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Currently, solid waste residuals (originated from biomass sources) are not of proper utilization since they are usually disposed through landfill or they are being left to degrade naturally. These two pathways for disposing such waste are of negative influences on the surrounding environment because of releasing hazardous emissions that are accrued at atmosphere layers, leading to several problems such as air pollution and acid rains as well as climate change. Thus, the implementation of temperature-dependent process, under controlled conditions, to convert these solid residuals into valuable products is strongly stimulated globally. In an agreement with this trend, the current research study presents production of activated carbon (AC) species from cane bagasse (biomass-based waste) using thermochemical treatment. Functionalizing of these carbon species was consequently carried out to obtain efficient adsorbents for the production of highly pure grade of commercial phosphoric acid via disposal of its organic matter contaminants. Fictionalization stage had included loading molecules of phosphoric acid only or phosphoric acid/nickel onto the particles of the as-prepared activated carbon. These two structures could exhibit increased adsorption capability toward species of organic matters compared to that detected by blank particle of activated carbon. Specifically, 73.4, 79.3, and 99.0 mg g−1were, respectively, observed as adsorption capacities for blank AC, acid-modified AC, and acid/ metal AC structures. The adsorption of organic matters by these three carbon-based structures showed similar isotherms as well as kinetics behavior. Particularly, pseudo-second-order and Langmuir models are assigned as the best fit for the experimentally acquired data during current investigation. Additionally, the studied thermodynamic parameters of organic matters capture indicated that the process is an endothermic, physical, and spontaneous process.

Advancements in technology have significantly changed how we interact on social media platforms, where reviews and comments heavily influence consumer decisions. Traditionally, opinion mining has focused on textual data, overlooking the valuable insights present in customer-uploaded images—a concept we term Multus-Medium. This paper introduces a multimodal strategy for product recommendations that utilizes both text and image data. The proposed approach involves data collection, preprocessing, and sentiment analysis using Vti for images and SpanBERT for text reviews. These outputs are then fused to generate a final recommendation. The proposed model demonstrates superior performance, achieving 91.55% accuracy on the Amazon dataset and 90.89% on the Kaggle dataset. These compelling findings underscore the potential of our approach, offering a comprehensive and precise method for opinion mining in the era of social media-driven product reviews, ultimately aiding consumers in making informed purchasing decisions.

The Cu-catalysed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction, also known as the “click” reaction, is a powerful tool in organic synthesis due to its high efficiency, regioselectivity, and mild reaction conditions. However, the use of homogeneous copper catalysts often leads to challenges like separation and disposal, limiting their applicability in industrial settings. This study aimed to develop a novel heterogeneous catalyst utilizing NiO/Cu2O/CuO nanocomposites (NCs) for the selective and efficient synthesis of 1,4-disubstituted-1,2,3-triazoles via the click reaction. NiO/Cu2O/CuO NCs were prepared by a simple co-precipitation method. The catalytic activity of the prepared NCs was evaluated for the one-pot, three-component click reaction between benzyl bromide analogues, sodium azide, and phenyl acetylene under various conditions: ambient temperature, thermal heating, and microwave irradiation. The reaction progress was monitored by TLC, and the products were isolated and characterized by SEM, FTIR, XRD, and XPS. The NiO/Cu2O/CuO NCs exhibited superior catalytic performance compared to Cu2O/CuO nanoparticles (NPs). They facilitated the exclusive formation of the desired 1,4-isomer under all tested conditions. Notably, under microwave irradiation, the NiO/Cu2O/CuO NCs delivered significantly higher yields (89–96%) compared to Cu2O/CuO NPs (76–82%) for diverse triazole compounds. Characterization confirmed the successful synthesis of the NCs and the purity of the triazole products. Utilizing water as the solvent under microwave irradiation offered several advantages, including faster reaction rates, higher yields, efficient product isolation, and excellent recyclability of the catalyst. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of NiO/Cu2O/CuO NCs as a novel heterogeneous catalyst for the selective and efficient synthesis of 1,4-disubstituted-1,2,3-triazoles. The simple and efficient method, coupled with the advantages of water as a solvent and microwave-assisted heating, presents significant potential for various applications in organic synthesis and beyond.

Biomass-based solid residuals can be of serious hazardous environmental impacts if left for natural degradation. Thus, the proper utilization of such residuals is highly recommended. Therefore, one of solid residuals: namely, corn shell, was used in this study to synthesize carbon species (labeled as CS-C) as an adsorbent for efficient removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous solution. The structural properties and the textural characteristics of the prepared carbon species were verified. The present charges on the carbon surface were acquired via zeta potential analysis. The performance of CS-C, as adsorbent, was investigated through batch technique. Adsorption isotherm was optimally described using the Langmuir model reflecting that the removal process occurs at the homogenous surface of CS-C through a chemical reaction (surface complexation mechanism). The equilibrium state for the sorption process was reached after 4 h of interaction. The kinetic studies revealed the nice fit of heavy metal removal process to Pseudo-second-order model and the thermodynamics is matched to endothermic, spontaneous, and feasible sorption process. The displayed results could emphasize the high potentiality of CS-C to act as a remarkable sorbent for efficient tackling of water contaminants.

