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In the present research, the CuO/Co3O4NPs/PC/MXene nanostructure was prepared with a combination of annealed ZIF-67 and etched MXene (PC is porous carbon). Its structure, crystallinity, and morphology were identified by FTIR, XRD, and FE-SEM methods. After confirming the successful synthesis of the nanostructure, it was used in the photocatalytic degradation of the methyl orange (MO) pollutant under visible light irradiation. The effect of different parameters on the photo-degradation efficiency was studied to achieve the best efficiency. The results show a degradation efficiency of 99.6% for MO in optimal conditions, including the presence of 0.15 g/L of catalyst, an initial concentration of 14 mg/L, and a pH of 7 during 50 min. The rate of photocatalytic degradation of MO is based on the pseudo-first-order kinetic law, which was determined by the linear correlation constant greater than 0.9843 and the kinetic constant 0.14 min−1 by CuO/Co3O4NPs/PC/MXene nanostructure. Also, the photocatalytic behaviour of the three-component nanostructure consisting of CuO/Co3O4NPs/PC-MXene was better than that of Cu/Co/PC/MXene and Cu/ZIF-67/MXene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been immense development in the production and use of recyclable materials for dye degradation which are advancing in a wide perspective to minimise the environmental impacts. Therefore, an efficient, eco-friendly, magnetically separable and recyclable catalyst is being reported that has the potential to remove dyes [Tropeolin000, Congo red and Orange G] from wastewater. The catalyst has a backbone containing Zinc, Cobalt and Iron in the ratio Zn0.5Co0.5Fe2O4 with a coating of polyaniline that enhances its dye degradation capability. These synthesised PANi-coated ferrites have been characterised by FTIR, XRD, SEM and EDX techniques, and the photocatalytic activity has been explored using UV–Vis spectrophotometer at ambient conditions. A dye removal efficiency of as high as more than 99.9% has been reported for dye Orange G and above 90% for Tropeolin000. The mechanistic pathway that can be involved in the dye degradation has also been discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic green adsorbents have been gaining importance in wastewater treatment field due to their versatile properties. In this study, a novel magnetic green adsorbent Zinc Ferrite-Rice Husk Silica (ZFN-RHS) composite has been prepared by extracting silica from rice husk. ZFN-RHS is characterised using variety of techniques which includes FESEM, FT-IR, XRD, BET, pHzpc and EDS. Effect of various parameters like time, concentration, pH, adsorbent amount and temperature was assessed using the batch adsorption method to remove cationic dyes (Methylene Blue and Crystal Violet) from aqueous solution in single as well binary dye solutions. Results showed that Lagergren pseudo-second order kinetic model best fitted with the adsorption data indicating chemisorption. In adsorption isotherm study, Freundlich as well as Langmuir adsorption isotherms fitted better than other isotherms. Maximum adsorption capacities for removal of CV and MB dyes in this study have been found to be 138.8 and 84.8 mg/g respectively. From the positive values of ΔH°, it has been observed that the process of removal of MB and CV from aqueous solution using ZFN-RHS was endothermic in nature and the negative ΔG° values confirmed the spontaneous nature of the process. Regeneration studies were also conducted with significant outcomes in five cycles. The research study revealed that ZFN-RHS can be used as an adsorbent to remove other cationic dyes also. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this research is to determine the environmental health concerns associated with radon gas accumulation and compare quantities in various kinds of construction factories in Erbil city. For this purpose, 52 dosimeters were deployed throughout 13 industries by using CR-39 solid-state nuclear track detectors (SSNTD). These tests were conducted out in factories over a 60-day exposure period. The results show that the radon concentration values ranged from (21 to 190) $${\rm{Bq}}.{{\rm{m}}^{ - 3}}$$ Bq. m − 3 , with an average of (86.36 ± 9) $${\rm{Bq}}.{{\rm{m}}^{ - 3}}$$ Bq. m − 3 , different from the studied samples, red brick samples show radon concentration over the Environmental Protection Agency's recommended value of 148 $${\rm{Bq}}.{{\rm{m}}^{ - 3}}$$ Bq. m − 3 . The mean value of the annual effective dose was found to be (2.179 ± 1) $${\rm{mSv}}.{{\rm{y}}^{ - 1}}$$ mSv. y − 1 below and within the range of the reference level of (3–10) $${\rm{mSv}}.{{\rm{y}}^{ - 1}}$$ mSv. y − 1 of ICRP. The average annual lung cancer rate per 106 people was shown to be (94.125). The dose rate to lungs (DLungs) varied from (1.07 to 7.11) $${\rm{nGy}}.{{\rm{h}}^{ - 1}}$$ nGy. h − 1 , with an average value of (3.454) $${\rm{nGy}}.{{\rm{h}}^{ - 1}}$$ nGy. h − 1 . The annual effective dose equivalent for lung $$\left({{\rm{AED}}{{\rm{E}}_{\left({{\rm{lung}}} \right)}}} \right)$$ AED E lung to tracheobronchial $$\left({{\rm{AED}}{{\rm{E}}_{\left({{\rm{T}} - {\rm{B}}} \right)}}} \right)$$ AED E T − B and pulmonary/ pulmonary lymph region $$\left({{\rm{AED}}{{\rm{E}}_{\left({{\rm{P}} + {\rm{PL}}} \right)}}} \right)$$ AED E P + PL , varies from (1.62 to 10.76), with an average value of (5.23) $${\rm{mSv}}.{{\rm{y}}^{ - 1}}$$ mSv. y − 1 and from (0.81 to 5.38) $${\rm{mSv}}.{{\rm{y}}^{ - 1}}$$ mSv. y − 1 , with an average value of (2.615) $${\rm{mSv}}.{{\rm{y}}^{ - 1}}$$ mSv. y − 1 , respectively. The present results revealed the need for radon monitoring measurements because worker exposure in some factories can exceed permitted levels. Finally, owners should improve the factories ventilation systems to avoid the accumulation of 222Rn and its progeny. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural radionuclide activity concentrations were measured in ceramic, gypsum, and brick samples from manufacturers, dealers, and construction sites in and around Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, using an HPGe detector. The study's main aim is to assess the activity concentration of building materials and their health impacts. Average activity concentrations (Bq kg−1) for 226Ra in ceramic, gypsum, and brick samples were obtained as 81 ± 1, 1.34 ± 0.17, and 39 ± 1, respectively. In ceramic, gypsum, and brick, concentrations of 232Th were obtained as 166 ± 4, 0.68 ± 0.18, and 103 ± 3, respectively, while concentrations of 40K were found to be 755 ± 16,15 ± 1, and 921 ± 24, respectively. Some of the materials that were tested, especially the ceramic samples, had slightly higher concentrations of radionuclides in comparison to other analysed samples. In all samples except ceramic, Raeq was < 370 Bq kg−1, which is the recommended limiting dose for bulk medium. Furthermore, the corresponding radiological parameters, such as absorbed dose, annual effective dose equivalent, excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR), internal (Hin) and external (Hex) hazard indexes, gamma index (Iγ), and alpha index (Iα) were determined. The ELCR average values in this study are slightly higher than the global average, and the indoor and outdoor absorbed dose rates are greater than the limiting criteria of 84 and 59 n Gy h−1, respectively. Therefore, it is important to assess the potential radiation risk of ceramic samples, which should be used in a controlled manner to reduce gamma exposure to residents. Finally, the computed data could be used as a baseline to assess any future radiation exposure from construction materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advances in technology have enabled the use of sensors with varied modalities to monitor different parts of systems, each providing diverse levels of information about the underlying system. However, resource limitations and computational power restrict the number of sensors/data that can be processed in real-time in most complex systems. These challenges necessitate the need for selecting/scheduling a subset of sensors to obtain measurements that guarantee the best monitoring objectives. This paper focuses on sensor scheduling for systems modeled by hidden Markov models. Despite the development of several sensor selection and scheduling methods, existing methods tend to be greedy and do not take into account the long-term impact of selected sensors on monitoring objectives. This paper formulates optimal sensor scheduling as a reinforcement learning problem defined over the posterior distribution of