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Chronic inflammation and dyslipidemia are important risk factors in developing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, such as coronary heart disease. Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is one of the most dangerous syndromes in coronary heart disease. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is considered equal to coronary heart disease owing to the high cardiac risk induced by chronic inflammation and dyslipidemia. The neutrophil to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (NHR) is a novel and straightforward marker that reflects inflammation and lipid metabolic disorder. However, few studies have been on the role of NHR in assessing the risk of ACS in T2DM patients. Here we analyzed NHR level in ACS patients with T2DM, exploring its predictive and diagnostic values. 211 hospitalized ACS patients with T2DM were recruited as the case group, and 168 hospitalized T2DM patients as the control group (all patients collected from 6/2020 to 12/2021 in Xiangya Hospital). Biochemical test results and echocardiograms, as well as demographic information such as age, BMI, diabetes mellitus, smoking, drinking, and history of hypertension, were recorded. Frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations were used to describe the data. The shapiro–Wilk test was used to assess the normality of the data. Normally distributed data were compared using the independent sample T-test, and non-normally distributed data were compared using Mann–Whitney U test. Correlation analysis was performed using the Spearman rank correlation test, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and multivariable logistic regression analysis were performed by SPSS version 24.0 (SPSS Inc) and GraphPad Prism 9.0 (GraphPad Software Inc). p p p = 0.0126). Correlation analysis on all ACS patients with T2DM showed that NHR level was positively correlated with cTnI (r = 0.437, p p = 0.001), CK-Mb (r = 0.447, p p p p = 0.042) and LV levels (r = 0.283, p = 0.001). And meanwhile, NHR level was negatively correlated with EF (r = − 0.327, p p p p < 0.001). With its convenience and effective character, NHR could be a potential and new marker for predicting the presence, progression, and severity of ACS in T2DM population.

Instagram is a popular social network platform that brings benefits to many. However, for a small minority, problematic use may be an issue of concern (i.e., Instagram addiction). This addiction appears to originate from various contexts and can also have psychosocial consequences. The present study investigated the basic psychological needs and psychological well-being and the mediating role of Instagram addiction. The sample comprised 660 participants who completed a number of psychometric scales including the: Instagram Addiction Scale (15 questions), Basic Psychological Needs Scale (21 questions), and Psychological Well-being Scale (18 questions). The results confirmed the fit of the model, and showed the direct adverse and significant effects of basic psychological needs on Instagram addiction, Instagram addiction on psychological well-being, and the positive and significant direct impact of basic needs on psychological well-being. There were also significant indirect effects of basic needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) in well-being via Instagram addiction. The failure to satisfy basic psychological needs appears to play an important role in the addictive use of Instagram, leading to a decrease in psychological well-being.

In semi-arid and arid regions, the selection of suitable grass species with high-yield production, tolerance to drought stress, and potential for recovery from drought is of special importance. Despite extensive research in cool-season grasses, inter-species differences in post-drought recovery, persistence, survival, and summer dormancy and their relationship with drought tolerance need more investigation. In the present study, 28 diverse genotypes belonged to seven cool-season grass species, including Festuca arundinacea (tall fescue), Festuca pratensis (meadow fescue), Festuca ovina (sheep fescue), Festuca rubra (red fescue), Lolium perenne (perennial ryegrass), Lolium multiflorum (Italian ryegrass) and Lolium × hybridum were evaluated during 2016–2019 under three irrigation regimes (normal, mild, and intense drought stress). Then in the fourth year (on August 2019), irrigation was withheld at all previous irrigation regimes for two months during summer, and then species were re-irrigated to study the effect of prolonged drought conditions. A wide range of genetic diversity was detected in all the measured traits among and within species in response to different irrigation levels. Recurrent drought stress decreased forage productivity, post-drought recovery, and survival in all grass species. Among the studied species, tall fescue had higher forage production, drought tolerance, survival, recovery rate, and persistence. Sheep fescue had low forage production and recovery after drought. Drought tolerance (based on stress tolerance score, STS) was highly associated with forage yield and post-drought recovery and partially with summer dormancy under both mild and intense drought stress conditions. This indicated that selection based on higher STS would lead to choosing genotypes with better recovery after prolonged drought. Superior species and preferable genotypes for forage use from species Festuca arundinacea and for turf application from species Festuca arundinacea, Lolium perenne and Lolium × hybridum were identified across different water environments for future programs.

