Proportion Of Ingredients Research Articles

Experimental Investigation on Grades of Cement in the Nominal and Design Concrete Mixes

In India, the experience in the use of concrete in housing is more than seven decades old. Concrete mix is a combination of cement, water and aggregates of sand and stone. The relative merits of using 33, 43 & 53 grades of cement in the nominal and design concrete mixes are studied, by testing to destruction hundreds of cubes, cylinders and prisms made using these three grades of cement, the concrete mix having been designed as per the relevant Indian Standard code of practice. The objective of this paper is to make awareness among researchers, engineers and the public about the latest scientific and technical developments in cement, and how to achieve economy in concrete. The foremost objective of concrete mix design is to hand-pick the optimum proportions of various ingredients of the concrete to satisfy the required properties in its fresh and hardened state. As per the investigation, if concrete mixes are designed for different grades adopting separately 33, 43, & 53 grades of cements, grade 53 gives the highest 28 days cube strength, whereas 33 grade cement gives the lowest value. The relative cost of using these three grades is also discussed in the paper.

Salts of purine alkaloids caffeine and theobromine with 2,6-dihydroxybenzoic acid as coformer: structural, theoretical, thermal and spectroscopic studies.

The study of various forms of pharmaceutical substances with specific physicochemical properties suitable for putting them on the market is one of the elements of research in the pharmaceutical industry. A large proportion of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) occur in the salt form. The use of an acidic coformer with a given structure and a suitable pKa value towards purine alkaloids containing a basic imidazole N atom can lead to salt formation. In this work, 2,6-dihydroxybenzoic acid (26DHBA) was used for cocrystallization of theobromine (TBR) and caffeine (CAF). Two novel salts, namely, theobrominium 2,6-dihydroxybenzoate, C7H9N4O2+·C7H5O4- (I), and caffeinium 2,6-dihydroxybenzoate, C8H11N4O2+·C7H5O4- (II), were synthesized. Both salts were obtained independently by slow evaporation from solution, by neat grinding and also by microwave-assisted slurry cocrystallization. Powder X-ray diffraction measurements proved the formation of the new substances. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies confirmed proton transfer between the given alkaloid and 26DHBA, and the formation of N-H...O hydrogen bonds in both I and II. Unlike the caffeine cations in II, the theobromine cations in I are paired by noncovalent N-H...O=C interactions and a cyclic array is observed. As expected, the two hydroxy groups in the 26DHBA anion in both salts are involved in two intramolecular O-H...O hydrogen bonds. C-H...O and π-π interactions further stabilize the crystal structures of both compounds. Steady-state UV-Vis spectroscopy showed changes in the water solubility of xanthines after ionizable complex formation. The obtained salts I and II were also characterized by theoretical calculations, Fourier-transform IR spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and elemental analysis.

Multi-scale particles optimization for some rheological properties of Eco-SCC: Modelling and experimental study

The development of mix design method for low-binder ecologically-friendly self-compacting concrete (Eco-SCC) has attracted interest in recent years. Most studies investigated this topic by evaluating mixtures with various ingredient proportions experimentally and then establish empirical correlations. This research attempts to take the first step towards a novel numerical discrete element method (DEM) simulation to optimize multi-scale particles size distribution of Eco-SCC at a constant mixing proportion. The two-phase DEM model was generated as an assembly of hard core with soft shell based on the thickness of mortar layer covering gravels and rheological behavior of suspending mortar, to characterize fresh properties of Eco-SCC. The rolling resistance standard contact model was adopted for simulating fresh mortar matrix lacking in excess paste. It was found that the blended cementitious powders closer to Fuller ideal curve and the aggregates gradation with higher fractal dimension were beneficial to the flowability of mixture. However, potential negative impacts on stability or passing ability of Eco-SCC might also be induced by an overmuch incorporation of slag or a higher portion of large-size gravel. The numerical results not only showed good agreements with experimental verifications (deviations lower than 7% for flow spread prediction), but also provided insights into the interactions among particles along with their continuous motion traces. Thereby, DEM modelling can be used as an efficient tool to reveal the influential mechanism of aggregates on fresh Eco-SCC and attain a general improvement in rheological performance via multi-scale particles optimization, with the measured slump flow increasing from 510 mm to 730 mm (by 43.1% at most) in this study. The eventually optimized Eco-SCC mix can be obtained with slump flow at 670 mm, V-funnel time at 4.1 s, J-ring spread at 635 mm, VSI = 0, and the cost intensity of 7.09 CNY·m−3·MPa.

