Top Positions Research Articles

Effect of Deposit Scale on Mechanical Properties of In-Situ Alloyed CrCoNi Medium Entropy Alloys Formed by Directed Energy Deposition

Directed energy deposition (DED), as an additive manufacturing technology, has shown unique advantages in multi-material additive manufacturing and remanufacturing. In this study, two types in-situ alloyed CrCoNi medium entropy alloys that have thin-walled structures with different thicknesses (T1 and T2) were manufactured by the DED process, and the mechanisms of differences in relative density, microstructure, and mechanical properties at different heights were systematically analyzed. In terms of microstructure, the T1 and T2 samples along the building direction exhibit significant differences in crystallographic orientation, grain size, and dislocation density, which are related to the local temperature gradient differences caused by the scanning path and heat accumulation. In terms of mechanical properties at different heights of the two types of thin-walled structures, the yield strength is higher but the elongation is lower at the bottom position of sample, while the yield strength is lower but the elongation is higher at the middle and top positions. The differences of mechanical properties at different heights of the T1 and T2 samples are related to the microstructure and relative density. This finding provides new insights for the design and performance analysis of complex thin-walled structures formed by additive manufacturing.

Entropy-TOPSIS Method Approach: A Comprehensive Quarterly Assessment with Application in Turkey's Cement Sector

The objective of this research is to determine the financial performance of Turkish cement firms using quarterly data from the period between 1997 and 2022 through the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). The research takes into account company mergers that occurred in 2020 and analyzes two distinct periods: from 1997 to 2020, and post-2020. Fourteen companies were examined in the first period, while ten companies were assessed in the latter period. To measure financial performance, ten common financial ratios selected based on literature were utilized. Determining the importance of these financial ratios is a crucial step in multi-criteria decision-making techniques; hence, the entropy method was employed to address this issue. According to empirical results, before the company mergers, UNYE and MARDIN cement firms were observed to consistently perform well financially, often ranking at the top based on the financial parameters considered. However, after the merger, it has been noted that BUCIM consistently held the top position in every quarter.

Bibliometric analysis of microRNAs and Parkinson's disease from 2014 to 2023.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons. Recent research has emphasized a significant correlation between microRNAs (miRNAs) and PD. To identify key research areas, provide a comprehensive overview of current research in various fields, and propose potential directions for future studies, a bibliometric analysis was conducted on the involvement of miRNAs in Parkinson's disease from 2014 to 2023. Relevant literature records were collected from the Web of Science Core Collection on February 29, 2024. Subsequently, the data underwent analysis using the Bibliometrix R package and VOSviewer (version 1.6.19). The annual scientific publications on miRNAs and Parkinson's disease demonstrated an increasing trend, with an annual growth rate of 12.67%. China, the United States, and India emerged as the top three most productive countries/regions. The University of Barcelona had the highest annual publications, followed by Central South University and the Helmholtz Association. The INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES held the top position in terms of H-index and total citations, reflecting its extensive influence and prolific publication output. Kim, J., Junn, E., Hébert, S.S., and Doxakis, E. were the most frequently co-cited authors in the field. Based on the analysis of keywords, the most frequently occurring terms included "alpha-synuclein," "neurodegenerative disease," "exosome," "neuroinflammation," "oxidative stress," "autophagy," and "amyotrophic lateral sclerosis," which have emerged as prominent research topics. Concurrently, there has been notable interest in topics such as "ceRNA," "lncRNAs," "mitochondrial dysfunction," and "circular RNA." This study focused on identifying emerging trends and critical research topics in the bibliometric analysis of microRNAs related to Parkinson's disease. These findings highlight the diverse research landscape and evolving trend of miRNA-related research in PD. The field of miRNA research in Parkinson's disease is actively exploring the underlying mechanisms of miRNA function, identifying potential diagnostic markers, and developing innovative therapeutic strategies. The results of our study offer significant contributions to researchers' ability to track contemporary developments and guide the trajectory of future research in this domain.

