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Problem: Poor state of the environment and the unattractive morphological picture in the zone of urban highway through Belgrade Elaboration: Consideration of the potentials for implementation of the activities and procedures from the common practice through the world to improve the environmental situation in the zone of Belgrade highway and observations on spatial phenomena that are the result of the segregation of urban fabric along the highway route.

Heterocyclic moieties containing heteroatoms nitrogen, sulfur, and oxygen, such as substituted benzothiazole, have great potential for biological and pharmaceutical importance due to their structural, binding affinity, and photophysical properties. Herein, we have synthesized novel compounds derived from substituted benzothiazole with 2-chloroacetophenone and comparative studies of their mixed ligand metal complexes having 8-hydroxyquinoline. These new compounds were characterized using elemental analysis, magnetic moment determination, molar conductance, melting point determination, and various spectral techniques (FTIR, mass, and 1H NMR spectra). These synthesized compounds were also investigated for their in vitro antimicrobial bioactivity against two bacterial strains; one is gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and the second is gram-negative bacteria E. coli and one fungal strain Aspergillus niger using agar well diffusion method and MIC (minimum inhibition concentration) were used to express their antimicrobial activity. Obtained results were compared with Ciprofloxacin and Ketoconazole. Metal complexes possess higher biological activity as compared to free Schiff base ligands in most cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In contemporary mining industry is very difficult to achieve production targets and profit without investing effort in detailed excavation planning. It is especially true for deposits with complex geological structure and production technology, as is the case for many coal mines in Serbia. The majority of coal production is used for generation of electricity in power plant. This fact is the main reason why production objectives of coal mine and power plant are strongly connected. Due to the fluctuation of the coal quality, operational mine planning (as a part of coal homogenization process), is of critical importance for managing successful coal quality control and meeting criteria of power plant. This paper investigates advantage of proper operational planning on coal quality control process and overall production performance. For better understanding case study is conducted on open pit Tamnava West field. Successful operational mine planning is almost impossible without use of modern software packages. For that reason in presented case study operational mine planning is done with Minex software.

The mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) are a group of inherited metabolic disorders that result in widespread skeletal, visceral, and mental abnormalities. A defect in metabolic degradation leads to the storage of mucopolysaccharide macromolecules in the nervous system and other body tissues. The MPS are classified into various types, and there are additional diseases, such as the mucolipidoses and a gangliosidosis, that demonstrate similar clinical and radiologic findings. We hereby present 3 cases of Hurler Syndrome, Type I mucopolysaccharidoses, and enumerate there radiological characteristic radiological findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The power plant owner is interested to know in advance the quality of coal to be burnt which should meet maximal efficiency of power plant and the environmental regulations. There is the need to control and to predict the quality of coal at the mine site to meet sulfur emission requirements. Coal quality control between the mine site and the utility plant is a complex problem owing to the variable nature of coal properties (heating value, sulfur, ash), even within the same coal seam. Due to the fluctuation of the coal quality, mine planning and coal homogenization are in fact an optimization problem under uncertain conditions. To deal with these issues a stochastic optimization model is developed for an illustrative coal homogenization problem. Mining block grades from an optimized mining schedule are used to simulate any given homogenization process in stockpiles throughout the mine's life. Sulfur content is treated as lognormally distributed random variable. The objectives of the model include minimizing the expected sulfur content and standard deviation in sulfur content. The methodology was illustrated using the case study on Kolubara surface coal mine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drainage systems in large surface mines are designed to accomplish three basic objectives: keeping working conditions dry, stable and safe; lowering hydrostatic pressure and increasing the effective stress of soil to improve slope stability; and ensuring pit floor workability. This can be achieved with drainage facilities that include channels, water collection sumps, and pump stations. We report the development of a computer-aided system called Dewatering of Open Pit Mines (DEWOP), which can assist open pit mine designers to solve water-related problems. The system was developed in a Visual Basic object programming language, taking advantage of multi-user, open database connectivity, such as Microsoft Access, for storage and processing of information. In tests at coal and copper surface mines, it reduced drainage facilities costs by 8%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectivesTo determine the current eyecare behaviour of dentists and compare this against published standards concerning frequency of sight test intervals and eye protection.DesignPostal questionnaire.Subjects and methodsFour hundred dentists were selected at random for inclusion in the study from the UK 2004 Dentists Register. They were invited to complete a questionnaire that ascertained their gender and age, current eyesight status and method of correction, elapsed time interval since their last eyesight test and reason for attendance. In addition, the use and power of magnification was sought along with the adoption of protective eyewear. Responses were coded and placed in a relational database to facilitate interrogation and subsequent statistical analysis.ResultsThe questionnaire return rate was 63% (247 and allowing for the seven questionnaires returned marked unknown at this address). Of these 158 were males and 81 female. The majority worked in general dental practice. Those with known eyesight deficiencies were statistically more likely (p <0.01) to attend for routine eye examination. Sixteen percent of respondents failed to attend for routine eye examination at least every two years. The mean age of those who had detected a change in their eyesight and sought examination was 43.59 (SD = 10.57) for males and 39.07 years (SD = 9.41) for females. This mirrored closely the mean age when the use of magnification was adopted (males = 42.39 (10.30), females = 40.33 (10.55)). The use of magnification was not universally adopted. Eye protection compliance was a low as 57% when using laboratory cutting equipment.ConclusionsAlthough compliance with accepted recommendations for biannual eyesight testing was higher than that for the general population, not all dentists complied. The adoption of protective eyewear was patchy and exposed dentists to unnecessary risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) have become a common and serious outcome of diabetes mellitus (DM). Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is often underdiagnosed, which impairs the capacity to prevent foot ulceration. The clinical manifestations typically include sensory complaints, which leave patients vulnerable to increased risk of injury without their awareness., Aim: The current study aims to assess the viability of VPT (vibration perception threshold) testing using a biothesiometer as an early diagnostic tool for detecting diabetic neuropathy and reducing the burden of diabetic foot disease., Material and Methods: This prospective study was conducted in Dr. D. Y. Patil Medical College, Pimpri, Pune from August 2022 to July 2024 among 50 patients with DFUs. Ethical approval was taken from the Institutional Ethical Committee. An informed consent was obtained from all the study participants. VPT testing using a biothesiometer was done to assess the neurological status of the patient's limbs. A significant difference between the symptomatic and asymptomatic cases was also calculated to evaluate the co-relation of symptoms compared to VPT., Results: The largest age group among those surveyed is 41-50 with a mean age of 50.72. Males form a slightly larger proportion than females. A total of 22 (44%) ulcers are present over the plantar aspect of the foot. Out of the entire study, 37 (74%) individuals reported Grade II or III neuropathy, and 29 (58%) individuals reported no symptoms of diabetic neuropathy. The majority portion of individuals in the study had an HbA1c ranging from 6.5% to 8%. After an intervention, 44 (88%) patients did not experience a change in their VPT grading after six months., Discussion: The chi-square test results suggest that the onset period of diabetes in years or the type of treatment history for diabetes does not significantly influence VPT grading among the surveyed individuals. However, individuals with higher HbA1c levels tend to exhibit more severe VPT impairments., Conclusion: Regular monitoring of VPT grading is crucial for early diagnosis of neuropathy, tracking disease progression, and assessing intervention effectiveness. Hence, we recommend all diabetic patients regularly undergo biothesiometry as part of their routine diabetic check-ups to help prevent disease progression and complications like amputations and improve their overall quality of life., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Dr. D. Y. Patil Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre Ethical Committee issued approval I.E.S.C/PGS/2022/73. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Kelshikar et al.)

