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To investigate the association between urodynamic findings and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) before and after surgical treatment of pelvic organ prolapse (POP).Seventy-four patients with stage II or more anterior POP associated with LUTS and eligible for surgical repair of POP were included in this prospective study. All cases had clinical evaluation and urodynamic testing (UDS) before and 6 months after surgical repair of POP.Mean age was 45 ± 9 years. Mean BMI was 28 ± 6 kg/mPatients had significant improvement in LUTS after POP surgery with or without an anti-incontinence procedure. Detrusor underactivity was associated with persistence of voiding LUTS. Meanwhile, preoperative DO and post-void residual urine volume were of limited prognostic value.

Smart window can be defined as switchable material whose light transmission is altered upon exposure to light, voltage, or heat. However, smart windows are usually produced from expensive and breakable glass materials. Herein, transparent smart window with long-persistent phosphorescence, high optical transmittance, ultraviolet (UV) protection, rigid, high photostability and durability, an d superhydrophobicity was developed from recycled polyester (PET). Recycled polyester waste (RBW) was simply immobilized with different ratios of lanthanide-doped aluminate nanoparticles (LdAN) to provide a long-persistent phosphorescent polyester smart window (LdAN@PET) with an abili ty to persist emitting light for extended time periods. The solid-state high temperature technique was used to prepare lanthanide-doped aluminate (LdA) micro-scale powder. Then, the top-down technique was applied to afford the corresponding LdAN. Recycled shredded recycled polyester bottles were charged into a hot bath to provide a clear plastic shred bulk, which was then well-mixed with LdAN and drop-casted to provide long-persistent luminescent smart window. In order to improve the phosphor dispersion in the PET bulk, LdAN was synthesized in the nanoparticle form which was characterized utilizing transmission electron microscopy (TEM). For better preparation of translucent smart window of long-persistent phosphorescent polyester, LdAN must be homogeneously dispersed in the PET matrix without agglomeration. The morphology and chemical composition were studied by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectra), X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersion X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). In addition, spectral profiles of excitation and emission, and decay and lifetime were used to better understand the photoluminescence properties. The hardness properties were also investigated. The developed phosphorescent transparent polyester smart window demonstrated a color switch to intense green underneath UV irradiation and greenish-yellow under darkness as verified by CIELab color parameters. The afterglow polyester smart window showed an absorption wavelength at 365 nm and two phosphorescence intensities at 442 and 512 nm. An enhanced UV protection, photostability and hydrophobic activity were detected. The luminescent polyester substrates with lower LdAN ratios demonstrated rapid and reversible fluorescent photochromic activity beneath the UV light. The luminescent polyester substrates with higher LdAN contents displayed long-persistent phosphorescence afterglow. The current strategy can be simply applied for the production of smart windows, low thickness anti-counterfeiting films and warning signs.

This work addresses manufacture, testing and simulation of foot valve lever (FVL) for monoblock pump industry, using a cost-effective casting design process. The impact of different types of sands, such as air-set, dry and sodium silicate as well as gating designs, namely H-, U- and O-type, were studied with respect to surface roughness and porosity. The mold pattern was produced using additive manufacturing (AM) technology. Both experimental and numerical investigations were performed on the temperature distribution of molten metal at random locations for the different gating configurations or designs, considering mold filling and solidification. It was evident from the experimental investigation that contribution of air-set sand and O-type gating architecture showed limited consistency effects. Importantly, gating architecture was the most influential parameter to determine all specified quality outcomes, independent of sand mold. An order of O

To evaluate the role of stone size on the efficacy and safety of extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL) monotherapy vs ureteroscopy (URS) for managing upper ureteric stones.The study design was a randomised prospective study of a total cohort of 180 patients with upper ureteric single stones of 0.5-1.5 cm. Half of the patients were managed by ESWL monotherapy, while the other half underwent URS with stone fragmentation using an ultrasound lithotripter (URSL). The success rate, re-treatment rate, auxiliary procedure (AP) rate, efficacy quotient, and complications were compared between the two groups.After single URSL and ESWL procedures 70/90 (77.8%) and 35/90 (38.9%) of the stones were successfully cleared, respectively (Our present study supports that ESWL is recommended as a first-line non-invasive monotherapy for upper ureteric opaque stones of1 cm, while URSL is recommended as a first-line treatment for stones of1 cm. The results for URSL were superior with lower a re-treatment rate, rapid stone clearance in a very short time, and less radiation exposure. Therefore, stone size is an important factor for the final decision of the initial management of upper ureteric stones because it has a direct relation to the efficacy of ESWL, but it has no effect on the results of URSL.

