bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hidden Markov model-based activity recognition for toddlers
Authors: Albert Mark V , Sugianto Albert , Nickele Katherine , Zavos Patricia , Sindu Pinky , Ali Munazza , Kwon Soyang
Published: March 2020

Objective: Physical activity has been shown to impact future health outcomes in adults, but little is known about the long-term impact of physical activity in toddlers. Accurately measuring the specific types and amounts of physical activity in toddlers will help us to understand, predict, and better affect their future health outcomes. Although activity recognition has been extensively developed for adults as well as older children, toddlers move in ways that are significantly different from older children, indicating the need for a more tailored approach. Approach: In this study, 22 toddlers wore Actigraph waist-worn accelerometers which recorded their movements during guided play. The toddlers were videotaped and their activities were later annotated for the following eight distinct activity classes: lying down, being carried, riding in a stroller, sitting, standing, running/walking, crawling, and climbing up/down. Accelerometer data were extracted in 2 s signal windows and paired with the activities the toddlers were performing during that time interval. Main results: A variety of classifiers were tuned to a validation set. A random forest classifier was found to achieve the highest accuracy of 63.8% in a test set. To improve the accuracy, a hidden Markov model (HMM) was applied by providing the predictions of the static classifiers as observations. The HMM was able to improve the accuracy to 64.8% with all five classifiers increasing the accuracy an average of 1.3% points (95% confidence interval  =  0.7–1.9, p   <  0.01). When the three most misclassified activities (sitting, standing, and riding in a stroller) were collapsed together, the accuracy increased to 79.3%. Significance: Further refinement of the toddler activity recognition classifier will enable more accurate measurements of toddler activity and improve future health outcomes of toddlers.
Surface-polaritonic phase singularities and multimode polaritonic frequency combs via dark rogue-wave excitation in hybrid plasmonic waveguide
Authors: Asgarnezhad-Zorgabad Saeid , Sadighi-Bonabi Rasoul , Kibler Bertrand , Özdemir Şahin Kaya , Sanders Barry C
Published: March 2020

Material characteristics and input-field specifics limit controllability of nonlinear electromagnetic-field interactions. As these nonlinear interactions could be exploited to create strongly localized bright and dark waves, such as nonlinear surface polaritons, ameliorating this limitation is important. We present our approach to amelioration, which is based on a surface-polaritonic waveguide reconfiguration that enables excitation, propagation and coherent control of coupled dark rogue waves having orthogonal polarizations. Our control mechanism is achieved by finely tuning laser-field intensities and their respective detuning at the interface between the atomic medium and the metamaterial layer. In particular, we utilize controllable electromagnetically induced transparency windows commensurate with surface-polaritonic polarization-modulation instability to create symmetric and asymmetric polaritonic frequency combs associated with dark localized waves. Our method takes advantage of an atomic self-defocusing nonlinearity and dark rogue-wave propagation to obtain a sufficient condition for generating phase singularities. Underpinning this method is our theory which incorporates dissipation and dispersion due to the atomic medium being coupled to nonlinear surface-polaritonic waves. Consequently, our waveguide configuration acts as a bimodal polaritonic frequency-comb generator and high-speed phase rotator, thereby opening prospects for phase singularities in nanophotonic and quantum communication devices.
Control of footstep vertical vibration for Vierendeel truss – supported steel footbridges
Authors: Al-Azawi Thamir K , Abdulmajeed Mustafa W , Hashoosh Ali A
Published: March 2020

In this paper three dimensional static and dynamic analyses for steel pedestrian bridges have been carried out. The footbridges considered are of a total length of (20, 30, 40 and 50m). The bridge is considered to act as continuous of two equal spans or as a two simply supported spans disconnected at the intermediate support. The latter design philosophy is advantageous in case of vehicle accidents so that only one half of the bridge will need maintenance. The bridge skeleton consists of two Vierendeel trusses acting as the main edge girders and the deck consists of parallel transverse sections covered with a steel plate. The BS5400 has been adopted in the present study for the footstep vibration serviceability. The bridge fundamental frequency and deck acceleration have been obtained and compared with the tolerable limits to avoid human discomfort. The analysis parameters were the bridge span, the height of the Vierendeel truss and whether the bridge is simply supported or continuous.

Results have shown that for the continuous bridges of spans less than or equal to 15m, the frequency is greater than the minimum limit and the vibration serviceability requirement is satisfied for the height range of the Vierendeel truss. For spans equal to or greater than 20m the frequency is less than the limit and the deck acceleration has been checked. For the simply supported bridges of spans 10m to 25m the frequency is less than the limit and the deck acceleration has been checked. For the same section properties the maximum acceleration has been increased by (10% to 50%) as compared with the continuous cases.

