Search

The mathematical formulations for transverse compression of a thin elastic disc are considered, including various boundary conditions along the faces of the disc. The mixed boundary conditions corresponding to the loading by normal stresses in absence of sliding are studied in detail. These conditions support an explicit solution in a Fourier series for the boundary layers localised near the edge of the disc and also do not assume making use of the Saint-Venant principle underlying the traditional asymptotic theory for thin elastic structures. As an example, an axisymmetric problem is studied. Along with the leading order solution for a plane boundary layer, a two-term outer expansion is derived. The latter is expressed through the derivatives of the prescribed stresses. Generalisations of the developed approach are addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ten mixed‐ligand phenyl mercury(II) complexes containing 1‐methyl‐1H‐tetrazole‐5‐thiol (HmtzS) (1) and phosphine or amine ligands. These complexes fall into two groups: [PhHg(mtzS){Ph2P(CH2)PPh2}]2 (2) and [PhHg(mtzS){Ph2P(CH2)nPPh2}] (3‐6), where n varies, and [PhHg(mtzS)(diamine)] (8‐10), with diamine choices being 2,2′‐bipyridyl (Bipy, 8), 1,10‐phenathroline (Phen, 9), or ethylenediamine (en, 10). These complexes were synthesized with moderate to high yields and characterized using various techniques. Characterization data revealed that the mtzS− ligand coordinates as a monodentate ligand through the thiolate sulfur atom in all complexes, adopting a tetrahedral geometry around the Hg(II) center. Furthermore, complexes [PhHg(mtzS)] (1) and its diamine derivatives (8‐10) were assessed for hydrogen storage at 77 K using the VTI method. Results demonstrated that the incorporation of diamines improves hydrogen storage capacity at low pressure. The precursor stored (1) 2.3 wt.% at 80 bar, while the other complexes showed storage capacities ranging from 2.9 to 3.86 wt.% at pressures of 45‐60 bar. Thermodynamic properties of the [PhHg(mtzS)(Bipy)] complex was calculated at three different temperatures. The results prove that the entropy was equal to 0.50543599 J/mol H2. K while the enthalpy equal to 0.0942638 KJ/(mol H2). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting is one of the most promising methodologies that are currently in development for the replacement of animal experiments. Bioprinting and most alternative technologies rely on animal-derived materials, which compromises the intent of animal welfare and results in the generation of chimeric systems of limited value. The current study therefore presents the first bioprinted liver model that is entirely void of animal-derived constituents. Initially, HuH-7 cells underwent adaptation to a chemically defined medium (CDM). The adapted cells exhibited high survival rates (85–92%) after cryopreservation in chemically defined freezing media, comparable to those preserved in standard medium (86–92%). Xeno-free bioink for 3D bioprinting yielded liver models with high relative cell viability (97–101%), akin to a Matrigel-based liver model (83–102%) after 15 days of culture. The established xeno-free model was used for toxicity testing of a marine biotoxin, okadaic acid (OA). In 2D culture, OA toxicity was virtually identical for cells cultured under standard conditions and in CDM. In the xeno-free bioprinted liver model, 3-fold higher concentrations of OA than in the respective monolayer culture were needed to induce cytotoxicity. In conclusion, this study describes for the first time the development of a xeno-free 3D bioprinted liver model and its applicability for research purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Revisional bariatric surgery (RBS) has been increasingly performed due to weight loss failure (WLF). Many revisional procedures have been proposed after primary laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (pLSG) failure, including ReSleeve gastrectomy (ReLSG), and laparoscopic one anastomosis gastric bypass (LOAGB). Choosing the RBS post-pLSG failure represents a challenge. WLF without gastric tube (GT) dilation is undoubtedly converted to a malabsorptive procedure, but the presence of GT dilation makes it more difficult to select a RBS. This study aimed to compare two relatively simple revisional procedures after pLSG failure with dilated GT to help decision making on which procedure better done to which patient. Methods: Data of 52 patients who completed one year follow-up (FU) after their RBS (ReLSG: 27 or LOAGB: 25) for their failed pLSG were collected, assessed, correlated to weight loss (WL) and compared. Results: Mean operative time was 97 ± 18.4 min. with revisional LOAGB (RLOAGB) and 62 ± 11 min. with ReLSG. Six patients (11.5%) had seven postoperative procedure-specific complications. Significant hemorrhage occurred in three patients. Two cases of leakage were encountered with each procedure. LOAGB Patients had lower mean final weight (76.2 ± 10.5 vs 85.3 ± 13), lower mean Final BMI (26.4 ± 2.5 vs 29.7 ± 2.9) and higher mean percentage of excess weight loss (EWL%) (83.6 ± 13.5% vs 60.29 ± 14.6%). All RLOAGB patients and 77.8% of ReLSG patients had EWL% > 50%. RLOAGB patients had higher EWL% compared to ReLSG (p < 0.001). Insufficient WL (IWL) patients had higher EWL% compared to weight regain (WR) patients (p = 0.034). Conclusion: Both procedures (RLOAGB and ReLSG) were relatively safe and effective in terms of WL. RLOAGB led to higher WL compared to ReLSG in all types of patients despite higher Caloric intake. IWL patients had more WL compared to WR patients. WL was not related to GT dilation type. Large-scale longer-FU studies are still needed. Trial registration: PACTR202310644487566 (retrospectively registered). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animal fats and shortenings are frequently used in the preparation of different food formulations. However, these fat ingredients are rich in saturated fatty acids, and partially hydrogenated shortening contains trans fats, which have been associated to an increased risk of coronary heart disease. Consequently, nutritionists recommend a reduction in the content of saturated and trans fatty acids in the human diet. At the same time, eliminating solid fats from the food industry is a difficult endeavor because they are necessary for many food products to have the desired quality attributes. As a result, food scientists and technologists are working together to develop healthy fat substitutes for saturated and trans fats. Structuring edible oils into solid-like oleogels has attracted increasing interest from scientists, and many types of oleogels have been developed. Although some oleogels have shown potential applicability, the application of oleogels in the food industry at a commercial scale is limited because of some technological challenges. Therefore, this article aimed to explore recent advances in research performed to study the suitability of oleogels for the application in different food products. Challenges facing the application of oleogels in the food industry and future perspectives are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Accidental or suicidal ingestion of corrosive substances remains a major public health problem. Worldwide, the causative materials for corrosive injury are not the same. Surgery remains the mainstay of treatment with available different surgical options. The selected surgical technique should offer symptomatic treatment with less postoperative morbidity. Patients and methods Retrospective evaluation of 62 patients with long segment pyloric stricture postacid ingestion presenting with gastric outlet obstruction in the period between May 2017 and June 2022. They were divided into two groups, (group A (n=24), managed by Billroth 1 gastroduodenostomy; group B (n=38), managed by bypass loop gastrojejunostomy). Results In group A, the age ranged 3-59 years with a mean age of 25.7±22.62 years, while in group B, the age ranged 2.5-63 years with a mean age of 19.72±15.71 years. The type of ingested corrosive was hydrochloric acid in 60 patients (96.77%), while in two (3.23%) patients the exact acid was unknown. The interval between initial acid ingestion and symptoms of gastric outlet obstruction was 3 weeks to 18 months. In group A, the mean operative time was 64.125±7.023 min, while in group B, it was 61.763±7.837 min. Postoperative vomiting occurred in three (12.5%) patients in group A and in six (15.78%) patients in group B. In group A, the mean hospital stay was 5.5±0.932 days, while in group B, it was 4.921±1.806 days. Conclusion Billroth 1 gastroduodenostomy has the superiority of prophylaxis against long-term low risk of future malignancy. Bypass loop gastrojejunostomy is a safer alternative to Billroth 1 gastroduodenostomy, especially in the presence of severe perigastric adhesions and malnutrition. Future studies should include a large sample of patients with long periods of follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to investigate university students' understanding of referencing conventions and terminological denotations associated with the ethical use of information. A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect data from the final year undergraduate and master's students at a public university in Bangladesh. In addition to demographic and academic information, students were asked to respond to 13 task-based statements to indicate whether referencing are required for them. They were also asked to write down the definitions for 10 terms related to ethical practices of information use. For referencing and definitional tasks, each correct answer or definition was given a score of 1, while each incorrect answer was given a score of 0. The item difficulty index was used for analyzing the correctness score for each referencing and definitional answer. Finally, a negative binomial regression model was used on the total referencing and definitional scores to predict the students' correctness scores. A total of 189 students participated in the survey. It was found that the majority of students never attended library orientations, information literacy instructions and academic writing workshops. The findings showed that students' correctness score for the referencing tasks was relatively high, but their correctness score was poor for the definitional answers. It appeared that students from the engineering and technology faculty and those who were enrolled in the master's programs had significantly higher correctness score. The most common form of unethical practices by students included allowing assignments