17 years of ranging from the Helwan SLR station

The satellites laser ranging from Helwan SLR station during the last 20 years are discussed. The internal calibration method used at the Helwan SLR station is explained. The root mean square value of the calibrations carried out during the period from 1991 to 2008 is computed. To clarify the difference in the accuracy of the measurements, the results of the analysis of the data taken for all the satellites after the upgrading (2000) are given and compared with those of the satellites observed before the upgrading (1996). The total number of passes of the satellite observed during the period from 1991 to 2008 is presented and the results are compared with the other SLR stations.     

Agrobiodiversity of Muda Rice Agroecosystem:A case Study in Largest Granary Area of Malaysia

A survey was carried out at the largest rice cultivation area in Peninsular Malaysia,the Muda rice agroecosystem.The main objective of this study was to document the overall biodiversity associated with this unique agroecosystem by using a combination of sampling techniques in order to record different groups of fauna and flora.The total number of biota recorded and identified from the rice field ecosystem during the study period consisted of 46 species of zooplankton,81 species of aquatic insects,5 species of rodents,7 species of bats,87 species of birds,11 species of fishes and 58 species of weeds.A long-term study should be carried out as more species are expected to be recorded when more of the Muda rice agroecosystem area has been sampled to obtain sufficient information on the Muda rice agrobiodiversity.     

The impact of health financing and CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> emission on health outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa: A cross-country analysis

The current paper examines the relationship between health financing (public and out-of-pocket health financing), CO₂ emission and health outcomes in 35 Sub-Saharan African countries for the period of 1995–2012. The panel unit root and cointegration tests are conducted as pre-tests, followed by the estimation of the parameters using the FM-OLS and DOLS techniques. The findings of the study show the importance of public health financing as one of the major factors that lead to better health outcomes, whereas the out-of-pocket expenditure is found to be harmful to population health since it leads to increase under-5 mortality rate. Although the results show a negative relationship between CO₂ and health outcomes, still these results remain inclusive. In addition, the findings reveal the importance of socioeconomic factors such as income and education as key determinants of health outcomes.     

Seismic risk in the city of Al Hoceima (north of Morocco) using the vulnerability index method,applied in Risk-UE project

Al Hoceima is one of the most seismic active regions in north of Morocco. It is demonstrated by the large seismic episodes reported in seismic catalogs and research studies. However, seismic risk is relatively high due to vulnerable buildings that are either old or don’t respect seismic standards. Our aim is to present a study about seismic risk and seismic scenarios for the city of Al Hoceima. The seismic vulnerability of the existing residential buildings was evaluated using the vulnerability index method (Risk-UE). It was chosen to be adapted and applied to the Moroccan constructions for its practicality and simple methodology. A visual inspection of 1102 buildings was carried out to assess the vulnerability factors. As for seismic hazard, it was evaluated in terms of macroseismic intensity for two scenarios (a deterministic and probabilistic scenario). The maps of seismic risk are represented by direct damage on buildings, damage to population and economic cost. According to the results, the main vulnerability index of the city is equal to 0.49 and the seismic risk is estimated as Slight (main damage grade equal to 0.9 for the deterministic scenario and 0.7 for the probabilistic scenario). However, Moderate to heavy damage is expected in areas located in the newer extensions, in both the east and west of the city. Important economic losses and damage to the population are expected in these areas as well. The maps elaborated can be a potential guide to the decision making in the field of seismic risk prevention and mitigation strategies in Al Hoceima.     

Effects of land use/cover change on regional land surface temperatures: severe warming from drying Toshka lakes,the Western Desert of Egypt

Natural Hazards - Toshka depression in the Western Desert of Egypt witnessed big floods in late 1990s from the Nile River behind the High Dam, where many lakes were formed. By the year 2003, the...     

