Reduction Rate Research Articles

Unequal Health Burden from Air Pollution among Minors in Education.

Air pollution exposure has been linked to a variety of adverse health outcomes among minors; yet little is known about the associated health inequity across regions and schools. Here, we assessed the unequal health burden linked to particulate matter exposure among minors of 10,358 schools in China through 12,439,232 individual health records. Our findings highlight the persistent health risks with superlinear concentration-response patterns and following inverted U-shaped risk trends, that each 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 exposure resulted in 4.1% (3.9-4.2%) additional school absenteeism risk. Compared to urban well-built schools, minors in rural poor-built schools experienced significantly higher exposure and slower rate of risk reduction and had over 80.0% less medical resources while bearing 145.2% of the health burden. Disparities in pollution exposure, built environment, and resource allocation are intertwined to shape the health inequity pattern, especially between rural and urban schools. These findings underscore the urgency for persistent efforts aimed at disadvantaged schools to reduce pollution exposure and equitably distribute social resources, ultimately securing an impartial health-centered education for minors.

Enhanced Outcomes in Femoral Subtrochanteric Fractures Using Long INTERTAN Nails with Titanium Cable Cerclage: A Retrospective Analysis.

BACKGROUND The evidence on use of supplementary titanium cable cerclage (TCC) in treating femoral subtrochanteric fractures (FSF) remains scarce. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the potential therapeutic effects for FSF patients using TCC. MATERIAL AND METHODS A retrospective study of 68 FSF patients treated by a long intramedullary (IM) nailing with (Observation group, n=41) or without (Control group, n=27) TCC was conducted from January 2020 to December 2021. The primary outcome measure was time to postoperative full weight-bearing. Secondary outcome measures were operation time, intraoperative blood loss, number of blood transfusions needed, varus angle loss, excellent and good rate of fracture reduction, Harris score, and survival rate. RESULTS Patients were followed up for 13 to 36 months. The excellent and good rate of fracture reduction was 100% in the Observation group versus 92.6% in the Control group (P=0.013), and the varus angle loss and time to postoperative full weight-bearing in the Observation group were significantly less than in the Control group (P<0.05). The intraoperative blood loss in the Observation group was significantly higher than in the Control group (P<0.001). No differences were noted between groups for Harris scores and survival rates at last follow-up. CONCLUSIONS TCC fixation combined with IM nailing can improve the excellent and good rate of fracture reduction and reduce varus angle loss, as well as shorten the time to full weight-bearing and promote early functional exercise, which offers an effective treatment option for FSF patients who have failed closed reduction.

Realizing Direct Uranium Extraction from Seawater Using a Carboxyl-g-C3N4/CdS Hydrogel.

The photocatalytic U(VI) reduction is regarded as an effective strategy for recovering uranium. However, its application in seawater uranium extraction poses challenges due to limited reactivity in the presence of carbonate and under atmospheric conditions. In the present study, a photoactive hydrogel made of carboxyl-functionalized g-C3N4/CdS (CCN/CdS) is designed for extracting uranium. The carboxyl groups on g-C3N4 enhance the affinity toward uranyl ions while CdS facilitates the activation of dissolved oxygen. Under atmospheric conditions, the prepared hydrogel catalyst achieves over 80% reduction rate of 0.1mM U(VI) within 150 min in the presence of carbonate, without the assistance of any electron donors. During the photocatalytic process, U(VI) is reduced to form UO2+x. The hydrogel catalyst exhibits a high uranium extraction capacity of >434.5mgg⁻1 and the products can be effectively eluted using a 0.1M NaCO3 solution. Furthermore, this hydrogel catalyst offers excellent stability, good recyclability, outstanding antifouling activity, and ease of separation, all of which are desirable for seawater uranium extraction. Finally, the test in real seawater demonstrates the successful extraction of uranium from seawater using the prepared hydrogel catalyst.

18F-FDG PET/CT for early prediction of pathological complete response in breast cancer neoadjuvant therapy: a retrospective analysis.

