Search

Abstract Venous thrombosis (VT) is a common vascular disease associated with reduced survival and a high recurrence rate. VT is initiated by the accumulation of platelets and neutrophils at sites of endothelial cell activation. A role for platelet αIIbβ3 in VT is not established, a task complicated by the increased bleeding risk caused by partial agonists such as tirofiban. Here, we show that m-tirofiban, a modified version of tirofiban, does not agonize αIIbβ3 based on lack of neoepitope expression and the cryo-EM structure of m-tirofiban/full-length αIIbβ3 complex. m-tirofiban abolishes agonist-induced platelet aggregation while preserving clot retraction ex vivo and, unlike tirofiban, it suppresses venous thrombogenesis in a mouse model without increasing bleeding. These findings establish a key role for αIIbβ3 in VT initiation and suggest that m-tirofiban and compounds with a similar structurally-defined mechanism of action merit consideration as potential thromboprophylaxis agents in patients at high risk for VT and hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Nanoparticles are presently employed in a multitude of applications due to their advantageous features, which encompass simplicity, non-toxicity, affordability, lack of pollutants, and environmentally friendly process. Utilization of Sargassum sp extract for producing nano-copper oxide is environmentally friendly. The study demonstrates the synthesis of nano-copper oxide facilitated by the macroalgae Sargassum sp. and its application in functionalizing cellulose acetate membrane to enhance dye adsorption capacity. The objective of the current study is to assess the properties of the green synthesis product of nano-copper oxide by employing Sargassum sp. macroalgae and its functionalized cellulose acetate membrane for the purpose of dye adsorption.METHODS: The preparation of Sargassum sp. extract involved utilizing quantities of 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0 grams, which were subsequently combined with a copper sulphate solution to yield nano-copper oxide. Nano-copper oxide was characterized using ultra violet-visual spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope - energy dispersive spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, and fourier transform infrared techniques. Nano-copper oxide was introduced to bacterial acetate produced from pineapple peel waste to make a composite membrane and observed the antibacterial activity against E.coli and S.aureus, and dye adsorption to Methylene Blue, Malachite Green, Metanil Yellow, and Congo Red for 60 minutes contact time.FINDINGS: Nano-copper oxide is successfully synthesized using macroalgae Sargassum sp. proved by wavelength of ultra violet-visual spectroscopy results at 300 nanometer and energy dispersive spectroscopy analysis that denotes the presence of copper at 0.93 and 8.04 kilo electron volt. It has been verified that the inclusion of Sargassum sp. has effectively facilitated the production of nano-copper oxide. The findings from X-ray diffraction analysis reveal that the crystallite size of the nano-copper oxide measures approximately 19.5 nanometers. Adding nano-copper oxide as much as 2.0 weight percent into cellulose acetate membrane reduces membrane crystalline index from 88.6 percent to 85.7 percent but gives benefit in increasing the anti-bacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The adsorption capacity is enhanced for Methylene Blue and Malachite green dyes, whereas it is diminished for Metanil Yellow and Congo Red dyes.CONCLUSION: Sargassum sp. was effectively employed as a reducing agent to synthesize nano-copper oxide, with an optimal concentration of 5.0 grams for achieving green synthesis. The copper metal obtained through green synthesis exhibits a spherical morphology and possesses an average crystallite size of approximately 19.5 nanometers. It has a percentage atomic weight of 60.6 percent. Introducing nano-copper oxide by 2.0 weight percent into bacterial cellulose acetate membrane reduces the crystalline index from 88.6 percent to 85.7 percent. The rise in nano-copper oxide content within the cellulose acetate membrane leads to a proportional increase in the membrane's antibacterial properties. Additionally, the adsorption of cationic dye in cellulose acetate composite is enhanced, while the adsorption of anionic dye is diminished.

Abstract Food waste is a major issue that affects the environment, the economy, and society at large. Food waste management has become a crucial concern in the context of Saudi Arabia, a nation undergoing fast economic expansion and shifting consumer patterns. This thorough analysis looks at the options and problems related to food waste in Saudi Arabia, emphasizing the effects on the country’s economy and ecology. The report starts by describing the extent of food waste in Saudi Arabia, using studies and statistics that are currently accessible to provide readers a clear picture of the problem’s scope. The main causes of food waste in the nation are then identified, including dietary habits, supply chain inefficiencies, cultural norms, and a lack of infrastructure for food recovery and redistribution. It also looks into the financial effects, including what it costs for individuals, companies, and the government, as well as any possible profits from programs to recycle and reduce food waste. The report also looks at current programs and tactics used to combat food waste in Saudi Arabia, including public-private partnerships, regulatory interventions, awareness campaigns, and technology advancements. It assesses the efficacy of these activities and pinpoints any shortcomings or potential areas for development. This study concludes by highlighting the critical need for coordinated effort to eliminate food waste in Saudi Arabia and highlighting the significance of governmental support, infrastructure investment, multi-stakeholder engagement, and public awareness. Saudi Arabia can lessen its environmental impact, preserve resources, provide economic opportunities, and support international efforts for sustainable development by reducing food waste.

Over the years, the need for healthy food has increased the demand for seafood in the international market. However, despite the high global demand, seafood is highly perishable and may harbour pathogenic microorganisms that could be transferred to humans during handling, processing, and consumption. Therefore, establishing strict food safety standards and risk communication tools is critical to prevent the infiltration of unsafe seafood into global markets. In the global food supply chain, the European Union (EU) is the largest importer of seafood, while more than 80% of global seafood production is from Asia. Additionally, Southeast Asian countries account for 32% of global seafood production. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the microbiological safety of seafood imported from Southeast Asia to the EU by analysing alert notifications in the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) database. The RASFF is a tool used for reporting and communicating food safety-related risks among the EU Member States and other members of the RASFF network. A total of 301 notifications of pathogens in seafood originating from four Southeast Asian countries (Malay-sia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia) were reported by 19 EU countries, including the United King-dom (19972020). More than 56% of the pathogen notifications involved crustaceans and related products. Fifty-two percent of the notifications involved seafood from Vietnam, while 30% of the notifications from EU member countries were from Italy. Vibrio spp. was the most predominant bac-terial pathogen responsible for 50% of the notifications, followed by Salmonella spp. and Clostridium accounting for 38% and 2% of the notifications, respectively. Norovirus was implicated in 10% of the notifications, and this was only in clams from Vietnam. These pathogens pose a risk to consumers’ health, indicating the need to enforce stringent food safety standards in producing countries to ensure the safety of seafood exported to other parts of the world. These actions will ultimately prevent economic loss associated with the rejection, destruction or import restrictions of contaminated seafood originating from Southeast Asia to the EU.

Abstract Painless, needleless delivery of drugs through the skin can be realized through aphenomenon called sonophoresis by applying an ultrasound field to the biological tissue. Development of wearable embodiments of such systems demands comprehensive characterization of both the physical mechanism of sonophoresisas well as wearability parameters. Here, we present a framework for analyzing disk‐type piezoelectric transducers in a polymeric substrate to create acoustic cavitation in a fluid coupling medium for sonophoresis applications. The device design and operating parameters such as the working frequency, applied voltage range, acoustic pressure distribution, and transducer spacing were determine dusing a finite element methods (FEM),and verified with experimental measurements. The influence of the surrounding water and tank reflections on the acoustic pressure field, and the interaction between the elements in the array structure were also studied.Finally, the impact of skin and the substrate geometry on the acoustic pressure fields was characterized to simulate the invivo use‐case of the system. These analytical models can be used to guide critical parameters for device design such as the separation distance of the piezoelectric transducer from the skin boundary. We envision that this tool boxwill support rapid design iteration for realization of wearable ultrasound systems.

Over the past three decades, advancements in computational power and numerical methods have significantly enhanced the role of structural analyses in the design and safety assessment of dams. Simulating concrete dam behavior, particularly in interactions with reservoir water and rock foundations, poses formidable computational challenges. Additionally, the need to define uncertainties related to material parameters, loading conditions, and modeling strategy adds complexity to the modeling process, therefore, quantifying sources of uncertainty is crucial for maintaining credibility and confidence in analysis results. This paper provides a synthesis and an overview of existing research and presents a generic framework for evaluating the credibility of advanced structural analysis methods for concrete dams, with a focus on their limitations and associated uncertainties. The methodology includes a comprehensive process for structural analysis, verification, validation, and uncertainty quantification, aiming to facilitate condition assessments of concrete dams.

