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Policy mixes for more sustainable smart home technologies
No full textSmart home technologies refer to devices that provide some degree of digitally connected, automated, or enhanced services to household occupants. Smart homes have become prominent in recent technology and policy discussions about energy efficiency, climate change, and the sustainability of buildings. Nevertheless, do they truly promote sustainability goals? Based on an extensive original dataset involving expert interviews, supplemented with a review of the literature, this study elaborates on an array of social, technical, political, and environmental risks facing smart home innovation, with clear implications for research, policy, and technology development. Only with a more thoughtful and coordinated mix of policies in place will smart home adoption begin to fulfill some of the sustainability objectives their advocates continually promise.UK Research and InnovationCentre for Research into Energy Demand Solution
INScription: Department of International Studies (INS) Issue #1 (September 30, 2021, Issue 1)
No full textCollege of Arts and SciencesDepartment of International Studie
Damage modeling of ballistic penetration and impact behavior of concrete panel under low and high velocities
No full textThis work presents a numerical simulation of ballistic penetration and high velocity impact behavior of plain and reinforced concrete panels. This paper is divided into two parts. The first part consists of numerical modeling of reinforced concrete panel penetrated with a spherical projectile using concrete damage plasticity (CDP) model, while the second part focuses on the comparison of CDP model and Johnson-Holmquist-2 (JH-2) damage model and their ability to describe the behavior of concrete panel under impact loads. The first and second concrete panels have dimensions of 1500 mm × 1500 mm × 150 mm and 675 mm × 675 mm × 200 mm, respectively, and are meshed using 8-node hexahedron solid elements. The impact object used in the first part is a spherical projectile of 150 mm diameter, while in the second part steel projectile of a length of 152 mm is modeled as rigid element. Failure and scabbing characteristics are studied in the first part. In the second part, the comparison results are presented as damage contours, kinetic energy of projectile and internal energy of the concrete. The results revealed a severe fracture of the panel and high kinetic energy of the projectile using CDP model comparing to the JH-2 model. In addition, the internal energy of concrete using CDP model was found to be less comparing to the JH-2 model
On the powers of quasihomogeneous Toeplitz operators
No full textIn this article, a fixed point iterative scheme involving Green's function is applied to reach a solution for the buckling of nano-actuators under nonlinear forces. Our solution is convergent. The nano-actuators problem under consideration is governed by a general type equation that contains nonlinear forces and integro-differential terms. The equation, we adopted and which governs the nano-actuators, is a nonlinear integro-differential BVP of fourth order. Our scheme enjoys important features such as high accuracy, robustness, and fast convergence. Numerical tests are performed and compared with other results that exist in the current literature
Investigating the Physical Properties of FeCu and its Potential use in Dye Sensitized Solar Cells
No full textA Master of Science thesis in Mechanical Engineering by Mariam Yousif Yousif AlAwadhi entitled, “Investigating the Physical Properties of FeCu and its Potential use in Dye Sensitized Solar Cells”, submitted in July 2021. Thesis advisor is Dr. Wael Abuzaid and thesis co-advisor is Dr. Abdul Hai Al Alami. Soft copy is available (Thesis, Completion Certificate, Approval Signatures, and AUS Archives Consent Form).The development of solar cells has revolutionized the renewable energy sector and still holds significant potential for further advancements. Different solar cell technologies have been proposed and utilized in practical applications. This work is focused on the special class of dye-sensitized solar cells which have been developed with the aim of achieving lower cost and higher cell efficiencies. The flexibility and simplicity of these photo-electrochemical systems has motivated significant research efforts in this field. Current efforts are focused on the utilization of alternative materials to replace the rather expensive platinum electrodes. The physical properties of the Iron-Copper system present an appealing choice as an alternative counter-electrode material. However, due the complexities in preparing metastable Fe-Cu alloys, the understanding of the fundamental electrical properties of this system remains limited and not fully understood. Developing a better understanding of the electrical properties of Fe-Cu, including composition dependencies, are relevant to the potential use of this alloy system in solar cell applications. In this work, FeᵪCu₁₀₀ ̱ᵪ alloys where x (wt%) = 25, 35, 50, 65, and 75 were prepared via mechanical alloying (MA) method. Microstructural characterization