Neoadjuvant treatment has been developed as a systematic approach for patients with early breast cancer and has resulted in improved breast-conserving rate and survival. However, identifying treatment-sensitive patients at the early phase of therapy remains a problem, hampering disease management and raising the possibility of disease progression during treatment. In this retrospective analysis, we collected 2-deoxy-2-[F-18] fluoro-d-glucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) images of primary tumor sites and axillary areas and reciprocal clinical pathological data from 121 patients who underwent neoadjuvant treatment and surgery in our center. The univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate features associated with pathological complete response (pCR). An 18F-FDG PET/CT-based prediction model was trained, and the performance was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC). The maximum standard uptake values (SUVmax) of 18F-FDG PET/CT were a powerful indicator of tumor status. The SUVmax values of axillary areas were closely related to metastatic lymph node counts (R = 0.62). Moreover, the early SUVmax reduction rates (between baseline and second cycle of neoadjuvant treatment) were statistically different between pCR and non-pCR patients. The early SUVmax reduction rates-based model showed great ability to predict pCR (AUC = 0.89), with all molecular subtypes (HR+HER2-, HR+HER2+, HR-HER2+, and HR-HER2-) considered. Our research proved that the SUVmax reduction rate of 18F-FDG PET/CT contributed to the early prediction of pCR, providing rationales for utilizing PET/CT in NAT in the future.

Ferric citrate enhanced bioreduction of Cr(VI) by Bacillus cereus RCr in aqueous solutions: reduction performance and mechanisms.

The bioreduction characteristics and mechanisms of Cr(VI) onto Bacillus cereus RCr enhanced by ferric citrate were investigated. The optimum conditions were initial pH 9, temperature 40°C, inoculation amount 4%, and glucose 3g/L, respectively. The addition of 1.5g/L ferric citrate increased the average reduction rate from 120.43 to 220.61mg/(L∙h) compared with the control (without ferric citrate). The binding capacity of Cr(III) on the cell surface increased to 21%, in which the precipitates were mainly CrO(OH), Cr2O3, and FeCr2O4. Cell membrane was the main site of reduction, related important functional groups: - COOH, C-H, - NH2, C = C, and P-O. Fe(III) increased the yield of NADH and cytochrome c by approximately 48.51% and 68.63%, which significantly facilitated the electron generation and electron transfer, thus increasing the amount of electrons in the bioreduction of heavy metals by an average of 110%. Among the electrons obtained by Cr(VI), the proportion of indirect reduction mediated by Fe(III)/Fe(II) shuttle was 62% on average, whereas direct reduction mediated by reductase was 38%. These results may provide insights into the bioreduction process by bacteria enhanced by Fe(III) for detoxification of heavy metals with multiple valences, as an important step towards improving microbial remediation.

Статистический анализ землепользования в Удмуртской Республике

The authors of this work conducted a statistical analysis of land use in the Udmurt Republic in 2011-2022. The dynamics of land areas by category is given. The study found that the largest decrease in farmland area occurred in the first half of the period under review. Over the 12 years studied, the area of this category decreased by 7.5 thousand hectares. The rate of reduction is 6.6 thousand hectares/10 years, i.e. every 10 years the category of agricultural land decreases by 6.6 thousand hectares. Every 10 years, the land area of settlements increases by 1.8 thousand hectares, which indicates an increase in the urban population and an increase in the number of urban residents. By 2022, the area of land occupied by settlements increased to 204.3 thousand hectares. The area of industrial and other lands is increasing at a rate of 4.2 thousand hectares in 10 years. For 2022, the area of industrial land amounted to 42.9 thousand hectares. For 2011-2022, the area of the analyzed category increased by 4.6 thousand hectares. In 2016, the land area of specially protected natural areas increased by 17.3 thousand hectares (from 1.9 to 21.6 thousand hectares), since the lands of the forest fund were transferred to this category. The area of forest land decreased from 2046.8 to 2029.4 thousand hectares. Over the 12 years under consideration, the land area of the water fund decreased by 0.5 thousand hectares, the maximum area was in 2011 and amounted to 29.2 thousand hectares. Starting from 2011 and ending in 2022, the total area of reserve land remained relatively stable (19.5-20.7 thousand hectares), the changes do not exceed 1.2 thousand hectares. As of 2022, the area of irrigated land of the Udmurt Republic amounted to 18.2 thousand hectares, and drained - 23 thousand hectares. Over the past 11 years, the area of good irrigated land has increased by 5.9 thousand hectares, the areas of satisfactory and unsatisfactory land have decreased by 4.6 thousand hectares and 3.8 thousand hectares, respectively.

Nasal Deformity Correction in Cleft Lip and Palate Patients by Secondary Rhinoplasty: Patients Satisfactions.

