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Microstructural and Thermal Properties of the Mechanically Alloyed Fe3Al Powders Doped with Boron
Get PDFA nanocrystalline Fe3Al powders free and doped with boron was prepared by mechanical alloying (MA) of Fe and Al elemental powders using a high-energy planetary ball mill. The evolution of microstructure and the thermal behaviour of the MA Fe3Al powders have been studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). From these findings, it is clear that the crystallite size was refined and that the lattice parameter was increased by addition of boron. The results obtained by DSC revealed that the addition of boron results a decrease of microstructural parameters and recrystallization take place
Superior Thyroid Artery Originating from the Ascending Pharyngeal Artery
Get PDFBackground: The superior thyroid artery generally originates from the anterior surface of the external carotid artery. The superior thyroid artery originating from the ascending pharyngeal artery is an extremely rare anatomic variation. Nevertheless, some variations in the origin of the superior thyroid artery have been reported in the literature. Such knowledge is important during neck surgeries such as thyroidectomy and radical neck dissection. Here we report the first case of a superior thyroid artery arising from the ascending pharyngeal artery.
Case report: During a routine dissection on the neck, a superior thyroid artery originating from the ascending pharyngeal artery was observed on the right side, in a 37-year-old male cadaver. The superior thyroid artery had two segments, a superior (or horizontal) segment and an inferior (or vertical) segment. The superior segment passed posterior to the linguofacial trunk. The inferior segment passed posterior to the superior laryngeal artery and an artery that went to the infrahyoid muscles. These last two arteries came directly from the external carotid artery. The superior thyroid artery terminated in two branches (one lateral and one medial) 6 mm above the superior pole of the right thyroid lobe.
Conclusion: The origin of the superior thyroid artery from the ascending pharyngeal artery is an extremely rare anatomical variation. A thorough knowledge of the variations in origin of the superior thyroid artery is decisive for head and neck surgeries
Revolutionizing Anti-Cancer Drug Discovery: The Role of Artificial Intelligence
Get PDFThis comprehensive review explores the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in anticancer drug discovery, highlighting its transformative impact on streamlining the identification, design, and synthesis of novel drug molecules. Leveraging expansive datasets, AI and machine learning technologies enhance the understanding of cancer biology, facilitate target identification, and accelerate the design of molecules with desirable pharmacological properties. Despite promising advancements, challenges persist, including issues related to data quality, model interpretability, and the practical application of AI-generated findings in clinical settings. This review critically examines these challenges, proposes advanced AI models for drug combination predictions, and advocates for collaborative efforts to refine and implement AI methodologies in clinical oncology. The potential of AI to revolutionize anticancer drug discovery is immense, providing a new paradigm that merges precision with efficiency to push the boundaries of therapeutic innovation. Through rigorous validation and interdisciplinary cooperation, AI-driven strategies hold the promise to significantly shorten drug development timelines and improve clinical outcomes, ushering in a new era of personalized medicine in cancer treatment
Msaken, Tunisia: A Common Paternal Ancestor Confirmed by Y Chromosome DNA Analysis
Get PDFMsaken City (Tunisia) is believed to have been founded around 1360 AD by five related men who migrated from West Asia. The population would have grown with the descendants of these founders and with the arrival of other populations from different regions of Tunisia. In order to elucidate the TMRCA of the founder population and to reveal their geographic origin, 23 males from different families of Msaken were examined, using the services of commercial companies, for 12 to 440 Y chromosome Short Tandem Repeats (STR) and Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNP) markers using NG testing technology. Eight samples were genotyped for SNPs to determine their Haplogroups. In order to refine the phylogeny, traditional Sanger testing was performed on one sample for 300,000 bp in Y Chr (in Walk Through the Y chromosome project). Seven samples were also tested using Next Generation Testing (BigY) covering 20 million bp of Y chromosome overlapping 85% of Gold standard region (chromosome Y positions placed on the phylogenetic tree by the YCC) using NGS instruments, HiSeq 2000 and 2500. A comparison of STR results with data from different sources and databases was made, using SQL scripts and data mining tools, to find matching haplotypes. All the STR results were found to have no more than three mismatches per 12 markers and not