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Background: Acute mesenteric ischemia is known as a life threatening condition. Re-establishment of blood flow in this condition can lead to mesenteric ischemia reperfusion (MIR) injury which is accompanied by inflammatory response. Still, clear blueprint of inflammatory mechanism underlying MIR injury has not been provided. Interestingly, Albendazole has exhibited notable effects on inflammation and cytokine production. In this study, we aimed to evaluate outcomes of MIR injury following pretreatment with Albendazole with respect to assessment of mesenteric inflammation and ischemia threshold. Methods: Male rats were randomly divided into sham operated, vehicle treated, Albendazole 100 mg/kg and Albendazole 200 mg/kg groups. MIR injury was induced by occlusion of superior mesenteric artery for 30 min followed by 120 min of reperfusion. Samples were utilized for assessment of epithelial survival and villous height. Immunohistochemistry study revealed intestinal expression of TNF-α and HIF-1-α. Gene expression of NF-κB/TLR4/TNF-α/IL-6 was measured using RTPCR. Also protein levels of inflammatory cytokines in serum and intestine were assessed by ELISA method. Results: Histopathological study demonstrated that pretreatment with Albendazole could ameliorate decline in villous height and epithelial survival following MIR injury. Also, systemic inflammation was suppressed after administration of Albendazole. Analysis of possible participating inflammatory pathway could demonstrate that intestinal expression of NF-κB/TLR4/TNF-α/IL-6 is significantly attenuated in treated groups. Eventually, IHC study illustrated concordant decline in mesenteric expression of HIF-1-α/TNF-α. Conclusion: Single dose pretreatment with Albendazole could ameliorate inflammatory response and enhance ischemia threshold following induction of MIR injury. More studies would clarify existing causality in this phenomenon.

The COVID-19 pandemic and global shutdown and work-from-home order for non-essential businesses and employees led to a substantial decline in energy usage in the commercial building sector. However, the magnitude of decline was not equivalent to what would be expected for unoccupied spaces. The energy performance of low/unoccupied commercial buildings, particularly in the context of new minimum requirements to maintain indoor air quality, is an intriguing research question. In this study, we developed a numerical model that measures electricity usage sensitivity to occupancy (ESTO) where we compare the business-as-usual energy performance with unoccupied energy performance. Two years of COVID-time (in addition to a pre-COVID control year) hourly energy use (electricity (plug loads, lighting, and fans), heating, and cooling) using data from 35 commercial buildings (i.e., buildings with HVAC and other building systems typical of commercial rather than residential buildings) are analyzed to quantify those changes. A change point model is used to assess thermal load intensities, change point temperature, and off-season unoccupied baseloads. Finally, we suggest a generic framework for building scoring based on selected performance parameters. Results indicate that the suggested scoring system is robust and replicable and is reliable for ranking buildings within a given portfolio from best- to worst- performing, thus prioritizing buildings that are best candidates for retrofits.

