Evaluating the resilience of residential buildings during a pandemic with a sustainable construction approach.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a catastrophic event that has affected all aspects of human life worldwide. Due to the high genetic mutations of the virus, there has been a prolonged search for definitive therapeutic discovery, leading to extended periods of home quarantine. As a result, homes have become multipurpose spaces for work, education, sports, and other daily activities. Given the importance of residential buildings as the first line of defense against possible future pandemics, a model has been proposed to assess their readiness to handle pandemics using a sustainable development approach. This study investigates the most crucial criteria for evaluating residential buildings and applies them in a Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) process. The final evaluation model is presented using the SWARA and COCOSO methods, along with a set of criteria selected and weighted by experts. The study shows that the criteria related to health and safety are more critical than other sectors. Buildings that meet the standards of this group better are likely to have a higher score.

Machine learning-enabled performance prediction and optimization for iron-chromium redox flow batteries.

Iron-chromium flow batteries (ICRFBs) are regarded as one of the most promising large-scale energy storage devices with broad application prospects in recent years. However, transitioning from laboratory-scale development to industrial-scale deployment can be a time-consuming process due to the multitude of complex factors that impact ICRFB stack performance. Herein, a data-driven optimization methodology applying active learning, informed by an extensive survey of the literature encompassing diverse experimental conditions, is proposed to enable exceptional precision in predicting ICRFB system performance considering both operation conditions and key materials selection. Specifically, multitask ML models are trained on experimental data with a high prediction accuracy (R2 > 0.92) to link ICRFB properties to energy efficiency, coulombic efficiency, and capacity. We also interpret the ML models based on Shapley additive explanations and extract valuable insights into the importance of descriptors. It is noted that the operation conditions (current density and cycle number) and the electrode type are the most critical descriptors affecting the voltage efficiency and coulombic efficiency while the electrode size strongly affects the capacity. Moreover, active learning is used to explore the most optimized cases considering the highest energy efficiency and capacity. The versatility and robustness of the approach are demonstrated by the successful validation between ML prediction and our experiments of energy efficiency (±0.15%) and capacity (±0.8%). This work not only affords fruitful data-driven insight into the property-performance relationship, but also unveils the explainability of critical properties on the performance of ICRFBs, which accelerates the rational design of next-generation ICRFBs.

Improvement of steel alloys using indirect cooling grinding (I.C.G.).

Appropriate choice of machining conditions contributes directly to improved performance of the machining process. Cooling and lubricating the grinding surface in the machining process has been done using different methods, but each method has its own disadvantages. A new cooling system is proposed in this research to improve the surface roughness in flat-surface grinding. The workpiece is cooled using a mixture of water and antifreeze as a coolant, without directly contacting the cutting tool. The temperature of the workpiece surface remains fixed, and grinding of the workpiece is performed. This novel method has several benefits including no oxidation of workpiece and tool surfaces, no surface hardening from rapid cooling, no chip addition to the coolant, and extended grinding capabilities without replacement. The proposed methodology was tested on four steel alloys, including hot-worked and cold-worked steel, as well as two improved alloys. The tests involved changing various parameters such as the depth of cut, surface temperature, and coolant flow-rate, to analyze how they affected surface roughness. According to the results, the proposed method was remarkably efficient for low-chromium steel alloys. The best surface roughness was obtained using the indirect cooling system for the 1.1191 steel alloy (an improved steel alloy). In general, better results (lower roughness at higher cutting depth) were achieved at higher coolant flow-rates.

Evaluation of epidemiological and microbiological characteristics, clinical features, and outcomes of adult patients with infective endocarditis in Mashhad, Iran.

