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Akinsegun A Akinbami,1 Sarah O Ajibola,2 Kabiru A Rabiu,3 Adeniyi A Adewunmi,3 Adedoyin O Dosunmu,1 Adewumi Adediran,4 Vincent O Osunkalu,4 Bodunrin I Osikomaiya,5 Kamal A Ismail,51Department of Haematology and Blood Transfusion, Lagos State University, College of Medicine, 2Department of Haematology and Blood, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, 3Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Lagos State University, College of Medicine, 4Department of Haematology and Blood, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, 5Department of Haematology and Blood Transfusion, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, NigeriaBackground: Hematological profile is considered one of the factors affecting pregnancy and its outcome. Anemia is the most common hematological problem in pregnancy, followed by thrombocytopenia. Leukocytosis is almost always associated with pregnancy. The study reported here was designed to evaluate the overall mean values of seven major hematological parameters and their mean values at different trimesters of pregnancy.Subjects and methods: This examination was a cross-sectional study of 274 pregnant women who registered to attend the Lagos University Teaching Hospital or Lagos State University Teaching Hospital antenatal clinics between their first and third trimester. Blood (4.5 mL) was collected from each participant into a tube containing the anticoagulant ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). A full blood count was performed on each sample and the results were analyzed.Results: Overall, the values obtained were (mean ± standard deviation [SD]): hematocrit level, 30.16% ± 5.55%; hemoglobin concentration, 10.94 ± 1.86 g/dL; white blood cells, 7.81 ± 2.34 × 109; platelets, 228.29 ± 65.6 × 109; cell volume 78.30 ± 5.70 fL, corpuscular hemoglobin, 28.57 ± 2.48 pg; and corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, 36.45 ± 1.10 g/dL. When grouped by trimester, the mean ± SD value of packed cell volume at first trimester was 32.07% ± 6.80%; of second trimester, 29.76% ± 5.21%; and of third, 33.04% ± 3.88%. The mean ± SD hemoglobin concentration values were 11.59 ± 2.35 g/dL, 10.81 ± 1.72 g/dL, and 10.38 ± 1.27 g/dL for women in their first, second, and third trimester, respectively. Mean ± SD white blood cell concentration for first, second, and third trimesters were 7.31 ± 2.38 × 109, 7.88 ± 2.33 × 109, and 8.37 ± 2.15 × 109, respectively, while the mean ± SD platelet values for first, second, and third trimesters were 231.50 ± 79.10 × 109, 227.57 ± 63 × 109, and 200.82 ± 94.42 × 109, respectively. A statistically significant relationship was found to exist between packed cell volume and white blood cell count with increase in gestational age (P = 0.010 and 0.001, respectively). However, there was no statistically significant association between platelet count and increase in gestational age (P = 0.296).Conclusion: These findings reinforce the need for supplementation and provide additional information on hematological reference values in pregnancy in Nigeria.Keywords: anemia, thrombocytopenia, hematology, normal pregnancy, trimester

Plant breeding, often known as the science of plant development, is the study and practice of modifying a plant’s genetic makeup through a variety of breeding techniques to produce higher-quality, more prolific, and more resistant to harsh environmental circumstances. Classical breeding programs are indispensable techniques for increasing yields and improving plant characteristics, but they are progressing too slowly to meet the increasing food demand of the rapidly growing world population alone. Considering that the development periods of plants are generally long in traditional plant breeding, the opportunity to develop higher quality and more productive species that are more resistant to abiotic and biotic stress factors is very limited. Because there are multiple steps required in producing new plant varieties, including hybridization, selection, and testing, the process of creating a new variation takes several years. However, it is important to rapidly develop plant varieties with desirable characteristics to meet the increasing food demand of the rapidly growing world population, so the application of biotechnological methods integrated into plant breeding and combined with traditional methods can help reduce food shortages. Today, with the quick acceleration of biotechnology, molecular DNA marker technology has been developed in plant breeding and very important developments have been experienced. Thanks to the development of molecular tools for genetic research aimed at improving agricultural traits in plants related to crop yield, crop quality, or tolerance to adverse environmental conditions, we now have a much better understanding of plant genetics and the architecture and function of plant genomes. Therefore, it is of critical importance to revise current breeding procedures by incorporating molecular markers into breeding programs in the future.

Abstract Background Childhood obesity has become a major global health problem. Obesity is associated with major health problems, such as diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease. Obesity is also considered a risk factor for Pseudotumor cerebri (PTC). The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between body mass index (BMI), and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure in patients with pseudotumor cerebri. Methods A total of 48 children diagnosed with PTC, who were aged

Background/Aims: Anatomy education is of great importance in evaluating the human body as a whole and understanding the normal functioning of organs and systems. Knowledge of human anatomy plays a critical role in the diagnosis of diseases, surgical interventions, evaluation of the health status of patients, and interpretation of the results of advanced imaging techniques. This study aims to evaluate the satisfaction of learning anatomy with the three-dimensional virtual anatomy atlas we developed and to investigate the effect of virtual three-dimensional applications on learning compared to traditional materials.Methods: The 3D applied atlas we developed was sent to the Faculty of Medicine term 1-2, Dentistry term 1, and Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation term 1 students. Students were asked to use the 3D applied atlas in addition to traditional medical education materials in their anatomy learning process. A 9-question Google Forms survey was prepared to evaluate their satisfaction of the application.Results: 471 participants from the Faculty of Dentistry, Medicine Term 1-2, and Physiotherapy Rehabilitation classes participated in our survey. Of the participants, 140 were Faculty of Dentistry students, 70 were Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation (PTR), 172 were Faculty of Medicine 1st Term and 89 were Faculty of Medicine 2nd Term. The number of students who found two-dimensional atlases useful was 198, while the number of students who found 3D models useful was 231. The number of students who found the cadaver model useful was 161.Conclusions: Based on the survey data we obtained, we can say that the students are satisfied with our 3D atlas application and have a positive attitude towards three-dimensional educational materials.

The purpose of this study is to examine whether there are differences in critical thinking dispositions and cognitive flexibility among university students based on gender, grade level, and faculty. Additionally, the study will investigate the relationship between these two concepts and their predictive power. The study was conducted using a relational survey model and included 366 university students selected through maximum diversity sampling. The study involved university students from various faculties and grade levels. Data was collected through a personal information form, cognitive flexibility inventory, and critical thinking disposition scale. The data was analyzed using the SPSS 25 program. The results indicate that university students exhibit relatively high levels of cognitive flexibility and critical thinking tendencies. Above the medium level, there was a significant positive relationship between cognitive flexibility and critical thinking tendency. Cognitive flexibility was found to be a significant predictor of critical thinking dispositions, positively and significantly predicting critical thinking disposition and explaining 40% of it. Individuals with critical thinking tendencies exhibit cognitive flexibility, which is also associated with thinking critically. Therefore, cognitive flexibility and critical thinking are interrelated characteristics.

The high demand for drinking water has increased the by-products from treatment plants, notably during coagulation-flocculation, leading to substantial sludges' accumulation. This study aims to focus on the characterization of drinking water treatment sludge (DWTS) batches from the three last years and statically studying it's uniformity, as exploring potential repurposing options. The samples were characterized using X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES), Loss On Ignition (LOI), and Granulometric analysis. The results evinced that DWTS have a sandy nature, the organic fraction takes third of the DWTS’ chemical composition, the amount of Al2O3 + SiO2 + Fe2O3 is slightly different, with 55.84, 57.47, and 56.14 % for DWTS21, DWTS22, and DWTS23 respectively, as per ANOVA results, which exhibited the consistency sludge composition among the samples, providing valuable insights into repurposing DWTS, and contributing to sustainable and eco-friendly practices in the construction industry especially DWTS21, which presents higher content of CaO with 2.95 %.

