bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dark Matter with DAMA/LIBRA and its perspectives
Authors: Bernabei R , Belli P , Cappella F , Caracciolo V , Cerulli R , Dai C J , d’Angelo A , Incicchitti A , Leoncini A , Ma X H , Merlo V , Montecchia F , Sheng X D , Ye Z P
Published: September 2023

The existence of Dark Matter particles as a significant portion of the Universe’s total mass is suggested by theoretical reasoning at the galactic and larger scales as well as experimental data. This motivates the DAMA experiment’s efforts to investigate the presence of the Dark Matter particles in the galactic halo by utilizing a model-independent signature with an extremely radio-pure set-up underground. The long-standing, model-independent annual modulation effect at Gran Sasso seen by DAMA with several experimental set-ups is summarized in this paper, along with its perspectives. DAMA/LIBRA-phase2 set-up, ≃ 250 kg highly radio-pure NaI(Tl) further confirms the evidence of a signal that meets all the requirements of the model independent Dark Matter annual modulation signature at high C.L.; the combined exposure of DAMA/NaI and DAMA/LIBRA is 2.86 ton × yr over 22 independent annual cycles. The experiment is currently collecting data in the DAMA/LIBRA–phase2 empowered configuration with an even lower software energy threshold.
Understanding globular cluster abundances through nuclear reactions
Authors: Adsley P , Williams M , Harrouz D S , Carrasco-Rojas D P , de Seréville N , Hammache F , Longland R , Bastin B , Davids B , Faestermann T , Fougères C , Greife U , Hertenberger R , Hutcheon D , La Cognata M , Laird AM , Lamia L , Lennarz A , Meyer A , d’Oliveira Santos F , Palmerini S , Psaltis A , Pizzone R G , Romano S , Ruiz C , Tumino A , Wirth H-F
Published: September 2023

Globular clusters contain multiple stellar populations, with some previous generation of stars polluting the current stars with heavier elements. Understanding the history of globular clusters is helpful in understanding how galaxies merged and evolved and therefore constraining the site or sites of this historic pollution is a priority. The acceptable temperature and density conditions of these polluting sites depend on critical reaction rates. In this paper, three experimental studies helping to constrain astrophysically important reaction rates are briefly discussed.
Symmetry energy in the KIDS framework and extension to quarkionic matter
Authors: Papakonstantinou Panagiota
Published: September 2023

Recent and ongoing laboratory experiments on nuclei and astronomical observations of neutron stars and gravitational waves offer valuable information on the symmetry energy and its dependence on the baryonic density ρ, S(ρ). Analytical models abound for the behavior of S(ρ) in the nucleonic regime. At high densities, however, extrapolations from the nucleonic regime become unreliable and the functional form of S(ρ) should be properly adjusted. Conveniently, the pseudoconformal symmetry emergent in dense, topologically altered nuclear matter suggests a simple expression for the energy per baryon in terms of ρ. Here, I consider a rudimentary interpolation between the Korea-IBS-Daegu-SKKU (KIDS) nucleonic equation of state (EoS) and a pseudo-conformal one at zero temperature. I assume for simplicity that the conformal limit is reached abruptly, but under continuous energy and pressure. Application to neutron stars suggestes that a crossover to quarkionic matter can lead to more compact stars or even heavier stars, depending on the precise form of the nucleonic EoS and on the order of the transition to quarkionic matter. These results are in line with previous studies of hybrid EoSs and represent only a “baby step” to further explorations with hybrid-KIDS EoSs.
Elemental analysis of concrete with fast neutron beams
Authors: Hutton T , Segale N , Mhlongo S , Buffler A
Published: September 2023

Within nuclear installations concrete is widely used for its structural and radiation shielding properties. Developing methods to independently, and non-destructively, verify the composition of such materials in situ is of high priority for the regulation of existing and future nuclear installations. This work reports on the ongoing development of measurement techniques utilising fast neutron beams for the elemental analysis of concrete and its constituents.
Double charge-exchange reactions for the nuclear matrix elements of neutrinoless double beta decay
Authors: Cavallaro M , Agodi C , Auerbach N , Bellone J I , Bijker R , Brischetto G A , Burrello S , Calabrese S , Cappuzzello F , Carbone D , Ciraldo I , Colonna M , De Gregorio G , Delaunay F , Ferreira J L , Fisichella M , Gambacurta D , García-Tecocoatzi H , Gargano A , Lay J A , Lenske H , Linares R , Lubian J , Santopinto E , Sgouros O , Soukeras V , Spatafora A , Torresi D ,   on behalf of the
Published: September 2023

