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The effect of 1-Methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) on quality andshelf–life of ‘Grand Nain’ banana fruits was evaluated.1-Methylcyclopropene at 62.5, 125 and 250 ppb delayed fruit ripening,maintained quality and extended shelf-life of banana fruits. The higher theconcentration of 1-MCP, the more was the effect. 1-Methylcyclopropenesignificantly delayed the onset of the climacteric peak. The untreatedfruits reached the climacteric peak after 8 days at 18± 1°C and 85% - 90%relative humidity. Treatment with 1-MCP at 62.5, 125 and 250 ppbsignificantly delayed the onset of the climacteric peak by 12, 16 and 20days, respectively, compared with the untreated fruits. The effect of 1-MCP was also reflected similarly in retarded peel colour development andtotal soluble solids (TSS) accumulation, reduced fruit flesh softening andweight loss, and retained ascorbic acid content during storage of bananafruits.

प्रधान मंत्री श्री नरेंद्र मोदी ने कहा है कि भारत के विकास के लिए हार्वर्ड शिक्षा की तुलना में हार्ड वर्क यानी कड़ी मेहनत अधिक महत्वपूर्ण है। उनका बयान देश के आर्थिक विकास और रोजगार सृजन को बढ़ावा देने के लिए उनकी सरकार द्वारा कौशल विकास, व्यावसायिक प्रशिक्षण और उद्यमिता पर दिए गए जोर को दर्शाता है। जबकि कई लोगों ने अपने निहित राजनीतिक दृष्टिकोण से इस बयान को निःसार बताने की कोशिश की है, प्रधानमंत्री का इस तरह के दृष्टिकोण के पीछे अंतर्निहित विचार भारतीय शिक्षा प्रणाली के संदर्भ में एक निष्पक्ष चर्चा के योग्य है। जबकि शिक्षा और शैक्षणिक प्रमाण या योग्यता निस्संदेह मूल्यवान हैं, प्रधान मंत्री का कहना है कि वे सफलता का एकमात्र उपाय या उपलब्धि की गारंटी नहीं हैं। कड़ी मेहनत, दृढ़ संकल्प और सीखने और अनुकूलन की इच्छा सफलता के लिए महत्वपूर्ण हैं, विशेष रूप से तेजी से बदलती दुनिया में। इस संदर्भ में, मोदी सरकार ने भारत के युवाओं के बीच कौशल विकास और उद्यमिता को बढ़ावा देने के लिए कई पहल शुरू की हैं, जैसे स्किल इंडिया मिशन, स्टार्ट-अप इंडिया और मेक इन इंडिया। इन कार्यक्रमों का उद्देश्य युवाओं को अत्यधिक प्रतिस्पर्धी वैश्विक बाज़ार में सफल होने के लिए आवश्यक प्रशिक्षण, संसाधन और सहायता प्रदान करना है।

Fischer–Tropsch has become an indispensable choice in the gas-to-liquid conversion reactions to produce a wide range of petrochemicals using recently emerging biomass or other types of feedstock such as coal or natural gas. Herein we report the incorporation of novel Cu nanoparticles with two Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS) catalytic systems, Fe/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and Fe–Mn/rGO, to evaluate their FTS performance and olefin productivity in two types of reactors: slurry-bed reactor (SBR) and fixed-bed reactor (FBR). Four catalysts were compared and investigated, namely Fe, FeCu7, FeMn10Cu7, and FeMn16, which were highly dispersed over reduced graphene oxide nanosheets. The catalysts were first characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nitrogen physisorption, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and H-TPR techniques. In the SBR, Cu enhanced olefinity only when used alone in FeCu7 without Mn promotion. When used with Mn, the olefin yield was not changed, but light olefins decreased slightly at the expense of heavier olefins. In the FBR system, Cu as a reduction promoter improved the catalyst activity. It increased the olefin yield mainly due to increased activity, even if the CO2 decreased by the action of Cu promoters. The olefinity of the product was improved by Cu promotion but it did not exceed the landmark made by FeMn16 at 320 °C. The paraffinity was also enhanced by Cu promotion especially in the presence of Mn, indicating a strong synergistic effect. Cu was found to be better than Mn in enhancing the paraffin yield, while Mn is a better olefin yield enhancer. Finally, Cu promotion was found to enhance the selectivity towards light olefins C2–4. This study gives a deep insight into the effect of different highly dispersed FTS catalyst systems on the olefin hydrocarbon productivity and selectivity in two major types of FTS reactors.