The strategic review explores the evolving landscape of electronic waste (e-waste) management in Saudi Arabia, shedding light on the strategies implemented, challenges faced, and emerging opportunities in the realm of sustainable waste management. The comprehensive analysis encompasses the environmental and human health implications in association with the inappropriate handling of electronic waste. Saudi Arabia, a rapidly advancing technological hub, has witnessed a surge in e-waste generation, prompting the need for robust management frameworks. The review delves into the existing strategies employed by Saudi Arabia to tackle the growing e-waste dilemma, evaluating their effectiveness and potential areas for enhancement. Key challenges, including regulatory gaps, technological obsolescence, and awareness gaps, are examined to provide a holistic understanding of the obstacles hindering optimal e-waste management practices. Furthermore, the document explores opportunities for innovation, collaboration, and policy refinement to address these challenges and build a more sustainable e-waste management ecosystem. A crucial aspect of this review is the examination of the direct and indirect impacts of e-waste on human well-being and the environment. Insights are drawn from existing studies and data to illuminate the potential risks associated with improper disposal and the liberation of dangerous substances. The review highlights the urgent need for comprehensive e-waste management strategies to mitigate adverse consequences on both human well-being and the environment. In total, this strategic review aims to contribute to the ongoing discourse surrounding e-waste management in Saudi Arabia, offering valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders. By identifying key strategies, challenges, and opportunities, it seeks to inform and guide future initiatives, fostering a sustainable approach to electronic waste management in the Kingdom.

The study investigates the elemental composition and fungal contamination of commonly utilized spices and herbs, namely Turmeric, Cloves, Black pepper, Latency/cumin, Ring/legume, Cinnamon, Coriander, Ginger, Indian saffron, Fenugreek, Fennel flower, Aniseed, and Cayenne pepper. The presence of minerals and poisons elements, including zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb), was examined. The concentration of the poisonous elements ranged from 44.1 ± 1.3 to 231±41 µgg−1 for Fe, 3.8 ± 5.9 to 17.3 ± 3.1 µgg−1 for Zn, 1.3 ± 0.2 to 9.3 ± 0.4 µgg−1 for Cu, 10.4 ± 1.1 µgg−1 for Mn, and 219±2.1 µgg−1 for Pb; Cd was below the level of detection. The study also assessed fungal contamination, revealing black pepper as the most contaminated sample (87.6 %), followed by saffron (76.2 %), Cayenne pepper (72.1 %), Coriander (65.0 %), and cumin (64.4 %). Conversely, fenugreek (52.5 %) and cinnamon (51.6 %) exhibited lower contamination rates. Aspergillus flavus was predominant in white pepper (70.0 %) and black pepper (34.0 %), while ginger showed a diverse range of fungal species, including A. niger, A. flavus, and Rhizopus stolonifera (50 %). Notably, cinnamon was found highly contaminated with Aspergillus flavus (40 %), Aspergillus niger (40 %), and Rhizopus stolonifera (40 %), while legumes were contaminated with Aspergillus niger (40 %), Penicillium arenicola (40 %), and Penicillium oxalicum (40 %). This study highlights potential health risks associated with spice consumption, particularly in large quantities, due to mycotoxin contamination. The findings emphasize the importance of monitoring and implementing stringent quality control measures in the spice industry to ensure food safety and mitigate health hazards associated with elemental and fungal contamination. By combining scientific rigor with a focus on local context, this research strives to make a meaningful impact on public health, culinary traditions, and the broader global conversation on food safety.

The New Student Admission System (PPDB) is one of the efforts to provide quality education with the goals of equalizing the quality of education and involving the community in the process. The limited school capacity has become a concern as centralized school selection has led to some schools having a shortage of students. The zoning system has been adopted as a solution to address this issue, where student selection is based on proximity to the school rather than academic achievement. This research focuses on the implementation of the zoning system at SMA Negeri 1 Narmada and its implications for education quality. A qualitative approach was employed, using interviews, observations, and documentation as data collection techniques. The data were analyzed using an interactive model consisting of data reduction, data display, and verification, with increased attentiveness and triangulation to ensure data validity. The findings indicate that the zoning system has been in place at SMA Negeri 1 Narmada since its implementation. This system has had a positive impact on education quality by diversifying the accepted students. The implications are evident in both academic and non-academic aspects, as students have excelled academically and in various competitions. The school's head adopted several strategies to maintain education quality, including setting school objectives, conducting supervision and evaluation of teaching, coordinating the curriculum, and monitoring student progress. With the implementation of the zoning system, SMA Negeri 1 Narmada has successfully achieved equalization of education quality and increased student participation in various learning aspects, thus strengthening the efforts to create a sustainable and high-quality education.

In recent years, the demand for high performance rechargeable lithium-ion batteries has grown dramatically and numerous initiatives were taken to enhance the usage of cutting edge electrical conducting materials. The graphene and graphene-based materials have undergone further investigation since their discovery, and as a result, they are now recognized as high performance electro-conductance materials. Graphene is known as a 2-dimensional carbon-based material with an existing of high Young's modulus, outstanding electrical conductivity, amazing intrinsic electron mobility, enhanced mechanical strength, enhanced photosensitive transmittance, catalytic activity and chemical stability. However, in the past ten years, both the applied materials industry and academia have achieved remarkable innovations as a result of the use of graphene, despite some challenges that include high production cost that are incurred at the expense of compromised high-quality materials. Also, scarce availability in large amounts necessary for mass distribution is among the challenges is among the graphene producing challenges. In this review paper, we emphasize the recent functionalization developments, controlled product materials, and the usage of graphene in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. In order to describe the future development of graphene for lithium-ion batteries, we will discuss the most encouraging outcomes, advantages, difficulties, crucial problems, research areas, and perspectives in this review.

Abstract Platelet integrin αIIbβ3 is maintained in a bent inactive state (low affinity to physiologic ligand), but can rapidly switch to a ligand-competent (high-affinity) state in response to intracellular signals (“inside-out” activation). Once bound, ligands drive proadhesive “outside-in” signaling. Anti-αIIbβ3 drugs like eptifibatide can engage the inactive integrin directly, inhibiting thrombosis but inadvertently impairing αIIbβ3 hemostatic functions. Bidirectional αIIbβ3 signaling is mediated by reorganization of the associated αIIb and β3 transmembrane α-helices, but the underlying changes remain poorly defined absent the structure of the full-length receptor. We now report the cryo-EM structures of full-length αIIbβ3 in its apo and eptifibatide-bound states in native cell-membrane nanoparticles at near-atomic resolution. The apo form adopts the bent inactive state but with separated transmembrane α-helices, and a fully accessible ligand-binding site that challenges the model that this site is occluded by the plasma membrane. Bound eptifibatide triggers dramatic conformational changes that may account for impaired hemostasis. These results advance our understanding of integrin structure and function and may guide development of safer inhibitors.

Candida auris is a major public health concern due to its high transmission and mortality rates, as well as the emergence of pan-resistant strains. This study aimed to identify an antifungal compound from Sarcochlamys pulcherrima , an ethnomedicinal plant, that can inhibit the growth of C. auris . Methanol and ethyl acetate extracts of the plant were obtained, and high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) analysis was conducted to identify the major compounds in the extracts. The major compound detected by HPTLC was subjected to in vitro antifungal activity testing, and its antifungal mechanism was determined. The plant extracts inhibited the growth of both C. auris and Candida albicans . HPTLC analysis revealed the presence of gallic acid in the leaf extract. Furthermore, the in vitro antifungal assay showed that gallic acid inhibited the growth of different C. auris strains. In silico studies indicated that gallic acid can bind to the active sites of carbonic anhydrase (CA) proteins in both C. auris and C. albicans , affecting their catalytic activities. Compounds that target virulent proteins such as CA can aid in the reduction of drug-resistant fungi and the development of novel antifungal compounds with unique modes of action. However, additional in vivo and clinical studies are required to conclusively determine gallic acid’s antifungal properties. Gallic acid derivatives may be developed in the future to possess more potent antifungal properties and target various pathogenic fungi.

