Currently and under the COVID-19 which is considered as a kind of disaster or even any other natural or manmade disasters, this study was confirmed to be important especially when the society is proceeding to recover and reduce the risks of as possible as injuries. These disasters are leading somehow to paralyze the activities of society as what happened in the period of COVID-19, therefore, more efforts were to be focused for the management of disasters in different ways to reduce their risks such as working from distance or planning solutions digitally and send them to the source of control and hence how most countries overcame this stage of disaster (COVID-19) and collapse. Artificial intelligence should be used when there is no practical solution for a problem occurring in a projects starting from individual self-development ending to the adaptation to information technology sector with a continuous posting in this world of information industry where as metaphor “needs is a cause of creativity”. This study focuses on the use of artificial neural networks ANN to find a solution to issues in projects delays and furthermore when there is no physical or mathematical solution found so far. ANN’s were used to build a model that helps in finding a solution for delays in some selected projects in Baghdad (as case study), and discussing the strategies of rebuilding plus delays in time and cost due to delay factors. 35 construction projects were chosen in Baghdad greater area, vary in sizes and types. Crew and laborers were targeted in sampling collection methodology basically throughout questionnaire forms of field survey as they were filled by them. ANN’s helped in modelling delays factors to help decision makers in an appropriate management of projects. External factors which includes disasters mentioning COVID-19 as the most important disaster ever happened in the last decades, were the most important factor that caused delay in time and cost of projects implementation processes where this factor was controlling the other major factors such as contractor failure, redesigning, changing orders, security issues, low prices, besides weather issues and owner failure.
Objectives To tailor composites of polyethylene–hydroxyapatite to function as a new intracanal post for the restoration of endodontically treated teeth (ETT). Methods Silanated hydroxyapatite (HA) and zirconium dioxide (ZrO2) filled low-density polyethylene (LDPE) composites were fabricated by a melt extrusion process and characterised using infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The flexural strength and modulus were determined in dry state and post ageing in simulated body fluid and fractured surfaces analysed by SEM. The water uptake and radiographic appearance of the experimental composites were also measured and compared with a commercially known endodontic fibre
... Show MoreBackground: The aim of this study is to evaluate the color change ∆E of the dental enamel following treatment with 2 kinds of protector (icon infiltrant, clinpro varnish) before fixed orthodontic treatment to avoid the possible white spot lesions. Materials and Methods: Fifty four subjects treated with fixed appliances were divided into 3 groups: the 1st group was control, while the 2nd and 3rd groups were treated with icon infiltrant and clinpro varnish before bonding procedure, respectively. Color parameters (L,a,b) were recorded for the middle and gingival thirds before and after bonding procedure to get the ∆E of each group. Results: One-way ANOVA test showed a non-significant difference in ∆E between the 3 groups a
... Show MoreArcHydro is a model developed for building hydrologic information systems to synthesize geospatial and temporal water resources data that support hydrologic modeling and analysis. Raster-based digital elevation models (DEMs) play an important role in distributed hydrologic modeling supported by geographic information systems (GIS). Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data have been used to derive hydrological features, which serve as inputs to various models. Currently, elevation data are available from several major sources and at different spatial resolutions. Detailed delineation of drainage networks is the first step for many natural resource management studies. Compared with interpretation from aerial photographs or topographic maps, auto
... Show MoreControlling cost in construction projects is an essential issue. This study investigates the most critical problems that cause weakness in cost control in Iraqi construction projects. The quantitative technique was used by conducting a survey directed to professionals who work on construction projects. One hundred and sixty-four questionnaire forms were distributed to private sector companies, government companies, and government institutions, and the responses were subjected to the required statistical analysis. The results indicate that the most influential factors are the weakness in keeping up with the use of modern concepts, methods, and technologies, the delay in receiving the amounts due for work done from the owner, fluctuat
... Show MorePublic-private partnership (PPP) has been used over the past 20-30 years by governments in developed countries to meet the public demand for infrastructural services. In Iraq, the PPP concept is comparatively new to the Government of Iraq (GoI), where the government has historically taken most of the responsibility for providing public services. There are few PPP projects in Iraq. However, the number is increasing. Recently the Iraqi market has experienced a number of attempts of PPP in different sectors, especially after the new investment law in 2006. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the investment environment in Iraq and to indicate the main factors affecting PPP in particular for infrastructure projects. Some literature review and
... Show MoreThe aim of this research is to test the relationship of influence and correlation between strategic performance and its five dimensions (financial dimension, after internal processes, after internal customer satisfaction, after learning and growth, environmental and social dimension), by adopting international indicators in agricultural projects To determine the extent of the differences between the research variable and its dimensions, and then try to come out with a number of recommendations that contribute to the evaluation of agricultural projects and their performance by diagnosing and treating deviations, and based on the importance of the research topic in agricultural institutions. Institutions of the Environment and Soci
... Show MoreTax is an important financial resource that the state depends on in all its economic, political, and social fields. Nevertheless, the role of the tax is highlighted in raising tax revenues and influencing economic variables, such as savings, consumption, investment, and employment. The tax was taken as an important tool to stimulate investment in industrial projects because of this activity's important role in raising the efficiency of economic development and reviving the national economy, as many industrial investment laws were enacted and the most important thing included was exempting industrial projects from all taxes and fees (5-10) years, and an exemption Profits from income tax for a period of 5 years starting from the year in which
... Show MoreThe quality and cost of constructed buildings are heavily influenced by the performance of design/auditing consultants. Thus, selecting the right design consultant and design auditing consultants is of utmost importance and not an easy task for any construction client. so, the client should specify the efficiency criteria and assess the performance levels of the design and design auditing consultant firm. The study aims to identify the selection criteria of the design consultant in construction projects and also identify the selection criteria of the design auditing consultant for the construction projects by using the Delphi survey with applying the principal components analysis (PCA