Detection of the Possible Buried Archeological Targets Using the Geophysical Methods of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and Self Potential (SP), Kom Ombo Temple, Aswan Governorate, Egypt

Kom Ombo temple is one of temples which were belted over high plateau close to the River Nile, near to Aswan in Egypt in the Greek-Roman period. The expected archaeological remains in the selected area are the hidden tunnels of the mummified crocodiles. The aim of the present work is to detect any of these tunnels by the application of the (GPR) and (SP) methods. The interpretation of the 10 GPR profiles revealed some locations of possible hidden tunnels. These locations show different contrasts and high amplitudes of the reflected signals, compared to the enclosing soil;also the scattering of the signals is higher than the bed layer in these locations, which may reveal the possible buried mummified crocodile tunnels in the study area. The depths of the possible targets range from 2.0 m to 2.5 m. The SP electric map shows that the study area possesses a range of about 135 mV of the potential differences between the measured stations. The positive response of the SP data is mainly concentrated at the central part of the study area. The relatively weak, negative SP anomalies may be related to moisture in the soil. The positive SP anomalies on the SP electric map display possible significant correlation between them and the inferred tunnel locations from the GPR data. The calculated depths from the SP profiles show significant agreement with that estimated from GPR data depths, which indicate that the SP electric method can be used as a successful tool in detecting buried archaeological remains in support of GPR.

Groundwater Rising as Environmental Problem, Causes and Solutions: Case Study from Aswan City, Upper Egypt

This paper examines the rise in the level of the groundwater in the Quaternary aquifer at Aswan city, Upper Egypt. Since the 1960’s, the areal extent of Aswan City and the urban populations are growing at a high pace which introduces new sources of water that increase groundwater recharge. As a result of leakages or infiltrations from different sources, the natural groundwater balance is overturned into an unbalance where the input to water table is comparatively much more than the natural groundwater flow towards the Nile River. The present study shows a variation in the groundwater level, from 1971 up to 2014, where the water table rising ranges between 12.55 and 13.69 m. Also, it shows an abrupt increase in the water levels in 2010 continuing up till now. The groundwater rising phenomena that happened in 2010 can be directly refereed to the cessation of groundwater pumping from El-Shallal wells, and to the reduction of pumping from KIMA factory wells. Generally, the rate of water rising is much higher in the western side of the city and in Kima factory area, where they are characterized by low relief and dense population. The most troublesome groundwater mounds under urban areas are likely to develop in low-lying areas of relatively high permeability aquifer, which is not exploited for water supply. These damages will become more widespread if the rising groundwater table remains uncontrolled.?The environmental impact of the water rising includes: forming ponds in low lying areas (Kima and El Shallal ponds), flooding building’s basements, and inundating underground infrastructure.?A general deterioration in groundwater quality was identified.

Subsurface Characterization for Groundwater Management nearby the Unfinished Obelisk Archeological Site, Aswan Governorate, Egypt

Recently, the area located within the Unfinished Obelisk (UO) archeological site showed numerous seepages and accumulations of groundwater in a small pond located a few meters from the Unfinished Obelisk. The Supreme Council of Antiques sponsored integrated geological, geophysical, and hydrogeological studies to identify the possible sources of groundwater and the optimum technique to manage the groundwater flow system that may jeopardize this invaluable sculpture. The geological units and the prevailing structure have been studied in detail using Landsat imagery and field work over two consecutive seasons. The field studies indicated the development of several fault/joint systems oriented mainly ENE-WSW with clear indications of mineralization and intensive weathering effects along these fabrics. Several resistivity (vertical seismic profile and resistivity imaging) measurements extending down to at least 20 m depth and Radar imaging down to 10 m depth are gathered to investigate the extension of outcrop units and the dominant structures prevailing the near subsurface. Geophysical data indicated the development of at least three hydrostratigraphic units arranged from top to bottom as valley fill, fractured/weathered granite, and slightly fractured to massive granitic unit. In addition, the major faults mapped by resistivity images helped to locate several observation wells and a production well to test the transmissivity across the groundwater system. The results of a pumping test indicated very low aquifer conductivity and the development of an aquitard with preferential vertical flow at the study area. This enforces a local interference through a shallow underground drainage system with sump and pump to maintain low groundwater level at the UO-archeological site.

