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The Uranium extraction and processing plant of INB (Brazilian Nuclear Industries) is in Caetité, a city located in a region hosting the largest Uranium reserve of the country. The degree of Uranium contamination in the Caetité population was investigated before using teeth as bioindicator, where a quite high Uranium concentration was measured in this region, about 160 times higher than the world-wide average. Radiobiological risks are here evaluated from Uranium burdens in organs as skeleton, kidneys, liver, tissues and blood, which were estimated from transfer coefficients and effective internal doses. This was accomplished by means of calculations with the use of the STATFLUX/ICRP approach, plus a set of Uranium transfer rate parameters as function of individual’s age assuming an uninterrupted exposure over a period of 60 years. It was found that U ingestion rates by residents of Caetité are three orders of magnitude higher than worldwide average, indicating that food and water would exhibit high levels of contamination. Calculated effective internal doses range from a minimum of one to a maximum of three orders of magnitude higher than background doses, for blood and bones respectively. The likelihood that this circumstance could lead to serious health problems as e.g. neoplasia is addressed. The methodology presented in this work offers subsidies for further studies on environmental pollution by radionuclides.

The forensic identification of nitrate ions in post-blast pit soil samples is crucial for investigating nitrate-based explosive incidents owing to environmental factors such as rainfall and monsoon conditions, which can significantly alter the concentration and distribution of nitrate residues at blast sites, as nitrate ions are completely soluble in water. This study investigated the influence of rainfall on the retention and detectability of nitrate ions in pit soil collected from spiked simulated explosive samples, replicating the topographical conditions of hilly regions frequently impacted by insurgent and terrorist activities. Ion Chromatography (IC), a highly sensitive and selective analytical technique, was employed to quantify nitrate ion concentrations within the soil matrix. This study aimed to elucidate the mobility, leaching behavior, and retention of nitrate ions in soils affected by blast under natural drizzling rainfall conditions.

The effect of acute administration of ethanol extract of F. thoningii on anxiety and fear in Swiss white mice was studied. 30 adult Swiss white mice of both sexes were randomly divided in to three groups of 10 mice each. Group1 served as the control and was administered normal saline only. Group 2 (low dose group) was administered 10mg/kg ethanol extract of the F. thoningii, while group 3 (high dose group) was given 20mg/kg of the same extract. All animals were allowed food and water ad libitum. Neurobehavioral parameter was assessed using the light/dark transition box. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test for variability within and among groups. Results were expressed as Mean ±SEM (standard error of the mean) and probability level p<0.05 was accepted as significant. The result showed that the frequency of transition in the light/dark transition box was significantly increased in the test groups (p<0.05; p<0.01).Similarly, the Light Box Duration was also significantly increased (p<0.01) in the low and high dose groups respectively. However, the Dark box duration was significantly decreased (p<0.05; p<0.01) in the low and high dose groups compared to control. This index showed a decreased level of anxiety and fear in the test groups. This was followed by a corresponding trend of decreased frequency of stretch attend posture and duration of freezing in the light/dark transition box (p<0.01; p<0.001) compared to the control. Summarily, acute administration of ethanol extract of F. thonningii causes calmness and sedation in moderate and high doses. It is therefore likely that it reduces aggression. If the result from this finding is extrapolated to humans, F. thoningii could be used to reduce anxiety disorders.

Background: AngioJetTM rheolytic thrombectomy has been used in the treatment of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) to prevent post-thrombotic syndrome. Though not widely appreciated, it has the potential to cause intravascular haemolysis. Report: A 37 year old man with no previous medical history presented to his GP with a three week history of progressive right upper limb swelling. Doppler imaging confirmed right upper limb DVT and CT scan demonstrated thoracic outlet syndrome. The patient underwent AngioJetTM thrombectomy followed by IV heparin infusion. Successful revascularisation of the occluded vein was achieved. Overnight he developed haematuria, which was initially attributed to IV heparin. Urinalysis however revealed no red cells or casts. Apart from an Hb drop from 134 to 117 his blood profile and blood film showed no abnormality. He subsequently developed progressive oliguria with marked oedema and acute kidney injury (AKI). His creatinine peaked at 1070umol/l at 96 hours post procedure and he was started on intermittent dialysis. He remained dialysis dependent for 6 days. Ultrasound imaging excluded urinary obstruction. Autoimmune and vasculitic serology were negative. Intravascular haemolysis and haemoglobinuria was confirmed by raised LDH (1714u/L) and low haptoglobin (<0.1units). Direct Coomb’s test, Cold agglutinin test and paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria screen were negative. The patient’s renal function normalised over 3 months. Conclusions: The likely cause of this man’s AKI is heme pigment nephropathy from intra-vascular haemolysis. Increased awareness of this condition may allow early identification and intervention to reduce the risk of renal injury from AngioJetTM associated haemolysis.