During the Safavid period, Iran underwent great political and social changes. King Ismail, the first Safavid king, declared Shi'ism the official religion of Iranian society and in addition to establishing a unified dynasty, prevented its dissolution in face of the Ottoman Empire and the Uzbeks. Inside the country, Safavid kings maintained a balance between different political groups, which led to the establishment of complex social, political, and economic relations, as well as between the people and the government. Since in any political and social system, the relations that lead to its stability and strength can be predicted, the impact of these relations on the various pillars of society can be predicted. It seems that these conditions also exist in the social systems of art. Researchers who have used sociological studies in the field of art rely on theoretical assumptions with different implications. On the other hand, this relationship has affected artists in the Safavid period. Painting workshops have always been in the shadow of the support of the Shah and the influential supporters of the court throughout the history of Iranian painting. This support also existed traditionally during the reign of the Safavid Shah Tahmasb. With the support of the court, the painters have illustrated books such as Shahnameh and Khamseh Nezami. However, since the middle of the tenth century AH, due to the escalation of political wars between Iran and the Ottomans in the northwest and the Uzbeks in the northeast, as well as the upheavals in internal affairs, attention to art decreased. The purpose of this article is to obtain the factors and reasons that have changed the political and cultural developments during the reign of the Safavid Shah Tahmasb and its effect on the painting of this period according to the theory of reflection. Accordingly, this study seeks to answer the question of how Iranian painters during the reign of Shah Tahmasb I showed social changes in their paintings. In fact, this theory has shown us how socio-political influences affect social activities, including art. This theory holds that art is the mirror of society (or is conditioned or determined by society). This approach focuses on researching works of art to enhance our knowledge and understanding of society. The reflection approach in the sociology of art includes a wide variety of research, which is the common ground of all of them (art is the mirror of society). Due to its diversity of social reflections and the views of sociologists such as Plekhanov, Max Weber, Panofsky, Hauser, and Wolf, this approach examines the various conditions of society associated with political, cultural, social, and ideological life. The research method is descriptive-analytical and has been used to collect materials from library sources. The Safavid government has gradually reduced its authority over Ghezelbash and increased the authority of Shiite clerics. At the same time, the court system, and the sufficient skill of the Iranians in that regard, had dominated the general structure of the administrative system of government. These changes took place during Shah Tahmaseb's dominance and after a period of turmoil and chaos caused by the power that Ghezelbashs considered to be both a right and a responsibility in the court. However, the pressure exerted on the Shah from all sides, as the center of political and religious movements, caused his influence on members of society, including artists, to disperse from the court. This dispersion, along with the support of wealthy newcomers and the Indian court, led painters to experiment with a variety of subjects and paintings, which gradually changed the previous way and indicated independence in the type of commission and dealing with everyday subjects. Therefore, the following results can be enumerated:- The court's support for the royal workshops and its reflection in the colorful works have shown the importance of the painted manuscripts in the court.- The influence of the Shiite religion that led to Shah Tahmasb's attention to religious affairs has shown a pervasive spirit in the culture and society of that time. Producing and illustrating religious issues in works such as Shahnameh and Khamseh Nezami, in continuation of books of divination, have all been performed with religious themes.- Independence of artists from the court led to a change in the choice of painting subjects.- Changes in the economic pace of society and the emergence of the low-income wealthy as the new social stratum led to the production of works that were weaker in terms of pride and less colorful in terms of color.- Changing the themes of the paintings drew the painting towards more social and popular themes.

In this study, satellite-based daily precipitation estimation data from precipitation estimation from remotely sensed information using artificial neural networks (PERSIANN)-climate data record (CDR) are being evaluated in Iran. This dataset (0.25°, daily), which covers over three decades of continuous observation beginning in 1983, is evaluated using rain-gauge data for the period of 1998–2007. In addition to categorical statistics and mean annual amount and number of rainy days, ten standard extreme indices were calculated to observe the behavior of daily extremes. The results show that PERSIANN-CDR exhibits reasonable performance associated with the probability of detection and false-alarm ratio, but it overestimates precipitation in the area. Although PERSIANN-CDR mostly underestimates extreme indices, it shows relatively high correlations (between 0.6316–0.7797) for intensity indices. PERSIANN-CDR data are also used to calculate the trend in annual amounts of precipitation, the number of rainy days, and precipitation extremes over Iran covering the period of 1983–2012. Our analysis shows that, although annual precipitation decreased in the western and eastern regions of Iran, the annual number of rainy days increased in the northern and northwestern areas. Statistically significant negative trends are identified in the 90th percentile daily precipitation, as well as the mean daily precipitation from wet days in the northern part of the study area. The positive trends of the maximum annual number of consecutive dry days in the eastern regions indicate that the dry periods became longer in these arid areas.

