Search

This paper brings a systems engineering approach to policymaking in the context of violent radicalization. We test strategies to combat terrorism under the premise that violent radicalization is a complex system of social contagion resulting in terrorism. We built a simulation using DIME‐PMESII military standards to replicate a terror contagion occurring over 10 years in both physical and online environments under optimal, realistic, and worst‐case scenarios. We then tested antiterrorism, counterterrorism, and counter radicalization strategies as policy experiments in this simulation. These experiments identified four key dynamics relevant for developing policies to reduce terrorism. First, most well‐known policies are ineffective in containing terrorism driven by social contagion. Second, strategies generating backlash can become worse than doing nothing at all. Third, perceived grievance determines the carrying capacity of terrorism in a system, allowing disrupted networks to regenerate. Fourth, variable public support may result in sharp secondary waves of violence under certain contingencies. Experimenting with our model, we explore effective ways to address the violent radicalization problem.

Graphical Abstract:

The WHO Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) guideline update reflects 15 years of investment in reducing the treatment gap and scaling up care for people with mental, neurological, and substance use (MNS) conditions. It was produced by a guideline development group and steering group, with support from topic experts, using quantitative and qualitative evidence and a systematic review of use of mhGAP. 90 recommendations from the 2015 guideline update were validated and endorsed for use in their current format. These are joined by 30 revised recommendations and 18 new recommendations, including a new module on anxiety. Psychological interventions are emphasised as treatments and digitally delivered interventions feature across many modules, as well as updated recommendations for psychotropic medicines. Research gaps identified include the need for evidence from low-resource settings and on the views of people with lived experience of MNS conditions. The revised recommendations ensure that mhGAP continues to offer high-quality, timely, transparent, and evidence-based guidance to support non-specialist health workers in low-income and middle-income countries in providing care to individuals with MNS conditions.

Purpose: The purpose of this study, thermal radiation and viscous dissipation impacts on double diffusive convection on peristaltic transport of Williamson nanofluid due to induced magnetic field in a tapered channel is examined. The study of propulsion system is on the rise in aerospace research. In spacecraft technology, the propulsion system uses high-temperature heat transmission governed through thermal radiation process. This study will help in assessment of chyme movement in the gastrointestinal tract and also in regulating the intensity of magnetic field of the blood flow during surgery. Design/methodology/approach: The brief mathematical modelling, along with induced magnetic field, of Williamson nanofluid is given. The governing equations are reduced to dimensionless form by using appropriate transformations. Numerical technique is manipulated to solve the highly nonlinear differential equations. The roll of different variables is graphically analyzed in terms of concentration, temperature, volume fraction of nanoparticles, axial-induced magnetic field, magnetic force function, stream functions, pressure rise and pressure gradient. Findings: The key finding from the analysis above can be summed up as follows: the temperature profile decreases and concentration profile increases due to the rising impact of thermal radiation. Brownian motion parameter has a reducing influence on nanoparticle concentration due to massive transfer of nanoparticles from a hot zone to a cool region, which causes a decrease in concentration profile· The pressure rise enhances due to rising values of thermophoresis and thermal Grashof number in retrograde pumping, free pumping and copumping region. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, a study that integrates double-diffusion convection with thermal radiation, viscous dissipation and induced magnetic field on peristaltic flow of Williamson nanofluid with a channel that is asymmetric has not been carried out so far. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study deals with numerical modeling and mathematical analysis, and the investigation specifically delves into peristaltic blood flow characterized by a non-Newtonian six-constant Jeffrey fluid model in a uniform channel under multiple slip boundaries, which has not been explored so far in the literature. The model incorporates double diffusion convection, thermal radiation, viscous dissipation, and induced magnetic flux. Applying the conditions of a low but finite Reynold number, utilizing a long-wavelength approximation, and neglecting the wave number, the study drives numerical solutions for various parameters, including magnetic force function, heat, velocity, nanoparticle volume fraction, concentration, and streamline equations. The obtained results show that the fluid speed diminishes as the Brickman number and velocity slip parameter values increase. Further, thermal curves exhibit an expansion with the increase in the Prandtl number and thermophoresis parameter. The study’s findings may be valuable in medical treatments such as cancer cells via a nanoparticle-based drug delivery mechanism.

Tellurium-cobalt/polybutylene terephthalate (Te-Co/PBT) and Te/PBT nanocomposites were prepared via solution casting method. The morphological study presented that both Te and Te-Co nanoparticles (NPs) are well embedded inside the polymer matrix. The Te NPs are round in shape having size less than 150 nm. While Te-Co NPs are in agglomerated form. The size of agglomerated NPs are below 400 nm. The formation of NPs was also confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. thermogravimetric analysis presented that the thermal stability of nanocomposites was higher than neat PBT. Photodegradation study presented that the Te-PBT and Te-Co/PBT nanocomposites significantly degraded the bromothymol blue dye in aqueous medium. The neat PBT degraded about 7% and 21% of dye while Te(40 wt.%)/PBT and Te/Co(40 wt.%)/PBT degraded about 51% and 71%, and 56% and 77% dye, respectively within 2 and 8 h irradiation time.