Depending on the mass and stiffness for different analysis cases, a regression analysis has been done to develop equations for estimating the fundamental frequency.
Punching shear strength of flat slabs strengthened with internal flexible CFRP patches
Authors: Assi Malik. H. , Taresh Noor. S.
Published: March 2020

This paper presents a strengthening method used for improving the punching shear strength of flat slabs. Square internal patches of carbon fiber reinforced polymer were placed at the center of 450×450mm fresh concrete slabs, through casting, at a distance from the bottom (tension) face, producing four specimens. The dimensions of these patches were from 60×60mm to 200×200mm. The results have shown that the strengthened specimens had higher punching shear strength in comparison to the control specimen, with an increasing rate ranging from 15 to 45 %. In addition to the sensibly improved shear strength, this strengthening method is capable of changing the mode of failure from combined flexural-punching to pure punching shear failure.
CFRP strengthening of steel plate girders with web openings subjected to shear and bending.
Authors: Kadhim Mohammed Abdulkareem , AbdulSahib Wael Shawky , Ali Ammar Abbas
Published: March 2020

The present study illustrates the effect of applying combined shear and bending loading on steel plate girders having web openings strengthened with CFRP wrap. Five steel plate girders have been tested under the above-mentioned action; one of these plate girders which can be considered as a control specimen has no web opening whereas the other four girders have openings of circular or square cut-outs. Strengthening by attaching CFRP sheets using a type of adhesives has been applied to two of the plate girders, one with square opening and the other with circular web opening. Web opening size is chosen to have a depth equal to 40% of the web depth. In comparison with the reference girders with openings, results have shown that the ultimate load of the strengthened plate girder containing square and circular web openings increased 63.6% and 52.6%, respectively.
The influence of RPC thickness on hybrid beams under torsion
Authors: Mohammed Alyaa H , Hasan Qais A , Sarsam Kaiss F
Published: March 2020

This paper deals with the experimental investigation on torsion in hybrid reinforced concrete beams cast with conventional concrete (CC) at the core surrounded by reactive powder concrete (RPC) at the periphery. Hybrid concrete is usually used in structural members to resist flexure, shear and torsion.

Four reinforced concrete beams are cast and tested with dimensions: width 100mm, height 200mm and length 1500mm and the cross-sectional areas of the core in the specimen studied were (20×120) mm and (40×140) mm, respectively. All beams were cast and tested to failure by using two opposite cantilevers steel arms, which contribute to transferring the torque to the central part of the beam. One of the beams was of RPC. The second beam was CC only and the others were hybrid beams. Experimental data on ultimate capacity, cracking torsional loads, failure pattern and twisting angle for each of the beams were obtained. The experimental results show that the ultimate torsional strength value of hybrid beams was higher than conventional concrete beams by about (23.7-50.0) % and about (25.8-10.0) % lower than reactive powder concrete beam depending on the thickness of RPC.
Shear strength enhancement of reinforced self-compacting concrete box T-beams with different walled webs thickness using CFRP strips
Authors: Aziz Ali Hameed , Madhloom Mutaz Kahdom , Jasem Muhammad Ali
Published: March 2020

This paper deals with the effect of walled webs thickness variation and strengthening by CFRP strips on structural performance of reinforced self-compacting concrete (SCC) box T-beams subjected to shear loads. Eight reinforced SCC beam specimens have a dimension of (1500×200×300mm) for length; width and height, respectively were poured and tested. Three variables were adopted in the present study, section type (box or solid), web thickness (50mm, 62.5mm, 75mm, and 200mm) and with or without strengthening by CFRP. Experimental results show that the increase of the wall web thickness leads to increase the ultimate strength by about (17%-38%); while the strengthening of beams using CFRP strips led to increasing in ultimate capacity by about (75%-111%). All tested beams were analyzed by finite element method using ANSYS software. Also, a parametric study was performed based on two variables, concrete compressive strength, and the strengthening by prestressing forces. It was observed there is a simulation between the finite element analysis and the experimental results of about (102%) for ultimate capacity. Also, the increase of concrete compressive strength to (50MPa) leads to increase in ultimate load capacity about (11-17%), while the ultimate capacity increased for about (78-82%) when the beams were prestressed.
Applying Earned Value to Construction Projects
Authors: Al-Fadhli Suaad Khaleel I. , Al-Bazaz Shahlaa Hikmat
Published: March 2020

Construction projects are increasingly expanding and being more complex over the time, which needs special requirements at every stage of the life cycle of projects. Each project has specific characteristics and requirements that distinguish from others. The responsibilities and tasks of the parties which, involved in the project (the employer, the designer and the contractor) at each stage vary according to the projects and the implementation methods. The follow up and control of costs during implementation is one of the duties of the engineering department to know the real costs resulting from the implementation of the work. Therefore, the process of controlling costs is a continuous and substantial process, and it indicates the efficiency and success of management. EVM “earned value management is one of the tools which is used to track the progress of work performance in projects. It can indicates the deviations and variances in cost and time schedule of the projects in this research EVM was applied on a project of an administrative building. The application, which was on a specific status date, showed that this method is applicable to track the progress of the project performance, and gave a logical results that used to understand the tendency of work performance, also to predict the future performance.
Properties of slag-based geopolymer pervious concrete for ambient curing condition
Authors: Arioz Omer , Bzeni Dillshad K H , Zangy Rafah R A , Arioz Evren
Published: March 2020

