In this study, silica-graphene oxide nano–composites were prepared by sol-gel technique and deposited by spray pyrolysis method on glass substrate. The effect of changing the graphene/silica ratio on the optical properties and wetting of these nano–structures has been investigated. The structural and morphological properties of the thin films have been studied by x-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and atomic force microscope (AFM). XRD results show that silica structures present in the synthesized films exhibit amorphous character and there is a poor arrangement in graphene plates al
Two novel demountable shear connectors for precast steel-concrete composite bridges are presented. The connectors use high-strength steel bolts, which are fastened to the steel beam with the aid of a special locking configuration that prevents slip of bolts within their holes. Moreover, the connectors promote accelerated construction and overcome typical construction tolerances issues of precast structures. Most importantly, the connectors allow bridge disassembly, and therefore, can address different bridge deterioration scenarios with minimum disturbance to traffic flow, i.e. (1) precast deck panels can be rapidly uplifted and replaced; (2) connectors can be rapidly removed and replaced; and (3) steel beams can be replaced, while precast
... Show MoreThis study suggests using the recycled plastic waste to prepare the polymer matrix composite (PMCs) to use in different applications. Composite materials were prepared by mixing the polyester resin (UP) with plastic waste, two types of plastic waste were used in this work included polyethylene-terephthalate (PET) and Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) with varies weight fractions (0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 %) added as a filler in flakes form. Charpy impact test was performed on the prepared samples to calculate the values of impact strength (I.S). Flexural and hardness tests were carried out to calculate the values of flexural strength and hardness. Acoustic insulation and optical microscope tests were carried out. In general, it is found that UP/PV
... Show MoreFactor analysis is distinguished by its ability to shorten and arrange many variables in a small number of linear components. In this research, we will study the essential variables that affect the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is supposed to contribute to the diagnosis of each patient group based on linear measurements of the disease and determine the method of treatment with application data for (600) patients registered in General AL-KARAMA Hospital in Baghdad from 1/4/2020 to 15/7/2020. The explanation of the variances from the total variance of each factor separately was obtained with six elements, which together explained 69.266% of the measure's variability. The most important variable are cough, idleness, fever, headach
... Show MoreStraight tendons in pretensioned members can cause high-tensile stresses in the concrete extreme fibers at end sections because of the absence of the bending stresses due to self-weight and superimposed loads and the dominance of the moment due to prestressing force alone. Accordingly, the concrete tensile stresses at the ends of a member prestressed with straight tendons may limit the service load capacity of the member. It is therefore important to establish limiting zone in the concrete section within which the prestressing force can be applied without causing tension in the extreme concrete fibers. Two practical methods are available to reduce the stresses at the end sections due to the prestressing force. The first method based
... Show MoreThe applications of herbal medicine have recently acquired growing interest in range of the prophylaxis and treatment of diseases. Olibanum has been used since ancient eras and several reports studied the pharmacological characteristics of boswellic acid, particularly their effect on the inflammatory response, analgesic properties, and anti-arthritic activity mostly in cell lines, but new approaches include animal models to assess these natural derivatives effects taking into consideration of being safer than synthetic preparations. The impact of olibanum oil on several parameters was studied in rats during this study. These included white blood cell (WBC) count, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and C reactive protein (CRP), as well a
... Show MoreBackground: C-reactive protein (CRP) is an acute phase protein that its plasma levels increase after trauma or surgery so it is used as an indicator for the level of inflammation after surgery. The objective of this study is to investigate pre- and post-operative levels of CRP in three types of oral surgical interventions (Apicoectomy, Impaction, and Impacted teeth exposure). Materials and Methods: A total number of (48) healthy individuals aged (20-60) years who needed oral surgical intervention for either (removal of impacted third molars, exposure of an impacted canine, or Apicoectomy). A 4ml venous blood was obtained from each patient at two occasions (pre-operatively at the day of operation and post-operatively after 48 hours), then ce
... Show MoreBackground: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a collection of connected cardiovascular risk factors that characterizes the complicated illness. The waist circumference cutoff point fluctuation has so far defined Mets. Objective: This study aimed to determine the cutoff point for WC in healthy Iraqi adults. Methods: This cross-sectional survey establishes the standard value for WC among 300 healthy university students in Wasit city, Iraq. They are aged between 18-25 years. The receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve was used WC to predict the presence of two or more risk factors for MetS, as defined by IDF. Results: The cutoff level yielding maximum sensitivity and specificity for predicting the presence of multiple risk factors was
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