The impact of exposure to different sizes of particulate matter (PM1, PM2.5, PM7, and PM10) was evaluated in Babylon concrete plant workers who had been exposed to concrete dust for at least 10 years. The effects of these particles on the hematological parameters, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and antioxidant enzymes (catalase and glutathione peroxidase ) were examined. The results exhibited that the levels of PM2.5 and PM10 were higher than the acceptable limits approved by the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The blood parameters, namely white blood cells (WBC), red blood cell (RBC) and platelets counts, demonstrated non-significant differences between workers exposed to the PM as compared to the control group. However, differentiated white blood cells count revealed a significant increase of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) in exposed workers in comparison with the control group. However, both MDA and glutathione peroxidase showed a highly significant increase in the workers ass compared to the control group. Thus, we may conclude that the concrete plant workers are exposed to a higher risk of oxidative stress that could lead to alterations in hematological parameters, enzymatic activities, and MDA level.
During the last quarter century, many changes have taken place in the tanks industry and also in the materials that used in its production، while concrete is the most suitable material where concrete tanks has the benefits of strength, long service life and cost effectiveness. So, it is necessary improvement the
conventional concrete in order to adapt the severe environment requirements and as a result high
performance concrete (HPC) was used. It is not fundamentally different from the concrete used in the past, although it usually contains fly ash, ground granulated blast furnace slag and silica fume, as well as
superplasticizer. So, the content of cementitious material is high and the water/cement ratio is low. In this
stu
This paper demonstrates an experimental and numerical study aimed to compare the influence of openings of different configurations on the flexural behavior of prestressed concrete rafters. The experimental program consisted of testing six simply supported prestressed concrete rafters; 5 rafters are perforated, and the other one is solid as a reference. All rafters were tested under monotonic midpoint load. The variable which has been investigated in this work was the opening’s configuration (quadrilateral or circular) with the same upper and lower chords depths. The results indicate improvement in the beam flexural behavior using the circular openings compared to the quadrilateral o
Reflection cracking in asphalt concrete (AC) overlays is a common form of pavement deterioration that occurs when underlying cracks and joints in the pavement structure propagate through an overlay due to thermal and traffic-induced movement, ultimately degrading the pavement’s lifespan and performance. This study aims to determine how alterations in overlay thickness and temperature conditions, the incorporation of chopped fibers, and the use of geotextiles influence the overlay’s capacity to postpone the occurrence of reflection cracking. To achieve the above objective, a total of 36 prism specimens were prepared and tested using an overlay testing machine (OTM). The variables considered in this study were the thickness of the
... Show MoreReflection cracking in asphalt concrete (AC) overlays is a common form of pavement deterioration that occurs when underlying cracks and joints in the pavement structure propagate through an overlay due to thermal and traffic-induced movement, ultimately degrading the pavement’s lifespan and performance. This study aims to determine how alterations in overlay thickness and temperature conditions, the incorporation of chopped fibers, and the use of geotextiles influence the overlay’s capacity to postpone the occurrence of reflection cracking. To achieve the above objective, a total of 36 prism specimens were prepared and tested using an overlay testing machine (OTM). The variables considered in this study were the thickness of the
... Show MoreA novel demountable shear connector for precast steel‐concrete composite bridges is presented. The connector uses high‐strength steel bolts, which are fastened to the top flange of the steel beam with the aid of a special locking nut configuration that prevents slip of bolts within their holes. Moreover, the connector promotes accelerated construction and overcomes typical construction tolerances issues of precast structures. Most importantly, the connector allows bridge disassembly, and therefore, can address different bridge deterioration scenarios with minimum disturbance to traffic flow, i.e. (i) precast deck panels can be rapidly uplifted and replaced; (ii) connectors can be rapidly removed and replaced; and (iii) steel beams can b
... Show MoreAlpha shape theory for 3D visualization and volumetric measurement of brain tumor progression using magnetic resonance images

Abstract
Most universities in the world are largely committed to creating credible and transparent admission standards that provide justice in admission and have the ability to predict students' performance in their chosen programs. Hence, this study aimed to reveal the predictive ability of the acceptance criteria for the level of performance of master's students in the College of Education at Sultan Qaboos University. Quantitative data were collected from (115) students' admission documents for those accepted in the postgraduate programs for the academic year 2019-2020, and GPA data was collected from students’ transcripts for the fall semester of 2019. Qualitative data were also collected from the interviews
... Show More(1) Background: Plant flavonoids are efficient in preventing and treating various diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the ability of hesperidin, a flavonoid found in citrus fruits, in inhibiting lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced inflammation, which induced lethal toxicity in vivo, and to evaluate its importance as an antitumor agent in breast cancer. The in vivo experiments revealed the protective effects of hesperidin against the negative LPS effects on the liver and spleen of male mice. (2) Methods: In the liver, the antioxidant activity was measured by estimating the concentration of glutathione (GSH) and catalase (CAT), whereas in spleen, the concentration of cytokines including IL-33 and TNF-α was measured. The in vitro expe
... Show MoreSurveys has done for collecting Sunn Pest which been parasitized by oophagous parasitoids
in infested wheat fields of villages around Erbil, Sulimanya and Dohuk governorates from
April to the end of May 2010, the result showed that a high rat of eggs hatching was 96.3%
within Erbil governorate and its cleared from results that not all laid eggs had been hatched
normally . The percentage ratio of egg parasitism in general was low in most studied villages.
In this study: Trissolcus grandis Thompson, Trissolcus semistriotus Nees., and Telenomus sp.
on sunn pest eggs has been observed. Identification keys supported with figures were
formulated to identify of these species.