Search

Background: Globally, the records of people who have dementia are rising, which hurts communities and healthcare systems. The current study aimed to determine whether Ginkgo biloba (GB) and Cichorium intybus (CI) could relieve Alzheimer's disease (AD) by suppressing oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. Methods and Results: Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to evaluate the phytoconstituents of GB and CI hydroalcoholic extracts. ELISA assay was used for the assessment of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and dopamine in the brain tissue and SOD and TNF-α in blood serum. Forty male albino rats were randomly divided into five groups (eight rats in each group). Group 1 (negative control) rats received only a baseline diet and distilled water. Alzheimer's disease (AD) was induced in Group 2 rats by oral administration (100 mg/kg bw) of AlCl3 dissolved in distilled water daily for 28 days (positive control). Rats in Group 3 were orally supplemented concomitantly with both Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) (120 mg/kg bw) once daily for 28 days and AlCl3 (100 mg/kg bw). Rats in Group 4 were orally supplemented concomitantly with both Cichorium intybus extract (CIE) (500 mg/kg bw) once daily for 28 days and AlCl3 (100 mg/kg bw). Rats in Group 5 were given 120 mg/kg of GBE and 500 mg/kg of CIE orally for 28 days with oral supplementation of AlCl3 (100 mg/kg bw). In Groups 3-5, GBE and CIE were given one hour before AlCl3 administration. The results showed that GBE suppressed levels of brain AChE and serum TNF-α in AlCl3-induced AD. Hydroalcoholic extract of CI improved levels of brain dopamine and serum SOD in AlCl3-induced AD. Moreover, the combined administration of GBE and CIE significantly suppressed the levels of brain AChE and serum TNF-α and improved the level of serum SOD in AlCl3-induced AD, leading to the achievement of negative control values. Conclusion: The combined use of GBE and CIE can lower the toxic impacts of aluminum chloride on brain neuronal structures, neurotransmission, and oxidative stress it causes, suppressing the development of AlCl3-induced AD.

Background and Study Aim. Physical inactivity is a major public health concern, particularly among female college students in Saudi Arabia. The theory of planned behavior (TPB) suggests that attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control (PBC) are important predictors of behavioral intentions and behaviors. The aim of this study was to examine the role of attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control in predicting physical activity intentions among female university students in Saudi Arabia, using the theory of planned behavior as a framework. Material and Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 758 female college students from the University of Hafr Al Batin in Saudi Arabia. The measurement tool consisted of Godin-Shephard questions on leisure-time physical activity and theory-planned behavior questionnaires. Results. The study found that perceived behavioral control and attitude were significant predictors of physical activity intentions among female college students. However, subjective norms did not have a significant impact on the predictor variable. Furthermore, there was a statistical effect to predict involvement in physical activity from physical activity intention among female college students.. Conclusions. The study's findings suggest that the theory of planned behavior is a useful framework for understanding and interpreting physical activity intentions among female college students in Saudi Arabia. Interventions that aim to increase perceived behavioral control and positive attitudes towards physical activity may be effective in promoting physical activity among this population.

Background. Due to dysfunction of the facial nerve (CN VII), Bell’s palsy occurs which is a facial paralysis of unknown cause, but viral infection is suspected. The study aims to determine the prevalence of facial nerve palsy in a private clinic in Basrah. Methods. The study was conducted at a private clinic and involved sixty-five patients with facial nerve palsy. It was a cross-sectional study in which any patient who attended the clinic and exhibited signs and symptoms of lower motor neuron facial nerve palsy underwent an examination to confirm the diagnosis and, if confirmed, were included in the study. While patients with other neurological disorders were excluded. Data collection started between October 1, 2022, and April 30, 2023. A total of 65 patients from the private clinic—males and females—aged from 4 to 70 years old were confirmed as having lower motor neuron facial nerve palsy. Results. This study at a private clinic found that Bell’s palsy was the most common facial paralysis, affecting more males than females and most of the patients in the age range of 18-39 years, also affecting mostly the left side, with onset more frequent during hot and cool weather conditions. Diabetes was significantly related to the onset of Bell’s palsy and weather temperature at the time of the clinic visit. Conclusion. Bell’s palsy has a peak age prevalence in the second and third decades of life, and temperature variations have no effect on the occurrence of Bell’s Palsy. Further studies are needed for an accurate estimation of the number of cases, to assess the severity, impact, and efficacy of Bell’s palsy management.

