The Development of Color Based Visual Search Utility

During the past few years, much attention has been paid to manage the overwhelming accumulation of rich digital images. In order to improve the traditional text-based or (Structured-Query-Language) SQL-based databases, researches focused on accessing large image databases by the contents of images, such as colors, shapes, and textures. As a result, several content- based image searching systems or met hods were developed. In this thesis, the issue of color-based image search was addressed with special emphasis on color feature. An introduction to color perception, the theoretical foundations of the human image retrieving process, and the content-based image systems and their uses was presented. Several systems were developed. These systems modelled image data using features such as color, texture and shape. Such features are usually extracted from images and stored into database index. Color is one of the most recognisable features exercised by people for visual distinction. Based on observations on how humans measure the perceptual similarity of images, recent studies concluded that human beings have a limited color perception range. Expediting these conclusions, firstly, perceptual color palettes to be used as the perceptual threshold were defined. Secondly, the color algorithm was developed to interpret natural expressions of content such as 10%, 20%, etc. The database-indexing algorithm designed to be independent to the database. Finally, a binary search algorithm was used to match and display images requested. This approach is unique because it is based on hybrid approach to the color based image search. This developed system can be used for any real-world online database. The system was implemented using Microsoft Visual C++ programming language and HTML. Using 200 images as an experimental database, results of the prototype software demonstrated the achievement of the perceptual concept in image content search

Development of Technology Transfer Model with Enabling Performance Factors for the Libyan Petroleum Industry

Technology Transfer (TT) is increasingly being used on petroleum industry. The evaluation of TT significant indicators and their effect on TT performance for Libyan petroleum industry were investigated. The study main objective is to develop a TT model for the Libyan oil industry with performance factors. This study defined four categories of enabling factors that could have an effect on the TT process and its results for the petroleum industry: TT support, TT infrastructure, industry learning capability, and TT environment. The resultant TT performance and the relationship between enabling and performance factor give the level of TT performance to local petroleum industry through the TT process. Realizing the study objective would require requesting the petroleum industry input through questionnaire surveys in pilot, main studies, and validated by case studies. For the main study, 300 questionnaire surveys were distributed and 205 were collected, offering a response rate of 68 per cent. Statistical analysis techniques, including, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were used to examine the survey data. Analysis resulted in a TT model encompassing three TT enabling factors, namely, government support, host characteristics, technology learning capability, and the resultant performance factor named TT performance. The baseline formulation for standardization of TT measurement in the petroleum industry was undertaken using series of measurements. Case studies from three Libyan companies involved with foreign partners were applied to validate the standardization. The study provided evidence that the UK is the leading petroleum investor in Libyan petroleum industry. However, at TT performance perspective, German and Italian corporations have the leading edge on TT petroleum projects. TT model was created to help both researchers and practitioners to understand the TT process in petroleum industry. The model provided an evident design on main variables influenced TT issues. The structural model consisted of four factors and five paths, representing the interrelationships between the four enabling and one outcome factor. Positively, the research results empirically validated that factors referring to technology learning capability, technology characteristics, and technology support could be incorporated to evaluate the TT performance

Najzapadniji nalaz vrste Terapon jarbua (Forsskål, 1775.) u Sredozemnom moru: nova nezavičajna vrsta ribe u Libiji

The occurrence of the Indo-Pacific fish Terapon jarbua (Forsskål, 1775) is documented for the first time from Libya. This record represents the third and westernmost observation of the species in the Mediterranean Sea. Introduction pathway for this fish in Libyan waters and in the Mediterranean Sea in general is discussed.Nalaz indo-pacifičke vrste Terapon jarbua (Forsskål, 1775.) po prvi put je dokumentiran na području Libije. Ovaj nalaz predstavlja treće i najzapadnije opažanje ove vrste u Sredozemnom moru. U radu se raspravlja o razlozima pojavljivanja ove ribe u libijskim vodama i Sredozemnom moru općenito

The first record of Torquigener flavimaculosus (Tetraodontiformes: Tetraodontidae) from Libya

The yellow spotted puffer belongs to the Tetraodontidae family and is one of the seven non-native puffer fish found in Mediterranean Sea. The species is a Lessepsian immigrant, currently displaying an expansion towards the north and the west of the basin, similar to other lessepsian immigrant species. Hereby, we present the first record of the species from the Libyan water

New alien mediterranean biodiversity records (March 2020)

