The study aimed to survey mushroom species from fields among herbs, palm trunks, and trees in central Iraq and to identify them on the basis of morphological and molecular characteristics. As a molecular identification result with polymerase chain reaction six species were recorded (with eight isolates): Agaricus bitorquis (Quéllt) Saccardo. 1887 (SHA14); Candolleomyces candolleanus (Fr.) D. Wächter & Melzer, 2020 (SHA15); Cyclocybe cylindracea (D.C.) Vizzini & Angelini, 2014 (SHA13); Leucoagaricus hesperius Vellinga, 2010 (SHA16); Volvariella sp. (SHA17), and Volvopluteus gloiocephalus (D. C.) Vizzini, Contu & Justo, 2011 (SHA10, SHA101 and SHA12), belonging to four families of Basidiomycetes: Agaricaceae, Pluteaceae,

In this study a polymeric composite material was prepared by hand
lay-up technique from epoxy resin as a matrix and magnesium oxide
(MgO) as a reinforcement with different weight fraction (5,10,15,
and 20)% to resin. Then the prepared samples were immersed under
normal condition in H₂So₄(1 M) solution, for periods ranging up to
10 weeks. The result revealed that the diffusion coefficient
decreasing as the concentration of MgO increase. Also we studied
Hardness for the prepared samples before and after immersion. The
result revealed that the hardness values increase as the concentration
of MgO increase, while the hardness for the samples after immersion
in H₂SO₄ dec

In this work, yttrium oxide particles (powder) reinforced AL-Si matrix composites (Y2O3/Al-Si) and Chromium oxide particles reinforced AL-Si matrix composites (Cr2O3/AL-Si) were prepared by direct squeeze casting. The volume percentages of yttrium oxide used are (4, 8.1, 12.1, 16.1 vol %) and the volume percentages of the chromium oxide particles used are (3.1, 6.3, 9.4, 12.5 vol. %). The parameters affecting the preparation of Y2O3/Al-Si and Cr2O3/AL-Si composites by direct squeeze casting process were studied. The molten Al-Si alloy with yttrium oxide particles or with chromium oxide particles was stirred again using an electrical stirrer at speed 500 rpm  and the molten alloy was  poured  into the squeeze die cavity. Th

A numerical method is developed to obtain two-dimensional velocity and pressure distribution through a cylindrical pipe with cross jet flows. The method is based on solving partial differential equations for the conservation of mass and momentum by finite difference method to convert them into algebraic equations. This well-known problem is used to introduce the basic concepts of CFD including: the finite- difference mesh, the discrete nature of the numerical solution, and the dependence of the result on the mesh refinement. Staggered grid implementation of the numerical model is used. The set of algebraic equations is solved simultaneously by “SIMPLE” algorithm to obtain velocity and pressure distribution within a pipe. In order to

Strengthening of composite beams is highly needed to upgrade the capacities of existing beams. The strengthening methods can be classified as active or passive techniques. Therefore, the main purpose of this study is to provide detailed FE simulations for strengthened and unstrengthened steel–concrete composite beams at the sagging and hogging moment regions with and without profiled steel sheeting. The developed models were verified against experimental results from the literature. The verified models were used to present comparisons between the effect of using external post-tensioning and CFRP laminates as strengthening techniques. Applying external post-tensioning at the sagging moment regions is more effective because of the e

This field experiment, was conducted to investigate a comparison of two methods for harvesting potatoes: mechanical and handy when using moldboard and chisel plow for primary tillage and three different distances for planting tubers in the rows 15, 25, and 35 cm in silt clay loam soil south of Baghdad. The factorial experiment followed a randomized complete block design with three replications using L.S.D. 5 % and 1 %. Mechanical harvest recorded the best valid potato tubers at 88.78 %, marketable yield of 31.74 ton. ha-1, efficiency lifted 95.68 %, tubers damage index 28.41, speeding up the harvesting process and reducing time and effort. Handy harvest gave the least damage to potato tubers, 6.02 %, and unlifted potato tubers, 4.32 %. Howe

Epoxy resin has many chemical features and mechanical properties, but it has a small elongation at break, low impact strength and crack propagation resistance, i.e. it exhibits a brittle behavior. In the current study, the influence of adding kaolin with variable particle size on the mechanical properties (flexural modulus E, toughness Gc, fracture toughness Kc, hardness HB, and Wear rate WR) of epoxy resin was evaluated. Composites of epoxy with varying concentrations (0, 10, 20, 30, 40 weights %) of kaolin were prepared by hand-out method. The composites showed improved (E, Gc, Kc, HB, and WR) properties with the addition of filler. Also, similar results were observed with the decrease in particle size. In addition, in this study, mult

The nonlinear refractive index and the nonlinear absorption coefficient of unmodified and functional poly(methyl methacrylate) PMMA films were studied before and after the addition of the filler by the z-scan technique, using a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser at two wavelengths: 532 nm and 1064 nm, and at three input energies (13, 33 and 53) mJ. Both linear and nonlinear refractive indices and absorption coefficients of polymer films were studied by using UV-VIS spectrophotometer. The results show that the creation of functional PMMA from unmodified PMMA will increase the nonlinear optical properties in the functional PMMA/copper matrix more than in the unmodified PMMA/copper matrix. Hence, the functional PMMA appears promising as a useful third