Studying and Analysing Transactional Memory Using Interval Temporal Logic and AnaTempura

Transactional memory (TM) is a promising lock-free synchronisation technique which offers a high-level abstract parallel programming model for future chip multiprocessor (CMP) systems. Moreover, it adapts the well-established popular paradigm of transactions and thus provides a general and flexible way to allow programs to read and modify disparate memory locations atomically as a single operation. In this thesis, we propose a general framework for validating a TM design, starting from a formal specification into a hardware implementation, with its underpinning theory and refinement. A methodology in this work starts with a high-level and executable specification model for an abstract TM with verification for various correctness conditions of concurrent transactions. This model is constructed within a flexible transition framework that allows verifying correctness of a TM system with animation. Then, we present a formal executable specification for a chip-dual single-cycle MIPS processor with a cache coherence protocol and integrate the provable TM system. Finally, we transform the dual processors with the TM from a high-level description into a Hardware Description Language (VHDL), using some proposed refinement and restriction rules. Interval Temporal Logic (ITL) and its programming language subset AnaTempura are used to build, execute and test the model, since they together provide a powerful framework supporting logical reasoning about time intervals as well as programming and simulation

Mathematical modeling for partial object detection.

From a computer vision point of view, the image is a scene consisting of objects of interest and a background represented by everything else in the image. The relations and interactions among these objects are the key factors for scene understanding. In this dissertation, a mathematical model is designed for the detection of partially occluded faces captured in unconstrained real life conditions. The proposed model novelty comes from explicitly considering certain objects that are common to occlude faces and embedding them in the face model. This enables the detection of faces in difficult settings and provides more information to subsequent analysis in addition to the bounding box of the face. In the proposed Selective Part Models (SPM), the face is modelled as a collection of parts that can be selected from the visible regular facial parts and some of the occluding objects which commonly interact with faces such as sunglasses, caps, hands, shoulders, and other faces. With the face detection being the first step in the face recognition pipeline, the proposed model does not only detect partially occluded faces efficiently but it also suggests the occluded parts to be excluded from the subsequent recognition step. The model was tested on several recent face detection databases and benchmarks and achieved state of the art performance. In addition, detailed analysis for the performance with respect to different types of occlusion were provided. Moreover, a new database was collected for evaluating face detectors focusing on the partial occlusion problem. This dissertation highlights the importance of explicitly handling the partial occlusion problem in face detection and shows its efficiency in enhancing both the face detection performance and the subsequent recognition performance of partially occluded faces. The broader impact of the proposed detector exceeds the common security applications by using it for human robot interaction. The humanoid robot Nao is used to help in teaching children with autism and the proposed detector is used to achieve natural interaction between the robot and the children by detecting their faces which can be used for recognition or more interestingly for adaptive interaction by analyzing their expressions

Antihypertensive and hematological effects of Tribulus terrestris Aqueous Extract

The effect of 100 and 50 mg/kg body weight Tribulus terrestris aqueous extract at on the cardiovascular system of rats was studied. Initial heart rate of 160, systolic100 & diastolic 40was considered as normal pressure.. One minute after extract administration the blood pressure and heart rate of rats were raised. The rats\u27 blood pressure continued in a remarkable increasing manner reaching a 180 systolic, 150 diastolic mm/Hg and the heart rate beat were 200, no mortality was observed. Perfusion pressure was raised with the aqueous extract administration then reduced to the normal level after 90 minutes. It was concluded that aqueous extracts of Tribulus terrestris possess significant hypotensive activity in hypertensive rats. The hypotensive effects of Tribulus terrestris appeared may be due to the direct arterial smooth muscle contraction and membrane hypo polarization. These results suggested the curative effect of T. terrestris aqueous extract on hypertensive animals

An investigation into the current utilisation and prospective of renewable energy resources and technologies in Libya

With the increase in energy demand and the international drive to reduce carbon emission from fossil fuel, there has been a drive in many oil-rich countries to diversify their energy portfolio and resources. Libya is currently interested in utilising its renewable energy resources in order to reduce the financial and energy dependency on oil reserves. This paper investigates the current utilisation and the future of renewable energy in Libya. Interviews have been conducted with managers, consultants and decision makers from different government organisations including energy policy makers, energy generation companies and major energy consumers. The results indicate that Libya is rich in renewable energy resources but in urgent need of a more comprehensive energy strategy and detailed implementation including reasonable financial and educational investment in the renewable energy sector

Individual choice of management research agendas: ethical guidance from Islamic prioritization heuristics

