Protective Performance of Coated Reinforcement in Coral Concrete under Dry/Wet Cycling.

The actual protective performance of the coated reinforcement in coral concrete was investigated by measuring the chloride ion diffusion coefficient, electrochemical analysis, and numerical simulation. The test results show that the corrosion rate of coated reinforcement in coral concrete under the action of wet and dry cycles is kept at a low level, and the Rp value is always greater than 250 kΩ·cm2 during the test period, which is in the uncorroded state and has good protection performance. Moreover, the chloride ion diffusion coefficient D is in accordance with the power function relationship with the wet and dry cycle time, and a time-varying model of chloride ion concentration on the surface of coral concrete is established. The surface chloride ion concentration of coral concrete reinforcement was modeled as a time-varying model; the cathodic zone of coral concrete members was the most active, increasing from 0 V to 0.14 V from 0 to 20 years, with a large increase in potential difference before the 7th year, and a significant decrease in the increase after the 7th year.

Effects of Exogenous Nitric Oxide Treatment on Grape Berries Against Botrytis cinerea and Alternaria alternata Related Enzymes and Metabolites.

Postharvest losses of grape berries caused by the pathogenic fungi Botrytis cinerea and Alternaria alternata have been widely reported, and nitric oxide (NO) as a plant signaling molecule to control postharvest diseases has recently become an active research topic. This study aimed to investigate the regulatory effect of NO on the interaction between grape berries and fungi. During interactions between grape berries and pathogenic fungi, treatment with 10 mM sodium nitroprusside (SNP, an NO donor) delayed the decline of the physiological quality of the grape berries and had positive effects on the weight loss rate, firmness, and respiration intensity. SNP treatment increased the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and inhibited the activities of peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) of grape berries during the resistance to fungal pathogen infection. In addition, the increase in browning degree and the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide were inhibited by SNP treatment. In the phenylpropane metabolic pathway, the activities of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (C4H), and 4-coumaric acid coenzyme A ligase (4CL) were increased during the activation of grape berries during the resistance to pathogen infection by SNP, and the intermediate metabolites lignin, flavonoids, and total phenols were accumulated. In addition, SNP treatment had a regulatory effect on the gene expression levels of SOD, POD, PPO, PAL, and 4CL. These results suggested that SNP treatment was effective for the preservation and disease reduction of grape berries.

Quantification of rosmarinic acid from different plant species of lower Himalayan region and expression analysis of underlying L-Phenylalanine pathway.

This study adopts a very effective high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) technique for the quantitative determination of rosmarinic acid (RA) and PCR-based amplification of biosynthetic key regulators in Isodon rugosus, Daphne mucronata, and Viburnum grandiflorum from the lower Himalayan regions. Rosmarinic acid is engaged in a variety of biological processes and has significant industrial significance. In this study, it was identified from crude methanolic extract using thin-layer chromatography with a standard, and its content was quantified using HPLC without interrupting spikes using a mixture of methanol and deionized water containing acetonitrile (70:30 v/v) and acetic acid (0.1% v/v) at UV 310 nm absorption. We used RT-PCR to identify cDNAs encoding PAL, C4H, and RAS, and Image J's semi-quantitative analysis to quantify the expression levels of genes involved in RA production from chosen plant material. The highest levels of PAL, C4H, and RAS were detected, by band intensity, in the leaves and flowers of I. rugosus, which also exhibited a substantial quantity of RA. However, in V. grandiflorum and D. mucronata the transcript of the given genes was low. The concentration of RA ranged from 187.7 to 21.2 mg g-1 for I. rugosus, 17.42 to 5.42 mg g-1 for V. grandiflorum, and 15.19 mg g-1 for D. mucronata. This study demonstrated that the method for quantifying RA from a crude methanolic extract was effective, indicating that I. rugosus might be used as an indigenous alternative source of RA.

An Experimental Study on Non-Destructive Evaluation of the Mechanical Characteristics of a Sustainable Concrete Incorporating Industrial Waste.

Structural materials sustainability is gaining popularity across the globe at present. Reusing natural resources, building, demolition debris, and solid waste are the most apparent tools to make construction more environmentally friendly. Traditional concrete is believed to be less durable, stronger, environmentally friendly, and socially and commercially feasible than industrial waste concrete. The evolution of non-destructive testing (NDT) across time has not been investigated in depth by researchers. An experimental study was carried out to propose the use of non-destructive mechanisms that would enable us to assess concrete's compressive strength without causing destruction. Varying quantities of industrial waste (coal bottom ash (CBA) and waste glass sludge (WGS)) were incorporated to cast concrete prisms (150 mm × 150 mm × 150 mm). The results obtained helped us to establish relationships between the compressive strength of concrete and the Schmidt hammer rebound value, as well as the ultrasonic pulse velocities. Microstructural analysis showed that incorporating 10% of CBA and WGS improved the porosity of concrete specimens, which shows the applicability of these industrial wastes as partial cement replacements. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed traces of calcium alumino-silicate hydrate (C-A-S-H), portlandite and C-S-H, which indicates the binder characteristics of CBA and WGS. The concept of the response surface approach (RSM) for optimizing cement and industrial waste substitution was validated by the polynomial work expectation. The model was statistically significant when the fluctuation of ANOVA was analyzed using a p value with a significance level of 0.05. The study results show that the usage of 15% CBA and 10% WGS as a cementitious additive and cement replacement has the potential to increase the strength of concrete significantly.

