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The aim of this study was to isolate Bacillusstrains from the rhizospheric environment and examine their impact on the growth of wheat seedlings and key genes related to indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) synthesis. After the soil was taken to the lab and exposed to heat treatment, the rhizobacteria were isolated as individual colonies, then grown with or without tryptophan and tested with Salkowski’s reagent. The best IAA-producing strains, along with Bacillus amyloliquefaciensFZB42, were used at three different concentrations in two ways: (i) bacterial cells with their culture medium (BWM) and (ii) bacterial cells without culture medium (BWoM). Various morphological traits, as well as pigment content, were measured. Finally, the expression of three IAA-related genes in the leaves of wheat seedlings treated with the best strain was measured via quantitative real–time PCR (qRT‒PCR). The highest IAA production occurred in the presence of tryptophan, with levels ranging from 61.84 to 95.89 µg/ml for 8 Bacillusstrains. Although these strains had beneficial impacts on growth and pigment traits when used as BWM, some of them had negative effects at certain concentrations. However, when the strains were used as BWoM, they consistently had greater effects on the characteristics of the shoots and roots. The best strain was identified as B. cereusthrough 16 S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) analysis. The genes studied showed reduced expression in leaves inoculated with the C6 strain through both BWM and BWoM. Using these rhizobacterial strains as BWoM has the potential to offer a sustainable and eco-friendly approach to enhance crop productivity.

Minimally invasive mitral valve repair (MIMVR), often performed within specialized care pathways, has been shown to reduce hospital length of stay and improve patient recovery. The relative value of rapid-recovery protocols as a component of care pathways, including enhanced recovery programs (ERPs), has not been well described. This study compared clinical outcomes following implementation of a new, comprehensive rapid-recovery protocol within a previously established, mature ERP for patients undergoing MIMVR.

ABSTRACTBackgroundThe Mediterranean diet has been linked to brain neuroprotection. Evidence from meta-analyses showed reduced risk of dementia with greater intake of vegetables and fruits, fish, and the Mediterranean diet. The current study raises important questions about the association between low risk dementia and Mediterranean diet.ObjectiveThe objective was to evaluate the association between levels of adherence to the Mediterranean diet and dementia and cognitive status in subjects 50 years of age and older.MethodThe Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS), the modified 30-item ‘Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Third Edition (DSM-III) risk of dementia, and the Standard Mini-Mental Status Examination (SMMSE) cognitive status scores were used to assess the levels of adherence to the Mediterranean diet’.ResultsA total of 150 subjects were enrolled in the study. Forty-one (27.3%) had ‘suspected or confirmed dementia, while 48 individuals (32%) were categorized as having moderate to severe cognitive decline. Subjects who reported moderate to high adherence to the Mediterranean diet (55, 36.7%) had significantly lower dementia scores (7.0 3.8 versus 17.6 5.1) and higher cognitive (25.4 3.8 versus 8.6 7.2) scores compared to those (38, 25.3%) who reported low adherence to the Mediterranean diet.ConclusionSubjects who were highly or moderately adherent to the Mediterranean diet had significantly lower dementia scores and better cognitive status than those with low adherence.

In this research, the breakage behavior of rock pillars under the uniaxial compressive strength test is investigated using both experimental and three-dimensional discrete element methods. Gypsum samples with rectangular and hourglass hexagonal shapes are constructed to simulate underground mine pillars. Within the samples, various settings of created holes in different angles, numbers, and shape patterns are considered to design a total of 20 configurations for the failure test. Twelve layouts included horizontal rows of 5 holes (1, 2, or 3 rows) at different angles (0°, 30°, 60°, and 90°). The hole patterns in the other 8 arrangements involved some usual geometric shapes including vertical ellipse, vertical rectangle, triangle, horizontal ellipse, horizontal rectangle, diamond, trapezoid, and square. For the experimental tests, 60 specimens are prepared (3 samples for each configuration to increase reliability). For the PFC3D simulations, 20 models with similar setups are prepared to replicate the experiments. The loading rate was set to 0.016 m/s. Our results show that the hole parameters, i.e., angles, numbers, and shape configurations, are the key factors in the failure process. Our analysis helps reveal a correlation between the breakage pattern, the breakage mechanism of discontinuities, and the maximum applied force of the specimens. Increasing the hole angles and numbers add to the total crack number (TCN). The minimum load-carrying capacity of the samples is recorded for the sample with 15 holes at 30° and 60° angles.

AbstractHoney bees can be evaluated to study their economic, developmental and immunity aspects. Apis melliferahas important organs such as the hypopharyngeal gland, mandibular gland and brain in their heads. The hypopharyngeal glands and mandibular glands cooperate to produce royal jelly essential in feeding queen honey bees and broods. Moreover, the brain is an organ that regulates the social behaviors of honey bees such as memory and learning. Therefore, this study aimed to detect differential head protein changes in one-day-old and nine-day-old worker honey bees. 153 repeatable protein spots were identified using Melanie software and statistically analyzed. Of the total protein spots, 27 responsive spots were identified using MALDI TOF-TOF mass spectrometry, of which 14 and 8 spots showed up and down regulation, respectively and five spots were expressed just in the head capsules of nine-day-old workers. All identified proteins were divided into 16 different groups involved in various growth-related processes as well as royal jelly augmentation. Nine proteins including KMT5B, TGIF2LX, Protein mono-ADP-ribosyltransferase PARP12, TCL1B4, maph-9, Vimentin-type intermediate filament-associated coiled-coil protein, HSP68, tetratricopeptide repeat domain 36 and POC1B were also identified and introduced for the first time in A. mellifera. This study provides valuable information on proteins involved in honey bee head growth and development as well as increasing royal jelly production.

