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Abstract Numerous studies have found that some food preservatives are hazardous to human health and can lead to cancer in the long run. Plant extracts are becoming increasingly popular and garnering the attention of researchers due to their important antibacterial and antioxidant components. In this review, we will focus on some chemical preservatives, the potential health risks of nitrate and nitrite, sodium benzoate, and potassium sorbate in food processing. Natural plant extracts are also discussed as antimicrobials and antioxidants, as well as their potent roles as medicinal plants and antimicrobial agents that can be employed to reduce the percentage of food preservatives. Data reveals that synthetic chemicals in food additives can promote obesity, cancer, asthma, and heart problems. Natural plant extracts have antibacterial and antioxidant characteristics, making them a partially viable alternative to synthetic preservatives. Bioactive compounds, agro-industrial processes, and green processing technologies that are environmentally friendly are important for improving food products.

This study investigated the potential use of biochar produced from Iraqi date kernels (Khestawi) as an adsorbent for methylene blue (MB) removal from polluted water. A full factorial design methodology was employed to examine the effects of heating rate, pyrolysis temperature and holding time on the performance of the produced biochar. The results showed that pyrolysis temperature and time had a strong effect on the biochar performance, while the heating rate had a weaker effect. The biochar produced at pyrolysis temperatures of 350°C and 550°C exhibited MB removal percentages (% R) of 48.9% and 30.9%, respectively. Similarly, biochar production through pyrolysis durations of 30 and 90 minutes resulted in MB removal rates of 47.5% and 30.3%, respectively. The adsorption experimental data was well-fitted by the Freundlich isotherm model, with a high value of the Freundlich constant (KF = 1.64), indicating a high adsorption capacity of the biochar. The activation of biochar using bio-oil (organic-1) led to a substantial enhancement in the adsorption capacity, with the activated biochar (ABC-1) exhibiting a higher adsorption capability and a higher value of the Freundlich constant (KF = 7.12). Overall, the results suggest that biochar produced from date kernels has the potential as an effective and sustainable adsorbent for MB removal from polluted water, with the potential for further enhancement through biochar activation.

Abstract Background Food-associated antibiotic-resistant bacteria can cause infections that may critically impact human health. The objectives of this study were to determine the microbial contamination level of green leafy vegetables and their antibiotic resistance pattern. Methods Sixty-three samples of leafy vegetables were collected from Dammam Central Fruit and Vegetables Market from January to June 2023. The vegetables included lettuce (Lactuca sativa), parsley (Petroselinum crispum), and watercress (Nasturtium officinale). Samples were tested by standard microbiological techniques for identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing. Result Eight types of bacteria belonging to six different genera were detected. Enterobacteriaceae family was represented by four genera: Klebsiella, Proteus, Morganella, and Enterobacter. The other two genera were Pseudomonas and Aeromonas. Enterobacter cloacae was the most abundant organism, followed by Pseudomonas putida and Aeromonas sobria. On the other hand, Morganella morganii, Aeromonas hydrophila, and Proteus mirabilis were the least abundant. The three vegetable types had different levels of bacterial contamination. All isolated organisms were sensitive to penicillin, cephalosporin, aminoglycoside, and fluoroquinolone. However, Klebsiella oxytoca, M. morganii, and K. pneumonia showed resistance to ampicillin. A. hydrophila, Morganella morganii, and E. cloacae showed resistance to amoxicillin. M. morganii and E. cloacae were found to be resistant to cefalotin. Moreover, A. hydrophila, M. morganii, and E. cloacae were resistant to cefoxitin. Again, A. hydrophila was found to be resistant to imipenem. Only M. morganii was resistant to Ciprofloxacin. Two isolates, P. mirabilis and M. morganii were resistant to tigecycline. Another two, M. morganii and P. mirabilis were resistant to Nitrofurantoin. Only M. morganii was found to be resistant to trimethoprim. Conclusion This study aligns with the broad consensus in the literature about the significance of bacterial contamination in vegetables and the public health implications. The unique focus on antibiotic resistance patterns adds an essential dimension to the existing body of knowledge.

Abstract Objective To evaluate the effect of various surface coating methods on surface roughness, micromorphological analysis and fluoride release from contemporary resin-modified and conventional glass ionomer restorations. Materials & methods A total of 72 permanent human molars were used in this study. The teeth were randomly assigned into 2 groups according to type of restorative materials used; resin modified glass ionomer cement and conventional glass ionomer (SDI Limited. Bayswater Victoria, Australia). Each group was subdivided into 3 subgroups according to the application of coat material; Sub-group1: without application of coat; Sub-group2: manufacturer recommended coat was applied and sub-group3: customized (vaseline) coat was applied. Each group was then subdivided into two divisions according to the time of testing; immediate (after 24 h) and delayed (after 6 months of storage). Three specimens from each sub-group were selected for surface roughness test (AFM) and another 3 specimens for the micromorphological analysis using scanning electron microscope (SEM). For the fluoride release test, a total of 60 cylindrical discs were used (n = 60). The discs were randomly split into 2 groups according to type of restorative materials used (n = 30); resin modified glass ionomer cement and conventional glass ionomer. Each group was subdivided into 3 subgroups (n = 10) according to the application of the coat material; Sub-group1: without application of coat; Sub-group2: with the manufacturer recommended coat and sub-group3: with application of customized (vaseline) coat. Data for each test was then collected, tabulated, were collected, tabulated, and tested for the normality with Shapiro-Wilk test. Based on the outcome of normality test, the significant effects of variables were assessed using appropriate statistical analysis testing methods. Results Regarding the data obtained from surface roughness test, Shapiro-Wilk test showed normal distribution pattern of all values (p > 0.05). Accordingly, Two-way ANOVA outcome showed that the ‘type of restoration’ or ‘test time’ had statistically significant effect on the AFM test (p

Heavy metal contamination in seafood is a developing concern due to the potential negative consequences on human health. Egypt's coastal regions are important for seafood production and consumption, making it critical to assess the safety of these aquatic resources. The current study examined toxic metal levels (Hg, Pb, Cd, and AS) in 96 samples of sardine and shrimp from four Egyptian coastal governorates (Alexandria, Kafr El-Sheikh, Damietta, and Port Said) from 2019 to 2021. Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) was used to investigate the four hazardous metals. The recovery percentages of the determined metals ranged between 97 % and 99 %. Limits of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) for the determined metals ranged from 0.001 to 0.0077 mg/l and from 0.0035 to 0.026 mg/l, respectively. Mercury (Hg) was not found in any of the samples tested. The concentrations of Pb and Cd in the sardines and shrimp samples were higher in the winter seasons than in the summer seasons. Meanwhile, the difference in seasons had no effect on the concentration of As in the sardines and shrimp samples. The highest concentrations of the other three metals in the sardine and shrimp samples were used to calculate the Estimated Daily Intake (EDI), Target Hazard Quotient (THQ), and Hazard Index (HI). The obtained THQ as well as the HI of Pb, Cd, and As were all less than 1.0 (with the exception of sardine samples from Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate, which recorded 1.262), indicating that there is no significant health risk to the consumer from consuming such sardines and shrimp from these governorates. The effect of different seasons on the concentrations of the metals under study does not have a specific behavior, but varies according to the governorate, the type of sample, and the type of contaminated metal. Due to the high level of contamination with heavy metals in sardine samples collected from Kafr El-Sheikh governorate (TTHQ = 1.26), an environmental study is required to determine the causes of contamination and control them.

This study involves the synthesis of CuCo2O4 spinel-type nanocomposite. This material was synthesized using the co-precipitation method and characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-rays Diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The activity of the synthesized materials was investigated by following removing basic fuchsine (BF) dye from its aqueous solution by adsorption. Different adsorption parameters were conducted involving the dose of adsorbent surface, time of adsorption, pH of the medium, and temperature. The optimum removal efficiency was around 97 % at contact time 5 minutes, 0.005g of dose the surface adsorbent, pH = 8 and 50 mg. L-1 concentration of dye. Thermodynamic parameters for the adsorption of this dye over the prepared materials were also conducted such as free energy (∆G) negative. While enthalpy (∆H) positive which indicates the adsorption was spontaneous and endothermic, also entropy (∆S) was positive shows the affinity of the adsorbent towards the adsorbate.

