Vol. 29 Issue 1/2

El-Sadek A., Radwan M. and Willems P.
A physico-chemical water quality model has been developed and tested for the Rosetta Branch in the Nile Delta. This paper discusses the set up of this model, the investigation on sufficient availability of water quality sampling and pollution data to enable such Modeling exercise, the extensive model verification by statistical techniques, as well as the model refinement and scenario analyses carried out by the model. The model has been set up making use of the MIKE11 river Modeling software. The physico-chemical water quality (WQ) model is linked with a detailed full hydrodynamic (HD) model developed for the same Rosetta branch, and also implemented in the MIKE11 Modeling system. All significant pollution sources along the Rosetta branch were considered. Pollution along the Rosetta Branch mainly originates from the drains. Three drains (El-Moheet, Sabal, and Tala) are monitored with different water quality variables measured on monthly basis. The measured concentrations for the Modeled variables and the discharges along the drains and at the model boundaries are used as model inputs. In between the different instantaneous values for these observations, linear interpolations are made. The model was calibrated and validated based on the available sampling data along the Branch. Given the data limitations for calculation of the model input and for model calibration, the simulation results can be considered good. The paper focuses on the model results for NO3-N and TDS, and links the results towards their use in water management applying the combined HD-WQ model as integrated decision support tool. This was illustrated in the paper by prior simulation of scenarios in the model.

Hussein M.T.
Generally Engineering students need managerial training to be coupled with their intensive technical skills which they obtained during their five years engineering program at Islamic University of Gaza (IUG). There is always a legal marriage between academia and industry to reduce the gap between both of the them; therefore this paper presents the importance and the urgent needs for introducing an Engineering Management (EM) course as a technical elective in the curriculum of Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at IUG, as it was assessed by both academies and practical engineering managers as part of the joint need assessment efforts, Hussein (2010). This article addresses the link between industry and the management skills that students normally gain. Several interviews were conducted as a research methodology instrument used to validate and give credibility to the main issue of this paper; therefore as a result some valuable comments from current and previous students who graduated as well local industry engineering managers are given, on the other hand current enrolled students fill a standard e-survey to evaluate the course as well. Finally the paper presents the implementation of the state-of-the art e-Learning virtual environment by using open source Moodle as an enhancement tool for the traditional existence course in addition to utilization Face Book to show the effect of the course on improving the case studies and projects.

Kouidri A., Kalem K., Larbaoui D. and Boudouma D.
This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of food diet supplemented consisting of 30% cereal bran (barley and wheat) on the development of “wistar” rats. Sixty six male “wistar” rats with a mean weight of 173 ± 5g were examined for a period of three months. The experimental diets include a standard diet (S), hyper caloric diet (H), enriched diet with wheat bran (WB) or enriched diet with barley bran (BB). A significant increase (P<0.05) in weights was noted especially in rats under hyper caloric diet (H). Glycemia, total cholesterol, triacylglycerols and LDL-C increased in rats under hyper caloric diet and decrease with diets enriched with wheat and barley bran.

Ismail A. M. A.
Collaborative learning is emerging as an important learning method. It is an educational approach for teaching and learning; that involves groups of learners working together to solve a problem, complete a task, or create a product. This paper describes a comprehensive approach in collaborative inquiry of medical physics at College of Medicine & Medical Sciences (CMMS) Arabian Gulf University (AGU). The collaborative module comprises: an interactive medical physics WebCT virtual learning environment that provides students with shared workspaces for coordinating and recording their collaboration in scientific inquiry; inside and outside field visits carried out collaboratively by each subgroup and the tutor. Medical physics diagnostic and application dialogue (learning problems) and Web-based materials are designed to match and enrich the module. The individual and group assessments given to students guide their learning process, and help them to scientifically report and evaluate their collaboration inquiry experiences. The main aim of this work was to redesign the medical physics module at the AGU and contribute in shifting the learning process from a teacher-center to a learner-center activities and support learner-learner interaction, learner-content interaction, and learner-tutor interaction to a degree that facilitate deep learning and fulfill satisfaction with learning. The results indicate that collaborative learning enabled the participants to communicate easily with their teachers (resource people, tutors and professors) and their peers searching for answers for themselves. In addition, the participants were able to assess their own expertise, resulting in the enhancement of knowledge, skills, attitudes and satisfaction with learning. Concerning achievement in medical physics; data analysis results revealed no significance differences related to treatment type (collaboration, no collaboration) or the gender of the experimental group participant`s (male, female). A remarkable result was that participants who were taught through collaborative approach scored significantly more gain in achievement (M = 15.1289, SD = 16.84061) than the control group that did not use collaborative approach (M = 6.1225, SD= 21.26310), t(290) = -4.023, p < .05. i.e. collaborative approach for teaching medical physics prove its strength in empowering subjects gain development in achievement. Further research on more courses is needed to cross validate the study findings and generalize the results. Attached an appendix titled “X-Ray and Medical Diagnostic Dialogue”.

