Numerical Solution of Mixed Volterra – Fredholm Integral Equation Using the Collocation Method

         معادلات فولتيرا- فريدهولم التكاملية المختلط ((MVFIEs لديها اهتمام كبير من قبل الباحثين مؤخرا . الطريقة العددية الي اقترحت لحل هذا النوع من المعادلات تستعمل نقاط التجميع وتقريب الحل بواسطة الدالة  اساس الشعاعي (radial basis function)  و متعددة حدود من الدرجة الثانية واندراج النقطة من دون استخدام الشبكة, ولسهولة  الحل تم استخدام اصفار متعددة حدود ليجندر كنقاط تجمع. الغرض الرئيسي من استخدام دالة أساس الشعاعي ومتعدد الحدود هو التغلب على التفرد الذي قد يرتبط بأساليب التجميع. علاوة على ذلك، فإن وظيفة الاستيفاء التي تم الحصول عليها تمر عبر كل النقاط المنتشرة في مجال ما ، وبالتالي فإن وظائف الشكل هي من خصائص خاصية دلتا. تمت مقارنة الحل الدقيق للحلول الانتقائية بالنتائج التي تم الحصول عليها من التجارب العددية من أجل التحقق من دقة وكفاءة طريقتنا.Volterra – Fredholm integral equations (VFIEs) have a massive interest from researchers recently. The current study suggests a collocation method for the mixed Volterra - Fredholm integral equations (MVFIEs)."A point interpolation collocation method is considered by combining the radial and polynomial basis functions using collocation points". The main purpose of the radial and polynomial basis functions is to overcome the singularity that could associate with the collocation methods. The obtained interpolation function passes through all Scattered Point in a domain and therefore, the Delta function property is the shape of the functions. The exact solution of selective solutions was compared with the results obtained from the numerical experiments in order to investigate the accuracy and the efficiency of scheme

Pulmonary Hyalinising Granuloma: A report of two cases

ABSTRACT: Pulmonary hyalinising granuloma (PHG) is a rare fibrosclerosing inflammatory lung condition of unknown aetiology. It is characterised by solitary or multiple pulmonary nodules that are usually found incidentally while imaging the chest for other reasons. We report two cases of histologically proven PHG diagnosed at the Royal Hospital, Muscat, Oman. The first case was a 71-year-old male patient who presented in 2010 with a dry cough, weight loss and bilateral pulmonary nodules. The second case was a 58-year-old male patient who presented in 2012 and was found to have incidental bilateral pulmonary nodules on chest X-ray. Both patients were started on prednisolone and on follow-up the PHG nodules remained stable. Although there is no definitive treatment, PHG generally has an excellent prognosis.Keywords: Granuloma; X-Ray Computed Tomography; Multiple Pulmonary Nodules; Lung; Case Report; Oman

Evaluating the Strategic Performance in Yemens Public Universities from the Point of View of Experts

The aim of the research is to evaluate the strategic performance in Yemeni government universities from the point of view of experts, by identifying the level of practice of administrative performance and academic performance in its various fields, according to the opinions of experts. To achieve the objectives of the study, the descriptive analytical approach was used through a closed questionnaire designed, according to the modified Delphi method, distributed among an intentional sample of (31) experts. (Administrative performance-Academic performance) came at a low score, with an average of (2.21) for the tool as a whole. As for the axes, they were respectively, (2.21, 2.22). The study also found that there are no statistically significant differences between the experts’ estimates due to the variables (scientific degree, current job, years experience). Accordingly, the study recommends expanding the dissemination of a clear vision among university employees, beneficiaries and stakeholders about the concept of strategic performance evaluation. In addition, the use of information and technology technologies in strategic performance evaluation processes

Evaluation Strategic Performance in Yemens Public Universities from the Point of View of Experts

The aim of the research is to evaluate the strategic performance in Yemeni government universities from the point of view of experts, by identifying the level of practice of administrative performance and academic performance in its various fields, according to the opinions of experts. To achieve the objectives of the study, the descriptive analytical approach was used through a closed questionnaire designed, according to the modified Delphi method, distributed among an intentional sample of (31) experts. (Administrative performance-Academic performance) came at a low score, with an average of (2.21) for the tool as a whole. As for the axes, they were respectively, (2.21, 2.22). The study also found that there are no statistically significant differences between the experts’ estimates due to the variables (scientific degree, current job, years experience). Accordingly, the study recommends expanding the dissemination of a clear vision among university employees, beneficiaries and stakeholders about the concept of strategic performance evaluation. In addition, the use of information and technology technologies in strategic performance evaluation processes

The applicability of the Global Lung Initiative equations and other regional equations on a sample of healthy Middle Eastern adolescents.

Background The Global Lung Initiative 2012 (GLI‐2012) spirometry equations are multi‐ethnic equations that cover all ages between 3 and 95. However, there is a need to evaluate the suitability of these equations to a sample of Middle Eastern adolescents prior to being applied in clinical practice. The aim of this study is to evaluate the suitability of GLI‐2012 equations and two regional equations to a sample of Jordanian adolescents. Methods Spirometric measures were collected from 1036 healthy 14 to 17‐year‐old Jordanian children. z‐scores, predicted values, percent predicted values, and frequency of measures below lower limit of normal (LLN) were calculated for each adolescent using the studied equations. Results The means of z‐scores produced by GLI‐2012 equations for Caucasians in forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), FEV1/FVC% and mid forced expiratory flow (FEF25‐75) for boys were 0.12, −0.06, 0.34 and 0.09, respectively, while for girls they were −0.09, −0.16, 0.19 and −0.05, respectively. The mean of z‐scores produced by GLI‐2012 Other or Mixed equations in FEV1, FVC, FEV1/FVC% and FEF25‐75 for boys were 0.74, 072, 021 and 0.33, respectively, and for girls were 0.53, 0.56,0.02 and 0.2, respectively. The frequency of measures below LLN as produced by GLI 2012 for Caucasians were significantly different from the expected 5% in FEV1 and FEF25‐75 in boys only, whereas Other or Mixed produced frequencies significantly different from the expected 5% in most of the parameters. Conclusion Spirometry reference equations formulated for Jordanian adolescents may improve the diagnosis and treatment of asthma in Jordan

