Load Distribution Factors for Skewed Composite Steel I-Girder Bridges

The concept of load distribution factors have been used in bridge design for many decades as a simplified method to estimate load effects on bridge members. It enables bridge engineers to consider the transverse and longitudinal effects of truck wheel loads as two separate phenomena and thus simplifying the analysis and design of new bridges as well as for the evaluation of the load carrying capacity of existing bridges. Existing bridge design codes do not provide sufficient guidance to bridge engineers regarding the accurate assessment of load distribution factors for skew composite bridges. Thus leads to an extremely conservative design in some cases and to unsafe design in others, since these factors do not represent the actual behavior of the bridge structure. The presence of skew angle makes the analysis and design of composite slab-on-girder bridges much more complex in comparison to straight bridges. Over the past decade, several authors have drawn attention toward the steel I-girder twisting placed over highly skewed supports. These rotations are larger at the obtuse corners and difficult to predict due to the uneven load distribution across the bridge superstructure. In addition to girder twisting, skewed bridges can also lead to increased lateral flange bending stresses as well as increased shear and end reactions at girder obtuse corners that subsequently results in the reduction of girder shear and end reactions, and even possibly undesirable uplift in girders at the acute corners of the bridge

The dynamic role of ecological innovation and sustainable finance in improving green productivity: evidence from China

This study investigates the influence of ecological innovations and sustainable financing in promoting the Chinese economy’s green total factor productivity (GTFP) from Q1-2004 to Q4-2018. Initially, this study measures GTFP using Data Envelopment Analysis and applies Bootstrap Auto-regressive Distributed Lagged (BARDL) model for dynamic effects. The preliminary results confirm the existence of unit root and a long-term cointegrating relationship among the model variables. The long-run results demonstrate that ecological innovations and sustainable financing have promoted GTFP in China. Moreover, government intervention is imperative to support green productivity growth at the macro level. However, there is a need to control the adverse effect of unemployment in impeding GTFP. Notably, the long-run results reflect the more substantial impact of the stated variables compared to the short run with the convergence towards long-run equilibrium. The policymakers are suggested to prioritise the development of the financial market and technological innovations

Phytochemical screening and antioxidant evaluation of millet varieties of Pakistan

The current research was planned to measure the comparative phytochemical and anti-oxidative potential of aqueous and methanolic extracts of two indigenously grown millet varieties of Pakistan. The locally available millet varieties, i.e. MB-87 and AF-POP flours were chemically characterized through the proximate and mineral analysis. The antioxidant extract was prepared in water and methanol. The extracts were screened for saponins, terpenoids, flavonoids and tannins; methanolic extract of MB-87 and AF-POP showed flavonoids in an average quantity (++), whilst aqueous extract had only trace (+) values. The phytochemical screening showed the presence of saponins only in the aqueous extract of both varieties. However, terpenoids and tannins were present in both methanolic and aqueous extracts. During antioxidant evaluation, millet methanolic extracts showed higher level of TPC and DPPH of MB-87 and AF-POP as 0.30±0.001 & 0.23±0.0012 mg GAE/g and 48±0.96 &46±1.09%, respectively. However, the β-carotene activity of the aqueous extract of both varieties (MB-87 and AF-POP) was recorded higher. In a nutshell, the methanolic extract of MB-87 has an appreciable atioxidant profile. Furher research should be planned to screen the important constituents of Pakistani millet varieties

Ferula asafoetida Linn. is effective for early functional recovery following mechanically induced insult to the sciatic nerve of a mouse model

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of Ferula asafoetida (oleo gum resin powder) on sensory and motor functions retrieval on an induced sciatic nerve injury in a mouse model.Methods: A mechanical crush was inserted in the sciatic nerve of all the experimental mice after acclimatization. The mice were allocated to four groups; one normal chow group (control, n = 7) and three Ferula asafoetida chow groups (each n = 7) of different doses (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg). Muscle grip strength, muscle mass, and sciatic functional index were measured to evaluate the motor function regain, while sensory function regain was assessed by hot plate test. Oxidative stress and glycemic levels were measured by biochemical assays.Results: The findings of this study indicate that Ferula asafoetida 200 mg/kg has a highly significant (p≤ 0.001) ameliorating effect in terms of improved grip strength (77.7 ± 5.4 % for 200 mg/kg vs. 46 ± 5.1 % for control), reversal of SFI towards normal ( -34 ± 8.1 for 200 mg/kg group vs. –61 ± 6.1 for control), decrease in paw withdrawal latency (7.10 ± 0.06 s for 200 mg/kg group vs. 15 ± 0.5 s for control) on day 12 post-injury, as well as restoration of skeletal muscle mass towards normal. Interestingly, F. asafoetida chow 50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg groups also impacted significant (p < 0.01) improvement in the ameliorative effect. However, the differences among all treatment groups in ameliorating recovery were not significant (p > 0.05). Moreover, comparatively improved (p < 0.0001) total antioxidant capacity along with reduced total oxidant status (p = 0.01) in the Ferula asafoetida chow (200 mg/kg) group, indicate the antioxidative effect of this plant. Furthermore, the treated mice (200 mg/kg) also expressedan improved glycemic level (p = 0.0005).Conclusion: Ferula asafoetida supplementation helps to accelerate both sensory and motor function retrieval following sciatic nerve injury. This  improvement is thought to be correlated with the antioxidant capacity of the plant. However, further investigations are required to identify the therapeutic principles responsible for the observed actions. Keywords: Sciatic nerve injury, Ferula asafoetida, Function recovery, Oxidative stress, Biochemical analysi

Improvement in Competency and Confidence Level of House Officers in ECG Interpretation after a Goal-Directed ECG Workshop

Objective: To determine if a goal-directed ECG workshop improves ECG interpretation competency and confidence among the house officers in PNS Shifa Hospital. Study Design: Prospective comparative study. Place and Duration of Study: Pakistan Naval Ship Shifa Hospital, Karachi Pakistan, from Jan to Dec 2021. Methodology: ECG workshops were conducted for House Officers in batches. The participants were asked to complete a questionnaire testing their ECG interpretation competency before and after the workshop and self-report their confidence level in ECG interpretation. Results: Sixty-eight house officers participated in the workshops and completed the test. There were 41(60.29%) female and 27(39.7%) male participants. The statistics showed significant improvement in ECG competency (p<0.001). In addition, the pre and post-workshop confidence levels also showed significant improvement (p<0.001). Conclusion: A goal-directed ECG workshop improves house officers’ competency and confidence in ECG interpretation

A Comprehensive Investigation Of Novel Ber (Ziziphus mauritiana) Products From South Punjab, Pakistan

Ber also known as jujube (Ziziphus mauritiana) is an evergreen shrub and known as poor man’s apple belongs to the Rhamnacae family. It is a minor fruit of Pakistan with short post-harvest shelf life. The present study was planned to develop jujube products such as jam, syrup, jelly, dehydrated jujubes, pickle, and candied jujube from Dil Bahar cultivar followed by a shelf-life study based on TSS, Ascorbic acid, total sugars, moisture and crude fiber content at prescribed intervals. Results showed higher total phenolic content in Dil Bahar (144.38 mgGAE/100g) cultivar as compared to other cultivars. Shelf life study showed that total soluble solids of jujube products increased when storage time increased. Moisture content in products was reduced as storage time was increased. Ascorbic acid content showed significant values when storage time was increased. Sugars content in products showed significantly high values with increased storage time. Crude fiber content showed a minute difference and remained stable when storage time was increased