bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The microscopic mineral collector of the sea: Agglutinella kaminskii n. sp., a new benthic foraminifer from the Arabian Gulf
Authors: Garrison Thomas F.
Published: April 2022

The new species Agglutinella kaminskii n. sp. (Miliolida: Siphonapertinae) is described from nearshore marine localities in eastern Bahrain. The species is characterized by its simple tooth and tendency for selectively incorporating colorful siliciclastic mineral grains of eolian origin into its test wall. The new species appears to be endemic to the Arabian Gulf.
Nummulitids of the shallow-marine middle Eocene limestones from the central Iran region: taxonomic and biostratigraphic implications
Authors: Hadi Mehdi , Parandavar Mohammad , Mosaddegh Hossein , Sarkar Suman
Published: April 2022

Nummulitid tests are recorded for the first time from an upper Lutetian limestone outcrop of the Tihoieyeh section, exposed in the southwestern Jiroft region of central Iran. Detailed studies on their systematics and biostratigraphy resulted in the diagnosis of three nummulitid taxa as Assilina exponens Sowerby 1840, Nummulites deshayesi Dâ€™Archiac and Haime 1853 and Nummulites sp. cf. N. praelyelli. These larger benthic foraminifera are associated with calcareous nannofossil assemblages assignable to the SBZ16, NP16/CNE14 biozones.
Agglutinated foraminifera from Recent mangrove environments of the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Authors: Fiorini Flavia , Lokier Stephen W. , Garrison Thomas F. , Kaminski Michael A.
Published: April 2022

In this study we report the occurrence of a foraminiferal assemblage dominated by organic-walled agglutinated foraminifera from mangrove swamps located to the east of Abu Dhabi Island, UAE. Mangals in the Abu Dhabi region are characterized by the mangrove tree Avicennia marina. Different sedimentary facies from mangals were sampled for the present study. Samples collected from the upper intertidal area (often dry) in the proximity of Avicennia marina roots and containing leaf material produced an assemblage exclusively composed of small-sized opportunistic Ammonia and Cribroelphidium, together with abundant specimens of agglutinated foraminifera belonging to the genus Trochammina. Where present, the genus Trochammina may comprise up to the 50% of the total foraminiferal assemblage. An assemblage characterized by a high abundance of Trochammina has not been previously reported in the Arabian Gulf.
Serrakielina chahtorshiana n. gen. et n. sp., and other (larger) benthic Foraminifera from Danian-Selandian carbonates of Mount Chah Torsh (Yazd Block, Central Iran)
Authors: Schlagintweit Felix , Rashidi Koorosh
Published: April 2022

Mount Chah Torsh in the Yazd area of Central Iran exposes the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary within a carbonatic siliciclastic shallow-water succession. From the territory of Iran the K/Pg boundary was so far only recorded from deeper-water successions of the Kopet Dagh Basin in the northeast and the Zagros Zone (Gurpi Formation) in the southwest. From the Paleocene (Danianâ€“Selandian, Shallow Benthic Zones 1â€“2) carbonates of Mount Chah Torsh the new porcelaneous Larger Benthic Foraminifera Serrakielina chahtorshiana n. gen. et n. sp. is described. In the uniserial adult part the chambers are subdivided by radial partitions. Together with the single, stellate foramina Serrakielina n. gen. compares closely to the soritacean Praerhapydionina Henson. It differs in its juvenile stage (trochospiral in the former vs. planispiral in the latter). From the same section, Haymanella ex. gr. paleocenica Sirel, Kolchidina paleocenica (Cushman), Sistanites iranicus Rahaghi, Orduella sphaerica Sirel, and other taxa (rotaliids, miliolids) are reported. Anew larger agglutinated taxon is described as Socotraella? yazdiana n. sp. Socotraella ashawqi the type-species of the genus was described from the Lower Oligocene of Yemen (Socotra Island) and Oman. The samples from the Mount Chah Torsh section also display a comparably rich association of Dasycladales and other algae. The locality can be considered a standard section for Danianâ€“Selandian shallow-water carbonates in Iran. Exposing also the K/Pg boundary in a conformable transition, this locality offers several topics for future research.
Miogypsinid biostratigraphy in lower Miocene Qom Formation, Central Iran
Authors: Daneshian Jahanbakhsh , Dana Leila Ramezani
Published: April 2022

The Qom Formation of Central Iran consists of carbonates, evaporates and clastics in several depositional cycles, divided into nine members in the type area around Qom city, as best exemplified in the Dobaradar section. Each cycle starts with carbonates, followed by terrestrial and finally evaporate deposits. Despite their significant thicknesses the only fossiliferous strata in the Qom Formation are shallow marine deposits, in which foraminiferal assemblages are mostly benthic, with planktic forms in relatively low abundance. The larger benthic foraminifera in the Qom beds, in particular those of the widely distributed family Miogypsinidae, are studied here on the basis of biometric characters that have not been previously recorded in Iran. Biostratigraphic control, provided by planktic foraminifera in sites where they occur in sufficient abundance, confirms an early Miocene age for the entire Qom sequence, with a younger age for the miogypsinid assemblage than in neighboring areas.
Turonian microcrinoids from the lower Aruma Formation of Saudi Arabia
Authors: Hughes Geraint Wyn
Published: April 2022

