DS Values Research Articles

Traffic Analysis Due To Development on Off Ramp Becakayu Highway

The kalimalang highway is a connecting road between the city of Jakarta and Bekasi, the high mobility of passenger vehicles and goods is a problem of congestion that must be minimized. The volume of vehicles on the Kalimalang highway has increased quite high each year, but this has not been matched by growth in capacity. Therefore the government plants to build the Becakayu toll road to reduce congestion. This study aims to determine bottlenecks that occur due to the construction of an off-ramp on the Becakayu toll road, especially in section 2A, which is located on Jl. Veteran, while the location under review is the intersections affected by the construction of the off-ramp including the intersection of four signaling BCP, intersection of four signaling Veteran and Sarbini unsigned intersection, Data analysis in this study uses the MKJI 1997 method. From this method displays the behavior of traffic, for signal intersections will display signal time, capacity, vehicle stopped ratio, queue length, and average delay and for unsignalized intersections will display capacity, average delay and queue opportunity. From the results of this study it was found that the signaled intersection had an average value of DS > 1, so for the service level at the intersection is the current forced / jammed with low speed. Where the largest queue length occurred 1876.7 m, an average delay of 210.30 SMP/ sec, and vehicles stopped at an average of 7378 SMP/hour. And for unsignalized intersections having an average DS <0.45, the service level at the intersection is a stable flow with operating speed starting to be limited by traffic conditions, this intersection has the greatest queue probability (QP%) 8.48-20.35 in the Saturday time period - afternoon and intersection delay 9.5 SMP / sec.

Sucessão de cultivos e indicadores da qualidade do plantio direto no Planalto Médio do Rio Grande do Sul

O sistema plantio direto (SPD) reúne o maior complexo de tecnologias conservacionistas para solos tropicais e subtropicais, entretanto muitos produtores estão adotando parcialmente estes preceitos, potencializando a degradação do mesmo. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a qualidade do SPD em uma localidade, localizada no Planalto Médio do Rio Grande do Sul, observando qual a situação atual do manejo do solo e das glebas agrícolas da região conduzidas sob SPD. Foi realizado o monitoramento do uso do solo da localidade de Linha Cristal, situada no município de Selbach, RS, bem como a avaliação de glebas agrícolas que representassem diferentes manejos ali observados, além de uma mata nativa servindo de referência. Para isso, nestas glebas foram determinados os aportes de fitomassa seca (FMS) e o índice de cobertura (IC) da superfície do solo, a densidade (Ds), densidade crítica (Dsc) e grau de compactação (GC) do solo, além dos teores de matéria orgânica do solo (MOS). A análise estatística consistiu em análises univariadas (média e desvio padrão), já os resultados entre os teores de MOS e a Ds, também foram submetidos à análise de regressão. A área cultivada apresentou baixa diversidade de culturas no período de verão, predominando a soja (88,6%). Maior parte do milho em 2016/2017, destinou-se a produção de silagem (59%). Os cultivos de inverno foram mais diversificados, predominando a cultura do trigo, cevada, aveia branca e aveia preta. As médias anuais de FMS adicionada ao solo (13.147 e 11.508 kg/hectare/ano) estiveram acima do mínimo para manter os níveis de MOS estipulado pela literatura (9.000 kg/hectare/ano). As glebas agrícolas apresentaram a camada de 7-14 centímetros mais densa, onde apenas uma das glebas apresentou valor de Ds inferior a Dsc. Houve correlação linear inversa entre Ds e MOS, onde as áreas que continham maiores teores de MOS, apresentavam menores Ds.

Improving olive mechanical harvesting using appropriate natural frequency

The good performance of olive mechanical harvesting by shaking depends on the suitable values of limb vibrator operating parameters (frequency and amplitude). Mathematical models of a single degree of freedom (S.D.F.M) and two degrees of freedom (T.D.F.M) were used to estimate the natural frequency (FN) of olive fruit stem system. The results from these models indicated that the FN values were 33.9, 31.9, and 28.0 Hz for the full mature stage, half-ripe olive, and full-ripe olive respectively. Branch vibrator was operated at three levels of frequency 25, 30 and 35 Hz and 3 levels of amplitude 25, 30 and 35 mm at a vibration time of 10 s. Measurements covered the fruit removal percentage (FRP) and degree of full-ripe fruit selectivity (DS). The results showed that the maximum FRP value, 90.6%, was achieved at a frequency of 35 Hz and amplitude of 25 mm while the maximum DS value, 78.58%, was obtained at 25 Hz frequency and 25 mm amplitude.

