• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.479-490
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• 2021

Present research is mainly focused on, microstructural and durability analysis of Graphene Oxide (GO) in Wollastonite (WO) induced cement mortar with silica fume. The study was conducted by evaluating the mechanical properties (compressive and flexural strength), durability properties (water absorption, sorptivity and sulphate resistance) and microstructural analysis by SEM. Cement mortar mix prepared by replacing 10% ordinary portland cement with SF was considered as the control mix. Wollastonite replacement level varied from 0 to 20% by weight of cement. The optimum replacement of wollastonite was found to be 15% and this was followed by four sets of mortar specimens with varying substitution levels of cementitious material with GO at dosage rates of 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.3% and 0.4% by weight. The results indicated that the addition of up to 15%WO and 0.3% GO improves the hydration process and increase the compressive strength and flexural strength of the mortar due to the pore volume reduction, thereby strengthening the mortar mix. The resistance to water penetration and sulphate attack of mortar mixes were generally improved with the dosage of GO in presence of 15% Wollastonite and 10% silica fume content in the mortar mix. Furthermore, FE-SEM test results showed that the WO influences the lattice framework of the cement hydration products increasing the bonding between silica fume particles and cement. The optimum mix containing 0.3% GO with 15% WO replacement exhibited extensive C-S-H formation along with a uniform densified structure indicating that calcium meta-silicate has filled the pores.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.399-409
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• 2021

The existing method to improve the coordination performance of the inner and outer parts of concrete-encased concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) composite columns by increasing the volume-stirrup ratio causes difficulties in construction due to over-dense stirrups. Thus, this paper proposes an open polygonal composite stirrup with high strength and high ductility CRB600H reinforced rebar, and seventeen specimens were constructed, and their axial compressive performance was tested. The main parameters considered were the volume-stirrup ratio, the steel tube size, the stirrup type and the stirrup strength. The test results indicated: For the specimens restrained by open octagonal composite stirrups, compared with the specimen of 0.5% volume-stirrup ratio, the compressive bearing capacity increased by 14.6%, 15.7% and 21.5% for volume-stirrup ratio of 0.73%, 1.07% and 1.61%, respectively. For the specimens restrained by open composite rectangle stirrups, compared with the specimen of 0.79% volume-stirrup ratio, the compressive bearing capacity increased by 7.5%, 6.1%, and -1.4% for volume-stirrup ratio of 1.12%, 1.58% and 2.24%, respectively. The restraint ability and the bearing capacity of the octagonal composite stirrup are better than other stirrup types. The specimens equipped with open polygonal composite stirrup not only had a higher ductility than those with the traditional closed-loop stirrup, but they also had a higher axial bearing capacity than those with an HPB300 strength grades stirrup. Therefore, the open composite stirrup can be used in practical engineering. A new calculation method was proposed based on the stress-strain models for confined concrete under different restrain conditions, and the predicted value was close to the experimental value.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.429-437
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• 2021

In the era of building engineering the intensification of Self Compacting Concrete (SCC) is world-shattering magnetism. It has lot of rewards over ordinary concrete i.e., enrichment in production, cutback in manpower, brilliant retort to load and vibration along with improved durability. In the present study, the mechanical strength of CM-2 (SCC containing 10% of rice husk ash (RHA) as cement replacement and 600 grams of glass fibers per cubic meter) was investigated at various dosages of cement replacement by fly ash (FA) and GGBS. A total of 17 SCC mixtures including two control SCC mixtures (CM-1 and CM-2) were developed for investigating fresh and hardened properties in which, ten ternary cementitious blends of SCC by blending OPC+RHA+FA, OPC+RHA+GGBS and five quaternary cementitious blends (OPC+RHA+FA+GGBS) at different replacement dosages of FA and GGBS were developed with reference to CM-2. For constant water-cement ratio (0.42) and dosage of SP (2.5%), the addition of glass fibers (600 grams/m³) in CM-1 i.e., CM-2 shows lower workability but higher mechanical strength. While fly ash based ternary blends (OPC+RHA+FA) show better workability but lower mechanical strength as FA content increases in comparison to GGBS based ternary blends (OPC+RHA+GGBS) on increasing GGBS content. The pattern for mixtures appeared to exhibit higher workablity as that of the concentration of FA+GGBS rises in quaternary blends (OPC+RHA+FA+GGBS). A decrease in compressive strength at 7-days was noticed with an increase in the percentage of FA and GGBS as cement replacement in ternary and quaternary blended mixtures with respect to CM-2. The highest 28-days compressive strength (41.92 MPa) was observed for mix QM-3 and the lowest (33.18 MPa) for mix QM-5.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.385-394
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• 2022