The current article presents 18 new records from seven Mediterranean countries. These records include one rhodophyte, four nudibranchs, two crustaceans, one stingray and 10 bony fishes. They are grouped by country as follows: Lebanon - first record of the Striped bass Morone saxatilis, the stingray Himantura leoparda, the Areolate grouper Epinephelusareolatusand theSpot-fin porcupinefish Diodon hystrix from various parts of the country; Turkey - first record of the invasive red alga Grateloupia turuturufrom the sea of Marmara (region of Bandırma), the sea slug Goniobranchus obsoletus and the crab Arcania brevifrons from the Gulf of Antalya and the cladoceran Pleopis schmackeri from several locations along the Aegean Sea; Cyprus - first record of the alien sea slug Berthellina citrina from the region of Cape Greco and an observation of a butterflyfishHeniochussp. from the north-eastern side of the island; Greece - first record of the alien sea slug Anteaeolidiella lurana from the region of Heraklion in Crete and the record of the Atlantic spadefish Chaetodipterus faber and the Black surgeonfish Acanthurus cfr gahhmfrom Salamina Island; Slovenia - first record of the alien sea slug Thecacera pennigera from Izola; Italy - first record of the hybrid Striped bass (Morone saxatilis × Morone chrysops) from the northern Tyrrhenian Sea and a first record of the goldfish Carassius auratus from the region of Apulia; Libya - first record of the Red Sea goatfish Parupeneus forsskali and the African surgeonfish Acanthurus monroviae, respectively from the eastern (Al-Tamimi area) and the western shore (Al-Khums area).University Research Board of the American University of Beirut. DDF 103367/23927 y AUB 513071TÜBİTAK (Consejo de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica de Turquía) 114Y238Programa de Investigación e innovación de Horizonte 2020 de la Unión Europea. 730984Ministero dell'Istruzione de Italia (MIUR)ImPrEco Project de la Unión Europea. Interreg ADRION Programme 2014–2020 CUP C69H1800025000

Establishment of CD4 and CD8 Lymphocyte subsets in a healthy HIV and Toxoplasma seronegative pregnant women in Libya

Most of the diagnostic laboratories in Libya often depend on western textbooks for CD4+- and CD8+ T-lymphocyte reference values. In this paper, we established reference ranges for the Libyan Toxoplasma, HIV, HBV, and HCV seronegative healthy pregnant women in all trimesters of pregnancy, and compared them with a control group of non-pregnant women. Whole-blood samples were collected to provide normal ranges for CD4+ and CD8+ Lymphocyte subsets expressed as mean ± standard division. A total of 110 Libyan women who came from Tripoli and Zwara districts were investigated; 70 pregnant women (aged 27.8 ± 2.99, range 18-40 years old) and 40 non-pregnant women (aged 22.7±3.01, range 18-40 years old) were included as controls. All cases/controls were seronegative for toxoplasmosis, HIV, HBV and HCV. The CD4+ cell counts were 685±256 cell/μl at the first trimester (T1), 740±202 at T2, and 923±203 cell/μl at T3. While the CD8+ cell counts were 451±171 cell/μl at T1, 541±168 at T2, and 753±190 cell/μl at T3. The CD4:CD8 ratios were 1.5±0.64 at T1, 1.4±0.51 at T2, and 1.2±0.36 at T3. Moreover, the mean absolute CD4+ and CD8+ counts for the control group were 1001±232 cell/μl and 717±159 cell/μl respectively. Absolute counts of CD4+ and CD8+ cells in pregnant women were significantly lower as compared to controls (P0.05). The absolute CD4+ and CD8+ cell counts decreased with age for both groups. Geographical variation was reported for the cell counts between Tripoli and Zwara district at T3. We established reference ranges of CD4+ and CD8+ T-lymphocytes for the Libyan healthy pregnant women and discussed their use as prognostic markers. Further cohorts with greater sample size may be required to define the stage of the disease in relation to the normal CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocyte count subsets in the Libyan population

The first record of the pharaoh cardinal fish, Apogonichthyoides pharaonis (Actinopterygii : Perciformes : Apogonidae), from Libyan waters

The occurrence of the pharaoh cardinalfish, Apogonichthyoides pharaonis (Bellotti, 1874), is documented for the first time from the Libyan waters, after two subsequent findings reported in September and November 2020 in the far eastern region of the country. The location of these findings represents the westernmost area of distribution in the southern Mediterranean for this species, which has the western Indian Ocean and Red Sea origin and which entered into the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal.peer-reviewe

First record of Naso annulatus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825) and further records of Scatophagus argus (Linnaeus, 1766) and Charybdis (Charybdis) natator (Herbst, 1794) in the Mediterranean Sea