Facile Synthesis of Highly Active Sulfated Titania Nanofibers for Viscous Acid-Catalytic Reactions

Well-shaped sulfated titania nanofibers were prepared by impregnation of hydrogen titanate with (NH4)2S2O8 and calcination. Various characterization results showed that sulfated titania nanofibers consisted of smooth-surface and long-size fibers with the diameter of dozens of nanometers. Moreover, acid characteristics of sulfated titania nanofibers exhibited the high acid content, multi-strength acid sites and large Bronsted/Lewis acid ratio. In low-viscosity esterification, sulfated titania nanofibers had 1.2 ~ 2.1 times the reaction rate of other sulfated titania and other typical solid acids. Simultaneously, sulfated titania nanofibers possessed the higher DS value of product than those by other solid acids in highly viscous cellulose acetylation (2.41 versus 2.06 ~ 2.21). Besides these, sulfated titania nanofibers could show the excellent recycling performance in viscous acid-catalytic reactions.

The Study Degree of Saturation on Toll Road Access Based on Changes in Urban Settlement Land

Changes in land use that are not in harmony with the growth in the number of vehicles cause congestion and decrease in the speed of travel. Toll road access is one of the important ways to decrease traffic jams in cities that require smooth traffic flow. The purpose of this study is to analyze the level of service level of toll road access to land use changes from residential environments to commercial areas. The analytical method was used to use multiple regression analysis to estimate traffic generation from changes in commercial land use. The degree of saturation of road toll access before land use change shows DS values of 0.56 to 0.65 which were analyzed at peak morning hours. This was an indication of the smooth flow of traffic. After there was a change in land use shown from the trip generation from the commercial area with the equation Y = 2.554 + 1.143 X3 + 1.041 X4 + 1.011 X5 +1.256 X6 + 1.2045 X7 with the significance of the model R2 = 0.91. So that due to changes in land use, the toll access point was higher with changes in the degree of saturation 0.6 to 1.2.

Batch adsorption of methylene blue dye using Enterolobium contortisiliquum as bioadsorbent: Experimental, mathematical modeling and simulation

Discoloration of cationic dyes in effluents is essential to reduce the impacts caused to the fluvial ecosystem. In this work, the adsorption of methylene blue was studied using Enterolobium contortisiliquum as bioadsorbent. The bioadsorbent showed structural and superficial potentiality in the process. The Langmuir model adjusted the experimental equilibrium data, presenting R² and R²adj>0.98 and EMR<3%. The adsorption kinetics of the process was evaluated by the diffusion models PVSDM, SDM and PVDM. The PVSDM and SDM models showed no difference in the adsorption kinetics of the dye in relation to the predicted values. The PVDM model was not representative of the experimental data of this work due to the physical structure of the bioadsorbent. The diffusion coefficient in the pore volume Dp was 3.8×10−13cm²s–1. The Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm was used to optimize the objective function in the prediction of the Ds parameter. The Ds values for the PVSDM and SDM models, respectively, ranged from: 7.2 to 9.53×10–6cm²s–1, 16.5 to 20.33×10-6cm²s–1. The Ds values for the SDM model are higher than the PVSDM because it only considers the surface diffusion in intraparticle diffusion. The limiting step in both diffusion models is external mass convection because it has Biot <1.0. Once the balance was reached, the percentage of dye removal (R%) in the samples showed a value greater than 79%, showing the efficiency of the bioadsorbent in the process and enhancing its use for removing cationic dyes in the purification of contaminated effluents.