to be copied by their peers or vice versa. While academic pressure was regarded as one of the main reasons for unethical practices, the majority of students felt guilty for such wrongdoings and committed to be more careful in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research demonstrates the percentage of drivers and pedestrians understanding the traffic sign in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The survey was conducted among 634 drivers inside and outside of Dhaka city. Moreover, 508 pedestrians participated in the survey within Dhaka city. In comparison, there were 863 male respondents and 279 female respondents among 1142 respondents. The survey took the form of multiple-choice questions that included the picture attached to each sign. However, the survey questionnaires included a few questions regarding driver gender, age, educational qualification, and driving experience. Similarly, the survey questionnaires for pedestrians had also been discussed questions regarding pedestrian gender, age, educational qualification, and job status. The overall traffic sign understanding of drivers was 68.68%. Moreover, the comprehensive traffic signs understanding of pedestrians was 64.5%. The findings showed that the drivers had a medium degree of understanding of the traffic sign’s meaning. However, the study results showed that efforts are needed to educate the drivers and pedestrians about the proper interpretation and reaction to traffic signals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carboxylated functionalized multiwall carbon nanotubes (FMWCNTs) were prepared via nitric acid treatment. Decoration of FMWCNTs side walls with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was performed by mixing in silver nitrate (AgNO3) solution giving FMWCNTs-Ag. Poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) nanocomposites based on both pristine MWCNTs and its decorated form FMWCNTs-Ag in various contents (i.e., 0.5, 1.0, 3.0 and 5.0 wt%) were prepared in tetrahydrofuran solution followed by film casting. The obtained nanocomposites were specified by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), thermal analysis and dielectric properties measurements. The bacterial inhibition of the prepared film samples was also tested against Gram-positive (i.e., Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative bacteria (i.e., Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa). The data were explained in according with filler type and loading. XRD analysis confirmed the homogeneous dispersion of FCNTs-Ag in PVC matrix. TEM showed that large number of AgNPs were anchored to FCNTs surface. This was confirmed by Raman spectra. DMA illustrated that with increasing FCNTs-Ag content up to 5.0 wt%, higher storage and loss moduli as well as smaller tan δ values with shifting to higher Tg were obtained in comparison to composites with pristine CNTs. Thermogravimetric analysis indicated that increasing CNTs and FCNTs-Ag contents in PVC matrix up to 5.0 wt% improved PVC thermal stability. Differential thermogravimetric analysis showed a delay in PVC degradation rate on the initial step for composites based on FCNTs-Ag. Dielectric properties measurements illustrated that PVC composites with FCNTs-Ag exhibited higher electrical conductivity as compared with those based on pristine CNTs, but with the same order of magnitude (10−8 Ω−1 cm−1). This indicates that the prepared composite films can be applicable as electrostatic dissipated materials as the range of such application is 10−9 to 10−5 Ω−1 cm−1. They also showed bacterial inhibition against the tested bacteria. This promises a potential use of the nanocomposites in medical fields as antimicrobial agents for the treatment of bacterial infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores a dual inhibition of main protease (Mpro) and nonstructural protein 10/nonstructural protein 16 (NSP16) methyltransferase complex as the key targets for COVID-19 therapy. These are based on the new Schiff-base ligand that was obtained from the condensation of (4-chloro-3-methyl phenyl) hydrazine with 2-pyridine-carboxaldehyde and its novel Schiff-base metal complexes. These include Ni(II), Pd(II), Pt(II), Zn(II), and Hg(II). The newly synthesized compounds have been characterized using FT-IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and elemental analysis. The results suggested that the Schiff-base ligand is coordinated as a bidentate ligand through the nitrogen atoms of the azomethine group and pyridyl ring. In addition, the biological activity of the prepared complexes was examined against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, and the results showed that the Zn(II) complex has the highest activity compared with other compounds. The active sites were found by looking at the molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) maps of the above ligands and complexes. The activity of the compound and its Ni(II) and Zn(II) complexes against Mpro and NSP10/ NSP16 was investigated using a molecular docking approach. They showed excellent binding energies ranging from −5.9 to −7.2 kcal/mol and −5.8 to −7.2 for Mpro and NSP16, respectively. All conformers of the metal complexes were docked with the active site of the NSP16 receptor, showing a binding affinity of 100%. According to our knowledge, this was the first report of these metal complexes as dual inhibitors for Mpro and NSP16 of SARS-CoV-2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphite is a naturally abundant material and thus cost effective as a raw material. The layered structure of natural graphite like silicate clay materials, allows expansion and intercalation. Graphite was expanded by heating (i.e., at 900 °C), yielding expanded graphite (EG). EG was modified with tween 80 surfactant (50 wt%) obtaining modified expanded graphite (MEG). EG and MEG fillers were separately melt mixed at different loadings (i.e., 2.0, 4.0, 6.0, 8.0 and 10.0 phr) with nitrile rubber (NBR) as a matrix. The influence of the prepared EG, MEG loading on curing, mechanical and electrical properties of NBR nanocomposites were investigated. TEM revealed the surfactant intercalation within EG layers. SEM showed a good dispersion of MEG (6 phr) in NBR matrix in comparison to EG with medium dispersion at the same loading. Heterogeneous dispersion of MEG (8 phr) was observed as filler agglomerations in the matrix. Curing characterizations reflected a faster cure rate with an increase in maximum and minimum torques and torques difference for compound with MEG (6 phr) in comparison to that with EG at the same content and unfilled NBR compound. Mechanical properties indicated nanocomposites reinforcement with 6 phr MEG supporting the curing characterizations. While Shore A hardness values were increased with filler content up to 10 phr. NBR nanocomposites filled with MEG exhibited higher values of permittivity έ, dielectric loss ε ″ and dc conductivity σ than those filled with EG. A slight increase in the dc conductivity was found with increasing filler content up to 6 phr. Beyond 6 phr (i.e., up to 10 phr) a sudden increase in the conductivity of the system was observed and its value in the order of 10–10 Ω−1 cm−1 reflected a promising application of these nanocomposites as antistatic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different management systems (Intensive and semi-intensive systems) and using Zeolite substance as growth promoting on growth performance of Ossimi male lamb's, carcass traits, blood metabolites and economic efficiency. Twenty male lambs at 6 months of age were divided randomly to two groups (ten lambs per each group) were fed individually. Frist group lambs were reared on semi-intensive management system. The second group of lambs was reared on intensive management system. Every management system was divided into two feeding group (five lambs per each group), first group was fed on diet containing 0% Zeolite (control diet) according to NRC (2007) recommendations and the second group was fed on diet containing 1% Zeolite (treatment group). All experimental lambs in each group weighed fasting individually to the nearest kilogram monthly till the end of experimental period (120 days). Both of the consumed diets and refusals, if any, were recorded daily. Body weight gain, average daily gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio and economic efficiency were then calculated. At the end of the fattening period six male lambs from each group were slaughtered for carcass evaluation. Furthermore, blood samples were collected and analyzed. Results showed that intensive management system lambs group fed on diet containing 1% Zeolite had a better growth performance, carcass traits, blood metabolites and economic efficiency of lambs and it had higher advantages without adverse effect on the studied traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plane-strain motion of a flexural seismic metasurface in the form of a regular array of thin Kirchhoff plates attached to the surface of an elastic half-space is analysed. Two types of contact conditions, including simply supported plates and plates moving along horizontal rails are studied. Dispersion of time harmonic waves is investigated both asymptotically and numerically. A major effect of the contact conditions on metasurface behaviour is discovered. In particular, it is shown that frequency band gaps are not the feature of the array composed of simply supported plates. It is also demonstrated that the scaling laws, expressed through geometric and material problem parameters, drastically differ from each other for two considered setups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preliminary phytochemical screening on boiling water extracts of some known effective parts of three anthelmintic plants; Commiphora myrrha (Gum), Cassia fistula (Mature Pods) and Citrullus colocynthis (Mature Fruits); (1 ml of each extract = 50 mg/g Dry Weight) was done and all the obtained results showed the presence of flavonoids, anthraquinones, steroids and/triterpenoids, tannins, saponins, alkaloids and/or nitrogenous bases, carbohydrates and/or glycosides, cardiac glycosides, chlorides, sulphates, iridoids and sublimable substances in most samples. Cassia fistula boiling water extract' was found to be the richest extract regarding all investigated phytochemicals, so it was selected for further analyses. Preliminary phytochemical screening Results' of different extracts of examined plant parts of Cassia fistula indicated the presence of all investigated phytochemicals in most samples; with