bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose-based films embedded with garlic oil- loaded chitosan microparticles as a potential oral mucosal drug delivery system
Authors: Muhammad Ridzwan Ramond Nur Jemaima , Anuar Nor Khaizan
Published: May 2023

In the present study, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC)-based films embedded with garlic oil- loaded chitosan microparticles were characterized and evaluated for their suitability as a potential oral mucosal drug delivery system concerning bacterial infections. Chitosan was used to encapsulate garlic oil and form microparticles using different weight ratios by ionic gelation technique. The microparticles were then incorporated into HPMC solution and films were fabricated using the film casting technique. A blank film without microparticles was also prepared. The microparticles were examined for their particle size, uniformity, shape, zeta potential and antimicrobial activities. The results suggest that the microparticles exhibit a spherical shape, are electrically unstable and tend to agglomerate due to having low zeta potential (-7.06 to -1.24 mV). Nevertheless, they showed antimicrobial activities against both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Additionally, the films were characterized by weight, thickness, wettability and antimicrobial activities. All films produced were generally light (0.20 to 0.25 g), thin (0.02 to 0.12 mm) and had good wettability based on their low contact angles (below 90°). In comparison to the microparticles, the films exhibited antimicrobial activity against S. aureus whereas no zone of inhibition was observed when the films were tested against E. coli. HPMC-based films embedded with encapsulated garlic oil have the potential to act as a new drug treatment to treat oral mucosal bacterial infections. Additional studies should be performed to evaluate the effectiveness of this treatment, such as extensive physicochemical characterization, mucoadhesion studies and evaluation of drug release and drug permeation across the oral mucosa.
An Overview of Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Bioautography Method Analysis: Cosmos caudatus and Orthosiphon stamineus
Authors: Anuar Nadia , Sultan Sadia , Ashraf Kamran
Published: May 2023

Medicinal herbs such as Cosmos caudatus and Orthosiphon stamineus are sources of a huge number of bioactive compounds with antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. C. caudatus plant has bioactive compounds such as phenolics, flavonoids, and terpenoids. On the other hand, phytochemicals from O. stamineus have been shown to have a wide range of traditional applications due to their antioxidant and antibacterial characteristics. The bioautography method is used to isolate active molecules on chromatogram followed by the chemical and biological detection system. In antimicrobial bioautography, agar overlay Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) bioautography detection, direct TLC bioautography detection, and contact bioautography are used for antimicrobial screening of the compounds. Meanwhile, TLC 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazylradical (TLC-DPPH) bioautography is applied for the detection of antioxidant activity of the plant extracts. This review aims to list and describe the antimicrobial and antioxidant bioautographic methods used especially for C. caudatus and O. stamineus plants. This study might be useful in identifying the antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of the constituents of both plants.
Exploring the genetic differences between Primary and Metastatic Prostate Cancer using Bioinformatic Approaches: A Preliminary Study
Authors: Ahmad Fajri Faris Aizat , Nazri Muhammad Amru , Zulkifli Muhamad Harith , Mohd Fauzi Fazlin
Published: May 2023

Screening of prostate cancer (PCa) by measuring prostate cancer antigen has proven beneficial in reducing the mortality and progression of prostate cancer. However, its level can be affected if patients are taking certain drugs and/or suffering from certain medical conditions, causing a false negative. This can lead to PCa being undetected, where when untreated can lead to metastatic prostate cancer (MPC). Hence, in this study, genetic differences between PCa and MPC were explored using bioinformatics approaches to predict potential biomarkers for MPC. The study was divided into two parts, where the first involves feature selection and principal component analysis to differentiate PCa and MPC based on mRNA gene expression. Additionally, top 20 mutated genes for MPC were determined using odds ratio (OR). In the second phase, a predictive model was built using outcome of the mRNA gene expression analysis. The results showed that the mRNA expression of 26 identified genes could differentiate between PCa and MPC. This was further corroborated by the predictive model, where a sensitivity and specificity of 0.616 and 0.017 respectively was achieved. While importance is placed on sensitivity over specificity, further improvements involving more data need to be made to increase the specificity rate. Additionally, genes such as PAG24, BOP1 and GRWD1 should be investigated further as both potential biomarkers as well as potential pathways in MPC progression, based on further protein-protein interaction analysis. OR and protein-protein interaction suggests that androgen signalling pathway may crosstalk with NF-κB signalling and breast cancer pathway. This preliminary study shows that bioinformatics approaches could aid in understanding MPC, which could lead to the discovery of novel targeted therapy and potential biomarkers.
A comparative study of breeding bird communities in representative habitats of the Sárosfő Nature Reserve area
Authors: Winkler Dániel , Erdő Ádám
Published: May 2023

