Excess Content Research Articles

MONOTONIZATION OF CHILDREN’S DIET AS A FACTOR OF VIOLATION OF THE MICRONUTRIENT BALANCE

Nutrition ensures the normal development of children, contributes to the prevention of diseases,prolongs life and creates conditions for adequate adaptation of the body to the environment.Aim – to evaluate the food rations of children and adolescents according to the qualitativeand quantitative composition of macro- and micronutrients.Material and methods. 159 children and adolescents who kept a food diary for 1 weekwere selected by the method of simple randomization. The daily consumption of macroand basic micronutrients (F, Zn, Cu, I, Fe, Mg, Ca, P, Se) was evaluated.Results. Of the five main food groups in the diet, cereals and grains dominated (60.0 %),fruits and vegetables accounted for only 25.1 %, meat and poultry – 9.4 %, eggs – 2.9 %,fish and fish products only 2.6 %, other products – 2.9 %. In children aged 11-15 years,a decrease in the caloric content of daily rations, proteins and complex carbohydrateswas registered. In children aged 16-18 years, the caloric content of the diet was higherdue to the excess of carbohydrates. The daily content of calcium, magnesium, iron andphosphorus did not differ from the normative values, while the content of iodine, selenium,copper and zinc did not correspond to their daily norm.Conclusions. 1. Unbalanced and polydeficiency nutrition of children and adolescentsdue to monotonization of the diet, excess caloric content in adolescence has beenestablished. 2. The diet of children and adolescents is deformed due to the predominanceof carbohydrate- containing foods and a decrease in protein- containing foods, a shortageof vegetables and fruits, a high content of sweets and sweetened water. 3. Both boys andgirls of school and teenage age are found to be deficient in copper, iodine, zinc, andselenium in diet, and in adolescent girls, there is also iron deficiency, which can affecttheir health, physical and intellectual development.

Kompres Serai Hangat Dapat Menurunkan Nyeri Akut Gout Arthritis: Studi Kasus


 
 
 
 Introduction: Gout Arthritis or commonly referred to as gout is an inflammatory disease of the joints that can cause pain, heat, swelling, and stiffness in the joints caused by excess uric acid content in the blood resulting in accumulation of uric acid crystals in the joints and soft tissues other. Non-pharmacological therapy that can be done is giving warm compresses of lemongrass boiled water. Method: This study uses the case study method. The subjects used were 2 people with a medical diagnosis of Gout Arthritis. The instrument for collecting data used a questionnaire and NRS. Results: The results of the application show that after giving lemongrass warm compresses 1 time a day for 3 days within 20 minutes each administration the pain scale decreases or even disappears when evaluated on the third day where in the first patient before the pain scale intervention was 6 and after the pain scale intervention to 0 while the second patient before the intervention had a pain scale of 6 and after the intervention had a pain scale of 2. Conclusion: Warm compresses of lemongrass boiled water can reduce acute pain in Gout Arthritis patients.
 
 
 

Mitigation strategies for excessive cadmium in rice.

Cadmium (Cd)-contaminated rice is a human food safety problem that lacks a clear solution. A large amount of rice having an excessive Cd content is processed yearly, but it cannot be discarded and placed in landfills because it will cause secondary pollution. How do we best cope with this toxic rice? From the perspectives of food safety, food waste prevention, and human hunger eradication, the use of contemporary physical, chemical, and biological techniques to lower the Cd content in postharvest Cd-contaminated rice so that it can be used safely is the best course of action. In this review, the contamination, chemical speciation, and distribution of Cd in rice are analyzed and discussed, as are the methods of Cd removal from rice, including a comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of various techniques. Owing to the limitations of current technology, research and technological development recommendations for removing Cd from rice grain are presented. The chemical and biological methods produce higher Cd-removal rates than physical methods. However, they are limited to small-scale laboratory applications and cannot be applied on a large industrial scale. For the efficient safe removal of Cd from food, mixed fermentation with lactic acid bacteria and yeast has good application prospects. However, limited strains having high Cd-removal rates have been screened. In addition, modern biotechnology has rarely been applied to reduce rice Cd levels. Therefore, applying genetic engineering techniques to rapidly obtain microorganisms with high Cd-removal rates in rice should be the focus of future research.

