bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
STRATEGIC ALLIANCES AND THE FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF COMMERCIAL BANKS IN NAIROBI CITY COUNTY, KENYA
Authors: Mwamuye Janepher Dzine , Ragui Mary
Published: December 2021

Purpose: In the Kenyan banking industry, the banks have adopted several strategies aimed at improving their competitive position in a highly competitive market. In reference to the aforementioned the general objective, this study specifically sought to examine how strategic alliances impact financial returns among Nairobi-based commercial banks. The current study specifically examined how brand marketing alliances, agency alliances, innovation alliances and technology alliances affect bank performance.

Methodology: This study was based on Transactional Cost, Control Power and Resource Based View theories. The study utilized descriptive research design, that targeted all 39 fully operational commercial banks in Nairobi. The unit of observation was the operations/ relationship manager and the finance manager across each commercial bank. The sample population consisted of 78 respondents. Census sampling was adopted to enhance representation of the respondents. Primary and secondary sources of data provided data which was then be analyzed in SPSS 23 using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The study employed means, standard deviation, correlation and regression methods of analysis, with results being presented using figures, tables and other infographics.

Results: An 85% response rate was received. The correlation results showed a positive and significant effect of brand marketing, agency, innovation and technological alliances on banks’ profitability. The regression findings revealed that jointly brand marketing, agency, innovation and technological alliances predict 38.3% of shifts in profits generated by the banks. The study concluded that brand marketing alliances, agency alliances and technology alliances had a significant effect on profitability, while innovation alliances had an insignificant effect.

Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The study recommends that banks should constantly review their agency banking to ensure they are aligned to their financial goals. Lastly, commercial banks should strive to spur their research and development which can help drive their technological innovations.
2017 Sezonunda Parion Kuzey Surları Çevresinde Bulunan İthal Amphora Formları
Authors: AKKAŞ İsmail
Published: December 2021

Parion, Antik Troas Bölgesi’nin önemli liman kentlerinden biridir. Antik kent bugünkü Çanakkale İli, Biga İlçesi, Kemer Köyü sınırları içerisinde yer almaktadır. Kuzey Surları, Parion kentinin Propontis’e (Çanakkale Boğazı) bakan jeopolitik yönden önemli bir konumunda yerleştirilmiştir. Kente ait Kuzey Surları çevresinde 2017 kazı sezonu içerisinde yüzey araştırmaları gerçekleştirilmiştir. Surların çevresinde farklı üretim merkezlerine ait amphora parçaları tespit edilmiştir. Yüzey araştırmasında farklı tipteki ticari amphoralara rastlanılması bölgedeki ticaret trafiğini göstermesi açısından önemlidir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, yüzey gezileri sırasında bulunan amphora gruplarını tanımlamak, sınıflandırmak, tarihlendirmektir. Bu amphoralar, depozit ya da kontekst buluntuları olmadıkları için, benzer örneklerden yola çıkılarak tarihlenmiştir. Kuzey Surları çevresinde saptanan amphoraların ilk kez çalışılması, bu yapının kullanımına dair öneriler getirecek olması açısından önemlidir. Parion Kuzey Surları çevresinde bulunan amphoralar tipolojik olarak sınıflandırıldığında 10 farklı grup tespit edilmiştir. Bu amphoraların Milethos, Samos, Chios, Mende, Lesbos, Knidos, Thasos, Akanthos, Kilikya Bölgesi ve Ganos (Gaziköy) gibi merkezlerlerden ithal edilen üretimlerden olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Surların çevresinde ele geçen bu gruplar; MÖ 6. yüzyıldan MS 11. yüzyıla kadar kentte ticaretin yapıldığına işaret etmektedir. Ayrıca, Ege ve Doğu Akdeniz Bölgesi kökenli amphoraların buluntular arasında yoğunlukta olduğu görülmektedir. Bu yoğunluktan hareketle Parion’un bu bölgelerdeki merkezler ile daha aktif ticari faaliyetler yürütmüş olabileceğine ihtimal verilmektedir.
A Contribution to the Thermal Field Evaluation at the Tool-Part Interface for the Optimization of Machining Conditions
Authors: Serradj N. B. , Ali A. D. K. , Ghernaout M. E. A.
Published: December 2021

In this study, an experimental measurement methodology is implemented that allows obtaining consistent temperature data during the turning operation of semi-hard C20 steel using SNMG carbide insert, allowing us to have better control at the tool-part interface. The interactions of the phenomena influencing the cut led our choices on the development of a correlation model for the analysis and prediction of the relationships between the machining parameters by measurement of the temperature. The measurement procedure implemented for the temperature estimate is based on the use of an FLIR A325sc type infrared camera mounted and protected by a device on the machine tool. The Taguchi method was chosen to find the relationships between the input factors (cutting speed (Vc), feed rate (a), depth of cut (p)), and the output factor (temperature (T)). In the future, we will develop a numerical validation model to simulate the machining process in order to predict temperatures
Evaluating the Performance Parameters of Cryptographic Algorithms for IOT-based Devices
Authors: Iftikhar U. , Asrar K. , Waqas M. , Ali S. A.
Published: December 2021

