Structural Diversity Research Articles

Occurrence, Isolation, Pharmacological Potential, Metabolism, and Toxicity of Myristicin: A Naturally Occurring Alkoxy-Substituted Allylbenzene

Background: Natural products are secondary metabolites obtained from plants, animals, and microorganisms with diverse chemical structures resulting in diverse biological functions and drug-like properties. Objective: This review article summarizes in detail the occurrence, detection, isolation, various pharmacological properties, metabolism, and toxicity of a natural compound i.e., 5-Allyl-1-methoxy- 2,3-methylenedioxybenzene commonly known as Myristicin. Methods: A relevant literature search was made using the keywords essential oil, mace, myristicin, nutmeg, and pharmacological activities from different databases such as PubMed, Sci Finder, Science Direct, and Google Scholar. The literature search results presented articles from 1963 to 2022. Thereafter, the articles were carefully screened and selected for review. Results: Myristicin, an alkoxy-substituted allylbenzene is present in major to minor amounts in the essential oils obtained from different plant parts and exhibits various pharmacological properties such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiproliferative, anti-inflammatory, insecticidal, and hepatoprotective. It forms 10 metabolites by reduction, demethylation, hydroxylation, ring formation, ring-opening, and conjugate formation. In the liver, myristicin has been metabolized by Cytochrome P450 complex enzymes to generate active metabolite (1ˈ hyroxymyristicin) responsible for cytotoxic, genotoxic and apoptotic effects (150 μM). But, myristicin at 600 μM does not produce enough 1ʼ-hydroxymyristicin to give the final toxicant. Conclusion: Myristicin poses no major risk to human health through the consumption of herbs and spices due to its presence in low amounts. It has great potential to be used in the traditional system of medicine. We hope that this review will provide complete knowledge about myristicin on a single platform.

Visible Light-promoted Preparation of 2,3-Dihydrobenzofurans and Coumaranones

Abstract: 2,3-Dihydrobenzofuran and coumaranone are readily available in numerous naturally occurring compounds. They mostly exist in plenty of food plants and medicinal plants. Such compounds constitute a series of flavor components and bioactive molecules. Their preparation has been an attractive field of research. In the past few decades, great efforts have been made in the preparation of the 2,3-dihydrobenzofuran structure through both metal-catalyzed and organocatalyzed ways. Visible light-promoted reactions sprang up in the early 21st century and represent a green manner of transformations. Under the irradiation of visible light, radicals could be generated under milder conditions. Thus, visible lightpromoted reactions spread widely in the field of chemical synthesis. In recent years, visible light-promoted preparation of 2,3-dihydrobenzofuran and coumaranone has been developed by different groups, including both intramolecular and intermolecular reactions. The benign reaction conditions allow better functional group-tolerance and lead to diverse structures. Several reviews on the synthesis of 2,3- dihydrobenzofuran have been reported. However, visible light-promoted approaches to such structures have not been well reviewed. Our review will cover the literature that has been reported on the discovery of 2,3- dihydrobenzofuran in food and visible light-promoted preparation of 2,3-dihydrobenzofuran, attempting to summarize the existing methods and provide guidance to the chemists on the present challenges.

Privacy Challenges and Solutions in Big Data Analytics: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract: Large data collections with a more intricate and diversified structure are referred to as "big data." These traits are typically associated with more challenges when it comes to storing, analyzing, and applying additional procedures or getting results. The technique of analyzing vast quantities of intricate data to uncover patterns or connections that are concealed is known as "big data analytics." Nonetheless, there is a clear conflict between big data's extensive use and its security and privacy. This paper examines privacy needs in big data, distinguishes between privacy and security, and focuses on privacy and security issues in large data. This study addresses the applications of privacy in business by utilizing established techniques like HybrEx, k-anonymity, T-closeness, and L-diversity. Many privacy-preserving techniques have been created for protection of privacy at various phases of the big data life cycle (such as data generation, storage, and processing). This work aims to explain the issues facing current privacy preservation strategies in big data and to give a comprehensive evaluation of them. This study also introduces new approaches to privacy preservation in big data, such as quick anonymization of massive data streams, identity-based anonymization, differential privacy, privacy preserving big data publishing, and hiding a needle in a haystack. This study discusses big data privacy and security issues in healthcare. A comparative analysis of some contemporary large data privacy approaches is also conducted. A comparative analysis of the latest big data privacy approaches is also conducted.