Herbal Treatment for Gastric Dilatation Volvulus in Animals

Gastric dilatation volulus, also known as gastric dilation, twisted stomach, or gastric torsion, is a medical condition that affects animals in which the stomach becomes overstretched and rotated by excessive gas content

Green synthesis of sulfonated cellulose/polyether block amide/polyethylene glycol diacrylate (SC/PEBAX/PEGDA) composite membrane by gamma radiation and sulfonation techniques for battery application

Sulfonated cellulose (SC) was successfully prepared through a two-step process of gamma radiation and subsequently sulfonation with potassium metabisulfite of microcrystalline cellulose extracted from sugarcane bagasse. The effect of gamma radiation dose on cellulose showed an increment of oxidation degree, which was evidenced by the intensity ratio of I1718 (carbonyl)/ I2892 (aliphatic) from FTIR analysis. The obtained SC was introduced into polyether block amide/polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEBAX/PEGDA) polymer matrix as a reinforcement and hydrophilic filler for improving electrolyte affinity and thermal stability of its composite membrane. The increase of SC in PEBAX/PEGDA composite membranes resulted in enhancement of hydrophilicity, electrolyte uptake, and thermal stability compared to pristine composite membranes. However, the excess SC content in the composite membrane exhibited the low physical properties, caused by negligible dispersion on the surface membrane. With the optimum 2.0 wt% SC in PEBAX/PEGDA, the porosity, contact angle and electrolyte uptake capacity was found to be 64.0 %, 12.8° and 37.5 %, respectively. 2.0 wt% SC/PEBAX/PEGDA showed the outstanding thermal stability with negligible shrinkage <10 % at 150 °C whereas pristine PEBAX/PEGDA showed the shrinkage of 29 %. The obtained SC/PEBAX/PEGDA composite membrane is considered as a potential candidate to replace the commercial polyolefin-based separator in lithium-ion batteries.

Development of modulation, pairing mechanism, and slip system with optimum vanadium substitution at Bi-sites in Bi-2212 ceramic structure

Present study focuses extensively on the change in electrical, superconducting and microhardness parameters with partial substitution of trivalent V+3 impurities replacing Bi+3 ions in Bi-2212 ceramic compound with the aid of dc electrical resistivity and microhardness test measurements. Experimental findings, calculation results, and phenomenological discussions provide that the optimum vanadium substitution level is found to be x = 0.01 in the Bi2.0-xVxSr2.0Ca1.1Cu2.0Oy (Bi-2212) ceramic system for the highest conductivity, crystallinity quality, superconducting, and mechanical performance features depending on the decreased microscopic structural problems. All the findings are wholly verified by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-Ray diffraction (XRD) analyses. The dc electrical measurements indicate that the optimum vanadium ions support the pairing mechanism for the formation of new polaronic states in the clusters of microdomains, and hence expand superconducting energy gap due to the enhancement of amplitude part of pair wave function in the spin-density wave systems. The excess vanadium content degrades all the basic thermodynamics and quantum mechanical quantities mentioned due to the stress-induced phase transformation. Numerically, the Bi-2212 advanced ceramic matrix prepared by the optimum vanadium impurity is noticed to present the smallest residual resistivity value of 0.08 mΩ cm, room temperature resistivity value of 8.84 mΩ cm, and broadening degree of 0.36 K. Similarly, the ceramic material is found to possess the highest residual resistivity ratio of 3.05, carrier concentration number of 0.153041, critical transition offset and onset value of 84.66 K and 85.02 K, respectively. Besides, the microhardness findings reveal that the same compound with the least sensitivity to the applied test loads exhibits the largest Hv value of 4.799 GPa, Young's moduli of 393.303 GPa, yield strength of (0.969 GPa), and elastic stiffness coefficient of 15.5574 (GPa)7/4 under the applied test load of 0.245 N. The XRD investigations show that the presence of optimum vanadium impurity supports the formation of a high superconducting phase, c-axis length, and average crystallite size. All the findings are morphologically confirmed by the SEM images. It is found that the crystallographically best crystallinity quality and view of surface morphology is observed for the optimum vanadium substitution level. All in all, new higher properties for the conductivity, crystallinity quality, surface morphology, superconducting, and microhardness parameters based on the optimum vanadium replacement encourage the Bi-2212 crystal system to use in much more application places.

