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An efficient binary salp swarm algorithm with crossover scheme for feature selection problems
Get PDFSearching for the (near) optimal subset of features is a challenging problem in the process of Feature Selection (FS). In the literature, Swarm Intelligence (SI) algorithms show superior performance in solving this problem. This motivated our attempts to test the performance of the newly proposed Salp Swarm Algorithm (SSA) in this area. As such, two new wrapper FS approaches that use SSA as the search strategy are proposed. In the first approach, eight transfer functions are employed to convert the continuous version of SSA to binary. In the second approach, the crossover operator is used in addition to the transfer functions to replace the average operator and enhance the exploratory behavior of the algorithm. The proposed approaches are benchmarked on 22 well-known UCI datasets and the results are compared with 5 FS methods: Binary Grey Wolf Optimizer (BGWO), Binary Gravitational Search Algorithms (BGSA), Binary Bat Algorithm (BBA), Binary Particle Swarm Optimization (BPSO), and Genetic Algorithm (GA). The paper also considers an extensive study of the parameter setting for the proposed technique. From the results, it is observed that the proposed approach significantly outperforms others on around 90% of the datasets
The investigation of cybercrime and proving it in Palestine : a comparative study
No full textمقال نشر في مجلة دراسات : علوم الشريعة و القانون ، مج. 45، ع. 4، ملحق 2، 2018الملخص
التحقيق في الجرائم الإلكترونية وكيفية ضبط الأدلة الرقمية وجمعها من الموضوعات المستجدة في فلسطين وغيرها من دول العالم. كما أن طبيعة الأدلة الرقمية وكيفية التعامل معها من قبل جهات التحقيق تعتبر من الموضوعات ذات الأهمية القانونية والعملية. ويقوم بالتحقيق في الجرائم الالكترونية نيابة متخصصة وفق إجراءات وقواعد إثبات خاصة، يساعدها في ذلك ضابطة قضائية متخصصة بالجرائم الالكترونية، على عكس الجرائم التقليدية التي تختص بالتحقيق فيها النيابة العامة تساعدها الضابطة القضائية ذات الاختصاص العام وفقاً لقواعد التحقيق والإثبات التقليدية.
ويعترض عمل النيابة العامة والضابطة القضائية العديد من الصعوبات، من أهمها القصور التشريعي وضعف التخصص لدى القائمين على التحقيق وجمع أدلة هذا النوع من الجرائم. إن تعزيز وتقوية التحقيق في الجرائم الإلكترونية يقوم على وضع إجراءات إدارية لقسم التحقيق لضمان السيطرة الفعّالة على قضايا الجرائم الإلكترونية، إضافةً إلى وضع مبادئ توجيهية للأدلة الإلكترونية الجنائية وصولاً إلى تحقيق ناجح وفعّال للجرائم الإلكترونية
Caesarean section in Palestine using the Robson Ten Group Classification System: a population-based birth cohort study
No full textObjective To analyse the current situation of caesarean section in Palestine using the Robson Ten Group Classification System (TGCS). Design A population-based birth cohort study.
Setting Obstetrical departments in three governmental hospitals in Gaza. Participants All women (18 908) who gave birth between1 January 2016 and 30 April 2017.
Methods The contributions of each group to the study population and to the overall rate of caesarean section were calculated, as well as the rate of caesarean section in each TGCS group. Differences in proportions between study hospitals were assessed by χ2 test. Main outcome measures The main outcome was the contributions of each group to the overall caesarean
section rate. Results The overall rate of caesarean section was 22.9% (4337 of 18 908), ranging from 20.6% in hospital 1 to 24.6% in hospital 3. The largest contributors to the overall caesarean section rate were multiparous women with single cephalic fullterm pregnancy who had undergone at least one caesarean section (group 5, 42.6%), women with multiple pregnancies (group 8, 11.6%) and those with single cephalic preterm labour (group 10, 8.1%).
