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The Bahraini higher education sector has been subject to a substantial reform process throughout the past two decades. In this process, the government's role transformed from being the sole educational service provider to the regulator responsible for protecting the public good. This transformation opened the door for private universities to emerge onto the landscape. A neoliberal orientation, including the privatisation of education, increased the pressure on institutions and individuals to meet international standards and comply with the new market rules. The need for efficiency and lean operations resulted in the rise of part-time (PT) employment. Naturally, the traditional employment relationship between academics and their institutions also changed. The purpose of this thesis is to analyse this employment from the perspective of both full-time (FT) and PT faculty. The notion of the Psychological Contract (PC) is deployed as a conceptual lens to facilitate the investigation. The PC refers to the implicit and sometimes unspoken aspects of the agreement between employees and employers. The study examines the content and nature of the PC of academic staff based on the framework discussed by Rousseau (1995). Adopting a qualitative approach, ten faculty members (five males and five females) working at different higher educational institutions in Bahrain were interviewed. The participants were from both public and private institutions. The data were analysed using the thematic analysis technique. The analysis revealed six key themes and 15 sub-themes, addressing the issues of obligations, expectations, promises, and reciprocity. The results suggest that FT faculty differ from their PT counterparts in their expectations of institutions and how they relate to them. FT faculty reported a significant increase in the administrative burden associated with their role. Quality assurance (QA) and accreditation reviews expanded the scope of their job, compromising their feeling of autonomy. Despite marginalisation and unequal pay, PT faculty enjoy the luxury of choosing work assignments and the ability to evade QA reviews, giving them a feeling of contentment to a certain extent. The results also suggest that PT faculty experience a unique type of PC that seems to be neglected in the literature. Overall, the study shows that the psychological experience of academics is characterised by conflicting feelings and values. There is a need for institutions and regulators to assess the academic workload and evaluate the real added value of neoliberal practices in the HE sector.

Alkaptonuria (AKU) is an ultra-rare, autosomal recessive metabolic disease caused by a deficiency of HGD enzyme leading to increased circulating homogentisic acid (HGA). HGA is deposited as ochronotic pigment in connective tissues, leading to multisystemic involvements including severe arthropathy and cardiovascular calcification. 18F-NaF PET/CT is a sensitive imaging modality which can offer unique and accurate information concerning the radiotracer activity at the ROI using PET semiquantitative assessment methods such as standardised uptake value (SUV). The main aims of this thesis were to investigate the utility of 18F-NaF PET/CT as an imaging biomarker for detecting the early stage of bone involvement, early disc degeneration, and the early stage of microvascular calcification for AKU patients. Part of this thesis aimed to assess the progression of the disease and the response of therapy over four years for SONIA 2 patients by evaluating the changes in 18F-NaF PET/CT scans. AKU patients who were enrolled in the SONIA 2 trial and underwent 18F-NaF PET/CT were included in the analysis in this thesis. HUmean and SUVmax were measured from lumbar vertebrae, femoral head, and lumbar disc. SUVmax, TBRmax, and HUmean were measured for the main cardiac arteries. The studies presented in this thesis show four key findings: First, high 18F-NaF uptake and low HUmean values were detected in the lower spine and hip lesions from 18F-NaF PET/CT scan, indicating active bone turnover and low bone density in AKU patients. Bone HUmean and SUVmax values in the spine consistently decrease with age, indicating decreased bone density, decreased osteoblastic activity, and reduced spine perfusion which may be assiocated with ochronosis and ageing. Second, disc degeneration was strongly associated with increased SUVmax in PET images and high Pfirrmann scores in MR images in AKU patients. Lumbar disc SUVmax increased gradually with age followed by a decline in the later years, which is related to the disease progression. In the advanced disc degeneration, less binding sites would be available to bind with 18F-NaF and was therefore associated with low SUV. Third, there were no significant differences between the nitisinone-treated and non-treated patients in the adjusted mean change in 18F-NaF PET/CT quantitative values for the spine. Minimal changes in the SUVmax and HUmean over the visits have been noted in both groups, suggesting that nitisinone may not directly affect spinal tissues or the impact of nitisinone needs more time to be noticeable. In fact nitisinone might slow the progression of ochronosis by stopping further pigmentation, but it is unlikely to reverse ochronosis or treat severe damage, specifically in the lumbar spine regions. Fourth, cardiac involvements appeared as increased 18F-NaF uptake and local dense areas in 18F-NaF PET/CT images, indicating cardiovascular calcification in AKU patients. Calcified vessels were detected in PET images due to the strong biological similarities between bone formation and vascular calcification as the main structural component in both events is hydroxyapatite; the 18F-NaF uptake mechanism in the calcified vessels is similar to that in bone tissues. Overall, this thesis reveals that 18F-NaF PET/CT scan is a promising imaging technique to identify early musculoskeletal and cardiovascular involvements in AKU patients. This thesis proposed novel and reliable 18F-NaF PET/CT semiquantitative assessment methods to assess disease progression and treatment response.