Nowadays, terabytes of digital data are generated and sent online every second. However, securing this extent of information has always been a challenging task. Cryptography is a fundamental method for securing data, as it makes data unintelligible for attackers, offering privacy to authorized clients. Different cryptographic algorithms have different speeds and costs that make them suitable for different applications. For instance, banking applications need outrageous security amenities, as they utilize superior algorithms having greater requirements, while gaming applications focus more on speed and cost reduction. Consequently, cryptographic algorithms are chosen based on a client's prerequisites. This study compared DES, AES, Blowfish, and RSA, examining their speed, cost, and performance, and discussed their adequacy for use in wireless sensor networks and peer-to-peer communication.
Design and Analysis of a Dual Rotor Multiphase Brushless DC Motor for its Application in Electric Vehicles
Authors: Hussain M. , Ulasyar A. , Sheh Zad H. , Khattak A. , Nisar S. , Imran K.
Published: December 2021

The main objective of this paper is to study the effect of phase numbers in the dual rotor Brushless DC (BLDC) motor for its application in Electric Vehicles (EVs). The performance of two novel 5-, and 7-phase dual rotor BLDC motors is compared against the standard 3-phase dual rotor BLDC motor. The proposed motors combine the positive characteristics of multiphase BLDC motor and the dual rotor BLDC motor thus achieving better fault tolerance capability, high power density, and less per phase stator current. Finite Element Method (FEM) was used to design the 3-, 5-, and 7-phase dual-rotor BLDC motors. The design parameters and operating conditions are kept the same for a fair comparison. The stator current and torque performance of the proposed motors were obtained with FEM simulation and were compared with the standard 3-phase dual rotor BLDC motor. It is possible to use low power rating power electronics switches for the proposed motor. The simulation results also validate low torque ripples and high-power density in the proposed motors. Finally, the fault analysis of the designed motors shows that the fault tolerance capability increases as the phase number increases.
A Deep Learning Approach for Malware and Software Piracy Threat Detection
Authors: Aldriwish K.
Published: December 2021

Internet of Things (IoT) -based systems need to be up to date on cybersecurity threats. The security of IoT networks is challenged by software piracy and malware attacks, and much important information can be stolen and used for cybercrimes. This paper attempts to improve IoT cybersecurity by proposing a combined model based on deep learning to detect malware and software piracy across the IoT network. The malware’s model is based on Deep Convolutional Neural Networks (DCNNs). Apart from this, TensorFlow Deep Neural Networks (TFDNNs) are introduced to detect software piracy threats according to source code plagiarism. The investigation is conducted on the Google Code Jam (GCJ) dataset. The conducted experiments prove that the classification performance achieves high accuracy of about 98%.
Numerical Investigation of Oil Gas Separation with the Use of VOF CFD
Authors: Tomescu S. , Bucur I. O.
Published: December 2021

In this research paper, a numerical study regarding gas-oil separation is presented. Employing the geometry of a classic separator used by the NRDI for Gas Turbines COMOTI and a Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software, the computational domain was defined. To perform the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) investigation, the mesh was created with the ANSYS Meshing tool, and the ANSYS CFX was employed as a solver. The computational domain was split into 5 subdomains, 3 were fluid and 2 were defined as porous media. The volume porosity, loss model, and permeability were set up. In terms of turbulence flow, the standard k–ε model was adopted. The results of the numerical calculations in terms of oil volume fraction and streamline profiles were used to analyze the separator configuration. The results show that the numerical investigation with the VOF (Volume of Fluid Method) - CFD model is capable of analyzing the performance of a two-phase separator equipped with two demisters-porous media.
Evaluating the Possibility of Replacing Natural Fine Aggregates in Concrete with Recycled Aggregates
Authors: Nguyen D. D. , Nguyen D. T. , Cao T. H. , Phan V. T.
Published: December 2021

This paper presents an investigation on the possibility of replacing natural fine aggregates with recycled aggregates in concrete. The studied recycled aggregates were acquired from crushed waste concrete from demolishing works. The rate of replacement of natural fine aggregates was 10%, 20%, and 30% by weight. Compressive and flexural tensile strength of concrete incorporating recycled aggregates was investigated at 28 days of curing. The results show that the compressive and flexural strength of concrete is strongly affected by the percentage of recycled aggregates. It has been found that the strength decreases linearly with increasing recycled aggregate content. So, in order to apply recycled waste to concrete as fine aggregates, it is necessary to perform supplement research with appropriate additives to compensate for the loss of compressive and flexural strength.
Investigation on the Performance of a Portable Power Generation System with a Low-Cost Vertical Axis Wind Turbine
Authors: Basar M. F. , Norazizi A. M. , Mustaffa I. , Colin C. T. , Mirin S. N. S. , Jano Z.
Published: December 2021

