Digital Commons Network^™

A Visual Enhancement Quality Of Digital Medical Image Based On Bat Optimization, Kholood Hussin, Ali Nahar, Hussain Khleaf

Engineering and Technology Journal

Improve medical image visualization is a critical preliminary step before further imagery processing like analyzing texture, extracting features, and segmentation. Imagery noises in medical images are frequently occurred as a consequence of different artificial processes such as acquisition, sending and receiving, and storing & retrieving processes. As a result, the quality of image visualization is degraded. Therefore, a de-noise process is important in order to maintain good image quality for medical purposes. In this paper, medical image enhancement aims to de-noise as much as possible while maintaining detailed features and edges. This work employed an optimization algorithm called "Bat" to …

A Study Of Patient’S Pain Assessment Based On Facial Expression: Issues And Challenges, Elaf Saddam, Saad Mutashar, Wissam Ali

Engineering and Technology Journal

Pain is considered as an emotional experience and a restless feeling associated with tissue damage. When the interpretation begins in the brain, the sensation of pain occurs; a signal transmitted to the brain through the nerve fiber. Pain helps the body to stop further damage to the tissues. Since there are numerous ways to convey and feel pain, the perception of pain is special to all. Technology that promotes pain assessment is an urgent need to reduce restless feelings and suffering. This paper aims to demonstrate the issues and challenges facing the patient’s pain assessment based on facial expression. The …

Signaling Load Reduction In 5g Network And Beyond, Mohammed Waheed, Azzad Saeed, Thanaa Abd

Engineering and Technology Journal

A huge traffic flow in the next generation network is anticipated due to the rising in number of users and the new services that need low end-to-end latency causing a large signaling load on the Core Network (CN). In order to mitigate this issue, many revolutionary architectures have been proposed to reduce this burden such as Cloud Radio Access Network (C-RAN). In this paper, a new C-RAN distributed core network architecture has been proposed by splitting some CN functions and grouping them into one location with Base Band Units (BBUs). As a measure of testing the proposed architectures and by …

Chitosan Hydrogel For Removing Of Heavy Metal Ions From Water: A Review, Maysaa Ali, Shemaa Soud, Anaheed Hameed

Engineering and Technology Journal

Industrial and agricultural discharges have been shown as important sources for a wide range of contaminants like heavy metals. This study focused on the assessment of the toxic effect of heavy metals and illustrates some methods of eliminating or avoiding these contaminants. In certain methods, heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Cr, Ni, Pb, Hg, and Cd) are recovered, and range of absorbents are tested. A number of studies have reported the complex interaction of polymers with metal ions with the polymers for eliminating heavy metals (e.g. cellulose, chitosan, and chitin. Metal ions are absorbed by these polymers by the amine and …

An Experimental Study Of Porous Hydroxyapatite Scaffold Bioactivity In Biomedical Applications, Auday Mehatlaf, Alaa Atiyah, Saad Farid

Engineering and Technology Journal

Hydroxyapatite is one of the most bioactive materials used in tissue engineering due to its excellent biocompatibility and chemical composition which is equivalent to the mineral element of bone. In this study, polymer sponge replication method was used to fabricate porous hydroxyapatite scaffolds. Pure phase of hydroxyapatite scaffolds and the chemical bonding were verified via Fourier Transform Infrared and X-ray diffraction. Emission scanning electron microscopy (F E S E M) examination showed that the proposed scaffold has high interconnected pores that were achieved just after sintering at temperatures 1350 ºC for 2 hours. The percentage porosity values were estimated to …

Deposition Of Ceo2/Tcp Thin Film On Stainless Steel 316 L By Rf Sputtering, Hiba A. Abdullah, Ahmed M. Al-Ghaban, Rana A. Anaee

Engineering and Technology Journal

RF sputtering method was used for deposition 70wt% CeO2/TCP thin film on stainless steel 316L surface. The selection of ceria and tricalcium phosphate is according to the fact the importance of these materials in biomedical media. The produced coating was characterized by XRD, FESEM/EDS and AFM analysis, the result revealed that the obtained peaks from XRD refer to the deposited materials. When substitution of Ce was done, distorting of the lattice structure can occur suggesting certain incorporation of the cerium oxide within TCP lattice. Also, from SEM investigation uniformly homogeneous surface as a layer of (CeO2 + CaO) and TCP …

