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Efficient control of automotive engine idle speed is crucial for achieving better fuel economy and smoother engine running. This paper presents a comparison between proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control and Reinforcement Learning (RL) using the Deep Q-Network (DQN) algorithm as a high-level control method for minimizing idle speed fluctuations caused by changes in engine irregularities, and the response time and accuracy of the throttle control mechanism. In addition to low-level PID control for the throttle valve position, MATLAB/Simulink was employed to build the simulation environment, incorporating an engine model and an electronic throttle body model, and observing the engine's current speed. The results demonstrated the superiority of RL-based control over PID in reducing idle speed fluctuations and enhancing engine performance in simulations and real-world experiments. This study advances automotive engine control strategies.

Background: The utilization of optical coherence tomography [OCT] has demonstrated its efficacy in the identification and assessment of glaucomatous impairment.The Aim of the work: The objective of this study is to evaluate and compare the alterations in Optical Coherence Tomography measurements, specifically the Optic Nerve Head, Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness, and Ganglion Cell Complex, in patients diagnosed with primary open-angle glaucoma before and after undergoing subscleral trabeculectomy surgery.Patients and Methods: This study included 25 eyes having primary open angle glaucoma scheduled for subscleral trabeculectomy at Al-Azhar university hospital, Damietta. Ethical approval was obtained from ethics committee of Al-Azhar university, faculty of medicine. A written informed consent was obtained from all patients included in the study after nature and possible consequences of the procedure has been explained. The patients were evaluated by Topcon 3D OCT 2000 device. Standard resolution scans captured the temporal and nasal quadrants [nasal-temporal 0° -180°] before subscleral trabeculectomy operation and was evaluated at 1 week, 1 month and 3 months post operativelyResults: According to the total RNFL, it was 60.7 ± 13.9 µm preoperatively, and significantly increased to 71.9 ± 14.3 µm at 1 month postoperative and also, increased to 74.7 ± 13.6 µm at 3 months postoperative [P value = 0.001 for both]. According to the total GCC, it was 65.5 ± 14.9 µm preoperatively, and significantly increased to 74.1 ± 13.9 µm at 1 month postoperative and also, increased to 76.2 ± 13.5 µm at 3 months postoperative [P value = 0.001 for both]. In terms of IOP, it was significantly decreased from 35.5 ± 5.5 mmHg to 13.7 ± 1.4 at 1 month postoperative [P value = 0.001], and also, decreased to 13.9 ± 1 mmHg at 3 months postoperative [P value = 0.001].Conclusion: Sub scleral trabeculectomy is an effective surgical procedure for the treatment of Open angle glaucoma.

This paper offers a brief insight into predicting the State of Health (SOH) of lithium-ion batteries in EVs using machine learning. Accurate SOH assessment is crucial for optimizing electric vehicles (EVs’) performance and longevity. Employing supervised machine learning on a diverse battery dataset, the research develops a robust SOH estimation method. Various algorithms are compared for efficacy, considering factors like temperature and charging patterns. Feature selection enhances model accuracy and efficiency. The proposed methodology offers promising real-world results, indicating high SOH prediction accuracy. This research contributes to EV battery management, applying machine learning for SOH estimation, which is vital for intelligent battery management systems, and enhancing EVs’ sustainability and efficiency.

Abstract The operation and effectiveness of a solar-powered underground water pumping system are affected by many environmental and technical factors. The impact of these factors must be investigated to be considered when developing these systems and to ensure their dependability. This study evaluated the dependability and performance of photovoltaic water pumping system (PVWPS) under real operating conditions by examining the effects of solar irradiance, panels’ temperature, and components' efficiency. From December 2020 to June 2021, experiments were conducted on a 10 hp PVWPS located in Bani Salamah, Al-Qanater-Giza Governorate, Egypt, at latitude 30.3° N, longitude 30.8° E, and 19 m above sea level. The irradiance values reached 755.7, 792.7, and 805.7 W/m2 at 12:00 p.m. in December, March, and June, respectively. Furthermore, the irradiance has a significant impact on the pump flow rate, as the amount of pumped water during the day reached 129, 164.1, and 181.8 m3/day, respectively. The panels' temperatures rose to 35.7 °C, 39.9 °C, and 44 °C, respectively. It was observed that when the temperature rises by 1 degree Celsius, efficiency falls by 0.48%. The average efficiency of photovoltaic solar panels reached its highest value in March (13.8%) and its lowest value in December (13%).