Academic Journal

New multi-featured adsorbent beads were fabricated through impregnation of sulfonated graphene (SGO) oxide into cellulose acetate (CA) beads for fast adsorption of cationic methylene blue (MB) dye. The formulated SGO@CA composite beads were thoroughly characterized by several tools including FTIR, TGA, SEM, XRD, XPS and zeta potential. The optimal levels of the most significant identified variables affecting the adsorption process were sequential determined by the response surface methodology (RSM) using Plackett–Burman and Box–Behnken designs. The gained results denoted that the surface of SGO@CA beads displayed the higher negative charges (− 42.2 mV) compared to − 35.7 and − 38.7 mV for pristine CA and SGO, respectively. In addition, the floated SGO@CA beads demonstrated excellent floating property, fast adsorption and easy separation. The adsorption performance was accomplished rapidly, since the adsorption equilibrium was closely gotten within 30 min. Furthermore, the adsorption capacity was greatly improved with increasing SGO content from 10 to 30%. The obtained data were followed the pseudo-second order kinetic model and agreed with Langmuir adsorption isotherm model with a maximum adsorption capacity reached 234.74 mg g−1. The thermodynamic studies designated the spontaneity and endothermic nature of MB dye adsorption. Besides, the floated beads exposed acceptable adsorption characteristics for six successive reuse cycles, in addition to their better adsorption selectivity towards MB dye compared to cationic crystal violet and anionic Congo red dyes. These findings assume that the formulated SGO@CA floated beads could be used effectively as highly efficient, easy separable and reusable adsorbents for the fast removal of toxic cationic dyes.

Aim: This study was designed to evaluate the shrinkage pattern of odontogenic cyst after surgical decompression clinically and radiographically. Subjects and Methods: Twenty-eight patients were selected from those attending the outpatient clinic of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Sayed Galal University Hospital with cystic lesions, larger than 3 cm on 2D-Panorama. Clinical examination was made to all patients as: Facial disfigurement, Intra-oral swelling and Sinus tract. Preoperative and after 3, 6 months postoperatively cone beam CT for every patient to determine extension of the cystic lesion, Proximity to the vital structures, Multi or uni-cystic lesion and Volumetric measurement of cystic lesion. All readings were recorded and analyzed statistically. Results: The mean volumetric analysis was 21.21 ± 7.69 cm3 at base line (pre surgery), 13.96 ±5.25 cm3 after 3 months and 8.80± 4.03 cm3 after 6 months which was statistically significant. Conclusion: Decompression is an effective treatment of odontogenic cysts, leading to a high percent reduction of the lesion area

New multi-featured adsorbent beads were fabricated through impregnation of sulfonated graphene (SGO) oxide into cellulose acetate (CA) beads for fast adsorption of cationic methylene blue (MB) dye. The formulated SGO@CA composite beads were thoroughly characterized by several tools including FTIR, TGA, SEM, XRD, XPS and zeta potential. The optimal levels of the most significant identified variables affecting the adsorption process were sequential determined by the response surface methodology (RSM) using Plackett-Burman and Box-Behnken designs. The gained results denoted that the surface of SGO@CA beads displayed the higher negative charges (- 42.2 mV) compared to - 35.7 and - 38.7 mV for pristine CA and SGO, respectively. In addition, the floated SGO@CA beads demonstrated excellent floating property, fast adsorption and easy separation. The adsorption performance was accomplished rapidly, since the adsorption equilibrium was closely gotten within 30 min. Furthermore, the adsorption capacity was greatly improved with increasing SGO content from 10 to 30%. The obtained data were followed the pseudo-second order kinetic model and agreed with Langmuir adsorption isotherm model with a maximum adsorption capacity reached 234.74 mg g

Bullying is a multifaceted relationship problem among children, associated with many psychosocial complications for perpetrators and victims. It affects the psychosocial and mental well-being and can disrupt the bullied's physical, social, emotional and cognitive development. Bullying is a problem that begins at an early age and continues into adulthood. Victims of bullying often carry traces of their trauma throughout their lives. If the child is bullied, parents must know the laws passed to combat bullying in India to stifle bullying in the bud. Bullying is one of the forms of violent behaviour among school-going and out-of-school children, which has become a universal phenomenon. Often practisedin the absence and in the presence of adult members who do not interfere, bullying has long been considered an inevitable and, in some ways, uncontrollable part of growth. Bullying can affect a school's social environment, creating a climate of fear amongstudents, impairing their learning ability and leading to other antisocial behaviours. Many ways to reduce bullying depend on children who know that what they are doing is called bullying and that this is not an acceptable way to behave because of its consequences for victims and other children. Anti-bullying interventions require a combination of scaffolding and social architecture to provide comprehensive support and change the social dynamics that allow bullying. From an empirical point of view, we could perhaps reduce the burden of these relationship problems in the lives of children and young people. In this paper, we explored the bullying phenomenon and suggested possible interventions to reduce the problem in and outside school settings

The economy of the small border regions like Barak Valley in Assam is characterised by unemployment, lack of large industries, urban migration, unorganised labour, and a financially disadvantaged population. In order to become more resilient against such challenges and avoid extreme poverty, it is crucial to look out for small business opportunities across the border. It will lead to increased economic stability and income for the people of this region. The recent COVID-19 pandemic-induced loss of jobs and employment, coupled with recurrent floods, have all resulted in limited cross-border movement of people, commodities, and services. It has also adversely damaged informal cross-border commerce and traders (Krainara, & Routray, 2015). Additionally, the entrepreneurial efforts of the local business community to improve the trading climate have been hampered by its lack of capacity building and an inability to access other institutional support mechanisms offered by the government.