Double charge exchange (DCE) reactions induced by heavy ions are crucial tools to access information relevant for neutrinoless double beta decay nuclear matrix elements. In this context the NUMEN project aims to investigate, for each system of interest, the DCE reaction channel together with the whole set of reactions promoted by the same projectile/target interaction in the same experimental conditions and within the same theoretical framework.
Experimental and theoretical multi-channel study of direct nuclear reactions: a tool to provide data driven information on the 76Ge neutrino-less double-beta decay
Authors: Spatafora A , Acosta L , Agodi C , Amador-Valenzuela P , Brischetto G A , Calabrese S , Calvo D , Capirossi V , Chávez-Lomelí E R , Cappuzzello F , Carbone D , Cavallaro M , Ciraldo I , Delaunay F , Djapo H , Eke C , Finocchiaro P , Firat S , Fisichella M , Hacisalihoglu A , Iazzi F , Linares R , Medina N , Moralles M , Oliveira J R B , Pakou A , Pandola L , Petrascu H , Pinna F , Russo G , Sgouros O , da Silveira M A G , Solakci S O , Soukeras V , Souliotis G , Torresi D , Tudisco S , Yildirim A , Zagatto V A B ,   for the
Published: September 2023

The study of heavy-ions induced double charge-exchange (HI-DCE) nuclear reactions is a promising way to access data-driven information on neutrino-less double-beta decay nuclear matrix elements. In the following, particular attention is given to the (18O,18Ne) and (20Ne,20O) HI-DCE reactions as tools for β
+
β
+ and β
−
β
− decays, respectively. The experiments are performed in Catania at the Laboratori Nazionali del Sud of the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN-LNS). The MAGNEX magnetic spectrometer is used to momentum analyse the ejectiles of a large network of nuclear reactions. New preliminary experimental data for the 76Se(18O,18F)76As and 76Ge(20Ne,20F)76As single charge exchange (SCE) and for the 76Se(18O,18Ne)76Ge and 76Ge(20Ne,20O)76Se DCE nuclear reactions were also investigated.
Recent results on the new fragment in-flight separator at INFN-LNS
Authors: Martorana NS , Geraci E , Russotto P , Acosta L , Amato A , Calabretta L , Cardella G , Caruso A , Cavallaro S , Cosentino L , Costa M , De Filippo E , De Luca G , Gnoffo B , Guazzoni C , Maiolino C , Pagano EV , Pirrone S , Politi G , Pulvirenti S , Risitano F , Rizzo F , Russo AD , Santonocito D , Trifiró A , Trimarchi M , Tudisco S , Vecchio G
Published: September 2023

A project for an upgrade of the Superconducting Cyclotron is underway at INFN-LNS. One of the goals of this project is the production of RIBs (Radioactive Ion Beams) of high intensity. To reach this purpose, a dedicated facility consisting of a new fragment separator FRAISE (FRAgment In-flight SEparator) is ongoing, exploiting primary beams with a power up to ≈ 2-3 kW. The high intensity achievable with FRAISE requires the use of appropriate diagnostics and tagging systems that can operate also in a strong radioactive environment. In this framework, a R&D program has been started to develop the FRAISE facility as well as the diagnostics and the tagging systems.
Project Meitner. Contributions of the pioneer women of radioactivity
Authors: Morales A. I. , Molina A. , Rubio B. , Aparici A. , Escobar C. , Falcó N. , Ladarescu I. , Mena O. , Molina R. , Moreno-Llácer M. , Muñoz D. , Nácher E. , Orrigo S. E. A. , Palacios J. , Pastor S. , Rodríguez D. , Tain J.L. , Tórtola M. , Villaplana M.
Published: September 2023

Project Meitner is an outreach initiative aiming at raising awareness on the situation of women in Physics. To this purpose, a series of actions have been carried out at the Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC, Spain) with a double purpose: help the pioneer women of radioactivity become known by the broad public, and demystify the current archetypal view of the scientist by presenting the diversity of women who work at our institute. Special attention is paid to stimulate the self-confidence in Physics, Engineering and Computer Science (PECS) subjects to secondary-education female students, as well as to other types of public usually overlooked in outreach activities, such as people with disabilities and elderly people.
Unsupervised learning spectral functions with neural networks
Authors: Wang Lingxiao , Shi Shuzhe , Zhou Kai
Published: September 2023

Reconstructing spectral functions from Euclidean Green’s functions is an ill-posed inverse problem that is crucial for understanding the properties of many-body systems. In this proceeding, we propose an automatic differentiation (AD) framework utilizing neural network representations for spectral reconstruction from propagator observables. We construct spectral functions using neural networks and optimize the network parameters unsupervisedly based on the reconstruction error of the propagator. Compared to the maximum entropy method, the AD framework demonstrates better performance in situations with high noise levels. It is noteworthy that neural network representations provide non-local regularization, which has the potential to significantly improve the solution of inverse problems.
Exploration of extreme QCD matter with deep learning
Authors: Zhou Kai
Published: September 2023

To study hot and dense nuclear matter, relativistic nuclear collisions are carried out experimentally, while lattice field theory provides a first-principles investigation. Meanwhile, astronomical observations of neutron stars also provide constraints on cold and dense nuclear matter. In this talk, I present the potential of deep learning based strategies to aid the exploration of QCD matter under extreme conditions, ranging from identifying essential physics from nuclear collision experiments, to facilitating lattice QCD data analysis, to efficiently exploiting astronomical observations in extracting the dense matter equation of state.
Yolov5 Vehicle Detection Model in Fog Based on Channel Attention Enhancement
Authors: Haoran Li , Li Xu , Yin Zhang , Xiangyuan Fu
Published: September 2023

