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Addressing the Translation into English of near Synonymy in the Holy Qur'an
No full textA Master of Arts thesis in Translation and Interpreting MATI (English/Arabic/English) by Fatima A. AlHammadi entitled, "Addressing the Translation into English of near Synonymy in the Holy Qur'an," submitted in March 2017. Thesis advisor is Dr. Basil Hatim. Soft and hard copy available.It is now fairly well-established that complete synonymy is almost non-existent in any language, as it is not easy to find two words with the same denotations and/or connotations. On the other hand, near synonymy is plentiful in almost all types of lexis, in general, and the lexis of the Holy Qur’an, in particular. If the source text is rich in near synonyms, translators may face difficulty in rendering these items of lexis adequately into the target language, and this is the case with the Holy Qur’an in which the language is inimitable without the slightest doubt. This study aims to determine the accuracy of four translations of eight pairs of near synonyms drawn from around 80 verses from the Holy Qur’an. The four translations analyzed are by Abdullah Yusuf Ali (2004), Arthur Arberry (1955), Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall (1930) and Muhammad Shakir (1983). The accuracy of the translations of the near synonyms in question is judged according to their context as well as their interpretations by Arab and non-Arab linguists and exegetes. This study concludes that the translations examined have limitations in dealing with this area of synonymy accurately. Therefore, it is suggested that more precise renditions should be attempted to minimize distortion which is regrettably not uncommon in dealing with this kind of text.College of Arts and SciencesDepartment of Arabic and Translation StudiesMaster of Arts in English/Arabic/English Translation and Interpreting (MATI
Transitions: From retirement to teaching voice in the United Arab Emirates
No full textAn account of Dr. Sherri Weiler's experience moving to the United Arab Emirates and becoming a Professor in the Performing Arts Program at the American University of Sharjah
Supporting Scholarly Communication at your Institution
No full textPresentation by Alanna Ross entitled "Supporting Scholarly Communication at your Institution," presented at UAE ProQuest Library Day, Zayed Central Library, Al Ain (Abu Dhabi), May 11, 2017
Altering Split Decisions of Coding Units for Message Embedding in HEVC
No full textThis paper proposes a novel message embedding solution based on modifying the split decisions of HEVC videos. The encoder starts by computing a mapping between the split decisions of a Coding Unit (CU) and its features variables. This results in model weights that can be used to predict the split decisions. Message embedding is then carried out as a function of the predicted and true split decisions per CU. If the message bit to embed is '1' and the predicted and the true split decisions are different then the true split decision is modified to be identical to the predicted flag. Otherwise if the message bit is '0' and the predicted and the true split decisions are identical, then the true split flag is modified to become different than the predicted flag. We apply this embedding concept at two CU coding levels; 32x32 and 16x16. To extract a message, the decoder starts by regenerating the model weights which are then used to predict split decisions and compare them against the true decisions received in the bit stream. Identical decisions indicate a message bit of '1' and nonidentical split decisions indicate a message bit of '0'. In the experimental results we examine the prediction accuracy, the effect of the proposed solutions on message payload, the number of modified split decisions and the corresponding impact on video quality. Comparison with an existing solution reveals that the proposed solution is superior in terms in message payload whilst resulting in reduced video distortions
Use of Internal Structural Steel Strip Bands as Shear Reinforcement in Concrete Beams
