Acceptable Range Research Articles

DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF FLOATING BEADS OF BACLOFEN AS A GASTRORETENTIVE DOSAGE FORM

Gastro retentive delivery systems are designed to be retained in the stomach for a prolonged time and release their active ingredients and thereby enable sustained and prolonged input of the drug to the upper part of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The goal of any drug delivery system is to provide a therapeutic amount of drug to proper site in the body to achieve promptly and then maintain a desired drug concentration. Baclofen is a gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) agonist used as a skeletal muscle relaxant used for the relief of painful and uncomfortable muscle spasms caused by a variety of conditions. Twelve different formulation of Baclofen floating beads were successfully developed using emulsion solvent diffusion method. The beads had good yield and showed high, drug entrapment efficiency. The flow properties of beads were within the acceptable range and therefore would be easily filled into capsules. Study concludes successfully delivery of Baclofen by the means of floating beads.

What should be the measure of conformity to normal distribution (normality) test in Likert type digital and face-to-face survey data?

In statistics, it is assumed that the data suitable for parametric tests exhibit a normal distribution. In other words, before running parametric tests, it is essential to check whether the data set follows a normal distribution. Parametric tests can only be applied to data that adhere to a normal distribution. The Shapiro-Wilk and Kolmogorov-Smirnov (Lilliefors modification) tests are among the most commonly utilised methods for testing normality. However, these tests were originally developed for rational numbers. The use of these tests for Likert-type digital or face-to-face survey data has always been a topic of discussion. Even if the measurement tools consist of at least three items, the data sets are dominated by repeated values. Again, there are different opinions on the acceptable range for kurtosis and skewness values. With this study, it was determined that the Kolmogorov-Smirnov (Lilliefors modification) test is not suitable for testing the normality of Likert-type digital or face-to-face survey data. In addition, the coefficients of kurtosis and skewness within the range of (-1, +1) range are acceptable for normality. For this reason, it is recommended not to use goodness-of-fit tests such as Shapiro-Wilk or Kolmogorov-Smirnov for testing the normality of interval scale data collected through questionnaires.

An Analysis of the Vibration Characteristics of an Aviation Hydraulic Pipeline with a Clamp

Taking an aviation hydraulic pipeline as the research object, a fluid–solid coupling vibration model of the pipeline system, considering the influence of the clamp, is established. The clamp is equivalent to the combined form of the constraint point and the pipeline. The equivalent stiffness of the clamp in each direction is obtained via the finite element method and substituted into the vibration model. The vibration response of the hydraulic pipeline system is obtained by changing the boundary conditions. The validity and accuracy of the vibration model were verified via the finite element method. The results show that the maximum error of the natural frequency of the pipeline system is within the acceptable range, which can prove that the model can better simulate the dynamic characteristics of the pipeline system and has a certain engineering reference value for the vibration analysis of hydraulic pipelines in aviation.

A New Ridgely-Nevitt Regression-Based Computational Tool for Resistance and Power Predictions for Trawlers

This paper aims to present the architecture and the prediction accuracy of a new computational procedure of the “Ship Power V 1.0” software based on the Ridgely–Nevitt regression, applied to hull resistance predictions for Ridgely-Nevitt series trawlers. The Ridgely-Nevitt series is an important series of trawlers developed by and tested at the Webb Institute. Experimental resistance data have also been presented in the form of a regression model used to develop a new procedure of the “Ship Power V 1.0” software. Furthermore, this new procedure was completely harmonized with other software procedures based on the Holtrop and Van Oortmerssen evaluation methods. Although the mathematical formulation of the Ridgely-Nevitt regression model allows the assessment of the residual resistance coefficient of only nine values from the speed-length ratio, the implementation of an interpolation procedure made possible resistance predictions for any speeds from the acceptable speed-length ratio range. Resistance prediction accuracy improvement introduced by the new procedure was proven by the validation of calculation results not only against experimental data but also against the prediction results of other software procedures for three hulls from the Ridgely-Nevitt fishing vessel series. MAPE (mean absolute percentage error) values calculated against experimental data for the analyzed models were 3.26, 1.71, and 3.36, respectively. Prediction result comparisons of the Ridgely-Nevitt regression-based “Ship Power V 1.0” computational procedure and the experimental data and predictions of other computational procedures performed on three hulls from the Ridgely-Nevitt series have shown a substantial improvement in prediction accuracy.

