Using Variable Spray Angle Fan Nozzle on Long Spray Booms

Abstract. A new-concept of using variable spray angle fan spray nozzle in conjunction with pulse width modulation technique was proposed for compensation of the effects of spray boom vibration on chemical application rate and pattern. A brief review of literature regarding techniques used to diminish the effects of long spray booms dynamic behavior on uniformity of spray application reveals that the research work so far has mostly been involved boom positioning, vibration analysis, mathematical modeling and monitoring of boom dynamic behavior, in the hope of finding the ways of attenuation of vibration through improving the design of better boom structure, suspension, and control systems. The present article puts forward the idea of using Variable Spray Angle Fan Spray Nozzle (VSAFSN) along with pulse width modulation (PWM) technique to maintain constant spray coverage, hence, uniformity of spray application while employing variable rate technology (VRT). TEEJET-XR11002 Nozzle was used and preliminary experiments were carried out. Spray pressure range of 55 kPa to 490 kPa, was used to vary spray angle from 78 to 160 degrees. Results showed that the spray maintained its almost normal distribution pattern within full range of spray angle. Relationships between spray angle and operating pressure, and, between spray angle and nozzle flow rate were found as  and  respectively. Keywords: Spray, Boom, Nozzle, Pulse width modulatio

INVESTIGATING LOWER LIMB STRENGTH AND STATIC BALANCE IN ELITE GYMNASTS AND WRESTLERS WITH NON- ATHLETES

The purpose of this study was to compare centre of gravity deviance to difference surfaces for adolescent male elite gymnasts and wrestlers with non-athletes. Subjects were asked to maintain balance in four standing postures: standing with open eyes and close eyes, standing with right leg and left leg. Quadriceps muscle and posterior muscle leg strength was collected with a dynamometer. There was difference in static balance in standing one leg (left) in end tasks. There were no significant differences in static balance in other tasks. Posterior muscle leg strength in elite athletes was significantly greater than non- athlete. There was no significant difference in quadriceps muscle. Gymnasts can decrease anterior-posterior and medial-lateral deviance on one leg to use vision feedback and proprioception

Metal-organic framework-based biosensing platforms for the sensitive determination of trace elements and heavy metals: A comprehensive review

Heavy metals in food and water sources are potentially harmful to humans. Determination of these pollutants is critical for improving safety. Effective recognition systems are a contemporary challenge; several novel technologies for the quick, easy, selective, and sensitive determination of these compounds are in demand. Metal-organic framework (MOF)-based sensors and biosensors have crucial applications in identifying these potentially harmful substances. Here, we review electrochemical and optical biosensors for in situ sensing that are sensitive and cost effective, with a simple protocol and wide linear range. Despite the abundance of articles in this field, we assessed and checked out various basic features of MOFs as porous compounds that include clusters or ions, and some of the ligands connected to these clusters have a variety of useful properties. Afterward, we also assessed various electrochemical and optical sensing assays, which have recently gathered interest because of their potential applications for recognizing certain compounds in the environment. Their operation and approaches are dependent on their structures, the materials and component types used, and the substances they are targeting

Effect of peppermint water on prevention of nipple cracks in lactating primiparous women: a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Nipple pain and damage in breastfeeding mothers are common causes of premature breastfeeding cessation. Peppermint water is popularly used for the prevention of nipple cracks in the North West of Iran. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of peppermint water in the prevention of nipple cracks during breastfeeding in comparison with the application of expressed breast milk (EBM). METHODS: One hundred and ninety-six primiparous breastfeeding women who gave birth between February and May 2005 in a teaching hospital in Tabriz, Iran, were randomized to receive either peppermint water or EBM. Each woman was followed for up to three visits or telephone calls within 14 days and then by telephone call at week six postpartum. RESULTS: Women who were randomized to receive peppermint water were less likely to experience nipple and areola cracks (9%) compared to women using EBM (27%; p < 0.01). Women who used the peppermint water on a daily basis were less likely to have a cracked nipple than women who did not use peppermint water (relative risk 3.6, 95%CI: 2.9, 4.3). Nipple pain in the peppermint water group was lower than the expressed breast milk group (OR 5.6, 95% CI: 2.2, 14.6; p < 0.005). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that peppermint water is effective in the prevention of nipple pain and damage. Further studies are needed to assess the usefulness of peppermint water in conjunction with correct breastfeeding techniques. Trial registration number: NCT0045640

