The confined masonry (CM) structure consists of load bearing walls strengthened with nominally reinforced concrete tie-elements at the perimeter and other key locations. Various simulation studies ...using finite element analysis have been performed on CM walls for a better understanding of their response under in-plane and out-of-plane loads. However, for a reliable simulation of response, it is important to define the realistic interaction properties at the wall-to-tie-column interface for CM walls. The current method of defining the wall-to-tie column interaction for numerical simulation is either using monolithic interaction or frictional contact. This simplified assumption results in stiffer or flexible response of the CM walls. Thus, in the present study, the wall-to-tie-column interaction properties were evaluated using experimental and analytical investigation. Initially, flexure (tension) and shear bond tests were conducted on sub-assemblages consisting of masonry and concrete. The tensile and shear bond properties obtained from the experiments were used to calibrate the cohesive and friction interaction properties for numerical analysis. The proposed interaction properties such as bond stiffness, damage initiation, and damage evoluation provided better simulation of in-plane response of CM walls.
•Available methods of defining interaction provide unreliable response of CM wall.•Experimental study to find the interaction properties between wall and tie column.•Cohesive and friction interaction properties proposed for numerical simulation.•Proposed properties provide accurate in-plane response of confined masonry walls.
Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) are emerging as an effective concept and model to empower the active participation of citizens in the energy transition, not only as energy consumers but also as ...promoters of environmentally friendly energy generation solutions, particularly through the use of photovoltaic panels. This paper aims to contribute to the management and optimization of individual and community Distributed Energy Resources (DER). The solution follows a price and source-based REC management program, in which consumers’ day-ahead flexible loads (Flex Offers) are shifted according to electricity generation availability, prices, and personal preferences, to balance the grid and incentivize user participation. The heuristic approach used in the proposed algorithms allows for the optimization of energy resources in a distributed edge-and-fog approach with a low computational overhead. The simulations performed using real-world energy consumption and flexibility data of a REC with 50 dwellings show an average cost reduction, taking into consideration all the seasons of the year, of 6.5%, with a peak of 12.2% reduction in the summer, and an average increase of 32.6% in individual self-consumption. In addition, the case study demonstrates promising results regarding grid load balancing and the introduction of intra-community energy trading.
Earthworms are highly productive invertebrates and play a vital role in organic farming and improving soil structure and function. The gastrointestinal tract of earthworms possessed agricultural ...important bacteria. So, the current research aimed was to examine, screen, and identify the plant growth promoting bacteria existing in the digestive tract of Eisenia fetida called plant growth promoting vermi-bacteria. The plant growth promoting traits such as siderophore, phytohormone, and hydrolytic enzymes production, and phosphate solubiliation were assessed. Eleven vermi-bacteria i.e. Bacillus mycoides, B. aryabhattai, B. megaterium, Staphylococcus hominis, B. subtilis, B. spizizenii, B. licheniformis, B. mojavensis, B. toyonensis, B. anthracis, B. cereus, B. thuringiensis, and B. paranthracis were isolated and identified based on microscopic studies, biochemical tests, ribotyping, and agricultural traits. All vermi-bacteria are Gram-positive rods except Staphylococcus hominis and produce different compounds such as siderophore, indole acetic acid, catalase, oxidase, proteases, amylases, and lipases. All vermi-bacteria also act as phosphate solubilizers. Therefore, all isolated vermi-bacteria could be used as potential microbial biofertilizers to enhance crops production in Pakistan.