Develop targeted protein drug carriers through a high-throughput screening platform and rational design.

Protein-based drugs offer advantages such as high specificity, low toxicity, and minimal side effects compared to small molecule drugs. However, delivery of proteins to target tissues or cells remains challenging due to the instability, diverse structures, charges, and molecular weights of proteins. Polymers have emerged as a leading choice for designing effective protein delivery systems, but identifying a suitable polymer for a given protein is complicated by the complexity of both proteins and polymers. To address this challenge, we developed a fluorescence-based high-throughput screening platform called ProMatch to efficiently collect data on protein-polymer interactions, followed by in vivo and in vitro experiments with rational design. Using this approach to streamline polymer selection for targeted protein delivery, we identified candidate polymers from commercially available options and developed a polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB)-based system for delivering proteins to white adipose tissue as a treatment for obesity. We also developed a branched polyethylenimine (bPEI)-based system for neuron-specific protein delivery to stimulate optic nerve regeneration. Our high-throughput screening methodology expedites identification of promising polymer candidates for tissue-specific protein delivery systems, thereby providing a platform to develop innovative protein-based therapeutics. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Self‐Assembled Molecules Fostering Ordered Spatial Heterogeneity for Efficient Ruddlesden‐Popper Perovskite Solar Cells

Abstract2D Ruddlesden‐Popper perovskites (RPP) with formamidinium‐cesium (FAC) alloyed cations possess powerful thermal‐moisture stability. However, their photovoltaic performance is hindered by the elusive spatial heterogeneity at multiscale lengths, highly associated with their coupled charge selective contacts. Herein, it reports on how the rational formation of self‐assembly molecules (SAMs) govern the orderliness of the spatial heterogeneity and crystal growth model in FACs‐RPP films, which is proposed to dictate the charge‐carrier dynamics. Unlike the disordered RPP film driven by the amorphous polymeric contacts, the laterally ordered crystallized SAM contacts facilitate a spatially ordered 2D/3D heterogeneity of FACs‐RPP film in long range, where distinct minor 2D phases are tightly coupled in short range. Such ordered heterogeneity can improve the energy transfer efficiency, facilitating the charge‐carrier dynamics in a well‐aligned 2D/3D landscape is discovered. Finally, the champion solar cells using selective SAM‐based FACs‐RPP films (n = 5) yield an efficiency of 18.85% (certified 18.19%) and excellent damp‐heat/operational stability, ranking in the top league of reported 2D RPP solar cells. More importantly, this SAM‐based principle can be adapted to diverse 2D structures, active areas, and substrate types. This work provides design directions for leveraging bottom‐selective contacts to tune spatial heterogeneity in state‐of‐the‐art 2D RPP optoelectronics.

Unlocking the power of AI models: exploring protein folding prediction through comparative analysis.

Protein structure determination has made progress with the aid of deep learning models, enabling the prediction of protein folding from protein sequences. However, obtaining accurate predictions becomes essential in certain cases where the protein structure remains undescribed. This is particularly challenging when dealing with rare, diverse structures and complex sample preparation. Different metrics assess prediction reliability and offer insights into result strength, providing a comprehensive understanding of protein structure by combining different models. In a previous study, two proteins named ARM58 and ARM56 were investigated. These proteins contain four domains of unknown function and are present in Leishmania spp. ARM refers to an antimony resistance marker. The study's main objective is to assess the accuracy of the model's predictions, thereby providing insights into the complexities and supporting metrics underlying these findings. The analysis also extends to the comparison of predictions obtained from other species and organisms. Notably, one of these proteins shares an ortholog with Trypanosoma cruzi and Trypanosoma brucei, leading further significance to our analysis. This attempt underscored the importance of evaluating the diverse outputs from deep learning models, facilitating comparisons across different organisms and proteins. This becomes particularly pertinent in cases where no previous structural information is available.

Exfoliatable Layered 2D Honeycomb Crystals of Host-guest Complexes Networked by CH-π Hydrogen Bonds.

Studies of graphene show that robust chemical bonds such as covalent bonds with trigonal-planar atoms afford layered atomic 2D crystals possessing unique properties. Although layered molecular crystals are of interest to diversify elements and structures of 2D materials, the structural diversity of molecules as well as weak intermolecular interactions inevitably makes the design to be one-off and individual. We herein report a versatile method to assemble layered molecular crystals. By developing a D3-symmetry host at vertices to form a honeycomb layer, a diverse range of layered 2D host-guest crystals were obtained. Substituents on the host, elements/structures of the guest, stereochemistries of the host and types of intercalants were diversified, which should allow for 6×32×3×2 combinations for structural diversification.

