Failure and Degradation Mechanisms of Steel Pipelines: Analysis and Development of Effective Preventive Strategies.

The increasing challenges related to the reliability and durability of steel pipeline infrastructure necessitate a detailed understanding of degradation and failure mechanisms. This study focuses on selective corrosion and erosion as critical factors, analyzing their impact on pipeline integrity using advanced methods, including macroscopic analysis, corrosion testing, microscopic examination, tensile strength testing, and finite element method (FEM) modeling. Selective corrosion in the heat-affected zones (HAZs) of longitudinal welds was identified as the dominant degradation mechanism, with pit depths reaching up to 6 mm, leading to tensile strength reductions of 30%.

Principles of Palliative and Supportive Care in Pancreatic Cancer: A Review.

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is well known for its poor survival time. Clinical symptoms are painless jaundice or abdominal or back pain. Less specific symptoms often appear that make diagnosis difficult, e.

Comparative Analysis of Corneal Parameters Performed with GalileiG6 and OCT Casia 2.

Backgrounds: To compare keratometry (Ks and Kf), astigmatism (Ast.), and the astigmatism axes (Ax.) of the posterior surface of the cornea; the total, central cornea thickness (CCT); and the thinnest corneal thickness (TCT) measured using two different measurement methods.

Comparative analysis of measurements of the anterior segment and the axial length parameters of the eyeball obtained with optical and ultrasound technique.

Purpose: To compare anterior chamber depth (ACD), keratometry (K1, K2), central corneal thickness (CCT), and axial length (AL) measured by four different devices.

Material And Methods: 150 eyes qualified for cataract surgery were included in the study. Four devices: IOL Master 500, OCT CASIA2, Dual Scheimpflug Analyzer Galilei G6, and Quantel Compact Touch ultrasound biometer, were compared.

Social capital and food security in post-conflict rural Lira District, northern Uganda.

While a strong relationship has been established between social capital and food security in the research literature, it is uncertain whether this holds in post-conflict situations. This study examines associations between social capital and food security in post-conflict Lira District, northern Uganda. Since factors affecting food security are complex, we explored the roles of households' characteristics in food security outcomes.

Repeatability, reproducibility, and comparison of ocular biometry using a new optical coherence tomography-based system and another device.

Precise measurement of axial length before cataract surgery is necessary for the proper lens implantation. We included 100 eyes of 56 patients in the study. The mean age was 41 (15-84 years).

Reproducibility, and repeatability of corneal topography measured by Revo NX, Galilei G6 and Casia 2 in normal eyes.

Purpose: To test the repeatability and reproducibility of the topography module in posterior segment spectral domain optical coherence tomography with Revo NX (new device) and to compare keratometry values obtained by a Scheimpflug tomography (Galilei G6) and a swept source OCT (Casia 2).

Methods: In this prospective study, healthy subjects with nonoperated eyes had their central corneal thickness (CCT), anterior and posterior K1/K2 corneal power measured with the new device. Two operators made 6 measurements on the new device to check intraobserver repeatability and reproducibility, and measurement on Casia 2 and Galilei G6.

Social network characteristics and resource access among formerly displaced households in Lira, Uganda.

In rural African communities, the support of extended family, friends, and neighbours is essential in borrowing or leveraging land, labour, food, and money, especially at times of social and financial turmoil. Little is known, though, about the nature of the networks and the conditions under which they may generate greater support in post-conflict communities. This study, conducted in the Lira district of northern Uganda, examined the composition, proximity, and size of the networks that households utilise to gain access to resources during and after resettlement.

Factors are not the same for risk of stopping exclusive breast-feeding and introducing different types of liquids and solids in HIV-affected communities in Ghana.

Exclusive breast-feeding (EBF) for 6 months supports optimal infant growth, health and development. This paper examined whether maternal HIV status was associated with EBF and other infant feeding practices. Pregnant women were enrolled after HIV counselling, and their babies were followed up for up to 1 year.

Socioeconomic factors differentiating healthcare utilization of cyclone survivors in rural Bangladesh: a case study of cyclone Sidr.

Background: Although many studies have been carried out to examine healthcare utilizations in rural Bangladesh, yet little is known about the healthcare utilization among survivors of a natural disaster. This study addresses this gap by examining the socioeconomic factors associated with healthcare utilization among Cyclone Sidr survivors.

