Proceedings of the 10th International Workshop on Semantic Evaluation (SemEval-2016), 2016
Resorting to community question answering (CQA) websites for finding answers has gained momentum ... more Resorting to community question answering (CQA) websites for finding answers has gained momentum in the past decade with the explosive rate at which social media has been proliferating. With many questions left unanswered on those websites, automatic and smart question answering systems have seen light. One of the main objectives of such systems is to harness the plethora of existing answered questions; hence transforming the problem to finding good answers to newly posed questions from similar previously-answered ones. As SemEval 2016 Task 3 "Community Question Answering" has focused on this problem, we have participated in the Arabic Subtask. Our system has adopted a supervised learning approach in which a learning-to-rank model is trained over data (questions and answers) extracted from Arabic CQA forums using word2vec features generated from that data. Our primary submission achieved a 29.7% improvement over the MAP score of the baseline. Post submission experiments were further conducted to integrate variations of the word2vec features to our system. Integrating covariance word embedding features has raised the the improvement over the baseline to 37.9%.
The study of drilling fluid behaviour across various temperature conditions is of paramount impor... more The study of drilling fluid behaviour across various temperature conditions is of paramount importance for industries such as oil and gas extraction, mineral exploration, and large-scale construction projects. To address this need, a custom-designed viscometer known as the Australian University of Kuwait Taylor-Couette System (AUTCS) was developed. The AUTCS apparatus incorporates a Taylor-Couette system, consisting of two co-axial cylinders with a testing liquid capacity of 100 ml. The inner cylinder can be rotated at speeds ranging from 0 to 3000 rpm. This configuration provides an economical testing system that is particularly suitable for studying expensive drilling fluids. To investigate high-temperature (HT) conditions, the apparatus is equipped with a controllable heating film jacket capable of warming fluids up to 350 F. One specific area of interest in the drilling industry is the exploration of less commonly used polymers, such as Flowzan and Xanthan, in water-based mud (WBM). Flowzan has gained increasing attention due to its potential applications in drilling fields. To facilitate the study of Flowzan and Xanthan, the AUTCS viscometer was fine-tuned using the standard conventional lab viscometer, FANN, that has limitations in terms of rotational speed range (0-600 RPM) and temperature range. The rheology characteristics of Flowzan and Xanthan including consistency charts, viscosity, and darcy friction factor are obtained and presented at temperatures of 79 F, 104 F, and 150 F, across a range of speeds from 0 to 3000 RPM. The findings were examined across several correlation functions. It is found that the Herschel-Bulkley model best represent Flow Zan and Xanthan polymers. These correlations contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the new polymers' performance under different temperature and speed conditions in drilling applications.
Oil-contaminated water poses a significant environmental threat, originating from various industr... more Oil-contaminated water poses a significant environmental threat, originating from various industrial processes. It is a hazard to ecosystems and various life forms. Scientists aim to create an inexpensive, straightforward, and environmentally friendly substance capable of effectively removing oil. The main target of this research is to test the feasibility of fish scale as oil biosorbent in oily water body. The experimental setup, utilizing both batch experiments and a packed column, comprehensively assesses the effectiveness of fish scales (FS) as sorbents. Potentiometric parameters, such as a 1000 mg adsorbent dose, 500 mg/L oil concentrations, and 60 minutes contact time at pH 7 with a 0.15 mm particle size, effectively evaluate oil extraction efficiency, achieving up to 95% removal, showcasing the remarkable capabilities of FS as a biosorbent. A higher efficiency of 97% was attained when the oil was mixed with seawater in the packed column. The excellent fit of experimental data with the pseudo-second order kinetic model suggests a chemisorption process. Additionally, the strong agreement with Freundlich isotherms in equilibrium isotherm results further supports the efficacy of FS as sorbents. The scalability of the method, as evidenced by the packed column results, is promising, indicating practical implementation potential in real-world scenarios. Overall, the study underscores the viability of using FS as an environmentally friendly and economical solution for oil removal from contaminated water and oil spills. Moreover, the potential for adaptation to other systems with different biosorbents or pollutants suggests broader applicability and future research opportunities in environmental remediation.
A very simple, ecient and rapid method is described for the reaction of aza and diaza crown ethe... more A very simple, ecient and rapid method is described for the reaction of aza and diaza crown ethers with a number of alkyl halides using microwave irradiation in dry media to give nitrogen-pivot lariat ethers.