Extended-spectrum-beta-lactamase (ESBL)- or AmpC beta-lactamase (ACBL)-producing
bacteria are the most common cause of community-acquired multidrug-resistant urinary tract infections (UTIs) in New ...Zealand. The carriage of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria has been found in both people and pets from the same household; thus, the home environment may be a place where antimicrobial-resistant bacteria are shared between humans and pets. In this study, we sought to determine whether members (pets and people) of the households of human index cases with a UTI caused by an ESBL- or ACBL-producing
strain also carried an ESBL- or ACBL-producing
strain and, if so, whether it was a clonal match to the index case clinical strain. Index cases with a community-acquired UTI were recruited based on antimicrobial susceptibility testing of urine isolates. Fecal samples were collected from 18 non-index case people and 36 pets across 27 households. Eleven of the 27 households screened had non-index case household members (8/18 people and 5/36 animals) positive for ESBL- and/or ACBL-producing
strains. Whole-genome sequence analysis of 125
isolates (including the clinical urine isolates) from these 11 households showed that within seven households, the same strain of ESBL-/ACBL-producing
was cultured from both the index case and another person (5/11 households) or pet dog (2/11 households). These results suggest that transmission within the household may contribute to the community spread of ESBL- or ACBL-producing
that produce extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) and AmpC beta-lactamases (ACBLs) are important pathogens and can cause community-acquired illnesses, such as urinary tract infections (UTIs). Fecal carriage of these resistant bacteria by companion animals may pose a risk for transmission to humans. Our work evaluated the sharing of ESBL- and ACBL-producing
isolates between humans and companion animals. We found that in some households, dogs carried the same strain of ESBL-producing
as the household member with a UTI. This suggests that transmission events between humans and animals (or vice versa) are likely occurring within the home environment and, therefore, the community as a whole. This is significant from a health perspective, when considering measures to minimize community transmission, and highlights that in order to manage community spread, we need to consider interventions at the household level.
The 15 honey samples were collected from diferent areas of Sindh, 8 samples were collected from local honey and 7 samples were purchase from local market Hyderabad Sindh. The 13 minerals were ...analyzed like potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), calcium (Ca), manganese (Mn), Iron (Fe), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), zinc (Zn) and cobalt (Co). The results of the major and trace elements in honey samples were found in the range from Na 77.5–200 mg/kg, K 225–439 mg/kg, Ca 46.1–98.1 mg/kg, Mg 31.3–73.8 mg/kg and trace elements Fe 2.98-16-2 mg/kg, Zn 1.11–4.1 mg/kg, Co 0.01–0.23 mg/kg, Cu 0.08–0.33 mg/kg, Mn 0.12–0.95 mg/kg, Cr 0.012–0.10 mg/kg, Ni 0.06–0.33 mg/kg, Pb 0.01–0.14 mg/kg, Cd 0.01–0.38 mg/kg. The results of K was found higher while the chromium was found lowest value in Sindh honeys. The statistical analysis correlation determination, principal components analysis and cluster analysis determined to evaluate the data.
Background: One of the most devastating consequences of diabetes is diabetic retinopathy (DR), a condition that poses significant financial and health-care burdens on individuals, health-care ...systems, and the global economy. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of DR in the inpatient diabetic population in the tertiary care hospital of the Jammu region (Jammu and Kashmir). Methods: This cross-sectional study had men and women over 18 years admitted to Government Medical College, Jammu with type 1 or type 2 diabetes based on a previous physician diagnosis or hemoglobin A1C ≥6.5% (48 mmol/mol) and were eligible to participate. The exclusion criteria included type 1 diabetes diagnosed within the past 5 years. In addition, data on secondary risk factors for retinopathy were collected, such as duration, hemoglobin A1C, and associated comorbidities. Results: Seventy-eight patients with a known diagnosis of diabetes mellitus were included in this study. The majority of the study participants, 56.4% (44/78) were male and were in the age group of 40-60 years. The majority, 57.7% (45/78) participants, were unaware that DR could affect their vision. The prevalence of proliferative DR and clinically significant macular edema was 3.8% (3/78 each). Conclusion: Our study suggests an increased prevalence of DR in the study population, which seems to be a concern.
The study aimed to explore the views of intermediate students toward nursing as a career of choice. A cross-sectional design was used for the study conducted between June and July 2022, in two public ...colleges in district Swat Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The sample size of the study was 146, obtained through random sampling using a self-administrated questionnaire on a 3-point Likert scale.
Previous studies show that (61%) agreed, (19%) were neutral, and (20%) disagreed for selecting nursing as a career. Eighty-two (56%) students in the current study agreed, 47 (32%) disagreed, and 17 (12%) were neutral when asked if they planned to enrol in nursing school.
The study noted that intermediate students in district Swat have a positive attitude towards nursing as a result of the establishment of multiple nursing colleges and the opportunity to work as a nurse in government hospitals or as a nurse educator.