Myoclonic‐tonic (MT) and spasm‐tonic (ST) seizures represent distinctive features in late infantile epileptic encephalopathy (LIEE). This commentary aims to delineate the electroclinical characteristics of MT and ST seizures, setting them apart from other seizure types. Our analysis encompasses 211 ST and MT seizures observed in 31 patients diagnosed with LIEE, providing a comprehensive overview of video‐EEG features and polygraphic signatures. In MT seizures, EEG findings reveal a high‐voltage diffuse spike/polyspike and wave discharge, often succeeded by diffuse electrodecrements. The amplitude‐integrated EEG (aEEG) signature is described as a “reversed checkmark.” Conversely, ST seizures exhibit EEG findings such as a vertex positive deflection after a slow‐wave and relative electrodecrement, with intermixed epileptiform discharges. In comparison to MT seizures, polygraphic characteristics in ST seizures appear more distinct, featuring a brief rhomboid shape corresponding to the spasm, followed by a lengthier rectangular shape indicative of the tonic phase of the ST seizure. While the pathophysiology of ST and MT seizures remains inadequately understood, their concurrent occurrence and association with other seizure types (tonic, epileptic spasm, myoclonic) within the temporal context of LIEE and other epileptic encephalopathies prompt us to anticipate advancements in our understanding through future research. We hope that this study serves as a foundation for unraveling these complexities in the times to come. Content available: Video

AbstractA database of 300 compounds was virtually screened and docked against Bcl-2 protein; the stability of the best-formed complex was evaluated through Molecular dynamics, the top ten compounds with the best in-silicocomplexation affinities were synthesized, and their In-vitrocytotoxic activity was examined. Thiazolidinone (4e) and isoxazoline (4a-d) were evaluated in-silico. For further evaluation and examination, we designed and synthesized from naturally occurring (R)-carvone and characterized it viaspectroscopic analysis, as well as tested for their anticancer activities towards human cancer cell lines such as HT-1080 (fibrosarcome cancer), MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 (breast cancer) and A-549 (lung cancer) by using MTT method with Doxorubicin as standard drug. Among them, compound 4d showed the most promising anticancer activity against HT-1080, A-549, MCF-7, and MDA-MB-231 cell lines with IC50 values of 15.59 ± 3.21 µM; 18.32 ± 2.73 µM; 17.28 ± 0.33 µM and 19.27 ± 2.73 µM respectively.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

Objectives: Few case reports have demonstrated promising results of drug-coated balloons (DCBs) as an emerging management for carotid artery in-stent restenosis (CAISR). Herein, we report 6 cases of CAISR which were treated with a DCB with or without new stent deployment.Background: Carotid artery in-stent restenosis is a high-risk condition with an estimated incidence rate that varies widely from 6% to 40%. Several strategies are available now for the management of the CAISR including conventional balloon angioplasty, plaque modification balloon angioplasty, and new stent placement.Methods: A retrospective review of consecutive patients with a diagnosis of severe CAISR at Baylor Scott & White The Heart Hospital Plano from 2011 to 2021 was performed. This study was approved by the Baylor Scott & White Research Institute institutional review board.Results: Six patients underwent DCB angioplasty with or without stent placement under an embolic protection device. Resolution of CAISR was achieved in all cases with 0% to 10% residual stenosis in all cases. Following the procedure, 1 patient had a brief episode of syncope with balloon inflation with immediate recovery on deflation of the balloon. There were otherwise no significant neurological or cardiac events prior to discharge. All patients were asymptomatic at their follow-up visit with no neurological or cardiac events reported at 12, 24, and 36 months following the procedure.Conclusion: While CAISR treatment remains a challenging condition, our study shows that the use of DCB with or without stent placement is a feasible and promising treatment option when compared with other conventional treatment options.Clinical Impact Carotid arteryin-stent restenosis treatment remains a challenging condition. Our study shows that the use of drug coated balloon with or without stent placement is a feasible and promising treatment option when compared with current conventional treatment options.

Plastic packaging waste is considered a serious threat to the environment due to its non-biodegradable nature. Transforming plastic waste into active carbons using pyrolysis methods could be a valuable option to solve the challenge of plastic waste. Synthesized active carbon was differentiated using zeta potential, particle size, SEM, BET, and DSC. This study also investigates the use of obtained active carbons for U(VI) removal from commercial phosphoric acid. The kinetics of adsorption were found to follow the pseudo-second-order model and intra-particle diffusion as one of the controlling mechanisms. Langmuir, and Freundlich, isotherms were employed to explore the equilibrium data. Furthermore, thermodynamic investigations revealed that uranium uptake is an endothermic, feasible, and spontaneous process. The present study concludes that plastic waste-based activated carbon could be employed as a low-cost alternative to commercial activated carbon for uranium removal from phosphoric acid and the production of green fertilizers.

Cellulose II nanofibers (R-CNFs) were isolated from Egyptian bleached bagasse pulp fibers via dissolution in N-methylmorpholine N-oxide (NMMO) and regeneration. The quality and features of the R-CNFs suspension were optically and morphologically characterized and compared to those obtained from two conventional CNFs prepared from pretreated native cellulose (enzymatic hydrolysis (E-CNFs) and TEMPO oxidation (T-CNFs)) isolated from the same cellulosic pulp. Optical microscopy images show the effectiveness of nanofibrillation for all samples with few residual fragments and the absence of macrofibers. The grinding process of R-CNFs results in the formation of CNFs in nanometer scale, as confirmed by AFM and TEM studies. Moreover, the nanopapers prepared from R-CNFs showed mechanical properties (tear resistance and Young’s modulus), porosity, and water vapor permeability comparable to those obtained for E-CNFs and T-CNFs. However, R-CNFs suspensions exhibited a lower optical transmittance value (7.5%) and a higher turbidity (315 NTU) against 12.5%, 272 NTU and 25%, 160 NTU for E-CNFs and T-CNFs, respectively ascribed to some CNFs aggregates. The quality index for E-CNFs and T-CNFs was 74.2 and 85.5, respectively, whereas it was only 68.3 for R-CNFs due to the presence of these few fibrillar aggregates after regeneration and fibrillation.

