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Solar cells in superstrate arrangement need a protective cover glass as one of its main components. The effectiveness of these cells is determined by the cover glass’s low weight, radiation resistance, optical clarity, and structural integrity. Damage to the cell covers brought on by exposure to UV irradiation and energetic radiation is thought to be the root cause of the ongoing issue of a reduction in the amount of electricity that can be generated by solar panels installed on spacecraft. Lead-free glasses made of xBi2O3–(40 − x)CaO-60P2O5 (x = 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 mol%) were created using the usual approach of melting at a high temperature. The amorphous nature of the glass samples was confirmed using X-ray diffraction. At energies of 81, 238, 356, 662, 911, 1173, 1332, and 2614 keV, the impact of various chemical compositions on gamma shielding in a phospho-bismuth glass structure was measured. The evaluation of gamma shielding revealed that the results of the mass attenuation coefficient of glasses increase as the Bi2O3 content increases but decrease as the photon energy increases. As a result of the study conducted on the radiation-deflecting properties of ternary glass, a lead-free low-melting phosphate glass that exhibited outstanding overall performance was developed, and the optimal composition of a glass sample was identified. The 60P2O5–30Bi2O3–10CaO glass combination is a viable option for use in radiation shielding that does not include lead.

Doxorubicin (DOX) is an effective anticancer agent with a wide spectrum of activities. However, it has many adverse effects on various organs especially on the liver. Thymol, one of the major components of thyme oil, has biological properties that include anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. Thus, this study was designed to examine thyme oil and thymol for their ability to prevent doxorubicin-induced hepatotoxicity in Wistar rats. Hepatotoxicity was induced by an intraperitoneal injection of doxorubicin, at a dose of 2 mg/kg bw/week, for seven weeks. Doxorubicin-injected rats were supplemented with thyme oil and thymol at doses 250 and 100 mg/kg bw, respectively, four times/week by oral gavage for the same period. Treatment of rats with thyme oil and thymol reversed the high serum activities of AST, ALT, and ALP and total bilirubin, AFP, and CA19.9 levels, caused by doxorubicin. Thyme oil and thymol also reduced the high levels of TNF-α and the decreased levels of both albumin and IL-4. These agents ameliorated doxorubicin-induced elevation in hepatic lipid peroxidation and associated reduction in GSH content and GST and GPx activities. Further, the supplementation with thyme oil and thymol significantly augmented mRNA expression of the level of antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 and significantly downregulated nuclear and cytoplasmic levels of the hepatic apoptotic mediator p53. Thus, thyme oil and thymol successfully counteracted doxorubicin-induced experimental hepatotoxicity via their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiapoptotic properties.

This paper presents a broadband THz power detector with on-chip antenna implemented in 0.13μm SiGe HBT technology. The detector has a center frequency of 280 GHz, bandwidth of 64 GHz and responsivity of about 1 A/W. The nonlinear response of the power detector is analyzed and un-desirable linearization effects are discussed. High DC current gain and low-impedance base biasing are shown to improve the conversion gain, but the dominant gain-reducing effect is the feedback from the emitter resistance. The dynamic range and noise sources are also explained.

