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AbstractDatabase management systems are an essential research field in data engineering, data mining, and computer science. The development and research in this field have evolved from manual bookkeeping to automatic data storage, rapidly growing with time. In this bibliometric study, the articles from four premier venues of publication in the field of database systems have been collected for analysis, including ACM Special Interest Group on Management of Data SIGMOD, a well-reputed symposium PODS (Principles of Database Systems) and two journals of the domain namely: Transactions on Database Systems (TODS) by ACM, and Transactions on Knowledge and Data Engineering (TKDE). This study includes the articles published between 2010 and 2019 in the selected venues to perform bibliometric analysis. Both TKDE and TODS are highly reputed journals in the field of database systems but publish quite different research. The SIGMOD conference began in 1975 and specializes in the research area of databases and data management problems, whereas PODS is the research conference that specializes in research related to database theory. This study presents the analysis of the collected articles from three major aspects: 1) metadata analysis, 2) content-based analysis, and 3) citation-based analysis. Furthermore, it also looked at the leading institutes, countries, and authorities based on article citation and publication count. As a whole, this study proposes a methodology for performing the extensive bibliometric analysis for the database management system and conducts a bibliometric analysis for the aforementioned top publication venues in this area of research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovative reactor designs like small modular reactors (SMRs) have the potential to operate in a natural circulation (NC) boiling mode, but this mode introduces flow oscillations that pose a risk to nuclear safety. Therefore, it is essential to investigate the effects of various parameters on these oscillations. This study focuses on predicting the operational behavior of the Integral PWR-type SMR Test Rig (iPSTR) when operating in NC and subcooled boiling conditions. The iPSTR replicates an NC boiling loop with a vertical heater, vertical cooler configuration, high-temperature and high-pressure conditions, and nonuniform diameter structure. Using the RELAP5 model, thermal-hydraulic simulations were performed to anticipate how varying degrees of inlet subcooling affects parameters such as mass flow rate and void fraction, with experimental data used to validate the model's accuracy. This investigation covers a range of process conditions, including system pressures from 5 to 20 bars, core input power varying from 8.5 to 14.5 kW, and degrees of inlet subcooling from 1 to 49 K. The results reveal that increasing input power leads to higher average mass flow rates, while at a constant system pressure, higher input power stabilizes flow rates at higher degrees of inlet subcooling. Moreover, reduced and more consistent oscillation amplitudes and frequencies at higher core power result at more elevated system pressure, enhancing the safety of the iPSTR facility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and thyroid disorders during pregnancy pose significant health concerns, impacting a substantial number of mothers globally. Globally, about 14% of pregnant women develop GDM, while thyroid disorders impact approximately 2%–3%. Both conditions contribute to adverse outcomes, including gestational hypertension, excessive fetal growth, and heightened perinatal morbidity. The central focus of this literature review is to examine the relationship between vitamin A, a crucial fat-soluble micronutrient in fetal development, and the occurrence of GDM and thyroid disorders during pregnancy. The primary research question investigates the association between vitamin A, GDM, and thyroid disorders, analyzing their combined impact on maternal, fetal, and neonatal outcomes. The review underscores the potential of vitamin A to modulate the risk and outcomes of GDM and thyroid disorders during gestation, emphasizing its role in GDM development and resolution and its influence on thyroid function in pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advent of information technology re-innovates all sectors of bio-sciences. Researchers use Semantic Web to improve web searching, mining and integration, which alleviates the time-consuming task of finding relevant and high-quality content. Semantics is improved through ontology engineering in any domain. Amended and developed ontologies will be uploaded to existing standardised and approved biomedical repositories. The establishment of a World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) approved and standardised ontology repository is the most ambitious goal. This work will solely focus on some selected agri-ontologies. The main objective is to promote outcome-based research and transformation styles of relevant expertise sharing. The intended goal is to win project funding to train and equip students with relevant skills and expertise. Need-based and market-oriented training and professional grooming are a tangible asset for students. The majority of traditional Web development freelancers are unaware of ontology or semantic web market demand. Freelancing is another option for expert Ontology developers. However, agriculture students are used to all the research vocabulary and terminologies in their area, but they do not know how to contribute their expertise to improve the efficiency of the Semantic Web in their domain. If the improvement in relevant ontology becomes a part of the Semantic Web, then it is termed 'Real-time Web semantics enhancement'. In other words, the target ontology becomes a part of the future Web of meaning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The port of Gwadar is the backbone of the CPEC project. This research posits the geo-economics and geopolitical significance of Gwadar port for China and Pakistan. A qualitative research approach is used to analyze Gwadar port in the changing maritime scenario. This research has adopted a unique geo-economics theory approach to comprehensively examine Gwadar port's significance in China and Pakistan's economic and political relations. The study is based on geopolitical, and economic determinants for the geo-economics, geopolitical, and maritime security significance of Gwadar port. Official reports and government documents are used for data analysis. The findings show that Gwadar port could be a solution to the economic security targets of China and Pakistan. China will gain economic, energy, and maritime security by finding an alternate, more secure route for the supply of oil and export of goods and better access to markets of Central Asia, Europe, and the USA. Moreover, Pakistan is expected to observe a significant rise in maritime trade capacity to support the dwindling economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boost converters are widely used in industry for many applications, such as electrical vehicles, wind energy systems, and photovoltaic energy systems, to step up the low voltages. Using the topology structure of the DC–DC boost circuit, this paper studied and designed a dual loop control method based on proportional integral controllers for improving the converter efficiency. The inner loop and outer loop controls of the traditional boost circuit are adopted in MATLAB/Simulink software to make the output of the system more stable. The input voltage is set to 24 V DC, and the desired output voltage varies from 36 to 48 V. Through simulation verification, the influence of a 1 kW sudden load connection by using a switch at a nominal output voltage of 48 V DC is studied, and the results show that it reduces the transient output voltage dips during the sudden load connection. Simulation analysis verifies the design scheme of the system, reduces the fluctuation in output voltage and power, reduces the output current ripple, minimizes the dip in voltage to a minimum possible value, and improves the dynamic characteristics and overall efficiency of the converter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, because of the speedy progress of the smart grid and the deepening of the reforms of the energy system, demand-side users can contribute to the collaboration of the energy network, with the main right to public energy procurement and the main right to sell energy. The demand side of the smart grid and the open energy market provides users with more adoptions, and game theory is expected to become an important tool for optimizing multi-stakeholder decision-making and solving many problems in this area. In this regard, this review article first reviews the recent development of game theory application in modern power systems, in addition to discussing in detail the typical gaming behavior of the current energy demand side. Second, it focuses on the application of game theory mainly