bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Western blotting v1
Authors: Houdou Marine
Published: July 2023

Protocol to detect proteins via Western Blotting.
Whole genome amplification and long read sequencing using ONT v1
Authors: Lee YiChien
Published: July 2023

A genome reference is a prerequisite for a complete understanding of the biology and evolution of a species.However, the major challenge remains to obtain high-quality DNA and RNA from the majority of organisms. Therefore, there is a need for having a protocol to bypassed the challenging stage of obtaining axenic cultures and limited the amount of DNA material from a limit individual. This protocol build on whole genome sequencing single nematode. With multiple displacement amplification (MDA) allows the genome from a single nematode to be amplified and can sequence with both long- and short-read sequencing. This protocol can be completed within two week including genome amplification and sequencing.Also, combines MDA and Oxford Nanopore sequencing and provides a cost- and labor-effective solution to generate complete assemblies in organisms with as little as 50 picograms of starting material and assemble a draft genome assembly.
Phytoremediation capacity of Umbrella palm and Vetiver in improving surface water quality by Floating Treatment Wetland
Authors: YUCEL Arzu , ÖRTEL Erdal
Published: July 2023

Surface water is polluted due to many reasons, mainly wastewater and irrigation discharges, and loses its value for potential uses. In this study, phytoremediation was applied to improve the surface water provided from a branch of the Gediz River, which meets the freshwater needs of Izmir Bird Paradise but is not qualified as a quality water source in terms of ecosystem. For this purpose, the removal efficiencies of Cyperus alternifolius L. (umbrella palm) and Vetiveria zizanioides (L.) Nash (vetiver) for total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), and total organic carbon (TOC) were tested in the tanks, which were set with the floating treatment wetland (FTW) with a control group. TP, TN and TOC were measured in water on the 1st, 3rd, 7th and 14th days, while macro and micronutrients were measured in the plants at the beginning and end of the study. TP removal was 92%, 82%, and 45%; TN removal was 62%, 52%, and 24%; and TOC removal was 79%, 66%, and 13% in umbrella palm, vetiver and control tanks, respectively. The translocation factors (TF) that were expected to be >1 in plants were determined as Cd (1.55), Pb (1.27), B (1.19), and Cr (1.11) in vetiver, and B (1.33) and Pb (1.14) in umbrella palm. Considering the increase in biomass, it can be said that the umbrella palm accumulates metal at a higher rate. This study demonstrates that with the usage of umbrella palm and vetiver, FTW has the potential to be used as a green treatment method.
Optimisation of Protease Purification from Christia vespertilionis Leaves and Its Anti-Inflammatory Activity
Authors: Zambari Izzah Farhah , Abdul Hafid Sitti Rahma , Muhamad Nur Airina
Published: July 2023

Christia vespertilionis (L. f.) Bakh. f. is widely known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. However, there are no previous studies about extracting and purifying protease enzymes from C. vespertilionisleaves. Therefore, this study was conducted to extract and optimise the purification of protease from C. vespertilionis leaves and characterise its anti-inflammatory properties. The optimisation was performed using different levels of ammonium sulphate saturation (20, 40, 60, 80 and 100%). Next, dialysis was carried out for the sample with the highest specific activity (16.88 U/mg), achieved with 100% ammonium sulphate saturation. At 100% saturation, C. vespertilionis leaves showed an increase in the specific activity to 20.06 U/mg after dialysis. The findings demonstrate the successful extraction and purification of C. vespertilionis protease (CVP) with a molecular weight of 48 kDa, as proven by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis. CVP also exhibited anti-inflammatory activity, with an inhibition of 45.6% in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells and IC50 of 19.24 µg/mL. The HPLC test further confirmed the presence of gallic acid and quercetin compounds in C. vespertilionis, which cure inflammation. The results indicate that optimised CVP purification was achieved and its anti-inflammatory ability was proven.
Fabrication of Aromatic Polyimide Films Derived from Diisocyanate with Fluorinated Dianhydride
Authors: Mustaffa Najaa , Kaneko Tatsuo , Takada Kenji , Dwivedi Sumant , Naiim Mobarak Nadhratun
Published: July 2023

The range of available structure combinations to synthesize polyimide (PI) makes it technically possible to have various universal methods of producing PI film. The molecular design, in which monomers used to synthesize PI are carefully selected to meet specific application requirements as it influenced the properties of PI films. This study aimed to outline the approach for film fabrication through the casting of highly organo-soluble polyimide derived from 4,4’-methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) with 4,4’-(hexafluoroisopropylidene) diphtalic anhydride (6FDA) in different heating treatments. The solution drop amount was tested in order to control the films colour uniformity. A flexible and less crystalline MDI-6FDA film with an average thickness of 93 𝜇m was successfully developed with a tensile strength of up to 57 MPa and an elongation at break of 5%. The resulting MDI-6FDA film also demonstrated good optical transparency (T500 = 69%) with a cut-off wavelength at 371 nm and high thermal resistance (T5 = 574 ℃) with a Tg temperature of up to 238 ℃. The obtained film also shows good chemical resistance in methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, and tetrahydrofuran solvents. These outcomes serve as a guideline for the fabrication of polyimide films specifically derived from diisocyanate and dianhydride, with the potential advantages to be used in optical applications.
Assessment of the Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Computing in the Smart Management Information Systems
Authors: EFE Ahmet
Published: July 2023

