bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diffusion and Thermal Shock Behaviour of Silicate Dental Ceramics
Authors: ERTUĞ Burcu
Published: February 2023

The purpose of this study is to examine the diffusion and thermal shock behaviour of the alternative dental silicates. The samples derived from BaO-SiO2 system have been produced by melting process and followed by the heat treatment. X-ray examinations have indicated that the amount of orthorhombic sanbornite phase rised due to treatment temperature as revealed by the peak intensities. The alteration of the morphology by treatment temperature was evident from scanning electron microscopy SEM images. Crystallization at low temperature produced small crystallites and coarsening was not observed with a rise in temperature. The failure of the dental samples after the thermal shock test was examined using SEM. A continuous crack geometry and very few crack branching were observed. Diffusivity constant (D) and diffusion rate were examined vs treatment temperature for the present system. Diffusion depth (L) was doubled when the crystallization treatment was applied. Based on the obtained results, these silicate samples might take part in the further characterization studies to be used as alternative dentistry materials.
Room-temperature compressive creep behavior of Ti-6Al-4V ELI alloys with basketweave microstructure under an alternating compressive stress
Authors: HUANG Hao , ZHANG Yu , LU Jiafei , DAN Zhenhua , CHANG Hui , ZHOU Lian
Published: February 2023

Titanium alloys have great potential as candidate materials for the deep-sea facilities. Long-term creep deformation behavior of the pressure-bearing structures made of titanium alloys under alternating compressive stress has a direct impact on the structural stability. The compressive creep evaluations of Ti-6Al-4V ELI alloys with basketweave microstructure under alternating stresses have been carried out by a uniaxial compressive creep tester. The compressive creep deformations have strong stress sensitivity due to the larger creep strain by the higher applied compressive stress. The dislocation densities in α and β phases increase with the increase of applied compressive stresses. The dislocation slip and dislocation multiplication occur in α phases accompanying with high dislocations density in β phases caused by compressive deformation. The large strain concentration occurs at the grain boundaries of α/β phase due to dislocation plug after creep, which causes the grain boundary pinning. The compressive creep deformation of Ti-6Al-4V ELI alloys under alternating stress is a decelerating creep process and controlled by  dislocation slip. The slight refinements of the grains and hardening have been confirmed after creeps. The synergistic effects of dislocation multiplication, grain boundary pinning and grain refinements lead to strengthening the Ti-6Al-4V ELI alloys and decelerating the compressive creeps.
Are Hospitalized Patients Culturally Safe?
Authors: Bozorgzad Parisa
Published: February 2023

My personal and professional experiences as a practitioner nurse, and a lecturer unveil that, in the present environment, patients, along with the fear of death and illness, face stressors such as being stranger to the treatment team, being unaware of the treatment process, fear of questioning, the unfamiliar environment of the hospital and its governing culture. In most cases, not only the values, beliefs and identities of patients are not taken into account in decision making, but also the atmosphere governing medical centers is somehow trying to instill their thoughts and beliefs in them. This makes decision-making solely on the basis of disease recognition, not pertaining to the patient’s requirements. In such an atmosphere, the possibility of the patient’s participation, cooperation and protection in daycare is threatened, and in many cases, it prevents follow-up and adherence to treatment and prevents us from the goal of improving the quality of patient-centered services with a view to clinical excellence. The concept of cultural safety, along with encouraging the practitioners to rethink, opens the way for the implementation and attainment of the ideals of emancipatory theory in nursing, which have been for years restricted to the scope of theoretical knowledge.
Evaluation SSG-LRR Model on an Homogeneous Turbulence under Inclined Shear for High and Low Stratification: Shear Number Effect
Authors: Thamri Lamia , Naffouti Taoufik
Published: February 2023

This chapter develops proposals for an evaluation coupled second order model of SSG-LRR on an homogeneous turbulence submitted to an inclined shear for high and low stratification. The effect of Shear number on thermal and dynamic turbulent fields of the problem is performed for Shear number fixed at 2, 6, 14 and 20. Two values of Froude number equal to 0.35 and 1.29 are adopted for all numerical simulations corresponding to high and low stratification, respectively. For all simulations, value of angle theta is fixed at θ = π/4 corresponding to the angle between the shear and the vertical gradient of stratification. SSG-LRR model is adopted to compute turbulent parameters of principal component of anisotropy b12, normalized turbulence dissipation ε/KS and the density flux ρu1¯. A good agreement is detected by comparison of findings via model of SSG-LRR with the reported results in the literature by Direct Numerical Simulation of Jacobitz (DNSJ). It is found that the variation of Shear number predict a very strong influence on thermal and dynamic turbulent characteristics. Hence, findings with SSG-LRR model prove the existence of an asymptotic equilibrium states for various thermal and dynamic parameters in particularly for a low stratification.
Economic Importance and Yield Potential of Sugarcane in Pakistan
Authors: Afghan Shahid , Ehsan Khan Muhammad , Raza Arshad Waqas , Bukhsh Malik Karim , Nikpay Amin
Published: February 2023