special reference to boiling water extracts of mature pods, followed by leaf petioles and stems and also in methanol extracts of all investigated parts (leaf petioles, leaf blades, stems and mature pods) in this regard, ethanol extracts were found to contain the lowest amount of all investigated phytochemicals compared to any other extracts. Ethanol and methanol extracts of all investigated parts are devoid of saponins, since saponins were found only in boiling water extracts of all investigated parts; with special reference to fresh samples of leaf petioles, stems and dried samples of mature pods. Regarding total phenolic contents, it was found that, the highest amount was recorded to be in dried samples of mature pods (28.671 ± 0.021) and both fresh and dried samples of leaf blades (28.571 ± 0.020 and 24.927 ± 0.020 mg/g respectively), the least amount was recorded to be in both fresh and dried samples of leaf petioles (19.670 ± 0.011 and 19.686 ± 0.017 mg/g respectively). Meanwhile the differences in all investigated samples are very small regarding their flavonoidal contents, dried samples of mature pods and fresh samples of stems were found to contain the highest amount in this regard (5.963 ± 0.011 and 5.957 ± 0.008 mg/g respectively). Additionally, all extracts of different parts of Cassia fistula L. (Golden shower trees) were examined for their nematotoxicity against Meloidogyne incognita, results showed that, all investigated extracts were effective against infective juveniles of root knot nematode; the mortality percentages were ranged between 11 to 100%, aqueous extracts of most plant parts achieved the best results in this regard (morality percentages are higher than 50%). Meanwhile, ethanolic extracts of all plant parts caused toxicity percentages' lower than those of water extracts, but higher than methanolic ones with few exceptions; dry leaf blades extracted by ethanol caused mortality to about half of subjected juveniles. On the other hand, methanolic extracts of all plant parts showed lower efficacy than aqueous and methanolic ones, except methanolic extracts of fresh leaf petioles, since it caused complete death of juveniles. It can be concluded that, nematicidal activity of such extracts were positively correlated with their phytochemical contents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aqueous and organic (methanol and ethanol) extracts of different plant parts of Moringa oleifera were investigated phytochemically, additionally, nematicidal activities of these extracts against root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita were estimated also. Results of preliminary phytochemical screening on boiling water extracts of different plant parts of Moringa oleifera revealed the presence of all investigated phytochemicals including; flavonoids, anthraquinones, steroids and/triterpenoids, tannins, saponins, alkaloids and/or nitrogenous bases, carbohydrates and/or glycosides, cardiac glycosides, chlorides, sulphates, iridoids and sublimable substances in most samples. Regarding extracts of fresh samples; it was found that both extracts of mature and immature seeds and fruits, in addition to stems are the richest extracts regarding all investigated phytochemicals. Meanwhile, concerning extracts of dry samples; it was noticed that both extracts of leaf blades and immature fruits are the richest extracts regarding all investigated phytochemicals, followed by stems in this regard. It was noticed also that all samples are devoid of iridoids. On the other hand, results of preliminary phytochemical screening on methanol extracts of different plant parts revealed the presence of all investigated phytochemicals in all samples under investigation (except extracts of both fresh and dry leaf blades, leaf petioles and stems are devoid of saponins). Concerning extracts of fresh samples; it was found that both extracts of mature and immature seeds and fruits are the richest extracts regarding all investigated phytochemicals. Meanwhile, regarding extracts of dry samples; it was noticed that both extracts of mature and immature fruits, leaf blades and leaf petioles are rich in all investigated phytochemicals, followed by stems in this regard. Preliminary phytochemical screening on ethanol extracts of different plant parts revealed that all of these extracts contained all investigated phytochemicals, but in the least amounts compared to other extracts (except extracts of both fresh and dry leaf blades, leaf petioles and stems are devoid totally of saponins). Regarding extracts of fresh samples; it was found that both extracts of mature and immature seeds and fruits are the richest extracts regarding all investigated phytochemicals. Meanwhile, regarding extracts of dry samples; it was noticed that both extracts of mature and immature fruits are rich in all investigated phytochemicals. Concerning total phenolic contents, it was found that regarding extracts of fresh samples; the highest amount was recorded to be in both leaf blades and stems (20.243±0.025 and 20.083±0.020, respectively), the least amount was recorded to be in immature fruits (5.251±0.005). In this regard; total flavonoidal contents reached its maximum in mature fruits, followed by leaf blades (5.481±0.005 and 5.326±0.006, respectively), the least amount was recorded to be in mature seeds (0.050±0.001). On the other hand, concerning total phenolic contents in case of extracts of dry samples; the highest amount was recorded to be in both leaf petioles and stems (22.000±0.023 and 21.451±0.025, respectively), the least amount was recorded to be in immature fruits (8.029±0.015). In this regard also; total flavonoidal contents reached its maximum in leaf blades (6.111±0.012), the least amount was recorded to be in immature seeds (0.093±0.001). Results also indicated that most extracts adversely affect the second stage juveniles (J2s) survive as they recorded mortality percentages ranged between 2.7 to 100%. Aqueous extracts in general were achieved the best results, extracts of all investigated seven parts can kill more than 50% of J2s. Extraction with methanol showing efficacy lower than water, but the fresh Immature fruit showing mortality similar to aqueous extract, meanwhile the rest parts of the plant gave mortality percentages not exceed than 33.7%. the lowest antinematodal activity was belonging to ethanol extracts of fresh and dried parts of the plant compared with other solvents. In this respect, the efficient extracts are water extracts, followed by methanolic and ethanolic extracts, those contain the lower amounts of these investigated phytochemicals. These results of nematicidal activities of all tested extracts are confirming those of phytochemical analyses. It was concluded that, nematicidal activity of those investigated extracts are positively correlated with the presence of considerable amount of phytochemicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New nanophenolic oxime complexes of the type [M(κ2‐Saly)2] {where HSaly = salicyl‐aldoxime; M = Co(1), Ni(2), Cu(3), Pd(4), Pt(5), Zn(6), Cd(7), and Hg(8)} were prepared and characterized by different spectroscopic methods. The surface morphology and the micrographs of the investigated complexes were checked by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The results indicate the successful preparation of nanocomplexes with nanoparticles size. In addition, the antibacterial activity was studied against three different pathogenic bacteria, and the Pt(II) complex displayed the highest activity compared with free salicylaldoxime ligand and other complexes. Magnetic susceptibility and ultraviolet (UV)–visible spectroscopic measurements were used to deduce the geometry of the complexes, which was then validated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The in vitro antitumor activity was investigated by MTT assays against HepG‐2 cell lines. The Zn(II) and Pt(II) complexes displayed good activity with IC50 values at 17.31 ± 0.95 and 11.78 ± 0.54 μM, respectively. In contrast, the [Cu(Saly)2] and [Ni(Saly)2] complexes showed the lowest activity against tested cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effects of pre-and postharvest treatments with potassium phosphite, potassium phosphate, and salicylic acid against the severity of gray mold disease caused by Botrytis cinerea in strawberry fruits were investigated under ambient conditions. Seven B. cinerea isolates were collected from naturally infected strawberry plants. The treatment with potassium phosphite at concentration of 500 mg/L significantly reduced the fungal growth compared to other treatments in vitro. The treatments with potassium phosphite at concentrations of 250 or 500 mg/L resulted in the highest disease reduction, followed by the treatment with salicylic acid. Additionally, effects of postharvest treatments with these compounds on disease reduction and biochemical attributes of strawberry fruits were evaluated during storage for 9 days at ambient conditions. The highest disease reduction percentage was found with potassium phosphite. Besides, the phenolics content and peroxidase activity of potassium phosphate were found to be greater than those of potassium phosphite or salicylic acid. However, a reduction in the total soluble solids, titratable acids, and ascorbic acid contents of fruits was found for all treatment groups at the end of storage period. Based on the obtained results, potassium phosphite and salicylic acid can be recommended as fungicide alternatives for extending postharvest shelf life of strawberry fruits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a major health issue all over the world. Patients with deteriorating renal function and end-stage renal disease require vascular access for hemodialysis. Studies suggest that Arterio-Venous fistula (AVF) constructed judiciously using autologous conduit give the best outcome in this regard. Objective of the study was to compare the outcomes of Radiocephalic and Brachiocephalic AVF in end stage renal disease (ESRD). Methods: It was a quasi-experimental study carried out at the Department of Vascular Surgery, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka. The study was conducted from June 2019 to May 2020. Patients suffering from ESRD underwent AVF creation surgery for hemodialysis access. A total of 60 (Sixty) patients were included in this study. The patients were divided into two groups; Group I included 30 patients who underwent Radiocephalic AVF operation and Group II included 30 patients who had Brachiocephalic AVF operation. Results: In Group I, (Radiocephalic AVF) 60% were male and 40% were