AIM: To explore the effect of Sinai san decoction on the development of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis induced by CCL4 combined with a fat-rich diet in rats.METHODS: Twenty-seven Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into t...AIM: To explore the effect of Sinai san decoction on the development of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis induced by CCL4 combined with a fat-rich diet in rats.METHODS: Twenty-seven Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups randomly: control group (n = 9),model group (n = 9) and treatment group (n = 9). The rats of model group and treatment group were given small dosage of CCL4 combined with a fat-rich diet, andthose of control group were given normal diet. After four weeks of fat-rich diet feeding, the rats of treatment group were given Sinai san decoction. The serum levels of aminotransferase and lipid were measured, and the pathology of livers was observed by HE staining after the rats were sacrificed at eight weeks.RESULTS: The rats' livers presented the pathology of steatosis and inflammation with higher serum levels of ALT and AST in the model group. In the treatment group the serum ALT and AST levels decreased significantly and were close to the control group. The hepatic inflammation scores also decreased markedly, but were still higher than those of control group. And the degree of hepatocyte steatosis was similar to that of model group.CONCLUSION: Sinai san decoction may ameliorate the hepatic inflammation of rats with steatohepatitis induced by small dosage of CCL4 combined with a fat-rich diet,but does not prevent the development of hepatocyte steatosis.展开更多
The Lower Cretaceous sections in northern Sinai are composed of the Risan Aneiza （upper Barremian-middle Albian） and the Halal （middle Albian-lower Cenomanian） formations. The facies reflect subtle paleobathymetry...The Lower Cretaceous sections in northern Sinai are composed of the Risan Aneiza （upper Barremian-middle Albian） and the Halal （middle Albian-lower Cenomanian） formations. The facies reflect subtle paleobathymetry from inner to outer ramp facies. The inner ramp facies are peritidal, protected to open marine lagoons, shoals and rudist biostrome facies. The inner ramp facies grade northward into outer ramp deposits. The upper Barremian-lower Cenomanian succession is subdivided into nine depositional sequences correlated with those recognized in the neighbouring Tethyan areas. These sequences are subdivided into 19 medium-scale sequences based on the facies evolution, the recorded hardgrounds and flooding surfaces, interpreted as the result of eustatic sea level changes and local tectonic activities of the early Syrian Arc rifting stage. Each sequence contains a lower retrogradational parasequence set that constituted the transgressive systems tracts and an upper progradational parasequence set that formed the highstand systems tracts. Nine rudist levels are recorded in the upper Barremian through lower Cenomanian succession at Gabal Raghawi. At Gabal Yelleg two rudist levels are found in the Albian. The rudist levels are associated with the highstand systems tract deposits because of the suitability of the trophic conditions in the rudist-dominated ramp.展开更多
Studying the population ecology of endangered plants provides important baseline information for its monitoring and conservation.Juniperus phoenicea L.is an endangered species in arid ecosystems in Africa and the Midd...Studying the population ecology of endangered plants provides important baseline information for its monitoring and conservation.Juniperus phoenicea L.is an endangered species in arid ecosystems in Africa and the Middle East.The static life tables,survival curve and age structure of J.phoenicea populations from two mountains in North Sinai,Egypt(Gabal(G.)El-Halal and G.El-Maghara)were investigated.In each mountain,fifteen plots were selected,and field measurements such as stand density,tree height,and crown diameter were conducted.Moreover,44 trees were cored and crossdated according to standard dendrochronological procedures.The results showed that the tree ages ranged from 50 to 262 years at G.El-Halal and 96 to431 years at G.El-Maghara.Mature J.phoenicea individuals dominated the study area,with only a few individuals being younger than 100 years.Moreover,seedling recruitment was extremely limited.Since the studied J.phoenicea populations showed high mortality rates among both old and young individuals,there is an imminent need for establishing a conservation program to prevent its extinction in the future.Therefore,management and conservation efforts should be made to minimize human disturbance and protect the relic habitats of this endangered species at its southern distribution limits in Africa.展开更多
One of the main concerns of physical planning is the proper designation of suitable sites for feasible and sustainable land use. A main importance of such issue is that it withdraws attention to the necessity of adopt...One of the main concerns of physical planning is the proper designation of suitable sites for feasible and sustainable land use. A main importance of such issue is that it withdraws attention to the necessity of adopting a multidisciplinary approach to the zoning and site selection problem. Egypt has a top priority objective to develop Sinai Peninsula and to create new sustainable and attracting communities that should ensure a stable, economic and sustainable environment in vast desert zones. Due to the difficulty in solving a zoning problem in a desert, the use of remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) was to explore the desert potentials in the region. Five sub-models were created for five themes using Spatial Multicriteria Analysis (SMCA) and used as inputs to the final suitability model. These themes are: land resources, land stability, accessibility, cost of construction and land protection. A GIS-based model was designed following a sustainable development approach. Economic, social and environmental factors were introduced in the model to identify and map land suitable zones for urban development using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). The suitability index map for urban development was produced by weighted overlay of the five sub-models themes. The most suitable zones for urban development in Sinai Peninsula amounted to 5327 square kilometers representing 17% of total area, whereas high suitable zones reached 40% indicating a high suitability of Sinai Peninsula lands for residing new urban communities.展开更多
