Effects of Steel Fibers Geometry on the Mechanical Properties of SIFCON Concrete

This research aims to shed light on the effect of steel fiber shape, length, diameter, and aspect ratio on the mechanical properties of slurry infiltration fiber reinforced concrete (SIFCON). This study comprised of casting and testing three groups of SIFCON specimens with 6% fiber volume fraction. The first group was reinforced with micro steel fiber, other reinforced by hook end steel fibers, while the last group of specimens reinforced by mixing two shape of steel fiber as hybrid fiber (3% micro steel fiber +3% hook end steel fiber). Silica fume was used as a partial replacement (10%) by weight of cement. 3.7% super plasticizer was used to make the slurry liquid enough to penetrate through the fiber network, while the w/c ratio kept constant at 0.33. It was found from the results achieved that the compressive strength, static modulus of elasticity, splitting tensile strength and toughness are extremely affected by the geometry of fibers because the network of fibers formed and their density depends on the size and shape of fibers. Where the values of micro steel fibers are far outweighing the values of hooked end fibers. It was also deduced from empiricism results that combining long and short fibers gives excellent results

The Inhibitive Effect of BTA on The Corrosion of Copper Rotating Cylinder Electrode in Oxygenated 0.1M H2SO4 Under Controlled Conditions of Mass Transfer

The inhibitive action of benzotrizole (BTA) on the corrosion of copper inoxygenated 0.1M sulfuric acid solution has been investigated using the rotatingcylinder electrode to provide turbulent conditions. Potentiostatic polarizationmeasurements were carried out at different temperatures of 283,288,293 and 298Kand various speeds of rotation, 100,200,300 and 400 rpm.In general, BTA, at concentration of 0.01M, effectively inhibits the corrosion ofcopper in oxygenated 0.1M sulfuric acid solution. Moreover, BTA effectivelyinhibits the anodic dissolution of copper and the cathodic reactions ,i.e., HER andoxygen reduction reaction. Therefore, BTA acts as a mixed inhibitor inoxygenated solutions.The overall percentage of inhibition efficiency is about 98% . This indicates thata Cu-BTA film is developed on the copper electrode surface which about 98% ofthe corrosion rate . The overall inhibition efficiency is neither affected by theturbulent flow rate , nor by the temperature increases.The corrosion rate is temperature dependent only, which indicates that thecorrosion of copper in inhibited oxygenated 0.1M sulfuric acid solutions is underactivation control

Design and implement WSN/IoT smart parking management system using microcontroller

With the dramatic expansion of new networks such as Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) and Internet-of-Things (IoT), tremendous opportunities have been emerged to incorporate such technologies for valuable tasks. One of these tasks is the smart car parking where there is an imperative demand to manage the parkings in various facilities which may help drivers to save their time. Several research studies have addressed this task using wide range of approaches. However, the energy consumption is still a serious concern. This paper proposes a smart car parking based on cloud-based approach along with variety of sensors. Passive Infrared Sensors (PIRs) have been used to sense the object motion. While Light Dependent Resistor (LDR) sensors have been utilized to sense the light of the parking alarm and display inmformation regarding the occupied and non-occupied parking lots. Finally, multi-micro controller of Arduino have been exploited in order to transmit the information collected to the server. Finally, a prototype Android application has been developed in order to recieve the infromation from the server. Results of simulation showed the efficacy of the proposed method

Energy efficient electrocoagulation using baffle-plates electrodes for efficient Escherichia Coli removal from Wastewater

A new electrocoagulation reactor (EC), which utilises the concepts of baffle-plates, has been applied to remove Escherichia coli (E. coli) from wastewater. This new aluminium-based EC reactor utilises perforated baffle-plates electrodes to mix water, which reduces the need for mechanical or magnetic mixers that require extra power to work. This new reactor has been used to treat E. coli containing wastewater samples, considering the effects of different parameters such as treatment time (TT), inter-electrode distance (IED), and current density (CD). A statistical analysis has also been commenced to evaluate the influence of each parameter on the removal of E. coli. Additionally, an economic study has been conducted to assess the operating cost of the new reactor. The outcomes of the experimental work confirmed that the new reactor removes as high as 96% of the E. coli within 20 minutes of electrolysis at IED of 0.5 cm, and CD of 1.5 〖mA/cm〗^2. Additionally, it has been found that the operating cost of the new reactor is 0.11 US $/m3 (for E. coli removal), which is less than operating cost of traditional reactors. Finally, it has been found that the effect of the studied parameters on E. coli removal followed the order: TT>CD>IED

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

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

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

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

RPC Effect of Crude Oil Products on the Mechanical Characteristics of Reactive-Powder and Normal-Strength Concrete

This study includes detailed information on the mechanical characteristics of the hardened concrete mix for normal concrete (NSC) and reactive powder concrete (RPC) after exposure to crude oil products. Two types of crude oil products (kerosene and gas oil) were investigated after exposure for a period of 180 days. The experimental program consisted of three sets of NSC and RPC specimens; after curing all concrete specimens for 28 days and 2 days to dry in the air, the first set of specimens was immersed in kerosene for 180 days and the second set was immersed in gas oil for the same age, while the third set was left in the air as a reference set (cured normally for 28 days and tested at the age of 180 days). The results showed that the mechanical characteristics of the RPC mix were not highly affected after exposure to each type of crude oil products, where it lost about (3.41–6.32 %) compared with reference RPC mix. While the NSC mix lost about (13.82–21.95 %) of its mechanical characteristics compared with reference NSC mix after exposure to crude oil products for the same period

RNA-binding protein Mub1 and the nuclear RNA exosome act to fine-tune environmental stress response

The nuclear RNA exosome plays a key role in controlling the levels of multiple protein-coding and non-coding RNAs. Recruitment of the exosome to specific RNA substrates is mediated by RNA-binding co-factors. The transient interaction between co-factors and the exosome as well as the rapid decay of RNA substrates make identification of exosome co-factors challenging. Here, we use comparative poly(A)+ RNA interactome capture in fission yeast expressing three different mutants of the exosome to identify proteins that interact with poly(A)+ RNA in an exosome-dependent manner. Our analyses identify multiple RNA-binding proteins whose association with RNA is altered in exosome mutants, including the zinc-finger protein Mub1. Mub1 is required to maintain the levels of a subset of exosome RNA substrates including mRNAs encoding for stress-responsive proteins. Removal of the zinc-finger domain leads to loss of RNA suppression under non-stressed conditions, altered expression of heat shock genes in response to stress, and reduced growth at elevated temperature. These findings highlight the importance of exosome-dependent mRNA degradation in buffering gene expression networks to mediate cellular adaptation to stress