Environmental impacts assessment and horizons of rehabilitation of abandoned limestone quarries: a case study from the Southern part of the West Bank

Cave di pietra sono state scavate da lungo tempo in Cisgiordania per soddisfare la crescente domanda di materiale da costruzione. Fino ad oggi non sono noti piani di gestione per l'uso post-estrazione dei siti abbandonati. Cave abbandonate senza trattamento dopo la chiusura possono causare dissesti al territorio ed esercitare significativi impatti ambientali. Questi impatti vanno dalla rimozione degli ecosistemi originari, a significative variazioni della topografia originaria del territorio, fino alla rottura irreversibile dei rapporti ecologici fondamentali e alla conseguente riduzione della biodiversità. La presente tesi di dottorato riguarda la valutazione dei rischi ambientali provocati dalle cave di pietra nella regione meridionale della Cisgiordania e le prospettive di riutilizzo di cave abbandonate nel territorio di designazione. L'area di interesse di 80 km2 è stata determinata e delineata sulla base della distribuzione delle cave e dei distretti urbani circostanti. I siti delle cave sono stati suddivisi in nove gruppi oltre ad una quarantina di cave al di fuori di questi cluster. Ogni cluster è stato delineato e descritto in termini di area e di numero di cave. La posizione di ciascuna cava all'interno e all'esterno del cluster è stata anche determinata utilizzando fotografie aeree. Per fornire i dati necessari per la valutazione dei rischi ambientali e gli strumenti di pianificazione dell'uso del territorio, la situazione fisica e demografica della zona è stata descritta. Le cave sono state esaminate e i potenziali impatti sul terreno circostante derivanti dall’utilizzo delle cave stesse sono stati individuati nel corso di visite a ciascun sito della zona. Diverse caratteristiche geografiche sono state incluse nell'analisi e nella valutazione degli impatti ambientali negativi delle cave. Gli seguenti impatti ambientali sono stati esaminati in base ai dati raccolti :-( Inquinamento ambientale che comprende "l'inquinamento dell'aria / Inquinamento acustico / inquinamento delle acque / inquinamento del suolo"; effetti sull’uso dei terreni; effetti sulla biodiversità, gli effetti sul paesaggio e gli effetti socio-economici) . Durante il periodo di studio, molte visite sul campo sono state effettuate a diverse cave abbandonate nell'area di studio. Inoltre, diverse visite ai Comuni delle tre principali città dell’area di studio sono state effettuate. Un’analisi della letteratura scientifica pubblicata da diversi Enti e Ministeri, incluso l’ufficio centrale di statistica della Palestina), relativa al settore del marmo e della pietra è stata effettuata dall'inizio della ricerca. Per quanto riguarda la delimitazione dell'area di studio, un progetto dettagliato utilizzando il Geographical Information System (GIS) è stato fatto per descrivere gli aspetti fisici e demografici dell'area comprendente i siti di cava.Caratteristiche fisiche e dati sulla popolazione per l'intera area sono stati raccolti e inseriti nella struttura GIS. Questi dati possono essere catalogati come segue :-( Copertura del suolo / uso, topografia, suolo, geologia, strade principali e locali e aree urbane). Raccomandazioni finali sono state suddivise in commenti generali a lungo termine rivolti a enti governativi e di pianificazione e raccomandazioni pratiche a breve termine rivolte a qualsiasi organizzazione che può sponsorizzare la realizzazione di programmi di riabilitazione di alcuni siti specifici. La classifica di usi post-chiusura proposti in questo studio per rispondere alle specifiche esigenze di utilizzo del territorio sono: bonifica dei terreni a fini agricoli o progetti di sviluppo (campi da gioco con i servizi al dettaglio, giardini, impianti di compostaggio, serbatoi d'acqua temporanei, unità abitative e centri di salute). Secondo i dati raccolti e le analisi condotte, l'uso ottimale del suolo di queste cave abbandonate è stato determinato in base alle caratteristiche dell’ ambiente circostante e il loro stato fisico e demografico. Nel presente studio, una banca dati ambientale è stata creata utilizzando i Sistemi Informativi Geografici (GIS) e mediante la verifica incrociata dei dati riguardanti le cave abbandonate e la loro localizzazione, sulla base di diverse aree di pianificazione designate con le priorità di sviluppo della località e le priorità che sono state stabilite dalle autorità amministrative delle zone circostanti. I risultati della ricerca mostrano che la maggior parte delle cave abbandonate si trova in aree designate per la conservazione rispetto alle aree destinate a progetti di sviluppo. Pertanto, cave abbandonate che si trovano in zone di conservazione devono essere riabilitate come spazi aperti. Quelli nelle zone urbane e rurali dovrebbero essere riabilitate