STRUCTURE AND STRATIGRAPHY OF THE AJDABIYA TROUGH AREA, EAST SIRT BASIN - LIBYA

The structural style within the deepest parts of the Ajdabiya Trough is defined by a system of Early - Late Cretaceous syn-depositional fault blocks bound by normal faults and basement highs devoid of syn-rift sediments, which are buried under a thick succession of Cenozoic post-rift deposits. The range of fault orientations likely reflects the conflicting influences of the ~NE-SW regional extension direction and the dominant ~N-S trending basement fabric. Mainly NW-trending normal faults dissecting Cretaceous and older rocks have been inferred from 2D seismic reflection and potential field data. Other faults trend NE-SW and E-W, and mainly cut Miocene and older strata. Some of these faults have both sinistral and dextral strike slip components and are possibly linked to on-going seismicity in the Sirt Basin and the Cyrenaica Platform. Vertical displacements on these faults are several hundred meters and are defined by large throws on Cretaceous and underlying horizons. Structural mapping confirms the presence of relay ramps associated with overlapping faults developed in the hangingwalls adjacent to west downthrowing normal faults along the eastern margin of the Ajdabiya Trough. The seismic stratigraphic framework is organised into six mega-sequences that correlate to variations in relative sea-level and/or sediment supply during Late Mesozoic and Cenozoic times. The stratigraphic architecture of the trough is largely influenced by relative sea level changes and minimal tectonic effects during the Cenozoic; observed progradation of the Paleocene, Early and Middle Eocene sequences along the trough margin is attributed to relatively rapid sedimentation rates and relatively slow rates of increase in accommodation space. Depositional environments are interpreted using the resultant facies analysis and the characterisation of the seismic reflections indicated that the geological units were deposited in marginal marine, shallow shelf and moderately deep marine environments. Special consideration is given to the principle of seismic sequence stratigraphy analysis of carbonate depositional systems where the facies group took initially place on a homoclinal ramp which later developed into a rimmed platform. This analysis additionally reveals that similar depositional architectures can be divided into systems tracts. The earliest systems tract of the Lower Eocene sequence is interpreted as lowstand prograding wedge distinguished on the basis of the component facies that indicate the dominant depositional regime. Localized debris flow or mass transport complex formed during early highstand systems tract deposition began during the Middle Eocene. The tectono‐stratigraphic analysis of the Ajdabiya Trough reveals that two major extensional pulses controlled the architecture of the trough during continental rifting with crustal stretching (β) factor ranging from 1.3 to 1.5 consistent with subsidence in the Ajdabiya Trough having been controlled by thermal cooling and isostatic adjustments of the crust beneath the trough. Growth strata within grabens and half-grabens denote persistent tectonic subsidence and demonstrate the progressive depocenter locus migration towards the north. In such a context, the current geometry of the Ajdabiya Trough is interpreted to have resulted mainly from rifting cycles and possible renewed continental extension. The investigations of the tectono‐stratigraphic controls reveal that after a period of relative tectonic quiescence, post‐rift tectonic reactivation affected the Ajdabiya Trough almost continuously since the latest Cretaceous to the Miocene. Burial history curves correlated with one-dimensional back-stripping assuming Airy isostasy shows that Cenozoic subsidence in the Ajdabiya Trough can be divided into three episodes of post-rift subsidence characterized by short and long-lived subsidence pulses and rapid sedimentation rates that may lead to development of overpressure by disequilibrium compaction

Estimating Quality-Affecting Risks in Software Projects

Regardless how much effort we make for the success of software projects, many software projects have very high failure rates and risks during their life. In addition to technical risks, the projects normally suffer from risks caused by management practices and conflicts of interests. Risk is not always avoidable, but it is controllable. The aim of this paper is to improve quality of software projects of the participating companies while estimating the quality–affecting risks in IT software projects. The results showed that there were 40 common risks in software projects of IT companies in Palestine. The amount of technical and non-technical difficulties was very large. Our data showed, once again, that most of the risks were very important. The study has been conducted on a group of managers to improve the probability of project succes

Conditional Residual Time Modelling Using Oil Analysis: A Mixed Condition Information Using Accumulated Metal Concentration and Lubricant Measurements

This paper reports on modelling decision problems associated with condition monitoring by providing some scientific support to maintenance decision making. In this study, a Spectrometric Oil Analysis Programme (SOAP) is used as monitoring measures for diesel engines used in ships. Using the residual time at a monitoring check as the condition of the diesel engines, we seek to establish the relationship between the residual time and the total wear concentrations which are available from SOAP data. These metal concentrations are treated as concomittent variables which are influenced by the residual time. We also used lubricant measurements data acting as covariates that may increase/decrease the residual time. The formula for finding a residual time distribution is presented using a filtering technique and a method for estimating the model parameters is discussed. Once the distribution of the residual time is known, a decision model can be established to recommend the optimal maintenance actions in terms of cost, availability or any criterion of interest

Quality-based Spatial/Spectral Image Transformation

Remote sensing image plays a very important role for GIS services as one of its important data source. It’s very large volume requirement may lead to latency during data transmission. Several alternative solutions are identified as the solution for the issue. This paper is intended to discuss the effect of image compression technique to allow the reduction of the storage and bandwidth requirement at the same time maintaining the quality of the compressed image. An experiment has been performed towards several multispectral images to foresee the effectiveness of the proposed method. The ongoing study shows promising result especially in terms of storage and image quality

