Calculating the Value of Nature & The Cost of Hurricane Harvey: Leveraging Eco-Adaptation Valuation in American Policy & Practice

Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) is a strategy that “uses biodiversity and ecosystem services…to help people adapt to the adverse effects of climate change” by taking “into account the multiple social, economic and cultural co-benefits for local communities” (SCBD, 2009). EbA valuation is a holistic process that calculates the cost, benefits, and impacts of ecosystem services in adaptation strategies. This research provides methods for valuing ecosystem services and a justification of ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) in order to leverage effective resilience planning decisions. The goal of this research is to a) show that proactive, land-based adaptation is more cost-effective than reactive mitigation in resilience projects (i.e. EbA is more beneficial than grey infrastructure) and b) provide guidelines for understanding the EbA valuation process and recommendations for communicating EbA to stakeholders. The costly impacts of Hurricane Harvey on Texas are explored to highlight problems that can be addressed by EbA principles to potentially alleviate flooding from future storm surge. EbA valuation trends in policy, practice, and messaging are assessed to provide communication guidelines as methods for influencing resilience policy. This study culminates in visual aids and recommendations based on specific stakeholder values with the aim of generating EbA buyin from American planners, policymakers, and the public. The goal is to influence decisionmakers into utilizing the example of Texas and this study’s recommendations to potentially leverage EbA policy and mainstream EbA valuation in American resilience practice. The overall objective is to alleviate the increasing cost burden of storm surge impacts

Evaluating the use of dedicated swab for rapid antigen detection testing in group a streptococcal pharyngitis in children

Background: Group A streptococcus (GAS) is the most common and fearful bacterial cause in pediatric acute pharyngitis due to its serious complications. Several generations of rapid antigen detection tests (RADTs) have been developed to facilitate rapid detection of GAS pharyngitis. We assessed the value of using a dedicated swab for RADT rather than using the same swab for throat culture and RADT.Methods: We conducted a prospective, single-center study that included children with suspected GAS pharyngitis. Paired throat swabs were taken simultaneously from each child. We dedicated one swab for RADT (RADT#1) and used the other swab to inoculate blood agar plate surface, and then immediately to process the RADT (RADT#2).Results: The prevalence of GAS pharyngitis among the participants was 28% based on throat culture positive results. The RADT#1 and RADT#2 had sensitivity results of 92.9% and 84.3% respectively. Both RADT#1 and RADT#2 had 96.1% specificity.Conclusion: We found that RADT resulted in a better sensitivity when one swab was dedicated for the test. Therefore, physicians are encouraged to use separate swabs for each diagnostic test when both RADT and throat culture are performed.Key words: GAS, pharyngitis, rapid antigen detection test Evaluation de l'utilisation d'un swab dedice pour des essais rapides de detection d'antigene dans le groupe a pharyngite streptococale en enfantsContexte: Le streptocoque du groupe A (GAS) est la cause bactérienne la plus fréquente et la plus effrayante de la pharyngite aiguë pédiatrique due à ses graves complications. Plusieurs générations de tests de détection d'antigène rapide (RADT) ont été développés pour faciliter la détection rapide de la pharyngite GAS. Nous avons évalué la valeur de l'utilisation d'un tampon dédié pour RADT plutôt que d'utiliser le même écouvillon pour la culture de la gorge et la RADMéthodes: Nous avons mené une étude prospective et à centre unique comprenant des enfants atteints de pharyngite soupçonnée de GAS. Des écouvillons de gorge appariés ont été pris simultanément par chaque enfant. Nous avons dédié un écouvillon pour RADT (RADT # 1) et utilisé l'autre écouvillon pour inoculer la surface de la plaque d'agar de sang, puis immédiatement pour traiter le RADT (RADT # 2).Résultats: La prévalence de la pharyngite GAS chez les participants était de 28% selon les résultats positifs de la culture de la gorge. Le RADT # 1 et le RADT # 2 ont des résultats de sensibilité de 92,9% et 84,3% respectivement. Les deux RADT # 1 et RADT # 2 avaient une spécificité de 96,1%.Conclusion: Nous avons constaté que RADT a permis une meilleure sensibilité lorsqu'un tampon a été dédié au test. Par conséquent, les médecins sont encouragés à utiliser des écouvillons séparés pour chaque test de diagnostic lorsque la RADT et la culture de la gorge sont effectuées. Mots clés: GAS, pharyngite, test rapide de détection d'antigèn

The Transient Electromagnetic Field above Atmospheric Surface Duct

The transient electromagnetic field generated by vertical electric dipole in evaluation duct is investigated theoretically. A vertical electric dipole in the surface layer is taken as the source of the electromagnetic field. We determine the electric field strength exactly at some fixed point in the duct layer expansion with time, the image of the primary source permits us to apply the method first for Cagnaird and later extended by De Hoop and Frankena to the cases .Hence, we can give a physically intuitive description of polarization dependence at the time of the electrical field strength. The distinction of different cases where the distances between the receiving and transmitting ends at greater or lesser than the total reflection distance is studied. Keywords: Electromagnetic field, Magnetic dipol

