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Background: Cephalopina titillator is one of the most important parasites, which infests the upper respiratory tract of camels leading to deteriorating health effects, substantial economic losses, and even death. Aim: This study aimed to detect the prevalence rate of C. titillator in slaughtered camels, determining its morphology using the electron microscope, and confirming its species by molecular phylogeny. Methods: A total of 200 slaughtered camels at different areas in Al Muthanna province (Iraq) were inspected visually to collect the parasite samples that were identified initially based on their morphological characteristics. To confirm the parasite species, molecular phylogeny was conducted targeting the COX1 gene. Results: An overall 19.5% of study camels were found infested with C. titilator. Based on light and electron microscopes, the larval stage of C. titilator was shown numerous posterior spiracular pores, cephalo-pharyngeal skeleton, abdominal segments, spinulation in anterior ventral portion, no spines on the final segment of abdomen, and rounded dorsal surface. Dorsoventrally, a slender and flattened shape with the presence of 12 segments as well as widely separated antennal lobes and obligate mouth hooks were seen. Molecularly, all the tested samples were found positive by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Additionally, some positive PCR products were sequenced, and reported in the NCBI-GenBank under the access numbers OP218846, OP218847, and OP218845, OP218839, OP218840, OP218841, OP218842, OP218843, and OP218844. Sequence analysis revealed the obvious identity between the local isolates and the global NCBI-GenBank Iran isolate (MW136151.1). Conclusion: This study described precisely the morphology of C. titillator using the light and electron microscopes suggesting its role in appropriate identification and classification. Molecular examination demonstrated the importance of COX1 gene in the identification of C. titillator and sequencing of the local isolates; however, additional molecular phylogenetic studies are needed to establish the evolutionary relationships among the oestrid group of insects with specialized habits and habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of a compact and straightforward circularly polarized hexagon-microstrip patch antenna with two layers and a single feed is presented. Circular polarization is achieved using two strategies. The first technique incorporates a narrow slot along one vertex of a hexagonal patch's diagonal, opposite the feed line. The second one is based on embedding a complementary split ring resonator on the hexagonal patch. The proposed antenna is excited by an aperture coupling feed, and it is implemented on two substrate materials; the patch substrate is Roger droid/RT-5880, and the second feed substrate is RO 4350. This work compares the performance of the suggested antennas, including their radiation characteristics, axial ratio, and return loss, in two different scenarios. The proposed antenna has overall dimensions of (0.8λ0 - 0.8λ0 - 0.037λ0) at 3.4 GHz. The slot patch antenna has 2.65% bandwidth for its 3-dB axial ratio and 5.71% impedance bandwidth from 3.4 to 3.6 GHz at 3.5 GHz of the center frequency. The proposed patch antenna also demonstrates a maximum gain of 1.2 dBi. High-frequency structure simulation software was used to design and simulate the proposed hexagon configurations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geographical Islands experience harsh climate conditions resulting in diminished reliability of their grid. IANOS, a project funded by the European Commission, is developing technologies to overcome these challenges and allow for the secure decarbonisation of islands. The project will deploy and use storage technologies in two islands: Terceira, in Portugal, and Ameland, in the Netherlands. These include a 100kW/3kWh flywheel; thirty-five 2kW private fuel cells; sixteen 3kW/3kWh electrochemical batteries; two large-scale Battery Energy Storage System (BESS); a biobased saline battery of 120kWh; and twenty-four heat batteries of 3.5kWhth. These technologies, managed by an intelligent Virtual Power Plant (iVPP) also developed within the project, will be used for the maximisation of demand-side self-consumption, as well as for the provision of ancillary services, targeting the maximum economic and environmental benefit for the population and the island’s grid. In this paper, the specifications of each storage technology are described, as well as the impacts on the grid stability. The role of storage technologies in the decarbonisation of geographical islands will be emphasized.

Activated carbon (AC) is an effective material for various environmental and industrial applications. The characteristics and performance of AC is a result of interaction between source and method of preparation. In the current work, AC has been prepared from date seed waste using microwave heating under nitrogen using basic medium such as potassium hydroxide and acidic medium such as sulfuric acid as chemical activating agents. The AC was characterised using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). XRD patterns of the AC in both cases exhibited three peaks corresponding to the crystalline graphite form of carbon. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of the freshly prepared carbons showed that the samples contained particles of various sizes including both nanoparticles as well as millimetre-range particles. DSC analysis showed that the samples exhibited endothermic reaction in low temperature ranges until 300°C and exothermic reaction above this temperature. SEM analysis of the AC, separated into three different size ranges, showed significant etching of the surface of the carbon to yield porous structures. The AC produced using sulfuric acid showed better adsorption capacity (9.2 g g-1) when compared to that produced using potassium hydroxide (7.7 g g-1). We conclude that the AC prepared from date seeds can find potential application in water purification and oil spill clean-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The challenges associated with diagnosing faults in three-phase induction motors necessitate the development of innovative, non-invasive methods that can increase efficiency and reduce costs. This study presents a novel approach to fault detection in these motors, leveraging advanced machine learning technology. The primary focus is the identification of faults related to the stator, including single-phase and three-phase faults, current interruptions, and sudden torque changes. Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), inspired by the human visual nervous system, form the backbone of the proposed fault detection methodology. This technique utilizes external measurements for processing, circumventing the need for intrusive measures such as opening the motor or installing internal sensors. The non-intrusive nature of this method not only simplifies the process but also significantly reduces associated costs. The CNN-based approach offers superior accuracy in diagnosing faults, facilitating timely prevention measures and potentially saving human lives. It also reduces the time and effort required to identify fault types, thus minimizing motor downtime and associated costs. Simulations were conducted using MATLAB software, and individual fault scenarios were applied and analyzed. The results obtained demonstrate the efficacy of the CNN-based fault diagnosis method, thereby highlighting its potential for implementation in real-world scenarios. This study contributes to the field by providing a detailed exploration of a non-invasive, cost-effective, and highly accurate method for fault detection in three-phase induction motors. It opens avenues for further research into the application of machine learning techniques for fault diagnosis in other types of motors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]