Analysis Procedure Research Articles (Page 1)

Researchers can employ various optical biosensor technologies in many biomedical diagnostic and analysis procedures because they can assess the conformational changes of biomolecules and their molecular interactions. Surface plasmon resonance biosensors are one of the most popular methods among many optical biosensors because they are utilized for label-free and real-time monitoring with outstanding precision and accuracy. The current study proposes AI and machine learning (ML) programming-based rapid and highly sensitive SPR refractive sensor. The proposed SPR biosensor device consists of a glass prism N-FK51A, silver metal, graphene, nickel, and potassium niobate layers. Attenuated total reflection (ATR) is the basis for the device operation, and the Kretschmann configuration serves as the foundation for the device structure. The performance parameters, such as angular sensitivity, quality factor, detection accuracy, limit of detection and electric filed have been numerically analysed for blood sample. It is possible to identify and examine biomolecules with the proposed surface plasmon resonance biosensor.

Fluoride contamination has become a growing concern worldwide, including in Tanzania, due to its potential health impacts. This study examined the levels and spatial distribution of water-soluble fluoride (WSF) along the slopes of Mount Meru, comparing cultivated and uncultivated soils. Soil samples were collected and analyzed in the laboratory following standard soil analysis procedures. The findings revealed that WSF concentrations in cultivated soils ranged from 11.9 to 366mg/kg, while uncultivated soils ranged from 3.11 to 119.33mg/kg. Notably, about 93.3% of the topsoil in cultivated areas exceeded the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) guideline of 16.44mg/kg for fluoride in the soil, whereas only 6.67% of uncultivated topsoils surpassed this limit. In the subsoil, 96.67% of cultivated areas exceeded the FAO threshold, compared to 25% in uncultivated areas. The significant differences in WSF levels between these soil types highlight the potential risks associated with agricultural practices, particularly the overuse of agrochemicals and irrigation with fluoride-contaminated water. Addressing these concerns is essential for maintaining soil health and safeguarding food safety. The elevated WSF in cultivated soils is sufficient for plant uptake, potentially accumulating in edible parts and entering the food chain. These results provide critical insights for policymakers, farmers, and public health authorities regarding agrochemical management, contributing to strategies for sustainable agriculture, food security, and environmental health in fluoride-affected regions.

Scanning probe microscopy for rheological analysis of biomolecular condensates.

English writing, particularly essay writing, is one of the most challenging skills for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. Producing cohesive and coherent texts has become increasingly important. This study focuses on the role of synonymy as a lexical cohesive device in the essay writing of EFL students, specifically examining how frequently Albanian university students use synonyms in their essays. Additionally, the study explores how synonymy contributes to creating a well-structured and cohesive essay. Fifty-six first-year students (male and female) from the Faculty of Foreign Languages, English Department, were purposefully selected to write 56 descriptive essays. A qualitative research design was employed, with writing tasks serving as the primary data collection instrument. The data was analysed using qualitative content analysis procedures. The findings showed that synonyms were used more frequently than near-synonyms in the students' essays. It was also found that the students used various synonyms and near-synonyms to achieve logical cohesion in their writing, despite having limited knowledge of synonymy as a lexical cohesive device. Furthermore, the students had difficulty selecting the appropriate synonyms due to their insufficient vocabulary.

This study compared the effectiveness and efficiency of solid and liquid forms of chicken manures in the biostimulation process to remove petroleum hydrocarbons from heavily oil-contaminated soils. Soil samples were spiked with petroleum hydrocarbon products mixture (PHPM), comprising of diesel, benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, xylene, and naphthalene. The oil-contaminated soils were amended with varying proportions (0%, 10%, and 20% by weight relative to 1kg of soil) of composted chicken manure (CCM) and liquid chicken manure (LCM). These treated petroleum hydrocarbon-polluted mineral soils (TPHPMSS) were arranged in a greenhouse methodically and monitored over a period of 336days. Soil samples were collected on days 1, 14, 28, 56, 84, 168, and 336, and analyzed for total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) content using standardized sample preparation and analytical procedures. Results showed that the 20% application of either CCM or LCM yielded the highest TPH removal rates, achieving reductions of 89% and 81%, respectively, by day 336. However, the 10% treatments (whether CCM or LCM was used), produced higher biostimulation efficiency (BE), ranging from 3.84 to 7.64 for CCM and 4.02 to 6.42 for LCM. In contrast, the 20% treatments exhibited lower BE values, ranging between 1.66-4.47 (CCM) and 1.77-4.05 (LCM) over the 56-336-day remediation period. The study revealed the potentials of liquid chicken manure to be more efficient and therefore, more viable and cost-effective approach for landfarming of heavily petroleum-contaminated soils when compared to the composted form of the same manure source.

