The way of dealing with taboo topics in a language class: the case of the Department of French at Salahaddin University in Erbil, Iraq

Teaching a foreign language in a multi-ethnic oriental society is fraught with a lot of linguistic and cultural difficulties, the most prominent of which is the fact that some expressions and topics are considered taboo for religious and/or cultural reasons. This study aims at highlighting some of the words and topics that both students and professors avoid using in French classes at Salahaddin University. The data is collected from teacher-student interaction in the Department of French in Erbil. The prohibited topics usually appear in some basic classes such as literature, French civilization, conversation and translation. We have put forward, at the end of the research, some effective solutions which were reached during the field study.Le tabou linguistique est considéré comme un des obstacles que l’on peut rencontrer lors de l’enseignement de la langue étrangère notamment dans un pays multiculturel comme l’Irak. Dans cet article, nous jetons la lumière sur les expressions linguistiques et les faits sociolinguistiques jugés tabous par les étudiants du département de français d’Erbil. De même, nous montrons les types de sujets tabous ainsi que les cours dans lesquels ils apparaissent. Nous expliquons également les stratégies menées par les enseignants pour ne pas gêner leurs étudiants. Nous proposons à la fin quelques solutions pratiques pour aborder le tabou linguistique en classe de langue

DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM OPTIMIZATION WITH INTEGRATED DISTRIBUTED GENERATION

In this dissertation, several volt-var optimization methods have been proposed to improve the expected performance of the distribution system using distributed renewable energy sources and conventional volt-var control equipment: photovoltaic inverter reactive power control for chance-constrained distribution system performance optimisation, integrated distribution system optimization using a chance-constrained formulation, integrated control of distribution system equipment and distributed generation inverters, and coordination of PV inverters and voltage regulators considering generation correlation and voltage quality constraints for loss minimization. Distributed generation sources (DGs) have important benefits, including the use of renewable resources, increased customer participation, and decreased losses. However, as the penetration level of DGs increases, the technical challenges of integrating these resources into the power system increase as well. One such challenge is the rapid variation of voltages along distribution feeders in response to DG output fluctuations, and the traditional volt-var control equipment and inverter-based DG can be used to address this challenge. These methods aim to achieve an optimal expected performance with respect to the figure of merit of interest to the distribution system operator while maintaining appropriate system voltage magnitudes and considering the uncertainty of DG power injections. The first method is used to optimize only the reactive power output of DGs to improve system performance (e.g., operating profit) and compensate for variations in active power injection while maintaining appropriate system voltage magnitudes and considering the uncertainty of DG power injections over the interval of interest. The second method proposes an integrated volt-var control based on a control action ahead of time to find the optimal voltage regulation tap settings and inverter reactive control parameters to improve the expected system performance (e.g., operating profit) while keeping the voltages across the system within specified ranges and considering the uncertainty of DG power injections over the interval of interest. In the third method, an integrated control strategy is formulated for the coordinated control of both distribution system equipment and inverter-based DG. This control strategy combines the use of inverter reactive power capability with the operation of voltage regulators to improve the expected value of the desired figure of merit (e.g., system losses) while maintaining appropriate system voltage magnitudes. The fourth method proposes a coordinated control strategy of voltage and reactive power control equipment to improve the expected system performance (e.g., system losses and voltage profiles) while considering the spatial correlation among the DGs and keeping voltage magnitudes within permissible limits, by formulating chance constraints on the voltage magnitude and considering the uncertainty of PV power injections over the interval of interest. The proposed methods require infrequent communication with the distribution system operator and base their decisions on short-term forecasts (i.e., the first and second methods) and long-term forecasts (i.e., the third and fourth methods). The proposed methods achieve the best set of control actions for all voltage and reactive power control equipment to improve the expected value of the figure of merit proposed in this dissertation without violating any of the operating constraints. The proposed methods are validated using the IEEE 123-node radial distribution test feeder

Improving Collapsibility and Compressibility of Gypseous Soil using Cement Material