Ground observed climatology and trend in snow cover phenology across China with consideration of snow-free breaks

Accurate understanding of snow cover phenology and its changes is important to hydrological processes and climate system. Having recognized the potential uncertainties in remote sensing snow cover products, we used daily snow depth observations from 514 meteorological stations across China to investigate the spatiotemporal variations in snow cover phenology during 1970–2014. Climatologically, the snow cover onset date (Do) and end date (De) as well as the number of snow cover days (Ds) depended on latitude at most stations outside of the Tibetan Plateau (TP). For the high-elevation stations, which were mainly in the TP, multiple snow-free breaks (SFBs) during the cold season made Ds insensitive to Do and De. Furthermore, the number of SFBs (Db) increased significantly with the rise in elevation, explaining why higher altitudes in TP did not necessarily have greater Ds values despite the earlier Do and later De values. From 1970 to 2014, most stations in China exhibited delayed Do and advanced De due mainly to the increased temperature, but such trends were significant at only 10.5% and 15.4% of the stations, respectively. During the same period, shortened Ds primarily occurred south of ~ 40° N, whereas the opposite ones dominated north of ~ 40° N. Most stations (except those in Hexi Corridor) with significant growth in Ds were characterized by delayed Do and advanced De. Such a phenomenon of “increased snow cover days during shortened cold season” was due to the significant shrinkage in Db values. The spatial pattern of the trends in annual total snow depth overall follows that of Ds, suggesting that the Ds, when takes SFBs into consideration, could be an indicator of variations of snow water resources in China. The trends in Do, De and Ds were not elevation dependent in TP.

Fabrication of flame-retardant and smoke-suppressant isocyanate-based polyimide foam modified by silica aerogel thermal insulation and flame protection layers

Because of containing urea groups, flame resistance and smoke releasing behaviors of isocyanate-based polyimide foam (IBPIF) produced using free foaming technology require further improvement. In this work, silica aerogel layers were incorporated into cells of IBPIF through an in situ growth process of silica sol (SS). Compared with silica aerogel particles directly mixed into the foaming slurry, the silica aerogel layers that firmly attached to the pores and surfaces of cells not only provided exceptional thermal insulation and flame protection, but also kept original cellular structure. With increase in ratio of SS mass to IBPIF volume, silica aerogel incorporation dosage was gradually increased. Accompanied by flame resistance was obviously improved and smoke releasing behavior was effectively suppressed. Those were indicated by the improved limiting oxygen index (LOI), decreased heat release rate (HRR), peak of HRR, and specific optical density of smoke (Ds) in trials with pilot flames. Compared with pure IBPIF, when the ratio reached to 5/15 g/cm3, it resulted in LOI increasing from 22.0% to 33.0%, peak of HRR, total smoke production (TSP), and maximum value of Ds decreasing from 174 to 72 kW/m2, 1.11 to 0.37 m2/m2, 45.90 to 17.45, respectively.

Ordering of Oblate Hard Particles between Hybrid Penetrable Walls.

We report a Monte Carlo (MC) simulation study of a model discotic liquid crystal (DLC) confined between hybrid walls with controllable penetrability. The model consists of oblate hard Gaussian overlap (HGO) particles. Particle–substrate interactions are modeled as follows: each substrate sees a particle as a disc of zero thickness and diameter D less than or equal to that of the actual particle, σ0, embedded inside the particle and located halfway along, and perpendicular to, its minor axis. This allows us to control the anchoring properties of the substrates, from planar (edge-on) for D ≈ 0 to homeotropic (face-on) for D ≈ σ0, which can be done independently at either substrate. Depending on the values of Ds ≡ D/σ0 at the top (Dst) and bottom (Dsb) substrates, we find domains in (Dsb, Dst) space in which particle alignment is uniform planar (UP), is uniform homeotropic (UH), or varies linearly from planar at one substrate to homeotropic at the other (Lin). These domains are separated by regions of bistability (P–Lin and H–Lin), which appear to be wider than for prolate HGOs, and there may be also a small tristable (P–H–Lin) region. Results are compared with the predictions of density functional theory, implemented at the level of Onsager’s second-virial approximation with Parsons-Lee rescaling. As in the case of symmetric confinement studied previously, the agreement between theory and simulation is substantially less good than for prolate HGOs: in particular, for the investigated substrate separation L = 6σ0, the Lin configuration is never predicted. These discrepancies are likely a consequence of the fact that Onsager’s theory is less accurate for discs than for rods.