Objective: The surgical treatment of aortic stenosis continues to evolve, and sutureless aortic valve replacement (SUAVR) is an emerging technology. With the Perceval S (Corcym, London, UK) as the only true sutureless valve on the market, the objective of this review is to analyze the current literature on Perceval S. Focusing on valve design and deployment as well as applications of the technology for challenging pathology, clinical outcomes are assessed, including a comparison with transcatheter AVR (TAVR).Methods: PubMed and MEDLINE were searched by 3 authors for studies analyzing SUAVR from inception to May 19, 2023.Results: SUAVR facilitates minimally invasive surgery and offers an alternative strategy for patients with small aortic annuli. It also has a time-saving advantage for patients who require complex operations. SUAVR results in excellent long-term morbidity, mortality, durability, and hemodynamic function. In comparison with conventional surgical AVR (SAVR), SUAVR does have a greater risk of postoperative pacemaker implantation; however, increasing user experience and refinements in implantation technique have contributed to reductions in this outcome. SUAVR results in morbidity and mortality that is similar to rapid-deployment AVR. Midterm outcomes are superior to TAVR; however, further robust investigation into all of these comparisons is ultimately necessary.Conclusions: SUAVR bridges the gap in technology between SAVR and TAVR. The application of this exciting technology will undoubtedly grow in the coming years, during which additional investigation is paramount to optimize preoperative planning, valve deployment, and reintervention strategies.

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the new virus of the coronavirus family, SARS-CoV-2, could lead to acute respiratory syndrome. The molecular mechanisms related to this disorder are still debatable. In this study to understand the pathogenicity mechanism of SARS-CoV-2, using the bioinformatics approaches, we investigated the expression of involved genes, their regulatory, and main signaling pathways during the time on days 1, 2, 3, and 4 of SARS-CoV infected cells. Here, our investigation shows the complex changes in gene expression on days 2 and 3 post-infection. The functional analysis showed that especially related to immune response, response to other organisms, and defense response. IL6-AS1 is the predicted long non-coding RNA and is a key regulator during infection. In this study, for the first time has been reported the role of IL6-AS1. Also, the correlation of differential expression genes with the level of immune infiltration was shown in the relationship of Natural killer cells and T cell CD 4+with DE genes. In the current study, identification of the altered expression pattern of genes in SARS-CoV-infected cells in time course also can help identify and link the molecular mechanisms and explore the holistic view of infection of SARS-CoV-2.

In this investigation, the influences of filling shapes on the failure mechanisms of rock masses under uniaxial compressive tests were analyzed using experimental and numerical simulation methods. For this purpose, a gypsum filling slab with three different shapes (isosceles trapezoid shape, triangle shape, and square shape) was inserted between the two granite specimens. In this regard, three different gypsum conditions were prepared; (1) gypsum containing a hole, (2) intact gypsum, and (3) gypsum containing the grout. Nine models were subjected to compression load with an axial load rate of 0.05 mm/min. Moreover, PFC2D was also employed to conduct numerical simulations of the models containing gypsum filling. In this matter, eight distinct types of soft gypsum filling were created; (1) concave shape, (2) semi-concave shape, (3) isosceles trapezoid shape, (4) triangle shape, (5) square shape, (6) bit shape, (7) lozenge shape, and (8) trapezoid. In addition, three different conditions were considered, i.e., gypsum containing a hole, intact gypsum, and gypsum containing the grout. The Brazilian tensile strength of gypsum and grout was 0.4 and 1 MPa, respectively. According to the results obtained, the failure process was predominantly controlled by the filling shape and filling conditions. With regard to the compressive strength, the fracture pattern and the failure mechanisms associated with the filling were found to play the main role. It was concluded that the compressive behavior of the filling is highly affected by the number of generated tensile cracks. As for hits of the acoustic emission (AE), a few AE hits were captured in the preliminary phase of loading, followed by a rapid growth in AE hits when the applied load reached its highest value. Furthermore, a large number of AE hits were observed during the stress drop.

Mesoporous nano-sized γ–Al2O3and γ–Al2O3–CeO2(20 wt% CeO2) catalysts were successfully synthesized through a sol–gel surfactant-free process, using cerium nitrate and aluminum nitrate as precursors. The obtained γ-aluminas were then characterized by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and temperature-programmed desorption with ammonia. Afterward, the structural properties of the prepared catalysts were monitored through surface area analysis measurements. Finally, the catalytic activity of the obtained aluminas were studied in methanol dehydration reaction. Methanol conversion and selectivities to different products were measured at different reaction temperatures by gas chromatography. The optimum temperature of catalytic reaction in the presence of alumina-ceria was 300 °C due to 100% DME selectivity and 91% methanol conversion.

In this work, kraft lignin (KL) was depolymerized in an oxalic acid-mediated aqueous solution to vanillin and vanillic acid. The phenolic compounds were assessed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (13C-NMR) and heteronuclear single quantum coherence-nuclear magnetic resonance (HSQC-NMR) of the extracted products showed the presence of aromatic moieties, confirming the abundance of phenolic compounds and the absence of the lignin inter-unit linkages. The proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) and HSQC-NMR of the partially depolymerized lignin confirmed the cleavage of β-O-4 linkages. The findings showed that the depolymerization of KL (5 wt.%) in the presence of 1.25 M oxalic acid and 50 psi oxygen pressure at 125 °C for 60 min generated the maximum vanillin and vanillic acid yields of 15.7 wt.% and 11.7 wt.%, respectively. It was also revealed that increasing the oxalic acid concentration increased the yields of vanillin and vanillic acid. The current study demonstrated that the niobium pentoxide catalyst increased the vanillin and vanillic acid yields by 49.5% and 53% in KL depolymerization, respectively, while significantly decreasing the yields in lignosulfonate depolymerization reaction. The one-step aqueous reaction, relatively high production yield, recovery (up to 78.6 wt%), and recyclability (45 wt%) of the oxalic acid could make this process industrially attractive for the vanillin production from KL.

