Al Baha University

Dams and culverts monitoring and maintenance work is vital for water management, flood risk mitigation, and public safety. Conventional methods are arduous, protracted, and pose safety threats to workers. There was a need to design an integrated unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based framework for the maintenance of culverts and dams. This paper presents a UAV-based integrated conceptual framework for structural health monitoring of hydraulic structures and systems. The framework consists of five elements: mission design, data collection, data processing, decision making support, and feedback mechanisms. Using UAVs equipped with LiDAR (light detection and ranging), thermal, and multispectral cameras, remote and accurate assessments of structures and landscapes can be conducted, with improved inspection accuracy, reliability, and operational safety, and with artificial intelligence-based maintenance scheduling. The framework is evaluated through return on investment and SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analyses. Based on benchmarks drawn from the existing literature, the framework demonstrates potential for cost reductions up to 50% and inspection time savings of 40%. The framework enhances safety, predictive maintenance, and climate-resilient infrastructure management, transforming traditional inspection into proactive, data-driven strategies.

This work examines low-frequency ion-acoustic solitary structures in a weakly rotating, magnetized, collisional electron-positron-ion plasma. In this model, the electrons and positrons obey a q -nonextensive distribution, while ions are treated as a warm fluid subject to ion-neutral collisions and an externally applied periodic force. By employing the reductive perturbation technique, the governing fluid and Poisson equations are reduced to a forced damped Zakharov-Kuznetsov (FDZK) equation that consistently incorporates four key physical ingredients in a unified framework: nonextensive statistics, collisional dissipation, Coriolis effects due to plasma rotation, and external energy injection through a periodic source term. In the collisionless, force-free limit, an exact compressive solitary wave solution of the underlying Zakharov–Kuznetsov equation is obtained, and the corresponding pseudo-potential analysis clarifies the constraints on the existence region of ion-acoustic solitary waves and their polarity. For weak damping and finite periodic forcing, approximate time-dependent solitary solutions of the FDZK equation are constructed using energy-type conservation arguments, allowing the combined impact of dissipation and external driving on the soliton profile (amplitude, width, and speed) to be quantified. The impact of various related parameters on the dissipative soliton profiles is numerically investigated. These findings offer a physically transparent picture of how nonthermal statistics, rotation, and external excitations jointly shape nonlinear ion-acoustic dynamics in realistic space and laboratory plasmas, such as planetary and pulsar magnetospheres, the solar wind, and magnetized laboratory devices.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present the synthesis, characterization and corrosion inhibition performance of a novel MgO@MnO2@graphite hybrid nanocomposite for carbon steel protection in acidic media. The study demonstrates its high inhibition efficiency (up to 98.86% at 300 ppm) through electrochemical and surface analyses. The work also explores the underlying adsorption mechanism using thermodynamic and kinetic evaluations. These findings highlight the potential of MgO@MnO2@graphite as an effective, low-cost and environmentally friendly corrosion inhibitor, aligning with current research interests in advanced materials for industrial corrosion control.Graphical abstract A schematic diagram illustrating characterisation methods for magnesium oxide at manganese dioxide at graphite in 1 molar hydrochloric acid solution. The schematic diagram presents magnesium oxide at manganese dioxide at graphite, M g O at M n O 2 at graphite, as the central material. The material is tested in 1 molar hydrochloric acid, H C l, solution. The label C S in 1 M H C l appears below a beaker containing a sample. Surrounding the central material are seven characterisation methods. These are weight loss, open circuit potential, O C P, polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, E I S, electrochemical frequency modulation, E F M, atomic force microscopy, A F M, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X P S.PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present the synthesis, characterization and corrosion inhibition performance of a novel MgO@MnO2@graphite hybrid nanocomposite for carbon steel protection in acidic media. The study demonstrates its high inhibition efficiency (up to 98.86% at 300 ppm) through electrochemical and surface analyses. The work also explores the underlying adsorption mechanism using thermodynamic and kinetic evaluations. These findings highlight the potential of MgO@MnO2@graphite as an effective, low-cost and environmentally friendly corrosion inhibitor, aligning with current research interests in advanced materials for industrial corrosion control.Graphical abstract A schematic diagram illustrating characterisation methods for magnesium oxide at manganese dioxide at graphite in 1 molar hydrochloric acid solution. The schematic diagram presents magnesium oxide at manganese dioxide at graphite, M g O at M n O 2 at graphite, as the central material. The material is tested in 1 molar hydrochloric acid, H C l, solution. The label C S in 1 M H C l appears below a beaker containing a sample. Surrounding the central material are seven characterisation methods. These are weight loss, open circuit potential, O C P, polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, E I S, electrochemical frequency modulation, E F M, atomic force microscopy, A F M, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X P S.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a sol-gel synthesis approach to prepare MgO and MnO2 nanoparticles, which were subsequently integrated with graphite via ultrasonication to form a MgO@MnO2@graphite nanocomposite. Comprehensive characterization was performed using X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared, scanning electron microscopy-energy-dispersive X-ray, transmission electron microscopy, ultraviolet-visible, atomic force microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to confirm structure and morphology. The corrosion inhibition performance of the nanocomposite on carbon steel in 1 M HCl was evaluated using weight loss analysis, potentiodynamic polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and electrochemical frequency modulation. Surface analysis further supported the protective film formation mechanism. All tests were conducted under standardized conditions and validated through repeat measurements.FindingsThe MgO@MnO2@graphite nanocomposite exhibited remarkable corrosion inhibition performance for carbon steel in 1 M HCl. Weight loss, electrochemical and surface analyses confirmed a concentration-dependent inhibition efficiency, reaching 98.86% at 300 ppm. Potentiodynamic polarization and EIS studies indicated mixed-type inhibition, enhanced charge transfer resistance and reduced corrosion rates. Surface analyses (AFM and XPS) verified protective layer formation. Thermodynamic and kinetic evaluations revealed a spontaneous, exothermic adsorption process involving both physisorption and chemisorption. Adsorption followed Frumkin isotherm behavior. These comprehensive findings highlight the nanocomposite's potential as a highly efficient and stable corrosion inhibitor in aggressive acidic environments.Originality/valueThis study introduces a novel MgO@MnO2@graphite nanocomposite synthesized via a simple sol-gel and ultrasonication route for corrosion protection of carbon steel in acidic media. The originality lies in the synergistic integration of MgO and MnO2 with graphite, offering enhanced inhibition efficiency through a mixed physisorption-chemisorption mechanism. Comprehensive evaluation using electrochemical, surface and thermodynamic analyses demonstrated superior protection efficiency (up to 98.86%) and long-term stability. The findings provide valuable insight into designing multifunctional nanocomposites as environmentally friendly, low-cost alternatives for corrosion mitigation in industrial applications, particularly where aggressive acidic conditions are encountered.

