The purpose of this study is to evaluate the hydraulic performance and efficiency of using direction diverting blocks, DDBs, fixed on the surface on an Ogee spillway in reducing the acceleration and dissipating the energy of the incoming supercritical flow. Fifteen types of DDB models were made from wood with a triangulate shape and different sizes were used. Investigation tests on pressure distribution at the DDBs boundaries were curried out to insure there is no negative pressures is developed that cause cavitation. In these tests, thirty six test runs were accomplished by using six types of blocks with the same size but differ in apex angle. Results of these test showed no negative pressures developed at the boundarie

In this article, the high accuracy and effectiveness of forecasting global gold prices are verified using a hybrid machine learning algorithm incorporating an Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) model with Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and Gray Wolf Optimizer (GWO). The hybrid approach had successes that enabled it to be a good strategy for practical use. The ARIMA-ANFIS hybrid methodology was used to forecast global gold prices. The ARIMA model is implemented on real data, and then its nonlinear residuals are predicted by ANFIS, ANFIS-PSO, and ANFIS-GWO. The results indicate that hybrid models improve the accuracy of single ARIMA and ANFIS models in forecasting. Finally, a comparison was made between the hybrid foreca

            An image retrieval system is a computer system for browsing, looking and recovering pictures from a huge database of advanced pictures. The objective of Content-Based Image Retrieval (CBIR) methods is essentially to extract, from large (image) databases, a specified number of images similar in visual and semantic content to a so-called query image. The researchers were developing a new mechanism to retrieval systems which is mainly based on two procedures. The first procedure relies on extract the statistical feature of both original, traditional image by using the histogram and statistical characteristics (mean, standard deviation). The second procedure relies on the T-

This paper investigates the performance evaluation of two state feedback controllers, Pole Placement (PP) and Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR). The two controllers are designed for a Mass-Spring-Damper (MSD) system found in numerous applications to stabilize the MSD system performance and minimize the position tracking error of the system output. The state space model of the MSD system is first developed. Then, two meta-heuristic optimizations, Simulated Annealing (SA) optimization and Ant Colony (AC) optimization are utilized to optimize feedback gains matrix K of the PP and the weighting matrices Q and R of the LQR to make the MSD system reach stabilization and reduce the oscillation of the response. The Matlab softwar

The dynamic thermomechanical properties, sealing ability, and voids formation of an experimental obturation hydroxyapatite-reinforced polyethylene (HA/PE) composite/carrier system were investigated and compared with those of a commercial system [GuttaCore (GC)]. The HA/PE system was specifically designed using a melt-extrusion process. The viscoelastic properties of HA/PE were determined using a dynamic thermomechanical analyser. Human single-rooted teeth were endodontically instrumented and obturated using HA/PE or GC systems, and then sealing ability was assessed using a fluid filtration system. In addition, micro-computed tomography (μCT) was used to quantify apparent voids within the root-canal space. The data were statistically analys

Physically based modeling approach has been widely developed in recent years for the simulation of dam failure process due to the lack of field data. This paper provides and describes a physically-based model depending on dimensional analysis and hydraulic simulation methods for estimating the maximum water level and the wave propagation time from breaching of field test dams. The field physical model has been constructed in Dabbah city to represent the collapse of the Roseires dam in Sudan. Five cases of a dam failure were studied to simulate water flood conditions by changing initial water height in the reservoir (0.8, 1.0, 1.2, 1.4 and 1.5 m respectively).The physical model working under five cases, case 5 had the greatest influence of t

Most studies on deep beams have been made with reinforced concrete deep beams, only a few studies investigate the response of prestressed deep beams, while, to the best of our knowledge, there is not a study that investigates the response of full scale (T-section) prestressed deep beams with large web openings. An experimental and numerical study was conducted in order to investigate the shear strength of ordinary reinforced and partially prestressed full scale (T-section) deep beams that contain large web openings in order to investigate the prestressing existence effects on the deep beam responses and to better understand the effects of prestressing locations and opening depth to beam depth ratio on the deep beam performance and b

Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Lean Construction (LC) are two quickly growing applied research areas in construction management. This study focuses on identifying the most essential benefits and analyzing the most affecting constraints on the construction sector that construction players face as they attempt to combine BIM-LC in Iraqi construction. Experts assessed 30 benefits and 28 constraints from examining the previous literature, and a two-round Delphi survey formed the responses. Expert consensus analysis was utilized to elaborate and validate responses after descriptive statistical checks had been used for data processing.

According to the study's findings, the benefits include ensuring the most ef

Objective: A descriptive design, using the methodological approach, is carried throughout the present
study from April 1st 2012 to May 20th 2013 to construct the school physical environment standardized
features tool.
Methodology: An instrument of (141) item is constructed for the purpose of the study. A purposive
sample of (44) school; (22) public and (22) private ones is selected. Content Validity of the instrument is
determined through the use of panel of (11) expert who are specialists in Community Health Nursing and
Community Medicine. Internal consistency reliability, using the split-half technique, is employed through
the computation of Cronbach alpha correlation coefficient of (0.93) for internal scale. Data