Search results for: synthetic aggregate

Authors: P. Mirahmadpour, M. H. Banitaba, D. Nematollahi

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The chemistry of coordination polymers in recent years has grown exponentially not only because of their interesting architectures but also due to their various technical applications in many fields including ion exchange, chemical catalysis, small molecule separations, and drug release. The use of bridging ligands for the controlled self-assembly of one, two or three dimensional metallo-supramolecular species is the subject of serious study in last decade. Numerous different synthetic methods have been offered for the preparation of coordination polymers such as (a) diffusion from the gas phase, (b) slow diffusion of the reactants into a polymeric matrix, (c) evaporation of the solvent at ambient or reduced temperatures, (d) temperature controlled cooling, (e) precipitation or recrystallisation from a mixture of solvents and (f) hydrothermal synthesis. The electrosynthetic process suggested several advantages over conventional approaches. A general advantage of electrochemical synthesis is that it allows synthesis under milder conditions than typical solvothermal or microwave synthesis. In this work we have introduced a simple electrochemical method for growing metal coordination polymers based on copper with a flexible 2,2’-thiodiacetic acid (TDA) and rigid 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylate (BTC) ligands. The structure of coordination polymers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), elemental analysis, thermal gravimetric (TG) and differential thermal analyses (DTA). The single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that different conformations of the ligands and different coordination modes of the carboxylate group as well as different coordination geometries of the copper atoms. Electrochemical synthesis of coordination polymers has different advantages such as faster synthesis at lower temperature in compare with conventional chemical methods and crystallization of desired materials in a single synthetic step.

Keywords: 1, 2, 4, 5-benzenetetracarboxylate, coordination polymer, copper, 2, 2’-thiodiacetic acid

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Authors: Mehrshad Khosraviani, Sepehr Najjarpour

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Considering the usage of graph-based approaches in systems and synthetic biology, and the various types of ‎the graphs employed by them, a comprehensive graph library based ‎on the three-tier architecture (3TA) was previously introduced for full representation of the biological systems. Although proposing a 3TA-based graph library, three following reasons motivated us to redesign the graph ‎library based on the service-oriented architecture (SOA): (1) Maintaining the accuracy of the data related to an input graph (including its edges, its ‎vertices, its topology, etc.) without involving the end user:‎ Since, in the case of using 3TA, the library files are available to the end users, they may ‎be utilized incorrectly, and consequently, the invalid graph data will be provided to the ‎computer algorithms. However, considering the usage of the SOA, the operation of the ‎graph registration is specified as a service by encapsulation of the library files. In other words, overall control operations needed for registration of the valid data will be the ‎responsibility of the services. (2) Partitioning of the library product into some different parts: Considering 3TA, a whole library product was provided in general. While here, the product ‎can be divided into smaller ones, such as an AND/OR graph drawing service, and each ‎one can be provided individually. As a result, the end user will be able to select any ‎parts of the library product, instead of all features, to add it to a project. (3) Reduction of the complexities: While using 3TA, several other libraries must be needed to add for connecting to the ‎database, responsibility of the provision of the needed library resources in the SOA-‎based graph library is entrusted with the services by themselves. Therefore, the end user ‎who wants to use the graph library is not involved with its complexity. In the end, in order to ‎make ‎the library easier to control in the system, and to restrict the end user from accessing the files, ‎it was preferred to use the service-oriented ‎architecture ‎‎(SOA) over the three-tier architecture (3TA) and to redevelop the previously proposed graph library based on it‎.

Keywords: Bio-Design Automation, Biological System, Graph Library, Service-Oriented Architecture, Systems and Synthetic Biology

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Authors: Shengyi Huang, Chenju Liang

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Volatile organic compounds such as benzene, toluene, ethyl-benzene, and xylene (BTEX) are common contaminants in environment, which could come from asphalt concrete or exhaust emissions of vehicles. The BTEX may invade to the subsurface environment via wet and dry atmospheric depositions. If there aren’t available ways for controlling contaminants’ fate and transport, they would extensively harm natural environment. In the 1st phase of this study, various adsorbents were screened for a suitable one to be an additive in the porous asphalt mixture. In the 2nd phase, addition of the selected adsorbent was incorporated with the design of porous asphalt concrete (PAC) to produce the permeable reactive pavement (PRP), which was subsequently tested for the potential of adsorbing aqueous BTEX as compared to the PAC, in the 3rd phase. The PRP was prepared according to the following steps: firstly, the suitable adsorbent was chosen based on the analytical results of specific surface area analysis, thermal-gravimetric analysis, adsorption kinetics and isotherms, and thermal dynamics analysis; secondly, the materials of coarse aggregate, fine aggregate, filler, asphalt, and fiber were tested in order to meet regulated specifications (e.g., water adsorption, soundness, viscosity etc.) for preparing the PRP; thirdly, the amount of adsorbent additive was determined in the PRP; fourthly, the prepared PAC and PRP were examined for their physical properties (e.g., abrasion loss, drain-down loss, Marshall stability, Marshall flow, dynamic stability etc.). As a result of comparison between PRP and PAC, the PRP showed better physical performance than the traditional PAC. At last, the Marshall Specimen column tests were conducted to explore the adsorption capacities of PAC and PRPs. The BTEX adsorption capacities of PRPs are higher than those obtained from traditional PAC. In summary, PRPs showed superior physical performance and adsorption capacities, which exhibit the potential of PRP to be applied as a replacement of PAC for better controlling the transport of non-point source pollutants.

Keywords: porous asphalt concrete, volatile organic compounds, permeable reactive pavement, non-point source pollution

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Authors: Min Fang, Jiaxi Yang

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Monetary policy could be less effective at stimulating investment during periods of elevated volatility than during normal times. In this paper, we argue that elevated volatility leads to a decrease in extensive margin investment incentive so that nominal stimulus generates less aggregate investment. To do this, we first empirically document that high volatility weakens firms’ investment responses to monetary stimulus. Such effects depend on the lumpiness nature of the firm-level investment. The findings are that the channel exists for all of the physical investment, innovation investment, and organization investment.