The authors show that accurate information about descriptive norms can increase intentions to accept a vaccine for COVID-19. They show that these effects are largely consistent in the 23 included countries and are concentrated among people who were otherwise uncertain about accepting a vaccine.

In order to enhance applicability of Tehran Research Reactor (TRR) for irradiation test of nuclear fuels and materials and considering TRR potential to provide required neutronic and thermal-hydraulic conditions for irradiation tests on domestic nuclear fuel samples, TRR fuel test loop is designed and fabricated. This test loop with 10 bar nominal pressure and 20m3/h nominal volumetric flow rate is designed to simulate thermal-hydraulic conditions of the reactor core in which, the fuels will be used. In this research, safety assessment of the consequences of loss of flow accident in the fuel test loop due to primary pump breakdown is performed and the functions of safety systems to provide continuous cooling for the test fuel samples and also to mitigate any undesirable consequences of this accident are evaluated. In this regard, the probable scenarios are simulated using a RELAP5 model and the ability of the safety features of the loop to prevent any damage to the test fuel rods is evaluated. The results reveal that safety systems of test loop can provide safe condition during the accident in which the meat and clad temperatures of test fuels remain within the permissible limits.

Abstract Whether, and under what conditions, groups exhibit “crowd wisdom” has been a major focus of research across the social and computational sciences. Much of this work has focused on the role of social influence in promoting the wisdom of the crowd versus leading the crowd astray and has resulted in conflicting conclusions about how social network structure determines the impact of social influence. Here, we demonstrate that it is not enough to consider the network structure in isolation. Using theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, and reanalysis of four experimental datasets (totaling 2885 human subjects), we find that the wisdom of crowds critically depends on the interaction between (i) the centralization of the social influence network and (ii) the distribution of the initial individual estimates. By adopting a framework that integrates both the structure of the social influence and the distribution of the initial estimates, we bring previously conflicting results under one theoretical framework and clarify the effects of social influence on the wisdom of crowds.

This paper aims to design a suitable irradiation box of topaz stones and improve the neutronic parameters by maintaining the necessary conditions for their cooling in Tehran Research Reactor (TRR). In this way, by defining an appropriate neutron filter and simulating the irradiation box in the TRR core with MCNPX2.7 code, the neutronic parameters of the core are calculated, and the best configuration is selected. Then, various components of the irradiation channel are simulated using the Solidworks software, and thermal calculations are performed using the Flow Simulation plug-in. The results showed that although the presence of water in the irradiation channel and topaz box results in good cooling for topaz stones, the slowdown of fast neutrons causes intense activation of the stones. However, by using a closed-loop independent of the reactor pool water and a gaseous fluid such as air, the thermal neutron flux and consequently the activity of the stones is reduced. Moreover, the results demonstrated that, in this case, acceptable conditions could be provided for long-term and safe irradiation of stones by selecting the appropriate fluid velocity and adjusting the core power.

Abstract Background Candida tropicalis causes tropical invasive fungal infections, with a high mortality. This fungus has been found to be resistant to antifungal classes such as azoles, echinocandins, and polyenes in several studies. As a result, it is vital to identify novel approaches to prevent and treat C. tropicalis infections. In this study, an in silico technique was utilized to deduce and evaluate a powerful multivalent epitope-based vaccine against C. tropicalis, which targets the secreted aspartic protease 2 (SAP2) protein. This protein is implicated in virulence and host invasion. Results By focusing on the Sap2 protein, 11 highly antigenic, non-allergic, non-toxic, and conserved epitopes were identified. These were subsequently paired with RS09 and flagellin adjuvants, as well as a pan HLA DR-binding epitope (PADRE) sequence to create a vaccine candidate that elicited both cell-mediated and humoral immune responses. It was projected that the vaccine design would be soluble, stable, antigenic, and non-allergic. Ramachandran plot analysis was applied to validate the vaccine construct’s 3-dimensional model. The vaccine construct was tested (at 100 ns) using molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations, which demonstrated that it can stably connect with MHC-I and Toll-like receptor molecules. Based on in silico studies, we have shown that the vaccine construct can be expressed in E. coli. We surmise that the vaccine design is unrelated to any human proteins, indicating that it is safe to use. Conclusions The vaccine design looks to be an effective option for preventing C. tropicalis infections, based on the outcomes of the studies. A fungal vaccine can be proposed as prophylactic medicine and could provide initial protection as sometimes diagnosis of infection could be challenging. However, more in vitro and in vivo research is needed to prove the efficacy and safety of the proposed vaccine design.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the possibility of using tubular fuel assemblies in Tehran Research Reactor (TRR) from the thermal hydraulic perspective. Tubular fuels have been used successfully in many Russian model research reactors in recent decades. The most important advantages of this fuel are higher neutron flux, more reactivity and less fuel loading compared to the current plate fuels. In this study, by selecting a tubular fuel assembly of IRT-4M type that is more geometrically compatible with the geometry and dimensions of the core grid plate, we modeled it using the Fluent software and also the RELAP5/Mod3.2 code. The thermal hydraulic parameters of this assembly have been calculated under the operating conditions of current MTR fuel. The results of the calculations showed that the maximum clad temperature in both calculation tools is sufficiently lower than 105°C, which indicates that without changing the current flow rate of the core, the heat produced in the tubular fuel can be well removed. Moreover, the maximum fuel temperature in tubular fuel is about 10°C lower than the maximum fuel temperature in the current standard fuel element, which is another advantage for this fuel type.

The rhetorical project of Muhammad al-Ṣāmil, which called Balāghat Ahl al-Sunnah comes in the field of purifying Islamic knowledge from extraneous impurities and deviations. We discuss the foundations of this project and its cognitive practices as a discourse that can be analyzed according to approaches to discourse analysis, especially Foucault and Fairclough approaches, to arrive at a critical evaluation of the issue and its consequences. In the end, we reached the following results: First, the project is merely a transfer of “subjectivity” from the subjectivity of the theologians (mutakallimīn) to the subjectivity of those who reject the theological thought (‘ilm al-kalām); Secondly, the project is, in fact, a rhetorical practice through which authoritarian practices are carried out to exclude others and deconstruct their authority. Third, the support of the official educational institution for the project suggests ideological support as a policy by the state institution that funds it, and this means directing the knowledge path in a politically and ideologically biased direction. In sum, it is said that the project started with an ideology critique and ended with ideologized critique.

BackgroundBiopsy-based diagnosis is essential for maintaining kidney allograft longevity by ensuring prompt treatment for graft complications. Although histologic assessment remains the gold standard, it carries significant limitations such as subjective interpretation, suboptimal reproducibility, and imprecise quantitation of disease burden. It is hoped that molecular diagnostics could enhance the efficiency, accuracy, and reproducibility of traditional histologic methods.MethodsQuantitative label-free mass spectrometry analysis was performed on a set of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) biopsies from kidney transplant patients, including five samples each with diagnosis of T-cell-mediated rejection (TCMR), polyomavirus BK nephropathy (BKPyVN), and stable (STA) kidney function control tissue. Using the differential protein expression result as a classifier, three different machine learning algorithms were tested to build a molecular diagnostic model for TCMR.ResultsThe label-free proteomics method yielded 800-1350 proteins that could be quantified with high confidence per sample by single-shot measurements. Among these candidate proteins, 329 and 467 proteins were defined as differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) for TCMR in comparison with STA and BKPyVN, respectively. Comparing the FFPE quantitative proteomics data set obtained in this study using label-free method with a data set we previously reported using isobaric labeling technology, a classifier pool comprised of features from DEPs commonly quantified in both data sets, was generated for TCMR prediction. Leave-one-out cross-validation result demonstrated that the random forest (RF)-based model achieved the best predictive power. In a follow-up blind test using an independent sample set, the RF-based model yields 80% accuracy for TCMR and 100% for STA. When applying the established RF-based model to two public transcriptome datasets, 78.1%-82.9% sensitivity and 58.7%-64.4% specificity was achieved respectively.ConclusionsThis proof-of-principle study demonstrates the clinical feasibility of proteomics profiling for FFPE biopsies using an accurate, efficient, and cost-effective platform integrated of quantitative label-free mass spectrometry analysis with a machine learning-based diagnostic model. It costs less than 10 dollars per test.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the possibility of using fuel with annular geometry (Tubular) in Tehran research reactor (TRR) from a neutronic perspective. The use of annular fuels requires less fuel load due to higher flux generation and higher reactivity. It is noteworthy that one of the most important advantages of this type of fuel is the creation of an area in the center of the fuel complex for irradiation of materials and production of radiopharmaceuticals. Therefore, in the TRR, a new fuel with annular geometry has been adopted to replace the current fuel with cubic geometry. This fuel is similar to TRR fuel in terms of materials. For this purpose, the neutron conditions of the core are simulated using MCNPX2.7 and WIMS-CITATION codes. Then the obtained results from these codes were compared with the SAR results of the TRR. The obtained results in this paper show that to achieve the reactivity equivalent to the first core of the TRR, the critical mass of the tubular core fuel is up to 17% less than the critical mass of the first core fuel. On the other hand, using annular fuel, the neutron flux in the radiation channels increases up to about 14%. Also, according to the results of this study, the proposed tubular core, a core with an arrangement of 16 and at least 8 packages of 6 control rods are needed to achieve safety standards.

Coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has affected 235.6 million people worldwide. In the present study, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) (PDB Id: 6M71) of SARS-CoV-2, an essential enzyme needed for subgenomic replication and amplification of RNA, was selected. Similar to other RdRps, it is a conserved protein and a popular target for antiviral drug therapy. Based on a com puta tional approach, potential RdRp inhibitors were identified. The absorption, distribution, metabolism, ex cretion, and toxicity (ADMET) of selected molecules were determined using computation tools. The potential inhibitors were docked to the RdRp and later confirmed by Molecular Dynamics (MD) using the “Flare” module of Cresset software. Drummondin E and Flinderole B had higher drug similarity scores among the compounds selected in this study. Both these compounds are noncarcinogenic, nonirritant, nontumorigenic, and non muta genic. Molecular docking studies showed that both compounds can bind to RdRp. The best ligand interaction pat terns were validated by MD using the “Flare” module. MD was performed for the period of 100 ns with the time step of 1 fs. The simulation results suggest that Thr-680, Arg-624, Lys-676, and Val-557 are key interacting part ners in the Drummondin E-RdRp complex, while Asp-618, Asp-760, Asp-623, Arg-624, and Asp-761 are the inter acting partners in the Flinderole B-RdRp complex. Based on the in silico drug-likeness score; ADMET properties; and molecular simulation result, we surmise that Flinderole B and Drummondin E could impede SARS-CoV-2 genome replication and transcription by targeting the RdRp protein.

Since December 2019 SARS-CoV-2 infections have affected millions of people worldwide. Along with the increasing number of COVID-19 patients, the number of cases of opportunistic fungal infections among the COVID-19 patients is also increasing. There have been reports of the cases of aspergillosis and candidiasis in the COVID-19 patients. The COVID-19 patients have also been affected by rare fungal infections such as histoplasmosis, pneumocystosis, mucormycosis and cryptococcosis. These fungal infections are prolonging the stay of COVID-19 patients in hospital. In this study several published case reports, case series, prospective and retrospective studies were investigated to explore and report the updated information regarding candidiasis, crytptococcosis, aspergillosis, mucormycosis, histoplasmosis, and pneumocystosis infections in COVID-19 patients. In this review, the risk factors of these co-infections in COVID-19 patients have been reported. There have been reports that the comorbidities and the treatment with corticoids, monoclonal antibodies, use of mechanical ventilation, and use of antibiotics during COVID-19 management are associated with the emergence of fungal infections in the COVID-19 patients. Hence, this review analyses the role of these therapies and comorbidities in the emergence of these fungal infections among COVID-19 patients. This review will help to comprehend if these fungal infections are the result of the co-morbidities, and treatment protocol followed to manage COVID-19 patients or directly due to the SARS-CoV-2 infection. The analysis of all these factors will help to understand their role in fungal infections among COVID-19 patients which can be valuable to the scientific community.

Pyrogallol (1, 2, 3-trihydroxybenzene) was studied by computational study analysis using density functional theory (DFT), B3LYP method using 6-311++G (d, p) as basis set. The computational study was done involving IR, UV–visible, H NMR and other parameters like, AIM theory (Atoms in molecules) for ellipticity, isosurface projection analysis, and binding energies, which run parallel to experimental values. The crystal intermolecular interactions were studied by Hirshfeld surface analysis, and donor and acceptor interactions were studied by NBO analysis. By Pyrogallol was also studied for Fukui function analysis and Molecular Electrostatic Potential (MEP) and for the nucleophilic and electrophilic sites of interactions. As per the results of energy difference in frontier molecular orbitals as calculated viz, HOMO and LUMO clearly shows Pyrogallol is stable molecule. The electrophilicity index, and molecular docking studies show that Pyrogallol is biologically important and can interact with different proteins with binding energy of 7.405 and 5.718 kcal/mol. The biomolecular stability involves molecular dynamic simulation. The drug-likeness studies have shown that Pyrogallol as an antibiotic shows close relationship with Ascorbic Acid, Gallic acid, Ellagic acid, Hexahydroxy, diphenic acid

Empowerment of Higher-Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) is often not optimal due to the lack of availability of HOTS-based learning documents. The purpose of this development research was to produce HOTS-based biology learning tools on motion system material for class XI high school. This development research uses the ADDIE model which has five stages: analyze, design, develop, implement and evaluate. The product development was validated by learning experts and material experts and then tested on students. The validation sheet was used as a data collection instrument. The validation results from learning experts stated that the learning syllabus was very feasible (84.3%), lesson plans were very feasible (80.2%), student worksheets were feasible (72.2%), and test questions were very feasible (83%). Meanwhile, the validation results from material experts stated that all learning documents were feasible (the percentage of eligibility for syllabus, lesson plans, student worksheets, and test questions were 77%, 70%, 80%, and 80%, respectively). After being tested on students, student responses and the results of their evaluation scores indicate that the learning documents that have been developed are suitable for use. In addition, the HOTS learning tools developed are practical and effective in the learning process, so as to create a student-centered learning process and be able to improve students' HOTS.

Surveys for egg-parasitoid wasps were conducted in Rafsanjan, Iran, on two species of Pentatomidae (Hemiptera) found in pistachio orchards, Acrosternum arabicum Wagner and Brachynema signatum Jakovlev. Five species of Scelionidae (Platygastroidea) were recovered, including one that is here described as new: Psix saccharicola (Mani), Trissolcus colemani (Crawford), T. darreh Talamas sp. nov., T. perepelovi (Kozlov), and T. semistriatus (Nees). In addition to describing a new species, we report new host associations, provide COI barcodes for four of these species, and discuss host-related intraspecific variation in T. darreh and T. perepelovi.

Purpose – This article discusses the idea of Islamic Religious Education based on religious intersubjectivity. Design/methods/approach – This paper presents the idea of Islamic Religious Education based on religious intersubjectivity with a philosophical perspective or approach and religious phenomenology. The philosophical approach is to delineate and discuss three varieties of new paradigm for religion, namely subjective, objective, and intersubjective belief. Meanwhile, the religious phenomenology approach is used to develop an "intersubjective" religious area. Intersubjective diversity is an area of human religiosity that marries and engages in intense and sincere deep dialogue between the links of subjective and objective self-awareness of human which are in opposition to each other. Findings – The formulation of this IRE model – based on the intersubjectivity of religion – must consider the following points: 1) Intelligent sorting of common patterns and unique patterns in history of religions and religious thoughts; (2) Epoche, which refers to the ability of a person or group to sincerely and purely set-aside the statements that are undermining, devaluing, demeaning, infidelizing, apostatizing, or hurtful to other groups in any form; (3) Eidetic vision, which is the search for the basic construction, core, substance or the deepest essence of human religiosity; (4) the historicity of religion; (5) Verstehen, which constitutes an effort to understand the essence of other religions earnestly and genuinely; (6) Compassion and harmony; (7) Inclusive-partnership and dialogical approach; and (8) Enlightening new religious thoughts, mentalities, and attitudes (al-aql al-Jadid al-istitla'). Originality/value – Seeing the important meaning of religious intersubjectivity, this religious model is very appropriate if applied in Islamic Religious Education (PAI) learning.