revealed a single-phase face-centered cubic structure for a wide range of compositions. Temperature dependencies of the resistivity were measured for all samples. At low temperatures, the Fe₂₅Cu₇₅ alloy exhibited T³⁄² dependence of the resistivity. At higher temperatures (100-300K) all of the mechanically alloyed Fe-Cu exhibited unusual T linear dependence resistivity. As for the magnetic properties, samples with Fe content higher than 35% exhibited magnetic transition temperatures (Tc) higher than 350K. The counter-electrode was manufactured by depositing Fe₅₀Cu₅₀ on an aluminum sheet using MA and rolling methods. Dye-sensitized cells were produced, assembled, and tested with both platinum electrodes and Al-Fe₅₀Cu₅₀ counter electrodes, resulting in maximum efficiencies of (3.7%) and (0.26%) respectively. Additionally, the efficiency-cost of these cells were investigated resulting in (0.25% per AED) for platinum electrode, and (3.0% per AED) for Al-Fe₅₀Cu₅₀ electrode. The obtained results indicate that it has a notable potential which warrants further research and optimization efforts.College of EngineeringDepartment of Mechanical EngineeringMaster of Science in Mechanical Engineering (MSME
Ultrasound‑triggered herceptin liposomes for breast cancer therapy
No full textThe functionalization of liposomes with monoclonal antibodies is a potential strategy to increase the specificity of liposomes and reduce the side-effects associated with chemotherapeutic agents. The active targeting of the Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor 2 (HER2), which is overexpressed in HER2 positive breast cancer cells, can be achieved by coating liposomes with an anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody. In this study, we synthesized calcein and Doxorubicin-loaded immunoliposomes functionalized with the monoclonal antibody Trastuzumab (TRA). Both liposomes were characterized for their size, phospholipid content and antibody conjugation. Exposing the liposomes to low-frequency ultrasound (LFUS) triggered drug release which increased with the increase in power density. Trastuzumab conjugation resulted in enhancing the sensitivity of the liposomes to LFUS. Compared to the control liposomes, TRA-liposomes showed higher cellular toxicity and higher drug uptake by the HER2 + cell line (SKBR3) which was further improved following sonication with LFUS. Combining immunoliposomes with LFUS is a promising technique in the field of targeted drug delivery that can enhance efficiency and reduce the cytotoxicity of antineoplastic drugs.American University of SharjahAl-Jalila FoundationAl Qasimi FoundationPatient’s Friends Committee-SharjahBiosciences and Bioengineering Research InstituteGCC Co-Fund ProgramTakamul programTechnology Innovation Pioneer (TIP) Healthcare AwardsDana Gas Endowed Chair for Chemical Engineerin
Recent Advances in Metal-Organic Frameworks as Anticancer Drug Delivery Systems: A Review
No full textBackground: Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), as attractive hybrid crystalline porous materials, are increasingly being investigated in biomedical applications owing to their exceptional properties, including high porosity, ultrahigh surface areas, tailorable composition and structure, and tunability and surface functionality. Of interest in this review is the design and development of MOFbased drug delivery systems (DDSs) that have excellent biocompatibility, good stability under physiological conditions, high drug loading capacity, and controlled/targeted drug release. Objective: This review highlights the latest advances in MOFs as anticancer drug delivery systems (DDSs) along with insights on their design, fabrication, and performance under different stimuli that are either internal or external. The synthesis methods of MOFs, along with their advantages and disadvantages, are briefly discussed. The emergence of multifunctional MOF-based theranostic platforms is also discussed. Finally, the future challenges facing the developments of MOFs in the field of drug delivery are discussed. Methods: The review was prepared by carrying out a comprehensive literature survey using relevant work published in various scientific databases. Results: Novel MOFs in biomedical applications, especially in drug delivery, have shown great potentials. MOF-based DDSs can be classified into normal (non-controllable) DDSs, stimuli-responsive DDSs, and theranostic platforms. The normal DDSs are pristine MOFs loaded with MOFs and offer little to no control over the drug delivery. Stimuli-responsive DDSs offer better spatiotemporal control over the drug release by responding to either endogenous (pH, redox, ions, ATP) or exogenous stimuli (light, magnetism, US, pressure, temperature). The theranostic platforms combine stimuli-responsive drug delivery with diagnostic imaging functionality, paving the road for imaging-guided drug delivery. Conclusion: This review presented a summary of the various methods utilized in MOF synthesis along with the advantages and disadvantages of each method. Furthermore, the review highlighted and discussed the latest developments in the field of MOF-based DDSs and theranostic platforms. The review is focused on the characteristics of MOF-based DDSs, the encapsulation of different anticancer drugs as well as their stimuli-responsive release