female. On the other hand, in Group II (Brachiocephalic AVF) 73.3% were male and 26.7% were female. Calculated volume flow (Q max) was significantly higher in Group II compared with Group I (769.11±101.54 ml/min vs 626.37±55.81) ml/min) with the difference being statistically significant (P=0.001). Maturation time was significantly less in Group II compared with Group I )37.78±1.93 vs 43.33±2.12 days) with the difference between the two group being statistically significant (P=0.001). Complication was more in Group I than Group II (16.7% vs 3.3%). Conclusion: The present study shows that Brachiocephalic AVF gives significantly better outcome in terms of shorter maturation time and less complications compared with Radio-Cephalic AVF. Color Doppler study is an essential tool for preoperative vessel evaluation which guides the selection of suitable AVF construction site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ten transition metal dithiocarbamate (DTC)complexes of the type [M(κ2‐Et2DT)2] (1–5), and [M(κ2‐PyDT)2] (6–10) (where M = Co, Ni, Cu, Pd, and Pt; Et2DT = diethyl dithiocarbamate; PyDT = pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate) were synthesized and characterized by different methods. The dithiocarbamate acted as bidentate chelating ligands to afford a tetrahedral complexes with Co(II) ion and square planner with other transition metal ions. The dithiocarbamate complexes showed good activity against the pathogen bacteria species. The results showed the Pt‐dithiocarbamate complexes are more active against all the tested bacteria than the Pd‐dithiocarbamate complex. The dithiocarbamate complexes displayed the maximum inhibition zone against E. coli bacteria, whereas the lowest activity of the dithiocarbamate against Salmonella typhimurium bacteria. The cytotoxicity of the Pd(II) and Pt(II) complexes was screened against the MCF‐7 breast cancer cell line and the complexes showed moderate activity compared with the cis‐platin. The results indicated that the MCF7 cells treated with 500 μg\ml of ligands and Pd(II) and Pt(II) complexes after 24 hr exposure showed intercellular space and dead cells. Finally, molecular docking studies were carried out to examine the binding mode of the synthesized compounds against the proposed target; SARS COV2 RNA‐dependent RNA polymerase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was carried out during 2018 and 2019 seasons at the Experimental Farm of the Water Studies and Research Complex (WSRC) Station, National Water Research Center, Toshka Region, Egypt (22°32′16″N, 31°30′40″E), to study the effect of two amino cat fertilizer concentrations (AA1: 100 cm³ fed-1 and AA2: 200 cm³ fed-1), six different combinations of mineral NPK and nano-fertilizers (F1= 0.0 fertilizers-control treatment, F2= 100% mineral NPK (120:30:24 kg fed-1), F3= 100% Nano NPK )10 kg fed-1), F4=75% mineral NPK +25% Nano NPK, F5=75% Nano NPK +25% mineral and F6= 50% mineral NPK +50% Nano NPK( on grain production and its attributes as well as net economic return on two yellow maize hybrids (M1: T.W.C. 353 and M2: T.W.C. 360). The experiment was laid out in a strip split-plot design with three replications, where amino cat fertilizer allocated in vertical-plots, fertilization treatments were arranged in horizontal-plots and maize hybrids were occupied the subplots. Studied traits were number of days to 50% tasseling, number of green leaves plant-1, ear leaf area, plant height, ear length, number of ears plant-1 and grain yield fed-1. Obtained results showed that maize hybrids, amino cat fertilizer, fertilization treatments, and their interactions significantly influenced most studied traits in both seasons. TWC 353 hybrid gave the maximum mean values of all studied traits in both seasons. Foliar spraying with 200 cm³ amino cat fertilizer was significantly associated with corresponding increases in all studied traits especially grain yield (3.02 and 3.06 ton fed-1) in the 1st and 2nd seasons, respectively. Maximum average values of studied traits were obtained using 50% mineral fertilization + 50% nano- NPK fertilization in both growing seasons. Foliar appliction of TWC 353 hybrid with 200 cm³ aminofertilizer, beside fertilization by 50% mineral NPK+50% NPK nano-fertilizers (M1AA2F6), recorded the highest values for net farm incom (12926 L.E fed-1), net farm return (6360 L.E fed-1), BCR (1.97) and economic efficiency (net return/total costs=0.97). This result is due to the highest grain yield prodictivity under this treatment (3.77 ton fed-1) as an average of the two seasons compared with other treatments. Generally, it could be concluded that foliar spraying of maize hybrid TWC 353 with 200 cm³ fed-1 amino cat fertilizer plus 50% mineral fertilization + 50% nano-NPK fertilization resulted in highest growth, production and net farm return under the environmental conditions of Toshka region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the current status of IT facilities, access to online resources in the universities and the level of faculty satisfaction with university subscribed e-resources in Bangladesh. It employed two structured questionnaires for collecting data. The first questionnaire was sent to the library heads to obtain data about the current IT facilities, access to the online resources and the constraints faced by them in accessing e-resources. The second questionnaire was distributed to faculty member at public and private universities to assess their satisfaction and the difficulties that they encountered while accessing university's online resources. Descriptive statistics were obtained with regard to university IT facilities, access to digital resources and the difficulties faced by the university libraries. Non-parametric statistical tests, such as Mann–Whitney and Kruskal–Wallis were carried out to identify the significant differences between and among faculty groups. Finally, an ordinal regression model was used to analyze the effects of demographic variables and computer experience level on faculty satisfaction. The library survey found that large university libraries had adequate IT facilities but the majority of the library heads stated they had problems such as inadequate financial support and lack of trained manpower. On the other hand, the faculty survey revealed that faculty members were not satisfied with the current level of e-resources that were subscribed by the libraries. Faculty members had difficulties in finding relevant information, access to e-resources from home and limited number of titles. There were no significant differences in the level of faculty satisfaction in terms of gender and designation but significant differences were found in case of university type. Few significant differences were found in terms of faculty age and teaching experience. However, significant differences were found in faculty satisfaction with regard to computer proficiency levels for several variables. The results of ordinal regression also showed university type and computer proficiency level do affect faculty satisfaction with university e-resources. This current study is significant as universities in Bangladesh are provided with better ICT facilities with access to new online resources and services. The paper proposes ways of enhancing access to e-resources and recommends appropriate corrective or regulatory measures to be taken. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, many numerical techniques were presented to solve the fractional anomalous sub‐diffusion equations, and the results were excellent. In this paper, we study a simple numerical technique to solve two important types of fractional anomalous sub‐diffusion equations that appear strongly in chemical reactions and spiny neuronal dendrites, which are the two‐dimensional fractional Cable equation and the two‐dimensional fractional reaction sub‐diffusion equation. The proposed technique is a simple one which is an extension of the weighted average finite difference technique. The stability analysis of the proposed method is studied by means of John von Neumann stability analysis technique. An accurate stability criterion which is valid for different discretization schemes of the fractional derivative and arbitrary weight factor is introduced. Four numerical examples are presented (two for the Cable equation and two for the reaction sub‐diffusion equation) to demonstrate the effectiveness and the accuracy of the presented method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the syntheses and spectral investigations of the new complexes [Pd(k1‐S‐ptt)2(k2‐dppmS2)] (1), [Pd(k1‐S‐ptt)2(k2‐dppp)] (2a), [Pd(k1‐N‐ptt)2(k2‐dppp)] (2b), [Pd(k1‐S‐ptt)2(k2‐dpppS2)] (3), [Pd(k1‐S‐ptt)2(k2‐dppb)] (4), [Pd(k1‐S‐ptt)2(k2‐dppf)] (5a) and [Pd(k1‐N‐ptt)2(k2‐dppf)] (5b), derived from 1‐phenyl‐5‐thiol‐1H‐tetrazole (Hptt) and diphosphine (dppmS2, dppp, dpppS2, dppb and dppf) as co‐ligand. The Hptt ligand acts as monodentate through the thiolato sulfur atom in complexes 1, 3 and 4. While in complexes 2 and 5, the Hptt ligand also acts as monodentate through the nitrogen of heterocyclic ring, or sulfur of thiol group after deprotonation, as two linkage isomers. Theoretical calculations on the all complexes were performed, isomers based on 2a, 2b and 5a, 5b reveal that each pair of isomers is isoenergetic. For the 2a and 2b complexes the energy difference was 19.92 kcal mol−1, while for the 5a and 5b complexes the difference was 11.78 kcal mol−1. These differences are relatively small and suggest that the linkage isomers may be in equilibrium in solution. The reasons for the adoption of these different coordination modes are not clear but steric factors are likely to be a major contributory factor. Further, in vitro anti‐bacterial activity and molecular docking analysis has been carried out to study the activity of the compound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multiscale structural, physicochemical, and digestible properties of potato starch before and after heat–moisture treatment were investigated, and further compared between repeated heat–moisture treatment (RHMT) and continuous heat–moisture treatment (CHMT). After heat–moisture treatment, there appeared partial disruption and pits on the starch granules, and the birefringence edges of HMT starch particles became blurred. Besides, the molecular weight of samples conspicuously decreased after two kinds of treatments. The crystal type of HMT starches transformed from B‐type to C‐type according to X‐ray analysis. A decrease in the solubility and swelling power in high temperatures were identified. The pasting temperature, the