GoalOur objective is to provide a framework for extracting signals of interest from the wearable seismocardiogram (SCG) measured during walking at normal (subject's preferred pace) and moderately fast (1.34-1.45 m/s) speeds.MethodsWe demonstrate, using empirical mode decomposition (EMD) and feature tracking algorithms, that the pre-ejection period (PEP) can be accurately estimated from a wearable patch that simultaneously measures electrocardiogram and sternal acceleration signals. We also provide a method to determine the minimum number of heartbeats required for an accurate estimate to be obtained for the PEP from the accelerometer signals during walking.ResultsThe EMD-based denoising approach provides a statistically significant increase in the signal-to-noise ratio of wearable SCG signals and also improves estimation of PEP during walking.ConclusionThe algorithms described in this paper can be used to provide hemodynamic assessment from wearable SCG during walking.SignificanceA major limitation in the use of the SCG, a measure of local chest vibrations caused by cardiac ejection of blood in the vasculature, is that a user must remain completely still for high-quality measurements. The motion can create artifacts and practically render the signal unreadable. Addressing this limitation could allow, for the first time, SCG measurements to be obtained reliably during movement-aside from increasing the coverage throughout the day of cardiovascular monitoring, analyzing SCG signals during movement would quantify the cardiovascular system's response to stress (exercise), and thus provide a more holistic assessment of overall health.

ObjectivesTo characterize the clinical presentation and outcome in infants

Distinguishing true Ag-stimulated lymphocytes from bystanders activated by the inflammatory milieu has been difficult. Nur77 is an immediate early gene whose expression is rapidly upregulated by TCR signaling in murine T cells and human thymocytes. Nur77-GFP transgenes serve as specific TCR and BCR signaling reporters in murine transgenic models. In this study, we demonstrate that endogenous Nur77 protein expression can serve as a reporter of TCR and BCR specific signaling in human PBMCs. Nur77 protein amounts were assessed by immunofluorescence and flow cytometry in T and B cells isolated from human PBMCs obtained from healthy donors that had been stimulated by their respective Ag receptors. We demonstrate that endogenous Nur77 is a more specific reporter of Ag-specific signaling events than the commonly used CD69 activation marker in both human T and B cells. This is reflective of the disparity in signaling pathways that regulate the expression of Nur77 and CD69. Assessing endogenous Nur77 protein expression has great potential to identify Ag-activated lymphocytes in human disease.

Background: CDI is the single most common cause of nosocomial diarrhea in both adults and children. Available data regarding treatment outcomes in hospitalized children remain limited. CDI recurrence in children has been reported in 20%–30% of cases. Consensus regarding the best testing method for CDI is lacking. The 2018 IDSA guideline recommends a multistep algorithm with detection of glutamate dehydrogenase antigen plus toxin, followed by detection of toxigenic C. difficle with nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) if results are discordant. Methods: We included patients aged 1–26 years admitted from July 2020 through June 2021 with CDI symptoms and positive toxin or NAAT. Healthcare facility-onset CDI (HO-CDI) was defined as positive specimen collected >3 days after admission. Community-onset CDI (CO-CDI) was defined as positive specimen collected ≤3 days after admission. Community-onset healthcare facility-associated CDI (CO-HCFA-CDI) was defined as positive specimen from a patient who was discharged from the facility ≤4 weeks prior. Recurrence was defined as an episode of CDI occurring within 60 days after onset of a previous infection. Results: Mean age of the 63 patients meeting inclusion criteria was 11.2 years (range, 1–21 years). Most patients (n = 37; 58.7%) were male, tested negative for C. difficile toxins (n = 39; 61.9%), and had mild-to-moderate disease (n = 61; 96.8%). Patients with immunocompromising conditions were common, including malignancy (n = 38; 60.3%), inflammatory bowel disorder (n = 8; 12.7%), and history of solid organ transplant (n = 5; 7.9%). Previously healthy without chronic medical conditions were uncommon (n = 4; 6.3%). CO-CDI was most common (n = 26; 41.3%) followed by HO-CDI (n = 23; 36.5%). Also, 34 patients (53.9%) were exposed to antibiotics within the previous 30 days, 16 (47.0%) of whom received 2 or more antibiotics. Sulfamethoxazole–trimethoprim was the most prescribed agent (13; 38%), most (12; 92.3%) as prophylaxis for Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia. Furthermore, 42 patients (66.7%) were receiving gastric acid suppressant agents. Laxatives were given to 14 patients (22.2%) within 72 hours of testing, despite electronic reminders. Most were treated with oral vancomycin (n = 46; 73.0%). In addition, 5 patients (7.9%) did not receive CDI treatment at the discretion of the treating physician; all were toxin negative. CDI was cured in 58 patients (92.1%) with only 5 (7.9%) experiencing recurrence infection. Patients testing positive for C. difficile toxin were more likely to experience infection recurrence compared to those with a negative toxin screen: 4 of 24 (16.7%) versus 1 of 39 (2.6%) (P = .044). Conclusions: Most patients with CDI were treated with oral vancomycin at our institution. We observed significantly lower rate of recurrence than previously reported. Toxin-positive patients experienced higher recurrence rate. Prospective studies are needed to confirm our findings.