In the beginning of 1973 in the USSR the study of possibility of LJE designing was conducted. The reflector, located in the tail of the rocket prototype, concentrated the obtained radiation in air and ensured micro-burst that the reactive thrust was created. The successful results of different models of the reflectors tests, which were at the same time the laser light receivers, had been obtained. One should note that all experiments pointed out above were conducted with the use of electric discharge CO2- lasers with power up to 10 kW, while for the injection into orbit of different highly and technologically effective equipment (global network connections, Internet, photo-monitoring of Earth surface, debris cleaning) the radiated power substantially higher is required. Thus, for example, for SC launching with the weight 1000 kg the laser with power not less than 15 MW is necessary [1,2].

This paper is a study of nuclear reactions involving 12c + 12c nuclei carried out with a heavy-ion nucleus-nucleus optical potential derived from a new M3Y-type effective interaction, called B3Y-Fetal, within the framework of optical model at the incident energies of 112, 126.7, 240, 300, 1016 MeV. Folding analyses of the differential cross sections associated with the elastic scattering of the nuclear system, determined at these incident energies with four B3Y-Fetal-based folded potentials constructed from double folding model, have shown the DDB3Y1- and BDB3Y1-Fetal potentials to be the best in excellent agreement with previous work done with the M3Y-Reid. The agreement of the B3Y-Fetal with the famous M3Y-Reid effective interaction, which is also used for folding analysis in this work, is further buttressed and well-established by the findings of this study Herein, the values of the renormalization factor, NR ranging from 1.1117 to 0.8121, obtained with the B3Y-Fetal have been found to be slightly higher, with lower reaction cross sections, aR = 1418 - 1047 millibarns, than NR = 0.9971 - 0.8108 obtained with the M3Y-Reid effective interaction whose accompanying reaction cross sections, being higher, range from 1431 to 1050 millibarns. This depicts the B3Y-Fetal as having a better performance. Additionally, results of folding analyses have shown the best-fit folded potentials, DDB3Y1- and BDB3Y1-Fetal potentials to be in agreement at all incident energies, implying that the cold nuclear matter has an underlying soft equation of state.

Background: Obesity is a global health concern associated with a range of perioperative challenges, particularly during general anesthesia. Altered respiratory mechanics, pharmacokinetics, and increased comorbidities in obese patients may compromise anesthetic safety and recovery outcomes. Despite rising obesity rates in Libya, local data on anesthesia-related risks in this population remain limited.Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of obesity on anesthetic recovery times and hemodynamic parameters in patients undergoing general anesthesia in a public hospital in Libya.Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted on 20 adult surgical patients from January to May 2023. Patients were divided into obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2)and non-obese groups. Parameters assessed included time to spontaneous ventilation, Laryngeal Mask Airway (LMA) removal time, eye-opening time, and post-anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) discharge time. Intraoperative hemodynamic measures and the prevalence of comorbidities were also recorded. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 20, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant.Results: Obese patients (n = 12) exhibited significantly longer recovery times compared to non-obese patients (n = 8): spontaneous ventilation (12.8 vs. 9.4 min, p = 0.002), LMA removal (14.1 vs. 10.1 min, p = 0.001), eye opening (13.5 vs. 9.7 min, p < 0.001), and PACU discharge (68.3 vs. 49.5 min, p < 0.001). Obese patients also had lower mean arterial pressure (82.4 vs. 91.5 mmHg, p = 0.026), higher heart rates (95.2 vs. 88.3 bpm, p = 0.041), and reduced oxygen saturation (94.1% vs. 96.7%, p = 0.018). Comorbidities such as hypertension and diabetes were significantly more prevalent among obese patients.Conclusion: Obesity significantly prolongs anesthetic recovery and impairs hemodynamic stability in surgical patients undergoing general anesthesia. These findings support the need for targeted perioperative strategies, preoperative risk stratification, and extended postoperative monitoring for obese individuals, particularly in resource-limited healthcare settings.

