Aggregation Test Research Articles

Cost of Serum Versus Skin Allergy Testing Among Medicare Fee-for-Service Beneficiaries in the United States.

Background: Testing for allergic sensitization can be achieved similarly via skin or serum specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE) testing, although the costs of each method differ. Objective: This study compared cost and utilization of allergy testing utilizing skin vs sIgE testing and whether equal access (parity) to both testing methods affects overall allergy testing costs among Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries in the United States. Methods: Allergy test utilization and payment data were analyzed using 100% 2019 Medicare fee-for-service claims data. Beneficiaries with any sIgE test, skin prick test, or intradermal skin test associated with ICD-10 codes of allergic rhinitis, asthma, and food allergy were included. Aggregate and per-beneficiary testing cost, number of allergens tested, and number of allergy-related specialist visits incurred were estimated by the testing patterns of sIgE only, skin prick only, intradermal only, skin prick and intradermal, and sIgE plus prick and/or intradermal. Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) with parity for all allergy tests and those which restricted sIgE testing were compared. Multivariate linear regression was performed on the association between testing patterns and each cost and utilization measure, controlling for parity, age, sex, race/ethnicity, and dual-eligible status. Results: We analyzed 270 831 patients and 327 263 allergy-related claims. Total payment for all allergy tests was $71 380 866, including $15 903 954 for sIgE tests, $42 223 930 for skin prick tests, and $13 252 982 for intradermal tests. Beneficiaries receiving sIgE tests had only 1.8 fewer allergist visits than those with skin prick tests only (0.8 vs 2.6). Cost of testing per beneficiary was also lower in sIgE testing only compared with skin prick tests only ($161 vs $247). Multivariable regression results showed per-beneficiary payments for allergy testing were on average $22 lower in MACs with parity compared with MACs without parity. Discussion: Serum specific IgE testing is associated with lower costs and fewer allergy specialist visits compared with skin testing. Insurance coverage with parity toward sIgE and skin testing is associated with lower overall costs of allergy testing. Conclusion: Among Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries in the United States, sIgE testing may be more cost effective compared with skin testing in the management of allergic disease.

Ethyl acetate extract of Gastrodiaelata protects Caenorhabditis elegans from oxidative stress and amyloid β peptide toxicity.

Gastrodia elata Blume is a traditional Chinese medicine with a long history, which has numerous pharmacological activities, such as anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation and protection of nerves. The present study investigated the regulatory effect of ethyl acetate extract of Gastrodia elata (EEGE) on the β-amyloid (Aβ) toxicity of Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). First, the main components of EEGE were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography, and the total phenols, total flavonoids and total antioxidant capacity of EEGE were determined. Next, the regulation effect of EEGE on Aβ-induced toxicity of C. elegans was evaluated through experiments on nematode paralysis, lifespan, oxidative and heat stress, locomotor ability, reproductive ability, reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, Aβ aggregation test, malondialdehyde (MDA) level, catalase (CAT) activity and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Finally, the mechanism of EEGE was elucidated using RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) and the expression levels of related genes were verified using quantitative PCR. The present study revealed that the main components of EEGE included phosphorylated (p)-hydroxybenzyl alcohol, p-hydroxybenzaldehyde and 4,4'-dihydroxydiphenylmethane, possessing strong in vitro free radical scavenging and reducing abilities. In addition, after the intervention of EEGE, the paralysis of nematodes could be delayed, the survival time of the nematodes was prolonged, the survival rate of the nematodes under stress (high temperature and oxidation) conditions was improved, the activity capacity and reproductive capacity of the nematodes were improved, the activities of SOD and CAT were improved and the levels of ROS and MDA were reduced. Notably, EEGE directly inhibited Aβ plaque aggregation in nematodes. RNA-Seq analysis showed that EEGE regulated metabolism and longevity-related genes, and these genes were regulated by the insulin/IGF-1 signaling (IIS) pathway. Therefore, the present study hypothesized that the regulatory mechanism of EEGE was significantly related to the IIS pathway. The present research results demonstrated that the protective effect of EEGE on transgenic C. elegans was to reduce Aβ protein aggregation, improve the in vivo antioxidant level, effectively remove free radicals and to regulate the expression of genes related to IIS pathway, thereby reducing Aβ-induced toxicity and delaying nematode paralysis.

