The aim of this paper is to explore the relationship between sustainability reporting (SR) and corporate reputation (CR) in the context of initial public offering (IPO) companies in the developing market of Malaysia. This study utilises secondary data from 2007 to 2017 derived from the content analysis of the annual reports and Datastream of 139 sampled IPO companies listed on Bursa Malaysia. The study also employs ordinary least squares (OLS) regression. The result shows that CR has a positive association with SR quantity and quality and its dimensions, i.e., society, environmental, employee, and product. This result suggests that IPO companies can use SR practices to improve their CR. Most companies give little attention to SR issues. Mor

This paper demonstrates the construction designing analysis and control strategies for fully tracking concentrated solar thermal by using programmable logic control in the city of Erbil-Iraq. This work used the parabolic dish as a concentrated solar thermal. At the focal point, the collected form of energy is used for heating a (water) in the receiver, analyzing this prototype in real-time with two different shapes of the receiver and comparing the results. For tracking the parabolic dish, four light-dependent resistors are used to detect the sun's position in the sky so that the tracking system follows it to make the beam radiation perpendicular to the collector surface all of the time during the day for maximum solar p

This study is designed to highlight some of the physiological disorders taken place in the renal function, immunological response as well as the ability of the redox system represented by total antioxidant capacity and malondialdehyde levels to combat the toxic exposure of mercuric chloride (HgCl2) with or without collaboration of resveratrol (RES) supplement. Forty-five adult Sprague Dawley, 8-10 weeks old female rats weighing 170-220 g were randomly grouped as following; control group (C) kept without any medication. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) used as vehicle to prepare RES treatment was given to D-group. RES administered to R-group. Challenge group of rats (HD) was administered HgCl2. The last group of rats (HR) was given HgCl2 with RES i

Through an experimental program of eighteen specimens presented in this paper, the bond strength between reinforcing bar and rubberized concrete was produced by adding waste tire rubber instead of natural aggregate. The fine and coarse aggregate was replaced in 0%, 25%, and 50% with the small pieces of a waste tire. Natural aggregate replacement ratio, rebar size, embedded rebar length, the rebar yield stress of rebar, cover, and concrete compressive strength were studied in this investigation. Ultimate bond stress, bond stress-slip response, and failure modes were presented. The experimental results reported that a reduction of 19% in bond strength was noticed in 50% replaced rubberized concrete compared with convention

In this study, the effect of glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) section and compressive strength of concrete in composite beams under static and low velocity impact loads was examined. Modeling was performed and the obtained results were compared with the test results and their compatibility was evaluated.‎ Experimental tests of four composite beams were carried out, where two of them are control specimen with 20 MPa compressive strength of concrete deck slab and 50 MPa for other. Bending characteristics were affected by the strength of concrete under impact loading case, as it increased maximum impact force and damping time at a ratio of 59% and reduced the damping ratio by 47% compared to the reference hybrid beam. Under stat

An intelligent software defined network (ISDN) based on an intelligent controller can manage and control the network in a remarkable way. In this article, a methodology is proposed to estimate the packet flow at the sensing plane in the software defined network-Internet of Things based on a partial recurrent spike neural network (PRSNN) congestion controller, to predict the next step ahead of packet flow and thus, reduce the congestion that may occur. That is, the proposed model (spike ISDN-IoT) is enhanced with a congestion controller. This controller works as a proactive controller in the proposed model. In addition, we propose another intelligent clustering controller based on an artificial neural network, which operates as a reactive co

Solid dispersion is an attractive tool of pharmaceutical technology used to improve the physical properties of drugs. Among these properties is to enhance the solubility of the drugs.
Rebamipide is a poorly soluble drug of class IV of biopharmaceutical classification system (BCS).
Rebamipide is used as potent antiulcer, mucoprotective drug, by stimulating the generation of prostoglandine enhanced mucosal protection.
Rebamipide was formulated as a solid dispersion using different polymers such as pluronic F-127, PEG6000, PVP K30, and TPGS by using different preparation methods solvent evaporation, fusion, and kneading methods.
It was seen that rebamipide was successfully dispersed in a homogenous solid dispersion matrix by sol

