A Stroke of Shear Genius: The Development of the Blade Bandit

This thesis will document and analyze the experience of two members of the Shear Genius team, Mr. Abdulrahman Hamid and Mr. Colin Wattigney, as they worked to complete the CME Senior Capstone Project. This team, under the leadership of CEO Ethan Veazey, developed the Blade Bandit, a lawn mower blade sharpening system conceptualized by Mr. Jacob Moorhead. Ms. Kristen Gaddis, Mr. Nick Rocco, and Ms. Allie Winters were also members of Shear Genius. The team members had educational backgrounds in the realms of engineering, business and accountancy. The combination of these disciplines allowed for the simulation of a real business group and helped prepare the team members for the situations that they would face as members of industry. After months of planning, designing, and redesigning, the Shear Genius team was able to develop a process in which a functional Blade Bandit could be produced quickly and consistently. The team gained vast amounts of experience and worked together as a cohesive unit to overcome the many obstacles that were faced. This thesis will describe iterations of the Blade Bandit, the business model used, and the changes made along the way. It will also provide insight into all decisions made over the course of the project

A Stroke of Shear Genius: The Development of the Blade Bandit

This thesis will document and analyze the experience of two members of the Shear Genius team, Mr. Abdulrahman Hamid and Mr. Colin Wattigney, as they worked to complete the CME Senior Capstone Project. This team, under the leadership of CEO Ethan Veazey, developed the Blade Bandit, a lawn mower blade sharpening system conceptualized by Mr. Jacob Moorhead. Ms. Kristen Gaddis, Mr. Nick Rocco, and Ms. Allie Winters were also members of Shear Genius. The team members had educational backgrounds in the realms of engineering, business and accountancy. The combination of these disciplines allowed for the simulation of a real business group and helped prepare the team members for the situations that they would face as members of industry. After months of planning, designing, and redesigning, the Shear Genius team was able to develop a process in which a functional Blade Bandit could be produced quickly and consistently. The team gained vast amounts of experience and worked together as a cohesive unit to overcome the many obstacles that were faced. This thesis will describe iterations of the Blade Bandit, the business model used, and the changes made along the way. It will also provide insight into all decisions made over the course of the project

PATRIOTISM AND ITS CONTEXTUALIZATION IN THE MILLENNIAL ERA: STUDY OF TAFSIR MARĀH LABĪD BY SYEKH NAWĀWĪ AL-BANTENĪ

This paper discusses patriotism in the context of the millennial era through an analysis of the interpretation of Marāh Labīd by Syekh Nawāwī Al-Bantenī. This research explores Al-Bantenī’s views on the values of patriotism and how these views are relevant in the millennial era implied in his commentary. The textual analysis method is used to identify Al-Bantenī’s views on love for the motherland, obligations to the state, and participation in community development. The results of this study provide insight that according to Al-Bantenī, patriotism in the Qur’an is at least implied in QS. Al-Taubah [9]: 71, QS. Al-Baqarah [2]: 126, QS. Al-Nisā’: [4]:59, and QS. Al-Maidah [5]:2. Sheikh Nawāwī Al-Bantenī's interpretation of the five characteristics of patriotism above is still relevant in the millennial era. Considering that the millennial generation is the generation of hope for the nation. They are expected to become leaders and provide better change for the nation in the future. In addition, by looking at the characters possessed by the millennial generation, the character is good at socializing to establish friendships which creates an attitude of responsibility and a confident character to express defenses. One of its applications is to establish communities that care about others and invite the millennial generation to participate in several discussion forum

Voluntary disclosure by Shariah approved companies: an exploratory study

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent of voluntary disclosure (EVD)(i.e. overall, conventional, and Islamic disclosure) in the annual reports of Shariah Approved Companies (ShAC) listed on Bursa Malaysia

Experimental Investigation and ANN Modelling of the Behavior of Asphalt Binders Modified with Novel Geopolymers