One of the main functions of the mosque is to provide a quiet and closed space that provides the worshipers with the appropriate environment for devotion and worship. the Muslim inside the mosque needs isolation at times, at other times he needs not to be isolated from the rest of the worshipers, so it is important to study the acoustics in the mosque and for deep analyzing its directions and strength, and studying the effect of the space of the mosque, its location, its construction systems, air conditioning, ceiling fans and sound systems inside it so that the prayers in any corner of the mosque feel complete comfort from noise, hearing,attention and devotion The sermons and prayers of the imam. The importance of the research lies in the importance of functional mosques, and therefore the sound problems in mosques in general must be solved, especially the new Sonbol mosque in the city of Assiut. (Civil donations), as it has a modern design, all building materials and finishing materials used are modern materials such as reinforced concrete, marble, gypsum and glass. تعدد الأنشطة داخل مسجد سنبل الجديد بمدينة أسيوط من صلاة، ودورس وعبادة، سماع الخطب والأحتفالات بالأعياد وكل هذه الأنشطة لها متطالباتها الصوتية. تتناول الورقة البحثية دراسة صوتيات مسجد سنبل الجديد بمدبنة أسيوط والعيوب الصوتية به. ولتحديد تلك المشاكل الصوتية، تم دراسة شكل المسجد وحجمه لمعرفة سلوك الصوت بداخله، وكذلك مواد التشطيب وأثرها على امتصاص الصوت وزمن ارتداده الفعلي والأمثل، وحساب ذلك رياضياً بأستخدام المعادلات الرياضية. فقد تم الاعتماد في ذلك على الخلفيات النظرية والبحوث والدراسات التي اهتمت بهذا الجانب. كما تم الاعتماد أيضاً على الزيارات الميدانية والرفع المساحي للمسجد، ورصد قيم الضوضاء الداخلية والخارجية المؤثرة عليه باستخدام جهاز (S.L.M) لاستخلاص النتائج الخاصة بالمسجد والخروج بالتوصيات الخاصة لمعالجة هذه المشكلة والتي كانت من أهمها: إعادة تصميم نظام مكبرات الصوت بالمسجد وتوزيع السماعات على السقف بقدر الإمكان لتوزيع الصوت بطريقة منتظمة.

Reference blocks are required for ultrasonic calibration and non-destructive testing (NDT). There are already in existence sets of reference blocks constructed according to American Society for Testing and Materials standards, but as the industry evolves, we need more reference blocks with varied designs. In this study, two reference blocks of steel and aluminum are constructed. These blocks have several sets of flat bottom holes (FBH) with different diameters (0.5, 1, 1.5, 2 and 2.5 mm), angles (45° and 90°) and placements. The novel constructed reference blocks are evaluated using the ultrasonic and a displacement measuring interferometer (DMI). They allow for detailed FBH characterization in terms of defining their location, diameter, depth and so on. The two techniques show consistency in the majority of the outcomes. The expanded uncertainty of readings is found to be ± 1.4 µm, according to DMI data. The findings show that the newly constructed blocks could be ideal for evaluating a variety of calibration factors including transducer sensitivity, dead zone, defect size, and depth. Furthermore, they can be used in NDT in various industries such as petroleum pipe production, steel manufacturing and so on.

This paper presents an investigation into the behaviour of a Savonius wind turbine using Large Eddy Simulation (LES) through Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The turbine was simulated for various Tip Speed Ratios (TSR) while calculating the predicted torque and power coefficients. The predicted torque and power coefficients were then compared with published data from wind tunnel testing. The results indicate that LES-based CFD simulations are a practical and reasonable approach for evaluating wind turbine performance. A validation study was conducted, and it was found that the accuracy was commensurate with data from the literature. This study demonstrates the potential of CFD simulations for optimizing wind turbine design.

The study aims to analyze the social mobility in the Arab countries in 2011, presenting an approach based on considering communication factors that played a crucial role in motivating young people and the Arab masses to participate and influence what was known as the Arab Spring. Indeed, that stage in the history of the media in Arab countries witnessed wide development in the use of satellite channels, websites, and smartphones. As the study shows, these technologies were employed as mechanisms that helped people interact, move, and participate. Based on the paradigm for the knowledge pyramid scheme, the study attempted to highlight the stages of information transmission from the first stage, which is the data stage, through the information stage, then the third stage, which is the knowledge stage, towards the final stage, which is the action stage. The study analyzes that overcoming the gradual stages of information transmission and passing from raw information to action led to the existence of the Arab social movement in the hands of activists who did not have a program or strategy for change in front of a movement that was able to overthrow old political regimes, but it did not have alternatives. As part of the analysis track, the study depends on a careful analysis of the roles of active groups in change. It pertains to the role of politicians, intellectuals, activists, and journalists.

