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Lynching is an act of assault in which a mob executes punishment of a suspect through physically attacking and torturing the suspect without trial and following legal procedures. As such acts of violence pose a serious threat to justice, human rights, and the rule of law. A couple of recent studies have explored the significance of anger, police legitimacy, and political encouragement in relation to support for vigilantism. This study also corroborates with these earlier findings. However, in addition, it contributes in finding moderating effect of police lawfulness in the relationship between righteous anger and support for lynching. A multistage random sampling procedure was employed to collect data from university students for the cross-sectional survey. Our moderation analysis shows that righteous anger, police lawfulness, and political encouragement significantly affect support for lynching. However, contrary to previous findings, trait anger does not affect such support. Moreover, only the moderating effect of police lawfulness turns out to be significant. Thus, our findings suggest that in order to prevent and reduce support for lynching, police need to be lawful and incorrupt, and religious-political leaders also need to be cooperative in de-escalating acts of lynching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioconvection in nanofluids refers to the sensation where biological microorganisms, such as bacteria or algae, interact with nanoparticles suspended in a fluid, resulting in convective motion. This phenomenon has garnered interest due to its vital applications in diverse fields such as biotechnology, nanotechnology, and environmental engineering. This paper deals with the magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) Reiner-Rivlin nanofluid flow by a stretchable porous sheet in the manifestation of the gyrotactic type of microorganisms. The Reiner-Rivlin nanofluid is considered to be incompressible and electrically conducting. Energy relation is developed by accounting the effects of dissipative forces, Joule heating, and radiative heat flux. Brownian dispersion and thermophoretic characteristics of solid tiny particles are accounted. Furthermore, chemical responses with modified Arrhenius kinetics are reflected in mass concentration relation. The acquired system of highly nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs) is reduced into ordinary differential equations (ODEs) through appropriate transformations and then elucidated numerically via the shooting method (Runge–Kutta–Fehlberg). The study investigates the impact of various factors on fluid velocity, thermal field, heat and mass transfer rates, mass concentration, and microorganism motile density through graphs and tables. It is observed that Reiner-Rivlin fluid velocity decays versus Hartmann number and porosity constant, whereas the reverse scenario is observed for fluid material constant. Thermal field upsurges due to Hartmann and Eckert numbers. Moreover, the intensity of heat transfer escalates for higher Prandtl number and thermal radiation parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary aim of the article is to analyze the response of the human immune system when it encounters the hepatitis B virus. This is done using a mathematical system of differential equations. The differential equation system has six components, likely representing various aspects of the immune response or virus dynamics. A Bayesian regularization neural network has been presented in the process of training. These networks are employed to find solutions for different categories or scenarios related to hepatitis B infection. The Adams method is used to generate reference data sets. The back-propagated artificial neural network, based on Bayesian regularization, is trained and validated using the generated data. The data is divided into three sets: 90% for training and 5% each for testing and validation. The correctness and effectiveness of the proposed neural network model have been assessed using various evaluation metrics. The metrics have been used in this study are Mean Square Error (MSE), histogram errors, and regression plots. These measures provide support to the neural network to approximate the immune response to the hepatitis B virus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A significant share of wastewater produced during different processes is released to the surroundings without further treatment. Therefore, polluted water sources are triggering diseases like typhoid. To avoid this, various techniques have been developed for the removal of contaminants from the water. Iron-copper bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs) supported on the reduced graphene oxide (rGOFeCu) were prepared which showed excellent antibacterial activity, efficient dechlorination of 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCA), and removal of methylene blue (MB). The characterization of prepared nanocomposites was done by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Iron-based bimetallic NPs supported on the graphene were successfully synthesized as confirmed by TEM. Iron has a strong antibacterial effect on microorganisms, especially bacteria. We conducted the antibacterial activity of different compositions of nanocomposite toward Escherichia coli to understand the efficacy of prepared nanocomposites. In the same time and concentration conditions, rGOFeCu showed the best antibacterial activity, as compared to the graphene-based iron. Results show that the excellent antibacterial activity was exhibited by using rGO-Fe95Cu05 within two hours. More than 98% of cell inhibition was observed. The further increase in copper loading has no major effect on antibacterial activity. rGO-Fe95Cu05 exhibited excellent removal efficiency of TCA (99%) within 30 min as compared to other compositions of FeCu. It was found that rGO-Fe95Cu05 exhibited excellent removal efficiency against degradation of methylene blue (MB) through activation of sodium percarbonate (SPC). The results indicated that more than 99% of MB was removed within 15 min. The rGOFeCu represented a great potential material for antibacterial activity towards E. coli and remediation of other pollutants in the wastewater such as TCA and removal of MB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilization of waste pollution to solve electromagnetic waves pollution is a good strategy towards a green future. In this study, we have used two different biowastes, wheat stubble and peanut hulls, as biocarbon sources to obtain two diverse inherited morphologies, i.e., sheet-like morphology from wheat stubble and distorted/ripped biocarbon morphology from peanut hulls. Detailed microwave absorption characterization analysis shows that the distorted/ripped morphology has better reflection loss and effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) as compared to the sheet-like morphology. Furthermore, MnFe 2 O 4 particles are also used to get composites with both types of biocarbon. The minimum reflection loss (RLmini) value achieved by the ripped biocarbon/ MnFe 2 O 4 is − 40.6 dB, with EAB being 5.6 GHz (13.2–7.6 GHz). Our findings show that better microwave absorption performance is attributed to the distorted/ripped morphology and by biocarbon– MnFe 2 O 4 synergetic influence. These findings open a route for biowaste and magnetic waste to be used in controllable microwave absorption applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid nanofluids are advanced heat transfer fluids that combine the benefits of traditional nanofluids with additional features to enhance their performance. These fluids have the potential to reduce energy consumption, improve heat transfer proficiency, and enhance the performance of thermal systems in diverse applications. Current work analyzes bioconvective Darcy–Forchheimer hybrid nanofluid flow by porous curved stretched surface. The thermal field is modeled accounting the effects of dissipation and thermal radiation. Chemical reaction and Arrhenius kinetics are accounted in the mass concentration field. Influence of the magnetic field is considered. Bioconvection phenomenon is taken into account to control the random motion of solid tiny particles of copper (Cu) and aluminum oxide (Al2O3) in hybrid base fluid water (H2O)–Ethylene glycol (C2H6O2). Cylindrical nanoparticles with shape factor m = 4.9 are considered. Boundary layer norms are utilized to acquire the flow governing dimensional equations. Appropriate transformations are utilized to alter the dimensional system into non-dimensional one. Runge–Kutta–Fehlberg (RKF-45) method in Mathematica is implemented to explore the effective consequences