To evaluate the degree of patient satisfaction postsecondary rhinoplasty, specifically in cleft patients in Mosul city. A retrospective comparison questionnaire study was conducted between March and April 2024 among cleft patients who underwent surgical secondary rhinoplasty in Mosul City of Nineveh Province. All cleft patients aged 18 to 40 who underwent secondary rhinoplasty are included in the study. Forty participants respond to a specific questionnaire in 3 time periods (before surgery 3 and 6 months after). Basic demographic information (age, gender, cause of visit, diagnosis, and treatment) is recorded. Questionnaire which conflict the patient's perception presurgery and postsurgery also. The improvement rate and reduction rate of improvement are calculated according to a special equation.Thanks for such comment. The sentences changed as requested with (Six standard questions applied to evaluate the patients' satisfaction postsurgery. Responses are assessed statistically by special equation to detect the improvement rate). According to age groups, the age between 26 and 30 years have the highest incidence between the cases with 37.5%. Females are highest with (55%). Esthetics are the most common cause. Effective or improvement rate shows positive except for question 6 ( median: 4%). The reduction rate shows positive results. Despite being a complicated surgical operation, cleft rhinoplasty can yield symmetry, improved esthetics, and enhanced functioning, including improved breathing, which can be life-changing for patients and fulfilling for the surgeon. Its difficulty stems from the fact that it has required several surgical phases throughout the years, each of which calls for a comprehensive surgical team with a variety of specializations to be addressed for optimal outcomes.

Drag reduction and degradation by sodium alginate in turbulent flow

The utilization of drag-reducing polymers has long been hindered by their irritancy, corrosiveness, and toxicity across various domains. In this investigation, we explored sodium alginate, a natural drag reducer, for its efficacy in reducing drag and its resilience to shear in millimeter-scale pipelines. Initially, an experimental setup was devised to assess the drag reduction capabilities of sodium alginate at varying concentrations and flow rates using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The relationship between drag reduction (DR), concentration (C), and flow rate (Q) was established by analyzing the experimental data. Subsequently, variance analysis was employed to validate the data accuracy, with a comparison between predicted and experimental DR values revealing an error margin within ± 20%. Analysis of cyclic shear testing of sodium alginate solution in tubes demonstrated its effectiveness as a shear flow drag reducer. Furthermore, results from laser particle size analysis indicated minimal molecular breakage of sodium alginate during cyclic shear.

Understanding Drug Exposure and Trichuris trichiura Cure Rates: A Pharmacometric Approach for Albendazole-Ivermectin Co-medication in Tanzania and Côte d'Ivoire.

Trichuriasis caused by the human whipworm Trichuris trichiura poses a significant public health concern. Albendazole-ivermectin co-medication is currently the most effective treatment. Studies conducted in Tanzania and Côte d'Ivoire unveiled differences in efficacy for albendazole-ivermectin combination therapy in both countries. A pharmacometrics approach was used to assess co-medication and study population effects on the pharmacokinetics of the two main metabolites of albendazole. An exploratory exposure-efficacy analysis was also carried out to investigate relationships between exposure measures and the egg reduction rate. Pharmacokinetic data from studies in Tanzania and Côte d'Ivoire in adolescents (aged 12-19 years) were included in the pharmacometric analysis. Participants received a single dose of either albendazole 400 mg alone or in combination with ivermectin 200 µg/kg. A pharmacometric analysis was performed to investigate the potential effects of the study population and co-administered ivermectin on the apparent clearance of the metabolites of albendazole. Non-linear mixed-effects modeling was conducted with MonolixSuite 2023R1. The pharmacokinetic exposure measures derived from simulations with individual model parameters were used in the exploratory-exposure response analysis. Pharmacokinetic profiles were best described by a two-compartment model for albendazole sulfoxide and a one-compartment model for albendazole sulfone, with a transit compartment and linear elimination. While no co-medication effect was found, apparent clearance of albendazole sulfoxide (albendazole sulfone) in the Tanzanian study population was 75% (46%) higher than that in the Côte d'Ivoire study population. Exposure-efficacy response analyses indicated that peak concentration and the time-above-exposure threshold were associated with the egg reduction rate. Study population but not co-administered ivermectin showed an effect on apparent clearance of albendazole sulfoxide and albendazole sulfone. Polymorphisms in drug-metabolizing enzymes and host-parasite interaction may explain this result. Difference in drug exposure did not explain the disparate efficacy responses in Tanzania and Côte d'Ivoire. Peak concentration and time-above-threshold were exposure measures associated with the egg reduction rate. Further studies evaluating genetic and resistance patterns in various regions in Africa are warranted.

