Driving licensing renewal policy using neural network-based probabilistic decision support system

This paper investigates neural network-based probabilistic decision support system to assess drivers' knowledge for the objective of developing a renewal policy of driving licences. The probabilistic model correlates drivers' demographic data to their results in a simulated written driving exam (SWDE). The probabilistic decision support system classifies drivers' into two groups of passing and failing a SWDE. Knowledge assessment of drivers within a probabilistic framework allows quantifying and incorporating uncertainty information into the decision-making system. The results obtained in a Jordanian case study indicate that the performance of the probabilistic decision support systems is more reliable than conventional deterministic decision support systems. Implications of the proposed probabilistic decision support systems on the renewing of the driving licences decision and the possibility of including extra assessment methods are discussed

Texture evaluation of whey protein concentrate incorporated ice cream by Back Extrusion technique

Back extrusion technique was employed to evaluated texture properties of partial substituted whey protein concentrate (WPC) with milk solids not fat (1, 2, 3 and 4%) in ice cream formula. There was no remarkable effect of adding WPC on total solids or fat %. Total protein increased, while ash, and lactose content were significantly decreased. Back-extrusion results represented a decrease in hardness values of resultant ice cream, while, during storage, there was a slight increase. Energy input values decreased by increasing substitution levels of WP. Although, energy output inversely correlated with substitution levels of WP it correlated with storage period indicating a strong structure for stored ice cream. Load at target deformation (50%) applied to the samples when fresh and after 14 days storage showing decreased values proportional to increasing substitution levels of WP. The resilience showed decreased ratio indicating more visco-elastic properties in fresh ice cream. The recovered height and deformation increased with increasing substitution levels of WP and storage period. Therefore, more sticking properties were obtained in resultant ice cream. Adhesive force decreased significantly with increasing substitution levels of WP and storage period. Adhesiveness values were significantly higher in all treatments than control. The texture of the ice cream became smoother by replacing milk solid not fat with WPC up to 3%. From the data obtained, it could be recommended that ice cream can be produced with high quality by substituting milk solid not fat with WPC up to 3%

ICP-OES Elemental Variation on Bottled Drinking Water

The work describes ICP-OES elemental variation (Be, B, Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Mo, Ag, Cd, Sb, Ba,Sn, and Pb) in bottled drinking water.Special thanks for stuff in Faculty of Sciences, Al-azhar university

Scale without Conformal Invariance at Three Loops

We carry out a three-loop computation that establishes the existence of scale without conformal invariance in dimensional regularization with the MS scheme in d=4-epsilon spacetime dimensions. We also comment on the effects of scheme changes in theories with many couplings, as well as in theories that live on non-conformal scale-invariant renormalization group trajectories. Stability properties of such trajectories are analyzed, revealing both attractive and repulsive directions in a specific example. We explain how our results are in accord with those of Jack & Osborn on a c-theorem in d=4 (and d=4-epsilon) dimensions. Finally, we point out that limit cycles with turning points are unlike limit cycles with continuous scale invariance.Comment: 21 pages, 3 figures, Erratum adde

Radioactive content in the investigated granites by geochemical analyses and radiophysical methods around Um Taghir, Central Eastern Desert, Egypt

Um Taghir area is restricted along a shear zone of the Qena-Safaga road, actually it belongs to the Central Eastern Desert that represents one of the most important occurrences of radioactive elements in Egypt. The current study aims to calculate the content of the radioactive elements of the investigated granitic rocks by radiative methods for the geochemical analyses, are determined by (X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The average concentrations values of 226Ra, 232 Th are lower than that of world's average and the average activities in Egyptian soil. While in 40K series is higher than that of world's average and the average activities in Egyptian soil. The range of measured activities differed widely as their presence in rocks samples depends on their physical, chemical and geo-chemical properties and the pertinent environment. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.We thank the professors and technicians who helped us complete the geochemical analyses at the Central Laboratory of Russian Geological Institute and the Central Laboratory in the Academy and the Institute of Biology at the Southern Federal University