IntroductionThis study evaluated the ability of children (8–12 years) with mild bilateral or unilateral hearing loss (MBHL/UHL) listening unaided, or normal hearing (NH) to locate and understand talkers in varying auditory/visual acoustic environments. Potential differences across hearing status were examined.MethodsParticipants heard sentences presented by female talkers from five surrounding locations in varying acoustic environments. A localization-only task included two conditions (auditory only, visually guided auditory) in three acoustic environments (favorable, typical, poor). Participants were asked to locate each talker. A speech perception task included four conditions [auditory-only, visually guided auditory, audiovisual, auditory-only from 0° azimuth (baseline)] in a single acoustic environment. Participants were asked to locate talkers, then repeat what was said.ResultsIn the localization-only task, participants were better able to locate talkers and looking times were shorter with visual guidance to talker location. Correct looking was poorest and looking times longest in the poor acoustic environment. There were no significant effects of hearing status/age. In the speech perception task, performance was highest in the audiovisual condition and was better in the visually guided and auditory-only conditions than in the baseline condition. Although audiovisual performance was best overall, children with MBHL or UHL performed more poorly than peers with NH. Better-ear pure-tone averages for children with MBHL had a greater effect on keyword understanding than did poorer-ear pure-tone averages for children with UHL.ConclusionAlthough children could locate talkers more easily and quickly with visual information, finding locations alone did not improve speech perception. Best speech perception occurred in the audiovisual condition; however, poorer performance by children with MBHL or UHL suggested that being able to see talkers did not overcome reduced auditory access. Children with UHL exhibited better speech perception than children with MBHL, supporting benefits of NH in at least one ear.

Surra, a wasting disease caused by Trypanosoma evansi, is one of the major animal health burdens in camel-rearing countries, imposing significant economic losses due to reduced fertility and high mortality rates. The present study used inactivated T. evansi (from the Card Agglutination Test for Trypanosomes/Trypanosoma evansi; CATT/T. evansi) and flow cytometry to investigate their binding and activation potential toward camel leukocyte subsets. Labeling T. evansi with propidium iodide (PI) enabled their flow cytometric enumeration and identification with forward scatter (FSC; indicative for cell size) and side scatter (SSC; indicative for cell internal complexity) characteristics that are comparable with values reported for Trypanosoma cruzi. The incubation of PI-labeled non-opsonized T. evansi with camel leukocyte populations revealed that camel monocytes have the highest potential to bind T. evansi, followed by granulocytes and lymphocytes. The identification of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) on camel immune cells and the pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) in T. evansi that are responsible for this different binding capacity requires further studies. Stimulation of camel neutrophils with Trypanosoma evansi induced shape change, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and neutrophil extracellular traps (NET)-formation. To ensure that T. evansi, in the parasite concentration used in this study, is not apoptotic or necrotic to camel leukocytes, we evaluated cell apoptosis and necrosis after stimulation with T. evansi. The results revealed no impact of T. evansi stimulation for 2 h on the cell viability of camel leukocytes. Subsequent work may focus on the diagnostic employment of labeled T. evansi and flow cytometry for the detection of anti-Trypanosoma antibodies in camel serum. In addition, more efforts should be deployed to investigate the host–pathogen interaction mechanisms and the escape mechanisms of T. evansi in camels. To complete these data, further studies using the living or freshly killed parasites could also be implemented in camels and/or horses.