gelatinization transition temperature (To, Tp, Tc), and the slowly digestible starch (SDS) content of HMT starches were significantly higher than native potato starch, while the peak viscosity, the trough viscosity, the final viscosity, the breakdown, and the gelatinization enthalpy (ΔH) of RHMT and CHMT potato starches decreased compared to the native. RHMT potato starches displayed significantly higher relative crystallinity degree and gelatinization transition temperatures. The cooling process of RHMT in which the linkage between the recombinant amylose/amylopectin was enhanced compared with CHMT, which contributed to that RHMT potato starches exhibited greater advantages in practical applications. Practical Application: The described RHMT and CHMT starches provide new ideas for the study of modified starch. Furthermore, this study revealed the mechanism of heat–moisture processing provided some instructions to the application of RHMT potato starch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on many electrostatic nonlinear structures, namely, soliton, explosive, shocklike, and periodic waves, which may exist due to the dynamics of different ion species in Titan's ionosphere. Using the latest available observations of Titan at an altitude of ≈ 1300 km, the main ion components are HCNH+, C2 H 5 + , and C3 H 5 + . The dynamics of these waves are described by the Korteweg–de Vries (KdV) equation. Using the G ′ / G –expansion method, we obtain a class of solutions that elucidate these nonlinear structures. As the wave amplitude increases, both the width and velocity of the wave deviate from the prediction of the KdV equation. To describe the waves of larger amplitude, the higher-order dispersion has to be taken into account. The G ′ / G –expansion method is used, for the first time, to solve the KdV equation with higher-order dispersion. We compare between both KdV and higher-order dispersive KdV solutions, i.e., soliton, explosive, shocklike, and periodic waves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The global strategy for the diagnosis, management, and prevention of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) defines COPD as a typical preventable and treatable disease. Described by a diligent wind current limit is typically progressive and associated with an improved chronic provocative reaction, in the airways and the lung, to harmful particles or gases. Materials and Methods: It was a prospective observational study carried out at a tertiary care centre to evaluate the prevalence of anemia in patients with COPD and its impact on quality of life. The duration of study was one year. Anemia was defined according to WHO criteria, hemoglobin level <13g/dl in men and <12g/dl in women. 114 patients of COPD (confirmed on spirometry as per the GOLD 2017 guidelines) were enrolled after an explicit, written consent. Patient's detailed history was taken, including smoking status, pack year and biomass fuel exposure. Physical examination was conducted to include anthropometric details, routine blood investigations, chest radiograph (postero-anterior view) and a 6 minute walk test. Results: Out of 114 patients enrolled in the study, 30 (26.32%) were found to be anemic and were classified as group I while rest 84(73.68%) were non - anemic and were classified as group II. The mean hemoglobin levels in group I (anemic group) was 11.42 g/dl whereas the mean hemoglobin level in group II was 14.54 g/dl. However there was no significant difference between those with and without anemia in their average age, gender distribution, dietary habits and pack years smoked. Conclusion: The various factors significantly associated with anemia in our study were number of exacerbations of COPD leading to hospitalization, mMRC grade and quality of life. In conclusion, anemia occurs frequently in patients of COPD and is associated with poor quality of life and increased morbidity in the form of number of exacerbations and hospital admissions. Correcting anemia in these patients may improve their clinical outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New Pd(II), Pt(II), Zn(II), Cd(II), and Hg(II) complexes were synthesized from the reaction of 4‐phenyl‐5‐selenocyanatothiazol‐2‐amine (PhSeCNH) with metal chlorides. The produced compounds were characterized by various spectroscopic techniques. The Material Studio program was used to propose the best fit atomic skeletons for the isolated solid compounds by applying density functional theory. Quantum chemical parameters were determined from such modeling. Also, the synthesized complexes were screened for their cytotoxicity in breast adenocarcinoma (MCF‐7) and human cervical (HeLa) cell lines. Furthermore, the bactericidal activity of the investigated compounds was also evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus as a Gram‐positive bacteria as well as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli as Gram‐negative bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A tetrahedral Hg(II) diethyl dithiocarbamate (Et2Dt) complex containing triphenylphosphine (PPh3) of the composition [HgCl(κ2‐Et2Dt)2(PPh3)] (1) is prepared. Furthermore, complex (1) is used as a synthone to prepare a novel series of complexes of the following composition [Hg(Et2Dt)L(PPh3)] {L = saccharinate (2), thiosaccharinate (3), benzisothiazolinate (4), benzothiozole‐2‐thiolate (5), and benzooxazole‐2‐thiolate (6) anions}. The resulted complexes (1)–(6) are characterized by elemental analysis, molar conductivity, powder X‐ray diffraction, fourier transform Infrared, and NMR (1H and 31P) spectroscopic techniques. The Et2Dt ligand is coordinated as bidentate chelate through the sulfur atoms, whereas the L ligands are bonded as monodentate ligands to afford a tetrahedral geometry around the Hg(II) ion. Nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherm for two of as‐prepared complexes (2) and (3) are measured first to get their Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area. Moreover, the mentioned two complexes are evaluated for their ability to store hydrogen gas at 77 K. However, the results of the hydrogen storage tests proved that the selected complexes are all capable of storing hydrogen, but in varying degrees, where complex (2) exhibited a storage capacity of 4.22 wt% under 88 bar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, researchers have found many applications of biochar due to its large surface area, ion and water holding capacity, sheltering possibility for microbes beneficial for the plants' nutrition intake, carbon sequestration etc. Among several waste biomass feedstock, agricultural waste is a suitable source of biomass for the biochar production. So, in this study, a low cost, modular technology was proposed that can be used at the consumer end to produce biochar of satisfactory quality. In this technology, no separate inert gas feed was required, thereby lowering the cost and complexity of the system. The reactor was designed in a way that most of the oxygen got consumed at the beginning of the process and the residual nitrogen from air maintained a pseudoinert environment. As potential feedstock for biochar, rice husk and wood chips were considered in this study. Also, to evaluate the quality of produced biochar, proximate analysis and calorific value were measured. The char yields were found to be between 20 to 40%. For rice husk (powdered and granular) and wood chips, the volatile content (%) were 15.88, 19.69 and 25.47 respectively meaning most of the volatiles were released during devolatilization. It was found that biochar can be produced from agricultural waste using this method by farmers in the field without any additional equipment, and the pyrolyzer is modular and portable. Finally, the biochar could be used for soil replenishment. Further work is ongoing on the char characterization to realize the full potential of biochar production from waste biomass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two field experiments were carried out in the Agricultural Research Station, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University, El-Khattara Region, Sharkia Governorate, Egypt, during the two winter seasons of 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 to find out the response of faba bean (improved Giza 3 cv.) to three planting densities (80000, 100000 and 120000 plants/fad.), three humic acid rates (zero, 2 and 4 kg humic acid/fad.) and four phosphorus levels (zero, 15.5, 31 and 46.5 kg P2O5/fad.). The results of the combined analysis revealed that increasing planting density significantly decreased number of pods and branches/plant, and seed weight/plant as well as protein yield/fad., while, plant height and biological yield/fad., were significantly increased by increasing plant densities up to 120000 plants/fad. The highest value of seed yield/fad., was obtained by planting faba bean on density 100000 plants/fad. Results of the combined analysis also showed that, increasing humic acid rates up to 4 kg/fad., significantly increased number of pods/plant, weight of seeds/plant and protein yield/fad., but, hundred seed weight, plant height and number of branches/plant were not affected by the application of humic acid. Meanwhile, biological and seed yields/fad., were responded to the application of humic acid rate up to 2 kg/fad. In general, application of phosphorus fertilizer up to 46.5 kg P2O5/fad., significantly increased all traits under study such as number of branches and pods/plant, weight of seeds/plant, seed and biological yields/fad., and protein yield/fad as compared to other rates (combined data), while, hundred seed weight significantly increased by increasing P levels up to 31 kg P2O5/fad. Interaction results showed that, faba bean plants received 31 kg P2O5/fad., and 2 kg humic acid/fad., or received 2 kg humic acid under medium density (100000 plants/fad.) produced the highest value of seed yield/fad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this paper is to empirically examine the information skills of public university librarians and whether attending a short training on navigation to e-resources results in improvements in their knowledge base. A group of 33 librarians working at different public university libraries participated in this study. They were participants in a 90-min long training program on navigation to e-resources conducted at University Grants Commission of Bangladesh. The survey questionnaire, consisted of 12 information tasks, was distributed and answered before the training. The same tasks were repeated at the end of the training session