INTRODUCTION: Infective endocarditis (IE) is a serious problem with high morbidity and mortality. However, there is a paucity of data regarding its epidemiology in non-high-income settings. Here, we described the characteristics of patients with IE. METHODOLOGY: Between March 2012 to March 2020, all adults (≥ 16 years) with a diagnosis of IE who were admitted to a university hospital in Mashhad, Iran, were included in the study. RESULTS: We evaluated 46 cases of IE with a median age of 42 years (interquartile range 31 to 58.3 years), of whom 21 (46%) had a definite diagnosis. The presence of a prosthetic valve or intracardiac device was the leading predisposing factor (N = 14, 30%). The etiology of IE in 22 subjects (48%) remained unknown. Staphylococcus aureus (N = 12, 26%) was the most common causative pathogen. Echocardiography revealed the mitral valve as the most affected valve (N = 18, 39%). Intravenous drug users (IVDU) had a higher chance of right-sided IE, as compared to no IVDU patients (odds ratio: 35, 95% CI: 3.7 to 425.0). The most prevalent complications were lung infarction, acute heart failure, and neurologic involvement (N = 5, 11% for each), and 15 patients (33%) died because of IE. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, the median age of IE onset was relatively low. The most frequent predisposing factor was a prosthetic valve or intracardiac device. The proportion of negative blood cultures was unacceptably high. Thus, our findings emphasize promoting laboratory infrastructure, developing a national protocol for early initiation of appropriate treatment, and eliminating predisposing factors.

Robust QFT control design for a multivariable torsion/bending of rotational nanoscanner.

This paper proposes a reasonable, practical, and novel method for designing a robust controller for two degrees of freedom nano-electromechanical scanners based on the combination of quantitative feedback theory (QFT) and the Taguchi method. Although the main primary of this paper devotes to rotational control, an investigation of two-degree freedom (rotational/bending) is studied by employing the Taguchi method. A moveable main plate suspended by two nano-beams over a fixed substrate electrode is used to represent the scanner. The nanoscanner is thoroughly analyzed using the most comprehensive modeling design, considering the elastic, electrical, Casimir force and moment, and squeezes film damping. The nanoscanner's governing equations are initially derived by considering both rotation and deformation. In addition, because the size dependency of materials is significant in ultra-small structures, we developed the constitutive equations within the context of the modified couple stress theory to integrate the effect of scale dependency. Next, system uncertainties have been wholly addressed to achieve an accurate model. As a result, using robust control methods such as quantitative feedback theory to precisely control nano-scanners in the presence of uncertainties is inevitable. The quantitative feedback approach transforms the nonlinear plant into a family of linear uncertain plants in the first part. This is accomplished using a fixed-point theorem, after which appropriate disturbance rejection boundaries are discovered. In this problem, quantitative feedback controllers and checking the system's stability at any frequency and time are intended to solve the tracking problem and the disturbance rejection issue. Due to the uncertainty associated with the system model's complexity and accuracy, we employ a QFT controller to control the system. Moreover, because this system has only one input and two outputs, and changing the controller's gain is complicated, the Taguchi method has been employed to enhance better performance. Nonlinear simulations of the tracking issue are carried out, and the results demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed controllers and prefilters. The findings show that using the suggested approach effectively overcomes the challenges to robust control of a nonlinear rotational nanoscanner, and also the system achieves the best angle and deflection adjustment accuracy.

Co-Selection of Bacterial Metal and Antibiotic Resistance in Soil Laboratory Microcosms.

Accumulation of heavy metals (HMs) in agricultural soil following the application of superphosphate fertilisers seems to induce resistance of soil bacteria to HMs and appears to co-select for resistance to antibiotics (Ab). This study aimed to investigate the selection of co-resistance of soil bacteria to HMs and Ab in uncontaminated soil incubated for 6 weeks at 25 °C in laboratory microcosms spiked with ranges of concentrations of cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn) and mercury (Hg). Co-selection of HM and Ab resistance was assessed using plate culture on media with a range of HM and Ab concentrations, and pollution-induced community tolerance (PICT) assays. Bacterial diversity was profiled via terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (TRFLP) assay and 16S rDNA sequencing of genomic DNA isolated from selected microcosms. Based on sequence data, the microbial communities exposed to HMs were found to differ significantly compared to control microcosms with no added HM across a range of taxonomic levels.