The precipitation process for a rare earth leach solution with calcium oxide in the presence of ascorbate and calcination to oxide of high purity

Sulfate ions coprecipitate with rare earth metal ions to form alkaline rare earth sulfate (RE2(OH)4SO4) in the CaO precipitation process, leading to excessive content of sulfate in the mixed rare earth oxide. Due to the difference of coordination ability between ascorbate, sulfate, hydroxyl and rare earth metal ions, ascorbate is introduced into the pregnant leach solution (PLS) during the CaO precipitation process. It realizes the coprecipitation between ascorbate (C6H7O6−) and rare earth metal ions, reducing the formation of RE2(OH)4SO4 and improving the purity of mixed rare earth oxide. In this paper, the standard reaction Gibbs free energy changes of the possible reactions in the precipitation process were calculated using the group contribution method, to draw the species distribution equilibrium diagram with Newton's iteration method. When ascorbate exists, rare earth metal ions in the PLS tend to form the alkaline rare earth ascorbate (RE2(OH)4(C6H7O6)2) instead of RE2(OH)4SO4. Furthermore, the effect of the reaction conditions on the precipitation process were studied. When the molar ratio of rare earth metal ions to ascorbate was 1.17, the purity of the mixed rare earth oxide was 96.2 wt% and the sulfate content was 2.2 wt%. Finally, based on the results of the material balance calculation, FTIR, XRD and TG-DSC tests, it was further confirmed that ascorbate participated in the form of RE2(OH)4(C6H7O6)2, and effectively suppressed the generation of RE2(OH)4SO4. Consequently, the results facilitate the green and efficient extraction of rare earths from the ion-adsorption type ore.

ANTHROPOGENIC TRANSFORMATION OF THE LYUTITSA RIVER BASIN

The Liutytsia is a typical small river of the Polissya part of the Volyn region. It flows through the territory of Rozhyshche and Kopachivka united territorial communities. The river is 37 km long, with a catchment area of 208 km2, 3.6% forest cover, 1.4% marshland, and 60.5% ploughed. About 10,000 people live within the basin. The territory has long been developed. Agricultural use predominates. Specialisation: growing potatoes, cereals, industrial crops, dairy and meat farming and processing of agricultural products. In the structure of land use in the basin, 87.6% of the land is used for agricultural purposes. All land available for agricultural use has been ploughed and is actively used. Within the basin, the permissible land use limits are exceeded. This contributes to the aggravation of the environmental situation and requires the implementation of measures for the rational use of natural resources and nature protection. 8.8% of the basin's territory is occupied by settlements, industrial, transport, communications, etc. The basin's water resources are also actively used. Most of the water is used for water supply to the population, industry and agriculture. In a year of 95% runoff availability, total water withdrawals exceed 20% of the annual runoff, and irreversible water consumption in the basin is 15%. In the future, runoff shortages may become a problem in low-water years. The frequency of dry years has been increasing recently. The concentration of most chemicals in the river water does not exceed the maximum permissible concentration. The content of ammonium nitrogen exceeds the per capita values by 15.6 times in the first and 2.92 times in the river channel 2, nitrite nitrogen by 1.7 times and 1.91 times, respectively, and total iron by 16 times and 2.4 times. The excessive content of nitrogen compounds is caused by surface runoff from urban areas, fields, farms, and spontaneous solid waste dumps. The area of drained land within the basin is 8,606 thousand hectares, with a land reclamation rate of 41.4%. There are 5 drainage systems within the basin. Soil overdrainage is widespread within the basin's drainage systems, leading to loss of soil cohesion, loss of vegetation cover and deflation. With distance from the drainage network, water drainage is worse, there are waterlogged areas, rewetting occurs due to inefficient drainage channels that are silted and overgrown with vegetation. Some reclaimed areas have not been ploughed for many years and are overgrown with selfseeding. Hazardous exogenous processes are occurring within the basin: karst, secondary waterlogging, and siltation of the riverbed. Soils are also undergoing negative changes. Erosion processes are occurring, the depth of the humus horizon is decreasing, and the content of humus and plant nutrients is decreasing. Environmental problems in the basin include: violation of water protection zones, ploughing and rewetting of the floodplain; lack of hydroecological monitoring in the river basin; poor condition of drainage systems; lack of soilprotective technologies for growing crops, violation of recommendations for the use of drained land; illegal landfills in the basin; low forest cover, lack of protected areas within the basin, lack of an effective local ecological network.&#x0D; Keywords: river basin, geoecological state of the basin, sources of anthropogenic impact within the basin, anthropogenic transformation of the basin.