Background and Objective: Extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL) is mong the the low-risk treatment methods of treating kidney stones. Specialists are looking for ways to remove small stones caused by ESWL in patients as soon as possible. The present study aimed to determine the effect of isosorbide on the duration of renal pelvis excretion after ESWL. Materials and Methods: In this clinical trial, 176 patients with renal pelvis < 20 mm, who were referred to the ESWL Department of Moradi Hospital, Rafsanjan, Iran, in 2019, were examined. After lithotripsy, the patients were randomly assigned into two intervention groups of receivers of isosorbide 20 mg tablets every 12 hours for two weeks and placebo control for two weeks. The collected data was analyzed using Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis statistical tests. Results: The success of ESWL was 78.2% in the isosorbide group and 77.5% in the placebo group (P=0.919). The average duration of stone excretion in the isosorbide group was 4.21 ± 1.05 days, and the placebo group was 4.79 ± 1.16 (P=0.001). In the isosorbide group, the duration of stone excretion in patients with stone size 16-20 mm was less than 16 mm (P=0.011). The average duration of stone excretion in patients 36-55 years old (P=0.021) and patients with right-sided stones (P=0.008) in the isosorbide group was less than the placebo group. Conclusion: Isosorbide, accompanied by other treatments, reduced the duration of stone excretion after ESWL. Moreover, although Isosorbide can be used to improve the management of patients with kidney stones, more studies are needed to confirm this finding.

In today’s world, there has been a significant increase in the diversity of data sources and the volume of data. This situation especially necessitates the use of technologies such as deep learning in data processing. This study thoroughly examines the processing of computed tomography (CT) images with deep learning models and their role in the diagnosis of brain hemorrhages, proposing an innovative deep learning-based model for accurately detecting and segmenting brain hemorrhages. This model combines the architectures of Mask Scoring R-CNN and EfficientNet-B2, offering an effective approach for the detection and classification of brain hemorrhages. MS R-CNN is used to detect potential hemorrhage areas in CT images, while the EfficientNet-B2 architecture serves a classification function to determine whether these areas indeed contain hemorrhages. Thus, the model offers a two-stage verification process that enhances accuracy and precision. The performance of the model has been evaluated under patient-based and random partitioning techniques using by employing two distinct datasets: an open-access and a private. In patient-based evaluation, the proposed model has an accuracy of %91.59 on open dataset and an accuracy of %90.46 on private dataset for SDH hemorrhages. In the random partitioning method, the model’s accuracy rate has risen to %94.30 on open dataset and %97.33 on private dataset. Compared with similar studies in the literature, these results demonstrate that the model has a high level of accuracy and reliability. This study highlights the potential and importance of AI-supported methods in the detection of brain hemorrhages and provides a solid foundation for future work in this area. Additionally, the results obtained from an open dataset by the proposed model offer a realistic and comparable reference for future work in this field. The results obtained from a second data set also clearly demonstrate the validity of the model.

In industrial electromechanical manufacturing, ensuring the accuracy of electrical partial discharge measurements is crucial for the reliability and efficiency of electrical power systems. The cornerstone of such precision is a well-designed partial discharge calibrator that strictly aligns with the IEC 60270 standard parameters, including apparent charge, rise time, and pulse repetition frequency. This research delineates the systematic development and subsequent performance evaluations of an innovative industrial partial discharge calibrator. The calibrator uniquely integrates advanced functionality while maintaining cost efficiency, offering an alternative to the current partial discharge calibrator market. Its design allows for a broad spectrum of pulse frequency adjustments, making it adaptable to various apparent charge bandwidths and highlighting its adaptability for high-voltage applications. Building upon the foundational understanding of partial discharge as characterized by standards such as IEC 60270, the study underscores the calibrator’s capacity to elevate the standards of partial discharge measurements within high-voltage equipment.

This research was carried carried to reveal the opinions of the parents of primary school students about mathematics homework. The research was designed with the case study model, which is one of the qualitative research methods. The study group of the research consists of 26 parents whose children are studying in a primary school in the central of Konya, Provincial Directorate of National Education in the 2022-2023 academic year. Care was taken in the selection of an equal number of participants from each grade level. The parents were selected using criterion sampling, one of the purposive sampling methods. The research data were collected with a semi-structured interview form and the interviews were recorded on a voice recorder. The semi-structured interview form prepared by the researcher consists of five questions aiming to reveal the views of the parents of primary school students on mathematics homework. Content analysis method was used in the analysis of the data. Parents participating in the research define mathematics homework as reinforcement and repetition. Parents are involved in mathematics homework as control or direct support. Although students usually allocate half an hour for their math homework, this time is less in the 1st and 2nd grades, and more in the 3rd and 4th grades. According to the parents, teachers check the homework constantly and in detail. It has been concluded that the students love to do short-term homework using technological tools, made with concrete materials, and they do not like to do long-term homework that requires writing.

In semi-arid Mediterranean areas, a significant proportion of the population living downstream depends on water resources from snowmelt and precipitation as their main source of water. Consequently, snow-covered mountain regions can be considered as a vital water tower, providing a steady supply of water, and contributing significantly to streamflow and groundwater recharge. Given the scarcity of ground-based hydroclimatic measurements, remote sensing could be an effective technique for mapping and monitoring snow cover. This study evaluates the last version of MODIS (version 6, called V6) snow cover product, optimizing the NDSI threshold for accurate snow cover mapping and developing models for local fractional snow cover estimation in the southern Mediterranean region, particularly in the Moroccan Atlas Mountains. For this purpose, 448 Sentinel-2 (S2) scenes from six different regions across the Atlas Range were used to adjust the NDSI threshold and to develop FSC estimation models. In addition, a total of 8419 MOD10A1 images from March 2000 to June 2023, and 7561 MYD10A1 images from September 2002 to June 2023, were processed to improve cloud filtering and to develop a highly accurate daily snow cover product suitable for the Moroccan Atlas Mountains. The cloud correction approach significantly reduced the number of cloud-covered pixels, from 25.7% to 0.4% after filtering. Two schemes for selecting the MODIS NDSI threshold were tested: (1) the global reference of 0.4 and (2) the locally optimal threshold of 0.2. The average snow cover estimation errors using the optimal and global NDSI thresholds for Terra are an average overestimation of 0.34% and a significant underestimation of 6.13%, respectively. For Aqua, the corresponding errors are an overestimation of 1.4% and an underestimation of 6.8%. Thus, the optimal NDSI threshold of 0.2 could be more appropriate than the threshold of 0.4 for use in the southern Mediterranean region. The new FSC estimation models developed showed satisfactory performance with significant correlation coefficients (mean of 0.85 for Terra and 0.83 for Aqua), and with low RMSE and MAE values (mean of 0.17 and 0.12 for Terra and mean of 0.19 and 0.14 for Aqua) when comparing FSC derived from high-resolution S2 data with predicted FSC from MODIS NDSI. The daily snow cover product developed was compared with the high-resolution snow maps obtained from S2 satellite imagery in different regions of the Moroccan Atlas. On average, the product showed a mean correlation coefficient of 0.96, a mean absolute error of 0.22%, and a mean reasonable negative bias of −0.17%. This research concludes that the enhanced daily snow cover product could improve the understanding of spatiotemporal dynamics of snow extent and, therefore, contribute to quantifying the snowmelt contribution to the water budget through modeling approaches in the southern Mediterranean region.

