Search for ^(26)Al effects in the Allende Fun Inclusion C1

The Mg isotopic composition in plagioclase from the Allende inclusion C1 has been measured to correlate excess ^(26)Mg^* with isotopic anomalies for elements of higher atomic number. No large ^(26)Mg^* excesses were observed in samples with ^(27)Al/^(24)Mg up to 165. The inferred initial ^(26)Al/^(27)Al is 5 × 10^(−6) which is a factor of ten less than previously observed in other Allende inclusions. The low ^(26)Al abundance may be the result of late formation of C1 (by 2.5 m.y.) or due to the non-uniform addition of ^(26)Al to the solar system. The major mineral phases in C1 which are Mg rich and the bulk alteration products all have a uniform Mg isotopic composition with 30‰ per mass unit fractionation and δ^(26)Mg≈ −1.6‰. The plagioclase data show variable Mg isotopic fractionation which ranges from 0 to 30‰ per mass unit. Isotopic homogeneity was demonstrated for the major mineral phases rich in Mg both in macroscopic samples and in microscopic individual crystals. The detailed correlation of ^(26)Al with the more general isotopic anomalies and its use as a chronometer marking the production and introduction of isotopically anomalous material into the solar system remains an open question

Differential Quadrature Solution of Hyperbolic Telegraph Equation

Differential quadrature method (DQM) is proposed for the numerical solution of one- and two-space dimensional hyperbolic telegraph equation subject to appropriate initial and boundary conditions. Both polynomial-based differential quadrature (PDQ) and Fourier-based differential quadrature (FDQ) are used in space directions while PDQ is made use of in time direction. Numerical solution is obtained by using Gauss-Chebyshev-Lobatto grid points in space intervals and equally spaced and/or GCL grid points for the time interval. DQM in time direction gives the solution directly at a required time level or steady state without the need of iteration. DQM also has the advantage of giving quite good accuracy with considerably small number of discretization points both in space and time direction