Drug use is an increasing global public health concern. We reviewed the prevalence and patterns of drug use, drug use disorders, and the extent of treatment services in 21 countries and one territory in the Eastern Mediterranean region from 2010 to 2022. Online databases were systematically searched on April 17, 2022, along with other sources for grey literature. The extracted data were analysed and used for synthesis at the country, subregional, and regional levels. The prevalence of drug use is higher in the Eastern Mediterranean region than global estimates, with cannabis, opium, khat, and tramadol among the main drugs used in the region. Data on the prevalence of drug use disorders were scarce and heterogeneous. Treatment facilities for drug use disorders are available in most countries, but opioid agonist treatment exists in only seven countries. There is a need to expand evidence-based and cost-effective care. Limited data exist, especially regarding drug use disorders, treatment coverage, and drug use among women and young people.

Iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe3O4NPs) and iron–indium oxide nanocomposite (Fe3O4-In2O3NC) were prepared through chemical reduction approach and utilized for the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) dye in aqueous solution. The as-synthesized materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), energy-dispersive X-rays (EDX) as well as Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR). SEM studies showed that NPs were present both in discrete and in agglomerated form having round shape and size below 100 nm. FTIR analysis also confirms synthesis of oxide nanoparticles. Fe3O4NPs and Fe3O4-In2O3NC are employed as photocatalysts for photodegradation of MB, and about 88 ± 1 and 97 ± 1% dye was photodegraded in 6 h under UV light, respectively. Recovered Fe3O4and Fe3O4-In2O3nanoparticles significantly photodegraded MB dye. The effect of important parameters such as effect of pH, H2O2, catalyst dosage and initial dye concentration on dye degradation was studied. Degradation study was also carried out under visible light; obtained result indicated that photodegradation ability of Fe3O4-In2O3NC is less in visible light (60 ± 1% dye degradation in 6 h) than the degradation under UV light. Promising bioactivities were demonstrated by Fe3O4-In2O3NC against two pathogenic bacteria Proteus mirabilisand Acinetobacter baumannii. Fe3O4-In2O3NC exhibited excellent antioxidant activity (87 ± 1%) almost comparable to the standard ascorbic acid (90 ± 1%).

An algorithm for word recognition is employed in this comparison of recognition methods in the study of hand-written cursive letters and machine-generated script.

Self-administered questionnaires have been used to gain an insight into the perceptions of physician executives and clinicians in Saudi Arabia about ethical issues their hospitals must address. This research has also compared the views of physician executives and clinicians on the attributes that lead to the emergence of ethical issues in their hospitals. It has been shown that there are differences in how physician executives and clinicians see the same situations. The two groups are likely to follow different ethical theories in how they view a specific situation.

Ni-Pd, and Ni-Pd supported on zirconia (Ni-Pd/ZrO2) nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared via the co-precipitation method. The morphological study illustrated that the Ni-Pd NPs were well deposited in a dispersed form on the surface of ZrO2having a size below 100 nm. The formation of Ni-Pd was also confirmed by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The microwave-assisted (MW) catalytic degradation of the Acid Orange-8 (AO-8) was carried out at various parameters, that is, microwave intensity, dye concentrations and catalyst dose. Hydrogen peroxide was used as a precursor of hydroxyl radical. The optimized conditions for MW catalytic degradation of AO-8 (maximum; 98.8%) in the presence of H2O2were set as microwave (500 W), concentration (0.0001 M) and catalyst (0.05 g). The degradation was monitored by a UV-Visible spectrophotometer at regular intervals of time. The study revealed the industrial scale applicability of the catalysts for colored wastewater treatment.

The analysis focuses on investigating the phenomenon of double-diffusive convection using the Sisko nanofluid model. It particularly highlights the impact of induced magnetic flux, viscous dissipation, and heat radiation within an asymmetric geometry having multiple slip conditions. To ascertain the salient of the Brownian diffusion coefficient and thermophoresis, we have incorporated viscous dissipation, heat radiation, and the Buongiorno model. The Soret and Dufour parameters describe the convective double diffusion phenomenon. The mathematical formulation is constructed through equations governing magnetic force function, concentration, temperature, momentum, and continuity. These formulations yield nonlinear partial differential equations to explain the designated flow. To simplify the nonlinear partial differential equations, the lubrication paradigm of mathematical simulations is employed. The subsequent system of coupled nonlinear differential equations is calculated numerically through the NDSolve function, which is a built-in program of Mathematica. Numerical results and graphs give evidence that supports the significance of different flow quantities in physiological contexts. The findings from this investigation are anticipated to contribute to the development of intelligent magneto-peristaltic pumps, particularly in thermal and drug administration applications. The current investigation suggests that the distribution of temperature reduces as the coefficient of radiation increases due to a system’s high heat emission and consequent effects of cooling. Furthermore, the increased influence of heat radiation raises the concentration profile. It is also highlighted that heat radiation has the potential to raise a fluid’s temperature, which raises the volume fraction of nanoparticles.

The functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (F-MWCNTs) filled polyethylene oxide (PEO) nanocomposites were prepared by casting technique and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), polarized optical microscopy (POM), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermal analysis (DTA). The MWCNTs were functionalized by Friedel–Crafts acylation, which introduced aromatic amine groups on the side wall of nanotubes. The SEM micrograph of F-MWCNTs/PEO nanocomposites fractured surfaces indicated that the F-MWCNTs were well dispersed within the PEO matrix. The POM study presented that the neat PEO upon crystallization showed considerable size of crystalline spherulites. The sizes of spherulites decreased with incorporation of F-MWCNTs into the polymer matrix, which might be due to the nucleation role of F-MWCNTs in F-MWCNTs/PEO composite. The DSC analysis showed that the Tmof pure PEO was about 66 °C, which slightly decreased by the incorporation of F-MWCNTs into the polymer matrix. The Tmof 1, 3 and 5 wt% F-MWCNTs/PEO nanocomposites was 65.6, 64 and 63.8 °C, respectively. It was also observed that the thermal stabilities of pure PEO were shifted towards higher temperature when F-MWCNTs were incorporated into the polymer matrix. The TGA analysis represents that pure PEO and 1 wt% of F-MWCNTs/PEO nanocomposite decomposed completely at about 460 °C while thermal stability of 3 and 5 wt% of F-MWCNTs/PEO nanocomposites were shifted towards higher temperature.

In this study, the styrene-butadiene-styrene was modified with various processes like nitration, reduction and then cross-linked with cross-linking agents glutaraldehyde. The Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FT-IR) study showed that the styrene-butadiene-styrene was chemically modified by various processes like nitration, reduction and then cross-linked by crossing linking agent glutaraldehyde. The morphological study showed that the surface of chemically modified styrene- butadiene-styrene (CM-SBS) is more heterogeneous and porous as compared to pure styrene-buta- diene-styrene (SBS). The adsorbents were also characterized by energy dispersive X-rays (EDX) and pHpzc. The CM-SBS and styrene butadiene styrene (SBS) was used as an adsorbent for the removal of Cu(II) and Pb(II) ions from aqueous solution. It was found that the CM-SBS adsorbed 0.18 and 0.06 mmol g–1while pure SBS adsorbed 0.1 and 0.03 mmol g–1of Cu(II) and Pb(II) ions, respectively. The kinetic study showed that the adsorption study followed pseudo-second-order kinetics, which indicated that the chemical sorption is the rate-limiting step. The obtained adsorption data were also fitted to Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin isotherms, which followed the entire models. It was also found that the Freundlich model presents the best result than Langmuir and Temkin isotherms.

The optoelectrical and magnetic characteristics of naturally existing iron-based nanostructures, especially hematite and magnetite nanoparticles (H-NPs and M-NPs), gained significant research interest in various applications, recently. The main purpose of this Review is to provide an overview of the utilization of H-NPs and M-NPs in various environmental remediation. Iron-based NPs are extensively explored to generate green energy from environmental friendly processes such as water splitting and CO2conversion to hydrogen and low molecular weight hydrocarbons, respectively. The latter part of the Review provided a critical overview to use H-NPs and M-NPs for the detection and decontamination of inorganic and organic contaminants to counter the environmental pollution and toxicity challenge, which could ensure environmental sustainability and hygiene. Some of the future perspectives are comprehensively presented in the final portion of the script, optimiztically, and it is supported by some relevant literature surveys to predict the possible routes of H-NPs and M-NPs modifications that could enable researchers to use these NPs in more advanced environmental applications. The literature collection and discussion on the critical assessment of reserving the environmental sustainability challenges provided in this Review will be useful not only for experienced researchers but also for novices in the field.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has proven effective in relapsed and refractory B-cell malignancies, but resistance and relapses still occur. Better understanding of mechanisms influencing CAR T-cell cytotoxicity and the potential for modulation using small-molecule drugs could improve current immunotherapies. Here, we systematically investigated druggable mechanisms of CAR T-cell cytotoxicity using >500 small-molecule drugs and genome-scale CRISPR-Cas9 loss-of-function screens. We identified several tyrosine kinase inhibitors that inhibit CAR T-cell cytotoxicity by impairing T-cell signaling transcriptional activity. In contrast, the apoptotic modulator drugs SMAC mimetics sensitized B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma cells to anti-CD19 CAR T cells. CRISPR screens identified death receptor signaling through FADD and TNFRSF10B (TRAIL-R2) as a key mediator of CAR T-cell cytotoxicity and elucidated the RIPK1-dependent mechanism of sensitization by SMAC mimetics. Death receptor expression varied across genetic subtypes of B-cell malignancies, suggesting a link between mechanisms of CAR T-cell cytotoxicity and cancer genetics. These results implicate death receptor signaling as an important mediator of cancer cell sensitivity to CAR T-cell cytotoxicity, with potential for pharmacological targeting to enhance cancer immunotherapy. The screening data provide a resource of immunomodulatory properties of cancer drugs and genetic mechanisms influencing CAR T-cell cytotoxicity.

The implications of double-diffusive convection and an inclined magnetic field on the peristaltic transport of a pseudoplastic nanofluid in an inclined asymmetric channel with slip boundaries were investigated in this research. The present problem is mathematically modeled using lubrication techniques, which results in highly nonlinear equations for the proposed problem that is solved using a numerical technique. The graphical findings show how temperature, pressure rise, concentration, pressure gradient, nanoparticle fraction, and stream functions affect key physical parameters of interest. It is revealed that the velocity value rises as the velocity slip parameter, temperature, and solutal Grashof number rise. Furthermore, increasing thermal slip, Dufour, Soret, Brownian motion, and thermophoresis factors increase the temperature profile. If Grt=0,GrF=0,Grc=0,and ζ=0,the viscous model of classical Newtonian fluid is a special case of the preceding model.

