Glass Slides Research Articles

Comparative Techno-Economic Analysis of Parabolic Trough and Linear Fresnel Collectors with Evacuated and Non-Evacuated Receiver Tubes in Different Geographical Regions

In the context of Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) technology, this paper presents a comparison between the Parabolic Trough Collector (PTC) and the Linear Fresnel Collector (LFC), considering both evacuated and non-evacuated receiver tubes. The comparison was carried out in terms of the Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) considering a reference year and four locations in the world, characterized by different levels of direct normal irradiation (DNI) from 2183 kWh/m2/year to 3409 kWh/m2/year. The LCOE depends on economic parameters and on the net energy generated by a plant on an annual basis. The latter was determined by a steady-state 1D model that solved the energy balance along the receiver axis. This model required computing the incident solar power and heat losses. While the solar power was calculated by an optical ray-tracing model, heat losses were computed by a lumped-parameter model developed along the radial direction of the tube. Since the LFC adopted a secondary concentrator, no conventional correlation was applicable for the convective heat transfer from the glass cover to the environment. Therefore, a 2D steady-state CFD model was also developed to investigate this phenomenon. The results showed that the PTC could generate a higher net annual energy compared to the LFC due to a better optical performance ensured by the parabolic solar collector. Nevertheless, the difference between the PTC and the LFC was lower in the non-evacuated tubes because of lower heat losses from the LFC receiver tube. The economic analysis revealed that the PTC with the evacuated tube also achieved the lowest LCOE, since the higher cost with respect to both the LFC system and the non-evacuated PTC was compensated by the higher net energy yield. However, the non-evacuated LFC demonstrated a slightly lower LCOE compared to the non-evacuated PTC since the lower capital cost of the non-evacuated LFC outweighed its lower net annual energy yield. Finally, a sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess the impact on the LCOE of the annual optical efficiency and of the economic parameters. This study introduces key technical parameters in LFC technology requiring improvement to achieve the level of productivity of the PTC from a techno-economic viewpoint, and consequently, to fill the gap between the two technologies.

Comparative microbial community occurrence pattern, growth attributes, and digestive enzyme indices of Puntius gonionotus (Bleeker, 1850), Pangasianodon hypophthalmus (Sauvage, 1878) and Heteropneustus fossilis (Bloch, 1794) under freshwater biofloc based polyculture system

BackgroundThe biofloc system (BFS) provides a sustainable aquaculture system through its efficient in situ water quality maintenance by the microbial biomass, besides continuous availability of these protein-rich microbes as feed to enhance growth and immunity of the reared organism. This study explores the gill architecture, growth performance, digestive enzyme activity, intestinal microbial composition, and histology of three freshwater fish species, Puntius gonionotus, Pangasianodon hypophthalmus, and Heteropneustus fossilis reared in biofloc based polyculture system.ResultsThe three species in T2 showed significantly higher WG and SGR, followed by T1 and T3. The wet mount of gill architecture showed smaller inter-filament gaps in gill arches of silver barb followed by stinging catfish and stripped catfish, but showed no correlation with the weight gain. However, silver barb being an omnivore and filter-feeder, accumulated a more diverse microbial community, both in T1 and BFS (T2 and T3), while the bottom feeder H. fossilis exhibited unique gut bacterial adaptability. The presence of floc in T2 and T3 enhanced bacterial abundance in water and fish gut, but their microbial diversities significantly reduced compared to T1 receiving only feed. Next-generation sequencing revealed that the Pseudomonas dominated in gut of P. gonionotus and P. hypophthalmus in T1, Enterobacterales and Fusobacterium prevailed in those of T2 and T3, respectively. In contrast, gut of H. fossilis had the highest proportion of Clostridium in T1, while Rhizobiaceae dominated in T3. Similarly in floc samples, Enterococcus dominated in T1 while Micrococcales and Rhizobiaceae dominated in T2 and T3, respectively. A positive correlation of enterobacteria, with the digestive enzyme activities and growth patterns was observed in all treatments.ConclusionThe present study revealed feeding behaviour to play crucial role in distinguishing the gut microbial composition patterns in fishes reared in Biofloc System. Further it revealed the requirement of supplementary feed along with floc in these three species for higher growth in the biofloc system.