Summary: Background: Sequelae post-SARS-CoV-2 infection, including lung and functional impairment, pose a significant challenge post-recovery. We explored the burden and risk factors for post-COVID-19 sequelae in an African population with prevalent comorbidities including tuberculosis (TB) and HIV. Methods: We conducted an observational cohort study on hospitalised adults with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection from 20 March to 06 October 2021 at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, South Africa. We collected data on comorbidities, and COVID-19 severity using the World Health Organization (WHO) clinical progression scale. Prospectively, we followed up all participants within 40-days post-discharge to assess body mass index (BMI), COVID-19 symptoms and quality of life using St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), 6-min walking-test (6MWT), and spirometry. A subsequent in-depth visit assessed plethysmography, diffusing capacity for the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO), and high-resolution chest-CT. Findings: We followed up 111 participants, where 65.8% were female, median age 50.5 years, and predominantly black-African (92.8%). Relevant comorbidities included TB disease (18.9%) and HIV infection (36%). SGRQ total scores were elevated in 78.9%, median 6MWT distance was reduced at 300 m (IQR 210–400), and nearly half (49.5%) exhibited spirometry findings below the lower limit of normal (LLN). In-depth pulmonary assessment for 61 participants revealed abnormalities in total lung capacity (31.6% 35 kg/m2, and initial COVID-19 severity. Interpretation: This study demonstrates substantial lung and functional morbidity within the first weeks post-COVID-19, particularly in individuals with pre-existing comorbidities including TB, HIV, and low or high BMI. Chest-CT and DLCO show best early potential at reflecting COVID-19-related pathologies. Funding: The Bavarian State Ministry of Science and Arts.

Efficiency is a concept that evaluates the optimal utilization of resources, including time, energy, finances, or materials, in order to accomplish a particular goal or objective. As widely acknowledged, energy losses occur in systems involving relative motion between interacting machine elements due to friction. In the case of a gearbox, these losses can arise from tooth friction in the gear mechanism, friction in sealing elements, friction in roller bearings, and the influence of the lubricant used in the system, all of which are subject to environmental conditions. This study aims to experimentally determine the efficiency of the gearbox under various operating conditions by considering the gearbox as a comprehensive system encompassing all its components. A measurement system was designed in order to obtain the efficiency of a gearbox. Experiments and measurements were carried out via software support. The measurement system contains two torque transducers, electrical resistive load device, an electrical motor with temperature measurement thermocouple, and two stage helical gearbox. In experiments conducted through computer commands, input revolutions were incrementally increased with 400 rpm intervals within the range of 700–2700 rpm. Moreover, experiments were carried out at different lubricant levels in the gearbox. At the same time lubricant temperature was measured and effects to the gearbox efficiency were investigated. Subsequently, different lubricant with distinct viscosity indices were employed. As a result of this experimental design, regime efficiency values were obtained for each case. Thus, power loss of the gearbox system has been determined. These results were examined using a general full factorial design. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) tables were created and the effects of the parameters on the system and the efficiency results were determined by checking whether the parameters were interacting or not. Finally, regression analysis was performed and the regression function was obtained in order to develop a predictive model to estimate the efficiency of a gearbox.

Today’s global energy agenda focuses especially on the fields of increasing energy demand, security of supply and climate change. This situation causes the energy efficiency phenomenon to be considered by policymakers seriously, and additionally to be developed strategies by determining targets in this field. In this sense, it is thought that developments in the field of energy efficiency will increase energy savings and reduce emissions caused by high consumption. On the other hand, the expected improvements in energy saving based on consumer behavior are less than anticipated. In measuring the mentioned dimension, one of the important parameters is defined as the rebound effect. This effect is considered as a dilemma that is frequently emphasized, especially in developed countries since there is a prevailing opinion that the developments in energy efficiency may not cause the expected results in savings. Therefore, it is extremely important to accurately measure the dimensions of the said effect in terms of both guiding policymakers in their strategies on energy efficiency and preventing waste of resources. This study tests the validity of the rebound effect for Canada using annual data from 1972 to 2019. In the study, the Fourier Engle-Granger Cointegration Test, which is one of the current econometric methods, was used, and then FMOLS, CCR and DOLS methods were utilized for the estimation of the short- and long-term coefficients. Empirical findings suggest that increases in energy efficiency in Canada increase energy consumption. Thus, it can be said that the rebound effect is valid for Canada.

Nowadays, when the distinction between the digital and physical worlds is becoming less and less clear, social media is becoming the most important platform to meet people's communication needs. People are increasingly using social media to access the information they need about their beliefs as well as many other issues. While some of those who produce religious content on social media continue to convey their messages using traditional religious language, some content producers produce content in accordance with the popular language of social media. In this study, the issue of how the religious language in social media should be addressed by referring to the opinions of both content producers and social media users. In the research conducted within the study, semi-structured interviews were made with 27 social media users and 5 content producers, and the collected data were analyzed by descriptive analysis method. According to the findings, the language that social media users and content producers should use when sharing religious content on social media should be consistent, sincere, away from financial expectations, concise, tolerant, aesthetic, appropriate to the language of youth and holistic. In addition, religious content should be away from prohibitive language and should not distort the essence of religious values for the sake of popularity.

This paper provides an evaluation of a 4-kW grid-connected full-bridge PV inverter under three different scenarios to assess its reliability with a fixed PV degradation rate, with a climate-based degradation rate, and without considering PV degradation. The climate-based degradation rates are estimated using a physics-based model that considers the different parameters influencing the PV reliability. Three different locations representing three different climate zones (hot and dry, hot and humid, and moderate climates) have been chosen in this study. The estimated lifetime of the IGBT, the switching device in the PV inverter, varies depending on the location, with the inclusion of fixed and climate-based degradation rates extending the lifespan of the PV inverter in the examined locations. The results demonstrate the significant impact of PV climate-based degradation rates on power electronics' reliability assessment and the importance of considering various factors in predicting device failures. To ensure the PV inverter's lifespan over the desired period in areas with high solar irradiation rates and extremely hot climates, the design parameters should be slightly elevated above the standard value.

This study aims to identify the sources of Differential Item Functioning (DIF) using the Mixture Ordinal Logistic Regression (Mixture OLR) method, a contemporary approach for detecting DIF. To analyze mathematics self-efficacy, data from a scale comprising 9 items were obtained from 5000 8th-grade students as part of the ABIDE-2016 project. The study compared the presence and extent of DIF by gender using two methods and examined the sources of DIF for items displaying DIF with Mixture OLR. The OLR analysis revealed that five items exhibited DIF at level A, but no DIF was observed with Mixture OLR. Furthermore, it was found that the magnitude of DIF (B) for an item showing DIF at level A changed due to Mixture OLR. The results indicate that the homogeneity of the data affects both the number of items displaying DIF and the magnitude of DIF. Three items did not exhibit significant DIF according to both methods. One significant finding in the study highlights the moderating effect of latent class on item 8, where DIF was observed. However, the source of DIF was not related to gender but rather stemmed from different ecological variables. An analysis of latent class characteristics revealed that students with significant DIF effects had lower absenteeism and fewer siblings. Additionally, students in this class had greater access to books at home and participated in more out-of-school mathematics courses. Surprisingly, these students were found to engage less in social activities. Various factors can influence how students respond to test items, potentially leading to DIF. These factors may include cultural background, gender, social environment, school, teacher, family interest/attitude toward the child, and home climate. Therefore, when developing and administering tests, it is crucial to test for data homogeneity and consider the impact of these variables, in addition to gender, to identify any sources of DIF in test items.

