This research investigates the pre- and post-cracking resistance of steel fiber-reinforced concrete specimens with Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) bars subjected to flexural loading. The purpose is to modify the ductility and cracking resistance of GFRP-reinforced beams, which are prone to early cracking and excessive deflections instigated by the low modulus of elasticity of GFRP. Six self-compacting concrete specimens (1500×240×200 mm), incorporating steel fibers of two lengths (25 mm and 40 mm) with varying distribution depths, were tested to assess their structural performance. The results indicate significant enhancements in cracking resistance, stiffness, energy absorption, ductility, and flexural strength. Tested beams reinforced with 40 mm-long steel fibers exhibited a 23.9%–24.2% development in the ultimate moment capacity associated with the steel-reinforced specimens, whereas those with 25 mm fibers showed smaller increases (2.7%–3.1%). The cracking resistance improved by up to 33.3% in beams with 40 mm-long fibers and by 16.67%–20% in those with 25 mm-long fibers, associated with a non-fibrous GFRP specimen. Additionally, the inclusion of 40 mm hooked-end steel fibers significantly enhanced ultimate deflection, with peak deflections increasing by 30.2%–44.8% compared to steel-reinforced beams. Fibrous GFRP-reinforced beams exhibited up to 154% higher energy absorption under ultimate load than a non-fibrous GFRP beam. All fibrous GFRP-reinforced beams achieved deformation-based ductility indices between 4.2 and 6.9, exceeding the minimum threshold of 4 for adequate deformability. These findings confirm that incorporating 40 mm steel fibers significantly improves the structural behavior of GFRP-reinforced concrete specimens, offering valuable insights for optimizing their design.
Inhalation of Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B (SEB) is known to induce acute lung injury (ALI) and studies from our laboratory have shown that THC, a psychoactive ingredient found in Cannabis sativa, can attenuate the ALI. In the current study, we investigated the role played by lung microbiota in ALI with or without THC treatment. A dual-dose of SEB was given to C3H/HeJ mice, which were then treated either with vehicle or THC. SEB-administration caused ALI and 100% mortality while all THC-treated mice survived and suppressed the inflammation in the lungs. Furthermore, lung microbiota was collected and 16S rRNA sequencing was performed. The data were analyzed to determine the alpha and b
This paper analyses the relationship between selected macroeconomic variables and gross domestic product (GDP) in Saudi Arabia for the period 1993-2019. Specifically, it measures the effects of interest rate, oil price, inflation rate, budget deficit and money supply on the GDP of Saudi Arabia. The method employs in this paper is based on a descriptive analysis approach and ARDL model through the Bounds testing approach to cointegration. The results of the research reveal that the budget deficit, oil price and money supply have positive significant effects on GDP, while other variables have no effects on GDP and turned out to be insignificant. The findings suggest that both fiscal and monetary policies should be fo
... Show MoreIn this paper all possible regressions procedure as well as stepwise regression procedure were applied to select the best regression equation that explain the effect of human capital represented by different levels of human cadres on the productivity of the processing industries sector in Iraq by employing the data of a time series consisting of 21 years period. The statistical program SPSS was used to perform the required calculations.
In this paper, split-plate airlift electrochemical reactor as an apparatus with new configuration for wastewater treatment was provided. Two aluminum plates were fixed inside the reactor and present two functions; first it works as split plates for internal loop generation of the airlift system (the zone between the two plates acts as riser while the other two zones act as downcomer) and second it works as two electrodes for electrocoagulation process. Simulated wastewater contaminated with zinc ions was used to test the performance of this apparatus for zinc removal by studying the effect of different experimental variables such as initial concentration of zinc (50-800 ppm), electrical current density (2.67-21.4 mA/cm2), init
... Show MoreThe beginning of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China in late December 2019 and its worldwide transmission has led the World Health Organization to formally address the pandemic. The pandemic has imposed influential impacts on different environmental, economic, social, health, and living aspects. Publishing in scholastic journals was not immune from these impacts.
Thirty three specimens of the blue-cheeked bee-eater were collected at central and southern Iraq from April 1997 to October 2000. Two nematodes Hadjelia truncata and Syphaciella capensis, were recovered from the alimentary tract. Reporting these two nematodes represents the first record for Iraq as well as a new host record.
Incremental sheet forming (ISF) process offers a high degree of flexibility in the manufacturing of different sheet parts, which makes it an ideal candidate for prototype parts as well as efficient at fabricating various customized products at low production costs compared to traditionally used processes. However, parts produced in this process exhibit notable geometrical inaccuracy and considerable thickness reduction. In this paper, the single point incremental sheet forming variant of the process has been implemented to manufacture a highly customized cranial implant starting from the computed tomography (CT) scan data of the patient's anatomy. A methodology, from the modeling to the realization of the implant, is presented and discus
... Show MoreThe research aims to identify the role of strategic improvisation as an independent variable with its dimensions (Building the Solution, Intuition, Adaptation, and Spontaneity) and the Entrepreneurial Orientation as a dependent variable with its dimensions (Identifying Opportunities, Creativity, Adopting risk, and Vision). This research has been applied in the Rafidain Bank and its branches (Sunk, People, Al-Firdaws, and Alawiya); it used the questionnaire as a basic tool for collecting information. The sample was intentionality, which included all the heads of departments in the bank’s branches, which amounted to (33) workers, and data on the questionnaire paragraphs of 28 were processed using the SPSS V.23 and AMOS V.23). The most impor
... Show More