in three aspects: distributed energy users, high-energy energy users, and medium- and low-energy users. Game theory is used in optimizing the distributed energy coordination, optimizing the energy purchasing strategy, responding to the needs of commercial and residential users, and ensuring network communication. Later, a comprehensive analysis of recent trends in game theory application in power systems is carried out in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sb 2 Se 3 is a promising absorber material for photovoltaic applications owing to its suitable bandgap and high absorption coefficient. However, the initial deposition of the precursor Sb 2 Se 3 thin films using thermal evaporation with an annealing process, results in poor crystallinity and inadequate Se content, leading to significantly low device efficiency and some deep-level detrimental defects. To address these issues, herein, we propose a facile thermal diffusion post-selenization method to supplement Se into post-deposited Sb 2 Se 3 thin films. This process not only achieves stoichiometric composition but also improves the crystallinity of the samples, thereby reducing defect density and carrier recombination. As a result, the efficiency of the fabricated Mo/Sb 2 Se 3 /CdS/ITO/Ag solar cell is significantly enhanced from 0.66% to 3.29%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanostructure gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) are well-known biological active materials, synthesised under different environment-friendly approaches that has gained significant interest in the field of biomedicine. This study investigated a novel, fast, easy, cost-effective and the eco-friendly method to synthesise Au NPs from mediated Viscum album Linn plant extract, where the plant metabolites act as stabilising and reducing agents. The synthesised Au NPs were analysed by UV/Vis spectroscopy that gave strong signals and a sharp absorption peak at 545 nm due to the presence of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) bands. In addition, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) showed that strong signals of Au NPs appeared at 9.7 and 2.3 keV, as the rays of light passed. X-ray diffraction recognised the crystalline material and provided information on the cell unit that the synthesised Au NPs are face-centreed cubic in structure. The diffraction of X-ray spectra showed intense peaks at 38.44°, 44.7°, 44.9° and 77.8°. The mediated V. album plant extracts and synthesised Au NPs were screened against gram-positive and gram-negative (Enterobacter , Salmonella typhi , Escheria coli and Bacillus subtilis) bacterial strains, confirming their antibacterial potential. Au NPs showed strong antibacterial activity due to its unique steric configuration. Au NPs damaged bacterial cell membrane leading to the leakage of the cytoplasm and death of the cell. Nanostructure gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) are biological active materialsthat has gained significant interest in the field of biomedicine. We investigated a novel and cost-effective way to synthesise Au NPs from mediated Viscum album Linn plant extract, where the plant metabolites act as stabilising and reducing agents. The mediated V. album plant extracts and synthesised Au NPs were screened against gram-positive and gram-negative (Enterobacter , Salmonella typhi , Escherichiacoli and Bacillus subtilis) bacterial strains, confirming their antibacterial potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this numerical study, a trapezoidal finned elliptic-circular heat exchanger is investigated for thermal performance based on the various geometrical parameters. The inner core of this exchanger is circular and augmented with trapezoidal fins longitudinally, whereas the outer core is elliptic. For the first time, the trapezoidal fins are used in this specific duct configuration. The configuration of the proposed heat exchanger depends on the number of fins, fin height and ratio of the radius of the inner circle to the semi-minor axis of the ellipse ( r * ) . The material of the inner circular core and trapezoidal fins is assumed to have infinite thermal conductivity. The constant heat flux condition is imposed on the inner pipe and trapezoidal fins, whereas the adiabatic condition is considered for the outer elliptical core of the heat exchanger. The simulation is performed using the finite volume method based on the software ANSYS Fluent. The friction factor (fRe) and Nusselt number (Nu) have been computed and plotted for various fin configurations. The results suggest that the performance of the heat exchanger can be effectively influenced by the number of fins, fin height and radius of the inner circular pipe. For practical interest, a larger number of trapezoidal fins with a higher height and r * are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of the natural circulation of the primary coolant in a nuclear reactor is to reject heat from the reactor core to the steam generator without using a circulation pump. In this work, a vertical heater–vertical cooler, high-temperature, high-pressure, nonuniform-diameter, single-phase natural circulation loop is proposed. The rig contains a spacer grid assembly of electrical heaters in a core with a conical section in its upper plenum and a double helical coil steam generator. The proposed loop is analyzed using RELAP5 and various analytical models. First, these models are benchmarked with experimental data from the Facility to Investigate Natural Circulation in SMART or FINCLS. The model results are found to be in good agreement with the experimental data. The same models are then employed to investigate the proposed natural circulation facility, named the Integral PWR-type SMR Test Rig (iPSTR), to investigate the mass flow rate as a function of geometric and process parameters. Core power input was varied from 5 to 82.5 kW at a maximum system pressure of 10 bar and a maximum elevation difference of thermal centers of 3400 mm. Elevation differences of the thermal centers and diameter of core are found to be important parameters that affect thermal-hydraulic performance significantly. However, cone angle, spacer grid, and system pressure are found to have no significant effect on the performance of the iPSTR. Moreover, the proposed iPSTR is found to possess higher Reynolds number compared with the existing facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing global infertility rate is a matter of significant concern. In vitro fertilization (IVF) significantly minimizes infertility by providing an alternative clinical means of becoming pregnant. The success of IVF mainly depends on the assessment and analysis of human blastocyst components such as the blastocoel (BC), zona pellucida (ZP), inner cell mass (ICM), and trophectoderm (TE). Embryologists perform a morphological assessment of the blastocyst components for the selection of potential embryos to be used in the IVF process. Manual assessment of blastocyst components is time-consuming, subjective, and prone to errors. Therefore, artificial intelligence (AI)-based methods are highly desirable for enhancing the success rate and efficiency of IVF. In this study, a novel feature-supplementation-based blastocyst segmentation network (FSBS-Net) has been developed to deliver higher segmentation accuracy for blastocyst components with less computational overhead compared with state-of-the-art methods. FSBS-Net uses an effective feature supplementation mechanism along with ascending channel convolutional blocks to accurately detect the pixels of the blastocyst components with minimal spatial loss. The proposed method was evaluated using an open database for human blastocyst component segmentation, and it outperformed state-of-the-art methods in terms of both segmentation accuracy and computational efficiency. FSBS-Net segmented the BC, ZP, ICM, TE, and background with intersections over union (IoU) values of 89.15, 85.80, 85.55, 80.17, and 95.61%, respectively. In addition, FSBS-Net achieved a mean IoU for all categories of 87.26% with only 2.01 million trainable parameters. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method could be very helpful in assisting embryologists in the morphological assessment of human blastocyst components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymer-modified bitumen provides superior thermo-chemical and rheological properties. This study focuses on the correlation between the thermo-chemical and rheological characteristics of bitumen modified with five different polymers in addition to neat bitumen. The polymers include an amine-wax-based additive, thermoplastic elastomers, a system of elastomers and microfibres, plastomers and a system of plastomers and microfibres. The chemical compositions were investigated using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), while the thermal behaviour was studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The modified bitumen's rheological performance was analysed using frequency sweep, linear amplitude sweep (LAS), and multiple stress creep and recovery (MSCR) tests. Rheological properties showed that the combination of fibre and polymers improved the thermal susceptibility of the bitumen at all ranges of temperature compared to other blends that only included single polymers. FTIR spectroscopy suggests that the polymer modification resulted in successful blending and active cohesion between the polymer matrix and bitumen. TG/DTG analysis confirmed that the modified blends exhibited greater thermal stability than neat bitumen. Glass transition temperature (Tg) was obtained from DSC to predict the polymers' low-temperature rheological properties whereas, degree of crystallinity and melting point showed the intermediate and high temperature properties of the binders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The objective of this meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials was to compare the efficacy of ticagrelor versus Clopidogrel for preventing stent thrombosis (ST) following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Methodology: A comprehensive literature search was conducted using MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library. The inclusion criteria involved selecting randomized controlled trials that included patients with ACS undergoing PCI, comparing the use of ticagrelor and Clopidogrel, having a follow-up period of at least 30 days, and reporting data on ST. The meta-analysis was performed using the R statistical software version 4.1.1, and the "meta" package was utilized. The Mantel-Haenszel method was employed to calculate the relative risk (RR) and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) for comparing the risk of ST between the two treatment groups. Results: A total of seven randomized controlled trials were included in the analysis, comprising a population of 28,609 patients with ACS who were randomized to receive either ticagrelor or Clopidogrel in a ratio of 12,116:16,493. The cumulative rate of ST was found to be 2.2% (185/8,423) in the ticagrelor group and 2.7% (347/12,851) in the clopidogrel group. The meta - analysis revealed a significant decrease in the rate of ST with ticagrelor compared to Clopidogrel, demonstrating a relative risk of 0.71 (95% CI: 0.59 to 0.85). No heterogeneity was detected among the included studies, as indicated by an I2 value of 0% and a p-value of 0.463. Conclusion: In conclusion, the findings of this meta-analysis suggest that ticagrelor is a significantly more effective P2Y12 inhibitor than Clopidogrel for preventing ST following PCI in patients with ACS. These results support using ticagrelor as the preferred antiplatelet therapy in this patient population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we consider the ideal fluid model of an inviscid fluid, assuming that the fluid motion is adiabatic; the flow is irrotational, that is, the individual fluid particles do not rotate; vorticity ω ̃ = 0 ; and the flow is incompressible, in which the density of fluid particles does not vary significantly with fluid motion and can be considered constant throughout the fluid volume and throughout the motion. We start with equations representing continuity, conservation of momentum, conservation of entropy, and streamline equations, respectively. It is then reduced to a standard system of equations describing motion in two dimensions, defined by the Laplace equation with appropriate kinematic and dynamic boundary conditions, in terms of velocity potential and surface elevation. Finally, the one-dimensional nonlinear Korteweg–De Vries (KdV) equation is derived. Then, we further investigate the interaction of multiple periodic waves using the KdV equation and explain the interaction wave energy transfer procedure between the primary and higher order harmonics, and the Phillips ["On the dynamics of unsteady gravity waves of finite amplitude. I. The elementary interactions," J. Fluid Mech. 9, 193–217 (1960)] wave resonance criterion is employed for capturing the periodic wave interaction whose energy conversion is analyzed via Fourier spectra. It is also found that for solitons, multiple collisions of different solitons eventually regain their original shape and that higher-energy solitons have faster velocities than lower-energy solitons, which, to the best of our knowledge, is overlooked. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Those who read more books, have more chances of mental development and better opportunities of success. Hence, this paper is an attempt to find out relationship between students' reading habits and their academic performance in Government Post Graduate College Nowshera, Pakistan at Bachelor of Sciences (BS) level. To collect the relevant data, a questionnaire was designed and distributed among 420 (270 males and 150 females) students studying at BS level. The questionnaire investigated students' reading habit and their attitudes towards reading. Students' academic performances were recorded through the transcripts of their examination in the previous semester. The collected data were analyzed by Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The researchers concluded that students do not read books frequently and female students take more interest in reading books than male students. It is recommended that teachers and parents should create a conducive environment for students to read more and more books for effective learning. Students should also make library their first point of call to get updated from time to time for development of reading habits. Adequate and updated books, journals, newspaper must be available in the libraries, so that students could be attracted for more reading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity produces a systemic low-grade inflammation associated with many adverse health conditions and, as we recently learned, with complications of COVID-19. Functional studies in animal models have demonstrated that asperuloside, an iridoid glycoside found in many medicinal plants, has produced promising anti-obesity results. However, the safety profile and the anti-inflammatory properties of asperuloside remain unknown. Here, we confirmed the previously reported antiobesity properties of asperuloside, and, importantly, we performed toxicity studies assessing cell viability providing a dose reference for future animal experiments. Asperuloside significantly reduced blood levels of leptin and the mRNA levels of orexigenic peptides, such as NPY and AgRP in mice consuming HFD, with no effect on mice eating a standard chow diet. In addition, our results indicate that ASP reduced both hypothalamic and hepatic mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1, IL-6 and TNF-α as well as the blood levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), which are known to play a major role in the development of insulin resistance and cardiovascular complications. Collectively, our findings suggest that asperuloside is a safe compound for long-term use in animal models and that it reduces the elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines occurring in obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Cryogenic distillation of the flue gas is integrated with hydrogen production. • CO 2 and H 2 S are captured. • Several sensitivity analyses are conducted under different scenarios. • Aspen Plus software is employed for process simulation. • energy and exergy efficiencies of the system are 82.99 % and 55.39 % The present work aims to develop a novel integrated energy system for clean hydrogen production from the industrial flue gas stream. The particular system incorporates a cryogenic distillation unit for H 2 S and CO 2 separation and a thermochemical cycle for hydrogen production. The industrial flue gaseous mixture is considered a major feedstock for the present system. H 2 S is retrieved from the waste gaseous stream and fed to the two-step sulfur looping thermochemical cycle to perform clean hydrogen production. In this way, clean hydrogen production, elemental sulfur production, carbon capture, and storage are achieved. The entire integrated energy system is simulated in the Aspen Plus process simulator and is investigated thermodynamically in terms of energy and exergy performances. Various parametric studies are conducted to assess the significance of operating parameters on the system performance. The H 2 S and CO 2 removal rates from the waste feed stream are found to be 85.55 % and 84.62 %. The H 2 S conversion into hydrogen is determined to be 66.67 %. The energy and exergy efficiencies of the two-step thermochemical cycle are found to be 53.93 % and 23.69 %, respectively. The parametric studies show that the hydrogen production rates of 3.63 kmol/h, 2.46 kmol/h, and 1.78 kmol/h are achieved at sulfurization temperatures of 200 °C, 300 °C, and 500 °C, respectively. The study further concludes that 44.60 % of the total input exergy is lost due to the presence of irreversibilities within the system. The overall energy and exergy efficiencies of the integrated