Combination of sodium alginate and nitric oxide reduces browning and retains the quality of fresh-cut peach during cold storage.

Fresh-cut peaches are susceptible to browning when exposed to air. Reducing the browning is important to maintain the quality of the fresh-cut peaches. Nitric oxide (NO) as the signal factor can improve the antioxidant capacity of organisms; sodium alginate (SA) is a natural polysaccharide with good antibacterial and film-forming properties. The study aimed to investigate the antioxidant and anti-browning activities of combined application of sodium alginate and nitric oxide on peaches slices preservation. The activities of some browning-related enzymes and antioxidant enzymes and the content of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and some browning-related components in fresh-cut peaches were determined. Results showed that combined treatment of 1% SA + 10 µmol/L NO slowed down the decrease in firmness, L*, and SSC, restrained the increase in browning degree and the activities of polyphenol oxidase, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, peroxidase, and lipoxygenase. At the same time, it reduced the accumulation of O2•-, ·OH, H2O2, malondialdehyde, and total phenolic, and increased the activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase in peach slices. Overall, it was concluded that treatment with 1% SA + 10 µmol/L NO maintained quality and extended storage life of fresh-cut peaches.

Effects of Small Deviations in Fiber Orientation on Compressive Characteristics of Plain Concrete Cylinders Confined with FRP Laminates.

The effectiveness of concrete confinement by fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) materials is highly influenced by the orientation of fibers in the FRP laminates. In general, acceptable deviation limit from the intended direction is given as 5° in most design guidelines, without solid bases and reasoning. In this paper, a numerical study using finite element modeling was conducted to assess the effects of small deviations in fiber orientation from the hoop direction on compressive behavior of concrete cylinders confined with FRP. Different fiber angles of 0°, 2°, 5°, 8°, 10° and 15° with respect to hoop direction, unconfined concrete compressive strengths of 20, 35 and 50 MPa, FRP thicknesses of 0.2, 0.5 and 1.0 mm and FRP moduli of elasticity of 50 and 200 GPa were considered. The results showed that total dissipated energy (Et), ultimate axial strain (εcu') and compressive strength (fcu') exhibited the most reduction with deviation angle. For 5° deviation in fiber orientation, the average reduction in fcu', εcu' and Et were 2.4%, 2.8% and 4.5%, respectively. Furthermore, the calculated allowable limit of deviation in fiber orientation for a 2.5% reduction in fcu', εcu' and Et were 6°, 3° and 2°, respectively, with a 95% confidence.

Effect of Salinity Stress on Germination, Seedling Growth, Mineral Uptake and Chlorophyll Contents of Three Cucurbitaceae Species

Abstract This study was performed to screen out the various species of 'Cucurbitaceae' family, musk melon (Kalash and Durga), bottle gourd (Crystal Long and Nuefield) and squash (Green Round, and Squash Malika) against the salt stress. All genotypes were treated with five different levels of NaCl (T0 = control, T1 = 1.5 dS m-1, T2 = 3.0 dS m-1, T3 = 4.5 dS m-1 and T4 = 6.0 dS m-1) and half strength of Hoagland's nutrients solution as the base nutrient solution. Results showed that the bottle gourd varieties "Nuefield" and "Crystal Long" performed best by maintaining the highest germination (93.2% and 85.6%), number of leaves per plant (4.5 and 5.7), shoot length (16.84 cm and 16.14 cm), root length (13.48 cm and 13.00 cm), plant fresh weight (942.2 g and 918.6 g), plant dry weight (118.4 g and 107.5 g), leaf area (171.2 cm2 and 169.1 cm2), chlorophyll content (3.5 μg/cm-2 and 3.4 μg/cm-2) with low chloride (1.57 ppm and 1.59 ppm) and sodium content (0.47 ppm and 0.51 ppm) under salt stress followed by varieties of Squash (Green Round, and Squash Malika) and musk melon (Kalash and Durga). It was also found that a higher level of salinity (4.5 dS m-1 and 6.0 dS m-1) has more adverse effects on the performance of all selected genotypes. Conclusively, it can be recommended that as compared to all tested species, bottle gourd varieties "Nuefield" and "Crystal Long" have the ability to withstand against salinity stress and should be planted under salt stress conditions.

Effect of Carbon Black and Hybrid Steel-Polypropylene Fiber on the Mechanical and Self-Sensing Characteristics of Concrete Considering Different Coarse Aggregates' Sizes.

