Strength Properties of Polymer Reactive Powder Concrete with Waste Materials

Reactive powder concrete, or RPC, outperforms conventional or even high-performance concrete in terms of ultra-high strength and better durability. Several buildings were destroyed in Iraq, and recycling the garbage from these buildings can significantly help reduce waste and environmental pollution as well as serve as a source of aggregate for use in new construction. Reusing garbage and using sustainable building materials are now crucial environmental challenges, so this study aimed to replace the natural fine aggregate, NFA, used in preparations of polymer reactive powder concreter, "PRPC" with recycled aggregates, or RA, from crushed old concrete, COC, in order to make PRPC production more environmentally and sustainably friendly. In this study, RPC is modified by adding styrene butadiene rubber (SBR), a polymer, to the original mixture at a ratio of 13% by weight of cement. This study sought to determine the effect of using COC as recycled fine aggregate (RFA) on the compressive, splitting, and flexural strengths of PRPC. The main objective of this investigation is to study the effect of oil (water, new oil, and waste engine oil) on the compressive and tensile strengths of PRPC with COC and to compare the behavior with that of a control mix (PRPC with NFA). The mixtures were prepared using six different percentages of RFA, replacing 0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100% NfA. After 28 days, the six mixes were divided into three groups. The first was still being cured in water, W; the second in waste engine oil, WEO; and the third in kerosene oil, KO. The results showed that using COC as RFA in PRPC was viable, and according to this investigation, the mix with 40% COC replacement with NFA provides the highest values of compressive strength, tensile strength, and flexural strength before and after exposure to liquids (water, new oil, and waste engine oil). Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-2023-09-08-09 Full Text: PD

Acoustical Environment of the Al-Rabat Concert Hall in Baghdad

The acoustic parameters (RT30, EDT, C80, G) and noise rating curves for evaluating background noise levels are measured in the Al-Rabat Concert Hall in Baghdad. The aim of the measurements is to investigate the acoustical environment of the hall and compare the results with ISO 3382. The measurement results indicate that all the parameters that were measured in this concert hall are greater than the typical values in ISO 3382. This research resulted in a recommendation to develop the acoustical environment for the audience and the musicians in the Al-Rabat Concert Hall. Keywords: acoustical environment, concert hall, reverberation time, early decay time, clarity of sound, strength of sound

Influence of Waste Concrete and Glass Recycled on the Strength Properties of Green Reactive Powder Concrete

These days, the world is facing a global environmental and sustainability problem due to the increasing generation of large amounts of waste through construction and demolition work, which causes a serious problem for the environment. Therefore, this research was conducted to get rid of the waste disposal problems, including old glass and concrete, which were used as recycled fine aggregates. Seven different mixtures were prepared. The first mixture was with the used sand, which is glass sand, and it was adopted as a reference mixture (ORPC), and three mixtures were prepared for each of the recycled materials (waste concrete and glass) and partially replaced by glass sand in different proportions (25, 50, and 75) %. Some mechanical properties, including compressive strength and flexural strength, were determined and tested at the age of (14, 28, and 90) days. Samples were processed at 20°C and heat treated at 90°C for 90 days. The results showed that the resistance reductions increased with the increase in the percentage of recycled fine aggregate, and the best replacement ratio is 25% for both materials used from waste concrete and glass.

Role of Ocimum basilicum var. thyrsiflora (Thai Basil) Aqueous Extract Treated with Yeast Suspension in Enhancing Tomato Plant Resistance to Fusarium oxysporum

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is the most popular vegetable crop in the world. It is grown almost all over the world. The biggest challenge in producing this crop is diseases caused by Fusarium oxysporum. In developing eco-friendly antifungal selective substances for controlling Fusarium diseases, the role of Ocimum basilicum var. thyrsiflora (Thai basil) aqueous extract against stimulated F. oxysporum was studied in vivo. The presoaked tomato seeds with yeast-treated and untreated O. basilicum var. thyrsiflora extracts were cultivated in F. oxysporum-infused soil. This part investigated the recovery role of these botanical extracts against the Fusarium infection on tomato plants, especially on its growth and biochemical traits. The research showed that the vegetative and floral growth parameters of plant decreased significantly due to F. oxysporum infection. The pigment contents, including carotenoids, β-carotene and lycopene in tomato fruits, were also passively affected by fungus infection at variance to phenolic and flavonoid content. Moreover, the O. basilicum var. thyrsiflora extract presoaked seeds remarkably enhanced the growth parameters of plant and the fruit pigment content. There was no significant difference in fungus infection recovery between infected plants that got yeast-treated extract and infected plants that got yeast-untreated extract. However, the pathogen inhibition percentage with extract from yeast-treated Thai basil plants in vitro increased. This research showed that utilizing O. basilicum var. thyrsiflora extract to control F. oxysporum infection of tomato plants was possible and available