Sugarcane is mainly cultivated in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, and nearly 85% of sugar is used worldwide. The area, production, and yield of sugarcane has been increased worldwide as well as in Pakistan as compared to other crops. It is the second largest economically important crop after cotton. It is a high-value cash crop that has significance for sugar industries in Pakistan. It contributes about 0.6% to the GDP and 2.9% of the total value added in agriculture. It creates huge revenue for the government and is used as a source of energy/power. The climate of Pakistan is favorable for sugarcane production in Punjab and Sindh provinces. Different climatic factors, i.e., sunlight, temperature, germination, tillering, growth, humidity, dew, frost, hailstorm, windstorm, sunburn, and drought, significantly affect the production of sugarcane. Pakistan is a principal cane-growing country and stands at the fifth position in the area, sixth position in cane sugar production, and ninth largest sugar producer in the world. This chapter describes the economic importance, climate, and yield potential of sugarcane in Pakistan.
Water Resources Management and Hydraulic Infrastructures in the Senegal River Basin: The Case Study of Senegal, Mali and Mauritania
Authors: Faye Cheikh
Published: February 2023

The water resources of the Sahelian countries bordering the Senegal River basin (Senegal, Mali and Mauritania) are limited and unevenly distributed. To overcome the unequal distribution of water resources and to manage floods and droughts in the Senegal River Basin, hydraulic infrastructures have been built in the Senegal River Basin, starting with the Manantali dam. The paper reviews the current water storage capacity in the Senegalese, Malian and Mauritanian parts of the Senegal River Basin from a sustainable water resources management perspective. Data from the Manantali dam and from the water resources of the downstream countries (Mali, Senegal and Mauritania) in the Senegal River basin were employed to assess water storage capacity at country level in this basin. Water storage capacity was found to be lowest in the Mauritanian part and highest in the Malian part. These results led to the conclusion that despite the OMVS based heavy investment in the infrastructure of water storage capacity there is both need and potential for infrastructure increase. As the Senegal River Basin is a transboundary case the riparian countries sharing in order to promote integrated water resources management at the basin level, need to continue to develop additional storage to underpin and modernize the responsible use of water resources through the construction of other multifunctional water infrastructure.
Water Control, Impacts and Sub-Regional Cooperation Around a Transboundary Hydrological System - The Case of the Kayanga/Geba Catchment Area: (Guinea, Senegal and Guinea-Bissau)
Authors: Sambou Saly , Ndimag Diouf Rene , Sarr Joseph
Published: February 2023

The Kayanga/Geba river basin is a transboundary basin shared between Guinea, Senegal and Guinea-Bissau. It concentrates important natural resources, notably water resources on which Senegal and Guinea-Bissau are particularly dependent. The drastic reduction of these water resources due to rainfall variability and climate change has had an impact on agricultural production in the basin; hence the hydro-agricultural developments, in Senegalese territory, boost socio-economic activities by increasing productivity in both the rainy and dry seasons. The negative effects of these developments go beyond administrative boundaries. The transboundary management of this basin is a real challenge because the dams built in Senegal do not have the legal status of common dams of the OMVG whose mission is to promote cooperation between its member states. This article first analyses water control and some of the negative impacts of hydro-agricultural developments, and then the cooperation initiatives that the OMVG is trying to implement for rational and harmonious exploitation of the common resources of this basin.
Creating Effective Management Simulations: Rapidly, Responsibly, Relevantly
Authors: Fletcher Gordon
Published: February 2023

This chapter presents a critical discussion of the current state of management simulations and considers this specific genre of software against the backdrop of wholesale gamification of activities within organizations and the widespread popularity of games that are available for a variety of computing devices. These two contemporary phenomena are presented as a tension to current management simulations that require synthesis. The chapter then progresses to an exploration of the possibility of a systematic approach to consistently define management simulations that encourage academic involvement through the authorship of games as well as building an aspiration to make simulations more “game-like” in their interface. The purpose of this approach is multiple. It provides a consistent framework that helps to democratize the creation of simulations, provides an input language around which developers can then develop multifunctional simulation platforms and engines, and, more speculatively, provides a solid platform on to which additional layers of visual “game” play can be developed. Being able to package the essence of a simulation into a distributable file that can be used interchangeably at other institutions also encourages wider use of simulations as the key kinesthetic form of learning within management education.
Vitamin D Deficiency: Implications in COVID-19 and Schizophrenia
Authors: Saberian Sepehr , Atif Fahim , Stein Donald , Yousuf Seema
Published: February 2023

