Seısmıc Performance Improvement Of Steel Buıldıngs By Usıng Zıpper Braces

Ters V çaprazlar merkezi çapraz sistemlerin bir tipini oluşturmaktadır. Bu tür sistemlerin deprem performansı çoğunlukla birinci kat çapraz elemanların basınçta burkulmasına bağlıdır. Genellikle, şiddetli depremler altında bu sistemlerde yük tekrar dağılımı yeterli şekilde gerçekleşmemektedir. Literatürde bu problemin çözümü için fermuar tipi çapraz kullanımı önerilmektedir. Sunulan bu çalışmada, fermuar çaprazların değişik deprem kuvvetlerine maruz 3, 6 ve 8 katlı çelik binaların deprem davranışına etkisi incelenmiştir. Örnek binalar her yönde üç eşit açıklığa ve aynı kat planına sahiptir. Bu nedenle analizlerde iki boyutlu modeller kullanılmıştır. Mevcut yapıların yapısal davranışlarının iyileştirilmesinde tek ve çift fermuar çapraz uygulaması yapılmıştır. Yapıların analizinde doğrusal olmayan statik ve dinamik analizler gerçekleştirilmiştir. Dinamik analizlerde 1994 Northridge, 1999 Hector Mine ve 1999 Chi-Chi deprem kayıtları kullanılmıştır. Yapı yüksekliği boyunca fermuar çaprazların kullanımının yapıların deprem davranışı üzerinde önemli etkisinin olduğu, ayrıca, çapraz kullanımı ile mevcut yapıların göreli kat ötelenmesi ve yerdeğiştirme taleplerinde azalmalar olduğu görülmüştür

Identification and characterization of novel salivary biomarkers for oral inflammatory disease

PhD ThesisSalivary biomarkers not only reflect the current status of periodontal diseases but may predict their progression and response to treatment. This study aimed to identify and characterize novel salivary biomarkers for periodontal diseases as a biomarker paradigm for an oral inflammatory disease. Proteome profiler arrays were used to study the protein profile of whole saliva from 12 patients with chronic periodontitis and 12 healthy subjects, and to identify novel salivary biomarkers for periodontal diseases. Results revealed that there were differences in the whole saliva protein profile between health and disease status. Salivary urokinase (uPA), urokinase receptor (uPAR), and vitamin D binding protein (VDBP) were among the highly expressed proteins in periodontitis. These proteins were identified as candidate salivary biomarkers for periodontal diseases. ELISA assays were used to quantify the candidate salivary biomarkers in 158 patients with periodontal diseases as compared to 103 healthy controls and were found to be significantly elevated in the patients (p<0.001). Salivary uPA levels but not uPAR and VDBP, were significantly downregulated following treatment of the patients (p<0.01). The uPA enzymatic activity was investigated in saliva of the patients and was found to be significantly elevated as compared to the controls (p<0.001). Salivary uPA, uPAR and VDBP levels and uPA activity were positively correlated with periodontal disease measures such as pocket depth. The in vitro stimulation of human gingival fibroblasts with P.gingivalis lipopolysaccharide induced the cells to produce higher levels of uPA and uPAR along with uPA activity as compared to unstimulated cells (p<0.01). In conclusion, salivary uPA, uPAR and VDBP in addition to uPA activity are suggested as biomarkers that may be useful in the diagnosis of periodontal diseases and can indicate their severity. Salivary uPA is a potential biomarker that can assess the response of periodontitis to treatment and may predict the disease progression.Higher Committee for Education Development in Iraq (HCED

Project Management Information System Introduction: Challenges and Remedies in a Construction Context

Abstract This thesis examined the implementation of a Project Management Information System (PMIS). The research subject was a temporary organisation called Group2, which was created to build eleven hospitals across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The introduction of the PMIS experienced several setbacks before the start of this research. The aim of the investigation was twofold. First, identifying and understanding the challenges that faced the PMIS implementation. Second, helping Group2 in improving the outcomes of the PMIS implementation. A hybrid research design was selected to enable the achievement of these objectives. Action research was the meta-methodology that orchestrated two overlapping research phases: A first phase that utilised a single case study design with multiple embedded units of analysis and a second phase that utilised a multi-site action research design. Within both phases, data was collected through a multitude of methods. These methods included: participant observations, semi-structured interviews, and review of official records. The primary conceptual model that influenced this research was based on management information system theories that focusses on individuals' responses towards introduction of an information system. However, these models proved insufficient to provide a full understanding of the PMIS implementation phenomena. The analysis of the research data suggested that PMIS implementation in a context similar to this research context is a multi-level phenomenon. As such, it was necessary to broaden the conceptual frame to incorporate theories that dealt with the group and organisational levels, as well as the individual level. The main challenges found included lack of perceived usefulness, unsatisfactory facilitating condition, fear of the PMIS, lack of sustained management support, politics, and high staff turnover. Some challenges were attributed to the temporary nature of Group2, such as the high turnover rate and the highly politicised landscape. Several actions were implemented during the three action research cycles carried out as part of this research. Some of these actions were training customisation, stakeholders' analysis, stakeholders' involvement, and realignment of PMIS objective to organisational objectives. Additionally, a prior analysis of the implementation landscape in terms of stakeholders' interests, existing implementation barriers, and enablers proved of paramount importance to implementation success. The outcomes of the interventions showed a significant improvement in the PMIS implementation results. Therefore, this study suggests that to maximise the likelihood of a PMIS implementation success in a temporary organisation, the implementer has to employ a multi-level implementation strategy. This requires a thorough analysis of the implementation subject and context before its inception. The analysis should consider all the three levels identified in this research: the individual, the group, and the organisational level. Based on the analysis results, implementers should act on the implementation's barriers and enablers. Tailored communication and customised training were the most effective action instruments used in this study. Besides, sustained management support proved of critical importance to implementation success