AI-Driven Segmentation and Automated Analysis of the Whole Sagittal Spine from X-ray Images for Spinopelvic Parameter Evaluation.

Spinal-pelvic parameters are utilized in orthopedics for assessing patients' curvature and body alignment in diagnosing, treating, and planning surgeries for spinal and pelvic disorders. Segmenting and autodetecting the whole spine from lateral radiographs is challenging. Recent efforts have employed deep learning techniques to automate the segmentation and analysis of whole-spine lateral radiographs. This study aims to develop an artificial intelligence (AI)-based deep learning approach for the automated segmentation, alignment, and measurement of spinal-pelvic parameters through whole-spine lateral radiographs. We conducted the study on 932 annotated images from various spinal pathologies. Using a deep learning (DL) model, anatomical landmarks of the cervical, thoracic, lumbar vertebrae, sacrum, and femoral head were automatically distinguished. The algorithm was designed to measure 13 radiographic alignment and spinal-pelvic parameters from the whole-spine lateral radiographs. Training data comprised 748 digital radiographic (DR) X-ray images, while 90 X-ray images were used for validation. Another set of 90 X-ray images served as the test set. Inter-rater reliability between orthopedic spine specialists, orthopedic residents, and the DL model was evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The segmentation accuracy for anatomical landmarks was within an acceptable range (median error: 1.7-4.1 mm). The inter-rater reliability between the proposed DL model and individual experts was fair to good for measurements of spinal curvature characteristics (all ICC values > 0.62). The developed DL model in this study demonstrated good levels of inter-rater reliability for predicting anatomical landmark positions and measuring radiographic alignment and spinal-pelvic parameters. Automated segmentation and analysis of whole-spine lateral radiographs using deep learning offers a promising tool to enhance accuracy and efficiency in orthopedic diagnostics and treatments.

Source characteristics of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and polychlorinated biphenyls in surface soils of Shenyang, China: A comparison of two receptor models combined with Monte Carlo simulation

The surface soil concentrations of 16 PAHs and 15 PCBs were simultaneously determined by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in 21 locations of urban areas of Shenyang. The average concentrations of PAHs and PCBs were 26.40 ± 34.68 mg/kg and 48.03 ± 27.47 μg/kg, respectively. Factor analysis with nonnegative constraints (FA-NNC) and absolute principal component score with multiple linear regression (APCS-MLR) model were used to explore and evaluate the sources of PAHs and PCBs in the study area. The results of FA-NNC showed that PAHs in soils were mainly from traffic emissions (49.64%), coal combustion (46.88%) and petrogenic source (3.49%). The PCBs in soils were mainly from commercial and high temperature combustion mixed sources (20.3%), combustion and industry emission mixed sources (21.1%), electrical equipment sources (22.2%) and traffic emission sources (36.4%). The results of APCS-MLR were consistent with those of FA-NNC. The uncertainty of FA-NNC and APCS-MLR model was analyzed by Monte Carlo simulation method. The results revealed the reliability of the two receptor models on source apportionment. The estimated carcinogenic risks indicated that the risks of PAHs in soils exceed the acceptable range (10−6-10−4), while the risks of PCBs were below the acceptable risk level of 10−6.

