The stepped spillway of a dam is a crucial element that serves multiple purposes in the field of river engineering. Research related to flood control necessitates an investigation into the dissipation of energy over stepped spillways. Previous research has been conducted on stepped spillways in the absence of baffles, utilizing diverse methodologies. This study employs machine learning techniques, specifically support vector machine (SVM) and regression tree (RT), to assess the energy dissipation of rectangular stepped spillways incorporating baffles arranged in different configurations and operating at varying channel slopes. Empirical evidence suggests that energy dissipation is more pronounced in channels with flat slopes and increases proportionally with the quantity of baffles present. Statistical measures are employed to validate the constructed models in the experimental investigation, with the aim of evaluating the efficacy and performance of the proposed model. The findings indicate that the SVM model proposed in this study accurately forecasted the energy dissipation, in contrast to both RT and the conventional method. This study confirms the applicability of machine learning techniques in the relevant field. Notably, it provides a unique contribution by predicting energy dissipation in stepped spillways with baffle configurations.

Purpose: This study aims to identify the dental caries, decayed, missing, and filled teeth index (dmft/DMFT) scores amongst children with cyanotic, and acyanotic congenital heart diseases (CHD), compare with healthy controls and identify the risk factors for poor dental health. Methods: Between January 2016 and June 2017, 236 children aged 2 to 15 years (mean±SD=7.61±3.88 yrs, median 7 yrs) with CHD and 951 healthy children aged 2 to 15 years (mean±SD=8.83±7.34 yrs, median 9 yrs) were evaluated. Results: Children with CHD had more caries in their primary and permanent dentition (mean dmft: 2.42±3.82, cardiac group vs. 2.32±6.68, control group; p<0·05; mean DMFT: 2.15±3.38, cardiac group vs. 1.27±1.89, control group; p=0.002). The DMFT scores for children with CHD were higher in the rural areas. Children frequently consuming biscuits, confectionary and sugared milk had higher dmft±SD scores. The possibility of caries in permanent dentition was more in children with cyanotic CHD compared to acyanotic. Caries in primary dentition showed positive correlation with age. Conclusions: CHD is associated with poorer dental health in children. Close cooperation between pediatric cardiologists and pediatric dentists is warranted to raise awareness, prevent and institute early treatment for dental ailments.

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