Definitive diagnosis of Craniosynostosis (CS) with computed tomography (CT) is readily available, however, exposure to ionizing radiation is often a hard stop for parents and practitioners. Lowering head CT radiation exposure helps mitigate risks and improves diagnostic utilization. The purpose of the study is to quantify radiation exposure from head CT in patients with CS using a ‘new’ (ultra-low dose) protocol; compare prior standard CT protocol; summarize published reports on cumulative radiation doses from pediatric head CT scans utilizing other low-dose protocols. A retrospective study was conducted on patients undergoing surgical correction of CS, aged less than 2 years, between August 2014 and February 2022. Cumulative effective dose (CED) in mSv was calculated, descriptive statistics were performed, and mean ± SD was reported. A literature search was conducted describing cumulative radiation exposure from head CT in pediatric patients and analyzed for ionizing radiation measurements. Forty-four patients met inclusion criteria: 17 females and 27 males. Patients who obtained head CT using the ‘New’ protocol resulted in lower CED exposure of 0.32 mSv ± 0.07 compared to the prior standard protocol at 5.25 mSv ± 2.79 (p < 0.0001). Five studies specifically investigated the reduction of ionizing radiation from CT scans in patients with CS via the utilization of low-dose CT protocols. These studies displayed overall CED values ranging from 0.015 mSv to 0.77 mSv. Our new CT protocol resulted in 94% reduction of ionizing radiation. Ultra-low dose CT protocols provide similar diagnostic data without loss of bone differentiation in CS and can be easily incorporated into the workflow of a children’s hospital.

Zero-valent iron is a moderately reducing reagent that is both non-toxic and affordable. In the present work, iron nanoparticles were synthesized using bitter guard leaf extract (Momordica charantia L.) (BGL-Fe NP). Using leaf samples from bitter protectant extract, iron nanoparticles were synthesized with secondary metabolites such as flavonoids and polyphenols acting as capping and reducing agents. Polyphenols reduce Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺ to nanovalent iron or iron nanoparticles. Iron nanoparticles were synthesized by reducing iron chloride as a precursor with bitter protective leaf extract in an alkaline environment. The obtained BGL-Fe NPs were calcined for 4 h at various temperatures of 400 °C, 500 °C, and 600 °C. The obtained samples were coded as BGL-Fe NPs-4, BGL-Fe NPs-5, and BGL-Fe NPs-6, respectively. The synthesized BGL-Fe NPs were systematically characterized by XRD, SEM, FTIR, UV-Vis and TG-DTA analysis. The obtained BGL-Fe NPs were then used as an adsorbent to remove the aqueous solution of basic methylene blue (MB) dye. MB concentration was monitored using UV-Vis spectroscopy.

The objective of this study was to develop a model based on fuzzy rules to evaluate the effects caused by varying the dosages of two soil fertilizers (mineral and organic) on root diameter. Fuzzy logic is a method that presents a language, more appropriate to day-to-day life, as the sky is a bit cloudy. For the input variables of this system the mineral and an organic fertilizer were used, for the output the root diameter, in cm. After optimization of the input rules, it can be seen that for the application of the fertilizers (mineral and organic) the best dosages were from 15 to 60 and 20 to 60 g·m^-2, respectively. With this application of fuzzy rules in real data, it is possible to take these benefits to those involved in the production chain of radish, resulting in a reduction in the dosages of products and improving its final profitability.

Purpose: This study explores the impact of quality of life (QoL) on the happiness of female healthcare professionals, focusing on the moderating roles of family dynamics and education. Method: A descriptive and exploratory design was used with data from 503 female healthcare professionals. Various quantitative analyses, including regression and correlation, were conducted using SPSS and AMOS. Findings: The study found a positive relationship between QoL and happiness. Family dynamics and education significantly moderated this relationship, highlighting the influence of these factors on happiness levels. Implications: The research offers insights into the well-being of female healthcare professionals and calls for policies that support QoL through flexible work arrangements and wellness programs, considering diverse family structures and educational backgrounds. Originality: This study provides a focused analysis of the role of family and education in shaping the relationship between QoL and happiness for female healthcare professionals.

The combination of polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) and polyamide 6 (PA6) plastic mixture was taken from waste from the table production process along with carbon black (CB) reinforcement with the desire to create a potential plastic mixture widely used in many fields. The PBT/PA6/CB mix is created by injection molding with a CB weight ratio of 0%, 4%, 8%, and 12%. This study has shown the change in plastic’s mechanical properties when adding CB to the mixture by testing the unnotched impact toughness according to ASTM D256 standards. Research results show that the unnotched impact toughness was gradually reduced when increasing the CB content in the mixture from 0% to 12% CB. Specifically, at 0% CB, the resulting unnotched impact toughness was 12.85 kJ/m², reduced to 4.78 kJ/m².