In the Hands of the People: Harnessing the Collective Power of Village Life in India

Top-down attempts by governments and charities to rebuild rural communities after natural disasters, or to rehabilitate slums, can leave communities feeling fractured. The Hunnarshala Foundation instead focuses on re-establishing social capital, providing funding and professional support for residents so that they can work together to improve their lot. This also reinforces the value of traditional artisans' knowledge in solving modern problems. Hunnarshala's Executive Vice Chairman Sandeep Virmani explains.     

Design for the Future: Educational Institutions in the Gulf

Despite a distinguished heritage of learning in the Middle East, the expansion of provision for higher education is currently at an unprecedented scale. The Gulf States, in particular, are seeking to keep up with accelerated population growth and a demographic ‘youth bulge’. Guest-Editor Kevin Mitchell describes the architectural approaches employed in the design of institutions in the region from the first universities in Saudi Arabia to Foster + Partners's ground-breaking sustainable design for the Masdar Institute in Abu Dhabi and future projects.     

female figurines in early christian egypt: reconstructing lost practices and meanings

Abstract

This paper addresses the great diversity of female figurines produced during the Christian period (iv–vii ce) in Egypt, from Aswan to Karanis to the Abu Mina pilgrimage city. While not documented in any texts, by their sheer number the figurines offer important evidence of local religious practices performed under the aegis of Christianity (e.g., at saints’ shrines) yet without any ostensible connection to Christian liturgy or mythology. Their usage seems to have been predominantly votive, signifying a desired procreative body to deposit in hope, while the diversity of figurines points to an autochthonous, rather than imported or imposed, ritual tradition. The paper, part of a larger project on the local sites of Christianization, uses these figurines and their forms to reconstruct the iconographic strategies of the workshop, the ritual procedures of the client or ritual subject (at shrine or tomb), and the nature of domestic altars as stages for images.     

阿布扎比NEB油田超长水平井限流筛管完井与酸化优化设计

阿布扎比NEB油田低渗油藏普遍应用超长水平井开发生产,水平段布酸效果是制约超长水平井酸化后产能的关键因素。LEL限流筛管完井和酸化是实现超长水平井均匀酸化的有效手段,但目前常用的LEL限流筛管设计方法多与专业软件相结合,不利于参数敏感性分析和快速优化设计。通过优选管流摩阻计算模型和孔眼流动摩阻计算模型,建立了LEL限流筛管孔眼分布的解析设计方法,可以对超长水平井LEL完井实施快速的孔眼数分布设计;同时结合酸蚀蚓孔长度计算模型和当量表皮系数计算模型进行了酸化效果的快速预测评价。以阿布扎比NEB油田某井实钻井眼情况为例,开展了LEL限流筛管孔眼分布设计和酸化效果预测,得出结论：LEL酸化井酸蚀蚓孔长度可达到1.32～1.63 m,酸化后当量表皮系数可达到-2.85～-3.06;酸液穿透岩心的PV数是LEL设计的一个关键参数,应当通过实验测取。同时认识到,均匀布酸并不能作为LEL酸化设计的唯一目标,应当综合考虑储层非均质性条件,以均衡蚓孔长度、均衡酸化后表皮系数、均衡酸化后产量剖面等为目标开展更加优化的孔眼分布设计。     

Formula One’s new urban economies

The Formula One (F1) industry has become a true microcosm of the world economy, as new business opportunities surface in emerging countries. Until the beginning of the twenty-first century, this sport was mostly relevant to traditional western urban elites, but since then, the F1 calendar has been largely altered to the benefit of ‘dominant-emerging cities’ and to the detriment of more traditional destinations. This article focuses on this urban question through a historical analysis of the F1 circuit’s expansion phases as well as through a study of the current Grand Prix’s estimate sanction fee.     

Two-and-a-Half Dimension Gravity Modeling to Delineate the Structures of the Western Abu Gharadig Basin,Western Desert,Egypt

abstract

The present study is a trial to carry out 2½-dimensional gravity modeling to confirm the structures and tectonics of the western Abu Gharadig Basin, Western Desert, Egypt. This is achieved by a sequence of procedures, started by establishing the trends of six 2½-dimensional residual gravity models, most of them passing through the available control wells. Two-and-a-half-dimensional gravity modeling of mass distributions in the subsurface of the study area was performed on the significant residual anomalies of the area, which had been separated from the unwanted regional field. They were separated using the average power spectrum method available in the suite of programs provided by Geosoft (1994). Such 2½-dimensional models were constructed to reveal the dissecting structures and to subdivide the sedimentary sequence of the area into 10 time-rock and rock units (Paleozoic and Jurassic sequences, Alamein-Shaltut, Kharita, Bahariya, Abu Roash, Khoman, Apollonia, and Dabaa), in addition to the underlying basement complex. Some seismic sections were used to help constrain the construction of 2½-dimensional models.

