PAG
E.1
PAG
E.2
UAEGSRC
PAG
E.3
Table of Contents
About UAE GSRC
Conference Honorary Chair
Message from the Steering Committee Chair & the General Chair
Message from the Executive Chair
Message from the Technical Program Committee Chair
Conference Committees
Sponsor and Organizer
Conference Venue
Keynotes
Program
Author-Session Index
5
7
8
10
12
14
16
18
21
27
93
PAG
E.4
PAG
E.5
ABOUT UAE GSRC
Under the patronage of HE.Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the Graduate Students Research Conference (UAE GSRC) is an exciting interdisciplinary academic event that will share graduate level research being conducted at universities across the UAE and internationally.
The main purpose of this conference is to provide opportunities for graduate students to share their research work and initiatives with each other, receive scholarly feedback and network professionally. The event will also enable graduate students to showcase their innovative scholarship to various sectors of industry and government, and get feedback on practical aspects that may enhance the value of their research. Prospective graduate students will be able to learn about the various research opportunities available at the participating academic institutions.
www.uaegsrc.ae
PAG
E.6
CONFERENCEHONORARY CHAIR
PAG
E.7
Conference Honorary Chair
H.E. Dr. Amal Al-QubaisiDirector General of Abu Dhabi Education Council
Member of the Executive Council and the Executive Committee at the General Secretariat of the Executive Council.
Chair of the Social Committee at the Executive Council.
First Deputy Speaker of the Federal National Council, the first woman in the GCC to hold this position.
The first woman to be elected as member of the UAE Federal National Council in 2006.
President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Group representing the UAE Federal National Council, Member of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and Representative of the Arab Group in the Coordination Committee of Women Parliamentarians.
Chairman of Education, Media, Youth and Culture Committee at the Federal National Council in the 14th session.
Chair of the Advisory Committee of Woman Workforce in the UAE.
Representative of the Federal National Council in the Steering and Executive Committee for Developing the National Strategy for Motherhood and Childhood; chairing all the strategy’s working teams from over 50 governmental ministries, Authorities, Departments and NGOs from across the UAE.
Rated the 7th most powerful woman in the Arab World in 2013 by Arabian Business.com.
Coordinated with UNESCO for signing an agreement aiming at developing a strategy for the conservation of Al Ain City heritage for the first time in the Arab World and worked on listing it as a World Heritage Site.
Ph.D in Architectural Engineering, with Honours in 2000 (holds the world’s only doctoral degree on the Conservation of the UAE’s Architectural Heritage).
PAG
E.8
Message from the Steering Committee Chairand the General Chair
On behalf of the Steering Committee of the 2015 UAE Graduate Students Research Conference (UAE GSRC 2015), I would like to welcome our guests, speakers and participants and wish them to have a fruitful, successful and enjoyable conference. Furthermore, I would like to express our gratitude and thanks to His Excellency Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, UAE for accepting to hold the conference under his patronage.
The UAE GSRC is an exciting interdisciplinary academic event to share the graduate level research being conducted at universities across the UAE, in particular, as well as internationally. The main purpose of this conference is to provide opportunities for graduate students to share their research work with each other, receive scholarly feedback and network professionally. The event will also enable graduate students to showcase their innovative scholarship and get feedback on practical aspects that may enhance the value of their research. Prospective graduate students will be able to learn about the various research opportunities available at the participating academic institutions.
In its inaugural year, the UAE GSRC 2015 provided an opportunity to graduate students to share their research results in specific areas under the following major tracks:
• Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences• Clinical, Pre-Clinical and Health• Life Sciences• Engineering and Physical Sciences
In addition to the research papers under the above tracks, the conference has five distinguished keynote speakers who will address current and future issues related to challenges in various fields. The keynote speakers include highly accomplished academic scholars as well as industry leaders in the UAE and abroad.
Our special thanks go to the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) for initiating this conference, which is dedicated to graduate students, and for their generous sponsorship. Without their support, it would not have been possible to organize such an event.
The success of this conference is attributed to those individuals who have worked hard to ensure smooth operations before and during the event. Hence, we would like to thank the members of the Steering Committee, the Organizing Committee and Students Organizing sub-committee, and the Technical Program Committee.We trust you will professionally benefit from the Conference as well as enjoy it socially.
Dr. Arif Al-Hammadi, Steering Committee Chair and General Chair
PAG
E.9
Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi is currently serving in Abu Dhabi Education Council as the Executive Director of the Higher Education Sector and in Khalifa University of Science Technology and Research as the Executive Vice President.
Dr. Arif is the chairman of the board of trustees of Emirates College of Advanced Education, a trustee at Mohammed-V Abu Dhabi University, a trustee at UAE water aid foundation and a board member at Strata (Mubadala’s composite aerostructures manufacturing facility).
He is also the chair of the steering committee and general chair of UAE graduate research conference (UAE GSRC), chairman of the executive committee of the UAE advanced network for research and education (ANKABUT), the chairman of Gulf Nuclear Infrastructure Institute, the founding chair of the UAE Mobile Application Contest (UAE MAC) and the founding chair of the UAE ICT Research Forum (UAE ICTRF).
Dr. Arif is a holder of a PhD Degree in Telecommunications which he obtained from the Queen Mary, University of London (2000 and a holder of a Bachelor Degree in Telecommunications Engineering with Honors from Etisalat University College - UAE (1994).
In the past Dr. Arif held several other key positions in the educational field, including Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Deputy Head of the Computer Engineering Department, Manager of Etisalat University College and Interim and Founding President of Khalifa University.
PAG
E.10
Message from the Executive Chair
On behalf of the Conference Organizing and Technical Committees, I would like to welcome you all to the 2015 UAE Graduate Students Research Conference (UAE GSRC 2015). This is the first conference in the UAE that is dedicated to graduate students. I would like to express our gratitude and thanks to His Excellency Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, UAE for accepting to hold the conference under his patronage.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) the initiator and main sponsor of this conference. I would also like to express our gratitude to the members of the Steering Committee for their valuable support and guidance.
We would like to thank Khalifa University for accepting to lead the organization of the UAE GSRC 2015. Organizing an inaugural event bring with it many challenges particularly when it tries to cover different disciplines and involves coordination between different institutions. Therefore, the Steering, Organizing and Technical Committees were designed to include representatives from different institutions and different disciplines. We also made sure that student representatives from different levels and disciplines are involved in the organization.
In order to recognize this collaborative and all-inclusive effort, we would like to express our special thanks to Khalifa University, UAE University, Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, The Petroleum Institute, and Zayed University for actively engaging in the various committees and for encouraging their graduate students to participate in the UAE GSRC 2015.
Special thanks go to the keynote speakers for enhancing the technical program with their expertise. We would also like to thank the graduate students from the UAE and the various international institutions who contributed by submitting papers to the conference, the Technical Program Committee members, the track chairs, and the reviewers for putting together a very interesting and stimulating technical program.
I would like to express my deepest appreciation to the members of the Organizing Committee and the various volunteers for their professionalism and valuable efforts in making the 2015 UAE GSRC a success. In particular I would like to thank the External Relations Department as well as other entities at Khalifa University for their support.
Finally, I hope that your participation in the conference will be enjoyable and rewarding.
Dr. Mohammed Al-Mualla, Executive Chair
PAG
E.11
Dr. Mohammed Al-Mualla (CEng, MIET, SMIEEE) holds a PhD degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering and an MSc degree in Communication Systems and Signal Processing both from the University of Bristol, U.K. He also holds a BEng degree in Communications Engineering from Etisalat College of Engineering, United Arab Emirates.
Since 2000 he has been with Khalifa University where he has served in many roles including Manager of the Abu Dhabi Campus and Interim Provost and Senior Associate Provost. He is currently the Senior Vice President for Research & Graduate Studies providing leadership and strategic direction for graduate programs and for university research and its engagement with industry, and in the management of university Intellectual Property, technology transfer, and research support services.
During his career, Dr Al-Mualla has contributed to the teaching, research and administration sides of the University. He has taught a range of courses and has published widely in refereed international journals and conferences. He is the author of the book “Video Coding for Mobile Communication: Efficiency, Complexity and Resilience”, Academic Press, 2002. He has contributed to curriculum and program development, and participated in, and led, many accreditation activities by both local and international bodies. He has been a member and chair of numerous University committees, boards, and panels.
Dr. Al-Mualla is currently a member of the Board of Trustees of the ICT Fund and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Abu Dhabi Vocational Education and Training Institute. He is a member of the Senior Management Board of the Etisalat-British Telecom Innovation Center and chair of the Senior Management Board of the Mubadalah-KU Aerospace Innovation Center. He also served in the past on the Board of Directors of C4 Advanced Solutions and the Board of the Emirates Science Club.
Dr. Al-Mualla is very active in professional societies and services. He is a Chartered Engineer (C.Eng.), Member of the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET), and Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Dr. Al-Mualla is currently the Chairman of the IEEE UAE Section. He also served as the Vice Chairman from 2006 to 2012. He founded the IEEE UAE Signal Processing & Communication Joint Chapter and served as its founding chair from 2004 until 2012. Dr Al-Mualla has been a member of the steering, organizing and technical program committees of many international conferences, and has served on many editorial and reviewing boards of international journals and conferences.
PAG
E.12
Message from the Technical Program Committee Chair
On behalf of the Technical Program Committee, we would like to welcome you all to the 2015 UAE Graduate Students Research Conference (GSRC). We would like to express our gratitude and thanks to His Excellency Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, UAE for accepting to hold the conference under his patronage.
This multidisciplinary conference received papers under the following major tracks:• Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences• Clinical, Pre-Clinical and Health• Life Sciences• Engineering and Physical Sciences
A total of 300 papers have been accepted for oral presentations at the conference. The papers are split among the conference tracks as follows: 44 papers Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, 14 Clinical, Pre-Clinical and Health, 12 Life Sciences, and 230 Engineering and Physical Sciences.
The program consists of 69 oral sessions covering the 4 major tracks of the conference. The Engineering and Physical Sciences track covers Bioengineering, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Earth and Environmental Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Energy and Petroleum, Material Science, Mathematics and Statistics, Mechanical Engineering, and Robotics & Automation.
Besides the exciting program of research papers, the conference has five distinguished keynote speakers. Professor Sir John O'Reilly, FREng, UK, will talk about Higher Education, Research and Innovation: a symbiotic inter-relationship. Paolo Dario, Scuola Superiore Sant›Anna, Italy will talk about The Science and Engineering of BioRobotics: A Grand Challenge for innovative and creative graduate students H.E. Mr. Homaid Al Shemmari, Chief Executive Officer, Aerospace & Engineering Services, Mubadala, UAE will talk about Shaping the Future: Career Opportunities for Skilled Graduate Students. Dr. Alison Burdett, Chief Technology Officer, Toumaz Group, UK will talk about Ultra-Low-Power Semiconductors for Wireless Patient Monitoring. Prof. Eugenio Oñate, Technical University of Catalonia, Spain will talk about Numerical Methods in Engineering: Current Developments and Future Trends.
Finally, the Technical Program Committee would like to thank the keynote speakers, authors, session chairs, reviewers, and the volunteers who worked behind the scenes to make the technical program possible. Special thanks to the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) for the initiation of the UAE GSRC and their generous sponsorship.
Dr. Mahmoud Al-Qutayri, Technical Program Chair
PAG
E.13Dr. Mahmoud Al-Qutayri (CEng, MIET, SMIEEE) is the Associate
Dean for Graduate Studies – College of Engineering, and a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Khalifa University, UAE. He holds a PhD degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the University of Bath, UK, an MSc degree in Communication Engineering and Digital Design from the University of Manchester, UK, and a B.Eng. in Electrical Engineering from Concordia University, Canada.
Dr. Al-Qutayri has been with Khalifa University since 1996, where he made significant contributions to teaching, research and service. Prior to joining Khalifa University, he was a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at De Montfort University, UK. He also had short industrial appoints including a Principal Engineer position at Philips Semiconductors, Southampton, UK.
During his academic career, which spans over 23 year, Dr. Al-Qutayri has taught many courses at both undergraduate as well as graduate levels mainly in electronic systems design. He also published numerous technical papers in peer reviewed international journals and conferences. He also contributed a number of book chapters and coauthored a book entitled “Digital Phase Look Loops: Architectures and Applications,” Springer, 2006. He also edited a book entitled “Smart Home Systems,” In-Tech, 2010. Dr. Al-Qutayri’s fields of research interest include embedded systems design and applications, design and test of mixed-signal integrated circuits, and wireless sensor networks.
As the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies, Dr. Al-Qutayri has overall responsibility of managing all the graduate programs in the College of Engineering at Khalifa University as well as overseeing the development and accreditation of new programs. In addition to this role, he is a member of a number of committees at the University. During his service at Khalifa University, Dr. Al-Qutayri also made significant contributions to undergraduate education including the development of courses and degree programs. He chaired the curriculum committee for a number of years.
Dr. Al-Qutayri is very active in professional societies. This includes SMIEE (Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), MIET (Member of the Institute of Engineering and Technology), and Chartered Engineer (C.Eng.), UK. His professional service includes membership of the steering, organizing and technical program committees of many international conferences.
PAG
E.14
Conference Committees
Steering CommitteeDr. Arif Al-Hammadi, ADEC & Khalifa University - ChairDr. Mohammed Al-Mualla, Khalifa UniversityDr. G. Alhadrami, UAE UniversityDr. M. Allen, Zayed UniversityDr. S. Griffiths, Masdar InstituteDr. M. M. Durandeau, Petroleum InstituteDr. Amr Elchouemi, ADEC
Conference General ChairDr. Arif Al-Hammadi, ADEC & Khalifa University
Conference Executive ChairDr. Mohammed Al-Mualla, Khalifa University
Conference Executive Vice ChairDr. Lakmal Seneviratne, Khalifa UniversityOrganizing CommitteeProf. Mahmoud Al-Qutayri, Khalifa University (Chair)Prof. Nagi Wakim, UAE UniversityProf. Chet Jablonski, Zayed UniversityProf. Mohamed Sassi, Masdar InstituteProf. Youssef Abdel Magid, Petroleum Institute
Student Organizing Sub-CommitteeEssa Ibrahim Basaeed, Khalifa UniversityKlaithem Alnuaimi, UAE UniversityNoura Al Dhaheri, Masdar InstituteHumaid Al Kuwaiti, Petroleum InstituteKaltham Al Romaithi, Khalifa UniversityHilal Alkatheeri, UAE UniversityHumair Nadeem, Masdar InstituteAfra Al Meraikhi, Petroleum Institute
Technical Program CommitteeProf. Mahmoud Al-Qutayri, Khalifa University (Chair)Arts, Humanities & Social SciencesDr. Labeeb Bsoul, Khalifa University Prof. Fatima Al Sayegh, UAE UniversityDr. Themistoclis Pantos, Zayed UniversityClinical, Pre-Clinical & HealthProf. M. Ljubisavljevic, UAE UniversityLife SciencesDr. Habiba Alsafar, Khalifa University
PAG
E.15
Prof. Amr Amin, UAE UniversityProf. J. E. Schmidt, Masdar InstituteEngineering & Physical SciencesProf. Kin Liao, Khalifa UniversityProf. Hassan Noura, UAE UniversityDr. Andrew Marrington, Zayed UniversityProf. Tariq Shamim, Masdar InstituteDr. Ali Almansoori, Petroleum Institute
Technical Program Committee Members and ReviewersProf. Saleh Al-Araji, Khalifa UniversityProf. Mahmoud Al-Qutayri, Khalifa UniversityDr. Lutfi Albasha, American University of SharjahDr. Ali Almansoori, The Petroleum InstituteDr. Habiba Alsafar, Khalifa UniversityProf. Fatima Alsayegh, UAE UniversityDr. Amr Amin, UAE UniversityDr. Joonsang Baek, Khalifa UniversityDr. Labeeb Bsoul, Khalifa UniversityDr. Young-Ji Byon, Khalifa UniversityProf. Wesley Cantwell, Khalifa UniversityDr. Nicolas Christoforou, Khalifa UniversityProf. Jorge Dias, Khalifa UniversityDr. Tarek El Fouly, Khalifa UniversityDr. George Wesley Hitt, Khalifa UniversityDr. Chet Jbalonski, Zayed UniversityProf. George Karagiannidis, Khalifa UniversityDr. Faisal Khan, Khalifa UniversityDr. Peng-Yong Kong, Khalifa UniversityDr. Lydia Kostopoulos, Khalifa UniversityProf. Dimitrios Kyritsis, Khalifa UniversityProf. Milos Ljubisavljevic, UAE UniversityDr. Tufail Malik, Khalifa UniversityDr. Andrew Marrington, Zayed UniversityProf. Tim McGloughlin, Khalifa UniversityDr. Baker Mohammad, Khalifa UniversityProf. Hassan Noura, UAE UniversityDr. Muhamad Olimat, Khalifa UniversityDr. Themistoclis Pantos, Zayed UniversityDr. Kyriaki Polychronopoulou, Khalifa UniversityDr. Mohamed Sassi, Masdar Institute Prof. Jens Ejbye Schmidt, Masdar Institute Dr. Ayman Shabra, Masdar Institute
Prof. Tariq Shamim, Masdar Institute Prof. Raed Shubair, Khalifa UniversityDr. Banu Sizirici Yildiz, Khalifa UniversityDr. Andrzej Sluzek Khalifa, UniversityProf. Bashar Zahawi, Khalifa UniversityDr. Rachad Zaki, Khalifa UniversityDr. Jamal Zemerly, Khalifa UniversityDr. Ashraf Al-Khateeb, Khalifa UniversityDr. Hassan Al-Muhairi Khalifa UniversityDr. Mohamed Alshaikh, UAE UniversityDr. Joonsang Baek, Khalifa UniversityProf. Fawzi Banat, The Petroleum InstituteDr. Young-Ji Byon, Khalifa UniversityDr. Deborah Gater, Khalifa UniversityDr. Kenan Hazirbaba, Khalifa UniversityDr. Farkhund Iqbal, Zayed UniversityDr. Raja Jayaraman, Khalifa UniversityDr. Suryani Lukman, Khalifa UniversityDr. Vikas Mittal, The Petroleum InstituteDr. Rabeb Mizouni, Khalifa UniversityDr. Chih-Wen Ni, Khalifa UniversityDr. Fathalla Rihan, UAE UniversityDr. Shakti Singh, Khalifa UniversityDr. Kamal Taha, Khalifa UniversityProf. Murat Kaya Yapici, Khalifa UniversityDr. Chan Yeob Yeun, Khalifa UniversityProf. Lianxi Zheng, Khalifa University
PAG
E.16
Sponsor
Abu Dhabi Education Council
ADEC was established in 2005 to develop education and educational institutions in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, implement innovative educational policies, plans and programs that aim to improve education, and support educational institutions and staff to achieve the objectives of national development in accordance with the highest international standards.
The Higher Education sector within ADEC is tasked to develop and implement the higher education strategy that focuses on and promote research and development in Abu Dhabi, support the linkage between academy and economy and more importantly to develop a human capital workforce that matches the 2030 economy vision of Abu Dhabi.
www.adec.ac.ae
PAG
E.17
Organizer
Khalifa University
Khalifa University was established in 2007 to complement Abu Dhabi’s 2030 vision, which aims to build a knowledge-based economy that effectively contributes to the development of the United Arab Emirates.
Khalifa University’s main campus is located in Abu Dhabi. Presently, Khalifa University offers bachelor’s degrees in Computer (with optional concentration in Software Systems), Communication, Electrical and Electronic (with optional concentration in Power Systems), Mechanical, Aerospace, Civil, Industrial and Systems, and Biomedical Engineering, and a BSc in Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Master’s degrees in Electrical & Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Information Security and International and Civil Security, in addition to a Doctorate degree program in Engineering with the option to specialize in Mechanical, Aerospace, Nuclear, Biomedical, Electrical & Computer, or Robotics Engineering. Moreover, Khalifa University is establishing research centers in priority research areas such as Information and Communications Technology (ICT), Energy and the Environment, Aerospace, Transport & Logistics, Security, and Healthcare. Khalifa University is open to men and women from all nationalities with particular emphasis being placed on educating young UAE nationals.
www.kustar.ac.ae
PAG
E.18
Conference Venue
The conference will be held in Fairmont Bab Al Bahr Hotel in Abu Dhabi. The hotel boasts a prime location at the mainland gateway to the cosmopolitan city of Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. With its strikingly, contemporary architecture, this beachfront business hotel offers the highest level of comfort and elegance throughout its 369 Guest Rooms and Suites, including the ultimate exclusive lifestyle hotel experience with Fairmont Gold. For more information on this hotel please access their web site:www.fairmont.com/abu-dhabi
Venue AddressKhor Al Maqta P.O. Box 114304 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Tel +971.2.654.3333Fax +971.2.654.3322
Meeting Facilities• The conference will be held in a dedicated meetings building with a separate
entrance and reception area to the hotel.
• The registration desk, exhibitions and coffee breaks will be in the reception area.
• The opening ceremony, keynotes, and closing ceremony will be in Saqr Ballroom (A+B).
• The lunch will be served in the Saqr Ballroom C.
• Oral sessions will be held in Al-Reem A, Al-Reem B, Baniyas A, Baniyas B, Yas and Saadiyat.
PAG
E.19
Venue Map
Event venue layout
PAG
E.20
KEYNOTES
PAG
E.21
Keynotes
Keynote 1 Higher Education, Research and Innovation: a symbiotic inter-relationship
Professor Sir John O'Reilly FREnGDate and Time Sunday 22 March, 9:30 - 10:15Room Saqr Ballroom
AbstractThe "knowledge triangle" of higher education, research and innovation, their inter-relationship, interworking and mutuality, is explored. The two-way, mutually beneficial and supportive relationships and interactions, synergistic to the point of symbiosis, are recognised and it is noted that no one aspect can be as strong and effective as it needs to be without the others. No nation with aspirations to be a significant player in the emerging knowledge economy can determine to be ‹good› at just one: excellence in any requires commitment to excellence in all. A strong and fully effective knowledge triangle is crucial for success – in science of course, but equally for the economy and society we wish and need to have.To present, illustrate and support this assertion exemplars and illustrative outcomes will be provided from some high performing systems around the world.
About the PresenterSir John O'Reilly was appointed Director General of Knowledge and Innovation in February 2013. John came from Cranfield University where he was Vice Chancellor from December 2006.Prior to that John was Chief Executive of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and has held academic posts at Essex, Bangor and UCL universities. He worked at the Royal Radar Establishment, Post Office Research Centre, BT Laboratories and with the small and medium-sized enterprises sector (IDB Ltd, CAST Ltd).John is a board member of ERA Foundation, chairman of UK Interoperability Standards (NICC) and a commissioner of the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851. His international roles include serving on the Board of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and as chair of the Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC) of Singapore and as chair of the systems and communications engineering panel for the European Research Council (ERC).He is an international member of Académie Hassan II des Sciences et Techniques and of Academia das Ciências de Lisboa. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Aeronautical Society, a past president of the Institute of Electrical Engineers (now the Institute of Engineering and Technology) and a Fellow and former member of council of the Royal Academy of Engineering. John was created Knight Bachelor in 2007 for contributions to science.
PAG
E.22
Keynotes
Keynote 2 The Science and Engineering of BioRobotics: a grand challenge for innovative and creative graduate students
Prof. Paolo Dario, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, ItalyDate and Time Sunday 22 March, 10:30 - 11:15Room Saqr Ballroom
AbstractModern robotics combines technology and science: robotics technology allows to build new machines, smart and helpful in real-life scenarios; robotics science makes use of robotic systems to validate scientific models, or even to generate new scientific knowledge.Biorobotics is an emerging area of robotics pursuing an integrated approach to the study of robots and biological systems. A key aspect of biorobotics is the effort to model biological systems by methods and technology of engineering and robotics, with the twofold aim of: 1) designing high performance machines for biomedical applications; 2) designing bio-inspired machines based on the concept of embodied intelligence for different (often non biomedical) applications. Humans are at the centre of the scientific interest and technological applications of biorobotics, which therefore can be defined as «robotics in the service of humans». Biorobotics is also a deeply interdisciplinary field, where diverse technologies converge, such as: advanced mechanical design and components; materials; sensing; actuation; micro-, precision and ultra-precision fabrication technologies; embedded control; ITC technologies; human-machine interfaces; power supply; etc. At the same time, biorobotics is deeply transdisciplinary, since it involves knowledge and methods from disciplines and areas outside the technology field, such as biology, medicine, economy, sociology, anthropology, psychology, philosophy, and ethics. This lecture briefly introduces the theoretical framework of biorobotics and discusses its many implications and applications, including clinical and industrial, with particular attention to bio-inspired robots and to the biomedical field.
About the PresenterPaolo Dario is Professor of Biomedical Robotics, Founding Director of The BioRobotics Institute of the Scuola Superiore Sant›Anna (SSSA), Pisa, Italy and Visiting Professor in many international universities and currently serving as Visiting Chief Researcher, Biomedical Engineering and Robotics, at KUSTAR, UAE. Prof Dario coordinates the PhD Program in BioRobotics at SSSA, with a total of about 90 PhD candidates. His main research interests are in bio-robotics, medical robotics, biomechatronics and micro/nano biomedical engineering. He is the coordinator of many national and European projects, the author of more than 300 ISI journal papers, the recipient of +25 international patents and the founders of many start-up companies. He has been and is Editor-in-Chief, Associate Editor and member of the Editorial Board of many international journals, and the program chair and plenary invited speaker in many international conferences. Prof. Dario has served as President of IEEE Robotics and Automation Society in years 2002-2003, he is an IEEE Fellow, a Fellow of the European Society on Medical and Biological Engineering, and a recipient of many honors and awards, such as the Joseph Engelberger Award for Pioneer Research in Biomedical Robotics and of the IEEE RAS George Saridis Leadership Award in Robotics and Automation 2014.
PAG
E.23
Keynotes
Keynote 3 Shaping the Future: Career Opportunities for Skilled Graduate Students
H.E. Mr. Homaid Al Shemmari, MubadalaDate and Time Monday 23 March, 9:00 - 9:50Room Saqr Ballroom
About the PresenterH.E. Mr. Homaid Al Shemmari is Chief Executive Officer, Aerospace & Engineering Services, with oversight of Mubadala›s aerospace, communications technology and defense services portfolios.Before joining Mubadala, H.E. Mr. Al Shemmari was a Lieutenant Colonel in the UAE Armed Forces, with involvement in military aviation, maintenance, procurement and logistics.Board Positions: Chairman of Abu Dhabi Ship Building Company, Strata Manufacturing, Maximus Air Cargo, Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies, Advanced Military Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul Center (AMMROC) and ADASI; board member of Mubadala Petroleum, Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar), Abu Dhabi Aviation, Royal Jet, GLOBALFOUNDRIES and Piaggio Aero Industries Spa.
PAG
E.24
Keynotes
Keynote 4 Ultra-Low-Power Semiconductors for Wireless Patient Monitoring
Dr. Alison Burdett, Toumaz Group, UKDate and Time Monday 23 March, 14:00 - 14:50Room Saqr Ballroom
AbstractThe majority of patients in hospital have measurements of their vital signs taken and recorded only intermittently; typically at 6 or 8 hourly intervals. As a result, patient deterioration can occur to a point of serious consequence before it is recognized by the clinical staff. It is neither practical nor desirable to attach all patients to static monitors; such a solution would be very expensive, and would confine patients to bed.This talk will outline recent advances in ultra-low power semiconductors which are enabling a new wave of miniature, wearable and wireless healthcare devices. Such devices are already being deployed within hospitals to increase patient safety by allowing near-continuous monitoring of a much wider patient population than previously possible. The challenges of, and solutions to monitoring ambulatory patients will be described, and future applications and ongoing research topics will also be discussed. Finally the talk will outline a vision where these mobile healthcare devices could also be deployed outside hospital to enable a truly mobile and personalised healthcare revolution.
About the PresenterAlison has over 25 years of experience in semiconductor design, particularly in the field of ultra-low power wireless communication. She joined Toumaz in 2001 as Technical Director, and is currently Chief Technology Officer (CTO), responsible for delivering silicon and healthcare technology programmes within the company. Prior to joining Toumaz, Alison spent time both in industry as an integrated circuit designer, and also in academia (as Senior Lecturer in Analogue IC Design at Imperial College London).Dr. Burdett is a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow of the Institute of Engineering and Technology (FIET) and a Senior Member of the IEEE. She was European Regional Chair (2013-2015) of the Technical Programme Committee for the IEEE International Solid State Circuits Conference (ISSCC). She is a member of the UK National Microelectronics Institute (NMI) Microelectronics Design Advisory Board, and a Visiting Researcher at the Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College.
PAG
E.25
Keynotes
Keynote 5 Numerical Methods in Engineering: Current Developments and Future Trends
Prof. Eugenio Oñate, Technical University of Catalonia, SpainDate and Time Tuesday 24 March, 9:00 - 9:50Room Saqr Ballroom
AbstractThe lecture presents an overview of current developments and applications of the most popular numerical methods for solving problems of interest in engineering. The state of the art in the finite element method (FEM) and in a selected number of meshless techniques and particle-based methods, such as the discrete element method (DEM) and the particle finite element method (PFEM) are described. Applications of the numerical methods to problems in civil, mechanical, aerospace, naval, marine and oil and gas engineering are presented. The future trends in the numerical methods for analysis of multidisciplinary problems in engineering and applied sciences are highlighted.
About the PresenterProf. EUGENIO OÑATE, Civil Engineer by Technical University of Valencia, Spain (1975) and PhD by University of Swansea, Wales, UK (1979), Professor of Structural and Continuum Mechanics at Technical University of Catalonia (UPC), Director of the School of Civil Engineering of Barcelona (UPC) (1983-1989), founder and director of the International Center for Numerical Methods in Engineering (CIMNE, www.cimne.com) (since 1987), founder and Honorary President of the Spanish Society of Numerical Methods in Engineering (SEMNI) (since 2004), founder and Past-President of the European Community on Computational Methods in Applied Sciences (ECCOMAS) (2000-2004) and Past-President of the International for Association Computational Mechanics (IACM) (2002-2010). He has received a number of awards from universities and scientific and technological organisations worldwide. He is editor of three international journals and author of three text books and some 300 scientific papers on developments and applications of finite element and particle-based methods for structural and geomechanical problems, fluid dynamics, fluidsoil-structure interaction and industrial forming processes.For details see www.cimne.com/eo
PAG
E.26
THEPROGRAM
PAG
E.27
Time
Saqr
Ballroom
Al-
Reem
A
Al-Reem
B
Baniyas
A
Baniyas
B
Yas Saadiyat
Sunday, March 22
08:00 Registration (Conference Reception)
09:00
Opening
Ceremony
09:30
Keynote 1:
Higher
Education,
Research and
Innovation: a
symbiotic inter-
relationship
10:15 Coffee Break (Conference Reception)
10:30
Keynote 2:
The Science
and
Engineering of
BioRobotics: a
grand challenge
for innovative
and creative
graduate
students
11:15 Coffee Break (Conference Reception)
11:30
SA1:
Electrical &
Electronic
Engineering
SB1:
Energy &
Petroleum
SC1: Arts,
Humanities
and Social
Sciences
SD1:
Mechanical
Engineering
SE1:
Computer &
Information
Science
SF1: Health
and Life
Sciences
SG1:
Operations
Research &
Management
Science
13:30 Lunch (Saqr Ballroom C)
14:30
SA2:
Electrical &
Electronic
Engineering
SB2:
Energy &
Petroleum
SC2: Arts,
Humanities
and Social
Sciences
SD2:
Mechanical
Engineering
SE2:
Computer &
Information
Science
SF2: Health
and Life
Sciences
SG2:
Mathematics
& Statistics
16:10 Coffee Break (Conference Reception)
16:20
SA3:
Electrical &
Electronic
Engineering
SB3:
Energy &
Petroleum
SC3: Arts,
Humanities
and Social
Sciences
SD3:
Mechanical
Engineering
SE3:
Computer &
Information
Science
SF3: Health
and Life
Sciences
SG3:
Mathematics
& Statistics
Monday, March 23
09:00
Keynote 3:
Shaping the
Future: Career
Opportunities
for Skilled
Graduate
Students
09:50
MA1:
Electrical &
Electronic
Engineering
MB1:
Chemistry
& Chemical
Engineering
MC1: Arts,
Humanities
and Social
Sciences
MD1:
Mechanical
Engineering
ME1:
Communication
Engineering
MF1:
Bioengineering
MG1: Civil
Engineering
29
PAG
E.28
11:30 Coffee Break (Conference Reception)
11:40
MA2:
Electrical &
Electronic
Engineering
MB2:
Chemistry
& Chemical
Engineering
MC2: Arts,
Humanities
and Social
Sciences
MD2:
Materials
Science
ME2:
Communication
Engineering
MF2: Health
and Life
Sciences
MG2: Civil
Engineering
13:00 Lunch (Saqr Ballroom C)
14:00
Keynote 4:
Ultra-Low-
Power
Semiconductors
for Wireless
Patient
Monitoring
14:50
MA3:
Electrical &
Electronic
Engineering
MB3:
Chemistry
& Chemical
Engineering
MC3: Arts,
Humanities
and Social
Sciences
MD3:
Materials
Science
ME3: Earth &
Environmental
Engineering
MF3: Health
and Life
Sciences
MG3: Civil
Engineering
16:10 Coffee Break (Conference Reception)
16:30
MA4:
Electrical &
Electronic
Engineering
MB4:
Chemistry
& Chemical
Engineering
MC4: Arts,
Humanities
and Social
Sciences
MD4:
Materials
Science
ME4: Earth &
Environmental
Engineering
MF4: Health
and Life
Sciences
MG4: Civil
Engineering
Tuesday, March 24
09:00
Keynote 5:
Numerical
Methods in
Engineering:
Current
Developments
and Future
Trends
09:50
TA1:
Electrical &
Electronic
Engineering
TB1:
Chemistry
& Chemical
Engineering
TC1: Earth
&
Environmental
Engineering
TD1:
Materials
Science
TE1:
Computer &
Information
Science
TF1:
Information
Security
TG1: Earth
&
Environmental
Engineering
11:30 Coffee Break (Conference Reception)
11:40
TA2:
Electrical &
Electronic
Engineering
TB2:
Robotics &
Automation
TD2:
Materials
Science
TE2:
Computer &
Information
Science
TF2:
Information
Security
TG2: Earth
&
Environmental
Engineering
13:00 Lunch (Saqr Ballroom C)
14:00
TA3:
Electrical &
Electronic
Engineering
TB3:
Robotics &
Automation
TC3: Arts,
Humanities
and Social
Sciences
TD3: Arts,
Humanities
and Social
Sciences
TE3:
Computer &
Information
Science
TF3:
Information
Security
TG3: Arts,
Humanities
and Social
Sciences
15:40 Coffee Break (Conference Reception)
16:00
Closing
Ceremoney
30
y
PAG
E.29
Sunday, March 22
08:00 - 09:00
Registration (Conference Reception)
09:00 - 09:30
Opening Ceremony
Room: Saqr Ballroom
Welcome Speech
H.E. Dr Amal Al-Qubaisi, Director General of Abu Dhabi Education Council and Honorary Chair of the UAE
GSRC2015
About the UAE GSRC
Dr Arif Al-Hammadi, EVP of Khalifa University, Executive Director of Higher Education, ADEC, and Steering
Committee Chair and General Chair of the UAE GSRC2015
A brief Overview of the UAE GSRC 2015 Program
Dr Mohammed Al-Mualla, SVP Research and Graduate Studies of Khalifa University and Executive Chair of the
UAE GSRC2015
09:30 - 10:15
Keynote 1: Higher Education, Research and Innovation: a symbiotic inter-relationship
Professor Sir John O'Reilly FREnG
Room: Saqr Ballroom
Abstract:The 'knowledge triangle' of higher education, research and innovation, their inter-relationship, inter
working and mutuality, is explored. The two-way, mutually beneficial and supportive relationships and
interactions, synergistic to the point of symbiosis, are recognised and it is noted that no one aspect can be as
strong and effective as it needs to be without the others. No nation with aspirations to be a significant player
in the emerging knowledge economy can determine to be 'good' at just one: excellence in any requires
commitment to excellence in all. A strong and fully effective knowledge triangle is crucial for success - in
science of course, but equally for the economy and society we wish and need to have.To present, illustrate
and support this assertion exemplars and illustrative outcomes will be provided from some high performing
systems around the world.
About the Presenter: Sir John O'Reilly was appointed Director General of Knowledge and Innovation in
February 2013. John came from Cranfield University where he was Vice Chancellor from December 2006.Prior
to that John was Chief Executive of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and has
held academic posts at Essex, Bangor and UCL universities. He worked at the Royal Radar Establishment, Post
Office Research Centre, BT Laboratories and with the small and medium-sized enterprises sector (IDB Ltd,
CAST Ltd).John is a board member of ERA Foundation, chairman of UK Interoperability Standards (NICC) and
a commissioner of the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851. His international roles include serving on
the Board of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and as chair of the Science and
Engineering Research Council (SERC) of Singapore and as chair of the systems and communications
engineering panel for the European Research Council (ERC).He is an international member of Académie
Hassan II des Sciences et Techniques and of Academia das Ciências de Lisboa. He is also a member of the
Board of Trustees of the Royal Aeronautical Society, a past president of the Institute of Electrical Engineers
(now the Institute of Engineering and Technology) and a Fellow and former member of council of the Royal
Academy of Engineering.John was created Knight Bachelor in 2007 for contributions to science.
10:15 - 10:30
Coffee Break (Conference Reception)
10:30 - 11:15
Keynote 2: The Science and Engineering of BioRobotics: a grand challenge for
innovative and creative graduate students
Prof. Paolo Dario, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Italy
31
PAG
E.30
Room: Saqr Ballroom
Abstract: Modern robotics combines technology and science: robotics technology allows to build new
machines, smart and helpful in real-life scenarios; robotics science makes use of robotic systems to validate
scientific models, or even to generate new scientific knowledge.Biorobotics is an emerging area of robotics
pursuing an integrated approach to the study of robots and biological systems. A key aspect of biorobotics is
the effort to model biological systems by methods and technology of engineering and robotics, with the two-
fold aim of: 1) designing high performance machines for biomedical applications; 2) designing bio-inspired
machines based on the concept of embodied intelligence for different (often non biomedical) applications.
Humans are at the centre of the scientific interest and technological applications of biorobotics, which
therefore can be defined as "robotics in the service of humans". Biorobotics is also a deeply interdisciplinary
field, where diverse technologies converge, such as: advanced mechanical design and components; materials;
sensing; actuation; micro-, precision and ultra-precision fabrication technologies; embedded control; ITC
technologies; human-machine interfaces; power supply; etc. At the same time, biorobotics is deeply
transdisciplinary, since it involves knowledge and methods from disciplines and areas outside the technology
field, such as biology, medicine, economy, sociology, anthropology, psychology, philosophy, and ethics.This
lecture briefly introduces the theoretical framework of biorobotics and discusses its many implications and
applications, including clinical and industrial, with particular attention to bio-inspired robots and to the
biomedical field.
About the Presenter:Paolo Dario is Professor of Biomedical Robotics, Founding Director of The BioRobotics
Institute of the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna (SSSA), Pisa, Italy and Visiting Professor in many international
universities. He is currently serving as Visiting Chief Researcher, Biomedical Engineering and Robotics, at
KUSTAR, UAE.Professor Dario coordinates the PhD Program in BioRobotics at SSSA, with a total of about 90
PhD candidates. His main research interests are in the fields of bio-robotics, medical robotics, bio-
mechatronics and micro/nano biomedical engineering. He is the coordinator of many national and European
projects, the author of more than 300 ISI journal papers, the recipient of 25+ international patents and the
founders of many start-up companies.He has been and is Editor-in-Chief, Associate Editor and member of the
Editorial Board of many international journals, and the program chair and plenary invited speaker in many
international conferences. Prof. Dario has served as President of the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society in
the years 2002-2003, he is an IEEE Fellow, a Fellow of the European Society on Medical and Biological
Engineering, and a recipient of many honors and awards, such as the Joseph Engelberger Award for Pioneer
Research in Biomedical Robotics and of the IEEE RAS George Saridis Leadership Award in Robotics and
Automation for 2014.
