One of the most important parameters determining structural members' durability and strength is the fire flame's influence and hazard. Some engineers have advocated using advanced analytical models to predict fire spread impact within a compartment and considering finite element models of structural components to estimate the temperatures within a component using heat transfer analysis. This paper presented a numerical simulation for a reinforced concrete beam’s structural response in a case containing Water Absorbing Polymer Spheres (WAPS) subjected to fire flame effect. The commercial finite element package ABAQUS was considered. The relevant geometrical and material parameters of the reinforced concrete beam model at elevated temperature are first suggested as a numerical model. After that, the suggested numerical model was validated against the experimental tests conducted in this study. The validated numerical model was used to conduct a parametric study to investigate the effects of two important parameters on the structural behavior after being exposed to fire flame. The effect of burning temperatures (500, 600, and 700) oC, as well as the influence of fire duration (1 and 2) hours, were included. The experimental program validation requirement comprised four self-compacted reinforced concrete beams each of the same geometric layout (150x200x1500) mm, reinforcing details, and compressive strength (fc'=50 MPa). Four percentages of (WAPS) were considered (0, 1, 2, and 3)%. The specimens were exposed to a fire flame with a steady-state temperature (500°C), a rising rate compatible with ASTM-E119, a one-hour duration, and a sudden cooling procedure. A static (two-point) load was applied to the burned beams. Through the assessed numerical model, the numerical analysis offered by the WAPS ratio effect was carried out for the reinforced concrete beam under the effect of static load. The findings revealed that the WAPS ratio substantially impacted structural behavior. The numerical model's results were in reasonable agreement with the experimental results. Concerning the fire exposure duration (two hours) at 500 oC, the specimens containing a ratio (3%) of WAPS improved the ultimate load and the ultimate deflection by about (46.63 and 72.24)%, respectively. The highest percentage variation of the absorbed energy at failure load was also detected in the ratio (3%) to be (139.43) %. As for the hardening concrete properties (compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, and modulus of elasticity), the residual strength was (61.06, 48.87, and 32.00)%, respectively. Regarding the steady-state burning temperature (500, 600, and 700)oC for a one-hour duration, the specimens with a ratio of (3%) WAPS improved the ultimate load by about (40.70, 62.00, and 40.76)%, respectively, corresponding to zero percentage of WAPS. The residual compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, and modulus of elasticity were (72.40, 56.12, and 43.78)%, (74.36, 56.50, and 44.79)%, and (45.23, 36.57, and 28.94)%, respectively.
Hypertension is identified as one of the most significant risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). There is growing evidence showing that oxidative stress plays a major role in hypertension. Increased production of reactive oxygen species and decrease bioavailability of antioxidant have been demonstrated in experimental and human hypertension. The present study was directed to determine the beneficial effect of the antioxidant vitamin C in patients with essential hypertension treated with the calcium channel blocker (amlodipine) or with the angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (enalapril). Ninety six patients (50 females and 46 males) with essential hyp
... Show MoreThe effective insulation design of the stress grading (SG) system in form-wound stator coils is essential for preventing partial discharges and excessive heat generation under pulse-width modulation excitation. This paper proposes a method to find the optimal insulation design of the SG system aimed at reducing the dielectric and thermal stresses in the machine coil. The non-uniform transmission line model is used to predict the voltage propagation along the overhang, SG, and slot regions considering the variation in the physical properties of the insulation layers. The machine coil parameters for different insulation materials are calculated by using the finite element method. Two optimization algorithms, fmincon and particle swarm optimiz
... Show MoreBackground: Melanin pigmentation of the gingiva appears in all ethnicities. Excessive pigmentation is an esthetic concern that has increased awareness about depigmentation procedures. This epidemiological study aims to find the correlation between skin color and gingival pigmentation in Sulaimani Governorate, Kurdistan/Iraq.
Subjects and Methods: A total of 820 apparently healthy and non-smokers, including 338 males and 482 females with healthy gingiva, aged between (18-40 years old) were enrolled in this study. Clinical examination on the participants’ gingivae was performed to assess color, and the distribution of pigmentations. Afterward the of participants skin color were
... Show MoreThe manganese doped zinc sulfide nanoparticles were synthesized by simple aqueous chemical reaction of manganese chloride, zinc acetate and thioacitamide in aqueous solution. Thioglycolic acid is used as capping agent for controlling the nanoparticle size. The main advantage of the ZnS:Mn nanoparticles of diameter ~ 2.73 nm is that the sample is prepared by using non-toxic precursors in a cost effective and eco-friendly way. The structural, morphological and chemical composition of the nanoparticles have been investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersion spectroscopy (EDS) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The nanosize of the prepared nanoparticles was elucidated by Scan
... Show MoreAbstract Sweden is today one of the most active European countries in the regional and international environment despite the adoption of neutrality as a guiding principle in its foreign policy. For more than two centuries, the length of time for Swedish neutrality has made it a global standard, an agreed foreign policy at home and a political culture rooted in institutions and society. Swedish. Although discussions are still underway on Swedish security and foreign policies after the end of the Cold War, especially cooperation with NATO through the Partnership for Peaceprogram, EU accession and its impact on the principle of neutrality in foreign policy. Sweden, however, insists that it still maintains neutrality, but more adequately, in
... Show MoreThis study examined the relationship between the reporting lag (the timeliness of corporate financial reporting) and several independent variables: (1) Audit reporting lag,(2)Company Size,(3) Profitability of the company,(4)Company Age,(5) Sector Type.(6)Audit’s Opinion,(7) Market Type,(8) Gearing,(9) Concentration of ownership,(10) Audit Firm Size(11)Profit or Loss Company(12) Companies Listed lag on the PEX. In order to achieve the objectives of the study and testing its hypotheses, the data Obtained through actual data of a financial reports, and based on me
... Show MoreThis study aims at creating an analogy between Quran text Contents as meanings that have representations as visional shapes within ornamental figures in Islamic architecture. The theoretical framework of the study deals with the concept of semantics and its parts, artistic contents of Quran texts, and ornamental figures in Islamic architecture. The study procedures included a population of (69) figures, (5) of them were chosen deliberately for analysis in accordance with a form that had been presented to a number of experts to ensure its validity. The study reached a number of conclusions, the most significant among them are: adopting natural denotation of direct reference in order to link the ornamental figure to the source it was taken
... Show MoreBreast cancer (BC) is first of the top 10 malignancies in Iraq. Dose‐volume histograms (DVHs) are most commonly used as a plan evaluation tool. This study aimed to assess DVH statistics using three‐dimensional conformal radiotherapies in BC in an adjuvant setting.
A retrospective study of 70 histologically confirmed women diagnosed with BC was reviewed. The study was conducted between November 2020 and May 2021, planning for treatment with adjuvant three‐dimensional conformal radiotherapies. The treatment plan used for each woman was based on an analysis of the volumetric dose, inclu