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•Women who did not take up the HPV vaccination were less likely to attend for cervical screening.•HPV vaccinated women who attended cervical screening had the lowest proportion of cytological abnormalities detected.•Social deprivation was the main factor-affecting uptake of both HPV vaccination and cervical screening. In the UK, a national HPV immunisation programme was implemented in 2008 for girls aged 12–13 years. In addition a catch-up programme was implemented for older girls up to 18 years of age from 2009 to 2011, with an uptake rate of 49.4%. Information about future uptake of cervical screening according to vaccination statistics is important in order to understand the impact of the vaccination programme and implications for a national cervical screening programme. We analysed data on a cohort of women who had been offered the HPV vaccine in the catch-up programme and were invited for cervical screening between 2010 and 2012 in Wales (n=30,882), in a record-linked database study, to describe the cervical screening uptake and clinical outcome according to HPV vaccination status. In our cohort, 48.5% (n=14,966) women had had HPV vaccination and 45.9% (n=14,164) women attended for cervical screening. Women who were unvaccinated were less likely to attend cervical screening (adjusted OR 0.58; 95% CI (0.55, 0.61)). Of those who attended for screening, 13.9% of vaccinated women had abnormal cytology reported compared to 16.7% of women who were unvaccinated. Women who lived in areas with high levels of social deprivation were less likely to be vaccinated (Quintile 5 OR 0.48 95% CI (0.45, 0.52)) or attend cervical screening (Quintile 5 OR 0.70; 95% CI (0.65, 0.75)) compared to those who lived in the least deprived areas. These data highlight the need for new strategies to address inequalities in cervical screening uptake and can inform further mathematical modelling work to clarify the impact of the HPV vaccination programme on future cervical cancer incidence.

Mangoes are valuable fruits because of their nutritional value and commercial significance. It ripens rapidly but deteriorates in quality while stored. Therefore, natural and biodegradable materials must be used in post-harvest management to reduce crop losses. Aloe vera (AVG), chitosan (CTS), and coconut oil (CO) either alone or in combinations were tested on mango postharvest features during 12 days’ storage at ambient conditions (27±2°C and 80-85% RH). At the end of storage, coatings (AVG+CTS) reduced weight loss (20.02, 37.88%) and decay (9.52, 18.46%) compared to controls while enhancing fruit quality, especially firmness (3.21, 1.44 Kg cm−2), ascorbic acid (9.25, 5.89 mg 100 g−1), TSS (10.77, 19.5°Brix), acidity (0.46, 0.41%) and pH. Furthermore, coated fruits’ total phenol content and antioxidant activity were substantially higher than those of uncoated fruits. Control fruits exhibited the least activity of CAT and POD enzymes during storage, while coated fruits had the lowest PPO activity. The coated fruit peels discoloured less after storage than the control fruits. CO treatment had a deleterious effect on various measures, possibly due to its high concentration. These findings suggested that the CTS+AVG coating may be efficient at the right dose to retain bioactive components and mango (cv. Gopalbhog) fruit quality after harvest.

Strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) are nutrient-rich specialty fruits with a short shelf life due to microbial spoilage, softening, darkening, and moisture loss. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of edible coatings in extending shelf life and maintaining fruit quality. Freshly ripened, randomly selected strawberries were coated with 1.5% chitosan, 1.5% chitosan+1% CaCl₂, Aloe vera gel (AVG), and AVG+1% CaCl₂, along with an uncoated control. Each treatment was replicated 3 times with 25 samples per replicate, followed by air drying. The coated strawberries were stored in sterilized polypropylene containers under standard refrigerated conditions (4±1°C; 50±5% relative humidity) for 9 days. The application of edible coatings significantly (p<0.05) reduced respiration rates (by 25 to 34%) and microbial load (by 41 to 62%), helping to preserve fruit color, moisture content, ascorbic acid, firmness, and overall acceptability. The effect was more pronounced in strawberries coated with AVG and AVG+1% CaCl₂ coatings on strawberries throughout storage period. Uncoated strawberries had an acceptability score of 4.0, while all coated fruits scored above 5, showing a significant improvement by 20 to 37%. Strawberries treated with AVG, with or without CaCl₂, maintained the highest acceptability score of 5.5, outperforming all other coatings. These findings suggest that Aloe vera-based coatings are particularly effective in extending the shelf life and preserving the quality of strawberries during refrigerated storage.

Two field trials were carried out in two successive agricultural seasons to study the possibility of using silicon (Si) and Moringa seed extract (MSE) for reducing heavy metal contamination resulting from phosphate fertilizers addition to potato tubers. A randomized complete block design experiment was performed using three replicates. Various sources of phosphate fertilizers as ordinary super phosphate and rock phosphate were added at rate of 100 kg P ha −1 prior sowing. Silicon was added as potassium silicate (20% SiO 2 ) at rate of 6 L ha −1 , and MSE was also added at rate of 150 L ha −1 in three equal doses with the 2nd, 4th, and 6th irrigations during the last 10 min of drip irrigation. Results indicated that the addition of phosphate fertilizers increased fresh tuber yield, dry weight yield, NPK uptake, catalase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione reductase of potato either alone or combined with silicon and MSE. The accumulation rate of Cu, Cd, and Ni in potato was higher with the single addition of rock phosphate fertilizer compared with single addition of super phosphate fertilizer. The highest reduction ( P  < 0.05) in heavy metal accumulation in potato leaves and tubers as well as soil was found with MSE treatment plus super phosphate fertilizer. It is recommended to add MSE at a rate of 150 L ha −1 along with fertilizing the potato crop with ordinary super phosphate fertilizer.

