Estimating the international tourism demand for Egypt : 'an econometric approach'

The thesis aims to identify the main factors that significantly affect tourism demand for Egypt. Both time series data and panel data are used to model and forecast tourism demand for Egypt from all origins, as well as three individual regions of origin, including Europe, Arab and the Americas. The methodological and econometric approaches introduced in this thesis proceed from the simple to the more complex structure to obtain more reliable estimation. First, we estimate tourism demand for Egypt using the co-integration and error correction (CI/ECM) approach based on a single equation, followed by using a system of equations approach over the period 1970-2009. All the estimated econometric methods, in addition to two univariate time series methods, are used to generate ex-post forecasting for all the models over the period 2005-2009. The preferred method is used in producing ex-ante forecasting of future tourism demand for Egypt for the period 2010-2014. Panel co-integration techniques are also used to estimate tourism demand models over the period 1980-2009. Finally, the causality relationship between tourism demand and its economic determinants is estimated based on panel data analysis, which may provide more guidance for policy makers in Egypt.The results indicate that tourism demand for Egypt is found to be co-integrated with its fundamental determinants at the 1% significance level, with a high adjustment speed toward the steady state equilibrium. The importance of long-run income for all tourists from different nationalities is affirmed; with an elastic demand for non-Arab tourists. Price is also an important determinant, with a different effect in each originating region. It takes less than unity value for all tourists, except the Arab. Tunisia is found to be the most significant alternative to Egypt, with a complementary effect for Europe and the Americas tourists, but substitutability effect for Arab tourists. Hotel capacity is a significant and positive factor for all nationalities, except the Americas. Globalization is important in all models; it has a positive effect for all non-Arab nationalities. Political instability has a significant and negative effect, with the most effect on the Americas. All the determinants Granger cause tourist arrivals in the long run, but globalization and hotel capacity are of great importance with a bidirectional effect with tourist arrivals. Ex-post forecasting results show that the CI/ECMs outperform the other time series methods and produce highly accurate forecasts. The number of arrivals and nights from all origin markets is likely to increase in absolute terms (2010-2014), but with slower growth than recent trend

Contractual Suggestions for Engineer in Green Buildings

This paper discusses green buildings construction contracts with very important suggestions related to an engineer who is either a consultant, a designer, a site engineer or a supervisor over such constructions. This research discusses the commitment of an engineer to the green buildings’ code and the importance of previous consultancy on such constructions in addition to the commitment of an engineer to green engineer standard and adoption of typical contracts. The engineer should consider the consequences of using green materials and the additional works, services and guarantees that should be provided after the implementation. In addition, an engineer should avoid the disadvantages of offering his previous experience and promises extensively. This paper concludes with many results and recommendations, most important of which is that the commitment to green codes is absolutely different from traditional standards required by an engineer to avoid liability. Keywords: Green engineer, green engineer standard, green buildings, green code, construction materials, additional works, experience, LEED, and traditional buildings

Contractual Suggestions for the Contractor in Green Buildings

Many contractors are seeking to practice green buildings and to enter green market without realizing risks that might rise thereof. This paper will suggest the important issues relating to green construction contracts, to be considered by the contractor whether to include or exclude from the contract with an owner, to avoid liability. Thus, it discusses the material used in green building, guarantees for obtaining green certification, the delays in works implementation, determination of obligation and its related risk and the contractor understanding of his obligation. It concludes that the contractor should take care upon conclusion of the contract to include all the provisions that ensure the integrity of performance and to avoid liability and the Jordanian legislator shall provide legal ambit for green building construction.   Key word: green building, construction, liability, contractor

Green Building Insurance

This paper addresses fundamental issues in green building insurance. Thus it discusses the modernity of the insurance for such buildings, the scope of insurance liability in green insurance, the role of the judge in developing the provisions of this contract through his modernized judgment, parties to the green insurance contract and the nature of the green insurance contracts for them, along with the applicable law, and it highlights the cases that may arise between the parties. The paper concludes a number of results, most important, that the nature and novelty of green buildings may be accompanied by unusual risks in traditional buildings which requires special insurance contract to cover such risks and to create specialized experts in green buildings to be relied upon by the court in issuing decisions as the judiciary may play a major role in developing the legal rules for green building, and finally it stresses the necessity to make the green building insurance contract obligatory. Key words: green building, LEED, traditional buildings, green insurance, risks, green material

Race and Criminal Justice in Canada

The relationship between race and crime has long been a subject of study in the United States; however, such analysis is more recent in Canada. A major factor impeding such study is the fact that racial/ethnic data are not routinely collected and available in Canada, unlike the United States. The collection of such data would arguably undermine the multi-cultural mosaic of Canada as a place of acceptance and tolerance. However, the lack of such data bellies research suggesting that race plays a role in the Canadian criminal justice system. Using available, albeit, limited research studies and their data, the role of race is evident throughout the justice system. Thee findings of this study are placed within a theoretical context emphasizing structural sources of differential treatment in the Canadian justice system. It may be time for Canada to recognize the fact that race plays a role in the justice system and formally collect and document the nature and extent of its role

The inluence of leader power on interpersonal conflict among employees of government linked companies, Malaysia / Rozilah Abdul Aziz … [et al.]

