This study investigated the effect of engine load on the performance and emission characteristics of a compression ignition engine fuelled with watermelon seed oil methyl ester (WOME) modified with metal and oxygenated additives. Watermelon seed oil was extracted and converted to biodiesel through acid esterification followed by alkaline transesterification. The oil yield was 48.7828%, while the biodiesel yield was 85.28 vol.%. Acid esterification reduced the free fatty acid content from 5.4464 to 2.347 mg/g, facilitating effective alkaline transesterification. The physicochemical properties of the produced WOME included a density of 0.881 g/cm³, kinematic viscosity of 3.146 mm²/s, moisture content of 0.0389%, cetane number of 57.34, flash point of 94°C, and cloud point of −6°C, indicating favourable fuel characteristics for compression ignition engine applications. The WOME was blended with petroleum diesel and modified with copper (II) oxide (CuO), copper (II) sulphate (CuSO₄), and acetoacetic ester (Ace), and the resulting fuel blends were tested under varying engine loads. The results showed that engine load significantly influenced fuel consumption, brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC), brake thermal efficiency (BTE), exhaust gas temperature (EGT), and gaseous emissions. At a 30 kg load, the lowest BSFC recorded was 0.2438 kg/kW-hr, while the highest BTE was 38.06%. Increasing engine load generally increased fuel consumption, H₂S, NO₂, CO, and EGT, while CH₄ emissions decreased. The optimized WOME blend demonstrated the best overall engine performance and the lowest overall emissions, with the minimum CH₄ emission of 52.7 ppm. The study concludes that watermelon seed oil is a promising renewable feedstock for biodiesel production and that modification of WOME with CuO, CuSO₄, and acetoacetic ester can improve engine performance and emission characteristics under varying load conditions. The findings demonstrate the potential of additive-modified WOME-diesel blends as a cleaner and more efficient alternative to conventional petroleum diesel in compression ignition engines.

Expectant and lactating mothers resort to medicinal plants for it claimed nutritional values, such practices effects on offspring neurodevelopment and cognitive functions are unclear. Hence, this study assessed cognitive function and hippocampus in juvenile rat exposed to aqueous leaf extract of Jatropha tanjorensis (ALEJT) in-utero and postnatal life. Thirty litters were randomly assigned 3 groups (n=10) following dams intake. Control: 20ml/kg of distilled water; In-utero and In-utero+postnatal days 15-21 ALEJT 500mg/kg oral exposure respectively. Cognitive assay after weaning: Novel object recognition task (NORT); Morris water maze (MWM) and T maze; Histological studies: hematoxylin and eosin staining. NORT short term memory; exposed groups index of habituation increased against control. Index of discrimination differed not. Long term memory: Group 3 index of habituation increased (p<0.05) against control, and was positive against other Groups. Exposed groups index of discrimination was negative against control. Group 2 (p<0.05) reduced against control. During MWM acquisition training, day 3 swim latency (SL) was shorter in Group 3 (p< 0.01) against control. During reversal training, day 1 SL was shorter in Group 3 against control (p<0.05) and Group 2 (p<0.01); shorter on day 2 (p<0.05) against Group 2 and on day 3 (p<0.01) against control. During probe trial Group 3 spent time in Northwest quadrant against the retention quadrant (Southwest). Group 3 SL during visible platform was shorter (P<0.01) against control. Percentage alternation differed not. Exposed rats hippocampus showed altered pyramidal cells, with reactive astrocytes present. ALEJT impairs cognitive function with potential injuries to hippocampus of exposed rats.

This research paper explores the role of local institutional strengthening in promoting peace building within Kenyan educational institutions, with a focus on Amani Clubs. These clubs serve as a microcosm of local peace building efforts, providing valuable insights into the challenges and successes of grassroots initiatives in conflict-ridden regions. Through a comprehensive desktop research approach, this paper analyzes the evolution, implementation, and impact of Amani Clubs, shedding light on their effectiveness as a model for promoting peace and social cohesion in Kenyan institutions.