Analysis of Work-Related Health and Safety Accidents in the Emirate of Sharjah
No full textA Master of Science thesis in Engineering Systems Management by Mohamed AlZarooni entitled, “Analysis of Work-Related Health and Safety Accidents in the Emirate of Sharjah”, submitted in April 2021. Thesis advisor is Dr. Mahmoud Awad. Soft copy is available (Thesis, Completion Certificate, Approval Signatures, and AUS Archives Consent Form).The United Arab Emirates has been growing at a rapid pace over the last few decades. This growth has led to development and prosperity across multiple sectors within the country. Along with growth, the risk of work-related safety accidents may increase in terms of occurrence and severity. In order to mitigate such a risk, the UAE government initiated and enforced laws and regulations to help reduce the number and severity of accidents. Yet, and despite the enforcement of such laws and regulations, the health and safety situation within industry sectors remains ambiguous and understudied. This has led to an increase in the number of work-related accidents occurring over the past few years with little to no explanation behind the main causes of such accidents. The aim of this thesis is to identify work-related accident causal factors and provide proposals for accident rates reduction actions. The methodology consists of two main stages: content analysis of accident reports and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). Content analysis is maintained by reviewing past accident reports provided by the UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention. The analysis revealed that falls, injuries due to contact with sharp edges, and burns are the most frequent accident types. The CFA analysis revealed that training enhancement and total safety operating system are viable solutions to aid in controlling the frequency and effects of these accidents.College of EngineeringDepartment of Industrial EngineeringMaster of Science in Engineering Systems Management (MSESM
Antitumour Activities of Selected Pure Compounds Identified from the Serum of Crocodylus porosus, Malayopython reticulatus, Varanus salvator and Cuora kamaroma amboinensis
No full textObjectives: Here we determined antitumour effects of purified compounds such as Valdecoxib, Rofecoxib, L-Methionine and Artocarpin against cancer cell lines. Methods: Using purified compounds, assays were performed to determine their effects against cancer cell lines using growth inhibition assays, cytotoxicity assays, and cell survival assays against HeLa, PC3 and MCF7 cells. Results: The results showed that the selected small molecules L-Methionine, Rofecoxib, and Artocarpin suppressed the growth of more than 90% PC3 cells at 40μM. Similarly, Valdecoxib alone and in combination with other molecules exhibited potent growth inhibition and cytotoxicity against cancer cells tested. Peptide from the serum of M. reticulatus, demonstrated selective cytotoxicity against cancer cells without inhibiting the growth of normal cells. Conclusion: These findings are significant and provide a basis for the rational development of therapeutic anticancer agents, however intensive research is needed to determine in vivo effects of the identified molecules together with their mode of action to realize these expectations.American University of Sharja
Assessing test suites of extended finite state machines against model and code based faults
No full textTests can be derived from extended finite state machine (EFSM) specifications considering the coverage of single-transfer faults, all transitions using a transition tour, all-uses, edge-pair, and prime path with side trip. We provide novel empirical assessments of the effectiveness of these test suites. The first assessment determines for each pair of test suites if there is a difference between the pair in covering EFSM faults of six EFSM specifications. If the difference is found significant, we determine which test suite outperforms the other. The second assessment is similar to the first; yet, it is carried out against code faults of 12 Java implementations of the specifications. Besides, two assessments are provided to determine whether test suites have better coverage of certain classes of EFSM (or code) faults than others. The evaluation uses proper data transformation of mutation scores and p-value adjustments for controlling Type I error due to multiple tests. Furthermore, we show that subsuming mutants have an impact on mutation scores of both EFSM and code faults; and accordingly, we use a score that removes them in order not to invalidate the obtained results. The assessments show that all-uses tests were outperformed by all other tests; transition tours outperformed both edge-pair and prime path with side trips; and single-transfer fault tests outperformed all other test suites. Similar results are obtained over the considered EFSM and code fault domains, and there were no significant differences between the test suites coverage of different classes of EFSM and code faults.American University of Sharja