Deficiencies in vitamin D can have several etiologies, broadly classified as the following: suboptimal exposure to ultraviolet-B (UV-B) light from sunlight, low dietary intake of vitamin-D or reduced absorption due to gastrointestinal pathologies, reduced production due to liver or kidney disease, pseudo-deficiencies caused by end organ resistance despite normal or elevated vitamin D levels, and medication-induced stimulation of hepatic cytochrome P450 enzymes for which vitamin D is a substrate. Deficiencies in this important vitamin can have several adverse clinical implications such as osteomalacia, osteoporosis, muscle pain, and depression to name a few. More recently, vitamin D has been shown to be involved in modulating various aspects of the immune system. Vitamin D receptors have also been found to be present in certain regions of the brain, especially those involved in schizophrenia. We will discuss the implications of vitamin D deficiency and its immunomodulatory role in the setting of the COVID-19 virus, the proposed cellular and molecular mechanisms of action for vitamin D in the context of schizophrenia, and the clinical outcomes associated with these two pathologies as a function of low vitamin D levels.
Surgical and Radiosurgical Treatment of the Pituitary Neuroendocrine Tumors
Authors: Caglar Sahin Mustafa , Kurt Gokhan
Published: February 2023

Pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNETs) arising from adenohypophyseal cells are generally accepted as benign. It is a very heterogeneous group of tumors according to their origin, biological behavior, and growth patterns. It is the third most common intracranial tumor type after meningiomas and gliomas. Transsphenoidal surgery (TSS) is the primary treatment of choice in all PitNETs except for lactotroph tumors, which are primarily treated with dopamine agonists. In this book section, surgical approaches in the treatment of PitNETs will be explained. In addition, PitNET radiosurgery will be explained in detail by using current literature information.
A Big Data Analytics Architecture Framework for the Production and International Trade of Oilseeds and Textiles in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)
Authors: Kabanda Gabriel
Published: February 2023

Among the most revolutionary technologies are big data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, machine learning (ML), cybersecurity, blockchain technology, and cloud computing. The project was focused on how to create a Big Data Analytics Architecture Framework to increase the production capability and global trade for Sub-Saharan Africa’s oilseeds and textile industries (SSA). The infrastructure, e-commerce, and disruptive technologies in the oilseeds and textile industries, as well as global e-commerce, all demand large investments. The pragmatic paradigm served as the foundation for the research approach. This study employed a review of the literature, document analysis, and focus groups. For the oilseeds and textile sectors in SSA, a Big Data analytics architectural framework was created. The Hadoop platform was created as a framework for big data analytics. The open-source Hadoop platform offers the analytical tools and computing capacity needed to handle such massive data volumes. It supports E-commerce and is based on the Hadoop platform, which offers the analytical tools and computing power needed to handle such massive data volumes. The low rate of return on investments made in breeding, seed production, processing, and marketing limits the competitiveness of the oil crop or legume seed markets.
Moving Node Method for Differential Equations
Authors: Dalabaev Umurdin , Ikramova Malika
Published: February 2023

The chapter contains information about new approaches to solving boundary value problems for differential equations. It introduces a new method of moving nodes. Based on the approximation of differential equations (by the finite difference method or the control volume method), introducing the concept of a moving node, approximately analytical solutions are obtained. To increase the accuracy of the obtained analytical solutions, multipoint moving nodes are used. The moving node method is used to construct compact circuits. The moving node method allows you to investigate the diskette equation for monotonicity, as well as the approximation error of the differential equation. Various test problems are considered.
Bottle Gourd Landraces and Its Potential Contribution to Food Security
Authors: J. Sithole Nkanyiso , Ncama Khayelihle , S. Magwaza Lembe , M. Motsa Nozipho , Mashilo Jacob
Published: February 2023

Issues surrounding water scarcity and malnutrition in the rural household of sub-Saharan Africa continue to be a problem and pose threat to food security. In such cases, traditional and underutilized crops have been proposed because of their likely suitability in these marginal areas of crop production characterized by abiotic (drought and heat) and biotic environmental stresses (pest and diseases). Bottle gourd is one such crop with multipurpose use and a huge potential to contribute to food security. The crop is grown for its leaves, fruits, and seeds from landraces providing important nutrition for both humans and livestock. A lot has been documented about its medical properties. The crop exhibits wide genetic variation for qualitative and quantitative traits, which can be used for cultivar development. The objective of this review was to provide information on why bottle gourd is an important food security crop in sub-Saharan Africa. The first section of the paper presents water scarcity, food production, and climate change. This is followed by the section on the neglected underutilized crops species. Then the section of drought tolerance of the crop is presented, and lastly, the section on potential contribution of the crop to food security is presented.
Perspective Chapter: Digital Inclusion of the Farming Sector Using Drone Technology
Authors: Dutta Suman , Kumar Singh Ajit , Prasad Mondal Bhabani , Paul Debashis , Patra Kiranmoy
Published: February 2023

