Extra Water Research Articles

Effects of initial static shear stress on cyclic behaviour of sand stabilised with colloidal silica

Colloidal silica (CS) grouting is a soil improvement technique introduced as an innovative remedial measure against seismic liquefaction. It consists of injecting soils with a time-hardening, nanosilica-based solution forming a silica gel among soil particles. This paper presents the results of an experimental study on the effects of an initial static shear stress on the behaviour of a cyclically loaded clean sand stabilised with 5% CS. Undrained cyclic triaxial tests were performed to analyse the cyclic response of loose untreated and stabilised sand specimens, isotropically or anisotropically consolidated at the same initial mean effective stress. The consolidation stage was used to provide insight on the compressibility of stabilised soil. Stress–strain behaviour, pore water pressure response and cyclic shear resistance were investigated. The results showed that: (i) stabilised sand exhibits higher compressibility than the untreated one during isotropic consolidation; (ii) cyclic strength is higher for stabilised sand than for the untreated one, increasing as the degree of anisotropic initial stress increases; and (iii) extra pore water pressure development does not depend on the degree of initial anisotropy for stabilised sand, while the same does not hold for untreated sand. Simplified relationships are proposed to describe the consolidation process and the residual extra pore water pressure build-up process.

Effect of internal curing on early-age properties of concrete under simulative natural environment in arid regions

The potential for the use of internal curing in concrete under a natural environment remains unclear. Therefore, this research concerns understanding the effects of three internal curing agents (superabsorbent polymers (SAP), lightweight aggregate (LWA), and perforated cenospheres (PCs)) on the early-age properties of concrete under simulative natural environment in arid regions. Concrete specimens selected underwent a daily temperature cycle from −5 °C to 40 °C and a constant relative humidity of 35 % in an environment chamber prior to various macro-/micro-structural tests. Compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, autogenous shrinkage, crack resistance characteristic as well as morphology, phase composition and pore-structure were measured. Results show that only internal curing via SAP can increase 28-d compressive strength because large pores in concrete are transformed into small ones by promoting cement hydration. Furtherly, internal curing can reduce both temperature sensitivity and autogenous shrinkage of concrete and improve crack resistance. The analysis reveals that the compressive strength and early-age autogenous shrinkage of internally cured concrete are greatly affected by extra water to cement ratio ((w/c)IC), both decrease as (w/c)IC increases. Moreover, the rate of water release from internal curing agents also affects autogenous shrinkage of concrete and LWA had a higher early-age water release rate than PCs. After comparison, SAP is more suitable for the arid regions with large temperature variation and the best content of it is 0.2–0.3 % of cementitious materials.

The combination of phase angle and age has a good diagnostic value for sarcopenia in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients.

There are limited studies on phase angle and sarcopenia in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients. So, we want to explore the association between phase angle and sarcopenia and find a more sensitive indicator for diagnosing sarcopenia. We included 101 continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients from March 2022 to August 2022 and measured the phase angle and body composition by bioelectrical impedance analysis. All patients had their handgrip strength measured. Then, we divided patients into the sarcopenia (n = 30) group and non-sarcopenia (n = 71) group according to the sarcopenia diagnostic strategy formulated by the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia. We used logistic regression to explore the risk factors of sarcopenia. We applied Receiver-operating characteristics curves to determine the diagnostic accuracy of these risk factors. After adjustments for sex, age, diabetes, BMI, extracellular water ratio, extra water, serum creatinine, total kt/v, and residual kt/v, phase angle correlated to handgrip strength and lowered limb muscle mass but not to skeletal muscle mass, upper arm muscle circumference, upper limb muscle mass and appendicular skeletal muscle mass index. In the multivariate logistic model, low phase angle and older age are risk factors for sarcopenia. The AUROC of phase angle for sarcopenia is 0.79 (95%CI, 0.70-0.86, P < 0.01) for both sexes, 0.70 and 0.85 for females and males. After we combined age and phase angle as diagnostic indicators of sarcopenia, the AUROC is 0.91 (95%CI, 0.83-0.96, P < 0.0001) in both sexes, 0.89 and 0.93 for females and males. This study illustrates that age 52 or older is an independent risk factor for sarcopenia in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients. Phase angle can act as a predictor of sarcopenia in those patients. But the combination of age and phase angle is more valuable in diagnosing sarcopenia.