Harsh loading conditions, such as ground vibrations from earthquakes, can reduce the ductility of large structures due to their weight and cause damage and early destruction. The research explores the use of Triangular added-damping-and-stiffness (TADAS) dampers in concrete moment frame structures to assess their impact on reducing floor displacement. The study examines the impact of two different alloys, ST52 and H13, used in the TADAS damper pins. It analyzes how the TADAS structural geometry and the mechanical behavior of its ductile alloys affect the stability of concrete structures under various cyclic and monotonic loading conditions. The finite element method implemented in ABAQUS is utilized to simulate the TADAS damper under both monotonic and cyclic loading conditions. The research findings include a novel modification of alloy materials, such as H13 steel, to enhance damper flexibility, optimization of damper geometry to increase seismic energy dissipation, and improvement in structural integrity to reduce stress concentration. Comparing two ST 52 alloys to H13 steel, the maximum bearable force has increased from 300 kN to 600 kN, which is about double the resistance increase. Practical applications of integrating TADAS dampers and Chevron braces in tall and low-rise concrete buildings show significant improvements in structural stability and displacement reduction. The results indicate that the base shear, the maximum relative displacement of the floors in height, and the increase of the internal force generated in the beam and column have decreased in the structure with yielding damper compared to the structure without damper. The research results for the 15-story structure show that without using a damper, the maximum relative displacement of the floor is 150 mm. However, when a damper is used, the maximum relative displacement is reduced to about 60 mm. This study highlights the practical implications of using TADAS dampers in structural engineering and offers a promising solution to minimize the destructive effects of seismic events on large-scale concrete structures.

The influences of the grain size on the biocompatibility and biodegradation behavior of an extruded and post-annealed pure Mg were investigated. The immersion test, electrochemical analysis, and surface characterization were carried out to study the degradation behavior, and the Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) and cell adhesion assays were applied to investigate the cells interaction with the substrate. The results depicted a striking influence of the grain size variations on the degradation behavior, cell viability, and cell adhesion characteristics of the pure magnesium. Here, the grain size was increased from 17.05 ± 2.64 μm for exruded sample to 30.62 ± 3.18 μm for the sample annealed at 400 °C and the degradation rate measured by hydrogen evolution in simulated body fluid (SBF) method increased from 2.42 ± 0.65 to 9.59 ± 1.33 mm/y, respectively. Moreover viability calculated by BrdU assey showed a decrease from 68 % (75 % extract) and 64.5 % (100 % extract) for extruded sample to 57 % (75 % extract) and 58 % (100 % extract) for the sample annealed at 400 °C. Higher annealing temperatures and consequent greater grain size were found to negatively influence the cytocompatibility of the pure Mg. In fact, annealing at the optimum temperature of 300 °C reduced the biodegradation rate by providing a uniform and stable MgO/Ca–P containing surface layer and hence resulted in higher cell adhesion and less cell toxicity.

Laser-plasma accelerators, have extremely high accelerating gradients and can generate ultra-short electron bunches with micrometer bunch lengths which makes them a prominent candidate to drive the next-generation compact light sources and free-electron lasers (FELs). To fully exploit the advantages of this novel accelerating technology and to compensate for large chromatic effects in the beam transport line, novel compact beam optic elements based on high-temperature superconductor technology are studied. Moreover, the limited mechanical properties of the HTS ceramic-structured superconductors lead to many manufacturing issues during the coil winding process and to ease this difficulty, designing magnets with simple shape coils is of interest. In this article, the magnet design as well as the fabrication and test of a demonstrator of a periodic iron-core miniature HTS quadrupole is discussed. This magnet features simple pancake coils that are capable of providing high field gradients and in the experiments were successfully powered in liquid nitrogen and liquid helium showing no degradation.

In this paper, a novel maximum power point tracking (MPPT) in PV system is presented. In sliding mode control schemes, discontinuous reaching law involves high control activity and the future may excite high-frequency dynamics. Reaching speed is also limited by using smoothing functions in reaching law of sliding mode control. Hence, a nonlinear reaching law is proposed by a fuzzy inference system as inputs in the sliding function, and to forecast the future error value, a one-step-ahead terminal voltage prediction is obtained by a grey prediction algorithm based on fractional-order model. The proposed algorithm has the advantage of high accuracy, maintaining faster response than other hardware implementations and handling both model-based and model-free approaches to make it easy for implement. Also, the new MPPT is integrated with novel design of dual-axis sun-tracking system based on rotational and linear joints. The system can be switched to linear-rotational or one-axis sun-tracking arbitrary as required by the user and automatically started up in the daytime with low electricity power consumption motors. Automatic sun tracking is attained against cloud disturbance and any weather conditions with high-power generation. The simulation and experimental results are presented to verify the effectiveness of the proposed dual-axis sun tracking and MPPT with a comprehensive comparison between the new approach and the other up-to-date algorithms and designs.