Multi-objective parametric optimization of electrochemical machining of Inconel-625 superalloy

The high hardness value of Inconel-625 super alloy makes it difficult to machine with traditional machining methods. In this study, the machining of Inconel-625 has been attempted with electrochemical machining. The influence of input process parameters—voltage, feed rate, and flow rate of electrolyte has been studied on the output responses—material removal rate (MRR) and average surface roughness (SR). The experiments were performed following the central composite rotatable design of the response surface methodology. Analysis of variance has been used to test the significance of the process parameters and the model. A comprehensive empirical model representing the relationship between the process parameters and the response parameters has been developed. Further, the desirability function approach was used to acquire the optimal set of parameters. The optimal values of MRR and SR obtained in the study are 0.192837 gm./min and 0.99 μm, respectively, corresponding to the optimum settings of voltage, feed rate of the tool, and flow rate of electrolyte at 13.7 V, 0.20 mm/min, and 2.8 lit/min, respectively. The optimum settings so attained have been substantiated using confirmation experiments. The Confirmation tests show that the error between predicted and experimental values of MRR and SR was 2.02% and 4.8%, respectively, which fall in the acceptable range. Moreover, the surface characteristics of the machined area have been investigated using field emission scanning electron microscopy and 3D optical profilometer to analyze the machined surface's microstructure and 3D surface characteristics.

Exploring the potentials of Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. seed kernel oil as pharmaceutical oil base: Physicochemical characterization and ketoconazole soap formulation

Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. (Rhamnaceae) is a large spiny shrub or small tree, native to the Indian subcontinent that can reach a maximum height of 9–15 m. This plant stands as a renowned tropical fruit variety, commonly recognized as the Indian plum, Desert apple, or Indian Jujube. The objective of this study was to examine the standard physicochemical parameters of Z. mauritiana seed kernel oil and to formulate the ketoconazole soap (2 % w/w), using the obtained oil, as a base. The oil was obtained through hexane extraction from the seed kernels. To formulate pharmaceutical ketoconazole soap, Z. mauritiana seed kernel oil was subjected to a basic saponification reaction using potassium hydroxide. All the examined physicochemical parameters, namely acid value (4.71 mg KOH/g), saponification value (229.18 mg KOH/g), peroxide value (4.15 milliequivalents KOH/g), ester value (224.47 mg KOH/g), iodine value (11.19 mg KOH/g), refractive index (1.448), pH (5.93), viscosity (89 cP), and specific gravity (0.912 g/mL) were within the acceptable range for industrial purposes. The examination of quality control parameters, namely drug content (99.49 %), total fatty matter (71.13 %), foam retention time (17.21 min), foam height (18.56 cm), moisture content (9.14 %), and pH (7.16) indicated that the newly formulated ketoconazole soap complied with the acceptable limits. In summary, our research demonstrated the excellent physicochemical stability of Z. mauritiana seed kernel oil and its suitability as a soap base, supporting its promising prospects for cost-effective production of cosmetics, soaps, and shampoos in the pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical industries, reducing reliance on synthetic bases.

Marginal Discrepancy and Internal Fit of Bi-Layered and Monolithic Zirconia Fixed Dental Prostheses: An In Vitro Study

This in vitro study evaluated the influence of restoration design (bi-layered vs. monolithic) and manufacturing technique on the marginal discrepancy and internal fit of 3-unit zirconia fixed dental prostheses (FDPs). Mandibular second premolars and second molars were prepared as abutments in a 3-unit zirconia bridge to develop four groups (n = 10 FDPs): MZ: Monolithic zirconia FDPs, ZL: zirconia framework veneered by the hand-layering technique, ZP: zirconia framework veneered by the heat-pressed technique, and CAD-on: zirconia framework veneered by CAD/CAM lithium-disilicate glass–ceramic. All the zirconia FDPs were cemented to their corresponding die replicas using dual-cure resin cement and were subjected to compressive cyclic loading at a load range for half a million cycles using a universal testing machine. FDPs were sectioned mesiodistally to measure the marginal gap and internal fit using scanning electron microscopy. The measurements were taken at pre-assigned points of each abutment. Data were statistically analyzed via a Kruskal–Wallis test (α = 0.05). No significant differences were found between the monolithic and bi-layered zirconia groups in terms of the marginal discrepancy. However, there was a significant difference in the marginal gap between the zirconia groups. The marginal gap between monolithic and bi-layered zirconia FDPs was within the clinically acceptable range (<100 μm). Comparable mean values of the marginal gaps of 3-unit monolithic and veneered zirconia FDPs were found. Therefore, the FDP design and veneering methods did not affect the marginal discrepancy. However, the mean internal gap varied among the experimental groups. As the current in vitro investigation demonstrated equivalent mean values of marginal gaps of both 3-unit monolithic and bi-layered zirconia FPDs, the use of monolithic 3-unit zirconia FPDs would be a viable alternative fabrication technique.

