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Abstract The Coma Recovery Scale-revised (CRS-r) is the gold standard for the behavioral assessment of patients with Disorders of Consciousness (DoCs). However, the misdiagnosis rate is around 40%. For this reason, recent guidelines suggested enhancing the assessment with neurophysiological measures: among these, surface electromyography (sEMG) represents a convenient bedside solution. This work presents the use of the STRIVEfc system, a wearable device that allows CRS-r administration while recording four sEMG signals. STRIVEfc was employed in 40 sessions on 33 DoCs patients and the sEMG was analyzed to look for voluntary and consistent over threshold (OT) muscular activities. Their duration, amplitude, and number were retained and compared between patients in Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndrome (UWS) and Minimally Conscious State (MCS), revealing more numerous and significantly longer OTs in the latter group. Lastly, the EMG information was exploited to enrich the behavioral assessment by building the instrumented CRS-r score (ICRS-r). In 9/16 UWS sessions, the ICRS-r score suggested a higher-level functioning, not translated into a behavioral response, compatible with MCS diagnosis. Overall, the use of STRIVEfc allows to reveal hidden muscular patterns not detectable by the clinician, thus improving the characterization of DoCs patient’s functional capabilities and supporting the diagnostic process.

Negligence, how to evaluate and verify it, has been the subject of many discussions in Tort Law. Considering in the previous discussion, it is difficult to determine the Negligence and find out the faulty behavior in a personal way, in every case without inventing and applying a universal standard, a kind of fault theory was raised, therefore; Based on that theory, an indicator was created under the title of "reasonable and conventional Person" to measure the doubtful behavior of that supposed person being and infer his/ her Negligence or lack of it. But, about the above criteria, it has been exaggerated to the extent that all the differences and different capabilities of human beings have been forgotten in such a way that a "reasonable person" is simply considered to be a "reasonable adult man". Accordingly, in this article, by insisting on the differences that exist in women compared to men and in children compared to adults, we intend to criticize and violate the above one-sided view regarding reference to the criteria of a reasonable and conventional person, as far as, instead of the above absolute criteria, we should use the criteria of "reasonable woman" and "reasonable child" in related cases to determine negligence. In this regard, we consider the Common Law legal system as a suitable platform for studying and achieving the results of the current research work to rely on judicial opinions. This article has been done by the descriptive-analytical method along with the normative approach and found that it has been noted the differences between men and women, children, and adults by referring to reasonable criteria conventional person being in the Common Law Legal System after a period and this importance has also been reflected in the main characteristic of common law, which is the judicial opinions issued by the courts.

Background Senior dental students are more aware of the harmful effects of cariogenic snacks and are expected to better watch their diet compared with freshmen dental students. This study aimed to compare the frequency of consumption of cariogenic snacks by senior and freshmen dental students of Tehran city and the related factors.Methods This cross-sectional study evaluated the senior and freshmen dental students attending dental schools in Tehran in 2018, who were selected by census sampling. A cariogenic snack record form was used to collect information regarding the frequency of consumption of cariogenic snacks both prospectively (within the upcoming week) and retrospectively (previous 24 hours). We also collected information on the demographic characteristics of the participants. The plaque-producing and decay-producing potential of the diet (PAP) index was calculated for each dental student. Data were analysed by the backward regression model using SPSS.Results A total of 294 dental students with a mean age of 22±2.85 years participated in this study. The mean PAP score was 76.48±49.91 for the freshmen and 89.87±49.41 for the senior dental students with a significant difference between them (p=0.023). Older dental students (p=0.008) and those not living with their parents (p=0.001) acquired a higher PAP score.Conclusion The mean PAP score of freshmen and senior dental students in Tehran was slightly higher than the optimal level. So the instructional techniques of dental curricula are better to be revised to improve the performance of dental students to cut down the consumption of cariogenic snacks.

The pulmonary system represents a unique lipidomic environment as it contains cellular membrane-bound lipid species and a specialized reservoir of lipids in the airway epithelial lining fluid. As a major initial point of defense, airway lipids react to inhaled contaminants such as volatile organic compounds, oxides of nitrogen, or ozone (O3), creating lipokine signaling that is crucial for both the initiation and resolution of inflammation within the lung. Dietary modulation of eicosanoids has gained increased attention in recent years for improvements to cardiovascular health. The current study sought to examine how dietary supplementation with eicosanoid precursors (i.e, oils rich in saturated or polyunsaturated fatty acids) might alter the lung lipid composition and subsequently modify the inflammatory response to ozone inhalation. Our study demonstrated that mice fed a diet high in saturated fatty acids resulted in diet-specific changes to lung lipid profiles and increased cellular recruitment to the lung following ozone inhalation. Bioinformatic analysis revealed an ozone-dependent upregulation of several lipid species, including phosphoserine 37:5. Pathway analysis of lipid species revealed the process of lateral diffusion of lipids within membranes to be significantly altered due to ozone exposure. These results show promising data for influencing pulmonary lipidomic profiles via diet, which may provide a pragmatic therapeutic approach to protect against lung inflammation and damage following pulmonary insult.

Mechanical properties of lean Mg-xLi-1RE-0.5Zn-0.5Zr alloys after hot working by the extrusion process were systematically investigated. By increasing Li content, the coarsening of the dynamic recrystallization (DRX) grain size (D) was recorded. This was ascribed to the decrease of the solidus temperature (TSolidus) by increasing Li content, and hence, the increase of the homologous temperature during hot deformation (T/TSolidus). As a result, the tensile yield stress (TYS), ultimate tensile strength (UTS), compressive yield stress (CYS), and ultimate compressive strength (UCS) decreased by increasing Li content. Accordingly, the Hall-Petch relationships of TYS = 145.8 + 69/√D and CYS = 69.3 + 100/√D were proposed, where TYS, CYS, and D are expressed in MPa, MPa, and μm, respectively. However, total elongation in the tension test and fracture strain in the compression test were significantly improved and the crystallographic texture intensity decreased by increasing the Li content. These improvements were found to be quite beneficial for overcoming and breaking the strength–ductility trade-off. The mechanical behavior of these alloys was compared to other competitive alloys for lightweight applications.