of involved variables on hybrid nanofluid velocity, motile density, thermal, and concentration fields. Surface drag force, mass, density, and heat transfer rates are tabulated and analyzed. The acquired results depict that the velocity field of hybrid fluid decays through porosity variable and Hartmann number. Motile density of microorganisms diminished versus bioconvection Lewis and Peclet numbers. Intensity of heat transfer boosts via Eckert number and thermal radiation parameter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The importance of high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) in the diagnosis of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP) is being recognized more and more. Pulmonary arterial hypertension is common in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, the presence of PAH is linked to higher mortality rates and might explain why some people who otherwise have normal pulmonary function are displaying symptoms of deterioration. The aim of this work was to find out the potency of integration of high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scoring system with pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) for ascertaining the disease severity of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and to predict the prognosis for proper management, along with incorporation of the key disparity of different HRCT scoring systems for the ILD. Results: This prospective study included 80 patients, who came with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. A strong positive correlation (r = 0.989) was noted between total lung zone HRCT score and PASP, pulmonary artery size, grades of dyspnea and PCO2. Nonetheless, total lung zone HRCT score proved to have good correlation and inversely proportional to (r = − 0.71) 6MWT, PO2, SPO2, FVC and FEV1/FVC. We utilized a ROC curve to identify the optimal cutoff value in HRCT scoring systems, for detecting pulmonary hypertension associated with the IPF. The sensitivity and specificity of Warrick score cutoff value was higher compared to that of the HRCT scoring system-based grading scale. Both HRCT scoring systems attained high correlation coefficient factors with various incorporated parameters in the study. Conclusion: We can safely say that in order to reveal the severity and prognosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a high-resolution computed tomography scoring system should be incorporated with echocardiography measurement of pulmonary artery systolic pressure —which proved to be the most potent predictive factor; especially when measured after a specific HRCT score cutoff value—followed by (FEV1/FVC), the 6MWT and the severity of dyspnea. Their integration collectively will aid in precise management and follow-up of IPF cases. Both HRCT scoring systems proved to be potent and perfect for short-term interval follow-up, yet the Warrick score was easier and faster to use and attained relatively increased sensitivity and specificity for the cutoff value of the pulmonary hypertension detection compared to the HRCT scoring system-based grading scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers the problem of nonparametric estimation of the regression function r in a functional regression model Y = r (X) + ε with a scalar response Y, a functional explanatory variable X, and a second order stationary error process ε . Under some specific criteria, we construct a local linear kernel estimator of r from functional random design with correlated errors. The exact rates of convergence of mean squared error of the constructed estimator are established for both short and long range dependent error processes. Simulation studies are conducted on the performance of the proposed simple local linear estimator. Examples of time series data are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Slow-release oxidation is important for effectively and selectively treating aromatic hydrocarbon pollutants like phenol in water. This research work focuses on persulfate candles formation for slow-relaese oxidation of phenol in water. To control the persulfate release rate polystyrene coating was applied to the beads. Four predetermined PAHs to ferrous molar ratios accompanied with persulfate candles were applied for the oxidation process. In the presence of ferrous activator the degradation of phenol was achieved. The increasing concentration of ferrous with constant persulfate and phenol concentration the higher degradation can be achieved up to certain Ph:Fe+2 ratio. The crossing the optimum ratio the inhibition starts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetic hematological disorder associated with severe complications, such as vaso-occlusive crises, acute chest syndrome (ACS), and an increased risk of thromboembolic events, including pulmonary embolism (PE). The diagnosis of PE in SCD patients presents challenges due to the overlapping symptoms with other pulmonary conditions. Our previous study revealed that nearly 96% of computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) scans in SCD patients were negative for PE, highlighting a gap in understanding the significance of CTPA findings when PE is absent. Methods: In this retrospective follow-up study conducted at the Salmaniya Medical Complex in Bahrain, we examined SCD patients with HbSS genotypes who underwent CTPA from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2021, for suspected PE, but the results were negative. The aim of this study was to identify alternative diagnoses and incidental findings from CTPA scans. Experienced radiologists reviewed the CTPA images and reports to assess potential alternative diagnoses and incidental findings, incorporating an additional analysis of chest X-rays to evaluate the diagnostic value of CTPA. Incidental findings were classified based on their location and clinical significance. Results: Among the 230 evaluated SCD patients (average age 39.7 years; 53% male) who were CTPA negative for PE, 142 (61.7%) had identifiable alternative diagnoses, primarily pneumonia (49.1%). Notably, 88.0% of these alternative diagnoses had been previously suggested by chest radiographs. Furthermore, incidental findings were noted in 164 (71.3%) patients, with 11.0% deemed clinically significant, necessitating immediate action, and 87.8% considered potentially significant, requiring further assessment. Notable incidental findings included thoracic abnormalities such as cardiomegaly (12.2%) and an enlarged pulmonary artery (11.3%), as well as upper abdominal pathologies such as hepatomegaly (19.6%), splenomegaly (20.9%), and gallstones (10.4%). Conclusion: This study underscores the limited additional diagnostic yield of CTPA for identifying alternative diagnoses to PE in SCD patients, with the majority of diagnoses, such as pneumonia, already suggested by chest radiographs. The frequent incidental findings, most of which necessitate further evaluation, highlight the need for a cautious and tailored approach to using CTPA in the SCD population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Memristor is an electronic device, which corresponds to a switch translating memory data (synapse) into resistance values. Scientists made a switch with a combination of titanium dioxide (Tio2) and oxygen deficient TiO2 to create a metal-insulator transition mechanism to make a device with nonlinear conductive states Ron and Roff. This work presents the memory storing capability of memristor by utilizing an equivalent experimental setup of steel balls array. An experiment exhibits an identical memristive mechanism of memristor device where the nonlinear conductive states along an array of steel balls describes an exact mechanism of memristor's functionality. Via utilizing an identical setup, we depict electric and magnetic field compatibility at memristor's pinched (on & off) regions. It shows that how memristor stores synaptic information by means of resistance values at its pinched (on & off) conducting regions. The aim of this effort is to provide technical support to conceive a memristor as a resistive memory storage device, which changes its resistance values with respect to applied voltage (multiple synaptic weights). