Saudi Arabia is being challenged by increasing demands for democratic reform. Although many Saudi citizens desire such change, in order to maintain stability, dramatic and rapid reform is not considered prudent. Nor is the adoption of a Western model of democracy seen as a way forward. Indeed, such a shift would be counterproductive for most Islamic nations. A more measured approach, introducing reforms that build on traditional Islamic democratic ideals, would help to maintain stability and legitimacy for the various stakeholders involved. Consequently, attention has been turned to the ‘Majlis Al Shura’ or the Al-Shura Council, an Islamic Advisory Council that ensures policies and laws follow the principles of Islam. Shura, developed from the Holy Quran, is an ancient practice that has profound significance in Arab culture and history. It provides a framework which ensures scholars and experts from a variety of backgrounds are consulted on issues related to governance. Currently, the role the members play in governance of the Saudi State is decided by the King, who appoints individuals to the Council according to their perceived suitability. However, the Saudi Arabian Al-Shura Council is a highly respected institution. Allowing citizens to elect members, rather than having the King holding the authority to appoint them, would not only be well received, but would create a more effective check on governmental power, help satisfy the demand for more citizen input into public affairs, and pave the way for future, more substantial reform, if desired by Saudi society.

This dissertation explores the role of Internet censorship and circumvention in the Arab world as well as Arabs’ views on the limits to free speech on the Internet. The project involves the creation of an Internet censorship circumvention tool named Alkasir that allows users to report and access certain types of censored websites. The study covers the Arab world at large with special focus on Egypt, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen. This work is of interdisciplinary nature and draws on the disciplines of media and communication studies and computer science. It uses a pioneering experimental approach by placing Alkasir in the hands of willing users who automatically feed a server with data about usage patterns without storing any of their personal information. In addition to the analysis of Alkasir usage data, Web surveys were used to learn about any technical and nontechnical Internet censorship practices that Arab users and content producers may have been exposed to. The study also aims at learning about users’ experiences with circumvention tools and how such tools could be improved. The study found that users have successfully reported and accessed hundreds of censored social networking, news, dissident, multimedia and other websites. The survey results show that while most Arab informants disapprove censoring online anti-government political content, the majority support the censoring of other types of content such as pornography, hate speech, and anti-religion material. Most informants indicated that circumvention tools should be free of charge, fast and reliable. An increase in awareness among survey respondents of the need for privacy and anonymity features in circumvention solutions was observed.

Master of Science / Department of Computing and Information Sciences / Daniel A. Andresen / Locating a parking spot during peak hours in most populated areas like shopping malls, universities, exhibitions or convention centers is difficult for the drivers. The difficulty rises from not knowing where the available spots may be at that required time. Smart parking is a solution to metropolitan cities to reduce congestion, cut vehicle emission totals and save persons' time by helping them in finding a spot to park. Smart Parking is a parking system, usually a new one that is equipped with special structured devices (things) to detect the available parking slots at any parking area. This is an application based on Internet of Things (IoT) that in Real-Time environment have sensors and devices embedded into parking spaces, transmitting data on the occupancy status; and the vehicle drivers can search for parking availability using their mobile phones or any infotainment system that is attached to the vehicle. Hence the driver would know where there is an available spot to park his vehicle in less time, reducing the energy consumption and air pollution. The Client or the sensor posts the parking slot occupancy status to a web service URL. The Java based web service is built using Spring and Hibernate to connect to the backend system. The web service (.war) file is deployed on Apache Tomcat Server and the backend used is MySQL database.

Application of Certainty*, Manor*, Monument*, Revolver*, TranXit, Kerb*, and flazasulfuron in early June eliminated most ryegrass in one month with the onset of high summer temperatures. Certainty at 0.06 lb a.i./A, Manor at 0.012 lb a.i./A, Monument at 0.0047 lb a.i./A, Revolver at 0.008 lb a.i./A, TranXit at 0.0078 lb a.i./A, and flazasulfuron at 0.0039 lb a.i./A performed equivalent to higher rates to effectively remove ryegrass when applied in June. The herbicides at the lower rate range were not as effective in early May when ryegrass tended to regrow in cooler temperatures. Spring transition was achieved by applying higher rates of TranXit* at 0.031 lb a.i./A and flazasulfuron at 0.0156 lb a.i./A in early May to completely remove perennial ryegrass. Kerb at 1.0 lb a.i./A was effective in removing 80% of the ryegrass with a May application and 90% in June.

