University of Basrah

C 36 H 28 CuN 2 O 4 , tetragonal, P 4̄2 1 c (no. 114), a = 18.9249(5) Å, c = 7.9571(5) Å, V = 2,849.9(2) Å ³ , Z = 4, R gt ( F ) = 0.0538, wR ref ( F ² ) = 0.1336, T = 293 K.

Three neutral diiridium(III) complexes with 2‐fluorenylpyridyl (flpy) or 5‐fluoro‐2‐fluorenylpyridyl (flpyF) as C^N cyclometalating ligands and a μ2‐oxamidato bridge have been synthesized. NMR spectroscopy shows that the complexes are inseparable mixtures of diastereomers (rac, ΔΔ/ΛΛ and meso, ΔΛ) with bridges in anti and syn configurations. Each isomer was determined using ¹⁹F NMR data on the flpyF complex. Single crystal diffraction studies of two complexes revealed meso diastereomers with anti configuration of the bis‐(t‐butylphenyl)oxamidato bridge but an uncertain configuration of the unsubstituted μ2‐oxamidato bridge. The complexes are highly emissive (ΦPL 57–82 % in solution) with excited state lifetimes of τp ca. 40 μs. The vibronic emissions with maxima at 553–561 nm and at 587–595 nm in solution are attributed to mixed metal‐ligand to ligand charge transfer (³MLLCT). Density functional theory (DFT) and time dependent‐DFT (TD‐DFT) calculations establish the involvement of the fluorenyl groups and the vibronic structures in the emissions. The bridge mediates intramolecular interactions between iridium centers based on electrochemical measurements Phosphorescent organic light‐emitting diodes (PhOLEDs) using these complexes as the emissive dopants with a solution‐processed active layer have bright greenish‐yellow emission with λmaxEL ca. 560 nm, luminous efficiency up to 26 cd/A and high external quantum efficiency (maximum ηext ca. 20 %).

Recent advancements in foundation engineering have introduced composite piles, specifically the Confined Concrete-Filled Aluminum Tube (CCFAT) pile system, which can effectively support both vertical and lateral loads. However, the behavior of composite piles under combined loading conditions remains largely unexplored. This research investigates the performance of CCFAT pile groups installed in loose sand and subjected to combined loads. Experimental studies focused on 1 × 2 and 2 × 2 CCFAT configurations with varying slenderness ratios (Lm/d) of 10, 15, and 20. These experiments were used to validate Finite Element (FE) models. Numerical simulations were then conducted for new configurations, including 2 × 3 and 3 × 3 CCFAT piles, to gather additional performance data. Results indicated that the ultimate vertical capacity of the CCFAT pile groups increased with the Lm/d ratio. Under combined loading, the ultimate lateral capacity also improved with higher vertical loads for a given Lm/d ratio. The laboratory findings showed a near-linear relationship between both ultimate vertical and lateral capacities and the Lm/d ratio. Failure mechanisms identified through numerical simulations revealed that CCFAT pile groups experienced punching shear failure, indicative of confined deep flow behavior. Under specific vertical loads, lateral loading resulted in soil compression on the right and tension on the left, causing heave and depression zones, significant soil yielding, and wedge formations. Sensitivity analyses highlighted that, for pure lateral loads, the internal friction angle and Young’s modulus significantly affect CCFAT pile group behavior, while under vertical loads at 80% of ultimate vertical load (Puv), the internal friction and dilatancy angles have a greater impact on lateral capacity than other parameters. Based on these findings, new expressions were proposed to calculate the ultimate lateral load (Pulv) for CCFAT pile groups under combined loading conditions, integrating the identified influencing factors.

Without a question, one of the most profitable sectors of the global economy is the oil and gas sector. Its significant role in advancing industrialization and economic expansion (Edmund et al., 2023) A nation can generate large amounts of foreign cash through the export of gas and oil, which aids in the development of its infrastructure (Khdair et al., 2011).

This study investigated the spatiotemporal variation of water cut in the AB reservoir unit of the Zubair Formation at the South Rumaila oilfield in Iraq using petrophysics, geostatistics, and machine learning techniques. The study found that the spatial distribution of petrophysical properties such as porosity, permeability, volume of shale, and unit thickness had little impact on the distribution of water cut. The most important factor was the rates of water injection and oil production. The study also found that the AB unit is homogeneous rather than heterogeneous, and this heterogeneity does not play a crucial role in the evolving water cut across the oilfield. The study of historical water cut data showed that the northern part of the oilfield had a higher water cut than the central and southern areas in 2012. However, as production and injection rates increased, the entire oilfield saw significant increases in water cut. Modeling of water cut using four machine learning algorithms (random forest, cubist, support vector machine, and linear regression) and a multi-layer perceptron deep learning technique showed that the random forest and cubist algorithms were the best in both training and testing stages. The stand-alone models of these algorithms for each well location can be used to quickly and easily predict water cut values throughout the oilfield, providing a way to efficiently manage the AB reservoir unit.