Purpose: This paper aims to investigate the interplay of memorable tourism experiences (MTE) dimensions in driving behavioral intentions of heritage tourists through themediating role of satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach: Empirical data were collected from tourists in the heritage city of Kashan, Iran. Partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) were applied to analyze the data. Findings: The results of PLS-SEM showed that three dimensions of MTE as follows: local culture, involvement and knowledge, significantly directly or indirectly influence tourists’ behavioral intention toward a destination. However, the results of fsQCA identified greater heterogeneity among the respondents by highlighting the positive effects of hedonism and novelty on satisfaction and revisit and word-of-mouth intentions. Originality/value: This study enriches the empirical evidence on MTE by constructing a composite picture of the memorability of tourists’ experiences within a heritage tourism context. This study is one of the first to investigate the effects of dimensions of MTE on behavioral intentions using both symmetric (PLS-SEM) and asymmetric approaches to identify the more significant dimensions of MTE, as well as sufficient combinations of dimensions to predict behavioral intentions. 基于遗产旅游情境下的游客满意度对难忘旅游体验和行为意向之间关系的中介效应的研究 研究目的: 本文旨在研究难忘旅游体验 (MTE) 各维度通过满意度这个中介变量来驱动遗产旅游游客行为意图的机制 研究设计/方法论/研究方法: 实证数据是从伊朗遗产城市卡尚的游客那里收集的。本研究采用偏最小二乘结构方程模型（PLS-SEM）和模糊集定性比较分析（fsQCA）对数据进行分析 研究发现: 偏最小二乘结构方程模型的研究结果表明，难忘旅游体验（MTE）的三个维度：当地文化、参与度和熟悉程度，显著地直接或间接地影响游客对目的地的行为意向。然而，模糊集定性比较分析的研究结果表明受访者间存在更大的异质性，其结果凸显了享乐主义和新鲜感对满意度、重游意向和口碑(WOM)意向的正效应 独创性/价值: 本研究通过构建遗产旅游背景下游客体验难忘性的相互影响机制，丰富了关于难忘旅游体验（MTE）的实证研究证据。本研究是第一个同时使用对称方法（PLS-SEM）和非对称方法（fsQCA）来探究MTE各维度对行为意向的影响的研究之一，通过这种方式可以识别出MTE各维度中更为重要的维度以及维度组合，以此来预测行为意向 Resumen Estudio del papel mediador de la satisfacción del visitante en la relación entre las experiencias turísticas memorables y las intenciones de comportamiento en el contexto del turismo patrimonialt Propósito: Este artículo investiga la influencia de las dimensiones de las experiencias turísticas memorables (ETM) en el fomento de las intenciones de comportamiento de los turistas del patrimonio a través del papel mediador de la satisfacción.. Diseño/metodología/enfoque: Se recogieron datos empíricos de turistas en la ciudad patrimonial de Kashan, Irán. Para analizar los datos se aplicaron las técnicas partial least squares — structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) y fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). Conclusiones: Los resultados que proporcionó el análisis PLS-SEM mostraron que tres dimensiones de las ETM: cultura local, implicación y conocimiento, influyen significativamente, de forma directa o indirecta, en la intención de comportamiento de los turistas hacia un destino. Sin embargo, los resultados del enfoque fsQCA identificaron una mayor heterogeneidad entre los encuestados al destacar los efectos positivos del hedonismo y la novedad sobre la satisfacción y las intenciones tanto de volver a visitar el destino como de realizar una comunicación de boca a boca (WOM). Originalidad/valor: Este estudio enriquece la evidencia empírica sobre las ETM al construir una imagen combinada del carácter memorable de las experiencias de los turistas dentro de un contexto de turismo patrimonial. Este estudio es uno de los primeros en investigar los efectos de las dimensiones las ETM en las intenciones de comportamiento utilizando enfoques simétricos (PLS-SEM) y asimétricos para identificar las dimensiones más significativas las ETM, así como para determinar las combinaciones necesarias de dimensiones para predecir las intenciones de comportamiento.

We present elastic moduli, gamma radiation attenuation characteristics, and transmission factor of barium–tungstate–phosphate (BTP) glasses with the chemical formula (60-y)BaO-yWO3-40P2O5, where y = 10 (S1)–40 (S4) in steps of 10 mole%. Different types of mathematical and simulation approaches, such as the Makishima-Mackenzie model, the Monte Carlo method, and the online Phy-X/PSD software, are utilized in terms of determining these parameters. The total packing density (Vt) is enriched from 0.607 to 0.627, while the total energy dissociation (Gt) is enriched by increasing the WO3 content (from 52.2 (kJ/cm3). In the investigated glasses, increasing tungstate trioxide (WO3) contribution enhanced Young’s, shear, bulk, and longitudinal moduli. Moreover, Poisson’s ratio is improved by increasing the WO3 content in the BTP glasses. The 20BaO-40WO3-40P2O5 sample possessed the highest values of both linear (µ) and mass attenuation (µm) coefficients, i.e., (µ, µm)S4 > (µ, µm)S3 > (µ, µm)S2 > (µ, µm)S1. Moreover, the 20BaO-40WO3-40P2O5 sample had the lowest values of half (HVL) and tenth (TVL) layers, i.e., (half, tenth)S4 < (half, tenth)S3 < (half, tenth)S2 < (half, tenth)S1. The effective atomic number (Zeff) of the studied glasses has the same behavior as µ and µm. Finally, the 20BaO-40WO3-40P2O5 is reported with the minimum values of transmission factor (TF) for all the BTP investigated at a thickness of 3 cm. In conclusion, the sample with composition 20BaO-40WO3-40P2O5 which has the maximum WO3 reinforcement may be a beneficial glass sample, along with its advanced mechanical and gamma ray shielding properties.