التربة الجبسية منتشرة في كثير من مناطق العالم فمن الضروري دراسة خواص مثل هذة الترب بسبب المخاطر الذي تسببة على البنايات من الداخل او الخارج. يمثل هذا البحث النتائج للدراسة المختبرية على الانضغاطية والانهيارية للترب الجبسية في البصرة ويوضح تاثير المادة الاسمنتية الممزوجة مع التربة الجبسية على خواصها الفيزيائية. التربة الرملية تغطي الطبقات السطحية لمنطقتي الدراسة (تربة منطقة البرجسية وتربة منطقة الزبير) وتحتوي على نسب عالية من الجبس تقدر ب (63%) و (34%) على التوالي، ووجد ان التربة هي تربة انهيارية لذا استخدمت المادة الاسمنتية كمادة مضافة لتحسين مثل هذة الترب، وتتمثل الفكرة الاساسية لهذة الدراسة بإضافة مادة الاسمنت بنسب مختلفة (2% , 4% , 8% , 10% , 12%) للتربة الجبسية من اجل تحسين خواص هذة الترب. تم عمل برنامج الفحص الذي يتكون من (12) موديل لنماذج التربة الجبسية معاملة وغير معاملة لدراسة تصرف هذة الخلطات وتأثيرها على الخواص الفيزيائية وانضغاطية وانهيارية التربة. ومن خلال هذة الدراسة وجد ان هناك نقصان في الانهيارية تصل الى (87% - 92%) لنسب خلط (12%) من مادة الاسمنت على الترب الجبسية لمنطقتي البرجسية والزبير على التوالي.Gypseous soils exist in many regions in the world. It is necessary to study the properties of such soils due to the damage caused by these soils to buildings on or in it. This paper presents the results of experimental studies on the compressibility and collapsibility of Gypseous soil in Basrah and show the effect of mixing cement material with Gypseous soil on those properties. The sandy soil, which covers the surface layer(up to 1m) for the two investigated areas(AL-Brgsia and AL-Zubair) consists of high gypsum content ( 63% ) and (34% ),  respectively. The soil was found to be a “collapsible” soil. The cement material have been used as improving agents for such soil. The essential idea of this study represents an investigation of the possibility of using cement as additive with different percents (2%, 4%, 8%,10%, and 12%) to  enhance these soils. Tests were conducted on 12 models of untreated and treated gypseous soil specimens to study their behavior as well as the effects on physical properties, collapsibility and compressibility characteristics. It is found that a reduction in collapsibility appraches 87 and 92 % for the 12 percent mixed cement to (AL-Brgsia and AL-Zubair) soil, respectively

A critical study of the archaeology of the jawf region of Saudi Arabia with additional material on its history and early Arabic epigraphy

This thesis concentrates on the study of the archaeology of the Jawf region, including excavations in various sites, and also a comprehensive survey of the sites and monuments throughout the region. The thesis is divided into nine chapters.Chapter I deals with the history of the Jawf during the pre-Islamic periods. In the first part of this chapter, the Assyrian campaigns against Dumat al-Jandal are studied. The rest of the chapter is devoted to the history of the region during the Babylonian, Nabataean and the Roman and Byzantine periods. Chapter II focuses on the history of the area during the early Islamic period and the conquest of Dumat al-Jandal by Khalid b. al-Walid during the caliphate of Abu Bakr. Chapter III is dedicated to the study of the various accounts of Dumat al-Jandal by the early Arab geographers. Chapter IV deals with the trade routes which passed through the Jawf and the implication of the caravan trade on the history of the region. Chapter V investigates the pre-history of the Jawf region and examines the unique site of al-Rajajil to the south of Sakaka. Chapter VI is devoted to the study of the excavations results in the sites of al-Tuwayr, Dumat al-Jandal and the Muwaysin castle.The arch aeological materials which have been discovered were compared with similar materials from various sites in Jordan, Syria, Iraq and Eastern Arabia. Chapter VII concentrates on the architecture within the Jawf region and gives a full description of the various monuments and the different building techniques and materials used. Chapter VIII focuses on the study of the early Arabic inscriptions which are found in the region. We discuss their palaeography, historical importance and their parallel with some of the published materials from various parts of the Islamic world. Chapter IX is a study of the pottery from various sites in the Jawf. The first part of this chapter discusses the ware types and vessel types of the pottery from the Tuwayr and Dumat al-Jandal sites, while the second part is a pottery catalogue. In addition, this thesis also contains three appendices: the first is an examination of the well of Saysarȁ at Sakākā; the second investigates the walled enclosure of Dumat al-Jandal; and the third is a glossary of Arabic terms associated with the architecture

Assessment of Current and Future Generated Selected E-Waste Quantities in Abu Dhabi

