Influence of deep excavation on behavior of adjacent single pile: effect of pile location

Even when located atop piles, deep excavations might result in Settlement and harm to nearby buildings. This work aims to investigate single-pile reactions to deep-braced excavation-induced soil movement in soft clay with a sand covering. The main goal of the experiment is to determine how a vertical single pile responds to produced axial force, lateral deflection, induced bending moment, and pile settlement. The pile\u27s diameter (dp) is 5 meters, and its embedded length (Lp) is 22 meters. The pile horizontally from the diaphragm wall is situated 3.75 meters (.25 He). The pile was simulated using the Embedded pile structural element. To enhance comprehension of the behavior of a single pile, a parametric analysis was conducted. to offer more information regarding the pile\u27s response. Design, procedure, and strategy A thorough three-dimensional numerical study is performed to explore pile responses during a nearby deep-braced excavation using the explicit finite element code PLAXIS 3D. Conclusions: The acquired data made it possible to fully comprehend the phenomena of soil-pile-structure interactions as well as the pile reaction. The results show that there could be significant axial forces, lateral deflections, and bending moments in the surrounding piles as a result of the deep excavation. Parametric research revealed that the position of the pile has a significant impact on the pile reactions. This work used 3D numerical modeling to fully examine the pile reaction in multi-layered soil. In this investigation, the Hardening soil model with small-strain stiffness was employed to account for the soil\u27s nonlinear small-strain behavior

Influence of deep excavation on behavior of adjacent single pile: effect of pile location

Even when located atop piles, deep excavations might result in Settlement and harm to nearby buildings. This work aims to investigate single-pile reactions to deep-braced excavation-induced soil movement in soft clay with a sand covering. The main goal of the experiment is to determine how a vertical single pile responds to produced axial force, lateral deflection, induced bending moment, and pile settlement. The pile\u27s diameter (dp) is 5 meters, and its embedded length (Lp) is 22 meters. The pile horizontally from the diaphragm wall is situated 3.75 meters (.25 He). The pile was simulated using the Embedded pile structural element. To enhance comprehension of the behavior of a single pile, a parametric analysis was conducted. to offer more information regarding the pile\u27s response. Design, procedure, and strategy A thorough three-dimensional numerical study is performed to explore pile responses during a nearby deep-braced excavation using the explicit finite element code PLAXIS 3D. Conclusions: The acquired data made it possible to fully comprehend the phenomena of soil-pile-structure interactions as well as the pile reaction. The results show that there could be significant axial forces, lateral deflections, and bending moments in the surrounding piles as a result of the deep excavation. Parametric research revealed that the position of the pile has a significant impact on the pile reactions. This work used 3D numerical modeling to fully examine the pile reaction in multi-layered soil. In this investigation, the Hardening soil model with small-strain stiffness was employed to account for the soil\u27s nonlinear small-strain behavior

USE OF BIOMIMICRY DESIGN APPROACH IN CONSTRUCTING SUSTAINABLE RESILIENT STRUCTURES (CASE STUDY: PORT OF BEIRUT)

Resiliency is not the same as sustainability, nor its substitute, but definitely the two concepts complement each other’s. Sustainability is the avoidance of depletion of natural resources to maintain ecological balance whereas resiliency is to recover, adapt and keep going in the face of setbacks. While designing with green approach is important but what will happen to leed points if the building becomes uninhabitable due to disasters, that’s where resiliency comes into play. The 2019 statistics showed that natural disasters accounted for 133 billion dollars losses and manmade ones accounted for other 7 billion in addition to 11,755 people worldwide were passed way or disappeared, all as results of failures experienced in cities structures and infrastructures when facing such contingencies, these numbers draw a concern on the current buildings industry resiliency on the global level. Currently there are two theories of resiliency; engineering which is based on technology and ecological which is based on biology. While technology exploits energy to solve problems, biology focuses on information and structure which is usually ignored by technology, therefore this research aims to propose a new approach for designing resilient structures through the use of biomimicry in order for cities to be capable of withstanding disasters. To achieve this aim, the research used a scientific approach based on tracing literature review about building’s structures, in addition to disasters and how they shaped the architecture of our cities, and investigating ideas about resiliency achievement, then analyzing the “Port Of Beirut” as a case study to identify a new design approach through the use of biomimicry to improve the quality of life and strengthen the feeling of safety in the city. As a conclusion, after 3.8 billion years of nature’s research and development, failures are fossils, and what surrounds us is the secret to our survival, hence biomimicry approach to be applied in order to learn from nature as a model to create sustainable designs for achieving more resilient cities

