Sustainable utilization of quartz sandstone mining wastes:Chloride and corrosion resistance

There has been growing interest to reduce the use of conventional natural aggregates to promote sustainability in construction industry. In this study, quartz sandstones are substituted for natural igneous coarse aggregates in concrete and tested for chloride and corrosion resistance. The results indicate that the depth of chloride penetration increases with increasing quartz sandstone substitution, with similar depth of penetration to that of the control mixture observed up to approximately 20% replacement by volume. Results from corrosion potential measurements indicate no significant corrosion occurring in specimens made with either natural or coarse aggregates after 180 days of ponding.</p

Separating Web Applications from User Data Storage with BSTORE

URL to paper from conference siteThis paper presents BSTORE, a framework that allows developers to separate their web application code from user data storage. With BSTORE, storage providers implement a standard file system API, and applications access user data through that same API without having to worry about where the data might be stored. A file system manager allows the user and applications to combine multiple file systems into a single namespace, and to control what data each application can access. One key idea in BSTORE’s design is the use of tags on files, which allows applications both to organize data in different ways, and to delegate fine-grained access to other applications. We have implemented a prototype of BSTORE in Javascript that runs in unmodified Firefox and Chrome browsers. We also implemented three file systems and ported three different applications to BSTORE. Our prototype incurs an acceptable performance overhead of less than 5% on a 10Mbps network connection, and porting existing clientside applications to BSTORE required small amounts of source code changes.Quanta Computer (Firm)Google (Firm

Sunspot Waves and Triggering of Homologous Active Region Jets

We present and discuss multi-wavelength observations of five homologous recurrent solar jets that occurred in active region NOAA 11133 on 11 December, 2010. These jets were well observed by the Solar Dynamic observatory (SDO) with high spatial and temporal resolution. The speed of the jets ranged between 86 and 267 km/s. A type III radio burst was observed in association with all the five jets. The investigation of the over all evolution of magnetic field in the source regions suggested that the flux was continuously emerging on longer term. However, all the jets but J5 were triggered during a local dip in the magnetic flux, suggesting the launch of the jets during localised submergence of magnetic flux. Additionally, using the PFSS modelling of the photospheric magnetic field, we found that all the jets were ejected in the direction of open field lines. We also traced sunspot oscillations from the sunspot interior to foot-point of jets and found presence of ~ 3 minute oscillations in all the SDO/AIA passbands. The wavelet analysis revealed an increase in amplitude of the oscillations just before the trigger of the jets, that decreased after the jets were triggered. The observations of increased amplitude of the oscillation and its subsequent decrease provides evidence of wave-induced reconnection triggering the jets.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

Complementary feeding at 4 versus 6 months of age for preterm infants born at less than 34 weeks of gestation: a randomised, open-label, multicentre trial

Background Evidence on the optimal time to initiation of complementary feeding in preterm infants is scarce. We examined the effect of initiation of complementary feeding at 4 months versus 6 months of corrected age on weight for age at 12 months corrected age in preterm infants less than 34 weeks of gestation. Methods In this open-label, randomised trial, we enrolled infants born at less than 34 weeks of gestation with no major malformation from three public health facilities in India. Eligible infants were tracked from birth and randomly assigned (1:1) at 4 months corrected age to receive complementary feeding at 4 months corrected age (4 month group), or continuation of milk feeding and initiation of complementary feeding at 6 months corrected age (6 month group), using computer generated randomisation schedule of variable block size, stratified by gestation (30 weeks or less, and 31–33 weeks). Iron supplementation was provided as standard. Participants and the implementation team could not be masked to group assignment, but outcome assessors were masked. Primary outcome was weight for age Z-score at 12 months corrected age (WAZ12) based on WHO Multicentre Growth Reference Study growth standards. Analyses were by intention to treat. The trial is registered with Clinical Trials Registry of India, number CTRI/2012/11/003149. Findings Between March 20, 2013, and April 24, 2015, 403 infants were randomly assigned: 206 to receive complementary feeding from 4 months and 197 to receive complementary feeding from 6 months. 22 infants in the 4 month group (four deaths, two withdrawals, 16 lost to follow-up) and eight infants in the 6 month group (two deaths, six lost to follow-up) were excluded from analysis of primary outcome. There was no difference in WAZ12 between two groups: –1·6 (SD 1·2) in the 4 month group versus –1·6 (SD 1·3) in the 6 month group (mean difference 0·005, 95% CI –0·24 to 0·25; p=0·965). There were more hospital admissions in the 4 month group compared with the 6 month group: 2·5 episodes per 100 infant-months in the 4 month group versus 1·4 episodes per 100 infant-months in the 6 month group (incidence rate ratio 1·8, 95% CI 1·0–3·1, p=0·03). 34 (18%) of 188 infants in the 4 month group required hospital admission, compared with 18 (9%) of 192 infants in the 6 month group. Interpretation Although there was no evidence of effect for the primary endpoint of WAZ12, the higher rate of hospital admission in the 4 month group suggests a recommendation to initiate complementary feeding at 6 months over 4 months of corrected age in infants less than 34 weeks of gestation