Study the Behavior of High Performance Concrete Circular Short Columns Confined by CFRP

This paper presents the results of experimental study on reinforced concrete columns rehabilitation with carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) under concentrated load. Twelve short circular reinforced concrete columns (150 mm diameter and 600 mm height) were tested. Three specimens were unstrengthening and tested until failure as control specimens. Nine specimens were rehabilitation by carbon fiber reinforced polymer after loading about 75% from ultimate axial load capacity of control specimens. The test parameters were the type of concrete are normal strength concrete (NSC), high performance concrete (HPC) and high performance concrete containing engine oil (HPCEO) in additional to effective the ratio CFRP confining (fall wrap (100%strengthening), 50mm strips wrap 50mm spacing (50%strengthening)and 40mm strips wrap-60mm spacing(40%strengthening)). Test results showed that Adding used engine oil to concrete have significantly effect on workability of concrete where work as plasticizer. HPCEO mix showed lower strength (compressive, splitting tensile and flexural) and ultimate axial load of column than those HPC mix but greater than NSC mix. Where the compressive strength of concrete was (27.3 MPa, 45.8 MPa and 69.7 MPa) for NSC, HPCEO and HPC respectively. The ultimate axial load capacity of unconfined reinforced concrete columns was (52 ton, 78 ton and 117 ton) for NSC, HPCEO and HPC respectively. Reducing efficiency of rehabilitation by CFRP with increasing in compressive strength of concrete. The ratios of increasing in ultimate axial load capacity of rehabilitation RC columns with 100% and 50% wrapping in comparison with 40%wrapping are 20% and 4% respectively for NSC, while these ratios become 15% and 5% respectively for HPCEO and for HPC , these ratios are 10%and 3% respectively

Lipid Profile Changes in Toxoplasmosis Aborted Women

Blood lipids are important mediators of host defense during the acute phase of innate immunity. Parasites may induce significant changes in lipid parameters, as has been shown in vitro study where substitution of serum by lipid/cholesterol in medium and in experimental models (in vivo). Thus changes in lipid profile occur in patients that having active infections with most of the parasites. Toxoplasma cannot synthesize cholesterol and depends upon acquisition of low density lipoprotein (LDL)-derived from the host cell, via endocytosis mediated by the LDL receptor or the LDL receptor-related protein.The present study is conducted to evaluate the changes in lipid profile in T. gondii infected women.A total of patients included 87 aborted women who had positive test for toxoplasmosis and a two control groups (115 non toxoplasmosis women): The first control group (negative control) contains 88 apparently healthy women and the second control group (positive control) contains 87 aborted women, were registered from Al-Yarmouk Teaching Hospital in Baghdad. Both control groups had negative test for toxoplasmosis. These samples were collected between the period January 2009 and May 2010. Patients and controls women's had comparable age that ranged between 15-45 years old. Serum samples were collected from each woman in the three groups and then the Enzyme Linked Immunosorbant Assay (ELISA) and Lipid profile assays were performed by using two commercial kits. In the basis of ELISA test anti-T. gondii antibodies (IgG and IgM), detected in the patients sera, three types of toxoplasmosis were identified. These were; acute type, sub-acute type and chronic type. Most of patients had chronic type 75 (86.2%). There were significant decreased in the total cholesterol are 165.05 (control groups 212.44, 213.33 respectively), triglycerides 134.98 (control groups 173.81, 174.40 respectively), LDL 87.78 (control groups 137.32, 135.87 respectively) and vLDL values 26.99 (control groups 34.70, 34.60 respectively). In contrast, there was significant increased in HDL value (49.0) as compared with control groups (40.42, 38.78 respectively). Also the result indicated that there were no significant differences in lipid profile values between the three types of disease. Toxoplasma gondii had a role in changes lipid profile values in infected women which characterized by decrease in cholesterol and triglyceride and LDL with a significant increases in HDL level. Further studies needed to maintain the effect of duration of the toxoplasmosis (acute or chronic) on the changes in lipid profile