energy system are found to be 82.99 % and 55.39 %, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to develop a novel configuration of hydrogen and electricity co-production based on a small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) by synergistically integrating the Vanadium Chloride thermochemical (V–Cl) and helium-closed Brayton cycles. For the V–Cl thermochemical cycle, a steady-state simulation model is developed for the first time in the Aspen Plus environment. The entire system is assessed thermodynamically by calculating the exergy destruction rate and exergy efficiency of major components employed in different subsections (nuclear power production, clean hydrogen production, supporting Rankine cycle, hydrogen compression, and storage) of the plant. Various parametric studies are conducted to identify the scope of improvement and evaluate suitable operating parameters that exhibit optimized system performance. It is found that a maximum H 2 production rate is achieved when the VCl 4 flow is 3.6 kmol/h. A specific hydrogen production rate of 9.63 g/kWh is achieved. The reduction reactor and Deacon reactors are responsible for the highest and lowest exergy destruction with a value of 155.46 kW and 37.60 kW accounting for 49 % and 11.86 % of the overall exergy destruction within the V–Cl cycle. The share of power production from the secondary Rankine cycle in the overall hydrogen compression train is 16.48 %. The parametric study results show that with an outlet helium pressure of 15 bar, the overall work output and electrical efficiency peaked with a value of 4.6 MW and 15.64 % respectively. The overall energy and exergy efficiencies of the proposed system are found to be 16.94 % and 21.42 % respectively. • Process simulation of a four-step V–Cl thermochemical cycle is performed. • A small modular nuclear reactor is integrated. • Aspen Plus process simulator is used. • Energy and exergy efficiencies are determined. • Several sensitivity analyses are conducted under different scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Simulation of superadiabatic combustion of hydrogen sulfide is performed. • Several sensitivity analyses are conducted on superadiabatic reactor. • Comparison of hydrogen sulfide conversion with different input operating scenarios. • Hydrogen sulfide conversion efficiency into hydrogen is 23.48 %. • Overall energy and exergy efficiencies are found to be 87.51 % and 70.08 %. The present work aims to develop a novel chemical process for clean hydrogen and power production and simulate it accordingly through a unique thermodynamic equilibrium model. This particular process is based on a partial oxidation of hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) at superadiabatic conditions to study its respective chemical products. The simulation of superadiabatic partial oxidation of H 2 S is developed through the present model for the first time in the Aspen Plus. The process is further studied by varying different operating variables with an overall goal of optimizing the H 2 S conversion into hydrogen. The developed model predicts a satisfactory H 2 production flow rate coupled with a low-sulfur dioxide (SO 2) output within the superadiabatic partial oxidation regime at an operating pressure below 0.5 bar. The H 2 S conversion into H 2 is then found to be 23.48 % at 0.25 bar. The overall energy and exergy efficiencies of the system are found to be 87.51 % and 70.08 % respectively. The dissociation of H 2 S in the presence of stoichiometric air results in elemental sulfur and hydrogen production rates of 0.0019 kg/s and 0.0012 kg/s, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selecting an asphalt binder that has the potential of withstanding permanent deformation in the field is a challenging task; in particular, relating the binder's rutting resistance to the corresponding behaviour of the asphalt mixture can prove difficult. The main objective of this paper is to evaluate the correlation between rutting susceptibility of bitumen with that of the asphalt mixtures prepared using the same bitumen. The testing methods used in this study include laboratory experiments on bitumen and asphalt used by several agencies in their specifications, such as the percentage of recovery (%R) and non-recoverable compliance (Jnr) through multiple stress creep and recovery (MSCR) test, Superpave rutting parameter G*/sinδ through frequency sweep tests and the flow number of asphalt mixtures through uniaxial repeated load tests. Statistical comparisons across bitumen and asphalt test outcomes were made by analysing the correlations generated by several types of bitumen tested, i.e. both polymer-modified using various polymers (elastomers and plastomers) and standard unmodified bitumen. The G*/sinδ parameter at various frequency (0.1, 0.5, 1, 1.59, 5 and 10 Hz) and testing temperature (40 and 60 °C) and Jnr at various stress levels (0.1, 3.2, 6.4 kPa) and temperature (60 C) were correlated with flow number at 50, 55 and 60 C. The correlation was also analysed by grouping some of the materials tested to verify the statistical fit between tests on bitumen and on asphalt mixes. The results show how Jnr is a better indicator of rutting performance for asphalt materials than G*/sinδ; however, G*/sinδ provides a good correlation with the permanent deformation of asphalt groups prepared using similar binders (i.e. belonging to the same family of polymers). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a complex and multifactorial disorder characterised by relapsing and remitting inflammation of the intestinal tract. Oxidative stress (OS) is the result of an imbalance between production and accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which has been associated with inflammatory responses and implicated in the exacerbation of IBD. Fucoidan, a sulfated polysaccharide from brown seaweed, is a well-known anti-inflammatory agent and emerging evidence indicates that fucoidan extracts from Macrocystis pyrifera (MPF and DP-MPF) may also modulate oxidative stress. This study investigated the impact of fucoidan extracts, MPF and DP-MPF in a dextran sodium sulphate (DSS)-induced mouse model of acute colitis. 3% DSS was administered in C57BL/6J male mice over a period of 7 days, and MPF and DP-MPF were co-administered orally at a dose of 400 mg/kg body weight. Our results indicated that MPF and DP-MPF significantly prevented body weight loss, improved the disease activity index (DAI), restored colon lengths, reduced the wet colon weight, reduced spleen enlargement, and improved the overall histopathological score. Consistent with the reported anti-inflammatory functions, fucoidan extracts, MPF and DP-MPF significantly reduced the colonic levels of myeloperoxidase (MPO), nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA) and increased the levels of antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). In addition, MPF and DP-MPF significantly inhibited levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in colon-derived tissues. Collectively, our results indicate that MPF and DP-MPF exhibited anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects representing a promising therapeutic strategy for the cure of IBD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the propagation of a fundamental plane mode in a bifurcated waveguide structure with soft–hard boundaries is analyzed by using the Helmholtz equation. The explicit solution is given to this bifurcated spaced waveguide problem by means of matching the potential across the boundary of continuity. Amplitudes of the reflected field in all those regions have been evaluated, and the energy balance has been derived. We have observed the reflection of the acoustic wave against the wavenumber and shown its variation with the duct width. Convergence of the problem has been shown graphically. In our analysis, we notice that the reflected amplitude decreases as the duct spacing increases; as a result, the acoustic energy will increase as the duct spacing increases. It is expected that our analysis could be helpful to give better understanding of wave reflection in an exhaust duct system. We then reduce the linear acoustic wave equation to the Kadomtsev–Petviashvili (KP) equation. Multiple-periodic wave interaction solutions of the KP nonlinear wave equation are investigated, and the energy transfer mechanism between the primary and higher harmonics is explained, which, to the best of our knowledge, is overlooked. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The gradual rise in global warming owing to fossil fuels usage is causing massive environmental problems and global temperature rise and countries are focusing on the negative emissions technologies (NETs) to restrict the average global temperature rise to 1.5°C by 2050. As Italy instigates its stable recovery from the coronavirus emergency, the Italian government is offering Italian people financial support of up to €500 to buy a personal bicycle or e‐scooter, to reduce dependence on private cars and global warming issues and people inItaly have greeted this opportunity for new personal e‐scooters. This paper aims to employ a life cycle assessment (LCA) on the personally owned electric scooters (PEOS) that are circulating in Turin. The results are reported for five impact categories: global warming potential (GWP), acidification potential, eutrophication potential, ozone layer depletion, and human toxicity potential. We found that the environmental load associated with the usage and charging of e‐scooters is less compared with the materials and manufacturing burdens of e‐scooters. Regarding the GWP, the results of Analysis methodology of the use of the PEOS generate 21 g of CO2‐eq. per passenger‐kilometer dominated by around 50% from materials processing, 17.5% from Li‐ion battery production, 1.6% from transportation, and 30.9% from usage and charging of e‐scooter. Four scenarios are compared with the base case situation, which are the substitution of alternate materials, use of 50% recycled aluminum, transportation of e‐scooters via plan, and charging with solar power. Results from these scenarios are proved to be highly sensitive to baseline scenarios. Results also revealed that PEOS has higher (21 g CO2 eq./km) environmental consequences on the global warming potential as compared to bicycles (8 g CO2 eq./km) and lower (21 g CO2 eq./km) environmental impacts as compared with electric bicycles (40 g CO2 eq./km) and battery electric vehicles (80 g CO2 eq./km). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

compute depth and Stanley depth of the quotient rings of the edge ideals associated with different classes of graphs. These classes include some lobster trees and unicyclic graphs. We show that the values of depth and Stanley depth are equal for the classes we considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research study is survey on the opinion of private university teachers related to Impact of teachers' resourcefulness and mobilizing resources on organizational development. This is an applied quantitative descriptive study which describe the relationship of independent variables with dependent variable. In this study simple random sampling will be selected for gathering data. The sample will consist of 10 private universities of Karachi. 30 teachers’ from each university will be the target sample of the current study. 300 university teachers’ of higher level will be selected as a target sample. A close ended questionnaire will be used for collecting data. This study aims to examine the relationship between teachers' resourcefulness and mobilizing resources on organizational development. Reliability test showed all terms are reliable. Shapiro-Wilk test showed that the data was not distributed normally. For analysis correlation test revealed the positive linear relationship between independent and dependent variable. On the other side testing of hypothesis has been checked by regression through SPSS latest version. Results showed that there’s a significance relationship among teachers' resourcefulness and mobilizing resources on organizational development. this study has a positive impact on educational side. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Telenor-Pakistan (mobile operator company) to provide agricultural advisory services to the farming community in district Mardan. This study was conducted with the objective to find out the impact of mobile phones on knowledge level of farmers about improved agricultural management techniques. Out of 203 subscribers (beneficiary farmers), sixty farmers were interviewed through interview schedule. Knowledge index was used for measuring farmers' knowledge level. The study revealed that application of mobile phones decreased the communication gap (88%) between the farmers and agricultural extension department. The agricultural advisory services provided through mobile phones have improved the knowledge level of farmers in crop varieties selection (84%), sowing time (79%), land preparation (82%), fertilizer application (83%), pesticides/insecticides application (79%), irrigation (76%) and weedicide (71%). Moreover, the knowledge level of beneficiary farmers also enhanced regarding post-harvest losses (57%), weather information (78%) and market information (79%) in the research area. Overall knowledge level of beneficiary farmers increased 77 percent in the study area. The study suggested that agricultural advisory services through mobile phones should be restarted and extended to other districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sorghum, a gluten-free carbohydrate source with high antioxidants and resistant starch, contains anti-nutrients like phytic acid, tannin, and kafirin. Interactions with starch and proteins result in polyphenol-starch, starch-kafirin, and tannin-protein complexes. These interactions yield responses such as V-type amylose inclusion complexes, increased hydrophobic residues, and enzyme resistance, reducing nutrient availability and elevating resistant starch levels. Factors influencing these interactions include starch composition, structure, and Chain Length Distribution (CLD). Starch structure is impacted by enzymes like ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase, starch synthases, and debranching enzymes, leading to varied chain lengths and distributions. CLD differences significantly affect crystallinity and physicochemical properties of sorghum starch. Despite its potential, the minimal utilization of sorghum starch in food is attributed to anti-nutrient interactions. Various modification approaches, either direct or indirect, offer diverse physicochemical changes with distinct advantages and disadvantages, presenting opportunities to enhance sorghum starch applications in the food industry. [Display omitted] • Identifies unique interactions between sorghum starch, protein, and polyphenol • Finds the effects of amylose and amylopectin on starch functionality • Examines genetic variations for superior sorghum crop traits • Modification of sorghum starch via genetic modification • Evaluates sorghum's role in gluten-free food innovation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The continuous growth of anthropogenic carbon emissions from the aviation industry has emphasized the urgent request to substitute traditional aviation fuels with Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs) because SAFs can potentially reduce carbon emissions by around 50–90% as compared to traditional kerosene-based fuels. In this paper, a novel SAF production pathway is developed which is based on biomass processing, nuclear energy, and thermochemical reactions of the vanadium chloride cycle for SAF, clean power, and hydrogen production. The entire system is assessed thermodynamically in terms of energy and exergy performances. Various sensitivity analyses are computed to determine the reliable operating parameters. The study concludes that biomass-to-SAF energetic and exergetic performance is achieved to be 76.72% and 74.35%. The energetic and exergetic performance values, through efficiencies, of the V–Cl cycle are calculated to be 68.08% and 53.50%, respectively. For hydrogen production and storage, an energy penalty of around 16.83 kJ/kg H 2 is calculated, which results in an efficiency penalty of 6.18%. The overall energetic and exergetic efficiencies of the proposed integrated system are found to be around 59.79% and 23.78%, respectively. • This study develops a nuclear and biomass-based integrated energy system for cleaner community applications. • A vanadium chloride thermochemical cycle is incorporated into the integrated system to produce clean hydrogen. • A fluidized bed pyrolysis reactor is simulated in the Aspen Plus. • An optimization study of the chemical process is undertaken. • Both energy and exergy efficiencies are considered for system performance evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cotton is an important cash crop that generates a large amount of revenue in Pakistan. Cotton production was decreased due to climate change, biotic and abiotic factors, unpredictable rain patterns, high temperatures. Therefore, it needs to identify cultivars with suitable sowing time in a specific environment. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the yield potential of different cotton genotypes under different sowing dates (early to late). In 2019 and 2020, a field experiment was conducted at Cotton Research Station, Sahiwal, Pakistan. The experiment was conducted using a split-plot arrangement in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. The main plot comprised six sowing dates with an interval of 15 days starting from 16th March, and the subplot consisted of four varieties: SLH-8, FH-Lalazar, CIM-622 and FH-142.It was observed that maximum seed cotton yield was recorded for sowing date 16th March during both years, i.e., 2019 (1583.63 kgha-1) and 2020 (1741.96 kgha-1). SLH-8 was the best performing variety among all studied genotypes for plant height, boll weight, and seed cotton yield. The mean seed cotton yield during both years ranged 1434.58 to 1983.77 kg ha-1. Maximum seed cotton yield during both years was showed by SLH-8 that was 1726.82 and 2240.71 kg ha-1. Correlation analysis showed that seed cotton yield was positively correlated with the boll weight (0.738**) and number of bolls per plant (0.53**). Sowing dates in March, April, and May were grouped together in cluster no. 2, whereas sowing dates in June were grouped together in group 1. This study helps to optimize the sowing date to meet the climate changes and enhance the seed cotton yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Task scheduling in parallel multiple sequence alignment (MSA) through improved dynamic programming optimization speeds up alignment processing. The increased importance of multiple matching sequences also needs the utilization of parallel processor systems. This dynamic algorithm proposes improved task scheduling in case of parallel MSA. Specifically, the alignment of several tertiary structured proteins is computationally complex than simple word-based MSA. Parallel task processing is computationally more efficient for protein-structured based superposition. The basic condition for the application of dynamic programming is also fulfilled, because the task scheduling problem has multiple possible solutions or options. Search space reduction for speedy processing of this algorithm is carried out through greedy strategy. Performance in terms of better results is ensured through computationally expensive recursive and iterative greedy approaches. Any optimal scheduling schemes show better performance in heterogeneous resources using CPU or GPU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adverse Childhood Experiences are a significant global public health concern as these experiences have adverse effects on all the health determinants. Methods: The interpretive phenomenological research design was used to explore the implications of adverse childhood experiences on the adult life of university students. An interpretive thematic analysis method was employed to analyze this study. Results: Five major themes emerged after a comprehensive review of the information obtained from the interviews with the ten selected participants. These were (1) Chronic health struggles (2) Mental health disorders (3) Emotional and social difficulties (4) Paranoia and distrust and (5) Academic and professional under-performance. Conclusion: This study concludes that adverse childhood experiences have long-lasting negative effects on university students' health and behaviour, preventing them from leading healthy lives and excelling academically and professionally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adverse Childhood Experiences are a significant global public health concern as these experiences have adverse effects on all the health determinants. Methods: The interpretive phenomenological research design was used to explore the implications of adverse childhood experiences on the adult life of university students. An interpretive thematic analysis method was employed to analyze this study. Results: Five major themes emerged after a comprehensive review of the information obtained from the interviews with the ten selected participants. These were (1) Chronic health struggles (2) Mental health disorders (3) Emotional and social difficulties (4) Paranoia and distrust and (5) Academic and professional under-performance. Conclusion: This study concludes that adverse childhood experiences have long-lasting negative effects on university students' health and behaviour, preventing them from leading healthy lives and excelling academically and professionally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antimony selenide (Sb2Se3) has developed as an eco‐friendly photovoltaic candidate owing to its non‐toxic composition and exceptional optoelectronic properties. However, the toxic and parasitic light‐absorbing CdS are widely used as electron transport layer (ETL) in Sb2Se3 solar cells, which severely limits its development. Herein, an alternative, zinc tin oxide (ZTO) ETL with varying composition‐dependent energy structure is deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique and used for constructing Cd‐free Sb2Se3 solar cells. It has been found that the ZTO ETL possessing an appropriate Zn/Sn ratio can alter the Sb2Se3/ZTO heterojunction band alignment to an ideal "spike‐like" arrangement. It not only suppresses the accumulation and recombination of charge carriers at the interface, but also effectively enhances carrier transport. In addition, thanks to the formation of passivated Sb2O3 ultra‐thin layer upon ALD process, the non‐radiative recombination within bulk Sb2Se3 can be effectively suppressed, and therefore enhancing carrier lifetime, extraction efficiency, and collection efficiency. Consequently, the as‐fabricated Mo/Sb2Se3/ZTO/ITO/Ag thin‐film solar cell demonstrates an impressive efficiency of 8.63%. This accomplishment establishes it as the most efficient Cd‐free Sb2Se3 solar cell to date, underscoring the significant advantages of incorporating ZTO ETL in the development of Sb2Se3 photovoltaic scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research was planned to study the heritability (broad sense), correlation, genetic advance and behavior of different characters in segregating population of upland cotton. The material consists of segregating population of fourteen crosses along with their seven parents. Parental varieties and segregating population show significant difference for all traits under the study. Plant height, ginning out turn (GOT), bolls per plant and yield per plant showed heritability ranging from 78.9 to 27.3. Significant genotypic correlation of yield with plant height was 0.698, bolls per plant was 0.930, GOT was 0.692, fiber strength was 0.548 and with fiber fineness was 0.435. Phenotypic correlation of yield per plant with plant height was 0.520, boll per plant was 0.894 and GOT was 0.476. It can be suggested that plant height, GOT and bolls per plant are important yield contributing traits as they are positively correlated with seed cotton yield per plant. High value for bolls per plant, GOT and yield per plant was recorded in BH-167 × V4 and CIM-534 × V4, which can be utilized in future breeding program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concern of the present study is to investigate the nonlinear optical properties of superhalogen-doped borophene owing to its broad applications. The first principle study of the material for its nonlinear optical properties elaborated its use for electrical and optical applications. The superhalogen-based borophene in lithium ion-based batteries and medical appliances have made it one of the most potential materials for optoelectronics. First, hyperpolarizability (βo) of pure and doped B36 is computed, and the difference between their values was examined. The vertical ionization energy (VIE) was calculated for pure and doped systems. The interaction energy (Ei) for all combinations was computed. It would be expected to be one of the best materials to have high capacity and resistance. For all the calculations and to calculate the highest occupied molecular orbital and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy gap, the density functional theory (DFT) method was used. It is predicted that these combinations are more beneficial and can display better nonlinear optical (NLO) properties in electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Co-pyrolysis of Canadian maple leaves and waste plastic is studied. • Hybrid way of thermochemical and biochemical processing. • Cold gas efficiency was found to be around 57.23%. • Exergetic performance was found to be around 26.88%. The present research work aims to present a uniquely designed renewable energy-based integrated system along with an equilibrium model for the processing of feedstock by following a hybrid route of thermochemical and biochemical ways. In this regard, Canadian maple leaves and plastic wastes are selected as potential feedstocks for co-pyrolysis and syngas fermentation. The influence of co-pyrolysis process parameters on the overall system performance is investigated and assessed. Also, several sensitivity analyses are performed to determine the optimal operating parameters that can generate maximum yields of hydrogen and ethanol. The present system is further investigated thermodynamically in terms of energetic and exergetic approaches and efficiencies. The present study shows that a molar flow ratio of 1:1 for maple leaves to plastic wastes, a temperature of 1000°C temperature, and a pressure of 1 bar appear to be the most suitable operating conditions with the net production capacities of 7.43 tons/day for hydrogen and 8.72 tons/day for ethanol. The cold gas efficiency and LHV of the syngas produced are found to be 57.23% and 19.96 MJ/kg, respectively. The overall energetic and exergetic efficiencies of the present system are found to be 30.98% and 26.88%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuroendocrine Tumors (NETs) are a diverse range of neoplasms with various biological and histologic features and therapeutic responses. The prevalence of primary renal carcinoids is scarce worldwide. At the moment, complete surgical resection is the primary treatment against primary neuroendocrine tumors of the kidney. Nephrectomy followed by the lymph node dissection is a standard procedure for localized primary renal NETs. Since renal carcinoid tumor is extremely rare, we decided to present a unique case of a 25-years-old male with neuroendocrine renal carcinoid tumor following radical nephrectomy. The results indicated a solid, solitary tumor verified on the frozen section because a postoperative CT--scan showed a recurring mass in the renal fossa following radical nephrectomy. The case emphasized the need to investigate primary renal NET in the workup and histological examination of renal tumors and also contributed to our understanding of this infrequent clinical entity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen generation from electrocatalytic water splitting is of supreme significance for resolving energy crisis and environmental concerns. However, developing earth-abundant, efficient, and durable electrocatalyst for high-performance hydrogen evolution and complete water splitting catalysis is a rare instance. We present here the first demonstration of unique copper tellurides nano-structures (CuTe-NS) based electrocatalyst executing HER with high activity and remarkable stability. CuTe-NS based electrocatalysts grown over conductive NiF via drop-casting approach and employed for HER, while achieving a current decade and a current density of 100 mA/cm2 just at 0.25 V vs. RHE and 0.27 V vs. RHE, which is comparable to the benchmark Pt/C based HER catalyst. The catalyst demonstrates well-balanced kinetic behavior, low Tafel slope of 36 mV/dec, low charge transfer resistance of 1.71 Ω, high roughness factor, and remarkable stability for more than 60 h of electrolysis. Furthermore, post-catalysis characterizations demonstrate no change in catalyst integrity, morphological, and structural attributes even after many hours of electrolysis which show sustainable behavior of catalyst for long term HER activity. Because of electrochemical and structural stabilities after long term electrolysis experiments, accessible method of preparations, and cost-effectiveness, the catalysis is highly encouraging for real-life applications. [Display omitted] • One-pot synthesis of nanoscale CuTe-NS. • CuTe-NS deposited over NiF, Au, and FTO electrode for efficient HER catalysis. • Low Tafel slope of 36 mV/dec and high exchange current density. • Remarkable stability for more than 60 h of electrolysis. • Significant activity for complete water splitting reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aims to explore the experiences, beliefs, feelings, and challenges faced by Pakistani migrant doctors working in the United Kingdom in times of the COVID-19 pandemic. The qualitative study aims to explore the lived experiences, beliefs, feelings, and challenges faced by Pakistani migrant physicians working in the United Kingdom during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: An exploratory phenomenological approach was used to collate data on experiences expressed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Purposive and snowball sampling was used to target participants, which were doctors of Pakistani origin involved in the direct care and management of COVID-19 patients in different NHS hospitals of the United Kingdom. Semi-structured, in-depth telephonic interviews were conducted with study participants in May 2020. Data analysis was done parallel with data collection by using an inductive qualitative approach.Results: We recruited ten frontline physicians. Four theme categories emerged from the data analysis: 1) Working across borders and cultures, 2) Role of beliefs for coping with stress and fear, 3) Passion and profession, and 4) Scaffolding the Pakistani health system. Overall, the results show that the participants received limited professional support, in terms of counseling and psychological rehabilitation. Instead, they had to use self-management strategies to cope with the situation.Conclusion: The intensive work exhausted participants physically and emotionally. They were holding a lot of grief and hurt inside, but still, healthcare professionals showed the spirit of professional dedication to overcome difficulties. Although currently coping with their emotional problems, comprehensive professional support should be made available to cater to the wellbeing of frontline physicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypertriglyceridemia is believed to be independently associated with an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events. Lifestyle changes and dietary modifications are recommended for individuals with high serum triglyceride (TG) levels (150-499 mg/dl), and pharmacological therapy in addition to lifestyle modification is recommended when serum TG levels ≥ 500 mg / dl. A residual cardiovascular risk remains even in statin appropriate treated patients with CVD risk factors, and in this patient population, hypertriglyceridemia poses an independent and increased risk of ischemic events. In December 2019, the US FDA approved icosapent ethyl (IPE) as an adjunct to a maximally tolerated statin to reduce the risk of CVD events in adults with serum triglycerides > 150 mg / dl and have either established cardiovascular disease or diabetes and two or more additional CVD risk factors. Since IPE significantly decreases total ischemic events in the aforementioned patient population, it would be intriguing to know whether IPE alone added an advantage to lifestyle modification in the low-risk population, who has serum triglyceride between 150 mg/dl and 499 mg/dl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of the current study is to evaluate the level and overload of serum ferritin in multi-transfused beta Thalassemia major patients. There is an earnest need to defend the chelation treatment and to make mindfulness about the results of serum ferritin in the patients beta Thalassemia major. This is a Cross sectional analytical study performed in Fatimid foundation Hayatabad, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Those patients who has beta thalassemia major are included in this study. In this study there are total 108 patients in which 54 males and 54 females. The highest mean of serum ferritin level in the category of male was in the age of 12 years were finds 8160.5 ng/mL. Among the female the highest mean of ferritin level was in the age of 17 years were finds 13,349.5 ng/mL. In this study majority of patient's revealed much high levels of serum ferritin. These levels reveal insufficient chelation. Appropriate chelation of iron load can improve the quality of the life of these patients. The low level of education, Poverty problems, and insufficient health care facility of are the main obstacle in the effective management of ferritin overload in thalassemia patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unethical behaviours, such as blaming subordinates for their shortcomings, taking credit of others' work, favouritism, and excessive publicising of ethical leadership failures are prominent among the leaders of the organisation. Although research has been conducted on ethical culture, particularly on the causes and effects of ethical-decision, few studies emphasised on the topics outside the business ethics research, such as employee well-being. Therefore, this study focused on the mediating effects of organisational ethical culture on the relationship between ethical leadership, work engagement, employees' well-being, and performance. The data collection process involved the distribution of highly structured questionnaires to 697 employees working in Italian and Pakistani hospitality industry. This was followed by the analysis of cultural differences through measurement invariance tests and mediation techniques. As a result, it was found that ethical leadership and ethical culture have positive impact on employee wellbeing, work engagement and financial performance where ethical culture has relatively stronger influence on financial performance. The results also revealed that ethical leadership had a relatively stronger impact on the well-being of the Italian employees compared to Pakistani employees. However, the association between ethical leadership and work engagement was stronger among Pakistani employees. The study implications, limitations, and future research directions were presented hereunder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of clay in the field of mineral materials is directly impacted by its thermal stability and changes in microstructure and properties following heat and other treatments. