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The Meaning of Nazala in the Holy Qur'an
No full textA Master of Arts thesis in Translation and Interpreting MATI (English/Arabic/English) by Abdulkader M. Tayara entitled, "The Meaning of Nazala in the Holy Qur'an," submitted in May 2015. Thesis advisor is Dr. Ahmed Ali. Soft and hard copy available.Translating the Qur'an has always been a difficult task which stems from the holy status of the Book as well as the unique use of Arabic language in it. Being a deliberate text, every word in the Qur'an serves a specific purpose and cannot be replaced by what may be considered a synonym. Translators of the Qur'an encounter difficulties that make it an impossible task to be able to cater for this fact in their translations. They end translating the surface meaning leading to immeasurable loss. This thesis studies the meaning of the word نزََلَ nazala and its derivatives as used in the Qur'an at both word and context levels. The word level meaning of nazala is researched in classical Arabic-Arabic dictionaries. Those meanings are determined through consulting Qur'an exegeses and relevant literature. The translation of nazala and its derivatives is then assessed in light of the findings of the linguistic analysis. Three English translations of
the Qur'an are used for this purpose: Marmaduke Pickthall's (1930), Muhammad Muhsin Khan's and Muhammad Taqiudin Al Hilali's (1971) and M. A. S Abdul Haleem's (2004). It is found that the translations do not always consider the deeper meaning of the word, and that translation loss is a prevailing fact in Qur'an translation.College of Arts and SciencesDepartment of Arabic and Translation StudiesMaster of Arts in English/Arabic/English Translation and Interpreting (MATI
Retrofitting of Composite Steel Beams Pre-Damaged in Flexure using Fiber Reinforced Polymers
No full textA Master of Science thesis in Civil Engineering by Ehab Clovis Karam entitled, "Retrofitting of Composite Steel Beams Pre-Damaged in Flexure using Fiber Reinforced Polymers," submitted in May 2015. Thesis advisor is Dr. Rami Hawileh and thesis co-advisors are Dr. Jamal Abdalla and Dr. Tamer El Maaddawy. Soft and hard copy available.The demand for the use of carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite sheets and plates is exponentially increasing in the rehabilitation of deteriorating steel-concrete composite beams across the Globe. The aim of this study is to investigate the performance of pre-damaged steel-concrete composite beams retrofitted with CFRP sheets and mechanically anchored with pultruded composite plates with high stiffness and bearing strength. A total of 10 composite steel-concrete beams were prepared and tested under two-point loading till failure. One beam was left undamaged to serve as a control specimen, while the remaining beams were divided into three groups, each consisting of three specimens and artificially damaged by cutting different notch depths of 5 mm, 8 mm and 11 mm in the bottom flange simulating corrosion damage levels of 45%, 73% and 100%, respectively. In each group, the first beam was tested without strengthening, the second specimen was externally retrofitted in flexure with CFRP sheets bonded with epoxy adhesives, and the third beam was strengthened in a similar fashion and mechanically fastened using the proposed composite pultruded plate system. The test results showed that the load-carrying capacity of the deteriorated specimens with different notch depths of 5 mm, 8 mm and 11 mm was reduced by 10.57, 21.52, and 49.1%, respectively. The strength of the repaired beam specimens with CFRP sheets ranged from 74.19 to 104.48% of that of the control undamaged beam, and ranged from 77.42 to 108.06% for the beams repaired with the proposed mechanical anchorage system. It was concluded that the proposed mechanically fastened repair system could fully restore the strength of damaged steel-concrete beams if the notch size at midspan is less than 50% of the bottom flange thickness. A finite element (FE) model was also developed that accurately simulated the response of some selected specimens. The developed models can be used in a future parametric study to investigate the effect of several parameters on the performance of the proposed retrofitting system.College of EngineeringDepartment of Civil EngineeringMaster of Science in Civil Engineering (MSCE
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) removal using schist packings in industrial biofilter applications
Get PDFExpanded schist can be a promising biofilter media for Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) removal in industrial applications. In this work, H2S removal performance of a biofilter packed with expanded schist is compared with a patented (EU Patent No. 0 497 214 B1) media which has been commercialized and used in many industrial applications for odor and VOC control from contaminated airstreams. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) removal performance data from two different schist packing media combinations were used in the analysis (BF1: inoculated with activated sludge, BF3: inoculated with activated sludge and 12% synthetic nutrient-UP20). Different mathematical models that describe H2S removal performance of a patented and schist packing media, respectively, were used to determine the limitations, similarities and differences of both media. The results show that both model predictions are in close agreement with the experimental data of schist packing that is inoculated with activated sludge (BF1). Thus, patented media removal performance of H2S is closely equivalent to expanded schist media inoculated with activated sludge (BF1). When model comparisons are made on a similar basis with schist media inoculated with activated sludge and 12% UP20 nutrient (BF3), the removal performance of schist media is found to be superior to that of patented biofilter media, especially for loading rate greater than 7 g/m3 media/hr. Since the patented biofilter media (EU Patent No. 0 497 214 B1) is commercially used by many industries, the results presented in this work will be valuable for practicing engineers and consultants who work in full-scale design and operation of biofilters