system states. Further, the paper derives a deep reinforcement learning policy for offline learning of the sensor scheduling policy, which can then be executed in real-time as new information unfolds. The proposed method applies to any monitoring objective that can be expressed in terms of the posterior distribution of the states (e.g. state estimation, information gain, etc.). The performance of the proposed method in terms of accuracy and robustness is investigated for monitoring the security of networked systems and the health monitoring of gene regulatory networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the influence of welding current, travel speed and gas flow rate on response parameters including ultimate tensile strength (UTS), percentage elongation (PE), microhardness (MH) and residual stress (RS) using face-centred central composite design (FCCCD). Dissimilar AA6061-T6 and AA7075-T6 plates were welded using an automated tungsten inert gas (TIG) process. Mathematical models were developed to predict the mechanical properties. High welding current or low travel speed enhanced the joint quality but raised residual stresses. At a welding current of 145 A, travel speed of 1.28 mm/s and gas flow rate of 18 l/min, the optimized UTS, PE, MH and RS were predicted to be 167.28 MPa, 10.25%, 69.61 HV and 65.49 MPa, respectively. Confirmation experiments were conducted to verify the model's practicality. The results indicate that travel speed has the greatest influence on the responses, followed by welding current, while the gas flow rate has the least effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a robust economic-statistical design for Hotelling's T2 control chart to monitor linear profiles, accounting for uncertain parameters. Unlike previous studies assuming fixed inputs, this work applies an uncertainty interval approach to address parameter uncertainty when investigating the T2 chart design. In this way the challenge of parameter uncertainty's adverse impact on the effectiveness of quality control models in practice is addressed. The key contribution of this study is formulating a T2 control chart that maintains accuracy despite uncertainty. Results demonstrate the value of increased costs to mitigate uncertainty risks. The proposed approach also facilitates selecting appropriate protection levels against uncertainty. The paper examines practical challenges and applications of implementing the T2 chart under real-world conditions affected by uncertainty. Overall, the proposed robust T2 control chart design incorporates parameter ranges for monitoring linear profiles, contrasting with previous models assuming fixed parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) regulate the progression of type 2 diabetes mellitus complicated with obstructive sleep apnoea (T2DM-OSA). However, the role of the lncRNA nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 (NEAT1) in T2DM-OSA remains unknown. This study aimed to reveal the function of NEAT1 in T2DM-OSA and the underlying mechanism. KKAy mice were exposed to intermittent hypoxia (IH) or intermittent normoxia to generate a T2DM-OSA mouse model. HMEC-1 cells were treated with high glucose (HG) and IH to construct a T2DM-OSA cell model. RNA expression was detected by qRT-PCR. The protein expression of Apelin, NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), haem oxygenase-1 (HO-1), and up-frameshift suppressor 1 (UPF1) was assessed using western blot. Cell injury was evaluated using flow cytometry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and oxidative stress kit assays. RIP, RNA pull-down, and actinomycin D assays were performed to determine the associations between NEAT1, UPF1, and Apelin. NEAT1 expression was upregulated in the aortic vascular tissues of mice with T2DM exposed to IH and HMEC-1 cells stimulated with HG and IH, whereas Apelin expression was downregulated. The absence of NEAT1 protected HMEC-1 cells from HG- and IH-induced damage. Furthermore, NEAT1 destabilized Apelin mRNA by recruiting UPF1. Apelin overexpression decreased HG- and IH-induced injury to HMEC-1 cells by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. Moreover, NEAT1 knockdown reduced HG- and IH-induced injury to HMEC-1 cells through Apelin. NEAT1 silencing reduced HMEC-1 cell injury through the Apelin/Nrf2/HO-1 signalling pathway in T2DM-OSA. Abbreviations: LncRNAs, long non-coding RNAs; T2DM, type 2 diabetes mellitus; OSA, obstructive sleep apnoea; NEAT1, nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1; IH, intermittent hypoxia; HMEC-1, human microvascular endothelial cells; HG, high glucose; Nrf2, NF-E2-related factor 2; UPF1, up-frameshift suppressor 1; HO-1, haem oxygenase-1; qRT-PCR, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction; ELISA, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; GAPDH, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase; TNF-α, tumour necrosis factor-α; CCK-8, Cell Counting Kit-8; IL-1β, interleukin-1β; ROS, reactive oxygen species; MDA, malondialdehyde; SOD, superoxide dismutase; RIP, RNA immunoprecipitation; SD, standard deviations; GSH, glutathione; AIS, acute ischaemic stroke; HMGB1, high mobility group box-1 protein; TLR4, toll-like receptor 4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heart disease is identified to be the major reason for death worldwide as recorded by World Health Organization. The use of cardiac pacemakers was estimated to be around 1.14 million in the year 2016 and is expected to increase to 1.43 million by the year 2023. Based on the frequency of usage, the lifetime of a pacemaker can last between 6 to 10 years. To prolong the lifetime of the pacemaker, a low-power filter design is presented. The pulse that comes out of the pacemaker has exponential noise and myo-potential noise. The least mean square (LMS) filter with Co-ordinate Rotation Digital Computer (CORDIC) filters the exponential noise signal and retrieves the desired pace pulse. The CORDIC architecture used here is realised using FSM computational technique, because FSM offers a simple hardware circuitry. Digital circuits highly rely on clock signal to track the time and execution of functions that are programmed. This irreplaceable signal requires a control module that would make it more efficient and audacious. This is the prime reason for the evolution of clock gating technique. Similarly, the leakage power caused by the power source also requires attention. With the boom of deep submicron technologies, leakage power has started to occupy 30–50% of the total power consumption. Power gating technique helps to resolve this issue significantly. In this proposed method, integrated coarse-grained power and clock gating technique is employed to reduce the power dissipation of the LMS filter. A comparative study of Latch-, AND- and OR-based clock gating with forced transistor stacking and sleep transistor whose width and length are doubled from the rest of the complementary metal oxide semiconductors is also performed. The design is implemented using 250 nm CMOS technology. The implementation of clock gating technique has resulted in a 41.35% average reduction in dynamic clock power dissipation. The power gating technique has resulted in 26.08% reduction in static input power dissipation. The total power savings on integration of clock and power gating techniques are found to be 36.95% from the non-gated CORDIC LMS filter design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manufacturing, an industry set in the physical world, is undergoing its digital transformation, also known as the fourth industrial revolution. Sensors, connectivity, and platforms provide unprecedented access to quantify the quality and diversity of manufacturing data. Progress in data-driven modeling is exponential across all industries. This leads to the question of how physics-based and data-driven modeling can be utilized in a hybrid modeling approach to advance our understanding of processes, materials, and systems in manufacturing. In this review, we focus on discrete manufacturing based on the understanding that hybrid modeling is more mature in process manufacturing. This paper aims to provide an overview of projects where hybrid modeling was used in manufacturing and introduce various ways of composing hybrid models. We provide examples highlighting the implementation of models, structure and expand on metrics to test and validate hybrid models, discuss challenges, and future research directions of hybrid modeling in manufacturing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are two types of features in a polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) image: 1-physical scattering characteristics of radar, and 2-geometric and texture properties. To handle the 3D nature of PolSAR image, a revised 3DGabor filter bank is proposed here. Although the 3DGabor filter can explore the interaction between three dimensions of the PolSAR cube, but it does not utilize the physical information of radar including the scattering mechanism. To deal with this issue, the physical parameters of the entropy/anisotropy/alpha decomposition theory are used to revise the 3DGabor filter. The output is joint texture and physical features of the PolSAR cube. These features are highly discriminative such that they can provide high accurate classification maps specially by using limited training samples. The experimental results on three PolSAR images show better performance of the proposed method with respect to several competitors with a significant difference from the statistical point of view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Before vaccine development during the COVID-19 pandemic, Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs) were the only solutions to mitigate COVID-19 infections. Governments continued to use them even after starting vaccine administration. In this research, we review different big data analytics models that assess and optimize the effectiveness of NPIs. These models are categorized into three big data analytics groups: descriptive, which measures the infection rate changes caused by NPIs; predictive, which predicts the future of the pandemic by implementing several NPIs; and data-driven prescriptive, which suggests optimal control policies. We further analyze each method's basic assumptions, limitations, and applicability during different pandemic phases and under different scenarios. This review of COVID-19 NPI evaluation methods will be beneficial for decision-makers to know which model to select for policy-making in possible future pandemics, which are more likely recently due to globalization. Finally, we suggest some future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To comprehensively assess the neurologic recovery potential of chondroitinase ABC (ChABC) in rats after spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods: The PubMed, Embase, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases were searched for animal experiments that evaluated the use of ChABC in the treatment of SCI up to November 2022. Studies reporting neurological function using the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) scale, as well as assessments of cavity area, lesion area, and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) levels, were included in the analysis. Results: A total of 46 studies were ultimately selected for inclusion. The results of the study showed that rats with SCI that received ChABC therapy exhibited a significant improvement in locomotor function after 7 days compared with controls (32 studies, weighted mean difference (WMD) = 0.58, [0.33, 0.83], p < 0.00001). Furthermore, the benefits of ChABC therapy were maintained for up to 28 days according to BBB scale. The lesion area was reduced by ChABC (5 studies, WMD = −20.94, [−28.42, −13.46], p < 0.00001). Meanwhile, GFAP levels were reduced in the ChABC treatment group (8 studies, WMD = −29.15, [−41.57, −16.72], p < 0.00001). Cavity area is not statistically significant. The subgroup analysis recommended that a single injection of 10 μL (8 studies, WMD = 2.82, [1.99, 3.65], p < 0.00001) or 20 U/mL (4 studies, WMD = 2.21, [0.73, 3.70], p = 0.003) had a better effect on improving the function. The funnel plot of the BBB scale was found to be essentially symmetrical, indicating a low risk of publication bias. Conclusions: This systematic review and meta-analysis has indicated that ChABC could improve functional recovery in rats after SCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we prepared two kinds of nanocomposites (MCT#1 and MCT#2) involving MWCNTs and TiO2 nanoparticles. The characterisation of the samples is carried out based on FTIR spectroscopy and TEM. The Ti-O groups that is attributed to the TiO2 nanoparticles can be confirmed according to the FTIR analysis. TEM images show that the average particle size of TiO2 nanoparticles in prepare MCT#1 and MCT#2 is equal to 13 nm and 15 nm, respectively. The influences of nanocomposites weight fraction and illumination time are investigated on the decomposition rate of methyl orange (MO) as pollutant. The photocatalytic results exhibit that the decomposition rate of MO is increased with respect to the weight fraction and illumination time. Meanwhile, higher decomposition rate can be observed using MCT#2 compared to MCT#1. Statistical analysis of the results based on Duncan's multiple range test at α = 0.05 reveals that all of the applied levels of the factors have a significant effect on the decomposition rate. The response surface results confirm that the effect of illumination time is high that that of weight fraction of MCT#1 and MCT#2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the complexity and the magnitude of optimisation models that appeared in sustainable supply chain management (SSCM), the use of meta-heuristic algorithms as competent solution approaches is being increased in recent years. Although a massive number of publications exist around SSCM, no extant paper explicitly investigates the role of meta-heuristics in the sustainable (forward) supply chain. To fill this gap, a literature review is provided on meta-heuristic algorithms applied in SSCM by analyzing 160 rigorously selected papers published by the end of 2020. Our statistical analysis ascertains a considerable growth in the number of papers in recent years and reveals the contribution of 50 journals in forming the extant literature. The results also show that in the current literature the use of hybrid meta-heuristics is overtaking pure meta-heuristics, the genetic algorithm (GA) and the non-dominated sorting GA (NSGA-II) are the most-used single- and multi-objective algorithms, the aspects of sustainability are mostly addressed in connection with product distribution and routing of vehicles as pivotal operations in supply chain management, and last but not least, the economic-environmental category of sustainability has been further noticed by the scholars. Finally, a detailed discussion of findings and recommendations for future research are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work aimed to synthesise and utilise a novel Co3O4@Zn-BTC Metal-Organic Framework (MOF) photocatalyst to decompose toluene in a dynamic stream under visible light. Nano-catalyst was prepared by a simple and facile solvothermal procedure and was characterised via various techniques included of PXRD, FE-SEM, TEM, BET, UV-VIS with DRS, and FT-IR. To optimise the effects of process parameters, namely relative humidity, toluene input concentration and flow rate on toluene degradation efficiency, the process was modelled using response surface methodology based on central composite design (RSM-CCD). RSM-CCD approach developed a quadratic polynomial model with R2 = 0.9989, adjusted R2 = 0.9980 and p-value <0.001. The optimal values of the input variables based on the obtained model were found to be 20 ppm vapour concentration, 30% RH and 15 ml/min. Under this condition, 40% Co3O4@Zn-BTC MOF showed the highest photocatalytic efficiency (64.1%) in toluene mineralisation compared to other photocatalysts (40% > 60% > 20% > 10% Co3O4@Zn-BTC > Zn-BTC). Among the studied variables, humidity (%) had the greatest efficacy on the decomposition efficiency of toluene. These outcomes could be attributed to the assembly of Co3O4 nanoparticles with Zn-BTC to form a heterogeneous structure of Co3O4@Zn-BTC MOF that expands the light absorption in the visible scope. The findings also demonstrated that the 40% Co3O4@Zn-BTC MOF photocatalyst possesses excellent stability in long-term exposure to toluene removal. Also, any by-products at the output of the photocatalytic system were not detected by GC-MS. The study shows promising ability of the MOF in photocatalytic oxidation of toluene and provides valuable information for further practical applications of the system in air purification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A random patches-based edge-preserving network (RPEP) is proposed for polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) image classification in this paper. An initial spatial feature extraction is firstly done using the transform domain recursive filtering. From the