The effect of cooking aerosol on the human heart was investigated in this study. The heart rate and blood pressure of 33 healthy adults were monitored before, exactly after, and two hours post-exposure (30 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes, and 120 minutes after cooking). One hundred twenty grams of ground beef was fried in sunflower oil for twenty minutes using a gas stove without ventilation. Ultrafine particles, indoor temperature, relative humidity, carbon dioxide, oil, and meat temperatures were monitored during the experiment. The average particle emission rate (S) and average decay rate (a+k) for meat frying were found to be 2.09×1013 (SD=3.94 ×1013, R2=0.98, P

Rationale & Objective: We sought to compare outcomes of patients receiving dialysis after cardiothoracic surgery on the basis of dialysis modality (intermittent hemodialysis [HD] vs peritoneal dialysis [PD]). Study Design: This was a retrospective analysis. Setting & Participants: In total, 590 patients with kidney failure receiving intermittent HD or PD undergoing coronary artery bypass graft and/or valvular cardiac surgery at Cleveland Clinic were included. Exposure: The patients received PD versus HD (intermittent or continuous). Outcomes: Our primary outcomes were in-hospital and 30-day mortality. Secondary outcomes were length of stay, days in the intensive care unit, the number of intraoperative blood transfusions, postsurgical pericardial effusion, and sternal wound infection, and a composite of the following 4 in-hospital events: death, cardiac arrest, effusion, and sternal wound infection. Analytical Approach: We used χ2, Fisher exact, Wilcoxon rank sum, and t tests, Kaplan-Meier survival, and plots for analysis. Results: Among the 590 patients undergoing cardiac surgery, 62 (11%) were receiving PD, and 528 (89%) were receiving intermittent HD. Notably, 30-day Kaplan-Meier survival was 95.7% (95% CI: 93.9-97.5) for HD and 98.2% (95% CI: 94.7-100) for PD (P = 0.30). In total, 75 patients receiving HD (14.2%) and 1 patient receiving PD (1.6%) had a composite of 4 in-hospital events (death, cardiac arrest, effusion, and sternal wound infection) (P = 0.005). Out of 62 patients receiving PD, 16 (26%) were converted to HD. Limitations: Retrospective analyses are prone to residual confounding. We lacked details about nutritional data. Intensive care unit length of stay was used as a surrogate for volume status control. Patients have been followed in a single health care system. The HD cohort outnumbered the PD cohort significantly. Conclusions: When compared with PD, HD does not appear to improve outcomes of patients with kidney failure undergoing cardiothoracic surgery. Patients receiving PD had a lower incidence of a composite outcome of 4 in-hospital events (death, cardiac arrest, pericardial effusion, and sternal wound infections). Plain-Language Summary: Patients receiving peritoneal dialysis (PD) are frequently switched to hemodialysis (HD) around the time of an open-heart surgery. More times than not, this is driven by the preference of nonkidney doctors, because HD is perceived to control toxins and fluids better. PD is, however, more advantageous and can achieve similar results while being gentler. In an effort to keep patients on their home PD, we analyzed how they fared when compared with their HD counterparts. Patients maintained on PD did just as well if not better around and after their open-heart surgery. Given the expected increase in patients treated with PD, efforts should be made to maintain them on their home modality even around major surgeries.

Abstract The sustainability of groundwater aquifers requires evaluating several parameters, the most important of which are hydraulic parameters. Therefore, the essential aim of this research is to develop a management plan for the Moghra aquifer in order to prevent the expanding of water level decline and degradation of groundwater quality due to overexploitation and scarcity of recharge. To achieve this goal, all aquifer hydraulic parameters such as transmissivity, hydraulic conductivity, radius of interference, specific capacity, resulted drawdown, well loss, formation loss, well efficiency, and optimum safe yield had been measured for 40 groundwater wells drilled in the new reclaimed areas of Moghra Oasis. Based on geographic information system (GIS), hydrogeological cross sections and thematic maps for all parameters were created such as aquifer thickness, water table, groundwater flow direction, drawdown and groundwater salinity maps. The results revealed that clay and shale beds separated the three water-bearing formations of the Moghra aquifer. The aquifer-saturated thickness ranged from 30 and 102 m, and the groundwater level was below the mean sea level for all wells (ranges from − 72 to − 26.6 m). The calculated hydraulic parameters based on the analysis of long-duration pumping tests indicated that the studied aquifer has a wide variety of transmissivity (T) between 631 and 3768 m2/day, hydraulic conductivity (K) between 13.4 and 104.6 m/day, radius of influence from 126.3 to 581.3 m and specific capacity between 377.14 and 883.72 m2/day. On the other hand, the evaluation of existing drilled wells performance based on the results of step tests showed that well loss coefficient ranges between 0.0004749 and 0.0676 (h2/m5), formation loss coefficient varies from 3.34 × 10–8 to 4.80 × 10–6 (h/m2), well efficiency (γ) ranged from 50.53 to 98.08%, and optimum safe yield ranged from 40 to 98 (m3/h). Results of aquifer mapping and pumping tests can be more important for solving water scarcity issues, non-polluting water issues, health issues, and source of fresh water on the surface of the earth. The characterization of aquifer parameters in the study area, however, should be a significant component in the scientific planning and sustainability of groundwater.

In recent times, drilling groundwater wells for irrigation, domestic, and industrial uses is increasing at a high rate in Saudi Arabia, meaning that groundwater is becoming a primary water resource. In the study region, over-exploitation and unsustainable performance severely deteriorate groundwater. Therefore, it is important to monitor the groundwater levels and quality as well as to detect the hydraulic parameters in order to plan and maintain groundwater sustainability. Knowledge of aquifer hydraulic parameters and groundwater quality is essential for the productivity planning of an aquifer. Therefore, this study carried out a thorough analysis on measured depth to groundwater data (2017 and 2022), borehole pumping test records, and chemical analysis of the collected water samples, especially in the presence of overexploitation and scarcity of recharge scale. To accomplish this aim, measurements of 113 groundwater wells (including 103 water samples) and analysis of 29 pumping tests between step and long-duration tests were made of all aquifer characteristics. These parameters consist of well loss, formation loss, well efficiency, specific capacity, transmissivity, hydraulic conductivity, resulted drawdown, and physiochemical parameters. Thematic maps were generated for all parameters using the geographic information system (GIS) and diagrams to strategize the groundwater productivity in Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah Province. The estimated hydraulic parameters are highly variable. Four distinct portions were identified for aquifer potentiality based on these varying ranges. Both the north and east of the region are good for groundwater productivity due to good aquifer materials, whereas the southwestern and western portions have relatively poor values. The analyzed groundwater was categorized as fresh to slightly salty water, with two primary chemical types identified showing a prevalence of mixed NaCl and Ca-Mg-SO4/Cl water. Finally, groundwater productivity assessment predicts that the aquifers can support the Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah Province demand for several years if certain well distributions are adopted and for a few hours/day of pumping rate. The maps that have been created can be examined to aid in making decisions related to hydrology.