This paper presents the results of breeding bird community surveys conducted in 2010 in the Sárosfő Nature Reserve area. The main goal was to determine species richness, diversity, density- and dominance structures in the bird communities of different forest, meadow and reed habitats. Bird community composition data were obtained by conducting standard transect counts carried out twice during the breeding season. The method used was suitable for recording pigeon- (Columbiformes), woodpecker- (Piciformes) and passerine bird (Passeriformes) species. A total of 44 bird species were encountered. Diversity was the highest in the riverine ash-alder woodland habitat and the lowest in the reedbed habitat. Breeding bird community structure comparison between the different habitats was estimated using single linkage cluster analysis based on the Morisita-Horn similarity index that well emphasized the separation of three habitat groups (reed bed, open and forest habitats). The results showed that the rich mosaic habitat structure of the relatively small area provides optimal nesting and feeding grounds not only for waterfowl related to the fishponds but also for passerine bird communities.
Magyarország szárazföldi ászkarák faunájának határozója (Isopoda: Oniscidea)
Authors: Farkas Sándor , Vilisics Ferenc
Published: May 2023

Aimed at both non-experts and zoologists this paper is a long-awaited identification key of Hungarian woodlice. A key for identification with 110 illustrations is given. The paper contains a concise description for each species and a summary on general woodlouse morphology.
Evolving concepts in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis: from endothelial dysfunction to thrombus formation through multiple shades of inflammation
Authors: Cimmino Giovanni , Muscoli Saverio , De Rosa Salvatore , Cesaro Arturo , Perrone Marco A. , Selvaggio Stefano , Selvaggio Giancarlo , Aimo Alberto , Pedrinelli Roberto , Mercuro Giuseppe , Romeo Francesco , Perrone Filardi Pasquale , Indolfi Ciro , Coronelli Maurizio
Published: May 2023

Atherosclerosis is the anatomo-pathological substrate of most cardio, cerebro and vascular diseases such as acute and chronic coronary syndromes, stroke and peripheral artery diseases. The pathophysiology of atherosclerotic plaque and its complications are under continuous investigation. In the last 2 decades our understanding on the formation, progression and complication of the atherosclerotic lesion has greatly improved and the role of immunity and inflammation is now well documented and accepted. The conventional risk factors modulate endothelial function determining the switch to a proatherosclerotic phenotype. From this point, lipid accumulation with an imbalance from cholesterol influx and efflux, foam cells formation, T-cell activation, cytokines release and matrix-degrading enzymes production occur. Lesions with high inflammatory rate become vulnerable and prone to rupture. Once complicated, the intraplaque thrombogenic material, such as the tissue factor, is exposed to the flowing blood, thus inducing coagulation cascade activation, platelets aggregation and finally intravascular thrombus formation that leads to clinical manifestations of this disease. Nonconventional risk factors, such as gut microbiome, are emerging novel markers of atherosclerosis. Several data indicate that gut microbiota may play a causative role in formation, progression and complication of atherosclerotic lesions. The gut dysbiosis-related inflammation and gut microbiota-derived metabolites have been proposed as the main working hypothesis in contributing to disease formation and progression. The current evidence suggest that the conventional and nonconventional risk factors may modulate the degree of inflammation of the atherosclerotic lesion, thus influencing its final fate. Based on this hypothesis, targeting inflammation seems to be a promising approach to further improve our management of atherosclerotic-related diseases.
A Better Approach of Assessing Lalerality by Using Combined Foot and Eye Dominance Scale in Mentally Healthy Subjects
Authors: Akabalieva K. , Kotetarov V. , Beshkov A.
Published: May 2023

Objective

To investigate the reliability (internal consistency) of a Combined Foot and Eye Dominance Scale in healthy subjects.

Materials and methods

A total of 82 mentally healthy subjects were assessed with a Combined Foot and Eye Dominance Scale. The Foot Dominance Subscale included a modified Chapman & Chapman Foot Dominance scale and a new Complex Tasks scale with four foot tests reflecting more complex tasks. The Eye Dominance Subscale included three eye tests. Scale reliability statistics (item-scale statistics, summary statistics for the items, Cronbach’s alpha), nonparametric Mann-Whitney test and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient were used.

Results

Considerable differences were found in the contribution of the single items to the Combined Scale. The means of some items were 37.83 times greater than those of other items (from 0.15 to 5.61), which suggested greater phenogenetic component and consequently greater contribution of these items to the total scale mean. The mean correlation between the items of the Combined Foot and Eye Dominance Scale was strongly positive (0.39), indicating good internal consistency of the scale.

Conclusions

Eye and foot dominance appear to be a much subtler indicator of altered hemispheric lateralization than hand dominance. The Combined Dominance Scale provides a more adequate tool for objective measuring of leftedness, as a way to assess laterality, since this scale is to a great degree unaffected by socio-cultural impact. The scale would provide comparability of leftedness as an indirect clue of abnormal lateralization in studies of mentally healthy subjects and subjects with neurodevelopmental disorders with presumed abnormal cerebral asymmetry across cultures.
Papanicolaou Test in Women with Abnormal Bacteriologic Exam Results
Authors: Costea Iulia Andreea Badea , Ali Sevigean , Botnarciuc Mihaela , Daba Lavinia Carmen
Published: May 2023

The normal vaginal flora is complex and includes various organisms, many of them conditioned pathogens. The vaginal microbiome is controlled by estrogens that is why a major difference it encountered between pre-menopausal and menopausal women. Bacterial vaginosis was associated with inflammatory changes on Papanicolaou (PAP) smears and chronic inflammation may eventually tead to potentially precancerous and cancerous processes of the cervix. We asses the importance of PAP test and early discovery of vaginal infections because bacterial vaginosis has been associated with inflammatory changes on PAP smears.

