The Dilmun civilization appeared in the Mesopotamian sources as a land of Eden and a supplier of ivory, copper, pearls and dates whose boats reached Ur ports. After the collapse of the Akkadian power in the second half of the third millennium BC, Dilmun underwent some notable changes in different aspects of life. The presence of planned residential settlements with notable architectural features and numerous burial complexes and `Royal Mounds' in Bahrain marked great economic growth and socio-political development in the early second millennium BC, suggesting the emergence of a stratified social hierarchy. Furthermore, these changes suggest that a centralized administration existed that controlled this growth through various means. Thus, this inquiry seeks to explore whether the distribution of Barbar wares was one of the mechanisms used to control the economic growth of the Dilmun trade network. Also, this study seeks to explore whether a connection between the presence of non-local wares and far-distance staples in elite contexts on Failaka Island can be used to infer the pronouncement of status, power, and prestige. A non-destructive portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (pXRF) was utilized to examine the chemical composition of 304 ceramic sherds and clay samples along with petrographic thin section analysis, as a complementary tool to investigate the mineralogical composition of Dilmun wares and non-local pottery of the first third of the second millennium BC. Based on the seven trace elements (Rb, Ba, Sr, Nb, Y, Z, and Th) obtained from pXRF, the chemical composition of Dilmun pottery was homogenous and was apparently made from a single source and then possibly produced at a centralized location. However, petrographic thin section results showed that Dilmun pottery could be subgrouped based on the clay and temper used as well as the ancient production technique (e.g. firing temperature). The petrographic analysis supported the pXRF sorting of samples into groups, differentiating between Dilmun and Mesopotamian wares and confirming the non-local wares as outlier. The results suggest that Barbar wares were preferred at Dilmun sites while non-local materials were controlled and their presence minimized. While specific craft recipes and standardization of Barbar wares could not be established, the preference for raw materials from Bahrain proper could.

Aim: The aim of this thesis is to describe the process by which the inherited disease, cystic fibrosis, (CF) was recognised as an important clinical entity in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Sultanate of Oman (Oman). It examines the clinical presentation of the first patients and assesses their degree of severity. Further, it describes the first studies carried out to determine the underlying CF mutations associated with the disease in the UAE and Oman. An estimate is offered of the birth frequency of the condition. Overall, the cultural, geographical and historical aspect of the societies in which the disease occurs is stressed. Methods: An initial literature search was carried out using Medline of any literature pertaining to the Arab World and CF. this was read and classified into the relevance to Arabs in general, the Middle East and then specifically the Arab (Persian) Gulf societies. Thereafter, a clinic was established at Tawam Hospital, Al Ain, UAE, for children presenting With chronic respiratory disease that could serve as a national referral centre. It was run by the Author as a service of the Paediatric Department of the UAE University Medical School. I sent a letter to every Paediatrician working in the UAE informing them of our clinic and offering our services for the diagnosis and management of chronic respiratory disease in children. This was based on the author's experience as a respiratory paediatrician in Australia and New Zealand and as the Professor of Paediatrics in the UAE. No such service then existed in the UAE. Funding was sought to establish a research programme and develop a molecular genetics laboratory in the UAE Medical School. A series of successful research applications provided the grants to commence the investigations. Once a small number of children had been identified as having CF from those referred to the respiratory clinic, the