Pavement structures often are under tension and compression mobilised by the coupled effects of traffic loads and swelling stress. Seasonal moisture variations cause capillarity rise and volumetric movement within the subgrade. The objective of this investigation is to evaluate the pre-compression and capillarity effect of expansive subgrades stabilised with activated fly ash (α-FA), and sisal fibre, analysed for tensile ( q t ) and compressive q u strengths. Moulding moisture content corresponding to the optimum water content was used to prepare the subgrade soils by random inclusion of 0.25 %, 0.5 %, 0.75 %, and 1.0 % of sisal fibre by dry mass of the subgrade soils treated with 20 % and 30 % of α-FA. Confined pre-compression stresses equivalent to 10 kPa and 20 kPa after 12 h of preparation were applied followed by 14 days of air-curing condition. Subsequently, the prepared subgrades samples were subjected to capillary rise through soaking. The test results revealed that both tensile and compressive strengths of 10 kPa and 20 kPa precompressed specimens decreased from 1.48MPa to 0.98MPa on average due to the capillarity effect, compared to non-capillary specimens. Without capillarity effects, an equivalent strength increases of 12.21 % and 63 %.11 were recorded for 10 kPa and 20 kPa of pre-compressed specimens compared to un-precompressed specimens tested under tension. The results further revealed that the subgrade soils treated with the combination of fibre and α-FA exhibited significant strength resistance under tension. The strength indices ( q t / q u ) of 0.13 to 0.31 as the proportionality of tensile and compressive strengths is closely correlated for all the pre-compressed composites due to fibre deformability.

This study is focused on the application of nanotechnology and applied confined pressure to reduce subgrade cracking under traffic loading. At stage one, the expansive subgrade was treated with varying percentages of 0%, 5%, 15%, and 25% of nanosized fly ash (NFA), coupled with confined precompression stresses of 10 kPa and 20 kPa, 12 h after the specimen fabrication. The specimens were cured for 7, 14, and 28 days under ambient conditions of 40 °C as they were tested for compression strength resistance and split tensile strength. At stage two, zero swelling tests and resilient modulus tests were used as indicators to evaluate the synergic effects of the NFA and precompression stress on the fabricated specimens. The final stage fosters the potency of the nanotechnology and confined precompression stress through the applying of cohesive zones theorem for discrete fracture mechanics. The results showed that 5% NFA developed a low strength of 2.6 MPa mobilised from un-precompressed specimens. For the same specimen, precompressed with 10 kPa and 20 kPa of stresses, 4.7 MPa and 7.5 MPa equivalent strengths were achieved. Generally, it was revealed by the test results that the strength of the subgrade improved by 85%, while the swelling stress decreased significantly to 93% and resilient modulus also increased to 42.4% on the average compared to non-treated subgrades due to the coupling effects of precompressed stresses, the inclusion of NFA, and curing age which triggered pozzolanic reactions indicating the formation of calcium silicate hydrate (C–S–H) gel. The cohesive zones analysis revealed that the treated subgrade failed to absorb the cyclic stress without cracking revealing fatigue and fractures at high strain energy, despite the application of nanotechnology and confined precompression, though with a slight increase in traction values as cracks evolution was marginally mitigated when 25% NFA and 20 kPa precompressed stress fabricated specimens were tested.

Doxorubicin (DOX) is an effective anticancer agent with a wide spectrum of activities. However, it has many adverse effects on various organs especially on the liver. Thymol, one of the major components of thyme oil, has biological properties that include anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. Thus, this study was designed to examine thyme oil and thymol for their ability to prevent doxorubicin-induced hepatotoxicity in Wistar rats. Hepatotoxicity was induced by an intraperitoneal injection of doxorubicin, at a dose of 2 mg/kg bw/week, for seven weeks. Doxorubicin-injected rats were supplemented with thyme oil and thymol at doses 250 and 100 mg/kg bw, respectively, four times/week by oral gavage for the same period. Treatment of rats with thyme oil and thymol reversed the high serum activities of AST, ALT, and ALP and total bilirubin, AFP, and CA19.9 levels, caused by doxorubicin. Thyme oil and thymol also reduced the high levels of TNF

Funding Information: ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: This work was supported by the Academy of Finland under the grants 330957 and 330260. Also, the authors thank P. Jayathurathnage, G. Ptitcyn, X. Wang, and N. Ha-Van for having useful discussions. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 IEEE. Here, we study the interference phenomena produced in time-modulated metasurfaces when they are illuminated by multiple harmonics opening a new paradigm of coherent time-modulated metasurfaces. In particular, we obtain perfect absorption at multiple frequencies by inducing slow time modulation of a resistive sheet. Also, it will be shown that it is possible to fully tune the absorption by properly designing the modulation parameters.