Transparent Coating Systems Applied on Spruce Wood and Their Colour Stability on Exposure to an Accelerated Ageing Process

The objective of this study was to investigate the colour stability of spruce wood surfaces treated with coating systems (CS) and exposed to accelerated ageing. The tested CSs were transparent and three-layered; the top layer was modified with ultraviolet (UV) absorbers, while the base layer was modified with lignin stabiliser. Spruce wood surfaces treated with unmodified CSs were not colour-stable during the accelerated ageing process, with the surface exhibiting colour change after just 100 ageing hours. Adding specific UV absorbers into the top layer and lignin stabiliser into the base layer significantly improved the colour stability of the surface-treated wood. In all cases, however, the colour variation associated with ongoing ageing was significant. An additional study task was to determine whether the discolouration of surface-treated wood is caused by the discolouration of the wood substrate alone or also by the CS discolouration. Consequently, there was also the examination of discolouration of the individual coating materials or coating systems applied to glass slides. This testing proved that in the case of wood surface-treated with CS, without lignin stabiliser, the discolouration was the same as that of the substrate, and this was true throughout the whole ageing process. In the case of wood surface-treated with CS, but with lignin stabiliser, there were, in some cases, significant differences in discolouration between surface-treated wood and the wood substrate. These variations were especially evident during the initial 300 ageing hours.

Soil-transmitted helminthes prevalence, intensity, and associated factors among school-aged children in the communities of west Guji Zone, South Ethiopia

BackgroundSoil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections are a major health problem among school-age children in developing countries. Prolonged exposure to STH can lead to reduced physical fitness, stunted growth, anemia, bowel obstruction, and cognitive impairments. ObjectiveTo determine the prevalence, intensity, and associated risk factors of soil-transmitted helminths among school-aged children in the west Guji Zone, South Ethiopia. MethodsA community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 614 randomly selected school-aged children in selected districts of the West Guji zone from February to March 2023. A pre-tested questionnaire was used, and samples were examined by wet mount and Kato-Katz techniques. Data entry was analyzed using SPSS. Binary and multivariable logistic regression analyses were applied to identify potential associated factors. P-value<0.05 was declared as statistical significance. ResultsThe overall prevalence of STH was 32.7 % (95 % CI: 28.4%–35.8 %). Ascaris lumbricoides 95 (11.1 %) was the most common identified STH. Most school-age children, 74 %, were infected with a mild intensity of soil-transmitted helminths (STH). The mean egg count for Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, and hookworms was 4465.4, 563.7, and 958.9, respectively. The study found significant associations with several factors, including washing hands with soap after using the toilet (AOR: 2.8, 95 % CI: 1.8–4.6), trimming fingernails (AOR: 4.6, 95%CI: 2.9–7.1), and the habit of wearing shoes (AOR: 2, 95%CI: 1.4–2.9) ConclusionSoil-transmitted helminths infection prevalence is high among school-aged children of the study areas. To prevent and control these infections, comprehensive health education should focus on the importance of hygienic practices, improved sanitation, and regular deworming programs for school-aged children.

Development of a Custom Fluid Flow Chamber for Investigating the Effects of Shear Stress on Periodontal Ligament Cells.

The periodontal ligament (PDL) is crucial for maintaining the integrity and functionality of tooth-supporting structures. Mechanical forces applied to the tooth during orthodontic tooth movement generate pore pressure gradients, leading to interstitial fluid movement within the PDL. The generated fluid shear stress (FSS) stimulates the remodeling of PDL and alveolar bone. Herein, we present the construction of a parallel fluid-flow apparatus to determine the effect of FSS on PDL cells. The chamber was designed and optimized using computer-aided and computational fluid dynamics software. The chamber was formed by PDMS using a negative molding technique. hPDLCs from two donors were seeded on microscopic slides and exposed to FSS of 6 dyn/cm2 for 1 h. The effect of FSS on gene and protein expression was determined using RT-qPCR and Western blot. FSS upregulated genes responsible for mechanosensing (FOS), tissue formation (RUNX2, VEGFA), and inflammation (PTGS2/COX2, CXCL8/IL8, IL6) in both donors, with donor 2 showing higher gene upregulation. Protein expression of PTGS2/COX2 was higher in donor 2 but not in donor 1. RUNX2 protein was not expressed in either donor after FSS. In summary, FSS is crucial in regulating gene expression linked to PDL remodeling and inflammation, with donor variability potentially affecting outcomes.

