Effect of CFRP Retrofitting on Seismic Vulnerability of Reinforced Concrete Frame Structures in Pakistan

The objective of this research work is to study the effect of CFRF retrofitting on the seismic vulnerability of typical reinforced concrete structures in Pakistan. Pakistan is located in high seismicity zone as it lies on seismic fault line which divides the area in such a way that half of it lies in Eurasian plate and other half lies in Indian plate. After the massive earthquake of Kashmir 2005 most of the structures failed because of the high seismic vulnerability of existing structures. After 2005 event, earthquake zones were also changed to a higher hazard level, hence increasing the seismic demand on the existing structures that were constructed prior to the earthquake 2005. This research accounts for the seismic vulnerability assessment of reinforced concrete frame structures in Pakistan and the effect of retrofitting on these structures. After carrying out a detailed survey of Pakistan a hypothetical reinforced concrete frame structure, typologically similar in construction practices in Pakistan is designed and modelled in Perform 3D to study the effect of lateral forces on these structures. Seismic vulnerability curves are computed using Capacity Spectrum Method and the effect of seismic forces on existing structure is studied. In order to improve the seismic performance the joints of RC frame structure are retrofitted using CFRP which are the critical elements for structural performance. By using the confined properties of concrete through CFRP, an analytical curve is developed again using the same procedure. These curves are compared and the effect of retrofitting is studied

Faculty perception about active learning strategies: A cross sectional survey

Background: Nursing education in Pakistan has evolved over the last two decades, and it has shifted from the traditional three-year diploma program to the baccalaureate degree program. However, still traditional learning strategies are used in teachings ineffective in producing quality graduates; hence these graduates lack the necessary skills to face the challenges, diversity, and the dynamics of complex nursing care in Pakistan.Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the perception of faculty members and barriers in the utilization of Active Learning (AL) strategies at undergraduate nursing degree programs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province Pakistan.Methods: Cross Sectional design was used to conduct the research study. Consecutive sampling techniques were used to recruit participants in the study. Faculty Perceptions were measured on likert scale. Mean and standard deviation were calculated for continues data, frequency and percentages were calculated for categorical and nominal data. Logistic regression was for possible relationship between utilization of AL, and different barriers.Results: Fifty two percent of the faculty members stated that AL strategies help in development of students’ concepts and increase students’ engagement in classes. Moreover, 67.6% faculty members have positive perception for utilization of AL strategies in classes. Interestingly 52.4% of faculty members have negative perceptions for traditional learning strategies. Faculty members perceived different barriers in utilization of AL: insufficient time (60%), difficulty to perform in large class room (38.1%), Lack of support (35.7%) and habitual to didactic learning (28.6%).Conclusion: In conclusion, faculty members have positive perception for AL strategies, and prefer it on didactic learning: However, different barriers were identified by faculty members in utilization of AL strategies. Further, researches are needed to conduct, to design strategies to overcome these barriers

Image fusion using multivariate and multidimensional EMD.

We present a novel methodology for the fusion of multiple (two or more) images using the multivariate extension of empirical mode decomposition (MEMD). Empirical mode decomposition (EMD) is a data-driven method which decomposes input data into its intrinsic oscillatory modes, known as intrinsic mode functions (IMFs), without making a priori assumptions regarding the data. We show that the multivariate and multidimensional extensions of EMD are suitable for image fusion purposes. We further demonstrate that while multidimensional extensions, by design, may seem more appropriate for tasks related to image processing, the proposed multivariate extension outperforms these in image fusion applications owing to its mode-alignment property for IMFs. Case studies involving multi-focus image fusion and pan-sharpening of multi-spectral images are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method

Influence of Non-Thermal Plasma Treatment on Structural Network Attributes of Wheat Flour and Respective Dough