Advertising was transformed into an utterly new level after the invention of television advertising. After 2000s we saw a change from the traditional advertising including radio, newspapers, etc. to the online advertising. Redundant stereotypes can be created in the same fashion as males and females are portrayed in advertisements. Commercials often envisage the perfection of the physical beauty of females as a concept for male viewing pleasure. Women are classified as loving mothers, emotional wives, or girlfriends within the domestic boundary. This study analysed the changing landscapes of women as portrayed in TV advertisements in India. The study primarily focused on female portrayal in television advertisements pre and post 2000 and examines the role portrayal of women in both commercial and non-commercial adverts across two time periods.

Witch-hunting has been practised in various parts of the world and still in some countries. In India, witchcraft followed by witch-hunting cases is reported from many parts, including northeastern states. In Assam, the practice of witchcraft and witch-hunting is reported from a majority of districts and different tribal groups; which Rabha community is found to be one such group in which the mentioned practices are deep-rooted to the extent that this is considered one of the traditional acts. Very few studies conducted on witch-hunting among Rabha communities presented that the practice has scores of dimensions, in which a patriarchal mindset and socio-economic reasons were found to be the significant ones. Several cases of witch-hunting indicated that land grabbing and sexual favours are some major causes whenever the victim is a woman, hence, making this gender-based violence. Illiteracy and superstition were found to be other grounds for witch-hunting in the remotest part of Assam. Though the state has enacted anti-witching legislation, cases of witch-hunting resurfaced even after. Through this paper, we have tried to understand the gripping picture of witch-hunting in its entirety. The paper is descriptive and based on secondary sources that looked into the practice of witch-hunting from various dimensions and tried to know about the Rabha community of Assam. The paper critically analysed the existing antiwitch-hunting law and proposed evidence-based measures to curb the menace of witch-hunting.

Outcome of the National Seminar held at IIM Kashipur (India), funded by the National Commission for Women, Govt of India. Following objectives of the Seminar were achieved: 1. Generated awareness among students across disciplines. 2. Participation of both academia and Industry delegate to gather a common perspective. Seminar report submitted to the commission.

This report is the outcome of a research project funded by Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR). The aim of the project was to look at the relations between disasters and development at one hand and roles and responses of the state, civil society and media on the other. It also aimed to explore the possible model for participatory, environment-friendly and sustainable development in the hilly districts of Uttarakhand. Project delivered a Model for Disaster Communication Strategy for Uttarakhand.

Education policies worldwide are increasingly being realigned to the economic prosperity, vertical mobility and social citizenship of the people. Human capital theorists have long underlined the need for investment in building productive human capital in any organisation or a society. Our educational policies developed at the national level are often driven by some overarching goals. Such a top-down approach in implementing those policies on the ground, especially in a specific region like North East India, needs a bottom-up restructuring. There is an urgent need to re-examine our education policies at the regional level to provide an environment where individuals can utilise their education and training to gain employment, improve their living standards, and contribute to the social development of the area.

This report is the outcome of a research project funded by Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India under the Plan Scheme for Action Research and Studies on Judicial Reforms to promote research and studies on the issues related to the National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reforms

Intellection- A Bi-annual Interdisciplinary Peer-Reviewed Research Journal Volume: X No 1, 2022 ISSN: 2319-8192 Published by: Barak Education Society A K Lane, Opp.Vivekananda Co-operative Society Hailakandi Road, P.O. Meherpur Silchar 788015 Assam India Tel: +91 9401425431, 9435072786, 9435370812

The Indian constitution and various laws enacted by India strongly support women rights and gender equality. However, without proper awareness about their rights and constitutional safeguards, the situation remains crucial even the case of women who have entered the portals of higher education in spite of all barriers. Against this backdrop and the Indian socio-cultural context, this paper seeks to explore the current level of awareness among students about their rights, their perception on gender based discrimination and explore the possibility using English Language Teaching (ELT) programmes for gender sensitisation through integration of the Gender contents in the language teaching discourse within the existing curriculum. A survey was conducted on the present status of India’s educated women’s awareness of their rights as seen through a representative sample of educated girl students in post-graduate programmes in a PostGraduate College and a professional institution of national importance in the state of Uttarakhand, India. The results shows that there is an urgent need for Women Rights Education perspective in our language educational program specially in the arena of English Language Teaching (ELT) and prevalent classic text based methods are not sufficient for gender related topics that focus on social equality

Editorial page of Intellection, 2020-21, Vol. VIII-IX Copyright@2022 by Barak Education Society.

