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The collisionless unmagnetized five components dusty plasmas have been considered to study the significance of the face‐to‐face collision of single‐ and multi‐solitons, phase shifts due to face‐to‐face collision, and instability of the dust acoustic waves in Jupiter's environment. To study the consequence of face‐to‐face collision extended Poincaré–Lighthill–Kuo method is used to derive the two‐sided nonlinear Korteweg–De Vries (KdV) equation. Besides, to investigate the dust acoustic wave's instability, the nonlinear Schrödinger equation has been derived following the procedure of Slathia et al. The multi‐soliton solutions are determined by employing the Hirota bilinear method. The concerned parameters in the issue play a crucial role in the phase shift (generated by the face‐to‐face collision); the collisional process of single‐, double‐, triple‐, and quadruple‐soliton; and the generation of dust acoustic solitons. Furthermore, the plasma parameters are crucial in the formation of dark solitons and envelop shocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We establish the asymptotics of the second moment of the coefficient of j -th symmetric poower lift of classical Hecke eigenforms over certain polynomials, given by a sum of triangular numbers with certain positive coefficients. More precisely, for each j ∈ N , we obtain asymptotics for the sums given by ∑ α (x ̲)) + 1 ≤ X x ̲ ∈ Z 4 λ s y m j f 2 (α (x ̲) + 1) , ∑ β (x ̲)) + 1 ≤ X x ̲ ∈ Z 4 λ s y m j f 2 (β (x ̲) + 1) , where λ s y m j f 2 (n) denotes the coefficient of j -th symmetric power lift of classical Hecke eigenforms f , the polynomials α and β are given by α (x ̲) = 1 2 (x 1 2 + x 1 + x 2 2 + x 2 + 2 (x 3 2 + x 3) + 4 (x 4 2 + x 4)) ∈ Q [ x 1 , x 2 , x 3 , x 4 ] , and β (x ̲) = x 1 2 + x 2 (x 2 + 1) 2 + x 3 (x 3 + 1) 2 + 6 · x 4 (x 4 + 1) 2 ∈ Q [ x 1 , x 2 , x 3 , x 4 ] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction The incidence of skin conditions in young people typically varies between nations and within a single nation's regions based on social, economic, racial, and environmental factors. A significant public health issue is the morbidity that skin diseases cause in children. There is a dearth of research on this pediatric issue in our nation, which is either centered on a condition, a community, or a particular population group. Objective To evaluate the dermatological complaints of the pediatric patients attending a dermatology outpatient department in a tertiary care hospital. Materials And Methods We retrospectively analyzed a total of 2472 pediatric patients who were in age range 0-18 years and came to the OPD of dermatology & venereology department of Ibn Sina Medical College Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh, over a period of 1 1/2 year from January, 2020 to June, 2021. Data were collected on special proforma and analyzed with appropriate method. Results Among 2472 patients 1157 (46.8%) were male and 1315 (53.2%) were female and most of the patients belonged to the age group 12-18 year (52.6%). Male female ratio was 0.88:1. All diseases were broadly classified into noninfectious (71.2%) and infectious dermatoses (28.8%). Dermatitis (38.9%), infections (28.8%) and acne (14.44%) came out to be the top most common cause for OPD attendances. For the specific skin diseases, 20.1% were atopic dermatitis, 14.44% were acne, and 11.8 % were fungal infections. Atopic dermatitis was the most common condition below 12 years of age. In 12-18 years of age group, the most common condition was acne; females were more affected than males. Among the viral infections, wart was the most common (22.1%). Conclusion Atopic dermatitis was found to be the most common noninfectious disease and fungal infection was the most common infectious disease in all age groups and genders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Composites comprising mechanically stronger ceramic and bioactive alongside resorbable ceramic are a most welcomed choice in load-bearing bone replacement. In this pursuit, the present study aims to investigate the varied levels of cerium additions in the ZrO 2 –CaSiO 3 composite. The influence of cerium concentration on the structural, mechanical, apatite formation, resorbability and in-vitro biological behaviour of the ZrO 2 –CaSiO 3 composite has been undertaken in the current study. Sol-gel synthesis technique has been adopted to yield composite powders and the structural behaviour of the resultant has been performed using various analytical techniques. The results envisaged the crucial role of Ce3+ concentration in accomplishing a phase stable t/c -ZrO 2 - α -CaSiO 3 composite after heat treatment at 1300 °C. XPS analysis revealed the presence of dual oxidation state (+3 and + 4) of cerium in the composite powders and a homogeneous mixture of the composite has been determined from morphological analysis. Mechanical properties determined from nanoindentation indicated better strength displayed by the composite than the natural bone. The immersion tests conducted in simulated body fluids indicated the development of apatite crystals on the composite. Resorbability and biocompatibility tests demonstrated the virtuous appropriateness of the 30 wt% Ce3+/Ce4+ doped t/c -ZrO 2 - α -CaSiO 3 composite for load-bearing bone replacement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An electrochemical nitrite sensor probe is introduced herein using a modified flat glassy carbon electrode (GCE) and SrTiO3 material doped with spherical-shaped gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) and polypyrrole carbon (PPyC) at a pH of 7.0 in a phosphate buffer solution. The nanocomposites (NCs) containing Au-NPs, PPyC, and SrTiO3 were synthesized by ultrasonication, and their properties were thoroughly characterized through structural, elemental, optical, and morphological analyses with various conventional spectroscopic methods, such as field-emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method. The peak currents due to nitrite oxidation were characterized in detail and analyzed using conventional cyclic voltammetry (CV) as well as differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) under ambient conditions. The sensor response increased significantly from 0.15 to 1.5 mM of nitrite ions, and the sensor was fabricated by coating a conducting agent (PEDOT:PSS) on the GCE to obtain the Au-NPs/PPyC/SrTiO3 NCs/PEDOT:PSS/GCE probe. The sensor's sensitivity was determined as 0.5 ^A/^iM-cm2 from the ratio of the slope of the linear detection range by considering the active surface area (0.0316 cm2) of the flat GCE. In addition, the limit of detection was determined as 20.00 ± 1.00 ^M, which was found to be satisfactory. The sensor's stability, pH optimization, and reliability were also evaluated in these analyses. Overall, the sensor results were found to be satisfactory. Real environmental samples were then analyzed to evaluate the sensor's reliability through DPV, and the results showed that the proposed novel electrochemical sensor holds great promise for mitigating water contamination in the real samples with the lab-made Au-NPs/PPyC/SrTiO3 NC. Thus, this study provides valuable insights for improving sensors for broad environmental monitoring applications using the electrochemical approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, interest has grown in the development of dose-finding methods that consider both toxicity and efficacy as endpoints. Along with responses on these, the incorporation of pharmacokinetic (PK) data can be beneficial in terms of patients’ safety and can also increase the efficiency of the design for finding the best dose for the next phase. In this paper, the maximum concentration (${C_{\max }}$Cmax) is used as the PK measure guiding the dose selection. The ethically attractive approach, which is based on the probability of efficacy, is used as a dose optimisation criterion. At each stage of an adaptive trial, that dose is selected for which the criterion is maximised, subject to the constraints imposed on the ${C_{\max }}$Cmax and the probability of toxicity. The inter-patient variability of the PK model parameters is considered, and population $D$D-optimal sampling time points for measuring the concentration of a drug in the blood are calculated. The method is illustrated with a one-compartment PK model with first-order absorption, with the parameters being assumed to be random. The Cox model for bivariate binary responses is employed to model the dose–response outcomes. The results of a simulation study for several plausible dose–response scenarios show a significant gain in the efficiency of the design, as well as a reduction in the proportion of toxic responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid and accurate postearthquake traffic capacity or functionality loss assessment for highway bridges after a strong earthquake is crucial to the decision-making for postearthquake emergency rescue and recovery, as well as seismic resilience