The study aims to explore bee venom (honey-BV) as a potential natural preservative for ''Tallaga'' soft cheese. Characterization of the active compounds in honey-BV was conducted via chromatographic analyses. Antimicrobial efficacy against pathogenic bacteria and fungi was evaluated, and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined. Subsequently, honey-BV was applied to Tallaga cheese at 15 mg/g concentrations. The main active ingredients identified in bee venom were apamin (2%) and melittin (48.7%). Both concentrations of bee venom (100 and 200 mg/mL) exhibited significant antifungal and antibacterial properties against tested organisms, with MIC values varied from 0.2 to 0.5 mg/mL for bacteria to 3–13 mg/mL for fungi. Application of honey-BV in Tallaga cheese resulted in complete elimination of Staphylococcal populations after 2 weeks of cold storage, with no detectable growth of molds or yeasts throughout the storage period. Additionally, a steady decrease in aerobic plate count was observed over time. In summary, honey-BV holds promise as a natural preservative for soft cheese, however, more investigation is required to optimize the concentration for economic viability, taking into account health benefits and safety considerations.

Hanan Al Rayes,1 Hany Salah,2 Tharwat Hamad,3 Mohab Soliman,4 Mohamed Bedaiwi5 1Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 2Therapeutic Area Lead Rheumatology, Intercontinental, AbbVie Biopharmaceuticals GmbH, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; 3Medical Manager, Immunology, AbbVie Biopharmaceuticals GmbH, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 4Medical Advisor, Rheumatology, AbbVie Biopharmaceuticals GmbH, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 5Division of Rheumatology, College of Medicine, King Saud University Medical City, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Hanan Al Rayes, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, 12233, Saudi Arabia, Tel +966505226824, Email Halrayes@hotmail.comAbstract: Spondylarthritis (SpA) is an umbrella term that encompasses a wide range of rheumatological disorders. Several studies demonstrated that SpA is associated with increased healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and a lower health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This review aimed to summarize the current literature regarding the multidimensional impact of SpA on HRQoL and HCRU in Saudi Arabia and explore the correlation of the extent of severity of SpA with HRQoL and HCRU. Although the prevalence of SpA varies across different populations and is correlated with HLA-B27 prevalence, the magnitude of SpA in the Saudi population has not been extensively evaluated. Few studies have investigated the impact of SpA on HRQoL and HCRU in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. There is a need to study the cost-effectiveness of various SpA treatment strategies, including biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (bDMARDs), to prioritize healthcare spending in the Saudi healthcare system. Data on SpA in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East region are mainly based on expert views, with few population-based studies compared to other regions. Therefore, there is an imperative need to develop high-quality, national-level epidemiological studies that assess the following: (1) more accurate estimates of the current prevalence of SpA in Saudi Arabia, including the prevalence of axial SpA and psoriatic arthritis; (2) the phenotypes/clinical characteristics of SpA, including disease severity and extra-articular involvement; (3) the impact of SpA on the HRQoL of the patients and the factors that can predict the extent of impaired HRQoL in such population, which can represent the first step in developing psychological interventions that should be personalized to this patient population; (4) the impact of implementing formal assessment of disease activity on the management of the patients and, subsequently, their HRQoL; and (5) the HCRU and costs for patients with SpA, and how treatment patterns can affect this cost.Keywords: spondylarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, health-related quality of life, healthcare resource utilization, Saudi Arabia

Determining the gene expression and serum profile of the indicators linked to clinical endometritis susceptibility in Egyptian buffalo cows was the aim of this investigation. The buffalo cows that were enrolled were divided into two groups: forty infected buffalo cows with clinical endometritis and forty seemingly healthy buffalo cows that served as the control group. For the purposes of gene expression and biochemical analysis, ten milliliters of blood was obtained via jugular venipuncture from each buffalo cow. TLR4, IL-8, IL-17, NFKB, SLCA11A1, NCF4, Keap1, HMOX1, OXSR1, ST1P1, and SERP1 were manifestly expressed at much higher levels in the buffaloes with endometritis. On the other hand, the genes that encode SOD, CAT, NDUFS6, Nrf2, and PRDX2 were down-regulated. There was a significant (p < 0.05) elevation of the serum levels of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs), beta hydroxy butyric acid (BHBA), triglycerides (TGs), globulin, creatinine, and cortisol, along with a reduction in the serum levels of glucose, cholesterol, total protein albumin, urea, estrogen (E2), progesterone (P4), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), thyroxine (T4), prostaglandin F2 α (PGF2α), calcium, iron, and selenium, in the endometritis group in comparison with the control. However, no significant change was observed in the values of phosphorus, magnesium, copper, or zinc in either group. Within the selective breeding of naturally resistant animals, the variation in the genes under study and the changes in the serum profiles of the indicators under investigation may serve as a reference guide for reducing endometritis in Egyptian buffalo cows.

This study aimed to investigate the potential use of okra and psyllium mucilage as co-carrier wall materials with whey protein and gum Arabic polymers for encapsulation of fenugreek oil to mask its undesirable flavor and promote their health benefits. Particle size, zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency, morphological properties and fatty acid profiles of crude and encapsulated oils were examined using zeta-sizer, SEM and GC-MS techniques. Crude and encapsulated fenugreek oils were added as functional ingredients during production of pan bread and biscuits. The quality characteristics (baking quality, color and organoleptic properties) of bread and biscuits as well as microbiological properties of bred samples were evaluated. Results showed that the forming microcapsules had sphere particles with the size of 5.05 and 31.64 μm for okra and pysillium mucilage, respectively and had smooth continuous surfaces with no holes or fractures. Fatty acids analysis showed that fenugreek oil is superior functional edible oil, rich in unsaturated fatty acids. The organoleptic properties of products were improved when fat replaced with encapsulated fenugreek oil with okra or psyllium mucilage. Likewise, encapsulated fenugreek oil showed antimicrobial activity in bread samples during storage period. On contrary, Bread and biscuits incorporated with crude fenugreek oil gained the lowest scores for all organoleptic parameters. Regarding these results, encapsulated fenugreek oil presents good fat alternatives in dough formulations with acceptable technological, sensory and antimicrobial properties. However, further investigations still needed regarding the biological activity of encapsulated fenugreek oil and its utilization as a food supplement in other food products.

Meat products are highly perishable and prone to deterioration, which poses potential health hazards. This research aims to assess the efficacy of encapsulated oregano essential oil (EOEO) as a natural preservative agent to maintain the chemical and microbiological quality of beef burgers during refrigerated storage. Hydrodistillation was used to extract OEO from oregano. The encapsulation of OEO using a combination of biopolymers (maltodextrin, gum arabic, and whey protein) provides high encapsulation efficiency (89.1%). Both crude and encapsulated OEOs were analyzed for their chemical constituents and antimicrobial activity. Encapsulated OEO, at levels of 0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75%, and 1%, was incorporated during the beef burger processing. Microbiological and chemical parameters were assessed every 4 days over a 16-day storage period. GC-MS results revealed that carvacrol (70 and 79.31%) and p-cymene (11.56% and 9.05%) dominated the crude and encapsulated OEOs, respectively. Both forms of OEO exhibited potent antimicrobial activity, with encapsulation further enhancing this property. The incorporation of EOEO into burger samples reduced the total microbial count. Subsequently, it decreased the formation of total volatile nitrogen (TVN), trimethylamine (TMA), thiobarbituric acid (TBA), and biogenic amines (BAs) during storage. Addition of EOEO at the level of 1% retarded the formation of BAs, TVN, TMA, and TBA in burger samples by 72.8%, 43.23, 42.07, and 44.44%, respectively, compared to the control sample after 16 days of storage. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to establish correlations between microbiological and biochemical markers of beef burgers. The PCA results show that PC1 (89.81%) and PC2 (7.25%) can explain more than 97% of the variability in the dataset. The results support the potency of EOEO as an effective and safe preservative agent to maintain the safety and quality of beef burgers during storage.