In this study, tensile crack growth of granite ring specimens has been determined using a novel testing apparatus. Also, Abacuses software (XFEM) has been used for numerical modeling of the crack growth and stress concentrations around the hole. For this purpose, a ring-shaped specimen with internal diameter of 60 mm and external diameters of 120 mm was prepared. These specimens tested by new testing device. The direct tensile tests were carried out on rock specimens using the new load transferring device called seesaw device. The ring tests were performed in Laboratory to observe the tensile strengths of the rock specimens. The results of the ISRM ring tests have been compared with the results obtained from the seesaw device test, which showed that the tensile strength obtained by the ring test is 18% higher than the measured tensile strength of the seesaw. These specimens were also modelled in Abaqus based on the extended finite element method (XFEM). Comparing the experimental and numerical values of the rocks’ tensile strengths validated the research scheme of this research. In the ring test, the failure mode occurs along the vertical axis surrounding the edges of the hole. Also, XFEM show that the tensile force was distributed in the right and the left of the hole in seesaw test. Numerical outputs have a good similarity with experimental seesaw test.

Cardiac surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass contributes to a robust systemic inflammatory process. Local intrapericardial postsurgical inflammation is believed to trigger important clinical implications, such as postoperative atrial fibrillation and postsurgical intrathoracic adhesions. Immune mediators in the pericardial space may underlie such complications.

The synergetic effect of strontium (Sr) and rare earth elements (RE) on the corrosion properties of as-cast Mg–9Al–1Zn alloy were studied. Via the addition of 0.5 wt-% RE and 0.5 wt-% Sr (RE/Sr ratio of 1), a remarkable reduction in the corrosion rate of AZ91 was observed. The reason was found to be related to the decrement of the micro-galvanic corrosion by the modification of the β-Mg17Al12phase (changing its morphology from semi-continuous to a more spheroid shape) and formation of proper amounts of Al11RE3and Al4Sr intermetallics. However, the excess RE/Sr ratio impaired the corrosion resistance, which can be related to the micro-galvanic effect by excess amounts of Al11RE3and Al4Sr intermetallics.

Salinity leads to reduced plant growth by inhibiting the availability of nutrients especially phosphorous (P). The goal of this work is to demonstrate how phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) may be used to increase P availability in saline soils. A factorial experiment was carried out to discover the effect of PSB (Bacillus amyloliquefaciensandBacillus pumilus) on modulating salinity stress (100 mM NaCl) through improving P (50 and 100 µM) availability based on a completely randomized designed (CRD). The results represented that B. pumiluswas more effective in modulating salinity in most traits. Under saline conditions, B. pumilusin the presence of P at 50 µM led to increases in shoot dry weight (34%), root dry weight (54%), shoot length (39%), root length (37%), leaf P content (600%), relative water content (RWC, 13%), total chlorophyll (Chl, 32%), proline content (13%), but decreases in malondialdehyde (MDA, 25%), electrolyte leakage (EL, 21%), and soluble sugar (8%). According to principal component analysis (PCA), shoot and root length, root and shoot weight, Chl, and RWC had a negative correlation with MDA and EL. Based on agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC), results represented three distinguished clusters, where salinity and P have a noticeable role in this classification. Salinity elevated the expression of TIP41 (Tap42-interacting protein of 41 kDa) but lowered G6PDH (Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase) and ARF15 (auxin response factor 15). Finally, the use ofB. pumiluscan be recommended to improve the P availability in saline soils through improving the growth, biochemical, and molecular status of chickpea plants.

Enzymatic saccharification is widely used for producing sugars from woody biomass while generating hydrolysis lignin as a by-product. Hydrolysis lignin produced in this saccharification process is under-utilized due to its poor solubility and reactivity. In this paper, hydrolysis lignin (HL) was polymerized with acrylic acid (AA) by using potassium persulfate as the initiator under alkaline aqueous conditions to produce coagulant and adsorbent to be used as aids in wastewater treatment processes. The polymerization produced soluble anionic polymers with a solubility of 5.1 g/L, charge density of − 6 mmol/g, and molecular weight of 3.8 × 105g/mol. This soluble AA-g-HL polymer removed 95% cationic dye (basic blue 41) from an aqueous system at 1.2 g/g by forming polyelectrolyte complexes with dye molecules. The insoluble AA-g-HL polymer removed 46% of cationic dye at the dosage of 3 g/g via adsorption. Experimental data were fitted into various isotherm and kinetic models to identify the best description of the adsorption systems, and the corresponding thermodynamic parameters were determined. The Langmuir isotherm model revealed that the maximum theoretical adsorption capacity of dye (227 mg/g) on insoluble AA-g-HL was higher than that (52 mg/g) on HL. The kinetics data followed the pseudo-second model. The thermodynamic parameters indicated that adsorption onto AA-g-HL was an exothermic spontaneous process. Both the mean free energy and the magnitude of free enthalpy change verified that the main mechanism was physical adsorption.

AbstractBackgroundThis study was undertaken to evaluate if there are differences between visual estimation of blood loss (EBL) and quantitative blood loss (QBL) for maternal outcomes related to obstetrical hemorrhage.MethodsThis retrospective study compared EBL (n = 500) to QBL (n = 501) for outcomes of length of stay, readmission within 30 days of discharge, percent receiving blood transfusions, time between delivery to receiving blood transfusion, and postpartum hemoglobin level.ResultsThe QBL group had a significantly lower mean length of stay than the EBL group (2.6 vs 3.2 days, P < 0.001). Multivariate linear regression analysis adjusting for relevant covariates had a similar finding of lower length of stay for QBL vs EBL (B = −0.13, SE = 0.01, P < 0.001). Readmission within 30 days, blood transfusion, time to transfusion since delivery, and postpartum hemoglobin did not significantly differ between the QBL and EBL groups.ConclusionWe recommend that clinicians adopt QBL over EBL as standard practice since QBL is associated with lower length of stay and does not negatively impact other clinical outcomes.