This article aims to establish and evaluate standards for critical equipment and materials in highway projects in Iraq. Delphi technique has been used to analyze, explore, and discover the main criteria and sub-criteria that affect equipment and materials in highway construction projects in Iraq. To determine the correct response to the criteria presented in this study, a program (IBM, SPSS/V25) was used to assess the main criteria and sub-criteria using the mean score (MS) and standard deviation (SD) technique, as well as to check reliability using Cronbach's alpha factor (α). The experts' qualifications and the extent to which the person is ready to commit are both important factors in panel selection. The design of a

The purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of corrosive environment (corrosive ferric chloride of 1, 2, 5, 6% wt. at room temperature), immersion period of (48, 72, 96, 120, 144 hours), and surface roughness on pitting corrosion characteristics and use the data to build an artificial neural network and test its ability to predict the depth and intensity of pitting corrosion in a variety of conditions. Pit density and depth were calculated using a pitting corrosion test on carbon steel (C-4130). Pitting corrosion experimental tests were used to develop artificial neural network (ANN) models for predicting pitting corrosion characteristics. It was found that artificial neural network models were shown to be

The effect of applied current on protection of carbon steel in 0.1N NaCl solution (pH=7) was investigated under flow conditions (0-0.262 m/s) for a range of temperatures (35-55°C) using rotating cylinder electrode. Various values of currents were applied to protect steel from corrosion, these were Iapp.=Icorr., Iapp.=2Icorr. and Iapp.=2.4Icorr. under stationary and flow conditions. Corrosion current was measured by weight loss method. The variation of protection potential with time and rotation velocity at various applied currents was assessed. It is found that the corrosion rate of carbon steel increases with rotation velocity and
has unstable trend with temperature. The protection current required varies with temperature and it inc

This research aims to create lightweight concrete mixtures containing waste from local sources, such as expanded polystyrene (EPS) beads and waste plastic fibers (WPFs), all are cheap or free in the Republic of Iraq and without charge. The modern, rigid, and mechanical properties of LWC were investigated, and the results were evaluated. Three mixtures were made, each with different proportions of plastic fibers (0.4%, 0.8%, 1.2%), in addition to a lightweight concrete mixture containing steak fibers (0.4%, 0.8%, 1.2%), in addition to a lightweight concrete mixture. It contains 20% EPS. The study found that the LWC caused by the addition of WPFs reduced the density (lightweight) of the concrete mixtures because EPS tends

The research tacklets the role of risks arising from the excessive use of derivative contracts for trading in financial crises, including the recent global financial crisis in (2008) which is known the mortgage crisis.

   In order to prove the hypothesis of the research, the risk index of derivative contracts has been chosed as expressed in the measure of (value at risk) to be the main field for testing the hypothesis of research. The duration of the contract  has been also chased  for (15) years between the years (2001- 2015), the period preceding the global financial crisis, while the second represents the period of time that followed. The research reached a number of conclusions, bu

This study evaluated the structural changes of enamel treated by the Regenerate system and carbon dioxide (CO2) laser against acid challenge. Thirty human enamel slabs were prepared and assigned into three groups: Group I: untreated (control); Group II: treated with the Regenerate system; and Group III exposed to CO2 laser. All specimens were subjected to an acid challenge (pH 4.5–7.0) for 14 days. Specimens were evaluated and compared at 120 points using five Raman microspectroscopic peaks; the phosphate vibrations ν1, ν2, ν3, and ν4 at 960, 433, 1029, and 579 cm−1, respectively, and the carbonate at 1070 cm−1, followed by Vickers microhardness test. The ratio of carbonate to phosphate was correlated to the equivalent mic

This investigation integrates experimental and numerical approaches to study a novel solar air heater aimed at achieving an efficient design for a solar collector suitable for drying applications under the meteorological conditions of Iraq. The importance of this investigation stems from the lack of optimal exploitation of solar energy reaching the solar collector, primarily attributable to elevated thermal losses despite numerous designs employed in such solar systems. Consequently, enhancing the thermal performance of solar collectors, particularly those employed in crop drying applications, stands as a crucial focal point for researchers within this domain. Two identical double-pass solar air heaters were designed and constructed for