Facial Expression Recognition (FER) is currently a very active field of research. It involves a computer’s capability to recognize and interpret human emotional expressions, which change with an individual’s internal emotional state. Several researchers have been working on this topic, using classical methods or Neural Network (NN) approaches. The accuracy and efficiency of classification models are highly dependent on the quality of the training data. The training process becomes much more challenging when there is a lot of redundant, irrelevant, noisy, or unreliable data. Although many techniques have been developed to address data quality problems; however, these have not been entirely effective. To tackle this critical issue, we propose a Reinforcement Learning with a Genetic Algorithm (RLGA-FER) approach to enhance the quality of training data for FER systems. The proposed RLGA-FER system consists of two components: an agent and an environment. The agent uses a genetic algorithm to make a global decision about whether an image should be retained in the dataset or removed. By leveraging reinforcement learning, the agent dynamically learns and adapts to select the most relevant images, while the genetic algorithm robustly explores and evolves the selection process for optimal performance. The environment consists of three parts: a global training dataset, a feature extractor, and a recognition system. The aim of the feature extractor is to generate feature vectors for the dataset by applying a Conventional Neural Network (CNN). The retained feature data are used to train the evaluation system, and a Support Vector Machine (SVM) is used for evaluation. Our RLGA-FER system is evaluated on two popular FER datasets, RAF-DB and ExpW. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed RLGA-FER system performs well, with recognition rates of 85.20%, and 77.34% for the RAF-DB, and ExpW datasets, respectively.

Introduction Neck ultrasonography (US) and fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy are usually used to evaluate thyroid nodules. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of two popular thyroid imaging reporting systems in detecting thyroid malignancy and to evaluate the correlation between thyroid autoimmunity, nodule site, and size in the development of malignancy. Methods This prospective study was conducted from January 2019 to July 2021 in Basrah, Iraq. The American Thyroid Association (ATA) and American College of Radiology-Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data (ACR-TIRAD) systems were used to evaluate the malignant potential of 143 thyroid nodules in 131 patients. Results The sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV) of the ATA system for detecting malignancy were 96% and 20.8% for low-risk and 100% and 4.3% for high-risk nodules, respectively. ACR-TIRAD sensitivity and PPV were 84% and 22.1% for low-risk and 80% and 4.2% for high-risk nodules, respectively. The specificity and negative predictive value (NPV) of the ATA system for detecting malignancy were 11.6% and 92.3% for low-risk and 10.5% and 100% for high-risk nodules, respectively. The ACR-TIRAD specificity and NPV were 28% and 87.8% for low-risk and 26% and 96.9% for high-risk nodules, respectively. The strength of the correlation between FNA performed across different Bethesda categories and age, sex, nodule size, and positive thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibodies were 0.25, 0.01, 0.22, and 0.4, respectively. Conclusion Both systems are effective; however, adopting TI-RADS stratification results in fewer biopsies being performed for thyroid nodule assessment. Only sex was found to be significantly correlated with FNA performance in thyroid-nodule evaluation.

Absorption and photoluminescence (PL) spectra of a colloidal CdSe-ZnS core-shell quantum dots (QDs) were measured within the strong confinement regime. The QDs were casted on half-coated quartz substrates with 50 nm of gold and prepared for studying the surface plasmons effect. The samples were optically arranged and pumped by different wavelengths, and the PL spectra were detected. Excitation with a wavelength of 400 nm reveals a structure fluorescence spectrum which consists of five distinct bands. These bands are more intense and resolved than the corresponding traditional weak absorption bands. They were detected for the first time and assigned according to the theoretical predictions of excitons in a spherical potential with Coulomb interactions and valence bands mixing. A scheme based on multiple exciton generation (MEG) for the appearance of the fluorescence bands was proposed. This scheme was confirmed by the recent theoretical prediction using the state-of-the art time domain ab initio density functional theory and the atomistic pseudopotential calculations. The detected surface plasmons effect in QDs enhances the intensity of the fluorescence bands. This surface plasmons effect facilitated the appearance of these mentioned bands in more intensive features than the corresponding traditional weak absorption bands. Furthermore, the reduction in the measured lifetime of the first excited electronic state from 20 ns for the QDs deposited directly on the quartz substrate to 7 ns for the QDs casted on the gold film, gives a further evidence of the surface plasmons effect in the (PL) of the CdSe-ZnS QDs.

Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks (VANETs) are growing into more desirable targets for malicious individuals due to the quick rise in the number of automated vehicles around the roadside. Secure data transfer is necessary for VANETs to preserve the integrity of the entire network. Federated learning (FL) is often suggested as a safe technique for exchanging data among VANETs, however, its capacity to protect private information is constrained. This research proposes an extra level of security to Federated Q-learning by merging Blockchain technology with VANETs. Initially, traffic data is encrypted utilizing the Extended Elliptic Curve Cryptography (EX-ECC) technique to enhance the security of data. Then, the Federated Q-learning model trains the data and ensures higher privacy protection. Moreover, interplanetary file system (IPFS) technology allows Blockchain storage to improve the security of VANETs information. Additionally, the validation process of the proposed Blockchain framework is performed by utilizing a Delegated Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance (DPBFT) based consensus algorithm. The proposed approach to federated Q-learning offered by Blockchain technology has the potential to develop VANET safety and performance. Comprehensive simulation tests are performed with several assessment criteria considered for number of vehicles 100, Throughput (102465.8 KB/s), Communication overhead (360.57 Mb), Average Latency (864.425 ms), Communication Time (19.51 s), Encryption time (0.98 ms), Decryption time (1.97 ms), Consensus delay (50 ms) and Validation delay (1.68 ms), respectively. As a result, the proposed approach performs significantly better than the existing approaches.

Since forensic accounting arose in America, it has become a very important issue by the researchers and scholarsin several countries in the whole world. Financial corruption is the most dangerous factor on the present andfuture of Iraq. Perhaps it's no less dangerous than the terrorist operations accompanied the Iraqi political changestarted in 2003. Thus, such corruption slows down the economic development process and prevents the welfareand the prosperity of the community, which may lead to lose confidence in both the political class and stateinstitutions.While this corruption requires sophisticated ways to fathom, there is a modern method, among others, that couldbe used for this purpose which is the forensic accounting. This study therefore attempts to determine the impactof using forensic accounting on financial corruption. It contributes to the limited existing literature on theforensic accounting where no previous study has been down in Iraq dealing with such a serious issue.Specifically there is a failure of accounting and control methods that lies in the methodology taught in Iraqiuniversities to discover financial corruption cases. This study adopted a correlation research design. Data wascollected by using interviews and questionnaires. The main findings of the study revealed that there is asignificant relationship between the forensic accounting methods and effectiveness of the control and auditingbodies to detect financial corruption cases.On the other hand, the majority of the audit and accounting personnelin Iraq are suffering from poor perception and information of the forensic accounting methods. Therefore, asuggestion was made by the current study that forensic accounting methods should add to the curricula ofaccounting departments in Iraqi universities at both levels of preliminary and higher studies through theoreticaland practical classes.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: SLE is one of systemic diseases, targeting young patients, so we try to study the one of factors that affected these patients. The aim of our study is to describe the body composition in Iraqi lupus patients, and assess the effect of the disease activity, disease duration, treatment, and patients’ social class in development of sarcopenia. PATIENTS & METHOD: Sixty women, age > 18years with SLE and 56 matched controls were studied. Disease activity measured by systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index, and functional status measured by systemic lupus erythematosus quality of life questionnaire. Body mass index, waist circumference measured for patients and controls. Body composition analyzed by dual energy absorptiometry x-ray. RESULTS: Mean age for patients was 31.75±10.06 years, and mean disease duration was 19.62±10.76 months. No differences in body mass index, central obesity, lean mass percentage, fat mass percentage, appendicular lean mass index, and bone mineral density between patients and controls. Z score was lower in lupus patients as compared with controls (-1.61±0.8 for patients, -1.26±0.71 for control, p= 0.013). Treatment with azathioprine found to decrease the risk of sarcopenia (p= 0.046). Medical social class and working social class show lower risk for sarcopenia compared to unemployed class (p= 0.003, 0.002 respectively). However disease duration, disease activity, using prednisolone, and functional status had no effect. CONCLUSIONS: No significant differences in body mass index, fat mass percentage, lean mass percentage, and appendicular lean mass index in lupus patients and controls. Lupus patients have higher risk to loss their bone density.