Quality Standards for Caturjata Carna Evaluated with Official and Substitute Ingredients

Background: In Ayurveda, single or multiple herbs mixed in a particular proportion are used for the treatment of different diseases. Caturjata Curna (CC) is a popular Ayurvedic medicine with therapeutic application in tastelessness, diseases due to vitiated Kapha, poisoning and discoloration. The present study is an attempt to standardize a polyherbal medicine CC. Methods: CC was prepared by mixing an equal proportion of ingredients including Tvak (Cinnamomum verum) - stem bark, Ela (Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton) - seed, Tvakpatra (Cinnamomum tamala (Buch.-Ham.) T.Nees & Eberm.) - leaf and Nagakesara (Mesua ferrea L.) - stamen in equal parts as per guidelines in Ayurvedic Formulary of India. Macro-microscopy, physico-chemical parameters, HPTLC fingerprinting, and spectroscopic parameters were determined according to standardised methodology available in Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India. Results: Caturjata curna is brown coloured with a characteristic odour and aromatic taste. Powder microscopy showed the presence of diagnostic characters like horse shoe-shaped stone cells, perisperm cells with volatile oil droplets, paracytic stomata and endothecium layers of anthers indicating each ingredient of the formulation. HPTLC showed 13, 13 and 16 bands each under short UV, long UV and white light post derivatisation respectively in ethanolic extract of the formulation. Physico-chemical standards like loss on drying at 105º (10.39 %), total ash (4.1 %), acid-insoluble ash (0.90 %), ethanol- soluble extractive (10 %), water-soluble extractive (8.77 %) and pH of 10% aqueous solution (4.58) were recorded. The presence of cinnamaldehyde and 1-eicosene was confirmed by GC-MS and NMR studies. Conclusion: a monograph on quality standards for CC has been proposed which would serve as a document to control the quality of this polyherbal formulation.

Therapeutic potentials and pharmacological properties of Talinum triangulare (Jacq.) Willd. in the treatment and management of diabetes mellitus and other conditions

There is a growing interest in the use of medicinal plants. Previously, the assumption was that the use of medicinal plants is peculiar to developing and poor nations. However, due to advances in technology, innovative and scientific research on medicinal plants, the trend has changed. The number of people using medicinal plants for various reasons has increased significantly in developed countries. Research studies have shown that several plants display antioxidant, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, anticancer and antiulcer activities and that these plants and their bioactive molecules play important role in retarding the progression of acute and chronic disease conditions such as bacterial infections, diabetes, hypertension and cancer. These and other factors have stimulated interest in documenting and investigating medicinal plants for their nutritional and therapeutic benefits. In addition, vegetables such as Talinum triangulare (Jacq.) Willd. are cheap and affordable sources of protein, vital amino acids, vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates. Used as supplements, vegetables provide tangible and correct proportions of nutrients and therapeutic ingredients. As part of the documentation of medicinal plants in Africa and contributing to the pool of knowledge in the field, this review examines the various potentials of T. triangulare. It is envisaged that it would stimulate further interest and research in the plant and medicinal plants in general.