Pelagic microcrinoids assigned to the genus Roveacrinus identified in thin-sections of carbonates of the Turonian lower Aruma Formation of Saudi Arabia provide the first documented occurrence of these microfossils in the Arabian Peninsula. The species include Roveacrinus cf. alatus Douglas 1908, Roveacrinus sp., Roveacrinus geinitzi Schneider 1989, Roveacrinus cf. geinitzi, Roveacrinus aff. rugosus Douglas 1908, Roveacrinus sp. A., Roveacrinus aff. geinitzi Schneider 1989 and Roveacrinus cf. derdereensis. The Turonian range is based on the presence of planktonic foraminifera Heterohelix moremanni, H. globulosa and Marginotruncana sigali in the absence of Rotalipora spp., although possible Cenomanian forms are present within one deep marine microfacies assemblage. The biofacies containing the often abundant Roveacrinus fragments consists typically of abundant calcareous dinoflagellate cysts Calcisphaerula innominata with less common Pithonella ovalis, and rare Bonitocardiella conica, rare to common planktonic foraminifera and rare benthonic foraminifera including Marssonella turris and Gavelinella spp. This assemblage, within very fine-grained packstones, suggests a deep marine depositional environment with low energy, normal salinity conditions. Deep marine sediments, that include Heterohelix moremanni and forms that may be transitional to H. globulosa, include roveacrinids that compare with the Cenomanian species R. derdereensis and these may prove to be supplementary useful age indicators in such environments. Although their association with pelagic microfossils would suggest a planktonic lifestyle, a definite paleoenvironmental interpretation seems elusive by most authors although there is a direct association between the roveacrinoid abundance and flooding surfaces and high-productivity events. Roveacrinid fragments have been recovered from calcareous mudstones of the Ruwaydha and Tuwayil members of the Aruma Formation that overlie upper Cenomanian grainstones of the MishrifMember of theWasia Formation. A regionally significant unconformity separates the Mishrif Formation from the Aruma Formation, of which the basal Aruma represents a significant deep marine transgression. The episodic microcrinoid distribution potentially provides regionally correlative bioevents in addition to their possible relationship with the oceanic anoxic event OAE 2.
Benthic foraminiferal turnover at the Eocene-Oligocene transition in the Caltavuturo Formation cropping out near Santa Cristina Gela (Sicily)
Authors: Benedetti Andrea
Published: April 2022

A qualitative and quantitative study was carried out on the benthic foraminiferal assemblages from the upper Eocene to lower Oligocene of a section of the Caltavuturo Formation exposed near Piana degli Albanesi (northwestern Sicily). The recognized taxa are evaluated in terms of their ecology and bathymetric interpretation. Biostratigraphic constraints are defined combining both nannofossils and planktic foraminifers biozonations. The planktic-benthic foraminiferal ratio allowed the reconstruction of water depth variations. Atotal of 48 benthic foraminiferal taxawere extracted from the samples. The benthic assemblages and the P/(P+B) ratio indicate a lower to middle bathyal depositional depth, although an abrupt drop of sea level of about 140 m is recorded across the suspected Eocene-Oligocene transition. Calcium carbonate content decreases upsection, suggesting an increase in terrigenous supply in the lowermost Oligocene.
Influence of an Upper Bathyal Whale-fall on Benthic Foraminifera of Monterey Canyon, California (USA)
Authors: McGann Mary , Lundsten Lonny
Published: April 2022

Aremotely operated vehicle was used to sample a graywhale carcass five days after it was deployed at a depth of 382 m in Monterey Canyon, California. Visual observations of the whale-fall (Whale-382p) documented that it was in the first stage of decomposition (the â€œnecrophageâ€ stage), with abundant hagfish and amphipods surrounding the carcass. A 21-cm, lithologically consistent fine-grained push core was taken under the carcass and analyzed for benthic foraminifera. No endemic foraminiferal species were found at this site. Pseudoparrella pacifica dominated both the living and dead assemblages. A general trend of decreasing foraminiferal abundance and species richness among the living and dead faunas was evident downcore, although several intervals below 5 cm contained a higher-than-expected abundance, species richness, and estuarine or shelfal benthic foraminifera, suggesting deposition of distal turbiditic deposits at the core site which is a common occurrence in Monterey Canyon.Because the percentage abundance of living and dead specimens of P. pacifica were similar in the upper 5 cm of the core (89% and 82%, respectively), the whale-fall does not appear to have influenced the benthic foraminiferal assemblage after five days on the seafloor.
Jurassic Biostratigraphy in the Persian Gulf, South of Iran
Authors: Ghalandari Zohreh , Vahidinia Mohammad , Mousavi-Harami Seyyed Reza
Published: April 2022

The Neyriz, Surmeh and Hith Formations outcrop in the Persian Gulf area. Assemblages of benthic foraminifera and green algae were studied in 789 meters from these formations in the onshore middle part of the Persian Gulf, South of Iran. These formations consist of grey shales, dolomite, limestone and anhydrite. The Neyriz andHith formations are barren of fossils and the age of Neyriz Formation is Early Jurassic and the age of Hith Formation is Late Jurassic (Tithonian) based on stratigraphy. In the Surmeh Formation 18 genera and 17 species of benthic foraminifera, 5 genera and 3 species of algae, one genus of bivalve and one genus of crinoid have been determined. Five biozones are defined based on the microfossil distribution, and consist of the Lithiotis Range zone, Pfenderina Range zone, Trocholina palastinensis-Trocholina Assemblage zone, Kurnubia jurassica Interval zone and the Clypeina jurassica zone. Diagnostic larger benthic foraminifera indicate a Toarcian to Tithonian age for the Surmeh Formation in this part of the Persian Gulf Basin.
The foraminiferal biostratigraphy and paleoenvironmental interpretation of the Gault Clay Formation (Middle and Upper Albian) at Munday's Hill Quarry, Bedfordshire, UK
Authors: Fogerty Thomas , Hart Malcolm B. , Page Kevin N. , Smart Christopher W.
Published: April 2022