This study examines the effect of legal subject and legal object complexity on legal-document completion duration and its relationship with opportunity cost in built-to-suit (BTS) tower projects at Protelindo Group. Legal-subject categories comprise individuals, heirs, legal entities, government institutions, and religious-property managers, while legal-object status distinguishes certified and non-certified land. A quantitative explanatory design was applied using a five-point Likert questionnaire administered to 200 respondents from the Protelindo Legal team, SITAC BTS team, and experienced turnkey vendors. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results show that legal subject and object complexity has a positive and significant effect on completion duration (β = 0.758; t = 24.588; p < 0.001), while completion duration positively and significantly affects opportunity cost (β = 0.325; t = 5.403; p < 0.001). Legal complexity also has a direct positive and significant effect on opportunity cost (β = 0.543; t = 9.470; p < 0.001). The model explains 57.4% of the variance in completion duration and 66.8% of the variance in opportunity cost. The findings indicate that legal complexity should be screened at the front end of BTS land-acquisition processes because incomplete documentation, repeated clarification, external coordination, and administrative rework can extend lead time and consume productive resources.

This study investigates the relationship between strategic leadership, employee performance, and the mediating role of employee engagement at Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) in Enugu State, Nigeria. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, data was collected through surveys and interviews with 200 employees across various departments. Results indicate a significant positive correlation between strategic leadership and employee performance, mediated by high levels of employee engagement. The findings revealed that engaged employees demonstrate a 30% increase in performance metrics compared to their disengaged counterparts. Furthermore, strategic leadership practices, such as clear communication and supportive management, were found to enhance engagement levels among employees. The study underscores the importance of strategic leadership in fostering an environment conducive to employee engagement, ultimately leading to improved organizational performance.

Assessment of therapeutic outcomes in hospitalized patients is important for ensuring effective treatment and supporting clinical decision-making. Main objective of the study was to evaluate therapeutic outcomes in hospitalized patients using laboratory and vital parameters, assess drug effectiveness, and identify factors influencing clinical improvement in a tertiary care teaching hospital. A prospective observational study was conducted over six months in the General Medicine department, including 100 patients. Case files data on demographics, diagnosis, prescribed medications, vital signs, and laboratory parameters were collected using a structured form and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Among the patients, 54% were female and 46% were male, with a mean age of 44.3 ± 13.21 years. The most common conditions were renal disorders (17%), acute febrile illness (10%), and diabetes mellitus (9%). Most patients had a hospital stay of 4 days (37%). A total of 452 drugs were prescribed, with antibiotics (17.52%) and proton pump inhibitors (16.5%) being the most frequently used. Laboratory findings showed improvement in haemoglobin, sodium, and potassium levels, while reductions were observed in WBC count and random blood sugar. Vital parameters improved notably in blood pressure and body temperature. The observed improvements in laboratory and vital parameters indicate effective therapeutic management and highlight the importance of continuous monitoring in hospitalized patients. Pharmacist-led monitoring plays a significant role in optimizing therapy, promoting rational drug use, and enhancing patient safety, thereby improving therapeutic outcomes in hospital settings.

As a type of linguistic variation, phonetic variation manifests universal characteristics in human linguistic communication, carries complex sociocultural connotations, and demonstrates significant academic research value. This phenomenon has long served as an important entry point for sociolinguistic research. This paper systematically reviews existing research findings, focusing on the motivational mechanisms and sociocultural background that may give rise to phonetic variation.