Effect Of Zro2 And Y2o3 Deposition On Biological Behavior Of Ti-Base Alloys, Zainab Z. Al-Asadia, Fatimah J. Al-Hasani

Engineering and Technology Journal

Titanium has a good ability to attach to bone and living tissue, making it a perfect material for orthopedic implants. Because of the combination of high resistance to corrosion, biocompatibility and excellent mechanical properties. This work aims to study the Modifications of various base titanium implant samples producing by using powder technology (Ti-pure, Ti-45 % Ni, Ti10 % Co, and Ti-30 % Ta) by deposition of Nano Zirconia and yttria powders (70 %ZRO2 and 30% Y2O3 ). Chemical pretreatment carried out to prepare the implant surface before deposition, while the deposition process accomplished by pack cementation. The Characterizations of samples …

Phase Transformations, Microstructure And Shape Memory Effect Of Nitiag Alloy With Different Atomic Percentages (At. % Ag) Manufactured By Casting Method, Saja M. Hussein, Khansaa D. Salman, Ahmed A. Hussein

Engineering and Technology Journal

In this paper, shape memory alloys (SMAs) (NiTi-based) have been manufactured by casting with a different atomic percentage of a silver element (0, 1, 2 and 3 at. % Ag) using a Vacuum Arc Remelting (VAR) furnace. The silver element is added to the binary alloys due to its excellent properties such as (anti-corrosion, anti-bacterial and high electrical conductivity), which make these alloys using in wider applications. These alloys with different atomic percentages (Ni55Ti45Ag0, Ni55Ti44Ag1, Ni55Ti43Ag2 and Ni55Ti42Ag3) have been manufactured. The successful manufacturing process has been achieved and proved via examinations and tests. The FESEM microscopic examinations show that …

Assessment Of The Water Quality Index Of The Tigris River Between The University Of Baghdad And Diyala River, Ayat N. Abed, Gahyda Y. Al Kindi, Tariq A. Hussain

Engineering and Technology Journal

The Tigris River is considered as one of the two major rivers in Iraq. Many factories are located on both bank of the river such as the public company for soft drinks, Al-Dura oil refinery, chemical, plastic, and leather factories, Dura electricity station, and others. It is well known that most discharge effluents into the river do not match national standard specifications. In addition, the major aim of the presented work is to assess the Water Quality Index (WQI) for the Tigris River starting from The University of Baghdad to 0.5 km downflow the confluence of the Diyala River. The …

Al2o3-Tio2-Pmma Bio-Composite Coating Via Electrostatic Spray Technique, Rasha A. Issa, Mohanad N. Al-Shroofy, Hanna A. Al-Kaisy

Engineering and Technology Journal

This work aims preparation of polymer-based biocomposite coating by electrostatic spray method onto 316L stainless steel substrate, the present work will compare the effects of incorporation of Al2O3 and TiO2 particles at a different percentage of (10,15 and 20 % wt. from Al2O3 and TiO2 with (90,85 and 80% wt. PMMA - based electrostatic deposition coating is studied. The structure and chemical composition of composite coatings were studied by using (SEM) & (EDS) and mechanical properties (Microhardness and adhesion strength) of Al2O3-TiO2-PMMA composite coating. The SEM&EDX result showed that the composite coating to be dense with uniform dispersants and continuous …

Estimation Of The Components Of Residential Solid Waste In Baqubah City And Their Generation Rate, Esraa Q. Shehab, Zainab B. Mohammed, Mohammed Y. Fattah

Engineering and Technology Journal

Municipal solid waste is of variable, non-uniform inconsistent nature and the method by which the sample to acquire is decisive if the results are to be reliable. For data collection, an integrated methodological approach was introduced, including field investigation, questionnaire survey, and personal interviews, which were employed to estimate the rate of waste production and physical composition at the source of generation. Samples were collected from different socio-economic clusters (socio-income level). According to the results of the preliminary survey for 99% confidence interval and 10% standard error, the optimum sample size was 105 households, in Baqubah City in Diyala Governorate …

Chemical Precipitation Method For Sulphate Removal From Treated Wastewater Of Al-Doura Refinery, Aumar Alnakeeb, Rana Mohammed Rasheed