Materials and metods: Were analysed 50 patients with bacteriologic exam and PAP smear, from ambulatory (Polyclinic Constanța). Bacteriological exam was performed on smears stained Gram from vaginal secretion, collected during the same ginecological examination when PAP smears were collected. The PAP smear was conventional PAP. Samples were obtained by cervical brushing.

Results and discussions: These patients were aged between 21 and 64 year and were examined for various symptoms. The patients were classified in pre-menopausal 35% and post-menopausal 65%.The result of the bacteriologic exam showed normal flora (absence of infection) in 44% of cases and abnormal vaginal flora in 56% of the cases.

The predominant pathology was bacterial vaginosis with non-specific flora (Gram positive coci and Gram negative bacilli, absence of lactobacilli) in 38% of cases. Candida infection was present in 12% of the cases and Trichomonas vaginalis and Actynomices in 3% of the cases each.

Conclusions The majority of patients with bacterial vaginosis (Candida, Trichomonas,Actinomyces) had Pap tests negative for intraepithelial lesion or malignancies NILM or NILM and cellular changes associated with inflammation. There may be infectious causes of abnormal Pap tests other than HPV.
The Importance of Arterial Stenosis in Diabetic Patients Case Presentation
Authors: Spalatelu Oana Manuela , Gurgas Leonard , Dudas Tudor , Sarbu Vasile
Published: May 2023

For the adult population the frequency of peripheral arterial disease is 3% - 4%. Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular event rates, both fatal and non-fatal, are increased in patients with PAD and DM relative to nondiabetic patients with PAD.

It is the clinical case of a 62-year-old patient, diagnosed with type 2 diabetes with chronic obliterative arteriopathy stage IV of the lower limbs.

Postoperative evolution was favorable, as there was no need for amputation of the left hallux or debridement of necrotic tissues, due to the decision to perform the timely iliofemoral bypass that restored arterial flow to the femoral and iliac arteries through the prosthetic graft.

Continued treatment to normalize lipid metabolism, hypertension, repeated vasodilator therapy, diet and exercise are absolutely necessary and must be included in the long-term therapeutic plan of patients who have undergone restorative surgery, with timely referral to specialist medical services.
Type-2-Soft-Set Based Uncertainty Aware Task Offloading Framework for Fog Computing Using Apprenticeship Learning
Authors: Bhargavi K. , Sathish Babu B. , Shiva Sajjan G.
Published: May 2023

Fog computing is one of the emerging forms of cloud computing which aims to satisfy the ever-increasing computation demands of the mobile applications. Effective offloading of tasks leads to increased efficiency of the fog network, but at the same time it suffers from various uncertainty issues with respect to task demands, fog node capabilities, information asymmetry, missing information, low trust, transaction failures, and so on. Several machine learning techniques have been proposed for the task offloading in fog environments, but they lack efficiency. In this paper, a novel uncertainty proof Type-2-Soft-Set (T2SS) enabled apprenticeship learning based task offloading framework is proposed which formulates the optimal task offloading policies. The performance of the proposed T2SS based apprenticeship learning is compared and found to be better than Q-learning and State-Action-Reward-State-Action (SARSA) learning techniques with respect to performance parameters such as total execution time, throughput, learning rate, and response time.
Competent Time Synchronization Mac Protocols to Attain High Performance of Wireless Sensor Networks for Secure Communication
Authors: Hababeh Ismail , Khalil Issa , Al-Sayyed Rizik , Moshref Mahmoud , Nofal Samer , Rodan Ali
Published: May 2023

Clock synchronization in the Mac layer plays a vital role in wireless sensor network communication that maintains time-based channel sharing and offers a uniform timeframe among different network nodes. Most wireless sensor networks are distributed where no common clock exists among them. Therefore, joint actions are realized by exchanging messages, with time stamps using local sensor clocks. These clocks can easily drift seconds and cause functional problems to the applications that depend on time synchronization. Time synchronization is a major and challenging factor in wireless sensor networks that needs to be studied and explored. In this paper, we propose integrated time synchronization protocols that serve wireless sensor network applications under normal, secured, and unreliable environments. The proposed protocols are discussed and evaluated based on their accuracy, cost, hierarchy, reliability, and security. Simulation results show that the proposed time synchronization protocols outperform the state-of-the-art techniques in achieving a minimum synchronization time.
Ductility and Distribution of Strains on Column Reinforcement Retrofit with Wire Mesh
Authors: Amiruddin A. A. , Parung H. , Irmawaty R. , Tumpu M. , Mansyur  , Rangan P. R.
Published: May 2023

