A GIS-Based DRASTIC Model for Assessing Phreatic Aquifere of Bekalta (Tunisian Sahel)

The phreatic aquifer of Bekalta experienced a progressive degradation of water resources over time: using increasingly important waters for irrigation and drinking water, nitrate pollution, salinization... This aquifer is of great economic importance because it is used for irrigation and domestic consumption. Vulnerability map to nitrate pollution is a necessary tool to developing management to preserve the quality of groundwater. This study utilized the Geographic Information System technique and the DRASTIC model to assess the vulnerability of groundwater resources to contamination. The Geographic Information System (GIS) technology represents the best method to solve the main problems in the vulnerability survey. Indeed is allowed for swift organisation, quantification, and interpretation of large volumes of hydrological data with computer accuracy and minimal risk of human errors. The Visio model was exported and loaded into an ESRI Geodatabase in ArcCatalog as defined by the UML model. The purpose of this geodatabase is data harmonization process within modeling groundwater vulnerability to pollution. The resulting map shows evidence for three categories of vulnerability (low, middle and high). The resultant vulnerability map showed the predominant of moderately vulnerability class on the most of the Bekalta region which occupying an area of 68%. The low and high groundwater vulnerability classes occupy respectively an area of 30% and 2% of the total surface of the study area.

A digital twin model-based approach to cost optimization of residential community microgrids

This paper presents a peer-to-peer community cost optimization approach based on a single-prosumer energy management system.Its objective is to optimize energy costs for prosumers in the community by enhancing the consumption efficiency.This study was conducted along two main axes.The first axis focuses on designing a digital twin for a residential community microgrid platform.This phase involves data collection,cleaning,exploration,and interpretation.Moreover,it includes replicating the functionality of the real platform and validating the results.The second axis involves the development of a novel approach that incorporates two distinct prosumer behaviors within the same community microgrid,while maintaining the concept of peer-to-peer energy trading.Prosumers without storage utilize their individual PV systems to fulfill their energy requirements and inject excess energy into a local microgrid.Meanwhile,a single prosumer with a storage system actively engages in energy exchange to maximize the community’s profit.This is achieved by optimizing battery usage using a cost optimization solution.The proposed solution is validated using the developed digital twin.

Systematic design method for PI controller with Virtual Resistor-based Active Damping of LCL filter

The Virtual Resistor based Active Damping(VR-AD) is widely employed in converters connected to the grid via LCL filters in order to mitigate the inherent resonance of the filters. Nevertheless, in digitally controlled systems, the PWM and the calculating delays modify the system characteristics in terms of frequency and phase, thus destabilizing the system and degrading the VR-AD performances, mainly in low switching frequencies. Moreover, the stability of the system is greatly affected under weak grid operation characterized by large grid impedance variation. This paper solves these problems by proposing a systematic, robust and optimized design procedure of voltage oriented PI control(VOC) with VRAD. The considered design procedure ensures robust control(sufficient stability margins) and high quality of grid current(reduced steady-state error and minimized THD value) despite the negative impact of digital time delay, grid impedance variation and filter parameters change. Simulation and experimental results are presented to show robustness and efficiency of the suggested design procedure.

Magnetic resonance imaging under isoflurane anesthesia alters cortical cyclooxygenase-2 expression and glial cell morphology during sepsis-associated neurological dysfunction in rats

Background:Magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)of rodents combined with histol-ogy allows to determine what mechanisms underlie functional and structural brain changes during sepsis-associated encephalopathy.However,the effects of MRI per-formed in isoflurane-anesthetized rodents on modifications of the blood-brain bar-rier and the production of vasoactive prostaglandins and glia cells,which have been proposed to mediate sepsis-associated brain dysfunction,are unknown.Methods:This study addressed the effect of MRI under isoflurane anesthesia on blood-brain barrier integrity,cyclooxygenase-2 expression,and glial cell activation during cecal ligature and puncture-induced sepsis-associated brain dysfunction in rats.Results:Cecal ligature and puncture reduced food intake and the righting reflex.MRI under isoflurane anesthesia reduced blood-brain barrier breakdown,decreased cir-cularity of white matter astrocytes,and increased neuronal cyclooxygenase-2 immu-noreactivity in the cortex 24 hours after laparotomy.In addition,it annihilated cecal ligature and puncture-induced increased circularity of white matter microglia.MRI under isoflurane anesthesia,however,did not alter sepsis-associated perivascular cyclooxygenase-2 induction.Conclusion:These findings indicate that MRI under isoflurane anesthesia of rodents can modify neurovascular and glial responses and should,therefore,be interpreted with caution.