Small states’ diplomacies: changes in women’s descriptive representation in the Baltic states’ foreign services (1991–2021)

ABSTRACT By tracing gender inequality in the top leadership positions in the Baltic Ministries of Foreign Affairs and at ambassadorial levels over the past 30 years, this article provides the first historical and empirical comparison of women’s representation in the three Baltic foreign services, identifying where women have been and are presently positioned. Our examination also reveals patterns in how the Baltic diplomatic corps’ composition has changed over time, and where and why change is not visible. This empirical research draws on unique datasets collected by the authors of all Baltic ambassadorial appointments for the 1991–2021 period.

Revealing the oxidation behavior of AlCrxFeNi lightweight multi-principal element alloys via experimental and first-principles calculations

Developing alloys capable of withstanding high temperatures is crucial for modern engineering applications. Introducing multi-component alloys (MPEAs) has provided new strategies for designing high-temperature alloys. We have successfully prepared a series of AlCrxFeNi lightweight MPEAs in this study. The oxidation behavior of AlCxFeNi lightweight at 800 °C was investigated systematically through a combination of experimental methods and first-principles calculations. The microstructure characterization before oxidation reveals that the lightweight AlCrxFeNi MPEAs consist of BCC and B2 phases. In contrast, the AlCrFeNi alloy exhibited a microstructure characterized by typical eutectic features. Oxidation tests indicate that all three alloys exhibited oxidation kinetics following a parabolic law, with oxidation rates decreasing as the Cr content increased. Post-oxidation microstructural characterization revealed an oxide layer composed primarily of Al2O3 and Cr2O3 on the alloy surfaces. First-principles calculations provided insights into the microscopic mechanisms underlying the oxidation process. The results demonstrate that the adsorption energy of the O atom at the top position of the Cr atom is significantly lower than that of the Al atom at the top position. Electronic structure analysis shows that the Cr-O covalent bonding is stronger than the Al-O covalent bonding, which accounts for the oxidation resistance improvement as the Cr element content increases. This study advances MPEAs for high-temperature environments by elucidating these microscopic mechanisms.

Analysing Vital Management Roles In Providing Physical Education And Sports To Indian Students

The aim of this study is to identify the states and union territories offering NCTE-recognized Physical Education courses (D.P.Ed, B.P.Ed, and M.P.Ed.) by institutions in India also identify based on their management type. Data, source for this study collected from the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) official website. The findings of this study show that, Totally 289 institutions offered Physical Education courses in India among Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of NCTE-recognized Physical Education courses offered by institutions, followed by Tamil Nadu in second position. Twenty-three states have institutions offering these courses, and three union territories also have such institutions. In terms of institution management, private management colleges hold the top position, while among universities, state management universities are at the top. The recommendation of this study is that five states and six union territories currently have no institutions offering these courses, so the governments must initiate the establishment of at least one institution in these states and union territories. Additionally, the government should increase the number of their managed institutions in all states and union territories.

Multiscale groundwater level forecasts with multi-model ensemble approaches: Combining machine learning models using decision theories and bayesian model averaging

Creating precise groundwater level (GWL) prediction models is of crucial significance for the productive use, extended planning, and controlling of limited sub-surface water supplies. In this research, the accuracy of GWL forecasts in Bangladesh was enhanced for three weeks by utilizing ensembles of Machine Learning (ML) models. Six advanced ML-based models were developed and assessed using eight performance indices, and an Overall Ranking (OR) was provided by combining the rankings produced by Grey Relational Analysis (GRA), Variation Coefficient (COV), and Shannon's Entropy (SE). The standalone forecasting models demonstrated excellent performance across the three forecasting horizons, with accuracy values ranging from 0.986 to 0.997 for one-step, 0.971 to 0.999 for two-step, and 0.960 to 0.997 for three-step forecasts at GT3330001. Results also revealed that three ranking techniques (SE, COV, and GRA), as well as their combined ranking (OR), produced different best-performing models at different prediction horizons for different observation wells. Weighted average ensembles of the prediction models were developed by calculating individual model weights using four ensemble modelling techniques: SE, COV, GRA, and Bayesian Model Averaging (BMA). The BMA-based ensemble technique outperformed three benchmark ensemble approaches, achieving R = 0.947, KGE = 0.925, IOA = 0.972, MAE = 0.062 m, and RMSE = 0.123 m for one-step-ahead forecasts at GT3330001. The findings exhibit a consistent trend across other forecasting horizons and observation wells. Finally, the Dempster-Shafer evidence theory was employed to rank the single and composite models. The ranking results demonstrated that the BMA-based ensemble consistently secured the top position (with the weight values of 0.997, 0.991, and 0.987 for one-week, two-weeks, and three-weeks forward forecasts at GT3330001) for all forecasting horizons and observation wells. This study shows that the BMA-based composite model can produce more accurate GWL projections at Bangladesh study location, with potential for application in other regions worldwide.

