The effect of drying temperature and the application of ultrasound on drying kinetics of Lawsonia inermis (henna) leaves and the extraction of lawsone from the dried samples was addressed. Indeed, henna leaves were dried with and without the application of ultrasound (21.7 kHz, 30.8 kW/m³) at 40, 50 and 60 °C with a constant air velocity (1 m/s). As expected, both the increase of temperature and the application of ultrasound decreased the drying time and increased the rate of extraction of the lawsone. The values of the effective diffusion coefficients obtained were used to quantify this influence showing the value increases with higher drying temperature and the application of ultrasound. Moreover, the influence of temperature was quantified by the estimation of the activation energy from an Arrhenius-type equation (46.25 kJ/mol in the case of drying without ultrasound application and 44.06 kJ/mol in the case of ultrasonically-assisted drying). Regarding the influence of studied variables on lawsone extraction yield, the higher is the temperature, the lower is the yield, probably linked with lawsone degradation reaction due to thermal treatment. On the contrary, the application of ultrasound improved the extraction yield mainly at the lower drying temperature tested of 40 °C.

The quadcopter persist as important roles across diverse applications, and the enhancement of their control efficacy has been the subject of extensive research. In this work, the authors proposed optimal Proportional Integral (PI) controller b...

The moisture contents of balance of desorption and adsorption of Kabar Sid El Cheikh leaves (Capparis spinosa .L) were determined at 30, 40, and 50°C using the static gravimetric method. The balance was obtained after 12 days of desorption and 8 days of adsorption. The effect of thermal hysteresis is observed in the range of the tested temperatures. In one hand, for the modeling of sorption isotherms, on the other hand, for the prediction of the hygroscopic behavior, during storage or drying; two mathematical models were tested. The GAB model with three parameters has given best results according to the experimental points in a rather important domain of the activities of the water

Quadcopters are popular UAVs owing to their compact size and maneuverability. Quadcopters are unmanned aircraft guided by remote control, and the demand for them is increasing due to their widespread surveillance, goods delivery, aerial photography, and defense applications. Nonlinear quadcopter operation makes control system implementation very challenging. In this paper, based on artificial intelligence (AI), we train a feedforward neural network (FFNN) controller of a traditional proportional integral derivative (PID). The conventional (PID) is generally tuned to improve the quadcopter control and performance. FFNN can perform offline learning between the inputs and outputs of the controller to learn its behavior. Once the learning is complete, we replace the PID controller with the neural network controller, to get a controller that can maintain system stability,and overcome the limitations of hardware implementation problems caused by the classical PID controller.

Urban morphology plays a decisive role in regulating microclimate and outdoor thermal comfort in arid cities, where extreme heat and intense solar radiation amplify thermal stress. This study examines the influence of four contrasting urban fabrics in Béchar (Algerian Sahara): the vernacular Ksar, the regular-grid colonial fabric, a modern large-scale residential estate, and low-density detached housing, on local microclimatic conditions. An integrated methodological framework is adopted, combining qualitative morphological analysis, quantitative indicators including density, porosity, height-to-width ratio, and sky view factor, in situ microclimatic measurements, and high-resolution ENVI-met simulations performed for the hottest summer day. Results show that compact urban forms, characterized by low sky view factor values, markedly reduce radiative exposure and improve thermal performance. The vernacular Ksar, exhibiting the lowest SVF, records the lowest mean radiant temperature (approximately 45 °C) and the most favorable average comfort conditions (PMV = 3.77; UTCI = 38.37 °C), representing a reduction of about 3 °C, while its high-thermal-inertia earthen materials ensure effective nocturnal thermal recovery (PMV ≈ 1.06; UTCI = 27.8 °C at 06:00). In contrast, more open modern fabrics, including the colonial grid, large-scale estates, and low-density housing, experience higher thermal stress, reflecting vulnerability to solar exposure and limited thermal inertia. Validation against field measurements confirms model reliability. These findings highlight the continued relevance of vernacular bioclimatic principles for sustainable urban design in arid climates.