filtered images, several random patches are chosen and used as convolutional kernels. The designed random patches-based network uses these fix kernels without doing any training process. The multi-scale features extracted by both shallow and deep layers are given to a support vector machine to get an initial classification map. The binary probability maps obtained from the initial classification map are then smoothed using the guided filter as an edge preserving filter. The final classification map is achieved by applying the maximum decision rule. The proposed RPEP method with extraction of robust, consistent, invariant and multi-scale polarimetric-spatial features and also by doing noise reduction with edge preserving filters provides superior classification results compared to several state-of-the-art methods especially in small sample size situations. In addition, RPEP has a simple and fast implementation that makes it a powerful classifier for real applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conditions caused by the spread of COVID-19 have compelled higher education to make new efforts in the education system to prepare new routes and new openings in the post-COVID era to avoid any disruption and reduce costs. In this regard, this study has considered the challenges of Iranian higher education institutions in the post-COVID era. The research approach was qualitative and phenomenological, and then, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 samples from two groups of chief executive officers and faculty members. The thematic content analysis method was used to analyze the qualitative data. The results showed four possible challenges in Iranian higher education institutions, which indicate the fact that it is necessary for universities' management in the post-COVID era to be prepared to advance its goals, and to prioritize the review of education, research, and executive methods, based on the circumstances. In the four challenges, this study improves current knowledge regarding university management in the post-COVID era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The removal of cadmium as a heavy metal using a hybrid liquid membrane consisting of an organic liquid phase membrane surrounded by two supporting polymeric membranes was investigated in the present study. The supporting membranes were mixed matrix membranes consisting of graphene oxide (GO) incorporated in polyethersulfone (PES) matrix. The organic liquid membrane was trioctylamine (TOA) as the carrier dissolved in kerosene as the solvent. The synthesized GO and the fabricated supported membrane were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and optical contact angle (OCA). The effects of GO content in the supporting membrane, carrier concentration, pHs of feed and stripping phases, feed concentration, temperature, mixing intensity, acid type, and organic phase thickness on cadmium removal were studied. The GO-containing PES supporting membrane showed higher cadmium removal efficiency than that of the unfilled PES membrane in the process owing to the higher hydrophilicity and pore size of the fabricated membrane as well as the membrane's surface charge that promotes the mass transfer at the feed/liquid phase interface. The removal efficiency of up to 90% could be attained at mixing intensity of 500 ppm, temperature of 60°C, GO content of 0.2%, carrier concentration of 0.1 M, feed phase pH of 1.8, and a stripping phase pH of 13. GO nanoparticles are placed in PES membrane manufactured by phase inversion. Adding GO to PES membrane improves hydrophilicity, pore size, and thermal resistance. pH affects surface charge of GO-PES membrane due to the degree of protonation. Temperature, GO content, and carrier are effective parameters in the process. Performance of hybrid liquid membrane for Cd removal is improved using GO-PES membrane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicone rubber (SR) is high-voltage insulator, but suffers from poor mechanical properties. Nanoparticle addition is a promising way to combat this problem. Herein, SiO2, Al2O3, MgO, SiC and thermally modified SiC nanoparticles were used to improve electrical resistivity, thermal stability and mechanical properties of SR. Surprisingly, electrical resistivity of SR was enhanced by one-order-of-magnitude by incorporation of small amount of nanoparticles, which induced nano-scale traps to capture charge carriers and restrict SR molecules conformation. Tensile strength and modulus of SR increased by SiO2, Al2O3, MgO and SiC incorporation, while decreased elongation at break, as a consequence of agglomeration as detected by microscopic observations. Nano fillers restricted the motion of polymer chains, so storage modules and hardness were increased. Addition of 2 phr SiC resulted in less polarization current comparably. Correspondingly, dielectric breakdown strength of the assigned sample was increased. SiC thermally modified interface is more conductive than the other parts of the matrix reduced charge accumulation and provide more conductive ways for increased charge carriers mobility, dissipate more charges and then increased dielectric breakdown strength. Dynamic-mechanical-thermal analyses demonstrated that storage modulus of SR nanocomposites was comparatively higher than neat SR, owing to rigidity contributed from SiO2 and SiC nanoparticles. Evidently, glass transition temperature shifted to a higher temperature (−109°C) compared to the neat SR (−127°C). Thermogravimetric analysis witnessed superiority of thermal stability of nanocomposites compared to SR, featured by 35°C rise in degradation temperature. The presence of nanoparticles in the polymer matrix acts as a barrier and prevents the release of gaseous products from burning and the entry of oxygen into the system lead to increase thermal stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We develop an inventory model for perishable products with a two-period shelf-life. The demand during a stock out in either period is treated as lost sales. Besides the initial regular order, the manager also has an opportunity to adjust the mid-cycle inventory with either expedited order or returns. An expedited order plan allows the manager to place an emergency order if the mid-cycle leftover inventory is low, while a returns plan offers the manager a chance to return some units within the validity period to suppliers if the leftover inventory is high. We show that both adjustment plans have their own thresholds, which exhibit a similar policy to that in the classical newsvendor model. Due to the dynamics of inventory, we investigate how the regular order is affected by each adjustment plan. Our findings indicate that the expedited order plan has a better performance in controlling the wastage risk, but it results in a higher shortage risk than the returns plan. Considering the respective advantages of the two plans, we show the existence of a new plan that is the combination of the two and justify the motivation for the manager to use it in the perishable inventory management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study investigated the effect of eight weeks of soccer training with beetroot juice supplement on aerobic power, anaerobic power, and field performance of soccer players. This is experimental research, by the control group in pre and post-test. The statistical population was male soccer players. Forty subjects were randomly divided into four groups including the exercise group (EX) the exercise group with beetroot juice supplement (EX&BRJS) the beetroot juice supplement group (BRJS), and the control group (C). Aerobic power, anaerobic threshold, and respiratory exchange ratio, measured by the gas analyser (Cosmed), anaerobic power (peak, mean power), and fatigue index, by Wingate cycle test (Monark, 839), and field performance by (Bangsbo, field test performance). The statistical methods include the Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Levin, covariance (ANCOVA), and pair comparison with Bonferroni test. The results showed eight weeks' of soccer training with beetroot juice supplement, significantly changed aerobic power, respiratory exchange ratio, anaerobic threshold, anaerobic power, field performance, and fatigue index (P ≤ 0.05). Additionally, in all variables, the paired comparison showed that the EX&BRJS group progressed more than all other condition groups. The soccer athletes may use beetroot juice supplements along with soccer exercises to improve aerobic and anaerobic power and field performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, electric