A lot of damage to building structures due to earthquakes is damage to column components that serve as vertical elements to pass the load to the foundation. Ductility is one of the parameters that must be owned by the column and as part of the column, longitudinal reinforcement is part of the column element that is quite vital and one of the parameters that can be studied is the distribution of strains that occur in longitudinal reinforcement when burdened with cyclic loads. In this study, a study of the ductility and distribution of strain values occurred in the reinforcement of control columns and retrofit columns with wire mesh size M6. From the test results in can be that on the column that is retrofit with wire mesh and SCC experienced an increase in the value of ductility. While the strain value on the reinforcement of the control column and retrofit column tends to enlarge when it is in the plastic hinge area of the column. In the control column the strain value that occurs in the plastic hinge area is greater than the strain value in the retrofit column, so that in the control column the plastic hinge mechanism has begun to form, while in the retrofit column the plastic hinge mechanism has not been formed due to higher stiffness.
Addressing the Causes and Effects of Poor Communication in the Jordanian Construction Industry: A Study on Improving Project Performance
Authors: Suleiman Akram , Almasaeid Hatem , Hussein Nidal , Abahre Jafar
Published: May 2023

The construction sector in Jordan faces various obstacles, one of the most significant being poor communication, which negatively impacts project performance and can even lead to project failure. The primary objective of this study is to identify and evaluate the causes and effects of poor communication in Jordan. A questionnaire containing 32 causes and 21 effects of poor communication was used to gather data. The top ten causes of poor communication are; possessing different levels of education among construction teams; a lack of communication plan; a lack of an appropriate communications medium; a lack of communication procedures and training; a slow flow of information between parties; diversity of culture among construction teams; construction teams possessing different skill levels; contractual barriers; the unavailability of information at the time of need, and a lack of understanding among parties. Poor communication is a prevalent issue in the Jordanian construction industry, Jordan's construction industry needs to improve its current communication state. Both contractors and consultants are affected by this issue and there is a high level of agreement between them on the causes and effects of poor communication.
Parametric Study of Drilling Method Performed on One-Way Post-Tensioned Slabs
Authors: Kralovanec Jakub , Moravčík Martin
Published: May 2023

Determination of the stress state in concrete structures is a very important, but difficult task. In the case of new structures, it is possible to easily instal measurement instruments which can provide important data as a part of real-time monitoring. However, the evaluation of stresses in existing structures is much more challenging. Currently, stress relief methods are a well-established approach for the evaluation of the actual state of existing structures. The so-called Drilling method (also known as Stress-relief coring technique) is one of the possible techniques for such analysis. For practical use of this method, knowledge of pivotal factors which influence stress relief is crucial. Therefore, this paper presents a parametric study performed on a one-way post-tensioned slab which can help to understand the effect of the depth of the core and the distance from the edge of the hole (position of strain gauges) on the change in stress in the vicinity of the drilled core. Finally, based on the obtained data, the recommendations for the subsequent experimental program will be summarized. According to the study, it seems that the depth of drilled core does not significantly influence the stress relief and the main impact can be attributed to distance from the edge of the hole.
Developing Hydrostatic Beehive Brickwork
Authors: Chassib Samir M. , Tu’ma Nasser Hakeem , Handhal Mohammed M. , Abed Musab Sabah , Zemam Sajid Kamil , Resan Sa'ad Fahad , Madhi Mustafa Jabar
Published: May 2023

In this paper, a new masonry construction is proposed based on honey beehive cell internal geometry as a unique structure and hydrostatic pressure principle. The considered experimental program involved suggestion, manufacturing, testing and analysis of masonry specimens of honey beehive units’ arrangement as well as corresponding specimens of custom arrangement, two classes of cementations bonding mortars are used. Plan strain concept and Saint Venant’s principle are adopted to model and assign proper boundary conditions of testing specimens. The significant improvement of masonry construction bearing capacity is confirmed by the obtained results and could be related to the presence of internal or self-confining pressure, which is produced due to the specific internal geometry of proposed honey beehive units’ arrangement of hexagonal construction units. The obtained results show that, the masonry specimens of proposed honey beehive arrangement Mode II exhibited higher bearing capacity in term of ultimate and service loads besides stiffness improvement in comparison with the customary arrangement Mode I.
Diagnostics of the Deformation Resistance of the Track Bed in the Inter -Station Section Palárikovo - Nové Zámky - Track No. 1
Authors: Ižvolt Libor , Dobeš Peter , Mečár Martin
Published: May 2023

The fundamental pillars of the emerging European integrated railway area include improving the safety of rail transport and the quality parameters of railway lines and ensuring their interoperability. As rail transport is one of the safest transport systems and the most environmentally friendly, the Slovak Railways (ŽSR) have developed strategic and investment plans to increase the competitiveness of rail transport in relation to other modes of transport. The current modernisation or reconstruction in the territory of the Slovak Republic focuses on the main railway lines that are part of significant European corridors (AGC, AGTC, TEN-T corridors). The inter-station section Palárikovo - Nové Zámky, the subject of the article, is a part of the European corridor No. IV, connecting Dresden with Arad and leading through the territory of the Slovak Republic. In this context, the article presents the analysis of the values of deformation characteristics on the reconstructed inter-station section Palárikovo - Nové Zámky, obtained verifying the quality of the implemented individual structural layers of the track bed.
Structural Behaviour of Voided Flat Slab With Various Void Ratios Under Vertical Loading
Authors: Lakshmi Kanth L. , Poluraju P.
Published: May 2023