Keywords: investment, irreversibility, volatility, uncertainty, firm heterogeneity, monetary policy

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Authors: Mauricio Cruz, Andrés Díaz García, Martha Isabel Gómez, Juan Carlos Serrato Bermúdez

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The disadvantages of using natural substrates in SSF processes have been well recognized and mainly are associated to gradual decomposition of the substrate, formation of agglomerates and decrease of porosity bed generating limitations in the mass and heat transfer. Additionally, in several cases, materials with a high agricultural value such as sour milk, beets, rice, beans and corn have been used. Thus, the use of economic inert supports (natural or synthetic) in combination with a nutrient suspension for the production of biocontrol microorganisms is a good alternative in SSF processes, but requires further studies in the fields of modeling and optimization. Therefore, the aim of this work is to compare the performance of two inert supports, a synthetic (polyurethane foam) and a natural one (rice husk), identifying the factors that have the major effects on the productivity of T. asperellum Th204 and the maximum specific growth rate in a PROPHYTA L05® fixed bed bioreactor. For this, the six factors C:N ratio, temperature, inoculation rate, bed height, air moisture content and airflow were evaluated using a fractional design. The factors C:N and air flow were identified as significant on the productivity (expressed as conidia/dry substrate•h). The polyurethane foam showed higher maximum specific growth rate (0.1631 h-1) and productivities of 3.89 x107 conidia/dry substrate•h compared to rice husk (2.83x106) and natural substrate based on rice (8.87x106) used as control. Finally, a quadratic model was generated and validated, obtaining productivities higher than 3.0x107 conidia/dry substrate•h with air flow at 0.9 m3/h and C:N ratio at 18.1.

Keywords: bioprocess, scale up, fractional design, C:N ratio, air flow

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Authors: Karla Sanchez-Ortiz, Yunuen Tapia-Torres, John Larsen, Felipe Garcia-Oliva

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Due to food demand production, the use of synthetic nitrogenous fertilizer has increased in agricultural soils to replace the N losses. Nevertheless, the intensive use of synthetic nitrogenous fertilizer in conventional agriculture negatively affects the soil and therefore the environment, so alternatives such as organic agriculture have been proposed for being more environmentally friendly. However, further research in soil is needed to see how agricultural management affects the dynamics of C and N. The objective of this research was to evaluate the C and N dynamics in the soil with three different agricultural management: an agricultural plot with intensive inorganic fertilization, a plot with semi-organic management and an agricultural plot with recent abandonment (2 years). For each plot, the soil C and N dynamics and the enzymatic activity of NAG and β-Glucosidase were characterized. Total C and N concentration of the plant biomass of each site was measured as well. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) was higher in abandoned plot, as well as this plot had higher total carbon (TC) and total nitrogen (TN), besides microbial N and microbial C. While the enzymatic activity of NAG and β-Glucosidase was greater in the agricultural plot with inorganic fertilization, as well as nitrate (NO₃) was higher in fertilized plot, in comparison with the other two plots. The aboveground biomass (AB) of maize in the plot with inorganic fertilization presented higher TC and TN concentrations than the maize AB growing in the semiorganic plot, but the C:N ratio was highest in the grass AB in the abandoned plot. The C:N ration in the maize grain was greater in the semi-organic agricultural plot. These results show that the plot under intensive agricultural management favors the loss of soil organic matter and N, degrading the dynamics of soil organic compounds, promoting its fertility depletion.

Keywords: mineralization, nitrogen cycle, soil degradation, soil nutrients

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Authors: Solomon Okorley

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With the emergence of artificial intelligence, a proposition that has been made with increasing conviction is the need to assign legal personhood to robots. A major problem that arises when dealing with robots is the issue of liability: who do it hold liable when a robot causes harm? The suggestion to assign legal personality to robots has been made to aid in the assignment of liability. This paper contends that it is premature to assign legal personhood to robots. The paper employed the doctrinal and comparative research methodology. The paper first discusses the various theories that underpin the granting of legal personhood to juridical personalities to ascertain whether these theories can aid in the proposition to assign legal personhood to robots. These theories include fiction theory, aggregate theory, realist theory, and organism theory. Except for the aggregate theory, the fiction theory, the realist theory and the organism theory provide a good foundation to the proposal for legal personhood to be assigned to robots. The paper considers whether robots should be assigned legal personhood from a jurisprudential approach. The legal positivists assert that no metaphysical presuppositions are needed to determine who could be a legal person: the sole deciding factor is the engagement in legal relations and this prerequisite could be fulfilled by robots. However, rationalists, religionists and naturalists assert that the satisfaction of the metaphysical criteria is the basis of legal personality and since robots do not possess this feature, they cannot be assigned legal personhood. This differing perspective shows that the jurisprudential school of thought to which one belongs influences the decision whether to assign legal personhood to robots. The paper makes arguments for and against the assigning of legal personhood to robots. Assigning legal personhood to robots is necessary for the assigning of liability; and since robots are independent in their operation, they should be assigned legal personhood. However, it is argued that the degree of autonomy is insufficient. Robots do not understand legal obligations; they do not have a will of their own and the purported autonomy that they possess is an ‘imputed autonomy’. A crucial question to be asked is ‘whether it is desirable to confer legal personhood on robots’ and not ‘whether legal personhood should be assigned to robots’. This is due to the subjective nature of the responses to such a question as well as the peculiarities of countries in response to this question. The main argument in support of assigning legal personhood to robots is to aid in assigning liability. However, it is argued conferring legal personhood on robots is not the only way to deal with liability issues. Since any of the stakeholders involved with the robot system can be held liable for an accident, it is not desirable to assign legal personhood to robot. It is forecasted that in the epoch of strong artificial intelligence, granting robots legal personhood is plausible; however, in the current era, it is premature.

Keywords: autonomy, legal personhood, premature, jurisprudential

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Authors: Esra Turker, Umit Hakan Yildiz, Ahu Arslan Yildiz

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The key of regenerative medicine is mimicking natural three dimensional (3D) microenvironment of tissues by utilizing appropriate biomaterials. In this study, a synthetic biodegradable polymer; poly (L-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) (PLLCL) and a natural polymer; collagen was used to mimic the biochemical structure of the natural extracellular matrix (ECM), and by means of electrospinning technique the real physical structure of ECM has mimicked. PLLCL/Collagen biocomposite scaffolds enables cell attachment, proliferation and nutrient transport through fabrication of micro to nanometer scale nanofibers. Biocomposite materials are commonly preferred due to limitations of physical and biocompatible properties of natural and synthetic materials. Combination of both materials improves the strength, degradation and biocompatibility of scaffold. Literature studies have shown that collagen is mostly solved with heavy chemicals, which is not suitable for cell culturing. To overcome this problem, a new approach has been developed in this study where polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) is used as co-electrospinning agent. PVP is preferred due to its water solubility, so PLLCL/collagen biocomposite scaffold can be easily and rapidly produced. Hydrolytic and enzymatic biodegradation as well as mechanical strength of scaffolds were examined in vitro. Cell adhesion, proliferation and cell morphology characterization studies have been performed as well. Further, on-chip drug screening analysis has been performed over 3D tumor models. Overall, the developed biocomposite scaffold was used for 3D tumor model formation and obtained results confirmed that developed model could be used for drug screening studies to predict clinical efficacy of a drug.