The purpose of this project was to develop an innovative, small-scale, and portable vertical axis wind turbine for power generation. The wind turbine was simple in design and economical. Wind speeds ranging from 2.0ms-1 to 7.0ms-1 were tested on the proposed wind turbine. The experiments revealed that the turbine required a minimum wind speed of 3.9ms-1 to operate. According to the results, the proposed turbine achieved its maximum power output of 5.6W at a rotational speed of 65rpm when the wind speed was 7.0m/s. Additionally, voltage and current increased proportionately with increasing wind speed. The proposed system showed an average coefficient factor between 0.10 and 0.12. This portable wind turbine potentially revolutionizes industry while raising public awareness about clean and renewable energy.
Robust Speed Control of a Three Phase Induction Motor Using Support Vector Regression
Authors: Mugheri N. H. , Keerio M. U. , Chandio S. , Memon R. H.
Published: December 2021

The Three Phase Induction Motor (TIM) is one of the most widely used motors due to its low price, robustness, low maintenance cost, and high efficiency. In this paper, a Support Vector Regression (SVR) based controller for TIM speed control using Indirect Vector Control (IVC) is presented. The IVC method is more frequently used because it enables better speed control of the TIM with higher dynamic performance. Artificial Neural Network (ANN) controllers have been widely used for TIM speed control for several reasons such as their ability to successfully train without prior knowledge of the mathematical model, their learning ability, and their fast implementation speed. The SVR-based controller overcomes the drawbacks of the ANN-based controller, i.e. its low accuracy, overfitting, and poor generalization ability. The speed response under the proposed controller is faster in terms of rising and settling time. The dynamic speed response of the proposed controller is also superior to that of the ANN-PI controller. The performance of the proposed controller was compared for TIM speed control with an ANN-PI controller via simulations in SIMULINK.
The Effect of Using Plastic Strips and Sheets on the Properties of Slurry Infiltrated Fiber Concrete
Authors: Najeeb A. M. , Fawzi N. M.
Published: December 2021

Slurry Infiltrated Fiber Concrete (SIFCON) is a high-strong material that is regarded as a unique type of high fiber content concrete. This paper aims to study the influence of the use of plastic strips and plastic sheets in the SIFCON slurry. Three sets (normal SIFCON as control, SIFCON with plastic strips, and SIFCON with plastic sheet), in a 1:1.08 cement-sand ratio by weight has been used with water to cement ratio (w/c) by weight equal to 0.3, and superplasticizer equal to 1% by weight. In addition, 6% by volume crimped steel fibers with an aspect ratio of 60 were applied and 1.34% by volume plastic was used, in strips of 5×1cm for both prism and cube samples and in sheets of 25×5cm and 7×7cm for prism and cube samples respectively. The compressive and flexural strength tests studies were conducted on typical cubes of 10×10×10cm and prisms of 40×7×7cm respectively to find out the way the plastic affects the SIFCON properties. The results indicate that the models with plastic sheets placed in SIFCON slurry give the highest compressive and flexural strength whereas the models with plastic strips gave the lowest. The difference percentages in compressive and flexural strength were -27.3, 8, -3.8 and 66.6% for all sets respectively when compared to the control set (using no plastic).
Analysis of the Physicochemical Characteristics of Distillery Wastewater at Habib Sugar Mills, Nawabshah
Authors: Jakhrani N. H. , Mukwana K. C. , Bhutto M. A. , Mangi D. M. , Hafeez M.
Published: December 2021

The aim of this study is to perceive the level of significant physicochemical characteristics of Distillery Wastewater (DWW) at Habib Sugar Mills, Nawabshah, Pakistan. Five locations in the mill namely spent wash, digester tank, distillery, primary treatment, and secondary treatment were selected for analysis of pH, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) of the samples. The samples were taken on a weekly basis for four succeeding months, from January 2021 to April 2021 and the experiments were carried out in the laboratory by adopting standard procedures. The results revealed that the pH of the samples from spent wash was the lowest, whereas secondary treatment samples had the highest. On the contrary, the highest concentrations of TDS, TSS, and COD were found in the samples taken from the spent wash and the lowest from the secondary treatment. The pH values were found abruptly increasing in the digester tank due to the addition of calcium carbonate in the stream of wastewater after the spent wash. The COD concentration was found to rapidly decrease, from more than 106000mg/l in the spent wash to around 35000mg/l in the digester tank samples, and then to gradually decrease up to the final point of disposal. Overall, TDS, TSS, and COD values were higher during April, January, and February and lower during March. The level of pH was extremely low in the spent wash and did not meet the lower limits of standards and the other examined parameters exceeded the upper limits of WHO standards.
Genetic Algorithm-Based Multi-Hop Routing to Improve the Lifetime of Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Rajab A.
Published: December 2021

Wireless sensor networks are known for their monitoring and tracking application-specific operations. These operations diversely demand improvement in existing strategies and their parameters. One key parameter is energy usage during operations. Energy plays a vital role in each application, as the wireless sensor networks lack battery lifetime and energy resources. So, there is a need for an optimized and efficient routing method with regard to energy consumption in wireless sensor networks. For multi-hop routing, the genetic algorithm serves as a robust algorithm with diverse optimized routing plans to improve the lifespan for large-scale wireless sensor networks. In this paper, the genetic algorithm provides the optimized routes for data operations and improves the lifetime of wireless sensor networks by saving energy. The performance of the genetic algorithm is compared with the TEEN algorithm.
Post-Fire Behavior of Non-Prismatic Beams with Multiple Rectangular Openings Monotonically Loaded
Authors: Abdulkareem B. F. , Izzet A. F. , Oukaili N.
Published: December 2021

