Effects of Tyre Derived Aggregate (TDA) as Partial Replacement of Coarse Aggregate in Concrete

The usage and reuse of waste tyre rubber in concrete production can cut down the use of raw materials which contributes to economic efficiency and sustainable development of the construction industry. This study is directed at assessing the effects of using the Tyre Derived Aggregate (TDA) as a substitute for coarse aggregate in concrete. A sum of eighty-six square cubes of 100 mm was cast and cured in fresh water for up to 28 days. Setting times, consistency and soundness tests were carried out on cement paste. However, slump, compressive strength and durability (i.e. water absorption) tests were carried out on the concrete. The results unveiled that the physical characteristics of cement considered fulfilled BS EN 196-3 (1995), and the slump of fresh concrete decreased as the percentage of TDA content stepped up. The water absorption raised, while the density of concrete made with TDA decreased as the percentage of TDA content stepped up. However, the strength of TDA-concrete increased as the curing age increased, and it decreased as the portion of TDA content raised. Nevertheless, the strength at 0%, 5% and 10% were 23, 21.67 and 18.33 N/mm2 respectively. However, the strength of TDA-concrete made with 0 % TDA and 5 % TDA subjected to different temperatures decreased as the temperature increased, however, even at 500C the strength of concrete made with 5% TDA was found to be 20.5 N/mm2 which is within the target compressive strength. It was concluded that the usage of TDA content in the production of concrete should not be greater than 5 % for better performance

SLANTLET TRANSFORM-BASED OFDM SCHEME

Wireless digital communication is rapidly expanding resulting in a demand for systems that are reliable and have a high spectral efficiency. To fulfill these demands OFDM technology has drawn a lot of attention. In this paper a new technique is proposed to improve the performance of OFDM. The new technique is use the slantlet transform (SLT) instead Fast Fourier transform (FFT) in order to reduce the level of interference. This also will remove the need for Guard interval (GI) in the case of the FFT-OFDM and therefore improve the bandwidth efficiency of the OFDM. The SLT-OFDM is also better than wavelet packet (WP)-OFDM in the selective channel because the slantlet filter bank is less frequency selective than the traditional DWT filter bank, due to the shorter length of the filters and SLT algorithm is faster than WP algorithm. The main results obtained indicate that the performance of SLT-OFDM is better on average by 18dB in comparison with that of FFT-OFDM flat fading channels. For frequency selective fading channel the SLT-OFDM performs is better than the FFT-OFDM on the lower SNR region, while the situation will reverse with increase SNR values

Effects of Load Ratio Variation on the Safety of Timber Concrete Composite Floor

This paper presents the structural reliability appraisal of timber concrete composite floor designed in line with Eurocode 5 (2004) and Eurocode 2, (2004). Limit state expressions for timber concrete composite floor subdued to tension, bending, tension and bending, shear and compression were generated and their entailed reliability degrees were assessed. The basic variables associated with the design are considered to be random variables with their properties espoused from the previous studies. Reliability analysis was performed using reliability mothed i.e. first order reliability method (FORM) owing to assess the safety levels of the composite floor structural elements by considering six different modes of failure. The analysis comprised of different selected species of softwood, hard wood and glue laminated timber whose strength class were obtained from BS EN 338, 2008 and concrete of strength class C30 from Eurocode 2. The results obtained disclosed that safety indices decrease as the load ratio steps up that led to cut down of the strength. It was detected that timber with strength classes D70, D50 and C50 are safe against all different failure modes looked at except C50 and D50 against shear failure at load ratio of 1, 1.5 and 2. It was conclude timber of strength classes D70, D50 and C50 would reliable for the construction of composite floor i.e. timber-concrete floor

Implementation of variational iteration method for various types of linear and nonlinear partial differential equations