New magnetic imidazolium ionic liquid (IIL) was synthesized to improve the curing, mechanical, and thermal characteristics of the epoxy/polyamine system. In this respect, 2-(4-minophenyl)-1.3-bis(triethoxysilyl)-1H-imidazol-3-ium acetate as IIL was synthesized and characterized by different spectroscopy tools. The IIL was used as capping to prepare Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) as new Fe3O4-IIL NPs. The thermal stability, morphology, crystal lattice structures, and magnetic properties were evaluated to confirm the formation of uniform, thermal, stable, and superparamagnetic Fe3O4-IIL NPs. The prepared Fe3O4-IIL NPs were mixed with an epoxy/polyamine system to improve the curing, thermal, and mechanical properties of epoxy through chemical reactions. The dynamic mechanical analyzer and differential scanning calorimeter were used to investigate the flexibility and storage modulus of the cured epoxy/polyamine system in the absence and presence of Fe3O4-IIL NPs. The atomic force microscope and scanning electron microscope were used to evaluate the dispersion and embedding of Fe3O4-IIL NPs into epoxy matrix. The thermal, mechanical, and surface morphologies data confirmed that the incorporation of Fe3O4-IIL NPs using 3 wt. % during the curing of an epoxy/polyamine system produces superior epoxy films without cracks, holes, and NPs agglomeration.

Ionic liquids (ILs) are environmentally friendly compounds and their gemini types exhibit high thermal stabilities and high surface and interfacial activity. The main objective of this work is to prepare, characterize and investigate the demulsification efficiency of two gemini pyridinium surfactant ILs. They were prepared by the introduction of long chain decanoyl chloride to aminopyridine followed by quaternization with two dichloro spacers containing different ethylene oxide units (DCDE and TEGDC) to form MEGPy and TEGPy ILs, respectively. The structure properties of the prepared demulsifiers were investigated using different spectral tools including 1HNMR and 13CNMR and DLS. Also, their solubility and surface activity were investigated to confirm their ability to reduce surface tension (ST) and interfacial tension (IFT). Gemini pyridinium IL with triethylene oxide spacer (TEGP) showed higher ability to reduce both ST and IFT than that with mono ethylene oxide spacer (MEGP). Thanks to the ability of both TEGPy and MEGPy surfactant IL to reduce ST and IFT, they were applied successfully as demulsifiers for W/O emulsions with different water percentages. Demulsification study indicated that both TEGPy and MEGPy were able to demusify W/O emulsions with high performance which reached to 100% at low concentrations (250 ppm) for some compositions with higher activity to TEGP IL than MEGPy surfactant.

New crosslinked Poly(ionic liquids), PILs, cryogels based on 2-acrylamido- 2-methylpropane sulfonic acid, AMPS, were prepared and copolymerized with acrylic acid, acrylamide or 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate in the presence of triethanolamine. The crosslinking copolymerization of AMPS were carried in the presence of water at cooling temperature in the presence of amoniumpersulfate, N,N, N′, N′ tetramethylethylenediamine and N , N ′-methylenebisacrylamide as radical initiator, activator and crosslinker, respectively. The chemical structures, surface morphologies of the PILs cryogels were investigated. The PILs cryogels showed high thermal stability and interconnected pores. The cryogels achieved high adsorption capacity as 1228 mg·g −1 for removal of MB from aqueous solution during contact times ranged from 5 to 10 min. New mechanism for chemisorption of MB with the active centers of PIL cryogels is proposed and elucidated.

