Piezoelectric structures are nowadays used in many different applications. A better understanding of the influence of material properties and geometrical design on the performance of these structures helps to develop piezoelectric structures specifically designed for their application. Different equivalent circuits have been introduced in the literature to investigate the behaviour of piezoelectric transducers. The model parameters are usually determined from measurements covering the characteristic frequencies of the piezoelectric transducer. This article introduces an analytical technique for calculating the mechanical and electrical equivalent system parameters and characteristic frequencies based on material properties and geom

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of different dietary fat on carcass traits in Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica). A total of 168 7-week-old Japanese quail (48 males and 120 females) were used in this study. They were evenly distributed into 4 treatment groups, with 3 replicates per group containing 4 males and 10 females each. The birds were fed a basal diet with different fats (sunflower, flax, corn, and fish oils) at a 3% level for 13 weeks. On the last day of the experiment, 12 birds were randomly selected from each treatment group (6 males and 6 females) and slaughtered to determine carcass characteristics included in this study, which were carcass weight, dressing percentage with or without giblets, and the r

Methods of estimating statistical distribution have attracted many researchers when it comes to fitting a specific distribution to data. However, when the data belong to more than one component, a popular distribution cannot be fitted to such data. To tackle this issue, mixture models are fitted by choosing the correct number of components that represent the data. This can be obvious in lifetime processes that are involved in a wide range of engineering applications as well as biological systems. In this paper, we introduce an application of estimating a finite mixture of Inverse Rayleigh distribution by the use of the Bayesian framework when considering the model as Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC). We employed the Gibbs sampler and

ZSM-5 zeolite was synthesis under hydrothermal conditions at 175^oC. The synthesis parameters have been investigated to find optimum synthesis method. Firstly, the crystallization time has been investigated to find the optimum crystallization time. Also, the ageing time was studied. The morphology, structure, and composition of the synthesized ZSM-5 zeolite were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), pH meter, viscometer, and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). The bulk Si/Al ratio of ZSM-5 zeolite was in the range of 9.5—11.7. The synthesized ZSM-5 zeolite with appropriate ageing time could adjust crystal size and degree of the crystallinity. The crystal size of ZSM-5 zeolite obtained at an agei

In this study, we fabricated nanofiltration membranes using the electrospinning technique, employing pure PAN and a mixed matrix of PAN/HPMC. The PAN nanofibrous membranes with a concentration of 13wt% were prepared and blended with different concentrations of HPMC in the solvent N, N-Dimethylformamide (DMF). We conducted a comprehensive analysis of these membranes' surface morphology, chemical composition, wettability, and porosity and compared the results. The findings indicated that the inclusion of HPMC in the PAN membranes led to a reduction in surface porosity and fiber size. The contact angle decreased, indicating increased surface hydrophilicity, which can enhance flux and reduce fouling tendencies. Subsequently, we evaluated the e

Abstract. The main technique for removing bacteria from water for various applications is chemical disinfection. However, this method has many disadvantages such as producing disinfectant by-products (DBPs), biofilm formation and either rendering the water unpotable (at high residual disinfection) or leaving a potential for lethal diseases such as Cholera (if the residual disinfection is too low). Recently, a process was developed for continuous removal of bacteria from water using the principle of froth flotation through compressed air only without any chemicals (Hassan, 2015). This work examines the extent to which chemical free froth flotation can purify drinking water. The experiments were carried out using two flotation columns

Crude soybean peroxidase (SBP), isolated from soybean seed coats (hulls) at unusually low concentrations, catalyses the oxidative polymerisation of hazardous aqueous benzidine and its 3,3′-dichloro, 3,3′-dimethyl and 3,3′-dimethoxy derivatives in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. The optimum operating conditions for oxidation of 0·10 mM benzidine were investigated. At pH 5, the hydrogen peroxide-to-substrate concentration ratio was 1·5 and the minimum SBP concentration required to achieve at least 95% conversion of the benzidine in synthetic wastewater was 0·43 mU/ml. Progress curves were established for the conversion of the four substrates, and apparent first-order rate constants were derived. Enzyme-catalysed polym

Abstract. Shock chlorination is a well-known practice in swimming pools and domestic wells. One of the limitations for using this technique in drinking water purification facilities is the difficulty of quickly removing high chlorine concentrations in water distribution systems or production facilities. In order to use this method in the drinking water industry a shock de-chlorination method should be introduced for producing microorganism and biocide free water. De-chlorination using natural stagnant aeration (leaving the water to lose the chlorine naturally) is the safest known method if compared with chemical and charcoaling methods. Unfortunately, stagnant aeration is a slow process. Therefore, developing a process for accelerat

The aim of the research is to identify to what extent to which Malcolm Baldrige standards of total quality are applied in the after-sales services of a private sector company for electrical appliances, from the point of view of administrative leaders, in it. To achieve this aim a questionnaire has been used to measure the degree of application of Malcolm’s seven criteria for total quality, namely: (leadership, strategic planning, focus on the customer, measurement and analysis and knowledge management, focus in human resource and operation management and results of the company’s management), the research found that the company achieved a good level of the standard from the de