USE OF PROCESSED SUGARCANE BAGASSE ASH IN CONCRETE AS PARTIAL REPLACEMENT OF CEMENT: MECHANICAL AND DURABILITY PROPERTIES

Using biomass waste as supplementary cementing material (SCM) in concrete has attracted researchers’ attention for efficient waste utilization and reducing cement demand. Sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA) is one such example of biomass waste. It is an agricultural waste obtained when sugarcane bagasse from the sugar industry is used for power generation and disposed of in open-air dumping sites. Its waste disposal causes the generation of particulate matter, degrading air quality. In this study, the effect of processed SCBA as SCM in concrete has been investigated. The processing of the SCBA involved the removal of fibrous and carbon-containing particles by sieving followed by grinding. The SCBA was ground for 45 min until the surface area was comparable to that of cement and was then used for further characterization and incorporation into concrete. The 45 min grinding time resulted in 2.92 times higher pozzolanic reactivity of the SCBA. The SCBA was incorporated by replacing cement in different weight fractions (10%, 20%, 30%, 40%) in concrete. Test results showed that the concrete workability increased with SCBA incorporation, whereas the resulting concrete density was reduced. The results of the mechanical properties, including compressive sstrength and hardened density, were enhanced upon the cement replacement by SCBA. Concrete containing 30% SCBA can be used for structural applications as its 28 days compressive strength was 21 MPa, which complies with ACI 318-16 specifications. Concrete resistance against scaling and leaching due to adverse effects of sulfuric and hydrochloric acid considerably increased with SCBA addition and was due to microstructure densification by secondary hydrates formation as lower portlandite content was detected by thermogravimetric analysis. Hence, SCBA processing increases its reactivity, as reflected by the improved mechanical properties and greater durability of SCBA-incorporated concrete. Keywords: sugarcane bagasse ash; waste disposal; structural concrete; pozzolanic activity; durabilit

Hepatoprotective role of unacylated ghrelin in different doses: an experimental study

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the hepatoprotective effects of Unacylated Ghrelin (UAG) at varying doses in the management of acute liver injury in Wistar albino rats. METHODS: This quasi-experimental study was conducted at Department of Physiology, Isra University, Hyderabad, Pakistan from March to August 2023. Thirty Wistar albino rats (200-250 grams) were randomly divided into five groups (n=6). Group A served as the control, while liver injury was induced in Groups B, C, D, and E via intraperitoneal injection of 0.1% CCl₄. Groups C, D, and E were subsequently treated with low, medium, and high doses of UAG, respectively. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), malondialdehyde, interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels were assessed, along with liver histopathology. RESULTS: Pre-experimental body weights (Mean±SD) for groups A, B, C, D, and E were 227.33±7.75 g, 229.80±2.08 g, 228.70±5.34 g, 231.33±8.69 g, and 236.38±10.63 g, respectively. The liver index was 4.36±0.28, 6.65±0.37, 5.80±0.17, 5.70±0.08, and 5.06±0.23, respectively, across the groups. A statistically significant (p<0.05) decline was observed in group B compared to group C, D and E. Moreover, statistically significant (p<0.05) rise in ALT, AST, Serum IL-6, TNFα, SOD, and MDA levels in group B compared with the remaining groups. CONCLUSION: UAG effectively protects the liver from CCl₄-induced injury in rats. Higher doses of UAG reduced liver enzyme levels and improved oxidative stress and inflammation markers, indicating its potential as a therapeutic agent for liver damage. Further research is warranted to explore UAG's therapeutic use for liver disorders

Physical activity, smoking, and genetic predisposition to obesity in people from Pakistan:the PROMIS study

Background: Multiple genetic variants have been reliably associated with obesity-related traits in Europeans, but little is known about their associations and interactions with lifestyle factors in South Asians. Methods: In 16,157 Pakistani adults (8232 controls; 7925 diagnosed with myocardial infarction [MI]) enrolled in the PROMIS Study, we tested whether: a) BMI-associated loci, individually or in aggregate (as a genetic risk score - GRS), are associated with BMI; b) physical activity and smoking modify the association of these loci with BMI. Analyses were adjusted for age, age(2), sex, MI (yes/no), and population substructure. Results: Of 95 SNPs studied here, 73 showed directionally consistent effects on BMI as reported in Europeans. Each additional BMI-raising allele of the GRS was associated with 0.04 (SE = 0.01) kg/m(2) higher BMI (P = 4.5 x 10(-14)). We observed nominal evidence of interactions of CLIP1 rs11583200 (P-interaction = 0.014), CADM2 rs13078960 (P-interaction = 0.037) and GALNT10 rs7715256 (P-interaction = 0.048) with physical activity, and PTBP2 rs11165643 (P-interaction = 0.045), HIP1 rs1167827 (P-interaction = 0.015), C6orf106 rs205262 (P-interaction = 0.032) and GRID1 rs7899106 (P-interaction = 0.043) with smoking on BMI. Conclusions: Most BMI-associated loci have directionally consistent effects on BMI in Pakistanis and Europeans. There were suggestive interactions of established BMI-related SNPs with smoking or physical activity