A novel microfluidic device with parallel channels for sperm separation using spermatozoa intrinsic behaviors.

Isolating high-quality motile sperm cells is considered to be the main prerequisite for a successful artificial pregnancy. Microfluidics has emerged as a promising platform capable of mimicking in-vivo environments to separate motile sperm cells and bypassing the need for the current invasive clinical sperm separation methods. In this study, the proposed microfluidic device exploits the parallelization concept through symmetry to increase both the processed sample volume and the injected flow rate compared with the previous conventional devices, which used rheotaxis as their primary method of sperm separation. Using the finite element method (FEM) and flow simulations, the trajectories of sperm cells exhibiting rheotaxis behavior were predicted inside the proposed device. Different flow rates, including 0, 0.5, 1.5, 3, 4.5 and 6 µl/min, were experimentally injected into the device, and the effect of flow rate on the size of the hypothetical rheotaxis zone and the number of isolated sperm cells was investigated. Furthermore, it was illustrated that 100% of the isolated motile sperm cells are motile, and by manipulating the injected flow rate into the device, different classes of sperm cells in terms of motility parameters can be separated and utilized for further uses.

A novel microfluidic system to separate sperm using spermatozoa inherent motion and inertial effect.

Sperm separation is an essential part of in vitro fertilization (IVF) process. In conventional procedures, the semen sample is purified from immotile and round cells using centrifugation, which may damage sperm DNA. This study aimed to design a novel microchip to separate the progressively motile spermatozoa using a passive method instead of centrifugation. This microchip is a novel, non-invasive, and two-stage device for auto-selecting the sperm used for IVF. The first stage was designed based on lateral differentiation and rapid divergence to separate the pathways of sperm and round cells. The second stage separates high-quality sperm based on their inherent motion. Before experimenting with fresh human semen samples, preliminary tests were performed using standard particles. The results showed that at the optimized flow rate for separation (1.7 ml/h), the concentration of progressively motile spermatozoa at outlet was significantly increased compared with the initial sample.

Highly Fluorescent Collagen-Based Quantum Dots as an Efficient Interlinkage in the 2D Perovskite Bulk for Improved Solar Cells.

A design-inexpensive, effective, and easy-to-prepare additive in the large-scale preparation of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is urgently desired to alleviate the future energy crisis. Carbon-based quantum dots have demonstrated novel nanomaterials with excellent chemical stability and high electrical conductivity, which exhibit great potential as additives for perovskite optoelectronics. Herein, we designed novel highly fluorescent collagen-based quantum dots (Col-QDs) and thoroughly studied the micromorphological characteristics, photoluminescence properties, and the states of surface-functionalized groups on the Col-QDs. It is found that the introduction of Col-QDs in the two-dimensional (2D) perovskite precursor can be further confirmed as an efficient interlinkage via Col-Pb bands in the pure 2D perovskite heterojunction, which significantly improves the crystallinity, orientation, and interlayer coupling of perovskite crystal plates, as observed by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIWAXS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Finally, the champion Col-QD additive can efficiently modulate the photovoltaic performance of pure 2D PSCs with a significant increase of photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE) from 8.18% up to 10.45%, which ranks among the best efficiencies of highly pure 2D PSCs. These results provide a facile and feasible approach to modulate the interlayer interaction of pure 2D perovskites and further improve their output of PSCs, which would further facilitate the burgeoning applications of the Col-QDs in various perovskite-based optical-related fields.