Concrete, as a complex and anisotropic material, poses challenges in accurately simulating its behavior in numerical simulations. This paper focuses on selecting an appropriate constitutive model for simulating the behavior of a steel–concrete composite column using finite element analysis under compression and push-out tests. Two models are analyzed and compared, namely, Drucker–Prager and concrete damage plasticity. The results demonstrate that the concrete damage plasticity model outperforms the Drucker–Prager model in all six test cases, indicating its superior accuracy in capturing the composite column’s behavior. This study enhances the reliability of numerical simulations for steel–concrete composite structures by choosing the most suitable constitutive model, parallel with extensive sensitivity analysis and model calibration. The findings emphasize the significance of meticulous model selection and precise parameter definition for achieving accurate predictions of concrete behavior. This research contributes to advancing the understanding and modeling of concrete’s intricate behavior in structural analyses.

Introduction The corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor 2 (CRHR2) gene encodes CRHR2, which is an important element in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal physiologic response towards stress culminating in hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, mood disorders and depression (MDD). CRHR2-/- mice are hypersensitive to stress, and the CRHR2 locus in humans has been linked to type 2 diabetes (T2D) and MDD. Objectives Several variants in the CRHR2 gene have been reported in patients with bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and T2D, but variants in the gene have not been investigated in families with T2D and MDD. Methods We genotyped 212 Italian families with T2D and MDD. We tested 17 SNPs in the CRHR2 gene using two-point parametric-linkage and linkage-disequilibrium (LD) analysis with the following models: dominant with complete-penetrance (D1), dominant with incomplete-penetrance (D2), recessive with complete-penetrance (R1) and recessive with incomplete-penetrance (R2). Results We detected linkage to and/or LD with: MDD for 3 SNPs/D1, 2 SNPs/D2, 3 SNPs/R1, and 3 SNPs/R2; and, T2D for 3 SNPs/D1, 2 SNPs/D2, 2 SNPs/R1 and 1 SNP/R2. Two independent SNPs were comorbid. Interestingly, the variants linked to or in LD with MDD had in general higher statistical significance level than the variants linked to T2D, despite that the families were primarily ascertained for T2D. Conclusions Our study shows for the first time that the CRHR2 gene which encodes CRHR2 is in linkage to and linkage disequilibrium with MDD and T2D, thereby contributing, in families with T2D, to both disorders and underlying the shared genetic pathogenesis of their comorbidity Disclosure No significant relationships.

Abstract This article describes the environmental impacts of producing a single seedling in forest nurseries of selected districts (i.e., Haripur, Abbottabad, and Mansehra) of Hazara Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan using the life cycle assessment (LCA) approach. This study was based on the cradle-to-gate approach which begins with the pre-nursery stage and progresses toward the main nursery before transplanting seedlings into the plantation site. Data or life cycle inventory (LCI) of seedling production were collected through questionnaire surveys and personal meetings with forest nurseries managers and workers regarding consumption of different inputs such as electricity, diesel, fertilizers, herbicides, and polyethylene bags, organic manure, and water consumption. The SimaPro software version 8.5 and the CML2000 v2.05 environmental model was applied to perform life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) for a single seedling production in forest nurseries in the study area. In line with the objectives of the study, primary data regarding inputs and outputs of the nurseries were collected from 35 nurseries in the study area by using a random questionnaire method. In addition, secondary data were taken from online databases such as Eco-invent v.3.2 CORRIM and peer-reviewed published literature. For this study, a functional unit of a single seedling was considered. Production weighted average data were modeled in the latest environmental modeling software i.e., SimaPro v.8.5 for ten US-EPA most wanted environmental impacts, such as global warming potential (GWP), abiotic depletion (AD), eutrophication potential (EP), acidification potential (AP), freshwater aquatic eco-toxicity (FAE), marine water eco-toxicity (MWE), terrestrial eco-toxicity (TE), ozone layer depletion (OLD), photochemical oxidation (PO), and human toxicity (HT). The results showed that the highest environmental impact posed by a single seedling was marine aquatic eco-toxicity (11.31360 kg 1,4-DB eq), followed by global warming potential (0.02945 kg CO2 eq) and (0.01227 kg 1,4-DB eq) human toxicity. The primary reason for these environmental burdens was the use of synthetic fertilizers in forest nurseries and the consumption of fossil fuels in nursery mechanization and transportation activities. The total cumulative energy demand for a single seedling was (0.800 MJ) with more than 90% contribution from fossil fuel energy resources such as petrol and diesel. It is therefore highly recommended to use renewable energy resources and organic fertilizers instead of chemical fertilizers in forest nurseries to avoid and minimize greenhouse gas emissions (GHS) and other toxic emissions in the study area.

Abstract The health of the hospital associated persons, particularly those dealing directly with insertion of devices, are serious cause of concern for hospitals. In this study, the most prevalent organism on the surface of medical devices in PICU were CoNS (16.66%) and Staphylococcus aureus (16.66%), while in NICU the most prevalent organism was Klebsiella spp. (11.25%) among Entero-bacteriaceae group followed by Acinetobacter baumannii (10%), Escherichia coli (2.5%), CoNS (6.25%), S. aureus (6.25%) and Enterococcus faecalis (6.25%). The most common species identified from blood specimen of clinical samples shows the maximum presence of Candida sp. (60/135) followed by A. baumannii (21/135), Klebsiella Pneumoniae (20/135), Enterococci (12/135), Burkholderia cepacia complex (8/135), S. aureus (6/135), E. coli (5/135), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (3/135). Different antibiotics have been used against these micro-organisms; but Cotrimoxazole, Vancomycin have been found more effective against CoNS bacteria, Clindamycin, Tetracycline for S. aureus, Nitofurantoin for Acinetobacter, and for E. faecalis, A. baumanii, and Klebsiella, erythromycin, Colistin, and Ceftriaxone have been found more effective respectively.

An experiment was performed to investigate the probiotic effect of Saccharomyces boulardii and Saccharomyces cerevisiae on yield, antioxidant activity, and expression of interleukin-6 gene in Holstein calves. Sixteen calves were divided into 4 dietary treatments with 4 calves/treatment. Experimental treatment diets include 1) control (without probiotic use), 2) milk soluble probiotics based on S. boulardii (1 g/kg), 3) milk soluble probiotics based on S. cerevisiae (1 g/kg) and 4) A mixture of yeast probiotics S. boulardii and S. cerevisiae as a solution in dairy milk (1 g/kg each). The completely randomized design was used in this experiment. The results showed that feeding S. boulardii and S. cerevisiae did not have a significant effect on performance traits compared with control. There was no significant difference between the different treatments for the number of antioxidant enzymes compared to the controls. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the treatments used probiotics were higher than the control. The expression of interleukin-6 gene expression was increased significantly (P

Penelitian bertujuan penemukan gambaran tentang peran organisasi ekstra kampus terutama organisasi pergerakan Mahasiswa Islam Indonesia (PMII) bagi peningkatan kemampuan berkomunikasi mahasiswa Pendidikan Agama Islam IAIN Curup. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dan informan penelitiannya adalah mahasiswa program studi PAI yang tergabung dalam organisasi PMII Cabang Curup. Data diperoleh dengan menggunakan teknik observasi, wawancara dan dokumentasi. Setelah data terkumpul lalu dianalisis dengan menggukana tahapan versi Miles, Haberman dan Saldana, yaitu Reduksi data, Penyajian data dan penarikan kesimpulan. Penelitian ini memperoleh simpulan bahwa organisasi ekstra PMII dapat mengasah kemampuan komunikasi yang sagat diperlukan oleh mahasiswa sebagai calon pendidik melalui sistem pengkaderan baik formal maupun nonformal dan PMII memberi ruang untuk mahasiswa agar bisa mengikuti seminar atau pelatihan yang tidak didapatkan di tempat lain.

Schwannomas are the most common type of benign peripheral nerve sheath tumour and usually occur as a slow-growing, solitary, encapsulated mass. Schwannomas of the oral cavity are rare, with the commonest sites being the tongue, palate and floor of mouth. We present the case of a 28-year-old male patient who presented with a left buccal swelling and pain. Radiological investigation and incisional biopsy led to a diagnosis of a Schwannoma associated with the left long buccal nerve, which was fully excised with no complications.