Agriculture continues to be the primary source of income for most rural people in the developing economy. The world’s economy is also strongly reliant on agricultural products, which accounts for a large number of its exports. Despite its growing importance, agriculture is still lagging behind to meet the demands due to crop failure caused by bad weather conditions and unmanaged insect problems. As a result, the quality and quantity of agricultural products are occasionally affected to reduce the farm income. Crop failure could be predicted ahead of time and preventative measures could be taken through a combination of conventional farming practices with contemporary technologies such as agri-drones to address the difficulties plaguing the agricultural sectors. Drones are actually unmanned aerial vehicles that are used for imaging, soil and crop surveillance, and a variety of other purposes in agricultural sectors. Drone technology is now becoming an emerging technology for large-scale applications in agriculture. Although the technology is still in its infancy in developing nations, numerous research and businesses are working to make it easily accessible to the farming community to boost the agricultural productivity.
Features of the Powder Application in Direct Laser Deposition Technology
Authors: Gushchina Marina , Klimova-Korsmik Olga , Turichin Gleb
Published: February 2023

The chapter presents the basic aspects of the use of metal powders in one of the main additive technologies—direct laser deposition (DLD). Direct laser deposition refers to a group of direct energy deposition (DED) methods and is analogous to Laser Metal Deposition (LMD) technology. The main requirements applied to DLD used metal powders are analyzed and substantiated. The influence of the basic properties of the powders on the quality of the deposited samples is demonstrated. An example of incoming quality control of powders, allowing its application in DLD technology, is presented. The results of experimental research on obtaining quality control samples for the most used metallic materials are presented. The results of structure and properties studies for the main groups of alloys based on iron, nickel, and titanium are shown. The potential for manufacturing products for various areas of industry using DLD has been demonstrated.
Porphyrinoid Photosensitizers for Targeted and Precise Photodynamic Therapy: Progress in Fabrication
Authors: Sivakumar Devika , Raju Rakhi , Kamal Y.T. , Salam Shahana , Kotta Sabna , Soman Rahul
Published: February 2023

This chapter focuses on basic facts and details of photodynamic therapy (PDT). PDT’s ability to cause cytotoxicity has led to its applications for a variety of medical conditions other than cancer treatment. This adaptable technology has some advantages in treating severe illness situations such as cancer, alopecia, angina pectoris, and periodontitis. It stands out even more because of the interaction of three elements: light, a photosensitizer (PS), and cellular oxygen. By preventing PS accumulation in normal vegetative cells, targeted photodynamic therapy plays an important role in achieving better accumulation of PS in a specific area. This section discusses various types of targeting methods, such as active targeting, passive targeting, and peptide-mediated targeting. Aid in both diagnosing and curing diseases, gaining widespread acceptance. It is a promising therapeutic approach with a lot of potential.
Psychoanalysis and Psychedelic Psychotherapy – A New Modern Synthesis?
Authors: Vaid Gita
Published: February 2023

Our chapter traces the origins of the psychoanalytic method back to experiences of non-ordinary states of consciousness achieved through the practice of hypnosis. Psychedelic medicines have the capacity to reveal hidden aspects of the unconscious mind that include symbolic elements and early organizational structures that correspond to Freud’s primary process thinking and which underpin conscious experience. These previously inaccessible layers comprise the building blocks of inner world formation, ideas about the self, and lenses, which serve to organize, construct and shape outer world experience. The chapter describes the signature features and experience of several popular psychedelic agents. Essential theoretical principles and process components found in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy are elaborated. The author asserts that essential psychoanalytic tenets along with the subjective and intersubjective relational spaces described by Freud, Wilfred Bion and Donald Winnicott correspond to the unique experiential frameworks and psychotherapeutic capacities that can be rapidly achieved and become readily available in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Psychoanalytic principles and technique become supremely relevant, even renewed, within the current climate of interest in psychedelic pharmacology and offers an array of fresh theoretical and practical applications in an emergent field that celebrates human being’s inner creativity, relational creativity and innate capacity to heal.
Conditioning Strategy for Previous Injured Players
Authors: Kawai Tomonori
Published: February 2023

Football players are prone to sports injuries such as ankle sprain, groin pain, ACL injury, and so on. Muscle strain injury also frequently occurs in football games or practice. As previous studies show, previously injured players have altered muscle and neural functions as well as tissue properties associated with muscle strain injury. They have altered vibration sense, tissue stiffness, and increases in micro-muscle damage. However, training load or conditioning programs are provided the same as those for uninjured players in most cases. In this chapter, the conditioning strategies for players who have previous muscle injuries will be suggested according to the phenomenon after muscle strain injury.
Nanotechnology-Based Stem Cell Therapy: Current Status and Perspectives
Authors: Samuel Ponpandian , Sundarraj Shenbagamoorthy , Sudarmani D.N.P.
Published: February 2023