The focal theme of this study is to evaluate the life cycle of asphalt mix containing Jordanian oil shale ash (OSA). Life cycle assessment (LCA) approach was conducted to assess the environmental impact of all manufacturing stages of the asphalt mix from Global Warming Potential (GWP) and Energy Consumption (EC) perspectives. The documentation for the LCA study was done in accordance with ISO 14044:2006 standards for the research's goal and scope, inventory analysis, impact assessment, and interpretation. The results revealed that replacing the asphalt mix partially with Jordanian OSA (10 wt.%) resulted in slight reduction in both GWP and EC. A reduction of 2.83% and 4.8% for GWP and EC, respectively, was obtained.

Abstract Background Evaluating the effect of different surface treatment methods on the micro-tensile bond strength (µTBS) of two different resin-matrix computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) ceramics (RMCs). Methods A standardized inlay preparations were performed on 100 intact maxillary premolars. According to the type of the restorative material, the teeth were randomly divided into two equally sized groups (n = 50): (polymer-infiltrated ceramic (Vita Enamic) and resin-based composites (Lava Ultimate)). The inlays were fabricated using CAD/CAM technology. In each group, the specimens were randomly assigned to five subgroups (n = 10) according to the surface treatment method: group 1 used was the control group (no surface treatment); group 2, was treated with air abrasion with 50 μm Al2O3 (A) and universal adhesive (UA); group 3, was treated with air abrasion with 50 μm Al2O3 (A) and silane coupling agent (S); group 4, was treated with hydrofluoric acid (HF) and universal adhesive (UA) and group 5, was treated with Hydrofluoric acid (HF) + silane coupling agent (S). The inlays were then cemented to their respective preparations using dual-cure self-adhesive resin cement (RelyX U200, 3 M ESPE) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The µTBS test was conducted in all groups, and stereomicroscope and scanning electron microscope were used to inspect the failure mode. The data were statistically analyzed using a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey’s post-hoc multiple comparison tests at a significance level of p

Abstract This systematic review was aimed to evaluate occurrence of secondary caries and marginal adaptation in ion-releasing materials versus resin composite. Electronic search of PubMed, Scopus, and Open Grey databases with no date or language restrictions until May 21st, 2021, was conducted. Randomized clinical trials that compared ion-releasing restorations versus resin composite were included. For quantitative analysis, a random-effects meta-analysis with risk difference as an effect measure and a 95% confidence interval was used. Quality of evidence was assessed using The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation criteria. The risk of bias was evaluated using the Cochran Collaboration Risk of Bias tool. The inclusion criteria were met by 22 studies, and 10 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Three follow-up periods (1 year, 18 months–2 years, and 3 years) were evaluated. The overall quality of evidence for secondary caries and marginal adaptation outcomes was low. The results of the meta-analysis showed no significant difference (p > 0.05) in both outcomes between ion-releasing materials and resin composite. The occurrence of secondary caries was not dependent on the nature of the restorative material. It is more likely a complex process that involves the same risk factors as primary carious lesions.

Jenoubi cattle breed classified as a Bos indicus L., is one of Iraqi indigenous cattle that kept for milk production purpose, but the influence of fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4) on milk-related traits remain poorly understood. The current study was conducted to investigate the effect of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the FABP4 gene of Jenoubi cows. The DNA samples were extracted from the blood of 21 cows. Along 565-bp nucleotide (nt) amplicon from the intron 2- exon 3- intron 3 of FABP4 was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) while forward sequencing was used to detect SNPs and results were analyzed using bioinformatics software. The findings resulted the existence of two SNPs (c.3689G>A and c.3709G>C) in the exon 3 and four SNPs (g.3494A>C, g.3531A>T, g.3743T>C and g.3765T>C) in the intron regions. Therefore, three haplotypes of FABP4 gene were obtained in this study based on three SNPs of g.3494A>C, g.3531A>T and g.3765T>C. Nonetheless, those haplotypes were not significantly influencing to the milk quality traits of Jenoubi cows. However, the SNPs examined in this study might not be used as potential DNA marker to improve milk production traits of the current breed.

The use of natural minerals as catalysts in pyrolysis enhances the products’ yield and quality. However, natural minerals may lack the proper active sites to effectively catalyze the pyrolytic reactions. This paper addresses the performance of iron-chemically modified Jordanian Tripoli catalysts in the catalytic pyrolysis of date kernels. The Fe-chemically modified Tripoli catalyst was prepared by impregnation method at three different loadings (0.046, 1.788, 3.530 wt %). The effect of three different process variables, namely: pyrolysis temperature, heating rate and iron-loading on the performance of date kernels pyrolysis were investigated. Full factorial design methodology is employed to study the main effects of process variables and possible interaction effects among the process variables on the yields of the catalytic pyrolysis products. The maximum gas yield (197.8 ml/g-feed) was obtained at a pyrolysis temperature of 600 °C, heating rate of 20 °C/min and 3.530 wt% Fe-loading. The maximum bio-oil yield (42.88 wt%) was obtained at a pyrolysis temperature of 500 °C, heating rate of 60 °C/min and 1.788 wt% Fe-loading. The maximum bio-char yield (38.72 wt%) was obtained at a pyrolysis temperature of 400 °C, heating rate of 20 °C/min and catalytic pyrolysis using natural Tripoli. First order egression models are proposed to predict the product yields. The main implication of this study is that Fe-loaded Tripoli has effectively enhanced the quality of bio-oil.

The catalytic conversion of a model tar compound, namely: naphthalene contained in a simulated producer gas from wood gasification process was investigated. The sol-gel approach was used to create a mesoporous Ce-promoted Ni/alumina catalyst with high surface area. A surface area of 333 m2/g was achieved by calcination of the mesoporous catalyst (17 wt% Ni and 2.8 wt% Ce) under air conditions at 1123 K. The catalysts were characterized using the N2 adsorption-desorption, XRD, and SEM techniques, and their promotion effect on producer gas reforming and tar removal was studied under dry, steam, and partial oxidation conditions. The Ni-based catalysts effectively converted naphthalene and increased the proportion of H2 and CO in the reformed gas. Incorporating Ce into the catalyst increased the proportion of H2 and CO in the reformed gas, while lowering the amount of CH4 and CO2. In the absence of oxygen, catalytic reforming of the producer gas resulted in 79.6% naphthalene conversion, whereas catalytic partial oxidation conditions resulted in 99.1% naphthalene conversion.

In this work, an Electrostatic Doped Carbon Nanotube Tunneling FET (ED CNT-TFET) has been designed and simulated using a work function engineering technique. An intrinsic CNT is introduced as a channel material and a doped pocket is created between the source and the channel by utilizing an appropriate work function to boost the ON-state current of the device. Moreover, dielectric pocket engineering is applied to boost the high-frequency performance. The simulations, performed in this work, are conducted through a 2D solution of Poisson and Schrodinger equations which are done by utilizing the unbalanced Green function formalism. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed device structure could improve the ON-current, cut-off frequency, and achieve a low subthreshold swing (SS) value which makes it suitable for low power applications. Additionally, the presented structure could also eliminate ambipolar conduction.