El-Sadek A.
Water quality in terms of nitrogen transport and transformations in surface water has been presented in both spatial and temporal distributions. The paper is concentrated on the analysis for the Lake Nasser, the main Nile with the two branches, the drains, irrigation canals and rayahs. The spatial variation of the sampled water quality parameters is presented with the comparison to the recommended standard (Law 48/1982). Further temporal analysis considering the previous campaign (September 2000) results is presented. The study concluded that the nitrate problem has been found in the drains where agricultural land is the main source of nitrate in the surface water in Egypt. The research also concluded that the problems of understanding the different relations between the water quality evolution, estimating the effect of river flow and water quality management projects, etc. be solved by analysis of monitoring results and simulation models can have a significant and decisive role. Furthermore, the study indicated that the water quality models are the tools for analyzing, extrapolating and predicting water quality. To reduce groundwater and surface water pollution and control the environmental cost to remove nitrate-nitrogen from water, it is essential to understand fully the nitrate leaching from agricultural fields. Finally, it is recommended to build up a conceptual simplified model for the point-sources locations to be able to propose different scenarios for improving the current state of the river and drains quality conditions.

Seroji A.R.
The present investigation aims to study temporal and spatial variation in the concentrations of PM10, CO and noise levels at the central area (322 m altitude, 21o.25 N, 39o.52 E) in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, during hajj season in 1429H (2008). Measurements of PM10, CO and noise levels were conducted using the High Volume Sampler of PM10, CO gas monitor and the Sound level Meter of model CR812B, respectively. The daily averaged measured PM10 concentrations at the central area were high and ranged between 85 – 200 μg/m3. Despite such PM10 concentrations are lower than the recorded one (250 μg/m3) by previous studies and are within the permissible limits by GERRI (340 μg/m3) [GERRI, 2006] but they were still exceeding the recommended limits of PM10 (20 μg/m3) by WHO [WHO, 2000]. However, the averaged measured concentrations of CO were less than 20 mg/m3/hr except Tunnel (1) that reached 97 mg/m3/hr. The measured LAeq at the central area sites varied between 71 – 98 dB exceeding the recommended value of 70 dB by WHO. This study also discussed the temporal variation of all these pollutants during hajj season and its expected sources in the central area and its health effects on pilgrims. The solutions were suggested to improve the air quality. Most important suggestion is adopting a new public transportation system at this central area in Makkah such as monorail, trams or train networks that would extremely reduce air pollutant concentrations and noise levels. A comprehensive programme is also required for the safety environmental management.

Alsultanny Y.
The researches have different types according to their disciplines, the type of the researches are classified into more than ten types that are usually known by researchers. The scientific research is one of these researches; the scientific research needs many tools and ways to be a successful research, and must be new and follows the scientific developments that were done daily. The scientific research needs an assistance from the public and private sectors in GCC, these two sectors must be a real partners in financial assistant of the scientific research, and must be connected with the needs of the sustainable development, the scientific research must be an applied research, as well as must be suitable with universities programmes and the gulf labor market needs. This article will give a fast survey about the types of the researches that are done at GCC to know the degree of usefulness of these researches to these countries and to any GCC individual, also the added value that can cause these researches to support knowledge locally and internationally. This article will discuss the degree of cost benefit that can be obtained and their affect on the GCC citizen economically, also the scientific programmes at universities will be discussed and the need to develop or find new programmes to follow the globalization and transfer the universities from information age to knowledge age, and their outcomes must be useful for human development, this can be done by connecting the academic programmes of the universities with GCC market needs, which is part of the world needs. This can be implemented by knowing the new trends of scientific researches, because the scientific research now, represents the progress of any country, therefore each country must take the scientific research as one of the important pillar in each organization of education such as universities or research centers.

Al-Shayaa M.S., Muneer S.E. and Alharthy F.
This study aimed at exploring the level of knowledge of the nurseries workers about some of the insects of the ornamental plants, infection symptoms and methods of control. The level of their knowledge was measured by identifying the sources of information, used by them. Data were collected from the workers of the 91 nurseries at Riyadh city and Alddiriyah province, using a valid and a reliable questionnaire. The data were analyzed using frequency distribution, means, standard deviation, chi square test and multiple regression analysis, by using SPSS program. Results indicated that more than two thirds (65.9%) of the respondents were non-Saudis and they were considered as temporary laborers. About 90% of the respondents had good knowledge of the Arabic language, and only 42.9% of them could read English. The fact undermines their ability to make use of sources of information such as the pesticides label and extension pamphlets written in English. Moreover, the study revealed that 56% of the respondents were born in the urban areas; only 7.7% of them did not have formal education and 59.3% of them had received post graduate level education at the university. The study further revealed that half of the respondents were involved in agriculture, and 40.7% of them were working with the ornamental plants for ten or more years, providing them with an opportunity to acquire good experience. The respondents had the medium level of knowledge about insects of ornamental plants i.e. 25.92 degree measured on a scale that ranges from 8 to 40 degrees. The workers had highest level of knowledge (4.1 degrees on a 5 degree scale) on Aphids followed by Mealy bug (3.7 degrees, while they were having the lowest level of knowledge on Leaf cutter bee (2.1) and Tropinota squalida (2.5), While diagnosing the infection symptoms caused by insects, the respondents had an average knowledge level and that was found to be 44.5 degrees with a standard deviation of 7.7 degree and a median of 54 degree, on a scale that ranged from 36 to 72 degrees. The level of knowledge of the respondents on the infection symptoms was lower than their knowledge on insects. However, the respondents’ level of knowledge about the symptoms of insects’ infection was found to be consistent with their knowledge about the different insects. The highest level of knowledge about symptoms of infection (7.2) was on aphids and the lowest level of knowledge (4.9) was on the symptoms of infection caused by Leaf cutter bee and Tropinota squalida.

