Smoking-related diseases can be attributed to the inhalation of many different toxins, including heavy metals, which have a host of harmful health effects. The primary objective of this study was to determine whether local and imported cigarette brands used in Iraq , have they elevated levels of metals or not .Three metals Lead (Pb) , Cadmium (Cd) and Chromium(Cr) were determined in tobacco of seventeen brands of imported cigarettes commonly available in Iraq and three Iraqi domestic cigarettes , which were randomly taken from retail market in Baghdad by using flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The produced data of imported and local cigarette brands were discussed and compared together and with studies from elsewhere .The results obtained showed that mean concentrations of lead for all cigarette brands was 5.87 ?g/g dry weight (range 2.27-11,67 ?g/g) , cadmium 0.57?g/g dry weight (range 0.1-1.57 ?g/g) and chromium 3.77?g/g dry weight (range 0.0-11.21 ?g/g) ..There was a large variability in Pb, Cd and Cr content of samples of cigarettes. Pb concentration was the highest, followed by Cr while Cd was the lowest. The investigation confirmed that most of the Iraqi and imported cigarettes in Iraq are contaminated with Pb, Cd, and Cr and quantitatively their distribution is clearly above the safer limits of WHO.
Carbon fibre reinforced polymers are widely used to strengthen steel structural elements. These structural elements are normally subjected to static, dynamic and fatigue loadings during their life-time. A number of studies have focused on the characteristics of CFRP sheets bonded to steel members under static, dynamic and fatigue loadings. However, there is a gap in understanding the bonding behaviour between CFRP laminates and steel members under impact loading. This paper shows the effect of different load rates from quasi-static to 300 × 103 mm/min on this bond. Two types of CFRP laminate, CFK 150/2000 and CFK 200/2000, were used to strengthen steel joints using Araldite 420 epoxy. The results show a significant bond strength enhancemen
... Show MoreThis work implements an Electroencephalogram (EEG) signal classifier. The implemented method uses Orthogonal Polynomials (OP) to convert the EEG signal samples to moments. A Sparse Filter (SF) reduces the number of converted moments to increase the classification accuracy. A Support Vector Machine (SVM) is used to classify the reduced moments between two classes. The proposed method’s performance is tested and compared with two methods by using two datasets. The datasets are divided into 80% for training and 20% for testing, with 5 -fold used for cross-validation. The results show that this method overcomes the accuracy of other methods. The proposed method’s best accuracy is 95.6% and 99.5%, respectively. Finally, from the results, it
... Show MoreConstruction contractors usually undertake multiple construction projects simultaneously. Such a situation involves sharing different types of resources, including monetary, equipment, and manpower, which may become a major challenge in many cases. In this study, the financial aspects of working on multiple projects at a time are addressed and investigated. The study considers dealing with financial shortages by proposing a multi-project scheduling optimization model for profit maximization, while minimizing the total project duration. Optimization genetic algorithm and finance-based scheduling are used to produce feasible schedules that balance the finance of activities at any time w
Deep learning convolution neural network has been widely used to recognize or classify voice. Various techniques have been used together with convolution neural network to prepare voice data before the training process in developing the classification model. However, not all model can produce good classification accuracy as there are many types of voice or speech. Classification of Arabic alphabet pronunciation is a one of the types of voice and accurate pronunciation is required in the learning of the Qur’an reading. Thus, the technique to process the pronunciation and training of the processed data requires specific approach. To overcome this issue, a method based on padding and deep learning convolution neural network is proposed to
... Show MoreNowadays, the use of natural bio-products in pharmaceuticals is gaining popularity as safe alternatives to chemicals and synthetic drugs. Algal products are offering a pure, healthy and sustainable choice for pharmaceutical applications. Algae are photosynthetic microorganisms that can survive in different environmental conditions. Algae have many outstanding properties that make them excellent candidate for use in therapeutics. Algae grow in fresh and marine waters and produce in their cells a wide range of biologically active chemical compounds. These bioactive compounds are offering a great source of highly economic bio-products. The prese
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The main purpose of this work is to introduce some types of fuzzy convergence sequences of operators defined on a standard fuzzy normed space (SFN-spaces) and investigate some properties and relationships between these concepts. Firstly, the definition of weak fuzzy convergence sequence in terms of fuzzy bounded linear functional is given. Then the notions of weakly and strongly fuzzy convergence sequences of operators are introduced and essential theorems related to these concepts are proved. In particular, if ( ) is a strongly fuzzy convergent sequence with a limit where linear operator from complete standard fuzzy normed space into a standard fuzzy normed space then belongs to the set of all fuzzy bounded linear operators