Water erosion is a critical issue for Morocco, especially in its semi-arid regions, where climatic and edaphic conditions only allow erratic soil formation and vegetation growth. Therefore, water erosion endangers human activity both directly (loss of arable land, landslides, mudflows) and indirectly (siltation of dams, river pollution). This study is part of the Kingdom’s effort to assess the risk of water erosion in its territory. It is dedicated to the Bin El-Ouidane dam water catchment, one of the biggest water storage facilities in the country, located in the High Atlas Mountains. The poorly developed soils are very sensitive to erosion in this mountainous area that combines steep slopes and sparse vegetation cover. The calculation of soil losses is carried out with the RUSLE model and corrected by estimating areas of deposition based on the unit stream power theory. This method produces a mean erosion rate of around 6.3 t·ha -1·y -1, or an overall annual loss of 4.1 mln t, consistently with the siltation rate of the dam. Primary risk areas (erosion rates > 40 t·ha -1·y -1) account for 54% of the total losses, while they cover only 7% of the catchment. This distribution of the soil losses also shows that the erosion risk is mainly correlated to slope, directing the means of control toward mechanical interventions.

Objective: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are calcium-dependent zinc-containing proteases containing more than 28 enzymes that cause the degrading of the extracellular matrix. Although MMPs play key roles in many biological processes, they influence some pathological processes such as ischemic stroke (IS). Among MMPs, the enzyme most associated with IS is the MMP9 enzyme. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the C-1562T (rs3918242) gene polymorphism of MMP9 on the development of IS in Turkish patients living in the Trakya Region. Materials and Methods: Our study involved 60 patients with IS and 60 controls. The patients with IS were categorized according to the Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment classification of stroke subtypes, and MMP9 C-1652T gene polymorphism was identified using polymerase chain reaction, followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism using the Pael (SphI) restriction enzyme. Results: Genotypes were defined as CC, CT, and TT according to the presence of C and T alleles. No significant differences were identified in the genotype distribution and allele frequency of MMP9 C-1562T gene polymorphism between the patients with IS and controls. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that MMP9 C-1562T gene polymorphism is not associated with the risk of IS in Turkish patients living in the Trakya Region.

Çalışmada, ardışık düşük doz gama () ışınlarının mono-kristal Silisyum (c-Si) güneş hücresi üzerine etkisi incelendi. ışını kaynağı olarak 60Co kullanılmıştır. c-Si güneş hücresinin performansı, radyasyon öncesi ve sonrası karanlık ve AM1.5G ışık koşullarında alınan akım-voltaj (I-V), dışsal kuantum verimlilik (EQE), kapasitans-voltaj (C-V) ve iletkenlik-voltaj (G/-V) ölçümleri ile belirlenmiştir. Deneysel sonuçlar, radyasyona maruz kaldıktan sonra hücrelerin idealite faktörlerinin arttığını göstermektedir. Doz miktarı arttıkça kısa devre akımı (Isc) ve verim () değerleri azalırken, açık devre voltajı (Voc) ve doluluk faktörü (FF) değerleri ise yaklaşık sabit kalmaktadır. Dışsal kuantum verimlilik (EQE) ölçümleri, güneş hücresinde oluşan hasarın taban katmanında oluştuğu gösterirken, hücrede oluşan bu hasarın azınlık yük taşıyıcısı yarı ömründe oluşan azalma ile ilişkilendirilmektedir. Ayrıca, aygıt performansındaki değişim C-V ve G/-V ölçümleri ile de doğrulanmıştır. Deneysel sonuçlar, radyasyon öncesi ve sonrası karşılaştırılarak tartışılmıştır.

Introduction: The aim’s study is to provide a model to examine the factors affecting the culture of tax collection force and its consequences in the Tax Administration. To achieve this aim, the Tax Administration need to have the expertise high quality of the employees. In this regard, managers often attribute the success of the organization to the culture of the organizational dynamic culture based on innovation, teamwork and empowerment of its employees. Methodology: The paper’s method is a mixed one (first qualitative and then quantitative). In the first part, the foundation data theory was used; through which the theory is formed based on the main concepts derived from the data. In the qualitative part, using the data theory of the foundation derived from Strauss and Corbin theory and conducting in-depth semi-structured interviews with tax experts, the model of tax collection force culture in the country's tax organization and its affiliated departments in the form of 43 concepts, 8 subcategories and 4 main categories and analyzed and extracted. Then, based on the process model and legal statements obtained from the first stage, research hypotheses are formulated and at the level of branches of the General Directorate of Taxation across the country by cluster sampling, a sample of 360 employees of the branches of the General Directorate of Tax Affairs throughout the country using It was selected from Cochran's formula and tested. This research is also a kind of exploratory research. The test of the model was performed using structural equation modeling based on partial least squares (in the quantitative part) and according to the data obtained with the help of software (Smart PLS). Results and Discussion: Based on results the variables of competitive environment and change in business parameters have a positive and significant effect on the culture of tax collection force in the tax administration and its affiliates and its establishment has consequences related to the tax system, taxpayers and It has employees. In the second part, in addition to confirming the validity of the model, all the hypotheses were confirmed. Dimensions and indicators related to each of the factors in the research findings are presented. Conclusion: In order to create a competitive environment in the General Administration of Taxation across the country need to have enriching the jobs and taxpayers for more diverse services, thus the performance of the tax collection force culture and related mechanisms has become extremely important. Build a strong school-based revenue culture based on focused service delivery as well as a core team among their office staff and improve the quality of their services day by day. Due to the conditions of the Iranian tax system, no careful studies have been conducted on the subculture of the tax collection force in the tax system and the country's tax affairs organization. There seems to be a significant gap in this area. In this regard, studying the culture of the tax collection force in the Tax Affairs Organization as a large financial intermediary organization and an important income is a step towards transparency and a deeper understanding of this issue. Accordingly, in this study, the dimensions of the culture of tax collection force in the Tax Affairs Organization of the country consisting of 4 categories and 22 concepts, causal conditions including 2 categories and 1 concept and the consequences of its establishment consisting of three categories and one concept were identified. In the second part of the research, by using the partial least squares technique, explain the structure and indices of research’s model, by testing the hypotheses, the results showed the validity and generalizability of the research model.

Abstract Background The political instability, economic crisis, and devaluation of the national currency left Lebanese females suffering from a scarcity of oral contraceptive pills (OCPs). Therefore, we aimed to identify the incidence of OCPs shortage in Lebanon and its impact on women’s sexual and reproductive health, as well as physical and psychological well-being. Methods Community pharmacies were selected randomly across Lebanon, using a stratified sampling approach, where female clients asking for OCPs were interviewed using a standardized data collection form. Results A total of 440 females were interviewed. More than three-quarters of the participants (76.4%) reported not finding their preferred OCPs brands, almost 40% were affected by the increased prices, and 28.4% declared stockpiling OCPs. More than half of the participants using OCPs for pregnancy prevention reported adopting alternative traditional contraceptive methods (55.3%). Unplanned pregnancy was reported by 9.5% of participants, where 75% of them disclosed intentional abortion while the remaining (25%) reported experiencing a spontaneous miscarriage. Other consequences of OCPs shortage included mood disturbances (52.3%), dysregulation of menses (49.7%), dysmenorrhea (21.1%), weight gain (19.6%), acne (15.7%), and hirsutism (12.5%). Of the participants taking OCPs for birth control, 48.6% reported a reduced frequency of sexual intercourse, which led to conflicts with their partners (46%) and a decreased libido (26.7%). Conclusions OCPs shortage has seriously and negatively exposed women to various undesirable consequences including unplanned pregnancy and dysregulation of menses. Therefore, there is an urgent need to bring the attention of healthcare authorities to support the national pharmaceutical industry in manufacturing affordable OCPs generics to meet women’s reproductive health demands.

