Energy Harvesting Networks with General Utility Functions: Near Optimal Online Policies

We consider online scheduling policies for single-user energy harvesting communication systems, where the goal is to characterize online policies that maximize the long term average utility, for some general concave and monotonically increasing utility function. In our setting, the transmitter relies on energy harvested from nature to send its messages to the receiver, and is equipped with a finite-sized battery to store its energy. Energy packets are independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) over time slots, and are revealed causally to the transmitter. Only the average arrival rate is known a priori. We first characterize the optimal solution for the case of Bernoulli arrivals. Then, for general i.i.d. arrivals, we first show that fixed fraction policies [Shaviv-Ozgur] are within a constant multiplicative gap from the optimal solution for all energy arrivals and battery sizes. We then derive a set of sufficient conditions on the utility function to guarantee that fixed fraction policies are within a constant additive gap as well from the optimal solution.Comment: To appear in the 2017 IEEE International Symposium on Information Theory. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1705.1030

Theme park visitor travel patterns

This study was designed to address several related problems. (1) To determine the difference, if any, between national travel patterns and those of 1982 Easter Week visitors to Marriott’s Great America (Santa Clara, California) and Marine World Africa U.S.A (Redwood City, California). (2) To determine the differences, if any, between the 1982 Easter Week travel patterns of visitors to Marriott’s Great America and Marine World Africa U.S.A. (3) To determine the difference, if any, between the distances visitors traveled to Marriott’s Great America and Marine World Africa U.S.A. during the summer of 1981 and the 1982 Easter Week. The problems dictated the necessity to address several subproblems. (1) To determine the distances visitors traveled; (2) mode of transportation used; (3) percentages of visitors traveling less than and more than 300 miles; (4) percentages of visitors utilizing various modes of transportation to Marriott’s Great America and Marine World Africa U.S.A. during the 1982 Easter Week; (5) to determine the difference between the distances visitors Marriott’s Great America traveled during the summer of 1981 and the 1982 Easter Week; and (6)to determine the difference between the distances visitors to Marine World Africa U.S.A. traveled during the summer of 1981 and the 1982 Easter Week

Decreasing Occlusion and Increasing Explanation in Interactive Visual Knowledge Discovery

Lack of explanation and occlusion are the major problems for interactive visual knowledge discovery, machine learning and data mining in multidimensional data. This thesis proposes a hybrid method that combines visual and analytical means to deal with these problems. This method, denoted as FSP, uses visualization of n-D data in 2-D in a set of Shifted Paired Coordinates (SPC). SPC for n-D data consists of n/2 pairs of Cartesian coordinates that are shifted relative to each other to avoid their overlap. Each n-D point is represented as a directed graph in SPC. It is shown that the FSP method simplifies pattern discovery in n-D data providing explainable rules in a visual form with significantly decrease of the cognitive load for analysis of n-D data. The computational experiments on real data has shown its efficiency on both training and validation data

Dilemma of applying Islamic sharia’a through takhayur and talfiq principles in the modern Egyptian legal system

For many Egyptians, the only path to modernity in the Egyptian legal system is believed to be through utilizing Islamic sharia’a. Between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the Egyptian legal elite worked to introduce a modern interpretation and application of Islamic sharia’a. The Islamic principles takhayur and talfiq were used to do this. While the main usage of takhayur and talfiq was to legitimize the modern legal system by maintaining the usage of Islamic sharia’a, the legal practice reached a contradictory outcome. The Courts have been unable to decide on the exact relationship between Islamic sharia’a and other legal texts. This confusion has produced ambiguity and uncertainty in legal practice. This situation of uncertainty in the legal system is inevitable because of the differences in the underlying nature and philosophy of the modern and sharia’a legal systems. Accordingly, the Egyptian legal system may require additional secular reform to reduce the uncertainty by stressing the superiority of the legal text

Job satisfaction and job performance with moderating effect of Islamic work ethics in Yemen

Job performance which focuses on improving workers productivity has been the most widely dependent variable studied in the field of industrial and organisational psychology. In Yemen, universities face many problems that prevent the achievement of quality education, a motivated workforce, improved learning, a good learning environment, and the general development of the university system. In the context of Yemen, more than 10% of the financial budget for higher education have been returned to the Ministry of Finance at the end of each year. This is a good reason to believe that there is a lack of staff, and the ability to utilize resources effectively to improve learning and the general conditions of the learning environment. Findings of previous studies regarding the relationship between job satisfaction and job performance were mixed, hence suggesting the need to incorporate a moderating variable. Drawing upon the social exchange theory, Weber’s theory, and Herzberg’s motivator - hygiene theory, this study examined the moderating role of Islamic work ethics (IWE) on the relationship between job satisfaction and job performance among 475 administrative staffs in the Yemeni public universities. Using the Partial Least Squares structural equation modelling (PLSSEM), the results show that work itself was significantly related to contextual performance. Similarly, supervision and work itself were significantly related to task performance. In addition, the relationship between work itself and task performance was found to be moderated by IWE. Conversely, IWE was not found to be a moderator variable on the relationships between co-workers, pay, promotion, supervision, and contextual performance. The direct and moderating effect of IWE on the relationship between overall job satisfaction and overall job performance was also supported. The theoretical and practical contributions of the study are discussed and suggestions for future research are provide

Geophysical characteristics of nickel and copper deposits in Wadi Al Khadra prospect, southwestern of Saudi Arabia

