Dual effect to improve the electrical properties of SZO films grown by nitrogen pneumatic spray pyrolysis.

The principal aim of this study is to reduce considerably, via Sn doping, the resistivity of ZnO thin films prepared by simple, flexible, and cost-effective nitrogen pneumatic spray pyrolysis (NPSP) method on glass substrates at a temperature of 400°C. Different Sn content was tested (Sn/Zn = 0, 1, 3, 5 wt%) in an attempt to reduce the concentration of excessive oxygen atoms and create more free electrons. The microstructural, optical, morphological, and electrical properties of the films have been studied.

Identification of the Contamination Sources by PCBs Using Multivariate Analyses: The Case Study of the Annaba Bay (Algeria) Basin.

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), particularly the indicator polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), were first quantified in water and sediments of two wadis, Boujemaâ and Seybouse, as well as in the effluents from a fertilizer and phytosanitary production industrial plant (Fertial). Since these contaminated discharges end in Annaba Bay (Algeria) in the Mediterranean Sea, with a significant level of contamination, all the potential sources should be identified. In this work, this task is conducted by a multivariate analysis.

Fabrication of a Zircon Microfiltration Membrane for Culture Medium Sterilization.

Multilayer ceramic membranes to be used for bacteria removal by filtration were prepared from ceramic materials. They consist of a macro-porous carrier, an intermediate layer and a thin separation layer at the top. Tubular and flat disc supports were prepared from silica sand and calcite (natural raw materials), using extrusion and uniaxial pressing methods, respectively.

Optimization of pv cells/modules parameters using a modified quasi-oppositional logistic chaotic rao-1 (QOLCR) algorithm.

Since the behavior of photovoltaic (PV) modules under different operational conditions is highly nonlinear, predicting the performance of PV systems in industrial applications is becoming a major challenge issue. Moreover, the most important information required to configure an optimal PV system is unavailable in all manufacturer's datasheets. In this context, a novel method is recommended to optimize PV cells/module parameters with the ability to correctly characterize the I-V and P-V curves of different PV models.

Microtexture analysis of copper-doped iron oxide thin films prepared by air pneumatic spray.

The stereometric and fractal concepts are crucial tools to analyse, to verify, to report 3-D microtexture of thin film surfaces on the nanometre scale and thereby to generate useful topographic characteristics for better understanding and steering them toward further improvements and rational use in modern applications. At first, the present work aimed to prepare hematite α-Fe O thin films with (0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 wt%) of Cu doping by using the air pneumatic spray method. Subsequently, the obtained pure α-Fe O and Cu-doped α-Fe O thin films were characterised by XRD device, which determines their polycrystalline nature with the rhombohedral hematite structure.

Hair removal in dermoscopy images using variational autoencoders.

Background: In recent years, melanoma is rising at a faster rate compared to other cancers. Although it is the most serious type of skin cancer, the diagnosis at early stages makes it curable. Dermoscopy is a reliable medical technique used to detect melanoma by using a dermoscope to examine the skin.

Influence of selenium supplementation on carbohydrate metabolism and oxidative stress in pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus.

Background: In the presence of conflicting advice about the relationship between selenium-type II diabetes-oxidative stress trio, this study aimed to assess the consequences of selenium supplementation on fasting plasma glucose (FPG) level, antioxidant activities of selenodependent and non-selenodependent enzymes, and other markers of oxidative stress studied for the first time during gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

Methods: This research was carried out among 180 pregnant Algerian women, 60 of whom were in good health, 60 women with GDM did not take supplements, and 60 women with GDM took selenium orally (50 mg/d) for 12 weeks starting from their second trimester of pregnancy. Blood samples were taken in order to assay FPG level and oxidative stress markers.

Loss in efficacy measures of tolfenamic acid in a tau knock-out model: Relevance to Alzheimer's disease.

Unlabelled: In the healthy human brain, the protein tau serves the essential function of stabilizing microtubules. However, in a diseased state, tau becomes destabilized and aggregates into a pathogenic form that ultimately creates one of the two major hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), tau tangles. Multiple neurodegenerative diseases, termed tauopathies, such as Pick’s disease, and progressive supranuclear palsy, are also linked to mutations in tau.

Bacteriocinogenic properties of Escherichia coli P2C isolated from pig gastrointestinal tract: purification and characterization of microcin V.

The aim of this study was to isolate and investigate the bacteriocinogenic and probiotic potential of new Gram-negative isolates. Of 22 bacterial isolates from pig intestine and chicken crops, ten isolates had demonstrated a good activity, and the most potent five strains were identified as four E. coli and one as Proteus sp.

Tolfenamic Acid: A Modifier of the Tau Protein and its Role in Cognition and Tauopathy.

Background: Tangles are deposits of hyperphosphorylated tau, which are found in multiple neurodegenerative disorders that are referred to as tauopathies, of which Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common. Tauopathies are clinically characterized by dementia and share common cortical lesions composed of aggregates of the protein tau.

Objective: In this study, we explored the therapeutic potential of tolfenamic acid (TA), in modifying disease processes in a transgenic animal model that carries the human tau gene (hTau).

In vitro estimation of fast and slow wave parameters of thin trabecular bone using space-alternating generalized expectation-maximization algorithm.

In testing cancellous bone using ultrasound, two types of longitudinal Biot's waves are observed in the received signal. These are known as fast and slow waves and their appearance depend on the alignment of bone trabeculae in the propagation path and the thickness of the specimen under test (SUT). They can be used as an effective tool for the diagnosis of osteoporosis because wave propagation behavior depends on the bone structure.

The effect of electron range on electron beam induced current collection and a simple method to extract an electron range for any generation function.

The effect of electron range on electron beam induced current (EBIC) is demonstrated and the problem of the choice of the optimal electron ranges to use with simple uniform and point generation function models is resolved by proposing a method to extract an electron range-energy relationship (ERER). The results show that the use of these extracted electron ranges remove the previous disagreement between the EBIC curves computed with simple forms of generation model and those based on a more realistic generation model. The impact of these extracted electron ranges on the extraction of diffusion length, surface recombination velocity and EBIC contrast of defects is discussed.

Evaluation of chromium contamination in water, sediment and vegetation caused by the tannery of Jijel (Algeria): a case study.

In order to evaluate the chromium (Cr) contamination due to the discharge of waste waters from the tannery of Jijel in the Mouttas river (Algeria), samples of water, sediment and vegetation (Agropyrum repens) were collected during a 6 month period in four stations located upstream (control) and downstream of the tannery. The total chromium was measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Metal inputs were clearly related to effluent discharges from the tannery into the river.