There are various linear and nonlinear one-dimensional partial differential equations that are the focus of this research. There are a large number of these equations that cannot be solved analytically or precisely. The evaluation of nonlinear partial differential equations, even if analytical solutions exist, may be problematic. Therefore, it may be necessary to use approximate analytical methodologies to solve these issues. As a result, a more effective and accurate approach must be investigated and analyzed. It is shown in this study that the Lagrange multiplier may be used to get an ideal value for parameters in a functional form and then used to construct an iterative series solution. Linear and nonlinear partial differential equations may both be solved using the variational iteration method (VIM) method, thanks to its high computing power and high efficiency. Decoding and analyzing possible Korteweg-De-Vries, Benjamin, and Airy equations demonstrates the method’s ability. With just a few iterations, the produced findings are very effective, precise, and convergent to the exact answer. As a result, solving nonlinear equations using VIM is regarded as a viable option

Thermal shock resistance of yttrium aluminium oxide Y3Al5O12 thermal barrier coating for titanium alloy

The high strength-to- weight ratio of titanium alloys allows their use in jet engines. However, their use is restricted by susceptibility to oxidation at high temperatures. In this study, the possibility of increasing the operating temperature of titanium alloys through using Yttrium Aluminum Oxide (YAG) as a thermal barrier coating material for Ti-6Al-4V substrate is studied. The study concludes that YAG can be utilized to increase the operating temperature of Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy from around 350 °C to 800 °C due to its low thermal conductivity and phase stability up to its melting point. In addition, its lower oxygen diffusivity in comparison with the standard YSZ material will provide a better protection of the titanium substrate from oxidation. In this work, coating was created using atmospheric plasma spray. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) were used to examine coatings' composition and structure. The coating was characterized by thermal shock test, Vickers hardness test and adhesion strength test. X-ray diffraction indicated that the coating was of a partially crystalline Y3Al5O12 composition. The coating was porous with excellent thermal shock resistance at 800 oC, with a Vickers micro-hardness of 331.35 HV and adhesion strength of 17.6 MPa

Reduction the Effect of Mobility in Link Transmitting Using Efficient DSR Route Cache for MANETs

Communication between mobile users is becoming more popular than ever before due to the recent technological advances in wireless communication devices. Ad hoc networks are generally closed in that, it’s a collection of two or more devices equipped with wireless communications and networking capability; they do not connect to the Internet and are typically created between participants. This means that a formed network can be de-formed on-the-fly without the need for any system administration. Many routing protocol methods have been proposed in Mobile Ad-Hoc Network but still the challenges are to improve the routing performance. The DSR (Dynamic Source Routing) routing protocol dependent on the cache memory for every node to store the routing path from source to destination. This paper presented a new algorithm using DSR routing cache technique to improve the routing between mobile nodes to reduction the effect of mobility in link transmitting that can solve link broken problem. The simulation results show a low delay, stable link in routing and better performance in terms of Route Discovery Time. It indicates that DSR cache outperforms DSR standard and had a high quality of packet delivery

Enhancement and Identification of Microbial Secondary Metabolites

Screening for microbial secondary metabolites (SMs) has attracted the attention of the scientific community since 1940s. In fact, since the discovery of penicillin, intensive researches have been conducted worldwide in order to detect and identify novel microbial secondary metabolites. As a result, the discovery of novel SMs has been decreased significantly by using traditional experiments. Therefore, searching for new techniques to discover novel SMs was one of the most priority objectives. However, the development and advances of omics-based techniques such as metabolomics and genomics have revealed the potential of discovering novel SMs which were coded in the microorganisms’ DNA but not expressed in the lab media or might be produced in undetectable amount by detecting the biosynthesis gene clusters (BGCs) that are associated with the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. Nowadays, the development and integration of gene editing tools such as CRISPR-Cas9 in metabolomics provide a successful platform for the identification and detection of known and novel SMs and also to increase the production of SMs

Farnesol attenuates cadmium-induced kidney injury by mitigating oxidative stress, inflammation and necroptosis and upregulating cytoglobin and PPARγ in rats