11:15 - 11:30
Coffee Break (Conference Reception)
11:30 - 13:30
SA1: Electrical & Electronic Engineering
Room: Saqr Ballroom
SA1.1 11:30 SCA Resistant Elliptic Curve Cryptography Processor
Hamad Al Marzooqi (Khalifa University, UAE)
Physical cryptographic systems tend to leak side channel information that might be correlated to
critical information. With a multilayer Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) system, leakages are observed
from every layer of the system. Power consumption is a major source of leakage that is easily
gathered and analysed by attackers using simple setup. In this paper, we propose a new and cost
effective countermeasure to increase the robustness of an ECC processor against Simple Power
Analysis (SPA) attacks.
SA1.2 11:50 A CMOS Temperature Sensor with Self-referenced Successive
Approximation ADC
Sami Rehman (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology & Masdar Institute of
Science and Technology, UAE); Ayman Shabra (iMicro, Masdar Institute of Science
& Technology, UAE)
This brief discusses the design and implementation of a Successive Approximation Analog to Digital
Converter (SAR ADC) for thermal monitoring which, unlike other ADCs, does not require an explicit
voltage reference. Instead, the reference is implemented digitally using only the inputs from the
sensor. We demonstrate a novel ratio-metric scheme to implicitly implement the reference inside the
temperature sensor ADC used for thermal management of 3D integrated architectures. Simulation
results performed in 65nm CMOS for 12-bit ADC demonstrate the feasiblity of this new idea, and
illustrate that after applyig room temperature trim, reference less SAR results in roughly ×2 times
lower mismatch and process spread in error estimate compared to traditional SAR based sensor design
and hence can achieve better temperature accuracy.
SA1.3 12:10 Evaluation of a m-Watt Range Wireless Sensor Node Using an
Extended Semi-Markov Model
32
PAG
E.31
Yasmin Halawani (Khalifa University, UAE)
Wireless Sensor Nodes (WSN) are used in Wireless Sensor Networks as well as the internet of things
applications. The growing interest in long lifetime for WSNs has resulted in an increase focus on the
energy efficiency of the overall system. Most of the emphasis in the system design has been on trade-
offs between communication and computing aspects with minimum focus on the memory side. This
paper construct a framework for analyzing the energy efficiency of a sensor node architecture
highlighting the impact of traditional SRAM memory on overall system power and lifetime. A semi-
Markov model with realistic activities of the WSN system including memory is developed. The
simulation results of the proposed model using MATLAB show an improvements of 2x at 90% duty
cycle in the lifetime of WSN when memory is utilized. Furthermore, the paper introduces an emerging
non-volatile ReRAM -memristor to further improve the overall power efficiency.
SA1.4 12:30 An All-Digital, CMOS Zero Current Switching Circuit for Thermal
Energy Harvesting
Mohammad Alhawari (Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research,
UAE); Baker Mohammad (Khalifa University, UAE); Hani Saleh (Khalifa University
of Sciente, Technology & Research, UAE); Mohammed Elnaggar (Khalifa
University, UAE)
This paper introduces an all digital, CMOS zero current switching (ZCS) circuit that enables a wide
dynamic and a fine resolution zero current detection range for inductor based DC-DC converter. Using
only a 3 bit design, more than 1.5 micro second dynamic range with 50 ns delay resolution is achieved.
Post layout SPICE simulation results confirm that 85% efficiency can be achieved for the overall
system.
SA1.5 12:50 Novel Electrical Based Technique for Microalgae Lipid Content
Quantification
Leena Saqer, Mahmoud Al Ahmad and Hanifa Taher (United Arab Emirates
University, UAE); Sulaiman Al-Zuhair (UAE University, UAE); Ali Al Naqbi (United
Arab Emirates University, UAE)
In this work, a novel electrical based technique for the lipid content quantification inside microalgae
cells suspended is presented. A single microalgae cell capacitance was estimated by measuring the
suspension capacitance and de-embedding the contribution of the medium. The microalgae strain used
in this experiment is Nannocloropsis and its actual lipid content was determined. For validation,
samples with unknown lipid content were quantified using the suggested technique and compared to
samples obtained by conventional methods.
SA1.6 13:10 Comparison of Crowd Segmentation for Surveillance
M. Sami Zitouni (Khalifa University, UAE); Harish Bhaskar (Khalifa University of
Science Technology and Research, UAE)
In this paper we present a comparison that sheds the light on existing techniques for crowd
segmentation that mainly aimed for surveillance applications. Crowd segmentation and modeling are
becoming critically important for crowd management and behavior analysis. This review introduces an
identification of technical and methodological differences between the crowd segmentation methods.
The comparison is based on the novelty of each method, its usefulness, assumptions, advantaged and
disadvantages. The review is supported by samples of the results from videos each method were
applied on to spot the differences.
11:30 - 13:10
SB1: Energy & Petroleum
Room: Al-Reem A
SB1.1 11:30 Rheological and Physicochemical Characterization of Crude Oil
Akinola Olanrewaju, Shadi Hasan and Mohammad Abu-Zahra (Masdar Institute of
Science and Technology, UAE)
Crude oils have the potential to be used as pack up fuel in power generation. However; prior to this
deployment in the power sector; the crude oils compositions and physicochemical properties need to
be evaluated. Therefore, this study focused on the characterization of three types of crude oil (A, B,
and C) as well as fuel oil using different approaches. Experimental measurements in terms of the
rheological and physicochemical analyses provided detailed information about the n-heptane insoluble
asphaltenes, apparent pH values, pour point, percentage moisture content, viscosity and density of the
samples. Density and viscosity dependence on temperature was investigated between 20 to 200 oC.
Using Arrhenius equation to model the exponential decrease of viscosity in relation to temperature
increase, it was observed that the activation energy for flow execution for crude oil A, B, C and fuel oil
is 1246.1, 1201.3, 1309.5 and 4809.8 mPa.s.K, respectively.
SB1.2 11:50 An Industry Survey of the Petroleum Engineering Parameter, Oil
Formation Volume Factors
Lulu Liu (The Petroleum Institute, UAE)
Oil formation volume factors(FVF) are extremely important and widely used in the oil industry. As
investigated in the literature review, laboratory PVT experiments can not represent real reservoir
33
PAG
E.32
depletion processes because of laboratory constraints and conventional adjustment methods have
limitations. As part of the master thesis which is to develop a new method to adjust FVF, this survey is
to know how the industry professionals use oil FVF currently.
SB1.3 12:10 Enhancing Depth of Penetration by Application of Low-
concentration Acid IOR (EK LCA-IOR) in Under Reservoir (HPHTHS) Conditions
Abu Dhabi Carbonates
Arsalan Ansari (The Petroleum Institute & ZADCO, UAE); Mohammed Haroun and
Mohammed Motiur Rahman (The Petroleum Institute, UAE)
Improved Oil Recovery has been on the forefront of petroleum R&D for the past 4 decades as it helps
in the improvement of the oil sweep efficiency. EK-LCA-IOR is one of the emerging technologies which
involves the application of the Low-concentration acidizing integrated with electrically enhanced oil
recovery. Core-flood tests were performed on carbonate core plugs in a specially EK-designed core-
flood setup. After the waterflooding stage, EK was applied with varying voltage gradient and varying
acid concentrations. The experimental results have shown that the application of waterflooding on the
carbonate cores yields an oil recovery of 60%. An additional 17-28% recovery was enhanced by the
application of EK-LCA-IOR recording a maximum oil sweep of 88%. In addition, EK-LCA-IOR was
shown to enhance the reservoir's permeability by 53% as it also allows us to save on the OPEX by
reducing the acid/water requirement upto 10 times as compared to conventional EOR/IOR.
SB1.4 12:30 Characterization of Thick Transition Zones in Carbonate Reservoirs
Jorge Costa Gomes (The Petroleum Institute, UAE)
Naturally, tight carbonate reservoirs exhibit thick transition zones (TZ's) that could contain large
amounts of original oil in place (OOIP) and hence significant addition of reserves could be left behind if
the rock-fluid interactions and recovery mechanisms are not well understood. This work presents the
results of both static and dynamic properties, including fluid flow analysis, of carbonate samples
collected along a thick TZ of a heterogeneous cyclic carbonate reservoir of Abu Dhabi. The samples
were collected from the same well at a depth of 9000+ ft., and rock and fluid typing was conducted
taking into consideration the pore size distribution, the irreducible water saturation, the residual oil
saturation, the oil and formation water characteristics, and the wettability all with respect to depth.
Furthermore, the importance of wettability on Archie's saturation exponent 'n' on computation of OOIP
will be discussed.
SB1.5 12:50 The Impact of Carbonate Cyclicity and Petrophysical Properties in
Well/Reservoir Performance of a Carbonate Reservoir
Ruaa Jaafar (Petroleum Institute, UAE); Jorge Gomes (The Petroleum Institute,
UAE)
This paper aims to analyze the implications of carbonate cyclicity, with various degrees of
heterogeneity, on the areal/vertical sweep efficiency of water-flood projects. The area where the model
was built pertains to Thamama-B reservoir in X-field. With the assistance of high resolution
mechanistic static and dynamic models, the project also investigated the impact of various reservoir
descriptions and multiple well completions, involving vertical and horizontal wells, on the overall sweep
efficiency and recovery factor. Detailed geostatistical models of the petrophysical properties were built,
capturing the small scale sedimentary and diagenetic cycles, including the dense stylolitic intervals.
The mechanistic model, based on real field data, comprised of a crestal Oil-producer and a downflank
water-injector, with different completion strategies. The conclusion of this work showed that to achieve
a higher recovery factor it is not enough to change the injection fluid or the displacement efficiency
mechanism. The completion strategy is equally important
11:30 - 13:30
SC1: Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Room: Al-Reem B
SC1.1 11:30 Decline of Oil Prices in GCC: Causes and Impact
Hessa Al Ateibi (Zayed University & MOFA, UAE)
Global prices of oil have continued to fall over the last few months. The trend has left observers
confused about the longevity of decline in light of the insistence of some major oil-producing countries,
such as Saudi Arabia, of maintaining their production ceiling. The phenomenon raises questions about
the impact of the decline on countries that are highly dependent on oil revenues in their annual
budgets, including Arab countries that do not garner enough revenue from other investment sectors or
alternative fuels. Above all, what are the causes for this decline in oil prices? This paper addresses the
impact of drop in oil prices on the short- and long-term economic growth of the GCC. The paper
highlights the political and economic causes that triggered the decline in oil prices and the
consequences of price drop on the oil producing and importing countries.
SC1.2 11:50 Empowerment of Arab Women in Economy
Reem Alshamsi (Zayed University, UAE)
Women make up a little over half the World's population. However, their contribution to measured
economic growth is far below its potential, with serious macroeconomic consequences. In Arab
countries, women work predominantly in the public sector, mostly in the education and health sectors.
The recent pro-democracy movement originated in Arab countries highlighted the need for many
political and economic reforms. The continuation of high unemployment among women increases the
34
PAG
E.33
foundational imbalance in regards to social justice, which creates an Environment conducive to social
conflict and political instability. The importance of human resources, especially youth and women must
be invested in building the economy. As a form of cultural diplomacy,UAE can provide a vital platform
for the transferal of its development views and leadership experiences to female Arab leaders. Such
cultural entails the Emirati government taking action to help the other women to follow and apply the
Emirati Women model.
SC1.3 12:10 Inclusion of African American Muslim Slave Narratives in American
Literature
Muna Al Badaai (UAEU, UAE)
Slave narrative as a genre became popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. Many African Muslims who
were enslaved in the Americas wrote autobiographies, diaries, letters, plantation records and other
such documents. Compared with slave narrators such as Frederick Douglass or Harriet Jacobs, literary
scholars have long marginalized African American Muslim slave such as Omar Ibn Said, Abu Bakr al-
Siddiq, Abdul al-Rahman Ibrahim.This paper aims to review the important sources in the field and
discuss the issue of inclusion of these narratives, in particular Omar's narrative, in the American canon.
The addition of Muslim narratives would provide a complete and more scholarly picture about slaves
and their writings. It would also highlight the possible influences of these Muslim slaves on other
African American writers. This merits investigation because Muslim slaves were literate prior to their
enslavement unlike their African American counterparts.
SC1.4 12:30 Principals' Communication Styles and School Performance in Al Ain
Government Schools, UAE
Shereen Mahmoud (UAEU, Palestine); Ali Ibrahim (UAEU, UAE)
This study described principals' communication styles and investigated their relationships to school
performance in Al Ain city government schools in the UAE. Data were collected through a questionnaire
of 50 items. Six hundred sixty seven male and female staff out of a total population of 2240 staff in 40
schools responded to the questionnaire. Then, semi-structured phone interviews with 11 participants
were conducted to collect qualitative data. The results showed that principals in Al Ain schools are
almost always expressive in their communication. They almost never act aggressively or use
moodiness or threat in their communication. The results showed also that participants attributed high
performance to the principal's supportiveness style. When the school was used as the unit of analysis,
the preciseness style of the principal had the highest correlation coefficient with high performance.
Finally, the study found that styles of moodiness and threat were correlated negatively with school
performance.
SC1.5 12:50 An Examination of Leadership Style in One Public Authority in the
UAE
Sandra Baroudi (Zayed University, UAE)
This study will examine which of the three main types of leadership (transformational, transactional,
and avoidant) is mostly followed by Emirati managers inside one public organisation in the UAE by
using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire developed by Bass and Avolio (1990) and re-examined
by Avolio, Bass, and Jung (1999.This paper documents that Emirati leaders were dominantly
transformational.It also finds that they contribute in transactional and avoidant components of their
management style. The researcher concludes that transactional style was followed in order to meet
quick deadlines and to be able to deal with the stress and daily workload, by helping the team focus on
accomplishing specified goals without failure.In light of these findings, the researcher recommends that
management inside public organisation should provide a more relaxed environment and give
reasonable time to the tasks accomplishment in order to reduce the stress and workload.
Recommendations and future research is also discussed.
SC1.6 13:10 Electoral Capacity and the Administration of the Scottish
Referendum on Independence
Emily Strong (University of Utah, USA)
In 1997, Scotland asked its citizens: Do you agree that there should be a Scottish Parliament? Their
response was overwhelmingly – yes. Subsequently, in 1998 Westminster passed the Scotland Act,
creating the Scottish Parliament. The next fifteen years were cornerstone to the evolution of Scottish
elections. Within the bounds of devolution, great strides were made in improving Scottish elections.
This included the creation of the Electoral Management Board (EMB) for Scotland in 2008. This analysis
explores how, in a six year period, the EMB Scotland grew from budding electoral advisory board to
chief operator and statutory power for the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum. This assessment
follows the United Nation's Development Programme's (UNDP) model on Capacity Notes and organizes
data, reports, interviews, and recorded activities from three stages: Pre-referendum period,
referendum period, and Post-referendum period to assess the capacity of the EMB for Scotland and its
administration of the Independence Referendum.
11:30 - 13:10
SD1: Mechanical Engineering
Room: Baniyas A
SD1.1 11:30 CFD Modelling and Validation of Cocurrent Gas-Liquid Trickle Flow
Through Fixed Bed Reactors and Comparative Analysis of Different CFD Models
35
PAG
E.34
Shahid Rabbani and Mohamed Sassi (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology,
UAE)
This work mainly consists of CFD modeling of cocurrent gas-liquid flow in Trickle Bed Reactors (TBR)
which has variety of applications in petroleum refining industry. Traditionally, TBRs are modeled in CFD
with 3D geometry which is computationally intensive and very costly. This study incorporates simpler,
quick and cost effective method of 1D/2D CFD modeling to predict pressure drop and liquid holdup in
TBR. The objectives of the study include CFD analysis of hydrodynamics of multiphase flow across TBR
and comparison of experimental observations with that of CFD models. In order to predict the liquid
holdup and pressure drop inside reactor under different operating conditions, CFD analysis of the
multiphase flow across fixed bed reactor have been performed. First, different CFD models were
prepared and validated with experimental results in Ansys Fluent 14.0. Then the comparative analysis
of these models is presented where their advantages, limitations and applications have been explored.
SD1.2 11:50 A 3D Analytical Model for Shape Memory Alloys Accounting for
Plasticity and Asymmetric Response
Cheikh Cisse (Khalifa University, UAE)
In this paper, extensions of the ZM model [1] are proposed to account for irreversible plastic
deformations and asymmetry between tension and compression response of Fe-based shape memory
alloys. The procedure casts mainly within the framework of generalized standard materials with
internal constraints For the time being, only the mathematical model is described. Numerical and
experimental results will be detailed in future work.
SD1.3 12:10 Analytical and Numerical Modeling for Single Lap-Joint Bond-line
Region
Mariam Ahmed Al-Dhaheri (United Arab Emirates University, UAE); Frank van
Liempt (Design Engineering & Strata, UAE); Soufiyane Ait El Hadj (STRATA
Manufacturing, UAE); Abdel-Hamid Ismail Mourad (Unietd Arab Emirates
University, UAE)
The use of adhesive materials in assembling some aircraft structural components, e.g. spoilers, is
increasing in the aerospace industry, since it reduces the overall weight of the aircraft and maintains
the strength of the component, unlike other joining techniques, e.g. bolts and rivets. Therefore,
researchers and engineers became more interested in solving for stresses of the bond-line regions
using analytical and numerical techniques, e.g. Finite Element Analysis (FEA). This will enable them to
report the stress values at these critical regions during the design process and/or in the stress
justification reports for the manufactured part. In this paper, both analytical and FEA were conducted.
Hart- Smith model was used in the analytical analysis, while NASTRAN Sol 400 (Implicit nonlinear
Analysis) was used in the 2D FEA. The analytical and FE results were in a good correlation in predicting
the maximum and average shear stresses.
SD1.4 12:30 Induced Draft Wet Cooling Tower Performance in Abu Dhabi
Ambiant Conditions
Sultan AlAli (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology & Masdar Institute,
UAE); Abdulla Al Ali (Masdar & Masdar, UAE); Mohamed Ali (Masdar, UAE)
A thermodynamic analysis on an induced wet cooling tower is presented, using 1st and 2nd laws as
well as exergy flow analysis. The variation of the second-law efficiency, exergy destruction and cooling
tower effectiveness is determined as a function of various input parameters such as inlet air dry bulb
temperature and inlet air relative humidity through a parametric study. Irreversible losses are
determined by applying an exergy balance on each of the systems investigated. In this regard, an
engineering equation solver program has been developed using thermodynamic functions and pressure
and temperature dependent transport properties. For the different input variables that meet Abu Dhabi
hot and humid environment, efficiencies were seen to decrease because of increasing the exergy
destruction. Cooling down the outlet humid air will condensate a significant amount of pure water, in
addition the cooled air can be recycled back to the tower for cooling the hot water.
SD1.5 12:50 The Manufacture of Scaled High-performance Complex Structures
Using RTM/VARTM
Hussam Alhussein and Rehan Umer (Khalifa University, UAE)
The manufacture of scaled high-performance complex aerospace structures using RTM/VARTM is one of
the most promising manufacturing technologies available in the market. They can be used to
manufacture large three dimensional components with desired mechanical properties. Injection phase
in Liquid composite molding (LCM) must ensure complete impregnation of resin within the dry preform.
Many parameters affect the impregnation phase such as: pressure, temperature, viscosity, fiber
compaction and gates/vents location. In the study, resin is going to be characterized as function of
temperature and time using differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and rheological meter.
Understanding the injection characteristics and permeability effect is crucial in the whole process as
well. These data will be used to simulate filling process using PAM/RTM software in order to estimate
filling time and identify optimum gate and vent locations in the scaled structure. Moreover, fiber
placement robots are going to be used for complex fiber layups.
SE1: Computer & Information Science
Room: Baniyas B
36
PAG
E.35SE1.1 11:30 An Experiment in Electronic Text Author Verification with
Generalized N-Grams and an Ensemble of Randomized Models
Mahmoud Khonji (KUSTAR, UAE); Youssef Iraqi (Khalifa University, UAE)
Due to the rapid growth of electronic texts in the Internet, the need to identify, verify or profile their
authors becomes increasingly attractive for forensics, market analysis, recommender systems, or even
anti-forensics (pro-privacy) applications. This paper presents the results of an experiment in electronic
text author verification. The novelty of this experiment is two fold. First, the use of a generalized
n-grams feature extractor which allowed us to explore additional features beyond what is evaluated in
the literature. Second, the generalization of the score aggregation function of the state-of-the-art in
author verification. A partial implementation of this classifier ranked first in the international author
identification challenge in PAN14: http://www.uni-weimar.de/medien/webis/research/events/pan-14/
--- the leading international competition in stylometry. This paper presents preliminary findings of a
further developed author verification classifier with the addition of a feature that represents a special
case of syntactic n-grams (sn-grams).
SE1.2 11:50 Efficient Demand Response Management Algorithms for Microgrids
Chi-Kin Chau (Masdar Institute, UAE); Khaled Elbassioni and Areg Karapetyan
(Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, UAE); Majid Khonji (Masdar
Institute, UAE); Hatem Zeineldin (Masdar Institute of Science & Technology, UAE)
Demand response has become one of the major technologies for smart grids providing the means for
efficient management and performance. The higher the demand response incentives set by utility
companies, the more customers are participating to demand response schemes. Nonetheless, with
increasing customer participation identifying the optimal load curtailment for customers turns out to be
computationally complex. This paper proposes efficient algorithms for event-based demand response
management for microgrids. In these systems, it is of significant importance to optimally shed loads as
fast as possible to conserve microgrid stability, taking into account a combination of active and
reactive power. Efficient algorithms for determining the optimal loads to be curtailed during islanded
operation are compared and contrasted. A novel algorithm based on a greedy approach that is capable
of determining a close-to-optimal load shedding scheme rapidly to maintain microgrid stability is
proposed.
SE1.3 12:10 Scalable Multi-hop Data Dissemination in Vehicular Ad Hoc
Networks
Moumena Chaqfeh and Abderrahmane Lakas (UAE University, UAE)
The rapid evolution of wireless communication capabilities and vehicular technology would allow traffic
data to be disseminated and collected by travelling vehicles in the near future. Vehicular Ad hoc
Networks (VANETs) are self-organizing networks that can support different types of traffic applications
without requiring fixed infrastructure or centralized administration. Since traffic data is of public
interest, it is more appropriate to rely on broadcasting for data dissemination in VANETs. However,
broadcasting under high densities may easily lead to the broadcast storm problem due to data
redundancy and packet collisions. Instead of blind data flooding, only some of the vehicles can be
selected as packet relays. Existing solutions are not yet enabled to estimate traffic density effectively
and accurately, and therefore, they do not scale well according to traffic regime. We propose to design
a scalable data dissemination method for multi-hop VANETs that can estimate traffic regime for low
broadcasting overhead.
SE1.4 12:30 A Framework for Comparison of Trust Models for Multi-Agent
Systems
Dina Shehada (Khalifa University, UAE)
Nowadays, agents technology plays an important role in the development of service applications.
However, balancing between the flexible features agents provide and their vulnerability to many
attacks is considered a great challenge. In this paper we discuss trust models developed by researcher
for the sake of providing trustworthiness and security to Multi-Agent Systems (MAS). A framework for
comparison of different trust models is provided. Trust models are first compared and classified
according to types of evaluations used, weight assignment, consideration of inaccurate evaluations and
architecture. They are also compared according to suitability to MAS
SE1.5 12:50 Deployment Optimization Model of Indoor Distributed Antenna
Systems for Multi-Storey Buildings with Particle Swarm Optimization
Dina Atia (Khalifa University for Science Technology and Research, UAE); Dymitr
Ruta (Etisalat British Telecom Innovation Centre, UAE); Kin Fai Poon and Anis
Ouali (Khalifa University, UAE); Abdel Isakovic (KUSTAR, UAE)
In-door wireless access becomes a standard and ensuring a thorough and economically sound wireless
signal coverage throughout the building is increasingly important problem. In-building Distributed
Antenna System (DAS) extends the wireless access from the base station to distributed antennas
through the complex network of coaxial cables and power splitters. For high rise buildings the initial
cost of DAS and the running costs of powering the network are quite significant, calling for the optimal
design of DAS network. This Report offers a novel, complete building DAS optimization model that
utilizes Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) to provide a near optimal network topology that minimizes
the cost of the cabling, equipment and power requirements. As opposed to other approaches which
solve this problem only partially our model is a compete proposition for DAS optimization that is
scalable and can deliver quality DAS designs even for the tallest buildings with hundreds of floors.
37
PAG
E.36
11:30 - 13:30
SF1: Health and Life Sciences
Room: Yas
SF1.1 11:30 Two SNPs in the VKORC1 Gene are Sufficient to Predict the
Appropriate Warfarin Dose Among Emirati Patients
Hayat Saad Al-Jaibeji (College of Medicine and Health Sciences, UAE University &
Maastricht University, UAE); Bassam Ali and Lihadh Al-Gazali (United Arab
Emirates University, UAE)
Warfarin dose vary up to 10-fold among patients. The gene encoding for the target enzyme of
Warfarin, vitamin K epoxide reductase complex 1 (VKORC1), is a highly polymorphic gene and
contributes about 30% of this variability .In this Study, we used PCR amplification and direct DNA
Sanger sequencing to genotype the two most important variants in VKORC1 gene. The sample
consisted of 117 Emirati healthy nationals as controls and 96 patients on Warfarin therapy. The alleles
and genotypes frequencies were determined for both groups. In addition, the daily Warfarin
maintenance dose for patients was examined for association with both SNPs. Crucially, both VKORC1
polymorphisms were found to be strongly associated with the Warfarin dose required to achieve the
target international normalized ratio INR (p < 0.0001). The results of this study confirm the suitability
of VKORC1 genotyping to guide the use of the appropriate Warfarin dose among Emiratis
SF1.2 11:50 Spontaneous Heart Rate is Reduced in Streptozotocin-Induced
Diabetic Rat
Zannatul Ferdous, Haider Raza and Mohammed Anwar Qureshi, MA (United Arab
Emirates University, UAE); Frank Howarth (UAE University, UAE)
Diabetes mellitus is a serious and increasing global health burden, with cardiac dysfunction reported as
a frequent complication of clinical and experimental diabetes mellitus. In vivo biotelemetry studies in
rat have demonstrated that heart rate is progressively reduced after administration of streptozocin1.
The effect of streptozotocin-induced diabetes on action potentials in isolated perfused rat heart has
been investigated. Heart rate was significantly reduced in Langendorff perfused spontaneously beating
diabetic rat heart compared to controls. Prolongation of action potential repolarization may partly
underlie reduced spontaneous heart rate in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat.
SF1.3 12:10 Early Gene Expression Changes in Dorsal Root Ganglia of
Streptozotocin Rat Model of Diabetic Neuropathy
Nadia Hussain, Khatija Parekh, Eric Mensah-Brown and Chris Howarth (College of
Medicine and Health Sciences, UAE University, UAE); John Morrison (College of
Medicine and Health Sciences, UAE University, United Kingdom); Thomas Adrian
(United Arab Emirates University & College of Medicine and Health Sciences, UAE)
Diabetic neuropathy affects more than 50% of diabetics but the underlying pathophysiological
mechanism remains poorly understood. The aim of this project is to identify the early changes in gene
expression in diabetic neuropathy. Samples of dorsal root ganglia were dissected from STZ rats and
age matched controls. RNA was extracted, converted to cDNA for low density arrays. Genes selected
for the low density arrays were those involved in sympathetic and afferent nerve function in the dorsal
root ganglia. Gene expression was studied based on the results of the low density arrays. Several
interesting and promising changes in expression of different genes was seen suggesting their
involvement in diabetic neuropathy. Insight into changes in gene expression furthers our knowledge of
the pathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy and may pave the way for future therapeutic interventions.
SF1.4 12:30 Distribution of Ghrelin in the Cytoplasmic Organelles of Pancreatic
Islet Cells of Normal and Diabetic Rats
Haba El Abadlah (United Arab Emirates University, UAE)
Ghrelin, a 28-amino acid peptide discovered in the rat stomach in 1999, is a potent growth hormone
secretagogue and food intake modulator. Ghrelin has been postulated to play a role in insulin and
glucagon secretion and in glucose homeostasis. Here we study the pattern of distribution of ghrelin in
pancreatic islet cells in normal, diabetic and ghrelin-treated rats. The effect of chronic ghrelin
treatment on blood glucose level was also investigated. We observed that ghrelin co-localizes with
insulin and glucagon in pancreatic islet cells. It is worth noting that insulin is present in specific
secretory granules of pancreatic beta cells. No other cytoplasmic organelles, other than secretory
granules contain ghrelin. The pattern of distribution of ghrelin is altered after the onset of diabetes
mellitus. In conclusion, ghrelin co-localizes with both insulin and glucagon in the islet of Langerhans
and may indeed play a role in the regulation of islet hormones.
SF1.5 12:50 Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha in Kainic Acid Induced
Neurodegeneration
Sara Sharkawi and Rajesh Mohanraj (UAE University, UAE); Eric Mensah-Brown
(College of Medicine and Health Sciences, UAE University, UAE); Abdu Adem (UAE
University, UAE)
Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) is a proinflammatory cytokine with homeostatic and
pathophysiological roles in the central nervous system. It was shown that mice lacking TNF receptor-1
(TNFR1) exhibit greater neurodegeneration in kainic acid (KA)-induced neurotoxicity, suggesting that
TNF-alpha exerts its protective role via TNFR1. Here, we study the impact of TNF-alpha on
38
PAG
E.37
neurodegeneration at several time points to find out possible mechanisms underlying its effects. KA
(40 mg/kg body weight) was given intranasally to TNF-alpha knockout (KO) mice and wild-type (Wt)
mice, and seizure severity was scored. Astrogliosis and microglial activation were assessed by
immunohistochemistry and cytokine production was measured. TNF-alpha KO-mice showed
significantly more severe seizures compared with Wt-mice. Hippocampal microglial activation and
astrogliosis were enhanced and persisted up to 1 month in TNF-alpha KO-mice compared with Wt-
mice. These data suggest that deficiency of TNF-alpha worsens KA-induced neurotoxicity resulting in a
vicious cycle of chronic neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration.
SF1.6 13:10 Eating Disorders Prevalence and Determents in UAE
Alla Abdulla (University of Sharjah, UAE)
To assess the prevalence of Disordered Eating Attitude (DEA); and to investigate the determinants of
eating disorders in a representative sample of Emirate young females. A cross sectional study of a
sample of 508 adolescent females were chosen through a stratified randomization technique. All
consenting students in the selected classes filled the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) and Body Figure
Rating Scale (BFR). From the latter, body dissatisfaction score was calculated. EAT 26 was used to
measure symptoms of DEA and body dissatisfaction. Then, a sample was selected for one to one
interviews for further investigation on determinants of DEA.From the study sample, 37.8% scored at
least 20 on EAT-26, and 65.2% had body dissatisfaction. Significant relationships were seen between
the following pairs: 1) EAT-26 and body dissatisfaction, 2) BMI and body dissatisfaction. Family, media
and bullying at either home or school, were the major determents for DEA among adolescents.
11:30 - 13:10
SG1: Operations Research & Management Science
Room: Saadiyat
SG1.1 11:30 A Mathematical Programming Framework for Energy Planning in
Services' Sector Under Different Uncertainty
Moza Salim Al Naimi (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, UAE);
Mohamed Ali (Masdar, UAE); Ali Diabat (Masdar Institute, UAE)
Management of energy resources plays an important role in economical, technical and human
development. In the last few years, rising energy demand, decreasing energy reserves and growing
environmental alarms have yield new challenges for planners to consider and propose sustainable
energy management systems. Although there were many optimization methods used to assist in the
formulation of energy systems which were effective in providing optimal decision alternatives, these
plans were under uncertainty of some parameters like market conditions and resource availability. The
objective of this research is to develop an energy planning model for an aluminum industrial firm in
UAE where an optimal strategy to reduce energy consumption from different resources will be found
with consideration of uncertainty in energy prices, demand and CO2 emission. Challenges in the
research are to find the optimal structure, the beast equipment and the optimal size, and to find the
energy flows for different interval.
SG1.2 11:50 The Application of Operations Research Optimisation Techniques in
Civil Works and Electrical Contracting
Amani Alkhodari, Khaled ElSayed, Mansoor Al Jabri and Rashed Al Dhaheri (United
Arab Emirates University (UAEU), UAE); Basel Alsayyed (UAEU, UAE)
This paper presents the research undertaken in studying two Operations Research (OR) problems that
commonly arise in the field of civil works and electrical contracting. As the complexity in organisations
increases, it becomes demanding to handle activities in an optimal way. In this regard, OR tools have
been applied extensively in areas as public services, health care, manufacturing, and the military.
However, there has not been found in the literature as many applications in civil works and electrical
contracting. This paper demonstrates how OR tools have been utilised in minimising the costs in this
area while reaching goals effectively. Problems illustrated here are of a real-life project in the field
whose scope covers the installation of underground cable circuits between two grid stations. This paper
shows the mathematical models and optimal solutions of the problems of scheduling integer
programming and transportation linear programming, which are very common to this field.
SG1.3 12:10 The Application of Queuing Analysis of Operations in Civil Works
and Electrical Contracting
Amani Alkhodari, Khaled ElSayed, Mansoor Al Jabri and Rashed Al Dhaheri (United
Arab Emirates University (UAEU), UAE); Basel Alsayyed (UAEU, UAE)
This paper presents the research undertaken in studying one Operations Research (OR) problem that
commonly arises in the field of civil works and electrical contracting; that is, queuing of arriving units
and handling them efficiently. As the complexity in organisations increases, it becomes highly
demanding to manage activities in an optimal way. In this regard, OR tools have been applied
extensively in areas as public services, health care, manufacturing, and the military. However, there
has not been found in the literature as many applications in civil works and electrical contracting
operations. This paper demonstrates how OR tools have been utilised in minimising the costs of
queuing problems while satisfying different demands. The problem illustrated here is of a real-life
project in the field whose scope covers the installation of underground cable circuits between two grid
stations. This paper shows the mathematical formulation and optimal solution of the studied queuing
problem.
39
PAG
E.38
SG1.4 12:30 Optimal Resource Allocation in Operations of Civil Works and
Electrical Contracting
Amani Alkhodari, Khaled ElSayed, Mansoor Al Jabri and Rashed Al Dhaheri (United
Arab Emirates University (UAEU), UAE); Basel Alsayyed (UAEU, UAE)
This paper presents the research undertaken in studying one major Operations Research (OR) problem
that commonly arises in the field of civil works and electrical contracting; that is, the allocation of
scarce resources among various competing activities. As the complexity in organisations increases, it
becomes highly demanding to handle activities in an optimal way. In this regard, OR tools have been
applied extensively in areas as public services, health care, manufacturing, and the military. However,
there has not been found in the literature as many applications in civil works and electrical contracting
operations. This paper demonstrates how OR tools have been utilised in cost minimisation and
resource allocation in a problem of a real-life project in the field whose scope covers the installation of
underground cable circuits between two grid stations. It shows the mathematical model and optimal
solution of the problem of resource allocation using linear programming.
SG1.5 12:50 Automation of FTTH Network Design Based on Integer Linear
Programming Approach
Kaltham Al Romaithi (Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research,
UAE); Kin Fai Poon and Anis Ouali (Khalifa University, UAE); Peng-Yong Kong
(Khalifa University of Science, Technology & Research, UAE)
With the increase in popularity of bandwidth intensive applications, the telecommunication companies
have been driven to find alternatives for the existing VDSL infrastructure to meet the requirements of
the subscribers. Fiber To The Home (FTTH) networks, based on the Gigabit Passive Optical Network
(GPON) topology, have proven to be a cost effective solution for a large scale deployment. In this
paper, a one-level problem of a typical FTTH network is presented and modeled using the Integer
Linear Programming (ILP) approach. Results demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of such
approach.
13:30 - 14:30
Lunch (Saqr Ballroom C)
14:30 - 16:10
SA2: Electrical & Electronic Engineering
Room: Saqr Ballroom
SA2.1 14:30 Utilization of Battery Storage Systems in Multi-Area Power
Systems with High Penetration of PV for Secondary Frequency Regulation
Maksymilian Klimontowicz (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, UAE);
Amer Al-Hinai (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology & Institute Center for
Energy, UAE); Jimmy Peng (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, UAE)
Frequency stability within conventional electrical power systems is highly dependent on active power
management. Each second of power system operation active power demand changes in random
manner it means that some loads are connected and at the same time some are disconnected what
eventually creates mismatch between generated and consumed energy. Output active power from all
interconnected energy sources have to follow changes in demand to reduce power mismatch to zero
thus redress frequency and tie line power transfers to the scheduled values within strictly determined
time. This paper presents load frequency control study on three area generalized power system model
with distributed energy resources (DERs) and battery storage systems. Genetic algorithm was applied
to find optimal control gains in conventional as well as distributed plants.
SA2.2 14:50 Optimizing Energy Performance of Magnetic Tunnel Junctions for
STT-RAM Application
Ilyas Farhat (Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research, UAE); Ella M
Gale (University of the West of England, United Kingdom); Abdel Isakovic
(KUSTAR, UAE)
The report presents a scaling argument of MTJ in STT-RAM memory for several design parameters with
the goal of optimizing the energy performance. An analytical study was conducted showing the
dependence of critical current density on geometrical parameters. The effect of scaling down the width
of the junction on the critical current density is then discussed showing a great potential for lowering
the energy required for switching of magnetization.
SA2.3 15:10 Identification of Defect Patterns in Semiconductor Wafer Maps
Fatima Al-Shawish (Khalifa University, UAE)
Defect detection and classification in semiconductor wafers has received an increasing attention from
both industry and academia alike. Wafer defects are a serious problem that could cause massive losses
to the companies' yield. The defects occur as a result of a lengthy and complex fabrication process
involving hundreds of stages, and they can create unique patterns. If these patterns were to be
identified and classified correctly, then the root of the fabrication problem can be recognized and
40
PAG
E.39
eventually resolved. Machine learning (ML) techniques have been widely accepted and are well suited
for such classification-/identification problems. In this study, we develop a state-of-the-art classifying
algorithm using multiple ML techniques, relying on a general-regression-network-based consensus
learning model along with a powerful randomization technique. Our method has proved to be more
accurate and stable as compared to any of the existing algorithms reported in the literature, achieving
accuracy of 99.8%.
SA2.4 15:30 An Experimental Study on Pulse Discharge of Gel and AGM Lead-
acid Batteries by Varying the Frequency
Zahi Omer (United Arab Emirates University & College of Engineering, UAE);
Ahmed AlAmeri and Abbas Fardoun (United Arab Emirates University, UAE); Ala
Hussein (UAE University, UAE)
Valve Regulated Lead-acid (VRLA) batteries are one of the most common rechargeable battery
technologies used in energy backup systems, and are widely used in several applications. The steady
demand on those batteries adds more burdens on improving the performance and determining the
state-of-health of those batteries. At harsh environmental conditions such as in UAE where the
temperature can go to extremely high levels most of the year, the battery performance and
replacement increases the cost and raises the concerns about the reliability and economic feasibility of
those batteries. It is extremely beneficial to predict battery behavior to allow the investigation of
possible scenarios during operation run time. This paper investigates the discharge performance with
0.01Hz to 1kHz frequency range of two major VRLA batteries, namely 12V/150Ah Gel and Absorbed
glass mat (AGM) sealed lead-acid batteries, when operating in stand-alone mode in photovoltaic (PV)
based systems in United Arab Emirates.
SA2.5 15:50 Modeling and Fault Diagnosis of PEM Fuel Cells
Reem I Salim (UAE University, UAE); Hassan Noura and Abbas Fardoun (United
Arab Emirates University, UAE)
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is considered one of the major oil producers and suppliers in the
world. However, the increasing pollution rates around the globe resulted in a major move towards the
exploration and deployment of different types of green technologies in the UAE. Fuel cells are one of
those green technologies currently being explored in the region. However, despite their promising
features, fuel cell systems still lack a solid fault diagnosis and predictive maintenance study that would
reflect the course climate conditions of the UAE. Moreover, in order to develop an accurate fault
diagnosis study, a fault diagnosis oriented model of the fuel cell system under study is to be
developed.
SB2: Energy & Petroleum
Room: Al-Reem A
SB2.1 14:30 Techno-economic Analysis of Biodiesel Production Using Reactive
Distillation
Tuhin Poddar (The Petroleum Institute & ADNOC, UAE); Anoop Jagannath and Ali
Almansoori (The Petroleum Institute, UAE)
Biodiesel is a leading biofuel in the alternative fuels market with a surge in its worldwide production
recently with the purpose of replacing crude-based diesel as a transportation fuel. In this work, two
reactive distillation processes for biodiesel production have been simulated: the first process uses an
alkali while the second includes a heterogeneous catalyst with both processes yielding a high purity
biodiesel product. Aspen Plus v8.4 was used as the process simulation tool in this particular work.