analysis. The postearthquake traffic capacity of a simply supported highway girder bridge designed based on the capacity design philosophy is generally dominated by the loss of postearthquake vertical load-carrying capacity of the damaged bridge column, which, however, cannot be rapidly and quantitatively evaluated by previous studies. This study develops a postearthquake vertical load-carrying capacity loss model for flexure-dominated circular RC bridge columns using multiple linear regression, which is a function of column-related structural parameters and a selected damage indicator (i.e., residual drift ratio). The database of the postearthquake vertical load-carrying capacity loss for the damaged but before collapsed RC columns is generated through numerical simulations using a loading scheme consisting of nonlinear time-history analysis followed by pushdown analysis. In order to generate a sufficient database of the vertical capacity loss of RC columns, an incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) approach is adopted to produce different damage levels on the column. The significance of the loss regression model and the significance of each corresponding regression coefficient are checked by statistical tests. In addition, the generalization ability of the loss model is also tested by 10-fold cross-validation. After that, a probabilistic postearthquake vertical load-carrying capacity loss model is developed in this study. Based on this probabilistic model, a traffic capacity fragility curve conditioned on the residual drift ratio of a given column is proposed in this study for the first time to assess the remaining functionality of a given RC column. This proposed traffic capacity fragility curve is further validated by two example columns with and without considering the uncertainty, respectively. The traffic fragility curve can be quickly generated for the target circular RC bridge column and facilitate the postearthquake decision-making for the damaged but before-collapsed column, thus forwarding to the introduced rapid postearthquake assessment for simply supported highway girder bridges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiocesium (r-Cs) and radiostrontium (r-Sr) released from nuclear accidents (e.g., Chornobyl, Fukushima) and routine operations (reactors, reprocessing) pose environmental and health concerns. Their primary pathway to humans is through plant uptake and subsequent bioaccumulation within the food chain. While soil amendments with potassium (K) and calcium (Ca) are known to mitigate r-Cs and r-Sr uptake, respectively, the impact on plant growth remains unclear. This study investigates the effects of Cs and Sr on the growth of Holcus lanatus L. seedlings under hydroponic and soil conditions with varying Cs and Sr concentrations. Stable isotopes of Cs and Sr served as non-radioactive analogs. Seedling growth was assessed across a range of Cs and Sr concentrations (≤1 and ≥4 mg L−1). The impact of the addition of K and Ca on Cs/Sr uptake in amended soils was also evaluated. Additionally, this study examined how Cs and Sr amendments affected the influx rates of other nutrients in H. lanatus. Higher Cs and Sr concentrations (≥4 mg L−1) significantly inhibited seedling growth, while lower concentrations had no effect. Notably, H. lanatus exhibited moderate Cs tolerance and strong Sr tolerance. Furthermore, K and Ca supplementation in Cs/Sr-amended soils demonstrably reduced plant uptake of these elements. This study also observed alterations in the uptake rates of other nutrients within H. lanatus due to Cs/Sr addition. This study suggests that H. lanatus exhibits moderate tolerance to Cs and Sr contamination, potentially making it suitable for revegetation efforts in contaminated grasslands. Additionally, K and Ca amendments show promise as a strategy to mitigate plant uptake of these radioisotopes further. These findings contribute to the development of safer revitalization strategies for areas impacted by nuclear accidents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to explore the prevalence and determinants of discrimination against or harassment among Bangladeshi women. The nationally representative cross-sectional data of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2019 were employed in the study. Women aged 15-49 were asked whether they felt discrimination or harassment due to seven potential reasons in the last twelve months before the survey. The outcome was a binary variable indicating whether a woman has experienced discrimination or harassment for any of the seven reasons. Responses were obtained from 64378 women and analysed through bivariate and multivariate procedures. The data had a hierarchical structure since women were nested within the clusters. A mixed-effects logistic regression model was used to analyse the data appropriately. A strong association between discrimination or harassment was seen with the functional difficulties of women. Notably, women with functional difficulties were 1.629 times more likely to experience discrimination or harassment than women without such difficulties. Other significant factors were the respondents' area, age, education, current marital status, wealth index quintile and ethnicity. The study concludes that education, marital status, functional difficulties and wealth index are the most important determinants of discrimination or harassment of women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India is home to a wide range of ethnic groups. Each group has unique characteristics. The Nat, for instance, is a nomadic tribe and is known for its specialized acrobatic and musical skills. The associated traditional occupations, however, have proved restrictive to the socio-economic mobility of the tribe. This study, therefore, is an attempt to develop an understanding of the ways in which the Nat situate themselves within the changing social dynamics by addressing the following questions: How do members of the Nat community evolve in response to changing societal dynamics? Has the change been restrictive to the tribe’s social and economic mobility? In order to find answers to these questions 31 case studies were conducted of the Nat from four states in India who had gathered at a famous fair organized annually in Chhattisgarh state. Analysis of the data collected followed Wolcott’s and Biggam’s iterative approach to the description and interpretation of the field notes and case studies. The findings of the study suggest that in order to survive, the Nat community has significantly assimilated with mainstream society by adopting social differentiation based on caste and religion. Instead of reaping positive results, this process has proved detrimental to the socio-economic situation of the Nat. While other communities reap the benefits of the developmental processes, the Nat nomadic tribe continues to be stigmatized and marginalized. Social and economic mobility is significantly lacking and the few measures taken for their welfare have not improved their situation. Efforts from both the researchers and the major stakeholders are indispensable so that relevant policy measures may be introduced for their welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional difficulty in children is a crucial public health problem still undervalued in developing countries. This study explored the socio-demographic factors and anthropometry associated with children's functional difficulty in Bangladesh. Data for 2-4-year-old children, obtained from Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2019, were used in this study. The mixed-effects logistic regression model was used to analyse the data. Children whose mothers had functional difficulty were found to be 2.75 times more likely to have functional difficulty than children whose mothers had no functional difficulty (95% CI 1.63-4.63). Male children were more likely to experience functional difficulty than female children (OR = 1.48). Furthermore, stunting was found to be significantly associated with functional difficulty (OR = 1.50). The study also revealed that division and mother's education, specifically, children with mothers having higher secondary + education, had significant association with the outcome variable. The findings provided a vital overview of child disability in a developing country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unmagnetized multicomponent collisional dusty plasmas have been considered to investigate the consequence of head‐on collision of dust‐ion‐acoustic waves (DIAWs) with nonlinear characteristic analysis of DIAWs and collisionless plasmas have been considered for studying the production of double layer (DL). The plasma system consists of positively charged ion fluid, negatively charged cold dust fluid, thermal electrons, q‐nonextensive electrons, and immobile background neutral particles. The extended Poincaré‐Lighthill‐Kuo (ePLK) method has been used to derive two‐sided damped Korteweg–De Vries (dKdV) equations and the reductive perturbation method has