to see the improvement of information skills. It was found that librarians did not have adequate knowledge of information skills; in fact, a major proportion of university librarians demonstrated inappropriate and insufficient knowledge before the training. The training helped improve their performance score significantly in six out of 12 tasks. The study concluded that the provision of systematic and regular training will improve the skills of librarians and it will positively affect their service outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cereal grains are a major source of human food and their production has steadily been increased during the last several decades to meet the demand of our increasing world population. The modernized society and the expansion of the cereal food industry created a need for highly efficient processing technologies, especially flour production. Earlier scientific research efforts have led to the invention of the modern steel roller mill, and the refined flour of wheat has become a basic component in most of cereal-based foods such as breads and pastries because of the unique functionality of wheat protein. On the other hand, epidemiological studies have found that consumption of whole cereal grains was health beneficial. The health benefit of whole cereal grain is attributed to the combined effects of micronutrients, phytochemicals, and dietary fibre, which are mainly located in the outer bran layer and the germ. However, the removal of bran and germ from cereal grains during polishing and milling results in refined flour and food products with lower bioactive compounds and dietary fibre contents than those from whole grain. Also, the level of bioactive compounds in cereal food is influenced by other food preparation procedures such as baking, cooking, extrusion, and puffing. Therefore, food scientists and nutritionists are searching for strategies and processing technologies to enhance the content and bioavailability of nutrients, bioactive compounds, and dietary fibre of cereal foods. The objective of this article was to review the research advances on technologies for the enhancement of bioactive compounds and dietary fibre contents of cereal and cereal-based foods. Bioactivities or biological effects of enhanced cereal and cereal-based foods are presented. Challenges facing the application of the proposed technologies in the food industry are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Red adzuki bean starch‐water suspensions (1:3, w/v) are subjected to repeated and continuous annealing treatments at 55 °C for 96 h. The changes in structural, physicochemical, and digestive properties of starch after both treatments are studied and compared. The results show that the repeated and continuous annealing increases the relative crystallinity of starch without influencing the morphological structure and crystalline patterns. Gelatinization temperatures and enthalpy increase; however starch solubility, swelling power, and viscosity decrease after both annealing treatments. FT‐IR analysis shows that annealing treatments result in a reorganization of starch molecules and improve the crystalline perfection. Furthermore, the applied annealing treatments decrease the enzymatic susceptibility of starch and increase the percentage of slowly digestible and resistant starch present. Generally, the repeated annealing results in modified starch with good functionalities compared with continuous annealing. Therefore, repeated annealing can be recommended for producing of modified starch for industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnO nanorods have been synthesized on glass substrate by low-cost two step chemical bath deposition (CBD) method at low temperature. The ZnO seed layers have been coated on glass substrate by RF magnetron techniques with power 150 watt for 15 min. The influence of different growth time on the optical properties, energy band gap, Raman spectra and surface morphology of ZnO nanorods are investigated. The growth time are (0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5) h. The double beam UV visible (UV-5000), Raman Spectroscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy have been used to characterize the optical properties (absorption and transmission), energy band gap, Raman spectra, surface morphology, diameter, distribution and homogeneity of produced ZnO nanorods. The results found that the growth time have significant effect on the optical properties, energy band gap, Raman modes, aligned, surface morphology, diameter, ZnO distribution and density. And It is observed that the absorbance of the growth times 4 and 5 h are higher than the other growth times of ZnO nanorods, which showed the good crystallinity of the other samples. The transmittance decreases sharply near UV region at wavelength around 385 nm due to the optical band gap absorption. The obtained energy band gap of ZnO nanorods decreases with increase in the growth time from 3.25 eV to 3.18 eV. From result, it was investigated that the growth time caused the average crystalline size increases and decreases defects causing the energy band gap decreased. From Raman spectra, it observed that the dominant and sharp peaks at approximately 100 cm-1 and 437 cm-1 for the ZnO nanorods grown of 4 h and 5 h as a growth times, which are corresponds to the intrinsic characteristics of the Raman active E2(low) and E2(high) modes of the hexagonal wurtzite ZnO, respectivly Also FESEM results shows that the growth time has a good playing role on the nanostructure growth orientation of the ZnO nanorods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Taste and aroma profiles of Daokou red‐cooked chickens (DRCs) were analysed using different techniques and methods. Multivariate data analysis revealed that e‐nose and e‐tongue could successfully discriminate DRCs of various sources based on their taste and aroma profiles. Flavour nucleotide content and umami concentration of breasts were higher than those of thighs. Additionally, a fingerprint was established to analyse the distribution of different volatile compounds using gas chromatography‐ion mobility spectrometry. A total number of 54 volatile components was identified in the DRCs, mostly aldehydes, esters, ketones, terpenes and alcohols. Odour activity value demonstrated that nine volatile components, including 1‐octen‐3‐ol, 2‐pentylfuran, eucalyptol, nonanal, estragole, anisaldehyde, anethole, eugenol and hexanal, could be considered as the characteristic flavour compounds of DRCs. Furthermore, partial least squares‐discriminant analysis (PLS‐DA) analysis showed that sweet tastes, anethole, 5′‐inosine monophosphate, eugenol, eucalyptol, umami tastes, sour tastes, bitter tastes, 2,3‐butanedione, hexanal, hypoxanthine, inosine and d‐limonene were significant factors that caused the differences among DRCs of different sources. Sensory analysis revealed variations in consumer preferences of DRCs from different suppliers. Obtained results will help in understanding of how taste and flavour compounds affect quality and preferences of DRCs, which will help manufacturers improve processing methods and promote consumption of DRCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context Laparoscopic appendectomy had been accepted over the last years, as a goal of improveddiagnosticaccuracyandwoundcomplicationrate, over theopenprocedure. However, the new techniques require single port and manoeuverable instruments, which are expensive. In this study, the cost of single-port laparoscopic appendectomy is reduced through conventional instrumentation using a side-arm viewing operative laparoscope, which is the nephroscope used for percutaneous nephrolithotomy. Aim The aim of this study was to present the retrospective experience of reducing the cost of single-port laparoscopic-assisted appendectomy using the nephroscope for percutaneous nephrolithotomy. Settings and designs The study design was a retrospective case series one. Materials and methods Our study was conducted between December 2014 and August 2015. The study included 40 patients with clinical diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Patients with complicated appendicitis, obese patients (BMI =35 kg/m²) and those who needed the insertion of another port were excluded from the study. Statistical analysis Continuous variables were expressed as mean and SD. Categorical variables were expressed as frequencies and percentage. Results The study included 40 patients, 24 (60%) male and 16 (40%) female. The mean operative time was 35±12 min. The age of participants ranged between 8 and 25 years. There was no significant perioperative morbidity or mortality. The mean follow-up period was 6 months. Conclusion Our experiencewith this technique of single-port laparoscopic-assisted appendectomy using the nephroscope for percutaneous nephrolithotomy demonstrates its feasibility and safety at a very low cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vertically well-aligned ZnO nanorods arrays have been synthesized on ZnO seed layer coated glass substrates at low temperature using modified low-cost chemical bath deposition (CBD) method. The investigation of the influence of no air bubbles, air bubbles and oxygen bubbles inside the CBD reactor on the structural characteristics, morphological (diameter, length, aligned, distribution and homogeneously), elements chemical composition and optical properties of ZnO nanorods have been studied. This new modification of chemical bath deposition method shows the improved results over traditional chemical bath deposition method. The important results of this novel process are the good morphological, structural characteristic and optical properties of ZnO nanorods. These results obtained in just of 3.5 h growing time in the CBD reactor. On this modified CBD the growth time rate decreases about 1.5 h compared with the previous works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sylhet is one of the resourceful districts in Bangladesh. Hard stone, one of the main georesources of Bangladesh after gas and coal, is very useful for construction sector. The benefits of stones can never be ignored as these precious natural assets contribute huge to the construction sector. But the entrepreneurs related with stone business are facing many obstacles. The objective of the study is to find out how the entrepreneurs are sustaining in doing stone business. To assess how they are sustaining, a set of questionnaire is developed. The survey was conducted among eighty two entrepreneurs in Sylhet city with seven different locations