initial project was to assess and report their clinical presentation. Following this an early start was made on the identification of the mutations responsible. Once these were established an attempt was made to estimate the frequency of the condition at birth. Additional clinical studies revolved around assessing the severity of the condition that was associated with the main mutations that were identified. A clinical comparison was made with those with the mutation AF508 and the other main mutation, despite the obvious limitation of small numbers then available. Radiological assessment was made to evaluate the progression of the disease. The final aspect of the study was to assess patients from Oman and compare their findings and mutations with the neighbouring UAE. Based on information gained hypotheses are proposed regarding the spread of the gene mutation by population drift. Thesis outline: A literature review is presented in the form of a critique on the disease and a resume of the relevant aspects of the genetics of CF. Additionally, facts about the two countries' geography and history are presented. Finally, knowledge about CF mutations and population origins from other areas is presented. The second main section deals with the clinical features of the disorder as it presents in the UAE. Molecular findings are then presented and details of the common mutation found in Bedouin Arabs. Hypotheses are then presented based on the information gathered. Results: CF is not a rare disease in the Arab children of the UAE and Oman. These findings refute previous reports of CF being a rare or non-existent disease in Arabs. The condition presents with a severe clinical picture, with early colonisation of the respiratory tract with staphylococcus, haemophilus and pseudomonas organisms, even with conventional CF management practices in place. The CF mutation S549R is prevalent in Arabs of Bedouin stock, while AF508 is found in those of Baluch origin. The former may be descendants of Arabs who left southern Arabia and travelled to the Trucial Coast at the time of the destruction of the great dam at Marib. The origins of this mutation may lie in the area that corresponds to the modern Republic of Yemen. The latter groups are descendants of those who came originally from Baluchistan. It is hypothesised also that the ancestral home of the AF508 mutation may be in the geographical area now known as Baluchistan, that spans three separate modern political territories. The evidence presented supports the concept that the S549R mutation may be associated with a severe, if not the severest, clinical pattern recognised. It equates with that seen with the homozygous AF508 genotype. The absence of an additional mutation in the promoter region accounts for the different clinical pattern seen in previously described patients. Conclusions: There needs to be a major awareness of the presence of CF as a severe clinical disease in the children of the Gulf States. The clinical presentation and findings support the concept of under recognition of the disease. Climatic conditions put the children at special risk of hyponatraemia and electrolyte imbalance. The absence of surviving adults with the disease suggests premature deaths have occurred, but the high fertility rates have maintained the gene pool for this recessive disorder.

No description available.

The surface heat flow (qs) is paramount for modeling the thermal structure of the lithosphere. Changes in the qs over a distinct lithospheric unit are normally directly reflecting changes in the crustal composition and therewith the radiogenic heat budget (e.g., Rudnick et al., 1998; Förster and Förster, 2000; Mareschal and Jaupart, 2004; Perry et al., 2006; Hasterok and Chapman, 2011, and references therein) or, less usual, changes in the mantle heat flow (e.g., Pollack and Chapman, 1977). Knowledge of this physical property is therefore of great interest for both academic research and the energy industry. The present study focuses on the qs of central and southern Israel as part of the Sinai Microplate (SM). Having formed during Oligocene to Miocene rifting and break-up of the African and Arabian plates, the SM is characterized by a young and complex tectonic history. Resulting from the time thermal diffusion needs to pass through