Intellection, the peer-reviewed bi-annual inter-disciplinary research journal,containing good quality research papers from academicians, scholars, and researchers. The journal was started in 2013 by the Barak Education Society.

“Building Capacities on Environmental Assessment in South Asia” - Final Project Completion Report. The World Bank selected the Indian Institute of Management Kashipur (IIM KASHIPUR) as a lead agency to implement a project entitled, ‘ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT CAPACITY BUILDING IN SOUTH ASIA.' This is a project supported by the World Bank (Contract No. 7172245 dated 21 July 2014) to increase the capabilities of the primary decision makers and planners on environmental projects, environmental regulators and local agencies, project implementers, financiers, academia, NGOs and community groups to make prudent decisions on environmental appraisal processes.

The crosslinking agent is a vital key which affects the mechanical properties of composite solid rocket propellants (CSRPs). Under this scheme, the effect of crosslinking mixtures (CMs) based on trimethylolpropane (TMP) as a triol crosslinker and butanediol (BD) as a chain extender on CSRPs based on hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene was investigated. A series of 27 propellant compositions was formulated to study the mechanical properties of the prepared CSRPs. The effect of changing the weight ratio of TMP to BD in the CM was studied. In addition, the influence of increasing the percentage of CM (from 0% to 0.5%) in the prepared samples was investigated. Also, the effect of the CM on CSRPs containing different curing ratio of NCO/OH = 0.7, 0.75, and 0.8 was studied to generate the largest possible strain-ability with high strength over different levels of curing conditions. The mechanical characteristics (tensile strength and strain) of the prepared CSRPs have been measured and plotted versus CM content, NCO/OH and TMP:BD ratio. Generally, the addition of CM leads to a remarkable enhancement in the propellant mechanical properties. Samples containing TMP:BD (2:1) provide the highest strength while samples containing TMP:BD (1:2) show the highest strain over all the NCO/OH ratios. Formulations with TMP:BD (1:1) give high strength with moderate strain. Variation in CM content has a remarkable influence on the mechanical properties of CSRPs. A wide range of tensile strength and strain were obtained from this study to offer variety of results suitable for different applications in the CSRPs technology.

Objective: The reaction of bis(4-amino-4H-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiol) with hydrazonoyl halides and α-halo-ketones gave a new series of bis-1,2,4-triazolo[3,4-b]thiadiazine derivatives. Methods: The structure of the new products was established on the basis of their elemental and spectral data (mass, 1H NMR, 13C NMR and IR) and an alternate method. Results: Several of the synthesized products were subjected to in vitro anticancer screening against human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG-2) and the results showed that compounds 16, 14 and 12 have promising activities (IC50 value of 24.8±9.1, 28.3±0.5, and 31±2.9μM, respectively) compared with Harmine reference drug (IC50 value of 22.4±1.11 μM). Conclusion: Moreover, molecular docking studies were performed to analyze the binding modes of the discovered hits into the active site of DYRK1A using iGEMDOCK.

This work aims at optimizing the H2 reduction time of Fe/rGO as a preparatory step for the use of the reduced catalyst in Fisher-Tropsch synthesis (FTS). The catalytic system used was Iron Nanoparticles (NPs) loaded on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) support. The as prepared sample was analyzed by TEM, FTIR and XRD spectroscopy. Samples of the produced Fe/rGO catalyst were used to optimize the reduction conditions in the FBR reactor. The three samples were reduced under 1atm H2 gas flow of 50 sccm at 500°C for 8, 12 and 24 hrs. The samples were collected after reduction and analyzed by XRD, FTIR and TEM imaging. The best condition showing full reduction with minimal sintering was at 12hr.

The reaction of 2,6-dimethyl-4-phenyl-1,4-dihydropyridine-3,5-dicarbohydrazide with variety of carbonyl compounds such as substituted benzaldehydes, cycloalkanones and hetero-cyclic ketones under grinding method under catalyst- and solvent-free conditions at room temperature, in the presence of catalytic drops of acetic acid gave a new series of 2,6-dimethyl-4-phenyl-1,4-dihydropyridine-3,5-dicarbohydrazone derivatives in good to excellent yields. The structures of new products were elucidated on the basis of their spectral data and elemental analysis. Most of the newly prepared compounds were evaluated towards HepG2 cell lines and showed good IC50 for some compounds. Additionally, molecular docking of the novel chemical entities using Autodock Vina demonstrated their binding modes within the active site of DYRK1A.