Lumbar spondylosis, characterized by degenerative changes in the lumbar spine, often leads to pain, reduced spinal stability, and musculoskeletal dysfunction. Understanding the impact of lumbar spondylosis on musculoskeletal function, particularly lumbar extensor endurance, functional balance, and limits of stability, is crucial for improving the management and well-being of affected individuals. This study aimed to assess lumbar extensor endurance, functional balance, and limits of stability in individuals with lumbar spondylosis compared to age-matched healthy individuals and explore the correlations among these parameters within the lumbar spondylosis group. The lumbar spondylosis group consisted of 60 individuals initially screened by an orthopedician and referred to physical therapy. Age-matched healthy controls (n = 60) were recruited. Inclusion criteria encompassed adults aged 45–70 years for both groups. Lumbar extensor endurance was assessed using the Sorensen test, functional balance with the Berg Balance Scale, and limits of stability using a computerized stabilometric force platform. Lumbar extensor endurance was significantly lower in individuals with lumbar spondylosis compared to healthy controls (23.06 s vs. 52.45 s, p < 0.001). Functional balance, as assessed by the Berg Balance Scale, demonstrated a significant decrement in the lumbar spondylosis group (48.36 vs. 53.34, p < 0.001). Additionally, limits of stability variables, under both eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions, exhibited marked impairments in the lumbar spondylosis group (p < 0.001 for all variables). Within the lumbar spondylosis group, lumbar extensor endurance exhibited significant positive correlations with functional balance (0.46, p < 0.001) and negative correlations with limits of stability variables (r ranging from −0.38 to −0.49, p < 0.01 for all variables). This study underscores the significance of addressing lumbar extensor endurance, functional balance, and stability impairments in the comprehensive management of lumbar spondylosis.

Purpose: The aims of this study were to (a) determine if a high-quality adaptation of an audiovisual nonword repetition task can be completed by children with wide-ranging hearing abilities and to (b) examine whether performance on that task is sensitive to child demographics, hearing status, language, working memory, and executive function abilities. Method: An audiovisual version of a nonword repetition task was adapted and administered to 100 school-aged children grouped by hearing status: 35 with normal hearing, 22 with mild bilateral hearing loss, 17 with unilateral hearing loss, and 26 cochlear implant users. Participants also completed measures of vocabulary, working memory, and executive function. A generalized linear mixed-effects model was used to analyze performance on the nonword repetition task. Results: All children were able to complete the nonword repetition task. Children with unilateral hearing loss and children with cochlear implants repeated nonwords with less accuracy than normal-hearing peers. After adjusting for the influence of vocabulary and working memory, main effects were found for syllable length and hearing status, but no interaction effect was observed. Conclusions: The audiovisual nonword repetition task captured individual differences in the performance of children with wide-ranging hearing abilities. The task could act as a useful tool to aid in identifying children with unilateral or mild bilateral hearing loss who have language impairments beyond those imposed by the hearing loss.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of Ears On, an intervention designed to increase toddlers' use of hearing devices. A single-case, multiple-baseline design across participants was used with three parent-child dyads who demonstrated low hearing aid use despite enrollment in traditional early intervention services. Data logging technology was used to objectively measure hearing aid use. A functional relationship was identified between participation in the intervention and the number of hours children utilized their hearing aids. Two dyads met the criterion set for completing the intervention: an average of 8 hr of daily hearing aid use. One dyad did not reach this criterion but did meet the parent's goal of full-time use in the child's educational setting. For all dyads, increases in use were maintained 1 month after completion of the intervention. Findings support use of this short-term, intensive, individualized intervention to improve hearing aid use for toddlers with hearing loss.