Thirteen herbicide treatments were applied on May 8, 2006, on a golf course fairway to assess transition and turf quality effects. Initial injury to perennial ryegrass was most extreme for Tranxit GTA when applied at 1.0 oz/prod/acre and Katana applied at 2.0 oz/prod/acre. Katana resulted in the total elimination of ryegrass and resulted in a fully necrotic canopy (straw cover) within two weeks after application to July 19, 2006 (72 Days after treatment). The development and persistence of necrotic leaf tissue of perennial ryegrass (straw) had the greatest impact on decreasing overall turfgrass quality ratings. No treatment went through the summer without some loss of quality at some point, including the untreated control. Certainty had little or no effect on transition when applied once at the rate of 1.25 oz/prod/acre. Surflan was not effective in ryegrass transition. The tank mix of Transit and nicosulfuron applied at the rate of 0.25 oz/prod./A each, produced an enhanced transition with nominal quality. In similar fashion, Monument applied at 0.35 oz./A produced an enhanced transition with nominal quality. A rates used in this test, other treatments had either too slow of a transition or had poor and extended low quality turf scores from rapid development of dead ryegrass (straw) and subsequent slow bermudagrass re-establishment. The UTC turf maintained a high percentage of living green ryegrass into the summer and 20% live ryegrass on August 8, 2006 which is roughly six weeks before the next overseeding.

This is an applied ethnographic study of Southern Paiute cultural resources and how these are related to the natural ecosystems that surround and incorporate Zion National Park in southern Utah and Pipe Spring National Monument in northern Arizona. Southern Paiute people perceive Zion National Park and Pipe Spring National Monument as places whose significance derives from larger cultural and ecological landscapes. Southern Paiute people view both parks as being parts of riverine ecosystems. Zion National Park is a place along the Virgin River, and Pipe Spring National Monument part of the greater Kanab Creek Hydrological System. The current boundaries of both parks are largely irrelevant for understanding the lives of birds that fly along the river, of deer who seasonally migrate up and down the river, and of fish who swim in the river. Paiute people, whose ancestors lived along these riverine ecosystems for a thousand years or more, recognize that the plants they gathered, the animals they hunted, and the lives they lived are unrelated to the current boundaries of these two parks. As a result, the National Park Service and the Southern Paiutes arrived at the same conclusion: that is, to understand the cultural and natural significance of these parks requires knowledge of their relationships with other places. Thus it is both administratively and culturally appropriate for this applied ethnographic study to follow an ecosystem approach. This study was unique in two major ways. Unlike many other American Indian cultural resources studies conducted within National Parks at this period of time, this study moved beyond the formal boundaries of these NPS units in an effort to understand them as components of a broader natural ecosystem. As such, this study built upon the scientific and social framework for ecologically based stewardship of Federal lands and waters. This report provides both the ethnographic information relating to Pipe Spring National Monument and Zion National Park. This information was then incorporated in the parks’ resource management plans

Upland environments are important sources of mercury (Hg) to downstream wetlands and water bodies. Hydrology is instrumental in facilitating Hg transport within, and export from watersheds. Two complementary studies were conducted to assess the role hydrological processes play in controlling Hg mobility and transport in forested uplands. A field study compared runoff and Hg fluxes from three, replicate hillslope plots during two contrasting spring snowmelt periods, in terms of snowpack depth and timing. Hillslope Hg fluxes were predominately flow-driven. The melting of soil frost significantly delayed a large portion of the Hg flux later into the spring following a winter with minimal snow accumulation. A microcosm laboratory study using a stable Hg isotope tracer applied to intact soil cores investigated the relative controls of soil moisture and precipitation on Hg mobility. Both hydrologic factors control the mobility of contemporary Hg; with greatest Hg flushing from dry soils under high-flow conditions.

