Modeling of Cyclic Water Injection, East Unity Oil Field – Sudan

In this study cyclic water flooding method using numerical model was tested in a middle to a high permeability zones and compared with the actual water injection method used in the field. The study was carried out on a Sudanese oil reservoir which resulted of fluvial and lacustrine deposition. The field is a highly complex anticline with major flanking faults extended to east and west. The reservoir highly heterogeneous is characterized by mid to high porosity and permeability. The actual water injection method used in East Unity is a continuous method (twelve months per year) through a three injection wells. In this study, cyclic water injection was evaluated in Aradeiba formation simulating several cyclic water injection scenarios by "injection/no injection" time ratios such as 2:1, 1:1, and 1:2. Improved sweep, accelerated oil production, and reduced water-cut were the main advantages that could be obtained from cyclic waterflooding. The total oil production was predicted to show an increase of 2% from the targeted reservoirs after 10 years, while the cumulative water injection is expected to decrease by 15 – 18%. However, 28.22% of the oil in the area can be produced during 10 years using the scenario 2:1 which is expected to result in an increase of 2.54% compared with the water injection method used

Digital Rights Management, Intellectual Property Rights Protection and Economic development: The case of digital piracy in the South Mediterranean countries

Abstract: The potential benefits that could be gained from information technologies in South Mediterranean economies are constrained by both DRM and institutional protection related to Intellectual Property Rights. But, pervasive piracy can appear to be a major obstacle to access these benefits. This paper through a simplified theoretical decision model attempts to suggest foundations to reveal levels of protection rates. This is followed by an empirical assessment of the likely effects of different macroeconomic variables in the context of selected South Mediterranean countries using software piracy data and the protection rates derived from the above model. This is intended to reveal the most important variables that drive software protection. The results attained show how protection should be strengthened through further investments in knowledge and through openness to foreign direct investments that lead to superior economic outcomes.Key words: DRM; Information and communication technologies; piracy; South Mediterranean economies.

冗長性を活かしたへビ型ロボットの物体操りと関節故障リカバリー制御

京都大学新制・課程博士博士(工学)甲第24322号工博第5071号新制||工||1972(附属図書館)京都大学大学院工学研究科機械理工学専攻(主査)教授 松野 文俊, 教授 藤本 健治, 教授 東 俊一学位規則第4条第1項該当Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering)Kyoto UniversityDGA

Design, Simulation and Modeling of a Micromachined High Temperature Microhotplate for Application in Trace Gas Detection

A microhotplate (MHP) is a basic Microelectromechanical System (MEMS) structure that is used in many applications such as a platform for metal oxide gas sensors, microfluidics and infrared emission. Semiconductor gas sensors usually require high power because of their elevated operating temperatures. The uniformity of the temperature distribution over the sensing area is an important factor in gas detection. There are several silicon micromachined MHP that can easily withstand temperatures between 200°C and 500°C for long periods. However there is no systematic study on the effect of the thickness of the various layers of the MHP on its characteristics at high operating temperatures of up to 700oC with lower power dissipation, lower mechanical displacement and good uniformity of the temperature distribution on the MHP. The MHP for the present study consists of a 100 μm × 100 μm membrane supported by four microbridges of length 113 μm and width 20 μm designed and simulated using CoventorWare. Tetrahedron mesh with 80μm element size is applied to the solid model, while the membrane area is meshed with 5μm element size to obtain accurate FEM simulation results. In the characterization of the MHP, the length and width of the various layers (membrane, heat distributor and sensing film) are fixed while their thicknesses are varied from 0.3 μm to 3 μm to investigate the effect of thickness on the MHP characteristics. At the fixed operation temperature of 700°C, it is shown that as membrane thickness increases, power dissipation, current density, time constant and heat transfer to the silicon substrate increases, while mechanical displacement of the membrane remains constant. When the SiC heat distributor thickness increases, a small increase in power dissipation is observed while the displacement decreases. The temperature gradient on the MHP is found to decrease with increasing thickness of the SiC and is a minimum with a value of 0.005°C/μm for a thickness of 2 μm and above. An optimized MHP device at an operating temperature of 700°C was found to have a low power dissipation of about 9.25 mW, maximum mechanical displacement of 1.2 μm, a temperature gradient of 0.005°C/μm and a short time constant of 0.17 ms