The Effects of CoQ-10 Supplementation on Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Markers in Iraqi Type 2 Diabetic Patients

Objective: this study was aimed to determine the effects of CoQ10 administration on glucose homeostasis parameters, oxidative stress parameters and biomarkers of inflammation among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.Methods: 28 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients (18 Female (64.29%) and 10 Male) of age range from 35-60 years old and mean ± SD age 46.76 ± 7.89 years. Participants were randomly allocated into two groups. Group A (n = 14) received placebo and group B (n = 14) received 150 mg CoQ10 supplements for 12 weeks in addition to the already given oral hypoglycemic agent (glibenclamide) and dietary control. In addition, twenty five age and sex matched healthy volunteers were included in the study as a control group. Fasting blood samples were taken at the beginning of the study and after 6 and 12-week intervention to quantify glucose homeostasis parameters, oxidative stress and biomarkers of inflammation.Results: compared with the placebo, CoQ10 supplementation resulted in a significant reduction in fasting blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, improvement in antioxidant status, and reduction of inflammatory biomarkers.Conclusion: daily administration of 150 mg CoQ10 supplements for type 2 diabetic patients for 12 weeks had beneficial effects on glycemic control, oxidative stress parameters and inflammatory markers

Experimental Investigation And Numerical Simulation Of Ohmic Heating For Liquid Food Pasteurization Under Laminar Condition

Pasteurization of liquid food - guava juice and soymilk by continuous ohmic heating within a temperature range of 30-90 0C, was performed in a 3-D non – axisymmetric ohmic heater. (Three stripe electrodes positioned along the walls and oriented 1200 to the axis of the pipe), using 3-phase 50-60 Hz alternative voltages, with Delta connection. A mathematical model describing the flow and thermal behavior of guava juice and soymilk solution in a continuous ohmic heating unit was developed. The equations for conservation of mass, momentum and energy and electric field distributions including temperature dependent electrical conductivities, thermo physical and rheological properties were solved using a commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software package (FLUENT 6.1) which was based on finite volume method of analysis. User defined functions (UDF’s)employed in the original platform (FLUENT 6.1), were used for the solution of scalar equations - electrical field model. Thermo-physical and rheological properties of soymilk and guava juice were measured. Soymilk was found to be Newtonian and guava juice a Non Newtonian (power law n = 0.0.5978 and k = 0.117 Pa sn). Measurements of electrical conductivities at various temperatures for guava juice and soymilk were carried out. These properties were then used as inputs for the CFD modelling. The numerical calculation results have provided reasonable information for optimizing the design of ohmic heating cell geometry to improve the uniformity of the electrical and thermal fields across the heating cell in order to avoid over and under-processing of liquid foods. The heating rate of soymilk was found to be higher than that of guava juice. The current density of both guava juice and soymilk was found to exceed the critical value. However, experimentally the soymilk, a protein solution, was found to rapidly deposit on the surface of the electrodes. No ohmic heating was conducted thereafter with the soymilk. Temperature, flow pattern, electrical field distribution and the slowest heating zone (SHZ) during ohmic heating of both liquid foods (3D) were predicted. Experimental and simulated temperatures were in good agreement at different locations along the ohmic heating axis for guava juice, thus validating the CFD model and simulation. The pasteurization calculations were done for guava juice (3.8 0brix) and soymilk (7.8±0.02 0brix) using the pathline of the highest velocity simulated from the CFD, and pasteurisation was adequately and rapidly achieved

The Relationship Between Cohesion and the Students' Written English Quality

This study aimed to find out the relationship between cohesion and the quality of the students' written English at the third level of Sudanese secondary schools. The study subjects were two hundred (200) students from Rufa’a city secondary schools. The study assumed some factors that underlie ignorance of cohesion such as L1 interference, overgeneralization, misuse of communicative learning strategies, inadequacy of practical English classes, students' negative attitudes towards English writing and insufficiency of qualified teachers. a test was the elicitation technique to obtain data in this respect. The analytical method was adopted to analyse the test to demonstrate the problem. However, results and findings revealed that students ignore cohesive devices and sentence boundaries. This ignorance is due to MT and overgeneralization sources, teachers' misuse of learning and communication strategies, inadequacy of practical English writing classes, students developed negative attitudes towards English writing, then neither teachers nor students are enthusiastic about writing courses. Accordingly, recommendations are submitted to develop writing standard, beside a prerequisite to qualify teachers for better linguistic performance in order to achieve coherent effective writing Keywords: cohesion, EFL students, writing, attitude