Prominence of radionuclide myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) has been investigated and shown to have high precision and predictive value. Improvement of the quality care for patients could be obtained by decreasing the radiation dose and increasing the image quality. The objective of this work is quantitative evaluation of the injected dose in MPI. 32 patients were categorized into 4 groups; each group received a different radiant dose. Image quality indices (Heart/Background (H/B), Heart/Lung (H/P) and Heart/Liver (H/L)) ratios and cardiac ejection fraction (EF%) were determined. It was observed from the images, that there is no substantial alteration in image quality among the groups. It was concluded that the most optimal dose providing the best image is the lowest one.

The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an emerging respiratory infection with severe impacts on the nutritional status of the worldwide population. This cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the food insecurity, dietary diversity, and food-related coping strategies in Jordan during the pandemic using an online, self-administered questionnaire. Among the 740 adults who completed the survey, the prevalence of food security was 84.1%, whereas 2% and 13.9% were moderately and severely food-insecure, respectively. The determinants of food insecurity were educational level, monthly income, marital status, availability of health insurance, and type of residence. In addition, food insecurity was significantly higher among the participants who consumed two or fewer meals per day (p = 0.015). Moreover, an acceptable food consumption score was shown among 76.2% of the participants, and the remaining participants were at borderline (14.1%) or had poor scores (9.7%), with a significant association between food insecurity and food consumption scores (p < 0.001). The food-related coping strategies studied were significantly associated with food insecurity at both levels (p < 0.001) and were more evident in the severely food-insecure group. These findings highlight the adverse effects of COVID-19 restrictions on nutritional status, especially among food-insecure households, which might reduce food accessibility due to economic difficulties.

At the face of any review and policyrecommendations, we must still ask ourselvesabout what we can achieve. The indicative ActionPlan given here may provide a fair roadmap forthe future. By following it in a unified way, wecan make great progress in enhancing ourinstructional and individual learners’ potential byenabling them to thrive. We can improve oursociety, our local economy and our nationalcontributions. Uttarakhand can surely achievethis by working together.

Education policies worldwide are increasingly being realigned to the economic prosperity,vertical mobility and social citizenship of the people. Human capital theorists have longunderlined the need for investment in building productive human capital in any organisationor a society. Our educational policies developed at the national level are often driven by some overarching goals. Such a top-down approach in implementing those policies on the ground, especially in a specific region like North East India, needs a bottom-up restructuring. There is an urgent need to re-examine our education policies at the regional level to provide an environment where individuals can utilise their education and training to gain employment, improve their living standards, and contribute to the social development of the area.

Buddhadeb Dasgupta (1944-2021) is perhaps one of the most iconic filmmakers of modern India who presented a unique blend of poetry, filmmaking, and social realism in recent times. In his demise, we are bound to look at his entire body of work from different perspectives, and for years to come, his works are going to be part of our film academia. While his major award-winning works will, of course, attract much of the attention, debate, appreciation, and eulogies alike, a true tribute to the late poet-filmmaker would sure reappraise each of his works with renewed interest beyond the temporal responses of the audience and critics at the time of their release. Suppose you want to look into the sincerity, dedication, and honesty in someone’s work. In that case, you should not look for his big projects but focus on the apparently unassuming ones hidden from the popular limelight. It is in minute re-appreciation of Dasgupta’s understated films that we can truly see the filmmaker delving deep into an otherwise calm world and succinctly making his point interwoven between characters and stories he told.

The United Nation rightly alerts us against the fallouts of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID‐19) and says its impact will not be confined to the health sector and will engulf many other socio-economic aspects of our lives in future. It will especially deteriorate the conditions of the poor and increase the economic imbalances that already prevails in the societies. When the nations of the world are striving hard to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, the COVID-19 has dealt a heavy blow to those effortsin terms of reallocation of the scarce resources of the governments towards controllingthe pandemic. It will make it harder to reach the SDSs as envisaged earlier. Countriesshould now re-assess the situation not only in terms of saving lives of its citizens in theshort term but also think in terms of long-term development goals so that at least theirsocio-economic conditions improve, albeit late, over some time.

