Total Damage Research Articles

Association of dyslipidemia with intervertebral disc degeneration: a case–control study

PurposeTo investigate the relationship between dyslipidemia and intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD). MethodsA total of 269 patients with lumbar disc herniation (Grade III–VIII using the modified Pfirrmann Grading Systems and Total End Plate Damage Score (TEPS) III–VI grade) and 269 patients with lumbar vertebral fracture (LVF, Grade I–II using the modified Pfirrmann Grading Systems and TEPS I–II grade) were enrolled in this study. The total cholesterol level (TC), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol level (LDL-C), triglyceride level (TG), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol level (HDL-C), nonHDL-C, ApoB level, ApoB A1 level and arteriosclerosis index (AI) were measured. The 269 patients with single-level LDH who underwent surgery were assigned to the disc herniation group (DH) and 269 patients who underwent surgical treatment for lumbar vertebral fracture during the same period were enrolled as the control group. The participants in the control group were selected randomly and matched for sex.ResultsThe analysis revealed that the levels of TC, TG, LDL, nonHDL-C, APOB, and APOA1 in patients with LDH were significantly higher compared with those in the controls. The proportion of high-TC, borderline high-total cholesterol, high LDL-C, high-TG, borderline high LDL-C, high APO B, high arteriosclerosis index (AI), and high-ApoB/ApoA1 in the LDH group was significantly higher relative to that of the control group. The ratio of TC/HDL-C, TG/HDL-C, LDL-C/HDL-C, nonHDL-C/HDL-C, and ApoB/ApoA1 in the LDH group was significantly higher compared with that of the control group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the levels of serum TG, Apo B/ApoA1 ratio, atherogenic index(AI), labour intensity, and age were positively associated with the risk of LDH and were independent risk factors predicting IVDD development.ConclusionOverall, this study indicates that age, labour intensity, TG, ApoB/ApoA1 ratio and atherogenic index (AI) may increase the risk of IVDD. The levels of TC, TG, LDL-C, nonHDL-C, Apo B, and atherogenic index (AI) may be related to the degree of cartilage endplate (CEP) and intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD). Moreover, dyslipidemia may be a useful predictor of IVDD.

Tailoring additive manufacturing to optimize dynamic properties in 316L stainless steel

With the advent of additive manufacturing, manipulation of typical microstructural elements such as grain size, texture, and defect densities is now possible at a faster time scale. While the processing–structure–property relationship in additive manufactured metals has been well studied over the past decade, little work has been done in understanding how this process affects the dynamic behavior of materials. We postulate that additive manufacturing can be used to alter the material microstructure and used to enhance its dynamic strength. In this work, 316L stainless steel (SS) was manufactured via selected laser melting and its microstructure was altered through changing build parameters like laser power, speed, and hatch spacing systematically. These samples were then subjected to spall recovery experiments to measure the spall strength and quantify the amount of damage as a function of build parameters. By mapping the spall strength as a function of build parameters, this work demonstrated that indeed additive manufacturing can be used to tailor the spall strength of 316L SS. This work also determined the optimum build parameters (laser power=195W; scanning speed=1083mm/s; hatch spacing=0.09mm; layer thickness=0.02mm) to obtain the highest spall strength and the least amount of total damage in 316L SS. Microstructural characterization of the pre- and post-mortem samples revealed that increased grain average misorientation and textural index were the main driving force behind this higher spall strength. This work aims to enhance microstructural engineering techniques to design materials with greater resistance to dynamic shock loading.