more than six mismatches per 67 markers and the SNP results showed that all tested samples belonged to Haplogroup J-M172 inside its subgroup J-L24. Relying on the common STR marker values, we define a Msaken-Haplotype. NG tests for our samples as well as those added to the yfull.com tree allowed us to refine the phylogeny of J-L24 and the samples were all found to belong to J-L271 Haplogroup and share 54 exclusive SNPs. The calculated Time to Most Recent Common Ancestor (TMRCA) based on NG testing, ranges between1500 and 6200 YBP showing a strong bottleneck around 5400 YBP. The variation of the collected results shows a geographic root of J-L192 in East Anatolia, present day Armenia, Azerbaijan, and West Iran. 20 to 30% of random Tunisian STR haplotypes belonging to J-M172 (J2) Haplogroup exhibit the Msaken-Haplotype
The Causality Between Public Expenditures and Economic Growth in Recent Times; Evidence from Turkey
Get PDFProvided the results of the political elections in the economy of turkey together with the decision made by the government to foster growth and minimize spending, this research primary looks at the causality trend between total government expenses and growth of national income. Using World bank data from the period 2000 to 2021. The granger causality fails to confirm causality between government expenditure and national income the Toda Yamamoto concretely confirms bi-directional or two-way cause effect relationship between government income and total government expenses. Also, findings from the ARDL estimation, show that an increase in national income will reduce government expenditure, and as inflation continue to increase a large portion of government income will be spent
Correlation between Toe Spread and Toe Hold Pressure: Influence of Flip-Flop Strap Design
Get PDFBackground: Every year 9 million diabetics develop foot ulcers (DFU) and 1 million of these will result in an amputation every year resulting in a significant disability burden. Footwear design has been implicated as a major cause of these ulcers resulting in international guidelines recommending specialized protective footwear for diabetics. Unfortunately, in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), where 80% of diabetics reside, sandals or flip-flops are primary footwear as they are affordable. Studies on flip-flops have focused on plantar pressure and ulcers even though evidence supports that 50% of ulcers are caused by straps on the dorsum of the foot particularly at the toehold. Strap redesign, as evidenced by rolled inner seam (RIS) vs standard straight edge straps, has been shown to reduce pressure on the dorsum of the foot.
Objective: This study aims to understand the relationship between toe spread and toehold pressure as toe spread is a modifiable factor in flip-flops by adjusting the thickness of toe posts in the strap. Further, it aims to validate findings from a smaller sample size prior study that RIS design resulted in lesser pressure at the toehold when compared to standard straight edge design.
Methods: This cross-over study recruited sixteen patients with 64 measures recorded for toehold pressure during a 5-step walking trial. Toes spread was measured by uploading still images to a convolutional neural network keypoint implementation algorithm which marked the midpoints of the great and second toes and measured the distance between them. Pearson correlation and linear regression models were used to assess the relationship between toe spread and toe hold pressure across and within each flip-flop design. Additionally, a t-test was conducted to compare toehold pressures between the two designs to validate prior study findings.
Results: Overall, there was a very weak correlation (r=-0.322) between toe spread and toehold pressure. Regression analysis showed toe spread accounted for a modest variance (R² = 0.104) in toehold pressure overall, with straight edge design showing a slightly stronger association (R² = 0.121) compared to RIS design (R² = 0.022). The t-test validated prior study findings of a statistically significant difference in toehold pressure between RIS and standard straight edge designs, with RIS resulting in lower pressures at the toehold.
Conclusion: Toe spread minimally impacts toehold pressure, suggesting further investigation is needed. However, the Rolled Inner Seam (RIS) design effectively reduces toehold pressures and should be adopted in flip-flop manufacturing to potentially mitigate foot ulcer risks in diabetic populations
Knowledge, Practice and Associated Factors towards Hypoglycemia Prevention among Caregivers of Diabetic Children: Cross Sectional Study Design
Get PDFBackground: Hypoglycemia is an acute medical condition that occurs when blood sugar falls below 70 mg/dl. It is a common and potentially life-threatening complication in children with diabetes. Caregivers play a crucial role in managing and caring for their child's diabetes. This thesis was aimed at assessing hypoglycemia prevention knowledge, practice, and factors associated among caregivers of diabetic children on follow-up at the Ayder Comprehensive specialized hospital Pediatric Endocrinology Clinic in 2024.