Adaptive Discrete Filters for Telephone Channels Based on the Wavelet Packet Transform

The wavelet transform provides good and in many times excellent results when used as a basic block transform in many systems such as electronic, communication, medical and even chemical systems. The paper uses the wavelet packet transform to adjust the tap gains of the adaptive filter used in channel equalization and estimation. The results using the wavelet technique achieve good improvements in convergence time over the ordinary LMS algorithm. The two systems were compared on full mathematical and simulation basis. Learning curves for adaptive channel equalization and adaptive channel estimation using wavelet packet transform with different mother functions, different level decompositions, different step sizes, different levels of signal to noise ratio, different telephone channels and different filter sizes were compared with conventional LMS adaptive channel equalization and channel estimation. The simulation results carried out using the MATLAB package version 6.1, demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed technique

A Survey on the Use of Plastic versus Biodegradable Bottles for Drinking Water Packaging in the United Arab Emirates

Due to intensive utilization and extensive production, plastic waste is becoming a serious threat to the environment and human health. The situation is even worse in countries such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where single-use plastic water bottles add to the load of plastic pollution. The main objective of this survey was to assess the extent of bottled water utilization by the UAE residents and their awareness of the environmental concerns arising from single-use plastic bottles. The aim was also to evaluate their willingness to shift towards using biodegradable plastic bottles. This study involved the feedback of 2589 respondents living in the UAE. The eigenvalue decomposition (EVD) was applied to determine the most responsible variables explaining the variability of our data set. A chi-square analysis was also used to determine the significance among the responses. Most of the respondents to this survey were UAE nationals (79.8%) of ages ranging from 21 to 35 years (42%), who were educated, with most holding a university degree (69.6%). Regardless of their gender, age, occupation, education, and income, a large group of respondents (40.7%) was concerned about the impact of their purchased items on the environment; however, the frequency of plastic products recycled was observed to be low (49.7%). According to the findings of this survey, 42.4% of the respondents were likely to purchase 100% biodegradable bottles, and about 70% of the respondents expressed a willingness to spend at least AED 1 more for purchasing 100% biodegradable bottles

Narghile (water pipe) smoking among university students in Jordan: prevalence, pattern and beliefs

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background and objectives</p> <p>Narghile is becoming the favorite form of tobacco use by youth globally. This problem has received more attention in recent years. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and pattern of narghile use among students in three public Jordanian universities; to assess their beliefs about narghile's adverse health consequences; and to evaluate their awareness of oral health and oral hygiene.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The study was a cross-sectional survey of university students. A self-administered, anonymous questionnaire was distributed randomly to university students in three public Jordanian universities during December, 2008. The questionnaire was designed to ask specific questions that are related to smoking in general, and to narghile smoking in specific. There were also questions about oral health awareness and oral hygiene practices.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>36.8% of the surveyed sample indicated they were smokers comprising 61.9% of the male students and 10.7% of the female students in the study sample. Cigarettes and narghile were the preferred smoking methods among male students (42%). On the other hand, female students preferred narghile only (53%). Parental smoking status but not their educational level was associated with the students smoking status. Smokers had also significantly poor dental attendance and poor oral hygiene habits.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study confirmed the spreading narghile epidemic among young people in Jordan like the neighboring countries of the Eastern Mediterranean region. Alarming signs were the poor oral health awareness among students particularly smokers.</p

Innovative geopolymer-based cold asphalt emulsion mixture as eco-friendly material

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in cold asphalt emulsion mixture (CAEM) due to its numerous advantages, including reduced CO2 emissions, energy savings, and improved safety during construction and application. However, CAEM has often been considered inferior to hot mix asphalt (HMA) in terms of performance. To address this issue and achieve desirable performance characteristics, researchers have been exploring the modification of CAEM using high-cost additives like ordinary Portland cement. In this study, the focus was on investigating the effects of utilizing waste alkaline Ca(OH)2 solution, ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBFS), and calcium carbide residue (CCR) as modifiers to enhance the properties of CAEM. The aim was to develop an innovative geopolymer geopolymer-based cold asphalt emulsion mixture (GCAE). The results of the study revealed that the use of waste alkaline Ca(OH)2 solution led to an increase in early hydration, which was confirmed through scanning electron microscopy. Furthermore, the experimental findings demonstrated that waste alkaline Ca(OH)2 solution significantly contributed to the rapid development of early-age strength in GCAE. As a result, GCAE showed great potential for utilization in pavement applications, particularly for roads subjected to harsh service conditions involving moisture and temperature. By exploring these alternative modifiers, the study highlights a promising avenue for enhancing the performance of CAEM and potentially reducing the reliance on expensive additives like ordinary Portland cement. The development of GCAE has the potential to offer improved performance and durability in pavement applications, thus contributing to sustainable and efficient road infrastructure