Statistically significant differences in caesarean section rates between the study hospitals were
observed in group 1 (nulliparous women with single cephalic full-term pregnancy and spontaneous labour), group 4 (multiparous with single cephalic full-term pregnancy with induced labour or prelabour caesarean section), group 5 (multiparous with single cephalic full-term pregnancy with previous caesarean section) and in group 7 (multiparous with breech
presentation). Conclusion Women in groups 5, 8 and 10 were the largest contributors to the overall caesarean section rate in the study hospitals. Efforts to reduce the differences in obstetrical care between hospitals need to be directed towards increasing the proportion of vaginal births after caesarean section and by reducing primary caesarean section in multiple pregnancies and preterm labourNorwegian Research Counci
Environmental Situation in the Palestinian Context: Current Water, Wastewater and Solid Waste Management
No full textpresentatio
Agricultural technologies and carbon emissions: evidence from Jordanian economy
No full textTheoretically, agriculture can be the victim and the cause of climate change. Using annual data for the period of 1970–2014, this study examines the interaction between agriculture technology factors and the environment in terms of carbon emissions in
Jordan. The results provide evidence for unidirectional causality running from machinery, subsidies, and other transfers, rural access to an improved water source and fertilizers to carbon emissions. The results also reveal the existence of bidirectional causality between the real income and carbon emissions. The variance error decompositions highlight the importance of subsidies and machinery in explaining carbon emissions. They also show that fertilizers, the crop and livestock production, the land under
cereal production, the water access, the agricultural value added, and the real income have an increasing effect on carbon emissions over the forecast period. These results are important so that policy-makers can build up strategies and take in
considerations the indicators in order to reduce carbon emissions in Jordan
State of emergency
No full textArabic Abstract:تنطلق الدراسة من أهمية موضوعها الذي يعالج حالة الطوارئ باعتبارها إحدى الحالات الواردة ضمن نظرية الظروف الاستثنائية، التي تُشرع لمواجهة خطر معين حال وجسيم تعاصره الدولة، بموجبها يحق للسلطة التنفيذية تجميد الأحكام الدستورية والتشريعية العادية بشكل مؤقت بما يخدم المصلحة العليا لمواجهة هذا الظرف الطارئ.
تناولت الدراسة بعض المواضيع المرتبطة بحالة الطوارئ ومن ضمنها القيود القانونية لإعلانها وأثر تطبيقها على حقوق الأفراد وحرياتهم. وتوصلت الدراسة إلى عدد من النتائج أهمها: يجب الالتزام بالعديد من القيود الموضوعية والشكلية لإعلان حالة الطوارئ، كأن يتم إعلانها من قبل أشخاص محددين بنص الدستور أو القانون المنظم لها، ولمدة زمنية محددة. هذا ويقع العبء الأكبر في الرقابة على هذه الأعمال على المحكمة الإدارية، أما المحكمة الدستورية تبحث فقط مدى انسجام الإجراءات المتخذة خلال حالة الطوارئ من الجهات المختصة بذلك مع ما ورد من تقييدات ضمن نصوص الدستور
Factor V Leiden G1691A and prothrombin G20210A mutations among Palestinian patients with sickle cell disease
No full textBackground: Vascular thrombosis is an important pathophysiological aspect of sickle cell disease (SCD). This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and clinical impact of factor V Leiden G1691A (FVL) and prothrombin G20210A mutations among Palestinian sickle cell disease (SCD) patients.
Methods: A total of 117 SCD patients, including 59 patients with sickle cell anemia (SS), 33 patients with sickle β-thalassemia and 25 individuals with sickle cell trait (AS) were studied. The control group consisted of 118 healthy individuals. FVL and prothrombin G20210A mutations were determined by RFLP PCR. Results: Analysis of the clinical history of SCD patients revealed that seven patients have had vascular complications such as ischemic stroke or deep vein thrombosis. In SCD patients, the inheritance of the FVL mutation showed a significantly higher incidence of pain in joints, chest and abdomen as well as regular dependence on blood transfusion compared to SCD with the wild type. Age- and sex-adjusted logistic regression analysis revealed a significant association between FVL and sickle cell anemia with an odds ratio (OR) of 5.6 (95% confidence intervals [CI] of 1.91–39.4, P = 0.039) in SS patients. However, increased prevalence of the FVL in AS subjects and sickle β-thalassemia patients was not statistically significant compared to controls (OR 3.97, 95% CI 0.51–28.6, P = 0.17 and OR 3.59, 95% CI 0.35–41.6, P = 0.26, respectively). The distribution of prothrombin G20210A mutation among SCD patients compared to controls was not significantly different, thus our findings do not support an association of this mutation with SCD. Conclusions: FVL was more prevalent among SS patients compared to controls and it was associated with higher incidence of disease complications among SCD patients
Investigation of the Chemical Content of Two Specific Streams in Municipal Waste: The Case of Hazardous Household Waste and Dental Waste.
