Synthesis and Characterization of [2-(carboxy methylene-amino)-phenyl imino] acetic acid (L) and its some metal complexes

New Schiff base, namely [2-(carboxy methylene-amino)-phenyl imino] acetic acid (L) and its some metal complexes [LCo.2H2O], [LNi.2H2O], [LCu].3H2O, [LCd.2H2O], [LHg.2H2O] and [LPb.2H2O], were reported and characterized by elemental analysis, metal content, spectroscopic methods, magnetic moments and conductivity measurements, it is found that the geometrical structures of these complexes are octahedral [Co(II), Ni(II), Cd(II), Hg(II), Pb(II) and square planar Cu(II).The complexes have been found to posses 1:1 (M:L) stoichiometr

Enhancing the bit error rate performance of ultra wideband systems using time-hopping pulse position modulation in multiple access environments

Ultra-Wide Band (UWB) technology is one of the possible solutions for future short-range indoor data communication with uniquely attractive features inviting major advances in wireless communications, networking, radar, imaging, and positioning systems. A major challenge when designing UWB systems is choosing a suitable modulation technique. Data rate, transceiver complexity, and BER performance of the transmitted signal are all related to the employed modulation scheme. Several classical modulation schemes can be used to create UWB signals, some are more efficient than others. These schemes are namely, Pulse Position Modulation (PPM), Pulse Amplitude Modulation (PAM), Binary Phase Shift Keying (BPSK), and On-Off Keying (OOK) are reviewed. In the thesis, the performance of PPM system, combined with Time Hopping Spread Spectrum (THSS) multiple access technique is evaluated in an asynchronous multiple access free space environment. The multiple access interference is first assumed to be a zero mean Gaussian random process to simulate the scenario of a multi user environment. An exact BER calculation is then evaluated based on the characteristic function (CF) method, for Time Hopping-Pulse Position Modulation Ultra Wide Band (TH-PPM UWB) systems with multiple access interference (MAI) in AWGN environment. The resulting analytical expression is then used to assess the accuracy of the MAI Gaussian Approximation (GA) first assumed. The GA is shown to be inaccurate for predicting BERs for medium and large signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) values. Furthermore, the analysis of TH-PPM system is further extended to evaluate the influence of changing and optimising some of the system or signal parameters. It can be shown how the system is greatly sensitive to variations in some signal parameters, like the pulse shape, the time-shift parameter associated with PPM, and the pulse length. In addition, the system performance can be greatly improved by optimising other system parameters like the number of pulses per bit, Ns, and the number of time slots per frame, Nh. All these evaluation are addressed through numerical examples. Then, we can say that, by improving signal or system parameters, the BER performance of the system is greatly enhanced. This is achieved without imposing exact complexity to the transceiver and with moderate computational calculations

INVESTIGATION ON THE AIR-GAS CHARACTERISTICS OF AIR-HYDROGEN MIXER DESIGNED FOR DUAL FUEL – ENGINES

High smoke emissions, nitrogen oxide and particulate matter typically produced by diesel engines. Diminishing the exhausted emissions without doing any significant changes in their mechanical configuration is a challenging subject. Thus, adding hydrogen to the traditional fuel would be the best practical choice to ameliorate diesel engines performance and reduce emissions. The air hydrogen mixer is an essential part of converting the diesel engine to work under dual fuel mode (hydrogen-diesel) without any engine modification. In this study, the Air-hydrogen mixer is developed to get a homogenous mixture for hydrogen with air and a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio according to the speed of the engine. The mixer depends on the balance between the force exerted on the head surface of the valve and the opposite forces (the spring and friction forces) and its relation to decrease and increase the fuel inlet. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis software was utilised to study the hydrogen and airflow behaviour inside the mixer, established by 3.2 L engine. The Air-hydrogen mixer is examined with different speeds of engine1000, 2000, 3000 and 4000 RPM. Results showed air-hydrogen mixture was homogenous in the mixer. Furthermore, the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio was achieved according to the speed of the engine, the developed mixer of the AIR-Hydrogen mixing process provides high mixing homogeneity and engines with stoichiometric air-fuel ratios, which subsequently contributes to the high levels of efficiency in engine operation. In summary, the current study intends to reduce the emissions of gases and offer a wide range of new alternative fuels usage. While the performance of the diesel engine with the new air-hydrogen mixer needs to be tested practically

