Since the 1980s, a growing interest in goat milk was noticed due to the nutritional values and health benefits of this milk, which resulted in increasing goat populations and milk production worldwide. This comprehensive review elaborates on goat milk composition compared to other types of milk. It is also an overview of goat milk production, properties, nourishment-value, applications in dairy products, and potential health benefits. Goat milk composition and its characteristics are slightly different from other types of milk and can be utilized to manufacture many dairy products. Fresh goat milk and goat milk products (e.g., yogurt and kefir were found to provide various potential health benefits, such as anti-inflammatory, prevent cardiovascular disease, anti-diabetic and antihypertensive, strengthen bones, boost immunity, and improve metabolism.

Purpose: Proximal Femur Fractures (PFFs) in elder patients lead to decreased productivity. Skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) are non-home destinations for post-discharge disposition. This study aims to evaluate the loss of independence (LOI) following PFFs and examine the economic impact it entails. Method: Literature from various databases was collected and analyzed retrospectively. The inclusion criteria included patients age >18 years and articles published after 1990. All studies were screened and a PRISMA chart was used to demonstrate the search process. 24 studies were finally used for review. Results: LOI following PFFs significantly increases with age. Fractures in geriatrics avail a significant amount of post-care resources and had longer lengths of stay. Furthermore, six pre-operative risk factors were identified for non-home disposition including age >75, female, non-Caucasian race, Medicare status, prior depression, Charlson Comorbidity Index. Patients discharged directly to home have lower total cost compared to those discharged to rehabilitation units. Loss of independence increases with advancing age. Discussion: PFFs can lead to serious loss of independence among elderly patients with direct impact on economic, social, psychological aspects and the healthcare system.

Antiretroviral therapy has effectively suppressed HIV infection and replication and prolonged the lifespan of HIV-infected individuals. In the meantime, various complications including type 2 diabetes associated with long-term antiviral therapy have shown steady increases. Metformin has been the front-line anti-hyperglycemic drug of choice and the most widely prescribed medication for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. However, little is known about the effects of Metformin on HIV infection and replication. In this study, we showed that Metformin treatment enhanced HIV gene expression and transcription in HIV-transfected 293T and HIV-infected Jurkat and human PBMC. Moreover, we demonstrated that Metformin treatment resulted in increased CREB expression and phosphorylation, and TBP expression. Furthermore, we showed that Metformin treatment increased the recruitment of phosphorylated CREB and TBP to the HIV LTR promoter. Lastly, we showed that inhibition of CREB activation significantly abrogated Metformin-enhanced HIV gene expression. Taken together, these results demonstrated that Metformin treatment increased HIV transcription, gene expression, and production though increased CREB phosphorylation and recruitment to the HIV LTR promoter. These findings may help design the clinical management plan and HIV cure strategy of using metformin to treat type 2 diabetes, a comorbidity with an increasing prevalence, in people living with HIV.

In Electronic Nicotine Delivery System (ENDS), coil resistance is an important factor in the generation of heat energy used to change e-liquid into vapor. An accurate and unbiased method for testing coil resistance is vital for understanding its effect on emissions and reporting results that are comparable across different types and brands of ENDS and measured in different laboratories. This study proposes a robust, accurate and unbiased method for measuring coil resistance. An apparatus is used which mimics the geometric configuration and assembly of ENDS pods and power control units. The method is demonstrated on two commonly used ENDS devices, the ALTO by Vuse and JUUL. Analysis shows that the proposed method is stable and reliable. The two-wire configuration introduced a positive measurement bias of 0.086 [ohm], which is a significant error for sub-ohm coil designs. The four-wire configuration is far less prone to bias error. We observed a significant difference in coil resistance of 0.593 [ohm] (p<0.001) between the two products tested. The mean resistance and standard deviation of the pod coil assemblies was shown to be 1.031 (0.067) [ohm] for ALTO and 1.624 (0.033) [ohm] for JUUL. The variation in coil resistance between products and within products can have significant impacts on aerosol emissions.

This work investigated the effects of manufacturing variations including coil resistance, initial pod mass, and e-liquid color on coil lifetime and aerosol generation of Vuse ALTO pods. Random samples of pods were used until failure (where e-liquid was consumed, and coil resistance increased to high value indicating a coil break). Initial coil resistance, initial pod mass, and e-liquid net mass ranged between 0.89 to 1.14 [], 6.48 to 6.61 [g], and 1.88 to 2.00 [g] respectively. Coil lifetime with light color e-liquid was (mean) = 149, (standard deviation) = 10.7 puffs while pods with dark color e-liquid was = 185, = 22.7 puffs with a difference of ~36 puffs (p &lt;0.001). Total mass of e-liquid consumed until coil failure was = 1.93, = 0.035 [g]. TPM yield per puff of all test pods for the first session (brand new pods) was = 0.0123, = 0.0003 [g]. During usage, TPM yield per puff of pods with light color e-liquid was relatively steady while it was continuously decreasing for pods with dark e-liquid. Coil lifetime and TPM yield per puff were not correlated with either variation in initial coil resistance or variation in initial pod mass. The absence of e-liquid in the pod is an important factor in causing coil failure. Small bits of the degraded coil could be potentially introduced to the aerosol. There is a potential correlation of e-liquid color with both coil lifetime and TPM yield per puff. Change of e-liquid color might have been a result of oxidation which changed some nicotine into nicotyrine.

Using flexible AC transmission system (FACTS) devices in power systems while adhering to some equality and inequality constraints, researchers around the world sought to address this issue with the objectives of improving the voltage profile, reducing power losses in transmission lines, and increasing system reliability and safety. The recent development of FACTS controllers opens up new perspectives for safer and more efficient operation of electrical power networks by continuous and rapid action on power systems parameters, such as phase angle shifting, voltage injection and line impedance compensation. Thus, an improvement on voltage profile and enhancement of power transfer capability can be obtained. It is for that, the idea behind the FACTS concept is to enable the transmission system to be an active element in increasing the flexibility of power transfer requirements and in securing stability of integrated power system. It may also be effective in transient stability improvement, power oscillations damping and balancing power flow in parallel lines. The primary issue that has significantly piqued the interest of a number of researchers working in this field is the FACTS optimization problem, which involves determining the optimal type, location, and size of FACTS devices in electrical power systems. For solving this mixed integer, nonlinear and non-convex optimization problem, this paper provides an in-depth and comprehensive review of the various optimization techniques covered in published works in the field. In this review, a classification of optimization techniques in five main groups that are widely used, such as classical optimization techniques or conventional optimization approaches, Meta heuristic methods, analytic methods or sensitive index methods and mixed or hybrid methods, is summarized. In addition, a performance descriptions and comparison of these different optimization techniques are discussed in this study. Finally, some advice is offered for future research in this field.

Introduction: COVID-19's emergence caused devastating consequences worldwide, with high morbidity and mortality rates. Critically ill patients face challenges like acute respiratory failure requiring intensive measures, including mechanical ventilation. Mortality rates in ARDS are influenced by various factors. This paper focuses on describing characteristics, management, and survival factors of mechanically ventilated ICU patients in Saudi Arabia. Methods: a retrospective, noninterventional approach, we reviewed charts and data of all COVID-19-infected patients who were admitted to the ICU, particularly those requiring ventilation support at Aseer Central Hospital (ACH) in the southern region of Saudi Arabia. Results: The study enrolled 594 COVID patients, mean age 60.5 ± 17.3 years, with 67% males. Approximately half had O negative blood group. Common chronic health issues: diabetes mellitus (35.5%). Positive culture findings in almost 340 (57.2%), with Klebsiella pneumoniae being the most isolated microorganism (45.5%). Significant correlations found with mortality: age, blood culture, Rh positive group (P<0.05). Conclusion: this study provides critical insights into the clinical and epidemiological aspects of COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU in a Saudi Arabian hospital. The research underscores the impact of age, comorbidities, laboratory markers, and treatment interventions on patient out-comes, emphasizing the significance of tailored management strategies in this context.

The dramatic increased rates of uncontrolled urbanization in various parts of the World have resulted in loss of native species and overall threats to biodiversity. Over the last few decades Saudi Arabia has witnessed a remarkably rapid population growth and unparalleled levels of urbanization, leading to threats to biodiversity. Ants were pitfall-trapped across an urban-rural gradient to evaluate ant assemblage responses to urbanization in Wadi Hanifa, Riyadh, Central Saudi Arabia. Fifteen sampling sites were selected along three different urbanization gradients, each traversing urban, suburban and rural zones. Within each site 10 traps were distributed and operated for 7 consecutive days, at 3-monthly intervals throughout one year. Vegetation, ground cover, and chemical and physical soil variables at sampling sites were analyzed concurrently. Ant abundance, species richness, evenness, and diversity indices of Shannon and Simpson were calculated for each site using PC-ORD to demonstrate diversity patterns along the urbanization gradients. Ant assemblages were assessed by detrended corresponding analysis (DCA), canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), and analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) using PC-ORD. Indicator species analysis was conducted to define representative species along the urbanization gradient. A total of 42 ant species were identified. The diversity parameters were consistent across the urbanization gradient. However, significant differences were observed in the ant assemblages between rural and urban, suburban and urban, but only marginal between rural and suburban. Eleven ant species were identified as indicator species (IV values between 50.7-80.7%). The ant assemblages were influenced by flora, ground cover, and soil variables.

Neuro-rehabilitation services are essential in reducing post-stroke impairments, enhancing independence, and improving recovery in hospital and post-discharge. However these services are therapist-dependent and resource intensive. Patients’ disengagement and boredom in stroke units are common which adversely affect functional and psychological outcomes. Novel techniques such as use of iPads™ are increasingly researched to overcome such challenges. The aim of this review is to determine the feasibility, effectiveness, acceptability, and barriers to the use of iPads™ in stroke neuro-rehabilitation. Four databases and manual literature search were used to identify published studies using the terms “iPad”, “Stroke”, and “neuro-rehabilitation”. Studies were included in accordance with the review selection criteria. A total of 16 articles were included in the review. The majority of the studies focused on iPads use in speech and language therapy. Although of small scale, the studies highlighted that iPads are feasible, have the potential to improve rehabilitation outcomes, and can improve patient’s social isolation. Patients’ stroke severity and financial limitations are some of the barriers highlighted in this review. This review presents preliminary data supportive for the use of iPad technology in stroke neuro-rehabilitation. However, further research is needed to determine impact on rehabilitation goals acquisition, clinical efficacy, and cost-efficiency.

Background: Malnutrition screening in hospitalized children is essential, and the STAMP is a val-idated tool for this purpose. The study aimed to modify STAMP for a Saudi context and assess the sensitivity and specificity of both the original and modified tools. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 307 hospitalized children, where both the original and Saudi-modified STAMP were applied. Anthropometric measurements were also recorded, and statistical analysis was used to assess the tools' validity. Results: The Saudi-modified STAMP identified a higher percentage of children at high risk of malnutrition compared to the original STAMP (91.6% vs. 62.9%). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, accuracy, and agreement of the Saudi-modified STAMP compared to the original were 94.3%, 13.2%, 64.8%, 57.7%, 0.654, and 0.089, respectively. Conclusion: The Saudi-modified STAMP showed excellent sensitivity and varied negative predictive value, indicating its potential effectiveness in screening for malnutrition among hospitalized children compared to the original STAMP and using an-thropometric measurements as references.

The solid-state technique was utilized to make a single phase of delafossite CuAlO2, along with 1%, 2%, 3% and 4% silver doped CuAlO2 samples in this study. The content of the samples was investigated using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) equipped with a field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). The polycrystalline nature of all of the analyzed cases was confirmed by structural analyses utilizing an X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern with a simple typical peak of CAO rhombohedral phase. Raman, FT-IR and UV–Vis spectroscopy were used to study the structural, and optical energy band gap (Eg) of Ag doped CuAlO2 nanoparticles. The Kubelka–Munk function was used to calculate the optical band gap of ACAO alloys using diffuse reflectance spectra, and it altered as the Ag ion concentration increased. A. c. impedance spectroscopy was used to investigate the dielectric characteristics of Ag doped CuAlO2 nanoparticles.

Transient liquid phase (TLP) bonding of Al-6063 and UNS S32304 was performed using copper foil as an interlayer between the base metals. A compression load was applied normal to the specimens. Metallurgical examination of the produced joints showed three distinct regions including a reaction zone, diffusion affected zone and the base metals. The diffusion of copper into aluminum resulted in an Al-Cu eutectic structure. However, the oxide layer on the aluminum surface controlled the dissolution behavior of copper and the extent of its wettability with the base metals. Although voids and intermetallic compounds were detected at the interfaces of the processed joints, a defect free joint was produced at 570°C. In addition, the results from corrosion tests showed that the use of copper as an interlayer decreased the corrosion resistance of the joints. However, increase in thickness of the joining reaction zone with increasing bonding temperature was observed to increase corrosion resistance.