Regulation of CTLA-4 and PD-L1 Expression in Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis Patients after Treatment with Fingolimod, IFNß-1α, Glatiramer Acetate, and Dimethyl Fumarate Drugs.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that is characterized by inflammation which typically results in significant impairment in most patients. Immune checkpoints act as co-stimulatory and co-inhibitory molecules and play a fundamental role in keeping the equilibrium of the immune system. Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) and Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), as inhibitory immune checkpoints, participate in terminating the development of numerous autoimmune diseases, including MS. We assessed the CTLA-4 and PD-L1 gene expression in the different cell types of peripheral blood mononuclear cells of MS patients using single-cell RNA-seq data. Additionally, this study outlines how CTLA-4 and PD-L1 expression was altered in the PBMC samples of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients compared to the healthy group. Finally, it investigates the impact of various MS-related treatments in the CTLA-4 and PD-L1 expression to restrain autoreactive T cells and stop the development of MS autoimmunity.

Q Fever Endocarditis in Northeast Iran.

This report presents a case of chronic Q fever endocarditis. A 60-year-old male farmer and rancher was admitted to the hospital with symptoms of weight loss, fever, severe sweating, weakness, and anorexia. PCR was negative for C. burnetii in the blood sample, but phase I and II IgG antibodies against C. burnetii were positive (1 : 16384 and 1 : 2048, respectively) by the indirect immunofluorescent assay (IFA). According to the adjusted Duke criteria, Q fever endocarditis was confirmed, and the patient was successfully treated with doxycycline and hydroxychloroquine.

Evaluating high pressure-treated corn and waxy corn starches as novel fat replacers in model low-fat O/W emulsions: A physical and rheological study.

High hydrostatic pressure-treated corn starch (HPCS) and waxy corn starch (HPWCS) at three concentrations (10%, 15%, and 20%) were applied as novel fat replacers in a model low O/W emulsion at three fat reduction levels (FR, 25%, 50%, and 75%) and some physical, textural and rheological characteristics and stability of the samples were examined and compared with the control. Applying higher concentrations of HPCS and HPWCS increased the zeta potential, hardness and consistency (mainly for HPWCS samples), reversely decreased the Z-average particle size and polydispersity index of the reduced-fat emulsions, but augmenting FR levels caused a reverse inclination. The rheological assay cleared that the emulsions prepared with HPWCS had greater elastic modulus (G') and more gap between G' and viscous modulus (G″) at all concentrations than the HPCS-contained samples. The critical stress (τc) of 25FR samples were significantly higher than the control, showing the well stability of reduced-fat samples. Also, the τc of the HPCS-contained emulsions reduced meaningfully when the FR level increased from 25% to 75%, but for the HPWCS samples, fat reduction didn't change the τc value significantly up to 50% fat reduction. Based on Tangδs(n-LVE), HPWCS contained samples showed more spreadability than the HPCS-contained emulsions.

Investigating the Prevalence of Intestinal Parasites in Immunocompromised Patients in Bushehr Province, Southwest Iran: A Conventional and Molecular Study

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the status of intestinal parasitic infections in immunocompromised patients in Bushehr province, southwest Iran by conventional and molecular methods. Methods: A total of 201 stool samples were collected from kidney transplant recipients, AIDS patients and patients under chemotherapy. Samples were collected from healthy people as the control group. The specimens were tested using various conventional methods. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing was performed on samples identified as positive for Coccidia by direct microscopic examination. Results: Approximately 32.45% were infected with at least one type of intestinal parasite. The highest (46.8%) and lowest rates of infection (24%) were observed in AIDS and chemotherapy patients, respectively, while the infection rate of the control group was 16%. Isospora spp. and Cryptosporidium spp. were observed in all patient groups, and Sarcocystis spp. sporocysts were detected in one of the transplant recipients. All identified coccidia were confirmed by PCR. There was a significant relationship between the rate of intestinal parasite infection and certain variables. Conclusion: Given the potential risk of certain intestinal parasites in people with immune deficiency, it is recommended that diagnosis of parasitic infections in such patients be based on specific parasitological methods. Thus, it is advisable that physicians refer them to a parasitology laboratory prior to drug administration.

Optimal Impulsive Control Using Adaptive Dynamic Programming and its Application in Spacecraft Rendezvous.