and the result shows that demographic factor, business related general factor and business environment factors are related in this regard. The study exemplifies a positive insight towards survival of stone business. Moreover, samples were selected here at random by applying convenience sampling technique. Interview had been conducted using standard questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, Cronbach alpha and correlations were applied to explore the results. Data were analyzed through SPSS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Year to year obesity prevalence, reduced physical activities, bad habits/or stressful lifestyle, and other environmental and physiological impacts lead to increase in diseases such as coronary heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and hypertension worldwide. Hypertension is considered as one of the most common serious chronic diseases; however, discovery of medications with high efficacy and without side effects for treatment of patients remains a challenge for scientists. Recent trends in functional foods have evidenced that food bioactive proteins play a major role in the concepts of illness and curing; therefore, nutritionists, biomedical scientists, and food scientists are working together to develop improved systems for the discovery of peptides with increased potency and therapeutic benefits. This review presents a recent research carried out to date for the purpose of isolation and identification of bioactive hydrolyzates and peptides with angiotensin I converting enzyme inhibitory activity and antihypertensive effect from animal, marine, microbial, and plant food proteins. Effects of food processing and hydrolyzation conditions as well as some other impacts on formation, activity, and stability of these hydrolyzates and peptides are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrite is one of the harmful pollutants for both people and animals. The formation of nitrite during the manufacturing of beet sugar was investigated. The results indicated that the cossettes contained lower nitrite content (1.23±0.1 mg/kg DM). However, the nitrite mainly formed during the extraction and purification processes. Most of the nitrite was transferred to molasses, with the remaining portion returning to the crystallization process through the circulation of juices. The nitrite content of raw juice was lower than 10 mg/kg DM in the aerobic extraction system, and it was reduced by 50% during the liming and carbonation. In the tower extraction system for both factories F1 and F2, the nitrite content increased from 5.5 and 25 mg/kg DM in the raw juice to 298 and 247%, 284 and 238%, 716 and 1032%, and 307 and 881% in the thin juice, thick juice, raw sugar green, and molasses, respectively. A significant reduction in the nitrite content of raw and de-foamed juice was achieved by the suggested point (L3) for dosing the disinfectant B (hop β-acids). The effect of the disinfectant lasted for more than 6 h at normal nitrite levels of juice and up to 90 min at high nitrite levels. Furthermore, the nitrite contents were reduced in thin juice, thick juice, and molasses by 58, 48 and 30%, respectively. By optimizing the dosing procedure and point of disinfectant hop β-acids dosage, the microbial load on the extraction system and formation rate of nitrite could be reduced significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives:To study the effect of Vitamin D3 supplementation on metabolic control in an obese type 2 diabetes Emirati population.Methods:This randomized double-blind clinical trial was conducted with 87 vitamin D-deficient obese, type 2 diabetic participants. The vitamin D-group (n=45) and the placebo group (n=42) were matched for gender, age, HbA1c and 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH) D) at the baseline. The study was divided into two phases of 3 months each; in phase 1, the vitamin D-group received 6000 IU vitamin D3/day followed by 3000 IU vitamin D3/day in phase 2, whereas the placebo group (n=42) received matching placebo.Results:After supplementation, serum 25(OH) D peaked in the vitamin D-group in phase 1 (77.2±30.1 nmol/l, P=0.003) followed by a decrease in the phase 2 (61.4±18.8 nmol/l, P=0.006), although this was higher compared with baseline. In the placebo group, no difference was observed in the serum 25(OH) D levels throughout the intervention. Relative to baseline serum, parathyroid hormone decreased 24% (P=0.003) in the vitamin D-group in phase 2, but remained unchanged in the placebo group. No significant changes were observed in blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, C-peptide, creatinine, phosphorous, alkaline phosphatase, lipids, C-reactive protein or thyroid stimulating hormone concentrations compared with baseline in either group.Conclusions:Six months of vitamin D3 supplementation to vitamin D-deficient obese type 2 diabetes patients in the UAE normalized the vitamin D status and reduced the incidence of eucalcemic parathyroid hormone elevation but showed no effect on the metabolic control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two field experiments were conducted at the Agricultural Research Station, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University at El-Khattara Region, Sharkia Governorate, Egypt, during two summer successive seasons (2012 and 2013) to study the effect of three plant densities (24000, 28000 and 32000 plants/ fad.), four nitrogen fertilizer levels (50, 75, 100 and 125 kg N/fad.) and three organic manure rates (check, 2.5 and 5 tons/fad.) on yield and its attributes of yellow maize (single cross 173). The results of the combined analysis revealed that low and moderate densities significantly increased ear and kernel yields/plant as well as kernel and biological yields/fad. In addition, increasing plant density more than 24000 plants/fad., significantly increased shelling %, while plant densities had no significant effect on number of ears/plant, ear diameter, ear length, number of rows/ear, number of kernels/row and hundred kernel weight. Data of the combined analysis also showed that increasing nitrogen fertilizer level from 50 to 75 and 100 kg N/fad., significantly increased number of ears/plant, ear diameter, ear length, number of kernels/row, 100 kernel weight, ear yield/plant, kernel yield/plant, ear, kernel and biological yields (ton/fad.) with the exception of number of rows/ear and shelling % (combined data). Application of organic manure up to 5 tons /fad., significantly increased ear length, number of rows/ear, number of kernels/row, hundred kernel weight, ear and kernel yields/plant, ear, kernel and biological yields/fad., as compared to other rates (combined data). The obtained data showed that maize plants received 100 kg N/fad., and 5 tons organic manure /fad., under light density (24000 plants/fad.) and medium density (28000 plants/fad.) produced the highest value of kernel yield/fad. While, under the high density (32000 plants/fad.) kernel yield/fad., was higher when 75 kg N/fad., and 2.5 tons organic manure/fad was used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Childhood cancer is an emerging health problem worldwide. It is the second common cause of child death. Epidemiological and clinical attributes of childhood cancer are not properly documented in Bangladesh. This study was designed to reveal the attributes of childhood cancer among the patients attended specialized hospitals in Dhaka city. Objective: To determine the epidemiological and clinical attributes of childhood cancer. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted among 99 under 18 years old children suffering from cancer, who were included considering specific selection criteria. Data were collected by face to face interview using a semi-structured questionnaire with the help of a semi-structured questionnaire and checklist. Data were analyzed by using SPSS software. Results: Of all the children, majority (40.4%) was in age group of 6-10 years and their mean (±SD) age was 7.48 (±3.70) years. Male to female ratio was 1.9:1.6 and majority (48.5%) was in middle income group. Major part (42.4%) of the children was from sub-urban followed by 30.3% rural and 27.2% from urban communities. Major types of childhood cancer comprised acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (37.4%), retinoblastoma (14.1%), neuroblastoma (10.1%), and Wilm'stumour (10.1%). Less common cancers included non-Hodgekin's lymphoma (7.1%), Hodgekin's lymphoma (5.1%), osteosercoma (5.1%), nasopharyngeal carcinoma (4.0%), germ cell tumour (3.0%), acute myeloid leukaemia (3.0%) and Ewing's tumour (1.0%). Majority (35.1%) of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia patients were from urban while most (85.7%) of retinoblastoma patients from sub-urban, 50.0% of neuroblastoma cases from rural, and 40.0% of Wilm's tumour from sub-urban communities, this geographical variation of childhood cancer was statistically significant [χ2(33)=56.46, p=0.01]. In poor and middle income group, most of the children (91.8%) were detected in stage II while among the higher income group, most (88.9%) of the cancer were detected in stage-I and this variation was statistically significant [χ2(9)=16.77, p=0.05]. Family history was strongly related with childhood cancer [χ2(20)=32.81, p=0.04]. Conclusion: Cancer was more prevalent among male children with poor socio-economic condition residing in sub-urban communities. The study recommends specific measures to detect childhood cancer and related risk factors at early stage to prevention and control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To study the bone marrow changes in elderly patients (above 60 years of age). Material and methods: Bone marrow records from the pathology laboratory in the Department of Pathology, Bangalore Medical College, Bangalore, from March 2012 to June 2013, were searched, and cases from all patients at least 60 years old at the time of bone marrow study were retrospectively reviewed. Results: During the 16 months period, 164 bone marrow examinations were performed, and out of these, 50 patients were at least 60 years old. The age range of the patients was 60 to 82 years, 27 were males and 23 were females. 47 cases (94%) yielded specific diagnosis. 