Objective To compare the degree of efficiency between density gradient centrifugation (DGC) method and an extended horizontal swim-up (SU) method. Methods A total of 97 couples undergoing in vitro fertilization were enrolled in the study. Semen samples were divided into three aliquots and treated using DGC, extended horizontal SU, and combined methods. DNA fragmentation and chromatin decondensation were detected in native semen samples and their three corresponding aliquots. The corresponding mature oocytes of each semen sample were divided into two sibling cultures. The first sibling culture was microinjected with semen pellets from DGC, and the second sibling culture was microinjected with semen pellets from the combination of both methods. Fertilization rate and embryonic development were assessed at day 3. Results DNA fragmentation and chromatin decondensation was significantly low in DGC and extended horizontal SU samples; however, the rates of DNA fragmentation and chromatin decondensation were significantly lower in extended horizontal SU samples than in DGC samples. The lowest rates of DNA fragmentation and chromatin decondensation corresponded to the samples treated with both methods. The highest rates of DNA fragmentation and chromatin decondensation corresponded to the samples treated with DGC. No significant difference was found in the fertilization rate or day 3 embryos between sibling cultures. Conclusion The combination of DGC and the extended horizontal SU techniques is best for giving the lowest rates of sperm DNA fragmentation and chromatin decondensation.

Amaç: Çalışmanın temel amacı, Türkiye’nin enerjide dışa bağımlılığı ve ekonomik büyümesinin ülkedeki enerji verimliliği düzeyi üzerindeki etkilerinin incelenmesidir. Yöntem: Çalışmada, 1980-2020 yılları arasındaki dönem ele alınırken, ekonometrik model olarak, ARDL Sınır Testi yöntemi kullanılmaktadır. Ampirik sonuçlar kısa ve uzun dönem için ayrı ayrı elde edilmiştir. Bulgular: Elde edilen bulgular, kısa vadede gelir düzeyindeki artışın enerji verimliliğini artırdığı, enerjide dışa bağımlılığı ise azalttığı yönündedir. Uzun dönemde ise enerjide dışa bağımlılık istatistiksel olarak anlamsız bulunmuştur. Dolayısıyla, dışa bağımlılık enerji verimliliğini sadece kısa dönemde etkilemektedir. Ayrıca, gelir düzeyindeki bir artış, kısa vadede olduğu gibi uzun vadede de enerji verimliliğini desteklemektedir. Özgünlük: Bu çalışmada, enerjide dışa bağımlılık, GSYH ve enerji verimliliği arasındaki ilişki değerlendirilmektedir. Literatürde Türkiye için bu değişkenlerin ilişkisini inceleyen bir çalışmaya rastlanmamıştır. Dolayısıyla, çalışmanın ilgili alana katkı sağlayacağı düşünülmektedir.

Abstract Retinal issues are crucial because they result in visual loss. Early diagnosis can aid physicians in initiating treatment and preventing visual loss. Optical coherence tomography (OCT), which portrays retinal morphology cross-sectionally and noninvasively, is used to identify retinal abnormalities. The process of analyzing OCT images, on the other hand, takes time. This study has proposed a hybrid approach based on a fully dense fusion neural network (FD-CNN) and dual preprocessing to identify retinal diseases, such as choroidal neovascularization, diabetic macular edema, drusen from OCT images. A dual preprocessing methodology, in other words, a hybrid speckle reduction filter was initially used to diminish speckle noise present in OCT images. Secondly, the FD-CNN architecture was trained, and the features obtained from this architecture were extracted. Then Deep Support Vector Machine (D-SVM) and Deep K-Nearest Neighbor (D-KNN) classifiers were proposed to reclassify those features and tested on University of California San Diego (UCSD) and Duke OCT datasets. D-SVM demonstrated the best performance in both datasets. D-SVM achieved 99.60% accuracy, 99.60% sensitivity, 99.87% specificity, 99.60% precision and 99.60% F1 score in the UCSD dataset. It achieved 97.50% accuracy, 97.64% sensitivity, 98.91% specificity, 96.61% precision, and 97.03% F1 score in Duke dataset. Additionally, the results were compared to state-of-the-art works on the both datasets. The D-SVM was demonstrated to be an efficient and productive strategy for improving the robustness of automatic retinal disease classification. Also, in this study, it is shown that the unboxing of how AI systems' black-box choices is made by generating heat maps using the local interpretable model-agnostic explanation method, which is an explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) technique. Heat maps, in particular, may contribute to the development of more stable deep learning-based systems, as well as enhancing the confidence in the diagnosis of retinal disease in the analysis of OCT image for ophthalmologists.

This paper presents the optimization of a 10 MW solar/wind/diesel power generation system with a battery energy storage system (BESS) for one feeder of the distribution system in Koh Samui, an island in southern Thailand. The main objectives are to maximize the deployment of renewable energy-based power generation and to minimize the levelized cost of energy (LCOE). A hybrid renewable energy-based power generation system, consisting of solar PV, wind turbine generators, diesel generator (DiG), bi-directional grid-tied charging inverter (CONV) and BESS, was simulated using HOMER Pro®. This study accessed the database of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for the Surface meteorology and Solar Energy (SSE) for the global solar radiation and temperature, along with the Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA-2) wind database. The simulations show that Scenario 1 (PV/Wind/DiG/BESS/CONV) and Scenario 3 (PV/DiG/BESS/CONV) are the optimal configurations regarding the economic indicators (i.e. minimum net present costs (NPC) of 438 M$ and LCOE of 0.20 $/kWh) and the environmental indicators (i.e. lowest greenhouse gases (GHG) emission avoidances of 6,339 tonnes/year and highest renewable fraction (RF) of 89.4%). Furthermore, the sensitivity analysis illustrates that Scenario 3 offers the optimal system type with the largest annual energy production (AEP). Besides contributing to the body of knowledge of optimization methodologies for microgrid hybrid power systems, the outcome of this work will assist the regional energy practitioners and policy makers regarding optimal configurations of microgrid hybrid systems in the development of a Green Island concept for Koh Samui.

Educators have long emphasized the importance of relating mathematics to everyday life situations. During the primary school years, mathematical modeling activities play an important role in this regard. Through a mathematical modeling activity prepared in accordance with the length and area measurement learning outcomes in the primary school 4th-grade mathematics curriculum, the purpose of this study was to determine students' mathematical modeling competencies. The study adopted a qualitative approach using a teaching experiment model. The study involved three students selected from 33 in a state primary school through criterion sampling. Farmer Uncle Hüseyin model eliciting activity (MEA) was given to the focus group to work on, and the whole process was videotaped. Each video recording was transcribed in detail. Transcriptions, student handouts, and researcher field notes were analyzed using the mathematical modeling competencies cycle developed by Blum and Kaiser and adapted by Maaß (2006). Modeling competencies of students were found to be at different levels. Based on the study, the students' warm-up activities, the context of the MEA, and their previous modeling experiences all contributed to the students' representation of different levels of modeling competency. Due to the frequent use of multiple-choice questions in their classrooms, students also had difficulty interpreting qualitative data and understanding the mathematical task they were given.