Keywords: biomaterials, 3D cell culture, drug screening, electrospinning, lab-on-a-chip, tissue engineering

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Authors: Zoi Konsoula

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Vegetable oils, which are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, are susceptible to oxidative deterioration. The lipid oxidation of oils results in the production of rancid odors and unpleasant flavors as well as the reduction of their nutritional quality and safety. Traditionally, synthetic antioxidants are employed for their retardation or prevention of oxidative deterioration of oils. However, these compounds are suspected to pose health hazards. Consequently, recently there has been a growing interest in the use of natural antioxidants of plant origin for improving the oxidative stability of vegetable oils. The genus Salvia (sage) is well known for its antioxidant activity. In the Cypriot flora Salvia fruticosa is the most distributed indigenous Salvia species. In the present study, extracts were prepared from S. fruticosa aerial parts using various solvents and their antioxidant activity was evaluated by the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazine (DPPH) radical scavenging and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) method. Moreover, the antioxidant efficacy of all extracts was assessed using corn oil as the oxidation substrate, which was subjected to accelerated aging (60 °C, 30 days). The progress of lipid oxidation was monitored by the determination of the peroxide, p-aniside, conjugated dienes and trienes value according to the official AOCS methods. Synthetic antioxidants (butylated hydroxytoluene-BHT and butylated hydroxyanisole-BHA) were employed at their legal limit (200 ppm) as reference. Finally, the total phenolic (TPC) and flavonoid content (TFC) of the prepared extracts was measured by the Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminum-flavonoid complex method, respectively. The results of the present study revealed that although all sage extracts prepared from S. fruticosa exhibited antioxidant activity, the highest antioxidant capacity was recorded in the methanolic extract, followed by the non-toxic, food grade ethanol. Furthermore, a positive correlation between the antioxidant potency and the TPC of extracts was observed in all cases. Interestingly, sage extracts prevented lipid oxidation in corn oil at all concentrations tested, however, the magnitude of stabilization was dose dependent. More specifically, results from the different oxidation parameters were in agreement with each other and indicated that the protection offered by the various extracts depended on their TPC. Among the extracts, the methanolic extract was more potent in inhibiting oxidative deterioration. Finally, both methanolic and ethanolic sage extracts at a concentration of 1000 ppm exerted a stabilizing effect comparable to that of the reference synthetic antioxidants. Based on the results of the present study, sage extracts could be used for minimizing or preventing lipid oxidation in oils and, thus, prolonging their shelf-life. In particular, given that the use of dietary alcohol, such as ethanol, is preferable than methanol in food applications, the ethanolic extract prepared from S. fruticosa could be used as an alternative natural antioxidant.

Keywords: antioxidant activity, corn oil, oxidative deterioration, sage

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Authors: Jung-Hwan Oh, Rajesh Kumar, Il-Kwon Oh

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Porous graphene has extensive potential applications in variety of fields such as hydrogen storage, CO oxidation, gas separation, supercapacitors, fuel cells, nanoelectronics, oil adsorption, and so on. However, the generation of some carbon atoms vacancies for precise small holes have been not extensively studied to prevent the agglomerates of graphene sheets and to obtain porous graphene with high surface area. Recently, many research efforts have been presented to develop physical and chemical synthetic approaches for porous graphene. But physical method has very high cost of manufacture and chemical method consumes so many hours for porous graphene. Herein, we propose a porous graphene contained holes with atomic scale precision by embedding metal nano-particles through microwave irradiation for hydrogen storage and CO oxidation multi- functionalities. This proposed synthetic method is appropriate for fast and convenient production of three dimensional nanostructures, which have nanoholes on the graphene surface in consequence of microwave irradiation. The metal nanoparticles are dispersed quickly on the graphene surface and generated uniform nanoholes on the graphene nanosheets. The morphological and structural characterization of the porous graphene were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission scanning electron microscopy (TEM) and RAMAN spectroscopy, respectively. The metal nanoparticle-embedded porous graphene exhibits a microporous volume of 2.586cm3g-1 with an average pore radius of 0.75 nm. HR-TEM analysis was carried out to further characterize the microstructures. By investigating the RAMAN spectra, we can understand the structural changes of graphene. The results of this work demonstrate a possibility to produce a new class of porous graphene. Furthermore, the newly acquired knowledge for the diffusion into graphene can provide useful guidance for the development of the growth of nanostructure.

Keywords: CO oxidation, hydrogen storage, nanocomposites, porous graphene

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Authors: Hussain Mustatab Wahedi, Sun You Kim

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Skin acts as a barrier against the harmful environmental factors. Integrity and timely recovery of the skin from injuries and harmful effects of radiations is thus very important. This study aimed to investigate the importance of Sirt1 in the recovery of skin from UVB-induced damage and cutaneous wounds by using natural and synthetic novel Sirt1 activators. Juglone, known as a natural Pin1 inhibitor, and NED416 a novel synthetic Sirt1 activator were checked for their ability to regulate the expression and activity of Sirt1 and hence photo-damage and wound healing in cultured skin cells (NHDF and HaCaT cells) and mouse model by using Sirt1 siRNA knockdown, cell migration assay, GST-Pulldown assay, western blot analysis, tube formation assay, and immunohistochemistry. Interestingly, Sirt1 knockdown inhibited skin cell migration in vitro. Juglone up regulated the expression of Sirt1 in both the cell lines under normal and UVB irradiated conditions, enhanced Sirt1 activity and increased the cell viability by reducing reactive oxygen species synthesis and apoptosis. Juglone promoted wound healing by increasing cell migration and angiogenesis through Cdc42/Rac1/PAK, MAPKs and Smad pathways in skin cells. NED416 upregulated Sirt1 expression in HaCaT and NHDF cells as well as increased Sirt1 activity. NED416 promoted the process of wound healing in early as well as later stages by increasing macrophage recruitment, skin cell migration, and angiogenesis through Cdc42/Rac1 and MAPKs pathways. So, both these compounds activated Sirt1 and promoted the process of wound healing thus pointing towards the possible role of Sirt1 in skin regeneration and wound healing.

Keywords: skin regeneration, wound healing, Sirt1, UVB light

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Authors: Simona Moravcova, Jiri Novotny, Zdenka Bendova

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The pineal gland of the vertebrate brain is a circumventricular organ which serves as a major neuroendocrine gland with the primary function of rhythmic secretion of neurohormone melatonin under the control of the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Soon after the onset of the darkness, the activity of the key rate-limiting enzyme for melatonin synthesis, arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AANAT), raises due to the increased release of norepinephrine from sympathetic neurons terminating on the parenchymal cells where it binds to β-adrenergic receptors. Melatonin codes the length of the night, and it is well recognized for its anti-inflammatory effects. However, to our knowledge, less is known about the effect of the immune system on the melatonin biosynthesis and the precise role of the STAT3 in the signaling pathway leading to the expression of AANAT. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is the essential component in the outer surface membrane of gram-negative bacteria and acts as a strong stimulator of natural and innate immunity. STAT3 acts as an important factor in immune response. Here we investigated the effect of LPS on the components of the melatonergic synthetic pathway in the pineal gland. The experiments were performed both in vivo and in vitro. The changes in AANAT activity were determined by radioenzymatic assay. PCR analyses were carried out to detect aa-nat, icer, spi-3 and stat3 gene expression. From our results, it is apparent that the high basal level of phosphorylated forms of STAT3 can be elevated after systemic as well as in vitro administration of LPS. Our experiments have shown that LPS reduces melatonin synthesis, nevertheless, the activity of AANAT was increased. Moreover, the basal level of phosphorylated STAT3 counteracts β-adrenergic receptor-mediated aa-nat gene expression and sustains its own and spi-3 gene expression. In conclusion, LPS can affect immunomodulators such as melatonin in the pineal gland.