No full textA Master of Science thesis in Civil Engineering by Salma Nasser Korany Megahed Ahmed entitled, "Use of Internal Structural Steel Strip Bands as Shear Reinforcement in Concrete Beams," submitted in December 2017. Thesis advisor is Dr. Sami Tabsh. Soft and hard copy available.A new method of lateral shear reinforcement is investigated in which a reinforced concrete (RC) beam is transversely reinforced by Internal Structural Steel Strip Bands (ISSSBs), instead of conventional stirrups. The steel strip bands are cut to a specified width from structural steel squares or rectangular tubes of desired thickness, and the size of the bands depends on the cross-section of the RC beam. This method has the potential of improving the strength and ductility characteristics of RC beams subjected to shear without increasing the amount of steel reinforcement and congesting the steel rebar cage. With the use of ISSSBs, it is believed that the beam reinforcement will be less congested and the concrete core of the beam will be better confined; thus, delaying the formation of cracks and increasing the ductility. A comprehensive literature review on the subject has revealed no published work on this new type of transverse reinforcement; hence, no established design guidelines are in place for such a system. The purpose of the study is to check the applicability of current structural design codes to concrete beams reinforced with ISSSBs and develop appropriate recommendations and design guidelines. To achieve objectives of the study, an experimental testing program was implemented in the laboratory on half-scale beam specimens to compare the performance of ISSSB reinforced beams with the corresponding performance of stirrups reinforced beams in terms of shear strength, stiffness and ductility. The experimental program was complemented with a theoretical analysis. The study considered various cross-section dimensions, shear-span-to-depth ratios, transverse steel volumetric ratios, and strip band thickness-to-width ratios. Results of the study showed that the shear strength of strip reinforced beams matched the corresponding stirrups reinforced beams at the low shear span-to-depth ratio and exceeded the stirrups reinforced beams at the high shear-span-to-depth ratios. For the considered shear span to depth ratios, the beams transversely reinforced with strips exhibited higher ductility and residual strength than the corresponding beams that were reinforced with stirrups. In general, the ACI 318 code, Modified Compression Field Theory, and Eurocode2 can be safely used to predict with reasonable accuracy the shear strength of ISSSB reinforced beams.College of EngineeringDepartment of Civil EngineeringMaster of Science in Civil Engineering (MSCE
Muslim Women's Evolving Leadership Roles: A Case Study of Women Leaders in an Immigrant Muslim Community in Post-9/11 America
No full textBased on three years of ethnographic fieldwork in a multi-ethnic immigrant Muslim congregation in a Midwestern city in the United States, this paper scrutinizes the intricate process through which women uses traditional gender roles and expectations to legitimate and operationalize women's leadership. This study found that de facto congregationalism has made it possible for Muslim women to translate their "traditional" responsibilities for food preparation and socializing children into greater visibility and voice in both the mosque and broader society. This study provides an in-depth examination of the nuanced processes of women's empowerment in American Muslim congregations
Novel Classification System for Classifying Cognitive Workload Levels under Vague Visual Stimulation
No full textThis paper presents a novel method for classifying four different levels of cognitive workload. The workload levels are generated using visual stimuli degradation. EEG signals recorded from 16 subjects were used for workload classification. The proposed solution includes preprocessing of EEG signals and feature extraction based on statistical features. This is followed by variable selection using stepwise regression and multiclass linear classification. The presented method achieved an average classification accuracy of 93.4%. The effect of EEG channel selection on the classification accuracy is also investigated. In comparison to the existing work, we show that the proposed solution is more accurate and computationally less demanding
Decision-level fusion for single-view gait recognition with various carrying and clothing conditions
No full textGait Recognition is one of the latest and attractive biometric techniques, due to its potential in identification of individuals at a distance, unobtrusively and even using low resolution images. In this paper we focus on single lateral view gait recognition with various carrying and clothing conditions. Such a system is needed in access control applications whereby a single view is imposed by the system setup. The gait data is firstly processed using three gait representation methods as the features sources; Accumulated Prediction Image (API) and two new gait representations namely; Accumulated Flow Image (AFI) and Edge-Masked Active Energy Image (EMAEI). Secondly, each of these methods is tested using three matching classification schemes; image projection with Linear Discriminant Functions (LDF), Multilinear Principal Component