Limit equilibrium analyses were conducted using pseudo-static approach to investigate the behavior of a typical reinforced slope under seismic loading. Slope height, slope face inclination, internal friction angle of the fill materials and seismic acceleration coefficients were all varied so that the length and tensile strength requirements of the geosynthetic reinforcement layers were determined for different factor of safety (FS) values. The influence of failure mechanism (i.e. external and internal) on geosynthetic required length and tensile strength for a certain value of FS was also discussed. According to the results, for a particular FS value, there was a minimum geosynthetic length and tensile strength to ensure that the internal or external failure mechanism will occur. Regardless of the failure mechanism, increasing the slope height was shown to critically increase the minimum safety demands in terms of the geosynthetic tensile strength as well as its length. Moreover, the seismic acceleration coefficients were found to substantially alter the pullout capacity of the reinforcement layers in the passive zone, thus changing the geosynthetic strength requirement. Nevertheless, this impact has been less significant when the slope was subjected to a vertical downward seismic acceleration.

ABSTRACT:There is considerable variability in the management of diffuse low-grade gliomas (LGGs). To characterize treatment paradigms, a survey of Canadian neurosurgeons was performed with forty neurosurgeons responding. Their responses show that the management of patients with LGGs has evolved in the past decade and findings from the RTOG9802 trial have been integrated into the practice of Canadian neurosurgeons. Most respondents stated that the patient selection and treatment strategy advocated by the RTOG9802 trial needs further evaluation. Overall, there is a trend toward more aggressive surgical resections, and future investigations will have to more accurately stratify patient risk profiles.

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Heterogeneous brittle geomaterials are highly susceptible to cyclic loads. They contain inherent flaws and cracks that grow under fatigue loads and lead to failure. This study presents a numerical model for analyzing fatigue in these materials based on the two-dimensional (2D) boundary element method and linear elastic fracture mechanics. The process is formulated by coupling the displacement discontinuity method with the incorporation technique of dissimilar regions and the governing equations of fatigue. The heterogeneous media are assumed to consist of materials with different properties, and the interfaces are assumed to be completely bonded. In addition, the domains include multiple cracks exposed to constant and variable amplitude cyclic loads. The stress intensity factor is a crucial parameter in fatigue analysis, which is determined using the displacement field around crack tips. An incremental crack growth scheme is applied to calculating the fatigue life. The growth rate values are employed to estimate the length of crack extension when there are multiple cracks. The interaction between cracks is considered, which also includes the coalescence phenomenon. Finally, various structures under different cyclic loads are examined to evaluate the accuracy of this method. The results demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed approach in modeling fatigue crack growth and life estimation. The behavior of life curves for the heterogeneous domain was as expected. These curves illustrate the breakpoints caused by utilizing discrete incremental life equations. At these points, the trend of the curves changed with the material properties and fatigue characteristics of the new material around the crack tips.

Background: Functional and structural complexities associated with craniosynostosis present challenges for families of affected individuals. Additionally, these patients undergo childhood surgeries that significantly impact the role of the family/caregiver. Consequently, multiple therapeutic teams have provided various guidelines, with the most recent version in 2023 introducing the patient/family guide. The objective of this study was to evaluate the level of awareness among the patient’s family/caregiver regarding the treatment plan. Methods: The descriptive-analytical study sample consisted of 117 caregivers (parents) of children diagnosed with craniosynostosis between 2013 and 2023, who were conveniently selected for participation. The self-designed questionnaire was based on the 2023 guidelines and underwent reliability and validity testing. It comprised 14 chapters derived from the literature, with a total of 55 yes/no questions. Results: Based on the results obtained from this study, the total correct response rate is 62.3%. The highest level of respondent awareness was associated with Chapter 12, with a correct response rate of 69%. The lowest level of awareness, at 41.8%, was related to Chapter 10. Conclusion: It is better to use appropriate educational aids such as educational podcasts based on the latest guidelines for craniosynostosis to educate parents.

Recently, a solar-driven evaporator has been applied in seawater desalination, but the low stability, high cost, and complex fabrication limit its further application. Herein, we report a novel, low-cost, scalable, and easily fabricated pulp-natural rubber (PNR) foam with a unique porous structure, which was directly used as a solar-driven evaporator after facile surface carbonization. This surface carbonized PNR (CPNR) foam without interface adhesion or modification was composed of a top photothermal layer with light absorption ability and a bottom hydrophilic foam layer with a porous and interconnected network structure. Due to the strong light absorption ability (93.2%) of the carbonized top layer, together with the low thermal conductivity (0.1 W m K–1) and good water adsorption performance (9.9 g g–1) of the bottom layer, the evaporation rate and evaporation efficiency of the pulp foam evaporator under 1 sun of illumination attained 1.62 kg m–2h–1and 98.09%, respectively, which were much higher than those of most cellulose-based solar-driven evaporators. Furthermore, the CPNR foam evaporator with high cost-effectiveness presented high light-thermal conversion, heat localization, and good salt rejection properties due to the unique porous structure. Additionally, the CPNR foam evaporator exhibited potential applications in the treatments of simulated sewage, metal ion concentration, and seawater desalination. Its cost-effectiveness was clearly higher than that of most reported evaporators as well. Therefore, this novel, low-cost, and stable pulp foam evaporator demonstrated here can be a very promising solution for water desalination and purification.

