The conception and experimental assessment of a removable friction-based shear connector (FBSC) for precast steel-concrete composite bridges is presented. The FBSC uses pre-tensioned high-strength steel bolts that pass through countersunk holes drilled on the top flange of the steel beam. Pre-tensioning of the bolts provides the FBSC with significant frictional resistance that essentially prevents relative slip displacement of the concrete slab with respect to the steel beam under service loading. The countersunk holes are grouted to prevent sudden slip of the FBSC when friction resistance is exceeded. Moreover, the FBSC promotes accelerated bridge construction by fully exploiting prefabrication, does not raise issues relevant to precast construction tolerances, and allows rapid bridge disassembly to drastically reduce the time needed to replace any deteriorating structural component (e.g., the bridge deck). A series of 11 push-out tests highlight why the novel structural details of the FBSC result in superior shear load-slip displacement behavior compared to welded shear studs. The paper also quantifies the effects of bolt diameter and bolt preload and presents a design equation to predict the shear resistance of the FBSC.
A series of laboratory model tests has been carried out to investigate the using of pomegranate sticks mat as reinforcement to increase the bearing capacity of footing on loose sand. The influence of depth and length of pomegranate sticks layer was examined. In the present research single layer of pomegranate sticks reinforcement was used to strengthen the loose sand stratum beneath the strip footing. The dimensions of the used foundation were 4*20 cm. The reinforcement layer has been embedded at depth 2, 4 and 8 cm under surcharge stresses . Reinforcing layer with length of 8 and 16 cm were used. The final model test results indicated that the inclusion of pomegranate sticks reinforcement is very effective in improvement the loading cap
... Show MoreThe main objective of this paper is present a novel method to choice a certain wind turbine for a specific site by using normalized power and capacity factor curves. The site matching is based on identifying the optimum turbine rotation speed parameters from turbine performance index (TPI) curve, which is obtained from the higher values of normalized power and capacity factor curves. Wind Turbine Performance Index a new ranking parameter, is defined to optimally match turbines to wind site. The relations (plots) of normalized power, capacity factor, and turbine performance index versus normalized rated wind speed are drawn for a known value of Weibull shape parameter of a site, thus a superior method is used for Weibull parameters estima
... Show MoreGypseous soils are distributed in many regions in the world including Iraq, which cover more than (31%) of the surface area of the country. Existence of these soils, always with high gypsum content, caused difficult problems to the buildings and strategic projects due to dissolution and leaching of the gypsum caused by the action of water flow through soil mass. For the study, the gypseous soil was brought from Bahr Al-Najaf, Al-Najaf Governorate which is located in the middle of Iraq. The model pile was embedded in gypseous soil with 42% gypsum content. Compression axial model pile load tests have been carried out for model pile embedded in gypseous soil at initial degree of saturation of (7%) before and after soil satu
... Show MoreCopyright hacking and piracy have increased as the Internet has grown in popularity and access to multimedia material has increased. Security, property protection, and authentication have all been achieved via watermarking techniques. This paper presents a summary of some recent efforts on video watermarking techniques, with an emphasis on studies from 2018 to 2022, as well as the various approaches, achievements, and attacks utilized as testing measures against these watermarking systems. According to the findings of this study, frequency-domain watermarking techniques are more popular and reliable than spatial domain watermarking approaches. Hybrid DCT and DWT are the two most used techniques and achieve good results in the fi
... Show MoreBackground: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most frequent endocrine illnesses affecting reproductive - age women. L-carnitine has important roles in oxidative stress, energy production and glucose metabolism. It affects insulin resistance as decreased plasma carnitine level has been well reported in type II diabetes mellitus. Hence, it means L-carnitine may reduce insulin resistance which is found in PCO disease. Objective: This study aims to measure the level of L-carnitine and insulin resistance in both obese and non- obese patients with PCOS. Patients and Methods: Sixty women within the reproductive age with PCOS (30 obese and 30 non- obese) were recruited from the Gynecology and Obstetrics Outpatient Clinic in Baghdad T
... Show MoreThe study aimed to evaluate Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 levels in Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) infertile female with Diabetes Mellitus (DM) and compare the results with control group, also, to find the correlation for GLP-1 with Luteinizing hormone (LH), Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and LH/FSH ratio that may be used in prediction atherosclerosis in these patients. The study included nineteen women with age ranged (30-40) years and BMI ranged between (30-35) Kg/m 2. Subjects were divided into two groups: group (1) consist of (45) females as a healthy control and group (2) consist of (45) infertile females with PCOS and DM as complication. Fasting serum glucose was determined by using commercial kits (Biolabo SA-France); LH, FSH, prolac
... Show MorePseudomonas aeruginosa is the most common opportunistic pathogen causing morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients due to its multiple resistance mechanisms. Therefore, as a therapeutic option becomes restricted, the search for a new agent is a preference. So P. aeruginosa is an extremely versatile Gram-negative bacterium capable of thriving in a broad spectrum of environments, and this performs main problems to workers in the field of health. One hundred and fifty samples were collected from different sources from Baghdad hospitals, divided into two main groups: clinical (100) specimens and (50) samples as an environmental, collected from October 2019 to the March 2020. All of these samples were cultured by specific and differential
... Show MoreUrinary tract infections (UTI) are some of the most common infections experienced by humans, exceeded in frequency among ambulatory patient only by respiratory and gastrointestinal infections. It is also the most common cause of nosocomial infection in adults. A total of three hundred urine sample were collected in age (1-69 years old) in both gender, with (UTI) symptoms referred to AL-Yarmok Teaching Hospital at Baghdad city during the period from January 2010 till August 2010. The commonest isolates were Escherichia coli (E.Coli), Proteus mirabilis and Klebsiella pneumoniae (These represented 49.2%, 22 %, and16 % of isolates respectively). The percentage of bacteria incidence in females
... Show MoreFluconazole was used to test the susceptibility of Candida albicans isolated from different clinical samples, and to detect mutations in ERG11 gene, and their relationship to fluconazole resistance. Forty-eight isolates of Candida albicans were tested for susceptibility using the disc diffusion method (M-44). ERG11 genes of six isolates were amplified (four resistant, two susceptible) and sequenced. The sequenced genes were analyzed to detect the mutations. Out of 48 isolates of Candida albicans, 4 (8%) were resistant to fluconazole. Sixteen-point mutations were detected included 13 silent mutations, and three missense mutations. The mutations of A945C (E266D) and G1609A (V488I) were found only in susceptible Candida albicans isolates, whil
... Show MoreTitanium dioxide TiO2 has been widely utilized in cleaning and sterilizing material for many clinical tools sanitary ware, food tableware and cooking and items for use in hospitals. Titanium dioxide TiO2 non toxicity and long term physical and chemical stability. It has been widely used decomposition of organic compounds and microbial organisms such as cancer cell, viruses and bacteria as well as its potential application in sterilization of medical devices. The aim of the study the effect of titanium dioxide TiO2 on some Gram negative bacteria and study their effects on some virulence factors and chromosomal DNA.In this study, we obtained (E. coli ? Proteus mirabilis, Proteus vulgaris ? Pseudomonas aeruginosa ? Klebsiella pneumonia and Ac
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