Segregation Rate Research Articles

Hospital waste management system in Kermanshah: challenges, future and sustainable management with circular economy

Proper hospital waste management poses important concerns due to the risk capacity of hospital waste to health and the environment. Healthcare management approaches have changed in recent years, motivated by the desire to minimize the environmental impact. The review aims to examine the current HCW and considers the local challenges associated with establishing a circular economy (CE) to improve hospital waste management regarding training along Plan, Do, Check, and Act (PDCA). The study found that mean medical and general waste segregation rates in public hospitals were 50.15 and 49.85, respectively. On average, 3.6 kg of waste was generated per bed per day. Analysis revealed a significant correlation between total waste and infectious waste with the number of occupied beds in the hospital (p < 0.05). Updating national laws by the CE approach is necessary. Our insights into circular hospital waste urge establishing a green management team, new training methods, and continuous supervision. Using PDCA to enhance waste segregation, training, and other aspects of hospital waste management is vital.

Amino acid-level differences in alpha tubulin sequences are uniquely required for meiosis.

Tubulin is the major structural constituent of the microtubule cytoskeleton. Yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe contain two α- tubulins genes, nda2 and atb2, that are highly functionally distinct: nda2 deletion is lethal, while lack of atb2 does not interfere with cell viability. The functional determinants underlying this distinction are unknown. Here we used CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing to generate a yeast strain expressing Atb2 amino acid sequence utilizing Nda2 codon usage in the native Nda2 locus. Such Nda2-coded Atb2 (NCA) yeast, unlike Nda2 knockout, were viable and displayed no visible abnormalities in cell morphology or vegetative life cycle. However, these NCA yeast showed strong impairments in sporulation and meiosis, including major meiotic delays and high rates of abnormal chromosome segregation. Our data indicate that the amino acid sequence of Nda2 is uniquely required for normal meiosis, and identify a novel determinant that underlies functional distinction between closely related tubulin isoforms.

Urban greenery distribution and its link to social vulnerability

Urban greenery plays a pivotal role in urban environments, impacting the environmental well-being and people’s comfort. Several studies have demonstrated a strong link between urban greenery and socioeconomic status but still lack an analysis of greenery on uneven distribution in social vulnerability. This study assesses how multi-level greenery rates distribute and associate the social vulnerability of people in 429 census tracts in the Seattle metropolitan area. It integrates multi-source urban informatics data, including remote sensing data and street view imagery, to identify various vegetation types. Then, it uses the interpretable machine learning model to explore the relationship between street-level green space distribution and community vulnerability. The results show a serious problem of uneven distribution of green spaces in urban centers since urban areas are built up and fragmented the landscape. Areas with low urban greening in the Seattle area have higher rates of poverty, unemployment, racial segregation, and housing overcrowding. Besides, greening features like street green views, which are more related to human perception, have a great association with social vulnerability. These findings contribute to the urban green spaces to better promote community equity and vulnerability.

Energy-band gradient structure originated from longitudinal phase segregation of mixed halide perovskite single crystal

Energy-band gradient halide perovskites are highly desired candidates for fabricating high performance optoelectronic devices. Here, we demonstrate that a mixed halide perovskite single crystal undergoes phase segregation in the longitudinal direction under above-bandgap light illumination. As a result, a micron thick layer with vertically gradient halide composition and thus graded valence band edge is generated at the crystal surface. The resultant gradient structure can facilitate the hole extraction at its interface with a hole transport layer. The longitudinal phase segregation of mixed halide perovskite single crystal is likely driven by abundant defects at the surface. Moreover, the segregation rate is increased in air compared to nitrogen probably due to the combined effect of oxygen and moisture. These findings not only deepen the understanding of phase segregation mechanism in mixed halide perovskite, but also indicate a promising avenue of fabricating vertically energy-band gradient perovskite and enhancing the perovskite-based optoelectronic device performance.

Study on the Storage Stability and Rheological Property of Bio-Oil/Lignin Composite-Modified Asphalt.

