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In comparison to a plain fin, the addition of dimples or protrusions to the fins of a finned tube heat exchanger significantly affects the promotion of heat transfer. The impact of the number of dimples or protrusions and the arrangement of inline and staggered configurations on pressure drop and heat transfer is examined numerically in this research. The outcomes demonstrate that increasing the number of dimples and protrusions significantly affects heat transfer magnitude and pressure drop. Increasing the number of dimples and protrusions within the Reynolds number range of 150-1200 enhances the friction coefficient and heat transfer by 108%-163% and 16%-112%, respectively, in contrast to the plain fin. In evaluating the result of the arrangement of inline and staggered configurations, the heat transfer amounts of these two models are almost the same, and the friction coefficient is higher in the model that uses the arrangement of inline. In the inline arrangement model utilizing dimples-protrusions, the resultant heat transfer and friction coefficient increase 11%-92% and 64%-113% within the Reynolds number range of 150-1200, respectively, compared to the plain fin.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rare, fatal, and irreversible disease that shares some key clinical features with radiculopathy, including muscle atrophy, muscle cramps, and fasciculation. The aim of this study was to find a reliable method to differentiate these two diseases. Machine learning was used to discover new clinical biomarkers for the differential diagnosis of ALS from radiculopathy using nerve conduction study (NCS) data from patients. Data preparation and feature selection were performed by a random forest classifier algorithm, as well as a confusion matrix tool for model selection. After selecting the minimum number of features and the best algorithm, grid search cross-validation was used to optimize the hyperparameters of the chosen algorithm. 77 features were ranked according to their importance. The results of 20 algorithms acting on 8 different groups of features showed that the best performance (accuracy, precision, recall, f-1 score) was obtained using 35 important features and the XGB algorithm, particularly for the recall parameter. Using the XGB algorithm, ALS patients could be identified with accuracy = 0.871, precision = 0.923, recall = 0.850, and f-1 score = 0.857. The XGB algorithm using 35 NCS features could differentiate radiculopathy from ALS in patients with high accuracy.

Phase transformations during non-isothermal tempering of bainitic or martensitic microstructures obtained after quenching of a medium-carbon low-alloy steel was studied. The microstructures correspond to different locations of an as-quenched large-sized forged ingot used as a die material in the automotive industry. High-resolution dilatometry experiments were conducted to simulate the heat treatment process, as well as to investigate different phenomena occurring during non-isothermal tempering. The microstructures were characterized using optical and scanning electron microscopy. Dilatometry analyses demonstrated that tempering behavior varied significantly from bainitic to martensitic microstructures. Retained austenite, which exists between bainitic ferrite sheaves, decomposes to lower bainite causing a remarkable volume increase. It was found that this decomposition finishes below 386 °C. By contrast, martensite tempering was accompanied with a volume decrease due to the decomposition of medium-carbon martensite to low carbon martensite and carbides.

Higher harmonic cavities are widely used in low-emittance and high-current synchrotron storage rings to increase the stored beam’s lifetime and eliminate the coupled bunch instabilities. These parameters have an essential effect on the quality of synchrotron radiation and the machine’s stability. Higher harmonic cavities of the Iranian light source facility are passive, capacitive-loaded structures designed to operate at 300 MHz. These cavities can operate in the beam current range of 50–400 mA. This article comprehensively discusses analytical calculations and simulations of beam dynamics, electromagnetic, thermomechanical, and vacuum aspects of the Iranian Light Source Facility’s higher harmonic cavities. The engineering drawings are finalized after many technical discussions according to the presented results, and the fabrication process of the higher harmonic cavity has been started accordingly. The low-power RF measurement results of the first developed prototype are reported in the final section.

In a Light Source, unused synchrotron radiation is being distributed along the walls of the chambers. Due to the small conductance of the chambers, vacuum pumping will be based on the distributed concept, and then non-evaporable getter (NEG) coating is extensively used. The vacuum chambers are made of copper alloys tube, and cooling circuits are welded to the chamber to remove the heat load from the radiation generated. Filler metal creates a brazed joint between the water-cooling pipe and the vacuum chamber body. The thermal conductivity of the fillers is less than the vacuum chamber body. On the other hand, the velocity of the water in the cooling pipe is a critical parameter in thermal calculations that must be taken into account. So, in this paper, we study and investigate the effects of the filler metal and the cooling water velocity on cooling the NEG-coated chambers.

