Volume 24 No. 2

Optimization of Glucose Production from Waste Office Paper by Sulfuric Acid Hydrolysis Using Response Surface Methodology (RSM)

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Optimization of Glucose Production from Waste Office Paper by Sulfuric Acid Hydrolysis Using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) Osman, Aeisha; Karama, Babiker The depletion of conventional energy resources has increased global interest in renewable and sustainable biofuels. Wastepaper is a major biodegradable component of municipal solid waste and a promising feedstock for bioethanol production because of its high cellulose content. This study aimed to optimize glucose production from waste office paper through concentrated sulfuric acid hydrolysis using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) based on a Central Composite Design (CCD). Waste office paper was pretreated and hydrolyzed to evaluate the effects of acid concentration, acid loading, and reaction temperature, while the hydrolysis time was fixed at 3 h. The experimental results were used to develop a quadratic regression model, which adequately described the relationship between the process variables and glucose yield. The optimized hydrolysis conditions resulted in improved glucose production from wastepaper, demonstrating the feasibility of concentrated acid hydrolysis as an effective pretreatment method. The highest sugar concentration (16.00 g/L) was obtained at 30% sulfuric acid concentration, 175 mL acid loading, and 100°C after 3 h of hydrolysis. The developed model showed statistically significant results (p<0.0001) with a high coefficient of determination (R² = 0.987) and adjusted R² of 0.969, indicating good agreement between the predicted and experimental values. The glucose-rich hydrolysate can subsequently be fermented using Saccharomyces cerevisiae for bioethanol production. These findings indicate that waste paper is a promising renewable resource for sustainable biofuel production while contributing to waste minimization and environmental protection. Furthermore, the properties of the produced glucose were found to agree with Sudan’s standard specification for glucose. The novelty of this study lies in systematically optimizing concentrated sulfuric acid hydrolysis of waste office paper using RSM to maximize glucose production, thereby improving the potential ethanol yield during subsequent fermentation.

Energy Consumption Performance Using Window-to-Wall Ratio Factor in a Hot, Dry Climate in Office Buildings: A Case Study in Khartoum City, Sudan

Sat, 04 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Energy Consumption Performance Using Window-to-Wall Ratio Factor in a Hot, Dry Climate in Office Buildings: A Case Study in Khartoum City, Sudan Saad, Mofida M; El Kheir, , Osman M; Fadlallah, Qrrad This study investigates energy consumption in office buildings, which are among the most energy-intensive building types and significantly contribute to overall energy demand and associated environmental impacts. The research aims to evaluate the role of energy‐efficient design strategies, with particular emphasis on the window‐to‐wall ratio (WWR), in reducing cooling energy consumption in office buildings located in Khartoum City. Three contemporary office buildings were selected as case studies. The adopted methodology integrates parametric building modeling and energy simulation using Rhino, Grasshopper for Rhino, and DIVA to assess the influence of different WWR configurations on building energy performance. Simulation results were analyzed using descriptive statistical methods to identify trends and performance variations. The findings reveal that WWR was not sufficiently considered during the early design stages of the investigated buildings, leading to increased solar heat gains, higher indoor thermal loads, and consequently elevated cooling energy demand. The study demonstrates that appropriate control of WWR can play a critical role in improving energy performance in office buildings situated in hot, arid climates. The results underline the importance of integrating energy efficiency considerations at the design stage and provide evidence-based guidance for architects and decision-makers to support the adoption of passive design strategies in similar climatic contexts

Groundwater Availability in Madani Locality, Gezira State, Sudan: A Hydrogeological Assessment of Aquifer Properties

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Groundwater Availability in Madani Locality, Gezira State, Sudan: A Hydrogeological Assessment of Aquifer Properties Ibrahim, Nada Abbas El Fadil; Ibrahim, Abbas Abd Alla; Ginaya, Mohmed Adam In this study, the hydrogeological parameters of the Greater Madani Locality in Sudan, as well as the availability of groundwater, are evaluated. An investigation was carried out into 37 operating wells that were chosen following a set of predetermined criteria and confirmed to be operational. The study area lies above Quaternary alluvial deposits of the island formation and is characterized by complex hydrogeological conditions ranging from semi-confined to unconfined aquifers. To assess the aquifer's capacity to transport and store groundwater, specific criteria and methods were employed, including the Cooper-Jacob straight-line method, the Theis recovery method, and the Theis-Hantush solution for leaky aquifers. The analysis revealed significant variation in hydraulic parameters across the study area. The transmissivity ranged from 82.09 to 843.32 m²/day, with an average of 295.02 m²/day. Based on the Transmissivity, the aquifer exhibited a moderate to high capacity for groundwater transport, particularly in the northern and central regions of the study area. Hydraulic conductivity ranged from 1.78 to 21.08 m/day (mean: 7.20 m/day), reflecting variations in rock formations, sediment sorting, and clay layer distribution. Additionally, calculated storage coefficients ranged from 0.007 to 0.8460 (mean: 0.1034), confirming variations in confinement conditions and high storage capacity. Specific well capacity ranged from 67.29 to 691.53 m³/day/m. The spatial maps from the Surfer program showed that groundwater availability and well productivity are significantly higher in the northern regions compared to the southern regions. These hydraulic parameters provided a crucial basis for the sustainable management of groundwater resources and the optimal development of well fields, in line with the increasing demand for groundwater for various uses in central Sudan.

BOT: a Token-Based Bag of Words Model for Arabic Biographical Texts Clustering

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT

BOT: a Token-Based Bag of Words Model for Arabic Biographical Texts Clustering Nooreldeen, Ebtihal; Zanaboni, Anna Maria Information retrieval often yields an overwhelming number of results, making effective data utilization challenging. Clustering techniques enhance navigation by grouping similar results. However, Arabic text clustering research often neglects semantic relationships. This study introduces the Bag of Tokens (BOT) model, which integrates semantic information, unlike the traditional Bag of Words (BOW) model. BOT relies on entities and relations extracted from text, enabling both improved clustering and dimensionality reduction. The approach was evaluated on an Arabic text dataset from the Wikipedia Monolingual Corpora, focusing on Sudanese politicians' biographies. Results demonstrated that BOT achieves lower dimensionality and enhances cluster coherence and separation across various clustering algorithms and distance metrics compared to BOW