Nonlinear Friction Identification of A Linear Voice Coil DC Motor
No full textA Master of Science thesis in Mechatronics Engineering by Mohannad Hashem Takrouri entitled, "Nonlinear Friction Identification of A Linear Voice Coil DC Motor," submitted in June 2015. Thesis advisor is Dr. Rached Dhaouadi. Soft and hard copy available.Friction is a nonlinear phenomenon that has a major effect on the performance of servomechanisms and positioning systems such as CNC machines, robot manipulators, printers and disk drives. For this reason, accurate knowledge of the system parameters and friction characteristics should be included in the system model in order to design high performance control systems. This research aims to develop an identification procedure for nonlinear friction in a linear positioning system. Three methods are used. The first method is based on the free-fall of an object released from rest and it is used to find the mass, Coulomb friction and viscous friction coefficient. The second method is based on the steady state response (SSR) of the velocity control loop using a PI controller and it is used to find the friction force characteristics by measuring the current at constant velocity. The friction-velocity relation is plotted at different velocity values and the Coulomb friction, viscous friction, and stiction friction coefficients are extracted from the graph itself. The third method is based on artificial neural networks (ANNs). ANNs represent a powerful data-driven, self-adaptive, and flexible computational tool, which has the ability to capture the nonlinear and complex characteristics of any physical process with a high degree of accuracy. In this research work, an adaptive linear neuron (ADALINE) network based on three different network structures is used to estimate the parameters of the system including the Coulomb friction and viscous friction coefficients. The training of the network is carried out in off-line and on-line modes. Finally, a comparison between these three methods is made to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of each technique. An experimental setup with a linear voice coil DC motor and a high resolution position sensor is developed to test the different identification and control algorithms. The setup is interfaced with a dSPACE 1103 Controller Board. The experimental results obtained show that the ADALINE network is able to estimate the system parameters with a percentage error of 4.71% for the mass, 24.63% for the viscous, and 62.29% and 14.86% for the Coulomb friction in the positive and negative directions of motion, respectively.College of EngineeringMultidisciplinary ProgramsMaster of Science in Mechatronics Engineering (MSMTR
Glove-Based Continuous Arabic Sign Language Recognition in User-Dependent Mode
No full textIn this paper we propose a glove-based Arabic sign language recognition system using a novel technique for sequential data classification. We compile a sensor-based dataset of 40 sentences using an 80-word lexicon. In the dataset, hand movements are captured using two DG5-VHand data gloves. Data labeling is performed using a camera to synchronize hand movements with their corresponding sign language words. Low-complexity preprocessing and feature extraction techniques are applied to capture and emphasize the temporal dependency of the data. Subsequently, a Modified k-Nearest Neighbor (MKNN) approach is used for classification. The proposed MKNN makes use of the context of feature vectors for the purpose of accurate classification. The proposed solution achieved a sentence recognition rate of 98.9%. The results are compared against an existing vision-based approach that uses the same set of sentences. The proposed solution is superior in terms of classification rates whilst eliminating restrictions of vision-based systems
Glass Selection for High-Rise Buildings in the United Arab Emirates Considering Orientation and Window-to-Wall Ratio
No full textThis paper is the continuation of a previous paper published by the authors. Both papers are for a study that considers the relationship among the glass thermal characteristics, its cost, and the price of electricity. This paper significantly expands the study by adding commercial buildings typology, considering two major building orientations and taking into account five different window-to-wall ratios. Energy prices and glass prices are also updated. Using the life cycle cost analysis technique, best thermal properties of glass are identified for different design scenarios. Considering that the results can differ with changes in input data, a sensitivity analysis is carried out to understand the impact of changing key input data. The results show that the building typology, orientation, and window-to-wall ratio are not the determining factors for identifying the best glass properties. They also show that the variation in price increase for different glass types is a critical factor in identifying the best glass properties
Translating Emirati Folklore
