Evaluating Tire Pressure Control System to Improve Productivity and Mitigate Pavement Damage

The introduction of the use of Tire Pressure Control Systems (TPCS) to improve the productivity of the Canadian trucking industry is gaining momentum. The imposition of seasonal load restrictions (SLR) on the thaw-weakened secondary roads interrupts the transportation of raw materials to processing facilities For the forestry industry in particular, this has very significant impacts on productivity and costs. FPInnovations-Feric Division (Feric) has investigated the potential for TPCS-equipped trucks to travel with full, legal loading during the SLR period without accelerating road wear and tear. The TPCS monitors and adjusts the inflation pressure of the trucks’ tires while driving and allows the operator to optimize the inflations for changes in loading, travel speed, or road quality encountered in the trip. This thesis describes an investigation to determine whether TPCS can be used to mitigate traffic generated damage to secondary roads and also reduce the need to implement load restrictions. The project involves a partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO), Forest Engineering Research Institute of Canada (FERIC), Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) and the Centre for Pavement and Transportation Technology (CPATT) located at the University of Waterloo. The thesis will describe the methodology, design, and instrumentation of the two test sites which are located in Dryden, Ontario and Chapleau, Ontario. In addition, repeated Portable Falling Weight Deflectometer (PFWD) testing is being carried out at these sites and the initial results of this examination and associated impacts of the environment and traffic on the road will be presented. This study also involves looking into the reliability of using the portable FWD, offering a lower cost alternative instead of the trailer mounted FWD to monitor pavement strength for the identification the SLR period. The use of innovative sensors and data collection techniques are proving to be very informative and are advancing pavement engineering knowledge. Moreover, the thesis is aimed at exploring the possibilities of achieving the current objectives of the government DOTs such as TPCS potential for addressing the timber industry in crisis, reduced road maintenance budgets, and global warming increasing road damage

Antispasmodic and Ca++ antagonist potential of marrubiin, a labdane type diterpene from Phlomis bracteosa

A tricyclic labdane type diterpene was isolated for the first time from ethyl acetate soluble part of Phlomis bracteosa. Its structure was confirmed by x-ray which was found to be marrubiin. When studied in isolated rabbit jejunum, marrubiin caused concentration-dependent relaxation of spontaneous and high K+ (80 mM)-induced contractions, like that caused by verapamil, indicating that marrubiin exhibits spasmolytic activity, possibly mediated through Ca++ channel blocking action

Identification of Disalicyloyl Curcumin as a Potential DNA Polymerase Inhibitor for Marek’s Disease Herpesvirus: A Computational Study Using Virtual Screening and Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Marek’s disease virus (MDV) is a highly contagious and persistent virus that causes T-lymphoma in chickens, posing a significant threat to the poultry industry despite the availability of vaccines. The emergence of new virulent strains has further intensified the challenge of designing effective antiviral drugs for MDV. In this study, our main objective was to identify novel antiviral phytochemicals through in silico analysis. We employed Alphafold to construct a three-dimensional (3D) structure of the MDV DNA polymerase, a crucial enzyme involved in viral replication. To ensure the accuracy of the structural model, we validated it using tools available at the SAVES server. Subsequently, a diverse dataset containing thousands of compounds, primarily derived from plant sources, was subjected to molecular docking with the MDV DNA polymerase model, utilizing AutoDock software V 4.2. Through comprehensive analysis of the docking results, we identified Disalicyloyl curcumin as a promising drug candidate that exhibited remarkable binding affinity, with a minimum energy of −12.66 Kcal/mol, specifically targeting the DNA polymerase enzyme. To further assess its potential, we performed molecular dynamics simulations, which confirmed the stability of Disalicyloyl curcumin within the MDV system. Experimental validation of its inhibitory activity in vitro can provide substantial support for its effectiveness. The outcomes of our study hold significant implications for the poultry industry, as the discovery of efficient antiviral phytochemicals against MDV could substantially mitigate the economic losses associated with this devastating disease.Funder: King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Grant(s): RSPD2023R74

QSAR-driven screening uncovers and designs novel pyrimidine-4,6-diamine derivatives as potent JAK3 inhibitors