Drug-Induced Differential Gene Expression Analysis on Nanoliter Droplet Microarrays: Enabling Tool for Functional Precision Oncology.

Drug-induced differential gene expression analysis (DGEA) is essential for uncovering the molecular basis of cell phenotypic changes and understanding individual tumor responses to anticancer drugs. Performing high throughput DGEA is challenging due to the high cost and labor-intensive multi-step sample preparation protocols. In particular, performing drug-induced DGEA on cancer cells derived from patient biopsies is even more challenging due to the scarcity of available cells. A novel, miniaturized, nanoliter-scale method for drug-induced DGEA is introduced, enabling high-throughput and parallel analysis of patient-derived cell drug responses, overcoming the limitations and laborious nature of traditional protocols. The method is based on the Droplet Microarray (DMA), a microscope glass slide with hydrophilic spots on a superhydrophobic background, facilitating droplet formation for cell testing. DMA allows microscopy-based phenotypic analysis, cDNA extraction, and DGEA. The procedure includes cell lysis for mRNA isolation and cDNA conversion followed by droplet pooling for qPCR analysis. In this study, the drug-induced DGEA protocol on the DMA platform is demonstrated using patient-derived chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells. This methodology is critical for DGEA with limited cell numbers and promise for applications in functional precision oncology. This method enables molecular profiling of patient-derived samples after drug treatment, crucial for understanding individual tumor responses to anticancer drugs.

Polymer composite cladding for selective frequency filtration: An experimental and modeling study

Laser selective frequency filtering is currently performed using expensive, heavy, and bulky (millimeters in thickness) ceramic composite claddings around the laser rod, which limits the miniaturization and transportability of the laser. The cladding absorbs undesired spontaneous emissions and reflects the desired wavelength of the "pump" diode. As an improved alternative for the cladding on, say, a diode-pumped solid-state Nd:YAG laser rod, we investigate a spray-coated polymer composite cladding (micrometers in thickness). The polymer composite cladding is easier to process and lighter and has a much smaller volume vs. traditional ceramic composite claddings. The approach is demonstrated on spray-coated glass slides, where cubic samaria (Sm2O3) particles are used as the filler in the polymer composite cladding. The rationale for using samaria as the filler in the composite is its absorption near the laser spontaneous emission wavelength (i.e., 1064 nm) and high reflectivity at the incident pump wavelength (i.e., 808 nm). The addition of a second polymer composite layer loaded with alumina particles enables reduction of the samaria composite layer thickness. The Kubelka-Munk model is shown to successfully predict the experimentally measured optical performance of single and bilayer claddings, making it a reliable design tool for multilayer claddings.

Nanoporous Structure Fabrication on Glass Surfaces for Enhanced Glass Adhesion Using Hydrogen Fluoride Gas.

The bonding between glass and other materials plays a crucial role when glass is used in industrial products. In this study, we propose a new approach to enhance the bonding strength of glass with other materials by fabricating nanoscale porous structures on glass surfaces via a chemical reaction with hydrogen fluoride gas. Herein, we present a methodology for controlling the thickness of the porous structure, clarify the relationship between the thickness and adhesion strength, investigate the shape of the formed porous structure, and propose a method to control its shape. Our findings reveal that the fabricated porous structure greatly improves the adhesion strength of the adhesive owing to the microscopic anchoring effect induced by the penetration of the adhesive into the porous structure. This approach is expected to be applied to architectural and automobile window glasses, solar panels, sensor cover glasses of autonomous vehicles, display devices (including smartphones), and wearable devices.

A Novel Polarized Light Microscope for the Examination of Birefringent Crystals in Synovial Fluid