Thermally evaporated of zinc 5,10,15,20-tetra(4-pyridyl)-21H,23H-porphine (ZnTPyP) organic thin films have been successfully prepared and investigated. X-ray diffraction patterns of fresh grown and annealed ZnTPyP thin films have been performed. Spectra of transmission (T) and reflection (R) have been measured and have been used to establish optical constants and relevant dielectric variables. The absorption spectrum of pristine and annealed ZnTPyP films shows the most intense band called Soret band (B) which reveals Davydov splitting into two peaks Bx and By. Furthermore, two quasi-electronic bands named Q-bands and another weaker band labelled N have been observed at UV–visible spectral region. To derive several dispersion parameters of the studied ZnTPyP films, a single oscillator theory is implemented to the normal behaviour portion of the n-spectra whereas K-spectra is used to deduce the coefficient of absorption and the optical gap energies. Many optical aspects have also been discussed, such as dielectric constants, optical conductivity and energy loss functions (SELF and VELF). Optical constants, dispersion parameters and energy loss functions of ZnTPyP thin films have shifted with the thermal annealing range up to 523 K, which could be considered in design the energy conversion and storage devices based on ZnTPyP thin films.

Fired clay brickwork in buildings is prone to cracks and deterioration upon exposure to long-time acidic contamination and water absorption, hence decreasing the bearing capacity of masonry walls. As its contribution toward resolving this challenge, this study assessed the durability and morphological characteristics of high-strength performance bricks produced from a mixture of PET waste (PW) and foundry sand (FS). The PET waste bricks (PWBs) were produced through different proportioning (PW: FS) of 20%, 30%, and 40% of the dry mass of FS. The PWBs produced were tested for durability and compressive and tensile strengths and compared to fired clay bricks to evaluate their load-bearing capacity under compression and tension. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) tests were employed to analyze the morphological structure of the bricks. The test results revealed that the PWBs recorded an appreciable strength of 1.5–2 times that of fired clay bricks, and lower water absorption whilst retaining their ultimate strengths after complete immersion in water and acidic concentrations. The morphology of PWB possessed greater intercluster bonds on the surface compared to clay bricks. The findings demonstrate a reasonable methodological approach toward the production of masonry bricks using a mixture of PET waste and spent foundry sands.

The current study aimed at assessing the potential effects of Se applied at three levels (0, 20, and 40 mM) in two methods (soil addition or foliar spraying) on the components of the antioxidant defense system and oxidative stress biomarkers in tomato plant growing under irrigation water deficit (from 100% to 60% of soil field capacity; SFC) during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. The results indicated that reducing irrigation water from 100% to 60% of SFC led to a marked increase in oxidative stress biomarkers (malondialdehyde; MDA, hydrogen peroxide; H2O2, and superoxide; O2 • ), which associated with increased contents and activities of the components (enzymatic and non-enzymatic) of the antioxidant defense system in both seasons. Both 20 and 40 mM Se significantly increased contents and activities of the components of the antioxidant defense system, which were reflected in reduced oxidative stress biomarkers. Compared to foliar spray, better results were obtained with Se application to the soil. The interaction among the three factors; water deficit, Se level, and Se application method was significant. The combination of irrigation at 60% of SFC × 40 mM Se application to soil was preferable, which can be recommended for use to support the endogenous antioxidative defense system in tomato plant cultivated in a dry environment.

The current study aimed at assessing the potential effects of Se applied at three levels (0, 20, and 40 mM) in two methods (soil addition or foliar spraying) on the physiological attributes in tomato plant growing under irrigation water deficit (from 100% to 60% of soil field capacity; SFC) during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. The results indicated that reducing irrigation water from 100% to 60% of SFC led to a marked increase in electrolyte leakage (EL), which associated with increased contents of osmoprotectants. In contrast, relative water content (RWC), membrane stability index (MSI), photosynthetic efficiency, and Se content were decreased in both seasons. Both 20 and 40 mM Se significantly increased contents of osmoprotectants, which were reflected in reduced EL and photosynthetic efficiency, and Se content. Compared to foliar spray, better results were obtained with Se application to the soil. The interaction among the three factors; water deficit, Se level, and Se application method was significant. The combination of irrigation at 60% of SFC × 40 mM Se application to soil was preferable, which can be recommended for use for tomato to increase its content of osmoprotectants and Se when cultivated in a dry environment.

The use of warm mix asphalt (WMA) partially mixed with recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) as a base course or a sub-base course is continually gaining interest all over the world, particularly in Europe and North America. The progressive interest and preference of WMA-RAP over hot mixed asphalt (HMA) resides in the exceptional benefits WMA-RAP offers. Those benefits include health benefit to workers, economic benefits, and paving benefits in cold weather condition. Although WMA partially mixed with RAP was originally created to overcome the environmental challenges and the shortages of natural resources, the fact remains that it has shortcomings in performing well against rutting failure, and moisture damage. Therefore, this paper aims to evaluate and to understand the mechanical performances of WMA partially mixed with RAP in terms of fatigue cracking and rutting damage. In order to achieve the aim of this study, the indirect tensile strength test was conducted. Thereafter, the results obtained were used as input data to model the flexible pavement. Furthermore, various scenarios of structural flexible pavements subjected to the effect of load were analysed and modeled using the 3D finite element method (FEM) in ABAQUS and the layered elastic analysis (LEA) as a control. The Results showed that the HMA and the WMA were in close proximity, as the percentage difference between the horizontal strain at the bottom of the asphalt layers 3.7% for the 3D FEM Model and the compressive vertical strain on the top of the sub-grade 1%, which imply that the WMA can perform more or less as the HMA. Overall, the RAP can be incorporated successfully in the WMA which can be applied to new construction and rehabilitation of low to medium traffic volume roads.