Here, we report the recent capture (October, November 2021) of the following three non-indigenous species (NIS) from the Indo-Pacific in the Mediterranean Sea: the fishes Naso annulatus and Scatophagus argus and the brachyuran Charybdis (Charybdis) natator. The record of the white margin unicorn fish N. annulatus from the island of Malta represents the first for this species from the basin. Both the spotted scat S. argus and the ridged swimming crab C. natator were found in Egyptian waters, in localities significantly far from ones previously reported. Possible vectors of introduction for these three NIS to the Mediterranean locations in question include Lessepsian migration, ship-mediated transport, aquarium release, and are briefly discussed.peer-reviewe

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in sheep from Libya

Toxoplasmosis is a worldwide contagious disease of humans and other warm-blooded animals including birds caused by coccidian parasite Toxoplasma gondii. This survey was carried out to show the prevalence of antibodies of T. gondiiin sheep by latex agglutination test (LAT) in different geographical areas in Libya (western area, central area, eastern area, and southern area). The results of this survey are showed that the overall seroprevalence of antibody of Toxoplasma is 71%. There was significant differences in infection to Toxoplasma gondii in the age group of sheep (P = 0.00). The prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma antibody in sheep in the <1 years old was higher than >1 years old sheep. The results showed that there was a significant relation between the seropositivity and presence of abortion in sheep (P = 0.000). Also a significant differences was observed between rate of infection and management system (Extensive and Intensive) of sheep (P =0.022). In total the results of this study together with the previously recorded show high seroprevalence in sheep in Libya and other countries support the impression that Toxoplasmosis is widespread cause for abortion and a latent infection in sheep. Furthermore sheep are suitable host for Toxoplasma gondii. Copy Right, IJAR, 2013,. All rights reserved. Introduction Toxoplasmosis is a worldwide contagious disease of humans and other warm-blooded animals including birds. Clinically it is manifested chiefly by abortion and stillbirths in ewes, and in all species by encephalitis, pneumonia and neonatal mortality Infection by the protozoan parasite T. gondii is widely prevalent in sheep throughout the world. Clinically, ovine toxoplasmosis does not cause any symptoms, but in non-immune ewes an infection acquired during pregnancy may spread to the placenta and fetus and cause abortion, stillbirth or delivery of weak, infected lambs. In nonpregnant ewes the parasites develop cysts containing dormant organisms in the central nervous system and muscle. These cysts could transmit the disease to humans by ingestion of raw or undercooked meat containing tissue cysts (Marca et al., 1996). The seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in sheep has been reported in several parts around the world. The prevalence rates have been varied among countries and diagnostic methods from 25% to 65% The only documented study on T. gondii seroprevalence in sheep in Libya was in Tripoli (EL-Gomatiet al., 2008) who reported seroprevavlence rates of 40.71 % in adult in Tripoli-Libya, using the Latex agglutination test. The purpose of the present study was to determine the prevalence of T. gondii infection in adult sheep from different agro-ecological zones (Natural regions) of Libya. ISSN 2320-5407 International Journal of Advanced Research (2013) , Volume 1, Issue 9, 148-154 149 Material and Methods We divided Libya into four geographical areas (western area, central area, eastern area, and southern area).A total of 5806 blood samples were obtained from the jugular vein of sheep. These samples were collected randomly from four different geographical areas. The blood samples were collected by veterinarians and veterinary assistants in tubes without anticoagulant directly from the jugular. The samples were transported to the research laboratory in (Libyan National Center for Diseases Control) LNCDC as soon as possible in an ice keeper tanks. Upon arrival, the sera were separated into micro tubes after centrifugation at 4000 rpm for 10 min. Then the micro tubes were stored at -20˚C until analysis. The sera obtained were screened for anti-T. gondii antibodies using the Latex agglutination test (Toxocell Latex, Biokit, Spain). Data analysis was performed with computer software SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science), version 15. SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL).Statistical significance was taken at P-value of ≤ 0.05. Result Seropositivity according to blood samples collection area

First reports of the Sohal surgeonfish, Acanthurus sohal (Forsskål, 1775) (Actinopterygii, Acanthuridae), and the Violet-eyed swimming crab, Carupa tenuipes Dana, 1852 (Decapoda, Brachyura, Portunidae), from North African waters

On March 25, 2022, one specimen of the Sohal surgeonfish Acanthurus sohal and one of the Violet-eyed swimming crab Carupa tenuipes were collected for the first time off the north coastline of Egypt and Libya, respectively. The native range of both species includes the Red Sea, and here, they are reported for the first time from the southern Mediterranean Sea. The second record of the Lessepsian migrant Pteragogus trispilus from Libyan waters, also caught on March 25, 2022, is furthermore included.peer-reviewe