Comparison between the two production processes were made in terms of the annual production costs
and total capital expenditure. The heterogeneous-catalyzed process for the reactive distillation was
found to be more economically advantageous than the alkali-catalyzed process due to a much lower
annual cost per unit of biodiesel produced and lower annual production cost calculated in USD/year.
SB2.2 14:50 Thermal Characterization of Desert Sand for Use as Sensible
Thermal Energy Storage Media
Miguel Diago, Alberto Crespo Iniesta, Thomas Delclos, Tariq Shamim and Nicolas
Calvet (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, UAE)
Several sand samples from the desert of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were analyzed using a
thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) and a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). Loss of mass was
observed in all the samples above 600 °C, although no further mass loss could be observed in
following thermal cycles. DSC analysis of cycled samples allowed for the determination of their heat
capacities and revealed the existence of a solid phase transformation during the heating process at
575 °C. This transformation was identified as the transition from α-quartz to β-quartz in the sample.
SB2.3 15:10 Exergy Analysis of Fuel Cells
Ibrahim H. S. Mustafa, Asif Muhammad Bin Adam Soopee and Ali Al Menhali
(Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, UAE); Mohamed Ali (Masdar, UAE)
Exergy analysis plays an important role in the measurement of the true performance of engineering
systems, aiding in the identification and minimization of losses within. In this work, a Matlab model is
developed for exergy analysis and is applied to Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) and
Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC), the respective work potential is determined, and the components
contributing to the thermodynamic losses within the systems are identified. Furthermore, the effects of
the variation of operating conditions on the performance are analyzed, identifying opportunities for
41
PAG
E.40
efficiency improvement and therefore maximizing the fuel cell output. Significant differences have been
seen between our results and the recent literature. The variations in results are discussed with
emphasis on the PEM fuel cell model.
SB2.4 15:30 Mechanical Characterization of Desert Sand and Design of a Conical
Hopper for a Solid Particle Solar Receiver
Alberto Crespo Iniesta and Miguel Diago (Masdar Institute of Science and
Technology, UAE); Salah Al-Toubat and Maher Omar (University of Sharjah, UAE);
Thomas Delclos, Tariq Shamim and Nicolas Calvet (Masdar Institute of Science
and Technology, UAE)
Sand from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) desert was mechanically characterized to determine its
effective angle of internal friction as well as its angle of wall friction against two different metallic
surfaces and a concrete surface. The Jenike method for silo design was used to calculate the minimum
required angle leading to mass flow (first-in-first-out) discharge regime of a conical hopper with such
sand particles.
SB2.5 15:50 UAE Recycled Industrial Waste Based Innovative Materials for
High-Temperature Thermal Energy Storage Applications
Kholoud Al Naimi (Masdar Institute of Science & Technology, UAE)
yearly in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. As an innovative and sustainable approach for waste recycling, four
types of waste have been identified as inexpensive materials for high-temperature thermal energy
storage applications: aluminum white dross (AWD) and aluminum post skimming (APS) from Emirates
Aluminium, and electric arc furnace (EAF) slags, ladle furnace (LF) slags from Emirates Steel. Results
of chemical analysis revealed that these materials are chemically stable with a negligible quantity of
heavy metals. Excluding APS, the rest materials are thermally stable at high temperatures up to 1100
°C.
SC2: Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Room: Al-Reem B
SC2.1 14:30 Determinants of Perceived Competency Based Model Effectiveness:
Reaction of Developees
Nadia Al Mannaee (United Arab Emirates University, UAE)
The purpose of this study is to assess the factors that contribute to the effectiveness of the
competency-based models used in an oil company in the United Arab Emirates. A questionnaire
method is used to get the perception of trainees in an oil company who are still in or completed the
program. A structured equation model is used to analyze the data. The factors that contribute to the
effectiveness of the competency-based model are the competency based goals, content and
framework, the assessment conducted to the trainees and minimum coaching. The study was
conducted in one oil company and for that it can't be generalized to other contexts that implement
similar program. This study will help to close the gap that previous studies have indicated on the
application of competency models and their effectiveness. It could add a value to the efforts of the
National Qualification Authority in Abu Dhabi.
SC2.2 14:50 Polygamy in Emirati Society
Mariam AlZaabi (Zayed University, UAE)
There was a debate concerning polygamy at the FNC of the UAE. Polygamy has been suggested as a
solution to the rising number of spinsters and it was blamed to be a cause of divorce. My research is
an examination of current Emirati perspectives on polygamous marriage.The issue I am trying to tackle
in this research is the causes, effects of polygamous marriages in the UAE, and if pushing polygamy at
the national agenda would eliminate or cause issues. I collected data from preexisting research and
conducted my own fieldwork. I surveyed a sample of over 200 willing participants with guaranteed
anonymity, using a snowball technique.With an aim to build a link between perceptions of polygamy
and age, gender, region lived in and economic status. I also carried out semi-structured interviews
with 40 participants which were then thematically analyzed to further investigate the acceptance of the
UAE society for polygamy.
SC2.3 15:10 Leadership Strategies of Team Building, Teacher Motivation, and
Teacher Empowerment and Their Role in Enhancing School Performance
Effectiveness?
Ibtisam Elayan and Sumayya Andy (Zayed University, UAE)
This qualitative research case study examines leadership strategies as a contributing factor in the
"band B" rating given to a privately operated Abu Dhabi school and emphasizes three key areas:
teacher empowerment, teacher motivation and teacher team-building. The school leadership was
interviewed and observed in order to provide material for analysis. What did you find? Subsequently,
recommendations were made in each of the three key areas that should contribute to further growth
aligned to the Irtiqaa evaluation system. It is hoped that this paper will aid other researchers
investigating topics related to the creation of high performing schools in Abu Dhabi.
SC2.4 15:30 Introduction to Arabic Literary Journalism: A Critical Study
Samah AbuMarzok (United Arab Emirates University, UAE)
This paper examines Al Adab Al Sahafi: (Arabic literary journalism) as a possible branch of Anglo-
American literary journalism, analyzing extracts from works of Al Jahith, Abu: Hayan Al Tawhedi:,
42
PAG
E.41
Yacaqub Sanu and Ghassan Kanafany according to the criteria set out by a number of Anglo-American
literary journalism scholars such as Thomas Connery, Kevin Kerrane, Ben Yagoda, and Norman Sims.
This paper also briefly surveys humor in Al Adab Al Sahafi: to the end of understanding its role at
overcoming challenges of limited freedom of expression in the Arab world.
SC2.5 15:50 The Possibility of Huthis' Accessing Power in Yemen
Sara Al Kaabi (Khalifa University for Science, Thechnology, and Research, UAE)
Huthis is an armed group in Yemen which was one of the main actors that participate in the uprisings
in 2011. Nowadays, Huthis broken into the presidential palace and threatening the political stability in
Yemen by forming and applying their own government for the whole county. If Huthis succeed to gain
power in Yemen, this will affect the security status in the region. There are some indications that may
increase the chance of Huthis to gain power which will affect the security stability among the Arabian
Gulf countries.
SD2: Mechanical Engineering
Room: Baniyas A
SD2.1 14:30 Performance and Exergy Analysis of Turbine-Burner and
Afterburner Gas Turbine Engines
Mohamed Ali (Masdar, UAE); Abdulla Alshehhi, Patroula Christopoulou and Tala El
Samad (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, UAE)
Several research studies have been made in order to investigate the effect of replacing a conventional
turbine with a turbine-burner which has combustion between its stages. This study aims to investigate
the performance and exergetic values of the proposed gas turbine modifications, turbine-burner,
afterburner and a combination of both. Using a turbine-burner, there will be an increase in the thrust
at a relatively lower fuel consumption rate than afterburners. In order to do the analysis, a selected
range of compression ratios as well as flight Mach numbers were tested, i.e. the gas turbine is not a
ground based turbojet. Our results are comparable to those obtained in literature.
SD2.2 14:50 Micromechanical Computational Evaluation of Triply Periodic
Minimal Sheet Rienforcements for Creating Architectured Composite Materials
Ahmed Dalaq, Diab Abueidda and Rashid Abu Al-Rub (Masdar Institute of Science
and Technology, UAE)
Triply periodic minimal sheets were created, used as a reinforcement in materials, and modeled using
finite element analysis. Hence, the effective Young's and bulk modulus are evaluated and compared
with fibers and particulate composites.
SD2.3 15:10 Micromechanics Modeling of Damage and Healing in Advanced
Self-Healing Materials
Ammar Alsheghri and Rashid Abu Al-Rub (Masdar Institute of Science and
Technology, UAE)
A cohesive zone damage-healing model for self-healing materials is presented. The damaged and
healing configurations of classical continuum mechanics are extended to self-healing materials. A new
physically-based internal crack healing state variable is proposed for describing the healing evolution
within the crack cohesive zone. A numerical example is presented to discuss the influence of
temperature on healing.
SD2.4 15:30 Conductivity of Inperpenetrating Phase Composites Based on
Triply Periodic Minimal Surfaces Architectures
Diab Abueidda, Ahmed Dalaq and Rashid Abu Al-Rub (Masdar Institute of Science
and Technology, UAE)
In this paper, new interpenetrating phase composites (IPCs) based on the mathematically-known triply
periodic minimal surfaces (TPMS) are proposed. In these IPCs, different TPMS architectures are used
as reinforcing solid shells to increase the effective multifunctional properties of IPCs. Several three-
dimensional representative volume elements (RVEs) are generated and studied using the finite
element method in order to predict the effective properties for various TPMS-based IPC architectures.
The calculated properties are compared with some analytical bounds and conventional composites. The
proposed IPCs have superiority against the conventional composites, and they possess effective
properties close to the upper Hashin-Shtrikman bounds.
SD2.5 15:50 Design, Dynamic Modeling and Automation of Fixed-wing VTOL
UAVs
Adnan Saeed, Guowei Cai, Ahmad Bani Younes and Jorge Dias (Khalifa University,
UAE); Lakmal Seneviratne (KURI, UAE)
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are experiencing a tremendous development as they are being
utilized in a wide range of reconnaissance and surveillance missions. This paper presents the ongoing
research project at Khalifa University on the design and development of a fully-autonomous robotic
aircraft that aims for combining the advantages of fixed-wing conventional aircrafts and vertical takeoff
and landing (VTOL) aircrafts. These, which are known as Hybrid UAVs or fixed-wing VTOL UAVs can
perform wider range of missions or same missions with higher performance which further enhances
their utilization in military and civil applications. The research project includes designing a novel Hybrid
43
PAG
E.42
UAV, developing a high-precision nonlinear flight dynamics model, achieving full autonomy and
realizing intelligent navigation.
SE2: Computer & Information Science
Room: Baniyas B
SE2.1 14:30 Ontology-based Visual Analytic Technique for Semantic Web Data
Maryam Al-Shehhi (Khalifa University of Science, Technology, and Research,
UAE); Benjamin Hirsch (EBTIC & Khalifa University, UAE); Kamal Taha (Khalifa
University of Science, Technology & Research, UAE); Paul Yoo (BU Data Science
Institute & University of Sydney, United Kingdom); Marcello Leida (Taiger, Spain)
One of the technologies underpinning the future vision of a web as huge database is Linked Data (LD).
LD provides structured data over the web that is understandable by machines and connecting
resources between different datasets over the web forming a big data graph. Effective Visual Analytics
techniques become necessary to efficiently analyze and visualize the desired information from this big
graph. In this paper, we are investigating the impact of using semantic web technologies in developing
automation visualization process of Visual Analytics techniques. We introduce a promising approach for
automatic visualization of queries over LD sets, paving the road for next generation of visual analytics
tools for the semantic web.
SE2.2 14:50 Refinement-based Verification Framework for WBSN
Hussam Al-Hamadi (Khalifa University for Science, Technology and Research,
UAE); Amjad Gawanmeh (Khalifa University, UAE)
This paper presents a formal method for verifying several features in Wireless Body Sensor Network
(WBSN) at different levels of abstraction. We use the Event-B method to formalize the complex
features of WBSN at different levels of abstraction, and then to specify properties about their
operation. WBSN are considered complex and sensitive designs as they are used with patients where
safety and privacy are major concerns. This makes verifying WBSN using traditional simulation
methods insufficient since it is necessary to have great confident in the design before we can have it
implemented and used in this critical context. In this paper we introduce a formal model for a bio-
sensor that is used in WBSN, and we identified and proved several safety-critical requirements about
its operation.
SE2.3 15:10 Queuing Algorithm to Find Minimum Number of VMs to Satisfy SLO
Response Time
Fatima Alqaydi (Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research, UAE);
Khaled Salah (Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research (KUSTAR),
UAE); Jamal Zemerly (Khalifa University, UAE)
This paper presents a queuing algorithm to find minimal number of VMs to satisfy Service Level Object
(SLO) response time. The algorithm ensures the quality of service (QoS) by using the minimal number
of required VMs to satisfy user service agreement conditions (response time). Based on queuing theory
the model is built to increase the system performance by minimizing waiting time for servers and using
resources with its maximum capacity.
SE2.4 15:30 Bitcoin Over Time: Inspecting the Evolution of the P2P Digital
Currency
Israa Alqassem (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, UAE)
The growing research on networks during the past decade facilitated the understanding of the
underlying structure behind complex networks whether they are linked to biological, social, or political
systems. In this work, we examine the evolution of connectivity and activity dynamics in the Bitcoin
transaction graph to get more insights into the change of its structural and functional properties over
time. While some of the properties under investigation are specific to the Bitcoin environment, others
are generic and hence are compared with the same properties examined previously in various social
and information networks. Previous research identified two distinct evolutionary stages of Bitcoin i.e.,
the initial stage and the trading stage. Our results reveal that during the trading stage the Bitcoin
transaction graph started approximately resembling other real-world networks, moreover user
activities differ noticeably throughout these stages.
SE2.5 15:50 Wearable Technology and Internet of Things for Hajj
Sara Mahmoud (UAE University, UAE); AbdulMutalib Masaud-Wahaishi (United
Arab Emirates University, UAE)
Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam, in which millions of Muslims from all over the world congregate to
perform religious rituals in Mecca at fixed determined days. In spite of the tremendous effort geared
towards facilitating the Hajj activities to pilgrims, the authority and Hajj organizers face great
difficulties to manage and control the various inherent Hajj processes. The cases of missing pilgrims,
massive crowd fatalities; safety violations and knowledge unawareness become major and challenging
issues. Although several solutions have been introduced, the need for an efficient smart monitoring
and controlling solutions become a vital necessity. This paper proposes a novel approach that can
provide efficient means, guidelines Hajj Pilgrims that utilize the Internet of Things (IoT) phenomena
and wearable technology. Therefore, we proposed wearable devices solution that are electronic strap
and smart glass to be provided to pilgrims, as well as applications for organizers to overcome these
difficulties.
44
PAG
E.43
SF2: Health and Life Sciences
Room: Yas
SF2.1 14:30 Improved Plasma Membrane Expression of the Trafficking
Defective P344R Mutant of Muscle, Skeletal, Receptor Tyrosine Kinase (MuSK)
Causing Congenital Myasthenic Syndrome
Reham Milhem, Lihadh Al-Gazali and Bassam Ali (United Arab Emirates University,
UAE)
Muscle, skeletal, receptor tyrosine kinase (MuSK) is the key organizer at the postsynaptic membrane
and critical for proper development of the neuromuscular junction. Mutations in MUSK result in
congenital myasthenic syndrome (CMS). It was hypothesized that the CMS-causing missense mutation
(P344R), found within the cysteine-rich domain of the protein, will affect its conformational tertiary
structure. Consequently, the protein will misfold, get retained in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and
lose its biological function through proteasomal degradation. Investigating the molecular mechanism of
missense mutations is important since ER-targeted therapies are in development. P344R-MuSK
mislocalized to the ER, was improperly N-glycosylated and tagged with polyubiquitin chains,
prerequisites for proteasomal degradation. Proteasomal inhibition resulted in an increased half-life of
the mutant. P344R-MuSK's trafficking defect was rescued by expression at 27 °C and with chemical
chaperones. These findings open perspectives for potential therapeutic intervention for patients with
CMS harboring the P344R-MuSK mutation.
SF2.2 14:50 Developing Polyclonal Antibodies Targeting a Novel Growth-
Related Protein in Pancreatic Cancer
Amal Al Haddad and Mahmoud Ali (United Arab Emirates University, UAE); Sandor
Lovas (Creighton University School of Medicine, USA); Thomas Adrian (United
Arab Emirates University & College of Medicine and Health Sciences, UAE)
Pancreatic cancer is the most fatal disease amongst all solid malignancies. Understanding the
sequential additive genetic alterations in its pathogenicity is essential. Via global expression profiling,
TTMP gene was found to be involved in the genetic evolution of pancreatic cancer. To better
understand the role of the TTMP gene, specific anti-TTMP antibodies against unique C- and N-terminus
peptides were generated. Five rabbits were immunized with each of the two conjugated peptides.
Animals were bled regularly and antibody titers were checked by ELISA. Western blotting was used to
assess the antibodies. Significant antibodies titers against the C- and N-termini were generated in all
animals. Antibodies worked well for western blotting in detecting the same molecular weight protein.
These highly specific antibodies can serve a pivotal role in further studies to characterize the TTMP
gene and expand our knowledge of its role in the context of pancreatic cancer pathogenesis.
SF2.3 15:10 Frequency of ABO, Rhesus Phenotypes and Most Probable
Genotypes and the Type of RHD Negative Variants Among UAE Nationals in Al
Ain District
Mariam Al Meqbali, Rasheed Al Hammadi, Amina Ahmed and Asma Al-Menhali
(UAEU, UAE)
The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of ABO, Rhesus phenotype and most
probable genotypes in Al Ain area. The studied group consisted of 500 locals of both gender from
different age groups. ABO and Rh-hr phenotype reactivity were determined using conventional tube
method and gel technology. Our study shows the distribution of ABO phenotypes was as follows: O =
56%, A = 26.2%, B= 14.2% and AB= 3.6%. The distribution of Rh antigens was as follows: D=90.4
%, C= 76.2%, E= 27.2%, c= 71.6% and e= 97.8%. And the distribution of most probable genotypes
was as follows: R1 r = 29.8%, R1 R1 = 28.4%, R1 R2 =16.8%, rr= 8.4%, R2 r= 8.2%, Ro r=5%, R2
R2 =2.2%, and r'r = 1.2%. Our study showed that the most frequent antigen amongst five major
antigens of Rh system was RhD while the least common was E antigen.
SF2.4 15:30 Optimal Packaging of MPMV Genomic RNA Depends on a Conserved
Long Range Interaction Between U5 and Gag Complementary Sequences
Rawan Kalloush (United Arab Emirates University & UAEU, UAE)
Mason-Pfizer Monkey Virus is a non-primate, D-type simple retrovirus that is being studied intensively
recently with the hope of using MPMV-based vectors for gene therapy. RNA structure of the MPMV RNA
packaging sequences has identified two Long Range Interactions (LRI-I and II) between the U5 and
Gag sequences (Fig 1A). Such LRIs have been suggested to an important role in the viral RNA
packaging and propagation. Genetic analysis of the LRI-II mutants suggests that the presence of LRI-II
primary sequence in its native structural context is critical for the packaging and propagation of the
viral RNA.
SF2.5 15:50 Y-Chromosome Polymorphism in the United Arab Emirates
Population
Safa Alhammadi, Miss (United Arab Emirates University, UAE)
In UAE population, the analysis of the allele frequency shows that each locus has a predominant allele
and the most loci are clustered over narrow range. The UAE population is largely heterogeneous and a
total of 301 different haplotypes were identified. There are 271 unique haplotypes and 22 haplotypes
were shared between two individuals. There are three cases where four, five and six individuals are
sharing identical haplotype. This is likely due to the sharing of most common recent ancestors. This
brings the discrimination capacity to approximately 90% and haplotype diversity 99.885%. This is
fundamental to understanding the degree of heterogeneity in UAE population and can reflect the
45
PAG
E.44
pattern of the migration, geographic influence, and cultural influences. Secondly, United Arab Emirates
population is diverse and are genetically close to neighboring countries. Analysis of molecular variance
show no significant genetic differences within UAE population or population residing the Arabian Gulf
region.
SG2: Mathematics & Statistics
Room: Saadiyat
SG2.1 14:30 Existence and Uniqueness of Solutions for a Class of Non-linear
Boundary Value Problems of Fractional Order
Arwa Baabdulla (UAE University, UAE); Mohammed Al-Refai and Ahmed Al-
Rawashdeh (UAEU, UAE)
In this paper we propose to extend the maximum principle and the method of upper and lower
solutions to boundary value problems with Caputo fractional derivative. At first, we transform the
problem to a system of two equations, one with fractional derivative and the second one with integer
derivative. We then establish a new positivity result and apply it to introduce two well-defined
monotone sequences of pairs of lower and upper solutions to obtain existence and uniqueness results
for the problem.
SG2.2 14:50 Modified Taylor Series Solution of Initial Value Problems with
Irregular Singularity and Boundary Value Problems
Ghada Janem (UAEU, UAE)
Initial value problems with irregular singular points are very important for researchers in various fields
including science and engineering. Series solution of these kinds of problems is not easily achieved at
the point of singularity, and the numerical techniques are not capable to solve the problem due to the
fact that calculations will require a division by 0. In addition, numerical solutions of boundary value
problems are very limited; it includes finite difference method and shooting method. This initiates the
need for a development of new techniques to handle these problems. In this article we will discuss a
new method based on a modified Tylor series approach to solve initial value problems with irregular
singular at certain points in the domain of definition of the problem and boundary value problems in
general. The method is based on expanding of the solution at different choices of the expansion point
SG2.3 15:10 Quaternary Affine-Invariant Codes
Badria Omar Salih (UAE University & Science College, UAE)
We give a full enumeration of extended cyclic affine-invariant codes of length 2 to power n over the
binary field and over the ring of integers modulo 4 for n < or = 8.
SG2.4 15:30 An Efficient Method for Solving a Discrete Orthogonal
Approximation to Fractional Boundary Value Problems
Mwaffag Sharadga (UAE, UAE)
In this paper, we will use the Tau method to develop an iterative methods for solving nonlinear
fractional differential equations.
SG2.5 15:50 On the Pricing of Asian Options in High Volatile Markets
Nabil Al Farra and Youssef El-Khatib (UAEU, UAE)
In this work, we deal with the pricing problem for a specific type of Exotic options: the Asian options.
We consider a modified Black-Scholes model where the volatility is high. One approach to valuing
options is the Partial Differential Equation (P.D.E) method. After setting up the model, we derive the
P.D.E of the Asian option price.
16:10 - 16:20
Coffee Break (Conference Reception)
16:20 - 18:00
SA3: Electrical & Electronic Engineering
Room: Saqr Ballroom
SA3.1 16:20 Integrated Remote Sensing Image Fusion Framework for Target
Detection
Essa Basaeed (Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research, UAE)
The detection and tracking of targets in remote sensing images is essential given the increased
dimensionality of data both spatially and spectrally. Current algorithms cannot cope with the increased
data complexity of remote sensing imagery. In this work, a novel efficient and effective multi-layer
multi-scale fusion framework is proposed as a solution to the target detection problem. This work is
expected to advance the field of remote sensing image analysis especially when it comes to
46
PAG
E.45
information retrieval in large datasets of imagery data. This work also presents unprecedented
research on UAE's national satellite (i.e., DubaiSat-1).
SA3.2 16:40 A Histogram-Based Image Segmentation ASIC Design for SoC
Ehab Salahat (Khalifa University, UAE); Hani Saleh (Khalifa University of Sciente,
Technology & Research, UAE); M. Sami Zitouni (Khalifa University, UAE); Andrzej
S Sluzek (Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research, UAE); Baker
Mohammad and Mohammed Elnaggar (Khalifa University, UAE)
Image segmentation is an essential preprocessing step for many computer vision and image
processing applications. Implementing algorithms that0 handle such images in hardware will speed up
the processing task considerably. In this paper, a new robust histogram-based image segmentation
ASIC design of a System-on-Chip (SoC) using 65nm technology is presented. With a clock frequency of
289 MHz, the SoC can reach a frame rate of a 4410 FPS for an image resolution of 256×256. This is
few order of magnitudes faster than the FPGA implementation in the literature. The finished-chip
details renders it suitable for real-time and mobile applications.
SA3.3 17:00 Optical Technique for Scale Detection
Solaiman Sowwan (The Petroleum Institute, UAE); Abdellatif Bouchalkha (The
Petroleum Institute & Art and Science College, UAE); Khalid Alhammadi (The
Petroleum Institute, UAE)
Scale Deposition in pipelines is becoming a major concern to oil companies. This causes severe
problems such as those related to well integrity, reduced production and sensors failures which will
affect the overall well performance. In this paper, we present an approach for the detection of scale
deposition using light sensing techniques. We have successfully detected scale deposition within a
short time after the scaling process was triggered. The experimental setup, theoretical consideration
and the results are discussed.
SA3.4 17:20 Enhancing of the Quality of CT Scans Using Super-Resolution
Algorithms for Cancer Diagnostics
Saeed Alnuaimi (Khalifa University of Science, Technology & Research, UAE)
The early detection of cancer disease can improve survival rate by allowing a wider range of medical
treatments for the patients. Mammography or CT scans are believed to be an effective tool to help
radiologists to diagnose and detect many types of the cancer cells at the early stages. Medical imaging
is a leading role in modern diagnosis and contrast enhancement of medical image is useful in helping
radiologist or doctors to detect abnormal regions. In recent years, many image enhancement
techniques have been developed to improve the quality of medical images such as X-ray, MRI, and CT
scans. Image enhancement techniques can improve the quality of the CT scan images with enhancing
the details of key features, like the shape of the cancer cell. For medical images, image enhancement
is very useful as medical images are poorly illuminated and many of the important structures are
hardly visible.
SA3.5 17:40 A Novel Multiple Watermarking Scheme for Patient Identification
and Integrity Control
Sohailah Makhmasi (Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research, UAE)
A novel multiple watermarking scheme based on spatial and discrete cosine transform domains is
proposed. The scheme allows the physician to define regions of interest to keep diagnostic value intact.
The rest part of the image casts multiple watermarks conveying the patient's identification (ID) for
ownership detection, and additional information for the purpose of integrity control and source
authentication. In or-der to increase data robustness, each single digit in patient's ID is represented
using a unique binary code and all the codes are highly uncorrelated to each others. The experimental
results demonstrate the efficiency of the scheme in terms of robust-ness, imperceptibility, and integrity
control.
SB3: Energy & Petroleum
Room: Al-Reem A
SB3.1 16:20 Screening of Polymers for EOR in High Temperature, High Salinity
and Carbonate Reservoir Conditions
Syed Mohamid Raza Quadri and Mohamad Shoaib (The Petroleum Institute, UAE)
Polymer flooding is a well-established chemical EOR technique. However, its application in high
temperature, high salinity carbonate reservoirs is still a very challenging task due to unavailability of
polymers which can withstand these harsh reservoir conditions. A polymer screening study has been
conducted on a series of polymers, to identify the most suitable candidate that can tolerate these
harsh reservoir conditions. Initially, a polymer screening study has been conducted through rheological
measurements on a series of polymers which can withstand high temperature and high salinity
conditions followed by filterability, injectability, adsorption, mechanical and thermal stability testing as
a screening criterion for polymers in EOR operations. Amongst the tested polymers polyacrylamide
based co- and ter-polymers showed reasonable temperature stability but very poor salinity tolerance.
On the other hand, biopolymer a polysaccharide showed shear thinning behavior with excellent thermal
stability at 120 °C under anaerobic conditions and salt tolerance upto 220 g/l.
47
PAG
E.46
SB3.2 16:40 Experimental and Digital Rock Physics: Mechanical Properties and
Multiphase Flow Properties From Nanotomography to Whole Core Scale
Analysis
Amina Islam, Titly Faisal and Sylvie Chevalier (Masdar Institute of Science and
Technology, UAE); Mohamed Jouini (Petroleum Institute, UAE); Mustapha Jouiad
and Mohamed Sassi (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, UAE)
This project aims at developing Digital Rock Physics (DRP) as the novel and future reservoir
engineering simulation tool, especially as applied to the super giant carbonate reservoirs of Abu Dhabi.
The approach is to use an ascending scale of integration of experimental and numerical modeling
techniques from the nano-scale offered by a dual Focalized Ion Beam- Scanning Electron Microscope
(FIB-SEM) nanotomography, through nano-, micro- and macro-XCT (X-ray Computer Tomography)
and all the way to whole core analysis offered by a tri-axial-stress core-flooding machine that operates
under reservoir conditions. The nano, micro, and macro scale tomography is used to extract the
complex pore scale and solid matrix network to be used within simulators for the correct prediction of
average macroscopic properties (porosity, permeability, formation factor, capillary pressure, relative
permeability, and elastic and shear moduli) of carbonate rocks. Experimental results are used to
validate the simulation results.
SB3.3 17:00 Comparison of Serpent and TRITON Generated Few Group
Constants for APR1400 Nuclear Reactor
Zainab Alnoamani (Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research, UAE);
Mohamed Elsawi (Khalifa University of Science, Technology, and Research, UAE)
The accuracy of nuclear reactor power calculations using diffusion codes is dependent on the quality of
the homogenized cross sections generated by lattice codes. In this paper, the few-group constants
generated by two reactor physics codes, SERPENT as Monte Carlo code and TRITON as deterministic
code, is critically studied and their reliability is evaluated. The approach followed in this paper is as
follows. First, the nuclear constants for APR1400 reactor core were generated using SERPENT and
TRITON codes. For both codes, the critical spectrum was used as a weighting function. Second, 2-D
diffusion calculations were performed using PARCS code employing the two few-group constant sets
generated previously. Finally, an assessment of the results was performed. Comparison of the few-
group constants showed excellent agreement with relative difference ~ 1%. The full core power
distribution has showed a similar trend with the maximum relative difference between the two codes of
~7%.
SB3.4 17:20 Evaluation of Depassivation of Reinforcing Steel in Barakah
Nuclear Power Plants
Maryam Qasem (Khalifa University, UAE)
Threshold conditions for depassivation of the reinforcing steel from Barakah nuclear power plants
(BNPP) was evaluated using a galvanostatic technique (GS). Samples were galvanostatically polarized
in Ca(OH)2 solutions with NaCl and depassivation of samples was monitored using potential variation.
The conditions for the depassivation were evaluated as a function of pH and Cl- concentration. In the
threshold conditions, a linear correlation was found between pH and log(Cl-). Using the linear
correlation, a new parameter, M, as a function of pH and Cl- concentration is suggested.
SB3.5 17:40 High Resolution of Parabolic Radon Transform for Multiple
Attenuation in Seismic Processing
Rongzhi Lin (Petroleum Institute, UAE); Yi Guo (The Petroleum Institute, UAE)
Radon transform has suffered the typical problems of low resolution, and many researchers have
proposed some different algorithms to solve this problem (Cary, 1998; Sacchi, et al., 1999; Trad, et
al., 2003). As the operator in the original formulation of the high resolution Radon transform is
inverted using Cholesky decomposition, which is relatively expensive compared to least squares Radon
transform that utilizes the Levinson recursion to invert a Toeplitz form, we need to pay attention to
develop robust and easy algorithms. In this paper, we discuss the least square method of parabolic
Radon transform with conjugate gradient algorithm in time domain, which is less expensive than using
Cholesky decomposition. Then, we apply this method to simulative seismic data for multiple
attenuation, and get a satisfying result.
SC3: Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Room: Al-Reem B
SC3.1 16:20 Evaluation of the Philosophy of Policing by Consent the Case of Abu
Dhabi Police
Ahmed Al Ghaithi (Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research, UAE)
The adoption of British military model of policing by Abu Dhabi Police (ADP) is worth mentioning.
Emanating from the fact that British police system is built upon the philosophy of Policing by Consent,
ADP has adopted the key traits of the philosophy with little cognizance of its express implementation.
The implementation of these and other foreign models by ADP may be considered among other
attempts, efforts to overcome key challenges of ADP. The present study adopts a qualitative
methodological approach in evaluating the concept in context of ADP.
SC3.2 16:40 The Political Impact of Arab Spring on UAE
Saif Alkhafili (Khalifa University, UAE)
48
PAG
E.47
What is the political impact of the Arab Spring on GCC status (UAE case)? What are the important
measures taken by UAE authority? Arab spring is the term refers to the revolutionary wave of
demonstrations and protesters both violent and non-violent happened in the Arab world since 2011. In
this literature review we will try to find out the changes and impacts recently occurred toward the
political and national security policies within GCC countries to maintain the political stability.
Furthermore, a comparison analyzing different opinions of the recent changes happened on GCC since
the rise of Arab Spring will be discussed.
SC3.3 17:00 Balancing Social Media and National Security
Nehal A Al Hemeiri (Khalifa University & Abu Dhabi Motorsport Management, UAE)
The use of social media has been growing significantly in impact in the society today with various
groups embracing the use of the tool. While these platforms arise as a norm due to the high level of
use, there are various negative impacts that leads us to rethink the essence of these platforms. This
research will seek to point out these negative effects and the overall impact social media has towards
the national security of the UAE. The paper will also offer some legal position on how the UAE
government views this problem and the legal measures they have set forth to mitigate occurrence of
such incidences. The UAE government seems to have realized the problems in how the public
interprets the messages sent through the social platform. Thus, it has established various systems to
educate the users on how they could optimize the use of the social platform positively.
SC3.4 17:20 The Threat of Foreign Teachers with Radical Beliefs to the UAE's
Political Stability
Mohammed Al-Mazrouei (Khalifa University, UAE)
The impact of foreign radical beliefs on UAE university students continues to be a source of concern for
policymakers in the UAE. Additionally, the general public is becoming increasingly agitated by the
never-ending accounts of indoctrination from foreign teachers. Both of these matters mystify the
future of the educational system and more importantly it may tilt the delicate political balance and lead
to civil unrest. Thus, what is needed is a thorough and poised study on the impact of large numbers of
foreign teachers with radical beliefs on the political balance of the UAE. In order to carry out such a
study, this research adopted a qualitative approach using structured interviews, observations, case
studies, journals, and public documents. However, the bulk of the data is from primary sources, due to
the lack of readily available resources.
SC3.5 17:40 Abu Dhabi Government E-Intelligence
Naeima AlMenhali (Khalifa University, UAE)
United Arab Emirates (UAE) is exposed to explicit and implicit threats. The UAE is surrounded by
unstable countries for example, Bahrain. We also cannot ignore the complicated situations in the whole
world particularly in the Middle East region, these situations are making direct and/or indirect impact
on the UAE's developments, in terms of economy, society, environment, education and military forces
SD3: Mechanical Engineering
Room: Baniyas A
SD3.1 16:20 Effect of Different Environmental Conditions on the Mechanical
Behavior of Plain Weave Woven Laminated Composites
Maryam Al-Kuwaiti (United Arab Emirates University & STRATA Manufacturing,
UAE); Abdel-Hamid Ismail Mourad (Unietd Arab Emirates University, UAE)
Fiber reinforced composites have been gaining wide use in the variety of applications such as military
and aerospace. The performance of these composites may suffer when the material is exposed to
adverse environments for long periods of time. In this research, the effect of different environmental
conditions on the mechanical behavior of woven laminated composites is investigated. The major
objective of the study is to evaluate the effects of water/humidity and temperature on the strength of
woven laminated composites. It is observed that high temperature accelerates the degradation
mechanism in the composite. The results revealed that the different climatic conditions have a
deteriorative impact on the performance of the composite. The highest degradation impact was under
the combined effect of hot water immersion and testing at high temperature.
SD3.2 16:40 Numerical and Experimental Investigation on the Effect of the
Electric Field on Non-Premixed Counterflow Methane-Air Flames
Abdul Rahman Farraj (Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research,
UAE); Rajavasanth Rajasegar (University of Illinois at Urbana-Chamapaign, USA);
Ashraf N. Al-Khateeb (Khalifa University, UAE); Dimitrios Kyritsis (Khalifa
University & University of Illinois at Urbana-Chamapaign, UAE)
Results of a computational and experimental study of the structure of counterflow diffusion flame
under the effect of the electric field are reported. A simplified modeling approach is proposed to
describe combustion in the presence of electric body force. The mass, momentum, species evolution
and energy conservation equations were solved numerically using FLUENT program by importing the
methane GRI-Mech 3.0 chemical mechanism to the program. The behavior of the flame under the
electric field for different polarities was monitored and captured by high-speed camera.
SD3.3 17:00 Evaluation of Phase Change Materials Integrated Into Heat Sinks
for Enhanced Cooling in Electronic Packaging
49
PAG
E.48
Shaimaa Aboo Ayyan (UAEU, UAE); Ahmad Hassan and Hassan Hejase (UAE
University, UAE)
Phase Change Materials (PCMs) are integrated to metallic heat sinks to evaluate their performance to
cool electronic packaging. The heat sinks were prepared as metallic containments with vertically
aligned fins with optimized inter-fin spacing. The heat sink filled with PCM is subjected to various heat
loads at 4W, 6W and 8W. The heat generating surface temperatures are plotted against time at each
power input for both the PCM and for all the four modes of operation. It is found that in all cases, the
inclusion of PCM into heat sink maintained lower temperature on heat generating surface compared to
heat sink alone which shows the effectiveness of PCMs for electronic packaging.
SD3.4 17:20 Modeling of a Potential Geological Carbon Dioxide Storage Site in
UAE
Mohammed Nazeer ul Hasan Khan (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology,
UAE); Tariq Shamim (Masdar Institute of Science & Technology, UAE)
Rapidly rising concentration levels of carbon dioxide in atmosphere has made the researchers and
scientists to find an effective way to capture and sequester it. One of the most sought after
sequestration technique is to store the CO2 in deep geological formations where it can stay in
supercritical form. Deep saline aquifers stand out of all the other geological formations due to their
high storage capacities and wide availability. In this study, a potential site for geologic sequestration of
carbon dioxide in UAE has been studied. A parametric study has been performed by varying the
parameters such as salinity, pore compressibility, Corey residual gas saturation, Corey residual liquid
saturation and van Genuchten m value. The results for total CO2 mass are plotted as a function of
simulated time. The results show that salinity, Corey residual gas and liquid saturations and van
Genuchten m parameter are the most influential parameters.
SD3.5 17:40 Bioreactor Landfilling of Oil Sludge
Ahmed Alshehhi (Masdar Institute, UAE); Thomas Arink and Isam Janajreh
(Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, UAE); Ashjan Al Katheerib and
Rizwan Ahmedb (TAKREER Research Centre, UAE)
Waste to Energy can be pursued biologically, chemically, or thermally, result in production of fuel or
sensible heat. The petroleum industry has been generating an alarming amount of solid waste in the
form of oily sludge. It is a hazardous complex emulsion of various petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs),
solid particles, water and heavy metals. Recovery of PHCs and thermochemical has been widely
investigated, however biological treatment for recovery and safe disposal is less fortunate. This work
focuses on the anaerobic PHC decomposition in a well-controlled landfill bioreactor for the generation
of landfill gas (CO2 and CH4). It is found that on the basis of 100kg of PHC, nearly 4.5 kg and 11.8 kg
of CH4 and CO2 are generated. This is fairly equal to what would be generated from MSW. Practically,
co-digestion with MSW can enhance the biodegradation and the yield, contrary to WWTP sludge which
only enhances the biodegradation.
SE3: Computer & Information Science
Room: Baniyas B
SE3.1 16:20 Randomized Voting and Selection Ranking Techniques for Network
Intrusion Detection Tasks
Omar Al-Jarrah (Khalifa University of Science, Technology & Research, UAE)
An intrusion Detection System (IDS) monitors and analyzes network activity and data for potential
vulnerabilities and attacks in progress. A knowledge-based IDS (KB-IDS) references a database of
previous attack profiles and known system vulnerabilities to identify active intrusion attempts. A KB-
IDS is the most widely accepted due to their model-free properties such as learnability and
adaptability. However, as a network grows in size,the efficiency and the scalability of IDS become
critical. In this paper, we develop a state-of-the-art KB-IDS on a biophysically motivated intelligent
voting-model through the use of a minimum and optimal feature set only for instant feedback and
improved system efficiency. Existing KB-IDSs reach about 95–98% accuracy, and about 1–2% false-
alarm rate on KDD-99 benchmark datasets. However, our approach that utilizes ensemble-voting
model achieves about 99.9% accuracy and 0.1% false-alarm rate on the same benchmark datasets.