In this study, the performance of natural Jordanian Tripoli as a catalyst in the pyrolysis of date kernels was investigated. Specifically, the impact of the pyrolysis temperature (450 °C, 500 °C, 550 °C, 600 °C and 650 °C), catalyst-to-feed (C/F) ratio- (0 wt%, 5 wt%, 10 wt% and 20 wt%) and heating rate (20 °C/min, 50 °C/min and 100 °C/min) on the yield and quality of the produced bio-oil is investigated. Results showed that bio-oil yield is enhanced at high pyrolysis temperatures and fast heating rates. Also, increasing the C/F ratio increased the gas yield and decreased the bio-oil yield. The highest and lowest char yields were 31.98 wt% and 25.36 wt% at 450 °C and 650 °C, respectively. The gas yield increased from 123.8 ml/g-feed to 214.6 ml/g-feed when the temperature was increased from 450 °C to 650 °C.Moreover, chemical composition was analyzed through solvent extraction method to identify the chemical families present in the produced bio-oil. Pyrolysis of date kernels by using Jordanian Tripoli as a catalyst reduced the organic acids and the undesired oxygenates in the bio-oil. Increasing the C/F ratio from 0 wt% to 20 wt% decreased the yield of levoglucosan from 23.0 wt% to 17.43 wt% and decreased the yield of organic acids from 12.1 wt% to 9 wt%. In addition, increasing the heating rate from 20 °C/min to 100 °C/min decreased the levoglucosan yield from 25.83 wt% to 22.01 wt% and increased the yield of organic acids from 6 wt% to 10.08 wt%.

Phenol is one of the main pollutants that have a serious impact on the environment and can even be very critical to human health. The biodegradation of phenol can be considered an increasingly important pollution control process. In this study, the degradation of phenol by Pseudomonas fredriksbergsis was investigated for the first time under different growth conditions. Six different initial concentrations of phenol were used as the primary substrate. Culture conditions had an important effect on these cells' ability to biodegrade phenol. The best growth of this organism and its highest biodegradation level of phenol were noticed at pH 7, temperature 28 °C, and periods of 36 and 96 h, respectively. The highest biodegradation rate was perceived at 700 mg/L initial phenol concentration. Approximately 90% of the phenol (700 mg / L) was removed in less than 96 hours of incubation time. It was found that the Haldane model best fitted the relationship between the specific growth rate and the initial phenol concentration, whereas the phenol biodegradation profiles time could be adequately described by the modified Gompertz model. The obtained parameters from the Haldane equation are: 0.062 h−1, 11 ppm, and 121 ppm for Haldane's maximum specific growth rate, the half-saturation coefficient, and the Haldane’s growth kinetics inhibition coefficient, respectively. The Haldane equation fitted the experimental data by minimizing the sum of squared error (SSR) to 1.36x10-3.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has become a significant public health threat. Therefore, the purpose of this survey was to assess knowledge, attitudes, and precautionary measures related to COVID-19 among college students. Methods: A convenient sample of 3263 volunteers responded to a self-administered electronic questionnaire during the period from October to December 2020. The knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) score level was calculated with a range of 0–34 points. Results: The mean age of the participants was 21 (+/−1.2) years, 69% were female, and 60.3% were urban. The majority of respondents received information about COVID-19 symptoms (93.9%), how to protect yourself (92.5%), and how it is transmitted (86.8%). The most cited sources of information were social media (75.7%), and the most credible were government websites and international organizations. More than half (65%) expressed concern regarding contracting COVID-19, and 89.2% believed that COVID-19 is a dangerous infection due to the rapid spread of the virus. The mean total KAP score was 26.1 (+/−4.2), which differed significantly between gender groups and residential areas. Logistic regression analysis showed that volunteers with good knowledge were 1.3 and 1.0 times more willing to volunteer and maintain a physical distance than those with less knowledge. Female students were 40% less likely to volunteer than males, yet they were 1.8 times more cautious about practicing protective measures such as washing their hands with soap and water than male students. Classifying the COVID-19 pandemic as a serious infection, urban communities have twice been careful to wear masks outdoors and maintain a social distance of at least 2 m from one another compared to rural inhabitants. Conclusion: The current survey revealed that medical students have good knowledge regarding COVID-19, a positive attitude towards the use of protective measures, which were necessary to limit the spread of the disease. However, improvement is still required, and community education should occur as usual with a commitment to utilizing all the strategies that can support knowledge to improve and change attitudes as well as practices of the population.

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic and associated preventative measures introduced a shock to the teaching paradigm in Saudi Arabia and the world. While many studies have documented the challenges and perceptions of students during the COVID-19 pandemic, less attention has been given to higher education staff. The aim of the present investigation is to evaluate the staff’s perception and experiences of online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic.Materials and methodsA validated survey was conducted between December 2021 and June 2022 in Saudi Arabian Universities to assess the status of online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic among faculty members. The collected responses were exploratively and statistically analyzed.ResultsA total of 1117 response was received. About 66% of the respondents were male and 90% of them hold postgraduate degree. Although rarely or occasionally teach online pre-COVID-19, only 33% of the respondents think the transition was difficult and 55% of them support the move. Most respondents received adequate training (68%) and tools (80%) and 88% of the respondents mentioned that they did not accrue additional workload in online study design. While the perception of online teaching was mostly positive (62%) with high satisfaction (71%). However, 25% of the respondents reported that a poor internet bandwidth was an obstacle and 20% was unable to track students’ engagement. Respondents with more years of experience, previous training, support, or perceived online transition as easy were also more likely to be satisfied with the process. Also, older respondents, those who support the transition and those with previous training were less likely to report barriers (all p < 0.001).ConclusionThe perception and experience of transition to online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia were positive. Low internet bandwidth and inability to track students’ limited effective online teaching. Work experience, previous training, and positive perception are the main factors that influence staff online teaching satisfaction.

Fogging is an effective cooling system used for gas turbine (GT) inlet air cooling. In this study, three fogging strategies were tested: direct fogging, fogging with a natural gas (NG) heat exchanger (FNGE), and FNGE using a storage tank (FNGET). The discrete phase model (DPM) with the standard k-ω turbulence model was used. A computational parametric study was conducted using the standard k-ω turbulence model on a GT compressor inlet duct to optimize the effect of the FNGET cooling strategy. The effects of duct length, number of nozzles, uniform droplet diameter, and nozzle angle on the compressor inlet air temperature and relative humidity (RH) were examined in this parametric study. A duct with 15 m length, 48 nozzles in each half, 100 μm droplet diameter, and 60° nozzle angle exhibited the maximum decrease in the temperature of the compressor inlet air. The minimum (maximum) reduction in temperature was 5.54 °C (15.77 °C), which was observed at 30 °C (40 °C) ambient dry-bulb temperature (DBT) and 60% (15%) RH. The minimum (maximum) increase in the GT output power was 8.99 MW (26.44 MW), or 3.87% (11.15%), which was under the ambient conditions of 34 °C (30 °C) and 60% (15%) RH. The maximum enhancement in GT thermal efficiency was 1.47%, which occurred under the ambient conditions of 30 °C DBT and 15% RH. The maximum decrease in GT specific fuel consumption (SFC) was 4.30%, which was seen under the ambient conditions of 30 °C and 15% RH. FNGET was the most effective cooling strategy in terms of GT output power, thermal efficiency, and SFC. This novel cooling strategy can be applied to various GT models.

The objective of this study was firstly to assess the demineralization inhibitory effect of ion-releasing restorations in enamel adjacent to restoration using a biofilm caries model and secondly to compare the effect to that in a chemical caries model. Fifty-six bovine incisors were filled with either Surefil one (SuO), Cention N (CN) (both ion-releasing materials), Ketac-Molar (GIC) or Powerfill resin composite (RC). The restored teeth were then randomly divided into 2 groups according to the used caries model (biofilm or chemical caries model). The micro-computed tomography (MicroCt) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) outcome measures used to evaluate demineralization inhibition effects were lesion depth, LD and increase in OCT integrated reflectivity, ΔIR, at five different depths. It was observed that all outcome measures of CN were statistically the same as those of GIC and conversely with those of RC. This was also the case for SuO except for LD, which was statistically the same as RC. When comparing the two caries models, LD of the biofilm model was statistically deeper (p < 0.05) than the chemical model for all four materials. In conclusion, CN and SuO have similar demineralization inhibitory effects as GIC, and the biofilm caries model is more discriminatory in differentiating demineralization inhibitory effects of ion-releasing restorative material.

