Hematology and Some Biochemical Parameters of Wild Rodents in Pistachio Gardens of Kerman Province, Southeast Iran

Wild rodents were collected using live snap traps in pistachio gardens of Kerman Province, Southeast Iran from 2007 to 2009, then some physiological parameters of them were measured. The samples were identified as follow: Nesokia indica, Meriones persicus, Meriones lybicus and Tatera indica. Blood samples were obtained from the heart, then the blood parameters (glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, total protein, HDL, red and white blood cell number) in wild species of rodents and laboratory rat were compared. The results showed that there were no significant differences in serum glucose, triglyceride, HDL and total protein levels among different experimental groups. The concentration of cholesterol in T. indica was more than that in N. indica (P < 0.01). The total numbers of red blood cells also showed significant difference between wild garden rodent species and laboratory rat (P < 0.01), while the numbers of white blood cells showed no significant difference.     

Optimization of municipal solid waste management in Port Said - Egypt

Optimization of solid waste management systems using operational research methodologies has not yet been applied in any Egyptian governorate. In this paper, a proposed model for a municipal solid waste management system in Port Said, Egypt is presented. It includes the use of the concept of collection stations, which have not yet been used in Egypt. Mixed integer programming is used to model the proposed system and its solution is performed using MPL software V4.2. The results show that the best model would include 27 collection stations of 15-ton daily capacity and 2 collection stations of 10 ton daily capacity. Any transfer of waste between the collection station and the landfill should not occur. Moreover, the flow of the district waste should not be confined to the district collection stations. The cost of the objective function for this solution is 10,122 LE/day (equivalent to 1716 US dollars). After further calculations, the profit generated by the proposed model is 49,655.8 LE/day (equivalent to 8418.23 US dollars).     

Environmental management systems' awareness: an investigation of top 50 contractors in Egypt

The construction industry, as an economically strategic sector and a large contributor to pollution generation, is expected to face enormous obstacles if it doesn't respond to the new business and regulatory environmental requirements in an increasingly competitive market after international trade liberization. A practical tool to achieve sustainable construction is through adopting Environmental Management Systems (EMS). Movement towards environmental management systems is getting momentum in the construction industry of most developed countries. However this field is still a relatively new and the concept is still marginalized in most of the developing world. It is suggested that lack of awareness is a major contributor to this lag.This paper reports on the results of a research on the environmental awareness of the top 50 contractors in Egypt. It investigates their ISO 14001/EMS awareness, opinions about contractor's responsibility towards the environment, necessity of ISO 14001, and obstacles and potentials for ISO 14001 adoption. These results will pave the way for effective implementation of EMS by contractors in Egypt. The paper also discusses integrating sustainable construction principals with EMS. This integration should result in environmental, social, as well as economical benefits.