Distributed soil displacement and pressure associated with surface loading

Soil compaction is an inevitable result of agricultural practices. It alters physical properties of soil and tends to be undesirable as it adversely affects water and nutrient penetration. Furthermore, additional energy is spent to till the soil. Although a tremendous amount of research has been conducted in the area of soil compaction, the focus has been primarily on surface soil displacement. Realizing that the observed soil displacement is the cumulative effect from the compaction of subsurface layers, this research discusses the displacement and distributed pressure through the soil from a surface load. A given volume of soil of known density and moisture content was loaded at the surface with a slowly applied force using an Instron® testing machine. The distribution of the pressure and displacement profile from the surface to depth was measured to provide insight into the formation of the subsurface soil structures. The nonlinear exponential decay of the soil displacement (compaction) from the surface to a given depth converges to zero at the location of a hard, compact layer or a point where no soil movement occurs, regardless of the initial soil compaction. By increasing soil moisture content and decreasing soil bulk density, the vertical soil displacement increased at the surface and within the soil profile, and the pressure distribution decreased with depth. Changing the shape of loading surface had minimal effect on soil displacement

MAT-744: ASSESSMENT OF PERFORMANCE OF BIO SELF-HEALING MORTAR USING DIATOMACEOUS EARTH AND SILICA FUME

Cracking represents a major threat for the integrity and performance of structures. Self-healing concept was introduced to construction materials in order to enhance their performance and extend their service life with less repair. This study aims at assessing the performance of Portland cement mortar incorporating self-healing Bacillus Pseudofirmus bacteria using Diatomaceous earth (DE) to immobilize precursor and bacteria in mortar and lowering the pH level of mortar by using silica fume to provide a suitable growth environment for bacteria to generate limestone. The specimens were prepared at three different bacteria dosages and three DE dosages. Cracking of specimens was induced by load percent concept after 7 days and tests were performed at 14 and 28 days of curing. Micro analysis of the healed crack surface of the different specimens was performed and a parametric study was conducted to select the optimum dosage of bacteria, DE and mix design combination as well. The testing scheme for the mortar included sporulation tests over bacteria inside mortar specimens, compression test, chemical soundness test and ultrasonic pulse velocity. Results demonstrate that self-healing bacteria is promising technique in minimizing cracking. It is recommended to expand this work to cover more dosages of bacteria, different types of self-healing as well as concrete specimens

Properties of cellulosic fabrics treated by water-repellent emulsions

Water-repellent cotton, jute and linen fabrics have been prepared by treating them with emulsions made of beeswax/stearic acid (BW/SA) mixture. Different BW/SA ratios are tested to find out the best formulation recipe and different additives are incorporated in order to enhance emulsion stability and water repellency rating, such as alkali and metal salts. Triethanolamine (TEA) alkali has been selected for promoting the water repellency results. Cellulosic fabrics are pre-/post-treated with metal salts (aluminium chloride and zirconyl chloride) to enhance their physical attachment to the surfaces. Optimum emulsion ingredients for best results are found to be BW: SA (1:1), in presence of TEA (0.5 mole equivalent of SA) and zirconyl chloride concentration (1 g/L). Treated fabrics have been imparted with a water repellency characteristic, showing a value of 90, 80 and 80 for cotton, linen, and jute fabric respectively. Mechanical properties for treated fabrics are also demonstrated. FTIR spectra of treated fabric show no evidence of any chemical reactions between the substrate and the emulsion. Emulsions show stable rheological behavior upon storing for 3 months

Biliary duodenostomy: a safe and easier biliary drainage procedure after choledochal cyst excision

Background/purpose: The treatment of choice for choledochal cyst (CC) is complete excision followed by biliary–enteric anastomosis. Roux-en-Y biliary jejunostomy has been favored by most surgeons for decades, with satisfying results. The use of biliary duodenostomy (BD) is another simple alternative for biliary drainage after CC excision. Our intermediate-term outcomes of both biliary drainage procedures after CC excision are presented.Methods: We carried out a retrospective analysis of the outcome of CC management in children operated at the Pediatric Surgery Department of Ain-Shams University over 5 years, from January 2010.Results: A total of 23 cases (16 females) were included in this study. The mean age at operation was 4.02 ± 2.52 years. Twenty-one cases had type I and two cases had type III CC. Complete excision of the CC was performed in 22 cases, and partial excision with mucosectomy was performed in one case. Biliary–enteric anastomosis was performed with the duodenum in 18 patients (group I, BD) and with the jejunum in five cases (group II, Roux-en-Y biliary jejunostomy). The mean follow-up period was 53± 4.48 months. A patient from group II suffered from ascending cholangitis 6 months postoperatively.Conclusion: BD is a simple technique for biliary drainage after CC excision with no major complications at intermediate-term follow-up.Keywords: biliary obstruction, choledochal cyst, hepaticoduodenostomy, jaundic

Knowledge Translation in Africa for 21(st) Century Integrative Biology: The "Know-Do Gap" in Family Planning with Contraceptive Use among Somali Women

