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The present study utilised date palm fibre (DPF) waste residues to adsorb Congo red (CR) dye from aqueous solutions. The features of the adsorbent, such as its surface shape, pore size, and chemical properties, were assessed with X-ray diffraction (XRD), BET, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). The current study employed the batch system to investigate the ideal pH to adsorb the CR dye and found that acidic pH decolourised the dye best. Extending the dye-DPF waste mixing period at 25°C reportedly removed more dye. Consequently, the influence of the starting dye and DPF waste quantity on dye removal was explored in this study. At 5 g/L dye concentration, 48% dye removal was achieved, whereas at low dye concentrations, only 40% of the dye was removed. The current study also evaluated the DPF particle size created for dye adsorption, yielding a 66% optimal powder size removal. The heat impact assessment performed in this study indicated that increased temperature affected the amount of dye eliminated from aqueous solutions, where a 72% removal was recorded at 45°C. The pseudo-first- and pseudo-second-order models were utilised to predict the maximum CR dye adsorption with DPF waste. Resultantly, the Langmuir-Freundlich experimental DPF waste CR adsorption documented pseudo-second-order kinetics. In a fixed bed reactor, the DPF waste has been reported to remove CR dye constantly. Consequently, several factors affecting the removal process, including the effects of primary dye, the flow rate of the liquid inside the column, the depth of the filling inside the column, and flow rate were assessed. The results were simulated in the COMSOL® program and compared to practical experiments, which yielded a 99% match. Conclusively, DPF waste could remove several colours from wastewater via active removal.

In this study, a new adsorbent derived from sunflower husk powder and coated in CuO nanoparticles (CSFH) was investigated to evaluate the simultaneous adsorption of Levofloxacin (LEV), Meropenem (MER), and Tetracycline (TEC) from an aqueous solution. Significant improvements in the adsorption capacity of the sunflower husk were identified after the powder particles had been coated in CuO nanoparticles. Kinetic data were correlated using a pseudo-second-order model, and was successful for the three antibiotics. Moreover, high compatibility was identified between the LEV, MER, and TEC, isotherm data, and the Langmuir model, which produced a better fit to suit the isotherm curves. In addition, the spontaneous and exothermic nature of the adsorption process was crucial for transforming the three antibiotics into CSFH. The greatest CSFH adsorption capacity was in MER (131.83 mg/g), followed by TEC (96.95mg/g), and LEV (62.24 mg/g). These findings thus indicate that CSFH is one of the most effective and efficient adsorbents to use for eliminating wastewater contaminated with antibiotic residue.

This study aimed to assess the efficiency of Nerium oleander in removing three different metals (Cd, Cu, and Ni) from simulated wastewater using horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland (HSSF-CW) system. The HSSF-CW pilot scale was operated at two hydraulic retention times (HRTs) of 4 and 7 days, filled with a substrate layer of sand and gravel. The results indicated that the HSSF-CW had high removal efficiency of Cd and Cu. A higher HRT (7 days) resulted in greater removal efficiency reaching up to (99.3% Cd, 99.5% Cu, 86.3% Ni) compared to 4 days. The substrate played a significant role in removal of metals due to adsorption and precipitation. The N. oleander plant also showed a good tolerance to the uptake of Cd, Cu, and Ni ions from water. The highest removal of the heavy metals indicated that the HSSF-CW would be a promising technology for heavy metal contaminated wastewater as well as in electroplating and manufacturing industries.

A phytoremediation experiment was carried out with kerosene as a model for total petroleum hydrocarbons. A constructed wetland of barley was exposed to kerosene pollutants at varying concentrations (1, 2, and 3% v/v) in a subsurface flow (SSF) system. After a period of 42 days of exposure, it was found that the average ability to eliminate kerosene ranged from 56.5% to 61.2%, with the highest removal obtained at a kerosene concentration of 1% v/v. The analysis of kerosene at varying initial concentrations allowed the kinetics of kerosene to be fitted with the Grau model, which was closer than that with the zero order, first order, or second order kinetic models. The experimental study showed that the barley plant designed in a subsurface flow phytoremediation system would have great potential for the reclamation of kerosene-contaminated water.

Nickel oxide (NiO) thin films were formed by RF reactive magnetron sputtering onto glass substrates. The Argon and Oxygen partial pressure were (3.2×10-3 torr) and (2.12×10-2 torr) respectively at room temperature. The thickness of the films deposited was in the range of 50-150 nm. The thickness necessity structural, electrical and sensing properties of (NiO) films were methodically examined. X-ray diffraction method which shows polycrystalline landscape with preferred reflection peak at (200) plane. Scanning electron microscope analysis revealed that the growth of nanorods in all the films. The gas sensitivity of nitrogen dioxide gas was (67 %). It was observed that the gas sensitivity for (NiO) films was increased as film thickness increases.

Copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) were prepared by pulse laser (Nd: YAG Q-switch, λ=1064nm, frequency=6 Hz) ablation technology for copper target in height purity water type liquid chromatography / mass spectrometry (LC/MS), at energy (200) mJ and different pulses (100, 200, 300, 400) pulse to formation colloidal solution. Found surface Plasmon resonance (SPR) at (200) mJ and (100) pulses is (625) nm, when increases in pulses the (SPR) is nearly constant. The indirect optical energy gab for these solution (4, 2.7, 2.75, 2.5) respectively, with the increase in number of pulses, the energy gap by using Fluorescence Spectrophotometer (3.543) eV.

(CSDA) ranges for electrons in the elements Calcium , Potassium and Phosphor in terms of energy (0.01 - 10) MeV have been studied by using two empirical formula of Berger-Seltzer and Tabata et al respectively . These two parameters depend upon the atomic number (Z) of the absorber and incident electron energy E. It has been found that these formulae gives better agreement with the available data of Estar universal code. In this paper ,we present the results of Radiative Energy Loss and continuous slowing down approximation

In this research the effect of different parameters on the strength of joints which bonded by using diffusion bonding process has been studied. The specimens of copper and nickel were annealed in a vacuum furnace at (800 ºC). Specimens of Cu and Ni were plastically deformed to (0%, 10%, 20%, and 30%) in tension before diffusion bonding process. Diffusion bonding was carried out at different conditions (temperatures, pressures, periods of the time, and surface roughness of the mating surface).The parts were diffusion bonded using a creep machine with a jig in a vacuum chamber flushed with argon gas after evacuation to about 10-² torr to prevent oxidation. It has been found that the strength of bonded joints increased with increasing the parameters (temperature, pressure, and time of diffusion bonding). This increment of joint strength is just for a certain value and then decreased with increasing the pervious parameters.Besides that it has been found that the bonded joint strength decreases with increasing the roughness of the mating surface. Furthermore the bonded joint strength increased with increasing the percentage of plastic deformation of specimens before diffusion bonding process