The main objective of this paper is to study the behavior of Non-Prismatic Reinforced Concrete (NPRC) beams with and without rectangular openings either when exposed to fire or not. The experimental program involves casting and testing 9 NPRC beams divided into 3 main groups. These groups were categorized according to heating temperature (ambient temperature, 400°C, and 700°C), with each group containing 3 NPRC beams (solid beams and beams with 6 and 8 trapezoidal openings). For beams with similar geometry, increasing the burning temperature results in their deterioration as reflected in their increasing mid-span deflection throughout the fire exposure period and their residual deflection after cooling. Meanwhile, the existing openings situation was compounded. The burned NPRC beams were left to gradually cool down under ambient laboratory conditions, and afterward, they were loaded until failure. The influence of temperature on the residual ultimate load-carrying capacity of each beam was studied by comparing these beams with unburned reference beams. Increasing exposure temperature reduces the ultimate strength of solid NPRC beams exposed to temperatures of 400°C and 700°C by about 5.7% and 10.84% respectively. Meanwhile, NPRC beams with trapezoidal openings showed ultimate strength reductions of 21.13% and 32.8% (for beams with 8 openings) and 28% and 34.4% (for beams with 6 openings) under the same burning conditions. The excessive mid-span deflections for these three types of beams were 2%–30.8%, 1.33%–21.8%, and 1.5%–17.4% under the same burning conditions.
Analysis of a Multilevel Voltage-Based Coordinating Controller for Solar-Wind Energy Generator: A Simulation, Development and Validation Approach
Authors: Lachumanan T. , Singh R. , Shapiai M. I. , Anand T. J. S.
Published: December 2021

This paper presents the development and the performance analysis of the developed model of a voltage-based coordinating controller. This model is developed to perform activities such as sensing, measuring, switching, coordinating, and effectively managing the output voltages produced by the solar-wind renewable energy sources in order to supply the connected load or/and charge the battery storage system. The developed model has different tasks to perform when solar-wind energy sources both produce output voltages simultaneously, also contributing to solving the requirements of different synchronization algorithms for a multi-agent renewable energy system. The sensed and measured output voltages of the solar-wind energy sources are used as directive information to allow the developed model’s controller to supply the available power to the connected load or/and charge the battery storage system. Also, the produced information at the model’s controller input is used to individually control the other sub-system, which directly assists in achieving the aim of simultaneous operation when both solar and wind energy sources produce output voltages. The model is developed and simulated in Matlab/Simulink. The simulation results are used to validate the developed methodology and the aims of the developed model.
A Novel MPPT Design for a Partially Shaded PV System Using Spotted Hyena Optimization Algorithm
Authors: Korich B. , Benaissa A. , Rabhi B. , Bakria D.
Published: December 2021

Partial shading is a common problem in photovoltaic (PV) systems, known for its difficulty. Numerous attempts have been conducted to mitigate this problem. Some of these efforts deploy metaheuristic optimization with a view to tracking the multiple-peak P–V curve in a partial shading PV system. Hence, this paper proposes a novel metaheuristic algorithm to track the maximum power point of PV systems using the Spotted Hyena Optimization (SHO) algorithm. When evaluated, the SHO algorithm proved to be very fast, robust, and accurate in standard conditions, Partial Shading Conditions (PSCs), and irradiance variations. Also, the results reveal a remarkable improvement in the performance when we compare the SHO algorithm with the Grey Wolf Optimization (GWO) algorithm and the Perturb and Observe (P&O) algorithm.
Behavior of RC Beams Strengthened with NSM-CFRP Strips Subjected to Fire Exposure: A Numerical Study
Authors: Al-Baghdadi H. A. , Sabah A.
Published: December 2021

The use of Near-Surface Mounted (NSM) Carbon-Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) strips is an efficient technology for increasing flexural and shear strength or for repairing damaged Reinforced Concrete (RC) members. This strengthening method is a promising technology. However, the thin layer of concrete covering the NSM-CFRP strips is not adequate to resist heat effect when directly exposed to a fire or at a high temperature. There is clear evidence that the strength and stiffness of CFRPs severely deteriorate at high temperatures. Therefore, in terms of fire resistance, the NSM technique has a significant defect. Thus, it is very important to develop a set of efficient fire protection systems to overcome these disadvantages. This paper presents a numerical study that investigates the fire behavior of thermally insulated RC beams flexurally strengthened with NSM-CFRP strips and subjected to fire exposure according to the ISO 834 standard. The numerical study considered three-dimensional finite element models in the ABAQUS software that have been developed to simulate and predict the performance (thermal and structural response) of fire endurance tests on strengthened, uninsulated strengthened, and thermally insulated beams strengthened with NSM-CFRP strips, which were exposed to fire and had different fire insulation schemes. The insulation used was plaster from local material with a thickness range of 25 to 50mm. The variation of the thermal and mechanical properties with the temperature of the constituent materials was considered. All beams' mechanical and thermal responses were adequately simulated using numerical models. The results of the numerical simulations were in good agreement with the experimental data. The fire behavior of the NSM-CFRP strengthened RC beams was examined and particularly the efficiency of the NSM strengthening system during the fire. The behavior in the fire of the NSM-CFRP strengthening system on the RC beams thermally protected with different fire insulation schemes was assessed. Finally, the effectiveness of fire insulation was studied.
Parametric Analysis of the Defected Ground Structure-Based Hairpin Band Pass Filter for VSAT System on Chip Applications
Authors: Ambati N. , Immadi G. , Narayana M. V. , Bareddy K. R. , Prapurna M. S. , Yanapu J.
Published: December 2021