Background People with advanced cancer often experience greater physical and psychosocial morbidity compared to those with early disease. Limited research has focused on their experiences within the Australian health system. The aim of this study was to explore the lived experiences of adults receiving care for advanced cancer. Methods A qualitative design with a descriptive phenomenological approach was used to explore the lived experiences of people with advanced cancer following their diagnosis. Twenty-three people living with an advanced solid malignancy receiving care were referred by their oncologists to take part in an interview conducted at their home, the hospital, or over the phone. Results Three key themes emerged relating to participants’ experiences of living with advanced cancer: (1) living with a life-limiting diagnosis and uncertainty, (2) living with symptom burden and side effects, and (3) living within the health system, with two subthemes, the patient-clinician relationship, and care coordination. Participant relationships with their health professionals were particularly important and had a defining impact on whether patient experiences living with cancer were positive or negative. Conclusion People with advanced cancer experienced broad variation in their experiences navigating the health system, and their relationships with clinicians and other health professionals were important factors affecting their perceptions of their experiences. Attention to the coordination of care for people with advanced cancer is necessary to improve their experiences and improve symptom control and the management of their psychosocial burden.

Narrowband-IoT (NB-IoT) is a standard-based Low Power Wide Area Network technology developed to connect a wide range of new Internet of Things (IoT) devices and services. NB-IoT bandwidth is limited to a single narrow-band of 180 kHz. Although NB-IoT provides low-cost connectivity, it provides channel to large number of smart IoT installed in households, building etc. However, in NB-IoT systems, repeating same signal over additional period of time has been taken as a key technique to enhance radio coverage up to 20 dB compared to the conventional LTE. Performance of NB-IoT system optimization and modeling are still challenging particularly coverage improvement in the case of real applications. For example, the narrow bandwidth in IoT and low energy have led to problematic issues in communication between IoT devices and network station, which results in low transmitter channel quality. Repetition process is used in the paper to enhance coverage and throughput, however in mean time increase the number of repetitions demands high bandwidth. So, an enhanced cooperative relay is used with repetition to reduce the demanded bandwidth. In this paper, we proposed an enhanced repetitions cooperative process of narrowband physical uplink shared channel (NPUSCH). The NPUSCH is transmitted using one or more resource units (RUs) and each of these RUs are repeated up to 128 times to enhance coverage as well as to meet requirement of ultra-low end IoT. The optimum number of repetitions of identical slots for NPUSCH per RUs is calculated and then simulated. In addition, the paper describes the analytical simulation to evaluate the proposed repetition of cooperative process performance for LTE-NPUSCH channel. Results show dramatical enhancement of uplink NB-IoT channel quality where the performance evaluation metrics were BLER, data rate, system throughput, spectral efficiency and transmission delay. The enhanced cooperative communication scheme for NPUSCH transmission channel in NB-IoT is achieved an average 23% enhancement in overall network throughput.

Minimizing the average achievable distortion (AAD) of a Gaussian source at the destination of a two-hop block fading relay channel is studied in this paper. The communication is carried out through the use of a Decode and Forward (DF) relay with no source-destination direct links. The associated receivers of both hops are assumed to be aware of the corresponding channel state information (CSI), while the transmitters are unaware of their corresponding CSI. The current paper explores the effectiveness of incorporating the successive refinement source coding together with multi-layer channel coding in minimizing the AAD. In this regard, the closed form and optimal power allocation policy across code layers of the second hop is derived, and using a proper curve fitting approach, a close-to-optimal power allocation policy associated with the first hop is devised. It is numerically shown that the DF strategy closely follows the Amplify and Forward (AF) relaying, while there is a sizable gap between the AAD of multi-layer coding and single-layer source coding.