Valorization of water hyacinth to biomethane and biofertilizer through anaerobic digestion technology

The purpose of this research study is to determine the effects of co-digestion of water hyacinth weed plant harvested from Lake Tana in Ethiopia and manures collected from two local farms, with Alkali-thermal pre-treatment on methane production and the value of the resulting digestates as fertilizer. In codigestion tests, the aerial part of water hyacinth resulted in the highest methane production of 159 NmL.gVS-1 at 25% poultry waste followed by the whole water hyacinth at 25% poultry waste with 147.73 NmL.gVS-1. The aerial part and the whole water hyacinth mixed with cow manure at 60:40 registered 120 and 114.47 NmL.gVS-1, respectively. Alkali-thermal pretreatment using (KOH at 50 °C for 5 h) at different concentrations of 1.5, 2 and 3% showed that 1.5% recorded the highest methane production. The results demonstrated the effectiveness of the (1.5% KOH, 50 °C, 5 h) pretreatment in improving mixtures solubilization, biodegradability, and methane production compared to the untreated ones. Alkali-thermal pretreatment reduces retention times compared to the untreated water hyacinth. The shortest retention time has been achieved for pretreated aerial part of water hyacinth at 25% poultry waste (8 days) and at 40% cow manure mixture (9 days) compared to the longest retention time of the whole untreated water hyacinth at 40% cow manure mixture (26 days). The gas chromatography (GC) analysis of biogas revealed that the highest percentage of CH4 (80%) was found for the whole pretreated water hyacinth at 25% poultry waste, followed by the untreated aerial part of water hyacinth at 25% poultry waste (60%). The application of the pretreatment method increased the concentration of calcium in the liquid digestate, making it more beneficial for soil use. The solid fraction, which comprises less than 10% of the digestate, exhibited a high phosphorus content compared to the liquid fraction. The use of Alkali-thermal pretreatment led to an increase in assimilable (P2O5) levels, and a significant reduction in the concentrations of Zn and Cu heavy metals in all pretreated mixtures. The levels of iron, zinc, and copper in the liquid digestate were within the acceptable range for soil fertilizer application in both untreated and pretreated mixtures. This work presents a novel technique for producing methane and appropriate digestate for soil application from water hyacinth, highlighting the potential for further research in this area.

Management of complications of mega-implants following treatment of primary and periprosthetic fractures of the lower extremities