Interpretation of Aeromagnetic Data on the Area around Aswan-Berenice Road, Southeast Aswan, Egypt

The area around Aswan-Berenice Road southeast Aswan is geophysically studied to delineate the subsurface structures and to evaluate the tectonic framework of the basement rocks and the overlying sedimentary cover. This area comprises a variety of igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks, ranging in age from Precambrian to Quaternary time. The interpretation of the aeromagnetic data around Aswan-Berenice Road was carried out using GM-SYS modeling technique. Many methods were performed to the RTP aeromagnetic map of the study area such as filtering and trend analysis techniques. The tracing upward and downward of the deduced subsurface structures was investigated using trend analysis for the surface geology and filtered magnetic maps. The locating and determination of the approximate depth of the causative bodies were done using Euler deconvolution, Werner deconvolution and 2.5 dimension magnetic modeling techniques. The obtained results indicate that the most significant tectonic trends are N-S and E-W, which they are in accordance with the local trends of River Nile and Kalabsha fault respectively. Less common trends as NW-SE and NE-SW directions are also detected. Also, the depth to the basement rocks ranges from 0 km at the exposed parts to 1.4 km at the covered parts.

Geochemical characteristics and spectrometric prospecting in the muscovite-bearing pegmatites and granites, southeastern Aswan, Egypt

Rare metal mineralization of Sn, Nb-Ta and W is encountered in the Gebel Dihmit area (GDA), south- eastern Aswan, Egypt. The mineralization is related to muscovite granites and their pegmatite derivatives. The peg- matites are divided into three types according to their main mineral assemblages: K-feldspar-muscovite-tourmaline, K-feldspar-albite-muscovite and albite-K-feldspar-lepidolite veins. Petrogenetic studies indicate that Sn and Nb-Ta mineralization extends from the late-magmatic stage to the pegmatite and hydrothermal stages of the (GDA) suite. The albite-K-feldspar-lepidolite granite is composed dominantly of albite, lepidolote, and quartz, with topaz, K-feldspar and amblygonite. The accessory minerals are zircon, monazite, pollucite, columbite-tantalite, microlite and Ta-rich cassiterite. Phenocrysts of quartz, topaz and K-feldspar contain abundant inclusions of albite laths and occasional lepidolite crystals along growth zones (snowball texture), indicating simultaneous crystallization from a subsolvus, residual magma. The origin of the pegmatites is attributed to extreme differentiation by fractional crystal- lization of a granitic magma. The economic potential for rare metals was evaluated in the geochemical discrimination diagrams. Accordingly, some of the pegmatites are not only highly differentiated in terms of alkalis, but also the promising targets for small-scale Ta and, to a less extent, Sn. The pegmatites also provide the first example of Fe-Mn and Nb-Ta fractionation in successive generations of granites to cassiterite-bearing pegmatites, which perfectly ex- hibit similar fractionation trends established for primary columbite-tantalite in the corresponding categories of peg- matites. Uranium and Th of magmatic origin are indicated by the presence of thorite and allanite, whereas evidence of hydrothermal mineralization is the alteration of rock- foring minerals such as feldspar and the formation of sec- ondary minerals such as uranophane..

Environmental chemical study on the marsh of Fatimid cemetery at Aswan City, Egypt

Environmental chemical study were carried out on the Fatimid cemetery marsh at Aswan City(24°1'N and 32°9'E), Egypt. Marsh contents(warter, soil, sediment, metal and nonmetal bearing salts, and emergent weed) were analysed to known the source of marsh water, speciation of the different elements between the marsh contents, and the toleration of emergent weed (Phargmites australies) for different metals and their bioaccumulation coefficients. Thus, metals(Ca, Mg, Na, K, Ni, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb) and nonmetals(CO 2- 3, HCO - 3, Cl -, SO 2- 4, PO 3- 4, NO - 3, SiO 2, organic matter and pH value) were determined in the samples. According to the chemical analysis, and applying the base exchange equation(water type) and calculate the hydrochemical parameters for marsh water samples, we can indicate that the marsh water is ground water with Na SO 4 type and deep meteoric genesis. Topsoil of marsh dry land characterized by CaCl as dominant salt,while NaCl is a dominant salt in subsoil. The elevated pH values of marsh contents minimized the metal solubilities in different samples. Phragmites australies showed a strong ability to accumulate Mn and Fe in the aerial part in opposite to Co, Ni and Cd.