We propose Hamiltonian quantum generative adversarial networks (HQuGANs) to learn to generate unknown input quantum states using two competing quantum optimal controls. The game-theoretic framework of the algorithm is inspired by the success of classical generative adversarial networks in learning high-dimensional distributions. The quantum optimal control approach not only makes the algorithm naturally adaptable to the experimental constraints of near-term hardware, but also offers a more natural characterization of overparameterization compared to the circuit model. We numerically demonstrate the capabilities of the proposed framework to learn various highly entangled many-body quantum states, using simple two-body Hamiltonians and under experimentally relevant constraints such as low-bandwidth controls. We analyze the computational cost of implementing HQuGANs on quantum computers and show how the framework can be extended to learn quantum dynamics. Furthermore, we introduce a cost function that circumvents the problem of mode collapse that prevents convergence of HQuGANs and demonstrate how to accelerate the convergence of them when generating a pure state.

AimSleep duration has been suggested to be associated with hypertension (HTN). However, evidence of the nature of the relationship and its direction has been inconsistent. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to assess the relationship between sleep duration and risk of HTN incidence, and to distinguish more susceptible populations.MethodsPubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and ProQuest were searched from January 2000 to May 2023 for cohort studies comparing short and long sleep durations with 7-8 hours of sleep for the risk of HTN incidence. Random-effect model (the DerSimonian-Laird method) was applied to pool risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI).ResultsWe included sixteen studies ranging from 2.4 to 18 years of follow-up duration evaluating HTN incidence in 1,044,035 people. Short sleep duration was significantly associated with a higher risk of developing HTN (HR: 1.07, 95% CI: 1.06-1.09). The association was stronger when the sleep duration was less than 5 hours (HR: 1.11, 95% CI: 1.08-1.14). In contrast to males, females (HR: 1.07, 95% CI: 1.04-1.09) were more vulnerable to developing HTN due to short sleep duration. No significant difference between different follow-up durations and age subgroups was observed. Long sleep duration was not associated with an increased incidence of HTN.ConclusionShort sleep duration was associated with higher risk of HTN incidence, however, there was no association between long sleep duration and incidence of HTN. These findings highlight the importance of implementing target-specific preventive and interventional strategies for vulnerable populations with short sleep duration to reduce the risk of HTN.

The distribution of material phases is crucial to determine the composite's mechanical property. While the full structure-mechanics relationship of highly ordered material distributions can be studied with finite number of cases, this relationship is difficult to be revealed for complex irregular distributions, preventing design of such material structures to meet certain mechanical requirements. The noticeable developments of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms in material design enables to detect the hidden structure-mechanics correlations which is essential for designing composite of complex structures. It is intriguing how these tools can assist composite design. Here, we focus on the rapid generation of bicontinuous composite structures together with the stress distribution in loading. We find that generative AI, enabled through fine-tuned Low Rank Adaptation models, can be trained with a few inputs to generate both synthetic composite structures and the corresponding von Mises stress distribution. The results show that this technique is convenient in generating massive composites designs with useful mechanical information that dictate stiffness, fracture and robustness of the material with one model, and such has to be done by several different experimental or simulation tests. This research offers valuable insights for the improvement of composite design with the goal of expanding the design space and automatic screening of composite designs for improved mechanical functions.

AimA considerable proportion of patients admitted with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) have no standard modifiable cardiovascular risk factors (SMuRFs: hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, and cigarette smoking). The outcomes of this population following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are debated. Further, sex differences within this population have yet to be established.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study included 7,847 patients with ACS who underwent PCI. The study outcomes were in-hospital mortality, all-cause mortality, and major adverse cardio-cerebrovascular events (MACCE). The association between the absence of SMuRFs (SMuRF-less status) and outcomes among all the patients and each sex was assessed using logistic and Cox proportional hazard regressions.ResultsApproximately 11% of the study population had none of the SMuRFs. During 12.13 [11.99–12.36] months of follow-up, in-hospital mortality (adjusted-odds ratio (OR):1.51, 95%confidence interval (CI): 0.91–2.65, P:0.108), all-cause mortality [adjusted-hazard ratio (HR): 1.01, 95%CI: 0.88–1.46, P: 0.731], and MACCE (adjusted-HR: 0.93, 95%CI:0.81–1.12, P: 0.412) did not differ between patients with and without SMuRFs. Sex-stratified analyses recapitulated similar outcomes between SMuRF+ and SMuRF-less men. In contrast, SMuRF-less women had significantly higher in-hospital (adjusted-OR: 3.28, 95%CI: 1.92–6.21, P

In this study, growth performance, body composition, digestive enzyme activity, blood biochemical parameters, immune-antioxidant indices of red tilapia fish (Oreochromis mossambicus × Oreochromis niloticus), and water quality parameters were investigated in mixed cell (MCR) and rectangular raceways. Fish with an initial weight of 1 ± 0.03 g were reared in mixed cell and rectangular raceways at a density of 150 g/m3 and fed a commercial diet as a percentage of their body weight for 60 days. The MCR groups had significant improvements in water quality parameters and had higher final weight, specific growth rate, and lower feed conversion ratio compared to the rectangular raceway groups. The MCR groups also had higher ash content and lower body moisture content. In addition, the MCR groups had improved digestive enzyme activity and better fish health, with lower cortisol and glucose levels and higher antioxidant competence. These results suggest that MCR is a beneficial alternative to rectangular raceways in terms of water quality, growth performance, and fish health.

Abstract Infiltration processes are highly variable in space and time, and therefore, building reliable hydrological models without considering the variability is questionable. In this research, we propose a methodology that can systematically handle the variability in the infiltration process. The methodology is based on the theory of random functions in a dimensionless formalism that allows the derivation of a generalized model from the observed infiltration test data. The Monte Carlo technique is utilized to generate hypothetical infiltration tests that carputer the characteristics of the real tests. The methodology is applied to a case study in ephemeral stream beds located in Al Madinah Al Munawarah Province in Saudi Arabia. The measurements are made by the double-ring infiltrometer. Beta distribution fits the dimensionless cumulative infiltration relatively well at a 1% significant level at all times, and therefore, it can be used to model the uncertainty in hydrological modeling. High variability is observed in infiltration tests at the early time (a platykurtic distribution with high dispersion); however, it decreases at the late time (Leptokurtic distribution with low dispersion) since the infiltration reaches a steady infiltration. Some extreme tests show different behavior from the fourteen tests that cannot be captured by the model and therefore need special treatment.