The bromophenol blue dye in aqueous medium was photodegraded (under UV irradiation) by graphene nanoplates-supported titanium oxide (TiO2/GNP). The determination of various elements (percentage) and morphological study was performed using energy-dispersive X-rays and scanning electron microscopy, while the photodegradation study of dye was done by UV–visible spectrophotometer. The morphological study showed that the TiO2particles were dispersed well on the surface of GNP. The sizes of TiO2particles were below 500 nm. The photodegradation study was performed as function of time, and it was found that the photodegradation of dye in aqueous medium was increased as the time duration of UV irradiation increased. It was found that about 86% of dye was degraded within 8 h. The degradation of bromophenol blue is pH-dependent, and the photodegradation rate was increased as the pH of solution increased. The increase in dye degradation might be due to the formation of more hydroxyl radical at higher pH. The degradation of dye at pH 2, 4, 6 and 8 was about 70, 79, 90 and 95%, respectively.

Hydrazine modified polyacrylonitrile (F-PAN) nanofibers were used as an adsorbent for the removal of iron ions (Fe(III)) from aqueous medium and then iron adsorbed F-PAN nanofibers (Fe/F-PAN) is used as a photocatalyst for the degradation of bromophenol blue in aqueous medium. The F-PAN nanofibers were analyzed by scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive X-rays (EDX), and Fourier transform infra-red spectrometer. However, the iron adsorption and photodegradation study were carried out via atomic absorption and ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometers, respectively. The morphological study presented that the Fe were adsorbed on nanofibers mat, which present both in agglomerated and in dispersed form. The presence of Fe was also confirmed by EDX. The adsorption study presented that the equilibrium adsorption data were best fitted to Freundlich model as compared with Langmuir isotherm model. The saturation adsorption capacity for iron was 112 mg g–1. The Fe/F-PAN nanofibers were employed for the photocatalytic degradation of bromophenol blue dye in aqueous media under UV-irradiation as a function of time, concentration of dye, pH, and Fe/F-PAN catalyst dosage. The photodegradation study showed that Fe/F-PAN nanofibers degraded about 88% of bromophenol blue dye in aqueous medium within 20 min. The photocatalytic degradation capability of recovered Fe/F-PAN catalyst was also investigated. It was found that the recovered Fe/F-PAN catalyst significantly degraded bromophenol blue, but its catalytic activity was slightly lower than original Fe/F-PAN nanofibers.

Parasites reside inside or outside their hosts and get host nutrition and blood. Here, we have emphasized economic losses in cattle caused by parasitic diseases due to ecto- and endo- parasites (flies, ticks, mites and helminths). We have outlined different methods/models including economic evaluation techniques and dynamic analysis as a major class, used for the calculation of economic losses caused by parasites in cattle. According to already conducted studies, a decrease in production is mentioned in quantity and percentage while financial losses are expressed in the form of account with respect to per head, herd or for the specific study area. The parasites cause the reduced production and financial losses due to control, treatment and mortality costs. We calculated the average decrease in milk production and organ condemnation as 1.16 L animal−1 day−1 and 12.95%, respectively, from overall cattle parasitic infections. Moreover, the average calculated financial and percentage losses were US$ 50.67 animal−1 year−1 and 17.94%, respectively. Economically important parasitic diseases mentioned here are caused by specific spp. of protozoans and helminths according to data collected from the literature. Protozoan diseases include tick-borne diseases, coccidiosis, neosporosis, trypanosomiasis and cryptosporidiosis. Losses due to tick-borne infections were encountered for decreased milk production, mortality, treatment and control. Losses from coccidiosis were due to decreased weight gain, treatment costs and mortality. While abortion losses were encountered in neosporosis. Trypanosomiasis caused losses due to a decrease in milk yield. Moreover, only diagnostic (conventional or molecular techniques) cost was taken into account for cryptosporidiosis. Economically important nematode parasites are Oesophagostomum spp., Cooperia spp., Trichostrongylus spp., Strongyloides spp., Ostertagia spp. and Haemonchus placei. Due to the zoonotic importance of echinococcosis, Echinococcus granulosus is the most economically important cestode parasite. Losses caused by echinococcosis were due to organ condemnation, carcass weight loss and decreases hide value, milk production and fecundity. While, fascioliasis is one of the most economically important trematodal disease, which causes cirrhosis of the liver due to parasite migration, and thus, the organ becomes inedible. So, it would be helpful for farmers and researchers to approach these methods/models for calculation of parasitic losses and should adopt suitable measures to avoid long-term economic losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural killer (NK) cell-based therapies are amongst the emerging immunotherapeutic approaches that aim to target malignant cells refractory to standard therapies. Currently used strategies to augment the NK cell anti-cancer function of NK cells include cytokine treatments and the use of feeder expansion protocols for culturing NK cells. Recent studies have indicated that NK cell cytotoxicity and function may also be enhanced by certain anti-cancer drugs. However, the effects of the hundreds of available oncology drugs on NK cell function have not been systematically evaluated. Here, we perform large-scale high-throughput testing of NK cell-drug combinations using co-culture models with diverse blood cancer cells, identifying the NEDD8-activating enzyme inhibitor pevonedistat as a promising candidate for augmenting NK cell anti-cancer responses.