The nanoparticles or nanobots are equivalent to the size of biological molecules of the human body and this is claimed to be the massive advantage of nanotechnology. Currently, top-down and bottom-up fabrication methods are being adopted to synthesize nanomaterials. Hence, the products developed from nanotechnology can be used for assessment of several biological parameters under in vitro and in vivo conditions. Effective production of nanoparticles, accompanied by the advent of novel characterization studies, enables us to manipulate the arrangement of atoms distributed on the surface of the nanomaterials to make it functionally more effective than before. In addition to the support imparted by nanotechnology, it also plays a primary role in the field of diagnostics. Another important outcome of nanotechnology is nanomedicine, which deals with the site-specific delivery of drugs with the aid of fabricated nanosystems. The advent of technology in recent years has enabled researchers to build novel forms of drug delivery systems like liposomes, dendrimers, nanoparticles and nanocrystals, which in turn ensure the précised delivery of drugs to suitable targets. Several need-based and value-added applications of nanotechnology are enlisted in the chapter.
Reorganization of the Endomembrane System and Protein Transport Pathways under Abiotic Stress
Authors: Sampaio Miguel , Neves João , Cardoso Tatiana , Pissarra José , Pereira Susana , Pereira Cláudia
Published: February 2023

Stress compromises protein trafficking in plants, which often results in modifications to the endomembrane system and trafficking pathways. Proteins travel in unexpected ways during stress, and cell compartments alter their appearance, activity, and content to cope with the difficulties that stress brings. We will piece together material on the issue in this chapter, emphasizing how the endomembrane system processes such changes and how it reacts to a dynamic environment. The intricate dynamics of protein transport pathways and how they maintain cellular homeostasis under challenging circumstances is illustrated.
Perspective Chapter: “The Knowing How to Regulate Oneself”– Transversal Competence between Parenting Skills, Biological Determination, Deficits in Primary or Secondary Disorders, and the Role of Specific Rehabilitation in Developmental Age
Authors: Cerroni Francesco , Salatiello Raffaella , Alessandra Albano Paola , Cira Nocerino Ludovica
Published: February 2023

The regulation underlies numerous developmental processes during the life cycle and intervenes in sensory processing, attachment, management of the self in relation to the other and the environment, the attunement of the affects, experimentation of interactions, the configuration of relationships, resilience, and intersubjectivity. The regulation typically occurs from the earliest stage of life. The child defines his interactive style mediated by his motor dimension through appropriate processing of stimuli adapting himself to the physical and social environment through the tonic dialogue and he also reaches the ability to manage, control, and attunement of affects and emotional states within complex dynamics in adulthood with more developed cognitive skills through the “tonic dialogue”. The construct emerges on a neurobiological and neuroanatomical basis, which describes the individual subject’s peculiar way of reacting and relating to the world: the temperament. The relational and reactive style modifies and defines itself in a strictly individual manner based on the subject’s life experiences, especially of social nature. The interactive modes, the ruptures, and the repairs that characterise the relationship with the primary caregiver leave an imprinting that the subject retains throughout his life which will define his relational style, as much as it may change according to the interacting part. From the pathological front, regulatory disorders require a global, highly specific rehabilitative treatment which aims at the developmental needs of the child. Neuro and psychomotor therapy of developmental age intervenes in all aspects of regulatory disorders and plays a role that is not only rehabilitative and abilitative but also preventive, as reduces the risk that the disorder may evolve into further clinical conditions, especially of a psychopathological nature.
Sugarcane Response and Its Related Gene Expression under Water Stress Condition
Authors: Shrestha Abhisek , Thapa Bharti , Dulal Ganga
Published: February 2023

This review paper is to study the different responses expressed by the sugarcane when exposed to water stress conditions, that is, waterlogging and drought. Water stress is one of abiotic stress affecting sugarcane productivity and the development of water-use efficiency and the morphological character get varies with genotypes, duration and intensity of stress and types of tissue damage and expression of variable patterns of a gene that makes a high degree of complexity on sugarcane under water stress condition. Since, there is little stepping towards sugarcane crops coming from genetics, agronomics, and molecular biology. These studies provided the framework for researching the morphological basis of genetic variation and mycorrhizal colonization in water stress tolerance and yield improvement under water-limited conditions.
Molecular Approaches to the Diagnosis of Chlamydia
Authors: Yenidünya Konuk Elçin
Published: February 2023

Chlamydia trachomatis is known as the most common bacterial infection agent to pass with sexual transition. This microorganism is an obligatory intracellular parasite. A variety of infections are caused by C. trachomatis, including trachoma, pneumonias in newborns, genital and urinary tract infections, and lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV), which is caused by LGV strains. The diagnosis of Chlamydia trachomatis can be made by cultures and isolations, antigens and antibodies (direct fluorescence, enzyme immunoassays), hybridization, or polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Each year, infection and diagnosis rates increase in the developed world. Since Chlamydia is mostly asymptomatic, screening, and treatment are a key to detecting cases. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), ligase chain reaction (LCR), and nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBAa) molecular methods can be used for the detection, low concentration, quantification, and identification of organisms. While the traditional PCR method confirms its existence, it can quantify real-time PCR (RT-PCR). This method (RT-PCR) may have low sensitivity among variants of the same species. Also, PCR scans, which receive urine service, offer great advantages. PCR from initial void urine (FVU) samples is highly sensitive in detecting the organism. Urine Chlamydia screenings are more acceptable in large populations and asymptomatic detections.
Urban Damage Assessment after theMw5.8 Silivri Earthquake: The Case of Istanbul City
Authors: Çetindemir Oğuzhan , Can Zülfikar Abdullah
Published: February 2023