Abstract Particulate matter (PM) is a major air pollutant causing serious health problems. The aim of the present study was to find out concentration of PM in ambient air and its associated health risk in Haripur city, Pakistan. Twenty-three samples were taken at various educational institutes, hospitals, recreational areas and industries in Haripur city. Concentration of PM2.5 (µg/m3) and PM10 (µg/m3) was measured with Youngteng YT-HPC 3000A portable PM counter. The results revealed that values of both PM2.5 and PM10 were above the permissible limits (35 µg/m3 for PM2.5 and 150 µg/m3 for PM10) set by Environmental Protection Agency Pakistan (Pak-EPA) in all the educational institutes, hospitals, recreational areas and industries investigated. Furthermore, significant (p

P‌e‌r‌m‌e‌a‌b‌i‌l‌i‌t‌y i‌s a‌n i‌n‌d‌e‌x, d‌e‌s‌c‌r‌i‌b‌i‌n‌g t‌h‌e e‌a‌s‌i‌n‌e‌s‌s o‌f f‌l‌u‌i‌d m‌o‌v‌e‌m‌e‌n‌t i‌n‌t‌o a p‌o‌r‌o‌u‌s b‌o‌d‌y, s‌u‌c‌h a‌s c‌o‌n‌c‌r‌e‌t‌e. W‌a‌t‌e‌r c‌o‌n‌t‌a‌i‌n‌i‌n‌g d‌e‌l‌e‌t‌e‌r‌i‌o‌u‌s s‌u‌b‌s‌t‌a‌n‌c‌e‌s, s‌u‌c‌h a‌s c‌h‌l‌o‌r‌i‌d‌e i‌o‌n‌s, s‌u‌l‌f‌a‌t‌e i‌o‌n‌s, a‌g‌g‌r‌e‌s‌s‌i‌v‌e c‌h‌e‌m‌i‌c‌a‌l‌s, e‌t‌c. c‌a‌n p‌e‌n‌e‌t‌r‌a‌t‌e i‌n‌t‌o c‌o‌n‌c‌r‌e‌t‌e a‌n‌d, s‌u‌b‌s‌e‌q‌u‌e‌n‌t‌l‌y, a‌f‌f‌e‌c‌t‌s i‌t‌s s‌h‌o‌r‌t-t‌e‌r‌m a‌n‌d l‌o‌n‌g-t‌e‌r‌m d‌u‌r‌a‌b‌i‌l‌i‌t‌y. T‌h‌e‌r‌e‌f‌o‌r‌e, i‌t i‌s o‌f g‌r‌e‌a‌t i‌m‌p‌o‌r‌t‌a‌n‌c‌e t‌o e‌v‌a‌l‌u‌a‌t‌e t‌h‌e w‌a‌t‌e‌r p‌e‌r‌m‌e‌a‌b‌i‌l‌i‌t‌y o‌f c‌o‌n‌c‌r‌e‌t‌e. F‌o‌r t‌h‌i‌s p‌u‌r‌p‌o‌s‌e, t‌h‌e r‌e‌s‌u‌l‌t‌s o‌f t‌h‌e p‌e‌r‌m‌e‌a‌b‌i‌l‌i‌t‌y o‌f t‌h‌e 7-d‌a‌y c‌o‌n‌c‌r‌e‌t‌e s‌p‌e‌c‌i‌m‌e‌n‌s, c‌o‌n‌t‌a‌i‌n‌i‌n‌g s‌i‌l‌i‌c‌a f‌u‌m‌e, f‌l‌y a‌s‌h, z‌e‌o‌l‌i‌t‌e, a‌n‌d l‌i‌m‌e‌s‌t‌o‌n‌e p‌o‌w‌d‌e‌r w‌i‌t‌h r‌e‌p‌l‌a‌c‌e‌m‌e‌n‌t l‌e‌v‌e‌l‌s o‌f 5, 10, 15 a‌n‌d 20 p‌e‌r‌c‌e‌n‌t‌a‌g‌e o‌f t‌y‌p‌e I‌I P‌o‌r‌t‌l‌a‌n‌d c‌e‌m‌e‌n‌t m‌a‌s‌s a‌r‌e p‌r‌e‌s‌e‌n‌t‌e‌d i‌n t‌h‌i‌s p‌a‌p‌e‌r. ``C‌y‌l‌i‌n‌d‌r‌i‌c‌a‌l c‌h‌a‌m‌b‌e‌r'' m‌e‌t‌h‌o‌d, w‌h‌i‌c‌h w‌a‌s d‌e‌v‌i‌s‌e‌d a‌n‌d d‌e‌v‌e‌l‌o‌p‌e‌d b‌y N‌a‌d‌e‌r‌i, w‌a‌s u‌s‌e‌d d‌u‌r‌i‌n‌g t‌h‌i‌s i‌n‌v‌e‌s‌t‌i‌g‌a‌t‌i‌o‌n, f‌o‌r p‌e‌r‌m‌e‌a‌b‌i‌l‌i‌t‌y m‌e‌a‌s‌u‌r‌e‌m‌e‌n‌t‌s. F‌u‌r‌t‌h‌e‌r‌m‌o‌r‌e, o‌n‌e-d‌i‌m‌e‌n‌s‌i‌o‌n‌a‌l p‌e‌r‌m‌e‌a‌b‌i‌l‌i‌t‌y a‌n‌d d‌i‌f‌f‌u‌s‌i‌o‌n c‌o‌e‌f‌f‌i‌c‌i‌e‌n‌t‌s, c‌a‌l‌c‌u‌l‌a‌t‌e‌d b‌a‌s‌e‌d o‌n c‌y‌l‌i‌n‌d‌r‌i‌c‌a‌l c‌h‌a‌m‌b‌e‌r t‌e‌s‌t r‌e‌s‌u‌l‌t‌s, w‌e‌r‌e u‌s‌e‌d t‌o e‌v‌a‌l‌u‌a‌t‌e t‌h‌e p‌e‌r‌m‌e‌a‌b‌i‌l‌i‌t‌y o‌f t‌h‌e c‌o‌n‌c‌r‌e‌t‌e s‌p‌e‌c‌i‌m‌e‌n‌s. P‌e‌r‌c‌e‌n‌t‌a‌g‌e o‌f t‌h‌e p‌e‌r‌m‌e‌a‌b‌l‌e p‌o‌r‌e s‌p‌a‌c‌e v‌o‌l‌u‌m‌e w‌a‌s a‌l‌s‌o m‌e‌a‌s‌u‌r‌e‌d b‌a‌s‌e‌d o‌n A‌S‌T‌M C642-06. T‌h‌e r‌e‌s‌u‌l‌t‌s t‌e‌n‌d t‌o s‌h‌o‌w t‌h‌a‌t s‌i‌l‌i‌c‌a f‌u‌m‌e i‌n‌c‌r‌e‌a‌s‌e‌s t‌h‌e c‌o‌m‌p‌r‌e‌s‌s‌i‌v‌e s‌t‌r‌e‌n‌g‌t‌h o‌f t‌h‌e c‌o‌n‌c‌r‌e‌t‌e s‌p‌e‌c‌i‌m‌e‌n w‌i‌t‌h‌o‌u‌t a‌n‌y a‌d‌m‌i‌x‌t‌u‌r‌e (c‌o‌n‌t‌r‌o‌l s‌p‌e‌c‌i‌m‌e‌n), w‌h‌i‌l‌e f‌l‌y a‌s‌h, z‌e‌o‌l‌i‌t‌e, a‌n‌d l‌i‌m‌e‌s‌t‌o‌n‌e p‌o‌w‌d‌e‌r d‌e‌c‌r‌e‌a‌s‌e t‌h‌e c‌o‌m‌p‌r‌e‌s‌s‌i‌v‌e s‌t‌r‌e‌n‌g‌t‌h o‌f t‌h‌e c‌o‌n‌t‌r‌o‌l s‌p‌e‌c‌i‌m‌e‌n. M‌o‌r‌e‌o‌v‌e‌r, t‌h‌e p‌e‌r‌m‌e‌a‌b‌i‌l‌i‌t‌y a‌n‌d d‌i‌f‌f‌u‌s‌i‌o‌n c‌o‌e‌f‌f‌i‌c‌i‌e‌n‌t‌s o‌f t‌h‌e s‌p‌e‌c‌i‌m‌e‌n‌s c‌o‌n‌t‌a‌i‌n‌i‌n‌g t‌h‌e m‌e‌n‌t‌i‌o‌n‌e‌d a‌d‌m‌i‌x‌t‌u‌r‌e‌s, e‌x‌c‌e‌p‌t l‌i‌m‌e‌s‌t‌o‌n‌e p‌o‌w‌d‌e‌r w‌i‌t‌h a r‌e‌p‌l‌a‌c‌e‌m‌e‌n‌t l‌e‌v‌e‌l o‌f 20 p‌e‌r‌c‌e‌n‌t‌a‌g‌e, w‌e‌r‌e r‌e‌v‌e‌a‌l‌e‌d t‌o b‌e l‌o‌w‌e‌r t‌h‌a‌n t‌h‌o‌s‌e o‌f t‌h‌e c‌o‌n‌t‌r‌o‌l s‌p‌e‌c‌i‌m‌e‌n. T‌h‌e r‌e‌s‌u‌l‌t‌s o‌f t‌h‌e r‌e‌g‌r‌e‌s‌s‌i‌o‌n a‌p‌p‌r‌o‌a‌c‌h p‌e‌r‌f‌o‌r‌m‌e‌d a‌l‌s‌o s‌h‌o‌w t‌h‌a‌t t‌h‌e r‌e‌l‌a‌t‌i‌o‌n‌s‌h‌i‌p‌s b‌e‌t‌w‌e‌e‌n t‌h‌e d‌i‌m‌e‌n‌s‌i‌o‌n‌l‌e‌s‌s c‌o‌e‌f‌f‌i‌c‌i‌e‌n‌t‌s o‌f p‌e‌r‌m‌e‌a‌b‌i‌l‌i‌t‌y a‌n‌d d‌i‌f‌f‌u‌s‌i‌o‌n a‌n‌d d‌i‌m‌e‌n‌s‌i‌o‌n‌l‌e‌s‌s c‌o‌e‌f‌f‌i‌c‌i‌e‌n‌t‌s o‌f t‌h‌e t‌e‌s‌t r‌e‌s‌u‌l‌t‌s (p‌e‌n‌e‌t‌r‌a‌t‌e‌d w‌a‌t‌e‌r d‌e‌p‌t‌h, p‌e‌n‌e‌t‌r‌a‌t‌e‌d w‌a‌t‌e‌r v‌o‌l‌u‌m‌e, a‌v‌e‌r‌a‌g‌e w‌a‌t‌e‌r f‌l‌o‌w r‌a‌t‌e, a‌n‌d p‌e‌r‌c‌e‌n‌t‌a‌g‌e o‌f p‌e‌r‌m‌e‌a‌b‌l‌e p‌o‌r‌e s‌p‌a‌c‌e v‌o‌l‌u‌m‌e) c‌a‌n b‌e e‌s‌t‌i‌m‌a‌t‌e‌d w‌i‌t‌h h‌i‌g‌h a‌c‌c‌u‌r‌a‌c‌y u‌s‌i‌n‌g t‌h‌e r‌e‌g‌r‌e‌s‌s‌i‌o‌n f‌u‌n‌c‌t‌i‌o‌n‌s; h‌o‌w‌e‌v‌e‌r, n‌o e‌q‌u‌a‌t‌i‌o‌n w‌a‌s f‌o‌u‌n‌d t‌o e‌s‌t‌i‌m‌a‌t‌e t‌h‌e r‌e‌l‌a‌t‌i‌o‌n‌s‌h‌i‌p b‌e‌t‌w‌e‌e‌n t‌h‌e d‌i‌m‌e‌n‌s‌i‌o‌n‌l‌e‌s‌s c‌o‌e‌f‌f‌i‌c‌i‌e‌n‌t‌s o‌f p‌e‌r‌m‌e‌a‌b‌i‌l‌i‌t‌y a‌n‌d d‌i‌f‌f‌u‌s‌i‌o‌n a‌n‌d c‌o‌m‌p‌r‌e‌s‌s‌i‌v‌e s‌t‌r‌e‌n‌g‌t‌h o‌f t‌h‌e s‌t‌u‌d‌i‌e‌d c‌o‌n‌c‌r‌e‌t‌e s‌p‌e‌c‌i‌m‌e‌n‌s.

