The Impacts of WTO and Water Policy Changes on Saudi Arabian Agriculture: Results from an Equilibrium Displacement Model

Saudi Arabia's food consumption has grown dramatically over time. There has been a sharp increase in food consumption and significant changes in the composition of food consumed. Therefore, it is important that the government of Saudi Arabia anticipate further effects of these changes on growth of food demand and focus on food policies that contribute to development goals. On the other hand, limited agricultural productivity and the nature of the country's climatic conditions have constrained agricultural production. This restricted growth in production, combined with population growth, has led Saudi Arabia to depend heavily on food imports to cover the gap between domestic demand and local production. The increased reliance on imports as a source of food will increase the country's import demand. These main problems facing the Saudi agricultural sector suggest the need for an analytical framework that can evaluate effects of policy and resource change on imports, local production and local demand simultaneously. Ideally, the framework should account for substitution and income effects across products that might arise from changes in consumption and production patterns. This is the main objective of this paper.Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Parries to Parental Involvement in Kindergarten Activities from Perspective of Kindergarten’s School Administration and Teachers in Al Ain

The current study aims at analyzing parental involvement barriers in kindergarten (KG) activities from the perception of school administration and teachers in AI-Ain Kindergartens. It identified, examined and analyzed the school administration and teacher perceptions on barriers that hinder parental involvement in kindergarten activities. A special focus had been paid to obstacles that prevent parents from participating in kindergarten activities based on four categories that included factors related to regulations, administration, teachers and parents. This study used a survey questionnaire to gain its data targeting a sample population of 329 respondents that includes all the teachers and administrators of Al Ain KG schools. Responses were analyzed using a five point Likert scale that ranged from strongly agree (5) to strongly disagree (1). Results were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Major of the research findings related to barriers indicated four barriers the first, barrier related to regulations category, which includes missing of social worker, interpreters for the English Medium Teachers (EMT’s), and the lack of coordination between meetings in different stages of schools. The second barrier related to administration that includes lack of providing training and assistance programs for parents and lack of communication in terms of informing parents about the parents-teacher meetings or events. The third barrier related to teacher is the feedback as there is teachers have provided no clear feedback to parents concerning their children\u27s performance and cultural gap. The fourth barrier related to the parent themselves which includes, lack of transportation shortage of knowledge, time constrains related to working parents, personal responsibilities, language barriers deficit communication and divorced parents. As a result, it is recommended that using modem technology to communicate with parents, providing them with continuous feedback to meet their satisfaction levels, engaging them in the KG activities and responsibilities, providing transportation, and allocating a day for fathers to participate, attracting elderly parents to participate in school and teach children about heritage, culture, traditional terms, and habit and behavior could help in overcoming barriers to parental involvement

Theoretical background of rock failure at hydraulic seam fracture and aftereffect analysis

