Assessment of water resources system in Qena governorate, Upper Egypt under different hydrological and agronomic conditions

This paper assessed the current water resources system and two future scenarios in Qena governorate by developing Water Balance (WB Model) and Water Security Quality-based Index (WSQI). First scenario presented 25% reduction in Nile flow, while second scenario suggested adaptation measures to comply with flow reduction. The measures included leveling 100,000 feddans, serving 70,000 feddans with sprinkler irrigation, and lining 2,977 km of canals. The WB Model estimated water balance components. The WSQI was a new index suitable for Egypt's conditions considering water quality. The water supply from High Aswan Dam (HAD) was predicted by the BlueM model for hydrological simulations of Nasser Lake. The study found that the current water shortage was fulfilled by drainage reuse and shallow groundwater, and the WQSI indicated a low water insecurity. The flow reduction increased water shortage and reuse quantity. As a result, the WSQI indicated high water insecurity. The suggested measures improved agricultural water use efficiency from 51% to 63%, reduced water shortage, and improved water insecurity level from high to medium. This study concluded that adaptation measures can improve the future water system and water security in Qena governorate. The study recommended upscaling WSQI use for the entire country.

A multicenter prospective registry of Borden type I dural arteriovenous fistula: results of a 3-year follow-up study

Purpose Although intracranial dural arteriovenous fistula (DAVF) without retrograde leptomeningeal venous drainage (Borden type I) is reported to have a benign nature, no study has prospectively determined its clinical course. Here, we report a 3-year prospective observational study of Borden type I DAVF. Methods From April 2013 to March 2016, consecutive patients with DAVF were screened at 13 study institutions. We collected data on baseline characteristics, clinical symptoms, angiography, and neuroimaging. Patients with Borden type I DAVF received conservative care while palliative intervention was considered when the neurological symptoms were intolerable, and were followed at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months after inclusion. Results During the study period, 110 patients with intracranial DAVF were screened and 28 patients with Borden type I DAVF were prospectively followed. None of the patients had conversion to higher type of Borden classification or intracranial hemorrhage during follow-up. Five patients showed spontaneous improvement or disappearance of neurological symptoms (5/28, 17.9%), and 5 patients showed a spontaneous decrease or disappearance of shunt flow on imaging during follow-up (5/28, 17.9%). Stenosis or occlusion of the draining sinuses on initial angiography was significantly associated with shunt flow reduction during follow-up (80.0% vs 21.7%, p = 0.02). Conclusion In this 3-year prospective study, patients with Borden type I DAVF showed benign clinical course; none of these patients experienced conversion to higher type of Borden classification or intracranial hemorrhage. The restrictive changes of the draining sinuses at initial diagnosis might be an imaging biomarker for future shunt flow reduction.