Introduction Childhood cancer is a leading cause of death. It is unclear whether the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted childhood cancer mortality. In this study, we aimed to establish all-cause mortality rates for childhood cancers during the COVID-19 pandemic and determine the factors associated with mortality.Methods Prospective cohort study in 109 institutions in 41 countries. Inclusion criteria: children

Abstract Background Our prospective study aims to assess if penile parameters and GMS score can predict the postoperative outcome of patients with hypospadias repaired with the TIP technique. Methods This prospective study included patients (6 months–11 years old) with coronal, distal or mid penile hypospadias who underwent Tubularized incised plate (TIP) urethroplasty technique from 2015 to 2017. All patients were assessed preoperatively using GMS score. GMS score included a scale for each component, with the more unfavorable characteristics assigned higher scores. Penile length, urethral plate length, and penoscrotal length were measured using a ruler. Glans width was measured by using a caliper ruler. Demographics and complications were assessed within 3 months of the procedure. Results There was a statistically significant difference between complicated and non-complicated patients regarding GMS score, glans width, penoscrotal length, penile length, and urethral plate length/penile length ratio. According to the ROC curve, the cutoff values for GMS score, glans width and penoscrotal length were 6, 14 mm and 5 cm, respectively. The area under the ROC curve for penile length and for urethral plate/penile length ratio was poor and so we could not get a specific cutoff value for either parameters. According to Stepwise logistic regression, the GMS score was the only significant independent parameter while controlling all the other factors. Any increase in the GMS score by one unit would increase the risk of complications 3 times. Conclusion GMS score and penile parameters are good predictors and complete each other in preoperative assessment for hypospadias patients. Patients with a high GMS score (above 6) have a higher risk of complication and patients with a Glans width of 14 mm or more and a penoscrotal length of 5 cm or more are associated with less risk of complication.

A new design for a multi-purpose wind tunnel suitable for limited space is proposed. Toronto Metropolitan University is located in the downtown area of the city of Toronto, Canada, which is a busy location with limited campus space. A relatively small space was made available to our research team to house the proposed wind tunnel and for that purpose, the research team has developed the proposed design to maximize the ability to generate multiple types of flows within the wind tunnel. The design methodology includes several flow-enhancing parameters to ensure the homogeneity of the flow across the tunnel sections using Computational Fluid Dynamics simulations. Also, the capability of the proposed tunnel to simulate tornado, downburst gust front, as well as Atmospheric Boundary Layer flows was evaluated. Several simulations were conducted to model each of those wind flows while altering wind tunnel parameters controlling those events. The resulting wind fields are saved in a large database, which is utilized to find the best matching wind field for a given target event. Moreover, a 1:5 prototype wind tunnel was constructed and tested quantitatively for downbursts and qualitatively for tornadoes. The quantitative test involved measuring the downburst gust front velocity profile and comparing it with a real event, while the qualitative test involved generating a tornadic flow in the tunnel while visualizing the resulting flow. The proposed wind tunnel represents a unique design suitable for limited spaces and offers a wide modeling versatility that is rarely found in one facility.

Objectives Paediatric cancer is a leading cause of death for children. Children in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) were four times more likely to die than children in high-income countries (HICs). This study aimed to test the hypothesis that the COVID-19 pandemic had affected the delivery of healthcare services worldwide, and exacerbated the disparity in paediatric cancer outcomes between LMICs and HICs.Design A multicentre, international, collaborative cohort study.Setting 91 hospitals and cancer centres in 39 countries providing cancer treatment to paediatric patients between March and December 2020.Participants Patients were included if they were under the age of 18 years, and newly diagnosed with or undergoing active cancer treatment for Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, Wilms’ tumour, sarcoma, retinoblastoma, gliomas, medulloblastomas or neuroblastomas, in keeping with the WHO Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer.Main outcome measure All-cause mortality at 30 days and 90 days.Results 1660 patients were recruited. 219 children had changes to their treatment due to the pandemic. Patients in LMICs were primarily affected (n=182/219, 83.1%). Relative to patients with paediatric cancer in HICs, patients with paediatric cancer in LMICs had 12.1 (95% CI 2.93 to 50.3) and 7.9 (95% CI 3.2 to 19.7) times the odds of death at 30 days and 90 days, respectively, after presentation during the COVID-19 pandemic (p