This chapter presents the results of an urban damage assessment after a moderate seismic event, the Mw 5.8 Silivri earthquake, which is the most significant earthquake to have struck the region since two major catastrophic earthquakes, the Mw 7.6 Kocaeli and the Mw 7.1 Düzce earthquakes. First, distribution maps for earthquake parameters and building damages using an appropriate ground motion prediction equation are created for İstanbul. Then, near-real-time hazard and damage distribution maps are generated using the data recorded during the event by the ground motion network established in Istanbul. Comparing the results of the two analyses reveals that the ground motion and damage distributions generated by the selected ground motion prediction equations (GMPEs) are more conservative than those generated by the network, and this is because the actual station data surpass the GMPE’s projections. This research concludes by emphasizing the significance of both GMPEs and densely installed ground motion station networks that capture real-time data during earthquakes and providing motivations for constructing or expanding such systems.
Antibacterial Strategies: Photodynamic and Photothermal Treatments Based on Carbon-Based Materials
Authors: García Vélez David Giancarlo , Lagos Álvarez Karina Janneri , Romero Obando María Paulina
Published: February 2023

The problem of bacterial resistance is based on the abuse of antibiotics such as trimethoprim, fluoroquinolones, chloramphenicol, and some carbapenems. For this reason, conventional treatments to treat diseases caused by bacteria have become ineffective. Therefore, developing new therapies with multifunctional materials to combat bacteria is mandatory. In this context, photodynamic treatment (PDT) and photothermal treatment (PTT) have been proposed to combat bacteria. These light-stimulated treatments are minimally invasive and have a low incidence of side effects. In addition, they are simple, fast, and profitable. The antibacterial effect of PDT, PTT, or synchronic PDT/PTT arises from the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and heat caused by a photoactivated specific photosensitizer (PS) and photothermal agents (PTAs), respectively. The effectiveness of photoinduced treatment depends, among other parameters, on the nature and concentration of the PS/PTAs, light dose, and irradiation wavelength. PS/PTAs based on carbon-based materials (CBMs), such as graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide, carbon dots, and carbon nanotubes as antibacterial agents, will be discussed in this chapter. These CBMs have emerged as excellent antibacterial alternatives due to their excellent physicochemical properties, biocompatibility, low toxicity in the dark, specificity, and excellent response to light. Moreover, several composites and hybrids employing polymers, metal oxides, and metals have been tested to enhance the antibacterial activity of the CBMs.
Solutions in Breast Reconstruction
Authors: Karakol Perçin , Noyan Dabak Mert , Büyükkaya Ömer
Published: February 2023

Breast reconstruction, after cancer surgery, is not only a reconstructive surgery but also an esthetic surgery. No woman should be expected to give up the breast tissue, which is the symbol of female identity, easily. The reconstruction stage after breast cancer is difficult enough in the early and late stages. It is generally not possible to cover the defect and to equalize the two breasts in a single step. General surgery and plastic surgery should work together. Recently, innovative solutions have been offered in breast reconstruction. Starting from skin grafts and local flaps, various flap options, dermal equivalents, fat transfer, and tissue expansion operations are among the options. Breast reconstruction is difficult enough in breasts that have undergone radiotherapy, and reconstruction with autologous tissue is preferred.
Computational Fluid Dynamics for Advanced Characterisation of Bioreactors Used in the Biopharmaceutical Industry – Part I: Literature Review
Authors: Seidel Stefan , Schirmer Cedric , W. Maschke Rüdiger , Rossi Lia , Eibl Regine , Eibl Dieter
Published: February 2023

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is a widely used tool for investigating fluid flows in bioreactors. It has been used in the biopharmaceutical industry for years and has established itself as an important tool for process engineering characterisation. As a result, CFD simulations are increasingly being used to complement classical process engineering investigations in the laboratory with spatially and temporally resolved results, or even replace them when laboratory investigations are not possible. Parameters that can be determined include the specific power input, Kolmogorov length, hydrodynamic stress, mixing time, oxygen transfer rate, and for cultivations with microcarriers, the NS1 criterion. In the first part of this series, a literature review illustrates how these parameters can be determined using CFD and how they can be validated experimentally. In addition, an overview of the hardware and software typically used for bioreactor characterisation will also be provided, including process engineering parameter investigations from the literature. In the second part of this series, the authors’ research results will be used to show how the process engineering characterisation of mechanically driven bioreactors for the biopharmaceutical industry (stirred, orbitally shaken, and wave-mixed) can be determined and validated using CFD.
Mollusk Shell Waste as Composite Photocatalyst for Methylene Blue Removal
Authors: Dzinun Hazlini , Amila Diyanah Kamarul Bharin Nurul , Binti Md Nizam Norsyazwani , Ean Lim Hui , Danish Haikal Bin Sha’ari Ahmad , Amjad Bin Noor Azlan Muhammad
Published: February 2023

