Comparative Performance Evaluation of Conventional and Renewable Thermal Insulation Materials Used in Building Envelops

In the past decades, insulation materials such as petrochemical and inorganic have been used for building insulation. The production of these insulation materials consumes a large amount of energy, which has a significant effect on the environment throughout the life cycle. Comparative performance analyses of renewable (natural) insulation materials for building application in terms of their impact on the environment, the useful lifetime, cost, insulation performance, thermal diffusivity water vapor resistance and flammability were analyzed using statistical tools. It was found that renewable insulating materials have competitive performances with traditional non-renewable materials in terms of heat insulation performances, fire resistance and cost. Also it was found that renewable materials have significantly better performances such as less impact to the global warming, longer useful lifetime, and lower thermal diffusivity

Biocompatibility and applications of carbon nanotubes in medical nanorobots

The set of nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) based on relative motion of carbon nanotubes walls is proposed for use in medical nanorobots. This set includes electromechanical nanothermometer, jet nanoengine, nanosyringe (the last can be used simultaneously as nanoprobe for individual biological molecules and drug nanodeliver). Principal schemes of these NEMS are considered. Operational characteristics of nanothermometer are analyzed. The possible methods of these NEMS actuation are considered. The present-day progress in nanotechnology techniques which are necessary for assembling of NEMS under consideration is discussed. Biocompatibility of carbon nanotubes is analyzed in connection with perspectives of their application in nanomedicine

Biocompatibility and applications of carbon nanotubes in medical nanorobots

The set of nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) based on relative motion of carbon nanotubes walls is proposed for use in medical nanorobots. This set includes electromechanical nanothermometer, jet nanoengine, nanosyringe (the last can be used simultaneously as nanoprobe for individual biological molecules and drug nanodeliver). Principal schemes of these NEMS are considered. Operational characteristics of nanothermometer are analyzed. The possible methods of these NEMS actuation are considered. The present-day progress in nanotechnology techniques which are necessary for assembling of NEMS under consideration is discussed. Biocompatibility of carbon nanotubes is analyzed in connection with perspectives of their application in nanomedicine

The validity of the scientific method in modern physics

The scientific method is described clearly for the first time at Kitab al-Manazir (Book of Optics) of Ibn al-Haytham (Alhazen 965 – 1040). But recently there is some debate regarding its validity of theories describing our universe like string theory and multiverse. It is well known that scientific method paved the way for true science and technology through more than thousand years ago. We argue here that, scientific method should remain to be the only way to get and verify natural sciences.

Extension of the Reiner-Riwlin Equation to Determine Modified Bingham Parameters Measured in Coaxial Cylinders Rheometers

The Determination of the Exact Rheological Properties, in Fundamental Units, of Cementitious Materials Has Become Gradually a Necessary Step in the Domain of Concrete Science. Several Types of Rheometers and their Corresponding Transformation Equations Are Described in the Literature. in This Paper, the Reiner-Riwlin Transformation Equation, Valid for Coaxial Cylinders Rheometers, is Developed for the Modified Bingham Model, which is an Extension of the Bingham Model with a Second Order Term in the Shear Rate. the Established Transformation is Shown to Be Compatible with the Reiner-Riwlin Equation for the Bingham and Herschel-Bulkley Models. its Validation is Further Proven by Means of Numerical Simulations Applied on Experimental Data. the Yield Stress Values for the Three Rheological Models (Applied on the Same Experimental Data) Are Compared with the Yield Stress Calculated by Means of Slump Flow Values. Results Showed that the Modified Bingham Model Results in the Most Stable Yield Stress Values, Which Are Independent of the Non-Linear Behavior. © 2012 RILEM

QuantiMus: A Machine Learning-Based Approach for High Precision Analysis of Skeletal Muscle Morphology.