Purpose. Theoretical substantiation of the methodological foundations of possible effects and aftereffects identification of the hydraulic seam fracture (HSF) technology. Methods. The research structure and procedure includes: studying the power engineering aspect of the rock failure, the acoustical wave effects; thermodynamic analysis of rock failure, analysis of surfaces mechanoactivation at rock failure and aftereffect of the primary pore space self-development at the HSF due to the Rebinder’s effect. Findings. It was established that among the fundamental consistent patterns that determine the formation and development of the HSF technology aftereffects during formations mining, are the methodological provisions and criteria for failure parameters prediction and grinding effects, namely: the average and local energy density of geoenvironment destruction, efficiency of grinding, the average particle and pore size, the specific surface area, the specific energy consumption per unit of the resulting surface. The connection between the parameters of the acoustic wave and the size of the fractures, which forms the basis of the acoustic emission (AE) method, is experimentally confirmed. Originality. It is established that the database for evaluating the expected fracture effects in the working zone of the HSF is: AE activity, specific acoustic radiation, spectrum of signals, characteristic amplitudes under the condition of physical modeling on the model samples of the geoenvironment behavior. It is shown that the critical state of a substance corresponding to the beginning of failure at the microlevel should be considered from the standpoint of thermodynamics as a phase change (evaporation, sublimation) near the critical point, based on the temperature critical values and the specific energy of the phase change. The presence of surfaces mechanoactivation in the rock failure is experimentally proved. The hypothesis concerning the rock pore space development aftereffect during hydraulic seam fracture due to the Rebinder’s effect is presented. Practical implications. It is proposed to size up the degree of geoenvironment destruction in the process of the HSF by the Kd parameter, which is equal to the product of the maximum amplitude of acoustic signals on the total acoustic activity of the destruction zone. It is established that the conditions for rock failure at the HSF are determined by the relationship between the rock pressure P and the volume energy density W of the failure. It is shown that the level of surfaces mechanoactivation can be estimated by adsorption characteristics – the adsorption potential and the pH of the newly discovered surfaces.Мета. Теоретичне обґрунтування методологічних основ встановлення умов прояву можливих ефектів і пост-ефектів технології гідравлічного розриву пласта (ГРП). Методика. Структура та послідовність проведення дослідження включає вивчення енергетичного аспекту руйнування гірського масиву, дії акустичних хвиль, термодинамічний аналіз руйнування гірського масиву, аналіз механоактивації поверхонь при руйнуванні гірського масиву та пост-ефекту саморозвитку первинного пористого простору ГРП внаслідок дії ефекту Ребіндера. Застосовано метод акустичної емісії, потенціометрії та рН-метрії. Результати. Встановлено, що до числа фундаментальних закономірностей, які визначають формування і розвиток пост-ефектів технології ГРП при відпрацюванні продуктивних пластів, відносяться методичні положення й критерії для прогнозу показників руйнування та ефектів подрібнення, а саме: середньої та локальної густини енергії при руйнуванні геосередовища, ККД подрібнення, середній розмір часток і пор, питома поверхня, питомі витрати енергії на одиницю одержаної поверхні. Експериментально підтверджений зв’язок між параметрами акустичної хвилі та розміром тріщин, що складає основу методу акустичної емісії (АЕ). Наукова новизна. Встановлено, що базу інформації для оцінки очікуваних у робочій зоні ГРП ефектів руйнувань складають активність АЕ, питоме акустичне випромінювання, спектр сигналів, характерні амплітуди за умови фізичного моделювання поведінки геосередовища на модельних зразках. Визначено, що граничний стан речовини, що відповідає початку руйнування на мікрорівні, слід розглядати з позицій термодинаміки як фазовий перехід (випаровування, сублімація) поблизу критичної точки, виходячи із критичних значень температури і питомої енергії фазового переходу. Експериментально доведено наявність механоактивації поверхонь при руйнуванні гірського масиву. Висунута гіпотеза щодо пост-ефекту розвитку пористого простору гірського масиву при ГРП у контексті дії ефекту Ребіндера. Практична значимість. Запропоновано оцінювати ступінь руйнування геосередовища у процесі ГРП показником Кр, що дорівнює добутку максимальної амплітуди акустичних сигналів на сумарну акустичну активність зони руйнування. Встановлено, що умови руйнування гірського масиву при ГРП детермінуються співвідношенням між гірським тиском Р і об’ємною густиною енергії W деформації. Показано, що ступінь механоактивації поверхонь може бути оцінена за характеристиками адсорбції – потенціалом адсорбції та показником рН нововідкритих поверхонь.Цель. Теоретическое обоснование методологических основ установления условий проявления возможных эффектов и пост-эффектов технологии гидравлического разрыва пласта (ГРП). Методика. Структура и последовательность проведения исследования включает изучение энергетического аспекта разрушения горного массива, действия акустических волн, термодинамический анализ разрушения горного массива, анализ механоактивации поверхностей при разрушении горного массива и пост-эффекта саморазвития первичного пористого прострагства ГРП в результате действия эффекта Ребиндера. Применен метод акустической эмиссии, потенциометрии и рН-метрии. Результаты. Установлено, что к числу фундаментальных закономерностей, определяющих формирование и развитие пост-эффектов технологии ГРП при отработке продуктивных пластов, относятся методические положения и критерии для прогноза показателей разрушения и эффектов измельчения, а именно: средней и локальной плотности энергии при разрушении геосреды, КПД измельчения, средний размер частиц и пор, удельная поверхность, удельные затраты энергии на единицу полученной поверхности. Экспериментально подтверждена связь между параметрами акустической волны и размером трещин, что составляет основу метода акустической эмиссии (АЭ). Научная новизна. Установлено, что базу информации для оценки ожидаемых в рабочей зоне ГРП эффектов разрушений составляют актитивность АЭ, удельное акустическое излучение, спектр сигналов, характерные амплитуды при условии физического моделирования поведения геосреды на модельных образцах. Определено, что предельное состояние вещества, отвечающее началу разрушения на микроуровне, следует рассматривать с позиций термодинамики как фазовый переход (испарение, сублимация) вблизи критической точки, исходя из критических значений температуры и удельной энергии фазового перехода. Экспериментально доказано наличие механоактивации поверхностей при разрушении горного массива. Выдвинута гипотеза относительно пост-эффекта развития пористого пространства горного массива при ГРП в контексте действия эффекта Ребиндера. Практическая значимость. Предложено оценивать степень разрушения геосреды в процессе ГРП показателем Кр, который равен произведению максимальной амплитуды акустических сигналов на суммарную акустическую активность зоны разрушения. Установлено, что условия разрушения горного массива при ГРП детерминируются соотношением между горным давлением Р и объемной плотностью энергии W деформации. Показано, что степень механоактивации поверхностей может быть оценен по характеристикам адсорбции – потенциалом адсорбции и показателем рН новооткрытых поверхностей.The authors express their gratitude to Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Vilian Mykolayovych Bovenko for valuable advices when conducting research. In addition, thanks to Doctor of Engineering Sciences Anatolii Dmytrovych Aleksieiev for the opportunity to use a unique research unit of non-uniform triaxial load and research method revision. The authors thank to Candidate of Engineering Sciences Iryna Mykhailivna Yuriivska for consultations on the use of her original method of mechanoactivation study