come progetti di sviluppo, o come spazi aperti per usi agricoli o combinati.The stone quarries in the West Bank were long excavated to meet the increasing demand for building material. Until to date of this search, there exist no plans for post-quarrying use of the abandoned sites. Quarries that are left untreated after closure cause extensive land disturbances and have negative safety and environmental impacts. The impact is ranging from the removal of the original ecosystems, the significant change of the original topography, the irreversible disruption of the fundamental ecological relations, and the reduced biodiversity. The core of this study is the evaluation of the environmental risks resulted from the stone quarries in the southern part of the West Bank are and the aspects of rehabilitating abandoned quarries and their future designation land use, emphasizing the theme of abandoned quarries in the study area. The area of interest of 80 km2 was determined and delineated based on the distribution of quarries and the surrounding urbanized clusters. Quarrying sites are divided into nine clusters and about fourty quarries outside these clusters. Each cluster was delineated and described in terms of its area and the number of quarries. The location of each quarry outside and inside cluster was also determined using aerial photographs. To provide the data necessary for the assessment of environmental risks and land-use planning tools, the physical and demographic statuses of the area were described. The quarry were examined and potential impacts on the surrounding land-uses were identified during a site visits to the area. Various thematic geographic features have been included in the analysis and evaluation of the quarries negative environmental impacts. The following environmental impacts were addressed according to the collected data:-(Environmental Pollution which includes”air pollution/Noise pollution/water pollution/soil pollution”;effects on land use;effects on biodiversity;effects on landscape and socio-economical effects). During the study period, many site and field visits were carried out to several abandoned quarries in the study area. In the other hand, several visits to the Municipalities of the main three cites of our study area were carried out. A literature survey for all the related material to stone and marble industry was carried out since the beginning of the research. It included the publications of the Stone and Marble Industry Union and other applied researches published by researchers from the local universities and scientific institutions, publications of the Environmental Quality Authority (EQA), Ministry of National Economy, Ministry of Agriculture ,Municipalities of the four towns and the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS). As to the area delineation part, a detailed, intensive and comprehensive work using the Geographical Information System (GIS) was done, the physical and demographic statuses of the area were being described. The quarry sites and their areas have been examined. Physical features and population data for the whole area were collected and inserted into the GIS structure. These data could be displayed as follows:-(Land cover/use, topography, soil, geology, main and local roads and the built up area clusters). Final recommendations have been divided into general long term addressed to governmental and planning bodies and Practical short term recommendations are addressed for any organization which can sponsor implementing rehabilitation programs for some of the recommended sites. The ranked post-closure uses proposed in this study response to the specific land use needs are: land reclamation for agricultural purposes or development projects (playing fields with retail services, gardens, composting facility, temporary water reservoir, housing units and health center). According to the collected data and analysis, the optimal land use of these abandoned quarries was determined according to the characteristics of their nearby environment and their physical and demographic status. In the present study, an environmental database was created by using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and by cross-checking data of abandoned quarries and their location according to different designated planning areas with the locality development priorities and needs that were set by the administrative authorities of the surrounding area. The research findings show that more abandoned quarries are located in areas designated for conservation than in areas intended for development projects. Therefore, abandoned quarries that are located in conservation areas should be rehabilitated as open spaces. Those in urban and rural areas should be rehabilitated as development projects, or as open spaces and agricultural land uses, or as combined land uses