Nutrient content in rice husk ash of some malaysian rice varieties

Analysis performed on more than 60 samples of 10 different paddy varieties showed 21.33% of the rough rice comprised rice husk, while 13% of the husk constituted rice husk ash. The nutrient content of rice husk ash was 80.26% silica, 0.38% phosphorus, 1.28% potassium, 0.21% magnesium and 0.56% calcium. Statistically, nutrient composition is significantly influenced by varietal differences. As a potential material for fertilizer use, the estimates of total nutrient supplementation available from rice husk ash per annum are discussed

A Data-driven Prognostic Model for Industrial Equipment using Time Series Prediction Methods

Condition-based maintenance strategy is considered popular and received high demand in industry to ensure high availability and reliability of equipment in the plant. Prognostic is one of an important functions in condition-based maintenance strategy which is used to predict the future condition of the observed and estimate the remaining useful lifetime (RUL) based on the current and historical condition data. Due to the fact that most of the current automated equipment in industry has the capability to capture and store the condition and process data during operation, the research aimed to formulate a prognostic model based on the integration of the data and predict the series of future condition. This paper presents a data-driven prognostic model to predict the estimated RUL by using condition and process data which are taken from a single unit of equipment. The structure of prognostic model is presented and two time series methods are employed namely Artifical Neural Network and Double Exponential Smoothing in prognostic process. The feasibility of this prognostic model was demonstrated with applying real data from industrial equipment. The result from the model shows that both of the methods are able to extrapolate the extimated  RUL  and  give  useful  information to the maintenance department to take an appropriate decision

Genetic Algorithm for Event Scheduling System

UTeM’s Event Alert System (UTeM-EAS) is an improved version of previous Event Alert System in Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) official site that aims to apply Artificial Intelligence (AI) in order to provide its users with events priority. This newer system intend be more user friendly by providing organized management. The improved version is also designed to have the capability of sending Short Message Service (SMS) among UTeM’s staff to notify them of future events. Some researches about another existing Event Alert Sytem are carried to provide more understanding to the system to be developed. UTeM-EAS then is created by exploiting one of AI approach namely Genetic Algorithm (GA) with Crossover Technique. There are four main interfaces that ask for login information, add, edit and view events details. As for the development environment, UTeM-EAS is developed and to run in windows XP with support of Adobe Dreamweaver and MS SQL Server. Ozeki Messager 6 are installed and configured for this system to operate with its SMS function. The functionality, usability and security testing are conducted between UTeM’s staffs and administrators itself to measure the performance and user acceptance of the proposed system. Aside from achieving its development objectives, UTeM-EAS also gain great satisfactions from most of its tested users. The system could be more efficient if password encryption is applied and the system is able to reply the message sent by UTeM’s staff asking for further events details

A STUDY OF HUMAN SKILL ACHIEVEMENT IN MALAYSIAN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES: KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ATTITUDE

The principle of sustainable technical skill development is an integrated skill approach in the long terms by the instruments of science, technologies, economics and global considerations. The prospect of full implemented successfully needs a workforce which is equipped with sustainable development with related knowledge, skill and attitude (KSA). This study is related to the human skill achievement referred to the capability of technical staff in public universities. Purposely is to establish the procedures for the management and control of capital equipment. It also is to satisfy the requirements of the federal and state government and good business practices respecting control over the capital equipments. This study will be a significant endeavor for Human Resource Development (HRD) to measure the capability of human factors through KSA. The methodology of this descriptive study by searching the related topic literatures, white papers, technical papers, conference proceedings, and web-pages or even communicate to the personnel in selected public universities in Malaysia. The finding of this study will contribute to develop Overall Equipment Efficiency Model (OEEM) that could be measurable throughout to the technical skill performance among technicians in the engineering lab derived from KSA components. Therefore, human skill developments are the first competence bench marking in the capital equipment management in Malaysian public universities was identified

A Framework of an Intelligent Maintenance Prognosis Tool

The technology of prognosis has become a significant approach but its implementation in maintenance has a major extension. The ability prognosis in the medical area has been established to estimate the future of human health. However, in maintenance, application of prognosis is not yet seen as a practical use for making better maintenance decision. To date, research in this area has been done in proposing prognosis techniques or model but leaving the implementation of prognosis as their future work. In this paper, an overview of prognosis in maintenance is presented. By using the data-driven approach, a framework for implementing of an intelligent maintenance prognosis tool is introduced. The framework utilizes the existing equipment operating performance data in the industry for prognosis process. Next, the framework combines the ability of prognosis in estimating remaining useful life (RUL) of equipment with the maintenance action knowledge to generate a well-received maintenance plan

Utilizing Analytical Hierarchy Process for Pauper House Programme in Malaysia

In Malaysia, the selection and evaluation of candidates for Pauper House Programme (PHP) are done manually. In this paper, a technique based on Analytical Hierarchy Technique (AHP) is designed and developed in order to make an evaluation and selection of PHP application. The aim is to ensure the selection process is more precise, accurate and can avoid any biasness issue. This technique is studied and designed based on the Pauper assessment technique from one of district offices in Malaysia. A hierarchical indexes are designed based on the criteria that been used in the official form of PHP application. A number of 23 samples of data which had been endorsed by Exco of State in Malaysia are used to test this technique. Furthermore the comparison of those two methods are given in this paper. All the calculations of this technique are done in a software namely Expert Choice version 11.5. By comparing the manual and AHP shows that there are three (3) samples that are not qualified. The developed technique also satisfies in term of ease of accuracy and preciseness but need a further study due to some limitation as explained in the recommendation of this paper