SE3.2 16:40 A Hybrid Collaborative Filtering Approach for Educational Data
Mining
Ioannis Karakatsanis (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, UAE)
Working with datasets that consist of millions of records is becoming increasingly necessary for
scientific research. In the present work, two such datasets are used to predict student performance in
test sections. In particular, the goal is to predict a student's ability to answer questions correctly based
on historical results. A linear model that features a plain stochastic gradient descent learning routine
produces quite satisfactory predictions for this problem. However, mixing the existing linear model with
factorization machines trained with three different collaborative filtering learning algorithms can yield
even better results. By offering actionable insights, it is hoped that the findings of this study can be
used to improve the design of educational resources such as distance learning portals and course
delivery platforms.
SE3.3 17:00 Keyframe Selection From Egocentric Videos Using Fast Keypoint
Recognition
Buti Al Delail (Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research, UAE)
50
PAG
E.49
Mobile and wearable computing have witnessed increasing interest with new applications becoming an
important part of people's daily life. Recently developed mobile wearable glasses (such as Google
Glass) advances the idea that most of the smartphone functionalities would eventually move to
wearable portable devices. The availability of such pervasive device creates new research opportunities
and challenges. One directions is to utilize wearable camera and sensors to record and understand the
user activities. The camera can be used to record a video of the user moments. However, none would
have the time to watch it. Hence, automatic gathering, analysis, indexing and retrieval of multimedia
has seen a great interest over the past decade. This paper discusses design of algorithms and system
for keypoint based keyframe extraction from egocentric videos. And show our results of using an
implementation of keypoints extraction for basic keyframe assessment based on the number of
keypoints.
SE3.4 17:20 Google Scholar as a Source of Bibliometric Data: Initial
Impressions
Bedoor K AlShebli and Wei Lee Woon (Masdar Institute of Science and
Technology, UAE)
Google scholar is a search engine that helps users search for content that has been published in the
scholarly literature. In this paper, initial impressions of the data collected during our crawl of Google
Scholar are presented and discussed.
SE3.5 17:40 Design-Time Evolution Rules to Support SaaS Daynamic Evolution
Fatma Mohamed (Khalifa University, UAE); Mohammad Abu Matar (Etisalat British
Telecom Innovation Center at Khalifa University of Science & Technology, USA);
Rabeb Mizouni (Khalifa University, UAE)
Cloud computing is an emerging paradigm that provides scalable computing capabilities where
resources are accessed on a pay-as-you-go basis. Software as a Service (SaaS) applications are
hosted in the cloud and made available as services for tenants' organizations over a network. To
achieve reusability in the cloud, software and hardware resources are shared among tenants.
Conventional multi-tenant SaaS applications provide the same set of services for all the subscribing
tenants, thus resulting in one-size-fits-all applications. However, as tenants may have different
requirements, customizable SaaS solutions are needed. To accommodate evolving tenants'
requirements, the SaaS instance should evolve systematically. In this paper, we present a multi-tenant
single instance SaaS evolution platform based on Software Product Lines (SPLs) and Model Driven
Architecture (MDA) concepts. The platform specifies a set of evolution rules, based on feature
modeling, that govern evolution decisions. We also present a proof of concept tool for the proposed
approach.
SF3: Health and Life Sciences
Room: Yas
SF3.1 16:20 Differential Mechanistic Degradation of Pollutants by Different
Peroxidases
Aysha Al Neyadi (United Arab Emirets University, UAE); Syed Ashraf (United Arab
Emirets University UAE, UAE)
Biological remediation of pollutants are a novel set of biotechnology approaches in which the pollutants
are removed using either microorganisms or enzymes. Specifically, the use of enzymes to degrade
organic pollutant is at the forefront of this exciting field and has attracted much interest due to its
efficiency and potential ease. Various diverse classes of peroxidases have been commonly used for the
enzymatic degradation of organic pollutants, however, studies showing how different classes of
peroxidases may degrade specific dyes have not yet been reported. In this study, Soybean Peroxidase
and Choloroperoxidase were used to degrade a specific aromatic azo dye, Amido Black. Specifically, we
examined the differences in the pH profiles and the products produced during the dye degradation by
these two peroxidases. The results show that the two peroxidases have different optimum pH and
produce different products, suggesting that different mechanisms are involved when different
peroxidases are used.
SF3.2 16:40 Potential Therapeutic Application of Novel Crocin-Coated
Nanoparticles Against Liver Cancer
Rkia El Kharrag and Amr Amin (UAE University, UAE); Yaser Greish (United Arab
Emirates University, UAE); Soleiman Hisaindee and Sherif Karam (UAE University,
UAE)
A modified co-precipitation method in air was used to prepare pure and coated magnetite
nanoparticles. A maximum of 1.0 % of dextran was sufficient to coat the nanoparticles surfaces, after
that they were bound to the crocin via a cross-linker. Crocin was reported to have anticancer effect in
different in vivo and in vitro settings. The aim of this study was to synthesize magnetite nanoparticles
formulations containing crocin with a higher therapeutic index for the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)
treatment. The nanoparticles with crocin were tested in vitro and in vivo for their anticancer effects. In
HepG2 cells, crocin-conjugated nanoparticles decreased cells proliferation compared with groups
treated with crocin, saline, and nanoparticles alone. Crocin-loaded nanoparticles' antitumor effect was
also evaluated in Balb/c mice that were chemically induced to develop HCC. The immunohistochemistry
and HepG2 cells results were similar. The results indicated that nanoparticles conjugation of crocin
improve its anti-tumorigenic activity.
51
PAG
E.50
SF3.3 17:00 Effect of Acidic pH on Growth and Differentiation of Gastric Stem
Cells on 3D Microfibrous Polycaprolactone Scaffold
Sunitha Pulikkot (CMHS & UAE University, UAE); Sherif Karam (UAE University,
UAE); Yaser Greish (United Arab Emirates University, UAE); Abdel-Hamid Ismail
Mourad (Unietd Arab Emirates University, UAE)
Multipotent stem cells are responsible for stomach epithelial homeostasis and production of four main
cell lineages secreting mucins, acid, pepsinogen and hormones. Established mouse gastric stem (mGS)
cell line isuseful tool to study the role adult stem cells in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering.
We have recently shown that 3D microfibrous polycaprolactone scaffolds support growth and
differentiation of mGS cells into stomach mucous cells after 9-day culture. One of the future
applications of this 3D culture model is in the field of regenerative medicine of gastric mucosal defects.
Since luminal pH of the stomach may have deleterious effect on the transplanted tissue. The current
study examines the effects of acidic pH on mGS cells using 2D and 3D culture systems.
SF3.4 17:20 The Putative DNA Repair Protein IRC20 Acts as a Chromatin
Remodeling Enzyme
Deena Jalal (UAE University & College of Medicine and Health Sciences, UAE);
Jisha Chalissery (Colleague, UAE); Ahmed Hassan (Supervisor, UAE)
The S. cerevisiae IRC20 protein (Increased Recombination Centers 20) shares homology with an
extended family of Snf2-related ATPases. It has previously been reported to play a role in homologous
recombination repair and thus crucial in maintaining genome integrity following a double strand break.
Mutations in SHPRH, the human homolog of IRC20, has been shown to be involved in several cancers.
The exact mechanism of function of IRC20 in DNA repair is yet to be revealed. Here we report the
purification of IRC20 using a TAP technique under native expression conditions, and using a His-tag on
a plasmid for overexpression in yeast. Biochemical characterization of this complex reveals that it
exhibits ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling activity. Consistent with this, it also binds to both DNA
and chromatin.
SF3.5 17:40 Study of Genetic Polymorphisms Involved in Depressive Disorders
in a Tunisian Population of the Region of Monastir
Mohamed Amine Sayadi (University of Monastir & Higher Institute of
Biotechnology of Monastir, Tunisia)
Major depression (MD) and anxiety disorders (AD) are the most prevalent psychiatric disorders in the
community (Rouillon 1999). Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common psychiatric disorder with
considerable morbidity and mortality (Harris and Barraclough 1998; Judd et al. 2008). A long-standing
theory is that a breakdown in brain serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) signalling is critically
involved in the symptoms and drug treatment of clinical depression (Sharp et al. 2011). The human
serotonin transporter protein (SERT) is encoded by a single gene [SLC6A4]. A deletion/insertion in the
5-HTTLPR creates a short (S) or long (L) allele (14- or 16-repeat alleles), which alters the promoter
activity. The S-variant has been reported to be associated with lower basal and transcriptional
efficiency of the SLC6A4, resulting in lower serotonin uptake activity when compared with the L-variant
(Nakamura et al, 2000, Zalsman et al, 2006). Dysfunction of 5-HT has been implicated in the aetiology
of psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety (Neumeister et al, 2004, Sen et al, 2004).
SG3: Mathematics & Statistics
Room: Saadiyat
SG3.1 16:20 On the Valuation of European Options Under a CEV Model with High
Volatility
Wafa Abu Zarqa (UAE University, UAE); Youssef El-Khatib (UAEU, UAE)
In this work we deal with the pricing problem for European options under CEV models. We suggest a
modified CEV model that covers post-crash markets. Using Monte Carlo methods we investigate
numerical solutions for the pricing problem for European opt
SG3.2 16:40 Mathematical Modeling of the Imported Malaria in the United Arab
Emirates
Fatima Alawadhi (UAE University, UAE); Abdessamad Tridane (UAEU, UAE);
Mohamed Ali Hajji (United Arab Emirates University, UAE)
The aim of this work is to study, via mathematical model, the impact of imported malaria on the
population of United Arab Emirates (UAE). The nature of the health policies in UAE impose on us to
consider a model that categorizes the living population in land of UAE to two categorizes. The local
population, which represent the permanents resident that have not health requirement for their
residency, and the non-locals, which are required to have certain health condition to maintain their
status in the country. This paper includes the calculation of the basic reproduction number for the
entire population R_0 and also for the sub-populations R^L_0 and R^N_0. Local and global stability of
the disease free equilibrium of the model also were studied. Our goal is show the possible outcomes of
such epidemic on both population and the control strategy to maintain lower epidemic size in UAE.
SG3.3 17:00 Series Solutions for Multi-Term Fractional Differential Equations
Mohammed Al Srihin and Mohammed Al-Refai (UAEU, UAE)
In this paper we consider multi-term fractional differential equations of Caputo's and Riemann-Liouville
types. We propose a new series solution which is a modified form of the well known Taylor series
52
PAG
E.51
expansion and differential transform methods. The main advantage of the new series solution
comparing with the existing ones in the literature is, to overcome the difficulty of computing iterated
fractional derivatives, which don't compute in general. The idea of the new approach was introduced
recently by Al-Refai et al. [1] for a class of fractional differential equations of Caputo's type. Analysis of
the new approach will be presented as well as, a comparison with the well known methods such as the
Adomian decomposition and differential transform methods.
SG3.4 17:20 Geometric Integrators with Applications to Hamiltonian Systems
Hebatalah Alsakaji (UAUE, UAE)
Many dynamical systems exhibit properties that are preserved by the flow, e.g., energy conservation,
symmetry, momentum and symplecticity. A conventional numerical integrator approximates the flow of
the continuous-time equations using only the information about the vector field, ignoring the physical
laws and the properties of the original trajectory. In this way, small inaccuracies accumulated over
long periods of time will significantly diminish the operational lifespan of such discrete solutions.
Geometric integrators, on the other hand, are built in a way that preserve the structure of continuous
dynamics, so maintaining the qualitative behaviour of the exact flow even for long-time integration.
The aim of this paper is to design efficient geometric integrators for Hamiltonian systems. These
methods are implicit for general Hamiltonian systems. We show that explicit integrators can be
developed to solve some selected examples drawn from celestial mechanics.
SG3.5 17:40 Maximal Entropy Markov Chains
Sanket Satpathy (Princeton University, USA)
We study the problem of maximizing the entropy rate of a Markov chain. This problem is motivated by
two applications: constrained codes and strategy in adversarial settings. Given a directed graph, we
would like to pick the edge transition probabilities to maximize the error probability of guessing the
next state given knowledge of the current state. A simple combinatorial approach to this problem is
provided.
53
PAG
E.52
Monday, March 23
09:00 - 09:45
Keynote 3: Shaping the Future: Career Opportunities for Skilled Graduate Students
H.E. Mr. Homaid Al Shemmari, Mubadala
Room: Saqr Ballroom
About the Presenter: H.E. Mr. Homaid Al Shemmari is Chief Executive Officer, Aerospace & Engineering
Services, with oversight of Mubadala's aerospace, communications technology and defense services
portfolios.Before joining Mubadala, H.E. Mr. Al Shemmari was a Lieutenant Colonel in the UAE Armed Forces,
with involvement in military aviation, maintenance, procurement and logistics.Board Positions: Chairman of
Abu Dhabi Ship Building Company, Strata Manufacturing, Maximus Air Cargo, Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies,
Advanced Military Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul Center (AMMROC) and ADASI; board member of
Mubadala Petroleum, Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar), Abu Dhabi Aviation, Royal Jet,
GLOBALFOUNDRIES and Piaggio Aero Industries Spa.
09:50 - 11:30
MA1: Electrical & Electronic Engineering
Room: Saqr Ballroom
MA1.1 09:50 The Revolution of Glucose Monitoring Methods and Systems: A
Survey
Nourhan Bayasi (Khalifa University, UAE)
Diabetes is characterized by high glucose levels in the blood that result from defects in insulin
secretion, or its action, or both, being considered as one of the major contributors of precipitate
infirmity and death in non-contagious diseases. Glucose meter is the prevailing technique to determine
the glucose level, a technique involving chemical analysis of a sample of the diabetic blood obtained by
pricking a finger. Yet, due to the many demerits of the glucose meter, including the pain and the direct
contact requirement, many alternatives were proposed in the literature. In this paper, we explore and
compare, based on a number of performance metrics, some of those techniques and systems and their
compatibility to be implemented for Systemon- Chip (SoC) for glucose and health monitoring, which
will potentially transform the future of healthcare. A preliminary SoC design for non-invasive glucose
monitoring is proposed
MA1.2 10:10 Investigation of Wireless Power Transfer for a Sensor-based
Microsystem for Orthodontic Applications
Eiman Elghanam, Khalid Ibrahim and Salma Zeid (American University of Sharjah,
UAE); Lutfi Albasha (American University Of Sharjah, UAE); Nasser Qaddoumi
(American University of Sharjah, UAE)
This paper summarizes findings of the research investigating wireless power transfer to on-chip
circuitry. The ultimate objective is to wirelessly power a non-invasive, biocompatible sensor-based
microsystem that would detect the dislocation of orthodontic brackets. Three schemes that are based
on inductive coupling are proposed in this paper and their respective power transfer efficiencies are
investigated via Agilent Advanced Design System software. The first scheme studies the coupling
behavior between an external coil to the orthodontic brace wire, whereas the second scheme examines
brace wire to on-chip coupling. The third scheme looks into direct coupling between an external coil
and an on-chip coil. The simulated coupling efficiencies are compared and the best coupling scheme is
chosen with an efficiency of 3.87%.
MA1.3 10:30 Enhancement of ECG Signal Using Adaptive Filtering
Tamador Elboshra Alkhidir and Murat Kaya Yapici (Khalifa University of Science,
Technology and Research, UAE)
In this paper, we have developed simple method for adaptive filtering of the motion artifact on ECG
signal obtained from conductive textile. The textile electrodes were placed on left and the right wrist to
measure ECG through lead-2 configuration. The motion artifact was induced by simple hand
movement. The reference signal for adaptive filtering was obtained by placing additional electrodes at
one hand to simulate the motion of the hand. The adaptive filtering was compared to independent
component analysis (ICA) algorithm. The signal to noise ratio (SNR) for the adaptive filtering was
higher than independent component analysis in most cases.
MA1.4 10:50 Sample and Hold Circuits for Analog-to-Digital Converters
Tasnim Nazzal (University of Sharjah, UAE)
This paper presents a survey of different sample and hold (S/H) circuits for analog-to-digital
converters. It aims to illustrate the suitable sample and hold (S/H) circuit for low voltage operation and
Bluetooth application. A simulation was done for the different sample and hold (S/H) circuits using
54
PAG
E.53
90nm CMOS technology on LT Spice IV. According to the simulation results, the simple sample and
hold circuit has a signal to noise and distortion ratio (SNDR) of 40 dB. While the sample and hold
circuit with bootstrapped switch technique has 56.56 dB for a 1MHz-500 mVp-p input sine wave. In
addition to that, the clock frequency is 40 MS/sec, and the supply voltage is 1V. The simulation results
show that the sample and hold (S/H) circuit with bootstrapped switch is the best candidate for low
voltage operation and high frequency signals.
MA1.5 11:10 An Integrated, Low-Power Platform for Continuous Congestive
Heart-Failure Monitoring Using Body-Channel Communication
Shahzad Muzaffar (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, UAE); Ayman
Shabra (iMicro, Masdar Institute of Science & Technology, UAE); Ibrahim M Elfadel
(Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, UAE)
The basic requisite of wearable hardware platforms for continuous congestive heart-failure monitoring
is the accuracy and low power operation. Low-power noninvasive monitoring of body fluids and gait
abnormalities is generally very hard using the traditional techniques. In this paper, we present a novel
mechanism followed by a demonstrator setup to monitor the body fluids in the form of weight
measurements using wearable foot mounted sensors and a processing unit named as personal digital
assistant. Energy and architectural efficient interfacing of these two and a low-power communication
in-between using the human body as a communication medium is promising for accurate and low
power operation.
MB1: Chemistry & Chemical Engineering
Room: Al-Reem A
MB1.1 09:50 Natural Antimicrobial Agent From Lignocellulosic Wastes for the
Control of Lactic Acid Bacteria in the Bioethanol Production
Sabeera Haris (Masdar Institute of Science & Technology, UAE)
Bacterial contamination is one of the major challenge faced by bioethanol production plants as it
reduces the viability of yeast and hence ethanol yields. The primary bacterial contaminants of ethanol
fermentations are lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Currently, bioethanol industries use antibiotics to control
the contamination. This has led to the emergence of antibiotic resistant bacterial strains. This is of
considerable concern for environmental pollution and an economic problem for bioethanol industries.
This project aims at identifying potential antimicrobial products from various native biomass in Abu
Dhabi for contamination control. Extracts and pretreated liquids of parts of date palm and mangrove
were analyzed to see if LAB could be inhibited but still allowing growth of the yeast. The analysis was
carried out using plating technique. The pretreated liquids of the date palm rachis and that of the
mangrove stem and leaf were the promising natural antimicrobial agents identified in the study
MB1.2 10:10 Screening and Production of Biogas From Macro Algae Biomass
Native to Abu Dhabi
Rashed Hussain Farzanah (Masdar Institute, UAE)
Composition analysis as well as elemental analysis of three sampled macro algae from Abu Dhabi
showed a significant amount of glucan ranging from 7.3% in Ulva sp., and 8.05% in Padina boergeseni
to 9.5% in Colpomenia sinuosa. The theoretical biogas potential was calculated at 411 ml/gVS for Ulva
sp., 368 ml/gVS for Padina boergeseni, 388 ml/gVS for Colpomenia sinuosa. Anaerobic digestion of the
three macro algae samples digesting with was carried out at two different loadings; 0.2% and 0.5%.
The results show a high methane yield for all three sampled species at 0.2 and 0.5% VS, with Ulva Sp
yielding much higher methane production compared to Padina boergeseni and Colpomenia sinuosa.
Biogas production for Ulva. sp. was carried out at 1%, 3%, and 5% VS loading. These results showed
that the highest specific methane production for Ulva sp. was observed for samples with 1% VS.
MB1.3 10:30 Adsorption of Dyes on Activated Carbon From Agricultural Wastes
Maliha Parvin (United Arab Emirates University, UAE)
Dyes have a wide range of applications. But, it has huge adverse effect on flora and fauna. Therefore,
remediation of dye polluted waters remains of importance. One technique to rid water from dye-stuff is
by adsorption of dye onto stationary phase. In this work, activated carbon is obtained from treated
date palm leaf wastes which can be used as a sorbent for a number of dyes. Leaves have been treated
with sulfuric acid . Prepared activated carbon has been characterized by BET, FT-IR, and SEM
techniques. For sorption, the focus has been on crystal violet as dye component where the remaining
dye concentration in the water has been followed up by UV-VIS spectrometry. Batch and dynamic
sorption experiments have been carried out to obtain the maximum loading of the dye per gram
activated carbon and to understand the underlying kinetics of the adsorption of the dye onto the
carbon material.
MB1.4 10:50 The Use of BrCCl3-PPh3 in Appel Type Transformations to Nitriles,
Esters, Acyloximes, Amides, and Acid Anhydrides
Mariam Al-Azani (UAE University, UAE); Bernhard Bugenhagen (University of
Hamburg, UAE); Thies Thiemann (United Arab Emirates University, UAE)
Benzonitriles have been synthesized from benzamides and benzaldoximes, using BrCCl3-PPh3. Also,
esters, N-acyloximes, amides and acid anhydrides have been prepared from the respective carboxylic
acids, oximes, amines and alcohols by use of the reagent combination BrCCl3-PPh3. The reactions
obviates the handling acyl halides or the more aggressive reagents PCl3, POCl3, or SOCl2.
55
PAG
E.54
Furthermore, it replaces the environmentally hazardous CCl4 in the Appel reaction with BrCCl3, a
reagent of less environmental concern.
MB1.5 11:10 Chemical Reaction Kinetics Measurements for Amine Blend Solvent
for CO2 Post-Combustion Capture Application
Ahmed Sodiq and Nabil El Hadri (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology,
UAE)
This work focuses on the measurement of reaction kinetics of a blend of piperazine (PZ) with aqueous
sterically-hindered amine, 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (AMP). This blend is evaluated and confirmed
to be a promising solvent for CO2 removal in gas streams. This evaluation considers the CO2 reaction
kinetics of the blend at concentration ranges of 6.11-24.00 mol∙m-3 for AMP and 7.09-47.92 mol∙m-3
for PZ forming a blend (AMP/PZ). The stopped-flow technique is used to measure the direct pseudo
first-order reaction kinetics of the blend over a temperature range of 298.15‒313.15 0K. Different
proposed reaction mechanisms such as zwitterion and termolecular reaction mechanisms for the
reaction of CO2 with aqueous solutions of amines are used to correlate the experimental data. Hybrid
of zwitterion mechanism correlated the blend of AMP/PZ perfectly
MC1: Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Room: Al-Reem B
MC1.1 09:50 The Relative Risk Performance of the Islamic Sukuk Over the
Conventional Bonds: New Evidence From Value At Risk Approach
Mariam AlDhaheri (UAEU & HCT, UAE)
Sukuk are securities that are asset-backed and Shari'a compliant. Since their inception in 2002, Sukuk
markets have experienced dramatic growth rates attracting the attention of investors, analysts and
researchers alike. Despite Islamic bonds (thereafter termed as Sukuk) which held successfully their
place in the international bond markets, the literature survey reveals that there are limited empirical
studies on the Sukuk market risk from the investors' perspectives. Both the conventional bonds and
Sukuk as financial instruments are exposed to various types of financial and market risks. The purpose
of this paper is to examine the possible market risks in regards to the Sukuk as compared to the risks
of traditional bonds. Based on value at risk (VaR) approach, we examine whether Islamic Sukuk exhibit
a different market risk performance to conventional benchmarks.
MC1.2 10:10 Risk and Wealth Effects on the "two Pillar" UAE Financial Sector
Ali Almulla (Zayed University & NBAD, UAE); Themistoclis Pantos (Zayed
University, UAE)
This study examines wealth effects and changes in the systematic risk associated with the return
structure of the Segmented "Two-Pillar" system in the UAE, resulting from the introduction of several
major UAE "Banking-Directives" over the period 2004 to 2014. The empirical findings indicate that the
systematic risk for the investment firms increased, while the systematic risk for the commercial banks
slightly increased through the passage of these "Banking-Directives". The empirical evidence stipulates
that all these "Banking-Directives" have created significant wealth effects for the investment firms, but
insignificant wealth effects for the commercial banks. Conversely, the empirical results suggest that
the introduction of the "Banking-Directives" produced positive wealth effects on the Segmented "Two-
Pillar" UAE financial system.
MC1.3 10:30 Relation Between Depression and Aggression
Hilal Alkatheeri (United Arab Emirates University, UAE)
Series of theorists have suggested that conflicts about depression and aggression. The interest of this
study is occurrence of depression and aggressiveness in young teens ages 15 to 18 at cycle 3 schools
in Abu Dhabi. This study will use quantitative and qualitative methods research design to explore the
causes of aggressiveness in schools. The study will use a convenience sample N=80 of adolescences
during the school day. This will be done by applying a open-ended and closed ended (survey)
questions to answer the following research question: What are the causes that contribute to aggression
behavior among Emirati male students in cycle3 school?
MC1.4 10:50 Body Image Attitudes of Young Emirati Men
Rick Hoffman (United Arab Emirates University, UAE)
Obesity is a problem in the United Arab Emirates. The aim of this dissertation was to provide
recommendations to improve obesity interventions in the United Arab Emirates by exploring the body
image attitudes (how people think and feel about their bodies and bodies of others) of young, Emirati
men. The sample population is 340 Emirati citizen men between the ages 18-29 from all seven
emirates. The data was collected through focus groups, a survey, and interviews. The influences on
body image attitudes of young Emirati men are religion, occupation, region, friends, technology, gym,
fashion, marriage, and media. The top three influences are religion, marriage, and occupation. The
researcher recommends more health messaging in the Mosque, interventions to help men from gaining
weight post-marriage, and health campaigns in workplaces including sports competitions and quality
foods in the cafeterias.
MC1.5 11:10 Capability-Building in Strategic Planning and Policy-Making: What
Does Our Government Really Need?
Maryam Al Obaid (Zayed University, UAE)
56
PAG
E.55
The UAE and the local (emirate-level) governments have adopted structured strategic planning and
policy-making during the first two decades of the millennia. In-house general strategic planning and
policy making skills, however, are insufficient for successfully implementing the national strategies
without relying on external consulting support. This in-house recurring insufficiency is a challenge that
prevents the government from comprehensively exploring its strategic issues, conceptualizing them,
and producing suitable strategic remedies and policy options based on proper professional situation
analysis. Continuing reliance on external consultants is financially infeasible, risky from an information
security aspect and is needlessly time consuming. Two approaches to the problem should be adopted.
A human resources' development approach that adopts a customized capability-building framework to
offer soft skills and also an academic stream that uses established affiliations with renowned schools of
government to offer academic education.
MD1: Mechanical Engineering
Room: Baniyas A
MD1.1 09:50 Numerical Simulation of Transesterification
Tala El Samad (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, UAE); Mohammed
Hussain (Masdar Institute, UAE); Isam Janajreh (Masdar Institute of Science and
Technology, UAE)
Transeterificatoin is a chemical process in which two immiscible liquids react in the presence of a
catalyst to form biodiesel, and the less desired glycerol. The efficiency of the process depends on
numerous variables, including reactants molar ratio, flow and agitation speed, temperature and
pressure, residence time, reactor configuration as well as the amount of the catalyst. Numerical
simulation can be used at the conceptual level to investigate the trend, parametric dependency, offset
numerous experimentation hassles and their associated capital and cost. This work details the
development of numerical reactive flow model applied to transesterification following a coupled
thermo-chemical flow. It consists of several reactions with known rate constants and activation
energies. The model has been used to carry parametric study of the process parameters. Special
attention here is given to the rate of reactions and their behavior in a semi-continuous tubular reactor.
MD1.2 10:10 Load Carrying Capacity of Aluminum Plates with Free or Filled and
Notched or Un-Notched Holes Under Uniaxial Loading
Mostafa Hassan Abou Ouf (United Arab Emirates University & Western Atlas
Incorporation, UAE); Abdel-Hamid Ismail Mourad and Aly Aldomaity (Unietd Arab
Emirates University, UAE)
In this paper the effect of imperfections ( holes and cracked holes with and without bugs) on the load
bearing capacity of pure aluminum thin plates subjected to tensile load is investigated. The results
illustrated that the presence of plug improve the load bearing capacity of the. The maximum load has
been significantly increase for sheets with central hole due to the presence of the plugs.
MD1.3 10:30 Experimental Characterization of a Swirl Stabilized, Direct-
Coupled, Plasma Assisted Turbulent Jet Flame
Rajavasanth Rajasegar (University of Illinois at Urbana-Chamapaign, USA);
Constandinos Mitsingas and Tonghun Lee (University of Illinois at Urbana-
Champaign, USA)
A swirl-stabilized burner was designed to enhance combustion by coupling an atmospheric plasma
discharge to a premixed methane/air turbulent jet. The swirl stabilized burner consists of a high-
velocity, premixed central jet that is stabilized in the recirculation zones created by the four
tangentially placed swirl inlets. A tunable microwave waveguide is used to achieve direct coupling of
plasma to the reaction zone. OH radical number densities were measured using chemiluminescence
imaging. Direct plasma coupling anchored the flame onto the electrode thus preventing blow off and
thereby enhancing flame stability. Flame stability was characterized in terms of the lean blow off limit.
It was observed that increasing the swirl ratio and/or the coupled plasma power enhanced the flame
stability by significantly lowering the lean blow off limit. This was found to be in good agreement with
the measured increase in OH radical density with increase in swirl and/or coupled plasma power.
MD1.4 10:50 Thermomechanical Modeling of Thermal Barrier Coating
Francisco Bernabe Pascual (Masdar Institute of Science & Technology, UAE)
A computational model for thermal barrier coatings made using Electron Beam Physical Vapor
Deposition (EB-PVD) route is developed to predict the stresses in the coating systems upon cool down
to room temperature from maximum operating temperature. Bending effects due to thermal expansion
coefficient mismatch between the different layers are accounted for. Temperature dependent material
properties and spatial variation of topcoat's properties due to sintering are also considered. Inter-
columnar sintering takes place in the top coat (TBC) of the multilayer system. The effect of sintering of
top on the stresses induced in the Thermally Grown Oxide (TGO) is studied. Finite Element Analysis
indicate that the stresses in TGO increases due to sintering.
MD1.5 11:10 Novel Lightweight Structures for Blast Protection
Alia Ruzanna Aziz (University of Liverpool, United Kingdom)
This work presents the findings of a research study investigating the novel lightweight structures of
polymer foams reinforced with composite tubes for blast protection. The specimens were tested under
quasi-static tests at a loading rate of 1mm/minute. Initial attention focused on establishing the
influence of tube diameter on the specific energy absorption (SEA) and the failure characteristics of the
57
PAG
E.56
tubes. In the next stage of the investigation, the tubes were embedded in a range of polymer foams in
order to establish the influence of foam density on the crush behaviour of these lightweight structures.
A limited number of blast tests were undertaken to evaluate the dynamic response subjected to one of
the most severe forms of loading.
ME1: Communication Engineering
Room: Baniyas B
ME1.1 09:50 MU-MIMO Precoding for Visible Light Communication
Hanaa Marshoud (Khalifa University of Science, Technology & Research (KUSTAR),
UAE)
Visible light communication (VLC) is a rapidly emerging technology that derives benefit from the
tremendous developments in solid state lighting devices, such as light emitting diodes (LEDs), and its
integration with wireless communication technology. A VLC system is an optical wireless (OW)
communication system in which the visible light is used as the transmission medium. For OW links
utilizing LEDs, the transmitter modulates the intensity of the optical signal at sufficiently high
frequencies, without affecting the illumination function of the LEDs. This process is called intensity
modulation. Direct detection of the decoded signals is applied at the receiver's photo detector (PD),
which converts the incoming light stream into an electrical signal.
ME1.2 10:10 Optimal Precoder Design for Non-Regenerative MIMO Relay
Networks with Antenna Selection
Lina Bariah (KUSTAR, UAE)
In this paper, we present a source precoder design and relay antenna selection scheme by exploiting
the sparsity of the relay gain vector. We consider the Amplify-and-Forward (AF) protocol in a single
relay scenario equipped with multiple antennas. For the precoder design, we present a technique which
diagonalizes the Mean Squared Error (MSE) matrix using singular value decomposition (SVD) and the
generalized SVD (GSVD). The proposed solution for the precoder aims at minimizing the MSE and
reduce the design complexity. As for the relay antenna selection scheme, we employ a technique
based on the Orthogonal Matching Pursuit (OMP) algorithm to generate the antenna selection matrix.
Extensive Monte Carlo simulation results demonstrate that the performance gain of the proposed
schemes over the existing ones is significant.
ME1.3 10:30 Enhanced MIMO-OFDM System for Mobile Wireless Channels
Fatma Kalbat (Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research, UAE);
Arafat Al-Dweik (University of Guelph, UAE); Bayan S Sharif (Khalifa University,
UAE); George K. Karagiannidis (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece)
This work presents a new technique based on Walsh Hadamard Transform (WHT) to improve the
robustness of the space-frequency block coded orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (SFBC-
OFDM) systems. Simulation results proved that the proposed system enhance the OFDM system
performance in static and time varying channel models compared to conventional SFBC, space time
block coded (STBC) in time varying channels. In addition, the performance of the proposed system was
compared with other precoded SFBC-OFDM systems.
ME1.4 10:50 Cooperative Spectrum Sensing Over Composite Fading Channels
Bassant Selim (Khalifa University, UAE)
In this paper, we study cooperative spectrum sensing over composite fading channels. First, we
consider the Mixture of Gaussian distribution to model the composite channel statistics and derive a
simple generic approximation for the average probability of detection which can be efficiently applied
to any composite fading channel. Second, we derive the optimal voting rule for hard combining in
cooperative spectrum sensing over composite fading channels. In particular, we derive an exact closed
form expression for the optimal decision fusion rule (k-out- of-N) that minimizes the total sensing error
in cognitive radio networks.
ME1.5 11:10 Distributed Differential Space-time Coding for Vehicle-to-Vehicle
Network
Sara Ahmed Al Maeeni and Sami Muhaidat (Khalifa University, UAE); George K.
Karagiannidis (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece); Saleh Al-Araji (Khalifa
University of Science, Technology and Research, UAE)
Differential distributed space-time coding has been proposed for wireless relay network. It provides
spatial diversity without channel state information (CSI) at the transmitter or receiver side. Differential
detection for vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) has been studied in the literature for single Rayleigh channel.
However, experimental and theoretical studies have reports that double Rayleigh channel considered
as an appropriate fading model for V2V network. This paper investigates the BER performance of a
distributed differential space-time coding for V2V network. Simulation results show that the bit error
rate (BER) performance degrades severely in fast-fading channel.
09:50 - 11:10
MF1: Bioengineering
58
PAG
E.57
Room: Yas
MF1.1 09:50 Atherosclerosis: A Review on Latest Trends and Directions
Sara Timraz (Khalifa University for Science Technology and Research, UAE)
Atherosclerosis is one of the cardiovascular diseases that has become dramatically prevalent and
contributed to an increase in morbidity rates globally. It is defined as an inflammatory health condition
characterized by accumulation of plaque inside the blood vessels, decreasing blood flow and leading to
stroke or myocardial infarction in severe cases. Atherosclerosis involves a highly regulated and
sophisticated network of interactions between the endothelium, inflammatory cells through cytokines
which are the signaling factors that initiate the events. In this short review, light is shed on few recent
studies that investigated the disease through in vitro models, and their results are summarized here.
MF1.2 10:10 Evaluating the Influence of Interstitial Flow on Tumor Cell
Migration
Ghada Al Hussein (KUSTAR, UAE)
Interstitial fluid flow, represented by the movement of fluid through the extra cellular matrix or more
precisely between blood and lymphatic vessels, is considered to be one of the main factors that
influences morphology and migration of tumor cells in addition to leukocytes, endothelial cells,
fibroblasts mesenchymal cells and other types. Understanding the cellular migration phenomena and
how it relates to tumor development, invasion and metastasis will lead to major development in cancer
treatments (1). Thus, many researches have been conducted in order to come up with mathematical
models, microfluidic-based in-vitro assays and devices that can better quantify and control the tumor
micro-environmental factors (2; 3). These studies also helped in understanding the biochemical,
physical and mechanical environment of the tumor which provided them with major advancement in
drug delivery techniques. This short review will cover different methods used by various labs across
the world to understand the relationship.
MF1.3 10:30 Bioengineered Blood Vessels Generated From a Novel Collagen &
Elastin Biomaterial
Alan Ryan (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland & 1. Trinity College Dublin, 2.
Advanced Materials and Bioengineering Research (AMBER) Centre, RCSI & ,
Ireland)
The generation of a functional bioengineered blood vessel requires the application of appropriate
biomechanical/biochemical signals, a suitable cell source, and a biomaterial scaffold template for tissue
maturation. We have shown that elastin addition to 3D collagen scaffold sheets can play a major role
in the scaffold biological and mechanical response. In particular, elastin addition resulted in a more
native viscoelastic response and also earlier gene expression of mid/late stage smooth muscle cell
contractile proteins, which are necessary to achieve vasoactivity. This biomimetic biomaterial was
subsequently fabricated into a physiologically relevant bilayered tubular structure consisting of an inner
dense film layer for endothelium development, and a porous outer layer for medial layer development.
Following 21 days culture the construct was remodelled into a dense, organised tissue resulting in
mechanically robust bioengineered vessels capable of sustained mechanical conditioning in a custom
designed bioreactor.
MF1.4 10:50 Radiation Exposure and Risk Assessment to Pediatric Patient At
Digital Radiology Chest Examination
Najlaa Khalfan Almazrouei, NK (UAEU, UAE); Jamila Alsuwaidi (DHA, UAE); Adel
Hashish (UAEU, UAE)
Radiation safety for pediatric of different age groups is extremely important because of the higher
radiation risks associated with radiation exposure in children compared to adults. This chest
examination study was performed on phantoms to measure the incident air kerma (Ki). Entrance skin
dose (ESD), Ke, was determined indirectly via tube output measurements and from knowledge of
X-ray exposure factors. The effective dose (ED) was estimated using Monte Carlo dose calculation
software. Five pediatric patient age groups were chosen as: newborn, 0-<1, 1-<5y, 5-<10y, 10-<15y
The ESD results for these age groups were 37.53, 37.56, 43.01, 57.3 and 61.81 µGy, respectively, and
the ED were 18.71, 12.89, 14.96, 19.44 and 25.55 µSv, respectively. Our Results were lower than
other published data and the higher ED was for the patient of age group 10-<15y.
09:50 - 11:30
MG1: Civil Engineering
Room: Saadiyat
MG1.1 09:50 Estimating Base Saturation Flow Rate and U-Turn and Left-Turn
Adjustment Factors for Selected Signalized Intersections in Doha, Qatar
Hassan Abuhamda (Aljaber Engineering, Qatar)
This study attempts to estimating the U-turn and Left-turn adjustment factors at selected signalized
intersections in Doha, as well as measuring the base saturation flow rate. It also compares the results
with the Highway Capacity Manual and previous studies. To estimate the base saturation flow rate for
Doha, 86 queues for the through lane were used. The results found the base saturation flow rate to be
2,323 pc/h/ln. To develop the left-turn adjustment factor, 88 queues were used. The left-turn
adjustment factor was found to be 0.947, which is similar to the 0.95 value suggested by the HCM. To
59
PAG
E.58
measure the U-turn adjustment factor, 198 queues were used to develop a regression model with the
headway as the dependent variable and the U-turn percentage as the independent variable. The
results show the U-turn adjustment factor ranges from 0.76 for 100% of U-turn traffic to 0.95 for 10%
of U-turn traffic.
MG1.2 10:10 Shear Strengthening of Reinforced Concrete Beams with Textile-
Reinforced Mortar
Oluwafunmilayo Awani (UAE University, UAE); Tamer El-Maaddawy (United Arab
Emirates University, UAE); Ahmed El-Refai (Laval University, Quebec, Canada)
Strengthening of reinforced concrete (RC) structures is frequently required due to poor structural
design, changes in structural loading and/or corrosion of steel reinforcement. Since the late 1980s,
externally-bonded fiber-reinforced polymer (EB-FRP) composites have been used successfully in
strengthening of RC structures. The EB-FRP system exhibits some undesirable properties such as
incompatibility of the epoxy adhesive with concrete and poor performance at high temperatures. An
alternative composite strengthening system known as textile-reinforced mortar (TRM) has emerged
recently and is being proven to provide a comparable increase in structural capacity as that of the
FRPs, while circumventing the problems associated with FRPs. This study investigates the effectiveness
of using TRM composites in shear strengthening of RC beams. The influence of amount of internal
stirrups and external TRM layers on shear response has been investigated. The performance of the
TRM-strengthened specimens is also compared with that of specimens strengthened with textile-
reinforced polymer (TRP).