No full textA Master of Arts thesis in Translation and Interpreting MATI (English/Arabic/English) by Shaikha H. Al Khamiri entitled, "Translating Emirati Folklore," submitted in December 2015. Thesis advisor is Dr. Said Faiq. Soft and hard copy available.As a genre in its own right, folklore is an important element in any culture. In the United Arab Emirates, folktales are known as kharareef (sing. khrairifa), which form a type of sung folklore. The translation of folktales can contribute to intercultural interaction, but because they are culture sensitive, folktales pose serious problems for translation. Translating Emirati folktales is problematic on both cultural and linguistic levels. This thesis explores the problems of translating Emirati kharareef into English and the strategies deployed. For the purpose of this thesis, five Emirati folktales were chosen for translation into English by an Arab translator through the one-hour translation on-line agency. The analysis of the translation shows that literal translation was mostly used, and that mistranslations resulted, most likely, from the translator's lack of knowledge of the context of the Emirati culture. The problems that the translator faced were cultural and linguistic. Ultimately, the English translation of the five kharareef does not reflect their Emirati cultural spirit.College of Arts and SciencesDepartment of Arabic and Translation StudiesMaster of Arts in English/Arabic/English Translation and Interpreting (MATI
Jerry Seinfeld: I'm Telling You For The Last Time, Translation and Commentary
No full textA Master of Arts thesis in Translation and Interpreting MATI (English/Arabic/English) by Abu Bakr Al Ani entitled, "Jerry Seinfeld: I'm Telling You For The Last Time, Translation and Commentary," submitted in January 2015. Thesis advisor is Dr. Sattar Izwaini. Soft and hard copy available.Translation of humor is a field that may not have a fair share of research, especially in the English to Arabic field where the cultural aspect may differ more vividly compared to translating into other languages. This thesis looks into the issue of subtitling a movie of a stand-up comedy act titled 'Jerry Seinfeld: I'm Telling You for the Last Time'. It introduces the genre of comedy and sheds light on some of the challenges that accompany the translation such genre. These challenges include translating humor, translating cultural specific terms, and dealing with technical issues of the subtitling. The thesis includes a translation of the script in the form of subtitle alongside the original text. The translation is followed by a commentary discussing the challenges and justifying the choices made while addressing these challenges. The thesis concludes with findings and recommendations for future similar translation attempts. It has been found that translating comedy needs to be addressed with special care of the purpose and the audience of the translation given the genre. A recommendation of the project is that looking at the translation process as a reproduction process, for a translator to be able to translate comedy, they need to be able to able to write comedy. For the purpose of this thesis, a disc of the movie with the Arabic subtitles is produced alongside the thesis to provide an actual audiovisual final product of the translation. The said disc can be obtained upon request by contacting the author and/or the supervisor of this thesis at:
[email protected] (the author)
[email protected] (the supervisor)College of Arts and SciencesDepartment of Arabic and Translation StudiesMaster of Arts in English/Arabic/English Translation and Interpreting (MATI
Building-Integrated Photovoltaic Systems
No full textA poster submitted in ENG 207 taught by Dr. David Prescott for the Fall 2014 semester.Would transparent photovoltaic cells contribute in producing at least part of the energy consumed when applied on high rise towers
Finite Element Analysis of Splayed Steel Girder Bridges
No full textA Master of Science thesis in Civil Engineering by Faress Hraib entitled, "Finite Element Analysis of Splayed Steel Girder Bridges," submitted in June 2015. Thesis advisor is Dr. Sami Tabsh. Soft and hard copy available.A splayed girder bridge is a bridge which consists of a deck slab supported on girders with linearly varying spacing. The simple formulas and approximate design procedures in the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications are supposed to be used with regular bridges, where the girders are parallel and the deck slab width is constant. For splayed girder bridges, the specifications suggest a refined method of analysis, which could be expensive and time-consuming. Extending the simple live load girder distribution factors and the deck slab strip method to splayed girder bridges would be very helpful for bridge designers. The objective of this research is to investigate the effect of girder splayedness in slab-on-steel-girder bridges on the dead and live load distribution in the deck slab as well as among the interior and exterior girders. Fifteen composite steel girder bridges are analyzed by the finite element method using the computer software ANSYS. In the computer model, 4-node rectangular shell elements were used for the steel girder flanges and web, 2-node beam elements for the cross-bracing, and 8-node solid elements in the deck slab. Linearly-elastic material behavior is utilized and the model is verified against laboratory and field tests of actual bridges. The effects of the girder splayedness angle, girder spacing, number of girders, deck slab thickness, span length, girder stiffness, and presence of cross-bracing are considered. The study showed that the tributary width concept is reliable for determining the dead load on the splayed girders. Also, the girder distribution factors for flexure in the AASHTO LRFD specifications can be reasonably used for splayed girder bridges if the specific girder spacing at the location of each axle of the truck in the longitudinal direction is considered. On the other hand, the lever rule can provide a good estimate of the live load distribution among splayed girders when subjected to shear. With regard to the live and dead load effect in the deck slab, the equivalent strip method can be a reasonable predictor of the critical positive and negative bending moments in the slab interior regions and in the overhang, provided more than one strip are taken at some discrete locations along the bridge centerline.College of EngineeringDepartment of Civil EngineeringMaster of Science in Civil Engineering (MSCE