Sinai Peninsula has fascinating geologic setting and is displaying a diversity of structural lineaments that have greatly influenced the distribution of natural resources and hazards. Shaded relief images derived from...Sinai Peninsula has fascinating geologic setting and is displaying a diversity of structural lineaments that have greatly influenced the distribution of natural resources and hazards. Shaded relief images derived from SRTM-DEM mosaics were used for the identification, extraction, and mapping of these structural lineaments. Statistical parameters particularly, azimuth frequency, lineament intersection, lengths, and density distribution were analyzed using SPSS software. Two additional new statistical indices;Lineament Relative Abundance Index (LRAI) and Lineament Majority-Minority Index (LMMI) were applied. Moreover, the distribution of the different statistical parameters was illustrated as contour maps through GIS environment. Basically, two dominant clusters;NW-SE and NNE-SSW trends were detected. These trends are related to major fracture systems that are characterized by extensive mean lengths and high proportion values. Furthermore, the northern and central parts of Sinai Peninsula have lower density and intersection of structural lineaments that gradually increase towards the southern part. However, the northern part of Sinai displays wider areas of majority zones than the southern part. This could be attributed to the lower density of lineaments and little tendency for multiple lineament populations. The majority zones are usually associated with NE and NW-SE in the northern part of Sinai, whereas the majority zones are of less abundance in the central and southern parts of Sinai due to the multiple orientations of lineament populations which reduce the tendency for majority. Eventually, the results of the present work could be applicable in the different geologic and environmental aspects that are based on a good understanding of the genetic and spatial relationships of fracture systems. These aspects encompass geodynamics, exploration for mineralization and groundwater, in addition to the mitigation of natural hazards such as flush flooding and earthquakes.展开更多
Metavolcanic rocks hosting base metal sulphide mineralization, and belonging to the Kid Metamorphic Complex, are exposed in the Samra-Tarr area, Southern Sinai. The rocks consist of slightly metamorphosed varicolored ...Metavolcanic rocks hosting base metal sulphide mineralization, and belonging to the Kid Metamorphic Complex, are exposed in the Samra-Tarr area, Southern Sinai. The rocks consist of slightly metamorphosed varicolored porphyritic lavas of rhyolite-to-andesite composition, and their equivalent pyroclastics. Geochemically, these metavolcanics are classified as high-K calc-alkaline, metaluminous andesites, trachyandesites, dacites, and rhyolites. The geochemical characteristics of these metavolcanics strongly point to their derivation from continental crust in an active continental margin. The sulphide mineralization in these metavolcanics occurs in two major ore zones, and is represented by four distinct styles of mineralization. The mineralization occurs either as low-grade disseminations or as small massive pockets. The associated hydrothermal alterations include carbonatization, silicification, sericitization and argillic alterations. The base metal sulphide mineralization is epigenetic and was formed by hvdrothermal solutions associated with subduction-related volcanic activity.展开更多
The volcano-sedimentary succession around Wadi Zaghra in Sinai, at the northernmost segment of the Arabian Nubian Shield, comprises volcanic rocks interbedded with rather immature sediments. The succession is dominate...The volcano-sedimentary succession around Wadi Zaghra in Sinai, at the northernmost segment of the Arabian Nubian Shield, comprises volcanic rocks interbedded with rather immature sediments. The succession is dominated by intermediate to silicic volcanics of medium-to high-K calc-alkaline affinity. It is divided into two units, the lower unit includes intermediate rocks and dacites interbedded with graywackes, semi-pelites and pelites and topped by polymict conglomerates. This unit is subjected to folding and regional metamorphism(up to garnet zone) and is intruded by quartz diorite-granodiorite inducing, locally, low-pressure contact thermal metamorphism. The unmetamorphosed upper unit encompasses acid volcanics intercalated with litharenite, sublitharenite and minor arenite. The rhyolites of this unit pertain to the highly fractionated granites and are characterized by an agpaitic index(NK/A) ranging from 0.87 to 0.96. They may reflect either extensive interaction of subduction-related magmas with the continental crust or a change in the tectonic regime. The present lithological and geochemical characteristics of the studied sediments together with available zircon ages indicate rather distal provenance of their detritus. This detritus comprises fluvial-alluvial sediments accumulated in the intermontane basins, which are half-grabens or tilted fault blocks. The tectonic setting of the depositional basins is active continental margin and continental island arcs. Geochemical patterns of the Zaghra volcano-sedimentary succession indicate their correlation with the Dokhan Volcanics-Hammamat Clastics sequence of the Eastern Desert of Egypt. Also, the Zaghra volcanics display geochemical similarities with those exposed in Sinai, at the Rutig, Ferani and Iqna Shar'a areas. The Zaghra succession is dated as Ediacaran but is not related either to the ensimatic island arc assemblage or to the rift-related assemblage formed during the early stages of the break-up of Rodinia as previously thought.展开更多
Groundwater in contact with ore deposits may acquire a chemical composition that could be used as a guide for exploration. Eight well-water samples are collected from a known uraniummineralized area near Abu Zenima, w...Groundwater in contact with ore deposits may acquire a chemical composition that could be used as a guide for exploration. Eight well-water samples are collected from a known uraniummineralized area near Abu Zenima, west central Sinai to examine the applicability of using the hydrogeochemical technique in the search for uranium mineralization in similar arid areas. The analytical chemical data of the ground water is compared with ground radiometric measurements. The obtained results indicate that groundwater affected by uranium mineralization has a specific relativity of major anions expressed essentially as SO_4〉Cl〉HCO_3 and to a lesser extent as Cl〉SO_4〉HCO_3, associated as a rule with low magnesium content. This association constitutes a signature of uranium mineralization on the composition of groundwater in west central Sinai and could be used as an important exploration guide in the search for uranium deposits in similar areas. Anomalies in Ni, Fe, Zn and Cr and other pathfinder elements in groundwater can furnish geochemical guides to uranium ores. The immobile trace element anomalies, including Zn, Ni and Fe are strongly distributed near the orebody; whereas the relatively mobile trace elements, including Co, U, V and Cr, constitute the dispersion haloes away from the orebody. A new hydrogeochemical discrimination diagram is constructed to be used as a quick and cost effective exploration tool in the search for uranium occurrences in environmentally similar arid areas. Based on the obtained results, a new site for uranium occurrence, west of W. Baba, is delineated and recommended for future detailed geological and geochemical surveying.展开更多
Mineralogical, geochemical, and textural analyses of the white sandstones （Abu Thora Fm.） of Carboniferous in the Abu Rodeiyim region show that they are fluviomarine, well-sorted, highpurity, and high-grade silica S...Mineralogical, geochemical, and textural analyses of the white sandstones （Abu Thora Fm.） of Carboniferous in the Abu Rodeiyim region show that they are fluviomarine, well-sorted, highpurity, and high-grade silica SiO2 （average 99.56%）. The results indicate that by simple treatment, the white sandstones can reach a high degree of purity, suitable for different industrial purposes （e.g. manufacture of silicon photovoltaic, crystal, and TV screens, art, and domestic and optical glass）.展开更多
