• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.5 no.6
• /
• pp.485-513
• /
• 2005

This paper presents a state-of-the-art on the behaviour of steel joints under fire loading and some recent developments in this field, currently being carried out by the authors. Firstly, a review of the experimental research work on steel joints is presented, subdivided into isolated member tests, sub-structure tests and tests on complete building structures. Special emphasis is placed on the seventh Cardington test, carried out by the authors within a collaborative research project led by the Czech Technical University in Prague. Secondly, a brief review of various temperature distributions within a joint is presented, followed by a discussion of the behaviour of isolated joints at elevated temperature, focussing on failure modes and analytical procedures for predicting the moment-rotation behaviour of joints at elevated temperature. Finally, a description of the coupled behaviour of joints as part of complete structures is presented, describing previous work and investigations on real fire (including heating and cooling phases) currently being carried out by the authors.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.89-95
• /
• 1997

The current processer of the textile wastewater treatment are mostly consisted of a combination of a physico-chemical and a biological treatment. The overall efficiency of these processes is, however, assessed to be fairly low. It is even worse during the summer season when temperature of the wastewater rises above 40$\circ $C. Therefore, a feasible process of the textile wastewater treatment which can work efficiently at higher temperatures was investigated in this work. We used a bench scale reactor consisted of one 4 liter anaerobic and one 8 liter aerobic tank, and the thermophilic symbiotic PVA degraders, Pasteruella hemolytica KMG1 and Pseudomonas sp. KMG6 that had been isolated in our laboratory. In the preliminary flask experiments, we observed that the thermophilic symbiotic PVA degraders could not grow in the wastewater substrate. Then, we isolated the mutant strains by acclimating the KMG1and KMG6 strains to the wastewater medium. The mutant symbionts (KMG1-1 and KMG6-1) were isolated through 6 times successive transfers into the fresh wastewater medium after 5 days culture for each. The mutant strains obtained grew well in the mixed medium composed of 75% wastewater and 25% synthetic medium, and supplemented with 0.5% PVA as a sole carbon source. During the culture for 14 days at pH 7.0 and 40$\CIRC $C, the bacteria assimilated about 89% of the added PVA. The symbionts degraded equally well all the PVA substrates of different molecular weight (nd=500~30000). In contrast to the flask experiments, in the reactor system the mutant strains showed very low levels of the PVA and COD removal rates. However, the new reactor system with an additional aerobic tank attained 82% removal rate of COD, 94% of PVA degradation and 71% of color index under the conditions of 5% inoculm on the tank 2, incubation temperature of 40$\circ $C, dissolved oxygen level of 2~3 mg/l and retention time of 30 hours. This result ensures that the process described above could be an efficient and feasible treatment for the PVA contained textile wastewater at higher temperatures.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.100-104
• /
• 2013

Background: The aim of this study was to assess public and private medical diagnostic laboratories in Nigeria for the presence of biosafety equipment, devices, and measures. Methods: A total of 80 diagnostic laboratories in biosafety level 3 were assessed for the presence of biosafety equipment, devices, and compliance rate with biosafety practices. A detailed questionnaire and checklist was used to obtain the relevant information from enlisted laboratories. Results: The results showed the presence of an isolated unit for microbiological work, leak-proof working benches, self-closing doors, emergency exits, fire extinguisher(s), autoclaves, and hand washing sinks in 21.3%, 71.3%, 15.0%, 1.3%, 11.3%, 82.5%, and 67.5%, respectively, of all laboratories surveyed. It was observed that public diagnostic laboratories were significantly more likely to have an isolated unit for microbiological work (p = 0.001), hand washing sink (p = 0.003), and an autoclave ($p{\leq}0.001$) than private ones. Routine use of hand gloves, biosafety cabinet, and a first aid box was observed in 35.0%, 20.0%, and 2.5%, respectively, of all laboratories examined. Written standard operating procedures, biosafety manuals, and biohazard signs on door entrances were observed in 6.3%, 1.3%, and 3.8%, respectively, of all audited laboratories. No biosafety officer(s) or records of previous spills, or injuries and accidents, were observed in all diagnostic laboratories studied. Conclusion: In all laboratories (public and private) surveyed, marked deficiencies were observed in the area of administrative control responsible for implementing biosafety. Increased emphasis on provision of biosafety devices and compliance with standard codes of practices issued by relevant authorities is strongly advocated.

• Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.62-70
• /
• 2020

Here in this work, a 4-chlorophenol (4-CP)-degrading bacterial strain Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) MF447840.1 was isolated from the drain outside the Hyundai car service center, Agartala, Tripura, India. 16S rDNA technique used carried out for genomic recognition of the bacterial species. Isolated bacterial strain was phylogenetically related with B. subtilis. This strain was capable of breaking down both phenol and 4-CP at the concentration of 1,000 mg/L. Also, the isolated strain can able to metabolize five diverse aromatic molecules such as 2-chlorophenol, 2,4-dichlorophenol, 2,4,6-trichlorophenol, 4-nitrophenol, and pentachlorophenol for their growth. An extensive investigation was performed to portray the kinetics of cell growth along with 4-CP degradation in the batch study utilizing 4-CP as substrate. Various unstructured models were applied to evaluate the intrinsic kinetic factors. Levenspiel's model demonstrates a comparatively enhanced R² value (0.997) amongst every analyzed model. The data of specific growth rate (μ), saturation constant (K_S), and Y_X/S were 0.11 h^-1, 39.88 mg/L, along with 0.53 g/g, correspondingly. The isolated strain degrades 1,000 mg/L of 4-CP within 40 h. Therefore, B. subtilis MF447840.1 was considered a potential candidate for 4-CP degradation.

• Biomaterials and Biomechanics in Bioengineering
• /
• v.2 no.4
• /
• pp.225-235
• /
• 2015

Treatments for asthma are largely pharmaceutical, with some therapies also utilising alternative breathing techniques. The objective of both medical and alternative methods is to relax contracted airway smooth muscle (ASM). In normal subjects, tidal breathing- and deep inspiration-oscillations are believed to have a bronchodilatory effect. Similarly, application of length oscillations to isolated, contracted ASM also elicits muscle relaxation. As a means of investigating more-effective alternative treatment methods for contracted airways, we analyse the combined effects of bronchodilators and length oscillations on isolated, contracted ASM. The contractile state of the muscle tissue prior to treatment is of primary interest. Thereafter, the effect of applying a combination of small superimposed length oscillations with tidal breathing-like oscillations to ASM is studied alone and in combination with a common bronchodilator, isoproterenol (ISO). This work suggests that relaxation of isolated, contracted ASM following application of combined oscillations and ISO is larger than treatments of either combined oscillations or ISO alone. Further, the observed oscillation-associated relaxation is found to be amplitude- rather than frequency-dependent. This study gives additional insight into the role of oscillations and bronchodilators on contracted airways.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.16 no.3 s.76
• /
• pp.387-395
• /
• 2006

To isolate and purify anti-fungal active substances from immunized housefly (Musca domestica), low dose of Candida albicans was injected into the larvae of the housefly to induce the appearance of potent anti-fungal active substances in the hemolymph. This purification work was performed by the routine isolation and purification processes of protein, namely, solid phase extraction (SPE), SDS-PACE electrophoresis, HPLC purification. Three 4-16 kDa peptides which exhibited antifungal activity against Candida albican and other fungi were isolated from induced hemolymph. Consequently, further anti-fungal activity study showed that these three peptides were different either in molecular weight or in anti-fungal activity. All isolated substances were proved to be active and resistant to high-temperature. It was deduced that these peptides isolated from induced housefly were novel members of the insect defensin family and they were inducible.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• v.50 no.2
• /
• pp.41-45
• /
• 2007