Optimal control of nonlinear impulsive systems with free impulse instants and the number of impulses is investigated in this study. A scheme based on adaptive dynamic programming is developed, which leads to a feedback (approximate) solution to the defined optimal impulsive control problem. This is done by proposing a learning algorithm for tuning parameters of a function approximator, which, once tuned offline, provides feedback solution on-the-fly. The scheme is shown to handle single and multiple impulsive actuators with a small online computational burden. Afterward, the controller is applied to a challenging problem, namely, the orbital maneuver of spacecraft with the fixed final time using impulsive actuators. The objective is triggering the actuators in a fuel-optimal manner such that the spacecraft transfers to the desired orbit at a prescribed time. It was shown that the proposed scheme leads to simultaneous and feedback path planning and control for the maneuver. The potentials of the scheme are analyzed in different scenarios, including enforcing a shorter final time, selecting different initial states, and incorporating actuator faults.

Preparation, characterization and comparison of biological potency in two new Zn(II) and Pd(II) complexes of butanedione monoxime derivatives.

A novel Schiff base ligand (2-iminothiophenol-2,3-butanedione monoxime, ITBM) and its complexes with Pd(II) and Zn(II) metal ions ([M(ITBM)2]Cl2) were synthesized and characterized in the present study. The formulated complexes were evaluated for in vitro antioxidant activity as radical scavengers against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radicals (DPPH•). According to the results, antioxidant activity of Pd complex (IC50=36 mg L-1) was more effective than that of Zn(II) complex (IC50=72 mg L-1). Biophysical techniques along with computational modeling were employed to examine the binding of these complexes with human serum albumin (HSA) as the model protein. The trial findings revealed an interaction between Schiff base complexes and HSA with a modest binding affinity [Kb=6.31(±0.11)×104 M-1 for Zn(II) complex and 0.71(±0.05)×104 M-1 for Pd(II) complex at 310 K]. An intense fluorescence quenching of protein through a static quenching mechanism was occurred due to the binding of both complexes to HSA. Hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces in both examined systems were the main stabilizing forces in the development of drug-protein complex. Based on far-UV-CD observations, the content of α-helical structure in the protein was reduced through induction by both complexes. Analysis of protein-ligand docking demonstrated binding of the two Schiff base complexes to residues placed in the IIA subdomain of HSA. In addition, Zn complex with HSA showed a stronger binding ability than that of Pd complex.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Monoamine oxidase inhibitory activity of flavoured e-cigarette liquids.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Monoamine oxidase inhibitors have been hypothesised to be important in tobacco dependence, reinforcing the brain's response to nicotine by delaying the degradation of neurotransmitters by monoamine oxidases. The development of electronic cigarettes has provided an alternative nicotine delivery system, which is widely viewed as less toxic than tobacco smoke. However, significant data gaps remain. This paper reports the results of measurements of monoamine oxidase inhibitory activity in a small sample of commercially available, flavoured e-liquids. METHODS: Twelve e-liquids were tested for monoamine oxidase inhibitory activity, using the kynuramine assay and monoamine oxidase enzymes (human, recombinant). Control samples of carrier liquids, propylene glycol and glycerol, and nicotine were also tested. RESULTS: Four e-liquids contained high levels of inhibitory activity, four more were moderately inhibitory. The remaining four e-liquids were mildly inhibitory, while the carrier liquids, and nicotine were inactive at relevant concentrations. The active compounds in the e-liquids were subsequently identified as vanillin and ethyl vanillin. Under some conditions of use, the sampled e-liquids with the highest concentrations of monoamine oxidase inhibitory activity have the potential to expose consumers to physiologically significant levels of MAO inhibitory activity. CONCLUSIONS: While only a small sample of e-liquids was tested, the findings suggest that some flavours have pharmacological actions, with potential to enhance the response to nicotine or to other drugs. The public health implications of these preliminary findings on addiction and smoking cessation warrant exploration and further research.

