Mechanical Behavior of Concrete Reinforced with Waste Aluminium Strips

The main objective of this research work is to investigate the influence of the addition of waste materials, like aluminium waste material, Soft Drink Tin Fibers (SDTF) or soft tins to improve mechanical properties of concrete and also study the strength behavior of concrete, such as flexural strength and indirect or split tensile strength. It has been acknowledged that the use of fibers in concrete has considerable effects to improve strength parameters and characteristics of concrete. In this research work, similar efforts are made to present the effects of soft tin fibers or aluminium waste material as a reinforcing material in concrete and to assess the mechanical behavior of concrete. Particularly, this research work aimed to investigate experimentally the effect of soft drink tins on tensile (cylinder splitting tensile strength) and flexural strength. Soft tin fibers of 25.4  5  0.5 mm in size were used and added from 1 to 5% by the weight of cement with the design mix of 1:1.624:2.760 at 0.50 w/c ratio. Therefore, 6 batches (every batch contained 3 prisms and 3 cylinders) were prepared and cast for evaluation of tensile and flexural strength. One batch was cast without inclusion of fibers (controlled batch) and remaining 5 batches were cast with the addition of fibers using 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5% respectively. It was revealed from obtained results that split tensile strength and flexural strength of specimen increases as compared to controlled batch up to 4% addition of fibers. Moreover, beyond 4% soft drink tin fiber level, strength begins to fall down. Thus, it can be suggested that mechanical properties of concrete can be enhanced by 4% of soft drink tin fibers. Moreover, in this study, soft drink tin fibers (SDTF) or aluminium waste are used as the application of utilization of waste materials as a partial construction material and also on another side it controls the solid waste and environmental pollution. Doi: 10.28991/cej-2021-03091718 Full Text: PD

Serum lipid profile as a marker of liver impairment in hepatitis B Cirrhosis patients

Representative GC chromatogram of serum total and free fatty acids of HBV patients and controls along with standards of fatty acid methyl esters.(DOCX 761 kb

Photocatalytic Denitrification of Nitrate Using Fe-TiO2-Coated Clay Filters

In this work, 3D-structured clay filters were prepared and coated with iron-doped tita- nium dioxide (Fe-TiO2) using 3D printing and sol–gel soaking and calcination techniques. Three- dimensional printing was employed to mold and shape the clay filters before annealing. The coated and uncoated filters were characterized for different properties, i.e., morphology, optical properties, and crystalline structure, using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), UV/Vis diffused reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The FESEM images show uniform coatings of round-shaped Fe-TiO2 on the tiny pore of the clay filter. The optical energy band gap of the obtained coating was around 2.8 eV, estimated by Tauc’s plot, compared with 3.2 eV of pristine anatase TiO2. The XRD spectra data processed through XRD software revealed the coatings of TiO2 on the filter surface with the obtained phase of anatase. The photocatalytic performance of bare and coated filters was initially tested for the degradation of indigo carmine (IC) dye and the obtained results suggested the photocatalytic degradation of IC dye by the Fe-TiO2 clay filter compared with the bare filter. Afterward, the deni- trification of nitrate NO3 at various concentrations was performed using Fe-TiO2-coated clay filters and analyzing the total nitrogen (TN) analysis and reduction of NO3 to nitrite (NO2−), nitrogen monoxide (NO), and nitrogen gas (N2). The TN analysis revealed up to 81% denitrification efficiency of the 30 ppm NO3 solution with the photocatalytic response of the Fe-TiO2-coated filter. The results revealed that the Fe-TiO2-coated clay filter has a high potential for denitrification applications under natural sunlight

Synergistic tailoring of band structure and charge carrier extraction in "green" core/shell quantum dots for highly efficient solar energy conversion