Training Needs for Special Education Teachers in Sultanate of Oman and its relationship with some variables.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the training needs of special education teachers in Al-brymei governorate in the sultanate of Oman and its relationship with some variables. The sample of the study consisted of (115) male and female teachers, to achieve the aim of this study the researcher adopted the analytical descriptive approach through developing a scale consisted of (60) items distributed into six domains. The findings of the study showed that the degree of training needs of special education teachers in employing technology and educational technologies domain was high and ranked first within the six domains. Followed by planning and carrying out the educational process domain. Meanwhile, both measurement and diagnosis and communication domains came in the third rank. Finally, behavior modification domain and theoretical knowledge in education domain came in the fourth and last rank, Moreover; there were no significant statistical differences in the degree of training needs for special education teachers according to gender, academic qualification, years of experience and type of disability taught. The researcher recommended the need to reconsider the programs of preparing special education teachers with the necessity of conducting training workshops regarding the competencies of the teachers of special needs

False Beliefs About Diabetes Mellitus in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq: A Population-Based Study

Background. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic, non-transmissible health condition distinguished by high blood glucose levels caused by faulty insulin secretion and impaired insulin activity. People play an essential role in preventing and managing their illnesses. Thus, the misconceptions may negatively influence the prevention and management of DM. The aim of this study was to gauge the extent of knowledge among the general population concerning DM, to determine the prevalence of misconceptions about DM in the community, and to find the factors influencing them. Methods. A population-based study was conducted in Duhok Province, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. A total of 2,305 adults were enrolled in the study. The study data were collected by face-to-face interview. The survey questionnaire comprised two sections: the first section included basic demographic characteristics of participants, while the second section consisted of ten questions to identify common misconceptions about DM among participants. Results. Among the participants, there were 1,406 (61.0%) females. Participants’ age ranged from 18 to 90 years (the mean age: 54 ± 13.69 years). The most common misconceptions positively responded to were “Will I become addicted to insulin if I start taking it?”, followed by“ Does DM occur because of increased sugar intake?”. Male gender was associated with higher level of misconceptions. In addition, the misconceptions were more prevalent among diabetics as they might seek treatment from non-professionals. There was a significant association between education status and the prevalence of misconceptions. Healthcare workers were found to have a better knowledge about DM compared to the general population. Surprisingly, certain myths were prevalent even among healthcare workers. Conclusions. Certain myths and misconceptions have been pervasive in our society. Actions must be taken to dispel these misconceptions as they lead to an avoidable burden of disease. Therefore, people’s knowledge of DM needs to be enhanced through educational programs, social media, television, newspapers and campaigns

An Empirical Model for Optimizing the Sound Absorption of Single Layer MPP Based on Response Surface Methodology

Micro-perforated panel (MPP) is a thin panel absorber capable of absorbing sound energy at a targeted frequency range by adjusting the MPP parameters. An analytical model is available, but it is not a direct, convenient method for practitioners to determine the required MPP parameters. This paper presents an optimized empirical model to calculate the sound absorption coefficient of a single-layer MPP.  The response surface methodology is employed for a simple case to generate a second-order polynomial model through a sequence of designing processes to analyze the functional relationships and variation of the outcome performance (sound absorption coefficient) concerning the MPP parameters, namely the panel thickness, hole diameter, perforation ratio, and the depth of the back air layer.  The analysis is carried out for frequencies between 300 to 900 Hz. The predicted data (empirical) is compared with the actual data (analytical), leading to a coefficient of variation of 0.145%. The proposed empirical model can be used as a method to select the suitable MPP parameters according to the targeted frequency bandwidth of absorption with less computational time

Emotion and stress recognition related sensors and machine learning technologies

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An analysis of the development and implementation of a smartphone application for the delivery of antimicrobial prescribing policy: lessons learnt

Objectives: Smartphone usage amongst clinicians is widespread. Yet smartphones are not widely used for the dissemination of policy or as clinical decision support systems. We report here on the development, adoption and implementation process of the Imperial Antimicrobial Prescribing Application across five teaching hospitals in London. Methods: Doctors and clinical pharmacists were recruited to this study, which employed a mixed methods indepth case-study design with focus groups, structured pre- and post-intervention survey questionnaires and live data on application uptake. The primary outcome measure was uptake of the application by doctors and its acceptability. The development and implementation processes were also mapped. Results: The application was downloaded by 40% (376) of junior doctors with smartphones (primary target user group) within the first month and by 100% within 12 months. There was an average of 1900 individual access sessions per month, compared with 221 hits on the Intranet version of the policy. Clinicians (71%) reported that using the application improved their antibiotic knowledge. Conclusions: Clinicians rapidly adopted the mobile application for antimicrobial prescribing at the point of care, enabling the policy to reach a much wider audience in comparison with paper- and desktop-based versions of the policy. Organizations seeking to optimize antimicrobial prescribing should consider utilizing mobile technology to deliver point-of-care decision support. The process revealed a series of barriers, which will need to be addressed at individual and organizational levels to ensure safe and high-quality delivery of local policy at the point of care