Background and Aim. It has been reported that lithium (Li) has neuroprotective effects in neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we investigated the association between serum Li level and Parkinson’s disease induced by 6-hydroxypapamine (6-OHDA) in rats. Material and Methods. 6-OHDA was injected into the medial forebrain bundle by stereotoxic surgery. Apomorphine- induced rotational and cylinder tests were carried out before the toxin injection and in the second and sixth weeks thereafter. Blood samples were collected from the heart of the animals in the seventh week. The survival of dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) was determined using immunohistochemistry. Li was measured by ion selective electrode method (ISE). Results. There was no significant difference in the serum Li levels between control and 6-OHDA-treated rats. Based on the severity of the rotational behavior, the 6- OHDA- treated rats were divided into two subgroups: symptomatic (with severe behavioral symptoms) and asymptomatic (with no or mild behavioral symptoms). In the symptomatic and asymptomatic subgroups, SNc DA neuronal loss was 83 ± 16% and 45± 10%, respectively. Serum li level in the asymptomatic subgroup was significantly higher than that in the symptomatic subgroup and control group. Conclusion. Serum Li level increased in the mild to moderate damage to SNc DA neurons but returned to normal value in severe neuronal damage. Therefore, an increase in serum Li level can predict subclinical SNc DA neuronal death and helps in making early diagnosis of PD.

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of commercial probiotics (Lactobacillus spp.) (LS) with Zataria multiflora essential oil (ZEO) and an antibiotic growth promoter (AGP) on broiler health and performance. In experiment 1, 300 one-day-old chicks (Ross 308) were assigned to one of 4 treatments, comprising five replicates per treatment in a completely randomised design. Dietary treatments included: basal diet (control), 0.25 and 0.50 g/kg LS, or 0.50 g/kg Flavomycine added to basal diet. In experiment 2, 225 one-day-old chicks, were assigned to one of 3 treatments, comprising five replicates per treatment in a completely randomised design Dietary treatments included: basal diet (control), 0.50 g/kg LS, or 1 g/kg ZEO added to the basal diet. The inclusion of LS increased body weight gain significantly (P ≤ .05) at 42 days of age. Both AGP and LS reduced feed intake and feed conversion ratio compared to the control diet (P ≤ .05). The lowest triglyceride, cholesterol, LDL and ALT were observed in chicks administered by LS compare to control and AGP (P ≤ .05). The inclusion of LSdecreased triglyceride, cholesterol, LDL and ALT, and increased immune titre against IBD and IB compare to control and AGP (P ≤ .05), and Intestinal health index were increased in LS group compared to control and AGP. The addition of ZEO, decreased LDL and ALT, and increased the immune titre against AI, ND and IBD compared to LS significantly (P ≤ .001). The results showed that usage of LS (0.5 g/kg) population of salmonella and coliform bacteria were greatly reduced, while in ZEO fed birds, E. coli population of caeca was reduced considerably (P ≤ .001). These results confirmed that LS and ZEO have effective on broiler chicken and can be considered a potent antibiotic replacer.HIGHLIGHTS Use of antibiotic growth promoters (AGP) in poultry diets, has been banned worldwide. To control and eliminate of intestinal pathogens, and increase body weight and improve FCR, alternative procedures as adding phytogenic compounds and probiotics in the poultry diet. Lactobacilli spores and Zataria multiflora essence can decrease the microbial population of the caecum, and increase the intestinal health index.

The use of the soil conservation service (SCS) curve number (CN) model for estimation of the rainfall excess and the SCS-unit hydrograph (UH) model are common tools for flood studies in arid regions. In this research, we are investigating the capability of these models to simulate flood events in the arid region under the common parametrization provided by the SCS model (SCS-CN, the initial abstraction ratio, λ, and UH theory) and the optimum parameterization for best simulating the hydrologic response. A case study is performed in Al-Lith basin in the west of Saudi Arabia (SA). The study simulates measured rainfall-runoff events in the area using seven scenarios (various SCS-CN estimation methods: least-squares method (CNLSM), asymptotic fitting method (CN∞), SCS-CN tables (CNdesign), and antecedent moisture content CN (CNI, CNII, and CNIII), λ = 0.2 and 0.01, and SCS-UH and UH derived from streamflow data) and a comparison is made between the observations and model results under the common parameterization of the SCS model and parameterization estimated from the Saudi arid environment. The comparison between simulated and observed peak flow and runoff volume of the studied events shows high scatter which is a common feature in arid regions due to the inherent uncertainties in the hydrological processes which are not yet resolved due to the lack of detailed measurements of the rainfall-runoff processes. Statistical analysis showed that λ = 0.01 provides a minimum root mean square error (RMSE) in the peak flow (24.8 m3/s) and the runoff volume (0.31 million m3) with CNLSM obtained by LSM. CN∞ is bad to simulate the hydrologic response. The SCS-CN Tables cannot be used for hydrological simulation. They can rather be used for the design purposes of mitigation structures.

Background: Considering the potential benefits of colchicine in coronary artery diseases, we aimed to carry out the present study to assess the impact of colchicine in the prevention of myocardial injury following elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: A randomized, single-blinded, clinical trial was carried out on 102 patients undergoing elective PCI. All patients received the standard treatment prior to performing PCI. Moreover, the intervention group received 1, 0.5, 0.5 mg colchicine 12 to 18 hours before, 30-60 min before, and 12 hours after PCI, respectively. Serum concentrations of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) were measured before, 8, and 24 hours after the procedure to assess myocardial damage during PCI. Results: There were no significant differences in cTnI levels at baseline (P = 0.839), 8 (P = 0.729), and 24 hours (P = 0.398) after PCI between the intervention and the control groups. Likewise, no significant differences were seen regarding the mean differences of cTnI at baseline and 8 hours (P =0.190), at baseline and 24 hours (P = 0.780), and 8 and 24 hours after PCI (P = 0.680) in both groups. Conclusion: The study did not support the potential benefit of colchicine in the prevention of myocardial injury following elective PCI. Conducting well-designed randomized clinical trials with adequate sample size is recommended.