Vehicle detection in foggy weather plays an indispensable role in the field of intelligent transportation. This article proposes an improved YOLOv5 vehicle detection model based on the problems of insufficient detection accuracy and high fault tolerance of most algorithms in foggy weather. First, the AOD-Net network is used for defogging preprocessing of the original image. Then, the SE attention mechanism is fused in the C3 module of the Backbone feature extraction backbone network to adaptively allocate weight information, enhance the attention to important features, and reduce the impact of noise and irrelevant information. Finally, BiFPN is used in the Neck feature fusion network to replace the original PANet and enhance the model’s feature fusion ability. Experiments are conducted on the Cityscapes and RTTS datasets, and the results show that the improved YOLOv5 algorithm in this article has significant improvements in precision, recall rate, and average precision mean compared to the original model, with increases of 8.4%, 9.5%, and 9.2%, respectively. It can better adapt to vehicle detection tasks in foggy weather.
Optimization of smart bus scheduling based on dynamic speed limit of load rate
Authors: Ye Zimeng , Zhang Dabin , Liu Li
Published: September 2023

Aiming at the problem that fixed speed limit and static regular scheduling of single-type bus cannot meet the actual passenger flow demand with uneven distribution of time and space. By designing a dynamic speed limit rule of full load rate, based on the integrated scheduling of multiple types of bus models, taking the total passenger cost and bus scheduling cost as the overall optimization objective, and considering various constraints comprehensively, OBLESGA (Opposition-based learning elite strategy genetic algorithm) was designed to solve the problem, and the data of Beijing 563 route downlink was taken as an example for simulation experiment. The results show that OBLESGA can improve the convergence rate and solution accuracy of GA. At the same time, the optimized scheduling can reduce the cost of passenger congestion by 86.61 percent and the cost of passenger waiting times by 40.65 percent compared to traditional scheduling, while only increasing operating costs by 26.57 percent.
B-spline based Extended target tracking technology in cluttered environments
Authors: He Fan , Wan Lilong
Published: September 2023

In order to solve the problem of tracking single extended targets in a cluttered environment, this thesis proposes a B-spline based probabilistic data association extended target tracking method (ET-BS-PDA). Firstly, the state of the extended target is modelled using B-sample strips, secondly, all events associated with the extended target will be counted based on valid measurements, and the probability of the associated events will be computed using the full probability principle. Finally, we use probabilistic data association algorithms to update state and covariance of extended targets and verify effectiveness of extended target tracking algorithms in cluttered environments through simulations.
RAMS assessment approach of self-consistent energy system in highway service areas
Authors: Li Y B , Wang J Y , Wang Q C , Shi B , Chen J S
Published: September 2023

Self-consistent energy system (SCES) that integrates volatile renewable energy, challenges power system operation of highway service areas. How to evaluate its resilience and energy efficiency is a key issue for the entire SCES. In this paper, we investigate the assessment approach of SCES. Based on the electricity consumption model consisting of different functional sections of SCES in service areas, by deriving the corresponding three-level indicators from the different functional sections, we propose a new SCES assessment approach from four aspects: reliability, availability, maintainability, and safety (RAMS). Simulation results show that the proposed approach can comprehensively and accurately assess the RAMS of SCES, provides data support for improving the resilience and energy efficiency of SCES, and gives a guide for the development of SCES.
An adaptive method for oscillations monitoring in power systems with high penetration of renewable energy
Authors: Li Yongqi
Published: September 2023

This paper proposes an adaptive monitoring method for wideband, multimodal, and time-varying oscillations in power systems with high penetration of renewable energy. The method is based on the sliding windowed interpolation FFT (SWIFFT) technique and adaptive threshold spectral filtering method to accurately identify the amplitude, frequency, phase, and damping coefficients of the oscillation modes in each segment. Additionally, the time-domain relationships of these parameters are established, enabling real-time monitoring of the oscillations. Finally, the proposed method is tested using a 5-mode example signal and a simulation system measurement signal. The results demonstrate that this method can accurately identify the parameters of complex oscillation signals, enabling real-time monitoring of oscillations. It exhibits flexibility in adapting to various oscillation scenarios and meets the signal characteristic requirements in modern power systems.
Quantitative attribution of historical anthropogenic warming on the extreme rainfall event over Henan in July 2021
Authors: Zhao Dajun , Xu Hongxiong , Wang Hui , Yu Yubin , Duan Yihong , Chen Lianshou
Published: September 2023