Background: In India, grazing based livestock husbandry continues to play an important role in rural economy of the country as around 50 per cent animals depend on grazing in forests and other grazing areas. In Tamil Nadu, grasslands/ rangelands are a major source of feed and fodder for the livestock. Silvipastoral systems give farmers access to fuel, fodder and timber, they can help decrease the strain on existing natural forests and play a significant part in carbon mitigation programs through carbon sequestration. Therefore, this study was carried out to estimate biomass and carbon allocation in different components of legume based Silvipastoral System in Degraded Wastelands of Tamil Nadu, India. Methods: The present study was carried out in the existing fourteen year old silvipastoral system consisting of legume tree fodder Gliricidia sepium with an understorey of Stylosanthes scabra. All qualitative and quantitative traits of plants and soils were recorded at regular intervals using standard analytical procedures and methods. To assess biomass and carbon allocation in the existing silvipastoral system, a sample plot of 0.25 ha was allocated and within this sample plot, diameter of all trees at breast height was measured and recorded. The total system carbon sequestration potential (Mg C ha-1) was computed using tree carbon, crop carbon and soil carbon. Result: Studies on the allocation of biomass and carbon in Gliricidia sepium based silvipastoral system in Degraded wastelands of Tamil Nadu, India have revealed that the total carbon in fourteen year old Gliricidia sepium was calculated as 46.74 t C ha-1. From the study, it was visible that average annual increase in carbon sequestration potential of silvipasture in degraded lands was 3.94 t ha-1. Gliricidia sepium with an understorey of Stylosanthes scabra based silvipastoral system exhibited significant carbon accumulation, which serves as an extra carbon sink in the area.

Aims: To evaluate the influence of various nutrient management approaches involving organic amendments, biofertilizer, and chemical fertilizers on soil health and plant health of rice under the lower Gangetic alluvial zone of West Bengal. Study Design: A Randomized Block Design (RBD) was employed with six treatments and four replications. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at the Agricultural Experimental Farm, University of Calcutta, Baruipur, South 24 Parganas, West Bengal during the Rabi season of 2024–25. Laboratory studies were undertaken in the Department of Agricultural chemistry and soil science and Department of Agronomy, University of Calcutta, Kolkata-700019. Methodology: The rice variety MTU 1153 was transplanted at uniform spacing and managed according to standard agronomic practices. Organic manures and biofertilizers were incorporated into the soil before transplanting. The full dose of phosphorus and potassium along with half of the nitrogen was applied as basal, while the remaining nitrogen was top-dressed at 45 days after transplanting. Soil samples were collected from a depth of 0–15 cm and analyzed for soil physico-chemical parameters using standard analytical procedures during various growth stages of rice. Observations on growth attributes of rice were recorded at 30, 60 days after transplanting, and at harvest. Yield and yield attributes were measured from the net plot area and expressed in quintals per hectare. The data were subjected to analysis of variance at a five percent level of significance. Results: Integrated treatments significantly enhanced soil CEC and OC, with T6 (organic amendments +Bio fertilizer+ 100% RDF) recording the highest values. Available nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium were consistently higher in integrated nutrient treatments compared to sole chemical fertilizers, reflecting improved nutrient retention and slow mineralization from organic sources. Significant variations (p < 0.05) were observed among treatments for growth and yield parameters. The highest plant height (107 cm), Crop growth rate (24.76 g m⁻² day-1), and dry matter accumulation (1266.74 g m⁻²) were recorded at harvest under integrated nutrient management which involved organic amendments, biofertilizer and chemical fertilizer (T5 and T6). Grain yield increased significantly from 3.20 t ha⁻¹ in control to 5.36 t ha⁻¹ in the treatment(T6), while straw yield rose from 5.37 t ha⁻¹ to 7.24 t ha⁻¹. ANOVA confirmed treatment effects were significant (p < 0.05) for all major growth and yield traits. Conclusion: These findings highlight the potential of INM as a sustainable strategy for intensive rice cultivation in Gangetic alluvial soils. Although short-term effects on soil physico-chemical properties were observed, substantial improvements require repeated application over multiple seasons.

To explore the current effective intervention practices for stuttering in Pakistan. The design is qualitative exploratory. A phenomenological qualitative design was used to investigate the lived experience and expert views of SLPs. Five practitioners with a minimum of five years of clinical practice in fluency disorders were identified by purposive sampling. Semi-structured interviews were used to capture rich data for communication problems, therapy approaches, and key ingredients for guideline development. Interviews were audio-recorded, verbatim transcribed, and analyzed according to Braun and Clarke's six step thematic analysis procedure to produce recurring patterns and key themes. The five key themes found in the analysis were: (1) Communication Challenges, including social, academic, and vocational difficulties; (2) Types of Errors, for example repetitions, blocks, and prolongations; (3) Therapy and Treatment Approaches, highlighting the importance of fluency shaping and counselling; (4) Individual Differences, with emphasis on motivation and home environment; and (5) Expert Views, calling for the creation of self-help, parent, and awareness-based guideline sections. The research generated an evidence-based model of communication recommendations specific to Pakistani stutterers, with a focus on individualized therapy, psychosocial support, and cultural sensitivity. The guidelines could improve the fluency of communication, self-esteem, and social integration of people who stutter.