The foraminifera of the Gault Clay Formation, exposed in the Munday's Hill Quarry (Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, UK), are described. This quarry, which is worked for the underlying Woburn Sands, is periodically 'refreshed' and the Gault Clay overburden removed. This cleaning of the quarry was undertaken in 2018 and provided access to a fresh clay succession. An 11.4 m section of the Gault Clay Formation was logged and samples collected for micropaleontological analysis, ranging from the Hoplites spathi Subzone to the Hysteroceras varicosum Subzone. A total of 58 specieswere identified from a total of 11,345 foraminifera examined in 20 samples. Two distinctive assemblages are evident; the Lower Gault Clay contains abundant aragonitic foraminifera, while the Upper Gault Clay is dominated by agglutinated foraminifera. This distribution is repeatedly recorded across South-Eastern England and is likely due to ecological constraints such aswater depth, but taphonomic processes cannot be dismissed. The succession at Munday's Hill Quarry is compared to comparable successions in East Anglia, Sussex (Glyndebourne Borehole) and Kent (Copt Point, Folkestone).
Falsonubeculina, a replacement name for Pseudonubeculina Amao and Kaminski 2016 (preoccupied)
Authors: Amao Abduljamiu O. , Kaminski Michael A.
Published: April 2022

In 2016, we described the new foraminiferal genus Pseudonubeculina (type species Pseudonubeculina arabica Amao and Kaminski 2016) from the southern Iranian sector of the Arabian Gulf. Our genus name Pseudonubeculina turns out to be preoccupied by Pseudonubeculina Bartenstein and Brand 1949 (type species Nubecularia nodulosa Chapman 1891), a miliolid from the mid-Cretaceous of southern England and Germany. In accordance with Article 52.1 (Principle of homonymy) and Article 60.3 (Junior homonyms without synonyms) of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN), the name Falsonubeculina is herein proposed as a replacement name for the genus Pseudonubeculina Amao and Kaminski 2016. This taxonomic revision leads to the new combination Falsonubeculina arabica (Amao and Kaminski 2016) for its only known species. The systematic position of the genus remains enigmatic.
Two new foraminiferal taxa from coastal Venezuela: the new miliolid genus Neopateorislopsis n.gen., and the new lituolid species Haplophragmoides venezuelanus n. sp.
Authors: Carvajal-Chitty Humberto
Published: April 2022

Two new foraminiferal taxa are described from a site at Chichiriviche de La Costa, Venezuela, at 40 m water depth. The new miliolid foraminiferal genus, Neopateorislopsis n.gen. and its species, N. chichirivensis n. gen., n. sp. is proposed and described herein. The new genus is related to Neopateoris Bermudez and Seiglie 1963, but differs from it by the presence of ribs along all chambers and the lack of apertural teeth. The new lituolid species Haplophragmoides venezuelanus n. sp. is described herein, characterized by its thin wall, large aperture, and evolute coiling.
From Ammonites to Ammonia, a tale on the early history of micropaleontology by Jacopo Bartolomeo Beccari (1682-1766)
Authors: Vaiani Stefano Claudio , Vai Gian Battista , Borsetti Anna Maria , Sarti Carlo
Published: April 2022

Newly discovered sediment samples, manuscripts, and articles from the early eighteenth century, concerning the species we know today as Ammonia beccarii (Linnaeus), provide a good example of what is possibly the first micropaleontological analysis in the history of Earth Sciences. Thiswas performed by Jacopo Bartolomeo Beccari on fossil foraminifera in 1711, including detailed information in terms of: i) analysed material, ii) separation technique of the microfossils, iii) description of the assemblage and specifically of the dominant species (giving attention to coiling, sutures, internal structures, size, weight, and preservation state), iv) paleoenvironmental interpretation (supported by comparison with modern assemblages). The rigorous analytical approach and thorough interpretation, not only the accurate description of the observed fossil species, allow to assign to Beccari the distinction of "the founder of micropaleontology". The lectotype of Ammonia beccarii (Linnaeus 1758) is described from Beccari's original samples in order to clarify the taxonomic status of this species (Vaiani et al. 2019).
Editorial: Micropaleontology celebrates 65 years of scientific excellence
Authors: Kaminski Michael A. , Dignes Thomas W.
Published: April 2022

With the publication of this issue, the journal has achieved a new milestone: the 65th volume is complete. Our journal has turned 65, making it the oldest journal in our subject area.
Roadian (earliest Guadalupian, Middle Permian) Radiolarians from the Guadalupe Mountains,West Texas, USA Part I: Albaillellaria and Entactinaria
Authors: Nestell Galina P. , Nestell Merlynd K.
Published: April 2022

