The use of Ionic Liquids (ILs) offers the opportunity to revolutionize the way we do business and opens the door for many processing options that are already available to us using the conventional organic solvents. ILs have unique properties, such as low volatility and melting point, and have a large variety of applications in the chemical industry. This research is dedicated to evaluate the potential of using ILs in desalination plants as a pre-treatment technique, to reduce the load and energy use in the plants. We hereby investigated the ability of selected hydrophilic and hydrophobic ILs to dissolve the salts that are present in seawater to decrease the salinity of the feed before the desalination process. The solubility of sodium chloride, magnesium chloride and calcium chloride in ILs was measured at different temperatures. It was found that both the structure of IL and temperature affect the solubility.
This study is done to verify the potential of producing lactic acid using Aikan Technologies percolation reactor concept, as Aikan currently only focuses on producing high purity methane using this concept. In Emirates of Abu Dhabi the market value of methane is as low as 4.4 AED/kg compared to 913, 134, ~200 and 3966 AED/kg of lactic, acetic, butyric and propionic acid respectively. The research team successfully managed to construct a labscale garage type waste management sprinkler system inspired by Aikan Technologies. The system constructed is a combination of a percolation unit along with a fermenter. Initial results after 48 hours showed 1.08ml, 0.381ml, 0.41ml, and 0.234ml of lactic, acetic propionic and butyric acid respectively. After 72 hours the results showed a percentage increase.
In this work, a coating based on ORMOSIL thin films doped with nanoflower-like Bi2WO6 have been prepared and tested under visible light in water. Significant amounts of H2O2 have been produced via photocatalytic oxidation of water. This result allows for the degradation of (bio)organic pollutants adsorbed on the film. The thin films have been characterized by means of different techniques, i.e. SEM, EDX-SEM, and UV-vis spectroscopy.
NaBH4, CH3CO2H, Pd/C has been described as a reagent system to hydrogenate alkenoates and alkenones. Here, we show that O-debenzylation does not occur under the conditions, making it possible to hydrogenate a double bond under Pd/C catalysis without O-debenzylation.
TiO2 nanoparticles were prepared from titanium butoxide using the sol-gel technique. CH4N2O, C3H5N, NH3, NH4NO3 and C2H8N2 were investigated as nitrogen doping sources. Prepared catalysts were thermally treated at 400 ?C to ensure crystallinity. Photoreactivity experiments were performed under visible light and the decrease in the concentration of 4-nitrophenol was monitored as a function of its absorbance at a wavelength of 315 nm. The most effective nitrogen source was identified and weight percentage of doping was varied until the optimal value was achieved. Characterization of the TiO2 catalysts was carried out by UV/vis diffuse reflectance, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis and BET surface area and porosity analysis. The results show that N-doping improves the photoactivity of TiO2 and the crystal phases of the prepared TiO2 powders are brookite and rutile.
This study investigates the influences of personality and culture upon perceptions of privacy in social media usage in the UAE. Survey research will be conducted exploring social media user personality traits and compared across cultural dimensions. Results will compare cultural influences on Internet privacy relative to intrinsic personality traits, within the context of a common online media environment. Implications will assist social media sites in tailoring online experiences across cultures.
This research study draws attention to education programs intended for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (H/H) children in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The purpose of the study is to explore learning of Emirati Sign Language (SL) for three Deaf preschoolers and possible influence this has on learning Arabic spoken language skills. Following a qualitative research design, a case study of three students took place during autumn quarter 2015 in a kindergarten for the Deaf H/H in Sharjah, UAE. Data was collected through classroom observations, and student reports. Data analysis indicated important themes: social interactions, SL learning, and spoken language skills development. I show how spoken Arabic language skills improved while students continued learning Emirati SL. This study is an exploratory study providing an impetus for Deaf H/H education practices in the UAE. Further research should consider different research designs and a larger number of participants to obtain generalizable results.
Terrorism and insurgencies have evolved and this has called for an evolution in how they are fought. Counterinsurgency has emerged as an effective counter-terrorism strategy and a key component of the whole of government approach to national security. The ethnic and religious roots of insurgents, ease of collaboration between insurgent groups across national boundaries due to advancement in technology, elusiveness and invisibility of insurgents altogether render a complex and multifaceted security challenge to governments. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) have much to learn from the counterinsurgency strategies of the Coalition forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. A comparative assessment of counterinsurgency strategies among key members of the coalition will reveal commonalities against which counterinsurgency strategies of UAE will matched to reveal gaps for improvement.
This study highlights the impacts of the high exposure to foreigners' liberal dress code, on Emiratis' attitudes toward their conservative dress code and quest potential changes. To measure how Emirati females perceive their dress code with the presence of diverse styles of dressing in the U.A.E, a questionnaire with 26 items was developed. The sample included 179 females from Dubai. Results show relevant changes in the attire style through generations with only (3%) of young females wear face veil, compared to (43%) of mothers and (62%) grandmothers. Besides, 43% of young females don't wear traditional clothes when they travel abroad. Based on the findings, the dress code in the U.A.E is witnessing a progressive evolvement rather than a complete a direct change. This raises several questions about the future of Emirati dress code with around (46%) predicting that it will be totally different in the future.
Electrified transportation has emerged as a trend to support energy efficiency and CO$_2$ emissions reduction targets. Electric vehicles aim to reduce the use of nonrenewable vehicle's fuel resources (Petrol, Diesel, etc.) and depend on renewable energy. However, EVs interact with three interconnected systems: the transportation system, the electric power grid, and their supporting information systems often called Intelligent Transportation Energy Systems (ITES). Therefore, the true success of electric vehicles depends on their successful integration with the infrastructure systems that support them. This research aims to assess how can EV integration be systematically evaluated while preserving the quality of service and ensuring the reliability and security of the power grid within an enhanced ITES within Abu Dhabi context? A new methodological assessment based on hybrid dynamic model is proposed to evaluate the technical feasibility of EVs adoption within Abu Dhabi island.