The design of asphalt pavement has an impact on a country’s economic and environmental development. The main factors limiting the service life of flexible pavements are severe weather and increasing traffic volumes. Rutting and cracking of flexible pavement are two common types of distress that affect the serviceability and quality of the world’s transportation network. This subject has been studied extensively for decades, and it has evolved into a serious challenge that has yet to be fully resolved. Multiple research efforts have been undertaken around the world to increase pavement service life to fulfil future demand for economic expansion and community development. Multiple options for developing sustainable and cost-effective asphalt mixes with extended service life are being investigated. Although improving the characteristics of the asphalt binder has been shown to be a promising strategy. Geopolymer research is gaining a lot of attention these years because it can be employed in a variety of applications, such as geopolymer concrete and mortar, soil stabilization, and pavement construction. The geopolymer is formed when the aluminosilicate source, such as fly ash, reacts with the alkaline solution. Geopolymers are environmentally friendly materials that emit minimal CO2 during manufacture and can be used to eliminate waste and by-product materials like fly ash. It has also demonstrated its potential to rapidly acquire mechanical properties, improve fire resistance, and reduce energy use and greenhouse emissions. Despite, the use of geopolymer materials as a modifier for asphalt binder and mixture has gotten minimal attention, which could be due to the lack of research linking the effect of temperature and curing time on geopolymer performance and asphalt binder rheological behavior. Thus, considering these effects could motivate scientists to employ various types of geopolymers using by-products and waste materials, which would have significant financial and environmental benefits. This research aimed to evaluate the effects of geopolymers on the rheological and performance of asphalt binder, considering the impact of temperatures, frequencies, and stresses. The rheological and performance properties of neat and modified asphalt binder were investigated using Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR), Bending Beam Rheometer (BBR), and Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy (ESEM) imaging devices. Also, the Viscoelastic Continuum Damage (VECD) model with the Linear Amplitude Sweep (LAS) was utilized to evaluate the fatigue behavior of the asphalt binder. Moreover, the Multiple Stress Creep Recovery (MSCR) test was conducted at various temperatures and stresses to calculate the non-recoverable creep compliance (Jnr) and the percent strain recovery (R). Furthermore, the Hamburg Wheel Rut Test (HWRT), dynamic/complex modulus, and moisture damage evaluation tests were conducted to evaluate the effect of additives on the performance of asphalt mixes. On the other hand, the interactive effects of geopolymer content and temperature on non-recoverable creep compliance (Jnr) and creep recovery percentage (R) of geopolymer-modified asphalt binders were investigated and predictive mathematical models were developed using the Response Surface Method (RSM) and regression method. Also, the Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) model was developed to predict the recovery and non-recovery performance of asphalt binders using five input parameters (temperature, frequency, storage modulus, loss modulus, and viscosity) and one hidden layer with five neurons. To implement a backpropagation learning process in a feed-forward neural network, Scaled Conjugate Gradient (SCG), Levenberg-Marquardt (LM), and Bayesian Regularization (BR) training algorithms were performed. The results showed that fly ash and glass powder could be used as an aluminosilicate source during the preparation of geopolymer as an asphalt modifier, which has an essential influence on the rheological and performance of asphalt binder. While increasing the percentage of the geopolymer does not seem to affect the microstructure of the asphalt binder. The geopolymer has a significant impact on the binder’s sensitivity to temperature, whereby the temperature sensitivity for both unaged and RTFO-modified asphalt binders decreases. While adding the geopolymer to SBS enhances the binder’s ability to withstand extremely heavy traffic under high stress and temperature, the permanent deformation of the asphalt mix decreases by 82% compared with using the neat asphalt binder. Therefore, the combination of geopolymer and SBS could be used to improve the rutting resistance capability of asphalt concrete in hot climate countries. Furthermore, it was noted that the ANNs model is appropriate to predict the percent recovery and non-recovery compliance of modified asphalt binder using unaged or aged binders at different temperatures

The relationship between intellectual capital information and firms’ market value: a study from an emerging economy

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between the intellectual capital (IC) information reported in the annual reports and market value of the companies listed on the Qatar Stock Exchange. Design/methodology/approach: The study is based on a panel data collected from the annual reports and Bloomberg database for six years, specifically the periods 2010-2012 and 2016-2018. The total sample consists of 252 observations. The theoretical framework was developed in reference to the resource-based theory. The regression model is based on Ohlson’s model, which has been modified by including IC information. Findings: The study found that there is a significant relationship between IC information and firm market value. This finding indicates that companies report their IC to help the stakeholders (e.g. shareholders, investors) to understand the real value of the company (which includes IC values). Practical implications: The shift to a knowledge-based economy (KBE) has made knowledge a driver for economic growth, and it has become more important than capital, land and labour. This shift makes IC and resources vital for companies to create wealth, value and gain competitive advantage. The State of Qatar plans to transform its economy to a KBE in its “Qatar Vision 2030”. The findings of the study show that the companies have started to depend more on IC to contribute to transforming Qatar’s economy to a KBE. Originality/value: This study could be considered a pioneer study to examine the association of IC disclosure and firm value in Qatar. Furthermore, prior literature has mixed findings, which justifies further investigation of IC’s effect on market value, particularly in the emerging economy of Qatar. © 2019, A.A. Ousama, Mashael Thaar Al-Mutairi and A.H. Fatima