Nächster Halt Kohlendioxid-Entnahme? Die deutsche Klimapolitik als riskanter Weg zu negativen Emissionstechnologien

AbstractBoth the global and the German climate targets are ambitious given recent emission reduction rates. In addition to emission reduction measures, carbon dioxide removal has been increasingly discussed recently and initial measures have been developed to potentially scale-up carbon removals in order to meet net zero targets. In this article, we undertake a political economy-based analysis of the historical development and structural conditions of German climate policy measures and their enabling role for the emergence and strengthening of carbon dioxide removal policy options. We refer to regulation theory and the Modell Deutschland approach and argue that within this model the concept of ecological modernization has been established as the dominant approach to regulate society-nature relations. In light of the ambitious climate policy goals, such as net zero by 2045, ecological modernization reaches its current limits and must be recalibrated. Against this background, we conclude by discussing the risk of mitigation deterrence associated with carbon dioxide removals and considering alternative pathways, such as degrowth, to social ecological transformation.

Impact of Clinical Pharmacists in the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinic.

Background: Limited evidence exists regarding pharmacist involvement and impact in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) interdisciplinary clinic care models. The purpose is to describe pharmacist utilization in an interdisciplinary IBD clinic and evaluate clinical impact on patient quality of life. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study comparing outcomes in patients with Crohn's disease initiated on therapy when the implementation of pharmacy services began (Early Phase) to the expansion of pharmacy services (Recent Phase). The primary outcome compared the proportion of patients referred to a pharmacist and those achieving a Harvey-Bradshaw Index (HBI) reduction of ≥3 points after therapy initiation. Results: 50 patients were included in the Early Phase and 43 patients in the Recent Phase. Utilization in pharmacy referrals increased from 48% (n = 24) in the Early Phase to 72% (n = 31) in the Recent Phase (P = 0.03). The proportion of patients achieving a HBI reduction of ≥3 points increased from 35% (n = 14) in the Early Phase to 51% (n = 18) in the Recent Phase (P = 0.23). Results also found a greater proportion of patients remaining steroid free in the Recent Phase compared to the Early Phase (50% vs 63%; P = 0.01) and C-reactive protein (CRP) improved significantly in the Recent Phase (-11) compared to (-3) in the Early Phase (P = 0.006). Conclusion: The utilization of pharmacists in an interdisciplinary IBD clinic increased and showed to impact patient care through improving symptom relief as seen by the achievement rate of the HBI score reduction, reducing steroid use after therapy initiation, and making clinically significant interventions.

Twinning and 9R Phase Transition Mediated Extraordinary Cold-drawn Deformability in NiCoCrFeMo High-Entropy Alloy.

The production and application of materials are evolving towards the low-dimensional micro-nano scale. Nevertheless, the fabrication of micron-scale alloy fibers remains a challenge. Herein, a novel Ni-Co-Cr-Fe-Mo high-entropy alloy (HEA) fiber with a cold-drawn reduction rate of 99.9995% and a strain (ɛ) of 12.19 is presented without requiring intermediate annealing. The exceptional deformation strain of 11.62 within the fiber leads to extraordinary tensile strengths of 2.8GPa at room temperature and 3.6GPa at 123K. The in-depth investigation of the microstructure of fibers has revealed the cold drawing deformation mechanisms mediated by the synergistic effects of plane defects. Specifically, various geometrically necessary dislocation interfaces, such as dislocation walls and microbands, along with deformation twins and long-period 9R structures, form in response to external stress when ɛ≤2.7. As the strain increases, the saturated layered structure emerges and progressively evolves into a 3D equiaxed crystal. Moreover, the formation and evolution of the 9R structure (i.e., the migration of incoherent twin boundaries), coupled with the interaction of partial dislocations and the role of deformation twins, are crucial factors determining the fiber's plastic response. This work provides a novel approach to discovering new high-strength metallic fibers with excellent deformability through plane defects engineering.