Synthesis and Electrical Properties of Well-Ordered Layered α-MoO_3 Nanosheets

α-MoO_3 ordered nanosheets have been synthesized under hydrothermal conditions using commercial MoO_3 and hydroquinone as structuring agent. X-ray diffraction(XRD), scanning electron microscope(SEM) and transmission electron microscopy(TEM) were used to analyse the obtained material. The conductivity mechanism of the Molybdenum ordered nanosheets has been investigated using combined complex impedance and modulus formalism.The temperature dependence of the conductivity, which was between 473 and 573 K, is very close to the Arrhenius' law, with an activation energy of 0.76 eV. However, the conductivity of the material increases with temperature. It shows a typical negative temperature coefficient resistance(NTCR) similar to that of a semiconductor. The dielectric properties of the MoO_3 compound have been studied in the temperature range of 473-573 K as well as the frequency range of 10 Hz to 13 MHz. The ac-conductivity for high frequency σac(ω)obeys the universal power law.

A New Class of Exactly Solvable Models within the Schrodinger Equation with Position Dependent Mass

The study of physical systems endowed with a position-dependent mass (PDM) remains a fundamental issue of quantum mechanics. In this paper we use a new approach, recently developed by us for building the quantum kinetic energy operator (KEO) within the Schrodinger equation, in order to construct a new class of exactly solvable models with a position varying mass, presenting a harmonic-oscillator-like spectrum. To do so we utilize the formalism of supersymmetric quantum mechanics (SUSY QM) along with the shape invariance condition. Recent outcomes of non-Hermitian quantum mechanics are also taken into account.

Diffusion analysis and modeling of kinetic behavior for treatment of brine water using electrodialysis process

In this study,the removal of monovalent and divalent cations,Nat,Kt,Mg2t,and Ca2t,in a diluted solution from Chott-El Jerid Lake,Tunisia,was investigated with the electrodialysis technique.The process was tested using two cation-exchange membranes:sulfonated polyether sulfone cross-linked with 10%hexamethylenediamine(HEXCl)and sulfonated polyether sulfone grafted with octylamine(S-PESOS).The commercially available membrane Nafion®was used for comparison.The results showed that Nafion®and S-PESOS membranes had similar removal behaviors,and the investigated cations were ranked in the following descending order in terms of their demineralization rates:Nat>Ca2t>Mg2t>Kt.Divalent cations were more effectively removed by HEXCl than by monovalent cations.The plots based on the WebereMorris model showed a strong linearity.This reveals that intra-particle diffusion was not the removal rate-determining step,and the removal process was controlled by two or more concurrent mechanisms.The Boyd plots did not pass through their origin,and the sole controlling step was determined by film-diffusion resistance,especially after a long period of electrodialysis.Additionally,a semi-empirical model was established to simulate the temporal variation of the treatment process,and the physical significance and values of model parameters were compared for the three membranes.The findings of this study indicate that HEXCl and S-PESOS membranes can be efficiently utilized for water softening,especially when effluents are highly loaded with calcium and magnesium ions.

Boron Removal by Electrocoagulation Using Full Factorial Design

Saline waters treatment has become increasingly important for drinking water supply in a greater part of the world. However, some serious limitations had recently been discovered during water treatment, among them the boron problem seems to have a critical meaning. According to the WHO regulations (2011), the boron concentration should be reduced to less than 2.4 mg/L for drinking water. The purpose of this study is to investigate the feasibility of electrocoagulation (EC) as a pretreatment process to remove boron from saline waters. To optimize the experimental conditions of boron removal, the effects of some parameters were studied such as inter-electrode distance (die), electrode connection mode, (S/V) ratio, pHi and initial conductivity of the solution (σi). Subsequently, an experimental design methodology was implemented to evaluate statistically the most significant operating parameters. The effects of current density, EC time and initial boron concentration and their mutual interaction were investigated using 23 full factorial design. At optimal conditions, boron removal from synthetic aqueous solutions containing initial boron concentrations of 5 and 50 mg/L reached 81% and 79%, respectively. Applied to boron removal from seawater samples, EC reduces boron concentration to less to 2.4 mg/L with excessive energy consumption under optimal parameters.