Tręšimo lauko bandymai buvo atliekami 2007 - 2008 metais, Lietuvos žemės ūkio universiteto Bandymų stotyje. Keturlaukėje sėjomainoje auginami vasariniai rapsai, vasariniai miežiai + įsėlis, daugiametės žolės I n. m., žieminiai kviečiai. Bandymais buvo siekiama įvertinti kalio trąšų formų, jų normų, bei jų derinių su EPSO Microtop įtaką vasarinių miežių derliui. Bandyme buvo auginama lietuviška vasarinių miežių veislė 'Ūla'. Bandyme tirta - kalio chlorido (MOP) bei kalio druskos (Korn-Kali) normų ir papildomo patręšimo per lapus EPSO Microtop (2 x 20 kg ha-1) efektyvumas vasarinių miežių pasėlyje. Bandyme nustatyta, kad kalio ir EPSO Microtop trąšos didino vasarinių miežių 'Ūla' derlių. 2007 metais, lyginant su kontrole, grūdų derlius didėjo nuo 8,8 % iki 18,8 %, o šiaudų derlius - nuo 10,5 % iki 25,5 %. Didžiausi derliai gauti patręšus K90 Korn-Kali norma ir EPSO Microtop (2 x 20 kg ha-1) trąšomis. Šių trąšų normos buvo efektyvios ir 2008 metais, kadangi, lyginant su kontrole, gautas grūdų derliaus priedas 6,8 % - 16,3 %, o šiaudų derliaus priedas -9,5 % -17,6 %. Žaliųjų proteinų kiekis miežių grūduose tręšiant MOP - K90 norma padidėjo 0,56 proc. vnt. Grūdų kokybė buvo geresnė 2008 m., kai grūdų baltymingumas siekė 10,63 %, o 2007 m. 10,40 %. Didžiausias NEM kiekis kontroliniuose laukeliuose - 78,47 %, patręšus tik N60P60 normomis. Didėjant kalio trąšų normai NEM kiekis mažėjo. Tirtos kalio trąšų formos ir normos, bei jų deriniai su EPSO Mikrotop 1000 sėklų masę padidino... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Fertilizing field experimentation was done in 2007 and 2008 year at the experimental station of Lithuanian University of Agriculture. Spring rape, spring barley plus under-crop, perennial grass I years of using, winter wheat are grown in four-field rotation of crops. Purpose of the experimentation was to evaluate the influence of potassium fertilizer forms, its norms and it's combinations on spring barley with EPSO Microtop fertilizers. Spring barley breed 'Ūla' was used for the experimentation. Potassium chloride, potassium salt (Korn-Kali) norms and the additional fertilizing through leaves with EPSO Microtop (2 x 20 kg ha-1) the effectiveness of spring barley crop was researched in the experimentation. The experimentation shoved that potassium and EPSO Microtop fertilizers made the yield of spring barley 'Ūla' increase. Grain yield increased from 8,8 % to 18,8 % and straw yield - from 10,5 % to 25,5 % when comparing year 2007 with the control. Best yields were obtained when fertilizing with K90 Korn-Kali norm and EPSO Microtop (2 x 20 kg ha-1) fertilizers. These fertilizer norms were effective in year 2008 also because in comparison with the control the obtained grain yield addition was 6,8 % -16,3 % and straw yield addition - 9,5 % -17,6 %. The crude protein content in grains, after fertilization with MOP - K90 rate increased 10, 37 percent. pc. Grain quality was better in 2008, when grain proteins up to 10.63 % and in 2007 just 10.40 %. NEM controls the maximum number of... [to full text]

Tyrimai vykdyti 2007-2008 metais Lietuvos žemės ūkio universiteto Bandymų stotyje karbonatingame giliau glėjiškame išplautžemyje (IDg 4-k), vidutinio sunkumo priemolyje ant molio. Tirtos dvi EKOLIST trąšų panaudojimo technologijos. Bulvių pasėlyje EKOLIST panaudojimo technologijoje per lapus buvo tręšta 2 kartus: 1) bulvėms sudygus; 2) po 10-14 parų nuo pirmo purškimo. EKOLIST trąšų II panaudojimo technologijoje per lapus tręšta tris kartus: 1) bulvėms sudygus; 2) po 10-14 dienų nuo pirmo purškimo; 3) po bulvių žydėjimo. Vasarinių rapsų pasėlyje EKOLIST I panaudojimo technologijoje per lapus buvo tręšta 2 kartus: 1) 8-10 tikrųjų lapelių tarpsnyje; 2) butonizacijos tarpsnio pradžioje. EKOLIST II panaudojimo technologijoje per lapus buvo tręšta 3 kartus: 1) 8-10 tikrųjų lapelių tarpsnyje; 2) po 7-10 dienų nuo pirmo purškimo; 3) butonizacijos tarpsnio pabaigoje. Tyrimais nustatyta, kad bulves papildomai per lapus Ekolist trąšomis tikslinga tręšti tris kartus (panaudoti EKOLIST II technologiją). Palyginus su netręštais laukeliais, prekinių bulvių derlius padidėjo 3,56 t ha-1 arba 11,3%. Ekolist trąšų įtakoje bulvių gumbuose sausųjų medžiagų, krakmolo ir bendrojo cukraus kiekiai nepakito, tačiau sumažėjo nitratų kiekis. Vasarinius rapsus papildomai per lapus Ekolist trąšomis tikslinga tręšti du kartus (panaudoti EKOLIST I technologiją). Palyginus su netręštais laukeliais, vasarinių rapsų absoliučiai sausų sėklų derlius padidėjo 0,11 t ha-1 arba 5,5%, sėklų riebalingumas – 1... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The experiments were carried out in the Experimental Station of Lithuanian University of Agriculture on the Calc(ar–Endohypogleyic Luvisol (LVg-n-w-cc) in 2007-2008. Granulometric composition of the soil was light or medium heavy loam on heavy loam clay. Two Ekolist fertilizers usement technologies were investigated. In I Ekolist usement technology on potato crop leaf-feed fertilizers were applied twice: 1) when potatoes were sprouting; 2) after 10 – 14 days from the first spraying. II Ekolist fertilizers usement technology on potato crop leaves spray fertilizers were applied in 3 times: 1) when potatoes were sprouting; 2) after 10 -14 days from the first spraying; 3) after potatoes flowering. In I usement Ekolist technology on spring rape crop leaf-feed fertilizers were applied twise: 1) at the 8 – 10 leaves stage; 2) at the stage of bud formation beginning. In II usement Ekolist technology leaves spray fertilizers were applied in 3 times: 1) at the 8 – 10 leaves stage; 2) after 7 -10 days from the first spraying; 3) at the stage of bud formation ending. The research date indicated that additional fertilization for potato was most effective, when fertilizers were applied in 3 times (II Ekolist technology). Compared with not fertilized fields, marketable potatoes yield increased 3,56 t ha-1 or 11,3%. Under the effect Ekolist fertilizers unchanged dry matter amount, starch amount, common sugar amount in the potatoes tubers, however decreased nitrate amount. Additional... [to full text]