Towards a user-centric mobile government in Jordan

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.Mobile government (M-Government) is an evolving delivery channel for governments to provide timely information and services ubiquitously to residents, businesses and other government departments through mobile devices. Developing countries have a higher mobile penetration rate than the fixed-line Internet rates, which opens doors of opportunities for these countries to bridge the digital gap and gain a better reach through M-Government. Jordan has realised the potential of M-Government and launched the E-Government Mobile Portal on the 18th of April, 2011. This thesis uses a mixed-method approach comprising surveys, interviews, meta-analysis and focus groups. The findings show that the critical success factors for M-government from the users’ perspective are the following: user acceptance, security, privacy, trust, cost, mobile device limitations, usability, availability of services, broadband and content. The findings also show that there are ’high effect’ success factors in addition to the critical ones which are the following : mobile payment system, accessibility, awareness, education, reliability, legal issues and mobile penetration. Additionally, this thesis also proposes a success framework for M-Government that provides practical strategies to tackle each success factor. Furthermore, it recommends an M-Government user-centric road map with implementation stages aiming to assist the Jordanian Government and other governments in tackling each success factor in order to ensure a successful implementation of M-Government

Phase behaviour studies related to biodiesel production using supercritical methanol

Biodiesel is a promising renewable and sustainable fuel that can replace fossil fuels. Among the different techniques used to produce biodiesel, the transesterification process is currently the preferred method. The conventional transesterification process is based on acid-base catalysis, but this technique has many drawbacks including a requirement for high-purity feedstocks, and costly pre-treatment and downstream processes. A recent alternative process, using a supercritical alcohol (preferably methanol) without a catalyst, may offer some advantages. This process can utilise a wide range of potential feedstocks (especially wastes), shows high production efficiency, and requires only simple post-processing. However, this technique requires conditions of high temperature and high pressure which increase the utility costs and may restrict the economic feasibility and sustainability of the process. In order to fully explore these issues and to optimise the process conditions, better understanding of the phase behaviour of the mixtures involved in the biodiesel process is required. The components of interest include fatty acids, esters alcohols and co-solvent such as carbon dioxide and the conditions include high pressures and wide ranges of temperature. Phase equilibrium studies on systems relevant to biodiesel production with supercritical methanol available in the literature are very limited. The principal focus of this project is the experimental investigation of the phase behaviour of representative mixtures with small molecular chains, which exist during biodiesel production, over wide ranges of temperatures and pressures. In addition to the experimental work, the research will include both modelling works on the mixtures of interest supported by a simulation for the process using gPROMS, a simulation tool developed by Process Systems Enterprise (PSE) company. In this project, new fluid-phase equilibrium measurements have been carried out on two relevant representative binary systems: (methyl propanoate + carbon dioxide) and (butanoic acid + carbon dioxide) using a high-pressure quasi-static analytical apparatus with compositional analysis using a gas chromatography. The measurements for the (methyl propanoate + carbon dioxide) mixture were made along six isotherms at temperatures from (298.15 to 423.15) K and at pressures up to near the mixture critical pressure at each temperature while for the mixture (butanoic acid + carbon dioxide) the measurements were made along eight isotherms at temperatures from (323.13 to 423.2) K and pressures up to the mixture critical pressures. Vapour-liquid equilibrium (VLE) data obtained for the mixtures have been compared with the predictions of SAFT- Mie model, a group-contribution version of the Statistical Associating Fluid Theory (SAFT). The group interaction parameters in SAFT- Mie reported in literature have been revised by fitting to the new experimental VLE data. After parameters optimisation, the model was found to be in a good agreement with the measured VLE data for both bubble and dew points. The experimental data were also compared with the description of Peng Robinson equation of state (PR EoS) combined with the classical one-fluid mixing rules integrating one