Kuwait is a desert country with scarce water resources and increasing population, which means tha... more Kuwait is a desert country with scarce water resources and increasing population, which means that more water sources should be tapped, not only for irrigation but also to provide for the citizens of the country. Oilfield waters are produced at increasing levels in Kuwait, being a foremost oil producer in the gulf region. It contains lots of contaminants that, if left untreated, will pollute the surrounding areas when disposed of improperly. This paper examines the possibility of treating oilfield water to be used as an additional resource for irrigation and for improving its treatment prior to proper disposal. The water treatment concept being introduced was performed through several treatment stages including biological treatment combined with nitrification and denitrification (sedimentation), chemical treatment (flocculation and coagulation), reverse osmosis, and disinfection using ultraviolet process as the final treatment process. This was accomplished through the combination o...
Over the last decade, water consumption has grown rapidly due to the increase in population growt... more Over the last decade, water consumption has grown rapidly due to the increase in population growth, industry, and agriculture. The scarcity of clean water has become one of the biggest problems due to its large demand. Recently, carbon nanotube has exhibited remarkable potentials in water treatment due to their excellent adsorption capacity. In this study, carbon nanotubes (CNT) sponge was investigated for the treatment of wastewater in comparison with the conventional method (physical, chemical, and biological processes). The purification of wastewater was performed by the vacuum filtration technique. The experimental results have shown that the carbon nanotube sponge was very effective and efficient in eliminating harmful microorganisms with superior removal efficiency (100%). The analysis results revealed that the quality of the wastewater treated by carbon nanotube sponge was within the recommended Kuwait Environment Public Authority standards limits in irrigation for pH, total suspended solids (TSS), total dissolved solids (TDS), nitrate-nitrogen and phosphate, and microorganism for influent samples. Further treatment with CNT sponge revealed an additional reduction in the water quality for TSS, biological oxygen demand, TDS, conductivity, nitrate-nitrogen, nitrite-nitrogen, ammonia-N, sulfate, phosphate, and microorganisms for effluent samples. The merits of incorporating carbon nanotube with or without the conventional water-treatment material are highlighted and the challenges are discussed. The positive results confirmed that carbon nanotube has the potential to be a leading technology in water treatment for microorganism removal.
The ionization of six compounds of bis-phenolic amides was studied spectrophotochemically in DMF-... more The ionization of six compounds of bis-phenolic amides was studied spectrophotochemically in DMF-water mixture. The compounds showed two pK a values in the range of 5.97-7.32 for pK a 1 and 7.61-8.44 for pK a 2 . The obtained values of K a were normalized using the distribution diagrams of the different species and found to be in the range of 5.81-7.42 for pK a 1 and 7.48-8.27 for pK a2 .
Five plastic membrane Pb 2þ -selective electrodes were prepared based on 1,4-bis(N-tosyl-o-aminop... more Five plastic membrane Pb 2þ -selective electrodes were prepared based on 1,4-bis(N-tosyl-o-aminophenoxy)butane I, 1,4-bis(N-allyl-N-tosyl-o-aminophenoxy)butane II, 1,4-bis(N-benzyl-N-tosyl-o-aminophenoxy)butane III, 1,4-bis[N-(o-allyloxybenzyl)-N-tosyl-o-aminophenoxy]butane IV, and 1,4-bis(N-octyl-N-tosyl-o-aminophenoxy)butane V as neutral carriers. The electrodes exhibited nearly Nernstian responses over the concentration ranges, 2.5 Â 10 À4 -4.0 Â 10 À2 , 2.5 Â 10 À5 -4.0 Â 10 À2 , 7.9 Â 10 À5 -4.0 Â 10 À2 , 2.2 Â 10 À5 -4.0 Â 10 À2 , and 1.9 Â 10 À4 -4.0 Â 10 À2 M for electrodes composed with the ionophores I -V, respectively. All electrodes showed pH range of about 4.0 to 11.5 and working temperature range of 22 to 70 8C with isothermal temperature coefficients of 1.19 Â 10 À3 , 1.16 Â 10 À3 , 1.16 Â 10 À3 , 1.00 Â 10 À3 , and 1.32 Â 10 À3 V/8C for electrodes I -V respectively.
Six triphenylphosphonium benzoylmethylides and four arsonium analogues were synthesized and chara... more Six triphenylphosphonium benzoylmethylides and four arsonium analogues were synthesized and characterized. The kinetics of gas-phase pyrolysis of these compounds was investigated over the temperature range 386-545 K for the phosponium ylides and 419-556 K for the arsonium ylides. The products of both sealed-tube pyrolysis and flash vacuum pyrolysis were analyzed and compared. The values of the Arrhenius log A and E a are, respectively, 12.6 ± 1.4 s -1 and 134.5 ± 5.3 kJmol -1 for the phosphorane, and 10.4 ± 0.7 s -1 and 124.5 ± 17.8 kJmol -1 for the arsorane compounds. A mechanism involving the extrusion of Ph 3 PO in case of the phosponium ylides, and the extrusion of Ph 3 AsO or Ph 3 As in case of arsonium ylides is proposed and used to rationalize the molecular reactivities of the ylides under study, and to draw comparisons between the rate constants of pyrolysis at 500 K of the analogous phosphonium and arsonium ylides.
