North Egypt Research Articles

Lack of Resilience in the Integrated Coastal Zone Management and the Regional Strategic Plans in Egypt's Northwest Coast Region

This paper discusses the missing resilience issues between the activities of both the integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) and the regional strategic planning (RSP) approaches when dealing with the coastal region's issues through an applied study on the Northwest Coast region of Egypt overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. The resilience between these two approaches aims to save the effort, time, and money needed for preparing both ICZM initiatives and RSP projects by literature reviews, analyzing the current situation, evaluating the national institutions' tasks, and the comparative study between the methodological frameworks of both approaches in the study area, it was discovered that there were no effective mechanisms among institutions. Moreover, there were some conflicts between the current regulations and laws. In addition, the difference between the coastal units and regional levels caused the differences in the methodological frameworks, although, there are some similarities and variations in their activities. This resilience concept may be helpful for decision-makers, ICZM teamwork, but it has special importance for urban planners to develop the methodological phases and activities of the regional planning approach in a balanced manner, to deal with the devolving requirements and the coastal issues achieving resilience between the activities of the Integrated Coastal Zone Management, Regional Strategic Plans (RSP) and sustainable development in the application of Egypt's North West Coast Region overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

Removal techniques of ammonia from drinking water and wastewater in Egypt and developing countries: a review study

The ammonia pollution/contamination reveals at the inlet of drinking water treatment plants, especially on Northern coast of Egypt, due to the drainage of sewage and industrial wastes from factories along the Nile River, resulting in more neutralization that clogs inlet of water treatment plants. Ammonia causes many diseases; some of them lead to coma or death. Excess ammonia also causes the winter dam in North Egypt to force the drinking water treatment stations to stop operation because of the high pollution load. Therefore, many researchers removed ammonia from drinking water as it was limited to 0.5 ppm in the European association and WHO. In this review, a criticizing summary of researches work (1983-2021) is presented where removal of ammonia by physical (i.e. adsorption, air stripping, and membrane distillation), biological, and chemical (oxidation, struvite, photocatalyst, cold plasma) methods were reviewed.

Utilization of solid materials to remove ammonia from drinking water

The winter closure is an annual action taken every year by the Egyptian authorities by closing water flows in series of channels for maintenance of water channels where levels in water channels are forced to reduce. However, Kafr El Sheikh and El Behaira, located in North Egypt, were affected by pollutant during winter closure due to the drainage of industrial wastes causing high pollution load of ammonia (mainly) and other pollutants. This paper focuses on testing agricultural wastes and natural materials to decrease ammonia in water at the inlet of water treatment stations that may reach 30 mg/l which happened during the winter closure. Nine adsorbents were investigated for ammonia removal: sugarcane peels, activated diatom, activated carbon, activated zeolite, rice straw, white foam, ilmenite, red brick, and a mixture of ilmenite with sugarcane. The sugarcane peels were the optimum treatment solution with a removal efficiency of 58% at an initial concentration of 38 mg/l, ~ 0.7 g of the adsorbent mass, and pH ranges from 10 to 12 after 1 h of contact time. At the same time, ilmenite reached an efficiency of 62% at an initial concentration of 21 mg/l, ~ 1.7 g of ilmenite, and pH 7 after 1 h of contact time. In addition, the reaction kinetics and adsorption isotherms were investigated for the selected adsorbent sugarcane peels, and the results showed that it matched the first-order kinetics with a regression coefficient (R2) of 0.99 and Langmuir adsorption isotherm (R2) of 0.96.Graphical

Reply to the discussion of Moustafa (2021) on Sayed et al. (2020) (Marine and Petroleum Geology, 17, 2020-104401)