temperature-independent binary interaction parameter for (methyl propanoate + carbon dioxide) system and two temperature-independent binary interaction parameters for (butanoic acid + carbon dioxide) system. The results after tuning show that the PR EoS can also predict well the system measured data, except in the critical regions in which PR EoS shows overprediction. Furthermore, the phase equilibria of (methyl propanoate + propionic acid + carbon dioxide), (tert-butanol + water + carbon dioxide) and (toluene + water + carbon dioxide) ternary systems were studied by the means of the high-pressure quasi-static analytical apparatus. Compositions of present phases coexisting in vapour-liquid equilibrium (VLE) for (methyl propanoate + propionic acid + carbon dioxide) mixture were measured along six isotherms at temperatures from (323.12 to 423.11) K and pressures from (1 to 20) MPa at equal feed molar ratio of (methyl propanoate + propionic acid). Phase behaviour measurements were also collected at different compositions of the mixture (methyl propanoate + propionic acid) at fixed temperatures and pressures. Compositions of coexisting phases of the ternary system (tert-butanol + carbon dioxide + water) have been obtained along five isotherms at temperatures of (283.2, 298.18, 323.13, 373.10 and 423.17) K and at pressures of (4.0, 8.0, 12.0 and 18.0) MPa with different known feed compositions of (tert-butanol + water) while the phase behaviour of the system (toluene + water + carbon dioxide) was investigated along four isotherms at temperatures from (338.15 to 413.15) K and pressures up to the upper critical end point (UCEP). The data obtained for the ternary mixtures have been compared with the descriptions of SAFT- Mie and PR equation of states. Other cross interactions available in biodiesel systems such as (COOH - CH3OH), (OH_Gl - CH3OH), (CO2 - CH=), (CH3OH - CH=), (COOH - CH=) and (H2O - CH=) were estimated in this work by regression to fluid-phase behaviour data published in literature. The comparison between the predictions of SAFT- Mie reported in literature and those of SAFT- Mie after refining the parameters were shown. Preliminary designs of one-step process (transesterification) and two-step processes (hydrolysis and esterification) for biodiesel production under supercritical conditions were suggested and simulated using gPROMS ProcessBuilder software. The CO2 co-solvent effect on the one-step process based on literature data was also examined by a process flowsheet. The research including new phase behaviour measurements, modelling and gPROMS simulation is expected to contribute to optimisation of biodiesel production processes.Open Acces

Removing of Hexavalent Chromium from Aqueous Solutions Using Dried Yogurt, and Studying Isotherm, Kinetic and Thermodynamic Parameters

في هذه الدراسة، تم تجفيف الزبادي وطحنه، ثم شطفهِ بالماء المقطر بالهزاز لإزالة المواد الذائبة وتجفيفه وطحنه ثانيةً. أُجريت مجموعة تجارب لإزالة الكروم السداسي التكافؤ من المحاليل المائية. تم دراسة تأثير عوامل مختلفة على النسبة المئوية لإزالة الكروم السداسي مثل كمية المادة المازة والزمن ودرجة الحموضة وتركيز المادة الممتزة. حُسِبَ تركيز الكروم السداسي في المحاليل بواسطة مطياف الاشعة فوق البنفسجية - المرئية. أعلى نسبة مئوية لإزالة الكروم السداسي كانت 82٪ عند الرقم الهيدروجيني 2. تم اختبار اثنين من ايزوثيرمات الاتزان وهي لانكماير وفريندلج، اظهرت نتائج دراسة الايزوثيرم الاطاعة بشكل اكبر لنموذج فرينلج. كما تم تطبيق نموذجين لحركية إمتزاز أيونات الكروم السداسي على المادة المازَة وهما الرتبة الأولى الكاذبة والرتبة الثانية الكاذبة على التوالي. اظهرت نتائج دراسة الحركية ان الرتبة الثانية الكاذبة اكثر إنطباقاً على البيانات التجريبية. وتم إحتساب بعض القيم الثرموديناميكية مثل التغيرات في الطاقة الحرة والانثالبي والانتروبي وكانت قيم التغيرات في الانثالبي والانتروبي لهذه الدراسة سالبة يشير ذلك إلى أن العملية طاردة للحرارة، بينما تشير القيم السلبية للتغير في الطاقة الحرة  إن العملية تلقائية.     In this study, Yogurt was dried and milled, then shaked with distilled water to remove the soluble materials, then again dried and milled. Batch experiments were carried out to remove hexavalent chromium from aqueous solutions. Different parameters were optimized such as amount of adsorbent, treatment time, pH and concentration of adsorbate. The concentrations of Cr6+ in solutions are determined by UV-Visible spectrophotometer.  Maximum percentage removal of Cr6+ was 82% at pH 2. Two equilibrium adsorption isotherms mechanisms are tested Langmuir and Freundlich, the results showed that the isotherm obeyed to Freundlich isotherm. Kinetic models were applied to the adsorption of Cr6+ ions on the adsorbents, pseudo-first-order, the pseudo second-order respectively. Results showed that pseudo second-order kinetic model was applicable to the experimental data well. The thermodynamic parameters such as ΔGº, ΔHº and ΔSº were calculated. ∆H°, ∆S° and ΔGº for this study were negative indicating that the process is exothermic, while negative values of ΔGº indicate spontaneous process

