Effect of Flyash and Waste Rubber on Properties of Concrete composite

Increasing use of waste materials like flyash, scrap tyre rubber etc, in construction industry has reduced the handling and disposal problems of these wastes. Flyash and scrap tyre rubbers are generally, employed to develop light weight and low strength concrete composites. The present work discusses the influence of flyash and waste tyre rubber particles on the behaviour of concrete composite. The rubber content has been taken in the range of 0 to 40% as replacement of fine and coarse aggregates while the flyash has been varied from 0 to 30% for cement. Testing of the concrete specimen prepared under different percentage of flyash and rubber waste was performed at 28 days of age for workability, density, compressive and bond strength. Experimental results show that the density, compressive strength and bond strength decreases while workability increases with increasing rubber content. Addition of flyash also decreases the density and compressive strength

ALTERATIONS IN PARATHORMONE, CALCIUM AND PHOSPHORUS LEVELS IN CKD PATIENTS ON MAINTENANCE HAEMODIALYSIS IN A HOSPITAL SETTING IN PUNJAB.â€

Objective: Many people who have severe chronic kidney disease (CKD) will eventually develop kidney failure and will require dialysis. The controlof parathormone (PTH), phosphorus, and calcium metabolism is one of the objectives in an adequate dialysis protocol. Therefore, we conductedthis study to describe alterations in PTH, calcium, and phosphorous homeostasis in patients with CKD on hemodialysis in our center. Our study alsoaimed to find an association between hormonal and biochemical abnormalities in CKD patients, who have been on hemodialysis for ≥5 months andcomparing the results obtained with that recommended by Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) guidelines.Methods: This was a hospital-based cross-sectional observational study. The study population of 330 patients (>18 years) on maintenancehemodialysis coming to dialysis Unit of Department of Medicine of Gian Sagar Hospital, Ramnagar (Patiala), over a period of 3 years (2012-2015),were enrolled in the study. Each patient was considered only once for the study. In addition, biochemical analysis of serum intact PTH (iPTH), correctedcalcium, phosphorus, total alkaline phosphatase (tALP), serum creatinine, blood urea, serum albumin, and hemoglobin of all cases was done usingfully automated equipment. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS statistical software, version 17.Results: The study population of 330 patients comprised adults, mainly illiterate (54.5%) predominantly belonging to the rural (66.4%) strata witha mean age of 52.67±15.05 (range: 25-98 years). The abnormality in the laboratory profile of the patients was found to be hyperparathyroidism in40.3% as compared to hypoparathyroidism in 33.5% and normal iPTH levels in 26.2%. Hypocalcaemia was detected in 50.6% and hyperphosphatemiain 62.1% of the patients. There was statistically significant association of serum iPTH, with corrected calcium and phosphorus (P=0.032 and P=0.035,respectively). Corrected calcium was also significantly associated with phosphorus (P=0.001) and tALP (P=0.007).Conclusion: We showed in the present study that disorders of mineral metabolism are common in hemodialysis patients and that only a smallproportion adheres to the targets as advised in the KDIGO guidelines for bone metabolism and disease in CKD. We demonstrated that these disordersare associated with important negative clinical outcomes, such as increased all-cause lack survival, more muscle and bone problems. Our findings,therefore, support a strict control of mineral metabolism in dialysis patients. Further research and progress in this area are required to establish amore rational approach with a view toward improving patient outcomes.Keywords: Parathormone, Calcium, Phosphorus, Hemodialysis.Â

Efficacy of esmolol and magnesium sulphate in attenuation of haemodynamic response during laryngoscopy and intubation: a clinical comparative study

Background: Hypertension and tachycardia accompanying laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation are deleterious, especially in patients with cardiovascular or intracranial diseases. The aim of the present study was to compare and evaluate the efficacy of magnesium sulphate and esmolol in attenuating the hemodynamic response to laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation.Methods: A prospective study was conducted with ninety patients undergoing elective surgery under general anaesthesia who were randomized into three groups of thirty patients each. Group I received 10 ml of 0.9% normal saline, group II received magnesium sulphate 50mg/kg body weight and group III received esmolol 2mg/kg body weight. The study drugs were administered intravenously over 30 seconds, 3 minutes prior to laryngoscopy. Induction was done with sodium thiopentone and endotracheal intubation was performed after one minute of administration of succinylcholine 1.5mg/kg. Heart rate and blood pressure were recorded from preinduction up till 10 minutes after intubation.Results: There was a significant rise in heart rate and blood pressure in group II as compared to group I.Conclusions: Esmolol is a better agent than magnesium sulphate to attenuate hemodynamic response to laryngoscopy and intubation