The objective of this study is to investigate the storage stability and rheological property of bio-oil/lignin composite-modified asphalt. The composite-modified asphalt with different proportions of bio-oil was prepared and cured at 105 °C, 135 °C, and 165 °C for 24 h and 48 h. The storage stability of the composite-modified asphalt was evaluated based on the softening point difference, the storage stability index derived from rotational viscosity, the segregation rate based on temperature sweep, and the non-recoverable creep compliance measured through the Multiple Stress Creep Recovery test. The storage stability of bio-oil/lignin composite-modified asphalt was evaluated through testing and analysis of its infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy before and after thermal storage. The research results indicate that the maximum difference in softening point is 0.9 °C, and the calculated storage stability index is generally below 0.1. The maximum value of the segregation rate is 0.43, indicating excellent storage stability of the bio-oil/lignin composite-modified asphalt. According to the results from infrared spectroscopy, no chemical reactions occurred during the storage process of the composite-modified asphalt. The scanning electron microscope confirmed that the samples became more stable after 48 h of storage.

Exploring the effects of urban network topologies on entropy trajectories of segregation

Segregation is a threat to the aspirations of producing a cohesive society and modelling its dynamics can be done in order to help design preventative measures. This work explores the question of whether the network topologies of urban spaces can affect the pace at which populations can become segregated. The simulation dynamics employed augment the canonical Schelling model in such a way that it also captures the affinity for agents to prefer denser regions which also offer sufficient local homogeneity. It is shown that different networks synthetically generated and from real city maps can alter the rate of segregation. The results also show that using the entropy trace on the distribution of agent edge degree across all agents correlates with the segregation reinforcing the relevance of physics inspired modeling of social systems. This investigation shows that it is possible to explore and select network arrangements which can be less conducive towards segregation movements during the stages of urban planning so that the rate is reduced. An additional finding is that the entropic measure is closely associated with the common statistic for such modeling efforts.

Feasibility study on using red mud as a viscosity-modifying agent for self-compacting concrete

Red mud (RM) is a hazardous waste material generated during the alkaline leaching of bauxite in the Bayer process. The feasibility of using RM as a viscosity-modifying agent (VMA) for self-compacting concrete (SCC) was proposed in this study. In addition, RM paste, cement paste, RM-blended paste, SCC that containing RM as VMA were prepared, and those fresh properties were investigated with emphasis. The results show that compared to cement paste, the RM paste exhibited excellent water retention. In the RM-blended cement paste with equivalent fluidity, an increase in RM dosage led to a notable decrease in bleeding rate, accompanied by an increase in yield stress and plastic viscosity. Similarly, in the SCC (containing RM as VMA) with equivalent slump-flow, the segregation rate decreased significantly (17.12 % of segregation for SCC that without RM, and 6.88 % of segregation for SCC that with 12 wt% RM), while yield stress and plastic viscosity increased with higher RM dosages, demonstrating a linear relationship. These findings highlight the feasibility of achieving SCC with high slump-flow and non-segregation by using RM as VMA, and the fresh properties of prepared SCC can be effectively controlled. Meanwhile, the findings of this study offer a novel approach to utilize RM and provide valuable guidance for the application of RM used as VMA.

Fabricating hydrothermally robust ceramic membranes from amorphous yttrium-doped SiO2-ZrO2 composites

SiO2-ZrO2 ceramic composites are necessary for highly demanding separation processes. We demonstrated the efficacy of using yttrium doping to improve the hydrothermal stability of SiO2-ZrO2 composite-derived membranes. In long-term hydrothermal stability tests involving steam-N2 mixture permeation between 500–800 °C, N2 permeance for an undoped SiO2-ZrO2 membrane fabricated on an α-Al2O3 substrate decreased from 5.0 × 10−6 to 2.5 × 10−6 mol m−2 s−1 Pa−1 after 60 h between 500–700 °C and to 3.2 × 10−8 mol m−2 s−1 Pa−1 after 32 h at 800 °C. The yttrium-doped SiO2-ZrO2 membrane achieved a stable N2 permeance of 6.5 × 10−6 mol m−2 s−1 Pa−1 after 60 h between 500–700 °C, which decreased to 8.0 × 10−7 mol m−2 s−1 Pa−1 after 32 h at 800 °C. Microstructural analyses revealed that integrating yttrium into a SiO2-ZrO2 matrix suppressed segregation and aggregation rates of ZrO2 nanocrystals to form more stable microstructures.