Environment-friendly colloidal core/shell quantum dots (QDs) with controllable optoelectronic characteristics are promising building blocks for future commercial solar technologies. Herein, we synergistically tailor the electronic band structure and charge carrier extraction of eco-friendly AgInS2 (AIS)/ZnS core/shell QDs via Mn-alloying and Cu-doping in the core and shell, respectively. It is demonstrated that the Mn-alloying in AIS core can broaden the band gap to facilitate delocalization of photogenerated electrons into the shell and further incor-poration of Cu in the ZnS shell enables the creation of Cu-related states that capture the photogenerated holes from core, thus leading to charge carrier recombination and accelerated transfer of photogenerated electrons in the core/shell QDs. As-prepared Mn-AIS/ZnS@Cu QDs were assembled as light harvesters in a photo-electrochemical (PEC) device for light-driven hydrogen evolution, delivering a maximum photocurrent density of ~ 6.4 mA cm-2 with superior device stability under standard one sun irradiation (AM 1.5G, 100 mW cm(-2)). Our findings highlight that simultaneously engineering the band alignment and charge carrier dynamics of "green " core/shell QDs endow the feasibility to design future high-efficiency and durable solar hydrogen pro-duction systems

Assessment of the Flexural Strength of Binary Blended Concrete with Recycled Coarse Aggregates and Fly Ash

This study investigated the effect of blending fly ash and recycled aggregates as replacements for cement and conventional coarse aggregates, respectively. Recycled concrete helps to reduce waste management issues and protect the environment. Fly ash was used in percentages from 0% to 10% with an increment of 2.5%, whereas demolition debris was used in a proportion of 50% with conventional aggregates. The 1:2:4 mix with a 0.5 w/c ratio was used to make six concrete mixtures, one of them made entirely of congenital aggregates. Slump tests were performed for all mixtures. A total of 30 prisms of size 500×100×100mm were made and cured for 7 and 28 days. The flexural strength of the specimens was assessed under a two-point bending test till failure. The 5% fly ash and 50% Recycled Coarse Aggregates (RCA) mixture produced better results than the other mixes, showing a decrease in flexural strength of 10.74% and 15.75% after 7 and 28 days of curing, respectively. The small reduction in flexural strength compared to preserving conventional deposits and reducing the hazardous environmental impact of cement production and debris waste makes this mix suitable for use in structural members

Design of Portable Exoskeleton Forearm for Rehabilitation of Monoparesis Patients Using Tendon Flexion Sensing Mechanism for Health Care Applications

Technology plays a vital role in patient rehabilitation, improving the quality of life of an individual. The increase in functional independence of disabled individuals requires adaptive and commercially available solutions. The use of sensor-based technology helps patients and therapeutic practices beyond traditional therapy. Adapting skeletal tracking technology could automate exercise tracking, records, and feedback for patient motivation and clinical treatment interventions and planning. In this paper, an exoskeleton was designed and subsequently developed for patients who are suffering from monoparesis in the upper extremities. The exoskeleton was developed according to the dimensions of a patient using a 3D scanner, and then fabricated with a 3D printer; the mechanism for the movement of the hand is a tendon flexion mechanism with servo motor actuators controlled by an ATMega2560 microcontroller. The exoskeleton was used for force augmentation of the patient’s hand by taking the input from the hand via flex sensors, and assisted the patient in closing, opening, grasping, and picking up objects, and it was also able to perform certain exercises for the rehabilitation of the patient. The exoskeleton is portable, reliable, durable, intuitive, and easy to install and use at any time