Methods: A systematic random sample of 384 heads of household was interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire.

Dynamics of nitrogen transformation depending on different operational strategies in laboratory-scale tidal flow constructed wetlands.

The influence of different flooded/drained (F/D) time ratios and different effluent flow rates on the dynamics of nitrogen transformations in three laboratory-scale tidal flow constructed wetland systems (TFCWs-A, B, and C) under varying NH4(+)-N and COD influent loadings was investigated in this study. Good organic matter removal performance up to 90% was achieved for all experimental TFCWs under inflow concentrations of 300 and 150 mg/L regardless of F/D and effluent flow rate. The ammonium removal efficiency of wetland with F/D=3h:3h (55%) was higher than that of the wetland with F/D=5h:1h (47%) under an ammonium inflow concentration of 60 mg/L, indicating the positive effect of longer drained and shorter flooded time on tidal-operated wetlands under nitrification.

Persistent household food insecurity, HIV, and maternal stress in peri-urban Ghana.

Background: The mental health of caregivers has been shown to be important for improving HIV prevention and treatment. Household food insecurity affects hundreds of millions of individuals in Sub-Saharan Africa, a region that experiences a disproportionate burden of the HIV pandemic. Both maternal HIV diagnosis and household food insecurity may be linked with maternal stress.

Maternal HIV is associated with reduced growth in the first year of life among infants in the Eastern region of Ghana: the Research to Improve Infant Nutrition and Growth (RIING) Project.

Children of HIV-infected mothers experience poor growth, but not much is understood about the extent to which such children are affected. The Research to Improve Infant Nutrition and Growth (RIING) Project used a longitudinal study design to investigate the association between maternal HIV status and growth among Ghanaian infants in the first year of life. Pregnant women in their third trimester were enrolled into three groups: HIV-negative (HIV-N, n = 185), HIV-positive (HIV-P, n = 190) and HIV-unknown (HIV-U, n = 177).

Postnatal depression symptoms are associated with increased diarrhea among infants of HIV-positive Ghanaian mothers.

HIV infection is linked to increased prevalence of depression which may affect maternal caregiving practices and place infants at increased risk of illness. We examined the incidence and days ill with diarrhea among infants of HIV positive (HIV-P), HIV negative (HIV-N), and unknown HIV status (HIV-U) women, and determined if symptoms of maternal postnatal depression (PND) modulated the risk of diarrhea. Pregnant women (n = 492) were recruited from three antenatal clinics; mothers and infants were followed for 12 months postpartum.

Effect of a polyamine biosynthesis inhibitor on the quality of grape and red wine.

Background: The quality of berries and red wines is influenced by the cultivar. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of a polyamine biosynthesis (PA) inhibitor on some red grapevine cultivars with a genetically lower quality of grapes and wines. O-Phosphoethanolamine was used as a PA inhibitor because of its positive effect on the quality of some small berries.

Food insecurity and perceived stress but not HIV infection are independently associated with lower energy intakes among lactating Ghanaian women.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seropositive women living in low-income communities may have difficulty meeting the increased energy requirements that are associated with both lactation and HIV infection. Data on household food security and maternal socio-demographic characteristics, perceived stress, anthropometry, reported illness, dietary intakes and preferences, and exposure to nutrition education were collected from 70 lactating women [16 seropositive (HP), 27 seronegative (HN), and 27 who refused to be tested and had unknown HIV status (HU)]. Diet was assessed with three 24-h recalls (one market day, one weekend day, and one non-market weekday).

Regional program for bone allograft harvesting following multiorgan procurement in Pomeranian Academy of Medicine in Szczecin.

In Poland, up to 1999, the bones for allograft preparations had been procured only in mortuaries of forensic medicine departments. The increasing demand for bone transplantations greatly exceeds the supply resulting in a long waiting time for bone allografts. In November 1999, for the first time in Poland, the group of orthopedic surgeons from the Pomeranian Academy of Medicine started the regional program for bone harvesting following vascularized organ procurements.

Diet and food insufficiency among Hispanic youths: acculturation and socioeconomic factors in the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Background: Low socioeconomic status is associated with poor diet, food insufficiency, and poor child health. Hispanic households have disproportionately low incomes. Acculturation-related changes may augment the effects of poverty on children's diet and health.