Geochemistry of island arc assemblage in the Eastern Desert of Egypt and the role of Pan-African magmatism in crustal growth of the Arabian–Nubian Shield:A review

Neoproterozoic island arc assemblage of the Arabian–Nubian Shield(ANS)in the Eastern Desert(ED)of Egypt comprises juvenile suites of metavolcanics(MV),large amounts of meta-sedimentary rocks(MS),and voluminous metagabbros-diorites(MGD)and syn-tectonic intrusions of older granitoids(OG).We report here the updates of these four rock units in terms of classification,distribution,chemical characteristics,geodynamic evolution,metamorphism,and ages.In addition,we discuss these integrated data to elucidate a reasonable and reliable model for crustal evolution in the ANS.The main features of these rock units indicate their relation to each other and the geodynamic environment dominated by early immature oceanic island arcs to primitive continental arcs.Integrated information of the island arc metavolcanic and plutonic rocks(gabbros,diorites,tonalites,and granodiorites)furnish evidence of the genetic relationships.These include proximity and a coeval nature in the field;all protolith magmas are subalkaline in nature following calc-alkaline series with minor tholeiitic affinities;common geochemical signature of the arc rocks and subduction-related magmatism;their similar enrichment in LREEs;and similar major element compositions with mafic melts derived from metasomatized mantle wedge.The volcano-sedimentary and the OG rocks underwent multiphase deformation events whereas the MGD complexes deformed slightly.Based on the magmatic,sedimentological,and metamorphic evolutions constrained by geochronological data as well as the progressive evolutionary trend from extensional to compressional regimes,a possible gradual decrease in the subducted slab dip angle is the most infl uential in any geodynamic model for arc assemblage in the ED of Egypt.

International School of Egyptology of Adolf Erman

The world admired Ancient Egypt since its conquest by the Roman Empire, For Europe, it was a dreamlike country full of wonders and magic, only in the beginning of the nineteenth century, the romantic interest gave way to serious scientific research. The founders of Egyptology widely known, hut the name of one of them, the German Egyptologist Adolf Erman, is rarely found in modern monographs of Western researches, dedicated to the history of Egypt. At the same time in Russia, where researches in the field of Egyptology have been started only in the late nineteenth century, a special attention was paid to Erman＇s works. The objective of this work was to evaluate the significant contribution of A. Erman to the development of the world and in particular Russian Egyptology. Analysis of Erman＇s, his disciples＇ and followers＇ works showed that he was the founder of the Berlin school of Egyptology which has brought up such famous Egyptologists as L. Borchardt, K. Zeta, H. Muller, G. Roeder, H. Schaefer, G. Shteindorf, and others. His influence went far beyond Germany： Among his students, there were researchers from England, the United States of America, and italy. Erman left a remarkable imprint on Russian Egyptology. B. Turayev and V. Struve were taught by Erman, then they became followers of this science at home; some of their students undertook an internship at Erman＇s school as well. After returning home the Russian researchers created works on the history and culture of ancient Egypt, lecturedon Egyptology in universities. As a result, Russian schools of Egyptology were founded by B. Turayev and V. Struve, the members of which proceeded to work on the history of Egypt and Ancient Orient, transferring their knowledge to the next generation.