Diversity analysis at MHC class II DQA locus in buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) indicates extensive duplication and trans-species evolution

Variation at MHC Class II-DQA locus in riverine and swamp buffaloes (Bubu) has been explored in this study. Through sequencing of buffalo DQA, 48 nucleotide variants identified from 17 individuals, reporting 42 novel alleles, including one pseudogene. Individual animal displayed two to seven variants, suggesting the presence of more than two Bubu-DQA loci, as an evidence of extensive duplication. dN values were found to be higher than dS values at peptide binding sites, separately for riverine and swamp buffaloes, indicating locus being under positive selection. Evolutionary analysis revealed numerous trans-species polymorphism with alleles from water buffalo assigned to at least three different loci (Bubu-DQA1, DQA2, DQA3). Alleles of both the sub-species intermixed within the cluster, showing convergent evolution of MHC alleles in bovines. The results thus suggest that both riverine and swamp buffaloes share con-current arrangement of DQA region, comparable to cattle in terms of copy number and population polymorphism.

Cellulose fibers modification through metal-free click chemistry for the elaboration of versatile functional surfaces

In the present work, a novel and versatile way was developed to functionalize cellulose fibers from wipes under heterogeneous conditions. The technic was based on metal-free click chemistry to avoid the persistence of any metal traces on cellulose. First, cellulose fibers were covalently pre-functionalized with bicyclononyne (BCN) to promoted azide-alkyne addition with molecules of interest, like coumarin and β-cyclodextrin derivatives. X-ray photoelectron microscopy (XPS) shows that one BCN group per cellulose unit was modified at the surface of the wipe. 3-azido-7-hydroxycoumarin that can be used as fluorophore for bio-sensoring applications was efficiently bound to the pre-functionalized cellulose with a yield of reaction estimated at 60%. The addition of 6-azido-per-6-deoxy-β-cyclodextrin (β-CD derivative) was investigated in order to target future organophosphorus decontamination properties to cellulose wipes. With the best reaction conditions, 60% of triazole groups corresponding to 4 reactive azido groups per β-CD derivative were detected by XPS proving the efficiency of the click reaction. The highest DS values were obtained after 96 h for β-CD 20 Eq (DS = 1.7% by elementary analysis and DS = 2.5% by weight measurements). Scanning electron microscopy observations highlighted a globally well distributed β-CD with some aggregates on the surface of the fibers. Thus, the pre-functionalized BCN-cellulose fibers could be used for many applications after an easy clicking of target compounds.

PERENCANAAN ULANG TRAFFIC LIGHT PADA SIMPANG PRESIDEN KOTA PADANG

Pada Tahun 2019 dilakukan renovasi simpang presiden dengan pemasangan traffic light, menambah jumlah lajur, dan perubahan geometrik pada lengan jalan Jhoni Anwar. Desain ulang dilakukan dengan pelebaran jalan pada lengan Jhoni Anwar (T) dari 6.5 m menjadi 9 m dan penerapan belok kiri mengikuti Traffic Light (PLT) pada lengan Jhoni Anwar (B). Hasil perhitungan ulang didapatkan nilai DS sebesar 0.83 dengan tingkat pelayanan “D” yaitu arus mendekati tidak stabil, kecepatan masih dikendalikan, Q/C masih dapat ditolerir. Nilai tundaan simpang rata – rata adalah 37,75 det/smp. Panjang antrian lengan simpang Khatib Sulaiman (U) 84 m dan (S) 95 m, lengan simpang Jhoni Anwar (T) 58 m, dan (B) 47 m. Anggaran Biaya yang dibutuhkan untuk perencanaan Traffic Light yaitu sebesar Rp. 328.959.800,-.

