Time-dependent physicochemical characteristics of Malaysian residual soil stabilized with magnesium chloride solution

The effects of non-traditional additives on the geotechnical properties of tropical soils have been the subject of investigation in recent years. This study investigates the strength development and micro-structural characteristics of tropical residual soil stabilized with magnesium chloride (MgCl2) solution. Unconfined compression strength (UCS) and standard direct shear tests were used to assess the strength and shear properties of the stabilized soil. In addition, the micro-structural characteristics of untreated and stabilized soil were discussed using various spectroscopic and microscopic techniques such as X-ray diffractometry (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDAX), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (BET) surface area analysis. From the engineering point of view, the results indicated that the strength of MgCl2-stabilized soil improved noticeably. The degree of improvement was approximately two times stronger than natural soil after a 7-day curing period. The results also concluded the use of 5 % of MgCl2 by dry weight of soil as the optimum amount for stabilization of the selected soil. In addition, the micro-structural study revealed that the stabilization process modified the porous network of the soil. The pores of the soils had been filled by the newly formed crystalline compounds known as magnesium aluminate hydrate (M-A-H).Ministry of Education Malaysia under the Fundamental Research Grant (FRGS) (R.J130000.7822.4F658); Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM); Construction Research Centre UT

Anti-hyperlipidemic effects of Caralluma edulis (Asclepiadaceae) and Verbena officinalis (Verbenaceae) whole plants against high-fat diet-induced hyperlipidemia in mice

Purpose: To investigate the anti-hyperlipidemic effect of Caralluma edulis and  Verbena officinalis.Methods: Phytochemical analysis of crude extracts of Caralluma edulis (Ce.Cr) and Verbena officinalis (Vo.Cr) were carried out. Hyperlipidemia was induced in mice with high-fat diet (HFD, 1.25 % w/w cholesterol, 0.5 % w/w cholic acid and 10 % v/w coconut oil). All the groups, except the saline-treated group, were fed on HFD for 4 weeks (lead-in period) to induce hyperlipidemia. Thereafter, the groups were treated with varying doses of the plant extract for 2 weeks (treatment period) as well as atorvastatin (10 mg/kg) reference standard. Body weight was measured fortnightly for all groups. Total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TGs) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) were assayed using Merck diagnostic kits. For histopathological analysis, liver slices were fixed in 10 % formalin and embedded in paraffin wax and was examined with the aid of hematoxylin and eosin staining (H & E).Results: Caralluma edulis (Ce.Cr) contains saponins, alkaloids, tannins, phenol, glycosides, terpenoids and flavonoids while Verbena officinalis (Vo.Cr) tested  positive for the presence of alkaloids, carbohydrates, flavonoids, saponins and tannins. HFD increased total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TGs), low density  lipoprotein (LDL) and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) compared to regulator diet (p < 0.001). Treatment of the animals with Ce.Cr and Vo.Cr dose-dependently (500 - 1000 mg/kg) reduced serum TC, TGs, LDL and VLDL (p < 0.05, p < 0.01, p < 0.001, vs. HFD group) and raised high density lipoprotein (HDL) (p < 0.01, vs. HFD group), similar to that observed with atorvastatin (10 mg/kg). The  anti-hyperlipidemic effects of Ce.Cr and Vo.Cr were also confirmed via liver  histopathology results, showing improved structure with no hepatocellular necrosis and fat accumulation.Conclusion: These results indicate that Caralluma edulis and Verbena officinalis  exhibit antihyperlipidemic effect; thus, the plants have therapeutic potentials for the management of lipid disorders.Keywords: Caralluma edulis, Verbena officinalis, Anti-hyperlipidemia,   Hepatocellular necrosi

Principal Components Analysis of Raman Spectral Data for Screening of Hepatitis C Infection

In the current study, Raman spectroscopy is employed for the identification of the biochemical changes taking place during the development of Hepatitis C. The Raman spectral data acquired from the human blood plasma samples of infected and healthy individuals is analysed by Principal Components Analysis and the Raman spectral markers of the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection are identified. Spectral changes include those associated with nucleic acidsat720 cm−1, 1077 cm−1 1678 (CO stretching mode of dGTP of RNA), 1778 cm−1 (RNA), with proteins at 1641 cm−1(amide-I), 1721 cm−1(CC stretching of proteins) and lipids at 1738 cm−1(CO of ester group in lipids). These differences in Raman spectral features of blood plasma samples of the patients and healthy volunteers can be associated with the development of the biochemical changes during HCV infection

