Utilization of Oyster Shell Powder for Hydration and Mechanical Properties Improvement of Portland Cement Pastes

Supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) are usually partially substitueted at the expense of Portland cement (OPC) to reduce as possible the CO2 emmision. There has been limited studies invoved the use of Oyster shell (OS) to replace OPC. The current study investigated the properties of a ternary base batch containing Oyster shell powder (OSP). The ternary cement batch was consisting of OPC, granulated blast furnace slag (GbfS) and metakaolin (MK). The results indicated that the water of consistency and setting times (initial and final) are gradually increased. The water absorption and total porosity are decreased, while the bulk density and combined water content increased. This behaviour continued up till 16 % OSP content, but then the reverse was obtained with any further increase of OSP content. The same trend was achieved with the compressive strength. The addition of OSP often formed mono- and/or hemicarbonate instead of monosulfate because it is mainly composed of carbonates, and moreover it is stabilizing the formation of trisulphate or ettringite in the hydrated samples. The decrease of free lime contents proved that the OSP is a pozzolanic material. This was confirmed by FT-IR spectra. The optimum content of OSP was at most 16 %. &nbsp

Colorizing gray level images by using wavelet filters

© 2019 IEEE. This paper discusses a new algorithm to produce colored version of gray scale natural still images. This algorithm employs artificial neural network (ANN) to predict RGB channels using the Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT). A group of natural color images are used to train three ANNs. The trained networks estimate low resolution RGB layers of the gray scale image which are the best match to the trained images. The colored version of the image is produced form the predicted RGB layers and information form grayscale image. The performances of the new algorithm are analyzed subjectively and objectively using the peak signal to noise and Structural Similarity, as well as it is compared to similar algorithm based on discrete cosine transform. Acceptable colorized images were obtained from different still images

Ceramic Wall and Floor Tiles Containing Local Waste of Cement Kiln Dust-Part II: Dry and Firing Shrinkage as well as Mechanical Properties

Abstract The effect of using the local electrostatic precipitator cement kiln dust waste (EPCKD) collected from Tourah Portland cement factory on the production of ceramic wall and floor tiles was studied. The EPCKD as received from the factory was used to replace gradually a part of the total ceramic batch composition of a traditional wall and floor tile composition (clay, feldspar, limestone, quartz). The thermal properties in terms of dry and firing shrinkage as well as mechanical properties in terms of bending strength of the resulting wall and floor tiles were investigated. The results showed that the EPCKD can be used with an amount of 5 up to 25 wt. % from the total batch as previously illustrated (Part I) without any dangerous adverse effects. In the second part, the results showed that the dry shrinkage was nearly unchanged, while the firing shrinkage increased as the firing temperature as well as the EPCKD content increased to reach 2.8-7.9 % at 1170-1200 °C. The green bending strength was improved and enhanced by the addition of EPCKD to reach 23.43 kg/cm 2 compared with that of the control batch (C0) 12.24 kg/cm 2 . The bending strength of the fired articles was also improved and enhanced to reach 474.31 kg/cm 2 compared with 249.09 kg/cm 2 of the control mix. Furthermore, an excellent ability to coloration of the tiles was detected

Carnitine deficiency and oxidative stress provoke cardiotoxicity in an ifosfamide-induced Fanconi Syndrome rat model

