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13/11/2008
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Wireless Sensor Networks and Their Applications
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Prof. Roshdy
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20/11/2008
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Robust Procurement Strategies for Natural Gas
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Dr. Tarik
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27/11/2008
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Flow Behaviour of High Performance Cement-Based Suspension in Post-Tension Ducts
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Dr. Ammar
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25/12/2008
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Track Roller and Idler Design Improvement Using Design for Six Sigma
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Dr. Mahmoud
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12/02/2009
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Comparison of Finite Element and Closed Form Solutions for Problems Involving Seismicity and Liner Degradation
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Dr. Hany
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19/02/2009
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Web-Based Engine for Program Curriculum Designers
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Dr. Samia
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26/02/2009
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Assessing speech intelligibility in classrooms at the University of Washington
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Dr. Seif
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12/03/2009
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Density estimation through Kernel estimation-based empirical characteristic function
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Dr. Mawia
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02/04/2009
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The administration and policy of classification of the built and natural heritage in North-Africa
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Dr. Naima
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09/04/2009
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Parliament House in Canberra, Australia
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Dr. Khaled
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16/04/2009
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Towards a Harmonious Urbanism: Lessons from Early Libyan Modernities
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Dr. Adnan
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23/04/2009
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Control and Stabilization for Coupled Partial Differential Equations
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Dr. Soufyane
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30/04/2009
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Developing an Initial Open Source Platform for the Higher Education Sector
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Dr. Adel
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14/05/2009
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Experimental Investigation and Numerical Modeling of Circular Precast Concrete Manholes
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Dr. Reem
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11/06/2009
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A Heat Transfer Analysis of the Fiber Placement Composite Manufacturing Process
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Dr. Noha Hassan
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18/06/2009
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A Miniature and Wireless tracking System for Respiratory Gated PET/CT
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Dr. Amin Haj Ali
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25/06/2009
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Prediction of thermo diffusion properties of fluid mixtures for hydrocarbon reservoir modeling
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Dr. Mohammed Chacha
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Dr. Tarik Aouam
In order to serve their customers, natural gas local distribution companies (LDCs) can select from a variety of financial and non-financial contracts. The present paper is concerned with the choice of an appropriate portfolio of natural gas that would allow a LDC to satisfy its demand with a minimum trade-off between cost and risk, while taking into account risk associated with modeling error.
We propose two types of strategies for natural gas procurement. Dynamic strategies model the procurement problem as a mean-risk stochastic program with various risk measures. Naive strategies hedge a fixed fraction of winter demand using storage, futures and options.
We propose a simulation framework to evaluate the proposed strategies and show that: (i) when the appropriate model for spot prices and its derivatives is used, dynamic strategies provide cheaper gas with low risk compared to naive strategies. (ii) In the presence of a modeling error, dynamic strategies are unable to control the variance of the procurement cost though they provide cheaper cost on average.
Based on these results we define robust strategies as convex combinations of dynamic and naive strategies. A mean-variance problem is then solved to construct an efficient frontier of robust strategies that take advantage of the diversification effect.
Dr. Ammar Yahia
The protection of steel tendons in post-tensioned structures is provided by filling the duct with high-performance cement-based material. The protection performance provided by the grout depends on its flow properties and its ability to properly fill the duct and encapsulate the strand. The flow behaviour of cement grout in duct may be influenced by various parameters, such as the rheological properties of grout, stability resistance, duct geometry, and the grouting parameters, including the flow rate.
The objective of this study is to evaluate the applicability of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in simulating and reproducing the flow of cement grout in post-tensioned duct. The flow of grout in a typical two-parabolic segments duct is successfully simulated and visualized. The effects of viscosity of the injected grout and the eccentricity of tendon in the duct are identified and analyzed. The results of this study helped to identify and solve the majors issues encountered when thixotropic cement-based materials are used to fill post-tensioned ducts; hence lead to improving design of such systems (new Japanese patent for post-tensioned systems).
Dr. Mahmoud Awad
Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) has been utilized over the last few decades to deliver more robust products with more functionality and reduced cost. In this article, a case study is presented where a systematic DFSS approach is used to improve the life expectancy of track rollers and idlers for an off-road machine. The approach took advantage of Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) to build analytical model that predicts stresses imposed on the rollers and idlers. The study investigates the effect of several factors on stresses and concludes by selecting the vital few factors needed for improvement.