Variation in rates of caesarean section among English NHS trusts after accounting for maternal and clinical risk: cross sectional study

Objective To determine whether the variation in unadjusted rates of caesarean section derived from routine data in NHS trusts in England can be explained by maternal characteristics and clinical risk factors

Finite element modelling of compartment fire using ABAQUS

This paper presents finite element modelling (FEM) of a reinforced concrete (RC) frame subjected to elevated temperature. The work presented is part of the UK-India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI) project. In this project, an experimental test of sub-assemblage frame with elevated temperature has been performed at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee, India. The finite element model using ABAQUS software has been used to validate the increased in temperature distribution on reinforced concrete frame exposed to fire. The idea of this study is to design a compartment fire, and determination of emissivity value at different height. And composition of hot gases was calculated. Gas temperatures used was based on the average temperature-curve obtained in the fire test. The validity of the finite element model was established by comparing the predicted values from the FEM with test data direct from fire test results. The results obtained indicate that suggested FEM analysis procedure is capable of modelling temperature in compartment fire

Risk of placenta previa in second birth after first birth cesarean section: a population-based study and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the risk of placenta previa at second birth among women who had a cesarean section (CS) at first birth with women who delivered vaginally. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of 399,674 women who gave birth to a singleton first and second baby between April 2000 and February 2009 in England. Multiple logistic regression was used to adjust the estimates for maternal age, ethnicity, deprivation, placenta previa at first birth, inter-birth interval and pregnancy complications. In addition, we conducted a meta-analysis of the reported results in peer-reviewed articles since 1980. RESULTS: The rate of placenta previa at second birth for women with vaginal first births was 4.4 per 1000 births, compared to 8.7 per 1000 births for women with CS at first birth. After adjustment, CS at first birth remained associated with an increased risk of placenta previa (odds ratio = 1.60; 95% CI 1.44 to 1.76). In the meta-analysis of 37 previously published studies from 21 countries, the overall pooled random effects odds ratio was 2.20 (95% CI 1.96-2.46). Our results from the current study is consistent with those of the meta-analysis as the pooled odds ratio for the six population-based cohort studies that analyzed second births only was 1.51 (95% CI 1.39-1.65). CONCLUSIONS: There is an increased risk of placenta previa in the subsequent pregnancy after CS delivery at first birth, but the risk is lower than previously estimated. Given the placenta previa rate in England and the adjusted effect of previous CS, 359 deliveries by CS at first birth would result in one additional case of placenta previa in the next pregnancy.RIGHTS : This article is licensed under the BioMed Central licence at http://www.biomedcentral.com/about/license which is similar to the 'Creative Commons Attribution Licence'. In brief you may : copy, distribute, and display the work; make derivative works; or make commercial use of the work - under the following conditions: the original author must be given credit; for any reuse or distribution, it must be made clear to others what the license terms of this work are

APPRAISAL OF CLIMATE CHANGE DISASTER AND FOOD SECURITY IN KHYBER PAKHTUNKHAW PAKISTAN USING GEOSPATIAL TECHNOLOGIES

Drought is one of the most severe natural disasters. It negatively influences the crop output considerably as water resources are inadequate across large geographic areas. Food insecurity, hunger, and poverty are widespread in three Pakistani provinces: Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Sindh. Until March/April 2022, roughly 4.66 million people, or 25% of the population examined, were severely food insecure. Historically, the severity of a drought is evaluated using several different indicators, with the selection of indices depending on the data that is easily accessible. By multiple aspects, including potential evapotranspiration and rainfall data on a standard timescale and computing monthly, seasonal, or annual data, the Reconnaissance Drought Index (RDI) has a significant advantage over the other indices in determining drought severity. When rainfall in a region is significantly lower than the amount of potential evapotranspiration, drought situations can occur on the earth. Rainfall will often occur in locations with an increase in the relative humidity of the air. The reconnaissance drought index (RDI) for Khyber Pakhtaunkhawa province in Pakistan was calculated from 1981 to 2020 for 3-, 6-, and 12-month timeframes. This research employed rainfall, minimum and maximum temperature data from KPK province to describe drought using the DrinC program, the Man Kendall test, and Sen's slope calculator to determine drought patterns and variation. All regions had moderate, severe, and extreme droughts, with RDIs between -1.0 and -3.5. RDI 3-, 6-, and 12-month evaluations highlighted 1991, 1994, 2000, 2010, 2015, and 2017. These results indicate that productivity declines in dry and subsequent years due to seasonal rainfall and soil moisture retention.Wheat production averaged 1.7 tones ha-1 year-1, with significant variations. Between October and December, it is an essential to have favorable growing conditions to increase productivity. If droughts occur in this era, the yield will be substantially more negatively impacted than if they occur later in the growing cycle. The 3-month RDI values offer a more accurate description of this variation than the six-month and twelve-months RDI Values. Geospatial drought analysis indicates a considerable variance in drought patterns across the Kpk province over the last 4 decades. Because long-term droughts sometimes affect water quality, especially groundwater, a rise in the intensity of long-term droughts could pose a risk to the water management in the regions that have been examined. Analysis of the Landsat TM 30 m data took place. At the same time, Landsat imageries were utilized to generate the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) for drought evaluation. The findings of the NDWI indicate an increase in value from 0.58 to 0.7 for the KPK region