POTENTIAL OF ALOE VERA GEL AS AN ALTERNATIVE INDUCTOR IN PLATELET AGGREGATION TEST

Platelet aggregation test is important in evaluation platelet function. Inductors are substances that stimulate the aggregation process. The use of ADP (adenosine diphosphate as an inductor has the disadvantage of being costly and difficult to obtain. Aloe vera is a plant from Africa which has been widely used for wound healing, therefore has the potential as an alternative inductor agent. This study aims to elucidate the effectiveness of Aloe vera gel as a platelet inductor compared to ADP reagent with the Velaskar method. This research started with the preparation of fresh Aloe vera to obtain Aloe vera gel. Then, venous blood was taken from 16 participants for platelet aggregation test. Platelet aggregation test was divided into two groups, namely ADP group (addition of ADP) and Aloe vera group (addition of aloe vera gel). The last step was analyze the results of platelet aggregation and statistically using the Independent Sample T-test. The average of percentage platelet aggregation with ADP and Aloe vera gel was 88.2 ± 5.6% and 85.7 ± 5.4%, respectively. Independent sample T-test analysis showed no significant difference between the percentage of platelet aggregation with ADP and Aloe vera gel. In conclusion, Aloe vera gel has the potential as an alternate platelet inductor. Some of the benefits of aloe vera gel are the ability to induce platelets as well as ADP, the application does not affect the morphology of erythrocytes, economical and practical (does not require elaborate preparation). Although the disadvantage is pure Aloe vera gel includes several components that able affect the performance of Aloe vera gel as an inductor.

Proposition of a methodology for the evaluation of adhesiveness (pull-off test) of aggregate−geopolymer binder interfaces

Portland cement concrete is the most used material in civil construction, but it is a source of greenhouse gases emissions. In addition, its Interfacial Transition Zone (ITZ) is a point of weakness, which limits its performance and application, generating pathological manifestations throughout its service life, decreasing mechanical and durability properties. In this context, geopolymer concretes arise for as a potentially sustainable building material with a much reduced and denser ITZ, when compared to ordinary cement Portland concrete. However, there is a lack of methodology to evaluate the aggregate-geopolymer interface and objectively evaluate compatibility between such new binder and aggregate particles. In other materials, adhesion tests are performed to obtain parameters related to adhesiveness. Provided that context, this work aims to propose a methodology to evaluate the adhesiveness of aggregates and geopolymer binders. For this, a pull-off test based on AASHTO TP 361 (T 361: Standard method of test for determining binder bond strength by means of the binder bond strength (BBS) test, 2022) is proposed, with particular adaptation with respect to specimens’ preparation. The main proposed modifications were: (i) the application method of the binder over a wider surface; and (ii) the use of epoxy glue to attach the pull-off elements (dollies) to ensure the bonding to the geopolymer binder film. Modifications allowed to test the geopolymer adhered to the rock in order to obtain the necessary experimental results. For validation, interfaces composed of a geopolymer binder based on fly ash and steel slag glued onto two granitic rocks (biotite) were prepared and tested. For the test according to AASHTO TP 361 (2022), without the proposed modifications, the adhesion between the geopolymer binder and the equipment proved to be insufficient. Then, with the proposed modified methodology the results were more consistent, in which the specimens showed suitable adhesion for the test. Then, this work contributed to an empirical characterization of adhesiveness for aggregate-geopolymer binder interfaces, enabling adequate analyses regarding the durability, to avoid future pathologies resulting from a weak ITZ and evaluations without huge costs in time and resources.