New pH-sensitive polystyrene, PS, and poly(4-vinylpyridine), P4-VP, nanospheres were prepared by using surfactant-free method based on soft microgels (Mickering emulsion). The formation of stable Mickering cyclohexane/water emulsions was investigated by using soft microgel particles of poly(acrylamide), PAAm, poly(2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid), PAMPS, and sodium salt of PAMPS, PAMPS-Na, as stabilizers. The dynamic light scattering (DLS), optical microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to investigate the optimum conditions and effects of surrounding solutions on the microgels characteristics and their corresponding Mickering emulsions. The cyclohexane/water Mickering emulsions stabilized by softer and neutral charged microgels were considerably more stable under the same conditions. Furthermore, the stimuli-responsive properties of PAMPS microgel stabilized cyclohexane/water Mickering emulsions suggest the potential utility in the preparation of PS and P4-VP nanospheres. The effects of pH changes on the morphology, particle sizes, and surface charges of PS and P4-VP microgels were evaluated to prove the pH-sensitivity of the prepared nanospheres.

© 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This is the accepted manuscript version of an article which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2021.124117

Zinc oxide and sulfur/fluorine doped ZnO with nanosphere structure are synthesized by facile low cost solid state route. The synthesized material was characterized using XRD (X-ray diffraction), FE-SEM (Field emission scanning electron microscopy), photoluminescence spectroscopy and electrical conductive gas sensor measurements. FE-SEM images are showing spherical aggregated particle morphology, in the case of Fluorine doped ZnO showing flaky pastry shapes and sulphur doped ZnO shows particle with aggregated morphology. DRS and absorbance spectra is utilized to calculate the band gap values of the respective sample. The as prepared materials shows efficient activity towards methylene blue dye degradation and in future it could be utilized in improved photo catalytic and dye sensitized solar cell applications.

The catalytic activity of hierarchical ZSM-5 zeolites was investigated in the polyols (sorbitol and xylitol) to hydrocarbons conversion in a fixed bed reactor under atmospheric pressure by altering different parameters. A lower sorbitol and xylitol conversion was achieved at the reaction temperature of 375 °C, whereas a higher value of 92.33 and 88.19% sorbitol conversion, 95.58 and 92.32% xylitol conversion was obtained when the reaction temperature was further elevated to 425 °C for ZSM-5-WS(28) and ZSM-5-WOS(28) catalysts. Other important parameters, such as substrate concentration, weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) and Si/Al ratio strongly influenced the polyols to hydrocarbons conversion reaction. The optimal conditions are substrate concentration (sorbitol/xylitol) of 15%, WHSV of 1.0 h−1, reaction temperature of 425 °C. In addition to that, the recycling performances of the ZSM-5 catalysts were carried out for four runs and the catalysts were showed better recycling performance and stability.

Advanced materials reliant on cross-linked magnetic poly (ionic liquids) (PILs) have been widely utilized in environmental applications for water purification. The present work demonstrates our preparation of a new magnetic cross-linked PIL based on quaternized 4-vinyl-pyridine-co-acrylamide (QVP/AAm). The chemical composition, thermal stability, magnetic properties, morphology, particle sizes, and zeta potential of the magnetic QVP/AAm composites were investigated. Fast adsorption and desorption kinetics, high adsorption capacity, rapid magnetic separation, and the absence of secondary pollution in the adsorption process make QVP/AAm-Fe3O4 a highly effective adsorbent for the elimination of anionic acidic Congo red contaminants from industrial wastewater.

Inorganic nanoparticles based on magnetite were used to improve the mechanical, thermal, and magnetic properties of microporous cryogel polymer composites. Here we report the synthesis of microporous cryogel based on the crosslinked sodium vinyl sulfonate (Na-VS) and 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid sodium salt (Na-AMPS). The magnetite nanoparticles were incorporated into Na-VS/Na-AMPS cryogel networks either during its crosslinking polymerization or by the in-situ technique after its crosslinking. The morphology, particle sizes, thermal stability, and magnetite contents of Na-VS/Na-AMPS cryogel and its magnetite composite were investigated. The prepared Na-VS/Na-AMPS cryogel and its magnetite composite were used as adsorbents for methylene blue (MB) cationic dye using optimum conditions. The magnetite Na-VS/Na-AMPS cryogel composite prepared by in-situ technique achieved the best adsorption MB removal capacity for 7 cycles among the other adsorbents via chemical adsorption mechanism at room temperature.

