State of Necessity

Arabic Abstract: تسعى الدراسة لبحث حالة الضرورة في بعض التشريعات العربية، باعتبارها خروجا عن الأصل العام. ولذلكتم استعراض الإطار القانوني الناظم لحالة الضرورة، بما فيها تعريف حالة الضرورة والضوابط القانونية لإعمالها، و تم التعرض لآليات الرقابة على حالة الضرورة من حيث صلاحية البرلمان بالمراجعة الاجرائية والرقابة الدستورية على القرارات المتخذة في إطارها. وتوصلت الدراسة إلى عدة نتائج أهمها: للسلطة التنفيذية صلاحية إصدار قرارات بمرتبة قوانين وفقاً لضوابط محددة، وذلك في حالات الضرورة التي لا تحتمل التأخير وفي غير أدوار انعقاد السلطة التشريعية، وتحتل هذه القرارات مرتبة القوانين العادية الصادرة من السلطة التشريعية. وتتابع السلطة التشريعية هذه القرارات من الناحية الإجرائية، على أن تخضع لرقابة المحكمة الدستورية؛ لبحث مدى التزام السلطة التنفيذية بالضوابط المحددة دستورية، وضمان وعدم تجاوزها

Electoral quota between equality and discrimination : an analytical study

تناقش هذه الدراسة العلاقة بين الحق الأساسي للرجل بالمساواة في المنافسة الإنتخابية مع المرأة، و بين نظام الكوتا الذي يوفر للمرأة نوعا من الدعم الإيجابي بالإنتخابات، و ذلك استنادا للنظرية الترميمية القائمة على أساس وجود تضخم حقوقي واضح يقوم على فحص الحق إن كان حقا للوهلة الأولى أم لا، مع وجوب وجود إلتزامات إيجابية للدولة و إلتزامات أفقية بين الأفراد لضمان تطبيقه، و أخيرا موازنة الحق الأساسي مع القيود التي قد تفرضها عليه الدولة تحقيقاً لمصلحة عامة مشروعة، باعتبار الحقوق غير مطلقة وإنما قابلة للتقييد. و أظهرت الدراسة أن نظام الكوتا يتمتع بمشروعية قانونية وفقا للإتفاقيات الدولية و القوانين الوطنية، كما أنه لا يشكل انتهاكا لحق الرجل بالمساواة في المنافسة الإنتخابية مع المرأة، و إنما تقييدا لهذا الحق تحقيقا لمصلحة عامة مشروعة تتمثل بتحقيق المساواة الفعلية بين الجنسين بشكلٍ يتدارك العوائق الإجتماعية القائمة. كما تطرقت الدراسة إلى أثر نظام الكوتا في الحياة العامة الفلسطينية من خلال المقارنة بين تجربتي انتخابات المجلس التشريعي في كل من عامي 1996 و 200

Building and planning regulations under Israeli colonial power : a critical study from Palestine

ABSTRACT Colonial regimes used urban planning regulations as a tool to control and dominate other people and natural resources. Since the beginning of the past century, Palestine represented a good example of where urban planning regulations played a major role in urban transformation and development. The Israeli regime has been using old regional plans that were prepared by the British Mandate, and issued many others to achieve its aim of establishing settlements and dominating the West Bank. Consequently, this study explores how urban planning regulations can become a tool for controlling and dominating people and natural resources. This study investigated how these tools were used by controlling authority during the past century

Repenser l’évaluation de la traduction pédagogique avec les TICE

Teaching translation for students majoring in a foreign language is considered challenging for teachers. Their role is to harness their students’ skills both in language and translation. Thus, students are asked to apply a constructivist approach in translation, and are exposed to cognitive unbalance. Therefore, students are very likely to turn to machine translation, resulting in poor translated texts. In order to avoid an end-result oriented assessment and foster process-oriented teaching, we implemented a formative evaluation system based on the use of technology. We experienced three platforms, with the aim to acquire a pragmatic formative assessment that evaluates each step of the translation process instead of simply identifying mistakes as is the case with summative assessment. L’enseignement de la traduction pédagogique pour un public en filière langue étrangère est un défi qui exige de l’enseignant la mobilisation des compétences à la fois linguistiques et traductologiques chez l’étudiant. Celui-ci, amené à suivre une démarche constructiviste lors de l’activité traduisante, se trouve en situation de déséquilibre cognitif et aura recours par la suite aux logiciels de traduction automatique, susceptibles de fournir une traduction précaire. Afin d’éviter l’évaluation orientée produit et afin de favoriser l’enseignement orienté processus, un système d’évaluation formative est mis en place à l’aide des TICE. Nous avons testé trois plateformes pour aboutir à une évaluation formative pragmatique qui évalue chaque étape de la procédure de traduction sans pour autant sanctionner les erreurs de l’étudiant, comme ce pourrait être le cas dans l’évaluation sommative