Detection of SalmonellaTyphimurium in water and meat using nanosensor

The sensor dimensions are chosen (10 * 10 mm) and manufactured by the laser engraving system as a dimension of the fine copper die and installed on the glass substrate coated with the nano material and the mould is coated with silver by thermal vacuum evaporation and the fixation of the connecting electrodes. The surface properties and the structural, optical and electrical properties of the thin films were studied. Samples prepared with an X-ray diffraction device (XRD) were examined to ensure the presence of elements or compounds entering the coating layer, and an examination with an atomic force microscope (AFM) to identify the crystal size of the coating compound and a scanning electron microscope. Field (SEM) is to prove the existence and proportions of active ingredients. The UV nano composite spectra were studied to investigate the optical behavior of ZnO-rGO membranes (transmittance and absorption). The sensing properties were determined by measuring changes in the conductivity of the prepared bacteria present in water and flesh using current and voltage measurement I-V by two mass device methods and the results were accurate. The results proved that ZnO-rGO has high sensitivity towards bacteria and is made of thin films of nano composites and has a high performance to detect bacteria in water and meat. The goal of this study is to design and manufacture a nano sensor with high efficiency to detect a type of bacteria that the thin films deposited in the vacuum have properties excellent for accurate detection. The microbial detection devices based on thin materials are inexpensive and do not require trainers to use them, and they operate at room temperature. Thus they have the advantage of remote positioning and monitoring in dangerous places.

Mise en place for gastronomy geography through food: Flavor regions in Turkey

The spatial variation of foodstuffs derived from a combination of Turkish culinary culture and geographical conditions, as well as the spatial distribution of kitchen richness, are critical for the development of food culture. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to determine whether there are statistically significant flavor region boundaries based on the spatial distribution of ingredient proportions in certain dishes. Turkey was selected as the study area because of its diversity in terms of physical and human geography due to its geopolitical location. Four dishes were selected as examples in this study, for which a total of 4098 recipes were compiled from 973 districts. Flavor regions were determined using a spatial mapping technique that considered provinces located in the high-high and low-low regions in the LISA (local indicator of spatial association) ingredient maps, and the Moran's I values were found to be significant at the 0.001 level in a spatial autocorrelation analysis. Overall, 15 distinct flavor regions were identified. These findings provide a significant resource for improving existing destinations and developing new destinations for gastronomy tourism by considering the various flavor regions of Turkish cuisine and their general characteristics.

Bayesian I-optimal designs for choice experiments with mixtures

Discrete choice experiments are frequently used to quantify consumer preferences by having respondents choose between different alternatives. Choice experiments involving mixtures of ingredients have been largely overlooked in the literature, even though many products and services can be described as mixtures of ingredients. As a consequence, little research has been done on the optimal design of choice experiments involving mixtures. The only existing research has focused on D-optimal designs, which means that an estimation-based approach was adopted. However, in experiments with mixtures, it is crucial to obtain models that yield precise predictions for any combination of ingredient proportions. This is because the goal of mixture experiments generally is to find the mixture that optimizes the respondents’ utility. As a result, the I-optimality criterion is more suitable for designing choice experiments with mixtures than the D-optimality criterion because the I-optimality criterion focuses on getting precise predictions with the estimated statistical model. In this paper, we study Bayesian I-optimal designs, compare them with their Bayesian D-optimal counterparts, and show that the former designs perform substantially better than the latter in terms of the variance of the predicted utility.

Effect of processing parameters on mechanical properties of FDM filament prepared on single screw extruder

Fused deposition modeling (FDM) using Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) polymer as filament is gaining a distinct advantage in manufacturing industries because of its ability to manufacture parts with complex shapes without any tooling requirement and human interface. Present research work aims to develop an alternative FDM filament using nylon 6, Al powder, and Al2O3 powder, which is to be used in existing original equipment manufacturer (OEM) FDM system without changing hardware/software of the system. Taguchi L9, orthogonal array approach, has been used to study the effect of input process parameters, i.e., proportions of filament ingredient, barrel temperature, and die temperature on mechanical properties of filament developed. Proportions of filament ingredients are found to have a significant effect on tensile strength, Young's modulus, and percentage elongation. The required filament has been successfully developed, having more improved properties. The resulting composite filament prepared by extrusion was found to work well with an FDM machine.