MG1.3 10:30 Response of Flexure-Deficient Continuous Slabs Strengthened
with Near Surface Mounted Composites
Jwan Alkhalil and Tamer El-Maaddawy (United Arab Emirates University, UAE)
Flexural deficiency could happen in reinforced concrete (RC) floor slabs due to an error in design,
omission of steel during construction, or other construction defects. Such deficiencies would
compromise the serviceability and flexural capacity of RC slabs. This paper examines the effectiveness
of using near surface mounted (NSM) carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites to improve
the flexural response of deficient continuous RC slab strips. The deficiency location and amount of
NSM-CFRP reinforcement were the test parameters in six two-span continuous RC specimens. The
enhancement in load capacity caused by strengthening was in the range of 29% to 45% for the
specimens having a deficiency in the sagging region, and 14% to 29% for the specimens with a
deficiency in the hogging region. The ductility of the strengthened specimens decreased with an
increase in the amount of NSM-CFRP strips.
MG1.4 10:50 Influence of Severe Irregularity on Seismic Response of Tall
Buildings
El Sayed Abou Khalifa (UAEU- Al Ain- UAE, UAE); Aman Mwafy (United Arab
Emirates University, UAE)
This paper assesses the impacts of the severe vertical irregularity, particularly the discontinuity in
lateral force resisting system (LFRS), on the seismic behavior of high-rise buildings at various
performance levels. Two 50-story high-rise buildings are selected to represent a regular structure and
an irregular building. The reference buildings are designed using modern seismic design provisions.
Verified fiber based simulation models are developed and forty natural earthquake records
representing two seismic scenarios are selected to assess the seismic vulnerability of the severe
vertical irregularity. The results indicate that, although a proper overstrength factor is employed in the
design of the irregular building, it is significantly more vulnerable at different earthquake intensities
than the regular counterpart. The limit state exceedance probabilities reflect the substantial increase in
seismic losses with the discontinuity in LFRS. This confirms the need for mitigation actions to reduce
the seismic losses of structures exhibiting this severe irregularity.
MG1.5 11:10 Evaluation of the Period Elongation of Multi-story Buildings for
Seismic Design
Abdelrahman A. Ashri (UAE University, UAE); Aman Mwafy (United Arab Emirates
University, UAE)
The period elongation of modern multi-story buildings under seismic loads is assessed in this paper.
Ten reference structures of low, medium and high-rise buildings are selected and fully designed to
represent the contemporary buildings in the UAE. The selected structures vary in height from 2 to 100
stories with three different lateral force resisting systems, namely flat slab-columns (FSC), shear walls
(SW) and tube in tube (TIT) systems. The elastic and elongated periods are estimated using
eigenvalue and time history analyses. It is concluded that the average period elongation at the life
safety limit state is 2.2, 1.6 and 1.1 for the FSC, SW and TIT systems, respectively. At the collapse
prevention performance level, the period elongation for the above-mentioned systems is 2.8, 2.0 and
1.3, respectively. The study proposes an effective stiffness of 0.5EI, 0.8EI and 1.0EI for the vertical
members of the FSC, SW and TIT systems, respectively.
11:30 - 11:40
Coffee Break (Conference Reception)
11:40 - 13:00
60
PAG
E.59
MA2: Electrical & Electronic Engineering
Room: Saqr Ballroom
MA2.1 11:40 Adaptive Companding Techniques for Power Efficient OFDM
Systems
Rola Almahainy (Khalifa University, UAE); Nazar Ali (Khaifa University, UAE);
Saleh Al-Araji (Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research, UAE);
Mohammed Elnaggar (Khalifa University, UAE)
High Peak-to-Average-Power Ratio (PAPR) of transmitted signals is the most commonly encountered
impediment in broadband telecommunication systems that use orthogonal frequency division
multiplexing (OFDM) modulation scheme. Companding techniques have been recently used to alleviate
the high PAPR of OFDM signal, which detrimentally affects the efficiency and linearity of power
amplifiers. The proposed research is meant to develop a smart fully adaptive Tx-Rx link for an OFDM
based system. Under this structure, a concurrent companding and bias control techniques are
introduced to enhance the efficiency of the power amplifier; particularly the overall DC/RF power
conversion. The companding algorithm is presented with an adaptive behavior at the baseband level to
reduce PAPR. PAPR/BER tradeoff optimization is required to improve the system efficiency and
complexity. In this paper, performance evaluation of most commonly companding schemes is
presented. The system performance is evaluated over two standard metrics; the CCDF of PAPR and
BER.
MA2.2 12:00 Miniaturized Low-Cost High-Performance Digital Radar
Lutfi Albasha (American University Of Sharjah, UAE); Mansour Taghadosi and
Hasan Mir (American University of Sharjah, UAE)
An S-band digital radar testbed implemented using discrete microwave components is presented. By
utilizing multiple receiver channels, digital array radars (DAR) are able to perform several functions
such as tracking a specific target in space, while rejecting jammers from a certain angular location,
which is of interest in high clutter environments. The proposed digital radar testbed possess the unique
attributes of having high (>50 dB) dynamic range over a wide (600 MHz) instantaneous bandwidth to
improve the radar's range resolution (0.25 m). The ultimate goal of this study is to produce DAR on
printed circuit boards (PCB), using commercial surface mount components, to reduce the cost and
physical size while maintaining the radar's specifications. The limitations and constraints of such design
transfer should be studied in order to achieve the best system performance in smaller scales.
MA2.3 12:20 Chip Level Implementation of a Digital Radar System
Yazan Al-Alem (American University of Sharjah, UAE); Lutfi Albasha (American
University Of Sharjah, UAE); Hasan Mir (American University of Sharjah, UAE)
In this work, an S-Band radar system based on stretch processing technique is developed at the chip
level. The novelty in this work lies in providing a compact and miniaturized radar system chipset. The
radar has many characteristics that ensure high performance: a wide bandwidth signal (600 MHz) that
provides high resolution to distinguish between close objects, stretch processing technique that
dramatically reduces the required sampling rates and relaxes the specifications of analog to digital
converters, high dynamic range that allows weak signals to be detected from targets masked by high
levels of clutter (such as snow and rain), multiple receiver channels that enable digital antenna
beamforming at the receiver to mitigate any strong interferer, and finally operation in the S-Band (2-4
GHz) that provides high immunity against clutter in long range surveillance applications.
MA2.4 12:40 Methodology for FPGA Based Energy-Efficient Adaptive
Beamforming
Owais Talaat Waheed and Ayman Shabra (iMicro, Masdar Institute of Science &
Technology, UAE); Ibrahim M Elfadel (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology,
UAE)
In wireless communication systems, multipath and interference effects degrade the SNR and increase
the BER of received signals, which can be improved using beamforming algorithms. In the adaptive
beamforming where signal-path gains are changed in real time based on statistics of the received
signals, the SNR is improved and BER is decreased, but power dissipation undergoes unpredictable
transients during the gain adaptation process which are detrimental to battery-based power
management systems in mobile applications. In this paper, we propose an FPGA-based power analysis
methodology which can result in selection of energy-efficient adaptive beamforming algorithm. We
used simple four-channel Least-Mean-Squares (LMS) beamformer and prototyping it on Xilinx's Virtex
7 FPGA. Iterating through proposed methodology guarantees the selection of adaptive algorithm
design point which represents best tradeoff between parameter convergence, machine precision and
energy-efficiency for the embedded array signal processor.
MB2: Chemistry & Chemical Engineering
Room: Al-Reem A
MB2.1 11:40 Regeneration of Potassium Glycinate Used for CO2 Absorption
Using Hollow Fiber Membrane Contactors
Abdul Rahim Nihmiya (United Arab Emirates University, UAE); Nayef Mohamed
Ghasem (UAE University, UAE)
61
PAG
E.60
To improve the performance of CO2 absorption/stripping in gas liquid membrane contactor module a
relatively new idea, enhanced CO2 desorption (based on pH-shift) was studied. In this study the pH
values were changed by using asymmetric solutions of glycine and KOH (i.e. solutions containing
different molar amounts of amino acid and base). Lower pH decreases the CO2 solubility of the solvent
and promotes the hydrolysis of the carbamate species. Consequently at lower pH the CO2 reaction
equilibrium shifts towards the release of CO2 enhancing the partial pressure of CO2. Hence higher
molar ratios of glycine/KOH shows better stripping and reduced absorption performance. Subsequently
in continuous operation of absorption and followed up by stripping, the stripping performance was
controlled by reduced absorption performance because of resultant low initial CO2 concentrations. Thus
for the net effect the molar ratio has to be optimized to achieve both good absorption and subsequent
stripping performance.
MB2.2 12:00 Synthesis and Crystal Structure of Extended
Hasnaa Sadeq and John Graham (UAEU, UAE); Thies Thiemann (United Arab
Emirates University, UAE)
9-Ethenylanthracenes and 9-phenyl-10-ethenylanthracenes have been prepared by solventless Wittig-
olefination and Suzuki coupling. The crystal structures of two ethyl (E)-3- [anthran-9-yl]propenoates
have been measured
MB2.3 12:20 Carbon Dioxide Utilization Using Sterically Hindered Amine and
Desalination Reject Brine
Abdallah Dindi, Dang Viet Quang and Mohammad Abu-Zahra (Masdar Institute of
Science and Technology, UAE)
This study extends an ongoing evaluation of a chemical process which uses desalination brine to
convert CO2 into useful Sodium bicarbonate while partially treating the brine in the process. The focus
of this present paper is a sensitivity analysis of the CO2 absorption step of the process. Important
process parameters such as temperature, brine concentration and amine concentration are varied to
see their impact on a key process performance index which is the percent sodium removal from the
brine. The results showed that the CO2 absorption step is significantly improved at lower
temperatures, high brine concentrations and moderate amine concentration. When the amine used in
the process is 2-Amino, 2-methyl, propanol (AMP), the optimum concentration was found to be 30
weight%.
MB2.4 12:40 Magnetic Field Scale Reduction - The Effect on Calcium Carbonate
Morphology
Adetunji Alabi (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, UAE); Matteo Chiesa
(Masdar, UAE); Giovanni Palmisano (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology,
UAE)
Magnetic water treatment has been a subject of dispute for quite some time now. This work attempts
to ascertain the effects of magnetic treatment on the precipitates formed from hard water. The crystals
formed were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared
Spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD). The findings indicate that aragonite is preferentially
formed after magnetic field treatment, while calcite is the predominant form of calcium carbonate
precipitated when there was no magnetic treatment of the solution.
MC2: Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Room: Al-Reem B
MC2.1 11:40 Is There a Role for VALS Analysis in Identifying Different
Healthcare Customer Groups?
Joseph Muhammad (Zayed University, UAE); Ken Black (Clear Lake, University of
Hoston, UAE)
Many marketing strategies focus on the personal and psychological factors that support consumer
spending. One particular marketing strategy known as VALS (Values And Life Styles) based its
customer groupings initially according to an analysis of lifestyles but later shifted to the use of
psychological profiles. The current system has defined eight different groups. They are; innovators,
achievers, thinkers, believers, strivers, experiencers, makers and survivors. The purpose of this short
paper is to explore whether the application of VALS to the healthcare setting can assist healthcare
professionals not only in providing targeted focused care but also a way to identify the different types
of communication and financial needs of patients.
MC2.2 12:00 Understanding the Effect of CMS' Readmission Reductions Program
in Pneumonia Patients
Eric Johnson (University of Utah & Intermountain Healthcare, USA)
Understanding the effect of new CMS rules regarding hospital readmission in pneumonia patients: A
comprehensive review of the CMS Readmissions Reduction Program on Intermountain Healthcare's
Pneumonia patient population.
MC2.3 12:20 Project Management Office (PMO) Practices in the UAE
Tareq Al-Ameri (United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) & Abu Dhabi Educational
Council (ADEC), UAE)
62
PAG
E.61
Many organizations in both public and private sectors are striving to find new tools and strategies to
streamline their project execution. Among such tools is the Project Management Office (PMO), which is
defined by the Project Management Institute (PMI, 2008) as "An organizational body or entity assigned
various responsibilities related to the centralized and coordinated management of those projects under
its domain".This study focuses on promoting the key roles of the PMO in the execution of the strategic
plans of organizations in the public sector, which are chosen as target cases for investigating the
potential practices of the existing PMO entities.
MC2.4 12:40 The Challenges of Transition to Innovation Based Economy in UAE
Fareed Al Amiri (UAE University, UAE)
This paper investigates the challenges of transition to innovation-based economy in UAE, from
strategic, innovation, and entrepreneurship perspectives. Based on global innovation index and
literature reviews conducted in UAE, we have examined the innovation`s stakeholders to understand
the country's status in term of innovation practices. Researchers revealed that generating innovation is
considered as the main challenge for this transition. In order to address transition challenges,
researchers proposed building innovation ecosystem that integrates all efforts of innovation`s
stakeholders and stimulate innovation practices. We argue that the country needs to develop
mechanisms, which should be grounded on industry analysis, priorities, and constraints. Additionally,
government organizations that are directly related to innovation should update their mandate and
operations in accordance with national innovation strategy. Finally, developing technical capabilities
and entrepreneurs towards the targeted economic sectors are crucial for economy transition. However,
valuable insights related to the study could be generated through empirical research.
MD2: Materials Science
Room: Baniyas A
MD2.1 11:40 Poly (Vinyl) Alcohol-Networked Cellulose Reverse Osmosis
Membranes
Shaheen Anis (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, UAE); Raed Hashaikeh
(Masdar, UAE)
Poly (vinyl) Alcohol's (PVA) inherent hydrophilicity makes it a valuable membrane material to be used
for water treatment applications such as reverse osmosis (RO). However, the same property renders
PVA inapplicable to be used on its own as it tends to swell when in water. Recently, PVA's swelling was
controlled by networked cellulose (NC). PVA-NC membranes of 15, 20 and 30 wt.% NC showed
promising results and have also been reported with high salt rejection rates. In this work, our objective
was to make these aforementioned membranes on a thinner scale to see if they can retain the salt
rejection rates with higher flux. When tested for RO using thicknesses 90µm-100µm, salt rejection of
about 98.9% was obtained. These membranes open new doors to the membrane technology where a
considerable increase in flux, greater than the commercial ones may be achieved if they are fabricated
on a much thinner scale.
MD2.2 12:00 Mimicking the Human Touch Sense Using a Graphene Foam Based
Composite; Developed Via a Facile Technique
Yarjan Abdul Samad (Khalifa University of Science Research and Technology,
UAE); Yuanqing Li (Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research, UAE);
Kin Liao (Khalifa University of Science Technology and Research, UAE)
Graphene being semi-metallic to semiconducting in nature with a finite resistance, the 3D structures of
graphene change resistance when perturbed by an inside or outside stimuli. We have reported a facile
technique of creating graphene foams (GF) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) infused GF composites
for pressure and strain sensing application. GF were developed by a vacuum assisted dip-coating of
Nickel metal foam (Ni-F) with GO and subsequent reduction of GO to rGO and etching out of Nickel
completely from the GF scaffold resulting in a pure free-standing GF. The GF-PDMS composites were
tested for their ability to sense compressive strains and pressures in the form of change in resistance.
MD2.3 12:20 Enhanced Performance of Lithium Ion Batteries Cathodes: A
Survey
Lama Mahmoud and Boor Lalia (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology,
UAE); Raed Hashaikeh (Masdar, UAE)
Olivine lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) exhibits a wide range of inherent merits making it a promising
cathode material for high power-density lithium ion batteries. Moreover, the theoretical capacity of
LiFePO4 is up to 170 mAh/g at the stable voltage plateau of 3.5V vs. Li/Li+. Nevertheless, its limited
commercial availability compared to other cathode materials is referred to its poor rate performance,
resulting from the low lithium ion diffusion rate and poor electronic conductivity. This work aims to – in
depth - investigate the properties of LiFePO4 as a potential cathode material. It also summarizes the
reported techniques in which its rate performance could be enhanced including elements coating,
carbon coating, and preparation of porous materials and composites. The advantages and
disadvantages of the above methods are also presented.
MD2.4 12:40 Cellulose-modified Carbon Nanostructure Membranes with
Controllable Properties
Farah Ahmed (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology & iWater, UAE); Boor
Lalia (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, UAE); Raed Hashaikeh
(Masdar, UAE)
63
PAG
E.62
The unique properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) such as their extraordinary mechanical strength,
low density, high electrical and thermal conductivity make them attractive for use in polymer matrices
and more recently, for developing conductive membranes. However, challenges in CNT dispersion and
health issues related to shedding of individual CNTs have caused much concern. Carbon
Nanostructures (CNS) constitute a highly entangled network of CNTs, which can be readily combined
with polymers to yield stable advanced membranes for many applications including batteries, filtration,
and medicine. In this work, we combined the properties of CNT with networked cellulose (NC) to yield
highly porous membranes with tunable morphology. We found that the addition of NC at 50 wt.%
enhances the mechanical properties and hydrophilicity of CNS membranes, without significantly
degrading their electrical conductivity.
ME2: Communication Engineering
Room: Baniyas B
ME2.1 11:40 Evaluation of Cooperative Localization Algorithm for WiFi System
Under Real Propagation Models
Ebtesam Almazrouei (Khalifa University, UAE); Nayef Alsindi (Etisalat-British
Telecommunications Innovation Centre (EBTIC), UAE); Saleh Al-Araji (Khalifa
University of Science, Technology and Research, UAE); Nazar Ali (Khaifa
University, UAE)
The main challenge facing Wi-Fi Cooperative Localization in indoor/urban environments is the
multipath and non-line of sight problems that can degrade received signal strength (RSS) and Time of
Arrival (TOA) based distance estimation techniques. The second major challenge is the design and
development of robust algorithms to combine inaccurate range/distance measurements to localize
Access Points (APs) in a network through centralized or distributed cooperative localization algorithms.
Cooperative localization research has been investigated for wireless sensor networks over the last
decade. However the study, implementation and analysis of cooperative localization algorithms for Wi-
Fi based networks has not received similar attention. The objective of this paper is to study existing
wireless sensor network cooperative localization algorithms and assess their performance under the
constraints of Wi-Fi signaling and indoor propagation environments.
ME2.2 12:00 Modeling Conditional Error Probability for Hybrid Decode-Amplify-
Forward Cooperative System
Rawan Alkurd (Khalifa University, UAE)
The error probability is one of the important metrics used to measure the performance of cooperative
relay-based systems. Conventionally, the error probability analysis assumes no information about the
condition of the Source-Relay link. In this paper, we show that this assumption could result in over or
under estimation of the error probability and therefore affects the accuracy of the analysis which is
essential to design optimum relay-based system. Therefore, we propose the mathematical model of
conditional error probability, in which relay decision information is considered in the performance
analysis of cooperative relay-based systems. The accuracy of the derived analytical expressions are
validated via Monte Carlo simulations. Results show that, there is substantial difference between the
conventional and the conditional error probability, which depends on relay decision information. Finally,
the derived expressions provide accurate analytical tool to analyze and design relay-based cooperative
systems for various Source- Relay channel conditions.
ME2.3 12:20 Asymptotic Analysis of Cooperative Spectrum Sensing Over
Generalized Fading Channels
Ahmed Al Hammadi (Khalifa University, UAE)
In this paper, we study the performance of cooperative spectrum sensing (CSS) over generalized
fading channels, where each secondary user (SU) utilizes an energy detector in order to detect the
presence of the primary user (PU). We derive an asymptotic probability of energy detection over
generalized fading channels. Furthermore, we optimize the performance of the CSS under Bayesian
criterion by applying an optimal fusion rule. The results has shown that in high signal-to-noise ratio
(SNR) scenarios, and for different fading channels, the optimal fusion rule outperforms both AND rule
and OR rule.
ME2.4 12:40 Enhanced Approach for DSR Based Routing Protocol
Doaa Al-Terri (Khalifa University, UAE)
Routing in VANETs is very challenging due to the high mobility of the network. Therefore the existing
routing protocols should be improved in order to be compatible with the frequent change of the
network topology. In this paper, we improve the performance of the Dynamic Source Routing (DSR)
protocol by enhancing the reliability of the network. This can be achieved by taking into account the
QoS and the high speed constrains while selecting the paths. Thus, our solution is a new QoS-based
DSR protocol that can increase the stability and the reliability of the network. The simulation results
show that the proposed protocol succeeded in improving the packet delivery ratio and reducing the
probability of packet loss compared to the classical DSR protocol.
MF2: Health and Life Sciences
Room: Yas
64
PAG
E.63MF2.1 11:40 Meeting an Opportunity with Education for Pediatric Dialysis Unit
Israa AbuSaad (United Arab Emirates University, UAE)
Children's with chronic medical problems do not have the opportunity of real life studying, to
participate natural conditions, (to learn and study). Their medical case prevents them from the natural
terms of life like eating, drinking, moving, and study. These normal activities to normal children;
therefore we are trying to give these mishap children the full opportunity to pursue their life to learn
and try to gain experience, accepting their situation of hospitalization most of the time, we also try to
offer these children feeling secure within their environment. By managing and providing support &
supervision to ensure participation & socialization for this group of children. Here we offered them to
learn life skills that can help them prevent them of self Poisoning, how to avoid gaining weight and
drinking more water than they suppose to.
MF2.2 12:00 Barriers to the Successful Implementation of Informational
Technology in the Healthcare Sector: Not Only Do We Need to Speak the Same
Language We Need to Share the Same Vision
Joseph Muhammad and Justin Thomas (Zayed University, UAE)
The traditional role of informational technology (IT) in healthcare has focused on process
improvement. Automation of labor intensive procedures have resulted productivity and efficiency
gains. However, barriers to the full transformational role of IT in healthcare remain. They include; the
complex nature of healthcare, lack of opportunities for constructive engagement between IT and
healthcare professionals and a failure to recognize IT as a critical enabler in delivering improved
healthcare. In order to reflect on the transformations that IT has had on healthcare and those
challenges that still remain, hospital staff from different departments of a local government hospital
and abroad have been invited to discuss the impact IT has had on their work and what it means not
only in terms of reducing costs and enhancing future patient care but also potential loss in physician
autonomy. Case reports and a pertinent discussion of the issues raised will be presented.
MF2.3 12:20 Structural and Functional Feature Extraction for Machine Learning-
based Microbial Community-related Tasks
Mai Oudah and Andreas Henschel (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology,
UAE)
As the relationship between microbial diversity and the surrounding environment, whether natural or
artificial, is still unclear, many studies in microbial communities aim at achieving a better
understanding of how microbial communities function in their environments. In this paper, we propose
an approach for extracting structural and functional features from 16S rRNA sequences, to enrich the
feature set in Machine Learning-based tasks, e.g. in health studies, predicting Breast Cancer, and in
bioreactor studies, detecting Glucose end metabolites. The introduced pipeline is composed of two
main phases, including estimating the taxonomic composition, and predicting the metabolic
capabilities. As a future work, we intend on evaluating the proposed approach using annotated
datasets, as well as, investigating the impact of structural and functional features on the performance
of learned models as microbial community features are generally the presented bacterial species, and
considering the predicted genes and metabolic pathways can equally have informative character.
MF2.4 12:40 Is There a Place for Both Transaction and Relationship Based
Market Approaches in Healthcare?
Joseph Muhammad (Zayed University, UAE); Ken Black (Clear Lake, University of
Hoston, UAE)
Marketing strategies differ not only according to the product or service being promoted but also the
customer segment being targeted. Relationship based marketing focuses on developing a long
sustainable relationship with customers whereas transaction based marketing has come to be viewed
as having an emphasis solely on completing the trade or item of service. The complexity of healthcare
delivery with patients being seen as customers with a differing needs can cloud the distinction between
transactional and relationship based approaches. The common denominator for both marketing
strategies is value which in healthcare is difficult to define. The purpose of this short paper is to
compare and contrast the roles that transaction based and relation based marketing have in the
delivery of health care in two different settings using six criteria which are as follows; goal orientation,
customer contact, organizational focus, customer responsiveness, quality concern and time
perspective.
MG2: Civil Engineering
Room: Saadiyat
MG2.1 11:40 Vulnerability Assessment of Pre-code Frame Building Retrofitted
Using Buckling Restrained Braces
Anas Issa and Aman Mwafy (United Arab Emirates University, UAE)
A systematic seismic vulnerability assessment of a benchmark 8-story structure representing pre-
seismic code frame buildings in a highly populated and seismically active area in the UAE is conducted
in this study. Detailed structural design and fiber-based modeling are carried out for the reference
structure. Forty earthquake records are selected to represent potential earthquake scenarios in the
study area. Over 1000 inelastic pushover analyses (IPAs) and incremental dynamic analyses (IDAs)
are performed to select the performance criteria and to derive fragility relationships for the reference
building. It is concluded that this category of pre-code structures is substantially vulnerable to seismic
loads. The derived fragility curves for the retrofitted reference structure using Buckling Restrained
65
PAG
E.64
Braces (BRBs) proved that such technique is efficient in reducing the seismic losses of pre-code frame
structures and increasing public safety.
MG2.2 12:00 Micromechanical Modeling of Size Effect on Strength and Ductility
of Dual-Phase Steels
Najmul Abid and Rashid Abu Al-Rub (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology,
UAE)
In this study, an attempt is made to capture the size effect of martensite phase in Dual Phase (DP)
steels on their mechanical properties. The method used for predicting such a phenomenon is the "core
and mantel" model which is calibrated through micro-pillar compression experiments. It is shown that
this method is successful in capturing size effect and might be favorable for its simplicity and low
simulation cost as compared to other advanced models.
MG2.3 12:20 Replacement of Portland Cement by Ceramic Waste Powder (CWP)
Dima Kanaan (United Arab Emirates University, UAE); Amr El-Dieb (United Arab
Emirates University & College of Engineering, UAE)
In this study, CWP will be investigated as an alternative ingredient in concrete-making. The first phase
will focus on studying the main properties and characteristics of the ceramic waste powder "CWP". In
the second phase, the ceramic waste powder will be used as supplementary cementing material (SCM)
with different dosages replacing cement. In this phase, the effect of CWP as SCM on the properties of
fresh and hardened concrete will be investigated. The expected outcomes of the study should shed
light on how CWP could be utilized effectively as an alternative ingredient of concrete and the optimum
dosage. The main outcome from this study is to provide guidelines on recycling and using a solid waste
which will help solving an environmental problem and at the same time contribute to making
sustainable concrete structures.
MG2.4 12:40 Flexural Performance of Continuous Concrete Slabs Internally-
Reinforced with Basalt Composite Bars
Mohammad Sohayeb Akiel and Tamer El-Maaddawy (United Arab Emirates
University, UAE); Ahmed El-Refai (Laval University, Quebec, Canada)
Continuous steel-reinforced concrete slabs in UAE are vulnerable to corrosion damage due to the
marine environment, high temperature, and saline ground water. Non-metallic basalt fiber-reinforced
polymer (BFRP) reinforcing bars have a great potential to overcome corrosion problems by replacing
steel bars in concrete structures. This paper examines the flexural response of continuous concrete
slabs internally-reinforced with BFRP bars. A total of six continuous concrete slabs, 200 x 500 x 5000
mm each, internally-reinforced with BFRP bars were constructed and tested. The main variables were
the BFRP reinforcement ratio in the sagging region (2.5 fb and 0.8 fb), where fb is the BFRP
balanced reinforcement ratio, and the hogging-to-sagging BFRP reinforcement ratio (0.5, 0.72, and 1).
The flexural response of the slabs with the BFRP rupture mode of failure was more sensitive to the
hogging-to-sagging BFRP reinforcement ratio than that of the slabs with the concrete crushing mode of
failure.
13:00 - 14:00
Lunch (Saqr Ballroom C)
14:00 - 14:45
Keynote 4: Ultra-Low-Power Semiconductors for Wireless Patient Monitoring
Dr. Alison Burdett, Toumaz Group, UK
Room: Saqr Ballroom
Abstract: The majority of patients in hospital have measurements of their vital signs taken and recorded only
intermittently; typically at 6 or 8 hourly intervals. As a result, patient deterioration can occur to a point of
serious consequence before it is recognized by the clinical staff. It is neither practical nor desirable to attach
all patients to static monitors; such a solution would be very expensive, and would confine patients to
bed.This talk will outline recent advances in ultra-low power semiconductors which are enabling a new wave of
miniature, wearable and wireless healthcare devices. Such devices are already being deployed within hospitals
to increase patient safety by allowing near-continuous monitoring of a much wider patient population than
previously possible. The challenges of, and solutions to monitoring ambulatory patients will be described, and
future applications and ongoing research topics will also be discussed. Finally the talk will outline a vision
where these mobile healthcare devices could also be deployed outside hospital to enable a truly mobile and
personalised healthcare revolution.
About the Presenter: Alison has over 25 years of experience in semiconductor design, particularly in the
field of ultra-low power wireless communication. She joined Toumaz in 2001 as Technical Director, and is
currently Chief Technology Officer (CTO), responsible for delivering silicon and healthcare technology
programmes within the company. Prior to joining Toumaz, Alison spent time both in industry as an integrated
circuit designer, and also in academia (as Senior Lecturer in Analogue IC Design at Imperial College
London).Dr. Burdett is a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow of the Institute of Engineering and Technology (FIET)
and a Senior Member of the IEEE. She was European Regional Chair (2013-2015) of the Technical Programme
66
PAG
E.65
Committee for the IEEE International Solid State Circuits Conference (ISSCC). She is a member of the UK
National Microelectronics Institute (NMI) Microelectronics Design Advisory Board, and a Visiting Researcher at
the Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College.
14:50 - 16:10
MA3: Electrical & Electronic Engineering
Room: Saqr Ballroom
MA3.1 14:50 Adaptive ECG Interval Extraction
Temesghen Tekeste (Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research,
UAE)
ECG intervals such as QRS, QT and PR provide significant information and are widely used as clinical
parameters for diagnosing cardiac diseases. This paper presents a novel QRS detection technique
based on Curve Length Transform (CLT) and a refined delineation of P-wave and T-wave using Discrete
Wavelet Transform (DWT). The proposed technique was verified using the PhysioNet database. The
QRS detection achieved a sensitivity of 98.59% and a positive predictivity of 97.86%. The QRS
duration, QT interval and PR interval had a mean error of -1.56+/-28.8ms, -5.39+/-42.4ms and
0.86+/-40.3ms respectively. The proposed algorithm is computationally efficient and is simpler to
implement in hardware, hence, will lead to a faster execution time, smaller design area and
consequently low power consumption.
MA3.2 15:10 A Simple Active Filter Architecture for High Frequency Applications
Rana Mahmoud (American University of Sharjah, UAE)
In this paper, second order notch filter is designed to eliminate the frequency components at 1.2 MHz
of the TV spectrum with Phase Alternate Line (PAL) signal. The proposed Notch filter design is selected
among 11 possible second-order single-MOS transistor Notch filters which are designed and simulated
using Cadence design tools in 65nm technology. Moreover, all single MOS transistor notch filters are LC
resonance-based filters which are designed using minimum number of passive components. From
simulation results, it is shown that all possible models of single-MOS transistors can only yield second
order filters [1]. However, higher order filters can be obtained from cascading several second-order
filters. Minimum number of components used in designing such filters allows its utilization in large
integrated circuits. Most filters are designed using highly linear building blocks [2] which makes single
transistor undesirable for active filters. Nevertheless, proper biasing for the transistor can solve the
problem.
MA3.3 15:30 Memristive Devices for Computing in Robotics Perception
Heba Abunahla, Jorge Dias, Baker Mohammad and Dirar Homouz (Khalifa
University, UAE)
Recently, memristive devices have potential to play important role in probabilistic computing. In this
paper, the non-linear mathematical model of memristor that exists in the literature is improved to
behave in probabilistic manner by adding Poisson randomness to the applied voltage. This is done
based on experimental results which show that memristor devices exhibit stochastic switching
behavior. Building autonomous Robots is a dream of artificial intelligence researchers. Sensors
limitations and environment complexity increase the difficulty to implement a software by which a
robot can behave similar to human autonomously. In this manner, probabilistic approaches are
proposed to help the robot having more accurate decisions depending on displaying information
through probabilistic densities. Intelligent Robots are the future hope to handle the jobs that are
difficult or dangerous to be performed by human.
MA3.4 15:50 Finite Element Simulation of Nanotips Using Cone Model
Ahmed Ali (Khalifa University, UAE)
A Nanotip is a sharp metal needle that terminates with an apex of a few nanometers radius. It is used
in Electron Microscopes to characterize materials at nano-scale, and also used in Scanning Probe
Microscopes to fabricate and manipulate nanostructures. Nanotip fabrication continues to advance
nowadays, and the tips produced currently can terminate with an apex of a single atom, thus called
Single Atom Tips (SAT) [1]. With this advance, tip characterization methods has to be improved as
well. In this paper, we show the characterization of Ultra sharp tips as a cone model using Finite
Element Simulation.
MB3: Chemistry & Chemical Engineering
Room: Al-Reem A
MB3.1 14:50 CO2- MEA Process Based Post-Combustion Capture: Process
Simulation and Pilot Plant Validation
Muna Al Mehrezi (Masdar Institute, UAE)
This work focuses on the evaluation of the CO2 post-combustion capture process using pilot plant and
Aspen plus V8.5 simulation data. The results of the simulation demonstrated validity very good fit with
the data received from the pilot plant and confirmed the effectiveness of MEA process in capturing CO2
from the flue gases of coal-fired station. Using a 30 wt. % MEA solution; thermal energy requirement
67
PAG
E.66
of 3.80 GJ/tonne CO2 was found at a MEA rich loading of 0.498 mole CO2/mole MEA and MEA lean
loading 0.26 mole CO2/mole MEA. In addition, similar mass flow rate of CO2 produced from the
stripper column is 759 tonne/year and of CO2 captured in the absorber is 1.6 kmol/ hr were achieved
in the simulation results and on line with the pilot plant data which are 742 tonne/ year and 1.8
kmol/hr respectively.
MB3.2 15:10 Determination of P-amino Hippuric Acid with beta-cyclodextrin
Sensitized Fluorescence Spectrometry
Rashed Alrumaithi (UAE University, UAE)
In this research, the aim is to develop a sensitive cyclodextrin induced spectrofluorimetric method for
determination of P-aminohippuric acid using Guest –Host superachemistry between PAH and beta-
cyclodextrin. Upon the addition of beta-CD to a low concentrated solution of PAH, fluorescence
enhancement was observed. The interaction between PAH and beta-CD and the formation of the
guest host complex has been investigated using UV/Vis absorption, Fluorescence, 1H-NMR, and ESI-
MS. A calibration curve was constructed in the PAH concentration range of 0.05 – 100 M.
MB3.3 15:30 Modelling Sulphate Reduction in Anaerobic Digestion: A Model
Complexity Comparative Study
Wasim Ahmed, Joao Uratani and Jorge Rodríguez (Masdar Institute of Science and
Technology, UAE)
With the aim of assessing the minimum level of complexity required in a model, the current work
focuses on comparing between modified sulphate reduction models incorporated into the IWA
Anaerobic Digestion Model No. 1. The models compared differ from each other in terms of the number
of sulphate reducing microbial groups considered. Model simulations for comparisons were based on a
literature case study under low sulphate loads. Simulations were performed using an Excel/MATLAB
model framework. Results indicated that four of the five considered models gave similar predictions of
steady state effluent quality. Hence, in case of the scenario under study, it could be concluded that the
model with consideration of single SRB group (acetate utilizing group) is sufficient.
MB3.4 15:50 CO2 Sequestration and Storage in Steel-Making Residues
Suhaib Hameedi (United Arab Emirates University, UAE); Muftah ElNaas (UAE
University, UAE); Maisa El-Gamal (Senior Researcher, UAE); Abdel-Mohsen
Mohamed (Associate Provost and Chief Academic Officer, UAE)
Emirates Steel is one of the major industries in the UAE and is considered different innovative projects
that aim to mitigate carbon dioxide emissions through capture, sequestration and storage within steel
plant. Significant quantities of slag and dust are produced as waste materials that generally contain
considerable amounts of metal oxides and silicates. The goal of this study is to use the steelmaking
residues known as Ladle Furnace (LF) slag, Baghouse (BH) and cyclone dust to sequester CO2.
Residues were pre-treated before reaction with CO2 through direct gas-solid carbonation reaction in a
fluidized bed reactor. Process variables were systematically varied and their effect on the carbonation
process are evaluated. Carbonation results indicated that CO2 could be sequestered by both slag and
dust residues. The maximum CO2 sequestration, based on the total calcium content in the residue, are
0.23, 0.72 and 0.17 kg CO2/kg of LF slag, BH and cyclone, respectively.
MC3: Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Room: Al-Reem B
MC3.1 14:50 Testing the Feasibility of a Collaborative GCC DNA Database Portal
to Counter Terrorism
Ahmed Zayed (Khalifa University, UAE)
DNA Profiling and DNA Databases are a powerful tool that can be used to identify individuals that have
committed crimes or terrorist attacks. The research will examine the feasibility of a collaboration
between GCC countries in efforts to combat terrorism through a DNA Database Portal to share and
exchange DNA Data.
MC3.2 15:10 How Does Nuclear Iran Affect GCC Regional Security Threats?
Ahmed Bisho (Khalifa University, UAE)
The Iran nuclear problem has long been a concern to the GCC as it threatens regional security. The
researcher is employing the Graham Allison's Rational Actor Model of national decision making to
answer the research questions of "How does nuclear Iran affect GCC regional security threats?". To
provide nuanced answers to this question, the researcher is using a qualitative approach based on
literature analysis and interviews.
MC3.3 15:30 Lessons From the History of the Peninsula Shield Military Force
Naseer Alotaibi (Khalifa University, UAE)
In 1982, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a political and economic union comprising Saudi Arabia,
United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Bahrain, initiated the creation of the Peninsula Shield.
The historical aim of the newly created union was to protect the GCC member countries from the
threat of Iran-Iraq war. Although the Peninsula Shield took an active part in the liberation of Kuwait
and other military interventions, in 2005 Saudi Crown Prince and Defense Minister Sultan bin Abdul
Aziz reported changes in the historical mission of the unit. The Peninsula Shield is now seem to
perform a "symbolic" function, which raises questions among many experts. My research examines two
question 1. What internal and external factors have constrained the military capability of the Peninsula
68
PAG
E.67
Shield? 2. What lessons learnt would help the Peninsula Shield to meet the needs and expectations of
the GCC's members?
MC3.4 15:50 Nuclear Weapons and Stability in International Relations
Abdulaziz Alshamsi (Khalifa University, UAE)
This paper analyze current nuclear energy pattern in the modern world, production of nuclear weapons
and its implications on international stability. It also analyze production of nuclear energy, usages of
nuclear energy in civilian peaceful program and military program and connections between them. Most
importantly, this article will attempt to analyze international stability in relation to expansion on
nuclear weapons development and usage of nuclear weapons as an instruments of policy and strategy
development.
MD3: Materials Science
Room: Baniyas A
MD3.1 14:50 Two-Dimensional Simulation of Interdigitated Back Contacted
Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cell
Ayesha Al-Shouq (Masder Institute, UAE)
We investigate the role of intrinsic amorphous silicon layer as passivation layer. We simulated IBC-HJ
solar cell and varied the thickness of i-aSi layer.
MD3.2 15:10 Carbon Nanomaterials Scale Sensors for Oil and Gas Industry
Using Casting and Inkjet Printing Techniques
Hammad Younes (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology & Masdar, UAE);
Amal Al Ghaferi (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, UAE)
In this paper, we discuss the fabrication and characterization of scale sensor using carbon nanotubes.
Two methods are used to fabricate the CNTs sensor; casting technique and inkjet printing technique.
The resistance of the casted CNTs sensor is found to be close to 30.00 kΩ whereas the resistance of
the inkjet printing technique CNTs sensor is found to be close to 3.00 kΩ. Adding one drop of brine
solution increases the resistance to 90.00 kΩ for the casting technique and 6.00 kΩ for the inkjet
technique. SEM, AFM and EDAX techniques are used to characterize the presence of the brine on the
surface of the sensor. The sensors are resetted by soaking them in DI-water. The resistance is
measure and found to be close to the virgin sample.
MD3.3 15:30 Benzyl Ethers as Potential Heat Transfer Fluids
Yosef Al Jasem (UAE University, UAE); Thies Thiemann (United Arab Emirates
University, UAE)
A number of oligobenzyl ethers have been synthesized. Their thermal stability and longtime stability at
room temperature were tested. The heat capacity and density of selected benzyl ethers over a
temperature range were measured.