The lack of water resources in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula is a major constraint for further socioeconomic development, and flash floods in this region can damage roads and infrastructure. The Wadi Watir basin is the mai...The lack of water resources in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula is a major constraint for further socioeconomic development, and flash floods in this region can damage roads and infrastructure. The Wadi Watir basin is the main water source for the groundwater aquifer, which supplies fresh water to Nuweiba city, where demands for groundwater are increasing. The objective of this research was to assess the hydrogeological suitability of installing Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) systems in the Wadi Watir delta by using numerical groundwater models. The developed models were used to evaluate the effects of hydrogeological and operational parameters on the recovery efficiency of ASR systems at five potential locations in the study area. As the estimation of recovery efficiency depends on the salinity of recovered water, the recovered water salinity limit was assumed as 150% of the injected water salinity, where 150% refers to the point at which recovery has ended because the concentration of recovered water reached 150% of that of injected water. The most important output from the model runs was that the recovery efficiency of these ASR systems ranged from 25% to 54% with a longitudinal dispersivity of 10 m, volume of injected water of 12,000 m3, and storage period of 180 days. The main conclusions are as follows. 1) Using coupled numerical groundwater flow and solute transport models is an effective tool for predicting the effects of mixing between injected water and ambient groundwater in ASR systems. 2) The groundwater aquifer in the study area is not suitable as strategic area for ASR systems because the thickness of the water storage layer is relatively small and the distance to the sea is very close;consequently, it is recommended that artificial recharge systems be developed with existing technology to replenish the groundwater aquifer in the Wadi Watir delta.展开更多
A detailed analysis of the diatoms from the sedimentary sequence exposed in Abu Qada basin, west central Sinai, was used to determine the palaeoenvironmental changes during the Lower to Middle Miocene. A total of 85 d...A detailed analysis of the diatoms from the sedimentary sequence exposed in Abu Qada basin, west central Sinai, was used to determine the palaeoenvironmental changes during the Lower to Middle Miocene. A total of 85 diatom species and varieties belonging to 37 genera were identified from 154 samples collected throughout the stratigraphic succession. The lithological characters of the studied samples varied between sandstone, silty interbeds, sandy shales, shales, and terminated with anhydrite and limestones. These rock units are included in two lithostratigraphic formations （Rudies and Kareem）, which are separated by a marked unconformity. The distribution and preservation of fossil diatoms in the sedimentary record are examined with the aim of outlining the temporal and spatial variation in the composition of the diatom assemblages, in order to estimate the changes in depositional environments during the Lower to Middle Miocene. The distributional pattern of the recorded diatom taxa distinguished four diatom eco-zones. The environment of each eco-zone is deduced and a proposed paleobathymetric change and depositional history of the Miocene sediments in the studied area are given.展开更多
A complete set of well logs was used to study the sedimentology, structural and depositional environments of the subsurface Cretaceous rocks of northern Sinai, as a promising hydrocarbon province in Egypt. The sedimen...A complete set of well logs was used to study the sedimentology, structural and depositional environments of the subsurface Cretaceous rocks of northern Sinai, as a promising hydrocarbon province in Egypt. The sedimentological interpretations of well logs show sedimentary sequence of the Early Cretaceous, represented by the Neocomian, Aptian and Albian, which is composed mainly of shales and marls with minor carbonate and sandstone intercalations. Based on the Th/K ratios, the argillaceous sediments are composed of illite, montmorillonite and micas with little amounts of glauconite and chlorite. The environmental interpretations revealed sedimentological environments vary from estuarine to lagoonal and backreef of the Barremian-Aptian rocks, and from continental to estuarine in the Aptian-Albian. By contrast, the Late Cretaceous rocks, represented by the Cenomanian, Turonian, Santonian and Maastrichtian, are mainly composed of carbonates with few shale and marl intercalations. This sequence was accumulated under lagoonal to neritic and bathyal environments. The structural interpretations of well logs show that the Cretaceous section attains a wide range of dip magnitudes and dispersed azimuths all over the study area, which is probably attributed to tectonic and sedimentological processes. The inherited structural complexities indicate possible rejuvenations along old fault planes and rotation of the faulted blocks.展开更多
Ten soil samples from Jabal Al Qur, Wadi Baba, and Wadi Sieh in Sinai, Egypt, were analyzed by XRD spectroscopy. The XRD spectroscopy results indicate that the major, minor and trace constituents varied from one sampl...Ten soil samples from Jabal Al Qur, Wadi Baba, and Wadi Sieh in Sinai, Egypt, were analyzed by XRD spectroscopy. The XRD spectroscopy results indicate that the major, minor and trace constituents varied from one sample to another. Samples were also analyzed by HPGe gamma spectrometer to determine the activity concentration of U-238, Th-232 series and K-40. The concentrations for 238U ranged from 57.03 to 4220.41 Bq/kg with an average 1110.75 Bq/kg, for 232Th, ranged from 13.55 to130.46 Bq/kg with an average 71.85 Bq/Kg. The concentrations for 40K were in the range from 12.18 to 948.93 Bq/kg with an average value 457.09 Bq/kg. The average activity concentration values of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K, in all the collected samples were higher than the world average. The radium equivalent (Req), absorbed dose rate (DR), the effective dose rate (Deff), and hazard indices resulted due to the natural radionuclides in soil are also calculated. The Results show that the study area is not safe for human and environments.展开更多
