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The oil industry has been using the same technique and technology for the oil refining purposes for the last 80 years covering the large geographic extension over 6 districts in the country. Despite this extension, there have been no environmental management strategies and policies. All of these have created problems we face today and that have become very distressful for the people, as the sensitivity towards such problems are increasing day by day. The intensity of the development of the extractive and processing industry has not been associated with environmental responsibilities, which in some cases have existed, however, not with a successful result. The main factors of this pollution are: oil wells, wells (oil collection groups), oil decanter plants, oil pumping stations, oil transportation pipelines, oil processing plants. During these technological process of production and processing, the oil emitting as a result makes the environment polluted with toxics gaseous, liquid, solid, noises and artificial earthquakes. The main sources of surface water pollution are: Oil discharged into the wells; Water that is discharged after the decantation process; The purpose of this paper is to monitor the environmental impact caused by the oil extraction industry. The materials on which this study was based are direct field surveys, studies, analysis, and other engineering data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of vitamin C (vit C) and magnesium L-threonate (MgT) on the learning ability and memory of mice intoxicated with lead acetate.

Demands in the hydrocarbon market which have shown a continuous increase, as well as sensitivity of society to the environmental issues, in Albania, in past years have dictated improvement of national standards to the fossil fuels. In this situation, a special importance has taken the control on the quality parameters for the fossil fuels, with focus monitoring of sulfur content on fuels of domestic production and the negative proved impacts of this commodities in the environment. The consumed diesel during last decade is mainly furnished by the import and only a small proportion (25-30%) has been of domestic origin. For Albanian crude oils is characteristic High sulfur content up to 6.5%, hence it is reflected on the by-products, especially to the diesel, mazut and solar and heavy oil by-product fractions. The national Standard (S SH 31:1997) with object on total sulfur content in diesel with time limit until 31/12/2009 has imposed to the market shifting of the diesel consumption with up to 2000 ppm total sulfur content. Aim of this study is analyzing of the evolution trends on the quality standards in the diesel commodity during last decade, and its environmental effects on the SO2 emissions. It has analyzed improvements by time that have accompanied the environmental issues linked to the hydrocarbon market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The unintended co-extraction of chlorophylls during the recovery of polyphenols from plant sources yields green-coloured phenolic extracts with limited use in colour-sensitive foods. This study aimed at decolourizing the ethanolic extracts of sugar beet leaves using a UV-A treatment (390 nm)., Results: Exposure of the phenolic extracts to 30 UV-A LEDs at 8.64 J m -2 radiation dose decreased the total chlorophyll content by 69.23% and reduced the greenness parameter (-a*) significantly (P < 0.05) from 27.33 ± 0.32 to 8.64 ± 0.16. Additionally, UV-A treatment increased the content of most individual phenolic compounds (e.g. gallic acid, ferulic acid, etc.) significantly, resulting in an increase in the overall phenolic content in the extracts from 900.56 ± 14.11 μg g -1 fresh weight (FW) to a maximum of 975.09 ± 9.62 μg g -1 FW at 0.67 J m -2 . However, rutin content had a significant decrease at the highest radiation dose (8.64 J m -2 ). The soluble sugar content (i.e. glucose and fructose) increased simultaneously with phenolic compounds after the UV-A treatment. Although the UV treatment reduced the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity, it had no significant effect on the ferrous chelating activity and the extract's ability to delay lipid oxidation in corn oil. The antioxidant activity index of the treated extract was comparable to that of butylated hydroxytoluene, a synthetic antioxidant., Conclusion: Key findings of this study include successful decolourization of the extract, decomposition of bound polyphenols to their free form, and maintaining the antioxidant activity of the extract in the oil system after UV-A exposure. © 2024 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.)