The Transient Electromagnetic Field above Atmospheric Surface Duct

The transient electromagnetic field generated by vertical electric dipole in evaluation duct is investigated theoretically. A vertical electric dipole in the surface layer is taken as the source of the electromagnetic field. We determine the electric field strength exactly at some fixed point in the duct layer expansion with time, the image of the primary source permits us to apply the method first for Cagnaird and later extended by De Hoop and Frankena to the cases .Hence, we can give a physically intuitive description of polarization dependence at the time of the electrical field strength. The distinction of different cases where the distances between the receiving and transmitting ends at greater or lesser than the total reflection distance is studied. Keywords: Electromagnetic field, Magnetic dipol

The response of a vertical dipole above a conducting earth

An exact representation for the electromagnetic field above a conducting earth is investigated theoretically. The time domain response of a vertical magnetic dipole above a conducting half-space is of a crucial importance in the interpretation of air borne electromagnetic data. The classical approach in finding a solution is to apply Fourier inversion to the formal time harmonic solution, leading to a representation in the form of a double infinite integral.   Keywords: electromagnetic field, anisotropic and isotropic   

The electric field strength above atmospheric surface duct

The paper presents a method which allows the calculation of the atmospheric distortion of radar pules, provided that the influence of the atmosphere is to transfer the transmitted signal through a duct. The polarization of the primary sources, whose moment varies arbitrarily in time, is chosen in such a way that it allows the exact determination of the electric field strength at some field point above the duct layer. We can determinate the transient behavior of the electric field strength at any distance above the duct. Keywords: Electromagnetic field; Atmospheric surface duc

End-to-end delay analysis for routing protocols in VANETs

Vehicular ad-hoc network (VANET) technology enables communication between vehicles, or vehicles and road-side units (RSUs) through wireless communication devices installed on the vehicles. One of the most important goals of VANETs is providing safety applications for passengers. In addition, VANETs provide comfort applications to users. Guaranteeing a reliable and stable routing protocol over VANETs is a very important step. The proposed research attempts to improve routing protocols that decrease the end-to-end delay to suit VANET communication characteristics. In addition, it proposes analysis of the end-to-end delay probability distribution. More specifically, we derive a closed-form expression for the probability distribution of the re-healing delay in a VANET conditioned on the distance between two VANET clusters. Furthermore, we propose a closed-form expression for the probability distribution of the unconditional re-healing delay. Moreover, we develop a mathematical model to calculate the probability distribution of the end-to-end delay. On the other hand, using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or drones in wireless communications and Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks (VANETs) has started to attract attention. We propose a routing protocol that uses infrastructure drones for boosting VANET communications to achieve a minimum vehicle-to-drone packet delivery delay. In addition, we propose a closed-form expression for the probability distribution of the vehicle-to-drone packet delivery delay on a two-way highway. Moreover, based on that closed-form expression, we can calculate the minimum drone density (maximum separation distance between two adjacent drones) that stochastically limits the worst case of the vehicle-to-drone packet delivery delay. Furthermore, we propose a drones-active service (DAS) that is added to the location service in a VANET. This service dynamically and periodically obtains the required number of active drones based on the current highway connectivity state by obtaining the maximum distance between each two adjacent drones while satisfying a probabilistic constraint for vehicle-todrone packet delivery delay. Our analysis focuses on two-way highway VANET networks with low vehicular density. The simulation results show the accuracy of our analysis and reflect the relation between the drone density, vehicular density and speed, other VANET parameters, and the vehicle-to-drone packet delivery delay. In addition, we propose a new routing protocol called multi-copy intersection-based routing (MCIR) for vehicular ad-hoc networks (VANETs) in urban areas. MCIR is an intersectionbased routing protocol that forwards multiple copies of the packets in different road segments. Moreover, it is a beacon-less routing protocol with a carry-and-forward strategy. We show via simulation that the MCIR protocol is superior to other existing routing protocols, especially in low vehicular density scenarios. The results show that MCIR achieves a shorter end-to-end delay and a higher packet delivery ratio in urban VANET communications

Assessment of vehicular live load and load factors for design of short-span bridges according to the new Egyptian Code

AbstractThe new Egyptian Code (ECP-201:2012) introduces new vehicular live loads (VLL) and new load combinations for the design of roadway bridges. The new VLL and load combinations introduced in ECP-201:2012 are fundamentally different than those presented in previous versions of the code. The impact of these new loads and load combinations on the design of new bridges or the structural safety of the existing bridges that have been designed according to ECP-201:2003 or ECP-201:1993 has not been fully addressed for the different bridge deck systems. Three different bridge deck systems, i.e. concrete I-shaped girders, composite steel plate girders, and concrete box-girders with different spans were numerically modeled using two-dimensional grillage analogy. The bridge decks were analyzed under main gravity loads using VLL according to ECP-201:2012 and ECP-201:2003. The internal forces of individual load cases, total un-factored load combination, and total factored load combination of ECP-201:2012 and ECP-201:2003 were compared.The study shows that concrete box-girders designed according to ECP-201:2012 and ECP-201:2003 using the ultimate limit state method yield almost the same demand. Despite the increase in the VLL of ECP-201:2012, and consequently the live load forces, concrete I-shaped girder bridges will be subjected to less total factored internal forces in comparison to ECP-201:2003 This is attributed to the interaction between the live to dead loads ratio and the load combinations. Design of composite steel plate girder bridges according to ECP-201:2012 using the allowable stress design method yields over designed sections