Evaluation and diversity analysis in Indian mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czern & Coss.] germplasm accessions on the basis of principal component analysis

Principal component analysis was carried out with 20 morphological traits (including quantitative as well as qualitative) among 96 germplasm lines of Indian mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czern & Coss.]. Principal factor analysis led to the identification of eight principal components (PCs) which explained about 70.41% variability. The first principal component (PC1) explained 16.21% of the total variation. The remaining PC’s explained progressively lesser and lesser of the total variation. Varimax Rotation enabled loading of similar type of variables on a common principal factor (PF) permitting to designate them as yield factor, maturity factor and oil factor etc. Based on PF scores and cluster mean values the germplasm accessions viz., RC2, RC32 and RC51 (cluster I), RC95 and RC96 (cluster X) were found superior for seed yield/plant and yield related factors like primary and secondary branches/plant; while the accessions RC34, RC185 and RC195 (cluster III) and RC53 (cluster VIII) were found superior for oil content. These accessions may further be utilized in breeding programmes for evolving mustard varieties having high seed yield and oil content. Hierarchical cluster analysis resulted into ten clusters containing two to 26 accessions. The results of cluster and principal factor analyses were in confirmation of each other

Ecopreneurship as an Innovative Pedagogy for Sustainable Development: An Action Research

Nepal has a diverse ethnic population, some of whom have indigenous knowledge. Their sociocultural knowledge has largely influenced their daily environmental sustainability practices as they highly respect Mother Nature. However, these days, in the name of modernization, people have slowly embraced Western culture and values by adding a disastrous footprint on the earth. They started to ignore the uniqueness of their indigenous knowledge, which prioritizes sustainability. Hence, this paper focuses on viewing indigenous knowledge as ecopreneurship and developing ecopreneurship as an innovative pedagogy for sustainable development. This paper applies action research to intervene in the current pedagogical practice to introduce ecopreneurship as an innovative pedagogy. The participants of this research are the teachers of grade eight of a private school from Lalitpur. This paper concludes that when students explore their indigenous knowledge, it creates an attachment to their indigenous know-how. They learn to value their ancestors’ knowledge for their contribution to ecology, sustainability, and self-dependence. Furthermore, ecopreneurship enables their learning to be authentic and meaningful through their active involvement in producing eco-friendly material, which they showcased at the fair and motivated them to think and act as ecopreneurs for sustainable development

Sunnhemp breeding: Challenges and prospects

Sunnhemp (Crotalaria juncea L.) is an important fibre crop of tropical and sub-tropical parts of the world and has multiple uses. With the commercialization of agriculture, major food crops and cash crops gained momentum and fibre crops, particularly sunnhemp lagged behind on account of increased availability of cheap synthetic fibres. In the present context, the cultivation of sunnhemp is limited to marginal lands and with minimum inputs. Subsequently, the production and productivity of the crop has declined. Productivity of sunnhemp can be increased by genetic improvement of the crop. However, very little reports are available detailing genetics of different economic traits. Hence, an attempt is being made to collect all the scattered relevant genetic information in order to make the information useful in expediting the genetic improvement of the crop

Smart Grid Hybrid Generation System

ABSTRACT: This report presents a survey work on Hybrid Generation System (two forms of renewable energy-wind and solar) and on the role of smart grids in addressing the problems associated with integration of renewable resources. One of the most challenging aspects of integrating renewable generation resources (renewable) from an operations standpoint, is dealing with their inherit intermittent generation profile. This includes both the non-dispatchable production, as well as the quick generation ramping rates. Wind parks can ramp from zero megawatts (0MW) to full capacity in a matter of hours. Solar photovoltaic (PV) plants can ramp from full capacity to 0MW and back to full capacity in a matter of minutes when a cloud passes overhea

Therapeutic Implications of Targeting Energy Metabolism in Breast Cancer

PPARs are ligand activated transcription factors. PPAR agonists have been reported as a new and potentially efficacious treatment of inflammation, diabetes, obesity, cancer, AD, and schizophrenia. Since cancer cells show dysregulation of glycolysis they are potentially manageable through changes in metabolic environment. Interestingly, several of the genes involved in maintaining the metabolic environment and the central energy generation pathway are regulated or predicted to be regulated by PPAR . The use of synthetic PPAR ligands as drugs and their recent withdrawal/restricted usage highlight the lack of understanding of the molecular basis of these drugs, their off-target effects, and their network. These data further underscores the complexity of nuclear receptor signalling mechanisms. This paper will discuss the function and role of PPAR in energy metabolism and cancer biology in general and its emergence as a promising therapeutic target in breast cancer