Species delimitation and relationship in Crocus L. (Iridaceae)

The genus Crocus L. (Iridaceae) is monophyletic and contains about 100 species throughout the world. Crocus species have horticultural, medicinal and pharmacological importance. Saffron is the dried styles of C. sativus and is one of the world’s most expensive spices by weight. Controversy exits about the taxonomy of the genus and the species relationship. Exploring genetic diversity and inter-specific cross-ability are important tasks for conservation of wild taxa and for breeding of cultivated C. sativus. The present study was performed to study genetic variability and population structure in five Crocus L. species including Crocus almehensis Brickell & Mathew, C. caspius Fischer & Meyer, C. speciosus Marschall von Biberstein, C. haussknechtii Boissier, and C. sativus L. by inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) molecular markers. We also used published internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences to study species relationship and compare the results with ISSR data. The results revealed a high degree of genetic variability both within and among the studied species. Neighbor joining (NJ) tree and network analysis revealed that ISSR markers are useful in Crocus species delimitation. Population fragmentation occurred in C. caspius and C. sativus. Both ISSR and sequenced based analyses separated C. sativus from the other studied species. Close genetic affinity of C. sativus and C. pallisii and inter-specific gene flow was supported by both data sets

Factor Structure and Psychometric Properties of Zung SelfRating Depression Scale in Women with a Sick Child

Background: Considering the necessity of using a valid and reliable tool to assess depression in women and the lack of similar tools in Iran, the purpose of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (ZSDS) with an emphasis on factor analysis among Iranian women with sick children.. Methods: In the cross-sectional psychometric study, 102 eligible women were selected by multistage cluster sampling from various environments such as healthcare centers, hospitals, and public and private institutions, who completed the ZSDS. The reliability of the questionnaire was assessed using testretest and internal consistency, and its validity was tested by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Results: Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the total scale were equal to 0.73, and high test-retest reliability indicated the appropriate reliability of ZSDS. The CFA results indicated a poor fit of the model in determining the factors as initially expressed in ZSDS. After removing six questions with low factor loadings and freeing the covariance error between the two questions, the model was adequately fitted (CMIN/DF= 1.3, CFI= 0.92, TLI= 0.90, GFI= 0.89).Conclusions: Based on our study, the ZSDS is convenient for identifying clinically significant depressive symptoms among women with sick children. Keywords: Child, Psychometric, Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale, Wome