One of the main issues that have been considered about Kuala Lumpur city is its indistinguishable identity and image, partly due to the rapid development and expansion of the city structure over many decades. Inevitably, forming a distinctive city image is not an easy task as it depends primarily on the manner of reciprocal interactions between people and their surrounding built environment. This paper examines the relationship and interaction between people and the city structure, specifically through public evaluation of landmarks as one of the five elements of the city image. The people’s background and their evaluation of the landmarks’ features are examined in this study. To achieve this objective, both quantitative and qualitative data were collected using mixed-techniques involving a questionnaire survey of 120 respondents followed by an unstructured interview. The results show significant differences in the public evaluation of landmarks based on the respondents’ nationality and ethnicity. Differences in the evaluation are related to the landmark factors namely unique; memorable; legible; historic; design; scale; meaningful and color. Much effort by the local authorities is necessary to create a distinguishable image of Kuala Lumpur that reflects the city’s fusion of modern and traditional lifestyles, and diversified cultures and values.

The essential challenges in practical applications of date palm micropropagation include explant browning, reduced callus growth, low multiplication rate, and frequent tissue contamination. Our study aimed to evaluate the effects of cefotaxime (Cefo) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on microbial contamination removal, callus growth, and shoot regeneration in date palm micropropagation. Cultures were initiated from bud tips of 'Barhee' date palm. Murashige and Skoog medium with auxins, cytokinins, and activated charcoal was amended with Cefo (50, 100, and 200 mg·l-1), AgNPs (0.125 and 0.250 mg·l-1), and a combination of both. The medium supplemented with 200 mg·l-1 Cefo and 0.250 mg·l-1 AgNPs resulted in the best callus growth (318 mg). In contrast, 200 Cefo + 0.125 AgNPs resulted in maximum organogen-esis and shoot number per jar (83.4% and 14.1 shoots per jar, respectively). These two combinations resulted in contaminant-free cultures. The total amount of phenolic compounds was significantly reduced to 0.79 and 0.57 mg GAE·g-1 DM in shoots cultured in the above media, which was reflected in the low browning rate. The data revealed that the maximum endogenous IAA content of shoots (2.681 μg·g-1 and 2.345 μg·g-1) was obtained in response to 200 mg·l-1 Cefo + 0.250 AgNPs and 200 mg·l-1 Cefo+ 0.125 mg·l-1 AgNPs, respectively. Therefore, the optimized compositions established in the present study could be applicable in reducing contamination and helping callus production and multiple shoot regeneration. To our knowledge, this is the first study of the antibacterial and growth-promoting effects of Cefo in combination with AgNPs in in vitro cultures of 'Barhee' date palm.

In this study, we evaluated the role of salicylic acid in diminishing fungal contamination in in vitro cultures of date palm and the effect of salicylic acid on the regeneration of somatic embryos from callus formed on shoot tips. The most prevalent fungi were Alternaria alternata (37%), Fusarium solani (25%), Aspergillus fumigatus (18%), and Penicillium expansum (6%). Salicylic acid limited and at higher concentrations retarded mycelial growth using potato dextrose agar. Salicylic acid at concentrations of 1.5 and 2.0 mM added to MS medium with 2iP and NAA significantly increased the embryogenesis rate of calli explants to 64.9% and 56.7%, respectively, compared with the control (12.3%). Salicylic acid also increased plantlet development from embryos by about 27% compared with the control. Salicylic acid caused better shoot and root growth and increased chlorophyll content. The results showed that the addition of salicylic acid at 1.5 mM to the MS medium resulted in a significant increase in the concentrations of IAA and ABA, as well as a decrease in the concentration of IBA in leaves.

In this numerical study, a technical solution is proposed to maximize heat transfer within a square cavity by integrating an L‐shaped porous layer in the lower right part of the cavity, covering an L‐shaped heat sink heated to a set temperature. Additionally, a thin bar undergoes a periodic sinusoidal motion with an amplitude of Vbar and a period of ωbar. The finite element method is used to solve the governing dimensionless nonlinear equations, with a mesh test supported by numerical and experimental validations. The study focuses on the effects of bar displacement amplitude (Vbar = 0.1–0.4), displacement period (ωbar = 1/3–1), Reynolds number (Re = 50, 100, and 200), Darcy number (Da = 10⁻² and 10⁻⁴), and porosity (ε = 0.75–0.95) on the average Nusselt number, streamlines, and isotherms distribution. The numerical results show that increasing the bar displacement amplitude, Darcy number, and Reynolds number can significantly enhance the overall heat transfer, while an increase in the porosity of the porous medium has the opposite effect. The bar's sinusoidal motion and the porous medium's presence alter the flow dynamics within the cavity and directly influence heat transfer.

