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A recurrent solution to consecutive transit assignment problems is typically required to help address the bus network design problem (BNDP). Intriguingly, the transit assignment issue is differentiated by a number of distinctive characteristics. In this article, a complete analysis of one of the well-known graphical representations of the problem is conducted. The presented design is founded on the representation of the transit network by De Cea and Fernandez (1993). They developed an innovative section-based graph augmentation of the real transit network to overcome many of the mathematical formulation complexities of the problem. This study is organized to thoroughly investigate and review the model to shed light on its capabilities for use in BNDP solution schemes. The review provides the needed information to give the reader a full assessment of the selected bus assignment model. The importance of this review is shown by the fact that the most widely utilized transit assignment models in the BNDP are inadequate in their fundamental assumptions when compared to the model under consideration. The model’s graphical representation and solution technique are described in depth in addition to the constraints that will be integrated into the BNDP solution approaches. We want to refocus emphasis on this approach for further BNDP research since it is infrequently used in BNDP solution frameworks.

Cancer, a lethal ailment, possesses a multitude of therapeutic alternatives to combat its presence, metal complexes have emerged as significant classes of medicinal compounds, exhibiting considerable biological efficacy, especially as anticancer agents. The utilization of cis-platin in the treatment of various cancer types, including breast cancer, has served as inspiration to devise novel nanostructured metal complexes for breast cancer therapy. Notably, homo- and hetero-octahedral bimetallic complexes of an innovative multifunctional ether ligand (comprising Mn(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), Hg(II), and Ag(I) ions) have been synthesized. To ascertain their structural characteristics, elemental and spectral analyses, encompassing IR, UV–Vis, 1 H-NMR, mass and electron spin resonance (ESR) spectra, magnetic moments, molar conductance, thermal analysis, and electron microscopy, were employed. The molar conductance of these complexes in DMF demonstrated a non-electrolytic nature. Nanostructured forms of the complexes were identified through electron microscopic data. At ambient temperature, the ESR spectra of the solid complexes exhibited anisotropic and isotropic variants, indicative of covalent bonding. The ligand and several of its metal complexes were subjected to cytotoxicity testing against breast cancer protein 3S7S and liver cancer protein 4OO6, with the Ag(I) complex (7) evincing the most potent effect, followed by the Cu(II) with ligand (complex (2)), Cis-platin, the ligand itself, and the Cu(II)/Zn(II) complex (8). Molecular docking data unveiled the inhibitory order of several complexes.

To counter a limited global supply of yellow fever vaccine, the use of a fractional dose of vaccine (one fifth of the standard dose) during an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo resulted in immunogenicity consistent with expected protective titers at 1-month and 1-year follow-up.

Currently there is no effective medicinal treatment for uterine fibroids (UFs), a common health disorder that affects women of reproductive age. Identification of modifiable risk factors such as vitamin D (Vit D) deficiency could help develop novel strategies for the prevention and/or treatment of UFs. The purpose of this study was to identify whether low serum Vit D3 levels correlate with increased risk of UFs. A total of 154 premenopausal women were recruited for this cross-sectional study. The control group comprised 50 subjects with a normal, fibroid-free uterine structure, confirmed by transvaginal ultrasonography. The 104 case subjects had at least one fibroid lesion that was 2 cm(3) in volume or larger, confirmed by transvaginal ultrasonography. For each case subject, total uterine volume and total volume of all existing fibroids were measured in three perpendicular planes, with volume determined according to the prolate ellipse formula (a × b × c × 0.523), where a is height, b is width, and c is depth. Serum Vit D [25(OH) D3] levels were measured by radioimmunoassay. The independent t-test was used to compare serum Vit D levels across groups. Correlations were assessed by Spearman's rank correlation test. Lower serum 25-(OH) Vit D levels were significantly associated with the occurrence of UFs (P = 0.01). A statistically significant inverse correlation was also observed between serum 25-(OH) Vit D levels and total UF volume (r = -0.31; P = 0.002) within the case cohort. Subjects with larger fibroid volumes had lower serum Vit D levels and vice versa. Data stratified for ethnicity showed a statistically significant inverse correlation between serum 25-(OH) Vit D levels and total fibroid volume in black subjects (r = -0.42; P = 0.001). An inverse correlation was also evident in white subjects (r = -0.86; P = 0.58) but this did not reach statistical significance. Lower serum Vit D levels are inversely correlated with UF burden in different ethnic groups. Vit D deficiency is a possible risk factor for the occurrence of UFs.

In this study, a millimeter-wave (mmWave) dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) with an omnidirectional pattern is presented for the first time. A key feature of the proposed design is the utilization of a planar feed network to achieve omnidirectional radiation from a rectangular DRA, which has not been reported previously in the open literature. In addition, the proposed antenna offers multiband operation with different types of radiation patterns. The degenerate TE121/TE211 modes were excited at 28.5 GHz with an overall internal electromagnetic field distribution that was similar to that of the HEM21δ mode of a cylindrical DRA. The achieved omnidirectional bandwidth and gain were 1.9% and 4.3 dBi, respectively. Moreover, broadside radiation was achieved by exciting the TE111 fundamental mode at 17.5 GHz together with the resonance of the feeding ring-slot at 23 GHz. The triple-band operation offers a highly versatile antenna that can be utilized in on-body and off-body communications. Furthermore, the proposed design was validated through measurements, demonstrating good agreement with simulations.