Roadian radiolarians are described from strata exposed in a small quarry (Quarry section) on U.S. Highway 62/180 located 3 km northeast of its junction with Texas Highway 54, Culberson County, Guadalupe Mountains, West Texas. These strata were long considered as Bone Spring Limestone of Leonardian (Early Permian) in age, but in recent years have been assigned to the Williams Ranch Member of the Cutoff Formation of the Roadian Stage (Guadalupian, middle Permian) based on the presence of the ammonoid species Paraceltites elegans. Radiolarians are of excellent preservation and the fauna is very diverse with 29 species of 11 genera described belonging to orders Albaillellaria and Entactinaria.Among them, 15 new species and one new genus, Apachevella, have been described, and five species emended. New species are Campanulithus cutoffi, Albaillella exilis, Pseudoalbaillella pseudoscalprata, P. japonica, P. laevis, Entactinia siciformis, E. longiacus, E. rezedae, Trilonche belli, Entactinosphaera texana, Polyedroentactinia macilenta, P. cancellata, P. porosa, P. bifida, and Kashiwara roadensis. Emended species are Pseudoalbaillella cona Cornell and Simpson, Entactinia parapycnoclada Nazarov and Ormiston, Trilonche tyrrelli (Nazarov and Ormiston), Apachevella capitanensis (Nestell and Nestell), and Wuyia endocarpa (Nazarov and Ormiston). Conodonts are represented by Jinogondolella nankingensis (Jin) with its three subspecies, J. nankingensis nankingensis (Jin), J. nankingensis behnkeni Wardlaw and Nestell and J. nankingensis tenuis Wardlaw, and elements of Sweetina and Hindeodus wordensis Wardlaw.
Distribution of Alveolina assemblages in the Ypresian (Ilerdian-Cuisian) successions from Iran and Turkey (central and western Tethys): biostratigraphic implications for regional correlation
Authors: Hadi Mehdi , Ozgen-Erdem Nazire , Sinanoglu Derya , Sarkar Suman , Zareh Azam
Published: April 2022

Benthic foraminiferal assemblages dominated by Alveolina species from the Ypresian (Ilerdian-Cuisian) are studied herein from numerous localities of Iran and Turkey. From these successions, highly diversified assemblage of 58 alveolinid species are identified along with their detailed biostratigraphical application, which resulted in the recognition of eight shallow benthic zones (SBZ5-SBZ12). Our findings are based upon the distribution ranges of Alveolina from the Ilerdian-Cuisian sediments in Iran (Central Tethys) that are considered to have a strong affinity with their coeval fauna in Turkey (Western Tethys). In this study, the wide expansion ranges of Alveolina permit us to achieve a high-resolution biostratigraphy and apply the shallow benthic zones of the peri-Mediterranean region (Western Tethys) to the Ilerdian-Cuisian successions in Iran (Central Tethys). Nevertheless, the distribution of some Alveolina species, even the zonalmarkers consisting of Glomalveolina lepidula, Alveolina ellipsoidalis, A. pisiformis, A. laxa, A. subpyrenaica, A. varians, A. fornasinii and A. canavarii are found occurring at younger stratigraphic levels in Iran and/or Turkey than in the western European shallow marine deposits.
Taxonomic use of the exoskeleton in the family Orbitolinidae (Foraminifera): Aplea for a uniform Cretaceous/Paleogene approach
Authors: Schlagintweit Felix
Published: April 2022

Based on the distinctly higher number of species of Orbitolinidae in the Cretaceous compared to the Paleogene, the former have witnessed much more taxonomic analyses. Although, there has been a "lively" debate among specialists working on Cretaceous taxa, it is rather broad consensus that the presence/absence of horizontal partitions (= rafters; part of exoskeleton) in the marginal zone is a criterion of specific rank. Recently, however, another taxonomic concept has been used for Paleogene Orbitolinidae by giving this trait generic rank (Fallotella vs. Pseudofallotella). If applied to the Cretaceous, this approach would result in artificial groups and the creation of several new genera for currently used species that both include species with and without rafters (Coskinolinella, Heterocoskinolina, Montseciella, Paracoskinolina, Praedictyorbitolina, Simplorbitolina, Valserina). The present contribution is a plea for a uniform taxonomic approach, preferring the simpler, longer, wider and more natural usage of the "Cretaceous approach". Further difficulties on the taxonomical ranking of Orbitolinidae features are due to their fossil nature (extinct group), as no modern representatives are available for comparisons. This fact also speaks for the use of a pragmatic and uniform approach.
Multidimensional Sentiment Cube Mining for Process Monitoring
Authors: Sucharittham Nanthawadee , Haruechaiyasak Choochart , Dam Hieu Chi , Theeramunkong Thanaruk
Published: April 2022

Process monitoring is essential for quality improvement because it is necessary to find the answers to which business issues need to be understood. In the era of social media, many critiques concern the business domain, including life insurance, which is one of the significant business sectors in Thailand. To utilize this useful cloud corpus for the business improvement process, we propose a novel methodology for process monitoring using the concept of multidimensional sentiment cube (MDSC) mining to raise usefulness with the business process model notation (BPMN). As the ability of MDC raise unlimited analysis perspectives merge with sentiment analysis (MDSC), this method can provide more sets of data for association rules mining and meet the needs to be analyzed. The cube analysis scenario, which uses association rules mining results, can reveal a significant hidden issue among aspects and sub-aspects associated under our design with their measurements. The results can be used for monitoring, which presents the customer's sentiment from social media in the real business case and identifying in the real process model.