Keywords: AANAT, lipopolysaccharide, pineal gland, rat, STAT3

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Authors: Nkem Angela Udeani

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Despite the widespread use of synthetic dyes, natural dyes are still exploited and used to enhance its inherent aesthetic qualities as a major material for the beautification of the body. Centuries before the discovery of synthetic dye, natural dyes were the only source of dye open to mankind. Dyes are extracted from plant - leaves, roots, and barks, insect secretions, and minerals. However, research findings have made it clear that of all, plant- leaves, roots, barks or flowers are the most explored and exploited. Henna (Lawsonia innermis) is one of those plants. The experiment has also shown that henna is used in body painting in conjunction with an alkaline (Ammonium Sulphate) as a fixing agent. This of course gives a clue that if colour derived from henna is properly investigated, it may not only be used as body decoration but possibly, may have affinity to fibre substrate. This paper investigates the dyeing potentials - dyeing ability and fastness qualities of henna dye extract on cotton and linen fibres using mordants like ammonium sulphate and other alkalies (hydrosulphate and caustic soda, potash, common salt and alum). Hot and cold water and ethanol solvent were used in the extraction of the dye to investigate the most effective method of extraction, dyeing ability and fastness qualities of these extracts under room temperature. The results of the experiment show that cotton have a high rate of dye intake than linen fibre. On a similar note, the colours obtained depend most on the solvent and or the mordant used. In conclusion, hot water extraction appear more effective. While the colours obtained from ethanol and both cold and hot method of extraction range from light to dark yellow, light green to army green, there are to some extent shades of brown hues.

Keywords: dye, fabrics, henna leaves, potential

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Authors: Parvesh Singh, Vipan Kumar, Vishu Mehra

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Quinoline-4-ones represent an important class of heterocyclic scaffolds that have attracted significant interest due to their various biological and pharmacological activities. This heterocyclic unit also constitutes an integral component in drugs used for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, sleep disorders and in antibiotics viz. norfloxacin and ciprofloxacin. The synthetic accessibility and possibility of fictionalization at varied positions in quinoline-4-ones exemplifies an elegant platform for the designing of combinatorial libraries of functionally enriched scaffolds with a range of pharmacological profles. They are also considered to be attractive precursors for the synthesis of medicinally imperative molecules such as non-steroidal androgen receptor antagonists, antimalarial drug Chloroquine and martinellines with antibacterial activity. 2-Aryl-2,3-dihydroquinolin-4(1H)-ones are present in many natural and non-natural compounds and are considered to be the aza-analogs of favanones. The β-lactam class of antibiotics is generally recognized to be a cornerstone of human health care due to the unparalleled clinical efficacy and safety of this type of antibacterial compound. In addition to their biological relevance as potential antibiotics, β-lactams have also acquired a prominent place in organic chemistry as synthons and provide highly efficient routes to a variety of non-protein amino acids, such as oligopeptides, peptidomimetics, nitrogen-heterocycles, as well as biologically active natural and unnatural products of medicinal interest such as indolizidine alkaloids, paclitaxel, docetaxel, taxoids, cyptophycins, lankacidins, etc. A straight forward route toward the synthesis of quinoline-4-ones via the triflic acid assisted Fries rearrangement of N-aryl-βlactams has been reported by Tepe and co-workers. The ring expansion observed in this case was solely attributed to the inherent ring strain in β-lactam ring because -lactam failed to undergo rearrangement under reaction conditions. Theabovementioned protocol has been recently extended by our group for the synthesis of benzo[b]-azocinon-6-ones via a tandem Michael addition–Fries rearrangement of sorbyl anilides as well as for the single-pot synthesis of 2-aryl-quinolin-4(3H)-ones through the Fries rearrangement of 3-dienyl-βlactams. In continuation with our synthetic endeavours with the β-lactam ring and in view of the lack of convenient approaches for the synthesis of C-3 functionalized quinolin-4(1H)-ones, the present work describes the single-pot synthesis of C-3 functionalized quinolin-4(1H)-ones via the trific acid promoted Fries rearrangement of C-3 vinyl/isopropenyl substituted β-lactams. In addition, DFT calculations and MD simulations were performed to investigate the stability profles of synthetic compounds.

Keywords: dihydroquinoline, fries rearrangement, azetidin-2-ones, quinoline-4-ones

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Authors: Anton G. Kalmykov, Andrew Yu. Bychkov, Georgy A. Kalmykov

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Nowadays, most oil reserves in Russia and all over the world are hard to recover. That is the reason oil companies are searching for new sources for hydrocarbon production. One of the sources might be high-carbon formations with unconventional reservoirs. Bazhenov formation is a huge source rock formation located in West Siberia, which contains unconventional reservoirs on some of the areas. These reservoirs are formed by secondary processes with low predicting ratio. Only one of five wells is drilled through unconventional reservoirs, in others kerogen has low thermal maturity, and they are of low petroliferous. Therefore, there was a request for tertiary methods for in-situ cracking of kerogen and production of oil. Laboratory experiments of Bazhenov formation rock hydrous pyrolysis were used to investigate features of the oil generation process. Experiments on Bazhenov rocks with a different mineral composition (silica concentration from 15 to 90 wt.%, clays – 5-50 wt.%, carbonates – 0-30 wt.%, kerogen – 1-25 wt.%) and thermal maturity (from immature to late oil window kerogen) were performed in a retort under reservoir conditions. Rock samples of 50 g weight were placed in retort, covered with water and heated to the different temperature varied from 250 to 400°C with the durability of the experiments from several hours to one week. After the experiments, the retort was cooled to room temperature; generated hydrocarbons were extracted with hexane, then separated from the solvent and weighted. The molecular composition of this synthesized oil was then investigated via GC-MS chromatography Characteristics of rock samples after the heating was measured via the Rock-Eval method. It was found, that the amount of synthesized oil and its composition depending on the experimental conditions and composition of rocks. The highest amount of oil was produced at a temperature of 350°C after 12 hours of heating and was up to 12 wt.% of initial organic matter content in the rocks. At the higher temperatures and within longer heating time secondary cracking of generated hydrocarbons occurs, the mass of produced oil is lowering, and the composition contains more hydrocarbons that need to be recovered by catalytical processes. If the temperature is lower than 300°C, the amount of produced oil is too low for the process to be economically effective. It was also found that silica and clay minerals work as catalysts. Selection of heating conditions allows producing synthesized oil with specified composition. Kerogen investigations after heating have shown that thermal maturity increases, but the yield is only up to 35% of the maximum amount of synthetic oil. This yield is the result of gaseous hydrocarbons formation due to secondary cracking and aromatization and coaling of kerogen. Future investigations will allow the increase in the yield of synthetic oil. The results are in a good agreement with theoretical data on kerogen maturation during oil production. Evaluated trends could be tooled up for in-situ oil generation by shale rocks thermal action.

