BIOPROCESIRANJE PRIRODNE FOSFATNE RUDE BAKTERIJOM STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS

Phosphate ores are in high demand around the world because they are the primary raw materials used in the manufacturing of phosphatic fertilizers and other chemicals. Since the grade of the ore is gradually declining, it is becoming economically viable to mine and beneficiate numerous lower-grade deposits, and a significant number of precious minerals are discarded due to the inadequacy of new technological advances. Thus, biological processes are becoming more appealing in mineral processing due to their lower operating costs and potential applications to beneficiate low-grade complex ores through the interaction of bacteria and mineral surfaces, resulting in surface modification and mineral separation via bio-flotation. Staphylococcus aureus was supplied by the mineral bioprocessing lab, CMRDI. Bacterial adhesion measurements revealed a higher affinity for apatite than quartz. A binary mixture containing 12.5% P2O5 and 42.5% SiO2 yielded a concentrate containing 20.15% P2O5 and 33.5% SiO2. Using the bio-flotation process with Staphylococcus aureus and the optimal conditions on natural phosphate ore, a concentrate with 30.25% P2O5 was obtained from a feed containing 21.89% P2O5.Diljem svijeta velika je potražnja za fosfatnom rudom s obzirom na to da je riječ o primarnoj sirovini koja se koristi u proizvodnji fosfatnih gnojiva i drugih kemikalija. Budući da se koncentracija rude postupno smanjuje, ekonomski je sve isplativije eksploatirati i oplemenjivati brojna ležišta niže koncentracije s obzirom na to da se znatne količine korisne mineralne sirovine nedovoljno iskorištavaju zbog neadekvatnosti novih tehnologija. Stoga biološki procesi postaju sve zanimljiviji u oplemenjivanju SiO2 mineralnih sirovina zbog nižih operativnih troškova i potencijalne primjene za obogaćivanje kompleksnih ruda niskoga stupnja koncentracije, i to interakcijom bakterija i površine minerala, što rezultira površinskom modifikacijom i odvajanjem minerala putem bioflotacije. Bakteriju Staphylococcus aureus isporučio je laboratorij za bioprocesiranje minerala, CMRDI. Mjerenja bakterijske adhezije pokazala su veći afinitet za apatit nego za kvarc. Binarna smjesa koja je sadržavala 12,5 % P2O5 i 42,5 % SiO2 dala je koncentrat koji je sadržavao 20,15 % P2O5 i 33,5 % SiO2. Postupkom bioflotacije bakterijom Staphylococcus aureus pri optimalnim uvjetima na prirodnoj fosfatnoj rudi dobiven je koncentrat s 30,25 % P2O5 iz sirovine koja je sadržavala 21,89 % P2O5

Vitamin D deficiency and low hemoglobin level as risk factors for severity of acute lower respiratory tract infections in Egyptian children: A case-control study

AbstractObjectiveAcute lower respiratory tract infection (ALRTI) is an important cause of morbidity in the developed world, and both morbidity and mortality in the developing world. Vitamin D has a major role in both acquired and innate immunity. Anemic children have less oxygen carrying capacity of blood. This study was done to determine the relation between vitamin D deficiency, anemia and the severity of ALRTIs in hospitalized children.MethodsThis study included 96 hospitalized infants with ALRTI, 48 diagnosed with pneumonia and 48 with bronchiolitis. Mean age was 10.67±3.143months. Matched age and sex infants with no respiratory illness were included. Serum 25 hydroxy vitamin D was measured in all cases and controls by Radio-immune assay. Hemoglobin level was measured by Coulter.ResultsVitamin D deficiency and low hemoglobin level were positively correlated with the severity of ALRTIs (r=0.798 and P=0.001) and (r=0.708, P=0.028), respectively. Low vitamin D level was significantly correlated with low hemoglobin level (r=0.708, P=0.028).ConclusionVitamin D deficiency was associated with severity of ALRTIs. Low hemoglobin level was more prevalent in those children. Improving the nutritional status in children by preventing vitamin D deficiency and low hemoglobin might influence the outcome of children with ALRTI

An Overview of Differences Between Types of Chimeras and Their Impact on Humans

Chimera has several important definitions that are common to each other, where he is known a single creature that is made up of two or more separate populations of genetically unique cells that originated from various zygotes. Definition can be interpreted as cells from one person might appear in another individual in a process known as chimerism. These cells may be incorporated into the parenchyma or they may circulate. Chimeras are divided into several types depending on several factors such as the percentage of chimera cells in the body of the organism neighborhood, origin, or other reasons, which includes microchimeras, natural human macro-chimeras and man-made chimeras. Chimeric cells in human can arise from three significant sources, namely originating from gestation, blood transfusions, and transplants

Review on local binary patterns variants as texture descriptors for copy-move forgery detection