The investigation of dynamic systems that incorporate Caputo delta q−fractional derivatives has garnered significant interest due to their practicality in diverse scientific and engineering fields. This paper studies the stability of a dynamic system with the Caputo delta q−fractional derivative using Lyapunov's direct method. The motivation behind our work stems from the necessity to comprehend the dynamics and resilience of systems defined by Caputo delta q−fractional derivatives, which exemplify a category of operators that are both non-local and non-singular. This unique fractional derivative, which accounts for memory effects and long-range interactions, adds a level of complexity that calls for a thorough study of stability properties. Expanding upon previous scholarly works, we fill a significant research void by presenting a series of criteria that determine the stability, asymptotic stability, and uniform stability of dynamic systems with Caputo delta q−fractional derivatives. Through the utilization of Lyapunov's direct method, we establish a meticulous framework for examining the stability of these systems, providing a valuable understanding of their dynamic behavior.

Background and objectives A modified aligner appliance with nickel-titanium springs (MAA) is a relatively new appliance that has not received extensive attention in orthodontics. This study evaluated the patient-reported outcomes when orthodontic treatment was provided using a modified aligner appliance to treat mild lower incisor crowding. Materials and methods This prospective cohort study consisted of 42 patients (11 males and 31 females; mean age 21.69 ± 2.56 years) with mild crowding. Twenty-one patients were treated using a modified aligner with nickel-titanium springs, while the remaining patients were treated with a conventional fixed orthodontic appliance (FA). Patient responses regarding pain, discomfort, and difficulty in chewing, swallowing, and speaking were recorded using a visual analog scale (VAS) at six assessment times: 24 hours (T1), two days (T2), three days (T3), two weeks (T4), one month (T5), and two months (T6) after appliance application. Results The mean perceived pain and discomfort levels were generally lower in the traditional fixed appliance (FA) group than the modified aligner appliance with nickel-titanium springs group at most assessment times. However, no statistically significant differences were found between the two groups. Chewing difficulty levels were similar between the two groups with no substantial differences. Swallowing and speech difficulty were significantly higher in the MAA group compared to the FA group during the first two days of treatment (P < 0.008). Conclusions Patients using both types of orthodontic appliances experienced temporary discomfort, including pain and difficulty chewing. While the modified aligners appliance with nickel-titanium springs caused additional challenges with swallowing and speaking, these issues were resolved over time, allowing patients to adjust to the treatment.

In the present work, a diazonium salt is prepared by a diazonium reaction of sulfamerazine in the presence of aqueous hydrochloric acid and sodium nitrate. Structural confirmation of azo compounds synthesize is achieved by mass spectrometry, infrared spectroscopy, and ¹H, ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance. The sample geometry is derived using Density Functional Theory (DFT) and DT-DFT applied to the basis set B3LYPL6-311 + G(d,p). An investigation is conducted on the optical nonlinear (ONL) properties of the azo compounds formed under the excitation with a low power 532 nm laser beam using diffraction patterns (DPs) and a typical Z-scan combined with optical limiting. The Fresnel-Kirchhoff integral provides numerically obtained boundary conditions in the sense of experimentally obtained values. As high as 2 × 10–7 cm²/W of nonlinear refractive index (NLRI), n2, 1.24 × 10–3 cm/W of the nonlinear absorption coefficient (NLAC), β, and 15.5 mW of the optical limiting (OL) threshold, TH, are obtained.

Nanomaterials, substances ranging from 1 to 100 nm, possess unique physical, chemical, and biological properties, making them highly attractive for research and diverse applications due to their high surface area, biocompatibility, and distinctive optical and electrical properties. These materials, including nanoparticles, nanofibers, nanotubes, and nanolaminates, are utilized in various fields. Characterization techniques such as Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray Diffraction Analysis (XRD), Energy-dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), Ultraviolet–Visible Spectroscopy (UV–Vis), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Raman Spectroscopy, and Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectroscopy (FTIR) are crucial for understanding their properties. SEM provides high-resolution surface morphology imaging, while XRD reveals crystallographic structures. EDX identifies elemental compositions, UV–Vis assesses optical properties, and TEM examines internal structures. AFM maps topographical features, Raman Spectroscopy analyses vibrational modes, and FTIR determines molecular structures. These techniques collectively enhance the understanding and utilization of nanomaterials in scientific research and industrial applications.