In vitro assessment of thyroid peroxidase inhibition by chemical exposure: comparison of cell models and detection methods.

Disruption of the thyroid hormone (TH) system is connected with diverse adverse health outcomes in wildlife and humans. It is crucial to develop and validate suitable in vitro assays capable of measuring the disruption of the thyroid hormone (TH) system. These assays are also essential to comply with the 3R principles, aiming to replace the ex vivo tests often utilised in the chemical assessment. We compared the two commonly used assays applicable for high throughput screening [Luminol and Amplex UltraRed (AUR)] for the assessment of inhibition of thyroid peroxidase (TPO, a crucial enzyme in TH synthesis) using several cell lines and 21 compounds from different use categories. As the investigated cell lines derived from human and rat thyroid showed low or undetectable TPO expression, we developed a series of novel cell lines overexpressing human TPO protein. The HEK-TPOA7 model was prioritised for further research based on the high and stable TPO gene and protein expression. Notably, the Luminol assay detected significant peroxidase activity and signal inhibition even in Nthy-ori 3-1 and HEK293T cell lines without TPO expression, revealing its lack of specificity. Conversely, the AUR assay was specific to TPO activity. Nevertheless, despite the different specificity, both assays identified similar peroxidation inhibitors. Over half of the tested chemicals with diverse structures and from different use groups caused TPO inhibition, including some widespread environmental contaminants suggesting a potential impact of environmental chemicals on TH synthesis. Furthermore, in silico SeqAPASS analysis confirmed the high similarity of human TPO across mammals and other vertebrate classes, suggesting the applicability of HEK-TPOA7 model findings to other vertebrates.

Tardigrade secretory proteins protect biological structures from desiccation

Tardigrades, microscopic animals that survive a broad range of environmental stresses, express a unique set of proteins termed tardigrade-specific intrinsically disordered proteins (TDPs). TDPs are often expressed at high levels in tardigrades upon desiccation, and appear to mediate stress adaptation. Here, we focus on the proteins belonging to the secreted family of tardigrade proteins termed secretory-abundant heat soluble (“SAHS”) proteins, and investigate their ability to protect diverse biological structures. Recombinantly expressed SAHS proteins prevent desiccated liposomes from fusion, and enhance desiccation tolerance of E. coli and Rhizobium tropici upon extracellular application. Molecular dynamics simulation and comparative structural analysis suggest a model by which SAHS proteins may undergo a structural transition upon desiccation, in which removal of water and solutes from a large internal cavity in SAHS proteins destabilizes the beta-sheet structure. These results highlight the potential application of SAHS proteins as stabilizing molecules for preservation of cells.

Structural Engineering of Metal‐Organic Frameworks for Efficient CO2 Reduction Reaction

AbstractMetal‐organic framework (MOF) materials have attracted much attention due to their diverse topological structures, excellent adsorption capacity, and unique physicochemical properties, which hold great promise in catalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). However, the original MOFs materials have disadvantages such as poor electrical conductivity, high diffusion barrier and limited accessible catalytic sites, which seriously limit their application in CO2RR. Therefore, many structural engineering strategies have been used to improve the CO2RR performance of the MOFs materials. In this review, we mainly review the four main structure engineering strategies, i. e. crystal engineering, 2D engineering, heterostructure engineering and MOF derivatives engineering, in enhancing the catalytic CO2RR performance of the MOFs. We hope that this review will not only provide insights for the rational design of efficient MOFs materials for the CO2RR, but also stimulate more research work in this field.

Structural Diversity in Ga/In-Hydroxamate Metal-Organic Materials.

Developing metal-organic materials (MOMs) with chemical robustness is a prerequisite to exploring their intriguing properties and applications. As part of a continuing effort to construct robust MOMs featuring chelated building units, here we introduce a "bent" thiophene-2,5-dihydroxamate ligand with multiple intrinsic conformations when it is used as a chelating linkage. This approach should further diversify the coordination chemistry in hydroxamate-based MOM structures without compromising the stability. In combination with Group 13 metals Ga/In to ensure homoleptic metal vertices, we report the successful crystallization of four MOMs with diverse structures and dimensionalities: SUM-81 as a 0D metal-organic polyhedron (MOP), SUM-82 as a 2D MOF with an fes topology, SUM-83 and SUM-84 as distinct 1D coordination polymers with shapes mimic stairs and mesh tubes, respectively. As these structures indeed contain the aforementioned different ligand conformations and combinations thereof, these results expand our understanding of the coordination chemistry of hydroxamates. To demonstrate the potential applicability of hydroxamate-chelated robust MOMs, the permanently porous SUM-81 MOP was successfully incorporated in a series of mixed matrix membranes for CO2/N2 separation, showing impressive performances.

