A comparison of the toxicity of the botanical insecticide, Sirinol and two chemical insecticides, Mospilan and Consult, on two natural enemies of the pistachio psyllid, coccinellid predator (Oenopia conglobata)...

Full Title: A comparison of the toxicity of the botanical insecticide, Sirinol and two chemical insecticides, Mospilan and Consult, on two natural enemies of the pistachio psyllid, coccinellid predator (Oenopia conglobata) and parasitic wasp (Psyllaephagus pistaciae)The common pistachio psyllid, Agonoscena pistaciae, is one of the most important pests of pistachio tree. This pest has many natural enemies and some of the important ones are the coccinellid predator (CP) (Oenopia conglobata) and the parasitic wasp (PW) (Psyllaephagus pistaciae). In this research, the effect of three concentrations of Sirinol on the first and fourth instar larvae and the adult of O. conglobata and on the pupae and adult of P. pistaciae was tested and the toxicity of this insecticide was compared with that of two chemical insecticides, Consult and Mospilan. Topical bioassay was carried out in laboratory condition; however, to investigate the resistance stage of the parasitic wasp, a completely randomized experimental design was used in the field condition in 2010 and 2011. The results of these experiments show that the chemical pesticide, Mospilan, caused more mortality of all the stages of the two previously mentioned natural enemies than did Sirinol. The results show that Mospilan had a slightly harmful, moderately harmful, moderately harmful, and slightly harmful effect on the adult of the PW and the adult and the first and fourth instar larvae of the CP, respectively and Consult had a harmless, slightly harmful, slightly harmful, and moderately harmful effect on the named stages of the PW and CP respectively. On the other hand, Sirinol had a slightly harmful effect on the adult of PW, but a harmless effect on the other stages; consequently, it falls into the category of International Organisation for Biological Control (IOBC). The field experiments conducted in 2010 and 2011 showed that 15.79% Mospilan, 13.8% Consult, and 6.49% Sirinol caused the mortality of the larvae and pupae of the PW. This research showed that Sirinol which caused very low mortality of the natural enemies of pistachio psyllid can be used in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program in pistachio orchards.Keywords: Oenopia conglobata, Psyllaephagus pistaciae, insecticide, Sirinol, Consult, Mospila

Cost Estimation of Road Traffic Injuries Among Iranian Motorcyclists Using the Willingness to Pay Method

Background: Motorcycle riders are amongst some of the most vulnerable road users. The burden of motorcycles injuries from low and middle income countries is under-reported. Objectives: In this study, the cost of traffic injuries among motorcyclists was calculated using the willingness to pay (WTP) method in Iran in 2013. Patients and Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 143 motorcyclists were randomly selected. The research questionnaire was prepared based on the standard WTP method [stated preference (SP), contingent value (CV) and revealed preference (RP) models] taking into consideration perceived risks, especially those in Iran. Data were collected by a scenario for motorcyclists. The criteria for inclusion in the study consisted of having at least a high school education and being in the age range of 18 - 65 years. The final analysis of the WTP data was performed using the Weibull model. Results: The mean WTP was 888,110 IRR (Iranian Rial) among motorcyclists. The statistical value of life was estimated according to 4694 death cases as 3,146,225,350,943 IRR, which was equivalent to USD 104,874,178 based on the dollar free market rate of 30,000 IRR (purchasing power parity). The cost of injury was 6,903,839,551,000 IRR, equivalent to USD 230,127,985 (based upon 73,325 injured motorcyclists in 2013, a daily traffic volume of 311, and a daily payment of 12,110 IRR for 250 working days). In total, injury and death cases came to 10,050,094,901,943 IRR, equivalent to USD 335,003,163. Willingness to pay had a significant relationship with having experienced an accident, the length of the daily trip (in km), and helmet use (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Willingness to pay can be affected by experiencing an accident, the distance of the daily trip, and helmet use. The cost of traffic injuries among motorcyclists shows that this rate is much higher than the global average. Thus, expenditure should be made on effective initiatives such as the safety of motorcyclists

The geology and hydrology of the CarbFix2 site, SW-Iceland

Injection of CO2 and H2S emissions from the Hellisheidi Geothermal Power Plant, SW-Iceland, as part of the CarbFix project, is currently taking place in the Húsmúli reinjection zone. Here we present detailed descriptions of the geology of the reservoir rock in Húsmúli including descriptions of its intrusions, secondary mineralogy and sources of permeability. We further present preliminary results from a modelling study of the Húsmúli reinjection zone that was conducted to obtain better understanding of flow paths in the area. The model was calibrated using results from an extensive tracer test that was carried out in 2013-2015

Preferential Paths of Air-water Two-phase Flow in Porous Structures with Special Consideration of Channel Thickness Effects.