Nanostructured Materials as a Dopant to Enhance Polymer Electrolyte Membranes for Alcohol Fuel Cell Application

A series of polymer electrolyte based on hydrocarbon polymers and Nafion doped with different nanomaterials were prepared and investigated. Nanomaterials based on graphene oxide, ZiF-8, TiO2, nanofibers and zirconium were used to enhance properties of different hydrocarbons and Nafion and tested for their basic properties. The water uptake, swelling ratio, ion exchange capacity, ion conductivity (IC) and thermal stability of the AEMs increased with increasing content of nanostructured materials. The presence of the nanostructured materials can lead to an increase in the interfacial area of the organic-inorganic phases, which creates a significant volume fraction of the interfacial polymer. The large free volume created is beneficial for the water molecule storing and conducting moieties mobility. The nanostructures materials can also act as Lewis acid sites to store and provide extra water to the membrane and has the ability to reduce the crystalline nature of the membrane and therefore increasing the ionic conductivity and lead to an alkaline stable and durable polymer electrolyte.

Soil net N mineralization and hydraulic properties of carbonate-derived laterite under different vegetation types in Karst forests of China

Soil net nitrogen (N) mineralization (Nmin) is a key process in the forest N cycle regulating the N availability of plant growth. However, it is unclear how N transformation responds to soil hydraulic properties changes. The soil inorganic N pools and N transformation in the early growing season in karst forestlands were investigated by using an intact soil core in situ incubation method. Three different typical vegetation types were selected. The results showed that the mean values of NH4+-N, NO3−-N, and inorganic N were 1.05–1.36, 1.55–3.85, and 1.05–2.34 times greater for ferns than for shrubs. NO3−-N and NH4+-N mainly occur at soil depths of 0–5 cm and 5–15 cm, respectively. The soil Nmin was 2.21–232.03 times higher at 0–5 cm than at the 10–15 cm. Net N immobilization was found for the juvenile ferns and shrubs at 5–15 cm. The Nmin of juvenile and mature ferns was 1.90–11.78 times and 1.17–16.20 times higher than shrubs, respectively, and shrubs had the highest Ks (69.91 mm h−1) but the lowest water-holding capacity. Both ferns and shrubs were able to hold more water and available water was richest in mature fern soil, which provided an extra water source for fern growth. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to test whether the measured variables affected Nmin, and the results showed that soil organic matter (SOM), pH, and saturated volumetric water content (θs) were the main soil factors affecting Nmin. In addition, the NH4+-N, NO3−-N, and inorganic N stocks were reduced by 3.98 %–59.04 %, 48.07 %–63.30 % and 8.18 %–57.37 % after rainwater input, respectively. Our findings suggest that soil inorganic N and Nmin in the karst forest were regulated by soil hydraulic properties. Changes in the soil hydraulic properties might therefore influence the functioning of soil N transformation.

Quality of life among CKD patients

Introduction: Kidney is a critical organ and the principle feature of the kidneys is to cast off waste produces and extra water from the blood. The kidneys purify about 200 liters of blood each day and produce approximately two liters of urine. The waste products are generated from ordinary metabolic strategies inclusive of the breakdown of active tissues, ingested ingredients, and different substances. Kidney illnesses are silent killers which largely affect the pleasant of life. Chronic kidney disease, additionally called continual renal disease, is the progressive loss in renal function over a period of months or years. Chronic kidney sickness is a substantial medical situation this is innovative in nature. Aim: To assess QOL of CKD Patients undergoing hemodialysis. Material and Method: A descriptive cross sectional survey research design was adopted for the study and non-probability purposive sampling technique was used to drawn samples from the participants. For the data collection researcher has used WHOBREF- QOL is a 26 item self report scale designed to assess the QoL of CKD patients, it is a standardized tool.

