Effect of short term aging on organic montmorillonite nanoclay modified asphalt

In order to increase the life of bituminous pavement, quality of bitumen needs to be enhanced and modified. The objective of this study was to evaluate the conventional and rheological properties of binders containing various percentages of organic montmorillonite nanoclay particles before and after a short-term aging process. Two types of organic montmorillonite nanoclay (N3 and N4) were chosen to blend with 80/100 base asphalt in various concentrations (3%, 7% and 9%) by weight of the asphalt and subjected to aging using the Rolling Thin Film Oven in order to simulate short term aging. The conventional properties of organic montmorillonite nanoclay modified bituminous binders before and after aging were characterized using retained penetration, increment in softening point, and viscosity aging index concepts while the rheological properties were characterized in terms of their complex shear modulus, phase angle, overall resistance to deformation, and their viscoelastic behavior were measured at higher temperatures ranging from 40 to 82°C using Dynamic Shear Rheometer. The test results showed that the introducing of organic montmorillonite nanoclay to the asphalt binder improves the aging effect on the conventional and fundamental properties as compared to unaged modified asphalt. This improvement can recognized through the higher retained penetration and lower increment in softening point as well as viscosity aging index. Also, the result showed remarkable improvement in rutting resistance of the aged modified binder which results in better resistance to permanent deformation at intermediate and high temperature. Compared between the two types of nanoclay, N3 showed better enhancement to the conventional and rheological properties of asphalt binders and exhibited greater resistance to rutting before and after aging process, which can be contributed to the better dispersion of clay layers of N3 inside asphalt binder that refer to the types of surface treatment of the montmorillonite nanoclay

Influence of clay nanoparticles on the physical and rheological characteristics of short term aged asphalt binder

This research paper presents laboratory investigation on the physical and rheological properties of asphalt binder modified with Organic Montmorillonite Nanoclay (OMMT). Two different concentrations (1% and 7% by weight of base asphalt) of OMMT was selected toblendwith80/100 penetration grade asphalt binder. The base as well as the OMMT modified asphalt binders was subjected to short term aging process by means of Rolling Thin Film Oven test (RTFO) in order to investigate the influence of the addition of OMMT nano clay in the asphalt binder properties after aging. Bituminous binder properties were investigated by both physical and rheological methods .In general, the physical test results demonstrated prominent increment in softening point; viscosity and decrement in penetration for both concentration of OMMT modified binder as compared to non-modified binder. The results of the experiments indicated that the addition of nano particles was helpful in increasing the complex modulus values and in improving rutting resistance of the RTFO binder. The phase angle of the binders generally decreased with an increase in nano content and RTFO aging procedure. Also, the results indicated that modified binders show better rheological properties compared to standard bitumen. The addition of OMMT to base asphalt binder has led to noticeable improvements in aging resistance this may be due to the homogeneous dispersion of nano particles consisting of layer silicate in the asphalt medium. Thus, nano clay is foreseen as a novel kind of resistance to aging and permanent deformation potential for bitumen

Xanthogranulomatous Cholecystitis Mimicking as Gallbladder Carcinoma：A Caution for Hepatobiliary Surgeon

Background: Xanthogranulomatous Cholecystitis (XGC) is a destructive inflammatory process of the gall bladder which can rarely extend into neighboring structures mimicking advanced carcinoma of the gall bladder. To the best of our knowledge six such cases have been reported in medical literature in which Xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis had lead to involvement of surrounding structures. Preoperative diagnosis of such a lesion remains difficult and most of such cases are diagnosed postoperatively following resectional surgery. Case Presentation: A 40 years old lady was admitted with the clinical picture of cholecystitis and gastric outlet obstruction. Ultrasonography showed gall stones with pericholecystic collection communicating with GB lumen. CT scan showed a mass arising from gallbladder with pericholecystic fluid with gross distension of the stomach. LFTs, CEA and CA 19-9 levels were within normal limits. Endoscopy of the stomach showed an apparently non-epithelial rounded mass projecting into gastric lumen causing partial obstruction of the gastric outlet. On exploration, a firm mass involving gallbladder and stomach was identified for which en-bloc extended cholecystectomy and Billroth-II gastrectomy was performed. Histopathology of the specimen revealed XGC with secondary involvement of pylorus of the stomach.Conclusion: Given the rarer preoperative diagnosis of XGC, which morphologically and radiologically mimics carcinoma, such cases should be managed aggressively. A brief literature review has also been discussed