Segregation flow behavior of polydisperse particle mixture with skewed distribution in a rotating drum

Industrial particle mixtures are naturally polydisperse due to the variations in size distribution during mineral processing, which makes it necessary to investigate segregation behaviors of polydisperse particle mixtures. In this work, five groups of polydisperse particle mixtures were defined separately by different skewed distributions. Based on discrete element method, the polydisperse particle segregation behaviors of in rotary drums were simulated. The results indicate that in the polydisperse particle system with normal distribution, larger particles tend to accumulate towards the both sides, while smaller particles tend to be in the middle of the drum. In this case, the medium-sized particles are uniformly distributed throughout the system. However, once the polydisperse particle mixture transitions from the coarse particle to the fine particle system, the size of medium particles exhibiting uniform distribution characteristics decreases with an increase in the skewness coefficient. Moreover, the smaller the skewness coefficient of the polydisperse particles, the slower the initial particle segregation rate, and the lower the steady particle segregation degree. Furthermore, whether the drum length to diameter (L / D) ratio or drum filling rate increases, the particle segregation rate in initial stage and the particle segregation degree in steady stage are subsequently significantly reduced, while the size of medium particles with uniform distribution characteristics remains essentially constant.

Mendelian segregation and high recombination rates facilitate genetic analyses in Cryptosporidium parvum.

Very little is known about the process of meiosis in the apicomplexan parasite Cryptosporidium despite the essentiality of sex in its life cycle. Most cell lines only support asexual growth of Cryptosporidium parvum (C. parvum), but stem cell derived intestinal epithelial cells grown under air-liquid interface (ALI) conditions support the sexual cycle. To examine chromosomal dynamics during meiosis in C. parvum, we generated two transgenic lines of parasites that were fluorescently tagged with mCherry or GFP on chromosomes 1 or 5, respectively. Infection of ALI cultures or Ifngr1-/- mice with mCherry and GFP parasites resulted in cross-fertilization and the formation of "yellow" oocysts, which contain 4 haploid sporozoites that are the product of meiosis. Recombinant oocysts from the F1 generation were purified and used to infect HCT-8 cultures, and phenotypes of the progeny were observed by microscopy. All possible phenotypes predicted by independent segregation were represented equally (~25%) in the population, indicating that C. parvum chromosomes exhibit a Mendelian inheritance pattern. The most common pattern observed from the outgrowth of single oocysts included all possible parental and recombinant phenotypes derived from a single meiotic event, suggesting a high rate of crossover. To estimate the frequency of crossover, additional loci on chromosomes 1 and 5 were tagged and used to monitor intrachromosomal crosses in Ifngr1-/- mice. Both chromosomes showed a high frequency of crossover compared to other apicomplexans with map distances (i.e., 1% recombination) of 3-12 kb. Overall, a high recombination rate may explain many unique characteristics observed in Cryptosporidium spp. such as high rates of speciation, wide variation in host range, and rapid evolution of host-specific virulence factors.

An Overview of Solid Waste Management Practices in Pune, Maharashtra, India

The growing population and rapid urbanization are significant challenges for Indian cities. Pune City generates nearly 2,258 tonnes of waste per day. Pune’s informal waste sector has demonstrated remarkable efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and self-sustainability. Moreover, it contributes to favorable economic and social outcomes for the city. With the support of the self-help group SWaCH Seva Sahakari Sanstha Maryadit, Pune, the municipal solid waste management model has successfully achieved a remarkable 95 percent segregation rate. Implementing the Pune municipal solid waste management model showcases the active and efficient engagement of informal waste workers in the collection and resource utilization process. This underscores the possibility of favorable economic, social, and environmental results stemming from collaborations between municipalities and waste pickers. This paper looks at the role of SWaCH in line with Pune Municipal Corporation towards the present waste management system. Primarily reliant on labor, this model accomplishes recycling tasks at a notably lower cost compared to conventional mechanized and centralized waste management approaches. It can also accomplish high recycling levels and relatively considerable plastic waste segregation. Promoting the retrieval of valuable materials, especially plastics, for local and global recycling enterprises actively contributes to the advancement of a circular urban waste management approach. The objective of this research is to explore and provide a realistic understanding of Pune’s current status of waste generation, collection, transportation, and disposal. Apart from the SwaCH-PMC model, the paper also focuses on plastic waste recycling, the Red Dot Campaign towards sanitary waste, and household e-waste management in Pune.