Freedom of speech as a universal value (a comparative approach from international human rights law, the first amendment, and Islamic law)

The issue of universalism in the human right of freedom of speech is one of several that continue to be debated among Muslims and Westerners. As evidence of incompatibility of Islamic law with the international law of freedom of speech, Westerners, on the basis of Muslims' reactions towards the Satanic Verses and Danish cartoons, point to the blasphemy law in Islam (Sab Allah wa Sab al-Rasul). Four other controversial areas are often raised as an indication of differences between these two laws, namely, speech threatening nation security (Fitnah), defamatory speech (Qadhf and Iftira), obscenity (al-Fihsh), and hate speech. This study examines the important question of whether or not the Islamic law of freedom of speech is compatible with the international law of freedom of speech. The study argues that the Islamic law of freedom of speech is not contrary to the international law of freedom of speech, represented in two of the most significant legal sources of the right to freedom of speech, namely, Article 19 of the ICCPR and Article 10 of the ECHR, both based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which this study presumes to be the standard of the human right of freedom of speech. Rather, the study goes further and concludes that Islamic law, as embedded in the Quran and Sunnah, urges the international concept of freedom of speech and calls for it. This compatibility between Islamic law, on the one hand, and international law, on the other, is not restricted to the level of the concept of freedom of speech. Rather, even the interpretation and application of freedom of speech in the light of Islamic law are, to a considerable degree, consistent with the interpretation and application of the international law of freedom of speech by the Human Rights Committee and European Court. Although there are some differences in interpretation and implementation of moral limitations on freedom of speech between Islamic Law and the international law of freedom of speech, this does not create a general state of dissonance between them. The study argues that such differences are even more pronounced among liberal democracies. In order to demonstrate the differences among liberal democracies in this regard, American law of freedom of speech (the First Amendment) is analysed in depth. The discussion of these free speech laws reveals that although there is universality of freedom of speech among liberal democracies (which refers to the universal quality or global acceptance of the idea of freedom of speech), universalism in the right to free speech (referring to a universally applicable interpretation of freedom of speech) has not been achieved

Predictors of Compliance and Predictive Values of the Breast Cancer Screening Program of the Oman Cancer Association (2009-2016)

Background: Most breast cancers in Oman are diagnosed at advanced stages and therefore early detection is important. The Oman Cancer Association (OCA) initiated a mobile mammography program in 2009 but no studies have evaluated the impact of the program. This study aimed to estimate the proportion of OCA-screened women who had repeated mammography (compliance) and the associated predictors. The sensitivity and specificity of the program were also evaluated. Methods: Data for 13,079 women screened in the mammography clinic of OCA from 2009-2016 and medical records of all breast cancer patients seen at Royal and Sultan Qaboos University hospitals during the same period were retrieved and abstracted. Data included demographics and screening results from OCA and diagnosis and treatment from the two hospitals. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify predictors of compliance. Results: A total of 8,278 screened women over age 42 years were in the study (median age 50 years, standard deviation (SD) 8 years). Only 18% of screened women were compliant with mammography screening. Predictors of compliance included age 50-69 years, family history of cancer, family history of breast cancer, and breast self-examination. The cancer detection rate was 4.1/1000 screened women. Positive predictive value of screening mammography was 4.7% with a sensitivity rate of 53% and specificity of 92%. Conclusion: This study showed low mammography compliance rate among previously screened women. The study revealed low sensitivity, high specificity, and acceptable cancer detection rate. Future programs should focus on improving data collection for screened women, initiating linkage of databases between breast cancer screening and treatment clinics, and developing guidelines and policies for breast cancer screening in Oman

Towards a Shared Vision on International Agricultural Research

Opening statement at the Global Forum on Agricultural Research held during CGIAR International Centers Week, October-November 1996, by IFAD President and GFAR Chairman Fawzi H. Al-Sulta