Moustafa (2021) addressed four main comments in his discussion “On the structures of Abu Roash area and inverted basins of northern Egypt - Comments on “Surface expression of the Syrian Arc Kattaniya inverted basin in the Abu Roash area, northeast Western Desert, Egypt: Structural style and tectonic history” by Sayed et al. (2020)”. Two of these comments criticized the new structural mapping of Abu Roash outcrops and the proposed model for El Ghigiga-El-Hassana Folds based on the early geologic mapping of the Abu Roash area by Moustafa (1988). His other comments were concerning the NE-orientation and end of tectonic inversion of the extensional Jurassic -Lower Cretaceous basins in North Egypt including the Kattaniya basin. Except for two constructive memos on drafting errors in the regional geologic map of Abu Roash, the registered comments were inaccurate and can be refuted with the results of the comprehensive regional and integrated subsurface geologic mapping on the North Western Desert basins, the previous works of Moustafa and his collaborators and the figures included in his discussion as we will present in this reply. It was documented that the inversion time, intensity, and type (orthogonal versus oblique or compressional versus transpressional/transtensional) differ from one basin to another in the northern part of Egypt. The geologic structures of Abu Roash helped to define a transpressional (oblique) inversion tectonic model that started at the Santonian and ended by the Latest Senonian. This tectonic model represents the northeastern segment of the Kattaniya basin and does not generalize to the whole basin or other basins in North Egypt.

Identification of predominant pathogenic bacteria isolated from respiratory manifested small ruminants in western north Egypt with regard to their susceptibility to antibiotics

Respiratory illnesses continue to be a persistent issue threatens small ruminants as sheep and goat flocks which constitute an important section of the livestock economy in Egypt. The current study have conducted survey among a total of 432 acquiring respiratory manifested sheep (n≈ 380) and goat (n≈ 85) flocks scattered in Western North regions in Egypt during September 2020 to June 2021. Bacterial screening was proceeding through classical cultivation and biochemical identification as well as screening of their antibiogram. The bacterial isolation revealed that the most prevalent pathogen was Klebsiella pneumoniae from 123 cases (27.15%), followed by Mannheimia haemolytica 108 (23.84%), Escherichia coli 75(16.5%); Staphylococcus spp. 36 (7.9%) and Streptococcus spp. 14(3.1%). The sensitivity to various antimicrobial agents was tested and demonstrated multi-drug resistant. In conclusion, the study supported the concept of the multi-bacterial etiology of the respiratory infections among sheep and goat flocks. There were high incidences of multidrug resistance behavior of the bacterial isolates which may constitute a public health importance.

The first study on the seroprevalence of Anaplasma spp. in small ruminants and assessment of associated risk factors in North Egypt.

Background and Aim:Ovine anaplasmosis is a rickettsial disease caused by Anaplasma spp. These Gram-negative intracellular bacteria are mainly transmitted by ticks and infected blood cells of caprine, ovine, and wild small ruminants. At present, epidemiological data on anaplasmosis in cattle, dogs, and camels in Egypt are available, but the data about Anaplasma spp. in sheep and goat are scarce. This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of Anaplasma spp. in small ruminants and assess the associated risk factors.Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional study was performed to investigate the seroprevalence of Anaplasma spp. in 300 sheep and 300 goats from four governorates in North Egypt using a commercial competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays kit, and the associated risk factors for the infection were evaluated.Results:Overall, the seroprevalence of anti-Anaplasma antibodies was 18.3% and 21.3% in sheep and goats, respectively. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to determine the association between risk factors and Anaplasma spp. infection.Conclusion:Age, animal husbandry, acaricide use, tick infestation, and contact with cattle were the primary risk factors for Anaplasma seropositivity. This study confirms the presence of antibodies against Anaplasma spp. in small ruminants from Egypt. This is the first study to assess the associated risk factors for Anaplasma infection in small ruminants from Egypt. Further studies are needed to improve the understanding of the associated disease factors, facilitating the development of new procedures for control of anaplasmosis in livestock.