BACKGROUND: Microbial desalination cell (MDC) is a new technology in the use of electrical energy for water desalination and wastewater treatment. RESULTS: Open circuit (OC) and closed circuit (CC) modes were successfully simulated with initial TDS concentrations of 10 g/L and 10–15 g/L, respectively (an external resistance of only 150 Ω was applied for CC). After 160 h of operation, the maximum OC voltage, desalination efficiency and COD removal efficiency were 809 mV, 32.2% and 79.2%, respectively. The maximum voltage was also obtained when the external resistances were 150 Ω (423.4 and 438 mV) for the initial NaCl concentrations (10 and 15 g/L) in the central chamber, respectively. Moreover, the maximal desalting and COD removal efficiencies after 24 h run‐time were (30% and 28%) and (24% and 25%) for initial NaCl concentrations (10 or 15 g/L) in the central chamber, respectively. Maintaining pH (8.61, 7.01) to (7.85, 7.8) in anode and cathode chambers was studied. This research accurately depicted microbial desalination's efficiency in generating OC voltages and CC electrical energy via Box–Behnken Design Distribution (BBD). Investigated factors' interactions (initial salt/COD concentrations, time) on CC system's energy efficiency. Resulted in peak productivity at (1.85 mW), OC reaching (1100 mV). CONCLUSION: Finally, the research paper gave exciting results in improving the efficiency of the microbial desalination cell to increase the ability to produce electrical energy and desalinate water. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For this research, the utilisation of electrocoagulation (EC) toremove theciprofloxacin (CIP) and levofloxacin (LVX) from aqueous solutions was examined. The effective removal efficiencies are 93.47% for CIP and 88.00% for LVX, under optimum conditions. The adsorption isotherm models with suitable mechanisms were applied to determine the elimination of CIP and LVX utilizingtheEC method. Thefindingsshowed the adsorption of CIP and LVX on iron hydroxide flocs followed the Sips isotherm, with correlation coefficient values (R2) of 0.939 and 0.937. Threekinetic models were reviewed to determine the accurate CIP and LVX elimination methods using the EC method. The results showed that itfittedfor the second-order model, which indicated that the chemical adsorption mechanism controlled the removal of CIP and LVX. The R2 with CIP is 0.944, and LVX is 0.941. For binary system removal, efficiencies were 93.00, 90.10, and 96.30% for CIP, and 91.80, 96.10, and 92.97% for LVX, at the CIP ratio: LVX of 1:1, 1:4, and 4:1. The electrode consumption (ELC) and electrical energy consumption (EEC) were found at 0.208 g and 3.21 kWh−3 for a single operation. The operating cost was estimated at 0.613 US$ m−3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current work aimed to optimize the electrocoagulation (EC) process for the efficient and economic removal of ciprofloxacin (CIP) and levofloxacin (LVX) from aqueous solution via response surface methodology. Four main parameters were selected for the optimisation process, including the initial pH of the solution, initial concentration of antibiotics, operation time, and current density. Subsequently, kinetic and isotherm modelling was performed to characterise the performance behaviour of the EC process at optimum conditions. Based on the results, the EC process achieved a removal efficiency of 92% and 84% for CIP and LVX, respectively, under optimum experimental conditions. The experimental results were consistent with the Langmuir isotherm model for the adsorption of both antibiotics on the iron hydroxide (Fe(OH)3) flocs based on the predicted maximum adsorption capacity of 142 and 185 mg/g, respectively. In addition, the experimental results best fitted the second-order kinetic model with a coefficient of determination (R²) value of 0.986 and 0.992 for CIP and LVX, respectively, implying the chemisorption mechanism controlling the adsorption process. The regression analysis also showed that the experimental results best fitted with the second-order polynomial model with a predicted correlation coefficient (Pred. R²), adjusted correlation coefficient (Adj. R²), and R² of 0.834, 0.941, and 0.967 for CIP; 0.723, 0.908, and 0.952 for LVX, respectively. In short, a comprehensive economic evaluation was performed and the total operational cost over a single run under optimized EC conditions was estimated at $0.490 US/m3. Under optimized EC conditions, the electrical energy consumption and electrode consumption were 3 kWh/m3 and 0.167 kg/m3, respectively, during a single run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background This article is a continuation of the Musafir study published in 2020. Following the results of this study, we designed an educational website with Urdu-speaking volunteers, using a participatory approach. This type of approach aimed at bringing out situated knowledge around taboo/sensitive topics such as sexual and mental health, by considering the cultural, religious, economic, family, and social background of young Urdu-speaking men. This approach allowed us to build culturally-appropriate content matching the needs of targeted population. We report here the lessons learned from our approach. Methods Urdu-speaking volunteers were recruited via outreach strategies, for participation in focus groups. Four focus group discussions were conducted on three distinct themes: 1/ Sexual Health Promotion, 2/Hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections, and 3/ Mental Health. The focus groups were recorded, with the written consent of the users. Thematic analysis was conducted after transcription of the focus-group discussion. Results We succeeded in mobilizing 4 Pakistani users, aged between 19 and 30 years. The group dynamics was very rich and allowed us to highlight numerous social aspects related to the importance of the group belonging, the family, and others points of view on these topics. Many Urdu vocabulary had to be redefined and revealed the extent of the pre-existing taboo. Conclusions Notwithstanding the extreme difficulty of mobilizing an invisible target population on a sensitive topic such as sexual and mental health, our experience highlights the need to consider the knowledge of the people concerned. The participative approach allowed us to fit the content of our medium to, for instance: the collectivist type of society of the target population; the level of literacy in their mother tongue; and to the embodiment of some taboo in their vocabulary. Although time and energy consuming, our approach seems relevant and could be replicated to other communities.

Background: This study aimed to identify factors that influence the mortality rate of patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19)-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA). Methods: In this cross-sectional study, data from 23 centers across 15 countries, spanning the period of March 2020 to December 2021, were retrospectively collected. The study population comprised patients who developed invasive pulmonary aspergillosis while being treated for COVID-19 in the intensive care unit. Cox regression and decision tree analyses were used to identify factors associated with mortality in patients with CAPA. Results: A total of 162 patients (males, 65.4 %; median age: 64 [25th–75th: 54.0–73.8] years) were included in the study, of whom 113 died during the 90-day follow-up period. The median duration from CAPA diagnosis to death was 12 (25th–75th: 7–19) days. In the multivariable Cox regression model, an age of ≥65 years (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.05, 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.37–3.07), requiring vasopressor therapy at the time of CAPA diagnosis (HR: 1.80, 95 % CI: 1.17–2.76), and receiving renal replacement therapy at the time of CAPA diagnosis (HR: 2.27, 95 % CI: 1.35–3.82) were identified as predictors of mortality. Decision tree analysis revealed that patients with CAPA aged ≥65 years who received corticosteroid treatment for COVID-19 displayed higher mortality rates (estimated rate: 1.6, observed in 46 % of patients). Conclusion: This study concluded that elderly patients with CAPA who receive corticosteroids are at a significantly higher risk of mortality, particularly if they experience multiorgan failure.