Being trajectory tracking key for safe mobile robot navigation, Fuzzy Logic (FL) has been useful in tackling uncertainty and imprecision to realize robust and smooth trajectory tracking. In this paper, we present the Z-number based Fuzzy Logic control for trajectory tracking of differential wheeled mobile robots. The unique point of our approach lies in the ability to encode constraint and reliability in multi-input and multi-output rules, whose antecedent universe considers only the instantaneous measurements of distance and the orientation gaps, and whose consequent universe is computed by the interpolative reasoning and the graded mean integration approach. As a consequence, not only our approach avoids the complexity of encoding error gradients, but also is advantageous to model versatile control rules able to cope with missing observations and noisy inducements on actuators. Our experiments using both physics-based simulations and real-world tests based on a Pioneer 3DX robot architecture have elucidated the superior efficacy and the feasibility of the proposed controller regarding accuracy, robustness, and smoothness compared to other well-known related frameworks such as Fuzzy Logic Type 1, Fuzzy Logic Type 2 and Fuzzy Logic with PID. Our results provide unique insights to realize generalizable algorithms aided by FL and Z-number towards robust trajectory tracking.

In the presented study, eight novel Meldrum’s acid derivatives containing various vanillic groups were synthesized. Vanillidene Meldrum’s acid compounds were tested against different cancer cell lines and microbes. Out of nine, three showed very good biological activity against E. coli, and HeLa and A549 cell lines. It is shown that the O-alkyl substituted derivatives possessed better antimicrobial and anticancer activities in comparison with the O-acyl ones. The decyl substituted molecule (3i) has the highest activity against E. coli (MIC = 12.4 μM) and cancer cell lines (HeLa, A549, and LS174 = 15.7, 21.8, and 30.5 μM, respectively). The selectivity index of 3i is 4.8 (HeLa). The molecular docking study indicates that compound 3i showed good binding affinity to DNA, E. coli Gyrase B, and topoisomerase II beta. The covalent docking showed that 3i was a Michael acceptor for the nucleophiles Lys and Ser. The best Eb was noted for the topoisomerase II beta-LYS482-3i cluster.

The limited amount of freshwater is the most important challenge facing Egypt due to increasing population and climate change. The objective of this study was to investigate how climatic change affects the winter potato water footprint at the Nile Delta covering 10 governorates from 1990 to 2016. Winter potato evapotranspiration (ETC) was calculated based on daily climate variables of minimum temperature, maximum temperature, wind speed and relative humidity during the growing season (October–February). The Mann–Kendall test was applied to determine the trend of climatic variables, crop evapotranspiration and water footprint. The results showed that the highest precipitation values were registered in the northwest governorates (Alexandria followed by Kafr El-Sheikh). The potato water footprint decreased from 170 m3 ton−1 in 1990 to 120 m3 ton−1 in 2016. The blue-water footprint contributed more than 75% of the total; the remainder came from the green-water footprint. The findings from this research can help government and policy makers better understand the impact of climate change on potato crop yield and to enhance sustainable water management in Egypt’s major crop-producing regions to alleviate water scarcity.

A statistical approach was taken to evaluate the effect of using recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate) (RPET), sustainable biocarbon and a chain extender on the performance of impact-modified PET biocomposites. Through a full factorial design, the extrusion-injection molded samples were tested for their tensile and impact properties. The mechanical results of the experiment were analyzed based on how the factors’ main effects and interactions between them varied the properties. The novelty is observed through the combination of the chain extender in the presence of the biocarbon reinforcing filler that enhanced stiffness and tensile strength through a synergistic interaction, while also providing a 278% increase in impact toughness over the biocarbon variant without chain extender. The inclusion of chain extender was the most important factor, with the biocarbon being the second most influential contributor, in causing changes in all mechanical properties measured, partially due to the morphological differences observed. Through this investigation, an optimized biocomposite formulation that had 28% sustainable content, with 10 ​wt% biocarbon, 25 ​wt% RPET substitution of PET and 1 phr of chain extender, was chosen that maintained a stiffness-toughness balance in the range of the statistical design.

Exfoliated organoclay-polystyrene (OC-PS) and organoclay-poly(methyl methacrylate) (OC-PMMA) nanocomposites were prepared using novel modified/clay-polymer through both bulk polymerization and solution techniques. The synthesis was achieved by formation of derivative vinylbenzyl ammonium salt intercalated with montmorillonite (MMT) clay. The clay-vinyl/monomer was dispersed in PS or MMA monomers followed by solution polymerization. The clay-PS and clay-PMMA were used as highly compatibilizer organoclay to produce highly exfoliated nanocomposites. Morphological structure of the nanocomposites was investigated by SEM and XRD which confirmed that the clay is homogenously dispersed and exfoliated in the polymer matrixes with interlayer spacing at least of d001-value ≥4 nm for both PS and PMMA. Thermal properties of the nanocomposites show an increase in the decomposition temperature comparing to neat polymer.