Supplemental Material, sj-pdf-1-ccx-10.1177_10732748211027169 for Comparison of Urban-Rural Readmission Rates After Colorectal Cancer Surgery: Findings From a Privately Insured Population by Mesnad Alyabsi, Mary Charlton, Jane Meza, K. M. Monirul Islam, Amr Soliman and Shinobu Watanabe-Galloway in Cancer Control

The results of excavations of barrow with “mustaches” at Atasu river (Central Kazakhstan, Karaganda region) are presented in the paper. Barrows with "mustaches" are a little-studied type of ancient monuments. Monuments of this type were dated back to the periods of the Saks, Huns, Türks. More precise definition of their cultural and chronological affiliation is regarded as difficult but important aim. The barrow with "mustaches" Atasu-2 consists of one rounded stone mound and two stone ridges oriented to the east. In 1977, near the mound was found a stone sculpture of the Saka type. Since 2015, investigation at Atasu area were conducted under the leadership of A.Z. Beisenov. Two pits were discovered under the embankment where the iron arrowheads and items of horse harness were found. Details of horse harness are represented by the different tips of the belts plaques, the head piece and the lining of the forward parts of the saddle flanges. The details of the set are made of an alloy of gold and silver in a polychrome style which has analogies in the archaeological sites of the Hunnish time in Eastern Europe. By analogies the complex is dated by the authors of the middle / second half of the 5th century, and is synchronized with the antiquities of the horizon D2 / D3 of the central European chronology of J. Teiral. The presented materials replenish in science a few information on the Hunnish time of Central Kazakhstan.

Background: A novel series of fused imidazole was prepared from the reaction of 2- bromoacetyl-3-phenyl-1,3,4-thiadiazole with various heterocyclic amines under microwave irradiation. The structures of all the novel products were elucidated based on the elemental analysis and spectral data. Results: In addition, the biological activity of the newly synthesized compounds was evaluated and the results obtained indicate their potency as anti-inflammatory, analgesic and anti- ulcer agents. Conclusion: The binding mechanism of the most active compounds was studied using MOE to analyze the molecular interactions.

This paper deals with an advanced design for a pump powered by solar energyto supply agricultural lands with water and also the maximum power point is used to extract the maximum value of the energy available inside the solar panels and comparing between techniques MPPT such as Incremental conductance, perturb & observe, fractional short current circuit, and fractional open voltage circuit to find the best technique among these. The solar system is designed with main parts: photovoltaic (PV) panel, direct current/direct current (DC/DC) converter, inverter, filter, and in addition, the battery is used to save energy in the event that there is an increased demand for energy and not to provide solar radiation, as well as saving energy in the case of generation more than demand. This work was done using the matrix laboratory (MATLAB) simulink program.

Polyurethanes are prepared by extending a prepolymer chains made from a macro diol and a diisocyanate and its mechanical properties could be improved by using special additives to enhance the crosslinking process. In this study, 15 hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) based poly urethanes were prepared using 1, 6- hexamethylene diisocyanate (HMDI) and crosslinking mixture (CM) consists of trimethylol propane (TMP) as a triol crosslinker and butane diol (BD) as a chain extender. Five different crosslinking mixtures were used through the combination between TMP: BD = 1:0, 0:1, 1:1, 2:1 and 1:2. The research investigated the impact occurred on the mechanical behaviour of PU formulations prepared by adding certain cross-linking additives with various content from 0 % to 5 % and the curing ratio NCO/OH maintained constant at 0.7. The strength-strain relationships of all the finished samples were determined by using a LLOYD testing machine. The mechanical properties have been plotted vs. crosslinking mixture content and TMP: BD percentage which could be utilized to choose an appropriate network forming agent formulation for a particular grain technology and implementation. It was concluded that both TMP and BD have a major influence on the mechanical behaviour which allow obtaining a wide range of strength and elongation capabilities. The tensile strength increased by the excess of triol addition while the strain had a lowering effect which was compensated by the existence of diol extender. Tailoring the mechanical characteristics was easy to make by using a suitable proportions of TMP and BD to obtain outstanding mechanical properties for fixed NCO/OH, especially elastic capabilities, compared to polyurethanes formulated without any crosslinking additives.

In this work the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reaction was catalyzed by reduced graphene oxide supported Fe nanoparticles catalysts in a fixed bed reactor. Also the influence of promotion by K and Mn on the catalytic activity of Fe nanoparticles was investigated. The systems showed acceptable CO conversions reaching as high as 96.2%. The selectivities of the C1-5 ranged from 38 to 62%. There was a very high CO2 selectivity which was explained by incomplete reduction of the catalysts. The Anderson-Schultz-Flory parameter was calculated and varied between 0.25 and 0.3. The strongest promoting effect was achieved by the K promoter which tended to reduce light product selectivities and CO2 production the most.

Fatty acid ethyl ester (FAEE) was developed from chicken waste. A blend of chicken fat and waste chicken oil was used as a feedstock for FAEE preparation via alkali-catalyzed transesterification with ethanol assisted by a co-solvent. Hexane was used as the co-solvent. The influences of alkali catalyst type and concentration, ethanol/blend molar ratio, hexane/ethanol volume ratio, temperature, time, and type of co-solvent on the yield of FAEE were investigated. The best yield of FAEE (96.94%~96.78% w/w ester content) was obtained at 0.75% KOH w/w, 8:1 ethanol/blend molar ratio, 1.5:1 hexane/ethanol volume ratio, 60°C temperature, and 60 min of reaction. The fuel properties of FAEE produced as well as its blends with petro diesel were within the range of those prescribed by ASTM D 6751 standards, indicating its suitability as fuel for combustion engines. It was concluded that the presence of co-solvent increased the yield of FAEE and enhanced its properties compared to FAEE produced via non-solvent ...