This study introduces and demonstrates a comprehensive, accurate, unbiased approach to robust quantitative comparison of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) appropriate for establishing substantial equivalence (or lack thereof) between tobacco products. The approach is demonstrated across a family of thirteen pen- and pod-style ENDS products. Methods employed consist of formulating a robust emissions surface regression model, quantifying the empirical accuracy of the model as applied to each product, evaluating relationships between product design characteristics and maximum emissions characteristics, and presenting results in formats useful to researchers, regulators, and consumers. Results provide a response surface to characterize emissions (total particulate matter and constituents thereof) from each ENDS appropriate for use in a computer model and for conducting quantitative exposure comparisons between products. Results demonstrate that emissions vary as a function of puff duration, flow rate, E-Liquid composition, and device operating power. Further, results indicate that regulating design characteristics of ENDS devices and consumables may not achieve desired public health outcomes; it is more effective to regulate maximum permissible emissions directly. Three emissions outcome measures (yield per puff, mass concentration and constituent mass ratio) are recommended for adoption as standard quantities for reporting by manufacturers and research laboratories. The approach provides a means of (a) quantifying and comparing maximal emissions from ENDS products spanning their entire operating envelope, (b) comparative evaluation of ENDS devices and consumable design characteristics, and (c) establishing comparative equivalence of maximal emissions from ENDS. A consumer-oriented product emissions dashboard is proposed for comparative evaluation of ENDS exposure potential. Maximum achievable power dissipated in the coil of ENDS is identified as a potentially effective regulatory parameter.

Many assumptions exist about online learning and its impact on college students. Hitherto, the views of those meant to be the beneficiaries of this technology have been given little consideration despite the fact that students use cyberspace for academic work and beyond. This qualitative case-study report is based on research conducted by college students at a private university in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The aim was to examine the online learning experiences of their peers during the first wave of the coronavirus global pandemic, with a view to understand how prepared their university is for an academic genre located in cyberspace. The findings are based on the perspectives of 2,298 college students responding to a survey administered to the entire student population comprising around 9,000 individuals. They suggest that increasing opportunities for cyberlearning could have positive effects on students. Also provided is cautionary advice about the need to improve teaching pedagogies and combat academic dishonesty.

Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) syndrome is the most common progressive human motor and sensory peripheral neuropathy. CMT type 1E is a demyelinating neuropathy affecting Schwann cells due to pmp22 mutations, modelized by Trembler-J mice. Curcumin, a natural polyphenol com-pound obtained from turmeric (Curcuma longa), exhibits dose- and time-varying antitumor, antioxidant and neuroprotective properties, however, the neurotherapeutic actions of curcumin still remain elusive. Here, we propose curcumin as a possible natural treatment capable of enhancing cellular detoxification mechanisms, resulting in an improvement of the neurodegenerative Trembler-J phenotype. Using a refined method for obtaining enriched Schwann cell cultures, we evaluated the neurotherapeutic action of low dose curcumin treatment on the PMP22 expression, and on the chaperones (HSF1 and Hsp27) and autophagy/mTOR (HDAC6 and ribosomes) pathways in Trembler-J and wild-type genotypes. In wild-type Schwann cells, the action of cur-cumin resulted in strong stimulation of the chaperone and macroautophagy pathway, whereas the modulation of ribophagy showed a mild effect. However, despite the promising neuroprotective effects for the treatment of neurological diseases, we report (demonstrate?) that the action of cur-cumin in Trembler-J Schwann cells could be impaired due to the irreversible impact of ethanol used as a common curcumin vehicle necessary for administration. These results contribute to expand our still limited understanding of PMP22 biology in neurobiology, and expose the intrinsic lability of the neurodegenerative Trembler-J genotype. Furthermore, they unravel interesting physiological mechanisms of cellular resilience relevant for to the pharmacological treatment of the neurodegenerative Tremble J phenotype with curcumin and ethanol. We conclude that the analysis of the effects of the vehicle itself is an essential and in-escapable step to comprehensibly assess the own effects and full potential of curcumin treatment for therapeutic purposes.

The pH-related metabolic paradigm has rapidly grown in cancer research and treatment. In this contribution, this recent oncological perspective has been laterally for the first time in order to integrate neurodegeneration within the energetics of the cancer acid-base conceptual frame. At all levels of study, molecular, biochemical, metabolic and clinical, the intimate nature of both processes appears to be opposite mechanisms occurring at the far ends of a physiopathological intracellular pH/extracellular pH (pHi/pHe) spectrum. This wide-ranged original approach now permits an increase in our understanding of these opposite processes, cancer and neurodegeneration, and, as a consequence, allows to propose new avenues of treatment based upon the intracellular and microenvironmental hydrogen ion dynamics regulating and deregulating the biochemistry and metabolism of both cancer and neural cells. Under the same perspective, the etiopathogenesis and special characteristics of multiple sclerosis (MS) becomes an excellent model for the study of neurodegenerative diseases and, utilizing this pioneering approach, we find that MS appears to be a metabolic disease even before an autoimmune one. Also within this paradigm, several important aspects of MS, from mitochondrial failure to microbiota functional abnormalities, are analyzed in depth.

We know that the classical Mittag-Leffler function play an important role as solution of fractional order differential and integral equations. We introduce the j-generalized p - k Mittag-Leffler function. We evaluate the second order differential recurrence relation and four different integral representations and introduce a homogeneous linear differential equation whose one of the solution is the j-generalized p-k Mittag-Leffler function. Also we evaluate the certain relations that exist between j-generalized p - k Mittag-Leffler function and Riemann-Liouville fractional integrals and derivatives. We evaluate Mellin-Barnes integral representation of j-generalized p-k Mittag-Le er Function. The relationship of j-generalized p-k Mittag-Leffler Function with Fox H-Function and Wright hypergeometric function is also establish. we obtained its Euler transform, Laplace Transform and Mellin transform. Finally we derive some particular cases.

In this research paper, design and development of pyramidal horn antenna for J-band application is reported. It is particularly designed for 17 dB gain and half beam width about 25 degrees at 6.93 GHz. Horn aperture, horn axial length and distance from the throat of the antenna to aperture are the main design constraints which are calculated and used for the antenna design and simulation. Beam width in E-plane and H-plane horn is calculated and it is 19.18 dB and 22.86 dB respectively. The reported antenna design shows good performance for J-band in radiometry, satellite, and radar applications.

In modern data analysis, working with diverse dataset formats is essential for ensuring compatibility across different software tools and platforms. However, manual conversion between formats can be time-consuming and error-prone. To address this challenge, we developed an interactive Shiny application that facilitates the seamless conversion of datasets between popular software formats such as CSV, Excel, SAS, SPSS, Stata, and RData. This user-friendly app enables users to upload datasets, select an output format, and download the converted file with a single click. The application also incorporates a real-time progress indicator, enhancing the user experience by showing conversion progress. Built with simplicity and efficiency in mind, the app is designed for researchers, data analysts, and practitioners who regularly handle multiple file formats in their workflows. Additionally, the app features a clean, intuitive interface with clear guidance, making it accessible even to users with minimal technical background. The development process, key features, and potential applications of this tool are discussed in this article.

Biofuels have many environmental and practical benefits as a transportation fuel. They are among the best alternatives to fossil fuels due to their capacity for negative carbon emissions, which is vital for archiving the global ambition of a Net-Zero Economy. However, conventional biofuel production takes place on inland sites and relies on freshwater and edible crops (or land suitable for edible crop production), which has led to the food vs fuel debate. It also suffers technical and economical barriers due to the energy balance and the cost of production compared to fossil fuels. Establishing a coastal integrated marine biorefinery (CIMB) system for the simultaneous production of biofuels, high-value chemicals, and other co-products could be the ultimate solution. The proposed system is based on coastal sites and relies on marine resources including seawater, marine biomass (seaweed) and marine microorganisms (marine yeasts and marine microalgae). The system will not require the use of arable land and freshwater in any part of the production chain and will be linked to offshore renewable energy sources to increase its economic and environmental value. This article aims to introduce the CIMB system as a potential vehicle for addressing global warming and speeding the global effort on climate change mitigation as well as increasing global water, food and energy security. I hope this perspective may serve to draw attention into research funding for this approach.

New class of triazinoindole bearing thiosemicarbazide (1-25) was synthesized and evaluated for α-glucosidase inhibitory potential. All synthesized analogues exhibited excellent inhibitory potential having IC50 values ranging from 1.30 ± 0.01 to 35.80 ± 0.80 µM when compared with the standard acarbose having IC50 value 38.60 ± 0.20 µM. Among series the analogues 1 and 23 was found the most potent having IC50 values 1.30 ± 0.05 and 1.30 ± 0.01 µM respectively. Structure activity relationship (SAR) was mainly based upon by bring about difference of substituents on phenyl rings. To confirm the binding interactions, molecular docking study was performed. Synthesized analogues were characterized through HREI-MS, 1H and 13C-NMR analysis.

In this paper, we propose an imagined speech-based brain wave pattern recognition using deep learning. Multiple features were extracted concurrently from eight-channel Electroencephalography (EEG) signals. To obtain classifiable EEG data with fewer number of sensors, we placed the EEG sensors on carefully selected spots on the scalp. To decrease the dimensions and complexity of the EEG dataset and to avoid overfitting during the deep learning algorithm, we utilized the wavelet scattering transformation. A low-cost 8-channel EEG headset was used with MATLAB 2023a to acquire the EEG data. The Long-Short Term Memory Recurrent Neural Network (LSTM-RNN) was used to decode the identified EEG signals into four audio commands: Up, Down, Left, and Right. Wavelet scattering transformation was applied to extract the most stable features by passing the EEG dataset through a series of filtration processes. Filtration has been implemented for each individual command in the EEG datasets. The proposed imagined speech-based brain wave pattern recognition approach achieved a 92.50% overall classification accuracy. This accuracy is promising for designing a trustworthy imagined speech-based Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) future real-time systems. For better evaluation of the classification performance, other metrics were considered, and we obtained 92.74%, 92.50% and 92.62% for precision, recall, and F1-score, respectively.

The Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR4.0) is transforming the global economy, necessitating mall and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to adopt new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, and cloud computing. Therefore, SMEs need to assess their readiness to identify capabilities and areas for improvement to remain competitive. However, existing IR4.0 readiness assessment such as the Industry4WRD Readiness Assessment and Industry 4.0-Readiness by IMPULS German are time-consuming and restrict the participation of various sectors. Using the understanding of theories such as Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), Technology Readiness Index (TRI), and Diffusion Of Innovation (DOI), this study developed an initial research model that identifies the dimensions of IR4.0 readiness; (i) organization, (ii) data, (iii) infrastructure, (iv) analytics, and (v) IT, development and operations. This study carried out qualitative methods through four different phases. The first phase is a systematic literature review, and data collection through participant observation (PO) in IR4.0 skills training programs, seminars, and workshops. The second phase is the development of an initial research model to identify the dimensions of IR4.0 readiness that will be used in the next phase. The third phase is a survey on SME’s IR4.0 readiness via the IR4.0 e-Readiness Checker (IR4.0 eRC) readiness assessment system, which produces the final research model, IR4.0 SME Readiness Model. In the fourth phase, the IR4.0 Readiness Model is confirmed for use by SMEs in Malaysia through interviews with three industry experts in Malaysia. Based on the 50 responses in the IR4.0 eRC evaluation, the average IR4.0 readiness of SMEs is 66%, and only 10 SMEs with less than 50%, showing room and improvement opportunities for the continuous research and development of IR4.0 transformation. This study developed IR4.0 readiness model for SMEs to assess readiness for IR4.0 transformation, support investments in IoT projects and employee upskilling programs.

This study focuses on a new class of functions called sub-b-s-preinvex, that is a generalization of sub-b-s-convex and preinvex functions, and discusses some of their properties. A new sub-b-s-preinvex programming is introduced and the sufficient conditions of optimality under this type of function is established.

Pakistan is an important country located in South Asia and ranks the world's sixth most populous country. It has diverse landscapes with their own specific vegetation. The country specific vegetative diversity has a great ecological and economic impact on the conservation of local fauna. It has huge potential for sustainable beekeeping industry if properly exploited. Beekeeping in Pakistan is mainly focused in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and central and north regions of Punjab provinces but nowadays it is growing rapidly across the country. Honey produced in Pakistan enjoys good repute in the Middle East due to its unique taste and quality. Pakistan exports around 4000 tons of the honey with the worth of about $ 23.00 million to Arab countries every year.