Effect of multi wall carbon nanotubes during semi-solid to solid phase transformation in eutectic Al-Si alloy

The study explores numerically the combined effect of the base metal pouring temperature and MWCNT (multi wall carbon nanotubes) during semi-solid to solid solidification of Al-Si-MWCNT composite material. The semi-solid to solid solidification actually differs significantly both qualitatively and quantitatively from the liquid to solid solidification. During solidification of Al-Si-MWCNT composite material, the melt temperature and the cooling rate play crucial roles in the phase transformations. During liquid to solid solidification, the MWCNT significantly affects the cooling rate, leading to multiple recalescence phenomena, and influences the formation and evolution of the columnar and globular grains. Under the same condition, the MWCNT also impacts the silicon segregation, causing fluctuations in the silicon phases and its redistribution. However, during the semi-solid to solid solidification, it is observed that by decreasing the melt temperature into a semi-solid state, the segregation rate of silicon decreases which enhances more homogeneous CNT distribution. It also increases the globular volume fraction and dominates the columnar growth. Overall, the future trend of semi-solid to solid solidification of Al-Si-MWCNT composite materials lies in optimizing their properties for specific applications, expanding their use across diverse industries, and promoting sustainable manufacturing practices.

Optimisation of Synchronous Grouting Mix Ratio for Shield Tunnels

During shield construction in underground spaces, synchronous grouting slurry is poured between the surrounding rock and tunnel lining to ensure stability. For synchronous grouting slurries, few studies have investigated the relationship between the rheological parameters and physical properties, grout-segregation mechanism, and anti-segregation performance. Therefore, we explored the relationships between the slurry rheological parameters, segregation rate, and bleeding rate. Cement, sand, fly ash, and bentonite were used to prepare the slurry, and the effects of different polycarboxylate water-reducing agents and dispersible latex powder dosages were studied. The rheological parameters of 16 groups of uniformly designed slurries were tested, and the data were fit using the Herschel–Bulkley model. The optimal mix ratio lowered the slurry segregation rate, and its rheological behaviour was consistent with the Herschel–Bulkley fluid characteristics. High-yield-shear-stress synchronous grouting slurries with high and low viscosity coefficients were less likely to bleed and segregate, respectively. The optimised slurry fluidity, 3 h bleeding rate, 24 h bleeding rate, segregation rate, coagulation time, and 28 days compressive strength were 257.5 mm, 0.71%, 0.36%, 3.1%, 6.7 h, and 2.61 MPa, respectively, which meet the requirements of a synchronous grouting slurry of shield tunnels for sufficiently preventing soil disturbance and deformation in areas surrounding underground construction sites.

Forty years of struggle in North Carolina: Workplace segregation and fatal occupational injury rates.

To assess workplace segregation in fatal occupational injury from 1992 to 2017 in North Carolina. We calculated occupational fatal injury rates within categories of occupation, industry, race, age, and sex; and estimated expected numbers of fatalities among Black and Hispanic male workers had they experienced the rates of White male workers. We also estimated the contribution of workforce segregation to disparities by estimating the expected number of fatalities among Black and Hispanic male workers had they experienced the industry and occupation patterns of White male workers. We assessed person-years of life-lost, using North Carolina life expectancy estimates. Hispanic workers contributed 32% of their worker-years and experienced 58% of their fatalities in construction. Black workers were most overrepresented in the food manufacturing industry. Hispanic males experienced 2.11 (95% CI: 1.86-2.40) times the mortality rate of White males. The Black-White and Hispanic-White disparities were widest among workers aged 45 and older, and segregation into more dangerous industries and occupations played a substantial role in driving disparities. Hispanic workers who suffered occupational fatalities lost a median 47 life-years, compared to 37 among Black workers and 36 among White workers. If Hispanic and Black workers experienced the workplace safety of their White counterparts, fatal injury rates would be substantially reduced. Workforce segregation reflects structural racism, which also contributes to mortality disparities. Root causes must be addressed to eliminate disparities.