Age distribution,polyps and rectal cancer in the Egyptian population-based cancer registry

AIM:To describe the clinical and epidemiologic profiles of the disease and to compare the findings with those generated from the previous hospital-based studies.METHODS:The Gharbiah cancer registry is the only population-based cancer registry in Egypt since 1998.We analyzed the data of all colorectal cancer patients included in the registry for the period of 1999-2007.All medical records of the 1364 patients diagnosed in Gharbiah during the study period were retrieved and the following information abstracted:age,residence,diagnosis date,grade,stage,topology,clinical characteristics,and histology variables.Egyptian census data for 1996 and 2006 were used to provide the general population's statistics on age,sex,residence and other related demographic factors.In addition to age-and sex-specific incidence rate analyses,we analyze the data to explore the incidence distribution by rural-urban differences among the 8 districts of the province.We also compared the incidence rates of Gharbiah to the rates of the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results(SEER) data of the United States.RESULTS:Over the 9 year-period,1364 colorectal cancer cases were included.The disease incidence under age 40 years was relatively high(1.3/10 5) while the incidence in the age groups 40 and over was very low(12.0/10 5,19.4/10 5 and 21.2/10 5 in the age groups 40-59 years,60-69 years and > 70 years,respectively).The vast majority of tumors(97.2%) had no polyps and 37.2% of the patients presented with primary lesions in the rectum.Colorectal cancer was more common in patients from urban(55%) than rural(45%) areas.Regional differences in colon and rectal cancer incidence in the 8 districts of the study province may reflect different etiologic patterns in this population.The registry data of Egypt shows a slightly higher incidence of colorectal cancer than the United States in subjects under age 40 years.The results also shows significantly lower incidence of colorectal cancer in subjects over age 40 years compared to the same age group in the United States SEER.CONCLUSION:Low rate of polyps,low incidence in older subjects,and high rate of rectal cancer in Egypt.Future studies should explore clinical and molecular disease patterns.

Assessment of Urban Sprawl on Agricultural Soil of Northern Nile Delta of Egypt Using RS and GIS

Urban sprawl is threatening the limited highly fertile land in the Nile delta of Egypt. Landsat TM satellite images of 1984, 1992 and ETM+ of 2006 have been used to study the impact of urban sprawl on agricultural land of the Northern Nile delta, Egypt. Visual interpretation using on screen digitizing and change detection techniques were applied for monitoring the urban sprawl. Combining the land capability map and the urban thematic layer using GIS made it possible to point out the risk of urban expansion on the expense of the highly capable soil class. The results show that a total expansion of urban area amounted to 689.20 km2(6.3% of total area) during the study period 1984–2006. The urban expansion during the 1984–2006 was on the expense of the most fertile soils where, the high capable soils(Class I) lost 247.14 km2(2.26 % of total area) and the moderate capable soils lost 32.73 km2(0.3% of total area), while the low capable soils lost only 57.39 km2(0.53% of total area). The urban encroachment over the non capable soils was very limited during the study period 1984–1992, where 7.33 km2 only was lost. The pattern of urban sprawl has been changed during the 1992 to 2006 whereas much larger area(50.64 km2) of the non capable soils was converted to urban. It can be concluded that the urban sprawl is one of the dominant degradation process on the land of Nile Delta.

Childhood glaucoma profile in Dakahelia, Egypt: a retrospective study

AIM： To analyze childhood glaucoma regarding its demographics, presentations, different causes and surgical modalities used among patients in Dakahelia and to apply the Childhood Glaucoma Research Network（CGRN） classification retrospectively to evaluate its convenience.METHODS： A retrospective study in which the medical files of all glaucoma patients 〈16 years old presented to Mansoura Ophthalmic Center, Mansoura University from 2014 to 2017, were retrieved and analyzed. Collected data included： age, gender, laterality, visual acuity（VA）, refraction, intraocular pressure（IOP）, corneal diameter, cup-disc ratio, types and number of surgeries and antiglaucomatous drugs（AGD） at the first and last visit. Prevalence of different subtypes was calculated and means of clinical features were compared.RESULTS： A total of 305 eyes of 207 patients were included classified into 6 groups： primary congenital glaucoma（PCG）, juvenile open angle glaucoma（JOAG）, glaucoma associated with systemic disease, glaucoma associated with ocular anomalies, acquired glaucoma and glaucoma following cataract surgery. PCG was the predominant type（55.1%） followed by acquired glaucoma（29.5%）. Males represented 63.8% of the whole studied patients. Glaucoma associated with ocular anomaly group showed the youngest age at diagnosis（21.9±30.0 mo）. The shortest corneal diameter was recorded in post cataract group（10.4±0.5 mm）. Highest cup-disc ratio was found in the PCG group（P〈0.0005）. Glaucoma associated with systemic disease presented with the highest baseline IOP（34.5±5.0 mm Hg）. All the cases with PCG were treated surgically with 21.8% required more than one surgery. The majority of the patients（74.2%） in the acquired group were treated medically. Combined trabeculotomy-trabeculectomy was the most frequent operation done, accounting for 34.5% of all primary surgeries. Ahmed valve implantation comprised 87% of the secondary surgeries. Acquired glaucoma group had the highest percent of eyes with good final Snellen＇s VA（69.4%）, while glaucoma associated with ocular anomaly group had poorest final VA. CONCLUSION： PCG is the most prevalent type of childhood glaucoma, followed by acquired glaucoma especially traumatic hyphema. Combined trabeculotomytrabeculectomy and Ahmed valve implantation are the most common surgical interventions. CGRN classification is found to provide a consensus skeleton and is recommended to be integrated in our routine ongoing clinical practice.