Background: Several GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) are used to treat type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Their cardio- and renal protective effects and substantial weight loss have been evident and progressively expanded their role in the American Diabetes Association (ADA) guidelines, which are endorsed by the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD). The increased demand leads to a global shortage. Methods: We utilized a repeated cross-sectional design, drawing data from national prescribing databases, to analyze six GLP-1 RAs: Dulaglutide, Enatide, Liraglutide, Lisenatide, Semaglutide, and Tirzepatide. AutoRegressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) models with exogenous variables were applied to assess trends over time and regions. Results: The prescription rates significantly differ between regions. Wales shows the highest prescribing for most GLP-1 RAs. The ARIMA models indicated a significant increase in their prescribing after ADA guidelines 2022 (e.g., Dulaglutide: Post-ADA effect of 15.22, 95% CI: [12.97, 17.47]). Following GLP-1 RAs shortages in July 2023, the prescribing rates, particularly for Semaglutide, increased (Shortage effect: 74.36, 95% CI: [71.92, 76.80]). Model diagnostics, including the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) and Durbin-Watson statistics, confirmed the robustness of these trends. Conclusion: Informed decisions should be made by considering prescribing trends before and after important events such as the issuing of new guidelines or safety alerts.

This study aims to identify benefits and barriers to distance education, particularly from the perspective of teachers in Saudi Arabia. As the applied data collection tool, a questionnaire was distributed to the general education teachers in three districts. The sample size of the study was 1076 teachers. The results revealed that despite several benefits gained from distance learning, there are also some barriers. Teachers found that the most important advantage in distance learning is the acquisition of technical skills during the online teaching processes, they learn more and use digital education platforms, they have sufficient time to prepare the scientific content, they were able to provide adequate technical solutions for their courses, and they have the opportunity to use multiple media to deliver their courses. With the introduction of distance learning, teachers have explored new ways to deliver course contents to students. It has fostered better ways to provide more interactive real-time and on-demand teaching and learning using modern technology, thus, helping teachers become familiar with the use of electronic resources. It seems that teachers invest in technical methods to enhance students’ performance. Also, teachers reported some obstacles that they face during remote teaching. Most of these problems are connection problems applied with devices and the internet, lack of students’ motivation to learn in distance, problems associated with urban learners.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is known for its high car ownership and usage as well its high GDP per capita. This is combined with low/ or no provision of public transportation (PT) systems, has been resulting in perceptual attitudes of full dependency on private car travel. The level of awareness of the benefits of reducing car use and increasing the travel by more sustainable options, has a great impact on social change and behaviour. The Kingdom is currently progressing towards a new phase of “national transfer” through implementation of strategic and sustainable measures and programs. The city of Riyadh is construction a massive metro-system in Riyadh, that is nearing completion and operation. The public is aware of the national agenda, aware of the newly constructed projects and aware of the needed social change to realize the new vision of the country. This paper aims to assess travel behaviour and attitudes towards public transportation of Saudi travellers’ who are witnessing the new transformation in the Kingdom and who are aware of the new sustainable projects. Depicted from the theory of random utility, a discrete choice model of the intent to use public transportation is calibrated as a function of social and attitudinal factors. An online survey was designed and carried out using social media means; a completed 399 questionnaires have been obtained and studied. The methodology includes examining attitudes and preferences of the participants towards using public transportation options against participants’ socio-economic data. The analysis was carried out using ordinal logistic regression analysis (OLR) which is an efficient technique that is derived from the theory of random utility. The results show a good support for PT; a higher support for public transportation modes, form participants who are young females, lower income groups and the university graduates were reported. The level of support seems higher with the higher level of awareness about the new PT system.

Carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRPs) are being used extensively in modern industries that require high strength-to-weight ratio such as aerospace, automotive, motorsport, and sports equipment. However, although reinforcement with carbon fibers improves the mechanical properties of polymer, this comes on the expense of abrasive wear resistance. Therefore, to efficiently utilize CFRPs in dry sliding contacts, solid lubricant is used as a filler. Further, to facilitate fabrication of objects with complex geometries, selective laser sintering (SLS) can be employed. Accordingly, in the present work, graphite-filled carbon fiber-reinforced polyamide 12 (CFR-PA12) specimens were prepared using SLS process to explore the dry sliding friction and wear characteristics of the composite. The test specimens were aligned along four different orientations in the build chamber of SLS machine to determine the orientation-dependent tribological properties. The experiments were conducted using pin-on-disc tribometer to measure the coefficient of friction (COF), interface temperature, friction-induced noise, and specific wear rate. In addition, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of tribo-surfaces was conducted to specify the dominant wear pattern. The results indicated that the steady state COF, contact temperature, and wear pattern of graphite-filled CFR-PA12 are orientation-independent, and that the contact temperature is likely to approach an asymptote far below the glass transition temperature of amorphous PA12 zones, thus eliminating the possibility of matrix softening. Additionally, the results showed that the Z-oriented specimen exhibits the lowest level of friction-induced noise along with the highest wear resistance. Moreover, SEM of tribo-surfaces determined that abrasive wear is the dominant wear pattern.

Recently perovskite solar cells have been paying attention of researchers. This comes from their high efficiency and stability. In this work, the change of some Optical and Electrical Properties of BaxFe(1-x)TiO4 thin films due to the change of the nanocrystal spacing and size were studied. A simple theoretical model based on the string theory was utilized to explain some of these empirical relations. The empirical results obtained indicated that an increase in the efficiency of the nano solar cell requires the energy gap to be narrow. Decreasing the nanocrystal size and spacing caused the energy gap to become narrower. The energy gap decreases also upon increasing the absorption coefficient and decreasing the transmission. This also requires increasing the conductivity and the magnetic permeability. The increase of the nanocrystal spacing decreases the absorption coefficient, electrical conductivity, and magnetic permeability, while it causes the transmission to increase. All these changes are explained using a simple string model beside Newton's laws. The capability of the string theory to explain this Nano quantum behavior comes from the fact that the string theory, like quantum theory, recognizes both the particle and the wave nature of the Nano system.

The ability to self-direct a research program determines graduate degree completion. Yet, research on incompletion of graduate physics programs assume students’ present level of self-direction adequate and neglects to recognize a lack of self-directed learning as key. One theoretical mathematical physicist focused on changing this challenge of physics graduate education by promoting self-directed learning through the type research flow that has been found to bring the greatest satisfaction to researchers with respect to their insights. This he provided through his space, time, open mindedness and theoretical contributions with his students and in collaboration with his colleagues. A self-directed learner himself, David J. Rowe developed methods of mentoring for encouraging physics graduate students to recognize symmetry as valuable in identifying solutions to problems quickly—helping these students take the lead in finding insightful resolutions to complex, multidimensional, mathematical physics uncertainties. How Rowe set about supporting self-directed learning in his graduate physics education interactions will be examined with the use of narrative research to interpret the texts and conversations with the author he made available. His techniques will be presented and recommendations made regarding how Rowe’s work in this regard can be modeled to improve self-direction in STEM graduate education.

Globally, the fuel demand is increasing rapidly and the conventional method to produce fuel is toxic which causes environmental degradation and climate crisis. Therefore, biodiesel emerges as the substitute to overcome the conventional fuel problems because biodiesel is renewable and non-toxic. Biodiesel synthesis is the process of using fats and oils to produce biodiesel ester and glycerol. Biodiesel can be produced using edible and non-edible feedstock but using the edible feedstocks problems like fuel vs food, nutritional value and economic considerations were raised. Therefore, non-edible feedstocks are being used to overcome problems arising from edible feedstock. As non-edible feedstocks can easily be grown anywhere on land, doesn’t cause imbalance to food economy and has low cost. Many non-consumable seeds like Mahua, Jatropha, Castor, Neem etc. are used to produce biodiesel. Now a days, researchers are using nanoparticles to enhance the stability, quality, and properties of biodiesel. In future, researchers can use algae and microbial oils for production of biodiesel. Research can also use biojet fuel in such a way that it reduces the carbon emission. In future, production of biodiesel can be integrated into circular economy models to reduce environmental waste and impact. In this review we will discuss the production methods for biodiesel, catalysts for biodiesel production, and non-edible feedstock properties of biodiesel.

This work is concerned with studying the change of some Optical and Electrical Properties of Ba_xFe_(1-x)TiO₄ thin films due to the change of the nano crystal size. Simple theoretical explanation based on the string theory was developed. The empirical results obtained indicated that the absorption coefficient, electrical conductivity, and the magnetic permeability increase upon decreasing the nano crystal size. However, the transmission coefficient, and the refractive index increase upon increasing the nano crystal size. All these changes are explained using a simple string model with the aid of Newton's laws. The capability of the string theory to explain this nano quantum behavior comes from the fact that the string theory recognize both the particle and the wave nature of the nano system. This is similar of course to the quantum approach which is based mainly on the dual wave particle nature of atomic systems and entities.

With the rapid expansion of intelligent resource-constrained devices and high-speed communication technologies, Internet of Things (IoT) has earned a wide recognition as the primary standard for low-power lossy networks (LLNs). Nevertheless, IoT infrastructures are vulnerable to cyber-attacks due to the constraints in computation, storage, and communication capacity of the endpoint devices. From one side, the majority of newly developed cyber-attacks are formed by slightly mutating formerly established cyber-attacks to produce a new attack tending to be treated as a normal traffic through the IoT network. From the other side, the influence of coupling the deep learning techniques with cybersecurity field has become a recent inclination of many security applications due to their impressive performance. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive development of a new intelligent and autonomous deep learning-based detection and classification system for cyber-attacks in IoT communication networks leveraging the power of convolutional neural networks, abbreviated as (IoT-IDCS-CNN). The proposed IoT-IDCS-CNN makes use of the high-performance computing employing the robust CUDA based Nvidia GPUs and the parallel processing employing the high-speed I9-Cores based Intel CPUs. In particular, the proposed system is composed of three subsystems: Feature Engineering subsystem, Feature Learning subsystem and Traffic classification subsystem. All subsystems are developed, verified, integrated, and validated in this research. To evaluate the developed system, we employed the NSL-KDD dataset which includes all the key attacks in the IoT computing. The simulation results demonstrated more than 99.3% and 98.2% of cyber-attacks’ classification accuracy for the binary-class classifier (normal vs anomaly) and the multi-class classifier (five categories) respectively. The proposed system was validated using k-fold cross validation method and was evaluated using the confusion matrix parameters (i.e., TN, TP, FN, FP) along with other classification performance metrics including precision, recall, F1-score, and false alarm rate. The test and evaluation results of the IoT-IDCS-CNN system outperformed many recent machine-learning based IDCS systems in the same area of study.

Objectives: One of the home-made herbal remedy being traditionally used against gout is evaluated to identify any new and characteristic marker compound which may be used as characteristic analytical marker to standardize this polyherbal remedy. Materials and method: A distinct and remarkable peak in the HPLC chromatogram of remedy was identified which was further isolated by fraction collector. This fraction was then evaporated and characterized for structure elucidation using set of various techniques such as RP-HPLC,UV, FTIR, TLC, EIMS and NMR. Results: The compound characterized was non polar compound, ester of betulin and palmitoleic acid. Although the remedy has been standardized using set of four markers as discussed in literature but this newly developed marker compound can be used to further standardize this remedy and other herbal preparations comprising of this marker compound.Conclusion: Hence the isolated compound can be used as novel analytical marker in the standardization of this herbal remedy and the other herbal preparations containing such marker compound

The goal of this paper is to propose a dual version of the direct cosine simplex algorithm (DDCA) for general linear problems. Unlike the two-phase and the big-M methods, our technique does not involve artificial variables. Our technique solves the dual Klee-Minty problem in two iterations and solves the dual Clausen’s problem in four iterations. The utility of the proposed method is evident from the extensive computational results on test problems adapted from NETLIB. Preliminary results indicate that this dual direct cosine simplex algorithm (DDCA) reduces the number of iterations of two-phase method.

This study develops a new definition of fractional derivative that mixes the definitions of fractional derivatives with singular and non-singular kernels. Such developed definition encompasses many types of fractional derivatives, such as the Riemann-Liouville and Caputo fractional derivatives for singular kernel type as well as the Caputo-Fabrizio, the Atangana-Baleanu and the generalized Hattaf fractional derivatives for non-singular kernel type. The associate fractional integral of the new mixed fractional derivative is rigorously introduced. Furthermore, newly numerical scheme is developed to approximate the solutions of a class of fractional differential equations (FDEs) involving the mixed fractional derivative. Finally, an application to computational biology is presented.

The purpose of the current study was the level of the self-confidence among with high musical abilities Student? The randomly selected sample consisted of students (n= 130, M= 65, F= 65) . The analytical descriptive approach was applied in the study and self-confidence Scale developed by the author was administered to participants. Results indicated that: - The self-confidence among the high musical abilities Student students was rated high. There were no statistically significant differences at (α=≤0.05) attributed to effect of sex on the self-confidence overall degree. There were statistically no significant differences at (α≤0.05) attributed to effect of achievement on the self-confidence overall degree,

The world is facing new challenges every day; however, with the spread of the pandemic around the world, this new challenge is different. The pandemic is increasing and concentrating various challenges simultaneously. Although different sectors are facing consequences, the most important sectors, that is, health and economy are the most affected. When the pandemic began, it was not known how long it would last, which complicated health and economic planning. Therefore, it is important for decision makers and the public to know the predictions and expectations of the future of these challenges. In this work, the current situation is analyzed. Then, an expectation model is developed based on the statistics of the pandemic using a growth rate model based on an exponential and logarithmic rate of increase. Based on the available open data about the pandemic spread, the model can successfully predict future expectations, including the duration and maximum number of cases of the pandemic. The model uses the equilibrium point as the day the cases decrease. The model can be used for planning and the development of strategies to overcome these challenges.