Hypertension is mainly asymptomatic and remains undiagnosed until the disease progresses. The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of and risk factors for hypertension in rural Bangladesh. Using a population-based cluster random sampling strategy, 3096 adults aged ⩾30 years were recruited from a rural district in Bangladesh. Data collected included two blood pressure (BP) measurements, fasting blood glucose, socio-demographic and anthropometric measurements. Hypertension was defined as systolic BP (SBP) ⩾140 mm Hg or diastolic BP (DBP) ⩾90 mm Hg or self-reported diagnosed hypertension. Logistic regression techniques were used for data analyses. The crude prevalence of hypertension was 40% (95% confidence interval (CI) 38–42%) of which 82% were previously undiagnosed. People from lower socio-economic status (SES) had a significantly higher percentage of undiagnosed hypertension compared with people with higher SES ( P <0.001). There was no significant gender difference in severity of hypertension. Males with higher education level compared with no education had a higher prevalence of hypertension (odds ratio 2.34, 95% CI 1.49–3.69). Older age and waist circumference in both genders, and diabetes, lack of physical activity in females were found to be associated with higher prevalence of hypertension. Our research suggests the prevalence of undiagnosed hypertension was higher in the rural area in Bangladesh than that reported from the rural area in neighbouring India and China. Lower SES was associated with a higher risk of undiagnosed hypertension. Public health programs at the grass-roots level must emphasise the provision of primary care and preventive services in managing this non-communicable disease.

One-year-old 'Florida Prince' cultivar peach trees grafted on a 'Nemaguard' rootstock were planted in the early spring of 2018 at the Centre of Agricultural Research and Experiments, Minia University, located in southwest Egypt. The trees were planted 5 × 5 m in a randomised complete block design with four replicates, with ten trees in each replicate. In the late spring, two different pruning systems were applied; traditional open centre (OC) and de-branched top trees (DBT). The OC trees were headed at 80 cm above the ground. DBT is a modification of the OC, but no heading was undertaken and the new shoot growth arising from the 20 cm at the top of the plant were removed. Before the winter pruning took place, measurements were taken on the upper two opposite branches. The average length and diameter values of the upper two opposite branches at the top of the trees trained to the OC were higher than those trained with the DBT. In contrast, the distance between the upper two branches (25 cm) at the top of the DBT trees was significantly higher. Likewise, the values of the crotch angles (48°) and the number of branches (81 of 100 branches) that showed desired crotch angles (more than 40°) were remarkably higher in the trees trained with the DBT. After the winter pruning took place, the DBT trees were higher than the OC trees. Additionally, the trees trained with the DBT had low pruning costs and took less time. Moreover, the pruning wood weight of the DBT trees was about half of the pruning wood weight of the OC trees. In conclusion, the DBT training system showed the desired impact on the crotch angles and the tested pruning characteristics.

We have successfully fabricated and demonstrated a simple, cost-effective and easy to use of fiber Bragg grating (FBG) based on single mode, and multimode fiber which have been employed for temperature monitoring. The study purposely compared the performance of two types of FBGs; single mode FBG (SM-FBG) and multimode FBG (MM-FBG). The FBGs sensor is fabricated by phase mask technique which being exposed to ArF excimer laser with 20 mm uniform grating length and 99% reflectivity. The proposed FBG is studied for temperature monitoring starting at room temperature until 120 °C, and the configurations with SM-FBG and MM-FBG achieved a sensitivity of 10.9 pm/°C and 13.23 pm/°C, respectively whereas linear response correlation coefficient of 0.98229 and 0.99929. These show the MM-FBG has better sensitivity to be used in sensor applications.

Due to the great effect of defects on the properties of the material including strength, ductility, resistivity and opacity, there are many techniques that are used in defect detecting. Positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS), Vickers hardness, and X-ray diffraction were used to study the influence of plastic deformation on the properties of 8006 Al-alloy in this work. An increase in the positron lifetime and Vickers hardness with a bit Broadening of XRD peaks was observed with increasing the degree of deformation reflecting a large dislocation density produced by plastic deformation.

Biomorphic alumina ceramic with a long, large and oriented growth of alpha alumina grains suitable for the devices such as prosthetic implants, dental implant and control drug release etc. Ultralight porous alumina was synthesized from a carbonaceous preform derived from bamboo using biotemplating technique. Carbonaceous preform (C-preform) of bamboo precursor was prepared by controlled thermal processing in a muffle furnace for pore formation. Al2O3 was inserted into C-preforms by sol-gel method applying repeated infiltration of low viscous Al2O3-sol and then dried and sintered at 1500°C in air atmosphere resulting of an ultra-light monophasic Al2O3 ceramics with replication of the pore structure of the bamboo C-preforms. The microstructure of porous Al2O3 was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Open hierarchical porous structures surrounded by alumina struts web with nominal porosity of 80% inside the biomaterial are visualized which lacking of interconnectivity and low strength.

The searching of environmentally friendly materials that have potential to replacement mineral oil is currently being considered a top priority research topic in the fuel and energy sector. This paper presents the influence of ultrasound-assisted transesterification of jatropha oil to isopropyl ester and the optimum condition. The transesterification was performed by using isopropyl alcohol as solvent in the presence of ultrasound operating frequency constant at 35 kHz. The isopropyl ester content of product was 97.80 % under the the reaction temperature of 60 °C, isopropyl alcohol to jatropha oil molar ratio of 8 : 1 within the reaction time of 15 minutes.