An Intelligent Approach for Predicting Mechanical Properties of High-Volume Fly Ash (HVFA) Concrete

Plastic waste (PW) is a major soild waste, which its generation continues to increase globally year in and year out. Proper management of the PW is still a challenge due to its non-biodegradable nature. One of the most convenient ways of managing plastic waste is by using it in concrete as a partial substitute for natural aggregate. However, the main shortcomings of adding plastic waste to concrete are a reduction in strength and durability. Hence, to reduce the undesirable impact of the PW in concrete, highly reactive additives are normally added. In this research, 240 experimental datasets were used to train an artificial neural network (ANN) model using Levenberg Marquadt algorithms for the prediction of the mechanical properties and durability of high-volume fly ash (HVFA) concrete containing fly ash and PW as partial substitutes for cement and coarse aggregate, respectively, and graphene nanoplatlets (GNP) as additives to cementitious materials. The optimized model structure has five input parameters, 17 hidden neurons, and one output layer for each of the physical parameters. The results were analyzed graphically and statistically. The obtained results revealed that the generated network model can forecast with deviations less than 0.48%. The efficiency of the ANN model in predicting concrete properties was compared with that of the SVR (support vector regression) and SWLR (stepwise regression) models. The ANN outperformed SVR and SWLR for all the models by up to 6% and 74% for SVR and SWLR, respectively, in the confirmation stage. The graphical analysis of the results further demonstrates the higher prediction ability of the ANN. Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-2023-09-09-04 Full Text: PD

Review of piezoelectric actuator applications in damaged structures: challenges and opportunities

Piezoelectric material transducers can work as an actuator or sensor. Generally, the actuator will be used to repair the structure, and the sensor will be used to find the health condition. In the last two decades, piezoelectric actuators have shown the capacity to lower and control the shear stress concentration and joint edge peel in adhesively bonded joint systems. Hence, this paper aims at reviewing the application of piezoelectric actuators in damaged structures and adhesively bonded combined systems based on three different repair investigation methods: analytical, numerical, and experimental. Moreover, the study also explores the delamination control of composite material beams and some other studies using a piezoelectric actuator. The specific aim of this work is to determine scientific challenges and future opportunities for considering piezoelectric materials in damaged structure investigations for novice researchers

Efficacy of plant extracts in controlling wheat leaf rust disease caused by Puccinia triticina

AbstractThe efficacy of eight plant extracts (garlic, clove, garden quinine, Brazilian pepper, anthi mandhaari, black cumin, white cedar and neem) in controlling leaf rust disease of wheat was investigated in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, all treatments inhibited spore germination by more than 93%. Neem extract recorded 98.99% inhibition of spore germination with no significant difference from the fungicide Sumi-8 (100%). Under greenhouse conditions, seed soaking application in neem extract (at concentration of 2ml/L) resulted in 36.82% reduction in the number of pustules/leaf compared with the untreated control. Foliar spraying of plant extracts on wheat seedlings decreased the number of pustules/leaf. Foliar spraying of plant extracts four days after inoculation led to the highest resistance response of wheat plants against leaf rust pathogen. Spray application of wheat seedlings with neem, clove and garden quinine extracts, four days after inoculation with leaf rust pathogen completely prevented rust development (100% disease control) and was comparable with the fungicide Sumi-8. Foliar spray application of wheat plants at mature stage with all plant extracts has significantly reduced the leaf rust infection (average coefficient of infection, ACI) compared with the untreated control and neem was the most effective treatment. This was reflected on grain yield components, whereas the 1000-kernel weight and the test weight were improved whether under one- or two-spray applications, with two-spray application being more effective in this regard. Thus, it could be concluded that plant extracts may be useful to control leaf rust disease in Egypt as a safe alternative option to chemical fungicides

Effect of Progesterone Therapy versus Diet Modification on Constipation during Pregnancy

