tolerance. Current uses of micromachined sensors in commercial, military and space systems are used to document advantages that are gained and lessons learned. Based on these successes, the future use of micromachined sensors in space programs is discussed in terms of future directions and issues that need to be addressed such as how commercial and military sensors can meet future space system requirements

BACTEC MGIT 960 TM system for screening of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex among cattle

Bovine tuberculosis remains a disease of economic and public health importance in developing countries. The largest number of new cases of tuberculosis usually occurs in South-East Asia region and Africa. This study was aimed to evaluate the recent technique (BACTEC MGIT 960 TM system) for screening of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex among cattle in Egypt. From the 1180 cattle examined in three different Governorates (El-Sharkia, El-Gharbia and El-Monefeia) by single intradermal tuberculin test, 29 animals (2.46%) were positive reactors. The post mortem examination of the positive reactors showed that 22 animals (75.9%) had visible lesions [respiratory form (31.0%), digestive form (13.8%), mixed form (20.7%) and generalized form (10.3%)], while seven (24.1%) did not show visible lesions. The results of isolation and identification using conventional culture method (Lowenstein- Jensen medium) were 22 mycobacterial isolates (75.9%), 20 (68.97%) Mycobacterium bovis and 2 (6.9%) unidentified slow growth. The BACTEC MGIT 960 TM system was used for recovery of Mycobacteria and compared with conventional culture method (Lowenstein-Jensen medium). The recovery rate of BACTEC MGIT 960 TM system was 82.8%, while that of Lowenstein-Jensen medium was 75.9%. The mean time for detection of Mycobacteria was 17.8 ± 0.9 days and 46.5 ± 0.4 days for BACTEC MGIT 960 TM system and Lowenstein-Jensen medium, respectively while the contamination rate with BACTEC MGIT 960 TM system was 6.9% and 10.3% in Lowenstein-Jensen medium.Key words: Bovine tuberculosis, tuberculin test, Lowenstein-Jensen medium, BACTEC system

Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 and Hajj Pilgrims Who Received Predeparture Vaccination, Egypt

In Egypt, vaccination against pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus was required of pilgrims departing for the 2009 Hajj. A survey of 551 pilgrims as they returned to Egypt found 542 (98.1% [weighted]) reported receiving the vaccine; 6 (1.0% [weighted]) were infected with influenza virus A (H3N2) but none with pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus

Helicobacter pylori and epithelial mesenchymal transition in human gastric cancers: An update of the literature

Gastric cancer, a multifactorial disease, is considered one of the most common malignancies worldwide. In addition to genetic and environmental risk factors, infectious agents, such as Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) contribute to the onset and development of gastric cancer. H. pylori is a type I carcinogen that colonizes the gastric epithelium of approximately 50% of the world's population, thus increasing the risk of gastric cancer development. On the other hand, epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a fundamental process crucial to embryogenic growth, wound healing, organ fibrosis and cancer progression. Several studies associate gastric pathogen infection of the epithelium with EMT initiation, provoking cancer metastasis in the gastric mucosa through various molecular signaling pathways. Additionally, EMT is implicated in the progression and development of H. pylori-associated gastric cancer. In this review, we recapitulate recent findings elucidating the association between H. pylori infection in EMT promotion leading to gastric cancer progression and metastasis.Open Access funding was provided by Qatar National Library.Scopu

Résection laparoscopique d’une duplication gastrique chez l’adulte: traitement avec succès pour une pathologie rare

Les duplications de l'appareil digestif sont les malformations congénitales rares qui peuvent toucher tout  l'appareil digestive depuis la bouche jusqu' à l'anus. Certaines duplications sont asymptomatiques et sont diagnostiqués dans la plupart des cas pendant l'enfance. La prise en charge de la duplication gastrique est essentiellement chirurgicale. Le traitement de choix est l'exérèse complète de la duplication gastrique. Les auteurs rapportent un cas inhabituel de duplication gastrique complètement reséquée par laparoscopie. A notre connaissance, ceci est le premier cas d'une duplication gastrique traitée avec succès par laparoscopie dans la littérature Tunisienne. La Résection laparoscopique peut être ajoutée à l'arsenal thérapeutique dans le traitement chirurgical de duplications du tube digestif.Key words: Duplication, estomac, diagnostic, endoscopi

Tegumental Effects of Methanolic Extract of Balanites aegyptiaca Fruits on Adult Paramphistomum microbothrium (Fischoeder 1901) under Laboratory Conditions

Background: Weak efficacy of different fasciolicidal compounds used for treatment of paramphistomosis has drawn the attention of many authors to alternative drugs. The purpose of this study was to assess, for the first time, the effect of the methanolic extract of Balanites aegyptiaca fruits (BAE) on adult Paramphistomum microbothrium. Methods: The effect of BAE on adult P. microbothrium after 24 h incubating the parasites in RPMI 1640 culture medium containing 10, 50, 100 and 200 µg/ml BAE was determined by light and scanning electron microscopic studies. Results: Differences in response to BAE action were concentration dependent.The major target organ that was highly affected was the tegument. Maximum anthelmintic activity was found with a dose of 200 µg/ml BAE, at which distinct damage to the whole body surface of the trematodes was very much distinct. Shape and structure of both suckers were deformed due to BAE. This damage would undoubtedly disrupt many of the physiological processes associated with the tegument. Besides, the damage of the tegumental folds of the acetabular region might disrupt its function in drawing the rumen wall tissue of the host into the acetabular cavity. Conclusion: the use of methanolic extract of B. aegyptiaca fruits offers a new dimension and potential for control of such a neglected infectious disease in ruminants, at a time when paramphistomosis has emerged as an important cause of productivity loss

Dividend policy and religion: International evidence from firms with Islamic Label

This paper builds on prior research and argues that religion, as an informal cultural institution, may impose constraints on corporations. The framework of Shariah-compliant firms presents a unique opportunity to investigate this assertion and checks whether firms with Islamic label pay out more or less dividend. Since Islamic Law narrows the investment opportunity sets for Shariah-compliant firms, one would expect Shariah-compliant firms to pay out more dividends to shareholders (investment constraint hypothesis). On the other hand, the prohibition of interest-bearing financing, make of retained earnings an appealing alternative to finance projects, hence resulting in lower dividend payouts (financing constraint hypothesis). Tests on a sample of 13,249 firm-year observations from 17 Islamic countries support the investment constraint hypothesis: Shariah-compliant firms pay out more dividends than non-Shariah compliant ones. Our results are robust to various specifications and after controlling for different variables and addressing potential endogeneity concerns. 2021 Elsevier B.V.Hatem Ghouma acknowldges financial support from Gerarld Shwartz School of Business and St. Francis Xavier University (grant number 98729 ). Hamdi Ben-Nasr acknowledges financial support from Qatar University , QUUG-CBE-DFE-17/18-6 . Both authors thank IdealRatings for providing screening data on Shariah-Compliant firms.Scopu