Heavy metals are environmental pollutants that can harm animals and humans even at low concentrations. Cadmium (Cd) is known for its serious health effects on different organs and its toxicity is associated with oxidative stress (OS) and inflammation. Farnesol (FAR), a sesquiterpene alcohol found in many vegetables and fruits, possesses promising anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. This study evaluated the effect of FAR on Cd-induced kidney injury, pinpointing its effect of the redox status, inflammation, fibrosis and necroptosis. Rats in this study received FAR for 14 days and Cd on day 7. Elevated serum creatinine, urea and uric acid, and several kidney histopathological alterations were observed in Cd-administered rats. Cd increased MDA, decreased antioxidants, downregulated PPARγ and upregulated NF-κB p65, IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β. Necroptosis mediators (RIP1, RIP3, MLKL, and caspase-8) and α-SMA were upregulated, and collagen deposition was increased in Cd-administered rats. FAR ameliorated kidney injury markers and tissue damage, attenuated OS, suppressed NF-κB and inflammatory mediators, and enhanced antioxidants. In addition, FAR suppressed RIP1, RIP3, MLKL, caspase-8, and α-SMA, and enhanced kidney cytoglobin and PPARγ. In conclusion, FAR protects against Cd nephrotoxicity by suppressing OS, inflammatory response and necroptosis, effects associated with enhanced antioxidants, cytoglobin, and PPARγ

Analysis of the Causes of Minorities’ Forced Migration from Mosul to the Nineveh Plain during (2013 – 2004)

ترتبط الهجرة القسرية بشكل مباشر بالظروف الأمنية والسياسية، حيث يجبر الإنسان على الهجرة وترك موطنه الأصلي دون إرادته وتكون هذه الهجرة جماعية وفي ظرف قياسي، فقد يهاجر الناس بالآلاف في غضون أيام ويترتب عليها مشاكل كثيرة في منطقتي الطرد والجذب السكاني على حد سواء، إذ تؤدي إلى تغيير ديموغرافي ومشاكل اجتماعية وزيادة حجم السكان في منطقة الجذب وما يترتب على ذلك من ضغط على الخدمات وغيرها وعكس ذلك بالنسبة لمنطقة الطرد السكاني. يتناول البحث الهجرة القسرية للأقليات (الشبك والمسيحيين والأيزيدين) من مدينة الموصل إلى سهل نينوى بعد سقوط نظام الحكم عام (2003)، وما ترتب على ذلك من أحداث مضطربة للظروف الأمنية والسياسية وخاصةً بعد دخول العصابات المسلحة (تنظيم القاعدة) إلى مدينة الموصل، إذ بدأت هذه الجماعات المتطرفة بتهديد وقتل أبناء الأقليات وعلى أساس طائفي وديني ومذهبي، وتضمن البحث الدوافع الكامنة وراء هذه الهجرة والتأثيرات السلبية الناتجة عنها. تم استخدام تقنية نظم المعلومات الجغرافية (GIS) في تمثيل بيانات الهجرة القسرية على شكل خرائط تمثل عدد العوائل المهجرة، وتبين اختلاف في اعداد العوائل المهجرة إلى مناطق سهل نينوى، إذا حت لقضاء الحمدانية المرتبة الأولى من ناحية عدد العوائل المهجرة فقد بلغ عددها (11720) عائلة وبنسبة (79.3%)، يليه قضاء تلكيف (1873) عائلة وبنسبة (12.7%)، ثم قضاء شيخان (1186) عائلة وبنسبة (8%).     Forced migration is directly related to security and political conditions, where people are forced to emigrate and leave their country of origin without their will, this migration is collective and in a standard circumstance. People may emigrate in thousands and in a few days and result in many problems in the areas of expulsion and population attraction alike, which lead to demographic change and social problems and increase the size of the population in the area of attraction and the consequent pressure on services and others and the opposite of the area of expulsion.      The study deals with forced migration of minorities (Shabak, Christians and Isidin) from the city of Mosul to the Nineveh Plain after the fall of the regime in 2003, and the consequent turbulent events of the security and political conditions, especially after the entry of armed gangs (Al Qaeda) to the city of Mosul. The extremist groups began to threaten and kill members of minorities on a sectarian, religious and sectarian basis. The research also examined the motives behind this migration and its negative effects.      GIS was used to represent forced migration data in the form of maps representing the number of displaced families. There was a difference in the number of displaced families to areas of Nineveh Plain, Al-Hamdaniya district ranked first in terms of the number of displaced families (11720) by (79.3%), the second rank was Talqeef district (1873) families by (12.7%), and the third was Sheikhan district (1186) families and by (8%)