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the relationship between academic integrity of online university students and its effects on academic performance and learning quality. The first hypothesis aimed to see if there is statistically significant relationship between academic honesty of students taking online classes and their apparent academic performance. The second hypothesis aimed to see if there is a statistically significant difference in academic integrity among male and female students. The third hypothesis aimed to see if there was a statistically significant relationship between academic honesty of students and their quality of learning. Design/methodology/approach – This is a quantitative study; data was collected via student emails from 155 active online university students. Findings – There was a positive linear relationship for the first hypothesis, the relationship is relatively weak as the value of Pearson correlation was (0.172). For the second hypothesis, the results showed that there was no significant difference between males and females. The results for the third hypothesis showed that there is a statistically significant relationship between academic integrity of students taking online classes and academic learning quality. This relationship is relatively strong. Research limitations/implications – The sample size may have been a limitation for generalizing the results. Practical implications – As a practical implication, authors recommend that education administrators focus on training their faculty members to stress and instill strong ethical values, such as academic integrity and honesty, in their students all throughout their academic journey. Social implications – As for social implication, the embracing of ethical values in students, graduates may continue to embrace such values in the workplace which may lead to more reputable and profitable work environment where the society at large benefits. Originality/value – This research is among the pioneers that attempted to study the connection of academic integrity and learning quality from the students’ perspective.

Over the past few decades, numerous studies have explored the use of steel fiber (SF) as an alternative to transverse reinforcement rebars in reinforced concrete beams, either partially or completely replacing them. However, there are limited studies that have investigated the effect of fiber dosage and length on reinforced concrete beam performance under torsional loads without the use of transverse reinforcement rebars. In this study, experimental investigations were conducted to examine the performance of reinforced SF concrete beams subjected to torsional load, utilizing SFs as a complete substitution of transverse reinforcement rebars. Ten different concrete mixes with varying dosages of SFs, namely 0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5%, were examined while maintaining the same aspect ratio for fiber length and diameter. The results revealed that the addition of SFs in the concrete mix had an impact on its properties, reducing workability but increasing flexural, tensile, and compressive strengths. By incorporating 1.0% of SFs in the concrete mix, the missing torsional strength resulting from the absence of stirrups was adequately compensated. Moreover, the presence of SFs significantly influenced the ductile behavior beyond the point of cracking in the tested beams. Hence, it is recommended that SFs are incorporated with dosages of 1.0% and 1.5% in the concrete mixture, particularly for beams subjected to torsion, as a viable substitute for stirrups.

Ultrahigh-performance concrete (UHPC) is a type of concrete that has gained attention from researchers for its potential use in various structural applications to improve the behavior of concrete structures. Despite this interest, there are limited experimental test results available on how the ratio of stirrups and the dosage of steel fibers affect the torsional behavior of UHPC beams. This study presents an experimental investigation and theoretical prediction of torque capacity (UHPC) of beams with different ratios of stirrups and dosages of steel fibers under pure torsion. One normal-strength concrete (NSC) beam and 10 UHPC beams with 150×200-mm cross sections were tested. The experimental parameters were the dosages of steel fibers (1% and 2%) and the spacings of the stirrups of 0.0, 50,100, 150, and 200 mm. Including the UHPC high tensile strength and volume fraction of steel fibers, an expression for cracking and ultimate torques of UHPC was proposed and verified. Results showed that the UHPC beams have brittle failure modes compared to NSC beams. Results demonstrated that the UHPC beams showed higher initial cracking and ultimate torsional moments than the NSC beam. The additional steel fibers enhance the torsional properties, and this improvement was linearly at the effective stirrup's ratio higher than 0.25%. The 1% or higher steel fiber dosage was confirmed to be enough to substitute the missing strength of the stirrups. Results of previous research and the suggested cracking and ultimate torque equations of UHPC agreed with the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fiber-reinforced concrete is widely acknowledged for its ability to resist cracking effectively and limit its propagation. By preventing cracks from spreading, the addition of fiber composites to concrete can enhance its extensibility and tensile strength, not only at the initial point of cracking but also at its maximum capacity. Additionally, the fibers in fiber-reinforced concrete are capable of binding the matrix, even when exposed to significant cracking. However, there is limited information available about the behavior of fiber-reinforced concrete under a bending moment combined with torsion. This study aims to investigate the structural behavior of fiber-reinforced concrete members subjected to a bending moment with a torsion to moment ratio equal to 1. Synthetic and steel fibers of 1.0% content with different lengths (19, 35, and 55 mm for synthetic fiber and 13 mm for straight and hook steel fibers) were mixed with concrete mixtures to examine the effects of fiber lengths and types on the concrete beam performance. Test results indicated that the fiber-reinforced concrete beams showed higher cracking moments than the normal-strength concrete beam. The steel fiber with a hooked configuration reinforced beam showed increased moment capacity and total torsional toughness higher than that of the straight steel fiber-reinforced beam. The synthetic fiber of a 55 mm length reinforced beam exhibited the highest first-crack and ultimate moment values among other tested beams. The test results were compared with past research models for the moment capacity of beams under the compound effect of bending and torsion and we modified these values with another factor that represented the fiber length influence on beam capacity, as suggested in past research. The comparison between the ultimate moment of the test results and the moment predicted from the modified past research model presented a good correlation.