We use a semiclassical approximation to study the transport through the weakly open chaotic Sinai quantum billiards which can be considered as the schematic of a Sinai mesoscopic device,with the diffractive scattering...We use a semiclassical approximation to study the transport through the weakly open chaotic Sinai quantum billiards which can be considered as the schematic of a Sinai mesoscopic device,with the diffractive scatterings at the lead openings taken into account.The conductance of the ballistic microstructure which displays universal fluctuations due to quantum interference of electrons can be calculated by Landauer formula as a function of the electron Fermi wave number,and the transmission amplitude can be expressed as the sum over all classical paths connecting the entrance and the exit leads.For the Sinai billiards,the path sum leads to an excellent numerical agreement between the peak positions of power spectrum of the transmission amplitude and the corresponding lengths of the classical trajectories,which demonstrates a good agreement between the quantum theory and the semiclassical theory.展开更多
We prove that the local times of a sequence of Sinai＇s random walks converge to those of Brox＇s diffusion by proper scaling. Our proof is based on the intrinsic branching structure of the random walk and the converg...We prove that the local times of a sequence of Sinai＇s random walks converge to those of Brox＇s diffusion by proper scaling. Our proof is based on the intrinsic branching structure of the random walk and the convergence of the branching processes in random environment.展开更多
The stratigraphic successions exposed in Wadi El Mizeira have been dated through the analysis of the calcareous nannofossil assemblages. The results of this study indicate that the successions comprise the Santonian-L...The stratigraphic successions exposed in Wadi El Mizeira have been dated through the analysis of the calcareous nannofossil assemblages. The results of this study indicate that the successions comprise the Santonian-Late Maastrichtian (Sudr Formation), the Paleocene (Esna Formation) and the Early Eocene (Thebes Formation). The following biozones were recognized: Late Santonian, CC16 Zone;Late Santonian/Early Campanian, CC17 Zone;Early Campanian, Aspidolithus parcus Zone (CC18) Zone;Late Maastrichtian, CC25c Zone;Early Paleocene (Late Danian), NP3 Zone and NP4 Zone;Late Paleocene (Thanethian-Selandian), NP5 Zone;Early Eocene, NP9b Zone, NP10a Zone, NP11 Zone, NP12 Zone and NP14 Zone. Several stratigraphic hiatus were recorded in the studied interval including the absence of Cretaceous nannofossil Zones CC19 to CC25b and CC26 as well as the early Paleocene Zones NP1 and NP2 and probably the basal part of Zone NP3, in addition to the absence of the Zones NP6 and NP7/8. These hiatus may be attributed to environmental conditions, structural activity and/or post depositional processes. This work represents the first attempt to evaluate the nannofossil taxa of the Wadi El Mizeira, Northeastern Sinai.展开更多
The Sinai Peninsula has been recognized as a subplate of the African Plate located at the triple junction of the Gulf of Suez rift,the Dead Sea Transform fault,and the Red Sea rift.The upper and lower crustal structur...The Sinai Peninsula has been recognized as a subplate of the African Plate located at the triple junction of the Gulf of Suez rift,the Dead Sea Transform fault,and the Red Sea rift.The upper and lower crustal structures of this tectonically active,rapidly developing region are yet poorly understood because of many limitations.For this reason,a set of P- and S-wave travel times recorded at 14 seismic stations belonging to the Egyptian National Seismographic Network（ENSN） from 111 local and regional events are analyzed to investigate the crustal structures and the locations of the seismogenic zones beneath central and southern Sinai.Because the velocity model used for routine earthquake location by ENSN is one-dimensional,the travel-time residuals will show lateral heterogeneity of the velocity structures and unmodeled vertical structures.Seismic activity is strong along the eastern and southern borders of the study area but low to moderate along the northern boundary and the Gulf of Suez to the west.The crustal V_P/V_S ratio is 1.74 from shallow（depth≤10 km） earthquakes and 1.76 from deeper（depth 〉 10 km） crustal events.The majority of the regional and local travel-time residuals are positive relative to the Preliminary Reference Earth Model（PREM）,implying that the seismic stations are located above widely distributed,tectonically-induced low-velocity zones.These low-velocity zones are mostly related to the local crustal faults affecting the sedimentary section and the basement complex as well as the rifting processes prevailing in the northern Red Sea region and the ascending of hot mantle materials along crustal fractures.The delineation of these low-velocity zones and the locations of big crustal earthquakes enable the identification of areas prone to intense seismotectonic activities,which should be excluded from major future development projects and large constructions in central and southern Sinai.展开更多
The Gulf of Aqaba area is considered one of the most terrific touristic areas in the Middle East. The aim of the present work is to determine the amount of seismic hazards that the constructions may suffer due to seis...The Gulf of Aqaba area is considered one of the most terrific touristic areas in the Middle East. The aim of the present work is to determine the amount of seismic hazards that the constructions may suffer due to seismic activities. This is done by determining the design response spectrum for this area from available earthquake response spectra, then taking into consideration the soil response for some Egyptian and Jordanian soils. The main shock of the November 22, 1995, the Gulf of Aqaba and its aftershocks were mainly used in producing the design response spectrum. This earthquake was considered as the biggest earthquake that hit this area since 160 years. Its magnitude was determined as Mw = 7.2. Thousands of aftershocks with intermediate magnitude followed the main shock, such as the aftershock that occurred on November 23, 1995 with a local magnitude of ML = 5.4. The best estimate of the focus location was determined in the area between Dahab and Nuweiba cities. This great earthquake was felt in Lebanon, Syria and Israel in the North and Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Sudan in the South. The touristic areas surrounding the Gulf of Aqaba were mostly affected. Different accelerograms for this great earthquake were collected and soil responses spectra for Sinai Peninsula and some Jordanian soils were calculated. The design response spectrum shows an average spectral acceleration of about 250 cm/sec2 for frequency range between 1 - 10 HZ. Soil Amplifications were then calculated using Microtremors site response technique and maximum spectral accelerations filtered by the soil were in range between 120 - 450 cm/sec2 for the study area. The analysis presented here is intended to be used in the future to allow reducing the seismic risk, help in proper structural design and detailing of buildings and structures to account for beam-column connections and shear reinforcement.展开更多
In this paper,the Lauwerier map F a,b (x,y)=(bx(1-2y)+y,ay(1-y)) is considered for a=4 . This map possesses a nontrivial topologically transitive attractor Λ which is the closure of the unstable set of...In this paper,the Lauwerier map F a,b (x,y)=(bx(1-2y)+y,ay(1-y)) is considered for a=4 . This map possesses a nontrivial topologically transitive attractor Λ which is the closure of the unstable set of some hyperbolic fixed point. Periodic points are dense in Λ and all of them are hyperbolic with eigenvalues uniformly bounded away from 1 in norm. Moreover,any two periodic points are heteroclinically related (transversal intersection of their stable and unstable sets). The Sinai Bowen Ruelle measure supported on the attractor is constructed and its properties are studied.展开更多
