Combined Influence of Fly Ash and Recycled Coarse Aggregates on Strength and Economic Performance of Concrete

Recycled coarse aggregates (RCA) and fly ash (FA) are materials with least to very low global warming potential. Considering long term strength and durability, various studies have suggested to use RCA in concrete with FA. This research paper deals with the strength and economic performance of concrete made with individual and combined incorporation of FA and RCA. Nine different mixtures of concrete were prepared by varying the incorporation levels of RCA and FA. 0% RCA, 50% RCA and 100% RCA were used in concrete with three different levels of FA (0%FA, 20%FA, and 40%FA). The compressive strength of each mixture of concrete was determined at the age of 3, 28, 90 and 180 days. To evaluate economic performance cost of 1 m3 of each mixture of concrete was compared to that of the control mixture having 0% RCA and 0% FA. Results showed that RCA was detrimental to the compressive strength of concrete at all ages, whereas, FA reduced early strength but improved the strength at later ages of testing i.e. 90 and 180 days. FA plus RCA mixes also showed lower early age strength but gained higher strength than conventional concrete at the age of 180 days. RCA did not reduce the cost of concrete effectively. FA despite having a very high transportation cost, it reduced the cost of concrete efficiently. FA did not only reduce the cost of binder but also lower the demand of plasticizer by improving workability. Cost to strength ratio (CSR) analysis also indicated that FA significantly improve the combined economic and strength performance of RCA concrete mixes

Design and Performance Analysis of an Anti-Malware System based on Generative Adversarial Network Framework

The cyber realm is overwhelmed with dynamic malware that promptly penetrates all defense mechanisms, operates unapprehended to the user, and covertly causes damage to sensitive data. The current generation of cyber users is being victimized by the interpolation of malware each day due to the pervasive progression of Internet connectivity. Malware is dispersed to infiltrate the security, privacy, and integrity of the system. Conventional malware detection systems do not have the potential to detect novel malware without the accessibility of their signatures, which gives rise to a high False Negative Rate (FNR). Previously, there were numerous attempts to address the issue of malware detection, but none of them effectively combined the capabilities of signature-based and machine learning-based detection engines. To address this issue, we have developed an integrated Anti-Malware System (AMS) architecture that incorporates both conventional signature-based detection and AI-based detection modules. Our approach employs a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) based Malware Classifier Optimizer (MCOGAN) framework, which can optimize a malware classifier. This framework utilizes GANs to generate fabricated benign files that can be used to train external discriminators for optimization purposes. We describe our proposed framework and anti-malware system in detail to provide a better understanding of how a malware detection system works. We evaluate our approach using the Figshare dataset and state-of-the-art models as discriminators, and our results demonstrate improved malware detection performance compared to existing models

Frequency of Central Nervous System Anomalies Associated with Hydrocephalus Diagnosed by Magnetic Resonance Imaging in all Ages

Hydrocephalus is a medical condition which is physiologically recognized by elevated intracranial pressure. It occurs mostly as a consequence of certain central nervous system pathologies such as Chiari malformation type I and II, myelomeningocele, space occupying lesions, TBM, Bacterial meningitis, glioblastoma, traumatic brain injuries along with hemorrhage. It is clinically recognized by many stellar signs such as seizures, dementia, gait disturbances and bradycardia along with sleep apnea. The main purpose of our research paper was to carefully evaluate the frequency of different CNS pathologies which represent as the etiology of raised intracranial pressure in all ages. The duration of study was from 01 June 2018 to 01 June 2019 at Lahore General Hospital, Pakistan. A retrospective cross-sectional study included 120 patients which were admitted to Neuro-Radiology department with provisional diagnosis of hydrocephalus along with the associated clinical manifestations. The patients were chosen through convenient sampling technique. All the examined patients included males and females of all ages.  Overall 120 patients were included in this study. Out of 120 patients; males were 70 (41.6%) and females were 50 (33.6%) in this study population.  The central nervous system pathology which was found to be most frequently associated with hydrocephalus was space occupying lesion 25 % (30cases) with mean age of 38.8, seconded by TBM 11.6 % (14cases) with the mean age of 37.2; glioma 9.1% (11cases) with mean age of 42 and SAH  8.3% (10cases) with the mean age of 48.8.  In conclusion, MRI was the gold standard modality for the evaluation of hydrocephalus due to central nervous system pathologies