Insights into the calcination temperature and loading amount of the catalyst support (TiO2) in the fibrous ceramic-based catalytic filter element prepared by microwave drying

The fibrous ceramic-based catalytic filter element (CFE) is a promising multifunctional material capable of simultaneously removing dust and NOx from hot gases. In this study, various calcination temperatures and titanium sols with different solid contents were used to prepare CFEs based on microwave drying, and their influences on the catalytic performance were experimentally investigated. The results showed that both the calcination temperature and the solid content of the titanium sol had important impacts on the catalytic activity. As the calcination temperature increased, the particle size, crystallite size, and average pore diameter of the loaded catalyst support (TiO2) increased, while the specific surface area decreased, ultimately resulting in a decline in the catalytic activity. However, a suitable calcination temperature ranging from 300 to 400 °C was required to achieve a good combination between the catalyst and the fibrous ceramic and a relatively uniform mesoporous structure. Furthermore, the increase in the solid content gave rise to a corresponding increase in the TiO2 loading amount, which increased the pressure drop and reaction surface area of the CFE. Excessive vanadium content caused by insufficient catalyst support induced side reactions of NH3 oxidation under high-temperature conditions, thereby reducing catalytic activity. Therefore, the preferred calcination temperature and solid content were set at approximately 300–400 °C and 8 wt%, respectively. The final prepared CFE demonstrated superior catalytic performance and adaptable gas velocity properties.

Test research on flexural strength of soil-cement reinforced with carbon fibers

In order to verify the feasibility of using chopped carbon fibers to reinforce soil-cement, the orthogonal test and verification test of flexural strength had been carried out and the correctness and effectiveness of the test results had been clarified. The test results indicated that the addition of carbon fibers could make the flexural strength of soil-cement improved effectively and change the brittle failure of soil-cement into plastic failure. The flexural strength of carbon fiber soil-cement (CFSC) could reach 0.509 MPa, that was 31.5 % higher than that (0.387 MPa) of the plain soil-cement in the standard condition. All the first extreme flexural strength (e.g. the flexural strength), yield strength, second extreme flexural strength and residual strength increased first and then decreased with the increase of either fiber content or fiber length. Thus, excessive fiber content and fiber length were not better and the optimum values were existent with 0.6 % and 15 mm respectively under the test conditions agreed in this study. The change magnitude of the yield strength, second extreme flexural strength and residual strength was much greater than that of the first extreme flexural strength. So the strengthening effect of the carbon fibers on soil-cement was better for its toughness and ductility than for its flexural strength. The order of soil type corresponding with the flexural strength of CFSC from high to low was clay, silty clay, mucky silty clay, silt and fine sand. The flexural strength of CFSC increased linearly with the increase of cement content and the economical cement content was obtained as 15 %. The flexural strength of CFSC increased quickly between the 3 d and 14 d, slowly between the 14 d and 28 d and very slowly after 28 d, but still was increasing. The interaction mechanism between carbon fibers and soil-cement had been analyzed from a macro and a micro perspective respectively. The modified multivariate nonlinear regression model was proposed. The results and conclusions above could provide reference and basis for the application and popularization of CFSC in actual engineering.