Abstract Evaluating grouLindwater quality and associated hydrochemical properties is critical to manage groundwater resources in arid and semiarid environments. The current study examined groundwater quality and appropriateness for agriculture in the alluvial aquifer of Makkah Al-Mukarramah Province, Saudi Arabia, utilizing several irrigation water quality indices (IWQIs) such as irrigation water quality index (IWQI), total dissolved solids (TDS), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), potential salinity (PS), magnesium hazard (MH), and residual sodium carbonate (RSC) assisted by multivariate modeling and GIS tools. One hundred fourteen groundwater wells were evaluated utilizing several physicochemical parameters, which indicating that the primary cation and anion concentrations were as follows: Na+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+ > K+, and Cl− > SO4 2˗ > HCO3 ˗ > NO3 ˗ > CO3 2˗, respectively, reflecting Ca–HCO3, Na–Cl, and mixed Ca–Mg–Cl–SO4 water facies under the stress of evaporation, saltwater intrusion, and reverse ion exchange processes. The IWQI, TDS, SAR, PS, MH, and RSC across two studied regions had mean values of 64.86, 2028.53, 4.98, 26.18, 38.70, and − 14.77, respectively. For example, the computed IWQI model indicated that approximately 31% of samples fell into the no restriction range, implying that salinity tolerance crops should be avoided, while approximately 33% of samples fell into the low to moderate restriction range, and approximately 36% of samples fell into the high to severe restriction range for irrigation, implying that moderate to high salt sensitivity crops should be irrigated in loose soil with no compacted layers. The partial least squares regression model (PLSR) produced a more accurate assessment of six IWQIs based on values of R 2 and slope. In Val. datasets, the PLSR model generated strong estimates for six IWQIs with R 2 varied from 0.72 to 1.00. There was a good slope value of the linear relationship between measured and predicted for each parameter and the highest slope value (1.00) was shown with RSC. In the PLSR models of six IWQIs, there were no overfitting or underfitting between the measuring, calibrating, and validating datasets. In conclusion, the combination of physicochemical characteristics, WQIs, PLSR, and GIS tools to assess groundwater suitability for irrigation and their regulating variables is beneficial and provides a clear picture of water quality.

Abstract Development of efficient virus aerosol monitoring and removal devices requires aerosolization of the test virus using atomizers. The number concentration and size measurements of aerosolized virus particles are required to evaluate the performance of the devices. Although diffusion dryers can remove water droplets generated using atomizers, they often fail to remove them entirely from the air stream. Consequently, particle measurement devices, such as scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS), can falsely identify the remaining nanosized water droplets as virus aerosol particles. This in turn affects the accuracy of the evaluation of devices for sampling or removing virus aerosol particles. In this study, a plaque-forming assay combined with SMPS measurement was used to evaluate sufficient drying conditions. We proposed an empirical equation to determine the total number concentration of aerosolized particles measured using the SMPS as a function of the carrier air flow rate and residence time of the particles in the diffusion dryers. The difference in the total number concentration of particles under sufficient and insufficient diffusion drying conditions was presented as a percentage of error.

Introduction: Maintaining and improving organizational safety requires a strong safety culture. Following the occurrence of occupational incidents, proper registration, reporting, and investigation is a key requirement for safety culture to provide an appropriate learning culture. As a result, this study was carried out to assess the culture of occupational incident registration, reporting, and investigation in the province of west Azarbaijan’s industries. Material and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, data on the culture of registration, reporting, and investigating occupational incident were collected using a 68-item questionnaire. A total of 420 employees from a number of construction and mine companies, as well as hospitals participated in this study. Results: The results of study showed that the average total score for the culture of registration, reporting, and investigating occupational incidents was 3.08 (±0.38), with the factor of corrective action had the highest 3.17 (±0.72) and the reasons for lack of reporting had the lowest 2.90 (±0.54) scores. There was also a significant relationship between the average score of the culture of registration, reporting, and investigating occupational incidents with education, industries, and companies. Employees who attended training courses had a lower mean score for the culture of occupational incident’ registration, reporting, and investigation than those who did not take training courses. The mean score of the culture of registration, reporting, and investigating occupational incidents of the employees who had experienced an occupational accident was lower than those who had not experience occupational accidents in the past. Conclusion: The findings of this study revealed that corrective actions is necessary after the occurrence of occupational incidents. Attending training courses and having an occupational accident experience had no positive impact on promoting culture of registration, reporting, and investigating occupational incidents.

This study aims to minimize the makespan objective function in a Flow-Shop environment, considering two crucial temporal constraints: “Waiting time” and “Release date”. Given the NP-hardness of this scheduling problem, we employed an enhanced metaheuristic called particle swarm optimization (PSO) to find the optimal solution. Through a series of experiments conducted on a specific set of benchmark instances, we evaluated the performance of our approach by comparing the obtained results against the lower bound (LB). This comparison showcased the effectiveness of our proposed method in addressing this complex scheduling problem.

A two-stage adaptive robust optimization is developed for pre-disturbance scheduling in microgrids (MGs) for handling uncertainties associated with electricity market prices, renewable generation, demand forecasts, and islanding events. The objective is to produce a reliable and optimal solution for MG operation that minimizes operational costs and the risk/failure in islanding events. In the literature, the uncertainty sets associated with islanding events cover a full scheduling period which results in a sub-optimal solution. In this paper, uncertainty sets corresponding to islanding events are modeled based on reliability/resiliency-oriented indexes of the MG/grid to achieve a more accurate/reliable solution. Besides, the Benders decomposition algorithm which is used to handle uncertainties in solving the optimization problem is time-consuming. Therefore, the column-and-constraint generation (C&CG) decomposition strategy is adopted to make the problem computationally tractable. Further, the uncertainty budget parameters are clarified to balance the conservatism and optimality (cost minimization) of the robust solution in uncertainty sets. The effectiveness of the proposed framework is evaluated and discussed by using a set of numerical studies with different scenarios in an MG. The simulations show that the proposed framework reduces operational costs by using the precise analysis of uncertainty budgets and a change in scheduling periods.