A fast H.266/QTMT intra coding scheme based on predictions of learned models

ABSTRACT H.266/VVC adopts a QuadTree-plus-MultiType tree (QTMT) coding-unit (CU) split structure to improve efficiency at the cost of high time complexity. Speeding up VVC coding while minimizing quality degradation is critical for practical applications. We propose predicting the coding depth and split type of an optimally coded 32 × 32 CU (CU32 × 32) to perform only a subset of exhaustive rate-distortion optimization (RDO) operations: (1) To predict the depth of an optimally coded CU32 × 32, we train a convolutional neural network (CNNdepth). CNNdepth outputs a label specifying a depth range subset by which the controller can execute EarlySkip or EarlyTerminate to reduce time complexity. (2) To predict the split type, we train random forest classifiers (RFCtype). The corresponding RDO operations can be omitted if the RFCtype classifies one CU32 × 32 as not of a specified split type. Experiments show that CNNdepth and RFCtype work seamlessly, reducing execution time by up to 69% and 39.16% on average, with a 0.7% increase in BDBR compared to the default VTM-7.0. Additionally, the proposed method yields the highest balanced time reduction rate of 61.5%.

Acumulación y degradación de solutos en bayas Vitis vinifera L. en climas contrastantes

Grape ripening is a complex process conditioned by climatic factors, which influence the evolution of solutes and define its composition. The objective of the study was to evaluate the behavior of the red Tannat variety in contracting climatic situations, considering the dynamics of berry growth, the rate of accumulation and reduction of solutes during ripening, and their composition at harvest. The trial was installed in two regions, warm and temperate climate, in rainfed commercial vineyards, during 2018 and 2019. Primary berry composition at ripening and secondary composition at harvest were determined. Multivariate analysis and comparison of means (Fisher’s LSD test) were performed. The climatic type (region) conditions the evolution of solutes at ripening, but their interaction with annual conditions determines berry composition. The annual variability is explained by rainfall, with a direct influence on the duration of the cycle and the ripening, size, and composition of the berry. In warm climates, there is greater sensitivity to the ripening year effect, with a strong influence on the rapid phase. In temperate climates, the greater stability between years results from a thermal condition more favorable to ripening processes.

Solar/ClO2 system inactivates fungal spores in drinking water: Synergy, efficiency and mechanisms

The risk of fungal pollution in drinking water has been paid attention. Solar/chlorine dioxide (ClO2) combined system is an environment-friendly, economical and efficient disinfection method, especially for countries and regions that are economically backward and still exposed to unsafe drinking water. In this paper, the kinetics, influencing factors, mechanism and regrowth potential of inactivated Aspergillus niger (A. niger) spores by solar/ClO2 were reported for the first time. The inactivation curve can be divided into three stages: instant inactivation within 1–2 min, slow linear inactivation and finally a tail. The synergistic factors produced by solar/ClO2 in terms of log reduction and maximum inactivation rate were 1.194 and 1.112, respectively. The inhibitory effect on the regrowth of A. niger spores inactivated by solar/ClO2 was also stronger than that by ClO2 alone. Strongly oxidizing reactive species produced by solar/ClO2 accelerated the accumulation of endogenic reactive oxygen species (ROS) caused by oxidation stress of A. niger spores, improving the inactivation ability of the system. The inactivation order of A. niger spores was: loss of culturability, accumulation of intracellular ROS, loss of membrane integrity, leakage of intracellular species and change of morphology. The inactivation performance of solar/ClO2 was better than solar/chlor(am)ine according to the comparison of inactivation efficiency and regrowth potential. Results also suggested that solar/ClO2 process was more suitable for the treatment of ground water sources.

Early Outcomes of Two Large Mitral Valve Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair Devices—A Propensity Score Matched Multicenter Comparison