The degree of practice of building language skills in schools affiliated with the Education Directorate of the Kasbah of Mafraq from the point of view of first-grade teachers

This study aimed The degree of practice of building language skills in schools affiliated with the Education Directorate of the Kasbah of Mafraq from the point of view of first-grade teachers, and its relationship to gender variables, academic qualification, and years of experience. To achieve the objectives of the study, the researcher developed a questionnaire in four skills, consisting of (44) items divided into four skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. The study members consisted of (60) male and female teachers who study the first basic grade in the Directorate of Education of the Qasbah Al Mafraq Brigade in the second academic year of the year. (2020/2021). The results of the first question showed a high degree of practice in the skill of listening, while the rest of the skills were of a moderate degree. Skills and in the total degree, the differences came in favor of higher studies, and there were statistically significant differences due to the effect of years of experience in all skills and in the total degree, and the differences came in favor of more than (10) years

The Metacognitive Reading Strategies Employed by Jordanian English as a Foreign Language Students at Al-Balqa Applied University

This paper reports a study that investigated the general use of met- cognitive reading strategies by Al-Balqa Applied University EFL students. The Survey of Reading Strategies Questionnaire (SORS) ( Mokhtari and Sheory, 2002) was administered to the 86 male and female participants during the second semester of the academic year 2016/2017. The data were analyzed through descriptive statistics to reveal the frequency and type of strategies utilized by the sample participants. The results obtained illustrated that Al-Balqa Applied University EFL learners are high users of the three types of meta-cognitive reading strategies (M = 3.6023, S.D. = 1.3189), and the most frequently used strategies were problem solving (M = 3.8081, S.D. = 1.0610), followed by support strategies (M = 3.5393. S.D. = 1.2301), and then global strategies (M = 3.5169, S.D. =1.5392). It is recommended that further studies of this kind should be conducted to achieve a deeper understanding of Jordanian EFL learners’ strategy use. Further studies dealing with how the gender and major of the students affect their use of these strategies are also of great importance. Studies like these can assist teachers and curricula planners deal more successfully with the future needs of the educational sector in Jordan. Keywords: Metacognitive, Reading Strategies, Support Strategies, Global Strategies, Problem Solving Strategies, English as a Foreign Language (EFL)

Doctor of Philosophy

dissertationThe optimization of novel stretchable fingernail sensors for detecting fingertip touch force direction is introduced. The fingernail sensor uses optical reflectance photoplethysmography to measure the change in blood perfusion in the fingernail bed when the finger pad touches a surface with various forces. This "fingernail sensing" technique involves mounting an array of LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) and photodetectors on the fingernail surface to detect changes in the reflection intensity as a function of applied force. The intensity changes correspond to changes in blood volume underneath the fingernail and allow for fingertip force detection without haptic obstruction, which has several applications in the area of human-machine interaction. This dissertation experimentally determines the optimal optical parameters for the transmittance of light through the human fingernail bed. Specifically, the effect of varying the wavelength and optical path length on light transmittance through the nail bed are thoroughly investigated. Light transmittance through the human fingernail is optimized when using green light (525nm) and when placing optoelectronic pairs as close together as possible. The optimal locations of the optoelectronic devices are predicted by introducing an optical model that describes light transmittance between an LED and a photodiode in the fingernail area based on optical experimentation. A reduced configuration is derived from the optimal optoelectronic locations in order to facilitate iv the fabrication of the optimized fingernail sensor without significantly compromising the recognition accuracy. This results in an overall force direction recognition accuracy of 95%. Using novel fabrication techniques, we successfully build a stretchable fingernail sensor prototype, which fully conforms to the two-dimensional fingernail surface and is independent of its geometry. Namely, we overcome the challenges of patterning conductive lines on a stretchable substrate, and embedding rigid optical components in a stretchable platform while maintaining electrical conductivity. A finite element analysis is conducted to optimize the electrical contact resistance between the optoelectronic components and underlying stretchable conductors, as a function of the bending curvature and substrate thickness. The functionality of the stretchable sensor is tested in relation to the design parameters. Finally, applications and potential impacts of this work are discussed