In this study, a new adsorbent derived from sunflower husk powder and coated in CuO nanoparticles (CSFH) was investigated to evaluate the simultaneous adsorption of Levofloxacin (LEV), Meropenem (MER), and Tetracycline (TEC) from an aqueous solution. Significant improvements in the adsorption capacity of the sunflower husk were identified after the powder particles had been coated in CuO nanoparticles. Kinetic data were correlated using a pseudo-second-order model, and was successful for the three antibiotics. Moreover, high compatibility was identified between the LEV, MER, and TEC, isotherm data, and the Langmuir model, which produced a better fit to suit the isotherm curves. In addition, the spontaneous and exothermic nature of the adsorption process was crucial for transforming the three antibiotics into CSFH. The greatest CSFH adsorption capacity was in MER (131.83 mg/g), followed by TEC (96.95 mg/g), and LEV (62.24 mg/g). These findings thus indicate that CSFH is one of the most effective and efficient adsorbents to use for eliminating wastewater contaminated with antibiotic residue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implications of Escherichia coli 0157:H7 and the effects of cinnamon, benzoate, sorbate and combinations were examined against Escherichia coli 0157:H7 in apple juice. The results showed that addition of cinnamon to apple juice gradually decreased the number of E. coli 0157:H7.

This study aimed to assess the efficiency of Nerium oleander in removing three different metals (Cd, Cu, and Ni) from simulated wastewater using horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland (HSSF-CW) system. The HSSFCW pilot scale was operated at two hydraulic retention times (HRTs) of 4 and 7 days, filled with a substrate layer of sand and gravel. The results indicated that the HSSF-CW had high removal efficiency of Cd and Cu. A higher HRT (7 days) resulted in greater removal efficiency reaching up to (99.3% Cd, 99.5% Cu, 86.3% Ni) compared to 4 days. The substrate played a significant role in removal of metals due to adsorption and precipitation. The N. oleander plant also showed a good tolerance to the uptake of Cd, Cu, and Ni ions from water. The highest removal of the heavy metals indicated that the HSSF-CW would be a promising technology for heavy metal contaminated wastewater as well as in electroplating and manufacturing industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is motivated by the need to stabilise the impact of deep learning (DL) training for medical image analysis on the conditioning of convolution filters in relation to model overfitting and robustness. We present a simple strategy to reduce square matrix condition numbers and investigate its effect on the spatial distributions of point clouds of well- and ill-conditioned matrices. For a square matrix, the SVD surgery strategy works by: (1) computing its singular value decomposition (SVD), (2) changing a few of the smaller singular values relative to the largest one, and (3) reconstructing the matrix by reverse SVD. Applying SVD surgery on CNN convolution filters during training acts as spectral regularisation of the DL model without requiring the learning of extra parameters. The fact that the further away a matrix is from the non-invertible matrices, the higher its condition number is suggests that the spatial distributions of square matrices and those of their inverses are correlated to their condition number distributions. We shall examine this assertion empirically by showing that applying various versions of SVD surgery on point clouds of matrices leads to bringing their persistent diagrams (PDs) closer to the matrices of the point clouds of their inverses.

Background: patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) usually suffer from diagnostic delay. having symptoms up to several years before correct diagnosis, leading to psychological distress, physical and healthcare burden. Objective: To measure the period of diagnostic delay of AS and explore the main causes of diagnostic delay. Patients and Methods: A forty -eight consecutive patients (41 males, 7 females), the mean age 34.4 ±8.54 years (ranging from 18 to 58 years) with AS who met the modified New York 1984 criteria were enrolled in this cross sectional study, which have been conducted at Merjan teaching hospital, Rheumatologic and rehabilitation out-patient department in Babylon from period January 2018 to July 2019. The diagnostic delay was defined as the interval between appearance of first symptoms and correct diagnosis of AS was me) for each patient. Full detailed history of each patient about her/his journey of previous diagnosis and treatment measures were recorded.asured (in years Results: The mean of diagnostic delay was 8.47±6.15 years in males, and 10.1± 8.62 years in females. The most common missed diagnoses contributing to delay diagnosis of AS were: non-specific back pain (22 patients, 45.8%), degenerative disease (lumbar spondylosis) (10 patients, 20.8 %) disc prolapse (12 patients, 25%), sacroiliac sprain (2 patients 4.16%), rheumatoid arthritis (1 patient, 2.17%), and chronic brucellosis (1 patient 2.17%). Conclusion: Most patients had obvious diagnostic delay prior to definite AS diagnosis which could have been avoided with earlier intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]