Highway embankments stability during its service period represents an important factor for the safety of highway users and vehicles. Consequently, the cost of construction of these embankments should be adequate to maintain the safety and durability during this period through proper estimation of the loading on asphalt pavement, slope stability, horizontal and vertical deformation, etc. Slope stability of the embankment mainly depends on the shear strength of the soil layers materials; this shear strength is affected by the water table level through the contribution of the capillary water. Negative pore water pressure above the water table level evolves matric suction in the unsaturated zone above water table; this matric suction increases the shear strength of the soil depending on the soil type, void ratio, etc. This paper studies the slope stability of highway embankment using finite element method analysis to show the effect of the presence of water table and the contribution of the matric suction. A trial slope is shown to have same factor of safety with reduced cross section due to increasing the shear strength hence, reducing the cross-sectional cost is determined.
Malaysia will be an ageing population by 2030 as the number of those aged 60 years and above has increased drastically from 6.2 percent in 2000 and is expected to reach 13.6 percent by 2030. There are many challenges that will be faced due to the ageing population, one of which is the increasing cost of pensions in the future. In view of that, it is necessary to investigate the effect of actuarial assumptions on pension liabilities under the perspective of ageing. To estimate the pension liabilities, the Projected Unit Credit method is used in the study and commutation functions are employed in the process. Demographic risk and salary risk have been identified as major risks in analyzing pension liabilities in this study. The sensitivity
... Show MoreThe gypseous soil may be one of the problems that face the engineers especially when it used as a foundation for hydraulic structures, roads, and other structures. Gypseous soil is strong soil and has good properties when it is dry, but the problem arises when building hydraulic installations or heavy buildings on this soil after wetting the water to the soil by raising the water table level from any source or from rainfall which leads to dissolve the gypsum content. Cement-stabilized soil has been successfully used as a facing or lining for earth channel, highway embankments and drainage ditches to reduce the risk of erosion and collapsibility of soil. This study is deliberate the treatment of gypseous soil by using a mixture
... Show MoreCopper electrodeposition by electrorefining process in acidic sulfate media contains 40 g/l of cupric ions and 160 g/l of sulfuric acid was achieved to study the influence of the operating parameters on cathode purity, surface morphology, deposition rate, current efficiency and power consumption. These operating parameters and there ranges are: current density 200, 300 and 400 A/m2, electrolyte temperature 35, 50 and 65 oC, electrodes spacing 15, 30 and 45 mm and electrolyte residence time 6, 4 and 2 h were utilized. XRF, SEM and EDX analyses were attained to clarify the properties of the produced cathode.
This study investigates the influence of Strategic Consensus (SC) on Organizational Performance (OP), with Strategic Alignment (SA) serving as a mediating variable, within private academic institutions in Iraq. The research utilized scales developed to measure each variable: SC, OP, and SA, all of which are unidimensional. The sample comprised 131 senior participants, including deans and faculty council members, with questionnaires distributed across three institutions: Dijla University College (35 respondents), Baghdad College of Economic Sciences (31 respondents), and the University of Uruk (65 respondents). Data analysis employed various statistical techniques, including normality testing, confirmatory factor analysis, descriptive statis
... Show MoreThis study investigates the constructs and related theories that drive social capital in energy sector from the intention perspectives. This research uses theories of 'social support' and 'planned behaviour' alongside satisfaction and perceived value to propose a research model that drives social capital for energy sectors in Malaysia. The model reveals that the Theories of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and Social Support Theory (SST) alongside satisfaction and perceived value factors promote social capital development in energy sectors. Using PLS-SEM to analyse data gathered from energy sector employees in Malaysia, this research demonstrates that social capital is present when there is trust and loyalty among the users and positively effects en
... Show MoreAbstract
The current study was conducted to assess the effect of advancing age on total serum IgE level in asthmatic patients. To this purpose, 90 asthmatic patients and 30 healthy individuals ( control group ) were enrolled. Asthmatic patients were categorized into four groups. Group A consisted of asthmatic patients (9) whose age was more than 20 and up to 30 y. Group B contained asthmatics (13) of age more than 30 and up to 40 y. Group C comprised those (23) of more than 40 and up to 50 y. Group D consisted asthmatic patients (45) of age more than 50 y. Total serum IgE level significantly changed in group D patients when compared with those of
Selenium is naturally present in the human body, animals, and plants, and is one of the important elements in their growth and maintenance. Recently, the nanoform of selenium has attracted attention due to its low toxicity and a high degree of adsorption compared to its organic and inorganic forms. The current study aimed to examine the effect of Cress leaves (Lepidium sativum L.) extract in combination with selenium nanoparticles in alleviating polycystic ovary syndrome in letrozole-induced PCOS in adult female rats. Nonthermal or cold plasma was used in the synthesis of selenium nanoparticles. Subsequently, the produced nanoparticles were identified, the 30 rats were divided into 6 equal groups, the first group was healthy (negative contr
... Show MoreObjective: To evaluate the psychological work environment's effect on the workers’ productivity in Baghdad
City industries at Al-Rusafa and Al-Karkh Sectors.
Methodology: A descriptive evaluation design is employed throughout the present study from May 25th 2012
through January 7
th
, 2014. A purposive (non probability) sample is selected for the study which includes (500)
workers from industries at AL-Russafa and AL-Kerch sectors in Baghdad City. A questionnaire is constructed to
gather data which may assist to achieve the objective of the study. Content validity of the instrument is
determined through eliciting the opinions of a panel of (10) experts and the reliability through a pilot study by
using intern
This paper presents the design and analysis of composite right left hand (CRLH) electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) structure. The proposed unit cell is consistent of a dielectric substrate with dimensions of 5×5×1 mm 3 made of FR4-Epoxy with εr = 4.4 underneath of a conductive patch with dimensions of 4.4×4.4mm 2 . The unit cell is structured to perform a negative permittivity (ε) and negative permeability (µ) in different bands. The proposed unit cell is developed to 5G systems in the sub-6GHz bands. In this work, a complete analysis of the unit cell in terms of Sparameters, constitutive parameters and refraction index are evaluated using HFSS simulation package based on Finite Element Method (FEM).
Structural, optical, and electrical properties of thin films of CdS : Zn prepared by the solution – growth technique are reported as a function of zinc concentration. CdS are window layers influencing the photovoltaic response of CIS solar cells. The zinc doping concentration was varied from 0.05 to 0.5 wt %, zinc doping apparently increase the band gap and lowers the resistivity. All beneficial optical properties of chemically deposited CdS thin films for application as window material in heterojunction optoelectronic devices are retained. Heat treatment in air at 400 °C for 1h modify crystalline structure, optical, and electrical properties of solution growth deposited CdS : Zn films.