In 2014, antimicrobial drug-resistant Campylobacter jejuni sequence type 6964 emerged contemporaneously in poultry from 3 supply companies in the North Island of New Zealand and as a major cause of ...campylobacteriosis in humans in New Zealand. This lineage, not previously identified in New Zealand, was resistant to tetracycline and fluoroquinolones. Genomic analysis revealed divergence into 2 major clades; both clades were associated with human infection, 1 with poultry companies A and B and the other with company C. Accessory genome evolution was associated with a plasmid, phage insertions, and natural transformation. We hypothesize that the tetO gene and a phage were inserted into the chromosome after conjugation, leaving a remnant plasmid that was lost from isolates from company C. The emergence and rapid spread of a resistant clone of C. jejuni in New Zealand, coupled with evolutionary change in the accessory genome, demonstrate the need for ongoing Campylobacter surveillance among poultry and humans.
Herein, we demonstrate that the catalytic performance of imidazolium-based surface-active ionic liquid (SAIL) micelles can be significantly enhanced through the addition of an appropriate type and ...amount of intelligently conceived amphiphile to form mixed micelles. Specifically, we show that the catalytic performance of 1-dodecyl-3-methyl imidazolium chloride (DDMIMCl) micelles toward the reductive degradation of rhodamine B (RhB), a carcinogenic dye extensively used in multiple industrial applications, can be appreciably boosted through addition of Brij56, a nonionic surfactant. Detailed kinetic investigations on the catalytic performance of pre- and post-micellar concentrations of DDMIMCl and its mixed micelles with Brij56 over various mole fractions, toward the reductive degradation of RhB, are presented. The data analyzed in light of Berezin's kinetic model suggest that the addition of Brij56 to DDMIMCl micelles significantly enhances their catalytic performance. The catalytic activity exhibited by the DDMIMCl-Brij56 (
X
Brij56
= 0.2) mixed micellar system is better than that reported for many state-of-the-art nanoparticle/homogenous catalysts. The results explained in light of Berezin's kinetic model are well supported by physico-chemical studies like conductometry, fluorimetry and dynamic light scattering. The presented results anticipate stimulation of extensive research activity for exploiting the mixed micellization approach as a novel avenue for modulating the catalytic performance of SAILs.
Incorporating nonionic Brij56 into cationic DDMIMCl (SAIL) micelles significantly enhances catalytic performance of SAIL toward reductive degradation of rhodamine B, a potential carcinogenic dye extensively used in multiple industrial applications.
Cross-species transmission of pathogens is intimately linked to human and environmental health. With limited healthcare and challenging living conditions, people living in poverty may be particularly ...susceptible to endemic and emerging diseases. Similarly, wildlife is impacted by human influences, including pathogen sharing, especially for species in close contact with people and domesticated animals. Here we investigate human and animal contacts and human health in a community living around the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (BINP), Uganda. We used contact and health survey data to identify opportunities for cross-species pathogen transmission, focusing mostly on people and the endangered mountain gorilla. We conducted a survey with background questions and self-reported diaries to investigate 100 participants' health, such as symptoms and behaviours, and contact patterns, including direct contacts and sightings over a week. Contacts were revealed through networks, including humans, domestic, peri-domestic, and wild animal groups for 1) contacts seen in the week of background questionnaire completion, and 2) contacts seen during the diary week. Participants frequently felt unwell during the study, reporting from one to 10 disease symptoms at different intensity levels, with severe symptoms comprising 6.4% of the diary records and tiredness and headaches the most common symptoms. After human-human contacts, direct contact with livestock and peri-domestic animals were the most common. The contact networks were moderately connected and revealed a preference in contacts within the same taxon and within their taxa groups. Sightings of wildlife were much more common than touching. However, despite contact with wildlife being the rarest of all contact types, one direct contact with a gorilla with a timeline including concerning participant health symptoms was reported. When considering all interaction types, gorillas mostly exhibited intra-species contact, but were found to interact with five other species, including people and domestic animals. Our findings reveal a local human population with recurrent symptoms of illness in a location with intense exposure to factors that can increase pathogen transmission, such as direct contact with domestic and wild animals and proximity among animal species. Despite significant biases and study limitations, the information generated here can guide future studies, such as models for disease spread and One Health interventions.
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