Growing car ownership and congestion are a threat to transportation sustainability in urban areas globally. Cities in the developing world have not been spared from the congestion problems due to the influx of vehicles and the subsequent increase in private vehicle ownership. Congestion in developing countries is also associated with limited road infrastructure and lack of traffic management resources. Poor traffic management leads to inconvenience as it is characterized by an increase in travel time. The study evaluates congestion in Gaborone as experienced and perceived by regular travellers, using both public and private transportation in Gaborone. The objective of this paper is to investigate the state of road transportation congestion by assessing road user perceptions on travelling times and delays as well as investigating private transportation users’ possibilities of migrating to public transportation use with the influence of ICT. To achieve this, we evaluate individuals travel times, develop regression models predicting total trip duration for an individuals’ trips per day as well as exploring travellers’ experiences with the public transportation system and their understanding of sustainability in relation to increased private vehicle use. The study further evaluates factors that could influence modal shift from private to public transportation as a way of reducing vehicles on the roads.

Chemical constituents of Raphanus sativus Linn. roots were extracted and tested for their toxicity against adults and second instar nymphs of A. gossypii under laboratory conditions. The most effective fraction against both adults and nymphs was methylene chloride fraction with LC50 values of 386.63 and 309.43 ppm, followed by ethyl acetate fraction with LC50 values of 394.9 and 334.37 ppm then petroleum ether fraction with LC50 values of 636.2 and 424.56 ppm, for adults and nymphs, respectively. Also, the volatile components of each fraction were qualitatively and quantitatively identified and characterized by GC/MS technique. Moreover, the impact of the sub-lethal concentrations of R. sativus roots extracts on transaminases and alkaline phosphatase of A. gossypii was studied. Great inhibition of all tested enzymes activity was observed. This suggested the high potency of R. sativus roots extracts as environmentally friendly alternatives of traditional insecticides. Chemical constituents of Raphanus sativus Linn. roots were extracted and tested for their toxicity against adults and second instar nymphs of A. gossypii under laboratory conditions. The most effective fraction against both adults and nymphs was methylene chloride fraction with LC50 values of 386.63 and 309.43 ppm, followed by ethyl acetate fraction with LC50 values of 394.9 and 334.37 ppm then petroleum ether fraction with LC50 values of 636.2 and 424.56 ppm, for adults and nymphs, respectively. Also, the volatile components of each fraction were qualitatively and quantitatively identified and characterized by GC/MS technique. Moreover, the impact of the sub-lethal concentrations of R. sativus roots extracts on transaminases and alkaline phosphatase of A. gossypii was studied. Great inhibition of all tested enzymes activity was observed. This suggested the high potency of R. sativus roots extracts as environmentally friendly alternatives of traditional insecticides.

Strategy in transgluaminase (TGase) extracted from silver beet leaves (Beta vulgaris L.) performed by three stages. Ammonium sulfate precipitation (40-80%) is an important technique as an initial step in TGase purification, followed by an impure TGase sample is loaded into 2-(Diethylamino)ethyl ether sephadex A50. The final purification step was carried out by eluting dialyzed fractions into Sephadex G-100. The purified TGase was successfully purified by three purification steps with 224.2 U/mg of TGase specific activity, 3.4 fold increase in purification and 20.33% yields. The optimum temperature and pH of silver beet leaves TGase were 50°C and 5.0, respectively. The TGase completely lost its activity after 15 min at 80°C, however recovery of TGase after exposure to sodium chloride concentrations ranging from 2-6% does not affect its activity. The influence of different concentrations (5, 7.5 and 10U/g protein) of TGase on chemical, textural and sensorial of Kareish over storage time were detected. The yield and moisture content were reached the maximum values in cheese treated with TGase (10Ug-1protein), in addition to the same treatment received maximum average scores in sensory evaluation. The concentration of TGase is negatively proportional with the gumminess, adhesiveness and hardnesss values of resulted cheese.