Research priority-setting: reproductive health in the occupied Palestinian territory

Background: Occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) is an authority with limited resources. Therefore, research conducted in such a setting should be prioritized and coordinated to follow a national research agenda. This study aims to produce a research agenda for reproductive health in the oPt that can be utilized by reproductive health stakeholders and contribute to the development of policy-based evidence to guide health practice. Methods: In the current study, we followed research prioritization methods developed by the World Health Organization-Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative. Research questions were obtained from reproductive health experts in the oPt. The questions were then grouped into thematic areas which were prioritized by the reproductive health experts. Scores were calculated and sorted to define the top priority research areas. Results: A total of 232 research questions were prioritized by 30 reproductive health experts. Health system issues were the most addressed in the top 50 research questions. They included questions on the quality of services and health professionals’ knowledge and continuous professional training. Adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence were rarely mentioned in the top 50 questions. The number of questions related to safe motherhood was around 50% followed by questions related to health system. Questions related to elderly women and menopause as well as reproductive system cancers were also within the top 50 ranked questions. Conclusions: Priority research areas in reproductive health were identified for the oPt, which should be utilized by researchers with a focus on the high priority areas. Policy makers and funders should coordinate their efforts to ensure the production of research with value to the Palestinian context, in the most efficient way possibl

Identification of dynamic parameters and friction coefficients

This paper presents the method for identification of the dynamic parameters and coefficients of friction of planar robots. The dynamic equations of the robot are directly differentiated in order to find the identification Jacobian members. The set of base inertial parameters are determined symbolically and the identification procedure is developed with respect to them. A polynomial model is adopted for the joint frictions and the identification Jacobian is expressed in an extended form which allows identification of the friction coefficients along with the robot inertial parameters. The method has been applied to the robot under study and the practical results proved remarkable improvement in the robot mode

Evaluation of Accuracy of Episiotomy Incision in a Governmental Maternity Unit in Palestine: An Observational Study

Episiotomy should be cut at certain internationally set criteria to minimize risk of obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASIS) and anal incontinence. )e aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of cutting right mediolateral episiotomy (RMLE). An institution-based prospective cohort study was undertaken in a Palestinian maternity unit from February 1, to December 31, 2016. Women having vaginal birth at gestational weeks ≥24 or birthweight ≥1000 g and with intended RMLE were eligible (n � 240). Transparent plastic films were used to trace sutured episiotomy in relation to the midline within 24-hour postpartum. )ese were used to measure incisions’ distance from midline, and suture angles were used to classify the incisions into RMLE, lateral, and midline episiotomy groups. Clinical characteristics and association with OASIS were compared between episiotomy groups. A subanalysis by profession (midwife or trainee doctor) was done. Less than 30% were RMLE of which 59% had a suture angle of <40° (equivalent to an incision angle of <60°). )ere was a trend of higher OASIS rate, but not statistically significant, in the midline (16%, OR: 1.7, CI: 0.61–4.5) and unclassified groups (16.5%, OR: 1.8, CI: 0.8–4.3) than RMLE and lateral groups (10%). No significant differences were observed between episiotomies cut by doctors and midwives. Most of the assessed episiotomies lacked the agreed criteria for RMLE and had less than optimal incision angle which increases risk of severe complications. A well structured training program on how to cut episiotomy is recommended.Non

Evaluation of windrow composting pilots for domestic organic waste amended by horse manure and biosolids