Background: The gold standard for crystal arthritis diagnosis relies on the identification of either monosodium urate (MSU) or calcium pyrophosphate (CPP) crystals in synovial fluid. With the goal of enhanced crystal detection, we adapted a standard compensated polarized light microscope (CPLM) with a polarized digital camera and multi-focal depth imaging capabilities to create digital images from synovial fluid mounted on microscope slides. Using this single-shot computational polarized light microscopy (SCPLM) method, we compared rates of crystal detection and raters’ preference for image. Methods: Microscope slides from patients with either CPP, MSU, or no crystals in synovial fluid were acquired using CPLM and SCPLM methodologies. Detection rate, sensitivity, and specificity were evaluated by presenting expert crystal raters with (randomly sorted) CPLM and SCPLM digital images, from FOV above clinical samples. For each FOV and each method, each rater was asked to identify crystal suspects and their level of certainty for each crystal suspect and crystal type (MSU vs. CPP). Results: For the 283 crystal suspects evaluated, SCPLM resulted in higher crystal detection rates than did CPLM, for both CPP (51%. vs. 28%) and MSU (78% vs. 46%) crystals. Similarly, sensitivity was greater for SCPLM for CPP (0.63 vs. 0.35) and MSU (0.88 vs. 0.52) without giving up much specificity resulting in higher AUC. Conclusions: Subjective and objective measures of greater detection and higher certainty were observed for SCPLM over CPLM, particularly for CPP crystals. The digital data associated with these images can ultimately be incorporated into an automated crystal detection system that provides a quantitative report on crystal count, size, and morphology.

Decontamination of Fused-Silica Surfaces by UVC Irradiation as Potential Application on Touchscreens.

The contamination of surfaces by antibiotic-resistant pathogens presents an escalating challenge, especially on touchscreens in public settings such as hospitals, airports, and means of transport. Traditional chemical cleaning agents are often ineffective and leave behind harmful residues. Thus, the application of optical radiation is gaining relevance as a rapid, effective, and environmentally friendly disinfection method. This study examines the contamination of publicly accessible touchscreens and the efficacy of an irradiation approach for the radiation disinfection of microorganisms on quartz surfaces with UVC LEDs. In this setup, the LED radiation is laterally coupled into a quartz plate that serves as cover glass of a simplified touchscreen model. The process allows for the irradiation of microorganisms on the surface, without the user being exposed to hazardous radiation. To assess the efficacy of the disinfection process, a range of bacteria, mostly ESKAPE surrogates, such as Staphylococcus carnosus, Acinetobacter kookii, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus mundtii, and additionally Micrococcus luteus, were spread over a quartz plate with a homebuilt nebulization system. After operating the side-mounted LEDs for 30 s, a reduction in all bacteria except M. luteus by more than three orders of magnitude was observed. In the case of M. luteus, a significant reduction was achieved after 60 s (p < 0.05). This result demonstrates the potential of side-mounted UVC LEDs for rapid disinfection of touchscreens between two users and thus for reducing the spread of pathogens without irradiating humans.

Synthesis of ZnO NWs via Thermal Evaporation Technique

Zinc oxide nanowires ZnONWs were successfully synthesized on glass slides. The synthesis was conducted firstly by the deposition of 12 µm a thin film of Zn metal by thermal evaporation. Secondly,the coated film was annealed at a temperature of 600 ºC in air for four hours to grow the ZnO nanowires. It have been observed that the produced nanowires were grown in a vertical orientation and having a high density, very long, and a minimal aspect ratio. The crystal structure and morphology of ZnO nanowires were investigated with X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The UV-visible spectrophotometer was also used to calculate the optical parameters from the absorption spectrum and show a band gap energy around 3.25 eV. The crystal structure of the material was revealed to be polycrystalline with a preferred orientation in the direction of [101]. Small average crystallite size was calculated about 17nm The wires can be measured to have a length of around 10 µm with diameters ranging from 50 to 100 nm. This could be used for gas sensor applications. In addition, this ZnONWs structure has a maximum transmittance (100%) which can be a good candidate for many optoelectronic apllications.

Performance Improvement of an Integrated Collector Storage Solar Water Heater by Using an Additional Glass Cover: A Numerical Study

This paper describes the analysis of a solar storage water heating system, emphasizing its cost-effectiveness and integrated design. The study employs numerical analysis to assess and optimize the performance of a rectangular solar collector with an added glass cover and an internal horizontal barrier. Using COMSOL software, a three-dimensional modeling study was conducted in the Kufa-Najaf climate on May 9th. The analysis focused on fundamental convection equations governing mass, momentum, and energy conservation. Temperature and velocity distributions were obtained at 13:30 PM, revealing a peak storage water temperature of 56.3 °C. The additional glass cover-barrier storage collector, set at a 60° angle, exhibited the highest stored energy at 2065.6 W, surpassing the conventional storage collector at 1007.06 W. Furthermore, the model demonstrated an increased instantaneous efficiency of 58.3%, compared to 28.4% for the conventional collector. The simulation results align well with previous findings, showing a maximum mean absolute percent error (MAE) of 4.5%.