Heat Policies and AC Availability in US Prison Systems

BACKGROUND AND AIM Climate change will increase the number of hot days and heatwaves leaving incarcerated populations particularly vulnerable to extreme heat due to their lack of agency and control over their heat exposure. Previous prison heat policy analysis has not utilized Heat Index to provide context for the implementation of policies or had access to air-conditioning data. We aimed to examine the coverage and gaps of US prison system heat policies and air-conditioning access. METHODS Prison heat policies were identified using 52 prison system (50 states, DC, and Federal Bureau of Prisons) websites and complemented by state legislation. Heat policies were analyzed using the National Weather Service’s (NWS) Heat Index Calculator on maximum reported temperature values. Facility-level air-conditioning data for 18 prison systems were public or received through public records requests by UCLA’s COVID-19 Behind Bars, with facility function, capacity, and heat risk collected from federal, state, and the Intercept’s Climate and Punishment datasets. RESULTS Half of the prison systems had publicly-available heat policies (n=52), of which 81% included temperature values (n=21). 64% of heat indices using maximum indoor temperature (n=14) would be classified as &amp;#x22;caution” and 63% of heat indices using temperatures when respite resources would be provided (e.g. extra water) (n=8) were classified as &amp;#x22;extreme caution” by the NWS assuming 50% relative humidity. 18% of facilities (n=374) lacked AC access completely. Among these, 55% of non-air-conditioned facilities (41,000 operational capacity) are at &amp;#x22;severe or extreme heat risk”. Overall, 23% of facilities whose function includes serving heat-sensitive populations (n=202), lack any air-conditioning despite their heat risk. CONCLUSIONS This study emphasizes the need for national correctional temperature policies and air-conditioning requirements to protect the thermal health of those who live and work in carceral facilities. KEYWORDS environmental justice built environment prison

The influence of SAP particle size and extra water on the dynamic mechanical behavior of SAP-modified cement-based composites

Superabsorbent polymers (SAP)-modified cement-based composites (abbreviated as composites) have excellent frost resistance, internal curing efficiency, self-sealing and self-healing capacity. However, the effects of SAP particle size and extra water on the dynamic mechanical behavior of composites are still unclear. In this study, the total porosity and macropore (>100 μm) porosity of composites were studied with a mercury intrusion porosimetry test and an image analysis. The influence of SAP particle size and extra water on the quasi-static and dynamic mechanical properties of composites was analyzed. The fracture behavior of composites was investigated based on the fractal dimension and crack morphology. The results reveal that adding extra water can respectively raise the total porosity and macropore porosity by 33 %–39 % and 36 %–50 %, thereby declining the compressive strength and elastic modulus of composites under quasi-static and dynamic compression. The rise of strain rate from 63 s−1 to 102 s−1 elevates the dynamic compressive strength, elastic modulus, and fracture degree of composites by 39 %–44 %, 4.9 %–6.0 %, and 5.2 %–7.4 %, respectively. Raising particle size of SAP and adding extra water can raise the dynamic increase factor of compressive strength and elastic modulus. Which originates from the change of crack path, the increase of fracture degree, and the delayed response of strain induced by the rise of total and macropore porosity.

Large‐Scale Afforestation Enhances Precipitation by Intensifying the Atmospheric Water Cycle Over the Chinese Loess Plateau

AbstractAfforestation is an appropriate approach to control soil erosion, but consumes extra water resources. It also exerts feedbacks on local precipitation, affecting the water availability for water‐limited areas. The Chinese Loess Plateau (LP) has implemented the world's largest afforestation program to mitigate severe soil erosion. However, it remains unclear how the atmospheric water cycle responds to large‐scale afforestation under climate change. Here we show that afforestation elevates precipitation in rainy season by intensifying the atmospheric water cycle over the LP. Results show the upward trend of vegetation coverage fraction increased by 3.15% decade−1 and climatological precipitation increased by 54.62 mm after launching the large‐scale afforestation in 1999. Such afforestation also enhanced evapotranspiration by 22.56 mm. We found the moisture inflow and outflow continuously decreased, but more atmospheric moisture was retained since the rate of decline of inflow was less than that of outflow. Using a dynamic precipitation recycling method, we explored changes in precipitation recycling and components of the atmospheric water budget. The precipitation recycling ratio increased from 9.16 ± 0.35 to 10.18 ± 0.28% after the afforestation. Both external and internal branches of the atmospheric water cycle have been strengthened, and their contributions to the increased precipitation are 84.93% and 15.07%, respectively. The afforestation caused a more humid atmosphere, heightened soil moisture‐vegetation‐precipitation feedback, stronger moisture convergence, and more clouds; these changes favored precipitation generation. This study advances the understanding of how afforestation affects regional climate from a precipitation recycling perspective, further assisting decision‐makers to establish sustainable afforestation strategies.