Abstract— Studies in the literature argue that solving the memory problem of quantum computers (QC) will lead to groundbreaking developments in artificial intelligence algorithms affecting every process, strategy, business, and polic,es. Quantum adaptive algorithms have been widely applied, which improve existing methods by taking advantage of artificial intelligence and quantum computing. Although new developments are achieved with hybrid quantum systems, which aim to have sub-threads made by quantum computers, it cannot be predicted precisely where these studies will reach in the future and what kind of benefits and risks, they involve. In this study, based on the knowledge of contemporary and interdisciplinary literature, the current and potential uses of quantum computers, super artificial intelligence applications, and quantum computing methods on machine learning, whose applications have just begun in the laboratory environment, are examined, and assessed. It is claimed that the hardware disadvantages of quantum computers will disappear, and new quantum applications will be developed in the future. This is a requirement of adaptation to the prevalent usage of IoT in Industry 4.0 and Society 5.0 applications. Therefore, theoretically, and conceptual aspects of AI and quantum computing are evaluated to realize guidance of the miracles of the Prophets that can be discovered in the future.
Sıkma-Uyarma Artık Ağı kullanılarak Beyaz Kan Hücrelerinin Sınıflandırılması
Authors: FIRAT Hüseyin
Published: July 2023

Beyaz kan hücreleri, vücudun parazitler, bakteriler, virüsler gibi mikroorganizmalara karşı korunmasında etkin rol oynayan bağışıklık sisteminin önemli bir bileşenidir. Beyaz kan hücrelerinin yapısal özellikleri, alt türlerinin şekilleri ve sayıları insan sağlığı hakkında önemli bilgiler verebilmektedir. Hastalık teşhisinde doğru beyaz kan hücre tespiti klinik olarak oldukça önemlidir. Bu yüzden, doğru beyaz kan hücre sınıflandırma yöntemi kritik öneme sahiptir. Bu çalışmada, beyaz kan hücre sınıflandırması için Evrişimsel sinir ağı (ESA) tabanlı bir yöntem önerilmiştir. Önerilen yöntem sıkma-uyarma ağı ile artık ağ mimarisinin birleşiminden oluşan hibrit bir yöntemdir. Derin ağ mimarilerinde katman sayısı arttıkça oluşabilecek problemler artık ağ ile çözülebilmektedir. Sıkma-uyarma (SU) bloğunun artık ağ ile birlikte kullanımı, toplam parametre sayısını minimum düzeyde arttırırken sınıflandırma doğruluğunu arttırmakatdır. Aynı zamanda, SU bloğunun artık ağ ile birleştirilmesi geleneksel artık ağların performansını da arttırmaktadır. Önerilen yöntemin performansını test etmek için Kaggle veritabanından alınan BCCD veriseti kullanılmıştır. Uygulamalar sonucunda ortalama %99,92 doğruluk, %99,85 kesinlik, duyarlılık ve F1-skoru elde edilmiştir. Bu sonuçlar, literatürden BCCD verisetini kullanan son yıllardaki çalışmalarda yer alan ESA yöntemlerinin elde ettiği sonuçlarla karşılaştırıldı ve önerilen yöntemin daha az eğitilebilir parametre ile daha iyi sonuçlar verdiği görülmüştür.
Peace Corps in the context of new horizons of the policy of John Fitzgerald Kennedy
Authors:   V. I. Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine, Polovyk Svitlana
Published: July 2023

he article reflects the question of the volunteer movement as an integral policy of the US President J. F. Kennedy after the Second World War. The activity of the Peace Corps, founded by the 35th president of the USA, is analyzed. The purpose of the article is to analyze the main aspects of the Peace Corps activity as a component of the US President J. F. Kennedy’s «New Horizons» policy in the context of the possibility of development and use of volunteer activities in the implementation of the country’s foreign policy. The work uses general scientific methods of knowledge: historical (reveals the factors of the formation and development of the Peace Corps in historical retrospect), systemic (makes it possible to draw a complete picture of J. F. Kennedy’s foreign policy related to the struggle between democracy and totalitarianism), axiological (determines the value the essence of the institutionalization of volunteerism, its content as a type of social activity that has a humanistic potential for strengthening peace and friendship between people of different nationalities and cultures). The scientific novelty of the obtained results consists in obtaining a holistic systemic view of the peculiarities of the implementation of US state policy in the field of regulation of volunteer activities for solving foreign policy tasks. Conclusions. Summing up, the author confirms the importance of the Peace Corps as the most important element of the strategy of the US President J. F. Kennedy, which consisted in the need to reorient the US foreign policy in the Third World countries from the ideology of mutual security to the global rails of development after the Second World War. It is noted that J. F. Kennedy’s «New Horizons» policy found its embodiment in the creation of the Peace Corps, which has successfully survived decades and is still functioning, serving as an example of the activation of volunteerism in Ukraine at the beginning of the XXI century. It is emphasized that before the start of the Russian-Ukrainian war on February 24, 2022, more than 300 American volunteers of the Peace Corps worked in Ukraine, which made Ukraine the largest representation of this organization in the world. Since the start of the full-scale russian invasion of Ukraine, Peace Corps volunteers have left the country, but continue to coordinate nationwide efforts in support of Ukrainians, organizing charitable donations, sending needed goods to Ukraine, and using their social media to engage the public in support of Ukraine.
Formation of US foreign policy strategies and doctrines at the beginning of the 21st century: a practical dimension
Authors:   State Institution «Institute of World History of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine», Kyiv, Ukraine, Lakishyk Dmytro
Published: July 2023

