The present study experimentally and numerically investigated the impact behavior of composite reinforced concrete (RC) beams with the pultruded I-GFRP and I-steel beams. Eight specimens of two groups were cast in different configurations. The first group consisted of four specimens and was tested under static load to provide reference results for the second group. The four specimens in the second group were tested first under impact loading and then static loading to determine the residual static strengths of the impacted specimens. The test variables considered the type of encased I-section (steel and GFRP), presence of shear connectors, and drop height during impact tests. A mass of 42.5 kg was dropped on the top surface at the mid-span of the tested beams from five different heights: 250, 500, 1000, 1500, and 1900 mm. Moreover, nonlinear Finite Element (FE) models were developed and validated using the experimental data. Static loading was defined as a displacement-controlled loading and the impact loading was modeled as dynamic explicit analysis with different drop velocities. The validated models were used to conduct a parametric study to investigate the effect of the concrete compressive strength on the performance of the composite beams under static and impact loadings. For the composite specimen with steel I-sction, the maximum impact force was 190% greater than the reference specimen NR-I at a drop height of 1900 mm, whereas the maximum impact forces for the specimens composite specimens with GFRP I-sction without and with shear connectors were 19% and 77%, respectively, more significant than the reference beam at the same drop height. The high stiffness for the steel I-beams relative to the GFRP I-beam was the reason for this difference in behavior. The concrete compressive strength was more effective in improving the impact behavior of the composite specimens relative to those without GFRP I-beams.
Objective: Knee osteoarthritis is a common disabling chronic disease globally. Many pharmacological agents have been used efficiently in treatment of knee osteoarthritis. This study aims to evaluate metformin and serratiopeptidase together in treatment and stop of osteoarthritis progression by different mechanisms. Methods: Present study was a randomized clinical trial study conducted in Al-Kindi teaching hospital through the period from 1st January to 30th of May, 2017 on two groups of 80 osteoarthritis patients (group I; treated with metformin 850 mg oral tablets) and (group II; treated with metformin 850 mg oral tablets and serratiopeptidase 20 mg oral tablets). Parameters of two groups were compared with those of 40 normal healt
... Show MoreAccurate description of thermodynamic, structural, and electronic properties for bulk and surfaces of ceria (CeO2) necessitates the inclusion of the Hubbard parameter (U) in the density functional theory (DFT) calculations to precisely account for the strongly correlated 4f electrons. Such treatment is a daunting task when attempting to draw a potential energy surface for CeO2-catalyzed reaction. This is due to the inconsistent change in thermo-kinetics parameters of the reaction in reference to the variation in the U values. As an illustrative example, we investigate herein the discrepancy in activation and reaction energies for steps underlying the partial and full hydrogenation of acetyl
... Show MoreThis paper reports an evaluation of the properties of medium-quality concrete incorporating recycled coarse aggregate (RCA). Concrete specimens were prepared with various percentages of the RCA (25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%). The workability, mechanical properties, and durability in terms of abrasion of cured concrete were examined at different ages. The results reveal insignificant differences between the recycled concrete (RC) and reference concrete in terms of the mechanical and durability-related measurements. Meanwhile, the workability of the RC reduced vastly since the replacement of the RCA reached 75% and 100%. The ultrasound pulse velocity (UPV) results greatly depend on the porosity of concrete and the RC exhibited higher poros
... Show MoreThe beet armyworm (BAW), Spodoptera exigua (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a highly destructive pest of vegetables and field crops. Management of beet armyworm primarily relies on synthetic pesticides, which is threatening the beneficial community and environment. Most importantly, the BAW developed resistance to synthetic pesticides with making it difficult to manage. Therefore, alternative and environment-friendly pest management tactics are urgently required. The use of pesticidal plant extracts provides an effective way for a sustainable pest management program. To evaluate the use of pesticidal plant extracts against BAW, we selected six plant species (Lantana camara, Aloe vera, Azadirachta indica, Cymbopogon citratus, Nicotiana tabacum ,
... Show MoreThe activity of Alanine aminopeptidase( AAP ) was measured in the urine of healthy and urinary tract cancer patients , the results showed higher activity of (AAP) in patients compared to healthy . AAP was Purified from the urine of healthy and patients with urinary tract cancer by dialysis and gel filtration (Sephadex G – 50) and two isoenzymes of (AAP) were separated from urine by using ion-exchang resin (DEAE – Sephadex A – 50 ) in previous study. The kinetics studies showed that both isoenzymes I and II obeyed Michaelis – Menton equation . with optimal concentration of alanine-4-nitroanilide as substrate for isoenzymes I and II which was (2 x 10-3 mol/L ). The two isoenzymes obeyed Arrhenius equation up two 37° C and t
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