Concept cathedral and “squaring the circle”: Interpreting the Gothic cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris as a standing hymn

Semiotics is used in the sphere of visual arts as a tool that helps reading the message included in a certain work. Gothic architecture, as an outcome of the rich cultural context of medieval tradition, where metaphysics, numbers and geometry were indispensable tools to symbolically manifest cosmological and theological concepts, is suggested as a good example for testing this approach in the field of architecture. In this paper, a semiotic reading for one of the most distinguished works of this era; i.e., the cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris, is introduced as a model for this methodology. Among many message included in the building, such as the functional or the technical messages, this is a trial to introduce a reading, i.e., an interpretation, of what could be called “a hidden spiritual message”. The paper comes to a conclusion that the Gothic cathedral, as represented in Notre Dame de Paris, might be perceived as an externalization of a standing hymn that was meant to send continuous appeals of protection to Heaven.     

Design of a perfect black absorber at visible frequencies using plasmonic metamaterials

The design and fabrication of a plasmonic black absorber with almost 100% absorbance spanning a broad range of frequencies from ultraviolet (UV) to the near infrared (NIR) is demonstrated. The perfect plasmonic absorber is achieved by a combination of a metal film with suitable metal/dielectric nanocomposites. Our fabrication technique is simple, versatile, cost-effective, and compatible with current industrial methods for solar absorber production.     

Visual language in Mamluk architecture: A semiotic analysis of the Funerary Complex of Sultan Qaitbay in Cairo

Cultural background plays a significant role in the sphere of visual art. Semiotics as a discipline is recognized as a useful tool in gauging cultural background and identifying signs that might represent the message of a certain work. Given the rich cultural context of Mamluk architecture, this form of art can be used in studying semiotics. Semiotic tools were employed to interpret the expression of architectural forms and to formulate a subsequent understanding of these architectural forms by turning each element into a communication tool that elucidates meaning. The Sufie tradition was the dominant Islamic practice during the Mamluk period, during which metaphysics, numbers, and geometry were regarded as indispensable tools in manifesting the nature of divinity and the order of being. A semiotic reading of the Funerary Complex of Sultan Qaitbay in Cairo, regarded as one of the perfect works of this era, was proposed to study the reflections of these notions on architectural works. Several messages were embodied in the building, such as functional or technical messages. The semiotic reading in this study is solely concerned with the spiritual message of the building.     

Development of a quantitative, competitive polymerase chain reaction--enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of Wuchereria bancrofti DNA

A quantitative, competitive polymerase chain reaction (QC-PCR) assay for the sensitive detection of Wuchereria bancrofti DNA was developed. A competitor sequence was constructed by an exchange of nucleotides in the Wuchereria-specific Ssp I repeat. The PCR products were hybridized to specific DNA probes and their amounts, determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In laboratory-prepared samples the QC-PCR-ELISA assay was capable of detecting the amount of DNA equivalent to 0.1 microfilaria (mf) added to 200 microl of blood lysate. The assay was also tested on 78 blood samples collected in endemic areas in Egypt. All 28 samples that were positive both for mf and for circulating antigen were also QC-PCR-ELISA-positive. In addition, one mf-negative but antigen-positive sample was also positive as determined by QC-PCR-ELISA. A positive correlation of mf density with the QC-PCR-ELISA was observed. Samples containing 10 or fewer mf/ml had a mean relative amount of Ssp I PCR product of 19.7 units, whereas samples with 11-100 mf/ml had a mean of 36.3 units and those with more than 100 mf/ml had a mean of 84.6 units. Because of the high standard deviation within each group, estimates of worm burdens in infected individuals using the QC-PCR-ELISA are not recommended. However, we present data indicating that the W. bancrofti QC-PCR-ELISA is a powerful new tool for evaluation of parasitic loads for community-based diagnosis of bancroftian filariasis.     

A polymerase chain reaction assay for detecting snails infected with bilharzia parasites (Schistosoma mansoni) from very early prepatency

In the present study, we adapted a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay, previously shown by us to be very sensitive for detecting cercariae in water, for the sensitive detection of Schistosoma mansoni DNA in infected snails from early prepatency. Polymerase chain reaction primers were designed based on the 121-basepair highly repeated sequence we previously identified in the genome of S. mansoni. The DNA was prepared from the snails by a simple alkaline extraction procedure, and the PCR assay enabled a clear differentiation between infected and normal snails. Infected snails were detected as early as one day after penetration of a single miracidium. The high sensitivity of the test enabled identification of a single infected snail even when its DNA was pooled with material from up to 99 uninfected snails, thus demonstrating the possibility of mass diagnosis in pools of snails. The assay has the potential for large-scale determination of prepatent infection prevalence in snails, thus offering new possibilities for the evaluation of schistosomiasis transmission and for schistosomiasis control, as discussed.     

Surgery in Egypt

The history of medicine can never be complete without referral to ancient Egyptian medicine. Imhotep has been identified as the god of medicine. There are 13 faculties of medicine in Egypt; the oldest is the Kasr El Aini Faculty, which started in 1925. We review undergraduate and postgraduate education in Egypt. The Egyptian Society of Surgeons organizes the scientific surgical activities. Schistosomiasis is a national health problem. Health care is provided by many types of hospitals, including university, teaching, Ministry of Public Health, military, and private hospitals.     

Food and macronutrient intake of elite Ethiopian distance runners

Background

Individuals who have knowledge on the importance of adequate and balanced diet and reflect this knowledge to their behaviors are considered to be more successful in sports life. The present study aims to evaluate the nutrition knowledge of students receiving sports education in universities.

Methods

The study sample consists of 343 voluntary students from the Sports Departments of Hacettepe, Gazi and Ankara Universities in Ankara. The questionnaire used in the study included a demographic section, and 30 questions on true-false nutrition knowledge. For the reliability of the questionnaire, the internal consistency coefficient was calculated and the Kuder Richardson (KR-20) value was found to be 0.71. For higher reliability, 9 dysfunctional questions were excluded from the questionnaire. The research data were collected through a questionnaire form and face-to-face interviews. For the statistical analyses of the data, tables were prepared to show mean, standard deviation ( ) and percentage (%) values. In order to determine the nutrition knowledge of students, the "independent t test" was used for nutrition lesson and gender.

Results

University students receiving sports education and expected to continue their professional lives on sport-related fields were determined to have the lack of knowledge on nutrition. The mean value about the nutrition knowledge of the first year students was found 11.150 ± 2.962, while the mean value of the fourth year students was 13.460 ± 3.703, and the difference is statistically significant (p = .000).

Conclusion

Students, coaches and teachers in physical education were found not to give the necessary importance to their diets, and they were still not aware of the importance of nutrition on performance.