The purpose of the article is to analyze the foreign policy strategies and doctrines of the USA in the last decades. Special attention is paid to presidential doctrines, which, focusing on the most important priorities of the president’s foreign policy, shape the position of the state in the modern system of international relations. Currently, the key direction of foreign policy priorities has become the development of strategies covering the concept of “new challenges” to national security. Threats such as terrorism, regional instability, uncontrolled flows of weapons and drug trafficking, transnational crime networks and illegal migration, ethnic conflicts and political regimes, systematic violation of human rights, growing demand for resources, natural disasters, environmental hazards, and pandemics came to the fore. The renewal of the complex of strategic threats has caused the modernization of American approaches to ensuring security and defense. As a result of the study, based on the application of political analysis methods, considerable attention is paid to the strategic culture of the USA as an answer to fundamental questions about the way of thinking and behavior of the state, the tools of its foreign policy, its perception of key categories for national improvement – «security», «enemy», «environment», «threat». Taking into account the evolutionary dimension of the perception, awareness and overcoming of threats to the USA, it is possible to single out certain features of strategic culture that played and continue to play a significant role in the process of making foreign policy decisions of this state, which are discussed in this article. Conclusions. All US foreign policy actions are aimed at achieving its own national interests, and their structuring, reflection and consolidation in doctrinal documents allow for the synchronization of foreign policy steps and the adoption of important political decisions, despite the turbulence in international relations and the changing geopolitical realities of the 21st century.
The U.S. public opinion regarding the USSR at the initial stage of the German-Soviet war: religion aspect
Authors:   Sumy State Pedagogical University A. S. Makarenko, Sumy, Ukraine, Khodun Eduard
Published: July 2023

The article deals with the attitude of predominantly religious American society to the atheistic USSR and the perspectives of military-political alliance with it at the initial stage of the German-Soviet war. The chronological boundaries of the study are the period from the German attack on the USSR on June 22, 1941, to the beginning of December 1941, when a number of important events occurred: the Soviet counteroffensive near Moscow, Japan attacked the U.S. Pacific Fleet base in Pearl Harbor, Germany, and Italy declared war on the United States. The aim of the article is a comprehensive analysis and systematization of the religious aspect of the USSR’s reputation in U.S. public opinion at the beginning of the German-Soviet war. Methodology: the article uses the method of analysis to study various points of view of American society on the possibility of an alliance with the USSR in the second half of 1941. The author also applies methods of systematization and generalization to illustrate the conclusions. Scientific novelty: for the first time in domestic historiography, the religious factor in U.S. public opinion about the possibility of an alliance with the USSR is analyzed. The author comes to the conclusion that the religious consciousness of American citizens had a significant impact on the adoption of important political decisions, and on the issue of alliance with the USSR at the beginning of the German-Soviet war, the religious part of American society proposed two possible models of solution: the absolute exclusion of any support for the USSR from the United States and, on the contrary, the establishment of temporary cooperation for early victory over the common enemy. Despite the existence of mutually exclusive strategies, supporters of both of them regarded the USSR as an ideological opponent with whom it is fundamentally impossible to build long-term promising relations.
Experimental definition of lateral stiffness of a pneumatic wheel of the MTZ-82 “Belarus” tractor
Authors: Novikov Vyacheslav V. , Pozdeev Alexey V. , Erontaev Vitaly V. , Chumakov Dmitry A. , Kolesov Nikolay M. , Timoshin Nikolay V. , Kagochkin Timofey A.
Published: July 2023