Molecular survey and phylogenetic analysis of Babesia vogeli in dogs

Canine babesiosis is a life-threatening haemoparasitic disease in dogs that is prevalent worldwide. In this study, the prevalence of Babesia vogeli (B. vogeli) was investigated in dogs from Egypt by using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) assay, and associated risk factors were evaluated. In addition, phylogenetic position of B. vogeli Egyptian isolate was determined by sequencing. A total of 275 blood samples were taken from dogs located in four governorates belonging to the north of Egypt. Samples were examined by PCR targeting the B. vogeli 18S rRNA gene and this species was also confirmed by sequencing. Overall, the prevalence of B. vogeli was 5.1% among the studied dogs and the highest prevalence rate was found in the Giza governorate. Univariate logistic regression was used to evaluate each variable individually. The results revealed a significant association between the prevalence of B. vogeli infection and whether or not dogs were infested with ticks and the type of floor used in dog shelters. Additionally, tick infestation (OR 6.1, 95% CI 1.2–31.4), and living in shelters with soil floors (OR 3.8, 95% CI 0.8–17.8) were identified as potential risk factors for B. vogeli infection. Phylogenetic analysis was performed using B. vogeli 18S rRNA partial sequences with the hypervariable V4 region from GenBank. The Egyptian isolate was assigned to second sub-cluster with B. vogeli isolates from Japan, Venezuela and Paraguay within the B. vogeli/B. canis cluster. The present data will be useful to improve the understanding of canine babesiosis epidemiology and ways to control the disease in companion dogs.

Prevalence, antimicrobial resistance profile, and characterization of multi-drug resistant bacteria from various infected wounds in North Egypt

Multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria associated with wounds are extremely escalating. This study aims to survey different wounds in Alexandria hospitals, North Egypt, to explore the prevalence and characteristics of MDR bacteria for future utilization in antibacterial wound dressing designs. Among various bacterial isolates, we determined 22 MDR bacteria could resist different classes of antibiotics. The collected samples exhibited the prevalence of mono-bacterial infections (60%), while 40% included poly-bacterial species due to previous antibiotic administration. Moreover, Gram-negative bacteria showed dominance with a ratio of 63.6%, while Gram-positive bacteria reported 36.4%. Subsequently, the five most virulent bacteria were identified following the molecular approach by 16S rRNA and physiological properties using the VITEK 2 automated system. They were deposited in GenBank as Staphylococcus haemolyticus MST1 (KY550377), Pseudomonas aeruginosa MST2 (KY550378), Klebsiella pneumoniae MST3 (KY550379), Escherichia coli MST4 (KY550380), and Escherichia coli MST5 (KY550381). In terms of isolation source, S. haemolyticus MST1 was isolated from a traumatic wound, while P. aeruginosa MST2 and E. coli MST4 were procured from hernia surgical wounds, and K. pneumoniae MST3 and E. coli MST5 were obtained from diabetic foot ulcers. Antibiotic sensitivity tests exposed that K. pneumoniae MST3, E. coli MST4, and E. coli MST5 are extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) bacteria. Moreover, S. haemolyticus MST1 belongs to the methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococcus (MRCoNS), whereas P. aeruginosa MST2 exhibited resistance to common empirical bactericidal antibiotics. Overall, the study provides new insights into the prevalent MDR bacteria in Egypt for further use as specific models in formulating antibacterial wound dressings.

Optimal Sizing of Standalone PV-Wind Hybrid Energy System in Rural Area North Egypt

This paper studies the sizing of stand-alone renewable energy system applied in rural areas in the north of Egypt. The available renewable energy sources in these areas are investigated to be integrated to supply the different types of electrical loads. The quality and quantity of these sources over various weather and climate changes are studied to construct a robust energy system. The load demand in such areas is determined according to all activities require electrical energy. This study considers the different economic levels and technologies which affect the load demand value. The technique and economical indices required to obtain the optimal are investigated and applied in the various estimated cases. The genetic algorithm (GA) technique is applied to determine the size and number of photovoltaic panels and wind turbines. The obtained solution takes into account the loss of power supply probability and the minimization of system cost. This study presents an essential phase in the sustainable development of such rural areas.