Pollution profile and waste minimization study for a corn processing industry

Bu çalışmada Marmara Bölgesi’nde faaliyet gösteren büyük bir mısır işleme endüstrisi için kirlenme profili oluşturularak, çeşitli atık azaltım önerileri getirilmiştir. Bu amaçla söz konusu tesiste oluşan atıksu kaynak ve miktarları ile atıksu dışındaki atıkların tür, miktar ve özellikleri incelenmiştir. Tesiste üretim sürekli olup, ıslak öğütme ve rafineri olmak üzere iki temel proses mevcuttur. Tesisin üretim kademesindeki her bir işlem esnasında oluşan kirlilik konsantrasyonu belirlenerek kirlilik profili oluşturulmuştur. Endüstrinin biyolojik ve kimyasal kısımdan oluşan üç kademeli ileri atıksu arıtma tesisinin verimi ile deşarj suyunun kalitesi incelenerek ulusal ve uluslararası deşarj standartlarıyla kıyaslanmıştır. Kirlenme profilinin oluşturulmasında 2004-2005 dönemine ait bir yıllık kompozit numune bazlı analiz sonuçları dikkate alınmıştır. Kirlenme profili için KOİ yükü, deşarj suyunun değerlendirilmesinde ise KOİ, amonyak, nitrat, toplam fosfor ve askıda katı madde parametreleri incelenmiştir. Tesis için oluşturulan kirlenme profili incelendiğinde birim ürün başına oluşan atıksu miktarının rafineri prosesinde literatürle uyumlu olduğu; ıslak öğütme prosesinde ise literatür değerinin üstünde olduğu görülmüştür. Birim ürün başına KOİ yükleri incelendiğinde ise tesis değerlerinin literatür değerinin altında kaldığı görülmüştür. Atıksu oluşumu ve kirlilik açısından en önemli payı ıslak öğütme prosesinde yer alan evaporatör kondanse suyu oluşturmaktadır. İşletmenin arıtma tesisi performansına bakıldığında ise çıkış suyu değerlerinin ilgili ulusal ve uluslar arası yönetmelik limitlerini rahatlıkla sağladığı görülmektedir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Atık azaltımı, ileri atıksu arıtımı, kirlenme profili, mısır işleme endüstrisi.Products such as starch, gluten, glucose, dextrin, fructose etc. can be obtained from corn processing. Corn based glucose products are key ingredients in the growing international markets. As the intermediate products, the vegetable oil is bought by catering factories, protein and whole-wheat are bought by the farmers for animal feed, and fructose obtained from the starch is bought by food processing industries for sweetening and beverage. Effluent from corn milling industry is known as high strength wastewater due to its high protein and starch content. Wastewater from corn wet mill industries has high COD?s (chemical oxygen demand) mainly of soluble and biodegradable character, with an initial inert COD content of less than 15%. This character has promoted the application of biological processes as appropriate treatment technology. Anaerobic and/or aerobic biological treatment systems have been used to treat these types of effluents. In this paper, a pollution profile study for a corn processing industry located in Marmara Region as 21 ha was performed and some waste minimization approaches were proposed. For this purpose, the sources and the quantities of wastewater and other types of wastes generated in the industry were investigated. Around 264000 tons of corn are processed and 997000 tons of water are used annually in the investigated industry. The mean specific water usage can be calculated as  about 3.8 m3/t-corn including regeneration and washing waters. The studied industry has a three-stage advanced wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) including anaerobic expanded granular sludge bed reactor (EGSB), intermittently aerated single sludge activated sludge system for biological nitrogen (N) removal and chemical post treatment unit for phosphorus (P) removal. Simultaneous C and N removal is achieved by the aerobic treatment stage. Chemical P removal has been performed by using FeCl3 as the coagulant in the third stage. The final effluents from the WWTP are discharging to a nearby creek. The related corn processing plant has two main production steps including wet mill and starch slurry production. In the wet mill process, corn germ, fiber, gluten and starch slurry are produced from corn by steeping. The starch slurry is further processed to produce glucose, fructose and dextrin in the starch slurry derivatives units. Efficiency of the existing three stage advanced wastewater treatment plant and the quality of effluents from the WWTP were investigated and compared with national and international discharge standards. One year data set (2004-2005) was considered to generate the pollution profile. All analytical measurements have been carried out by APHA standard methods at the wastewater laboratory of the industry. Control analyses have also been performed by Environmental Engineering Department of Istanbul Technical University on monthly basis. COD parameter for the pollution profile and parameters including COD, ammonium, nitrate, total phosphorus, suspended solids and pH were considered for the evaluation of effluents from the WWTP. The identified three wastewater sources from the wet mill process and seven wastewater sources from refinery process were characterized and the pollution profile was generated. The pollution profile have shown that the amount of wastewater generated per ton of raw material in the refinery process is consistent with the related literature, however in wet milling process the corresponding value is above the literature figure. The COD loading values are also in agreement with the previous works. According to pollution profile, wastewater generation and pollutant loads as COD are mainly originated from evaporator vapor condensate. The efforts should be on the way to minimize the pollution loading and wastewater generation of this process. Some advices were given for this purpose in the study. For example, recycled cooling water from evaporator may be treated by mechanically instead chemical treatment to reduce energy and water consumptions in the plant. The quality of the final effluent meets the discharge limits of Aquatic Products and Water Pollution Control Regulations of Turkey and European Union (EU) Urban Wastewater Directive for Sensitive Regions. The whole WWTP has been operated very successfully and it is one of the best plants in this sector. The biosolids from the WWTP is planning to produce compost by mixing the residual corn wastes by applying windrow composting. Keywords: Advanced wastewater treatment, corn processing industry, pollution profile, waste minimization

The Profile of Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) research in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region: Analyzing the NCD burden, research outputs and international research collaboration.

OBJECTIVES: Despite the rising risk factor exposure and non-communicable disease (NCD) mortality across the Middle East and the North African (MENA) region, public health policy responses have been slow and appear discordant with the social, economic and political circumstances in each country. Good health policy and outcomes are intimately linked to a research-active culture, particularly in NCD. In this study we present the results of a comprehensive analysis of NCD research with particular a focus on cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease in 10 key countries that represent a spectrum across MENA between 1991 and 2018. METHODS: The study uses a well validated bibliometric approach to undertake a quantitative analysis of research output in the ten leading countries in biomedical research in the MENA region on the basis of articles and reviews in the Web of Science database. We used filters for each of the three NCDs and biomedical research to identify relevant papers in the WoS. The countries selected for the analyses were based on the volume of research outputs during the period of analysis and stability, included Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. RESULTS: A total of 495,108 biomedical papers were found in 12,341 journals for the ten MENA countries (here we consider Turkey in the context of MENA). For all three NCDs, Turkey's output is consistently the highest. Iran has had considerable growth in research output to occupy second place across all three NCDs. It appears that, relative to their wealth (measured by GDP), some MENA countries, particularly Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, are substantially under-investing in biomedical research. In terms of investment on particular NCDs, we note the relatively greater commitment on cancer research compared with diabetes or cardiovascular disease in most MENA countries, despite cardiovascular disease causing the greatest health-related burden. When considering the citation impact of research outputs, there have been marked rises in citation scores in Qatar, Lebanon, United Arab Emirates and Oman. However, Turkey, which has the largest biomedical research output in the Middle East has the lowest citation scores overall. The level of intra-regional collaboration in NCD research is highly variable. Saudi Arabia and Egypt are the dominant research collaborators across the MENA region. However, Turkey and Iran, which are amongst the leading research-active countries in the area, show little evidence of collaboration. With respect to international collaboration, the United States and United Kingdom are the dominant research partners across the region followed by Germany and France. CONCLUSION: The increase in research activity in NCDs across the MENA region countries during the time period of analysis may signal both an increasing focus on NCDs which reflects general global trends, and greater investment in research in some countries. However, there are several risks to the sustainability of these improvements that have been identified in particular countries within the region. For example, a lack of suitably trained researchers, low political commitment and poor financial support, and minimal international collaboration which is essential for wider global impact