Shattering the Glass Ceiling: Insights into Women's Pathways to Leadership in Sri Lanka

Although much research has been done on the glass ceiling phenomena in recent years, the question remains unsolved because the barriers themselves receive more attention than the ways in which women break through them. This study explores the factors that affected women who tried to break through the ceiling. This research follows a qualitative exploratory research approach. Seven semi-structured interviews with women in top positions in Sri Lanka provided the data for the study. Data were analysed and interpreted using thematic analysis. Findings revealed that three main factors affecting women's career advancement: individual factors like emotional stability and self-confidence, organizational factors like supportive work environments and policies, and cultural factors like attitudes towards Sri Lankan women. The findings offer recommendations for increasing female representation in top positions and suggest future research using a quantitative approach in different Sri Lankan contexts.

Caste affiliation and access to high-authority jobs in the Indian service sector

Restricting high authority jobs to a specific section of society leads to market inefficiencies, resulting in higher costs and lower quality of goods and services due to suboptimal management. Moreover, such favouritism exacerbates social inequalities across occupational hierarchies. Given India’s caste-based societal structure, it is crucial to investigate whether all social groups have equal access to top management and leadership positions. Using the 2019–2020 Periodic Labour Force Survey and binary logit models, this study reveals significant disparities in securing high-authority roles between lower and upper castes. The results show an average marginal effect of −7.3% for lower castes relative to upper castes. These disparities are further amplified if the lower caste individual is female, resides in a urban area, or holds a graduate-level education.

CHEMICAL MODIFICATION AND BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF ALGINATE-BASED HYDROGELS

In recent years, the problem of wound infection has risen dramatically. Infectious complications of surgical wounds have increased significantly, often leading to severe sepsis. Gram-negative bacteria and microorganisms, which are immune to virtually all currently available antimicrobials, are the main culprits. In this regard, the development and implementation of innovative drugs and wound dressings, purulent and chronic wound treatment methods is an urgent problem of many domestic and foreign researchers. Brown algae are extracted using an alkaline solution to produce the ionic polysaccharide sodium alginate. It still holds one of the top positions among water-soluble polymers of natural origin as a result of various highly useful practical characteristics. Based on alginate hydrogels, it is possible to create new materials for biotechnological, pharmaceutical and medical purposes, as they have high moisture retention capacity, non-toxicity and self-decomposing ability. After reviewing the literature, we concluded that cefepime is a new antibiotic researched for wound dressing using IV generation cephalosporins as an antibacterial agent. It is highly resistant to hydrolysis by most beta-lactamases and quickly penetrates the cells of gram-negative bacteria. Inside the bacterial cell, it targets penicillin-binding proteins. To obtain new derivatives of sodium alginate with special properties, a chemical method, in particular, thiolene reactions, was used. It should be noted that click chemistry refers to a set of chemical reactions for the rapid and reliable synthesis of compounds by the uniform addition of individual components. Thiolene reactions offer significant advantages, includingversatile reaction conditions (including radical reactions and catalytic processes) and the ability to use a wide range of substrates with different unsaturated bonds such as acrylates, methacrylates and ethers. To monitor the rate and efficiency of UV activation, we used a sol-gel assay technique that allowed us to quantify insoluble (spatially cross-linked) and soluble polymers. After UV activation, samples with different ratios of thiol derivative (S-H bond) showed low viscosity, indicating the predominant degradation of polymer molecules in these systems. Since alginate-polymer derivatives primarily exhibit deconstructive behavior, the dominant process in alginate molecules is the breaking of bonds rather than their formation. The size of the gel fraction reflects the efficiency of polymer cross-linking, which in turn affects the efficiency of immobilization of the drug in the hydrogel matrix and its release rate. This study presents an experimental characterization of photocrosslinked hydrogels aimed at evaluating and elucidating the physicochemical and biological properties of the antibiotic cefepime in an alginate polymer. The obtained kinetic parameters of the swelling-dissolving process show that the synthesized alginate hydrogel is capable of providing a diffused and prolonged release of drugs. In addition, the synthesized hydrogel effectively delivers cefepime to the tested bacterial strains, showing high antibacterial activity without toxicity. However, further in vivo studies are needed to evaluate the fate and toxicity of the alginate-based hydrogel before definitive conclusions can be drawn regarding the usefulness of the synthesized drugs. These preliminary results can be the basis for the development of medical products.