In this study, a three-pole hairpin structure was fabricated on the top of the substrate material and an open loop microstrip structure at the ground to give a modified triple-band BPF with a unique design. A Rogers (RT5880) material with εr = 2.2 and thickness of 1.27mm was used to fabricate the proposed structure. The space between two consecutive hairpin resonators has different distances d1 and d2 with values of 0.2mm and 0.4mm respectively. The proposed filter offers a compact size with low return loss. The equivalent LC circuit of the DGS and hairpin structure is obtained with the Ansys electronic desktop and by using simple circuit analysis. The desired microstrip triple-band BPF operates at the Ku band, resonates at 10.28GHz, 12GHz, and 14.62GHz, while the simulated and experimental results are almost identical. The proposed wideband BPF satisfies the International Telecommunication Union ((ITU) region 3 spectrum requirements. Direct Broadcast Service (DBS) and Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) in transmit mode respectively employ the frequency band 11.41-12.92GHz and 14-14.5GHz.
A Survey of the Application of Artifical Intellegence on COVID-19 Diagnosis and Prediction
Authors: Alalawi H. , Alsuwat M. , Alhakami H.
Published: December 2021

The importance of classification algorithms has increased in recent years. Classification is a branch of supervised learning with the goal of predicting class labels categorical of new cases. Additionally, with Coronavirus (COVID-19) propagation since 2019, the world still faces a great challenge in defeating COVID-19 even with modern methods and technologies. This paper gives an overview of classification algorithms to provide the readers with an understanding of the concept of the state-of-the-art classification algorithms and their applications used in the COVID-19 diagnosis and detection. It also describes some of the research published on classification algorithms, the existing gaps in the research, and future research directions. This article encourages both academics and machine learning learners to further strengthen the basis of classification methods.
Removal of Multiplicative Gamma Noise from Images via SRAD Model Amelioration
Authors: Diffellah N. , Hamdini R. , Bekkouche T.
Published: December 2021

In this paper, an improved Speckle Reducing Anisotropic Diffusion (SRAD), destined to remove multiplicative gamma noise applied to different images is proposed. The basic idea is to divide the image into several riddled areas and then calculate the Equivalent Number of Look (ENL) of each region. The largest value of the ENL is the best optimal homogeneous region of the image. This optimal choice allows us to solve the major problem of the SRAD algorithm articulated around a visual choice of the homogeneous region which is not satisfactory and causes non-uniformity in this area. To give more validity to the proposed method, several experimentations were conducted using different kinds of images and were approved by some quantitative metrics like PSNR, SNR, VSNR, and SSIM. The computer simulation results confirm the efficiency of the proposed method which outperformances the classical SRAD method.
Evaluation of Rutting in Conventional and Rubberized Asphalt Mixes Using Numerical Modeling Under Repeated Loads
Authors: Saad D. A. , Al-Baghdadi H. A.
Published: December 2021

This research aimed to predict the permanent deformation (rutting) in conventional and rubberized asphalt mixes under repeated load conditions using the Finite Element Method (FEM). A three-dimensional (3D) model was developed to simulate the Wheel Track Testing (WTT) loading. The study was conducted using the Abaqus/Standard finite element software. The pavement slab was simulated using a nonlinear creep (time-hardening) model at 40°C. The responses of the viscoplastic model under the influence of the trapezoidal amplitude of moving wheel loadings were determined for different speeds and numbers of cycles. The results indicated that a wheel speed increase from 0.5Km/h to 1.0Km/h decreased the rut depth by about 22% and 24% in conventional and rubberized asphalt mixes, respectively. Moreover, increasing the number of cycles from 7,500 (15,000 passes) to 15,000 (30,000 passes) under constant speed increased the rut depth by about 25% and 30% in conventional and rubberized asphalt mixes, respectively. Furthermore, the addition of Crumb Rubber (CR) to the asphalt reduced its rut depth by 55% compared to conventional asphalt.
A Battery Voltage Level Monitoring System for Telecommunication Towers
Authors: Uwamahoro R. , Mduma N. , Machuve D.
Published: December 2021

