Distributed and adaptive location identification system for mobile devices

Indoor location identification and navigation need to be as simple, seamless, and ubiquitous as its outdoor GPS-based counterpart is. It would be of great convenience to the mobile user to be able to continue navigating seamlessly as he or she moves from a GPS-clear outdoor environment into an indoor environment or a GPS-obstructed outdoor environment such as a tunnel or forest. Existing infrastructure-based indoor localization systems lack such capability, on top of potentially facing several critical technical challenges such as increased cost of installation, centralization, lack of reliability, poor localization accuracy, poor adaptation to the dynamics of the surrounding environment, latency, system-level and computational complexities, repetitive labor-intensive parameter tuning, and user privacy. To this end, this paper presents a novel mechanism with the potential to overcome most (if not all) of the abovementioned challenges. The proposed mechanism is simple, distributed, adaptive, collaborative, and cost-effective. Based on the proposed algorithm, a mobile blind device can potentially utilize, as GPS-like reference nodes, either in-range location-aware compatible mobile devices or preinstalled low-cost infrastructure-less location-aware beacon nodes. The proposed approach is model-based and calibration-free that uses the received signal strength to periodically and collaboratively measure and update the radio frequency characteristics of the operating environment to estimate the distances to the reference nodes. Trilateration is then used by the blind device to identify its own location, similar to that used in the GPS-based system. Simulation and empirical testing ascertained that the proposed approach can potentially be the core of future indoor and GPS-obstructed environments

Projection of skilled Labor Requirements in the UAE 2011-2025

The aim of this research is to shed some light on the expected future path of economic growth in the country in relation to the planned development and to assess the needs for skilled workers to achieve this. According to our models and assumptions, it is expected that the level of real GDP in 2025 will be between 1,300 and 1,540 billion AED. This refers to an average real economic growth of around 5% annually between 2011 and 2025. Currently, only around 19.8 of expatriate workers are skilled, while 70.9% of Emirati workers are considered to be skilled using our definition of skilled workers. Therefore, in total, less than 20% of all workers in the UAE are skilled

The Effects of New labor Decrees on the Labor Market in the UAE

The new labor decrees issued recently by the Ministry of Labor represent a quantum leap in dealing with private sector companies, as they emphasize the costs to the offending companies and encourage Emiratization and recruitment of more skilled labor, in addition to the establishment of minimum wages that apply to skilled labor under certain conditions. It is necessary to consider the impact of these labor decrees on labor market conditions because labor market conditions have essential effects on efforts of decision makers in the country to move the economy from its current status, which depends on the activities of a labor-intensive, to knowledge-based economy that depends on highly skilled labor and advanced technology

The Cost of Foreign Labor in the United Arab Emirates

The aims of this study are to estimate and analyze the labor cost and its distribution in the UAE and to decompose it to direct cost to firms (e.g., wages, non-wage benefits, recruitment costs, labor fees, insurance, end of services) and indirect costs (e.g., energy subsidies, use of public services and infrastructure, security and social risks, etc). Those costs are compared to and linked to productivity estimates of foreign workers to draw analysis of the impacts of these costs on several labor market issues and on the ability of the UAE economy to compete in international markets

The Role of Manufacturing in Promoting Sustainable Economic Growth in the GCC

Over the past decade, manufacturing levels and manufacturing shares of non-oil GDP were growing in the GCC economies. However, this paper shows that the importance of manufacturing or non-oil GDP in general was declining relative to the oil sectors in these countries. This paper also shows that manufacturing is strongly linked to non-oil economic growth in the GCC over the long run, in a way that income and population are both important to stimulate manufacturing in the GCC, especially income. In the short run, manufacturing in the GCC countries has no significant effects on stimulating the growth levels of real non-oil GDP and that government spending might not be effective in terms of deriving the growth of non-oil GDP or stimulating diversification efforts in the GCC countries over the sample period

One of the components of Time in ‎the Holy Qur’an (the Month): A ‎Rhetorical (Applied) study

this investigates the use of month shahr through the quracic text concentration on ‎the following issues:‎‎1-‎Including and aomission of the word Month ‎‎2-Definite and indefinite forms of this word. ‎‎3-singular, dual and plural forms of this word.‎‎ 4-Defining and specification of the word shahr or month.‎ It has been clear that month , as time unit in the holy quran, can be found in (21) ‎positions.‎ It is definite in (13) positions, Indefinite in (8) positions singular in (12) positions, dual in ‎‎(2) positions and plural in (7) positions,‎ It is strongly obvious that this time unit (month( was used in many important issues. In ‎such issues time is very important. month was medium time unit between the day ‎and the week and the year, these issues are: ‎‎1-‎ Religious observances performed during definite time periods like fasting of ‎ramadan and performing hajj (pilgrimage)‎‎2- Regulations which depend on time like expiations “idah prescribed ‎period for women.‎‎3-The sacred months and regulations related to them. ‎‎4-Othor general issues.‎ In this study, I followed the analytical method which based on exposing the lexical ‎meaning of andy word in the context, it is also clear that the formula differs according ‎to the position of the word and its meaning, one formula like the plural of the word month has more than one shape ‎‎(the plural of puacity and the plural of multitude) every from has its own lexical ‎meaning.‎ The phenomenon of including what to be omitted is prominent and has its own secrets ‎which the situation require