Two-and-a-half-dimensional gravity models were constructed after transferring the structural and geologic information (fault elements and depth values) of the two-dimensional gravity models to the base maps. In this way, 10 structural contour maps were established on the tops of the respective stratigraphic units. Generally, these maps reflect the considerable effect of the NE-SW and NW-SE trends as major directions of fracturing in the study area of the northern Western Desert of Egypt.     

伊拉克米桑油田Abu区块储层防漏堵漏技术

伊拉克米桑油田Abu区块储层岩性为碳酸盐地层,缝洞非常发育,而且地层压力系数低,漏失是钻井过程面临的主要难题。结合相关地质取心和电测成像资料,在总结分析前期堵漏工艺的基础上,室内对现有可酸溶复合堵漏材料配方进行了优化,将酸溶率提高到75%以上,室内模拟实验承压能力提高到7 MPa以上,并进一步优化形成了适应该区块的堵漏施工工艺。通过现场5口漏失井的试验表明,优化后的可酸溶堵漏配方明显提高了现场堵漏成功率,进一步缩短了钻井周期。      

The Infrastructure of Stability

Afghanistan's key strategical position, lying between Asia and the Middle East, has made it prey to foreign invasion throughout its history. Tarsha Finney explains how an existing military infrastructure of airports, roads, accommodation and unskilled concentrations of labour have given the US and its allies an important leg-up in the current conflict, providing what could be perceived to be an underlying structure of stability. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Characterization and mineral beneficiation of Egyptian glauconite for possible industrial use

A thorough characterization of a glauconite sample collected from a core drilled on the southeast edge of the Abu Tartur Plateau in the Western Desert of Egypt was carried out. The sample, which represents the upper part of the Campanian Duwi Formation, was examined using a petrographic polarizing microscope as well as X-ray diffraction and X-ray fluorescence methods. The magnetic behavior of the different size fractions was tested using a Frantz isodynamic separator prior to the beneficiation process. This process was conducted by both magnetic separation, using an Eriez rare earth roll magnetic separator, and heavy liquid gravity methods during the search for a higher grade of K₂O. A correlation between the mineral composition and magnetic behavior of the particles was shown. Two potassium oxide concentrates were obtained, having 6.8 and 6.22% K₂O, from an original sample containing 4.41% K₂O by weight. A blend of both products yielded a product having 6.42% K₂O with an overall recovery of 41.5%, which may satisfy the requirement of a natural fertilizer. The association of this product with phosphate and pyrite will help to remediate alkaline soils. In addition, a sulfur-rich coproduct containing 11.32% S with a recovery of 31.6% was obtained.     

Geophysical Investigations at Cairo’s Oldest,the Church of Abu Serga (St. Sergius), Cairo,Egypt

The results of an integrated geophysical survey at the archaeological site of Abu Serga church, Cairo, Egypt are presented and discussed. The aim was to investigate the ground conditions of the Church of Abu Serga (St. Sergius), the Cairo’s oldest, dated from 4th Century church, which is located at Qasr el-Shama in old Cairo in Egypt. In particular the objective is to study the subsurface geological structures at the location of the church, and to detect and possibly map any ancient remains concealed under the monument. The survey was conducted using two geophysical methods: the ground penetrating radar (GPR), which is a fully non-destructive method, and the electrical resistivity tomographies (ERTs). The usefulness of combining conventional geophysical mapping techniques and high resolution imaging methods in delineating shallow targets of archaeological interest at such complex archaeological sites, is studied. Ground penetrating radar time slices and 3D electrical tomography depth slices were used for the verification of specific anthropogenic anomalies, which were detected on the geophysical maps Processing of geophysical maps included filtering with the gradient and first derivative operators in the space domain and the upward continuation and Butterworth filters in the wave number domain. The integration of the geophysical measurements revealed that the present Crypt is not the original holy Crypt. The anomalous reflector is detected at depth of about 5 m below the sanctuary floor, in the form of buried ceiling of the original Crypt. The present Crypt is just a small low subterranean church belong to the 2nd century. High resistivity anomalies and distinct GPR signals were also observed deeper in the inner parts of the church. They are attributed to possible remains of ancient walls and surrounding tunnels, or other man-made structures concealed under the floor of the monument. The geophysical survey at Abu Serga church also demonstrates that the general features of the foundation soil are heterogeneous with abundance of fractures; the water table is very high at 1.8m below the sanctuary floors. The benefits of combined geophysical surveys in case of archaeological investigations at complex sites are highlighted.