A joint research project between Birzeit University and the University of California-Davis6th Balkans Joint Conference and Exhibition to be held in Tirana, Albania, on 7-9 November 2018, at Expocity Albania. The Conference Theme “Water and Nature” brings attention to the need for preserving nature and exploring nature based solutions in order to overcome the water challenges, and to ensure better water supply and sewerage services and protection of the public health. The Balkans Joint Conference and Exhibition has truly established itself as a major knowledge sharing and networking event in the Western Balkans water sector. With an audience of over 450 participants from the Greater Balkan Region, the Conference offers a platform where water professionals, policymakers, and business professionals from the sector gather and discuss issues of concern, exchange information, and share experiences in an effort to help the further development of the water supply and wastewater sector in the Greater Balkan Region.This study entails planning, operation and assessment of two composting pilots using different mixture ratios of domestic organic waste, municipal sewage sludge, horse manure and saw dust. The first experiment, winter season, comprised five composting piles with different mixtures (ratio 2:1 wet weight) were prepared. The second experiment, summer period, carbon to nitrogen ratios (C: N) were tested for four mixed samples. Using plastic containers, various compost mixtures were processed in a greenhouse at Birzeit University Campus under controlled conditions (moisture, temperature and pH). In both experiments, no major deviations in the moisture content and pH values, but larger deviations were recorded in process temperature. Over the 100 experimental days during winter (first experiment), the temperature ranged from 7 °C to 41 °C compared with summer composting phase (23 0C to 66 0C). Samples from raw and finished compost were tested for physical, chemical and microbial quality parameters. The results revealed that the compost quality for the both experiments complied with U.S. EPA compost regulations. All samples of raw and finished compost were free from the Salmonella. During winter, results showed no major differences in the fecal coliforms and E. coli content (≤1000 CFU/g) in the finished compost from all compost piles. However, compost pile 3, a mixture of domestic organics, sludge and sawdust exceeded the fecal coliforms rule indicating low sludge stabilization degree. For the second experiment, the microbial indicators in the finished compost complied with U.S. EPA standards pertinent to fecal coliforms (≤1000 CFU/g) and Salmonella free in the finished compost. The reduction in mass weight of raw compost materials reached 58% for pile 2, during summer compared with 56 % for pile 5 during winter. Pile number 4 (two domestic organics and one sludge), processed during winter and pile 2 (one domestic organics, two manure, one sludge), processed during summer, complied with U.S. EPA (40 CFR Part 503) standards than other composting piles in two experimental periods. Composting variable mixtures of domestic organics, horse manure and municipal sludge forms an effective and a sustainable management technology for the reduction of operational expenditures of municipal waste management in Palestinian communities.University of California-Davis-Diamond Dubai Sustainability Research and Training Program (SRTP No. 201500387-02

Feature selection using binary particle swarm optimization with time varying inertia weight strategies

In this paper, a feature selection approach that based on Binary Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) with time varying inertia weight strategies is proposed. Feature Selection is an important preprocessing technique that aims to enhance the learning algorithm (e.g., classification) by improving its performance or reducing the processing time or both of them. Searching for the best feature set is a challenging problem in feature selection process, metaheuristics algorithms have proved a good performance in finding the (near) optimal solution for this problem. PSO algorithm is considered a primary Swarm Intelligence technique that showed a good performance in solving different optimization problems. A key component that highly affect the performance of PSO is the updating strategy of the inertia weight that controls the balance between exploration and exploitation. This paper studies the effect of different time varying inertia weight updating strategies on the performance of BPSO in tackling feature selection problem. To assess the performance of the proposed approach, 18 standard UCI datasets were used. The proposed approach is compared with well regarded metaheuristics based feature selection approaches, and the results proved the superiority of the proposed approach

Harm perceptions of waterpipe tobacco smoking among university students in five Eastern Mediterranean Region countries : a cross-sectional study

Waterpipe tobacco smoking (WTS) continues to be very common in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR), partially because of cultural acceptance but also because of misconceptions of its harm. This paper aimed to describe the beliefs towards waterpipe harm of university students who smoked waterpipe in five EMR countries. This study was conducted in 2016 across five EMR countries: Egypt, Jordan, Occupied Palestinian Territories, Oman and United Arab Emirates (UAE). Participants were recruited from among university students in each country. Students’ characteristics, smoking behavior, flavor preference and knowledge of WTS harm were collected using an internet-based survey. Participants were included if they were ever waterpipe tobacco smokers and between 18 and 29 years of age. Bivariate analyses assessed variations in student-perceived WTS harm across the countries. Linear regression analysis was used to assess WTS perceived harm differences between students in the different countries. RESULTS : A total of 2 544 university students participated from the five countries. Among ever smoking students, 66% reported WTS in the past 30 days, with the highest proportions (40%) from Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) and (41%) Jordan. Dual smoking of waterpipe and cigarettes was highest among students from Egypt. Most participants from the five countries had high level of perceived harm related to WTS during pregnancy. Less than 50% of the students believed that WTS could lead to the death of the smoker, can be harmful for non-smokers and have an addictive effect. Female students, those older than 22 years, and those who didn’t smoke waterpipe in the last 30 days significantly had a higher level of WTS perceived harm. Participating students believed that cigarettes are more addictive and contain more nicotine compared to waterpipe. CONCLUSIONS : Misperceptions of waterpipe harm are common among university students in the five EMR countries. Immediate public health action is needed, including enforcement of waterpipe tobacco control regulations along with awareness campaigns