The overall purpose of this study is to enhance existing transit systems by planning a new underground metro network. The design of a new metro network in the existing cities is a complex problem. Therefore, in this research, the study idea arises from the prerequisites to get out of conventional metro network design to develop a future scheme for forecasting an optimal metro network for these existing cities. Two models are proposed to design metro transit networks based on an optimal cost–benefit ratio. Model 1 presents a grid metro network, and Model 2 presents the ring-radial metro network. The proposed methodology introduces a non-demand criterion for transit system design. The new network design aims to increase the overall transit system connectivity by minimizing passenger transfers through the transit network between origin and destination. An existing square city is presented as a case study for both models. It includes twenty-five traffic analysis zones, and thirty-six new metro stations are selected at the existing street intersection. TransCAD software is used as a base for stations and the metro network lines to coordinate all these data. A passenger transfer counting algorithm is then proposed to determine the number of needed transfers between stations from each origin to each destination. Thus, a passenger Origin/Destination transfer matrix is created via the NetBeans program to help in determining the number of transfers required to complete the trips on both proposed networks. Results show that Model 2 achieves the maximum cost–benefit ratio (CBR) of the transit network that increases 41% more than CBR of Model 1. Therefore, it is found that the ring radial network is a more optimal network to existing square cities than the grid network according to overall network connectivity.

Mariout Lake is one of the Northern Nile-Delta Lakes in Egypt that receives agricultural, industrial and domestic effluents through several drains. The present study aims to evaluate the levels of some heavy metals (HMs) in water and edible parts of Oreochromis niloticus in Mariout Lake, in addition to studying several pollution indices and potential human health risks. The levels of the studied HMs in water were in the order of Fe > Zn > Mn > Pb > Cu > Ni > Cd. However, results of the pollution index, that concerns the effect of individual metal, concluded that Cd and Pb in water had serious pollution effects for aquatic life, while Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Zn had not any pollution effects at different locations in the lake. The indices of the composite effects of all HMs (Metal Index and Heavy Metal Pollution Index) indicated the high pollution of Mariout Lake water, which may cause adverse effects on fish and different aquatic organisms. On the other side, the bioaccumulation factors of HMs in edible parts of O. niloticus were in the order of Zn > Cd > Cu > Ni > Pb > Mn > Fe. Although the target hazard quotient for all metals was less than the non-hazardous limit (THQ < 1), the non-carcinogenic hazard index (HI = 1.24) was classified in the moderate hazard risk level (1 < HI < 10) indicating low potential adverse effects on the exposed population due to consumption of O . niloticus caught from Mariout Lake.

Even with considerable progress in cancer researches, gastric cancer is still one of the global health problems. Recognition of the differential expressed genes in GC is the most appropriate approach for establishing new diagnostic targets. This study evaluates SEC13, SMAD7, GHRL, lncRNA GHRLOS, HIF-1α genes profiling as well as HIF-1α protein level for GC. The expression of selected genes, serum HIF-1α and CEA protein levels were determined for 50 GC patients and 50 healthy controls by real-time RT-PCR, ELISA, and ELICA respectively. The sensitivities of these parameters as diagnostic biomarkers were evaluated. SMAD7, HIF-1α expression, serum HIF-1α, and CEA level were significantly upregulated in GC patients as compared to the control group ( P  = 0.024, < 0.001) and had significant positive correlations between each other except SMAD7 with serum HIF-1α, and CEA level. On the other hand, SEC13, GHRL, and lncRNA GHRLOS expression were significantly downregulated in GC patients ( P  =  < 0.001, 0.025, < 0.001 respectively) and had significant positive correlations with each other ( P  < 0.001). Significant negative correlations were observed between most of both groups. All studied parameters were associated with GC clinical stages except SMAD7 was associated with stage IV only ( P  = 0.005) and GHRL did not associate with tumor stages ( P ˃ 0.05). All studied parameters may be promising biomarkers for the early diagnosis of GC. SMAD7, HIF-1α gene, and HIF-1α protein may be jointly implicated in cancer development and prognosis, while SEC13, GHRL, and lncRNA GHRLOS may act as tumor suppressors.

This work is concerned with the development of a simple and accurate procedure for trace elements determination in infusion of medicinal plants using neutron activation analysis. The developed scheme involves irradiation of herb (tea in the present work) before immersion into boiled water and then analyzing the induced radioactivity in the infusion using HPGe detector to determine the concentration levels of the extracted elements. Results were corrected for geometry and γ-ray attenuation effects using Monte Carlo simulation. The effects of irradiation dose and infusion period on the extraction process were also evaluated. The developed method proved its efficiency and capability for evaluation of the daily intake of elements reach our body through consumption of medicinal plants.

This paper presents a novel 28 GHz circularly polarized rectangular dielectric-resonator antenna (DRA) array for millimeter-wave (mmWave) off-body applications. A feed network incorporating cross slots was utilized in the rectangular DRA design to realize circular polarization (CP). In terms of the free-space wavelength, λo, the DRA dimensions were (0.48λo × 0.48λo × 0.27λo) at 28 GHz. The antenna array was simulated by incorporating dielectric layers with parameters that are equivalent to those of the human body at the desired frequency of 28 GHz for off-body communications. Moreover, the precise alignment and assembly of the DRA, which pose major difficulties at mmWave frequencies, were achieved by outlining the DRA positions on the ground plane using a three-dimensional (3D) printer. The array configuration was fabricated and measured with excellent performance, realizing a measured impedance bandwidth of 29% in conjunction with an axial-ration (AR) bandwidth of 13% and a broadside gain of 13.7 dBic at 28 GHz.