Effect of organic montmorillonite nanoclay concentration on the physical and rheological properties of asphalt binder

This study explores the effect of the addition of various concentration of organic nanoclay on the physical and rheological properties of asphalt binder. Two types (N3 and N4) of Organic Montmorillonite Nanoclay (OMMT) were used and blended with 80/100 penetration grade asphalt in various concentrations (0%, 3%, 5%, and 9%) by weight of bitumen. The physical properties of unaged base and nanoclay modified asphalt were characterized using viscosity, softening point, and penetration tests. The rheological properties of unmodified and nanoclay modified asphalt were determined using Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR) in accordance with AASHTO T315 in order to evaluate the effectiveness of OMMT type and concentration on the physical and rheological properties of asphalt binder. The results indicated remarkable increment in softening point; viscosity and decrement in asphalt binder's penetration for both types and contents of organic nanoclay as compared with unmodified bitumen. By increasing the amount of nanoclay content, the DSR results showed tremendous improvement on the rheological properties of nanoclay modified asphalt such as Complex Shear Modulus G* and Phase Angle δ at medium and high temperatures. As a consequence, the results showed that the organic nanoclay modified asphalts had higher rutting resistance and lower dissipated energy per load cycle this may contributed to the dispersion of the silicate platelet in bitumen that reinforce the binder. In comparison, N3 showed better effect in improving physical and rheological properties of asphalt binders and rutting resistance than N4, which may contributed to the homogenously dispersion of nanoclay particles that led to form an exfoliated structure in OMMT modified asphalt. The two-way ANOVA statistical analysis was carried out which indicated that OMMT concentration was more significant than OMMT type on rutting parameter, viscosity at high and intermediate temperature, and softening point while nanoclay type was more significant on penetration

Preventive potential of andrographis paniculata-derived compounds in metabolic syndrome-associated prostate cancer: a narrative review on the mechanism of action

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) and prostate cancer (PCa) are among the diseases with a concerning prevalence. The reported cases for both medical dilemmas have been steady with no sign of abating at the moment. More worrying is that researchers have started to discover that some of the components of MetS associatively worsen the prognosis of PCa. Even though the relationship is not fully known, its manifestation could cause extra burden to the currently implemented treatment approaches. The use of plant bioactive compounds as an alternative treatment has gained recognition, provided that its mechanisms of action, tolerability, efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness are well understood. Therefore, the current review intended to highlight the potential of bioactive compounds derived from plants to simultaneously target MetS, PCa, and MetS-PCa codisease. Additionally, emphasis on the potential of Andrographispaniculata (AP) as a candidate for the treatment of MetS-PCa is also highlighted

From the Job Applicant's Viewpoint, What Are the Perceptual Differences Between Video and Telephone Screening?

With technology evolving, corporate employers are constantly examining more accessible modes of reviewing job applicants. Executives want the hiring process to be seamless, unveiling, and efficient. Complicating this procedure, we are rapidly becoming a much more global society. Management is pressed to connect with a broader external labor market. However, it is unrealistic and costly to fly applicants in for interviews. Then, even if all the applicants were close in proximity, it would be too cumbersome for employers to interview each one. To alleviate this process, interview screening took place. In the past, corporations used the traditional phone screening method to eliminate applicants. With updated technology, the process has shifted recently to video screening. Video screening reveals more about the applicants and how they interact. Additionally, video screening allows employers to be selective with their time by only reviewing the videos of those who are qualified. However, the problem is Human Resource professionals do not have research explaining the effects of this technological change on applicants. There has been very little to no research conducted that illustrates how the external labor market regards this updated process. By completing mock screenings, our group proposes to discover the applicants perceptual differences between video and phone screenin