been used to derive modified KdV (mKdV) equation and the standard Gardner equation (SGE). Linear dispersion relation is derived using linear perturbation technique. The nonlinear propagation of DIA Gardner solitons (DIAGSs) and double layers (DLs) as well as phase shifts have been investigated for the effects of the concerned parameters. It is found that the DIA soliton structures are significantly modified by the species densities, dust mass, and superextensive parameter. The rarefactive dip shape solitary Gardner solitons become produced for the effects of concerned parameters and the positive (negative) DLs become produced in the range of δ>δc$$ \delta >{\delta}_c $$ (δ<δc$$ \delta <{\delta}_c $$) for the effect of temperatures on the species. The superextensive and the subextensive parameters of electrons significantly affect the DL soliton structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides detailed insight into the effects of adding an intermetallic LaNi 5 and rare earth elements La and Ce on the hydrogen storage properties of cast TiFe alloy. To preserve the composite nature of the materials, the addition was done by short-duration ball milling. Morphological investigation revealed the presence of two distinct regions, viz., the primary matrix TiFe region and a secondary region mainly containing the additives. The relative abundance of La and Ni were close to 1/5 in both the regions indicating that LaNi 5 did not decompose, and no La–Ni–Ti–Fe phase formed. In the La-added TiFe, diffraction peaks correspond to a high-temperature La phase, and in the Ce-added TiFe, peaks indicative of CeO 2 rather than elemental Ce were observed. The milling process only induced microstrains in the LaNi 5 -added TiFe. Notably, hydrogenation was more complete and faster when the additive was Ce and completely reversible when the additive was LaNi 5. However, the kinetics of the La-added TiFe were slow, and stable LaH 3 was observed. [Display omitted] • Composites of TiFe with La, Ce, and LaNi 5 were synthesized by short-duration ball milling. • The short milling duration facilitated the composite formation without forming new phases. • Significant improvement in the first hydrogenation of TiFe with additives without pre-activation. • Mechanical milling with or without the additives resulted in the activation of the TiFe alloy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we report the effect of adding the rare earth element lanthanum on the hydrogen storage properties of TiFe synthesized by mechanical alloying (MA). A remarkable improvement was observed in the first hydrogenation (activation) of La-added TiFe. Milling led to the refinement of the crystallite size of the TiFe alloy leading to nanocrystallinity. The formation of a stable hydride phase LaH 3 facilitated heterogeneous nucleation and acted as a gateway for the hydrogenation of the TiFe phase. No change in thermodynamics was observed for the rare earth-added TiFe compared to pure TiFe reported in the literature. The microstructure revealed a uniform distribution of the elements. However, La was completely immiscible with the TiFe alloy-a conclusion drawn from the thermodynamics study of the sample. Also investigated was pure TiFe synthesized by MA and arc melting to compare these two synthesis methods. • TiFe added with rare earth lanthanum was synthesized by mechanical alloying. • Uniform distribution of elements without the additive getting alloyed to TiFe. • Achieved remarkable improvement in the activation of the La-added TiFe. • No change in thermodynamics of the lanthanum-added TiFe compared to pure TiFe. • Highly stable LaH 3 phase facilitated heterogeneous nucleation and acted as a gateway for hydrogenation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientific workflows are a common and critical part of scientific computing, involving complex computations and oversized and distributed computing resources. Efficient workflow execution requires scheduling algorithms considering task dependencies, resource requirements, and deadlines. Cloud computing provides an innovative architecture for extensive heterogeneous computing services. However, scheduling hybrid cloud resources with deadline restrictions while observing QoS standards is an NP-complete task. Mapping workflow tasks to virtual machines and determining the optimal schedule order is a challenging aspect of cloud computing. By executing task requests on the most advantageous virtual machine in the resource pool, energy consumption, overall execution time, and computing costs can be reduced. This research aims to identify the best location to process applications using user's demand and priority. A multi-objective genetic algorithm is proposed to achieve this objective, which considers conflicting objectives such as time, energy, cost, and deadline. The algorithm initializes an efficient ranking heuristic approach and predicts the earliest finish time (PEFT) using the Bayesian approach to improve the Pareto fronts. This approach enhances the VM migration of cloud-based tasks and optimizes the search space for conflicting objectives. Experimental findings show that the proposed approach reduces cost by 5-6% and time delay by 8% compared to existing approaches. The proposed approach offers an effective solution for scheduling scientific workflows on cloud computing resources while considering various QoS standards. The results demonstrate the potential of multi-objective genetic algorithms for optimizing workflow scheduling in cloud computing environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the influence of Joule heating and viscous dissipation on the unsteady three-dimensional squeezing flow of Newtonian fluid. The flow in a rotating channel with a lower stretched permeable wall is observed under the influence of a uniform magnetic field. The impact of thermal radiation is also considered. The effects of mass and heat transfer on the squeezing flow of Newtonian fluids are observed and modelled using the four fundamental governing equations of fluid flow: the mass equation, momentum equation, concentration equation, and energy equation. Using the appropriate similarity transformations, the resultant non-linear partial differential equations are then transformed into ordinary differential equations. The analytical strategy is developed using the homotopy analysis method to obtain the series solution. The influence of several physical parameters, including the squeezing parameter, the suction parameter, the magnetic number, the rotation parameter, the Eckert number, the Prandtl number, the Dufour number, the Soret number, the radiation parameter, and the Schmidt number, on the velocity profile, energy, and concentration are also discussed through graphs. Additionally, it is observed that enhancing the top plate's squeezing impact causes a rise in the velocity profile while lowering the temperature and concentration distribution. It is also found that for the velocity field, increasing the magnetic number shows a decrease in the value of the velocity field along the y- and z-axis, whereas the velocity field along the x-axis exhibits dual behavior, such that it initially falls as the magnetic number intensifies but starts to rise in the upper region of the channel. The impact of the Dufour, Soret, and Eckert numbers on temperature and concentration distribution is also studied. It is found that while these numbers directly affect the temperature distribution, the mass distribution follows the opposite trend. Also, it is noticed that the thermal radiation parameter is an increasing function of temperature and mass distribution. Further, graphs and tables are presented to illustrate an error analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the Renyi holographic dark energy (RHDE) and its behaviour has been explored with the anisotropic and spatially homogeneous Bianchi type-I Universe in the framework of f (G) gravity. We use IR cutoff as the Hubble and Granda-Oliveros (GO) horizons. To find a consistent solutions of the field equations of the models, it is assumed that the deceleration parameter is defined in terms of function of Hubble parameter H. With reference to current cosmological data, the behaviors of the cosmological parameters relating to the dark energy model are evaluated and their physical significance is examined. It is observed that for both the models, the equation of state parameter approaches to -1 at late times. However, the RHDE model with the Hubble horizon exhibits stability from the squared sound speed, but the RHDE model with the GO horizon exhibits instability. In both the models, deceleration parameter and statefinder diagnostic confirm the accelerated expansion of the Universe and also correspond to the ΛCDM model at late times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We show that photoluminescence properties of PbS nanocrystal thin films are directly related to film morphology and nanocrystal density. In densely packed PbS nanocrystal films, low-temperature donor-to-acceptor