Analysis (MPCA) with K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) classifier and the third method: MPCA plus Linear Discriminant Analysis (MPCA+LDA) with KNN classifier. Gait samples are fed into the MPCA and MPCALDA algorithms using a novel tensor-based form of the gait images. This arrangement results into nine recognition subsystems. Decisions from the nine classifiers are fused using decision-level (majority voting) scheme. A comparison between unweighted and weighted voting schemes is also presented. The methods are evaluated on CASIA B Dataset using four different experimental setups, and on OU-ISIR Dataset B using two different setups. The experimental results show that the classification accuracy of the proposed methods is encouraging and outperforms several state-of-the-art gait recognition approaches reported in the literature
Development of Activated Carbon Fibers for Organic Removals
Get PDFA Master of Science thesis in Chemical Engineering by Doaa Salim Samhan Alkathiri entitled, "Development of Activated Carbon Fibers for Organic Removals," submitted in November 2017. Thesis advisor is Dr. Taleb Hassan Ibrahim and thesis co-advisor is Dr. Yehya Amin El Sayed. Soft and hard copy available.Phenols are classified to be one of the most hazardous pollutants found in wastewater. They are discharged into rivers, lakes and seas, causing adverse effects on the enviromental and human health. Adsorption is a well-known technique used to treat wastewater. Activated carbon fibers (ACFs) are highly microporous efficient adsorbents due to their small diameters, high surface area and excellent volumetric capacity. In this work, ACFs were produced using polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers using different methods and tools. The fibers were stabilized initially at 250°C followed by carbonization at 850°C at a heating rate of 10°C/min and under the flow of nitrogen gas at a flow rate of 135ml/min. The carbonized fibers were subjected to physical (carbon dioxide) and chemical (potassium hydroxide) activation. The results showed that chemical activation using 3:1 ratio of KOH (wt/wt) produced fibers with a higher surface area of 2885m2/g compared to the physically activated fibers (774m2/g). The synthesized ACFs (Syn-ACFs) were compared and characterized in terms of morphology, thermal stability, composition and pore characteristics using SEM, EDS, TGA, CHN and nitrogen isotherm (Quantachrome). Bench scale batch experiments were carried out to determine and compare the adsorption efficiency, optimum parameters and the capacity of Syn-ACF and commercial ACFs (C-ACFs) for p-cresol removal. The adsorption optimum conditions using Syn-ACFs are: Syn-ACFs dosage = 1 g/l, contact time = 30 minutes, temperature = 25°C and initial pH = 4.6. The adsorption study on (Syn-ACFs) gave a higher removal efficiency of 91.0% of p-cresol compared to 71.6% (C-ACFs) at a concentration of 350ppm. In addition, the adsorption isotherms of p-cresol on C-ACFs and Syn-ACFs were found to follow the Langmuir isotherm equation; however, Syn-ACFs revealed a higher adsorption capacity (500mg/g) compared to C-ACFs (294 mg/g) at 25°C. The Syn-ACFs regeneration method was evaluated thermally at elevated temperatures and chemically using ethanol and n-hexane solvents. The thermal regeneration at 600°C achieved a higher removal efficiency of 84% compared to n-hexane (78%). The Syn-ACFs were evaluated for the treatment of produced water to ensure a removal of 71.2%. The results indicated that Syn-ACFs could be used as an efficient adsorbent for p-cresol removal in wastewater.College of EngineeringDepartment of Chemical EngineeringMaster of Science in Chemical Engineering (MSChE
The impact of constant effort harvesting on the dynamics of a discrete-time contest competition model
No full textIn this paper, we study a general discrete–time model representing the dynamics of a contest competition species with constant effort exploitation. In particular, we consider the difference equation xn+1 = xnf(xn−k) − hxn where h > 0, k ∈ {0, 1}, and the density dependent function f satisfies certain conditions that are typical of a contest competition. The harvesting parameter h is considered as the main parameter and its effect on the general dynamics of the model is investigated. In the absence of delay in the recruitment (k = 0), we show the effect of h on the stability, the maximum sustainable yield, the persistence of solutions and how the intraspecific competition change from contest to scramble competition. When the delay in recruitment is one (k = 1), we show that a Neimark–Sacker bifurcation occurs, and the obtained invariant curve is supercritical. Furthermore, we give a characterization of the persistent set