Mineralogy,Chemical Characteristics and Upgrading of Beach Ilmenite of the Top Meter of Black Sand Deposits of the Kafr Al-Sheikh Governorate,Northern Egypt

Egyptian beach ilmenite occurs in a relatively high content in the naturally highly concentrated superficial black sand deposits at specific beach zones in the northern parts of the Nile Delta at Rosetta. Microscopic study shows that the ilmenite occurs as fresh homogeneous black or heterogeneous multicoloured altered grains and exhibits three types （homogeneous, exsolved and altered） of ilmenite varieties. XRD data of ilmenite indicates their association with minor hematite and quartz, whereas leucoxene shows its association with Nb-rutUe, pseudorutile and hematite. Grain size distribution suggests a very fine sand size of 〉89% and 80% and a fine sand size of 10.5% and 18.3% for fresh and altered ilmenites, respectively. The density of fresh, altered ilmenite and leucoxene concentrates varies from 2.70, 2.50 to 2.40 ton/m^3, suggesting a gradual decrease from high grade fresh to leucoxene and consistent with variation in magnetic susceptibility as a consequence of the leaching of iron. Mass magnetic susceptibility reveals 97.6% of ilmenite and 92% of the altered form are obtained at 0.20 and 0.48 ampere. Fresh iimenite exhibits variable TiO2 （47.18%） and Fe2O3^T （46.10%） with minor MnO, MgO and Cr2O3 （1.22, 1.10 and 0.51%）. The altered ilmenite is higher in TiO2 （76.16%） and SiO2 （4.68%） and lower in Fe2O3^T （14.45%）, MnO, MgO and Cr2O3 （0.39, 0.52 and 0.11%） compared with the fresh form. Three concentrates of ilmenites （G1, G2 and G3） were prepared from crude ore using a Reading cross belt magnetic separator under different conditions, revealing a gradual increase of TiO2, SiO2, Al2O3 and CaO accompanied by a decrease of Fe2O3^T, MgO and Cr2O3 with repetition of the separation processes. Several ore dressing techniques were carried out to upgrade the iimenite concentrate.

Paleontological Records of Holocene Environmental Changes offshore, Egypt

Paleontological and sedimentological analyses were carried out in sediment core from southeastern Mediterranean Sea,offshore Egypt to reconstruct the past environmental changes in trophic state and temperature during Holocene.To achieve our goals,grain size,total organic carbon,planktic and benthic foraminifera,dinoflagellate cysts have been investigated.Few micropalaentological studies have been done in the studied area and none of them used the combined proxies of benthic foraminifera and dinoflagellate cyst.Theses combined proxies reflects more comprehensive paleoenvironmental view.Biotic and abiotic data have been analysed with multivariate technique including Redundancy Analysis(RDA).Diversity indices such as:Fisher alpha index(α)and Shannon index(H)have been applied.The foraminiferal study yields 9 planktic species and 10 benthic species.Foraminiferal assemblages have low species diversity indices especially at sapropel layer S1.Mediterranean sapropels are layers with elevated organic carbon concentrations that contrast with surrounding organic poor sediments.Sapropels occur periodically in sedimentary sequences of the last millions years,which have been the subject of extensive previous study.Redundancy Analysis(RDA)yields two groups of foraminiferal assemblages depending on the changes of total organic carbon and clay content.The dinocysts study yields 15 species,the majority of cyst types belonging to the order Gonyaulacales.The association of dinoflagellate cyst shows two depositional phases in the sediment.The sapropel layer S1,with anoxic condition and warmer temperature,is recorded at depth 28-46 cm where heterotrophic taxa dominate and the post-sapropel layer is recorded at depth 0-28 cm;where autotrophic taxa dominate.