Assessment of the infiltration of water-in-oil emulsion into soil after spill incidents

The issue of inland oil spills exerts an adverse impact on environmental and ecological health. Many cases are concerned with water-in-oil emulsions, especially in the oil production and transport system. To understand the contamination and take an efficient response work after spill, this study investigated the infiltration behavior of water-in-oil emulsions and the influencing factors by measuring the characteristics of different emulsions. The results showed that an increase of water and fine particle content and decrease in temperature would improve the viscosity of emulsions and reduce the infiltration rate, whereas salinity levels had a negligible impact on infiltration if the pour point of emulsion systems was far higher than the freezing point of water droplets. It is worth mentioning that excessive water content at a high temperature may cause demulsification during the infiltration process. The oil concentration in different soil layers was related to the viscosity of emulsion and infiltration depth, and the adopted Green-Ampt model simulated well under low temperature. This study reveals the new features of emulsion infiltration behavior and distribution patterns under different conditions and is helpful for the response work after spill accidents.

Performance analysis of two typical greenhouse lettuce production systems: commercial hydroponic production and traditional soil cultivation.

Due to the shortage of land and water resource, optimization of systems for production in commercial greenhouses is essential for sustainable vegetable supply. The performance of lettuce productivity and the economic benefit in greenhouses using a soil-based system (SBS) and a hydroponic production system (HPS) were compared in this study. Experiments were conducted in two identical greenhouses over two growth cycles (G1 and G2). Three treatments of irrigation volumes (S1, S2, and S3) were evaluated for SBS while three treatments of nutrient solution concentration (H1, H2, and H3) were evaluated for HPS; the optimal levels from each system were then compared. HPS was more sensitive to the effects of environmental temperature than SBS because of higher soil buffer capacity. Compared with SBS, higher yield (more than 134%) and higher water productivity (more than 50%) were observed in HPS. We detected significant increases in ascorbic acid by 28.31% and 16.67% and in soluble sugar by 57.84% and 32.23% during G1 and G2, respectively, compared with SBS. However, nitrate accumulated in HPS-grown lettuce. When the nutrient solution was replaced with fresh water 3 days before harvest, the excess nitrate content of harvested lettuce in HPS was removed. The initial investment and total operating cost in HPS were 21.76 times and 47.09% higher than those in SBS, respectively. Consideration of agronomic, quality, and economic indicators showed an overall optimal performance of the H2 treatment. These findings indicated that, in spite of its higher initial investment and requirement of advanced technology and management, HPS was more profitable than SBS for commercial lettuce production.

Investigation of the Main Parameters Influencing the Kinetics of an Ammonia Stripping Plant Treating Swine Digestate

Ammonia stripping is a consolidated technology that can be adopted to reduce the excessive content of nitrogen in the digestate, thus allowing its reuse as fertilizer within the maximum nitrogen loads set by regulations. In this work, the role of the main operational parameters (airflow and temperature) was assessed on a pilot bubble reactor treating a swine-based digestate, under batch conditions. A kinetic model was developed to correlate temperature, airflow and the ammonia removal yield. Varying the temperature from 60 to 70 °C and the airflow rate from 30 to 60 m3air h−1 m−3digestate, the performance of the plant was measured at different reaction times. The process was favored by the spontaneous pH increase over 10, without basifying agent addition. The lowest removal efficiency (50%) was recorded at 60 °C and 30 m3air h−1 m−3digestate. A removal efficiency higher than 80% was reached running the process at 70 °C and 45 or 60 m3air h−1 m−3digestate. Performance curves were than developed as a practical tool to identify the operating conditions leading to a desired nitrogen removal rate: for instance, under the most severe conditions, up to 80% ammoniacal nitrogen could be removed in about 10 h. Though the obtained results are valid for the treated digestate, the experimental methodology as well as the mathematical model could be replicated in other case studies, thus allowing the amelioration of the process operation.