Anaerobic co-digestion of dry fallen leaves, fruit/vegetable wastes and cow dung without an active inoculum – A biomethane potential study

Anaerobic digestion of fruit and vegetable wastes (FVW) is a sustainable energy production technology with a low carbon footprint but lacks consistent, productive process performance. Hence, the anaerobic co-digestion (AcoD) of FVW with various lignocellulosic biomass has become necessary. This study investigated AcoD of dry fallen leaves (DFL) and cow dung (CD) with FVW. Twelve combinations were designed, varying the proportion of DFL and FVW, keeping the amount of CD constant at 6 % total solids and 37 °C. The maximum biogas yield of 809 ± 96 mL/g VSinput was achieved in the reactor with a DFL to FVW ratio of 100:0. In contrast, a maximum methane yield of 388 ± 131 mL/g VSinput was observed in a reactor with a DFL to FVW ratio of 40:60, also saving 2 % (%w/w) of extra water than the former. The proposed co-digestion strategy has the potential for full-scale applications with its positive attributes.

Heterotropic roles of divalent cations in the establishment of allostery and affinity maturation of integrin αXβ2.

SUMMARYAllosteric activation and silencing of leukocyte β2-integrins transpire through cation-dependent structural changes, which mediate integrin biosynthesis and recycling, and are essential to designing leukocyte-specific drugs. Stepwise addition of Mg2+ reveals two mutually coupled events for the αXβ2 ligand-binding domain—the αX I-domain—corresponding to allostery establishment and affinity maturation. Electrostatic alterations in the Mg2+-binding site establish long-range couplings, leading to both pH− and Mg2+-occupancy-dependent biphasic stability change in the αX I-domain fold. The ligand-binding sensorgrams show composite affinity events for the αX I-domain accounting for the multiplicity of the αX I-domain conformational states existing in the solution. On cell surfaces, increasing Mg2+ concentration enhanced adhesiveness of αXβ2. This work highlights how intrinsically flexible pH− and cation-sensitive architecture endows a unique dynamic continuum to the αI-domain structure on the intact integrin, thereby revealing the importance of allostery establishment and affinity maturation in both extracellular and intracellular integrin events.

Using Landscape analysis techniques to prevent silt accumulation in the reservoir of the Dwerige weir project and developing River basin, Missan, South Eastern IRAQ

Water harvesting techniques developed globally during the last decades with highly increasing water crisis and climate changes. The Yeoman keyline method was spread widely with increased use for sustainable permaculture development. The main aim of the current study is to analyze and solve the siltation problem in Dwerige weir and to develop water resources in the basin area. The remote sensing data, field surveying, and hydrology are used together to build a new geotechnical approach. The results show that a huge siltation quantity was not considered in the weir design studies, which were represented by sand sheet materials and eroded soils washed by flooding and entering the weir reservoir through four main channels. The topography and hydrology of the study area are analysed, and the key points- keylines principle used by selecting the suitable contour lines to dig trenches along them to control soil erosion by decreasing flow velocity and holding part of floodwater to increase soil water content and recharge groundwater. The floodwater quantities are estimated in normal and storm cases, finally, the extra drain water is evaluated.

