The Database of Egyptian Building Envelopes (DEBE): A database for building energy simulations

peer reviewedThis paper is a part of an ongoing research that aims to describe the influence of building constructions on energy consumption through a survey that is conducted in Cairo and its surrounding residential neighbourhoods. An inventory of the selected neighbourhoods envelope constructions and their characteristics is described in accordance with the new Egyptian energy standard for residential buildings. After thorough screening and classification, the constructions are digitalized and uploaded in an online open source database where constructions properties are listed, made available in .idf and .ddb formats (EnergyPlus and DesignBuilder respectively) and illustrated graphically. This Database of Egyptian Building Envelopes (DEBE) facilitates the input modelling of constructions and enables users to explore standard complying alternative constructions

Characterization of typical Tunisian fermented milk, rayeb

Traditional Tunisian fermented milk, rayeb, was produced according to the traditional method. Physicochemical, microstructural, microbiological characteristics and major aromatic compounds evaluation were studied. The results show a decrease in lactose content and pH value and an increase in lactic acid during spontaneous fermentation. The microstructure of rayeb consisted of individualized particles that were coalesced in chains leading to relatively homogeneous sieve. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts present in rayeb were responsible for lactic acid fermentation and aroma development. Dynamic headspace (DHS) extraction procedure shows the existence of four major volatile compounds: acetaldehyde, ethanol, diacetyl and acetoin in the rayeb.Key words: Rayeb, spontaneous fermentation, physicochemical composition, microstructure, microbiological, volatile compounds

Benchmarking of Pattern Recognition Techniques for Online Tool Wear Detection

Abstract Pattern recognition techniques have been implemented in real-time tool condition monitoring (TCM) systems to improve their robustness and reliability. The performance and accuracy of these techniques vary depending on their algorithm and the dataset properties. This research benchmarks six pattern recognition techniques to optimize the learning effort, classification accuracy and calculation time for TCM in milling of Al-Alloys using spindle-drive feedback. The techniques were tested using a generalized dataset where the tool condition has a dominant effect over the cutting conditions. The analysis demonstrated the high capability of the linear discriminant analysis technique compared to other techniques

In vitro propagation of Rosa hybrida L. cv. Al-Taif Rose plant

In this study, a protocol for in vitro propagation of Rosa hybrida L. cv. Al-Taif Rose was established using nodal segments harboring axillary buds as explants. In vitro stages of shoot initiation, multiplication and elongation were performed. Explants were cultured on solid Murashige and Skoog medium (MS) supplemented with different concentrations of benzyl aminopurine (BAP, 1, 2 and 3 mg/l) in combination with 1 mg/l kinetin (Kn). Effect of different concentrations and combinations of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) on root formation of shoots were studied. The highest percentage of shoot initiation (85%) was observed on MS medium containing 2 mg/l BAP + 1 mg/l Kn, whereas maximum average number of multiplied shoots (2.7) was produced on MS medium with 3 mg/l BAP + 1 mg/l Kn. Highest average number of elongated shoots (26.7) was noticed on MS medium containing 1 mg/l BAP and 1 mg/l Kn. For rooting, highest percentage (66.7%) of rooted shoots was obtained on MS medium supplemented with 2 mg/l IBA. Plantlets with 4 to 5 roots of 3 to 5 cm length were successfully transferred to pots containing sterile peat moss for acclimatization.Keywords: Rosa hybrid L. cv. Al-Taif Rose, axillary bud explants, in vitro propagation, multiplication, acclimatizatio

Engineering Standards: An Introduction for Electrical and Computer Engineering Students

Engineering standards are summaries of industrial best practices. The specifications are written in terms of functional, mechanical and electrical aspects that allow proper usage of available components to build a system. Standards may also be regarded as codified guidelines that define how tests should be performed, and how products are to be designed. Standards are created by bringing together experience and expertise of stakeholders on specific issues. Standards protect public health and safety, improve product quality, help to advance the growth of new technologies, and foster international trade. It is important that students get familiar with standards while in school

DREAM II. The spin-orbit angle distribution of close-in exoplanets under the lens of tides