Background: Previously, our laboratory has provided evidence that pre-administration of the antioxidant, lipoic acid covalently bonded to various naturally occurring antioxidants, enhanced neuroprotective capacity compared to the administration of lipoic acid on its own. The naturally occurring compound scopoletin, a coumarin derivative, has been shown in various in vitro studies to have both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanism of actions. To date, the effect of scopoletin on neuronal cell death in an in vivo model of ischemia or ischemia-reperfusion has not been investigated. Therefore, the present investigation was designed to determine if scopoletin on its own, or a co-drug consisting of lipoic acid and scopoletin covalent bond, named UPEI-400, would be capable of demonstrating a similar neuroprotective efficacy. Methods: Using a rodent model of stroke in male rats (anesthetized with Inactin®; 100 mg/kg, iv), the middle cerebral artery was permanently occluded for 6 hours (pMCAO), or in separate animals, occluded for 30 min followed by 5.5 hrs of reperfusion (ischemia/reperfusion; I/R). Results: Pre-administration of either scopoletin or UPEI-400 significantly decreased infarct volume in the I/R model (p<0.05), but not in the pMCAO model of stroke. However, UPEI-400 was ~1000 times more potent as compared to scopoletin on its own. The optimal dose of UPEI-400 was then injected during the occlusion and at several time points during reperfusion and significant neuroprotection was observed for up to 150 mins following the start of reperfusion (p<0.05). Conclusion: The data suggest that synthetic combination of scopoletin with lipoic acid (UPEI-400) is a more effective neuroprotectant that either compound on their own. Also, since UPEI-400 was only effective in a model of I/R, it is possible that it may act to enhance neuronal antioxidant capacity and/or upregulate anti-inflammatory pathways to prevent the neuronal cell death.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a Gram-negative bacterium that colonizes the gastric mucosa and is associated with various gastrointestinal disorders. H. pylori is a pervasive pathogen, infecting nearly 50% of the world's population, and presents a substantial concern due to its link with gastric cancer, ranking as the third most common cause of global cancer-related mortality. This review article provides an updated and comprehensive overview of the current understanding of H. pylori infection, focusing on its pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment strategies. The intricate mechanisms underlying its pathogenesis, including virulence factors and host interactions, are discussed in detail. Diagnostic methods, ranging from traditional techniques to advanced molecular approaches, are explored, highlighting their strengths and limitations. The evolving landscape of treatment strategies, including antibiotic regimens and emerging therapeutic approaches, is thoroughly examined. Through a critical synthesis of recent research findings, this article offers valuable insights into the contemporary knowledge of Helicobacter pylori infection, guiding both clinicians and researchers toward effective management and future directions in combating this global health challenge.

In the present work we study the properties of geodesic sub-$ (\alpha,b,s) $-preinvex functions on Hadamard manifolds and establish some basic properties in both general and differential cases. Further, we study sufficient conditions of optimality and proved some new inequalities under geodesic sub-($ \alpha,b,s $)-preinvexity.

Scope, time, and cost permanently effects each other and most of Information Technology projects fails due to these three factors. Scope shifting mostly occur due to time and cost. At project start, lack of understanding of project and product scope is focal involvement that leads to unsuccessful projects. Complete software scope definition determines quality of project. Defining the customer requirement and the definite scope of project has key role for implementation of project management. The complications originates when systems are developed from impractical expectations and misunderstanding requirements. These problems are cause of many changes, occurs in system development and leads to poor scope management. Scope creep is one of the momentous prompting parameter on the success of project. The failure in manage scope creep leads for 80 percent of software projects failure. However, using agile approach the impact of scope creep on projects become insignificant. A correctly distinct scope tends us to develop a quality product, within identified plans and decided cost to the stake-holders.

Long-term health consequences are influenced by circumstances that occur during pregnancy. The confluence of the maternal and fetal circulations occurs at the placenta, which is the first or-gan to develop. Placental pathology can provide an accurate diagnosis of inflammation inside the amniotic sac. The pathological alterations of preterm placentas provide evidence for the causes of numerous perinatal pathologies, including spontaneous preterm births. This retrospec-tive study aimed to re-examine placentas regarded as normal by the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department in our institution so that grading and staging of any evident inflammatory response could be evaluated and associated with baby gender. Eighty-four full-term placentas were col-lected after delivery. Placentas that were considered normal and were not sent to the histo-pathology department were taken. Morphological examination of fresh placenta was conducted. Full thicknesses of placenta samples were taken from central and marginal regions of placental disc. Fetal and maternal inflammatory responses syndrome were assessed. Villitis of unknown etiology (VUE) and chronic deciduitis also were evaluated in the placenta. Immunohistochemis-try (IHC) was also performed to evaluate patterns of inflammation in the placenta using an-ti-CD8 and anti-CD68 antibodies. The correlation between the silent pathologies and clinical complications or involvement of developing fetal inflammatory response syndrome was meas-ured. In this study, seventeen (20%) maternal inflammatory samples and ten (12%) fetal inflam-matory samples showed inflammatory responses. The frequency of chronic deciduitis and villi-tis of unknown etiology was more remarkable among Saudi pregnant women than the previ-ously reported findings in the literature of placental pathology. The prevalence of fetal and ma-ternal inflammatory response was greater in the placentas of mothers of males than in placentas of female mothers. Grading placental inflammation usually predict the degree of maternal an-ti-fetal cellular rejection. Fetal inflammatory response syndrome usually goes unnoticed in Sau-di Arabia. There are differences in the inflammatory response in the placenta based on the sex of the newborn. Increasing the number of placental samples that must be sent for microscopic in-spection may be preferable due to their significance in identifying the causes of chronic disor-ders.

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs) are characterized by dysregulated signaling pathways that are crucial for tumor formation and progression. The efficacy of traditional therapies is limited, particularly in treatment of PNETs at advanced stage. Epigenetic alterations profoundly impact the activity of signaling pathways in cancer development, offering potential opportunities for drug development. There is currently a lack of extensive research on epigenetic regulation in PNETs. To fill this gap, we first summarize major signaling events which are involved in PNET development. Then, we discuss the epigenetic regulation of these signaling pathways in the context of both PNET and commonly occurring, and therefore more extensively studied, malignancies. Finally, we will offer perspective on the future research direction of PNET epigenome and its potential applications in patient care.

This paper aims to investigate impact of employees’ gender on OCB as per the employees’ perception in Jordanian governmental hospitals. A convenient sample of 126 employees working in the three main governmental hospitals in north of Jordan has been taken for the purpose of this study. The collected data includes linguistic terms that suffer from uncertainty which, in turn, cannot be dealt with traditional numerical values. The result prove that gender impact on OCB has shown statistically significant differences at (α=0.05) as far as altruism, courtesy, and civic virtue are concerned; and this variable stands in favor of males with the total score of 0.011%. Similarly, as far as the effect of age factor on OCB is concerned, there have been statistically significant differences at (α=0.05) in relation to courtesy, sportsmanship, and civic virtue with the total score of 0.27%. Finally, the results provide a baseline data for further studies which may contribute more significant in the field of OCB.

The excited-state lifetimes of the anticoagulant drug warfarin (W) in water and in the absence and presence of methyl-β-cyclodextrins (Me-β-CD) were recorded using time-resolved fluorescence measurements. Selective excitation of the open and cyclic protonated isomers of W were acquired with laser emitting diodes (LED) producing 320 and 280 nm excitation pulses, respectively. Formation of the inclusion complex was checked by UV–visible absorption spectroscopy, and the values of binding constants (2.9 × 10³ M^–1 and 4.2 × 10² M^–1 for protonated and deprotonated forms, respectively) were extracted from the spectrophotometric data. Both absorption and time-resolved fluorescence results established that the interior of the macromolecular host binds preferentially the open protonated form, red shifts the maximum of its absorption of light at ~305 nm, extends its excited-state lifetime, and decreases its emission quantum yield (ФF). Collectively, sequestration of the open guest molecules decreases markedly their radiative rate constants (kr), likely due to formation of hydrogen-bonded complexes in both the ground and excited states. Due to lack of interactions, no change was observed in the excited-state lifetime of the cyclic form in the presence of Me-β-CD. The host also increases the excited-state lifetime and ФF of the drug deprotonated form (W¯). These later findings could be attributed to the increased rigidity inside the cavity of Me-β-CD. The pKa values extracted from the variations of the UV–visible absorption spectra of W versus the pH of aqueous solution showed that the open isomer is more acidic in both ground and excited states. The positive shifts in pKa values induced by three derivatives of cyclodextrins: HE-β-CD, Ac-β-CD, and Me-β-CD supported the preferential binding of these hosts to open isomers over cyclic.

Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) polymer is widely used in various fields today. In order to thoroughly reveal the structural impact performance of PMMA materials, this paper is based on the comprehensive Johnson-Cook constitutive model and damage failure model, and accurately confirm the J-C constitutive and damage failure model parameters of PMMA through material test data, The dynamic process of steel bullet impacting PMMA plate structure is analyzed by finite element software ABAQUS. The calculation results show that the numerical simulation results in this paper are in good agreement with the experimental test data. Therefore, the feasibility and accuracy of the impact analysis of PMMA structures based on J-C constitutive and damage failure models in this paper are studied. Finally, based on the J-C constitutive model and damage failure model, the variation of the residual velocity of the bullet with the PMMA plate thickness is analyzed in depth, that is, the results show that the residual velocity of the bullet has a certain linear relationship with the plate thickness.

Background: COVID-19 is a respiratory illness caused by SARS-CoV-2 that has become a global pandemic. Although children can contract the virus, they are generally less likely than adults to develop severe symptoms. Parents and caregivers should monitor their children for symptoms and seek medical attention if their child becomes ill. Practicing good hygiene and social distancing can help prevent the spread of the virus. Vaccines are available for children and can provide additional protection against COVID-19. Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on children is crucial for developing effective public health strategies to control the pandemic.Objectives: The current study aims to determine the prevalence of Covid-19 in pediatric age group in Duhok province and Zakho city, in Kurdistan region. among the children who tested positive for IgG test. If IgG antibodies are detected in a person's blood sample, it suggests that they have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 at some point in the past and their immune system has responded by producing antibodies against the virus.Methods: A cross-sectional investigation was undertaken involving youngsters aged 5 to 12 years. The study encompassed a total of 330 participants, selected between October and December 2022. The children underwent testing to detect IgG antibodies. Moreover, a questionnaire was employed to gather demographic and individual information from each contributor.Results: Among the studied sample, 302/330 (91.5%) of children were positive to IgG antibody test. No gender difference for COVID-19 was found in pediatric age group. Case fatality rate was 0%. 22/302 (6.6%) cases were symptomatic during the infection. However, 282(93.4%) cases were asymptomatic. Conclusions: Covid-19 infection in pediatric age group has good prognosis compared to adults. Intensive care unit (ICU) and death are rare. High-risk groups should be targeted for education and immunization/vaccination. Furthermore, more studies are needed to be conducted in order to investigate the risk factors of the infection and to assess the awareness among the general population about the risk of infection.

Inflation is a crucial macroeconomic indicator which measures changes in the general level of prices of goods and services. In recent years, a series of successive events affected the inflation rates. To fight this increase in inflation, governments start to take different actions through their monetary and fiscal policies. In this research 10 independent parameters were used to see their effect on inflation rates. Some are traditional like GDP, Population, and exchange rate while others are some new technology related parameters like E-money payments transactions and number of Institutions offering payment services/instruments. The dependent parameter is the consumer price index (CPI). All parameters were taken in 8 years period (2013-2020). Supervised machine learning is used to run a robust regression model. The results show that technology advancement in payments is not a catalyst for price inflation if it is used properly and under regulations and control monetary policies. The results direct regulators to have a good understanding of the situation and take the right action in their policies of adopting fintech businesses.

Livability is one of the paramount characteristics of the current era that architects striving to achieve. This situation becomes even more important on commercial streets, whose functional diversity and constant movement of people require special action. In Erbil, commercial streets suffer from neglect in terms of adopting places for livability. Although it has huge potential to form an attractive and entertaining environment other than shopping. Some countries have developed standards for the design of commercial streets. The basic requirements are the same, but details usually vary according to the diverse needs of people. The research aims to identify a comprehensive framework (A Checklist) for placemaking to form the basis for measuring livability in one of the vital streets in Erbil city. This Framework is considered the basis for assessing and designing at the same time, supporting designers to achieve two main pillars: develop existing streets and suggest basic principles for future street design. This article adopts a practical framework, a questionnaire, a field survey, and observation as research methods. The research concluded that altogether placemaking dimensions are essential in activating livability, and a sort of balance between the main dimensions appeared. The more applied strategies, the higher the street livability.