the lithosphere, on the order of several tens-of-millions of years (e.g., Fowler, 1990); qs-values of the area reflect conditions of pre-Oligocene times. The thermal structure of the lithosphere beneath the SM in general, and south-central Israel in particular, has remained poorly understood. To address this problem, the two parameters needed for the qs determination were investigated. Temperature measurements were made at ten pre-existing oil and water exploration wells, and the thermal conductivity of 240 drill core and outcrop samples was measured in the lab. The thermal conductivity is the sensitive parameter in this determination. Lab measurements were performed on both, dry and water-saturated samples, which is labor- and time-consuming. Another possibility is the measurement of thermal conductivity in dry state and the conversion to a saturated value by using mean model approaches. The availability of a voluminous and diverse dataset of thermal conductivity values in this study allowed (1) in connection with the temperature gradient to calculate new reliable qs values and to use them to model the thermal pattern of the crust in south-central Israel, prior to young tectonic events, and (2) in connection with comparable datasets, controlling the quality of different mean model approaches for indirect determination of bulk thermal conductivity (BTC) of rocks. The reliability of numerically derived BTC values appears to vary between different mean models, and is also strongly dependent upon sample lithology. Yet, correction algorithms may significantly reduce the mismatch between measured and calculated conductivity values based on the different mean models. Furthermore, the dataset allowed the derivation of lithotype-specific conversion equations to calculate the water-saturated BTC directly from data of dry-measured BTC and porosity (e.g., well log derived porosity) with no use of any mean model and thus provide a suitable tool for fast analysis of large datasets. The results of the study indicate that the qs in the study area is significantly higher than previously assumed. The new presented qs values range between 50 and 62 mW m⁻². A weak trend of decreasing heat flow can be identified from the east to the west (55-50 mW m⁻²), and an increase from the Dead Sea Basin to the south (55-62 mW m⁻²). The observed range can be explained by variation in the composition (heat production) of the upper crust, accompanied by more systematic spatial changes in its thickness. The new qs data then can be used, in conjunction with petrophysical data and information on the structure and composition of the lithosphere, to adjust a model of the pre-Oligocene thermal state of the crust in south-central Israel. The 2-D steady-state temperature model was calculated along an E-W traverse based on the DESIRE seismic profile (Mechie et al., 2009). The model comprises the entire lithosphere down to the lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary (LAB) involving the most recent knowledge of the lithosphere in pre-Oligocene time, i.e., prior to the onset of rifting and plume-related lithospheric thermal perturbations. The adjustment of modeled and measured qs allows conclusions about the pre-Oligocene LAB-depth. After the best fitting the most likely depth is 150 km which is consistent with estimations made in comparable regions of the Arabian Shield. It therefore comprises the first ever modelled pre-Oligocene LAB depth, and provides important clues on the thermal state of lithosphere before rifting. This, in turn, is vital for a better understanding of the (thermo)-dynamic processes associated with lithosphere extension and continental break-up. / Der Oberflächenwärmefluss (qs) ist maßgeblich für die Modellierung der thermischen Struktur der Lithosphäre. Änderungen im qs, innerhalb eines speziellen lithosphärischen Abschnitts, reflektieren direkt Änderungen in der krustalen Zusammensetzung und damit der radiogenen Wärmeproduktion (e.g., Rudnick et al., 1998; Förster und Förster, 2000; Mareschal und Jaupart, 2004; Perry et al., 2006; Hasterok und Chapman, 2011) oder aber, weniger häufig, Änderungen im Mantelwärmefluss (e.g., Pollack und Chapman, 1977). Die Kenntnis dieses physikalischen Parameters ist daher von großem Interesse, sowohl für die Forschung als auch