[en] The Langkawi black sand has been analyzed using the method of neutron activation analysis (INAA). A total of 22 elements have been detected. Elements such as Mn, Cu, Cr, U and Th occur in high concentration. Prospect for future mineralization of these elements may be of economic interest. (author) 9 refs.; 1 tab

[en] The possible effect of the recently discovered subshell closure at Z=64 is investigated for ¹⁶⁰Dy. Energy levels and B(E2) ratios are compared with IBM- 1 calculations assuming either a single Z=50-82 shell or a subshell closure at Z=64. The latter calculation improves agreement with experiment. (author)

[en] Neutron activation analysis (NAA) and Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) spectrometry were used to determine the concentration of trace metals in marine bivalve Andara Granosa. A total of 11 elements: Mg, Cl, Mn, K, Se, Br, Zn, Co, Fe, Rb, Cd and Cu were detected. Analyses were performed to examine the relationship between metal concentration and body weight. Results from both techniques show linear relationship between total metal concentration and body weight. (author). 8 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs

[en] Effects of Ti substitutions on superconductivity of Tl_0.8Pb_0.2Sr_2-xTi_xCa_0.9Y_0.1Cu₂O₇ (x=0-0.7) and TlSr_2-xTi_xCaCu₂O₇ (x=0-0.4) ceramics have been investigated. Tl_0.8Pb_0.2Sr_2-xTi_xCa_0.9Y_0.1Cu₂O₇ (x=0) was observed to superconduct with T_conset of 90 K and T_czero of 21 K. Substitution of Ti with x=0.1-0.5 observed an increase in T_czero to 56-62 K with T_conset around 90 K. TlSr_2-xTi_xCaCu₂O₇ (x=0-0.2) was not superconducting above 20 K but for x=0.3 superconductivity was observed with T_conset of 66 K and T_czero of 34 K

[en] Seven kinds of building materials were analysed for ²³⁸U, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K using a direct γ-counting method. The activity concentrations measured for ²³⁸U (30-448 Bq kg^-1) and ⁴⁰K (328-7541 Bq kg^-1) were greater than the world average activity for soil (25 and 370 Bq kg^-1, respectively) for all building materials analysed, while the activity concentrations of ²³²Th were found to exceed the average of 25 Bq kg^-1 (soil) for red-clay brick (51 Bq kg^-1) and ceiling asbestos sheet materials (162 Bq kg^-1). The calculated Ra equivalent activities (Ra_eq) for all materials are higher than the world average value for soil (89 Bq kg^-1). For red-clay brick and ceiling asbestos, the Ra_eq values are found to exceed the limit of 370 Bq kg^-1, equivalent to a γ-dose of 1.5 mSv yr^-1. (Copyright (c) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam. All rights reserved.)

[en] We conducted a study to determine the numbers of susuks (charm needles) and their distribution in the craniofacial region of susuk wearers, and the sex, racial affiliation, and age of the wearers. In addition, we sought to determine whether the presence of susuks posed any potential hazard to patients undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We studied various radiographs of 33 susuk wearers (age range, 33-69 years) and investigated the most common sites of insertion in the craniofacial region. A susuk was also suspended inside a 1.5-T MRI machine to determined whether it was attracted by the machine's magnet. The largest number of susuks that we observed in the craniofacial region was 39 pins, and susuks were particularly numerous in Malay Muslim women. Other sites with susuks were the maxillofacial region (except the temporomandibular region) and the forehead. The susuks showed no ferromagnetic characteristics. As susuks are made from gold, they are generally biocompatible with human tissue and do not cause problems to their wearers. Gold and the other minor metal constituents found in susuks have no ferromagnetic characteristics and therefore pose no hazard to patients undergoing MRI. (author)

[en] Background: It is a common observation that the aortic size of Pakistani population is relatively less as compared to western population. Till now there is no study which has measured the dimensions of abdominal aorta in local population.The standard diameter of an artery across the body is critical for clinicians to recognize when an artery has become aneurysmal. This study aims to present the results of a local population's normal diameter of an infrarenal aorta and how it varies by age, gender, weight, height, body mass index (BMI) and body surface area (BSA). Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted in Vascular Surgery Department, at Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Peshawar, from July 2020 to November 2021.Participants in the study included all patients who underwent a contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen for any reason other than cardiovascular disease.The infrarenal abdominal aorta's mean internal diameter (anteroposterior and transverse diameter) was assessed. SPSS v 23 was used to analyze the data and present it as frequency and percentages. The Pearson correlation coefficient assessed the correlation between aortic diameters, weight, height, BMI, and BSA. Result: Recruitment of a total of 250 patients was done in this study. Males were 194 (77.6%), while the rest were female patients. The patients' mean age was 39.6±12.8 years. The mean anteroposterior (AP) diameter of the infrarenal aorta was 16.13±2.32 mm. The mean transverse diameter (TD) was 15.96±2.34 mm. The infrarenal diameter of the aorta was smaller in women when compared to men, and the calibre of the aorta increased with the increasing age of the patients. There was a statistically significant positive relationship between their age and the average diameter of the infrarenal aorta (p<0.001) among both men and women. Conclusion: Clinicians and vascular surgeons will benefit from the findings in diagnosing and treating abdominal aortic aneurysms. Hence, thoughtful consideration should be made before formulating intervention protocols. (author)