Background/Objectives: Previous trials reported comparable results with PASCAL and earlier MitraClip generations. Limited comparative data exist for more contemporary MitraClip generations, particularly the large MitraClip XT(R/W). We aimed to evaluate acute and 30-day outcomes in patients undergoing mitral valve transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (M-TEER) with one of the large devices, either PASCAL P10 or MitraClip XT(R/W) (3rd/4th generation). Methods: A total of 309 PASCAL-treated patients were matched by propensity score to 253 MitraClip-treated patients, resulting in 200 adequately balanced pairs. Procedural, clinical, and echocardiographic outcomes were collected for up to 30 days, including subgroup analysis for mitral regurgitation (MR) etiologies. Results: PASCAL and MitraClip patients were comparable regarding age (80 vs. 79 years), sex (female: 45.5% vs. 50.5%), and MR etiology (degenerative MR: n = 94, functional MR [FMR]: n = 96, mixed MR: n = 10 in each group). Technical success rates were comparable (96.5% vs. 96.0%; p &gt; 0.999). At discharge, the mean gradient was higher (3.3 mmHg vs. 3.0 mmHg; p = 0.038), and the residual mitral valve orifice area was smaller in MitraClip patients (3.0 cm2 vs. 2.3 cm2; p &lt; 0.001). At discharge, the reduction to MR ≤ 2+ was comparable (92.4% vs. 87.8%; p = 0.132). However, reduction to MR ≤ 1+ was more frequently observed in PASCAL patients (67.7% vs. 56.6%; p = 0.029), driven by the FMR subgroup (74.0% vs. 60.0%; p = 0.046). No difference was observed in 30-day mortality (p = 0.204) or reduction in NYHA-FC to ≤II (p &gt; 0.999). Conclusions: Both M-TEER devices exhibited high and comparable rates of technical success and MR reduction to ≤2+. PASCAL may be advantageous in achieving MR reduction to ≤1+ in patients with FMR.

Realizing the Efficient Dissolution of Drag Reducer upon pH-Induced Demulsification of Inverse Polymer Emulsion.

The increasing exploitation of fossil resources needs to shift people's attention to developing unconventional reservoir resources. Polyacrylamide-based emulsion drag reducers can effectively reduce the turbulence of fracturing fluid and improve oil recovery, but their release effect is poor, which limits their practical application. Here, we constructed a pH-responsive inverse polymer emulsion of poly(acrylamide-2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid). Interestingly, HOA/Tween 80 exhibits remarkable pH-responsive behavior, which enables the monomer emulsion to change the type of emulsion under pH stimulation. Our results propose that the P(AM-AMPS) polymer emulsion is eluted with the same aqueous phase as the W/O P(AM-AMPS) polymer emulsion, thereby achieving the effect of drag reduction. P(AM-AMPS) can be rapidly released from the inverse polymer emulsion within 70 s upon pH stimulation, the drag reduction rate of which was 60.4%. Obviously, the inverse polymer emulsion prepared by a pH-responsive surfactant not only has good stability but also can achieve rapid release of the polymer upon pH stimulation, which supplies an interesting indication to explain why a balance exists between the stability of the emulsion and release of P(AM-AMPS).

In vivo Antiplasmodial Assessment of Phyllanthus odontadenius against Plasmodium berghei in NMRI Mice

Aims: Phyllanthus odontadenius is one of the genus Phyllanthus species, used for number diseases treatment including malaria. Malaria today poses a real public health problem for more than hundred countries, afflicted millions people and killed an estimated 405 000 in the World. The chemoresistance of Plasmodium falciparum to modern antimalarials which are either expensive, toxic or ineffective leads to the search for new antimalarials at lower cost, non-toxic and effective within plant biodiversity. Given the interest in various P. odontadenius crude extracts in vitro on P. falciparum, an in vivo study seems necessary in order to judge the extracts effectiveness of this plant. This study therefore aims to find justification for P. odontadenius secondary metabolites antiplasmodial activity which would have been revealed in the three samples from three different province sites. Study Design: Plants P. odontadenius samples from three province harvested and dried separately, plant phytochemistry screening realized, extracts preparation for antiplasmodial test, mice parasitization with P. berghei strain, orally administration drug; Parasiteamia determination using an immersion microscope. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Radiobiology, Applied Microbiology section, General Atomic Energy Commission, Regional Nuclear Studies Center of Kinshasa. MPI and pharmacognosy laboratories in the National Biomedical Research Institute (INRB). This work took place over the period from October 11, 2020 to March 12, 2021. Methodology: Phytochemical screening P. odontadenius samples was previously determined with the chemical reagent reactions and TLC. Then, P. odontadenius methanol extracts from aerial parts harvested in three sites (Kinshasa, Kasangulu and Kwango-bridge) were administered to test mice (12.5 mg/kg and 25 mg//kg bw) after infected mice with the Plasmodium berghei strain. DMSO 10% and quinine 10 mg/kg bw were also used as controls for comparison with the samples of P. odontadenius extracts. After 5 days, parasitemia of each test and controls mice was determined. Percent of parasitemia, parasite density and percent of inhibition were calculated. Finally, the effect dose 50 of each P. odontadenius specimen was finally determined. Results: Parasiteamia rates of negative control (DMSO 10%) was high (69.98±15.03%) comparing to positive control (27.43±11.46%) and tested mice with P. odontadenius extracts (12.5 and 25 mg/kg bw) which percent’s varied from 24.66±15.84% to 59.01±22.44%. Negative control presented high parasite density with 11,342 (±2,436) comparing to the positive control (4,447±1,857) and all P. odontadenius methanol extracts which varied from 3,995±2,343 for 25 mg/kg bw to 9,570±3,319 for 12.5 mg/kg bw. Parasiteamia reduction rates followed inversely parasite density, thus, Po3 25 mg/kg bw had high parasiteamia reduction rate (65.23%) comparing to positive control with 61.32% and to P. odontadenius methanol extracts. Po3 presented 2.44 mg/kg bw as effect dose 50 comparing to Po1 (2.93 mg/kg bw) and Po2 (2.68 mg/kg bw). Males mice were highly affected to P. berghei than the females. Conclusion: This study revealed that all specimens of P. odontadenius had good in vivo antiplasmodial activities on P. berghei. All P. odontadenius extracts showed good parasitaemia inhibition compared to negative control, but P. odontadenius from Kwango-brigde (Po3) presented good behavior concerning in vivo antiplasmodial activity in comparison to P. odontadenius from Kasangulu (Po2) and that from Kinshasa (Po1). However, further studies are necessary on the in vivo toxicity of the plant and on the medicinal form that could be applied.