Cement consumption is increasing day by day due to the enormous expansion in the infrastructure system. Geopolymer concrete has been used to reduce the use of Portland cement. The purpose of the present work is to study some parameters related to the geopolymer binder material and could influence on the properties of ambient cured Geopolymer Pervious Concrete (GPPC). The parameters studied are: The amount of slag, concentration of NaOH, ratio of Na2SiO3/NaOH, and alkaline activator solution to slag ratio. The amount of slag investigated was (300, 325 and 350). Concentration or the molarity (M) of NaOH ranged between 8 M to14 M with increment of 2 M, ratio of sodium silicate to sodium hydroxide varied from 1 to 3.5 with increase of 0.5, and alkaline solution to slag ratio was (0.25, 0.30 and 0.35). The experimental investigations were performed to measure the percentage of the flow of fresh GPPC, total void content, density, and compressive strength at the age of 3 days. The results have shown that slag-based GPPC ambient cured have gained high compressive strength at early age that could be sufficient for practical applications in road construction.
Study the behavior of Slurry infiltrated fibrous concrete (SIFCON) under impact loading
Authors: Al-wahab Ali Manolia abed , Ahmed Salih Shakir , Jawad Frayyeh Qais
Published: March 2020

SIFCON, as a type of fiber reinforced concrete (FRC), has a unique and superior properties in the areas of both ductility and energy absorption and the impact resistance is recognized as one of the significant properties of SIFCON.

The main object of present study is to determine the influence of SIFCON mortar type and fiber volume fraction on the behavior of SIFCON under impact loading. For SIFCON mortar, supplementary cementitious materials [Class F fly ash (FA) and silica fume (SF)] were used as a partial replacement by weight of cement. The percentage of FA replacement was (20%) and of SF replacement was (10%). Hooked end steel fibers were used with different fiber volume fraction (6, 8.5, and 11) %, the test was carried out using disc specimen (152 mm diameter by 63 mm thick). The test results were compared with those of fiber reinforced mortar (FRM) containing 2% fiber volume fraction, as a reference (control) mix. The test results show that in general, there is a significant improvement in impact resistance of all SIFCON mixes with increasing fiber volume fraction. SIFCON mix containing SF and FA and 11% volume fraction exhibited the highest impact resistance, and the energy required for completing failure was increased by 11.87 times, when compared with the control mix at 90 days.
Investigation of Mechanical and Physical Properties of Papyruses Reeds Reinforced Composites with Polyester
Authors: Al Hassan M A , Azeez R A , Kadhim W A , Albarazanjy M G
Published: March 2020

Composite materials are playing important part in engineering enforcement. They are utilized in vehicles, marine, aviation, sports and different other fields. This paper has studied the properties of papyruses reeds particles (PRP) reinforced polymer based composites. Composite materials specimens were fabricated with different weights of papyruses reeds PRP particles in polyester matrix. The effect of the different weights of (PRP) that reinforced polyester on the mechanical and physical properties was investigated. The results showed that composite material reinforced with 13% wt of papyruses reeds particles has maximum tensile strength of 57.556 MPa, while minimum tensile strength of 12.88 MPa was obtained at 18% wt of PRP. Hardness test showed that hardness increased with decreasing the weight of PRP. The maximum and minimum hardness values of 73.6 N/mm2 and 67.2 N/mm2 were obtained at 15% wt and 22% wt of PRP respectively. Furthermore, water gain percentage of composite materials was increased with increasing the PRP content at room temperature and reached the maximum percentage of 6.2 % after 6 weeks with 22% wt of PRP.
A New Proposed Type of Open-Ended Pipe Pile (Open-Ended Pipe Pile with Tapered Tip Pile (OE-TTP))
Authors: Al-Soudani Wissam HS , Albusoda Bushra S.
Published: March 2020

The present study investigates the behavior of the plug on pile load capacity for new proposed open-ended pile has a new modification in comparison with the traditional one, this modification performed by making the pile tip tapered with special dimensions. The open end has a diameter equal to half of the pile diameter while the length of the tapered part is equal to the pile diameter. The efficiency of the proposed type studied by modeling and manufacturing the two piles types (40mm diameter) and investigating the behavior of these piles. Complete setup manufactured for installing and loading the piles in a constant rate of penetration. Two lengths to diameter ratios considered in this study (L/D=15 and L/D=20). The model piles tested in loose dry sand. The soil plugging phenomenon and the Incremental Filing Ratio IFR were studied. The obtained results show that the proposed type has higher bearing capacity of (28%-36%) than the traditional type. This increase attributed to the tapered end of the pile that continues to push and compacting the soil below it during its driving into the soil.
Behavior of batter pile group models embedded in sandy soil under monotonic loading
Authors: Al-Neami M A , Rahil F H , Al-Bayati K S
Published: March 2020