The Effect of Parasitization by Trichodinid Ciliates on the Mortality of Cultured Pacific Fat Sleeper larvae (Dormitator latifrons).

Trichodinidae, a prevalent group of protozoan ectoparasites in aquaculture, cause rapid mortality in fish hatcheries. Despite their significance, knowledge about these parasites in farmed fish in South America, especially in native species that are currently being domesticated for aquaculture, remains limited. This study morphologically characterized the Trichodinid species that are infecting Pacific fat sleeper (Dormitator latifrons) larvae and evaluated their impact on larval rearing. Four pairs of broodstock were induced with GnRHA implants and placed in tanks containing 200 L of freshwater, with a water temperature of 28 ± 1.0 °C and a dissolved oxygen level of 4.00 ± 1.23 mg L-1, with partial water exchanges being performed daily. The larvae hatched 7 to 8 h after fertilization and were transferred to tanks containing water with the same quality parameters. Twelve hours post-hatching, the presence of Trichodina was observed. Every 24 h, 60 larvae per tank (n = 180 per treatment) were sedated, and larval wet mounts were prepared, air-dried at room temperature, and impregnated with silver nitrate. Infection parameters and daily mortality were calculated. Trichodina was observed to parasitize the pelvic fins, caudal fins, and heads of fish larvae, which showed lethargy and erratic swimming movements. The Trichodina species showed a daily increase in the infection parameters, and a 58% rate of larval mortality was observed at the fourth day post-hatching (dph) in the infected tanks. In captivity, D. latifrons larvae typically survive up to 7 days post-hatching (dph) before reaching their point of no return due to the lack of adequate diet and feeding regimes. However, our study indicates that Trichodina infestation accelerates mortality, causing infected larvae to die more quickly than uninfected ones.

Thermal evaluation of solar dryers and the effect on the antioxidant and some physicochemical properties of Agastache mexicana and Rosmarinus officinalis.

Lemon balm (Agastache mexicana) and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) were dried using a mixed-mode solar dryer. A 23-factorial design was carried out: operation mode (mesh shade and direct irradiance), airflow (natural convection and forced convection), and type of flat plate solar collector cover (polycarbonate and glass). The drying kinetics of lemon balm and rosemary ranged from 4.5 to 6.5h and 4 to 7h, respectively, according to the operation mode of the solar dryer. The highest percentage of antioxidant activity in the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazil tests was lemon balm, with values between 88% and 93% (100µg/mL), and rosemary, 88% and 92% (100µg/mL). When forced convection was applied, solar collector thermal efficiency increased from 3.97%-5.11% to 17.20%-24.75%, dryer efficiencies ranged from 4.78% to 6.05%, and drying efficiencies between 14.17% and 44.23%. The lowest color difference (6.01) for lemon balm was shown with the mesh shade, forced convection, and glass cover collector, and for rosemary, the lowest color difference (12.87) resulted from using the mesh shade and natural convection; according to the analysis of variance, the cover collector did not affect significantly the color difference. Dehydrated lemon balm and rosemary could be used as an additive for medicinal, gastronomic, and food preservative applications. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The results are significant for designing dryers for community centers in areas where the production and losses of fruits, vegetables, aromatic herbs, and edible flowers are high. The novelty of this research is to introduce a new product for the consumer; in this case, the traditional dried rosemary and lemon balm in powder form as a nutritional source, both for the preparation of remedies and for direct consumption in dishes, powders, or healthy pills and food supplements.

Screening for Sexually Transmitted Infections in Adolescents with Genitourinary Complaints: Is There a Still Role for Endocervical Gram Stains?