Flash floods are considered to be one of the worst weather-related natural disasters. They are sudden and highly unpredictable following brief spells of heavy rain. Egypt is subjected to flash floods, especially the e...Flash floods are considered to be one of the worst weather-related natural disasters. They are sudden and highly unpredictable following brief spells of heavy rain. Egypt is subjected to flash floods, especially the eastern desert and Sinai Peninsula where floods from the mountains of Red Sea and Sinai are causing heavy damage to man-made features. This manuscript presents the methodology adopted to generate a weighted risk map for main watersheds located in Sinai according to main morphological parameters. Using digital elevation model (DEM) implemented into a Geographic Information System (GIS) the Sinai watersheds were delineated and morphological parameters calculated. The parameters where then used in a multi criteria analysis process to calculate a morphological risk factor. The resulted risk maps of this study can help initiating appropriate measures to mitigate the probable hazards in the area with prioritization.展开更多
文摘AIM: To explore the effect of Sinai san decoction on the development of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis induced by CCL4 combined with a fat-rich diet in rats.METHODS: Twenty-seven Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups randomly: control group (n = 9),model group (n = 9) and treatment group (n = 9). The rats of model group and treatment group were given small dosage of CCL4 combined with a fat-rich diet, andthose of control group were given normal diet. After four weeks of fat-rich diet feeding, the rats of treatment group were given Sinai san decoction. The serum levels of aminotransferase and lipid were measured, and the pathology of livers was observed by HE staining after the rats were sacrificed at eight weeks.RESULTS: The rats' livers presented the pathology of steatosis and inflammation with higher serum levels of ALT and AST in the model group. In the treatment group the serum ALT and AST levels decreased significantly and were close to the control group. The hepatic inflammation scores also decreased markedly, but were still higher than those of control group. And the degree of hepatocyte steatosis was similar to that of model group.CONCLUSION: Sinai san decoction may ameliorate the hepatic inflammation of rats with steatohepatitis induced by small dosage of CCL4 combined with a fat-rich diet,but does not prevent the development of hepatocyte steatosis.
基金supported by Beni-Suef University (Egypt)the Michigan Geological Repository for Research and Education (MGRRE) at Western Michigan University (USA)by Boone Pickens School of Geology at Oklahoma State University (USA)
文摘The Lower Cretaceous sections in northern Sinai are composed of the Risan Aneiza （upper Barremian-middle Albian） and the Halal （middle Albian-lower Cenomanian） formations. The facies reflect subtle paleobathymetry from inner to outer ramp facies. The inner ramp facies are peritidal, protected to open marine lagoons, shoals and rudist biostrome facies. The inner ramp facies grade northward into outer ramp deposits. The upper Barremian-lower Cenomanian succession is subdivided into nine depositional sequences correlated with those recognized in the neighbouring Tethyan areas. These sequences are subdivided into 19 medium-scale sequences based on the facies evolution, the recorded hardgrounds and flooding surfaces, interpreted as the result of eustatic sea level changes and local tectonic activities of the early Syrian Arc rifting stage. Each sequence contains a lower retrogradational parasequence set that constituted the transgressive systems tracts and an upper progradational parasequence set that formed the highstand systems tracts. Nine rudist levels are recorded in the upper Barremian through lower Cenomanian succession at Gabal Raghawi. At Gabal Yelleg two rudist levels are found in the Albian. The rudist levels are associated with the highstand systems tract deposits because of the suitability of the trophic conditions in the rudist-dominated ramp.
文摘Studying the population ecology of endangered plants provides important baseline information for its monitoring and conservation.Juniperus phoenicea L.is an endangered species in arid ecosystems in Africa and the Middle East.The static life tables,survival curve and age structure of J.phoenicea populations from two mountains in North Sinai,Egypt(Gabal(G.)El-Halal and G.El-Maghara)were investigated.In each mountain,fifteen plots were selected,and field measurements such as stand density,tree height,and crown diameter were conducted.Moreover,44 trees were cored and crossdated according to standard dendrochronological procedures.The results showed that the tree ages ranged from 50 to 262 years at G.El-Halal and 96 to431 years at G.El-Maghara.Mature J.phoenicea individuals dominated the study area,with only a few individuals being younger than 100 years.Moreover,seedling recruitment was extremely limited.Since the studied J.phoenicea populations showed high mortality rates among both old and young individuals,there is an imminent need for establishing a conservation program to prevent its extinction in the future.Therefore,management and conservation efforts should be made to minimize human disturbance and protect the relic habitats of this endangered species at its southern distribution limits in Africa.
文摘One of the main concerns of physical planning is the proper designation of suitable sites for feasible and sustainable land use. A main importance of such issue is that it withdraws attention to the necessity of adopting a multidisciplinary approach to the zoning and site selection problem. Egypt has a top priority objective to develop Sinai Peninsula and to create new sustainable and attracting communities that should ensure a stable, economic and sustainable environment in vast desert zones. Due to the difficulty in solving a zoning problem in a desert, the use of remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) was to explore the desert potentials in the region. Five sub-models were created for five themes using Spatial Multicriteria Analysis (SMCA) and used as inputs to the final suitability model. These themes are: land resources, land stability, accessibility, cost of construction and land protection. A GIS-based model was designed following a sustainable development approach. Economic, social and environmental factors were introduced in the model to identify and map land suitable zones for urban development using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). The suitability index map for urban development was produced by weighted overlay of the five sub-models themes. The most suitable zones for urban development in Sinai Peninsula amounted to 5327 square kilometers representing 17% of total area, whereas high suitable zones reached 40% indicating a high suitability of Sinai Peninsula lands for residing new urban communities.