Magistrantūros studijų baigiamajame darbe pateikiami 2013 metų vasarinių kviečių veislių, sėtų po skirtingų priešsėlių, derlingumo ir sėklų kokybės rodiklių duomenys ir atliktas priešsėlių poveikio veislėms įvertinimas. Darbo objektas - vasariniai kviečiai 'Triso' ir 'Hamlet', sėti po skirtingų priešsėlių (vasarinių miežių ir vasarinių rapsų). Darbo metodai ir vieta. Tyrimai vykdyti 2013 m. Vilmos Žliobienės ūkyje, Antušavos kaime, Kėdainių rajone. Eksperimento įrengimo vietoje dirvožemis karbonatingas glėjiškas rudžemis (RDg4-k2). Buvo nustatytas grūdų derlingumas, derliaus struktūros komponentai (produktyvių stiebų skaičius, vidutinis grūdų skaičius varpoje, 1000 grūdų masė, varpos produktyvumas). Grūdų kokybės rodikliai (baltymų, šlapiojo glitimo, krakmolo kiekis, sedimentacijos rodiklis ir kiti) nustatyti AB :Linas agro" laboratorijoje. Darbo rezultatai. Esmingai didžiausias derlingumas (5,9 t ha-1) ir 1000 grūdų masė (43,84 g) nustatyti `Hamlet` veislės vasariniams kviečiams po vasarinių rapsų priešsėlio. Patikimai didžiausias produktyvių stiebų skaičius (432,8 vnt. m-2) ir vidutinis grūdų skaičius varpoje (34,8 vnt.) buvo `Triso` veislės augalų. Genotipo (veislės) savybės ir 1000 grūdų masė turėjo didesnę įtaką grūdų derlingumui ir esmingai padidino ‘Hamlet` veislės derlingumą. Esmingai didžiausias vasarinių kviečių grūdų baltymų (14,9 proc.) ir sedimentacijos rodiklis (71 proc.) nustatytas ‘Triso‘ veislės grūduose po vasarinių rapsų priešsėlio. Esmingai didžiausias... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / In Master's thesis is a submitted spring wheat variety of 2013, which were sown under different preceding crops, yield and seed quality indicators in data and performed assessment of preceding crop varieties impact. The object. Spring wheat 'Triso' and 'Hamlet', which were sown after different preceding crops (spring barley spring oilseed rape). Working methods and location. Research was carried out in 2013 at Vilmos Žliobienės farm in the Antušavos village in the Kėdainių area. The soil is endohypogleyic cambisol (RDg4-k2) at installation site of the experiment. It was established grain yield, harvest structure components (the number of productive stems, average number of wheat-ear, 1000 grain weight, productivity of wheat-ear). Grain quality indicators (protein, wet gluten, starch content sedimentation rate and others) were determined at AB Linas Agro laboratory. Results. Essentially the highest grain yield (5.9 t ha-1) and 1000 grain weight (43.84 g) were obtained in the fields of `Hamlet` variety, which were sown after spring oilseed rape. Reliably largest number of productive tillers number (432.8 units. m-2) and the average number of grains per ear (34.8 pc) was the variety of `Triso` compared to the variety of `Hamlet`, which was investigated in the same influence of forecrop. But a variety of properties and weight of 1,000 grain had a greater impact on grain yield and substantially increased varieties of 'Hamlet `yield. Substantially the largest spring wheat grain... [to full text]