Data science techniques are powerful tools for extracting knowledge from large datasets. Analyzing the job market by classifying online job advertisements (ads) has recently received much attention. Various approaches for multi-label classification (e.g., self-supervised learning and clustering) have been developed to identify the occupation from a job advertisement and have achieved a satisfying performance. However, these approaches require labeled datasets with hundreds of thousands of examples and focus on specific databases such as the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) that are more adapted to the US job market. In this paper, we present a two-stage job title identification methodology to address the case of small datasets. We use Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) to first classify the job ads according to their corresponding sector (e.g., Information Technology, Agriculture). Then, we use unsupervised machine learning algorithms and some similarity measures to find the closest matching job title from the list of occupations within the predicted sector. We also propose a novel document embedding strategy to address the issues of processing and classifying job ads. Our experimental results show that the proposed two-stage approach improves the job title identification accuracy by 14% to achieve more than 85% in some sectors. Moreover, we found that incorporating document embedding-based approaches such as weighting strategies and noise removal improves the classification accuracy by 23.5% compared to approaches based on the Bag of words model. Further evaluations verify that the proposed methodology either outperforms or performs at least as well as the state-of-the-art methods. Applying the proposed methodology to Moroccan job market data has helped identify emerging and high-demand occupations in Morocco.

This paper presents a techno-economic assessment of a 100 kWp solar rooftop photovoltaic (PV) system at five hospitals in central southern Thailand. The system encompasses 100 kWp PV panels, 100 kW grid-tied inverters and balance of system (BOS) under the grid code of the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA). The latest PV technology of bifacial mono-crystalline solar panels, inverters and BOS were simulated along with the Meteonorm 7.3 database using the PVsyst simulation toolkit with different tilt angles, orientations, solar radiations and ambient temperature. The technical aspects of solar rooftop PV power generation systems include the annual energy output and the performance ratio (PR) under IEC standard. Further, an economic analysis of the model was examined using a cost benefit analysis (CBA) and various assumptions. Four main financial criteria, i.e., benefit cost ratio (BCR), net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), and payback period (PBP) were evaluated under three different scenarios: (1) self-consumption scheme, (2) feed-in tariff (FiT) scheme, and (3) private power purchase agreement (PPA) scheme. Finally, the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) was also calculated. The results reveal that the Takua Thung hospital is characterized by the maximum average global horizontal irradiation (GHI) and the maximum annual produced energy of 199 kWh/m2 and 164.8 MWh/year, respectively. The PR calculated for all hospital sites is above 85%. The outcomes of the financial analysis show that the optimum scenarios are PPA and FiT schemes. The LCOE analysed in this study indicates that the Takua Thung hospital site has the lowest LCOE at 2.47 THB/kWh (0.07 USD/kWh). This research confirms the potential for hospitals and stakeholders in central southern Thailand for investments in solar rooftop PV systems

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of an 8 week quick strength training program related to the technique on the physical properties and technical capacities of the wrestlers. A total of 30 male wrestlers, 15 in the experimental group and in 15 control group, aged 18-25, who have been actively wrestling for 6-8 years, participated in this study. Measurements of the experimental and control group wrestlers have been taken before and after the training. In order to determine the differences between the experimental and control group wrestlers with the SPSS program the t-test has been applied to the dependent groups and the p lt;0.05 value has been considered significant. The test results of the experimental group wrestlwers, differences between the measurement values of aerobic capacity, cross-buttock, fireman’s lift, shoulder throw and double arm hip throw technique have been found statistically significant (p gt;0.05). The differences between the body weight, hand grip and back strength of the experimental and control group wrestlers and aerobic capacity, cross-buttock, fireman’s lift, shoulder throw and double arm hip throw technique application measurement values of the control group wrestlers have not been significant (p gt;0.05). As a result, has been obtained that the training and training program provided improvement in the physical and physiological characteristrics of the experimental group wrestlers.

Organizations are institutions that have an impact on many areas of life, from the economic development of countries to the change and transformation of societies. They also have strong and continuous interaction with their environment. The rapid and different production structure brought by technology and the diversification of consumers' need for goods and services force organizations to produce more and compete with rivals. Achieving a competitive advantage and being a premier in the market are among the main goals and objectives of organizations, especially in recent years. Factors such as technology, production structure, product diversity, organizational structure, and product and service components of organizations provide significant advantages in gaining a competitive advantage. In addition to these, the most important resource that is difficult to imitate for organizations to gain a competitive advantage and that will make a difference against their competitors in terms of competence and competence is human resources. The importance given to human resources by organizations that are aware of its power is increasing day by day. In this context, the study aims to define the effect of the POS of the employees on OI and to determine the mediating role of the employees' trust in the organization in the relationship between the POS and OI. The sample of the study consists of 453 employees determined by the convenience sampling method in the production enterprises located within the organized industrial zone in Niğde and Konya provinces. The hypotheses were analyzed by the structural equation method. According to the analysis, it is seen that there is a positive and significant correlation between POS and OI (p:0,000 r:0,907), a positive and significant relationship between OI and OT (p:0,000 r:0,821), and a positive and significant correlation between POS and OT (p:0,000 r:0,779). Besides, it was defined that OT has a mediating role in the effect of POS on OI.

Background: There is no consensus on the duration of dual antiaggregant therapy after carotid stenting. This study aimed to evaluate the early contribution of dual antiaggregant therapy for three or six months to stent restenosis. Objective: This study aimed to identify the correlation between stent restenosis and the duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) in carotid artery stenting (CAS) subjects by retrospectively scanning a CAS procedure dataset. Methods: Patients who underwent a CAS procedure received dual DAPT (acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) + clopidogrel) were recruited for this study. The first group was the patients who received dual antiaggregants for three months, and the second group was the patients who received dual antiaggregants for six months. Patients' demographic characteristics, comorbidities, and radiological results were reviewed. Follow-up activities for the following six months were assessed for stent status, complications, and new ischemic lesions. Results: A total of 65 patients received ASA (acetylsalicylic acid) + clopidogrel for six months, while the remaining 118 patients were treated for three months. The restenosis rates were not significantly different between the two groups. The complication and adverse event frequencies were also similar. Conclusion: This study revealed that the efficacy of 3-month and 6-month DAPT is similar regarding the restenosis frequency, and there are no significant differences in complication frequency.

