In this paper, a single link flexible joint robot is used to evaluate a tracking trajectory control and vibration reduction by a super-twisting integral sliding mode (ST-ISMC). Normally, the system with joint flexibility has inevitably some uncertainties and external disturbances. In conventional sliding mode control, the robustness property is not guaranteed during the reaching phase. This disadvantage is addressed by applying ISMC that eliminates a reaching phase to ensure the robustness from the beginning of a process. To design this controller, the linear quadratic regulator (LQR) controller is first designed as the nominal control to decide a desired performance for both tracking and vibration responses. Subsequently, discontinuous con

Dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis (SD) are common skin disorders affecting the scalp and extending to other body sites in the case of SD. They are associated with pruritus and scaling, causing an esthetical disturbance in the population affected.   Treatment of such conditions involves using a variety of drugs for long terms, thus optimizing drug formulation is essential to improve therapeutic efficacy and patient compliance. Conventional topical formulations like shampoos and creams have been widely used but their use is associated with disadvantages. To overcome such effects, novel topical nanotechnology-based formulations are currently under investigation. In the following article, we highlight recently published formulatio

Membrane technology has emerged as a dynamic field of study in academia and industry for treating produced oily wastewater. ZrO2 nanoparticles (ZrO2 NPs) filler-based mixed matrix polyethersulfone/cellulose acetate microfiltration membranes were fabricated and inspected in the oily wastewater remediation. The fabricated bare PES membrane, PES/CA blended polymers membrane, and PES/CA blended polymers incorporating ZrO2 NPs (ZrO2@PES/CA) membranes by phase inversion technique were inspected by field emission scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and measurement of water contact angle and porosity. The ZrO2@PES/CA membrane which consisted of 0.5 wt.% ZrO2 NPs (0.5%ZrPC) afforded

Transportability refers to the ease with which people, goods, or services may be transferred. When transportability is high, distance becomes less of a limitation for activities. Transportation networks are frequently represented by a set of locations and a set of links that indicate the connections between those places which is usually called network topology. Hence, each transmission network has a unique topology that distinguishes its structure. The most essential components of such a framework are the network architecture and the connection level. This research aims to demonstrate the efficiency of the road network in the Al-Karrada area which is located in the Baghdad city. The analysis based on a quantitative evaluation using graph th

Future generations of wireless communications systems are expected to evolve toward allowing massive ubiquitous connectivity and achieving ultra-reliable and low-latency communications (URLLC) with extremely high data rates. Massive multiple-input multiple-output (m-MIMO) is a crucial transmission technique to fulfill the demands of high data rates in the upcoming wireless systems. However, obtaining a downlink (DL) training sequence (TS) that is feasible for fast channel estimation, i.e., meeting the low-latency communications required by future generations of wireless systems, in m-MIMO with frequency-division-duplex (FDD) when users have different channel correlations is very challenging. Therefore, a low-complexity solution for

Tooth restoration one of the most common procedures in dental practice. The replacement of the entire restoration leads to loss of tooth structure and increase risk of pulp injury; replacement is also time consuming and costly. According to the minimally invasive approach when minimal defects, repair is the better choice than the total replacement of the restoration. This study aims to evaluate repair rating versus replacement treatment procedure for defective composite fillings among Iraqi dentists. Material and methodology: A questionnaire survey were designed and distributed to 184 post-graduate dentists in Iraq. The inquiry pertained general information; including their clinical experience in years, their preference in terms of direct c

Abstract. This work presents a detailed design of a three-jointed tendon-driven robot finger with a cam/pulleys transmission and joint Variable Stiffness Actuator (VSA). The finger motion configuration is obtained by deriving the cam/pulleys transmission profile as a mathematical solution that is then implemented to achieve contact force isotropy on the phalanges. A VSA is proposed, in which three VSAs are designed to act as a muscle in joint space to provide firm grasping. As a mechatronic approach, a suitable type and number of force sensors and actuators are designed to sense the touch, actuate the finger, and tune the VSAs. The torque of the VSAs is controlled utilizing a designed Multi Input Multi Output (MIMO) fuzzy controll

Power-electronic converters are essential elements for the effective interconnection of renewable energy sources to the power grid, as well as to include energy storage units, vehicle charging stations, microgrids, etc. Converter models that provide an accurate representation of their wideband operation and interconnection with other active and passive grid components and systems are necessary for reliable steady state and transient analyses during normal or abnormal grid operating conditions. This paper introduces two Laplace domain-based approaches to model buck and boost DC-DC converters for electromagnetic transient studies. The first approach is an analytical one, where the converter is represented by a two-port admittance model via mo

Vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) are considered an emerging technology in the industrial and educational fields. This technology is essential in the deployment of the intelligent transportation system, which is targeted to improve safety and efficiency of traffic. The implementation of VANETs can be effectively executed by transmitting data among vehicles with the use of multiple hops. However, the intrinsic characteristics of VANETs, such as its dynamic network topology and intermittent connectivity, limit data delivery. One particular challenge of this network is the possibility that the contributing node may only remain in the network for a limited time. Hence, to prevent data loss from that node, the information must reach the destina