In recent modern buildings, voided slabs have been implemented because of the high reduction of their weight up to 35 %. Also, CO2 emission takes place which was developed from mass concrete. Due to percentage reduction of concrete, it leads to help the pollution free environment, eco-friendly and also more sustainable. On voided flat slabs, a minimal study has been recorded. In this current study, an approach has been made to study the effect of the position of voids in the voided flat slabs. Two groups of seven specimens each, one slab in each group was a controlled flat slab specimen with zero number of voids kept as a reference specimen, while the others were voided slabs. In each group, the number of voids were used based on the positions. The designation of the specimens is made depending on the number of voids placed and the diameter of the rebar used in the specimens. Group-A was reinforced with 8 mm diameter rebars, and Group-B was reinforced with 6 mm diameter rebars. The parameters of the study are the void positions and the rebar diameter. The specimens were subjected to a gradually concentrated load through the short column up to failure. The load carrying capacity of both voided and controlled flat slabs tested have almost same. It indicates that, the inactive concrete below the neutral axis where high density polyethylene (HDPE) recycled hollow spheres have been provided in the flat slab has shown no impact on load carrying capacity of the test specimens. However, the presence of the punching shear can be seen in the specimens where the voids are positioned near the columns and supports. Besides, ABAQUS program (A finite element based software) was used to perform the finite element analysis for profoundly illustrating the experimental findings and performing a parametric study. It is concluded that the concrete has no role at below the neutral axis of structural voided flat slab cross-section for all specimens including controlled specimens (0VS6, 0VS8). Also, it is noticed that the finite element analysis obtained results have shown more or less same as experimental results. From the present study, it is evident that behaviour of voided flat slabs are different from simply supported voided flat slabs.
Testing the Properties of Cement and Gypsum Boards Reinforced with Nonwoven Fabrics Made of Waste and Recycled Fibres
Authors: Brachaczek Wacław , Chleboś Adam
Published: May 2023

The article attempts to assess the possibility of using non-woven fabrics made of waste fibers in cladding panels. For this purpose, woolen and polypropylene nonwovens were tested for mass per unit area, characteristic opening size, and lengthwise and crosswise elongation at maximum strength. Non-woven fabrics were placed in the middle of the thickness of cement and gypsum boards and subjected to tests of density, thermal conductivity coefficient λ, and bending strength. The influence of individual nonwoven fabrics with different properties on the properties of the finished composite was determined. It was found that wool nonwoven fabrics had the best effect on the thermal conductivity coefficient. A better affinity for nonwoven fabrics was shown by gypsum mortar. The best influence on the bending strength of the panels had polyester non-woven fabrics with the lowest mass per unit area and the largest characteristic opening size.
Retaining Wall - Parametric Study of the Method of Reinforcement
Authors: Koleňák Matúš , Slávik Ivan
Published: May 2023

The highway section on the D3 highway Hričovské Podhradie – Žilina – Strážov was carried out on the left branch of the highway body on the overpass and on the right branch on the embankment body. The stability of the embankment body was ensured by a geosynthetics reinforced retaining wall. The retaining wall was assembled from reinforced concrete prefabs, on which the uniaxial geogrids were attached. The article presents a numerical analysis of the deformations of this reinforced structure in the profile monitored by geotechnical monitoring. The results of the numerical analysis of the deformations of the retaining wall were confronted with geotechnical monitoring measurements. Geotechnical monitoring measurements confirmed the reality of the numerical model of the retaining wall. Verification of the reality of the numerical model of the retaining wall made it possible to use this model for a parametric study of the influence of the reinforcement method on the deformation of the face of the reinforced retaining wall. In the parametric study, the effects of the change in the horizontal length and vertical spacing of the reinforcement elements, as well as their interaction with the backfill soil on the deformation values of the face of the retaining wall are analyzed.
Assessing the Size-Structured Stock of the Swimming Crab Callinectes amnicola (Crustacea: Portunidae) in the Cross River, Nigeria
Authors: Ameh Samuel , Isah Muhammed , Ayim Elvis , Ifon Honor
Published: May 2023