The main objective of this paper is to determine elements which can lead to customers' satisfaction and their loyalty. In this analysis, the 'expectancy principle' of Vroom is used for the conceptual model and the results are discussed. Data was taken using snowball sampling method by circulating self-administered questionnaire and online questionnaire to the respondents. Data has been collected from different places in Aligarh, Delhi/NCR Region. Both SPSS version 23 and AMOS 25.0 were used to analyse the data. To test the hypotheses, the structural equation modelling was used. The study found that price service has a positive impact on customer satisfaction. The study suggest a close association between price, quality of service and quality of product and consumer satisfaction and a directly beneficial effect on customer loyalty.

This study aims at exploring the influence of marketing strategies on the consumer lens (brand favourability). The exploratory factor analysis is used to construct some of the marketing strategies. Forty-nine items, about marketing strategies, were inserted into SPSS. Out of 49 items, only 26 items were selected under five factors. The validity and reliability were tested using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Convenience sampling method was used to approach the respondents. The structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to test the hypotheses. The study found that product innovation strategy, intensive distribution strategy, and customer value-based pricing have a significant and positive impact on the consumer lens (brand favourability). Besides, the study found that the labelling strategy has a significant and negative impact on the consumer lens (brand favourability). The study provides researchers, marketers, and managers with an important glance about factors affecting consumers' brand favourability in the Yemeni market.

Improving the accuracy and convergence rate of the smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method is still one of the challenges that researchers are trying to achieve. In this research, the first- and second-order convergence schemes have been used for the first and second spatial derivatives, respectively, in continuity and linear momentum conservation equations to increase accuracy and convergence rate. These schemes have been implemented in the open-source code of DualSPHysics, one of the prominent and powerful software of the SPH to calculate the particle velocity and pressure of the Taylor–Green vorticity benchmark problem. Both the standard and the improved solvers were evaluated with the same numerical settings, different particle spacing, and Reynolds numbers of 100 and 1000 with the same dimensionless time. Up to three orders of magnitude improvement in the accuracy were achieved in the results of the improved solver, as well as a significant increase in convergence rate.

insufficient amounts of survival motor neuron protein is leading to one of the most disabling neuromuscular diseases, spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Before the current study, the detailed characteristics of Iranian patients with SMA had not been determined. To describe the key demographic, clinical, and genetic characteristics of patients with SMA registered in the Iranian Registry of SMA (IRSMA). IRSMA has been established since 2018, and the demographic, clinical, and genetic characteristics of patients with SMA were recorded according to the methods of treat neuromuscular disease (TREAT-NMD) project. By October 1, 2022, 781 patients with 5q SMA were registered. Of them, 164 patients died, the majority of them had SMA type 1 and died during the first 20 months of life. The median survival of patients with type 1 SMA was 23 months. The consanguinity rate in 617 alive patients was 52.4%, while merely 24.8% of them had a positive family history. The most common type of SMA in live patients was type 3. Morbidities were defined as having scoliosis (44.1%), wheelchair dependency (36.8%), tube feeding (8.1%), and requiring mechanical ventilation (9.9%). Most of the registered patients had a homozygous deletion of SMN1, while the frequency of patients with higher copy numbers of SMN2, was less in more severe types of the disease. Earlier onset of the disease was significantly seen in patients with a homozygous deletion of SMN1. The neuronal apoptosis inhibitory protein (NAIP) gene deletion was associated with a higher incidence of more severe types of SMA, higher dependency on ventilators, tube feeding, and earlier onset of the disease. The IRSMA is the first established Iranian nationwide registry of patients with SMA. Using this registry, decision-makers, researchers, and practitioners can precisely understand the epidemiology, characteristics, and genetics of patients with SMA in Iran.

There is a paucity of data on the inflammatory response that takes place in the pericardial space after cardiac surgery. This study provides a comprehensive assessment of the local postoperative inflammatory response.

Background: The “weekend effect” is the finding that patients presenting for medical care outside of regular working hours tend to have worse outcomes. There is a paucity of literature in the neuro-oncology space exploring this effect. We investigated the extent of resection and complication rates in patients undergoing after-hours high grade glioma resection. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted on patients with high-grade gliomas requiring emergent surgery between January 2021 to March 2023. After-hours was defined as surgical resection on the weekend and/or evening. These patients were matched to patients undergoing resection during regular working hours. Results: A total of 38 patients were included in this study (19 after-hours, 19 regular hours). There was no significant difference in age, sex, tumor grade, and tumor size between the two groups (all p>0.05). There was no significant difference in the extent of resection between the groups (p=0.7442). There was no significant difference in complications rates, reoperation rates, and death at 6 months (all p>0.05). Estimated blood loss was significantly higher in the regular hours group (p=0.0278). There was no significant difference in the total operative time (p=0.0643) and length of stay (p=0.0601). Conclusions: After-hours high grade glioma surgery is not associated with increased morbidity or mortality.