It is beyond dispute that natural hazards cause significant damage to physical and human domains, with more disasters occurring in the last 25 years are increasingly linked to climate change. Therefore, there is a growing need to minimise the dangers and threats faced by individual countries. Due to its geographical location and environmental conditions, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is particularly exposed to various natural hazards, resulting in both the infrastructure and urbanisation being at risk. The uncertainty and complexity of emergencies requires particular arrangement responses from emergency agencies, such as the civil defence, and police services to share in minimising the impact of the emerging threats. The reoccurrence of hazards and their impact suggest that the implementation of the emergency response system and the incident command are wrong, or that there is a gap found between the theory and practice in emergency response. Consequently, the UAE has realised the necessity for implementing an appropriate hazard response system to avert and mitigate the potential consequences of the hazards and to deal with future emergencies. This has proven beneficial in the identification and evaluation of the primary vital factors and gaps in the implementation of the incident command system, in particular, the Civil Defence General Command (CDGC) agency used as a case study for this research. Thus, this research aims to develop an incident command system framework based on a feasibility assessment to facilitate emergency response, increase capacity, and enhance resilience of the CDGC in dealing with hazards in the UAE. To achieve this aim the research employed exploratory sequential mixed method approach to collect and analyse the required data. In the first stage, qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with Gold and Silver commanders (n=15). These commanders were selected due to their high positions in their departments, with the Gold commander in the role of a general director, and the Silver commander as a deputy director at the CDGC agency. In addition, thematic analysis was used to identify key critical factors of the incident command system, which were; implementation, organisational, individual, barriers and driver factors in the current deployment of the incident command structure. The second stage of the investigation employed questionnaires survey to measure and examine the perceptions and values of the Bronze commanders (n=153). These commanders were selected due to their job roles in the operational field as they being first responders to incidents. A Kruskal -Wallis test (KWt) was used to examine whether there were any significant relationships between the independent variables (CD departments, job position and academic qualification) and the dependent variables (the incident command system factors) at level (p < 0.05). Thereafter, further questionnaires were collected from experts (n=11), which helped in achieving the UAE incident command framework validation. A sample size of experts was selected to reduce bias associated with a decrease in the possibility of data response. Generally, the higher commander ranks tended to reveal excellent judgment regarding the research results, in accordance with their years of experience, which was more than 11 years and above. The realisation of key contributions to awareness and understanding completed the knowledge gap by presenting a developed incident command system framework that addressed the key factors associated with the successful implementation of the incident command system adaptable to the UAE's environmental conditions. This research identified and evaluated the critical factors of implementation, organisational, individual, barrier and driver of the incident command system in the CDGC agency in the UAE. The barrier factors were treated statistically to build an improvement strategy for an effective emergency response. This research has practical implications for the incident commanders as it actively assures improved operation of the incident command system currently in place, so that it enhances the capabilities within the CDGC agency during emergency response operations. By doing so, emergency agencies in the UAE can be more effective and efficient. As a result, the proposal of a new framework contributed to a more detailed and less confusing system that overcome the identified barriers and aided successful emergency management.