Local Vorticity and Flow Heat Transfer Mechanism Analysis in Micro-Cylinder-Groups Based on Field Synergy Principle

In this paper, local vorticity distribution in micro-cylinder-groups was investigated by finite volume method and the mechanism of local heat transfer around cylinders was explored by using field synergy analysis. The vorticity distribution and local heat transfer performance are different at different positions around the cylinders. In front of micro cylinders, the vorticity has a positive correlation with heat transfer coefficient, and the average field synergy angle is close to 65° with good synergy effect. The vertical and spanwise vortices are generated on the top and side positions, respectively, which are negatively correlated with the heat transfer coefficient. Affected by the end-wall and boundary layer, the vorticity behind the micro cylinders varies at different heights and the vertical vorticity appears near the root position. The vertical and spanwise vortices account for a similar proportion near the upper part of the micro cylinders, and both of them are positively correlated with heat transfer coefficient. Due to the stagnation effect, the heat transfer coefficient in the rear position has been weakened by about 40% compared with the front position.

Women and Leadership: A Case of the Kenyan and South African Banking Sector

Throughout the history of management theories, masculine ideals have dominated the development of organisational leadership structures, often leading to a belief in the inherent superiority of men in leadership roles. Despite progress, many organisations still operate under the assumption that women are somehow deficient compared to men in leadership capabilities. The research objective was to investigate the difficulties Black African women encounter in leadership positions in Kenyan and South African banks, specifically concerning how society views women in leadership roles. The study conducted semi-structured interviews and focus groups involving 41 Black African women managers from the banking sectors of both countries, employing an inter-categorical intersectionality approach. The research revealed a perceived lack of fit for top executive leadership positions among African-Black women. A comparison between masculine and feminine leadership styles underscored the gendered sex-role stereotypes that hindered the advancement of Black African women into top executive roles within the banking sector. In summary, the findings emphasise that, as long as ‘think manager, think male’ persists in leadership, Black African women will continue to encounter obstacles in attaining top executive positions within the banking sectors of Kenya and South Africa. The study’s practical implications are that it emphasises the understanding of women and leadership and its role as an obstacle for Black women managers in the Kenyan and South African banking sectors. The originality of this study is that it contributes to the understanding of women and leadership literature in the banking sectors of Kenya and South Africa, as well as sub-Saharan African countries.

Bibliometric and knowledge map analysis of one lung ventilation.