Skeletal muscle injury provokes a regenerative response, characterized by the de novo generation of myofibers that are distinguished by central nucleation and re-expression of developmentally restricted genes. In addition to these characteristics, myofiber cross-sectional area (CSA) is widely used to evaluate muscle hypertrophic and regenerative responses. Here, we introduce QuantiMus, a free software program that uses machine learning algorithms to quantify muscle morphology and molecular features with high precision and quick processing-time. The ability of QuantiMus to define and measure myofibers was compared to manual measurement or other automated software programs. QuantiMus rapidly and accurately defined total myofibers and measured CSA with comparable performance but quantified the CSA of centrally-nucleated fibers (CNFs) with greater precision compared to other software. It additionally quantified the fluorescence intensity of individual myofibers of human and mouse muscle, which was used to assess the distribution of myofiber type, based on the myosin heavy chain isoform that was expressed. Furthermore, analysis of entire quadriceps cross-sections of healthy and mdx mice showed that dystrophic muscle had an increased frequency of Evans blue dye+ injured myofibers. QuantiMus also revealed that the proportion of centrally nucleated, regenerating myofibers that express embryonic myosin heavy chain (eMyHC) or neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) were increased in dystrophic mice. Our findings reveal that QuantiMus has several advantages over existing software. The unique self-learning capacity of the machine learning algorithms provides superior accuracy and the ability to rapidly interrogate the complete muscle section. These qualities increase rigor and reproducibility by avoiding methods that rely on the sampling of representative areas of a section. This is of particular importance for the analysis of dystrophic muscle given the "patchy" distribution of muscle pathology. QuantiMus is an open source tool, allowing customization to meet investigator-specific needs and provides novel analytical approaches for quantifying muscle morphology

Dokaz i izdvajanje skupine A rotavirusa iz devine teladi u Sudanu.

A total of 332 fecal samples were collected from 245 diarrheic as well as 75 recovered and 12 healthy camel calves in four different areas in Sudan [north (River Nile), east (Gedarif), central to south (Sennar, Blue Nile) and west (Kordofan) States]. Using ELISA, 46 samples (13.9%) were found positive for group A rotavirus. Out of 46 ELISA positive calves, we found 35 diarrheic up to 3 months of age, 7 recovered 4-6 months of age and 4 clinically healthy 8-12 months of age. Using EM, 6 out of 22 ELISA positive samples showed the well defined wheel-like structure characteristic of rotavirus. The results indicate the significant role of rotavirus in the epidemiology of camel calf diarrhea in Sudan. Attempts to isolate the camel group A rotavirus in MA104 cell culture were carried out on 21 ELISA-positive samples with successful isolation of the virus in 18. The isolated viruses were identified by ELISA and EM. Cytopathic effects (CPE) were manifested as rounding, elongation, triangulation, vacuolation and granulation of cells while the cell sheet remains intact. The CPE appeared on days 3-5 on the first to the second passages after treatment of the inocula and the cell culture media with trypsin. To our knowledge this is the first report on the isolation of camel rotavirus in cell culture.Prikupljena su 332 uzorka fecesa od 245 devine teladi s proljevom, 75 teladi oporavljene od proljeva i 12 od zdrave devine teladi sa četiri različita područja u Sudanu: sjevernoga (područje rijeke Nila), istočnoga (područje Gedarif), središnjega i južnoga (područje Sennar, Plavi Nil) te zapadnoga područja (Kordofan). Pretragom imunoenzimnim testom 46 uzoraka (13,9%) bilo je pozitivno za skupinu A rotavirusa. Od tih 46 pozitivnih životinja imunoenzimnim testom, 35 s proljevom bilo je u dobi do tri mjeseca, sedam s preboljelim proljevom bilo je u dobi od četiri do šest mjeseci, a četiri životinje u dobi od osam do 12 mjeseci bile su klinički zdrave. Elektronskom mikroskopijom dokazane su čestice karakteristične za rotavirus u šest od 22 uzorka pozitivna pretragom imunoenzimnim testom. Rezultati ukazuju na znatnu ulogu rotavirusa u epizootiologiji proljeva u devine mladunčadi u Sudanu. Skupina A rotavirusa izdvojena je na MA104 staničnoj kulturi iz 18 od 21 uzorka pozitivnoga pretragom imunoenzimnim testom. Izdvojeni virusi bili su identificirani imunoenzimnim testom i elekronskom mikroskopijom. Citopatski učinak očitovao se zaokruživanjem stanica, njihovim izduživanjem, triangulacijom, vakuolacijom i granulacijom, dok je stanični sloj ostao netaknut. Citopatski učinak javljao se za tri do pet dana u prvoj i drugoj pasaži nakon obradbe inokula i staničnog medija tripsinom. Ovo je prvo izvješće o izdvajanju rotavirusa deva u staničnoj kulturi