Keywords: Bazhenov formation, fossil fuels, hydropyrolysis, synthetic oil

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Authors: Kabange Kasumbwe, Viresh Mohanlall, Bharti Odhav, Venu Narayanaswamy

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Coumarins are naturally occurring plant metabolites known for their pharmacological properties such as anticoagulant, antimicrobial, anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties. The pharmacological and biochemical properties and curative applications of coumarins depend on the substitution around the coumarin core structure. In the present study, seven halogenated coumarins CMRN1-CMRN7 were synthesized and evaluated for their anticancer activity. The cytotoxicity potential of the test compounds was evaluated against UACC62 (Melanoma), MCF-7 (Breast cancer) and PBM (Peripheral Blood Mononuclear) cell lines using MTT assay keeping doxorubicin as standard drug. The apoptotic potential of the coumarin compounds was evaluated against UACC62 (Melanoma) cell by assessing their morphological changes, membrane change, mitochondria membrane potential; pro-apoptotic changes were investigated using the AnnexinV-PI staining, JC-1, caspase-3 enzyme kits respectively on flow cytometer. The synthetic coumarin has strongly suppressed the cell proliferation of UACC-62 (Melanoma) and MCF-7 (Breast) Cancer cells, the higher toxicity of these compounds against UACC-62 (Melanoma) and MCF-7 (Breast) were CMRN3, CMRN4, CMRN5, CMRN6. However, compounds CMRN1, CMRN2, and CMRN7 had no significant inhibitory effect. Furthermore the active compounds CMRN3, CMRN4, CMRN5, CMRN6 exerted antiproliferative effects through apoptosis induction against UACC-62 (Melanoma), suggesting their potential could be considered as attractive lead molecules in the future for the development of potential anticancer agents since one of the important criteria in the development of therapeutic drugs for cancer treatment is to have high selectivity and less or no side-effects on normal cells and these compounds had no inhibitory effect against the PBMC cells.

Keywords: coumarin, MTT, apoptosis, cytotoxicity

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Authors: Kazuko Sakamoto, Keiichiro Kawarabayashi, Yoji Kitani

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Japanese sweets are one of the important elements of the Chur Japan strategy. In this research, we investigated what kind of sweets are liked to the Chinese tourist. What is generally eaten is influenced by culture, a sense of values, and business practice. Therefore, what was adapted there is sold. However, when traveling, what its country does not have is called for. Then, how far should we take in Chinese people's taste in a design?　This time, the design attribute (a color and a form) which leads to sweets "being delicious" was clarified by rough aggregate theory.As a result, the difference in the taste of Chinese people and Japanese people became clear.

Keywords: design attribute, international comparison, taste by appearance, design attribute

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Authors: Rizwan Ahmed Bhutto, Noor ul ain Hira Bhutto, Mingwei Wang, Shahid Iqbal, Jiang Yi

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Curcumin, a natural polyphenolic compound, boasts numerous health benefits; however, its industrial applications are hindered by instabilities and poor solubility. Encapsulating curcumin in Pickering emulsion presents a promising strategy to enhance its bioavailability. Yet, the development of an efficient and straightforward method to fabricate a natural emulsifier for Pickering emulsion poses a significant challenge. Chitosan has garnered attention due to its non-toxicity and excellent emulsifying properties. This study aimed to prepare four distinct types of self-aggregated chitosan particles using a pH-responsive self-assembling approach. The properties of the aggregated particles were adjusted by pH, degree of deacetylation (DDA), and molecular weight (MW), thereby controlling surface charge, size (ranging from nano to micro and floc), and contact angle. Pickering emulsions were then formulated using these various aggregated particles. As MW and pH increased and DDA decreased, the networked structures of the aggregated particles formed, resulting in highly elastic gels that were more resistant to the breakdown of Pickering emulsion at ambient temperature. With elevated temperatures, the kinetic energy of the aggregated particles increased, disrupting hydrogen bonds and potentially transforming the systems from fluids to gels. The Pickering emulsion based on aggregated particles served as a carrier for curcumin encapsulation. It was observed that DDA and MW played crucial roles in regulating drug loading, encapsulation efficiency, and release profile. This research sheds light on selecting suitable chitosan for controlling the release of bioactive compounds in Pickering emulsions, considering factors such as adjustable rheological properties, microstructure, and macrostructure. Furthermore, this study introduces an environmentally friendly and cost-effective synthesis of pH-responsive aggregate particles without the need for high-pressure homogenizers. It underscores the potential of aggregate particles with various MWs and DDAs for encapsulating other bioactive compounds, offering valuable applications in industries including food, flavor/fragrance, cosmetics, and medicine.

Keywords: chitosan, molecular weight, rheological properties, curcumin encapsulation

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Authors: Aleksandras Velykis, Antanas Satkus