Accurate understanding and predicting the flow paths of immiscible two-phase flow in rocky porous structures are of critical importance for the evaluation of oil or gas recovery and prediction of rock slides caused by gas-liquid flow. A 2D phase field model was established for compressible air-water two-phase flow in heterogenous porous structures. The dynamic characteristics of air-water two-phase interface and preferential paths in porous structures were simulated. The factors affecting the path selection of two-phase flow in porous structures were analyzed. Transparent physical models of complex porous structures were prepared using 3D printing technology. Tracer dye was used to visually observe the flow characteristics and path selection in air-water two-phase displacement experiments. The experimental observations agree with the numerical results used to validate the accuracy of phase field model. The effects of channel thickness on the air-water two-phase flow behavior and paths in porous structures were also analyzed. The results indicate that thick channels can induce secondary air flow paths due to the increase in flow resistance; consequently, the flow distribution is different from that in narrow channels. This study provides a new reference for quantitatively analyzing multi-phase flow and predicting the preferential paths of immiscible fluids in porous structures

Recognizing Speech in a Novel Accent: The Motor Theory of Speech Perception Reframed

The motor theory of speech perception holds that we perceive the speech of another in terms of a motor representation of that speech. However, when we have learned to recognize a foreign accent, it seems plausible that recognition of a word rarely involves reconstruction of the speech gestures of the speaker rather than the listener. To better assess the motor theory and this observation, we proceed in three stages. Part 1 places the motor theory of speech perception in a larger framework based on our earlier models of the adaptive formation of mirror neurons for grasping, and for viewing extensions of that mirror system as part of a larger system for neuro-linguistic processing, augmented by the present consideration of recognizing speech in a novel accent. Part 2 then offers a novel computational model of how a listener comes to understand the speech of someone speaking the listener's native language with a foreign accent. The core tenet of the model is that the listener uses hypotheses about the word the speaker is currently uttering to update probabilities linking the sound produced by the speaker to phonemes in the native language repertoire of the listener. This, on average, improves the recognition of later words. This model is neutral regarding the nature of the representations it uses (motor vs. auditory). It serve as a reference point for the discussion in Part 3, which proposes a dual-stream neuro-linguistic architecture to revisits claims for and against the motor theory of speech perception and the relevance of mirror neurons, and extracts some implications for the reframing of the motor theory

Effect of Salt Contamination on the Filtration Loss in 4% Bentonite Drilling Mud with Xanthan Gum

Abstract In this study the filter loss in drilling mud with contamination of salt (sodium chloride, NaCl) was investigated. The drilling mud contained water, 4% bentonite and 0.5 lb/bbl (equivalent to 1.43 g/L) xanthan gum [1]. 0.5% salt (sodium chloride, NaCl) increased the fluid loss by over 30%. Addition of 0.5% surfactant reduced the fluid loss of contaminated drilling mud by over 40%. Introduction Polymer with the name of &quot;polysaccharide&quot; is a class of materials made of a chain of thousands of similar small unit molecules &quot;monomers&quot;. Xanthan gum is a high-molecular-weight biopolysaccharide produced by bacterial growth. Commercially, this polymer is produced by growing the bacteria by a fermentation process, precipitating the gum in alcohol, and then drying and milling the product to a powdered form, then, it is added to a liquid medium to form the gum. The Xanthan gum Molecular formula is C 35 H 49 O 29 [2]. Xanthan gum has been used in drilling fluids, fracturing fluids, completion fluids and enhanced oil recovery polymer floods [3]. Moreover, this polymer has been used as viscosities and fluid loss control in oil and gas industry also can be used in almost any type of water and as a suspending agent [4, 5]. Objective The main objective was to investigate (including fluid loss and changes in resistivity) the effect of salt contamination on xanthan gum modified 4% bentonite drilling mud. Materials and Methods Three samples have been used: 1. Water, 4% bentonite and 0.5 lb/bbl (equivalent to 1.43 g/L) xanthan gum (C 35 H 49 O 29 ); 2. Water, 4% bentonite, 0.5 lb/bbl (equivalent to 1.43 g/L) xanthan gum (C 35 H 49 O 29 ) and 0.5% salt (sodium chloride, NaCl) and 3. Water, 4% bentonite and 0.5 lb/bbl (equivalent to 1.43 g/L) xanthan gum (C 35 H 49 O 29 ), 0.5% salt (sodium chloride, NaCl) and 0.5% surfactant. The filter loss and resistivity were measured. Results and Discussion It was found that presence of salt (sodium chloride, NaCl) or contamination increases the filtration of the water based drilling fluid by 30%. Adding surfactant decreased the filter loss in salt contaminated drilling mud about 40%. Presence of sodium chloride can be detected by measuring resistivity due to influence of salt (sodium chloride, NaCl) on the increasing the conductivity. Therefore, by adding sodium chloride the resistivity decreased by 86%, after adding surfactant the changes in resistivity was doubled. Conclusion Based on this study contamination increases the filter loss about 30% and decreased the resistivity by 86% compared to the sample with no contamination. Adding surfactant improved this filtration considerably (about 40%) while the resistivity got doubled compared to contaminated drilling mud