The Scan Electron Microscope Images (SEM), X-ray Diffraction and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) dataset has been outlined investigating morphological features change of native sugarcane bagasse, as an agro-industrial lignocellulosic feedstock waste and a potential for cellulose biopolymer extraction, pretreated by alkali (sodium hydroxide) followed by an acid step (sodium bisulfate) in an exothermic in-situ one step, pretreated by acid (sulfuric acid) followed by residual solid fraction alkali pretreatment (sodium hydroxide) in a two separate individual steps and finally after the enzymatic cellulolysis. Data explained herein helps to extend and add to knowledge regarding the impact unlikeness of two different pretreatment methodologies utilize the same chemicals and relatively same concentrations on the cellulosic fiber morphological features and consequently its enzymatic accessibility. This data are related to Egypt Patent Office application, 1349/2017, entitled “In-situ sodium hydroxide-sodium bisulfate sugarcane bagasse pretreatment for biofuel production”,Zohri et al., 2017 [1]. Keywords: Biomass, Pretreatment, In-situ, Cellulose, Enzymatic hydrolysis, Biofuel

Background: Thromboembolic disease is a major cause of mortality and morbidity Current anticoagulant therapies have several caveats in the clinical use. New oral antithrombin (Dabigatran) provides comparable or superior thromboprophylaxis in multiple thromboembolic disease indications compared to standard of care. Aim of this work: To evaluate the role of a new oral antithrombin, in management of thrombophilia presented with multiple infarctions (cerebral infarction, myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism or infarction). Patient and methods: This work was done on 100 patients with thrombophilia associated with multiple infarctions (cerebral infarction, myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism or infarction). They were divided into 2 groups Group I: treated by LMW heparin. Group II: treated by dabigatran. The following was done for all patients. Thorough history taking, complete physical examination, investigations including CT, D Dimer, INR, APTT, Platelet count, Chest X ray P/A and lateral view, CT chest and/or Brain, ECG, CKMB and troponin when needed. Results: The percentage of Stroke/TIA, AF/MI, PE, mixed and peripheral thrombotic events were 30, 24, 23, 26 and 6 patients respectively.

This paper proposes two intelligent torque distribution strategies based on particle swarm optimization (PSO) and fuzzy logic control (FLC) to provide convenient torque allocation that maximizes hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) propulsion power. PSO torque distribution strategy uses torque transfer ratio (TTR) as a fitness function to select the best torque candidates and differential arrangements that maximize HEV propulsion torque. A proposed FLC controller with adequate membership functions is designed to ensure convenient torque vectoring across vehicle wheels. A new coordinated switching strategy is proposed in this paper to address the undesired transient ripples occurring during drivetrain commutations and power source switchings. The proposed coordinated switching strategy controls the switching period duration through transition functions fitting the transient dynamics of power sources. In non-uniform surfaces, intelligent torque allocation strategies converted $84\sim 86$ % of the generated torque into propulsion torque whereas the equal torque distribution strategy yielded a torque transfer ratio of 50%. Thanks to the proposed coordinated switching strategy, DC bus voltage ripples were reduced to a narrow band of $\pm ~5\text{V}$ , transient power ripples were limited to a narrow band of 600 W and torque jerks were almost suppressed. Real-time simulation using the RT LAB platform confirms that the proposed coordinated switching strategy has reduced transient torque overshoot from 69% to almost zero and this is expected to improve HEV driving comfort.

In this study, we aimed to evaluate serum cystatin C (sCysC) as an early predictor of acute kidney injury (AKI) in preterm neonates with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). Sixty preterm neonates diagnosed with RDS and 40 healthy controls (28–36 weeks) admitted to the neonatal Intensive Care Unit were investigated. AKI was defined on the 3rd day of life (DOL-3) as an increase in serum creatinine (sCr) of >0.3 mg/dL from baseline (the lowest previous sCr). sCysC levels were measured on DOL-1, -3 and -7. Of the 60 neonates with RDS, 24 (40%) developed AKI. Five patients (79.17%) were classified as AKI Network (AKIN-1) and 19 patients (20.83%), as AKIN-2. At DOL-3, the mean sCysC values were significantly higher among neonates with RDS and AKI (1.68 ± 0.37) compared with controls (0.79 ± 0.83) and those with RDS and no AKI (0.85 ± 0.20) (P

This article discusses the relationship between culture and English language teaching (ELT) in the Arab World. A critical question arises in terms of ELT, that is, whether to teach culture along with English. To answer such a bewildering question, this article presents related literature and studies and discusses a theoretical frame based on experts' insights and opinions. The article displays various viewpoints concerning this topic, offers different empirical studies in this field, and reaches some valuable conclusions.