Polaromonas naphthalenivorans CJ2, responsible for naphthalene degradation at a coal tar contaminated site, was isolated on MSB agar media supplied with naphthalene vapor as the sole carbon source at $10^{\circ}C$. The strain is not isolated under the same isolation condition using the same soil sediment at $20^{\circ}C$ although its optimum temperature is about $20^{\circ}C$. In this work we explored the reason why strain CJ2 could not have been isolated on MSB agar with naphthalene vapor at $20^{\circ}C$. Dispersed CJ2 cells in PBS buffer formed colonies on MSB agar with naphthalene vapor at $10^{\circ}C$ with low naphthalene vapor pressure, but not at $20^{\circ}C$ with high naphthalene vapor pressure. However, streaked cells without resuspension grew on MSB agar with naphthalene vapor at $10^{\circ}C,\;20^{\circ}C$, and even $25^{\circ}C$. Investigation of scanning electron microscopy showed that CJ2 cells formed extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) capsules, which were released easily from CJ2 cells by just dispersion. Therefore, it is concluded that strain CJ2 is able to overcome the naphthalene toxicity by forming a capsule-type barrier around the cells although it is susceptible to naphthalene toxicity at high temperature.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
• /
• 2018.10a
• /
• pp.99-99
• /
• 2018

The major aim of this work is the research of secondary metabolites isolated from the aerial parts of Petasites japonicus. The plant material is extracted with a polar solvent, which is 95% by volume methanol at room temperature. The concentrated extract was partitioned as EtOAc, n-BuOH, and $H_2O$ fractions. From the EtOAC and n-BuOH fraction, two bakkenolides and two caffoylquinic acid were isolated using the Diaion HP-20, silica gel, ODS-A, and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatographies. According to the results of the results of physico-chemical and spectroscopic data including NMR, MS and UV. The chemical structures of the compounds were respectively determined as bakkenolide B (1), bakkenolide D (2), 1,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid (3), and 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid (4). These results suggest that the compounds isolated from the aerial parts of this plant were almost identical with known components of Petasites japonicus. However, it is necessary to investigate more about the difference of amounts of constituents according to harvest area and time.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.46 no.5
• /
• pp.645-672
• /
• 2013

The differential settlements and rotations among footings cannot be avoided when the frame-footing-soil system is subjected to seismic/dynamic loading. Also, there may be a situation where column(s) of a building are located near adjoining property line causes eccentric loading on foundation system. The strap beams may be provided to control the rotation of the footings within permissible limits caused due to such eccentric loading. In the present work, the seismic interaction analysis of a three-bay three-storey, space frame-footing-strap beam-soil system is carried out to investigate the interaction behavior using finite element software (ANSYS). The RCC structure and their foundation are assumed to behave in linear manner while the supporting soil mass is treated as nonlinear elastic material. The seismic interaction analyses of space frame-isolated footing-soil and space frame-strap footing-soil systems are carried out to evaluate the forces in the columns. The results indicate that the bending moments of very high magnitude are induced at column bases resting on eccentric footing of frame-isolated footing-soil interaction system. However, use of strap beams controls these moments quite effectively. The soil-structure interaction effect causes significant redistribution of column forces compared to non-interaction analysis. The axial forces in the columns are distributed more uniformly when the interaction effects are considered in the analysis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.346-353
• /
• 2005

A 50-kb chromosome DNA region was isolated from Streptomyces kanamyceticus by screening the fosmid genomic library, using the 16S rRNA methylase gene (kmr) as a probe. Sequence analysis of this region revealed 42 putative open reading frames (ORFs), which included biosynthetic genes such as genes responsible for 2-deoxystreptamine (2­DOS) biosynthesis as well as genes for resistance and regulatory function. Also, the kanamycin acetyltransferase gene (kac) was characterized by in vitro enzyme assay, which conferred E. coli BL21 (DE3) with 10, 50, and 80-times higher resistance to kanamycin A, tobramycin, and amikacin, respectively, than the control strain had, thus strongly indicating that the isolated gene cluster is very likely involved in kanamycin biosynthesis. This work provides a solid basis for further elucidation of the kanamycin biosynthesis pathway as well as the productivity improvement and construction of new hybrid antibiotics.