STR-862: APPLICATION OF 4D AND 5D BIM IN COLD-FORMED STEEL RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS

Traditional residential building systems are not sufficient to produce the required number of housing units needed every year to solve the current housing problem in many countries. To meet such a challenge, it is necessary to explore the latest construction technologies, and to create innovative building systems that have the potential to bring high-performance affordable housing within reach of new markets. Light (cold-formed) steel (CFS) framing systems have proven to be a worthy alternative to traditional systems. Recent advances in the application of Building Information Modeling (BIM) into the Architecture-Engineering-Construction industries present an additional mean to further enhance the efficiency of CFS projects. This paper presents a BIM based integrated approach for project scheduling and cost estimating of cold formed steel residential buildings. The approach integrates the basic 3D BIM model with the construction management tools used for project scheduling and cost estimation to produce a 4D BIM and 5D BIM models that can be used to enhance the project efficiency in both the design and construction phases. The developed models facilitate communication among all project participants and support project management in effectively planning on-site construction activities. A case study is presented to demonstrate the methodology

On Hermite-Hermite matrix polynomials

summary:In this paper the definition of Hermite-Hermite matrix polynomials is introduced starting from the Hermite matrix polynomials. An explicit representation, a matrix recurrence relation for the Hermite-Hermite matrix polynomials are given and differential equations satisfied by them is presented. A new expansion of the matrix exponential for a wide class of matrices in terms of Hermite-Hermite matrix polynomials is proposed

Some Comparative Anatomical and Histological Studies on the Laryngeal Cartilages of Buffaloes, Camels and Donkeys

Comparative studies concerned the upper air ways of domestic animals are few. So this study was carried out to compare between the larynx of buffaloes, camels and donkeys. The present investigation was carried out on 39 larynxes, 13 larynxes (7 males, 6 females) of each species. Ten heads from each species were used for gross anatomical study; the remained three heads were used for the histological study. Results revealed that, the laryngeal cartilages of the three species were consisted of three single cartilages; the thyroid, the cricoid and the epiglottis, and two paired cartilages; the arytenoid and the corniculate. The cuneiform cartilages were paired cartilages present only in the larynx of the donkey. Thyroid, arytenoid and cricoid cartilages were of hyaline type, while the epiglottis, cuniform and corniculate cartilages and the vocal process of the arytenoid cartilage were of elastic type. The laryngeal epithelium of aditus laryngis, greater part of epiglottis and vocal folds was lined by non-keratinized stratified squamous epithelium. The remained parts of laryngeal epithelium from base of epiglottis and entire parts caudal to vocal folds were lined by pseudostratified columnar ciliated epithelium with goblet cells. The laryngeal glands of lamina propria were of mixed types in buffaloes and donkeys but in camels it was pure mucous glands. This study will fill a gap in the field of comparative anatomy and help other clinical investigation applied on these animals

Some Comparative Anatomical Studies on the Laryngeal Muscles and Cavity of Buffaloes, Camels and Donkeys

The aim of this study was to compare between the laryngeal muscles and cavity in buffaloes, camels and donkeys. A total of 30 larynxes (10 larynxes from each species) were subjected to study. In the three species, the laryngeal muscles were similar to those of other domestic animals, but the hyoepiglotticus muscle of camel was remarkably longer. Although the thyroarytenoideus muscle was undivided in the buffalo and camel, the slightly deeper lateral ventricle in camel, allowed the muscle anterior part to be covered with mucous membrane forming the vestibular fold. The laryngeal cavity of donkey was characterized by the presence of lateral laryngeal saccule that located between the two separate parts of thyroarytenoideus muscle, the vestibular and vocal muscles; the presence of two small pouches on both sides of median laryngeal recess, and the cuneiform tubercle, which was a mucosal elevation that covered the cuneiform process. This study will fill a gap in the field of comparative anatomy and help other clinical investigation applied on these animals

Comparative Anatomy of the Nasal Cavity in Buffaloes, Camels and Donkeys.

The aim of this study was to reveal the comparative anatomy of the nasal cavity in buffaloes, donkeys and camels. It was carried out on 30 heads of apparently healthy adult animals, 10of each species. Heads were fixed and used for gross and cross sectional anatomy. The study provided information about the peculiarities of nasal anatomy in each species. The conchal arrangement was greatly different in camels, while that of buffaloes and donkeys were similar to other ruminants and equine. In camels, the nasal conchae were condensed in the caudal two thirds, the ventral nasal concha was shorter and twisted and the alar and basal folds were raised from a common extension. Camels have a vestibular pouch known as lateral nasal diverticulum. It was a cylindrical tube anatomically different from the nasal diverticulum of donkeys and other equine. The cartilaginous skeleton of narial aperture was reduced in donkeys and camels. Moreover, the rostral portion of nasal septum in camels was formed of muscles instead of cartilage. In the three species, vomeronasal organ and dorsal and ventral swelling bodies were present on both sides of the nasal septum. However, in camels the vomeronasal organ was notably longer and wider. In conclusion, the anatomy of camel nasal cavity in contrast to other domestic animals was presented interesting anatomical features similar to those of proboscis-bearing mammals