Kinematic Comparison of Aquatic- and Land-Based Stationary Exercises in Overweight and Normal Weight Children.

PURPOSE: This study examined lower extremity kinematics in healthy weight (HW) and overweight (OW) children during water- and land-based stationary exercises (stationary running, frontal kick, and butt kick) at light submaximal intensity. METHODS: Participants included OW (N = 10; body fat percentage: 34.97 [8.60]) and HW (N = 15; body fat percentage: 18.33 [4.87]) children, aged 10 to 13 years. Spatiotemporal data, lower extremity joint kinematics, and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were collected during water- and land-based stationary exercises. Repeated measures analysis of variance compared kinematic variables and RPE between groups and environments. A polygon area function compared coordination patterns between environments. RESULTS: RPE responses were significantly greater in OW than HW children on land (13.6 [0.7] vs 11.6 [0.7]; P < .001), whereas the RPE responses were similar between groups in water (11.2 [0.7] vs 11.1 [0.8]; P > .05). OW children were significantly more upright than HW children during land-based exercise, whereas there were no differences observed between groups during aquatic-based exercise. The duration of stance and swing phases, angular velocity, and cadence were significantly lower in water than on land. CONCLUSION: Compared with HW children, OW children performed stationary exercises in a more upright posture on land, with higher RPE. However, these differences diminished in water. Aquatic-based exercise may be effective in minimizing the effects of excess mass on OW children's ability to complete physical activity.

Suboptimal Scheduling in Switched Systems With Continuous-Time Dynamics: A Least Squares Approach.

Two approximate solutions for optimal control of switched systems with autonomous subsystems and continuous-time dynamics are presented. The first solution formulates a policy iteration (PI) algorithm for the switched systems with recursive least squares. To reduce the computational burden imposed by the PI algorithm, a second solution, called single loop PI, is presented. Online and concurrent training algorithms are discussed for implementing each solution. At last, effectiveness of the presented algorithms is evaluated through numerical simulations.

Antioxidant activity and total phenolic content of ethanolic extract of pomegranate peels, juice and seeds.

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is extensively cultivated in Middle East especially in Iran. For centuries, this fruit has been used in Iranian herbal medicine. Pomegranate peel, seed and juice contain considerable amounts of phenolic compounds and have antioxidant activity. Pomegranate peels, juice and seeds from three regions of Natanz, Shahreza, and Doorak were obtained. Antioxidant activity, total phenolic, flavonoids, and flavonols contents of pomegranate peels, seeds and juices extracts were analyzed. The ß-carotene bleaching test and Folin-Ciocalteu method were applied in this study. The pomegranate peel extract showed high levels of antioxidant activity in comparison to seeds and juices. Doorak peel by 58% had the highest antioxidant activity among two other peels. Total phenolics, flavonoids, and flavonols contents of pomegranate peel were evaluated much more higher than seeds and juices. The significant positive correlation between antioxidant activity and total phenolics was reported. According to achieved results, high antioxidant capacity of pomegranate especially peel, had shed light to use them as natural food preservatives.

Optimal Switching of DC-DC Power Converters Using Approximate Dynamic Programming.

Optimal switching between different topologies in step-down dc-dc voltage converters, with nonideal inductors and capacitors, is investigated in this paper. Challenges including constraint on the inductor current and voltage leakages across the capacitor (due to switching) are incorporated. The objective is generating the desired voltage with low ripples and high robustness toward line and load disturbances. A previously developed tool, which is based on approximate dynamic programming, is adapted for this application. The scheme leads to tuning a parametric function approximator to provide optimal switching in a feedback form. No fixed cycle time is assumed, as the cycle time and the duty ratio will be adjusted on the fly in an optimal fashion. The controller demonstrates good capabilities in controlling the system even under parameter uncertainties. Finally, some modifications on the scheme are conducted to handle optimal switching problems with state jumps at the switching times.