This paper introduces an attempt to examine the effect of vertical monotonic load on the batter pile group models on its ultimate vertical load capacity. A fourteen steel solid pile models are used in this research. Three lengths of piles are selected (300, 400, and 500 mm) for embedment ratios (depth to width) 15 and 25, respectively. Batter piles are embedded in three different relative densities of sand bed (loose, medium and dense). The constant rate penetration test (CRPT) method was selected using a manufactured driving hammer to install the pile models in a steel box with dimensions (1000, 750 and 700) mm. The vertical cyclic load is conducted by a special hydraulic apparatus. The results indicate that the batter-vertical load capacity (BVLC) ratio increased by the increase in the embedded pile length. The batter pile group has a higher capacity at 20 degrees batter angle as compared with the vertical groups. Vertical pile groups exhibited more efficiency, which increases when pile length increases while decreases when the relative density is increased. The batter-vertical load capacity ratio increases when the embedded pile length increases and decreases with the increase in the relative density.
Clay Columns Stabilized with Fly Ash in Soft Soils
Authors: Baqir Husam Hikmat , Y.H.AL-Soudany Kawther , Al-Gharbawi Ahmed S.A.
Published: March 2020

Geotechnical design and execution of civil engineering structures on soft to very soft soils are usually associated with substantial difficulties. These soils are sensitive to deformations and possess low shear strength values. Geotechnical properties of such soil stabilization are improved by various methods. Admixtures improve soil properties in order to form strong foundation capable of bearing loads of such structure. Clay soils cause cracking and fracture of pavement, rail ways, highways, embankment, foundations… etc. The main objective of this study is to discuss and evaluate the effect of addition of fly ash on shear strength of soft soil and bearing capacity of these soils by adding clay columns stabilized with fly ash in soft soils. The essential idea represents in investigation of possibility of using fly ash to reduce compressibility to find solution for some problems of failure in soft soils in Iraq. This will encourage the use of fly ash as stabilizer especially as it is an economic material and for its local availability. Soil used in the study was obtained from Al-Nahrawan City 35 km east of Baghdad. According to the Unified Soil Classification System, it is classified as (CL) soil. The soil consists of 3% sand, 35% silt, and 62% clay. The tests were carried out using a steel container with internal dimension of (400×350×300 mm). The steel container is made of steel plates that are 4mm in thickness. The thickness of the bed of clay was 300 mm, and 400 mm for (L/D) 4 and 6, respectively. The depth of the column was 200 mm and 300 mm for (L/D) 4 and 6, respectively, at 50mm diameter of column (D). Square steel foundation of 4mm thickness and width 60 mm was used in all the tests. The length to diameter ratio (L/D) which was used in this study was 4 and 6. The results of curing days in 14 days and 28 days are close to each other. The incensement ratio is about 5% between 14 and 28 days for the two (L/D) 4 and 6. (L/D) 6 has shown more improvement than L/D 4, the improvement in bearing ratio failure is about 30%.
Effect of diameter on the load carrying capacity of Closed-Open Ended Pipe piles
Authors: Al-Soudani Wissam H.S. , Fattah Mohammed Y.
Published: March 2020

This study investigates the behavior of the components on the pile loading capacity and the effect of removing the components. The sand is used as a fine, sandy soil. It was prepared with different densities using rain technology. The soil plug was removed by a device that was manufactured to remove the soil column trapped inside the piles of the pipes during installation by driving and pressing devices. The present study focuses on determining the effect of soil plug on the maximum load capacity of the open-end steel pipe pile and comparing it with the closed pipe pile. A new type of piles of pipes is proposed; piles of open-ended organic pipes driven and compressed in sandy soils of different densities (medium and dense) where axial pressure tests were carried out on the piles of the model. The end of the pile will be open at a predetermined depth in order to facilitate the penetration of the pile base and close it at a distance to increase the resistance of the pile base. The open pile models were modified by closing the ends of the pile by a welded plate at a distance of two, three, and four D (where D is the diameter of the pile) by the pile.

It was concluded that increasing the diameter of the pile from 20 mm to 40 mm caused increase in the pile bearing capacity by about 275 – 615%, while in closed-ended piles, the same increase in pile diameter caused increase in the bearing capacity of about 320 – 860%. On the other hand, in closed-open-ended piles, this increase improves the bearing capacity by about 490 – 1020%. The results prove the controlling importance of the pile diameter in the proposed type of piles; closed-open-ended type.
Effect of Flange to Web Ratio of H-Pile On Compression Bearing Capacity
Authors: Mahmood Mahmood R. , Salim Nahla M.N. , Abdulsamad Mohammed F.
Published: March 2020

Steel H-piles are applicable to many different geological deposits. They are the preferred foundation choice in terms of cost. It can withstand high driving stresses and have good resistance to buckling. Since a few researches are available about H-piles, therefore this research introduces an experimental study to evaluate compression bearing capacity of driven H-piles within a cohesionless soil.

The normal dimensions ratio of flange (f) to web (w) of H-pile is unity (1.0), at this study different flange to web ratios below unity and more than unity were chosen to investigate the effect of flange to web ratio on compression bearing capacity.

