A bolted–welded hybrid demountable shear connector for use in deconstructable steel–concrete composite buildings and bridges was proposed. The hybrid connector consisted of a partially threaded stud, which was welded on the flange of a steel section, and a machined steel tube with compatible geometry, which was bolted on the stud. Four standard pushout tests according to Eurocode 4 were carried out to assess the shear performance of the hybrid connector. The experimental results show that the initial stiffness, shear resistance, and slip capacity of the proposed connector were higher than those of traditional welded studs. The hybrid connector was a ductile connector, according to Eurocode 4, with slip capacity higher than 6 mm. A nonli

Background: The bone mineral density of the lumbar vertebra has been assessed according to the results of the Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DEXA). Although anemia is known to affect bone mineral density, at the present time, it is not clear which vertebra is more affected by this disease. Objective: To evaluate the effects of anemia on the bone mineral density of the lumbar vertebra in comparison with a normal subject and determine which part of the lumbar vertebra is more affected by anemia. Methods: All 205 participants in this study complained of bone pain (90 males and 105 females). 95 patients, including both sexes, suffered from anemia. Additionally, the study included 110 seemingly healthy volunteers as the control group

Disease diagnosis with computer-aided methods has been extensively studied and applied in diagnosing and monitoring of several chronic diseases. Early detection and risk assessment of breast diseases based on clinical data is helpful for doctors to make early diagnosis and monitor the disease progression. The purpose of this study is to exploit the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) in discriminating breast MRI scans into pathological and healthy. In this study, a fully automated and efficient deep features extraction algorithm that exploits the spatial information obtained from both T2W-TSE and STIR MRI sequences to discriminate between pathological and healthy breast MRI scans. The breast MRI scans are preprocessed prior to the feature

This paper proposes a new encryption method. It combines two cipher algorithms, i.e., DES and AES, to generate hybrid keys. This combination strengthens the proposed W-method by generating high randomized keys. Two points can represent the reliability of any encryption technique. Firstly, is the key generation; therefore, our approach merges 64 bits of DES with 64 bits of AES to produce 128 bits as a root key for all remaining keys that are 15. This complexity increases the level of the ciphering process. Moreover, it shifts the operation one bit only to the right. Secondly is the nature of the encryption process. It includes two keys and mixes one round of DES with one round of AES to reduce the performance time. The W-method deals with

Protecting information sent through insecure internet channels is a significant challenge facing researchers. In this paper, we present a novel method for image data encryption that combines chaotic maps with linear feedback shift registers in two stages. In the first stage, the image is divided into two parts. Then, the locations of the pixels of each part are redistributed through the random numbers key, which is generated using linear feedback shift registers. The second stage includes segmenting the image into the three primary colors red, green, and blue (RGB); then, the data for each color is encrypted through one of three keys that are generated using three-dimensional chaotic maps. Many statistical tests (entropy, peak signa

Citric acid is an essential ingredient for the manufacture of (12) key industrial chemicals. Citric acid use is increasing steadily with a high annual growth rate as a result of the development of ever more sophisticated applications. Citric acid is widely utilized in the food and pharmaceutical industries due to its low toxicity when compared to other acidulous. Other uses for citric acid can be found in cleaning supplies and detergents. Based on information from a review of the literature, Citric acid production substrates and methods for surface fermentation, submerged fermentation, solid-state fermentation, and international market expansion are all covered in the current review study. Finally, there is still much to learn about the