Objective: Robot-assisted surgery is a minimally invasive approach for repairing the mitral valve. This study aimed to assess its safety and clinical efficacy when compared with conventional sternotomy, partial sternotomy, and right minithoracotomy.Methods: A systematic review of peer-reviewed studies comparing robot-assisted mitral valve repair with conventional sternotomy, partial sternotomy, and right minithoracotomy was conducted following Cochrane Collaboration guidelines. Meta-analyses were performed where possible.Results: The search strategy yielded 15 primary studies, of which 12 compared robot-assisted with conventional sternotomy, 2 compared robot-assisted with partial sternotomy, and 6 compared robot-assisted with right minithoracotomy. The overall quality of evidence was low, and there was a lack of data on long-term outcomes. Individual studies and pooled data demonstrated that robotic procedures were comparable to conventional sternotomy and other minimally invasive approaches with respect to the rates of stroke, renal failure, reoperation for bleeding, and mortality. Robot-assisted mitral valve repair was superior to conventional sternotomy with reduced atrial fibrillation, intensive care unit and hospital stay, pain, time to return to normal activities, and physical functioning at 1 year. However, robot-assisted mitral valve repair had longer cardiopulmonary, aortic cross-clamp, and procedure times compared with all other surgical approaches.Conclusions: Based on current evidence, robot-assisted mitral valve repair is comparable to other approaches for safety and early postoperative outcomes, despite being associated with longer operative times. Ideally, future studies will be randomized controlled trials that compare between robot-assisted surgery, conventional surgery, and other minimally surgery approaches focusing on hard clinical outcomes and patient-reported outcomes.

ABSTRACT:Background and objective:Hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) is a heterogeneous neurodegenerative disorder with lower-limb spasticity and weakness. Different patterns of inheritance have been identified in HSP. Most autosomal-dominant HSPs (AD-HSPs) are associated with mutations of the SPASTgene (SPG4), leading to a pure form of HSP with variable age-at-onset (AAO). Anticipation, an earlier onset of disease, as well as aggravation of symptoms in successive generations, may be correlated to SPG4. Herein, we suggested that anticipation might be a relatively common finding in SPG4 families.Methods:Whole-exome sequencing was done on DNA of 14 unrelated Iranian AD-HSP probands. Data were analyzed, and candidate variants were PCR-amplified and sequenced by the Sanger method, subsequently checked in family members to co-segregation analysis. Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) was done for seven probands. Clinical features of the probands were recorded, and the probable anticipation was checked in these families. Other previous reported SPG4 families were investigated to anticipation.Results:Our findings showed that SPG4 was the common subtype of HSP; three families carried variants in the KIF5A, ATL1, and MFN2genes, while five families harbored mutations in the SPASTgene. Clinical features of only SPG4 families indicated decreasing AAO in affected individuals of the successive generations, and this difference was significant (p-value <0.05).Conclusion:It seems SPASTwill be the first candidate gene in families that manifests a pure form of AD-HSP and anticipation. Therefore, it may be a powerful situation of genotype–phenotype correlation. However, the underlying mechanism of anticipation in these families is not clear yet.

This research uses multivariate statistics to develop the unique dependent variables as inputs for geostatistical analysis in groundwater modeling. The chief aim of the study is to understand if simulation methods are sufficiently accurate to use for groundwater in different regions with various databases. First, factor analysis produced two factors presenting 81.38% and 13.92% of variability for Factor 1 and Factor 2, respectively. Then, the geostatistical estimation based on the ordinary kriging technique was applied to map the factors and prepared the interpolation, estimation variance, and kriging efficiency maps. Kriging is a smoothed interpolation; therefore, the maps based on the sequential Gaussian simulation, and turning band algorithm, were prepared to solve the kriging smoothing in GS+software and MATLAB software, respectively. Eventually, histograms and variogram of reproductions, obtained from different realizations, were compiled by sequential Gaussian simulation and turning band simulation methods. Results showed that simulation approaches revealed less smoothed synthetic data. The sequential Gaussian simulation is proposed to map the attributes in small scales (large area). Also, the turning band simulation is recommended to apply in large-scale studies. Furthermore, this research proves the ability of the turning band algorithm as an innovative technique in evaluating and modeling the groundwater, which has not been observed so far in other studies in a wide range. This algorithm is proven to improve the quality of estimations and produce maps more accurately.

The effects of interaction between edge crack (notch) with the mortar–mortar interface on the mechanical behaviour of the semi-circular bend (SCB) specimens were considered in this study. The SCB specimens with different angles of mortar–mortar interface and different joints’ lengths were measured experimentally. These SCB specimens with 10 cm in diameter and with edge cracks of different lengths were prepared and tested in the laboratory under the applied force rate of 0.004 mm/min. The tensile strength of interface was 0.15 MPa and the joints’ tensile fracture toughness was 0.28 MPa√m. These tests showed that the joint (notch) lengths and the interface angles (related to the loading direction) mostly govern the process of failure and fracturing of the SCB specimens. Also, the particle flow code in PFC2D was used to simulate the experimentally tested SCB specimens. Furthermore, one vertical joint (edge crack) with different lengths (i.e. 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 3.5 and 4 cm) was created in each model. It has been shown that the specimens’ fracture toughness is highly affected by the length of the edge crack and the direction (angle) of mortar–mortar interface. Also, the tensile strength of the model is related to the number of induced tensile cracks in the joint and the interface. The tensile cracks increase with decrease in the joint length and increase in the interface angle. The model breakage occurs along with the interface and there is no failure at the tip of the crack for the interface angle of less than 60°. On the other hand, the fracture toughness of samples is constant by increasing the joint length for the interface angles of 60°, 75° and 90°.