Gender dysphoria is dissatisfaction with biological sex. Since in some Muslim societies this trait is often regarded as a taboo subject, a lack of information about the experiences of transgender people with religious and spiritual values is noticed in those communities. This qualitative and phenomenological research was aimed to develop a deeper understanding of the religious and spiritual experiences of transgender individuals living in Islamic society, including their feelings, their goals, and whether they have any regrets about their beliefs. A descriptive qualitative study was conducted in a city in the south of Iran. Ten people, including four transmasculine and six transfeminine aged 17 to 38, were recruited through purposive sampling. The data were collected using in-depth and semi-structured interviews and analyzed iteratively using theoretical coding based on the phenomenological approach. The main concepts obtained from the data classified into one central theme entitled “Pronounced tendency to spirituality and religion” and four general categories, including Turning to faith for healing, Wholehearted acceptance, Mixed blessing, and Eternal peace. The religious and spiritual experiences of transgender people living with Islamic ethics cover a wide range of principles. The participants in the study cited the feelings of insecurity and fear of loneliness as their main reasons for engrossing in the dominant religion and spirituality. It can be concluded that in addition to psychological and physical dimensions, the religious-spiritual dimension of transgender people’s lives must be carefully considered ensuring their individual and social health.

A microwave irradiation-based high-efficiency method was utilized in this study to prepare novel chromium (III) oxide (Cr2O3) nanostructures with their own distinctive properties. The synthesis method was accordingly conducted in optimum conditions for the time duration of 20 min, the power of 360 W, and the microwave temperature of 30 °C. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs also revealed a highly homogeneous morphology of crystalline nanostructures. Besides, the X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) data demonstrated the single-phase existence of these components. Thermal stability and development of pure Cr2O3 samples were further investigated by thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) and DSC. Moreover, the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) technique showed a high specific surface area and significant porosity of these materials. As well, value-stream mapping (VSM) was employed to test the magnetic characteristics of the products. The findings established that microwave irradiation could play a key role in the synthesis of Cr2O3 compounds in environmental conditions. The effective microwave-assisted route applied in this study for the synthesis of Cr2O3 nanocatalysts with high physico-chemical properties was also remarkable compared with other nanocatalysts.

Diazinon and phosalone are two pesticides widely used in agriculture and gardening. Because the residues of these pesticides in fruits, vegetable, and environment are dangerous for human and domestic animal health, their determination in different samples is of importance. In this work, ion mobility spectrometry in positive mode was used for determination of residues of diazinon and phosalone in pistachio. The calibration curves for these pesticides were obtained using standard solutions. The detection limits of diazinon and phosalone measured by ion mobility were 0.1 and 0.5 ppm, respectively. The pistachio samples were prepared from market and a garden near Qazvin (Iran). The measurements showed that there is no detectable phosalone in the samples, however, diazinon was detected in the pistachio of the garden. The diazinon residues in the opened- and closed-shell pistachios one day after spraying were 0.071 and 0.008 mg/kg, respectively. After 5 days, the diazinon residues reach 0.004 and 0.006 mg/kg, respectively.

Yttria tetragonal zirconia polycrystals (YTZP)/alumina short fibre (Al2O3-SF) composites were prepared by wet ball milling. Three different commercial powders of YTZP containing 2, 2.5 and 3 mol% of yttria (denoted as TZ2Y, TZ2.5Y and TZ3YA, respectively) were used as matrices, reinforced with 20 wt% Al2O3-SF. The effect of sintering conditions on the mechanical properties of the composites was studied. XRD and SEM techniques were used for the characterization of the prepared composites. The fracture toughness and hardness were determined by the Vickers indentation technique. The bend strength was measured using a four-point bending test machine. The results showed that both strength and toughness increase with yttria content. The TZ3YA/20 wt% Al2O3-SF composite showed bend strengths up to 760 MPa and fracture toughness of 9.2 MPa√m upon pressureless sintering at 1600 °C. Higher values of the bend strength, up to 855 MPa, were obtained for the post-sintered hipped composites at 1500 °C. The high bend strength and fracture toughness, KIC, result from strong fibre matrix interface. The toughening mechanisms were found to comprise transformation toughening, domain switching and crack deflection toughening. The addition of Al2O3-SF to the matrices of low yttria content was invaluable due to its high monoclinic content upon sintering.