Eucalyptol-based dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction in conjunction with GC-MS for phthalate esters determination in bottled water samples.

Project Black: from the Black Forest to the Black Sea, harmonized gamma-ray analysis for dating and tracking radionuclides and pollutants in sediments from the Danube River.

Liquid biopsy in BALF is now suitable for clinical practice in patients with suspected NSCLC.

Human serum albumin-adduct biomarkers to prove human poisoning with methanethiol.

Today's pharmaceutical products are seeing a massive increase in impurity profiling. A drug substance or product will inevitably contain contaminants in trace amounts. According to pharmaceutical chemistry, impurities are undesirable substances found in pharmaceutical compounds with therapeutic activity. Due to their extraordinary potency and likelihood of toxicity, they may exhibit unanticipated pharmacological effects that are detrimental to human health. For the pharmaceutical sector, impurity management is currently a major concern. The impurity can appear in medicines either during the formulation process or after the produced Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients [APIs] have aged. The term "impurity profiling" refers to a collection of analytical procedures that include characterizing, quantifying, and describing the known and unknown impurities found in novel pharmacological compounds. Highly sophisticated analytical techniques and instrumentation are essential for identifying small elements [drugs, contaminants, breakdown products, and metabolites] in diverse matrices. Current references and articles reveal different impurities found in the APIs of antiviral drugs, techniques for locating them, and potential countermeasures for the interferences they produce in pharmaceutical analysis. Antiviral medications are a class of medications used to treat viral infections. They work by preventing the growth of the pathogen they are intended to treat. Drugs that target viral activities must enter host cells because viruses are obligatory intracellular entities and prevent the production of viral DNA, which is subsequently converted to triphosphate. Regulatory authorities now need not just purity profiles but also impurity profiles. This review also covers the origins of impurities, how they are classified, and the different analytical techniques used to identify and quantify them. It also covers the simple, rapid, accurate, precise, and exact creation of innovative analytical techniques for determining impurity levels.

Landfills represent complex ecosystems where varying physicochemical conditions significantly shape microbial dynamics, including the survival and proliferation of enteric pathogens. This study investigated the variation of soil physicochemical conditions and their influence on enteric pathogen load in landfill soils within Zaria, Kaduna State. Fifty-two (52) soil samples were collected in duplicate from each of these four locations, Tudun-Wada, Zaria city, Sabon-Gari and Samaru landfills in Zaria. Standard analytical procedures were employed to determine temperature and pH. The results showed that soil temperature ranged between 29.51°C and 34.13°C, while pH values varied from 7.16 to 8.27, indicating slightly alkaline conditions. Microbial analysis was conducted using serial dilution and selective culture techniques for the enumeration of enteric pathogens. The mean bacterial counts ranged from 2.1×10⁸ to 3.3×10⁸ cfu/g across sampling locations. Statistical analysis using Pearson Correlation revealed a strong positive correlation (r = 0.653) between temperature, pH, and bacterial counts, suggesting that variations in these parameters significantly influenced microbial proliferation. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) further showed that temperature accounted for 65.4% of the variation in microbial activity, whereas pH contributed 18.7%, emphasizing the dominant role of temperature in shaping microbial dynamics in landfill soils. Pathogenic bacteria identified included Salmonella enterica (6.92%), Vibrio cholerae non-O1 (1.35%), and Escherichia coli O157:H7 among other species. The findings highlight those physicochemical conditions, particularly in temperature and pH, strongly influence the survival and distribution of enteric pathogens in landfill environments, posing potential risks to public and environmental health.

Occurrence and assessment of emerging contaminants adsorbed onto microplastic debris in the Macaronesia region.