Hybrid Legendre polynomials and Block-Pulse functions approach for nonlinear Volterra–Fredholm integro-differential equations

AbstractThis paper introduces an approach for obtaining the numerical solution of the nonlinear Volterra–Fredholm integro-differential (NVFID) equations using hybrid Legendre polynomials and Block-Pulse functions. These hybrid functions and their operational matrices are used for representing matrix form of these equations. The main characteristic of this approach is that it reduces NVFID equations to a system of algebraic equations, which greatly simplifying the problem. Numerical examples illustrate the validity and applicability of the proposed method

Intelligent Solubility estimation of Gaseous Hydrocarbons in Ionic Liquids

Peer review under responsibility of Southwest Petroleum University.The research focuses on evaluating how well new solvents attract light hydrocarbons, such as propane, methane, and ethane, in natural gas sweetening units. It is important to accurately determine the solubility of hydrocarbons in these solvents to effectively manage the sweetening process. To address this challenge, the study proposes using advanced empirical models based on artificial intelligence techniques like Multi-Layer Artificial Neural Network (ML-ANN), Support Vector Machines (SVM), and Least Square Support Vector Machine (LSSVM). The parameters for the SVM and LSSVM models are estimated using optimization methods like Genetic Algorithm (GA), Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), and Shuffled Complex Evolution (SCE). Data on the solubility of propane, methane, and ethane in various ionic liquids is collected from reliable literature sources to create a comprehensive database. The proposed artificial intelligence models show great accuracy in predicting hydrocarbon solubility in ionic liquids. Among these models, the hybrid SVM models perform exceptionally well, with the PSO-SVM hybrid model being particularly efficient computationally. To ensure a comprehensive analysis, different examples of hydrocarbons and their order are included. Additionally, a comparative analysis is conducted to compare the AI models with the thermodynamic COSMO-RS model for solubility analysis. The results demonstrate the superiority of the AI models, as they outperform traditional thermodynamic models across a wide range of data. In conclusion, this study introduces advanced artificial intelligence algorithms like ML-ANN, SVM, and LSSVM for accurately estimating the solubility of hydrocarbons in ionic liquids. The incorporation of optimization techniques and variations in hydrocarbon examples improves the accuracy, precision, and reliability of these intelligent models. These findings highlight the significant potential of AI-based approaches in solubility analysis and emphasize their superiority over traditional thermodynamic models.TBC © 2023 Southwest Petroleum University. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of KeAi Communications Co. Ltd

Crohn’s Disease with Oral Onset - A Case Report

Background: Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disease that can affect any part of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract including the mouth. Bowel symptoms are predominant. Oral involvement may precede the GI symptoms. This case report presents a patient affected by Crohn’s disease with oral onset. Case presentation: We present a 30-year-old pregnant woman complaining of chronic, multiple, yellow-white crusted ulcers predominantly involving the lips. In addition, there were small painless lesions on the palate, buccal and labial attached gingivae, alveolar mucosa and vestibule. The lesions were present since 3 months ago. The patient had not previously experienced any oral lesions or systemic diseases. The laboratory tests were normal.  Laboratory investigation showed increase in neutrophil and eosinophil count. Incisional biopsy of the buccal mucosal lesions was performed. In histopathological examination, acanthotic and parakeratotic epithelium with intraepithelial clefts was observed. Inflammatory cells such as eosinophil and polymorphonuclear (PMN) leukocytes were profoundly present in the clefts and diffusely in the epithelium. Blood vessels, collagen fibers and in-depth muscle and fat tissues were also observed. Based on these characteristics, the diagnosis of pyostomatitis vegetans was made. Considering the biopsy results and the presence of GI symptoms such as abdominal pain and diarrhea after postpartum, Crohn’s disease was suspected and therefore, the patient was referred to a gastroenterologist for definitive diagnosis and treatment. The patient showed the diagnostic signs of Crohn’s disease. Conclusion: This report emphasizes the important role of oral lesions as the first sign in the diagnosis of systemic diseases