Distribution Of Some Heavy Metals In Water,Sediment & Fish Cyprinus carpio in Euphrates River Near Al- Nassiriya City Center South Iraq .

The heavy metals Cd, Cu, Fe, pb, and Zn were determined in dissolved and particulate phases of the water,in addition to exchangeable and residual phases of the sediment and in the selected organs of the fish Cyprinus carpio collected from the Euphrates River near Al-Nassiriya city center south of Iraq during the summer period / 2009 .Also sediment texture and total organic carbon(TOC) were measured. Analysis emploing a flam Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometers . The mean regional concentrations of the heavy metals in dissolved (µg/l) and particulate phases (µg/gm) dry weight were Cd (0.15,16.13) ,Cu (0.59,24.48) ,Fe (726,909.4) ,Pb (0.20, 49.95) and Zn (2.5,35.62) respectively,and those for exchangeable and residual phases of the Sediment were Cd (0.2,0.1) ,Cu (13.75,16.65) ,Fe (683 , 1351 ) ,Pb (10.1,1.07) and Zn (7.3,16.75)µg/gm dry weight respectively. The heavy metals concentrations in C. carpio organs followed the trend gill > liver > kidney> muscles . The mean concentration in the muscles were Cd (ND) , Cu (0.07) , Fe (4.7) , pb (0.06) and Zn (6.4) (µg/gm) dry weight . The statistical analysis proved a significant correlation between metal concentration in the sediment and total organic carbon, also a positive correlation was proved between its concentrations in the liver organ and the water (particulate phase) . In conclusion the trace metals concentration in particulate phase were higher than its concentration in the dissolved phase . The fish organs showed variations in the metals concentration and the muscle organs showed less concentration than the other organs

Hyperspectral imaging predicts macadamia nut-in-shell and kernel moisture using machine vision and learning tools

Tree nuts are a convenient and nutritious food source and recently considerable attention has been placed on quality assessment to provide high quality nuts and improve consumer satisfaction. Moisture is a critical parameter for tree nut quality and is routinely monitored throughout post-harvest processing. However, current direct methods to assess nut moisture are based on using limited numbers of representative sub-sets and are destructive. This study aimed to use hyperspectral imaging and machine learning (ML) to predict moisture of individual macadamia nuts during post-harvest processing. Specifically, we aimed to compare data extraction methods (automatic vs. manual) and nut orientation (base-up, base-down and combined orientations) during imaging in predicting moisture for nut-in-shell and kernels. We also explored minimum wavelength numbers to predict moisture. Spectra were obtained from images of nuts in two orientations and extracted using manual and automatic methods prior to development of partial least squares (PLSR), artificial neural network (ANN), support vector machine (SVM) and Gaussian process regression (GPR) models. Kernel moisture prediction was more accurate using automatically extracted spectra, whereas nut-in-shell moisture prediction accuracy was similar for either method. For kernels, combining the spectra from two images of nuts in base-up and base-down orientations provided similar prediction accuracy (RMSET = 0.308 %), compared with spectra from one image (RMSET ≥ 0.341 %), and for nut-in-shell, using spectra from one image also provided similar accuracy (RMSET ≈ 1.2 %) as using both images combined. PLSR models predicted moisture with very high accuracy for both nut-in-shell (R2T = 0.96, RMSET = 1.20 %, RPD = 5.15) and kernels (R2T = 0.99, RMSET = 0.308 %, RPD = 11.05) following selection of ten important wavelength bands between 760 and 967 nm. ANN and GPR also achieved equivalent (R2T = 0.99) highest accuracy predictions for kernels, however, all wavelengths were required, which would increase computational processing time for high volume applications. The important wavelength bands required to develop accurate models for macadamia moisture prediction are consistent with other food and nut products and prediction accuracies are possible for process control applications using only 10 wavelength bands. Several ML models including PLSR, ANN and GPR are suitable for use with Vis/NIR hyperspectral images to predict macadamia moisture, however, for industrial applications where high volume through-put is required, using PLSR with limited selected wavelength bands is recommended. Overall, hyperspectral imaging combined with computer vision software and ML models showed significant potential to predict moisture concentration of macadamia during post-harvest processing

Management of Ganglioneuroma and Ganglioneuroblastoma Intermixed: A United Kingdom Children\u27s Cancer and Leukaemia Group (UK CCLG) Nationwide Study Report

\ua9 2024 The Author(s). Pediatric Blood & Cancer published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.Background: Ganglioneuroblastoma intermixed (GNBi) and ganglioneuroma (GN) represent benign variants of peripheral neuroblastic tumours. While historically surgical resection was recommended, watchful active observation has become the accepted management for a subset of patients. Objectives: To review clinical features, biology, natural history and management of a retrospective UK CCLG study cohort of GN and GNBi, and compare outcomes of patients treated with surgical resection or watchful active observation. Methods: Retrospective review of histologically confirmed non-metastatic GN and GNBi diagnosed between 1990 and 2020. Results: A total of 259 patients were identified (163 GN, 93 GNBi, median age 62 months). In all 201 (78%) had initial surgery and 58 (22%) were observed. Overall survival was 98%. Twenty-one of 58 observed (36%) required subsequent surgery due to progressive tumour growth (52%). Gross total resection (GTR) was achieved in 79% of patients with a 19% complication rate. GTR was obtained in a similar proportion of patients having initial surgery (65%) and delayed surgery (76%). Patients obtaining GTR were more likely to have complete symptom(s) control (43% vs. 24%). In 45 cases (39%), surgical pathology was different from pathology at biopsy, and in 14 (12%) the pathology changed from GN/GNBi to neuroblastoma/GNB nodular. Conclusion: Watchful active observation can be a safe approach, with surgical resection reserved for symptomatic patients. However, a small proportion of patients in the observation group had their diagnosis revised to malignant at surgery. Careful assessment of surgical risk and expected benefits, after considering an initial period of observation, will allow clinicians to make optimal decisions for patients and their families

Extracorporeal cellular therapy (ELAD) in severe alcoholic hepatitis: A multinational, prospective, controlled, randomized trial.

Severe alcoholic hepatitis (sAH) is associated with a poor prognosis. There is no proven effective treatment for sAH, which is why early transplantation has been increasingly discussed. Hepatoblastoma-derived C3A cells express anti-inflammatory proteins and growth factors and were tested in an extracorporeal cellular therapy (ELAD) study to establish their effect on survival for subjects with sAH. Adults with sAH, bilirubin ≥8 mg/dL, Maddrey\u27s discriminant function ≥ 32, and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score ≤ 35 were randomized to receive standard of care (SOC) only or 3-5 days of continuous ELAD treatment plus SOC. After a minimum follow-up of 91 days, overall survival (OS) was assessed by using a Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. A total of 203 subjects were enrolled (96 ELAD and 107 SOC) at 40 sites worldwide. Comparison of baseline characteristics showed no significant differences between groups and within subgroups. There was no significant difference in serious adverse events between the 2 groups. In an analysis of the intent-to-treat population, there was no difference in OS (51.0% versus 49.5%). The study failed its primary and secondary end point in a population with sAH and with a MELD ranging from 18 to 35 and no upper age limit. In the prespecified analysis of subjects with MELD \u3c 28 (n = 120), ELAD was associated with a trend toward higher OS at 91 days (68.6% versus 53.6%; P = .08). Regression analysis identified high creatinine and international normalized ratio, but not bilirubin, as the MELD components predicting negative outcomes with ELAD. A new trial investigating a potential benefit of ELAD in younger subjects with sufficient renal function and less severe coagulopathy has been initiated. Liver Transplantation 24 380-393 2018 AASLD