This article presents data on companies' innovative behavior measured at the firm-level based on web scraped firm-level data derived from medium-high and high-technology companies in the European Union and the United Kingdom. The data are retrieved from individual company websites and contains in total data on 96,921 companies. The data provide information on various aspects of innovation, most significantly the research and development orientation of the company at the company and product level, the company's collaborative activities, company's products, and use of standards. In addition to the web scraped data, the dataset aggregates a variety firm-level indicators including patenting activities. In total, the dataset includes 21 variables with unique identifiers which enables connecting to other databases such as financial data.

Over the past decades, studies of EFL/ESL vocabulary acquisition have identified the significance of collocations in language learning. Due to the fact that collocations have been regarded as one of the major concerns of both EFL teachers and learners for many years, the present study attempts to shed light on the impact of corpus-based collocation on EFL learners' collocation learning and awareness. 60 Iranian EFL learners, who participated in this study, were chosen randomly based on their scores in an OPT exam. There were two groups, experimental and control ones. The study examined the effects of direct corpus-based collocation instruction on EFL learners' collocation learning. For 15 sessions the control group received single-item vocabulary or, the usual work of their class and the experimental group received lexical collocation instruction as treatment. The same test as post-test was given to the learners when the treatment accomplished, and after that a t-test and kolmogorov-smirnov test between the pre-tests and post-tests were calculated. According to the results demonstrated by the statistical program, the effectiveness of the treatment was noticeable. This study suggests that direct corpus-based collocation instruction can be a worthy alternative. It demonstrated that the learners, who were in the experimental group, got aware of the existence of collocations, used them and learnt them properly, and they also started to find the collocation of every other word, which they learnt during the term, by themselves because the treatment appealed to them.

Background: Altmetrics measure the impact of journal articles by tracking social media, Wikipedia, public policy documents, blogs, and mainstream news activity, after which an overall Altmetric attention score (AAS) is calculated for every journal article. In this study, we aim to assess the AAS for influenza related articles and its relation to the influenza season in the USA. Methods: This study used the openly available Altmetric data from Altmetric.com. First, we retrieved all influenza-related articles using an advanced PubMed search query, then we inputted the resulted query into Altmetric explorer. We then calculated the average AAS for each month during the years 2012-2018. Results : A total of 24,964 PubMed documents were extracted, among them, 12,395 documents had at least one attention. We found a significant difference in mean AAS between February and each of January and March (p< 0.001, mean difference of 117.4 and 460.7, respectively). We found a significant difference between June and each of May and July (p< 0.001, mean difference of 1221.4 and 162.7, respectively). We also found a significant difference between October and each of September and November (p< 0.001, mean difference of 88.8 and 154.8, respectively). Conclusion: We observed a seasonal trend in the attention toward influenza-related research, with three annual peaks that correlated with the beginning, peak, and end of influenza seasons in the USA, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data.

Ornamental fish trade represents an important economic sector with an export turnover that reached approximately 5 billion US dollars in 2018. Despite its high economic importance, this sector does not receive much attention. Ornamental fish husbandry still faces many challenges and losses caused by transport stress and handling and outbreak of diseases are still to be improved. This review will provide insights on ornamental fish diseases along with the measures used to avoid or limit their onset. Moreover, this review will discuss the role of different natural and sustainable microbial feed additives, particularly probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics on the health, reduction in transport stress, growth, and reproduction of farmed ornamental fish. Most importantly, this review aims to fill the informational gaps existing in advanced and sustainable practices in the ornamental fish production.