Point Load Index of Rocks Exposed to High Thermal Effect

High thermal effects on Point Load Index (P.L.I) of rocks tolerate in mind an essential issue for numerous geotechnical engineering purposes. Many engineering relevancies interact with it as Geothermal power reserve extraction, Fires that occur in tunnels, Underground coal gasification (UCG), and numerous ancient monuments that were made from these rocks and exposed to different thermal impacts. This research aims to carry out Point Load Index (P.L.I) experimental studies of intact rocks as Granite, Sandstone, Marble and, Limestone rocks. In this study, the rock samples are subjected to thermal effects (from room temperature degree 25 oC to a high temperature up to 1100 oC). The results are debated and introduced in terms of rising temperature degrees with different parameters. It has been known that the Point Load Index (P.L.I) of rocks decreased with the elevated temperature, particularly outside particular temperatures.Keywords: Rock strength, Thermal Effects, Point Load Index, Different Rock

Validation of the Arabic Severe Respiratory Insufficiency Questionnaire

Background/objectives: Assessment of Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQL) in patients with chronic respiratory insufficiency requiring Home Mechanical Ventilation (HMV) requires a valid measurement tool. The Severe Respiratory Insufficiency (SRI) questionnaire, originally developed in German, has been translated into different languages and tested in different contexts, but has so far not been in use in Arabic-speaking populations. The objective of this study is to validate the Arabic version of the SRI questionnaire in a sample of Arabic-speaking patients from Lebanon. Methods: Following forward/backward translations, the finalized Arabic version was administered to 149 patients (53 males–96 females, age 69.80 ± 10 years) receiving HMV. Patients were recruited from outpatient clinics and visited at home. The Arabic SRI and the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) were administered, in addition to questions on sociodemographics and medical history. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was used to explore dimensionality; internal consistency reliability of the unidimensional scale and its subscales was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha. External nomological validity was examined by assessing the correlation between the SRI and SF-36 scores. Results: The 49-item Arabic SRI scale showed a high internal consistency reliability (Cronbach alpha for the total scale was 0.897 and ranged between 0.73 and 0.87 for all subscales). Correlations between the SF-36-Mental Health Component MHC and SF-36-Physical Health Component with SRI-Summary Scale were 0.57 and 0.66, respectively, with higher correlations observed between the SF-36 and specific sub-scales such as the Physical Functioning and the Social Functioning subscales [r = 0.81 and r = 0.74 (P < 0.01), respectively]. Conclusion and recommendations: The Arabic SRI is a reliable and valid tool for assessing HRQL in patients with chronic respiratory insufficiency receiving home mechanical ventilation. © 2021, The Author(s)

Surgical site infection after gastrointestinal surgery in high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries: a prospective, international, multicentre cohort study

Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most common infections associated with health care, but its importance as a global health priority is not fully understood. We quantified the burden of SSI after gastrointestinal surgery in countries in all parts of the world. Methods: This international, prospective, multicentre cohort study included consecutive patients undergoing elective or emergency gastrointestinal resection within 2-week time periods at any health-care facility in any country. Countries with participating centres were stratified into high-income, middle-income, and low-income groups according to the UN's Human Development Index (HDI). Data variables from the GlobalSurg 1 study and other studies that have been found to affect the likelihood of SSI were entered into risk adjustment models. The primary outcome measure was the 30-day SSI incidence (defined by US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for superficial and deep incisional SSI). Relationships with explanatory variables were examined using Bayesian multilevel logistic regression models. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02662231. Findings: Between Jan 4, 2016, and July 31, 2016, 13 265 records were submitted for analysis. 12 539 patients from 343 hospitals in 66 countries were included. 7339 (58·5%) patient were from high-HDI countries (193 hospitals in 30 countries), 3918 (31·2%) patients were from middle-HDI countries (82 hospitals in 18 countries), and 1282 (10·2%) patients were from low-HDI countries (68 hospitals in 18 countries). In total, 1538 (12·3%) patients had SSI within 30 days of surgery. The incidence of SSI varied between countries with high (691 [9·4%] of 7339 patients), middle (549 [14·0%] of 3918 patients), and low (298 [23·2%] of 1282) HDI (p < 0·001). The highest SSI incidence in each HDI group was after dirty surgery (102 [17·8%] of 574 patients in high-HDI countries; 74 [31·4%] of 236 patients in middle-HDI countries; 72 [39·8%] of 181 patients in low-HDI countries). Following risk factor adjustment, patients in low-HDI countries were at greatest risk of SSI (adjusted odds ratio 1·60, 95% credible interval 1·05–2·37; p=0·030). 132 (21·6%) of 610 patients with an SSI and a microbiology culture result had an infection that was resistant to the prophylactic antibiotic used. Resistant infections were detected in 49 (16·6%) of 295 patients in high-HDI countries, in 37 (19·8%) of 187 patients in middle-HDI countries, and in 46 (35·9%) of 128 patients in low-HDI countries (p < 0·001). Interpretation: Countries with a low HDI carry a disproportionately greater burden of SSI than countries with a middle or high HDI and might have higher rates of antibiotic resistance. In view of WHO recommendations on SSI prevention that highlight the absence of high-quality interventional research, urgent, pragmatic, randomised trials based in LMICs are needed to assess measures aiming to reduce this preventable complication

