Spatial data observed on a group of areal units is common in scientific applications. The usual hierarchical approach for modeling this kind of dataset is to introduce a spatial random effect with an autoregressive prior. However, the usual Markov chain Monte Carlo scheme for this hierarchical framework requires the spatial effects to be sampled from their full conditional posteriors one-by-one resulting in poor mixing. More importantly, it makes the model computationally inefficient for datasets with large number of units. In this article, we propose a Bayesian approach that uses the spectral structure of the adjacency to construct a low-rank expansion for modeling spatial dependence. We propose a pair of computationally efficient estimati

The performance of asphalt pavements is crucial due to heavy traffic loads from civil and industrial developments. Various additives and modifiers are used in flexible roads to improve their resistance to deterioration caused by climatic changes. From this context, modifying the asphalt binder with polymers is popular in asphalt pavement construction. The present research investigates the effect of Polyethylene (PE) polymers in powder form on the characteristics of asphalt mixtures since these polymers are composed of hydrocarbons. It is similar to asphalt binders, making them very effective in enhancing the performance of neat asphalt produced from the oil refinery. To confirm this, two types of PE, High-Density PE (HDPE) and Low-Density P

Oilwell cementing operations are crucial for drilling and completion, preserving the well's productive life. However, weak and permeable formations pose a high risk of cement slurry loss, leading to failure. Lightweight cement, like foamed cement, is used to avoid these difficulties. This study is focused on creating a range of foamed slurry densities and examining the effect of gas concentration on their rheological properties. The foaming agent and foam stabilizer are tested, and the optimal concentration is determined to be 2% and 0.12%, respectively, by the weight of the cement.

Furthermore, the construction of samples of foam cement with different densities (0.8, 1.0, 1.2, 1.4, and 1.6) g/cc is performed to f

Introduction: This study was performed to compare the effect of Fractional CO2 laser or Q switched Nd:YAG laser of surface treatment on the shear bond strength of zirconia-porcelain interface. Methods: Fractional CO2 laser at 30 W, 2 ms, time interval 1 ms, distance between spots 0.3 mm, and number of scans is (4) or Q switched Nd:YAG laser at 30 J/mm2 and 10 Hz were used to assess the shear bond strength of zirconia to porcelain. Pre-sintered zirconia specimens were divided into three groups (n = 10) according to the surface treatment technique used: (a) untreated (Control) group; (b) CO2 group; (c) Nd:YAG group. All samples were then sintered and veneered with porcelain according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Surface morph

Transparent thin films of CdO:Ce has been deposited on to glass and silicon substrates by spray pyrolysis technique for various concentrations of cerium (2, 4, and 6 Vol.%). CdO:Ce films were characterized using different techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy(AFM) and optical properties. XRD analysis show that CdO films exhibit cubic crystal structure with (1 1 1) preferred orientation and the intensity of the peak increases with increasing's of Ce contain when deposited films on glass substrate, while for silicon substrate, the intensity of peaks decreases, the results reveal that the grain size of the prepared thin film is approximately (73.75-109.88) nm various with increased of cerium content. With a sur

Eco-friendly materials are increasingly used in civil engineering to support sustainable development. Conventional concrete relies heavily on Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), the production of which contributes significantly to the carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBFS) and fly ash can partially replace OPC, thereby reducing the environmental impact. This study investigates the effect of basalt fiber incorporation on the mechanical properties of geopolymer lightweight concrete. The concrete mixtures consisted of fly ash, slag, pumice aggregate, sand, and an alkaline activator prepared by combining sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate. The mix design included an activator-to-binder ratio of 0.45

In this work, (ZnO)1-x(MnO2)x compounds were synthesized with composition (x=0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5) of manganese oxide content using solid state reaction. Thin films were prepared from these compounds on glass substrates at room temperature using pulsed laser deposition method. The structure of the prepared compounds and thin films were analyzed using x-ray diffraction while the optical properties was measured using UV-visible spectrophotometry. It was found that the synthesized composites declared many peaks in the diffraction pattern which indicate polycrystalline structure with hexagonal wurtzite hexagonal structure of ZnO, and MnO2 and Mn2O3 secondary phases. A narrowing in the optical e

In this work, the effect of atomic ratio on structural and optical properties of SnO₂/In₂O₃ thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition technique under vacuum and annealed at 573K in air has been studied.  Atomic ratios from 0 to 100% have been used. X-ray diffraction analysis has been utilized to study the effect of atomic ratios on the phase change using XRD analyzer and the crystalline size and the lattice strain using Williamson-Hall relationship. It has been found that the ratio of 50% has the lowest crystallite size, which corresponds to the highest strain in the lattice. The energy gap has increased as the atomic ratio of indium oxide increased.