This study presents a robust and integrated methodology that harnesses a range of computational techniques to facilitate the design and prediction of new inhibitors targeting the JAK3/STAT pathway. This methodology encompasses several strategies, including QSAR analysis, pharmacophore modeling, ADMET prediction, covalent docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and the calculation of binding free energies (MM/GBSA). An efficacious QSAR model was meticulously crafted through the employment of multiple linear regression (MLR). The initial MLR model underwent further refinement employing an artificial neural network (ANN) methodology aimed at minimizing predictive errors. Notably, both MLR and ANN exhibited commendable performance, showcasing R2 values of 0.89 and 0.95, respectively. The model's precision was assessed via leave-one-out cross-validation (CV) yielding a Q2 value of 0.65, supplemented by rigorous Y-randomization. , The pharmacophore model effectively differentiated between active and inactive drugs, identifying potential JAK3 inhibitors, and demonstrated validity with an ROC value of 0.86. The newly discovered and designed inhibitors exhibited high inhibitory potency, ranging from 6 to 8, as accurately predicted by the QSAR models. Comparative analysis with FDA-approved Tofacitinib revealed that the new compounds exhibited promising ADMET properties and strong covalent docking (CovDock) interactions. The stability of the new discovered and designed inhibitors within the JAK3 binding site was confirmed through 500 ns MD simulations, while MM/GBSA calculations supported their binding affinity. Additionally, a retrosynthetic study was conducted to facilitate the synthesis of these potential JAK3/STAT inhibitors. The overall integrated approach demonstrates the feasibility of designing novel JAK3/STAT inhibitors with robust efficacy and excellent ADMET characteristics that surpass Tofacitinib by a significant margin

Removal of chromium (VI) from aqueous medium using chemically modified banana peels as efficient low-cost adsorbent

The adsorptive removal of hexavalent chromium Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions was investigated by acrylonitrile grafted banana peels (GBPs). Banana peels were treated with 10% HCl, followed by alkaline hydrolysis with 10% NaOH, and washed thoroughly. The bleaching of alkali hydrolyzed peels was carried out with sodium chlorate (NaClO3) in the presence of hydrogen peroxide and glacial acetic acid. The grafting co-polymerization of acrylonitrile onto the bleached pulp was initiated by Fenton’s reagent (Fe+2/H2O2). The optimum conditions for adsorption of Cr(VI) were found to be the following: pH 3, adsorbent dose 4 g/L, concentration 400 mg/L and contact time of 120 min. The surface morphology of adsorbent was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) before and after the adsorption. The adsorption of Cr(VI) onto grafted banana peels (GBPs) was recorded to be 96%. The adsorption data were fully fitted with the Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm model and followed a pseudo-second order kinetic model. Thermodynamic study showed that the adsorption is exothermic and spontaneous. Owing to high efficiency and low cost, grafted banana peels (GBPs) can be used as effective adsorbent for Cr(VI) removal from wastewater

Efficient Removal of Pb(II) from Aqueous Medium Using Chemically Modified Silica Monolith

The adsorptive removal of lead (II) from aqueous medium was carried out by chemically modified silica monolith particles. Porous silica monolith particles were prepared by the sol-gel method and their surface modification was carried out using trimethoxy silyl propyl urea (TSPU) to prepare inorganic–organic hybrid adsorbent. The resultant adsorbent was evaluated for the removal of lead (Pb) from aqueous medium. The effect of pH, adsorbent dose, metal ion concentration and adsorption time was determined. It was found that the optimum conditions for adsorption of lead (Pb) were pH 5, adsorbent dose of 0.4 g/L, Pb(II) ions concentration of 500 mg/L and adsorption time of 1 h. The adsorbent chemically modified SM was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), BET/BJH and thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA). The percent adsorption of Pb(II) onto chemically modified silica monolith particles was 98%. An isotherm study showed that the adsorption data of Pb(II) onto chemically modified SM was fully fitted with the Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm models. It was found from kinetic study that the adsorption of Pb(II) followed a pseudo second-order model. Moreover, thermodynamic study suggests that the adsorption of Pb(II) is spontaneous and exothermic. The adsorption capacity of chemically modified SM for Pb(II) ions was 792 mg/g which is quite high as compared to the traditional adsorbents. The adsorbent chemically modified SM was regenerated, used again three times for the adsorption of Pb(II) ions and it was found that the adsorption capacity of the regenerated adsorbent was only dropped by 7%. Due to high adsorption capacity chemically modified silica monolith particles could be used as an effective adsorbent for the removal of heavy metals from wastewater