für die Energiewirtschaft. Die vorliegende Studie befasst sich mit dem qs von Süd- und Zentralisrael als Teil der Sinai Mikroplatte (SM), welche während des Riftings und Auseinanderbrechens der Afrikanischen und Arabischen Platte im Oligozän entstand und durch diese, sehr junge und komplexe tektonische Geschichte, geprägt ist. Die thermische Diffusion benötigt einige Zehner-Millionen Jahre (e.g., Fowler, 1990) um die Lithosphäre zu durchlaufen, qs-Werte der Region reflektieren daher prä-oligozäne Bedingungen. Die thermische Struktur der Lithosphäre in Süd- und Zentralisrael, ist bis heute nur sehr wenig verstanden. Um dieses Problem anzugehen wurden die Parameter die für die qs-Bestimmung benötigt werden, eingehend untersucht. An zehn ehemaligen Wasser- und Erdölexplorationsbohrungen wurden neue Temperaturmessungen durchgeführt, und die Wärmeleitfähigkeit von 240 Bohrkern- und Aufschlussproben wurde im Labor gemessen. Die Wärmeleitfähigkeit ist in der qs-Bestimmung der sensitive Parameter. Die Labormessungen wurden sowohl an trockenen sowie an wasser-gesättigten Proben durchgeführt, was personal-und zeitaufwendig ist. Eine andere Möglichkeit ist die Messung der Wärmeleitfähigkeit im trockenen Zustand und das Konvertieren zu einem saturierten Wert unter der Verwendung von Mischungsgesetzen. Das Vorhandensein eines umfangreichen und sehr diversen Wärmeleitfähigkeit-Datensatzes ermöglicht (1) in Verbindung mit dem Temperaturgradienten die Berechnung von neuen zuverlässigen qs-Werten sowie deren Verwendung zur Modellierung der thermischen Struktur der prä-oligozänen Kruste in Israel und (2) in Verbindung mit vergleichbaren Datensätzen, die vorhandenen Mischungsgesetzte zur indirekten Bestimmung der saturierten Gesamtwärmeleitfähigkeit (BTC) qualitativ zu überprüfen. Die Zuverlässigkeit numerisch bestimmter BTC-Werte variiert für die verschiedenen Mischungsgesetze und ist darüber hinaus stark von der Lithologie der Proben abhängig. Mittels spezifischer Korrekturgleichungen können Abweichungen zwischen gemessenen und berechneten Werten jedoch erheblich reduziert werden. Die Datenanzahl und die statistische Analyse ermöglichte darüber hinaus die Ableitung von lithotypspezifischen Konvertierungsgleichungen, um die saturierte BTC anhand von trocken gemessenen BTC- und Porositätswerten (z.B. aus Logs) zu berechnen. Dieser Ansatz führt, für alle Lithotypen, zu einer guten Reproduzierbarkeit gemessener Werte und ist daher eine nützliche Alternative, wann immer große Probenmengen behandelt werden. Die Ergebnisse dieser Studie zeigen, dass der qs im Untersuchungsgebiet signifikant höher ist, als bisher angenommen. Die qs-Werte, die in dieser Studie für Israel bestimmt wurden, schwanken zwischen 50 und 62 mW m⁻². Ein schwacher Trend abnehmender Werte von Ost nach West (55-50 mW m⁻²), und ein leichter Trend ansteigender Werte vom Toten Meer nach Süden (55-62 mW m⁻²) können identifiziert werden. Diese beobachteten Schwankungen lassen sich mit Variationen in der krustalen Zusammensetzung (Wärmeproduktion) erklären, einhergehend mit regionalen Änderungen der Krustenmächtigkeit. Die neuen qs-Daten können dann, im Zusammenhang mit petrophysikalischen Daten und Informationen über die Struktur und Zusammensetzung der Lithosphäre, verwendet werden um ein Model des prä-oligozänen thermischen Zustandes der Kruste Zentral- und Südisraels abzugleichen. Das stationäre 2-D Temperatur-Modell wurde entlang einer E-W Traverse, basierend auf dem seismischen DESIRE-Profil (Mechie et al., 2009), berechnet. Es reicht bis zur Lithosphären–Asthenosphären Grenze (LAB) und bezieht sich auf das aktuellste Wissen über die prä-oligozäne Lithosphäre, also vor dem Einsetzen von Rifting und plumebedingten thermischen Störungen. Durch den Abgleich zwischen gemessenen und modellierten qs-Werten ist es möglich auf die prä-oligozäne LAB-Tiefe zurückzuschließen. Als wahrscheinlichste Tiefe ergeben sich 150 km, was konsistent ist mit LAB-Tiefen Abschätzungen aus vergleichbaren stabilen Regionen des Arabischen Schildes. Dies liefert wichtige Anhaltspunkte über den thermischen Zustand der Lithosphäre vor dem Einsetzen von Rifting in der Region und ist wiederum entscheidend für ein besseres Verständnis der dynamischen Prozesse in Assoziation mit Extension der Lithosphäre und dem kontinentalem Auseinanderbrechen.