Uranium (as a hazardous and radioactive element) removal from wastewater requires reliable technology and proper functional materials. Carbon fiber species that are produced from agricultural solid waste can be a proper type of low-cost adsorbents for wide uses in wastewater treatment. In this work, two carbon fiber species labeled CF-RH and CF-SCB were synthesized from two different agricultural wastes, namely, rice husk and sugarcane bagasse respectively. The structural properties of carbon fiber were verified by XRD, FTIR, and Raman, spectroscopy. Both nitrogen-adsorption–desorption BET surface area and TEM were performed to figure out the textural characteristics of the presented sorbents. The charges on surfaces of the fibers were detected via zeta potential analysis. The prepared carbon fibers were applied for uranium removal from aqueous solution by adsorption technique. The acquired data display that the equilibrium time was 240 min. The results of adsorption process are nicely fitted with pseudo-second-order-kinetic and Langmuir isotherm models. The maximum sorption capacity was 21.0 and 29.0 mg/g for CF-RH and CF-SCB, respectively. Sorption thermodynamics declare that adsorption of U(VI) is an endothermic, spontaneous, and feasible process. The picked findings of this study could emphasize high reliability of the introduced adsorbents in efficient tackling of water contaminants.

AbstractA new series of thiazolidinone linked 1,2,3-triazole hybrids 5a-hwas designed and synthesized using the copper-catalyzed Huisgen azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) between thiazolidinone linked alkyne and aromatic azides. The structures of the newly synthesized compounds were established by NMR (1H and 13C) and HRMS. The targeted thiazolidinone-1,2,3-triazole hybrids were evaluated for their cytotoxic activity against four human cancer cell lines, including fibrosarcoma (HT-1080), lung carcinoma (A-549), and breast carcinoma (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazoliun bromide (MTT). The obtained data showed that most of these compounds have moderate anti-proliferative activity with IC50values between 10.26 ± 0.71 and 53.93 ± 1.20 μM. The compound 5aexhibited higher activity with an IC50value of 10.26 ± 0.71 µM, compared to 5dwith an IC50value of 11.56 ± 1.98 µM for the HT-1080 and MCF-7 cancer cells line, respectively. Moreover, Annexin-V apoptosis was assessed by flow cytometry for hybrid compounds 5a and 5d against HT-1080 and MCF-7 competitor cell lines, as they increase the level of active caspase 3/7. The experimental results were further confirmed by docking studies followed by molecular dynamic simulations. Both the potent derivatives i.e. 5aand 5dhave comparable docking scores and MD simulations results showed that the docked complex of 5ais somewhat more stable than 5dprimarily for protein p53. The ADMET profile of both derivatives established their safety zone and drug-like potential.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

A detailed experimental investigation of NOxemissions was conducted in order to get more precise combustion data for a Helmholtz resonator valveless pulse combustor. A laboratory-scale model of the combustor was designed and operated with a non-premixed input of air and propane. The effects of fuel flow rate, temperature, and pressure amplitude on NOxemissions through a variety of experimental tests were studied. The tests were carried out for three tailpipe lengths, two inlet pipe lengths, and two combustion chamber volumes. The results revealed that the variations in operational and design parameters have a significant impact on NOxemissions. NOxemissions reach a maximum value near the stoichiometric condition as temperature and pressure, which are related to the fuel flow rate, reach their maximum values. Experiments show inverse relationships between CO and NOxemissions. Furthermore, the findings show that NOxreduction increases with increasing tailpipe and inlet pipe lengths, as well as small volume combustion chambers.

TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofiber/alginate nanocomposite (T-CNF/SA) was prepared and characterized as a recyclable adsorbent for cationic dye. TEMPO-oxidized CNFs contain a large number of carboxylic groups, they may interact with methylene blue as a model of cationic dye in aqueous solutions. Two materials were synthesized in this study: T-CNF and CNF/SA nanocomposite. In order to determine the ability of the nanocomposite to remove the dye, batch sorption experiments were performed using the nanocomposite after their synthesis and characterization. In the studied concentration range of dye, equilibrium data were well fitted to the Langmuir isotherm model, indicating that dye removal is a favorable process. At 25 °C and neutral pH, the maximum adsorption capacities reached 185.2 mg dye/g and 216.4 mg dye/g for T-CNF and for T-CNF/SA, respectively. The adsorption efficiency was up to 95% after 2 h for T-CNF/SA. The adsorption data fitted well with the second-order kinetic model high correlation coefficients (R2> 0.99) and the isotherm data followed the Langmuir model equation. Finally, the study presents a feasible, practical, and reusable nanocomposite as an interesting adsorbent for wastewater treatment.

Bias temperature instability (BTI) in SiC MOSFETs has come under significant academic and industrial research. Threshold voltage (VTH) shift due to gate voltage stress has been demonstrated in several studies investigating gate oxide reliability in SiC MOSFETs. Results have shown positive.VTH shift occurs due to electron trapping (PBTI), and negative VTH shift occurs due to hole trapping (NBTI). In this paper, VTH shift is studied for unipolar and bipolar gate pulses with frequencies ranging from 1Hz to 100 kHz. The turn-OFF voltage for the unipolar VGS pulse is 0 V. In the case of the bipolar VGS pulses, two turn-OFF voltages are investigated, namely VGS-OFF = -3V and VGS-OFF= -5V. VTH shift is measured after 1000 seconds with recovery times in the range of 20 milliseconds, and preconditioning is performed before VTH measurement. These measurements have been performed at 25°C and 150°C on a commercially available SiC Planar MOSFET and a SiC Trench MOSFET. The results show that -3 V is enough for de-trapping sufficient electrons while -5V results in increased NBTI, which is accelerated by higher temperatures.