Zirconia-supported palladium (Pd/ZrO2) and Zirconia-supported platinum (Pt/ZrO2) nanoparticles (NPs) are synthesized from their precursors via impregnation technique. The Pd/ZrO2and Pt/ZrO2NPs were analyzed via SEM and EDX, while the study of indigo disulfonate dye degradation was carried out by UV/VIS spectrophotometer. The SEM micrographs illustrated that the Pd and Pt NPs were well placed on ZrO2surface. The Pd/ZrO2and Pt/ZrO2NPs were also employed as photocatalysts for the photodegradation of indigo disulfonate in an aqueous medium under UV-light irradiation. The photodegradation study presented that Pd/ZrO2and Pt/ZrO2NPs degraded 96 and 94% of indigo disulfonate in 14 h, respectively. The effect of pH of medium and catalyst dosage and efficiency of recovered Pd/ZrO2and Pt/ZrO2NPs on the photocatalytic degradation were also studied. It was also found that the maximum degradation of dye was found at pH 10 (95–97%) and at 0.02 g weight (40.28%).

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) supported and unsupported bimetallic iron and manganese oxides nanoparticles (Fe-Mn NPs) were synthesized by wet chemical precipitation method. The synthesized nanoparticles were then characterized by various instrumental techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray and X-ray diffraction. The MWCNTs/Fe-Mn and Fe-Mn NPs were used as photocatalysts for the photodegradation of methylene blue in aqueous medium. The photodegradation study was monitored by using UV–Vis spectrophotometer. The effect of various parameters such as irradiation time, pH, catalyst dosage and concentration of dye on the photocatalytic degradation was studied. The activity of recovered catalyst was also examined.

Titanium oxide supported palladium (TiO2/Pd) and titanium oxide supported platinum (TiO2/Pt) nanoparticles were prepared from their precursors through the incipient wetness method. The TiO2/Pd and TiO2/Pt nanoparticles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-rays (EDX), while the photodegradation study of methyl violet was performed by UV/VIS spectrophotometry. The morphological study shows that the Pd and Pt were well deposited on the surface of TiO2, which was confirmed by EDX. Both TiO2/Pd and TiO2/Pt nanoparticles were used as photocatalysts for the photodegradation of methyl violet in aqueous media under UV-light irradiation. The photodegradation study revealed that the TiO2/Pd and TiO2/Pt nanoparticles degraded about 95 and 78% of dye within 20 min, respectively. The effect of various parameters such as catalyst dosage, concentration of dye, and medium on the photocatalytic degradation was examined. The activity of recovered TiO2/Pd and TiO2/Pt nanoparticles was studied.

AbstractThe present study aims to analyze the chemical composition of essential oil from Callistemon viminalis(Gaertn.) G. Don leaves and to evaluate its antioxidant and antimicrobial potential. The chemical composition was analysed by GC-FID and GC-MS. Twenty three components were identified representing 98.2% of the total oil components. α-Pinene (31.4%) was found as a major component followed by 1,8-cineole (24.9%), p-cymene (15.9%), α-terpineol (11.2%), limonene (5.7%) and α-phellandrene (4.3%). Callistemon viminalisessential oil exhibited good antioxidant activity by inhibiting 90.4% of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical and ferric reducing power (1.89±0.04) at 100 μg/ml. Essential oil of C. viminaliswas found highly effective against tested food borne bacterial as well as fungal pathogens inducing 17.7-46.0 mm and 43.2-46.0 mm zones of inhibition respectively at concentration of 8-250 μg/ml. Antibacterial and antifungal potentiality of C. viminalis(Gaertn.) G. Don essential oil was further evaluated by minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) and minimum fungicidal concentrations (MFC) respectively. Like minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), MBC against tested bacterial strains and MFC against fungal strains were found to be 8 μg/ml. Time kill assay showed significant microbiocidal effect of essential oil for four weeks.

Gait analysis refers to identification of a person from the systemic study of the motions of his/her different body parts at the time of walking. It is one of the behavioural biometric approaches to human identification. Like other behavioural approaches, gait also suffers from low-repeatability leading to poor recognition accuracy. Therefore, multimodal systems are required for better recognition accuracy. With the advent of multimodal biometric systems there is a need for low-cost methods for individual biometric modalities so that the overall complexity of the system does not overshoot the real-time requirements. In view of this, a partial-silhouette-based approach for gait recognition is reported in this article. This approach is translation, rotation and scale invariant and is low-cost in terms of computational complexity. Experimental results and comparative performance analysis on benchmark dataset reveal the potential of the partial-silhouette-based approach.

The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) Deceased Donor Potential Study, funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration, characterized the current pool of potential deceased donors and estimated changes through 2020. The goal was to inform policy development and suggest practice changes designed to increase the number of donors and organ transplants. Donor estimates used filtering methodologies applied to datasets from the OPTN, the National Center for Health Statistics, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and used these estimates with the number of actual donors to estimate the potential donor pool through 2020. Projected growth of the donor pool was 0.5% per year through 2020. Potential donor estimates suggested unrealized donor potential across all demographic groups, with the most significant unrealized potential (70%) in the 50–75‐year‐old age group and potential Donation after Circulatory Death (DCD) donors. Actual transplants that may be realized from potential donors in these categories are constrained by confounding medical comorbidities not identified in administrative databases and by limiting utilization practices for organs from DCDdonors. Policy, regulatory, and practice changes encouraging organ procurement and transplantation of a broader population of potential donors may be required to increase transplant numbers in the United States. Findings from the OPTN Deceased Donor Potential Study suggest possible transplant center and organ procurement organization practice changes, as well as potential transplant system regulatory changes, which may expand the donor pool.