Synergic investigation of microstructure, precipitation, and micro-segregation on Inconel 825 weldments: A comparative study between GTAW and EBW

Inconel 825, a Ni–Fe–Cr alloy highly regarded for its exceptional corrosion resistance and high-temperature strength. This investigation studies the effect of heat input, precipitation, and micro segregation of Inconel 825 weldments and compares the effectiveness of two welding techniques: gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) and electron beam welding (EBW). The findings indicate that increasing heat input generally enhances weldment quality by reducing the lack of penetration. However excessive heat input in GTAW leads to root cracking and solidification cracking; while EBW demonstrates better control over undercut and maintains consistent weld quality even at higher heat inputs. Both GTAW and EBW samples exhibit dendritic grain morphologies with distinctive grain boundaries. Precipitates, such as Al4C3 and TiN, are observed in both processes, contributing to improved mechanical properties. While GTAW weldments show some degree of segregation for Mo, Cu, Ti, and Al, EBW weldments demonstrate negligible segregation for major alloying elements but micro-segregation of Ti and Al. EBW weldments additionally showcase higher average hardness, superior tensile strength, and ductility compared to GTAW weldments. This can be attributed to lower heat input, faster cooling rates, and a reduced rate of elemental segregation. Fractographic analysis reveals the presence of voids and micro-voids, indicating a ductile mode of failure for both GTAW and EBW samples. These void characteristics vary based on the heat input and microstructural features.

A Pentecostal and charismatic contribution to peace and reconciliation: Case study of Northern Ireland

ABSTRACT Despite the marking of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement (1998), there remains a significant fragility of peace in Northern Irish society today. Recent periods of collapse at Stormont government and high rates of segregation between Catholic and Protestant communities, evidence a need for alternative contributions to peace and reconciliation efforts. A specific focus on the role of religious actors in reconciliation pursuits has often been met with scepticism due to historic religious-political institutional ties. However, challenging the increasing trend of secularism in Northern Ireland has been the growth of Pentecostal and charismatic communities across the region. Thus, a major question is: How can the Pentecostal and charismatic movement contribute positively to peace and reconciliation? This article explores the possibility of adopting a Pentecostal and charismatic approach to peace, forgiveness and reconciliation, utilising the case study of Northern Ireland. Such an analysis is integral to discerning the movement's positive potential for peace and reconciliation work in the pursuit of post-conflict societal transformation.

SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS: UPDATE ΟN THE DIAGNOSIS, PREVALENCE, CLINICAL MANAGEMENT, INFLAMMATORY MARKERS, NEW HORIZONS IN THE PATHOGENESIS, MANIFESTATIONS AND PROGRESS IN TREATMENT

Introduction: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a systemic autoimmune disease with multisystem involvement, generating chronic inflammation and damage of more than one organ. It is usually clinically and serologically diagnosed with the presence of autoantibodies. Lupus is a Latin term meaning wolf, due to the fact that the typical facial eruptions of the pathology are very similar to the bite marks of a wolf. Objective: to detail the current information related to systemic lupus erythematosus, description, etiology, epidemiology, pathophysiology, histology, classification, clinical manifestations, treatment and differential diagnosis. Methodology: a total of 45 articles were analyzed in this review, including review and original articles, as well as clinical cases, of which 35 bibliographies were used because the other articles were not relevant to this study. The sources of information were PubMed, Google Scholar and Cochrane; the terms used to search for information in Spanish, Portuguese and English were: lupus, SLE, autoimmune, multisystemic. Results: Familial segregation and high concordance rates in identical twins strongly suggest a genetic contribution to SLE, however there is no obvious pattern of inheritance. Females have 10 times the risk of developing SLE compared to males. Lupus in males is less common but has a propensity to be more severe. About 80 to 90% of individuals with SLE show musculoskeletal involvement in the course of the disease, ranging from mild arthralgias to deforming arthritis. Avascular necrosis with or without the use of steroids may occur in 10% of individuals with SLE and is most often bilateral and affects the hip joints. Conclusions: systemic lupus erythematosus presents a wide range of clinical and histopathologic manifestations. Adequate education of affected individuals with systemic lupus erythematosus about the possible clinical manifestations can lead to early recognition and intervention, which may prevent potential significant organ damage. The role of markers and autoantibodies in the differential diagnosis of the pathology is essential. Treatment of SLE is aimed at preventing organ damage and achieving remission. The choice of treatment will depend on the altered organ system(s) and the extent of the involvement. Education of the affected individual, physical measures, lifestyle and emotional support play an important role in the comprehensive treatment of SLE. KEY WORDS: lupus, SLE, autoimmune, manifestations, treatment.

