Minimum Weight Research Articles

Review on Fragility Analysis of Building Structure in Seismic Prone Area

In general, using a steel bracing system is the most effective choice for enhancing the resistance of reinforced concrete frames to lateral loads. Steel bracing offers notable advantages over other methods, including greater strength and stiffness, cost-effectiveness, a smaller footprint, and minimal additional weight on existing structures. Both empirical and analytical fragility curves have been taken into account. Strengthening seismically deficient reinforced concrete frames with steel bracing systems is a practical solution for improving earthquake resilience. Nearly all structural analysis software, such as ETABS and SAP2000, supports linear and nonlinear static analysis for high-rise structures. Key parameters include fragility curves, the P-Δ effect, base shear, lateral displacement, axial force, and story drift, among others. The findings showed that bracing systems significantly reduce lateral displacement in frames. Fragility curves were developed based on peak ground acceleration (PGA) for various limit states—slight, moderate, major, and collapse-assuming a lognormal distribution. This study aims to develop analytical fragility curves for high-rise building structures.

Weight change does not impact long-term outcomes following cryoballoon pulmonary vein isolation

Abstract Background Weight loss has been suggested to reduce frequency and burden of atrial fibrillation (AF) in overweight patients (pts). However, there are limited data on weight loss impact on outcomes in pts with AF who have undergone pulmonary vein isolation (PVI). Purpose To understand the impact of weight change on long-term outcomes, as assessed by freedom from recurrent AF in pts undergoing cryoballoon (CB) PVI. Methods We enrolled consecutive pts with AF who underwent CB PVI; all had implantable loop recorders (ILR) for long-term ECG monitoring. The cohort was divided into 4 groups based on weight change 1-year post ablation: (1) optimal weight loss (OWL) – weight decrease ≥ 10%; (2) minimal weight loss (MWL) - weight loss (WL) 3-9% weight decrease; (3) no weight change (NWC) - weight change < 3%, (4) weight gain (WG) ≥ 3% weight increase. We assessed for AF recurrence after excluding a 3-month post-ablation blanking period. Results Out of a total of 322 pts who underwent ablation, 241 (75%) pts (69 ± 10 years; 159 (66%) male; 133 (55%) PAF; CHA2DS2-VASc 2.7 ± 1.5; BMI 30 ± 5) had weight information available at ablation and last follow-up. All were off antiarrhythmics by 1 year. There were no differences in the 4 cohorts with respect to baseline characteristics. During the first year, about ¼ of pts were able to lose ≥ 3% of weight but only 8 pts (3%) were able to lose ≥ 10%. AF recurred in 153 (63%); they were older, more likely to have persistent AF (PeAF), and a higher CHA2DS2-VASc score. However, weight change did not impact outcome (Figure). In a multivariate Cox Regression hazards analysis, PAF vs. PeAF at ablation was the only factor associated with any recurrence at follow-up (Figure). Conclusions Post CB PVI only about ¼ of pts are able to lose weight. Weight changes in the first-year post ablation in obese pts did not alter outcomes with respect to likelihood of recurrent AF. These data should be taken into account when considering catheter ablation.

Weight Minimization of Truss Using Strain Energy Density and Genetic Algorithm for Single and Multiple Load Cases

Weight Minimization of Truss Using Strain Energy Density and Genetic Algorithm for Single and Multiple Load Cases