MD3.4 15:50 The Effect of Urbach Energy on the Efficiency of Solar Cells: a
Simulation Approach
Chukwuka Madumelu (Masdar Institute of Science and Technolog, UAE)
The purpose of this study is to gain some understanding about the effect of Urbach energy on the
transport property of a‐Si/c‐Si and highlights how it affects the performance of the cell, using a
computer simulation approach.
ME3: Earth & Environmental Engineering
Room: Baniyas B
ME3.1 14:50 Optimization of Metal Removal for Waste Sludge to Soil
Conditioner Applications
Amna Al Housani (Masdar Institute, UAE)
The study evaluates the converse to previously found parameters (higher potentials ,shorter time of
electrokinetic processes on the migration,transportation, electro osmosis and bonding states of various
heavy metals in municipal sludge for better mobility. EK experiments were carried out with different
operating conditions including different current densities 60 A/cm2 to 120 A/cm2 , treatment times (30
minutes to 16H ) and pH 11 to 3.0. Comparing the removal efficiency of copper and zinc in acidic
condition with neutral and basic conditions, results show better removal in acidic case. Removal
efficiencies of Copper and zinc in the acidic condition experiment were 40% and 57% respectively.
While an innovative green post treatment process can remove Zn by 90% and Ca 93% on longer time
16 H EK treatment, a waste to value product based quick sludge washing and subsequent meso scale
filtration.
ME3.2 15:10 Effects of Waste Water Reuse on the Water-Energy-Power Nexus
of the Abu Dhabi Emirate
Safa Al Sadi (Masdar Institute, UAE)
Desalination is a very expensive and energy demanding process. Using this source of water in non-
potable uses such as irrigation is neither economic nor environmental option. Water scarcity is
69
PAG
E.68
common in arid regions such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE); especially with the limited natural
water resources and depleting groundwater. Abu Dhabi Emirate has one of the highest per capita
consumption in the world at about 550 Liters per Day. It is expected that the emirate will face a
challenge in meeting growing water demands with the population, economic, and industrial rapid
growth. Thus, the wastewater can be a precious source of water towards sustainable integrated water
resources in the emirate. A system dynamics model (SD) is developed to simulate the complex water
system of Abu Dhabi. The model will help policy makers to test various scenarios of water supply, and
decide on most effective and sustainable plans.
ME3.3 15:30 Water Budget in the UAE
Rocio Gonzalez, Taha Ouarda and Prashanth Marpu (Masdar Institute of Science
and Technology, UAE); Mariam Allam and Elfatih Eltahir (Massachussetts Institute
of Science and Technology, USA); Simon Pearson (EAD, UAE)
Population growth and economic development have impacted the capacity of water resources in the
UAE. The water budget approach balances inputs and outputs and its components were obtained from
remotely sensed data. GRACE and TRMM were used to obtain water storage and precipitation while
evapotranspiration was estimated from the water budget equation. GRACE measures changes in
gravity caused by monthly changes in the Earth's mass. In the UAE, the change in the mass is caused
by the change in the water storage and the extraction of oil, therefore, the effect of oil needs to be
subtracted from GRACE measurements. On the other hand, soil moisture and groundwater are the
main contributors to the water storage. Desalinated water is a critical factor in the UAE, therefore, it
should be considered as an input. This procedure is applicable to other Gulf countries where
desalination and oil extractions are significant.
ME3.4 15:50 The Effect of the Urbanization on Flooding in Al Ain City Watershed
Dawit Ghebreyesus (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, UAE); Marouane
Temimi (Masdar Institute, Tunisia)
The Al Ain watershed contains significant mountainous area that are capable of generating huge
momentum for the flood to cause catastrophic events in the urban area and agricultural area
downstream. In this work a runoff model was developed using the Soil Conservation Service (SCS)
method with the help of HEC-HMS open source software. Precipitation was approximated from seven
rain gauge stations within and around the watershed using the Theissen polygon method of spatial
distribution and temporally distributed with the SCS design storm model for Type III. The CN value
was approximated according the soil type and land cover for the current situation. The run-off
hydrograph was created for the specific event and then propagated with the Muskingum-Cunge
method of floodrouting. The volume of the flood was estimated to increase by 33% in 2030. The peak
discharge also shown an increase of 28.8% and by 37.89% in urban and agricultural respectively.
14:50 - 15:50
MF3: Health and Life Sciences
Room: Yas
MF3.1 14:50 The Prevalence of Substances Used and Trends in Dependency in
the UAE
Hiba Alblooshi (The University of Western Australia & National Rehabilitation
Centre & Khalifa University, Australia); Guan Tay (University of Western Australia,
Australia); Gary Hulse (The University of Western Australia, Australia); Ahmed
ElKashef and Hanan Al Hashmi (UAE National Rehabilitation Centre, UAE);
Mansour Shawky (UAE National Rehabilitation Centre a, UAE); Habiba Al Safar
(Khalifa University, UAE)
This study compiled data to assess the prevalence as well as the pattern of abuse and dependency
among substance dependent patients in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Two hundred and fifty
patients from the UAE National Rehabilitation Centre were recruited. Data were collected using a
questionnaire at an interview with patients who provided consent to participate. The prevalence of
substance abuse and dependency correlated with factors such as age, martial status and education
level. Opioid and alcohol were the two most common substances of abuse and dependence, and most
susceptible age group was 18 to 29 year olds. The most vulnerable group in the community was young
adults. Considering the religious and cultural expectations of the society in the region, there is an
urgent need to measure the magnitude of the problem, estimate the burden of disease on the health
care system and evaluate the risk factors of substance dependency
MF3.2 15:10 Effects of Pioglitazone on Electrical Conduction in the Goto-
Kakizaki Type 2 Diabetic Rat Heart
Khawla Salem (UAE University & College of Medicine and Health Sciences, UAE);
Michael Jacobson (Higher Colleges of Technology, UAE); Mohamed Shafiullah (UAE
Uinversity, UAE); Murat Oz (UAE University, UAE); Ernest Adeghate (UAEU
University, UAE); Frank Howarth (UAE University, UAE)
Pioglitazone (PIO) is used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. There is some evidence that it
may lead to improved ventricular function in diabetic patients. The aim of this study was to investigate
the effects of various concentration of PIO on electrical conduction in the Goto-Kakizaki (GK) type 2
70
PAG
E.69
diabetic rat heart. Blood glucose was higher in GK rats compared to controls and was progressively
reduced in GK rats treated with increasing concentrations of PIO. Modest reductions in heart rate and
increases in heart rate variability in GK rats compared to controls were not additionally altered by PIO.
Prolonged PQ interval in GK rats compared to controls was not additionally altered by PIO.
MF3.3 15:30 A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Improvement of the Dental
Water Supply in a Community Hospital
Joseph Muhammad (Zayed University, UAE); Mujeeb Kandy (Al Rahba Hospital,
UAE); Francis Revere (University of Texas, USA); Justin Thomas (Zayed
University, UAE)
INTRODUCTION: The purpose of the paper is emphasize the value of a multidisciplinary approach to
the improvement of the dental water supply in a community hospital. METHODOLOGY: Samples of
water were taken from specified sites within the dental clinic following standard operating procedures
and sent to the Rahba laboratory for microbiological study. RESULTS: The dental water reaching the
patient was found initially to have levels of contamination above acceptable levels. Through the
application of quality tools the team was able to identify areas for improvements. Following
implementation of these improvement initiatives, control charts were employed to measure variations
in the results and to assess if the initiatives produced sustainable improvement. CONCLUSION: A
multidisciplinary team approach to improving the quality of dental water contributed to better
understanding the multifactorial causes of dental water contamination. Opportunities for improvement
were captured and the latest innovations in the science of water treatment were introduced.
14:50 - 16:10
MG3: Civil Engineering
Room: Saadiyat
MG3.1 14:50 Assessment of the Influence of Washers on the Mechanical
Behavior of Anchored Hybrid Joints
Omnia AbouEl-Hamd (UAE University, UAE); Amr Sweedan (UAE University &
College of Engineering, UAE); Khaled El-Sawy (UAE University, UAE)
Fiber reinforced polymers (FRPs) have been recently used for retrofitting and strengthening of existing
structures. The behavior of mechanically fastened FRP-steel joints under different fastening parameters
is still questionable. The current study is conducted experimentally considering nine hybrid FRP-steel
joints with variable number of washers-per-bolt. The experimental program focuses on exploring the
influence of the number of washers-per-bolt on the load carrying capacity and ductility of the
assembly. Experimental results show the significant effect of washers on the failure modes of the
tested joints. Results indicate that utilization of washers significantly enhances the load carrying
capacity of the hybrid joints. Economical evaluation is considered to identify the optimal number of
washers-per-bolt for practical applications.
MG3.2 15:10 Fracture Propagation in Rocks: Evaluation of an Elastoplastic-
Damage Model
Isa Kolo (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, UAE)
A coupled plasticity-damage constitutive model (AK Model) is applied to predict fracture propagation in
rocks. The quasi-brittle material model captures anisotropic effects and the distinct behaviour of rocks
in tension and compression. Calibration is realized using experimental data for Carrara marble.
Favourable comparison between model predictions and experiments for single-flawed specimens reveal
that the AK model is reliable and accurate for modelling fracture propagation in rocks.
MG3.3 15:30 Fracture Propagation in Rocks: Integrating the Effects of
Heterogeneity
Isa Kolo (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, UAE)
The Weibull distribution function is used to model heterogeneity effects in a coupled plasticity-damage
model (AK Model) suitable for predicting fracture propagation in rocks. This is implemented by spatial
variation of Young's modulus in Carrara marble. While the AK Model proves capable of capturing
heterogeneity effects, results for single-flawed specimens confirm that Carrara marble is a nearly
homogeneous material.
MG3.4 15:50 Shear Strengthening of Reinforced Concrete Beams with CFRP
Abdul Saboor Karzad and Salah Al-Toubat (University of Sharjah, UAE)
The fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) contribution to the shear behaviour of reinforced concrete beams is
the subject under consideration of much recent and current research.This thesis proposal deals with
the shear retrofitting of large scale reinforced concrete (RC) beams already failed in shear which will be
repaired with externally bonded carbon fiber reinforced polymer (EB CFRP) laminates. The parameters
that affect the RC beams strengthened in shear with FRP will be examined, which includes the FRP
ratio and the interaction with internal shear reinforcement (stirrups). The shear strength recovery will
then be obtained by comparing the original strength of the beams to that of the repaired beams which
will help to estimate the shear contribution provide by the FRP. The results will be used to assess the
shear contribution provided by FRP as adopted by the current design guidelines such as the ACI and
the fib14.
71
PAG
E.70
16:10 - 16:30
Coffee Break (Conference Reception)
16:30 - 17:30
MA4: Electrical & Electronic Engineering
Room: Saqr Ballroom
MA4.1 16:30 Application of Modified Relay Feedback Test to Design a Model-
Based Control for an Artificial Gas Lift System in Oil Production
Huda Hussein (The Petroleum Institute, UAE); Ahmed Al-Durra and Igor Boiko
(Petrolum Institute, UAE)
One of the major problems encountered in artificial gas lifting is the stability of production from wells
were gas lift may show a highly oscillatory behavior, and hence production varies greatly with time.
This paper presents methodology of design of a gain scheduling strategy based on a new physical
model of artificial gas lift in oil wells. The model was preliminary validated by comparing the states
dynamics with other models from the literature which have been replicated. The Modified Relay-
Feedback-Test (MRFT) method was used to calculate the PI controller parameters, and the model
reached steady state for different operating points. Gain scheduling was then performed following the
MRFT results to provide a simple PI controller tuning parameters for the automatic control and
optimization of the production from the oil well, and to compensate for the casing-heading instability in
the system.
MA4.2 16:50 MRFT Based Identification of Process Dynamics Using the Locus of
Perturbed Relay System Method
Muhammad Haekal (Petroleum Institute, UAE); Igor Boiko (Petrolum Institute,
UAE)
The Modified relay feedback test (MRFT) was recently proposed for non-parametric tuning of PID
controllers. In the present research, the use of the MRFT for identification of process dynamics is
proposed and investigated. It is shown that the use of the MRFT allows one to ensure identification of
process linear dynamics in the frequency domain, with frequencies generated automatically in the
frequency range most important for a considered process. It is proposed that identification is done
through minimization of a specific cost function that characterizes matching of the frequency response
"theoretical phi function" obtained from the Locus of Perturbed Relay System (LPRS) analysis plot of
the model to the points of the locus of the process obtained experimentally via MRFT. The proposed
methodology is illustrated by an example of identification of dynamics of an experimental liquid level
control setup.
MA4.3 17:10 Sliding Mode Observer for an Artificial Gas Lift System
Mohammad Luai Hammadih and Khalifa Hasan Al Hosani (The Petroleum Institute,
UAE); Igor Boiko (Petrolum Institute, UAE)
Artificial gas lift system utilizes the fact that pressure differential exists in the reservoir's tubing leading
to enhanced oil recovery. Studies were conducted to control this process as it improves stability and
performance of gas lift. The current industrial practice depends on flow measurements as process
variable, yet, and does not depend on the down-hole measurement that are technically difficult to
approach due to the technology limitations. Proper knowledge of the model of this process along with
the states would leads to a better controller design for this system. This research sheds the lights on
the design of a sliding mode observer. The purpose of the observer is to acquire the states of a
nonlinear system representing the physical system of a gas lift process in oil wells. The proposed
design of an observer is based on measurements taken above the surface only. The presented work
considers sliding mode observers.
MB4: Chemistry & Chemical Engineering
Room: Al-Reem A
MB4.1 16:30 Optimizing the Cleaning Operations in Gas Pipelines: Assessment
of Cleanliness and Time-Efficient Planning
Efstratios Svinterikos and Ioannis Zuburtikudis (United Arab Emirates University,
UAE)
The presence of internal debris in gas transmission pipelines reduces flow efficiency, threatens pipeline
integrity and undermines the quality of the delivered product. Precise planning is crucial for effective
pipeline cleaning. Our aim is to optimize the cleaning operations by assessing pipeline cleanliness and
estimating the optimal time for initiating a cleaning operation. In the initial stages of our research, we
have reviewed the origin and characteristics of debris and mapped the different approaches of facing
the cleanliness problem currently in use. Potential routes for an optimized, holistic solution to the
problem are here proposed. Our findings will be presented and discussed.
MB4.2 16:50 Investigation of the Natural Hydrolysis System in Camel Rumen
72
PAG
E.71
Alya Altunaiji and Hector Hernandez (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology,
UAE)
The camel is steeped the United Arab Emirates (UAE) history. As such, the camel holds both a social
and an economic status in the culture of the UAE people. Recently, there has been increased interest in
the camel as a source of biorenewable products to supplement the current petroleum based energy
and chemical sources. Initial work in the lab supports the hypothesis that camel gut microbes
decompose biomass into desired high value chemicals. To study this further, we have designed and
built the first artificial camel gut system. This system will allow for us to study these microbes in a
controlled environment, looking at which carbon sources work best for the production of valuable
chemicals. Our goal is to provide a regular supply of renewable energy molecules and chemicals
derived from a mix of organic household waste and agricultural waste to help the UAE become more
sustainable.
MB4.3 17:10 Utilization of Local Shale in Thermal Insulation Materials
Muzamil Hassan (UAE University, UAE)
The subject of energy conservation in buildings has become one of the most important threads at the
present time. Using effective and cheap thermal insulators in domestic and industrial constructions can
be categorized as a means of reducing energy losses. In this study, focus was made on the formulation
and development of polymer-filler composite as an insulating material using local natural Emiratie shall
as a filler. Unstaurated polyester resin was blended with the filler with a given polymer/filler ratio and
then transformed into solid upon thermo-set process. The solid samples produced were then subjected
to different physical, mechanical and chemical tests. The prepared samples showed superier
mechanical properties and low values of thermal conductivity. Sandwiching of composite in wall
structures by one-third of the total thickness will significantly reduce the overall heat transfer
coefficient in building walls and many industrial applications by at least 57%.
16:30 - 17:50
MC4: Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Room: Al-Reem B
MC4.1 16:30 The Lessons Learned From the Emergency Response to the
Tropical Cyclone Gonu
Maryam Al-Mazrouie (Khalifa University, UAE)
INTRODUCTION This research aims to take stock of lessons that have emerged from Police, Civil
Defense, Municipal agencies and National Crisis Emergency Management Agency (NCEMA) in the UAE
to the Tropical Cyclone Gonu in order to ensure greater success of such disaster management in the
future. This study seeks to answer what lessons were learned by Police, Civil Defense, Municipal
agencies and NCEMA from the disaster management to the Tropical Cyclone Gonu which struck UAE in
2007?
MC4.2 16:50 The US-UAE Security Bilateral Arrangements: Impact on the UAE
National Security
Mohammed AlShurafa, Ali (Khalifa University, UAE)
The US-UAE security bilateral relations have mutually beneficial implications for both of the countries.
The US is able to utilize the arrangements to enhance its influence in the Gulf region. Following the
9/11 terrorist attacks which occurred within the US, the country has been highly proactive in the global
initiative to combat the terrorist organizations. The most significant advantage for the UAE from the
security bilateral arrangements with the US, can be identified as the attainment of the latest military
technology and the equipment. The country also attained the strategic support from the US intelligence
services and the vast US military basis which have been developed in the region. This study has
critically analysed the dynamics of the US-UAE security bilateral arrangements, and its impact on the
current and the future national security objectives of UAE.
MC4.3 17:10 The Role of Hegemony
Mohamed Zanki (Khalifa University, UAE)
The Role of Hegemony in the 21st Century: Interacting Liberal Economy
MC4.4 17:30 Macbeth in Arabic: Principles and Obstacles of Dramatic
Translation
Wissal Al Allaq (United Arab Emirates University, UAE)
The objective of this dissertation is to conduct a comparative study of two translations of
Shakespeare's Macbeth into Arabic to determine the problematic aspects of translating dramatic texts
from English into Arabic and attempt to provide solutions to prevailing translation problems. The
dissertation will focus on two translations of Shakespeare's Macbeth, into Arabic conducted by Jabra
Ibrahim Jabra in 1980, and Salah Niazi in 2007. The two translators have been selected because both
of them are well established poets and literary translators. Also, Niazi's translation, comes as an
attempt to remedy the errors in Jabra's translation. Al Qinai's (2000) eclectic approach of translation
quality assessment will be used to assess the two translations and highlight areas of ambiguities.
73
PAG
E.72
16:30 - 17:30
MD4: Materials Science
Room: Baniyas A
MD4.1 16:30 Study of Electro-Chemical Properties of ZnO Nanowires for Various
Applications
Meera Albloushi (Masdar Institute, UAE); Adel Gougam (Masdar Instiute of
Science and Technology, UAE)
The aim of this work is to develop ZnO nanowires and study its electrical and chemical properties for
energy harvesting applications. Aqueous chemical growth method (ACG) was used to grow ZnO NWs
on polished and non-polished silicon (100) and glass substrates. The X-ray diffractometery
measurements shows strong peaks at 2Ө =34.2 ᵒ of ZnO film of preferred c-axis wurtzite hexagonal
(002) orientation. The rms of the films was determined using atomic force microscopy the roughness is
estimated to be around 5 nm. The SEM images show a "forest" of ZnO nanowires grown vertically and
have lengths up to 2 micrometers and diameters of 20 to 300 nm. The SEM images prove that the role
of the seed layer is to enhance the vertical alignment of ZnO NWs. Electrical properties of the NWs will
be carried out using Electric Force Microscopy (EFM). Optical properties using Photoluminescence are in
progress.
MD4.2 16:50 Study of New Materials as Transparent Conductive Oxide for
Application in Optoelectronic Devices
Abdulla Shaikh Abdul Qader Bin Afif (Masdar Institute, UAE)
A comparative study between conventionally used transparent conductive oxides and new metal based
oxides is undertaken in this work. The optimization of the fabrication process for best electrical and
optical properties for the said thin films for optoelectronic applications is the aim. Zinc, Tungsten and
Tin metal based oxides are deposited on silicon wafer and glass substrates using RF Magnetron
sputtering. The structural, electrical, and optical properties are determined using tools such as: Veeco
Detak 150 Profileometer and SEM for thickness measurements and surface imaging. The electrical
resistance is measured using a four point probe system, whereas the carrier concentration and Hall
mobility are found using Hall Measurement system. The optical transmission measurements are done
using "a Lambda 1050 UV-Visible spectrophotometer". The structure and the grain size of the TCO
layer is found using XRD. Some depositions of the thin film layers are completed and characterization
is in progress.
MD4.3 17:10 Characterization of High-Temperature Concrete for Thermal
Energy Storage Systems
Uver Villalobos, Mathieu Martins and Thomas Delclos (Masdar Institute of Science
and Technology, UAE); Pal Bergan and Nils Hoivik (NEST AS, Norway); Samer Al
Martini (Abu Dhabi University, UAE); Nicolas Calvet (Masdar Institute of Science
and Technology, UAE)
Recent developments and studies show that concrete has the potential to become a very attractive
medium for thermal storage applications due to a relatively high specific heat capacity and thermal
conductivity as well as good mechanical properties. The recently performed thermal characterization
and testing results show very promising performance and are presented herein.
ME4: Earth & Environmental Engineering
Room: Baniyas B
ME4.1 16:30 Assessment of the Consistency Among Precipitation Products Over
the UAE
Dawit Ghebreyesus (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, UAE); Marouane
Temimi (Masdar Institute, Tunisia)
Global precipitation products from remote sensing observations or numerical models enable us to
understand hydrological processes, especially in remote and ungauged watersheds. However, previous
studies have shown that there is significant inconsistency among the products especially in arid and
semi-arid areas. GPCC, WM, and TRMM products where investigated over the UAE over a time period of
11 years using observation from 6 stations. WM products were found to be the least accurate product
over all with range of RSME 9.44 to 19.52mm. The most accurate product was found to be the GPCC
with RSME ranging from 3.82mm to 9.98mm. The result showed an overestimation of the observed
values across all products. However, the coefficient of correlation was found to be very high for TRMM
and GPCC ranging from 0.8450 - 0.9494. This indicates that they are potentially good sources when
applied with accurate correction factor.
ME4.2 16:50 Coupled Modelling of Membrane Desalination
Dana Suwwan and Isam Janajreh (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology,
UAE); Raed Hashaikeh (Masdar, UAE)
Direct Contact Membrane Distillation has received much attention due to its total salt rejections and
low operational energy demand. There are however many parameters influencing the process
demanding a tedious effort to study each parameter individually. High fidelity numerical simulation is
74
PAG
E.73
the applicable answer particularly when utilizing the advantages of the multiphasic and algorithm in the
field of CFD and the advancements in computer speed, memory and storage. In this work, a numerical
simulation of the conjugated heat transfer of the feed-membrane-permeate system is developed.
Following the initial evaluation of the temperature, pressure and mass flux, the associated latent heat
are coupled to compensate for the variability in heat addition or reduction at the feed and permeate
membrane surfaces. An updated temperature profile is produced, which endures a slight change from
the uncoupled profile. Results suggest the accuracy of conjugated heat model and its reliability in
carrying further parametrical studies.
ME4.3 17:10 Computational Fluid Dynamics Study of Transport Phenomena in
Membranes Under Vacuum Membrane Distillation Process Conditions
Pelin Yazgan Birgi (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, UAE); Mohamed
Ali (Masdar, UAE); Hassan A. Arafat (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology,
UAE)
Membrane distillation (MD) is a viable alternative to conventional desalination processes due to its mild
operating condition requirements, high fouling resistance and high efficiency in rejection of ions and
macromolecules from seawater. Even though MD has advantages over reverse osmosis and thermally
driven processes, membranes used in MD process suffer especially from membrane pore wetting and
low permeate flow rate issues. Moreover, once a membrane gets wet, it is not possible to achieve
desired performance and process would lose its reliability. The aim of this study is to investigate the
effects of pore geometry on liquid entry pressure (LEP) as well as wetting phenomena in membrane
pores under vacuum membrane distillation (VMD) conditions. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD)
simulations were performed for water, membrane, and gas phases by using COMSOL Multiphysics.
MF4: Health and Life Sciences
Room: Yas
MF4.1 16:30 The Three Main Reasons to Focus on Essential Oil Bearing Plant
Species in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Suzan Shahin and Mohammed Salem (United Arab Emirates University (UAEU),
UAE)
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a young country located in the arid region of the world. The limited
fresh water resources is one of the most burning issues in the country. However, this fact with the
harsh desert environmental conditions are the place of birth for the essential oil-bearing plant species.
The main purpose of this work is to highlight the main three reasons, that will attract the attention of
the decision makers and the whole community, to focus on the indigenous essential oils plant species
in the UAE. This will be done, based on representing the environmental, economical and social
perspectives.
MF4.2 16:50 Insights on Grafting Incompatibility Among Prosopis Species
Asha Christopher and Elke Neumann (UAEU, UAE)
Prosopis cineraria, a popular and useful ornamental tree of UAE is highly saline and drought tolerant.
For further enhancement of the saline and water deficit tolerance of P. cineraria, double rooted grafts
were attempted among P. cineraria, and P. cineraria vs P. juliflora. Approach grafting was performed in
vivo, using four month old, or one year old plants. In addition, in-vitro grafting was tested on
seedlings. Only two grafts were successful among the 50 in-vitro grafting approaches. All others failed
to produce true unions. Our results indicate a high level of graft incompatibility within Prosopis sp. and
the reasons have to be investigated.
MF4.3 17:10 Optimal Experimental Design for the Parameterization of Complex
and Dynamic Soil-Vegetation-Atmosphere Transport Models by Global
Sensitivity Analysis
Marie Roters (Technical University Dresden, Germany); Stefan Werisch
(Technische Universität Dresden, Germany); Franz Lennartz (United Arab
Emirates University, UAE)
Dynamic soil-vegetation-atmosphere-transport (SVAT) models are important tools to assess the impact
of changes in agricultural management practices, irrigation scheduling and changing environmental
conditions. Inverse modeling is one approach to calibrate the numerous parameters of those complex
models, but dependents in its performance on informative calibration data (observations of the system
under study) to achieve a reliable model calibration. We combine global sensitivity analysis and SVAT
models to gain a-priori information about the most informative processes regarding the individual
model parameters and the required temporal resolutions of the measurements to achieve an optimal
design of the field experiments and selection of the environmental variables.
MG4: Civil Engineering
Room: Saadiyat
MG4.1 16:30 Green Self Consolidating Concrete Under Hot Weather
Mohammed Al-Khatib and Samer Al Martini (Abu Dhabi University, UAE)
75
PAG
E.74
This study aims at optimizing self-consolidated concrete mixes (SCC) under hot weather conditions.
The ultimate goal of the research is to have the concrete with superior fresh and mechanical
properties, but yet greener. The experiments in this investigation were conducted at Abu Dhabi
University Construction materials lab outdoor during summer. The SCC mixtures were continuously
mixed for 2 hours at 35 oC to simulate concrete in a concrete truck during transportation to a
construction site. All SCC mixtures were mixed in a drum mixer. Polycarboxylate-based high-range
water-reducing admixture (PC) and fly ash were incorporated in SCC mixtures. The results showed that
both the compressive strength and durability were influenced by fly ash dosage.
MG4.2 16:50 Bio-cemented Sand: Microstructural Fabric Characteristics and
Mechanical Response
Dimitrios Terzis and Lyesse Laloui (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology,
Laboratory for Soil Mechanics, Switzerland)
Microbially Induced Calcite Precipitation has been brought into focus as a natural cementation
mechanism for soils and it is studied for its potential to offer an alternative grouting technique,
providing sustainable solutions to geotechnical problems. In this study we focus on the fabric
characteristics of bio-cemented sand, obtained after applying a treatment process including multiple
injections of bacteria and chemical solutions inducing the formulation of calcium carbonate particles
that are responsible for endowing granular geo-materials with cohesion. The cemented sand samples
with an improved structure of varying calcite content are subjected to undrained triaxial shearing.
Results show an increase in peak strength up to five times with respect to that of the untreated
material. The main focus of this study is put on associating the prescribed Calcium Chloride
concentration with the yielded precipitation and finally on distinguishing some predominant
characteristics of the new structure based on the treatment method adopted.
MG4.3 17:10 Effect of Thermal Loads on Response of One-Story Frame Buildings
in UAE
Ikhlass Sydnaoui (Alhoan, UAE); Reem Sabouni (ALHOSN University, UAE)
In this paper the effect of temperature change on one-story reinforced concrete frame buildings
allocated in the UAE is studied. Thirty four finite element models with different story heights and slab
lengths were developed in ETAB to carry out this study. The effect of temperature change and the
variation of the story height and slab length on the top displacement and horizontal reactions were
identified in this paper.
76
PAG
E.75
Tuesday, March 24
09:00 - 09:45
Keynote 5: Numerical Methods in Engineering: Current Developments and Future
Trends
Prof. Eugenio Oñate, Technical University of Catalonia, Spain
Room: Saqr Ballroom
Abstract: The lecture presents an overview of current developments and applications of the most popular
numerical methods for solving problems of interest in engineering. The state of the art in the finite element
method (FEM) and in a selected number of meshless techniques and particle-based methods, such as the
discrete element method (DEM) and the particle finite element method (PFEM) are described. Applications of
the numerical methods to problems in civil, mechanical, aerospace, naval, marine and oil and gas engineering
are presented. The future trends in the numerical methods for analysis of multidisciplinary problems in
engineering and applied sciences are highlighted.
About the Presenter: Prof. EUGENIO OÑATE, Civil Engineer by Technical University of Valencia, Spain
(1975) and PhD by University of Swansea, Wales, UK (1979), Professor of Structural and Continuum
Mechanics at Technical University of Catalonia (UPC), Director of the School of Civil Engineering of Barcelona
(UPC) (1983-89), founder and director of the International Center for Numerical Methods in Engineering
(CIMNE, www.cimne.com) (since 1987), founder and Honorary President of the Spanish Society of Numerical
Methods in Engineering (SEMNI) (since 2004), founder and Past-President of the European Community on
Computational Methods in Applied Sciences (ECCOMAS) (2000-2004) and Past-President of the International
for Association Computational Mechanics (IACM) (2002-2010). He has received a number of awards from
universities and scientific and technological organisations worldwide. He is editor of three international
journals and author of three text books and some 300 scientific papers on developments and applications of
finite element and particle-based methods for structural and geomechanical problems, fluid dynamics, fluid-
soil-structure interaction and industrial forming processes.For details see www.cimne.com/eo
09:50 - 11:30
TA1: Electrical & Electronic Engineering
Room: Saqr Ballroom
TA1.1 09:50 On-chip Silicon (De)Multiplexer Enabling Simultaneous Mode and
Wavelength-Division Multiplexing
Tadesse Mulugeta and Mahmoud Rasras (Masdar Institute of Technology, UAE)
Simultaneous mode and wavelength division multiplexing is proposed using integrated asymmetric
directional coupler and multimode interference waveguides. The device is compact (6µm x 100µm) and
exhibits low insertion loss of 1.2dB and a cross-talk of -18dB.
TA1.2 10:10 4H-SiC Integrated Circuits for High Temperature Applications
Hazem Elgabra and Shakti Singh (Khalifa University of Science Technology and
Research, UAE)
High speed and high temperature operation capabilities are desirable features of integrated circuits.
Due to their innate electrical and physical properties, silicon carbide based devices greatly outperform
silicon based devices in this regard. Unlike MOSFETs, SiC bipolar transistors do not have an oxide layer
under high electric field, and hence are not prone to reliability issues at high temperatures. This work
presents an optimized 4H-SiC BJT with high current gain that is capable of high speed operations at
elevated temperatures. Optimized emitter coupled logic circuits based on this device demonstrate
robust operation over wide range of temperatures.
TA1.3 10:30 Uncertainty Quantification of MEMS Devices and Systems
Wajih Syed and Ibrahim M Elfadel (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology,
UAE)
This work aims at devising an uncertainty quantification strategy for MEMS that will allow a process-
guided variability-aware design process. A reference case of Monte Carlo simulations using MEMS+ will
first be set up followed by generalized polynomial chaos implementation of uncertainty quantification of
MEMS. Models of vibrational energy harvesters are used to show case the techniques which will be
validated against devices fabricated in collaboration with IME, Singapore.
TA1.4 10:50 Zero Current Detection Implementation Using Digital ASIC Design
Flow
Maisam Wahbah and Baker Mohammad (Khalifa University of Science, Technology
& Research, UAE); Hani Saleh (Khalifa University of Sciente, Technology &
77
PAG
E.76
Research, UAE); Mohammed Elnaggar (Khalifa University of Science, Technology
& Research, UAE)
Energy can be harvested from ambient sources such as vibration, wireless, thermal and solar. Using
energy harvesting in running ultra-low power systems could potentially enable battery-free operation
in many applications, especially in wearable and implantable biomedical devices. A special energy
efficient interface circuit, which transfers harvested energy to be utilized by the load, is an essential
part in the overall harvesting system. Traditionally, power converters such as DC-DC converters were
entirely based on analog circuit design. This paper presents detailed implementation of a zero current
detection technique for the inductor-based DC-DC converter using digital ASIC design flow. The
proposed design was implemented using 65 nm Global Foundries Low Power CMOS process. It
occupied an area of 209.88 um^2 and consumed 8.07 uW. Furthermore, the proposed design
maximum frequency was 925.96 MHz. By using the ASIC design flow, the design is all-digital, portable
and technology independent.
TA1.5 11:10 Simulation Analysis of New Generation Nano Schottky Junctions
Towards Achieving Low Power Nano Electronic Devices
Khouloud Eledlebi and Mohammed Elnaggar (Khalifa University, UAE); Mohd
Rezeq (Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research, UAE)
Nano metal-semiconductor contacts in sub 20 nm range have showed a deviation in the electrical
characteristics compared to conventional diode. New devices based on nano schottky junction have
been proposed to overcome the limitations of CMOS devices. We propose a new theoretical approach
to study the enhancements of the electric field at the interface, and then the total current along the
junction. The results revealed a dominant tunneling current at the reverse bias for a low n-dope
semiconductor substrates. Whereas thermionic current was dominant at forward bias, in the case of
high n-dope semiconductor substrates. We have used finite element simulation software (COMSOL), to
analyze and compare the electrical characteristics of nano schottky diode with the existing
experimental data.
09:50 - 11:10
TB1: Chemistry & Chemical Engineering
Room: Al-Reem A
TB1.1 09:50 Catalytic Olefin Polymerization Modelling of Single-Particle Growth
in Heterogeneous Reactors
Mohammed Alkatheri (Petroleum Institute, UAE); Costas Kyparissidis (Greek,
UAE)
Random pore polymeric flow model (RPPFM) is developed to describe the dynamic evolution (i.e.,
particle growth rate, average molecular properties, etc.) of supported Ziegler Natta (Z-N) catalysts in
gas-phase olefin co-polymerization. A multi-site kinetic scheme is considered to describe the olefin co-
polymerization over a Z-N catalyst. Moreover, a comprehensive diffusion-reaction model is employed
to calculate the transfer rate(s) of monomer(s) from the gas phase to the catalyst metal active sites
dispersed in the polymer particle. Based on the above model considerations, a detailed simulation
analysis is carried out to assess the effects of monomer/co-monomer concentrations, particle size,
catalyst metal concentration, initial catalyst morphology (i.e. porosity), etc. on the polymerization rate,
particle growth, spatial-temporal monomer(s) concentration(s) and temperature profiles, particle
overheating in a growing polymer particle. It is shown that larger particle sizes result in lower
polymerization rates but higher particle overheating.
TB1.2 10:10 Nanostructured Binary Transition Metal Oxides as Efficient
Catalysts for Total Oxidation of Volatile Organic Compound Pollutants
Said Al Mamari (UAEU, UAE); Abbas Khalil (UAE University, UAE)
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are considered as major contributors to air pollution due to their
toxicity and their contribution to ozone depletion. Catalysts based on noble metal particles as well as
metal oxides have been widely studied for the oxidative degradation of (VOCs) as a promising method
for their emission control and removal. While supported noble metal catalysts exhibit, generally, higher
catalytic activities as compared with metal oxide catalysts, they have some disadvantages including:
(a) their higher costs, (b) deactivation due to their sensitivity to poisons, and (c) sintering at higher
temperatures [1]. On the other hand, transition metal oxide catalysts have several advantages
including ability to promote redox reactions, high thermal stability, low costs, and the possibility of
fabrication in high surface area porous powders. Therefore, transition metal oxides have been studied
extensively as appropriate catalysts for the total catalytic combustion of VOCs [2,3].
TB1.3 10:30 Decontamination of HSS and Heavy Metal Ions From Industrial
Lean Amine Using Alginate Hydrogel Spheres
Anjali Achazhiyath Edathil, Priyabrata Pal and Fawzi Banat (The Petroleum
Institute, UAE)
This study gauges the viability of using alginate (hydrogel sphere form) bio-sorbent in removing heat
stable salts (total organic acid; TOA anions) and heavy metal ions present in the industrial lean amine
(MDEA) solution used in the natural gas sweetening process. Their adsorption properties at varying
conditions of the middle-east were also investigated. The maximum adsorption capacities of hydrogel
sphere adsorbents for TOA anions ranged from 909.09 to 666.66 mg/g. Langmuir model fits well to the
78
PAG
E.77
experimental data and revealed the surface heterogeneity of the adsorbents. The resulting alginate
hydrogel sphere adsorbents had selectivity to metal ions (Cr and Fe) along with TOA anions.
Regeneration studies were carried out using double distilled water for seven cycles of adsorption-
desorption. The high HSS and metal ion removal ability even at high temperature conditions and the
regeneration efficiency of this bio-sorbent suggest its applicability in natural gas industrial processes as
a promising adsorbent.
TB1.4 10:50 An Improved Time Lag Technique for Permeation Experiments
Shaihroz Khan (Petroleum Institute, UAE)
A improved lag method was proposed to study the permeation of gas mixtures or vapor-gas mixtures.
This technology, which is based on the difference in the boiling points of the components, can
simultaneously measure the mass transport properties of each component. The permeation of a binary
mixture of H2O(v)/CO2 was measured on a composite polymer membrane to demonstrate the
feasibility of the technology. The method is low-cost and convenient for the future study of the
permeation
TC1: Earth & Environmental Engineering
Room: Al-Reem B
TC1.1 09:50 Soft-sediment Deformation Structures (SSDS) in Lingshan Island,
Shandong Province, China: Characteristic and Discussion About the Trigger
Yuge Ge (Petroleum Institute, UAE)
In the Shipyard profile of Lingshan Island, soft-sediment deformation structures(SSDS) are well
exposed. The lithology unites consist mainly of sandstone and interbedded sandstone-shale.
Sandstones are recognized to be formed by sandy debris flow and turbidity current . Interbedded
sandstone and shale contain sole marks and graded bedding. Slump folds, syngenetic faults,
asymmetrical pillow structure and boudinage structure are the main SSDS. Along the direction of
shear, stretches of hinges of folds become parallel to the slump direction. Syngenetic faults consist of
both normal faults and reverse faults. Asymmetrical pillow structures are formed by sandy debris flow
moving along a slope. Boudinage structures are result of stretch stress between layers with different
competence. Three slump complexes are recognized based on space distribution of SSDS. Based on
soft-sediment deformation along a slope, massive sandstone, abundance of graded bedding and absent
of vertical liquefied structures, rapid sedimentation is suggested for SSDS.
TC1.2 10:10 The Use of NMR in Carbonate Reservoir Characterization – A Case
Study From Offshore Abu Dhabi
Salima Wahbah (The Petroleum Institute & ZADCO, UAE); Jorge Gomes (The
Petroleum Institute, UAE)
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) measurements of selected core plugs from different carbonate
fabrics were obtained from an offshore Abu Dhabi oilfield to complement the previous reservoir rock
typing (RRT) scheme. Former RRT was done on a standard workflow integrating lithofacies description
from cores, petrographic analysis from thin sections, poro-perm from conventional core analysis
(CCAL) and capillary pressure and pore throat sizes from MICP data. In this study, we used NMR data
to validate the previous RRT grouping. NMR T2 distributions by depth and carbonate fabrics are
presented and compared with previous MICP and petrographic data and interpretations. The paper
aims to present the methodology and results of the NMR spectrometer laboratory measurements
conducted on water-saturated plugs retrieved from two offshore wells. The approach of plug selection
ensures that each previous RRT group was covered by a representative plug from each oil bearing
zone.