In recent years, indications for implanting mega-implants were established in managing major bone defects linked to revision arthroplasty due to loosening, periprosthetic fractures, re-implantation following periprosthetic joint infection, non-union following fractures as well as complex intraarticular primary fractures. This study was conducted to discuss and analyze the strategy of diagnosis and management of complications following the use of mega-implants in treating primary and periprosthetic fractures of the lower extremities. This is a monocentric retrospective study. Patients aged ≥ 18 years who underwent implantation of a megaendoprosthesis due to periprosthetic or primary fractures of the lower extremity between January 2010 and February 2023 were identified from the authors’ hospital information system. We identified 96 patients with equal numbers of fractures (71 periprosthetic fractures and 25 primary fractures). 90 cases out of 96 were investigated in this study. The drop-out rate was 6.25% (six cases). The average follow-up period was 22 months (1 to 8 years) with a minimum follow-up of 1 year. The diagnosis of complications was provided on the basis of subjective symptoms, clinical signs, radiological findings and laboratory investigations such as C-reactive protein, leucocyte count and the microbiological findings. The indications for implantations of modular mega-implants of the lower extremities were periprosthetic fractures (65 cases/72.22%) and primary fractures (25 cases/27.78%). Pathological fractures due to malignancy were encountered in 23 cases (25.56%), in one case due to primary tumor (1.11%) and 22 cases due to metastatic lesions (24.44%). Two cases (2.22%) presented with primary intraarticular fractures with severe osteoporosis and primary arthrosis. In all cases with malignancy staging was performed. Regarding localization, proximal femur replacement was encountered in 60 cases (66.67%), followed by distal femur replacement (28 cases/31.11%) and total femur replacement (2 cases/2.22%). The overall complication rate was 23.33% (21 complications in 21 patients). The most common complication was dislocation which was encountered in nine cases (10%), all following proximal femoral replacement (9 cases out of 60, making 15% of cases with proximal femoral replacement). The second most common complication was infection (six cases, 6.67%), followed by four aseptic loosenings (4.44%), further intraoperative periprosthetic fracture in one case (1.11%) and a broken implant in one case (1.11%). We noticed no cases with wear and tear of the polyethylene components and no cases of disconnections of the modular components. Mega-endoprostheses enable versatile management options in the treatment of primary and periprosthetic fractures of the lower extremities. The rate of complications such as loosening, implant failure, dislocation and infection are within an acceptable range in this preliminary analysis. However, implantation of mega-endoprostheses must be strictly indicated due the limited salvage options following surgery.

Mathematical Modeling of Split Tensile Strength of Agrostone with Different Bio-fillers

There has been a growing imbalance in the demand and supply of construction materials with increasing prices day by day at an alarming rate due to escalating cost of energy. Quest for a low cost, environmental friendly material has resulted in the development of Agrostone made out of industrial and agricultural waste while saving the environment from solid waste disposal issues. This also contributes for saving the energy required for production of conventional building materials up to 20 per cent thereby reducing the emissions. Agrostone made of different bio-fillers such as water hyacinth, bagasse and grass, satisfy the strength requirements as per Ethiopian construction material standard which is equivalent to a hollow block. The split tensile strength has been evolved through the compression test by adopting the standard test methods of applied for concrete. This paper presents the correlation of the experimental results split tensile strength with the values obtained using various empirical relations existing in the literature for unreinforced concrete. It is found that all these relations have underestimated the results while the experimental results of Agrostone with water hyacinth bio-filler have better correlation with results of relation given by Arioglu et al. This paper also presents mathematical models developed using linear and polynomial regression analysis to predict the split tensile strength of Agrostone. The correlation coefficients from the regression analysis are obtained using the Stats.blue software. It is found that the polynomial equations of degree five and the correlation indicators r and r2 show a strong relation between the independent compressive strength and the dependent split tensile strength. The linear regression also predicts the values with acceptable degree of accuracy. The resultsobtained by developed mathematical models are very close to the experimental within acceptable range of error.

Evaluation of sorbent amendments used with stormwater management practices to remove contaminants: Impacts of rainfall intensity and antecedent dry periods