Association between Birth Weight of the Babies and Mode of Delivery: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Birth weight has significant short and long-term effects on health and survival and is a useful predictor of prenatal and postnatal development. Birth weight is likely to play a key role for the infant’s survival because it is one of the strongest predictors of infant mortality risk. The aim of the study was to find out the association between birth weight and mode of delivery. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at Combined Military Hospital, Ghatail from 15 March 2019 to 30 June 2019. Secondary data were used, which were collected from hospital register during the period of 01 January 2018 to 31 December 2018. The study population was all the newborn babies delivered in CMH, Ghatail during that period and mothers of the newborn babies were respondents of the study. Results: Out of 526 respondents majority (64.83%) were in the age group of 23-32 years with mean age 25.14(range: 18-40) years. Of the newborn babies around half (48.3%) were male. The mean birth weight was 2.92 kg with minimum weight 1.2 kg and maximum 4.2 kg. The data showed that the prevalence of Low Birth Weight (LBW) 13.1%. Majority (84.6%) of the mothers didn’t have any comorbidity, few (15.4%) suffered from comorbidity. 53.8% babies were born by caesarean section (CS) and 46.2% were delivered by normal vaginal delivery. Among the low birth weight babies 65.2% were born by CS. Statistically significant association was found between birth weight of the babies and mode of delivery (p<0.05). Conclusion: Caesarean section cannot be routinely recommended, unless there are other obstetric indications. Bangladesh Armed Forces Med J Vol 57 No (1) June 2024, pp 8-13

Corrosion resistance analysis of Al2O3-TiO2 composite ceramic coatings on carbon steel pipe surfaces

This study investigates the corrosion resistance of Al2O3-TiO2 composite coatings reinforced with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on carbon steel pipe surfaces. Coatings were deposited using atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) and high velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) techniques. Microstructural analysis revealed that HVOF-sprayed coatings exhibited denser and more homogeneous structures compared to APS-sprayed coatings. Electrochemical tests in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution showed that the HVOF-sprayed Al2O3-13 wt% TiO2-1.5 wt% MWCNT coating demonstrated the lowest corrosion current density of 7.6 × 10−9 A/cm2 and the most positive corrosion potential. Hot corrosion tests in a simulated boiler environment (500°C, 1000 h) revealed that this coating also exhibited minimal weight gain (0.9 mg/cm2) and thickness loss (2 μm). The corrosion rate of the optimal coating was 0.05 mm/year, significantly lower than the bare carbon steel (2.45 mm/year). XRD analysis of corroded samples showed that HVOF-sprayed coatings maintained their original phase composition without detectable substrate corrosion products. The superior corrosion resistance of the HVOF-sprayed Al2O3-13 wt% TiO2-1.5 wt% MWCNT coating is attributed to its optimized composition, dense microstructure, and the reinforcing effect of MWCNTs. These findings provide valuable insights for developing advanced coating solutions to mitigate corrosion-related challenges in the oil and gas industry and other harsh industrial environments.

A Greedy Simulated Annealing-based Multiobjective Algorithm for the Minimum Weight Minimum Connected Dominating Set Problem

A Greedy Simulated Annealing-based Multiobjective Algorithm for the Minimum Weight Minimum Connected Dominating Set Problem

Mathematical and Statistical Analysis of Fused Filament Fabrication Parameters for Thermoplastic Polyurethane Parts via Response Surface Methodology

This work aims to analyze the effects of the main process parameters of fused filament fabrication (FFF) on the mechanical properties and part weight of 3D-printed thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). Raster angle (RA), infill percentage (IP), and extruder temperature (FFF) in the ranges of 0–90°, 15–55%, and 220–260 °C, respectively, were considered as the FFF input parameters, and output variables part weight (PW), elongation at break (E), maximum failure load (MFL), ratio of the maximum failure load to part weight (Ratio), and build time (BT) were considered as responses. The Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and Design of Experiments (DOE) were applied in the analysis. Subsequently, the RSM approach was performed through multi-response optimizations with the help of Design-Expert software. The experimental results indicated a higher maximum failure load is achieved with an increased raster angle and decreased extruder temperature. ANOVA results show that ET has the most significant effect on elongation at break, with elongation at break decreasing as ET increases. The raster angle does not significantly affect the part weight of the TPU samples. The ratio of the maximum failure load to part weight of samples decreases with an increase in IP and ET. The results also indicated that the part weight and build time of FFF-printed TPU samples increase with an increase in IP. An ET of 220 °C, RA of 0°, and IP of 15% are the optimal combination of input variables for achieving the minimal part weight; minimal build time; and maximum elongation at break, maximum failure load, and ratio of the maximum failure load to part weight.