In this study, the effect of control rods on TRR safety parameters was investigated in both cases of static and transient behavior. In this paper, the effect of the control rods movements (70%) on the power peaking was used in the form of the normalized function instead of the COS function in the TERMIC cod. The results of the new function were investigated on thermo-hydraulic parameters in the steady-state and transient conditions. In the steady-state with 5 MW thermal power, the results showed that the safety margin in new condition (70% insertion) decreased respect to the state that all control rods where out. Also, in the transient section, the axial function of the power distribution was applied in the input of the PARET cod. The direct influence of control rods on the power peaking was the production of nucleate boiling earlier than the COS shape function. This effect, reduced the power and temperatures due to the void coefficient feedback. In the last section, the effect of the control rods insertion on the reactivity feedback coefficient was considered in the transient scenario. Increment of the reactivity feedback coefficient due to control rods insertion along with the direct effect of control rods caused a significant decrease in all thermo-hydraulic safety parameters.

Farmers in Indonesia have not yet applied fertigation technology using venturimeters which can facilitate the work of farmers to water and fertilize plants. This study aims to make a fertigation system tool using a venturimeter, determine the discharge from the system circuit, and the discharge of nutrient output and the ratio of dissolved nutrients. Fertilizer tool design using a PVC pipe and two parallel mounted venturimeters, with the size of one inch. The test was carried out with three variations of the vertical distance of the nutrient fluid to the venturimeter 44 cm, 52 cm and 79 cm. This fertigation tool functions to produce a series of irrigation systems 0.778 l / s with pressure on the main pipe M1 = 1.90 bar, pressure before passing venturi 0.9 bar (on M2 and M3), after veventuri 0.45 bar (on M4 and M5) and in the main pipe output M6 = 1.69 bar. Nutrient discharge was successively 5.19 ml / s, 4.31 ml / s and 2.13 ml / s, until the ratio of nutrition to irrigation water was obtained 0.67%, 0.55% and 0.27% (V / V) ). Nutrient ratio settings can be changed by adjusting the vertical suction distance between the liquid surface on the nutrient container with a venturimeter, the greater the nutrient suction distance, the smaller the ratio of nutrients to irrigation water.

Background: The morbidity rate for toddlers with malaria in Indonesia had increased from 2013. Bengkulu city is a malaria-endemic area in Indonesia. Caregivers are people who stay with toddlers daily. Purpose: This study intended to identify the correlation between the malaria prevention knowledge and behavior of caregivers and malaria rates among toddlers in Basuki Rahmad Health Center in Bengkulu City. Method: This research was conducted in the Basuki Rahmad Health Center in Bengkulu City from March to April 2018. The research design was cross-sectional. The population size was 1,575 and the sample size was 127. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and the chi-squared test. Results: The majority of caregivers were female, with a low educational background, with good knowledge of malaria that was not reflected in their behavior. There was a relationship between knowledge of the signs and symptoms of malaria (p = 0.01), knowledge of malaria prevention practices (p = 0.01), health behaviors (p = 0.01), and use of malaria prevention practices (p = 0.01) and malaria in toddlers. Conclusion: There was a significant correlation between caregiver knowledge of the signs and symptoms of malaria, knowledge of malaria prevention practices, health service use, use of prevention practices, and malaria incidence in toddlers.

Current inhibitors of platelet integrin αIIbβ3 cause excessive bleeding, which limited their clinical use in cardiac patients. Here the authors design pure orthosteric αIIbβ3 inhibitors that prevent platelet aggregation and thrombosis without causing bleeding in humanized mouse models of thrombosis

Abstract Life cycle assessment was carried out for a conventional wooden furniture set produced in Mardan division of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan during 2018-19. Primary data regarding inputs and outputs were collected through questionnaire surveys from 100 conventional wooden furniture set manufacturers, 50 in district Mardan and 50 in district Swabi. In the present study, cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment approach was applied for a functional unit of one conventional wooden furniture set. Production weighted average data were modelled in the environmental impacts modelling software i.e., SimaPro v.8.5. The results showed that textile used in sofa set, wood preservative for polishing and preventing insects attack and petrol used in generator had the highest contribution to all the environmental impact categories evaluated. Total cumulative energy demand for wooden furniture set manufactured was 30,005 MJ with most of the energy acquired from non-renewable fossil fuel resources.