Recently, an increasing number of cutting-edged studies have shown that designing a smart active control for real-time implementation requires piles of hard-work criteria in the design process, including performance controllers to reduce the tracking errors and tolerance to external interference and measure system disturbed perturbations. This article proposes an effective artificial-intelligence method using these rigorous criteria, which can be translated into general control plants for the management of civil engineering installations. To facilitate the calculation, an efficient solution process based on linear matrix (LMI) inequality has been introduced to verify the relevance of the proposed method, and extensive simulators have been carried out for the numerical constructive model in the seismic stimulation of the active rigidity. Additionally, a fuzzy model of the neural network based system (NN) is developed using an interconnected method for LDI (linear differential) representation determined for arbitrary dynamics. This expression is constructed with a nonlinear sector which converts the nonlinear model into a multiple linear deformation of the linear model and a new state sufficient to guarantee the asymptomatic stability of the Lyapunov function of the linear matrix inequality. In the control design, we incorporated H Infinity optimized development algorithm and performance analysis stability. Finally, there is a numerical practical example with simulations to show the results. The implication results in the RMS response with as well as without tuned mass damper (TMD) of the benchmark building under the external excitation, the El-Centro Earthquake, in which it also showed the simulation using evolved bat algorithmic LMI fuzzy controllers in term of RMS in acceleration and displacement of the building.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.99-107
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• 2019

Objective : The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of Chaenomelis Fructus (CF) on the regulation of biogenesis in C2C12 mouse skeletal muscle cells. Methods : C2C12 myoblasts were differentiated into myotubes in 2% horse serum-containing medium for 5 days, and then treated with CF extract at different concentrations for 48 hr. The expression of muscle differentiation markers, myogenin and myosin heavy chain (MHC) and mitochondrial biogenesis-regulating factors, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1alpha (PGC1α), sirtuin1 (Sirt1), nuclear respiratory factor1 (NRF1) and transcription factor A, mitochondrial (TFAM), and the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) were determined in C2C12 myotubes by reverse transcriptase (RT)-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blot, respectively. The cellular glucose levels and total ATP contents were measured by cellular glucose uptake and ATP assays, respectively. Results : Treatment with CF extract (0.01, 0.02, and 0.05 mg/㎖) significantly increased the expression of MHC protein in C2C12 myotubes compared with non-treated cells. CF extract significantly increased the expression of PGC1α and TFAM in the myotubes. Also, CF extract significantly increased glucose uptake levels and ATP contents in the myotubes. Conclusion : CF extract can stimulate C2C12 myoblasts differentiation into myotubes and increase energy production through upregulation of the expression of mitochondrial biogenetic factors in C2C12 mouse skeletal muscle cell. This suggests that CF can help to improve skeletal muscle function with stimulation of the energy metabolism.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.93-102
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• 2022

In this study, limestone powder (LS) and fly ash (FA) were used as powder materials in self-compacting concrete (SCC) in increasing quantities in addition to cement, so that the two powders commonly used in the production of SCC could be compared in the same study. Considering the reduction of the maximum aggregate size in SCC, 10 mm or 16 mm was selected as the coarse aggregate size. The properties of fresh concrete were determined by slump flow (including T₅₀₀ time), V-funnel and J-ring experiments. The experimental results showed that as the amount of both LS and FA increased, the slump flow also increased. The increase in powder material had a negative effect on V-funnel flow times, causing it to increase; however, the increase in FA concretes was smaller compared to LS ones. The increase in the powder content reduced the amount of blockage in the J-ring test for both aggregate sizes. As the hardened concrete properties, the compressive and splitting strengths as well as the modulus of elasticity were determined. Longitudinal and transverse deformations were measured by attaching a special frame to the cylindrical specimens and the values of Poisson's ratio, initiation and critical stresses were obtained. Despite having a similar W/C ratio, all SCC exhibited higher compressive strength than NVC. Compressive strength increased with increasing powder content for both LS and FA; however, the increase of the FA was higher than the LS due to the pozzolanic effect. SCC with a coarse aggregate size of 16 mm showed higher strength than 10 mm for both powders. Similarly, the modulus of elasticity increased with the amount of powder material. Inelastic properties, which are rarely found in the literature for SCC, were determined by measuring the initial and critical stresses. Crack formation in SCC begins under lower stresses (corresponding to lower initial stresses) than in normal concretes, while critical stresses indicate a more brittle behavior by taking higher values.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.103-113
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• 2022

On the basis of fabrication, the utilization of nano material in numerous industrial and technological system, obtained the utmost significance in current decade. Therefore, the current investigation presents a theoretical disposition regarding the flow of electric conducting Williamson nanoliquid over a stretchable surface in the presence of the motile microorganism. The impact of thermal radiation and magnetic parameter are incorporated in the energy equation. The concentration field is modified by adding the influence of chemical reaction. Moreover, the splendid features of nanofluid are displayed by utilizing the thermophoresis and Brownian motion aspects. Compatible similarity transformation is imposed on the equations governing the problem to derive the dimensionless ordinary differential equations. The Homotopy analysis method has been implemented to find the analytic solution of the obtained differential equations. The implications of specific parameters on profiles of velocity, temperature, concentration and motile microorganism density are investigated graphically. Moreover, coefficient of skin friction, Nusselt number, Sherwood number and density of motile number are clarified in tabular forms. It is revealed that thermal radiation, thermophoresis and Brownian motion parameters are very effective for improvement of heat transfer. The reported investigation can be used in improving the heat transfer appliances and systems of solar energy.