The objective of this study is to build a pulse combustion simulation model in order to determine the design parameters that influence the pulse combustor’s optimized performance. The Helmholtz valveless pulse combustor type is the simple design of pulse combustors. It has many advantages over conventional combustion, so it has been used in a variety of applications. There are many parameters that need to be studied in order to design this combustor type to achieve optimal performance. This research presents numerical and experimental investigations of pulse combustion. FLUENT software is used to conduct numerical simulations of the design parameters and pulse combustor performance. These simulations are then experimentally validated and confirmed to be accurately optimized in order to be applicable. The performance of the pulse combustor is studied for different inlet and tailpipe length and combustion chamber volume. This research accurately predicts how the frequency and pressure amplitude vary as the lengths of the inlet and tailpipe increase, as well as the combustion chamber volume.

Objective: To evaluate and compare the costal cartilage lateral crural strut graft’s (LCSG) ability to support a weak lateral crus in patients with external nasal valve dysfunction (EVD) undergoing primary versus revision functional rhinoplasty.Methods: This is a prospective cohort study of 26 patients (mean [SD]: 40.23 [6.75] years of age; 10 [38%] females) with clinically diagnosed EVD, who underwent primary versus revision functional rhinoplasty with the use of a costal cartilage LCSG (10 [38%] primary functional rhinoplasty patients and the 16 [62%] revision patients). Preoperative and 12-month postoperative subjective and objective functional measurements along with statistical analysis were performed.Results: While all baseline demographic and preoperative functional measurement scores were similar between the 2 groups, the primary cohort’s preoperative scores were higher overall. Follow-up was a mean of 14.58 months. The primary group demonstrated a greater difference in score improvement postoperatively in all categories. All patients had significantly improved visual analog scale (VAS), Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation Scale, 22-Item Sinonasal Outcome Test, and nasal peak inspiratory flow (NPIF) scores. When comparing the overall score outcome and surgical efficacy of the LCSG, both groups had near equal final score outcomes with the exception of VASLand NPIF.Conclusion: The LCSG is a viable and versatile option in the management of EVD for both primary and revision rhinoplasty patients.

Egypt has started constructing its New Administrative Capital since 2015. The new capital was designed to meet smart city standards, which presents a challenge for businesses to make the optimum business decisions given the set budget for such a project. As a result, reaching the optimum solution for allocating the needed materials to each building became important. Many researchers have considered the theory of constraints in their studies to determine the optimum product mix. Frequently, research considers the target of profit maximization to reach the optimum solution with one scenario. In this paper, we aim to solve the problem of product mix in cement production, which organizations face. The problem was formulated based on a case study in Egypt with two linear programming approaches. For this problem, many scenarios were presented under the consideration of two aspects, which are resource utilization and productivity. Data visualization was used in this paper to simplify the procedure of decision-making. Also, a dashboard web application was made for the decision makers to make it easier to create, analyze, and see different business scenarios.

The removal of hazardous metal ions from liquid waste effluents is very important for water as well as environmental safety. In this regard, this article discusses in detail the U(VI) uptake from aquatic environment using biomass-based Soya Bean activated carbon (labeled as AC-SB). XRD, SEM, FTIR, Raman, and BET analysis were used to characterize the synthesized AC-SB sorbent. Batch-type experiments were used to investigate the effect of various parameters on adsorption efficiency, including pH, metal-ion concentration, temperature, and contact time. The sorption experimental data have been described well with pseudo-second-order kinetic mathematical equations. The equilibrium state of the uptake reaction was 120 min. The Langmuir isotherm model accurately described the equilibrium process which declares that the uranium sorption is a monolayer and homogeneous process. The sorption capacity of the prepared AC was 32.7 mg g−1. Thermodynamic analysis explore that the U(VI) uptake process is endothermic, feasible and spontenous process. The displayed results demonstrate that the prepared AC-SB sorbent could be used as the proper material for uranium sorption from real matrix samples.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are considered good choices for the absorption, separation, and release of various substances. The rapid increase in the number of MOFs being produced makes it impractical to conduct experimental research to identify the most promising candidates in these areas. Therefore, computational screening has emerged as a robust approach. We employed this approach to identify the most efficient MOFs for the removal, separation, and controlled release of organophosphorus pesticides, including diazinon, chlorpyrifos, and chlorpyrifos-methyl. From a database of approximately 14,000 MOFs, 584 MOFs with the largest cavity diameters were used in the screening process to evaluate promising candidates for each pesticide. Monte Carlo simulations were used to estimate the pesticide uptake capacities and isosteric heats of the selected MOFs. The structural properties of MOFs were correlated with their adsorption capacities and isosteric heats. Computational screening identified 325, 330, and 450 MOFs as potential absorbents and carriers for diazinon, chlorpyrifos-methyl, and chlorpyrifos, respectively. Additionally, it proposed 235, 254, and 135 MOFs as membranes for the effective separation of these organophosphorus pesticides. The reactivity of the pesticides was explored using quantum mechanics calculations. Molecular dynamics simulations of the top three MOFs with high uptake capacities for each pesticide were performed and analyzed to understand the interactions between the MOF, pesticide, and water molecules. The solvation-free energies of the pesticides were calculated for various solvents to identify the most effective solvent for desorbing pesticides from the MOFs, thereby enabling MOF regeneration.

The COVID-19 outbreak had significant global healthcare implications, including the use of medications. This is specifically evident in the surge in use of some medication and a decline in the use of others. As a result, some medications end up unused, which may have subsequent health, economic, and environmental impacts.

