In this research work, the levernberg Marquardt back propagation neural network was adequately trained to understand the relationship between the 28th day compressive strength values of hydrated lime cement concrete and their corresponding mix ratios with respect to curing age. Data used for the study were generated experimentally. A total of a hundred and fourteen (114) training data set were presented to the network. Eighty (80) of these were used for training the network, seventeen (17) were used for validation, and another seventeen (17) were used for testing the network's performance. Six (6) data set were left out and later used to test the adequacy of the network predictions. The outcome of results of the created network was close to that of the experimental efforts. The lowest and highest correlation coefficient recorded for all data samples used for developing the network were 0.901 and 0.984 for the test and training samples respectively. These values were close to 1. T-value obtained from the adequacy test carried out between experimental and model generated data was 1.437. This is less than 2.064, which is the T values from statistical table at 95% confidence limit. These results proved that the network made reliable predictions. Maximum compressive strength achieved from experimental works was 30.83N/mm2 at a water-cement ratio of 0.562 and a percentage replacement of ordinary portland cement with hydrated lime of 18.75%. Generally, for hydrated lime to be used in making structural concrete, ordinary portland cement percentage replacement with hydrated lime must not be up to 30%. With the use of the developed artificial neural network model, mix design procedure for hydrated lime cement concrete can be carried out with lesser time and energy requirements, when compared to the traditional method. This is because, the need to prepare trial mixes that will be cured, and tested in the laboratory, will no longer be required.
No abstract
The continuous increase in resistance to antimicrobials amongst the Enterobacteriaceae constitutes a growing public health threat and thus has necessitated the need to continuously search for alternative antimicrobial chemotherapy. This study was aimed at evaluating the effects Moringa oleifera seed and Ocimum gratissimum plant extracts and essential oils on antimicrobial resistant Enterobacteriaceae isolated from aquatic sources. Two hundred isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli were recovered from two different environmental sources. The susceptibility of the isolates to ten (10) different antimicrobials was examined by the Kirby-Bauer technique. The isolates were also tested for extended β-lactamase production (ESβL) by the modified double disc synergy test and the susceptibility of the isolates to essential oils and extracts from Moringa oleifera seeds and Ocimum gratissimum leaves was analysed using the agar - well diffusion assay. In addition, the phytochemical analysis of the extracts was carried out to determine their constituents. The river water isolates recorded high resistance rates for the following antibiotics: Ampicillin (99%), cefotaxime (83%), imipenem (77%) and low rates for levofloxacine (19%), while the aquaculture isolates expressed high resistance rates to ampicillin (95%) ceftazedime (86%), ertapenem (65%), and low rates to aztreonam (8%). Thirteen (37%) isolates out of 35 tested were positive for ESβL production, four isolates from river water and nine from aquaculture. Antimicrobial analysis of the essential oils against the ESBL producers showed no inhibitory activity while the plant extracts produced zones of inhibition and minimum inhibitory concentrations of between 1.32 and 2.70 mg/ml for the two plant extracts tested. Phytochemical analysis showed the presence of alkaloids, saponins, tannins, flavonoids and glycosides in different quantities. This study has shown that crude extracts of Moringa oleifera seeds and Ocimum gratissimum leaf could become a potential alternative in the treatment of infections due to antimicrobial-resistant Enterobacteriaceae.
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