Holocene Aridity-Induced Interruptions of Human Activity along a Fluvial Channel in Egypt’s Northern Delta

Geoarchaeological information presented here pertains to a subsidiary Nile channel that once flowed west of the main Sebennitic distributary and discharged its water and sediments at Egypt’s then north-central deltaic coast. Periodical paleoclimatic episodes during the later Middle and Upper Holocene included decreased rainfall and increased aridity that reduced the Nile’s flow levels and thus likely disrupted nautical transport and anthropogenic activity along this channel. Such changes in this deltaic sector, positioned adjacent to the Levantine Basin in the Eastern Mediterranean, can be attributed to climatic shifts triggered as far as the North Atlantic to the west, and African highland source areas of the Egyptian Nile to the south. Of special interest in a study core recovered along the channel are several sediment sequences without anthropogenic material that are interbedded between strata comprising numerous potsherds. The former are interpreted here as markers of increased regional aridity and reduced Nile flow which could have periodically disrupted the regional distribution of goods and nautical activities. Such times occurred ~5000 years B.P., ~4200–4000 years B.P., ~3200–2800 years B.P., ~2300–2200 years B.P., and more recently. Periods comparable to these are also identified by altered proportions of pollen, isotopic and compositional components in different radiocarbon-dated Holocene cores recovered elsewhere in the Nile delta, the Levantine region to the east and north of Egypt, and in the Faiyum depression south of the delta.

Abundance and Annual Distribution of Freshwater Snails and Some Trematode Cercariae at Damietta Governorate, Egypt.

SummaryIn addition to being a good food source, freshwater snails are considered one of the positively and negatively influencing invertebrates on the environment. Several biotic and abiotic factors are thought to affect the distribution and the dynamics of these snails. Freshwater snails are the most dominant and conspicuous individuals of the freshwater biota in Damietta Governorate. In this study, freshwater snails were collected monthly from 5 geographically and environmentally different sites at Damietta Governorate at the north of Egypt during June 2017-May 2018. Seven snail species; Lanistes carinatus, Lanistes varicus, Pila wernei, Segmentorbis angustus, Melanoides tuberculata, Biomphalaria alexandrina, and Gabbiella senoriansis, were identified. Lanistes carinatus was the most abundant species (56.4%) in the collection sites. Besides, Al-Inaniyyah village had the highest snail species abundance and variety. The abundance of the most recorded species varied seasonally; the highest abundance was recorded during summer while the lowest was during winter. The abundance of some snail species correlated positively or negatively with some physico-chemical parameters; water temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, total dissolved salts, and electrical conductivity. Two types of trematode cercariae; gymnocephalus cercariae and xiphidiocercariae, were harvested from Lanistes carinatus. The highest prevalence of both cercarial types was detected during summer. The correlation between the prevalence of both cercarial types and the physico-chemical parameters were determined. Xiphidiocercariae were the most predominant cercarial type in Damietta Governorate. Our findings suggest that the invasion of some freshwater snails is likely to be the cause of the low prevalence or complete absence of some medically important intermediate snail hosts. We recommend further characterization of the distribution of freshwater snails and the interrelationships among them in Egypt, and suggest a controlled use of selected snail species to combat their medically important analogues.

Coastal Erosion Assessment of the Nile Delta Coast using Remote Sensing, GIS, and Modified Coastal Vulnerability Index

The coastal zones are very much dynamic and are changing very fast, so it is completely important to study them in a temporal domain, for which remote sensing and GIS are the best tools. The coastal zone along the Governorates of Kafr El Sheikh, Dakahlia, and Damietta in north Egypt are reported to be facing serious environmental challenges. This study evaluates the coastline erosion and accretion and coastal vulnerability index (CVI) along these three Governorates, with a total length of 153Km over the past 34 years are analyzed using satellite images of TM 1984, ETM+ 2001, and ASTER 2018. The results showed that the study area was exposed to remarkable and non-expected changes over the study periods. Erosion and accretion were found variable over time and place, ranging from 0.14 ha/year in Dakahlia governorate during 1984-2001 to 66.12 ha/year in Kafr El Sheikh Governorate during 2001-2018 for erosion, and from 3.15 ha/year in Dakahlia Governorate at 2001-2018 to 42.45 ha/year in Kafr El Sheikh Governorate at 1984-2001 for accretion. Total land loss due to erosion as high as about 2034.68 ha of shoreline, and land gain as high as about 1459.71 ha of coastline was estimated in the study area with a net of lost lands of about 574.97 ha. In general, Kafr El Sheikh Governorate was more affected by erosion. According to Modified CVI, about 9.66%, 11.03%, 33.10%, and 46.21% of the length of the coastline is classified as very high, high, moderate, and low vulnerability, respectively.