In addition to hemorrhagic cystitis, Fanconi Syndrome is a serious clinical side effect during ifosfamide (IFO) therapy. Fanconi syndrome is a generalized dysfunction of the proximal tubule which is characterized by excessive urinary excretion of glucose, phosphate, bicarbonate, amino acids and other solutes excreted by this segment of the nephron including L-carnitine. Carnitine is essential cofactor for β-oxidation of long-chain fatty acids in the myocardium. IFO therapy is associated with increased urinary carnitine excretion with subsequent secondary deficiency of the molecule. Cardiac abnormalities in IFO-treated cancer patients were reported as isolated clinical cases. This study examined whether carnitine deficiency and oxidative stress, secondary to Fanconi Syndrome, provoke IFO-induced cardiomyopathy as well as exploring if carnitine supplementation using Propionyl-L-carnitine (PLC) could offer protection against this toxicity. In the current study, an animal model of carnitine deficiency was developed in rats by D-carnitine-mildronate treatment Adult male Wistar albino rats were assigned to one of six treatment groups: the first three groups were injected intraperitoneally with normal saline, D-carnitine (DC, 250 mg/kg/day) combined with mildronate (MD, 200 mg/kg/day) and PLC (250 mg/kg/day), respectively, for 10 successive days. The 4th, 5th and 6th groups were injected with the same doses of normal saline, DC-MD and PLC, respectively for 5 successive days before and 5 days concomitant with IFO (50 mg/kg/day). IFO significantly increased serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), urinary carnitine excretion and clearance, creatine phosphokinase isoenzyme (CK-MB), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), intramitochondrial acetyl-CoA/CoA-SH and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in cardiac tissues and significantly decreased adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and total carnitine and reduced glutathione (GSH) content in cardiac tissues. In carnitine-depleted rats, IFO induced dramatic increase in serum creatinine, BUN, CK-MB, LDH, carnitine clearance and intramitochondrial acetyl-CoA/CoA-SH, as well as progressive reduction in total carnitine and ATP in cardiac tissues. Interestingly, PLC supplementation completely reversed the biochemical changes-induced by IFO to the control values. In conclusion, data from the present study suggest that: Carnitine deficiency and oxidative stress, secondary to Fanconi Syndrome, constitute risk factors and should be viewed as mechanisms during development of IFO-induced cardiotoxicity. Carnitine supplementation, using PLC, prevents the development of IFO-induced cardiotoxicity through antioxidant signalling and improving mitochondrial function

Simultaneous determination of warfarin and 7-hydroxywarfarin in rat plasma by HPLC-FLD

In this study, high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD) has been used for the first time, for direct determination of warfarin and its major metabolite, 7-hydroxywarfarin, in rat plasma. The simple and sensitive method was developed using Fortis® reversed-phase diphenyl column (150 × 4.6 mm, 3 μm) and a mobile phase composed of phosphate buffer (25 mmol L–1)-methanol-acetonitrile (70:20:10, V/V/V), adjusted to pH 7.4, at a flow rate of 0.8 mL min–1. The diphenyl chemistry of the stationary phase provided a unique selectivity for separating the structurally related aromatic analytes, warfarin and 7-hydroxywarfarin, allowing their successful quantification in the complex plasma matrix. The method was linear over the range 0.01–25 μg mL–1, for warfarin and 7-hydroxywarfarin, and was found to be accurate, precise and selective in accordance with US FDA guidance for bioanalytical method validation. The method was sensitive enough to quantify 0.01 μg mL–1 of warfarin and 7-hydroxywarfarin (LLOQ) using only 100 µL of plasma. The applicability of this method was demonstrated by analyzing samples obtained from rats after oral administration of a single warfarin dose, and studying warfarin and 7-hydroxywarfarin pharmacokinetics

Giant parathyroid adenoma: A case report and review of the literature

Background: Giant parathyroid adenoma is a rare type of parathyroid adenoma defined as weighing > 3.5 g. They present as primary hyperparathyroidism but with more elevated laboratory findings and more severe clinical presentations due to the larger tissue mass. This is the first reported case of giant parathyroid adenoma from the Middle East. Case presentation: A 52-year-old Indian woman presented with a palpable right-sided neck mass and generalized fatigue. Investigations revealed hypercalcemia with elevated parathyroid hormone and an asymptomatic kidney stone. Ultrasound showed a complex nodule with solid and cystic components, and Sestamibi nuclear scan confirmed a giant parathyroid adenoma. Focused surgical neck exploration was done and a giant parathyroid adenoma weighing 7.7 gm was excised. Conclusions: Giant parathyroid adenoma is a rare cause of primary hyperparathyroidism and usually presents symptomatically with high calcium and parathyroid hormone levels. Giant parathyroid adenoma is diagnosed by imaging and laboratory studies. Management is typically surgical, aiming at complete resection. Patients usually recover with no long-term complications or recurrence. - 2019 The Author(s).Scopu