Cell-free biosynthesis and engineering of ribosomally synthesized lanthipeptides

Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are a major class of natural products with diverse chemical structures and potent biological activities. A vast majority of RiPP gene clusters remain unexplored in microbial genomes, which is partially due to the lack of rapid and efficient heterologous expression systems for RiPP characterization and biosynthesis. Here, we report a unified biocatalysis (UniBioCat) system based on cell-free gene expression for rapid biosynthesis and engineering of RiPPs. We demonstrate UniBioCat by reconstituting a full biosynthetic pathway for de novo biosynthesis of salivaricin B, a lanthipeptide RiPP. Next, we delete several protease/peptidase genes from the source strain to enhance the performance of UniBioCat, which then can synthesize and screen salivaricin B variants with enhanced antimicrobial activity. Finally, we show that UniBioCat is generalizable by synthesizing and evaluating the bioactivity of ten uncharacterized lanthipeptides. We expect UniBioCat to accelerate the discovery, characterization, and synthesis of RiPPs.

Temperature and pressure-induced excitation-dependent emissions in zero-dimensional hybrid metal halides with mixed halogens.

Zero-dimensional (0D) hybrid metal halides (HMHs) have emerged as a promising platform for exploring excitation-dependent multicolor luminescent materials owing to their diverse crystal structures and chemical compositions. Nevertheless, understanding the mechanism behind excitation-dependent emissions (EDEs) in 0D HMHs and achieving precise modulation remains challenging. In this work, the delicate regulations on the EDE of 0D (DMEDABr)4SnBr3I3 (DMEDA: N, N'-dimethylethylenediamine) with mixed halogens are achieved under low temperature and high pressure, respectively. The inhomogeneous halogen occupation at the atomic scale leads to the formation of Br-rich and I-rich SnX6 (X = Br, I) octahedra, which act as distinct luminescent centers upon photoexcitation. At low temperatures, the narrowed photoluminescence spectra could distinguish the individual emissions from different luminescent centers, resulting in a pronounced EDE of (DMEDABr)4SnBr3I3. In addition, the contraction and distortion of the luminescent SnX6 (X = Br, I) centers at high pressure further result in different degrees of emission shifts, giving rise to the gradual emergence and disappearance of EDE. This work elucidates the underlying mechanism of EDE in 0D HMHs and highlights the crucial role of halogens in determining the optical properties of metal halides.

Efficient high-resolution fluorescence projection imaging over an extended depth of field through optical hardware and deep learning optimizations

Optical microscopy has witnessed notable advancements but has also become more costly and complex. Conventional wide field microscopy (WFM) has low resolution and shallow depth-of-field (DOF), which limits its applications in practical biological experiments. Recently, confocal and light sheet microscopy become major workhorses for biology that incorporate high-precision scanning to perform imaging within an extended DOF but at the sacrifice of expense, complexity, and imaging speed. Here, we propose deep focus microscopy, an efficient framework optimized both in hardware and algorithm to address the tradeoff between resolution and DOF. Our deep focus microscopy achieves large-DOF and high-resolution projection imaging by integrating a deep focus network (DFnet) into light field microscopy (LFM) setups. Based on our constructed dataset, deep focus microscopy features a significantly enhanced spatial resolution of ∼260 nm, an extended DOF of over 30 µm, and broad generalization across diverse sample structures. It also reduces the computational costs by four orders of magnitude compared to conventional LFM technologies. We demonstrate the excellent performance of deep focus microscopy in vivo, including long-term observations of cell division and migrasome formation in zebrafish embryos and mouse livers at high resolution without background contamination.

Comprehensive O-Glycan Analysis by Porous Graphitized Carbon Nanoliquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry.