Examining the perception of undergraduate health professional students of their learning environment, learning experience and professional identity development: a mixed-methods study

Background: The quality of the learning environment significantly impacts student engagement and professional identity formation in health professions education. Despite global recognition of its importance, research on student perceptions of learning environments across different health education programs is scarce. This study aimed to explore how health professional students perceive their learning environment and its influence on their professional identity development. Methods: An explanatory mixed-methods approach was employed. In the quantitative phase, the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure [Minimum-Maximum possible scores = 0-200] and Macleod Clark Professional Identity Scale [Minimum-Maximum possible scores = 1-45] were administered to Qatar University-Health students (N = 908), with a minimum required sample size of 271 students. Data were analyzed using SPSS, including descriptive statistics and inferential analysis. In the qualitative phase, seven focus groups (FGs) were conducted online via Microsoft Teams. FGs were guided by a topic guide developed from the quantitative results and the framework proposed by Gruppen et al. (Acad Med 94:969-74, 2019), transcribed verbatim, and thematically analyzed using NVIVO. Results: The questionnaire response rate was 57.8% (525 responses out of 908), with a usability rate of 74.3% (390 responses out of 525) after excluding students who only completed the demographic section. The study indicated a "more positive than negative" perception of the learning environment (Median [IQR] = 132 [116-174], Minimum-Maximum obtained scores = 43-185), and a "good" perception of their professional identity (Median [IQR] = 24 [22-27], Minimum-Maximum obtained scores = 3-36). Qualitative data confirmed that the learning environment was supportive in developing competence, interpersonal skills, and professional identity, though opinions on emotional support adequacy were mixed. Key attributes of an ideal learning environment included mentorship programs, a reward system, and measures to address fatigue and boredom. Conclusions: The learning environment at QU-Health was effective in developing competence and interpersonal skills. Students' perceptions of their learning environment positively correlated with their professional identity. Ideal environments should include mentorship programs, a reward system, and strategies to address fatigue and boredom, emphasizing the need for ongoing improvements in learning environments to enhance student satisfaction, professional identity development, and high-quality patient care.This work was supported by the Qatar University Internal Collaborative Grant: QUCG-CPH-22/23\u2013565.Scopu

The development and validation of a scoring tool to predict the operative duration of elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Peer reviewe

A combined first principles and statistical mechanics method for the study of point defects in Al-rich NiAl systems

Ordered intermetallics have emerged as promising candidates for high temperature structural applications. In particular, NiAl alloys have enjoyed a great deal of attention because of their potential to extend operating temperatures in certain applications. The Al-rich phases of the Ni-Al phase diagram have much lower melting temperatures than NiAl and have not received much attention. However, the study of these compounds is important for several reasons. They represent an integral part of the phase diagram and are important to the overall understanding and behavior of the phase diagram. An understanding of their microstructure may provide information that may lead to useful applications. Furthermore, during the micro-alloying of Ni-Al alloys, these phases are often observed to precipitate out. Therefore, we present a detailed study of the Al-rich Ni-Al phases using first-principles pseudopotential calculations in combination with a statistical mechanics method. we study the stable NiAl 3 and Ni2Al3 structures and introduce atomic defects to explore various concentrations about their stoichiometry. We calculate the formation energies and concentrations of the defects to obtain some insight into the microscopic properties of these systems.