Investigation of recycled concrete made with limestone aggregate for a base course in flexible pavement

The research objectives were to investigate the feasibility of using recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) as a base course material in asphalt pavement, to evaluate the physical properties of RCA, and to develop practical and reliable guidelines and specifications. The tasks included literature review, sample collection, laboratory testing, accelerated performance testing and pavement distresses monitoring, failing weight deflectometer (FWD) test, theoretical analysis of pavement, and development of guidelines and specifications for the use of Florida RCA. Three test sections of asphalt pavement were constructed at the University of Central Florida\u27s circular accelerated test track. Two sections of different thicknesses were constructed with RCA base and one section with limerock (LR) base. A total of 362,198 load repetitions were applied to the test sections. This is equal to 811,324 repetitions of the 18-kip (80-kN) equivalent single-axle load. The pavement distresses of rutting, cracking, and settlement were monitored during the course of the performance testing. The FWD test was performed on the pavement test sections to backcalculate the in situ resilient moduli of RCA and LR for theoretical analysis of life expectancy. The findings support the hypothesis that RCA can be used effectively as a base course when appropriate quality control techniques are used. On the basis of the information obtained, a set of specifications for the use of RCA as a base course in flexible pavements was developed

Colorectal carcinoma: nucleosomes, carcinoembryonic antigen and ca 19-9 as apoptotic markers; a comparative study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Colorectal carcinoma is a common and often fatal disease in which methods of early detection and monitoring are essential. The present study was conducted for measuring serum levels of nucleosomes, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and CA 19-9 in patients newly diagnosed with colorectal carcinoma and confirmed by clinicopathological study.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>Thirty subjects were included in the current study: six normal subjects as a control group with mean age (45.6 ± 7.9) and twenty four colorectal carcinoma patients with mean age (46.9 ± 15.6), which were classified pathologically according to the degree of malignant cell differentiation into well differentiated (group I), moderately differentiated (group II) and poorly differentiated (group III). Fasting venous blood samples were collected preoperative.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The results revealed a significant increase in serum level of nucleosomes in patients with poorly differentiated tumors versus patients with well differentiated tumors (p = 0.041). The levels of CEA and CA19-9 showed no significant increase (p = 0.569 and 0.450, respectively).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In conclusion, serum level of nucleosomes provides a highly sensitive and specific apoptotic marker for colorectal carcinoma.</p

Critical review of recent development in fiber reinforced adobe bricks for sustainable construction

Open Access via Springer Compact Agreement. The authors gratefully acknowledge the research support fund provided by the Sudanese Ministry of Higher Education, School of Engineering University of Khartoum and the School of Engineering, University of Aberdeen.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

HPLC-DAD stability indicating determination of nizatidine in bulk and capsules dosage form

AbstractThis work describes the stability-indicating determination of the H2-receptor antagonist nizatidine in its bulk and capsules dosage form using high performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detector (HPLC-DAD). The developed method involved the use of Thermo Hypersil BDS-C8 (4.6×250mm, 5μm particle size) column and a mobile phase composed of 0.05M phosphoric acid and acetonitrile (50:50, v/v). The mobile phase was pumped at a flow rate of 1mL/min. Quantification of nizatidine was based on measuring its peak area at 320nm. The retention time for nizatidine was about 3.61min. The reliability and analytical performance of the proposed HPLC procedure were statistically validated with respect to linearity, range, precision, accuracy, specificity, robustness, detection and quantification limits. Calibration curve of nizatidine was linear in the range of 5–50μg/mL with correlation coefficient >0.9999. The drug was subjected to forced-degradation conditions of acidic and basic hydrolysis, oxidation, dry heat and UV photolysis where it showed considerable degradation in basic and oxidative conditions. The proposed method proved to be specific and stability-indicating by resolution of the drug from its forced-degradation products. The validated HPLC method was applied to the analysis of nizatidine in capsules dosage form where it was quantified with recoveries not less than 98.2%. Assay results were statistically compared to USP 2011 pharmacopeial method where no significant difference was observed between the proposed and reference methods