Groundwater Conditions and the Geoenvironmental Impacts of the Recent Development in the South Eastern Part of the Western Desert of Egypt

The area to the southeast of the Western Desert of Egypt has been subjected to considerable development activities over the last few years. The development includes the cultivation of about 2260 km2 of the desert lands “the well-known Toshka Project”. The hydrogeological conditions of the area are subjected to detailed investigation based upon the construction of the water table maps, hydrologeologic cross-sections, pumping tests, aquifer geometry, and recharge-discharge relationship. The study revealed that the Quaternary and the Nubia sediments are the main water bearing layers in the area. The Quaternary aquifer is of limited potential and made of mixed sand with clay deposit ranges in thickness between 5 to 10 m. The Nubia aquifer is the oldest sedimentary formation and the main groundwater resources in the area. It is represented by multilayered of sand and silt exists generally under artesian conditions. It is composed of three water bearing horizons partially separated by two confining horizons and extends in thickness ranges between 70 and 230 meters. The thickness increases away from the high dam lake. The analysis of pumping tests of the aquifer indicated that its potentiality is increasing north of the High Dam Lake (HDL) whereas it decreases in the other direction. This is due to high hydraulic conductivity and aquifer thickness in the area northeast of Khor Toshka and at west of Garf Hussein. The hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer ranges between 12.73 and 0.9 m/day. The review of the changes in groundwater levels in the area showed that there is a drop in ranges between 1 and 14 meters in the last few years indicating that the extraction from the groundwater is much more higher that the replacement rate. Also, the analysis of the fluctuation of water levels of the HDL and the groundwater level indicated that the influence of water on groundwater level in the area is observed only at a distance less than 10 km from the lake shore line. Seepage from the HDL is estimated as 238.13 × 106 m3/year. The geo-environmental impacts of the development on the surface water and groundwater in the area are evaluated.

Integrating of Remote Sensing and Airborne Magnetic Data to Outline the Geologic Structural Lineaments That Controlled Mineralization Deposits for the Area around Gabal El-Niteishat, Central Eastern Desert, Egypt

The Gabal (G.) El-Niteishat area lies in the Central Eastern Desert of Egypt which is known for various mineral resources and geological structures. Umm Gheig, Umm Naggat, Umm Shaddad, Wadi (W.) Zeidun and Sigdit represent some important regions that contain mineral deposits in the study area. Various filters such as first vertical derivative (FVD), horizontal gradient magnitude (HGM), tilt derivative (TDR) and near-surface were applied to the airborne magnetic data for the study area to deduce the structural lineaments and magnetic source edges which were controlled by the presence of mineral deposits. Processed Landsat ETM+ images are used for delineating the rock unit boundaries that are exposed in the study area such as serpentinite, metagabbro, metavolcanics and metasediments. Also, band ratios, principal component analysis (PCA) and false-color composite image (Crosta alteration image) were applied to get specific results about the alteration zones. The structural lineaments analysis illustrated that the common trends that affected the study area were NW-SE, NE-SW, E-W and N-S. Integration of remote sensing and airborne magnetic data exhibited the relation between mineralization and structural lineaments.

