Short term aging effect of asphaltic concrete incorporating charcoal ash from coconut shell

Numerous studies have been conducted to improve the performance of asphalt mixture properties in comparison with conventional mixes. One of the alternatives is utilizing waste agriculture product as additive or replacement into bitumen mixture. Coconut shell is one of the agricultural wastes that can be utilized. This paper aims to study the effect of asphaltic concrete incorporating charcoal ash from a coconut shell under short term aging condition. Charcoal coconut shell ash (CCSA) was added into a bitumen with 0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, and 8% by weight. The original CCSA was initially ground until getting the particles sizes less than 0.075mm. Laboratory simulation of aging was applied in this investigation. Marshall Stability, volumetric properties, resilient modulus, and dynamic creep test were performed to analyses asphalt mixture containing CCSA. It was observed that the addition of CCSA in asphaltic concrete gives the significant development in stability, modulus of resilient and creep stiffness. This study suggests that 4% and 6% of CBA as a supplementary binder could improve the mechanical properties of asphaltic concrete even under aging conditions

Improving the lipid profile in hypercholesterolemia-induced rabbit by supplementation of germinated brown rice.

It is imperative that there be a diet designed specifically to improve lipid profile in order to impede the progress of atherosclerosis. Because rice is a staple food in Asia, it will be chosen as the diet of interest. This study sets out to discover whether consumption of different processed rice diets may result in a change of the lipid profile. The experiment was done on male New Zealand white rabbits after 10 weeks of treatment with diet containing 0.5% cholesterol. The experimental diets include white rice (WR), brown rice (BR), and germinated brown rice (GBR). Among them, rabbits fed a GBR diet demonstrated significantly lower levels of total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), LDL/HDL, and atherogenic index (AI) and a higher level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Results from atherosclerotic plaque assessment further support the findings. The level of malondialdehyde (MDA), which acts as an indicator for oxidative stress, was also reduced by GBR diet. The positive change in lipid profile in the rabbits fed GBR appeared to correspond with the higher amounts of γ-oryzanol, tocopherol, and monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) content

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Thermoluminescence characterization of smartphone screen for retrospective accident dosimetry

With increasing use of ionizing radiation and associated nuclear materials, concern arises regarding the possibility of harm from unplanned events, both to the surrounding environment as well as to its inhabitants; the Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant incidents come to mind. Retrospective dosimetry can provide estimation of the radiation dose received from such accidents, the information allowing appropriate remedial measures to be formulated. In the affected area a number of objects can be applied as natural dosimeters. Given that the mobile phone is a device used by a large fraction of the population, investigation has been made of the suitability of the phone screen for retrospective dosimetry. Samples of five brands of phone screen were studied (Iphone, Sony, Samsung, Asus and Xiomi), investigating key thermoluminescence (TL) properties, including TL dose response, glow curves, reproducibility and long-term stability of the TL signal. Within the γ-radiation dose range up to 10 Gy, these parameters show the Iphone screen to offer best use as a suitable material for retrospective dosimetry. Reconstruction of absorbed dose is possible for a period of up to four weeks post-incident. One proviso concerns the ability to adequately correct for TL signal loss during this time

Nanocomposite ultrafiltration membranes incorporated with Zeolite and Carbon Nanotubes for enhanced water separation

The objective of this work is to develop a new class of nanocomposite ultrafiltration (UF) membranes with excellent solute rejection rate and superior water flux using zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF8) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The effect of ZIF-8 and MWCNTs loadings on the properties of polyvinyldifluoride (PVDF)-based membrane were investigated by introducing respective nanomaterial into the polymer dope solution. Prior to filtration tests, all the membranes were characterized using several important analytical instruments, i.e., SEM-EDX and contact angle analyzer. The addition of the nanoparticles into the membrane matrix has found to increase the membrane pore size and improve its hydrophilicity compared to the pristine membrane. The separation performance of membranes was determined with respect to pure water flux and rejections against bovine serum albumin (BSA) and humic acid (HA).The experimental findings indicated that the nanocomposite membranes in general demonstrated higher permeation flux and solute rejection compared to the pristine membrane and the use of ZIF-8 was reported to be better than that of MWCNTs in preparing nanocomposite UF membranes owing to its better flux and high percentage of solute rejection