Moisture induced damage can cause a progressive deterioration in the performance of asphalt pavement by the loss of adhesion between asphalt binder and aggregate surface and/or loss of cohesion within the binder in the presence of water. The objective of this paper is to improve the asphalt mixtures resistance to moisture by using hydrated lime as an anti-stripping additive. For this purpose, two types of asphalt binder were utilized; asphalt grades (40-50) and (60-70) with one type of aggregate of 19.0 mm aggregate nominal maximum size, and limestone dust as a mineral filler. Marshall method was adopted to find the optimum asphalt content. Essentially, two parameters were determined to evaluate the moisture susceptibili

 The quaternary alloy of Cu₂CdSnS₄ (CCSS) is one type of thin film materials that contributes to the field of photovoltaic devices manufacturing, the importance of which has not been commonly enlightened as most of the other materials. For the preparation of CCSS thin films at 350 °C on glass substrates, the chemical spray pyrolysis technique was used. The optical properties of thin films prepared under the influence of the variation of copper solution molarity (0.03, 0.05, 0.07, and 0.09 M) on the quaternary compound were examined using a UV-vis spectrophotometer. The findings of the AFM study showed the atoms on the surface that are acclimatized in the form of nanorods with an increase in the average grain s

In this article four samples of HgBa₂Ca₂Cu_2.4Ag_0.6O_8+δ were prepared and irradiated with different doses of gamma radiation 6, 8 and 10 Mrad. The effects of gamma irradiation on structure of HgBa₂Ca₂Cu_2.4Ag_0.6O_8+δ samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction. It was concluded that there effect on structure by gamma irradiation. Scherrer, crystallization, and Williamson equations were applied based on the X-ray diffraction diagram and for all gamma doses, to calculate crystal size, strain, and degree of crystallinity. I

As a result of the growth of economic, demographic and building activities in Iraq, that necessitates carrying out geotechnical investigations for the dune sand to study behavior of footings resting on these soils. To determine these properties and to assess the suitability of these materials for resting shallow foundation on it, an extensive laboratory testing program was carried out. Chemical tests were carried out to evaluate any possible effects of the mineralogical composition of the soil on behavior of foundation rested on dune sands.
Collapse tests were also conducted to trace any collapse potential. Loading tests were carried out for optimum water content and different shapes of footing. Loading test recommends manufacturing o

In this research, an enhancement in lubricating, rheological, and filtration properties of unweighted water-based mud is fundamentally investigated using XC polymer NPs with 0.2gm, 0.5gm, 1gm, 2gm, and 4gm concentrations. Bentonite, that had been used in the preparation of unweighted water-based mud, was characterized using XRF-1800 Sequential X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer, XRD-6100/7000 X-ray Diffractometer, and Malvern Mastersizer 2000 particle size analyzer, respectively. Lubricating, rheology and filtration properties of unweighted water-based mud were measured at room temperature (35°C) using OFITE EP and Lubricity Tester, OFITE Model 900 Viscometer, and OFITE Low-Pressure Filter Press, respectively. XC Polymer N

This study used a continuous photo-Fenton-like method to remediate textile effluent containing azo dyes especially direct blue 15 dye (DB15). A Eucalyptus leaf extract was used to create iron/copper nanoparticles supported on bentonite for use as catalysts (E@B-Fe/Cu-NPs). Two fixed-bed configurations were studied and compared. The first one involved mixing granular bentonite with E@B-Fe/Cu-NPs (GB- E@B-Fe/Cu-NPs), and the other examined the mixing of E@B-Fe/Cu-NPs with glass beads (glass beads-E@B-Fe/Cu-NPs) and filled to the fixed-bed column. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), zeta potential, and atomic forces spectroscopy (AFM) techniques were used to characterize the obtained particles (NPs). The effect of flow rate and DB15 concent

One of the most important parameters determining structural members' durability and strength is the fire flame's influence and hazard. Some engineers have advocated using advanced analytical models to predict fire spread impact within a compartment and considering finite element models of structural components to estimate the temperatures within a component using heat transfer analysis. This paper presented a numerical simulation for a reinforced concrete beam’s structural response in a case containing Water Absorbing Polymer Spheres (WAPS) subjected to fire flame effect. The commercial finite element package ABAQUS was considered. The relevant geometrical and material parameters of the reinforced concrete beam model a