This paper presents a new adaptive and optimal algorithm for the trajectory tracking control of a quadrotor using iterative learning algorithm (ILA) and enumerative learning algorithm. Ordinarily the ILA, as an adaptive method, can perform well with PID control to improve the controller’s performance for a nonlinear system. Quadrotors are considered as non-linear and unstable systems which the use of an adaptive and optimal controller can increase its stability and decrease error level. In this method, a PID controller is proposed for the outer and inner control loops of a quadrotor and the ILA is used to adapt PID control gains. Subsequently, an enumerative learning algorithm is used to optimize the learning rates of the ILA. For this purpose, at first, the dynamic model of the quadrotor is acquired. After that, the structure of the inner and outer control loops is defined. In the end, the simulation results for the trajectory tracking control of a quadrotor are demonstrated. Through simulation, it is concluded that as time increases, the performance of the suggested control method in trajectory tracking control becomes better and better and error signals convergence to zero.

Mental health issues can have significant impacts on individuals and communities and hence on social sustainability. There are several challenges facing mental health treatment, however, more important is to remove the root causes of mental illnesses because doing so can help prevent mental health problems from occurring or recurring. This requires a holistic approach to understanding mental health issues that are missing from the existing research. Mental health should be understood in the context of social and environmental factors. More research and awareness are needed, as well as interventions to address root causes. The effectiveness and risks of medications should also be studied. This paper proposes a big data and machine learning-based approach for the automatic discovery of parameters related to mental health from Twitter data. The parameters are discovered from three different perspectives, Drugs & Treatments, Causes & Effects, and Drug Abuse. We used Twitter to gather 1,048,575 tweets in Arabic about psychological health in Saudi Arabia. We built a big data machine learning software tool for this work. A total of 52 parameters were discovered for all three perspectives. We defined 6 macro-parameters (Diseases & Disorders, Individual Factors, Social & Economic Factors, Treatment Options, Treatment Limitations, and Drug Abuse) to aggregate related parameters. We provide a comprehensive account of mental health, causes, medicines and treatments, mental health and drug effects, and drug abuse, as seen on Twitter, discussed by the public and health professionals. Moreover, we identify their associations with different drugs. The work will open new directions for social media-based identification of drug use and abuse for mental health, as well as other micro and macro factors related to mental health. The methodology can be extended to other diseases and provides a potential for discovering evidence for forensics toxicology from social and digital media.

The management of an organization's human resources is the first stage in the governance process for any operation. This present study examine the strategies employed in Saudi Arabia for establishing effective governance through the implementation of human resource management practices and the key sustainable strategies criteria for effective human resource management practices. This step is considered crucial in governance as it involves the selection of highly qualified individuals who are expected to contribute to the achievement of optimal governance outcomes and the overall well-being of the population within a nation as well as the key criteria involves. Qualitative research methodology as well as Decision making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) were utilized with a sample of 31 participants from 8 government ministries and 14 companies in Saudi Arabia. The study's findings from qualitative interview exert four key criteria influencing sustainable effective human resources management practices. Cultural reflection" is the most important long-term goals of Saudi Arabia's HRM initiatives found from DEMATEL evaluation impacting three criteria with7.9181, 8.2294, 8.1961 above the threshold value of 7.783599781. This means that HR professionals should take the time to study and evaluate the cultural dynamics at work, in order to promote cultural introspection and understanding of cultural differences.

The transverse momentum distribution of J/ψ mesons produced in pp collisions at the center-of-mass energy 5 TeV, 7 TeV，and 13 TeV is described by the modified Hagedorn function which is based on the Tsallis function and Hagedorn function. The calculated results by the modified Hagedorn function are in accord with experimental data measured by the LHCb Collaboration at LHC. The related parameters are obtained and analyzed.

Considered one of the finest first-generation Nigerian writers, John Pepper Clark-Bekederemo, who passed away on 13th October, 2020, had been categorised as a Eurocentric writer. This work assesses the authenticity or otherwise of this critics’ perception of Clark by critiquing his America, their America. By analysing this autobiography vis-à-vis the notion of self and other which is a theoretical concern in contemporary travel writing, it was established, among other things, that every culture has its dark sides which it must not feel too proud to change as time and situation demand; that Clark vehemently rejects the Americans’ claim of sophistication and superiority of their culture over African culture. The paper concludes that contemporary travel writing should be a rightful site for negotiating cultural, political and diplomatic compromises between the Self and the Other since the gulf may be difficult to close altogether.

Scientific studies on the impact of wood species on solid fuel production, performance, and sustainability are grossly inadequate. The knowledge of this is imperative as users of solid fuels are increasing rapidly, especially in Africa. On this note, it becomes necessary to explore measures that will improve its efficiency and sustainability as an energy source. This study investigates some properties of selected wood species used as an energy source in Nigeria and their pelleting potential. Nine (9) samples were characterized and assessed for suitability of pelleting following four wood pellet quality standards. The findings revealed Anogeissus leiocarpus as the species with the best rating score in terms of fuel properties while Vitellaria paradoxa as the lowest. However, in terms of conformity with the four wood pellets standards, Khaya senegalensis, Parkia biglobosa and Anogeissus leiocarpus having presented density, calorific value, sulfur, arsenic, cadmium, and lead within the limits of the wood pellet quality standards were considered the best wood species in terms of fuel suitability and pelleting potential. The findings therefore suggest that not all wood species are suitable as fuel. Thus, for species that do not meet the standard wood pellet requirements, alternatives such as the use of biomass blends, additives, or process adjustments can be employed to adapt the quality to the standards or by using the fuels in improved cookstoves.

The sustainable development of an area is highly dependable on reliable electrical energy supply. Microgrids are important in integrating distributed energy resources (DERs) using power electronic converters. However, microgrid control becomes challenging with the increasing number of distributed generators and loads. With the conventional droop control method, power contributions from DER converters cannot be accurately shared due to a mismatch of line impedances. In this paper, an augmented hierarchical control mechanism is proposed to solve the issues mentioned above. This hierarchical control mechanism consists of primary and secondary controllers. The primary stage utilized the droop controller to improve optimal power flow, mainly for the resistive network. The secondary stage is based on an improved methodology to compensate for the voltage and frequency variations during small and large signal disturbances. Moreover, the modelling and analysis for PMSG-based wind energy conversion systems are also presented. The response of the primary controller for the active and reactive power sharing is investigated. The analysis emphasizes the demonstration of optimal power-sharing under normal and abnormal conditions for the considered load. Finally, the suggested robust controller's performance is evaluated in MATLAB environment and simulation results show the proposed scheme's superiority under different operating conditions.

In this article, we are interested in a new generic class of nonlocal fractional impulsive differential inclusions with linear sectorial operator and Lipschitz multivalued function in the setting of finite dimensional Banach spaces. By modifying the definition of PC-mild solutions initiated by Shu, we succeeded to determine new conditions that sufficiently guarantee the existence of the solutions. The results are obtained by combining techniques of fractional calculus and fixed point theorem for contraction maps. We also characterize the topological structure of the set of solutions. Finally, we provide a demonstration to address the applicability of the theoretical results.

Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is one of the popular pulse crops grown for traditional consumption, not only in Oman but also in Arabian Peninsula and other countries. In Oman, the famers living in and around high altitude mountain areas mostly grow it. This paper highlights features of variation in seed color and diversity in seed traits found in collected accessions from the joint collecting missions of 2008-2010 between the staff of College of Agriculture, Sultan Qaboos University and the Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries throughout all the governorates of the Sultanate of Oman. 41 seed samples/accessions were collected from 38 sites. Of these, the highest number of accessions was collected from Batinah South governorate (38) represented mostly by the mountains of Rustaq, followed by the mountains of Interior/Al-Dakhliyah (8), and Dhahira & Buraimi (4). Only one accession was collected from mountains of the Eastern/ Al-Sharqiyah governorates. The seed accessions were found diverse with respect to all seed characters studied, i.e. seed length (cm) and width (cm) and 1000-seed weight (g) besides seed color. The faba bean accessions were classified into 9 genetically diverse clusters based on the Principal Component Analysis, which indicated that the contribution of seed width and 100-seed weight to the total variation existing in indigenous germplasm collected from all the governorates of Oman. It was found from the critical analysis of seed colors that 38 accessions were homogenous (pure) with one color and three were heterogeneous with combinations of colors.

Tagetes genus of Composite family consider one of the most favorite floriculture plant. Therefore, of particular interest examine the salt tolerance of this bedding and coloring agent plant. In this research, was report the role of glycinebetaine (GB) in attenuating the adverse impacts of salt stress in African marigold plant, along with their anti-oxidative capacities and biochemical attributes. The salt stressed African marigold (100 and 150 mM NaCl) was treated with GB at 200 mM, beside untreated control plants. According to the obtained results, the growth characters were negatively in salt stressed plants but a mitigate impact of GB were observed in this respect. Obviously, the morphological as well as some physiological characters were reduced with salinity treatments while GB treatment reverses these effects. Overall, the alleviate impact of GB on the negative impact of salt stress was enhanced through improving total phenolic and antioxidant enzyme activity. Further, it is concluded that GB concentration induces the activities of antioxidative enzymes which scavenged ROS increased under saline conditions.

Consider a robot that is navigating in a space modeled by a graph, and that wants to know its current location. It can send a signal to determine how far it is from each landmark among a set of fixed landmarks. We study the problem of computing the minimum required number of landmarks, and where they should be placed so that the robot can always determine its location. Since the problem is an NP-complete problem, the robot's responses to the actions are slow. To accelerate this response, we can use the parallel version of this problem. In this work, we introduce a new parallel implementation for determining the metric dimension of a given graph. We run the proposed algorithm on a symmetric multi-processing (SMP) cluster using C programming language and the Message Passing Interface (MPI) library. Finally, we run our implementation on four categories of graphs (the tracks in which the robot moves): a cycle graph Cn, a path graph Pn, a triangular snake graph and a ladder graph Ln. Preliminary computational results indicate that the metric dimension problem is an NP-complete problem and prove the ability of the proposed algorithm to achieve a speedup of 6 for 8 processors.

Data generation using high throughput technologies has led to the accumulation of diverse types of molecular data.These data have different types (discrete,real,string etc.) and occur in various formats and sizes. Datasets including gene expression, miRNA expression, protein-DNA binding data (ChIP-Seq/ChIP-ChIP), mutation data(copy number variation, single nucleotide polymorphisms), GO annotations, protein-protein interaction and disease-gene association data are some of the commonly used genomic datasets to study biological processes. Each of them provides a unique, complementary and partly independent view of the genome and hence embed essential information about their regulatory mechanisms. In order to understand the functions of genes, proteins and analyze mechanisms arising out of their interactions, information provided by each of these datasets individually may not be sufficient. Therefore integrating these multi-omic data and inferring regulatory interactions from the integrated dataset provides a system level biological insights in predicting gene functions and their phenotypic outcomes. To study genome functionality through interaction networks, different methods have been proposed for collective mining of information from an integrated dataset. We survey here data integration approaches using state-of-the-art techniques such as network integration, Bayesian networks, regularized regression (LASSO) and multiple kernel learning methods.

The pregnane X receptor (PXR) is the main nuclear receptor regulating the expression of xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes and is highly expressed in the liver and intestine. Recent studies have highlighted its additional role in lipid homeostasis, however, the mechanisms of these regulations are not fully elucidated. We investigated the transcriptomic signature of PXR activation in the liver of adult wild-type vs Pxr-/- C57Bl6/J male mice treated with the rodent specific ligand pregnenolone 16α-carbonitrile (PCN). PXR activation increased liver triglyceride accumulation and significantly regulated the expression of 1215 genes mostly xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes. Among the down-regulated genes, we identified a strong peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) signature. Comparison of this signature with a list of fasting-induced PPARα target genes confirmed that PXR activation decreased the expression of more than 25 PPARα target genes, among which the hepatokine fibroblast growth factor 21 (Fgf21). PXR activation abolished plasmatic levels of FGF21. We provide a comprehensive signature of PXR activation in the liver and identify new PXR target genes that might be involved in the steatogenic effect of PXR. Moreover, we show that PXR activation down-regulates hepatic PPARα activity and FGF21 circulation, which could participate in the pleiotropic role of PXR in energy homeostasis.