HIGHLIGHTS

A methodology for process monitoring using the concept of multidimensional sentiment cube (MDSC) mining raise the usefulness of the business process model notation (BPMN) by utilizing the corpus for the business improvement process

This method can provide more sets of data for association rules mining as the ability of MDC raise unlimited analysis perspectives to merge with sentiment analysis (MDSC)

The results can monitor the customer’s sentiment from social media in the real business case and identify in the real process model

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Human-Wildlife Conflict Early Warning System Using the Internet of Things and Short Message Service
Authors: Ronoh E. K. , Mirau S. , Dida M. A.
Published: April 2022

Human-wildlife conflict (HWC) is an important challenge to communities living in areas bordering wildlife game parks and reserves. It is more evident in the United Republic of Tanzania, whose economy depends on wildlife tourism. This paper proposes a low-cost and low-power early warning system using the Internet of Things (IoT) and Short Message Service (SMS) to support HWC respond teams in mitigating these challenges. The system comprises three primary units: sensing, processing, and alerting. The sensing unit consists of a Passive Infrared (PIR) sensor, a Global Positioning System (GPS), and a Raspberry Pi camera. The PIR sensor detects the proximity of the animal using the heat signature, GPS senses and records the current location, while the Raspberry Pi camera has the primary purpose of taking a picture after the PIR sensor detects the proximity of the animal. The processing unit with a Raspberry microcomputer performs data processing and image inferencing using the You Only Look Once (YOLO) algorithm. Last is the alerting unit, which includes a Global System for Mobile (GSM) communications module for sending SMS messages to the human-wildlife conflict response team and the nearer community response team leader whenever wild animals are spotted near the park’s border. The system detects, identifies, and reports the detected wild animals. The GPRS provides internet connectivity to support data collection, storage, and monitoring in the cloud.
Workstation Evaluation Regarding Ergonomic Awareness and Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders Among Coal Mine Workers
Authors: Sahito W. S. , Bazuhair R. W. , Mimesh H.
Published: April 2022

Mining is often associated with the risk of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WRMSDs). Despite being a coal-rich country, Pakistan’s mining sector stays behind in terms of occupational health and safety. Only a few research studies have been conducted on ergonomics in the mining industry. The current study aimed at evaluating workstations for WRMSDs and ergonomic factors among coal mine workers. Survey data were gathered from a total of 103 workers using a structured questionnaire. Information on the incidence of musculoskeletal disorders was obtained using the Standardized Nordic Questionnaire. The questions about ergonomics awareness, workstation, environment, demands, and risks were based on the available literature studies. The association between the incidence of WRMSDs and age was explored using chi-square analysis. The results showed a high rate of uneducated workers with a lack of ergonomics awareness. Back, shoulders, and legs were the most vulnerable body areas to WRMSDs. A significant association between workers’ age and WRMSDs was found. The workers’ opinion towards workstation was at a very low level. The current work conditions were found to have risks of potential hazards and economic losses. Ergonomic interventions are suggested to be developed and implemented to improve workplace conditions.
Probabilistic Based Reliability Slope Stability Analysis Using FOSM, FORM, and MCS
Authors: Kar S. S. , Roy L. B.
Published: April 2022

Soil uncertainties play an important part in the analysis and design of geotechnical structures. The effect of uncertainties on the geotechnical structures and their influence on the probability of failure or reliability of the structure is of great interest for geotechnical researchers. Probabilistic-based slope stability analysis incorporates the uncertainties present in the soil, as expressed in terms of mean, variance, and autocorrelation. In this paper, reliability analysis of a finite cohesive soil slope based on the probabilistic approach is presented using the First Order Second Moment (FOSM) method, First Order Reliability Method (FORM), and Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) method. Stability analysis has been performed using the ordinary method of slices to calculate the Factor Of Safety (FOS) of the slope under undrained conditions. The reliability analysis has been implemented in the MS-excel spreadsheet environment and was mainly focused on the two models, namely the deterministic model for calculating the FOS of the slope and the uncertainty model for generating the random variables of uncertain soil parameters. The reliability index (β) of the soil slope and its corresponding probability of failure (Pf) was calculated using the above methods. The obtained result shows that the MCS method has significantly shown better performance than FOSM and FORM because of its robustness and simple approach to calculate Pf and β of the slope.
Beneficial Reuse of Municipal Solid Waste Incineration Bottom Slag in Civil Engineering
Authors: Xue M. , Hu W. , Huanyu L. , Fu Y.
Published: April 2022

Rapid economic development has caused many disturbing problems in many countries. Waste disposal is a prominent one of those problems. Waste incineration has gradually become the most popular treatment method. Waste incineration has many advantages, such as processing capacity, short period, recycling and utilization of resources, etc., but it also produces a lot of incineration bottom slag. Landfilling is one of the methods for waste incineration bottom slag treatment. However, many domestic waste landfill sites no longer accept incineration bottom slag. Therefore, finding sufficient ways to deal with the incineration bottom slag has become an urgent problem. With the increase of environmental pressure and the development of technology, the beneficial use of incineration bottom slag has been gradually considered. Municipal solid waste incineration bottom slag is an atypical particulate material, similar to some construction materials of civil engineering. For a construction material, basic physical properties and engineering properties are important factors in its performance. However, there is limited research about the engineering performance of incineration bottom slag. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the basic physical and mechanical properties of the incineration bottom slag from one incineration plant in Wuhan and provide a theoretical basis for its application in civil engineering. Through laboratory tests, we found that the incineration slag completely meets the engineering requirements and is harmless to the environment. The incineration bottom slag can be used for road embankment filling, sludge dewatering treatment improvement, landfill site covering, it can substitute aggregates in concrete, etc.
Performance Enhancement of the DPC Control Based on a VGPI Controller Applied to a Grid Connected PV System
Authors: Boukhalfa M. , Benaissa A. , Bengourina M. R. , Khoudiri A. , Boudiaf M.
Published: April 2022