energy transfer is mainly responsible for the photoluminescence spectra narrowing and shift toward longer wavelengths. At elevated temperatures, back energy transfer is proposed to be responsible for an unusual photoluminescence intensity temperature dependence. In thin films with a low PbS nanocrystal density, the energy transfer is suppressed, and the effect is dramatically reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cloud computing can provide remote access to computing services to achieve sustainability in smart cities. The fundamental requirements of smart cities, including low latency, accessibility, location recognition, bandwidth reduction, and geo-distributed existence, cannot be successfully and efficiently met by traditional methods. End users can access the cloud without a server courtesy of cloud sans server architecture. When a user asks for an encrypted and intercepted representation, the OpenFaas gateway deploys the proposed framework. To decrease latency, a scant abeyance cluster is used to modify the cluster and renders the systematic work decision along with recognizing and adapting the systematic information. The obtained systematic information is monitored by using Data Standardizing Telemetry Transit (DSTT) Sensors. Then, to track the data request DSTT uses the Python Protocol technique in which the track data and cloud hosting functions were recognized. Then to provide an alert signal for the tracked data the allocation deployment technique has been used. As a result, it is possible to allocate resources effectively and allocate information efficiently. Hence, a vast amount of data processed has been managed at the same time without mark congestion and improved end-user accessibility and remote latencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water plays a key role in the economic growth of an agricultural country. Pakistan is a farming country that uses almost 90% of its water resources for agriculture. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province of Pakistan has extensive surface water resources. In addition to using groundwater resources for irrigation, large parts of its flat plains are irrigated with the Kabul River surface water. Due to large population growth and unregulated small/local scale industries in the region, surface water quality deteriorates with time, which affects people's health when polluted surface water is used for irrigation purposes. This research investigates the surface water quality of Kabul River's different tributaries. It identifies the most critical and vulnerable locations regarding water quality using the weightage-based identification method and distance-based iteration method, respectively. The Bara River exhibited the most critical location, surpassing the threshold values by a considerable margin in at least seven water quality parameters. The maximum seven critical values determined against the Bara River using the weightage-based method, i.e., 17.5, 5.95, 7.35, 27.65, 1.75, 0.35, and 10.45 for total alkalinity, sodium, total hardness, magnesium, total suspended solids, biological oxygen demand (BOD), and turbidity. The Khairabad station, where the Kabul River meets the Indus River, was identified as vulnerable due to elevated levels of total suspended solids, hardness, sulfate, sodium, and magnesium using distance-based methods. The locations, i.e. Adezai, Jindi, Pabbi, and Warsak Dam, appeared critical and vulnerable due to the prevalence of small-scale industries on their bank and high population densities. All the results are finally compared with the interpolated values over the entire region using Kriging interpolation to identify critical and vulnerable areas accurately. The results from the distance and weightage-based methods aligned with the physical reality on the ground further validate the results. The critical and vulnerable locations required immediate attention and preventive measures to address the deteriorating water quality parameters by installing monitoring stations and treatment plants to stop further contamination of the particular parameter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Barium titanate (BaTiO3) nanoparticles (BTNPs) have been considered as emerging materials in biomedical sector through last decades due to the excellent physicochemical properties such as dielectric and piezoelectric structures, biocompatibility, and nonlinear optical characteristics. In this study, BTNPs were synthesized via the co-precipitation method using barium carbonate and titanium dioxide by stirring for 5 h. Then, it was annealed at 850 °C for 5 h with five different concentrations: 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, and 1 g/mL. The structural, morphological, and optical analyses were demonstrated by different characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Raman, and UV–visible spectroscopy. The perovskite phase of BTNPs, an intense peak at 31.6°, was observed at the lowest concentration (0.2 g/mL), and the average crystalline size was 1.42 nm based on XRD pattern. The results have been justified by SEM and EDX. TGA demonstrated the adequate thermal stability of this material. EDX analysis confirmed the composition of Ti, Ba, and O elements. Raman peaks at 305 cm−1 and 517 cm−1 confirmed the formation of BaTiO3. UV–visible spectra presented that its' absorbance edge shifted into visible range at 404 nm. Application of BTNPs on breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) presented significant dispersion effect at 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 g/mL of BaTiO3. A strong toxicity rate of BaTiO3 has been observed against the MCF-7 cell line. Maximum % of cell viability loss, ≅ 57% was recorded at 200 µg/mL of BTNPs, and minimum % of cell viability loss was observed as 19% at 50 µg/mL of BTNPs. The results presented that a higher concentration of BTPNs dosage was more effective in inhibition of breast cancer cells. Therefore, BTNPs can be recommended as a promising nanomaterial for anti-cancer drug discovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study investigates the ability of synthetic ZrSiO 4 to host the combined occupancy of Pr3+/PO 4 3− in its tetragonal crystal lattice. Sol-gel method has been utilized to synthesize a series of Pr3+/PO 4 3− additions in SiO 2 –ZrO 2 binary oxides and the feasibility of the resultant to transform into a ZrSiO 4 by the influence of thermal treatment were investigated through series of analytical techniques. The overall results indicated the feasibility of ZrSiO 4 lattice to host a maximum of 10 mol.% Pr3+/PO 4 3− to retain a unique solid solution beyond which the crystallization of PrPO 4 as a secondary phase is noticed. The temperature effect has played a pivotal role in the phase behaviour of SiO 2 –ZrO 2 binary oxides due the invariable range maintained in the Pr3+/PO 4 3− additions. The data obtained from the absorption spectra, luminescence, lifetime decay measurements, morphological, magnetic and mechanical analysis of the investigated systems ensured the significance of phase composition to yield the desired properties. Formation of ZrSiO 4 solid solution until 10 mol.% saturation occupancy limit of Pr3+/PO 4 3− beyond which the crystallization of PrPO 4 is witnessed. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In the United States, health care has long been viewed as a 'right,' and residents of the state of Ohio are no exception. The Ohio Department of Health ensures that this right exists for all residents of Ohio. Socio-spatial characteristics, however, can have an impact on access to health care, particularly among vulnerable groups. This article seeks to measure the spatial accessibility to healthcare services by public transport in the six largest cities of Ohio based on population and to compare the accessibility of healthcare to vulnerable demographic groups. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to analyze the accessibility and equity of hospitals by public transit across different cities in Ohio, allowing the identification of common patterns, difficulties, and knowledge gaps. Methodology: Using a two-step floating catchment area technique, the spatial accessibility to general medical and surgical hospitals through public transportation was estimated, considering both service-to-population ratios and travel time to these health services. The average accessibility of all census tracts and the average accessibility of the 20% of most susceptible census tracts were determined for each city. Using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient between accessibility and vulnerability, an indicator was then devised to evaluate vertical equity. Findings: Within cities (except Cleveland), people of vulnerable census tracts have less access to hospitals via public transportation. These cities (Columbus, Cincinnati, Toledo, Akron, and Dayton) fail in terms of vertical equity and average accessibility. According to this, vulnerable census tracts in these cities have the lowest accessibility levels. Conclusion: This study emphasizes the issues connected with the suburbanization of poverty in Ohio's large cities and the need to provide adequate public transportation to reach hospitals on the periphery. In addition, this study shed light on the need for additional empirical research to inform the implementation of guidelines for healthcare accessibility in Ohio. Researchers, planners, and policymakers who want to make healthcare more accessible for everyone should take note of the findings in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some strongly nonlinear oscillators have been investigated with the help of combined modified Lindstedt–Poincare and homotopy perturbation methods. The solutions are more accurate than those obtained by the modified Lindstedt–Poincare method. Moreover, the determination of solutions is simpler than usual homotopy perturbation methods. Some similarities and dissimilarities between the present method and other existing methods have also been discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-centering piston-based braced frames (SC-PBBFs) are such structural assemblies that can withstand a severe earthquake through passive control. The self-centering motion of the bracing system curtails the seismic permanent damage of a building, thereby considerably mitigating postearthquake repair costs and downtime. This paper proposes a novel hybrid self-centering piston-based bracing (SC-PBB) equipped with friction springs (FS) and superelastic shape-memory alloy (SMA) bars. Analytical formulas are presented for rapid analysis and preliminary seismic design of the SC-PBBFs fitted with SC-PBBs. The general mechanics of the proposed archetypes confirms their symmetric self-centering behavior. To validate the proposed design procedure, a set of SC-PBBFs fitted with tension-only SMA bars and precompressed FS is examined under far-field ground motions. Effects of prestressing of components and earthquake types (crustal, subcrustal, and subduction) are quantified and compared with the responses of buckling-restrained braced frames (BRBFs). The analysis outcomes revealed the effectiveness of the proposed hybrid SC-PBBF subjected to design-level earthquakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The most frequent orthopedic condition that prevents animals from moving normally is a long-bone fracture. The diagnosis and surgical treatment of closed metatarsal fracture in sheep are the main goals of this study. Materials and Methods: A three-month-old female sheep was presented with a history of the left metatarsal bone losing its function, pain at the fracture site, aberrant motion in the affected leg, and fluid or exudate flowing from the fracture site. While radiographs indicated an oblique metatarsal fracture of the left hind limb, palpation of the left metatarsal bone revealed discomfort and fracture fragments. Following internal stabilization with cerclage wire suture, the fracture was treated. Surgery was carried out following the proper immobilization, aseptic procedure, and anesthetic protocol (atropine 0.04 mg/kg BW intramuscularly, five minutes later: xylazine 0.06 mg/kg BW intravenously). Results: The sheep was released from the hospital after the procedure bearing weight on the limb effectively and without any issues. A successful clinical outcome was obtained after surgical alteration. Conclusions: Open fractures necessitate swift, aggressive debridement, stability of the fracture, and early soft tissue restoration. The only practical method for managing fractures may be early surgical treatment and post-operative care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radon (222Rn), an inert gas, is considered a silent killer due to its carcinogenic characteristics. Dhaka city is situated on the banks of the Buriganga River, which is regarded as the lifeline of Dhaka city because it serves as a significant source of the city's water supply for domestic and industrial purposes. Thirty water samples (10 tap water from Dhaka city and 20 surface samples from the Buriganga River) were collected and analyzed using a RAD H2O accessory for 222Rn concentration. The average 222Rn concentration in tap and river water was 1.54 ± 0.38 Bq/L and 0.68 ± 0.29 Bq/L, respectively. All the values were found below the maximum contamination limit (MCL) of 11.1 Bq/L set by the USEPA, the WHO-recommended safe limit of 100 Bq/L, and the UNSCEAR suggested range of 4–40 Bq/L. The mean values of the total annual effective doses due to inhalation and ingestion were calculated to be 9.77 μSv/y and 4.29 μSv/y for tap water and river water, respectively. Although all these values were well below the permissible limit of 100 μSv/y proposed by WHO, they cannot be neglected because of the hazardous nature of 222Rn, especially considering their entry to the human body via inhalation and ingestion pathways. The obtained data may serve as a reference for future 222Rn-related works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Laparoscopic Ventral Hernia Repair (LVHR) was first described by Karl Leblanc in 1992 and has increasingly been gaining popularity in this present era of minimal access surgery. Laparoscopic Intraperitoneal Onlay Mesh (IPOM) repair with its modification intraoperative Onlay Mesh Plus (IPOM Plus) repair is now being wellaccepted option for the treatment of ventral hernias. Objective: To assess the safety and efficacy of the laparoscopic IPOM plus modality in the management of ventral hernias. Methods: This is a descriptive observational study, carried out on 22 patients who underwent Laparoscopic ventral hernia repair by IPOM Plus technique between January 2017 to December 2018 at CMH Dhaka. Patients who had ventral hernia with a defect size> 2 cm but < 10 cm were included in this study. Primary subcutaneous transfascial suture closure of all ventral hernias with defect size >2 cm were done using prolene 1-0.Optimized composite mesh (ParietexTM) and Polymesh composite partially absorbable mesh were used as prosthesis anchored with four corner sutures and fixed with non absorbable tacking device. Follow up period was one year. Results: A total of 22 patients underwent Laparoscopic IPOM Plus repair of ventral hernias. Intraoperative and postoperative complications were negligible. No seroma, bulging of mesh, intestinal obstruction, mesh infection and recurrence observed in one year follow up time. But one patient developed de novo spigelian hernia on the right side outside the mesh system after one year. One patient (4.5%) developed post operative persisting pain requiring analgesic at 2 months. Conclusion: Laparoscopic IPOM plus repair of ventral hernia is a safe, effective and well accepted modality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Wilson disease (WD) is an autosomal recessive disorder of copper metabolism with diverse clinical manifestations. Zinc (Zn) has been used for treatment of WD. Recent studies showed low serum zinc level in patients suffering from WD than the normal. Objective: This cross sectional observational study has been designed to compare the serum Zinc level in children suffering from different presentation of WD before started treatment. Methods: This work was carried out at the department of Pediatric Gastroenterology and nutrition, BSMMU, Dhaka between July' 2018 to June2019. Total 27 children diagnosed as WD disease, aged between three to eighteen years were included in this study. The patients of WD were divided into four groups according to their presentation as acute hepatitis, decompensated liver disease, acute liver failure and Wilson disease with neurological manifestation. Informed written consent were obtained from all patients for participation in this study. Along with other physical findings and laboratory investigations 3 ml of venous blood were collected for estimation of serum Zinc level. After estimation of serum Zinc level results were analyzed statistically. The difference in serum zinc levels were compared between the groups. Results: Serum Zinc level was founded low in all Wilson disease patients (43.8 ±19.7 [13-83] µg /dl) compared to normal value (64-124µgm. /dl). Among the patients, Serum Zinc level was significantly lower in those who presented as CLD (18 cases, 38.4±17.4µg/dl) and acute liver failure (4 cases, 33.1±3.7µg/dl) compared to those presented as acute hepatitis (4cases, 71.8±4.3 µg/dl) and p value was 0.001 and <0.001 respectively. Mean serum Zinc level was low in 4 patients suffering from acute liver failure (33.1±3.7µg/dl) but was not significant compared to those (23) who presented as Wilson disease non-ALF (45.7±20.8 µg/dl) (P= 0.013) and as Wilson disease CLD (38.4±17.4µg/dl) (p=.25). Conclusion: Serum Zinc level was lowered in patients of Wilson disease. Serum level of zinc was significantly low in patients presented as CLD and acute liver failure in comparison to patients with acute hepatitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seismic performance of structures could be enhanced by the inclusion of supplemental components