Background: Personalised nutrition (PN) aims to improve dietary intake and the health of individuals and to minimise the risk of chronic disease. Aims: To develop and validate a web-based food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) suitable for Kuwait. This was incorporated into a PN app (eNutri), to investigate the efficacy of web-based PN compared to identical face-to-face PN and online population advice (EatWellQ8 study). A UK version of the eNutri app was previously used to assess the diet of UK adults (EatWellUK study) and baseline dietary data from these studies were compared. Methods: Free-living adults were recruited from Kuwait for validation of the EatwellQ8 FFQ (n=99) which was compared with a 4 day-weighed food record (WFR) and a paper-form FFQ (PFFQ). To assess the effectiveness of delivering online PN advice using the eNutri app in Kuwait, participants (n=320) were randomised to web-based PN, face-to-face PN or generalised advice control groups for 12-weeks. Diet quality was assessed using a modified Alternative Healthy Eating Index (m-AHEI) at 0 and 12 weeks. Effects on the m-AHEI components, foods and nutrients were analysed using generalised linear models (GLM), as were comparisons between baseline data from the EatWellQ8 and EatWellUK studies. Results: The EatWellQ8 FFQ was reproducible and had moderate agreement with the PFFQ and a 4-day WFR for measuring energy and nutrient intakes. After 12 weeks of the EatWellQ8 study (n=100), m-AHEI scores increased significantly in both PN intervention groups (face-to-face PN 19%, web-based 12%) compared to controls (4%) (P < 0.01). BMI (-0.5 kg/m2) reductions were only significant in the face-to-face PN (P < 0.01). Compared to baseline data from EatWellQ8 (n=208), EatWellUK (n=309) participants’ overall m-AHEI score was significantly higher (P < 0.01). Conclusion: Kuwaiti diets were less healthy than the UK. PN is more effective at improving dietary change than population-based advice in Kuwait. Future work should focus on delivery of PN advice in larger, longer-term trials including more heterogenous populations.

Population-based cancer survival is a key measure of the effectiveness of health systems in managing cancer. Monitoring survival over time and between countries is also crucial to assess inequalities and drive policies for cancer control. In this thesis, I use data from the Kuwait Cancer Registry (KCR) to produce a comprehensive profile of population-based cancer survival in Kuwait, to enable evaluation of cancer care in the country. In order to produce robust population-based net survival estimates, it is necessary to have the full date of both the cancer diagnosis and the last known vital status for all patients. All deaths must be included, irrespective of the cause of death. A new approach to obtain followup data on the vital status of all registered Kuwaiti cancer patients was implemented. This enabled the estimation of population-based cancer survival in Kuwait for the first time, using robust and unbiased methods that allow comparisons to be made over time and between different populations. Further analyses of survival by stage at diagnosis were also performed, to provide a deeper understanding of cancer survival in Kuwait. Finally, an overall assessment of progress against cancer was performed, using the three main cancer control metrics: incidence, survival and mortality. The findings demonstrate that survival has improved for many cancers in Kuwait during 2000-2013. However, further research is required to help dissect the underlying causes of the differences in survival between Kuwait and other countries with comparable income and health systems. It also highlighted the importance of more complete collection of stage data, the necessity of improving early detection, and the need for systematic production and assessment of cancer control measures in Kuwait. The findings should assist policymakers and practitioners investing in the Kuwaiti healthcare system to achieve optimal outcomes and provide guidance towards future research in the country.

Modern Digital Forensic (DF) departments/sections are witnessing rapid increase in digital forensic cases through the years. The challenges of DF cases investigation are getting more robust and they are affecting digital forensic investigation processes. Accordingly, understanding different factors affecting Person-Hours of investigation from real cases records, and recognising the context of work with different strategies and practices performed in different departments. It is necessary to create a stable ground to face all the factors affecting the investigative processes. This research detailsthe cases' trends in the D¬ubai Police. It also identifies the main challenges encountered by DF including rising volumes of data, and case complexity, using real case records from the Dubai Police, this extensive research explains the contribution of several factors to the delay in the DF investigation process. The research also elucidates the context of work of DF departments in other locations and other countries to understand a range of case allocation strategies and case management procedures. The research contributes a set of Decision Tables that could be used by DF managers and supervisors to select best proposed case allocation strategies and case management procedures. The research is accomplished through a series of three studies referred to as Study One, Study Two, and Study Three. Study One (Investigation of the Dubai Police Records) involves a quantitative analysis of secondary data in the form of case records from the Dubai Police (DP) Database and associated reports. This study addresses the first research question (RQ1): "What are the trends and challenges encountered by practitioners faced with large volume/heterogeneity DF investigations?" by measuring the growth of cases and identifying the main factors for the delay in DF investigations. Study Two (Interviews with DF managers) follows a qualitative approach using the phenomenological model, and covers the second research question (RQ2): "What are the effect of different factors behind the delay of DF investigation process?" The study identifies the common factors affecting delay in DF investigations, from the diverse experiences and backgrounds of DF decision makers around the world. Study Three (Confirmation of the Interviews) again uses the phenomenological model, and covers the third research question (RQ3): "What are the different case management procedures and workflow implementation practices currently used?" This study evaluates the efficacy of different case allocation strategies and workflow implementation practices with selected participants and results in a contribution to DF in the form of a series of Decision Tables for case allocation. The main findings of the research explain the main factors that lead to the creation of delay in DF investigation and thereafter affect the DF investigation process. Moreover, this research identifies case management strategies and workflow implementation practices. The research also suggests several Decision Tables to allow managers and people who are in charge to select a case management strategy and workflow implementation depending on several conditions.