Toxicity of nano chitosan and fabcomic acaricide were studied under laboratory conditions against adults of spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch. Also, LC50 and LC90 of each treatment were determined. The obtained results revealed that fabcomic acaricide was more effective in controlling T. urticae than nano chitosan but it caused pollution for all living organisms as well as to the environment while nano chitosan was more save for both, humans and plants. LC50 for fabcomic acaricide and nano chitosan was 0.1 and 801.04 ppm, respectively. However, LC90 was 1.66 and 5746.09ppm for fabcomic acaricide and nano chitosan, respectively.

This review reports and discusses all available information about the fungal carotenoids such general characters, derivatives, common names, chemical structure, molecular formula, color, bioactivity, and industrial applications in medicine, pharmacology, food processing, cosmetics, dyeing and others. It also reviews the classification of the fungal carotenoids, biosynthetic pathway, distribution and function inside the fungal cells. Approximately, 34 fungal carotenoids derivatives are widely distributed in fungal genera species and fungal groups. Fermented carotenoids produce by fungi from agro-industrial wastes have many advantages and solve the production problems. Development of the fungal carotenoids productivity is reported by two main strategies such as metabolic and genetic engineering. Key words: Fungal carotenoids, natural pigment, applications, bioactivity.

As science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) classrooms in higher education transition from lecturing to active learning, the frequency of student interactions in class increases. Previous research documents a gender bias in participation, with women participating less than would be expected on the basis of their numeric proportions. In the present study, we asked which attributes of the learning environment contribute to decreased female participation: the abundance of in-class interactions, the diversity of interactions, the proportion of women in class, the instructor's gender, the class size, and whether the course targeted lower division (first and second year) or upper division (third or fourth year) students. We calculated likelihood ratios of female participation from over 5300 student–instructor interactions observed across multiple institutions. We falsified several alternative hypotheses and demonstrate that increasing class size has the largest negative effect. We also found that when the instructors used a diverse range of teaching strategies, the women were more likely to participate after small-group discussions.

This study was aimed to produce a new low coast product with significant nutritional value using partially replacement of beef meat with milled flaxseeds and chickpea flour.Two sausage formulas were prepared, using 10% flaxseed in formula 1 (F1) and 20% chickpea flour in formula2 (F2) which found to be the most palatable ratios according to the sensory evaluations carried out. The formulas were evaluated for their physicochemical properties, consumer acceptability, approximate chemical composition, minerals content and the profile of amino and fatty acids. The results revealed that, the incorporation of flaxseeds and chickpeas significantly decreased the % of cooking loss and shrinkage while increased the % of cooking yield and water holding capacity. Sensory evaluation showed that there were no significant differences between the control sample and the two prepared formulas in general acceptability. Compared with controls, addition of flaxseeds increased the % of crude fiber, carbohydrates and crude fat as well as Ca, Fe, Zn and P. besides improving the Fatty acids profile and the methionine level. Using of chickpea decreased the fat content while increased both of crude fiber and carbohydrate contents as well as % of Linoleic acid and % of total essential amino acids.As a recommendation of ω6: ω3 polyunsaturated fatty acids should be less than 4,In our investigation we improved ω6: ω3 ratio from 9.32:1in control to 1.07:1 in (F1) by incorporating flaxseeds. Moreover, using flaxseeds and chickpeas in preparing beef sausages reduced the final coasts by 8.3 and 16% respectively.

The present study was undertaken to produce new low coast chicken burgers with significant nutritional value and to improve the physiochemical properties of the familiar chicken burger using partially replacement of breast chicken meat in formula 1 (F1), using 10% wheat germ and formula 2 (F2) with 30% pumpkin pulp, which were the most palatable ratios being win according to the panelists evaluations. The formulas were investigated for their physicochemical properties, consumer acceptability, approximate chemical composition, minerals content and the profile of amino and fatty acids. The results astonished that, the incorporation of wheat germ and pumpkin pulp made the products more palatable and increased both of crude fiber and carbohydrate content; further more wheat germ increased the crude fat in F1 and pumpkin pulp increased the moisture, ash, crude fiber and total carbohydrate contents significantly in F2. Sensory evaluation declared that there were no significant differences among the control sample and the two prepared formulas in all parameters, moreover adding wheat germ and pumpkin pulp improved the overall acceptability. It was astonishing that F2 was superior to control sample regarding to the organoleptic properties. Data obtained significant increase (P < 0.05) in both cooking loss and shrinkage in F2, otherwise cooking yield decreased significantly. The highest cooking yield (lowest cooking loss, shrinkage and expressible water) was recorded for F1. Adding wheat germ and pumpkin pulp resulted in slightly decreasing in the total essential amino acid content (1.76%, 2.09% respectively) compared to control sample. Wheat germ led to an increase in poly unsaturated fatty acids content (from 71.46 in control, to 74.25% in F1), whereas incorporating of pumpkin pulp into F2 decreased the % of saturated fatty acids while increased the total poly unsaturated fatty acids from 71.46 % in control to 73.74 % in F2. Moreover, using wheat germ and pumpkin pulp in our prepared chicken burgers reduced the final coasts by approximately 7.1 and 27% % respectively.