TC1.3 10:30 Reservoir Characterization of a Tight Lower Cretaceous Carbonate,
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Aala Mohamed (The Petroleum Institute, UAE)
This research aims to build a proper workflow to characterize tight carbonate reservoirs. The
characterization will be based on reservoir rock typing using petrography, Mercury Injection capillary
pressure (MICP), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Dual Energy Computed Tomography (DE CT)
on reservoir samples from Abu Dhabi field. MICP and NMR tests further enhanced our understanding
on the pore geometry and connectivity. As a result of these investigations, we were able to group the
rocks into different petrophysical groups (rock types - RRT). We observed that in tight carbonate
reservoirs, the correlation between porosity and permeability is quite better than in porous and
permeable carbonate systems. In this research we used 65 horizontal plugs from Thamama Group,
characterized by mudstones and wackestones where micritization is the dominant diagenetic process.
Our aim was to analyse, interpret and integrate all data in a consistent manner so that proper rock-
typing could be established.
TC1.4 10:50 3D Printing Berea Sandstone Porosity Models From Multiscale
Petrophysical Data
Sergey Ishutov, Franciszek Hasiuk, Joseph Gray and Chris Harding (Iowa State
University, USA)
While reservoir characterization has advanced to the micron-scale with the use of tomographic,
petrographic, and SEM imaging, properties computed on digital pore networks do not always
correspond to experimental data from the same rock. This mismatch is due to data scale difference,
errors in statistical algorithms, and complicated nature of pore networks. 3D printing is a new
technology that is capable of transforming digital models into physical samples, on which pore network
79
PAG
E.78
properties (porosity, surface area, and pore size distribution) and flow properties (permeability) can be
analyzed experimentally. In this study, we compare methods for producing 3D printed models from
thin section photomicrographs and from computed tomography data. The results include two types of
3D printed samples: normal – with replicated pores as void spaces and inverted – with pores as solid.
Mercury injection tests performed on core plug and normal samples helped identify the accuracy of 3D
printed copies.
TD1: Materials Science
Room: Baniyas A
TD1.1 09:50 Correlation Between Macro- And Nanoscopic Measurements of the
Elastic Modulus of Carbon Nanostructured Paper
Yamila Omar and Sergio Santos (Masdar Institute of Science & Technology, UAE);
Matteo Chiesa (Masdar, UAE); Amal Al Ghaferi (Masdar Institute of Science and
Technology, UAE)
Many materials exhibit isotropic mechanical properties in the macro-scale but are known to be
composed of anisotropic building blocks. In this work, the elastic modulus of a carbon nanostructured
free-standing paper-like material is determined from force curves obtained with tapping mode atomic
force microscopy and compared with the value obtained from traditional macroscopic tensile testing.
Results show agreement between macro- and nanoscale values of the elastic modulus.
TD1.2 10:10 Drug Delivery Micro-Containers Fabricated by Three-Dimensional
Printing Technology and Functionalization with Ferromagnetic Nanowires
Waqas Amin Gill, Boo Hyun An and Lina Orabi (Masdar Institute of Science and
Technology, UAE); Young Soo Choi and Young Keun Kim (Korea University,
Korea); Daniel Choi (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, UAE)
Three-dimensional printing technology has brought a revolution in the field of device fabrication. The
devices with complex internal structures and shapes can fabricated very easily and in very quick time.
There are numerous micro-fabrication and self-assembly processes have been adopted for the
manufacturing of the micro-devices for medical applications. However, these fabrication techniques
require excessive processing steps and expertise. In this study, we present a feasible method to
fabricate the micro-containers for drug delivery system. There are different shapes and sizes of micro-
containers ranges from 200 µm to 1 mm fabricated by three-dimensional printing technology. Magnetic
nanowires or nanoparticles are attractive candidates for magnetic transportation in drug delivery
system. The micro-containers are polymer based and they functionalized by thiol group with the
successful attachment of the ferromagnetic nanowires on their surfaces to become magnetic drug
delivery micro-containers.
TD1.3 10:30 Optical Fiber Chemical Sensors
Raquel Flores, Ricardo Janeiro, Marcus Dahlem and Jaime Viegas (Masdar Institute
of Science and Technology, UAE)
An optical fiber chemical sensor based on a focused ion beam processed optical fiber is presented here.
The sensor is based on a cavity formed onto a fiber by chemical etching, on which side channels are
drilled by ion beam milling. The encapsulation of the cavity is achieved by fusion splicing onto a
standard single or multimode fiber. The cavity is a Fabry-Pérot resonator for gas or liquid sensing.
Increased reflectivity of the formed cavity mirrors can be achieved with atomic layer deposition (ALD)
of alternating metal oxides. The sensor was tested with various chemicals to proof its functionality.
TD1.4 10:50 Micro Lensed Optical Fiber Tip
Ricardo Janeiro (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, UAE); Raquel Flores
(Masdar Institute, UAE); Jaime Viegas (Masdar Institute of Science and
Technology, UAE)
Focused ion beam (FIB) patterning of 3D topography on optical fiber tips and optical beam profile
engineering are reported. We demonstrate a Fresnel zone plate configuration based on FIB patterning.
Measured experimental field profiles of fabricated optical fiber tips are reported.
09:50 - 10:50
TE1: Computer & Information Science
Room: Baniyas B
TE1.1 09:50 Detection of Blood Vessels in Retinal Images Using Cognitive
Graph-based Segmentation
Rasha Alshehhi and Prashanth Marpu (Masdar Institute of Science and
Technology, UAE)
Detection of blood vessel is an important computational problem while using the fundus images of the
eye in the (semi-) automatic diagnosis of many serious eye diseases. We present a methodology to
detect vessels based on a graph-based. It is based on two main steps: feature engineering and
80
PAG
E.79
cognitive multi-scale segmentation. Feature engineering includes a variety of intra-scale and inter-
scale features by concentrating on color, shape and context information. We built coarse graph
segmentation based on color feature. We exploited a diverse of morphology operators to determine the
structure of vessels to construct morphological layer. To build higher levels, we integrated cognitive
grouping principles such as similarity, continuity and proximity to merge neighbor components.
Therefore, we investigated different shape features to merge components from morphology layer. We
exploited different graph algorithms. Extensive experiments were conducted to obtain high accuracy
and the final accuracy of our segmentation was 88%.
TE1.2 10:10 Using Relative Importance in Forensic Investigations
Mohammed Alzaabi (Khalifa University, UAE)
We propose in this paper a forensic analysis system called CISRI that helps forensic investigators
determine the most influential members of a criminal group, who are related to known members of the
group, for investigation purposes. In the framework of CISRI, we describe the structural relationships
between the members of a criminal group in terms of a graph. In such a graph, a node represents a
member of a criminal group, an edge connecting two nodes represents the relationship between two
members of the group, and the weight of an edge represents the degree of the relationship between
two members.
TE1.3 10:30 Combining NFC Security with LTE Network
Ebrahim AL Alkeem and Chan Yeob Yeun (Khalifa University, UAE)
NFC (Near Field Communication) has a good adaptable structure that it can be easily combined with
any wireless network. Since NFC can be used to communicate without using a proper wire, all the
transactions can be done remotely without any physical connections. In this paper, we propose a new
authentication protocol based on LTE network to secure the NFC. Our protocol enhances the security
level provided by the LTE. Our approach is new in a sense that it covers LTE in contrast to old
networks like GSM & 3G substantially treated in the literature.
09:50 - 11:30
TF1: Information Security
Room: Yas
TF1.1 09:50 Data Security in Cloud:A Survey of Existing Techniques
Bushra AlBelooshi (Khalifa University, UAE); Khaled Salah (Khalifa University of
Science, Technology and Research (KUSTAR), UAE); Thomas Martin (Khalifa
University, UAE)
Data security in the cloud is one of the main concerns organizations have when implementing cloud
technology. Shifting users' sensitive data to a third party provider rise many questions on who will be
responsible for data security. In this paper we will explore the existing data security solutions in
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) cloud platform. We grouped the existing solutions into three main
categories which are data encryption, data isolation and data erasure solutions.
TF1.2 10:10 Evidence Reasoning in Cloud Crimes Using Bayesian Network and
Causal Models
Sameera A. Al mulla (KUSTAR, UAE)
In this paper, we discuss an evidence reasoning model that support digital forensics of cloud
computing. Unlike previous work, we aim to encapsulate the science of Probabilistic Graphical Model
(PGM) to conclude highly accurate set of events using Bayesian theorem and Causal models. Our
contribution is to achieve the highly accurate set of events without the need to set multiple hypothesis.
TF1.3 10:30 Survey on Trust and Reputation in Highly Mobile Ad-Hoc Networks
Abdelrahman AlMahmoud (Khalifa University, EBTIC, UAE)
Trust and reputation is an emerging topic in high velocity ad-hoc networks. However, very few
techniques in the literature specialise in building trust in a highly dynamic network as older approaches
suffer from efficiency and speed limitations. This paper explores some of the most notable specialised
trust and reputation techniques for highly mobile ad-hoc networks and the implications of using them
in high velocity mobile ad- hoc networks.
TF1.4 10:50 Mobile Phishing Attack for Android Platform
Nour Abura’ed (Khalifa University, UAE); Nour Abura'ed (Khalifa University of
Science, Technology, and Research, UAE)
In this paper, we address the problem of mobile phishing via the implementation of a Trojan that
commits phishing through the mobile's pre-installed applications, which are naturally trusted. It utilizes
task interception along with lack of identity indicators, and it overrides the default behavior of some
functions to succeed with the attack. We also study the impact of this Trojan on the device's
performance. Finally, we propose some security enhancements that do not rely on the human factor,
such as identity indicators and comparing running processes.
TF1.5 11:10 Software Implementation of SGCA Stream Cipher Algorithm on
8-bits AVR Microcontroller
81
PAG
E.80
Mouza AL shemaili (Khalifah University, UAE); Chan Yeob Yeun, Mohamed Jamal
Zemerly and Khalid Mubarak (Khalifa University, UAE)
As ubiquitous computing becomes pervasive, low computation devices are deployed in critical activities
in our daily life such as the used of smart card for bank transaction. Since these devices contain
sensitive information related to it is owner the confidentiality and the integrity of these devices must
be considered during the designing phase. Thus, recently we have seen a lot of new proposed ciphers
that are design for low computation devices. The aim of theses ciphers is to provide a sufficient
security level with less computation power. Thus, we implement our proposed solution on 8 bits AVR
microcontroller in order to study the required memory and speed. Also, the paper study and implement
new proposed stream ciphers which are Grain and Trivium for comparison purpose. Our proposed
SGCA algorithm proves to have less memory and time consuming than the other two.
TG1: Earth & Environmental Engineering
Room: Saadiyat
TG1.1 09:50 Structure and Optical Properties of Atmospheric Boundary Layer
Over Dusty Hot Deserts
Bushra Chalermthai, Mohamed Al Marzooqi, Ghouse Basha, Peter Armstrong, Taha
Ouarda and Annalisa Molini (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, UAE)
Desert atmospheric boundary layers present extremely complex local structures that have been
scarcely addressed in the literature, and whose understanding is essential in modeling processes for
various environmental, economic and societal applications. In this study, we explore the potential of
the joint usage of Lidar ceilometer backscattering profiles and sun-photometer optical depth retrievals
to quantitatively determine the vertical aerosol profile over dusty hot desert regions. At this goal, we
analyze a continuous record of observations of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) height from a
single lens Lidar ceilometer operated at Masdar Institute Field Station (Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.) and the
concurrent measurements of aerosol optical depth derived independently from the Masdar Institute
AERONET sun-photometer. The main features of the desert ABL are obtained from the ceilometer
range corrected backscattering profiles and therefore calibrated to obtain a full diurnal cycle
climatology of the aerosol optical depth and aerosol profiles.
TG1.2 10:10 Parametric Investigation of SCR of NOx
Oghare Ogidiama (Masdar Institute, Masdar City, UAE)
Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx is currently a well-used method of NOx reduction from
industrial plants. It entails the application of reducing agents to convert harmful NOx to harmless
gases in the presence of a catalyst. SCR for NOx reduction is currently seen as the most promising
technology for the reduction of NOx from chemical and power plants. However, there is a need to
study these systems to improve their performance to meet the continuously stricter NOx regulations.
In this work, a 3-dimensional CFD model of the single channel SCR system was used to study the
effect of key parameters such as inlet gas temperature, NH3/NOx ratio and NO2/NOx ratios on the
performance of the system. The results showed that as the NO2/NOx is increased, the NOx reduction is
increased until a ratio of unity. Further increase in the NO2 concentration results in a decline in NOx
reduction.
TG1.3 10:30 Time Series Analysis of Remotely Sensed Water Quality Parametrs
in the Arabian Gulf
Maryam Al Shehhi (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, UAE); Abdullah
Kaya (Masdar Institiute of Science and Technology, UAE); Imen Gherboudj
(Masdar Institute, UAE); Hosni Ghedira (Masdar Institute & Earth Observation and
Environmental Remote Sensing Laboratory, UAE)
Since 2001, the Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) occur frequently over the Arabian Gulf mainly during
winter seasons. These HABs cause death, poison the fish and birds and affect the desalination plants.
Tracking those algae batches is mandatory to protect the desalination plants since it provides a
significant amount of fresh water to the Gulf countries. Time series modeling is one of the forecasting
approaches that can be used to predict the remotely sensed water quality parameters such as
chlorophyll concentration, SST and FLH. In this study, three times series models were used to estimate
and forecast the satellite water quality parameters measured during 10 years from 2003 to 2012.
These models are univariate model (SARIMA), multivariate model (regression) and neural network. It
is found that SARIMA model performs well in forecasting the SST and FLH. However, neural network
(NAR) and regression are the best that fit the Chl data set.
TG1.4 10:50 Dust Mapping and Monitoring in the UAE Using Ground and
Satellite Data
Iyasu Eibedingil (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, UAE); Marouane
Temimi (Masdar Institute, Tunisia); Annalisa Molini (Masdar Institute of Science
and Technology, UAE)
The dynamics of dust in combination to land and atmospheric forcing has a major influence on land-
atmosphere interactions by modulating the radiative balance of our planet, reducing visibility, affecting
human health, and boosting marine life in seas and oceans. Therefore, to understand the regional dust
transport pathways and estimate the impact of regional dust on climate, economy, and human life, it is
crucial to identify the sources, location, extent, magnitude, and geomorphological characteristics.
Given this premise, this research deploys an enhanced automated dust mapping and monitoring tool
for the MENA region using Meteosat Second Generation Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager
82
PAG
E.81
(MSG-SEVIRI). This tool used for routine detection and mapping of Sand and Dust Strom in the region.
Historic MSG-SEVIRI data will be analyzed to develop time series of dust storm extent and magnitude.
The maps will be compared with AOD, MODIS, and situ observations from Masdar Institute.
TG1.5 11:10 Understanding the Ecoydrology of Mangroves: A Simple SPAC
Model for Avicennia Marina
Saverio Perri (University of Palermo, Italy); Francesco Viola (University of
Palermo, UAE); Leonardo Noto (University of Palermo, Italy); Annalisa Molini
(Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, UAE)
Mangroves represent one of the most carbon-rich ecosystems in the Tropics, noticeably impacting
ecosystem services and the economy of these regions. Whether the ability of mangroves to exclude
and tolerate salt has been extensively investigated in the literature, eco-hydrological characteristics of
these ecosystems remains largely understudied, despite the crucial link with efficient carbon-storage,
biomass productivity and water-energy fluxes. Here, we develop a Soil-Plant-Atmosphere Continuum
(SPAC) model for Avicennia Marina, a mangrove able to adapt to hyper-arid intertidal zones. Among
mangroves, Avicennia marina is one of the most tolerant to salinity and arid climatic conditions. Our
model takes into account the specific characteristics of the mangrove ecosystem and in particular, the
effects of salt-stress. Mangrove transpiration is hence obtained by solving the plant and leaf water
balance and the leaf energy balance, taking explicitly into account the role of osmotic water potential
and salinity in governing plant resistance to water fluxes.
11:30 - 11:40
Coffee Break (Conference Reception)
11:40 - 13:00
TA2: Electrical & Electronic Engineering
Room: Saqr Ballroom
TA2.1 11:40 An Improved DC Modeling of HEMT Transistor Based on Fager
Model
Yahya Al-Khawam (American University of Sharjah, UAE); Lutfi Albasha (American
University Of Sharjah, UAE)
The purpose of this paper is to present the research work on HEMT/FET device modeling using
measurement-based behavioral modeling techniques. The target of this research is to obtain more
accurate transistor model to have better AC and DC simulations. Also, the accurate proposed model
will be transformed into a geometrically scalable one using two-step optimization technique based on
Genetic Algorithm. Finally, future work will be presented.
TA2.2 12:00 Intelligent Frequency Control Using Optimal Tuning and Demand
Response in an AC Microgrid
Hajer Alyammahi (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, UAE); Amer Al-
Hinai (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology & Institute Center for Energy,
UAE)
Future smart microgrids need increased flexibility and intelligence in control and optimization to
maintain a generation-load balance. This concern becomes more significant today because of lack of
conventional Automatic Generation Control (AGC) and spinning reserves which introduce new issues
for providing ancillary services. Moreover, due to increasing renewable energy penetration in power
systems, conventional controllers may be unable to maintain the system stability. In response to this
issue, this paper presents an intelligent control algorithm using fuzzy logic and particle swarm
optimization (PSO). Furthermore, the effect of Demand Response (DR) in continuously balancing
generation and demand, when the output from wind and photovoltaic (PV) varies naturally, is
proposed. Simulation results are examined on an islanded microgrid case study. The performance of
the proposed controller is compared with conventional control design and the effect of DR in fast power
compensation is proved.
TA2.3 12:20 Effective Codification for Distribution Network Restoration Using
Genetic Algorithm
Ines Garcia Vega (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, UAE); Amer Al-
Hinai (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology & Institute Center for Energy,
UAE)
This paper proposes a new genetic algorithm codification for distribution network restoration.
Restoration is a multi-constraint combinatorial non-linear optimization problem for which conventional
mathematical programming techniques become computationally very costly. Heuristic approaches have
been used to tackle this problem. A codification previously used in the literature for distribution
network reconfiguration is modified in order to be applied to power system restoration. To check its
validity it is tested on a 33 bus test system. The outcomes are compared to those of previous
optimization approaches proving to be computationally efficient and showing good results.
83
PAG
E.82
TA2.4 12:40 TE-Pass Polarizer Using Metal Vias
Humaira Zafar, Soha Yousuf and Anatol Khilo (Masdar Institute of Science and
Technology, UAE)
A TE-pass polarizer that uses metal vias for absorption of TM light is proposed. A 100-micron device
can achieve 20dB extinction ratio with 0.23dB insertion loss. The polarizer is compatible with standard
silicon-on-insulator foundry processes.
TB2: Robotics & Automation
Room: Al-Reem A
TB2.1 11:40 Decentralized Multi-agent POMDPs Framework for Coordinating
Human-Robots Teamwork in Search and Rescue
Hend Al Tair (Khalifa University for Science, Technology and Research, UAE);
Tarek Taha and Jorge Dias (Khalifa University, UAE)
Despite the fact that robots have reached a high level of autonomy in recent years, the need for
human presence in certain situations is still essential especially in search and rescue operations. The
human extends the robots capabilities using current technologies. While current robotic devices are
able to navigate, locate, and map search and rescue areas, some interventions require high degree of
dexterity and information exchange that implies cooperation between the agents intervening in the
area - human and/or robots. This paper presents a framework for modelling the coordination between
human responders and robots in search and rescue scenarios using Decentralised Multi-agent Partially
Observable Markov Decision Processes (Dec-MPOMDP). In this framework the human is treated as an
intelligent agent with separate observations and actions that are communicated with the remain team
(human and robots) to reach the level of synergy required to accomplish joined tasks.
TB2.2 12:00 Haptic Based Bilateral Shared Control and Interaction of MAVs with
Uncertain Environments
Reem Ashour and Shafiqul Islam (Khalifa University, UAE); Lakmal Seneviratne
(KURI, UAE); Jorge Dias (Khalifa University, UAE)
In this paper, we develop haptic interface system for bilateral shared autonomous systems for
unmanned vehicles over open communication networks. The proposed bilateral shared interface
system allows human user to control, navigate and interact with dynamic remote environments
without using vision systems in remote robot systems. The design combines shared control algorithms
with virtual impedance force field. The design reflects interaction forces mapped by virtual impedance
force field to the human operator by haptic device. Experiment results on laboratory illustrate the
effectiveness of the proposed method for real-time applications. The key feature of the proposed haptic
interface is that the interaction model only uses laser technology equipped with the slave MAVs
TB2.3 12:20 Vision/Inertial-Based Image Mapping for Capsule Endoscopy
Yasmeen Abu-Kheil (Khalifa University, UAE); Gastone Ciuti and Marco Mura
(Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Italy); Jorge Dias (Khalifa University, UAE); Paolo
Dario (Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Italy); Lakmal Seneviratne (KURI, UAE)
In this paper, we propose a method for mapping images from a capsule-based endoscope in a way that
is more informative to physicians: the technique uses visual/inertial-based data fusion to obtain a 3D
map of the lumen from capsule images, also paving the way for the implementation of a path planning
and autonomous locomotion and inspection. Capsule endoscopy is a non-invasive procedure for
gastrointestinal diagnosis. It does not require sedation and it is comfortable and well-tolerated by
patient. However, the problem with such procedure is that a huge number of images is collected, which
require time to investigate and diagnose; furthermore, the capsule movement is not controlled leading,
in some cases, to inaccurate diagnosis. In this context, a mapping of the lumen is required to
guarantee a higher reliability of the inspection, enabling the medical doctor to evaluate all the parts of
the lumen for a better diagnosis.
TB2.4 12:40 Autonomously Mapping and Navigating an Unknown Environment
Using Triangulation-based RRT
Amna AlDahak (Khalifa University of Science, Technology & Research (KUSTAR),
UAE); Lakmal Seneviratne (KURI, UAE); Jorge Dias (Khalifa University, UAE)
This paper presents a practical algorithm for navigating through an unknown environment while
compactly mapping it in a triangulation-based data structure. The novelty in this work comes from
coupling the well-known motion planning algorithm, the RRT, with a new mapping data structure, the
Dynamic Triangulation Tree DTT. This composition is implemented to optimize the navigation of the
robot used during the mapping process of the unknown environment. The performance is evaluated
through simulations to show that the proposed planner is practical and easy to implement.
TD2: Materials Science
Room: Baniyas A
TD2.1 11:40 Effect of Annealing Time During LPCVD Growth of Single-Walled
Carbon Nanotubes
84
PAG
E.83
Md Mahfuzur Rahman (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, UAE)
Carbon nanotubes were synthesized by Low Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition (LPCVD) method at
700°C. Here acetylene gas was used as precursor gas with the annealed (at 500°C) Fe catalyst was
prepared by coating with magnetron sputtering on Si substrate. Vertically aligned CNTs grew with the
catalyst annealing time in the range of 3 to 15 min. Reactions conditions such as catalyst annealing
time and precursor gas pressure were altered in order to study their effect on the resulting CNTs.
Raman spectra confirmed the presence of SWCNTs in the synthesized CNTs. Catalyst annealing time of
15 min gave rise to the formation of more SWCNTs than in the case of the lower annealing time. The
study revealed that the increase in the catalyst annealing time causes an increase on the SWCNTs
growth.
TD2.2 12:00 Comparison of Stress Response of Graphene Versus Silicon Based
Strain Sensor
Hesham Helal (The Petroleum Institute, UAE); Abdellatif Bouchalkha (The
Petroleum Institute & Art and Science College, UAE); Khalid Alhammadi (The
Petroleum Institute, UAE)
This paper investigates the effect of stress on graphene and silicon based strain sensors. Graphene is a
one atom thick layer of carbon atoms that shows unique electrical and mechanical properties due to its
small thickness. We have conducted a detailed study of the design of a strain sensor based on
graphene. We present the results of our simulation model developed on COMSOL multiphysics. A
comparison showed that the sensitivity of graphene to stress is about five times more than that of
silicon.
TD2.3 12:20 Carbon Nano-composite Based TSVs for Dual Function of Sensing
and Vertical Interconnect
Samuel Sofela (Masdar Institute Science and Technology, UAE); Hammad Younes
(Masdar Institute of Science and Technology & Masdar, UAE); Irfan Saadat
(Faculty - Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, UAE); Amal Al Ghaferi
(Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, UAE)
We discuss fabrication and characterization of TSVs filled with carbon nano-materials (CNM) for dual
function of sensing and vertical interconnect for hostile environment applications (Corrosive High
Temperature and Pressure). Nano-composites, made by functionalization of CNTs were integrated
using dispersion in epoxy resin to fill up the TSVs and provide sensing surface. The results reveal
ability for the nano-composite to fill vias with electrical conductivity path and sensing established
through the wafer backside.
TD2.4 12:40 Optical Metrology of AlN Piezomachined Ultrasonic Transducer
Arrays and Piezopumps
Mateusz Madzik and Inas Taha (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology,
UAE); Raquel Flores (Masdar Institute, UAE); Ricardo Janeiro and Jaime Viegas
(Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, UAE)
Piezomachined ultrasonic transducer (PMUT) arrays are commonly found in applications in the field of
ultrasonography and gesture recognition systems. Their application for bio and chemical sample
preparation is another possibility, based on their beam steering and acoustic field manipulation
capabilities. Post-fabrication non-destructive measurement of key device temporal and spatial
parameters is required in order to adjust either simulation models or tune fabrication steps. In this
work we report an optical testing setup for measuring the acoustic spectrum of PMUT devices and
arrays, characterize maximum deflection of PMUTs and piezopumps and investigate the load effect of
electrical contacts on the spatial and temporal oscillation behavior of these piezoelectric structures.
Spatial parameters are evaluated with digital holography. We employ this testing setup to measure our
own designed PMUT structures which were fabricated at IME-Singapore, evaluating the relative merits
of the PMUT design parameters.
TE2: Computer & Information Science
Room: Baniyas B
TE2.1 11:40 Forensic Analysis of WSN Storage Content
Omar Alfandi (University of Goettingen & Zayed University, Germany); Farkhund
Iqbal (Zayed University, UAE); Samer Yousuf (College of Technological Innovation
- Zayed University - UAE, UAE)
WSN devices forensics as a field within forensic science is at an early stage when compared to
traditional computer forensics. The increase and proliferation of WSN has noted the urgent need for
the creation of new analysis tools and techniques. This experimental research implements an approach
to capture Flash storage sensor node. The storage data log is extracted from multiple sensor nodes to
identify any change on the log storage. Our major contribution is a mechanism for the extraction,
analysis of forensic data for IRIS WSN deployments by a tool which can capture storage flash dumps
from devices running TinyOS. Two parts of software were used; one installed on the mote itself to
extract the storage data then send it to the PC serial port, the second part is resides on the PC that
captures data received from serial port.
TE2.2 12:00 Junior High Game
85
PAG
E.84
Rafael Harutyunyan and Jacob Crandall (Masdar Institute of Science and
Technology, UAE)
It is common to analyze and evaluate people's strategies in very isolated situations in which the
strategy space is not rich and consequently - not realistic. In this paper we present Junior High Game -
a game that has the following attributes which, when combined, make the game unique (and we argue
more realistic) than other games analyzed in the literature: * A large number of people and machine
agents interact with each other repeatedly. * Interactions are personal: individual-to-individual. *
Interactions include opportunities to cooperate, defect, and punish. * Each person and machine has
limited resources and unequal capabilities. We conducted a series of user studies from which we
observe and evaluate the strategies used by people in this game and we present results that give
notion of the possible successful and unsuccessful strategies in Junior High Game.
TE2.3 12:20 Ensemble Learning Using Random-Forest for Classification of
Images with Extraction of {rgb} Feature Along Edges
Prajowal Manandhar, Zeyar Aung, Wei Lee Woon and Prashanth Marpu (Masdar
Institute of Science and Technology, UAE)
The essence of object classification lies in the attributes of an object. State-of-the-art object detectors
typically use shape information as a low level feature representation to capture the local structure of
an object. This paper presents the concept of merging the edge and color information, which could lead
to significant improvement in performance for object detection. In real life scenarios, often, we need to
recognize objects that are at captured at different angles. In this paper, we have identified the color
along the edge as the importance features for object recognition which we have used with the provided
video sequence of an objects. Our approach of extracting these features along the edge of an object
with the help of edge detection algorithm can be seen as a simple but important features, as we are
able to prove with good results using Random Forest ensemble learning approach.
TE2.4 12:40 Probabilistic Forecasting of Solar Power Generation
Azhar Mohammed, Waheeb Yaqub and Zeyar Aung (Masdar Institute of Science
and Technology, UAE)
Probabilistic forecasts account for the uncertainty in the prediction helping the decision makers take
optimal decisions. With the emergence of renewable technologies and the uncertainties involved with
the power generated through them, probabilistic forecasts can come to the rescue. Solar power is an
emerging technology and as the technology matures there will be a need for forecasting the power
generated days ahead. In this study, an ensemble approach for probabilistic forecasting is used with
different machine learning algorithms and different initial settings assuming normal distribution for the
forecasts. It is observed that having multiple models with different initial settings gives exceedingly
better results when compared to individual models.
TF2: Information Security
Room: Yas
TF2.1 11:40 Security Requirements Analysis for Token Based Payment Protocol:
Bitcoin Case Study
Nurzhan Z Aitzhan and Majid AlShehry (Masdar Institute of Science and
Technology, UAE)
It is expected that financial infrastructure of smart grids would involve smart meter integrated token
based payment system. Therefore it is important to identify security requirements of such systems. In
this paper, we identified security requirements for token based payment system, the Bitcoin. The
requirements are elicited using SQUARE method and evaluated. The security analysis has been
conducted.
TF2.2 12:00 File Carving of Fragmented Video Files
Khawla Alghafli (Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research, UAE);
Thomas Martin (Khalifa University, UAE)
File carving is a type of digital forensics recovery technique which focuses on recovering files from
digital media without using file system metadata. This technique can be used in several situations such
as recovering deleted files or recovering files from storage media with corrupted or unknown file
systems. The aim of this research is to develop a file carving technique that is capable of recovering
fragmented video files without using file system metadata.
TF2.3 12:20 Log Analytics for Abnormality Detection in SCADA Networks
Abdalla Alzaabi (Khalifa University, UAE); Chan Yeob Yeun (Information and
Communications University, Korea); Khaled Salah (Khalifa University of Science,
Technology and Research (KUSTAR), UAE)
Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems are process control systems which monitor
and control the physical processes in industrial facilities such as factories, power generation and
distribution systems, oil and gas facilities and nuclear power plants. SCADA collects data about the
physical status and sends the commands to control the physical processes in a feedback control
network. In this paper we present SCADA log analysis approach by which we detect any malicious
behavior if exist in SCADA network. The collection of the log files from a real SCADA system is
currently impossible due to the sensitivity nature of such systems, an alternative good sources were
Honeynet log from an open source and logs from a small PLC based SCADA system which was built in
86
PAG
E.85
another project. We performe in-depth analysis process using Splunk which provides very good
capabilities for log and unstructured data analysis.
TF2.4 12:40 PLC Monitoring and Protection for SCADA Framework
Ahmed Alshemeili (Khalifa University, UAE)
Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) is a set of systems which are used to monitor and
control remote equipment that can be found in general power plants, nuclear power plants, and any
other critical infrastructure entities. As the technology changes the needs came to connect the SCADA
into the internet; which means increasing the chances of exposing the critical infrastructure into cyber-
attacks. In this paper, we present a new approach to monitor Programmable Logical Controllers (PLC)
that is focused on analyzing packets from PLC and open sources to understand the normal behavior of
the equipment and reflect it into analyst monitoring dashboard. As a proof of concept, we will build
small PLC temperature sensor to proof the benefits of our approach in protecting PLC from cyber-
attacks.
11:40 - 12:40
TG2: Earth & Environmental Engineering
Room: Saadiyat
TG2.1 11:40 Modeling Wind Speed Time Series in the United Arab Emirates
Hye Yeon Kim (Masdar Institute, UAE)
There has been a growing interest in wind resources in the Gulf region, not only for evaluating wind
energy potential, but also for understanding and forecasting changes in wind. In this study, the
seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) models with different combinations of
parameters are applied to the observed monthly average of wind speed time series in the United Arab
Emirates (UAE), measured from the international airport of Abu Dhabi. This model deals with apparent
seasonality in the data to help understand the characteristics of original and modified wind speed time
series, and forecast the future wind speed. The best SARIMA model is selected based on the root mean
square(RMSE) and relative RMSE of each model. Results indicate that the SARIMA models provide a
good fit to wind data in the UAE.
TG2.2 12:00 Achieving Efficient Nitrogen Removal in High Temperature and
Salinity Wastewater Treatment A Microbial Process Modelling Approach
Kulthoum Ismail (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, UAE); Félix Ayllón
(Vebes O&M CO, UAE); Jorge Rodríguez (Masdar Institute of Science and
Technology, UAE)
In this work we aim at developing a comprehensive rigorous mathematical model to study the
interactions between the microbial metabolisms involved in the nitrogen cycle and the impact of high
temperature and salinity on their performance. The model will include a detailed chemical speciation,
function of pH, together with full thermodynamic data and bioenergetic calculations for the nitrogen
related metabolisms as well as those potentially interacting with them. Microbial activities such as
sulphate or iron reduction oxidation will be incorporated together with the more recently discovered
anaerobic ammonium oxidation bacteria (anammox). The modelling work proposed will be combined
with privileged access to detailed operation data at two large scale WWT plants in Abu Dhabi. We aim
at both developing high impact novel knowledge on the biological nitrogen removal process at high
temperatures while also potentially enhancing the WWTP operation in terms of energy footprint,
operational costs and effluent quality
TG2.3 12:20 Numerical Study of Dispersion of Hazardous Pollutants Under UAE
Environmental Conditions
Fatima Alnoamani and Yacine Addad (Khalifa University of Science, Technology,
and Research, UAE)
The main purpose of this study is to conduct numerical predictions using a commercial CFD code for
atmospheric dispersion of radioactive material under UAE environmental conditions. Validation of
Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) approach with the k-ɛ turbulence model has been performed
by comparing the numerical predictions with experimental data of Fackerll and Robins for both;
velocity profiles, and for the passive scalar concentration and dispersion. In the three-dimension
hypothetical accidental scenario case under UAE environmental characteristics, the pollutant transport,
dispersion, and deposition in the area surrounding the power plant was found to be highly asymmetric
and largely affected by the presence of different buildings.
87
PAG
E.86
13:00 - 14:00
Lunch (Saqr Ballroom C)
14:00 - 15:40
TA3: Electrical & Electronic Engineering
Room: Saqr Ballroom
TA3.1 14:00 VLSI Implementation of PID Controller
Rupesh Karn (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology & Mubadala Company,
UAE); Ibrahim M Elfadel (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, UAE)
A feedback loop is a common and powerful tool for designing a control system to choose optimum
value of control variable. A proportional controller is simple form of controller and PID is advanced
version and is widely used in feedback control of many processes. Traditionally, in many control
system, analog controllers are used and digital controllers are only implemented by programming the
analog controller algorithm on microprocessor in discrete time domain by quantizing bits in a limited
number of levels. It has limitations as complexity in interfacing with digital world, large chip area and
high power consumption. To exploit the use of on chip ALU, multiplexer and registers, digital PID
controller is implemented. It has many superior qualities over analog version as high speed, improved
sensitivity, better reliability and less effect due to noise and disturbance.
TA3.2 14:20 Enhanced Frequency Support From DFIGs in Areas with Low X/R
Ratio
Alexandros Tsoupos (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, UAE); Vinod
Khadkikar (Masdar Institute, UAE)
As penetration of wind generation increases, frequency support from wind energy conversion schemes
(WECS) is becoming a necessity in order to maintain frequency levels within the acceptable limits. As
far as doubly-fed induction generators (DFIGs) are concerned, operation under maximum power-point
tracking algorithms does not allow for active power regulation during frequency disturbances.
Furthermore, the back-to-back converters connected to the rotor circuit decouple the system
frequency from the rotor speed render the machine unable to provide any inertial response. In order to
address this issue, various methods providing frequency response, based on maintaining an active
power reserve, are presented in literature. In this project, a control strategy that provides frequency
support utilizing the ability of the DFIG to regulate both active and reactive power is proposed. The
effectiveness of the method becomes substantial in networks with low X/R ratios.
TA3.3 14:40 Influence of Generation Scheduling on Power System Protection
and Stability
Lukasz Huchel (Masd, UAE); Hatem Zeineldin (Masdar Institute of Science &
Technology, UAE); Amer Al-Hinai (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology &
Institute Center for Energy, UAE)
Steady state analysis for protection coordination studies are widely presented in the literature.
However, the influence of the performance of protection devices on stability of synchronous generators
has to be verified. This paper tends to verify the existing approaches to the protection coordination
problem and incorporate the limits given by the stability of generating units. The analysis are
performed for modified IEEE 14-bus system supplied by three synchronous generators.
TA3.4 15:00 Optimization of a Grid-Connected VSC Disturbance Rejection for
HVDC Applications
Wesam Taha (The Petroleum Institute, UAE); Abdul Rahiman Beig (The Petroleum
Institute, Abu Dhabi, UAE); Igor Boiko (Petrolum Institute, UAE)
Voltage Source Converter (VSC) plays a major role in the AC/DC interconnection. Hence, its control
stands as a significant issue as it determines the stability of the system. Therefore, utilization of a
control algorithm that can robustly reject disturbances is highly appreciated. In this paper, a decoupled
dq-vector control approach is used as a control structure due to its validity and feasibility, which has
been shown in the literature. Furthermore, the tuning of the PI controllers is achieved using a new
optimization algorithm. The VSC station connected to ac system is subject, mainly, to two types of
disturbances: source and load disturbance. At first, the system is optimized for each individually based
on the integral time absolute error (ITAE) criterion. Then, both disturbances are weightily summed in
order to provide the optimum disturbance rejection. Simulation results demonstrate the validity and
robustness of such an approach.
TA3.5 15:20 Design of Sliding Mode Controller for A Three Phase AC Motor
Yousif Eldigair, Igor Boiko and Abdul Rahiman Beig (The Petroleum Institute, UAE)
The use of Sliding Mode Controllers (SMC) has of been considered a good solution for the successful
control of system with major uncertainties and disturbances. These controllers maintain healthy
system behavior even in the presence of un-modelled dynamics. However, the chattering problem
which results from the use of these controllers remains a huge downfall of SMCs. Ideally, SMCs must
undergo switching with infinite frequency during the sliding phase but this inhibit by the existence of
parasitic dynamics which effectively increase the input relative degree of the system. Accordingly, the
responsiveness and performance of SMCs is much dictated by the switching frequency outcome.
88
PAG
E.87
Frequently, to control the speed of induction motor, SMC is implemented in the external speed loop
which restricts the switching frequency of the robust controller. We consider the application of SMC in
the inner loop as an alternative which in theory should lead to ideal sliding.
14:00 - 15:20
TB3: Robotics & Automation
Room: Al-Reem A
TB3.1 14:00 Optimized Planar 3PRR Mechanism for 5 Degrees-of-Freedom
Hybrid Kinematics Manipulator
Abdur Rosyid, Bashar El-Khasawneh and Anas Alazzam (Khalifa University, UAE)
Hybrid kinematics mechanisms combine the advantages of purely serial and purely parallel kinematics
mechanisms. This paper proposes a novel hybrid planar 3PRR mechanism which can be utilized for
machine tool. As the main drawback of parallel mechanism is small workspace, the workspace of the
proposed mechanism has been optimized by using constrained nonlinear optimization. It is shown that
the optimization gives significant improvement of the workspace area and shape.
TB3.2 14:20 Task Allocation in Multi-Robot Systems
Nourhan Elsayed (The Petroleum Institute, UAE); Khaled Al-Wahedi (The Petrolum
Institute, UAE)
Task partitioning in multi-robot systems involves breaking down tasks or partitioning them into smaller
tasks tackled by different robots in the system. Some of the benefits of this approach is less
interference between the individual agents as they are more segregated, an improved scalability, and
an improved transport efficiency. This approach allows for a better overall group performance, leads to
specialization and aids in parallel task execution. In this paper, a new problem tackling self-organized
task allocation method in the context of swarm robotics is investigated by using task partitioning. The
method does not use any sort of global communication; instead, indirect communication is achieved
through the concept of stigmergy.
