Air-Assisted Communications Using Line-of-Sight Links

Recently, there has been a rapid increase in the use of air-assisted communications involv-ing the use of airborne platforms such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). In air-assistednetworks, the UAVs can act like base stations in a traditional cellular network as long as anappropriate backhaul is available. Alternatively, the UAVs could serve as relays, for instance,connecting two ground-based users who are within range of the UAV. UAVs have the benefitof being deployed and reconfigured rapidly and on demand.Meanwhile, there has been a trend towards the use of higher and higher frequencies,including those in millimeter-wave and terahertz bands or even free-space optical communi-cations. Such bands have the benefits of large available bandwidths, relatively little inter-ference, and enhanced security due to spatial isolation. However, such bands are also proneto blocking in the environment, with even relatively small obstacles causing the signal tobe blocked and the link unable to be closed. For such systems, successful communicationrequires a reliable line-of-sight (LoS) link.When using LoS based communications, air-assisted communications is a good solutionbecause the UAVs can be deployed sufficiently high that the ground user will likely have aline of sight or can be maneuvered to create LoS links as needed. This thesis explores theuse of air-assisted communications in cluttered environments with randomized obstructionsthat may block the LoS between the ground user and the air platform. The key challengeis identifying blockages that are taller than a position-dependent critical height that couldblock the LoS of the ground-to-air link. The approach taken is to leverage tools from stochas-tic geometry in general, and Poisson point processes in particular, to derive a closed-formanalytical expression for the probability of obtaining a LoS path in certain environmentscharacterized as Poisson forests. An inhomogeneous Poisson point Process is used to ac-count for the distance-dependence of the critical height, and the LoS probability is the voidprobability of this process. The UAV is assumed to be located at a fixed height, and itshorizontal distance to the ground user could either be fixed or random. Results are verifiedthrough simulation

Perceptions of the effectiveness of Kuwait’s strategic education planning policy and processes

Education planning is considered a vital factor in the success of any education system. For educational organisations such as the Ministry of Education (MoE) in Kuwait, strategic planning is very crucial for the achievement of the educational goals that reflect the aspirations of Kuwait’s community, such as preparing graduates to help develop their countries. However, there is a need to build a strategic education plan that integrates the goals and objectives from the educational field, as well as from society. The main purpose of this research is to explore the current strategic education plan in Kuwait in terms of the issues that may arise from the policies that control the strategic education plan’s formulation and implementation. This research adopted a mixed methods approach for data collection, which was conducted in three phases. The first phase depended on exploratory interviews to investigate the nature of the current policy that controls the education system in Kuwait. In addition, the exploratory study aimed to identify issues (if any) result from policies that control strategic education plan’s formulation and implementation. The second phase employed a questionnaire that explored research participants’ perceptions regarding the issues that were identified by the exploratory study. The third phase depended on in-depth interviews to investigate the characteristics of the centralisation policy in the education system. This phase aimed to further investigate the interviewees’ perceptions regarding the issues that had been identified in the first phase. The third phase also sought to investigate how the MoE’s policies might underlie these issues, and they may act strengths or weaknesses in the strategic education plan. The research sample of the three phases consisted of leaders from the three managerial tiers of the Kuwaiti education system (MoE officials, district leaders, and school leaders). The MoE leaders are those who chair different departments within the ministry. The district leaders are those who chair different departments within six education districts in Kuwait. The school leaders consist of head teachers, deputy heads, and department heads. The first phase involved 12 interviewees, the second phase involved 188 participants, and the third phase involved 22 interviewees. The research findings identified the current policy that controls the education system in Kuwait. The findings indicated that the centralisation in education system is extreme, and that the MoE is the ultimate decision maker. The MoE adopts the tenets of centralisation in order to control resource allocation, curriculum planning, in-service programmes for teachers and staff, pupils’ assessments, and educational planning. My research identified seven issues associated with strategic education planning in Kuwait, which are all affected by the centralisation policy, as follows: 1. Efficiency and effectiveness of the strategic plan 2. Comprehensiveness of the strategic plan 3. Implementability 4. Collaborativeness and participativeness 5. Communicative capacity 6. Bureaucratisation 7. Work environment These seven issues are seen as the problems that have resulted from the centralised nature of the strategic plan that affected the education system’s outcome. For each issue, the research results identified a number of reasons as to why these issues can be viewed as weaknesses of the centralised strategic plan. Thus, the research found that the centralisation policy, which is embedded in both the formulation and the implementation of the strategic plan, is an obstacle to the strategic plan’s effectiveness. Additionally, the research identified a relationship between the weaknesses of the strategic plan itself, and the MoE officials’ practices as the ultimate decision makers. Finally, the research concluded that the implementers of the strategic plan tend to participate in decision-making; however, they should exercise a certain degree of autonomy within their workplace in order to identify the best ways through which to achieve the goals of the strategic plan