Autosomal Short Tandem Repeat (STR) Variation Based on 15 Loci in a Population from the Central Region (Riyadh Province) of Saudi Arabia

INTRODUCTION: The small size of Short Tandem Repeats (STRs), their ubiquitous genome-wide distribution and polymorphic nature enhances their value in human forensic/population genetics applications. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate the short tandem repeat variation based on 15 loci in a population from the central region of Saudi Arabia. METHODS: Allele frequency variation for 15 Short Tandem Repeat (STR) loci was examined in 190 unrelated Saudi volunteers. Results: This study summarizes the allele distribution in the Saudi population and compares them to other populations located in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe. The standard forensic parameters of Observed Hetrozygosity (Ho), Expected Heterozygosity (He) and Gene Diversity Index (GD) were determined for the following 15 STR loci: D8S1179, D21S1, D7S820, CSF1PO, D3S1358, TH0, D13S317, D16S539, D2S1338, D19S433, vWA, TPOX, D18S5, D5S818 and FGA. The most frequent alleles in the Saudi population were: 8 repeats (0.558) at TPOX, 12 (0.411) at D13S317, 12 (0.385) at CSF1PO, 11 (0.382) at D16D539 and 10 (0.358) at D7S820. The 15 markers utilized in this study are highly informative as evidenced by their high power of discrimination (PD) values with D2S1338, D19S433 and FGA having the highest PD values. The relationship between the Saudi population and other geographically distributed populations, assessed by a Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) plot, showed that the Saudi population clustered with groups from Yemen, Iraq, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain. CONCLUSION: TPOX, D13S317, CSF1PO, D16D539 and D7S820 markers were found suitable for forensic analysis, paternity testing and can also be used for chimerism study after allogenic bone marrow transplantation for Saudi population. On the other hand, the population admixture with other ethnic origins might explain the variable degree of genetic distances of this population and other Arab-related groups

RADON CONCENTRATION AND RADON EXHALATION RATE FOR GRANITE ROCKS, CENTRAL EASTERN DESERT, EGYPT

The aim of the present work deals with measuring 222Rn Concentration (Bq/m3), 222Rn exhalation rate, annual effective dose (indoors and outdoors) and excess lifetime cancer risk (RRLC %), for basement rock samples from central Eastern Desert of Egypt using Alpha GUARD

Chromium removal from tannery wastewater by electrocoagulation: Optimization and sludge characterization

The treatment of tannery effluent is of great interest as it contains a complexmixture ofpollutants, primarily chromium. The disposal of this wastewater can have adverse effects on the environment and aquatic life, which is an emerging problemfor the environment. In this work, electrocoagulation is used to remove chromium from real tannery wastewater, focusing on performance optimization and sludge characterization. Electrocoagulation experiments were conducted using an electrochemical cell with iron electrodes immersed in a specific volume of tannery wastewater. Operating parameters, such as the initial chromium concentration, pH and current density as well as power consumption were evaluated to determine optimum chromium removal. The optimizationwas performed using Response Surface Methodology combined with central composite design. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the response, residual, probability, 3D surface and contour plots. The maximum chromium removal was 100% at the optimum values of 13 mA/cm2, 7 and 750 ppm for current density, pH and concentration, respectively.This research received no external funding. The authors are grateful to the staffof the Gas Processing Center (GPC) for their help with the experimental work, especially Ahmed Soliman and Dan Cortes. They would also like to thank the Environmental Research Centre, the Chemical Engineering Department, and the Central Laboratory Unit at Qatar University for their support.Scopu

DETERMINATION OF LANTHANIDES IN PHOSPHATE ROCKS BY INSTRUMENTAL NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS

Neutron activation analysis is the most used analytical technique for the determination of the rare-earth elements in geological matrices on account of its high sensitivity, of the possi-bility of determining all the elements and of the undisputed accuracy and reliability of its results.The authors would like to thank Associate professor/ Aleksey V Nastavkin, Institute of the earth sciences in the Southern Federal University