For a comprehensive evaluation of the suitability and efficiency of soil amendments in bioretention systems, it is crucial to investigate the capability of amendments for simultaneously serving three important functions under intermittent and variable flow conditions: removing a wide range of contaminants, supporting plant health, and maintaining media infiltration rate. However, most studies have not considered these important factors and conditions simultaneously, which may overestimate or underestimate the bioretention performance. In this study, a long-term vegetated column study was conducted to investigate the ability of various sorbent amendments– coconut coir fiber (CCF), blast furnace slag (BFS), and waste tire crumb rubber (WTCR) –for removal of metals, nutrients, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from stormwater. The experiments were performed under intermittent flow conditions considering different runoff intensities and antecedent dry periods (ADP). The long-term effect of bioretention usage on plant health and media infiltration rate was also investigated.All amended and unamended columns were able to remove >99 % of influent metals, except Cu, over the 7-month experiment period with different rain intensities and dry periods; modest effluent Cu concentrations occurred with higher rainfall. The performance of different media for removing PAHs such as naphthalene and acenaphthylene varied with the rain intensity. The BFS-amended media had high phosphate removal capacity (>90 %) under tested conditions. In all columns, nitrate removal was notably affected by changes in stormwater intensity and ADP, with high nitrate removal during heavy rainfall. Over the entire experiment, all media had good infiltration rate within the locally acceptable range (1–25 cm/h). The high iron and aluminum contents of BFS adversely affected the plant health in BFS-amended media. Overall, this study identifies the opportunities and challenges associated with the usage of bioretention amendments, and improves awareness among bioretention designers to consider seasonal effect on the performance of bioretention systems.

Translation and validation of the Chinese version of the stroke knowledge test for the hypertension patient

The measurement of hypertensive patients’ stroke knowledge is an important stroke prevention indicator of health care service quality. The aim of this study was to develop a Chinese version of the Stroke Knowledge Test and examine its psychometric properties, reliability, and validity for hypertensive patients. A sample of 200 hypertensive patients completed the Chinese version of the Stroke Knowledge Test, and 30 of the participants were retested after 2 weeks. The final Chinese version of the Stroke Knowledge Test included 20 items with acceptable content validity (I-CVI = 0.88 ~ 1.00, S-CVI/Ave = 0.97). These items showed satisfactory internal reliability consistency (Kuder Richardson-20 = 0.62) and test–retest reliability was 0.77. The 40% of the difficulty index was in the acceptable range, and 25% was in the difficult range, as well as the 90% items overall values for discrimination were ranged from 0.2 to > 0.4. Known-group validity testing was performed based on the education level, and the result exhibited significant difference (F = 21.21, p < 0.001). The Chinese version of the Stroke Knowledge Test demonstrated acceptable psychometric properties, thus providing a new tool for the future care of hypertensive patients in Taiwan. It also could be as a reference for healthcare providers to educate hypertensive patients on stroke prevention.

Design of Adaptive RFID RC522 on IoT Platform with Different Types Passive Tag Based on Self-Service Library Management System (SSLMS)

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) refers to a wireless system comprising two components: tags and readers. The reader is a device with one or more antennas that emit radio waves and receive signals from the RFID tag. This system is available on most systems applications especially involving security systems, including house/office access systems, toll systems, and library systems. The accessing data is made stand-alone or data-based through the existing conventional RFID system on the market, especially in library systems. Also, the tag provided is only limited to the same type, either cards or stickers. From that, it will produce problems in monitoring the status of books, especially for loans or returns. At the same time, the difference in detection sensitivity will be the effect of the detection range for the types of tag used. Through this research, the development of adaptive RFID on IoT platforms with different types of passive tag library systems highly emphasized monitoring the status of books besides maximum range detection by using different types of passive tag and at the same time increasing the security by implementing the book status detection on the gate of the library. The tag sticker used can be read/written in the 13.56 MHz frequency with the High Frequency (HF) band due to its affordability and ease of implementation. RFID tags are embedded in all books and activated; it triggers the alarm system if the status return gets captured on the memory of the RFID tag. The alarm accuracy is almost 100%. The result showed that within the acceptable range of 5 cm, the RFID reader works efficiently in detecting books. It shows that the card tag gives 90% sensitivity of range detection, followed by the sticker and keychain tag at 70%, and, lastly, the transparent card tags at 40%.