The diverse and unpredictable structures of O-GalNAc-type protein glycosylation present a challenge for its structural and functional characterization in a biological system. Porous graphitized carbon (PGC) liquid chromatography (LC) coupled to mass spectrometry (MS) has become one of the most powerful methods for the global analysis of glycans in complex biological samples, mainly due to the extensive chromatographic separation of (isomeric) glycan structures and the information delivered by collision induced fragmentation in negative mode MS for structural elucidation. However, current PGC-based methodologies fail to detect the smaller glycan species consisting of one or two monosaccharides, such as the Tn (single GalNAc) antigen, which is broadly implicated in cancer biology. This limitation is caused by the loss of small saccharides during sample preparation and LC. Here, we improved the conventional PGC nano-LC-MS/MS-based strategy for O-glycan analysis, enabling the detection of truncated O-glycan species and improving isomer separation. This was achieved by the implementation of 2.7 μm PGC particles in both the trap and analytical LC columns, which provided an enhanced binding capacity and isomer separation for O-glycans. Furthermore, a novel mixed-mode PGC-boronic acid-solid phase extraction during sample preparation was established to purify a broad range of glycans in an unbiased manner, including the previously missed mono- and disaccharides. Taken together, the optimized PGC nano-LC-MS/MS platform presents a powerful component of the toolbox for comprehensive O-glycan characterization.

Sex-Dimorphic Effects of Hypoglycemia on Metabolic Sensor mRNA Expression in Ventromedial Hypothalamic Nucleus-Dorsomedial Division (VMNdm) Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone Neurons.

Growth hormone-releasing hormone (Ghrh) neurons in the dorsomedial ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMNdm) express the metabolic transcription factor steroidogenic factor-1 and hypoglycemia-sensitive neurochemicals of diverse chemical structures, transmission modes, and temporal signaling profiles. Ghrh imposes neuromodulatory control of coexpressed transmitters. Multiple metabolic sensory mechanisms are employed in the brain, including screening of the critical nutrient glucose or the energy currency ATP. Here, combinatory laser-catapult-microdissection/single-cell multiplex qPCR tools were used to investigate whether these neurons possess molecular machinery for monitoring cellular metabolic status and if these biomarkers exhibit sex-specific sensitivity to insulin-induced hypoglycemia. Data show that hypoglycemia up- (male) or downregulated (female) Ghrh neuron glucokinase (Gck) mRNA; Ghrh gene silencing decreased baseline and hypoglycemic patterns of Gck gene expression in each sex. Ghrh neuron glucokinase regulatory protein (Gckr) transcript levels were respectively diminished or augmented in hypoglycemic male vs female rats; this mRNA profile was decreased by Ghrh siRNA in both sexes. Gene transcripts encoding catalytic alpha subunits of the energy monitor 5-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), i.e., Prkaa1 and 2, were increased by hypoglycemia in males, yet only the former mRNA was hypoglycemia-sensitive in females. Ghrh siRNA downregulated baseline and hypoglycemia-associated Prkaa subunit mRNAs in males but elicited divergent changes in Prkaa2 transcripts in eu- vs hypoglycemic females. Results provide unique evidence that VMNdm Ghrh neurons express the characterized metabolic sensor biomarkers glucokinase and AMPK and that the corresponding gene profiles exhibit distinctive sex-dimorphic transcriptional responses to hypoglycemia. Data further document Ghrh neuromodulation of baseline and hypoglycemic transcription patterns of these metabolic gene profiles.

A high-precision 3D reconstruction method for the internal structure of small Solar System bodies

Small Solar System bodies (SSSBs) hold crucial information for understanding the formation and evolution of the Solar System. However, due to their considerable distance, small size, fast rotation, and a lack of prior information, the detection of these celestial bodies, especially their internal structures, faces numerous challenges. We explore whether the 3D structure of SSSBs can be reconstructed using monostatic radar. We investigated a more convenient observation mode and addressed the issue of the poor imaging quality of internal structures within existing imaging algorithms. Our study focused on a high-precision 3D imaging method for the internal structure of SSSBs based on radar signals. First, we considered a flyby observation mode that uses the spinning characteristics of the target for global observations, and we set up a scaled-down experimental system in the laboratory to simulate this observation mode. Next, we constructed a 3D printed physical surface model based on the shape of the asteroid 162173 Ryugu. We filled it with sand and inserted a small bottle containing different materials separately to construct two distinct layered analogs. The analogs were employed in laboratory measurements to acquire radar echoes, which were then inverted using both a classic back-projection (BP) algorithm and a modified multilayer back-projection (MLBP) method. The results shown that the 3D surface structure of the target can be reconstructed well through the BP and MLBP algorithms. The MLBP algorithm exhibits a higher reconstruction accuracy for internal structures. Moreover, compared to the BP method, the MLBP method is less sensitive to the quality of echo signals, resulting in a relatively stable imaging performance. Our findings reveal that observing and reconstructing the high-precision structure of SSSBs is feasible through our proposed method. The observation mode, experimental setup, and analog modeling approach are widely applicable and can be applied in future research on the detection of SSSBs with more diverse and complex structures.