This paper demonstrates an on-off keying (OOK) super-regenerative quenching transmitter operating in 402- 405MHz MICs band applications. To reduce power consumption, the transmitter is controlled by a novel digital quenching signal controller that generates a digital control signal to start transmitter operation when a baseband signal is input to the transmitter. The digital signal controller consists of an envelope detector, a comparator, and a quench timer designed using a state machine to synchronize the operation between the digital controller and the input baseband signal. The transmitter consists of a Colpitts oscillator operating in double operating frequency followed by a frequency divider by 2, this configuration reduces system area and improves phase noise and signal spectrum. The proposed transmitter is implemented using UMC 130nm CMOS technology, and a 1.2V supply. Simulation shows that the proposed transmitter can meet MICS band mask specifications with data rates up to 1Mbps and total power dissipation of 537uW.

In recent decades, widespread damage to structures due to destructive earthquakes has encouraged researchers to use seismic control systems. One of the most important structures is bridges, which should maintain their service after severe earthquakes. One of the ways to control the bridge is to isolation the deck from the substructure, which results in high displacements at different points in the bridge and the residual displacements within the separator itself, thus requiring repair and replacement of these systems after severe earthquakes. Therefore, the use of new seismic separation systems on bridges has always been important. The purpose of this project is to utilize a new memory-shaped seismic separator system to investigate the seismic performance of v-shaped column bridges , in which case the effect of earthquake orientation and its effects on responses the earthquake will also be assessed. Due to the ever-increasing advances in various intelligent materials, such as shape memory alloys, and their unique capacities, such as back-centering, and high fatigue and corrosion resistance, in this study, these materials have been used as a complementary component along with lead core separators. The shape memory alloy has been used as 4 vertical rods that connect two separating parts to each other and in this research the diameter and location of these rods will be calculated using optimization algorithm in Matlab software.

BACKGROUND: Over the past few years, there has been an increasing interest to view the diagnosis of Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) through the lens of the biopsychosocial model. However, other than a few epidemiological surveys, there is a dearth of studies from emerging economies that have examined FH using the biological, psychological and socio-environmental facets of the aforementioned model. AIM. The three aims of the current study were as follows: (i) to examine the psychosocial status among patients with genetically confirmed FH, (ii) to compare the intellectual capacity and cognitive outcomes with a reference group, and (iii) to examine the relationship between health literacy and cognitive functioning. METHOD: Consecutive FH patients referred to the lipid clinic at a tertiary care center for an expert opinion were recruited into this study, conducted from September 2019 to March 2020. Information regarding psychosocial functioning, health literacy, quality of life, and affective ranges were surveyed. Indices of current reasoning ability (attention and concentration, memory, and executive functioning) were compared with an age-matched reference group. The current hypothesis also explored the impact of FH on health literacy and cognition. RESULT: A total of 70 participants out of 106 (response rate: 66.0%) initially agreed to participate. However, 18 out of 70 dropped out of the study, yielding a final total of 52 FH patients. With 27 (51.9%) males and 25 (48.1%) females, the mean participant age stood at 37.2 years (SD=9.2), ranging from 21 to 52 years of age. In the psychosocial data, thirty-two percent (n=17) of them had anxiety (HADS≥ 8), and twenty-five percent (n=13) had depressive symptoms (HADS≥ 8). The performance of the FH patients was significantly impaired compared to the control group on the indices of current reasoning ability and all domains of cognitive functioning. In univariate analysis conducted to compare cognitive functioning with health literacy status, only indices of attention and concentration emerged as being significant. CONCLUSION: To date, there are only a few studies employing the biopsychosocial paradigm to investigate the FH population. The current study indicates that the FH population is marked by an impediment in almost all of the core features that are characteristically assessed by the biopsychosocial approach.

In this paper, we succeed to discover the new exact wave solutions to the truncated M-fractional complex three coupled Maccari’s system by utilizing the Sardar sub-equation scheme. The obtained solutions are in the form of trigonometric and hyperbolic forms. These solutions have many applications in nonlinear optics, fiber optics, deep water-waves, plasma physics, mathematical physics, fluid mechanics, hydrodynamics and engineering where the propagation of nonlinear waves is important. Achieved solutions are verified with the use of Mathematica software. Some of the achieved solutions are also described graphically by 2-dimensional, 3-dimensional and contour plots with the help of Maple software. The gained solutions are helpful for the further development of concerned model. Finally, this technique is simple, fruitful and reliable to handle the nonlinear FPDEs.

For a positive integer k, a radio k-coloring of a simple connected graph G = (V (G), E(G)) is a mapping | f(u) - f(v)| ≥ k +1-d (u , v ) such that f :V (G)→{0,1, 2,...} for each pair of distinct vertices u and v of G, where d(u, v) is the distance between u and v in G. The span of a radio k-coloring f, rck(f), is the maximum integer it assigns to some vertex of G. The radio k-chromatic number, rck(G) of G is min{rck(f)}, where the minimum is taken over all radio k-colorings f of G. If k is the diameter of G, then rck(G) is known as the radio number of G. In this work, we propose four algorithms (two serial algorithms and their parallel versions) which related to the radio k-coloring problem. One of them is an approximate algorithm that determines an upper bound of the radio number of a given graph. The other is an exact algorithm which finds the radio number of a graph G. The approximate algorithm is a polynomial time algorithm while the exact algorithm is an exponential time algorithm. The parallel algorithms are parallelized using the Message Passing Interface (MPI) standard. The experimental results prove the ability of the proposed algorithms to achieve a speedup 7 for 8 processors.

Metal additive manufacturing (AM) has gained much attentions in recent years due to its advantages including geometric freedom and design complexity, appropriate to a wide range of potential industrial applications. However, conventional metal AM methods have high-cost barriers due to the initial cost of the capital equipment, support and maintenance, etc. This study presents a unique low-cost metal material extrusion (MME) technology. The filaments used have polylactic acid (PLA) as the matrix and metal powders (copper, bronze, stainless steel, high carbon iron, and aluminum) as reinforcements. Using the proposed fabrication technology, test specimens were built by extruding polymer/metal composite filaments, which were then sintered in an open-air furnace to produce solid metallic parts. In this research, the mechanical and thermal properties of the built parts are examined using tensile tests, thermogravimetric-, thermomechanical- and microstructural analysis.

In the context of healthcare technology management (HTM) in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region, this study addresses a significant gap by exploring both external and internal risk factors affecting HTM performance. Previous research has primarily focused on modeling or predicting failures in medical devices, mostly examining internal (endogenous) factors that impact device performance and the development of optimal service strategies. However, a comprehensive investigation of external (exogenous) factors has been notably absent. This research introduces a novel hierarchical risk management framework, designed to accommodate the broad array of healthcare technologies, not limited to medical devices. It significantly advances the field by thoroughly investigating and validating a comprehensive set of 53 risk factors and assessing their influence on HTM. Additionally, this study embraces the perspective of enterprise risk management (ERM) and expands it to identify and incorporate a wider range of risk factors, offering a more holistic and strategic approach to risk assessment in healthcare technology management. The findings reveal that several external and internal factors previously underexplored significantly impact HTM performance. Notably, the Fuzzy AHP survey identified “design risk” under facility and environmental risks as the highest risk for HTM in the region. Furthermore, the study reveals that three out of the top ten risks are related to “facility and internal environmental” factors, six are related to technological endogenous factors, and only one is related to managerial factors. This distribution underscores the critical areas for intervention and the need for robust facility and technology management strategies. In conclusion, this research not only fills a critical void by providing a robust framework for healthcare technology risk assessment but also broadens the scope of risk analysis to include a wider array of technologies, thereby enhancing the efficacy and safety of healthcare interventions in the region. Additionally, the proposed hierarchy provides insights into the underlying risk factors for healthcare technology management, with potential applications extending beyond the regional context to a global scale. Moreover, the equation we propose offers a novel perspective on the key risk factors involved in healthcare technology management, presenting insights with far-reaching implications applicable not only regionally but also on a global level. This framework also supports sustainability goals by encouraging the efficient and responsible utilization and management of healthcare technologies, essential for ensuring the long-term economic and environmental sustainability of medical technology use.

The prolonged exposure to nicotine and the development of nicotine dependence have significant implications for cancer risk. Tobacco use, driven by nicotine addiction, is a major contributing factor to the development of various types of cancer. Smoking tobacco, in particular, has been strongly associated with an increased risk of lung cancer, as well as other malignancies. The harmful chemicals present in tobacco products, including carcinogens, can cause DNA damage and promote the initiation and progression of cancerous cells. This article presents a comprehensive literature review on the neurobiology of nicotine dependence and its implications for tobacco use treatment. Nicotine dependence is a complex phenomenon involving various neurobiological mechanisms. When nicotine enters the body, it binds to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the brain's reward circuitry, triggering the release of neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. Over time, repeated nicotine exposure leads to neuroadaptive changes in the brain, resulting in increased motivation to seek and use the drug. Understanding the neurobiology of nicotine dependence is crucial for developing effective treatment strategies. Pharmacological interventions, such as nicotine replacement therapy and medications like bupropion and varenicline, can help individuals manage cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Additionally, behavioral therapies and counseling play a vital role in enhancing self-efficacy and providing support for smoking cessation efforts. By reviewing the existing literature, this article sheds light on the intricate neural pathways and processes involved in nicotine addiction. It emphasizes the importance of a multidimensional approach that combines pharmacological treatments and behavioral interventions to address the physiological and psychological aspects of nicotine dependence. This knowledge can inform the development of more targeted and personalized treatment approaches to help individuals overcome tobacco addiction and improve their chances of successful smoking cessation.

Cyrene was evaluated for the first time as a potential sustainable mobile phase solvent in re-versed-phase chromatography. As a benign biodegradable solvent, Cyrene is an attractive re-placement to classical non-green organic chromatographic solvents such as acetonitrile and a modifier, co-eluent to known green solvents such as ethanol. Compared to ethanol, Cyrene is less toxic, non-flammable, bio-based, biodegradable and cheaper solvent. A fire safety spider Chart was generated to compare the properties of Cyrene to ethanol and show its superiority as a greener solvent. Cyrene's behaviour, advantages, and drawbacks in reversed-phase chromatography, including cut-off value, elution power, selectivity, and effect on the column, were investigated using a model drug mixture of moxifloxacin and metronidazole. A monolithic C18 (10 x 4.6 mm) column was used as a stationary phase. Different ratios of Cyrene: ethanol with an aqueous portion of sodium acetate buffer mobile phases were tested. A mobile phase consisting of Cyrene: ethanol: 0.1 M sodium acetate buffer pH 4.25 (8:13:79, v/v) was selected as most suitable mobile phase system for separating and simultaneously determining metronidazole and moxifloxacin. The greenness and whiteness of the method were evaluated using the qualitative green assessment tool AGREE and the white analytical chemistry assessment tool RGB12. Further potentials of Cyrene as a solvent or modifier in normal phase chromatography, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and supercritical fluid chromatography are discussed.

Lichen Amyloidosis (LA) is a type of cutaneous amyloidosis characterized by brownish hyperkeratotic and itchy papules on the lower leg, back, forearm or thigh. It is associated with itching and Atopic Dermatitis (AD) according to an etiopathogenetic mechanism that has not yet been fully elucidated. Currently, available therapies for this condition include oral antihistamines, laser, cyclosporine, topical corticosteroids and phototherapy, but in light of the overlap with AD, Dupilumab may also be indicated. We report the case of a female, 52 years old, suffering from AD and LA for about 27 years. She had lesions attributable to both diseases on the trunk and lower limbs associated with severe itching and had proved resistant to cyclosporine therapy. It was decided to opt for Dupilumab with induction of 2 fl of 300 mg and maintenance with 1 fl every other week. The therapy proved effective, returning a total resolution of both diseases one year after the beginning of the treatment. Dupilumab demonstrated efficacy and safety in LA related to AD and led to clinical and quality of life improvement in this patient. Therefore, Dupilumab should be considered when treating LA. Further studies should be conducted focusing on the efficacy of the drug on LA (whether or not related to AD), changes in skin lesions after discontinuation, and the safety of long-term application.

Carbon nanotubes are hybridized with metal crystals to impart multifunctionality into the nanohybrids (NHs). Simple but effective synthesis techniques are desired to form both zero-valent and oxides of different metal species on carbon nanotube surfaces. Sol-gel technique brings in significant advantages and is a viable technique for such synthesis. This study probes the efficacy of sol-gel process and aims to identify underlying mechanisms of crystal formation. Standard electron potential (SEP) is used as a guiding parameter to choose the metal species; i.e., highly negative SEP (e.g., Zn) with oxide crystal tendency, highly positive SEP (e.g., Ag) with zero-valent crystal-tendency, and intermediate range SEP (e.g., Cu) to probe the oxidation tendency in crystal formation are chosen. Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction are used to evaluate the synthesized NHs. Results indicate that SEP can be a reliable guide for the resulting crystalline phase of a certain metal species, particularly when the magnitude of this parameter is relatively high. However, for intermediate range SEP-metals, mix phase crystals can be expected. For example, Cu will form Cu₂O and zero-valent Cu crystals, unless the synthesis is performed in a reducing environment.