The ‘21·7’ Henan extreme rainfall event (HNER) caused severe damage and many fatalities. The daily precipitation during this event (from 1200 UTC on 19 July 2021–1200 UTC on 20 July 2021) was 552.5 mm and the maximum hourly precipitation was 201.9 mm (at 0900 UTC on 20 July 2021). Previous studies have suggested that an evaluation of the role of anthropogenic climate change in extreme rainfall events is crucial in disaster prevention and mitigation under the current global climate crisis. We examined the changes in the coverage and intensity of extreme rainfall during the ‘21·7’ HNER event under anthropogenic climate change using a set of convective permitting simulations. Our results showed that the regional-average magnitude of the 48 h accumulated rainfall during the ‘21·7’ HNER was increased by 5.7% (95% confidence interval: 4%–11%), which is in agreement with the Clausius–Clapeyron rate, while the area of extreme rainfall (⩾500 mm) increased by 29.9% (95% confidence interval: 21%–40%) as a result of anthropogenic climate change over the Henan region during the late 20th century. Anthropogenic climate change has led to a warm moist tongue over the target region, which has increased the column-integrated water vapor content and induced an anomalous cyclone–anticyclone pair. Anthropogenic warming has caused stronger southerly and southeasterly winds, leading to stronger convergence in the lower troposphere, stronger updrafts in the mid-troposphere and stronger divergent winds in the upper levels. These effects have all contributed to the increase in rainfall. These results enhance our understanding of the dynamic effects of anthropogenic warming on the ‘21·7’ HNER and provide additional evidence that anthropogenic warming increased the magnitude of the ‘21·7’ HNER in China.
Four-wave mixing in all degrees of freedom
Authors: Roux Filippus S
Published: September 2023

A Wigner functional approach is used to derive an evolution equation for a photonic state propagating through a Kerr medium. The resulting evolution equation incorporates all the spatiotemporal degrees of freedom together with the photon-number degrees of freedom and thus allows thorough analyses of the effects of experimental parameters in physical quantum information systems. We then use the evolution equation to consider four-wave mixing as a spontaneous process and finally we impose some approximations to obtain an expression for the optical field due to self-phase modulation.
Removal of Reactive Black-5 Dye by Adsorption Using Rhamnus pits as Agriculture Waste for Environmental Sustainability
Authors: Habeeb Shahd Dhahir , Ghawi Ali Hadi
Published: September 2023

The ability of reuse the agriculture waste to absorb Reactive Black 5 (RB5) dye from textile waste water is being investigated in this study. Rhamnus pits (RP) was used as an available waste material as an adsorbent by inciting and impregnating it with a strong base (KOH) and a strong acid (HCL) to produce a substance with high adsorption efficiency. The impregnation process was carried out in stages. First, the RP stones was incited at a temperature of 300 °C by the carbonization process, and then a part of the sample was impregnated with hydrochloric acid HCL (a strong acid) and a sample with sodium hydroxide KOH (a strong base), and then it was incited by the activation process by inciting it at a temperature of 600 °C. There were three types of adsorbents: one without impregnation, one impregnated with a strong acid, and one impregnated with a strong base. These samples were used for dye adsorption (RB5). Several factors and their impact on the adsorption procedure were investigated and utilized to calculate the adsorption capacity and the highest adsorption rate. It declared that the best removal percentage was achieved when impregnated with KOH (94.22%) and HCL (86.42%), while the free sample without impregnation had a 58% removal efficiency. The adsorption process was done at a temperature of 30 °C (86 °F), dose 0.05 g/10 ml of dye solution, time of 60 minutes, and 25 mg/l concentration of dye solution. Two standard adsorption isotherm models were used to determine the equilibrium adsorption curves. The Langmuir isotherm model provided a decent match to the data for RP pits activated with KOH. Adsorption kinetics were investigated using two different kinetic models: pseudo-second order and pseudo-first order. It was shown that the adsorption rate increases dramatically at first and then decreases to reach equilibrium. The data were showed good match by the model of the pseudo-second order with a confidence level of 0.9997.
Equilibrium Isotherm and Kinetic Modeling for Lead (II) Adsorption on The Modified Rice Husk as Sustainable Applications to Produce Activated Carbon Alternatives
Authors: Gzar Hatem A. , Rewaeh Saja F. , Azeez Marwaa K.
Published: September 2023

The aim of the study is the assessment the performance of the suggested adsorbent. After testing a number of pH values to achieve this objective, it was found that the best lead ion removal efficiency occurred during batch studies at pH 5. According to studies on how agitation speed affects batch adsorption, 180 rpm is the appropriate shaking speed. The optimal contact time for the operation was 180 minutes. Furthermore, as the contact time rose, the adsorption effectiveness improved. The effectiveness of the rice husk’s absorptive ability and elimination of Lead (Pb) from aqueous solutions was evaluated. The findings revealed that Pb has 92% elimination efficiency. The greatest capacity of Pb adsorption of the suggested adsorbent in a batch system was 6.93 mg/g. Three models have fitted to a number of equilibrium isothermal tests: Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin. With a correlation coefficient of R2 0.98, the Freundlich isotherm model offered the greatest match-up with the experiments for this system. The rice husk equilibrium isotherms were of a favorable type. The kinetics of lead ions adsorption onto rice husk appears to be best described by the intra-particle diffusion model. According to the correlation coefficient (R
2) comparison values of each curve for the four models where were the values (Intra-particle diffusion > Pseudo-Second Order > Pseudo-First Order > Elovich). The findings suggest that rice husk is a potential material for eliminating impurities and pollutants from wastewater. It is a powerful adsorbent that is capable of efficiently removing a number of heavy metal contaminants from wastewater.
Performance of Combined Sedimentation and Constructed Wetland System for Blackwater treatment
Authors: Al-Sulaiman Ahmed Makki , Hadi Noor Hakam
Published: September 2023

