Photonic Crystal Fiber Interferometers (PCFIs) are widely used for sensing applications. This work presents the fabrication and the characterization of a relative humidity sensor based on a polymer-coated photonic crystal fiber that operates in a Mach- Zehnder Interferometer (MZI) transmission mode. The fabrication of the sensor involved splicing a short (1 cm) length of Photonic Crystal Fiber (PCF) between two single-mode fibers (SMF). It was then coated with a layer of agarose solution. Experimental results showed that a high humidity sensitivity of 29.37 pm/%RH was achieved within a measurement range of 27–95%RH. The sensor also showed good repeatability, small size, measurement accuracy and wide humidity range. The RH sensitivity of the sensor has a significant dependence on the thickness of the coating and the sensor with the highest sensitivity showed a linear response for RH change in the range of 27-95% RH and a fast response time of 0.8 sec for an RH change from 50% to 90%.
A recent study compared experimentally the hydraulic and thermal activity of twisted tape inserts for two types, metal foam twisted tape (MFTT) and traditional twisted tape (TTT), in a double pipe heat exchanger. The investigation goal of the innovatively designed MFTT is to enhance the heat transfer process, which provides a higher thermal enhancement factor over those of TTT under the same conditions. Heat transfer activity in terms of Nusselt number (
In this paper, thermal performance of a zig-zig solar air heater (ZZSAH) with and without using steel wire mesh on the absorber plate of the collector is experimentally investigated. The experimental work includes four inclination angles of the collector 20o, 30o, 45o, and 60o and four air mass flow rates of 0.03, 0.04, 0.06, and 0.08 kg/s under varieties of operating conditions of a geographic location of Baghdad. New correlation equations of Nusselt number are obtained from experimental results for both types of collectors where the effect of varying of the inclination angle of collector taken into consideration in the experiment. The correlations show good agreement wi
... Show MoreExtracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is considered a standard treatment for nephrolith or kidney stones measuring less than 20 mm. Anatomical, machine-related, and stone factors play pivotal roles in treatment outcomes, the latter being the leading role. This paper examined the relationship between stone density on native CT scans and ESWL treatment to remove renal stones concerning several treatments. One hundred and twenty patients (64 males and 56 females) were enrolled and completed the study from April 2019 to September 2020. Inclusion criteria were a single renal pelvis stone of 5–20 mm to be treated for the first time in adult patients with no urinary or musculoskeletal anatomical abnormalities. We assessed patients
... Show MoreBackground: The anticancer impact of Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) the highly active polyphenol of green tea was abundantly studied. Though, the exact mechanism of its cytotoxicity is still under investigation. Objectives: Hence, the current study designed to investigate the molecular target of EGCG in HepG2 cells on thirteen autophagy- and/or apoptosis- related genes. Methods: The apoptosis detection analyses such as flow cytometry and dual apoptosis assay were used. The genes expression profile was explored by the real-time quantitative-PCR. Results: EGCG increases G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and the real-time apoptosis markers proteins leading to stimulate apoptos
... Show MoreIn this study, high-performance solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) with different compositions were investigated for next-generation lithium-based energy storage and flexible electronics technology applications. The SPE films were prepared by the solution casting method using hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), polyethylene glycol (PEG), and lithium sulfate (Li2SO4 ). The obtained films were flexible and transparent, hence suitable for structural, optical, electrical, and thermal characterizations. The XRD pattern of HPMC indicated a broad peak at 2 theta approximate to 20 degrees, while the films HPMC/PEG- Li2SO4 showed sharp peaks assigned to the crystalline nature of Li2SO4 . Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectra confirmed O-H vibra
... Show MoreThis article presents the simultaneous adsorption of bimetal Cu2+ and Zn2+ from an aqueous solution using activated carbon synthesized from a plum seed precursor by sulfuric acid and microwave activation: plum seeds chemically activated by 45% (w/w) sulfuric acid with 2:1 ratio for 4 h, then carbonized for 2 h at 700 °C and the product obtained activated in a microwave oven for 20 min at 700 W for final of activation. Plum seeds and activated carbon produced were characterized in terms of their physical and chemical composition using Brunauer–Emmett–Teller measurements, field emission scanning electr
An experiment was carried out to study the effect of soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil texture on the distance of the wetting front, cumulative water infiltration (I), infiltration rate (IR), saturated water conductivity (Ks), and water holding capacity (WHC). Three levels ( 0, 10, 20, and 30 g OC kg-1 ) from organic carbon (OC) were mixed with different soil materials sandy, loam, and clay texture soils. Field capacity (FC) and permanent wilting point (PWP) were estimated. Soil materials were placed in transparent plastic columns(12 cm soil column ), and water infiltration(I) was measured as a function of time, the distance of the wetting front and Ks. Results showed that advance we
The organizations and institutions of the developed countries have given attention to the subject of the knowledge economy by using advanced technology in the function of tax examination because of the important and effective role in ensuring the accuracy of the tax accounting process procedures, But the General Commission of taxes is still using traditional methods in the field of tax examination which affects the performance of its work. This research aims to explain the level of effect on introducing advanced methods of Economics and knowledge represented by advanced communication technology in the field of practicing tax examination function in the General Commission of taxes, A questionnaire has been used as a mea
... Show MoreThe research aims to study the administrative problems in the sports management of the members of the administrative bodies of the first-class clubs of the province of Baghdad in football. The researchers used the descriptive approach (survey study) for its relevance to the nature of the research. The research community is represented by first-class football players, who numbered (176) players. The research sample was chosen by the deliberate method, as the basic research sample reached (136) individuals from the total research community. The researchers used the questionnaire to collect the necessary data to achieve the goal of the research by applying a questionnaire that aims to ident
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