Theoretical and Experimental Strategy for the Control and Mitigation of Efflorescence in Metakaolin-Based Geopolymer

Compared with portland-cement-based matrices, the high mechanical strength, satisfactory durability, and sustainable features of geopolymeric matrices have brought great interest in the civil construction sector. Excessive activator content in a geopolymer mixture can cause efflorescence, a phenomenon related to the unreacted alkalis that compromise the mechanical properties and aesthetics of the structures. This article proposes applying statistical mixture design (SMD), associated with simultaneous optimization for the dosage of geopolymeric matrices, to evaluate and mitigate efflorescence. Based on the extreme vertices screening design, the formulations were made using metakaolin as a precursor, NaOH and sodium silicate as the activator, and sand and superplasticizer. The formulation with the lowest efflorescence formation, highest compressive strength, and adequate workability was the one whose molarity of NaOH was equal to 9.02 M, and the ratios Na2O/Al2O3, SiO2/Al2O3, and H2O/Na2O were equivalent to 1.43, 2.65, and 8.36, respectively. In addition, the Na2O/Al2O3 ratio was the predominant factor for efflorescence occurrence. SMD associated with simultaneous optimization is a technically viable alternative for minimizing free sodium in geopolymeric matrices.

Rapid determination of the moisture content of triethyleneglycol dinitrate absorption tablets by near-infrared spectroscopy

During the production of triethyleneglycol dinitrate (TEGDN) double-based propellants, excessive moisture content adversely affects the plastination of TEGDN absorption tablets. This study focused on developing a model for detecting moisture content in the TEGDN absorption tablets by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). The spectral intervals of 1149.7–1248.8 nm and 1397.4–1515.1 nm were determined according to the competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS) algorithm and comparison of the absorption peaks of TEGDN absorption tablet samples and the absorption peak of water. A combination of standard normal variables transformation (SNV) and first-order derivative (FD) was selected as the original spectral pre-processing method. The optimum number of factors for the moisture model was chosen as 7. A moisture quantification model was developed based on the Partial Least Squares (PLS) algorithm. The determination coefficient of the calibration and cross-validation (Rc2,Rcv2) were 0.9905 and 0.9869, respectively. The root means square error of the calibration and cross-validation (RMSEC, RMSECV) were 0.0158 and 0.0186, respectively. The developed moisture model was externally validated using a prediction set. The determination coefficient of the prediction (Rp2) was 0.9899, and the root mean square error of the prediction (RMSEP) was 0.0207. The mean absolute and mean relative errors between the predicted values of the NIRS method and the measured values of the traditional method were 0.0091 and 1.0819%, respectively. Therefore, the results show that the moisture model developed by NIRS can quickly and accurately detect the moisture content of TEGDN absorption tablets after removing moisture and determine whether the TEGDN absorption tablets are qualified.

FEATURES OF BORIC ACID SORPTION BY FIBAN A-5 ANION-EXCHANGE FIBER UNDER STATIC CONDITIONS

Excessive contents of boron and its compounds can exhibit toxic effects despite their necessity for functioning living organisms. An urgent task is to remove them in various ways, including the use of sorption technologies. Boron-selective sorbents with functional OH groups and granular anion exchangers with functional amino groups are capable of extracting boron compounds. This paper is devoted to studying boric acid sorption under static conditions on FIBAN A-5 fibrous sorbent, which shows a high affinity for boron and can be used as an alternative to anion-exchange resins produced in the form of granules. The features of the kinetics and equilibrium of the sorption by the studied fiber brought in contact with boric acid solutions have been studied. It has been found that the time required to reach the equilibrium state decreases with the intensification of stirring and an increase in the concentration gradient in a solution. Sorption isotherms are of a stepwise character due to the existence of boron in different forms at concentrations above 0.025 M. The influence of temperature, pH of a solution, and ionic form of the sorbent on the capacity of FIBAN A-5 fiber has been determined.