Assortment for host resistance and eco-friendly management of mulberry powdery mildew caused by Phyllactinia corylea (Pers.) Karst

Powdery mildew caused by Phyllactinia corylea (Pers.) Karst, is an obligate parasitic disease of mulberry inflicting considerable qualitative as well as quantitative losses of leaf yield. Screening of 16 mulberry varieties against powdery mildew disease under field conditions yielded two resistant varieties with the lower powdery mildew disease severity of 2.5 and 5.42 per cent in a variety S-13 and in variety S-34 had 3 and 5.37 per cent after 55 and 70 days after planting respectively. The three varieties viz., Kanva-2 / M-5, Mysore local and S-1635 were moderately resistant with the less DS values of 11.43, 11.47 and 11.48 per cent respectively. In management studies, the plant extracts at all concentrations tested were effective in suppressing the disease and at higher concentration of 15%, Zinger officinale reduced the disease to 60.31 per cent and Lantana camara to 59.04 per cent disease over control and were considered as best for managing powdery mildew disease in mulberry. Among the culture filtrate of different bioagents tested, the Trichoderma harzianum reduced the disease to 51.56 per cent and Pseudomonas fluorescens to 51.09 per cent over control at 15% concentration and were shown to be potent in fading away the disease.

General rate equation theory for gas–solid reaction kinetics and its application to CaO carbonation

The kinetics of reactions between gases and solids are typically modeled using shrinking-core or shrinking-pore theoretical frameworks, in which the formation of a uniform solid product layer covering the entire solid surface with a sharp interface between the solid reactant and the product is assumed. However, theories involving a uniform solid product layer cannot predict the kinetic transition behavior that occurs in some gas–solid reactions. This work proposes that the growth of solid product islands occurs instead of the progressive formation of a uniform solid product layer in traditional shrinking-core and shrinking-pore models and establishes a general rate equation theory to model the kinetics of gas–solid reactions for solid reactants of various shapes. The growth of the product islands is calculated using the rate equation theory and is integrated into the shrinking-core model and shrinking-pore model, in which the microstructure of the solid reactant is also considered. Elemental steps of chemical reaction, surface diffusion and product layer diffusion are included in the general rate equation theory. The kinetic parameters included in the model are chemical reaction rate constant ks, surface diffusion coefficient Ds, and product layer diffusion coefficient Dp. The resulting model is analyzed at the limits where either the chemical reaction or product layer diffusion is the rate-controlling step. At very small or very high Ds values, the rate equation theory is equal to the kinetics-controlled regime or diffusion-controlled regime in traditional models; therefore, the traditional models represent special cases of this theoretical rate equation model. At intermediate Ds values, the so-called two-stage kinetic behavior occurs. The transition from the fast initial stage to the diffusion-controlled stage depends on the value of Ds, with the conversion at the transition point increasing with increasing Ds. The rate equation theory is demonstrated to successfully predict the CaO carbonation kinetics under a wide range of experimental conditions including temperature, CO2 concentration, sorbent type, and amount of added inert supports as well as for systems that exhibit a temperature rise during the carbonation reaction The rate equation theory is integrated into a particle model to account for the external diffusion of gas around the particle and intraparticle diffusion as well as the effect of particle structural changes on intraparticle diffusion, such as the pore plugging phenomenon. The developed rate equation theory is an analytical model that can be easily used in reactor-scale modeling or computational fluid dynamics simulations.

Mathematical modeling of arsenic(V) adsorption onto iron oxyhydroxides in an adsorption-submerged membrane hybrid system

The adsorption of arsenic (V), As(V), on two porous iron oxyhydroxide-based adsorbents, namely, micro-sized tetravalent manganese feroxyhyte (μTMF) and granular ferric hydroxide (μGFH), applied in a submerged microfiltration membrane hybrid system has been investigated and modeled. Batch adsorption tests were carried out to determine adsorption equilibrium and kinetics parameters of As(V) in a bench-scale slurry reactor setup. A mathematical model has been developed to describe the kinetic data as well as to predict the As(V) breakthrough curves in the hybrid system based on the homogeneous surface diffusion model (HSDM) and the corresponding solute mass balance equation. The kinetic parameters describing the mass transfer resistance due to intraparticle surface diffusion (Ds) involved in the HSDM was determined. The fitted Ds values for the smaller (1–63 μm) and larger (1–250 μm) diameter particles of μGFH and μTMF were estimated to be 1.09 × 10−18 m2/s and 1.53 × 10-16 m2/s, and 2.26 × 10−18 m2/s and 1.01 × 10-16 m2/s, respectively. The estimated values of mass transfer coefficient/ kinetic parameters are then applied in the developed model to predict the As(V) concentration profiles in the effluent of the hybrid membrane system. The predicted results were compared with experimental data for As(V) removal and showed an excellent agreement. After validation at varying adsorbent doses and membrane fluxes, the developed mathematical model was used to predict the influence of different operation conditions on As(V) effluent concentration profile. The model simulations also exhibit that the hybrid system benefits from increasing the amount of adsorbent initially dosed and from decreasing the membrane flux (increasing the contact time).