The aim of this study was to investigate the synbiotic effects of Pediococcus acidilactici (PA) and isomaltooligosaccharide (IMO) on the performance of juvenile common carp (Cyprinus carpio). A total of 360 fish (17.22±0.19 g) were randomly divided into six groups with three replicates of 20 fish each. The trial continued for 8 weeks. The control group was fed only basal diet; PA was fed basal diet supplemented with 1 g/kg (1010 CFU/kg) PA, IMO5 (5 g/kg IMO), IMO10 (10 g/kg IMO), PA-IMO5 (1 g/kg PA and 5 g/kg IMO), and PA-IMO10 (1 g/kg PA and 10 g/kg IMO). The results indicated that the diet containing 1 g/kg PA and 5 g/kg IMO significantly increased the fish growth performance and decreased the feed conversion ratio (p

The soil roughness and two-way vegetation transmissivity parameters affect the radar backscattered signal; therefore, the results of the soil moisture retrieval from Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images. In this paper, the Improved Water Cloud Model was extended to specify the effects of the above parameters. The surface roughness parameter values were calculated for each ground measurement site using an artificial neural network. This parameter was then used in the proposed models to rectify the effects of surface roughness on soil moisture estimation. Also, the Normalized Difference Water Index, derived from Landsat 5 imagery, was used to account for the impact of the vegetation canopy on the SAR backscatter. The accuracy of the proposed model was assessed using AIRSAR C-, L-, and P-band data, ALOS PALSAR L-band and two reference data were collected during NASA’s SMEX03 and SMAPVEX08 campaigns. The experimental results indicated that the proposed models had improved the RMSE and R values with respect to those in the IWCM in all bands and polarizations, with the highest values concerning the L band and VV polarization. In this band, the value of RMSE decreased by 0.002 (6.25%), and R increased by 0.054 (9.45%).

One of the important parts of the in-core fuel management is loading pattern optimization (LPO). The loading pattern optimization as a reasonable design of the in-core fuel management can improve both economic and safe aspects of the nuclear reactor. This work proposes the hybrid of fuzzy logic controller with harmony search algorithm (HS) for loading pattern optimization in a pressurized water reactor. The music improvisation process to find a pleasing harmony is inspiring the harmony search algorithm. In this work, the adjustment of the harmony search algorithm parameters such as the bandwidth and the pitch adjustment rate are increasing performance of the proposed algorithm which is done through a fuzzy logic controller. Hence, membership functions and fuzzy rules are designed to improve the performance of the HS algorithm and achieve optimal results. The objective of the method is finding an optimum core arrangement according to safety and economic aspects such as reduction of power peaking factor (PPF) and increase of effective multiplication factor (Keff). The proposed approach effectiveness has been tried in two cases, Michalewicz's bivariate function problem and NEACRP LWR core. The results show that by using fuzzy harmony search algorithm the value of the fitness function is improved by 15.35%. Finally, with regard to the new solutions proposed in this research it could be used as a trustworthy method for other optimization issues of engineering field.

The purpose of the present study is to predict the transient response of the human cornea via a structural model appropriately representing its biomechanical behavior. Load bearing characteristics of the cornea remain poorly understood due to the complexity of its constitutive model. A constitutive model that captures the response of cornea over the whole experimental time and incorporates all included nonlinearities is necessary. In the current study, parameters of the structural anisotropic fiber-reinforced hyper-viscoelastic model have been obtained using coupled finite element-optimization analysis and the uniaxial tensile test for three different strain rates. The utilized model accounts for the dispersion of the fibers along with their reorientation during loading, the nonlinear behavior of finite tissue deformation, and the intrinsic viscoelastic property of the matrix. Results show that the higher the strain rate the higher the stiffness of tested samples. Samples showed stiffening behavior specially at the end section of the tissue response for slower tensile rates. Eventually, the model behavior and its connection with its micro structures such as the collagen fibers, have been investigated. Examining the results shows that the numerical simulations performed for the prediction of the cornea tissue behavior are in agreement with the experimental results.

Fish is nutritious seafood and contains protein with high biological value and essential nutrients for the human body. In Iran, the fish Oncorhynchus mykiss is locally known as Ghezelala and is a commercial fish species. Different methods were used to process the fish: boiling, frying in sunflower oil and grilling. This research investigated on effect of various cooking methods on proximate pH and cooking loss of fresh fish (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The highest and lowest values for protein were found in fish processed using grilling (18.51%) and frying (16.52%), respectively (p

In this study, we have dealt with a scheduling problem that has not been studied enough: the parallel-flow shop-scheduling problem. Its difficulty lies in the fact that it consists of two sub-problems: the assignment of jobs to workshops and the scheduling of these jobs once assigned. Due to the complexity of the research problem, we propose a hybridization of two well-known optimization algorithms, a bio-inspired meta-heuristic algorithm (Particle Swarm Optimization—PSO) and a local search algorithm (tabu search, TS), with the aim of minimizing the maximum execution time of all jobs within constraints. The purpose of this hybridization is to combine the strengths of the two methods in order to obtain more efficient results than those achieved by classic methods. The concept of the proposed method is to start by generating a set of near-optimal solutions by the PSO meta-heuristic algorithm. Then, the TS algorithm refines and improves these solutions in order to attain the optimal solution.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to assess the detection of some hard- and soft-tissue cephalometric landmarks when using a thyroid lead shield. Materials and Methods: Two study groups were designed, and each group consisted of 50 cephalograms: the first group was without thyroid shield cephalograms and the second group consisted of cephalograms taken using a lead thyroid shield. An observer blinded about the aim of the study was appointed to identify 12 landmarks on the lateral cephalograms. Results: Out of 12 of landmarks, 3 landmarks had a significant relationship with the thyroid shield group. Landmarks of cervical point, second and third vertebrae were not detected in 20%, 30%, and 66% of cases, respectively. Discussion: Two hard-tissue landmarks (second and third vertebrae) and one soft-tissue landmark (cervical point) were masked by the thyroid shield when preparing a cephalogram.

A structure encounters some defects during its lifetime that their role in structure’s strength must be surveyed . These structural defects as structural corrosion, corrosion and crack are created and expanded by various factors . Predicting residual strength of plate with damages such as cracking and corrosion is important for service life estimation of aged structures . A series of nonlinear finite element method (FEM) is employed for ultimate strength analysis of steel stiffened plates with pitting corrosion and crack . Influential parameters are including crack length, crack angle , pitting corrosion density and number of pits . It is found that ultimate strength is reduced by increasing crack length and crack angle relative to the loaded edge . Reduction of ultimate strength in intermediate plate depends on number of pitting and DOP . Reduction of ultimate strength plate in the effect of these defects dose not obey superposition principle.

The responsibility arising from the defect of production, which is one of the specific issues of civil liability in the general sense, has gained its proper position with lawyers and intellectuals in the field of responsibility for some time, this attention has been developed in response to the needs of the current expansionist societies, but among the general public civil liability of the manufacturer of the fault, which is the legacy of the doctrine of responsibility and with a small amount of research and in a fraction of the Seconds answers the ambiguities of theorists, a question about the legal status of defense related to the danger of the development of science and technology in the light of the defect of public science at the time of production and supply of the product has provided more and more thought in this regard, which leads to this thinking in the progressive countries, finding the appropriate position of the defense in their legal texts. Now, in this paper, we have investigated the answer to the above question to prove where the risk of science and technology development stands in the geometry of civil liability rights and its related defense, how efficient it will ultimately lead to development-oriented productivity, even though consumer rights can be preserved by considering appropriate measures.