Background: Pregnant women may experience constipation for the first time or their existing constipation symptoms increase in severity during pregnancy.Aim: To compare the effect of progesterone versus diet modification in the treatment of constipation during pregnancy.Subjects and Methods: Women aged ≥18 years with functional constipation according to the Rome III criteria from obstetrics outpatients’ clinic and midwife practices included in this study. Participants divided into two groups; control group managed with diet modifications and study group pregnant women with threatened miscarriage and advised to take vaginal progesterone ≥1 week. Participants completed a nonvalidated questionnaire created by the authors during the whole week before intake of progesterone or diet modifications and after treatment phase. Independent Student’s t‑test and Chi‑square (X2) test were used for statistical analysis to compare between two studied groups. Primary outcome measures; change in defecation frequency.Results: Sensation of anorectal obstruction and sensation of incomplete evacuation were significantly less in Group B (progesterone therapy) compared to Group A (diet modification) (54% [154/281] and 62.98% [177/281] vs. 89.76% [614/684] and 91.08% [623/684], respectively) (P = 0.04 and 0.03, respectively). Straining during defecation and manual maneuvers to facilitate evacuation were significantly less in Group B compared to Group A (63.7% [179/281] and 19.9% [56/281] vs. 94.59% [647/684] and 86.54% [592/684], respectively) (P < 0.01 and 0.02, respectively). Episodes of abdominal pain and presence of reflux episodes were also significantly less in Group B compared to Group A (18.5% [52/281] and 17.43% [49/281] vs. 84.11% [589/684] and 75% [513/684], respectively) (P = 0.01 and 0.03, respectively). Conclusions: Estrogen, rather than progesterone, may be a detrimental factor of constipation during pregnancy via decreased bowel movement. Progesterone therapy seems to be effective in the treatment of functional constipation during pregnancy. A randomized placebo controlled trial is required to confirm the data of this study.KEY WORDS: Constipation, diet modification, pregnancy, progesteron

Titrated Misoprostol Versus Dinoprostone for Labor Induction

Background: Misoprostol is as effective as dinoprostone for labor induction with low cost and temperature stability.Aim: This study designed to compare titrated misoprostol regarding its safety and efficacy with dinoprostone for induction of labor.Subjects and Methods: Women with a single pregnancy, above 37 weeks’ gestation, cephalic presentation, modified Bishop’s score <8, and not in labor with reassuring fetal heart rate, admitted for labor induction enrolled in this randomized controlled study. Studied women were randomized into; Group I: received oral misoprostol titrated in sterile water (200 μg tablet was dissolved in 200 ml sterile water [1 μg/ml]), starting dose of 20 μg misoprostol required, given every 2 h, and stopped if adequate contractions obtained and Group II: received vaginal dinoprostone tablet maximum two doses followed by augmentation of labor by oxytocin ± amniotomy if there is no uterine contractions after two doses of dinoprostone. In Group I, if the contractions were inadequate after two doses of oral titrated misoprostol (20 μg [20 ml]), the starting dose increased to 40 μg (40 ml), escalating the dose from 5 to 10 ml (45–50 μg), and 20 ml (60 μg) maximum ± amniotomy. If the uterine contractions were adequate, the next dose of misoprostol or dinoprostone was omitted. Statistical analysis done using Student’s t‑test for quantitative data and Chi‑square test for qualitative data.Results: Induction‑to‑delivery time was significantly longer in misoprostol than dinoprostone group (975 vs. 670 min, respectively), (P = 0.01). About 20.2% (21/104) of women in misoprostol group did not deliver vaginally within 24 h compared to 7.4% (8/108) in dinoprostone group (significant difference, P = 0.01). Augmentation of labor was significantly high in dinoprostone (37.96% [41/108]) compared to misoprostol group (10.6% [11/104]) (P < 0.01).Conclusion: Titrated misoprostol for induction of labor seems to be associated with significantly longer induction‑to‑delivery time, low incidence of vaginal birth within 24 h, and less need for augmentation of labor compared to vaginal dinoprostone.KEY WORDS: Dinoprostone, labor induction, titrated misoprosto