A constructed wetland system pilot project was constructed in 2022 in one of the houses in Al-Diwaniyah Governorate, Iraq. This system is a constructed wetland system (CWS). This system was planted with Typha domingensis. The present research deals with blackwater collected from a single house in Iraq’s Al-Diwaniyah Governorate. This house consists of three apartments. Water from these flats is drained into separate water manholes (BW and GW). Black water (BW) collected is the subject of the current study, where the black water was discharged from the manhole to the constructed wetland station in the house. This study is to investigate various treatment processes for treating blackwater for reuse. Blackwater treatment was examined first in batch tests to define optimal operating conditions, which include the settling time. The experimental method involves evaluation of the treated effluent to reach the allowable limits of water reuse according to Iraqi quality standards to reuse the water for irrigation (IQS 2012) and Egypt’s reclaimed water reuse standards (Egypt Decree 2013). The efficiency of a sedimentation operation was examined from to determine the optimum time. Further treatment by Constructed wetland was examined. Final overall removal rates for TSS, BOD5, COD, TP, and TN were 97.16%, 91%, 81%, 63%, and 69.2%, respectively. The present study that Constructed wetland could successfully efficient to removing the contamination by saving space, energy and labor less.
Studying the Transmission Behavior of Two-Phase Flow Oil-Water Mixing Using a Laboratory Multiple Porous Media Model
Authors: Thijeel Zahraa A. , Muhsun Sadiq S.
Published: September 2023

The formation and flow of emulsions in porous media are common to all technologies used to extract or process oil. In most cases, oil and water emulsions are formed in a porous medium due to oil spills near watery areas or soils containing water. This emulsion leads to a reaction between oil and water, which finds its way to the porous medium. The detailed flow mechanisms of emulsions through porous media are not well understood. In this study, the soil’s oil percentage variation was studied when sand was introduced or an emulsion, i.e., mixed with water, and two porous media, different in composition and physical properties, were used to find out their effect on oil transmission. The percentage of oil and water was calculated at several points at different distances and times. It was noted that the results differed in both mediums due to the difference in permeability, porosity, arrangement of soil particles, compaction process, and other physical properties. Liquids’ viscosity, density, and chemical composition clearly and significantly affect the results. The time for the oil to reach the last point in the pipe differed for both soils. If the time period in the experiment of pumping oil only in sandy soil took 6 hours and the washing process took 3 hours. In organic soil, the time period for the pollutant pumping stage took about 7 hours and the washing stage about 4 hours because the oil is transmitted in sandy soil is faster, but in the experiment of pumping oil and water together, the time period in the process of pumping oil and water together in sandy soil took 4 hours and the washing process 3 hours In organic soil, the period of pumping oil and water together took 5 hours, and the washing period 3 hours, because the percentage of oil was less than in the experiment of pumping oil only. In the soil, that is, if the period of pumping the pollutant increased for more than 15 hours, the oil may reach a distance of more than 4 meters in the soil. As for the washing process, when the oil is mixed with water, it gives better results when washing it than if the oil enters alone into the soil because the proportions of oil when it enters the soil together with the water, it is little and does not rise much, so it is easy to wash.
Sorption Kinects and Equilibrium for The Removal of Cadmium and Lead from Aqueous Phase on Rice Husk in Inverse Fluidization Technique
Authors: Rewaeh Saja F. , Gzar Hatem A. , Azeez Marwaa K.
Published: September 2023

The objectives of this study are to use the inverse fluidization technique to remove heavy metals from wastewater using inexpensive agricultural waste (Rice Husks) and to investigate the effects of operating factors on the dynamic behavior of the adsorption procedure in the inverse fluidized bed, such as the mass of modified rice husks, flow rate (Q), and particle size (dp
). During batch experiments, the best metal ion removal effectiveness was found to be at pH 5, which was discovered after investigating several pH values to achieve this goal. The ideal shaking speed for batch adsorption was 180 rpm. Adsorption efficiency was seen to rise as contact time in the process increased, and the ideal contact time was 3 hours. According to the findings, Cd and Pb had high removal efficiencies from aqueous solutions, 96.83 percent and 91.90%, respectively. Continuous column experiments (inverse fluidized bed) were used to confirm the adsorbent loading capacities for cadmium and lead, which were evaluated by batch research. The proposed adsorbent’s highest adsorption capacity in a batch system was determined to be 7.38 mg/g for Cd and 6.93 mg/g for Pb. Three models-Temkin, Freundlich, and Langmuir-were fitted to a series of equilibrium isothermal tests. The Freundlich isotherm model, with correlation coefficients R2 of 0.98 for Pb and 0.97 for Cd, offered the best fit to the experimental data for this system. The rice husk equilibrium isotherms were determined to be of a favorite kind. To investigate the impact of initial concentrations, bed depth, flow rate, and particle size at a temperature of 30 on the effectiveness of the adsorption process, numerous experiments were conducted in an inverse fluidized bed column. According to the results, rice husk appears to be a material that shows promise for cleaning wastewater of contaminants and toxins.
Hydrothermal liquefaction of animal by product waste using zeolite catalyst: A Mini-review
Authors: Hassan Noor K. , Jazie Ali A.
Published: September 2023