Changes in Lime Essential Oils and Their Constituents Due to Environmental Variations at Agrarian Locations

Lime essential oil (EO) is rich in different biological properties as an antiseptic and antimicrobial. Agrarian locations (ALs) in Egypt are characterized by different environmental characteristics that affect the content and composition of lime EO and thus its biological properties. Leaves, flowers, and peels of lime were collected from trees cultivated in three ALs, namely, north, central, and Upper Egypt. EO was separated by a hydro-distillation (HD) method; then analyzed using a Gas chromatography (GC) and Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis. The maximum contents of leaf (0.5 % and 1.3 ml/ 250g), flower (0.2 % and 0.5 ml/ 250g) and peel (0.3 % and 1.3 ml/ 250g) EOs were obtained from the samples collected from Upper Egypt. The major component of leaf and peel EOs were limonene. Dimethyl anthranilate was the main compound of flower EO. Oxygenated monoterpenes (OM) was the main group in leaf and flower EOs, while a monoterpene hydrocarbon (MH) was the main group of peel EO. The maximum values of limonene from leaf EO (40.3 %) and limonene from peel EO (36.5 %), dimethyl anthranilate (22.3 %), OM from flower EO (66.1 %), and MH (59.8 %) were obtained from the samples collected from Upper Egypt AL. The greatest amount of OM from leaf EO (55.9 %) has resulted from the samples collected from the central AL. It may be concluded that this study avail as a reference for choosing the adequate AL to extract the EO according to the compositions of interest.

Facies-based model and basin architecture of the Eocene succession in Egypt (Eastern Desert and Sinai): an example for tectonically controlled sedimentation on the southern Tethyan margin

Integration of stratigraphy, spatial evolution, and syn-tectonism paved the way to propose a new depositional model for the Eocene rocks in the Eastern Desert and Sinai. Minia, Darat, Samalut, and Maghagha geological formations have been recognized. Eight sedimentary facies including tidal flat/lagoon complex, restricted inner lagoon, shoals, outer lagoon, back-bank, nummulite bank, fore-bank, and open marine have been identified. They were deposited in the shallow marine photic environment on a gently dipping platform ramp due to north of Egypt. Furthermore, this ramp shows three main faunal associations depending on water depth. The facies zones are arranged into a series of parallel NE-SW elongated subsiding sub-basins, separated by emerged and submerged swells rising from the bottom of the Eocene sea. Physically controlled sedimentary structures indicate a para-autochthonous to bio-concentration of the nummulite bodies. The spatio-temporal variations in the depositional environments and hiatuses in between and within the studied rock units indicate stratigraphic unrest. The Syrian Arc tectonism is the main trigger for such disturbance, which was rejuvenated and enlarged during the Late Cretaceous up to the Neogene in the eastern and southeastern Mediterranean domain.

Splitting Definitives: The Separation of the Definite Article in Medieval and Pre-Modern Written Judeo-Arabic

Abstract This article explores the reasons behind the orthographic practice of representing the definite article in written Judeo-Arabic as an independent entity, a phenomenon which became widespread in Jewish Arabic-speaking communities in the pre-modern era. Commencing with its representation in fifteenth to nineteenth-century Egyptian Judeo-Arabic manuscripts, the orthographic feature is traced back to Judeo-Arabic texts produced in medieval al-Andalus, Sicily, and the Maġrib, and from there, to post-1492 CE Sephardī Jewish refugees, who settled in North Africa and Egypt. The phenomenon is revealed to be the result of a two-stage process: (i) direct language contact between Romance and Judeo-Arabic; and (ii) the influence of Judeo-Spanish writing on Judeo-Arabic spelling practices in diaspora communities after their expulsion from the Spanish Kingdoms.