Phase change materials for a blood transport container to support long-term storage and transportation of red blood cells in extreme conditions

Blood transfusions are essential during emergency treatment for serious trauma or war wounds. Due to the lack of refrigerated transport conditions for blood products, the accessibility of red blood cells (RBCs) remains a challenge in areas with a low hospital density. In this study, we developed a blood transport container for RBCs. The internal temperature of the container was able to be maintained at 2–10 °C for a long period without a power source. The new blood transport container is composed of cooling tiles filled with composite phase change materials (PCMs) and is placed in a heat insulation box. The composite PCMs consist of n-tetradecane and n-tridecane, with styrene-ethylene-butadiene-styrene as the supporting material. The phase transition temperature of the composite PCMs was 3.97 ± 0.25 °C, which is close to the optimal preservation temperature of RBCs, and the latent heat was 177.25 ± 5.40 J·g−1. This new PCMs-based blood transport container maintained a low temperature of 2–10 °C with RBCs inside for approximately 45 h during sea transportation. More importantly, the distinguishing feature of the container is its ability to work in extreme environments. It was able to maintain the appropriate temperature for >16 h in an extremely low temperature (−41 °C), and for >17 h in an extremely high temperature (46 °C). And the container maintained the quality of the RBCs within an acceptable range under complex simulated transportation or air transportation with continuous vibration. These results suggest that the new PCMs-based blood transport container will be helpful in remote or special areas where emergency delivery of RBCs is required.

Evaluation of Dioxin/Furan and Elements in Poultry from Zarqa Governorate, Jordan.

This study is the first to determine the concentration for 17 congeners of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and element contamination in poultry that is close to petroleum refinery at Al-Hashemiya Municipality, Zarqa Governorate, Jordan. Ten different samples (chicken) were collected to cover ten different locations of poultry farms in Al-Hashemiya Municipality. These locations are considered polluted areas as a result of exhaust gases produced from the refinery. The 17 PCDD/Fs congeners and elements of Pb, Cd, As, Zn, Cu, Se, Hg, Cr, and Ni were determined for three parts of each sample (liver, muscle, and gizzard). All samples were analyzed for PCDD/Fs after a Soxhlet extraction procedure and cleanup by column chromatography; then, all compounds were identified and determined using GC-MS techniques. The elements were analyzed after digestion and measured using an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES) and validated with the Lab Mix24 RM NCS ZC73016 reference material. The highest total sum concentration of PCDD/Fs was found in liver samples to be 214.07 ng/kg (dry weight), while the highest sum of toxicity equivalent to PCDD/Fs of 22.54 ng TEQ/kg was found in gizzard samples. For element concentrations, the highest total sum of 16.89 mg/kg (dry weight) was found in liver samples. The concentration level of the elements of Se, Hg, Cr, and Ni for all parts of the chicken was within an acceptable range according to Jordanian standards and therefore the measured level of heavy and trace elements in the poultry samples (chicken) does not pose a danger to public health. The chickens found in poultry farms near the refinery are more likely to contain a higher concentration of PCDD/Fs congeners due to exhaust gas exposure.

Analytical assessment of a novel RP-HPLC method for the concurrent quantification of selected pharmaceutical drugs levodopa and carbidopa using eight greenness metrics comparing to the lean six sigma approach