BACKGROUND: Due to the excessive vertical and angular vibrations of suspensionless vehicles used in agriculture and road construction that occur during movement, the velocity of their motion is limited, which, in the conditions of a constant traffic flow, reduces the road capacity. Therefore, the search for ways to improve the vibration-isolating properties of wheeled suspensionless vehicles is a relevant issue, the solution of which affects not only on traffic safety and driving comfort, but also on average speed and fuel efficiency.
AIMS: To determine the lateral stiffness of the pneumatic wheel from the rear axle of the MTZ-82 Belarus tractor at different tire pressures, basing on bench tests.
METHODS: On the basis of the hydraulic pulsation test rig of the Automatic Units department of the VolgGTU, a special-purpose movable supporting and measuring device was developed and assembled, the feature of which is that 4 rollers with flanges are installed on top of the hydraulic actuator force sensor, a flat rectangular base plate is supported on these rollers and connected with a vertical frame of the rig through a force-measuring device by means of a screw mechanism. The tested wheel is mounted on the base plate, the wheels axle is fixed on a vertically-moving traverse, on top of which weights creating the necessary vertical force are fixed. The test procedure consisted in measuring the lateral force and lateral displacement of the base plate until the tire slip occurred at the following tire pressures: at the recommended pressure of 0.16 MPa and at reduced pressures of 0.12, 0.08 and 0.04 MPa.
RESULTS: Based on the test results, the elastic characteristic curves of the lateral stiffness of the tested wheel were obtained. These characteristic curves have a regressive form, as their slope significantly decreases with a significant reduce in tire pressure. Thus, when the tire pressure is reduced from 0.16 to 0.12 MPa, there is practically no difference in the obtained values of lateral stiffness, which reaches 112.5 kN/m. After a 2-fold tire pressure reduction, the lateral stiffness decreases by 7%, and after a 4-fold reduction, by 28%. At the same time, the static tire deflection increases from 22 to 32 mm, which significantly increases the contact patch of the tire with the ground.
CONCLUSIONS: By means of the tests carried out, it is established that tire pressure reduction by 2550% of the recommended value does not have a significant effect on the loss of lateral stiffness of the pneumatic wheel of the rear axle of the MTZ-82 Belarus tractor, which is important to use in order to increase traction and improve ride comfort of wheeled tractors.
Development and verification of a mathematical model of the wheel mover interaction with deformable soil, based on the application of the method of discrete elements
Authors: Pashkovsky Roman R. , Evseev Kirill B.
Published: July 2023

The vehicle cross-country power depends both on the mover type and its weight-and-dimensional parameters, and on the physico-mechanical soil properties. Research of the interaction between the mover and a deformable soil at the stage of research and development using mathematic simulation makes it possible predicting the vehicle cross-country power.
The main mechanical soil parameters are the angle of internal friction and cohesion, which affect the process of interaction of the wheel with the deformable soil, since both normal and shear forces in the contact area. In this paper, sandy soil mathematical model is proposed and verified, and its parameters are determined for further research.
The developed mathematical model of the interaction of the wheel mover with a deformable soil is based on the application of the method of discrete elements. In this paper, the wheel mover force factors when moving on cohesionless soil are analyzed and also forms the dependence of the specific traction force on the specific circumferential force for various wheel rolling modes was obtained. As a result of applying the method of discrete elements to study the interaction of a wheel mover with a deformable support base, it is possible to determine the traction characteristic. Thus, the application of this method will reduce the number and scale of field tests.
Using the developed mathematical model the planetary wheeled mover traction characteristic was obtained and the comparative analysis with the nature test results was carried out.
Prognostic value of changes in coronary blood flow in patients with preserved ejection fraction
Authors: Kalinina Elena S. , Zagatina Angela V. , Sayganov Sergey A.
Published: July 2023

BACKGROUND: The measurement of the left ventricular ejection fraction during at echocardiographic study evaluates global contractility. A decrease in this parameter indicates a poor prognosis. However, in the range of normal values, the left ventricular ejection fraction loses prognostic significance. This category of patients requires the development of other prognostic methods.
AIM: To explore the effect of changes in coronary blood flow parameters measured using dopplerography in patients with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction in predicting adverse outcomes over the next year.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The prospective study included patients referred for echocardiography in 20192020 followed up at the Saint Petersburg Research Center of Cardiology Medika. The inclusion criterion was age over 18 years. A decrease in left ventricular ejection fraction of less than 53% was an exclusion critrion. In addition to standard echocardiography, dopplerography has been used to study the velocity parameters of blood flow in the coronary arteries. The observation period was 1 year.
RESULTS: The control group included 453 patients. During the year of observation, 89 cases of spontaneous adverse events (death / myocardial infarction / progressive heart failure) occurred, including 19 deaths. The patients who died were older (76.6 8.6 vs. 59.3 15.5 years; р 0.000001), with lower global longitudinal function (13.8 4.3% vs. 18.3 3.6%, р 0.000001), with a large volume index of the left atrium (54.6 15.5 vs. 36.5 13.1 ml/m2; р 0.000000), high pressure in the pulmonary artery (39 14.7 vs. 29.5 8.1 mmHg; р 0.000000), high left ventricular myocardial mass index (108.7 37.2 vs. 88,1 24.1 g/m2, р 0.000000) and impaired diastolic function [the ratio of blood flow velocity through the mitral valve in the first (early) phase of left ventricular filling and the average velocity of the mitral valve fibrous ring 13.6 7.1 vs. 9.4 4.4; р 0.000000]. The blood flow velocity in the anterior interventricular artery was significantly higher (78.0 39.0 vs. 50.0 25.4 cm/s, р 0.000007). Only age and flow velocity in anterior interventricular artery were independent predictors of death / myocardial infarction (р 0.004).
CONCLUSIONS: Velocity parameters in the anterior interventricular artery are a significant predictor of short-term spontaneous events, including death, in patients with preserved ejection fraction.
Antifungal Activity, Total Phenolic Content and Antioxidant Activity Properties of Some Spices Extracts as Alternative Natural Antimicrobial Agents
Authors: ASLAN Mine , ERTAŞ Nilgün , DEMİR Mustafa Kürşat
Published: July 2023