<i>In vitro </i>adsorption of drugs using modified sugarcane bagasse

161-167This study presents activated carbon from sugarcane bagasse (SB) as adsorbent of drugs (Levofloxacin, Hydrochlorothiazide and Paracetamol). Effect of different variables (contact time, initial drug concentration and dose of adsorbent) was studied at acidic pH. SB was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Chemical treatments resulted in pore formation within SB sample while surfaces of untreated SB sample were without pores. Maximum adsorption (37%) of drugs from solution was in1-3 h. Adsorption followed Langmuir isotherm model

Power-Law Nanofluid Flow over a Stretchable Surface Due to Gyrotactic Microorganisms

This study aims to learn more about how the flow of a power-law nanofluid&rsquo;s mixed bio-convective stagnation point flow approaching a stretchable surface behaves with the presence of a passively controlled boundary condition. The governing equations incorporate the motile bacterium and nanoparticles, and the current model includes Brownian motion and thermophoresis effects. The governing equations are transformed into ordinary differential equations, which are then numerically solved using the Runge&ndash;KuttaFehlberg (RKF) with the shooting technique. The controlling parameters are chosen as follows: the velocity ratio parameter, &epsilon;, is taken between 0.1 and 1.5; the mixed convection parameter, &lambda;, is considered in the range 0&ndash;3; the buoyancy ratio parameter is considered in the range between 0.1 and 4; the bio-convection parameter, Rb, is taken in the range 0&ndash;1; nanofluid parameters are taken in the range 0.1&ndash;0.7; the bioconvection Schmidt number is considered in the range 0.1&ndash;3; the Prandtl number is taken between 1&ndash;4; and the Schmidt number is taken between 1 and 3. The Nusselt number, skin friction, and nanoparticle volume fraction profiles are shown graphically to observe the impact of several parameters under consideration. Both the Schmidt number and the Brownian motion parameter are shown to significantly increase the Sherwood number. Thermophoresis, however, has been proven to lower the Sherwood number. Furthermore, the bioconvection constant and Peclet number both help to slow down the rate of mass transfer. The presented theoretical investigation has a considerable role in engineering, where nanofluid flow is applied to organize a bioconvection process to develop power generation and mechanical energy. One of the more essential features of bioconvection is the aggregation of nanoparticles with motile microorganisms requested to augment the stability, heat, and mass transmission

MACHINERY SELECTION FOR DEMOLITION AND RECYCLING OF PAVEMENTS: A SIMULATION-BASED TOOL

Proper selection of the type and number of machinery on construction is critical to the total cost and duration of projects. This especially applies to projects involving using of heavy machinery such as earthmoving projects. Currently, many construction managers – especially in Pakistan, rely on their intuition and judgement based on past experience to select their construction machinery fleet confguration. This approach is obviously subjective and prone to inefcient utilization of resources. Computer-based tools, such as simulation models, have the potential to greatly beneft the construction mangers in their routine tasks. This paper presents a unique simulation tool based on the system dynamics methodology to help the construction manager in investigating the cost and duration implications of various combinations of machinery items. Utility of the developed model is illustrated with the help of a case study involving demolition and recycling of a flexible pavement

Spectroscopic and Molecular Methods to Differentiate Gender in Immature Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.)

Phoenix dactylifera (date palm) is a well-known nutritious and economically important fruit tree found in arid regions of the Middle East and North Africa. Being diploid, it has extremely high divergence in gender, where sex differentiation in immature date palms (Phoenix dactylifera L.) has remained an enigma in recent years. Herein, new robust infrared (near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) and Fourier transform infrared attenuated total reflectance (FTIR/ATR)) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy methods coupled with extensive chemometric analysis were used to identify the sex differentiation in immature date palm leaves. NIRS/FTIR reflectance and 1H-NMR profiling suggested that the signals of monosaccharides (glucose and fructose) and/or disaccharides (maltose and sucrose) play key roles in sex differentiation. The three kinds of spectroscopic data were clearly differentiated among known and unknown male and female leaves via principal component and partial least square discriminant analyses. Furthermore, sex-specific genes and molecular markers obtained from the lower halves of LG12 chromosomes showed enhanced transcript accumulation of mPdIRDP52, mPdIRDP50, and PDK101 in females compared with in males. The phylogeny showed that the mPdIRD033, mPdIRD031, and mPdCIR032 markers formed distinctive clades with more than 70% similarity in gender differentiation. The three robust analyses provide an alternative tool to differentiate sex in date palm trees, which offers a solution to the long-standing challenge of dioecism and could enhance in situ tree propagation programs