Weekly rainfall analysis using the Markov chain model in the Dharmapuri region of Tamil Nadu

During a rainy season, dry and wet spells tend to persist and can be represented using a Markov process. Knowing the succession of dry and wet periods is necessary to plant crops and carry out agricultural operations. This study aimed to analyze the probability of dry/wet spell rainfall using the Markov chain model in the Dharmapuri district of Tamil Nadu, India. In estimating the chance of dry and wet spells, the model used rainfall of below 20 mm in a week as a dry calendar week and rainfall of 20 mm or more as a wet calendar week from the years 1980 to 2019. From the 1st through the 32nd Standard Meteorological Week (SMW), a continuous dry week probability was 75-100%. The likelihood of a dry week trailed by another dry week was more up to the 32nd standard week, while the chance of a dry week followed by a wet week was more up to the 31st standard week, ranging from 75 to 100%. During the 37th to 45th weeks, the conditional likelihood of a rainy week followed by another rainy week ranged from 43.8 to 68%. According to a review of consecutive dry and wet spells, two consecutive dry weeks had a 55 to 97.5% chance of occurring within the first 32 weeks of the year. In the first 32nd week of the year, the chance of three successive dry weeks ranged from 32.6 to 92.6%. Consecutive dry weeks suggest the need for additional irrigation and proper moisture management practices. In contrast, consecutive wet calendar weeks indicate an abundance of extra water available for rainwater collection and the necessity for proper soil erosion control measures.

Impact of summer cooling management on milk water footprint in dairy cows

The Water footprint (WF) is an indicator of the amount of direct and indirect freshwater used to make a product available, measured over its entire supply chain.Dairy cows are cooled using sprinklers and fans to mitigate heat stress (HS) in summer. Although several studies have already evaluated cows’ milk WF, little information is available on the impact of water sprayed to cool cows on milk WF and fans related energy consumption.The study enrolled six Holstein-Friesian farms equipped with cooling systems, including sprinklers and fans. Based on the volume of water sprayed to cool cows, farms were classified as Low User Spraying Water (Low-USW) and Large-User Spraying Water (Large- USW). For each farm, an alternative no-cooling scenario was modelled considering the water and energy saved, the increment of the drinking water needed from no-cooled cows, and the reduction of milk yield caused by HS.The mean annual WF of the farms involved in the study accounted for 805 ± 225 L water per kg of Fat and Protein Corrected Milk (FPCM) with the following distribution among the green, blue and grey fractions: 67.9%, 21.1%, and 11%, respectively. Cooling operations had a low incidence (0.04%) on the overall milk WF, which was 1.1% lower (8.6 L water kg−1 FPCM−1) than that modelled for the alternative no-cooling scenarios.Although both investigated cooling protocols (Large vs Low) showed a similar capacity to contain milk losses during summer, the study has highlighted differences in their resource use. Compared to the Large-USW, the Low-USW cooling management reduces water use by about 0.4 L water kg−1 FPCM−1 and increases energy consumption by about 0.13 kWh kg−1 FPCM−1.Cooling systems help farmers to mitigate HS in dairy cows during summer. The extra water needed for cooling is compensated by the effects of cooling in limiting the HS-related decline in milk yield. Therefore, the water used to cool cattle does not impact milk's WF. However, further research is needed to find the best solution for sprinklers and fans utilization, optimizing the preservation of animal welfare and environmental sustainability of milk production under climate change scenarios.

Properties of red-mud-based geopolymers in the light of their chemical composition

Utilizing industrial waste materials such as red mud as alternatives to high emissions of CO2 materials such as Portland cement will help to produce integrated sustainable construction materials. Statistical analysis has been performed on the major oxides of red mud to understand the relationship between chemical composition and properties (e.g., workability, setting time, compressive strength, etc.) of red mud-based geopolymer composite. Therefore, red mud can be a suitable binder by blending with other geopolymer source materials to achieve the desired fresh and mechanical properties. Moreover, a proposed equation has been derived on the basis of the outcomes from the literature to determine the required extra water that can compensate for the workability loss due to red mud addition.