Voltage fluctuations in batteries form a major challenge the telecommunication towers face. These fluctuations mostly occur due to poor management and the lack of a battery voltage level monitoring system. The current paper presents a battery voltage-level monitoring system to be used in telecommunication towers. The proposed solution is incorporated with a centralized mobile application dashboard for accessing the live data of the installed battery, integrated with voltage-level, current, temperature, fire, and gas sensors. An Arduino Uno microcontroller board is used to process and analyze the collected data from the sensors. The Global Service Message (GSM) module is used to monitor and store data to the cloud. Users are alerted in the case of low voltage, fire, and increase in harmful gases in the tower through Short Message Service (SMS). The experiment was conducted at Ngorongoro and Manyara telecommunication towers. The developed system can be used in accessing battery information remotely while allowing real-time continuous monitoring of battery usage. The proposed battery voltage-level monitoring system contributes to the elimination of battery hazards in towers. Therefore, the proposed battery voltage level monitoring system can be adopted by telecommunication tower engineers for the reduction of voltage fluctuation risks.
A Two-Level Desired Load Profile Tracking Algorithm for Electric Two-Wheeler Charging Stations
Authors: Huu D. N. , Ngoc V. N.
Published: December 2021

In Vietnam and in other developing countries, two-wheeled electric vehicles are potential alternatives to gasoline-powered motorbikes. The growth in the number of Electric Two-Wheelers (E2Ws) requires a large power demand of charging load. In addition, the increasing spread in the appearance and penetration of rooftop photovoltaic (PV) power systems, with their intermittence and uncertain nature, poses technical challenges that need to be addressed. The coordination of PV rooftop operation and EV charging may be an effective solution to meet the emerging load demand from EVs, increasing solar power penetration while minimizing the cost of grid reinforcement or possible upgrades. In this paper, a two-level desired load profile tracking algorithm for PV integrated electric bicycles/electric motorcycle charging stations is proposed with the purposes of load leveling, valley filling, and peak shaving. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm is an effective solution, significantly improving the load profile, especially when compared with uncontrolled charging and constant charging power scheme.
Design and Development of a Group Decision Support System for the Evaluation and Selection of Research Projects
Authors: Basheleishvili I. , Bardavelidze A.
Published: December 2021

The current paper deals with the design and development of a web-based group decision support system for the evaluation and selection of research projects. The paper involves the analysis of the system’s requirements, the definition of its functional structure, the development of an algorithm for the evaluation and ranking of research projects, the development of a related database and of a user interface along with the writing of the business logic of the system.
Design of a 1×2 CPW Fractal Antenna Array on Plexiglas Substrate with Defected Ground Plane for Telecommunication Applications
Authors: Ben Nsir C. , Ribero J. M. , Boussetta C. , Gharsallah A.
Published: December 2021

In this paper, a fractal antenna array for telecommunication applications is presented. The proposed antenna array is realized on a Plexiglas substrate, has 1×2 radiating elements, and dimensions of 170mm×105mm. The antenna array is composed of two Koch Snowflake patches and is fed by a Coplanar Waveguide (CPW) transmission line. Radiating elements and the ground plane are printed on the top side of the substrate. Defected Ground Structure (DGS) technique is employed to enhance the bandwidth and improve the impedance matching. The proposed antenna array operates at two frequency bands, 1.08-1.32GHz covering the GPS band and 1.7-3.7GHz covering the GSM 1800/1900, UTMS, Bluetooth, LTE, and WiMAX bands. In addition, the antenna has a good performance with efficiency and peak gain of 82% and 6.3dB respectively. These characteristics allow the antenna to be an attractive candidate for telecommunication systems. Design and analysis of different structures were carried out with Ansys HFSS.
Efficiency Assessment of a Signalized Roundabout and a Traffic Intersection in Baghdad City
Authors: Mohammed H. H. , Ismail M. Q.
Published: December 2021

In Baghdad city, Iraq, the traffic volumes have rapidly grown during the last 15 years. Road networks need to reevaluate and decide if they are operating properly or not regarding the increase in the number of vehicles. Al-Jadriyah intersection (a four-leg signalized intersection) and Kamal Junblat Square (a multi-lane roundabout), which are two important intersections in Baghdad city with high traffic volumes, were selected to be reevaluated by the SIDRA package in this research. Traffic volume and vehicle movement data were abstracted from videotapes by the Smart Traffic Analyzer (STA) Software. The performance measures include delay and LOS. The analysis results by SIDRA Intersection 8.0.1 show that the performance of the roundabout is better than the signalized intersection but experiences high delay, and low LOS. Therefore, alternatives are proposed to improve the performance for current and future traffic volumes with low-medium delays.
The Influence of Base Layer Thickness in Flexible Pavements
Authors: Hadi M. A. S. , Al-Sherrawi M. H.
Published: December 2021