Dr. Hany El Naggar
Many cities rely on tunnels for transportation, water distribution and sewage handling. Consequently, these structures have high social and economical value. In some cases, long-term exposure of a reinforced concrete lining to sulphates or chlorides in groundwater can lead to concrete deterioration and consequent reduction in the load carrying capacity of the lining. For this situation, engineers may be required to estimate the distribution of moment and thrust in the degraded liner to evaluate its factor of safety. Closed-form solutions can be economic for such applications especially if liner degradation is wide spread in a tunnel system of variable depth.
The author developed two closed form solutions for composite tunnel linings in elastic ground. The first solution considers the lining as an inner thin-walled shell and an outer thick-walled cylinder embedded in elastic ground and it accounts for the effect of ground convergence prior to installation of the lining (El Naggar et al. 2008a). The second solution extends the first solution to account for the rotational stiffness of the tunnel’s joints (El Naggar and Hinchberger, 2008b). Both solutions have been shown to be useful analytical tools for assessing the moments and thrusts in degraded segmental concrete tunnel linings. In addition, the developed solutions were modified to account for the in-plane shear stress induced by earthquakes and to study the effect of nonlinearity of a weakened or degraded zone that forms around the tunnel due to the earthquake and/or the excavation process itself (El Naggar et al. 2007 & 2008c).
In this paper, the aforementioned solutions were verified against an extensive parametric study using finite element analysis to assess their capabilities.
Dr. Samia Loucif
The goal of the talk is to introduce a Web-based application that helps in program curriculum designers in the program validation. The proposed curriculum support engine incorporates several important features allowing the verification of the proposed curriculum coherence, and the generation of statistics necessary for academic and accreditation purposes. Useful viewing and editing tools are also provided.
The proposed curriculum support engine is flexible and allows additional criteria that the curriculum designer can specify to be incorporated.
Dr. Seif Khiati
The University's Committee on Accessibility has initiated an investigation of classroom acoustical conditions. This investigation has been undertaken in response to complaints made by University faculty members who state that they are experiencing difficulties in understanding student's speech during class sessions, when students ask questions or engage in discussion. A survey of University faculty identified 75 problematic classrooms (out of the 300+ classrooms on the University campus). A sample of generally representative classrooms has been selected: these classrooms (and class sessions held in the classrooms) are being systematically measured to determine their acoustical properties. Seven parameters have been anticipated as the causes of inferior speech intelligibility: to strong background noise levels, too weak signal-to-noise ratios, excessive reverberation, too great speak-to-listener distances, various speaker idiosyncrasies (e.g., accenting, mumbling, rapidity, using unfamiliar verbiage, and so forth), acoustical defects of the classroom, and faulty amplification systems. To date, measurements show that the principal acoustical faults causing these intelligibility difficulties are high background noise levels, inadequate amounts and locations of absorptive materials and assemblies, and student speech characteristics including too-long distances separating faculty and students. In selected classrooms, corrections are being undertaken.
Self Khiati
In recent years, cities in the Gulf have witnessed the proliferation of shopping malls within their urban fabric. These facilities not only provide shopping experience but are also used for social gathering and promenade by users.
Studies on the development of malls in the cities of the region and their impact on the suqs and retails within city centers have not attracted the interest of researchers. The present research, on the city of Al-Ain, sheds light on this extremely important subject by focusing on the users' preferences and opinions. Can the malls coexist with the suqs, complement or replace them?
Dr. Mawia Kaddoura
The raw moments of a random variable or of a distribution are the expectations of the powers of the random variable that has the given distribution. The moments of a density function play an important role in theoretical and applied statistics. In fact, in some cases, if the moments are known the density can be determined. A function called the moment generating function (MGF) gives a representation of all moments without reference to the random variable. When it exists, the MGF completely determine the distribution of a random variable.
A major drawback of the MGF is that it does not exist for every distribution. To remedy this drawback a function that exists for every distribution is often used. This is called the characteristic function (CF) of the distribution.