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate how clay's composition and structure are changed with time or how its surface characteristics are changed because of heat treatment. In the current work, the effect of heat treatment on the adsorptive property of smectite clay under various conditions like initial polymer concentration and its molar mass, pH, and temperature variation has been investigated. Various techniques like X‐ray fluorescence spectrometry, thermal analysis, X‐ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy were used for the phase analysis and the structural features of the heat‐treated clay analysis. It was observed that the specific surface area of smectite gradually dropped as the preheating temperature was increased, and the phase composition and structure underwent significant changes. When clay is heated over 423 K, the adsorbed gases and water are forced off the surface, increasing the amount of free active sites, and smectite's adsorption potential was increased. By raising the polymer's initial concentration and molecular mass, the extent of adsorption was increased whereas it was decreased with the increase in pH. However, in the case of temperature, the adsorption was first increased and then decreased with the increase in temperature indicating a change in the chemical composition of the clay and hence the surface area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The air-dried leaves and twigs of I B. sinica i var. I parvifolia i (50.0 kg) were refluxed with 95% EtOH (70 L) three times at 70°C, 3 h each time. However, there is little research on another species that is a variety of the species of I B. sinica i (Rehder & E. H. Wilson) M. Cheng, called I B. sinica i var. I parvifolia i M. Cheng (Buxaceae). The leaves and twigs of I B. sinica i var. I parvifolia i were collected from Guizhou Province, P. R. China, in October 2018. The crude extract was suspended in H SB 2 sb O (25 L) and then further extracted with ethyl acetate and I n i -butanol, each for three to five times, repeatedly yielding EtOAc extract (1.0 kg) and I n i -BuOH extract (878.0 g). [Extracted from the article]

Phalsa (Grewia asiatica L.) is a food plant originating from Southeast Asia, and is cultivated primarily for its fruit. Phalsa fruit is consumed raw or used as a drink or food additive. Additionally, in vitro and in vivo studies have found that extracts from various parts of phalsa plants (especially the fruit) possess strong antioxidant, radioprotective, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, anti‐inflammatory, anticancer, and cardio‐protective properties. However, despite the identification of numerous nutritional and health benefits of phalsa, research into nutraceutical applications of the plant are somewhat limited. Therefore, the objective of this review was to explore the pharmacological, nutritional, phytochemical, and other potential uses of the phalsa plant. Recommendations for food scientists, nutritionists, and members of other allied disciplines are provided to help direct future research into the production, value addition, preservation, and phytochemical characterization of phalsa. Moreover, its potential health benefits are highlighted, along with the underlying mechanisms of action. Practical applications: The aim of the present review is to explore functional aspects of phalsa (Grewia asiatica L.) bioactive compounds, their role in improving health, as well as their possible application as a functional food ingredient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interaction of three-dimensional nonlinear high frequency magnetosonic waves in a magnetized plasma is investigated theoretically via the nonlinear Kadomtsev–Petviashvili equation. Though such wave patterns are commonly observed in the solar system and can be generated by magnetic resonance generators, only limited theoretical studies have been performed. We examined the existence of both periodic and solitary solutions of magnetosonic waves by using the modulation instability analysis. The Phillips wave resonance criterion is employed for capturing the periodic wave interaction whose energy conversion is analyzed via Fourier spectra. It is found that more energy is carried by the primary wave relative to that by the higher-order harmonic wave. In addition, it is noted that the rhodonea curve is smooth and closed for rational wavenumbers, but it becomes chaotic to form a dense set for irrational ones. We believe that this work can fill the blanks in the research of magnetosonic wave behaviors in the magnetized plasma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this new method of treatment of solid dressing which is not absorbed through blood and serum, is non adherent, does not directly compress damage area and does not cause more ischemia and prevent direct pressure over traumatic and infected part. Provide local antibiotic to the aff ected part. It is because of these reasons it is more effective type of treatment and can prevent infection in all high risk infection aft er surgery. Material and Methods: Study is carried out in the department of Orthopaedics, lady Reading Hosptial, KPK from January 2017 to December 2018. Result:We treated 30-total cases in which 6 were having exposed bone and diffi cult to reconstruct and needed amputation, but they refused amputation.10-diabetic foot, 4-crush injuries, 10-tibia open fractures which were treated with cement loaded antibiotic cover, without IV or oral antibiotic cover, without use of antiseptic, and we used one pack of cement 2 g of Vancomycin and 1.5 g of Amikacin, and we made them more flat to take form of the defect and cover the affected part of the tissues, before it become hot and warm we took it away from the affected part to not burn the aff ected area when it became cold then we fixed it over that part which was not reconstructable with muscle flap, local flap, or skin graft . We protected the wound from infection. Protected granulation, protected epithelialization in the edges of the wound, and to prevent accumulation of blood and serous fluid in the defect. We kept one cover of loaded cement up to two weeks and we used it up to full granulation of wound or epithelialization. Conclusion: Solid dressing as a simple and best method of infection control in tibia open fractures and non union in which skin closure is big problem and protection of hematoma in fractures ends aft er fixation are protected by this method and we noted healing in 10-complicated tibia fractures without bone graft in which we did skin graft also and we noted cross union between tibia and fibula which has similar result like stem cells implantations [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • New concept combining solid oxide fuel cell with solar-chemical methane reforming. • A sensitivity analysis was performed to evaluate the system's technical potential. • Electrical and global efficiencies are found to be 63.6% and 70%. • Plant shows high energy density of 404 kWh/m3. • Partial carbon dioxide reuse and net zero emissions through innovative technology. This study presents a thermodynamic analysis of a novel concept that synergistically integrates a solid oxide fuel cell with a Ceria-based solar-chemical looping methane reforming system. The integrated configuration aims to simultaneously achieve solar energy storage, electric power production, carbon capture storage, and in situ re-utilization. The proposed hybrid system capitalises on the advantageous features of the solar-chemical looping methane reforming unit, specifically methane reforming and oxygen carrier reduction during the reduction step for solar energy storage, and waste gas dissociation during the oxidation step for energy release. The additional syngas produced is introduced to the fuel cell, enabling further power production and waste stream re-utilization. The schematic process of the system is modelled by solving mass and energy balances at steady-state conditions. The chemical looping parameters (fuel reforming ratio, co-splitting ratio), material parameters (Ceria effectiveness), and fuel cell parameters (temperature, fuel utilisation, operating voltage, and steam-to-carbon ratio) are also examined. The proposed hybrid solar power plant concept exhibits promising characteristics, achieving high electrical and global efficiencies (63.6 % and 70 %, respectively), high energy density (404 kWh/m3) with partial carbon dioxide re-utilization and net zero emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let k be a positive integer. We compute depth and Stanley depth of the quotient ring of the edge ideal associated to the kth power of a path on n vertices. We show that both depth and Stanley depth have the same values and can be given in terms of k and n. If n ≡ 0, k + 1, k + 2,..., 2k(mod(2k + 1)), then we give values of depth and Stanley depth of the quotient ring of the edge ideal associated to the kth power of a cycle on n vertices and tight bounds otherwise, in terms of n and k. We also compute lower bounds for the Stanley depth of the edge ideals associated to the kth power of a path and a cycle and prove a conjecture of Herzog for these ideals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]