Microalgae as one of the key components of food chains in aquatic environments are promising biological models for investigating gamma irradiation effects on eukaryotic organisms. Understanding resistance mechanisms in these organisms as simple models might illuminate how gamma irradiation resistance improves in these algae and even more complex organisms. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of ionizing irradiation on Chlorella vulgaris as a stress-tolerant microalga and to find how the eukaryotic cells would tolerate such stressful conditions. The physiological responses and biochemical alterations of C. vulgaris were analyzed at three different time points (0, 16, and 48 h) after 600 Gy gamma irradiation. Compared to the control, gamma-irradiated algae had slower growth rate with significantly longer lag phase, less chlorophyll and protein contents at time 0, which were compensated and recovered during the next 48 h. The results also showed spontaneous H2O2 burst accompanied by a higher rate of lipid peroxidation and electrolyte leakage, a rapid increase of catalase activity and more ferric reducing antioxidant power immediately after irradiation. During a 48-h period, most alterations stabilized. Raising trends were observed in the carotenoid contents, the ratios of carbohydrates, amide I and amide II to fatty acids. Principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering suggest two possible distinct mechanisms: a “quick” one including spontaneous responses by boosting H2O2, amplifying enzymatic antioxidant systems, and increasing compatible solutes like proline and a “delayed” responsive strategy including the increase of soluble carbohydrates, carotenoids, and stress-related proteins triggered several hours after irradiation.

Saffron is the world highest-priced spice because its production requires intensive hand labour. Reduce saffron production costs require containerised plant production under controlled conditions and expand the flowering period. Controlling the flowering process and identify the factors involved in saffron flowering is crucial to introduce technical improvements. The research carried out so far in saffron has allowed an extensive knowledge of the influence of temperature on the flower induction, but the molecular mechanisms controlling flowering induction processes are largely unknown. The present study is the first conducted to isolate and characterize a regulator gene of saffron floral induction the Short Vegetative Phase (SVP) gene, which represses the floral initiation genes in the temperature response pathway, which involved in saffron flower induction. The results obtained from both phylogenetic analysis and T-coffee alignment confirms that the isolated sequence belongs to the SVP gene clades of MADS-box gene family. Gene expression analysis in different developmental stages revealed the highest expression of SVP transcript (CsSVP) during the dormancy and the vegetative stages, but decrease when flower development initiated and it was the least in late September when flower primordia are developed. Furthermore, its expression increased in the apical bud when corms are storage at 9-10 ºC, thus inhibiting flower induction. Additionally, comparison of the CsSVP transcript in apical buds from big and small corms, differing in their flowering capacity, indicates that the CsSVP transcript is present only in vegetative buds. Taken together, these results suggested inhibitory role of the SVP gene.

Purpose During the apple processing procedures, a large amount of apple pomace is generated which is contains peel, core, seed, calyx, stem, and soft issue. The polyphenolic compounds in apple pomace are strong antioxidants that are able to counterbalance the free radicals; also, it is a rich source of many nutrients such as carbohydrates, minerals, fiber except protein. The experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of different levels of dried apple pomace in broilers diet. Methods The incremental levels of dried apple pomace (4, 8, 12, 16 and 20%) with and without enzyme were used in broilers diet (8 dietary treatments). The growth performance, immune response, gut development, antioxidant capacity (TAC) and blood biochemical parameters were evaluated. Results The lowest daily weight gain, body weight and poorest feed conversion ratio was obtained by F treatment (P P Conclusion The results suggested that the incremental levels of dried apple pomace deteriorate growth performance, modified antibody titer production, total antioxidant capacity and blood parameters of broilers.

