AN INVESTIGATION ON FRESH AND HARDENED PROPERTIES OF M30 CONCRETE WITH PLASTIC FIBRES AND M – SAND

The Construction industry has got several emoluments in terms of materials used as raw materials. All the materials that used as an alternative should be such that it should not affect of alter the properties of concrete such as workability, strength, durability etc., and also to contribute to the economy of the project. The usage of plastics has been increased to a greater extent in all fields, which leads to the generation of large quantum of plastic wastes. These non-degradable wastes can be recycled and reused in the field of civil engineering. Also in recent past, m-sand is popularly used in several projects as an alternative for river sand which reduces the cost and also helps in achieving uniform grain size. This article focuses on the use of plastic fibres and m-sand as replacement materials in concrete. In this work, an attempt has been made to replace the coarse aggregate with plastic fibres and m-sand with river sand to study the behavioral changes in concrete with varying proportions. The fresh properties of concrete are studied to ensure that the workability of concrete is not affected or reduced. Specimens such as cubes, cylinders and prisms has been casted and tested at the age of 28 days to study the strength of concrete with and without replacement materials. The study has been extended to analyze the structural behavior of concrete beams with optimum mix proportion

Moisture-Driven Degradation Mechanisms in the Viscoelastic Properties of TPU-Based Syntactic Foams

Syntactic foams have found widespread usage in various applications including, marine, aerospace, automotive, pipe insulation, electrical cable sheathing, and shoe insoles. However, syntactic foams are often exposed to moisture when used in these applications that potentially alter their viscoelastic properties, which influences their long-term durability. Despite their significance, previous research has mainly focused on experimental studies concerning mechanical property changes resulting from filler loading and different matrix materials, overlooking the fundamental mechanisms resulting from moisture exposure. The current paper aims to bridge this gap in knowledge by elucidating the impact of long-term moisture exposure on TPU and TPU-based syntactic foam through multi-scale materials characterization approaches. Here, we choose a flexible syntactic foam manufactured using thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer (TPU) reinforced with glass microballoons (GMB) through selective laser sintering. Specifically, the research investigates the influence of moisture exposure time and the volume fraction of GMB on chemical and microphase morphological changes, along with their associated mechanisms. The study further examines how these microphase morphological changes manifest in viscoelastic properties

Physics-Constrained Neural Network for the Analysis and Feature-Based Optimization of Woven Composites

Woven composites are produced by interlacing warp and weft fibers in a pattern or weave style. By changing the pattern or material, the mechanical properties of woven composites can be significantly changed; however, the role of woven composite architecture (pattern, material) on the mechanical properties is not well understood. In this paper, we explore the relationship between woven composite architectures (weave pattern, weave material sequence) and the corresponding modulus through our proposed Physics-Constrained Neural Network (PCNN). Furthermore, we apply statistical learning methods to optimize the woven composite architecture to improve mechanical responses. Our results show that PCNN can effectively predict woven architecture for the desired modulus with much higher accuracy than several baseline models. PCNN can be further combined with feature-based optimization to determine the optimal woven composite architecture at the initial design stage. In addition to relating woven composite architecture to its mechanical responses, our research also provides an in-depth understanding of how architectural features govern mechanical responses. We anticipate our proposed frameworks will primarily facilitate the woven composite analysis and optimization process and be a starting point to introduce Physics knowledge-guided Neural Networks into the complex structural analysis

Development of a Software Application to Extract the Features of Normal Respiratory Sounds from the Lungs and the Trachea

Auscultation has been widely regarded as one of the most important noninvasive diagnostic tools for clinical diagnosis of the respiratory tract. The purpose of this thesis was to develop a software application capable of extracting the key features of respiratory sound signals from the lungs and trachea of healthy persons. The efficacy of the program was evaluated by the verification of the important features of the sound signals from the left and right lungs and the trachea such as 1) right and left lung symmetry and 2) dissimilarity between the trachea and both lungs. The program was developed in LabView and was designed to capture the respiratory sound signals from the lungs and the trachea in real-time and process them in the time and frequency domains for further analysis. The features compared were 1) signal amplitude in the time domain and 2) power spectra in the frequency domain. Results of the study had shown that the program had been able to verify that 1) the key features of the breath sound signals from the left and right lungs were similar and 2) the features of the signals from the trachea and both lungs were different

Formulation and Evaluation of Sustained Release Microspheres of Venlafaxine Hydrochloride.

The goal of a sustained release dosage form is to maintain therapeutic blood or tissue levels of the drug for an extended and specified period of time. This is generally accomplished by attempting to obtain "zero-order" release from the dosage form. Zero-order release constitutes drug release from the dosage form which is independent of the amount of drug in the delivery system (i.e. a constant release rate). Sustained-release systems generally do not attain this type of release and usually try to mimic zero-order release by providing drug in a slow first-order fashion (i.e., concentration release dependent). Systems that are designated as prolonged release can also be considered as attempts at achieving sustained-release delivery. Based on the in vitro drug released characteristics, entrapment efficiency and t25, t50 and t90 values, the formulation F3 was found to be best formulation. By increasing the concentration of polymer, decreased the rate of drug released. According to stability study it was found that there was no variation in Percentage yield, Entrapment efficiency, and in vitro drug released profile of selected formulation F3 at specified period. The formulation F3 was concluded best formulation among the formulations were prepared