Response of the Great Barrier Reef to sea level and environmental changes over the past 30,000 years

Previous drilling through submerged fossil coral reefs has greatly improved our understanding of the general pattern of sea-level change since the Last Glacial Maximum, however, how reefs responded to these changes remains uncertain. Here we document the evolution of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), the world\u27s largest reef system, to major, abrupt environmental changes over the past 30 thousand years based on comprehensive sedimentological, biological and geochronological records from fossil reef cores. We show that reefs migrated seaward as sea level fell to its lowest level during the most recent glaciation (~20.5-20.7 thousand years ago (ka)), then landward as the shelf flooded and ocean temperatures increased during the subsequent deglacial period (~20-10 ka). Growth was interrupted by five reef-death events caused by subaerial exposure or sea-level rise outpacing reef growth. Around 10 ka, the reef drowned as the sea level continued to rise, flooding more of the shelf and causing a higher sediment flux. The GBR\u27s capacity for rapid lateral migration at rates of 0.2-1.5 m yr−1 (and the ability to recruit locally) suggest that, as an ecosystem, the GBR has been more resilient to past sea-level and temperature fluctuations than previously thought, but it has been highly sensitive to increased sediment input over centennial-millennial timescales

Coral record of Younger Dryas Chronozone warmth on the Great Barrier Reef

Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2020. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology 35(12), (2020): e2020PA003962, doi:10.1029/2020PA003962.The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is an internationally recognized and widely studied ecosystem, yet little is known about its sea surface temperature (SST) evolution since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) (~20 kyr BP). Here, we present the first paleo‐application of Isopora coral‐derived SST calibrations to a suite of 25 previously published fossil Isopora from the central GBR spanning ~25–11 kyr BP. The resultant multicoral Sr/Ca‐ and δ18O‐derived SST anomaly (SSTA) histories are placed within the context of published relative sea level, reef sequence, and coralgal reef assemblage evolution. Our new calculations indicate SSTs were cooler on average by ~5–5.5°C at Noggin Pass (~17°S) and ~7–8°C at Hydrographer's Passage (~20°S) (Sr/Ca‐derived) during the LGM, in line with previous estimates (Felis et al., 2014, https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms5102). We focus on contextualizing the Younger Dryas Chronozone (YDC, ~12.9–11.7 kyr BP), whose Southern Hemisphere expression, in particular in Australia, is elusive and poorly constrained. Our record does not indicate cooling during the YDC with near‐modern temperatures reached during this interval on the GBR, supporting an asymmetric hemispheric presentation of this climate event. Building on a previous study (Felis et al., 2014, https://doi.org10.1038/ncomms5102), these fossil Isopora SSTA data from the GBR provide new insights into the deglacial reef response, with near‐modern warming during the YDC, since the LGM.This work was funded by National Science Foundation (NSF) award OCE 13‐56948 to B. K. L, with NSF GRFP support DGE‐11‐44155 to L. D. B., and the Australian Research Council (grant no. DP1094001) and ANZIC IODP. Partial support for B. K. L's work on this project also came from the Vetlesen Foundation via a gift to the Lamont‐Doherty Earth Observatory. T. F. received funding from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation)—Project number 180346848, through Priority Program 527 “IODP.” A. T. received support from the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NE/H014136/1 and NE/H014268/1). M. T. thanks Ministry of Earth Sciences for support (NCPOR contribution no. J‐84/2020‐21). L. D. B. would also like to thank Kassandra Costa for her input regarding error analysis.2021-06-1

Prevention of Vitamin D deficiency in infancy: daily 400 IU vitamin D is sufficient