Performance of Bio Concrete by Using Bacillus Pasteurii Bacteria

In concrete, cracking is a common phenomenon due to its relatively low tensile strength‎ ‎, which occurs due to external loads and imposed deformations‎‎. The main research objective is to create a kind of self-healing concrete by employing mineral producing bacteria Bacillus pasteurii‎ to locate the rift in the most favourable circumstances for autogenous healing to take place. Self-healing concrete containing bacteria has been generated for this study through the application of bacterial self-healing elements as ‎spores ‎and nutrients with different percentages of bacteria ranging from (10% - 25%) as a replacement of mixing water is added at the time of pouring. The bacteria influence was observed by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and with Energy ‎Dispersive X-ray Spectrometer. The mechanical properties and durability of a thirty-five mixture were ‎examined. The optimal blending content proportion was ‎10SF20BC, which showed an increment in compressive strength and flexural strength compared to the control mixture ‎to ‎reach 79.16%, 50% respectively and 24.38% enhancement in sulfate resistance. The highest percentage of calcium carbonate precipitations was ‎9.49% of a weight of ‎mixtures ‎elements, which, in turn, revealed the highest area repair rate, which was able to fill the ‎crack with widths leads to 0.80 mm

Levels of certain tumor markers as differential factors between bilharzial and non-biharzial bladder cancer among Egyptian patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background/Objective</p> <p>Bladder cancer is the commonest type of malignant tumors as a result of schistosomaisis which is a major healthy problem in many subtropical developing countries. The aim of this study is to comparatively elucidate the underlying biochemical tumor markers in schistosomal bladder cancer versus non-schistosomal bladder cancer when compared to normal healthy ones.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This work was performed on tissue specimens from total 25 patients and serum samples from total 30 patients versus ten healthy individuals served as control. The investigated parameters in serum are: xanthine oxidase (XO), fructosamine, lactate dehydrogense (LDH), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total proteins, essential and non- essential amino acids profile, hydroxyproline, total immunoglobulin E (IgE) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-<it>α</it>). In addition, the current investigation also extended to study some markers in tumor bladder tissues including, pyruvate kinase enzyme (PK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Results showed that biharzial bladder cancer patients recored more significant elevation in serum XO, fructosamine, LDH, AST, ALT, hydroxyproline, IgE and TNF-<it>α </it>than in bladder cancer patients when compared to control ones. While, in tissues there were significant increase in PK, LDH, AST & ALT activities of schistosomal bladder cancer than in bladder cancer as compared to control healthy patients.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>It could be concluded that, bilharzial and non-bilharzial bladder cancer showed distinct biochemical profile of tumor development and progression which can be taken into consideration in diagnosis of bladder cancer.</p

Effect of Counteracting Lifestyle Barriers through Health Education in Egyptian Type 2 Diabetic Patients

BACKGROUND: Egypt is among the world top 10 countries in diabetes prevalence. It is the first country among the MENA region. Healthy lifestyle education and support help people with diabetes to improve health outcomes. Many physical and psychological barriers can hinder patients from following a healthy lifestyle. AIM: This study aimed to examine the effect of lifestyle modification educational sessions in helping Egyptian patients to overcome main barriers of diabetes self-management through improving nutritional behaviours, physical activity, medication compliance, and blood glucose monitoring. METHODS: A cohort study included 205 patients with type 2 diabetes. Baseline assessment of patients' lifestyle behaviours and barriers using personal diabetes questionnaire of Louisville University, with both anthropometric and blood glucose assessment. Interventional lifestyle health education was provided weekly through multiple integrated techniques, followed by a post-intervention assessment to evaluate the effect of the health education sessions. Statistical analysis was done to identify any statistically significant difference before and after the health education intervention. RESULTS: There was a significant improvement of the post-education mean scores of the studied behaviours when compared with the pre-education scores of the participants’ behaviours (p &lt; 0.001). There was also a significant reduction in the barriers facing patients to diabetes self-management including nutritional barriers (P &lt; 0.001), medication compliance barriers (P &lt; 0.001) with a percent change (43%), physical activity barriers (p &lt; 0.001), and blood glucose monitoring (p &lt; 0.001) with a percent change (44%).There was a statistically significant positive correlation between improvement of medication compliance (P = 0.027), blood glucose monitoring(P = 0.045), and glycated haemoglobin of the study participants CONCLUSION: lifestyle modification education of type 2 diabetic patients can overcome the main barriers of following a healthy lifestyle and improve their anthropometric measures and blood glucose level

Curative and protective potentials of Moringa oleifera leaf decoction on the streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus in albino rats

The present study was designed to investigate the protective, and curative potentials of Moringa oleifera (MO) leaves powder against streptozotocin (STZ) induced type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) in rats. Fifty adult Wistar male albino rats were randomized and divided into five equal groups: The normal control group, the Moringa group, The diabetic group, the therapeutic group, and the diabetic rats (3 days after STZ injection) were received-MO-for successive 8 weeks and the prophylactic group, the rats were received-MO-for 2 weeks before STZ induced diabetic rats and lasted for 8 weeks. The protective or treated oral administration of 1 ml freshly prepared aqueous leaf decoction of-MO-revealed a significant upregulation of the mRNA expression of PDX-1, Ngn3, VEGF, IGF-1, and GLUT-2. Additionally, it induced a significant downregulation of FBG level compared to that of the diabetic group, a significant reduction in MDA level and a significant elevation in the TAC level. Furthermore, the histopathological observations of pancreas, liver, and kidney tissues affirmed the improvement in treated and prophylactic groups compared to STZ-diabetic groups, and the improvement in the prophylactic group was more distinct than the treated group. MO-aqueous leaf extract can treat and protect against STZ-induced T1DM; via its antioxidant action (increase the TAC and decrease MDA). Thus, it has the potential for utilization as a prophylactic against diabetes