The studies on unbonded post-tensioned concrete members strengthened with Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers (CFRPs) are limited and the effect of strengthening on the strain of unbonded pre-stressed steel is not well characterized. Estimating the flexural capacity of unbound post-tensioned members using the design methodology specified in the design guidelines for FRP strengthening techniques of bonded post-tensioned members does not provide a reliable evaluation. This study investigates the behavior of unbonded post-tensioned concrete members with partial strand damage (14.3% and 28.6% damage) and strengthened with CFRP laminates using a near-surface mounted technique with and without U-wrap anchorages. The experimental results showed that the use of CFRP laminates significantly affects strand strain, especially with the use of anchors. The CFRP reinforcement affected flexural strength, crack width, and midspan deflection. However, the flexural stiffness of strengthened members during the serviceability phases is critical as strand damage ratios increase. In comparison with the nondamaged girder, the NSM-CFRP laminates enhanced the flexural capacity by 11% and 7.7% corresponding to strand damage of 14.3% and 28.6% respectively. Additionally, semiempirical equations were proposed to predict the actual strain of unbonded strands whilst considering the effects of FRP laminates. The suggested equations are simple to apply and provide accurate predictions with little variance.
The study aimed to identify the extent of contamination of some imported canned meat to Iraq through the assessment of the level of certain hormones, antibiotics and parasites which included canned food samples and different types of canned beef and luncheon meat beef and canned luncheon and canned chicken. The results showed for the level of certain hormones progesterone hormone that has a high level of these models in terms of its value ranged from (21.7-34.5) ng/ml and either hormone testosterone was within allowable level where its value ranged from (1.4-4.4) ng/ml As for antibiotics , there has been effective inhibitory in all canning toward the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and E.Coli
... Show MoreThe treatment of migraine headache targets the neurovascular mechanism and involves the use of serotonin receptor antagonists. Some of these drugs are used for the treatment of acute attacks; while others are effective as prophylactic measures to decrease the duration and frequency of attacks. Pizotifen, a 5-HTA antagonist, is one of the prophylactic drugs for which the clinical use resulted in low outcomes in reducing migraine symptoms. Melatonin, a serotonin derived neurohormone, was reported to exert many functions like sleep induction, anti-inflammatory, neurovascular regulation, cytoprotection and modulation of neurotransmitter release. In the view of the involvement of serotonin in the pathophysiology of migraine a
... Show MoreAb – initio restricted Hartree - Fock method within the framework of large unit cell (LUC) formalism is used to investigate the electronic structure of Si and Ge nanocrystals. The surface and core properties are investigated. A large unit cell of 8 atoms is used in the present analysis. Cohesive energy, energy gap, conduction and valence band widths are obtained from the electronic structure calculations. The results are compared with available experimental data and theoretical results of other investigators. The calculated lattice constant is found to be slightly larger than the corresponding experimental value because we use only 8 atoms and we compared the results with that of the bulk crystals, nanoclusters are expected to have str
... Show MoreHistorically, medicinal herbs have been utilized as an important origin of chemicals with particular therapeutic potentials, and they continue to be a great place to find new medication candidates. Parthenocissus quinquefolia L. is a member of the grape-growing family Vitaceae. It is indigenous to Central and North America. It is widely dispersed in Iraqi gardens and plant houses from north to south. Traditionally, it has many uses, like relieving constipation, treating jaundice, expectorant, emetic, and others. At the same time, its proven activities include antioxidant activity, antimicrobial, anti-diabetic, thrombin inhibitor effect, and medicine for treating eyelid eczema. Parthenocissus quinquefolia contains valuable phytochemicals lik
... Show MoreThe recent advances in technology, the increased dependence on electrical energy and the emergence of the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) were all factors in the increased need for smart, efficient and reliable energy systems. This introduced the concept of the Smart Grid (SG). A SG is a potential replacement for older power grids, capable of adapting and distributing energy based on demand. SG systems are complex. They combine various components and have high requirements for real time reliable operation. This paper attempts to provide an overview of SG systems, by outlining SG architecture and various components. It also introduces communication technologies, integration and network management tools that are involved in SG sys
... Show MoreCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has become a pandemic worldwide. On a daily basis the number of deaths associated with COVID-19 is rapidly increasing. The main transmission route of SARS-CoV-2 is through the air (airborne transmission). This review details the airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the aerodynamics, and different modes of transmission (e.g. droplets, droplet nuclei, and aerosol particles). SARS-CoV-2 can be transmitted by an infected person during activities such as expiration, coughing, sneezing, and talking. During such activities and some medical procedures, aerosols and droplets contaminated with SARS-CoV-2 particles are formed. Depending on their
... Show MoreBack ground: The gender related difference
may be the result of pregandiol excretion in the
latter half of pregnancy.
Aim: This study is to evaluate the effects of fetal
gender on serum human chorionic gonadotropin
[HCG] and testosterone in normotensive and
preeclamptic pregnancies
Methods: The study consisted of fifty women with
singleton pergnancy in their third trimester. Twenty
five pregnancies were uncomplicated Among those
there were thirteen male, and twelve female fetuses
Twenty five pregnancies were complicated by
preeclampsia. Among those thirteen were with male,
and twelve were with female fetuses. Human
chorionic gonadotropin and total testosterone were
measured in maternal periphe
Background: Environmental chemicals are thought to
adversely affect human reproductive function.
Objective : To estimate the concentration of cadmium(Cd)
, lead ( Pb ) and Zinc ( Zn ) in serum and seminal plasma
among infertile men .
Methods: A sample of 70 infertile men was investigated.
The relationship of trace elements concentration in serum and
seminal plasma was studied in relation to sperm density,
motility and sperm count.
Results: Except for Zinc the concentration of (Pb) and (Cd)
were generally higher in serum than in seminal plasma. The
mean concentration of (Zn) in seminal plasma was more than
25 times higher than in serum There were no statistical
significant differences observed in the
The estimation of the parameters of linear regression is based on the usual Least Square method, as this method is based on the estimation of several basic assumptions. Therefore, the accuracy of estimating the parameters of the model depends on the validity of these hypotheses. The most successful technique was the robust estimation method which is minimizing maximum likelihood estimator (MM-estimator) that proved its efficiency in this purpose. However, the use of the model becomes unrealistic and one of these assumptions is the uniformity of the variance and the normal distribution of the error. These assumptions are not achievable in the case of studying a specific problem that may include complex data of more than one model. To
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