Fresh and mechanical properties of self compacting concrete containing copper slag as fine aggregates

An investigation is carried out on the development of Self Compacting Concrete (SCC) using copper slag (CS) as fine aggregates with partial and full replacement of sand. Six different SCC mixes (60% OPC and 40% Fly Ash) with 0% as control mix, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100% of copper slag substituting sand with constant w/b ratio of 0.45 were cast and tested for fresh properties of SCC. Compressive strength and splitting tensile strength were evaluated at different ages and microstructural analysis was observed at 120 days. It has been observed that the fluidity of SCC mixes was significantly enhanced with the increment of copper slag. The test results showed that the compressive strength increases up to 60% copper slag as replacement of sand, beyond which decrease in strength was observed. The highest compressive strength was obtained at 20% copper slag substitution at different curing ages among all the mixes, except for 7 days curing. The splitting tensile strength of the CS substituted mixes in comparison to control concrete was found to increase at all the curing ages but the remarkable achievement of strength was detected at 60% copper slag replacement. The microscopic view from Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) demonstrated more voids, capillary channels, and micro cracks with the increment of copper slag as substitution of sand as compared to the control mix

Acute pancreatitis in children: efficacy of computed tomography severity index in the assessment, management, and prediction of complications

Aim The aim of the study was to describe the assessment and management aspects and the role of computed tomography severity index (CTSI) in children with acute pancreatitis.Materials and methods All the children (≤14 years) admitted to the pediatric surgery unit of our institution with acute pancreatitis from 2003 to 2014 were included. This retrospective analysis studied the demographic, clinical, diagnostic, and treatment aspects and the role of CTSI.Results The male-to-female ratio out of a total of 45 patients studied was 4 : 1. The differences in mean leukocyte count, mean serum amylase, and mean serum lipase were not significant in children with different CTSI scores. The children with higher CTSI scores are more likely to have both early and late complications, need for intensive care, and overall longer hospital stay.Conclusion CTSI plays an important role in early determination of the clinical severity, guiding the need for intensive care and in predicting the occurrence of early and late complications in children with acute pancreatitis. Keywords: acute pancreatitis, children, computed tomography severity inde

Neurofibromatosis type 1: a rare cause of parotid swelling in a child

Von Recklinghausen disease, also known as neurofibromatosis type 1, is an autosomal dominant disorder that presents as neurocutaneous syndrome. These patients have increased chances of developing other tumors such as plexiform neurofibromas. Plexiform neurofibromas are a proliferation of Schwann cells in the nerve sheath. Affliction of the parotid gland in a young child is a rare presentation of these tumors. We present the management of one such case.Keywords: neurofibromatosis type 1, parotid swelling, plexiform neurofibrom

Study of user effects on two-port MIMO antennas at 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz for Wi-Fi and WLAN applications

In this paper, two multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antennas for Wi-Fi/WLAN mobile applications are proposed. The designed two-port MIMO antennas are made up of planar inverted-F antennas (PIFAs). The antenna elements for both designs are symmetrical and placed on the short-edged corners of the substrate used, FR4. The performance of both antennas in the presence of user’s hand is compared in terms of impedance bandwidth and efficiency. An upward shift of up to 0.17 GHz in impedance bandwidth was found for 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz antenna. Due to the smaller size of antennas at 5.8 GHz compared to antennas at 2.4 GHz, the antennas are less obstructed by hands and thus the exhibited total efficiency of up to 45.58 % in the presence of human hand. The designed antennas have been fabricated for validation purpose. It is shown that there is a good agreement between simulated and measured results

Ventricular fibrillation with intracoronary adenosine during fractional flow reserve assessment.

Fractional flow reserve (FFR) measurement provides useful hemodynamic assessment of intermediate coronary stenoses affecting long term outcomes. While the gold standard remains intravenous adenosine, intracoronary (IC) bolus administration of adenosine is routinely used in clinical practice because of its ease of use and lower dose providing comparative hyperemia with the most common side effect being a transient atrioventricular block. A 62year old male underwent left heart catheterization after ruling in for non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). Presenting electrocardiogram (ECG) showed an old left bundle branch block and T-wave inversions in lateral leads (QTc 494ms) with no significant electrolyte abnormalities. Coronary angiography revealed an intermediate lesion in mid left anterior descending coronary artery. FFR assessment with IC adenosine (24μg/mL of normal saline) was performed inducing ventricular fibrillation (VF). He was successfully defibrillated with a single 200J shock and no further arrhythmias were noticed during rest of his hospital stay

Preparation, Characterization, and Catalytic Evaluation of Metal Containing MCM-41-Based Hydrodesulfurization Catalysts