Effect of Graphene Oxide on compressive strength of Shale Ceramsite high strength lightweight aggregate concrete

The use of shale ceramsite to produce high-strength lightweight concrete (HSLWC) in the construction industry is an effective method for sustainable development and environmental protection. The growing demand for HSLWC has stimulated the development of nanomaterials to further enhance mechanical properties. This study investigated the effect of graphene oxide (GO) on the properties of HSLWC with shale ceramsite as a coarse and fine aggregate, including workability, density, compressive strength, and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) test. The control mixture was designed according to the standard of grade 40 high strength concrete, and four groups of mixtures were prepared by adding doses of GO at 0.00%, 0.02%, 0.04% and 0.06% by weight of cement to the control mixture. The experimental results showed that HSLWC with the 28-day compressive in the range of 43-54 MPa and the oven dry density of 1705-1783 kg/m3 could be produced by using shale ceramsite and shale pottery sand as coarse aggregate and fine aggregate, respectively. Simultaneously, adding a low content of GO to HSLWC could slightly increase the density, rationally reduce the slump, and significantly enhance the compressive strength. The EDS results showed that the reason for the increase in compressive strength was that GO could accelerate the cement hydration process and regulate the crystal morphology of the cement.

Aggregate Entity Authentication Identifying Invalid Entities with Group Testing

It is common to implement challenge-response entity authentication with a MAC function. In such an entity authentication scheme, aggregate MAC is effective when a server needs to authenticate many entities. Aggregate MAC aggregates multiple tags (responses to a challenge) generated by entities into one short aggregate tag so that the entities can be authenticated simultaneously regarding only the aggregate tag. Then, all associated entities are valid if the pair of a challenge and the aggregate tag is valid. However, a drawback of this approach is that invalid entities cannot be identified when they exist. To resolve the drawback, we propose group-testing aggregate entity authentication by incorporating group testing into entity authentication using aggregate MAC. We first formalize the security requirements and present a generic construction. Then, we reduce the security of the generic construction to that of aggregate MAC and group testing. We also enhance the generic construction to instantiate a secure scheme from a simple and practical but weaker aggregate MAC scheme. Finally, we show some results on performance evaluation.

Identification of influential rare variants in aggregate testing using random forest importance measures.

Aggregate tests of rare variants are often employed to identify associated regions compared to sequentially testing each individual variant. When an aggregate test is significant, it is of interest to identify which rare variants are "driving" the association. We recently developed the rare variant influential filtering tool (RIFT) to identify influential rare variants and showed RIFT had higher true positive rates compared to other published methods. Here we use importance measures from the standard random forest (RF) and variable importance weighted RF (vi-RF) to identify influential variants. For very rare variants (minor allele frequency [MAF]<0.001), the vi-RF:Accuracy method had the highest median true positive rate (TPR=0.24; interquartile range [IQR]: 0.13, 0.42) followed by the RF:Accuracy method (TPR=0.16; IQR: 0.07, 0.33) and both were superior to RIFT (TPR=0.05; IQR: 0.02, 0.15). Among uncommon variants (0.001<MAF<0.03), the RF methods had higher true positive rates than RIFT while observing comparable false positive rates. Finally, we applied the RF methods to a targeted resequencing study in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), in which the vi-RF approach identified eight and seven variants in TERT and FAM13A, respectively. In summary, the vi-RF provides an improved, objective approach to identifying influential variants following a significant aggregate test. We have expanded our previously developed R package RIFT to include the random forest methods.