文摘Sinai Peninsula has fascinating geologic setting and is displaying a diversity of structural lineaments that have greatly influenced the distribution of natural resources and hazards. Shaded relief images derived from SRTM-DEM mosaics were used for the identification, extraction, and mapping of these structural lineaments. Statistical parameters particularly, azimuth frequency, lineament intersection, lengths, and density distribution were analyzed using SPSS software. Two additional new statistical indices;Lineament Relative Abundance Index (LRAI) and Lineament Majority-Minority Index (LMMI) were applied. Moreover, the distribution of the different statistical parameters was illustrated as contour maps through GIS environment. Basically, two dominant clusters;NW-SE and NNE-SSW trends were detected. These trends are related to major fracture systems that are characterized by extensive mean lengths and high proportion values. Furthermore, the northern and central parts of Sinai Peninsula have lower density and intersection of structural lineaments that gradually increase towards the southern part. However, the northern part of Sinai displays wider areas of majority zones than the southern part. This could be attributed to the lower density of lineaments and little tendency for multiple lineament populations. The majority zones are usually associated with NE and NW-SE in the northern part of Sinai, whereas the majority zones are of less abundance in the central and southern parts of Sinai due to the multiple orientations of lineament populations which reduce the tendency for majority. Eventually, the results of the present work could be applicable in the different geologic and environmental aspects that are based on a good understanding of the genetic and spatial relationships of fracture systems. These aspects encompass geodynamics, exploration for mineralization and groundwater, in addition to the mitigation of natural hazards such as flush flooding and earthquakes.
基金supported and partly funded by a grant provided by the Administration of Postgraduate Studies and Research,Suez Canal University
文摘Metavolcanic rocks hosting base metal sulphide mineralization, and belonging to the Kid Metamorphic Complex, are exposed in the Samra-Tarr area, Southern Sinai. The rocks consist of slightly metamorphosed varicolored porphyritic lavas of rhyolite-to-andesite composition, and their equivalent pyroclastics. Geochemically, these metavolcanics are classified as high-K calc-alkaline, metaluminous andesites, trachyandesites, dacites, and rhyolites. The geochemical characteristics of these metavolcanics strongly point to their derivation from continental crust in an active continental margin. The sulphide mineralization in these metavolcanics occurs in two major ore zones, and is represented by four distinct styles of mineralization. The mineralization occurs either as low-grade disseminations or as small massive pockets. The associated hydrothermal alterations include carbonatization, silicification, sericitization and argillic alterations. The base metal sulphide mineralization is epigenetic and was formed by hvdrothermal solutions associated with subduction-related volcanic activity.
文摘The volcano-sedimentary succession around Wadi Zaghra in Sinai, at the northernmost segment of the Arabian Nubian Shield, comprises volcanic rocks interbedded with rather immature sediments. The succession is dominated by intermediate to silicic volcanics of medium-to high-K calc-alkaline affinity. It is divided into two units, the lower unit includes intermediate rocks and dacites interbedded with graywackes, semi-pelites and pelites and topped by polymict conglomerates. This unit is subjected to folding and regional metamorphism(up to garnet zone) and is intruded by quartz diorite-granodiorite inducing, locally, low-pressure contact thermal metamorphism. The unmetamorphosed upper unit encompasses acid volcanics intercalated with litharenite, sublitharenite and minor arenite. The rhyolites of this unit pertain to the highly fractionated granites and are characterized by an agpaitic index(NK/A) ranging from 0.87 to 0.96. They may reflect either extensive interaction of subduction-related magmas with the continental crust or a change in the tectonic regime. The present lithological and geochemical characteristics of the studied sediments together with available zircon ages indicate rather distal provenance of their detritus. This detritus comprises fluvial-alluvial sediments accumulated in the intermontane basins, which are half-grabens or tilted fault blocks. The tectonic setting of the depositional basins is active continental margin and continental island arcs. Geochemical patterns of the Zaghra volcano-sedimentary succession indicate their correlation with the Dokhan Volcanics-Hammamat Clastics sequence of the Eastern Desert of Egypt. Also, the Zaghra volcanics display geochemical similarities with those exposed in Sinai, at the Rutig, Ferani and Iqna Shar'a areas. The Zaghra succession is dated as Ediacaran but is not related either to the ensimatic island arc assemblage or to the rift-related assemblage formed during the early stages of the break-up of Rodinia as previously thought.
文摘Groundwater in contact with ore deposits may acquire a chemical composition that could be used as a guide for exploration. Eight well-water samples are collected from a known uraniummineralized area near Abu Zenima, west central Sinai to examine the applicability of using the hydrogeochemical technique in the search for uranium mineralization in similar arid areas. The analytical chemical data of the ground water is compared with ground radiometric measurements. The obtained results indicate that groundwater affected by uranium mineralization has a specific relativity of major anions expressed essentially as SO_4〉Cl〉HCO_3 and to a lesser extent as Cl〉SO_4〉HCO_3, associated as a rule with low magnesium content. This association constitutes a signature of uranium mineralization on the composition of groundwater in west central Sinai and could be used as an important exploration guide in the search for uranium deposits in similar areas. Anomalies in Ni, Fe, Zn and Cr and other pathfinder elements in groundwater can furnish geochemical guides to uranium ores. The immobile trace element anomalies, including Zn, Ni and Fe are strongly distributed near the orebody; whereas the relatively mobile trace elements, including Co, U, V and Cr, constitute the dispersion haloes away from the orebody. A new hydrogeochemical discrimination diagram is constructed to be used as a quick and cost effective exploration tool in the search for uranium occurrences in environmentally similar arid areas. Based on the obtained results, a new site for uranium occurrence, west of W. Baba, is delineated and recommended for future detailed geological and geochemical surveying.
