Value Engineering is an analytical study on projects or services using a specific procedure and a multidisciplinary working group, works for the identification and classification of the project functions; either for a better perfuming of these functions or to lessen the total project cost or the two together. Value Engineering main aim is on finding innovative alternatives, without effecting the basic requirements of the project, its methodology based on the functional balancing between the three elements of production "performance, quality and cost". This methodology based on the "functional analysis", had shown high possibilities in solving any problem facing the production procedure , achieve better investment for available re

In this paper, an enhanced artificial potential field (EAPF) planner is introduced. This planner is proposed to rapidly find online solutions for the mobile robot path planning problems, when the underlying environment contains obstacles with unknown locations and sizes. The classical artificial potential field represents both the repulsive force due to the detected obstacle and the attractive force due to the target. These forces can be considered as the primary directional indicator for the mobile robot. However, the classical artificial potential field has many drawbacks. So, we suggest two secondary forces which are called the midpoint

In this paper, first and second order sliding mode controllers are designed for a single link robotic arm actuated by two Pneumatic Artificial Muscles (PAMs). A new mathematical model for the arm has been developed based on the model of large scale pneumatic muscle actuator model. Uncertainty in parameters has been presented and tested for the two controllers. The simulation results of the second-order sliding mode controller proves to have a low tracking error and chattering effect as compared to the first order one. The verification has been done by using MATLAB and Simulink software.

We propose a novel strategy to optimize the test suite required for testing both hardware and software in a production line. Here, the strategy is based on two processes: Quality Signing Process and Quality Verification Process, respectively. Unlike earlier work, the proposed strategy is based on integration of black box and white box techniques in order to derive an optimum test suite during the Quality Signing Process. In this case, the generated optimal test suite significantly improves the Quality Verification Process. Considering both processes, the novelty of the proposed strategy is the fact that the optimization and reduction of test suite is performed by selecting only mutant killing test cases from cumulating t-way test ca

This study focuses on the use of an optimum amount of Sodium Polyacrylate (SP) for designing cement slurry with the high performance of rheological properties and displacement efficiency. A laboratory study has been carried out on the cement slurry which prepared with SP as superabsorbent polymer. SP has been providing an internal water source that helps in the hydration process, and curing and ultimately increases the cement strength. Also improves the cement performance by improving the cement stability. Several batches were prepared to determine the proper amount of SP to add it in the cement slurry. Also, we studied its effect on cement density, amount of free water in order to observe the rheological properties, and thickening time.

Background: Obesity is a serious public health concern that has reached epidemic proportions; the prevalence, as well as the severity of obesity in adolescents is increasing at an alarming rate. A close relationship was found between weight status and dental caries. Thus this research aimed to assess the prevalence and severity of dental caries among overweight adolescent females in relation to physicochemical characteristics of stimulated whole saliva in comparison with normal weight adolescent females. Materials and methods: The total sample involved for nutritional status assessment is composed of 2678 females aged 13-15 years. This was performed using Body Mass Index specific for age and gender according to CDC growth chart (2000). The

The rivers are the main source of fresh water for many countries and the great development which is considered as one of the sustainable development elements in its various agricultural, industrial, domestic and environmental fields .The countries of the world seek food security and water security in order to ensure the basic needs of citizens .Because their distribution is uneven in many regions of the world with different human needs, which leads to conflicts over water sources, especially those located in one international river basin .This has led to the emergence of internationallegal rules governing the management of The problem revolves around the dialectic between limited water resources and increased need for water use b

Objective: To assess the clinical learning environment and clinical training for students' in maternal and child
health nursing.
Methodology: A descriptive study was conducted on non probability sample (purposive) of (175) students' in
Nursing College/ University of Baghdad for the period of June 19th to July 18th 2013. A questionnaire was used as a
tool of data collection to fulfill with objective of the study and consisted of three parts, including demographic,
clinical learning environment and clinical training for students' in maternal and child health nursing. Descriptive
statistical analyses were used to analyze the data.
Results: The results of the study revealed that the 65.1% of student at age which ranged b