Simple Summary: Colorectal cancer is a major health concern globally, and finding ways to improve treatment outcomes is crucial. This review explores the role of biomarkers—biological indicators that can predict how a patient will respond to treatment or indicate the likely course of the disease—in managing colorectal cancer. By examining both well-established and emerging biomarkers, we hope to provide a clearer understanding of how these markers can guide personalized treatment plans. The findings from this research could help doctors make more informed decisions, ultimately improving patient care and outcomes in colorectal cancer. Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. While immune checkpoint inhibitors have significantly improved patient outcomes, their effectiveness is mostly limited to tumors with microsatellite instability (MSI-H/dMMR) or an increased tumor mutational burden, which comprise 10% of cases. Advancing personalized medicine in CRC hinges on identifying predictive biomarkers to guide treatment decisions. This comprehensive review examines established tissue markers such as KRAS and HER2, highlighting their roles in resistance to anti-EGFR agents and discussing advances in targeted therapies for these markers. Additionally, this review summarizes encouraging data on promising therapeutic targets and highlights the clinical utility of liquid biopsies. By synthesizing current evidence and identifying knowledge gaps, this review provides clinicians and researchers with a contemporary understanding of the biomarker landscape in CRC. Finally, the review examines future directions and challenges in translating promising biomarkers into clinical practice, with the goal of enhancing personalized medicine approaches for colorectal cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cirrhosis incidence in older adult patients has been increasing with limited data on their survival. This study is aimed at investigating the survival and disease progression in older adult patients with cirrhosis compared to younger patients. Methods: This is a retrospective single‐center study. Patients aged above 50 with a confirmed diagnosis of cirrhosis based on biopsy, FibroSure test, splenomegaly, and low platelets < 120 × 109/L) or imaging findings including FibroScan were included. Patients with active substance abuse, transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS), prior spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP), variceal hemorrhage, model for end‐stage liver disease‐Na (MELD − Na) ≥ 20, had liver transplantation, malignancy except for squamous cell carcinoma, and other comorbidities such as congestive heart failure (CHF), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and end‐stage kidney disease with glomerular filtration rate (GFR) < 30 were excluded. Patients' records from the liver clinic were reviewed and demographics, laboratory, and compensation and decompensation status were collated. Patients were separated into two groups based on age 50–64 years and age ≥ 65. The primary endpoint was death, and the secondary endpoint was disease progression measured by the baseline to 12‐month increase in MELD‐Na score. The Kaplan–Meier analysis was conducted to compare the survival between the two groups. Cox regression analysis was performed to identify independent risk factors for poor survival. Results: A total of 191 patients diagnosed with cirrhosis met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. There were 80 patients aged 50–64 years and 111 patients aged ≥ 65 years. Significantly shorter survival times were seen among patients aged ≥ 65 years compared to those aged 50–64 years (73.3 ± 4.8 vs. 151.5 ± 22.7; p <.001). Age of diagnosis ≥ 65 years (p < 0.001), male gender (p =.013), body mass index (BMI) < 30 (p = 0.005), and decompensation (p = 0.008) were found to be independent risk factors for poor survival. MELD‐Na scores increased significantly in 12 months of follow‐up from baseline, but only in patients with decompensated cirrhosis (p = 0.013). Conclusions: Cirrhotic patients aged ≥ 65 years have significantly poor survival compared to younger patients. A prospective study is needed to further investigate the effect of age and obesity on survival and disease progression in older adult patients with cirrhosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Colon cancer, ranked as the fourth leading global cause of cancer death, exhibits a complex progression marked by genetic variations. Over the past decade, the utilization of diverse CRISPR systems has propelled accelerated research into colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment. Areas covered: CRISPR/Cas9, a key player in this research, identifies new oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes (TSGs), and drug-resistance genes. Additionally, it facilitates the construction of experimental models, conducts genome-wide library screening, and develops new therapeutic targets, especially for targeted knockout in vivo or molecular targeted drug delivery, contributing to personalized treatments and significantly enhancing the care of colon cancer patients. In this review, we provide insights into the mechanism