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Abstract The research aim is to clarify the effect of courtyard placement, the ratio between length and width, and courtyard orientation on energy consumption in residential buildings in hot and dry climates, to seek planning and designing alternatives for new cities and new residential complexes that are consistent with the environment and climate and save the consumption of energy used in the buildings. The research method was conducted through Design Builder software for simulation purposes. The reference model with the 157.25 m2 which accommodates a central square courtyard measuring 5 m × 5 m, on a residential building model in the New Valley Governorate of Kharga City, Egypt. The courtyard simulation is aimed to determine Less energy consumption inside the different case studies, in 9 courtyard placements The studied alternatives for Courtyard Placement, are (the center of the building, sub facades, and main facades). The different ratios are (1:1, 1.25:1, 1.5:1–1.75:1, 2:1, 2.25:1, 2.5–1). The longitudinal axis of the Courtyard has been oriented to the east–west direction for all placements, and north–south direction for all placements. Also, (orientation angle is Zero), it offered the percentages of better and worst cases in each position of the courtyard. The research findings suggest that the best Placement of the Courtyard that achieved the highest rate of saving of energy consumed inside the used building model was at the southwestern façade, with a saving rate of 18.73%. Then, the Placement of the Courtyard at the northwestern and southeastern facades with a saving rate of 17.91%, with a length-to-width ratio (2.5:1) if the longitudinal axis of the Courtyard is oriented in the north–south direction, Through the study, we conclude that the placement and orientation of the courtyard and its regular formation have contributed to rationalizing energy consumption in residential buildings, the study reached some important standards that could represent a methodological framework for designing contemporary residential buildings with an energy-efficient inner courtyard.

Innovative building materials are the primary focus for researchers seeking to reduce energy consumption and advance global sustainability initiatives. This target could accomplished by addressing environmental issues and confronting the adverse impact of climate change. In this regard, this paper used a combined experimental and simulation approach to evaluate the effectiveness of lightweight geopolymer concrete (LWGC) incorporating industrial waste of aluminum powder (AP) and ferrosilicon waste powder (FWP) for reducing the energy consumption in the building envelop. Seven concrete mixes for LWGC were prepared using an air operator. Three mixtures contain 0.1 %, 0.2 %, and 0.3 % AP (FA), and three mixtures contain 0.1 %, 0.2 %, and 0.3 % FWP by weight of fly ash. The workability, unit volume weight, compressive strength, thermal conductivity, and microstructure analysis of the LWGC were examined. In addition, energy simulations were performed to evaluate their ability to reduce energy use in residential buildings. The inclusion of AP and FWP in LWGC resulted in a significant decrease in the density of the material, which amounts to 55 % for AP0.3 and 35 % for FWP0.3. The diameter of the LWGC pore structure increased as the Ca/Si ratio was reduced. The AP and FWP materials reduced energy consumption for building envelope elements such as external walls and roof insulation by 14.5 %, resulting in a 9.2 % overall reduction compared to the traditional concrete mix as a control sample.

The construction industry plays a significant role in shaping our environment and economy. However, it also substantially impacts the environment, including the depletion of natural resources, increased energy consumption, and waste generation. The green building trend has recently gained significant attention in recent years to mitigate the negative impacts of the building industry, focusing on sustainable materials and practices. One of the primary materials used in this field is clay brick, which leads to soil depletion over time. In this context, this study explores the potential of sawdust waste as a partial replacement for clay in brick production, aiming to reduce the depletion of natural resources while enhancing the properties and performance of the produced bricks. The study consists of two main phases: experimental and simulation. In the experimental phase, clay brick samples were produced by adding sawdust at different ratios (1%, 2%, 4%, 8%, and 10% of the raw weight), and various physical and mechanical properties of the produced samples were tested to ensure their suitability for construction use. Also, the thermal properties of the proposed brick were measured to investigate the effect of sawdust addition on brick thermal insulation. Consequently, thermal conductivity and specific heat were measured. In the simulation phase, DesignBuilder software (version 7.0.2) was used to investigate the impact of the proposed material on building envelope's performance and heat gain reduction. All experimental and simulation results were compared with the traditional clay brick measurements, which reveal a significant improvement in brick properties and performance with an increase in comprehensive strength of up to 192.3% and a reduction in energy consumption reaching 11.27%. The study results showed significant improvement in the properties and performance of the produced bricks, indicating the potential of using sawdust waste as a sustainable material for green buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Introduction Bronchogenic cysts are developmental anomalies of the primitive foregut which mostly occur in the lung. Gastric bronchogenic cysts are extremely rare; few cases have been reported in the literature and the diagnosis was often made following surgical resection. Case presentation A 40-year-old North African man was admitted to our hospital with a gastric submucosal mass. An endoscopic ultrasound revealed a unilocular cystic mass located in the muscular layer. Its content was echogenic suggestive of mucus. Magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the liquid nature of the cyst and showed a high ratio of proteins. Based on these observations, the diagnosis of bronchogenic cyst was confirmed. An endoscopic monitoring was decided rather than surgery because of the small size of the cyst and the absence of symptoms. Conclusion Although gastric bronchogenic cysts are rare, they should be well known and considered in all differential diagnoses of gastric tumors. We report a new case of gastric bronchogenic cyst and highlight the contribution of morphological tests that currently allow a non-invasive diagnosis.