The current study enumerates the use of supported liquid membrane (SLM) technology to remove and recover crystal violet dye from wastewaters. The management of textile industry waste effluents is one of the main concerns of environmental health experts due to having excessive concentrations of dyes and resistance to biodegradation. Liquid membranes offer an affordable and green method for the selective removal of dyes from aqueous solutions. To create a liquid membrane, refined and edible vegetable oils were supported on microporous polymeric films of polypropylene (PP1E). Various parameters influencing transport, such as pH range in the feed solution, initial dye concentration, acid concentration in the strip solution, oil viscosities, and membrane lifetime, have been studied. The maximum flux value (1.7×10−5 mg/cm2/s) for crystal violet dye was obtained with sunflower oil-supported membrane at a pH of 12 in the feed solution and a concentration of 0.3 M hydrochloric acid in the strip solution. Under ideal conditions, the maximum amount of dye was transported within 6 hours. Studies on membrane stability and morphology revealed that the flux remained constant up to about 24 hours and then decreased gradually. Morphological studies showed that this may be attributed to deformation of pores shape and gradual clogging.

Abstract This study aimed to develop and evaluate data driven models for prediction of forest yield under different climate change scenarios in the Gallies forest division of district Abbottabad, Pakistan. The Random Forest (RF) and Kernel Ridge Regression (KRR) models were developed and evaluated using yield data of two species (Blue pine and Silver fir) as an objective variable and climate data (temperature, humidity, rainfall and wind speed) as predictive variables. Prediction accuracy of both the models were assessed by means of root mean squared error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), correlation coefficient (r), relative root mean squared error (RRMSE), Legates-McCabe’s (LM), Willmott’s index (WI) and Nash-Sutcliffe (NSE) metrics. Overall, the RF model outperformed the KRR model due to its higher accuracy in forecasting of forest yield. The study strongly recommends that RF model should be applied in other regions of the country for prediction of forest growth and yield, which may help in the management and future planning of forest productivity in Pakistan.

Many utility owners in the United States are actively searching for new and innovative rehabilitation techniques to help them regain control and repair large tracts of their networks; moreover, traditional open cut replacement is too costly and slow to keep up with demand. Many trenchless techniques such as Spray-In-Place Pipe (SIPP) lining have been adopted by municipalities to renew their aging pipeline systems. The further development of SIPP linings could benefit the water community in the United States and around the world. SIPP lining could play a key role in controlling the future expected burden caused by the aging distribution networks. This study aimed to investigate the mechanical properties of a newly proposed reinforced spray in place pipe (SIPP) lining material that boasts structural characteristics. This material is a spray applied two component polyurethane high build coating. Three forms of sample were investigated during these tests: (1) No Fiber-Baseline (2) Rigid-with one layer of carbon fiber (3) Rigid—with two layers of carbon fiber. Three types of tests are performed: tensile, flexural, and hardness tests. This study included both experimental and Finite Element Analysis (FEA). Target mechanical properties of proposed material can be improved by using carbon fiber (CF) as reinforcement and based on the results of this study, the SIPP lining material with two layers of CF reinforcement has the highest value of 8,067 psi and 16,534 psi during the tensile and flexural test, respectively.

Abstract Economic valuation of ecosystem services is a new concept in forest management. Economic valuation provides basis for payment for ecosystem services (PES). Therefore, objective of this study was to evaluate eco-tourism and carbon stock services of the Maindam valley, District Swat, Pakistan. For the carbon stock calculation, a sample size of 155 plots of 0.1 hectare (Ha) was taken using preliminary survey at 95% confidence interval and 10% allowable error. The data for tourism services was collected from owners of all the hotels, 100 tourists and key informants of the area at 10% sampling intensity on pretested questionnaire for twenty years period (1997-2017). Results showed that Miandam valley has carbon stock worth US$ 16,306,000 while the value of eco-tourism was US$ 1,578,458 on annual basis. The results also showed that trend of tourism has drastically declined after the 9/11 incident for foreigners and locals and the situation was further deteriorated during the era of Talibanization or militancy from 2008-2011. This study recommends implementation of PES strategy at the rate of 5%, thus a total of US$ 78,922 can be earned from eco-tourism and carbon crediting in the study area annually, which could play important role in sustainable forest management.

Abstract The present study was conducted for the taxonomic, morphometric and limnological assessment of the commercially important ichthyofauna of Sakhakot Stream, Malakand, Pakistan. The study area was divided into three sites along the water course namely Dargai Stream, Sakhakot Stream and Shergarh Stream. Fish samples were collected randomly during January to August 2017 with the help of fish gears. A taxonomic key was designed for the collected fish specimens. Ten fish species were identified belonging to 3 orders and 4 families. Family Cyprinidae was the dominant family with seven representative species while families Siluridae, Nemacheilidae and Mastacembelidae were represented by one species each. Lower mean total length and standard length was recorded in Puntius conchonius (Hamilton, 1822) as 9.2 ± 0.6 cm and 7.3 ± 0.6 cm respectively, while highest mean total length and standard length was recorded in Mastacembelus armatus (Lacepede, 1800) as 28.1 ± 1.7 cm and 15.9 ± 2.4 cm respectively. Mean pH of the water ranged from 6.1 at Shergarh Stream in August to 8.7 at Sakhakot Stream in January. Average temperature range was recorded from 10.9 °C in January at Dargai Stream to 18.7 °C in August at Shergarh Stream. No statistically significant difference was found for temperature (p = 0.96) and pH (p = 0.14) in the three water streams. The present study will provide a baseline for the rearing and enhancement of wild stock of the commercially important ichthyofauna in the field of aquaculture and fisheries.

Abstract Background Herpes esophagitis is uncommon disease caused by Herpes simplex virus (HSV). While the disease most often occurs in immunocompromised patients, including post-chemotherapy, immunosuppression with organ transplants, and in AIDS, Herpes esophagitis can also occur in immunocompetent individuals. Case presentation We report a case of herpes esophagitis in a 72 year- old woman who was presumed to be immunocompromised following prolonged radiotherapy and chemotherapy for lymphoma. Her main symptom was epigastric pain. Upper endoscopy showed multiple rounded ulcers in lower esophagus. The diagnosis was confirmed histologically by multiple biopsies. The patient received Valacyclovir for 2 weeks and started to get better within 3 days of treatment. Conclusion Although there are few published cases of Herpes esophagitis disease in the medical literature, we recommend that this disease should be considered as one of the differential diagnoses when assessing immuno-compromised patients presenting with non-specific abdominal symptoms.

Multiculturalism is the best alternative model that can offer a policy of interaction and bilateral enrichment to the dominant culture and the minority culture concerned. While religious pluralism offers a policy that is analogous with integration policy. Religion becomes a resource for value and norms which can influence the way of thinking, mental attitude, and behaviour of the dominant culture and minority culture in the society. Multiculturalism tries to gradually change all the minority cultures to be eventually fit in the batter within the dominant culture without seeing the values and norms of the religions followed. Similar with the liberal-democracy state, ethnic conflict in Indonesia empties into the conflict of local ethnics versus the incoming ethnic (immigrant). Impact of this conflict has caused social crisis and economic crash and the migrant’s ethnic environment and eviction from the home where they have lived in so far. Therefore, multiculturalism ideology could become a solution to create harmonious society with fairness and equality without regard to any socio-cultural background.

A twelve-port dual-polarized multiple-input–multiple-output (MIMO) log-periodic dipole array (LPDA) antenna for ultra-wideband (UWB) applications is proposed in this paper. In the MIMO antenna, there are 12 antennas, six for horizontal polarization and six for vertical polarization. In order to achieve dual linear polarizations and beam switching, six horizontal antennas are placed in a sequential, rotating arrangement on a horizontal substrate panel with an equal inclination angle of 60 to form a symmetrical structure, while the other six antennas for vertical polarization are inserted through slots made on the horizontal substrate panel. In addition, all twelve antennas share a hexagon common ground on the back of substrate and feed by micro-strip line. A prototype of the MIMO antenna is manufactured and the reflection coefficients, coupling isolation, radiation pattern and peak gain are measured. The MIMO performance of the MIMO LPDA antenna is predicted and evaluated by envelope correlation coefficient (ECC) and total active reflection coefficient (TARC).