Sixteen model tests of H-pile are tested with different flange to web ratios ( f/w) (0.6, 0.85, 1.0, 1.2, 1.4, 1.75, 2.0, 2.5) of the same pile length of (50 cm) and the same surface and cross sectional area, embedded within two different relative densities of sand (40 and 70)% to investigate the effect of relative density with the different flange to web ratios.

The results shows that the ultimate bearing capacity of H-pile increases more than that H-pile of unity flange to web ratio with increasing flange to web ratio (f/w) more than 1.4, and decreases for flange to web ratios below unity.

The results shows that also, the reduction and improvement ratio of ultimate bearing capacity of H-pile in a sand of relative density of 70% more than that of 40%, which shows that the increasing in relative density has an effect on the ultimate bearing capacity with different flange to web ratios.
Effect of Track Speed on the Behavior of Railway Track Ballast System underlain by Clay
Authors: Fattah Mohammed Y. , Mahmood Mahmood R. , Aswad Mohammed F.
Published: March 2020

Railway ballast forms a major component of a conventional rail track and is used to distribute the load to the subgrade, providing a smooth running surface for the train. Currently, high speed (frequency) and heavy haul trains are increasing the loads experienced by the ballast layer.

In this paper a full scale railway system is analyzed numerically with finite element method using PLAXS 3D 2013 program. A series of 16 cases simulations for railway track of geometry type (MG) are analyzed. The analysis was performed in order to determine the effects of track speed, clay stiffness and reinforcement on the rail substructure behavior. Eachmodel was analyzed for train speed 30, 60, 90, 120 km/hr., with and without geogrid reinforcement in the ballast layer for comparison. During the simulation, displacements and stresses were evaluated throughout the rail substructure in order to determine the behavior and improvement due to geogrid reinforcement.

It was concluded that the improvement in settlement for soft clay model increases by increasing the speed more than 30 km/hr. For unreinforced models with soft clay layer, at low speed (30 km/hr), about 100 % of the total settlement appears in the clay layer. For stiff clay layer model, there is no effect of reinforcement on the behavior of settlement.
Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Asphalt Concrete: An Investigation of Some Electrical and Mechanical Properties
Authors: Mussa Faten I , Al-Dahawi Ali M , Banyhussan Qais S , Baanoon Muna R , Shalash Mariam A
Published: March 2020

Asphalt concrete is a composite material that is extensively used in the construction of highways, airport runways and parking lots. Riding comfort, durability and water resistance are some of the driving mechanical characteristics making it the most preferred choice in the pavement industry. Multifunctional materials have the simultaneous ability to exhibit non-structural functions apart from their regular structural functions. Structural materials can be designed multifunctional by integrating electrical, magnetic, optical, and possibly other functionalities that exhibit advantages beyond the sum of the individual capabilities. Asphalt concrete has the potential of being used as a multifunctional material by controlling its electrical conductivity. Asphalt concrete, by nature, is a non-conductive composite material, but its conductivity can be improved by using conductive materials. The method of inclusion of a conductive filler within the asphalt concrete matrix and its percolation threshold are the factors of interest within this work. The study of the effect of inclusion of the conductive material on the mechanical properties of the hot-asphalt concrete mixtures is another goal of the present work. The results showed that the incorporation of carbon fibers (CFs) within the dense graded asphalt concrete mixtures can enhance their mechanical and electrical properties. The embedding of only 1.5% CFs by volume of mixture improved the stability, IDT and electrical resistivity by 72%, 20% and more than nine orders, respectively. Accordingly, 1.5% CFs represent the percolation threshold of all of the studied properties.
Investigating hospital parking demand characteristics in Iraq: Al-Sadar Hospital as case study
Authors: Al-Jameel Hamid Athab Eedan , Hasnawi Husam Abdul Ridha , Al-Jumaili Mohammed Abbas
Published: March 2020

Al-Sadar Hospital is an effective medical center in Al-Najaf city in Iraq, which serves up to 1200 patients. This study has focused on two types of data from this hospital viz. general information and filed data about parking vehicles. A drone has also been used for collecting field data in this study in addition to direct interviews with people and manual counts for both traffic volume and parking vehicles. The duration for parking vehicles was long. The investigated trips are from the same city and from other cities or provinces. According to the results of analysis for both data and information, it was found that the number of parking spaces available (legal and illegal) for each bed was one space which, is less than the default value (2.2 spaces for each bed). On the other hand, the required spaces for employees are also less than the default value (4.3). The results indicate that there is an urgent need for increasing the number of parking spaces to match the demand for the parking vehicles.
Investigation of Rheological Properties of Iraqi Asphalt Cement
Authors: Al-Haddad Abdulhaq Hadi Abedali
Published: March 2020

The rheological properties of local asphalt cement are measured with the aid of Dynamic Shear Rheometer device to investigate the linear viscoelastic limitation with the range of asphalt film binder involving polymer –modified asphalt.