Seismic Characterisation of Hydraulic Fractures Influenced By Granitic Coarse Grains

Abstract The extensive application of hydraulic fracturing in unconventional reservoirs raises new challenges in understanding the fracture mechanism of granitic materials. Triaxial hydraulic fracturing experiments were conducted to examine the influence of coarse grains on the failure behaviour of impermeable granites based on the associated seismic responses. The waveform frequencies in laboratory hydraulic fracturing are predominantly below 600 kHz, with a dominant frequency around 200 kHz. Source mechanism analysis reveals that tensile cracks constitute the largest proportion among all crack types while have smaller magnitudes than non-tensile cracks. The micro-cracks are induced prior to fracture initiation which delays the immediate macro rupture, following peak injection pressure by the dilatancy hardening effect. The tensile cracks contribute to the increase in damage volume while the non-tensile ones lead to a reduction effect. Overall, the total damage volume escalates as average grain size increases. Granites have event magnitude less than -6.0 and b-values greater than 2. Small magnitude seismic events take less dominance of proportion with increasing grain size. Larger average grain size and lower grain size heterogeneity weaken the cementation between mineral grains, triggering larger boundary cracks. These cracks result in greater offset distance between multiple fractures and increase fracture tortuosity, also leading to longer failure duration, stronger seismic detectability, and a larger slip plunge range and average degrees.

Investigation on the micromechanical damage mechanism of cement-stabilized macadam after multiple freeze-thaw cycles

Cement-stabilized macadam is widely used in railway subgrade in cold regions. However, various diseases have occurred. In order to study the microscopic damage of cement-stabilized macadam after multiple cycles of freeze-thaw, the stress-strain curves were calculated by freeze-thaw tests in this paper. The discrete element model of cement-stabilized macadam constructed on the basis of discrete element theory was verified to be reasonable. After solving the linear/non-linear process of damage of cement-stabilized macadam, the relationship between the total damage variable and strain was obtained. The results show that as the number of freeze-thaw cycles increases, the initial damage variable increases. The results show that the more freeze-thaw cycles, the greater the initial damage variable. The damage variable formed after 20 freeze-thaw cycles is similar to that formed after 30 cycles. As the number of freeze-thaw cycles increases, the peak stress and particle contact area also decrease. The force chains are most numerous at the 215° position, and the number of force chains during the early stages of particle loading exceeds that in the later stages. The distribution of tangential and normal contact forces is symmetrical, with tangential stress distributed in an “∞” shape and normal contact force distributed in an “8” shape.

Effects of ammonia on the survival and physiology of juveniles and adults of Macrobrachium acanthurus (Caridea: Palaemonidae).

Effects of ammonia on the survival and physiology of juveniles and adults of Macrobrachium acanthurus (Caridea: Palaemonidae).

Cigarette Smoke and Decreased DNA Repair by Xeroderma Pigmentosum Group C Use a Double Hit Mechanism for Epithelial Cell Lung Carcinogenesis.

Emerging evidence suggests a complex interplay of environmental and genetic factors in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) development. Among these factors, compromised DNA repair plays a critical but incompletely understood role in lung tumorigenesis and concurrent lung diseases, such as chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD). In this study, we investigated the interplay between cigarette smoke, DNA damage and repair, focusing on the Nucleotide Excision Repair (NER) protein Xeroderma Pigmentosum Group C (XPC). We found decreased XPC mRNA expression in most NSCLCs compared to subject-matched, non-cancerous lung. In non-cancerous bronchial epithelial cells, cigarette smoke decreased NER, increased total DNA damage and resultant apoptosis, each exacerbated by XPC deficiency. In contrast, lung cancer cells exhibit greater resilience to cigarette smoke, requiring higher doses to induce comparable DNA damage and apoptosis, and are less reliant on XPC expression for survival. Importantly, XPC protects against chromosomal instability in benign bronchial epithelial cells, but not in lung cancer cells. Our findings support a "double hit" mechanism wherein early decreased XPC expression and resultant aberrant DNA repair, when combined with cigarette smoke exposure, may lead to loss of non-malignant epithelial cells (as observed in COPD), and contributes to early NSCLC transition through altered DNA damage response.