A New Class of Braided Block Codes Constructed by Convolutional Interleavers

Parallel Concatenated Block (PCB) codes are conventionally represented as high-rate codes with low error correcting capability. To form a reliable and outstanding code, this paper presents a modification on the structure of PCB codes, which is accomplished by encoding some parity bits of one of their component codes. For the newly proposed code, named as the braided code, non-stuff bit-based convolutional interleavers are applied, aiming to minimize the design complexity while ensuring the proper permutations of the original message and selected parity bits. To precisely determine the error correcting capability, a tight bound for the minimum weight of braided code is presented. Additionally, further analyses are provided, which verify iterative decoding performance and the complexity of the constructed code. It is concluded that an outstanding braided code is formed by utilizing a reasonable number of iterations applied at its decoding processes, while maintaining its design complexity at a level similar to other well-known codes. The significant performance of short and long-length-based braided codes is evident in both waterfall and error floor regions.

8570 Association Between Preconception Lifestyle and Anthropometric Modifications and Fertility outcomes in Women with Infertility and Obesity

Abstract Disclosure: A. Thibodeau: None. C. Richer dit Laflèche: None. G. Ngueta: None. M. Belan: None. F. Jean-Denis: None. M. Langlois: None. M. Pesant: None. B. Carranza Mamane: None. J. Baillargeon: Grant Recipient; Self; Ferring Pharmaceuticals. Introduction: Infertility is a common problem that is affected by many lifestyle behaviors, and preconception lifestyle modifications are recommended in women with infertility and obesity. This study thus aims to explore whether preconception lifestyle or anthropometric changes are associated with a viable pregnancy or a live birth in this population. Methods: This prospective cohort study, nested within a randomized controlled trial that recruited 127 women with infertility and obesity at an academic fertility clinic, reports on 70 women who had at least one research visit during their follow-up until the onset of pregnancy or a maximum of 18 months. Lifestyles were assessed using a questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between changes in lifestyle or anthropometry and the occurrence of a viable pregnancy or live birth. Changes were defined by the incremental area under the curve (divided by follow-up time; iAUC) and the difference between baseline and the minimum or maximum measure achieved during follow-up. Regressions were corrected for baseline measures of the age of both partners, waist circumference, multiparity, socioeconomic status and multivitamin use. Results: The odds of a pregnancy and live birth were higher among women who had a greater minimum change (improvement) in their weekly consumption of fruits (p=.028/.014) or dairy products (p=.005/.003), in their reduction of tobacco use (p=.038/NS), in their sleep duration (p=.044/NS), or in their loss of weight, waist circumference or fat mass (p=.007/.007; .006/.006; .045/.019). Unexpectedly, a higher maximum change in energy expenditure was associated with lower odds of pregnancy (p=.013). Multivariate analyses showed that a higher minimum change in fruit consumption (p=.008), in tobacco use reduction (p=.033), and waist circumference loss (p=.002), and a lower maximum change in energy expenditure (p=.008) were all independently associated with the occurrence of pregnancy, after adjustment for the abovementioned potential confounders. For live birth, a higher minimum change in dairy products consumption (p=.012), in tobacco use reduction (p=.017), and in weight loss (p=.003) were all independently associated with a live birth. Conclusion: Our exploratory analyses are among the first to show that preconception lifestyle improvements are associated with the occurrence of a viable pregnancy and live birth in women with infertility and obesity, particularly higher minimal and sustained changes in fruit and dairy product intake and tobacco reduction. Higher minimal and sustained weight or waist circumference losses also contributed to improve their fertility, as expected. However, the negative association between higher energy expenditure and pregnancy was unexpected and requires further evaluation. Presentation: 6/1/2024