The rheological response of the asphalt film binders at different temperatures and rates of deformation was measured using dynamic properties of complex modulus and phase anlage. The specific gravity of asphalt cement for Nasiriyah refinery is greater than that of asphalt cement produced from Durah refinery and reduced when adding SBS. The chemical analysis of asphalt cement of Nasiriyah and Durah asphalt cement are 83.47% and 82.27% carbon element; 9.87% and 9.71% Hydrogen element and 0.36% Nitrogen element for both sources; these elements increased with adding SBS modifier.
Effect of Silica on Hot Mix Asphalt Mixture
Authors: Al-Zajrawi Ahlam khudair , Mashkur Bahaa Turki , Al-zahra Zaid Abd
Published: March 2020

The hot asphalt mixture is the main layer in flexible paving as it is exposed to traffic loads and environmental factors which require high resistance, high durability and good stability to avoid structural deformities that leading to functional and structural failure. In the past few years. Several tests have been carried out on the prepared and compact specimens such as density testing, indirect tensile strength (exposed to freezing and thawing conditions and not exposed), stability and flow as well as non-destructive test using sound waves. The results of the tests showed that the specimens, containing silica fume as apart from filler aggregate (Portland cement), have high Marshall stability-flow and extra resistance to tensile strength than conventional specimens that contain just ordinary Portland cement. All results found to be satisfied the Iraqi specifications adopted for roads and bridges.

Calculation of optimum silica fume content has achieved for all tests in order to find overall optimal content which was 4.2%.
Experimental Investigation of the Debris Configurations Effects on the Scour Hole Morphology at Circular Bridge Piers
Authors: Al-Khafaji Mahmoud Saleh , Al-Awadi Aysar Tuama
Published: March 2020

The hydraulic conditions and river bed morphology at bridge piers get extremely changed with debris accumulations. In this study, a series of tests were conducted to understand the scour hole geometry behaviour during debris accumulation at circular bridge pier. Three groups of rectangular debris were tested under clear water condition with 27 tests. The most dangerous shapes from these groups were specified and the effects of debris thickness, width and length were elaborated. The results show that the scour depth, width and length increased as the percentage of obstructed area of debris to the flow area increased. Hence, the modification factor of scour hole dimensions increased. The study concluded that the modification debris coefficient for scour hole depth, width and length increased to 2.397, 2.308 and 2.145 when the obstructed area of debris to the flow area increases from 2.07% to 26.89%, respectively. More notifications should be considered in protection work around bridge piers subjected to debris accumulation.
Optimization Process for Removing of Copper ions from Groundwater of Iraq Using Watermelon Shells as Natural Adsorbent
Authors: Ibrahim Raheek I.
Published: March 2020

People are completely dependent on groundwater for drinking and irrigation in distant Iraq. In many places, copper ions are one of the primary pollutants found in extra quantities in groundwater. The current work uses watermelon shell for removing of copper ions from groundwater. An initial concentration of 10 mg / L and an adsorbent particle size of 1 mm were used to examine the working parameters: PH, dosage, and contact time using STATISTICA and WinQSB software. The optimization technique was set to predict the optimum conditions. However, the efficiency of the watermelon shell was more than 80% and the maximum capacity for adsorption was 9.57 mg / g under optimum conditions such as: 8 for PH, 1 g / L for adsorbent dosage and 2.5 hours for contact time. The general findings verified that the shell of watermelon is an outstanding and alternative adsorbent to remove Cu(II) from groundwater of Iraq.
Removal of oil from produced water using biosorbent
Authors: Lutfee Tagreed , Al-Najar Jenan A , Abdulla Firdos M
Published: March 2020

The presence of oil in water bodies posses hazards to aquatic life. The essential target of this research is to examine the feasibility using Fish scale as biosorbents to clear up the oil spills in water body. The biosorbent used in this study was fish scale (FS). The effect of absorbent weight, concentration of oil, and pH were investigated using batch system to find the optimum condition. The maximum removal efficiency was 93% at pH 7 and at the concentration of 400 ppm. The equilibrium isotherm data were studied using Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm model and it was found that the data fitted well with Freundlich isotherms.
Evaluate education in the Marshes of Southern Dhi-Qar toward a new paradigm of sustainability
Authors: Al-timimy Sophia Rezaq , Al-Rawe Moheb
Published: March 2020

The culture, according to UNESCO, is “interpreter of our being, and elements of our identity”. The establishment of culture in the core of development policies is the only way to achieve a human-centred, comprehensive and equitable development at a time when the world is going through ecological and economic crises with other social and cultural crises.

The Culture represents a positive role in the productive process. Subsequently, the importance of education is in values, traditions and attitudes that are instilled in the minds of children which constitute the desired future based on equity, inclusiveness, peace and sustainability of the environment.

Sustainable development represents a prominent role in the preservation of cultural heritage, and in the nurturing of innovative capabilities. In a region that is the cradle of human civilization and fertile ground for a natural cultural heritage, most of its people who are behind the ancient Sumerians still suffer from poverty and illiteracy. So, this research aims to develop the society that is concerned scientifically, technologically and institutionally, and culturally. For a purpose it is prepared to be able to invest the available resources efficiently and fairly and to realize the importance of opportunities to develop its economy and improve its quality of life. This requires the universality of education and its level of faith and importance. Thus, the problem of research, which sheds light on the lack of education in the marshes of southern Dhi-Qar, was revealed by the results of the reality of the society with questionnaire forms.