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Clay loam and clay soils are typical for northern Lithuania. These soils are susceptible to physical degradation in the case of intensive use of heavy machinery for field operations. However, clayey soils having poor physical properties by origin require more intensive tillage to maintain proper physical condition for grown crops. Therefore not only choice of suitable tillage system is very important for these soils in the region, but also additional search of other measures is essential for good soil physical state maintenance. Research objective: To evaluate the long-term effects of different intensity tillage as well as its combinations with supplementary agronomic practices on improvement of soil physical conditions and environmental sustainability. The experiment examined the influence of deep and shallow ploughing, ploughless tillage, combinations of ploughless tillage with incorporation of lime sludge and cover crop for green manure and application of the same cover crop for mulch without autumn tillage under spring and winter crop growing conditions on clay loam (27% clay, 50% silt, 23% sand) Endocalcaric Endogleyic Cambisol. Methods: The indicators characterizing the impact of investigated measures were determined using the following methods and devices: Soil dry bulk density – by Eijkelkamp cylinder (100 cm3), soil water content – by weighing, soil structure – by Retsch sieve shaker, aggregate stability – by Eijkelkamp wet sieving apparatus, soil mineral nitrogen – in 1 N KCL extract using colorimetric method. Results: Clay loam soil physical state (dry bulk density, structure, aggregate stability, water content) depends on tillage system and its combination with additional practices used. Application of cover crop winter mulch without tillage in autumn, ploughless tillage and shallow ploughing causes the compaction of bottom (15-25 cm) topsoil layer. However, due to ploughless tillage the soil dry bulk density in subsoil (25-35 cm) layer is less compared to deep ploughing. Soil structure in the upper (0-15 cm) topsoil layer and in the seedbed (0-5 cm), prepared for spring crops is usually worse when applying the ploughless tillage or cover crop mulch without autumn tillage. Application of lime sludge under ploughless tillage conditions helped to avoid the compaction and structure worsening in upper topsoil layer, as well as increase aggregate stability. Application of reduced tillage increased soil water content at upper topsoil layer directly after spring crop sowing. However, due to reduced tillage the water content in all topsoil markedly decreased when droughty periods lasted for a long time. Combination of reduced tillage with cover crop for green manure and winter mulch is significant for preserving the environment. Such application of cover crops reduces the leaching of mineral nitrogen into the deeper soil layers and environmental pollution. This work was supported by the National Science Program ‘The effect of long-term, different-intensity management of resources on the soils of different genesis and on other components of the agro-ecosystems’ [grant number SIT-9/2015] funded by the Research Council of Lithuania.

Keywords: clay loam, endocalcaric endogleyic cambisol, mineral nitrogen, physical state

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Authors: Ahmed Jedidi, Mesfer Mohammed Alshamrani, Alwi Mohammad A. Bamhdi

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Optical performance monitoring and optical network management are essential in building a reliable, high-capacity, and service-differentiation enabled all-optical network. One of the serious problems in this network is the fact that optical crosstalk is additive, and thus the aggregate effect of crosstalk over a whole AON may be more nefarious than a single point of crosstalk. As results, we note a huge degradation of the Quality of Service (QoS) in our network. For that, it is necessary to identify and monitor the impairments in whole network. In this way, this paper presents new system to identify and monitor crosstalk in AONs in real-time fashion. particular, it proposes a new technique to manage intra-crosstalk in objective to relax QoS of the network.

Keywords: all-optical networks, optical crosstalk, optical cross-connect, crosstalk, monitoring crosstalk

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Authors: Devesh Motwani, Ranjana S. Baruah

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The prime incentive behind up gradation of heavy oil is to increase its API gravity for ease of transportation to refineries, thus expanding the market access of bitumen-based crude to the refineries. There has always been a demand for an integrated approach that aims at simplifying the upgrading scheme, making it adaptable to the production site in terms of economics, environment, and personnel safety. Recent advances in nanotechnology have facilitated the development of two lines of heavy oil upgrading processes that make use of nano-catalysts for producing upgraded oil: In Situ Upgrading and Field Upgrading. The In-Situ upgrading scheme makes use of Hot Fluid Injection (HFI) technique where heavy fractions separated from produced oil are injected into the formations to reintroduce heat into the reservoir along with suspended nano-catalysts and hydrogen. In the presence of hydrogen, catalytic exothermic hydro-processing reactions occur that produce light gases and volatile hydrocarbons which contribute to increased oil detachment from the rock resulting in enhanced recovery. In this way the process is a combination of enhanced heavy oil recovery along with up gradation that effectively handles the heat load within the reservoirs, reduces hydrocarbon waste generation and minimizes the need for diluents. By eliminating most of the residual oil, the Synthetic Crude Oil (SCO) is much easier to transport and more amenable for processing in refineries. For heavy oil reservoirs seriously impacted by the presence of aquifers, the nano-catalytic technology can still be implemented on field though with some additional investments and reduced synergies; however still significantly serving the purpose of production of transportable oil with substantial benefits with respect to both large scale upgrading, and known commercial field upgrading technologies currently on the market. The paper aims to delve deeper into the technology discussed, and the future compatibility.

Keywords: upgrading, synthetic crude oil, nano-catalytic technology, compatibility

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Authors: S. Ahmed John

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Marine forms-bacteria, actinobacteria, cynobacteria, fungi, microalgae, seaweeds mangroves and other halophytes an extremely important oceanic resources and constituting over 90% of the oceanic biomass. The marine natural products have lead to the discovery of many compounds considered worthy for clinical applications. The marine sources have the highest probability of yielding natural products. Natural derivatives play an important role to prevent the cancer incidences as synthetic drug transformation in mangrove. 28.12% of anticancer compound extracted from the mangroves. Exchocaria agollocha has the anti cancer compounds. The present investigation reveals the potential of the Exchocaria agollocha with biotechnological applications for anti cancer, antimicrobial drug discovery, environmental remediation, and developing new resources for the industrial process. The anti-cancer activity of Exchocaria agollocha was screened from 3.906 to 1000 µg/ml of concentration with the dilution leads to 1:1 to 1:128 following methanol and chloroform extracts. The cell viability in the Exchocaria agollocha was maximum at the lower concentration where as low at the higher concentration of methanol and chloroform extracts when compare to control. At 3.906 concentration, 85.32 and 81.96 of cell viability was found at 1:128 dilution of methanol and chloroform extracts respectively. At the concentration of 31.25 following 1:16 dilution, the cell viability was 65.55 in methanol and 45.55 in chloroform extracts. However, at the higher concentration, the cell viability 22.35 and 8.12 was recorded in the extracts of methanol and chloroform. The cell viability was more in methanol when compare to chloroform extracts at lower concentration. The present findings gives current trends in screening and the activity analysis of metabolites from mangrove resources and to expose the models to bring a new sustain for tackling cancer. Bioactive compounds of Exchocaria agollocha have extensive use in treatment of many diseases and serve as a compound and templates for synthetic modification.

Keywords: bio-active product, compounds, natural products and microalgae

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Authors: Demur Bakuradze, Mzia Beruashvili

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It is known that bioactive compounds that are secreted by allelopathic plants sown with the main culture and are natural phytotoxic substances can be used as natural pesticides that, unlike synthetic agrochemicals, are less likely to disrupt the global ecosystem. Alternative plant protection approaches to date include components of integrated pest management programs and natural plant protection tools. Every year, more and more evidence is given on the successful use of these means, including allelopathic compounds in plant protection against pests. Proper use of these interactions between plants and other organisms can become a serious alternative to synthetic pesticides. Due to the relevance of the issue, the purpose of the study was to study the impact of some companion allelopathic plants on the Tomato culture (variety ‘Kharisgula’) on the test plot of the Tsilkani Base Bioagricultural Service of the Agricultural Research Center (East Georgia) and the village of Kharagauli. The study was conducted in 2023-2024 with methods adopted in organic agriculture and plant protection. Various companion plants were studied: Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.), Imeretian saffron or marigold (Tagetes patula L.) and beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) (variety ‘Tsanava’) affects tomato culture in mixed crops. It was established that when sowing basil in rows and on the perimeter, the yield in the Tsilkani increased by 39.7%, and in Sagandzile - 42.8%. In the case of Imeretian saffron, economic efficiency in Tsilkani reached 29.5%, in Sagandzile - 28.5%, while the difference in the bean variant with the control was 31.7% in Tsilkani, and in Sagandzile - 23.8%. The study also found that when sowing aromatic plants (basil, marigold) with tomato, the number and spread of pests is quite decreasing compared to the control. In particular, the number of green vegetable bugs (Nezara viridula L.) decreased by 59.4% compared to control.