The influence of line types and operating conditions on structural fatigue of bogie frame in the quasi-high-speed train: an experimental study

The operational condition of the quasi-high speed train is more complex than that of a high-speed train. It is essential to investigate the distinctive damage characteristics of the bogie during the operation of diverse line types. This paper obtains the dynamic stress at key positions through the measurement of the bogie frame and analyzes the characteristics under different service conditions. The results show that the impact excitation of the track had the most significant influence on the structural damage of the bogie frame, which could cause more than 50% of the total damage. The weld at the locating node of the axle box is the most affected by rail-wheel impact, with the damage increasing by 2.3 times. When running on the existing line, the damage caused by the braking load on the weld at the joint of transverse beam and longitudinal beam, the weld at the joint of transverse beam and longitudinal beam is nearly five times greater than that at uniform speed. Furthermore, the damage of the weld at the joint of transverse beam and longitudinal beam and the weld at the joint of transverse beam and side beam has an increase of more than 24% with the decrease of the curve radius. The radius of the high-speed line has a minimal increase influence on the damage to the weld at the locating node of the axle box. The majority of the damage to the structure is attributable to excitation below 150 Hz, with a cumulative damage in this frequency range exceeding 80%. The characteristics of the dynamic stress distribution satisfy the combined distribution of the Weibull distribution and logarithm normal distribution. The frequency range corresponding to 70% of the total damage at each measurement point is wider on the existing line than the high-speed line.

Public health implications of satellite-detected widespread damage to WASH infrastructure in the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, has resulted in widespread attacks across the territory, damaging water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure. Recent public health assessments show an increased prevalence of waterborne diseases - including polio, Hepatitis A, and gastrointestinal conditions - linked to curtailed access to safe water, exposure to contaminated water, and non-functional WASH infrastructure. However, there is a persistent lack of information on the locations and details of damaged WASH infrastructure across the Gaza Strip that can guide short-term water interventions and inform long-term recovery efforts. This study provides an assessment of the status of Gaza Strip WASH infrastructure through analysis of damage using open-source earth observation and geospatial data. Drawing from six sources, we identified 239 WASH sites spanning 11 types of infrastructure across the Gaza Strip and analyzed very-high resolution satellite imagery at each site to assess indicators of damage incurred through late February 2024. We found that 49.8% (n = 119) of sites had been damaged, including at least half of the desalination plants, water pumping stations, and water towers that formed the backbone of Gaza's WASH infrastructure prior to the escalation of conflict. We observed WASH infrastructure damage in all five governorates, though damage was most pronounced in North Gaza, Gaza, and Khan Yunis Governorates. Due to limited access to multiple sources of satellite imagery, the practical impossibility of creating a comprehensive pre-conflict WASH infrastructure dataset, and the limitation of our scope amid ongoing hostilities, these findings likely represent a conservative underestimate of total WASH infrastructure damage. While this research does not attribute any individual attack to a specific belligerent, the breadth of WASH infrastructure damage as a result of Israel's invasion in the Gaza Strip points to grave public health consequences, which will have long-lasting repercussions for morbidity and mortality.

Protective Effects of BPC 157 on Liver, Kidney, and Lung Distant Organ Damage in Rats with Experimental Lower-Extremity Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury.

Background and Objectives: Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury can affect multiple distant organs following I/R in the lower extremities. BPC-157's anti-inflammatory and free radical-neutralizing properties suggest its potential in mitigating ischemia-reperfusion damage. This study evaluates the protective effects of BPC-157 on remote organ damage, including the kidneys, liver, and lungs, in a rat model of skeletal muscle I/R injury. Materials and Methods: A total of 24 male Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into four groups: sham (S), BPC-157(B), lower extremity I/R(IR) and lower extremity I/R+BPC-157(I/RB). Some 45 min of ischemia of lower extremity was followed by 2 h of reperfusion of limbs. BPC-157 was applied to groups B and I/RB at the beginning of the procedure. After 2 h of reperfusion, liver, kidney and lung tissues were harvested for biochemical and histopathological analyses. Results: In the histopathological examination, vascular and glomerular vacuolization, tubular dilation, hyaline casts, and tubular cell shedding in renal tissue were significantly lower in the I/RB group compared to other groups. Lung tissue showed reduced interstitial edema, alveolar congestion, and total damage scores in the I/RB group. Similarly, in liver tissue, sinusoidal dilation, necrotic cells, and mononuclear cell infiltration were significantly lower in the I/RB group. Additionally, the evaluation of TAS, TOS, OSI, and PON-1 revealed a statistically significant increase in antioxidant activity in the liver, lung, and kidney tissues of the I/RB group. Conclusions: The findings of this study demonstrate that BPC-157 exerts a significant protective effect against distant organ damage in the liver, kidneys, and lungs following lower extremity ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.