Weight minimization of train floors with acoustic and structural constraints

For high-speed trains, high noise levels are generated in the bogie from wheel-rail contact and aero-acoustic sources. Manufacturers try to minimize the floor transmission to the interior, e.g. by applying damping layers or by other measures. For vehicle noise control measures, the goal is often to achieve the sound reduction needed at lowest possible mass. Here, an optimization scheme is applied to minimize the mass of an extruded floor panel. Constraints are defined by limiting the maximum local floor deflection from passenger loads according to EN 12663-1 and the A-weighted interior sound level. Recognizing the periodic nature of the floor structure, a Finite Element model of a single periodic cell is set up, using periodic boundary conditions and the floor sound reduction is determined using a Statistical Energy Analysis approach. An analytic beam model is applied to determine the floor deflection from the passenger load. Design solutions meeting the constraints with the smallest possible mass are sought. Starting with a floor structure with 23.3 kg/m2, a final design with 18.0 kg/m2 is reached. In addition, the transmitted sound through the floor is reduced by 8 dBA. Convergence from different starting points is verified.

Multicriteria risk assessment of water inrush in underground mines with large-scale curtain grouting: a mine disaster risk reduction strategy

This paper presents a synthetic method to assess the risk of mine water inrush before and after large scale curtain grouting based on GIS platform. Firstly, nine factors were selected from three aspects: geological conditions, hydrogeological conditions and curtain grouting parameters, to construct a multi factor assessment model. The combined weight of every factor was determined using the minimum deviation comprehensive weighting method, which can reduce the polarization effect of various assessment methods in multicriteria decision. Then, the effectiveness of the synthetic method was validated through the Maoping lead–zinc mine in Southwest China. The mining area was divided into five zones, namely safe zone, relatively safe zone, transitional zone, relatively dangerous zone, and dangerous zone. The assessment results show that the relatively dangerous and dangerous zones were significantly reduced, while the safe, relatively safe and transitional zones were significantly increased after large scale curtain grouting. Finally, we analyze the impact of curtain grouting on the risk of mine water inrush and the mechanism of zoning evolution from three aspects: water source control, pathway sealing, drainage, and pressure reduction. This work provides an effective strategy for mine disaster risk reduction.

Plant protein dominant enteral nutrition, containing soy and pea, is non-coagulating after gastric digestion in contrast to casein dominant enteral nutrition

Enteral Nutrition (EN) is used for the dietary management of patients requiring tube feed and who are at risk of disease related malnutrition. Previously, EN with a dairy-dominant p4 protein blend (DD-P4: 20% soy, 20% pea, 25% casein and 35% whey) was shown to not coagulate in the stomach, increase gastric emptying rate and reduce gastric residual volume compared to EN with casein-dominant protein blends (CD; 80% casein and 20% whey), which is relevant for upper gastrointestinal tolerance. In line with the EAT-Lancet report, a new plant-dominant protein blend (PD-P4: 46% soy, 32% pea, 16% casein and 6% whey) was developed.Coagulating properties of PD-P4 are compared to DD-P4 and dairy proteins in protein solutions as well as in EN matrices, using a semi-dynamic in vitro gastric model simulating adult conditions, followed by solid particle (> 0.25 mm) separation using analytical sieving. Sieve retentates and filtrates were assayed for weight, dry matter, and protein content where possible.Whey protein, PD-P4 and DD-P4 protein solutions as well as PD-P4 and DD-P4 EN variants had minimal total particle weights. In contrast, casein protein solution coagulation amounted to ∼ 21 % of its initial wet weight, containing ∼ 51 % of its initial protein content, and CD EN coagulation amounted to 21 %- 45 % of the initial wet weight, containing 59–65 % of the initial protein content.EN with the new PD-P4 blend can be considered non-coagulating after in-vitro gastric digestion, similar to the DD-P4 blend. This was independent of energy density, protein content, and the presence of dietary fiber. EN with a non-coagulating plant-dominant protein blend might support upper gastrointestinal tolerance and promote the worldwide protein transition.