Background: The objective of this study was to investigate the possibility of standardizing the Bolton ratio analysis as a diagnostic measure for both Iraqi and Egyptian orthodontic populations within three Angle' classification groups. Materials and methods: Two hundred forty pretreatment study casts (one hundred twenty of each population) were included in this study and divided into three Angle' classification groups. The mesiodistal crown diameters of all teeth were measured for computing the anterior and total Bolton ratios. Analysis of variance was performed to compare the mean ratios of Bolton analysis as a function of the Angle classification.HSD test was used to specify the classes of malocclusion that have significant differences.

Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) is a tool that improves real-time patient health observation in hospitals, asylums, especially at home. WBAN has grown popularity in recent years due to its critical role and vast range of medical applications. Due to the sensitive nature of the patient information being transmitted through the WBAN network, security is of paramount importance. To guarantee the safe movement of data between sensor nodes and various WBAN networks, a high level of security is required in a WBAN network. This research introduces a novel technique named Integrated Grasshopper Optimization Algorithm with Artificial Neural Network (IGO-ANN) for distinguishing between trusted nodes in WBAN networks by means of a classifica

Worldwide, enormous amounts of waste cause major environmental issues, including scrap tires and plastic, and large waste, a consequence of the demolition of buildings, including crushed concrete, crushed clay bricks, and crushed thermo-stone. From that point, it’s possible to consider that the recycling processes for these materials and using them in the manufacturing field will reduce the adverse effects on the environment of these wastes and the consumption of natural resources. Sustainable concrete blocks can be considered as one of the products produced by using these materials as partial volume replacement of the coarse, fine aggregate, or cement content, considering their dry density, workability, absorption, co

Ensuring reliable data transmission in Network on Chip (NoC) is one of the most challenging tasks, especially in noisy environments. As crosstalk, interference, and radiation were increased with manufacturers' increasing tendency to reduce the area, increase the frequencies, and reduce the voltages.  So many Error Control Codes (ECC) were proposed with different error detection and correction capacities and various degrees of complexity. Code with Crosstalk Avoidance and Error Correction (CCAEC) for network-on-chip interconnects uses simple parity check bits as the main technique to get high error correction capacity. Per this work, this coding scheme corrects up to 12 random errors, representing a high correction capac

    Water contamination is a pressing global concern, especially regarding the presence of nitrate ions. This research focuses on addressing this issue by developing an effective adsorbent for removing nitrate ions from aqueous solutions. two adsorbents Chitosan-Zeolite-Zirconium (Cs-Ze-Zr composite beads and Chitosan-Bentonite-Zirconium Cs-Bn-Zr composite beads were prepared. The study involved continuous experimentation using a fixed bed column with varying bed heights (1.5 and 3 cm) and inlet flow rates (1 and 3 ml/min). The results showed that the breakthrough time increased with higher bed heights for both Cs-Ze-Zr and Cs-Bn-Zr composite beads. Conversely, an increase in flow rate led to a decrease in breakthrough time. Notab

This study aims to numerically simulate the flow of the salt wedge by using computational fluid dynamics, CFD. The accuracy of the numerical simulation model was assessed against published laboratory data. Twelve CFD model runs were conducted under the same laboratory conditions. The results showed that the propagation of the salt wedge is inversely proportional to the applied freshwater discharge and the bed slope of the flume.  The maximum propagation is obtained at the lowest discharge value and the minimum slope of the flume. The comparison between the published laboratory results and numerical simulation shows a good agreement. The range of the relative error varies between 0 and 16% with an average of 2% and a roo