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work is an attempt to investigate the thermal behavior of a number of different nanofluids over cone at a prescribed wall temperature (PWT). Rotating nanofluids have a plethora of applications in industries like surgical implants, cooling processes, and heat transmission in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Keeping in view this particular attribute of nanofluids, this study aims to produce a detailed investigation of different nanofluids, namely, single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT)/kerosene oil (KO), silver/kerosene oil (KO), multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT)/mineral oil (MO), and copper oxide/mineral oil (MO) over an axially spinning cone. Highly non-linear partial differential equations are obtained using the Rivilin Erickson tensor and suitable boundary layer approximations. A new set of supposed variables is introduced to obtain ordinary differential equations. In MATLAB, the boundary value problem technique (bvp4c) was used to obtain graphical and tabulated results. The problem's flow symmetry is examined under the influence of rotational impact, mixed convection, the Prandtl number effect, and unsteadiness impact. Additionally, shear stress symmetry and Nusselt number outcomes are investigated with varying values of distinct parameters. Kerosene-based nanofluids have high heat transfer coefficients when compared with mineral oil-based nanofluids. Moreover, the Nusselt number has increased by 55% when compared with the case of mineral oil-based nanofluids, resulting in reduced skin coefficients and a high Nusselt number. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous heat transfer applications, such as heat exchangers, solar trough collectors, and fields including food processing, material research, and aerospace engineering, utilize hybrid nanofluids. Compared to conventional fluids, hybrid nanofluids exhibit significantly enhanced thermal conductivity. The aim of this work is to explore flow and heat transmission features under of magneto-hydrodynamic bioconvective flow of carbon nanotubes over the stretched surface with Dufour and Soret effects. Additionally, comparative dynamics of the carbon nanotubes (SWCMT − MWCNT/C2H6O2 with SWCMT − MWCNT/C2H6O2 − H2O) flow using the Prandtl fluid model in the presence of thermal radiation and motile microorganisms has been investigated. Novel feature Additionally, the focus is also to examine the presence of microorganisms in mixture base hybrid nanofluid. To examine heat transfer features of Prandtl hybrid nanofluid over the stretched surface convective heating is taken into consideration while modeling the boundary conditions. Suitable similarity transform has been employed to convert dimensional flow governing equations into dimensionless equations and solution of the problem has been obtained using effective, accurate and time saving bvp-4c technique in MATLAB. Velocity, temperature, concentration and microorganisms profiles have been demonstrated graphically under varying impact of various dimensionless parameters such as inclined magnetization, mixed convection, Dufour effect, Soret effect, thermal radiation effect, and bioconvection lewis number. It has been observed that raising values of magnetization (0.5 ≤ M ≤ 4), mixed convection (0.01 ≤ λ ≤ 0.05) and inclination angle (0° ≤ α ≤ 180°) enhance fluid motion rapidly in Ethylene glycol based Prandtl hybrid nanofluid (SWCMT − MWCNT/C2H6O2) when compared with mixture base working fluid of carbon nanotubes SWCMT − MWCNT/C2H6O2 − H2O). Raising thermal radiation (0.1 ≤ Rd ≤ 1.7) and Dufour number (0.1 ≤ Du ≤ 0.19) values improves temperature profile. Moreover, a good agreement has been found between the current outcome and existing literature for skin friction outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of traditional plants has been tremendously increased due to their higher biological impact, minimal side effects, and comparatively low cost. Moreover, the emergence of antibacterial resistance is also shifting the scientific community to reconsider herbal remedies which provide relatively safer, cheap and biologically tolerable solutions. The present research was designed to fabricate the Mentha spicata conjugated silver nanoparticles (Me-AgNPs). Furthermore, the assessment of the bactericidal potential of Me-AgNPs against various bacterial strains was another motive behind this study. Fabricated NPs were characterized with the help of the UV-Visible spectrophotometric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Me-AgNPs showed a significant zone of inhibition (23 ± 0.2 mm) at 8 mg/mL against Staphylococcus aureus and a 4.0 ± 0.2 mm zone of growth inhibition at 2 mg/mL against Aeromonas veronii. The stability of Me-AgNPs was assessed at various pH (4, 7 and 11) and temperatures (25 °C, 4 °C, 37 °C, 75 °C). The significant zones of inhibition (11.3 ± 0.3 mm, 8.3 ± 0.3mm, 14.3 ± 0.3 mm, and 7.6 ± 0.2 mm) were observed at pH 11 against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, and Klebsiella pneumoniae, respectively. Growth inhibition zones (14.0 ± 0.5 mm and 13.0 ± 0.5 mm) were also determined against B. subtilis and S. aureus at 25 °C. DPPH bioassay was conducted to find the antioxidant properties of Me-AgNPs. The highest (38.66 ± 0.2%) free radical scavenging activity was shown by Me-AgNPs at 4 mg/mL. Present study results concluded that biogenic Me-AgNPs have bactericidal as well as anti-oxidative potential. Moreover, these green synthesized Me-AgNPs could maintain their potency and stability at a wide range of pH and temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive use of synthetic insecticides has resulted in environmental contamination and adverse effects on humans and other non-target organisms. Entomopathogenic fungi offer eco-friendly alternatives; however, their application for pest control requires significant advancement owing to limitations like slow killing time and effectiveness only when applied in higher amounts, whereas exposure to UV radiation, high temperature, and humidity can also reduce their viability and shelf-life. The nanoparticles synthesized using fungal extracellular extracts provide a new approach to use fungal pathogens. Our study focused on the synthesis of Metarhizium anisopliae–based silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and evaluation of their efficiency on various physiological and behavioral parameters of the mosquito Aedes aegypti. The synthesis, size (27.6 d.nm, PDI = 0.209), zeta potential (− 24.3 mV), and shape of the AgNPs were determined through dynamic light scattering, scanning and transmission electron microscopic, and UV-visual spectroscopic analyses (432 nm). Our results showed significantly reduced survival (100% decrease in case of 3.2 and 1.8 μL/cm2 volumes, and 60% decrease in case of 0.8 μL/cm2 volume), phenoloxidase activity (t = 39.91; p = 0.0001), and gut microbiota, with increased oxidative stress and cell apoptosis in AgNPs-challenged mosquitoes. Furthermore, the AgNPs-exposed mosquitoes presented a concentration-specific decrease in flight locomotor activity (F = 17.312; p < 0.0001), whereas no significant changes in antifungal activity, self-grooming frequencies, or time spent were found. These findings enhance our understanding of mosquito responses to AgNPs exposure, and offer a more efficient mosquito control strategy using entomopathogenic fungi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid surge in antibiotic resistance to pathogens has emerged as a grave threat to public health, globally. This multiple drug resistance (MDR) is directly linked to the high rates of morbidity and mortality worldwide due to untreated microbial infections. Therefore, it is inevitable to identify some novel, efficient, and comparatively safer antimicrobial agents to rescue the declining health index. In this regard, nanomaterials with modified structure, size, and infinity have risen as the sole source to tackle the MDR either through ameliorating the efficacy of existing drugs or by triggering entirely new bactericidal mechanisms. Out of all the nanomaterials, metals, and metal oxide nanoparticles with biopolymer-induced reduction have fetched the attention of global researchers due to their significant and promising pathogen-killing ability without any hint of resistance. The current review covers the updated molecular modes of resistance development in Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, comprehensively. This review also highlighted the detailed mode of action of various metallic nanoparticles (silver, zinc, copper, titanium, and cobalt) against MDR pathogens. Moreover, this review article thoroughly discussed the correlation between the mechanisms of resistance and alternative NPs bactericidal modes for better understanding for the readers. Last but not least, toxicity analysis is also explained for safe further use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimal power flow is a complex and highly non-linear problem in which steady-state parameters are needed to find a network’s efficient and economical operation. In addition, the difficulty of the Optimal power flow problem becomes enlarged when new constraints are