As a result of the above research problem and the importance of the role of education to achieve sustainable development, emerged a new paradigm to activate cultural heritage, and promote the Marshlands community as a unique society within its environment.

The researcher resorted to spatial analysis using Geographic Information System (GIS), side by side with statistical analysis to get recommendation that can be used to get sustainable development.
Toward City Web Mapping in developing countries using satellite and stereo aerial imagery: A Case Study
Authors: Sadeq Haval AbdulJabbar
Published: March 2020

Maps are graphic demonstrations of geographic information and a worldwide means of navigation. Digital maps, which are easily accessed via smartphones, are important in daily life. However, producing or updating maps and providing web data servers in developing countries are challenging due to limitations in resources. This research focuses on using free online ortho satellite imagery for producing digital maps and comparing it with those created from stereo aerial imagery via photogrammetry. The software ArcMap is used to produce maps from satellite imagery. The stereo imagery is processed using the photogrammetric solution Summit Evolution by ground control points collected from the site. Then, the spatial features are extracted from stereo aerial imagery. Subsequently, the attributes of both data sets are added to the objects, and the digital maps are uploaded to a web ArcGIS server by using an ArcGIS Online account. A case study is conducted on the College of Engineering campus at Salahaddin University-Erbil and its surroundings, which comprise different buildings and facilities. The result shows that the maps produced from stereo aerial imagery are more precise and accurate than those from satellite imagery because the features are photogrammetrically extracted with high resolution and stereo imagery.
Early flood detection using SAR images and remote sensing techniques-case study Kut city in Iraq
Authors: Obeydi A L , AAl-Hummadi S K , AL-Saady A H
Published: March 2020

Floods around the world are a major disaster in both rural and urban areas, but in urban areas impacts are most severe as many people lose their homes and property due to floods. In this study we will address the heavy rains that swept through the Wasit province and the heavy rain that descended from the mountains in Iran to Wasit province and led to floods, these floods were studied using radar images from ESA(European Space Agency) Sentinel-1 satellite before and after the floods on 3rd September, 2018 And November 26th of 2018 which is centered at latitudes 32.6844953 and longitudes 47.3953694 with a dual polarization capability (VV+VH), where the radar images are not affected by the poor weather conditions of clouds and rain day or night and have a capacity of 6-day revisit as compared to multi-spectral images (optical images) that depends on sunlight. All the required processing was carried out through the Sentinel Application Platform (SNAP) and remote sensing techniques, the areas affected by the floods were calculated (1256.34 km;). The results obtained were compared with the results of international organizations such as Charter institute for Disaster management indicating a significant correlation with the results.
MATLAB image processing tool-based GUI for high-throughput image segmentation and analysis to study structure and morphology of skin H&E stained sections
Authors: Osman O S
Published: March 2020

The complex structure of skin tissue can make the analysis of high-throughput data manually inconvenient and leads to inaccurate analysis and time consumption. Therefore, automated system that can segment and detect features which might provide critical information for interesting phenotype is required. User friendly graphical user interface GUI in MATLAB can provide facilities to create a tool to enhance, segment and analyse images without having expert skills in image processing, this can be used in the study of skin morphology phenotyping to find interesting morphological and metabolic phenotypes. Using image processing capability facilitates to develop a tool to analyse a range of different images in term of intensity and quality because of the variation in histology performed in different laboratory. Consequently, develop of automated high-throughput bioimaging tool is considered to be a very important topic in disease diagnosis and drug development. Significant assessment of the morphological features in H&E skin section through the use of GUI MATLAB tool by quantifying all of epidermal and dermal thickness and number and size of adipocyte in subcutaneous. Using our developed tool, we were able to detect interesting epidermis, dermis and adipocyte phenotypes in mice skin sections. The Morphological Bio-imaging Tool provides facilities in the high-throughput analysis of H&E skin section to understand genetic basis of diseases.
Sub-cycle temporal evolution of light-induced electron dynamics in hexagonal 2D materials
Authors: Heide Christian , Boolakee Tobias , Higuchi Takuya , Hommelhoff Peter
Published: March 2020

Two-dimensional materials with hexagonal symmetry such as graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides are unique materials to study light-field-controlled electron dynamics inside of a solid. Around the K-point, the dispersion relation represents an ideal system to study intricately coupled intraband motion and interband (Landau-Zener) transitions driven by the optical field of phase-controlled few-cycle laser pulses. Based on the coupled nature of the intraband and interband processes, we have recently observed in graphene repeated coherent Landau-Zener transitions between valence and conduction band separated by around half an optical period of ∼1.3 fs (Higuchi et al Nature 550, 224 (2017)). Due to the low temporal symmetry of the applied laser pulse, a residual current density and a net electron polarization are formed. Here we show extended numerical data on the temporal evolution of the conduction band population of 2D materials with hexagonal symmetry during the light–matter interaction, yielding deep insights to attosecond-fast electron dynamics. In addition, we show that a residual ballistic current density is formed, which strongly increases when a band gap is introduced. Both, the sub-cycle electron dynamics and the resulting residual current are relevant for the fundamental understanding and future applications of strongly driven electrons in two-dimensional materials, including graphene or transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers.
Aztecs Abroad? Uncovering the Early Indigenous Atlantic
Authors: Pennock Caroline Dodds
Published: March 2020

