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In this study, experimental tests were performed to evaluate the effects of axisymmetric cylindrical projectile nose shapes and initial velocities on ballistic performance of laminated woven glass epoxy composites. Projectile initial velocity and nose sharpness changes, absorbed energy, delamination area, etc. are investigated by six blunt, hemispherical, conical and ogival projectiles. Hand lay-up method has been used to manufacture composite targets with 18 layers of 2D woven glass fibers of 45% fiber volume fraction. The epoxy system is made of epon 828 resin with jeffamine D400 as the curing agent. The results show that the maximum influence of projectile geometry on target behavior, occurs in ballistic limit area. In this range of initial velocity, ogival (CRH=2.5) and Blunt projectiles show the best and the worst ballistic performance. The delamination area decreases as the projectile nose sharpness increases or its initial velocity decreases. Ballistic curves for different projectiles show that the difference between projectiles behavior decreases in higher impact velocities. Because of target shear failure in blunt projectile impact, the amount of target absorbed energy for this projectile is less than other projectiles in higher impact velocities away from ballistic limit velocity.

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In this paper, the tensile properties of 2D woven glass epoxy composite reinforced by two different nanoparticles have been investigated and compared. Hand lay-up method has been used to manufacture nanocomposites with 12 layers of 2D woven glass fibers with 40% fiber volume fraction. The nano-epoxy resin system is made of epon 828 resin with jeffamine D400 as the curing agent. The composites were reinforced by adding organically modified montmorillonite nanoclay (Closite 30B) and nanosilica (SiO2) particles. The nanoclay particles were dispersed into the epoxy system in a 0%, 3%, 5%, 7% and 10% ratio in weight with respect to the matrix, while the spherical nanosilica particles were dispersed into the epoxy system in a 0%, 0.5%, 1% and 3% ratio in weight with respect to the matrix. The results show that low loading of nanoclay decreases the mechanical properties of nanocomposite, while significant improvements of nanocomposite mechanical properties are shown in low loading of nanosilica. Tensile strength and toughness of nanocomposite increase by 7% and 10% after adding 5 wt.% nanoclay. Loading of 0.5 wt.% nanosilica cause 10% and 27% improvement in tensile strength and toughness of nanocomposite.

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This paper, experimentally evaluates the effects of indenter geometry on quasi-static perforation process of laminated woven glass epoxy composites. Low loading rate tests were performed, using six indenters with blunt, hemispherical, conical (cone angle of 37˚ and 90˚) and ogival (caliber radius head of 1.5 and 2.5) nose shapes. Composite behaviors like energy absorption, contact force, failure mechanisms and friction force were investigated for different indenter shapes. Hand lay-up method has been used to manufacture composite targets with 18 layers of 2D woven glass fibers of 45% fiber volume fraction. The epoxy system is made of epon 828 resin with jeffamine D400 as the curing agent. The results show that the load displacement curve is divided to five areas. Some of these areas may have higher or lower magnitude, depending on indenter nose shape. The highest contact force is exhibited by unsharpened indenter. The lowest contact force and so the best performance is seen in ogival (CRH=2.5) indenter. Comparing absorbed energies shows that for an identical dent depth, the amount of absorbed energy is major for unsharpened indenters. The 37˚ conical indenter needs the highest energy for perforation, which is 2.6 times more than blunt indenter’s.

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In this simulation study, Mate Allocation (MA) strategy using combined genomic-pedigree information was compared with Random Mating (RM) aiming at controlling the level of inbreeding (ΔF) with minimum impacts on the amounts of Genetic Gain (ΔG) in poultry breeding programs. Five equally-sized subpopulations of chickens (P₁ to P₅) were simulated. A genome encompassing five chromosomes involving 15,000 bi-allelic markers was defined for each bird. Potentially, 500 QTL impacted a trait, which had a heritability of 0.1. Only pedigree information was assumed to be available in P₁ while the percent of genotyped birds were 10% in P₂, 20% in P₃, and 50% in P₄ and P₅. Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) were computed using the traditional approach (PBLUP) and the Single-Step method (SSGBLUP). In P₅, early predictions were applied to estimate GEBVs. Comparisons were made based on the reductions in ΔF and changes in ΔG between two mating scenarios and two evaluation methods within and across subpopulations, respectively. After seven generations, MA resulted in 20 to 30% less ΔF within subpopulations compared with RM with negligible impacts on ΔG. Furthermore, in both mating scenarios, SSGBLUP brought about 11 to 61% less ΔF compared to PBLUP across subpopulations. Results indicated that the benefits of using combined genomic-pedigree relationships could be more than improving the accuracy of EBVs through the SSGBLUP as they can also be used in mating designs to restrict ΔF with a minimum impact on ΔG. Also, this study verified that SSGBLUP could bring about lower ΔF compared with PBLUP.

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Persian Kurdish Horse constitutes a group of horses traditionally bred and used by Kurdish People who have lived and occupied today's western provinces of Iran for several millennia. Although very well-known for their unique characteristics, standards of this so-called breed of Iranian native horses have never been established. This study was designed to document and validate anecdotal information that has been passed along generations of Kurdish Horse breeders about unique physical characteristics and performances of this native horse breed of Iran. The first author traveled to provinces with larger numbers of Kurdish Horses in Iran and conducted personal interviews with 114 of well-known Kurdish Horse breeders. Questioners were completed. Then, the degree of concordance on various physical and performance characteristics of Kurdish Horses that were anecdotally considered as more important traits to identify and define Kurdish Horses was established. Based on such validated data, characteristics with a higher degree of agreement were formatted into a proposed “Breed Type and Standards” for Iranian Kurdish Horses.