The tendency to change the way investment is due to the lack of transparency in the financial situation and the unfavorable business strategy is created so that managers change business strategies in order to cover the risk arising from non-receipt of compensation. In this paper, the goal is to examine the role of managerial compensation in changing the relationship between business strategies and over (under) investment. For this purpose, data on 120 companies listed in Tehran Stock Exchange for the period of 1385 to 1396 were extracted and a hybrid data regression model was used to test the research hypotheses. The research results indicate that prospector strategy leads to over-investment. Also, the results of the second hypothesis of the research show that managers' compensation is significantly affected by the relationship between prospector strategy and over investment. The third hypothesis of the research indicates that a conservative strategy leads to under investment. Finally, managerial compensation has no meaningful effect on the coherent interaction of conservative strategy and under investment.

Coronaviruses are important pathogens in humans and animals. Two years ago, a new coronavirus was identified as the cause of pneumonia and adult respiratory distress syndrome. These viruses have many clinical features, and new features are created daily. Bell's palsy is sporadic facial nerve palsy. The main reason of Bell's palsy is not recognized. Many viruses, such as herpes simplex or herpes zosters, have been previously identified as Bell's palsy. This case report seeks to explain the occurrence of Bell's palsy in a patient infected with coronavirus. The polymerase chain reaction test of a 60-year-old woman was positive for SARS-CoV-2. Bell's palsy happened on the 2nd day of admission to intensive care unit and recovered by the 12th day. After ruling out other etiologies of Bell's palsy, coronavirus appears to be one of the new etiologies of Bell's palsy.

The impressive progress in quantum hardware of the last years has raised the interest of the quantum computing community in harvesting the computational power of such devices. However, in the absence of error correction, these devices can only reliably implement very shallow circuits or comparatively deeper circuits at the expense of a nontrivial density of errors. In this work, we obtain extremely tight limitation bounds for standard noisy intermediate-scale quantum proposals in both the noisy and noiseless regimes, with or without error-mitigation tools. The bounds limit the performance of both circuit model algorithms, such as the quantum approximate optimization algorithm, and also continuous-time algorithms, such as quantum annealing. In the noisy regime with local depolarizing noise p, we prove that at depths L=O(p^{−1}) it is exponentially unlikely that the outcome of a noisy quantum circuit outperforms efficient classical algorithms for combinatorial optimization problems like max-cut. Although previous results already showed that classical algorithms outperform noisy quantum circuits at constant depth, these results only held for the expectation value of the output. Our results are based on newly developed quantum entropic and concentration inequalities, which constitute a homogeneous toolkit of theoretical methods from the quantum theory of optimal mass transport whose potential usefulness goes beyond the study of variational quantum algorithms.

Microgrids (MG) are small-scale electric grids with local voltage control and power management systems to facilitate the high penetration and grid integration of renewable energy resources (RES). The distributed generation units (DGs), including RESs, are connected to (micro) grids through power electronics-based inverters. Therefore, new paradigms are required for voltage and frequency regulation by inverter-interfaced DGs (IIDGs). Notably, employing effective voltage and frequency regulation methods for establishing power-sharing among parallel inverters in MGs is the most critical issue. This paper provides a comprehensive study, comparison, and classification of control methods including communication-based, decentralized, and construction and compensation control techniques. The development of inverter-dominated MGs has caused limitations in employing classical control techniques due to their defective performance in handling non-linear models of IIDGs. To this end, this article reviews and illustrates advanced controllers that can deal with the challenges that are created due to the uncertain and arbitrary impedance characteristics of IIDGs in dynamics/transients.

Background and Objective: Occupational burnout syndrome is a long-term response to stressful situations that may cause a reduction in the function, efficacy, and productivity of systems or individuals. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence rate of occupational burnout and its related factors among dentists working in Semnan, Iran, during 2014. Materials and Methods: This descriptive-analytical study included 86 dentists working in Semnan Iran. The data were collected using a 22-item Maslach burnout inventory that evaluated emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistics, including t-test, as well as Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficient tests. Results: In this study, 40.7%, 22.1%, and 97.7% of the participants suffered from severe emotional exhaustion, severe depersonalization, and severe reduced personal accomplishment, respectively. According to the results, there was a reverse relationship between the age and the prevalence rate of depersonalization (P=0.02); however, a direct association was observed between age and personal accomplishment (P=0.002). Moreover, the females obtained higher scores of emotional exhaustion (P=0.002) and depersonalization (P=0.003), compared to males. Furthermore, dentists' working hours per week correlated significantly with depersonalization (P=0.085). Conclusion: Higher levels of occupational burnout were observed among the general dentists in Semnan, Iran. Moreover, about half of the dentists had emotional exhaustion and more than 95% of them suffered from reduced levels of personal accomplishment. Therefore, it is necessary to consider steps to reduce workload, working hours, and daily stress among dentists.

Background and Aim: A variety of bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus utilize quorum sensing to perform their important activities such as biofilm formation and production of virulence factors. Interfering with the bacterial QS will disable the bacteria to perform above-mentioned vital activities. The principal aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of five plant extracts against bacterial Quorum sensing of Staphylococcus aureus. Materials and Methods: Thirteen strains of Staphylococcus aureus were isolated from patients with dental implant infection and identified. The plant species were collected from vicinity gardens of Fars Province and extracted using 96% ethanol. The anti-QS and antimicrobial susceptibility methods were then carried out to evaluate their bactericidal and QS properties with the use of Agrobacterium tumefaciens NTL/PZLR4. Furthermore, the biofilm production of the isolates was evaluated by microtiter plate (MTP) assay. Ethical Considerations: This study with research ethics codes 01-16-1-1959 and 73/118248 has been approved by research ethics committee at Islamic Azad University, Jahrom and research sciences branch, respectively. Findings: The results of the study disclosed that the extract of raspberry blossom possesses significantly (p21 mm). The anti-QS activity was proved by creating clear halo sides of the wells formed by Agrobacterium tumefaciens NTL/PZLR4. Moreover, the extracts of tarragon, wheat flower, flixweed and basil showed antimicrobial properties. Conclusion: According to the anti-biofilm and anti-QS properties of raspberry blossom extract against the isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, it could be considered as a mouthwash against dental bacterial infection with the identification of active compounds in the raspberry.