Effect of Silver Colloid on Chemical and Physical Properties of Cotton Fabric for the Application of Antimicrobial Textiles

We report an application of silver colloid on cotton textile using a one- step method. Cotton fabric was treated with silver colloid and antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus Aurous (gram positive) and Escherichia coli (gram negative) bacteria were evaluated. The treated fabric was evaluated in terms of physical properties such as tensile strength and stiffness, wrinkle recovery angle and degree of whiteness was evaluated. The change in chemical structure and morphology were evaluated using FTIR and SEM respectively. The study revealed that the maximum antimicrobial activity was obtained at 2.5 % of silver colloid while the 3 minutes cure of the treated cotton provided a better overall performance in terms of antimicrobial activity and physical properties.</jats:p

Effect of Maternal Colonization with History of Prolonged Rupture of Membrane on Neonatal Colonization and Early Onset Sepsis

AbstractObjective: To determine the effect of maternal colonization with history of PROM on neonatal colonization and early-onset sepsis.Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out at a single tertiary care hospital of Karachi from June 1st 2018 to May 31st 2019. A total of 155 patients' full-term new-borns between 37 to 41 weeks of gestation with a history of rupture of membranes more than 18 hours duration was selected by convenience sampling method. A high vaginal swab was collected from all full-term pregnant women with a history of PROM. After delivery of their new-borns, all babies were kept in the nursery under closed observation for 72 hours duration and their blood cultures, CRP (C- Reactive Protein) and CBC (complete blood count) was sent within 24 hours of delivery.Results: In our study, out of 155 PROM cases 58 (37.4) were growth positive and 50 (32.3) neonates had positive blood C/S at delivery. Out of 58 cases with suspected growth positive PROM mothers 51 had gram-negative organisms in HVS while only 7 mothers were gram-positive in HVS. Of all neonates with positive blood C/S at delivery 44 cases were gram-negative organisms in their blood.Conclusion: In our study organisms found in a high vaginal swab of the mother are similar to the organisms found in the blood culture of their new-born with early-onset sepsis.</jats:p

An Optimization-Based Strategy for Solving Optimal Power Flow Problems in a Power System Integrated with Stochastic Solar and Wind Power Energy

In an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, experts are looking to substitute fossil fuel energy with renewable energy for environmentally sustainable and emission free societies. This paper presents the hybridization of particle swarm optimization (PSO) with grey wolf optimization (GWO), namely a hybrid PSO-GWO algorithm for the solution of optimal power flow (OPF) problems integrated with stochastic solar photovoltaics (SPV) and wind turbines (WT) to enhance global search capabilities towards an optimal solution. A solution approach is used in which SPV and WT output powers are estimated using lognormal and Weibull probability distribution functions respectively, after simulation of 8000 Monte Carlo scenarios. The control variables include the forecast real power generation of SPV and WT, real power of thermal generators except slack-bus, and voltages of all voltage generation buses. The total generation cost of the system is considered the main objective function to be optimized, including the penalty and reserve cost for underestimation and overestimation of SPV and WT, respectively. The proposed solution approach for OPF problems is verified on the modified IEEE 30 bus test system. The performance and robustness of the proposed hybrid PSO-GWO algorithm in solving the OPF problem is assessed by comparing the results with five other metaheuristic optimization algorithms for the same test system, under the same control variables and system constraints. Simulation results confirm that the hybrid PSO-GWO algorithm performs well compared to other algorithms and shows that it can be an efficient choice for the solution of OPF problems

An Optimization-Based Strategy for Solving Optimal Power Flow Problems in a Power System Integrated with Stochastic Solar and Wind Power Energy

In an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, experts are looking to substitute fossil fuel energy with renewable energy for environmentally sustainable and emission free societies. This paper presents the hybridization of particle swarm optimization (PSO) with grey wolf optimization (GWO), namely a hybrid PSO-GWO algorithm for the solution of optimal power flow (OPF) problems integrated with stochastic solar photovoltaics (SPV) and wind turbines (WT) to enhance global search capabilities towards an optimal solution. A solution approach is used in which SPV and WT output powers are estimated using lognormal and Weibull probability distribution functions respectively, after simulation of 8000 Monte Carlo scenarios. The control variables include the forecast real power generation of SPV and WT, real power of thermal generators except slack-bus, and voltages of all voltage generation buses. The total generation cost of the system is considered the main objective function to be optimized, including the penalty and reserve cost for underestimation and overestimation of SPV and WT, respectively. The proposed solution approach for OPF problems is verified on the modified IEEE 30 bus test system. The performance and robustness of the proposed hybrid PSO-GWO algorithm in solving the OPF problem is assessed by comparing the results with five other metaheuristic optimization algorithms for the same test system, under the same control variables and system constraints. Simulation results confirm that the hybrid PSO-GWO algorithm performs well compared to other algorithms and shows that it can be an efficient choice for the solution of OPF problems.</jats:p