Effects of Drying on the Biochemical Composition of <i>Atherina boyeri</i>from the Tunisian Coast

The effects of solar and experimental drying on the protein concentration and total fatty acid (TFA) content of the muscles of Atherina boyeri (sand smelt) were studied. The percentage of protein was 18.3% for fresh fish and 14.2% for sun-dried fish, while TFA content was 4.9 g/100g and 0.5 g/100g. After the drying experiment, the percentage of protein was 23% and the fatty acid (FA) content was 2.8 g/100g. The results show that natural or experimental drying favors saturated fatty acids. The n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are less sensitive to heat than the n-6 PUFAs. From a nutritional point of view, it seems that the drying conditions, where parameters are T = 50℃, moisture = 30% and air speed = 2 m/s, would be the most beneficial for the preservation of sand smelt.

Directors＇ Board Characteristics and Audit Quality： Evidence From Belgium

This study investigates the relationship between board characteristics and external audit quality on a sample of 97 Belgian listed companies during the period 2003-2007. Board characteristics proxies are the composition of the board, its independence, its structure in terms of duality or independence and its diligence. Our results are consistent with board independence and size being complements with external audit, rather than substitutes

The Influence of Environmental Factors on the Population Structure and Reproductive Biology of Idotea balthica basteri (Isopoda, Valvifera) of the Bizerte Lagoon (Northern Tunisia)

The reproductive biology of a natural population of Idotea balthica basteri (Pallas, 1772) collected from Menzel Jemil (Bizerte lagoon, Tunisia) was monthly studied from October 2009 to October 2010. Besides water temperature, salinity, turbidity, pH, and dissolved oxygen were measured. Based on the state of differentiation of individuals, the population was divided into 8 categories. Their numbers depend on the one hand to intrinsic factors imposed by the specimens and the structure of the population themselves, and to extrinsic factors due to the variability of environmental conditions on the other hand. Females were morphologically recognisable at smaller size than males. Reproductive activity, which was reflected through the presence of ovigerous females and juveniles, underwent fluctuations throughout the year, but it was continuous. Moreover, salinity, temperature, nitrates, and plant biomass have a noticeable effect on the fecundity and fertility. The Principal Component Analysis also confirmed that the richness of the water in nitrates would be favorable to fecundity and fertility of Idotea balthica basteri. However, higher phosphate concentrations, in April and May seem to have a positive effect on the sex ratio. Otherwise, the temperature would be responsible for increasing the percentage of ovigerous females.

Extinction Conditions from a One-Sided Competition Model with a Holling Type I Functional Response for the Sterile Insect Technique

The Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) is a powerful biological tool to control pest-populations. It could be integrated in management programmes of the Red Palm Weevil (RPW) Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier. This pest threatens seriously date palms particularly in Saudi Arabia. As a matter of fact, the use of SIT has been very efficient in controlling RPW populations in coconut gardens in various countries. In this work, we outline the extinction conditions of a target wild-population using a one-sided competition model to describe its competition with released sterile insects. We employ a Holling type I functional response to describe the sterile-fertile one-sided competition and we consider two intra-specific competition sub-models, with and without Allee Effect, in modelling the growth of the wild-type population. We also study two manners of liberating sterile insects: single and periodic release strategies.

Pseudo-static stability analysis of rock slopes reinforced by passive bolts using the generalized Hoek-Brown criterion

The stability analysis of passive bolt-reinforced rock slopes under seismic loads is investigated within the framework of the kinematic approach of limit analysis theory.A pseudo-static method is adopted to account for the inertial forces induced in the rock mass by seismic events.The strength properties of the rock material are described by a modified Hoek-Brown strength criterion,whereas the passive bolts are modeled as bar-like inclusions that exhibit only resistance to tensile-compressive forces.Taking advantage of the ability to compute closed-form expressions for the support functions associated with the modified Hoek-Brown strength criterion,a rotational failure mechanism is implemented to derive rigorous lower bound estimates for the amount of reinforcement strength to prevent slope failure.The approach is then applied to investigating the effects of relevant geometry,strength and loading parameters in light of a preliminary parametric study.The accuracy of the approach is assessed by comparison of the lower bound estimates with finite element limit analysis solutions,thus emphasizing the ability of the approach to properly predict the stability conditions and to capture the essential features of deformation localization pattern.Finally,the extension of the approach to account for slipping at the interface between reinforcements and surrounding rock mass is outlined.