added, and it is also a challenging task for the power system operator to solve the constrained Optimal power flow problems efficiently. Therefore, this paper presents a constrained composite differential evolution optimization algorithm to search for the optimum solution to Optimal power flow problems. In the last few decades, numerous evolutionary algorithm implementations have emerged due to their superiority in solving Optimal power flow problems while considering various objectives such as cost, emission, power loss, etc. evolutionary algorithms effectively explore the solution space unconstrainedly, often employing the static penalty function approach to address the constraints and find solutions for constrained Optimal power flow problems. It is a drawback that combining evolutionary algorithms and the penalty function approach requires several penalty parameters to search the feasible space and discard the infeasible solutions. The proposed a constrained composite differential evolution algorithm combines two effective constraint handling techniques, such as feasibility rule and ɛ constraint methods, to search in the feasible space. The proposed approaches are recognized on IEEE 30, 57, and 118-bus standard test systems considering 16 study events of single and multi-objective optimization functions. Ultimately, simulation results are examined and compared with the many recently published techniques of Optimal power flow solutions owing to show the usefulness and performance of the proposed a constrained composite differential evolution algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles, a bioactive, cost-effective, and sustainable material such as the chitosan/silk fibroin blend was developed. The current research was aimed to elucidate the antibacterial activity of silk fibroin–chitosan blend ZnO NPs at various pH (4, 8 and 12) and temperatures (4, 37, and 50 °C) against gram-negative (Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Serratia rubidaea, and Proteus mirabilis) and gram-positive bacterial strains (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus thuringensis, Bacillus licheniformis, and Clostridium difficile) at numerous concentrations (2–8 mg/ml). Agar well diffusion method was used to evaluate the antibacterial effect by measuring the zone of inhibition. Silk fibroin–chitosan blend ZnO NPs significantly reserved the growth of gram-negative bacterial strains, e.g., K. pneumoniae (11.3 ± 0.9 mm), E. coli (12.7 ± 0.9 mm), S. rubidaea (16.7 ± 0.9 mm), and P. mirabilis (11.7 ± 1.2 mm) and gram-positive bacterial strains such as B. thuringiensis (12.3 ± 0.3 mm), B. licheniformis (10.0 ± 0.57 mm), S. aureus (17.3 ± 1.2 mm), and C. difficile (11.7 ± 1.2 mm). At various temperatures and various pH values (acidic and basic), the stability of silk fibroin–chitosan blend ZnO NPs was observed. Silk fibroin–chitosan blend ZnO NPs significantly inhibited the growth of all bacterial strains at 37°C, and a maximum zone of inhibition was found at pH 8. The formation of SFCH blend ZnONPs was confirmed via numerous characterization techniques such as ultraviolet visible spectrum, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Transmission electron microscopy revealed that SFCH blend ZnONPs were highly stabilized and homogeneously distributed in the solution, and the average particle size was about 30.06 nm with a spherical shape. We concluded that silk fibroin–chitosan zinc oxide nanocomposite could be a safe and promising antimicrobial agent for wound dressing and various applications in biomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) is herb with many biological and medicinal benefits for humans. However, growth on zinc (Zn) and cadmium (Cd) contaminated sites might get severely affected due to over accumulation of heavy metals (HM) in different plant tissues. Antioxidants play a crucial role in minimizing the negative effects of HM. The present study investigates the effects of Zn and Cd stress on P. crispum morphological parameters, enzymatic/non-enzymatic antioxidant profiling and metal accumulation in shoot/root. Plants were exposed to different concentrations of Zn (50, 100, 150 and 200 µM) and Cd (10, 20, 40 and 80 µM) along with control (no stress), in soil-less Hoagland's solution. The results showed that Zn and Cd substantially decrease the growth parameters with increased contents of malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and electrolyte leakage (EL). Non-enzymatic antioxidant activities, like total phenolic contents (TPC) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), were induced high in leaves only upon Cd stress and contrarily decreased upon Zn stress. Total flavonoid contents (TFC) were decreased under Zn and Cd stress. Enzymatic antioxidant activities like superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) were also strongly induced upon Cd stress. At the same time, SOD and guaiacol peroxidase (GPX) activity was induced significantly upon Zn stress. Cd uptake and accumulation was notably high in roots as compared to shoots, which suggests P. crispum have a reduced ability to translocate Cd towards aboveground parts (leaves). Additionally, strong induction of antioxidants by P. crispum under Cd stress might indicate the capacity to effectively re-modulate its physiological response. However, further investigations regarding other HMs and experiments at the molecular level are still needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article effectively establishes the exact soliton solutions for the Boussinesq model, characterized by time-dependent coefficients, employing the advanced modified simple equation, generalized Kudryashov and modified sine–Gordon expansion methods. The adaptive applicability of the Boussinesq system to coastal dynamics, fluid behavior, and wave propagation enriches interdisciplinary research across hydrodynamics and oceanography. The solutions of the system obtained through these significant techniques make a path to understanding nonlinear phenomena in various fields, surpassing traditional barriers and further motivating research and application. Significant impacts of the coefficients of the equation, wave velocity, and related parameters are evident in the profiles of soliton-shaped waves in both 3D and 2D configurations when all these factors are treated as variables, which are not seen in the case for constant coefficients. This study enhances the understanding of the significant role played by nonlinear evolution equations with time-dependent coefficients through careful dynamic explanations and detailed analyses. This revelation opens up an interesting and challenging field of study, with promising insights that resonate across diverse scientific disciplines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the effect of semirigid ureteroscopy and tamsulosin therapy as dilatation methods before flexible ureteroscopy advancement to the renal collecting system. Patients and methods: This prospective study included patients with renal stones less than 2 cm who underwent retrograde flexible ureteroscopy and laser lithotripsy. The patients were randomized into two groups: group A patients were given a placebo for 1 week before flexible ureteroscopy, and group B patients were administered 0.4 mg of tamsulosin once daily for 1 week before surgery and underwent active dilatation using semirigid ureteroscopy before flexible ureteroscopy. The ability of the flexible ureteroscope to reach the collecting system in both groups during the same operative session was assessed. Operative outcomes and complications were collected and analyzed in both groups. Results: A total of 170 patients were included in our study, with each group comprising 85 patients. In group B, the flexible ureteroscope successfully accessed the kidney in 61 patients, while in group A, the flexible ureteroscope was successful only in 28 cases (71.4% versus 32.9%). In group A, 33 (38.8%) patients had lower urinary tract symptoms compared to 17 (20.2%) patients in group B (P = 0.013). Conclusion: Using tamsulosin therapy and semirigid ureteroscopy as dilatation methods before flexible ureteroscopy increased the success of primary flexible ureteroscopy advancement to renal collecting system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a new variant of a metaheuristic algorithm based on the whale optimization algorithm (WOA), the Q-learning algorithm and the Exponential Monte Carlo Acceptance Probability called (QWOA-EMC). Unlike WOA, QWOA-EMC permits just-in-time adaptive selection of its operators (i.e., between shrinking mechanism, spiral shape mechanism, and random generation) based on their historical performances as well as exploits the Monte Carlo Acceptance probability