thermogram Breast Cancer Detection : a comparative study of two machine learning techniques

Breast cancer is considered one of the major threats for women’s health all over the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that 1 in every 12 women could be subject to a breast abnormality during her lifetime. To increase survival rates, it is found that it is very effective to early detect breast cancer. Mammography-based breast cancer screening is the leading technology to achieve this aim. However, it still can not deal with patients with dense breast nor with tumor size less than 2 mm. Thermography-based breast cancer approach can address these problems. In this paper, a thermogram-based breast cancer detection approach is proposed. This approach consists of four phases: (1) Image Pre-processing using homomorphic filtering, top-hat transform and adaptive histogram equalization, (2) ROI Segmentation using binary masking and K-mean clustering, (3) feature extraction using signature boundary, and (4) classification in which two classifiers, Extreme Learning Machine (ELM) and Multilayer Perceptron (MLP), were used and compared. The proposed approach is evaluated using the public dataset, DMR-IR. Various experiment scenarios (e.g., integration between geometrical feature extraction, and textural features extraction) were designed and evaluated using different measurements (i.e., accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity). The results showed that ELM-based results were better than MLP-based ones with more than 19%

The impact of legal responsibility of external auditors on auditing quality and investment level

This thesis was submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University London.This research aims to study the effects of legal liability rules on auditing quality in order to devise and implement a guideline for the optimal liability rules that can be applied to the auditing profession within society, and thus encourage investment. In an emerging market like Kuwait state, there is a weakness in the legal system, which may cause users to place less reliance on financial reports and auditing services. This environment does not encourage investment. The position in Kuwait state will be studied as an example of how emerging economies can add to the understanding of the role of the auditor, for the purposes of improving audit quality and encouraging a greater amount of investment. Where this position can be understood, this study gives a strong impression of how the legal liability of external auditors can impact on the auditing quality and, importantly, the chances of obtaining investment. For this reason the study is applied in Kuwait state. This research differs from the other literature in several important ways. First, the study has been performed in an environment of weak governance. Second, it studies the effects of the civil legal liability system from two views at the same time, so the research is carried out in relation to two different sides: first, the demand side of the auditing services represented by the users of financial information; and second, the supply side of the auditing services represented by the auditors. This has been done through two questionnaires, one distributed for each side. The results of users' questionnaire revealed that the existence of civil legal liability will increase the demand for auditing service. Also, consideration is directed towards the main determinant of auditing quality, which is the legal liability system, more so than other factors. As well as, through increasing auditor liability, trust in financial information will be enhanced, subsequently prompting investment within society. Moreover, the users, besides their needs for auditing services, require auditors to provide collateral for their investment process in order to increase their investment level. On other side, the results of auditors' questionnaire detected that the auditors hold the view that the demand for auditing services by companies will not be affected by the existence or non-existence of the liability rules. However, auditors believe that the existence of legal liability rules will make financial statement users more trustful in financial information, thereby increasing the number of users of audited financial reports. Also, the auditors do not agree that their liability should be increased since this will make auditing services more costly through the need to collect more evidence, increase the time of auditing, increase the sample size, etc. The increase in liability will also limit their acceptance of risky clients, make them increase their efforts, and due care. Furthermore, the introduction of legal liability may cause them to reduce their supply of audit services. Finally, a statistical test is carried out to compare the answers of the two groups. It is found that there are differences in views concerning the effects of the existence of legal liability on the demand for auditing. As well as, there are differences regarding their preferences about the alternative civil legal rules. The results of this study will help legislators by comparing the effects of available legal rules on audit quality and investment level. Accordingly, legislators can select the appropriate legal structure for auditors’ liability that achieves benefits to the business environment

The Impact of Strategic Leadership on the Employees' Creativity Atprivate Hospitals in Palestine: a Case Study

Purpose: The aim of this research is to investigate the effect of strategic leadership on the employees' creativity at private hospitals in Nablus in Palestine. The study problem is the lack of the number of studies concerning the same topic in the private sector in Palestine. Thus, it was essential to conduct a new study about this topic.   Theoretical Framework:  It is taken out of the topics of strategic leadership and employees' creativity. This framework aims at providing understanding on how this strategic leadershipeffects on the employees' creativity in their work place.   Methodology: The required information and some certain specific data have been collected via e-mails and social media. A scale was adopted from a sample of 30 respondents through online and social media. The methodof thisstudyisquantitative, andthe respondents' answers werediscussed and analyzed by applyingSPSS statistical program.   Results: Thefindingsofthetopicshowedthatthereare positive relationships between the employees' creativity and the strategic leadership in their work place.   Research Implications: The study investigates the impact of strategic leadership and the employees' creativity inside their organizations. The results of this study are helpful for the new researchers who would like to conduct more studies regarding the same topic in private or public sectors in Palestinian cities. It added more contributions to the field of this topic.   Originality: This research is considered a positive attempt to reinforce the importance of strategic leadership in private sector institutions in order to discover the actual effect of strategic leadership on the employees' creativity and their performance.