Optimization of practical ways to obtain mature follicles from cryopreserved ovarian tissues, especially in patients suffering from ovarian dysfunction, is very important. In vitroovarian tissue culture allows faster screening of follicle development and reduces follicle isolation damage. During ovarian tissue culture, controlling oxidative stress is critical to support better follicular development and less damage. Immature Naval Medical Research Institute (NMRI) mouse ovaries (8-days-old) were randomly distributed into four cultured groups; non-vitrified, vitrified, non-vitrified N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC)+, and vitrified NAC+. Ovaries of vitrified groups along with non-vitrified ovaries were cultured on agar gel in the presence or absence of NAC for 5 days. Afterward, morphological evaluations, mRNA expressions of Gdf9, Bmp6, Lif, Amh, Bax, and Bcl2genes, malondialdehyde, and total antioxidant capacities were compared between four groups at the first and last day of culture. Good preservation of tissue integrity and an increase of follicular development were observed in all groups. In addition, the expression of Gdf9, Lif, Bax, and Bcl2genes were increased and Amhwas decreased in groups cultured in the presence of NAC compared to groups cultured without NAC. Although total antioxidant capacity was not significantly different between the experimental groups, the lipid peroxidation and apoptotic index were significantly reduced in the presence of NAC. Thus, it appears that NAC antioxidant acts as a contributory factor for the ex vivoculture of ovarian tissue and reduces oxidative stress, apoptotic index, and improves follicular development, especially in non-vitrified groups.

Numerical modeling of fluid current on the basis of computational fluid dynamics in comparison with experimental methods has various advantages, including saving time, less design cost and increasing the ability to study complex systems. In the present study, the properties of secondary currents cells in semicircular channels with radius of 0.3, 0.35 and 0.55 m, in the phenomenon of hydraulic jump in flow, were modeled using Flow-3D software. The modeling results showed that the velocity of the cells of the secondary currents in the horizontal direction (perpendicular to the axis of flow) (X) was greater in the semicircular sections with a radius of 0.3 m. Moreover, it was observed that the velocity of the secondary currents cells in the vertical direction (perpendicular to the current bed) (Z) was greater in the semicircular sections with a radius of 0.55 m and also hydraulic jump energy depreciation occurs more jump lengths, which was maximum at radius of 0.3 m.

Radiographic osteoarthritis of the acromioclavicular joint (ACJ OA) is a common incidental finding and an uncommon reason for people to seek care for shoulder symptoms. We reviewed the published evidence regarding the age-specific prevalence of ACJ OA to establish the base rate of pathophysiology.

One of the efficient tools in evaluating the seismic collapse in structures is to establish their fragility curves. In this study, an attempt has been made to evaluate the fragility curve in steel and concrete structures undergoing progressive seismic collapse. Tensile strength of concrete and steel was equal to 4 MPa and 109 MPa, respectively. The nonlinear dynamic analysis and the alternate path method have been carried out on the four types of buildings with 5, 10, 15 and 20 stories using SAP2000 computer code. By evaluating incremental dynamic analysis curves, it was observed that the greater number of stories results in the structure’s collapse at lower load factors. This issue is of significance because if this progressive damage is not considered in designing structures with combined columns, collapse of the structure is not adequately considered. For example, life safety (LS) performance is obtained in structures designed with an IO (immediate occupancy) performance level. In addition, based on these curves, the progressive damage occurs at higher levels; the structure will collapse under a greater loading factor and will endure greater force, which also indicates the significance of the story undergoing progressive damage.

The Toolkit for Optimal Recovery (TOR) is a mind–body program for patients with acute orthopedic injuries who are at risk for persistent pain/disability. In preparation for a multisite feasibility trial of TOR at three orthopedic trauma centers, we aim to qualitatively identify barriers and facilitators to study implementation and strategies to mitigate the implementation barriers and leverage facilitators.We conducted 18 live video focus groups among providers and three one-on-one interviews with department chiefs at Level 1 trauma centers in three geographically diverse sites (N= 79 participants). Using a content analysis approach, we detected the site-specific barriers and facilitators of implementation of TOR clinical trial. We organized the data according to 26 constructs of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), mapped to three Proctor implementation outcomes relevant to the desired study outcomes (acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility). Across the three sites, we mapped six of the CFIR constructs to acceptability, eight to appropriateness, and three to feasibility. Prominent perceived barriers across all three sites were related to providers’ lack of knowledge/comfort addressing psychosocial factors, and organizational cultures of prioritizing workflow efficiency over patients’ psychosocial needs (acceptability), poor fit between TOR clinical trial and the fast-paced clinic structure as well as basic needs of some patients (appropriateness), and limited resources (feasibility). Suggestions to maximize the implementation of the TOR trial included provision of knowledge/tools to improve providers’ confidence, streamlining study recruitment procedures, creating a learning collaborative, tailoring the study protocol based on local needs assessments, exercising flexibility in conducting research, dedicating research staff, and identifying/promoting champions and using novel incentive structures with regular check-ins, while keeping study procedures as nonobtrusive and language as de-stigmatizing as possible. These data could serve as a blueprint for implementation of clinical research and innovations in orthopedic and other medical settings.Providers reported the main barriers and facilitators for implementation of our multisite feasibility trial of a mind-body program in acute orthopedic trauma, mapped to the 3 outcomes of acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility.

Very large floating structures (VLFSs) have various applications, such as recreational applications, port facilities, etc. A surge in the population, the advantages of building floating structures compared to traditional methods of land extraction from the sea, and the development of construction technologies, have led to engineers paying attention to very large floating structures. Bracing systems are capable of controlling and reducing the horizontal responses of a floating platform, but they have no major impact on its vertical responses. In the present study, the semi-floating platform was numerically designed to be least affected by the three factors of wave force, horizontal torsion, and horizontal displacement. In order to optimize the design, the semi-floating platform was simulated and subjected to the three wave directions with collision angles of 40, 45 and 55 degrees in the environmental conditions of the Caspian Sea and by exerting the wave effect in a Flow-3D model. Examination of the platform’s movements has demonstrated that the arrangement of an eight-way restraint system with a 40-degree restraint angle responds better to the impact of waves and is more economical compared to other designs.