Mollusk shell is abundant in particular areas and frequently deposited in landfills, contributing to environmental pollution. However, mollusk shell waste has been proven as an absorbent that has a high possibility of acting as a photocatalyst when integrated with metal support in composite form due to the synergistic effect. Therefore, in this study, mussel and cockle shells as agricultural wastes were selected to be innovated as support for photocatalysts. The solid-state dispersion (SSD) method was used to prepare a composite photocatalyst where mussel and cockle were integrated with titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles at a ratio of 9:1. In total, 100% of mussel and cockle were used as control samples. The prepared composite photocatalyst was evaluated with methylene blue (MB) removal in the suspension system. The result reveals that mussel/TiO2 and cockle/TiO2 composite photocatalyst show 25.92 and 24.08% for MB removal within 2 hours. It is due to the prepared composite photocatalyst particle sizes, where mussel/TiO2 and cockle/TiO2 were 259 and 268 nm, respectively. It is interesting to note that the prepared composite photocatalyst particle size should be in nanosize, where it can enhance the photocatalytic performance. Overall, agricultural waste should be utilized to ensure a clean environment for future generations.
Phylotypes and Pathotypes of Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli of Gastroenteritis
Authors: Sajid Abdulabbas Hadi , Al-Khafaji Noor , Y. Abed Suhad , Al-Dahmoshi Hussein , Najh Al-Baroody Huda
Published: February 2023

Escherichia coli responsible for wide range of common bacterial infections, the frequent one is gastroenteritis. Bacterial gastroenteritis mainly attributed to diarrheagenic E. coli and accompanied by diarrhea and vomiting. Actually pathogenic E. coli can be classified according to the site of infection whether it be within intestine (called intestinal pathogenic E. coli InPEC) or cause infection outside intestine (called extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli ExPEC). They are assigned to 4 main phylogenetic groups: InPEC include A and B1 while ExPEC have B2 and D groups. Seven Pathotypes have been assigned: Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC), enterohemorrhagic (Shiga-toxin producing E. coli (EHEC/STEC), enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC), diffusely adherent E. coli (DAEC), enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC) and adherent invasive E. coli (AIEC). The patho-phylotyping of diarrheagenic E. coli interaction along with antibiotic resistance and biofilm formation capacity may be valuable insight to know real threat of this pathogen and this is tried to be covered with this chapter. The results revealed that the among DEC, EPEC and ETEC were assigned in high rate to B1 followed by A, B2, D, E, C and F while EAEC show different assignment: D followed by B2, A, B1, C, E and F. The other DEC pathotypes showed different styles.
Eruption Scenario Builder Based on the most Recent Fissure-Feed Lava-Producing Eruptions of the Arxan-Chaihe Volcanic Field (ACVF), NE China
Authors: Li Bo’xin , Németh Károly , Palmer Julie , Palmer Alan , Zakharovskyi Vladyslav , Gravis Ilmars
Published: February 2023

Fissure eruption is the most prominent type of Pleistocene to Holocene volcanism in Arxan-Chaihe Volcanic Field recording vent migration along fissures. This research is examined Sentinel Satellite Images to outline the youngest lava flows in the region in conjunction with field observations. Also, GIS-based analyses were performed with the aim to calculate the volumes of lava flows to determine the length of the lava flow emissions. Topographic cross sections and various geomorphological parameters (e.g., geomorphon and topographic position index) were used to reconstruct the pre-eruptive geomorphology of the region to simulate lava flow inundation using Q-LAVHA plug in the QGIS package. Pre-eruptive topography was created, and various simulations were used to obtain the best-fit lava inundation. This process yielded to estimate an average of 5 m lava flow thickness. The same parameters of the lava flow simulations were used to run on the post-eruptive topography to simulate future lava flow inundation. Results showed that the lava flows best simulate if they emitted along a NE–SE trending fissure between two young vent zones or in an extensive elongated area following the NW–SE trending valley axis initiated from the Yanshan vents.
Malignancies Masquerading as Uveitis
Authors: E. Fowler Teresa , Espinosa-Heidmann Diego
Published: February 2023

Malignancy presenting as uveitis can be symptomatically mild and difficult to diagnose, often leading to delayed treatment and poor outcomes. In this chapter, we describe the range of malignancies reported to present with uveitis, both primary ocular malignancies and systemic malignancies which metastasize to the eye. We describe the range of clinical features and corresponding complaints that may be encountered with specific malignancies and provide a thorough review of diagnostic tools available to aid in diagnosis. The primary goal of this chapter is to aid in the diagnosis of intraocular malignancy to reduce treatment delays and improve patient outcomes.
Perspective Chapter: The Cost of Energy Independence
Authors: Pelton Valerie
Published: February 2023