Effect of Detector Resolution on the Measurement of Nuclear Material Enrichment

Nuclear material verification for safeguards purposes is an activity carried out to confirm that the amount of nuclear material (NM) present at a given time within a certain place is in agreement with the operator declarations. Nuclear materials are usually measured using gamma-ray spectrometer in order to quantify certain isotopes. Different codes have been used to quantify the isotopic abundance in nuclear material samples.  This study is investigating the performance of the Multi Group Analysis (MGA), the Multi Group Analysis for Uranium (MGAU) and the Full Range Analysis (PC/FRAM) at different energy resolution of the counting systems and different uranium isotopic compositions. The normalized measured/certified values (M/C) were used to monitor the performance of each code.  The performance of the three codes showed proportional relation to measured enrichments. PC/FRAM analysis provided the best consistency along the studied resolution and enrichment ranges with normalized measured/certified values ranging from 0 to 7%. MGAU and MGA showed more sensitivity towards low resolution detectors especially at lower enrichments with normalized measured/certified values ranged from 0 to 30 % and 0 to 20 % respectively

Efficacy of oral celecoxib and hyoscine butyl-bromide versus placebo during copper intrauterine device placement in women delivered only by elective cesarean section: a randomized controlled study

Objective: To compare the efficacy and tolerability of celecoxib to hyoscine butyl bromide (HBB) and placebo in reducing pain scores during placement of copper intrauterine devices (IUD) in parous women who have undergone elective cesarean section and who have had no previous vaginal deliveries. Methods: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial at a tertiary University hospital from April 2018 to September 2018. The study included women who had never delivered vaginally and who desired copper IUD insertion. We randomized the study participants in a 1:1:1 ratio to celecoxib, HBB or placebo groups. They took the tablets orally two hours before IUD insertion. The study outcomes were the self-reported pain measurements, using a 10-cm Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), taken during tenaculum placement, sound insertion, IUD insertion and five minutes post-insertion, as well as an ease of insertion score. Results: The study included 105 women (n=35 in each group). The baseline characteristics were similar among all groups. The mean pain score in the celecoxib group was lower during IUD insertion than placebo (1.97 vs 4.34, p<0.001). Moreover, the ease of insertion score was significantly better with celecoxib [1.56 vs. 3.03, p< 0.001] than with placebo. Similarly, Women in the HBB group were more likely to report lower pain scores during IUD insertion (2.91 vs 4.34, p<0.001) and lower ease of insertion score [1.43 vs. 3.03, p< 0.001]. Conclusions: The use of celecoxib and HBB may both reduce the pain associated with copper IUD insertion among women with no previous vaginal delivery. However, celecoxib is better tolerated with fewer side effect

Vocational Interests of Middle and High School Students in the UAE

This paper investigated the vocational interests of students in the UAE and determined its relationship to gender and grade level. The Emirates Scale for Vocational Interests- Revised (ESVI-R) was used to attain the goal of the investigation. The ESVE-R was administered to 1920 students in the different emirates who were in the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grades. Accordingly, the sample was comprised of 866 (45.1%) male and 1054 (54.9%) female students. The data were analyzed using the appropriate descriptive and inferential statistical protocols. The results showed that there are significant gender differences in most of the subscales of ESVI-R whereas there are significant differences in some of the subscales according to students' grade level. The study concluded that the vocational interests of the students demonstrated stability along grade levels and that there was a notable shift in the vocational interests of female students in the trajectory of seeking an equal opportunity with their male counterparts. Keywords: Vocational interests, gender differences, grade level, UAE school students