Hepatitis C Infection Patterns at a Tertiary Care Center in New York: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction In the United States, 2.7 to 3.9 million patients are infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) with 3,500 new cases reported yearly. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HCV was the underlying or contributing cause of death of 19,659 patients in 2014. These facts underscore the need for a better understanding of the scope of this disease. Our epidemiologic study aimed at analyzing the pattern of occurrence of HCV infection at Staten Island University Hospital (SIUH) by evaluating the characteristics of newly infected patients with hepatitis C in 2014. The identified features served to better distinguish the targets for preventive health care in our particular population. Methodology A cross-sectional study of all newly diagnosed patients with HCV infections in the year 2014 presenting to SIUH was conducted using International Classification of Disease-9 codes (ICD-9) for hepatitis C. We included all patients with a positive HCV antibody confirmed by polymerase chain reaction testing. Patients were divided into groups according to age to simulate the age groups in the 2013 - 2014 Hepatitis B and C Annual Report of the New York City (NYC) Department of Health and Mental Hygiene published in 2016 (abbreviated to 2014 NYCDOH Report, hereafter). Gender and HCV genotypes were also collected. We compared disease frequency between age groups, gender, and genotype with the results of the 2014 NYCDOH Report. Results A total of 378 newly diagnosed HCV cases were identified; 60.05% were men, and 39.95% were women. The rate of infection with genotype 1a was the highest (36. 5%) followed by 1b (25.9%). In women, genotype 1b was predominant (13.76%) versus genotype 1a as the most common in men. The mean age was 54 years for men and 57 years for women. Most cases fell into the 60 to 69-year age group (32.28%), followed by the 50 to 59-year age group (31.48%). More so, all patients 80 years and older were exclusively women. Conclusions We found most new HCV infections at SIUH were diagnosed in patients aged 60 to 69 years, and the 2014 NYC DOH Report indicates most new HCV infections occur in patients aged 40 to 59 years. Also, all HCV infections detected in patients older than 80 years of age were found in women. These findings provide a better understanding of the patient demographics for appropriate HCV screening policies. Increased awareness and strict adherence to screening policies in baby boomers and high-risk populations are paramount in order to diagnose HCV infection early, offer therapy, and prevent HCV-related mortality and morbidity

The Prevalence of Infectious Bronchitis (IB) Outbreaks in Some Chicken Farms. I. Spotlight on the Status of IB Outbraks in Some Chicken Flocks

Abstract: Twenty five isolates of IBV were isolated from 36 broiler, layer and breeder chicken farms collected from 13 governorates during 2 years started from January 2003. Sixteen farms were vaccinated against IB, and nine farms were not vaccinated. The cardinal signs of the disease in layers were drop in egg production, with watery albumen, inferior (pale-misshape shell) eggs, un-noticed respiratory distress and pectoral myopathy, and those in broilers were respiratory distress, renal urate deposition and death beyond four weeks of age (late mortality). The viruses were isolated and identified by chicken embryo, and CEK cell culture inoculation

Relevance of B-Lines on Lung Ultrasound in Volume Overload and Pulmonary Congestion: Clinical Correlations and Outcomes in Patients on Hemodialysis.

BACKGROUND: Volume overload in patients on hemodialysis (HD) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular mortality. B-lines detected on lung ultrasound (BLUS) assess extravascular lung water. This raises interest in its utility for assessing volume status and cardiovascular outcomes. METHODS: End-stage renal disease patients on HD at the Island Rehab Center being older than 18 years were screened. Patients achieving their dry weight (DW) had a lung ultrasound in a supine position. Scores were classified as mild (0-14), moderate (15-30), and severe (\u3e30) for pulmonary congestion. Patients with more than 60 were further classified as very severe. Patients were followed for cardiac events and death. RESULTS: 81 patients were recruited. 58 were males, with a mean age of 59.7 years. 44 had New York Heart Association (NYHA) class 1, 24 had class 2, and 13 had class 3. In univariate analysis, NYHA class was associated with B-line classes ( CONCLUSION: At DW, BLUS is an independent risk factor for death and cardiovascular events in patients on HD

Improvised Peritoneal Dialysis in an 18-month-old Child with Severe Acute Malnutrition (kwashiorkor) and Acute kidney Injury: A Case Report.

Severe acute malnutrition is common in developing countries. Children with severe acute malnutrition are prone to complications, including electrolyte imbalance and infections. Our patient was an 18-month-old boy who had severe acute malnutrition (kwashiorkor) and developed acute kidney injury, which was managed with peritoneal dialysis using improvised equipment. This case report illustrates the importance of improvisation in resource-limited settings in providing lifesaving treatment. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report on peritoneal dialysis in a child with severe acute malnutrition (kwashiorkor). We report a case of an 18-month-old Bantu-African Tanzanian boy who had severe malnutrition and developed anuric acute kidney injury. He had severe renal dysfunction and was managed with peritoneal dialysis using an improvised catheter and bedside constituted fluids (from intravenous fluids) and was diuretic after 7 days of peritoneal dialysis, with complete recovery of renal functions after 2 weeks. Children with severe acute malnutrition who develop acute kidney injury should be offered peritoneal dialysis, which may be provided using improvised equipment in resource-limited settings, as illustrated in this case report