No full textA variety of chemicals is included in the household hazardous waste and the
dental waste fractions that are sadly both parts of municipal solid waste in Greece.
These chemical compounds have hazardous properties according to international
and European regulations.
In Greece, the categorization of household hazardous waste is not indicated
by any legislation, whereas for dental waste the legislation is existent since
May 2012, but the development of a management plan undertaken by the
Hellenic Dental Association is not yet active. Given that both waste fractions
are managed with other municipal solid wastes, they are spotted in solid waste
management facilities causing multiple impacts and challenging the labors’
health and safety status.
Desk research involving literature and commercial research was conducted in
order for the hazardous substances of each of the aforementioned waste stream to
be pinpointed; collected data were compiled into databases for those two specific
waste streams and were categorized based on their hazardous properties and the
waste facility they are most likely to be found in. Parallel field researches were
conducted to: (i) determine the uncertainty level of the fractions, composition,
and health/environmental impacts, and (ii) specific parameters were introduced to
determine their impact due to the status of health and safety conditions within the
management facilities in Greece. Despite the fact that HHW is almost 10% of the
total MSW, it was found that 4.00% of their compounds involve a toxic risk and
7.16% of them involve combination risks for humans working in treatment
facilities; ten chemical compounds, which are included in this fraction, are
categorized as R39/23/24/25 (toxic). On the other hand, in DW, 8.82% of the
included chemical compounds involve a toxic risk and 11.76% of them involve
combination risks for humans.
The qualitative and quantitative analysis of those waste fractions presented in
this paper will pave the way toward organization of both waste streams’ management
plan followed by compiled strategies and recommendations to divert
them from the municipal waste stream and lead them to safe and sustainable
management paths
Bio-energy in Palestine between reality and potential
No full textIn Palestine, there are huge natural possibilities in the field of bio-energy, which greatly reduces dependence on imports. In the field of bio-energy, there are huge amounts of solid waste produced by municipalities, which spend large sums of money to bury them in waste dumps, which are deficient and inadequate to meet the needs, there is a large amount of waste oil used and polluting the environment. There are also large quantities of olive peat that pollute the environment. Investment in these fields produces large amounts of energy and protects the environment from severe damage.
In addition, there are huge quantities of animal manure from goats, chickens and cows, which can generate energy. In any case, bio-energy processes lead to the production of natural fertilizers that are desirable to farmers because of their lack of odors.
The amount of biogas that can be extracted from organic waste, depends on the waste itself and the design of the digester system, it ranges from 20 m3 per ton to 800 m3 of biogas per ton. Each cubic meter (m3) of biogas contains the equivalent of 6kWh of calorific energy.Palestine suffers from two main problems in the economy: dependence on imports in all sectors, including the energy sector, and relying on the assistance of donor institutions and international development institutions. In recent years, international aid has declined significantly, but energy imports and consumption continue to increase due to the increasing population, the absence of a public transport sector, and so the increase in the number of vehicles in the transport sector and the doubling of the consumption of petroleum energy.
Hence, there is a need to study the potential of renewable energy, including bio-energy. In Palestine, there are huge natural possibilities in the field of bio-energy, which greatly reduces dependence on imports.
In the field of bio-energy, there are huge amounts of solid waste produced by municipalities, which spend large sums of money to bury them in waste dumps, which are deficient and inadequate to meet the needs, there is a large amount of waste oil used and polluting the environment. There are also large quantities of olive peats that pollute the environment. Investment in these fields produces large amounts of energy and protects the environment from severe damage.
In addition, there are huge quantities of animal manure from goats, chickens and cows, which can generate energy. In any case, bio-energy processes lead to the production of natural fertilizers that are desirable to farmers because of their lack of odors.
The organic waste produced in Palestine per year is as follows: Wood and Charcoal 2,7917 tons, Organic municipal solid waste 7,325,741,5 tons, Olive peat 476,921 tons, Oils and Lubricants 1,083 tons, Animal manure 628,660 tons, the total is 74,391,996 tons. The amount of biogas that can be extracted from organic waste, depends on the waste itself and the design of the digester system, it ranges from 20 m3 per ton to 800 m3 of biogas per ton. Each cubic meter (m3) of biogas contains the equivalent of 6kWh of calorific energy.
In Palestine: 74,391,996 tons* 20 = 1,487,839,920 m3 of biogas produces (8,927,039,520 kW).Which consist of (2,975,679,840 kW) electric energy, and (5,951,359,680 kW) thermal energy