A healthy democratic culture depends heavily on consensus based on rational and free discussion. Since there are students from different families in terms of socio-economic level, gender, culture, ethnic group, belief group and worldview in an average class, the school is considered as a reflection of the society. Learning how to discuss a topic together at school is an important civic skill in their daily and prospective life. So maintaining and sustaining democracy will require certain habits of mind. In order for citizens to adopt democratic values, they need to learn to argue and discuss, thus improve their decision-making and critical thinking skills. Therefore, discussion is both a democratic civic skill and teaching method. It is a skill which is acquired rather than described as innate. Democratic discussion requires students to be experienced. It has been observed that social studies stakeholders are generally keep their distance toward discussion. It can be argued that the reason for this situation is due to negative attitudes towards certain conditions of the discussion. When the relevant studies are examined, it has been observed that there are few studies carried out on the discussion attitudes of teacher candidates in the context of social studies. It is observed that pre-service teachers have both positive and negative attitudes towards discussion. On the other hand, the number of studies examining secondary school students' attitudes towards discussion is limited. Current study aims to examine the attitudes of three participant groups (student, teacher and pre-serive teacher) towards discussion. The survey model, which is one of the quantitative research methods, was used. The sample of the study consists of 269 students, 617 teacher candidates and 167 teacher, a total of 1053 participants, determined by the convenience sampling method. In order to collect data, the argumentative attitude scale developed by Infante and Rancer (1982) as 20 items and adapted into Turkish as 10 items by Turunç, Eser and Dinç (2018) and a personal information form developed by the researchers were used. Frequency and percentage distributions regarding the demographic characteristics of students, pre-service teachers and teachers, as well as the argumentative attitudes of the participants were determined according to the independent variables. The research shows that although teachers, students and prospective teachers have positive attitudes, they also have various concerns towards discussion. Related results denote that teachers, students, and pre-service teachers have conflicting feelings (Infante & Rancer, 1982) about discussion. In the light of the results in addition to ensuring the participation of teachers, students and pre-service teachers it is recommended to examine those in carefully prepared and conducted discussions beside conflicting emotions with process-based qualitative research.

The transformations of structural and thermal properties of bamboo precursor fiber impregnated with diammonium hydrogen phosphate (DAP), sodium metasilicate, and urea (in brief DAP-SMSU) throughout the oxidative thermal stabilization process were studied. The oxidation of bamboo fiber was performed for different oxidation duration from 40 to 120 minutes at temperatures up to 245°C utilizing a multistep stabilization strategy. X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were utilized to characterize the structure and properties of oxidized bamboo fibers. The outcomes indicate that DAP-SMSU integration greatly influenced enhancing the thermal stability of bamboo fibers. The findings of the XRD analysis revealed that the amorphization process with increasing stabilization time resulted in the loss of crystallinity and in the growing transformation to a significantly cross-linked and cyclized structure. TGA study revealed that DAP-SMSU pretreatment improved thermal stability by forming a growing amount of ladder-like structures comprising aromatic substances. The drop of crystallinity with time was observed by IR spectra, corroborating the results of X-ray diffraction studies. The development of double-bonded C = C was also observed in IR spectra, which was ascribed to the creation of a cross-linked ladder-like structure.

The effect of Dysprosium concentration has been studied in glasses of the system 30 SiO2 + 30 Li2O + (40−x) B2O3 + x Dy2O3 glass system where x = 0.5, 1, 2.5, 5 and 10 mol%. FT-IR studies were performed to understand the functional groups of the network involved in the host glass. The optical band gap is found in the range of 3.84–3.5 eV. From the absorption spectra, the experimental data were compared with the theoretical data computed by Judd–Ofelt theory. Nephelauxetic ratio (β) and bonding parameters (δ) computed using the absorption spectrum. The Judd–Ofelt parameters (Ω2, Ω4, and Ω6) obtained demonstrates the covalent and asymmetric nature of dysprosium ions. From the visible emission spectra, the intensity ratios were calculated from yellow to blue and the relative differences were discussed based on the concentration of Dy3+ ions. CIE chromaticity coordinates were calculated for all glass samples. A CIE chromatogram shows a glass containing 0.5 mol% Dy2O3 with color coordinates X = 0.32 and Y = 0.33 with the highest emission intensity. These glasses have great potentials for lasers and white LEDs (Light-Emitting Diode) applications. Resumen: Se ha estudiado el efecto de la concentración de disprosio en vidrios del sistema 30 SiO2 + 30 Li2O + (40-x) B2O3 + x Dy2O3, donde x = 0,5%, 1%, 2,5%, 5% y 10% en moles. Los estudios de FT-IR se realizaron para investigar y entender los grupos funcionales de la red que compone el vidrio. La banda prohibida óptica se encuentra entre 3,84 y 3,5 eV.Observando los espectros de absorción, los datos experimentales se compararon con los cálculos teóricos computados con la teoría de Judd-Ofelt. El nephelauxetic ratio (β) y los parámetros de unión (δ) se calcularon utilizando los espectros de absorción. Los parámetros (Ω2, Ω4 y Ω6), obtenidos mediante Judd-Ofelt, demuestran el carácter covalente y asimétrico de los iones de disprosio. A partir de los espectros de emisión visible se calcularon las relaciones de intensidad desde amarillo hasta azul, y se discutieron las diferencias relativas, basándose en la concentración de iones Dy3+. Se calcularon las coordenadas de cromaticidad CIE para todas las muestras de vidrio. El cromatograma CIE correspondiente a un vidrio que contiene 0,5% en moles de Dy2O3 muestra coordenadas de color X = 0,32 y Y = 0,33, con la mayor intensidad de emisión. Este conjunto de vidrios tiene un gran potencial para su posible uso en aplicaciones como láseres y LED blancos.

Researchers have worked on variety of natural fibers reinforced with polymer composites using different parameters to come up with various recommendations. The investigation involved aspects of composition materials and mechanical properties of natural fiber composites. The satisfactory results of natural fiber composites have encouraged researchers to delve deeper into the abilities of natural fiber composite in the form of a core structure. The potentiality of utilizing natural fiber composite in core design has wide potential in modern industries. This paper presents a review on natural fibers and polymer matrices commonly used in core fabrication, core design, fabricating processes of cores, and mechanical properties of cores. Ongoing research of rice husk composites to be fabricated in the form of honeycomb core structures is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Sample surveys are the mainstay of surveillance for acute malnutrition in settings affected by crises but are burdensome and have limited geographical coverage due to insecurity and other access issues. As a possible complement to surveys, we explored a statistical approach to predict the prevalent burden of acute malnutrition for small population strata in two crisis-affected countries, Somalia (2014–2018) and South Sudan (2015–2018). Methods For each country, we sourced datasets generated by humanitarian actors or other entities on insecurity, displacement, food insecurity, access to services, epidemic occurrence and other factors on the causal pathway to malnutrition. We merged these with datasets of sample household anthropometric surveys done at administrative level 3 (district, county) as part of nutritional surveillance, and, for each of several outcomes including binary and continuous indices based on either weight-for-height or middle-upper-arm circumference, fitted and evaluated the predictive performance of generalised linear models and, as an alternative, machine learning random forests. Results We developed models based on 85 ground surveys in Somalia and 175 in South Sudan. Livelihood type, armed conflict intensity, measles incidence, vegetation index and water price were important predictors in Somalia, and livelihood, measles incidence, rainfall and terms of trade (purchasing power) in South Sudan. However, both generalised linear models and random forests had low performance for both binary and continuous anthropometric outcomes. Conclusions Predictive models had disappointing performance and are not usable for action. The range of data used and their quality probably limited our analysis. The predictive approach remains theoretically attractive and deserves further evaluation with larger datasets across multiple settings.