Abstract Background Worldwide, most of educational institutions have moved to online electronic learning methods because of the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 8, 2020, the Saudi Ministry of Education announced remote learning for public and private schools and universities as a preventive and precautionary measure to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The objective of this study was to explore the e-learning experience of the students of the colleges of health sciences with regard to the technical preparedness, academic achievements, e-learning advantages and limitations. A well-structured and validated questionnaire on a five-point Likert scale and open-ended questions about their e-learning experience was distributed to a heterogeneous purposive sample of the health sciences students in Saudi Arabian universities. Results Of the 1288 respondents, of various demographical features a relatively higher proportion of 58.2 % agreed that they had enough information about the online learning. However, the proportion who reported receiving adequate guidance, technical support, and having satisfactory hardware and internet access to online learning were 48.1 %, 42, and 35.4 %, respectively. Of all participants, 40.8 % agreed that they had gained a good understanding of their courses learning outcomes. Only 30.0 % agreed that the quality of the online teaching was similar to traditional classes and 56.1 % agreed that the online learning is unsuitable for the medical sciences studies. E-learning advantages mentioned were the flexible accessibility of the learning materials, time, effort, and money saving, acquiring and improving technical and self-learning skills, health safety, interaction without shyness, and better academic accomplishment. On the other hand, disadvantages and difficulties included inadequate tools to facilitate online learning, poor internet connection, lack of technological skills by the educators and students. In addition, there was inadequate or lack of practical classes, lack of a unified clear policy for the conduct of online classes and exams and grade distribution, limited online exam time. Conclusions The sudden shift to e-learning without prior preparedness has revealed some pitfalls that need to be adjusted. The initial findings were considered satisfactory for such a new experience for both learners and students. However, there is a great chance for improving and expanding the e-learning process.

Anaerobic co-digestion of domestic sewage sludge with food waste as a substrate for biogas production and as a mean for waste management was conducted. The food waste was incorporated into the bioreactor as a co-substrate semi-continuously via replacement mode and addition mode of operations in ratios up to 50%. The methane gas yield under the replacement mode of operation ranged from 295 to 1358 ml/gVSadded and from 192 to 462 ml/gVSadded for the replacement mode of operation and the addition mode of operation, respectively. The results indicate that the methane gas yield increases along with the percentage share of food waste in the feed. Anaerobic co-digestion under semi-continuous operation enabled handling large organic loadings compared to batch co-digestion processes.

Objectives: To assess the amount of vaccine hesitancy and its determinants in relation to various demographic, social, and personal characteristics among the Saudi population. Study design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: we utilized a structured questionnaire on a five point-Likert scale that included immunization process awareness, perception towards immunization and factors leading to vaccine refusal. Results: The study included 5965 participants characterized according to various demographical factors. The participant's knowledge, perception, and the factors affecting the decision of taking the vaccine were calculated. About 40.7% had enough information about COVID-19 vaccines and were willing to take it. The participant's perception towards COVID-19 vaccines is proportional to their knowledge and varied with the personal characteristics. Factors influencing vaccine use varied also with personal characteristics. Intent to be vaccinated was higher among older age groups, advanced education, retirees, and higher income persons (P

The enthalpy–entropy approach, which is a rigorous and accurate method, was used to model the actual cycle of a gas turbine (GT). The constructed GT C# programming language code was used to study the effects of ambient temperature (Tam), relative humidity (RH), and ambient pressure (Pam) on GT output parameters. The results of the GT modeling program showed that the maximum (minimum) difference in GT output power (PGT) was 1.12% (0.01%) at a Tam of 39.7 °C (23.3 °C) compared with the actual output power of El Atf power station. As Tam increased from 14 °C to 40 °C, the PGT decreased by 19.01% (18.38%) of nominal GT power (250 MW) at 15% (95%) RH while GT thermal efficiency (ηth) decreased by 2.3058% (2.4431%) and the specific fuel consumption (SFC) increased by 7.12% (7.59%). The PGT decreased by 0.1497% and 0.7674% with an RH increase from 15% to 95%, respectively. The PGT decreased by 0.03675 and 0.16835 MW while ηth decreased by 0.0047% and 0.0243% at Tam values of 15 and 40 °C, respectively, when Pam was decreased from 1.013 to 0.990 bar. Using the compressor assumptions of each stage increases the humid air pressure by the same value and the efficiency of each stage is the same and equal to the compressor overall efficiency is more logical and leads to accurate results. The compressor isentropic efficiency was not affected by the bleeding air percent according to the assumptions used.

Background: Post–coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms tend to persist in many survivors of COVID-19. Objectives: To find out the prevalence of persistent symptoms that continue to appear after the eradication of the COVID-19 infection among Iraqi survivors. We hypothesized that wearing a mask during the COVID-19 pandemic may lead to a lesser viral load in an individual who gets infected, thereby leading to milder symptoms and manifestations. Materials and Methods: Overall, 70 consecutive Iraqi patients diagnosed with COVID-19 during the period from early August to late September 2020 were enrolled in the study, and on a mean of 31 days after recovery, they were assessed for persistent symptoms after the acute COVID-19 infection. Results: The mean age ± SD was 40.5 ± 16.1 years old. On a mean of 31 days post-COVID-19 recovery, 91.4% of all the patients had at least one persistent symptom. The most common persistent symptoms recorded were fatigue (42.9%), dyspnea (32.8%), and chest pain (25.7%). There was a statistically significant difference (P = 0.002) among patients with hypertension, among whom 45.5% had persistent palpitation. Among patients with ischemic heart disease, 25% had constant chest pain, and 37.5% complained of palpitation post-recovery. Patients who had used masks before infection (85.4%) were managed at home, and they did not require hospitalization. Overall, 45.7% of those dyspneic during the infection period were still complaining of exertional dyspnea post-recovery (P = 0.041). Conclusion: A large proportion of the Iraqi patients with COVID-19 infection had persistent symptoms after recovery. The use of a mask before infection showed mild symptoms during the acute phase, and hospitalization or oxygen therapy was not indicated for them.

This study evaluated the effect of Boswellia serrata, (BS) on growth performance, carcase traits, antioxidant and immune responses, digestive enzymes and caecum microbiota of broiler chickens. A total of 120 one-day-old Ross 308 chicks were randomly allotted into four treatment groups, each of five replicates. The 1st group was fed on a basal diet only and served as control. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th groups were fed the basal diet plus 0.5, 1 and 1.5 g BS/Kg diet, respectively. Body weight (BW) at 42 days old and daily body weight gain (DBWG) during (1–42 days) was linearly (

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of bile salts on the growth performance, carcase estimates, immunity and antioxidant measurements, some blood biochemical parameters, intestine enzyme activities and microbiology of broiler chickens. One hundred twenty 1 day old of Ross 308 broiler chicks were randomly assigned to 4 treatments with 5 replicates of 6 chicks each for 42 days. The first group was the basal diet only and served as control. The second, third and fourth groups were fed the basal diet plus 0.5, 1 and 1.5 ml bile salts/kg diet, respectively. Body weight and daily body weight gain were linearly (p

This study aims to investigate a sustainable method for sewage sludge (SS) safe disposal and reuse. The study involved exploring the optimum parameters of thermal treatment of SS by pyrolysis to produce biochar. Based on the analysis of the full factorial design, the effects of pyrolysis conditions: temperature, heating rate, and isothermal time on pyrolysis product yields were evaluated. The average yield of biochar was significantly reduced when the pyrolysis temperature was increased from 300 to 500 °C, while the average yields of bio-oil (BO) and non-condensable gases (NCGs) were increased. The yield of biochar was nearly the same when the heating rate was increased from 5 to 35 °C/min, while the yield of BO was increased and the yield of NCGs was decreased. The average yields of biochar and NCGs were reduced when the isothermal time was increased from 45 to 120 min, while the yield of BO was slightly increased. Factorial design methodology revealed all potential interactions between the variables of the pyrolysis process of SS. To predict pyrolysis product yields, first-order regression models were developed based on the effects’ magnitude of the process parameters and their interactions. The models were agreed to the experimental data.