Effect of Bamboo Leaf Ash on The Properties of Geopolymer Concrete at Ambient Curing Temperature

As a result of the growing environmental concerns in the cement industry and the rising cost of building materials, alternative cement technologies have become an area of increasing interest. In this study, geopolymer concrete containing fly ash class F and bamboo leaf ash was chosen as a cement substitute in concrete manufacturing. This research was an experimental study evaluating the effect of bamboo leaf ash (BLA) on geopolymer concrete by addition as a partial replacement of fly ash. The test samples were 100 x 100 x 100 mm cubes and 300 x 150 mm cylinders at the ambient curing temperature. The design mix of C25 was used for this study. This research aimed to explore the suitability of the use of bamboo leaf ash as a mixing material in geopolymer concrete in more environmentally friendly industries. The properties that were investigated in this study are the basic aggregate tests, XRF analyses of BLA and fly ash, and workability tests by evaluating slump and compaction factor tests. In addition, compressive strength and splitting tensile strength of 28, 56, and 90 days. Therefore, in this study, various levels of bamboo leaf ash were utilized, including 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% BLA. The alkaline liquid-to-binder ratio for all mixes was constant at 0.6, while the Na2SiO3 to NaOH ratio was 2.5. The test results of the workability show that the increased amount of bamboo leaf ash gradually reduces the alkaline liquid. The result of compressive and splitting tensile showed that fly ash substitutes that contained 5% and 10% of the bamboo leaf had higher strengths of about 38.7 MPa, 40.8 MPa, 4 MPa, and 4.22 MPa, respectively than other mixtures. Therefore, bamboo leaf ash can be one of the constituent materials used to improve the mechanical properties of geopolymer concrete

Portal vein thrombosis associates with high platelet-fibrin clot strength and platelet activation in decompensated cirrhosis: A retrospective study.

Alteration of platelet status associates with decompensation and death in cirrhosis, while its effect on portal vein thrombosis (PVT) remains unclear. We aimed to retrospectively investigate whether PVT associates with platelet-fibrin clot strength and platelet activation in decompensated cirrhosis. Platelet-fibrin clot strength (G) was measured by thromboelastography (TEG). Platelet activation was reflected by plasma concentrations of soluble p-selectin (sPs) and a platelet aggregation test adjusted for platelet counts. Among 166 patients, 45 had PVT. The platelet count was significantly lower in PVT. While the G value was positively correlated with platelet count (ρ=0.74, P < 0.01), increased G was associated with PVT after adjusting for platelet count in the logistic regression (P=0.04). The normalized G value according to the linear relation with platelet count was calculated as follows: Gplatelet=[(G - 2622)/platelet count]. This coefficient had no correlation with platelet count and was an independent risk factor of PVT (OR=1.03, CI95%: 1.01-1.05, P=0.012). In two subanalyses, the collagen-induced platelet aggregation (n=37, P=0.029) and plasma concentration of sPs (n=56, P=0.001) adjusted for platelet count were significantly higher in PVT. This study showed a positive correlation of high platelet-fibrin clot strength detected via TEG and platelet activation with PVT in decompensated cirrhosis.

The efficacy of sodium ferulate combination therapy in coronary heart disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundSodium ferulate (SF), a derivative of ferulic acid, is one of the active constituents in medicinal plants thought to be useful in fighting cardiovascular diseases. However, there still lacks a systematic review of the efficacy and safety of SF in treating coronary heart disease (CHD). It is therefore the purpose of this study to comprehensively review all clinical randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of SF in CHD to assess its efficacy and safety. MethodsAll analysis is based on 8 databases as of February 2023, which includes 35 outcomes of RCTs that investigate the effect of SF combination therapy in CHD. The present study evaluates the quality and bias of selected literature by the Jadad scale and Cochrane Collaboration's tools, and also the quality of evidence by GRADE Profiler. Furthermore, it applies sensitivity analysis to assess the high heterogeneity impact of outcomes and conducted subgroup analysis to estimate the influence factors in these studies. The study protocol was set documented, and published beforehand in PROSPERO (Registration No.CRD42022348841). ResultsThe meta-analysis of 36 studies (with 3207 patients) shows that SF combined with conventional drugs has improved clinical effectiveness for patients with CHD [RR: 1.21 (95% CI 1.17,1.26); p < 0.00001]. Statistically significant results of meta-analyses are also seen in electrocardiography (ECG) efficacy, frequency of angina attacks, endothelium-dependent flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD), nitric oxide (NO), endothelin (ET), whole Blood low shear rate (LS), platelet aggregation test (PAgT), C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL6), triglyceride (TG). Adverse events are reported in 6 RCTs. By GRADE approaches, 2 outcomes (clinical efficacy, CRP) indicate a moderate quality of evidence, 17 outcomes indicate low quality of evidence, with the other 16 very low-quality. ConclusionSF combination therapy has a better curative effect than conventional therapy. However, due to items with low-quality evidence demonstrated in the study, the presence of clinical heterogeneity, and imprecision in partial outcome measures, all these led to limitations in the evidence of this study. Thus, the conclusion needs to be further verified by more in-depth research.

