Higher Institute of Engineering

This research experimentally and numerically investigates the feasibility of using low-cost timber plates to enhance the shear behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) beams. Seven simply supported beams with a shear span-to-depth ratio (a/d) of 1.8 were tested under three-point bending, including one control specimen and six strengthened beams. Two strengthening techniques, externally bonded (EB) and near-surface mounted (NSM), were examined using three attachment methods: epoxy only, 10 mm diameter anchor bolts only, and a combination of both. A 3D finite element model (FEM) was developed in ABAQUS V2017 to evaluate the influence of increasing the a/d ratio from 1.8 to 3.1 on the ultimate load, stiffness, and toughness of the strengthened beams. results showed that timber plates, regardless of the strengthening technique, effectively restricted the propagation of the main shear crack and diverted it into multiple secondary cracks. Externally bonded specimens achieved higher ultimate loads than NSM specimens due to the absence of groove-induced reductions in the concrete section. The use of anchor bolts, either alone or in combination with epoxy, prevented debonding and produced the highest ultimate loads, reaching 91 kN and 92 kN, respectively, representing increases of 21.3 % and 22.7 % over the control beam. Both attachment methods also exhibited stiffness improvements of 10.8 % compared to the control beam. Numerical analysis indicated that increasing the a/d ratio from 1.8 to 3.1 led to reductions in stiffness of 43 %-47 %, ultimate load of 18 %-30 %, and toughness of 7 %-30 %. • The shear behavior of RC beams strengthened with timber plates was investigated. • Two strengthening techniques were considered: external strengthening and NSM technique. • Three different attaching methods were used: epoxy alone, anchor bolts alone, or a combination of both. • A Finite element model was developed to examine the effect of the shear span-to-depth ratio. • Using anchor bolts alone or in combination with epoxy exhibited the highest ultimate load.

Android malware detection systems face critical challenges including data scarcity for emerging threat families, high-dimensional feature spaces, and concept drift caused by evolving attack techniques. Traditional machine learning approaches require extensive labeled datasets and frequent retraining, limiting their practical deployment against rapidly emerging threats. This paper proposes an adaptive few-shot malware classification framework that integrates CatBoost-based feature selection, prototypical networks with episodic meta-learning, quantum-enhanced classification, concept drift detection, and explainable AI (XAI) analysis using SHAP and LIME. The CatBoost feature selection reduces dimensionality by 99.46% on CCCS-CIC-AndMal-2020 (9,503 to 51 features) and 94.07% on KronoDroid (489 to 29 features) while preserving discriminative information. The prototypical network learns metric-based representations enabling classification with only 5 support samples per class. Extensive experiments demonstrate state-of-the-art performance with 99.70% accuracy on CCCS-CIC-AndMal-2020 (15 malware families) and 99.33% accuracy on KronoDroid (binary classification), outperforming existing methods by 0.70-9.70%. The framework exhibits robust temporal stability with maximum accuracy degradation of 0.24% across evaluation periods. XAI analysis reveals that file descriptor manipulation and file system operations are the most discriminative features for malware detection. These results establish few-shot prototypical learning with intelligent feature selection as an effective paradigm for practical malware detection requiring minimal annotation, interpretable decisions, and stable long-term performance.

n this paper, metamaterial approaches are used to improve the gain, bandwidth, and radiation efficiency of microstrip patch antennas for 60GHz applications. In order to lower surface wave losses and improve the performance of proposed antennas, this work investigates a variety of techniques, including the use of metamaterials as antenna lens and as electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) structures. To overcome the narrow bandwidth (2 GHz) and low gain (1.9 dB) of a conventional GaAs-based microstrip patch antenna operating at 60GHz, several enhancements were investigated via HFSS simulations, the result were cross validated and compared using CST Microwave Studio. Integrating an Electromagnetic Band-Gap (EBG) structure improved performance to a 7.3GHz bandwidth and 3.5dB gain. The most substantial enhancement was realized by combining the EBG with a lens technique, achieving a 10GHz bandwidth and 4.8dB gain. These results confirm that metamaterial-inspired techniques are highly effective for advancing high-frequency antennas, particularly for 60GHz communication systems.

Background: Several governments and their development partners are making significant investments to build and equip basic health centres. Does this support improve attendance at FOSAs and the quality of services offered? Purpose: This study was conducted to explore the perception of the quality of health services by users and providers in subsidised health facilities in the Bunia health zone. Methods: This exploratory study was conducted in the Bunia health zone using ethnographic methods. The sample, consisting of 59 participants, was made up of providers, CODESA members, users, community leaders, and neighbourhood chiefs. Convenience and purposive sampling were used to select the sample. Focus group discussions (FGDs) and semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. NVIvo was used for data analysis. Results: Users experience multiple difficulties in subsidised facilities, including poor reception, high costs, inadequate human resources, drug shortages, and discrimination. They believe that providers should prioritise human life and that FOSA should organise training for their staff. Registered nurses (IT) and providers observe a gap between the public and private sectors and agree that only users can provide an accurate assessment. They confirm the possibility of deferred payment in subsidised FOSAs, unlike private ones, and deplore the lack of materials and equipment, in addition to the reduced number of qualified staff in subsidised health facilities. Conclusion: Improving service delivery in healthcare facilities and promoting humanised care could help improve user perception.