Based on the archeological materials, specialists have concluded that, in the age of Saka, a large Tasmola,historical and cultural community existed on the territory of Central, North Kazakhstan an...

Background SPECT MPI (Single photon emission computed tomography myocardial perfusion imaging) is an essential tool for diagnosis of cardiovascular disease, but it also involves considerable exposure to ionizing radiation. Objective To determine the radioprotective potential of lipoic acid free and nano-capsule against 99mTc-MIBI-induced injury in cardiovascular tissue. Methods The radioprotective ability was assessed by blood count, histopathology and heart enzymes in different groups of mice. Hearts of mice from all groups were dissected and prepared for oxidative stress analysis of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA). Furthermore, levels of DNA damage in heart and bone marrow cells were evaluated by alkaline comet assay technique. The same measurements were estimated after treating the mice with lipoic acid. Results Comparing mice injected by radiopharmaceutics with control group showed a significant depression in the count of white blood cells (WBC) by about 40 % at 24 &72 hrs post-radiopharmaceutical administration. Moreover, platelets count was decreased by 27% at 72 hrs post-radiopharmaceutical administration. Radiation also dropped in super oxide dismutase (SOD) and increased in activity of heart enzymes and level of MDA (Malondialdehyde). Additionally, histopathological observation was characterized by focal necrosis of cardiac myocytes. 99mTc-MIBI induced DNA damage had significant increase. Nevertheless, pretreatment with free and lipoic acid nano-capsules (LANC's) prevented the reduction induced in WBCs and platelets, and improved their counts significantly. Conversely pre-treatment with lipoic acid free and nano-capsule significantly increased the activity of SOD and decreased the level of MDA and therefore protected the cardiovascular tissues and reduced DNA strand-break, consequently and enhanced the body weight of the mice. Conclusions These findings highlight the efficacy of lipoic acid free and nano-capsule as a radio protector.

Biodiesel was developed from a non-edible oil source, i.e., wild mustard (Brassica juncea L) oil through optimized alkali-catalyzed transesterification with methanol using potassium hydroxide as a catalyst. Biodiesel yield of (95.54 % with 96.72 % w/w ester content) was obtained under optimal conditions of 0.75 % KOH w/w of oil, 6:1 methanol to oil molar ratio, 60°C temperature, and a duration of 45 min. Properties of wild mustard (Brassica juncea L) oil biodiesel were determined and found to be within the limits of ASTM D6751 specifications. As a result, wild mustard (Brassica juncea L), as an agricultural crop, might be a reasonable feedstock for biodiesel production.

Fruit samples of five date cultivars, three cultivars of them were introduced from Emirates Tissue culture Laboratory-Alien Abu Dhabi and cultivated in Haj-Bashir orchard - Khartoum region were collected at the beginning of the Tamar stages. The present study was aimed to investigate the physical and chemical properties. The results showed that the physical characteristics like fruit weight, length, flesh thickness, seed weight differed significantly (P < 0.05) between the various cultivars. Chemical analysis indicated small amounts of crude fiber, crude protein, Fat and ash, while sugars predominated. In general the majority of date cultivars investigated was found to be of the soft date type characterized by the dominance of reducing sugars. The performance of introduced cultivars was well when compared with the indigenous cultivar of most physical, chemical characteristics and general evaluation.Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol 3(4): 731-736

Social networking sites have been frequented by internet users. Unfortunately engaging in social media has been associated with delinquent behaviors such as cyber crime, security threat, and poor academic performance. Online database literature has revealed an increased prevalence of health hazards including musculoskeletal, visual, auditory, and psychological disorders along with social and familial disharmony among regular users of social media in comparison to their non-regular user counterparts. Data have revealed an increased presence of low self-esteem and poor wellbeing among regular users of social media. This review has focused on the posture, duration of engagement, physical and behavioral health hazards of regular users of social networking sites. A comprehensive rehabilitation curriculum (postural training, health education, and awareness program) was an effective strategy for prevention and minimization of health hazards of regular social media users.