Indigenous people are often seen as static recipients of transatlantic encounter, influencing the Atlantic world only in their parochial interactions with Europeans, but the reality is that thousands of Native Americans crossed the ocean during the sixteenth century, many unwillingly, but some by choice. As diplomats, entertainers, traders, travelers, and, sadly, most often when enslaved, Indigenous people operated consciously within structures that spanned the ocean and created a worldview that was framed in transatlantic terms. Focusing on purposeful travelers of “Aztec” (Central Mexican) origin, this article uses the distinctive context of the 1500s to rewrite our understandings of the Atlantic world. In the turbulent waters of early empire, we can more easily see Native people as purposeful global actors who created and transformed social, economic, political, and intellectual networks, forging not one but many “Indigenous Atlantics.” This is about more than “looking east from Indian country,” or recovering the transatlantic journeys of Native people, important though both those things are. To find a truly “Indigenous Atlantic,” we must reimagine the history of the ocean itself: as a place of Indigenous activity, imagination, and power.
Seasonal Variation of Home Blood Pressure and Its Association With Target Organ Damage: The J-HOP Study (Japan Morning Surge-Home Blood Pressure)
Authors: Narita Keisuke , Hoshide Satoshi , Fujiwara Takeshi , Kanegae Hiroshi , Kario Kazuomi
Published: March 2020

Background

Although seasonal variation of home blood pressure (BP) has been reported to be higher in winter, seasonal difference in home BP (HBP) and its association with target organ damage (TOD) remains unclear.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional study using the dataset from the Japan Morning Surge-Home Blood Pressure (J-HOP) study to assess seasonal differences in HBP, prevalence of masked hypertension, and association of HBP with TOD. The J-HOP study is a nationwide, multicenter prospective study whose participants with cardiovascular risks underwent morning and evening HBP measurements for a 14-day period in 71 institutions throughout Japan. Urine albumin–creatinine ratio (UACR) and serum-B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) were obtained at enrollment.

Results

Among 4,267 participants (mean age, 64.9 ± 10.9 years; 46.9% male; 91.4% hypertensives), 1,060, 979, 1,224, and 1,004 participants were enrolled in spring, summer, autumn, and winter, respectively. Morning and evening home systolic/diastolic BP levels, and prevalence of masked hypertension (office BP <140/90 mm Hg and HBP ≥135/85 mm Hg) were significantly lower in summer than other seasons after adjustment for covariates. When we assessed the interaction between BP parameters and each season for an association with TOD, we found the association between morning home diastolic BP and each of UACR and BNP was stronger in winter than other seasons (both P for interaction <0.05).

Conclusions

In this study, we revealed that the prevalence of masked hypertension was higher in other seasons than in summer and found a notable association between morning home diastolic BP and TOD in winter.
Impact of Percutaneous Revascularization on Left Ventricular Mass and Its Relationship to Outcome in Hypertensive Patients With Renal Artery Stenosis
Authors: Iwashima Yoshio , Fukuda Tetsuya , Horio Takeshi , Kusunoki Hiroshi , Hayashi Shin-ichiro , Kamide Kei , Kawano Yuhei , Ishimitsu Toshihiko , Yoshihara Fumiki
Published: March 2020

BACKGROUND

We investigated the effects of percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty on left ventricular (LV) mass, and the impact of LV mass reduction on outcomes.

METHODS

A total of 144 hypertensive patients with renal artery stenosis (RAS) (mean age 69 years; 22.2% fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD)) who underwent angioplasty were included. Echocardiography was performed at baseline and after 1 year, and patients were thereafter followed up for a median of 5.6 years for primary composite outcomes.

RESULTS

In both the FMD and atherosclerotic stenosis (ARAS) groups, LV mass decreased after angioplasty, but the decrease in LV mass index (−15.4 ± 18.3% vs. −0.8 ± 27.8%, P < 0.01) as well as the regression rate of LV hypertrophy was greater in FMD. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that FMD (odds ratio (OR) 2.94, P < 0.01), severe RAS (≥90%) (OR 2.94, P < 0.05), and higher LV mass index at baseline (OR 2.94 for 1 SD increase, P < 0.001) were independent predictors of LV mass index decrease of at least 20%. The primary composite outcomes occurred in 45 patients (31.3%). In FMD, lower LV mass index after 1 year (hazard ratio 2.81 for 1 SD increase, P < 0.05) or regression of LV mass (hazard ratio 0.75 for 5% decrease, P = 0.054) showed a tendency to be associated with better outcomes; however, these associations were not found in ARAS.

CONCLUSIONS

Hypertensive patients with ARAS have less regression of LV mass in response to angioplasty than those with FMD, and LV mass regression is less useful as a surrogate marker of outcomes especially in ARAS.