to further strengthen its exploration capabilities by allowing a poor performing operator to be reselected with probability in the early part of the iteration. Experimental results for constraints combinatorial test generation demonstrate that the proposed QWOA-EMC outperforms WOA and performs competitively against other metaheuristic algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanofluids can be employed in various technical applications, including those in the medical field, the power plant cooling system, computers, and the automotive industry. The present study discusses a mathematical construction of a steady mixed convective incompressible nanofluid flow with impressions of Brownian motion and thermophoresis toward a vertical stretching cylinder. In addition, the influence of the magnetic field and heat source/sink with convective heat transfer is examined. Further, the impact of porous medium is involved for motivation. By using similarity functions, the governing set of nonlinear PDEs is transformed into a system of first-order ODEs. The solution to resulting set of equation is achieved by employing the shooting procedure with help of MATLAB. Numerical solution of various parameters like curvature parameter A, magnetic field M, permeability D, mixed convection parameter, Prandtl number Pr, Lewis number Le, thermophoresis Nt, and Brownian motion parameters Nb has been discussed which impact velocity, concentration, and temperature distribution. Analysis of acquired numerical outcomes is given through tables and graphs. We declared that the velocity curve declined for the developing value of magnetic parameters M and D. The improvement in the values of the magnetic parameter M growth in the temperature distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Entropy generation in nanofluid flows is a complex phenomenon influenced by various factors, including the presence of nanoparticles, temperature gradients, and other effects such as magnetic fields and heat generation. Minimizing entropy generation is crucial for improving the efficiency of nanofluid-based heat transfer systems. In this study, we analyze the irreversibility in cubic autocatalytic Prandtl nanofluid flow by a porous stretchable sheet. To model the nanofluid flow, we consider the effects of Darcy-Forchheimer, thermophoresis, and Brownian motion. Additionally, we account for the impacts of magnetic fields, heat generation, and radiation. Under the implementation of second thermodynamics approach, the entropy generation mechanism is evaluated. Under the certain flow assumptions, the mathematical model is constructed for which numerical treatment is followed via the Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg method (RKF-45) implemented in the Mathematica package. The novel-interpreted outcomes are physically observed in view of flow parameters. Numerical studies are conducted to examine engineering quantities. The results show that fluid velocity decreases with higher magnetic and Forchheimer variables. Temperature increases with greater radiation and heat generation parameters. Concentration and temperature fields are enhanced with higher estimations of the thermophoresis variable. Entropy increases with advanced magnetic variables and the Brinkman number, while the opposite effect is observed for the Bejan number. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In science and engineering, analytical and numerical methods have been utilized to compute the solutions of partial differential equations. Mathematicians are now employing artificial neural network (ANN) to investigate complex problem involving highly nonlinear partial differential equations. The aim of current study is to implement the Bayesian regularization methodology (BRM) to investigate the heat generation/absorption in thermally radiative nanofluid flow over stretched surface embedded in a porous medium with slip conditions. The flow governing equations have been obtained through boundary layer approximation theory. Reference data has been accumulated using the simplified form of equations with the help of "ND Solver" in Mathematica. Different scenarios have been created, and for each scenario, three different cases have been developed. Additionally, the reference data has been trained, tested, and validated using Bayesian regularization methodology in MATLAB. The reference data has been distributed in the following portions, training 71% and testing and validation 15% each, during simulation of each scenario. The proposed methodology's effectiveness and accuracy have been validated through generated mean square error (MSE), error histograms (EH), proposed solutions, absolute errors (AE) comparative comparison plots, and regression plots. It has been observed that maximum absolute error 10−08 found for mass suction effect. Convergence of proposed methodology has been validated with mean square error. It has been observed that with high applied magnetization force and permeability motion of fluid declines whereas opposite behavior has been observed for non uniform inertial force. It has been noted that when slip mechanism is significant, contraction has been observed in thermal boundary layer of fluid. Present outcomes of drag coefficient and heat transfer coefficient show good agreement with already published results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid nanofluids are utilized in vast applications in heat transfer such as heat exchangers, solar trough collectors, and in fields, namely aerospace engineering, material science, and food processing. Hybrid nanofluids possess far higher thermal conductivity as compared to convectional fluids; keeping in view this feature, this study is conducted to investigate the impact of notable Prandtl hybrid nanofluid using mixture base working fluid on thermal characteristics of bioconvective flow. To further elaborate the thermal attributes of bioconvective flow, the Cattaneo-Christov heat flux (CCHF) model has been taken into consideration in the present formulation. The focus in this investigation is to examine the impact of Cattaneo-Christov heat flux (CCHF) in the presence of bioconvection and microorganism effects on the mixture-based Prandtl hybrid nanofluid over heated stretched surface. To develop the desired fluid model, the Prandtl fluid model has been taken into account. In this work, silver and magnetite nanoparticles have been incorporated to constitute our desired Prandtl hybrid nanofluid, whereas the base fluid comprises mixture of ethylene glycol/water (50%-50%). The developed mathematical model is highly nonlinear, so we have computationally solved it using the bvp-4c technique. It has been discovered that when thermal relaxation levels are kept in the range of 0.5 to 0.9, the temperature profile significantly improves consequently enhancing heat transfer coefficient over the heated surface. It has been found out that as the levels of bioconvection enhance, migration of motile microorganism declines abruptly, causing the reduction in fluid acceleration. Additionally, with constant magnetization and varying inclination angle, the momentum layer thickness has been observed to expand. Heat transfer coefficient rises by raising the values of magnetization, Rayleigh bioconvection number, and thermal relaxation number. Moreover, results achieved in this present study have been verified through comparison with already published results, and good agreement has been found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to enhanced heat transfer rate, the nanofluid and hybrid nanofluids have significant industrial uses. The principal objective of this exploration is to investigate how thermal radiation influences the velocity and temperature profile. A water-based rotational nanofluid flow with constant angular speed Ω is considered for this comparative study. A similarity conversion is applied to change the appearing equations into ODEs. Three different nanoparticles i.e., copper, aluminum, and titanium oxide are used to prepare different nanofluids for comparison. The numerical and graphical outputs are gained by employing the bvp-4c procedure in MATLAB. The results for different constraints are represented through graphs and tables. Higher heat transmission rate and minimized skin friction are noted for triple nanoparticle nanofluid. Skin coefficients in the x-direction and y-direction have reduced by 50% in trihybrid nanofluid by keeping mixed convection levels between the range 3 < ϵ ≤ 11 . The heat transmission coefficient with raising the levels of thermal radiation between 0.5 < π ≤ 0.9 and Prandlt number 7 < Pr ≤ 11 has shown a 60% increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrasound imaging is commonly used to aid