On the surface segregation of Sn in cold-rolled Fe under continuous annealing conditions

The surface segregation of Sn in cold-rolled Fe-0.03Sn and Fe-0.01Sn (at.%) model alloys was investigated for annealing parameters characteristic of continuous galvanizing lines (CGLs). The most significant increase in surface coverage occurred during linear heating between 500 and 675 °C, where no significant change in segregation was observed with isothermal holding for 60 – 480 s at peak annealing temperatures of 675 – 825 °C. While the bulk diffusion of Sn in Fe determined the segregation rate during extended isothermal holding up to 10800 s, it could not account for the rapid increase in coverage during heating. It was determined that Sn segregation was accelerated during linear heating by rapid diffusion along dislocation pipes in the cold-rolled starting microstructure. Integrating the decrease in diffusivity due to recrystallization into the McLean model for interfacial segregation resulted in an experimentally verified description of segregation kinetics during linear heating. It was also able to predict the experimentally observed increase in segregation when the linear heating rate between 500 °C and 675 °C was decreased from 5 to 1 °C/s. No significant difference in surface segregation was observed between the 0.01 and 0.03 at.% Sn addition for isothermal holding of 480 s or less, which can be explained by the saturation of easy adsorption sites. A bond-breaking model was used to illustrate their origin from imperfect coordination within the surface layer. As significant surface segregation can be achieved within the CGL processing window, Sn microalloying appears as a promising strategy to improve galvanized coating quality.

Home Price Change and Ethno-racial Residential Segregation: Temporal Relationships at the Metro Level

Although rates of residential racial segregation and home prices are undoubtedly related, the temporal nature of the relationship has rarely been studied. Using fixed effects models in a cross-lagged framework, we examine how prior changes in segregation and home prices at the metro level predict changes in the other. Our findings suggest that increases in home prices predict increasing racial segregation years later, but increases in segregation fail to predict subsequent change in home values. Metros that experience a 1 standard deviation increase in home prices experience an associated 0.25 standard deviation increase in Black-White segregation 10 years later and a 0.18 standard deviation increase 20 years later. No relationship is observed for Hispanic-White segregation. We discuss implications for understanding the economic underpinnings of segregation. Findings also offer insight into future segregation trends and illuminate how changes in the housing market may drive demographic trends more broadly.

Estimation of Leachate Volume and Treatment Cost Avoidance Through Waste Segregation Programme in Malaysia

This study aims to calculate the avoided leachate volume and treatment cost from waste segregation practices compared to the existing waste disposal methods of landfilling. The mathematical equations were used to analyse the waste segregation rate, leachate volume and treatment cost. The study findings reveal that 99.4% of mixed waste was disposed of in landfills, resulting in an annual generation of 565 thousand cubic meters (m3) of leachate with an estimated treatment cost of MYR 19.82 million (USD 4.36 million). The segregated waste, which accounts for only 0.06%, reduces 354 m3 in leachate volume and a cost-saving of MYR 12.42 thousand (USD 2.73 thousand) in the treatment expenses per year. The findings concluded that waste segregation practice could reduce waste management costs by reducing leachate production and treatment costs and environmental impacts.