An important aspect of the size-structured stock is the assumption that individuals progress from one size class to another after a certain time. In this study, a total of 2581 monthly samples of the swimming crab Callinectes amnicola were collected from the landings of the artisanal crab fishery in the Cross River, Nigeria over a period of 13 months, from January 2021 to January 2022. Crabs ranged in length from 6.5 cm to 15.5 cm, with most crabs caught during the dry season. The fewest crabs (n=23) were caught in August 2021, and the most (n=662) were caught in January 2021. Because moulting and other physiological obstacles make it difficult to determine crab age, length frequency data were used instead. Swimming crab assessment was based on some basic growth parameters of the von Bertalanffy growth function and the Beverton and Holt growth model. The results showed that the asymptotic length and growth rate were 16.28 cm and 0.940 per year, respectively. The best growth index was estimated to be 2.40, while longevity and mortality were 3.19 years and 3.46 per year, respectively. The calculated exploitation rate of 0.41 was below the guideline of 0.5 and the maximum yield per recruit of 0.421, confirming an underfished stock. Sustainable exploitation of the Cross River swimming crab was recommended by reducing efforts on already exploited fishery resources.
First Report of Fishkill Incidence in Bonny-Andoni Coastal Area, Nigeria
Authors: Chukwuka Azubuike Victor
Published: May 2023

A fish kill is characterised by the death of a large number of fish in a given area within a short period of time. This is an indicator that water quality and ecosystem conditions in general have deteriorated. Remote sensing data from the MODIS instrument on the Aqua and Merra-2 satellites were accessed from 18 to 22 March 2020, a period that spans before and after the fish kill was reported. Analysis of the remote sensing data shows that the fish kill was preceded by strong winds, i.e. major and sustained wind events. The maps of sea surface temperatures prior to the fish kill show that high-temperature water masses flowed from the equator toward the Bonny-Andoni coast. The dates of occurrence of the high-temperature surface water masses and high wind events around the Bonny-Andoni coastal area were consistent with the location and timing of the fish kill, as indicated by community reports. We hypothesise that the low-oxygen, high-temperature surface water masses passing from the equator on the windward side of the coast may have encountered migrating croakers and trapped an entire school of this benthopelagic fish species, causing acute respiratory distress. The results and hypothesis confirm local reports of gasping fish about 2 nautical miles off the Bonny-Andoni coast. This study confirms the relationship between wind patterns, temperature, and fish kills, providing the first empirical account of probable causes. Because fish kills occur episodically and often leave no trace, this report and future analyses of remote sensing data may be the best way to elucidate this event.
A Study on Migration in Sudan Using Geographic Information Systems Technology
Authors: Abd Elrahman Sahar I. M. , Ataalmanan I. M. I.
Published: May 2023

Migration between countries is not a fresh problem; it has occurred since the dawn of time, but little research has been conducted on it, particularly by employing effective technologies such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS). As a result, the purpose of this paper was to investigate the migration of Sudanese to other countries and vice versa, as well as the migration of students of higher education from Sudan to other countries. To study all this, the ArcGIS 10.8 program was used, and in it inserted and created all the relevant data from shapefiles and attribute data. The Add XY Coordinates, XY To Line, and Time Slider tools were also used. Migration lines showing migration from and to Sudan in 2015 were drawn based on the nine most prominent countries for each, and a video of an interactive time map illustrating students’ migration to fifteen foreign countries from 1998 to 2015 was created. Graphs that show the relationship between countries and the number of immigrants were also created, and they are considered a good means of comprehension even by non-geographic information systems specialists.
A Comparative Study: Effects of Fineness of Cement on Consistency and Compressive Strength of Different Branded Cement in Pakistan
Authors: Adil Sultan M. , Jawad M. , Muzffar Iqbal M. , Imran Ghafoor Dr. , Farooq U. , Din Salah Ud , Mushtaq A.
Published: May 2023

Cement is one of the key components of concrete, and the qualities of a particular type of cement will affect the attributes of concrete made with that cement. The influence of variations in cement brand attributes that are available in Pakistan is examined in this study. Poor cement choice may affect how long a concrete building project will last. Fineness, cement consistency, concrete compressive strength, and mortar cube strength all grow with cement fineness since they all have a positive relationship with each other. This study aimed to investigate a few particular mechanical and physical characteristics of eight cement brands used in Punjab, Pakistan. The brands of cement that were compared were Kohat, Askari, Bestway, Paidaar, DG, Pioneer, Flying, and Fauji cement. The testing was carried out in a lab and according to ASTM guidelines. In contrast, Kohat had 5.17%, Askari had 8.67%, Bestway had 3%, DG had 2.67, Flying had 9.67, and Fauji cement had 6.33%, with only Paidaar above the allowed limits. Kohat and Paidaar cement's typical consistency was 30%, DG cement was 26%, and Bestway cement was 26%; all of them fell within the range of (26%- 33%). The 28-day compressive strength test results for DG cement and Bestway cement were 7787.74 Psi and 7225.17 Psi, respectively. The strength of Pioneer and Flying cement was found to be lower than that of other cement brands. Except for DG and Bestway cement, all eight brands of cement are used for all structural elements. Bestway cement is much superior for high-rise structures and heavy structural members. Consequently, by comparing the trace element concentration of various brands of Portland cement in Pakistan, the study evaluates the impact of trace element content on cement quality and concrete strength.
Experimental Characterization of the Mechanical Properties of Concrete Based on Glass-Powder
Authors: Boucheneb Y. , Mehaddene R. , Kemer H.
Published: May 2023