TB3.3 14:40 Parametric Risk Field for Haptic Teleoperation of Unmanned
Ground Vehicle
Mohammad Awad (Khalifa University of Science Technology and Research, UAE);
Reem Ashour (Khalida University of Science Technology and Research, UAE);
Shafiqul Islam and Jorge Dias (Khalifa University, UAE)
In this paper, the algorithm of the Parametric Risk Field (PRF) concept is applied for haptic
teleoperation of Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV). PRF is a type of the Artificial Force Fields (AFF)
which maps 2D environmental constraint into repulsive forces. AFF is applied in haptic feedback to
allow operators to interpret the repulsive forces as impedance to their control deflections when a
potential for collision exists. PRF consists of many user-defined parameters, some are independent,
and others are dependent on the UGV's velocity and obstacle displacement. The algorithm was tested
on a UGV Teleoperated by robotic arm. The results has shown alignment between PRF values and
experimental mapped force. The future plans for this work is to develop the PRF to map 3D
environmental constraint in order to be applied on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV's)
TB3.4 15:00 UAVs Cloud Computing
Sara Mahmoud (UAE University, UAE); Nader Mohamed (UAEU, UAE)
Most UAVs use radio frequency transmission to communicate with the ground station to receive
commands and to send data. However, this model of communication restricts the user from being in
specific locations and limits the missions to narrow areas. This paper proposes a cloud computing (CC)
integration where the UAVs become part of the cloud and can be accessed ubiquitously. This allows
UAVs to utilize the web client-server architectures by using the three tier architecture, the application,
the service and the data storage. In this architecture, the application layer where the client has a
friendly user interface, while the service layer is the UAV server that becomes part of the cloud. UAVs
provide their services through uniform interfaces using RESTful HTTP architecture. Finally, the data
layer is the layer that not only stores the information of UAVs but also keeps track of their status and
changes through the mission timeline.
14:00 - 15:00
TC3: Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Room: Al-Reem B
TC3.1 14:00 Task-Based Teaching and Its Influence on IELTS Writing Task 2
Sobia Afzal (American University of Sharjah & Al Ruya Institute, Sharjah, UAE)
This research paper examines the effects of the task-based teaching (TBT) methodology on IELTS
students' writing skills in the United Arab Emirates, in particular task 2 of the IELTS writing test. The
IELTS writing task 2 is evaluated on the basis of IELTS writing task 2 band descriptors, set by
89
PAG
E.88
Cambridge, which are task-achievement, coherence and cohesion, lexical range and grammatical range
and accuracy. The procedure used involves collection of students' writing samples before and after the
implementation of TBT, and making comparison of the effects of TBT on the IELTS band descriptors in
students' writing scripts. The results of the study revealed that TBT has a positive influence on IELTS
students' writing skills in terms of the criteria set by Cambridge, especially in the criteria of task
achievement and coherence and cohesion. However, only 2 participants showed improvement in the
area of grammatical range and accuracy post TBT methodology.
TC3.2 14:20 Untranslatability
Aya Adnan Khantomani (University of Sharjah, UAE)
There are some words or phrases that the translator can't translate into the Target Language according
to some differences between the two languages, we call this case Untranslatability. In fact in
translation there's nothing that can't be translated, we face difficulties, however; we search for the
appropriate strategy to translate the untranslatable word to the nearest meaning.
TC3.3 14:40 The Relationship Between Transformational Leadership and Human
Capital Development: The Mediating Effect of Knowledge Management,
Organizational Culture
Mona Al Mansouri (UAE University, UAE)
Human capital development is one of the most important enablers for any organization to achieving a
sustainable competitive advantage. Therefore, organizations are interested in adopting various
initiatives and mechanisms to support the development of human capital such as transformational
leadership style, knowledge management practices and building organizational culture to achieve the
development of the companies' human capital. Thus, this research intends to examine the mediating
effect of knowledge management and organizational culture on the relationships between
transformational leadership and human capital development in the Abu Dhabi emirate.
14:00 - 15:20
TD3: Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Room: Baniyas A
TD3.1 14:00 Traditional Governance of a Modern Nation: Links Between the
Sheikhs Majlis, Political Stability and National Loyalty in the UAE
Mohammad Hamad (Khalifa University, UAE)
The UAE's top leadership, in particular 'sheikhs', conduct regular meetings called the Sheikhs' Majlis on
a weekly basis during which direct interaction between the people and their rulers is established. The
tribal system, long established within the United Arab Emirates, allows for direct contact between
leaders and their people on both an individual and collective basis. With an ever increasing population,
and level of cultural diversity within the region, the types of individual problems, needs and
requirements are changing dramatically. This fact, when considered in conjunction with the growth of
the sheikhs' responsibilities within a developing governmental system, situated in very close proximity
to less stable nations, poses very difficult questions for the nations rulers; What is the relationship
between the operation of the Sheikhs' Majlis and the levels of political stability and national loyalty of
Emiratis.
TD3.2 14:20 Efforts of the United Arab Emirates in Improving Food Security:
Creating Foreign Acquisition Land Policies
Hind Al Shamsi (Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, UAE)
The major topic of concern in this paper is what foreign land acquisition policy the United Arab
Emirates can adopt to reduce the long-term risk of food shortage. The purpose of this project proposal
is to identify ways in which the United Arab Emirates can improve food security. Regardless of its
wealth and advanced technology, it needs to make sure that food shortage is not a problem in the
country. The issue at hand is how the agricultural land can be put to good use to solve this puzzling
circumstance. Qualitative research methods will be used to carry out our investigation about factors
that will give support to the implementation of foreign land acquisition policy in UAE.
TD3.3 14:40 The Integrated Ballistic Missile Defense and the Regional Security
Saleh AlHadrami (Khalifa University, UAE)
The demand for a reliable missile defense system against the pre-emptive threats from adversarial
states in addition to vague non‐state actors has become very essential in the Middle East region in
general and the Gulf Cooperation Council GCC states in particular. Therefore, the significance of
developing a missile defense shield has been in priority with the rise of the proliferation of the missiles
in the region. However, the two main questions on the development such a defense system are
whether it will have cost‐effective or will it lead to consequences when the system developed in the
GCC and the effectiveness of the integration the system with the likely to face obstacles linked to these
states reluctant to integrate military.
TD3.4 15:00 Implications of the New "National Service" Policy for Emirati
National Security Interests
Shaikha Al Attas (Khalifa University, UAE)
90
PAG
E.89
The aim of this paper is to address the implications of military National Service for Emirati national
security interests.
14:00 - 15:00
TE3: Computer & Information Science
Room: Baniyas B
TE3.1 14:00 High Performance Computational Differentiation Algorithms for
Generalized Optimization Applications
Mohammad Alhulayil, Ahmad Bani Younes and James Daniel Turner (Khalifa
University, UAE)
Many applications in science and engineering require the calculations of derivative models.
Computational differentiation is a specialized topic in the applied mathematics and computer science
for developing software tools for numerically evaluating the sensitivity derivative models which can be
used in the stability and optimizations studies. The sensitivity analysis is commonly used to identify the
effects of confusion parameters on the model output. Many studies were carried to generate the
sensitivity models for engineering applications. One of the main problems that faced these studies was
the memory limitation when working with high orders models. The sensitivity models for high order
models present a high nonlinear memory scaling, which significantly affect the memory and the
performance of the application. To handle these effects, the proposed research includes significant
modification on the OCEA (Object Oriented Coordinate Embedding Algorithm) by taking into account
the symmetry and sparsity aspects of high order systems.
TE3.2 14:20 A Participatory Sensing Approach for Green Telematics
Chien-Ming Tseng and Chi-Kin Chau (Masdar Institute, UAE)
Participatory sensing is an emerging concept that integrates crowd-sourced data collection and
knowledge discovery of collective behavior. We develop a participatory sensing based system and its
methodologies for driving energy efficiency applications. Distance-to-empty (DTE) is the distance an
electric or internal-combustion engine (ICE) vehicle can reach before its energy/fuel is exhausted,
which is determined by a variety of uncertain factors, ex: driving behavior, types of road, traffic, and
vehicle specification. Green telematics aims to optimize the route selection with lower energy
consumption. We explore an effective approach that integrates the vehicle data gathered from
participatory sensing to provide more accurate personalized DTE prediction and green telematics. Our
approach relies on extracting the driver/vehicle/route dependent features and discovering correlations
from collective driving data. We present case studies of our results, such as (1) DTE prediction for EVs
based on the data of ICE vehicles, (2) route-level energy consumption geo-fencing and planning.
TE3.3 14:40 Twitter's Tweets Analysis on Crimean Crisis
Amalfi Darusman and Wei Lee Woon (Masdar Institute of Science and Technology,
UAE)
Information originated from formal media tend to be not a hundred percent objective, since a lot of
"influences" from certain "players" might skew the information. Our study focused on gathering
information from tweets to answer this issue since they tend to be "purer". Twitter, as one of the most
emerging social media since 2006, has shown to be appealing in the term of data analytic. We
conducted text mining, sentiment analysis in particular, on tweets from February to May 2014 to get
information on how people react to certain event, the Crimean crisis in Ukraine in particular. We found
that most of the people tend to show negative attitude towards the Crimean crisis, whether regarding
the policies, the action taken, or the event itself. In a more general perspective, we found that changes
in total tweets in particular time affect the average user polarity, i.e. declining in our case.
14:00 - 15:40
TF3: Information Security
Room: Yas
TF3.1 14:00 Multimedia File Signature Analysis in Smartphones
Dua’a Abu Hamdi, Farkhund Iqbal and Omar Al Fandi (Zayed University, UAE)
File signature analysis is one of the important phase during digital forensic process, in which we can
identify if the collected multimedia file was on-device created or obtained from application or
elsewhere. The increased usage of the Smartphones due to computing capabilities, connecting to the
internet which can transfer huge amount of multimedia files, make from the Smartphones rich source
of evidence. This paper focused on analysis of multimedia files through investigating file signatures and
related metadata created on the most popular Smartphones iPhone 5, Blackberry Z10 Samsung Galaxy
Note 3 and Lenovo A536, in order to defined on-device multimedia files or downloaded from
application, furthermore the paper identified whether multimedia files original or edited through device
for iPhone 5 Blackberry Z10 and Lenovo A536.
TF3.2 14:20 Investigating Malware Behavior Using Passive DNS Data
91
PAG
E.90
Huwida E Said, Ahmed Omar, Khalid Matar and Lubna Zuhair (Zayed University,
UAE); Omar Alfandi (University of Goettingen & Zayed University, Germany);
Farkhund Iqbal (Zayed University, UAE)
The recent alarming situation emerged as a result of the tragic cyber-attacks has threatened the
security of most nation countries. Some of the dangerous malware, such as stuxnet, mariposa and
Zeus have infected millions of computers in more than 192 countries. Malware analysis and
fingerprinting for the purpose of detecting and mitigating malicious activities have been focused in
most studies. This study investigates and analyzes malware behavior using passive DNS data collected
from honeypot, installed at a local internet service provider. The presented approach is designed to
help system administrators and security analyst in filtering DNS data, analyzing domains and IPs,
government entities as well as other stakeholders for the purpose of mitigating cyber-threats. The
experiments on real-life network traffic indicate the effectiveness and usefulness of the proposed
approach.
TF3.3 14:40 Analysis of Linear and Differential Properties for Randomly
Generated Substitution Boxes
Yousuf AlSalami, Thomas Martin and Chan Yeob Yeun (Khalifa University, UAE)
Cryptographers use Substitution Boxes (SBoxes) in order to provide non-linearity in their designs of
cryptographic primitives such as Block Ciphers and Hash Functions. Some cryptographic primitives use
bijective SBoxes as in the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) and some uses surjective SBoxes as in
the Data Encryption Standard (DES). Thus, their SBoxes have inputs and outputs of the same length;
8 bits as in the case in AES or alternatively their input length is larger than its output length; 6 input
bits to 4 output bits as in the case of DES. In this paper, we analyze the Linear and Differential
properties of such commonly used SBoxes which are randomly generated. This shows that the most
probable type of SBoxes can have certain Linear and Differential properties. It also shows that certain
types of SBoxes with specific Linear and Differential Properties are impossible to obtain.
TF3.4 15:00 Android Games: Permissions and Threats
Eiman Alothali, Fatna Belqasmi, Omar Al Fandi and Farkhund Iqbal (Zayed
University, UAE)
A plethora of games exist nowadays for a variety of Android open source devices and the number of
their users is increasing day after day. The majority of these users are unaware of the security threats
these games may have. In this work, we study the security risks associated to the permissions the
Android games require at the installation time (e.g. access to WiFi, contact list, camera). We focus on
Android Free game applications' offered in Google Play. Our study covers a sample of 600 games, for
which we investigate the percentage of most requested permissions. Our preliminary findings indicate
that "full internet access" is the most requested permission from all the six game categories we
examined. Moreover, 60% of the requested permissions are high risk permissions. These results
clearly call for more attention in managing permissions' usage in android games and applications, to
secure these applications from malicious intents.
TF3.5 15:20 WhatsApp Forensics on Android and iOS Platforms
Nuha Al Naqbi, Sumaya Sumaya Al Mansoori, Shamma Al Qubaisi and Farkhund
Iqbal (Zayed University, UAE)
WhatsApp messengers is a gold mine for forensics examiners given the information obtained when
analyzing its database. The authors of this paper aim to demonstrate an aspect of Mobile Forensic and
show how to acquire the entire messages, images and videos from two different platforms (Android
and iOS). Using this data, a brief profiling of the smartphone owner was conducted to illustrate how
the information obtained can be utilized in an investigation.
14:00 - 15:20
TG3: Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Room: Saadiyat
TG3.1 14:00 GCC'S Perspective on Regional Security
Noura Alomaira (Khalifa University, UAE)
The Gulf Cooperation Council was established on May 26, 1981. Until recently the Council has been
criticized for its lack of cooperation and failed initiatives when it comes to security matters. This paper
looks into the Gulf Cooperation Council's purpose, its role as a security organization, analyze the roles
it has undertaken during since the formation of the Council, the current state of the Council and where
it is expected the GCC's path will lead.
TG3.2 14:20 Critical Infrastructure and National Security
Abdulla Aljallaf (Khalifa University, UAE)
his paper will assess the relationship between the critical infrastructure and the national security and to
understand the key criteria to identify and protect this infrastructure. Its also summaries the findings
and recommendations based on literature review.
TG3.3 14:40 Stability Instability of Nuclear Weapons
Waleed Almarzooqi (Khalifa University, UAE)
92
PAG
E.91
Nuclear power or "acquiring the bomb" is an important aspect of contemporary international relations.
Waltz, one of the leading neorealists believes that a bipolar system maintained a world peace for the
longest period, because each super power will fear retaliation and consequences of going into direct
conflict with the opponent. Thus, this will maintain stability and peace. It is widely believed that their
nuclear weapon race played a big role in maintaining this stability.instability explained basically by the
drop of the bombs over Japan had devastating effect. The aftermath of Japan bombing clearly shows
the dangers and destructions that come out of nuclear weapons. This research will argue weather
stability would be achieved by acquiring nuclear weapons or prohibiting them.
TG3.4 15:00 What Determines the Cost of Energy Security?
Ahmed Alneyadi (Khalifa University, UAE)
Increasing requests for the world growing populations, civil disturbance, terrorist attacks, human
errors, natural disasters ... all these issues pose additional consequences for the future is full of desires
in relation to the energy industry.
15:40 - 16:00
Coffee Break (Conference Reception)
16:00 - 16:30
Closing Ceremoney
Room: Saqr Ballroom
Closing Remarks
Best Paper Awards
93
PAG
E.92
AUTHOR-SESSION INDEX
PAG
E.93
Author-Session Index
Author Session
A
Abdul Samad, Yarjan MD2.2
Abdulla, Alla SF1.6
Abid, Najmul MG2.2
Aboo Ayyan, Shaimaa SD3.3
Abou Khalifa, El Sayed MG1.4
Abou Ouf, Mostafa MD1.2
AbouEl-Hamd, Omnia MG3.1
Abu Al-Rub, Rashid SD2.2
SD2.3
SD2.4
MG2.2
Abu Hamdi, Dua’a TF3.1
Abu Matar, Mohammad SE3.5
Abu Zarqa, Wafa SG3.1
Abu-Kheil, Yasmeen TB2.3
Abu-Zahra, Mohammad SB1.1
MB2.3
Abueidda, Diab SD2.2
SD2.4
Abuhamda, Hassan MG1.1
AbuMarzok, Samah SC2.4
Abunahla, Heba MA3.3
Abura'ed, Nour TF1.4
Abura’ed, Nour TF1.4
AbuSaad, Israa MF2.1
Achazhiyath Edathil,
Anjali
TB1.3
Addad, Yacine TG2.3
Adeghate, Ernest MF3.2
Adem, Abdu SF1.5
Adrian, Thomas SF1.3
SF2.2
Author Session
Afzal, Sobia TC3.1
Ahmed, Amina SF2.3
Ahmed, Farah MD2.4
Ahmed, Wasim MB3.3
Ahmedb, Rizwan SD3.5
Ait El Hadj, Soufiyane SD1.3
Aitzhan, Nurzhan TF2.1
Akiel, Mohammad
Sohayeb
MG2.4
Al Ahmad, Mahmoud SA1.5
Al Ali, Abdulla SD1.4
AL Alkeem, Ebrahim TE1.4
Al Allaq, Wissal MC4.4
Al Amiri, Fareed MC2.4
Al Ateibi, Hessa SC1.1
Al Attas, Shaikha TD3.4
Al Badaai, Muna SC1.3
Al Delail, Buti SE3.3
Al Dhaheri, Rashed SG1.2
SG1.3
SG1.4
Al Fandi, Omar TF3.1
TF3.4
Al Farra, Nabil SG2.5
Al Ghaferi, Amal MD3.2
TD1.1
TD2.3
Al Ghaithi, Ahmed SC3.1
Al Haddad, Amal SF2.2
Al Hammadi, Ahmed ME2.3
Al Hammadi, Rasheed SF2.3
Al Hashmi, Hanan MF3.1
Al Hemeiri, Nehal SC3.3
95
PAG
E.94
Author Session
Al Housani, Amna ME3.1
Al Hussein, Ghada MF1.2
Al Jabri, Mansoor SG1.2
SG1.3
SG1.4
Al Jasem, Yosef MD3.3
Al Kaabi, Sara SC2.5
Al Katheerib, Ashjan SD3.5
Al Maeeni, Sara ME1.5
Al Mamari, Said TB1.2
Al Mannaee, Nadia SC2.1
Al Mansouri, Mona TC3.3
Al Martini, Samer MD4.3
MG4.1
Al Marzooqi, Hamad SA1.1
Al Marzooqi, Mohamed TG1.1
Al Mehrezi, Muna MB3.1
Al Menhali, Ali SB2.3
Al Meqbali, Mariam SF2.3
Al mulla, Sameera TF1.2
Al Naimi, Kholoud SB2.5
Al Naimi, Moza SG1.1
Al Naqbi, Ali SA1.5
Al Naqbi, Nuha TF3.5
Al Neyadi, Aysha SF3.1
Al Obaid, Maryam MC1.5
Al Qubaisi, Shamma TF3.5
Al Romaithi, Kaltham SG1.5
Al Sadi, Safa ME3.2
Al Safar, Habiba MF3.1
Al Shamsi, Hind TD3.2
Al Shehhi, Maryam TG1.3
AL shemaili, Mouza TF1.5
Al Srihin, Mohammed SG3.3
Al Tair, Hend TB2.1
Author Session
Al-Alem, Yazan MA2.3
Al-Ameri, Tareq MC2.3
Al-Araji, Saleh ME1.5
MA2.1
ME2.1
Al-Azani, Mariam MB1.4
Al-Dhaheri, Mariam SD1.3
Al-Durra, Ahmed MA4.1
Al-Dweik, Arafat ME1.3
Al-Gazali, Lihadh SF1.1
SF2.1
Al-Hamadi, Hussam SE2.2
Al-Hinai, Amer SA2.1
TA2.2
TA2.3
TA3.3
Al-Jaibeji, Hayat SF1.1
Al-Jarrah, Omar SE3.1
Al-Khateeb, Ashraf SD3.2
Al-Khatib, Mohammed MG4.1
Al-Khawam, Yahya TA2.1
Al-Kuwaiti, Maryam SD3.1
Al-Mazrouei,
Mohammed
SC3.4
Al-Mazrouie, Maryam MC4.1
Al-Menhali, Asma SF2.3
Al-Rawashdeh, Ahmed SG2.1
Al-Refai, Mohammed SG2.1
SG3.3
Al-Shawish, Fatima SA2.3
Al-Shehhi, Maryam SE2.1
Al-Shouq, Ayesha MD3.1
Al-Terri, Doaa ME2.4
Al-Toubat, Salah SB2.4
MG3.4
96
PAG
E.95Author Session
Al-Wahedi, Khaled TB3.2
Al-Zuhair, Sulaiman SA1.5
Alabi, Adetunji MB2.4
AlAli, Sultan SD1.4
AlAmeri, Ahmed SA2.4
Alawadhi, Fatima SG3.2
Alazzam, Anas TB3.1
Albasha, Lutfi MA1.2
MA2.2
MA2.3
TA2.1
AlBelooshi, Bushra TF1.1
Alblooshi, Hiba MF3.1
Albloushi, Meera MD4.1
AlDahak, Amna TB2.4
AlDhaheri, Mariam MC1.1
Aldomaity, Aly MD1.2
Alfandi, Omar TE2.1
TF3.2
Alghafli, Khawla TF2.2
AlHadrami, Saleh TD3.3
Alhammadi, Khalid SA3.3
TD2.2
Alhammadi, Safa SF2.5
Alhawari, Mohammad SA1.4
Alhulayil, Mohammad TE3.1
Alhussein, Hussam SD1.5
Ali, Ahmed MA3.4
Ali, Bassam SF1.1
SF2.1
Ali, Mahmoud SF2.2
Ali, Mohamed SD1.4
SG1.1
SB2.3
SD2.1
Author Session
ME4.3
Ali, Nazar MA2.1
ME2.1
Aljallaf, Abdulla TG3.2
Alkatheeri, Hilal MC1.3
Alkatheri, Mohammed TB1.1
Alkhafili, Saif SC3.2
Alkhalil, Jwan MG1.3
Alkhidir, Tamador MA1.3
Alkhodari, Amani SG1.2
SG1.3
SG1.4
Alkurd, Rawan ME2.2
Allam, Mariam ME3.3
Almahainy, Rola MA2.1
AlMahmoud,
Abdelrahman
TF1.3
Almansoori, Ali SB2.1
Almarzooqi, Waleed TG3.3
Almazrouei, Ebtesam ME2.1
Almazrouei, Najlaa MF1.4
AlMenhali, Naeima SC3.5
Almulla, Ali MC1.2
Alneyadi, Ahmed TG3.4
Alnoamani, Fatima TG2.3
Alnoamani, Zainab SB3.3
Alnuaimi, Saeed SA3.4
Alomaira, Noura TG3.1
Alotaibi, Naseer MC3.3
Alothali, Eiman TF3.4
Alqassem, Israa SE2.4
Alqaydi, Fatima SE2.3
Alrumaithi, Rashed MB3.2
Alsakaji, Hebatalah SG3.4
AlSalami, Yousuf TF3.3
97
PAG
E.96
Author Session
Alsayyed, Basel SG1.2
SG1.3
SG1.4
Alshamsi, Abdulaziz MC3.4
Alshamsi, Reem SC1.2
AlShebli, Bedoor SE3.4
Alsheghri, Ammar SD2.3
Alshehhi, Abdulla SD2.1
Alshehhi, Ahmed SD3.5
Alshehhi, Rasha TE1.1
AlShehry, Majid TF2.1
Alshemeili, Ahmed TF2.4
AlShurafa, Mohammed MC4.2
Alsindi, Nayef ME2.1
Alsuwaidi, Jamila MF1.4
Altunaiji, Alya MB4.2
Alyammahi, Hajer TA2.2
Alzaabi, Abdalla TF2.3
AlZaabi, Mariam SC2.2
Alzaabi, Mohammed TE1.3
Amin, Amr SF3.2
An, Boo Hyun TD1.2
Andy, Sumayya SC2.3
Anis, Shaheen MD2.1
Ansari, Arsalan SB1.3
Arafat, Hassan ME4.3
Arink, Thomas SD3.5
Armstrong, Peter TG1.1
Ashour, Reem TB2.2
Ashour, Reem TB3.3
Ashraf, Syed SF3.1
Ashri, Abdelrahman MG1.5
Atia, Dina SE1.5
Aung, Zeyar TE2.3
TE2.4
Author Session
Awad, Mohammad TB3.3
Awani, Oluwafunmilayo MG1.2
Ayllón, Félix TG2.2
Aziz, Alia Ruzanna MD1.5
B
Baabdulla, Arwa SG2.1
Banat, Fawzi TB1.3
Bani Younes, Ahmad SD2.5
TE3.1
Bariah, Lina ME1.2
Baroudi, Sandra SC1.5
Basaeed, Essa SA3.1
Basha, Ghouse TG1.1
Bayasi, Nourhan MA1.1
Beig, Abdul TA3.5
Beig, Abdul Rahiman TA3.4
Belqasmi, Fatna TF3.4
Bergan, Pal MD4.3
Bernabe Pascual,
Francisco
MD1.4
Bhaskar, Harish SA1.6
Bin Afif, Abdulla Shaikh
Abdul Qader
MD4.2
Bisho, Ahmed MC3.2
Black, Ken MC2.1
MF2.4
Boiko, Igor MA4.1
MA4.2
MA4.3
TA3.4
TA3.5
Bouchalkha, Abdellatif SA3.3
TD2.2
Bugenhagen, Bernhard MB1.4
C
Cai, Guowei SD2.5
98
PAG
E.97Author Session
Calvet, Nicolas SB2.2
SB2.4
MD4.3
Chalermthai, Bushra TG1.1
Chalissery, Jisha SF3.4
Chaqfeh, Moumena SE1.3
Chau, Chi-Kin SE1.2
TE3.2
Chevalier, Sylvie SB3.2
Chiesa, Matteo MB2.4
TD1.1
Choi, Daniel TD1.2
Choi, Young Soo TD1.2
Christopher, Asha MF4.2
Christopoulou, Patroula SD2.1
Cisse, Cheikh SD1.2
Ciuti, Gastone TB2.3
Costa Gomes, Jorge SB1.4
Crandall, Jacob TE2.2
Crespo Iniesta, Alberto SB2.2
SB2.4
D
Dahlem, Marcus TD1.3
Dalaq, Ahmed SD2.2
SD2.4
Dario, Paolo TB2.3
Darusman, Amalfi TE3.3
Delclos, Thomas SB2.2
SB2.4
MD4.3
Diabat, Ali SG1.1
Diago, Miguel SB2.2
SB2.4
Dias, Jorge SD2.5
MA3.3
Author Session
TB2.1
TB2.2
TB2.3
TB2.4
TB3.3
Dindi, Abdallah MB2.3
E
Eibedingil, Iyasu TG1.4
El Abadlah, Haba SF1.4
El Hadri, Nabil MB1.5
El Kharrag, Rkia SF3.2
El Samad, Tala SD2.1
MD1.1
El-Dieb, Amr MG2.3
El-Gamal, Maisa MB3.4
El-Khasawneh, Bashar TB3.1
El-Khatib, Youssef SG2.5
SG3.1
El-Maaddawy, Tamer MG1.2
MG1.3
MG2.4
El-Refai, Ahmed MG1.2
MG2.4
El-Sawy, Khaled MG3.1
Elayan, Ibtisam SC2.3
Elbassioni, Khaled SE1.2
Eldigair, Yousif TA3.5
Eledlebi, Khouloud TA1.5
Elfadel, Ibrahim MA1.5
MA2.4
TA1.3
TA3.1
Elgabra, Hazem TA1.2
Elghanam, Eiman MA1.2
ElKashef, Ahmed MF3.1
99
PAG
E.98
Author Session
ElNaas, Muftah MB3.4
Elnaggar, Mohammed SA1.4
SA3.2
MA2.1
TA1.5
TA1.4
Elsawi, Mohamed SB3.3
ElSayed, Khaled SG1.2
SG1.3
SG1.4
Elsayed, Nourhan TB3.2
Eltahir, Elfatih ME3.3
F
Faisal, Titly SB3.2
Fardoun, Abbas SA2.4
SA2.5
Farhat, Ilyas SA2.2
Farraj, Abdul Rahman SD3.2
Ferdous, Zannatul SF1.2
Flores, Raquel TD1.3
TD1.4
TD2.4
G
Gale, Ella SA2.2
Garcia Vega, Ines TA2.3
Gawanmeh, Amjad SE2.2
Ge, Yuge TC1.1
Ghasem, Nayef MB2.1
Ghebreyesus, Dawit ME3.4
ME4.1
Ghedira, Hosni TG1.3
Gherboudj, Imen TG1.3
Gill, Waqas Amin TD1.2
Gomes, Jorge SB1.5
TC1.2
Author Session
Gonzalez, Rocio ME3.3
Gougam, Adel MD4.1
Graham, John MB2.2
Gray, Joseph TC1.4
Greish, Yaser SF3.2
SF3.3
Guo, Yi SB3.5
H
Haekal, Muhammad MA4.2
Hajji, Mohamed SG3.2
Halawani, Yasmin SA1.3
Hamad, Mohammad TD3.1
Hameedi, Suhaib MB3.4
Hammadih, Mohammad
Luai
MA4.3
Harding, Chris TC1.4
Haris, Sabeera MB1.1
Haroun, Mohammed SB1.3
Harutyunyan, Rafael TE2.2
Hasan, Shadi SB1.1
Hasan Al Hosani, Khalifa MA4.3
Hashaikeh, Raed MD2.1
MD2.3
MD2.4
ME4.2
Hashish, Adel MF1.4
Hasiuk, Franciszek TC1.4
Hassan, Ahmad SD3.3
Hassan, Ahmed SF3.4
Hassan, Muzamil MB4.3
Hejase, Hassan SD3.3
Helal, Hesham TD2.2
Henschel, Andreas MF2.3
Hernandez, Hector MB4.2
Hirsch, Benjamin SE2.1
100
PAG
E.99Author Session
Hisaindee, Soleiman SF3.2
Hoffman, Rick MC1.4
Hoivik, Nils MD4.3
Homouz, Dirar MA3.3
Howarth, Chris SF1.3
Howarth, Frank SF1.2
MF3.2
Huchel, Lukasz TA3.3
Hulse, Gary MF3.1
Hussain, Mohammed MD1.1
Hussain, Nadia SF1.3
Hussain Farzanah,
Rashed
MB1.2
Hussein, Ala SA2.4
Hussein, Huda MA4.1
I
Ibrahim, Ali SC1.4
Ibrahim, Khalid MA1.2
Iqbal, Farkhund TE2.1
TF3.1
TF3.2
TF3.4
TF3.5
Iraqi, Youssef SE1.1
Isakovic, Abdel SE1.5
SA2.2
Ishutov, Sergey TC1.4
Islam, Amina SB3.2
Islam, Shafiqul TB2.2
TB3.3
Ismail, Kulthoum TG2.2
Issa, Anas MG2.1
J
Jaafar, Ruaa SB1.5
Jacobson, Michael MF3.2
Author Session
Jagannath, Anoop SB2.1
Jalal, Deena SF3.4
Janajreh, Isam SD3.5
MD1.1
ME4.2
Janeiro, Ricardo TD1.3
TD1.4
TD2.4
Janem, Ghada SG2.2
Johnson, Eric MC2.2
Jouiad, Mustapha SB3.2
Jouini, Mohamed SB3.2
K
Kalbat, Fatma ME1.3
Kalloush, Rawan SF2.4
Kanaan, Dima MG2.3
Kandy, Mujeeb MF3.3
Karagiannidis, George ME1.3
ME1.5
Karakatsanis, Ioannis SE3.2
Karam, Sherif SF3.2
SF3.3
Karapetyan, Areg SE1.2
Karn, Rupesh TA3.1
Karzad, Abdul Saboor MG3.4
Kaya, Abdullah TG1.3
Khadkikar, Vinod TA3.2
Khalil, Abbas TB1.2
Khan, Mohammed
Nazeer ul Hasan
SD3.4
Khan, Shaihroz TB1.4
Khantomani, Aya TC3.2
Khilo, Anatol TA2.4
Khonji, Mahmoud SE1.1
Khonji, Majid SE1.2
101
PAG
E.100
Author Session
Kim, Hye Yeon TG2.1
Kim, Young Keun TD1.2
Klimontowicz,
Maksymilian
SA2.1
Kolo, Isa MG3.2
MG3.3
Kong, Peng-Yong SG1.5
Kyparissidis, Costas TB1.1
Kyritsis, Dimitrios SD3.2
L
Lakas, Abderrahmane SE1.3
Lalia, Boor MD2.3
MD2.4
Laloui, Lyesse MG4.2
Lee, Tonghun MD1.3
Leida, Marcello SE2.1
Lennartz, Franz MF4.3
Li, Yuanqing MD2.2
Liao, Kin MD2.2
Lin, Rongzhi SB3.5
Liu, Lulu SB1.2
Lovas, Sandor SF2.2
M
Madumelu, Chukwuka MD3.4
Madzik, Mateusz TD2.4
Mahmoud, Lama MD2.3
Mahmoud, Rana MA3.2
Mahmoud, Sara SE2.5
TB3.4
Mahmoud, Shereen SC1.4
Makhmasi, Sohailah SA3.5
Manandhar, Prajowal TE2.3
Marpu, Prashanth ME3.3
TE1.1
TE2.3
Author Session
Marshoud, Hanaa ME1.1
Martin, Thomas TF1.1
TF2.2
TF3.3
Martins, Mathieu MD4.3
Masaud-Wahaishi,
AbdulMutalib
SE2.5
Matar, Khalid TF3.2
Mensah-Brown, Eric SF1.3
SF1.5
Milhem, Reham SF2.1
Mir, Hasan MA2.2
MA2.3
Mitsingas, Constandinos MD1.3
Mizouni, Rabeb SE3.5
Mohamed, Aala TC1.3
Mohamed, Abdel-
Mohsen
MB3.4
Mohamed, Fatma SE3.5
Mohamed, Nader TB3.4
Mohammad, Baker SA1.4
SA3.2
MA3.3
TA1.4
Mohammed, Azhar TE2.4
Mohanraj, Rajesh SF1.5
Molini, Annalisa TG1.1
TG1.4
TG1.5
Morrison, John SF1.3
Motiur Rahman,
Mohammed
SB1.3
Mourad, Abdel-Hamid SD1.3
SD3.1
SF3.3
MD1.2
102
PAG
E.101Author Session
Mubarak, Khalid TF1.5
Muhaidat, Sami ME1.5
Muhammad, Joseph MC2.1
MF2.2
MF2.4
MF3.3
Mulugeta, Tadesse TA1.1
Mura, Marco TB2.3
Mustafa, Ibrahim SB2.3
Muzaffar, Shahzad MA1.5
Mwafy, Aman MG1.4
MG1.5
MG2.1
N
Nazzal, Tasnim MA1.4
Neumann, Elke MF4.2
Nihmiya, Abdul Rahim MB2.1
Noto, Leonardo TG1.5
Noura, Hassan SA2.5
O
Ogidiama, Oghare TG1.2
Olanrewaju, Akinola SB1.1
Omar, Ahmed TF3.2
Omar, Maher SB2.4
Omar, Yamila TD1.1
Omar Salih, Badria SG2.3
Omer, Zahi SA2.4
Orabi, Lina TD1.2
Ouali, Anis SE1.5
SG1.5
Ouarda, Taha ME3.3
TG1.1
Oudah, Mai MF2.3
Oz, Murat MF3.2
Author Session
P
Pal, Priyabrata TB1.3
Palmisano, Giovanni MB2.4
Pantos, Themistoclis MC1.2
Parekh, Khatija SF1.3
Parvin, Maliha MB1.3
Pearson, Simon ME3.3
Peng, Jimmy SA2.1
Perri, Saverio TG1.5
Poddar, Tuhin SB2.1
Poon, Kin SE1.5
SG1.5
Pulikkot, Sunitha SF3.3
Q
Qaddoumi, Nasser MA1.2
Qasem, Maryam SB3.4
Quadri, Syed Mohamid
Raza
SB3.1
Quang, Dang Viet MB2.3
Qureshi, Mohammed SF1.2
R
Rabbani, Shahid SD1.1
Rahman, Md Mahfuzur TD2.1
Rajasegar, Rajavasanth SD3.2
MD1.3
Rasras, Mahmoud TA1.1
Raza, Haider SF1.2
Rehman, Sami SA1.2
Revere, Francis MF3.3
Rezeq, Mohd TA1.5
Rodríguez, Jorge MB3.3
TG2.2
Rosyid, Abdur TB3.1
Roters, Marie MF4.3
Ruta, Dymitr SE1.5
103
PAG
E.102
Author Session
Ryan, Alan MF1.3
S
Saadat, Irfan TD2.3
Sabouni, Reem MG4.3
Sadeq, Hasnaa MB2.2
Saeed, Adnan SD2.5
Said, Huwida TF3.2
Salah, Khaled SE2.3
TF1.1
TF2.3
Salahat, Ehab SA3.2
Saleh, Hani SA1.4
SA3.2
TA1.4
Salem, Khawla MF3.2
Salem, Mohammed MF4.1
Salim, Reem SA2.5
Santos, Sergio TD1.1
Saqer, Leena SA1.5
Sassi, Mohamed SD1.1
SB3.2
Satpathy, Sanket SG3.5
Sayadi, Mohamed Amine SF3.5
Selim, Bassant ME1.4
Seneviratne, Lakmal SD2.5
TB2.2
TB2.3
TB2.4
Shabra, Ayman SA1.2
MA1.5
MA2.4
Shafiullah, Mohamed MF3.2
Shahin, Suzan MF4.1
Shamim, Tariq SB2.2
SB2.4
Author Session
SD3.4
Sharadga, Mwaffag SG2.4
Sharif, Bayan ME1.3
Sharkawi, Sara SF1.5
Shawky, Mansour MF3.1
Shehada, Dina SE1.4
Shoaib, Mohamad SB3.1
Singh, Shakti TA1.2
Sluzek, Andrzej SA3.2
Sodiq, Ahmed MB1.5
Sofela, Samuel TD2.3
Soopee, Asif SB2.3
Sowwan, Solaiman SA3.3
Strong, Emily SC1.6
Sumaya Al Mansoori,
Sumaya
TF3.5
Suwwan, Dana ME4.2
Svinterikos, Efstratios MB4.1
Sweedan, Amr MG3.1
Sydnaoui, Ikhlass MG4.3
Syed, Wajih TA1.3
T
Taghadosi, Mansour MA2.2
Taha, Inas TD2.4
Taha, Kamal SE2.1
Taha, Tarek TB2.1
Taha, Wesam TA3.4
Taher, Hanifa SA1.5
Tay, Guan MF3.1
Tekeste, Temesghen MA3.1
Temimi, Marouane ME3.4
ME4.1
TG1.4
Terzis, Dimitrios MG4.2
Thiemann, Thies MB1.4
104
PAG
E.103Author Session
MB2.2
MD3.3
Thomas, Justin MF2.2
MF3.3
Timraz, Sara MF1.1
Tridane, Abdessamad SG3.2
Tseng, Chien-Ming TE3.2
Tsoupos, Alexandros TA3.2
Turner, James TE3.1
U
Umer, Rehan SD1.5
Uratani, Joao MB3.3
V
van Liempt, Frank SD1.3
Viegas, Jaime TD1.3
TD1.4
TD2.4
Villalobos, Uver MD4.3
Viola, Francesco TG1.5
W
Wahbah, Maisam TA1.4
Wahbah, Salima TC1.2
Waheed, Owais Talaat MA2.4
Werisch, Stefan MF4.3
Woon, Wei Lee SE3.4
TE2.3
TE3.3
Y
Yapici, Murat Kaya MA1.3
Yaqub, Waheeb TE2.4
Yazgan Birgi, Pelin ME4.3
Yeun, Chan TF2.3
Yeun, Chan Yeob TE1.4
TF1.5
Author Session
TF3.3
Yoo, Paul SE2.1
Younes, Hammad MD3.2
TD2.3
Yousuf, Samer TE2.1
Yousuf, Soha TA2.4
Z
Zafar, Humaira TA2.4
Zanki, Mohamed MC4.3
Zayed, Ahmed MC3.1
Zeid, Salma MA1.2
Zeineldin, Hatem SE1.2
TA3.3
Zemerly, Jamal SE2.3
Zemerly, Mohamed
Jamal
TF1.5
Zitouni, M. Sami SA1.6
SA3.2
Zuburtikudis, Ioannis MB4.1
Zuhair, Lubna TF3.2
105
PAG
E.104
Notes
PAG
E.105
Notes
PAG
E.106
Notes
PAG
E.107
Notes
PAG
E.108
www.uaegsrc.ae