Trends in glycemic, blood pressure, and lipid control in adults with diabetes in Switzerland: the CoLaus|PsyCoLaus Study.

To assess the 15-year trends in the level of glycemic, blood pressure, and cholesterol control in adults with diabetes in a Swiss population-based cohort. CoLaus|PsyCoLaus is a prospective cohort study of 6733 adults aged 35-75 years in Lausanne, Switzerland. Baseline recruitment was conducted in 2003-6 and was followed by three subsequent follow-ups in 2009-12, 2014-17 and 2018-21. In adults with diabetes, glycemic control was defined as fasting plasma glucose <7 mmol/L, blood pressure control as systolic and diastolic pressures of <140/90 mm Hg, and lipid control as non-high-density lipoprotein (non-HDL) cholesterol control <3.4 mmol/L. Rates of glycemic control improved from 23.2% (95% CI 19.5 to 27.3) in 2003-6 to 32.8% (95% CI 28.1 to 37.8) in 2018-21. Blood pressure control also improved, from 51.5% at baseline (95% CI 46.8 to 56.2) to 63.3% (95% CI 58.2 to 68.1) 15 years later. The largest improvement was in cholesterol control, from 29.1% (95% CI 25.1 to 33.6) in 2003-6 to 56.3% (95% CI 51.1 to 61.4) in 2018-21. Overall, simultaneous control of all three improved from 5.5% (95% CI 3.7 to 8.1) at baseline to 17.2% (95% CI 13.7 to 21.5) 15 years later. Improvements in risk factor control tallied with an increase in the use of glucose-lowering agents, blood pressure-lowering medication, and statins. Men were less likely to achieve blood pressure control but presented with a better control of non-HDL cholesterol. Caucasians were less likely to achieve simultaneous control than non-Caucasians. Cardiovascular risk factor control in adults with diabetes in Switzerland has increased in the last 15 years, but there remains a margin for improvement

Islamic ceramic ornamentation and process: proposals for a new aesthetic vocabulary in contemporary architectural embellishment within kuwait