One lung ventilation (OLV) is an essential method of lung isolation to protect the ventilated lung from soiling by the contralateral lung and obtain optimal surgical exposure in thoracic surgery. This study aims to examine the trends and developments in OLV research from 1982 to 2024 through bibliometric analysis. The literature on OLV was systematically searched in the Web of Science Core Collection database for this study. VOSviewer and CiteSpace were utilized to perform comprehensive bibliometric and visual analyses of global publication/trends, countries/institutions, authors/co-cited authors, journals/co-cited journals, co-cited references, and keywords in the field of OLV. A total of 1,682 articles and reviews on OLV research were identified, which showed an overall growing trend from 1982 to 2024. The United States was the leader in this field, accounting for the largest number of publications (n=299). Among all institutions, Yonsei University had the largest number of publications (n=23), but National Taiwan University Hospital had the highest number of cited publications (n=876). The papers related to OLV were mainly published in Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia (n=147) and the most productive author was Cheng YJ (n=15). After keywords analysis, "infants", "dexmedetomidine", "inflammation", and "airway management" were newly emergent research hotspots. Through bibliometric and visualization methods, we undertook a comprehensive analysis in the field of OLV. The United States maintained a top position in this field, the emerging hotspots of OLV changed from basic research to clinical research and the further innovation of OLV management. This study provides new ideas for scholars in their future works.

Gender difference in leaders framed with responsibility or authority: An experimental study

The underrepresentation of women in top leadership positions may result in a potential loss in efficiency. In this study, we examine gender differences in leadership emergence and efficiency when a leadership task is framed as authority or responsibility. In a public good game, the group leader is entitled to punish low contributors among the group members in order to increase the group welfare. The experimental design includes a basic treatment—framing the leader's task as authority or responsibility—in occasions where group leaders emerge through self-promotion or voting. We find a more pronounced framing effect among females compared to males. Although women are generally less willing and less voted to lead than men, the responsibility framing enhances female leaders' effectiveness to a larger extent than male leaders': they contribute more to the public good, and are more inclined to punish low contributors when they are voted as leaders. Therefore, when leadership tasks emphasize responsibility, female leaders could enhance social welfare in the provision of public goods.

Tongue and jaw movement assessed by 3D motion capture during gum chewing.

The tongue plays an important role in mastication, swallowing, and articulation, but it cannot be directly observed because of its location inside the oral cavity. This study aimed to clarify detailed 3D tongue movements during chewing using electromagnetic articulography (EMA). The participants were 10 healthy, young volunteers (average age 26.8 ± 2.1years; 5 males, 5 females). Tongue and jaw movement during gum chewing was measured and recorded using EMA. Four EMA sensors were attached to the anterior, posterior, left, and right surfaces of the tongue, and one sensor was also attached to the mandibular left incisor. The tongue motion during the chewing cycle was spatially and sequentially analyzed based on the motion trajectories of the tongue and mandible. The tongue moved downward and to the masticatory side in a manner similar to the movement of the jaw. The anterior tongue marker moved downward to a greater extent than the other tongue markers. However, the tongue moved forward as the jaw moved backward. The anterior marker reached the most anterior position during the jaw-opening phase and the posterior markers reached the most anterior position during the jaw-closing phase. Just before maximum jaw-opening, all markers on the tongue reached the bottom lowest position. During the jaw-closing phase, the tongue reached the dominant farthest position in the masticatory side. All the markers reached the most posterior position during the occlusal phase. These findings demonstrate the sequence of tongue motion patterns during gum chewing.

The impact of gender on the nursing figure and nurses' interprofessional relationships: A multimethod study.

To identify the current presence of stereotypes about the nursing profession in Italy and to understand how gendered processes and modalities are regulated and expressed in the physician-nurse dyad, and the implications for professional identity and autonomy. Qualitative multimethod design. Forty-five interviews were conducted with nurses and physicians. The collected qualitative data underwent automatic textual data analysis using a multidimensional exploratory approach and a gender framework analysis. In Italy, nurses' roles are still associated with gender stereotypes stemming from the predominant male culture, which affects sexual and gender identity, the division of labor, and access to career paths. This leads to disadvantages in the nursing profession, which is heavily dominated by women. Biological differences between sexes generate an unconscious yet shared symbolic gender order composed of negative stereotypes that influence nurses' professional roles and activities. They follow behaviors that enter the work routine and institutionalize organizational processes. These effects are also seen in the asymmetric, limited, and reciprocal interprofessional relationships between male physicians and female nurses, where the former hinders the latter's professional autonomy and access to top positions. This survey raises awareness of gender issues and stimulates reflection. It also enables health and nursing organizations to take action to raise gender awareness and education by countering the image of a non-autonomous profession. The analysis of gender processes allows us to identify interventions that can counteract forms of oppression in the work environment that lead to the emergence of nursing as a non-autonomous profession.