Even though the PI controller is among the most widespread controllers in photovoltaic (PV) systems, it presents overshoots and undershoots in the tracking trajectory mode. This major disadvantage remains an open problem. In the current paper, a Direct Power Control (DPC) of a three-phase grid-connected PV system based on a Variable Gain PI (VGPI) controller is developed to remove the overshoots and undershoots in the classical PI controller. The proposed control system has been tested in the Matlab/Simulink environment. The simulation results demonstrate the feasibility and robustness of the proposed method in terms of overshoots, undershoots, and current quality.
A Comparative Analysis of MPPT Techniques for Grid Connected PVs
Authors: Kebbab F. Z. , Sabah L. , Nouri H.
Published: April 2022

Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) is essential for the application of a photovoltaic (PV) energy system in order to extract the maximum possible power under variable conditions of irradiation and temperature. This paper deals with the implementation of different MPPT algorithms for a PV array installed for a system connected to the Grid: Perturb and Observe (P&O), Fuzzy Logic Control (FLC), Cuckoo Search (CS), and Beta algorithms were simulated in Matlab/Simulink and the results were analyzed and compared. Beta algorithm proved to have greater tracking power, minor power loss, great tracking speed, less time, and less oscillation than the other techniques.
Predictive Regression Models for the Compressive Strength of Fly Ash-based Alkali-Activated Cementitious Materials via Machine Learning
Authors: Maddah H. A. , Kheimi M. , Abo El-Wafa M.
Published: April 2022

Fly ash powders produced from pulverized carbon are a promising renewable and sustainable replacement for Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) in concrete. However, quantifying the desired compressive strength threshold requires defining the ratio of Fly Ash (FA) to fine aggregates (S). This study presents two novel machine learning models to predict the mechanical properties of FA-based Alkali-Activated Cementitious Materials (AACMs) using supervised regressors. The two models, SLR and MGSVM, showed high prediction accuracy (~95%) based on raw compressive strength training datasets from AACMs with mixed proportions of FA/S (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30%) for 28 days of curing. Maximum compressive strength of ~67.5MP was observed at approximately 20% FA/S (spline interpolation), suggesting the attainment of high mechanical stability. Having more than 30% FA/S indicates a high probability of recovering the original strength of 61MPa for pristine AACMs. The non-linear stress or strain patterns against FA/S confirmed the applicability of stress-strain relationships and elasticity laws. The pozzolanic properties of FA facilitate interaction with Ca(OH)2 for aggregation linked to the non-linear behavior. This study provides generalized design models for correlating the mix proportions in OPC-substituted AACMs to the optimum compressive strength.
Arctan-Based Robust Droop Control Technique for Accurate Power-Sharing in a Micro-Grid
Authors: Ineza M. A. , Saulo M. J. , Wekesa C. W.
Published: April 2022

Due to the inherent limitations of the Traditional Droop Controller (TDC), an enhanced droop controller, known as Robust Droop Controller (RDC) has been proposed in previous works. However, this controller cannot compensate for the error in measured frequency, which can potentially contribute to the errors in proper reactive power-sharing as well as degrade frequency regulation. This paper introduces an Arctan-Based Robust Droop Controller (ABRDC) that modifies the RDC for L-inverter to address this issue. The controller, rather than utilizing a linear function, utilizes an arctan-based function for power/frequency droop control. Various simulations were performed in Matlab/Simulink to test the performance of the proposed ABRDC. The results showed that it successfully reduces the frequency error, resulting in improved frequency regulation as well as adequate reactive load power-sharing. The comparative study showed that the ABRDC scheme is more effective than the RDC scheme.
Disease Detection in Apple Leaves Using Image Processing Techniques
Authors: Alqethami S. , Almtanni B. , Alzhrani W. , Alghamdi M.
Published: April 2022

The agricultural sector in Saudi Arabia constitutes an essential pillar of the national economy and food security. Crop diseases are a major problem of the agricultural sector and greatly affect the development of the economies in various countries around the world. This study employed three prediction models, namely CNN, SVM, and KNN, with different image processing methods to detect and classify apple plant leaves as healthy or diseased. These models were evaluated using the Kaggle New Plant Diseases database. This study aims to help farmers detect and prevent diseases from spreading. The proposed method provides recommendations for the appropriate solutions for each type of recognized plant disease based on the classification results.
Power Quality Improvement using Dynamic Voltage Restorer with Real Twisting Sliding Mode Control
Authors: Shah M. S. , Mahmood T. , Ullah M. F. , Manan M. Q. , Rehman A. U.
Published: April 2022