E-waste is a term used to describe electrical and electronic products that enter the waste stream. Currently, it is the fastest growing stream of municipal waste. Informal disposal of E-waste may cause serious health and pollution problems to humans as well as the environment. Although E-waste may represent less than 5% of the total waste discarded into landfills, yet it includes more than 70% of overall toxic waste. Not only the exact amount of E-waste generated in the UAE is unknown, but it is continuously increasing with the advent of new electronic products. Therefore, the main aim of this thesis is to assess the current and future quantities of E-waste in Abu Dhabi emirate. A questionnaire was developed to estimate the generated E-waste quantities for three products; namely, laptops, desktops and mobile phones. Copies of this questionnaire have been distributed to the public in Al-Ain and Abu Dhabi cities to collect data about the E- waste. This data was used to estimate the current and future quantities of E-waste. The estimated quantities of generated E-waste in Abu Dhabi are for three products 1,151,000 mobile phones, 464,000 laptops, and 300,000 desktops. The future quantities of E-waste are predicted based on the life span of each product. They were estimated to be 827,000 laptops, 223,000 desktops, and 1,618,000 mobile phones. The results also indicated that 78% of residents in Abu Dhabi are aware of the adverse effects of E-waste and they are ready to dispose E-waste in an environmental friendly manner. This study will help government and agencies to plan for E-waste management based on the estimated quantities of E-waste

The effect of rural population density on socio economic characteristics of rural communities review of literature / Ayoob Khaleel Ismael and Ibrahim Ngah

Rural population density has a very significant independent influence over important demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of world rural communities. That’s why, this paper try to explain the concept of population density and determine later the factors that affect it. Then it attempt to find out the specific significance of rural population density as an important variable in understanding the demographic and socio-economic characteristic of settled rural regions, where rural density and characteristic presents both practical and conceptual problems for rural planners. In conclusion, the paper demonstrated that rural population density is an important phenomenon in rural communities

Optimal Plastic Analysis and Design of Pile Foundations Under Reliable Conditions

In this research, in order to evaluate the plastic limit load and also plastic design parameters of the long pile foundations subjected to horizontal loads, shakedown method is applied. In carrying out shakedown analysis and design methods, large plastic deformations and residual displacements could develop in the pile foundation which might lead to the failure of the structure. For this reason, complementary strain energy of residual forces proposed as a limit condition to control the plastic deformation of the pile structure. Furthermore, considering the uncertainties (strength, manufacturing, geometry) the limit conditions on the complementary strain energy of residual forces are assumed randomly and the reliability condition was formed by the use of the strict reliability index. The influence of the limit conditions on the plastic limit load and design parameters of the long pile in cohesionless soil subjected to lateral load were investigated and limit curves for shakedown load factors are presented. The numerical results show that the probabilistic given limit conditions on the complementary strain energy of residual forces have significant influence on the load bearing limit and the design parameters of pile foundations. The formulations of the reliability based problems lead to mathematical programming which were carried out by the use of non-linear algorithm

Seamless horizontal handover algorithm for homogeneous wireless mobile networks using fuzzy logic

The wireless networks of the near future will be capable of successfully handling various kinds of communication systems. Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (referred to as WiMAX) is a physical layer wireless communications technology for outdoor broadband wireless coverage. The most important and society application of WiMAX is the mobile communication. When a mobile station changes its geographical position, it may also need to change its attachment point in the network in order to retain the quality of the connection. Currently, the mobility of a terminal is a requirement of great importance, supported by a procedure known as handover. One of the main challenges for robust mobility is the availability of simple and seamless handover algorithms, which allow a mobile node to connect among homogeneous or heterogeneous wireless networks. Two types of handover could take place: horizontal handover between wireless Access Points at the same wireless network, and vertical handover between different wireless networks. During the handover procedure the mobile node can neither send nor receive any data packets. This results in packet delay and in some cases packet loss. This project proposes an efficient horizontal handover decision based on fuzzy logic principle in order to decrease unnecessary handover. Three systems used in this studying to know which one can obtain the best results system A , system B and system C plus applying the eight steps of horizontal handover scenario on each system. System A used three parameters : Received Signal Strength ( RSS ), Available BandWidth ( ABW ) and Bit Error Rate ( BER ) , System B used two parameters : RSS , ABW while system C used the conventional method. After comparison between the three systems, it is observed that system A is the best scenario among the three. The result shows that by using this method, handover number and the time delay was reduced plus a decrease in proper lost calls number