An optimization-simulation strategy has been applied by coupling a commercial process simulator (Aspen HYSYS®) with a programming tool (MATLAB®) to produce a precise steady state simulation-based optimization of a whole green-field saturated gas plant as a real case study. The plant has more than 100-components and comprises interacting three-phase fractionation towers, pumps, compressors and exchangers. The literature predominantly uses this coupling to optimize individual units at small scales, while paying more attention to optimizing discrete design decisions. However, bridging the gap to scalable continuous design variables is indispensable for industry. The strategy adopted is a merge between sensitivity analysis and constrained bounding of the variables along with stochastic optimization algorithms from MATLAB® such as genetic algorithm (GA) and particle swarm optimization (PSO) techniques. The benefits and shortcomings of each optimization technique have been investigated in terms of defined inputs, performance, and finally the elapsed time for such highly complex case study. Although, both GA and PSO were satisfactory for the optimization, the GA provided greater confidence in optimization with wider ranges of constrained bounds. The implemented strategy precisely reached the best operating conditions, within the range covered, by minimizing the total annual cost while maintaining at least 92% butane recovery as a process guarantee for the whole plant. The optimization-simulation strategy applied in the current work is recommended to be used in brownfields to optimize the operating conditions since they are susceptible to continuous changes in feedstock conditions. Keywords: Saturated gas plant, Simulation, HYSYS automation, MATLAB, Sensitivity analysis, Stochastic optimization

The current study was conducted to determine sulfonamides (SAs) and tetracyclines (TCs) residuals in farmed Nile Tilapia fish (Orechromis niloticus) using the solid phase extraction (SPE) technique and high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD). As well, to assess the potential health risk due to the consumption of contaminated fish following its household thermal processing. Tilapia samples were collected from four governorates in Egypt; El-Fayoum, Giza, Cairo, and Alexandria. The results showed that 56.3 % (27 out of 48 samples) of fish samples were free of antibiotics, while 10.4 % and 33.3 % of samples were contaminated by SAs and TCs, respectively. Besides, oxytetracycline (OTC) showed the highest detected concentrations ranged from 52.8 to 658.5 (μg/kg), followed by chlortetracycline (OTC) (35.89–109.76 μg/kg), and tetracycline (TC) (68.8–96.7 μg/kg). While the detected SAs were between 32.89 μg/kg (sulfamethazine: SMT) and 136.43 μg/kg (sulfadimethoxine: SDM). As well, sulfamethoxazole (SMX) showed an average concentration of 52.41 μg/kg. Notably, only 7 samples (out of 21 positive samples) had residual levels exceeded the permissible limits. The study also concluded that freezing fish at −18 °C for one week had no significant effect on the stability of SAs and TCs. As well, SAs showed more stability than TCs against the thermal processing for fish. Indeed, the stability of SAs and TCs antibiotics was arranged in a descending order, shown as follows: SMT > SDM > SMX > CTC > TC > OTC. Eventually, no potential risk to the Egyptian population was found from the consumption of the contaminated fish samples by SAs and TCs.

The title of this research is (The Syntax-Pragmatics of the Conjunctions in Kurdish Language). The conjunctions have a great role in language by connecting between words, phrases and sentences. They also have a significant role in deletion of reduction extra elements. These are some examples of them in Kurdish; ‘belam, û, belku, ne…ne, keçî, and so on’. They have a great role in clarifying the aims of the speaker and its ideas. The study consists of two main parts and the bibliography. In the first part of the research, the syntactical role of the conjunctions is shown. Furthermore, the places of the conjunctions in compound sentences are explained. According to the Kurdish language grammatical rules, there is not a specified gap for the conjunctions, and their places are changeable within compound sentences. Besides that, compound sentences also categorized according their dual or multi branches. Each part of the compound sentences have its importance, and their level are not same. The second part of the research deals with the pragmatics role of the conjunction. The focus is on the new meaning that are made in collocation with other parts of the sentence to send the message of the speaker. This is because their meaning is very related with the context. Eventually, the conclusion is drawn.

The seed rates are a significant factor influencing the vegetative, reproductive, and yield traits of wheat (Triticum aestivum L). Therefore, the response of varieties to different seed rates is constantly studied to find a suitable combination among them. The experiment was performed with three replications using a split-plot design within a randomized complete block design (RCBD). Three seed rates were placed in the main plots (150, 200, 250 kg h-1), and seven wheat cultivars were placed in the sub-main plots (Sham 6, Tammuz2, Latifia, Sally, IPA 99, Rabiaa, and Abu Gharib). The results indicated that the IPA 99 during the average of the three seed rates was given the highest area of a flag leaf (44.25 cm2), grain per spike (78.85), spike per unit area m2 (441.81), and the grain yield (5.9) ton h-1. While the Sham6 gave the highest spike length (11.11 cm) and the weight of 1000 grains (35.20 g). The first seed rate (150 kg h-1) during the average of the seven cultivars was surpassed other seed rates for all traits except the plant height. IPA 99 and first seed rates combination was given the highest grain yield with (6.7) tons/hectare. Hence, it would suggest planting IPA 99 with first seed rates (150) kg h-1 in the location of this experiment. More tests can, however, be carried out at various locations in Iraq and with a wide variety of seed rates, to achieve the required combination for growing wheat and achieving high productivity with the cultivated cultivars.

Soil management is recognized to have an impact on soil quality attributes. Depending on the management approach, this impact can either degrade or improve soil quality. There is a severe shortage of information on the impacts of cultivation on sandy soil properties in arid desert regions. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the short-term cultivation effects (5 years) on the properties’ changes of coarse-textured soil in an arid desert region in western Assiut Governorate, Egypt. The current study was conducted on soils sampled at four depth intervals, namely 0–10, 10–20, 20–30, and 30–40 cm, from both cultivated and uncultivated soils, using a systematic sampling grid (10 × 10 m), to investigate the potential impacts of the cultivation process on six soil attributes. Each land use was represented by an area of 0.5 ha (50 × 100 m). A total of 160 composite soil samples (at all depths) were collected from both soils and analyzed for their physical and chemical properties, employing standard laboratory procedures. The data were statistically and geostatistically analyzed to compare the results and map the spatial distributions of the selected soil properties. The results revealed that cultivation had a considerable positive impact on most of the properties of cultivated soil compared to those of uncultivated soil (virgin land). The findings also showed that the available phosphorus levels in cultivated soil were higher than in virgin soil by 16, 9, 8.5, and 6 folds, with increases in organic matter content of 16.8, 12.4, 11.9, and 7.9 times at depths of 0–10, 10–20, 20–30, and 30–40 cm, respectively. Furthermore, compared to virgin soil, cultivated soil exhibited a salinity reduction of −8.9%, −56.4%, −66.3%, and −71.8%, at depths of 0–10, 10–20, 20–30, and 30–40 cm, respectively. Moreover, some other properties of the cultivated soil improved, particularly in the surface soil layers, such as pH reduction, CaCO3 decline, and CEC increase, while the soil texture grade did not change. Therefore, continuous monitoring of the effects of diverse soil management strategies in the short term assists in the understanding of the ongoing changes in soil physical and chemical characteristics, which is critical for maintaining satisfactory soil quality and sustainable soil productivity in arid lands.