that dissipate the earthquake-induced energy. This is especially crucial for rocking structures that possess low energy dissipation properties due to their damage avoidance mechanism. Amongst variously developed yielding-type energy dissipaters (EDs), buckling-restrained energy dissipating carbon steel bars have received considerable attention as they make the most use of the inherent energy dissipation of steel and are easy to fabricate. However, maintenance, repair costs, and performance disruptions owing to corrosive environments have been mostly disregarded in past investigations. Employing stainless steel can be a viable solution to overcome such issues. The work described in this two-part study sheds light on various aspects of the buckling-restrained stainless steel EDs through experimental and finite element (FE) investigations. The mechanical properties of type 304L stainless steel including uniaxial monotonic response, strain sensitivity, and cyclic hardening are characterized. It is shown that the material possesses high ductility along with substantial hardening characteristics. In the first phase of testing, energy dissipating bars with different fuse diameters and lengths are designed. Load and strain capacities and bar-tube interactions of the buckling-restrained energy dissipation device are studied through quasi-static tests. In the second phase of testing, various EDs are designed, fabricated with stainless and mild steel, and tested under quasi-static loading to validate the findings of the FE investigations. The test results demonstrate a stable hysteresis response of the buckling-restrained stainless steel EDs with a cyclic average strain capacity of 10%. The FE modelling procedure, calibration, and parametric studies are presented in the companion paper as Part II. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-lived fissiogenic technetium, 99Tc (half-life, 2.11 × 105 yrs), is a byproduct of the 235U and 239Pu fission in nuclear reactors and is a major component in nuclear waste. Hence, the monitoring of 99Tc activity in the environmental samples is essential. Techniques used to measure 99Tc in environmental samples include radiometric and non-radiometric approaches. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) has some advantages among the methods due to its high sample throughput, better selectivity, and commercial availability. Rhenium (Re) is often used as the non-isotopic tracer during 99Tc measurement by ICP-MS. From this perspective, studying the separation behavior of Re from the aqueous matrix can provide helpful insight regarding the ecological monitoring of 99Tc. In the current work, three extraction chromatographic resins (ECRs), MetaSEP AnaLig Tc-01, MetaSEP AnaLig Tc-02, and Eichrom TRU, have been used to separate Re from the aqueous matrix. Operating variables, such as solution pH, choice of eluent and eluent concentration, matrix cation effect, and retention capacity, have been studied to optimize the separation protocol. The extraction and recovery behavior of Re was used to interpret the selectivity behavior of the ECRs. The Re separation factor at optimized operating conditions comparing with Mo and Ru (interfering elements during the measurement by ICP-MS) for Meta SEP AnaLig Tc-01, Meta SEP AnaLig Tc-02, and Eichrom TRU resin, respectively, are SFRe/Mo~32, 16.51, and ∞ (metal not retained at all), while SFRe/Ru~∞, 3.25, 5437. In terms of selectivity and retention capacity, MetaSEP AnaLig Tc-01 is the better choice for selective separation of Re, and, assumably so, also Tc, from the aqueous matrices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current design specifications for cold-formed steel incorporate the Direct Strength Method (DSM) to design cold-formed steel members under compression. Although the DSM has been used for quite some time, its buckling strength curves have not been experimentally assessed thoroughly. This study attempts to fulfill this objective. First, a thorough literature review was conducted to inspect the buckling strength curves in the DSM, and the issues are summarized in this paper. Second, experimental data associated with compression tests of 453 solid and 228 perforated cold-formed steel columns were collected from the literature. Design parameters (e.g., elastic critical buckling loads) of the columns were then determined and assembled with the experimental results in a database to be used as a source to assess the buckling strength curves in the DSM. Finally, the LRFD resistance factors (ϕc) of the DSM buckling strength curves were determined in accordance with the AISI S100. This paper highlights the level of accuracy of the buckling strength curves in the DSM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the energy, and wavefunctions of the low-lying bound and resonance states of Λ 6 1 Ca and Λ Λ 6 2 Ca are studied. For Λ 6 1 Ca we adopted Λ + 6 0 Ca two-body cluster model while for Λ Λ 6 2 Ca we adopted Λ + Λ + 6 0 Ca three-body cluster model. Two models of potentials, namely SH: Hulthén type and WS: Woods–Saxon type potentials, each having a spin-orbit coupling term is chosen for the Λ -nucleus pair while three-range Gaussian (TRG) Nijmegen hardcore and softcore potential models are chosen for Λ Λ pair. The resulting few-body (two- and three-body) Schrödinger equations are solved numerically to get the bound state energies and wavefunctions. For the three-body calculation, we used hyperspherical coordinates. The formalism of supersymmetric quantum mechanics is applied to construct a one-parameter family of isospectral potential to investigate the resonance states of the Λ + 6 0 Ca ( = Λ 6 1 Ca) core- Λ two-body system. To study the effect of replacement of the outer core valence nucleon(s) of 6 2 Ca by Λ hyperon(s), two- and three-body cluster model calculations for the bound states of 6 1 Ca and 6 2 Ca are also carried out using the same set of two-body potentials, as used for Λ 6 1 Ca and Λ Λ 6 2 Ca respectively. And a clear enhancement in the one- and two- Λ separation energies and a shrinking of the overall size of the nucleus is indicated. The computed results are compared with some of those found in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indoor heating during winters accounts for a significant portion of energy consumed by buildings in regions of cold climate. Development of transparent coatings for windows that efficiently harvest solar energy can play a major role in reducing energy consumption and fuel costs incurred for winter heating. In recent years, there has been a great research effort towards designing transparent solar absorber coatings using nanophotonic structures. The potential of coatings based on planar multilayer structures, however, has received very little attention. In this work we investigate the performance of planar multilayer thin films using low-cost materials for design of transparent solar absorber window coatings. Our study led to the proposal of two planar multilayer designs. Simulation results predict that an increase in surface temperature by 27 K and 25 K, while maintaining mean visible transmittance of over 50% is possible using these designs. These results illustrate the great promise planar multilayer structures hold for winter thermal management of buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Thyroid nodules are a common disorder of the thyroid. Most of these are benign and only 5%–30% are malignant. Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) plays a vital role in differentiating benign from malignant and hence directing toward timely intervention. Liquid-based cytology (LBC) has been recently started in sampling thyroid lesions and has shown good results. The aim of our study was to compare the cytomorphology of thyroid lesions by conventional smear (CS) and LBC method and categorize the lesions according to TBSRTC (The Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology). Materials and Methods: A prospective study was conducted from January 2018 to June 2019 on 131 patients. Thyroid FNAC samples were taken to prepare 2–5 slides for conventional reporting and one sample for LBC preparation by SurePath method. Staining with hematoxylin and eosin, May–Grünwald–Giemsa, and Papanicolaou stain was done. Cases were reported by TBSRTC and compared. Results: The nonneoplastic lesions constituted the major proportion on both CS (83.2%) and LBC (73.2%). The neoplastic lesions constituted only 9.9% of all the diagnosis both on CS and LBC smear. The kappa agreement between CS and LBC cytology as per The Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology came out to be 0.715, which was statistically significant. Discussion: Colloid appearance was statistically significant on comparison by both methods. The comparison of ill formed epithelioid granulomas was statistically significant in autoimmune thyroiditis cases. In malignancy cases, nuclear and cytoplasmic details were crisper on CS. Cytoplasm appeared fragile and fragmented on LBC smears. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study attempts to investigate the effect of the BRB distribution on the seismic performance of retrofitted multi-story RC tall bridge bents. Different BRB distributions were compared, from which the most efficient one was identified. The results showed that uniform distribution was not necessarily an efficient retrofit option. By controlling the same damage, using triangular cumulative distribution to design multi-story BRBs led to the least consumption of brace material. Alternatively speaking, with the same consumption of BRBs, the triangular cumulative distribution of braces was the most effective in controlling the damage of the tall bridge bents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An IRB-approved single arm prospective multi-institution trial was designed to determine the outcome of single fraction 20 Gy intra-operative radiation therapy (IORT) using disposable balloon electronic brachytherapy at the time of lumpectomy for early-stage breast cancer. The primary endpoint was ipsilateral breast tumor recurrences (IBTR) at median 5-year follow-up. Between 2012-2018,1199 breast cancer patients (at least 40 years old, single lesion, cN0, invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) or ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), no more than 30 mm) were enrolled. All patients received single 20 Gy fraction IORT at the time of lumpectomy using a disposable balloon per protocol. Chart review included demographics, treatment, pathology, IBTR (recurrence in lumpectomy cavity/index quadrant), and survival. Patient characteristics are summarized in Table 1. Patients were categorized by post-biopsy, pre-IORT data and by final surgical pathology using 2017 ASTRO accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) criteria. 119 (9.9%) patients switched categories due to information gained during the procedure. Sixty-six (5.5%) patients received subsequent unplanned risk-adjusted whole breast radiation therapy, with no recurrences in this subset. At median 5.0 year-follow-up, there were 42 (3.50%) IBTR (original mean tumor size: 13.6mm). Thirty IBTR occurred in patients originally diagnosed with IDC, 12 IBTR in patients originally diagnosed with DCIS. Three patients originally diagnosed with IDC recurred as DCIS, while four with DCIS recurred as IDC. The 5-year Kaplan-Meier probability of IBTR for all 1199 patients was 4.21%. Using post-biopsy, pre-IORT patient data, there were 28 IBTR in patients categorized as ASTRO APBI Suitable, 14 IBTR among ASTRO APBI Cautionary patients, and no IBTR in the ASTRO APBI Unsuitable group. Of the 28 IBTR patients categorized as Suitable prior to the procedure, two were switched to Cautionary and four to Unsuitable by final surgical pathology. Of the 14 IBTR categorized as Cautionary prior to the procedure, three were downgraded to Suitable while one was upgraded to Unsuitable using final surgical pathology. New ipsilateral primary breast cancers were diagnosed in nine (0.75%) patients, with eight categorized as Suitable and one as Cautionary using final surgical pathology. There was one breast cancer-related death at 3-year follow-up in a patient categorized as Suitable on final surgical pathology, and 46 unrelated deaths. At median 5.0-year follow-up, the 1199 early-stage breast cancer patients successfully treated with a single 20 Gy fraction of IORT to the lumpectomy cavity at the time of partial mastectomy in this multi-institution trial experienced an IBTR of 3.50%, comparable to other reported electronic brachytherapy IORT results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates numerically the unsteady two-dimensional convective heat transfer flow of water, kerosene, and engine oil-based nanofluids in a rectotrapezoidal enclosure under the effect of a horizontal periodic magnetic field. An in-house-built code based on the Galerkin-type finite element method has been employed to solve the governing dimensionless equations and boundary conditions. The simulated data, validated with previously published works, generally align with the results. The graphical representation and detailed discussion of key model parameters include the dissemination of streamlines, isotherms, average Nusselt number, friction factor, and thermal efficiency index. The mean Nusselt number for the nanofluid is calculated by analyzing the response surfaces and contours obtained from the response surface methodology, in addition to line graphs that depict different flow parameters. The findings indicate that the heat transfer rate in nanofluid increases significantly with higher thermal Rayleigh numbers, more extended periods of the magnetic field, and more prominent shape factors. Furthermore, the average Nusselt number, representing the convective heat transfer at the bottom heated wall, falls as the Hartmann number increases. For engine oil and kerosene-based nanofluids, the heat transfer rate is increased by 107.53%, 107.58%, 122.91%, and 92.19%, respectively, for Co and Cu, compared to base fluid, for a 5% of nanoparticle volume fraction. The obtained numerical also shows that the Fe3O4-engine oil nanofluid, out of the nine nanofluids examined in the current study, has led to the highest heat transfer rate, about 123.13% greater than the base fluid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earlier research on seismic response modification coefficients predominantly relied on two-dimensional (2D) nonlinear analysis with uniaxial seismic loading and overlooked the consideration of structural overstrength. This study thus aims to address the limitations in the earlier research by assessing the force-based seismic design approach of building codes in which the elastic seismic forces and deformation demands are adjusted through the response modification coefficients to arrive at an economical design. To meet this objective, four multi-story steel buildings with heights ranging between eight to twenty stories are carefully designed to avoid unnecessary overstrength and to ensure fair assessment of design coefficients. Three-dimensional inelastic analyses are performed using a detailed fiber-based modeling approach involving incremental static analyses and multi-record bidirectional incremental dynamic analyses (MBIDAs) to assess the response modification coefficients. The results of the inelastic analyses revealed a safety margin of 34% to 45% on the coefficients specified in the design codes. The fragility functions derived using MBIDA results confirmed the satisfactory seismic performance of the benchmark structures at different intensity levels. The findings of this study reflect the potential to safely revise the response modification coefficients, providing designers with opportunities for design optimization. • Steel buildings with varying heights were carefully designed using different codes • Several 3D bidirectional IDAs were conducted with 26 earthquake records • Results revealed safety margins of 34% to 45% on the design coefficients • Fragility functions confirmed the satisfactory seismic performance • Study revealed the potential to revise design coefficients for optimized design [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) has rapidly become a material of choice in modern construction owing to its favorable properties, such as superior strength, toughness, and durability. Yet, accurate quantification of damage states using appropriate engineering demand parameters (EDPs) remains a significant challenge in the performance-based seismic design (PBSD) of UHPC columns. This gap is especially evident in the scarcity of research focused on the PBSD of UHPC columns. Therefore, this study aims to develop an explainable machine learning (ML) powered predictive model for the drift ratio limit states of UHPC bridge columns across four damage states. To achieve this, a fiber-based numerical model was developed and then validated against large-scale experimental results of UHPC columns tested under reverse cyclic loading. The Latin hypercube sampling method is employed to generate a comprehensive database of UHPC bridge columns (10,000 UHPC columns), considering uncertainties across a spectrum of design factors, including column geometry, material characteristics, reinforcement ratio, and axial load ratio. The drift ratios at the initiation of four damage states are determined using the numerical model. Subsequently, the power of the ML algorithm is leveraged to introduce drift ratio limit states for UHPC columns that capture the onset of four different damage states. The efficacy of the developed model is assessed using a range of statistical metrics, including the composite fitness score, D X % metrics, coefficient of determination, root mean squared error (RMSE), normalized RMSE, and mean absolute error, which demonstrated high predictive accuracy of the drift ratio limit states on both the training and unseen or test datasets. Furthermore, a model-agnostic Shapley Additive exPlanation (SHAP) is used to explain the output of the model and examine the influence of various