Cryptococcosis is an opportunistic systemic mycosis caused by Cryptococcus neoformansand C. gattiispecies complexes and is of increasing global importance. Maintaining continued surveillance of the antifungal susceptibility of environmental C. neoformansand C. gattiiisolates is desirable for better managing cryptococcosis by identifying resistant isolates and revealing the emergence of intrinsically resistant species. Relevant research data from Egypt are scarce. Thus, this study aimed to report the genetic diversity of C. neoformansand C. gattiispecies complexes originating from different environmental sources in Egypt, antifungal susceptibility profiles, antifungal combinations, and correlations of susceptibility with genotypes. A total of 400 environmental samples were collected, 220 from birds and 180 from trees. Cryptococcusspp. were found in 58 (14.5%) of the samples, 44 (75.9%) of the isolates were recovered from birds and 14 (24.1%) from trees. These isolates were genotyped using M13 polymerase chain reaction-fingerprinting and URA5 gene restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Of the 31 C. neoformansisolates, 24 (77.4%), 6 (19.4%) and one (4.4%) belonged to VNI, VNII, and VNIII genotypes, respectively. The 27 C. gattiiisolates belonged to VGI (70.4%), VGII (18.5%), and VGIII (11.1%) genotypes. Non-wild type C. neoformansand C. gattiiisolates that may have acquired resistance to azoles, amphotericin B (AMB), and terbinafine (TRB) were observed. C. gattiiVGIII was less susceptible to fluconazole (FCZ) and itraconazole (ITZ) than VGI and VGII. C. neoformansisolates showed higher minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) to FCZ, ITZ, and voriconazole (VRZ) than those of C. gattiiVGI and VGII. Significant (P< 0.001) correlations were found between the MICs of VRZ and ITZ (r= 0.64) in both C. neoformansand C. gattiiisolates, FCZ and TRB in C. neoformansisolates, and FCZ and TRB (r= 0.52) in C. gattiiisolates.

ABSTRACTThis pioneering investigation relates pollution indicators and substrate characteristics to algal diversity at seven sites along the eastern Libyan coast during autumn 2018 and spring 2019. Seawater chemical composition and algal diversity exhibited marked temporal and spatial variability. High concentrations of inorganic phosphorus (Pi), nitrite (NO2−) and nitrate (NO3−), along with low dissolved oxygen (DO) were used as indicators of water pollution. Water pollution status and nature of substrate were correlated with algal distribution and diversity. The algal community was dominated by rhodophytes followed by chlorophytes and ochrophytes, whereas cyanophytes and xanthophytes were rare. Interestingly, Xanthophyta was represented by the freshwater alga Vaucheria piloboloides. Chlorophytes, particularly Ulvaspp, were associated with polluted sites, whereas rhodophytes and ochrophytes dominated the more pristine sites. Chlorophytes, rhodophytes and xanthophytes were more abundant in the cold season (October–December), whereas cyanophytes and ochrophytes were found in greater abundance in the warm season (March–May). In addition to the effect of pollution and climate, the nature of the substrate had a profound influence on algal diversity. The agreement between frequency of occurrence and percentage cover observed in cyanophytes, chlorophytes and ochrophytes was less evident in rhodophytes. The present work concludes that the enhanced urbanization at the eastern Libyan coast, with emergence of point source pollution mainly of municipal and industrial origins, has impacted the diversity of algal communities, leading to dominance of Chlorophyta, particularly Ulvaspp, over the other algal groups at polluted sites.

Introduction: The anterior ethmoidal artery (AEA) demonstrates anatomic variability relative to its descent from the anterior skull base. Our study’s objective was to assess for correlation of AEA descent and laterality, in addition to correlation of AEA descent and the presence of supraorbital ethmoid cells (SOEC) and concha bullosae (CB).Method: A retrospective study was performed at a tertiary rhinology center from January 2019 to January 2020. Noncontrast maxillofacial computed tomography scans were examined independently by 2 fellowship trained rhinologists. The vertical distance from both left and right AEAs to the ipsilateral skull base were compared and correlated with the presence of ipsilateral SOEC and CB.Results: Computed tomography scans from 50 subjects were included. Mean age was 50.68 years (40% females). The distance of AEA to the skull base was greater on the left when compared to the right (62% vs 48%) (P< .05). The left AEA had an average descent of 2.84 mm versus 1.78 mm on the right (P< .05). An SOEC was present in 56% of cases. Thirty-eight percent of subjects had both SOEC and AEA descent on the right, while 52% of subjects had both on the left. This reached a statistical significance on both sides (P< .05). Concha bullosa was present in 35% of cases, with both AEA descent and CB present in 16% on the right, and 32% on the left.Conclusion: The AEA displays variability in vertical descent from the skull base, with greater variability on the left. These findings implore vigilance with evaluation of preoperative imaging and during sinus surgery, especially in the presence of SOEC and CB.

In this Middle East region where 60 percent of the total agricultural imports are consumer-ready foods, U.S. suppliers are finding the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC-5) countries that include Bahrain, Kuwait, [...]

Purpose We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of flow-diverter stents (FDs) in the management of posterior circulation cerebral aneurysms and compare FD efficacy between anterior and posterior circulation aneurysms.Methods We searched the PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases for relevant studies through March 2020. Studies assessing FDs for posterior circulation aneurysms that included ≥20 treated aneurysms were included. Moreover, the studies compared FD efficacy between anterior and posterior circulation aneurysms were included. Data regarding angiographic aneurysmal occlusion, procedural complications, mortality, and morbidity were extracted and pooled in a random-effects meta-analysis model.Results Fourteen studies with a total of 659 patients and 676 posterior circulation aneurysms were included. The pooled rate of aneurysmal occlusion at long-term angiographic follow-up was 78% [95% confidence interval (CI), 71–85]. The pooled rates of intraparenchymal hemorrhage, ischemia, and procedure-related mortality and neurological morbidity were 2%, 8%, 7%, and 6%, respectively. Complete occlusion occurred in 82.4% of the posterior circulation aneurysm subgroup and 77.5% of the anterior circulation aneurysm subgroup. The difference was not significant (relative risk 1.01; 95% CI, 0.86–1.19; p = 0.91). Regression analysis showed that elderly patients and females had higher morbidity.Conclusion Posterior circulation aneurysms can be effectively treated with FDs with comparable occlusion rates to those in anterior circulation aneurysms. However, periprocedural complications are not negligible.