Factors governing the deep ventilation of the Red Sea

Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2015. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 120 (2015): 7493–7505, doi:10.1002/2015JC010996.A variety of data based on hydrographic measurements, satellite observations, reanalysis databases, and meteorological observations are used to explore the interannual variability and factors governing the deep water formation in the northern Red Sea. Historical and recent hydrographic data consistently indicate that the ventilation of the near-bottom layer in the Red Sea is a robust feature of the thermohaline circulation. Dense water capable to reach the bottom layers of the Red Sea can be regularly produced mostly inside the Gulfs of Aqaba and Suez. Occasionally, during colder than usual winters, deep water formation may also take place over coastal areas in the northernmost end of the open Red Sea just outside the Gulfs of Aqaba and Suez. However, the origin as well as the amount of deep waters exhibit considerable interannual variability depending not only on atmospheric forcing but also on the water circulation over the northern Red Sea. Analysis of several recent winters shows that the strength of the cyclonic gyre prevailing in the northernmost part of the basin can effectively influence the sea surface temperature (SST) and intensify or moderate the winter surface cooling. Upwelling associated with periods of persistent gyre circulation lowers the SST over the northernmost part of the Red Sea and can produce colder than normal winter SST even without extreme heat loss by the sea surface. In addition, the occasional persistence of the cyclonic gyre feeds the surface layers of the northern Red Sea with nutrients, considerably increasing the phytoplankton biomass.Saudi ARAMCO Marine Environmental Centre of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST); Saudi Aramco Oil Co.2016-05-1

Molecular and neurological characterizations of three Saudi families with lipoid proteinosis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Lipoid proteinosis is a rare autosomal recessive disease characterized by cutaneous and mucosal lesions and hoarseness appearing in early childhood. It is caused by homozygous or compound heterozygous mutations in the <it>ECM1 </it>gene. The disease is largely uncharacterized in Arab population and the mutation(s) spectrum in the Arab population is largely unknown. We report the neurologic and neuroradiologic characteristics and <it>ECM1 </it>gene mutations of seven individuals with lipoid proteinosis (LP) from three unrelated consanguineous families.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Clinical, neurologic, and neuro-ophthalmologic examinations; skin histopathology; brain CT and MRI; and sequencing of the full<it>ECM1 </it>gene.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>All seven affected individuals had skin scarring and hoarseness from early childhood. The two children in Family 1 had worse skin involvement and worse hoarseness than affected children of Families 2 and 3. Both children in Family 1 were modestly mentally retarded, and one had typical calcifications of the amygdalae on CT scan. Affected individuals in Families 2 and 3 had no grossneurologic, neurodevelopmental, or neuroimaging abnormalities. Skin histopathology was compatible with LP in all three families. Sequencing the full coding region of <it>ECM1 </it>gene revealed two novel mutationsin Family 1 (c.1300-1301delAA) and Family 2 (p.Cys269Tyr) and in Family 3 a previously described 1163 bp deletion starting 34 bp into intron 8.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These individuals illustrate the neurologic spectrum of LP, including variable mental retardation, personality changes, and mesial temporal calcificationand imply that significant neurologic involvement may be somewhat less common than previously thought. The cause of neurologic abnormalities was not clear from either neuroimaging or from what is known about <it>ECM1 </it>function. The severity of dermatologic abnormalities and hoarseness generally correlated with neurologic abnormalities, with Family 1 being somewhat more affected in all spheres than the other two families. Nevertheless, phenotype-genotype correlation was not obvious, possibly because of difficulty quantifying the neurologic phenotype and because of genetic complexity.</p

Towards an end-to-end analysis and prediction system for weather, climate, and marine applications in the Red Sea

Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2021. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 102(1), (2021): E99-E122, https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-19-0005.1.The Red Sea, home to the second-longest coral reef system in the world, is a vital resource for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Red Sea provides 90% of the Kingdom’s potable water by desalinization, supporting tourism, shipping, aquaculture, and fishing industries, which together contribute about 10%–20% of the country’s GDP. All these activities, and those elsewhere in the Red Sea region, critically depend on oceanic and atmospheric conditions. At a time of mega-development projects along the Red Sea coast, and global warming, authorities are working on optimizing the harnessing of environmental resources, including renewable energy and rainwater harvesting. All these require high-resolution weather and climate information. Toward this end, we have undertaken a multipronged research and development activity in which we are developing an integrated data-driven regional coupled modeling system. The telescopically nested components include 5-km- to 600-m-resolution atmospheric models to address weather and climate challenges, 4-km- to 50-m-resolution ocean models with regional and coastal configurations to simulate and predict the general and mesoscale circulation, 4-km- to 100-m-resolution ecosystem models to simulate the biogeochemistry, and 1-km- to 50-m-resolution wave models. In addition, a complementary probabilistic transport modeling system predicts dispersion of contaminant plumes, oil spill, and marine ecosystem connectivity. Advanced ensemble data assimilation capabilities have also been implemented for accurate forecasting. Resulting achievements include significant advancement in our understanding of the regional circulation and its connection to the global climate, development, and validation of long-term Red Sea regional atmospheric–oceanic–wave reanalyses and forecasting capacities. These products are being extensively used by academia, government, and industry in various weather and marine studies and operations, environmental policies, renewable energy applications, impact assessment, flood forecasting, and more.The development of the Red Sea modeling system is being supported by the Virtual Red Sea Initiative and the Competitive Research Grants (CRG) program from the Office of Sponsored Research at KAUST, Saudi Aramco Company through the Saudi ARAMCO Marine Environmental Center at KAUST, and by funds from KAEC, NEOM, and RSP through Beacon Development Company at KAUST

Global injury morbidity and mortality from 1990 to 2017: Results from the global burden of disease study 2017

Background Past research in population health trends has shown that injuries form a substantial burden of population health loss. Regular updates to injury burden assessments are critical. We report Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2017 Study estimates on morbidity and mortality for all injuries. methods We reviewed results for injuries from the GBD 2017 study. GBD 2017 measured injury-specific mortality and years of life lost (YLLs) using the Cause of Death Ensemble model. To measure non-fatal injuries, GBD 2017 modelled injury-specific incidence and converted this to prevalence and years lived with disability (YLDs). YLLs and YLDs were summed to calculate disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). Findings In 1990, there were 4 260 493 (4 085 700 to 4 396 138) injury deaths, which increased to 4 484 722 (4 332 010 to 4 585 554) deaths in 2017, while age-standardised mortality decreased from 1079 (1073 to 1086) to 738 (730 to 745) per 100 000. In 1990, there were 354 064 302 (95% uncertainty interval: 338 174 876 to 371 610 802) new cases of injury globally, which increased to 520 710 288 (493 430 247 to 547 988 635) new cases in 2017. During this time, age-standardised incidence decreased non-significantly from 6824 (6534 to 7147) to 6763 (6412 to 7118) per 100 000. Between 1990 and 2017, age-standardised DALYs decreased from 4947 (4655 to 5233) per 100 000 to 3267 (3058 to 3505). Interpretation Injuries are an important cause of health loss globally, though mortality has declined between 1990 and 2017. Future research in injury burden should focus on prevention in high-burden populations, improving data collection and ensuring access to medical care

Burnout among surgeons before and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: an international survey

Background: SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has had many significant impacts within the surgical realm, and surgeons have been obligated to reconsider almost every aspect of daily clinical practice. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study reported in compliance with the CHERRIES guidelines and conducted through an online platform from June 14th to July 15th, 2020. The primary outcome was the burden of burnout during the pandemic indicated by the validated Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure. Results: Nine hundred fifty-four surgeons completed the survey. The median length of practice was 10&nbsp;years; 78.2% included were male with a median age of 37&nbsp;years old, 39.5% were consultants, 68.9% were general surgeons, and 55.7% were affiliated with an academic institution. Overall, there was a significant increase in the mean burnout score during the pandemic; longer years of practice and older age were significantly associated with less burnout. There were significant reductions in the median number of outpatient visits, operated cases, on-call hours, emergency visits, and research work, so, 48.2% of respondents felt that the training resources were insufficient. The majority (81.3%) of respondents reported that their hospitals were included in the management of COVID-19, 66.5% felt their roles had been minimized; 41% were asked to assist in non-surgical medical practices, and 37.6% of respondents were included in COVID-19 management. Conclusions: There was a significant burnout among trainees. Almost all aspects of clinical and research activities were affected with a significant reduction in the volume of research, outpatient clinic visits, surgical procedures, on-call hours, and emergency cases hindering the training. Trial registration: The study was registered on clicaltrials.gov "NCT04433286" on 16/06/2020