文摘Mineralogical, geochemical, and textural analyses of the white sandstones （Abu Thora Fm.） of Carboniferous in the Abu Rodeiyim region show that they are fluviomarine, well-sorted, highpurity, and high-grade silica SiO2 （average 99.56%）. The results indicate that by simple treatment, the white sandstones can reach a high degree of purity, suitable for different industrial purposes （e.g. manufacture of silicon photovoltaic, crystal, and TV screens, art, and domestic and optical glass）.
文摘The lack of water resources in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula is a major constraint for further socioeconomic development, and flash floods in this region can damage roads and infrastructure. The Wadi Watir basin is the main water source for the groundwater aquifer, which supplies fresh water to Nuweiba city, where demands for groundwater are increasing. The objective of this research was to assess the hydrogeological suitability of installing Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) systems in the Wadi Watir delta by using numerical groundwater models. The developed models were used to evaluate the effects of hydrogeological and operational parameters on the recovery efficiency of ASR systems at five potential locations in the study area. As the estimation of recovery efficiency depends on the salinity of recovered water, the recovered water salinity limit was assumed as 150% of the injected water salinity, where 150% refers to the point at which recovery has ended because the concentration of recovered water reached 150% of that of injected water. The most important output from the model runs was that the recovery efficiency of these ASR systems ranged from 25% to 54% with a longitudinal dispersivity of 10 m, volume of injected water of 12,000 m3, and storage period of 180 days. The main conclusions are as follows. 1) Using coupled numerical groundwater flow and solute transport models is an effective tool for predicting the effects of mixing between injected water and ambient groundwater in ASR systems. 2) The groundwater aquifer in the study area is not suitable as strategic area for ASR systems because the thickness of the water storage layer is relatively small and the distance to the sea is very close;consequently, it is recommended that artificial recharge systems be developed with existing technology to replenish the groundwater aquifer in the Wadi Watir delta.
文摘A detailed analysis of the diatoms from the sedimentary sequence exposed in Abu Qada basin, west central Sinai, was used to determine the palaeoenvironmental changes during the Lower to Middle Miocene. A total of 85 diatom species and varieties belonging to 37 genera were identified from 154 samples collected throughout the stratigraphic succession. The lithological characters of the studied samples varied between sandstone, silty interbeds, sandy shales, shales, and terminated with anhydrite and limestones. These rock units are included in two lithostratigraphic formations （Rudies and Kareem）, which are separated by a marked unconformity. The distribution and preservation of fossil diatoms in the sedimentary record are examined with the aim of outlining the temporal and spatial variation in the composition of the diatom assemblages, in order to estimate the changes in depositional environments during the Lower to Middle Miocene. The distributional pattern of the recorded diatom taxa distinguished four diatom eco-zones. The environment of each eco-zone is deduced and a proposed paleobathymetric change and depositional history of the Miocene sediments in the studied area are given.
文摘A complete set of well logs was used to study the sedimentology, structural and depositional environments of the subsurface Cretaceous rocks of northern Sinai, as a promising hydrocarbon province in Egypt. The sedimentological interpretations of well logs show sedimentary sequence of the Early Cretaceous, represented by the Neocomian, Aptian and Albian, which is composed mainly of shales and marls with minor carbonate and sandstone intercalations. Based on the Th/K ratios, the argillaceous sediments are composed of illite, montmorillonite and micas with little amounts of glauconite and chlorite. The environmental interpretations revealed sedimentological environments vary from estuarine to lagoonal and backreef of the Barremian-Aptian rocks, and from continental to estuarine in the Aptian-Albian. By contrast, the Late Cretaceous rocks, represented by the Cenomanian, Turonian, Santonian and Maastrichtian, are mainly composed of carbonates with few shale and marl intercalations. This sequence was accumulated under lagoonal to neritic and bathyal environments. The structural interpretations of well logs show that the Cretaceous section attains a wide range of dip magnitudes and dispersed azimuths all over the study area, which is probably attributed to tectonic and sedimentological processes. The inherited structural complexities indicate possible rejuvenations along old fault planes and rotation of the faulted blocks.
文摘Ten soil samples from Jabal Al Qur, Wadi Baba, and Wadi Sieh in Sinai, Egypt, were analyzed by XRD spectroscopy. The XRD spectroscopy results indicate that the major, minor and trace constituents varied from one sample to another. Samples were also analyzed by HPGe gamma spectrometer to determine the activity concentration of U-238, Th-232 series and K-40. The concentrations for 238U ranged from 57.03 to 4220.41 Bq/kg with an average 1110.75 Bq/kg, for 232Th, ranged from 13.55 to130.46 Bq/kg with an average 71.85 Bq/Kg. The concentrations for 40K were in the range from 12.18 to 948.93 Bq/kg with an average value 457.09 Bq/kg. The average activity concentration values of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K, in all the collected samples were higher than the world average. The radium equivalent (Req), absorbed dose rate (DR), the effective dose rate (Deff), and hazard indices resulted due to the natural radionuclides in soil are also calculated. The Results show that the study area is not safe for human and environments.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 10804064 and 10774093)
文摘We use a semiclassical approximation to study the transport through the weakly open chaotic Sinai quantum billiards which can be considered as the schematic of a Sinai mesoscopic device,with the diffractive scatterings at the lead openings taken into account.The conductance of the ballistic microstructure which displays universal fluctuations due to quantum interference of electrons can be calculated by Landauer formula as a function of the electron Fermi wave number,and the transmission amplitude can be expressed as the sum over all classical paths connecting the entrance and the exit leads.For the Sinai billiards,the path sum leads to an excellent numerical agreement between the peak positions of power spectrum of the transmission amplitude and the corresponding lengths of the classical trajectories,which demonstrates a good agreement between the quantum theory and the semiclassical theory.
基金Acknowledgements The authors thank the anonymous referees for their very careful reading of the manuscript. This work was supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China （Grant No. 10721091） and the 985-project.