In this study, extracts were obtained from rosemary, anise, cinnamon, ginger, peppermint, turmeric, fennel, clove, laurel leaves and thyme. The total phenolic content amount, antioxidant activity value and antifungal properties of these extracts were aimed to determine the extracts. Among the extracts, clove, cinnamon, turmeric and ginger were superior in terms of total phenolic content values, clove, cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, laurel leaves and rosemary extracts were superior in terms of antioxidant activity. The highest inhibition zone diameters among mold strains were determined by the use of extracts of cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, clove and laurel leaves against Aspergillus oryzae, Penicillium digitatum and Aspergillus niger strains. The results suggested the potential use of cinnamon and clove extracts as natural agents.
Assessment of Inhibitory Ability Against Medicinally Important Enzymes with Invitro and In Silico Studies: Phenolic Content of Endemic Centaurea cadmea subsp. pontica
Authors: KISA Dursun , ÇELİK Ahmet , İMAMOĞLU Rizvan
Published: July 2023

Centaurea species has great potential as a traditional medicinal herb and C. cadmea subsp. pontica collected from rocky slope crevices of Küre Mountain is endemic to the flora of Türkiye. In the present work, to reveal the plant's pharmacological importance, its potency to inhibit various medicinal enzymes was investigated, supported by molecular docking studies. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) results for studied enzymes were quantified between 0.50-86.97 µg mLˉˡ, and the extract was efficient against HMG_CoA R, α-glucosidase, and α-amylase enzymes linked to diabetes and cholesterol. Nine phenolic compounds were identified in the C. cadmea subsp. pontica extract and the interactions of the most abundant phenolic compounds with the enzymes were examined with molecular docking studies. In conclusion, findings amassed from the present study inclined to support the opinion that C. cadmea subsp. pontica may be beneficial as an effective herb for formulating novel health-promoting ingredients.
Riesgo de violencia y dependencia emocional en adultos: un mapeo sistemático
Authors: Alva Pacheco Alison Margaret , Velarde Camaqui Davis , Copaja Hernández Luz Zenaida
Published: July 2023

La presente investigación de mapeo sistemático tuvo como objetivo principal identificar las publicaciones científicas que hay sobre violencia y dependencia emocional en los últimos dos años. La metodología utilizada consistió en una búsqueda de documentos en las siguientes bases de datos: Web of Science, Scopus a través de la búsqueda “risk* of violence* AND emotion* dependen*”, y para Scielo y La Referencia “Violencia Dependencia emocional”. Donde se encontraron 19 estudios de investigación, los cuales conforman artículos, tesis de maestría y doctorados. Se halló que la mayoría de investigaciones se han realizado en Latinoamérica, especialmente en Perú en los cuales se ha empleado mayormente el Cuestionario de Dependencia Emocional (CDE)de Lemos y Londoño, el Inventario de Dependencia Emocional (IDE), con relación a la variable de violencia se utilizan indistintos tipos de instrumentos. Se pudo detectar que en una gran parte de las exploraciones hay una conexión cercana entre violencia y dependencia emocional, produciendo problemas en la salud integral de la persona. Cabe recalcar que ninguna de las investigaciones pertenece al cuartil nivel uno, lo que llevaría a la conclusión que sería beneficioso llevar a cabo investigaciones innovadoras sobre esta temática a fin de optimizar futuros estudios en relaciones de pareja.
Effect of operating parameters on the performance of rotary desiccant wheel energized by PV/T collectors
Authors: OLMUŞ Umutcan , GÜZELEL Yunus Emre , NEYFEL ÇERÇI Kamil , BÜYÜKALACA Orhan
Published: July 2023

The main energy input of a desiccant air conditioning system is the low-quality thermal ener-gy required for regeneration, which can be obtained from waste heat, geothermal resources or solar energy. Regeneration thermal energy can be produced as well as energizing components such as fans, pumps, auxiliary air heaters, and control elements of the system by using pho-tovoltaic-thermal solar collectors (PV/T). In this study, parametric analyzes were performed to investigate the effect of regeneration temperature and air frontal velocity on the tempera-ture and dehumidification performance of a solid silica-gel desiccant wheel and on the wa-ter-cooled PV/T collectors used to provide the regeneration thermal energy. The regeneration temperature was varied between 50 and 70°C, and air frontal velocity between 1.3 and 4.1 m/s. The analyzes show that the dehumidification efficiency increases from 13.94% to 33.04% as regeneration temperature increased from 50°C to 70°C at 1.3 m/s air frontal velocity at which dehumidification efficiency is maximum. At 4.1 m/s air frontal velocity, the required regener-ation thermal energy is maximum and increases from 49.64 kW to 132.48 kW at the same re-generation temperature change. The low regeneration temperature resulted in desirable latent performance and undesirable sensible heat transfer performance in DEW. Finally, considering the whole system, it was concluded that the optimum regeneration air temperature for the performance parameters is 60°C.
A CFD investigation of the design variables affecting the performance of finned-tube heat exchangers
Authors: MUJTABA Hussaini Syed , FEROZE Tariq , HANAN Ahmad , SHAMS Haider Ali
Published: July 2023