Lifestyle factors play a major role in the risk of breast cancer. This review aimed to examine the size of the effect of select lifestyle factors on risk for breast cancer and assess the quality of existing evidence. The authors performed an umbrella review of systematic reviews. The authors found an increased risk for breast cancer associated with obesity, alcohol intake, and smoking and a decreased risk due to physical activity. The evidence for sleep disruption and duration indicates risk for breast cancer, but it is limited in size, statistical significance, and quality of evidence., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has hit vulnerable populations harder. In this context, the aim of this study was to assess the negative personal impacts and discrimination experienced by the LGBTQ+ community in Albania during the COVID-19 pandemic., Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in Albania in 2021, as a part of a larger multicenter study conducted by the International Planned Parenthood Federation European Network (IPPF EN). Binary logistic regression was used to assess the likelihood of feeling discriminated, ashamed, or afraid due to sexual orientation, adjusting for main confounding factors., Results: In total, 279 youngsters aged 14-30 years were included in this study. Of these, 55 participants or 19.7% self-declared as LGBTQ+. Significantly higher proportions of LGBTQ+ were older and of Albanian ethnicity, whereas lower proportions were not married/cohabiting compared to non-LGBTQ+ participants. Significantly higher proportions of LGBTQ+ members have felt discriminated (32.7%), ashamed to discuss about sexual and reproductive health (SRH) issues of concern (32.7%), afraid to express their sexual orientation (45.5%), and lacked privacy to discuss SRH issues with people of trust (36.4%) compared to non-LGBTQ+ participants (5.4%, 15.2%, 4%, and 17.4%, respectively). LGBTQ+ participants were 19.57 times more likely to feel discriminated because of their sexual orientation and 25.05 times more likely to be afraid to express their sexual orientation compared to non-LGBTQ+ participants., Conclusion: The LGBTQ+ community in Albania was more negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic compared to non-LGBTQ+ participants. The findings should guide future interventions for addressing the needs of the LGBTQ+ community in emergency situations., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Gjebrea et al.)

Background: ARDS in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is characterized by microcirculatory alterations in the pulmonary vascular bed, which could increase dead-space ventilation more than in non-COVID-19 ARDS. We aimed to establish if dead-space ventilation is different in patients with COVID-19 ARDS when compared with patients with non-COVID-19 ARDS., Methods: A total of 187 subjects with COVID-19 ARDS and 178 subjects with non-COVID-19 ARDS who were undergoing invasive mechanical ventilation were included in the study. The association between the ARDS types and dead-space ventilation, compliance of the respiratory system, subjects' characteristics, organ failures, and mechanical ventilation was evaluated by using data collected in the first 24 h of mechanical ventilation., Results: Corrected minute ventilation (V˙ E ), a dead-space ventilation surrogate, was higher in the subjects with COVID-19 ARDS versus in those with non-COVID-19 ARDS (median [interquartile range] 12.6 [10.2-15.8] L/min vs 9.4 [7.5-11.6] L/min; P < .001). Increa s ed corrected V˙ E was independently associated with COVID-19 ARDS (odds ratio 1.24, 95% CI 1.07-1.47; P = .007). The best compliance of the respiratory system, obtained after testing different PEEPs, was similar between the subjects with COVID-19 ARDS and the subjects with non-COVID-19 ARDS (mean ± SD 38 ± 11 mL/cm H 2 O vs 37 ± 11 mL/cm H 2 O, respectively; P = .61). The subjects with COVID-19 ARDS received higher median (interquartile range) PEEP (12 [10-14] cm H 2 O vs 8 [5-9] cm H 2 O; P < .001) and lower median (interquartile range) tidal volume (5.8 [5.5-6.3] mL/kg vs 6.6 [6.1-7.3] mL/kg; P < .001) than the subjects with non-COVID-19 ARDS, being these differences maintained at multivariable analysis. In the multivariable analysis, the subjects with COVID-19 ARDS showed a lower risk of anamnestic arterial hypertension (odds ratio 0.18, 95% CI 0.07-0.45; P < .001) and lower neurologic sequential organ failure assessment score (odds ratio 0.16, 95% CI 0.09-0.27; P < .001) than the subjects with non-COVID-19 ARDS., Conclusions: Indirect measurements of dead space were higher in subjects with COVID-19 ARDS compared with subjects with non-COVID-19 ARDS. The best compliance of the respiratory system was similar in both ARDS forms provided that different PEEPs were applied. A wide range of compliance is present in every ARDS type; therefore, the setting of mechanical ventilation should be individualized patient by patient and not based on the etiology of ARDS., Competing Interests: The authors have disclosed no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 by Daedalus Enterprises.)

The purpose of this article is to assess the association of test anxiety and academic performance with study skills, coping mechanism, self-concept, self-esteem, and psychological distress among university and high school students. A series of validated measures were administered to 284 Kosovar students, most of whom were in college (60.3%). Being in college and social support resulted as protective factors for test anxiety. Better study skills, self-concept, and psychological distress were indicative of higher test anxiety. Higher levels of self-esteem were associated with higher student success. Practical implications and research future directions have also been discussed., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.