Iron Isotopic Fractionation and Origin of Chromitites in the Paleo-Moho Transition Zone of the Kop Ophiolite, NE Turkey

The Kop ophiolite in NE Turkey is a fragment of Neo-Tethyan forearc.It can be mainly divided into a paleo-Moho transition zone(MTZ)in the North and a harzburgitic mantle sequence in the South.Dunites are predominant in the MTZ of the Kop ophiolite,and they are locally interlayered with chromitites and enclose minor bodies of harzburgites near the petrological Moho boundary.Large Fe isotopic variations were observed for magnesiochromite(-0.14‰to 0.06‰)and olivine(-0.12‰to 0.14‰)from the MTZ chromitites,dunites and harzburgites.In individual dunite samples,magnesiochromite usually has lighter Fe isotopic compositions than olivine,which was probably caused by subsolidus Mg-Fe exchange between the two mineral phases.Both magnesiochromite and olivine display an increasing trend ofδ56Fe along a profile from chromitite todunite.This trend reflects continuous fractional crystallization in a magma chamber,which resulted in heavier Fe isotopes concentrated in the evolved magmas.In each cumulative cycle of chromitite and dunite,dunite was formed from relatively evolved melts after massive precipitation of magnesiochromite.Mixing of more primitive and evolved melts in the magma chamber was a potential mechanism for triggering the crystallization of magnesiochromite,generating chromitite layers in the cumulate pile.Before mixing happened,the primitive melts had reacted with mantle harzburgites during their ascendance;whereas the evolved melts may lie on the olivine-chromite cotectic near the liquidus field of pyroxene.Variable degrees of magma mixing and differentiation are expected to generate melts with differentδ56Fe values,accounting for the Fe isotopic variations of the Kop MTZ.     

Discovery of the causeway and the mortuary temple of the Pyramid of Amenemhat II using near‐surface magnetic investigation,Dahshour, Giza,Egypt

The main outbuildings of the Amenemhat II pyramid complex in Dahsour were yet to be discovered due to a very long subjection of the area to the military authorities and also the demolition of the pyramid itself. We describe the discovery of some of these outbuildings using near‐surface magnetic investigations. A gradiometer survey was conducted in the area east of the pyramid to measure the vertical magnetic gradient with a high resolution instrument at 0.5 m sampling interval. The data showed some undesirable field effects such as grid discontinuities, grid slope, traverse stripe effects, spikes and high frequencies originating from recent ferrous contamination. These undesirable effects were addressed to produce an enhanced display. We have successfully detected four main structures in the area east of the pyramid; the causeway that connected the mortuary temple with the valley temple during the Middle Kingdom of the 12^th Dynasty, the mortuary temple and its associated rooms, ruins of an ancient working area and an Egyptian‐style tomb structure called a Mastaba. An improved recognition for these structures was accomplished by using the analytic signal and Euler deconvolution techniques. Excavation of a small part within the study area has proven the reliability of magnetic discoveries and the shallowness and composition of the detected features.     

Surfactants in the sea-surface microlayer and their contribution to atmospheric aerosols around coastal areas of the Malaysian peninsula

A study was done to determine the concentrations of surfactants on the sea-surface microlayer and in atmospheric aerosols in several coastal areas around the Malaysian peninsula. The concentrations of surfactants from the sea-surface microlayer (collected using rotation drum) and from aerosols (collected using HVS) were analyzed as methylene blue active substances and disulphine blue active substances through the colorimetric method using a UV-vis spectrophotometer. The results of this study showed that the average concentrations of surfactants in the sea-surface microlayer ranged between undetected and 0.36 ± 0.34 μmol L⁻¹ for MBAS and between 0.11 ± 0.02 and 0.21 ± 0.13 μmol L⁻¹ for DBAS. The contribution of surfactants from the sea-surface microlayer to the composition of surfactants in atmospheric aerosols appears to be very minimal and more dominant in fine mode aerosols.     

Albian extrusion evidences of the Triassic salt and clues of the beginning of the Eocene atlasic phase from the example of the Chitana-Ed Djebs structure (N.Tunisia): Implication in the North African Tethyan margin recorded events, comparisons

In the northern part of Tunisia, close to Testour/Slouguia, new observations and updated biostratigraphy make it possible to highlight the relation between the Triassic saliferous mass and the surrounding Mesozoic beds (T. M.). Near the (T. M.) boundary, the formations observed consist dominantly of Triassic evaporites reworked in the Early and Late Albian deep-water sedimentary deposits. Throughout the studied area, Jurassic rocks are absent. We propose to interpret the Chitana-Ed Djebs structure originally emplaced as gravitational stretch masses in a passive margin in the same way as the salt bodies of widespread salt province in the Gulf of Mexico. A reconstructed schematic position of the Chitana-Ed Djebs salt body displays a scenario of setting of the salt mass on a submarine palaeo-slope. Moreover, the starting clues of the paroxysmal event of the Late Mesozoic tectonic inversion clearly fossilized through the discordance of the Middle Eocene–Early Lutetian limestone on the Albian series.