This thesis presents a study on the microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of oxygen-free copper processed by equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP) and high-pressure torsion (HPT) at room temperature. Experiments were systematically conducted to examine microstructural stability and deformation mechanisms, and their influence on the mechanical properties. A significant grain refinement was attained after deforming the material by 24 passes of ECAP and 10 turns of HPT. The microstructure in the steady-state condition consisted of equiaxed ultrafine grains (UFGs) with high-angles of misorientation. Hardness values increase with increasing number of ECAP passes and HPT turns, and the microhardness distribution was relatively homogenous. ECAP and HPT samples were pulled to failure at room temperature using strain rates of 1.0×10-4 s-1, 1.0×10-3 s-1 and 1.0×10-2 s-1. The direct influence of recovery behaviour on the tensile properties was investigated. A simultaneous increase in strength and ductility were observed with increasing number of ECAP passes as well as HPT turns. This is due to occurrence of dynamic recovery at an equivalent strain of ~12 that decreases the total dislocation density and restores the work hardening ability of oxygen-free copper. Both grain boundary and dislocation strengthening mechanisms contribute to the strength of oxygen-free copper. Higher ductility but lower strength was observed when using lower strain rates. UFG copper samples produced by HPT were stored at room temperature for 12 months to investigate microstructural stability and self-annealing phenomena. The results show that the samples processed by a low number of turns exhibit lower thermal stability after storage of 12 months in comparison to the samples processed by a high number of turns. A significant decrease in the hardness was recorded near the edges of the discs processed by 1/4, 1/2 and 1 turn due to recrystallization and grain growth whereas a minor drop in hardness values were observed in the samples processed by 3, 5 and 10 turns, and this drop was related to the recovery mechanism. Tensile tests were repeated after 12 months and the results showed that the ductility was enhanced in compensation for strength. To investigate the deformation mechanism and thermal stability under high strain rates, copper samples were subjected to 1, 4 and 8 passes of ECAP and further deformed by dynamic testing. A significant grain refinement was produced in the ECAP specimens after dynamic testing which is comparable to the grain refinement produced by severe plastic deformation (SPD) techniques such as ECAP and HPT. The grain refinement mechanism was mainly by dislocation slip in the specimen processed by 1 pass whereas it was through dynamic recrystallization for the specimen processed by 8 passes. This is due to the difference in the dislocation densities and stored energy between the ECAP specimens. A 1 pass specimen has better stability than 4 and 8-pass specimens during dynamic testing. It was also shown that increasing the testing temperature and/or the strain rate can highly influence the deformation mechanism.

This thesis investigates the relationship between bank business models, capital structure, lending behaviour and risk. First, we investigated the impact of bank business models on stock crash risk. In a sample of 1373 listed banks in 34 OECD countries over the period 2000-2013, we found that the investment bank business model is associated with lower stock crash risk while the commercial and the universal business models are more likely to encounter higher stock crash risk. In addition, we found that commission and fees income is the least likely to be prone to stock crash risk. Moreover, the findings show that there is a negative relationship between the long-term funding structure and stock crash risk, while there is a positive relationship between the short-term funding structure and stock crash risk. Second, we investigated whether stock volatility has an impact on bank capital decisions. We found that banks react to increases in stock volatility by reducing leverage, specifically, by depending more on short-term funding and less on long-term funding. We also found that banks respond to increases in stock volatility by increasing paid-in share capital and increasing the usage of reserves. By analysing banks assets, we found that during volatile periods, banks tend to hold less of risky assets, particularly, by reducing lending, depending more on securities, and increasing the holding of liquid assets. Our findings also show that the reduction in portfolio risk is associated with drops in income. Third, we investigated whether stock volatility has an impact on banks’ lending decisions and whether this relationship is influenced by the financial crises. We found that banks react to stock volatility by reducing the credit supply of each of net loans, gross loans, retail loans, and commercial loans; while no significant effect is reported on mortgage loans. Moreover, the effect of both the global financial crisis (2008-2009) and the Eurozone crisis (2010-2011) are found to be associated with decreased loans, while prior the crises period (2000-2007) showed this particular relationship to be weaker. We found that bank size is an important factor determining bank lending, as large banks are found to be less affected by stock market uncertainty than small banks. We also found that stable sources of funding such as capital and customer deposits play an important role in stabilizing the lending behaviour of banks. Finally, we confirmed the significant role of stock volatility in predicting future banks’ lending decisions.