design factors on drift ratio across the damage states. Notably, the axial load ratio and aspect ratio are found to be major factors in determining the drift ratios across the damage states. The developed model is deployed into a software tool in order to enable its practical application. Additionally, the implementation of the developed model in the context of PBSD is illustrated through a design example. Furthermore, the study proposed capacity uncertainty parameters to aid the fragility assessment of UHPC columns. Finally, the proposed model, along with capacity uncertainty parameters, is used for the fragility assessment of UHPC columns reinforced with varying steel bar grades. The results demonstrate the less vulnerability of UHPC columns reinforced with higher bar grade, yet the effect of bar grade lessens at severe damage levels. • Developed explainable ML-powered models for predicting drift ratio limit states of UHPC bridge columns. • The proposed model achieved accurate predictions, as substantiated by various statistical evaluation metrics. • Proposed uncertainty parameters for drift capacity limit states. • Illustrative example provided for the application of the model in PBSD of bridge columns. • The proposed model and uncertainty parameters used to perform seismic fragility assessment of UHPC bridge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the ecology of insect species in the hyporheic zone of rivers, despite its importance in understanding how species survive in specialized habitats. We report on the life history and trophic characteristics of the hyporheic stonefly species Alloperla ishikariana Kohno, 1953 (Order: Plecoptera, Family: Chloroperlidae) in a gravel-bed river in northern Japan, using year-round sampling of both benthic and hyporheic larvae, as well as flying adults in the riparian zone. Adults emerged between May and August, and the larval cohort structure consisted of three sized groups with some sex dimorphism in their body size, with an average growth rate of 0.0043 mg/day. Diet analyses based on C and N stable isotope ratios indicated minimal ontogenetic diet shifts. In contrast, the temporal diet shift was more apparent with higher dependence on Oligochaeta in winter, with an increasing dependence on Chironomidae in spring and early summer. Other insect taxa, namely, Leuctridae and small-sized Lepidostoma, demonstrated a high to moderate affinity for the hyporheic zone. Alloperla ishikariana spent most of its larval stage in the hyporheic zone. With adults living from 7 to 10 days, A. ishikariana completes a life span of approximately 3 years with its larval stage in the dark. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early childhood development (ECD) is a crucial determinant of adulthood capabilities. This paper investigates the current ECD status among young children of 3–4 years of age in Bangladesh and its relation to various socio-demographic and familial factors using data from the latest round of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS). Results from the logistic regressions confirm many existing findings for developing countries and draw new insights specific to the country. Physical and mental disabilities hinder all types of early development. Enrolment in pre-school education programmes, the presence of children's books at home and parents' engagement in certain learning-stimulating activities are crucial for development in literacy-numeracy and learning. Development in the physical domain is fundamentally associated with wealth status. Failure to attain adequate social-emotional development can be largely attributed to domestic hostility toward children and mothers' experience of functional difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 is a global pandemic that certainly raises concerns for various groups, especially among the community. Since being designated by WHO as a global pandemic, the management of handling COVID-19 has become a challenge for countries with limited resources and health care systems. This study aims to study the positive laws governing the handling of covid 19 and the implementation of the policies of the Ogan Komering Ilir (OKI) district government. The data used in this research is secondary data, which consists of basic law and secondary legal material which is the result of relevant legal research in the form of journals, books, and scientific works on the internet. Literature study is used as a technique to obtain data, which is then processed by descriptive analysis which is a method to get conclusions. The results showed that the implementation of government policies in handling covid 19 in Ogan Komering Ilir Regency had been responded to and carried out well through the issuance ofRegulation of the Regent of Ogan Komering Ilir Regency No. 39 Year 2020 concerning the Implementation of Discipline and Law Enforcement of Health Protocols as an Effort for Prevention and Control of Corona Virus Disease 19 in Ogan Komering Ilir Regency and Ogan Komering Ilir Regent Regulation Number 63 of 2020 concerning Adaptation of New Habits Towards a Productive and Safe Society in the Situation of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (Covid-19). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study was conducted to evaluate certain hemato-biochemical changes during Xylazine-Ketamine (X-K) and Xylazine-Thiopentone (X-T) anesthesia in dogs. Methods: For this, six dogs of 18 to 25 kg BW were selected and divided into two groups: Group I (X-K) and Group II (X-T). Atropine sulfate @ 0.05 mg/kg BW (IM) was used for premedication in both groups. Dogs in Group I (n=3) were anesthetized with Xylazine HCl @ 1.1 mg/kg BW (IM) and Ketamine HCl @ 5.5 mg/kg BW (IM), whereas Xylazine HCl @ 1.1mg/kg BW (IM) and Thiopentone sodium @ 20 mg/kg BW (IV) were used for anesthesia in Group II (n=3). In both groups, peripheral blood samples were collected from the dogs before induction of anesthetic agents (control) and thereafter on 10, 20, 30, and 40 minutes of post-induction and again after complete recovery from anesthesia to evaluate hematological changes in Total Erythrocyte Count (TEC), Hemoglobin (Hb) and Packed Cell Volume (PCV). In addition, serum biochemical changes in Total Serum Protein (TSP), Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN), Creatinine, Sodium (Na), Potassium (K), and Chloride (Cl) were also assessed in both groups. Results: TEC, Hb, and PCV were altered significantly (P<0.05) in most of the cases, TSP was decreased significantly (P<0.05) but BUN was increased significantly (P<0.05), and creatinine was also increased in both groups during the experiment. There were mild alterations in Na, K, and Cl values after induction, and found near to the baseline (control) after recovery. Conclusions: These findings ascertained that the anesthetic combinations of X-K and X-T assert some definite hemato-biochemical changes in dogs which should be carefully judged by the veterinarians during surgical interventions to avoid anesthesia-related risks and complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phase II clinical trials investigate whether a new drug or treatment has sufficient evidence of effectiveness against the disease under study. Two-stage designs are popular for phase II since they can stop in the first stage if the drug is ineffective. Investigators often face difficulties in determining the target response rates, and adaptive designs can help to set the target response rate tested in the second stage based on the number of responses observed in the first stage. Popular adaptive designs consider two alternate response rates, and they generally minimise the expected sample size at the maximum uninterested response rate. Moreover, these designs consider only futility as the reason for early stopping and have high expected sample sizes if the provided drug is effective. Motivated by this problem, we propose an adaptive design that enables us to terminate the single-arm trial at the first stage for efficacy and conclude which alternate response rate to choose. Comparing the proposed design with a popular adaptive design from literature reveals that the expected sample size decreases notably if any of the two target response rates are correct. In contrast, the expected sample size remains almost the same under the null hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article incorporates a covariate to determine the optimum dose in a seamless phase I/II clinical trial. A binary covariate and its interaction effect are assumed to keep the method simple. Each patient's outcome is assumed to be trinomial, and the continuation ratio model is utilized to model the dose–response data. The Bayesian approach estimates parameters of the dose–response model. Eight plausible dose–response scenarios are investigated to check the proposed methodology. A simulation study shows that covariate consideration can enhance the identification of the optimum dose when it is appropriate to do. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]