Screening and sensitivity of non-lactose fermenting bacteria to antibiotics by Vitek-2 compact system

We are collected 150 clinical sample from different private veterinary clinics  in Basrah province . Included 25 isolates from nasal discharge,  45 from feces , 35 from pus/wound infections, 20 from blood and 25 from ear swab .All isolates were subjected to microscopic examination and diagnosed 4 species of  Non- Fermenting Gram Negative  Bacilli (NFGNB)  bacteria based on 47 biochemical tests by Vitek 2 a compact system where the species were 48 strain (32%) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa , 32 strain (21.33%) of Burkholderia cepacia, 31strain (20.66%) of Sphingomonas paucimobilis, 20 strain (13.33%) of Proteus mirabilis and 19 strain (12.66%) of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus . NFGNB results showed antibiotic susceptibility to different antibiotic resistance and susceptibility, where isolates showed Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Burkholderia cepacia and Proteus mirabilis were susceptibility to antibiotic Meropenem (80% -98%), while Acinetobacter spp, Pseudomonas aeruginosa least susceptible to Cefuroxime and Trimethoprim/Sulfamethoxazole (20

Microstructures and properties of Ti-51at.%Ni, Ti-23at.%Nb and Ti-30at.%Ta shape memory alloys fabricated by microwave sintering for biomedical applications

Titanium-nickel (Ti-Ni) shape memory alloys (SMAs) have been widely used for biomedical applications. However, Ni is recently known as a toxic element that can cause hypersensitivity on human body. Therefore, the development of Ni-free SMAs for biomedical applications is crucial. The best candidate to substitute Ti-Ni alloy is β type Ti alloys composed of nontoxic elements. The purpose of this research is to investigate the possibility of Ni-free Ti alloys, namely, titanium-niobium (Ti-Nb) and titanium-tantalum (Ti-Ta) to replace Ti-Ni. In the research, Ti-51at.%Ni, Ti-23at.%Nb and Ti-30at.%Ta SMAs were produced from elemental powders and fabricated by microwave sintering with addition of ternary elements namely, cerium, silver and tin. The microstructures of the sintered alloys were characterised by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) equipment, optical microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffractometer (XRD). The mechanical and shape memory properties were determined using compressive test and specially designed equipment respectively, whereas corrosion and antibacterial behaviour were determined by using electrochemical test in simulated body fluid and agar disc diffusion technique with E.coli bacteria, respectively. Based on the experimental work on varying the sintering temperatures and times, it was found that 700˚C for 15 min gave the least porosity of 20% for Ti-51at.%Ni alloy, whereas 900˚C for 30 min gave the lowest porosity of 23% and 28.72% for Ti-23at.%Nb and Ti-30at.%Ta, respectively. It was observed that the microstructures of Ti-51at.%Ni alloys feature B2 austenite and B19´ martensite phases, while Ti-23at.%Nb alloys exhibit β austenite, α" martensite and α phases. The binary Ti-51at.%Ni alloy gives the highest hardness of 152 Hv, whereas the ternary Ti-Ta-3Ag gives the lowest hardness of 43 Hv. It was also found that Ti-Ni-1Ce alloy has the lowest elastic modulus of 5.2 GPa indicating good biocompatibility. The addition of Ce, Ag and Sn elements to Ti-23at.%Nb and Ti-30at.%Ta SMAs improved the total strain recovery (ԐT). The highest and lowest ԐT of 51.68% and 30.17% are shown by Ti-Ni-0.5Sn and Ti-Ni-3Ce alloys, respectively. The corrosion resistance was enhanced for all the ternary alloys due to the formation of passive layer on the surface and various phases within the material. The lowest corrosion rates observed in each type of the SMAs are 0.4076, 0.0155 and 0.0059 mm/year for Ti-Ni-0.5wt.%Sn, Ti-Nb-3wt.%Sn and Ti-Ta-0.5wt.%Sn alloys, respectively. Antibacterial property was improved after the addition of the alloying elements for all the ternary alloys indicated by the size of the inhibition zones against E. coli bacteria. It was found that Ti-Ta-3wt.%Ce alloy has the best anti-bacterial property with the largest inhibition zone of 7.75 mm compared with other SMAs. It can be concluded that the Ni-free SMAs, namely Ti-Nb and Ti-Ta alloys with the addition of alloying elements show promising candidates to be used as biomaterials due to their enhanced biocompatibility properties