Optimizing the incubation conditions of third-stage larvae of the camel nasal bot Cephalopina titillator (Diptera: Oestridae) for harvesting adult flies

Background and Aim: Understanding the developmental conditions of Cephalopina titillator larvae and their effect on the success of pupation and adult emergence can help prevent and control this disease in camels. Incubating C. titillator larvae in vitro requires optimized conditions that have not been adequately reported in the literature. This study aimed to optimize conditions for harvesting adult flies from third-stage larvae (L3). Materials and Methods: L3 collected from naturally infested camels was washed in sterile saline, weighed, and placed in vials containing local sand. The vials were covered with gauze and incubated at 30°C–36°C with 60%–62% relative humidity in an environmental chamber. Results: A minimum critical weight of 754 mg per larva was found to be essential for the successful eclosion of the adults, regardless of the sex of the emerged flies. The pupariation period lasted 1–8 days (d) and took 5–13 days. Most incubated L3 formed puparia, but most failed to emerge as adults. The success rate of eclosion was 37.1%. The hatched adults survived for up to 18 days, and the females survived longer (12 d; 6–18) than the males (8.1 d; 3–16). Conclusion: The higher eclosion success tendency of certain sand types might be influenced by the sand’s physical and/ or chemical characteristics. The current in vitro conditions resemble those during the hot seasons and are suitable for harvesting viable adults of C. titillator from L3. Keywords: camel nasal bot, Cephalopina titillator, eclosion success, in vitro incubation, life span, myiasis.

IDSV-GCN: Integrating Dual Syntactic Views Graph Convolutional Network for aspect-based sentiment analysis

Aspect-based sentiment analysis (ABSA) aims to predict the sentiment polarity towards given aspects in a sentence. Recent research has highlighted that graph neural networks based on syntactic dependency trees effectively convey rich syntactic information and are suitable for ABSA tasks. Most existing work typically adopt either dependency type or minimum distance between nodes in the original syntactic tree to construct different views. However, existing work overlooks the high-dimensional local feature information in dependency relations, resulting in inadequate exploration of this view. Meanwhile, most work ignores that the minimum distance view and the dependency view can be complementary and integrated in syntactic analysis. Unfortunately, directly adding the two views introduces noise issues, leading to unsatisfactory results after their integration. To address these issues, this paper introduces an integrating dual syntactic views graph convolutional network (IDSV-GCN) model that seamlessly integrates dependency type view and minimum distance view, enabling comprehensive utilization of syntactic structure and information. To better address the computation of weights in the dependency type view, we innovatively propose a fusion attention mechanism. This approach effectively captures both global and local feature information. To more effectively integrate the two views and reduce the impact of noise, we employ a syntactic mask layer to filter out noise in the dependency type view and highlighting important dependency feature information. Then, we construct a minimum distance weight matrix based on the matrix obtained from the dependency type view. Finally, we merge the two matrices and feed them into the GCN to facilitate the model’s learning of syntactic information. Experimental results on three widely-used benchmark datasets demonstrate that our proposed IDSV-GCN model outperforms state-of-the-art methods.

A survey study on the availability of anaesthetic breathing systems and their use in 5-10 kg dogs.