“Three geophysical datasets (self-potential, magnetics, and time - domain electromagnetics) were acquired at Wadi Al Khadra Ni-Cu prospect in southwest Saudi Arabia, and were processed and interpreted for the Saudi Geological Survey. The primary objectives were to map the distribution of metallic mineralization, map structures, verify the integration of the geophysical interpretations and its signatures in conjunction with boreholes information, distinguish the similarities and differences in the integrated interpretation of geophysical data, and design optimal processing and interpretation data parameters. The self-potential tool was used to map the variation in natural surface potential differences to map lateral variations in the distribution of shallow metallic minerals, specifically copper and nickel, qualitatively. The time-domain electromagnetic tool was utilized to measure the lateral and vertical variations in the conductivity of the subsurface to map the distribution of metallic mineralization to depths approximately 140 meters and structures (faults) that control the distribution of mineralization qualitatively. A magnetic tool was used to map lateral variations in the magnetic field of the earth to map the distribution of magnetically susceptible mineralization (magnetite and nickel) and structures (faults) that control the distribution of mineralization and to map structures qualitatively. Surface-based geologic data and core hole control were used to constrain the interpretation of the geophysical data. The investigation was successful. The interpreted geophysical data sets are consistent with one another (re: distribution of metallic mineralization) and consistent with surface-based geologic control and core hole data”--Abstract, page iii

The Role of International Organizations in Supporting Children under Conflicts: the case study of Yemen

不同国家的一些国际组织正在努力打击侵犯儿童的行为，并给予他们足够的照顾，尤其是 在冲突时期。为了履行自己的职责和工作，他们必须面对许多挑战，包括国际社会的不作 为，捐款人资助活动的缺乏、政府的缺位以及对儿童权利认识的缺乏。 研究的题目是，国际组织对战区儿童的生计有积极贡献吗？为了回答这一问题，本研究旨 在调查国际组织对战区儿童在营养、健康、教育和保护方面的基本生活需要的贡献。同 时，本研究以发展中国家儿童的实际情况为例，以也门最近的危机为个案研究。 研究问题通过强调讨论的中心四项决定来回答。在调查过有关国际组织工作的论证和事实 之后，很明显，在各种各样的情况下，国际组织确实有通过...Several International Organizations in the different countries are trying to counter the violations against children and provide the sufficient care for them especially in the conflicting periods. To do their roles and work, they are required to face many challenges including the international community's inaction, the scarcity of donations to finance their activities, the absence of the gover...学位：法学硕士院系专业：南洋研究院_国际关系学号：3022014115450

Miniaturized High-Q Tunable RF Filters

This dissertation focuses on the investigation and development of novel efficient tuning techniques and the design of miniaturized high-Q tunable RF filters for high-performance reconfigurable systems and applications. First, a detailed survey of the available tuning concepts and state-of-art tunable filters is provided. Then, a novel so-called inset resonator configuration is presented for the applications of fixed and tunable coaxial filters. The design procedure of frequency tunable filters with constant absolute bandwidth (CABW) is described, and various tunable inset filters are implemented, offering many desirable merits, including the wide tuning range and stable high-Q with minimum variation. For wide octave frequency tuning ranges with CABW, a second novel concept is presented using so-called re-entrant caps tuners. Beside simplicity and compactness, this technique also features enhanced spurious performance and wider tuning capabilities than the conventional means. Also, in this dissertation, various miniaturized reconfigurable dual-band/dual-mode bandpass filters and diplexers are presented using compact dual-mode high-Q TM-mode dielectric resonators. Furthermore, a novel microfluidic-based ultra-wide frequency tuning technique for TM010-mode dielectric resonators and filters is introduced in this dissertation. In addition to the very wide tuning window, this mechanism has key advantages of low-cost, simplicity, and intrinsic switch-off. Lastly, the dissertation includes a novel bandwidth reconfiguration concept with multi-octave tuning using a single element for coaxial bandpass filters. This mechanism brings many features including the fast tuning, constant high-Q, intrinsic switch-off, and wide BW-reconfiguration

Miniaturized Dual-Band Dual-Mode TM-Mode Dielectric Filter in Planar Configuration

This paper reports a new class of compact inline dual-band bandpass filters using TM-mode dielectric resonators in planar configuration. Thanks to the employment of the dielectric-loaded TM-mode waveguide configuration and the dual-mode TM120 and TM210 resonances, substantial size miniaturization and volume saving (>70%) can be obtained in comparison with conventional waveguide technology. Additionally, the planar topology of the presented concept offers highly desirable advantages for industry and mass production including the ease of manufacturing, assembly, and tuning. Furthermore, the resonating doublets and the nonresonating TM110 mode are effectively utilized to introduce and control both inter-band and outer-band transmission zeros, advantageously increasing the isolation between the two passbands and enhancing the outer-band rejection regions. The general design procedure of the proposed filter is discussed in detail. A three-pole C-band dual-band dual-mode TM-mode dielectric filter is designed, implemented, and measured to validate the proposed configuration

Very Compact Diplexer Based on Dual-Mode Dielectric TM-Mode Resonators

A very compact in-line C-band diplexer is reported in this letter based on dual-mode dielectric TM-mode resonators in planar coupling configuration. In addition to the advantages of substantial volume-saving and easy assembly, the proposed diplexer features high-quality factor, enhanced spurious performance, high-power handling, and efficient tuning process with independent control of each passband. For verification purposes, a C-band diplexer is designed, implemented, and tested. The final assembled diplexer unit has a compact overall volume of 43 × 40 × 15.9 mm 3 . It operates at 4.73 and 5.03 GHz with the same bandwidth of 24 MHz, an insertion loss better than 0.9 dB, and a return loss higher than 21 dB. In addition, a high-power breakdown analysis shows that the introduced diplexer can handle high levels of input power up to 5200 W