GIS methods for sustainable stormwater harvesting and storage using remote sensing for land cover data - location assessment.

Identification of potential sites for rainwater harvesting (RWH) is an important step toward maximizing water availability and land productivity in arid semiarid regions. Characterised as a "water scarce" country, Egypt has limited fresh water supplies, and is expected to suffer from water stress by the year 2030. Therefore, it is important to develop any means available to supply water and maintain human habitability in a sustainable manner. Practiced or simply indispensable in many countries around the world, rainwater harvesting (RWH) promotes a sustainable and efficient manner of exploiting water resources. In the present study, suitable areas for sustainable stormwater harvesting and storage in Egypt were identified using remote sensing for land cover data - location assessment linked to a decision support system (DSS). The DSS took into consideration a combination of thematic layers such as rainfall surplus, slope, potential runoff coefficient (PRC), land cover/use, and soil texture. Taking into account five thematic layers, the spatial extents of RWH suitability areas were identified by an analytical hierarchy process (AHP). The model generated a RWH map with five categories of suitability: excellent, good, moderate, poor and unsuitable. The spatial distribution of these categories in the area investigated was such that 4.8% (47910 km(2)) and 14% (139739 km(2)) of the study area was classified as excellent or good in terms of RWH, respectively, while 30.1% (300439 km(2)), 47.6% (474116 km(2)) and 3.5% (34935 km(2)) of the area were classified as moderate, unsuitable and poor, respectively. Most of the areas with excellent to good suitability had slopes of between 2% and 8% and were intensively cultivated areas. The major soil type in the excellent suitability areas was loam, while rainfall ranged from 100 to 200 mm yr(-1). The use of a number of RWH sites in the excellent areas is recommended to ensure successful implementation of RWH systems.

Amelioration of alloxan induced diabetes mellitus and oxidative stress in rats by oil of Eruca sativa seeds.

Clinical research has confirmed the efficacy of several plant extracts in the modulation of oxidative stress associated with diabetes mellitus (DM). Oil of Eruca sativa seeds (ESS) is tried for prevention and treatment of DM induced experimentally by alloxan injection. A single dose of alloxan (100 mg/kg) produced a decrease in insulin level, hyperglycemia, elevated total lipids, triglycerides and cholesterol, decreased high-density lipoprotein and hepatic glycogen contents and elevated hepatic glucose-6-phosphatase activity. Concurrent with these changes, there was an increase in the concentration of malondialdehyde and 4-hydroxynonenal in the liver. This oxidative stress was related to a decreased glutathione (GSH) content and superoxide dismutase activity in the liver of alloxan-diabetic rats. ESS oil (0.06 ml/kg) on its own increased significantly hepatic GSH. Daily oral administration of ESS oil 2 weeks before or after diabetes induction ameliorated hyperglycemia, improved lipid profile, blunted the increase in malondialdehyde and 4-hydroxynonenal and stimulated the GSH production in the liver of alloxan-treated rats. We suggested that ESS oil could be used as antidiabetic complement in case of DM. This may be related to its antioxidative properties and to the increase in hepatic GSH.

Effect of gamma radiation on the biology of the flesh fly, Parasarcophaga argyrostoma. I. Following larval exposure.

One and seven days old larvae of the flesh fly, Parasarcophaga argyrostoma were exposed to doses ranging from 1-90 Gy. Lower doses ranging from 1-9 Gy applied to young larvae accelerate larval development whereas old larvae responded to doses from 10-90 Gy by a remarkable retardation of the larval and pupal development. Reduction in percentage pupation and adult emergence were noticed with increment in the radiation doses applied. This reduction was higher for irradiated seven days old larvae than the one day old larvae at all doses applied, indicating that young larvae were more susceptible to gamma radiation than the older one. At higher doses (30-70 Gy) the pupae could not continue their development and died within 17 days after pupation. The longevity of adults resulted from irradiated larvae was decreased by increasing the radiation dosage and it was found that adults emerging from irradiated young larvae lived shorter than those from irradiated young ones, the fecundity of adults resulted from irradiated larvae was also decreased by gamma irradiation exposures. The percentage reduction of larviposition was 100% for irradiated females with 8 Gy while that of irradiated males was 97.5% indicating that females were more sensitive to radiation than males.