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Tooth shade selected by the instrument method needs visual validation (hybrid method). Many studies have compared tooth shades selected by different instruments with the visual method, but no information exists on the agreement between shades selected by the Tooth Colour Comparator (Model YS-TCC-A) and the visual method. This study aimed to determine whether the shade selected by TCC substantially agrees with the visual method. This cross-sectional study included 150 indigenous people from the Ogoni ethnic group in Rivers State, Nigeria. We screened out individuals with poor oral hygiene or any anomaly that could affect tooth shade selection, and we used TCC to determine each participant's tooth shade on the mid-labial surface of the upper right central incisor. The tooth shade assessors were three experienced dentists with a satisfactory record of providing aesthetic dental services and were purposively selected. At least two of the assessors must agree on the shade selected, and it should be satisfactory to the participant. The Vita 3D-Master shade guide was used for both digital and visual methods, following standard protocol. Cohen’s Kappa statistic was used to analyse the data. The kappa value was 0.23, suggesting fair agreement (0.21-0.40), and the p-value was statistically significant, indicating the estimated kappa was not due to chance. This study found fair, not substantial, agreement in selected shades between TCC and the visual method.

Prussian blue has crossed a variety of disciplines. Prussian blue was found by chance in Berlin at the beginning of the eighteenth century, and was then the first synthetic dye used on a large scale, leading to a revolution in artistic expression throughout Europe and Asia. It was deep, stable in color, which changed the way paintings, printmaking, and textiles were made, and in time influenced some of the greatest artworks of all time. The pigment was used in medicine as well as art. Max Perls, in 1867, modified the chemistry of Prussian blue to make it suitable as a stain for tissues for ferric iron, which is one of the longest-lasting stains used in diagnostic pathology. Perl's' Prussian blue stain is an essential part of the evaluation of iron overload disorders, pulmonary hemosiderosis, myelodysplastic syndromes, and forensic work today. Incredibly, Prussian blue is also an FDA approved therapeutic agent for radioactive cesium and thallium poisoning. Prussian blue's development from an accidental laboratory contaminant, a scientific curiosity, and an antidote is a testament to how one molecule can have a lasting impact on human knowledge through serendipity, curiosity, and interdisciplinary innovations. The review overviews the history and chemical basis, pathological uses, forensic importance, therapeutic uses, and future potential of Prussian blue.

In order to address the challenge brought by artificial intelligence in traditional English teaching, we analyze the major challenges and problems faced by English teaching in the artificial intelligence environment. Based on practical teaching conditions, we put forward coping strategies from the perspectives of teachers, students, classroom teaching, categorized training, curriculum culture and usage specifications. By adopting these strategies in English teaching, the data reveal that the integration of AI has exerted positive impacts on teacher development, student growth, teaching modes, teaching resources and teaching effectiveness. The study shows that AI instructional design developed based on practical conditions and the integration of AI technologies and tools into teaching activities can exert positive effects.

The purpose of the present study was the influence of position specific training on designated skill performance variables among rural grassroots level football players. The study was administered on rural grassroots level 45 football players in the age group 13 to 15 years of Thiruvallur district on the random sampling basis. The skill performance variables measurement which was used in this study is passing, dribbling and shooting. To find out the significance difference t-test was used. The level of significance was chosen as 0.05 levels. Result of this study reveal that there was significant difference exit between the FP, MP and DP among rural grassroots level football players. It was concluded that position specific training applies showed MP better than the FP and DP on passing skill, DP better than the FP and MP on dribbling skill, FP better than the MP and DP on shooting skill.

Background: Accurate estimation of fetal weight at term is important for appropriate labour and delivery management, but available estimation methods have varying accuracy. Therefore, this study was undertaken to compare sonographically estimated fetal weight with actual birth weight in women at term pregnancy. Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted at the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital (ShSMCH), Dhaka, Bangladesh, from 17 March to 16 September 2018. Women with singleton term pregnancies (37–40 weeks) were included. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 22, with p<0.05 considered significant. Written informed consent was obtained. Results: Among 100 participants, most were aged 18–25 years (56, 56.0%), housewives (84, 84.0%), primipara (74, 74.0%), and from the lower-income class (86, 86.0%); 82 (82.0%) received antenatal care. The mean sonographic estimated fetal weight was 3.06 ± 0.42 kg, while the mean actual birth weight was 3.11 ± 0.16 kg, with a significant difference (t = 2.21, p = 0.028). A significant positive correlation was found between estimated fetal weight and actual birth weight (r = 0.409, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Ultrasonographic estimation of fetal weight at term shows a significant positive correlation with actual birth weight and may assist in clinical decision-making during labour and delivery.