Toward a Carbon-Neutral State: A Carbon–Energy–Water Nexus Perspective of China’s Coal Power Industry

Carbon neutrality is one of the most important goals for the Chinese government to mitigate climate change. Coal has long been China’s dominant energy source and accounts for more than 70–80% of its carbon emissions. Reducing the share of coal power supply and increasing carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) in coal power plants are the two primary efforts to reduce carbon emissions in China. However, even as energy and water consumed in CCUS are offset by reduced energy consumption from green energy transitions, there may be tradeoffs from the carbon–energy–water (CEW) nexus perspective. This paper developed a metric and tool known as the “Assessment Tool for Portfolios of Coal power production under Carbon neutral goals” (ATPCC) to evaluate the tradeoffs in China’s coal power industry from both the CEW nexus and financial profits perspectives. While most CEW nexus frameworks and practical tools focus on the CEW nexus perturbation from either an external factor or one sector from CEW, ATPCC considers the coupling effect from C(Carbon) and E(Energy) in the CEW nexus when integrating two main carbon mitigation policies. ATPCC also provides an essential systematic life cycle CEW nexus assessment tool for China’s coal power industry under carbon-neutral constraints. By applying ATPCC across different Chinese coal industry development portfolios, we illustrated potential strategies to reach a zero-emission electricity industry fueled by coal. When considering the sustainability of China’s coal industry in the future, we further demonstrate that reduced water and energy consumption results from the energy transition are not enough to offset the extra water and energy consumption in the rapid adoption of CCUS efforts. However, we acknowledge that the increased energy and water consumption is not a direct correlation to CCUS application growth nor a direct negative correlation to carbon emissions. The dual effort to implement CCUS and reduce electricity generation from coal needs a thorough understanding and concise strategy. We found that economic loss resulting from coal reduction can be compensated by the carbon market. Carbon trading has the potential to be the dominant profit-making source for China’s coal power industry. Additionally, the financial profits in China’s coal power industry are not negatively correlated to carbon emissions. Balance between the carbon market and the coal industry would lead to more economic revenues. The scenario with the most rapid reduction in coal power production combined with CCUS would be more sustainable from the CEW nexus perspective. However, when economic revenues are considered, the scenario with a moderately paced energy transition and CCUS effort would be more sustainable. Nevertheless, the ATPCC allows one to customize coal production scenarios according to the desired electricity production and emission reduction, thus making it appropriate not only for use in China but also in other coal-powered regions that face high-energy demands and carbon neutrality goals.

Impacts of sugarcane expansion on water availability in a river basin in southeastern Brazil

The availability of land, favorable edaphoclimatic conditions, and water have consolidated the role of Brazil as a global player in the agricultural commodities market, which has driven intensive land use conversion in recent decades. In this context, the extensive use of biofuels to mitigate fossil fuel CO2 emissions has facilitated their replacement as pasture by sugarcane monoculture, particularly in São Paulo State that is responsible for more than 52% of the country’s sugarcane production. This expansion has occurred without evaluating its impact on water availability for other uses. Therefore, this study investigates the effects of the sugarcane expansion on the hydrological cycle of the Aguapeí River basin in São Paulo State, during 1985–2017. To achieve this goal, we first validated the hydrological model simulation by comparing the time trajectories within the Budyko framework for the sub-basin with the longest observation records. We then assessed the impact of the expansion of the area under sugarcane by comparing the streamflow over the study period against a baseline scenario, which assumed that no land use changes occurred after 1985 in six sub-basins of the Aguapeí River basin. The results revealed a reduction in streamflow with sugarcane expansion. Although these changes corresponded to only 2–5% of the mean streamflow of the baseline scenario, these can increase to 13–27% when the effect of sugarcane expansion is isolated. Our results suggested that the impacts of sugarcane on streamflow are gradually diluted at larger scales. We also estimated that the extra water consumption due to the sugarcane expansion in São Paulo State was 2150 hm3 yr−1 in 2017 compared to 1985.

Influence of copper slag on Mechanical, durability and microstructural properties of GGBS and RHA blended strain hardening geopolymer composites

