This study conducted an analytical investigation on the behavior of concrete beams with openings reinforced by glass-fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars. In this study, five proposed beams reinforced by GFRP bars as flexural and shear reinforcement with openings were numerically examined. The variables were the opening orientation (vertical and horizontal) and the number of openings. These openings were located within the flexural zone of the proposed beams. The result shows that the vertical openings had a significant effect over the horizontal openings on reducing the ultimate load and increasing the mid-span deflection compared with the control beam. Moreover, the results showed that when replacing two adjacent openings by one equivalent opening, the capacity of the beam is decreased.
Recently, Qatar, a well-known oil production country, has been convinced as a successful case in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) as a smaller economy. This paper aims to investigate how FDI inflows affect Qatar’s business cycles. Time series data was selected from 1990 to 2010 as available. The VAR Impulse Responses and the Granger Causality test were mainly employed by using Eviews. The derived result shows that the FDI inflows and the economic growth in Qatar interact with each other in a relatively long term.
Background: Among individuals who have a stenotic aortic valve, a precise assessment of aortic valve area is essential for clinical judgment. So far, no studies have been conducted to investigate and assess the role of the three dimensional echo-cardiography in the assessment of the valve stenosis. This study aims to compare and assess the precision of the measurement of the stenosis area of the aortic valve by 2D versus 3D echo-cardiography.
In this study, Cr−Mo−N thin films with different Mo contents were synthesised via closed field unbalanced magnetron sputtering ion plating. The effects of Mo content on the microstructure, chemical bonding state, and optical properties of the prepared films were investigated by X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field emission scanning electron microscopy, and ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry. XRD results determined the face centered cubic (fcc) structure of pure CrN film. The incorporation of molybdenum (Mo) in the CrN matrix was confirmed by both XRD and XPS analyses. The CrMoN coatings demonstrate various polycrystalline phases including CrN, γ-Mo2N, Cr with oxides layers of MoO3, CrO3
... Show MoreDarifenacin hydrobromide (DH) is the more recent uroselective M3 receptor antagonist for treating uncomplicated overactive bladder (OAB). This study was aimed to formulate DH as fast dissolving buccal films (FDBFs) using a solvent casting method to enhance patient’s compliance.
Films were prepared by using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as a film forming polymer. Different types and concentrations of superdisintegrants (croscarmellose sodium, sodium starch glycolate, indion 414) were used to select the best formula by studying the physicochemical properties of the films, disintegration time (DT) and percent drug release.
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... Show MoreDifferent polymers were prepared by condensation polymerization of sebacic anhydride and adipic anhydride with ethylene glycol and poly(ethylene glycol). Their number average molecular weights were determined by end group analysis. Then, they were grafted on the prepared phthalocyaninatocopper(II) compounds with the general formula (NH2)4PcCu(II) having amino groups of 3,3',3'',3'''- or 4,4',4'',4'''- positions. All prepared polymers, compounds, and phthalocyaninatocopper(II)-grafted polymers were characterized by FTIR. The sizing measurements were carried out in 3,3',3'',3'''- (NH2)4PcCu(II) and 4,4',4'',4'''- (NH2)4PcCu(II) compounds with and without grafting polymers. The results showed that the grafting process led to decreasing in par
... Show MoreAfter more than ten years of successful march of the European single currency and EU countries faced a crisis in one of its debt, which recently joined the monetary union is not Greece . Perhaps mpre than th effects of this crisis, the fact that its consequences were not confined to Greece alone , but expand it to include all EU countries in general and the countries of the European Monetary Union in particular.
Sine the debt crisis that emerged Greek and talk a lot a bout their effects on the global economy and the potential harm done th the situation of the global economy recovers from the global financial crisis (mortgage crisis), or delayed and also the fears of other crises to other member states suf
... Show MoreData steganography is a technique used to hide data, secret message, within another data, cover carrier. It is considered as a part of information security. Audio steganography is a type of data steganography, where the secret message is hidden in audio carrier. This paper proposes an efficient audio steganography method that uses LSB technique. The proposed method enhances steganography performance by exploiting all carrier samples and balancing between hiding capacity and distortion ratio. It suggests an adaptive number of hiding bits for each audio sample depending on the secret message size, the cover carrier size, and the signal to noise ratio (SNR). Comparison results show that the proposed method outperforms state of the art methods
... Show MoreObjective of the study was to rate and analyze the physical fitness of female students from Iraq and Russia to find similarities, differences and regularities. Sampled for the study were 44 female non-sporting students: 20 students from Pedagogical University in Bagdad; and 24 students from Russian State University of Physical Education, Sport, Youth and Tourism in Moscow. The study was designed to obtain the joints flexibility, coordination, speed-strength and static endurance rates. The Iraqi students were tested with higher coordination abilities than their Russian peers, whilst the latter were ranked higher in the speed-strength, shoulder joints and spine flexibility tests, albeit lower than their Iraqi peers in the hip flexibility test
... Show MoreThe present study explores numerically the energy storage and energy regeneration during Melting and Solidification processes in Phase Change Materials (PCM) used in Latent Heat Thermal Energy Storage (LHTES) systems. Transient two-dimensional (2-D) conduction heat transfer equations with phase change have been solved utilizing the Explicit Finite Difference Method (FDM) and Grid Generation technique. A Fortran computer program was built to solve the problem. The study included four different Paraffin's. The effects of container geometrical shape, which included cylindrical and square sections of the same volume and heat transfer area, the container volume or mass of PCM, variation of mass flow rate of heat transfer fluid (HTF), and temp
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