Keywords: allelopathy, companion planting, tomato, bioproduction

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Authors: Sirajo Abubakar, Ismail Ahmad Abir, Muhammad Sabiu Bala, Muhammad Mustapha Adejo, Aravind Shanmugaveloo

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Over the years, land subsidence has been a serious threat mostly to urban areas. Land subsidence is the sudden sinking or gradual downward settling of the ground’s surface with little or no horizontal motion. In most areas, land subsidence is a slow process that covers a large area; therefore, it is sometimes left unnoticed. South of Johor is the area of interest for this project because it is going through rapid urbanization. The objective of this research is to evaluate and identify potential deformations in the south of Johor using integrated remote sensing and 2D resistivity methods. Synthetic aperture radar interferometry (InSAR) which is a remote sensing technique has the potential to map coherent displacements at centimeter to millimeter resolutions. Persistent scatterer interferometry (PSI) stacking technique was applied to Sentinel-1 data to detect the earth deformation in the study area. A dipole-dipole configuration resistivity profiling was conducted in three areas to determine the subsurface features in that area. This subsurface features interpreted were then correlated with the remote sensing technique to predict the possible causes of subsidence and uplifts in the south of Johor. Based on the results obtained, West Johor Bahru (0.63mm/year) and Ulu Tiram (1.61mm/year) are going through uplift due to possible geological uplift. On the other end, East Johor Bahru (-0.26mm/year) and Senai (-1.16mm/year) undergo subsidence due to possible fracture and granitic boulders loading. Land subsidence must be taken seriously as it can cause serious damages to infrastructures and human life. Monitoring land subsidence and taking preventive actions must be done to prevent any disasters.

Keywords: interferometric synthetic aperture radar, persistent scatter, minimum spanning tree, resistivity, subsidence

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Authors: Lishuang Ma

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Charge transfer (CT) complex, also known as Electron donor-acceptor (EDA) complex, has received attentions increasingly in the field of synthetic chemistry community, due to the CT complex can absorb the visible light through the intermolecular charge transfer excited states, various of catalyst-free photochemical transformations under mild visible-light conditions. However, a number of fundamental questions are still ambiguous, such as the origin of visible light absorption, the photochemical and photophysical properties of the CT complex, as well as the detailed mechanism of the radical coupling pathways mediated by CT complex. Since these are critical factors for target-specific design and synthesis of more new-type CT complexes. To this end, theoretical investigations were performed in our group to answer these questions based on multiconfigurational perturbation theory. The photo-induced fluoroalkylation reactions are mediated by CT complexes, which are formed by the association of an acceptor of perfluoroalkyl halides RF−X (X = Br, I) and a suitable donor molecule such as β-naphtholate anion, were chosen as a paradigm example in this work. First, spectrum simulations were carried out by both CASPT2//CASSCF/PCM and TD-DFT/PCM methods. The computational results showed that the broadening spectra in visible light range (360-550nm) of the CT complexes originate from the 1(σπ*) excitation, accompanied by an intermolecular electron transfer, which was also found closely related to the aggregate states of the donor and acceptor. Moreover, from charge translocation analysis, the CT complex that showed larger charge transfer in the round state would exhibit smaller charge transfer in excited stated of 1(σπ*), causing blue shift relatively. Then, the excited-state potential energy surface (PES) was calculated at CASPT2//CASSCF(12,10)/ PCM level of theory to explore the photophysical properties of the CT complexes. The photo-induced C-X (X=I, Br) bond cleavage was found to occur in the triplet state, which is accessible through a fast intersystem crossing (ISC) process that is controlled by the strong spin-orbit coupling resulting from the heavy iodine and bromine atoms. Importantly, this rapid fragmentation process can compete and suppress the backward electron transfer (BET) event, facilitating the subsequent effective photochemical transformations. Finally, the reaction pathways of the radical coupling were also inspected, which showed that the radical chain propagation pathway could easy to accomplish with a small energy barrier no more than 3.0 kcal/mol, which is the key factor that promote the efficiency of the photochemical reactions induced by CT complexes. In conclusion, theoretical investigations were performed to explore the photophysical and photochemical properties of the CT complexes, as well as the mechanism of radical coupling reactions mediated by CT complex. The computational results and findings in this work can provide some critical insights into mechanism-based design for more new-type EDA complexes

Keywords: charge transfer complex, electron transfer, multiconfigurational perturbation theory, radical coupling

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Authors: Andrew Hargreaves, Peter Vale, Jonathan Whelan, Carlos Constantino, Gabriela Dotro, Pablo Campo

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As a consequence of their potential to cause harm, there are strong regulatory drivers that require metals to be removed as part of the wastewater treatment process. Bioavailability-based standards have recently been specified for copper (Cu), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni) and zinc (Zn) and are expected to reduce acceptable metal concentrations. In order to comply with these standards, wastewater treatment works may require new treatment types to enhance metal removal and it is, therefore, important to examine potential treatment options. A substantial proportion of Cu, Pb, Ni and Zn in effluent is adsorbed to and/or complexed with macromolecules (eg. proteins, polysaccharides, aminosugars etc.) that are present in the colloidal size fraction. Therefore, technologies such as coagulation-flocculation (CF) that are capable of removing colloidal particles have good potential to enhance metals removal from wastewater. The present study investigated the effectiveness of CF at removing trace metals from humus effluent using the following coagulants; ferric chloride (FeCl3), the synthetic polymer polyethyleneimine (PEI), and the biopolymers chitosan and Tanfloc. Effluent samples were collected from a trickling filter treatment works operating in the UK. Using jar tests, the influence of coagulant dosage and the velocity and time of the slow mixing stage were studied. Chitosan and PEI had a limited effect on the removal of trace metals (<35%). FeCl3 removed 48% Cu, 56% Pb and 41% Zn at the recommended dose of 0.10 mg/L. At the recommended dose of 0.25 mg/L Tanfloc removed 77% Cu, 68% Pb, 18% Ni and 42% Zn. The dominant mechanism for particle removal by FeCl3 was enmeshment in the precipitates (i.e. sweep flocculation) whereas, for Tanfloc, inter-particle bridging was the dominant removal mechanism. Overall, FeCl3 and Tanfloc were found to be most effective at removing trace metals from wastewater.