A wide variety of heating and cooling applications use heat exchangers. The increase in energy prices, the requirement for size reduction, and restriction on greenhouse gas emissions has led to the need for finding ways to develop efficient heat exchangers. A cost-efficient way to enhance the model of a heat exchanger by visualizing the effects of the design parameters is using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The reason for this exploration was to lead an examination of the varieties/changes in the general intensity move process for a Finned-Tube Heat Exchanger (FTHE), also known as Air Coil Heat Exchanger (ACHE) with a variety of plan boundaries like the quantity of tubes, course of action of tubes, and the material utilized for the intensity exchanger. The widely used heat exchanger that uses refrigerant R314a and air as the working fluids was simulated with different design modifications. The simulated results exhibited as to how the number of tubes, arrangement of coils/tubes, material of tubes, and density / spacing of fins, effects the pressure drop, temperature and velocities profiles, and heat exchangers’ transfer of a heat. The use of copper coils improved the heat transfer by approximately 61% as compared to aluminium coils.
Performance enhancement of absorption refrigeration systems: An overview
Authors: VERMA Abhishek , KAUSHIK Subhash Chandra , TYAGI1 Sudhir Kumar
Published: July 2023

The introduction of absorption refrigeration technology addressed several significant con-cerns in the domain of energy crisis, rising cost of fossil fuel, and ecological challenges aris-ing due to the excess use of traditional compression refrigeration systems. ARS (absorption refrigeration system) is gaining popularity as a result of benefits such as the use of low-grade heat sources and environmentally acceptable low-cost working fluid pairs. However, two sig-nificant hurdles to commercial success for this technology are the often too big size of the refrigeration system and the poor performance of the system. Numerous studies have been conducted in an attempt to discover methods for improving the COP (coefficient of perfor-mance) of ARS in order to get these systems more competitive in comparison to the conven-tional compression refrigeration systems. The goal of this article is to perform a review of the literature on different methods used to enhance the COP of ARSs based on cycle layout mod-ification and working pair selection as they are the promising solutions for the enhancement of the performance of ARSs. The futuristic aspect of this technology includes the introduction of new working pairs with no corrosion to the system components, including nanoparticles to increase heat transfer rate while reducing the cost of the system. Heat recovery methods should be introduced and the efficient design of various components especially the generator and absorber are to be addressed. This technology could be combined with other refrigeration technologies while utilizing the waste heat to further improve the efficiency of ARSs.
A review on battery thermal management strategies in lithium-ion and post-lithium batteries for electric vehicles
Authors: GUNGOR Sahin , GOCMEN Sinan , CETKIN Erdal
Published: July 2023

Electrification on transportation and electricity generation via renewable sources play a vital role to diminish the effects of energy usage on the environment. Transition from the conven-tional fuels to renewables for transportation and electricity generation demands the storage of electricity in great capacities with desired power densities and relatively high C-rate values. Yet, thermal and electrical characteristics vary greatly depending on the chemistry and struc-ture of battery cells. At this point, lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are more suitable in most applications due to their superiorities such as long lifetime, high recyclability, and capacities. However, exothermic electrochemical reactions yield temperature to increase suddenly which affects the degradation in cells, ageing, and electrochemical reaction kinetics. Therefore, strict temperature control increases battery lifetime and eliminates undesired situations such as lay-er degradation and thermal runaway. In the literature, there are many distinct battery thermal management strategies to effectively control battery cell temperatures. These strategies vary based on the geometrical form, size, capacity, and chemistry of the battery cells. Here, we focus on proposed battery thermal management strategies and current applications in the electric vehicle (EV) industry. In this review, various battery thermal management strategies are doc-umented and compared in detail with respect to geometry, thermal uniformity, coolant type and heat transfer methodology for Li-ion and post-lithium batteries.
Comparative analysis of carbon particle emissions from exhaust of an IC engine using HSD and blends of HSD and Honge/Jatropha biodiesel
Authors: GOWDA B Putta Bore , CHANDRASHEKAR R , KUMAR S Mohana
Published: July 2023