Comparison of dermatan sulfate and heparan sulfate concentrations in serum, cerebrospinal fluid and urine in patients with mucopolysaccharidosis type I receiving intravenous and intrathecal enzyme replacement therapy

AimsTo validate a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method for the measurement of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in plasma and serum. To establish plasma, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and urine reference intervals. To compare GAGs in serum with that in urine and CSF from patients with MPS I. MethodsDermatan sulfate (DS), heparan sulfate (HS), and chondroitin sulfate (CS) in serum/plasma, urine and CSF were methanolysed into dimers and analyzed using pseudo isotope dilution UPLC-MS/MS assay. Serum, CSF and urine DS and HS were quantified for 11 patients with mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) type I before and after treatment with Aldurazyme® (laronidase) enzyme replacement therapy (ERT). ResultsThe method showed acceptable imprecision and recovery for the quantification of serum/plasma CS, DS, and HS. The serum, urine, and CSF DS and HS concentrations were reduced after 26 weeks of ERT in 4 previously untreated patients. Serum DS and HS concentrations normalized in some patients, and were mildly elevated in others after ERT. In contrast, urine and CSF DS and HS values remained elevated above the reference ranges. Compared with serum GAGs, urine and CSF DS and HS were more sensitive biomarkers for monitoring the ERT treatment of patients with MPS I.

Forecasting the carbon price sequence in the Hubei emissions exchange using a hybrid model based on ensemble empirical mode decomposition

AbstractThe prediction of carbon price is exceedingly essential for the regulators, investors, and participants of the carbon trading market. It is the basis for formulating market policies and improving risk management capabilities. China's carbon price series are nonlinear and nonstationary, so it is difficult to predict accurately with traditional models. This paper proposes a multiscale ensemble prediction model based on ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD‐ADD) to improve the prediction accuracy of carbon price. Firstly, EEMD is used to decompose the carbon price sequence into several intrinsic mode functions (IMFs), and these IMFs are divided into high‐frequency component, low‐frequency component and the trend component. Then, LSSVM, PSO‐LSSVM, and BA‐LSSVM are used to predict the three components respectively after comparative analysis. Finally, the results are combined to obtain the final prediction value. In the empirical analysis of the Hubei Emissions Exchange, the proposed model outperforms other comparative models. The RMSE, MAE, and MAPE values of the EEMD‐ADD model are 0.6180, 0.4726, and 1.6342, and the DS, CP, and CD values are 94.36, 92.16, and 96.48. In addition, the model performed best in other time periods. The results suggest that the proposed model is effective and could predict carbon prices more accurately.

Heat Treatment Studies of Nb3Sn Wires for Superconducting Planar Undulators

A project aiming to fabricate a full-length 2.8-m long Nb3Sn superconducting undulator for the storage ring was started last year at the ANL APS. These Nb3Sn undulators operate at a maximum magnetic field on the conductor of about 5 T. To address instabilities at this field, two Nb3Sn wires with small subelement size were used. Specifically, Restacked Rod Processed wires of 0.6 mm in diameter and with 144 and 150 superconducting subelements respectively, over 169 total. The equivalent subelement diameter, DS , of these wires is ∼35 μm. At these small DS values, the critical current density is known to deteriorate, and the Residual Resistivity Ratio is very sensitive to heat treatment. A delicate balance has therefore to be found to obtain parameters within operation specifications. In this paper we show performance results from different heat treatments.

