Use Of Silt Research Articles

Allergen-specific immunotherapy for allergic asthma: What’s new?

Allergen-specific immunotherapy for inhalant allergies, using allergen extracts of proven value, is highly effective in selected patients with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and allergic asthma. Both subcutaneous and sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) have been shown to modify the underlying cause of the disease, with long-term clinical benefits that persist for years after their discontinuation. Real-world studies have confirmed the long-term efficacy of allergen immunotherapy in allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma and shown a reduction in the incidence of lower respiratory tract infections. Sublingual house dust mite (HDM) immunotherapy has been suggested to improve innate antiviral immunity—a likely explanation for this finding. Based on robust randomized controlled trials, the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guideline has incorporated the use of SILT for the treatment of adults with HDM-driven asthma and concomitant AR, with sub-optimal control, regardless of the use of low-to-high doses of inhaled corticosteroids, as long as the patient’s forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) is > 70%.

Multidisciplinary approach to the study of Neolithic pottery technology (based on the materials of the Luzhki II site)

The excavations of a new Neolithic site in the Samara Volga region, conducted by archaeologists of Samara State University of Social Sciences and Education in 2020–2023, yielded numerous ceramic materials, a comprehensive analysis of which is currently being conducted. The results of the technical and technological analysis of ceramics according to the method of A.A. Bobrinsky and the specifics of the geographical location of the Luzhki II site led to the appeal to more detailed methods of study. In addition to archaeological (morphological grouping of vessels, typology, technical and technological analysis of ceramics based on binocular microscopy, tracology and physical modeling), the methods of geology (petrography, X-ray phase analysis) and paleosolvology were used in the study. The results of the multidisciplinary approach to the study of Neolithic pottery technology are presented in this article. They suggested that a small site without stationary dwellings could be used as a seasonal place for making household utensils (in addition to the usual hunting and fishing activities). As a result of the technical and technological analysis of pottery ceramics of the Luzhki II site, a significant proximity of the pottery traditions of the population groups who left different ceramic complexes was revealed, which indicates the simultaneity of their existence in this area and active mixing processes. The archaization of the potters' ideas about plastic raw materials is noted – a return to more archaic methods: the share of the use of silt in the production of post-Yelshan ceramic complex lot is 82%; pricked – 75%; combed – 89%; «mixed» group – 83%. From the point of view of the historical and cultural approach, such a result could arise only because of the appearance in the southern Middle Volga of new groups of Neolithic population with archaic ideas about raw materials.

The results of researching of Algay site in the Lower Volga region in 2022

Excavations of the Algay multi-layered site in 2022 confirmed the presence of a stratigraphic sequence of occurrence of the Neolithic and Eneolithic layers. The finds are represented by fragments of ceramics, quartzite and flint tools and production waste, animal bones and bone tools. The upper cultural layer is identified as the Khvalynskaya, middle as the Cis-Caspian layer, lower as the Orlovsky Neolithic layer. Stone inventory differs in raw materials, flint and quartzite tools were found. Scrapers of different types, points and geometric microliths were found. As for the ceramic inventory, a fragment of a wall ornamented with a jagged stamp was found in the Khvalynskaya cultural layer. However, this specimen can be attributed to both the Khvalynskaya and Altatinskaya cultures. The results of the technical and technological analysis of ceramics showed the presence of only two technological subgroups of vessels made from silty and natural clays. Vessels made of silt have not been recorded, but the results of previous years of excavations revealed the use of three types of raw materials at the Algay site. The Neolithic layer is represented by pottery with prickly incised ornaments made using the technique of pricking, retreating, and less often incising. The revealed features of the making of the dishes are close to the pottery technology of the Orlovskaya culture of the Lower Volga region, the population of the Varfolomeevskaya site (Saratov Region). The specificity of this sample is the absence of ceramics made in accordance with more archaic methods (the use of silt as the initial plastic raw material), which is known for the Algay site from previous excavations.

The influence of recycled sludge sewage sludge on the morphological parameters of the species of Quercus robur L.

Petiolate oak is one of the main forest–forming species not only in the European part of Russia, but also in arid regions - in the Kamyshinsky district of the Lower Volga region, on the Terek, Tereklinsky and Kuma sands of the Nogai steppe, in the Astrakhan semi-desert, Samara and Orenburg regions. Its durability and stability allow us to recommend the cultivation of this species in plantings for various purposes. Protective forest plantations make changes in agricultural landscapes, having a large organic mass, redistributing biological potential. Accelerated growth, durability of trees in protective forest stands is determined, first of all, by the provision of species with nutrients. The modern strategy of agriculture based on chemicalization leads to an increase in erosion processes, and as a result, a decrease in the level of soil fertility. Recently, environmental "green" technologies have become very relevant, so there is a need to find new ways to solve the problems of soil degradation and fertility, search for effective non-traditional fertilizers and meliorants. The use of silt and bottom sediments in the creation of protective forest crops in the arid zone remains poorly studied, but is of great practical interest. It has been established that the use of disinfected sewage sludge gives a positive effect in the cultivation of oak seedlings, ensuring its need for the necessary nutrients. For the entire time of the experiment, the use of bottom sediments from the point "Sukhodol" showed the best result. Together with the growth of the apical shoots of the petiolate oak, the growth of phytomass, the rate of growth and development increased. Undemanding to soil conditions, the petiolate oak is quite capable of growing in ravine-girder and landscaping plantings on various types of soils. It is necessary to continue studying non-traditional fertilizers and meliorants, their composition, features and unique properties. Their introduction into agriculture will allow solving fundamental problems and issues of soil fertility (increasing phytomass reserves and preserving the fertile layer), the formation and maintenance of stability and productivity of agrobiocenoses.

