The political geography of a Palestinian state: Main problems of implementation

This study examined the main territorial, political, and economic obstacles facing the establishment of a Palestinian state. The study tried to determine if the classical requirements of state formation can be met within the geographic and political context of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. To accomplish this, the study focused on the main obstacles and problems associated with the following: The territorial definition and delimitation of a Palestinian state The determination of Palestinian citizenship and political representation. The establishment of a viable and independent Palestinian economy. The specification and execution of the functions and responsibilities of a Palestinian state apparatus. To provide a context for studying the political geography of a Palestinian state, the principal geographic and political literature on the state as a politically organized area was reviewed and summarized. The summary included general description of the concepts of state sovereignty and factors influencing it, political borders, nation and nationalism, state form, state functions, and state apparatus. Two theories of state formation were also included to provide a comparative framework for examining the Palestinian case. The 1993 PLO-Israeli Declaration of Principals (DOP) on Palestinian interim self-government arrangements is considered a major qualitative development in the nature of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. This thesis, thus, used the DOP and the subsequent Cairo Agreement between the PLO and Israel as the starting point for the analysis. The potential effects of the DOP and the Cairo Agreement on the process of Palestinian state formation was examined. A detailed textual analysis of the two agreements revealed their insufficiency for addressing the main obstacles outlined by the thesis. The way in which these problems are addressed will ultimately determine the geopolitical outcome of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. By identifying and classifying these problems and obstacles this thesis provides a context for evaluating the feasibility of creating a Palestinian state. For a truly independent Palestinian state to form, the PLO-Israeli peace process must produce an adequate resolution to the various problems outlined in this thesis. Any future Palestinian political entity that falls short of meeting all the essential requirements of a state cannot be considered as such

Use of Computer Simulation to Reduce the Energy Consumption in a Tall Office Building in Dubai-UAE

Buildings are a major consumer of energy and thus have a significant impact on the environment. The use of artificial lights is a major contributor to the energy usage in a typical office building using electricity to run the lights and also increasing the cooling load due to its heat dissipation. Proper design for the maximization of natural light helps reduce the use of artificial lights and results in reduction in the buildings energy consumption. Computer simulation of the lighting and energy consumption in a typical tall office building in Dubai-UAE is used to optimize the effectiveness of natural lighting penetration and calculate the associated energy savings. Two alternative building designs are proposed and tested. The overall energy savings for the whole building reached 31.4 % for the proposed oval shaped design. This represents a significant reduction in the buildings electricity load and thus its impact on the environment

Safety of Traditional Arab Herbal Medicine

Herbal remedies are widely used for the treatment and prevention of various diseases and often contain highly active pharmacological compounds. Many medicinal herbs and pharmaceutical drugs are therapeutic at one dose and toxic at another. Toxicity related to traditional medicines is becoming more widely recognized as these remedies become popular in the Mediterranean region as well as worldwide. Most reports concerning the toxic effects of herbal medicines are associated with hepatotoxicity although reports of other toxic effects including kidney, nervous system, blood, cardiovascular and dermatologic effects, mutagenicity and carcinogenicity have also been published in the medical literature. This article presents a systematic review on safety of traditional Arab medicine and the contribution of Arab scholars to toxicology. Use of modern cell biological, biochemical, in vitro and in vivo techniques for the evaluation of medicinal plants safety is also discussed

Studies on the Development of the Avian Knee Joint, With Special Reference to the Role of Apoptotic Cell Death

Abstract Not Provided

Studies on the Lymphatic System

Abstract Not Provided

Effect of subsidies on healthful consumption: a protocol for a systematic review update.

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are rapidly increasing in most parts of the world. In order to ameliorate the related public health burden, evidence-informed policies to improve diet need to be implemented. Financial subsidies that promote healthful consumption patterns have the potential to reduce NCD risk and may also reduce inequality if targeted at those of low socio-economic position. This protocol is for an updated systematic review of such evidence. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A systematic search strategy will be used to identify publications on fiscal intervention studies indexed in Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, EconLit and PubMed in between January 2013 to February 2019. Two reviewers will independently sift identified citations using prespecified inclusion and exclusion criteria to inform full-text review. The outcomes of interest are: consumption patterns (% change in targeted items and in overall dietary patterns), purchasing patterns (% change) or body mass index. Pretested data capture forms will be used for double data extraction. Any inconsistencies in citation sifting or data extraction will be resolved by a third investigator and study authors will be contacted if needed. Systematic searches will be supplemented by reference checking of key articles. Study quality will be assessed and a narrative summary of findings will be produced. Meta-analyses and exploration of heterogeneity will be completed if appropriate. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The review aims to strengthen findings of the primary studies it incorporates. It will synthesise existing published aggregated patient data and only present further aggregate data. Given this, no concerns are held relating to confidentiality and informed consent due to re-use of patient data.If publications or data with ethical concerns are identified, they will be excluded from the review.Results of the systematic review will be published in full and authors will engage directly with research audiences and key stakeholders to share findings. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42019125013

Energy Performance of Public Housing Buildings in Sao Paulo, Brazil: An Evaluation of the Current Design Practices

This research examines how public housing design has been developed to attend the low income population in Sao Paulo, Brazil and how changes in the existing design affect the quality of the dwellings and energy consumption. The hypothesis of this research is that energy efficient architecture concepts applied to the current design practices of public housing in Sao Paulo significantly reduce energy consumption in buildings. In this study, computer simulation is used to evaluate current energy performance of public housing buildings and to simulate the integration of new energy saving features into the current design to assess buildings’ performance. The findings show that energy consumption can be reduced by as much as 54 percent in doing so. This study highlights the numerous opportunities for architects to influence the quality of the design being produced for the less fortunate population in public housing sector in Sao Paulo. This also positively impacts comfort conditions within buildings and most importantly, reduce energy consumption