Smelting Reduction of HIsarna Slag with Methane

To study the smelting reduction behavior of methane in the HIsarna process, the isothermal reduction experiments of HIsarna slag with 6 wt% of FeO were conducted at the temperatures of 1450, 1475, and 1550 °C, using 5 vol% CH4‐Ar. The effect of the gas injection flow rate on the overall reduction rate was investigated in the range of 0.5–1.5 L min−1. The results confirm that the decomposed carbon black acts as the dominant reductant in the reduction process compared to hydrogen. Increased gas flow rate increases the reaction rate, while temperature shows no significant effect. The reduction process could be described by the JMAEK model: by fixing the gas flow rate at 1.0 L min−1 with different temperatures, the exponent n value is around 1.5, indicating FeO mass transfer is the limiting step since there are sufficient carbon blacks as nucleation sites. The reduction process follows the first‐order model controlled by the reactant concentration with the gas flow rate being at 0.5 L min−1 and in the second reaction stage of the gas flow rate at 1.5 L min−1. The determined activation energy for the methane reduction is 59.8 kJ mol−1.

The impact of bacillus sp. NTLG2-20 and reduced nitrogen fertilization on soil properties and peanut yield

The excessive use of nitrogen (N) fertilizers has led to farmland degradation and reduced crop yields. To address this drawback, reducing the amount of nitrogen fertilizer and Bacillus sp. NTLG2-20 inoculant are the optimal cultivation method. The impact of different N rates (0, 20, and 40 kg ha-1) combined with the Bacillus sp. NTLG2-20 inoculant on soil chemical properties, growth, development, and peanut yield was designed in the field in Phuoc Hung commune, An Phu district from May to August 2023. The field experiment was designed with 6 treatments and 4 replications. The research results showed that different N rates adequately augmented soil chemical traits such as pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), soil organic matter (SOM), total N, available phosphorous (AP), and exchangeable potassium (EK). Furthermore, different N fertilizers rates combined with Bacillus sp. NTLG2-20 inoculant adequately augmented plant height, number of leaves, total chlorophyll, nodulous number and weight per groundnut plant. Reducing N fertilizer application by 50% (20 kg N ha-1) was the optimal N reduction rate when combined with the Bacillus sp. NTLG2-20, which resulted in 17.6% higher peanut yield compared to no N application and no difference compared to 100% of recommended N application (P&lt;0.01)). Bacillus sp. NTLG2-20 inoculant increased peanut yield by 19.6% when compared to no Bacillus sp. NTLG2-20 inoculant (P&lt;0.01). Nitrogen – fixing ability of Bacillus sp. NTLG2-20 promoted peanut yield and reduced fifty percentage of the N fertilizer application. Bacillus sp. NTLG2-20 is the promising species for the production of biological fertilizer in the future.