Abstract For eye state recognition (closed or open), a mechanism based on deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) using the Zhejiang University (ZJU) and Closed Eyes in the Wild (CEW) dataset, has been proposed in this paper. In instances where blinking is consequential, eye state recognition plays a critical part for the development of human–machine interaction (HMI) solutions. To accomplish this objective, pre-trained CNN architectures on ImageNet were first trained on the both dataset, which included both open and closed-eye states, and then they were tested, and their performance was quantified. The AlexNet design has proven to be more successful owing to these assessments. The ZJU and CEW datasets were leveraged to train the DCNN architecture, which was constructed employing AlexNet modifications for performance enhancement. On the both datasets, the suggested DCNN architecture was tested for performance. The achieved DCNN design was found to have 97.32% accuracy, 95.37% sensitivity, 97.97% specificity, 93.99% precision, 94.67% F1 score, and 99.37% AUC values in the ZJU dataset, while it was found to have 97.93% accuracy, 98.74% sensitivity, 97.15% specificity, 97.11% precision, 97.92% F1 score, and 99.69% AUC values in the CEW dataset. Accordingly, when compared to CNN architectures, it scored the maximum performance. At the same time, the DCNN architecture proposed on the ZJU and CEW datasets has been confirmed to be an acceptable and productive solution for eye state recognition depending on the outcomes compared to the studies in the literature. This method may contribute to the development of HMI systems by adding to the literature on eye state recognition.

Abstract Background Effects of entomopathogenic fungi (EPF); Beauveria bassiana, Isaria fumosorosea and Pupureocillium lilacinum against tomato leafminer, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), which is one of the most economic pests of tomato, were investigated in Petri dish, pot and greenhouse experiments. Commercial bioinsecticide Met 52 was also used in the experiments. In the Petri dish trials, I. fumosorosea applied to the third instar larvae by dipping method was recorded as the most effective entomopathogen, while the efficacy of B. bassiana was high in the spray and residue methods. In the pot experiments, entomopathogenic fungi were applied to tomato plants before and after infestation with T. absoluta. Results As a result of the applications, it was found that the EPF significantly reduced the formation of galleries on tomato leaves when applied before or at the beginning of tomato leafminer infestation. In the greenhouse experiments a registered insecticide Voliam Targo was also applied. All applications significantly reduced the numbers of galleries on tomato leaves than in the control plants, in both greenhouse trials, made in Antalya and Isparta Provinces. I. fumosorosea was the most effective one among the tested 3 EPF. Conclusions In this study, it was determined that the EPF B. bassiana and P. lilacinum can reduce tomato leafminer damage, while the efficacy of I. fumosorosea was the highest, and especially after two applications it was nearly effective as the registered insecticide.

The goal of this paper is to develop a deep learning model for predicting citrus yield. The data used consists of two sources: (1) field data that includes information on fertilization and phytosanitary treatment products, water quantities used for irrigation, climatic data (temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind speed, and solar radiation), parcel sizes, and rootstock types for each parcel. (2) The second source comprises images representing the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and the normalized difference water index (NDWI), extracted from Sentinel-2 images taken before the harvest period.The data was collected over a period of 5 years, from 2015 to 2019, and pertains to 50 parcels within a Moroccan orchard. Following data preparation, we constructed a deep learning neural network model with multiple layers and parameters. This model takes the information from each parcel as input for training purposes. Subsequently, we evaluated the model using new data obtained from additional parcels located at various sites within our orchard.The test phase resulted in the following scores: 0.0458 (Mean Squared Error), 0.1450 (Mean Absolute Error), and 0.10 (Percentage Error). These scores reflect the strong predictive capability of our approach.

Extensive arsenic contamination of groundwater, rivers, and agricultural farms has led to widespread arsenic poisoning and consequent problems associated with health and economy. In recent years, many studies have been performed to understand bacterial arsenic detoxification and metabolism which has paved the way for bioremediation applications. This study attempted to isolate and characterize arsenic-resistant bacteria from the drying Urmia lake. As a result of the 16S rDNA analysis, six arsenic-resistant strains were identified as the members of Shouchella, Salipaludibacillus, and Evansella genera. For some of the strains, the maximum tolerance concentration for either arsenate or arsenite was considerably high, 320 and 16 mM, respectively. All the strains harbored the arsenate reductase gene (arsC). The arsenate permease (arsB) gene was identified in all strains except in strains S1, S12, and E15. The metabolic genes of respiratory arsenate reductase (arrB) and arsenite oxidase (arxA) were identified in none of these strains. This feature of the strains with the arsC gene region can be exploited to bioremediate arsenic from contaminated areas by using a two-step process. The second step can be carried out by the adsorption of arsenite to iron oxide or by precipitation with sulfide. Today, more and more ecosystems are being destroyed due to anthropogenic pollution, and it is important to reveal the negative effects and solutions of this situation on the ecosystems. So, the current study provides a potential source of bacteria for such studies that implement bioremediation practices to prevent arsenic catastrophe in vicinal territories, and reveals arsenic pollution in Urmia lake.

Glasses with compositions [(50-X) TeO2 − 20 B2O3 − 30 ZnO − x Dy2O3] where X = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 mol% were synthesized by melt quenching method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements confirmed the amorphous nature of the as-prepared glasses. UV–Vis absorption and PL spectroscopy studied the optical properties of the glass samples. High absorption of glass samples observed up to 3 mol% of Dy2O3, and then increasing the concentration of Dy2O3 reduces the absorption. The increasing concentration of Dy2O3 formed the glass sample containing 4 and 5 mol% Dy2O3 acts as a UV band-cutting filter. CIE achromatic color coordinates and CCT results for visible transitions confirm the ability of the glass samples under study as potential materials for white light-emitting diodes and laser application. The studies suggest that these materials are suitable for optoelectronic application.

In recent years, numerous casualties have been associated with a lack of safe navigation of ships. Despite advanced navigation systems and the implementation of safety management systems onboard ships, maritime safety is still one of the major concerns for the shipping industry. This research proposes a proactive modeling approach that utilizes Fuzzy Logic and Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference Systems (ANFIS). The model primarily provides continuous meteorological risk assessment for ships to improve marine navigational safety. In the study, Wind Speed, Sea Conditions, Visibility, and Day/Night Ratio are converted to meteorological risk factors using meteorological risk assessment system. Supported by ANFIS, the meteorological risk assessment system has demonstrated that the database contains details of over 180 marine casualty information involving navigation and traffic accidents. The results emphasize that environmental factors, as well as the Day/Night Ratio, significantly influence ship navigational safety. Hence, a meteorological risk assessment system can enhance navigational safety and prevent loss of life in the shipping industry. As a result, a meteorological risk assessment framework has enormous potential for preventing accidents and improving the safety and sustainability of the shipping industry. In this regard, the proposed model is a one-of-a-kind framework that will be extremely useful for mitigating and preventing the effects of maritime accidents.

Background: Ethics of education is one of the most important factors in educating the next generation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of the school management ethics program using the rate of return model to improve education plans and programs. Method: The research method was applied in terms of purpose and heuristic in terms of data type. In the qualitative part of the research, the foundation data method was used. There was a community of experts who purposefully selected the sample of 14 people with the principle of theoretical saturation. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Finally, the data were analyzed using coding method. In the quantitative descriptive-survey section, the population included school principals who were selected using cluster random sampling of 320 people. The instruments were three questionnaires: reaction, learning and job performance. One-group t-test was used to analyze the quantitative data and the ROI formula was used to calculate the return on investment. Results: Based on the qualitative findings, the ethical model of school management excellence was presented in the form of causal conditions, contextual conditions, intervening factors, central phenomena, strategies and consequences. The results of the quantitative section showed that the training courses of the ethical program of management excellence in the factors of reaction, learning, behavior, results and return on investment have had the necessary effectiveness and profitability. Conclusion: According to the research findings, in order to achieve an important goal such as return on investment, the education sector should be considered and ethical components should be given special attention in school management.