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AbstractA sustainable and reliable methodology to strengthen the mortar adhered to recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) is crucial for optimizing its utilization in construction. This research proposes a mortar strengthening method by soaking RCA in different dosages (weight percentages) of pozzolanic slurries, i.e., fly ash and silica powder (F-S), fly ash and cement (F-C), cement and silica powder (C-S) for various durations. The influence of each slurry dosage and soaking duration on RCA's physical and mechanical properties and surface morphology were examined. Further, a modified two-stage mixing approach (M-TSMA) was employed to produce recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) incorporating 100% untreated and surface-treated RCA. The impact of M-TSMA and treated RCA on concrete was demonstrated regarding its mechanical and durability properties, such as compressive strength, ultrasonic pulse velocity, rebound hammer, sorptivity, and resistance to chloride ions. Results show that soaking RCA in 30% C-S slurry for 6 h enhances RCA's overall properties by increasing the calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) content. Moreover, employing M-TSMA and incorporating treated RCA improves the mechanical and durability properties of RAC by reducing microcracks and densifying the microstructure. Overall, the proposed surface treatment and M-TSMA can potentially enhance RAC performance with complete RCA utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This study aimed to evaluate the performance of different fungicides (chemical, botanical and bio-agent) against wheat blast under field conditions and to identify the best one for preventive spray. Among the fungicides evaluated, Nativo 75 WG (Tebuconazole 50% + Trifloxystrobin 25%), Amistar Top 325 SC (Azoxystrobin 20% + Difenoconazole 12.5%) and Cabrio Top 60 WG (Pyraclostrobin 5% + Metiram 55%) demonstrated the best results with least blast severity (4–8%) and the highest yield (78–88%). It was concluded that the mentioned fungicides can be used to control wheat head blast by spraying twice at 13–15 days interval starting with the heading stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper tests whether the improvement of democratic local governance (DLG) positively impacts local economic development (LED). Based on a nationally representative citizen perception survey of 3,024 households across 56 Union Parishads (UPs) in Bangladesh, the results suggest that, although the UP governance program (UPGP) has improved the administrative governance of UPs, functional governance involving citizens remains weak. Thus, due to partial improvement of DLG, UPGP does not appear to have a significant impact on the overall local economic development and service delivery of UPs. A significant gap can be seen to exist between the claims of UPs and the perceptions of citizens around UPs' governance performance, which may result from the poor awareness building structures of the UPGP. However, our results suggest that providing training to UP officials can partially offset the shortfalls of DLG in its pursuit of LED. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Streptococcus zooepidemicushas recently been shown to be a severe pathogen in layer chickens, where it is able to cause serious lesions in the vascular system. To evaluate the haemostatic response, 10 layer chickens were inoculated intravenously withS. zooepidemicus. Four hypotheses were tested: that the infection-induced inflammation would increase the plasma fibrinogen (Fbg) concentration, would prolong the prothrombin time (PT) and would prompt hypercoagulability or hypocoagulability as assessed by whole-blood thromboelastography (TEG), and that a possible correlation would exist between one of the TEG values and Fbg/PT. Each parameter was measured at days 1, 3 and 6 post inoculation (p.i.), and compared with the values at day 0 from each individual bird and with values obtained from non-infected control chickens (n= 10). In the infected chickens, the mean (± standard error) of Fbg was higher at day 3 p.i. (9.4 ± 1.4 g/l) and day 6 p.i. (8.0 ± 0.7 g/l) and the PT was prolonged at day 6 p.i. (168.1 ± 21.0 sec) compared with the day 0 standards (2.6 ± 0.2 g/l and 104.6 ± 2.0 sec, respectively) (P< 0.05). The majority of infected chickens demonstrated a hypercoagulable TEG result with increased mean values of the clot formation rate (α-angle) and maximal amplitude (MA) of TEG tracing at day 3 p.i. (83.1 ± 0.7°, 83.8 ± 1.4 mm) and day 6 p.i. (84.0 ± 0.4°, 89.8 ± 1.0 mm) compared with the day 0 values (75.8 ± 2.2° and 66.9 ± 1.4 mm, respectively) (P< 0.05). In control birds, the means of Fbg (1.5 ± 0.1 g/l), PT (79.4 ± 6.4 sec), TEG-α(76.7 ± 1.5°) and TEG-MA(64.0 ± 2.3 mm) were lower at day 6 compared with values observed for the infected chickens (P< 0.05). A negative correlation coefficient (−0.71) was found between the clot formation time (TEG-K) and Fbg at day 1 in the control group (P= 0.02). In conclusion, infection withS. zooepidemicusfollowing intravenous injection in layer chickens induced haemostatic alterations including hyperfibrinogenaemia, prolonged PT, and hypercoagulability as measured by increased TEG-αand TEG-MA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate Ovo-transferrin (OTF), a positive acute-phase protein in chickens, as a diagnostic biomarker of selected bacterial infections we checked the performance of a commercial Chicken-OTF-ELISA (ICL, Inc., Portland, OR, USA) by analytical and overlap performances using two groups of serum samples obtained from 26Gallibacterium anatis-infected and 20Streptococcus zooepidemicus-infected brown layer chickens. In addition, sera from 14 apparently healthy and 19 negative control chickens were analysed in theGallibacteriumgroup whereas sera from 20 healthy and 11 negative control chickens from theStreptococcusgroup were analysed. All calibration curves revealed high coefficients of determination (≥0.97) between optical density (OD450nm) and concentrations of OTF (mg/ml). OTF concentrations in high, medium and low pools (made of sera from a combination of infected and/or non-infected birds) were >6.4, >3.8 to <4.5 and <1.6 mg/ml in theGallibacteriumgroup, and >6.7, >3.5 to <3.7 and <1.1 mg/ml in theStreptococcusgroup, respectively. For each pool, low coefficients of intra-assay (7.8, 5.7 and 5.3) and inter-assay (15.8, 18.0 and 18.0) variations were obtained in theGallibacteriumstudy. In theStreptococcusstudy only the intra-assay variation was low (3.7, 3.8 and 6.2, respectively). The linearity check was acceptable demonstrating a straight line with slope and intercept, not deviating from one and zero, respectively, using theGallibacteriumsera, whereas theStreptococcussera deviated from the linear line. Detection limits were low (Gallibacterium, 0.01 mg/ml;Streptococcus, 0.32 mg/ml). OTF concentrations (mean ± standard error of the mean) in overlap performances were elevated in the sera of infected chickens (Gallibacterium, 4.4 ± 0.3 mg/ml;Streptococcus, 3.2 ± 0.4 mg/ml) compared with negative controls (1.7 ± 0.1 mg/ml) (P< 0.05). In conclusion, the Chicken-OTF-ELISA can be used to measure reproducible serum OTF concentrations in brown layer chickens as a response toG. anatisinfections, whereas an adjustment of dilution process is proposed to optimize to use inS. zooepidemicus-infected chickens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we have investigated theoretically the distribution of horizontally homogeneous pollutant concentration, when the fixed emission sources are taken as controls eith respect to time, such that the meansquare deviation of the pollutant concentration from the desired level (air quality standard) is minimised within the critical period over the entire boundary layer under impending adverse meteorological situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]