A LabVIEW-based PI controller for controlling CE 105 coupled Tank System

In this paper, use of Proportional-Integral (PI) controller to monitor and control liquid level in an interconnected CE 105 model coupled tank is investigated. To achieve a system which can instantaneously and accurately control the liquid level in a coupled tank, two different PI controllers have been tested. The LabVIEW library for the PI controller is used to measure liquid levels in the coupled tank. The PI SubVI already exists in the LabVIEW library that gives reasonable performance but to get a better system performance and monitor the liquid levels more accurately another SubVI is derived from the PI controller mathematical equations. The practical results and the system performance of the second SubVI show a faster response and more accurate instantaneous data which minimises the error in the measurements to ±1 mm. Furthermore, the robustness of the controller to change in the system’s parameters is also investigated and established

Optimal Design of a Multi-Phase Pipeline

A slurry pipeline is one of the transportation modes used for transporting bulk materials for long distance using water or any other type of liquid as a carrier fluid [1-3]. Extensive research has been carried out on the improvement of this type of transportation in addition to the development of alternative ways for transpotation of solid materials. Although the use of fluid flow for transportation purposes has been practiced for more than a millennium, detailed information on the flow behaviour of such complex mixtures in pipelines is still the subject of active research today. The optimal design of a slurry pipeline includes the selection of the correct pipe sizes, shapes and materials for optimum energy consumption, equipment sizing and reliable operation of the pipeline networks. The prediction of some parameters such as pressure loss, concentration distribution, velocity distribution and wear rate will help the designer to optimise the selection of the design parameters [3-5]. The experimental investigation was carried out to obtain an improved database for modelling the solid-liquid flow in horizontal pipelines. Tests are conducted using uni-sized plastic beads, 4.5 mm diameter and 1329.2 kg/m3 density, as solid particles, and water as a carrier fluid. Frictional head loss is measured as a function of solid concentration and mean velocity. Transparent pipe section is used to study solids’ deposition velocities and solids’ bed. In addition to the experimental results, some other published experimental results are used to develop advanced modelling tools based on an SRC (Saskatchewan Research Council) two-layer model in order to predict and quantify the solid-liquid flow properties horizontally. In order to improve the accuracy of the predicted data, this study includes improvement over the last previous version of Multi-Layer model for predicting flow properties across the cross-section of horizontal pipes transporting a solid-liquid mixture. The proposed model contains empirical correlations, which incorporate a wide range of experimental conditions. The model is applied for the prediction of concentration distribution of solid particles, velocity profile, and pressure drop. The predicted data are compared with the experimental results of different experimental works. Furthermore, an optimisation model is developed in the current study based on the least cost principle. This model is designed based on the proposed multi-layer model to find the cost of energy for running any slurry system. In addition, the model has been used to find the optimal diameter of horizontal pipelines transporting slurries

Estimation of Serum Calcium on the Severity and Mortality in COVID-19 Infections in Sulaymaniyah City, Kurdistan Region of Iraq: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Coronaviruses (COV) are a large family of viruses that cause infections ranging from the common cold to more serious diseases. Mild to severe respiratory illnesses have been linked to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which has been classified as a pandemic disease by the World Health Organization. It has been demonstrated that the severity of COVID-19 is highly positively linked with hypocalcemia. Furthermore, calcium imbalances among other electrolytes are linked to the prognosis of COVID-19. Objectives: This study demonstrates a connection between serum calcium levels and COVID-19 as biomedical indicators of COVID-19 infections in Sulaymaniyah city, Iraq. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Baxshin Hospital for about two months from February 2022 to April 2022. The work was conducted with a total of 40 patients including 22 males and 18 females. The patients’ ages ranged from 22 to 80 years old. By analyzing a sample from a nasopharyngeal swab and performing real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), all of the patients tested positive as having COVID-19 infection. Serum calcium was determined from the blood samples of the patients in order to evaluate their serum calcium levels. The statistical package for social science (SPSS) was utilized to examine the obtained data. Results: The study revealed a level of calcium between 6.10 and 9.86 mg/dL in male and female patients. The majority of the female patients (61%) displayed low levels of serum calcium, and 33% of the males had a low level of calcium. It can be seen that the highest rate of male patients (66.6%) exhibited a normal level of serum calcium, while 33.3% showed decreased serum calcium. Based on gender and age groups, a statistically significant difference in calcium levels was observed. Conclusions: This study discovered that infection with COVID-19 has some significant laboratory abnormalities, including hypocalcemia, showing that serum calcium might be employed as a prognostic marker in the clinic

Knowledge, Attitude and Worry in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq during the Mpox (Monkeypox) Outbreak in 2022 : An Online Cross-Sectional Study

The rapid spread of monkeypox (mpox) has been declared as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). The present study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and worry levels of the general population in the Kurdistan region of Iraq regarding the ongoing mpox multi-country outbreak. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted between 27–30 July 2022, using a convenience sampling method. The questionnaire was adapted from previous studies addressing the same topic. The independent Student’s t-test, one-way ANOVA, and logistic regression were used to assess possible factors associated with knowledge, attitude, and worry toward mpox. A total of 510 respondents were included in the final analysis. The participants showed a moderate level of mpox knowledge, a neutral attitude towards mpox, and a relatively moderate worry level. The logistic regression analysis showed that age, gender, marital status, religion, level of education, and place of residence were associated with mpox knowledge; however, the significant variables in the multivariate regression analysis were gender, religion, level of education, and residential area. Gender and residential area were associated with attitudes toward mpox; however, the significant variables in the multivariate regression analysis were gender and residential areas. The worry toward mpox was influenced by gender, marital status, religion, and place of residence, yet the significant variables in the multivariate regression analysis were gender, religion, educational level, and residential area. In conclusion, the Kurdish population had moderate knowledge, a neutral attitude, and a moderate level of worry about mpox. Considering the continuous rapid rise in mpox cases in several countries, and its possible risk as pandemic amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, proactive control measures, adequate disease prevention strategies, and preparedness plans need to be formulated and immediately implemented to tackle the appearance of fears among people, and to safeguard the mental health of the public