Study objective: Adolescent females are disproportionately affected by Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs). Endocervical Gram stain smears taken during gynecological examination are inexpensive, relatively easy procedures to perform and interpret. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance characteristics of Gram smears in the diagnosis of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC) and Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) in a female adolescent population presenting to the Emergency Department (ED) with genitourinary complaints. Methods: This study was a retrospective, cohort analysis of consecutive females (ages 13 – 19) seen at three academic medical centers over a two-year study period. All patients underwent a pelvic exam with diagnostic testing for STIs. Positive criteria for a Gram stain included greater than ten white blood cells per high-power field, gram-negative intracellular/extracellular diplococci (suggesting GC), or direct visualization of TV organisms. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) assays were used as the gold standard definition for CT/GC infection. Direct microscopic visualization of organisms on a separate wet mount prep was considered the gold standard for TV infection. Demographic information, clinical findings of cervicitis, and the results of diagnostic testing were obtained from ED records using standardized abstraction forms. Results: During the study period, 1303 adolescent females were evaluated for genitourinary complaints. A total of 181 adolescents (12.9%) had at least one documented STI. Overall, 298 patients (22.9%) had positive gram stains. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive likelihood ratio for Gram stain in the diagnosis of STI were 28.7% (95% CI, 22.2 to 35.9), 78.1% (95% CI, 75.5 to 80.5), and 1.31 (95% CI 1.0 to 1.7), respectively. The sensitivity of Gram stain to Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Trichomonas vaginalis were 35.9% (95% CI 26.8 to 45.8), 34.5% (95% CI 18.0 to 54.3), and 5.7% (95% CI 1.3 to 15.7), respectively. The consistency of the data recording was excellent, with a median kappa statistic of 0.89. Conclusions: The positive likelihood ratio of inflammation on endocervical Gram stain is too low to recommend its use to direct empiric treatment of adolescents at risk for sexually transmitted infections. Diagnostic uncertainty or treatment failures should prompt specific laboratory testing.

Gut-microbiome profiles among Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) infected Ethiopian children enrolled in the school-based mass deworming program.

Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) and mutualistic gut microbes coexist in the gastrointestinal tract. However, limited data exist regarding how STH infections are associated with gut microbiome profiles. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data collected in a longitudinal study to identify and explain differences in microbial communities between STH-infected and non-infected Ethiopian school children. We collected 138 stool samples and analyzed them for STH infection using standard direct wet mount and Kato Katz methods. The gut microbiome profiles were characterized using targeted amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene from the total DNA extracted from the stools. Children infected with Trichuris trichiura showed significantly lower microbial diversity than those who were non-infected (p<0.05). We also observed significant difference in microbiome composition based on Trichuris trichiura infection status (PERMANOVA p< 0.01). A comparison of microbial taxa at the genus level among participants infected with different helminth species showed a significant increase in Agathobacter relative abundance among children infected with Trichuris trichiura compared to non-infected subjects (adjusted p = 0.001). Our results indicate that changes in the gut microbiome composition may vary depending on the species of helminth present. Further studies should investigate how Trichuris trichiura selectively alters microbiome composition compared to other STH species.

Clinical Manifestations and Molecular Identification of Giardia duodenalis in Pediatric and Adolescent Cancer Patients in Southwestern Iran.

This study aimed to investigate the clinical and molecular characteristics of Giardia duodenalis (G. duodenalis) infection and identify potential risk factors in children and teenagers with malignancies in Shiraz, southwestern Iran. A total of 200 fresh fecal samples were collected from children and adolescents suffering from 32 different cancer types at Amir, Nemazee, and Saadi hospitals affiliated with Shiraz University of Medical Sciences between October 2021 and May 2022. Direct microscopy using saline and iodine wet mount was conducted, and all fecal samples were rechecked by SSU-PCR. Subsequently, a specific fragment of the tpi gene was amplified on all samples for prevalence, sequencing, and assemblage identification. Our study found a 4% (8/200) prevalence of G. duodenalis using microscopy and PCR. The molecular findings were consistent with the microscopic results. All eight positive samples with SSU-rRNA gene were also detected as positive with tpi gene and were correctly sequenced. Among the examined cancer patients, two assemblages were identified: A [sub-assemblage AI (2/8, 25%) and sub-assemblage AII (3/8, 37.5%)] and B [sub-assemblage BIV (3/8, 37.5%)]. Notably, patients were more vulnerable to G. duodenalis infection after receiving at least 8 treatment episodes (p < 0.05) and displaying gastrointestinal symptoms (p > 0.05). The demographic characteristics of cancer patients with G. duodenalis infection and the statistical conclusions were separately detailed. The small sample size and low prevalence rate in this study hindered precise epidemiological conclusions. Nonetheless, the results suggest that G. duodenalis infection among cancer patients in Shiraz city originates from humans, without any specific animal groups (C-H) involved.