ObjectiveTo investigate which breathing systems are available and why they are selected in 5–10 kg dogs. Study DesignAnonymous online voluntary open survey. MethodsAn online survey, designed following CHERRIES guidelines (Eysenbach 2004), was advertised through the American College of Veterinary Anesthesiologists - List (ACVA-List), Association of Veterinary Anaesthesia (AVA) and European College of Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia (ECVAA) (February-March 2022). A convenience sample was taken. ResultsOf the 256 responses received, 138 were completed. This included (n responses received) veterinarians (107) and veterinary nurses or technicians (29) actively involved in the anaesthesia of dogs.The most prevalent breathing systems available to respondents were circle (99%), coaxial Bain (79%) and modified Ayre’s T-piece (with adjustable pressure limiting valve) (72%). When recommending a dog weight range suitable for the use with these systems, respondents advised a median (interquartile range) of 5 (3–10) to 100 (100–100), 3 (0–8) to 20 (10–33) and 0 (0–0) to 10 (7–10) kg, respectively. Respondents agreed or strongly agreed that important factors in selecting a breathing system were the fresh gas flow requirement (92%), dog weight (91%), resistance (83%) and environmental pollution (79%). In clinical scenarios based on 5–10 kg dogs, the circle system was chosen by 58% for a thin and 77% for a keel-chested versus 44% for an obese and 66% for a barrel-chested dog, respectively. Conclusions and clinical relevanceThe circle system is the most commonly available breathing system. The minimum weight limit used for the circle system is less than previous surveys have reported (Nicholson & Watson 2001). Several factors influence the choice of breathing system other than dog weight.

Rapid fabrication and corrosion behavior of 3D-porous Cu-Al-Si compounds via low-energy self-exothermic reaction

In this study, porous Cu-Al-Si intermetallic compounds with three-dimensional structures were rapidly prepared by a novel self-exothermic reaction. By this method, Si was successfully solid-solved into CuAl intermetallic compounds and achieved better fusion with them. The effects of Si addition on their oxidation resistance and corrosion resistance were compared. The findings indicate that the minimum weight gain of the Cu-Al-Si product is only 1.48% after oxidation at 800 °C for 288h. Si facilitates the creation of a continuous Al2O3 protective layer on the surface of the porous Cu-Al-Si intermetallics skeleton, thereby preserving its internal structure while significantly enhancing its oxidation resistance. The incorporation of Si to Cu-Al intermetallics enhances the stability of the passivation film on the material's surface, increases the resistance of the passivation film, and effectively restricts the electrochemical reaction between the material and the corrosive medium.

Outer Independent Double Roman Domination Stability in Graphs

An outer independent double Roman dominating function (OIDRDF) on a graph G is a function f : V ( G ) → { 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 } having the property that (i) if f ( v ) = 0 , then the vertex v must have at least two neighbors assigned 2 under f or one neighbor w with f ( w ) = 3 , and if f ( v ) = 1 , then the vertex v must have at least one neighbor w with f ( w ) ≥ 2 and (ii) the subgraph induced by the vertices assigned 0 under f is edgeless. The weight of an OIDRDF is the sum of its function values over all vertices, and the outer independent double Roman domination number γ o i d R ( G ) is the minimum weight of an OIDRDF on G . The γ o i d R -stability ( γ − o i d R -stability, γ + o i d R -stability) of G , denoted by s t γ o i d R ( G ) ( s t − γ o i d R ( G ) , s t + γ o i d R ( G ) ), is defined as the minimum size of a set of vertices whose removal changes (decreases, increases) the outer independent double Roman domination number. In this paper, we determine the exact values on the γ o i d R -stability of some special classes of graphs, and present some bounds on s t γ o i d R ( G ) . In addition, for a tree T with maximum degree Δ , we show that s t γ o i d R ( T ) = 1 and s t − γ o i d R ( T ) ≤ Δ , and characterize the trees that achieve the upper bound.

Fabrication of kenaf fiber reinforced boron carbide fillers embedded epoxy matrix composite – An antimicrobial and structural analysis

This study investigates the incorporation of boron carbide (B4C) filler particulates into a kenaf fiber-reinforced epoxy matrix to explore its potential in lightweight applications, focusing on antimicrobial effectiveness, mechanical integrity, thermal properties, and microstructural characteristics. The composite material was formulated by blending varying seven different concentrations of boron carbide (0–50 g) and kenaf fibers (KFs) with an epoxy resin, aiming to achieve a balance between mechanical strength and minimal weight. Antimicrobial test revealed that the composite material, consisting of kenaf fiber reinforced with B4C particulates, exhibited significant antibacterial activity against common pathogens. Mechanical testing indicated that the addition of boron carbide and kenaf fibers significantly improved the tensile strength and flexural rigidity of the composites. Specifically, enhancements in tensile strength and flexural modulus were quantitatively analyzed, showing notable increases compared to the base epoxy resin. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was employed to examine the fracture surfaces following mechanical testing, revealing improved interfacial bonding between the kenaf fibers and the epoxy matrix due to the presence of boron carbide. This microscopic analysis also highlighted areas where stress distribution was optimized, contributing to the composite's enhanced mechanical properties.