Keywords: coagulation-flocculation, jar test, trace metals, wastewater

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Authors: Malik Muhammad Arslan, Muneeb Ullah, Dai Shihan, Daniyal Haider, Xiaodong Yang

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Chest X-rays are instrumental in the detection and monitoring of a wide array of diseases, including viral infections such as COVID-19, tuberculosis, pneumonia, lung cancer, and various cardiac and pulmonary conditions. To enhance the accuracy of diagnosis, artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, particularly deep learning models like Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), are employed. However, these deep learning models demand a substantial and varied dataset to attain optimal precision. Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) can be employed to create new data, thereby supplementing the existing dataset and enhancing the accuracy of deep learning models. Nevertheless, GANs have their limitations, such as issues related to stability, convergence, and the ability to distinguish between authentic and fabricated data. In order to overcome these challenges and advance the detection and classification of CXR normal and abnormal images, this study introduces a distinctive technique known as DCWGAN (Diverse Conditional Wasserstein GAN) for generating synthetic chest X-ray (CXR) images. The study evaluates the effectiveness of this Idiosyncratic DCWGAN technique using the ResNet50 model and compares its results with those obtained using the traditional GAN approach. The findings reveal that the ResNet50 model trained on the DCWGAN-generated dataset outperformed the model trained on the classic GAN-generated dataset. Specifically, the ResNet50 model utilizing DCWGAN synthetic images achieved impressive performance metrics with an accuracy of 0.961, precision of 0.955, recall of 0.970, and F1-Measure of 0.963. These results indicate the promising potential for the early detection of diseases in CXR images using this Inimitable approach.

Keywords: CNN, classification, deep learning, GAN, Resnet50

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Authors: Shegufta Zahan, Muhammad A. Zahin, Muhammad M. Hossain, Raquib Ahsan

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Rice Husk Ash (RHA) is one of the agricultural waste byproducts available widely in the world and contains a large amount of silica. In Bangladesh, stones cannot be used as coarse aggregate in infrastructure works as they are not available and need to be imported from abroad. As a result, bricks are mostly used as coarse aggregates in concrete as they are cheaper and easily produced here. Clay is the raw material for producing brick. Due to rapid urban growth and the industrial revolution, demand for brick is increasing, which led to a decrease in the topsoil. This study aims to produce lightweight block aggregates with sufficient strength utilizing RHA at low cost and use them as an ingredient of concrete. RHA, because of its pozzolanic behavior, can be utilized to produce better quality block aggregates at lower cost, replacing clay content in the bricks. The whole study can be divided into three parts. In the first part, characterization tests on RHA and clay were performed to determine their properties. Six different types of RHA from different mills were characterized by XRD and SEM analysis. Their fineness was determined by conducting a fineness test. The result of XRD confirmed the amorphous state of RHA. The characterization test for clay identifies the sample as “silty clay” with a specific gravity of 2.59 and 14% optimum moisture content. In the second part, blocks were produced with six different types of RHA with different combinations by volume with clay. Then mixtures were manually compacted in molds before subjecting them to oven drying at 120 °C for 7 days. After that, dried blocks were placed in a furnace at 1200 °C to produce ultimate blocks. Loss on ignition test, apparent density test, crushing strength test, efflorescence test, and absorption test were conducted on the blocks to compare their performance with the bricks. For 40% of RHA, the crushing strength result was found 60 MPa, where crushing strength for brick was observed 48.1 MPa. In the third part, the crushed blocks were used as coarse aggregate in concrete cylinders and compared them with brick concrete cylinders. Specimens were cured for 7 days and 28 days. The highest compressive strength of block cylinders for 7 days curing was calculated as 26.1 MPa, whereas, for 28 days curing, it was found 34 MPa. On the other hand, for brick cylinders, the value of compressing strength of 7 days and 28 days curing was observed as 20 MPa and 30 MPa, respectively. These research findings can help with the increasing demand for topsoil of the earth, and also turn a waste product into a valuable one.

Keywords: characterization, furnace, pozzolanic behavior, rice husk ash

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Authors: Saud S. AL Oud

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Soil contamination can have dire consequences, such as loss of ecosystem and agricultural productivity, diminished food chain quality, tainted water resources, economic loss, and human and animal illness. In recent years, attention has focused on the development of in situ immobilization methods that are generally less expensive and disruptive to the natural landscape, hydrology, and ecosystems than are conventional excavation treatments, and disposal methods. Soft, inexpensive, and efficient agents were used in the present research to immobilize Pb in polluted sandy soil. Five agents, either naturally occurring or chemically prepared, were used for this purpose. These agents include; iron ore (72% Fe2O3), cement, a mixture of calcite and shale rich in aluminum (CASH), and two chemically prepared amorphous materials of Al- and Fe-gel. These agents were selected due to their ability to specifically adsorb heavy metals onto their surface OH functional groups, which provide permanent immobilization of metal pollutants and reduce the fraction that is potentially mobile or bioavailable. The efficiency of these agents in immobilizing Pb were examined in a laboratory experiment, in which two rates (0.5 and 1.0 %) of tested agents were added to the polluted soils containing total contents of Pb ranging from 17.4-49.8 mg/kg. The results show that all immobilizing agents were succeed in minimizing the mobile form of Pb as extracted by 0.5 N HNO3. The extracted Pb decreased with increasing addition rate of immobilizing agents. At addition rate of 0.5%, HNO3 extractable-Pb varied widely depending on the agents type and were found to represent 21-67% of the initial values. All agents were able to reduce mobile Pb to levels lower than that (2.0 mg/kg) reported for non polluted soil, particularly for soils had initials of mobile Pb less than 10 mg/kg. Both iron oxide and CASH had the highest efficiency in immobilizing Pb, followed by cement, then amorphous materials of Fe and Al hydroxides.

Keywords: soil, synthetic chemical, lead, immobilization, polluted

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Authors: T. Manzur, S. Iffat, M. A. Noor

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In this paper, relationship between different properties of IC concrete and water cement ratio, obtained from a comprehensive experiment conducted on IC using local materials (Burnt clay chips- BC) is presented. In addition, saturated SAP was used as an IC material in some cases. Relationships have been developed through regression analysis. The focus of this analysis is on developing relationship between a dependent variable and an independent variable. Different percent replacements of BC and water cement ratios were used. Compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, water permeability and chloride permeability were tested and variations of these parameters were analyzed with respect to water cement ratio.

Keywords: compressive strength, concrete, curing, lightweight, aggregate, superabsorbent polymer, internal curing

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