Carbon nanoparticles are prepared by sonication using carbon black powder. The surface morphology of carbon black (CB) and carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) is investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The particles size ranges from 100 nm to 400 nm for CB and from 10 nm to 100 nm for CNPs. CNPs and CB are mixed with silicon glue of different ratios of 0.025, 0.2, 0.05, and 0.1 to synthesis films. The optical properties of the prepared films are investigated through reflectance and absorbance analyses. The ratio of 0.05 for CNPs and CB is the best for solar paint because of its higher solar water heater efficiency and is then added to the silicon glue . Temperature of cold water and temperature of hot water in storage tank were tabulated on hourly basis with the help of an Arduino device. The atmospheric temperature was also noted. It was observed that outlet temperature of water was attained up to 75°C as compared to the inlet water temperature of 23°C for the tank applied with CNP-based paint. The tank applied with CNP-based paint has 4 °C higher water temperature than that coated with CB-based paint after 1 month of test under sun irradiation. Based on the results, the efficiency of a solar water heater depends on the difference in temperature of inlet water and outlet of heater. The efficiency of the solar water heater coated with CNPs is around 77% but the solar water heater coated with CB has an efficiency of 67%.

A total of 140 specimens of penaeid shrimps from Metapenaeus affinis and Penaeus semisulcatus were collected from different parts of Iraqi coastal waters to detect three species of viruses Infectious Hypodermal and Hematopoietic Necrosis virus (IHHNV), White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) and Monodon Baculovirus (MBV). PCR and nest PCR used to identify the viruses. The main important results in this study were detection two of more important viruses, (IHHNV) and (WSSV). So, we thought the studied shrimp was not suitable for aquaculture stock without screening because which may play a vertical and horizontal vector role. This study represents the first attempt to detect viral shrimp diseases in Iraq.

BACKGROUND: Digital pathology practice is rapidly gaining popularity among practicing anatomic pathologists. Acceptance is higher among the newer generation of pathologists who are willing to adapt to this new diagnostic method due to the advantages offered by whole slide imaging (WSI) compared to traditional light microscopy (TLM). We performed this validation study because we plan to implement the WSI system for diagnostic services. OBJECTIVES: Determine the feasibility of using digital pathology for diagnostic services by assessing the equivalency of WSI and TLM. DESIGN: A laboratory-based cross-sectional study. SETTING: Central laboratory at a tertiary health care center. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four practicing surgical pathologists participated in this study. Each pathologist blindly reviewed 60 surgical neuropathology cases with a minimum 8-week washout-period between the two diagnostic modalities (WSI vs. TLM). Intraobserver concordance rates between WSI and TLM diagnoses as compared to the original diagnosis were calculated. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Overall intraobserver concordance rates between each diagnostic method (WSI and TLM) and original diagnosis. SAMPLE SIZE: 60 in-house surgical neuropathology cases. RESULTS: The overall intraobserver concordance rate between TLM and original diagnosis was 86.3% (range 76.7%-91.7%) versus 80.8% for WSI (range 68.3%-88.3%). These findings are suggestive of the superiority of TLM, but the Fleiss' Kappa statistic indicated that the two methods are equivalent, despite the low level of the K value. CONCLUSION: WSI is not inferior to the light microscopy and is feasible for primary diagnosis in surgical neuropathology. However, to ensure the best results, only formally trained neuropathologists should handle the digital neuropathology service. LIMITATIONS: Only one diagnostic slide per case rather than the whole set of slides, sample size was relatively small, and there was an insufficient number of participating neuropathologists. CONFLICT OF INTEREST: None.

