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Producing hydrogen efficiently through water electrolysis could greatly reduce fossil fuel consumption. As well as this renewable energy source will also help combat global warming and boost economic investment opportunities. This paper studied some factors affecting the performance of oxy-hydrogen/hydroxy (HHO) gas generator, such as applied voltage (from 10.5 to 13.0 V) and electrolyte solution concentration (from 0.05 to 0.20 M), using a dry fuel cell based on the electrolyzing technique of water. The results revealed that the HHO gas production rate, power consumption, and temperature change of electrolyte solution increased significantly with increasing the tested applied voltage and electrolyte concentration. This study concluded that the optimum conditions for producing HHO gas ranged from 11.5 to 12.0 V for applied voltage and from 0.05 to 0.10 M for KOH concentration according to the lowest specific energy and highest HHO gas generator efficiency. Under the previous optimum conditions, the highest productivity, specific energy, and efficiency of the HHO gas generator were 343.9 cm3 min−1, 3.43 kW h m−3, and 53.79%, respectively, using 12.0 V for applied voltage and 0.10 M for electrolyte solution concentration. These findings provide an unambiguous direction for adjusting the operational factors (applied voltage and electrolyte concentration) for efficient HHO gas production and use in different applications. Furthermore, the required energy to operate the HHO gas generator can be obtained from renewable sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Epileptic children can pose an additional risk of poor bone health; this study aimed to evaluate the influence of anti-seizure medications (ASMs) on vitamin D level and sclerostin as a bone turnover biomarker in children with epilepsy. Subject and methods: This case–control comparative study was conducted on 180 children aged from 5–18 years diagnosed with epilepsy according to the definition of the International League Against Epilepsy on ASMs for more than 3 months and were classified into 90 epileptic children on ASM monotherapy and 90 epileptic children on ASM polytherapy, in addition to 90 healthy children age- and sex-matched who served as controls. After obtaining basic data, laboratory investigations were performed, including serum calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase, parathyroid hormone, vitamin D, and serum sclerostin. Results: When we compared epileptic patients to the control group, there was a statistically significant low level of vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus and a high level of sclerostin among both epileptic groups with mono or polytherapy. Sclerostin has a statistically significant negative correlation with vitamin D, alkaline phosphatase and parathyroid hormone. Additionally, it has a negative correlation with serum phosphorus, but without a significant correlation. On the other hand, sclerostin has a statistically positive correlation with age and serum calcium, but without a significant correlation. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to predict the contributing factors of sclerostin. Only duration of treatment and BMI were significant predictors of high levels of sclerostin. In contrast, the other factors failed to show any significant contribution. Conclusion: The present study showed that ASMs modulate the serum levels of sclerostin and vitamin D hence, might be involved in their adverse effects on bone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aimed to manufacture a simple fiber extraction machine. The machine prototype consisted of available raw materials. The beater cylinder is the most significant component in this machine. The electric motor of 0.75 kW was used to rotate the beater cylinder. The machine theory is based on the repeated rapid beating of the beaters on a slice-stem of banana. This beating simulated what labor does by using hand hammers to eliminate the juice and extract the fibers. The machine was tested under three rotational speeds of the beater cylinder 650, 750, and 850 rpm and using three beater cylinders with a different number of beaters 8, 10, and 12. The fibers produced by the machine were straight, of good quality, and not shredded, this was achieved in abundance when using the cylinder that has 10 beaters with 750 rpm rotational speeds of the beater cylinder. Thus, under these operating conditions, the extraction efficiency, the time required, and machine productivity were 88%, 40 min, and 8.6 kg h-1, respectively. The minimum value of the power required was 0.45 kW at the rotational speed of 650 rpm and using the eight beaters. While the maximum value of the power required was 0.64 kW at the rotational speed of 850 rpm and using the number of beaters 