Engineering and Technology Journal

Wastewater treatment by Wastewater Treatment Plant, named (INGECO) in Doura refinery suffers from the elevated level of sulphate ion concentrations compared to the recommended EPA [14] specified (250 mg/L). The annual rate, maximum and peak sulphate concentrations that found to be 360; 425 and 550 mg/L respectively. In this study samples prepared from industrial wastewater and the average, maximum and peak sulphate concentrations to be used in chemical precipitation process by using BaCl2 or Al(OH)3. Results obtained from BaCl2 treatment refer to the optimum (dosage, mixing time and mixing speed) to be used in sulphate removal for reuse purpose were …

Intelligent Controller Design Based On Wind-Solar System, Areeg F. Hussein, Hanan A. R. Akkar

Engineering and Technology Journal

This paper presents an Intelligent controller designed to mastery the output power flow from the Solar System, the Wind system, the sum of the two systems or from the battery system, according to the Maximum power point tracking algorithm, to ensure the continuity of the output power at fast time response. The proposed controller has been designed using MATLAB m-file and trained with the different number of hidden neurons using two different algorithms to get as fast a response time with minimum Mean Square Error (MSE) as possible which resulted in six hidden neurons using Levenberg-Marquardt training algorithms.

Detection Of Confusion Behavior Using A Facial Expression Based On Different Classification Algorithms, Fatima I. Yasser, Bassam H. Abd, Saad M. Abbas

Engineering and Technology Journal

Confusion detection systems (CDSs) that need Noninvasive, mobile, and cost-effective methods use facial expressions as a technique to detect confusion. In previous works, the technology that the system used represents a major gap between this proposed CDS and other systems. This CDS depends on the Facial Action Coding System (FACS) that is used to extract facial features. The FACS shows the motion of the facial muscles represented by Action Units (AUs); the movement is represented with one facial muscle or more. Seven AUs are used as possible markers for detecting confusion that has been implemented in the form of a …

A Study Of The Effect Of Starch Content On The Water Absorption Of Pva/Starch Blends, Bushra H. Musa, Nahida J. Hameed

Engineering and Technology Journal

The present work aims to study physical tests such as the water absorption tests of PVA; PVA/corn starch blends at different mass percent (25, 30, 35, 40, and 50%) of corn starch after immersion in distilled water for ten minutes. The blends were also characterized by FTIR analysis, and an optical microscope. Casting method used to prepare samples. The results of water absorption exhibited that the weight losses of the sample increases the starch content rises in the PVA matrix. Also, it was found the highest value of the swelling ratio % at (50% PVA /50% Starch) blend, while minimum …

The Effect Of The Number Of Key-Frames On The Facial Emotion Recognition Accuracy, Suhaila N. Mohammed, Alia K. Abdul Hassan

Engineering and Technology Journal

Key-frame selection plays an important role in facial expression recognition systems. It helps in selecting the most representative frames that capture the different poses of the face. The effect of the number of selected keyframes has been studied in this paper to find its impact on the final accuracy of the emotion recognition system. Dynamic and static information is employed to select the most effective key-frames of the facial video with a short response time. Firstly, the absolute difference between the successive frames is used to reduce the number of frames and select the candidate ones which then contribute to …

Determination Efficient Classification Algorithm For Credit Card Owners: Comparative Study, Raghad A. Azeez

Engineering and Technology Journal

Today in the business world, significant loss can happen when the borrowers ignore paying their loans. Convenient credit-risk management represents a necessity for lending institutions. In most times, some persons prefer to late their monthly payments, otherwise, they may face difficulties in the loan payment process to the financial institution. Mainly, most fiscal organizations are considered managed and refined client classification systems, scanning a valid client from invalid ones. This paper produces the data mining idea, specifically the classification technique of data mining and builds a system of data mining process structure. The credit scoring problem will be applied using …

Treatment Of Iraqi Municipal Wastewater By Up-Flow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactor Uasb, Khairi R. Kalash, Majid A. Dixon, Hussein Ir. Sultan, Raad A. Ali

Engineering and Technology Journal

In this work, the Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket “UASB” reactor treated effluent wastewater to investigate the process performance on a pilot plant scale. Municipal wastewater at high and medium strength with different organic load rate OLR (0.6-9) kg COD m-3day-1 with the flow of 20 l/h, up-flow velocity 0.4 m/h, hydraulic retention time HRT 9 h at a temperature of (20-30 ºC) was evaluated. The wastewater concentration, including TSS, COD was measured, and the removal efficiencies of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total suspended solid TSS were calculated and summarized as 45-85% and 70-75%, respectively, depending on organic load rate …