Microstructure, phase evolution, mechanical properties and slag corrosion resistance of ZrO2 reinforced Al2O3–Cr2O3 composites

Al2O3–Cr2O3 refractories have excellent slag corrosion resistance and can adapt to the oxidation/reduction atmosphere in the smelting reduction ironmaking furnace. Improving the corrosion resistance of chrome corundum refractories is of great significance for extending the life length of industrial kilns and decreasing carbon emissions. In this work, the influences of ZrO2 content on the phase evolution, microstructure, physicochemical properties, mechanical properties and slag corrosion resistance of the ZrO2 reinforced Al2O3–Cr2O3 composite refractories were investigated. The results show that the ZrO2 reinforced Al2O3–Cr2O3 composites are primarily composed of (Al, Cr)2O3 solid solution and m-ZrO2. The compressive strength, flexural strength and hardness of the composite refractories can be improved by adding 2.5 wt% ZrO2. However, adding more ZrO2 will reduce its mechanical properties. This is due to ZrO2 excessive content will augement the porosity of the composite refractories, and the phase transformation of ZrO2 will also lead to the formation of microcracks during the cooling process. It is worth noting that higher ZrO2 content improves the thermal shock resistance of the composites, which is primarily put down to the microcrack toughening mechanism of ZrO2. The corrosion tests show that the thicknesses of the corrosion and infiltration layers of composite refractories are significantly decreased accompanied by ZrO2 content increase. This is because the formation of high melting point CaZr4O9 reduces the CaO content and slag alkalinity, and inhibits the dissolution of Al2O3 into the slag to a certain extent. Therefore, the slag corrosion/penetration resistance of the of the composites are obviously improved with the increase of ZrO2 addition.

Effects of K2CO3 addition on the physicochemical properties of goethite composite pellets with different basicities (CaO/SiO2)

In this study, the effects of K2CO3 addition (0, 1, 2 wt%) on the physicochemical properties (moisture content, liquid saturation, plastic deformation degree, drop number, compressive strength) of green and (crystalline phase, fraction of melt phase, morphology, compressive strength and reduction behavior) of sintered composite pellets with varying basicities (CaO/SiO2 = 0.04, 0.40, 0.83, 1.24) were examined. The moisture content of cured green pellet with higher K2CO3 addition was greater at the same basicity. The corresponding results had a positive effect on the development of capillary state, which enhance the drop number and compressive strength up to approximately 14, 28.40 N/Pellet respectively above moisture content of 12.41 wt%. However, it was also confirmed that excessive moisture content (above 13.22 wt%) induced over liquid saturation and has negative effects on physical properties. The magnetite phase predominantly observed with increasing K2CO3 addition at fixed basicity of 0.40–1.24. Intraparticle porosity (pore size = 6.4 nm to 5 μm) decreased with higher K2CO3 addition and showed below 5% at 0.40–1.24 basicity. Interparticle porosity (pore size = 5–1100 μm) showed various behavior with K2CO3 addition at a basicity 0.04–0.40 but increased up to approximately 30% at a basicity 0.83–1.24. Compressive strength of sintered pellet tends to have negative effect on porosity. However, reduction behaviors have positive effects on higher fluxed sintered pellet due to advantageous reduction condition by impurities (alkali and alkaline earth metal cations). Obtained results help elucidate the physicochemical properties of composite pellet-containing alkali metal oxides with varying basicities.