vehicles (EVs) are increasingly used due to its cost-efficiency, reduced maintenance, no fuel consumption, and eco-friendly nature. But, designing the proper converter and controlling units for controlling the speed of the motor used in the EVs is considered as a challenging task. Most of the conventional works developed different types of DC–DC converters and optimization-based controlling topologies for increasing the output of voltage fed to the EVs. Since, it faces problems related to the factors of high power loss, increased harmonic contents, time measures, and inefficient computational operations. Hence, this article objects to developing an advanced and intelligent converter and controlling topologies for improving the overall performance and efficiency of EVs. The main contribution of this work is to develop the Self-Super Lift Luo (SSLLuo) DC–DC converter for regulating and highly boosting the output voltage with reduced harmonics. Also, an optimization-based Phasor Algebraic (PA-PID) Controlling mechanism is developed for generating the controlling signals in order to operate the switching components of the converter circuit. In addition to that, the Regressive Distributed Pattern (RDP) controller is designed for efficiently controlling the current limit of motor the driving circuit. During validation, both the simulation and comparative analysis have been conducted for proving the efficiency and optimal performance of the proposed system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This pilot randomized controlled study evaluates the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a 7-week remote intervention combining well-being therapy and sleep hygiene to improve sleep and psychological outcomes among adults reporting poor sleep and distress. Thirty-one participants (81% women, 40.2 ± 13.0 y, 48% racial/ethnic minority) were recruited from the community during the COVID-19 pandemic through online and local advertisement, and randomized to well-being therapy+sleep hygiene or sleep hygiene-only. Study outcomes were evaluated by self-reported questionnaires administered at baseline and post-intervention and a daily sleep diary. Compared to sleep hygiene-only, well-being therapy+sleep hygiene led to greater improvements in wake after sleep onset (time-by-group interaction: 3.6 ± 1.5 min, p =.017), personal growth (β −3.0, 95%CI −5.2, −0.8, p =.01), and purpose in life (β −3.5, 95%CI −6.1, −0.9, p =.009). Anxiety, perceived stress, sleep quality, and insomnia symptoms improved similarly in both groups (between-group differences, p >.05). Improvements in sleep quality, insomnia, and sleep duration were associated with reductions in multiple measures of psychological distress (all p <.05). These findings suggest that, in a non-clinical setting of individuals suffering from combined poor sleep and psychological distress, the addition of well-being therapy to sleep hygiene may provide additional benefits for sleep by promoting sleep continuity and well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, green synthesis of reduced graphene oxide-Ag (rGO-Ag) nanocomposite was carried out via bioreduction of Ag salt and graphene oxide (GO) using waste dry cell battery rod and Corchorus olitorius extract as GO precursor and reducing agent, respectively. Characterisation of rGO-Ag nanocomposite was achieved by UV/Vis spectroscopy, XRD, SEM, FTIR and BET analyses. Photocatalytic degradation of Janus Green blue (JGB) dye was conducted in batch mode. Effects of irradiation time, photocatalyst composition, temperature and recyclability were investigated. BET surface area of the nanocomposite was 532.914 m2/g with pore size of 2.136 nm. Optimal percentage photo-removal and equilibrium adsorption capacity of JGB dye by the nanocomposite achieved were 95.72% and 120.48 mg/g, respectively. Photocatalytic adsorption process followed more accurately Freundlich model implying multilayer adsorption onto rGO-Ag surface. Adsorption kinetics fitted perfectly into pseudo-second-order model while the enthalpy change is endothermic. The photocatalyst exhibited considerable stability, efficiency and was successfully applied for the removal of JGB in wastewater samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, CdO/ZnO nanocomposites was synthesised by chemical co-precipitation followed by thermal treatment method, characterised and its photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye studied. Study of the effects of operational parameters of dye initial concentration, catalyst dose, and pH on the degradation efficiency of the dye was carried out with response surface methodology (RSM) employing the central composite design (CCD) model and that the maximum predicted degradation percentage of the dye obtained was 81.6% at the optimum values of initial catalyst dose, dye concentration and reaction mixture pH of 30 mg, 13 ppm and 10, respectively, under natural sunlight irradiation for a period of 3 h. The measured experimental value at the indicated levels of the factors was 83.14% during the same degradation time and this is in reasonable agreement with the predicted value. Test for reactive radical species showed that HO. and O2-. are engaged in the decomposition process of the dye. Further, the CdO/ZnO nanocomposite catalyst retained its degradation efficiency by about 96% over 4 consecutive cycles, indicating its stability and potential application for practical decontamination of wastewater from toxic organic pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Substance use can be the source of various disabilities. The purpose of this study is to investigate and compare the disabilities caused by substance use. Material and methods: This is a descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study. The samples studied in this study were 400 people who referred to MMT centers in Hamadan, Iran. Centers were selected by cluster sampling method and samples within the cluster were selected by convenience sampling method. The instrument was the WHODAS2 standard questionnaire designed by the World Health Organization to assess disability. The extracted data were analyzed by SPSS20 software. Result: 64.8% of the participants were opium users, 24.5% amphetamine users and 10.8% were marijuana users. The results showed that age, gender, place of residence and type of substance use were significantly associated with the degree of disability and the highest rate of disability occurred in opium users (p ≤ .01). Conclusion: Different substances differ in the amount and type of disabilities they cause and this difference should be considered in the treatment of people with substance use disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity is considered a low-grade chronically inflamed state that contributes to communicable chronic diseases. This inflammation may be modulated by consuming spices like turmeric daily. However, few studies have looked at the inclusion of spice within whole foods. The purpose of this feasibility pre/posttrial was to assess the influence of turmeric in a muffin on salivary IL-6 and CRP in adults who were obese. Participants consumed one, 60-gram muffin containing 3 g turmeric for 10 days. Participants provided a urinary sample at baseline, a 2-ml saliva sample, and a 30-day food frequency and spice consumption questionnaire at baseline and post-trial. A one-sample t-test was conducted using SAS v 9.4 with significance determined at p < 0.05. A total of 14 participants, average BMI of 32.16 kg/m2 with 10 identifying as female, completed the trial after 5 dropped due to various reasons. The visit lengths and collection of data with participants adhering to the instructions were deemed a success. There was a significant decrease in salivary IL-6 (p = 0.03) but no statistical difference in salivary CRP (p = 0.46). Participants consumed fruits and vegetables at least once daily, chicken and eggs 5–6 times per week, and beef, pork, and fish at least once per week. Participants consumed chili pepper, garlic, cinnamon, cilantro, and ginger at least once per week. No changes were observed in dietary/spice habits during this trial. The feasibility pre/post study revealed that consumption of a muffin with turmeric reduced at least salivary IL-6 in 10 days. Modifications to the study design such as lengthier trial time to assess the impact of this muffin on CRP is necessary prior to implementing larger-scale randomized control trials. Chronic inflammation in obese patients can be modulated with the use of spices. The consumption of a spiced muffin with turmeric (2mg) reduced salivary IL-6 in 10 days (p = 0.03). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different modified biochars were prepared by impregnating with different metal oxide nanoparticles including AgO, CuO and ZnO onto leaf of lotus tree. The prepared nanocomposites were characterised using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The results revealed that the metal oxide affected morphology of the biochars. Graphene sheets were evident especially in the case of Zn-modified biochar. Particle size of biochar, Ag-biochar, Cu-biochar and Zn-biochar revealed to be in the range of 33.5–214.5 nm, 105.3–231.9 nm, 33.5–142.9 nm and 37.2–66.9 nm, respectively. Textural properties of the biochars were determined by using Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) and BJH models based on N2-adsorption-desorption isotherms. Box-Behnken design (BBD) was used to optimise the different effective parameters and to compare the efficiency of the different biochars towards the removal of Cr and Co ions. Isotherms of the biochars were also studied. The adsorption isotherms were fitted to Langmuir and Freundlich models. The biochars obeyed Langmuir adsorption model and their maximum adsorption capacities were 107.5 mg/g for Co2+ ion and 113.6 mg/g for Cr3+. The modified biochar was capable of removing Cr3+ and Co2+ ions up to 78% and 98%, respectively. The modified biochar has also shown excellent photocatalytic performance for the degradation of chromate ion. 81.6% of chromate ion degradation has been achieved with the incorporation of Zn-biochar under sunlight irradiation. Adsorption characteristics of the modified lotus leaf biochar were compared with the previously reported biochars. The results confirmed the superiority of the proposed biochar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conductive polymers have been used as adsorbents to remove organic pollutants from aqueous samples. In this study, pristine polypyrrole (PPy) was used for the first time in the removal of potassium diclofenac (PD) and moxidectin (MOX) from aqueous solutions.PPy was properly characterised by scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, infrared spectroscopy, textural properties, wettability, and point zero charge. Through the characterisation results, it was observed that the adsorbent showed be favourable to adsorption, high temperature of thermal degradation, bands characteristic of the PPy,mesopore structures, and hydrophilicity. The results pointed that pH 6 favoured the removal, reaching percentages of 95.26% for PD and 99.75% for MOX.The kinetic data followed the model of pseudo second-order (PD: R2 = 0.872 and MOX: R2 = 0.887) with equilibrium reached in 20 min for PD and MOX. OThe best fit isotherm model was the dual-site Langmuir-Freundlich (R2 > 0.99), with maximum capacity adsorption of 221.23 mg g−1 for PD and 87.46 mg g−1 for MOX. Finally, the thermodynamic study showed that the adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic. Through the reuse study, it was possible to show a good cost-benefit ratio when using the developed adsorbent material, since it can be used several times without losing its adsorption capacity. Finally, PPy showed great potential to be used in the adsorption of compounds with different physicochemical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water supply and wastewater systems are essential infrastructure affected by floods. Additional risk is posed in developing countries, where access to sanitation is not universal. Few studies assess the flood risk to the sanitation-health nexus. Therefore, this study aims to present a theoretical and general framework for assessing the resilience of flood-sanitation-public health nexus in urban environments, composed by risk estimation and risk management assessment. The framework was developed from a system analysis approach focusing on central supply systems. Regarding risk assessment, the main vulnerability and exposure factors identified were land use, social vulnerability, coverage of sanitation systems, occurrence of waterborne diseases, number of people affected by floods and intersection with the flood map. From the risk management assessment stage three main typologies of trade-offs and synergies were identified: urban territorial planning versus runoff control, water quality versus sanitation infrastructure and flood management policy versus social behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable urban stormwater management (SUSM) is essential to urban sustainability. However, barriers to adopting it are observed even in places where SUSM is more widespread. Recent studies have evaluated strategies for overcoming some barriers. However, no study has systematically analyzed the strategies available for overcoming the most common barriers in developing countries. Thus, this article aimed to provide a literature review on these strategies. Ninety-two documents were evaluated, resulting in eight solution strategies, detailed by 80 implementation measures. The interrelationships among the solution strategies and their applicability to overcome the SUSM-related barriers were evaluated. This analysis showed that the solution strategies are interdependent, so it would be inefficient to adopt them in isolation. On the other hand, adopting a strategy can help overcome several barriers, also enhancing other strategies and urban issues. The availability of this systematized information can help to break through common barriers, optimizing efforts to adopt SUSM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In increasingly complex production environments, tremendous efforts are being made to optimize the efficiency of a production system. An important efficiency factor is industrial maintenance, both influencing the cost and securing the technical availability of machines and components. Maintenance managers are required to deliver the necessary availability of the production system while minimizing the resources needed to do so. To make this possible, a method to evaluate the dependency between the technical availability of an entire production system and maintenance resources is necessary. This paper presents a systematic literature review of such methods is presented. In order to assess the methods proposed in the literature, first, requirements are developed, including a necessary focus on maintenance strategies within these methods. Including maintenance strategies is necessary since they provide the foundation for both the availability of a component and the maintenance resources needed. In total, 13 requirements are developed, and 21 different methods are evaluated. Only one of the proposed methods addresses all requirements, with others lacking possible combinations of maintenance strategies and the resulting influences on the production system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A modified version of the collaborative representation-based detector (CRD) is proposed for hyperspectral anomaly detection. In contrast to the conventional CRD, which uses a rectangular dual window, the shaped CRD (SCRD) selects the most appropriate neighbours from the dual window and discards the inappropriate ones. To this end, similarity of the neighbouring pixels to the centre is computed based on the cosine distance to utilize the local information. In addition, the low/high occurrence probability of anomalies/background exhibited in the histogram of the whole image is utilized as global information to find the closest neighbours to the background. The shaped dual window is used for linear approximation of pixels through the collaborative representation. SCRD improves the anomaly detection results with respect to some related works. Experiments on two hyperspectral images show that SCRD results in more accurate detection maps with a bit higher running time compared to CRD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current evidence supports the association of metabolic syndrome (MetS) with neuropathy. Limited data are available on proper strategies to control metabolic disorders and neuropathy among patients with type2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We aimed to determine hesperidin and diosmin efficacy individually and in combination among T2DM patients with neuropathy and meet MetS criteria. In this parallel-group designed trial, 129 T2DM patients with MetS and neuropathy were recruited and randomized to receive their oral hypoglycemics with either hesperidin (1g/day), or diosmin (1g/day), or combination of both or oral hypoglycemics without intervention for 12 weeks. Diabetic neuropathy was