Low income housing in Abu Dhabi

The provision of houses for the tribal society in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi constitutes a major problem which greatly aggravates the housing problem in general. The major cause of this problem is that the designers of housing schemes have no sufficient understanding of the tribal traditions and requirements, necessary to provide the local people with convenient dwelling units that correspond with their social behaviour pattern. Ever since oil was discovered in Abu Dhabi, the government has developed an ambitious housing policy to serve the provision of local people with houses. The policy has been carried out for the last 25 years, where the government decided to :- 1. design convenient dwelling units for the local people; 2. plan new neighbourhoods and supply them with a sufficient infrastructure; 3. construct the dwelling units and maintain them once the local people have become their legal owners. The objectives of this policy were to provide the proper environment for the local people. There has been a great change in the design of housing schemes ever since this policy started. A number of foreign architects were involved in the development of a variety of low cost housing types, and inevitably their different cultural backgrounds influenced the design solutions. Many of their schemes use layouts and construction systems which contradict local bahaviour patterns and climatic conditions. During this period of 25 years Abu Dhabi has developed extensive experience in the field of housing but it is not always positive. This experience is worth registering, analysing and evaluating.The provision of houses for the tribal society in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi constitutes a major problem which greatly aggravates the housing problem in general. The major cause of this problem is that the designers of housing schemes have no sufficient understanding of the tribal traditions and requirements, necessary to provide the local people with convenient dwelling units that correspond with their social behaviour pattern. Ever since oil was discovered in Abu Dhabi, the government has developed an ambitious housing policy to serve the provision of local people with houses. The policy has been carried out for the last 25 years, where the government decided to :- 1. design convenient dwelling units for the local people; 2. plan new neighbourhoods and supply them with a sufficient infrastructure; 3. construct the dwelling units and maintain them once the local people have become their legal owners. The objectives of this policy were to provide the proper environment for the local people. There has been a great change in the design of housing schemes ever since this policy started. A number of foreign architects were involved in the development of a variety of low cost housing types, and inevitably their different cultural backgrounds influenced the design solutions. Many of their schemes use layouts and construction systems which contradict local bahaviour patterns and climatic conditions. During this period of 25 years Abu Dhabi has developed extensive experience in the field of housing but it is not always positive. This experience is worth registering, analysing and evaluating

Synthesis and application of polypyrrole/carrageenan nano-bio composite as a cathode catalyst in microbial fuel cells

A novel nano-bio composite polypyrrole (PPy)/kappa-carrageenan(KC) was fabricated and characterized for application as a cathode catalyst in a microbial fuel cell (MFC). High resolution SEM and TEM verified the bud-like shape and uniform distribution of the PPy in the KC matrix. X-ray diffraction (XRD) has approved the amorphous structure of the PPy/KC as well. The PPy/KC nano-bio composites were then studied as an electrode material, due to their oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) ability as the cathode catalyst in the MFC and the results were compared with platinum (Pt) as the most common cathode catalyst. The produced power density of the PPy/KC was 72.1 mW/m2 while it was 46.8 mW/m2 and 28.8 mW/m2 for KC and PPy individually. The efficiency of the PPy/KC electrode system is slightly lower than a Pt electrode (79.9 mW/m2) but due to the high cost of Pt electrodes, the PPy/KC electrode system has potential to be an alternative electrode system for MFCs

In vitro and in vivo anthelmintic efficacy of condensed tannins extracted from the seeds of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) against Haemonchus contortus infection

This study was designed to examine in vitro and in vivo anthelmintic efficacy of condensed tannins (CT) extracted from seeds of Medicago sativa on Haemonchus contortus in sheep. CT's in vitro anthelmintic effect was assessed at a 300 μg/ml concentration compared with albendazole (reference drug) at 10 μg/ml. The results showed that CT had a nematocidal effect on H. contortus, and the cuticle of the adult worm appeared to be its initial target. For the in vivo experiment, nine 3-month-old helminths-free lambs were distributed into three groups. Group 1 (n=3) was challenged only as infected untreated controls; Group 2 (n=3) was treated with condensed tannin, and Group 3 (n=3) was treated with albendazole. Fecal and blood samples were collected every 3 days until the end of the experiment; for fecal egg count (FEC) and anti- H. contortus IgG titers determination, respectively. The lambs treated with the CT in G2 exhibited a pronounced decrease of mean FEC with great FECR% detected from the first-week post-treatment (PT) until the end of the experiment compared with G1 animals. The antibody levels gradually increased in G2 following the 2nd dose of CT treatment compared to other groups. A brilliant consistent relation between the elevation of IgG response and reduction of FEC was observed following the second booster dosing of the CT in G2. In conclusion, the CT evoked strongly in vitro and in vivo anthelmintic activity against H. contortus and could be used as a natural alternative treatment of high potency against haemonchosis in sheep

Special Libraries, April 1933

Volume 24, Issue 3https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/sla_sl_1933/1002/thumbnail.jp

Perspective Chapter: The Toxic Silver (Hg)