Інтервальна оцінка показників надійності за результатами випробувань компонентів складної системи

The goal of this work is to find the lower estimate of the no-failure probability (NFP) of a complex monotonic nonrecoverable system from the results of independent binomial tests of its components. Using the general-and-probabilistic method, the NFP is considered as a probability function polynomial, which is a linear homogeneous polynomial in each of the S variables where S is the number of system component types. Based on the method of confidence sets, the NFP lower estimate is found as the minimum of a function of an unknown multidimensional parameter at a probability of the aggregate test results (failure-free operation) of the system components equal to one minus the guaranteed confidence coefficient. The paper reports a system of equations, each of which for two component types relates the component reliability derivatives of the NFP (and one more equation relates the component reliability and the confidence coefficient). Conditions are found for the initial guess in a numerical solution of the above system of nonlinear equations (the number of the conditions is equal to the number of the component types minus one; each condition is a like sign for two functions each of which depends on the probability of the test results of a particular component type and the component reliability of this probability). In some specific cases, the program dimension can be reduced due to the simple structure of the probability function polynomial. The presented method gives a confidence reliability estimate with a guaranteed confidence coefficient for complex system that cannot be reduced to a serial-parallel or a parallel-serial structure and consist of components with an arbitrary type of failure time distribution. The method allows one to get an estimate at a small number of tests and a small number of failures or in their absence, which is of especial importance for high-reliability systems.

Laboratory diagnosis of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia: A retrospective experience.

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a severe complication of heparin therapy associated with thrombosis that requires a quick diagnosis. Therefore, laboratory assays must provide an accurate and swift answer. This work aims to evaluate the performances of an ELISA assay, especially when combined with 4T risk score, and a functional assay. Data were collected for 894 patients treated by heparin who underwent anticoagulant switch because of HIT suspicion and were examined by a multidisciplinary expert team who confirmed or ruled out HIT diagnosis. All patients were tested for anti-PF4 IgG with Asserachrom HPIA IgG (ELISA), and 307 were tested with a platelet aggregation test done on platelet-rich plasma (PRP-PAT). The 4T risk score was available for 607 of them. HIT was diagnosed in 232 patients. 4T risk score had a 94.2% negative predictive value (NPV) for risk scores ≤3 and 77.3% for risk scores ≤5. The sensitivity of ELISA was 90.9%, its specificity 79.0%, and its NPV 96.1%. When combined with 4T risk score, its NPV reached 100% and 97% for risk scores ≤3 and ≤5, respectively. PRP-PAT sensitivity was 70.4%, and its specificity was 92.3%. Combination of ELISA and PRP-PAT had a 0.7% false-negative rate. This study shows that ELISA can rule out HIT with an excellent NPV, especially when combined with the 4T risk score. Nonetheless, it has low specificity; hence, it needs to be associated with a functional assay.