Methods: An institutional-based cross-sectional study was carried out between September 2023 and April 2024. A structured questionnaire was used to gather data, and statistical tools for social sciences software, version 25.0, was used for analysis. The dependent and independent variables were tested for relationships using bivariate and multivariate analyses.
Result: Of the 162 enrolled caregivers of diabetic children, 50.6% were mothers, and 81.5% were urban dwellers. In this study, thirty (18.5%) of the caregivers had good knowledge, and sixty-eight (42%) of them had good practices towards hypoglycemia prevention. Formal training and education programs had a significant association with good knowledge (AOR = 17.9, CI: 4.6-70.2). Good hypoglycemia prevention knowledge had a significant association with hypoglycemia prevention practice (AOR = 0.32; CI: 0.13–0.76).
Conclusion: The knowledge and practice of hypoglycemia prevention among caregivers of diabetic children were found to be low. Providing formal training and education to the caregivers and counseling regarding hypoglycemia during their visit are essential for the improvement of their knowledge and practice in hypoglycemia prevention. 
UVC Decontamination in Healthcare Environments
Get PDFUltra Violet light-C (UVC) irradiation is used as a disinfection method in healthcare, agriculture and the food and water industries. In healthcare, it is seen as an alternative to hydrogen peroxide following terminal cleaning with conventional disinfectants. There are a number of different UVC systems on the market with varying properties that impact on their performance. The performance of each system is tested using standard testing methods and compliance with these standards is essential in many healthcare facilities before purchase. UVC is absorbed by proteins, DNA and/or RNA of the microorganism following exposure. The absorption of a photons causes adjacent thymine bases in DNA to bind together forming thymine dimers, instead of linking with a complementary base on the other strand. This causes disruption of DNA, rendering the microorganism incapable of replication. The main parameters of UVC decontamination include the wavelength emitted (usually 254 nm), dose (a high dose is recommended, above 100 mJ/cm3), relative humidity (30-60%) and room temperature (20 +/- 1ºС). No personnel should be within the area of decontamination when UVC is being emitted for health and safety risks. This is a brief overview of factors affecting performance and its impact in the healthcare environment
Anaerobic Bacteria Causing Urinary Tract Infections: A Mini Review
No full textUrinary Tract Infections (UTIs) can be commonly caused by aerobic bacteria, but anaerobic bacteria can also be rarely responsible for these infections. Anaerobes are often misidentified or even overlooked as aetiological agents of UTI. They may be quite significant in many predisposing conditions. This review article explores the role of anaerobic bacteria in causing UTIs, the diagnostic challenges and treatment options as well
Exploring Innovations, Sustainability and Future Opportunities in Semiconductor Technologies
Get PDFSemiconductor technology is the backbone of modern innovations, propelling technological advancements in industries such as electronics, renewable energy, telecommunications, and health-related fields. This review expatiates the fundamental properties and working principles of semiconductor materials that determine device performances, while also tracing the historical trajectory of these technologies from the inception of the transistor to pioneering developments, such as tunnel gate transistors and 2D materials like graphene. Specific challenges such as material constraints, manufacturing complexities, and environmental impacts are highlighted. In response to such challenges, measures for the improvement of sustainability, energy saving, and waste minimization in production are discussed. The research also responds to the extended effects of globalization, including the disruptions like COVID-19 pandemic, on supply chain and emphasizes on the importance of developing resilient production frameworks for future growth. Additionally, this work highlights emerging technologies, including quantum computing, artificial intelligence integration, and nanotechnology, which are poised to redefine data processing and storage. The research vindicates the necessity of innovation and sustainability as the key motivators for enhancing the capabilities of semiconductors and global technology