Flexible pavement design and analysis were carried out in the past with semi-experimental methods, using elastic characteristics of pavement layers. Due to the complex interferences between various layers and their time consumption, the traditional pavement analysis, and design methods were replaced with fast and powerful methods including the Finite Element Method (FEM) and the Discrete Element Method (DEM). FEM requires less computational power and is more appropriate for continuous environments. In this study, flexible pavement consisting of 5 layers (surface, binder, base, subbase, and subgrade) had been analyzed using FEM. The ABAQUS (6.14-2) software had been utilized to investigate the influence of the base layer depth on vertical stresses and displacements. Three different thicknesses were adopted (10, 20, and 30cm) with constant other pavement layer thicknesses. The results of this study showed that the stress levels at the top of the base layer increased by about 37% when the thickness of this layer increased from 10cm to 30cm, while the stress levels at the top of the subbase layer decreased by about 64%. When the base layer increased from 10 to 20, from 20 to 30, and from 10 to 30cm the vertical displacement decreased by 18%, 24%, and 37% respectively.
Enhancement of the Properties of Compressed Stabilized Earth Blocks through the Replacement of Clay and Silt with Fly Ash
Authors: Malkanthi S. N. , Perera A. A. D. A. J. , Galabada G. H. , Dharmaratne P. D.
Published: December 2021

The use of earth as a building material, in different forms, such as unburnt and burnt bricks, rammed earth, mud blocks, and soil blocks, is a common practice globally. This study is focused on soil blocks stabilized with cement which are referred to as Cement Stabilized Earth Blocks (CSEBs). The strength and durability of CSEBs are primarily governed by the amount of silt and clay content (finer) in the soil. Many researchers have shown that low finer content improves the properties of CSEB and they have altered the finer content by adding different additives. The current study used a washing method to reduce the finer content and fly ash was utilized as finer to re-fill the soil to the required finer content amount. Also, soil grading was modified by adding larger particles that were separated from the same soil to fit the soil grading to the optimization curves mentioned in the literature. The finer content was changed to 5%, 7.5%, and 10%. Blocks were made by stabilizing the soil with 6%, 8%, and 10% cement and with the size of 150mm×150mm×150mm. The results revealed that fly ash addition up to 10% improves the properties of CSEBs and compressive strength changes from 4.28N/mm2 to 13.43N/mm2.
Producing Green Concrete with Plastic Waste and Nano Silica Sand
Authors: Qasim M. F. , Abbas Z. K. , Abed S. K.
Published: December 2021

Industrial and urban development has resulted in the spread of plastic waste and the increase in the emissions of carbon dioxide resulting from the cement manufacturing process. The current research aims to produce green (environmentally friendly) concrete by using plastic waste as coarse aggregates in different proportions (10% and 20%) and nano silica sand powder as an alternative to cement in different proportions (5% and 10% by weight). The results showed that compressive strength decreased by 12.10% and 19.23% for 10% and 20% plastic waste replacement and increased by 12.89% and 20.39% for 5% and 10% silica sand replacement respectively at 28 days. Flexural strength decreased by 12.95% and 19.64% for 10% and 20% plastic waste replacement and increased by 11.16% and 19.86% for 5% and 10% silica sand replacement. Splitting tensile strength decreased by 12.74% and 20.22% for 10% and 20% plastic waste replacement and increased by 10.86% and 19.66% for 5% and 10% silica sand replacement. Dry density decreased by 4.51% and 7.83% for 10% and 20% plastic waste replacement and increased by 2.78% and 4.10% for 5% and 10% silica sand replacement respectively at 28 days.
Photometric Ligature Extraction Technique for Urdu Optical Character Recognition
Authors: Kazmi M. , Yasir F. , Habib S. , Hayat M. S. , Qazi S. A.
Published: December 2021

Urdu Optical Character Recognition (OCR) based on character level recognition (analytical approach) is less popular as compared to ligature level recognition (holistic approach) due to its added complexity, characters and strokes overlapping. This paper presents a holistic approach Urdu ligature extraction technique. The proposed Photometric Ligature Extraction (PLE) technique is independent of font size and column layout and is capable to handle non-overlapping and all inter and intra overlapping ligatures. It uses a customized photometric filter along with the application of X-shearing and padding with connected component analysis, to extract complete ligatures instead of extracting primary and secondary ligatures separately. A total of ~ 2,67,800 ligatures were extracted from scanned Urdu Nastaliq printed text images with an accuracy of 99.4%. Thus, the proposed framework outperforms the existing Urdu Nastaliq text extraction and segmentation algorithms. The proposed PLE framework can also be applied to other languages using the Nastaliq script style, languages such as Arabic, Persian, Pashto, and Sindhi.
Investigation of a Digital Hydraulic Valve Operated by Servo Motors
Authors: Ozalp A. F. , Polat R. , Cetinkaya C. , Cetin M. H.
Published: December 2021

This paper describes a new type of digital hydraulic valve run by two servo motors. Digital hydraulics is a cutting-edge technology, which saves more exhausted energy than conventional hydraulic valves. It includes conventional valves, but its working principle is different. Similar or different size valves constitute a digital hydraulic valve assembly. When the assigned valves are opened, a certain amount of flow is obtained from the output of the valve assembly. To control a digital hydraulic valve, Pulse Number Modulation (PNM) Control technique is used for equal valve flow rates, while Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) is used for different valve flow rates. Valves are exerted by independently launched electric coils. Previous studies used controller board and external power booster circuits for coils. In this study, a new type of digital hydraulic valve is designed, manufactured, and tested with the PNM method. The studied valve body has two different valve groups. Every group includes 16 equal valves and 1 camshaft rotated by 1 servo motor. The servo motors are controlled by a PLC. The calculated performance index is found to be 5.1ms which is similar to the results of previous studies. The experimental results showed that the cam and servo motor controlled digital hydraulics is applicable to variable speed control hydraulic systems.
Anti-Phishing Awareness Delivery Methods
Authors: Darem A.
Published: December 2021