Early total care and damage control orthopaedics result in partially contrasting patterns of microRNA expression at the fracture site and in the systemic circulation : an animal study.

The aims of this study, using a porcine model of multiple trauma, were to investigate the expression of microRNAs at the fracture site, in the fracture haematoma (fxH) and in the fractured bone, compared with a remote unfractured long bone, to characterize the patterns of expression of circulating microRNAs in plasma, and identify and validate messenger RNA (mRNA) targets of the microRNAs. Two multiple trauma treatment strategies were compared: early total care (ETC) and damage control orthopaedics (DCO). For this study, fxH, fractured bone, unfractured control bone, plasma, lung, and liver samples were harvested. MicroRNAs were analyzed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction arrays, and the identified mRNA targets were validated in vivo in the bone, fxH, lung, and liver tissue. MicroRNA expression was associated with the trauma treatment strategy and differed depending on the type of sample. In the ETC group, a more advanced fracture healing response, as reflected by the expression of osteogenic microRNAs, was seen compared with the DCO group. DCO treatment resulted in a more balanced immune response in the systemic circulation as represented by significant upregulations of several anti-inflammatory microRNAs. The in vivo validation of the abundance of putative mRNA targets reflected the levels of microRNAs which were identified. Local and systemic microRNA patterns of expression were identified, specific for the treatment strategy in multiple trauma, which corresponded with the expression of mRNA at the fracture site and in target organs. These findings match clinical observations and offer insights into the cellular communication which may underlie the effects of using different surgical strategies in patients with multiple trauma, both locally and systemically. We also identified a systemic involvement of microRNAs in multiple trauma which may include distant cellular communication between injured tissues. Further research may further describe the temporospatial role of circulating microRNAs after multiple trauma, their potential role in communication between organs, and prospective therapeutic applications.

Interfacial damage mechanical characterization and evolution model of EB-PVD thermal barrier coatings based on 3D-DIC technology

Abstract Thermal barrier coatings (TBCs), owing to their excellent properties, are widely used in aero-engines to enhance efficiency and extend lifespan. In this paper, a novel uniaxial compression-based mechanical characterization model for TBCs interface damage was proposed, which is applicable to a range of buckling modes. Furthermore, with the aid of threedimensional digital image correlation (3D-DIC) technology, the exfoliation criterion of TBCs in room temperature compression tests was determined, and damage quantification was achieved in conjunction with the damage characterization model. The results indicate that total damage consists of oxidative, cyclic, and sintering damages, and respective damage evolution models were established. Finally, the total interface damage evolution model of TBCs was constructed based on the principle of nonlinear accumulation of damage The results demonstrate that the error between the measured and calculated damage values is less than ±10%, indicating high accuracy.

Delayed Harvest Reduces Postharvest Quality and Storability of Southern Highbush cv. Meadowlark and Rabbiteye Blueberry cv. Brightwell