A field experiment was carried out at University of Baghdad, College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences during fall season of 2020 and spring season of 2021. This study was aimed evaluate the effect of the organic fertilizer and boron foliar on the yield of potatoes for processing. The factorial experiment (5*4) within RCBD and three replicates. The organic fertilizer as palm peat at four levels (0, 12, 24 and 36 ton. ha-1) in addition to the chemical fertilizer recommendation treatment. Boron at four Concentrations 0, 100, 150 and 200 mg. L-1 . The results revealed significant different among application of organic fertilizer at the level of 24 ton. ha-1 and the foliar application of boron at a concentration of 100 mg. L-1 in the

Chlorination has been the method of choice for disinfecting water used for drinking purposes. However, some stressed bacteria during chlorination are able to recover and alter the potability of water. This study assessed the recovery of stressed bacteria in dechlorinated water. Ten chlorinated water samples were collected from different points within Ilorin metropolis, Kwara, Nigeria. The samples (100ml) were dechlorinated with 0.1ml of 11.4mM sodium thiosulphate solution. The physicochemical characteristics of the chlorinated water samples were determined while bacteriological analyses were carried out on both chlorinated and dechlorinated water samples. The antibiotic susceptibility pattern of the isolates was determined using disc dif

The aim of the present research is concerned with study the effect of UV radiation on the optical properties at wavelengths 254, 365 nm of pure PC and anthracene doping PC films prepared using the cast method for different doping ratio 10-60 mL. Films of pure PC and anthracene doping PC were aged under UV radiation for periods of up to 360 h. It found that the effect of UV radiation at wavelength 254 nm on the optical properties is great than the effect of UV radiation at wavelength 365 nm. Also, it found that the optical energy gap of pure PC and anthracene doping PC films is stable against radiation.

This work aimed PVA nanofibers in a range of concentrations were successfully manufactured via electrospinning. PVA NFs/Si was effectively prepared using the electrospinning process. The structural, morphological, optical and electrical properties of the prepared PVA were studied using XRD, FE-SEM, UV-Vis spectrophotometer and I-V characteristics, respectively. The amorphous structure of PVA nanofibers was observed. The optical energy gap from ultraviolet to visible was between (2.75 and 2.41) eV, making this compound highly sensitive to visible orange light at 610 nm, with a photosensitivity of 66%. The optical energy gap of PVA/Si heterojunction was utilized to modify this film from the UV to the visible spectrum. As show in the results,

Trajectory tracking and vibration suppression are essential objectives in a flexible joint manipulator control. The flexible joint manipulator is an under-actuated system, in which the number of control actions is less than the degree of freedom to be controlled. It is very challenging to control the underactuated nonlinear system with two degree of freedom. This paper presents a hierarchical sliding mode control (HSMC) for a rotary flexible joint manipulator (RFJM). Firstly, the rotary flexible joint manipulator is modeled by two subsystems. Secondly, the sliding surfaces for both subsystems are constructed. Finally, the control action is designed based on the Lyapunov function. Computer simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of

Stabilization of phenol trapped by agricultural waste: a study of the influence of ambient temperature on the adsorbed phenol

   The location of the study area is surging hills in Bongomene area, Gorontalo, Indonesia. In this study, a geological survey and sampling were taken, and then an analysis of the content of benthic foraminifera was performed in each sample. The study aims to discover the species of benthic foraminifera fossils and to determine the paleobathymetry to the studied regions. The results of the analysis contained seven fossils species, namely Ammomassilina alveoliniformis, Stelligerum astrononion, Haynesia germanica, Nonion fabum, Praeglobobulimina ovata, Rhabdammina discreata and Saccorhiza ramosa. Based on the content of benthic foraminifera fossils, paleobathymetry is determined as Middle Shelf to Outer