Historically, oral and dental issues for head and neck cancer patients were often not considered until after cancer treatment was complete. As a result, outcomes for oral rehabilitation were sometimes suboptimal. Inconsistencies in service delivery models and qualification, training and experience of staff delivering dental care often compounded this problem, making research and audit almost impossible. Collaborative working by consultants in restorative dentistry from all over the UK as part of a Restorative Dentistry-UK (RD UK) subgroup, renamed more recently as the RD-UK Head and Neck Cancer Clinical Excellence Network (CEN), has re-emphasised the importance of specialist restorative dentistry intervention at the outset of the head and neck cancer pathway to optimise outcomes of patient care. The CEN has driven several initiatives, reflecting Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) principles aimed at reducing unwarranted variation. This improved consistency in approach and optimised collaborative working of the team now presents a better environment for multicentre audit and research. Ultimately, this should result in a continued improvement in patient and carer experience., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

An 8-year-old girl with a history of type 1 diabetes was referred for an evaluation of pigment changes in the right macula. Curvilinear hypopigmented streaks were noted in the fovea, with corresponding disruption of the photoreceptor layer on spectral domain optical coherence tomography. On further questioning, a history of laser pointer play 2 years prior was elicited, with acknowledgement of direct laser pointing in the child's eye. The family was advised to remove any commercial laser devices from the home, and observation of the pathology was recommended., (Copyright © 2018 American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Stimuli-responsive pickering emulsions have received considerable attention in recent years, and the utilization of temperature as a stimulus has been of particular interest. Previous efforts have led to responsive systems that enable the formation of stable emulsions at room temperature, which can subsequently be triggered to destabilize with an increase in temperature. The development of a thermoresponsive system that exhibits the opposite response, however, i.e., one that can be triggered to form stable emulsions at elevated temperatures and subsequently be induced to phase separate at lower temperatures, has so far been lacking. Here, we describe a system that accomplishes this goal by leveraging a schizophrenic diblock copolymer that exhibits both an upper and a lower critical solution temperature. The diblock copolymer was conjugated to 20 nm silica nanoparticles, which were subsequently demonstrated to stabilize O/W emulsions at 65 °C and trigger phase separation upon cooling to 25 °C. The effects of particle concentration, electrolyte concentration, and polymer architecture were investigated, and facile control of emulsion stability was demonstrated for multiple oil types. Our approach is likely to be broadly adaptable to other schizophrenic diblock copolymers and find significant utility in applications such as enhanced oil recovery and liquid-phase heterogeneous catalysis, where stable emulsions are desired only at elevated temperatures.

Colloidal stabilization of nanoparticles under extreme salinity and high temperature conditions is a key challenge in the development of next generation technologies for subsurface reservoir characterization and oil recovery. Polyelectrolytes have been investigated as nanoparticle stabilizers, but typically fail at high ionic strengths and elevated temperatures due to excessive charge screening and dehydration. We report an approach to nanoparticle stabilization that overcomes these limitations, and exploits the antipolyelectrolyte phenomenon, in which screening of intrachain electrostatic interactions causes a polyzwitterion chain to undergo a structural transition from a collapsed globule to a more open coil-like regime with increases in ionic strength and temperature. Small-angle neutron scattering on a model zwitterionic polymer in solution indicated an increase in both radius of gyration and excluded volume parameter of the polymer with increases in ionic strength and temperature. The model zwitterion was subsequently incorporated within a polymeric stabilizer for nanoparticles under harsh reservoir conditions, and used to functionalize hydrophilic (silica) as well as hydrophobic (polystyrene) nanoparticles. Long-term colloidal stability was achieved at salt concentrations up to 120,000 mg/dm3 at 90 °C, approximately twice the stability limit previously reported in the literature. The approach can be broadly generalized to a large class of synthetic polyzwitterions, and can be adapted to a wide variety of other colloidal systems in which demands placed by extreme salinity and temperature conditions must be met.

The femtosecond laser is a new and developing technology for cataract surgery. This technology is approved for the capulotomy, primary incisions, astigmatic incisions, and lens fragmentation. The femtosecond laser has the potential to offer significant advantages over current phacoemulification and will be the standard method of cataract extraction in ten years., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We report microstructural and rheological consequences of altering silica particle surface chemistry when the particles are suspended in unentangled polyethylene glycol with a molecular weight of 400. The particle surfaces are altered by reacting them with isobutyltrimethyoxysilane. Levels of silanization are chosen so that the particles remain dispersed in the polymer at all volume fractions studied. Our studies indicate that at the levels studied, silanization does not alter the hydrodynamic thickness of the absorbed polymer layer thickness. Rheological properties are not sensitive to levels of silanization up to particle volume fractions where the average particle separation h ∼ 6Rg (4.8 nm). At these volume fractions, composite microstructure undergoes changes associated with jamming of soft particles (decorrelations in the first peak of the particle structure factor and the onset of a non-diffusive mechanism that dominates particle density fluctuations at short times.) In the region of volume fractions where h/Rg < 6, the zero-shear rate viscosity of the composites is extremely sensitive to level of silanization with a decrease in the zero-shear rate viscosity by four orders of magnitude observed for the highest levels of silanization studied in comparison to the bare particles.