The effect of combining filler (carbon black) and fibrous materials (steel fiber and polypropylene fiber) with various sizes of coarse particles on the post-cracking behavior of conductive concrete was investigated in this study. Steel fibers (SF) and carbon black (CB) were added as monophasic, diphasic, and triphasic materials in the concrete to enhance the conductive properties of reinforced concrete. Polypropylene fiber (PP) was also added to steel fiber and carbon to improve the post-cracking behavior of concrete beams. This research mainly focused on the effects of macro fibers on toughness parameters and energy absorption capacity, as well as enhancing the self-sensing of multiple cracks and post-cracking behavior. Fractional changes in resistance and crack opening displacement (COD-FCR) and the relationship of load-deflection-FCR with different coarse aggregates of (5-10 mm and 15-20 mm) sizes were investigated, and the law of resistance signal changes with single and multiple cracking through load-time-FCR curves was explored. Results indicated that the smaller size coarse aggregates (5-10 mm) showed higher compressive strength: up to 8.3% and 14.83% with diphasic (SF + CB), respectively. The flexural strength of PC-10 increased 22.60 and 51.2%, respectively, with and without fibers, compared to PC-20. The diphasic and triphasic conductive material with the smaller size of aggregates (5-10 mm) increased the FCR values up to 38.95% and 42.21%, respectively, as compared to those of greater size coarse aggregates (15-20 mm). The hybrid uses of fibrous and filler materials improved post-cracking behavior as well as the self-sensing ability of reinforced concrete.

Enhancement of storability and antioxidant systems of sweet cherry fruit by nitric oxide-releasing chitosan nanoparticles (GSNO-CS NPs).

Sweet cherries rapidly depreciate in market value owing to decay and the quick loss of fruit quality after harvest. Therefore, optimum postharvest treatment is crucial for maintaining the qualities of cherries during storage. Here, we tested a new method of postharvest treatment by immersing sweet cherries in nitric oxide-releasing chitosan nanoparticles (GSNO-CS NPs), storing them at 0 °C and evaluating fruit quality over time. The results indicated that GSNO-CS NPs more effectively preserved the quality of cherries during cold storage compared to other methods. Specifically, GSNO-CS NPs reduced fruit weight loss, respiration rate and ethylene production and increased soluble solids content. Additionally, GSNO-CS NPs reduced reactive oxygen species, increased the antioxidant enzyme activity in direct and indirect antioxidant systems, and increased the levels of ascorbic acid and reduced glutathione. Overall, results suggest that treatment with GSNO-CS NPs can effectively preserve the quality of cherries and enhance antioxidant capacity during cold storage.

Albendazole as an adjuvant to the standard surgical management of hydatid cyst liver.

BACKGROUND: The treatment options for hydatid cyst liver include non-operative and operative methods. Operative methods include conservative and radical procedures. Non-operative methods include chemotherapy and percutaneous treatment of liver hydatidosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was conducted at Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Soura, Srinagar, Kashmir, India, over a period of two years from March 2001 to February 2003 with further follow-up of 5-6 years. The study included 64 cases in the age group of 15 years to 64 years, comprising 36 males and 28 females. The aim of the study was to know the effect of preoperative and postoperative albendazole therapy on the viability of protoscolices and recurrence rate of hydatid disease of liver. Patients were divided into four group of 16 each. In group A, patients were directly subjected to surgery. In group B, patients were given albendazole for 8 weeks followed by surgery. In group C, patients were given albendazole for 8 weeks preoperatively followed by further postoperative course for 8 weeks. In group D, patients were first taken for surgery followed by postoperative course of albendazole for 8 weeks. RESULTS: Out of those patients who received preoperative albendazole only 9.37% had viable cysts at the time of surgery as compared to 96.87% of patients who did not receive any preoperative albendazole. In those patients who did not receive any albendazole therapy, recurrence rate was 18.75% whereas recurrence was 4.16% in patients who received albendazole therapy. CONCLUSION: We conclude that albendazole is safe and effective adjuvant therapy in the treatment of hydatid liver disease.

Ascaris liver abscess in children.

BACKGROUND: Liver abscess in childhood is a very challenging subject both for patients and doctors. In India, pyogenic liver abscesses have been found mostly in children, especially in rural areas. Liver abscess due to wandering ascarids is a common complication in children in Kashmir, although it is rare outside. METHODS: The study was carried over a period of 10 years at Sheri-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences Srinagar India. Ten cases of liver abscesses due to wandering ascarids in children were encountered. The children were aged 2 years to 13 years. RESULTS: 70% of the children were from rural areas. All ten patients presented with fever, while three patients presented with peritonitis. Ultrasonography was the main tool of diagnosis. All ten patients were managed by open surgical drainage. CONCLUSION: We conclude that Ascaris infestation should always be kept in mind while dealing with liver abscess in children.