Effect of dabai (Canarium odontophyllum) fruit extract on biochemical parameters of induced obese–diabetic rats

Dabai is one of the most popular indigenous fruits in Sarawak, and is rich in various nutrients. In this study, the effect of dabai fruit extract (300 and 600 mg/kg bw) on the biochemical parameters of obese–diabetic (Ob-db) rats was investigated. After a 4-week treatment period, the dabai extract at a concentration of 600 mg/kg bw (equivalent to 20 g of flesh with skin of fresh fruit) showed a pronounced effect in lowering the plasma glucose level compared with 300 mg extract/kg bw (equivalent to 10 g of flesh with skin of fresh fruit). The dabai extract also significantly reduced the plasma cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL-c) levels and increased high-density lipoprotein (HDL-c). However, the dabai extract did not increase the insulin level but did increase its sensitivity and reduced insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). This study suggests that dabai extract possesses hypocholesterolaemic properties, has a short-term glucose-lowering effect and improves the lipid profile through synergistic effect of various polyphenols

Factors influencing voluntary disclosure: empirical evidence from shariah approved companies / A. A. Ousama and A. H. Fatima

The objective of the current study is to examine the relationship between the extent of voluntary disclosure (i.e. overall, conventional and Islamic disclosure items) and firm-specific characteristics (i.e. size, ownership structure, audit firm and industry) of Shariah Approved Companies (ShAC). The study used a disclosure index, consisting of 59 items, to measure the extent of voluntary disclosure. The data were collected from the 2003 annual eports of the top 50 ShAC. The main statistical tests conducted were: descriptive statistics, correlation and regression. Generally, the results show that firm size is statistically associated with the extent of voluntary disclosure in all three categories. While, the ownership structure is significant with overall and conventional voluntary disclosure, the type of audit firm is significant with the overall and Islamic voluntary disclosure. Moreover, regression results indicate that non-manufacturing ShAC seem to voluntarily disclose more Islamic items than manufacturing companies

Determinant of Households Consumption Behavior in UAE: A Comparison of Nationals and Expatriates

The United Arab Emirates during the past 45 years has achieved startling economic growth rates; therefore, it is crucial to examine the consumption pattern in the UAE. This study aims to introduce the pattern of the household consumption behavior to the literature. The outcome of this study can provide useful information to policy makers by allowing them to gain important insights on household’s consumption needs and expenditure allocation. This study used survey data collected from interviewing random household participants in malls in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Alain. On March 2015 a sample of 254 were examined, of men and women, and expatriates and nationals. We investigate consumption habits of the type of goods and services people buy, normal against luxuries. Then, we use empirical estimations to examine the determinants of household expenditures. In our study, we find that in general nationals spend more than expatriates do; for the whole sample, most expenditure is concentrated on food, education, and housing. Our results show that household structure does not affect the consumption behavior of a national household as it does to the expatriates. In addition, younger people consume more than the older ones, while married consume more than the rest

Shear-flexure-axial load interaction in rectangular concrete bridge piers with or without FRP wrapping

Doctor of PhilosophyDepartment of Civil EngineeringHayder RasheedRecent applications in reinforced concrete columns, including strengthening and extreme loading events, necessitate the development of specialized nonlinear analysis methods to predict the confined interaction domain of axial force, shear, and bending moment in square and slightly rectangular concrete columns. Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) materials are commonly used in strengthening applications due to their superior properties such as high strength-to-weight ratio, high energy absorption and excellent corrosion resistance. FRP wrapping of concrete columns is done to enhance the ultimate strength due to the confinement effect, which is normally induced by steel ties. The existence of the two confinement systems changes the nature of the problem. Existing research focused on a single confinement system. Also, very limited research on rectangular sections was found in the literature. In this research, a model to estimate the combined behavior of the two systems in rectangular columns is proposed. The calculation of the effective lateral pressure is based on Lam and Teng model and Mander model for FRP wraps and steel ties, respectively. The proposed model introduces load eccentricity as a parameter that affects the compression zone size, and in turn the level of confinement engagement. Full confinement corresponds to zero eccentricity, while unconfined behavior corresponds to infinite eccentricity. The model then generates curves for eccentricities within these boundaries. The numerical approach developed has then been extended to account for shear interaction using the simplified modified compression field theory adopted by AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications 2014. Comparisons were then performed against experimental data and Response-2000, an analytical analysis tool based on AASHTO 1999 in order to validate the interaction domain generated. Finally, the developed models were implemented in the confined analysis software “KDOT Column Expert” to add FRP confinement effect and shear interaction