Drought stress is one of the most devastating abiotic factors limiting plant growth and development. Devising an efficient and rapid screening method at the seedling stage is vital in identifying genotypes best suited under drought conditions. An experiment was conducted to assess 74 rice genotypes for drought tolerance using specially designed mini-hoop structures. Two treatments were imposed on rice seedlings, including 100% moisture and a 50% moisture regime. Several shoot morpho-physiological traits and root traits were measured and analyzed. The genotypes exhibited a wide range of variability for the measured traits, with the leaf area showing the most significant variation, followed by plant height, tiller number, and shoot dry weight. In contrast, the drought did not significantly affect most root traits. The germplasm was classified into different categories using cumulative drought stress response indices (CDSRI); 19 genotypes (26%) were identified as drought sensitive, and 33 (45%), 15 (20%), and 7 (9%) were determined as low, moderately, and highly drought-tolerant, respectively. Genotypes IR86638 and IR49830 were the most and least drought-tolerant, respectively. Overall, a poor correlation was observed between CDSRI, total shoot traits (R2 = 0.36), and physiological parameters (R2 = 0.10). A strong linear correlation was found between CDSRI and root traits (R2 = 0.81), suggesting that root traits are more crucial and better descriptors in screening for drought tolerance. This study can help rice breeders and scientists to accelerate breeding by adopting a mini-hoop rapid screening method. The tolerant genotypes could serve as appropriate donor parents, progenies, and potential genotypes for developing drought-tolerant commercial cultivars.

Abstract Background Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the major staple food crops consumed globally. However, rice production is severely affected by high salinity levels, particularly at the seedling stage. A good solution would be the development of an efficient screening methodology to identify genotypes possessing genes for salt tolerance. Result A new salinity tolerance screening technique using rice seedlings in pot-culture was tested. This method controls soil heterogeneity by using pure sand as a growth medium and minimizes unexpected extreme weather conditions with a movable shelter. Seventy-four rice genotypes were screened at three salinity treatments including high salt stress (electrical conductivity (EC) 12 dSm− 1), moderate salt stress (EC 6 dSm− 1), and control (no salt stress), imposed 1 week after emergence. Several shoot and root morpho-physiological traits were measured at 37 days after sowing. A wide range of variability was observed among genotypes for measured traits with root traits being identified as the best descriptors for tolerance to salt stress conditions. Salt stress response indices (SSRI) were used to classify the 74 rice genotypes; 7 genotypes (9.46%) were identified as salt sensitive, 27 (36.48%) each as low and moderately salt tolerant, and 13 (17.57%) as highly salt tolerant. Genotypes FED 473 and IR85427 were identified as the most salt tolerant and salt sensitive, respectively. These results were further confirmed by principal component analysis (PCA) for accuracy and reliability. Conclusion Although tolerant genotypes still need to be confirmed in field studies and tolerance mechanisms identified at the molecular level, information gained from this study could help rice breeders and other scientists to accelerate breeding by selecting appropriate donor parents, progenies and potential genotypes at early growth stages necessary for salinity tolerance research.

Community face masking is possibly of great value in reducing COVID-19 transmission, especially when universally adopted with high compliance. The aim of this study is to investigate the knowledge, common misconceptions, barriers, and the compliance of the community with the use of face masks for the prevention of COVID-19. A validated questionnaire was administered to the participants through a web link by using various social media. The collected data were statistically analyzed for significant differences according to demographic variables. The average knowledge of face masks and their role in preventing COVID-19 transmission was 95.64%, with no differences among most of the demographical factors. Older groups and females demonstrated a better attitude towards wearing face masks than other groups did (p

The purpose of this study was to describe some anatomical and radiological features of the non-lactating udder of adult local Iraqi cow. Eight udder of local breed cow clinically appeared healthy and aged between 2-5 years were obtained from a local slaughterhouse located at Baghdad province. Five udders were used for anatomical study and the rest 3 udders were used for the radiological study. The study primed to describe the macroscopic anatomy of the udder and investigate the udder’s normal blood supply using red-colored latex. The mammography method was to describe the duct system of the glandular tissue of the mammary gland which was performed using the iodine compound and barium sulphate as contrast media. The results showed that the udder was located in the inguinal region and covered by pigmented skin with fine hair and composed of four quarters. Each quarter has one teat which was long, cylindrical in shape, opened with one orifice; and internally has longitudinal folds in its mucous membrane. The blood supply of udder by the external pudendal arteries (left and right) branched into cranial and caudal mammary ones. The radiological study showed that the glandular tissue of udder was composed of complex ducal system which included the teat canal (long narrow), teat sinus (spindle-shaped cavity), lactiferous sinus (large round structure), lactiferous ducts, cistern ducts, interlobular duct, intralobular duct and alveoli (round sac like).In conclusion, this study is considered as an important contribution of describing the anatomical features, main blood supply and a pathway of the intraglandular duct system of the non-lactating udder in local cow breed which is necessary for surgical operations in several cases of the udder.

The present study was undertaken to characterize the genetic diversity of the aromatase cytochrome P450 (CYP19) gene in 34 cows (15 local, 14 Holstein, and 5 Crosses) in Iraq. The objectives of the present study are to detect SNPs (mutations) in promoter p1.1 of the CYP19 gene in cattle bred in Iraq using sequencing techniques. We identified five single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) loci of the CYP19 gene that were detected, namely G933T, G994C, A1044G, A1062T, and C1468A. The results showed the presence of 3, 4, and 2 polymorphic sites leading to the construction of 4, 5, and 3 different haplotypes for Holstein, local, and crosses respectively. Haplotype diversity were 0.791, 0.752, and 0.700 respectively. While nucleotide diversity was 0.0017, 0.0022, and 0.0013 respectively. Besides, we carried out a phylogenetic analysis of these sequences to address the evolutionary relationship between the animal species. These fragments were assigned in the GenBank database under the accession numbers: LC490756, LC490757, LC491437, LC491438, LC491439, LC491588, and LC491589.

Soil erosion modeling is becoming more significant in the development and implementation of soil management and conservation policies. For a better understanding of the geographical distribution of soil erosion, spatial-based models of soil erosion are required. The current study proposed a spatial-based model that integrated geographic information systems (GIS) techniques with both the universal soil loss equation (USLE) model and the Index of Land Susceptibility to Wind Erosion (ILSWE). The proposed Spatial Soil Loss Model (SSLM) was designed to generate the potential soil erosion maps based on water erosion and wind erosion by integrating factors of the USLE and ILSWE models into the GIS environment. Hence, the main objective of this study is to predict, quantify, and assess the soil erosion hazards using the SSLM in the Dakhla Oasis as a case study. The water soil loss values were computed by overlaying the values of five factors: the rainfall factor (R-Factor), soil erodibility (K-Factor), topography (LS-Factor), crop types (C-Factor), and conservation practice (P-Factor). The severity of wind-driven soil loss was calculated by overlaying the values of five factors: climatic erosivity (CE-Factor), soil erodibility (E-Factor), soil crust (SC-Factor), vegetation cover (VC-Factor), and surface roughness (SR-Factor). The proposed model was statistically validated by comparing its outputs to the results of USLE and ILSWE models. Soil loss values based on USLE and SSLM varied from 0.26 to 3.51 t ha−1 yr−1 with an average of 1.30 t ha−1 yr−1 and from 0.26 to 3.09 t ha−1 yr−1 with a mean of 1.33 t ha−1 yr−1, respectively. As a result, and according to the assessment of both the USLE and the SSLM, one soil erosion class, the very low class (−1 yr−1), has been reported to be the prevalent erosion class in the study area. These findings indicate that the Dakhla Oasis is slightly eroded and more tolerable against water erosion factors under current management conditions. Furthermore, the study area was classified into four classes of wind erosion severity: very slight, slight, moderate, and high, representing 1.0%, 25.2%, 41.5%, and 32.3% of the total study area, respectively, based on the ILSWE model and 0.9%, 25.4%, 43.9%, and 29.9%, respectively, according to the SSLM. Consequently, the Dakhla Oasis is qualified as a promising area for sustainable agriculture when appropriate management is applied. The USLE and ILSWE model rates had a strong positive correlation (r = 0.97 and 0.98, respectively), with the SSLM rates, as well as a strong relationship based on the average linear regression (R2 = 0.94 and 0.97, respectively). The present study is an attempt to adopt a spatial-based model to compute and map the potential soil erosion. It also pointed out that designing soil erosion spatial models using available data sources and the integration of USLE and ILSWE with GIS techniques is a viable option for calculating soil loss rates. Therefore, the proposed soil erosion spatial model is fit for calculating and assessing soil loss rates under this study and is valid for use in other studies under arid regions with the same conditions.