Bacterial contamination of white coats and hands of healthcare workers at mansoura university children’s hospital, Mansoura-Egypt

Background: Transmission of hospital acquired infections (HAIs) may be associated with contamination of healthcare workers’ (HCWs) hands and white coats.Objective: The purpose of this study was to clarify the role of HCWs’ white coats in transmitting HAIs and to determine the association between bacterial contamination of HCWs’ hands and white coats.Methods: A total of 154 HCWs were enrolled in the study; different samples were taken from their hands and white coats. Samples were processed and both microbiological and biochemical characterization of the isolates were done using standard microbiological protocols.Results: Up to 65.6% of hands and 61% of coats of HCWs were contaminated by microorganisms. Staphylococcus aureus was the most commonly isolated organisms from both hands and coats of HCWs (29.2%, 27.3% respectively) followed by MRSA (22.1%, 24.7% respectively).Conclusions: The risk for contamination of hands and coats of HCWs is high in different clinical settings. In order to reduce the rate of HAIs, a strict dress protocol should be set into play to prevent cross contamination between HCWs and patients.Keywords: contamination, HCWs, coat, hand, Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA. Contamination bacterienne de manteaux blancs et de mains de soins de sante a l'hopital pour enfants de l'universite mansoura, Mansoura-EgypteContexte: La transmission des infectionsObjectif: Le but de cette étude était de déterminer l'étendue, le type et l'association entre la contamination bactérienne des mains des travailleurs de la santé et les blouses blanches.Méthodes: Au total, 154 travailleurs de la santé ont été inclus dans l'étude; différents échantillons ont été pris de leurs mains et des manteaux blancs. Les échantillons ont été traités et la caractérisation microbiologique et biochimique des isolats a été effectuée en utilisant des protocoles microbiologiques standard.Résultats: Jusqu'à 65,6% des mains et 61% des couches de TS ont été contaminées par des micro-organismes. Le Staphylococcus aureus était le plus souvent isolé des deux mains et des deux sexes (29,2%, 27,3%), suivi par le SARM (22,1%, 24,7% respectivement).Conclusions: Le risque de contamination des mains et des couches de TS est élevé dans différents contextes cliniques. Afin de réduire le taux d'IASS, un protocole vestimentaire strict devrait être mis en place pour prévenir la contamination croisée entre les travailleurs de la santé et les patients.Mots clés: contamination, agents de santé, manteau, main, Staphylococcus aureus, SAR

SYNTHESIS OF NOVEL IMIDAZOLE AND FUSED IMIDAZOLE DERIVATIVES AS CYTOTOXIC AND ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS: MOLECULAR DOCKING AND BIOLOGICAL EVALUATION

Objectives: The objective of this work is to synthesize novel imidazole and fused imidazole derivatives using 5-arylidene-2-hydrazino-3-phenyl imidazolin-4-ones (5a-c) as key intermediate. The structure of the newly synthesized compounds was characterized using IR, 1HNMR, Mass spectroscopy, elemental analysis and some representative 13CNMR.Methods: The target compounds were synthesized starting from 5-arylidene-2-hydrazino-3-phenyl imidazolin-4-ones (5a-c) which prepared from the appropriate 5-arylidene-2-(methylthio)-3-phenyl imidazolin-4-ones (3a-c). Several synthetic pathways were be used for the preparation of the targets. Some of the newly synthesized compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic activity against breast carcinoma and colon carcinoma cell lines. On the other hand, the antimicrobial activity evaluation of some newly prepared compounds was performed using cup plate diffusion method.Results: Compound 5c was the most active one against breast carcinoma (IC50=3.3 ug/ml) and colon carcinoma cell lines (IC50=4.73 ug/ml) when compared with doxorubicin as standard. Molecular docking studies further supported the highest potency of 5c and further help understanding the various interactions between the ligand and enzyme active sites. On the other hand, the antimicrobial activity evaluation showed that most of the evaluated compounds exhibited broad spectrum activity.Conclusion: The present work led to the development of promising antitumor compounds containing substituted imidazolidin-5-one or imidazotriazol-6-one skeletons. Compounds 5c showed the highest potency at low µg/ml level against breast MCF-7 and colon HCT116 cell lines. On the other hand, most of the newly synthesized compounds showed broad spectrum antimicrobial activity when cup plate diffusion method was performed.Â