For estimating the distribution function, the empirical distribution function is in a sense quite smooth and is uniformly strong consistent estimator of the distribution function, although it is known that further smoothing may be advantageous. The aim of this dissertation is to use a non-parametric estimate, which is the smoothing method for the underlying distribution based on the use of the characteristic function of the kernel method to estimate the underlying distribution with less calculation.
Dr. Naima Benkari
This paper has two main objectives. First, it is an attempt of contribution to the reflection about the purpose(s) of the Algerian policy with regard to the preservation of the built and the natural heritage: Which aspects of the Algerian identity and history are acknowledged and emphasized by the government’s decisions and actions in the matter of sites and monuments protection, classification and preservation?
The second aim is to explore the classification process itself. This can be considered in a broader context. That is of the preservation of the built heritage and the policies adopted and implemented by the North African countries.
In this paper we will analyze the Algerian Patrimonial policy. We will have an overview of the classification process in this country since the independence in 1962 until 1998, date of the adoption of a new heritage law “loi du patrimoine” which we will not present here.
Is it possible to identify a certain trend in the classification process in Algeria during these periods? Were there one or some aspects of the Algerian history and heritage that had been emphasized while others were neglected or ignored? Were there some privileged regions compared to others?
To answer these questions, we undertook a statistical and comparative analysis of the classification process of the monuments and historical and natural sites in Algeria during the considered period. We also examined this process during the last thirty years of the French colonization.
Our paper will expose briefly the “laws” adopted by the Algerian government in order to administrate its huge and diversified heritage. Then we will present the institutions in charge of implementing these legal texts and managing the concerned monuments and sites. Among the salient findings this study underlines: Right after the independence, the classification process in Algeria has slew down. During the French occupation, the classification has privileged the natural sites more than the built heritage while the opposite started to be done after the independence. The monuments and historical sites pertaining to the antique, medieval or modern historical periods are more likely to be classified than those belonging to the contemporary era.
The monuments built during the French occupation, the so called “colonial heritage”, had been very recently officially acknowledged and “accepted” as being part of the National built heritage. Finally, the classification process was always geographically unbalanced to the advantage of the monuments located in the capital and central regions.
Dr. Adnan Husnéin, Ph.D.
This presentation is based on a keynote lecture delivered at the WORLD HABITAT DAY which was celebrated in Tripoli, Libya on 8 October 2008. It highlights episodes of early modernization efforts which were experienced in Tripoli. These span a period of pivotal transformations in the city’s architectural culture and built environment shaped primarily by the late 19th century Tanzimat reforms that swept the Ottoman province, followed by the early 20th century colonial policies to dominate Italy’s Quarta Sponda.
Dr. Abdelaziz Soufyane
Many dynamic systems including physical, chemical and economical, can be modeled by differential equations (deterministic or stochastic). The natural question to be asked: Is it possible to steer these systems from one state to another state by the application of some type of external inputs or controls?
In this talk we are concerned with essentially the control of finite and infinite dimensional deterministic dynamical systems. The presentation focuses on the stability and the controllability of coupled partial differential equations when applied to important physical systems.
A Case Study: ALHOSN University
Dr. Adel Khelifi
The higher education community is concerned about the cost and performance of commercial software products. A common view is that existing proprietary options do not have the features required by instructors and students or allow for cost-effective customization.
One way to address these problems in poorer countries, and hence improve their quality of education and access to knowledge, would be to consider the modern educational tools available with no license fees through open-source software. This research presents an initial development of a complete open-source software platform called the Open University Project, which contains software that precisely fulfill user requirements in the higher education sector. The research also highlights the financial advantages of introducing open-source software in developing countries and its positive impact on educational quality.
A. Khelifi, M. Abu Talib, M. Farouk and H. Hamam
http://doi.ieeecomputersociety.org/10.1109/TLT.2009.13, Accessed: 18 March 2009
Dr. Reem Sabouni
The wide use of circular precast concrete manholes in sanitary sewer and storm water systems and the absence of detailed technical information on them, and the conservatism of their governing codes and standards require a detailed investigation on these types of manholes. The main objectives of this thesis are: to evaluate the state of strains in the precast concrete manhole and state of stresses in its surrounding soil; to develop a three-dimensional finite element model for the analysis of circular precast concrete manholes; and to propose an enhanced procedure for the design of their bases. To achieve these objectives, the research was composed of two main parts: an experimental program and a numerical investigation. The experimental program involved conducting 27 tests on three full-scale circular precast concrete manholes. One manhole was a standard 1200 mm diameter manhole and the other two were 1200 mm and 1500 mm diameter manholes with no base reinforcement. A finite element numerical investigation of more than 130 finite element manhole models was conducted to investigate a wide range of in-situ conditions and manhole configurations.