Using Efficient Planning for Achieving Course Learning Outcomes in EFL Classes at Taif University

This study investigates the efficiency and effectiveness of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in planning their lectures. The primary objective is to determine the extent to which teachers at the English Language Center (ELC) at Taif University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, successfully plan their lessons. A questionnaire was administered to a sample of 26 teaching staff, consisting of 13 males and 13 females. The results of a t-test conducted at a significance level of 0.05 reveal that class or lesson planning plays a crucial role in facilitating effective language teaching and learning. Adequate planning enables teachers to make informed decisions about lesson principles and helps in achieving desired learning outcomes. In order to make informed decisions on the selection of topics, scenarios, methods, techniques, and procedures for their courses, educators are required to adopt a systematic approach. Educators have the potential to enhance the quality of their instructional sessions and optimize educational achievements among learners through the conscientious observance of these facets of lesson preparation. This study contributes to the existing literature on EFL teaching practices by providing insights for educators to improve their instructional planning strategies. Overall, the findings emphasize the significance of thorough planning in EFL instruction and highlight its impact on successful teaching and learning experiences

Orthographic Inconsistencies and Their Effect on the Written Text Clarity

This study investigated the orthographic inconsistencies face Sudanese EFL learners and their effect on the written text clarity. Since the two spelling systems of both English and Arabic are quite different, it is expected that these learners will face this problem. The descriptive analytical method was adopted to carry out this study. A questionnaire was designed to include twenty five items administered to ((17 teachers, besides a writing task distributed to (75) secondary schools  students. The collected data was analyzed and interpreted statistically. The result of the analysis indicated that  Sudanese learners made  various spelling errors. This because there was no sufficient exposure to English language spelling. Another important point is that most teachers did not provide their students with the strategies of how to improve their spelling. Based on these results, the study recommends that the teachers should consider the correction of spelling errors as something decisive and should vary their teaching methods and techniques towards effective spelling strategies in use. Keywords: Orthography, Inconsistency, Text clarity, EFL learner

Effects of Escapin Intermediate Products (EIP-K) on Biofilms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Escapin is an L-amino acid oxidase that produces antimicrobial metabolites collectively called “Escapin Intermediate Products” (EIP-K). EIP-K and H2O2 together were previously shown to be bactericidal towards diverse planktonic bacteria. The present work investigates the ability of EIP-K and H2O2 to antagonize bacterial biofilms, using Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a model. The project had three aims: 1) determine the most effective concentrations of EIP-K and H2O2 necessary to break down existing P. aeruginosa biofilms, using a crystal violet assay; 2) examine the ability of EIP-K + H2O2 to inhibit biofilm formation, using triphenyl tetrazolium chloride dye; and 3) determine the effect of EIP-K + H2O2 on the viability, biomass and structure of biofilms cultivated in flow cells using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Results showed that EIP-K + H2O2 significantly reduced biofilm biomass relative to controls and that the compounds are effective at nanomolar concentrations

Achieving Course Learning Outcomes through Efficient Planning of Teaching: A Case Study

Teachers, in general, would face great difficulty in being able to conduct a lesson in such a way, as he/she would not be in a good position to deal with some of the language problems that may arise from unplanned classes; therefore, may lose the their normal running and administration. Thus, the investigator tried to find out to what extent EFL teachers plan their lectures efficiently and successfully. This was carried out by administering a questionnaire handed out to (13) males and (13) females teaching staff at the English Language Center (ELC) in Taif University, KSA. The results of a (T) test performed at the (0.05) significance level suggest that class or lesson planning is crucial for effectual language teaching and learning. It ascertains success for the teacher as well as the learner. It is essential for teachers to draw up a mechanism for making decisions about the principle of their lessons, which enables in achieving learning outcomes. Teachers need to plan for the situations that he or she will teach, and the techniques, methods and procedures he or she will use