In view of the worldwide challenges posed by rising pollution and fossil fuel usage, it is imperative that we adopt a new energy strategy that makes use of all available refuse and vegetation to generate electricity. This is the safest and most effective way to address this worldwide issue. The process of hydrothermal liquefaction converting dry and moist material, such as (agricultural and animal waste, algae, and foodstock waste) into bio-crude in the presence of high temps and pressure in a watery medium is a potential technology in the area of renewable energy. When producing bio-crude, it is better to use solvents and catalysts to improve biomass liquefaction and boost output. As such, this review provided a brief overview of the research into the mechanism of HTL processes and biomass represented by animal by-products, their transformation, and the production of bio-crude; the effect and effectiveness of zeolite used as a catalyst in the hydrothermal liquefaction process; the energy efficiency of the process; and the effect of parameters such as heat, pressure, and process residence time; all with the goal of developing better pathways.
Recent trends on sewage sludge transesterification: review
Authors: Jumah Fatima A. , Jazie Ali A.
Published: September 2023

The need for non-existent or low-cost sources to be a feedstock for the biodiesel industry as a source of lipids has led to the trend of sewage sludge (containing high fat content) and thinking about it and finding ways to benefit from it. On the other hand, he use of sludge is an environmental treatment, as it rids the environment of tons of sludge produced daily and a solution to a problem for treatment plants that were looking for ways and solutions to get rid of it and save the cost of getting rid of it and converting it into clean and promising energy. It was found that the sewage sludge in all its primary and secondary types is a feedstock rich in free fatty acids (FFA), which is the raw material for the production of biodiesel, while treating it with one of the types of catalyst alcohols. According to a review of previous studies, it was found that acidic catalysts are most suitable for biodiesel production from sewage sludge, because sewage sludge has a free fatty acid content of 65-70%, which is a high percentage. It is a severely high percentage of free fatty acids found in pure vegetable oils that do not exceed 5%. The heterogeneous acid catalysts were preferred over the homogeneous ones because of the satisfactory results they provided and the high productivity of biodiesel compared to the homogeneous ones, and they are more economical as they can be reused more than once, but also many times. Reacting sewage sludge lipids with a type of catalyst alcohol and forming biodiesel called transesterification or esterification, and it may be traditional or in-site, and in-site is more important and economical than conventional. It was found from previous references that heterogeneous catalysts in general and zeolite types in particular are the most suitable for oil extracted from sewage sludge. Where The yield reached 100% using a type of zeolite.
Review the studies of mass transfer and kinetic modeling for production the biodiesel by the transesterification method and the impact of some selected factors
Authors: Alagha Shahad M. , Salih R.
Published: September 2023

Biodiesel production offers several benefits over traditional fossil fuels, including reduced greenhouse gases emissions and maintain the energy security. Biodiesel production is the process of converting feedstocks such as animal lipids and vegetables oils into biodiesel. This is typically achieved through chemical reactions such as transesterification or alcoholysis. The effects of various factors on the production of biodiesel can have a significant impact on the yield and quality of the final product. The optimal reaction conditions can significantly impact the reaction rate and the yield of biodiesel. Additionally, the final product’s quality and reaction rate can be significantly impacted by the choice of catalyst. This review paper focus on the importance of kinetics and mass transfer studies in the process of producing biodiesel. It explains how mass transfer affects the transfer of reactants and products across phases, while kinetics studies focus on the reaction rate. The review highlights the impact of various factors such as temperature, agitation, and catalyst concentration on biodiesel production and determine the need for these studies to optimize the generating procedure.
Environmental Risks Study of Toxic Metals Contamination for Medical Wastes
Authors: Salih Khalid Ahmed
Published: September 2023

Three Hospitals in Iraq were selected as the subject of this study. The study included studying the environmental risks resulting from the process of treating hospital waste by random burning by taking ash samples from the burned waste of the studied hospitals, determining the concentrations of toxic metals present in them, comparing this with the internationally defined levels, and indicating the extent of environmental hazard. The results of the laboratory analysis of fifteen samples of ash from the studied hospitals showed that in all these hospitals the ash contains toxic heavy metals, including lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and chromium (Cr). It was found that the concentrations of the elements in these toxic metals all exceed the limits permitted by the World Health Organization (WHO) (5, 1, and 5) mg/lliter, as the highest concentration of the lead metal, Pb, was (78.11) mg/lliter in the The third hospital. The highest concentration of cadmium (Cd) is 9.13 mg/lliter in the second Hospital, and the highest concentration of chromium (Cr) is 51.73 mg/lliter in the third Hospital, and it was found that there is no mechanism for disposal of this ash, which makes it a real threat to pollution of ground water and threatens human and animal life if contacted or inhaled.
Hydrological Impact of Ilisu Dam on Al-Gharraf River in southern of Iraq using MIKE11 Hydrodynamic Model
Authors: Al Jawei Abbas Y. , Ghafouri Hamid Reza , Abood Alkhafaji R.
Published: September 2023