Blueberries are produced worldwide due to their high demand and antioxidant benefits. Berry quality, including texture, flavor, and antioxidant properties, influence consumer preferences and marketability. Harvesting blueberries at shorter intervals is essential for maintaining fruit quality, including firmness and flavor, while also minimizing postharvest losses. This study investigated the effects of delayed harvests on the postharvest quality of ‘Meadowlark’, a highbush blueberry, and ‘Brightwell’, a rabbiteye blueberry, harvested from two different locations in South Georgia in 2022 and 2023. The treatments consisted of harvest dates, with two harvests in 2022 and three harvests in 2023, followed by three storage-duration treatments (7, 14, and 21 days of storage) to evaluate postharvest quality. Fruit firmness, berry diameter, color, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, berry damage (%), and anthocyanin concentration were assessed at harvest and following storage days. In both cultivars, harvest 1 showed higher fruit firmness and storability compared with harvests 2 and 3 in 2023. During storage, the decline in firmness was higher in harvests 2 and 3 compared with harvest 1. Fruit from the delayed harvests exhibited the highest percentage of berry damage both at harvest and after 21 days of storage. Anthocyanin concentration varied across cultivars and years, with berries from harvest 2 having a higher anthocyanin concentration at harvest in 2022 and 2023 in the Brightwell cultivar. Overall, this study highlights the importance of optimizing harvest dates to maintain the postharvest quality and shelf life of blueberries.

Improving the Seismic Performance of Structures Based on Minimizing the Total Damage Index and the Uniform Distribution of Damage at the Height of Structures

Improving the Seismic Performance of Structures Based on Minimizing the Total Damage Index and the Uniform Distribution of Damage at the Height of Structures

Analysis of Energy Use and Environmental Impacts of Pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) in Conventional and Bio-friendly Production Systems

Humankind and natural ecosystems are facing global changes. There is a clear influence of human activities due to the use of contaminant energies among other factors. Therefore, it is a priority to find clean energies with less environmental impacts coming from bio-friendly production systems. Therefore, the main aim of this research is to examine energy use patterns, greenhouse gas emission (CO2, N2O, and CH4) and life cycle assessment (LCA) in pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) production systems. As experimental plots, we selected one plantation located in the North Khorasan province of Iran. Data were collected from two pistachio orchards with conventional (CPS) and with bio-friendly production systems (BPS). In 2 seasonal years, from 2020 to 2021, a functional unit of 1000 kg pistachio was used. The results indicated that total energy consumption in the conventional pistachio production system reached 58,759.86 MJ ha−1 in comparison to bio-friendly pistachio production systems with 31,149.02 MJ ha−1, accounting for 36.0% of fertilizer energy, 26% of diesel energy, and 12.7% of electricity. The energy use efficiency for the CPS and BPS was respectively 0.38 and 0.73, and also energy productivity for CPS reached 0.01 kg MJ ha−1 and BPS 0.02 kg MJ ha−1. Results indicated that the direct energy for CPS was 19.6% and for BPS 39.03%, but indirect energy inputs for CPS and BPS registered 76.4 and 60.5%, respectively. It was found that the non-renewable form of energy input for CPS was 83.8% and for BPS just 57.6%. We conclude that chemicals (pesticides, fertilizers), fuel and electricity were the most important inputs for the pistachio production system, which also influenced total CO2, N2O and CH4 emissions due to chemical inputs for CPS. In CPS and BPS, the total global warming potential (GWP) was 2445.24 and 1507.99 kg CO2eq ha−1, respectively. Compared to CPS, the application of the BPS method reduces total damage to human health, ecosystems, and resources.

Life Cycle Assessment of Waste Glass Geopolymerization for the Production of Sustainable Construction Materials

Replacing conventional materials with new recycled materials is one of the goals of sustainable development, as it promotes the creation of environmentally friendly products while reducing the amount of waste to be treated. A common recyclable waste stream associated with urban living is waste glass, which typically comes from packaging or product containers. Although most of this stream can be reused and/or recycled, it is worth exploring alternative uses, especially for areas with high fluctuations in waste glass production. An example would be the sudden increase in waste glass in tourist areas during the high season. To this end, the present work presents the results from the life cycle assessment of waste glass geopolymerization for the production of cement tiles. The methodology includes the estimation of mass and energy balances by dividing the whole process into several sub-processes (NaOH addition, energy consumption, etc.). The NaOH addition was found to be the most burden-intensive process, with a total damage of 9 × 10−5 DALY per ton of waste glass in the human health category, while a minor contribution in all damage categories was attributed to process electricity demands (7.7 to 19.4%). By comparing the geopolymerization process with conventional recycling, an environmental benefit of 20 mPt and 26 kg CO2 per ton of waste glass was demonstrated, indicating the process’s expediency. The present study is a valuable tool for the up-scaling of processes towards a circular economy.