Visually impaired (VI) people suffer from many difficulties when accessing printed material using existing technologies. These problems may include text alignment, focus, accuracy, software processing speed, mobility, and efficiency. Current technologies such as flatbed scanners and OCR programs need to scan an entire page. Recently, VI people prefer mobile devices because of their handiness and accessibility, but they have problems with focusing the mobile camera on the printed material. In this paper, a real-time Arabic text-reading prototype for VI people is proposed. It is based on using a wearable device for a hand finger. It is designed as a wearable ring attached to a tiny webcam device. The attached camera captures the printed Arabic text and passes it to the Arabic OCR system. Finally, the recognized characters are translated into speech using the text-to-speech (TTS) technology. Experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed prototype. It achieved an accuracy of 95.86% for Arabic character recognition and 98.5% for English character recognition.

Aim: Several studies have shown high prevalence rates of sleep problems among medical students, including insufficient sleep duration, poor sleep quality, and excessive daytime sleepiness. This review aims to systematically summarize the existing literature on sleep problems among medical students and consequently estimate the prevalence of these disturbances. Subject and Methods: The MEDLINE, EMBASE, ScienceDirect, and ProQuest Medical databases, the Google Scholar engine, and reference lists of retrieved articles were systematically searched and evaluated for quality. Results: Forty–three studies involving a total of 18,619 students from 13 countries were included in the analyses. Results showed that the mean pooled sleep duration (K = 16, N= 10,512) was 6.3 h per night for medical students, [95% confidence interval (CI) 6.0–6.6]. The results also indicated that 55% [95% CI 48.0%–62.0%] of students reported poor sleep quality (K = 33, N= 15,462) according to the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI); the mean pooled score of 6.3. Excessive daytime sleepiness (K = 18, N= 5688) was reported by 31.0% [95% CI 24.4%–37.7%] of students according to the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Age and gender were not significant moderators for sleep quality or excessive daytime sleepiness. Some differences were obtained between countries, suggesting that cultural values, local conditions, and environment all have an impact on sleep practices and attitudes. Conclusion: Sleep problems are highly prevalent among medical students and are therefore a severe problem. Prevention and intervention programs targeting these are therefore highly recommended for future studies.

In this paper, a continuous adsorption of 3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid (3,4-DHBA) has been studied by using goethite modified natural sand (GMNS) as adsorbent in a fixed-bed column. Scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), characterized the GMNS surface. The effect of various experimental parameters including pH (5 and 9), flow rate (1, 2, and 3 mL/min) and initial 3,4-DHBA concentration (15, 40 and 60 mg/L) on the transport and adsorption of 3,4-DHBA onto the column were investigated in detail. The obtained result shows that exhaustion time decreased with increasing initial 3,4-DHBA concentration, flow rate and pH. The highest value of adsorbed amount q = 35.66 mg/Kg was obtained from injection of 60 mg/L of initial 3,4-DHBA concentration solution with flow rate, Q = 1 mL/min, at pH = 5 in column packed with GMNS. The Thomas and Yoon–Nelson models were applied to describe the breakthrough curves of adsorption of 3,4-DHBA onto GMNS solid. The linear regression analysis demonstrated that the Yoon–Nelson model fitted well with the column adsorption data for 3,4-DHBA. In addition, adsorption mechanism was proposed based on the results FTIR before and after adsorption. The GMNS adsorbent can be regenerated for three adsorption–desorption cycles using sodium hydroxide solution.

Visual object tracking remains a challenge facing an intelligent control system. A variety of applications serve many purposes such as surveillance. The developed technology faces plenty of obstacles that should be addressed including occlusion. In visual tracking, online learning techniques are most common due to their efficiency for most video sequences. Many object tracking techniques have emerged. However, the drifting problem in the case of noisy updates has been a stumbling block for the majority of relevant techniques. Such a problem can now be surmounted through updating the classifiers. The proposed system is called the Occluded Object Tracking System (OOTS) It is a hybrid system constructed from two algorithms: a fast technique Circulant Structure Kernels with Color Names (CSK-CN) and an efficient algorithm occlusion-aware Real-time Object Tracking (ROT). The proposed OOTS is evaluated with standard visual tracking benchmark databases. The experimental results proved that the proposed OOTS system is more reliable and provides efficient tracking results than other compared methods.

Introduction SARS-CoV-2 has been identified as the pathogen causing the outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) that started in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. SARS-CoV-2 has human-to-human transmission ability and universally contagious to all populations. The main transmission patterns are respiratory droplets transmission and contact transmission. The purpose of this study is to propose a protocol that may be used as a guide to reduce the incidence of COVID-19 infections among otolaryngology care teams.Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted to show the efficacy of our protocol to prevent transmission to health-care providers from March 11, 2020 through April 14, 2020. The protocol consisted of a series of protective measures that we applied to all health-care providers, then testing of our providers for COVID-19 using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction along with immunoglobulin M (IgM) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) testing at the end of the study period to ensure effectiveness.Results Our protocol resulted in zero transmissions to our health-care providers during the duration of the initial study. We were involved in greater than 150 sinonasal, skull base, open airway, and endoscopy procedures during this study. At the conclusion of the initial 5 weeks, we had no health-care providers test positive for SARS-CoV-2.Conclusion According to our proposed protocol, we were able to provide care for all patients in clinic, hospital, emergent, intensive, and surgical settings with no transmission of SARS-CoV-2 by symptomatology and post evaluation testing.

Like those garbanzos on your plate? So do diners in member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC-5) that includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.). [...]

