Efficiency Increase and Fuel Save Benefits of Combined Cycle Operation (Garri Power Plant as a Case Study)

Thermal power plants’ overall efficiency increase, and fuel consumption decrease draw worldwide researcher’s attention due to the limited resources and high cost of fossil fuel. Considering Al-Jaily power plant, the so-called Garri power plants 1 and 2 in Sudan as the case study, this paper compares overall plant efficiency and fuel save with the combined cycle and open cycle operation in which both plants could run. Evaluation of plant’s efficiency is based on the first law of thermodynamics. The results reveal advantage of the combined cycle operation mode in terms of efficiency increase, and on the other hand, in terms of fuel consumption decrease with the same amount of energy produced

How Does The Fasting of Ramadan Affect Breast Milk Constituents?

Background: Breast-feeding of infants is associated with their better biological, psychological and intellectual development. However, many factors affect the volume and composition of human milk such as stage of lactation and maternal diet. Many breast-feeding Muslim mothers fast the lunar month of Ramadan. The effects of fasting on milk constituents have not been previously studied in Sudan. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the variations between milk constituents during fasting and non-fasting periods among a group of Sudanese women.Materials and Methods: Twenty four healthy breast-feeding mothers volunteered to participate in this cross-sectional study. Each mother provided 100 ml of breast milk during fasting and again 2 weeks after end of the fasting month of Ramadan. Milk was properly stored and analyzed for the various constituents, using the appropriate laboratory methods. The main constituents analyzed were: ash, protein, lactose, iron and electrolytes.Results: The age range of lactating women was between 18 and 38 years, mean (+SD) 28.8 (± 5.15 years). Most mothers 17 (70.8%) were house-wives. Analysis of breast milk during fasting and non-fasting periods showed that: lactose, protein, sodium, potassium, calcium and phosphate were significantly decreased in the fasting breast milk compared with the non-fasting milk (p=0.01), while total soluble solid, moisture, ash and iron constituents had not significantly changed during fasting.Conclusion: Fasting of Ramdan significantly affects proteins, carbohydrates and electrolytes in breast milk.Keywords: breast-feeding, milk constituents, Ramadan, fasting

Outcomes of integrating a clinical pharmacist in the pediatric cardiology ward

To date, very limited data are available on clinical pharmacist's services in pediatric cardiology. The aim of this review was to assess "drug-related problems" (DRPs) and patient outcomes during the involvement of the clinical pharmacist in the pediatric cardiology ward. Studies published between January 2000 and November 2021 were searched across Medline, PubMed, Google Scholar, Elsevier, and ScienceDirect for “DRPs” and “patient outcome” with “clinical pharmacist” and “pediatric cardiology”. Results revealed that the incorporation of clinical pharmacists in the multidisciplinary team can detect and resolve DRPs, reduce the overall burden of healthcare costs, and improve drug safety in pediatric cardiology patients. Most DRPs identified and interventions proposed by the clinical pharmacists were accepted by the physicians. Studies have also reported a positive impact on patient outcomes, including: shorter hospital stay, fewer disease events, optimal anticoagulation levels, lipid levels, and blood pressure. Moreover; pharmacist-led discharge medication counseling resulted in better medication adherence, fewer medication discrepancies, and a lower incidence of cardiovascular-associated hospital readmissions. In summary, there is growing evidence that integration and interventions of clinical pharmacists into cardiology ward has a positive influence on DRPs and patient outcomes

