Effect of freeze and thaw cycle on the mechanical properties of engineered cementitious composites with un-oiled fibers containing liquid and solid polymers

Nowadays, the application of the engineered cementitious composites(ECC) is expected to highly develop. Due to the lack of access to oiled- polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers in many parts of the world, the implementation of the ECC has contained many difficulties. In this study, to increase the mechanical properties of ECC with the use of un-oiled PVA fibers, the polymers of styrene butadiene rubber (SBR), and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) were taken into account to resolve the abovementioned issue. Herein, also in order to enhance the tensile and flexural properties of ECC, the cement was replaced by polymers. Accordingly, a total of 7 mix designs were planned to conduct the proposed tests. The compressive strength, uniaxial tensile strength, and three-point bending tests were performed on the ECC at their 28-day age with consideration of the freeze and thaw cycle. The results of this research illustrated that the use of polymers can enhance the tensile and flexural properties of the ECC with un-oiled PVA fibers. The tensile strain in this study increased by more than 3% after the application of the polymers. Furthermore, the compressive strength increased by more than 47 MPa, and the deflection at the mid-span reached more than 9 mm in the bending test. However, the results showed that the use of polymers was effective on the freeze and thaw cycle and almost preserved the mechanical properties of the ECC. SBR latex has higher compatibility with the ECC in comparison with EVA powder.

Association between Exosomal miRNAs and Coronary Artery Disease by Next-Generation Sequencing

Background: Among various bio-informative molecules transferred by exosomes between cells, micro RNAs (miRNAs), which remain remarkably stable even after freeze-and-thaw cycles, are excellent candidates for potential biomarkers for coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods: Blood samples were collected from the coronary arteries of 214 patients diagnosed with three-vessel CAD and 140 without CAD. After precipitation extraction, the amounts of exosomes were found to decrease with increased age and three-vessel CAD. Next-generation sequencing was performed to further explore the possible relationship between exosomal miRNAs and CAD. Results: Eight exosomal miRNAs showed altered expression associated with CAD. The up-regulated miRNAs in CAD were miRNA-382-3p, miRNA-432-5p, miRNA-200a-3p, and miRNA-3613-3p. The down-regulated miRNAs were miRNA-125a-5p, miRNA-185-5p, miRNA-151a-3p, and miRNA-328-3p. Conclusion: We successfully demonstrated particular exosomal miRNAs that may serve as future biomarkers for CAD.

Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen for chronic and recalcitrant intertrigo of toe webspaces

<p><strong>Background:</strong> The inflammation of the toe web spaces is known as foot intertrigo. Most commonly caused by candida. Important predisposing factors such as diabetes mellitus, obesity and immunosuppression lead to persistence and recurrence. Cryotherapy is a promising, safe, cost-effective, easily available therapeutic approach to treat recalcitrant intertrigo compared to available topical medications. Aim of the study was to observe the clinical improvement and therapeutic response of recalcitrant intertrigo and to observe treatment response based on photographs.</p><p><strong>Methods:</strong> A total of 30 patients who were clinically diagnosed with chronic candida intertrigo (CI) who fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria were enrolled. Cryotherapy was administered with 3 cycles of freeze and thaw of 30 seconds each, every 2 weeks for a maximum of 3 treatment sessions. Follow-up of patients were done for 4 months.</p><p><strong>Results:</strong> Among 30 patients treated, 21 patients showed excellent clinical response, 6 patients showed good response. Only 2 patients showed poor response. Minimal side effects were observed, of which transient pain at the cryotherapy site is the most common. Diabetes was the most common comorbidity with poor response to treatment and recurrence.</p><p><strong>Conclusions:</strong> Cryotherapy can be used as a safe modality of treatment for recalcitrant CI cases unresponsive to topical therapy by providing faster therapeutic response and improving the quality of life in these patients. </p>

Current freezing and thawing scenarios employed by North Atlantic fisheries: their potential role in Newfoundland and Labrador’s northern cod (Gadus morhua) fishery

Seafood is very perishable and can quickly spoil due to three mechanisms: autolysis, microbial degradation, and oxidation. Primary commercial sectors within the North Atlantic fisheries include demersal, pelagic, and shellfish fisheries. The preservation techniques employed across each sector can be relatively consistent; however, some key differences exist across species and regions to maintain product freshness. Freezing has long been employed as a preservation technique to maintain product quality for extended periods. Freezing allows seafood to be held until demand improves and shipped long distances using lower-cost ground transportation while maintaining organoleptic properties and product quality. Thawing is the opposite of freezing and can be applied before additional processing or the final sale point. However, all preservation techniques have limitations, and a properly frozen and thawed fish will still suffer from drip loss. This review summarizes the general introduction of spoilage and seafood spoilage mechanisms and the latest preservation techniques in the seafood industry, focusing on freezing and thawing processes and technologies. This review also considers the concept of global value chains (GVC) and the points to freeze and thaw seafood along the GVC to improve its quality with the intention of helping Newfoundland and Labrador’s emerging Northern cod (Gadus morhua) fisheries enhance product quality, meet market demands and increase stakeholder value.

FORMULASI DAN EVALUASI HAND SANITIZER SPRAY EKSTRAK BUAH BELIMBING WULUH (Averrhoa bilimbi L)

The tendency of society at this time to return to nature (Back to nature) is by using plants as treatment. The use of star fruit as the main ingredient in the manufacture of a hand sanitizer spray on the basis of star fruit has flavonoid compounds that have the potential as antibacterial. Hand sanitizer spray is made into 3 formulas with a concentration ratio of F1 (10%), F2 (12%), and F3 (15%). Each formula was subjected to physical tests in the form of organoleptic tests, pH tests, homogeneity tests and freeze and thaw stability tests for 6 storage cycles at 4°C and 40°C. The organoleptic results showed that the preparation did not change during four weeks of storage. On examination, the pH of the preparation decreased for F1 with a pH of 5.25 to 4.88; F2 with a pH of 5.14 becomes 4.77, and F3 with a pH of 4.87 becomes 4.60 but this value is still included in the specified range. The homogeneity of the preparations F1, F2, and F3 was only homogeneous in the first week and for the stability of the preparations F1, F2 and F3 were only stable in cycle 1 and cycle 2.

FORMULASI, KARAKTERISASI DAN UJI STABILITAS MIKROEMULSI MINYAK NILAM (Pogostemon cablin Benth.)

Patchouli oil contains patchouli alcohol as the main component which is a tricyclic tertiary alcohol sesquiterpene compound that is insoluble in water. Microemulsion is a droplet dispersion technology that combines an insoluble liquid with another liquid. The role of surfactants in helping the dispersion process of microemulsion formulation is by reducing the interfacial tension. Microemulsion is a supersolvents carrier, so that both hydrophilic and lipophilic can be administered through a microemulsion system. The purpose of this study was to formulate patchouli oil into a stable microemulsion preparation. This research was conducted by making 4 preparations of patchouli oil microemulsion containing 5% (F1), 10% (F2), and 15% (F3) patchouli oil, and microemulsion without patchouli oil (F0). Evaluation of microemulsion preparations includes organoleptic test, pH measurement, density determination, viscosity test, freeze and thaw test, centrifugation test, and particle size analysis. The test results showed that the microemulsion containing 5% patchouli oil had the most stable characteristics compared to other formulas.