Plastome-based phylogenomics resolves the placement of the sanguinolenta group in the spikemoss of lycophyte (Selaginellaceae)

Selaginellaceae have been shown to be monophyletic in previous studies, and include only the single genus Selaginella. However, the two most recent classifications of the genus disagree in terms of the number of subgenera recognized, and the position of problematic clades such as the “sanguinolenta” group, which has been resolved in quite different positions in different studies. Here, we performed a plastid-genome based phylogenomic analysis of Selaginellaceae to address this problem. The sanguinolenta group, represented here by three species, was resolved as sister to the remaining members of subg. Stachygynandrum. Additionally, subg. Exaltatae, subg. Ericetorum, and subg. Gymnogynum in clade A clustered into a well supported monophyletic clade but with conflicting topology between subgenera inside, which is possibly attributed to the early divergence among them. We uncovered substantial variation in both synonymous (dS) and nonsynonymous (dN) substitution rate, and GC content in plastomes of Selaginellaceae. The values of dS, dN, and GC content were significantly higher than those of other lycophytes (Isoetaceae and Lycopodiaceae). We observed a significant positive correlation between the high GC content, and the elevated dS and dN rates. In addition, the dS and dN values inferred among branches of Selaginellaceae were extremely variable. Our data indicate that this unevenly distributed substitution rate likely reflected relaxed or intensified selection among different lineages, which is possibly related to the inconsistency of the subgeneric phylogenetic topologies of Selaginellaceae.

Psychosocial profile of children with pediatric malignancy and their families

Abstract Background The diagnosis and treatment of cancer are a stressful and threatening experience, which has tremendous impact on children and their families. As advances in cancer care have led to more treatment options and longer survival for cancer patients, a focus on quality of life for patients and their families has gained. Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychosocial aspects of children with different types of pediatric cancer (newly diagnosed as well as survivors), their parents, and sibs in comparison with those with normal children. Patients and Methods This study comprised 60 children, their sibs and caregivers. They were classified into three groups. Group I which comprised 20 newly diagnosed children with cancer, their caregivers and sibs, group II which comprised 20 cancer survivors children, their caregivers and sibs, group III which comprised 20 clinically healthy children, their caregivers and sibs. All children and their sibs in this study were subjected to full history taking, thorough clinical examination, assessment of socioeconomic standard, assessment of pediatric quality of life, a battery of psychometric tests included pediatric checklist, anxiety, depression, and self- esteem scores. All caregivers were subjected to record of demographic variable, assessment of socio-economic level, assessment of anxiety, depression, and isolation score, assessment of stress and burden related to the disease itself, if any, using standardized questionnaire and assessment of quality of life. Results Mean value of DS was significantly higher (P &amp;lt; 0.05) in newly diagnosed cancer children and survivors compared to controls while AS and PCLS was only significantly higher (P &amp;lt; 0.05) in newly diagnosed cancer children compared to controls. On the other hand, mean value of IQ of newly diagnosed cancer children and survivors was significantly than controls(P &amp;lt; 0.05); Mean values of Child as well as the Parental Total HRQL were significantly lower in newly diagnosed and survivors compared to controls (P &amp;lt; 0.05) with the former significantly lower than the later. In studied sib groups, AS was significantly higher in newly diagnosed compared to survivors and controls (P &amp;lt; 0.05), while PCLS was only significantly higher when newly diagnosed compared to survivors. In studied parental groups, mean values of DS, AS, and SS were significantly higher(P,0.05) in newly diagnosed compared to survivors and controls. Meanwhile, IS was significantly higher in newly diagnosed compared to controls. Newly diagnosed children with cancer, their parents and sibs had significantly lower mean values of all Child HRQL subcategories. On the other hand, survivors showed only significantly lower physical and social subcategories compared to controls. In studied sib groups only sibs of newly diagnosed patients and those of survivors, had significantly lower mean value of social subcategory compared to controls. Conclusion The current study showed that newly diagnosed cancer children had severe impact on their psychosocial aspects as well as their HRQL compared to controls while survivors showed a much lesser effects. On the other hand, sibs were mainly affected socially while parents were extremely affected.