Background: Parent–adolescent communication, peer relationships, autonomy, identity, and future-related thinking are often studied separately, despite their potential relevance to emotional adjustment during the transition to adulthood. Age-specific evidence for late adolescence and Saudi/Gulf settings remains limited. Objective: To critically synthesize evidence on these relational and developmental domains, distinguish association from temporal evidence, and identify a bounded Saudi/Gulf research and clinical agenda. Methods: This targeted narrative review retained a structured PubMed/MEDLINE search audit, final source-level eligibility re-screening, and purposive, citation-tracked source assembly. Three prespecified searches returned 9,443 records before deduplication. The first 20 records in PubMed’s default most-recent ESearch order were retained from each query as a 60-record search audit, not as a relevance-ranked inclusion screen. Twenty-two source records initially informed the synthesis; one out-of-scope source was excluded, leaving 21 original scholarly sources. A separately documented focused age-specific search then added two source-verified records, yielding 23 scholarly sources overall. Findings: Adolescent-rated parent–child communication quality and broader family relationship quality are consistently associated with mental-health outcomes, but much evidence is cross-sectional or based on one informant. Direct 15–19 evidence is narrow: one age-specific prospective synthesis addressed future-related thinking, one 15–19 relationship-profile study was cross-sectional, and one age-18 exposure study measured outcomes at age 21. Mixed-age samples must not be interpreted as age-specific evidence. Saudi and Gulf evidence provides important contextual and service-use information but does not yet provide a direct age-specific test of an integrated parent–peer–autonomy model. Conclusion: The review offers a hypothesis-generating framework and a transparent research agenda. Family-inclusive prevention may be useful when it is acceptable and safe, but the reviewed evidence does not support causal claims, diagnosis from appearance or friendship changes, or a stand-alone family intervention as treatment for mental disorders.

Introduction: Acute esophageal necrosis (AEN), or “black esophagus,” is a rare but serious condition that mainly occurs in elderly patients with vascular frailty and significant comorbidities. It is thought to result from acid injury combined with esophageal ischemia. It frequently presents with upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Diagnosis relies on esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), which shows diffuse, circumferential black discoloration of the esophageal mucosa, predominantly distal and ending sharply at the Z-line. AEN may progress to severe complications, including esophageal stricture and perforation, and remains associated with high mortality. Case Presentation: We report the case of a 50-year-old man with alcohol-related liver cirrhosis, still actively drinking and not under medical follow-up, admitted for mild acute alcoholic pancreatitis. His course was complicated by delirium tremens in the setting of abrupt alcohol withdrawal. Clinically, he presented with blackish vomiting and melena. Laboratory tests revealed severe anemia (hemoglobin 6.3 g/dL), acute kidney injury, and severe hypokalemia requiring admission to the intensive care unit. EGD revealed grade D ulceronecrotic esophagitis according to the Los Angeles classification, without active bleeding, consistent with black esophagus syndrome. Biopsies were deferred given the acute bleeding context. Caustic ingestion was ruled out by history. The patient was managed with fluid resuscitation, parenteral nutrition, correction of fluid and electrolyte disturbances, high-dose intravenous proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy followed by double-dose oral PPI combined with sucralfate, and initial fasting. Follow-up EGD on day 8 showed marked improvement without esophageal stricture. The outcome was favorable, with resumption of oral feeding, continuation of PPI therapy for eight weeks, and referral to an addiction medicine clinic. Conclusion: Our case shows that early and optimal management can lead to healing of esophageal lesions. Control of comorbidities is an essential component of treatment, together with supportive resuscitative measures and combined PPI and sucralfate therapy. The outcome is often favorable, but mortality remains high owing to the frail background frequently associated with this condition.