Past decades had seen the concerned by researchers in authenticating the originality of an image as the result of advancement in computer technology. Many methods have been developed to detect image forgeries such as copy-move, splicing, resampling and et cetera. The most common type of image forgery is copy-move where the copied region is pasted on the same image. The existence of high similarity in colour and textures of both copied and pasted images caused the detection of the tampered region to be very difficult. Additionally, the existence of post-processing methods makes it more challenging. In this paper, Local Binary Pattern (LBP) variants as texture descriptors for copy-move forgery detection have been reviewed. These methods are discussed in terms of introduction and methodology in copy-move forgery detection. These methods are also compared in the discussion section. Finally, their strengths and weaknesses are summarised, and some future research directions were pointed out

The Role of Social Media Platforms in Confronting Intellectual Extremism from Majmaah University Students Perspective

The present study aims to investigate the role of social media platforms in confronting intellectual extremism among Majmaah University students. The researchers conducted the descriptive analytical approach and applied a 20- item questionnaire to a randomly selected sample of (213) students. The results showed that Tik Tok and Snapchat were ranked first among the study sample. Also, there was a moderate negative impact of social media on intellectual security, with a mean of (2.99). This is due to the nature of the content published on networks and its impact on the subscribers. It indicated the importance of social media, more specifically Tik Tok and Snapchat, among the sample of the study. It can be attributed to gender since females are more interested in social networks to publish and share photos. Moreover, the results revealed that social media platforms played a moderate role in resisting intellectual deviation among the participants, with an average mean of (2.96). There were no statistical differences in the impact of social media platforms on young peoples intellectual security and their role in resisting intellectual extremism due to responses to the study questions. The findings of the study call for the necessity of activating the positive role of social media by exploring new approaches to evolve effective alternatives in dealing with social networks by enhancing young peoples media literacy. Contribution/Originality: This study contributed to the existing literature by identifying the role of social media in combating intellectual extremism from the perspective of students at Majmaah University, Saudi Arabia. It also explored the most popular social media platforms among university students and their impact on students intellectual security

Involved-site radiation therapy by volumetric modulated arc therapy versus 3D- conformal radiotherapy for treatment of stages I and II supra-diaphragmatic Hodgkin’s lymphoma

Purpose: Based on the observation that recurrences of Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) typically occur in sites of initial nodal involvement the need to concise radiotherapy to only involved nodes that was termed as involved nodal radiotherapy (INRT) or of involved site lymph nodes, involved-site radiation therapy (ISRT) is starting to be widely accepted to use in early stage HL. We aimed in our study to compare between volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) and 3D-conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) in radiation of early stage supra-diaphragmatic HL.Methods: The clinical and dosimetric data of 34 patients affected with stages I and II supra-diaphragmatic HL, treated between January 2011 and September 2015 with combined modalities therapy in a single institution were analyzed. Patients received 2-8 cycles of combination chemotherapy ABVD (Adriamycin, Bleomycin, Vinblastine & Dacarbazine) on days 1 and 15 repeated every 28 days. The clinical target volume (CTV) was contoured based on the pre-chemotherapy CT and PET-CT scans. Modification of the CTV was done according to post-chemotherapy anatomical changes. The radiation dose given was 30 Gy/15 fractions.Results: After a median follow up period of 30 months, the progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in both groups were 100%. Oropharengeal mucositis was the commonest toxicity in both groups. There was no statistically significant deference between the acute radiation toxicities in both groups. The Dmean valuefor lung was higher in 3D-CRT than VMAT (12.0 ± 6.1 Gy vs. 9.9 Gy ± 8.6 Gy). For the breasts volume, the V5Gy was slightly higher for 3D-CRT compared with VMAT at, 7.6% and 6.5% respectively. For the heart, V5Gy and V10Gy valueswere higher for the RA than for 3D-CRT accounting for (51.9 ± 28.9%) and (41.0 ± 24.6%) versus (40.0 ± 25.9% and 30.7 ± 22.5%) respectively. Thyroid gland mean dose was lower for VMAT (21.8 ± 7.7 Gy) than for 3D-CRT (26.8 Gy ± 4.1 Gy) but did not reach statistically significant value (P = 0.06).Conclusion: Involved-site VMAT technique is safe and effective in term of providing excellent local control and survival following ABVD-based chemotherapy

Composition and Distribution of Aquatic Weeds in some Minor Canals, Gezira Scheme, Sudan (2018)