In spite of the surge in solar and wind energy in the recent years, the IC engines, particularly the diesel engines may be expected to stay on for the next 30 years at least. In this context, it is imperative to find alternative fuel sources for petro diesel, at least in part. Inedible oil based biodiesels are one good option for India. There is a slight decrease in performance of a diesel engine when run with biodiesel blends. It is also feared by some that pollution from exhaust gas by using biodiesel blends may be higher.
This paper summarizes the results of experiments carried out on biodiesel blends with diesel to determine the amounts and particle sizes of carbon particulate matter emissions in engine exhaust. Blends of two esterified oils, viz., Honge (Pongamia Pinnata) and Jatropha, with petro diesel were used to operate a single-cylinder, four-stroke diesel engine. Blend ratios used were 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%. The carbon particles in exhaust were collected on an INDICA filter paper for 5 minutes. The carbon content was ascertained by the standard procedure, and the size of particles was found by microscopic examination. Further ANOVA of the data was car-ried out separately for the Honge and Jatropha blends.
The results from the experiments are clear and interesting. Both Honge and Jatropha blends increase the amount of carbon particulates in engine exhaust when compared with diesel. Car-bon particulates increase with increase in load on the engine. Increase of blend ratio generally increases the carbon in exhaust in case of Jatropha blends. The behaviour with Honge blends is different. While blend H5 has highest carbon in exhaust at low loads, at high loads, H10 has the maximum carbon in exhaust.
Blending with Honge or Jatropha biodiesel increases the carbon particle size in exhaust. While the size of carbon particles with diesel is < 20 µm, it is > 20 µm with all blends, increasing with load or blend ratio. In all cases, lower loads result in finer carbon particles in exhaust.
The study helps in concluding that both Honge and Jatropha blends could be used in diesel en-gines, Honge being superior. Though the PM level in the exhaust will be higher with blending, the particle sizes will be much larger and hence causing less health hazard. Further, idling (no load), or low loads should be avoided since these result in smaller carbon particles.
Profile of paediatric neurologic emergencies at the children emergency ward in a tertiary hospital in Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Authors: Gabriel-Job Nneka , Wobo Kininyiruchi N.
Published: July 2023

Background: Neurologic emergencies are life-threatening in most cases with risks for acute or lifelong complications. Though a common presentation in the paediatric group, there is paucity of studies in our environment. The aim of this study is to describe the pattern, prevalence and outcome of paediatric neurologic emergencies in the university of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital.
Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study conducted at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital. Data was obtained from the registers in the children emergency ward over a one-year period.
Results: A total of 1125 children were admitted into the CHEW in 2022, 67 (6.0%) of them had neurologic emergencies. Their ages ranged from 3 months to 16 years with a mean age was 7.6±5.2 years. Thirty-seven (55.2%) were males with a male to female ratio of 1.2:1. The most frequent diagnosis were meningitis and meningoencephalitis in 21 (31.3%), epilepsy among 9 (13.4%) while febrile convulsion and cerebral malaria accounted for 4 (6.0%) respectively. The main neurologic emergencies at presentations were raised intracranial pressure 34.3%, convulsions (31.3%), unconsciousness (16.4%) and paralysis (9.0%). Majority (70.2%) of them were discharged, 9 (13.4%) died, 8 (11.9%) DAMA while 3 (4.5%) were referred. More than half of those that died presented late to the hospital.
Conclusions: Neurologic emergencies are prevalent and are common causes of morbidity and mortality in children with meningitis being the commonest cause. There is need to enhance preventive strategies against meningitis.
Growth profile of children with beta-thalassemia major
Authors: Jadhav Shridhar Subhash
Published: July 2023

Background: Retarded growth in thalassemic patient is complex and multi-factorial, it includes chronic hypoxia secondary to anemia when pre-transfusion haemoglobin is below 9 g/dl. Development of secondary sexual characteristics in thalassemic children is markedly delayed as compared to their non-thalassemic siblings and to the expected development criteria due to chronic hypoxia and iron overload. The main objective of the present study is to monitor the growth of these patients longitudinally
Methods: This was a observational, cross sectional field study in Pune, Maharashtra.
Result: Patients with beta-thalassemia major on regular blood transfusions have growth failure, deranged liver function and hypocalcaemia in conjunction with high serum ferritin levels  
Conclusions: Beta thalassemia major, having the potential of leading to multisystemic complications, is a chronic disease that should be treated and followed-up by a multidisciplinary approach.
Neurodevelopmental outcomes in newborns with birth asphyxia with special reference to hearing and visual impairment
Authors: Ansari Fatehullah , Manazir Ali Syed , Firdaus Uzma , Noor Nasreen
Published: July 2023

Background: Birth asphyxia, the commonest cause of neonatal hospital admission with involvement of majority of an infant's organs but brain impairment is particularly worrisome. Early, severe neurologic dysfunction indicates significant hypoxic-ischemic insult and is the best predictor of neurologic sequelae. The survivors suffer from hypoxic–ischemic brain injury affecting vulnerable areas of the brain leading to neurodevelopmental sequelae including problems with sensory-motor, auditory and language processing.
Methods: This prospective cohort study conducted at Neonatal Section of JNMCH, AMU, Aligarh included 150 asphyxiated newborns fulfilling inclusion criteria. The discharged newborns were followed at 6,10 and 14 weeks and 6 months for neurological assessment using HINES along with screening assessment of visual and hearing. The findings noted compared with different Stages of HIE.
Results: Among a total of 150 eligible asphyxiated newborn enrolled in the study, 91 babies were discharged. 89% of the Stage I HIE discharged infant had HINES score of more than 70 at 6 months whereas score of more than 65 was seen in 96%, 81% and 35% in the three advancing stages of HIE respectively. All babies in stage I, 77% of stage II and 50% of stage III babies had normal ophthalmological examination. All babies with stage III had an abnormal hearing.
Conclusions: Majority of asphyxiated newborn of Stage I and II were having good hospital as well as neurodevelopment and visual outcome but the Stage III babies had high mortality and adverse neurological, ophthalmic and hearing sequalae in the survivors.
Serum vitamin D status in children with epilepsy on antiepileptic drugs and its relation to the frequency of breakthrough seizures
Authors: Bezboruah Gayatri , Kalita Shabnam
Published: July 2023