SYNTHESIS AND INVESTIGATION OF ANTHELMINTIC, ANTIBACTERIAL AND ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY OF 3,3-DIPHENYL PROPANAMIDE DERIVATIVES

Objective: A novel series of substituted 3,3-diphenyl propanamide derivatives (I-VIII) were synthesized by reacting 3,3-diphenyl propanoyl chloride with different amines/amino acids, and all the derivatives were investigated for anthelmintic, antibacterial, and antifungal activity.Methods: All the compounds were characterized by infrared (IR) and1H- nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry data. The synthesized derivatives were investigated for their anthelmintic activity employing housefly worms method and earthworm species model. The antibacterial and antifungal activity was performed employing cup plate method.Results: The synthesized compounds (VII and VIII) exhibited maximum anthelmintic activity as compared with standard drug albendazole at doses of 50 and 100 mg/mL, due to minimal paralyzing and death time in both housefly and earthworm models. The compounds (IV, VII, and VIII) at 50 μg/mL exhibited maximum activity against Gram-negative bacterial strains, namely, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa as compared with ciprofloxacin and same compounds exhibited maximum antifungal activity against Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger in comparison with standard drug griseofulvin at 50 μg/mL.Conclusion: The synthesized compounds bearing amino acid moiety in their structure (VII-VIII) exhibited impressive anthelmintic activity in comparison with albendazole. This suggests that amino acid/peptide derivative of diphenyl propanamides can act as great anthelmintic agents. Further, the research can be performed to design potent antimicrobial diphenyl propanamide derivatives.Â

Abrasion resistance of sustainable green concrete containing waste tire rubber particles

The development of new environmental friendly concretes such as rubberized concrete is being promoted due to the environmental problems created by the waste tire rubber. Every year millions of tires are discarded, thrown away or buried all over the world, representing a very serious threat to the ecology. In this study, we analyse the potential of waste tire rubber particles as a partial substitute for fine aggregates in normal strength and high strength cement concrete and the resistance to abrasion has been measured. Statistical Analysis was carried out to strengthen the results obtained from experiments. The results show that the use of tire rubber particles can improve the abrasion resistance of concrete, and this can ensure its applications in pavements, floors and concrete highways, or in places where there are abrasive forces between surfaces and moving objects. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Hereditary Spherocytosis in a 17 year girl: A case report

Abstract— Hereditary spherocytosis (HS) is a familial hemolytic disorder with marked heterogeneity of clinical features, ranging from an asymptomatic condition to a fulminate haemolytic anaemia. Although a positive family history of spherocytosis increases the risk for this disorder, it may be sporadic in some cases. Seventeen years old girl presented with mild anaemia, jaundice and moderate splenomegaly. Her haematological parameters supported diagnosis of hereditary spherocytosis. Appropriate treatment was started with an advice to patient to undergo splenectomy as an active part of management of the disorder. Mother and other siblings were normal