Whether you call them chips, savory snacks or extruded potato and corn products, these U.S. foods dominate the upper range of the savory snack food market in the trade-strategic United [...]

ObjectiveThe Fragile X mental retardation (FMR) syndrome is a frequently inherited intellectual disability caused by decreased or absent expression of the FMR protein (FMRP). Lack of FMRP is associated with neuronal degradation and cognitive dysfunction but its role outside the central nervous system is insufficiently studied. Here, we identify a role of FMRP in liver disease.DesignMice lacking Fmr1gene expression were used to study the role of FMRP during tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-induced liver damage in disease model systems. Liver damage and mechanistic studies were performed using real-time PCR, Western Blot, staining of tissue sections and clinical chemistry.ResultsFmr1nullmice exhibited increased liver damage during virus-mediated hepatitis following infection with the lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus. Exposure to TNF resulted in severe liver damage due to increased hepatocyte cell death. Consistently, we found increased caspase-8 and caspase-3 activation following TNF stimulation. Furthermore, we demonstrate FMRP to be critically important for regulating key molecules in TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1)-dependent apoptosis and necroptosis including CYLD, c-FLIPSand JNK, which contribute to prolonged RIPK1 expression. Accordingly, the RIPK1 inhibitor Necrostatin-1s could reduce liver cell death and alleviate liver damage in Fmr1nullmice following TNF exposure. Consistently, FMRP-deficient mice developed increased pathology during acute cholestasis following bile duct ligation, which coincided with increased hepatic expression of RIPK1, RIPK3 and phosphorylation of MLKL.ConclusionsWe show that FMRP plays a central role in the inhibition of TNF-mediated cell death during infection and liver disease.

Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

The aim of this study is to analyze sex-specific readmission rates, etiology, and predictors of readmission after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Readmissions after TAVR are common, contributing to increased health care utilization and costs. Many factors have been discovered as predictors of readmission; however, sex-specific disparities in readmission rates are limited.

Objectives: This study aims to compare the immediate and mid-term outcomes of subintimal angioplasty (SIA) of chronic total occlusions (CTOs) of superficial femoral artery (SFA) versus popliteal artery (PA) and to identify possible predictors of loss of limb-based patency (LBP).Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of chronic lower-limb ischemia (CLI) patients (Rutherford classes 3–6) presenting with CTO of SFA or PA treated by SIA and selective stenting in the period 2018 to 2021. Immediate outcomes were compared between the SFA and PA groups, including technical success, perioperative complications, and 30-day major amputation and mortality rates. Mid-term outcomes for technically successful procedures included limb-based patency (LBP), wound healing rate, amputation-free survival (AFS), and major adverse limb events (MALEs).Results: A total of 450 CLI patients underwent SIA of CTO at the SFA (n=260, 57.8%) and the PA (n=190, 42.2%). The indication for revascularization was chronic limb-threatening ischemia in 80.8% of SFA group and 84.2% of PA group. Technical success rate was higher in the PA group compared to the SFA group (96.3% vs 91.2%; p=0.03). The 30-day amputation rates were comparable between the SFA and PA groups (7.7% vs 6.8%, p=0.7, respectively). No perioperative mortality or systemic major complications occurred in the present study. Kaplan-Meier estimate of the 1-year rates were significantly better for SFA group regarding LBP (82% for SFA group vs 43% for PA group, p=0.006), AFS (88% vs 64%, p=0.02), and wound healing (79% vs 58%, p=0.027), respectively. The number of runoff vessels was the only factor associated with loss of LBP (hazard ratio [HR], 0.055; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.001–3.020, p=0.039).Conclusions: Subintimal angioplasty is an effective and safe endovascular treatment option of CTO at SFA and PA with satisfactory immediate outcomes. The mid-term outcomes, however, are better for SFA lesions in terms of improved LBP, AFS, and wound healing rates.Clinical Impact: Subintimal angioplasty is a valuable tool in the armamentarium of endovascular surgeons, as re-entry devices aren’t always widely accessible. This study aims to assess the technical outcomes of peripheral vascular interventions for infrainguinal chronic total occlusions and identify possible predictors for successful subintimal angioplasty .Subintimal angioplasty is an effective treatment option for infrainguinal CTO with difference in result of immediate outcomes in popliteal lesions and SFA lesions

Phosphoric acid is a key ingredient in fertilizer production and contains many rare earth elements (REEs). Recovering REEs from phosphoric acid can prevent the accumulation of these elements in the soil and help bridge the gap between supply and demand. In this concern, a new material called Si-6G PAMAM-PPAAM dendrimers modified silica gel terminated with phenylphosphonic acid-amide moieties was developed and its ability to adsorb Nd(III) and Er(III) from the phosphoric acid solution was investigated. Kinetics and isotherm of the uptake process were investigated to explore the sorption characteristics. The attained results show that both metal ions exhibit the same adsorption performance, and the uptake process is depicted as a chemisorption, monolayer, uniform, and homogeneous process. The equilibrium state is achieved within 120 min, and the maximum uptake capacity is 16.7 mg Nd(III)/g, and 14.0 mg Er(III)/g. Sorption thermodynamics is an endothermic, spontaneous, and feasible uptake process. Nitric acid (1.0 mol/L) is found to be efficient for adsorbing about 94.3% and 92.5% of neodymium(III) and erbium(III) respectively, and the prepared Si-6G PAMAM-PPAAM demonstrates excellent stability over five consecutive sorption/desorption cycles. Preliminary tests on commercial phosphoric acid demonstrate that Si-6G PAMAM-PPAAM retains its effective REEs uptake from a complex commercial phosphoric acid solution.

