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Gallstone disease (GSD) is a prevalent health condition that impacts many adults and is associated with presence of stones in gallbladder cavity that results in inflammation, pain, fever, nausea and vomiting. Several genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in the past have identified genes associated with GSD but only a few were focused on Latino population. To identify genetic risk factors for GSD in Latino population living in the Southwest USA we used self-reported clinical history, physical and lab measurements data in Sangre Por Salud (SPS) cohort and identified participants with and without diagnosis of GSD. We performed a GWAS on this phenotype using GSD cases matched to normal controls based on a tight criterion. We identified several novel loci associated with GSD as well as loci that were previously identified in past GWAS studies. The top 3 loci (MATN2, GPRIN3, GPC6) were strongly associated with GSD phenotype in our combined analysis and a sex stratified analysis results in females were closest to the overall results reflecting a general higher disease prevalence in females. The top identified variants in MATN2, GPRIN3, and GPC6 remain unchanged after local ancestry adjustment in SPS Latino population. Follow-up pathway enrichment analysis suggests enrichment of GO terms that are associated with immunological pathways; enzymatic processes in gallbladder, liver, and gastrointestinal tract; and GSD pathology. Our findings suggest an initial starting point towards better and deeper understanding of differences in gallstone disease pathology, biological mechanisms, and disease progression among Southwest US Latino population.

Downsizing double-pipe heat exchangers is possible by deploying ribs on the two sides of the heat exchangers. The shape of these ribs, along with two key geometric variables – pitch and height, are crucial in the selection of energy-efficient rib configurations. This is because, the enhancement in heat transfer performance comes at the cost of increased pressure drop. Thus, the goal of this three-dimensional numerical investigation is to identify favourable rib shapes and explore the effect of truncation on triangular ribs, something which is missing from existing literature. Truncation is expected to greatly affect the performance of triangular ribs, either adversely or favorably. To explore this conclusively, an unbiased and exhaustive analysis is carried out by comparing the performance of confinements with modified and regular triangular ribs, keeping plain confinements as the baseline. Furthermore, the effects of two principal design variables – rib height and rib pitch are explored for each shape. Separate results are presented for the inner and outer confinements of the double-pipe heat exchangers (pipes and annuli) to allow for the extrapolation of results for a wide range of applications employing internal flows in pipes and annuli. A phenomenological model is developed to classify the thermo-hydraulic performance of each confinement and identify optimal geometrical configuration and identify best performing design(s). Once optimal rib pitch-height combinations are identified, performance at this optimal combination is evaluated at different Reynolds numbers, spanning from 10,000 to 30,000.

Nowadays business enterprises are using wide applications in their business operations and supply chain management. The radio frequency identification technology (RFID) is a smart tag with an intelligent device embedded with a chip attached to the inventory units which helps in a transaction. A wireless system of RFID helps in tracking the inventory and getting the market value of the products. But somewhere the adoption of RFID particularly for MSMEs in the supply chain is a challenge and achieving efficiency and responsiveness of use of the RFID technology is the major challenge for the firm. The researcher in this paper has done the critical analysis of perceived benefits of using RFID and its implementation issues and tried to suggest the measures for effective supply chain management using RFID technology. The study has tried to point out various attributes that may affect the adaptation of RFID technology.

This research delves into the exploration of Cassia fistulaseeds as a natural coagulant for water treatment. C. fistula, also recognized as the golden shower tree and indigenous to South and Southeast Asia, boasts seeds with promising coagulation properties. With growing concerns over the limitations and drawbacks of conventional chemical coagulants, there is a critical need to explore alternative, sustainable solutions. Traditional chemical coagulants used in water treatment face several challenges, including reduced efficacy in low temperatures, high procurement costs, health risks, and the generation of significant sludge. Addressing these limitations is crucial to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of water treatment processes. In this study, C. fistulaseed powder was prepared and evaluated as a bio-coagulant. FTIR analysis was conducted to identify the functional groups present in the seeds, and the optimal extraction method using either distilled water or 1 M NaCl was determined. The research employed a central composite design of response surface methodology (RSM) with Design Expert software version 13 to conduct 30 experimental runs, optimizing turbidity removal efficiency by adjusting pH, coagulant dosage, settling time, and mixing time. Additionally, a comparative analysis with alum, a conventional chemical coagulant, was performed. The results unveiled that C. fistulaachieved a remarkable turbidity removal efficiency of 98.1% at an optimal dosage of 10 mLL−1, pH of 4, and a mixing time of 10 min, followed by a sedimentation time of 30 min for highly turbid waters (300 ± 20 NTU) and 72% for waters with lower turbidity (100 ± 50 NTU). In contrast, alum demonstrated an 88.1% efficiency for low turbidity waters. These outcomes underscore C. fistula’s potential as an effective, cost-efficient natural coagulant, providing a viable substitute for traditional chemical coagulants.