The purpose of this paper is to evaluate neuromuscular fatigue among elite basketball players in the Iraqi Basketball League using surface electromyography (sEMG) with the Ultium EMG device and the MR3.18 program, and using the Wavelet analysis application with the Continuous Wavelet Transform (CWT) method. The research sample included six advanced players from the Iraqi Elite League, aged (21.50 ±3.67) years, with a body mass of (80.50 ±11.71) kg, and a height of (189.00 ±7.75) cm. The research sample underwent a physical skill-exertion protocol that simulated the actual playing requirements of basketball, during which the electrical activity of the six selected muscles involved in performing the skill of shooting long-range three-point shots from outside the arc in the upper and lower limbs was measured. The anterior deltoid, the lateral triceps, the extensor carpi radialis, the flexor carpi radialis, the rectus femoris, and the lateral gastrocnemius represented these muscles. Forward fatigue was assessed in the three-point long-range shootingskill experienced before and after effort from low (15–45 Hz), through moderate (45–95 Hz) to high (95–400 Hz) frequency ranges. It was found that only one significant difference occurred in the rectus femoris muscle at high frequencies (p = 0.02, Cohen’s dz = 1.48), indicating significant neuromuscular fatigue associated with the muscle's high functional role in jumping, acceleration, deceleration, and while changing direction. The other muscles, however, did notdemonstrate statistically significant differences, although a small (to moderate) size of the traces was found, which could indicate that there has been reorganization of the neuromuscular activation strategy to compensate for performance. These results verify that CWT analysis is a sensitive and valid tool for dynamic, non-stationary, or cyclic sports activities, such as basketball, to estimate neuromuscular fatigue, and that it enhances understanding of task-specific muscle responses compared with other conventional spectral methods.
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
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This study was chosen because of the entry of our regions into the seismic zone recently, where Diyala governorate was hit by the Halabja earthquake in 2017 by 7.3Mw. Therefore, the impact of earthquakes will be studied on the AL-Mafraq bridge foundations piles located in Iraq- east of Baghdad in Diyala Governorate and the extent of its resistance to the Halabjah, EL-Centro, and Kobe earthquakes with acceleration 0.1g, 0.34g, and 0.58g respectively. After modeling and performing the analysis by using Midas Gts-Nx software, the settlement (mm) results at nine nodes (four nodes for the pile cap and five nodes for the piles) were obtained for each of Halabjah, EL-Centro, and Kobe earthquakes to know the resistance of the br
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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
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This paper aims to study the effect of circular Y-shaped fin arrangement to improve the low thermal response rates of a double-tube heat exchanger containing Paraffin phase change material (PCM). ANSYS software is employed to perform the computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations of the heat exchanger, including fluid flow, heat transfer, and the phase change process. The optimum state of the fin configuration is derived through sensitivity analysis by evaluating the geometrical parameters of the Y-shaped fin. For the same height of the fins (10 mm), the solidification time is reduced by almost 22%, and the discharging rate is enhanced by almost 26% using Y-shaped fins compared with the straight fins. The results demonstrate that the sol
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In this study, nanoparticles were synthesized using the pulsed laser ablation technique, employing an Nd:YAG laser with a wavelength of 1064 nm. The ablation process was carried out at room temperature under varying laser energy of 950 mJ. The structural characteristics of the resulting nanoparticles were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The biological impact of the synthesized nanoparticles was assessed by administering two different doses (1 ml/kg and 4 ml/kg) to experimental animal models. The study evaluated changes in thyroid hormone levels, specifically thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), triiodothyronine (T[Formula: see text] and thyroxine (T[Formula: see text]
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This paper aims to study the effect of circular Y-shaped fin arrangement to improve the low thermal response rates of a double-tube heat exchanger containing Paraffin phase change material (PCM). ANSYS software is employed to perform the computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations of the heat exchanger, including fluid flow, heat transfer, and the phase change process. The optimum state of the fin configuration is derived through sensitivity analysis by evaluating the geometrical parameters of the Y-shaped fin. For the same height of the fins (10 mm), the solidification time is reduced by almost 22%, and the discharging rate is enhanced by almost 26% using Y-shaped fins compared with the straight fins. The results demonstrate that the sol
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