This thesis is an attempt to interpret the conception of authority that was predominant among the Central and Northern Arabs at the time immediately preceding the rise of Islam. Since that conception was not explicitly formulated, we have analyzed the role and influence of the different political and religious functionaries as well as the reactions of their "subjects" to their commands in order to discover the basis of legitimacy for that authority. As there exists an essential relationship between authority and society, we have presented the social and economic organization and the ideal values of the pre-Islamic Arabs which might have influenced their conception of authority. That is why we discuss the Bedouin and the urban settlements separately. As a possible origin and justification of authority, we discuss its connection with religion, in particular, whether in pre-Islamic times there ever existed a theocratic rulership. [...]

A high-resolution multi-proxy reconstruction of the Arabian Sea Summer Monsoon (ASSM) intensity over the past 90,000 years has been determined using two marine sediment cores: one from the Somali margin and one from the Indian margin. This reconstruction indicates that changes in monsoon- induced upwelling, primary productivity and denitrification have varied in synchrony with Dansgaard-Oeschger (D-O) cycles. Increased monsoon intensity correlates with warm climate events (interstadials) and decreased monsoon intensity, which coincides with stadials and Heinrich Events, is confirmed by elevated dust concentrations in the marine cores. A comparison of the Somali and Indian margin cores with previously reported studies from the Northern and Western Basin allows the identification of discrete sediment signals from the Indus River, the Arabian Peninsula and from local riverine runoff. Sedimentary deposition on the Indian margin during interglacials is dominated by local terrestrial runoff, whereas during glacial periods increased dust input from the Arabian Peninsula is evident. Both signals are related to changes in the intensity of the ASSM. Monsoon intensity has decreased during the Holocene as the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) has moved to a more southerly position. The ASSM-ITCZ relationship (increased ASSM intensity and a northern ITCZ, decreased ASSM intensity and a southern ITCZ) has remained consistent over the last glacial cycle suggesting that global millennial scale climatic variability is in part driven by modulations in tropical hydrological cycle. This ASSM reconstruction provides evidence that rearrangements in the tropical convection system affected atmospheric dust concentrations as well as the concentration and location of atmospheric water vapour. In addition to modulating terrestrial and marine emissions of greenhouse gases, variation in the tropical hydrological cycle provides a mechanism of amplifying and perpetuating millennial-scale climatic changes.

Tertiary teachers who travel to another country for professional development encounter difficulties studying in different cultural and educational contexts. This research study investigated how Saudi Arabian teachers of adult learners experience learning about teaching during a New Zealand professional development course. It is part of a larger investigation into ways to improve curriculum design for in-service teacher education short courses for international teachers. A single case study was undertaken to investigate the views of a group of male Saudi Arabian teachers from tertiary technical institutions while in Aotearoa New Zealand to learn the English language, computing studies and adult education. An interpretive, participant observation method was used involving group interviews, written questionnaire, and personal journal. Focus groups were conducted at the beginning and end of the professional development programme to solicit pre-course expectations, identify post-course views of the in-service teacher education programme, and seek suggestions for improvements for future courses. Using a grounded theory approach, a coded analysis of the findings was conducted drawing out emergent themes from the participants’ comments. The findings were grouped into four tensions experienced by the participants. These included, the priority given to learning English language over improving their teaching skills; responding to boredom and lack of student engagement, and difficulties managing student behaviour as part of the student-teacher relationship; a desire to learn new practical teaching methods, rather than being taught the theory of teaching and learning; and differences between the Saudi Arabian and New Zealand learning environments. Responses to these tensions are discussed alongside a framework for high quality learning activities and implications are drawn for improving inter-relationships between teacher and learner. A mismatch was identified between prior expectations and assumptions by the participants and the actual design of the curriculum. Cultural issues are discussed in the context of different educational worldviews, including the status and roles of the teacher in Western and Arab societies, employing a critical pedagogy, and curriculum design for teacher professional development. A model is proposed of deliberate acts of culturally responsive teaching which may assist teacher educators in higher education and support the sustainability of in-service professional development for international teachers.