This dissertation consists of the three essays; in these three essays I study different areas of trade integration among Gulf Cooperation Council Countries (GCC) by examining the effect of GCC Free Trade Agreement (GCC FTA) on trade among GCC countries during the 1983-2010 period. In the three essays, different variations of the gravity model of international trade are applied to a set of bilateral trade flows among 54 countries representing GCC countries and their major trade partners during the 1978-2010 period. The first essay is presented in chapter two, where I investigate the effect of GCC FTA on aggregate trade among GCC countries. The findings of chapter two suggest that GCC FTA has resulted in trade creation among GCC countries during the 1983-2010 period. The second essay is presented in chapter three, where I investigate the effect of GCC FTA on intra-industry trade among GCC countries. Investigating GCC FTA effects for disaggregate trade is important, as the aggregate results may suffer from aggregation bias. Also, it helps identify the sectors that benefit more from GCC FTA which is an important issue for GCC countries that are seeking diversification of their economies. Chapter three results suggest that GCC FTA trade creation was more concentrated in sectors that exhibit lower shares of GCC intra-trade during the 1983-2010 time period. The third essay is presented in chapter four where I investigate whether GCC FTA trade creation/destruction effect (aggregate and intra-industry trade) among GCC countries was attributed mainly to new trade relations (extensive margin) or to existing trade relations (intensive margin), and whether GCC FTA led to an increase in new trade relations among GCC countries. Chapter four results suggest that GCC FTA trade creation is attributed mostly to trade along the intensive margin while GCC FTA has a negative effect on trade along the extensive margin for most trade sectors. Overall, the results of the three essays suggest that trade integration among GCC countries is not very deep. Although GCC FTA is effective at the aggregate level, however GCC FTA failed to promote trade among GCC countries in larger intra-trade industries and failed in creating trade in new products among GCC countries. GCC countries have plans for a unified currency, since a unified currency requires deeper levels of economic integration than those needed for an FTA, the shallow level of trade integration maybe a sign that GCC economies are not yet ready to adopt a unified currency.

Promoting economic diversity is important for states reliant on natural resources as the major source of economic development. Many of these states suffer from the Dutch disease leading to negative effects, which hinders economic diversification. One of the ways to reduce dependency on national resources is to encourage Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows, which aids diversification by the transfer of technology, the creation of new employment opportunities, and the adoption of modern management practices. The Gulf Council Cooperation (GCC) countries recognised the necessity and benefits of FDI as an aid to economic diversification; it seems, however, that Kuwait is lagging behind in this endeavour. The government of Kuwait has engaged in a series of policy measures to induce Multinational Companies (MNCs) to invest in Kuwait, but the results, thus far, have been disappointing. The formal and informal institutions interact in a variety of ways. However, ineffective formal rules can create different outcomes; particularly, in the presence of strong informal institutions. In such a case, formal rules and procedures are not enforced systematically, that is, enabling actors who are involved in the policy process to ignore or violate them, which subsequently results in a failure to attract inward FDI to a host country. Thus, this study investigates the reasons behind this failure by examining the role of formal and informal institutions on FDI policy and on decisions on whether to grant FDI licences by means of using a New Institutional Economics (NIE) approach. The conceptual framework is used as a guide for an inquiry into the subject of study by constructing a category of intellectual scaffolding, which would provide a coherent structure (Schlager, 2007). The conceptual framework in this study systematically organises the investigation into how a MNC examines a potential investment location by dividing the host country assessments into four distinct 'stages'. When systematically conducted, the respective approach is grounded in the existing literature, which provides theories regarding the behaviour of MNCs in relation to their decision-making processes for considering locations for their FDI projects. The research questions derived from the conceptual framework are answered using a mixed methods research approach that uses three sets of data survey, semi-structured interviews, and secondary data. Firstly, the findings show that almost that all MNCs in the Gulf region have a limited awareness regarding investment opportunities in Kuwait, FDI laws and regulations. Secondly, the findings reveal a number of attractive and unattractive locations, and institutional factors of Kuwait. Finally, it is discovered that the high rejection rate of FDI applications is linked to unsuccessful policy implementation, which is a result of interaction of both formal and informal institutions in Kuwait. Subsequently, the results are utilised to make a number of recommendations for government policy makers, administrators, and for MNCs regarding how to improve FDI inflows into Kuwait. The results are also used to contribute towards the international business literature concerning the institution based view of FDI, and for government policy connected to attracting FDI.