Segmentation of Wheat Rust Disease Using Co-Salient Feature Extraction

Wheat Stripe Rust Disease (WRD) poses a significant threat to wheat crops, causing substantial yield losses and can result in total crop damage if not detected early. The localization of WRD-infected areas is a labor-intensive and time-consuming task due to the intricate and varied nature of the disease spread, especially for large plantations. Hence, segmentation of wheat crops is vital for early identification of the WRD-affected area, which allows for the implementation of targeted intervention measures. The state-of-the-art segmentation technique for WRD using the real-world semantic segmentation NWRD dataset is based on a UNet model with the Adaptive Patching with Feedback (APF) technique. However, this implementation is complex and requires significant resources and time for training due to the processing of each patch of the dataset. Our work in this paper improves the state-of-the-art by using a two-stage model: a Vision Transformer (ViT) classifier to distinguish between the rust and non-rust patches and a less complex co-salient object detection (Co-SOD) model for segmentation of the classified images. The Co-SOD model uses multiple rust patches to extract contextual features from a group of images. By analyzing multiple patches of wheat rust disease simultaneously, we can segment disease regions more accurately. Our results show that the proposed approach achieves a higher F1 score (0.638), precision (0.621), and recall (0.675) for the rust class with 5× less training time as compared to the previous works.

In vitro evaluation of anthelmintic activity of biocompatibile carbon quantum dot nanocomposite against egg and larval stages of equine strongyles

BackgroundStrongyle nematodes pose a major challenge in veterinary parasitology, causing significant economic losses in livestock due to resistance to conventional treatments. Current anthelmintics, like Ivermectin, often encounter resistance issues. This study aims to address these gaps by synthesizing Carbon Quantum Dots (CQDs) and Copper-Doped CQDs (Cu@CQDs) using glucose extract, and evaluating their nematicidal properties against strongyles in vitro. We assessed the nematicidal effects of CQDs and Cu@CQDs through larval feeding inhibition of first-stage larvae (L1), egg hatch inhibition (EHI), and the mobility and mortality of infectious larvae (L3s). Additionally, we conducted ultrastructural examinations of eggs and larvae and evaluated oxidative/nitrosative stress indicators, including total antioxidant status (TAS), protein carbonylation (PCO), lipid peroxidation (MDA), and oxidative DNA damage in homogenized samples of L3s.ResultsThe synthesized CQDs displayed semi-spherical morphology with diameters under 30 nm. Cu@CQDs at 12.5 µg/ml achieved over 90% EHI and larval motility inhibition. Fluorescence microscopy confirmed over 90% larval feeding inhibition at the same concentration. Both CQDs and Cu@CQDs induced oxidative stress, indicated by decreased TAS and increased MDA, PCO, and oxidative DNA damage. Scanning Electron Microscopy showed that CQDs and Cu@CQDs penetrated the larvae cuticle, altered the tegument, caused larval mortality, and resulted in egg deformities.ConclusionsGiven the potential for resistance to Ivermectin, seeking suitable alternatives is essential. Cu@CQDs exhibit effects similar to Ivermectin, indicating their potential as novel antiparasitic agents against strongyles. These findings emphasize the importance of exploring alternative treatments to address resistance and enhance nematode control efficacy.Graphical