Risk Factors for Postoperative Urinary Tract Infections in Patients Undergoing Total Joint Arthroplasty

Background. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most common minor complication following total joint arthroplasty (TJA) with incidence as high as 3.26%. Bladder catheterization is routinely used during TJA and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has recently identified hospital-acquired catheter associated UTI as a target for quality improvement. This investigation seeks to identify specific risk factors for UTI in TJA patients. Methods. We retrospectively studied patients undergoing TJA for osteoarthritis between 2006 and 2013 in the American College of Surgeon’s National Surgical Improvement Program Database (ACS-NSQIP). A univariate analysis screen followed by multivariate logistic regression identified specific patient demographics, comorbidities, preoperative laboratory values, and operative characteristics independently associated with postoperative UTI. Results. 1,239 (1.1%) of 115,630 TJA patients we identified experienced a postoperative UTI. The following characteristics are independently associated with postoperative UTI: female sex (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.6–2.7), chronic steroid use (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.2–3.2), ages 60–69 (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.0–2.1), 70–79 (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.4–2.9), and ≥80 (OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.5–3.6), ASA Classes 3–5 (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.2–1.9), preoperative creatinine >1.35 (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.3–2.6), and operation time greater than 130 minutes (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.3–2.4). Conclusions. In this large database query, postoperative UTI occurs in 1.1% of patients following TJA and several variables including female sex, age greater than 60, and chronic steroid use are independent risk factors for occurrence. Practitioners should be aware of populations at greater risk to support efforts to comply with CMS initiated quality improvement

DIANA Scheduling Hierarchies for Optimizing Bulk Job Scheduling

The use of meta-schedulers for resource management in large-scale distributed systems often leads to a hierarchy of schedulers. In this paper, we discuss why existing meta-scheduling hierarchies are sometimes not sufficient for Grid systems due to their inability to re-organise jobs already scheduled locally. Such a job re-organisation is required to adapt to evolving loads which are common in heavily used Grid infrastructures. We propose a peer-to-peer scheduling model and evaluate it using case studies and mathematical modelling. We detail the DIANA (Data Intensive and Network Aware) scheduling algorithm and its queue management system for coping with the load distribution and for supporting bulk job scheduling. We demonstrate that such a system is beneficial for dynamic, distributed and self-organizing resource management and can assist in optimizing load or job distribution in complex Grid infrastructures.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figures. Presented at the 2nd IEEE Int Conference on eScience & Grid Computing. Amsterdam Netherlands, December 200

Production and Estimation of Keratinase by Immobilized and Free Bacillus licheniformis (St. 24)

Abstract Alginate immobilized Bacillus licheniformis (St. 24) were isolated from chicken feather wastes recorded higher keratinase production than free bacterial suspension. 2-3% alginate concentration, medium pellet size, and in addition of keratin powder as adjuvant were optimum for keratinase production by the immobilized bacteria. Encapsulated B. licheniformis st. 24 was successfully produced keratinase for three repeated batch fermentation cycles each 24 hour incubation period. Immobilization of the whole cells proved to be useful for continuous production of keratinase and feather degradation

Optimizing provision of rights-based family planning services by community midwives (CMWs) in Tando Allah Yar

Community Midwives (CMWs) are a key cadre of community-level reproductive health service providers in Pakistan. CMWs provide a range of maternal and child health (MCH) services including family planning (FP), but due to a lack of supplies and training and other reasons they are currently not providing FP services. This pilot study examined the effects of providing training in client-centered FP service provision, a regular supply of free contraceptives, and necessary equipment on the uptake, outreach, and quality of CMWs’ FP services. The study was conducted in Tando Allah Yar, a district of Sindh with average provincial demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. The aim was to identify expeditious and cost-effective ways of utilizing existing health resources to improve women’s rights-based access to FP services in Sindh, particularly its rural areas. The longer-term goal was recommending the involvement of CMWs in strategies to enhance availability of quality FP services to Pakistani women and men elsewhere. The study used a quasi-experimental mixed-methods design, and data were used to assess changes in the quality, uptake, and outreach of FP services provided by CMWs