Measurements and Modeling of Thermal Conductivity of Recycled Aggregates from Concrete, Clay Brick, and Their Mixtures with Autoclaved Aerated Concrete Grains

Cool road pavements contribute to mitigating urban heat islands. To evaluate the heat balance in paved surfaces and to select appropriate road construction materials that help suppress heat islands, an accurate understanding of heat transport parameters such as thermal conductivity (λ) and heat capacity (HC) is important. Recycled aggregates from construction and demolition waste, including scrap construction materials and industrial by-products, are often used for road construction; however, λ and HC of recycled aggregates especially for roadbeds are not fully understood. This study involved a series of laboratory tests to measure λ and HC of recycled concrete and clay brick aggregates (λ and HC increased with increasing volumetric water content (θ). Closed-form models for estimating λ(θ) were proposed using normalized thermal conductivity (λe) and effective saturation (Se). The new λe(Se) models performed well for the measured data compared to previously proposed models and would be useful to evaluate λ of recycled aggregates for roadbed materials

Effects of palladium on the optical and hydrogen sensing characteristics of Pd-doped ZnO nanoparticles

Abstract The effect of palladium doping of zinc oxide nanoparticles on the photoluminescence (PL) properties and hydrogen sensing characteristics of gas sensors is investigated. The PL intensity shows that the carrier dynamics coincides with the buildup of the Pd-related green emission. The comparison between the deep level emission and the gas sensing response characteristics allows us to suggest that the dissociation of hydrogen takes place at Pd Zn -vacancies ([Pd 2+ (4d 9 )]). The design of this sensor allows for a continuous monitoring in the range of 0-100% LEL H 2 concentration with high sensitivity and selectivity. 126

Evaluation Of Allelopathic Potential Of Cissus sicyoides Against the Growth Of Echinochloa Crus-Galli And Some Tested Plants

Many plant species in nature exert significant allelopathic potential as part of the defense mechanism system, many among their secondary metabolites (allelochemicals), including mineral constituents, which are responsible for the suppression of weeds and enhancing crop yield when directly incorporated into paddy fields. Cissus sicyoides is considered a high-potential allelopathic plant because of its invasion in nature and detected allelochemicals from the plant parts in some studies. The objective of this research was to exploit the allelopathic properties of C.sicyoides against paddy weeds and some indicator plants under laboratory bioassays and greenhouse conditions. The results demonstrated that C. sicyoides had significant inhibition on E. crus-galli, tested plants, and other paddy weeds. In the laboratory conditions, the extracts from C.sicyoides leaves inhibited the growth of Echinochloa crus-galli by 54.3%. The powders from C.sicyoides leaves inhibited the emergence of paddy weeds by approximately 100.0%. In the greenhouse conditions, the powders from C.sicyoides leaves by adding after 3 and 13 days inhibited the growth of E. crus-galli and the emergence of paddy weeds by 64.4%. Remarkably, negligible harmful effects on rice growth were observed. The findings of the study may provide useful information for the exploitation of this plant species to effectively control weeds in the rice fields for sustainable agriculture production

Safety and efficacy of fluoxetine on functional outcome after acute stroke (AFFINITY): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Background Trials of fluoxetine for recovery after stroke report conflicting results. The Assessment oF FluoxetINe In sTroke recoverY (AFFINITY) trial aimed to show if daily oral fluoxetine for 6 months after stroke improves functional outcome in an ethnically diverse population. Methods AFFINITY was a randomised, parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial done in 43 hospital stroke units in Australia (n=29), New Zealand (four), and Vietnam (ten). Eligible patients were adults (aged ≥18 years) with a clinical diagnosis of acute stroke in the previous 2–15 days, brain imaging consistent with ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke, and a persisting neurological deficit that produced a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 1 or more. Patients were randomly assigned 1:1 via a web-based system using a minimisation algorithm to once daily, oral fluoxetine 20 mg capsules or matching placebo for 6 months. Patients, carers, investigators, and outcome assessors were masked to the treatment allocation. The primary outcome was functional status, measured by the mRS, at 6 months. The primary analysis was an ordinal logistic regression of the mRS at 6 months, adjusted for minimisation variables. Primary and safety analyses were done according to the patient's treatment allocation. The trial is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12611000774921. Findings Between Jan 11, 2013, and June 30, 2019, 1280 patients were recruited in Australia (n=532), New Zealand (n=42), and Vietnam (n=706), of whom 642 were randomly assigned to fluoxetine and 638 were randomly assigned to placebo. Mean duration of trial treatment was 167 days (SD 48·1). At 6 months, mRS data were available in 624 (97%) patients in the fluoxetine group and 632 (99%) in the placebo group. The distribution of mRS categories was similar in the fluoxetine and placebo groups (adjusted common odds ratio 0·94, 95% CI 0·76–1·15; p=0·53). Compared with patients in the placebo group, patients in the fluoxetine group had more falls (20 [3%] vs seven [1%]; p=0·018), bone fractures (19 [3%] vs six [1%]; p=0·014), and epileptic seizures (ten [2%] vs two [<1%]; p=0·038) at 6 months. Interpretation Oral fluoxetine 20 mg daily for 6 months after acute stroke did not improve functional outcome and increased the risk of falls, bone fractures, and epileptic seizures. These results do not support the use of fluoxetine to improve functional outcome after stroke