The magnetite-impregnated almond shell (MIAS) and untreated almond shell (UAS) were used as adsorbents for the removal of methyl violet 2B from aqueous solution. The adsorption of MV2B from water onto adsorbent surface was investigated in batch adsorption experiments to evaluate the effect of pH, contact time, adsorbent dose, initial dye concentration, and temperature, after being analyzed the surface morphology and elemental composition of the adsorbents. The adsorptions of MV2B onto both adsorbents were favorable in basic medium. The pseudo-second order represents the kinetic adsorption of MV2B on to both adsorbents. Equilibrium isotherm data were analyzed by Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms, which were best fitted to Langmuir adsorption isotherm model. The monolayer Langmuir adsorption capacities of UAS and MIAS were 29.4 and 33 mg/g, respectively. The thermodynamic parameters including entropy (ΔS), enthalpy (ΔH), and Gibbs free energy (ΔG) indicated that the adsorption of MV2B on to both adsorbents was spontaneous, feasible, and endothermic.

The K3M thinning algorithm is a general method for image data reduction by skeletonization. It had proved its feasibility in most cases as a reliable and robust solution in typical applications of thinning, particularly in preprocessing for optical character recognition. However, the algorithm had still some weak points. Since then K3M has been revised, addressing the best known drawbacks. This paper presents a modified version of the algorithm. A comparison is made with the original one and two other thinning approaches. The proposed modification, among other things, solves the main drawback of K3M, namely, the results of thinning an image after rotation with various angles.

AbstractThe removal of phenol from aqueous medium was investigated using chemically modified banana peels as adsorbent. Banana peels were alkali hydrolyzed at 100°C for 3 h and then filtered and washed thoroughly with deionized water. The pulp was bleached by treating with NaClO3and glacial acetic acid. The bleached pulp was treated with Acrylonitrile, Fe+/H2O2, and glacial acetic acid for grafting copolymerization. A comparative analysis of five adsorbents, untreated banana peels, acid hydrolyzed banana peels, bleached banana peels, alkali hydrolyzed banana peels, and grafted banana peels (GBPs) have also been carried out. It was found that GBPs have the highest adsorption capacity for phenol. The adsorption data are fully fitted with Langmuir isotherm model and follow second-order kinetic model. Thermodynamic study shows that the adsorption of phenol is exothermic and spontaneous. This study shows that chemically modified banana peels particularly GBPs can be used as an efficient and low-cost adsorbent for the removal of phenol from wastewater.

AbstractPolyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers were prepared by an electrospinning technique. PAN nanofibers were chemically modified with amidoxime groups. The titanium oxide (TiO2) was then introduced to amidoxime-modified PAN (OM-PAN), which was then used for the photodegradation of methylene blue in aqueous solution. The morphology and photodegradation study was investigated by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and UV-visible spectrophotometry, respectively. The SEM study showed the presence of TiO2particles on the surface of OM-PAN nanofiber mat in agglomerated form and was confirmed by energy dispersive X-rays analysis. The photodegradation study of methylene blue showed that the dye degradation was increased as increased in the irradiation time. The effect of pH on degradation efficiency showed that with an increase in pH the degradation efficiency increases.

AbstractUntreated banana peels (UTBPs), alkali-hydrolyzed banana peels (AlBPs), acid-hydrolyzed banana peels (AcBPs), and bleached banana peels (BBPs) were used as adsorbents separately for the removal of Cr(VI) and Mn(II) from aqueous solution during batch experiments. Different parameters like pH, temperature, contact time, adsorbent dose, and initial concentration were studied. The maximum removal capacities for Cr(VI) were UTBP (45%), AlBP (87%), AcBP, (67%) and BBP (40%). While for Mn(II), the maximum removal capacities of theses adsorbents were UTBP (51%), AlBP (90%), AcBP (74%) and BBP (67%) at optimum conditions. The maximum removal of Cr(VI) and Mn(II) was obtained at initial concentration 3 mg/L, adsorbent dose of 4 g/L, pH 6, and contact time 60 min. It was noted that the metal ions removal capacity of these adsorbents was AlBP > AcBP > UTBP > BBP, which indicated that chemical treatment of banana peels enhances the biosorption of metal ions. This study showed that chemically treated banana peel can be used as suitable and cost-effective adsorbent for the removal of Cr(VI) and Mn(II) ions from aqueous solutions.