The spin-orbit angle, or obliquity, is a powerful observational marker that allows us to access the dynamical history of exoplanetary systems. Here, we have examined the distribution of spin-orbit angles for close-in exoplanets and put it in a statistical context of tidal interactions between planets and their stars. We confirm the observed trends between the obliquity and physical quantities directly connected to tides, namely the stellar effective temperature, the planet-to-star mass ratio, and the scaled orbital distance. We further devised a tidal efficiency factor combining critical parameters that control the strength of tidal effects and used it to corroborate the strong link between the spin-orbit angle distribution and tidal interactions. In particular, we developed a readily usable formula to estimate the probability that a system is misaligned, which will prove useful in global population studies. By building a robust statistical framework, we reconstructed the distribution of the three-dimensional spin-orbit angles, allowing for a sample of nearly 200 true obliquities to be analyzed for the first time. This realistic distribution maintains the sky-projected trends, and additionally hints toward a striking pileup of truly aligned systems. The comparison between the full population and a pristine subsample unaffected by tidal interactions suggests that perpendicular architectures are resilient toward tidal realignment, providing evidence that orbital misalignments are sculpted by disruptive dynamical processes that preferentially lead to polar orbits. On the other hand, star-planet interactions seem to efficiently realign or quench the formation of any tilted configuration other than for polar orbits, and in particular for antialigned orbits.Comment: Accepted in A&

The JADE code: Coupling secular exoplanetary dynamics and photo-evaporation

Close-in planets evolve under extreme conditions, raising questions about their origins and current nature. Two predominant mechanisms are orbital migration, which brings them close to their star, and atmospheric escape under the resulting increased irradiation. Yet, their relative roles remain unclear because we lack models that couple the two mechanisms with high precision on secular timescales. To address this need, we developed the JADE code, which simulates the secular atmospheric and dynamical evolution of a planet around its star, and can include the perturbation induced by a distant third body. On the dynamical side, the 3D evolution of the orbit is modeled under stellar and planetary tidal forces, a relativistic correction, and the action of the distant perturber. On the atmospheric side, the vertical structure of the atmosphere is integrated over time based on its thermodynamical properties, inner heating, and the evolving stellar irradiation, which results, in particular, in photo-evaporation. The JADE code is benchmarked on GJ436 b, prototype of evaporating giants on eccentric, misaligned orbits at the edge of the hot Neptunes desert. We confirm that its orbital architecture is well explained by Kozai migration and unveil a strong interplay between its atmospheric and orbital evolution. During the resonance phase, the atmosphere pulsates in tune with the Kozai cycles, which leads to stronger tides and an earlier migration. This triggers a strong evaporation several Gyr after the planet formed, refining the paradigm that mass loss is dominant in the early age of close-in planets. This suggests that the edge of the desert could be formed of warm Neptunes whose evaporation was delayed by migration. It strengthens the importance of coupling atmospheric and dynamical evolution over secular timescales, which the JADE code will allow simulating for a wide range of systems.Comment: 20 pages, 2 figures, accepted in A&

pH Assist for Highly selective determination of Xipamide by the enhancement of the green emission of Tb3+ optical sensor

The highly selective, accurate method for determination of Xipamide was maintained. The method depends on the enhancement of the green emission band of Tb3+ at 545 nm in the presence of different concentration of  Xipamide at pH 4.1 and λex = 320 nm in acetonitrile. The photophysical properties of the green  emissive Tb3+  complex have been elucidated, the terbium was used as optical sensor for the assessment of  Xipamide in the pharmaceutical tablets and body fluids with a concentration range 5.0 ×10−9 – 2.3 ×10−6 mol L−1 of xipamide, correlation coefficient of 0.995 and  detection limit of 8.5 ×10−10 mol L−1

A numerical study to improve the position and angle of the producer gas injector inside the intake manifold to minimize emissions and efficiency enhancement of a bi engine

To develop a petrol engine so that it works under the bi-engine pattern (producer gas-petrol) without any additional engine modifications, a single-point injection method inside the intake manifold is a simple and inexpensive method. Still, it leads to poor mixing performance between the air and producer gas. This deficiency can cause unsatisfactory engine performance and high exhaust emissions. In order to improve the mixing inside the intake manifold, nine separate cases were modelled to evaluate the impact of the position and angle orientation inside the intake manifold on the uniformity and spread of the mixture under AFR=2.07. A petrol engine (1.6 L), the maximum engine speed (8000 rpm), and bi-engine mode (petrol-producer gas engine). The employ of the numerical simulation software (ANSYS workbench 19), the propagation, flow characteristics, and uniformity of the blend within the nine different cases were evaluated. According to the outcomes of the numerical simulation, it was found that creating vortices and turbulent flow for the producer gas and air inside the intake manifold is the perfect method to obtain a uniformity mixture of air and producer gas inside the intake manifold. In addition, extending the blending duration allows air and producer gas fuel to be mixed efficiently. Furthermore, the greatest uniformity and the maximum spread rate at the outlet of manifold are obtained in cases 1, 4, and 7, when the producer gas injector location is constant (P1, P2 or P3). In addition, the weakest spread of producer gas at the outlet of the manifold is observed in case 9 in comparison with the other cases. Moreover, it is observed that case (1) generated the maximum uniformity index (UI) leve