Environmental knowledge and city perception: with a focus on the energy link to environmental aesthetics

Architecture exists to respond to environmental problems that affect human life, many of which are directly related to energy principles. In the early stages of man's adaptation, these challenges set the criteria for indigenous architecture. Certain formal solutions became recognised as more reliable in meeting environmental potentials and a deep appreciation of these emerged. This persisted even as the evolution of the intellect allowed man to move away from direct, survivalist responses to the environment into a more symbol -based and mutual relationship.The process of change, however, has developed into one of internationalisation. In Libya, the subject area of this thesis, building techniques are used that have no relevance to the environment. This fracture between the natural and artificial has created many problems. This thesis will research these accumulated problems by studying the city image, which lead the author to assert the role of energy in setting the criteria for environmental quality

DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING OF UNIVERSAL PRESSURE DROP MODELS IN PIPELINES USING ABDUCTIVE AND ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORKS

Determination of pressure drop in pipeline system is difficult. Conventional methods (empirical correlations and mechanistic methods) were not successful in providing accurate estimate. Artificial Neural Networks and polynomial Group Method of Data Handling techniques had received wide recognition in terms of discovering hidden and highly nonlinear relationships between input and output patterns. The potential of both Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) and Abductory Induction Mechanism (AIM) techniques has been revealed in this study by generating generic models for pressure drop estimation in pipeline systems that carry multiphase fluids (oil, gas, and water) and with wide range of angles of inclination. No past study was found that utilizes both techniques in an attempt to solve this problem. A total number of 335 data sets collected from different Middle Eastern fields have been used in developing the models. The data covered a wide range of variables at different values such as oil rate (2200 to 25000 bbl/d), water rate (up to 8424 bbl/d), angles of inclination (-52 to 208 degrees), length of the pipe (500 to 26700 ft) and gas rate (1078 to 19658 MSCFD). For the ANN model, a ratio of 2: 1: 1 between training, validation, and testing sets yielded the best training/testing performance. The ANN model has been developed using resilient back-propagation learning algorithm. The purpose for generating another model using the polynomial Group Method of Data Handling technique was to reduce the problem of dimensionality that affects the accuracy of ANN modeling. It was found that (by the Group Method of Data Handling algorithm), length of the pipe, wellhead pressure, and angle of inclination have a pronounced effect on the pressure drop estimation under these conditions. The best available empirical correlations and mechanistic models adopted by the industry had been tested against the data and the developed models. Graphical and statistical tools had been utilized for comparing the performance of the new models and other empirical correlations and mechanistic models. Thorough verifications have indicated that the developed Artificial Neural Networks model outperforms all tested empirical correlations and mechanistic models as well as the polynomial Group Method of Data Handling model in terms of highest correlation coefficient, lowest average absolute percent error, lowest standard deviation, lowest maximum error, and lowest root mean square error. The study offers reliable and quick means for pressure drop estimation in pipelines carrying multiphase fluids with wide range of angles of inclination using Artificial Neural Networks and Group Method of Data Handling techniques. Graphical User Interface (GUI) has been generated to help apply the ANN model results while an applicable equation can be used for Group Method of Data Handling model. While the conventional methods were not successful in providing accurate estimate of this property, the second approach (Group Method of Data Handling technique) was able to provide a reliable estimate with only three-input parameters involved. The modeling accuracy was not greatly harmed using this technique

Effects of the pharmacological interventions and a structured education in the management of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

IntroductionPolycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a heterogeneous endocrine disorder that affects women of reproductive age and is associated with an array of metabolic disorders. Insulin resistance, increased body weight, dyslipidaemia and excess androgen are the main drive for PCOS symptoms and the associated health risks. Lifestyle modifications remain the first-line intervention to treat PCOS. However, there are various pharmacological options available as second-line treatment.MethodsThe first study was a systematic review and meta-analysis that evaluated the effect of the different pharmacological interventions on the lipid profiles, C-reactive protein (CRP), anthropometric indices, insulin resistance and the biochemical hyperandrogenaemia in women with PCOS. The second study was a feasibility pilot study of developing and implementing an evidence-based structured education for women with PCOS. The study has two parts; the first part was a patient’s perspectives survey where 320 women were surveyed to establish the need for developing an education programme. The second part was implementing and piloting the evidence-based structured education.ResultsIn the systematic review and meta-analysis, pharmacological interventions including Metformin, Atorvastatin, Saxagliptin, Rosiglitazone and Pioglitazone of various dosage, frequencies and duration were associated with a significant reduction in the mean total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TGs), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and CRP. However, no significant effect was found on the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). There was also a significant reduction in the mean fasting blood glucose (FBG), fasting insulin (FI) and the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) when Metformin alone or combined with Acarbose, Pioglitazone and exenatide in various dosage, frequencies and duration was assessed. There was, however, no significant effect on the homeostatic model of the Beta-cell (HOMA-B).There was also a significant reduction in the mean body weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and the waist to hip ratio (WHR) when Metformin, Orlistat and Sitagliptin of various dosage, frequencies and duration were compared with placebo. In contrast, regardless of the duration, dosage, and frequencies, Rosiglitazone and Pioglitazone were associated with a significant increase in body weight, BMI, and WC. The study also showed a significant increase in the ovulation rate, pregnancy rate and live birth rate when clomiphene citrate (CC) and letrozole alone or added to Metformin of various dosage, duration and frequencies were used. There was also a significant reduction in the mean total testosterone (TT), free testosterone (FT), dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS) and an increase in the sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) when metformin, dexamethasone, oral contraceptives pills (OCP), finasteride and Flutamide of various dosage, frequencies and duration were used. In the second study, there was a lack of knowledge about PCOS among women living with the condition. There was also a need for developing and implementing an evidence-based structured education for women living with PCOS. A single exposure to a structured education did not increased knowledge but provided valuable skills for women with PCOS.ConclusionsThis research work demonstrated a significant effect of the various pharmacological interventions used in PCOS management. The work also supports the concept of developing, implementing and integrating an evidence-based structured education in the management of women with PCOS