Sociodemographic differences in symptom severity and duration among women referred to secondary care for menorrhagia in England and Wales: a cohort study from the National Heavy Menstrual Bleeding Audit.

OBJECTIVE: To examine symptom severity and duration at time of referral to secondary care for heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) by socioeconomic deprivation, age and ethnicity DESIGN: Cohort analysis of data from the National HMB Audit linked to Hospital Episode Statistics data. SETTING: English and Welsh National Health Services (secondary care): February 2011 to January 2012. PARTICIPANTS: 15 325 women aged 18-60 years in England and Wales who had a new referral for HMB to a gynaecology outpatient department METHODS: Multivariable linear regression to calculate adjusted differences in mean symptom severity and quality of life scores at first outpatient visit. Multivariable logistic regression to calculate adjusted ORs. Adjustment for body mass index, parity and comorbidities. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Mean symptom severity score (0=best, 100=worst), mean condition-specific quality of life score (0=worst, 100=best) and symptom duration (≥1 year). RESULTS: Women were on average 42 years old and 12% reported minority ethnic backgrounds. Mean symptom severity and condition-specific quality of life scores were 61.8 and 34.7. Almost three-quarters of women (74%) reported having had symptoms for ≥1 year. Women from more deprived areas had more severe symptoms at their first outpatient visit (difference -6.1; 95% CI-7.2 to -4.9, between least and most deprived quintiles) and worse condition-specific quality of life (difference 6.3; 95% CI 5.1 to 7.5). Symptom severity declined with age while quality of life improved. CONCLUSIONS: Women living in more deprived areas reported more severe HMB symptoms and poorer quality of life at the start of treatment in secondary care. Providers should examine referral practices to explore if these differences reflect women's health-seeking behaviour or how providers decide whether or not to refer

Using decoction of some vitamin C enriched plants for the management of COVID-19 in Jos, Nigeria: A case report

The worldwide influence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic compelled the global health organizations to prioritize the situation over all other related community health issues. The lack of specific treatment modalities against COVID-19 is a major concern nowadays. Here is a case of a 44-year-old man of 176 cm height and 87 kg body weight, who took some powdered mixture equally composed of bitter kola, cinnamon, garlic, ginger, and turmeric sweetened with three teaspoons full of honey. All ingredients were dissolved in 100 ml hot water and taken three times a day during isolation as a positive COVID-19 patient and reversed all associated signs and symptoms after 7 days as confirmed with rapid diagnostic techniques (RDTs). This case revealed that homogenized herbal tea in Jos Nigeria possesses a potential therapeutic that could be a treatment protocol against COVID-19

Behaviour of composite beam arranged as boxed-section with C-channel of cold-formed steel of lipped section

Cold formed steel (CFS) of lipped C-Channel sections are commonly use because of their simple forming procedures and easy to erect. To improve the flexural strength of the proposed composite beam, the C-channel of Lipped section is arranged toe-to-toe to form into boxed shape section and filled with self-compacting concrete (SCC). Reinforcement bars was used in a tension zone to increase the flexural strength of the proposed beam in this experimental study. A U-shape re-bars was installed to act as shear connections between concrete slab and beam of boxed section filled with self-compacting concrete. Two specimens were prepared and tested until failure. A C-channel section of size 250mm deep, 75mm width, and 2.4mm thick was used for the proposed composite beam section. Longitudinal rebar's size of 16mm and 20mm were installed at the bottom of the beam encased by the self-compacting concrete of 50MPa. A U-shape re-bar if size 12mm in diameter was used as a shear connector and functioned as vertical shear resistance for the beam system. The beam is kept restrained in position by a profiled metal decking installed on top of the beam to form a slab system also cast using by SCC. The specimens were tested under pure bending arranged as simply supported beams. It was found that the moment resistance of the experimental results agreed well with the predicted numerical analysis