of the CRISPR/Cas9 system, offering a comprehensive exploration of its applications in CRC, spanning screening, modeling, gene functions, diagnosis, and gene therapy. While acknowledging its transformative potential, the article highlights the challenges and limitations of CRISPR systems. Expert opinion: The application of CRISPR/Cas9 in CRC research provides a promising avenue for personalized treatments. Its potential for identifying key genes and enabling experimental models and genome-wide screening enhances patient care. This review underscores the significance of CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology across basic research, diagnosis, and the treatment landscape of colon cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder in reproductive age and the most common cause of infertility due to anovulation. PCOS in adolescents is concerning. Nigella sativa is effective in improving gonadotropins and sex hormones. The current study was designed to investigate the effect of Nigella sativa supplementation on PCOS symptoms and their severity in adolescents. Methods: The current randomized clinical trial was conducted on 114 adolescents with PCOS who were referred to gynecologist offices and clinics in Gonabad, Iran from March 2022 to March 2023. Participants were randomly allocated to the intervention (Nigella sativa 1000 mg/day) and control (10 mg/day medroxyprogesterone from the 14th day of the cycle for 10 nights) groups. The study duration was 16 weeks. Ovarian volume (measured by ultrasound), anthropometric and blood pressure; serum testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), luteinizing hormone (LH), hirsutism severity (Ferriman–Gallwey score) levels were evaluated before and after the study. Results: Data from 103 participants (control group = 53, intervention group = 50) were analyzed. The mean age of participants was 17.0 (Interquartile range [IQR]:2.0). The mean difference in hirsutism score changes (p < 0.001), right (p = 0.002), and left (p = 0.010) ovarian volume, serum LH (p < 0.001) and testosterone (p = 0.001) were significantly higher in the intervention group compared to the control group. The frequency of oligomenorrhea, menometrorrhagia, and amenorrhea, were significantly reduced after the study in the intervention group compared to the control group (ps < 0.001). Conclusions: Short-term Nigella sativa supplementation may be effective in reducing ovarian volume and improving hormonal balance, and menstrual irregularities in adolescents with PCOS. Further research and long-term studies are warranted to validate the potential therapeutic effects of Nigella sativa in adolescents with PCOS. IRCT registration number: IRCT20221017056209N1 Registration date: 2022-11-22. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a debilitating condition, affecting women of reproductive age. It is characterized by severe periodic physical and psychological symptoms, which end after the onset of menstruation. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of emotion-focused therapy (EFT) for PMDD patients. Methods: A total of 48 PMDD women, in the age range of 18–44 years, were randomly assigned to two intervention and control groups. The intervention group participated in 16 weeks of EFT treatment, while the control group was selected based on the waiting list (waitlist control group) and followed-up after three months. Forty-four patients finally completed this study. The participants completed the Premenstrual Syndrome Screening Tool (PSST), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) in the first premenstrual period before treatment, the first premenstrual period after treatment, and the premenstrual period three months after treatment. Results: Based on the repeated measure analysis of variances, the total score of DERS and the total score of PSST decreased significantly (P < 0.05). Also, in DASS-21, the scores of depression and stress subscales reduced significantly (P < 0.05), while there was no significant decrease in the score of anxiety subscale (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Based on the present results, EFT can be an effective treatment for alleviating the symptoms of PMDD. This treatment can reduce the emotion regulation difficulties of women with PMDD and alleviate the symptoms of depression and stress. Trial registration: Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials, IRCT ID: IRCT20220920055998N1, Registered on: 12/2/2023. