Effective decision-making process is the basis for successfully solving any engineering problem. Many decisions taken in the construction projects differ in their nature due to the complex nature of the construction projects. One of the most crucial decisions that might result in numerous issues over the course of a construction project is the selection of the contractor. This study aims to use the ordinal priority approach (OPA) for the contractor selection process in the construction industry. The proposed model involves two computer programs; the first of these will be used to evaluate the decision-makers/experts in the construction projects, while the second will be used to formulate the OPA mathematical model. The experts’ interview was used to identify the criteria of evaluation process of the decision-makers/experts, while Delphi survey with principal component analysis (PCA) was conducted to identify the required selection criteria of the construction projects contractors. The results illustrate that there are 20 criteria for selecting the construction contractor, and 7 criteria for evaluating the decision-makers/experts in the construction projects. Finally, the proposed model has been applied in a real construction project, and showed good results.
Background: Orthodontic mini-implants are increasingly used in orthodontics and the bone density is a very important factor in stabilization and success of mini-implant. The aim of this study was to observe the relationship among maximum bite force (MBF); body mass index (BMI); face width, height and type; and bone density in an attempt to predict bone density from these variables to eliminate the need for CT scan which have a highly hazard on patient. Materials and Methods: Computed tomographic (CT) images were obtained for 70 patients (24 males and 46 females) with age range 18-30 years. The maxillary and mandibular buccal cortical and cancellous bone densities were measured between 2nd premolar and 1st molar at two levels from the alveol
... Show MoreIn this research, several estimators concerning the estimation are introduced. These estimators are closely related to the hazard function by using one of the nonparametric methods namely the kernel function for censored data type with varying bandwidth and kernel boundary. Two types of bandwidth are used: local bandwidth and global bandwidth. Moreover, four types of boundary kernel are used namely: Rectangle, Epanechnikov, Biquadratic and Triquadratic and the proposed function was employed with all kernel functions. Two different simulation techniques are also used for two experiments to compare these estimators. In most of the cases, the results have proved that the local bandwidth is the best for all the
... Show MoreIn this research, optical communication coding systems are designed and constructed by utilizing Frequency Shift Code (FSC) technique. Calculations of the system quality represented by signal to noise ratio (S/N), Bit Error Rate (BER),and Power budget are done. In FSC system, the data of Nonreturn- to–zero (NRZ ) with bit rate at 190 kb/s was entered into FSC encoder circuit in transmitter unit. This data modulates the laser source HFCT-5205 with wavelength at 1310 nm by Intensity Modulation (IM) method, then this data is transferred through Single Mode (SM) optical fiber. The recovery of the NRZ is achieved using decoder circuit in receiver unit. The calculations of BER and S/N for FSC system a
... Show MoreOily wastewater is one of the most challenging streams to deal with especially if the oil exists in emulsified form. In this study, electrospinning method was used to prepare nanofiberous polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes and study their performance in oil removal. Graphene particles were embedded in the electrospun PVDF membrane to enhance the efficiency of the membranes. The prepared membranes were characterized using a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to verify the graphene stabilization on the surface of the membrane homogeneously; while FTIR was used to detect the functional groups on the membrane surface. The membrane wettability was assessed by measuring the contact angle. The PVDF and PVDF / Graphene membranes efficiency
... Show MoreBioethanol produced from lignocellulose feedstock is a renewable substitute to declining fossil fuels. Pretreatment using ultrasound assisted alkaline was investigated to enhance the enzyme digestibility of waste paper. The pretreatment was conducted over a wide range of conditions including waste paper concentrations of 1-5%, reaction time of 10-30 min and temperatures of 30-70°C. The optimum conditions were 4 % substrate loading with 25 min treatment time at 60°C where maximum reducing sugar obtained was 1.89 g/L. Hydrolysis process was conducted with a crude cellulolytic enzymes produced by Cellulomonas uda (PTCC 1259).The maximum amount of sugar released and hydrolysis efficiency were 20.92 g/L and 78.4 %, respectively. Sugars
... Show MoreInterface evaluation has been the subject of extensive study and research in human-computer interaction (HCI). It is a crucial tool for promoting the idea that user engagement with computers should resemble casual conversations and interactions between individuals, according to specialists in the field. Researchers in the HCI field initially focused on making various computer interfaces more usable, thus improving the user experience. This study's objectives were to evaluate and enhance the user interface of the University of Baghdad's implementation of an online academic management system using the effectiveness, time-based efficiency, and satisfaction rates that comply with the task questionnaire process. We made a variety of interfaces f
... Show MoreThirty local fungal isolates according to Aspergillus niger were screened for Inulinase production on synthetic solid medium depending on inulin hydrolysis appear as clear zone around fungal colony. Semi-quantitative screening was performed to select the most efficient isolate for inulinase production. the most efficient isolate was AN20. The optimum condition for enzyme production from A. niger isolate was determined by busing a medium composed of sugar cane moisten with corn steep liquor 5;5 (v/w) at initial pH 5.0 for 96 hours at 30 0C . Enzyme productivity was tested for each of the yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus, the fungus A. niger AN20 and for a mixed culture of A. niger and K. marxianus. The productivity of A. niger gave the highest
... Show MoreThe water quality index is the most common mathematical way of monitoring water characteristics due to the reasons for the water parameters to identify the type of water and the validity of its use, whether for drinking, agricultural, or industrial purposes. The water arithmetic indicator method was used to evaluate the drinking water of the Al-Muthana project, where the design capacity was (40000) m3/day, and it consists of traditional units used to treat raw water. Based on the water parameters (Turb, TDS, TH, SO4, NO2, NO3, Cl, Mg, and Ca), the evaluation results were that the quality of drinking water is within the second category of the requirements of the WHO (86.658%) and the first category of the standard has not
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