Defensive behaviour of building envelopes in terms of mechanical and thermal responsiveness by incorporating PCMs in cement mortar layers

This paper presents a comprehensive approach to elucidate the mechanical and thermal aspects of coating layers integrated with organic-based PCMs. In that respect, three sets of cement mortars were studied experimentally to underline the significance of PCMs proportion. From a mechanical point of view, the strength of specimens cured at 20 °C resulted to be superior compared to 40 °C, with a more evident influence for cement mortars containing PCMs. Laboratory tests on specimens subjected to 50 wetting–drying cycles demonstrated an insignificant increase of the mass for coatings without PCMs and a slight increase for coatings containing PCMs. During this process, growth in strength for the base mix without PCMs and a loss in strength for mixtures with PCMs was exposed; an exponential decay relationship was noted between the compressive strength with the PCM proportion. Alongside this, a transient thermal analysis was carried out to assess the effect of PCMs on the dynamic thermal parameters of coating layers. A higher proportion of PCM ingredients leads to enhanced responsiveness since the heat wave penetrating the layer is smoothen and delayed. These issues can adequately address the defensive behaviour capacity of building components, without surpassing their carrying structural stability and mechanical properties.

PREDICTION OF CONCRETE MIX DESIGN USING DATA MINING TECHNIQUES - A REVIEW

Concrete mix proportioning is one of the critical process and it involves a lot of precautionary measures to arrive at the right proportions of ingredients like cement, aggregate, water, and admixtures. Even though there are technical specifications that are managed mix proportionating, the procedure is not totally in the realm of science. Due to imprecise codal provisions, impreciseness, and fuzziness involved in the various stages of mix proportioning. This paper reviews the various data mining and machine learning techniques developed by the researchers for making concrete mix design for various codal provisions more realistic and scientific.

Microplastic in angling baits as a cryptic source of contamination in European freshwaters

High environmental microplastic pollution, and its largely unquantified impacts on organisms, are driving studies to assess their potential entry pathways into freshwaters. Recreational angling, where many anglers release manufactured baits into freshwater ecosystems, is a widespread activity with important socio-economic implications in Europe. It also represents a potential microplastic pathway into freshwaters that has yet to be quantified. Correspondingly, we analysed three different categories of industrially-produced baits (‘groundbait’, ‘boilies’ and ‘pellets’) for their microplastic contamination (particles 700 µm to 5 mm). From 160 samples, 28 microplastics were identified in groundbait and boilies, with a mean concentration of 17.4 (± 48.1 SD) MP kg−1 and 6.78 (± 29.8 SD) mg kg−1, yet no microplastics within this size range were recorded in the pellets. Microplastic concentrations significantly differed between bait categories and companies, but microplastic characteristics did not vary. There was no correlation between microplastic contamination and the number of bait ingredients, but it was positively correlated with C:N ratio, indicating a higher contamination in baits with higher proportion of plant-based ingredients. We thus reveal that bait microplastics introduced accidentally during manufacturing and/or those originating from contaminated raw ingredients might be transferred into freshwaters. However, further studies are needed to quantify the relative importance of this cryptic source of contamination and how it influences microplastic levels in wild fish.

Utilization of Prior Information in Neural Network Training for Improving 28-Day Concrete Strength Prediction

AbstractA concrete mix design aims to obtain the optimal proportions of concrete ingredients, including cement, water, sand, coarse aggregates, and admixtures. Neural networks (NNs) have been widel...