In this study, the thermal performance of three kinds of roofs with different heat capacity and thermal conductivity under different external conditions has been investigated using a numerical method. For this purpose, the combined solar radiation, conduction and convection heat transfer were calculated implicitly in terms of a one-dimensional finite difference method. Different high and low solar radiation conditions in two common climates in the Middle East, including hot-humid and hot-dry, were considered. The effect of roofing materials was investigated in terms of their thermal storage and overall heat transfer coefficient. Moreover, the time lags and decrement factors were evaluated to compare the performance of the roof. The numerical model has been validated using EnergyPlus. The results indicate that the roof with high thermal storage and low thermal conductivity has better performance in comparison to others. However, the total heat gains are not linearly proportional to the overall heat transfer coefficients, e.g. here, the ratios of a total load of roof 1 to roofs 2 and 3 are about 12 percent lower than the ratio of overall heat transfer coefficients. Furthermore, the solar radiation intensity had considerable effects on time lags. Finally, it can be concluded that the external conditions have no significant effect on the decrement factor.

Non-stoquastic Hamiltonians are known to be hard to simulate due to the infamous sign problem. Here, the authors study the computational complexity of transforming such Hamiltonians into stoquastic ones and prove that the task is NP-complete even for the simplest class of transformations.

Harmonics destructively impact the performance and stability of power systems. This paper proposes the development of a stable shunt active power filter (SAPF) for harmonics mitigation. The proper and stable operation of the SAPF control system requires the determination of the current reference, phase angle synchronization, and DC-link voltage regulation. This paper uses an artificial neural network (ANN) and one of its sub-methods, the adaptive linear neuron (ADALINE), to determine the current reference. However, determining the current reference requires providing a stable phase angle, which is a fundamental challenge in distorted grids because harmonics created in the grid cause phase angle synchronization problems, due to malfunction of the conventional phase-locked loop (PLL). These things considered, the weak grid connection imposes an instability issue due to the poor performance of the conventional PLL when the grid impedance is high. In this paper, a robust synchronous filter (RSF) is adopted, which separates the harmonic from the main component to provide harmonics-free signals for the PLL. Using RSF, a robust synchronizer quasi-static filter (RSQSF) PLL model is designed, which is effective in dealing with harmonics in weak-grid conditions. MATLAB Simulink was used to check the validation and effectiveness of the proposed control structure. The results show a reduction in harmonics generated in the grid by 86.7% for nonlinear load with a balanced source, 84% for nonlinear load with an unbalanced source under grid impedance, and 80.46% for the nonlinear load with an unbalanced source under weak-grid conditions.

Solid-state batteries (SSBs) have emerged as a potential alternative to conventional Li-ion batteries (LIBs) since they are safer and offer higher energy density. Despite the hype, SSBs are yet to surpass their liquid counterparts in terms of electrochemical performance. This is mainly due to challenges at both the materials and cell integration levels. Various strategies have been devised to address the issue of SSBs. In this review, we have explored the role of graphene-based materials (GBM) in enhancing the electrochemical performance of SSBs. We have covered each individual component of an SSB (electrolyte, cathode, anode, and interface) and highlighted the approaches using GBMs to achieve stable and better performance. The recent literature shows that GBMs impart stability to SSBs by improving Li+ ion kinetics in the electrodes, electrolyte and at the interfaces. Furthermore, they improve the mechanical and thermal properties of the polymer and ceramic solid-state electrolytes (SSEs). Overall, the enhancements endowed by GBMs will address the challenges that are stunting the proliferation of SSBs.

A variety of bis-heterocycles such as bis(pyrimido[4,5-b]quinolone), bis(chromeno[3′,4':5,6]pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine), bis(pyrido[2,3-d:6,5-d']dipyrimidine), and bis(benzo[g]pyrimido[4,5-b]quinolone) derivatives were synthesized via one-pot, multi-component reaction of various 6-aminouracils or 6-aminothiouracils, terephthalaldehyde, and CH-acids such as 4-hydroxycoumarin, dimedone, 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone, barbituric acid, and thiobarbituric acid in EtOH as a solvent at reflux. The mild conditions, fast rate of reaction, absence of catalyst, different functional group compatibility, simple operation and work-up involving no chromatographic process, are worth mentioning.

Objective: This study aims to examine the relationship between anxiety and sleep disorders and also to investigate the frequency of sleep disorders those with anxiety disorders among academicians who is a limited study group. Materials and Methods: Two hundred and fifty academicians from different faculties across our campus participated in the study with a gender distribution of 47% males and 53% females. The study was conducted by a combined questionnaire which has four sections about (i) demographic information, (ii) sleep stages and sleep quality screening, (iii) scaling of sleep disorders and (iv) scale of anxiety. Results: Anxiety in female and male participants was found to be 59% and 41% respectively. The total score of anxiety scale was positively correlated (r=0.168, p0.05) with the total score of sleep quality. 51% of study group has insomnia which was found to be the most common sleep disorder whereas nightmare is the most prevalent sleep disorder for people who have anxiety problem. Conclusion: Our findings are evidence that sleep disorders and anxiety in academicians are interrelated and academicians should be in a more stress-free working environment in order to increase efficiency.

This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of a herbal mycotoxin binder to overcome the adverse effects of 1.5 mg/kg of aflatoxin fed to laying quails. Results showed that addition of aflatoxin altered the performance indices of quails in terms of feed intake, FCR, egg production, and egg weight. Intestinal morphology of quails was also manipulated by inclusion of aflatoxin into the diet. The immunity of quails fed aflatoxin declined significantly. However, it could increase the population of harmful bacteria collected from the ileum of quails. The results of this study established that using herbal mycotoxin binder could bypass these adverse effects significantly and can be used in laying quails as a suitable binder when mycotoxin is present in their feed.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of xylanase and citric acid (CA) on growth, digesta pH, ileal populations of Clostridium perfringens and lactic acid bacteria, ileal nutrient digestibility, digestive enzyme activity, and mRNA expression of intestinal nutrient transporters in starter broilers challenged with C. perfringens. The experiment was conducted in a 2×2 factorial arrangement with two levels of CA (0 and 30 g/kg) and 2 levels of xylanase (0 and 200 mg/kg). Each of the four dietary treatments was fed to six replicate pens (15 birds/pen) between 0 and 21 d of age. Dietary CA significantly increased ADFI and ADG; meanwhile, xylanase addition led to a substantial reduction in FCR (P