Load-Settlement Response of Square Footing on Geogrid Reinforced Layered Granular Beds

Experimental studies were carried out to obtain the load-settlement response of a model square footing resting on unreinforced and reinforced granular beds. The response was obtained for two cases: (a) geogrid-reinforced sand layer, and (b) geogrid-reinforced layered system consisting of aggregate layer overlying a sand layer. The parameters considered in the experimental study include the thickness of the aggregate layer, the depth of geogrid reinforcement placed in sand layer and in aggregate layer, width of the reinforcement, and relative density of bed. Plate vibrator was used to compact uniform sand beds to relative densities equal to 50 % and 70 % inside large-size test chamber of dimensions equal to 1 m × 1 m × 1 m (in length, in width, and in depth). Load was applied on square footing using a 100 kN capacity actuator in displacement-controlled mode, and the improvement in the load carrying capacity of the footing resting on reinforced sand layer and layered system was quantified in terms of load improvement factors. In addition, the optimum embedment depth and width of reinforcements were proposed for various cases considered in the study. The optimum depth of reinforcement for the case of aggregate layer overlying sand layer decreased to 0.30 times the width of the footing from 0.45 times the width of the footing for sand only case

Robust recognition technique for handwritten Kannada character recognition using capsule networks

Automated reading of handwritten Kannada documents is highly challenging due to the presence of vowels, consonants and its modifiers. The variable nature of handwriting styles aggravates the complexity of machine based reading of handwritten vowels and consonants. In this paper, our investigation is inclined towards design of a deep convolution network with capsule and routing layers to efficiently recognize  Kannada handwritten characters.  Capsule network architecture is built of an input layer,  two convolution layers, primary capsule, routing capsule layers followed by tri-level dense convolution layer and an output layer.  For experimentation, datasets are collected from more than 100 users for creation of training data samples of about 7769 comprising of 49 classes. Test samples of all the 49 classes are again collected separately from 3 to 5 users creating a total of 245 samples for novel patterns. It is inferred from performance evaluation; a loss of 0.66% is obtained in the classification process and for 43 classes precision of 100% is achieved with an accuracy of 99%. An average accuracy of 95% is achieved for all remaining 6 classes with an average precision of 89%

Mechanism of haematotoxicity induced by phenylhydrazine: a review

This work was carried out to show the effects of phenylhydrazine (PHZ) induced anaemic condition. Anaemic condition is defined as reduction in red blood cells (RBC) than normal number of red blood cells. The anti-anaemic activity can be studied using the changes in haematological parameters (PCV, RBC & Haemoglobin) influenced by PHZ [(40mg/kg p.o.)] in rats. PHZ, a potent chemical that causes different effects on different tissues at several levels. Administration of PHZ causes haemolytic anaemia, genotoxic effects and rose in iron absorption in spleen, liver and duodenum & causes change in iron metabolism. PHZ acts by activating immune response which triggers phagocytosis and also interfere with the binding of erythropoietin (EPO) receptors and further JAK-STAT pathway. PHZ also causes genotoxic effect by forming single strand DNA damage. In view of lipid peroxidation along with the formation of Thiobarbituric acid (TBA)-reactive malonyldialdehyde, it is recommend that PHZ induces anaemia as an outcome of peroxidation of  RBC membrane lipids and this effect may be a upshot of the autoxidation of the drug and the interaction of membrane lipids and oxygen radical

On the current status of the mechanistic aspects of photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide

Photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide, one of the pathways involved in the carbon dioxide conversion process, has been receiving significant attention from the scientific community in the last four decades. Nevertheless, the mechanism of carbon dioxide reduction is still unclear and the information available is not sufficient for developing it into large scale applications, possibly because of the invariable hurdles associated with the reduction process. The reductive photocatalytic conversion of CO2 involves all the redox reactions occurring at the interface of the semiconductor such as water splitting, hydrogen evolution, oxygen evolution, photo-oxidation reactions and reactions of radical intermediates. The overall product yield is highly dependent on the extent of these competing reactions. Herein, we discuss our perceptions and current status of the interface reactions and their involvement in the fundamental mechanistic aspects of the photocatalytic conversion of CO2

Free radical scavenging and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of (E)-methyl/ethyl-3-(2-hydroxyphenyl)acrylates

111-116(E)-Methyl/ethyl-3-(2-hydroxyphenyl)acrylates 3a-x have been prepared by the reaction of salicylaldehydes 1a-l with Wittig reagents such as methyl (triphenylphosphoranylidene)acetate 2a and ethyl (triphenylphosphoranylidene)acetate 2b in dry DCM at room temperature. All the synthesized compounds have been evaluated for free-radical scavenging and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. Compounds 3c and 3d display DPPH free radical scavenging activity. All the compounds have shown ABTS free radical scavenging activity except four compounds 3s-t and 3w-x. Compounds 3g, 3p and 3r display α-glucosidase inhibitory activity

How IGF-II Binds to the Human Type 1 Insulin-like Growth Factor Receptor.

