This research takes up address the practical side by taking case studies for construction projects that include the various Iraqi governorates, as it includes conducting a field survey to identify the impact of parametric costs on construction projects and compare them with what was reached during the analysis and the extent of their validity and accuracy, as well as adopting the approach of personal interviews to know the reality of the state of construction projects. The results showed, after comparing field data and its measurement in construction projects for the sectors (public and private), the correlation between the expected and actual cost change was (97.8%), and this means that the data can be adopted in the research study of the integration of parametric costs in a predictive model for future study. Changes in the parametric costs of construction projects substantially impact their time, cost, and quality and are a major barrier to their execution, necessitating research, analysis, and the development of the most effective solutions. The study aims to identify the parametric cost accurately through iterative tests and continuous improvements by presenting literature describing the history and characteristics of the parametric cost methodologies and identifying each methodology's limitations, strengths, and weaknesses to promote a better understanding of their best practices and use for managing project cost
Information from 54 Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) brain tumor images (27 benign and 27 malignant) were collected and subjected to multilayer perceptron artificial neural network available on the well know software of IBM SPSS 17 (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). After many attempts, automatic architecture was decided to be adopted in this research work. Thirteen shape and statistical characteristics of images were considered. The neural network revealed an 89.1 % of correct classification for the training sample and 100 % of correct classification for the test sample. The normalized importance of the considered characteristics showed that kurtosis accounted for 100 % which means that this variable has a substantial effect
... Show MoreThe purpose of this study is to evaluate the hydraulic performance and efficiency of using direction diverting blocks, DDBs, fixed on the surface on an Ogee spillway in reducing the acceleration and dissipating the energy of the incoming supercritical flow. Fifteen types of DDB models were made from wood with a triangulate shape and different sizes were used. Investigation tests on pressure distribution at the DDBs boundaries were curried out to insure there is no negative pressures is developed that cause cavitation. In these tests, thirty six test runs were accomplished by using six types of blocks with the same size but differ in apex angle. Results of these test showed no negative pressures developed at the boundarie
... Show MoreThe general health of palm trees, encompassing the roots, stems, and leaves, significantly impacts palm oil production, therefore, meticulous attention is needed to achieve optimal yield. One of the challenges encountered in sustaining productive crops is the prevalence of pests and diseases afflicting oil palm plants. These diseases can detrimentally influence growth and development, leading to decreased productivity. Oil palm productivity is closely related to the conditions of its leaves, which play a vital role in photosynthesis. This research employed a comprehensive dataset of 1,230 images, consisting of 410 showing leaves, another 410 depicting bagworm infestations, and an additional 410 displaying caterpillar infestations. Furthe
... Show MoreBackground:sThe aims of this study were to evaluate and compare the ability of three different techniques to obdurate simulated lateral canals, evaluate the effect of the main canal curvature on obturation of lateral canals and compare the gutta-percha penetration between coronal and apical lateral canals. Materials and methods: Resin blocks with 30 straight and 30 curved were used in this study. Each canal has two parallel lateral canals. The main canal has 0.3 mm apical diameter and 0.04 taper. The canals were divided into six groups according to canal curvature and obturation techniques used (n=10): Groups C1 and C2: straight and curved canals obturated with continuous wave technique using E&Q masterTM system. Groups O1 and O2: straight
... Show MoreThe effects of using aqueous nanofluids containing covalently functionalized graphene nanoplatelets with triethanolamine (TEA-GNPs) as novel working fluids on the thermal performance of a flat-plate solar collector (FPSC) have been investigated. Water-based nanofluids with weight concentrations of 0.025%, 0.05%, 0.075%, and 0.1% of TEA-GNPs with specific surface areas of 300, 500, and 750 m2/g were prepared. An experimental setup was designed and built and a simulation program using MATLAB was developed. Experimental tests were performed using inlet fluid temperatures of 30, 40, and 50 °C; flow rates of 0.6, 1.0, and 1.4 kg/min; and heat flux intensities of 600, 800, and 1000 W/m2. The FPSC’s efficiency increased as the flow rate and hea
... Show MoreThe ring modulator described in part I of this paper is designed here for two operating wavelengths 1550nm and 1310nm. For each wavelength, three structures are designed corresponding to three values of polymer slot widths (40, 50 and 60nm). The performance of these modulators are simulated using COMSOL software (version 4.3b) and the results are discussed and compared with theoretical predictions. The performance of intensity modulation/direct detection short range and long rang optical communication systems incorporating the designed modulators is simulated for 40 and 100Gb/s data rates using Optisystem software (version 12). The results reveal that an average energy per bit as low as 0.05fJ can be obtained when the 1550nm modulator is d
... Show MoreRadon is the most dangerous natural radioactive component affecting the human population, since it is a radioactive gas that results from the decomposition process of uranium deposits in soil, rocks, and water, and it is damaging both humans and the ecosystem. The radon concentrations and exhalation rate in soil samples from various locations were determined using a passive approach with a CR-39 (CR-39 is Columbia Resin #39; it is allyl diglycol carbonate C12H18O7) detector in Amiriya region in Baghdad Governorate. The average values of radon concentrations are ranged from 47.3 to 54.2 Bq·m−3. From the obtained results, we can conclude that the values of all studied locations are
This paper presents comprehensive analysis and investigation for 1550nm and 1310nm ring optical modulators employing an electro-optic polymer infiltrated silicon-plasmonic hybrid phase shifter. The paper falls into two parts which introduce a theoretical modeling framework and performance assessment of these advanced modulators, respectively. In this part, analytical expressions are derived to characterize the coupling effect in the hybrid phase shifter, transmission function of the modulator, and modulator performance parameters. The results can be used as a guideline to design compact and wideband optical modulators using plasmonic technology