Multiple input modality mobile application for pilgrims

Hajj consists of several rituals, which require the pilgrims to recite specific dua and zikr for each of them.Since there are so many dua and zikr involved, pilgrims who are not well versed in Arabic have difficulties to memorize them. This paper discusses the incorporation of voice recognition in an application that helps pilgrims to recite dua and zikr while performing all Hajj rituals, called Mobile Doa and Zikir for Hajj (MDZ4H).Android platform has been chosen due to the dramatic increased in the Android mobile phone users worldwide.MDZ4H displays the Arabic text, the translation in Malay and also the Arabic audio files of the dua and zikr, which has been gathered, compiled, and verified before the application could be developed using J2ME. After that it has been evaluated by experts.The findings show some of the limitations of incorporation the Google speech to text function and suggest the solutions and the future work.It is hoped that the developed application could be made available in order to help Hajj pilgrims to easily and conveniently recite the dua and zikr towards achieving Hajj Mabrur

Studies of larvae of Decapod crustacea from the central Red Sea.

Plankton samples were taken at fortnightly intervals from January 1986 to June 1987 at six stations 20-50 km north of Jeddah, Saudia Arabia: three in a mangrove area ( Zahban village) , two outside the mangrove area ( Thuwal village) and one off Obhor Creek. Larvae of decapod Crustacea ( excluding the Brachyura ) were identified as far as possible and descriptions are given of the anomuran larvae encountered . Studies were made on seasonal variations in the numbers of larvae and on differences in occurrence and abundance between the stations. Eighty nine species of A/pileus larvae were distinguished , largely using differences in chromatophore pattern. Only two species of adult A/pfJeus are recorded from the central Red Sea. Thirty seven unnamed species of Anomura were distinguished on morphological characters and these are described and figured. The anomuran larvae belong to the fo1lowing families : Upogebi1dae ( 4 species ) , Callianassidae ( 7 species) , Laomedi1dae ( 2 species) , Galatheidae (7 species) , Porcellanidae ( 6 species) , Paguridae ( 4 species) , Diogenidae ( 7 species ) , and the Dlogenidae are made up of the fo1lowing genera: Oiogenes ( 2 species), Ca/cinus ( 2 species) , Dardanus ( 2 species ) , Clioanari(Js ( 1 species ) . Ten genera of Macrura, belonging to seven families, are also listed.Descriptions are g1ven of the complete larval development of Coenobita sceevole ( Forskal ) ( Coenob1tidae ) and Dardanus ttoctor ( Forskal ) ( Diogenidae ) I based on laboratory rearing. Comparisons are made with the larvae of related species . The presence of a central telson sptne in zoea III and all subsequent zoeal stages 1s a feature of all known coenootttd larvae, although 1t does not occur 1nother larvae of the Anomura ( sensu stricto) ( i. e. excluding the tnatasstntoae ) . The concentration of decapod larvae over the 18 months at the d1fferent stations was fairly strnttar I averaging about 1190/1000 m3 . The most common anomuran larvae were those of the Dtoqentdae , w1th Diogenes avarus Heller the most common 1n the mangrove area and the unnamed spec1es Ca/ein(Js A the most common off Obhor Creek. Larvae of A/pneus spp. and Harpil/us spp. made up a large percentage of the decapod larvae I especially at the stations outside the mangrove area and off Obhor Creek . Larvae of Galatheldae I Paguridae and Callianassidae were conspicuously more abundant 1n the night samples than 1nthe day samples. During the e1ghteen months of sampling at the six stations I decapod larvae tended to be more common 1n summer, particularly in June. More sampl1ng would be reoutrec to establ1sh whether th1s 1s a regular annual feature

Speech recognition incorporation in a multiple input modality mobile application for pilgrims (MDZ4H)

Hajj consists of several rituals, which require the pilgrims to recite specific dua and zikr for each of them. Since there are so many dua and zikr involved, pilgrims who are not well versed in Arabic have difficulties to memorize them.This paper discusses the incorporation of voice recognition in an application that helps pilgrims to recite dua and zikr while performing all Hajj rituals, called Mobile Doa and Zikir for Hajj (MDZ4H). Android platform has been chosen due to the dramatic increased in the Android mobile phone users worldwide. MDZ4H displays the Arabic text, the translation in Malay and also the Arabic audio files of the dua and zikr, which has been gathered, compiled, and verified before the application could be developed using J2ME. After that it has been evaluated by experts.The findings show some of the limitations of incorporation the Google speech to text function and suggest the solutions and the future work.It is hoped that the developed application could be made available in order to help Hajj pilgrims to easily and conveniently recite the dua and zikr towards achieving Hajj Mabrur

Coral Communities, in Contrast to Fish Communities, Maintain a High Assembly Similarity along the Large Latitudinal Gradient along the Saudi Red Sea Coast

The Saudi Arabian Red Sea coast is characterized by a strong environmental gradient from north (28.5°N) to south (16.5°N) with challenging conditions for coral growth particularly in the south (high temperature and nutrient input). We investigated whether assemblies of reef-building corals and the distribution of functional groups follow a latitudinal pattern in the Red Sea, and whether these changes affect the assembly structure of coral associated organisms (e.g. fishes). Functional groups were defined based on life-history traits and functional role. 13 reefs along the north-south gradient, including 5 potentially polluted reefs were investigated. Results showed a substantially weaker latitudinal shift in the assembly structure of coral communities than of fishes communities and of other benthic reef taxa. Competitive fast growing branching and tabular species (mainly Acropora), as well as rather stresstolerant slow growing bulky species (e.g. Porites, Goniastrea, Favites, Favia) were fairly evenly distributed along the north-south axis despite strong changes of environmental conditions. This seems on the one hand attributable to the high species richness within a given functional group (functional redundancy) and on the other hand to a high acclimatization / adaptation potential of some Red Sea coral species. The prime ecosystem service of the coral community, the provision of a habitat complex, is thereby maintained throughout the gradient. In contrast to the coral community, the assembly of the fish community shifts along the environmental gradient with higher abundances of small wrasses and butterfly fishes in the north, and overall higher abundance of fishes including large fishes in the south. This shift seems linked to higher food availability in the south. Altered assembly structures of coral communities were found in reefs close to a source of pollution with either an increased relative abundance of stresstolerant species or a general decrease of coral abundance, latter case accompanied by a substantial reduction in fish abundance

Studies of larvae of Decapod crustacea from the central Red Sea

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