A machine learning-based inverse analysis procedure for concrete softening law prediction using non-experimental datasets

Introduction: Properly handling censored data is crucial to the statistical integrity of environmental assessments. This study evaluated three methods for working with values ​​below the detection limit: LREM-ROB, ROS-EM, and MICE-Tobit, applied to water monitoring data with different censoring ratios (5%, 32%, and 53%). The methods were compared using error metrics MAE, RMSE, MAPE, and R². The ROS-EM method demonstrated greater stability and less sensitivity to increasing censoring, maintaining R² between 0.9940 and 0.9983 in all scenarios, while LREM-ROB performed well only with low censoring. MICE-Tobit showed sensitivity to the proportion of censored data. The results indicate that ROS-EM is recommended for datasets with moderate to high censoring. Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the comparative performance of three statistical methods — LREM-ROB, ROS-EM, and MICE-Tobit — for replacing censored data in water monitoring, analyzing their effectiveness under different censoring proportions (5%, 32%, and 53%). Theoretical Framework: The main concepts and statistical approaches for handling censored data are presented, with emphasis on robust methods based on maximum likelihood (LREM-ROB), regression on order statistics (ROS-EM), and multiple imputation with a Tobit model (MICE-Tobit). These foundations provide the necessary theoretical basis for understanding strategies for replacing values below the detection limit in environmental analyses. Method: The adopted methodology comprises a comparative analysis based on real water monitoring data, with artificial censoring simulated for the molybdenum parameter. The approach uses error metrics (MAE, MAPE, and R²) to evaluate the performance of the three methods under different censoring scenarios, allowing for a systematic analysis of the robustness and stability of each technique. Results and Discussion: The results revealed that the ROS-EM method demonstrated greater stability and lower sensitivity to increasing censoring, maintaining high coefficients of determination (R² between 0.9940 and 0.9983) in all scenarios. In the discussion, these results are contextualized in light of the theoretical framework, highlighting that LREM-ROB performs well only under low censoring, while MICE-Tobit shows significant sensitivity to increased censored data. Limitations related to sample size and distributional assumptions are also considered. Research Implications: The practical and theoretical implications of this research provide insights into how the appropriate selection of censored data replacement methods can improve the reliability of environmental analyses. These implications encompass the planning of monitoring programs, the standardization of analytical procedures in environmental reports, and the formulation of guidelines for the statistical treatment of censored data in environmental quality studies. Originality/Value: The study demonstrates that the robustness of the ROS-EM method makes it more suitable for scenarios with moderate to high censoring, which is common in environmental monitoring. The multidimensional comparative analysis with different performance metrics provides a practical guide for selecting statistical methods, showing how to transform analytical limitations into opportunities to improve the reliability of environmental data.

Flooding impacts and disrupts all aspects of lives of populations living within flood-prone areas in Nyando sub-County of Kisumu County. In spite of various mitigation measures put by in place by the County and National governments for managing floods, flooding continues to affect Nyando region. This study explored the social networks that households in Lower Nyando Basin, Kisumu County, rely on to cope with floods. The research was conducted in Nyando sub-County of Kisumu County, targeting all households residing in the area. Stratified random sampling was used to select 130 household heads and 20 key informants as the study participants. Data was collected using a questionnaire for household heads and a key informants’ interview schedule. Quantitative data was analysed by use of various descriptive and inferential analysis procedures, including Social Network Analysis (SNA) using Gephi Software and descriptive statistics using SPSS. Qualitative data was organized and coded according to various set themes, after which thematic analysis was used to come up with descriptions of the outcomes. The study findings were that, to cope with floods the households mostly relied on informal social networks, especially family members, neighbours, and friends. These networks were not only the most frequently used but also perceived as the most effective in meeting immediate household needs, providing emotional support, practical assistance, and fostering a sense of community. Formal institutions such as government agencies and NGOs were used to a lesser extent. The study recommends that policy-makers, NGOs, and community leaders should integrate and support informal social networks within formal disaster risk management frameworks. Strengthening community cohesion, improving institutional trust, and enhancing communication are critical to building more resilient households in flood-prone areas.

Background: Adolescents belong to an age group that often experiences psychological pressure. College students are adolescents who frequently feel stressed due to a heavy academic load (graduating on time), unmet expectations, a lack of self-control over various aspects of their lives, and the influence of their living environment. This study uses diaphragmatic breathing exercises to provide a relaxing and stabilizing effect on the nervous system, thereby reducing stress levels. Objective: This study aims to analyze the impact of diaphragmatic breathing exercises on reducing stress levels in the adolescent population through a telephysiotherapy approach. Method: This study used a quasi-experimental design and one-group pretest-posttest design. Participants were selected through a purposive sampling method, with a total of 20 individuals participating. The intervention protocol involved performing diaphragmatic breathing techniques twice a week over a four-week period. The measurement instrument used was the Perceived Stress Scale questionnaire. The data analysis procedure included descriptive normality testing, normality evaluation, and hypothesis testing. Results and Discussion: Hypothesis testing with the Wilcoxon test showed that the p-value was 0.001 (p<0.05), indicating a significant effect of the implementation of diaphragmatic breathing exercises in reducing adolescent stress levels through the telephysiotherapy method. Conclusion: The provision of diaphragmatic breathing exercises has an effect on reducing stress levels in adolescents.

Protocol for machine learning-based classification of neuronal cell types from spike waveforms.