In the late 1950s, residents of a Japanese fishing village known as “Minamata” began falling ill and dying at an alarming rate. The Japanese authorities stated that methyl-mercury-rich seafood and shellfish caused the sickness. Burning fossil fuels represent ≈52.7% of Hg emissions. The majorities of mercury’s compounds are volatile and thus travel hundreds of miles with wind before being deposited on the earth’s surface. High acidity and dissolved organic carbon increase Hg-mobility in soil to enter the food chain. Additionally, Hg is taken up by areal plant parts via gas exchange. Mercury has no identified role in plants while exhibiting high affinity to form complexes with soft ligands such as sulfur and this consequently inactivates amino acids and sulfur-containing antioxidants. Long-term human exposure to Hg leads to neurotoxicity in children and adults, immunological, cardiac, and motor reproductive and genetic disorders. Accordingly, remediating contaminated soils has become an obligation. Mercury, like other potentially toxic elements, is not biodegradable, and therefore, its remediation should encompass either removal of Hg from soils or even its immobilization. This chapter discusses Hg’s chemical behavior, sources, health dangers, and soil remediation methods to lower Hg levels

Lessons from patient-specific 3D models of the cardiac chambers after the Mustard operation.

The recent ability to create detailed 3D models of the atrial and ventricular chambers using CT, MRI and rapid prototyping offers unique opportunities to study the size and shape of the different cardiac chambers both before and following operation for complex cardiac anomalies. We here describe the techniques for creating detailed 3D models of the heart and demonstrate the utility of these techniques in a patient studied after the Mustard operation. This can give important insights into the changes in size and shape of the different chambers and the patterns of blood flow from the pulmonary and systemic veins to the appropriate ventricle. This information in turn could be extremely helpful in understanding and optimizing the overall hemodynamic function after the Mustard operation

Natural Radioactivity Measurements and Radiological Hazards Evaluation for Some Egyptian Granites and Ceramic Tiles

All over the world, people widely use granites and ceramic tiles in their residential establishments. Information concerning the radiological properties of such materials reveals how to ensure the sustainability of their safe use in terms of these properties. In the present work, the distribution of the terrestrial radioisotopes U-238 (Ra-226), Th-232, and K-40 for 23 different brands of Egyptian commercial granites and ceramic tiles samples (widely used domestically and exported) was determined using gamma radiation spectroscopy. This process pinpoints the possible radiological health risks related to gamma ray exposure and radon gas resulting from the use of these materials indoors. The concentration values of the aforementioned radioisotopes in the examined samples were compared to the corresponding global average values (GAVs) of the UNSCEAR and to those available in other countries. The overall average concentrations for U-238, Th-232, and K-40 in the total samples were observed to be 46.17 ± 2.81 (less than its GAV), 51.65 ± 2.35 (slightly above its GAV), and 701.62 ± 40.60 Bq/kg (1.4 times greater than the GAV), respectively. The related radiological parameters and indices were calculated and compared to the prescribed limits set by commissions and organizations concerned with radiation protection (the WHO, ICRP, UNSCEAR, and EC) to ensure the safe use of the investigated granites and ceramic tiles. The assessed indices and parameters fall within the recommended values and safety limits. In conclusion, there is no risk from using the granites and ceramic tiles under investigation in residential facilities

Effect of transverse gust velocity profiles

A large variety of gusts that develop in the atmospheric boundary layer affect aerial vehicles. This study, performed in water tow tanks, compares the response of a flat plate wing to transverse vertical gusts with a top-hat and a sine-squared velocity profile at Reynolds numbers of 20,000–30,000. Experiments are performed for a wide range of gust ratios (0.5–1.5) and angles of attack (0–20 deg). Force measurements for a sine-squared gust show a smoother increase in lift and a lower peak compared with a top-hat gust for the same gust ratio. Linear models are found to work reasonably well predicting the force response for the sine-squared gust, whereas the top-hat gust exhibits significant nonlinear effects at the largest gust ratios. This nonlinear behavior is linked to high levels of circulation shed from the wing edges and the development of nonplanar wakes. Nevertheless, the gust momentum inflow on the wing is directly linked to many characteristics of the lift response, independently of gust velocity profile. In addition, the lift response for the two gusts is found to increase with angle of attack until the wing inclination is large enough to produce a separated wake before gust entry

Wing-gust interactions: The effect of transverse velocity profile – invited –

The flow field and force produced during a wing-gust encounter have been compared between a top-hat and a sine-squared transverse gusts. Experiments are performed at Reynolds number between 20 000 and 30 000 in a water tow tank. Both gusts are generated by disturbing the flow in a section of the tank at different velocities, resulting in gust ratios, GR, equal to 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, and 1.5. Time-resolved force and flow field measurements are analysed and compared with linear theories. The force results show a smoother increase in lift for the sine-squared gust accompanied by a lower maximum lift. The specific range of GRs was selected to capture the non-linear behaviour of the top-hat gust on lift. However, for the same gust ratios, the sine-squared gusts remained in the linear regime. As a result, Küssner’s theory is found to accurately predict the loads resulting from the sine-squared gust for a larger range of gust ratios than the top-hat gust. The non-linear behaviour of the top-hat gust on the lift force is linked to higher levels of circulation shed from the wing edges and the development of non-planar wakes. It is concluded that the gust shape is a critical parameter determining the wing-gust encounter characteristics