Evaluation of Conditions Affecting Properties of Gac (<i>Momordica Cocochinensis</i> Spreng) Oil-Loaded Solid Lipid Nanoparticles (SLNs) Synthesized Using High-Speed Homogenization Process

In this study, we attempted the preparation of gac oil-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) by the high-speed homogenization method using Naterol SE solid lipid, a cosmetic self-emulsifying base, and surfactant and investigated the effects of different conditions on the characteristics of the resulting nanoparticles. The suspensions containing 5% active agents (gac-oil, w/w) were dispersed in a surfactant concentration of 5% (w/w) (Span 80:Tween 80 ratio of 28:72 w/w) and 2.5% (w/w) of solid lipid (Naterol SE) concentration. Suitable conditions for hot homogenization were 13,000 rpm, 60 min and 60 &#176;C for speed, time and temperature, respectively. The suitable conditions for the subsequent cold homogenization were 25 min of homogenization time and 5 &#176;C of temperature. The results showed that the mean size of SLNs-gac oil was 107 nm (measured by laser diffraction spectrometry, LDS), and dried size of SLNs-gac oil ranged from 50 to 80 nm (measured by transmission electron microscope, TEM). In addition, the study investigated the impact of gac oil content on the particle size of SLNs-gac oil and its stability under different storage conditions of UV radiation and storage temperature. At high storage temperatures, the color changes (&#916;E) of the samples were more profound in comparison to that at the low storage temperature. The &#916;E value of the blank sample (SLN-FREE gac-oil) was higher than that of the Gac oil-loaded SLNs samples (SLN-gac oil)

Surface-plasmon-enhanced ultraviolet emission of Au-decorated ZnO structures for gas sensing and photocatalytic devices

Pure and Au-decorated sub-micrometer ZnO spheres were successfully grown on glass substrates by simple chemical bath deposition and photoreduction methods. The analysis of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), UV–vis absorption, and photoluminescence (PL) spectra results were used to verify the incorporation of plasmonic Au nanoparticles (NPs) on the ZnO film. Time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) spectra indicated that a surface plasmonic effect exists with a fast rate of charge transfer from Au nanoparticles to the sub-micrometer ZnO sphere, which suggested the strong possibility of the use of the material for the design of efficient catalytic devices. The NO2 sensing ability of as-deposited ZnO films was investigated with different gas concentrations at an optimized sensing temperature of 120 °C. Surface decoration of plasmonic Au nanoparticles provided an enhanced sensitivity (141 times) with improved response (τRes = 9 s) and recovery time (τRec = 39 s). The enhanced gas sensing performance and photocatalytic degradation processes are suggested to be attributed to not only the surface plasmon resonance effect, but also due to a Schottky barrier between plasmonic Au and ZnO structures

Evaluation of Factors Affecting Antimicrobial Activity of Bacteriocin from Lactobacillus plantarum Microencapsulated in Alginate-Gelatin Capsules and Its Application on Pork Meat as a Bio-Preservative

Antimicrobial compounds from traditional fermented foods have shown activity against a wide range of pathogen and spoilage microorganisms for several years. In this study, a Lactic acid bacteria (LAB), isolated from Vietnamese traditional fermented yogurt (Lactobacillus plantarum SC01), was encapsulated in alginate-gelatin (ALG-GEL) and the effect of incubation temperature, medium pH and surfactants were assessed. The aims of this research were to evaluate antimicrobial activity of bacteriocin produced by L. plantarum SC01. Another aim the research was to study the quality of pork meat treated with its Bacteriocin in 2 h as a bio-preservative at different storage times (0 h, 12 h, 24 h and 48 h) in room temperature, compared to control (treated with salt 40.0%). The antimicrobial activity of L. plantarum SC01 was identified through the inhibition rate of five indicator organisms, including Escherichia coli, Salmonella sp., Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, and Bacillus subtilis by co-culture method. The results showed that L. plantarum SC01 microencapsulated in ALG-GEL (2.5% alginate and 6.0% gelatin, w/v) and 3.0% bacteria supplied into modified MRS medium (MRSOPTSC01) produced highly active compound inhibited the growth of indicator organisms at a density of 104&ndash;108 CFU/mL. Antibacterial compounds were highly active in a treatment at 80 &deg;C; not to be affected by pH; affected by surfactant as Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and Tween. Moreover, LAB obtained from this study show the potent Bacteriocin in its usage as a preservative in food

Propyl Gallate

The title compound, propyl gallate (III), is an important substance popularly used in the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Current chemical syntheses of this compound are based on the acylation supported by thionyl chloride, DIC/DMAP or Fischer esterification using a range of homogenous and heterogenous catalysts. In this paper, an efficient, green, straightforward, and economical method for synthesizing propyl gallate using potassium hydrogen sulfate, KHSO4, as the heterogenous acidic catalyst has been developed for the first time. In addition, this paper provides a comprehensive spectral dataset for the title compound, especially the new data on DEPT and 2D NMR (HSQC and HMBC) spectra which are not currently available in the literature