Experimentation, Taguchi and machine learning-based optimisation of parameters concerning heat losses from the trapezoidal box-type solar cooker

ABSTRACT The optimal design parameter combinations for a trapezoidal solar cooker that yield the lowest heat loss coefficient have been determined using a thorough Taguchi and Machine learning-based optimization approach that has been established for this study. Data for the previously described optimization have been generated through the use of an experimental approach in a laboratory environment. Numerous influencing factors are taken into account, including the temperature of the bottom plate, the depth of the cavity, the emissivity of the bottom cover, and the wind-induced heat transfer coefficient on the top glass cover. For the current investigation, the ideal factor combination is found to be a parametric combination plate temperature of 350K with 0.4 plate emissivity, 15W/m2 convective heat transfer coefficient, and 0.25 m height. To determine the percentage contribution of each control element to the heat loss coefficient, analysis of variance (ANOVA) has been used for the collected data and signal-to-noise ratios. Plate temperature at 74.72% and emissivity at 23.84% are the primary contributing variables found. Likewise, the least contributing factors like height (0.57%) and convective heat transfer coefficient (0.32%) are discovered. A regression equation is used to represent the connection between the response and the control factor. This formula is suggested as a forecast formula for calculating the heat loss coefficient.

Free radical detection in precision-cut mouse liver slices with diamond-based quantum sensing

Free radical generation plays a key role in many biological processes including cell communication, maturation, and aging. In addition, free radical generation is usually elevated in cells under stress as is the case for many different pathological conditions. In liver tissue, cells produce radicals when exposed to toxic substances but also, for instance, in cancer, alcoholic liver disease and liver cirrhosis. However, free radicals are small, short-lived, and occur in low abundance making them challenging to detect and especially to time resolve, leading to a lack of nanoscale information. Recently, our group has demonstrated that diamond-based quantum sensing offers a solution to measure free radical generation in single living cells. The method is based on defects in diamonds, the so-called nitrogen-vacancy centers, which change their optical properties based on their magnetic surrounding. As a result, this technique reveals magnetic resonance signals by optical means offering high sensitivity. However, compared to cells, there are several challenges that we resolved here: Tissues are more fragile, have a higher background fluorescence, have less particle uptake, and do not adhere to microscopy slides. Here, we overcame those challenges and adapted the method to perform measurements in living tissues. More specifically, we used precision-cut liver slices and were able to detect free radical generation during a stress response to ethanol, as well as the reduction in the radical load after adding an antioxidant.

Assessing the Effectiveness of Wet Mount and PCR Methods in Diagnosing Trichomonas vaginalis Infections in Endocervical and Urine samples

Trichomonas vaginalis is the cause of trichomonas’s infection, which is referred to be the global sexually transmitted disease (STD) worldwide. This parasite primarily spreads through sexual activity, though it can also spread through intimate. Vaginal inflammation in females causes a variety of clinical symptoms, such as a profusion of greenish-yellow, frothy, foul-smelling discharge, valvar enlargement, itching, and punctate erythematous lesions of the cervix, commonly referred to as "strawberry cervix." There are numerous scenarios in which women may be sick but not exhibit any symptoms. The purpose of the current study is to compare the diagnostic efficacy of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and wet mount preparation for detecting T. vaginalis in various sample types, including endocervical discharge, endocervical swabs, and urine, of 300 female patients (married and single), ages ranging from 15 to 62, who were referred to Dohuk Maternity Hospital, Shariya Camp, either inside or outside of Dohuk city. Based on the clinical symptoms of the patients, the diagnosis of parasite infection was validated by microscopically confirming the infection in the laboratory using two methods: PCR and direct wet mount preparation. The study findings demonstrated, out of 240 samples, 61 (25.4%) at Dohuk Maternity Hospital and 15 (25%) out of 60 samples in Shariya Camp were contaminated with T. vaginalis. Of the 300 samples, 74 (24.6%) had wet mount preparation infection, and 75 (25.0%) had PCR infection. In the current study, 42 single women had 10 (23.8%) and 258 married women had 66 (25.5%) infected. The age range of 15 to 25 had a higher infection rate (32.8%).