Quantitative Non-targeted Screening to Profile Micropollutants in Sewage Sludge Used for Agricultural Field Amendments.

A considerable number of micropollutants from human activities enter the wastewater network for removal. However, at the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), some proportion of these compounds is retained in the sewage sludge (biosolids), and due to its high content of nutrients, sludge is widely applied as an agricultural fertilizer and becomes a means for the micropollutants to be introduced to the environment. Accordingly, a holistic semiquantitative nontarget screening was performed on sewage sludges from five different WWTPs using nanoflow liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution Orbitrap mass spectrometry. Sixty-one inorganic elements were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Across all sludges, the nontarget analysis workflow annotated >21,000 features with chemical structures, and after strict prioritization and filtering, 120 organic micropollutants with diverse chemical structures and applications such as pharmaceuticals, pesticides, flame retardants, and industrial and natural compounds were identified. None of the tested sludges were free from organic micropollutants. Pharmaceuticals contributed the largest share followed by pesticides and natural products. The predicted concentration of identified contaminants ranged between 0.2 and 10,881 ng/g dry matter. Through quantitative nontarget analysis, this study comprehensively demonstrated the occurrence of cocktails of micropollutants in sewage sludges.

Fractal Engineering Integration in Antenna Arrays: A Comparative-review for Advanced Transceiver Systems with 5G/IoT Connectivity

The growing demand for space-efficient antennas compatible with portable electronic gadgets inspired the integration of recursively iterated fractal geometries (characterized by self-similarity, space-filling, and multiband/wideband capabilities) in antenna designs. Therefore, this article conducts an extensive survey on fractal-based single-port and multi-port patch antenna designs with multiband and ultrawideband characteristics for their implementation in 5G/IoT (Internet of Things) devices. The survey begins with a basic overview of fractal geometries and the iterated function system (IFS) technique employed for their generation. Further, it highlights the limitation of multipath fading prevalent in single-port antenna arrays that can be overcome by adopting multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology. The MIMO antenna systems are vital for 5G networks to enhance data transmission rate, network capacity, and system reliability. Apart from these admirable attributes, the closely packed antenna elements in the MIMO configuration result in a severe mutual coupling. To address this limitation, various isolation enhancement techniques developed by distinguished researchers are thoroughly discussed in this article, detailing their merits and demerits. At last, this article portrays diverse band-notch structures integrated into the antenna designs to eradicate the existing interfering narrow bands in the ultrawideband (UWB) spectrum. The underlying reason for conducting this survey is to aid antenna designers and academicians with a thorough knowledge of distinct fractal geometries, various isolation improvement approaches, and band-notch techniques on a single platform, desired for designing 5G/IoT-based antenna systems.

An Experimental inquiry into Concrete Properties with Partial Cement Replacement Using Alccofine and Metakaolin

In this research work, we delve into the pivotal role of concrete in modern construction practices and its indispensable nature across diverse structures. Concrete's widespread use underscores its significance in the construction industry, where economic considerations heavily rely on material cost efficiency. This study focuses on experimental investigations involving Alccofine and metakaolin, aimed at enhancing concrete strength while concurrently addressing environmental concerns such as CO2 emissions. These materials serve as substitutes for traditional cement in M20 grade concrete, with meticulous mix designs tailored to optimize performance. Metakaolin replaces cement at varying percentages (0%, 5%, 10%, and 15%), while Alccofine remains a constant 10% replacement in cement concrete. Specimens undergo rigorous curing and are subjected to comprehensive 28-day testing for compressive, split tensile and flexural strengths. This investigation aims to provide insights into the feasibility and effectiveness of using Alccofine and metakaolin as sustainable alternatives in concrete production, thus addressing both economic and environmental considerations. Key Words: Alccofine, Metakaolin, Cement, Concrete, Compressive Strength, Split Tensile Strength, Flexural Strength.