EXPLORING MALAYSIAN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES JAPANESE LANGUAGE STUDENTS' VIEWS ON THE EFFECTS OF LGBT ELEMENTS IN ANIME AND MANGA

Background and Purpose: Anime and manga have drawn a global audience and become popular in a wide range of genres, including in Malaysia. These two popular cultures occasionally include LGBT elements in their storylines. This article examines Malaysian university students' views on LGBT elements in anime and manga. The specific objectives were to (1) identify anime and manga that incorporate LGBT elements, which are consumed by university students in Malaysia, and (2) investigate their views on the effects of consuming these materials.&#x0D; &#x0D; Methodology: Online Google survey forms were distributed to students studying the Japanese language at five public universities in Malaysia. In these universities, Japanese is offered as an elective or part of a core course and is taken by students from various faculties. 280 students responded to the survey. However, only data from 150 respondents was analysed. There were 56 (37%) male and 94 (63%) female respondents.&#x0D; &#x0D; Findings: 34 (22.7%) respondents mentioned anime and manga titles that have LGBT elements, with some titles fitting under the LGBT genre. According to 96 (64%) of respondents, consuming anime and manga with LGBT elements has negative consequences, including the normalisation of the LGBT concept, which may lead to individuals identifying themselves as part of the LGBT community, excessive sexual content, going against the norm, the extinction of humans, and becoming anime and manga addicts. In contrast, 37 (24.7%) respondents believe consuming such materials has a positive effect. This group argues that, despite the controversial LGBT elements, anime and manga promote positive ideals in their storylines while also raising awareness of LGBT communities.&#x0D; &#x0D; Contributions: This study reveals that the consumption of anime and manga featuring LGBT elements has an impact on the acceptance of the LGBT concept among Malaysian youth, despite its contradiction with the religious and cultural values of local communities.&#x0D; &#x0D; Keywords: Anime, manga, LGBT, Malaysia, Public university students.&#x0D; &#x0D; Cite as: Paee, R., Abdul Rashid, R., Mamat, R., &amp; Ahmand, N. (2023). Exploring Malaysian public universities Japanese language students' views on the effects of LGBT elements in anime and manga. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 8(2), 201-221. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol8iss2pp201-221

SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL FEATURES OF WATER CHEMISTRY CHANGES IN THE QUATERNARY UNCONFINED AQUIFERS OF THE DNIPRО RIVER BASIN

The article deals with the chemical composition of uppermost aquifers water in the Dnipro River basin. Its study is necessary not only in connection with the implementation the requirements of the EU Water Framework Directive methodological documents in the groundwater monitoring, but primarily because of water supply from these aquifers to rural areas. Unconfined aquifers water is characterized by a complex and heterogeneous chemical composition due to natural and anthropogenic factors. Natural hydrochemical zoning is distinctly visible on the territory of the Dnipro basin. A number of chemical elements and compounds in the water are contained in concentrations exceeding the standards for drinking water established by the State sanitary norms and rules 2.2.4-171-10 “Hygienic requirements for drinking water intended for human consumption” in the natural state. In addition, unconfined aquifers are subject to significant anthropogenic impact, as they are unprotected from pollution. Comparison of the data on total dissolved solids (TDS) and anionic composition of groundwater obtained during hydrogeological surveys in the period 1965–1975 and 2009–2013 on three sheets of the hydrogeological map (scale 1:200,000) in different sub-basins of the Dnipro River showed the widespread deep changes in groundwater chemical composition. In addition to a significant anthropogenic pressure, groundwater is significantly affected by climatic factors. Over a forty-year period, TDS in the north of the Dnipro basin increased by 50 %, in the central and southern parts – twice, due to an increase in the content of sulfates and chlorides. Within the analyzed areas in the Middle and Lower Dnipro sub-basins, nitrate pollution of unconfined aquifers is almost widespread. Thus, in a large area, waters of these aquifers are unsuitable for drinking water supply due to the excessive content of chemical elements and compounds of natural and anthropogenic origin. Therefore, one of the priorities of the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine should be the transfer of the rural population to water supply from protected confined aquifers and the improvement of sanitary conditions in rural areas.