A precise evaluation of soil quality (SQ) is important for sustainable land use planning. This study was conducted to assess soil quality using multivariate approaches. An assessment of SQ was carried out in an area of Dakhla Oasis using two methods of indicator selection, i.e., total data set (TDS) and minimum data set (MDS), and three soil quality indices (SQIs), i.e., additive quality index (AQI), weighted quality index (WQI), and Nemoro quality index (NQI). Fifty-five soil profiles were dug and samples were collected and analyzed. A total of 16 soil physicochemical parameters were selected for their sensitivity in SQ appraising to represent the TDS. The principal component analysis (PCA) was employed to establish the MDS. Statistical analyses were performed to test the accuracy and validation of each model, as well as to understand the relationship between the used methods and indices. The results of principal component analysis (PCA) showed that soil depth, gravel content, sand fraction, and exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) were included in the MDS. High positive correlations (r ≥ 0.9) occurred between SQIs calculated using TDS and/or MDS under the three models. Moreover, the findings showed highly significant differences (p < 0.001) among SQIs within and between TDS and MDS. Approximately 80 to 85% of the total study area based on TDS, as well as 70 to 75%, according to MDS, were identified as suitable soils with slight limitations on soil quality grade (Q3, Q2, and Q1), while the remaining 20 to 30% had high to severe limitations (Q4 and Q5). The highest sensitivity (SI = 2.9) occurred by applying WQI using MDS and indicator weights based on the variance of PCA. Furthermore, the highest linear regression value (R2 = 0.88) between TDS and MDS was recorded using the same model. Because of its high sensitivity, such a model could be used for monitoring SQ changes caused by agricultural practices and environmental factors. The findings of this study have significant guiding implications and practical value in assessing the soil quality using TDS and MDS in arid areas critically and accurately.

Mechanical engineers have adapted 3D coordinate technology in the design and implementation of cranes to accelerate the production of construction industries, especially tall structures such as buildings and bridges. Structural engineering projects such as buildings, infrastructure, and bridges are central to the development of human civilization. However, it is also a source of some types of accidents and even disasters, which will be referred to in this paper as structural engineering disasters. This paper discusses the concept, types, and characteristics of structural engineering disasters, especially those that talk about the use of high-level 3D coordinate equipment (tower or mobile cranes) and ways to mitigate them. The accidents in practice occur due to dynamic balance defects during equipment operation, which is usually due to incorrect selection or behavior on the construction site, installation, maintenance, operation, or ambient environmental conditions. Structural engineering disasters occur frequently and globally because they are closely related to human behavior and performance. This paper confirms that solutions can be found entrepreneurial to manage the situation to reach the appropriate operation to mitigate the accidents, through implementing the proposed administrative and engineering recommendations related to an accurate scientific method to meet these challenges. The engineering recommendations are based on ensuring the proper implementation of maintenance, operation, and calibration under the engineering standards. While the administrative recommendations focus on ensuring the follow-up of the safety procedures for implementing maintenance programs and the appropriate behavior of operator and scientifically signal person to meet these challenges.

Hyperglycemia, the mark normal for diabetes and associated disorders are the main goals of natural diabetes therapies. In this context, the present research was designed to study the effects of fenugreek sprouts juice (FS), barley sprouts juice (BS), cell-free probiotic extract (cell-free PE), whey protein hydrolysate (WPH) and their mixture on diabetic rats. Free radical scavenging activity, total phenolic contents (TPC) and total flavonoid contents (TFC) of each item mentioned were determined. Diabetes was induced through the injection of male rats with a single intraperitoneal dose (45 mg/kg) of streptozotocin. After the development of diabetes, diabetic rats were orally administered daily with 1ml of with fenugreek sprouts juice, barley sprouts juice, cell-free probiotic extract, whey protein hydrolysate or their mixture until the end of the study period (45 day). Oral administration of fenugreek sprouts juice, barley sprouts juice, cell-free probiotic extract, whey protein hydrolysate and their mixture to diabetic rats significantly reduced fasting blood glucose levels and improved the lipid profile. All the studied items limit the reductions of haemoglobin concentrations and plasma α-amylase activities. Also all the studied items suppressed the elevation of malondialdehyde values and the reduction of catalase activities. Histopathological investigation of pancreas, liver and kidneys of the diabetic rats showed histological alterations. On the other hand, supplementations with the tested materials lead to relieving these injuries. Results revealed that fenugreek sprouts juice, barley sprouts juice, cell-free probiotic extract, whey protein hydrolysate and their mixture had promising effects towards hyperglycemia and associated disorders.

Shannon and Rényi entropies are two important measures of uncertainty for data analysis. These entropies have been studied for multivariate Student-t and skew-normal distributions. In this paper, we extend the Rényi entropy to multivariate skew-t and finite mixture of multivariate skew-t (FMST) distributions. This class of flexible distributions allows handling asymmetry and tail weight behavior simultaneously. We find upper and lower bounds of Rényi entropy for these families. Numerical simulations illustrate the results for several scenarios: symmetry/asymmetry and light/heavy-tails. Finally, we present applications of our findings to a swordfish length-weight dataset to illustrate the behavior of entropies of the FMST distribution. Comparisons with the counterparts—the finite mixture of multivariate skew-normal and normal distributions—are also presented.

Cimadur river basin is one of the most important catchment areas in Lebak District, Banten Province. For the past few years, the catchment has experienced floods during the rainy season. The big issue of flooding has been recorded recently in December 2019 which has caused damage and negative impacts to the local people and surrounding community. This study aims to analyze the possibility of flood peak discharges in the catchment area of the Cimadur river. The flood discharges are calculated for 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 years return period based on the daily rainfall data from the year 2011 to 2020. The rainfall and land use data are obtained from PT Saeba Consultant. In this study, the hydrological analyses are including 1) analyses of average annual rainfall using the Thiessen method; 2) analyses of rainfall distribution and estimation of design rainfall by considering three methods involving: Log-Normal, Log Pearson Type III, and Gumbel Type 1; and 3) analyses of flood discharges by adopting Nakayasu Synthetic Hydrograph Unit (SHU). The rainfall distribution analyses show that the Log Pearson Type III provided the best fit. Based on the flood peak discharges analyses, the results show that the flood discharges for the 5, 10, 25, and 50 years return period in the Cimadur river basin are 470.71 m3/s, 560.16 m3/s, 698 m3/s, and 820.4 m3/s, respectively.

The current experimental study focuses on the heat transfer characteristics and pressure losses for impingement systemwhich is used in cooling the liner of gas turbine combustor. Recent experiment method of conductive heat transfer technique with resistive film in the back side target plate is introduced. The present experimental model measured both the heat transfer coefficient for inner target surface and the wall cooling effectiveness for outer target surface. To physically explain the phenomena associated with interaction flow area, a computational fluid dynamic code (Fluent 14) is employed. The continuity, momentum and energy equations arecomputationally solved to analyze the flow field in the jet impingement area. The tests models of the impingement plate are made from round jet holes of inline and staggered arrays arrangement with jet to jet spacing of four-hole diameter. Jet Reynolds numbers of 4200 to 15000 and jet height to diameter ratio of 1.5, 2.0, and 3.0 are maintained. The inline array, as expected enhanced the wall cooling effectiveness over that of the staggered array by10.3%andboth jet spacing and Reynolds number have an evident effect on the discharge coefficient. Empirical correlations are obtained for both arrays arrangement to predict the area-averaged Nusselt number as a function of jet governing parameters.