Prevalence and effects of violence against women in a rural community in Minia governorate, Egypt

This study was carried out to investigate prevalence and the characteristics of domestic violence (DV) against women in a rural area in Minia governorate, Egypt, as well as its physical and psychological consequences. Seven hundred and seventy-two women were interviewed. Sociodemographic data were collected; the WHO questionnaire was used to identify the abuse; the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM IIIR (SCID) to detect psychiatric disorders. Abused females constituted 57.4% of the total sample. There were significant relationships between DV and low education, low income, higher number of children, and husband's education. Psychiatric disorders occurred in 18% of the sample. There were statistically significant relationships between psychological and physical abuse of women and the occurrence of psychiatric disorders. In conclusion, DV against women was related to various negative health outcomes, and it is recommended to be given its real importance in both Forensic Medicine Council and in psychiatric assessment.     

Alleviating rural poverty through agricultural growth

The article examines the role of agricultural GDP growth in alleviating rural poverty in LDCs. Cross‐sectional regression analysis indicates that GDP growth by itself takes a very long time to reduce poverty significantly. It suggests that decreases in land concentration could have a more immediate impact on reducing rural poverty; the budgetary and other costs of implementing such changes are not, however, considered. The preferred approach is a combination of equitable growth and redistributive measures.     

Improving Public Service Education Programs through Assessing the Performance of MPA Alumni

Educational outcomes assessment can improve public service education programs. This article applies the Model of Learning Outcomes for Public Service Education which suggest that enabling characteristics—factors that mediate the relationship among immediate, intermediate, and longer term outcomes—can improve our understanding of public service education. A survey was conducted of alumni at The George Washington University in Washington, DC, and the American University in Cairo in Cairo, Egypt. The responses from the two groups of MPA program alumni were striking: curriculum understanding and application were markedly similar, suggesting that this model is appropriate for use in different contexts.     

Preparation of Disappearing Inks and Studying the Fading Time on Different Paper Surfaces

Abstract: Disappearing inks have been used in different fields, but it may be abused in forgery and counterfeiting. This research was conducted on the preparation of disappearing inks using different concentrations of thymolphthalein, phenolphthalein, and their mixture. The prepared inks were applied to different types of handwriting papers. It was found that the handwriting stability increased by increasing thymolphthalein, phenolphthalein, or alkali concentration, but in the case of using 4 mL of 1 normal (N) NaOH, the handwriting stability of phenolphthalein and its mixture inks decreased. Deciphering of the faded handwriting was evaluated by different methods; using optical deciphering, the faded handwriting did not respond to the different light sources. All the faded handwriting was visible when treated with alkaline solution. There was no change in the faded handwriting when heated to 100°C; phenolphthalein and mixture inks containing 0.5 mL of 1 N NaOH became red when only Azhar and Xerox papers were heated to 150°C.     

Parliamentary Elections Egypt 2011： A Multi-Stakeholder Groups Assessment

This study aimed at conducting a multi-stakeholder assessment of the recent Egyptian parliamentary elections that took place after the Egyptian January 25, 2011 revolution. Using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, it outlines the directions of different stakeholder groups＇ perceptions toward the elections. The qualitative analysis, based on a review of the literature and an examination of published and online media, emphasized the divergent opinions of the groups studied. The quantitative analysis focused on the results of an online survey distributed to a sample of 299 resident Egyptians representing the different demographic features of the eligible voting community. A valid and reliable scale was used to assess the perception of respondents to six different aspects of elections governance. The empirical study pointed to an overall negative perception of elections. The direction of respondents＇ perception was negative toward elections administration, information access, manipulation, and fairness. On the other hand, the respondents＇ perception tended to be neutral toward freedom and reference the new parliament＇s empowerment and tendency to complete its term. The study concluded with a number of proposed strategies for improving efficiency and enhancing fairness and freedom. Soon Egypt shall witness a new parliamentary election by 2014, and there will be an opportunity to learn from past mistakes.     

Data for 15 autosomal STR markers (Powerplex 16 System) from two Tunisian populations: Kesra (Berber) and Zriba (Arab)

Allele frequencies, together with some parameters of forensic interest, for 15 STRs included in the Powerplex 16 System (CSF1PO, D3S1358, D5S818, D7S820, D8S1179, D13S317, D16S539, D18S51, D21S11, FGA, Penta D, Penta E, TH01, TPO and VWA) were estimated from two samples of unrelated individuals from Tunisia, of different ethnicity: Kesra (Berber) and Zriba (Arab). No deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were observed after Bonferroni's correction for the number of loci analysed. Comparative analyses between our population data and other North African databases showed that significant differences were concentrated on loci with lowest values of diversity (mainly CSF1PO and D13S317), irrespective of ethnicity and geographic location.