Islamic architecture is arguably one of the greatest manifestations of Islamic visual culture. One of the defining aspects of the unique, aesthetic richness of traditional Islamic architecture has been the application of ceramic ornamentation or embellishment. There is a growing concern, however, that this legacy is being eroded. The diminishing identity of Islamic visual culture is particularly evident through current architectural developments occurring in the Arab states. The building revolution in the Gulf countries has dramatically increased momentum since the onset of the ‗oil economy‘, echoing the phenomena of globalization. This research project explores these concerns, discussing the erosion of Islamic ‗identity‘ within contemporary architecture in the Gulf States and in particularly Kuwait, as well as the ensuing decline in the use of ceramics as a defining embellishment material. The research compares the aesthetics of traditional and contemporary Islamic architectural design, whilst also examining the reasons behind this erosion in traditional design style. The diminishing identity of Islamic visual culture is investigated by combining studies in the fields of art, aesthetics, design, architecture, and the social sciences, in order to understand the nature of the research problem. A series of case-studies demonstrates how ceramics may be used to re-introduce a sense of Islamic identity within contemporary architecture. This offers design proposals, new materials and technical processes that acknowledge the rich traditions of Islamic Ceramics while also being appropriate for application within the context of contemporary Islamic architecture detailing; blending contemporary aesthetics and technical thinking with traditional Islamic design. The aim of the case-studies is to offer proposals for a new aesthetic vocabulary of architectural embellishment that is both appropriate to and innovative within, the context of contemporary Islamic architecture. This new aesthetic vocabulary III specifically blends contemporary design principals, new materials and technical processes, whilst acknowledging the rich traditions of Islamic ceramics. The PhD project, applies two types of research methodology: theoretical research and practice-based research. The former focused on social sciences and applied quantitative and qualitative research approaches, including surveys and interviews undertaken within Kuwait. The findings obtained from these surveys verified the emergence of a new cultural style of contemporary architecture and shaped the practice-based element of the project; proposals for ceramic embellishment that are contemporary, while still reflecting many recognizable aspects of traditional Islamic design. The new architectural style can be attributed to factors such as globalization, the adoption of international building styles, and a seeming unwillingness to incorporate traditional styles into new building design, all of which contribute to the currently weak identity of Arabic / Islamic ceramics within Kuwait. Despite of this, the survey revealed that Kuwaiti society maintains a strong relationship and affiliation with Islamic culture, although many seemed unaware of their own rich culture and its past legacy. The practice-based research involved two distinct phases. The first phase involved the development of a large number (172) of new glazes. The glazes were intended to reflect the palette of colours used over generations of Islamic Ceramic culture, while still being appropriate for integration within the contemporary Islamic architectural environment. The second phase of practice involved a series of case studies, embracing a wide range of contemporary architectural ceramic design processes (including 2 and 3 Dimensional geometrical patterns and interpretations of contemporary calligraphic design). The case studies utilised a number of modern technologies, such as 3D Solid modelling, CNC Rapid Prototyping and Laser-cutting, to prove that modern design and manufacturing technologies can be integrated within traditional ceramic processes. The aim being to both provide ceramic products that architects and designers can use to enhance the modern IV architectural environment of Kuwait and re-establish the creative status of ceramics

Model-Driven Engineering for Analysing, Modelling and Comparing Cloud Computing Service Level Agreements

In cloud computing, service level agreements (SLAs) are critical, and underpin a pay- per-consumption business model. Different cloud providers offer different services (of different qualities) on demand, and their pre-defined SLAs are used both to advertise services and to define contracts with consumers. However, different providers express their SLAs using their own vocabularies, typically defined in terms of their own tech- nologies and unique selling points. This can make it difficult for consumers to compare cloud SLAs systematically and precisely. We propose a modelling framework that pro- vides mechanisms that can be used systematically and semi-automatically to model and compare cloud SLAs and consumer requirements. Using MDE principles and tools, we propose a metamodel for cloud provider SLAs and cloud consumer requirements, and thereafter demonstrate how to use model comparison technology for automating differ- ent matching processes, thus helping consumers to choose between different providers. We also demonstrate how the matching process can be interactively configured to take into account consumer preferences, via weighting models. The resulting framework can thus be used to better automate high-level consumer interactions with disparate cloud computing technology platforms

A systematic review of associations between environmental exposures and development of asthma in children aged up to 9 years

Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Proposed Composite Location ID Code Needed for Asset management of Electric Distribution Networks

The absence of as built GIS map for lowvoltage ( LV ) electric network due to a very limited freezeperiod compared with the case of medium voltage (MV)electric network ,accordingly the location ID needed forasset management cannot be expressed purely spatial butthe LV network topology should be incorporated with thespatial location ID of the related topologically MVnetwork. As the LV network topology has a standarddata model and generic naming conventions , accordinglythe needed topological code can be created directly foreach LV network elements and then the composite locationID can be identified simply for each element of electricnetwork . The proposed approach is illustrated via selectedcase study

The loss of the vocalic case markers and its consequences on surfacing complexity :postulating phonological and morphological change in the Arabic language