The educational system in Kuwait is intended to provide primary and secondary students with required skills in order to operate in the technical careers commonly undertaken. However, mathematics education lags significantly behind other countries in Kuwait. In the 1997 and 2008 TIMMS international studies of primary and secondary mathematics achievement, Kuwait ranked near the bottom on almost all scores. Thus, improving mathematics education in Kuwait is an issue of serious concern. This research focuses on the question of whether mathematics teaching and learning in Kuwaiti primary schools (grade 4) can be improved through the use of computer-based tools for practice drills and constructive mathematics play. An observational intervention was used in a classroom of 24 children, where students took a pre-test for mathematics achievement, then engaged in a series of exercises through the term and were retested at the end of the term. This was accompanied by a series of in-services and teacher interviews that were conducted within the school, in order to discover attitudes about mathematics teaching and learning and to train teachers in the suggested approaches and techniques. A combined qualitative and quantitative approach included analysis of test scores and interviews with teachers and students. The overall outcomes of the study did show a slight increase in mathematics achievement scores. However, more importantly it showed an improvement in children's and teacher's attitudes to mathematics learning related to the introduction of constructive play activities (derived from the Cambridge University N-RICH program and selected for students based on level of achievement) Overall, the importance of this study is that it provides pragmatic information for Kuwaiti teachers and curriculum designers on improving mathematics teaching and learning.

The aim of this research was to study the effectiveness of a typical oilfield corrosion inhibitor, which is considered to be a green inhibitor (non toxic to the environment) in controlling internal corrosion of welded X65 pipeline steel in brines saturated with carbon dioxide at one bar pressure, under dynamic flowing conditions, over a range of temperatures. Several experimental configurations were used ranging from a simple flat plate design to a novel rotating cylinder electrode, to allow high shear stress to be achieved. The rotating cylinder electrode (RCE) apparatus was designed to allow steel from the weld metal, heat affected zone (HAZ) and parent material to be galvanically coupled and tested in high shear stress conditions. In producing the RCE, the three regions of the weld were identified by optical metallography and samples of each were machined to produce cylindrical electrodes, which were mounted on a motor driven shaft. Electrical connections were made to the three electrodes via a high quality slip-ring assembly. The galvanic currents flowing between the regions of the weld were recorded using zero-resistance ammeters and their self-corrosion rates were found by uncoupling the electrodes and performing polarization resistance measurements. For static conditions the inhibitor had an effective performance and after a short initial period during which film formation took place, at longer exposure times a dramatic reduction of corrosion rate was obtained. Under flowing conditions, both the galvanic currents and the self-corrosion rates were found to increase with the shear stress, as the rotational speed of the RCE was increased. The total corrosion rate of each weld region was assessed from the sum of the self-corrosion and galvanic contributions. In most cases, the weld metal and HAZ were shown to be cathodic to the parent material and this was considered to be a desirable situation as localised corrosion of the weld was minimised. However, in some circumstances, including inhibition of pre-corroded steel surfaces, a current reversal took place, which resulted in accelerated corrosion of the weld. These findings are explained in terms of the protective nature of the films that form on each region of the weld.