Generating of Chaotic Signals by using Semiconductor Laser with Optical Feedback

This paper addresses theoretically generating the chaotic signals by using semiconductor laser diode of 1550 nm with optical feedback. The performance of a semiconductor laser subjected to a delay optical feedback was investigated using rate equations that describe the temporal variation of photon density, carrier density, and the phase of the lasing field. The simulation results show how semiconductor lasers are sensitive to external optical perturbations and how rich chaotic signal with large information can be generated with controlled optical feedback

Study of microbial Activity of Some Arylorganomercury ( II ) Derivatives Containing Amino Group on Some Pathogenic Isolated Bacteria

Abstract :The aim of this study was to evaluate a microbial activity of the three organomercury compounds : 2-amino-5-methylphenyl mercury(II)chloride 1 , 2-amino-5-bromophenyl mercury(II)chloride 2 and 2-amino-5-nitrophenyl mercury(II)chloride 3 which were synthesized and characterized by various physical techniques . It have been reported to have antimicrobial activity against six various bacteria such as Gram positive bacteria ( Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis ) and Gram negative bacteria ( Escherichia coli , Klebsiella spp. , Salmonella spp. and Pseudomonas spp. ) . The concentrations of above compounds 1 , 2 and 3 were ( 0.5 , 0.3 – 0.5 and 0.3 – 0.5 milligram / milliliter ) found to be more effective concentrations than others related with the inhibition zone respectively . The order of antimicrobial activity for the studied compounds were depending on the power of the drawing group with mercury moiety and amino group abreast in the aromatic skeleton – structure . So , the order is NO 2 ( 3 ) > Br ( 2 ) > CH 3 ( 1

Serum magnesium and visfatin levels in newly diagnosed non-obese type 2 diabetes without insulin resistance: a cross-sectional study

Background. Previous studies demonstrated that type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients have low serum magnesium and high serum levels of visfatin. This study aimed to show the relationship between serum levels of insulin, visfatin, and magnesium in T2D patients characterized by a non-insulin resistance status.Methods. This was a cross-sectional study conducted in the Hawler Medical University, Kurdistan Region, Iraq from April 2019 to March 2020. A total number of 130 T2D patients and 45 healthy subjects were enrolled in the study. T2D patients with scores of homeostasis model assessment — insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) of < 2.5 were included. Serum levels of magnesium, visfatin, and glycemic indices, including fasting serum glucose, insulin, visfatin, and glycated hemoglobin were determined.Results. The serum level of visfatin is significantly higher in T2D patients than the corresponding values of the healthy subjects. Serum magnesium level is significantly correlated with the percentage of the glycated hemoglobin (Spearman’s correlation factor = 0.184, P = 0.036), and a positive significant correlation between serum insulin and visfatin (r = 0.216, P = 0.014) was observed. Multivariate regression analysis of the association of fasting serum insulin as a dependent variable with serum magnesium and visfatin as independent variables showed a non-significant positive correlation (r = 0.197, P = 0.082).Conclusion. Significant low serum levels of magnesium and visfatin are observed in non-insulin resistant T2D patients with a HOMA-IR score of < 2.5. Serum visfatin and magnesium levels showed significant correlations with glycemic indices

Enhancement of corrosion protection of metal carbon steel C45 and stainless steel 316 by using inhibitor (Schiff base) in sea water

This research has presented a solution to the problem faced by alloys: the corrosion problem, by reducing corrosion and enhancing protection by using an inhibitor (Schiff base). The inhibitor (Schiff base) was synthesized by reacting of the substrates materials (4-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde and 4-aminoantipyrine). It was diagnosed by infrared technology IR, where the IR spectrum and through the visible beams proved that the Schiff base was well formed and with high purity. The corrosion behavior of carbon steel and stainless steel in a saline medium (artificial seawater 3.5%NaCl) before and after using the inhibitor at four temperatures: 20, 30, 40, and 50 C° was studied by using three electrodes potentiostat. The corrosion behavior was studied by cathode and anode polarization through which all corrosion parameters were investigated which include: corrosion current icorr (1341× 10-7-  5393 × 10-9A/cm2), corrosion potential Ecorr (-1.031-  -0.227 mV vs SCE) , corrosion rates CR (0.658-0.007 mm.y-1), inhibition efficiency %IE (92-98%), and energy activation barriers Ea (4.709-26.733 kJ/mole). The thermodynamic and kinetic properties of the corrosion behavior of these two metals under study, which include: enthalpy ∆H*(2.153-24.176 kJ/mole), entropy ∆S*(-197 -156 J/mole), and free Gibbs energy ∆G*(59.87-74.56 kJ/mole) before and after using the inhibitor, were also studied