Design and Fabrication of PVC Pipe Cutting Machine with Hot Wire Mechanism

The utilization of cutting tools presents inherent limitations, encompassing sluggish production rates, inconsistent cutting precision, and elevated manufacturing expenses in the cutting of PVC (Poly-Vinyl Chloride) pipes. Addressing these challenges requires a systematic design approach to engineers to build sustainable new mechanism for PVC pipe cutting apparatus capable of streamlined operation. This study endeavours to conceptualize and develop a unique mechanism comprised of Ni-Chrome heated wire as a replacement of traditional cutter. The design focus is aimed at enhancing the cutting operation within low cost and enhanced sustainability. The methodology for machine design encompasses a complete machine design approach for each single component if a machine utilizing Solidworks 2023, complemented by rigorous mathematical design calculations. The outcomes of this study manifest in the creation of a prototype of Ni-Chrome heated wire machine capable of cutting the pipes within thickness range from 20-35mm and more based on the heated capability of wire. Noteworthy advantages of this machine design include expedited manufacturing processes, reduced energy consumption, and enhanced labour efficiency, thereby augmenting overall productivity. Future research avenues are suggested to encompass an analysis of operator safety considerations, establishment of periodic maintenance protocols, automation, and optimization of spare parts accessibility to further refine the efficacy and longevity of the proposed system

The Semileptonic BB to K1(1270,1400)K_1(1270,1400) Decays in QCD Sum Rules

We analyze the semileptonic rare decays of $B$ meson to $K_{1} (1270)$ and $K_{1} (1400)$ axial vector mesons. The $B\to K_{1} (1270,1400) \ell^+ \ell^-$ decays are significant flavor changing neutral current decays of the $B$ meson. These decays are sensitive to the new physics beyond SM, since these processes are forbidden at tree level at SM. These decays occurring at the quark level via $b\to s \ell^+ \ell^-$ transition, also provide new opportunities for calculating the CKM matrix elements $V_{bt}$ and $V_{ts}$. In this study, the transition form factors of the $B\to K_{1} (1270,1400) \ell^+ \ell^-$ decays are calculated using three-point QCD sum rules approach. The resulting form factors are used to estimate the branching fractions of these decays.Comment: 18 pages, 7 figures, version to appear in JP

The accuracy of protein structure alignment servers

Background: Protein structural alignment is one of the most fundamental and crucial areas of research in the domain of computational structural biology. Comparison of a protein structure with known structures helps to classify it as a new or belonging to a known group of proteins. This, in turn, is useful to determine the function of protein, its evolutionary relationship with other protein molecules and grasping principles underlying protein architecture and folding. Results: A large number of protein structure alignment methods are available. Each protein structure alignment tool has its own strengths andweaknesses that need to be highlighted.We compared and presented results of six most popular and publically available servers for protein structure comparison. These web-based servers were compared with the respect to functionality (features provided by these servers) and accuracy (how well the structural comparison is performed). The CATH was used as a reference. The results showed that overall CE was top performer. DALI and PhyreStorm showed similar results whereas PDBeFold showed the lowest performance. In case of few secondary structural elements, CE, DALI and PhyreStorm gave 100% success rate. Conclusion: Overall none of the structural alignment servers showed 100% success rate. Studies of overall performance, effect of mainly alpha and effect of mainly beta showed consistent performance. CE, DALI, FatCat and PhyreStorm showed more than 90% success rate

Higher Education Capacity Building in Water Resources Engineering and Management to Support Achieving the Sustainable Development Goal for Water in Pakistan

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals requires a multi‐pronged approach, with a key element being the development of a trained Community of Practice to sustain the advances in the relevant sectors. The engagement of higher education as a catalyst in the development and capacity building of the next generation of professionals and citizens comprising the Community of Practice is essential to meet the challenges of poverty, climate change, and clean water and to sustain those advances past 2030. This paper describes a capacity building program funded by the United States Agency for International Development to partner the University of Utah, in the United States, with Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, in Pakistan, to create the U.S.‐Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies in Water (USPCASW). The USPCASW program includes six core components of Curriculum Reform, Applied Research, Exchanges and Training, Governance, Gender Equity, and Sustainability. This paper describes the project, the activities for each component, and the multi‐level assessment of the program, activities, and impact. The paper also highlights the overarching impact of the program and its alignment with achieving the Sustainable Development Goal for Water. Following the description of the program components and assessment, the paper concludes with a discussion of challenges and lessons learned