Phishing attacks are increasingly exploited by cybercriminals, they become more sophisticated and evade detection even by advanced technical countermeasures. With cybercriminals resorting to more sophisticated phishing techniques, strategies, and different channels such as social networks, phishing is becoming a hard problem to solve. Therefore, the main objective for any anti-phishing solution is to minimize phishing success and its consequences through complementary means to advanced technical countermeasures. Specifically, phishing threats cannot be controlled by technical controls alone, thus it is imperative to complement cybersecurity programs with cybersecurity awareness programs to successfully fight against phishing attacks. This paper provides a review of the delivery methods of cybersecurity training programs used to enhance personnel security awareness and behavior in terms of phishing threats. Although there are a wide variety of educational intervention methods against phishing, the differences between the cybersecurity awareness delivery methods are not always clear. To this end, we present a review of the most common methods of workforce cybersecurity training methods in order for them to be able to protect themselves from phishing threats.
Design and Evaluation of Transmitting Antennas for Solar Power Satellite Systems
Authors: Alogla A. , Eleiwa M. A. H. , Alshortan H.
Published: December 2021

This study attempts to identify, design, and evaluate transmitting antennas for Solar Power Satellite (SPS) systems. The design approach aimed at meeting the SPS operational requirements at ISM bands, namely 2.4-2.5GHz for the NASA and 5.725-5.875GHz for the JAXA models. The primary attributes of SPS antennas for transmitting Beamed High-Power Microwaves (BHPMs) are high power handling capability, efficiency, and directivity with narrow beamwidth and lower sidelobe levels. Using a planar end-fed 20×20 SWA module, the whole planar Slotted Waveguide Antenna Arrays (SWAAs) were designed for both the NASA and JAXA reference models having 1km diameter antenna aperture, peak power level over 1GW, directivity over 80dBi, Side Lobe Level (SLL) less than 20dB, and pencil beam with HPBW less than 0.01°. The proposed slotted waveguide transmitting antenna arrays fulfilled the operational requirements for both the NASA and JAXA SPS reference models. Due to the higher operating frequency, the results showed that the proposed planar SWA array performs better on the JAXA than on the NASA SPS model.
GRAPHICAL METHOD FOR DETERMINATION OF MQ-SERIES GAS SENSOR CIRCUIT PARAMETERS FOR A STAND-ALONE GAS ALARM SYSTEM
Authors: AJIBOYE Aye Taiwo , OPADIJI Jaye Femi , AJAYI Adebimpe Ruth
Published: December 2021

Background: MQ-series gas sensors belong to the metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) family of sensors that can sense the presence of many gases. These sensors find their application in gas alarm systems as key components. While necessary sensor circuit output voltage value for alarm point in a stand-alone gas alarm system is desirable, but what exact combination of the sensor circuit parameters is required? Hitherto, the determination of these circuit parameters has not been given much attention in the research community. Aim: the purpose of this work is to explore a structured graphical approach of determination of MQ series gas sensor circuit parameters for a stand-alone gas alarm system that yields desired sensor circuit output voltage value for the alarm point; the main objective of the study was to develop mathematical model equations that relate the: (i) sensor resistance (RS) with the gas concentration (x) and the sensor resistance at standard calibration concentration of the sensor base gas in the clean air (Ro) and (ii) sensor circuit output voltage (VRL), load resistance (RL) and sensor resistance (RS). It is expected from the model equations developed that graphical correlations of the sensor circuits parameters will be generated. Using these graphs for a particular case of an MQ-4 gas sensor under the influence of LPG, the parameters that yield desired sensor circuit output voltage of 2V for 1000 ppm of LPG alarm point will be determined. Methods: Model equations were developed for the sensor dynamics, and based on these model equations, graphs for the determination of required sensor parameters were plotted for a case of MQ-4 gas sensor response to LPG. Results and Discussion: The results yielded optimal values for R_O,R_S and R_L of 20 kΩ, 30 kΩ and 20 kΩ respectively, for alarm settings of 1000 ppm and a desired sensor circuit output voltage of 2 V. Based on determined parameters, the calibration equation for determination of best concentration value for a given value of emulated LPG concentration was developed. Using the method proposed in this study makes the process of determining the MQ-series gas sensor circuit parameters less cumbersome as their value can easily be obtained from the resulting graphs. Conclusions: a structured graphical approach for determination of MQ-series gas sensor circuit parameters for alarm points in a stand-alone gas alarm system showed that using MQ-4 gas sensor and LPG as the target gas, and for a sensor circuit output voltage of 2 V for alarm point at 1000 ppm of LPG, the corresponding value of R_O, R_S and R_L obtained were 20 kΩ, 30 kΩ, and 20 kΩ respectively. Hence, a structured graphical approach is suitable for determining MQ series gas sensor circuit parameters for a stand-alone gas alarm system under the influence of its associated gases.