Calorie restriction has been shown to slow the aging process in numerous organisms including primates. Caloric excess states, such as type 2 diabetes, are associated with accelerated aging and the incidence and severity of chronic diseases. The nutrient-sensing pathways and intestinal microbiome are important systems that affect aging and chronic disease development. This manuscript reviews the various pathways involved with aging and chronic disease development and examines the pharmacological manipulation of these systems which appear to slow aging and the chronic diseases of aging in experimental model organisms and collaborating human data when available. Finally, the abundance of experimental and human data suggesting the newer diabetic medications, the sodium-glucose transport inhibitors, are potent anti-aging agents is provided.

Pain is a complex phenomenon which is unpleasant. Different cosmetic procedures are associated with varying degrees of pain. Various modalities are adopted to decrease the severity of pain. The commonly used is the administration of analgesics (opioid or non-steroidal). The pain is carried to the brain by pain fibres. There are various theories about the pain [1,2]. Many attempts have been undertaken to find the modalities which decrease the perception of pain by the brain. The famous ‘gate theory’ was proposed in 1965 by Melzack et al. [3]. It was proposed that the pain experience can be reduced by the activation of nerve fibres that conduct non-toxic stimuli. The theory suggested that the stimulation of larger diameter fibres (A-beta) can close a neural ‘gate’ to nocioceptive signals and can reduce the perception of the pain. The ‘gate’ is proposed to lie within the spinal cord/brainstem and inhibits the transmission of nocioceptive action potentials to higher centres in the central nervous system [4]. The “post-synaptic inhibitory and fascilitatory mechanism” provide a basis for explaining the pain reducing strategies such as rubbing the painful area or applying cold or vibration to decrease the perception of the pain. Various topical irritants used in a few ‘magic’ creams also work on the same principle. Every effort is made to decrease the perception of pain in cosmetic surgery procedures especially hair restoration. A surgeon who can perform a hair restoration without pain has an edge over his competitors. The potential patients undergoing hair restoration are very anxious about the pain level to be perceived during the procedure. Vibration anaesthesia is becoming increasing used in hair restoration to decrease pain perception. Various recent studies have demonstrated the effective use if vibrations to decrease the pain of local anaesthesia injections [5,7]. The pain of the injection has basically two components; the first is the actual needle prick and second is the discomfort felt due to the tissue stretch by the local anaesthetic drugs [8]. The following study was conducted to compare the pain level of ring block in the patients undergoing hair restoration with and without the use of vibration

Children who experience Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)—including trauma, family instability, or significant loss—are at increased risk for enduring mental, emotional, and physical challenges, including conditions such as depression, anxiety, and chronic health issues. Without effective support, these adverse experiences can have lasting effects on a child’s well-being, often persisting into adulthood and impacting mental, emotional, and physical health outcomes over the long term. Storytelling is a powerful method to support resilience in these children by enabling them to process emotions, make sense of complex experiences, and view themselves as active agents in their lives. By framing their experiences within personal narratives, children can create coherent stories that aid emotional regulation and support mental well-being. Through storytelling, children can frame their struggles as part of a larger, purposeful journey, fostering a sense of agency and self-worth. Techniques such as narrative therapy, story circles, and resilience-themed books-exemplified by The Adventures of Gabriel—help children explore their experiences, visualise positive outcomes, and strengthen social bonds. Moreover, storytelling is an accessible tool that aids in perspective—taking, allowing children to relate their challenges to those of characters, which reinforces their ability to overcome adversity and navigate life’s complexities with strength and optimism.