Effect Of Pulse Electric Field On Water Characteristics As A Disinfection Function In Filtration Unit, Ghassan Abukhanafer, Alaa H. Al-Fatlawi, Hassan H. Joni

Engineering and Technology Journal

This paper studied the impact of the addition of pulse electric-filed low voltage (PEF-LV) in the filtration process by designing, constructing, and operating a pilot-scale. The Disinfectant process (DP) demonstrated several benefits in terms of efficiency and ease of application, without the use of any chemical additive. This system contains two pairs of silver mesh electrodes inside the filtration column test with a low pulse voltage for killing microorganisms. The parametric effects of DP performance, such as alternating current pulse frequency and the voltage applied were investigated. The effect of PEF-LV on the biological, physical, and chemical characteristic of water …

A Review On Microbial Fuel Cells, Baidaa A. Kitafa, Afaf J. Obaid Al-Saned

Engineering and Technology Journal

The Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) is a bioreactor with which the chemical energy in chemical bonds of organic compounds are converted to electricity under anaerobic conditions through catalytic reactions of micro-organisms. It has been familiar for a long time that electricity can be generated directly through using bacteria to break organic matter. A microbial fuel cell can also serve in different wastewater treatment to destroy organic matter. The development of MFC technology requires a greater understanding of the microbial processes for MFCs, and their components, limitations, factors and design this system, to be simpler and large scale system developed; so …

Topical Enrofloxacin Solution Delays Tympanic Membrane Epithelial Migration In Healthy Dogs, Jinseo Oh, Seulgi Bae

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Tympanic membrane epithelial migration (TMEM) is essential for homeostasis and self-cleaning function of the tympanic membrane and external ear canal. Otitis externa is common in small animal practice, and topical preparations are widely used for management. Although several treatments have been reported to alter TMEM rates in dogs, evidence on the effects of topical antibiotics on TMEM is limited. This study evaluated the effect of topical enrofloxacin on TMEM in healthy dogs. TMEM was assessed in both tympanic membranes of three healthy dogs (six ears) using a within-subject design with control and experimental conditions. In the experimental condition, enrofloxacin (5 …

Unplanned Public Nature Interiority, Kendra Locklear Ordia

Interiority

This paper advances a theory of urban interiority through the concept of public nature interiority, integrating ecological thinking into the spatial, sensory, and temporal conditions of exterior spaces that feel interior. Drawing on works by Tine Poot, Richard Sennett, Liz Teston, and Suzie Attiwill, it challenges binary distinctions between interior and exterior, emphasising relational and dynamic urban conditions. Using Attiwill's notions of collective individuation and an ecology of subjectivity, interiority is reframed as being shaped not only by human perception and experience with nature but also by biotic relations and multispecies interactions. The theory is situated within terrain vague—indeterminate, overlooked …

Modeling Nonequilibrium Community Dynamics Of Bivalves In The Indian River Lagoon, Jada Lee Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Benthic infaunal communities are widely-used indicators for assessing estuarine health, especially in systems that experience frequent disturbances and hydrological fluctuations. However, using benthic infauna to predict ecosystem responses to future disturbances remains a challenge. The Indian River Lagoon (IRL), spanning 40% of Florida's east coast, is a prime example of a complex estuary that has experienced decades of hydrological alterations leading to reduced water quality, sediment composition, and biodiversity. To assess benthic bivalve community dynamics in response to disturbances, an emerging Empirical Dynamic Modeling (EDM) approach was applied to a large test dataset comprising 17 years of benthic bivalve abundances …

Predictive Modeling Of Readmission, Mortality, And Resource Utilization After Surgical And Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement, Raymond J. Martin

LSU Master's Theses

Aortic stenosis is the most prevalent valvular heart disease in North America. Its definitive treatments—surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)—carry a substantial burden of unplanned hospital readmission, which worsens patient outcomes, strains hospital capacity, and creates financial risk under value-based payment programs. Prior predictive work has largely focused on binary classification of 30-day readmission after TAVR. Such studies typically report predictor effects as odds or hazard ratios without validating patient-level probabilities, and neglect both the timing of readmission and the resources it consumes. To address these gaps, this thesis develops and empirically validates a unified, …