To reduce potential exposure to economic fluctuations and dependence on extra-territorial energy sources, some European Union (EU) member states are exploring energy diversification as a path to energy independence, economic vitality and national security. Nuclear power is a leading alternative energy source which may enable the EU to weather and potentially avert energy insecurity crises, including ones arising out of or related to political crises, collective action by oil-producing nations, global oil demand, and oil price fluctuations. Although nuclear power may be a long-term energy solution, the risks and cost trajectories deter many EU member states from nuclear power plant construction due to operation, maintenance and security costs. This chapter considers some key costs and potential options to reduce costs.
Perspective Chapter: Glioblastoma of the Corpus Callosum
Authors: Singh Kunwar Daulat , Prakash Maurya Ved , Deivasigamani Balachandar , Mishra Rakesh , Agrawal Amit
Published: February 2023

Glioma is the most common malignant tumour of the brain, in which glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive form which infiltrates through the white fibre tracts. Corpus callosum (CC) is most invaded by GBM, it carries poor prognosis as mostly these tumours are not touched upon due to the belief of post operative cognitive decline, or there is incomplete resection leading to tumour recurrence. However current advancement in technology, operative techniques and better understanding of nature of CC-GBM, maximal safe resection is being carried out with better outcomes in comparison with the GBM without infiltration of CC.
Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditures in Uzbekistan: Progress and Reform Priorities
Authors: Jung Cho Min , Haverkort Eva
Published: February 2023

Over the past twenty years, Uzbekistan’s health system changed drastically from the inherited Soviet health system. This research aims to examine the main aspects of the Uzbek health financing system and policy process that led to out-of-pocket (OOP) health care expenditures by using a mixed-method case study approach. Qualitative findings reveal that the covered basic benefit package is limited. Health care evaluation methods and accessible information on health quality are lacking. This leads to inefficient use of resources and a risk of using unnecessary or low-quality health services. Quantitative findings reveal that especially the chronically ill have high OOP. Furthermore, alcohol use, health status of the household head, money saved in the past and place of residence proved to be significant factors. This research showed that the limited benefit package, lacking evaluation methods, and inaccessible information on health care led to high OOP. Policies remain inefficient at addressing OOP due to limited civilian participation, lack of data, and limited evidence-based decision making. This research suggests that the benefit package should be expanded to cover the chronically ill.
The Impacts of Unsustainable Urbanization on the Environment
Authors: Hasan Rashed Abdulkarim
Published: February 2023

Urban areas—cities—are not simply geographic areas for human gathering but are a locus of economic production, cultural and social interactions, and ecological development. Therefore, cities create positive development values when planned and managed on a sustainable footing by considering institutional, governance, environmental, political, economic, coherent policies, cultural, and social conditions and requirements. Sustainable urbanization has multiple benefits including creating more employment opportunities and better incomes, hubs for innovative solutions by attracting competencies, enhancing land utilization efficiency, improving infrastructural performance, providing better services (e.g., education, health, water supply, and electricity), economic growth hub, acting as knowledge centers, better social and cultural life, and providing better living standards. While the impacts of rapid unsustainable urbanization are water stress, scarcity, and high consumption, sanitation wastewater, water pollution, air pollution, climate change, noise pollution, cultivated land depleted, urban sprawl, dust, solid and hazardous wastes, destruction of biodiversity, high energy consumption, traffic congestion, soil pollution, and deforestation. Thus, the 2030 Agenda1 for Sustainable Development—and its sustainable development goals (SDGs)—and New Urban Agenda are key transformative power toward sustainable urbanization development; this development is not at the expense of the environment while leading to prosperity and improving quality of life.
Ectomycorrhizal Fungi as Biofertilizers in Forestry
Authors: Hanif Muhammad , Ashraf Zubaria , Bashir Samar , Riaz Fatima , Amanat Rizwan , Yousaf Nousheen , Sarwar Samina
Published: February 2023

Ectomycorrhiza (ECM) is an association of fungi with the roots of higher plants in which both the species are equally benefited and appears to be important for the survival of both parties, and no doubt this association offered extensive benefits in the restoration of forest and ecosystem soil aggregation and stabilization. The most important and vital role of ECM fungi, which is analyzed globally, is that they are best and environment friendly biofertilizers. ECM fungi considered as a biotechnological tool in forest management because their role in reforestation, bioremediation, control of soil pathogen, and restoration of ecosystem is reviewed extensively. ECM fungi not only increase the biomass of edible fruiting bodies but also improve soil structure, nutrient cycle, and also produce phytohormones, which increase the growth and survival of seedlings and enhance the photosynthetic rate of plants and also maintain their tolerance level against environmental stresses in forest nursery. Ectomycorrhizas also reduce fertilization expenses in an environment friendly manner. The importance of ECM fungi and mycorrhizal helper bacteria for the growth enhancement of the economically important trees and significantly important role in restoration of sites degraded by forestry operation.