The Chromitites Associated with the Pan-African Ophiolites in Egypt

Ophiolites components occur in Pan-African belt in Central Eastern Desert(CED)and South Eastern Desert(SED.The ultramafic components are severely serpentinized and in some areas occur as small fresh

Detection and Identification of Gonococci Resistance to Cephalosporin and Determination the Most Effective Empirical Treatment for Gonococcal Urethritis in Male Human in Egypt

Introduction: Gonorrhoeae and antimicrobial resistance AMR of gonococci is a major health problem today, because emerged resistance to last line empirical treatment for gonorrhoeae cephalosporins in many countries is predictable to be untreatable disease in near future. WHO GASP, WHO GLASS and WHO’s global action plan on AMR recommends to expand nationally and internationally to collect data to monitor AMR of gonococci for public health policies. Objective: Our aim is to detect resistance of gonococci to Cepha- losporins and determine the most effective empirical treatment for un-com- plicated gonococcal urethritis in males in Egypt. Methods: We depended in our methodology on selected gonococci from male urethral discharge specimens on Thyer Martien medium;collected 33 isolates during three years from 2017 to 2020;used antibiotics with MIC according to international standards and measuring IZD according to antimicrobial susceptibility testing reference ranges in international standards. Results: By statistical studies, resistance to cephalosporins was as follows: Cephradine 97%, Cefaclor 87.9%, Cefoxitin 97%, Ceftriaxone 90.9% and 42.4% to Cefepime, that shows hetero-genecity in resistance inside cephalosporin group;while resistance to Macrolides group represented by Azithromycin and Tetracyclins group represented by Doxycycline was as follows: Azithromycin 39.4%, Doxycycilne 27.3%;finally fluoroquinolones, the most effective group, resistance, was as: Levofloxacin 15.2%, Ciprofloxacin 15.2% and Ofloxacin 24.2%. Conclusion: The most effective empirical treatment for uncomplicated gonococcal urethritis in males in EGYPT is Fluoroquinolone;especially Levofloxacin ranks first susceptibility as 78.8% and 15.2% resistance followed by Ciprofloxacin susceptibility as 69.7% and 15.2% resistance, finally Ofloxacin susceptibility as 66.7% and 24.2% resistance;for Ceftriaxone not more recommended in EGYPT as empirical treatment for uncomplicated gonococcal urethritis, it is susceptibility as 6.1% and 90.9% resistance;in addition, we can use combination therapy of Fluoroquinolones with Azithromycin or Doxycycline, whose susceptibility is 30.3% for Azithromycin and 42.4% for Doxycycycline, while resistance is 39.4% for Azithromycin and 27.3% for Doxycycline. It is worth noting that only Cefepime in Cephalosporins group represents 42.4% susceptibility and 42.4% resistance;in addition to the Carbapenems group, it represents as 42.4% susceptibility for Imipenem and 45.5% resistance, then 42.2% susceptibility for Meropenem and 48.5% resistance, which can play role in combination therapy.

Analysis of Risk Factors for Highway Construction Projects in Egypt

Egypt construction projects are associated with different levels of risks. The lack of familiarity of project management standards is one of the common risks in the construction industry in Egypt. The main aim of this paper is to identify the most significant risk factors affecting highway construction project in Egypt to decrease the likelihood and impact of those risks. The research method starts with extensive literature review to provide a prime risk factors list which was also augmented to expertise to reach final risk factor list which contains all risks that may be faced during highway construction. Subsequently, a set of 12 risk groups consisting of 73 risks was selected and a questionnaire survey was conducted to determine the likelihood and consequences of the identified risks. Later, a software application was developed using MATLAB to facilitate risk evaluation of highways projects. Results indicated that the risk factors arise from owner side is one of the most common risk factors in the construction industry in Egypt as the owner in the majority of construction project in Egypt is the governmental sector, however, the overall project risk of highway construction projects in Egypt is considered as at a medium level.

Unknown Signs and Symbols on Egyptian Prehistoric Naqada Stone Palettes

Although stone palettes from the Naqada culture are well known, research has been focused mostly on those palettes which are richly decorated. However, streaks and fragments of individual signs are also often found on simple palettes of various shapes. This study shows that the majority of these palettes have quite a number of marks and sign fragments that have been made by different techniques and over a long period of time. This particularly applies to rhomboidal palettes, for most of which there are no ground to infer that they have been used for ritual purposes or for mixing beauty care compositions. It is more likely that they denote an early form of the visual symbol in later periods represented by the head of Ptah＇s staff.