Due to its “generally recognized as safe status” (GRAS) and moderate treatment temperatures, non-thermal plasma (NTP) has lately been considered a suitable replacement for chemicals in the modification of food properties and for preserving food quality. One of the promising areas for the application of NTP is the treatment of wheat flour, leading to improved flour properties and product quality and consequently to higher customer satisfaction. In the present research, the German wheat flour type 550, equivalent to all-purpose flour, was treated using NTP in a rotational reactor to determine the influence of short treatment times (≤5 min) on the properties of flour (moisture and fat content, protein, starch, color, microbial activity, and enzymes), dough (visco-elastic properties, starch, wet and dry gluten, and water absorption), and baking products (color, freshness, baked volume, crumb structure, softness, and elasticity). Based on the properties of NTP, it was expected that even very short treatment times would have a significant effect on the flour particles, which could positively affect the quality of the final baking product. Overall, the experimental analysis showed a positive effect of NTP treatment of wheat flour, e.g., decreased water activity value (8% after 5 min. treatment); dough extensibility increased (ca. 30% after 3 min treatment); etc. Regarding the baking product, further positive effects were detected, e.g., enhanced product volume (>9%), improved crumb whiteness/decreased crumb yellowness, softening of breadcrumb without a change in elasticity, and limited microorganism and enzymatic activity. Furthermore, no negative effects on the product quality were observed, even though further food quality tests are required. The presented experimental research confirms the overall positive influence of NTP treatment, even for very low treatment times, on wheat flour and its products. The presented findings are significant for the potential implementation of this technique on an industrial level

Degradation of Low Concentrated Perfluorinated Compounds (PFCs) from Water Samples Using Non-Thermal Atmospheric Plasma (NTAP)

Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) are manmade chemicals, containing the covalent C-F bond, which is among the strongest chemical bonds known to organic chemistry. Abundant use of these chemicals contaminates air, water, and soil around the world. Despite recent initiatives and legal regulations set to reduce their omnipresence, conventional water purification processes are either inefficient or very expensive, especially for low PFC contamination levels. This research is focused on the non-thermal atmospheric plasma (NTAP) decomposition of very low concentrations (<1 µg/L) of PFCs (especially perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS)), present in the wastewater produced during the process of PFCs removal from contaminated soil. The efficiency of the decomposition process was investigated for air, oxygen, and nitrogen plasma, with exposure times of 1–10 min and different plasma nozzle- and reactor sizes. Experiments demonstrated that the NTAP treatment is an efficient alternative method for degradation of more than 50% of the initial PFC concentration in the water samples, in less than 200 s. The final concentration of PFC showed strong dependency on the tested parameters. The treatment effect showed to be strongly non-linear with time, followed by the reduction of the pH-value of the treated sample, which might present a limiting factor for further PFC decomposition

Enhancement of Wheat Flour and Dough Properties by Non-Thermal Plasma Treatment of Wheat Flour

Demand to improve food quality attributes without the use of chemicals has risen exponentially in the past few years. Non-thermal plasma (NTP) (also called &lsquo;cold plasma&rsquo;) is becoming increasingly popular for this purpose due to its unique low-temperature and non-chemical nature. In the present research, the concept of in situ dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma treatment inside a rotational reactor for the direct treatment of wheat flour was experimentally analyzed. The primary research goal was to determine the effects of short-period NTP treatment of DBD type on flour and dough properties. For this purpose, the influence of different operating parameters was tested, i.e., treatment time, the amount of flour placed in the reactor and the environmental (air) temperature. Changes in the structural attributes of the most commonly used flours (type 550 and 1050) and their respective doughs were studied using a set of analytical techniques. Rheological analysis demonstrated the ability of NTP to significantly intensify the visco-elastic properties of dough produced from wheat flour type 550 that was treated for less than 180 s. This indicated that plasma treatment enhanced intermolecular disulphide bonds in gluten proteins, which resulted in stronger protein&ndash;starch network formations. However, longer treatment times did not result in a significant increase in the visco-elastic properties of wheat dough. The obtained results showed a 6&ndash;7% increase in flour hydration due to NTP treatment, which also makes a contribution to hydrogen bonding due to changes in the bonded and free water phase. Experimental findings further confirmed the dependence of NTP treatment efficiency on environmental air temperature