Organizational conflict is partly depended on the magnitude of power exercised by superiors in the workplace. The need to investigate how manager’s power affects subordinates’ interpersonal conflict is crucial so that managers can change or maintain their power to achieve optimum result in organization. Hence, the purpose of this study is to examine the influence of leader power towards interpersonal conflict at Government Linked Companies (GLCs), Malaysia. A total of 388 questionnaires were distributed to employees of GLCs, Malaysia. A Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) analysis revealed that forty-one percent of the variation in interpersonal conflict can be explained by the power possessed by managers. It also revealed there is a strong positive, linear and significant relationship between leader power and interpersonal conflict. Therefore, management should be concerned with the authority given to managers as power could lead to a devastating interpersonal conflict

Assessment of Level of Radiation Leakage at Certain Scientific Stores

Background: Radiation is a radiation dose rate at a specified location which is generated by any combination of natural and artificial (man-made) ionizing radiation sources. Background radiation varies with location and time. The global average exposure of humans to ionizing radiation is about 2.4 – 3mSv (0.0024-0.003Sv) per year. Objective: To detect, and calculate the total cumulative dose of radiation exposure in the center of the store and outside by moving the detector " portable PalmRAD"  away from a source. Patients and Methods: By using portable PalmRAD 907 Nuclear Radiation Meter to detect, and calculate the total cumulative dose of radiation exposure in the center of the store and outside by moving the detector " portable PalmRAD"  away from a source. the study was conducted in 2015, the first of March up until June. Results: The findings indicate that approximately 100% of students, academic staff or public in general are exposed to radiation near the store`s window (3.5 m from the store center), and the estimated total cumulative dose of radiation exposure exceeded  (13 µ Sv / day) and compare this finding with the standards level of radioactive substances, "Cs137" is (8.333 µ Sv / day) or (3000 µ Sv / year) [5, 18]. It is concluded that there is a risk to any low level radionuclide exposure. Conclusion: Low-level radiation can cause many health problems; even any level of radiation can be dangerous. There is always a bad effect of natural background radiation on DNA as well as several measures of health

Salicylic Acid and Glycyrrhizic Acid Ammonium Salt in Colloidal and Nano Forms for Management of Potato Brown Rot Infection Caused by Ralstonia solanacearum

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is a low-cost high-energy food possessing increasing demand around the world. Potato bacterial infections are serious biotic constraints to potato production, particularly in tropical and subtropical climates. This study aimed to manage Ralstonia solanacearum the causal agent of potato brown rot using salicylic acid (SA) and glycyrrhizic acid ammonium salt (GAS) in the colloidal and nano forms. SA and GAS were used in colloidal and nano form in three concentrations: 0.15, 0.30, and 1.25 mM to reduce the growth of the pathogen. Potato crop production and percentage of brown rot severity in Cara and Spunta cultivars were calculated. The gene expression profiles of Glucan endo-1,3-β-D-glucosidase, Polygalacturonase, Indole-3-acetic acid-amido synthetase GH3.3, and Cytoplasmic heat shock protein were assessed in Cara and Spunta cultivars under different treatments. The inhibition zone of Ralstonia solanacearum growth reached the highest record of 2.85 mm in response to 1.25 mM of GAS-NPs in comparison to other treatments. Interestingly, the treated Spunta cultivar with 1.25 mM recorded of 0% severity in comparison to 78.8% in the control. The Cara cultivar crop production increased to 4.62 kg in response to 1.25 mM SA-NPs compared to 3.72 kg, 3.9 kgs, and 1.82 kgs in the treated plants with 1.25 mM SA, negative and or positive control, respectively. GAS-NP treatments showed the lowest expression profile of plant defense genes and maintained the negative control expression profile. SA and GAS-NPs enhanced potato plant resistance and crop production in response to the phytopathogenic bacterial brown rot disease

Impact of oral omega-3 fatty acids supplementation in early sepsis on clinical outcome and immunomodulation

AbstractIntroductionSepsis is a systemic inflammatory response that is usually aggravated by inappropriate immune responses, which can be inhibited by omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants.ObjectivesTo determine the efficacy and safety of omega-3 fatty acid plus antioxidants in early sepsis.Methods75 patients with sepsis were divided equally into: (group A) who received high dose omega-3 fatty acids plus fixed dose antioxidants for consecutive 7 days besides conventional sepsis treatment, (group B) who received the same treatment as group A but a lower dose of omega-3 fatty acids and the control group who received only conventional sepsis treatment. All groups were followed up by: Inflammatory markers, SOFA score monitoring, need for organ supportive measures, length of ICU stay, 28 day mortality, final outcome and complications.ResultsCompared to the control group, the high dose omega-3 fatty acid exhibited significantly lower levels of CRP, IL6 and PCT at day 7 (P = 0.047, 0.05, 0.041 respectively). Compared to the control group, group A patients showed significantly lesser need and shorter duration of mechanical ventilation (P = 0.044, 0.038 respectively), significantly reduced development of severe sepsis indicated by mean and highest SOFA score; (P = 0.040 and 0.046 respectively), with insignificant difference in the need for vasopressors and hemodialysis (P = 0.12, 0.6 respectively). Comparing low dose omega-3 fatty acids plus antioxidants group to control group using same parameters, no significant results were found.ConclusionThe use of a short term high dose omega-3 therapy is safe and associated with promising effects on inflammatory cascade and may play a role in treatment of these patients