Islamic education elementary teachers’ degree of using e-learning skills in their teaching process, and its relationship with some variables, in Hail Region

This study aimed at identifying the Islamic education elementary teachers’ degree of using e-learning skills in their teaching process, and its relationship with some variables in Hail Region. And to achieve the objectives of the study; the researcher had used a questionnaire consisted of (33) statements covering two fields, and it has been applied to a sample of 90 male and female teachers during the first academic semester 2015/2016. The study results showed that the degree of possession of e-learning skills that the teachers of Islamic education have in the elementary stage in their teaching came significantly, and also showed that there are no statically significant differences due to gender and  teaching experience variables, and in the light of the study results the researcher presented a set of recommendations which will hopefully benefit the decision makers of educational policy, curriculum and teachers in schools for the universal use of e-learning in the educational system learning-processes, including the importance of mobilizing schools with capabilities that allows the use of innovative e-learning processing, and holding training courses for all teachers, through which they are updated on the newest techniques in the field of using e-learning.

EXPLORING SERVICE QUALITY IN THE ISLAMIC BANKING INDUSTRY IN KUWAIT: ANALYSIS OF CUSTOMER PERCEPTIONS

Service quality management is an important organizational factor, through which organizations differentiate themselves, compete, and take the lead in the marketplace. It is even more challenging for banks and financial services which, by and large, offer products and services that are difficult for customers to differentiate. Improvements in service quality are expected to increase customer satisfaction, which, in turn, will increase the banks’ ability to retain their customers, broaden their market share, and increase profitability. This study, hence, is an attempt to measure the perceived service quality of three Islamic banks in Kuwait; Kuwait Finance House, Kuwait International Bank, and Boubyan Bank. Additional dimensions are added to the service quality model (SERVQUAL) to measure the perceived service quality and the customers’ perceptions. Dimensions such as; Shari’ah compliancy, the competitiveness between Islamic banks in Kuwait, the technology factors, and the general customer satisfaction were incorporated to the respective model. The study aims to identify those dimensions that influence the level of customers’ perceptions in the sampled banks, examine the effect of service quality on customer satisfaction and assess the correlation between the Islamic banking variables and the SERQUAL dimensions. To attain these aims the study utilized a sample of 700 responses across the three Islamic banks. The study findings demonstrate an above-average level of satisfaction among the Islamic banks’ customers. ‘Compliance’, ‘empathy’, and ‘assurance’ were the most important dimensions as perceived by the Islamic banks customers in Kuwait. The results showed a significant relationship between customer satisfaction and some of the modified SERVQUAL dimensions namely; ‘empathy’, ‘assurance’, ‘compliance’, and ‘competitiveness’. The study also found that demographic factors have significant effect on the perceptions of service quality in Kuwaiti Islamic banks. Based on these results and findings, it could be concluded that in Kuwaiti Islamic banks customers are satisfied with the quality of services depending on their bank being Shari’ah-compliant and assured to deliver the promised services, employees being considerate and understanding, and finally being competitive by offering the best service with competitive charges. The study also confirmed that the avoidance of interest and other religious motives are the most important reasons why customers prefer to patronize the Islamic banks in Kuwait in general. However, when testing each bank individually, differences accrued in ranking the religious factor and being compliant with Islamic Shari’ah principles. The results are expected to provide both theoretical and practical contributions in the area of service quality management and customer behavior in Islamic banking. The overall findings are important for service quality managers to identify efficient and effective approaches for improving quality in their banks

Refurbishment Model for Qatari Neighborhoods

Present a model that remedies root causes of sustainability and livability issues as they are not tackledin Qatar’s current urban development plans with relation to the most basic unit of urbanism: theneighborhood. The developed model presents modifications to Al-Markhiya in short-, medium-, andlong-term implementation phases that include typical characteristics applicable to any Dohaneighborhood so that they could be easily adopted by municipalities as well as local communities.Developed model received favorable feedback when presented to a group of environmental and urbanplanning experts at the frontlines of developing and updating Qatar National Master Plan and detailsof urban planning regulations to poll their views on its applicability for greater. This study is expectedto influence decision makers in Qatar to pay the required attention to the enhancement ofneighborhood sustainability and livability. This model may be the stepping stone to future strategiesand plans of refurbishment as the next national goal post the World Cup to be hosted in 2022

The Challenges Faced by the Parents of Autistic Children in Jordan

The present study aimed to explore the challenges faced by the parents of autistic children in Jordan. The researcher adopted a descriptive analytical approach. He selected a purposive sample that consists from 8 mothers and 6 fathers who have autistic children. Those parents were selected from a private centre for autism in Amman, Jordan. They were contacted and interviewed via the phone. Their answers were analysed. It was found that the parents of autistic children in Jordan face financial, social, marital and psychological challenges. For instance, some respondents suggested that providing special education is costly. Some respondents suggested that it’s difficult for them to engage in social events and make visits to their friends and relatives. Some respondents suffer from stress. Some respondents reported that their children were misdiagnosed. The researcher recommends conducting studies about the impact of having an autistic child on siblings in Jordan. Keywords: Challenges, autistic children, autism, Jordan, parents DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-28-09 Publication date:October 31st 202