In this work, the antibacterial effectiveness of face masks made from polypropylene, against Candida albicans and Pseudomonas aeruginosa pathogenic was improved by soaking in gold nanoparticles suspension prepared by a one-step precipitation method. The fabricated nanoparticles at different concentrations were characterized by UV-visible absorption and showed a broad surface Plasmon band at around 520 nm. The FE-SEM images showed the polypropylene fibres highly attached with the spherical AuNPs of diameters around 25 nm over the surfaces of the soaked fibres. The Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) of pure and treated face masks in AuNPs conform to the characteristics bands for the polypropylene bands. There are some differences

In composite steel-concrete structures, shear connectors in the form of headed steel studs are commonly utilized to transfer longitudinal shear force developed at the interface between the two materials. To overcome the shortcomings of design codes, which frequently understate shear capacity and fail to take advantage of sophisticated computational methods, this paper presents an optimization attempt to estimate the shear strength of headed steel studs utilizing the Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO) technique using MATLAB software. Data from 234 experimental tests are employed to identify and highlight key input parameters influencing the shear strength of headed steel studs. These key parameters include concrete compressive strength (f’c

This research explores the preparation of polypyrrole (PPy) using chemical oxidation and its enhancement with graphene oxide (GO) for optical sensor applications. PPy was synthesized by polymerizing pyrrole monomers with ferric chloride (Fe2Cl3) as the oxidant. The resulting PPy was then combined with GO to form a composite material, aiming to improve its electrical and optical properties. Polypyrrole nanofibers were obtained and after adding graphene oxide, the sensitivity increased. Characterization techniques including UV-Vis spectroscopy, DC conductivity measurements, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) and response of photocurrent analysis were employed. The incorporation of GO into PPy resulted in a significant reducti

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is a potent vasoconstrictor hormone that has been identified as an important factor
responsible for the development of cardiovascular dysfunctions. ET-1 exerts its vasoconstrictor activity
through two pharmacologically distinct receptors, ETA and ETB that are found in vascular smooth muscle
cells (VSMCs) and the vasodilator activity through an ETB receptor located on endothelial cells. This study
aimed to show the impact of 1µM L-arginine (LA), 100µM tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), and their combined
effect on ET-1 activity in both lead-treated and lead-untreated rat aortic rings. This means, investigating how
endothelial dysfunction reverses the role of nitric oxide precursor and cofa

This work investigates the impacts of eccentric-inclined load on ring footing performance resting on treated and untreated weak sandy soil, and due to the reduction in the footing carrying capacity due to the combinations of eccentrically-inclined load, the geogrid was used as reinforcement material. Ring radius ratio and reinforcement depth ratio parameters were investigated. Test outcomes showed that the carrying capacity of the footing decreases with the increment in the eccentric-inclined load and footing radius ratio. Furthermore, footing tilt and horizontal displacement increase with increasing the eccentricity and inclination angle, respectively. At the same time, the increment in the horizontal displacement due t

This study aims to analyze the spectral properties of plasma produced from rice husk(Rh) using the laser breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) method. The plasma generation process used the fundamental harmonic (1064 nm) of a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. Yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) is a man-made crystalline material. The laser fired pulses with a duration of 10 ns and a repetition rate of 6 Hz. Thus, the energy outputs achieved were 50–200 mJ at the wavelength of 1064 (nm). The silica content in the rice hulls was verified using an XRF measurement, which revealed the presence of silica in the rice hulls in a high percentage. Precise beam focusing was achieved by focusing the laser on the target material. This target material is placed with