Annually, there is an enormous amount of glass waste created worldwide, yet only a small portion of that material is recycled. Recovering waste glass (WG) in concrete demonstrates excellent progress in lowering the amount of glass. Researchers have found that adding waste glass to concrete improves its qualities; WG can be utilized as powder, fine as well as coarse aggregate. However, the question that arises is how this powder added to concrete improves, or at least maintains, the mechanical properties of the concrete despite the reduction in the cement quantity. The aim of the present paper is to investigate the behavior of concrete with the addition of glass powder. For this purpose, a control concrete and concretes were prepared with 10%, 15% and 20% of the cement content of the glass powder, based on the same concrete formulation and by varying the W/C ratio. In the hardened state, the addition of glass powder up to 20% of the cement content, generated an increase in compressive strength at 28 days; this increase is caused by the reaction between the glass powder and the lime released during the hydration of Portland cement and creates a binder called hydrated calcium silicate (S-C-H) (pozzolanic reaction). The latter plays an important role in increasing the strength of concrete, and since the fineness of the glass powder is similar to that of cement, it has a role of filling, and accelerates the pozzolanic reaction. For an addition of 20% to 30% of pozzolan, theoretically we could react all the lime produced by the hydration of Portland cement. Therefore, beyond 25% or 30% of the glass powder, the strength is affected, which has been confirmed by many researchers. Finally, it can be concluded that the use of glass powder in concrete improves its mechanical behavior compared to ordinary condition, but with a limited percentage of 20% of the cement content.
Strength (Compressive) of Concrete Made by Recyclable Concrete Aggregates after Six Hour Fire by Nondestructive Testing
Authors: Buller A.H. , Husain Nadiah Md. , Ali I. , Sohu S. , Memon B.A. , Sodhar Irum Naz
Published: May 2023

Quality of concrete is mainly measured by evaluating its strength. Destructive testing of concrete specimens is used for the purpose. An alternative to it is the non-destructive testing. This research work presents non-destructive testing of concrete cylinders made by using partial replacement of natural coarse aggregates with old concrete as coarse aggregates and exposed to 6-hour fire at 1000ºC. Rebound hammer is used in this work to evaluate concrete strength. 240 concrete cylinders are cast using 1:2:4 mix and 0.54 water cement ratio. After 28-days curing half of the cylinders are exposed to fire in purpose made oven. Remaining 50% aggregates are used as control specimen to compare the results. After rebound hammer testing, all the cylinders are tested for compressive strength using universal testing machine. Comparison of the results shows the reliability of non-destructive testing and effectiveness of the rebound hammer technique as the difference between NDT and UTM results is maximum up to 4.7%.
Thermal Effect on the Design Loads of Multi-Storey RC Buildings on Sloped Terrain in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Laissy M. Y. , Alluqmani A. E.
Published: May 2023

This research investigates the impact of thermal loads on reinforced concrete (RC) buildings in Saudi Arabia and how they behave on sloped terrain. The study analyzed the effects of different types of support systems (hinged and fixed supports) and strengthening systems (with and without bracings) using the software ETABS-V20. Ground + 9 typical floors frame RC models on sloped terrain subjected to seismic loads were used for the investigation. The dynamic analysis of the ETABS models was performed to evaluate the lateral displacement, storey drift, column shear forces, and base shear forces of the buildings. The study found that using a bracing system and fixed supports under seismic loads increases the model’s displacement and storey drift compared to models with hinged supports and no bracing system. The maximum shear forces values were also higher for models with bracing systems and fixed supports, while the minimum values were for models without bracing systems and with hinged supports.
Pedestrians Crossing Comfort Analysis for a Footbridge Over Someş River
Authors: Moga C. , Fenesan Crina , Suciu M.
Published: May 2023

Due to the relatively low rigidities in the vertical and horizontal planes, the structures of the footbridges must be checked from the point of view of their dynamic behavior, so as to avoid the resonance phenomenon and to ensure the walking comfort of the pedestrians. The paper presents some aspects related to the dynamic behaviour, for the pedestrian bridge with a span of 31.5 m that was constructed in The Railway Park area of Cluj-Napoca city, over the Someşul Mic River, in 2022. In terms of pedestrian traffic density, the structure falls into Category III: Footbridges for normal use occasionally crossed by large groups of pedestrians. After the finalization of the project The Revitalization and Activation of the Railway Park in Cluj-Napoca city, the park will include two pedestrian walkways with similar superstructure, which crosses the Someș River, but in the vicinity of the park a road bridge with 4 traffic lanes and two sidewalks was also built during this period. Given the possibility of changing the density of walking in the future, the footbridge was also analysed for higher density conditions, so that there is no need to carry out structural intervention works in the near future, except for known maintenance works.
Earthquake Behavior of Concrete Gravity Dams During Ground Motions
Authors: Ouzandja D. , Messaad M. , Messaad T.
Published: May 2023