Electrical performance of efficient quad-crescent-shaped Si nanowire solar cell

The electrical characteristics of quad-crescent-shaped silicon nanowire (NW) solar cells (SCs) are numerically analyzed and as a result their performance optimized. The structure discussed consists of four crescents, forming a cavity that permits multiple light scattering with high trapping between the NWs. Additionally, new modes strongly coupled to the incident light are generated along the NWs. As a result, the optical absorption has been increased over a large portion of light wavelengths and hence the power conversion efficiency (PCE) has been improved. The electron–hole (e–h) generation rate in the design reported has been calculated using the 3D finite difference time domain method. Further, the electrical performance of the SC reported has been investigated through the finite element method, using the Lumerical charge software package. In this investigation, the axial and core–shell junctions were analyzed looking at the reported crescent and, as well, conventional NW designs. Additionally, the doping concentration and NW-junction position were studied in this design proposed, as well as the carrier-recombination-and-lifetime effects. This study has revealed that the high back surface field layer used improves the conversion efficiency by ∼ 80%. Moreover, conserving the NW radial shell as a low thickness layer can efficiently reduce the NW sidewall recombination effect. The PCE and short circuit current were determined to be equal to 18.5% and 33.8 mA/cm$^{2}$ for the axial junction proposed. However, the core–shell junction shows figures of 19% and 34.9 mA/cm$^{2}$. The suggested crescent design offers an enhancement of 23% compared to the conventional NW, for both junctions. For a practical surface recombination velocity of 10$^{2}$ cm/s, the PCE of the proposed design, in the axial junction, has been reduced to 16.6%, with a reduction of 11%. However, the core–shell junction achieves PCE of 18.7%, with a slight reduction of 1.6%. Therefore, the optoelectronic performance of the core–shell junction was marginally affected by the NW surface recombination, compared to the axial junction

Dinuclear LnIII Complexes with 9‐Anthracenecarboxylate Showing Field‐Induced SMM and Visible/NIR Luminescence

The reaction of several Ln(NO3)3·6H2O salts with 9-anthracenecarboxylic acid (9-HAC) and 2,2′-bipyridine (bpy) in a mixture of CH3OH/H2O has allowed the isolation of the dinuclear compounds 1-6 with formula [Ln2(μ2-9-AC)4(9-AC)2(bpy)2] [LnIII = Nd (1), Eu (2), Gd (3), Tb (4), Er (5), and Yb (6)]. The molar magnetic susceptibility measurements of 1-6 in the 2-300 K temperature range indicate weak antiferromagnetic ex-. change for the isotropic GdIII compound 3. Compounds 1, 5, and 6 exhibit field-induced single-molecule magnet (SMM) behavior. The luminescence properties of compounds 1-6 in the solid state have been studied at different temperatures and show sensitization of the 4f-4f emission bands in the NIR range for compounds 1, 5, and 6

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

A comparative randomized clinical trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of tacrolimus versus hydrocortisone as a topical treatment of atopic dermatitis in children

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) aetiology is not exactly identified, but it is characterized by pruritic skin reactions with elevation in the levels of inflammatory markers. Despite the fact that Corticosteroids are the mainstay therapy in the management of AD, they have many local and systemic adverse effects.Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of topical tacrolimus ointment in comparison to topical hydrocortisone cream in the management of the AD of children diagnosed with AD.Patients and Methods: This study was conducted on 200 children with AD. They were simply randomized into two groups, the tacrolimus group treated with 0.03% topical tacrolimus ointment and the hydrocortisone group treated with 1% hydrocortisone cream twice daily during the 3 weeks study period.Results: At the end of the study, both the tacrolimus and hydrocortisone groups showed a significant decline in the mean serum level of IL-10, IL-17, and IL-23 (p < 0.05) when compared to their baseline levels. However, the tacrolimus group showed a more significant decrease (p < 0.05) in the mean serum level of IL-10, IL-17, and IL-23 as compared to the hydrocortisone group [Mean differences = 1.600, 95% CI: 0.9858–2.214; 1.300, 95% CI: 1.086–1.514 and 4.200, 95% CI: 3.321–5.079]. Moreover, the median mEASI decreased similarly from 32 to 21 in the tacrolimus group and from 30 to 22 in the hydrocortisone group (p > 0.05) [Median difference = −2.000, 95% CI: −2.651 to −1.349; Median difference = 1.000, 95% CI: 0.3489–1.651]. Mild to moderate transient stinging and erythema were the main adverse effects that showed higher incidence in the tacrolimus group than in the hydrocortisone group (p < 0.05). In most cases, they resolved within 3–4 days. Besides, tacrolimus ointment did not cause skin atrophy as compared to the hydrocortisone group (p < 0.05).Conclusion: Tacrolimus ointment is more beneficial than hydrocortisone cream in managing AD in children in terms of lowering the inflammatory markers, however, there is no difference on the dermatitis severity scale. Moreover, tacrolimus is safer with a better side effect profile compared to hydrocortisone.Trial Registration: The trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (CT.gov identifier: NCT05324618