The demand for small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) is massively increasing these days, due to the wide variety of applications utilizing such vehicles to perform tasks that may be dangerous or just to save time, effort, or cost. Small UAVs navigation system mainly depends on the integration between Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) and Inertial Measurement Unit (INS) to estimate the Positions, Velocities, and Attitudes (PVT) of the vehicle. Without GNSS such UAVs cannot navigate for long periods of time depending on INS alone, as the low-cost INS typically exhibits massive accumulation of errors during GNSS absence. Given the importance of ensuring full operability of the UAVs even during GNSS signals unavailability, other sensors must be used to bound the INS errors and enhance the navigation system performance. This paper proposes an enhanced UAV navigation system based on integration between monocular camera, Ultra-Wideband (UWB) system, and INS. In addition to using variable EKF weighting scheme. The paper also investigates this integration in the case of low density of UWB anchors, to reduce the cost required for such UWB system infrastructure. A GoPro Camera and UWB rover were attached to the belly of a quadcopter, an on the shelf commercial drone (3DR Solo), during the experimental flight. The velocity of the vehicle is estimated with Optical Flow (OF) from camera successive images, while the range measurements between the UWB rover and the stationary UWB anchors, which were distributed on the field, were used to estimate UAV position.

Egypt has an appropriate environment for the cultivation of many medicinal and aromatic plants of great economic potential all over the world. Chamomile is one of the most important crops, especially in Fayoum governorate, where the average of cultivated area under the traditional farming system about 9.8 thousand feddan in the year 2015 represents about 77% of total traditional chamomile area in the whole country, where organic chamomile production area was approximately 6.3 thousand feddan which represent about 84% of total organic Chamomile production area in whole Egypt. This research aimed to evaluate the economic efficiency for Chamomile production under organic farming system compared with traditional system in Fayoum governorate over the growing season 2015 -2016 in the short-run and long-run based on preliminary data of a random sample of traditional and organic chamomile farms. A simple random sample was taken from three districts in Fayoum governorate (Ebshway, Etsa and Youssef El Siddiq), with 75, 60 individuals for both traditional and organic farms respectively, each sample was divided into two categories; the first category (0.5 feddan – 1 feddan), the second category (1.5 feddan - 2 feddan). Analytical procedures were utilized in processing and analyzing the data. Multiple regressions were used to reach the basic findings of this research. Production and Cost function was specified and estimated, in order to derive some indicators of economic efficiency, production efficiency and economic of scale. The results showed that the total production elasticity for both the selected sample farms in the short and long run, indicating that all farms are produced in the first non-economic phase of the Law of diminishing returns. The results showed that the net return of organic farms was higher than traditional farms by 63.6% and 52.1% for the first and second category farms, respectively.

Now a days, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have been exploited in numerous civil and military aspects such as disaster management and border monitoring. Although most of these UAVs are equipped with Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) / Inertial Navigation System (INS) reliable integrated system for localization proposes, they are susceptible to lose their GNSS signals under some environmental and artificial challenging circumstances such as, flying in urban areas, jamming, and spoofing. In such complicated scenarios, the navigation solution will degrade rapidly due to the accumulated INS drift errors. Although various aiding sensors such as cameras, and radar are employed to mitigate the INS drift errors, their estimated positioning accuracy is still affected by some factors. This paper presents a nested optimal filter approach (G-H filter, Extended Kalman Filter (EKF)) for UAVs in GNSS denied environment, to enhance the estimated positioning accuracy by integrating the Radar Odometry (RO)/INS/MAG to sustain a reliable navigation solution during GNSS outage. First, the UAV relative velocity is calculated based on image processing approach from the radar range doppler map, then the G-H filter is deployed to improve the accuracy of the vehicle estimated forward velocities based on the vehicle dynamic characteristics to reduce the effect of unrealistic velocity estimate from the radar. These improved velocities are then fused with the Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), magnetometer, and barometer via EKF to mitigate the positioning RMS errors during the GNSS signals outages. The experimental results demonstrate the proposed system's ability to notably enhance the 3D positioning accuracy during the GNSS signal outage by more than 99% when compared to a stand-alone IMU dead reckoning solution.