The stability evaluation of the dams subjected to seismic excitations is really very complex as the earthquake response of the concrete gravity dam depends upon its connection joints with foundation rock. This study presents the seismic response of concrete gravity dams considering welded contact and friction contact and along dam-foundation rock interface. Friction contact is provided using contact elements. Two-dimensional finite element model of Oued Fodda concrete gravity dam, located in Chlef at the northwestern part of Algeria, is used for this purpose. Nonlinear analyses of dam-foundation rock system are performed using ANSYS software. The reservoir water is modeled as added mass using the Westergaard approach. The Druker-Prager model is employed in the nonlinear analysis for dam concrete. The surface-to-surface contact elements based on the Coulomb's friction law are used to describe the friction. These contact elements use a target surface and a contact surface to form a contact pair. According to this study, when the friction contact is considered in joints, sliding displacement of dam base occurs along the dam-foundation rock interface. The dam sliding along its foundation decreases the deformation response; principal stresses in the dam body and shear force at both the heel and toe of the dam.
The Building Certification System - A Tool of Sustainable Development of University Campuses
Authors: Prada Hanga-Fărcaş Ioana Francesca , Bungău C. C. , Scurt Adriana Aurelia , Cristea Monica , Prada Marcela Florina
Published: May 2023

The study is part of humanity's current concerns of tempering climate change for sustainable development, in the context where the construction sector is responsible for a significant percentage of greenhouse gas emissions. In the present work, through a rigorous documentation, the authors synthesize several existing green and sustainable building certification systems. Extending the study from buildings to green neighbourhoods, to university campuses and even to green cities, models of their sustainable development are highlighted. The authors summarize the results of the various "green" ratings, initiating "Top 10 Greenest Universities in the world", demonstrating the interest of certification and classification. The paper presents the case study of the University of Oradea. From this perspective, participation in a rating of green campuses, as well as certification of buildings, are stimulating elements for approaching a sustainable development strategy. Thus, with the registration in the UI GreenMetric World University Rankings, the University of Oradea is set to rise in the ranking, which actually led to the improvement of the green criteria and implicitly to an orientation towards a sustainable development of the university campus. At the same time, the paper demonstrates that the energy certification of old buildings engaged in the "wave of renovations" is a tool for the sustainable development of university campuses.
Comparison of the Multimodal Transport Operator’s and a Freight Forwarder’s Liability Limit in International Transport. Case Study
Authors: Poliak Miloš , Salamakhina Ekaterina
Published: May 2023

Understanding the limits of freight forwarders' liability helps to predict the scope of indemnification to the customer in case of damage or loss of cargo. The absence of international agreements regulating the limit of the liability limit of freight forwarders makes it difficult for customers to find freight forwarders with the most favorable conditions. A large number of factors, such as the type of forwarding contract, the country of registration of the forwarder, the status of the forwarder, existing international agreements, etc. can significantly affect the degree of liability of the forwarder. In this paper, the legislation regulating forwarding and the activities of the multimodal transport operator will be considered. In addition, the standard conditions of the forwarding contract, the most commonly used in the selected countries, will be analyzed. On the basis of the conducted research, a case study will be presented, which will indicate the practical influence of various factors on the liability limit of the forwarder and the multimodal transport operator.
Draft of Public Rail Passenger Transport During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Černá Lenka , Pribula Daniel , Bulková Zdenka , Abramović Borna
Published: May 2023

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the railway sector experienced a significant worldwide decrease in the number of passengers due to the reduced transportation capacity of trains introduced for limiting social contacts and passengers fears from the disease. The reduction in population mobility resulting from national anti-pandemic measures led to the fact that carriers in the Slovak Republic began to optimize and limit the rail transport performance. Several measures were also implemented to reduce the risk of the spread of the COVID-19 disease so that passengers feel safe while traveling by train. Globally, we are entering the third year of coronavirus, and the pandemic is expected to continue even this year. For this reason, forecasting passenger demand for rail transport is becoming increasingly important and it is necessary to take measures in public passenger transport that will consider the reduced mobility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper deals with the proposal of a methodology for planning transport services on selected regional railway lines during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bitcoin Vs Gold: Which One is the Most Powerful in Boosting the Shariah Equity Index? Global Evidence
Authors: Ahmad Tibrizi Soni Wicaksono , Arief Mufraini , Titis Miranti , Muhammad Khaerul Muttaqien
Published: May 2023

The study explores the most powerful between Bitcoin and Gold in boosting the Shariah Equity Index in Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, China, Indonesia, The United States of America (USA), Japan, Oman, and Saudi Arabia in the short and long term. The study uses analysis of the first and second stages of the Granger Causality Test and Vector Error Correction Model (VECM), then Impulse Response Function (IRF) and Variance Decomposition (VDC) over the period 2013 to 2021. The finding proves that only Gold can affect the Islamic Equity Index in the short term, then Bitcoin and Gold proved to contribute equally to the Islamic Equity Index in the long term. However, Bitcoin has the potential to provide positively correlated shocks and dominate the value of Islamic equity indices in the long term. The results demonstrate that government intervention is decisive in maintaining the stability of the Shariah Equity Index from future Bitcoin threats. The study’s finding has practical implications for Islamic capital market Investors, Managers, and Authorities.