A Monetary Condition Index for Jordan = مؤشر الظروف النقدية للأردن

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-223
Author(s):  
Tariq Abdullah Al Muhaissen ◽  
Issa Jiryis Hijazeen
Keyword(s):  
2018 ◽  
Vol 09 (02) ◽  
pp. 139-151
Author(s):  
Hussein Ewadh ◽  
◽  
Raid Almuhanna ◽  
Saja Alasadi ◽  
◽  
...  

Buildings ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 156
Author(s):  
Deniz Besiktepe ◽  
Mehmet E. Ozbek ◽  
Rebecca A. Atadero

Condition information is essential to develop effective facility management (FM) strategies. Visual inspections and walk-through surveys are common practices of condition assessment (CA), generally resulting in qualitative and subjective outcomes such as “poor”, “good”, etc. Furthermore, limited resources of the FM process demand that CA practices be efficient. Given these, the purpose of this study is to develop a resource efficient quantitative CA framework that can be less subjective in establishing a condition rating. The condition variables of the study—mean time between failures, age-based obsolescence, facility condition index, occupant feedback, and preventive maintenance cycle—are identified through different sources, such as a computerized maintenance management system, expert opinions, occupants, and industry standards. These variables provide proxy measures for determining the condition of equipment with the implementation example for heating, ventilating, and air conditioning equipment. Fuzzy sets theory is utilized to obtain a quantitative condition rating while minimizing subjectivity, as fuzzy sets theory deals with imprecise, uncertain, and ambiguous judgments with membership relations. The proposed CA framework does not require additional resources, and the obtained condition rating value supports decision-making for building maintenance management and strategic planning in FM, with a comprehensive and less subjective understanding of condition.


Author(s):  
Mallikarjun Patil ◽  
Bandhan Bandhu Majumdar ◽  
Prasanta K. Sahu

This study presents a methodology for evaluating a set of crash-prone sidewalk and crosswalk locations in an urban area with respect to their existing walkability condition and recommending improvement needs. Initially, a set of 15 sidewalk specific and 10 crosswalk specific attributes relevant to India were identified from the literature. Subsequently, the analytical hierarchy process was used to estimate relative weights associated with the attributes from the perspective of relevant experts. A weighted sum method was then used to formulate a Sidewalk Condition Index (SCI) and Crosswalk Condition Index (CCI) for evaluating the condition of the existing pedestrian sidewalks and crosswalk infrastructures. Ten locations across Hyderabad with the highest pedestrian fatalities during the last three calendar years were selected as study locations. The location specific SCI and CCI estimates were used to prioritize the locations with regard to their existing condition and infrastructural requirements. Results indicated that sidewalk attributes such as sidewalk lighting, cleanliness, physical separation of traffic, and traffic speed, and crosswalk attributes such as conflicts with crossing traffic, crosswalk illumination, and intersection control, influenced safety and walkability significantly. Measures such as the provision of exclusive right-of-way for pedestrians, maintaining the sidewalk quality, enforcing no jaywalking, re-design of signal timing with pedestrian phase, and provision of zebra crossings and refuge islands, would improve walkability at pedestrian crash-prone locations across Hyderabad. This proposed methodology and the research findings could act as a critical tool to improve the overall safety and walkability of sidewalks and crosswalks in Indian cities.


2015 ◽  
Vol 65 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 311-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
João Fabrício Mota Rodrigues ◽  
José Roberto Feitosa Silva

Studies focusing on the natural history of species are essential for developing effective conservation measures and evaluating ecological hypotheses. To this end, we describe natural history data of the Cotinga River toadhead turtle, Phrynops tuberosus, in the Banabuiú River in Ceará, Brazil, and evaluated sexual dimorphism, epibionts, and mutilation effects. We hand-captured 134 individuals by snorkeling, over a period of one year, resulting in the capture of 94 males, 24 females, and 16 juveniles. Females had larger head width and body mass than males, while males had longer tail length. One quarter of the turtles captured had some sort of injury or deformation, most common injuries being missing claws, mutilations, and shell deformations. We found no difference in body condition index between mutilated and non-mutilated animals. Mollusks, insects, and leeches were found as epibionts on P. tuberosus and most of the captured turtles had extensive algal cover. Future studies should focus on understanding the effect of mutilations on animal fitness and reproductive success.


2012 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gina M. Morgan ◽  
Travis E. Wilcoxen ◽  
Michelle A. Rensel ◽  
Stephan J. Schoech

Context Anthropogenic disturbances induce physiological and behavioural responses in numerous species. The negative effects of human disturbance are of special concern to threatened and endangered species. Aims The present study aims to compare physiological stress measures and reproductive success of Florida scrub-jays (Aphelocoma coerulescens) living near roads with jays that live away from roads. Specifically, it aims to test whether roads are stressful. Methods We assessed physiological measures that can serve as indicators of ‘stress’ to determine whether a highway that bisects our study site had physiological effects on adult male Florida scrub-jays. We captured male breeders from three territory types, including scrub habitat that (1) bordered a highway with a grassy shoulder that created an ‘edge’ habitat (roadside), (2) bordered human-maintained habitat (a plowed firebreak of sand with adjacent pasture) that served as a control for the edge-effect of the road (pasture) and (3) contained only natural scrub habitat (interior). We measured baseline concentrations of the stress hormone corticosterone (CORT), body mass, and a suite of longitudinal body measures to generate a body condition index in males from each territory type over three breeding seasons. Key results Roadside jays had greater body mass than did interior and pasture jays, although there were no differences in overall baseline CORT concentrations or body condition among territory classes. There was no difference in clutch initiation date or size and nestling and independent-young survival. Conclusions Our results suggest that the road through our study site has physiological effects on Florida scrub-jays; however, there is mixed evidence as to whether it acts as a chronic stressor. Implications Our findings provide evidence that roads and road-associated disturbance has neutral or potentially beneficial physiological effects of roads on Florida scrub-jays. Knowledge of these effects of roads and disturbance on jays will hopefully provide additional opportunities to improve conservation of this species.


Author(s):  
Zhanmin Zhang ◽  
German Claros ◽  
Lance Manuel ◽  
Ivan Damnjanovic

Every year, state highway agencies apply large amounts of seal coats and thin overlays to pavements to improve the surface condition, but these measures do not successfully address the problem. Overall pavement condition continues to deteriorate because of the structural deformation of pavement layers and the subgrade. To make effective decisions about the type of treatment needed, one should take into consideration the structural condition of a pavement. Several different structural estimators can be calculated by using falling weight deflectometer data and information stored in the Pavement Management Information System (PMIS) at the Texas Department of Transportation. The analysis considers pavement modulus and structural number as the structural estimators of a pavement. The evaluation method is based on the sensitivity of the structural estimators to deterioration descriptors. The deterioration per equivalent single-axle load of all major scores stored in the Texas PMIS is proposed as the primary indicator of pavement deterioration. In addition, the use of the structural condition index is recommended as a screening tool to discriminate between pavements that need structural reinforcement and those that do not. This index is calibrated for use in maintenance and rehabilitation analysis at the network level.


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