Although hypothyroidism with primary etiology could cause small pericardial effusion, massive one leading to cardiac tamponade and ventricular diastolic compression is rare and less reported in the literature. Here we described a patient with severe primary hypothyroidism leading to pericardial effusion and right ventricular compression. A 56-year-old diabetic man referred to the emergency department complaining of dyspnea worsening over the prior month. Further evaluations including electrocardiography, chest X-ray, and echocardiography plus laboratory data were requested. Para-clinic data revealed massive pericardial effusion in the presence of primary hypothyroidism. Pericardiocentesis was performed due to his severe symptoms which symptoms improvement were considerably achieved. Despite its rareness, hypothyroidism should be kept in mind whenever evaluating patients with massive pericardial effusion, especially after exclusion of other more common etiologies.

The main purpose of the study is to determine if the presence of a particular computed tomography (CT) imaging finding, a bursal lipohematoma, portends the presence of a concomitant rotator cuff tear (RCT) in patients with proximal humerus fractures by reviewing previous CTs. Three hundred eighty-six CT scans were retrospectively reviewed by two board-certified radiologists to determine the presence of a proximal humerus fracture and to assess for the presence of a subacromial/subdeltoid or subcoracoid bursal hematoma. The medical record including operative documentation was then examined in the patients with proximal humerus fractures, with or without a concomitant bursal lipohematoma. Of the surgically managed patients, four had an intraoperative diagnosis of RCT. The preoperative CT scans of all of these patients demonstrated a bursal lipohematoma. Additionally, a non-surgically managed patient with a subacromial/subdeltoid bursal lipohematoma on CT scan was found to have a RCT on subsequent MRI. Of note, a rotator cuff tear was not documented in operative reports of patients with CT scans that were not found to contain a bursal lipohematoma. Bursal lipohematoma is a potentially useful preoperative CT sign of full thickness rotator cuff tear in patients with proximal humerus fractures, providing the clinician with more information in the optimization of the management approach.

This study presents a novel method for modeling urban ecological resilience based on urban development uses. To this end, the factors affecting the ecological resilience were defined, followed by determining various types of strategic orientation and urban development uses on a local scale in the desired areas. A model was designed, developed, and tested through several techniques in the geographic information system (GIS) environment. References and other related documents were reviewed for ecological resilience modeling. Next, resilience factors in different fields were reviewed and classified in the Vensim software. A total of 8 factors including significant areas of ecological function (green spots, distance from wetlands, distance from rives, forest, and wildlife including birds and rodents), climate, topography (elevation from the sea level, slope, and aspect), spatial structure (composition, distribution, and height of buildings), human factors (waste management, water pollution, distance from industries, and access to water resources), significant protected areas, social factors, and natural hazards (distance from the fault, distance from the landslide, and distance from the flood) were selected. In the next step, a final correlation was developed based on the main factors of urban ecological resilience. Eventually, a sustainability barometer was applied to assess the sustainability of Yasuj City, Iran. Based on the obtained results, the values of the ecosystem and the human system are 57 and 49, respectively, with the ecosystem being in the higher part of the human segment. Evaluating the two parts of the system in the diagram revealed that Yasuj has an ecosystem with medium sustainability. The SWOT technique was applied to identify the development strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the study. The results of the SWOT model illustrate that weakness and instability in management, poor advertisement, and inconsistency of the related organizations in different developing areas and people are the main causes of the city’s underdevelopment. Overall, using this method in the analysis of urban resilience can help the planners decided about improving the potential opportunities and urban ecosystem services.