In this work, poly(trimethylene carbonate) (PTMC)-based multiarm supramolecular polymers bearing self-complementary triuret and tetrauret hydrogen-bonding motifs (HBMs) at the chain ends were synthesized with various functionalities and HBM contents. These supramolecular structures were elaborated through condensation between diisocyanate 4,4′-methylenebis(cyclohexyl isocyanate) (H12MDI) and telechelic PTMC oligomers, urea/biuret, glycerol, and 1-pentanol in three steps. The equilibrium shifts of hydrogen bonding between HBMs were traced by 1H NMR in dimethyl sulfoxide-d6and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) in bulk at different temperatures. Association constants (Ka) of triuret and tetrauret HBMs were measured to be 0.32 and 1.59 M–1, respectively, at low HBMs concentrations in CDCl3. HBMs content was found to have the greatest effect on Tg, whereas the functionality and HBM structure did not. Thermal stability of supramolecular polymers was enhanced by HBMs with tetrauret being more efficient than triuret. Network structures were formed due to the transient physical cross-links by hydrogen bonding between HBMs and evidenced by the high transient temperature from the elastic state to the liquid state (Tcrossover) and good creep resistance. Increasing the functionality or HBMs content can increase the Tcrossover, creep resistance, and Young’s modulus in tensile tests. In contradiction to the measured Ka, triuret HBMs lead to the formation of denser physical network structures than their tetrauret counterparts, causing higher Tcrossoverand better dimensional stability consequently. Although the introduction of triuret or tetrauret HBMs decreases the biodegradability of supramolecular polymers, the influence of their structures is unapparent.

Buffering-out is a new finding phase-separation phenomenon. It can minimize the drawback of the conventional salting-out method, which will cause corrosion of the equipment at high concentrations of ionic salts. To develop this new separation process, phase equilibrium data are essentially needed. In the present study, the density measurements method was used to determine the phase boundaries of solid–liquid equilibrium (SLE), and the cloud-point method was used to determine the phase boundaries of liquid–liquid equilibrium (LLE) and solid–liquid–liquid equilibrium (SLLE). The phase compositions of coexistence phases for alcohol (1-propanol, 2-propanol, or tert-butanol)–water + 3-(N-morpholino)propanesulfonic acid (MOPS), including at LLE and at SLLE, were then measured at 298.15 K with an analytical method. The experimental tie-line data were also accurately correlated by the nonrandom two-liquid (NRTL) model. A conceptual process flowsheet was also proposed for the recovery of 1-propanol from its aqueous solution with the aid of MOPS.

Bahrain and Oman, two small Middle Eastern nations, are providing expanded opportunities for U.S. agricultural exporters. These countries reduced tariff rates for a wide range of goods, including food products, [...]

Although total U.S. agricultural exports tumbled in 1998, they showed exceptional growth in some nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council: the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar [...]

Bacterial colony classification is an important problem in microbiology. With the advances in computer-aided software's, similar problems have been solved in a speedy and accurate manner during the last decade. In this paper, deep neural network architecture will be presented to solve the bacterial colony classification problem. In addition, the training and testing strategy that relies on the strong use of data augmentation will be introduced. The used dataset was limited as it contains 660 images for 33 classes of a bacterial colony. Any neural network cannot learn from this data directly and in case of learning the neural network will overfit. The adopted training and testing strategy lead to a significant improvement in the training and testing phases. It raised the dataset images to 6,600 images for the training phase and 5,940 images for verification phase. The proposed neural network with the adopted augmentation techniques achieved 98.22% in testing accuracy. A comparative result is presented, and the testing accuracy was compared with those of other related works. The proposed architecture outperformed the other related works in terms of its testing accuracy.

An online energy management system (EMS) for a grid-connected hybrid energy source is proposed in this paper. The hybrid source combines renewable energy resources (wind and photovoltaic), battery storage, variable speed diesel generator, and load management system. The proposed EMS consists of two-level optimization algorithm: 1) the rolling optimization and 2) the feedback intrasample correction. The rolling optimization part is established to schedule operation based on the forecast data using the model-predictive control approach. The rolling dispatch scheduling is then adjusted based on an intrasample feedback correction that compensates for the prediction error of the forecast data. The optimization problem was formulated as mixed-integer linear programming framework with two objectives: 1) to minimize the total operating cost and 2) to minimize the pollutant gas emissions. The battery daily number of cycles and the minimum state of charge are considered as decision variables that are optimally determined by the EMS to minimize the total system operating cost while considering all the practical constraints of the different energy sources. Different case studies with different market profiles demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, and the results have showed a significant reduction in the total system cost.

A moderate earthquake (Ms = 5.8) was occurred on October 12, 1992 at about 25 km south west of Cairo city—Egypt. It caused large damage to numerous poorly constructed buildings. One of the important seismological phenomenon happened during the earthquake is the soil liquefaction which was associated usually with the occurrence of big sand-boils near the epicenter of the earthquake. Recently different methods are used to re-evaluate the liquefaction potentiality, in this study five different sites that showed high liquefaction potentiality during Cairo earthquake, have been selected to be studied to for re-evaluate liquefaction potentiality in Egypt. Shear wave velocity determination provides a promising tool to calculate the factor of safety (FS) against liquefaction, and resistance evaluation of sandy soils against this phenomenon. Multi-channel analysis of surface wave method as an efficient tool and is here used to infer the velocity profile at the considered sites to be used as input for the calculation of FS as an indication for liquefaction potentiality. The aim of this study is to determine the potentiality of liquefaction phenomenon in the selected sites to be one of soil characteristics input for any further hazard study. The selected five sites are named: Aquaz, Atf, Bedsa, El-Gammal, Zaweit Dahshour showed a liquefaction liquation during the 1992 Cairo earthquake which forced us to re-evaluate and update our knowledge through the recent technique about the liquefaction potentiality at these sites. The FS obtained by using shear wave was compared with the values obtained from SPT from previous studies.