Background: Epilepsy is the most common neurological disorder in children requiring long term drug therapy which are associated with vitamin D deficiency. Antiepileptic actions of vitamin D deficiency have been extensively studied in animal models but human data, particularly in children is lacking. Objectives were to study the levels of serum vitamin D in children with epilepsy on antiepileptic drugs and to study the correlation between levels of vitamin D and frequency of breakthrough seizures.
Methods: hospital-based cross-sectional study. Participants: A total of 94 children with epilepsy were included in the study. Intervention: The patients were on a minimum of 6 months of antiepileptic drug therapy. Anthropometric measurements were taken and blood samples were analysed for vitamin D, serum calcium, phosphate, complete blood counts and renal profile.
Results: The present study showed a statistically significant relationship between serum vitamin D deficiency and antiepileptic drugs (p value <0.001), the number of AEDs with patients on polytherapy ≥2 AEDs having lower vitamin D levels (p value <0.001) and the duration of antiepileptic drugs (p value of 0.016). Linear regression analysis also showed a statistically significant relationship between serum vitamin D deficiency and seizure frequency (p value of <0.001, 95% confidence interval: -3.465, -2.275).
Conclusions: Case studies and epidemiological data also support the evidence of connection between levels of serum vitamin D and epilepsy and the use of vitamin D3 as a potential therapy for human epilepsy. This study is conducted with an aim to highlight the role of vitamin D in children with epilepsy in seizure control.
An observational study of childhood iron deficiency anaemia and the factors affecting the outcome of oral iron therapy
Authors: Veluru Nithin , Ranabijuli Pradeep K. , Mukherjee Ananya , Lodi Nazparveen , Arya Anuranjan , Vuddanda Pavan Kumar
Published: July 2023

Background: Iron deficiency is the most common cause of anaemia worldwide. In-depth studies examining facilitators and barriers to oral iron therapy are lacking. The aim of our study is to determine the factors affecting the outcome of oral iron therapy in iron deficiency anaemia.
Methods: This is an observational study conducted in a tertiary hospital in Mumbai in children in the age group of 12 to 60 months. Out of a total of 416 children screened, 208 were eligible for oral iron therapy and were given oral iron in the dose of 3 milligrams per kilogram per day and reviewed after two months. A comprehensive questionnaire was given to parents after the completion of therapy to study the factors affecting iron therapy. The details were then analysed using Excel sheets, and correlation was calculated using SPSS program version 20.0.
Results: After 2 months of oral iron therapy, IDA was corrected in 68.98%. Factors that led to an unsatisfactory outcome with iron therapy were, history of low birth weight, past hospital admissions, gastrointestinal side effects, malnutrition, and children who had tea, milk, or food with iron therapy. In contrast, children who took iron on an empty stomach and along with vitamin C-rich foods had a significant increase in haemoglobin levels.
Conclusions: Various modifiable factors affect adherence and outcome of oral iron therapy. Tea and Coffee are to be avoided when the child is on iron therapy. Meticulous counselling of parents and children is pivotal for the successful management of IDA with oral iron therapy.
Feeding behaviours in infancy of children later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Varma Chaitanya , De-Souza Nandita
Published: July 2023

Background: Autism spectrum disorder, the fastest growing childhood neurodevelopmental diagnosis, shows good outcomes with early intervention. The search for behavioral early markers is an important area of research. Studies of breastfeeding and weaning behaviours in autism have reported characteristic patterns which could be early indicators of this condition.
Methods: The study was a cross sectional survey of breastfeeding and weaning patterns during the first year of life in 50 children aged 15 months to 5 years, including 25 with ASD and 25 Neurotypical children. A semi-structured interview schedule and the brief assessment of mealtime behavior in children scale was used to elicit feeding history from their mothers. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics and tests of significance.
Results: There were significant differences in the patterns of early feeding of children with ASD, compared to the NT children. 64% ASD children showed dysregulated vigorous sucking during breastfeeding, without knowing when to stop. 52% of them breast fed for more than 40 minutes per feed. 68% continued to breastfeed beyond the age of 2 years. A significant proportion of ASD children also showed weaning difficulties such as limited variety (40%), food refusal (36%) and disruptive mealtime behaviour (32%).
Conclusions: Children with ASD show significantly more challenging breastfeeding and weaning behaviours in infancy, compared to NT children. These patterns could be identified by parents and health workers in early child development as possible early signs of ASD and prompt referral for further diagnostic evaluation.