Self-compatibility in peach[Prunus persica(L.)Batsch]:patterns of diversity surrounding the S-locus and analysis of SFB alleles

Self-incompatibility(SI)to self-compatibility(SC)transition is one of the most frequent and prevalent evolutionary shifts in flowering plants.Prunus L.(Rosaceae)is a genus of over 200 species most of which exhibit a Gametophytic SI system.Peach[Prunus persica(L.)Batsch;2n=16]is one of the few exceptions in the genus known to be a fully selfcompatible species.However,the evolutionary process of the complete and irreversible loss of SI in peach is not well understood and,in order to fill that gap,in this study 24 peach accessions were analyzed.Pollen tube growth was controlled in self-pollinated flowers to verify their self-compatible phenotypes.The linkage disequilibrium association between alleles at the S-locus and linked markers at the end of the sixth linkage group was not significant(P>0.05),except with the closest markers suggesting the absence of a signature of negative frequency dependent selection at the S-locus.Analysis of SFB1 and SFB2 protein sequences allowed identifying the absence of some variable and hypervariable domains and the presence of additionalα-helices at the C-termini.Molecular and evolutionary analysis of SFB nucleotide sequences showed a signature of purifying selection in SFB2,while the SFB1 seemed to evolve neutrally.Thus,our results show that the SFB2 allele diversified after P.persica and P.dulcis(almond)divergence,a period which is characterized by an important bottleneck,while SFB1 diversified at a transition time between the bottleneck and population expansion.

A Generalized Lyapunov-Sylvester Computational Method for Numerical Solutions of NLS Equation with Singular Potential

In the present paper a numerical method is developed to approximate the solution of two-dimensional Nonlinear Schrodinger equation in the presence of a sin- gular potential. The method leads to generalized Lyapunov-Sylvester algebraic opera- tors that are shown to be invertible using original topological and differential calculus issued methods. The numerical scheme is proved to be consistent, convergent and sta- ble using the Lyapunov criterion, lax equivalence theorem and the properties of the generalized Lyapunov-Sylvester operators.

Calculation of electric field–temperature (E, T) phase diagram of a ferroelectric liquid crystal near the SmA–SmC_α~* transition

In this work we perform a theoretical calculation in order to reconstitute the （E-T） phase diagram of a chiral smectic liquid crystal in the vicinity of the SmA-SmCα＊ transition. This reconstruction is carried out on the basis of a thermo-dynamic calculation of the slope of the curve joining the SmC＊ domain and the unwound SmC＊. An empiric correction of the mean field term of Landau De-Gennes development is necessary to accomplish this reconstruction. Thereafter, an experimental validation is performed to verify our calculations.

Adsorption of F^-, NO₃^-and SO₄^2-on AFN Anionic Membrane: Kinetics and Thermodynamics Studies

The sorption of and from aqueous solution on AFN membrane has been studied and the equilibrium isotherms determined. The experimental data have been analyzed using the Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherm models at different temperatures varying from 283 to 313 K. The results were analyzed using three kinetic models, Lagergen first order, second order and the Elovich model. The obtained results show that the best-fit correlation of the experimental data was obtained using the second order model. Thermodynamic parameters for the adsorption system were determined at 283, 298 and 313 K.

REPRESENTATION OF GENERALIZED TRANSLATIONS OF THE PRODUCT OF TWO FUNCTIONS ON SIGNED HYPERGROUPS ON THE REAL LINE

In this paper, we consider the generalized translations associated with the Dunkl and the Jacobi-Dunkl differential-difference operators on the real line which provide the structure of signed hrpergroups on R. Especially, we study the representation of the gener- alized translations of the product of two functions for these signed hypergroups.

Ion Exchange Equilibrium between DOWEX 1X8 Resin Modified by Polyethyleneimine and Electrolyte Solutions

In order to improve the selectivity of anion exchange resin, the surface of gel type anion exchange resin was modified with polyethyleneimine (PEI). In the proposed work an attempt to the utilization of commercial anion exchange resin modified by adsorption of polyethyleneimine was investigated. Many conditions of modification of anion exchange resin surface were studied. The influent parameters on the DOWEX 1X8 resin modification were determined using a factorial experimental design. The ion exchange reactions were studied for modified and unmodified resin and electrolyte solutions containing Cl-,NO3-,SO42-. All experiments were performed at constant ionic strength I = 0.3 mol·L-1 and constant temperature T = 298 K. Ionic exchange isotherms were established for the binary systems:Cl-/NO3-,Cl-/SO42- and NO3-/SO42-. The obtained results show that nitrate ion was more sorbed than chloride and sulfate. The order of preference for the anions studied in this investigation is:NO3->Cl->SO42-. All the results given by this resin were compared with those obtained with the AMX anion exchange membrane. Selectivity coefficients and thermodynamic constants for the three binary systems and for the two resins were determined. The modified resin became more selective towards monovalent anions.