in fetal development. It has the advantage of being real-time, low-cost, non-invasive, and easy to use. However, fetal organ detection is a challenging task for obstetricians, it depends on several factors, such as the position of the fetus, the habitus of the mother, and the imaging technique. In addition, image interpretation must be performed by a trained healthcare professional who can take into account all relevant clinical factors. Artificial intelligence is playing an increasingly important role in medical imaging and can help solve many of the challenges associated with fetal organ classification. In this paper, we propose a deep-learning model for automating fetal organ classification from ultrasound images. We trained and tested the model on a dataset of fetal ultrasound images, including two datasets from different regions, and recorded them with different machines to ensure the effective detection of fetal organs. We performed a training process on a labeled dataset with annotations for fetal organs such as the brain, abdomen, femur, and thorax, as well as the maternal cervical part. The model was trained to detect these organs from fetal ultrasound images using a deep convolutional neural network architecture. Following the training process, the model, DenseNet169, was assessed on a separate test dataset. The results were promising, with an accuracy of 99.84%, which is an impressive result. The F1 score was 99.84% and the AUC was 98.95%. Our study showed that the proposed model outperformed traditional methods that relied on the manual interpretation of ultrasound images by experienced clinicians. In addition, it also outperformed other deep learning-based methods that used different network architectures and training strategies. This study may contribute to the development of more accessible and effective maternal health services around the world and improve the health status of mothers and their newborns worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurobehavioural disorder, characterized by abnormal affiliative and socio-emotional responses which are generally regulated by certain neuropeptides in the hypothalamus (an anatomic component of the ventral diencephalon (VD)). The use of volumetric MRI for studying VD volume change could provide a novel approach for identification of structural brain changes in ASD; this could assist in understanding the pathophysiology of ASD and would reflect on treatment strategies. The aim of the current work was to investigate the role of MRI volumetric analysis of the ventral diencephalon in young children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Methods: Fifty children diagnosed with ASD underwent volumetric brain analysis, on a fully automated MRI brain volumetry system (volBrain), with voxel-based morphometry of various segmental structures of the brain including the VD, using vol2Brain 1.0 pipeline software analysis suite. Results: There were 48 out of 50 children who demonstrated abnormal VD volume which was found below the normal limits compared with reference standard normalized volume. All cases were normocephalic demonstrating normal intra-cranial cavity volumes. Forty out of fifty cases showed increased total volume of grey matter, and eighteen out of fifty cases showed increased total volume of white matter. Regarding the amygdala and hippocampus, there were only two cases (4.0%) which showed slightly increased relative volume of the total amygdala, and two other cases (4.0%) demonstrated increased relative volume of the total hippocampus. Comparison between the autistic patients and normal references revealed a significant difference regarding the VD volume and total volume of grey matter, whereas no significant differences were found regarding the white matter amygdala and hippocampus. Conclusions: Based on the consistent significant volume decrease in the ventral diencephalon in patients with childhood autism, this study concluded that volumetric MRI analysis could be useful for diagnosis of childhood spectrum disorder and could be utilized as a reliable screening method in the clinically vague cases. Further study with a larger sample size including more age groups is recommended for more validation of the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a 2D closely packed bicobalt complex supported by DFNS was first provided. The XPS and EDX pictures of the DFNS/(bicobalt complex) catalysts affirmed that bicobalt complex was well spread on the outer layer of DFNS. The CO2/propylene oxide coupling reactions, employing DFNS/(bicobalt complex) as catalysts were announced. In addition, the catalyst anatomical heterogeneity of DFNS/(bicobalt complex) was characterized by various techniques, including EDX, SEM, TGA, TEM, XPS, and FT-IR. No leaching of cobalt into the solution was observed. The catalytic power of our catalyst was compared with literature reported catalysts for the synthesis of cyclic carbonate. lower temperature, the minimum amount of catalyst, lower pressure of carbon dioxide and shorter reaction time were required for CO2 transformation, using DFNS/(bicobalt complex) NPs. Besides, hot filtration presented a throughout understanding of the catalyst's heterogeneous nature. The easy and applied reusability of the catalyst was observed after the completion of the reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the validity of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis and the role of environmental regulation, renewable electricity, industrialization, economic complexity, and technological innovation in sustainable environment for the G-10 economies, namely, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the USA, from 1994 to 2020. We employed CS-ARDL (cross-sectional augmented distributed lag (CS-ARDL), FMOLS (fully modified ordinary least squares), and DOLS (dynamic ordinary least squares) for the analysis of the data. The estimates confirm the N-shaped EKC hypothesis between the GDP and CO2 emission. Moreover, the long-run estimates exhibit that environmental tax, renewable electricity, economic complexity, and technological innovation have negative effect on CO2 emission, while GDP, industrialization and arable land have positive effect on CO2 emission. Based on these findings, we propose that governments must implement large-scale government plans and initiatives to encourage the development of environmentally friendly technologies and ideas based on renewable energy. Moreover, further growing renewable energy, environmental policies like a carbon tax, investments in green technologies, subsidies, and rewards for renewable energy infrastructure investment should be taken into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a unique combination of Silver (Ag) and Ga-doped ZnO (GZO) is used as plasmonic materials where both materials can be used for analyte detection. The sensor exhibits two distinct peaks within the same Refractive Index (RI) by which the sensing applications enhance. GZO is responsible for the first of the two peaks, while Ag contributes to the latter one. Along y-polarization, the highest value of double peak shift sensitivity (DPSS) known to date is found: 27,341.5 nm/RIU. The sensor also displays a high wavelength sensitivity (WS) of 27,360 nm/RIU and an amplitude sensitivity (AS) of 875.72 RIU−1. Additionally, the sensor demonstrates a high wavelength resolution of 6.032 × 10–6 and an amplitude resolution of 1.496 × 10–5. The sensor exhibits a linearity of R2 = 0.9973 and a figure of merit (FOM) of 243.4 RIU−1. Again, a ± 10 tolerance limit is tested without showing any significant change in confinement loss and resonant wavelength shift. The sensor is examined for a wide array of RI ranging from 1.27 to 1.41 extending its application to the detection of pharmaceutical products and various chemicals. Furthermore, machine learning regression algorithms have been explored in this work to find out the sensing parameters in RIs that were not numerically investigated. Random Forrest Regressor and K-Neighbors Regressor were found to be showing high accuracies of 90.176% and 95.54%, respectively. Using these two algorithms, the performance of the sensor in detecting various chemicals were predicted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a porous medium, we have examined sinusoidal two-dimensional transport enclosed porous peristaltic boundaries having an Eyring Powell fluid with a water containing Al 2 O 3 . The determining momentum and temperature equations are solved semi-analytically by using regular perturbation method and Mathematica. In present research only free pumping case and small amplitude ratio is studied. Mathematical and pictorial consequences are investigated for distinct physical parameters of