Crude oil pipeline transportation is a highly energy-intensive operation, particularly for long-distance pipelines traversing complex and undulating terrain. In such systems) Al-Feel-Mellitah oil pipeline(, pumping energy is primarily consumed in overcoming frictional losses, while elevation changes introduce additional hydraulic constraints that strongly influence local and overall pressure behavior. This study investigates the potential of nano-engineered internal pipe coatings as a passive and permanent solution for reducing energy consumption in a long crude oil pipeline characterized by variable diameters, multiple pressure-drop zones, and alternating uphill and downhill segments. A real pipeline transporting crude oil from a high-elevation production field to a low-elevation coastal terminal is considered as a representative case. The pipeline operates at a constant flow rate of 40,000 barrels per day and is hydraulically segmented into five pressure-drop zones, each with distinct geometric and elevation characteristics. The undulating elevation profile provides significant net hydrostatic assistance to the system; however, local pressure losses remain governed by friction, valve losses, and diameter-dependent flow velocities. The effect of nano-engineered internal coatings is modeled through a reduction in the Darcy friction factor while preserving the original pipeline geometry, operating conditions, and elevation profile. The study framework establishes a clear link between surface-induced friction reduction, zone-wise pressure losses, and overall pumping energy demand. The results demonstrate that nano-engineered coatings can significantly enhance the hydraulic and energy performance of undulating crude oil pipelines without requiring changes to throughput or infrastructure layout, offering a practical pathway toward more energy-efficient pipeline operation.

تستكشف هذه الدراسة حلاً مستداماً لمعالجة عدم التطابق الومني بين العرض والطلب على الكهرباء في منطقة براك الشاطئ من خلال استغلال فائض الكهرباء خلال ساعات انخفاض الطلب لإنتاج الهيدروجين عبر التحليل الكهربائي، ثم استخدام خلايا الوقود لتوليد الكهرباء خلال فترات الذروة. تقيم الدراسة جدوى استخدام نظام يعتمد على الهيدروجين لتحقيق استقرار الشبكة الفرعية دون الحاجة إلى وحدات توليد كهرباء إضافية. ووفقاً للنتائج، يمكن للمحلل الكهربائي إنتاج ما يصل إلى 271.8 متر مكعب من الهيدروجين في الساعة، ويتطلب ذلك حوالي 9.1 ميغاواط من الكهرباء، وهو ما يكفي لتغطية العجز في الطاقة البالغ 6.1 ميغاواط في الشبكة. وبسعة تخزين للهيدروجين تبلغ 421,255 متر مكعب، يمكن لهذا النظام تخزين الهيدروجين لاستخدامه لاحقاً في خلايا الوقود لتغطية العجز البالغ 1689 ميغاواط في الشبكة الفرعية خلال أوقات الذروة. وتشير النتائج إلى أنه من خلال تحسين إنتاج الهيدروجين بالتحليل الكهربائي واستخدام خلايا الوقود لتوليد الكهرباء، يمكن للنظام المقترح توفير 8,424 ميغاواط من الطاقة، مما يغطي فعلياً عجز الشبكة. ولا يقتصر هذا الأسلوب على سد الفجوة بين العرض والطلب فحسب، بل يثبت أيضاً أنه حل فعال من حيث التكلفة والكفاءة لتحقيق استقرار الشبكة دون الحاجة إلى محطات توليد كهرباء إضافية.

The repair process of industrial piping systems is a serious problem because of its inaccessibility, unsafe conditions, and high cost of operations. The manual inspection and maintenance techniques used in the traditional processes tend to expose the workers to risks of safety and also they consume more time. This paper suggests developing a basic, inexpensive, robotic system that would be utilized specifically to examine and inspect the piping system within industrial facilities as well as carry out its simple maintenance. The suggested robotic system is aimed at mechanical simplicity, modularity, and deployment simplicity at a cost of a reasonable level of functionality and reliability. The robot can follow both straight and curved pipes, identify any surface deformities (corrosion and blockages) and provide real time visual information. The design process combines actuator selection, control architecture and mechanical modeling with components that are readily available. The proposed mechanism is experimentally validated to behave in simulated industrial conditions with a high level of accuracy. The results indicate that compared to the use of complex and expensive inspection robots, simple robots can be used to provide an effective alternative to robots to perform simple robotic tasks, especially to small and medium-sized industrial facilities. The study has a contribution to the research of industrial robotics by highlighting matters of practical design and low-cost automation of infrastructure repairs.