The aim of this study was to explore the attitudes and perceptions of citizens towards the adoption of e-government services in developing countries. This is deemed of value at a time when e-government initiatives are still emerging in many developing countries and many government departments and units have put a wide range of materials from publications and information about government services online for use by citizens. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model was adopted in this study to identify factors that determine the adoption of e-government services. The use of a theoretical model allowed for formulating hypotheses governing the relationship between the different variables. Mixed research methods were utilised to fulfil the aims and objectives of this study. The quantitative and qualitative methods used included a questionnaire survey, which incorporated the amended version of the UTAUT model and which was completed by more than 800 students at Kuwait University, as well as usability testing, focus groups, interviews and open-ended questions. The study found that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, peer influence and facilitating conditions were direct determinants of usage intention and behaviour while Internet experience and type of academic course moderated the impact of the determinants on usage intention and behaviour. The results also showed that the general attitudes towards adopting e-government services were positive. The study identified a number of factors that positively influenced the attitude of respondents regarding the adoption of e-government services. These factors were related to reforming bureaucracy, usefulness, eliminating the importance of connections (wasta), facilitating government-public communication, reducing gender differences, and including all people in society. However, negative attitudes identified towards adopting e-government services related to fears and concerns about issues of technology, such as privacy and security. Other issues were related to lack of awareness, increasing unemployment rates, lack of faith in government, the belief that face-to-face interaction would add value to dealings with government, and most importantly, lack of capacity building. The evaluation of the Kuwait e-government website, as supplemental information, also identified a number of strengths and weaknesses that contributed to an increase or decrease in the potential adoption of e-government services. All adoption findings identified in this study were modelled through the use of a systemic approach which provided some insight into and understanding of the factors underlying the adoption of e-government services in developing countries. Based on the results and conclusions of the research, recommendations were made to officials responsible for the e-government project and ideas for further research were identified.

One of the biggest shortcomings of traditional quadcopters is that they are underactuatedwith control over only 4 out of a possible 6 degrees of freedom. The user may control translations in all three axes as well as a single rotation in the Z axis, otherwise known as yaw. A handful of designs have been introduced in the field to gain control of the two remaining degrees of freedom, as gaining control of them would mean complete control over the quadcopter’s attitude and position, a useful feature in certain applications. This work delves deeper into a design introduced in a previous work, of an overactuated quadcopter design with twelve system inputs, where each arm has 3 control inputs – propeller speed, a twist angle, and a tilt angle. A system identification of the quadcopter is completed using an experimental setup that dissects the quadcopter into a modular part – a single- arm. Furthermore, a multibody dynamic simulation of the complete quadcopter is created which accounts for the system’s mass distribution, moments of inertia, and low level motor dynamics which were simplified or ignored in previous work. In addition to the previously proposed control scheme, a new scheme is also introduced which simplifies the system into a 6 input to 6 output system, thus creating a more simple and elegant control scheme. Both control schemes are tested in simulation and experiment with success.

Leakage is an undesired abnormality that causes economical losses and impacts the environment. Leak detection tests in pipe networks are usually interpreted using water-hammer equations (WHE). These equations are nonlinear hyperbolic partial differential equations (PDEs) used to describe transient flows in pipes. The associated uncertainties in initial and boundary conditions, parameters, and leak strength and location increases the stochastic behavior of these equations. The method of distributions is used to derive a deterministic PDE for probability density function (PDF) of pressure head and flow velocity under uncertain initial conditions. The derivation requires a closure approximation that ensures its consistency with the mean and the variance of the state variables. A series of numerical experiments confirms the computational gain of this method over Monte Carlo simulations.The PDF of pressure head obtained using the method of distributions serves as a prior PDF for data assimilation. Bayesian framework is used to update this distribution with a statistical model for observations obtained from the data collected by a pressure sensor. The result is posterior PDFs for leak location and leak strength. Series of numerical experiments are conducted for a single pipe and pipe networks under uncertain initial velocity and measurement noise to identify leak location and leak strength. The results are compared with the best fitness function that is used in inverse transient analysis.