In degraded document image processing, a reference image is required for quantitative evaluation. Most of the papers found in the literature rely on creating reference images based on manual processing which is often subjective and prone to error. This paper proposes a method for creating reference image for degraded documents binarisation. Another standard approach towards automated creation of reference image is majority voting. The reference image produced by the majority voting scheme, does not discriminate the wrong estimation of threshold from the correct one by considering the possibility of strong bias due to poor estimation of threshold by some methods for a particular image. This leads to bad estimation of threshold for reference image. The proposed method overcomes the biasness of majority voting to a great extent by discarding some of the binarisation algorithms participating in the creation of the final reference image. This method gives a partially automated approach in calculating a threshold for the reference image depending on the type of degradation present in the input image. Experimental verification on standard benchmark images illustrates the effectiveness of the proposed method over majority voting approach.

The Nickel oxide nanoparticles (NiO NPs) and Nickel oxide/Nanoclay nanocomposite (NiO/Nc NC) were synthesized by chemical reduction method and used for the photodegradation of Orange II dyes in aqueous solution. The synthesized samples were characterized through SEM, EDX, FTIR and TGA. The SEM analysis presented that the NiO NPs are spherical with irregular shapes and sizes. The size of particles is in the range of 100–400 nm. It was also observed that the NiO NPs are deposited on the surface of Nanoclay. The EDX study confirmed the formation of metal NPs and verify and purity. The FT-IR spectra of NiO and NiO/Nc NC presented peaks at 432 cm−1and 504 cm−1, which correspond to NiO while peak at 1090–940 cm−1is due to Si–O stretching vibration of orthosilicate anions and Si–O–Al groups. The photodegradation study illustrated that the NiO NPs and NiO/Nc NC degraded about 93 and 96% Orange II in aqueous medium, respectively within 20 min. The effect of various parameters like initial concentration of dyes, pH, recycled catalysts, and catalyst dosage were also studied.

The synthesis of undoped barium oxide (BaO) and neodymium (Nd)-doped BaO nanoparticles (NPs) was carried out through the co-precipitation technique. The synthesis of cubic structure BaO NPs was confirmed through X-ray diffraction (XRD). The crystallite sizes calculated from X-rays diffractometric (XRD) results for undoped BaO and Nd-doped BaO were 10.50 nm and 10.04 nm, respectively. The morphological study and percent composition of synthesized NPs were investigated using a scanning electron microscope and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. Thermogravimetric analysis confirmed the decomposition of precursor to BaO after annealing at ~ 500 °C. The band gap energy calculated for undoped BaO was 3.7 eV. The substitution of Nd to BaO decreased this value to 3.4 eV. The activation energy calculated for the doped BaO and undoped BaO was 16.5 kJ/mol and 22.5 kJ/mol, respectively. The Nd-doped BaO degraded about 96.4% dye, while the undoped BaO NPs degraded about 86.6% dye within 120 min. The synthesized BaO NPs were used as novel catalysts for the photodegradation of malachite green (MG) dye by varying irradiation time, catalyst dose, pH, temperatures and dye initial concentration. The maximum degradation efficiency was achieved at pH 4, catalyst dose 10 mg, dye initial concentration 50 ppm, and at a temperature of 50 °C. The dye degradation was also studied using the recovered catalysts.

A neat poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) polymer and functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (F-SWNTs)/PBT nanocomposite films were prepared by solution casting technique. The SWNTs were functionalized by acid treatment, which introduced carboxylic groups onto the SWNTs. The morphological studies showed that the F-SWNTs were embedded and dispersed well within the PBT polymer matrix. The POM study illustrated that a neat PBT showed Maltese-type spherulites. It was also observed that the size of neat PBT spherulites was larger than F-SWNTs/PBT nanocomposite spherulites, which might be due to the nucleation effect of F-SWNTs in the case of nanocomposites. The thermal stabilities and mechanical properties such as stress yield and moduli of F-SWNTs/PBT nanocomposites were enhanced as compared to neat PBT. The DSC study showed that the melting temperature (Tm) of PBT was slightly increased by addition of F-SWNTs. This increase in Tmmight be due to the formation of compact structure, which was formed through different types of molecular interactions with addition of F-SWNTs. It was also found that initially the solvent (distilled water, kerosene, 2 M HNO3solution) uptake by neat PBT polymer and its nanocomposites increased gradually, which became steady after specific intervals for each sample. The results also exhibited that the solvent uptake of F-SWNTs/PBT nanocomposites was less than neat PBT.

Removal of heavy metals and dyes from wastewater has received great attention due to scarcity of clean water worldwide. Herein an approach was introduced to attain this goal by employing a single material. Chitosan films were prepared, cross-linked it and utilized for the adsorption of cobalt from aqueous medium. The cobalt adsorbed chitosan was then reutilized as a photocatalyst for the photodegradation of methyl violet dyes. The prepared chitosan, cross-linked chitosan and cobalt adsorbed cross-linked chitosan were characterized through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). SEM and EDX confirmed the adsorption of cobalt on the cross-linked chitosan. TGA analysis proved the increase in thermal stability with cross-linking while FTIR confirmed the cross-linking of chitosan. Maximum cobalt adsorption of 144 mg/g occurs at 600 ppm salt concentration. The photodegradation study shows that the fresh cobalt adsorbed cross-linked chitosan degraded about 97.78% methyl violet dye within 180 min under UV light, while the recovered degraded about 86.97% within the same time. Efficient degradation was observed at low initial dye concentration and at 30 ppm about 92.16% dye degraded.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined in domestic, commercial and industrial soot samples via HPLC. The study showed that benzo[a]pyrene (bap) was not present in most of the samples. The highest quantity of BaP was found in Pakistan Particle Board where its concentration was 259.12 mg/kg. The high quantity of other PAHs such as chrysene (CHR), anthracene (ANT), fluorene (FL), naphthalene (NAP), phenanthrene (PHE), acenaphthylene (ACP) and flouranthene (FTH) were found in tandoor, kabab karayi, tabakhee, brick kiln and motor car soot samples. The low concentration of most of the PAH compounds in most of the samples might be due to their photooxidative, biological and microbial degradation.