<p>Summary</p> <p>Aim-objective</p> <p>Vitamin D deficiency and rickets in developing countries continues to be a major health problem. Additionally, the increase of cases of rickets in children of some ethnic groups in the United States and European countries has provided this issue to be updated. Obviously, powerful strategies are necessary to prevent vitamin D deficiency nation-wide. In 2005, a nationwide prevention program for vitamin D deficiency was initiated, recommending 400 IU vitamin D per a day.</p> <p>This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of the prevention program.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Eighty-five infants who were recalled as part of the national screening program for congenital hypothyroidism between February 2010 and August 2010 at Kocaeli University Children's Hospital were evaluated in terms of their vitamin D status as well. All babies had been provided with free vitamin D (Cholecalciferol) solution and recommended to receive 400 IU (3 drops) daily. Information regarding the age at start of supplementation, the dosage and compliance were obtained from the mothers with face-to-face interview. Serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25-OH-D), alkaline phosphatase (AP), parathormone (PTH) levels were measured.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The mean age at which Vitamin D3 supplementation began was 16.5 ± 20.7 (3-120) days. Ninety percent of cases (n:76) were receiving 3 drops (400 IU) vitamin D3 per day as recommended; 70% of cases (n:59) were given vitamin D3 regularly, the remainder had imperfect compliance. Among those children who are older than 12 months, only 20% continued vitamin D supplementation. No subject had clinical signs of rickets. The mean 25-OH-D level was 42,5 ± 25,8 (median: 38.3) ng/ml. Ten subjects (12%) had their serum 25-OH-D levels lower than 20 ng/ml (6 between 15-20 ng/ml, 3 between 5-15 ng/ml and only one < 5 ng/ml).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>400 U/day vitamin D seems adequate to prevent vitamin D deficiency. However, we believe that the program for preventing vitamin D deficiency in Turkey, needs to be reinforced to start immediately after birth, and to continue beyond 1 year of age at 400U regular daily dosage.</p

Participation of Lower and Upper Middle-Income Countries in Clinical Trials Led by High-Income Countries.

Importance: Many randomized clinical trials (RCTs) led by high-income countries (HICs) now enroll patients from lower middle-income countries (LMICs) and upper middle-income countries (UMICs). Although enrolling diverse populations promotes research collaborations, there are issues regarding which countries participate in RCTs and how this participation may contribute to global research. Objective: To describe which UMICs and LMICs participate in RCTs led by HICs. Design, Setting, and Participants: A cross-sectional study of all oncology RCTs published globally during January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2017, was conducted. The study cohort was restricted to RCTs led by HICs that enrolled participants from LMICs and UMICs. Study analyses were conducted in November 1, 2021, to May 31, 2022. Main Outcomes and Measures: A bibliometric approach (Web of Science 2007-2017) was used to explore whether RCT participation was proportional to other measures of cancer research activity. Participation in RCTs (ie, percentage of RCTs in the cohort in which each LMIC and UMIC participated) was compared with country-level cancer research bibliometric output (ie, percentage of total cancer research bibliometric output from the same group of countries that came from a specific LMIC and UMIC). Results: Among the 636 HIC-led RCTs, 186 trials (29%) enrolled patients in LMICs (n = 84 trials involving 11 LMICs) and/or UMICs (n = 181 trials involving 26 UMICs). The most common participating LMICs were India (42 [50%]), Ukraine (39 [46%]), Philippines (23 [27%]), and Egypt (12 [14%]). The most common participating UMICs were Russia (115 [64%]), Brazil (94 [52%]), Romania (62 [34%]), China (56 [31%]), Mexico (56 [31%]), and South Africa (54 [30%]). Several LMICs are overrepresented in the cohort of RCTs based on proportional cancer research bibliometric output: Ukraine (46% of RCTs but 2% of cancer research bibliometric output), Philippines (27% RCTs, 1% output), and Georgia (8% RCTs, 0.2% output). Overrepresented UMICs include Russia (64% RCTs, 2% output), Romania (34% RCTs, 2% output), Mexico (31% RCTs, 2% output), and South Africa (30% RCTs, 1% output). Conclusions and Relevance: In this cross-sectional study, a substantial proportion of RCTs led by HICs enrolled patients in LMICs and UMICs. The LMICs and UMICs that participated in these trials did not match overall cancer bibliometric output as a surrogate for research ecosystem maturity. Reasons for this apparent discordance and how these data may inform future capacity-strengthening activities require further study

The state of research into children with cancer across Europe : new policies for a new decade

Overcoming childhood cancers is critically dependent on the state of research. Understanding how, with whom and what the research community is doing with childhood cancers is essential for ensuring the evidence-based policies at national and European level to support children, their families and researchers. As part of the European Union funded EUROCANCERCOMS project to study and integrate cancer communications across Europe, we have carried out new research into the state of research in childhood cancers. We are very grateful for all the support we have received from colleagues in the European paediatric oncology community, and in particular from Edel Fitzgerald and Samira Essiaf from the SIOP Europe office. This report and the evidence-based policies that arise from it come at a important junction for Europe and its Member States. They provide a timely reminder that research into childhood cancers is critical and needs sustainable long-term support.peer-reviewe