In this study, the preparation of nickel and cobalt incorporated MCM-41 (metal-MCM-41) with Si/Al = 10, Si/Mo = 10 and Si/Co and Si/Ni as 50 was done. Then molybdenum was impregnated on Ni-MCM-41 and Co-MCM-41 by incipient wetness impregnation method. MCM-41 based catalysts were characterized by XRD, surface area, pore volume, pore-size distribution, and temperature programmed reduction (TPR). The catalysts were evaluated for hydrodesulfurization of model compounds thiophene and benzothiophene in pulse reactor at atmospheric pressure and at different temperatures. HDS of dibenzothiophene dissolved in dodecane, was also performed in a batch autoclave reactor at high pressure and temperature. The results of hydrodesulfurization activity indicate that when impregnated with molybdenum the prepared metal-MCM-41 showed higher activity as compared to commercial catalyst. Mo-CoMCM-41 showed highest conversion per mole of metal in hydrodesulfurization of thiophene and benzothiophene. For comparison purposes, a sample of NiMo-Y zeolite catalyst was also prepared and evaluated

Intrusion Detection Framework for Industrial Internet of Things Using Software Defined Network

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) refers to the employment of the Internet of Things in industrial management, where a substantial number of machines and devices are linked and synchronized with the help of software programs and third platforms to improve the overall productivity. The acquisition of the industrial IoT provides benefits that range from automation and optimization to eliminating manual processes and improving overall efficiencies, but security remains to be forethought. The absence of reliable security mechanisms and the magnitude of security features are significant obstacles to enhancing IIoT security. Over the last few years, alarming attacks have been witnessed utilizing the vulnerabilities of the IIoT network devices. Moreover, the attackers can also sink deep into the network by using the relationships amidst the vulnerabilities. Such network security threats cause industries and businesses to suffer financial losses, reputational damage, and theft of important information. This paper proposes an SDN-based framework using machine learning techniques for intrusion detection in an industrial IoT environment. SDN is an approach that enables the network to be centrally and intelligently controlled through software applications. In our framework, the SDN controller employs a machine-learning algorithm to monitor the behavior of industrial IoT devices and networks by analyzing traffic flow data and ultimately determining the flow rules for SDN switches. We use SVM and Decision Tree classification models to analyze our framework’s network intrusion and attack detection performance. The results indicate that the proposed framework can detect attacks in industrial IoT networks and devices with an accuracy of 99.7%

Management and Complications of Arnold Chiari Hydrocephalus at Tertiary Health Care Center

Objective: to investigate the role of CT and MRI in diagnosis of Arnold chiari malformation of hydrocephalus and its treatment with VP shunt along with complications. Study Design: Prospective study Place and duration: Department of Neurosurgery, DG Khan Medical College from May 4, 2018 to May 4, 2019. Methodology: Fifty patients of congenital hydrocephalus who were not treated previously were selected. Detailed history about disease and clinical examination of patients was performed. Follow ups were done at neurosurgery OPD. SPSS software for data analysis was used and mean ± SD, frequency and percentages were calculated for variables. P value ≤0.05 was considered as significant. Results: Treatment in case of congenital hydrocephalus as VP shunt, intra-aneurysmal coiling, excision of meningomyelocele with VP shunt and suboccipital craniectomy + upper cervical laminectomy (scucl) were observed as 10%, 6%, 8% and 8% respectively.  Twelve percent of patients were not treated. Conclusion: CT and MRI are the main diagnostic tools for diagnosis of Arnold chiari malformation and VP shunt is the treatment of choice. Among complications of VP shunt infection of shunt and shunt block are the main complications

Identification of an effective nondestructive technique for bond defect determination in laminate composites—A technical review

Laminate composites are commonly used for the production of critical mechanical structures and components such as wind turbine blades, helicopter rotors, unmanned aerial vehicle wings and honeycomb structures for aircraft wings. During the manufacturing process of these composite structures, zones or areas with weak bond strength are always issues, which may affect the strength and performance of components. The identification and quantification of these zones are always challenging and necessary for the mass production. Non-destructive testing methods available, including ultrasonic A, B, and C-Scan, laser shearography, X-ray tomography, and thermography can be useful for the mentioned purposes. A comparison of these techniques concerning their capacity of identification and quantification of bond defects; however, still needs a comprehensive review. In this paper, a detailed comparison of several non-destructive testing techniques is provided. Emphasis is placed to institute a guideline to select the most suitable technique for the identification of zones with bond defects in laminated composites. Experimental tests on different composite based machined components are also discussed in detail. The discussion provides practical evidence about the effectiveness of different non-destructive testing techniques.N/