SPONTANEOUS MISCARRIAGE AMONG 325 VIABLE PREGNANCIES COMPLICATED BY VAGINAL BLEEDING IN THE FIRST TWENTY WEEKS OF GESTATION

THE OBJECTIVES: To confirm or refute that when the fetal cardiac activity is demonstrated on scan at less than 7 weeks gestation, the risk of miscarriage is not significantly different from the natural-background risk To ascertain the outcome of threatened miscarriage Methods The setting: The early pregnancy assessment unit at Sharoe Green Hospital, Preston, England, U. K. Design: The study was prospective and observational. The subject: 325 pregnant women who presented with viable pregnancies and vaginal bleeding in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. The intervention: Transabdominal or transvaginal ultrasonography. Statistics: The statistical package, SPSS 9.0 for windows, was used and Pearson’s Chi-square test was selected to compare the groups. P ≥ 0.05. Results: Higher parity and recurrent miscarriages were associated with higher rate of miscarriage. Women presenting with viable pregnancies and moderate to heavy vaginal bleeding had a significantly higher rate of miscarriage (24.1%) compared with (9.0%) in women presenting with mild bleeding (Pearson Chi-square test = 17.516, df = 2, Asymp.sig. (2-Sided) = 0.000). In 37.5% of the women, there were significant differences in the gestational age as calculated by the scan from that calculated by the first day of the Last-Menstrual Period (LMP). The rate of miscarriage (17.5%) amongst women with gestational age of less than 7 weeks was significantly higher than (9.2%) amongst women with gestational age of more than 7 weeks (Pearson Chi-square test = 7.065, df = 2, Asymp.sig. (2-Sided) = 0.029). Hematomas were associated with significantly higher rates of miscarriages (25.8%) in contrast to a rate of 10.2% amongst women without hematomas (Pearson Chi-square test = 6.990, df = 2, Asymp.sig. (2-Sided) = 0.030). Conclusions Moderate to heavy vaginal bleeding, a gestational age of less than 7 weeks and the demonstration of a haematoma on ultrasound scan are associated with significantly higher rates of miscarriage. Higher parity and recurrent miscarriages are associated with increased risk of miscarriag

Video Mining for Observing Human Activities

With the advance in video technology, video cameras have become an integral part of daily life. They are installed in parking lots, traffic intersections, airports, banks, etc. Usually a human operator watches them to catch events of interest in the scene, but this is a tedious and time consuming process requiring constant attention, and leads to inadequate surveillance capability. Therefore, there is an urgent need for automated systems for analysis of surveillance video streams. This thesis presents a novel operational computer vision framework for visual knowledge extraction from human motion. The system captures a video of a scene and classifies those moving objects which are characteristically human. Then perform analyzing and mining operations based on full frame based analysis and inter frame based analysis to interpret the current activity. Moreover, based on selective criteria from full frame board and inter frame board the system evaluate the current activity to assist the security officers to catch the events of interest moreover, creating multi storing scheme for reducing the storage capacity in 24 hours surveillances system

Needs analysis and course design for Dacwa students: Teaching Arabic for specific purposes (TASP)