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As commonly stated, we cannot manage what we do not measure. Understanding the flow of energy and its end-uses within a building is critical for energy management. Therefore, the lack of high resolution energy submetering is a significant barrier to efficient energy management in buildings. Despite this, many buildings still lack adequate submetering for their major end-uses because of the cost and practical restrictions. Energy disaggregation techniques aim at breaking down the bulk meter energy data into primary end-uses to gain insight into consumption patterns. However, high resolution, trustworthy BAS trend data is essential to develop reliable disaggregation techniques and capture unmeasured energy flow accurately. This paper explores a time series decomposition based method to disaggregate the total energy use into three major end uses namely lighting and plug loads, cooling, and heating energy use without BAS trend data. The results were compared with actual submetered data from ten office buildings in Ottawa, Canada for validation purposes. Specific insights into lighting and thermal scheduling, as well as hourly, daily, and monthly operational variations based on the de-composition components were discussed. The promising performance of the proposed method suggests that it could be used for quick and low cost auditing of commercial buildings with access to only the building's total energy use data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates pressure gradient dynamics within a porous medium in the context of two-phase fluid flow, specifically water and sand particle interactions. Using experimental data, we refine pressure correction coefficients within a numerical solution framework, employing the Semi-Implicit Method for the Pressure-linked Equations algorithm. Our findings highlight the relative nature of pressure gradient phenomena, with particle size and volume fraction emerging as crucial determinants. Graphical representations reveal a clear trend: an increase in volume fraction, up to 40%, across varying Reynolds Numbers, leads to a transition towards non-Newtonian behavior in the two-phase fluid system. Unlike the linear pressure gradient seen in single-phase fluid flow, the interplay between liquid and solid phases, along with drag forces, imparts a distinctly nonlinear trajectory to the pressure gradient in two-phase fluid flow scenarios. As the two-phase flow enters a porous medium, numerous factors come into play, resulting in a pressure drop. These factors include changes in cross-sectional geometry, alterations in boundary layer dynamics, and ensuing momentum fluctuations. Interestingly, an increase in porosity percentage inversely correlates with pressure gradient, resulting in reduced pressure gradient with higher porosity levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Society for Vascular Surgery guidelines recommend annual imaging surveillance following endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) and every 5 years following open surgical repairs (OSR) of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). Adherence to these guidelines is low outside of clinical trials, and compliance at Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals is not yet well-established. We examined imaging follow-up compliance and mortality rates after AAA repair at VA hospitals. We queried the VA Surgical Quality Improvement Program database for elective infrarenal AAA repairs, EVAR and OSR, then merged in follow-up imaging and mortality information. Mortality rate over time was derived using Kaplan-Meier estimation. Generalized estimating equation with a logit link and a sandwich standard error estimate was performed to compare the probability of having annual follow-up imaging over time between procedure types and to identify variables associated with follow-up imaging for EVAR patients. Our analysis included 11,668 patients who underwent EVAR and 4507 patients who underwent OSR at VA hospitals between the years 2000 and 2019. The 30-day mortality rate for EVAR and OSR was 0.37% and 0.82%, respectively. OSR was associated with lower long-term mortality after adjusting age, sex, American Society of Anesthesiologists classification and preoperative renal failure with an adjusted hazard ratio of 0.88 (95% confidence interval, 0.84-0.92; P <.01). Of surviving patients, the follow-up imaging rate was 69.1% by 1 year post-EVAR. The follow-up rate after 5 years was 45.6% post-EVAR compared with 63.6% post-OSR of surviving patients. A history of smoking or drinking, baseline hypertension, and known cardiac disease were independently associated with poor follow-up after EVAR. Patients undergoing elective open AAA repair in the VA hospital system had lower long-term mortality compared with patients who underwent endovascular repair. Compliance with post-EVAR imaging is low. Patient factors associated with poor post-EVAR imaging surveillance were smoking within the last year, excess alcohol consumption, and cardiac risk factors including hypertension, prior myocardial infarction, and congestive heart failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphine@Pd@Fe3O4 nanomagnetic particles were synthesized through in situ or direct immobilization of the phosphine ligand on metal-coated Fe3O4. These separable heterogeneous nanoparticles were employed as highly efficient catalysts for the arylation of aldehydes using boron reagents, yielding up to 90% within 30 min. The synthesized catalysts were easily recovered through simple magnetic decantation and exhibited no significant decrease in activity upon reuse. The structure and morphology of the nanomagnetic particles were characterized using various techniques, including energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction, vibrating-sample magnetometer analysis, and FT-IR spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]