Background: Metastatic renal cell cancer is a heterogeneous disease due to its diverse morphological features, the prognostic categories based on clinical criteria. Sometimes indolent course without any significant symptoms can be differentiated before the introduction of novel targeted agents. This observation led to interest in a strategy of deferring systemic therapy in the era of effective systemic therapies. Case presentation: We report of a 78-year-old Moroccan man with pancreatic metastasis from renal cell carcinoma which occurred 14 years from right nephrectomy. Indolent disease based on body computed tomography imaging with 4 years follow-up was recognized. Active surveillance with deferred antiangiogenic multikinase inhibitor at disease progression was proposed. Nowadays, the patient is under oncological follow-up, he is in a good state of health, and he is disease-free for 48 months from the diagnosis of the tumor and for 20 months from the start of the treatment with Sunitinib. Conclusions: Active surveillance before target therapy may be a suitable approach to ensure long progression-free survival with minimal side-effects and better quality of life in asymptomatic, low-volume, metastatic disease. Further prospective studies with biomarker validation are required to define the patients most likely to benefit from this approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This video demonstrates a new technique of biliary cannulation by immersion in the presence of an intradiverticular papilla. We subsequently noticed that the papilla became better exposed and its orifice clearly visible ( B b b ), which directly allowed biliary cannulation without going through other techniques ( B c b and B d b ). [Extracted from the article]

Introduction Biliary papillomatosis is a condition characterized by multiple papillary tumors of variable distribution and extent within the biliary tract. Papillary carcinoma can develop in these lesions. It is a rare biliary pathological entity and its clinical features and outcome are not well known. Case presentation We experienced a case of biliary papillomatosis in a 51-year-old North African man who presented with obstructive jaundice. Laboratory tests showed elevated bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase levels. Imaging (ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging) was suggestive of Klatskin tumor associated to common bile duct stones. After endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, a balloon sweep retrieved friable tissue from his bile ducts. Histology demonstrated papillary adenomatous proliferation showing high-grade dysplasia and he was referred for surgical management. Conclusions Although biliary papillomatosis is rare, it is a premalignant condition that should be well known and considered in all diagnoses of obstructive jaundice. We report a new case of biliary papillomatosis and highlight the contribution of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in the diagnosis of this condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malignant transformation of perineal fistula in Crohn's disease has rarely been reported. We report a case of Crohn's disease with recurrent perineal fistulas. A 36-year-old male, diagnosed with Crohn's disease at the age of 24, developed adenocarcinoma in an anorectal fistula that had existed for years. He was treated with adjuvant chemoradiotherapy but died. A high index of suspicion and regular surveillance is recommended in chronic anorectal fistulas in Crohn's disease. The shorter duration of Crohn's fistulas prior to malignant degeneration necessitates an aggressive approach to rule out cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes the case of a 55-year-old African man diagnosed with inverted colonic diverticulum (ICD).

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article on the occurrence of acute pancreatitis as a side effect of interferon therapy to a patient with chronic hepatitis B.

Knowledge of local antibiotic resistance is crucial to adaption of the choice of effective empirical first-line treatment for Helicobacter pylori infection. The aim of this study was to evaluate, for the first time in Morocco, the prevalence of the primary resistance of H. pylori to clarithromycin, metronidazole, amoxicillin, levofloxacin, tetracycline, and rifamycin. We conducted a 1-year prospective study (2015), including 255 Moroccan patients referred for gastro-duodenal endoscopy to two hospitals of Rabat (Morocco) and never previously treated for H. pylori infection. Three gastric biopsies were collected: one for histology, one for culture, and one for molecular detection of H. pylori and the mutations in 23S rRNA genes that confer resistance to clarithromycin. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed on isolated strains by Etest and disk diffusion methods. One hundred seventy-seven patients were infected (69.4%). The prevalence of primary resistances of H. pylori to clarithromycin was 29%, 40% to metronidazole, 0% to amoxicillin, tetracycline, and rifamycin, and 11% to levofloxacin. Only four isolates (2%) were resistant to both clarithromycin and metronidazole. The high level of primary clarithromycin resistance in the H. pylori strains infecting the Moroccan population leads us to recommend the abandonment of the standard clarithromycinbased triple therapy as a first-line treatment in Morocco and to prefer a concomitant quadruple therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]