Evaluation of cement-treated recycled concrete aggregates for sustainable pavement base/subbase construction

Rapid urbanization and population growth have caused a substantial rise in the generation of all kinds of waste globally. The use of recycled waste not only can replace the enormous volume of virgin materials used in construction but also alleviate environmental concerns by lowering landfilling loads. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of using non-treated and cement-treated recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) in pavement base and subbase layers. A detailed study focused on the strength, durability and microstructural aspects of treated RCA. To fulfill this, experimental test program and analysis covered particle-size distribution, Los Angeles abrasion, aggregate impact value, modified Proctor compaction, unconfined compressive strength (UCS), weight loss under wet-dry cycles, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis. The recycled aggregates are found to show excellent physical and mechanical characteristics in terms of abrasion and aggregate impact values. Cement treatment has shown to significantly enhance the strength and durability characteristics of RCA, rendering it suitable for pavement base/subbase layer application. RCA samples treated with a cement content of 3 % and above (by weight) are found to satisfy the minimum specified unconfined compressive strength (UCS) values of 2 MPa at 7 days of curing, according to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and Austroads guidelines for pavement base and subbase layer applications. However, a relatively higher cement contents (5 % and 7 %) is required to meet the minimum 7-days UCS criterion of 3 and 4.5 MPa for base layer applications of low- and high- volume roads, respectively, according to Indian road standards (IRC SP 72 (2015) and IRC 37(2018)). Cement-treated samples with 2 % cement or above showed minimal weight loss after 12 alternate wet-dry cycles, which was well within the maximum permissible limit (14 %) specified in various standards for stabilized materials. Additionally, microstructural investigations have clearly showed formation of hydration products corroborating the mechanism behind strength gain with time. Findings from this study provide references to promote the use of RCA in construction of pavement base and subbase layer, contributing towards the goal of net zero set by the United Nations.

Immunity and Protective Efficacy of a Plant-Based Tobacco Mosaic Virus-like Nanoparticle Vaccine against Influenza a Virus in Mice.

The rapid production of influenza vaccines is crucial to meet increasing pandemic response demands. Here, we developed plant-made vaccines comprising centralized consensus influenza hemagglutinin (HA-con) proteins (H1 and H3 subtypes) conjugated to a modified plant virus, tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) nanoparticle (TMV-HA-con). We compared immune responses and protective efficacy against historical H1 or H3 influenza A virus infections among TMV-HA-con, HA-con protein combined with AddaVax™ adjuvant, and whole-inactivated virus vaccine (Fluzone®). Immunogenicity studies demonstrated robust IgG, IgM, and IgA responses in the TMV-HA-con and HA-con protein vaccinated groups, with relatively low induction of interferon (IFN)-γ+ T-cell responses across all vaccinated groups. The TMV-HA-con and HA-con protein groups displayed partial protection (100% and 80% survival) with minimal weight loss following challenge with two H1N1 strains. The HA-con protein group exhibited 80% and 100% survival against two H3 strains, whereas the TMV-HA-con groups showed reduced protection (20% survival). The Fluzone® group conferred 20-100% survival against two H1N1 strains and one H3N1 strain, but did not protect against H3N2 infection. Our findings indicate that TMV-HA and HA-con protein vaccines with adjuvant induce protective immune responses against influenza A virus infections. Furthermore, our results underscore the potential of plant-based production using TMV-like nanoparticles for developing influenza A virus candidate vaccines.