Using the Taguchi Method and Grey Relational Analysis to Optimize Ventilation Systems for Rural Outdoor Toilets in the Post-Pandemic Era

This study addresses the issue of poor air quality and thermal comfort in rural outdoor toilets by proposing a ventilation system powered by a building-applied photovoltaic (BAPV) roof. A numerical model is established and validated through comparison with the literature and experimental data. Based on a consensus, four influential variables, namely, inlet position, outlet height, supply air temperature, and ventilation rate, are selected for optimization to achieve multiple objectives: reduction in ammonia concentration, a predicted mean vote (PMV) value of 0, minimization of age of air, and energy consumption. The present study represents a pioneering effort in integrating the Taguchi method, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and grey relational analysis to concurrently optimize the influential variables for outdoor toilet ventilation systems through design and simulation. The results indicate that all four variables exhibit nearly equal importance. Ventilation rate demonstrates a dominant effect on ammonia concentration and significantly impacts the age of air and energy consumption, while supply air temperature noticeably influences PMV. The optimal scheme features an inlet at center top position, an outlet height of 0.2 m, a supply air temperature of 12 °C and a ventilation rate of 20 times/h. This scheme improves ammonia concentration by 18.9%, PMV by 6.8%, and age of air by 30.0% at a height of 0.5 m, while achieving respective improvements by 18.9%, 5.5%, and 22.2% at a height of 1.5 m. The BAPV roof system generates an annual electricity output of 582.02 kWh, which covers the energy consumption of 358.1 kWh for toilet ventilation, achieving self-sufficiency. This study aims to develop a zero-carbon solution for outdoor toilets that provides a safe, comfortable, and sanitary environment.

Novel endoscopic techniques for the diagnosis of gastric Helicobacter pylori infection: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

This study aimed to conduct a network meta-analysis to compare the diagnostic efficacy of diverse novel endoscopic techniques for detecting gastric Helicobacter pylori infection. From inception to August 2023, literature was systematically searched across Pubmed, Embase, and Web of Science databases. Cochrane's risk of bias tool assessed the methodological quality of the included studies. Data analysis was conducted using the R software, employing a ranking chart to determine the most effective diagnostic method comprehensively. Convergence analysis was performed to assess the stability of the results. The study encompassed 36 articles comprising 54 observational studies, investigating 14 novel endoscopic techniques and involving 7,230 patients diagnosed with gastric H. pylori infection. Compared with the gold standard, the comprehensive network meta-analysis revealed the superior diagnostic performance of two new endoscopic techniques, Magnifying blue laser imaging endoscopy (M-BLI) and high-definition magnifying endoscopy with i-scan (M-I-SCAN). Specifically, M-BLI demonstrated the highest ranking in both sensitivity (SE) and positive predictive value (PPV), ranking second in negative predictive value (NPV) and fourth in specificity (SP). M-I-SCAN secured the top position in NPV, third in SE and SP, and fifth in PPV. After thoroughly analyzing the ranking chart, we conclude that M-BLI and M-I-SCAN stand out as the most suitable new endoscopic techniques for diagnosing gastric H. pylori infection. https://inplasy.com/inplasy-2023-11-0051/, identifier INPLASY2023110051.