PhD ThesisThis thesis examines the loss of case markers in Arabic. It provides a morphophonological investigation assuming there are consequences for losing the vocalic case markers in Arabic. The main consequence is the innovation of the CVCC syllable type in Arabic. The investigation focuses on trilateral nominal that consists underlyingly of فؼًْ CVCC. In its nature, it is a diachronic-synchronic examination that was undertaken upon finding a research gap in literatures. The rationale for conducting this investigation is the evident parallel in the phonological function and the locus between the lost vocalic short markers and the modern epenthetic vowels. In addition to the morpho-syntactical function, case markers in Arabic phonologically prevent final-clusters from surfacing in CVCC underlying sequences. Since modern Arabic dialects lost the vocalic case markers it is expected that they manifest final consonantal clusters on the surface of such nominal underlying CVCC sequences. However, contrary to this expectation, an epenthesis process, which has captured a synchronic interest from phonologists, occurs in the dialects preventing the realization of CVCC syllable type. Notably, no investigation was done to examine the possibility that this epenthesis originated due to the loss of the markers even though phonologists realized that the epenthesis is provoked to prevent the final-clusters from surfacing. This study contributes towards understanding: (i) the loss of the vocalic markers, (ii) the raise of the modern epenthesis and (iii) the innovation the superheavy syllable type CVCC in Arabic. Moreover, a goal in this study is to present an account for the data within a moraic approach in a framework that characteristically captures generalizations through a ranking for constraints in different levels. The account for data in this thesis is through the tools of the Stratal version of Optimality Theory

Natural Regeneration of Severely Degraded Terrestrial Arid Ecosystems Needs More Than Just Removing the Cause of the Degradation

Rangelands cover over 75% of Kuwait’s total land area. Most of these rangelands are severely degraded because of overgrazing, poor anthropic utilization, and mismanagement. Restoring natural rangelands is a way to increase forage productivity, enhance biodiversity, and achieve sustainable development. When degradation has not reached the point of irreversibility, natural restoration through resting is one of the best low-cost restoration techniques. This study evaluated the effect of natural restoration on vegetation cover and species richness in the desert rangelands of Kuwait. The studied rangeland was a completely fenced area of 1 km2. The percent of vegetation was measured using the line- intercept method. The cover of perennial species was the same in fenced and unfenced areas (0%), but annual species cover was 19.67% in fenced areas and 6% in unfenced areas. There was no significant difference in the contribution to the total cover of the dominant invasive species Stipa capensis between fenced (90%) and unfenced areas (83%). All recorded species are therophytes, which raises the disturbance index to 100%. This therophytization demonstrates an imbalance in the rangeland ecosystem and desertification due to the high anthropozoogene pressure. Under such a severely degraded ecosystem, natural restoration cannot restore vegetation. Reintroducing native species including Helianthemum lipii, Haloxylon salicornicum, Rhanterium epapposum, and Calligonum comosum, is required to restore the ecosystem, facilitate the growth of annual palatable species, and enhance the flora diversity

Cloud Forensics : Isolating Cloud Instance

Cloud computing has been the trending model for storing, accessing and modifying the data over the Internet in the recent years. Rising use of the cloud has generated a new concept related to the cloud which is cloud forensics. Cloud forensics can be defined as investigating for evidence over the cloud, so it can be viewed as a combination of both cloud computing and digital forensics. Many issues of applying forensics in the cloud have been addressed. Isolating the location of the incident has become an essential part of forensic process. This is done to ensure that evidence will not be modified or changed. Isolating an instant in the cloud computing has become even more challenging, due to the nature of the cloud environment. In the cloud, the same storage or virtual machine have been used by many users. Hence, the evidence is most likely will be overwritten and lost. The proposed solution in this paper is to isolate a cloud instance. This can be achieved by marking the instant that reside in the servers as "Under Investigation". To do so, cloud file system must be studied. One of the well-known file systems used in the cloud is Apache Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS). Thus, in this paper the methodology used for isolating a cloud instance would be based on the HDFS architecture