Higher Power Quality (PQ) is a common demand of sensitive industrial customers. PQ issues are gaining attention from both end-users and electrical utility companies since they are generating significant economic losses to sensitive industrial loads. Voltage sags/swells are the most significant and usually occurring PQ issues in a secondary distribution system. Dynamic Voltage Restorer (DVR), is a fast, flexible, effective, and dynamic Custom Power Device (CPD), that can be used to eliminate voltage sags and swells. Its performance is mostly determined by the control strategy established for switching Voltage Source Converters (VSCs). This research work develops a fused control method for VSC of DVR based on the Real-Twisting Algorithm (RTA) and Sliding Mode Control (SMC) that successfully eliminates the impacts of voltage sags/swells. RTA along with the conventional SMC reduce the effect of chattering, which is a disadvantage of SMC while retaining its additional qualities like robustness, quicker response time, and insensitivity to load variations. To evaluate the performance of the proposed control approach, the MATLAB/Simulink SimPower System toolbox was employed. According to the simulation findings, the Real Twisting Sliding Mode Controller (RTSMC) for DVR can detect and mitigate voltage sags/swells within 2.5ms which is much lower than the allowable limit of 20ms as per semiconductor industrial equipment voltage sag immunity standard (SEMI F-47 standard) for sensitive loads. Total Harmonics Distortion (THD) is determined to be less than 5% in all simulated instances. A comparative study is also performed between the conventional SMC and the suggested RTSMC, revealing that the proposed method outperforms the classical SMC.
Face Recognition and Gender Detection Using SIFT Feature Extraction, LBPH, and SVM
Authors: Alamri H. , Alshanbari E. , Alotaibi S. , Alghamdi M.
Published: April 2022

Face recognition and name and gender identification are challenging processes, especially when identifying perpetrators and suspects or when used in authentication systems. Machine learning and computer vision technologies are used in many fields, including security, and play an important role in face recognition and gender detection, offering valuable information to officials to rectify a situation in less time. This study used a few machine learning methods in the Labelled Faces in the Wild (LFW) database to examine their facial recognition and gender detection capacities. The LFW dataset was used to train and evaluate the Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) feature extraction method along with the Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier and the Local Binary Pattern Histogram (LBPH) method. The result comparison from the current and other studies showed that the proposed LBPH method had higher accuracy in face recognition, while its accuracy in gender detection was very close to the ones of other, relevant studies.
A Statistical Approach of the Flexural Strength of PLA and ABS 3D Printed Parts
Authors: Zisopol D. G. , Nae I. , Portoaca A. I. , Ramadan I.
Published: April 2022

The need for rapid obtaining parts has made researchers to widely study 3D common printing technologies like FDM (Fused Depositing Modeling), SLS (Selective Laser Sintering), SLA (Stereolithography). Although FDM can provide high geometrical complexity of parts at convenient costs and with efficient delivery logistics, a set of printing parameters of the raw materials used for manufacturing needs to be optimized accordingly. Therefore, this study reveals the influence of printing parameters on the flexural strength of PLA (Polylactic Acid) and ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) printed samples, by applying the Taguchi method and ANOVA (Analyisis of Variance) of 3-point bending tests results.
A Semi-Empirical Equation based on the Strut-and-Tie Model for the Shear Strength Prediction of Deep Beams with Multiple Large Web Openings
Authors: Hussein L. T. , Abbas R. M.
Published: April 2022

The behavior and shear strength of full-scale (T-section) reinforced concrete deep beams, designed according to the strut-and-tie approach of ACI Code-19 specifications, with various large web openings were investigated in this paper. A total of 7 deep beam specimens with identical shear span-to-depth ratios have been tested under mid-span concentrated load applied monotonically until beam failure. The main variables studied were the effects of width and depth of the web openings on deep beam performance. Experimental data results were calibrated with the strut-and-tie approach, adopted by ACI 318-19 code for the design of deep beams. The provided strut-and-tie design model in ACI 318-19 code provision was assessed and found to be unsatisfactory for deep beams with large web openings. A simplified empirical equation to estimate the shear strength for deep T-beams with large web openings based on the strut-and-tie model was proposed and verified with numerical analysis. The numerical study considered three-dimensional finite element models, in ABAQUS software, that have been developed to simulate and predict the performance of deep beams. The results of numerical simulations were in good agreement and exhibited close correlation with the experimental data. The test results showed that the enlargement in the size of web openings substantially reduces the elements' shear capacity. The experiments revealed that increasing the width of the openings has more effect than the depth at reducing the load-carrying capacity.
Lateral Reliability Assessment of Eccentrically Braced Frames Including Horizontal and Vertical Links Under Seismic Loading
Authors: Abdelhamid F. , Yahiaoui D. , Saadi M. , Lahbari N.
Published: April 2022

Eccentrically Braced Frames (EBFs) have been widely used in the last decades and proved their efficiency to resist strong earthquake intensities by providing suitable ductility and lateral stiffness. Using the PBPD method for the design, EBFs can fulfill the target performance objectives under major earthquakes. The most commonly used configurations are the K-shaped and the recent Y-shaped EBFs, which have the advantage that the links are independent of the beam and can be easily replaced after an earthquake without serious damage to the beam and slab. This study focused on the lateral reliability of both systems under seismic loading. Nonlinear static pushover and Incremental Dynamic Analysis (IDA) were performed on 5-story and 10-story K- and Y-shaped EBFs. A series of 14 near- and 7 far-field seismic records were considered to analyze and compare the inter-story drifts of both systems using the Seismostruct software. Moreover, Peak Ground Accelerations (PGA) and the different performance levels were also examined.
Effect of Sustainable Glass Powder on the Properties of Reactive Powder Concrete with Polypropylene Fibers
Authors: Ali Hussain Z. , Aljalawi N.
Published: April 2022