Effects of a high-dose 24-h infusion of tranexamic acid on death and thromboembolic events in patients with acute gastrointestinal bleeding (HALT-IT): an international randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Background: Tranexamic acid reduces surgical bleeding and reduces death due to bleeding in patients with trauma. Meta-analyses of small trials show that tranexamic acid might decrease deaths from gastrointestinal bleeding. We aimed to assess the effects of tranexamic acid in patients with gastrointestinal bleeding. Methods: We did an international, multicentre, randomised, placebo-controlled trial in 164 hospitals in 15 countries. Patients were enrolled if the responsible clinician was uncertain whether to use tranexamic acid, were aged above the minimum age considered an adult in their country (either aged 16 years and older or aged 18 years and older), and had significant (defined as at risk of bleeding to death) upper or lower gastrointestinal bleeding. Patients were randomly assigned by selection of a numbered treatment pack from a box containing eight packs that were identical apart from the pack number. Patients received either a loading dose of 1 g tranexamic acid, which was added to 100 mL infusion bag of 0·9% sodium chloride and infused by slow intravenous injection over 10 min, followed by a maintenance dose of 3 g tranexamic acid added to 1 L of any isotonic intravenous solution and infused at 125 mg/h for 24 h, or placebo (sodium chloride 0·9%). Patients, caregivers, and those assessing outcomes were masked to allocation. The primary outcome was death due to bleeding within 5 days of randomisation; analysis excluded patients who received neither dose of the allocated treatment and those for whom outcome data on death were unavailable. This trial was registered with Current Controlled Trials, ISRCTN11225767, and ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01658124. Findings: Between July 4, 2013, and June 21, 2019, we randomly allocated 12 009 patients to receive tranexamic acid (5994, 49·9%) or matching placebo (6015, 50·1%), of whom 11 952 (99·5%) received the first dose of the allocated treatment. Death due to bleeding within 5 days of randomisation occurred in 222 (4%) of 5956 patients in the tranexamic acid group and in 226 (4%) of 5981 patients in the placebo group (risk ratio [RR] 0·99, 95% CI 0·82–1·18). Arterial thromboembolic events (myocardial infarction or stroke) were similar in the tranexamic acid group and placebo group (42 [0·7%] of 5952 vs 46 [0·8%] of 5977; 0·92; 0·60 to 1·39). Venous thromboembolic events (deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism) were higher in tranexamic acid group than in the placebo group (48 [0·8%] of 5952 vs 26 [0·4%] of 5977; RR 1·85; 95% CI 1·15 to 2·98). Interpretation: We found that tranexamic acid did not reduce death from gastrointestinal bleeding. On the basis of our results, tranexamic acid should not be used for the treatment of gastrointestinal bleeding outside the context of a randomised trial

Serum lipids as an indicator for the alteration of liver function in patients with hepatitis B

Abstract Background Hepatitis B virus (HBV) exerts an intense impact on host lipid metabolism. Hence the aim of present study is to determine metabolic derangement that occurred in subjects suffering from hepatitis B patients. Methods The fasting blood samples were collected from hepatitis B patients (n = 50) attended in Taluka hospital TandoAdam, Sindh with age and gender matched controls (n = 50). Serum lipid profile and fatty acid (FA) composition were analyzed by micro-lab and gas chromatography. Results The hepatitis B patients have significantly lower level (p < 0.01) of lipid profile including total cholesterol (TC), triacylglyceride (TAG), high density lipoprotein-C (HDL-C) very low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (VLDL-C), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), and total lipid (TL) in comparison to controls, indicating hypolipidemia in patients. The result of total FA composition of HBV patients in comparison to controls reveal that myristic, palmitic, docosahexaenoic acids were significantly (p < 0.05) higher, while linoleic, eicosatrienoic, arachidonic, eicosapentaenoic acids were lower in HBV patients in comparison to controls. The elongase, ∆5 and ∆6-desaturase enzymes activities were found lower, while ∆9-desaturase activity was higher in hepatitis B patients as compared to controls, which indicates the impaired lipid metabolism. Conclusion The serum saturated fatty acid (SFA) and monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) were increased while polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) was reduced in both total and free form in hepatitis B patients due to altered activities of enzyme desaturases with impaired PUFA metabolism and non-enzymatic oxidation

Insight on the Properties of Pumice Mineral for the Combined Adsorption Distillation of Membrane Reject Water

The current study evaluated the use of pumice, a volcanic mineral and common sand, in treating reverse osmosis membrane reject water (ROR) using a novel combined adsorption distillation (CAD) method. The CAD method is developed to separate the dissolved solids through adsorption distillation, i.e., leaving the vaporized distillate as freshwater and concentrated brine. The adsorption potential of pumice and sand was investigated at different adsorbent doses, i.e., 2, 5, and 10 g, and consecutive CAD adsorbent backwashing cycles. The improved results were achieved at a 10 g pumice dose. However, its adsorption efficiency declined in longer CAD cycles, i.e., due to the separated deposition of solids. After backwashing, the adsorbed and accumulated salts were slightly removed, and pumice adsorption capacity was maintained for up to 20 cycles of CAD. The properties of the pumice, i.e., before and after five CAD cycles and after backwashing, were characterized with scanning electron microscopic (SEM), elemental disruptive spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD), which revealed that the porous structure of the pumice was completely accumulated with deposits of ionic salts, which were slightly washed away after backwashing, but accumulation remained continued in post-CAD cycles. The explored method revealed a high potential of pumice in water filtration