Excessive growth of aquatic weeds in irrigation systems is a worldwide problem. In Sudan, many irrigation schemes have been greatly affected by aquatic weeds such as Gezira scheme. The objective of the study was to evaluate the community composition and distribution of aquatic weeds in some minor canals in the Gezira scheme in 2018. The study area covered six minor canals at Centre Group at Gezira Scheme. Each minor canal was divided into three sections%253B head, middle and tail (18 sampling sites). The sites were surveyed once in every month for a period of three months during summer and winter seasons. The community composition of aquatic weeds was detected by visual observation, whereas the distribution of aquatic weeds was determined by calculation of percentage of relative frequency. Data were subjected to descriptive analysis and to analysis of variance. The results indicated that the community composition in the six minor canals consists of four groups of aquatic weeds as follows%253B floating, emergent, submergent and bank aquatic weeds and consisted of 12 species belonging to nine families. Results showed considerable differences in distribution throughout the year. The most dominant species within the groups were%253B Vossia cuspidata (33%25 - 41%25) within the group of floating weeds, Cyperus alopecuroides (87%25 - 55%25) within the group of emergent weeds and Cynodon dactylon (75%25 - 83%25) within the group of bank aquatic weeds during both summer and winter seasons. Submergent weeds present only in winter season in one species Najas pectinata. Also, results of relative frequency within all aquatic species showed that Vossia cuspidata and Cynodon dactylon were the most dominant species. These finding gives many insights about the problems of aquatic weeds in minor canals and would be useful in the management and control of aquatic weeds

Sleep habits and sleep problems among Palestinian students

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Aim</p> <p>The aim of this study was to describe sleep habits and sleep problems in a population of undergraduates in Palestine. Association between self-reported sleep quality and self-reported academic achievement was also investigated.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Sleep habits and problems were investigated using a convenience sample of students from An-Najah National University, Palestine. The study was carried out during spring semester, 2009. A self-administered questionnaire developed based on The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV criteria and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>400 students with a mean age of 20.2 ± 1.3 were studied. Reported mean duration of night sleep in the study sample was 6.4 ± 1.1 hours. The majority (58.3%) of students went to bed before midnight and 18% of the total sample woke up before 6 am. Sleep latency of more than one hour was present in 19.3% of the students. Two thirds (64.8%) of the students reported having at least one nocturnal awakening per night. Nightmares were the most common parasomnia reported by students. Daytime naps were common and reported in 74.5% of the study sample. Sleep quality was reported as "poor" in only 9.8% and was significantly associated with sleep latency, frequency of nocturnal awakenings, time of going to bed, nightmares but not with academic achievement.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Sleep habits among Palestinian undergraduates were comparable to those reported in European studies. Sleep problems were common and there was no significant association between sleep quality and academic achievement.</p

Potential impact of iron oxide conjugated nano-fertilizer on growth, flowering and isozyme expression in Gardenia jasminoides

Nano-fertilizers protect the soil from the excessive addition of traditional fertilizers, enhancing the efficiency of the elements and diminishing the number of additive fertilizers. The effect of Fe2O3NPs-Boron (Fe2O3NPs-B), and Fe2O3 NP-Humic Acid (Fe2O3NPs-HA) at 100, 150 and 250 ppm, Fe2O3, and control (without any iron fertilizers) on the vegetative growth, flowering, photosynthetic pigments, nutrient element content and isozymes activity (peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and polyphenol oxide) of Gardenia jasminoides plants was investigated. Gamma-rays at 25 kGy were conducted for the promising synthesis of Fe2O3NPs-B, and Fe2O3NPs-HA. The experiment was carried out under greenhouse conditions during two successive seasons. The results stated that Fe2O3NPs-B and Fe2O3NPs-HA at the highest concentration (250 ppm) had a significant positive effect in all vegetative characteristics, photosynthetic pigments, nutrient element content and isozymes activity. Fe2O3NPs-HA showed the optimal result in all morphological and biochemical characteristics. The highest activity of enzymes appeared in the treated plants with Fe2O3 NPs-B followed by Fe2O3 NPs-HA at 250 ppm. The advantage nano-fertilizer usage may be summarized as saving the soil from the unreasonable accumulation of classic fertilizers, improving the use efficiency of parts and reducing the number of different fertilizers as a consequence of their increased surface area and their nano-size

The Anti-viral and Immunomodulatory Activity of Cinnamon zeylanicum Against "NDV" Newcastle Disease Virus in Chickens

Experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of cinnamon zeylanicum oil as biochemical, immunostimulant and antioxidant activity. One hundred and fifty one day-old chickens were fed by five diet supplements with 0%,0.1%,0.3% of essential oil, and 1%,3% of cinnamon powder for 30 days serum and whole blood were collected for evaluation of T.protein, S.albumin, S.globulin, total antioxidant, lysozyme activity ,phagocytic percent and phagocytic index. The Total .protein showed significant (P-value &lt;0.05)in day 14,21 and 28 while the s.globulin was siginificant at day 14,21 and 28 with (P-value&lt;0.05) when compared with control group while s.albumin showed no-significant ,while total Anti-oxidant capacity (TAC) was high significant (P-value&lt;0.01) at day 14,21 and 28.the challenge test with 10-6 velogenic NDV challenged chicken with mortality (100%) in control group and protection percent (80,86,76 and 50%) in group (2,3,4and 5). Blood phagocytic activity and phagocytic index significantly increase