Purpose: The main research attempts guiding questions about management research agendas had been relevance questions versus rigor questions. Researchers have also attempted to set management research agendas in particular sectors. No research, however, has addressed the infrastructural and foundational questions of what moral priorities and ethical principles should guide the future development of management research. Since the Islamic theological approach is a “transcendental values integration” approach, it presents a viable source of reference particularly for scholars interested in ethical philosophical paradigmatic approaches. Islamic literature has presented guiding principles as to how to balance priorities through the Jurisprudence of Priorities (Fiqh Al-Awlawiyyat). The aim of this conceptual paper is to synchronize the Islamic background literature on jurisprudence of priorities with management research development and agendas. The research is exploratory in nature. Design/Methodology/Approach: The paper is conceptual merging Islamic literature with management research for the development of a framework to guide management researchers in prioritizing their research agendas. Findings: The research resulted in the conceptualization of a framework aiding researchers in the prioritization of their research agendas. Originality/value: Our paper addresses the unique and foundational question of what moral priorities and ethical principles should guide the future development of management research. We build on a religious philosophical approach, drawing on the Islamic jurisprudence of priorities as a literature base. We, therefore, address the key principles of responsible research regarding how it can be relevant on the infrastructural level to society, and how the benefit to key stakeholders should be tackled. This was not done in previous literature

Role of intraoperative arthrogram in decision making of closed versus medial open reduction of developmental hip dysplasia

Background: Hip arthrography in developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) has the advantages of viewing the shape and size of the cartilaginous part of both the femoral head and acetabulum, besides the soft tissue obstacles. The aim of the work was to assess the role of arthrogram in evaluation of closed reduction of developmental dysplasia of the hip.Methods: This prospective study included 30 patients with 36 involved hips who presented with DDH. This study included 7 males (23.3%) and 23 females (76.7%). There were 6 patients with bilateral hip involvement (20.0%) and 24 patients with unilateral involvement (80.0%). In this study we used 3 ml Urografin 76% diluted in 7 ml saline and 3 to 5 ml of diluted Urografin was injected into the hip joint.Results: Out of the 36 hips, closed reduction was successful in 33 hips (91.7%) and failed in 3 (8.3%). After the interpretation of the arthrogram we considered the reduction of 7 (21.2%) reduced hips nonconcentric because of the soft tissue obstacles. In the 7 hips with nonconcentric reduction besides the 3 hips with failed closed reduction, we proceeded to open reduction of the hip through medial approach. At the end of follow up, all hips (100%) showed concentric reduction without re-dislocation in any case.Conclusions: Hip arthrogram is a very reliable method in diagnosing hip concentricity and the presence of soft tissue obstacles in management of DDH by closed reduction. Arthrogram helps the operator to decide open reduction in such cases achieving excellent results in all cases

Joint lot sizing and scheduling of a multi-product multi-period supply chain

The joint lot sizing and scheduling problem can be considered as an evolvement of the joint economic lot size problem which has drawn researchers’ interests for decades. The objective of this paper is to find the effect of a capacitated multi-period supply chain design parameters on joint lot sizing and scheduling decisions for different holding and penalty costs. The supply chain deals with two raw materials suppliers. The production facility produces two products which are shipped to customers through distribution centers. A mathematical model is developed to determine optimum quantities of purchased raw materials, production schedule (MPS), delivered quantities and raw material and products inventory for predetermined number of periods. The model is solved to maximize total supply chain profits. Results showed that at high capacity and low holding cost, the supply chain tends to produce only one product each period, for limited capacity and high value of holding cost, the supply chain may produce the two products together each period

Ankle reconstruction in type II fibular hemimelia

Ankle reconstruction prior to limb lengthening for was performed in 13 patients with fibular hemimelia with complete radiological absence of the fibula (type II). There were different degrees of absence of metatarsal rays. The hindfoot deformity was a heel valgus in 12 patients and equinovarus in 1 patient. The patients’ ages ranged from 9 to 26 months. Excision of the fibular anlage was performed with lateral subtalar and ankle soft tissue releases to restore the ankle and subtalar joint relationships. In all cases, the fibular anlage ended distally in a cartilaginous lateral malleolar remnant that was fused to the talus in two patients. This fibular remnant was advanced distally and fixed to the tibia with 2 Kirschner wires to recreate an ankle mortise. The period of follow-up ranged from 12 to 38 months. All patients had a stable ankle without tendency to valgus deformity or subluxation. The ankle range of movement was a mean of 27.3° plantarflexion (25–30) and 18° dorsiflexion (15–20). Reconstruction of the ankle in type II fibular hemimelia using advancement of the cartilaginous lateral malleolar remnant has produced encouraging results in the short-term but longer follow-up is needed

Exploring the English Language Teachers’ Attitudes Towards the Use of Pedagogical Dictionaries in their Classes (Sudanese Perspective)

The dictionary should always be present in language education. It is the tool with which EFL teachers can effectively perform teaching tasks in their classes. Good teachers should take on the habit of consulting their dictionaries to assimilate the lexical, syntactical, phonological, morphological, etymological and more other features of one word or expression that a good dictionary can provide. This paper is investigating the attitudes of English language teachers in the use of this important teaching aid. It is an additional viewpoint from EL teachers in four Sudanese State Universities on the use of dictionary in their classes. The findings of this research might be of significance to other researchers, teachers, language learners and textbook designers; and the results may be applicable in many similar EFL environments round the globe.