文摘We prove that the local times of a sequence of Sinai＇s random walks converge to those of Brox＇s diffusion by proper scaling. Our proof is based on the intrinsic branching structure of the random walk and the convergence of the branching processes in random environment.
文摘The stratigraphic successions exposed in Wadi El Mizeira have been dated through the analysis of the calcareous nannofossil assemblages. The results of this study indicate that the successions comprise the Santonian-Late Maastrichtian (Sudr Formation), the Paleocene (Esna Formation) and the Early Eocene (Thebes Formation). The following biozones were recognized: Late Santonian, CC16 Zone;Late Santonian/Early Campanian, CC17 Zone;Early Campanian, Aspidolithus parcus Zone (CC18) Zone;Late Maastrichtian, CC25c Zone;Early Paleocene (Late Danian), NP3 Zone and NP4 Zone;Late Paleocene (Thanethian-Selandian), NP5 Zone;Early Eocene, NP9b Zone, NP10a Zone, NP11 Zone, NP12 Zone and NP14 Zone. Several stratigraphic hiatus were recorded in the studied interval including the absence of Cretaceous nannofossil Zones CC19 to CC25b and CC26 as well as the early Paleocene Zones NP1 and NP2 and probably the basal part of Zone NP3, in addition to the absence of the Zones NP6 and NP7/8. These hiatus may be attributed to environmental conditions, structural activity and/or post depositional processes. This work represents the first attempt to evaluate the nannofossil taxa of the Wadi El Mizeira, Northeastern Sinai.
文摘The Sinai Peninsula has been recognized as a subplate of the African Plate located at the triple junction of the Gulf of Suez rift,the Dead Sea Transform fault,and the Red Sea rift.The upper and lower crustal structures of this tectonically active,rapidly developing region are yet poorly understood because of many limitations.For this reason,a set of P- and S-wave travel times recorded at 14 seismic stations belonging to the Egyptian National Seismographic Network（ENSN） from 111 local and regional events are analyzed to investigate the crustal structures and the locations of the seismogenic zones beneath central and southern Sinai.Because the velocity model used for routine earthquake location by ENSN is one-dimensional,the travel-time residuals will show lateral heterogeneity of the velocity structures and unmodeled vertical structures.Seismic activity is strong along the eastern and southern borders of the study area but low to moderate along the northern boundary and the Gulf of Suez to the west.The crustal V_P/V_S ratio is 1.74 from shallow（depth≤10 km） earthquakes and 1.76 from deeper（depth 〉 10 km） crustal events.The majority of the regional and local travel-time residuals are positive relative to the Preliminary Reference Earth Model（PREM）,implying that the seismic stations are located above widely distributed,tectonically-induced low-velocity zones.These low-velocity zones are mostly related to the local crustal faults affecting the sedimentary section and the basement complex as well as the rifting processes prevailing in the northern Red Sea region and the ascending of hot mantle materials along crustal fractures.The delineation of these low-velocity zones and the locations of big crustal earthquakes enable the identification of areas prone to intense seismotectonic activities,which should be excluded from major future development projects and large constructions in central and southern Sinai.
文摘The Gulf of Aqaba area is considered one of the most terrific touristic areas in the Middle East. The aim of the present work is to determine the amount of seismic hazards that the constructions may suffer due to seismic activities. This is done by determining the design response spectrum for this area from available earthquake response spectra, then taking into consideration the soil response for some Egyptian and Jordanian soils. The main shock of the November 22, 1995, the Gulf of Aqaba and its aftershocks were mainly used in producing the design response spectrum. This earthquake was considered as the biggest earthquake that hit this area since 160 years. Its magnitude was determined as Mw = 7.2. Thousands of aftershocks with intermediate magnitude followed the main shock, such as the aftershock that occurred on November 23, 1995 with a local magnitude of ML = 5.4. The best estimate of the focus location was determined in the area between Dahab and Nuweiba cities. This great earthquake was felt in Lebanon, Syria and Israel in the North and Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Sudan in the South. The touristic areas surrounding the Gulf of Aqaba were mostly affected. Different accelerograms for this great earthquake were collected and soil responses spectra for Sinai Peninsula and some Jordanian soils were calculated. The design response spectrum shows an average spectral acceleration of about 250 cm/sec2 for frequency range between 1 - 10 HZ. Soil Amplifications were then calculated using Microtremors site response technique and maximum spectral accelerations filtered by the soil were in range between 120 - 450 cm/sec2 for the study area. The analysis presented here is intended to be used in the future to allow reducing the seismic risk, help in proper structural design and detailing of buildings and structures to account for beam-column connections and shear reinforcement.
基金Supported by the Special Funds for Major State Basic Research Projects and NSF(1 0 0 71 0 55)
文摘In this paper,the Lauwerier map F a,b (x,y)=(bx(1-2y)+y,ay(1-y)) is considered for a=4 . This map possesses a nontrivial topologically transitive attractor Λ which is the closure of the unstable set of some hyperbolic fixed point. Periodic points are dense in Λ and all of them are hyperbolic with eigenvalues uniformly bounded away from 1 in norm. Moreover,any two periodic points are heteroclinically related (transversal intersection of their stable and unstable sets). The Sinai Bowen Ruelle measure supported on the attractor is constructed and its properties are studied.
文摘Flash floods are considered to be one of the worst weather-related natural disasters. They are sudden and highly unpredictable following brief spells of heavy rain. Egypt is subjected to flash floods, especially the eastern desert and Sinai Peninsula where floods from the mountains of Red Sea and Sinai are causing heavy damage to man-made features. This manuscript presents the methodology adopted to generate a weighted risk map for main watersheds located in Sinai according to main morphological parameters. Using digital elevation model (DEM) implemented into a Geographic Information System (GIS) the Sinai watersheds were delineated and morphological parameters calculated. The parameters where then used in a multi criteria analysis process to calculate a morphological risk factor. The resulted risk maps of this study can help initiating appropriate measures to mitigate the probable hazards in the area with prioritization.