Experimental mix design approach of reactive powder concrete to recognize compressive strength through non-destructive test

Rapid industrialization in concrete industry dominates the infrastructural development globally. Where, the crowded places, old structures, monuments gets maintain and rehabilitate to strengthen then we use high grade concrete. For this purpose we use reactive powder concrete and without destroying the structure know its strength parameters. This investigation mainly focus on mix proportion of different ingredients of reactive powder concrete and check the freshly prepared specimen for non destructive test as per codal provision. Ultrasonic pulse velocity test gives the idea about the uniformity of material, dense particle and homogeneity.Higher the pulse velocity or wavelength which passes through specimen higher is the compression strength. In this examination specimen were prepared from silica fumes, silica sand and steel fiber to achieve the durability. Here, RPC M30 and RPC M60 cubes were prepared and tested after 3, 7, 14, 28 and 90days. The specimen was cured and age by accelerated curing and conventional curing to see increment in compression strength. The accelerated curing temperature was kept 600C with relative humidity 60% and conventional curing at 250C i.e. on room temperature ±20C. In reactive powder concrete there is a less cement use because of silica fume which was again by product of SiO2 i.e. silicon dioxide. This is resulting into less significant greenhouse effects to improve sustainable development goal.This paper gives sufficient idea about the wavelength and its characteristics. Uses of silica sand in study of RPC and structural changes occur in compression strength. In this paper linear relationship was establish with the help of regression analysis for compactness of material and studying the wavelength. The R2 value is ranges 0.8 to 0.99 means the relationship was good and material is homogeneous. Plasticizer and water cement ratio plays an important role in case of workability and cement binder ratio.

Оксидативный стресс, антиоксиданты, проблемы репродукции в период пандемии (клиническая лекция)

Oxidative stress (OS) results from imbalance between the inherent production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the capture of ROS by natural antioxidants in the living organism, as well as from failure of antioxidant systems involving cells’ exposure to excess levels of ROC, molecular oxygen or its active forms (free radicals). Pathologic conditions result in imbalance between the quantity of ROC and free radicals produced, and the possibilities of their utilization. Consequently, free radicals, that the antioxidant systems have been unable to neutralize, damage cell structures (membranes, mitochondria, DNA, etc.). These processes occur both in germ cells (sperm, oocytes), and spermoplasm. In fact, a number of recent studies have confirmed that COVID-19 is a gender-related disorder: most patients with severe infection are males. Studying the viral entry mechanism has revealed that it may cause the profound damage to cells of reproductive system, and lead to delayed reproductive function impairment in young men and adolescents. Vitamin and mineral supplementation with optimum proportion of ingredients may be used as an efficient reinforcement for therapy aimed at fertility preservation and restoration in the current context of the pandemic.

Mechanical Properties of Geopolymer Concrete with Modified Calcium and Magnesium

Geopolymer concrete has better mechanical property and environmental advantages than ordinary Portland concrete. Different amount of fly ash, Ca, Mg and the proportions of mixing ingredients are researched in this paper. Contrast by mixing different ratio of calcium to magnesium (Ca-to-Mg) into the geopolymer concrete, the mechanical property was researched. The compress experiment was fulfilled, moisture reduction was measured. The experimental results show modified geopolymer concrete with Mg/Ca can enhance the ability of water retention. The compressive strength of geopolymer concrete enhanced when ratio of Mg-to-Ca was 1:1. The peak compressive strength of geopolymer concrete reached 43.7MPa when MgO and slag occupied 133% fly ash. Slag can obviously improve the mechanical properties of the geopolymers. Modified proper ratio of Ca-to-Mg can improve mechanical performance of the geopolymer gels by 52%-1461%.

Effect of Gazpacho, Hummus and Ajoblanco on Satiety and Appetite in Adult Humans: A Randomised Crossover Study.

Nowadays, overweight and obesity has reached an epidemic level around the world. With the aim to tackle them, an interesting strategy is the study of food and ingredients with satiety properties. In addition to reducing food and/or calorie intake, this type of foods must be included as part of a healthy diet. With regard to this, it is well known that the Mediterranean Diet (MD) is a feeding pattern that helps us to maintain good health, providing an adequate intake of micronutrients and active compounds. With this background, the main aim of this research was to identify MD foods with a high satiating potential capacity. For this purpose, three typical foods of the Mediterranean region, mainly based on vegetables, were selected: hummus, ajoblanco and gazpacho. As a control, white bread was used. Twenty-four human healthy volunteers consumed a standard breakfast followed by the different typical Mediterranean foods, and then the subjective sensation of hunger and satiety for each food was assessed by visual analogue scales (VAS) during 3 h. Subsequently, volunteers had ad libitum access to a standard meal. The results indicate that gazpacho showed the highest satiating scores, despite the fact that it was not the food that provided the highest protein or fibre amount. More studies of this type are needed to determine the proportion and/or combination of ingredients from these classical Mediterranean recipes that could enhance human satiety.