Fungal infection of the ear canal is called Otomycosis. It is more common in hot and humid condition. There are many modalities of treatment or therapeutic agent for treatment of otomycosis. Econazole Nitrate 1% + Triamcinolone Acetonide 0.1% cream is a topical antifungal agent described to be effective in the treatment of otomycosis. This study was performed to compare the efficacy of topical application clotrimazole 1% solution and Econazole Nitrate 1% + Triamcinolone Acetonide 0.1% cream in the treatment of otomycosis. A controlled, randomized and open clinical trial was carried out in ENT department of Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, Mymensingh, Bangladesh from January 2020 to July 2020. Patients diagnosed with fungal otitis externa who were treated with topical antifungals were included in this study. They were randomized into two treatment groups: i) Clotrimazole 1% solution, 2) Econazole Nitrate 1% + Triamcinolone Acetonide 0.1% cream. Patients were microscopically evaluated at two weeks of treatment to determine resolution of disease. Recurrence and complications were recorded. Demographic and clinical variables were collected and analyzed, follow up and final outcomes (absence of infection) were compared between two groups. One hundredtwo (102) patients were included, 51 in the clotrimazole 1% solution group and 51 in the Econazole Nitrate 1% + Triamcinolone Acetonide 0.1% cream group. Predominant symptoms are pain, pruritus, aural fullness and hearing loss. Aspergillus organism was isolated most frequently (63.73%). Treatment with clotrimazole 1% solution groups resulted in 88.23% resolution vs. 80.39% resolution with Econazole Nitrate 1% + Triamcinolone Acetonide 0.1% cream at 2 weeks of treatment. Econazole Nitrate 1% + Triamcinolone Acetonide 0.1% cream group demonstrated higher treatment failure 11.76 and 19.60 respectively. Clotrimazole 1% solution is more effective than Econazole Nitrate 1% + Triamcinolone Acetonide 0.1% cream for uncomplicated otomycosis. More study is needed to corroborate our results.

Developing a responsive pavement-management infrastructure system is of paramount importance, accentuated by the quest for sustainability through adoption of the Road Traffic Management System. Technological advances have been witnessed in developed countries concerning the development of smart, sustainable transportation infrastructure. However, the same cannot be said of developing countries. In this study, the development of a pavement management system at network level was examined to contribute towards a framework for evaluating a Pavement Quality Index and service life capacity. Environmental surface response models in the form of temperature and moisture variations within the pavement were applied, using sensor devices connected to a data cloud system to carry out mathematical analysis using a distinctive mesh analysis deformation model. The results indicated variation in the Resilient Modulus of the pavement, with increasing moisture content. Increase in moisture propagation increased saturation of the unbound granular base which reduced the elastic modulus of the sub-base and base layer and reduced the strength of the pavement, resulting in bottom-up cracks and cracking failure. The horizontal deformation reduced, indicating that the material was experiencing work hardening and further stress would not result in significant damage. Increasing temperature gradient resulted in reduced stiffness of the asphalt layer. In tropical regions, this can result in rutting failure which, over time, results in top-down cracks and potholes, coupled with increasing moisture content.

Groundwater is a vital source of irrigation and domestic purposes in Bangladesh, and hence, it must satisfy the water quality guidelines. The study has selected eleven (11) Districts of Bangladesh and collect secondary data regarding the irrigation water quality of groundwater. Several irrigation water indices, such as soluble sodium percentage (SSP), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), magnesium adsorption ratio (MAR), residual sodium carbonate (RSC), Kelly’s ratio (KR), permeability index (PI), and irrigation water quality (IWQ) index are applied to evaluate irrigation water quality. According to IWQindex, the results showed 25.5% of water samples fell in highly suitability water type, whereas 33.5% exhibited low suitability type, and the remaining 41% were showed medium suitability for irrigation purposes. The values of SAR, SSP, RSBC, and MAR indices showed that about 31-64% of water samples were very good, whereas 5-20% were very poor for the same purpose. The results of TDS, EC, and total hardness showed good results as 88- 93% of water samples fell in fair to excellent quality. The salinity hazard was found in the groundwater of coastal areas and completely unfit for irrigation. The study findings would help for improving the management of the groundwater resources for agricultural purposes in Bangladesh.

Pristine thermally evaporated nickel-(II)-tetraphenyl-21H,23H-porphyrin (NiTPP) thin films are amorphous, but after 4 and 8 h of UV illumination, the films become crystalline with preferred orientations of (112), (103) and (004) and crystallite sizes of (13, 18, 16) and (42, 31, 38) nm after 4 and 8 h, respectively. After UV illumination for 4 and 8 h, the NiTPP thin films are characterized by blueshifted absorption coefficients, increasing the optical and fundamental gap values and decreasing the dispersion parameter values. The dielectric properties display energy storage regions corresponding to the peak values of optical conductivity, which provides an elegant confirmation of the tailoring and tuning of band gaps, energy storage properties and optical conductivity by UV illumination time. Therefore, NiTPP films may be good candidates for environmental and energy storage applications.