The degree of including the Arabic language textbook for the fifth grade in Jordan digital culture skills in the twenty-first century

This study aimed at The degree of including the Arabic language textbook for the fifth grade in Jordan on digital culture skills in the twenty-first century, the study sample consisted of all pages of the Arabic language book for the fifth grade, except for the introduction and the list of references. The (31) skills of digital culture for the twenty-first century, divided into four main areas: It is the field of communication and information skills and it contained (8) sub-skills, and it came first, with a medium degree and a percentage (43.92%), and the field of self-reliant learning and it contained (9) subsidiary skills, and it came in the second place, with a low degree and a percentage )33.33%), And the field of computing and information technology and it contained (7) sub-skills and it came in third place, with a very low degree, with a percentage (12.94%), and the field of creativity and innovation and it contained (7) sub-skills and it came in the fourth and last place, with a very low degree, and with a percentage ( 09.80%), and it showed an imbalance in the distribution of digital culture skills for the twenty-first century, and the study recommended increased interest by book authors to include the Arabic language book for the fifth grade in Jordan digital culture skills for the twenty-first century in a balanced manner

Static Analyser for Java-Based Object-Oriented Software Metrics

Software metrics play a major role In the software development. Not only software metrics help in understanding the size and complexity of software systems, but they are also helpful in improving the quality of software systems. For object-oriented systems, a large number of metrics have been established. These metrics should be supported by automated collection tools. Automated tools are useful for measuring and improving the quality of software systems. One such tool is a static analyser. A static analyser has been developed for a subset of Java language. A number of object-oriented software metrics has been evaluated using attribute grammar approach. Attribute grammar approach is considered as a well-defined approach to the software metrics evaluation since it is based on the measurement of the source code itself. New definitions for a number of object-oriented metrics have been specified using attribute grammars. This tool has been built using C language. Lexical analyser and syntax analyser have been generated using lex and yacc tools under linux operating system. Four object-oriented metrics have been evaluated. These metrics are Depth of Inheritance Tree metric, Number of Children metric, Response For a Class metric, and Coupling Between Object Classes metric. The software metrics will be produced in the common metrics format that is used in SCOPE project

Distinguishing Carrot's Characteristics by Near Infrared (NIR) Reflectance and Multivariate Data Analysis

Rosana G. Moreira, Editor-in-Chief; Texas A&M UniversityThis is a paper from International Commission of Agricultural Engineering (CIGR, Commission Internationale du Genie Rural) E-Journal Volume 6 (2004): N. Abu-Khalaf, B. Bennedsen and G. Bjorn. Distinguishing Carrot's Characteristics by Near Infrared (NIR) Reflectance and Multivariate Data Analysis. (March 2004

Piperazine sulfonamides as DPP-IV inhibitors: Synthesis, induced-fit docking and in vitro biological evaluation

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic illness that needs persistent medical attention and continuous patient self-management to avoid acute complications. Dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV) inhibitors minimize glucagon and blood glucose levels by increasing the incretin levels, glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), leading to insulin secretion from pancreatic beta cells. In the present study, nine 1,4-bis(phenylsulfonyl) piperazine derivatives (1a-i) were synthesized and identified using 1H NMR, 13C NMR, MS and IR spectroscopies. These compounds were tested in vitro and showed inhibitory activity ranging from 11.2 to 22.6 % at 100 µmol L–1 concentration. Piperazine sulfonamide derivatives were found to be promising DPP-IV inhibitors, where the presence of electron-withdrawing groups such as Cl (1a-c) improved the activity of the compounds more than electron-donating groups such as CH3 (1d-f) at the same position. Additionally, meta-substitution is disfavored (1b, 1e, 1g). Induced-fit docking studies suggested that the targeted compounds 1a-i occupy the binding domain of DPP-IV and form H-bonding with the backbones of R125, E205, E206, F357, K554, W629, Y631, Y662 and R669