Activated carbon prepared from date stones by chemical activation with ferric chloride (FAC) was used an adsorbent to remove phenolic compounds such as phenol (Ph) and p-nitro phenol (PNPh) from aqueous solutions. The influence of process variables represented by solution pH value (2-12), adsorbent to adsorbate weight ratio (0.2-1.8), and contact time (30-150 min) on removal percentage and adsorbed amount of Ph and PNPh onto FAC was studied. For PNPh adsorption,( 97.43 %) maximum removal percentage and (48.71 mg/g) adsorbed amount was achieved at (5) solution pH,( 1) adsorbent to adsorbate weight ratio, and (90 min) contact time. While for Ph adsorption, at (4) solution pH, (1.4) absorbent to adsorbate weight ratio, and (120 min) contact

In order to reduce the environmental pollution associated with the conventional energy sources and to achieve the increased global energy demand, alterative and renewable sustainable energy sources need to be developed. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) represent a bio-electrochemical innovative technology for pollution control and a simultaneous sustainable energy production from biodegradable, reduced compounds. This study mainly considers the performance of continuous up flow dual-chambers MFC
fueled with actual domestic wastewater and bio-catalyzed with anaerobic aged sludge obtained from an aged septic tank. The performance of MFCs was mainly evaluated in terms of COD reductions and electrical power output. Results revealed that the C

In this investigation , borax (B) (additive I) and chlorinated paraffin (CP.) (additive II) ,were used as flame retardants for each of epoxy and unsaturated polyester resins in the weight ratios of 2,4,6, & 8% by preparing films of (130×130×3) mm dimensions. Also films of these resins with a mixture of [50%(B.)+50%(CP.)] (additive III) in the same weight ratios were prepared in order to study the synergistic effect of these additives on the flammability of the two resins . Three standard test methods were used to measure the flame retardation which are : 1-ASTM : D-2863 2-ASTM : D-635 3-ASTM : D-3014

This paper presents a cognition path planning with control algorithm design for a nonholonomic wheeled mobile robot based on Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm. The aim of this work is to propose the circular roadmap (CRM) method to plan and generate optimal path with free navigation as well as to propose a nonlinear MIMO-PID-MENN controller in order to track the wheeled mobile robot on the reference path. The PSO is used to find an online tune the control parameters of the proposed controller to get the best torques actions for the wheeled mobile robot. The numerical simulation results based on the Matlab package show that the proposed structure has a precise and highly accurate distance of the generated refere

SARS-CoV-2 stands for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 which is the causative agent of spreading coronavirus disease 2019 that is known as COVID-19 pandemic, the disease leads to severe acute respiratory illness. Matrix metalloproteinases- 9 (MMP-9) plays several important physiological functions. This enzyme could also be implicated in the "cytokine storm" in some way, which may represent one of the possible scianrios during coronavirus infection, in addition to its role in the mechanism of lung fibrosis on molecular basis.. The tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase (TIMPs) are well characterized for controlling the activity of MMPs in extracellular matrix remodeling. They also considered as signaling molecules anal

Solar energy is one of the immeasurable renewable energy in power generation for a green, clean and healthier environment. The silicon-layer solar panels absorb sun energy and converts it into electricity by off-grid inverter. Electricity is transferred either from this inverter or from transformer, consumed by consumption unit(s) available for residential or economic purposes. The artificial neural network is the foundation of artificial intelligence and solves many complex problems which are difficult by statistical methods or by humans. In view of this, the purpose of this work is to assess the performance of the Solar - Transformer - Consumption (STC) system. The system may be in complete breakdown situation due to failure of both so

An evaluation the performance of the irrigation system for the Al-Ishaqi irrigation project for the Eastern Canal was conducted to identify management strategies that can be used to improve the operation and performance of the irrigation system. The study area is located in Salah al-Din G.0overnorate, Iraq. The field work included determining the moisture content of the soil before and after irrigation, measuring the inflow of the field to find the depth of the applied water, field monitoring, and measuring the depth of the root zone for each irrigation process. Field measurements showed that the average efficiency of water application for the two fields (A, and B) are 59.81% and 38.6%, respectively. The results of the efficiency of