A 1-dimensional unsteady flow hydraulic model the MIKE 11 model is employed for the flow simulation of the Algharraf River in this study. Algharraf River branches from Tigris River at Alkut barrage and represent the most water source to cities located in Alkut, Thi Qar, and Basra Province. A flow and stage hydrograph in time series format from the field observations is used by the MIKE 11 model. The outcome of this model leads to unsteady flow simulations along a stream of the river. The model was applied to all length of the river from Alkut barrage upstream to Bada’a Barrage downstream. The study aimed to construct a MIK 11 model based on surveyed, stream cross-section data. The results of this study explain that the model gives a good simulation of the flow according to a comparison between the estimated and observed stage hydrograph. The finding of the hydrodynamic model is employed to present the hydrological impact of the Ilisu Dam constructed upstream of the Tigris River (basically predicts changes in future inflow) on the flow of the river. Results discover that the constructed dam will have a strong and clear impact on the inflow regime of the flow to the river. Without taking into account the effects on downstream hydrology and the environment, the first stage of operation of the Ilisu and Cizre Dams results in a reduction of the inflow of up to more than 40%, and with full operation may result in a reduction of more than 70%.
Experimental and Statistical Capacity of Rubberized Continuous Deep Beams under Monotonic and Repeated Load
Authors: Radhy Zainb Hassan , Neamah Mahdi Wahhab , Makki Ola Mazen , Al-Mutairee Hayder M.K.
Published: September 2023

Continuous Deep Beams (CDBs) are highly exposed to repeated loads especially at the bridges during vehicle loads and adding rubber into it support the ductility to overcome concrete brittleness. Six Beams were designed in considering the strut tie method (STM) and tested under monotonic and repeated loads. Mathematical model for such problem has been investigated. It can be concluded that, the CDBs lose some of its ultimate capacity due to the dropping of concrete compressive strength after aggregate-rubber replacement, while an increment in the deflection could be seen due to the higher deformability of the rubcrete mix i.e., the concrete gained some flexibility after replacing. Also, the ultimate strength of the beams decreases when comparing with the static loads by 14%, 8% and 9% for conventional beam, gravel and sand replacement beams respectively. Fuzzy regression system offers a polynomial from the third degree to represent the Fuzzy data of the CDBs.
Mechanical properties of slurry-infiltrated fiber concrete (SIFCON) as sustainable material with variable fiber content
Authors: Abbas Mustafa Faisal , Mosheer Khamail Abdul-Mahdi
Published: September 2023

For any member, sustainability is very important, which refers to the capacity to endure. Normal concrete has low tensile strength and could not exhibit significant tensile strain margins. Accordingly, it is essential to implement strategies that can enhance the behavior of conventional concrete before using it as structural concrete. Therefore, using Slurry-Infiltrated Fiber Concrete (SIFCON) composites is a current innovation in the field of civil engineering that has a considerable influence. This study presented an experimental study to improve the mechanical efficiency of a SIFCON mix with varying fiber content. To satisfy this objective, several SIFCON mixes, incorporating hook-end steel fiber with three different volume fractions (6, 7, and 8.5%) were prepared. The prepared mixtures performed compressive strength tests at 7 and 28 days, splitting tensile strength tests, and flexural strength tests both in the fresh and hardened states. The results pointed out that the fresh state mortar had proper filling and flow ability properties, satisfying the spread diameter requirement (between 240 and 260 mm) for SIFCON mortar, which is equal to 249 mm. For mechanical performance, the maximum compressive strength increased by 53% after 28 days for the mix’s SF of 8.5%. Furthermore, when compared to the reference mix, splitting, and flexural enhancement increased by 44% and 91%, respectively. On the other hand, the failure shape of SIFCON for all tested mixes has an impact on strengthening, that’s assigned to the high vast area of SF.
Finite element analysis of RC beams strengthened with near-surface mounted reinforcement bars under pure torsion
Authors: Ali Mariam I , Al-Azzawi Adel A
Published: September 2023

This study’s primary objective is to investigate the pure torsional behavior of reinforced concrete beams with inadequate resistance to applied loads. The beam needs to be strengthened with a simple and effective technique, the near-surface mounted. This paper was conducted to check the validity and accuracy of experimental results. This numerical study included testing three specimens; one was control beams, while the remaining were strengthened beams with two configurations with NSM closed and U-stirrups steel stirrups and longitudinal NSM bars. Each beam has three variables: Remove NSM longitudinal bars, use concrete’s compressive strength (20,60) MPa, and Strengthen with NSM GFRP and CFRP bars. All beams have a cross-section (300x300 mm), and the length of the beam was constant (2100 mm). The numerical analysis showed close results to those obtained from the experimental work. This convergence was evident in failure and ultimate torque patterns and mechanisms. The ultimate torque increased when strengthening with four faces of NSM closed stirrups and three faces of NSM stirrups (U-shape) at a spacing of 130mm. On the other hand, The increase in compressive strength leads to an increase in the ultimate torque. Lowering compressive strength leads to more ductile behavior with lower ultimate torque. Removing the additional longitudinal reinforcement has a minor effect on behavior. The type of bars, steel, CFRP, and GFRP, have a marginal impact on the behavior with more ductile behavior for the steel reinforcement bar beams.
Repairing of reinforced concrete continuous beams by CFRP sheets
Authors: Kamonna H H , Alkinani A Y
Published: September 2023

