Reducing a structure’s self-weight is the main goal and a major challenge for most civil constructions, especially in tall buildings and earthquake-affected buildings. One of the most adopted techniques to reduce the self-weight of concrete structures is applying voids in certain positions through the structure, just like a voided slab or BubbleDeck slab. This research aims to study, experimentally and theoretically, the structural behavior of BubbleDeck reinforced concrete slabs under the effect of harmonic load. Tow-way BubbleDeck slab of 2500mm×2500m×200mm dimensions and uniformly distributed bubbles of 120mm diameter and 160mm spacing c/c was tested experimentally under the effect of harmonic load. Numerical analysis was also performed with the ABAQUS software. The results of the adopted numerical model were in acceptable agreement with the experimental results. The numerical analysis presented by the bubbles distribution effect was carried out for the BubbleDeck two-way slab under the effect of harmonic load through the evaluated numerical model. Two cases were considered in which the distribution kept the critical positions of the slab free from the bubbles. The results proved that bubbles distribution significantly affected the structural behavior.

In structural construction fields, reducing the overall self-weight of the structure is considered a primary objective and substantial challenge in the civil engineering field, particularly in earthquake-affected buildings and tall buildings. Different techniques were implemented to attain this goal; one of them is setting voids in a specific position through the structure, just like a voided slab or BubbleDeck slab. The main objective of this research is to study the structural behavior of BubbleDeck reinforced concrete slabs under the effect of static uniformly distributed load. The experimental program involved testing five fixed-end supported two-way solid and BubbleDeck slabs of dimensions 2500×2500×200 mm. The considered parameters included the bubble's diameter 100 and 120 mm and the concrete volume reduction 15 and 18 %. The other parameters, which are concrete compressive strength and detail of the steel reinforcement, were identical for all the tested specimens to be  for the compressive strength and (∅ 10 @164 mm) for the steel reinforcement. The outcomes indicated that the ultimate load capacity for a BubbleDeck slab decreased by 15.93 and 11.5 % compared to the solid slab in case of concrete volume reductions 18 and 15 %, respectively. On the other hand, an advanced behavior, including the ultimate deflection, the absorbed energy, and the ductility factor, was achieved; the increments in these parameters were 39, 5.3, and 14.94 %, respectively. Doi: 10.28991/cej-2021-03091655 Full Text: PDF

Idiopathic unconjugated hyperbilirubinaemia (Gilbert's syndrome) is a common benign disorder that, when seen in association with psychiatric illnesses, often leads to the inappropriate withholding of psychotropic medication. We describe three cases with Gilbert's syndrome and psychosis in which diagnosis of Gilbert's syndrome was delayed. This led to unnecessary investigations, further relapses and increased admissions to hospital. We emphasise the need for psychiatrists to be more aware of this benign condition.

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Background: Exam-related anxiety is a set of responses that include excessive worry, depression, nervousness, and irrelevant thinking from an individual's experience of assessment or testing and its outcome. Aim: This study was designed to evaluate exam-related anxiety among medical students in Baghdad City. Methods: This study utilized a cross-sectional survey design and was conducted by administering an online questionnaire to medical students (medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy). Results: A total of 530 students participated in the survey; 20.8% of them came from medical colleges, 41.7% from dentistry schools, and 37.5% from pharmacy schools. Around 27.1% of the respondents reported positive test-related anxiety. Conclusion: Exam-related anxiety is frequent among Iraqi medical students in Baghdad and highlights the need for education programs to reduce this anxiety.