Simple, accurate and sensitive indirect spectrophotometric method for assay of diclofenac (Di) and Isoxsuprine (IS) in pure and pharmaceutical formulation has been developed. The method is based on oxidation of (Di) and (IS) by N-bromosuccinimide in acidic medium. The excess of oxidant is determine by reaction with malachite green dye and the absorbance is measured at 615nm. Under the optimized experimental conditions, Beer's law is obeyed in concentration range 0.5-18 , 1-18 µg/ml with molar absorptivity 5.1×104 and 4.6×104 L.mol-1.cm-1 for (Di) and (IS) respectively. The limits of detection (LOD) 0.0314, 0.038 and quantification are 0.0104 , 0.126 µg/ml. with the accuracy (average recovery) 100.80%, 101.20% for above drugs respectively and the precision (RSD) less than 1.5% for both drugs. The proposed method is applied successfully for assay of pharmaceutical formulations.

Abstract Background Physical inactivity is a crucial risk factor for the development of chronic health issues, which have a high incidence among Arabs living in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The Qatar Stepwise Survey 2012 reported that approximately 44% of young adults 18–44 years of age had insufficient levels of physical activity. Family is a powerful source of information and socialization for adolescents and has a strong influence on their attitudes, decision-making, and behaviors. Methods The purpose of this study is to understand how university students’ physical activity can be influenced by sociocultural factors, particularly family health values and Muslim Arab culture. Using the criterion sampling strategy, 20 undergraduate Muslim students (Female students =10, Male students = 10) aged from 18 to 23 years who were Qatari or born and also raised in Qatar were recruited and interviewed. Participants were asked if they consider themselves active or not, about their perception of family health values regarding physical activity and the factors shaping these values, and the influence of family values on their physical activity behavior. The interviews were transcribed verbatim, coded, and analyzed following inductive analysis. Results The majority of the participants were influenced by their family health values, which were shaped by Qatari culture and the culture of origin for non-Qatari and were implicitly shaped by Islam. Participants reported that their role models of physical activity were males (fathers and male siblings), a health condition will motivate their families to be physically active, and families give priority to work and academic achievement over physical activity. A few participants showed that there was explicit influence of Islam on their physical activity, because culture’s influence was veiling religion’s. Culture was seen as a facilitator for physical activity from the males’ perspectives, which was not the case for female participants who reported the negative influence of culture on their physical activity because of the limited choices available for them. Non-Qatari students revealed that their culture of origin (such as Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Somalia, Bangladesh, Sudan, Pakistan and India) was the dominant factor in shaping their family health values. Conclusions The findings address gaps in the literature about families’ health values regarding physical activity in Qatar, the influence of the different ecologies surrounding these values, and the physical activity behaviors of university students. Knowledge about these factors can aid in the development of family-based interventions designed to motivate adolescents to be physically active, which should be religion- and culture-tailored.