Global warming and environmental damage have become major problems. The production of Portland cement releases large quantities of gas, which cause pollution to the atmosphere. This problem can be solved via the use of sustainable materials, such as glass powder. This study investigates the effect of partial replacement of cement with sustainable glass powder at various percentages (0, 15, 20, and 25%) by weight of cement on some mechanical properties (compressive strength, flexural strength, absorption, and dry density) of Reactive Powder Concrete (RPC) containing a percentage of Polypropylene fibers (PRPC) of 1% by weight. Furthermore, steam curing was performed for 5 hours at 90oC after hardening the sample directly. The RPC was designed using local cement, silica fume, and super plasticizer with a water/cement ratio of 0.2 to achieve a compressive strength of 96.3MPa at the age of 28 days, and it was tested at percentages of sustainable glass powder replacement of 0 and 20% by weight of cement. According to the study's findings, RPC's compressive strength rose up to 4.2% as a consequence of the use of sustainable glass powder replacement by 20%, flexural strength up to 15.3%, dry density up to 0.49%, and absorption reduction by 31.7% at the age of 28 days and in comparison with the reference mixture.
A Ternary Neural Network with Compressed Quantized Weight Matrix for Low Power Embedded Systems
Authors: Truong S. N.
Published: April 2022

In this paper, we propose a method of transforming a real-valued matrix to a ternary matrix with controllable sparsity. The sparsity of quantized weight matrices can be controlled by adjusting the threshold during the training and quantizing process. A 3-layer ternary neural network was trained with the MNIST dataset using the proposed adjustable dynamic threshold. The sparsity of the quantized weight matrices varied from 0.1 to 0.6 and the obtained recognition rate reduced from 91% to 88%. The sparse weight matrices were compressed by the compressed sparse row format to speed up the ternary neural network, which can be deployed on low-power embedded systems, such as the Raspberry Pi 3 board. The ternary neural network with the sparsity of quantized weight matrices of 0.1 is 4.24 times faster than the ternary neural network without compressing weight matrices. The ternary neural network is faster as the sparsity of quantized weight matrices increases. When the sparsity of the quantized weight matrices is as high as 0.6, the recognition rate degrades by 3%, however, the speed is 9.35 times the ternary neural network's without compressing quantized weight matrices. Ternary neural network work with compressed sparse matrices is feasible for low-cost, low-power embedded systems.
The Design of Closed Square RR Loaded 2-Port MIMO for Dual Band Applications
Authors: Bora P. , Pokkunuri P. , Madhav B. T. P.
Published: April 2022

In this paper, a closed square ring resonator loaded 2-port Multi Input Multi Output (MIMO) is proposed for dual-band applications in the S and C band. The presented antenna model is designed by loading it in FR-4 substrate with a feedline of 50Ω and loaded with SRR for the enhancement of isolation and radiation pattern. Ansoft HFSS is used to obtain the simulated parameters of the model for the frequency ranges of 2.2-2.5 and 6-6.3GHz. Measurements confirm the characteristics of the fabricated antenna that were speculated with the simulation results with a little shift in frequencies. The diversity parameter performance analysis justifies the working performance of the 2-port MIMO for WiFi, WLAN, and ISM band applications.
Suitability Analysis of Stone Column Materials with PLAXIS
Authors: Saxena S. , Roy L. B.
Published: April 2022

Stone columns are usually provided in groups to support various geotechnical structures, such as embankments, storage tanks, etc. Several experimental and numerical studies have been performed to study the response of stone columns as soil reinforcement. For relatively moderate loading of a structure, application of stone columns either singly or in groups is widely used. The enhancement of strength of the soil is governed by the type of original subsoil and the properties of the coarse aggregate materials used for the stone columns. Several researchers have analyzed different coarse-grained materials using various plane strain approaches to model the stone columns. This article deals with the non-linear analysis of an isolated stone column embedded in a semi-infinite medium of sandy soil. The parameters which crucially affect the settlement characteristics and the bulging failure of stone columns have been determined. The suitabilities of two different natural aggregates, pebble gravels, and crushed pebble gravels as materials for the stone column have been compared on the basis of their settlement behavior using 2D numerical modeling with the PLAXIS software.
Investigation of a Leakage Reactance Brushless DC Motor for DC Air Conditioning Compressor
Authors: Khlifi M. A. , Ben Slimene M. , Alradedi A. , Al Ahmadi S.
Published: April 2022

Home appliances using Brushless DC (BLDC) motors, such as Air Conditioners (ACs) and ceiling and pedestal fans, are gaining attention these days due to their low power consumption and low maintenance cost. This paper estimates and analyzes the leakage reactance of conventional and flux-switching permanent magnet BLDC motors. The leakage magnetic field of a high-power BLDC motor will be one of the main sources of interference. The magnetic field characteristics of the leakage field of a BLDC motor must be analyzed in order to acquire correct geomagnetic data. We also show the rotor's leakage magnetic field while the BLDC motor is static, the stator and rotor's leakage magnetic fields when the BLDC motor is functioning, and the near-field characteristic of the BLDC motor's leakage magnetic field.