Analysis of organochlorine pesticides residues in fish from Edko Lake (North of Egypt) using eco-friendly method and their health implications for humans

Levels of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) residues in tilapia fish and their health risk associated with the consumption of fish from Edko lake, Egypt were determined. The quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe method (QuEChERS) was used for extraction and clean-up of 18 OCPs residues from fish followed by GC-ECD and GC-ITD analytical tools were employed for identification of OPs. Out of the 18 OCPs, only heptachlorepoxide, p,p-DDE, dieldrin, p,p-DDD, and endrin ketone were detected in muscles of fish with concentrations of 0.1144, 0.2119, 0.4352, 0.1196, and 0.1323 µg/Kg bw, respectively. Results of the risk assessment calculations showed that dieldrin had a health risk index of more than one. This means that there was a health risk to adults associated with the consumption of fish. On the other hand, heptachlorepoxide, p,p-DDE, p,p-DDD, and endrin ketone did not show any direct health risk. Contamination of fish, collected from Edko lake in Egypt, with residues of OCPs might pose health implications if fish were consumed fresh.

A cross sectional study of the risk factors of hepatitis C infection in North Egypt.

Hepatitis C is a viral infection that has been declared as a global health problem by the World Health Organization. Egypt has the highest prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) which results in a high morbidity and mortality from chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, and even hepatocellular carcinoma. Cities have lower rates of infection than rural areas. Studies about the abnormally high prevalence of HCV in Egypt ascribed that to the governmental campaign to treat Schistosoma. However, these treatment campaigns have stopped more than 35years ago, which means that some other modes of transmission must have been involved. The objective of this work is to study the main reasons of HCV prevalence in the Egyptian Delta valley. A questionnaire-based study was conducted by members of the HCV Fighters project. Responses were collected from 949 volunteers (451 HCV patients and 498 healthy volunteers as control). The data were analyzed using SPSS version 19.0. The two-sample proportion test was used for statistical comparison between groups. The most probable risk factors of HCV transmission in Egypt included regular visits to dental clinics (55.2%), previous surgical operations (54.4%), former blood transfusion (52%), intrafamilial HCV infection (45.9%) and history of bilharzial infection (44.3%). Increasing public awareness about modes of transmission and risk factors of HCV infection is a must, especially within family members of HCV patients. Strict commitment to proper medical care precautions by health care practitioners is required.

Effect of Genotype of Grafted Larvae and Rearing Bar Level on some Economic Traits in Commercial Production of Honeybee Queens under Damietta Governorate Conditions, North Egypt

Effect of Genotype of Grafted Larvae and Rearing Bar Level on some Economic Traits in Commercial Production of Honeybee Queens under Damietta Governorate Conditions, North Egypt

Effect of Introducing Larval Queen Cell Numbers and Rearing Season on Certain Developmental Features and Wet Weight of Commercially Produced Queens under Damietta Conditions (North Egypt)

Effect of Introducing Larval Queen Cell Numbers and Rearing Season on Certain Developmental Features and Wet Weight of Commercially Produced Queens under Damietta Conditions (North Egypt)

Case study on soft soil improvement using vertical drains—field measurements and numerical studies

This paper presents an interesting case study for a very large ground improvement project in north Egypt using prefabricated vertical drains (PVD) and surcharge. The first 15m of soil at this site is soft silty clay to silty sand over 35m layer of very soft clay. To build a trustable numerical model that can predict the behaviour of the complex situation, a trial area was built, including several types of instrumentations for intensive monitoring of deformations and excess pore water pressures over time. Undisturbed samples were collected all over the soil profile and tested in the lab to determine the soil parameters to be used in the numerical model. An axisymmetric numerical model was built and calibrated using the collected data to predict the soil behaviour and the development of settlements due to the construction works. The analyses were performed using the soft soil model and the soft soil creep model; thus, the numerical investigations allow an evaluation of the long-term effects. The comparisons of the finite element analysis with the measured deformations presented in this paper show a very good match. Moreover, pre and post in situ measurements of standard cone penetration tests with sensors for the measurement of the pore water pressures (CPTu) have been used to calibrate the numerical model. These CPTu tests were used additionally to verify the improvement of the soil shear parameters over the preloading duration. It is shown that a combination of surcharge and vertical drains can be successfully used to improve the soft soil conditions present at the discussed project.