[en] The aim of this study was to determine the effect of five gradient concentrations of cadmium and lead (cadmium sulfate and lead nitrate) on the mortality of common carp fingerlings (Cyprinus carpio), with average weight of 0.49±0.08g and 29.31±1.71g of the AL-sin farm. The results showed that hydrophilic cadmium sulphate had stronger effect on carp fingerling weighing (0.49±0.08g) where the mortality percentage was high by the fourth day of the experiment in the concentration (2.5 mg / L). Lead nitrate had lesser effect on mortality, no where individual has died during the first 3 days. The mortality rate increased in the concentrations (2.5 mg / L) by the sixth day of the experiment. The higher concentrations of cadmium and lead (29.31±1.71g), the cadmium hydroxide sulfate showed stronger effect than the lead nitrate on fish mortality. The mortality rate was high by the fifth day with the concentration (16 mg / L) of Cadmium sulphate, while with the concentration (32 mg / L) of lead nitrate, the mortality rate increased by the seventh day of the experiment. These results indicate that cadmium has stronger toxic effect than lead on the mortality of fish weighing (0.49±0.08g and 29.31±1.71g) with the concentrations and some time periods used during the experiment. (author)

[en] The use of surface waves in studying the spatial variation of texture within austenitic weld metal is outlined. Rotated surface acoustic wave velocities have been measured and compared with X-ray pole figures for several different weld structures and for cast material. Pole figures obtained from an austenitic butt weld reveal that it processes a strong <200> preferred orientation with the [200] axis parallel to the columnar grain axis, but with isotropic behaviour around this axis. Macroscopically, the weld thus processes a special orthotropic structure. Rotated surface wave velocity measurements about the [200] axis show no directional dependence. On the two other planes, mutually perpendicular to the (200) plane and to each other, the surface wave velocity is directionally dependent in a manner which agrees qualitatively with theoretical calculations from a special orthotropic model. Further correlation was obtained from measurements on a cast austenitic ingot. (author)

[en] Highlights: • Bi_0.3Pr_0.3Ca_0.4Mn_1-xCr_xO₃ (x = 0–0.14) samples were prepared by solid state method. • Substitution of Cr³⁺ at x = 0.08 destabilized CO state and induced ferromagnetic metallic phase. • Substitution of Cr³⁺ at x = 0.04 produced large magnetoresistance effect. • Possible conduction mechanisms involved are well described by scattering and hopping processes. - Abstract: The effect of Cr³⁺ substitution at Mn-site on the structure, magnetic and electrical properties of Bi_0.3Pr_0.3Ca_0.4Mn_1-xCr_xO₃ manganites were studied by using X-ray diffraction method, AC susceptibility and electrical transport measurements. All the samples with starting composition of Bi_0.3Pr_0.3Ca_0.4Mn_1-xCr_xO₃ (x = 0, 0.04, 0.08, 0.1, 0.12 and 0.14) were prepared using solid state method. R versus T curve shows that x = 0 sample exhibits a strong insulating behavior while Cr³⁺substitution at x = 0.08 induced metal-insulator (MI) transition at MI transition temperature (T_MI) of 56 K. The substitution for x = 0.08 successfully weakened the hybridization effect which may related to strong ferromagnetic (FM) interaction between Cr³⁺OMn³⁺ as well as Mn³⁺OMn⁴⁺. Further substitution of Cr³⁺ for x = 0.1 increased the T_MI to 58 K but decreased to 36 K for x = 0.12. Rietveld Refinement of the X-ray diffraction data showed a decreased of unit cell volume which indicated partial substitution of Cr³⁺ (0.615 Å) at Mn⁺³(0.64 Å) site. Susceptibility, χ′ versus temperature, T measurements, showed an increase of ferromagnetic-paramagnetic, FM-PM transition temperature, T_C from 66 K (x = 0.04) to 125 K (x = 0.14) which suggested that Cr³⁺ substitution enhanced the growth of FM phase. Fitting of the experimental data in the metallic region to scattering models suggested scattering involving a combination of electron-electron, electron-magnon, Kondo-like spin-dependent scattering, and electron-phonon interaction are responsible for the observed resistivity behavior. On the other hand, fitting in the insulating region suggests that resistivity behavior obeys the variable range hopping (VRH) model below the charge ordered temperature, T_CO for (x = 0) and T_MI T $T_{{\theta }_{D/2}}$ for x = 0.04–0.14 while at high temperatures involved small polaron hopping, SPH mechanism. Therefore, the enhanced double exchange mechanism (DE) indicates the substitution of Cr³⁺ increased the delocalization of charge carrier and destabilization of the CO-AFM state. It is suggested that such an increased of DE mechanism was related to the reduction of blocking mechanism which generated by the hybridization effect due to Bi 6s² lone pair.