Although continuous beams may be found in a range of projects such as garages, bridges, and multi-story structures, studies have been still restricted to a limited field. Flexural cracks are a common issue in continuous beams; therefore, this article outlines an investigation study used to assess the performance of two-span reinforced concrete beams repaired by attaching (CFRP) sheets. The program included seven beam specimens with a length of 2800mm and rectangular cross sections of 150*250mm. All beams were strengthened externally on the tension zones via CFRP-sheet considering changing the ratio of sheet length to beam span which is 0.5, 0.7, and 0.9 except one was chosen as a reference beam. Repaired beams were preloaded with damage ratios of 45% and 65% with respect to the reference beam. The findings showed that using style 0.7L for both positive and negative regions achieve an appropriate restored percentage of ultimate capacity of about 101.7% and 98.2%. In addition, eliminating the sheet length in the positive moment regions gives higher stiffness. it is also found that when the CFRP sheet length in the tension part is increased, the tensile rupture of the sheet was the dominant failure mode.
A review of retrofitting in the structural steel buildings using bracing systems
Authors: Hassan Zainab Q , Al-Wazni Saad
Published: September 2023

The multi-storey buildings and towers that are constructed of steel frames are exposed to lateral loads such as wind loads, earthquakes and explosions, which cause a vibrational movement in the structure. Therefore, the horizontal drift and deformations increase and lead to instability in the structure. So, it is necessary to retrofit the structural steel buildings by increasing the lateral stiffness and ductility of the structure. This is made by choosing a suitable bracing system type to retrofit the building. In this research, the bracing system types are taken to achieve the desired purpose. A summary of this system and its types, and a historical overview of the use of this system were studied. The results are compared by investigating several parameters, such as the total mass of the structure, the cost, lateral stiffness, and lateral displacement. Also, previous research was categorized following how it affected the reinforcement system. The main objectives of the study are to determine the most efficient bracing system for steel buildings under the influence of retrofitting against a lateral load and to compare the structural performance of various types of bracing systems. Also, the outcomes demonstrated that the bracing system decreases lateral displacement and boosts energy dissipation.
The improvement of concrete strength through the addition of sustainable materials (agro-waste loaded with copper ions)
Authors: Rajaa Nagham , Kadhim Firas Jawad , Abbas Mohammed Nsaif , Banyhussan Qais Sahib
Published: September 2023

The country’s rapid industrialization and urbanization stimulated extensive infrastructure development. This technique results in a shortage of construction materials, increased trash generation, and other side effects. The production of long-lasting and environmentally friendly plain concrete slabs is a critical requirement for this task. It is intriguing to observe that the ions of copper in wastewater added to agro-waste (waste tea leaves) can be used to boost the compressive strength and plain concrete slabs’ workability (or walls) as sustainable materials. Waste tea leaves+Cu were incrementally added in 0%, 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.3%, 0.4%, 0.5%, 0.6%, 0.7%, 0.8%, 1.3%, and 1.75% by weight. Casting and testing 36 specimens (12 sets x 3 specimens) for seven- and twenty-eight- days strength. The results indicate that the strength of the sample with 0.7% waste tea+Cu is 55% and 15% more than the reference and that having only tea leaves pieces after seven days, respectively. In contrast, the 0.7% group had 46 percent and 20 percent greater strength after 28 days. These findings propose an innovative approach to dealing with toxic trash and give an accessible, practical, cost-effective, sustainable, and ecologically acceptable way of removing numerous forms of garbage.
Efficient use of ceramic waste powder in Cementitious Grout for the Development of Sustainable Semi-Flexible Pavement Surfaces
Authors: Al-Nawasir Rania I. , Al-Humeidawi Basim H.
Published: September 2023

Cement-based grouts are described as a liquid mixture with higher flowability that contains cement, additives, water, and a superplasticizer. Cement-based grouts can be utilized to fill minor voids and gaps in addition to repairing cracks in earthen structures to restore structural continuity. In most cases, structural grouting is used in conjunction with other strengthening methods like adding tie-rods or reinforcing meshes. Grout is usually used with semi-flexible pavement (SFP). SFP is a new pavement technology comprised of open-graded asphalt concrete with a high air void content that is filled by injecting special grouting materials. The goal of this research is to figure out what happens to the mechanical properties of grout when a proposed by-product is used as a supplement to cementitious materials. The specified grouts were made from cement, water, ceramic waste powder (CWP), and superplasticizer (SP). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive x-ray (EDX) analysis were used to characterize the physical and chemical properties of the waste material after it had been crushed and finely ground. The pozzolanic behaviour of the material was evaluated by substituting ceramic waste for Portland cement at varying percentages (from 15% to 50%), and the modified grout was characterized through a variety of tests that included flow cone testing, as well as compression and flexural strength tests Based on the results of these tests, the best amount of CWP to use as a replacement for cement in terms of its mechanical properties is 20%.