This paper seeks to model the crack propagation in of AAs (aluminum-alloys) 2524-T3 and 7050-T7452 subjected to fatigue loading at low temperature. Fatigue crack growth tests were performed on AAs 2524-T3 and 7050-T7452 subjected to constant-amplitude and actual random-spectra loading histories at room temperature of about 25 °C and at cryogenic temperature of -70 °C, respectively, to determine their crack growth properties and residual lives. The interaction mechanisms between cryogenic temperature and the fatigue load were deduced on the basis of the results of fractographic analysis. Temperature-dependent residual lives under actual random-spectrum load history were modeled based on a modified accumulation damage rule by accounting for the load interaction. Good correlation was achieved between the predictions and actual experiments, demonstrating the practical and effective use of the proposed method.

A sustainable reversed-phase chromatographic method has been developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of three active pharmaceutical ingredients, dorzolamide, brinzolamide, and timolol, used to treat glaucoma. The eco-friendly solvent isopropanol has been used as an organic mobile phase constituent. According to the Hansen space green solvent selection tool, isopropanol has a G score of 6.5, comparable to ethanol, which has a G score of 6.6. The mobile phase consists of isopropanol: aqueous sodium acetate buffer (0.1 M, pH 4.25) in the ratio of 10:90 (v/v). The flow rate was maintained at 1 mL/min. Dorzolamide and brinzolamide were detected at 254 nm, and timolol was detected at 295 nm. A high-purity silica with a polymeric C18 modification column (5 µm,150 x 4.6 mm) was used for this separation. The three compounds were eluted within 8 min. The method was validated according to ICH guidelines. The calibration curves were linear in the range of 20-70 µg/mL, 40-140 µg/mL, and 20-70 µg/mL for dorzolamide, brinzolamide, and timolol, respectively. The LODs were found to be 1.61 µg/mL, 1.60 µg/mL, and 3.16 µg/mL for dorzolamide, brinzolamide, and timolol, respectively. Good accuracy and precision were obtained for the three compounds. The greenness and whiteness of the method were indicated using the AGREE and RGB12 tools, respectively.

Background: In spinal cord injury, radical treatment is still a persistent hope for patients and clinicians. Our study aimed to determine the different histological changes in central, cranial and caudal sites of compressed spinal cord as a result of neuroectodermal stem cells (NESCs) transplantation in rats. Material and methods: For extraction of NESCs, future brains were extracted from mice embryos (10-days old) and cultured. Eighty, male rats were divided randomly into control, sham (20 rats each); while 40 rats were subjected to compressed spinal cord injury (CSCI). Seven days after spinal cord injury, rats were subdivided into 2 groups (20 rats each); an untreated and treated with NESCs injected cranial and caudal to the site of the spinal cord injury. Rats were sacrificed 4 weeks after transplantations of NESCs and specimens from the spinal cord at the central, cranial and caudal to site of spinal cord injury were proceeded to be stained with haematoxylin & eosin, osmic acid and Immunohistochemistry of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Results: Sections of CSCI revealed areas of hemorrhages, necrosis and cavitation limited by reactive astrocytosis, with upregulation of GFAP expression. Evidence of remyelination and mitigation of histopathological features, reactive astrocytosis in CSCI sections were more pronounced in cranial than in caudal region. Conclusions: NESCs transplantation ameliorated the pathological changes, promoted remyelination.

This study aimed to evaluate and compare the mechanical properties of three CAD-CAM monolithic esthetic zirconia (Ceramill® Zolid FX Multilayer (ZF), IPS e.max® ZirCAD MT Multi (ZM), and KATANATM STML (KS)) with a CAD-CAM lithium disilicate glass-ceramic (IPS e.max® CAD LT (MC)) as control. 80 samples (20/group) were milled, sintered, and subjected to a three-point bending test (3-PBT) to measure flexural strength and elastic modulus; Vickers indentations were used to measure microhardness. The numerical outcomes were analyzed using one-way ANOVA with a statistical significance set at <0.05. Zirconia showed superior mechanical properties compared with lithium disilicate (P<0.05). ZM had the highest values of flexural strength (P<0.05), KS and ZM showed significantly higher elastic modulus values than ZF (P<0.05), and ZF and KS microhardness values were significantly higher than ZM (P<0.05). Monolithic multi-layered zirconia had enhanced mechanical properties when compared with lithium disilicate and can be a predictable replacement in clinical applications.

On 11 March 2020, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was defined by the World Health Organization as a pandemic. Severe acute respiratory syndrome-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the newly evolving human coronavirus infection, causing (COVID-19), first appeared in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and spread rapidly all over the world. COVID-19 is being increasingly investigated in virology, epidemiology, and clinical management strategies. There is currently no established consensus on the standard of care in the pharmacological treatment of COVID-19 patients. However, certain medications suggested for other diseases tend to be potentially effective for treating this infection, although, so far, without clear evidence. Therapies include new agents which are currently tested in several clinical trials, in addition to other medications that have been repurposed as antiviral and immune-modulating therapies. Previous high-morbidity human coronavirus epidemics such as the 2003 SARS-CoV and the 2012 Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) prompted the identification of compounds that could theoretically be active against the emerging coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Moreover, the advances in molecular biology techniques and computational analysis allowed better recognition of the virus structure and quicker screening of chemical libraries to suggest potential therapies. This review aims to summarize rationalized pharmacotherapy considerations in COVID-19 patients, to serve as a tool for health care professionals at the forefront of clinical care during this pandemic. All the therapies reviewed require either additional drug development or randomized large-scale clinical trials to be justified for clinical use.

A Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) is a network of wirelessly connected sensing and actuating devices. WBANs used for recording biometric information and administering medication are classified as part of a Cyber Physical System (CPS). Preserving user security and privacy is a fundamental concern of WBANs, which introduces the notion of using biometric readings as a mechanism for authentication. Extensive research has been conducted regarding the various methodologies (e.g. ECG, EEG, gait, head/arm motion, skin impedance). This paper seeks to analyze and evaluate the most prominent biometric authentication techniques based on accuracy, cost, and feasibility of implementation. We suggest several authentication schemes which incorporate multiple biometric properties.

Informal settlements pose multifaceted challenges to urban development, necessitating a reconsideration of traditional upgrading approaches. This study examines the integration of the Street-Led Approach within the Ezbit Hegazi informal settlement, leveraging the Alexandria University Centre of Excellence for Smart Urban Governance's (ALEXU-CoE-SUG) innovative framework. It highlights the centrality of 'Demand for Good Governance' (DFGG) practices in bridging the gap between governmental (supply-side) and community (demand-side) objectives, fostering a collaborative urban upgrading process. Through an in-depth case study analysis, this paper reveals the potential of aligning governmental agendas with local aspirations, emphasizing the importance of local dynamics in sustainable urban development. The findings contribute to the urban studies literature by providing insights into the synergies between supply and demand perspectives in the context of informal settlement upgrading, offering implications for policy and practice in similar urban settings globally.

Internet-led labour market has become so competitive forcing many organisations from different sectors to embrace e-recruitment. However, realising the value of the e-recruitment from a Requirements Engineering (RE) analysis perspective is challenging. This research is motivated by the results of a failed e-recruitment project conducted in military domain which is used as a case study in this research. After reviewing the various challenges faced in that project through a number of related research domains, this research focuses on two major problems which are the (1) difficulty of scoping, representing, and systematically transforming recruitment problem knowledge towards e-recruitment solution specification; and (2) the difficulty of documenting e-recruitment best practices for reuse purposes in an enterprise recruitment environment. In this paper, a Problem-Oriented Conceptual Model (POCM) with a complementary Ontology for Recruitment Problem Definition (Onto-RPD) is proposed to contextualise the various recruitment problem viewpoints from an enterprise perspective and to elaborate those problem viewpoints towards a comprehensive recruitment problem definition. The POCM and Onto-RPD are developed incrementally using action-research conducted on three real case studies: (1) Secureland Army Enlistment, (2) British Army Regular Enlistment, and (3) UK Undergraduate Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). They are later evaluated in a focus group study against a set of criteria. The study showed that the POCM and Onto-RPD provide a strong foundation for representing and understanding the e-recruitment problems from different perspectives.

Two experiments were conducted to develop a Nano green manganese and assess its effect on grapevines. The first experiment was microbiological, where several incorporation strategies were utilized to enrich the yeast with manganese, as follows: (1) adding manganese to the liquid medium (growth phase), (2) adding after 24 h of incubation (non-growth phase). As the results, growth phase reduced the possibility of medium contamination. Manganese concentration in the yeast cells was increased as that of manganese sulphate in the medium. Manganese incorporation in yeast cells was 99.93% higher than that of the medium at 0.0195 g/l of manganese. Although the concentration of manganese in the medium raised the OD of yeast cell biomass, manganese sulphate had no passive influence on it. The second experiment was horticultural, done on Flame Seedless grapevines, since both active fresh and frozen yeast enriched with manganese resulted from the first experiment were sprayed twice a year at 10 or 20 cm3/l comparing with manganese sulphate, and manganese chelate. The results demonstrated that yeast extracts in both forms increased the yield and improved fruit properties. The most effective treatment on vegetative growth, yield and fruit properties was the frozen yeast enriched with manganese at 20 cm3/l.

Infectious diseases continue to be a significant threat to human health and civilization, and finding effective methods to combat them is crucial. In this research, we investigate the impact of awareness campaigns and optimal control techniques on infectious diseases without proper vaccines. Specifically, we develop an SIRS type mathematical model that incorporates awareness campaigns through media and treatment for disease transmission dynamics and control. The model displays two equilibria, a disease-free equilibrium and an endemic equilibrium, and exhibits Hopf bifurcation when the bifurcation parameter exceeds its critical value, causing a switch in the stability of the system. We also propose an optimal control problem that minimizes the cost of control measures while achieving a desired level of disease control. By applying the minimum principle to the optimal control problem, we obtain analytical and numerical results that show how the infection rate of the disease affects the stability of the system and how awareness campaigns and treatment can maintain system stability. This study highlights the importance of awareness campaigns in controlling infectious diseases and demonstrates the effectiveness of optimal control theory in achieving disease control with minimal cost.

Saudi Arabia consists mainly of desert land. However, it has big and small natural wetlands and artificial wetlands. Most of these wetlands are seen along the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf coastal regions. Al-Asfar Lake, located in the Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia, is one of the historical landmarks of Al-Ahsa province. The primary lake water source is agricultural drainage water, which some refer to as an artificial lake. This paper mainly aims to reflect shade on the wetlands in Saudi Arabia in general and to show in detail the environmental impacts of Al-Asfar Lake on the ecosystem and biodiversity of the study area. The analytical review of the previous studies conducted in Al-Asfar Lake was adopted in this article. Hence, the impact of the lake on the land-use system, water quality and biodiversity was illustrated as the main outputs of the review analysis. However, the sustainable management of Al-Asfar Lake requires the stakeholders to adopt the wetland ecosystem health concept, which might lead to improving the lake's environmental conditions.

In recent years, the discharge of various emerging pollutants, chemicals and dyes in water and wastewater has represented one of the prominent human problems. Since water pollution is directly related to human health, highly resistant and emerging compounds in aquatic environments will pose many potential risks to the health of all living. Therefore, water pollution is a very acute problem that has constantly increased in recent years with the expansion of various industries. Consequently, choosing efficient and innovative wastewater treatment methods to remove contaminants is crucial. Among advanced oxidation processes, electrochemical oxidation (EO) is the most common and effective method for removing persistent pollutants from municipal and industrial wastewater. However, there are still many gaps despite the great progress in using EO to treat real wastewater. This is due to the lack of comprehensive information on the operating parameters which affect the process and its operating costs. In this paper, among various scientific articles, the impact of operational parameters on the EO performances, a comparison between different electrochemical reactor configurations, and a report on general mechanisms of electrochemical oxidation of organic pollutants have been reported. Moreover, an evaluation of cost analysis and energy consumption requirements have also been discussed. Finally, the combination process between EO and another important advanced oxidation technology, PEC, called photoelectrocatalysis (PEC), has shortly been discussed and reviewed. This article showed that there is a direct relationship between important operating parameters with the amount of costs and the final removal efficiency of emerging pollutants. Optimal operating conditions can be achieved by paying special attention to reactor design, which can lead to higher efficiency and more efficient treatment. The rapid development of EO for removing emerging pollutants from impacted water and its combination with other green methods can result in more efficient approaches to face the pressing water pollution challenge.