evaluated using Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument (MNSI) at baseline and after trial. Anthropometric parameters, blood glucose and lipid profile were also assessed before and after the intervention using paired student t-test within groups. The trial is registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT05243238. By completion of the trial duration, both hesperidin and diosmin groups showed significant reduction in blood glucose, triglycerides (TGs) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) from baseline (p<0.05). However, the magnitude of improvement in metabolic components significantly increased with hesperidin and diosmin combination. Although MNSI scores improved significantly in both groups, the reduction was more significant with the combination of hesperidin and diosmin. Moreover, the change in MNSI score was significantly correlated with the improvement in metabolic profile components including LDL, TGs and fasting blood glucose. Oral supplementation of hesperidin and diosmin was associated with improvement in metabolic syndrome and diabetic neuropathy and the combination of both was superior in efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preparation coating materials is the main point in solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber fabrications. So, fabricating MoS2 nanoflakes on graphenized HB (hard black) pencil lead was developed. The MoS2 nanoflakes were directionally arranged on graphenized HB pencil lead and used as a fiber coating for selectively headspace microextraction of phenolic compounds. The MoS2/graphenized pencil fibers were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning microscopy (FESEM), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX).MoS2/graphenized pencil lead fibers indicated considerable potential due to extracting simultaneously trace amounts of some phenolic compounds in different water samples. The repeatabilities and detection limits for one fiber were between 5.5 and 7.2% and between 0.002 and 0.32 µgL−1, respectability. The purpose method was a simple, quick, stable and cheap approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Center cone locating at the rear portion of turbine is the key component of the integrated afterburner. Numerical studies were carried out to investigate full-coverage film cooling on center cone at engine-realistic conditions, and the effects of thermodynamic and geometric parameters on cooling effectiveness and aerodynamic loss were discussed in detail. The numerical model was validated by the infrared measured experiments. Two recirculation vortices were generated on the cone surface, and cause the reverse ejection of coolant. These two recirculation vortices were promoted by increasing blowing ratio, and mixed with each other as the blowing ratio reaches 3.0. Along the streamwise direction, cooling effectiveness decreases and reaches the minimum value at the tip of cone, which is very different from the flat-plate film cooling. Cooling effectiveness increases with the increases of blowing ratio, hole diameter and density ratio, but decreases with the increases of hole pitch and spacing. The discharge coefficient increases with the increases of hole diameter and inclination angle, but decreases with the increases of blowing ratio, hole pitch and spacing. Pure film cooling and double-wall cooling were also compared. The introduction of jet impingement cooling can generate higher cooling effectiveness, especially at low and medium blowing ratio, but causes the notable increase of pressure drop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon foam (CF), a lightweight, open-pore, and 3 D interconnected network-like structure comprising turbostratic carbon, is mainly synthesized from polymer precursors like polyurethane and melamine foams, mesophase pitch, coal tar pitch, etc. The glassy variant of CF known as reticulated vitreous carbon (RVC) foam finds use as electrodes in electrochemical cells and Li-ion batteries, field emission cathode, high-temperature insulation, and electromagnetic interference shielding materials. However, of late, its implication has been extended to biomaterial platforms and tissue engineering avenues due to its high porosity and biocompatibility. RVC foam with tunable porosity, density, and mechanical properties can be synthesized by judiciously selecting the precursor materials and their processing conditions. Although proven to be bioinert, its surface modification renders it bioactive and hydrophilic to support cell adhesion and growth. Several groups including ours have demonstrated its implication in supporting osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). In this regard, the present review attempts to provide some critical insights into the fabrication, structure, and characteristics of RVC foam and also highlights the challenges and future prospects of this material concerning its plausible implications in bone tissue engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes of customer requirements (CRs) are inevitable disturbances for products which will lead to product obsolescence or frequent redesign. The property of product defending and recovering from the shock of ever-changing CRs is resilience. It is beneficial for designers to explore and evaluate product resilience towards changing CRs. Fortunately, various resilience assessment methods in engineering realm have offered some significant insights. Motivated by the deficiencies of the existing studies and the advantages of engineering resilience assessment methods, product resilience towards changing CRs is measured. Firstly, joint customer satisfaction is defined by integrating competition analysis and importance analysis. Secondly, the evolution trends of CRs are depicted and captured based on a modified grey model and polynomial fitting, respectively. Then, a three-stage model considering absorption, adaptation, and recovery is established to evaluate product resilience. Lastly, a case study of an electric vehicle is implemented to elucidate the utility and effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes an adaptive strategy to improve the performances of two widely used pansharpening strategies, namely the Generalized Laplacian Pyramid (GLP) with Modulation Transfer Function (MTF)-matched filter and Context-Based Decision (CBD) injection scheme (i.e. MTF-GLP-CBD) and the Sparse Representation of Injected Details (i.e. SR-D). By considering the variance information of the PAN data, the suggested method determines which part of a pansharpened image should be produced by which of these procedures. The effectiveness of the suggested technique was assessed both qualitatively and quantitatively by comparing its performance to 31 other pansharpening strategies across three different test sites with diverse features. The outcomes of the experiments demonstrated the efficacy of the suggested approach. The experiments showed that the suggested approach not only surpassed the standard MTF-GLP-CBD and SR-D algorithms, but also all the other pansharpening algorithms employed. Of all pansharpening results, the results of the suggested approach led to the best quality index values. It can also be concluded that the suggested technique has the potential to enhance the effectiveness of other pansharpening algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, novel copolymer hydrogel was designed from acrylamide (AAm) and 3-Allyloxy-2-hydroxy-1-propanesulfonic acid sodium salt (AHPS) through the free radical mechanism to produce an efficient adsorbent for removing the methylene blue dye from its aqueous solution. Tracking the gel fraction showed a decrease by increasing the AHPS concentration. The obtained polymers were characterised by FTIR, TGA, and SEM. The swelling behaviour was investigated, and the results indicated the enhancement in the swelling ratio for the hydrogels containing AHPS, and the maximum swelling ratio (4353.8%) was achieved after increasing the molar ratio of AHPS to 15%. The influence of different parameters such as contact time, dye concentration, pH, polymer dose, and temperature on the adsorption of methylene blue was studied. Studying the adsorption kinetics and isotherm showed that the adsorption process was well described by the pseudo-second-order and the Langmuir model, and the maximum adsorption capacity (qm) was 703.2 mg/g. Estimation of the thermodynamic parameters showed negative values of ∆G indicating the spontaneous nature of the adsorption process, the positive ∆H value (13.7 kJ mol−1) confirming the endothermic nature