Al-Azhar University

Electrical instability, manifested as high-frequency resistance “noise,” is a critical indicator of structural distress during the startup of Hall-Héroult cells. This study establishes a mechanistic link between the thermomechanical failure of carbonaceous ramming paste joints and these electrical fluctuations. A 3D multi-physics finite element model (FEM) was developed, incorporating temperature-dependent non-linear material properties. The mechanical failure of the brittle ramming paste was evaluated using the classic Goldenblat–Kopnov criterion, which uniquely accounts for the anisotropic nature and tensile–compressive strength disparity of carbon composites. The model was rigorously validated against industrial field data from 210 kA cells (617, 619, and 634) at the Egyptalum smelter. Our findings demonstrate that peak tensile stresses exceeding 1.94 MPa lead to widespread micro-cracking (Π > 1) under short preheating schedules (52–55 h), which directly correlates with a measured noise level of 0.087 µΩ. Extending the preheating duration to 71 h suppressed these failure zones, reducing noise to 0.064 µΩ (a 26.4% improvement). Beyond the single 71 h benchmark, additional simulations at intermediate preheating durations (55–66 h) delimit a practical operating window of 65–72 h in which the failure index remains below unity at an acceptable energy cost, and a sensitivity analysis of the interfacial contact treatment confirms the robustness of these predictions.

This study is motivated by the importance of profit growth as an indicator of financial performance in banking companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange. Profit growth reflects a bank’s ability to maintain financial stability, manage risk, and strengthen the confidence of investors and the public. This study aims to analyze the effect of the Interest Risk Ratio (IRR) and Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) on profit growth in banking companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange during the 2021–2023 period. This research applies a descriptive quantitative approach using secondary data obtained from company financial statements published on the official website of the Indonesia Stock Exchange and the official websites of the respective banking companies. The population of this study consists of 33 banking companies, while the sample was selected using purposive sampling, resulting in 16 companies with 48 observations. The data analysis technique used is multiple linear regression with the assistance of SPSS 22. The results show that, partially, IRR has a significant effect on profit growth with a significance value of 0.033 < 0.05, and CAR has a significant effect on profit growth with a significance value of 0.000 < 0.05. Simultaneously, IRR and CAR significantly affect profit growth with a significance value of 0.006 < 0.05. The R Square value of 0.346 indicates that IRR and CAR explain 34.6% of the variation in profit growth, while the remaining percentage is influenced by other variables outside this study.

The escalating threat of bacterial plant pathogens, coupled with widespread resistance to conventional copper bactericides and agricultural antibiotics, necessitates innovative agrochemical alternatives. While chitosan-metal nanocomposites (Cs-Metal NCs) present a transformative frontier in plant protection, existing literature frequently conflates these advanced nano-formulations with unmodified bulk chitosan and relies on oversimplified, deterministic mechanistic models. This critical review systematically decouples Cs-Metal NCs from bulk biopolymers, elucidating how nanoscale coordination chemistry dictates biological efficacy. Moving beyond the traditional Gram-positive/Gram-negative dichotomy, it was critically analyzed how specific transition metal dopants (Cu, Ag, Zn, Mg) overcome physiological barriers, including extracellular polymeric substance matrices, biofilm architecture, and stationary-phase dormancy. Furthermore, the dual elicitation paradigm was explored, wherein the chitosan backbone acts as a microbe-associated molecular pattern while controlled metal release induces chemical eustress, synergistically priming robust systemic acquired resistance in host plants. This synthesis also rigorously categorizes current in silico computational models, distinguishing phytopathogen-specific rational design from indirectly relevant clinical proxies and transparently addresses algorithmic limitations. Finally, it was provided a critical evaluation of commercial translational hurdles, the "reality check", assessing multitrophic ecotoxicology, formulation inconsistencies, and the frequently overlooked selection risk of pathogen adaptive tolerance under long-term field application. Ultimately, advancing Cs-Metal NCs from controlled in vitro promise to sustainable, field-validated integrated pest management frameworks require pivoting toward realistic pathosystems, complex soil microbiome dynamics, and standardized physicochemical parameters.

It is anticipated that cancer will continue to be the world's top cause of death, underscoring the critical need for novel treatments that specifically prevent tumor growth while protecting healthy cells. In this investigation, new triazoles and iminophosphorane derivatives were designed and synthesized smoothly via reactions of 4-azidobenzenesulfonamide with selected examples of organophosphorus reagents including stabilized phosphoniumylides, trialkylphosphites, tris(dialkylamino)phosphines, and Japanese reagent. The reactions are simple to run, occur under mild conditions producing the target products in good yields. The mechanisms of product formation were proposed and illustrated. The spectroscopic methods were used to confirm the structures of the produced substances. Compounds 14a, 14d, and 6 demonstrated greater selectivity toward cancer cells in comparison to the MDCK normal cell line (SI = 6.9, 5.6 and 4.9, respectively) and the strongest inhibitory impact against the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line (IC50 = 8.2, 8.8, and 9.4 mu M, respectively) among the tested derivatives. These values were superior to those of doxorubicin (IC50= 13.2 mu M; SI = 4.4). Mechanistic studies revealed that the three compounds inhibited carbonic anhydrase CA IX, CA XII, and COX-2 enzymes in the micromolar range. Notably, compound 14d was the most potent, with IC50 values of 0.099, 0.170, and 0.050 mu M against CA IX, CA XII, and COX-2, induced significant G2/M cell cycle arrest, and markedly promoted apoptosis in MCF-7 cells. Molecular docking studies and in vitro data revealed that compounds 14a, 14d, and 6 interact with the enzyme active sites similarly to the reference inhibitors celecoxib and acetazolamide. Molecular dynamics simulations of the top docking pose of the most potent compound 14d confirmed the stability of its interactions with CA IX, CA XII, and COX-2. In addition, in silico toxicological profiling and metabolite assessment revealed no significant genotoxicity-related alerts or nitrosamine-associated structural liabilities for the most active compounds.