27 cases (54%) had nutritional anemia, 6 cases (12%) were diagnosed as myeloma, 3 cases (6%) had aplastic anemia, 3 cases (6%) had chronic lymphocytic leukemia! small lymphocytic leukemia infiltrating the bone marrow; 2 cases (4%) had acute myeloid leukemia, 2 cases (4%) had hypocellular marrow with myelofibrosis - grade 3, 2 cases were diagnosed to have monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (4%), 1 case (2%) had metastatic deposits from prostatic carcinoma and 1 case (2%) had metastatic deposits from renal cell carcinoma - clear cell variant; 1 case (2%) of myelodysplastic syndrome - refractory cytopenia with multi lineage dysplasia and ringed side roblasts was diagnosed. Conclusions: In this study we found that after nutritional anemia, plasma cell dyscrasias were the most common findings in bone marrow studies in elderly patients. Diagnosis of plasma cell dyscrasias prompt for early institution of treatment resulting in reduced morbidity and mortality in such patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides an overview of the expectations and perceptions of library service quality from university students in Bangladesh. A modified version of the five dimensional SERVQUAL instrument was used to collect data from the universities. Respondents were asked to indicate their opinion on three columns, i.e., desired, minimum, and perception of service performance using 28 service items. It was found that the students' desired expectation for services is unreasonably high. The study, therefore, made an effort to examine the sources of their expectation to develop and validate an alternative item-scale for service quality assessment. The results indicate that the students' expectation sources had a significant impact on their opinion on service quality. A large proportion of students felt that their expectation for quality services is their right. This led them to rate higher desired expectation score for services. It suggests that user's desired service expectation is unrealistic and is not reliable for quality measurement. Based on this, the study argues that the prior scales of service quality assessment, particularly the calculation of the gap difference between perception of service performance and desired service expectation cannot produce a realistic result. An alternative item-scale, called real service expectation, was developed to calculate the gap score between perception of service performance and real service expectations. The computation of real service expectation, and the corresponding gap analysis could provide a new strategic direction for service quality assessment in academic libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Tomato bacterial spots and specks, caused by various strains of Xanthomonas campestris and Pseudomonas syringae, lead to significant yield losses in the El-Sharkia governorate. This study tested the efficacy of biocontrol culture filtrates from Trichoderma fungi (T. viride, T. harzianum, T. album) and bacterial agents (Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Serratia marcescens) in controlling these diseases. In vitro, the culture filtrates significantly inhibited pathogenic bacterial growth. In vivo, spraying bioagents prior to infection reduced disease incidence and severity. T. viride was the most effective fungal bioagent, while B. subtilis was the top bacterial bioagent. Tomato plants that were treated with bioagents also had more phenols and chlorophyll than control plants. They also had more enzyme activity, including chitinase, peroxidase, and polyphenol oxidase. These findings suggest that biocontrol strategies could be a sustainable solution for managing tomato diseases and improving plant defense. Tomato bacterial spots, caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria (Xcv1) and X. euvesicatoria (Xe2), as well as bacterial specks, caused by two strains of Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst1 and Pst2), represent significant threats to tomato production in the El-Sharkia governorate, often resulting in substantial yield losses. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of various biocontrol culture filtrates, including bacteria and fungi agents, in managing the occurrence and severity of these diseases, while also monitoring physiological changes in tomato leaves, including antioxidant enzymes, phenolics, and pigment content. The culture filtrates from examined Trichoderma species (T. viride, T. harzianum, and T. album), as well as the tested bacteria (Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Serratia marcescens) at concentrations of 25%, 50%, and 100%, significantly inhibited the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria In vitro. For the In vivo experiments, we used specific doses of 5 mL of spore suspension per plant for the fungal bioagents at a concentration of 2.5 × 107 spores/mL. The bacterial bioagents were applied as a 10 mL suspension per plant at a concentration of 1 × 108 CFU/mL. Spraying the culture filtrates of the tested bioagents two days before infection In vivo significantly reduced disease incidence and severity. Trichoderma viride exhibited the highest efficacy among the fungal bioagents, followed by T. harzianum and T. album. Meanwhile, the culture filtrate of B. subtilis emerged as the most potent among the bacterial bioagents, followed by P. fluorescens. Furthermore, applying these culture filtrates resulted in elevated levels of chitinase, peroxidase, and polyphenol oxidase activity. This effect extended to increased phenol contents, as well as chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoids in sprayed tomato plants compared to the control treatment. Overall, these findings underscore the potential of these biocontrol strategies to effectively mitigate disease incidence and severity while enhancing plant defense mechanisms and physiological parameters, thus offering promising avenues for sustainable disease management in tomato production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamic behavior of the Vakhnenko-Parkes equation is examined in this manuscript. This is an important subject because of its implications for comprehending intricate mathematical models describing traveling wave phenomena and solitons. The construction of traveling wave solutions for the Vakhnenko-Parkes equation in closed form is the main issue addressed in the study. The modified auxiliary equation approach and the extended (G ′ G 2) -expansion method are used to address this because they are effective in producing precise solutions of a large class of nonlinear partial differential equations. A visual component to comprehending the behavior of the equation is added by employing 3D-surface graphs, 2D-line graphs, and contour plots to explore these solutions graphically. A variety of traveling wave behavior is observed from the obtained solutions. These results imply that the Vakhnenko-Parkes equation and its solutions are complex, offering important insights into the underlying dynamics. The proposed techniques are applied for the first time to study the considered model in this work. A comparison of the obtained results with the previous works is presented to confirm the significance and novelty of the reported results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The time fractional Schrödinger equation contributes to our understanding of complex quantum systems, anomalous diffusion processes, and the application of fractional calculus in physics and cubic B-spline is a versatile tool in numerical analysis and computer graphics. This paper introduces a numerical method for solving the time fractional Schrödinger equation using B-spline functions and the Atangana-Baleanu fractional derivative. The proposed method employs a finite difference scheme to discretize the fractional derivative in time, while a θ-weighted scheme is used to discretize the space directions. The efficiency of the method is demonstrated through numerical results, and error norms are examined at various values of the non-integer parameter, temporal directions, and spatial directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the (2+1)-dimensional Painlevé integrable Burgers equation is investigated. By applying a certain unified method, some analytical solutions, involving rational functions, trigonometric functions and hyperbolic functions, are achieved. In order to predict the wave dynamics, several three-dimensional and two-dimensional graphs and contour profiles are constructed. Bright, dark, periodic, kink, anti-kink, singular, singular periodic, bell-shaped waves are thus obtained. The dynamics of these solutions can be illustrated graphically by choosing appropriate values for the parameters involved. Due to the presence of arbitrary constants in these derived solutions, they can be used to explain a variety of qualitative traits present in wave phenomena. The approach is efficient to algebraic computation and it can be used to categorize a wide range of wave forms, as shown by the demonstrated soliton solutions. Travelling wave solutions are converted into solitary wave solutions when certain values are set for the parameters. Using the Wolfram program Mathematica, we sketch the figures for various values of the associated parameters in order to closely examine the obtained solitons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In addition to its important role in the initiation of breastfeeding, early skin-to-skin contact benefits both mothers and their babies. Objective: To inform all mothers of premature babies about the importance of skin-to-skin contact and breast-feeding in order to foment a closer bond between mother and child (development-centered care). Materials and method: A prospective cohort study was conducted in various hospitals on the West Bank in Palestine during 2008-2011. The universe was made up of an estimated average of 2,500 childbirths per year in each hospital. All of the subjects in the sample population of n = 252 babies had a gestational age of less than 37 GWs, and had weighed less than 2,500 grams at birth. For health reasons, they were hospitalized in neonatal care units. Results: The results obtained showed that in Palestine, young women tend to breastfeed their babies and have skin-to-skin contact with them more often than older mothers. Once the new mothers were informed of the advantages of these practices, they showed greater interest in learning how to care for their babies in the neonatal care units. Conclusions: Breastfeeding premature babies as well as having skin-to-skin contact with them was made possible by informing and teaching new mothers about the advantages of this type of infant care. This research has had widespread impact and has been very well received by the female population in the country. This is the first study of its kind to be carried out in Palestine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]