A Comparative Study of PTS and Manual Transportation for Platelet Count and Aggregation Test

The transportation effect of the Pneumatic Tube System (PTS) on platelet activity remains controversial. This study aimed to analyze the effect of PTS in the platelet aggregation test in Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Jakarta. This cross-sectional study was carried out in the Clinical Pathology Laboratory of Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital (RSUPNCM) from March to April 2021. There were 50 subjects involved in this study, each of whom 6 sodium citrate blood tubes were extracted. Three tubes were sent through PTS while the rest were transported manually. All tubes were then tested for platelet count and platelet aggregation using ADP agonists of 1 uM, 5 uM, and 10 uM. There was a lower platelet count (p=0.046) and platelet aggregation in ADP 1 uM (p=0.037), ADP 5 uM (p &lt;0.001), and ADP 10 uM (p &lt;0.001) at PTS-transported samples. Eleven samples were interpreted distinctively as low platelet aggregation in PTS transportation became normal in manual delivery. Cohen’s Kappa value was 0.51 (p &lt;0.001). A decreasing platelet count and platelet aggregation in PTS samples indicated that acceleration and deceleration during transportation could lead to platelet activation, thus resulting in a lower result after being added to an agonist. Cohen's Kappa test showed that manual transportation could not be replaced with PTS for the platelet aggregation test. Platelet count and platelet aggregation were found to be lower in PTS-transported samples. It was suggested to centralize specimen taking for platelet aggregation tests, thus manual transportation can be conducted more efficiently.

Effects of Horsetail, Alfalfa, Ortie, Chêne and Aleppo oak as Potential Hemostatic Agents on Laboratory Coagulation Tests

This study investigated the effect of ethanol extracts of horsetail, alfalfa, ortie, chêne and aleppo oak on blood coagulation in vitro. Extraction was performed by the maceration method. Extracts were mixed with platelet and plasma, then prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and platelet aggregation tests were conducted. Alfalfa extract had a dose-dependent effect on the PT. Ortie, and horsetail, reduced the PT significantly compared to control group. Alfalfa, horsetail, and ortie reduced the APTT, but their effect was insignificant compared to the control group. The pooled extract showed the highest effect compared to the single extracts in a dose-dependent manner. Horsetail and alfalfa induced platelet aggregation in response to arachidonic acid but not in response to collagen. In the case of ortie, no aggregation occurred regarding the arachidonic acid, and incomplete was observed in response to collagen. Interestingly, blood clotting occurred immediately after adding the chêne, aleppo oak and the pooled extract, and therefore platelet poor plasma (PPP) and platelet rich plasma (PRP) became jelly. Generally, chêne and aleppo oak, as well as pooled extract, were more effective in inducing both primary and secondary coagulation pathways via shortening the PT and APTT, and induction of platelet aggregation.

De-escalação de inibidores dos receptores P2Y12 após intervenção coronária percutânea

In patients who have acute coronary syndromes and are treated with percutaneous coronary intervention, the prescription of a dual antiplatelet regimen, consisting of acetylsalicylic acid and a P2Y12 receptor inhibitor, is mandatory, contributing to the reduction of major cardiac events. However, while preventing ischemic events, this association may precipitate major bleeding complications, which is more commonly seen when more potent drugs, such as prasugrel or ticagrelor, are prescribed. These findings led to the search for therapeutic alternatives that could maintain the protection against ischemic events and, at the same time, prevent the occurrence of hemorrhages. One of the strategies being studied is de-escalation of P2Y12 inhibitors, which consists of the use of more potent drugs in an early phase after the procedure, replacing them with clopidogrel, after a period of, in general, 30 days of clinical course. Another possibility would be to simply reduce the dose of the most potent drug, which so far can only be considered with prasugrel. De-escalation can be done in a guided way, using objective measuring tests of platelet aggregation or exams to assess the genetic profile of patients, or unguided, in which the cardiologist simply replaces or reduces the dose at the end of the stipulated period, with no ancillary tests. The literature includes clinical trials with these two strategy options, which are discussed in this review. So far, no medical guideline explicitly recommends the regular use of this therapeutic alternative.