Abstract An emerging dimension of 21(st) century integrative biology is knowledge translation in global health. The maternal mortality rate in Somalia is amongst the highest in the world. We set out to study the "know-do" gap in family planning measures in Somalia, with a view to inform future interventions for knowledge integration between theory and practice. We interviewed 360 Somali females of reproductive age and compared university-educated females to women with less or no education, using structured interviews, with a validated questionnaire. The mean age of marriage was 18 years, with 4.5 pregnancies per marriage. The mean for the desired family size was 9.3 and 10.5 children for the university-educated group and the less-educated group, respectively. Importantly, nearly 90% of the university-educated group knew about family planning, compared to 45.6% of the less-educated group. All of the less-educated group indicated that they would never use contraceptives, as compared to 43.5% of the university-educated group. Prevalence of contraceptive use among ever-married women was 4.3%. In the less-educated group, 80.6% indicated that they would not recommend contraceptives to other women as compared to 66.0% of the university-educated group. There is a huge gap between knowledge and practice regarding family planning in Somalia. The attendant reasons for this gap, such as level of education, expressed personal religious beliefs and others, are examined here. For primary health care to gain traction in Africa, we need to address the existing "know-do" gaps that are endemic and adversely impacting on global health. This is the first independent research study examining the knowledge gaps for family planning in Somalia in the last 20 years, with a view to understanding knowledge integration in a global world. The results shall guide policy makers, donors, and implementers to develop a sound family planning policy and program to improve maternal and child health in 21(st) century primary healthcare

Sacrococcygeal teratoma excision: a vertical rather than transverse wound closure

Background: The chevron incision has been the standard approach for sacrococcygeal teratoma (SCT) excision. Here, we are reporting our experience of shifting to the vertical posterior sagittal approach.Patients and methods: During the period 2011 through 2016, we operated on 17 (16 female and one male) cases of SCT. Their age at presentation ranged from day 1 to 26 months (mean=4.8 months, median=2 months). The chevron incision was used in five, whereas the vertical posterior sagittal approach was used in 12 patients.Results: In this series, we had one case of perioperative mortality, in addition to another case of perineal wound disruption (in the group of vertical wound closure), which was managed conservatively (to heal by secondary intention) with a very satisfactory hidden scar at 6-month follow-up. Overall, we did not find the vertical approach to add any extra limitations to the surgical exposure or dissection; meanwhile, it provided a well-recognized cosmetic advantage.Conclusion: The vertical posterior sagittal approach for excision of SCT is both feasible and advantageous in terms of the cosmetic outcome. It provides a well-hidden scar in the natal cleft and preserves normal contouring of the buttocks.Keywords: buttock, cosmesis, posterior sagittal, reconstruction, sacrococcygeal teratom

Magnetic resonance imaging of head and neck vascular anomalies: pearls and pitfalls

Purpose: The aim of this study was to describe typical MRI features of the head and neck vascular anomalies and the possible diagnostic pitfalls.Patients and methods: Patients with extracranial vascular anomalies of the head and neck, who underwent MRI examinations between January 2013 and January 2016, were included in the study. Precontrast and postcontrast T1-WI,T2-WI, with and without fat saturation were acquired. When indicated, a noncontrast MR angiography was performed. Dynamic postcontrast MRI techniques were available in six children.Results: The study included 33 patients (age ranged from 10 to 20 years, mean: 49 months). MRI confirmed the clinical diagnosis in equivocal cases, and provided proper determination of lesion extension and/or associated intracranial anomalies. The study included 10 cases of vascular tumors (hemangioma), whereas the remaining 23 cases had the diagnosis of vascular malformations (one patient with arteriovenous malformation, one with capillary malformation, seven with venous, nine with macrocystic lymphatic, and five with microcystic lymphatic malformations).Conclusion: Vascular anomalies in the head and neck are mostly diagnosed on clinical basis; however, when the history is uncertain or the diagnosis is equivocal, a well-tailored MR examination can be a single valuable diagnostic tool providing structural and functional information.Keywords: children, head and neck, hemangioma, lymphatic malformation, magnetic resonance angiography, venous malformatio

Understanding the influence of applying plant extracts and microorganism culture filtrates against barley leaf rust disease

Rust fungi are devastating plant pathogens, and several Puccinia species have exerting substantial financial impacts on global barley cultivation. Fungicides are used on a large scale as an effective method for combating phytopathogenic fungi. The negative environmental impacts of fungicides are steadily escalating on a daily basis. Consequently, researchers are currently exploring alternative approaches to mitigate the use of fungicides, such as the utilization of plant extracts. This method has proven effective due to its incorporation of natural antifungal substances. Among the nine natural elicitors that were tested, the application of plant extracts on barley seedlings resulted in an increase in the incubation and latent periods of Puccinia hordei. These periods are integral components of partial and induced resistance, effectively mitigating the incidence of barley leaf rust disease by over 70% on mature plants. Similarly, the biochemical analyses demonstrated a notable augmentation in all the tested treatments’ overall phenolics and oxidative enzyme activities (peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase). Random amplified polymorphic DNA (SCoT) test serves as a viable approach for assessing the impact of plant extracts and microorganisms on barley plants. The results obtained from this study indicate that the detection of DNA polymorphism through SCoT analysis holds a significant potential powerful tool to evaluate genetic changes compared with untreated plants although some of them tested displayed high similarities at the morphological reaction