BackgroundIntegrating green chemistry principles into analytical processes is vital for sustainability and accuracy. AimThis study is dedicated to finding eco-friendly solutions that replace harmful substances and reduce waste production. The suggested work examined eight tools for assessing the greenness and sustainability of a newly validated RP-HPLC technique that quantitatively determines levodopa (LEV) and carbidopa (CAR) drugs in their bulk and pharmaceutical formulations. We also incorporated the lean six sigma methodology to ensure accuracy and efficiency. MethodThe optimal liquid chromatographic conditions (HPLC) for achieving the highest resolution and results in our method are as follows: employing a mobile phase composition consisting of a mixture of phosphate buffer pH 2.2 and ethanol (90:10 v/v) at a flow rate of 1 mL/min, using a C18 column (150 mm × 4.6 mm) and employing an isocratic mode of elution at a wavelength of 280 nm. ResultsThe calibration curves were established for LEV and CAR in the 3–50 μg/mL range to study the linearity with coefficients of determination (R2 ∼0.999). The study determined that the limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) for LEV were 1.95 μg/mL and 5.93 μg/mL, respectively. Meanwhile, the results for CAR were 0.67 μg/mL and 2.04 μg/mL for LOD and LOQ, respectively. The developed method has demonstrated accuracy and validity in the simultaneous determination and quantification of LEV and CAR, with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of less than 2%. The method's accuracy was confirmed through recovery studies, demonstrating significant results within the acceptable range of 98–102%. Specifically, the recovery test values for LEV and CAR were 99.75% and 98.97%, respectively. ConclusionThe specificity and selectivity of the developed method have been revealed through forced degradation studies conducted through The International Council for Harmonization (ICH) criteria. The technique could determine and quantify the two drugs even in the presence of their degradants. Our proposed approach beats the previous HPLC methods in adherence to green chemistry principles, providing reliable and precise outcomes with better qualitative and quantitative metrics. It's the most effective and eco-friendly solution for chemical analysis.

Conceptual Design of a Novel Megawatt Molten Salt Reactor Cooled by He-Xe Gas

He-Xe gas-cooled micro-molten salt reactor (HX-micro-MSR) is a novel reactor concept that integrates the technologies of molten salt reactor and closed Brayton cycle (CBC), which has a more compact structure compared with the other types of micro-MSRs. The reactor system probed in this paper has a thermal power of 2.5 MWth and consists of the core, fission gas collecting container, and CBC system. The He-Xe gas flows through the coolant channels in the core to transfer the nuclear heat to the CBC for electricity production. To withstand the large pressure difference between the He-Xe gas coolant (7 MPa) and molten salt (nearly atmospheric pressure), the sizes and wall thickness of coolant channels are analyzed and optimized to be 8 mm and 0.5 mm, respectively. In total, 1050 coolant channels are regularly arranged in the core to effectively remove the nuclear heat. The enrichment of U-235 in the fuel UF4 is determined to be 61% to meet the burnup goal of 5 years. To minimize the neutron leakage, the thickness of reflector is selected to be 23 cm. Six control drums with the diameter in 10.5 cm and neutron absorber layer thickness in 1 cm are symmetrically placed in the reflector to realize reactivity control under both normal and accident conditions. Radiation shield is designed and analyzed by varying the thickness of multiple shielding layers, and it is found that a combination of W layer in 14 cm and Mg(BH4)2 layer in 56 cm can satisfy the criterion of radiation dose (&lt;1 mSv/h). The total weight of HX-micro-MSR is estimated to be 35 tonnes and falls into the acceptable range.

Numerical study for the combustion analysis of wood volatiles in porous radiant burner for the application of biomass cooking stove

This article presents a computational study of wood volatiles combustion in a two-layer porous radiant burner (PRB) at different power inputs (1–3 kW) and porosity ranges from 0.7 to 0.9 respectively. A 2-D computational model is designed to numerically solve the combustion of wood-volatiles and air. A finite volume technique is utilized to solve governing equations including; continuity equation, momentum equation, species transport equation, radiative transport equation, and gas and solid phases energy equations. The utilized model is validated with previous literature for a two-layer porous radiant burner and the deviation of comparison is found within the acceptable range. The results reveal that the higher temperature was found in the central part of the burner and the minimum at the circumference. The longitudinal temperature distribution along the central line ruled out the occurrence of flashbacks. Moreover, the transport species contours reveal that the maximum combustion reactions occur in the upper layer of the porous zone. Further, the radiation efficiency decreases with input power and increases with porosity. The maximum value of radiation efficiency is found 36% at 1 kW and porosity of 0.9. while the minimum is 26% found at 3 kW and porosity of 0.7. The overall assessment showed that the PRB-based cooking stove is capable for providing a desired temperature range and efficient radiation efficiency in the range of 1–3 kW of power input.