Geological and Geotechnical Assessment of Aggregates Used in Nagar Parker District Tharparkar Sindh Pakistan

Abstract This study aims to determine the geology of granite and evaluate the engineering properties of the samples to make recommendations for the construction industry. The study area is situated in the Nagar Parker complex in Pakistan, which is located in the extreme south-east of the Thar District and the desert of the Sindh Province, near the Run of Kutch (240° 15′–35 30′ N, 70° 40′–58 07′ E), and it covers ca. 500–1,000 km2. In this region, several Quaternary deposits, subordinate and dispersed Jurassic–Tertiary sandstones and clays are overlying the Nagar Igneous Complex basement. According to international standards, there are various possible aggregate sources. However, only a few of them have been reviewed for suitability reasons. Six quarries in Nagar Parker, Pakistan, were selected for evaluation as coarse aggregate in concrete construction and civil engineering works in this research. Although the aggregates from the six quarries are specified and already widely used in the Sindh Province, there is a lack of studies on their geological properties. The results of the presented research revealed that samples from Dhedvero, Karai, Nagarparkar, Mokrio, Dinsi and Wadlai meet all of the international standard requirements for aggregates. Geotechnical, petrographic and geochemistry laboratory tests were conducted in this research and included bulk density, water absorption, specific gravity test, index of flakiness and elongation, soundness aggregate test, crushing value aggregate, impact value aggregate and abrasion value of Los Angeles. Furthermore, chemical alkali-silica reaction potential test and petrographic examination were tested. As a result, we evaluated the properties of granite, which is a crystalline igneous rock with a visibly crystalline structure and texture, made up of feldspar, i.e., potash feldspar and oligoclase. The evaluated minerals are compatible with the standards of civil engineering works and can be used as a concrete aggregate. The evaluated three types of minerals included Dhedvero simple intrusion, Nagar pink granite and grey granite.

Assessment of Crushing Potential of Coarse Aggregates for Asphalt Concrete Mixtures

This paper aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a mechanical test that can assess the quality of mineral aggregates commonly used to produce asphalt concrete, in relation to crushing potential, in a more consistent and repeatable manner. Several aggregate types including limestone, dolomite, sandstone, granite, and gravel were sampled from different locations around Texas. The aggregate samples were subjected to various mechanical aggregate tests, primarily the aggregate crushing value (ACV) (BS 812-110:1990) test. A new index, the aggregate crushing potential (ACP), is proposed for the ACV test to improve its characterization potential. The main output parameters from aggregate tests such as the Los Angeles abrasion, magnesium sulfate soundness, acid-insoluble residue, and micro-deval abrasion, which are routinely performed to discriminate the properties of coarse aggregates, were collected. In addition, the dynamic friction test was conducted to measure the friction properties of several of the aggregate sources. Analyses were carried out between the ACV test results and the measured aggregate parameters. The proposed ACP index was identified as a suitable indicator of the durability of coarse aggregates. From this study, the ACV test partnered with the ACP index showed potential to delineate the quality of aggregates, in relation to crushing resistance, more practically and consistently, and eventually may supplant more tedious aggregate test methods.

Repartitioning-based aggregate generation method for fast modeling 3D mesostructure of asphalt concrete

A repartitioning-based aggregate generation method is proposed to establish the three-dimensional mesostructure models of asphalt mixture. In this method, a stepwise partitioning procedure is proposed to repeatedly partition the specimen space into Voronoi cells with high variation in shape and size. The number of the Voronoi cells is determined by dividing the volume of the specimen space by the volume of a so-called equivalent sphere; in this way, the sizes of the generated Voronoi cells can be controlled around the sizes of the equivalent spheres. Also, a reshaping-classifying-picking procedure is developed and applied to the Voronoi cells to obtain very realistic aggregates with expected gradations to form final mesostructures. The effectiveness of the repartitioning-based aggregate generation method was validated by using the aggregate gradation and complex modulus test data of asphalt concrete. Compared with several recent aggregate generation methods, the proposed method can faster generate three-dimensional mesostructures with large dimension and high aggregate content. Besides, it can explain quantitatively the effects of mesostructural properties on macromechanical characteristics of asphalt concrete, thus providing an efficient and robust tool for advancing material design of asphalt concrete.