Global burden of 288 causes of death and life expectancy decomposition in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BACKGROUND Regular, detailed reporting on population health by underlying cause of death is fundamental for public health decision making. Cause-specific estimates of mortality and the subsequent effects on life expectancy worldwide are valuable metrics to gauge progress in reducing mortality rates. These estimates are particularly important following large-scale mortality spikes, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. When systematically analysed, mortality rates and life expectancy allow comparisons of the consequences of causes of death globally and over time, providing a nuanced understanding of the effect of these causes on global populations. METHODS The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 cause-of-death analysis estimated mortality and years of life lost (YLLs) from 288 causes of death by age-sex-location-year in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations for each year from 1990 until 2021. The analysis used 56 604 data sources, including data from vital registration and verbal autopsy as well as surveys, censuses, surveillance systems, and cancer registries, among others. As with previous GBD rounds, cause-specific death rates for most causes were estimated using the Cause of Death Ensemble model-a modelling tool developed for GBD to assess the out-of-sample predictive validity of different statistical models and covariate permutations and combine those results to produce cause-specific mortality estimates-with alternative strategies adapted to model causes with insufficient data, substantial changes in reporting over the study period, or unusual epidemiology. YLLs were computed as the product of the number of deaths for each cause-age-sex-location-year and the standard life expectancy at each age. As part of the modelling process, uncertainty intervals (UIs) were generated using the 2·5th and 97·5th percentiles from a 1000-draw distribution for each metric. We decomposed life expectancy by cause of death, location, and year to show cause-specific effects on life expectancy from 1990 to 2021. We also used the coefficient of variation and the fraction of population affected by 90% of deaths to highlight concentrations of mortality. Findings are reported in counts and age-standardised rates. Methodological improvements for cause-of-death estimates in GBD 2021 include the expansion of under-5-years age group to include four new age groups, enhanced methods to account for stochastic variation of sparse data, and the inclusion of COVID-19 and other pandemic-related mortality-which includes excess mortality associated with the pandemic, excluding COVID-19, lower respiratory infections, measles, malaria, and pertussis. For this analysis, 199 new country-years of vital registration cause-of-death data, 5 country-years of surveillance data, 21 country-years of verbal autopsy data, and 94 country-years of other data types were added to those used in previous GBD rounds. FINDINGS The leading causes of age-standardised deaths globally were the same in 2019 as they were in 1990; in descending order, these were, ischaemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lower respiratory infections. In 2021, however, COVID-19 replaced stroke as the second-leading age-standardised cause of death, with 94·0 deaths (95% UI 89·2-100·0) per 100 000 population. The COVID-19 pandemic shifted the rankings of the leading five causes, lowering stroke to the third-leading and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to the fourth-leading position. In 2021, the highest age-standardised death rates from COVID-19 occurred in sub-Saharan Africa (271·0 deaths [250·1-290·7] per 100 000 population) and Latin America and the Caribbean (195·4 deaths [182·1-211·4] per 100 000 population). The lowest age-standardised death rates from COVID-19 were in the high-income super-region (48·1 deaths [47·4-48·8] per 100 000 population) and southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania (23·2 deaths [16·3-37·2] per 100 000 population). Globally, life expectancy steadily improved between 1990 and 2019 for 18 of the 22 investigated causes. Decomposition of global and regional life expectancy showed the positive effect that reductions in deaths from enteric infections, lower respiratory infections, stroke, and neonatal deaths, among others have contributed to improved survival over the study period. However, a net reduction of 1·6 years occurred in global life expectancy between 2019 and 2021, primarily due to increased death rates from COVID-19 and other pandemic-related mortality. Life expectancy was highly variable between super-regions over the study period, with southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania gaining 8·3 years (6·7-9·9) overall, while having the smallest reduction in life expectancy due to COVID-19 (0·4 years). The largest reduction in life expectancy due to COVID-19 occurred in Latin America and the Caribbean (3·6 years). Additionally, 53 of the 288 causes of death were highly concentrated in locations with less than 50% of the global population as of 2021, and these causes of death became progressively more concentrated since 1990, when only 44 causes showed this pattern. The concentration phenomenon is discussed heuristically with respect to enteric and lower respiratory infections, malaria, HIV/AIDS, neonatal disorders, tuberculosis, and measles. INTERPRETATION Long-standing gains in life expectancy and reductions in many of the leading causes of death have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the adverse effects of which were spread unevenly among populations. Despite the pandemic, there has been continued progress in combatting several notable causes of death, leading to improved global life expectancy over the study period. Each of the seven GBD super-regions showed an overall improvement from 1990 and 2021, obscuring the negative effect in the years of the pandemic. Additionally, our findings regarding regional variation in causes of death driving increases in life expectancy hold clear policy utility. Analyses of shifting mortality trends reveal that several causes, once widespread globally, are now increasingly concentrated geographically. These changes in mortality concentration, alongside further investigation of changing risks, interventions, and relevant policy, present an important opportunity to deepen our understanding of mortality-reduction strategies. Examining patterns in mortality concentration might reveal areas where successful public health interventions have been implemented. Translating these successes to locations where certain causes of death remain entrenched can inform policies that work to improve life expectancy for people everywhere. FUNDING Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Heat transfer from electrically-augmented flames to metal surfaces

Imperial Users onl

Molecular Detection of Potato virus Y using Universal Primers from Ardabil Province

Potato virus Y (PVY) is the most important virus that infects Solanaceae family worldwide. In order to detect potyviruses from Solanaceae in East Azarbaijan and Ardabil provinces, 112 samples with mosaic, mottling and yellowing symptoms were collected. Then, the samples were checked by Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with Potyvirus universal primers which ended up in detection of the virus from 23 samples. In order to identify PVY, some of these samples with mosaic and yellowing symptoms were selected for cloning and sequencing. Finaly one of them was recognized as PVY. For determination of taxonomic position of PVY isolate from Iran, the sequence data from Iranian PVY was aligned and compared with the related 165 isolates from GeneBank. Results of phylogenetic analyses showed that PVY isolates were grouped in 5 clusters wherein the Iranian PVY isolate was placed in cluster 1 together with isolates from America, Canada, Syria, France, England, China and Poland