Spae: Deciphering Cell Cycle Dynamics And Cell States In Single-Cell Rna-Seq Data, Jiahao Yi, Jiajia Liu, Peng Guo, Yuan-Nong Ye, Xiaobo Zhou

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Rapid advances in single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) technology have enabled the investigation of gene expression changes at the single-cell level, particularly for elucidating the heterogeneity among cells and complex biological processes. This technique reveals subtle molecular differences within individual cells, thereby offering a unique viewpoint for the investigation of cell cycle progression, cellular differentiation, and disease pathogenesis. However, accurately identifying and analyzing cell cycle dynamics in scRNA-seq data remains challenging due to the complexity of the data and the subtle differences between cell states. To address this challenge, we developed the integrated Sinusoidal and Piecewise AutoEncoder (SPAE), an autoencoder-based piecewise …

Acquisitions Unit Annual Report 2025-2026, Andrée J. Rathemacher

Technical Services Reports and Statistics

Annual Report of the Acquisitions Unit, University Libraries, University of Rhode Island for FY2026. Covers personnel, work flow, special projects, and serial, monograph, and e-resource acquisitions. Supplemental files include data on library materials expenditures by a number of variables as well as important working documents from the year.

From Anaerobic Digesters To The Human Gut: Ecological Responses Of Microbiomes To Environmental And Biological Perturbations, Maliea Annholden Nipko

Theses and Dissertations

Microbial communities regulate essential ecological and metabolic processes across both engineered and host-associated ecosystems. Although these systems differ substantially in composition and function, they are governed by common ecological principles including community succession, resilience, species interactions, and responses to environmental and biological perturbations. This dissertation investigates how perturbations influence microbiome structure, function, and stability through three complementary studies spanning anaerobic digestion and the human gut microbiome. First, the effects of an extremophilic biological pretreatment using Caldicellulosiruptor bescii were evaluated in industrial-scale anaerobic digesters treating dairy manure. High- temperature pretreatment substantially altered microbial community composition, with bacterial populations remaining metabolically active …

Bridging The Gap In Science Research: Preparing Students For College- Level Research In The Sciences, Victoria Helwig, Yaoguang Li

UConn Library Presentations

Many first-year students enter college unprepared to fully engage with scientific literature and academic library resources. Drawing on experiences from academic librarians working with STEM students, this session explores common gaps in science research skills, including navigating databases, identifying scholarly sources, and understanding the structure of scientific literature. Participants will be introduced to practical strategies and classroom-ready activities to better prepare students for college-level research. Discussion questions: What science research skills do students struggle with most when entering college? How can high school instruction better support these skills? Where can librarians and educators collaborate to support student success?

Temporal Dynamics Of Sleep Value: How Momentary States And Individual Differences Shape The Valuation Of Sleep, Brandon Pattillo

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Objectives Sleep value is the relative worth individuals place on sleep. Although previous work has validated trait-level measures of sleep value, little is known about the valuation process that determines sleep’s value over time. This study examined hourly fluctuations in sleep value and identified predictors of these changes.

Methods Ninety undergraduates completed baseline questionnaires assessing demographic, sleep, and health variables, including the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Values Inventory (VI), and Monetary Sleep Value Questionnaire (MSVQ). Participants completed hourly 24-hour surveys assessing activity, activity value/pleasure, sleepiness, sleep ability, sleep/wake desires and intentions, and willingness-to-pay (WTP) for sleep. Confirmatory factor analyses …

From Fields To Flu: Mapping H5n1 Zoonotic Risk In California Rice Fields, Mariati Messinger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 threatens agriculture, wildlife, and public health in California, where flooded rice fields in the Central Valley provide surrogate wetland habitat for migratory waterfowl and may create ecological interfaces for viral spillover into poultry systems. This quantitative ecological study examined whether county-level rice acreage, Lesser Snow Goose activity, and their interaction were associated with poultry HPAI H5N1 outbreak incidence during complete winter seasons available for analysis. Guided by One Health and disease ecology frameworks, secondary data from USDA, eBird, PRISM, and public surveillance sources were analyzed for 36 county-winter observations using negative binomial regression, logistic …