Investigating the Protective Role of Biochaga Drug on Structural Changes of Bovine Serum Albumin in the Presence of Methyl tert-butyl Ether.

The health benefits of natural products have a long history. Chaga (Inonotus obliques) is used in traditional medicine and is an essential antioxidant for protecting the body from oxidants. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced routinely due to metabolic processes. However, environmental pollution factors such as methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) can increase oxidative stress in the human body. MTBE is widely used as a fuel oxygenator that can harm health. The widespread use of MTBE has posed significant threats to the environment by polluting environmental resources, including groundwater. This compound can accumulate in the bloodstream by inhaling polluted air, with a strong affinity for blood proteins. The primary mechanism of MTBE's harmful effects is ROS production. The use of antioxidants may help reduce MTBE oxidation conditions. The present study proposes that biochaga, as an antioxidant, can reduce MTBE damage in the bovine serum albumin (BSA) structure. This study investigated the role of different concentrations of biochaga in the structural change of BSA in the presence of MTBE by biophysical methods such as UV-Vis, fluorescence, FTIR spectroscopy, DPPH radical inhibition method, aggregation test, and molecular docking. Research at the molecular level is critical to investigate the structural change of proteins by MTBE and the protective effect of the ideal dose (2.5µg/ml) of biochaga. the results of spectroscopic examinations showed that the concentration of 2.5µg/ml of biochaga has the least destructive effect on the structure of BSA in the presence and absence of MTBE, and it can play as an antioxidant.

Myeloproliferative Neoplasms and Aspirin: Does Increased Platelet Turnover Matter?

Platelet aggregation tests and the analysis of thromboxane A2 metabolites [serum thromboxane B2 (TXB2) and urine 11-dehydro TXB2] are used to evaluate the efficacy of aspirin. In myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), the immature platelet fraction (IPF) rises due to enhanced platelet turnover, and this has been thought to reduce the efficacy of aspirin. This phenomenon is overcome by the recommendation of aspirin intake in divided doses. We aimed to evaluate aspirin efficacy in patients who were receiving aspirin treatment of 100 mg/day. Thirty-eight MPN patients and 30 control patients (non-MPN patients who received a single daily dose of aspirin at 100 mg for nonhematological conditions) were enrolled. IPF, serum TXB2, and urine 11-dehydro TXB2 levels were measured and aggregation tests with arachidonic acid and adenosine diphosphate were performed by light transmission aggregometry (LTA). Mean IPF and TXB2 levels were higher in the MPN group (p=0.008 and p=0.003, respectively). IPF levels were lower in patients on cytoreductive therapy in the MPN group (p=0.001), but these values were similar between patients on hydroxyurea and the non-MPN group (p=0.72). TXB2 levels did not differ according to hydroxyurea treatment status but were higher in the MPN group compared to non-MPN patients (23.63 ng/mL and 19.78 ng/mL, respectively; p=0.04). TXB2 values were higher in patients with essential thrombocythemia and a history of thrombotic events (p=0.031). No difference was observed in LTA between the MPN and non-MPN patient groups (p=0.513). Higher levels of IPF and TXB2 in the MPN patient group indicated platelets that could not be inhibited by aspirin. It was observed that patients under cytoreductive therapy had lower IPF values, but the expected decrease in TXB2 levels was not observed. These findings suggest that a lack of response to aspirin may be due to additional intrinsic factors rather than increased platelet turnover.