of MB adsorption, and the positive value of ∆S (0.048 KJ K−1 mol−1) indicating increased randomness at the solid/solution interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing use of graphene-based materials (GBM) requires their safety evaluation, especially in occupational settings. The same physico-chemical (PC) properties that confer GBM extraordinary functionalities may affect the potential toxic response. Most toxicity assessments mainly focus on graphene oxide and rarely investigate GBMs varying only by one property. As a novelty, the present study assessed the in vitro cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of six reduced graphene oxides (rGOs) with different PC properties in the human bronchial epithelial 16HBE14o − cell line. Of the six materials, rGO1-rGO4 only differed in the carbon-to-oxygen (C/O) content, whereas rGO5 and rGO6 were characterized by different lateral size and number of layers, respectively, but similar C/O content compared with rGO1. The materials were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, laser diffraction and dynamic light scattering, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis. Cytotoxicity (Luminescent Cell Viability and WST-8 assays), the induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS; 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescin diacetate-based assay), the production of cytokines (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays) and genotoxicity (comet and micronucleus assays) were evaluated. Furthermore, the internalization of the materials in the cells was confirmed by laser confocal microscopy. No relationships were found between the C/O ratio or the lateral size and any of the rGO-induced biological effects. However, rGO of higher oxygen content showed higher cytotoxic and early ROS-inducing potential, whereas genotoxic effects were observed with the rGO of the lowest density of oxygen groups. On the other hand, a higher number of layers seems to be associated with a decreased potential for inducing cytotoxicity and ROS production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumer awareness of the relationship between health and nutrition has caused a substantial increase in the demand for nutraceuticals and functional foods containing bioactive compounds (BACs) with potential health benefits. However, the direct incorporation of many BACs into commercial food and beverage products is challenging because of their poor matrix compatibility, chemical instability, low bioavailability, or adverse impact on food quality. Advanced encapsulation technologies are therefore being employed to overcome these problems. In this article, we focus on the utilization of plant and animal derived proteins to fabricate micro and nano-particles that can be used for the oral delivery of BACs such as omega-3 oils, vitamins and nutraceuticals. This review comprehensively discusses different methods being implemented for fabrications of protein-based delivery vehicles, types of proteins used, and their compatibility for the purpose. Finally, some of the challenges and limitations of different protein matrices for encapsulation of BACs are deliberated upon. Various approaches have been developed for the fabrication of protein-based microparticles and nanoparticles, including injection-gelation, controlled denaturation, and antisolvent precipitation methods. These methods can be used to construct particle-based delivery systems with different compositions, sizes, surface hydrophobicity, and electrical characteristics, thereby enabling them to be used in a wide range of applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to determine in vitro antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of acetone and water extracts obtained from Helicrysum noeanum, Onosma bozakmanii, and Sideritis amasiaca. We tested their total phenol and flavonoid content and analyzed their 14 phenolic compounds using HPLC method. Cinnamic acid, gallic acid, protocatechuic acid and quercetin were phenolics found in all extracts. Acetone extract of S. amasiaca was the experiment containing the most phenolic compounds by containing 11 of them. While the highest total phenol content belonged to water extract of S. amasiaca (189.37 µg gallic acid equivalent/mg extract), water extract of O. bozakmanii had maximum total flavonoid rate (13.16 µg quercetin equivalent/mg extract). Acetone and water extracts of S. amasiaca showed higher DPPH scavenging (IC50: 43.40 and 18.71 mg/L, respectively) and metal chelating (IC50: 62.26 and 61.32 mg/L, respectively) activities compared to other plants. When viability rates of human cervical cancer cells (HeLa) treated with the extracts were investigated, the experiment with the highest cytotoxic effect was acetone extract of S. amasiaca (IC50: 45.10 mg/L). Overall, our data showed that H. noeanum, O. bozakmanii and especially S. amasiaca are important natural antioxidant sources. They can be used in pharmacology thanks to their essential phytochemicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current research focuses on the utilization of cobalt ferrite and Al-doped cobalt ferrite as catalysts for the synthesis of 12-aryl/heteroaryl-8,9,10,12-tetrahydrobenzo[a]xanthene-11-ones derivatives in semi-aqueous conditions. Doping some aluminum metal into CoFe2O4 improved its catalytic potential, which was then utilized in chemical synthesis. The produced catalyst was recycled in numerous reactions to test its stability. Characterization of the catalysts was done using FT-IR, XRD, BET, and SEM techniques. The grade of the catalysts was also determined by the yield of xanthene derivatives. The effect of pure cobalt ferrite and varied molar ratios of aluminum cobalt ferrite on the yield and reaction time of xanthene derivatives has been thoroughly explored. Xanthene derivatives having aryl moiety showed better results in terms of reaction times and yield as compared to heteroaryl. Cost-effective, recyclable catalysts producing excellent yield in short reaction time, with easy work method are some salient features of current research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Convolutional neural network (CNN) has shown superior classification results for hyperspectral image classification. Due to high dimensionality of the hyperspectral image, usually a feature reduction method is applied to the hyperspectral data before feeding it to the CNN model. Principal component analysis is the most widely used approach to this end. However, it has two main disadvantages. It uses the mean square error measure and ignores the class separability. Moreover, it is a pixel-based method, which does not utilize the spatial information. To deal with these weaknesses, the patch-based nonparametric discriminant analysis method is proposed for hyperspectral image feature reduction in this work. However, due to the complex and heterogeneous nature of the hyperspectral images, the use of fixed square patches is not so appropriate. To deal with this difficulty, a shaping approach is introduced for the generation of adaptive patches with consistent shapes in each local region. The input patches of the CNN model are also weighted according to the spectral similarity and class boundaries information. Moreover, a simple residual CNN model is suggested for the classification of the extracted shaped input patches. The efficiency of the proposed framework is assessed in different cases using various evaluation measures on six real hyperspectral images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant-based diets (PBDs) have gained a positive reputation among experts as a solution to combat the epidemic of MetS. A total of 2225 healthy Iranian individuals aged 35–70 years were considered eligible to be included in this cross-sectional investigation. Various dietary, anthropometric, and biochemical assessments were conducted using standard, valid methods/tools. Relevant PBD scores were calculated using three a posteriori indices, including the overall plant-based diet index (PDI), healthful PDI (hPDI), and unhealthful PDI (uPDI). Our findings showed that women with the highest adherence to hPDI had a lower chance of MetS. Also, participants in the top tertiles of hPDI were more likely to have a lower risk of low serum HDL-c and abnormal glucose homeostasis. Additionally, a significant increasing trend was observed for low serum HDL-c across tertiles of uPDI. Our observations suggest that healthful-rich plant foods may have a protective effect against MetS, especially in women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]