Concrete is widely used in construction materials since early 1800's. It has been known that concrete is weak in tension, so it requires some addition materials to have ductile behavior and enhance its tensile strength and strain capacity to improve their uses. In this study reactive powder concrete (RPC) was used with steel fiber by using different types of cement; (Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and/or Portland- Limestone cement (PLC)) with three types of mixtures (OPC at the first mix, 50 % OPC and 50 % PLC at the second mix and PLC at the third mix). The behavior of RPC with steel fibers on compressive strength and tensile strength of concrete with different ages of curing (7, 14, 28 and 60) days and shrinkage have been studied. The clo

         Melatonin is a potent scavenger of reactive oxygen species or free radicals like superoxide and hydroxyl radicals. The oxidation of hemoglobin to methemoglobin (meth-Hb) by oxidizing compounds has been widely studied. The present work was designed to evaluate the ability of different concentrations of melatonin to inhibit nitrite–induced oxidation of hemoglobin. Blood samples were obtained from apparently healthy individuals from which erythrocyte hemolysate was prepared. Different concentrations of melatonin (10^-9-1.0 mg/ml) were incubated for 10 min with the hemolysate, then to the resultant mixture 1 ml of sodium nitrite (final concentration 0.6 mM) was added, and the

Sequencing technologies have reshaped the study of the subgingival microbiome, but selecting the appropriate method remains challenging because of differences in resolution, cost, host DNA contamination, and computational complexity. This review compares 16S rRNA sequencing, full-length 16S, shotgun metagenomics, and metatranscriptomics with respect to taxonomic resolution, functional output, sample requirements, and analytical limitations. Key practical issues, including low microbial biomass, contamination control, and the choice of appropriate bioinformatic tools, are emphasized to help researchers avoid common pitfalls. A decision-making framework is provided to link study goals to suitable sequencing methods while outlining rea

We describe the synthesis and characterization of a novel 2D-MnOx material using a combination of HR-TEM, XAS, XRD, and reactivity measurements. The ease with which the 2D material can be made and the conditions under which it can be made implies that water oxidation catalysts previously described as “birnessite-like” (3D) may be better thought of as 2D materials with very limited layer stacking. The distinction between the materials as being “birnessite-like” and “2D” is important because it impacts on our understanding of the function of these materials in the environment and as catalysts. The 2D-MnOx material is noted to be a substantially stronger chemical oxidant than previously noted for other birnessite-like manganese oxi

By- products of corn starch industry were used to prepare media for propagation the lactic acid bacteria as a natural auxotroph. The by- products used were the corn steep water (S) and gluten extract (G) after a proper treatment to get them ready for media preparation. The results showed that it was possible to replace the peptone and meat extract by gluten extract in MRS medium. The growth was approximately similar to that obtained in standard MRS media. Corn steep water (S) was used as well and the growth enhanced by including Tween – 80 at 1% level. The later media named MZ, which was superior for growing standard and local strains and starters. The MZ medium modified by adding acetate and glacial acetic acid similarly to

Abstract

In this work, diabetic glucose concentration level control under disturbing meal has been controlled using two set of advanced controllers. The first set is sliding mode controllers (classical and integral) and the second set is represented by optimal LQR controllers (classical and Min-, ax). Due to their characteristic features of disturbance rejection, both integral sliding mode controller and LQR Minmax controller are dedicated here for comparison. The Bergman minimal mathematical model was used to represent the dynamic behavior of a diabetic patient’s blood glucose concentration to the insulin injection. Simulations based on Matlab/Simulink, were performed to verify the performance of each controll

In this study, Zizphus spina-christi leaf powder was applied for the adsorption of methyl orange. The effect of different operating parameters on the Batch Process adsorption was investigated such as solution pH (2-12), effect of contact time (0-60 min.), initial dye concentration (2-20 mg/L), effect of adsorbent dosage (0-4.5 g) and effect of temperature (20-50ᵒC). The results show a maximum removal rate and adsorption capacity (%R= 23.146, q_e = 2.778 mg/g) at pH = 2 and equilibrium was reached at 40 min. The pseudo- second-order kinetics were found to be best fit for the removal process (R² = 0.997). Different isotherm models (Langmuir, Freundlich, Dubini-Radushkevich,Temkin)  were applied in this stud