The increasing culinary use of onion (Alium cepa) raises pressure on the current production rate, demanding sustainable approaches for increasing its productivity worldwide. Here, we aimed to investigate the beneficial effects of licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) root extract (LRE) in improving growth, yield, nutritional status, and antioxidant properties of two high-yielding onion cultivars, Shandaweel and Giza 20, growing under field conditions in two consecutive years. Our results revealed that pretreatments of both onion cultivars with LRE exhibited improved growth indices (plant height and number of leaves) and yield-related features (bulb length, bulb diameter, and bulb weight) in comparison with the corresponding LRE-devoid control plants. Pretreatments with LRE also improved the nutritional and antioxidant properties of bulbs of both cultivars, which was linked to improved mineral (e.g., K+ and Ca2+) acquisition, and heightened activities of enzymatic antioxidants (e.g., superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione S-transferase) and increased levels of non-enzymatic antioxidants (e.g., ascorbic acid, reduced glutathione, phenolics, and flavonoids). LRE also elevated the contents of proline, total free amino acids, total soluble carbohydrates, and water-soluble proteins in both onion bulbs. In general, both cultivars displayed positive responses to LRE pretreatments; however, the Shandaweel cultivar performed better than the Giza 20 cultivar in terms of yield and, to some extent, bulb quality. Collectively, our findings suggest that the application of LRE as biostimulant might be an effective strategy to enhance bulb quality and ultimately the productivity of onion cultivars under field conditions.Dermal absorption of chemicals is a key factor in risk assessment. This study investigated the effects of different amounts of application on dermal absorption and suggested an appropriate application dose for proper dermal absorption. Caffeine and testosterone were chosen as test compounds. An in vitro dermal absorption test was performed using a Franz diffusion cell. Different amounts (5, 10, 25, and 50 mg (or µL)/cm2) of semisolid (cream) and liquid (solution) formulations containing 1% caffeine and 0.1% testosterone were applied to rat and minipig (Micropig®) skins. After 24 h, the concentrations of both compounds remaining on the skin surface and in the stratum corneum, dermis and epidermis, and receptor fluid were determined using LC-MS / MS or HPLC. Dermal absorption of both compounds decreased with increasing amounts of application in both skin types (rat and minipig) and formulations (cream and solution). Especially, dermal absorptions (%) of both compounds at 50 mg (or µL)/cm2 was significantly lower compared to 5 or 10 mg (or µL)/cm2 in both rat and minipig skins. Therefore, a low dose (5 or 10 mg (or µL)/cm2) of the formulation should be applied to obtain conservative dermal absorption.In order to study the durability of concrete materials subjected to sulfate attack, in a sulfate attack environment, a series of concrete tests considering different fly ash contents and erosion times were conducted. The mechanical properties and the micro-structure of concrete under sulfate attack were studied based on the following uniaxial compressive strength test, split tensile test, ultrasonic impulse method, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The mechanical properties were compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, and relative dynamic elastic modulus, respectively. Additionally, according to the damage mechanical theory, experimental results and micro-structure analysis, the damage evolution process of concrete under a sulfate attack environment were studied in detail. Finally, according to the sulfate attack time and fly ash content, a damage model of the sulfate attack of the binary surface was established.  https://www.selleckchem.com/products/bgb-290.html  The specific results are as follows under the action of sulfate attack, the change law of the rate of mass change, relative dynamic modulus of elasticity, corrosion resistance coefficient of compressive strength, and the corrosion resistance coefficient of the splitting tensile strength of concrete all increase first and then decrease. Under the same erosion time, concrete mixed with 10% fly ash content has the best sulfate resistance. Through data regression, the damage evolution equation of the sulfate attack was developed and there is an exponential function relationship among the different damage variables. The binary curved surface regression effect of the concrete damage and the erosion time and the amount of fly ash is significant, which can predict deterioration of concrete damage under sulfate attack. During the erosion time, the combined expansion of ettringite and gypsum caused micro cracks. With an increase of corrosion time, micro cracks developed and their numbers increased.This work presents a study of photoconductive (PC) terahertz (THz) emitters based upon varied bow-tie (BT) antenna structures on the semi-insulating (SI) forms of GaAs and InP. The BT antennas have electrodes in the form of a Sharp BT, a Broad BT, an Asymmetric BT, a Blunted BT, and a Doubled BT. The study explores the main features of PC THz emitters for spectroscopic studies and sensors application in terms of THz field amplitude and spectral bandwidth. The emitters' performance levels are found to depend strongly upon the PC material and antenna structure. The SI-InP emitters display lower THz field amplitude and narrower bandwidth compared to the SI-GaAs emitters with the same structure (and dimensions). The characterized Doubled BT structure yields a higher THz field amplitude, while the characterized Asymmetric BT structure with flat edges yields a higher bandwidth in comparison to the sharp-edged structures. This knowledge on the PC THz emitter characteristics, in terms of material and structure, can play a key role in future implementations and applications of THz sensor technology.The impact of atmospheric concentration of particulate matter ≤10 μm in diameter (PM10) continues to attract research attention. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of meteorological factors, including PM10 concentration, on epistaxis presentation in children and adults. We reviewed the data from 1557 days and 2273 cases of epistaxis between January 2015 and December 2019. Eligible patients were stratified by age into the children (age ≤17 years) and adult groups. The main outcome was the incidence and cumulative number of epistaxis presentations in hospital per day and month. Meteorological factors and PM10 concentration data were obtained from the Korea Meteorological Administration. Several meteorological factors were associated with epistaxis presentation in hospital; however, these associations differed between children and adults. Only PM10 concentration was consistently associated with daily epistaxis presentation in hospital among both children and adults. Additionally, PM10 concentration was associated with the daily cumulative number of epistaxis presentations in hospital in children and adults.