미토콘드리아 및 DNA 타겟 광역동 치료를 위한 술폰산벤조티오핀 포피린 합성

학위논문 (박사)-- 서울대학교 대학원 : 약학대학 약학과 약품분석학전공, 2016. 2. 송준명.Porphyrins are rich in applications and it can be called as the colors of life. From the photosynthetic process in plants, to the red hemoglobin that carries oxygen to the cells in our bodies utilize porphyrin molecules. Thus, without any surprise porphyrins are actively explored as tools for wider applications to improve medicine and other biomedical fields. With the aim of improving photodynamic therapy (PDT) in mind, this thesis work examines new synthetic porphyrins for selective targeting of sub-cellular compartments in cancerous cells and execute apoptotic cell death upon PDT, and causing minimal destruction and irritation to normal tissue. PDT is a phototherapeutic cancer therapy in which a photosensitizer (PS)—light activated drug—absorbs light of specific wavelength and excites to the singlet state. From the excited singlet state, PSs can undergo an internal transition to the excited triplet state, a relatively long-lived and high-energy species that transfers its excess energy to molecular oxygen. Subsequently, molecular oxygen excites from the stable triplet state to the highly reactive singlet state. With no spin-state restriction, singlet oxygen is cytotoxic, readily reacting with electron-rich biomolecules such as unsaturated lipids, amino acids and DNA consequently destroying the tumor cell. Singlet oxygen has a limited range of diffusion. Therefore, the site of its generation is also the site of initial damage. Photosensitizers used in PDT are often classified as first, second and third generation PS. This classification is based on the historical development and conceptual approaches. Haematoporphyrin derivative (HpD) or Photofrin are otherwise called as first generation PS enjoyed its success in cancer therapy due to their tumor localizing and photophysical properties yet suffers from its drawbacks (mixture of compounds and less selectivity). Herein, second generation PSs with high purity and improved photophysical properties had been developed. Still there is always room for improver, and current research efforts are aimed at developing third generation PSs where additional biological criteria such as selective targeting of sub-cellular organelles are considered in the design principle. Herein, this thesis work focused in developing third generation PSs that can target selectively sub-cellular organelles such mitochondria and DNA and effectively induce apoptotic cell death after PDT. In Chapter I, a comprehensive background on history of photodynamic therapy, fundamental aspects, classification and requirements of PSs is presented. In chapter 2, synthesis, structural elucidation, photophysical properties and in vitro photokilling and mechanism of cell death of 5, 10, 15, 20–Tetrakis(7-sulfonatobenzo[b]thiophene)porphyrin (SBTP) is studied. Keywords: porphyrinphotosensitizersphotodynamic therapymitochondriaDNAapoptosisintrinsicextrinsichigh-content assay. Student number: 2010-31366Chapter I Introduction 1 1.0. Cancer 1 1.0.1. Causes of cancer 2 1.0.2. Cancer prevention 2 1.0.3. Cancer Treatments 3 1.2. Photodynamic Therapy 3 1.2.1. History of Photodynamic therapy 3 1.2.1. Basic principles of PDT 7 1.2.2. Mechanisms of tumour destruction 9 1.3. Sensitizers 10 1.3.1. Porphyrinoid photosensitizers 14 1.4. Classification of photosensitizers 17 1.4.1. First Generation Photosensitizers 18 1.4.2. The Second Generation of Photosensitizers 19 1.4.3. The Third Generation Photosensitizers 22 References 25 Chapter II Synthesis and Photodynamic Studies of Novel meso-substituted Benzo[b]thiophene Porphyrins 31 Abstract 31 2.0. Introduction 33 2.1. Results 37 2.1.1. Synthesis and structural characterization of 5, 10, 15, 20-Tetrakis(Benzo[b]thiophene)porphyrin (BTP) 38 2.1.2. Synthesis and structural characterization of 5, 10, 15, 20–Tetrakis(7-sulfonatobenzo[b]thiophene)porphyrin (SBTP) 41 2.1.3. Photophysical properties of BTP and SBTP 45 2.1.4. Cytotoxicity and photocytotoxicity of SBTP 49 2.1.5. Subcellular localization of SBTP 51 2.1.6. Cellular uptake property of SBTP 53 2.1.7. Intracellular ROS generation of SBTP under photodynamic action 55 2.1.8. High-content cell death dynamics 57 2.1.9. Studies on intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways 60 2.1.10. DNA fragmentation assay 62 2.2.0. Discussion 65 2.3.0. Conclusions 72 2.4.0. Materials and methods 73 2.4.1. General methods 73 2.4.2. Synthesis of 5, 10, 15, 20 – Tetrakis(benzo[b]thiophene) porphyrin (BTP) 75 2.4.3. Synthesis of 5, 10, 15, 20 – Tetrakis (3-sulfonatobenzo[b]thiophene) porphyrin (SBTP) 76 2.4.4. MTT assay 77 2.4.5. Intracellular uptake of SBTP by MCF-7 cells 78 2.4.6. Intracellular localization assay 78 2.4.7. Intracellular ROS generation 79 2.4.8. High-content screening assay 79 2.4.9. Intrinsic/extrinsic apoptotic pathway studies 80 2.5.0. DNA fragmentation assay 81 References 82Docto

Photonic stopbands and light transmission characteristics in GaAs-based three dimensional waveguides with large index contrast

A relatively simple technique to realize a III–V semiconductor based quasi-three-dimensional photonic crystal material with a refractive index contrast ∼2 is described. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy measurement reveals a stop band between 15 and 20 μm for a sample with scattering center spacing of 6.3 μm. Another narrow transmittance dip is observable in the wavelength range of 1.1–1.58 μm, with an attenuation of 12 dB at 1.18 μm. The relation between transmission T and waveguide length L, as measured by 1.15 μm wavelength light is either T−L−2T−L−2 or T−exp(−L/L0),T−exp(−L/L0), indicating photon localization in the weakly disordered system. © 1999 American Institute of Physics.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/70258/2/APPLAB-75-12-1670-1.pd