Klasterisasi Daerah Rawan Bencana Alam Menggunakan Algoritma K-Means

East Java is a province with high vulnerability to disasters, such as floods, landslides, earthquakes, and strong winds, which have an impact on material losses, casualties, and deterioration of socio-economic conditions, especially in rural areas. The lack of mitigation strategies and resource allocation worsens disaster management. This study aims to classify disaster data using the K-Means algorithm to overcome the limitations of descriptive analysis conducted by BPBD East Java. The data used includes 1125 disaster events with variable disaster frequency, total damage, and the number of casualties per sub-district in East Java districts and cities during 2021-2022, obtained from the official website of the East Java BPBD. The K-Means algorithm was chosen because of its efficiency in managing big data and its flexibility in cluster formation. The results of the study show that in 2021, the region in East Java is divided into three clusters based on the level of disaster risk: Cluster 1 (low risk) with 192 sub-districts, Cluster 2 (medium risk) with 35 sub-districts, and Cluster 3 (high risk) with 10 sub-districts. In 2022, significant changes were seen in Cluster 1, which includes 462 sub-districts, Cluster 2 with 20 sub-districts, and Cluster 3 with 11 sub-districts. The results of this study are expected to support the government's decision-making priorities, especially in disaster management and resource allocation based on risk levels

Calculation of the integrated fluence and radiation damage on the MNSR reactor aluminum vessel (LT-21)

One of the major limiting factors to nuclear reactors lifetime is the radiation-induced material damage in the reactor vessel (RV). In this study, the MCNP cross-sectional library (ENDF/B-VI) was modified to evaluate and analyze the radiation damage on the aluminum vessel of the MNSR research reactor. The neutron fluence, displacements per atom (DPA), gas production rate (He and H), heating rate and silicon production were calculated in the aluminum vessel. The result showed after 5000 h of operating time, the maximum integrated fluences on the vessel surface were 4.79 × 1017 and 5.83 × 1016 n.cm−2 in the thermal and fast regions, respectively. The total damage, gas production (H and He), heating rate and silicon production were 3.14 × 10−04 dpa, 8.46 × 10−04 appm and 1.20 × 10−04 appm, 1.20 × 10−04 J/g and 1.20 × 10−04 g−1, respectively. The contribution of the fast neutrons in the radiation damage, gas production (H and He) and heating rate was most effective. The radiation damage on the reactor vessel is less than the limits, and the reactor operation can be continued.

The impact of a disaster medicine clinical training program on medical students' disaster literacy.

This study was conducted to assess how students' disaster literacy was affected by the Disaster Medicine Clinical Training Program at the Izmir Democracy University Faculty of Medicine (IDUFM) during the academic year 2022-2023. Using an experimental method involving experimental and control groups, measurements were made at different times. The sample consisted of 5th-year students at IDUFM for the experimental group, while the control group was composed of 3rd- and 4th-year students from different buildings with limited interaction with the experimental group. The clinical training program was organized to improve the clinical practice skills of students in the field of disaster medicine and provide theoretical information. Throughout their internship, the students were provided with a program including information on types of disasters, preparation, response, relief, emergency surgical procedures, hospital disaster plans, national and international organizations and institutions working in disasters, and other relevant topics. The Disaster Literacy Scale (DLS) was used to collect data. This scale is a self-report scale that was developed to evaluate knowledge levels about disasters. In this study, the scale was applied as a pretest and a posttest, and the obtained data were analyzed using independent samples and paired-sample t-tests. The DLS scores of the experimental group showed significant improvement after the training program compared to their pretest scores (Total Scale: p<0.001, Damage Mitigation: p=0.002, Preparation: p<0.001, Response: p<0.001, and Relief: p=0.004). When comparing the posttest results of the experimental group with the control group, the experimental group demonstrated significantly higher scores in Total Scale (p=0.01), Damage Mitigation (p=0.02), Response (p=0.03), and Relief (p<0.001). However, no significant differences were observed between the experimental group's pretest (T1) scores and the control group's posttest (T3) scores (p>0.05p>0.05p>0.05), indicating that the knowledge levels of the experimental and control groups were homogeneous prior to the training intervention. These findings confirm the effectiveness of the Disaster Medicine Training Program in improving disaster literacy and response skills among medical students. This study, which aimed to determine the effects of the Disaster Medicine Clinical Training Program on the disaster literacy of medical students, revealed that the program increased the literacy levels of the students and contributed to their responsible decision-making. It is thought that such education programs can make significant contributions to the effective management of healthcare services in disaster situations.