• Korean Journal of Exercise Nutrition
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.13-18
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• 2020

[Purpose] In vivo studies have demonstrated the ergogenic benefits of eleutherococcus senticosus (ES) supplementation. ES has been observed to enhance endurance capacity, improve cardiovascular function, and alter metabolic functions (e.g., increased fat utilization); however, the exact mechanisms involved remain unknown. We aimed to determine whether ES could effectively induce fat loss and improve muscle metabolic profiles through increases in lipolysis- and lipid metabolism-associated protein expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and C2C12 skeletal muscle cells, respectively, to uncover the direct effects of ES on adipocytes and skeletal muscle cells. [Methods] Different doses of ES extracts (0.2, 0.5, and 1.0 mg/mL) were added to cells (0.2 ES, 0.5 ES, and 1.0 ES, respectively) for 72 h and compared to the vehicle control (control). [Results] The intracellular triacylglycerol (TG) content significantly decreased (p < 0.05 for 0.2 ES, p < 0.01 for 0.5 ES and 1.0 ES) in 3T3-L1 cells. Adipose triglyceride lipase, which is involved in active lipolysis, was significantly higher in the 1.0 ES group than in the control group (p < 0.01) of 3T3-L1 adipocytes. In C2C12 cells, the mitochondrial protein voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC) was significantly increased in the 1.0 ES group (p < 0.01). Furthermore, we found that 1.0 ES activated both 5' AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) in skeletal muscle cells (p < 0.01). [Conclusion] These findings suggest that ES extracts decreased TG content, presumably by increasing lipase in adipocytes and metabolism-associated protein expression as well as mitochondrial biogenesis in muscle cells. These effects may corroborate previous in vivo findings regarding the ergogenic effects of ES supplementation.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.349-360
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• 2022

The rising prices of landfills and the lack of cement production are motivating researchers to be more interested in using wastes to produce concrete mixtures materials. The use of waste materials such as eggshell and matakoline waste not only reduces landfill costs and space, but also reduces the cost of cement production for the concrete mixture. However, recycling waste materials has become critical in order to effectively manage environmental sustainability. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the appropriate properties of self-compacting concrete (SCC) by incorporating waste materials such as crushed ceramics as coarse aggregate and nano egg shell (NES) and nanoclay (NC) as cement replacements. Fresh properties of SCC, such as segregation, flow time and diameter, V-funnel, H2/H1 ratio, and fresh unit weight of concrete mixtures, as well as hardened properties, such as 7, 14, and 28 days compressive strength and 28 and 90 days flexural strength, were measured for this purpose. The presence of NC in the SCC mixture enhanced the compressive strength of the concrete when 5% of NES was added or in the case without the addition of NES compared to the control mixture. The flexural strength enhanced with the incorporation of NC in the SCC increased the flexural strength of the concrete compared to the control mixture, but the incorporation of 5% of NES decreased the flexural strength compared to the mixtures with NC. These results prove the possibility of using crushed ceramics as the coarse aggregate, and NES and NC as substitutes for 5, 7, and 10% of the cement in SCC, because the properties of such SCC in hardened and fresh states are satisfactory.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.315-325
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• 2022

Reinforced concrete structures are exposed throughout their lifetime to the phenomenon of carbonation, which considerably influences their durability by causing corrosion of the reinforcements. The fight against this phenomenon is usually ensured by anti-carbonation coatings which have the possibility of limiting the permeability to carbon dioxide or with coatings which absorb the CO₂ present in the air. A coating with good crack-bridging (sealing) capacity will prevent water from entering through existing cracks in concrete. Despite the beneficial effect of these coatings, their durability decreases considerably over time with temperature and humidity. In order to use coatings made from local materials, not presenting any danger, available in abundance in our country, very economical and easy to operate is the main objective of this work. This paper aim is to contribute to the formulation of a corrected dune sand-based mortar as an anti-carbonation coating for concrete. The results obtained show that the cement mortar based on dune sand formulated has a very satisfactory compressive strength, a very low water porosity compared to ordinary cement mortar and that this mortar allows an improvement in the protection of the concrete against the carbonation of 60% compared to ordinary cement mortar based on alluvial sand. Moreover, the formulated cement mortars based on dune sand have good adhesion to the concrete support, their adhesion strengths are greater than 1.5MPa recommended by the standards.