Introduction: The association of gene variants for interleukin 6(IL-6) (rs1800796), interleukin 10 (IL-10) (rs1800896) and tumor necrosis factorα (TNFα (rs1800629) with the occurrence of spontaneous preterm birth (PTB) was investigated to determine whether these genetic variants are a risk factor. Materials and methods: 199 blood samples from pregnant women who had given birth prematurely and 200 control blood samples were analyzed to determine single nucleotide polymor-phisms (SNPs) of genes for IL-6 (rs1800796), IL-10 (rs1800896) and TNFα (rs1800629). The control samples were samples from pregnant women with term delivery. Isolation of DNA was per-formed on mini-spin columns according to the manufacturer's protocol. The quality and purity of the isolated DNA were tested using a Qubit 3 fluorometer. Genotyping was performed with an ABI PRISM 7500 SDS using TaqMan SNP genotyping assays. The genotypes obtained were an-alyzed using the 7500 Software v2.3 package. Results: Carriers of the A/A genotype for the rs1800629 of the TNFα gene have 4.81 times greater chance of late-onset PTB compared to carriers of the G/G and A/G genotypes in the recessive inheritance model. The presence of the G/G genotype in the recessive inheritance model compared with the G/A and A/A genotypes for the rs1800896 of the IL-10 gene represents a potentially protective factor, with mothers in the term-birth group having an almost 2-fold lower odds of PTB in general and an almost 10-fold lower odds of early PTB. On the other hand, carriers of the A/G genotype of rs1800896 have a 1.54-fold higher chance of preterm birth in general and a 1.6-fold higher chance of late preterm birth in the super dominant inheritance model compared to the A/A and G/G genotypes in the group of mothers with PTB. In this study, no association was found between PTB and rs1800796 of the IL-6 gene. Conclusion: rs1800629 in mothers was associated with PTB. rs1800896 shows a potentially protective effect for the occurrence of PTB in this study. No association was found between PTB and rs1800796.

The ozonation reaction in a bubble column reactor (BCR) has been widely used in the removal of phenol from wastewater, but the phenol removal efficiency in this type of reactor is limited because of low ozone solubility and reactivity in the system. In the present study, the phenol degradation was enhanced using α-Al2O3 as a packing material and a ZnO nanocatalyst in the BCR. The reactor diameter and height were 8 cm and 180 cm, respectively. The gas distributor was designed to include 52 holes of 0.5-mm diameter. Also, the gas holdup, pressure drop, and bubble size were measured as a function of the superficial gas velocity (i.e., 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, and 3 cm/s). The evaluation of the hydrodynamic parameters provided a deep understanding of the ozonation process to select the optimal operating parameters in the reactor. It was found that the best superficial gas velocity was 2.5 cm/s. A complete (100%) phenol removal was achieved for phenol concentrations of 15, 20, and 25 ppm at reaction times of 80, 90, and 100 min, respectively, using α-Al2O3 packing material and a ZnO nanocatalyst in the BCR. Additionally, the results provided a clear reaction mechanism describing the ozonized BCR. Finally, the applied treatment method can be used efficiently to remove phenol from wastewater at a low cost, with little consumed energy, and a simple operation.

Hillslope and mountain roads are often the source of erosion, which in turn can lead to larger landslides and other types of mass-movements. For this reason, low-cost repeat surveys that can be done by practitioners and not solely scientists and engineers is essential. To solve this issue the present contribution shows the testing and applicability of a mix of SfM-MVS and low-cost SLAM technology to provide erosion information. The low-cost SLAM generated between 300 ~ 900 points per square meter, while SfM-MVS created between ~11,000 to 900,000 points. The density is however a trade-off against a spatially varying error, although the variability at the road-cut scale only ranges from 2 cm vertically to 2.5 cm in x,y,z based on the C2C algorithm. Furthermore, this error tends to be more important in the higher section of the cutout (further away from the sensor and at a flatter angle). It is thus possible to measure small-scale roadside change, providing that the change is in the range of >5 cm (adding the maximum potential error twice) and providing that the road-cut is such that the sensors can be brought close to the surface (camera or sensor on a pole). The authors suggest that it can be a solution for state and agencies with limited funding and that cannot afford regular laser or for roadside that are difficult to access.

Perovskite solar cells have shown significant progress, but their commercialization remains hindered by lead-based toxicity. Many nontoxic perovskite-based solar cells have demonstrated potential such as Cs2AgBi0.75Sb0.25Br6, but their power-conversion efficiency is inadequate. To address this issue, some researchers are focusing on emerging acceptor-donor-acceptor'-donor-acceptor (A-DA'D-A) type non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs) for Cs2AgBi0.75Sb0.25Br6 to find effective electron transport layers for high-performance photovoltaic responses with low voltage drops. In this comparative study, four novel A-DA'D-A types NFAs such as BT-LIC, BT-BIC, BT-L4F, and were used as an electron transport layer (ETL) for the proposed devices, FTO/PEDOT: PSS/ Cs2AgBi0.75Sb0.25Br6/ETL/Au. Comprehensive simulations were conducted to optimize the devices. The simulations showed that all optimized devices exhibit photovoltaic responses, with the BT-BIC device having the highest power conversion efficiency (13.2%) and the BT-LIC device having the lowest (6.8%). The BT-BIC as ETL provides fewer interfacial traps and better band alignment, enabling greater open-circuit voltage for efficient photovoltaic responses.

In this study, we actually want to explore the time-fractional Phi-four equation via two methods, the exp _a function method and the hyperbolic function method. We transform a fractional order dierential equation into an ordinary differential equation using a wave transformation and the fractional derivative in conformable form. Then, the resulting equation has successfully been explored for new explicit exact solutions. The procured solutions are simply showed the effectiveness and plainness of the projected methods.

We present a case of serious and progressive neuropathy shortly following administration of the herpes zoster subunit (HZ/su) vaccine. The progressive neuropathy occurred a week following the vaccination and progressed until discharge 16 days post admittance. Mild patient’s symptoms persist. The development of neuropathy following HZ/su is exceedingly rare, with an attributable risk of 3 cases per million vaccines administered. A black box warning was issued for this indication, although diagnosis and treatment were not confirmed for this patient. Reporting cases like this is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of vaccine risks and to characterize the underlying etiology of these serious adverse events.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization issued a practical approach and Global Action Plan to control the threatening emerging antibacterial resistance. One of the main basis of this plan is the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASPs). This study aimed to evaluate community pharmacists’ awareness and perception towards antimicrobial resistance and ASPs in Jordan. Thus, a qualitative study was conducted through in-depth interviews with twenty community pharmacists. Convienience sampling was used in the study. Qualitative analysis of the data yielded four themes and eleven sub-themes. All the respondents showed good understanding about the causes of antimicrobial resistance. The most important causes reported by them was the non-restricted prescription of antimicrobials. Most of the pharmacists believed that they are competent to provide ASPs, however, they believed that there are several barriers against the implementation of ASPs in community pharmacies in Jordan. Barriers demonstrated by the pharmacists, including organizational obstacles, resources obstacles, and personal obstacles. As a conclusion, this study revealed several barriers against the implementation of ASPs in community pharmacies in Jordan. Incorporating ASPs in the community pharmacy settings requires proper pharmacist training, several academic disciplines team efforts, and good pharmacy practice of antimicrobial guidelines.

Purpose: We aimed to evaluate the impact of preconditioning adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) with the autophagy inducer rapamycin (Rapa) on Cisplatin (Cis) induced ovarian toxicity in a rat model. Methods: ADMSCs were pretreated with 50 nmol/L rapa for two h in vitro. Another in vivo study included 96 female Sprague-Dawley rats divided into four equal groups: control, Cis, Cis +ADMSCs, and Cis +ADMSCs + Rapa. Rats were sacrificed after 2 and 6 weeks. Each group was subdivided into two equal subgroups: 6 rats were sacrificed to study ovarian parameters, and six were left for mating to evaluate the fertility index. Results: Autophagy activation was detected in ADMSCs + Rapa by increasing autophagosomes, high autophagy-specific LC3-II gene and protein expression, and low expression of p62 and mTOR genes. Moreover, transplantation of ADMSCs + Rapa restored balance between E2, FSH, and LH, increased antioxidant activity, and improved follicular count and quality after 2 and 6 weeks of treatment. Fertility index analysis manifested restoring reproductive capacity in the ADMSCs+ Rapa group at both intervals. Conclusions: Autophagy induction could enhance the therapeutic capability of ADMSCs by deactivating the mTOR pathway, which in turn promotes the ovarian folliculogenesis process after exposure to Cis.

This case study explores communication challenges faced by Spotify users, focusing on messaging consistency, personalization, and user feedback mechanisms. Conducted with students at Umm Al Quwain University, the study reveals a disconnect between Spotify's communication and user expectations, impacting engagement and satisfaction. Key findings highlight the need for personalized messaging, improved communication channels, and active user feedback incorporation. By implementing these recommendations, Spotify can bridge the communication gap, enhance user experience, and solidify its position as a leader in user-centricity.

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is a global initiative towards transforming education for sustainability. The integration of SD into the education portfolio is considered to be an important approach that ensures strategic alignment of higher education with SDGs. A document review was used to identify and discuss the difference between transmissive and transformative education in relation to SDGs and in the context of Somali education. In this trajectory, it is expected that the concept of ‘‘transformative education is likely to become more common to meet the emerging social, economic and environmental issues, yet practical challenges remain in Somaliland HE sector. The roadmap towards addressing transformative education for sustainability is not included in the Somaliland national portfolios; particularly ESD has not been presented. In this regard, this paper proposed a generic framework that spotlights the integration of HEIs and the national development goals (NDGs) in Somaliland. Meanwhile, developed and developing countries are prioritizing structural transformation in their HEIs that are tailored to national and regional development programs. Consistent with the Rio + 20 outcomes, the authors analyzed the concept of the ‘‘sustainable university’’ and identified the fact that it is practically divided into three interrelated and complementary categories, namely social-, environmental-, and economic-oriented university in pursuit of actualizing SD. The paper recommends major reforms in the education sector including availing investment portfolios for R&D, renovation of education goals and transforming universities for sustainability

Rice cultivation is the main agricultural activity in Asia, and it results in an enormous amount of agricultural waste, that are usually disposed-off by burning, causing serious environmental health and climate problems. Pakistan is the tenth largest producer in the world and the fourth exporter of rice in the world. To date, there are no studies targeting Pakistan’s profile monitoring its contribution in open burning emissions from rice straw waste. This study presents the characterization of PCDD/Fs, PCBs and PAHs emissions from three samples of rice straw collected from the main rice cultivation regions of Pakistan (Punjab, Sindh and Azad Jammu and Kashmir) in relation to the role of metal-based agricultural additives. PCDD/Fs, PCBs and PAHs emissions were quantified using a fixed grid system biomass plant and measuring the macro-pollutants online and sampling the organic micro-pollutants and metals in isokinetic mode, followed by ISO and CEN standards methods. In addition, role of agrochemicals was monitored in terms of metal catalysis resulted in POPs emissions. This study provides the characterization of most relevant group of pollutants (metals, PCDD/Fs, PCBs and PAHs) as a result of agricultural waste combustion. The rice straw samples from AJK showed high values of organochlorine micro-pollutants compared to the values followed by samples from Punjab and Sindh, i.e., respectively, ∑PCDD/F (2594>1493>856 pg/Nm³) and ∑PCB (41>38>30 pg/Nm³). Whereas the organic micro-pollutants ∑PAH, indicators of incomplete combustion (PICs), were recorded high in the samples from Sindh followed by Punjab and AJK. This study supports the idea that the phenomena that lead to the formation of PCDD/F and PCB are influenced not only by poor combustion but also by the presence of metal catalysts or precursors in the burned fuel.

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) trigger the Ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM)-dependent DNA damage response (DDR), which consists of histone H2AX, MDC1, RNF168, 53BP1, PTIP, RIF1, Rev7, and Shieldin. Early stages of B and T lymphocyte development are dependent on recombination activating gene (RAG)-induced DSBs that form the basis for further V(D)J recombination. Non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) pathway factors recognize, process, and ligate DSBs. Based on numerous loss-of-function studies, DDR factors were thought to be dispensable for the V(D)J recombination. In particular, mice lacking Mediator of DNA Damage Checkpoint Protein 1(MDC1) possessed nearly wild-type levels of mature B and T lymphocytes in the spleen, thymus, and bone marrow. NHEJ factor XRCC4-like factor (XLF)/Cernunnos is functionally redundant with ATM, histone H2AX, and p53-binding protein 1 (53BP1) during the lymphocyte development in mice. Here, we genetically inactivated MDC1, XLF, or both MDC1 and XLF in murine vAbl pro-B cell lines and, using chromosomally integrated substrates, demonstrated that MDC1 stimulates the V(D)J recombination in cells lacking XLF. Moreover, combined inactivation of MDC1 and XLF in mice resulted in synthetic lethality. Together, these findings suggest that MDC1 and XLF are functionally redundant during the mouse development, in general, and the V(D)J recombination, in particular.

This paper aims to introduce the notions of various types of Qc-contractions for which we establish some fixed circle and fixed disc theorems in the setting of metric spaces. Some illustrative examples are also provided to support our results. Moreover, we present some fixed circle and fixed disc results of integral type contractive self-mappings.