In this work, zirconia powders containing 5 and 10 mol % ceria were prepared by co-precipitation method followed by doping with small amounts (

Focal fibrocartilaginous dysplasia is a rare growth disturbance of bone resulting in deformity. In the ulna, focal fibrocartilaginous dysplasia is particularly rare, and the characteristic fibroligamentous tether can result in progressive deformity with progressive dislocation of the radial head. The fibroligamentous tether is similar in appearance and function to the Vickers ligament seen in Madelung deformity. The imaging features of ulnar focal fibrocartilaginous dysplasia include a unilateral angular deformity in the ulna with a radiolucent cortical defect and surrounding sclerosis, with secondary radial bowing or radial head dislocation. Focal fibrocartilaginous dysplasia of the ulna has been described using the term ulnar focal cortical indentation. To review the clinical and radiologic features of four cases of ulnar focal cortical indentation occurring in pediatric patients. We retrospectively reviewed picture archiving and communication system and electronic medical record imaging findings with surgical correlation of ulnar focal cortical indentation at two large specialty pediatric hospitals. Ulnar focal cortical indentation lesions typically arise in the ulnar metaphysis and result in angular forearm deformities with progressive radial deformity including radial head dislocation. Early surgical intervention prevents progression of the deformity and retains range of motion. Ulnar focal cortical indentation, although rare, is likely a progressive form of focal fibrocartilaginous dysplasia resulting in significant deformity and disability. Early recognition of the characteristic imaging features is important for early surgical intervention to preserve range of motion and prevent radial head dislocation.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) caused by Fusarium graminearum is one of the most important diseases of wheat in humid and warm areas. It reduces yield and seed quality significantly. Knowledge on fungal infection of wheat spikelets is essential in effective control of FHB disease. Adult plants of the cultivar FALAT and the line ERN92–4 were inoculated at anthesis stage by injection of 10μl spore suspension at concentration of 5 × 104 per ml in medial spikelets using point inoculation method. The number of infected spikelets was counted 7, 14, 21 and 28 days post inoculation (dpi). At 4, 8, 24, 48, 72, 84 and 120 h post inoculation (hpi), parts of infected spikelets were observed with light microscopy and TEM. Disease severity (percentage of infected spikelets per spike) in line ERN92–4 significantly differed from the cultivar FALAT at 14 dpi and 21 dpi. Hyphal colonization and germination of spores in line ERN92–4 spikelets were more than in FALAT spikelets. Light microscopy and TEM observations indicated that mycelium penetrated into the cells through the stoma and spread to other cells via cell wall or plasmodesmata. The fungus exhibited biotrophic and necrotrophic life styles at 24–84 and 120 hpi, respectively. Accumulation of lignin displayed a different pattern during the activation of plant defense responses, and showed brownish sites on the infected florets at 72 and 120 hpi. From 72 hpi, lignin accumulation was observed in both the examined cultivar and line, and elevated lignin accumulation reached by 120 hpi in both treatments. With the exception of the initial stages of infection of florets, defense response of none of the both genotypes was effective in the suppression of disease progress, as, F. graminearum is a necrotrophic fungus; however, lignin and O2− accumulations were increased at 4 to 72 hpi.

There are many different methods to improve and control surface wettability. One of these methods is the creation of micro- and nanotextures or multiscale textures on the surfaces. In this research, the process of ultrasonic vibration-assisted face-turning (UVAT) was used in order to improve surface wettability of Al7075-T6. To this end, the effect of various parameters in UVAT process including the vibration modes of the tool (CT, LVT, EVT, 3D-VT), cutting speed, and feed rate was examined on the roughness and topography of surfaces and thus on the surface wettability. Surface wettability was estimated through measuring water droplet contact angle in the two directions of cutting speed (θ c ) and feed rate (θ f ). Analysis of the variance of experimental results showed that among the existing parameters, the type of vibration mode, with 65.56 and 60.84% effectiveness, has the greatest impact on the surface wettability (θ c , θ f ), while feed rate, with 95.39% effectiveness, has the greatest impact on anisotropic wettability (Δθ).