Unlabelled: Trauma to the primary dentition is common. This injury may have an impact on the child and his/her parents. The examining dentist should take appropriate factors into consideration before providing the required treatment. This paper discusses the management of trauma to the primary teeth and describes the sequelae of injury to both the primary and secondary dentitions., Clinical Relevance: In cases of trauma to the primary teeth, diagnosis and appropriate management is necessary to alleviate the pain and discomfort for the child and to decrease the risk of damage to the permanent successor. It is important to prevent inducing fear and dental anxiety in children during the management of this injury.

Unlabelled: Root fractures are uncommon following dental trauma but are mostly diagnosed shortly after the injury, although occasionally at routine dental appointments. This paper presents the management of the different types of root fractures and the types of healing response suggesting the appropriate follow-up of these injuries., Clinical Relevance: A thorough clinical examination supplemented with radiographs, vitality tests, appropriate treatment planning and subsequent follow-up of root fractured teeth can improve the prognosis for these teeth and also minimize the need for subsequent extractions. Immature teeth with root fractures have a better chance of healing compared to teeth with fully formed roots.

We developed a microfluidic analogue of the classic Wheatstone bridge circuit for automated, real-time sampling of solutions in a flow-through device format. We demonstrate precise control of flow rate and flow direction in the "bridge" microchannel using an on-chip membrane valve, which functions as an integrated "variable resistor". We implement an automated feedback control mechanism in order to dynamically adjust valve opening, thereby manipulating the pressure drop across the bridge and precisely controlling fluid flow in the bridge channel. At a critical valve opening, the flow in the bridge channel can be completely stopped by balancing the flow resistances in the Wheatstone bridge device, which facilitates rapid, on-demand fluid sampling in the bridge channel. In this article, we present the underlying mechanism for device operation and report key design parameters that determine device performance. Overall, the microfluidic Wheatstone bridge represents a new and versatile method for on-chip flow control and sample manipulation.

We report an integrated microfluidic device for fine-scale manipulation and confinement of micro- and nanoscale particles in free-solution. Using this device, single particles are trapped in a stagnation point flow at the junction of two intersecting microchannels. The hydrodynamic trap is based on active flow control at a fluid stagnation point using an integrated on-chip valve in a monolithic PDMS-based microfluidic device. In this work, we characterize device design parameters enabling precise control of stagnation point position for efficient trap performance. The microfluidic-based hydrodynamic trap facilitates particle trapping using the sole action of fluid flow and provides a viable alternative to existing confinement and manipulation techniques based on electric, optical, magnetic or acoustic force fields. Overall, the hydrodynamic trap enables non-contact confinement of fluorescent and non-fluorescent particles for extended times and provides a new platform for fundamental studies in biology, biotechnology and materials science., (© The Royal Society of Chemistry 2011)

Unlabelled: Plaque bacteria are the primary initiators of periodontal disease in susceptible persons and therapy is largely based on mechanical bacterial biofilm disruption. Patients' response to periodontal treatment is unpredictable and periodontal stability is not always achieved. Locally delivered antimicrobials (LDAs) may be used as adjuncts to mechanical therapy in treatment of recalcitrant deep (> or = 5mm), active, non-responding sites, providing the patient's oral hygiene is adequate. Their use as a monotherapy cannot be justified. The literature reveals that LDAs are safe and that they achieve statistically significant, yet clinically modest, gains in clinical attachment and reductions in pocket depths., Clinical Relevance: It has been suggested that LDAs may improve the clinical outcome in the treatment of recurrent and refractory cases of periodontitis when used as an adjunct to scaling and root surface instrumentation. This paper examines and discusses the evidence.