12. At the machine productivity of 8.6 kg h-1, the production cost will be 2.7 L.E. kg-1. While the costs of manual extraction of the fibers were 10 L.E. kg-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study aimed to design and test the accuracy of a variable-rate control metering mechanism (VRCMM) and a remote smart monitoring system (RSMS) for a precision sugarcane transplanter based on IoT technology. The VRCMM is used to operate the seedling metering device at different speeds using a stepper motor based on the travel speed, and the RSMS was employed to evaluate of the three basic parameters of seedling amount, optimum rate, and missed rate. Two types of sensors were used for detecting the sugarcane seedling (SS) and travel speed, including one ultrasonic sensor and one infrared RPM sensor. The study was performed at five travel speeds and four transplant spacings. The findings of laboratory tests showed that the mean record of the relative error between the desired stepper motor speed of the VRCMM and the real value was 3.39%, and it increased with increasing the travel speed. as Additionally, the speed regulation performance was in agreement with the transplanting index. The change in RSMS accuracy is obvious when the travel speed is high and the transplant spacing is small. The RSMS accuracy drops sharply, revealing a leaping change. In conclusion, the smart and intelligent designed sugarcane transplanter would be very useful in sugarcane production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Central venous catheterization is an important device that is frequently performed for various purposes in operating theatres and intensive care units, there are many different sites that are commonly used for central venous catheterization, and each site has its own advantages, disadvantages, and possible complications. To avoid catheterization failure and mechanical complications, ultrasound guidance is currently recommended in several guidelines and is widely used for central venous catheterization. It has been shown to reduce the incidence of arterial puncture, hematoma formation, pneumothorax, hemothorax, and catheterization failure. The subclavian vein (SCV) catheterization is more comfortable for patients than other sites but has a higher risk of some complication as pneumothorax. The aim of this study was to compare the Supraclavicular and Infraclavicular approaches for ultrasonographic guided right subclavian venous catheterization as regard the accessibility and the safety of both approaches. Methods This randomized controlled study was conducted in Sohag University Hospital after local ethical committee approval, 210 patients had a right subclavian vein catheterization by either the supraclavicular or the infraclavicular approach (105 for each group), using a two dimensional high-frequency ultrasound guide were enrolled in the study regarding the accessibility (time to first puncture and number of punctures) and the complications like arterial puncture, hematoma formation, arrhythmia, and catheter misplacement. Results The infraclavicular approach is more accessible, regarding the number of punctures, for the Supraclavicular approach there were 56 (53.3%) cases needed only one puncture to achieve successful venous puncture and 27 (25.7%) cases needed 2 punctures and 5 (4.8%) needed 3 punctures and 17 (16.2%) failed in catheterization, for the Infraclavicular approach there were 79 (75.2%) of cases in these group needed only one puncture to achieve successful venous puncture and 17 (16.2%) cases needed 2 punctures and 9 (8.6%) failed in catheterization with a significant difference between both groups P value was 0.003. As regard the puncture time, for the Supraclavicular approach 83 (79%) cases successes in less than 3 min, and 22 (21%) cases needed more than 3 min, in the infraclavicular approach 94 (89.5%) cases succeeded in less than 3 min and 11 (10.5%) cases needed more than 3 min at P value 0.037 and had a lower rate of complications than the supraclavicular approach, like arrhythmia, arterial puncture, hematoma formation, catheter misplacement, and postcatheterization infection, but a higher rate of pneumothorax formation however in a nonsignificant way. Conclusion The infraclavicular approach for ultrasound-guided right subclavian venous catheterization is better than the supraclavicular approach due to a higher chance of first pass success rate and a lower rate of complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Severe acute pain occurs in more than 10% of patients within the first 36 h after a cesarean section and can significantly impact women's satisfaction. The aim of this study was to compare the transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block for postoperative pain relief following cesarean section operations with the most famous analgesia (intrathecal morphine) used for a cesarean section regarding its efficacy and complications. Patients and methods This interventional double-blinded randomized controlled study was carried out on 60 cases, who underwent an elective cesarean delivery. They were randomized into two groups; patients were divided into two equal groups. Group M received intrathecal 150 μg morphine in a 0.5 ml volume, mixed with 10 mg of hyperbaric bupivacaine 0.5% in a 2 ml volume (total volume 2.5 ml). Group B received intrathecal 10 mg hyperbaric bupivacaine 0.5% 2 ml volume+0.5 saline (total volume 3 ml) and at the end of surgery the patient received bilateral TAP block with a 20 ml volume of 0.25% bupivacaine on each side. Results Postoperative heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, mean arterial blood pressure, and intraoperative Bromage score were insignificantly different at all-time measurements between both groups. Visual analog score and postoperative Bromage score at 2, 3, and 4 h were higher in group B than group M (P<0.001). Time of rescue analgesia was significantly prolonged in group M than group B (P<0.001). Total paracetamol and morphine doses were significantly lower in group M than group B (P<0.001). Conclusions TAP block is a good alternative technique to intrathecal morphine in reducing postcesarean section pain, with less postoperative nausea and vomiting and pruritus compared with intrathecal morphine (ITM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to determine some physical and mechanical properties of Nesma, Masa and 2020 tomato cultivars that are considered as a database for tomato cutting machine designing and development. The physical properties were studied the axial dimensions, average diameter, arithmetic diameter, geometric diameter, mass, density, surface area, packing coefficient, sphericity, and aspect ratio of the tomato fruits. The mechanical properties were studied the static coefficient of friction and the firmness. The results showed that the average value of axial dimensions, the high (H), largest diameter (Dmax.), and lowest diameter (Dmin.) of samples was 73.98, 69.26 and 61.03, 63.28, 59.89 and 53.32, and 70.99, 53.86 and 49.60 mm for cultivars of tomato fruits Nesma, Masa and 2020, respectively. The average value of arithmetic diameter, Geometric diameter of three cultivars of tomato were 69.26, 58.76, 58.11 and 67.69, 58.52, 57.33 mm, respectively. And the mean value of mass and density were 181.74, 120.14, 109.96, and 0.991, 0.991, 0.972 g cm-3 respectively. While the mean value of the surface area, packing coefficient, sphericity, and aspect ratio were 144.61, 107.93, 103.65 cm2, 0.533, 0.572, 0.562., 92.13%, 92.67%, 81.11%, and 94.48%, 94.99%, 76.39 % respectively for three. The lowest values of static coefficient of friction were 0.427, 0.266, 0.242 with plywood while the highest value was 0.566, 0.310, 0.388 with rubber of three cultivars respectively. And means values of the firmness were 4.70, 5.95, and 4.9 N cm-2 for three cultivars, respectively. The results obtained may be beneficial to developers and manufacturers of harvesting, transporting, handling, packing, sorting, grading, and cutting tomatoes for drying purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nociceptive and neuropathic post-operative discomfort of moderate severity is related to inguinal hernia operations. The Wong-Baker FACES pain rating scale, the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ), the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) for pain are all used to measure pain. Objective: To control the postoperative pain in patients undergoing open inguinal hernia. Methods: Pain Control, Undergoing Open Inguinal Hernia and Visual Analogue Scale were searched for in PubMed, Google Scholar, and The Egyptian Knowledge Bank. Systemic analgesic methods (such as opioids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), localised analgesic methods (such as quadratus lumborum block (QLB)), and a multimodal approach to perioperative recovery were used to control postoperative pain. High postoperative pain scores were seen in patients with high pain levels in the first week following surgery, patients who had recurrent hernia repairs, patients who had high levels of pain prior to surgery, and patients who had outpatient surgery were all risk factors for inguinal hernia postoperative pain. Only the most current or comprehensive studies were included after the authors thoroughly filtered references from the pertinent literature, which comprised all the recognised studies and reviews. Conclusion: After open inguinal hernia surgery, a multimodal analgesic strategy (a mix of localised and systemic analgesia) is particularly successful at reducing postoperative discomfort and promoting early mobilisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]