Human type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-1R) signals chiefly in response to the binding of insulin-like growth factor I. Relatively little is known about the role of insulin-like growth factor II signaling via IGF-1R, despite the affinity of insulin-like growth factor II for IGF-1R being within an order of magnitude of that of insulin-like growth factor I. Here, we describe the cryoelectron microscopy structure of insulin-like growth factor II bound to a leucine-zipper-stabilized IGF-1R ectodomain, determined in two conformations to a maximum average resolution of 3.2 Å. The two conformations differ in the relative separation of their respective points of membrane entry, and comparison with the structure of insulin-like growth factor I bound to IGF-1R reveals long-suspected differences in the way in which the critical C domain of the respective growth factors interact with IGF-1R

Condensation of nicotinaldehydes with phenylethanones: A convenient synthesis and biological activities of chalcones #

991-1000Claisen-Schmidt condensation of nicotinaldehydes 1a-e with various phenylethanones 2a-d in the presence of base at room temperature have provided chalcones 3a-t. All the synthesized compounds have been evaluated for their anti-microbial, free-radical scavenging and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. Compounds 3d and 3h have been identified as potent anti-fungal and moderate anti-bacterial agents. Compounds 3c, 3h, 3k-m and 3q have shown α-glucosidase inhibitory activity

Microstructural evolution in solution heat treatment of gas- atomised Al alloy (7075) powder for cold spray

Cold gas dynamic spray is being explored as a repair technique for high-value metallic components, given its potential to produce pore and oxide-free deposits of between several micrometers and several millimeters thick with good levels of adhesion and mechanical strength. However, feedstock powders for cold spray experience rapid solidification if manufactured by gas atomization and hence can exhibit non-equilibrium microstructures and localized segregation of alloying elements. Here, we used sealed quartz tube solution heat treatment of a precipitation hardenable 7075 aluminum alloy feedstock to yield a consistent and homogeneous powder phase composition and microstructure prior to cold spraying, aiming for a more controllable heat treatment response of the cold spray deposits. It was shown that the dendritic microstructure and solute segregation in the gas-atomized powders were altered, such that the heat-treated powder exhibits a homogeneous distribution of solute atoms. Micro-indentation testing revealed that the heat-treated powder exhibited a mean hardness decrease of nearly 25% compared to the as received powder. Deformation of the powder particles was enhanced by heat treatment, resulting in an improved coating with higher thickness (* 300 lm compared to * 40 um for untreated feedstock). Improved particle–substrate bonding was evidenced by formation of jets at the particle boundaries

Influence of non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (efavirenz and nevirapine) on the pharmacodynamic activity of gliclazide in animal models

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Type 2 diabetes may occur as a result of HIV infection and/or its treatment. Gliclazide is a widely used drug for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Efavirenz and nevirapine are widely used non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors for the treatment of HIV infection. The role of Efavirenz and nevirapine on the pharmacodynamic activity of gliclazide is not currently known. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of oral administration of efavirenz and nevirapine on blood glucose and investigate their effect on the activity of gliclazide in rats (normal and diabetic) and rabbits to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the combination.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Studies in normal and alloxan induced diabetic rats were conducted with oral doses of 2 mg/kg bd. wt. of gliclazide, 54 mg/kg bd. wt. of efavirenz or 18 mg/kg bd. wt. of nevirapine and their combination with adequate washout periods in between treatments. Studies in normal rabbits were conducted with 5.6 mg/1.5 kg bd. wt. of gliclazide, 42 mg/1.5 kg bd. wt. of efavirenz or 14 mg/1.5 kg bd. wt. of nevirapine and their combination given orally. Blood samples were collected at regular time intervals in rats from retro orbital puncture and by marginal ear vein puncture in rabbits. All the blood samples were analysed for blood glucose by GOD/POD method.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Efavirenz and nevirapine alone have no significant effect on the blood glucose level in rats and rabbits. Gliclazide produced hypoglycaemic/antidiabetic activity in normal and diabetic rats with peak activity at 2 h and 8 h and hypoglycaemic activity in normal rabbits at 3 h. In combination, efavirenz reduced the effect of gliclazide in rats and rabbits, and the reduction was more significant with the single dose administration of efavirenz than multiple dose administration. In combination, nevirapine has no effect on the activity of gliclazide in rats and rabbits.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Thus, it can be concluded that the combination of efavirenz and gliclazide may need dose adjustment and care should be taken when the combination is prescribed for their clinical benefit in diabetic patients. The combination of nevirapine and gliclazide was safe. However, further studies are warranted.</p

NetPath: a public resource of curated signal transduction pathways

NetPath, a novel community resource of curated human signaling pathways is presented and its utility demonstrated using immune signaling data