None of the manhole sections tested in the experimental program experienced any cracks, including the ones with nonreinforced bases. The strains measured in the manhole sections were smaller than their cracking strains. The loading representing the Ontario standard truckload had a marginal effect on the strains and moments in the manhole base and the pressure beneath the manhole base. Similar observations were made from the numerical investigation. These results illustrated that the standard concrete sections currently used for manhole bases are sufficient to withstand the critical Ontario truckloads, even for the 10m long manhole, without flexural reinforcement. The vertical pressure beneath the manholes was shown to be larger than the manhole distributed weight suggesting that the manhole carried part of the surrounding soil. The lateral pressure around the manhole risers in most cases was larger than the active earth pressure. Based on the experimental and numerical results, an equation for the bending moment diagram representative of the fixity conditions of the manhole base was developed. Furthermore, an enhanced design procedure is proposed
Dr. Noha Hassan
A three-dimensional finite element code was developed to accurately simulate the heat transfer process during the thermoset fiber placement composite manufacturing process. Unique features of the model are: (i) continuous laying of the tape rather than the entire layer being laid down instantaneously and (ii) three-dimensional heat transfer, including heat conduction in the tool and heat exchange through convection with the surroundings.
A three-dimensional finite element code was developed to accurately simulate the heat transfer process during the thermoset fiber placement composite manufacturing process. Unique features of the model are: (i) continuous laying of the tape rather than the entire layer being laid down instantaneously and (ii) three-dimensional heat transfer, including heat conduction in the tool and heat exchange through convection with the surroundings.
Dr. Amin Haj Ali
A novel miniature wireless camera-based system for real-time 3D respiratory motion tracking in gated PET/CT. The 3D-Respiratory Gating system (3DRG) device consists of a wireless mini camera that monitors the 3D spatial coordinates of the center of mass of fiducial markers (FM) placed on the abdomen of the patient. During a tracking session, the user visually identifies the position of the FM’s by creating an ROI over each of them. Using VC++ based software developed in-house, edge finding technique is applied to the ROI region, and then the position of the center of mass of each FM ROI is calculated. The position of the ROI is updated at a rate of 30 fps. The x, y, z respiratory patterns and ranges of motion are then displayed as waveforms in real-time. An amplitude threshold can be set by the user to determine when the tumor is in a desired position. A trigger can be delivered at the specified threshold to the PET/CT scanner for a respiratory gated acquisition. An oscillating phantom was used to evaluate the accuracy of the 3DRG in tracking motion. The phantom motion was also tracked using the Real-time position management (Varian Medical Systems, Ca) for comparison. Finally, the respiratory motion of patients was monitored using both the RPM (Real-time Position Management™ from Varian Medical Systems, a de facto standard for respiratory gating) and the 3DRG.
Dr. Mohammed Chacha
The thermal diffusion process, also known as the Soret effect is the tendency of a convection-free mixture to separate under a temperature gradient. For binary mixture, the Soret effect is measured by the Soret coefficient (ST) – the ratio of the thermal diffusion coefficient (DT) to the molecular diffusion coefficient (D). However, for multi-component mixtures, the thermal diffusion coefficient is more commonly used as a measure of the Soret effect.
The Soret effect is an important phenomenon for the study of compositional variation in hydrocarbon reservoirs. It also plays a crucial role in the hydrodynamic instability of mixture, mineral migrations and mass transport in living matters. In low-pressure gaseous mixtures and ideal liquid mixtures, the magnitude of the thermal diffusion coefficient may be small. In contrast, in non-ideal liquid mixtures – particularly, close to the critical points – the size of the thermal diffusion coefficient becomes large and strongly depends on the energetic interactions, the size and shape of the molecules and thermodynamic conditions.
The talk introduces the phenomenon of thermal diffusion and presents the theory and the numerical procedure which have been developed to simulate this process. The numerical procedure is demonstrated for both polar mixtures and hydrocarbon mixtures.
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