Development of a MgO-metakaolin binder system

The relatively high cost and limited availability of the constituent materials, are among the factors which limit the adoption of the magnesium silica hydrate (M-S-H) binder system in practice. Furthermore, the fresh and hardened properties of M-S-H binder systems vary significantly with the proportion of MgO and amorphous silica available for the hydration. In this paper, we demonstrate the application of metakaolin (Mk), a highly reactive aluminosilicate, to replace silica fume to develop a M-S-H-based binder system. To investigate the effects of component proportions on the workability, through variations in the required amount of super plasticizer, and compressive strength of the M-S-H-based mortar, a response surface methodology (RSM) is used where a series of mortar samples were prepared based on a central composite experimental design. The response surface model thus developed allowed optimization of the proportions of the mortar ingredients for a target set of workability and compressive strength. The model illustrates the highest sensitivity of water to cementitious material (w/cm) ratio for both workability and strength while revealing minor sensitivities to the other two variables of MgO/Mk ratio, and fine aggregate content. The mineralogical composition of the hydrated paste was investigated through FTIR and X-Ray diffraction and revealed the formation of a hydrotalcite-like phase along with the M-S-H gel.

Nitrogen calculator: A decision support tool for compost production of white button mushroom

White button mushroom is most favoured mushroom both in India and world. It is revered for one of the option to meet the growing vegetable demands of India as mushroom cultivation do not require additional land. The productivity of white button mushroom mainly depends on the quality of compost. Button mushroom compost is prepared from wide variety of substances and accordingly the nutrient content and quality varies widely. Mushroom growers facing difficulty in choosing ingredients for producing quality compost besides lacking understanding on proportion of different ingredients for making compost. This paper illustrates about the decision support tool for making ideal compost for button mushroom compost.

Design Mix Formulation and Optimization of Metakaolin Based Alkali Activated Geopolymer Concrete with the Taguchi Method

Concrete mix formulation is the science of deciding relative proportions of ingredients of concrete, to achieve desired properties in the most economical way. Formulation of concrete mix requires adequate knowledge of the properties of its constituents. Aluminosilicate materials have recently found applications in construction industry due to their unique and flexible properties. The metakaolin used for this study was the locally sourced kaolin calcined at 750oC. The alkali activating reagents include a fixed concentration of sodium silicate solution and sodium hydroxide solutions of three different concentrations. Strength development of metakaolin – based geopolymer concrete is quite different from that of ordinary Portland cement concrete due to differences in their constituents, hence, the need for special formulation, most especially when high strength is required. Taguchi method was adopted in this study to formulate mix proportion for high compressive strength of geopolymer concrete at ambient curing condition. Four parameters were selected that are more likely to influence the compressive strength of metakaolin – based geopolymer concrete, these include aggregate content, alkali – binder ratio, alkali reagent ratio and alkali reagent concentration. The effect of these parameters on the density, workability and compressive strength at 3, 7 and 28 days are determined. The result showed that an optimum mix obtained from a formulation formula (2.75SiO2 * Al2O3 * 0.55Na2O * 6.8H2O) produced a compressive strength of 62MPa at 28 days of open air curing. It was revealed that the molar concentration of the alkali reagent (sodium hydroxide) should be kept within 10M range for an open air curing, the alkali reagents to binder ratio should be kept at 0.7 or less with no addition of water to achieve reasonable workability. Also, it has been observed that the bulk density of metakaolin – based geopolymer concrete that yielded substantial strength fall within 2250kg/m3 and 2350 kg/m3.