Egyptian society has been shaped by two revolutions: The Free Officer Movement government takeover in 1952 and the ouster of President Mubarak in 2011. Both were revolutions but were very different in character. This paper will comparatively analyze the two events, the “revolutionary actions”, and the aftermath of the Free Officers on July 23, 1952 as well as that of January 25, 2011. It will examine the societal climate in which each of these series of events occurred, the nature of the “revolutionary action”, and the resultant effects of these events. It will be argued that although both were revolutions, the circumstances that led to them and the way that the revolutionary action was inspired, organized, and executed was very different in 2011 from those in 1952. This paper will seek an examination to each of these “revolutions” in terms of ideology and philosophy, public support, the nature of the “revolutionary” action (viz. the actual mechanism that resulted in the ouster of the previous regime). By analyzing these aspects of each “revolution”, one can analyze the applicability of the designation of “revolution” in describing both of these groups of events.

Egyptian society has been shaped by two revolutions: The Free Officer Movement government takeover in 1952 and the ouster of President Mubarak in 2011. Both were revolutions but were very different in character. This paper will comparatively analyze the two events, the “revolutionary actions”, and the aftermath of the Free Officers on July 23, 1952 as well as that of January 25, 2011. It will examine the societal climate in which each of these series of events occurred, the nature of the “revolutionary action”, and the resultant effects of these events. It will be argued that although both were revolutions, the circumstances that led to them and the way that the revolutionary action was inspired, organized, and executed was very different in 2011 from those in 1952. This paper will seek an examination to each of these “revolutions” in terms of ideology and philosophy, public support, the nature of the “revolutionary” action (viz. the actual mechanism that resulted in the ouster of the previous regime). By analyzing these aspects of each “revolution”, one can analyze the applicability of the designation of “revolution” in describing both of these groups of events.

Egyptian society has been shaped by two revolutions: The Free Officer Movement government takeover in 1952 and the ouster of President Mubarak in 2011. Both were revolutions but were very different in character. This paper will comparatively analyze the two events, the “revolutionary actions”, and the aftermath of the Free Officers on July 23, 1952 as well as that of January 25, 2011. It will examine the societal climate in which each of these series of events occurred, the nature of the “revolutionary action”, and the resultant effects of these events. It will be argued that although both were revolutions, the circumstances that led to them and the way that the revolutionary action was inspired, organized, and executed was very different in 2011 from those in 1952. This paper will seek an examination to each of these “revolutions” in terms of ideology and philosophy, public support, the nature of the “revolutionary” action (viz. the actual mechanism that resulted in the ouster of the previous regime). By analyzing these aspects of each “revolution”, one can analyze the applicability of the designation of “revolution” in describing both of these groups of events.

Abstract The present study investigated the wax deposition tendencies of a light Malaysian crude oil (42.4° API), and the wax inhibiting potential of some surfactants and their blends with nanoparticles. With the knowledge that the majority of the wax inhibition research revolved around polymeric wax inhibitors, which cause environmental issues, we highlighted the potential of surfactants and their blend with SiO2 nanoparticles as wax deposition inhibitors. Different surfactants including oil-based, silane-based, Gemini and bio-surfactants were considered as primary surfactants. The primary surfactants and their respective blends at a concentration of 400 ppm were screened as wax inhibitor candidates using cold finger apparatus. The screening results showed a significant influence on the paraffin inhibition efficiency on wax deposition by using 400 ppm of silane-based surfactant, which decreased the wax deposition up to 53.9% as compared to that of the untreated crude oil. The inhibition efficiency among the silane-based surfactant (highest) and bio-surfactant (lowest) revealed an appreciable difference up to 36.5%. Furthermore, the wax from the treated sample was found to deposit in a thin gel-like form, which adhered inadequately to the surface of the cold finger. A further investigation by blending the 400 ppm silane-based surfactant with a 400 ppm SiO2 nanoparticle suspension in a load ratio of 3:1 found that the wax inhibition decreased up to 81% as compared to the scenario when they were not added. However, we have shown that the synergy between the silane-based surfactant and the nanoparticles is influenced by the concentration and load ratio of surfactant and nanoparticles, residence time, differential temperature and rotation rate.