World Congress on Civil, Structural, and Environmental Engineering
This paper aims to design a less toxic drilling fluid by testing different organic waste material... more This paper aims to design a less toxic drilling fluid by testing different organic waste materials. The drilling mud is a complex fluid consisting of several additives used in the drilling process. Environmental protection is a crucial issue, and several drilling fluids and additives can have negative impacts on people, marine organisms, and plants. The selection of organic additives depends on safety concerns and the effect on the environment. The paper focuses on testing coffee residue, date seeds, and rice husks as organic additives in drilling fluids. The selection of these organic wastes was based on several factors, including cost, availability, and positive environmental impact. The properties of the mud samples, including rheology, mud filtration, and pH, were measured to determine the effect of the organic waste additives. The results showed that coffee residue can improve the lubrication properties of the fluid, and date seeds can increase the density of the fluid. Rice husks did not significantly impact the properties of the drilling fluid. The use of these organic additives can reduce the environmental impact caused by conventional additives, promoting a more sustainable and circular economy.
Availability of clean water especially for countries with scarce freshwater resources is of great... more Availability of clean water especially for countries with scarce freshwater resources is of great importance. Recently, ultrafiltration water purification membrane technology has been widely investigated to overcome this problem. In this study, an ultrafiltration membrane incorporated with an activated carbon filter (UF-AC) is used to treat the municipal wastewater in Kuwait, and its efficiency and economic analysis of the method is compared with the conventional method primary (solid removal), secondary (bacterial decomposition), and tertiary (disinfection) that is currently used. The treated influent samples by UF-AC revealed high reduction percentage, for total suspended solids (TSS) (98.37%), biological oxygen demand (BOD) (91.73%), turbidity (99.85%), coliform, fecal coliform, and salmonella bacteria (99.99%). However, for conventional method were for TSS (89.13%), BOD (91.6%), and turbidity (96.88%). The results for effluent water, showed further reduction percentage. The suitability of the treated water was compared to the recommended Kuwait Environment Public Authority standard irrigation limits. The results show that the UF-AC membrane is quite similar or more effective than the conventional method in contaminants removal and the purified water can be utilized for irrigation purposes. Furthermore, based on the economical results of this study, the UF-AC unit can be economically used in the wastewater treatment plant in Kuwait.
European Journal of Engineering and Technology Research
Oil spills are a very dangerous occurrence for the marine ecosystem as the marine life-form's... more Oil spills are a very dangerous occurrence for the marine ecosystem as the marine life-form's existence gets unnecessarily threatened. Since the exploration of oil from marine resources has become a must and oil spills end up occurring accidentally, as a result, it becomes important to employ various oil spill cleanup methods. The purpose of the current work was to evaluate the oil sorption capacity of dried carbonized avocado peel (AP) waste. AP was dried under the sun and microwaved to have the activated carbon AP. In this study, batch adsorption studies were conducted to remove different oil types (Crude oil, Diesel, Kerosene, and Gas oil) from polluted seawater using AP. The effect of various important parameters, namely, mixing time, adsorbent dose, oil dose, oil types, and reusability on the oil uptake, and their optimum conditions for maximum sorption efficiency was studied. Batch studies indicated that an adsorbent dosage of 7 g, mixing time of 20 minutes under a mixing ...
Oil spill is one of the major environmental problems that cause serious damage for both environme... more Oil spill is one of the major environmental problems that cause serious damage for both environment and economy. The conventional clean-up methods were found not effective in terms of time, money, and efforts. The oil spreads rapidly in water and this spreading must be controlled quickly before affecting the marine environment. Magnetite nanoparticles have attracted great attention in environmental and in oil spills remediation. In the present study, application of the recent magnetic separation process for remediation and recovery of oil using magnetite (Fe 3 O 4). The magnetite particles were mixed rapidly with the oil. Then a permanent magnet was applied to cleanly collect the oil from seawater. The efficiency of oil removal was tested for various concentration, magnetite particles size (35, 5 μm and 15 nm), and oil types. Superior results showed upon increasing the magnetite concentration and reducing the particle size to nano size. The results showed a lower efficiency as the oil get lighter. In this regard, it can be concluded that the magnetic separation for oil spill remediation and removal is a great application to be utilized without causing any kind of pollution rather than the conventional method.
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