It was found that the field of Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language (TAFL) is not totally devoid of textbooks and research studies concerning Arabic for Specific Purposes (ASP). However, the greater part of these attempts lack a theoretical framework and, seemingly, guidance. Such attempts therefore fail to achieve their goals; hence, the researcher formed the opinion that a course for Teaching Arabic for Specific Purposes (TASP) needed to be designed. A theoretical framework for needs analysis and course design was required immediately as a first step. As my research focused on Saudi Arabia, the question was: What is the most important field to be taken as a case study? The obvious answer to this was Islamic Studies because students do not primarily come to Saudi to study medicine, or technical subjects: it is a fact that, more than 90% of final level students on TAFL programmes want to improve their Arabic in the field of Islamic Studies and more than 80% of them specifically chose the Islamic mission (dacwa) for their target purpose. It is the aim of this research to introduce the concept of Teaching Arabic for Specific Purposes to the field of Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language in Saudi Arabia. It is in fact the groundwork to further detailed projects in this context. For this reason, an investigation was conducted in the following areas: Language for Specific Purposes, English for Specific Purposes, Language for Academic Purposes, Needs Analysis, and Course and Syllabus Design in the field of Teaching Languages for Specific Purposes. To bring the concept of Teaching Arabic for Specific Purposes into application, it was essential to study how a course could be developed in the light of the needs of the dacwa students in Saudi Arabia: the researcher undertook to assess and interpret the needs and demands of the students, the subject of dacwa, the teachers of dacwa, the TAFL teachers, the administrative staff in the Faculties of Dacwa and TAFL Institutes in Saudi Arabia. To ensure valid results, different methods were employed, such as: questionnaires, interviews and diagnostic tests. The findings of the needs analysis showed that reading was the most required skill for the students of dacwa and a course was designed to meet that objective

An Overview of the History and Development of Applied Linguistics

This study is conducted to highlight the brief history of applied linguistics, its development over the years and the work of a few people who have contributed a lot to the development of applied linguistics (AL). Many people have defined or described applied linguistics and some of their definitions will also be presented. These definitions will give you an idea of what applied linguistics entails and the various areas of language endeavor it covers. The main objective of this study is to familiarize EFL learners with the background and nature of the concept of applied linguistics, i.e. giving various definitions of applied linguistics as well as describing how applied linguistics became a discipline. The study adopts the descriptive methodology

Physical and Link Layer Implications in Vehicle Ad Hoc Networks

Vehicle Ad hoc Networks (V ANET) have been proposed to provide safety on the road and deliver road traffic information and route guidance to drivers along with commercial applications. However the challenges facing V ANET are numerous. Nodes move at high speeds, road side units and basestations are scarce, the topology is constrained by the road geometry and changes rapidly, and the number of nodes peaks suddenly in traffic jams. In this thesis we investigate the physical and link layers of V ANET and propose methods to achieve high data rates and high throughput. For the physical layer, we examine the use of Vertical BLAST (VB LAST) systems as they provide higher capacities than single antenna systems in rich fading environments. To study the applicability of VB LAST to VANET, a channel model was developed and verified using measurement data available in the literature. For no to medium line of sight, VBLAST systems provide high data rates. However the performance drops as the line of sight strength increases due to the correlation between the antennas. Moreover, the performance of VBLAST with training based channel estimation drops as the speed increases since the channel response changes rapidly. To update the channel state information matrix at the receiver, a channel tracking algorithm for flat fading channels was developed. The algorithm updates the channel matrix thus reducing the mean square error of the estimation and improving the bit error rate (BER). The analysis of VBLAST-OFDM systems showed they experience an error floor due to inter-carrier interference (lCI) which increases with speed, number of antennas transmitting and number of subcarriers used. The update algorithm was extended to VBLAST -OFDM systems and it showed improvements in BER performance but still experienced an error floor. An algorithm to equalise the ICI contribution of adjacent subcarriers was then developed and evaluated. The ICI equalisation algorithm reduces the error floor in BER as more subcarriers are equalised at the expense of more hardware complexity. The connectivity of V ANET was investigated and it was found that for single lane roads, car densities of 7 cars per communication range are sufficient to achieve high connectivity within the city whereas 12 cars per communication range are required for highways. Multilane roads require higher densities since cars tend to cluster in groups. Junctions and turns have lower connectivity than straight roads due to disconnections at the turns. Although higher densities improve the connectivity and, hence, the performance of the network layer, it leads to poor performance at the link layer. The IEEE 802.11 p MAC layer standard under development for V ANET uses a variant of Carrier Sense Multiple Access (CSMA). 802.11 protocols were analysed mathematically and via simulations and the results prove the saturation throughput of the basic access method drops as the number of nodes increases thus yielding very low throughput in congested areas. RTS/CTS access provides higher throughput but it applies only to unicast transmissions. To overcome the limitations of 802.11 protocols, we designed a protocol known as SOFT MAC which combines Space, Orthogonal Frequency and Time multiple access techniques. In SOFT MAC the road is divided into cells and each cell is allocated a unique group of subcarriers. Within a cell, nodes share the available subcarriers using a combination of TDMA and CSMA. The throughput analysis of SOFT MAC showed it has superior throughput compared to the basic access and similar to the RTS/CTS access of 802.11