interest like porosity, viscosity, volume fraction and permeability to check the effects of flow velocity and temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metal contamination impacts plant growth and productivity by causing damage at all levels of plant organization, making it one of the most significant abiotic stressors. This study evaluated the uptake and distribution of cadmium (Cd) and copper (Cu) in Solanum lycopersicum L. and identified the antioxidant enzyme activity and tolerance capacity. In Hoagland's nutrient solution, plants were exposed to Cd and Cu for 21 days. Fresh biomass of roots and shoots, root length, Cd and Cu accumulation and antioxidants were determined. Fresh biomass of roots and shoots was maximum in control treatment. A decline of 87 and 69% in root and shoot fresh weight was observed, respectively, at 100 µM of Cd as compared to the control. While a decline of 62 and 84% in root and shoot fresh weight was observed, respectively, at 20 µM of Cu as compared to control. Root growth decreased due to Cd and Cu stress as no root growth was measured at 20 µM of Cu, and the lowest root increment of 0.12 cm was observed at 100 µM of Cd. Maximum accumulation was found at 75 µM of Cd and 20 µM of Cu where roots accumulated greater as compared to shoots. In the leaves, the CAT, APX, and SOD activities increased at almost all levels of Cd and Cu. S. lycopersicum showed significant reduction in biomass and is not tolerant or accumulator of Cd and Cu. Chelators or soil conditioners need to be used to reduce the anticipated metal toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are nanoscale tubes made of carbon atoms with unique mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties. They have a variety of promising applications in electronics, energy storage, and composite materials and are found as single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and double-wall carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs). Considering such alluring attributes of nanotubes, the motive of the presented flow model is to compare the thermal performance of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) mono (SWCNTs)/Ethylene glycol) and hybrid (DWCNTs- SWCNTs/Ethylene glycol) nanofluids over a bidirectional stretching surface. The thermal efficiency of the proposed model is gauged while considering the effects of Cattaneo-Christov heat flux with prescribed heat flux (PHF) and prescribed surface temperature (PST). The flow is assisted by the anisotropic slip at the boundary of the surface. The system of partial differential equations (PDEs) is converted into a nonlinear ordinary differential system by the use of similarity transformations and handled using the bvp4c numerical technique. To depict the relationship between the profiles and the parameters, graphs, and tables are illustrated. The significant outcome revealed that the fluid temperature rises in the scenario of both PST and PHF cases. In addition, the heat transfer efficiency of the hybrid nanoliquid is far ahead of the nanofluid flow. The truthfulness of the envisioned model in the limiting scenario is also given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research analyzes the three-dimensional magneto hydrodynamic nanofluid flow through chemical reaction and thermal radiation above the dual stretching surface in the presence of an inclined magnetic field. Different rotational nanofluid and hybrid nanofluids with constant angular velocity ω ∗ for this comparative study are considered. The constitutive relations are used to gain the equations of motion, energy, and concentration. This flow governing extremely non-linear equations cannot be handled by an analytical solution. So, these equations are transformed into ordinary differential equalities by using the similarity transformation and then handled in MATLAB by applying the boundary values problem practice. The outcomes for the considered problem are accessed through tables and graphs for different parameters. A maximum heat transfer amount is observed in the absence of thermal radiation and when the inclined magnetic field and axis of rotation are parallel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: F-18 FDG (fluorodeoxyglucose) PET/CT procedures are one of the most growing studies used for patient management in oncology, cardiology, neurology, and other indications, in which the challenges meet both patients and clinicians, especially when we are looking for the presence/absence of disease progression and cure. This study was conducted to assess the external radiation dose after 18FDG-PET/CT examination. In total, 117 patients were enrolled in the study. Radiation exposure was measured using a calibrated RadEye SPRD-ER personal radiation detector. The measurements were taken at 0, 30, 100, 150, and 200 cm distance from the patient. The time of measurement was immediately post-injection, 30 min, 60 min after injection, and at the time of releasing the patient. Results: The result showed that the mean radiation equivalent dose rate at 0 min/0 cm was 414 µSv/h, at 30 min/30 cm was 99.7 µSv/h, and 60 min/100 cm was 18.3 µSv/h. The radiation doses at different distances (0, 30, 100, 150, and 200 cm) were 160.9 µSv/h, 70.9 µSv/h, 12.4 µSv/h, 7 µSv/h, and 3.7 µSv/h, respectively. Conclusion: In conclusion, the patient can be safely released after 2 h of injection in (18F-FDG) PET/CT and the radiation dose can be limited by increasing distance from the radiation source and also instructing them to drink much more water to enhance the process of excretions. The dose rates are low in this study; if the staff interact with multiple patients, they will not approach exposure limits. Similarly, dose rates are so low at patient release that family will not receive doses above regulatory limits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice panicle architecture is directly associated with grain yield and is also the key target in high-yield rice breeding program. In this study, three BC6F2 segregation populations derived from the crosses between two accessions of Oryza meridionalis and a O. sativa spp. japonica cultivar Dianjingyou 1, were employed to map QTL for panicle architecture. Three QTL, EP4.2, DEP7 and DEP8 were identified and validated using substitution mapping strategy on chromosome 4, 9 and 8, respectively. The three QTL showed pleiotropic phenotype on panicle length (PL), grain number per panicle (GNPP), number of primary branches (NPB), number of secondary branches (NSB), and grain width. DEP7 and DEP8 showed yield-enhancing potential by increasing GNPP, NPB and NSB, while EP4.2 exhibited wide grain, short stalk and panicle which can improve plant and panicle architecture, too. Moreover, epistatic interaction for PL was detected between EP4.2 and DEP7, and epistatic analysis between DEP7 and DEP8 for GNPP and NPB also revealed significant two QTL interactions. The result would help us understand the molecular basis of panicle architecture and lay the foundation for using these three QTL in rice breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pulmonary complications are common in sickle cell disease (SCD) and can mimic pulmonary embolisms (PEs), leading to potential overuse of computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA). Maximizing the quality of CTPA is essential for its diagnostic accuracy. However, little is known about the positive rate and quality of CTPA in SCD. Methods: This retrospective case‒control study aimed to determine the positive rate and quality of CTPA studies performed to rule out PE in SCD (HbSS genotype) patients compared to a control group. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent factors associated with suboptimal CTPA studies, defined as a mean enhancement of < 210 HU in the pulmonary artery. Results: The study included 480 patients, consisting of 240 SCD patients and 240 controls. The positive rate of PE was 4.0%, with a similar rate in both SCD patients and the control group (4.2% vs. 3.8%, p = 0.08). However, SCD patients had significantly lower contrast enhancement of the pulmonary artery than the control group (266.1 ± 90.5 HU vs. 342.2 ± 116.1 HU, p < 0.01). Notably, 25.4% of SCD patients had suboptimal scans. The logistic regression model demonstrated that SCD was significantly associated with suboptimal pulmonary arterial contrast enhancement compared to the control group (OR = 4.4; 95% CI: 2.4–8.3). Conclusions: This study revealed a relatively low positive rate of CTPA in both SCD patients and the control group. However, SCD was significantly associated with suboptimal image quality due to inadequate contrast enhancement of the pulmonary artery. Further research is needed to identify measures that can enhance the quality of CTPA studies in SCD patients and to establish a specific imaging protocol for this patient population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Most of the foot and ankle soft tissue tumors are benign. Although lipomas are the most common soft tissue tumors, intra-articular lipomas are an extremely rare entity. The majority of described cases of intra-articular lipomas occur in the knee joint. In particular, an intra-articular true lipoma of the ankle has not been reported. Case presentation: We report the case of a 45-year-old woman who presented with a progressively growing ankle mass over 5 years, which started to restrict the range of motion. It was not preceded by any trauma or sports activity. On examination, a non-tender firm mass was evident on the lateral aspect of the right ankle joint with no signs of inflammation. It was non-compressible, non-mobile, and did not transilluminate. The clinical diagnosis was probable for a soft tissue ganglion. A radiograph revealed a soft tissue opacity over the anterolateral aspect of the tibiotalar joint. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated a well-defined, multilobulated, encapsulated lesion located at the lateral aspect of the tibiotalar joint; with intra- and extra-articular components and an analogous signal intensity to fat. The patient underwent surgical excision of the tumor, and the histopathological examination showed mature adipose tissue representing an intra-articular lipoma. At the follow-up visit, the patient had complete resolution of symptoms and no active complaints. Conclusion: An intra-articular true lipoma of the ankle is an extremely rare tumor. MRI is an invaluable diagnostic tool to make a reliable diagnosis of intra-articular masses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: Direct Contact Condensation (DCC) is extensively used in process industry due to high rate of mass and heat transfer of the process with use of lower temperature coolant. However, these heat and mass transfer rates are directly related to the rates of external and internal oscillations in the systems may become significant in situations such as earthquakes. Additionally, DCC is also influenced by laminar, transitional and turbulent nature of flow. Purpose: In current work, externally forced oscillations of the pipe containing steam and water are studied in relation to DCC. Externally induced vibrations which, in turn, affect the rate of heat and mass transfer that occurs during the interaction of steam and water resulting in condensation. These vibrations become significant if the pipes being used for condensation are part of in powerplants which require stable operation. Although, these vibrations are not a regular feature of the systems, however, they become significant if an earthquake or other natural disasters occurs. Methods: In this work, a pipe having 10 cm diameter and 3 m in length was used to study the effects of external oscillations (i.e., 15, 30, 45 and 60 rpm) on the steam-water pipe flow in horizontal and vertical orientations. Hot Film Anemometer (HFA) and K-type thermocouples were used to determine the steam's mean velocity at the pipe's exit which corresponded to the Reynolds number (Re) varying from 1998 to 4290 and the steam's inlet pressure varied from 0.5 to 2.0 gauge pressure. The corresponding Re based on water mean velocity in pipe varied between 1432 and 6448. Results: For horizontal pipe flow, with rise in the rpm of more than 15, the pressure fluctuations reduce along the plane and the rise in the frequency of oscillations at fixed steam pressure of 0.5 bars influence the flow by flattening the pressure fluctuations across the flow. Similarly, for vertical pipe flow, the pressure fluctuations were reduced along the plane due to flattening of the pressure fluctuations across the flow. The intensity of flattening was observed to be more in case of vertical flow than the horizontal orientation. For both laminar and transition regimes, the intermittency decreases with rise in external oscillations' frequency at fixed Re and the amplitude of the external oscillations. While it increases due to the rise in the amplitude of the external oscillations at fixed Re and external oscillations' frequency. Conclusions: The variations in the frequency of external oscillations and Re confirmed their dominance over the mean wall shear stress for vertical orientation and on the friction factors for horizontal orientations. In the case of the horizontal orientation, 5–9% rise in the values of the time averaged frictional factor was recorded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In present times modern electronic devices often come across thermal difficulties as an outcome of excessive heat production or reduction in surface area for heat exclusion. The current study is aimed to inspect the role of iron (III) oxide in heat transfer enhancement over the rotating disk in an axisymmetric flow. Water is utilized as base fluid conveying nano-particle over the revolving axisymmetric flow mechanism. Additionally, the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach is taken into consideration to design and compute the present problem. For our convenience, two-dimensional axisymmetric flow configurations are considered to illustrate the different flow profiles. For radial, axial, and tangential velocity profiles, the magnitude of the velocity, streamlines, and surface graphs are evaluated with the similarity solution in the computational fluid dynamics module. The solution of dimensionless equations and the outcomes of direct simulations in the CFD module show a comparable solution of the velocity profile. It is observed that with an increment in nanoparticle volumetric concentration the radial velocity decline where a tangential motion of flow enhances. Streamlines stretch around the circular surface with the passage of time. The high magnetization force 0 ≤ m 1 ≤ 6 resist the free motion of the nanofluid around the rotating disk. Such research has never been done, to the best of the researchers' knowledge. The outcomes of this numerical analysis could be used for the design, control, and optimization of numerous thermal engineering systems, as described above, due to the intricate physics of nanofluid under the influences of magnetic field and the inclusion of complex geometry. Ferrofluids are metallic nanoparticle colloidal solutions. These kinds of fluids do not exist in nature. Depending on their purpose, ferrofluids are produced using a variety of processes. One of the most essential characteristics of ferrofluids is that they operate in a zero-gravity environment. Ferrofluids have a wide range of uses in engineering and medicine. Ferrofluids have several uses, including heat control loudspeakers and frictionless sealing. In the sphere of medicine, however, ferrofluid is employed in the treatment of cancer via magneto hyperthermia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The temperature dependent thermophysical fluid properties have numerous aspects in different industries and engineering processes in which heat transmission is based on fluid flow. For such heat transmission processes, heat transmission system is highly fluctuated with variation of viscosity. Thus, the aim of this study is to investigate the transfer of heat in magnetized Carreau fluid with chemical reaction and under influence of thermal radiation over nonlinear stretching/shrinking surface. Additionally, we have incorporated variable heat dependent thermophysical properties to analyze the heat transfer in magnetized Carreau fluid. Set of flow governing non linear PDE's are obtained using Carreau fluid tensor and boundary layer approximation (BLA) theory. Dimensionless set of ODE's are obtained using suitable similarity transforms. Shooting method in conjunction with Newton's method have been utilized to solve the problem. It is noted that when stretching B ≥ 0 is significant with strictly increasing mass suction S shear stress rate increase with minor levels and sharp increase has been observed in Nusselt number, whereas in shrinking case B < 0 shear stress and heat transfer coefficient values are improved raising the value of S mass suction. Further, raising the values of power law index n produce reduced skin friction over stretching surface B ≥ 0 while skin friction dramatically enhance in shrinking case B < 0 . It is observed that raising the non-linearity m values for stretching or shrinking, skin friction and Nusselt number considerably improved. Moreover, computational outcomes of the study are validated with already published previous results and the results obtained in this study are found in good agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]