Buoyancy-driven heat transfer and entropy analysis of a hydromagnetic GO-Fe3O4/H2O hybrid nanofluid in an energy storage enclosure partially filled with non-Darcy porous medium under an oblique magnetic field

Purpose Thermal energy storage systems use thermal energy to elevate the temperature of a storage substance, enabling the release of energy during a discharge cycle. The storage or retrieval of energy occurs through the heating or cooling of either a liquid or a solid, without undergoing a phase change, within a sensible heat storage system. In a sensible packed bed thermal energy storage system, the structure comprises porous media that form the packed solid material, while fluid occupies the voids. Thus, a cavity, partially filled with a fluid layer and partially with a saturated porous layer, has become important in the investigation of natural convection heat transfer, carrying significant relevance within thermal energy storage systems. Motivated by these insights, the current investigation delves into the convection heat transfer driven by buoyancy and entropy generation within a partially porous cavity that is differentially heated, vertically layered and filled with a hybrid nanofluid. Design/methodology/approach The investigation encompasses two distinct scenarios. In the first instance, the porous layer is positioned next to the heated wall, while the opposite region consists of a fluid layer. In the second case, the layers switch places, with the fluid layer adjacent to the heated wall. The system of equations for fluid and porous media, along with appropriate initial and boundary conditions, is addressed using the finite difference method. The Tiwari–Das model is used in this investigation, and the viscosity and thermal conductivity are determined using correlations specific to spherical nanoparticles. Findings Comprehensive numerical simulations have been performed, considering controlling factors such as the Darcy number, nanoparticle volume fraction, Rayleigh number, bottom slit position and Hartmann number. The visual representation of the numerical findings includes streamlines, isotherms and entropy lines, as well as plots illustrating average entropy generation and the average Nusselt number. These representations aim to provide insight into the influence of these parameters across a spectrum of scenarios. Originality/value The computational outcomes indicate that with an increase in the Darcy number, the addition of 2.5% magnetite nanoparticles to the GO nanofluid results in an enhanced heat transfer rate, showing increases of 0.567% in Case 1 and 3.894% in Case 2. Compared with Case 2, Case 1 exhibits a 59.90% enhancement in heat transfer within the enclosure. Positioning the porous layer next to the partially cooled wall significantly boosts the average total entropy production, showing a substantial increase of 11.36% at an elevated Rayleigh number value. Positioning the hot slit near the bottom wall leads to a reduction in total entropy generation by 33.20% compared to its placement at the center and by 33.32% in comparison to its proximity to the top wall.

EFFECT OF STEM CUTTING POSITIONS ON FORAGE GROWTH, YIELD, NUTRITIONAL AND PHYTOCHEMICAL CONTENT, AND PALATABILITY OF Gynura procumbens (Lour.) Merr

The current research aimed to evaluate the potential of Gynura procumbens (G. procumbens) as forage by evaluating its growth, yield, nutritional characteristics, and palatability which were cultivated from different-position stem cutting. The experiments were laid out under completely randomized design. The treatments were three positions of cutting stem: top (P1), middle (P2), and bottom (P3), with 50 replications. The observed parameters were the growth (morphological cutting stem, plant height, the number of leaves, and branches), yield (forage biomass), then the composite sample from all treatments was analyzed for nutrient composition, in vitro digestibility, phytochemical content, and palatability. Data were analyzed statistically using R i386 3.6.1 through analysis of variance (ANOVA). The Tukey contrast test was conducted to determine the level of significant differences among different treatments. The results showed that there were differences in cutting stem diameter and weight from different positions (P≤0.05). The cutting stem on top position increased the number of branches, plant height, and forage biomass (P≤0.01; P≤0.05), yet the number of leaves had no different effects. G. procumbens plant growth had different patterns on the number of leaves and branches and plant height. The crude protein, ash, and digestibility in leaves were higher than in the stalk. The degree of palatability was higher for cattle and goats. It was concluded from this study that the best position to induce G. procumbens plant growth was the top stem-cutting and its yield could be utilized as forage from leaves and stems based on the in vitro digestibility, forage biomass, nutritional characteristics, and palatability. Keywords: Crop, Cutting Stem, Forage, Gynura procumbens, Stalk Position