Plastic waste represents one of the most critical environmental challenges facing marine ecosystems due to its profound and long-lasting impacts on biodiversity, marine sustainability, and global ecological balance. This study aims to analyze the international legal framework governing the protection of the marine environment from plastic waste pollution by examining relevant international and regional conventions and assessing their effectiveness in addressing this escalating problem. The research adopts a descriptive-analytical methodology that integrates the examination of legal texts with their interpretation in light of current environmental realities, focusing particularly on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as a cornerstone of the international maritime legal system.The findings reveal that current international legal frameworks, while foundational in establishing marine environmental protection principles, remain limited in enforceability and binding effect due to the absence of a dedicated international instrument specifically addressing marine plastic pollution. Furthermore, disparities in economic and technological capacities among states hinder the effective implementation of existing international commitments. The study emphasizes the urgent need to establish a stricter and more comprehensive legal mechanism that integrates concepts of the circular economy, biodegradable materials, and innovation-driven waste management solutions. The study concludes that effective marine environmental protection requires reconfiguring the international legal system to better align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 14__Life Below Water__by promoting cohesive global legal and institutional cooperation. Through this integration of legal governance and sustainable innovation, the study offers a comprehensive strategic vision aimed at safeguarding marine biodiversity and ensuring the sustainability of natural resources for future generations.

Precise assessment of photovoltaic (PV) parameters is crucial for enhancing solar system performance, ensuring reliable energy predictions, and improving efficiency. Estimating the PV model parameters remains fraught with theoretical and practical issues, as evidenced by the continuous emergence of various optimization techniques to address the shortcomings of traditional approaches. This paper propels this domain forward by representing an analytical-derived solution that concurrently eradicates iteration-dependent convergence problems associated with optimization techniques with enhanced estimation accuracy. The presented analytical technique depends on data derived from the I–V characteristics, circumventing the need for approximations. The approach methodically divided the I–V curve into three separate operating zones: the high-current zone, the maximum power zone, and the high-voltage zone. Each zone yields distinct equations using derivative-based analysis, clumping in a fully specified system of five equations. This technique facilitates the accurate extraction of the five essential single-diode model (SDM) PV parameters by generating five equations for these unknowns. The suggested analytical approach was validated using experimental data for three different PV panels/cells: R.T.C France solar cell, PWP201, and ET-M53690W PV module. The efficacy of this methodology was rigorously assessed, exhibiting substantial concordance with empirical I–V characteristics and being compared to seven modern optimization strategies. The findings demonstrate the enhanced precision of the proposed analytical method compared to optimization-based techniques.