AIM: The aim of this preliminary clinical study is to compare the stress level of non-hypertensive and hypertensive subjects by measuring changes in Chromogranin A (CgA) level in saliva before and after non-surgical periodontal treatment, scaling and root planing (SRP), subjects and to determine if the dental treatment affects the patient’s stress level. We will also measure the changes in arterial blood pressure before and after non-surgical periodontal treatment. Finally, compare if the duration of treatment affects the CgA level and blood pressure between non-hypertensive and hypertensive subjects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty patients participated in the study and only 17 evaluated. Four hypertensive patients and 13 non-hypertensive patients. Blood pressure was measured and saliva samples were collected at consultation visit (T0) and before (T1) and after (T2) non-surgical periodontal treatment (SRP). Duration of treatment was recorded. RESULTS: Concentration of CgA (pmol/ml) in the hypertensive group between T0 – T2 and T1 – T2 was a decrease of 15% and 46.5% respectively. The non-hypertensive group a decrease of 71% and 64.4% respectively. For the whole population, there was a significant decrease in CgA concentration between T0 – T2 (p-value = 0.046) and T1 – T2 (p-value = 0.032) with no statistical significance between T0 – T1 (p-value =0.873). No significant difference in change of blood pressure. CONCLUSION: Within the limitations of this study, there was no significant difference in blood pressure measurements. Concentrations of CgA decreased significantly after SRP compared to before SRP in all groups. A larger sample size is needed in the future.

ABSTRACT In a constantly expanding and globalized world, the voice of Kuwaiti women teachers and their perception of their cultural identity is burdened with adapting to new educational trends mainly from the West, and accommodating an increasing student populations. This creates a disconnect between the basis where educators learn/gain their ethic of care and what's expected of them to perform. This dissertation sheds some light on the severity of this disconnection and the origins of the manifestation of the ethic of care in Kuwaiti women educators. The major findings of this study are the existence of an 'anchor relationship' the narrators had, and a strong familial foundation that served as an `anchor relationship’ for some narrators. Other findings indicate the necessity of revamping the teacher preparation program (T.P.P.) in order to ameliorate the current gap in embracing the Kuwaiti cultural codes.

The term Gestalt literally means "form" in German. In the early 20th century, the Gestalt Principles of Perception were developed by German psychologists from the Berlin School. These principles describe the different ways the human mind organizes visual elements into groups or unified wholes. The definition of Gestalt in relation to these principles is "unified whole." This thesis is an endeavor to examine the five major principles of Gestalt perception through the use of short animations and illustrated examples, presented in a website. It will also allow the user to test the knowledge provided through a short multiple-choice quiz and an experimental workshop section. The website will essentially be an educational tool for students and teachers alike, helping establish a strong visual and aesthetic awareness and improvement in design choices.

Objectives. To investigate the effect of acrylic resin thickness and the stud attachment housings on the maximum breaking load, flexural strength and flexural modulus of denture base acrylic resins overlying implant overdenture attachments.;Methods. Fifty-two rectangular specimens were fabricated from high impact denture acrylic resin (Lucitone 199). Forty specimens contain 2.00 mm height Locator attachment titanium denture caps with black processing males, 12 specimens did not include the denture cap. All specimens were fabricated according to ANSI/ADA SPECIFICATION NO. 12-2002 for testing denture base resin with constant measurements of 64 mm in length, 10 mm in width, and variable testing thickness. The specimens were divided into four testing groups according to different thickness of 3, 4, 5, and 6 mm. Each group had 10 specimens with denture cap and 3 specimens without denture cap. Specimens were subjected to 3-point-bending flexural test till fracture using the Instron Universal testing machine. After data collection, mean values and standard deviations were calculated and a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to evaluate the effect of denture base thickness, on the flexural strength and modulus of the control and Locator testing specimens.;Results. The data collected showed a positive effect with the use of Locators caps in test specimens on the flexural modulus and maximum displacement. Results showed a positive relationship between maximum load, maximum displacement at break and acrylic thickness. There was no significant effect of different acrylic thicknesses on the flexural strength or flexural modulus.;Conclusions. Evaluation of the available interarch distance, proper diagnosis, and treatment planning is of critical importance to minimize prosthesis complications and failure. Implant-retained overdentures utilizing a low profile stud attachment (Locators by Zest) is a recommended treatment option for patients with compromised interarch space. Implant stud attachment components integrated in denture resin has a positive effect on the flexural modulus. The stiffness of the denture resin increased when Locator caps were contained in the specimens compared to specimens with no caps. There was a positive effect of acrylic thickness on the maximum load at break and maximum displacement. Increase acrylic thickness will lead to higher maximum load and decreased incidence of overdenture fractures.