Elemental Distributions in Marine Sediments in the Straits of Melaka Using Neutron Activation and Mass Spectroscopic Analyses

The horizontal and vertical distributions of concentrations of major, minor, and trace elements from the grap and core marine sediment samples along the West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia were investigated. All together there are 35 elements including the following 27 elements namely Al, As, Br, Ca, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Eu, Fe, Hf, K, La, Lu, Mg, Mn, Na, Rb, Sb, Sc, Sm, Ta, Th, U, V, Yb, and Zn were studied by using Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) and the following 8 elements namely Cd, Cu, Mo, Pb, Ni, Sr, Ba, and Ti were studied by using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectroscopy (ICP-MS) technique. The obtained elemental concentrations were evaluated by various methods including by comparing the concentrations to that of the mean crustal materials and average shales, the national studies, and the international guidelines for marine sediments of Canada, Netherlands and USA-New York State. The enrichment factor method was used to determine whether the elements belong to anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic sources. In addition, different statistical analysis methods including the linear regression analysis and the cluster analysis were used to determine the correlation of concentrations between the measured elements. To ensure the accuracy and precision of the generated data, proper quality control and quality assurance procedures have been incorporated in the INAA analysis including ‘blank’, duplicate sample analysis, application of certified reference materials, and quantification using K0-NAA procedure. The data generated using ICP-MS were subject to the same quality control and quality assurance procedures as the INAA analysis without K0-NAA procedure. For the horizontal elemental distributions the grab sediment samples were used. The non-anthropogenic elements identified by the enrichment factor calculation were Al, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, Rb, Sr, Ta, Ti, V, and Zn. The concentrations of Al, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, K, Mn, Mo, Ni, Sr, Ta, Ti, V, and Zn are lower than those of the average shales and the mean crustal materials. This may be due to high solubility of these elements in the tropical weathering. The concentrations of Ca, Mg and Na are lower than the mean crustal materials but higher than the average shales. The concentration of Rb is slightly greater than that of the mean crustal materials but lower than the average shales. Also, this may be due to high solubility of Ca, Mg, Na, and Rb in the tropical weathering. The anthropogenic elements in the grab sediment samples were As, Br, Cs, Fe, Hf, Pb, Sb, Th, and U. The concentrations of As, Br, Cs, Hf, Pb, and Sb are greater than those of the mean crustal materials. This indicates that there were external inputs of anthropogenic sources such as industrial and mining activities at the inland area along the Straits of Melaka. The concentration of Pb is approximately twice of the average shales and three times than the mean crustal materials. Higher concentration of Pb in the grab sediment samples may be due to industrial activities such as manufacture of batteries and automotive emissions from cities along the rivers flowing into the Straits of Melaka. For the vertical elemental distributions the core sediment samples were used. The non-anthropogenic elements Al, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, Rb, Sr, Ta, Ti, V, and Zn in the core sediment samples are lower than the concentrations of the mean crustal materials and average shales. The anthropogenic elements in the core sediment samples were As, Br, Ca, Cs, Hf, Pb, Sb, Th, and U, where the concentrations of Br, Ca, Cs, Hf, Th, and U are greater than the concentrations of the mean crustal materials and average shales. This indicates that there were external inputs of anthropogenic sources such as industrial and mining activities at the inland area along the Straits of Melaka. The concentration of Pb is greater than the concentration of the mean crustal materials but lower than the average shales. For toxic elements such as As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, and Zn the mean concentrations are either lower than or equal to the mean concentrations for the Straits of Johor and the Penang Island. Moreover, the mean concentrations of most elements were found lower than the international guidelines for marine sediments from Canada, Netherland and USA-New York State, except for the concentrations of Cr and Ni, which are greater than the international guidelines. The depth profile of As/Al, Cd/Al, Cr/Al, Cu/Al, Fe/Al, Mn/Al, Sb/Al, and U/Al of the core sediment samples normalized to aluminum metal revealed the general trends that the concentration level in the upper layer is higher than the bottom layer. The explanation for the higher concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Sb, and U in the upper layers may be due to the lower oxygen level in an anoxic sediment which caused digenesis process in which the multi-oxidations state in those elements tend to be higher for concentration level at the surface sediment layer. This indicates that the core marine sediments in the Straits of Melaka are having enough oxygen level and remain healthy for marine ecosystem

DWT-Based Data Hiding Technique for Videos Ownership Protection

This chapter proposes a wavelet data hiding scheme for video authentication and ownership protection. A watermark in the shape of a logo image will be hidden. In this research, a discrete wavelet transform (DWT) process is implemented using orthonormal filter banks, where the Y components of the YUV color space of the video frames are decomposed using DWT, and a watermark is inserted in one or more of the resulting sub-bands in a way that is fully controlled by the owner. Then, the watermarked video is reconstructed. The filters used for the DWT decompositions are randomly generated to increase the security of the algorithm. An enhanced detection technique is developed to increase the reliability of the system. The overall robustness of this scheme is measured when common attacks are applied to the test videos. Moreover, the proposed algorithm is used with the high-efficiency video coding (HEVC) technique to examine the whole performance. Furthermore, a selective denoising filter is built to eliminate the effect of the noise. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm achieves well under both the visual and the metric tests. Moreover, it performed well against intentional and unintentional attacks. The average normalized correlation achieved is 97%, while the mean peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) is 45 dB