Researchable Issues of Ornamental Plant Nurseries: A Case Study of Pattoki

Quite a good number of horticultural nurseries with focus on ornamental plants are located at Pattoki (District Kasur, Punjab, Pakistan) and its adjoining areas. At these nurseries hundreds of thousands of plants are raised throughout the year. Generally, Pattoki nursery business is based on traditional methods of plant propagation thereby involving a number of technical issues. Thus, in the present study, a survey was conducted to identify some of the important issues related to propagation and management of ornamental plants at these nurseries. In order to generate required information, a total of 50 nurseries were selected. This sampling of nurseries was based on convenience sampling method due to lack of complete list of nurseries. The respondents (nurserymen) were interviewed on semi-structured questionnaire with open ended questions. Based on feedback received from nursery growers, some key issues were identified during survey, including lack of respondents’ willingness to register their businesses (96%), concern over transfer of insect pests with soil (14%) and lack of willingness to seek guidance from experts (70%). Some of the responses came 100% positive or negative, viz. type of pots used was 100% clay pots only, 100% use of silt only as traditional soil medium for filling of pots, no record keeping (100% nurseries) of important nursery operations, not hiring any expert staff for supervision (100% nurseries) and no soil medium treatment(s) before use (100% nurseries).

Study the effect of physico-mechanical characteristics of ceramic tiles after addition of river silts and wollastonite derived from wastes

Abstract This study investigates the feasibility of using river silt and wastes derived wollastonite as ingredients to produce ceramic tiles. Silts are collected from Kosi river, India and wollastonite are synthesized through waste eggshells and rice husk ash (RHA) at 1100 °C. Different samples are fabricated with different compositions based upon partial and full replacement of quartz and feldspar by the silt and wollastonite, respectively. The samples are prepared by semi-dry process and sintering is done at different temperatures, i.e., 1000 °C, 1100 °C and 1130 °C in air atmosphere. Several characterizations like densification behavior, bulk density (BD), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), compressive strength (CS), three-point bending strength (BS) and acid–alkali resistance of sintered specimen are investigated. The obtained results show that the use of silt is reduced the physical and mechanical properties of tile samples at low sintering temperature but at high temperature, mechanical properties don’t have significant influence. Subsequently, all the properties are greatly improved with the addition of wollastonite in the place of K-feldspar. “sw-3” sample (fully replaced quartz and feldspar) sintered at 1100 °C fulfills the ISO standard and offers bending strength ∼48.82 MPa and water absorption ∼0.36 wt%. This promising characteristic confirms the feasibility of recycling wastes for tiles manufacturing and leads to environmental and economic benefits in ceramic industries.

Hudson Bay river sediments and regional glaciation: II. Comparison of carbonate mineralogy of size fractions for ice movement inference

Comparison of the carbonate mineralogy of sand, coarse silt, fine silt, and coarse clay fractions of river sediments from the Hudson Bay region demonstrates that dolomite is more abundant than calcite in the coarse silts but is less abundant than calcite in other size fractions. In coarse silts, dolomite commonly occurs as single crystals in the shape of well defined rhombs, whereas calcite is present as equant to subequant grains (few rhomb-shaped crystals). Dolomite grains appear to have greater resistance to abrasion than calcite grains after particles have been reduced to sizes lying in the coarse silt range. Although differing physical properties may play a role, it appears likely that the primary control on the particle size distributions of the carbonate minerals is their original crystal size in the source bedrock.The calcite/dolomite ratio for dolomite-enriched coarse silt parallels the regional distribution observed for sand, fine silt, and coarse clay, with highest values occurring in the Cape Henrietta Maria area. Carbonate mineral ratios for silt and clay fractions corroborate the results obtained for sands and provide further evidence for the existence of a carbonate dispersal train extending southwest of the cape. These results further demonstrate that fluvial carbonates can be useful indicators of regional drift dispersal and ice-flow patterns.The widespread use of silt or combined silt and clay fractions for calcite and dolomite determinations in drift provenance studies is not upheld by the results of this investigation. Coarse silts, which have been enriched in dolomite due to abrasion processes, provide a substantially distorted interpretation of source bedrock composition. Use of the sand-size grade is advocated. Sands, unlike coarse silts, reflect the major occurrence of limestones and minor dolostones in Paleozoic basins of the region.