Inorganic nanoparticles based on magnetite improve the mechanical, thermal, and magnetic properties of microporous cryogel polymer composites. Here we report the synthesis of microporous cryogel based on the crosslinked sodium vinyl sulfonate (Na-VS) and 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid sodium salt (Na-AMPS). The magnetite nanoparticles were inserted into Na-VS/Na-AMPS cryogel either during its crosslinking polymerization or by in-situ technique after its crosslinking. The morphology, particle sizes, thermal stability and magnetite contents of Na-VS/Na-AMPS cryogel and its magnetite composites were investigated. The prepared Na-VS/Na-AMPS cryogel and its magnetite composites were used as adsorbents for methylene blue (MB) cationic dye using optimum conditions. The magnetite Na-VS/Na-AMPS cryogel composite prepared by in-situ technique achieved the best adsorption MB removal capacity for 7 cycles among the other adsorbents via chemical adsorption mechanism at room temperature.

The present work aims to reduce the water surface tension using dispersed organophilic clay minerals to increase the adsorption water pollutants (organic and inorganic) into the clay galleries. Therefore, sodium montmorillonite (Na-MMT) was functionalized with amphphiles based on crosslinked nanogel polymers of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAm), sodium 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonate (Na-AMPS), acrylamide (AAm) and acrylamidopropyl)trimethylammonium chloride solution (APTAC) using surfactant free technique. The chemical interactions between nanogels and Na-MMT and their chemical structure were confirmed by FTIR analysis. The intercalation and exfoliation of Na-MMT were confirmed by wide-angle X-ray diffraction. The morphology of Na-MMT nanogel composites was investigated by TEM analysis. The adsorption capacities of the prepared Na-MMT nanogels for methylene blue dye, cobalt and nickel cations from water were investigated. The data indicated that the Na-MMT nanogels reduced the surface tension of water and efficiently remove dye and metal ions from water.

The aim of this work is to evaluate the role of Doppler US and MRI in the diagnosis of placenta accreta.Patients and methods: During period between 2012 to 2013, 120 pregnant patients with previous cesarean section were investigated by ultrasound and Doppler and then in suspected cases MRI was obtained (10 cases). The Sonographic and MRI diagnoses were compared with the final pathologic or operative findings or with both.Results: The mean age of this study group was 29 years ranging from 20 to 40. Among patients with confirmed placenta accreta, the mean age was 32.25 ranging from 25 to 40 years. The mean parity of patients ranged from 1 to 6 with a mean of 1.6. Among patients with placenta accreta, the mean parity ranged from 2 to 6 with a mean of 3.75. The total number of cases with placenta accreta in this study was 4, all of which were previa. This was out of a total of 25 cases of placenta previa. Transabdominal US features were the presence of intraplacental lacunae (sonolucencies), loss of retroplacental clear zone and disruption of bladder–uterine serosa interface with smallest myometrial thickness

A novel ion-selective PVC membrane sensor for cerium(III) ions based on [4-(4′-nitrobenzyl)-1-phenyl-3,5-pyrazolidinedion)] (NBPP) as a new ionophore has been prepared and studied. This electrode has a wide linear dynamic range from 10−1 to 2.5 × 10−6 mol l−1 with a Nernstian slope of 19.5 ± 0.2 mV decade−1 and low detection limit of 1.6 × 10−6 mol l−1. It has a fast response time (

A poly vinyl chloride (PVC) membrane sensor for Sm(III) ions based on [1-phenyl-3'(2-nitrophenyl) spiro[Oxirane-2.4-Pyrazoline]-3,5-dione] (PNSOP) as a membrane carrier was developed. This sensor exhibits a rapid and good Nemstian response towards Sm(III) ions in the range of 10 -1 to 10 -6 mol l -1 with a slope of 19.3 + 0.2mV per decade and a detection limit of 6.1 x 10 -7 mol l -1 . The sensor response and selectivity remained almost unchanged for at least 4 months. It has a fast response time about of 5 s. The sensor can be used in a pH range from 4.0 to 8.2 and demonstrates good discriminating power over a wide variety of other metal ions. The formation constant of ionophore complex with Sm(III) was calculated by using the segmented sandwich membrane method. The nature of the PNSOP ionophore and its Sm(III) complex is examined using Fourier-transform infrared analysis and elemental analysis technique. The proposed sensor was successfully applied as an indicator electrode in potentiometric titration of oxalate and carbonate ions and determination of acetylsalicylate and carbonate ions in some drugs.