Knee arthroscopy causes minimal trauma, however, good analgesia is required for early rehabilitation and return to normal life in the patients.We aimed to compare the analgesic effects of intraarticular dexamethasone and dexmedetomidine added to bupivacaine with those of bupivacaine alone.This study uses a double-blind, randomized, controlled design with allocation concealment in a 3-armed parallel group format among patients undergoing arthroscopic meniscal surgery.The study was conducted at Assiut University Hospital in Asyut, Egypt. The study duration was from July 2016 to February 2017.After the ethics committee approval, 60 patients, with the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status of I or II, 20 - 50 years old, and scheduled for arthroscopic meniscal surgery were randomized in a double-blind manner to receive 18 mL intraarticular bupivacaine 0.25% with either dexamethasone 8 mg (group I), dexmedetomidine 1 ug/kg (group II), or 2 mL of normal saline (group III). The total volume of injectate used in each group was 20 mL. All of the patients received spinal anesthesia. Postoperatively, oral paracetamol 1000 mg was given every 8 hours, and oral tramadol 50 mg was administered, as needed, for rescue analgesia. The visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores, time to first analgesic request, and total dose of postoperative analgesics were recorded for 3 days postoperatively.The VAS scores were lower in groups I and II compared with group III. The time to the first analgesic was significantly shorter in group III compared with groups I and II (P = 0.001). The total dose of rescue paracetamol was higher in group III compared with groups I and II (P = 0.001). No need for tramadol rescue analgesia was recorded in any of the groups. No significant differences between groups I and II were noticed.The limitations of this study include the lack of previous research to compare the effect of both intraarticular dexamethasone and dexmedetomidine added to bupivacaine for postoperative analgesia in arthroscopic knee surgery. Additionally, there was a short observation period for the detection of chondrotoxicity, if occurred.The addition of dexamethasone or dexmedetomidine to a solution of bupivacaine 0.25% provided better analgesia than using bupivacaine alone.NCT02818985.Intraarticular, knee arthroscopy, bupivacaine, dexmedetomidine, dexamethasone, postoperative pain.

The Enterprise Resources Planning (ERP) systems are one of the most frequently used systems by business organizations. Recently, the university sectors began using the ERP system in order to increase the quality of their academic and administrative services. However, the implementation of ERP is complicated, risky, and no factor can guarantee a successful system. Previous studies were primarily concerned with Critical Success Factors (CSFs) in business organizations and organizational success factors. This produced plenty of information about these topics. However, the university environment and structure is different, which encourages us to study its specific technical critical success factors. In this paper, Palestine Polytechnic University (PPU) will be our case study. Our attention is concentrated on technical success factors at PPU. Firstly, the paper focused on the technical problems which current systems in the PPU suffered from, in order to extract the particular CSFs which are needed to implement ERP systems. Secondly, the paper focused on the most technical critical factors that ensure successful implementation of the ERP project. Thirdly, a study of the degree to which PPU’s technical staff uses software engineering practices during the development process has been conducted by focusing on phases activities. Our main aim is to get a pool of parameters related to a successful preparation of universities’ ERP systems.

BACKGROUND: Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) can provide the valuable cardiac functions.Image quality in nuclear medicine tomography is critically dependent on the activity administered into patients. OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to evaluate the optimum injected dose of 99mTc-MIBI for quantitative assessment of image quality as compared with standard injected dose used for that purpose. METHODS: The image quality parameters (Contrast, relative noise and contrast to noise ratio) were determined in 32 patients (21 male, 11 female, age 45–60 y) with weight 60 ± 15 kg. Patients were classified into four groups; each one consisted of 8 patients. The first group received 370 MBq, the second one received 555 MBq, the third group received 740 MBq and the last group received 925 MBq. RESULTS:Qualitative assessments of the images revealed equivalent scintigraphic patterns in all patients. There was a significant difference in the image contrast. The image contrast in the 370 MBq group was greater than other groups. The image noise between the four groups was significantly different. It increased with injected dose reduction. Contrast to noise ratio (CNR) was significantly different between 370 MBq and other groups. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that results from the first group which received 370 MBq are sufficiently similar to those of the fourth group (standard group) which received 925 MBq. Consequently,accurate estimations of differential cardiac functions are possible with the 370 MBq dose.

Glycidyl azide polymer (GAP) has been prepared and studied for its application as polymeric matrix for composite solid rocket propellants (CSRP). Different CSRP based on GAP polymeric matrix with different plasticizers were prepared. A cross-linker based on trimethylol propane (TMP) and dibutyltin dilaurate (DBTDL) was added to the GAP matrix to ensure curing completion of the prepared CSRP. The viscosity and shore A of all the prepared CSRPs during the curing process were measured continuously. The mechanical properties of the cured CSRP were determined. The ballistic performance, burning rate at operating pressure and specific impulse were determined using standard a modified six inch rocket motor with 16.25 mm nozzle. By comparing the results, it was concluded that the plasticizer; dioctyl azelate and dibutyl phthalate are not compatible with GAP matrix. In addition, CSRP based on GAP has specific impulse and burning rate slightly higher than the traditional HTPB based CSRP.