To enhance sustainability, two major slag based industrial wastes viz., Ground Granulated Blast furnace Slag (GGBS) and copper slag were adopted in this study to develop Engineered Geopolymer Composites (EGC) replacing commonly used fly ash and silica sand. A small fraction of agricultural waste viz., Rice Husk Ash (RHA) was also used as a part of the binder which proved to improve the efficiency of GGBS in geopolymer composites. Higher volume of industrial wastes were intended to reduce the impacts of CO2 and land degradation due to cement production and dumping of industrial wastes respectively. PolyVinyl Alcohol (PVA) fibres and sodium-based activators were considered from the literatures to impart the strain-hardening and geo-polymerization reaction respectively. Dosages of activator, superplasticizer and extra water contents were optimized based on the workability test. Keeping the other mix-design factors as constant, the effect of the content of copper slag in proportion with Manufactured Sand (M Sand) in the proposed EGC mixtures were studied in this research with respect to mechanical, durability and microstructural parameters. Content of copper slag anything above 60% resulted in poor bonding and segregation. Replacement of copper slag upto 40% produced the maximum compressive strength of 39.6 MPa after 90 days of ambient curing conditions. The best among the mixes was M60C40 (40% copper slag) which recorded about 1.98 MPa and 12.75 MPa of tensile and flexural strength respectively with a maximum tensile strain capacity of about 6.12%. The specimens were excellent in resisting the seawater attack which did not show any significant weight or strength loss whereas sulphate attack showed considerable strength loss upto 5%. During the microstructural investigations with Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX), the effects caused by the aggressive environments could be clearly visualized with the observations towards the internal physical structure and intensity of chemical elements respectively.

Performance optimization of sodium acetate trihydrate-based phase change material

• Performance optimization of sodium acetate trihydrate-based PCM is conducted. • Additions of deionized water as well as expanded graphite are optimized. • Performances of PCM are observed at both atmospheric and negative pressures. • Optimum PCM shows promising performances in condensing heat recovery system. The application of phase change heat storage technology in condensing heat recovery system of air conditioning can effectively solve the non-synchronization of condensate heat discharge and hot water demand, and thus improve the energy utilization efficiency. For this purpose, a novel sodium acetate trihydrate-based phase change material was prepared and tested in our very recent work, which presented high potential to recover condensation heat. In this work, the sodium acetate trihydrate-based phase change material was further optimized for more promising heat storage and release performance. To begin with, in order to improve the heat storage density of sodium acetate trihydrate-based phase change material, deionized water was added into the mixture and their heat storage and release tests were carried out at atmospheric pressure and vacuum degree of 0.09 and 0.10 MPa. The heat storage density of such phase change material reached 8.2581 kW·h/kg with 7 wt% deionized water added, however, the cycle measurements showed that the heat storage and release performance were unstable under negative pressures. To solve this problem, expanded graphite was used to further stabilize and optimize sodium acetate trihydrate-based phase change material with extra water to improve the cycle stability. The results showed that the addition of 15 wt% expanded graphite in 50 mesh can effectively stabilize heat storage and release performance of these phase change material samples at both atmospheric and negative pressures. In addition, the optimum sodium acetate trihydrate-expanded graphite composite phase change material presents excellent form stability, thermal conductivity (4.566 W/(m·K)) and very comparable heat energy density at both atmospheric pressure (7.6301 kW·h/kg) and vacuum degree of 0.09 MPa (6.3295 kW·h/kg).

Successful application of Yoga Prana Vidya Protocols to normalize Kidney function: A case study of stage 2 kidney disease

Introduction: kidneys filter blood by removing waste and extra water to make urine. The kidney's filtration rate, called the glomerular filtration rate (GFR), shows how well the kidneys are filtering. Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is known to be the 6th fastest growing cause of death globally. Early detection of CKD can help to protect kidney function. This paper presents a case of Stage 2 Kidney disease treated successfully by the application of Yoga Prana Vidya healing protocols. Method: This study uses case study method, analysing patient medical records and YPV protocols used in treating the patient for 6 months. Patient feedback also obtained for analysis. Results: Improvements in the main parameters achieved at the end of 6 months of YPV intervention show that eGFR improved from 79 to 95. Total Cholesterol improved from 235 mg/dl to 165 mg/dl. HDL Cholesterol increased from 32 mg/dl to 47 mg/dl and LDL Cholesterol reduced from 150 mg/dl to 94 mg/dl. Patient achieved peace and satisfaction of YPV treatment that worked for normalizing his kidney condition. Conclusion: Using the YPV intervention for this patient, only YPV healing was given and no other form of therapy or treatment was given for stage 2 kidney ailment, which shows that YPV Healing System can be applied not only as complementary treatment but also as an alternative treatment mode in such cases of diseases. Further research may be conducted with wider applications of YPV Healing system to various other kidney ailments.