The printed circuit heat exchanger is a plate type heat exchanger with a high performance and compact size. Heat exchangers such as this need a unique form of bonding and other techniques to be used in their construction. In this study, the process of joining plates, diffusion bonding, was performed and studied. A special furnace was manufactured for bonding purposes. The bonding process of copper metal was carried out under specific conditions of a high temperature up to 700 ^oC, high pressure of 3.45 MPa, and in an inert environment (Argon gas) to make tensile samples. The tensile samples are cylindrical shapes containing groves representing the flow channels in the printed circuit heat exchanger and checking their tensile st

Two simple, rapid, and useful spectrophotometric methods were suggest or the determination of sulphadimidine sodium (SDMS) with and without using cloud point extraction technique in pure form and pharmaceutical preparation. The first  method was based on  diazotization of the Sulphdimidine Sodium drug by sodium nitrite at 5 ºC, followed by coupling with α –Naphthol in basic medium to form an orange colored product . The product was stabilized and its absorption was measured at 473 nm. Beer’s law was obeyed in the concentration range of (1-12) μg∙ml^-1. Sandell’s sensitivity was 0.03012 μg∙cm^-1, the detection limit was 0.0277 μg∙ml^-1, and the limit of Quantitation was 0.03605μg

This study was conducted to examine the discharge capacity of the reach of the Tigris River between Kut and Amarah Barrages of 250km in length. The examination includes simulation the current capacity of the reach by using HEC-RAS model. 247cross sections surveyed in 2012 were used in the simulation. The model was calibrated using observed discharges of 533, 800, 1025 and 3000m³/s discharged at Kut Barrage during 2013, 1995, 1995 and 1988, respectively, and its related water level at three gauge stations located along the reach. The result of calibration process indicated that the lowest Root Mean Square Error of 0.095 can be obtained when using Manning’s n coefficient of 0.026, 0.03 for th

Perennial biofuel and cover crops systems are important for enhancing soil health and can provide numerous soil, agricultural, and environmental benefits. The study objective was to investigate the effects of cover crops and biofuel crops on soil hydraulic properties relative to traditional management for claypan soils. The study site included selected management practices: cover crop (CC) and no cover crop (NC) with corn/soybean rotation, switchgrass (SW), and miscanthus (MI). The CC mixture consisted of cereal rye, hairy vetch, and Austrian winter pea. The research site was located at Bradford Research Center in Missouri, USA, and was implemented on a Mexico silt loam. Intact soil cores (76‐mm diam. by 76‐mm long) were taken from the

This study was carried out at Qlyasan  location in Sulaimani region (Lat 35 º 34' 307''; N, long 45º 21' 992; E, 765 masl) for F₃ generation of seven pea varieties (1-Avolla, 2-Americana, 3-Jeza, 4-Joneor, 5-Packland, 6-Arvena and 7-Samara). The seeds of 21 F₃ crosses and their parents were sown in Completely Randomized Block Design (CRBD).With three replicates. The results showed that the mean squares of genotypes, gca and sca were highly significant for seed weight plant^-1 and most its important components. The parents Americana and Jeza recorded maximum values for all studied characters. The cross AvollaxAmericana recorded the highest value for seed weight plant^-1 and pod weig

Modified asphalt is considered one of the alternatives to address the problems of deficiencies in traditional asphalt concrete, as modified asphalt addresses many of the issues that appear on the pavement layers in asphalt concrete, resulting from heavy traffic and vehicles loaded with loads that exceed the design loads and the large fluctuations in the daily and seasonal temperatures of asphalt concrete. The current study examined the role of polyphosphoric acid (PPA) as a modified material for virgin asphalt when it was added in different proportions (1%, 2%, 3%, 4%) of the asphalt weight. The experimental program includes the volumetric characteristics associated with the Marshall test, the physical properties, and th

The antibacterial activity of essential oils extracted from Origanum compactum, Thymus capitatus, Foeniculum vulgare, and Rosmarinus officinalis was assessed with the well diffusion method and a microbroth dilution assay against E. coli isolated from the carcasses of rabbits. The chemical composition of these essential oils was also determined by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The results of this study indicate that essential oils with high phenol content exert a strong antibacterial activity against E. coli. Essential oils of Origanum compactum and Thymus capitatus containing high amounts of the monoterpenoid phenols thymol and car