Noman A., Abido M.S. and Qubaily I.
Lebanon Cedar (Cedrus libani A. Rich.) and Brutia pine (Pinus brutia Ten.) growth performance in the Cool Supra-Mediterranean bioclimatic zone of the Syrian Coastal Mountains at Almawla Hassan afforestation site was evaluated. The Pluviothermal quotient of Emberger and the aridity index for the site is 199 and 53.1 consecutively, whereas, summer drought spans for 120 days. The site is dominated by oak Maqui with 80 species distributed equivocally on site aspects. Lebanon Cedar was superior to Brutia pine in all growth indicators. It achieved mean height of 17.97m compared to 14.07m in Brutia pine with significant effects of exposures on the later. Furthermore, it realized a diameter of 27.37cm compared to 23.95cm in Brutia pine with significant effects of exposures on the later species. Basal area (BA) median tree of Lebanon Cedar was 0.058m2, equivalent to 64.78m2/ha. compared with 0.045m2 Brutia pine median tree BA, equivalent to 62.18m2/ha. The growing stock volume (GSV) of Lebanon Cedar median tree was 0.494 m3, and total GSV for its stand was 549.45 m3/ha. whereas, average annual growth reached 13.73 m3/ha/yr. On the other side, GSV of Brutia pine median tree was 0.335 m3, and GSV for its stand was 461.90m3/ha. In the meantime, the species average growth was 11.84 m3 /ha /yr. Tree form factor was greater in Brutia pine. Width of average annual growth rings of the Lebanon Cedar was 4.34 mm/yr. of which 82% of growth was formed in fall compared with 2.42 mm of Brutia pine of which fall growth formed 76%. It is suggested that Lebanon cedar be afforested to similar mountain aspects within this bioclimatic regime along the coastal range mountains.

Abido M.S., Abahussain A.A. and Abdel Munsif H.
A Vegetation survey aimed at the estimation of species and community parameters was conducted for Mangrove assembly along the coasts of Tubli Bay of Bahrain. Satellite imagery (IKONOS) coupled with ground truthing were used to calculate the areas of the Mangrove. Results showed that Mangrove coverage and density at Sanad site were 70% and 1245 tree/ha., respectively. An ecotonic plant community lies aside composed of Mangrove and flood-tolerant species mostly, Halopeplis perfoliata, Halocnemum strobilaceum, Suaeda maritime. Relative coverage of Mangrove within this community was 55%, whereas coverage and density of Arthrocnemum macrostachym were 35% and 8.22 plant/m2, respectively. A plant community composed principally of Arthrocnemum macrostachym and Halocnemum strobilaceum with 72% and 23% coverage respectively is situated behind. Other species such as, Juncus sp., Aeluropus littoralis, Portulaca sp., Suaeda vermiculata, Suaeda sp., Tamarix sp., Sesuvium verrucosum and Phragmites australis with an average coverage of 56% occupy high intertidal areas. The Shannon- Wiener diversity index and Pielou’s evenness index for the assembly at the site scored 2.44 and 0.95, respectively. The average coverage and density of Mangrove at Sitra Site (1) were 63.3% and 1300 per ha., consecutively. Average coverage and density of Arthrocnemum salicornicum reached 55% and 6.75 plants/m2. Other species such as Suaeda maritime, Arthrocnemum salicornicum, Phragmites australis, Juncus sp., Aeluropus littoralis were observed in high intertidal areas. Diversity and evenness indices for the plant community were 1.96 and 0.85, respectively. Mangrove coverage and density at Sitra site (2) were 45% and 959 plant/ha. Coverage and density of Arthrocnemum salicornicum were 23% and 4.12 plants/m2, respectively. Other species such as Arthrocnemum salicornicum, Aeluropus littoralis, Suaeda maritime, Suaeda vermiculata, Suaeda sp., Hammada sp. were present at higher ground. Diversity and evenness indices for the plant community were 1.96 and 0.85, respectively. Similarity index for the sites ranged from 43-87%. The area of Mangrove community in 2010 totaled 55.46 ha, of which Mangrove occupies 31 ha alone. Another 18 ha. were occupied by Mangrove and other species, compared with 52.56 in 2005 where mangrove formed 30 ha alone and shared an area of 15.5 ha. with other species. It is suggested for any management plan for Mangrove community to take into consideration the basic ecology of Mangrove within this integrated ecosystem as well as preventing further reclamation activities in the Bay.