The theory of planned behavior is a great tool for understanding predictors of drug use, specifically marijuana. Although the theory has been applied in the U.S. and European context, research on the predictors of behavioral intention for marijuana use within the Arabian Gulf context is limited. This thesis provides an overview of the theory of planned behavior as used in the U.S. and European context. An argument for the need to better understand predictors of behavioral intentions to use drugs, in the Arabian Gulf Region, prior to developing interventions and preventions is presented. Data was collected from 95 participants between the ages of 18-25 who were from the six GCC countries. Participants had the option to complete the survey in English or in Arabic. Results of the study suggest attitudes are the strongest predictor for behavioral intentions to use marijuana. Knowledge and sensations seeking were not significantly related to behavioral intentions for marijuana use within the current sample.

Bibliography: leaves 199-231. / 231 leaves ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of English, 1997

The propagation of electromagnetic (EM) waves of frequencies above 100MHz is affected by the existence and properties of the atmospheric duct, i.e. a horizontal layer in the lower atmosphere in which radio signals propagate more efficiently. Atmospheric ducts can be found in many parts of the world ocean including the Arabian Gulf. Ambient winds blowing from different directions bring air masses of different properties into the area and hence have a significant impact on the formation and strength of the atmospheric duct. However, little information is available on the long-term and intra-annual variability of wind and its effect on the ducting phenomenon in the Arabian Gulf region. This study addresses this gap by characterising the local meteorology, with a special emphasis on its effect on electromagnetic wave propagation. This study uses a new methodology to measure the persistence of Shamal wind, by considering the number of days associated with the specific wind pattern in addition to commonly used parameters such as the wind speed. In this study, thirty years (1981-2010) of observations and NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data have been analyzed to identify a long-term trend and the intra-annual variability of various wind systems. Results clearly indicate that the Shamal (the northwesterly wind) is the most frequent meteorological feature over the region; therefore it has been investigated in greater detail. The Suhaili (southerly wind) is the second important wind which can occur any time of the year but it is less frequent than the Shamal. The Al-Nashi (cold and dry northeasterly wind) wind occurs only in December, January and February. The analysis shows that the wind strength and the frequency of Shamal days over the region have decreased over the last thirty years. Variations in the occurrence of summer and winter Shamal days were studied in relation to global atmospheric phenomena, and relationships have been established, synoptically and statistically between the frequency of Shamal days and large-scale atmospheric fluctuations. These links include atmospheric fluctuations over the Caspian Sea (a correlation coefficient of 0.66) and Siberia (0.69) in summer and Greenland (0.51) and Western Europe (0.65) in winter. The frequency of winter Shamal days during December, January and February are shown to be statistically related (a correlation coefficient of 0.41) to the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and (0.49) the Arctic Oscillation (AO), as they influence the pathway of the westerly depression over the north Atlantic Ocean during the winter season. It is also shown that the decline in the number of Shamal days is linked to a decrease in the number of westerly depressions. The EM wave propagation has been examined using the Advanced Refraction Effects Prediction System (AREPS) model for different representative air masses. The radiosonde data from Abu Dhabi airport used in AREPS provided evidence of the general influence of each air mass. It was found that atmospheric ducting conditions and characteristics (height, thickness, and type) were variable in the lower part of the atmosphere (surface to 6000m) as a result of changing air masses. The influence of the Shamal conditions develop an elevated duct at approximately 850mb level. The Suhaili increases the thickness of the evaporation duct. In regards to the surface based and elevated duct, Suhaili and Al-Nashi provide standard atmospheric conditions. Land and sea breezes were mostly associated with the surface based duct and sometimes elevated the duct. Atmospheric ducting could extend the range of electromagnetic wave propagation above the usual range. Good knowledge of atmospheric duct characteristics enables the efficient assessment of the range of EM propagation, which is important for a number of practical applications, for example air traffic control and rescue operations. This could include the selection of the appropriate frequency and altitude of the electromagnetic wave device (e.g. radar and/or communication systems) operating with a frequency above 100MHz to be trapped in the duct to cover long distances.