The heavy metals such as manganese (Mn), cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu) and iron (Fe) were determined in domestic, commercial and industrial soot samples via atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The vehicle soot samples showed highest concentration of investigated heavy metals as compared to other soot samples. It was also found that the concentration of Fe was high in the soot samples (range 5.75–1105 mg/Kg) followed by Cu (70–990 mg/Kg) while the concentration of Ni was lower (range 0.5–3 mg/Kg). It was also found that the concentration of Mn and Fe was decreased as decreased the size of the soot samples while the concentration of other investigated heavy metals increased as decreased the size fraction.

K3M: A universal algorithm for image skeletonization and a review of thinning techniquesThis paper aims at three aspects closely related to each other: first, it presents the state of the art in the area of thinning methodologies, by giving descriptions of general ideas of the most significant algorithms with a comparison between them. Secondly, it proposes a new thinning algorithm that presents interesting properties in terms of processing quality and algorithm clarity, enriched with examples. Thirdly, the work considers parallelization issues for intrinsically sequential algorithms of thinning. The main advantage of the suggested algorithm is its universality, which makes it useful and versatile for a variety of applications.

A different-from-conventional voice recognition approach for person recognition by identifying their voice is presented in this work. The main mathematical tool applied in the study is based on Toeplitz matrices. The recorded voice signal is filtered and processed for power spectrum estimation. The feature vector is then derived from the power spectrum and Toeplitz forms. This vector furnishes a unique voice-print differing from person to another. The new idea of this study lies in applying Toeplitz matrix minimal eigenvalues algorithm to Burg's estimating model for signal-image description and hence classification. This graphical approach of voice signal processing for human identification has introduced a new biometric approach to find its place among the non-conventional classical methods of human identification by verifying their voice. In this article related recent patents are also discussed.

Abstract: This inter-laboratory comparison study was arranged for 28 laboratories from different public and private sector organizations in Pakistan having wastewater testing capabilities aimed at improving the quality and comparability of test results. This national inter-laboratory study was started in December 2003 and completed in July 2004. Laboratories were invited to analyze the wastewater collected from printed circuit board (PCB) industry for lead and copper contamination. The samples fulfill the criteria for homogeneity and stability as done by the reference laboratory. The results obtained from participating laboratories were analyzed in terms of Hampel Test for outliers, while the performance evaluation of the participating laboratories was done on the basis of Z-score. An assigned value derived from the participant's results was compared with a reference value provided by a reference laboratory. Overall >50% of the participating laboratories have shown good performance in this PT-program

Developmental problems are invariably perceived as existing conditions, which must be alleviated. This often removes a policy from the factors that created the problem in the first instance. System dynamics, a learning and problem solving process combining modeling and computer simulation, on the other hand requires that a problem is viewed as an internal behavioral tendency found in a system so its causes can be determined before a corrective action is initiated. A pattern representing internal dynamics of a system, called a reference mode, must be constructed before developing a model that serves as an experimental apparatus to create a policy design for system change. Such a problem solving process is also appropriate for dealing with developmental problems so their causes rather than only symptoms are addressed by a developmental policy. A learning process based on a well–known model of experiential learning is used to describe the various steps entailed in the implementation of system dynamics, which is suggested as an alternative approach to designing developmental agendas.

Abstract: Working group (WG) discussions on proficiency testing (PT) held at the joint Eurachem/ EQALM workshop, Bors, Sweden, 24–26 September 2000 are summarized. The discussions focused on aspects of PT and accreditation (WG 1), general aspects of PT in analytical chemistry (WG 2), microbiology (WG 3), and laboratory medicine (WG 4), incorporation of measurement uncertainty into PT schemes (WG 5), international harmonization of PT schemes (WG 6), and the role of PT in the international structure of chemical measurement (WG 7). Current status, problems and future directions are identified. Each WG contained a majority of participants experienced in the subject being covered by that WG, and a few participants with different expertise. This was done to promote cross-fertilization of ideas between sectors, a key objective of the workshop. The WG issues reflected the content of the keynote lectures and some issues were covered from different perspectives by more than one group.

Introduction

The consequences of double-diffusivity convection on the peristaltic transport of Sisko nanofluids in the non-uniform inclined channel and induced magnetic field are discussed in this article. The mathematical modeling of Sisko nanofluids with induced magnetic field and double-diffusivity convection is given. To simplify PDEs that are highly nonlinear in nature, the low but finite Reynolds number, and long wavelength estimation are used. The Numerical solution is calculated for the non-linear PDEs. The exact solution of concentration, temperature and nanoparticle are obtained. The effect of various physical parameters of flow quantities is shown in numerical and graphical data. The outcomes show that as the thermophoresis and Dufour parameters are raised, the profiles of temperature, concentration, and nanoparticle fraction all significantly increase.