•We examined the effects of synbiotic supplementation on thyroid function, inflammation, and blood pressure in subjects with hypothyroidism.•Sixty patients with hypothyroidism were randomly divided into two groups to consume 500 mg/day of synbiotic (n = 30) or placebo (n = 30) for 8 weeks.•Synbiotic supplementation may have beneficial effects on thyroid function but did not influence on blood pressure. There is a positive link between thyroid homeostasis and the composition of gut microbiota. A limited number of studies have suggested the efficacy of probiotic products on levothyroxine metabolism and thyroid hormone activity. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of synbiotic supplementation on thyroid function, inflammation markers, and blood pressure in subjects with hypothyroidism. This study was conducted as a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 60 patients with hypothyroidism. Participants were randomly recruited into two groups to receive either 500 mg/day of synbiotic (n = 30) or a placebo (n = 30) for 8 weeks. Thyroid-stimulating hormone concentration, levothyroxine dose, and fatigue severity scale score were significantly decreased after the 8-week intervention in the synbiotic group (P < 0.05), while there were no significant differences seen in the placebo group. In addition, FT3 at the end of intervention was significantly higher (P = 0.001) in both groups, although these changes were not significant between the two groups (P = 0.259). Synbiotic supplements led to a significant elevation in serum CRP (P = 0.006), but this increase was not significant between groups (P = 0.699). Moreover, no statistical significance was observed within or between groups in terms of anti-thyroid peroxidase, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure (P > 0.05). Synbiotic supplementation among hypothyroid patients for 8 weeks may have beneficial effects on thyroid function. Further studies with larger sample size and longer duration are needed to confirm the current findings.

Abstract Lavandula angustifolia Mill. is an aromatic herb of the Lamiaceae family, which has been widely used by humans for many centuries. In the current study, we treated L. angustifolia samples with various concentrations of ZnO and Fe2O3 nanoparticles in the presence/ absence of NaCl salinity stress to evaluate the composition of essential oils, genetic structure, glandular trichome density and cellular Zn2+ and Fe2+ contents. We used Inter Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) molecular markers to investigate the parameters of genetic diversity among the treated samples. Furthermore, the hydro-distilled essential oil from the aerial parts of the samples was subjected to GC and GC / MS analyses. SPSS ver. 15, PAST, PopGene, and GenAlex software were employed for statistical analyses. Intracellular concentrations of Fe2+ and Zn2+ differed under various concentrations of nanoparticles and salinity treatments, and a significant negative correlation was observed between these elements, however, nanoparticles treatment significantly increased intracellular concentrations of iron and zinc ions. We found four types of glandular trichomes on the surface of the leaf of the treated plants, and the ANOVA test revealed a significant variation for most of them. Meanwhile, the short-stalked capitate trichomes were the most frequent in most of the evaluated samples. The main and trace essential oil compounds were the same among the treated plants, meanwhile, their percentages varied among the samples. The percentages of 1,8- cineole and camphor decreased in treated plants, which affects the quality of essential oils. Parameters of genetic diversity differed among the treated samples. Furthermore, the AMOVA test demonstrated a significant genetic variation that its substantial part belonged to among treated samples. These findings revealed that the treatment of nanoparticles and salinity stress strongly influenced the genetic diversity, trichomes density, iron and zinc ions content in lavender plants. Resumo Lavandula angustifolia Mill. é uma erva aromática da família Lamiaceae, que tem sido amplamente utilizada pelo homem há muitos séculos. No presente estudo, tratamos amostras de L. angustifolia com várias concentrações de nanopartículas de ZnO e Fe2O3 na presença/ausência de estresse salino de NaCl para avaliar a composição de óleos essenciais, estrutura genética, densidade de tricomas glandulares e teores celulares de Zn2+ e Fe2+. Usamos marcadores moleculares Inter Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) para investigar os parâmetros de diversidade genética entre as amostras tratadas. Além disso, o óleo essencial hidrodestilado das partes aéreas das amostras foi submetido às análises de GC e GC/MS. SPSS ver. 15, os softwares PAST, PopGene e GenAlex foram empregados para análises estatísticas. As concentrações intracelulares de Fe2+ e Zn2+ diferiram sob várias concentrações de nanopartículas e tratamentos de salinidade, e uma correlação negativa significativa foi observada entre esses elementos. No entanto, o tratamento com nanopartículas aumentou significativamente as concentrações intracelulares de íons de ferro e zinco. Encontramos quatro tipos de tricomas glandulares na superfície da folha das plantas tratadas, e o teste ANOVA revelou uma variação significativa para a maioria deles. Enquanto isso, os tricomas capitados de haste curta foram os mais frequentes na maioria das amostras avaliadas. Os compostos do óleo essencial principal e traço foram os mesmos entre as plantas tratadas, entretanto, seus percentuais variaram entre as amostras. As porcentagens de 1,8-cineol e cânfora diminuíram nas plantas tratadas, o que afeta a qualidade dos óleos essenciais. Os parâmetros de diversidade genética diferiram entre as amostras tratadas. Além disso, o teste AMOVA demonstrou uma variação genética significativa que sua parte substancial pertencia entre as amostras tratadas. Esses achados revelaram que o tratamento de nanopartículas e o estresse salino influenciaram fortemente a diversidade genética, densidade de tricomas, teor de íons ferro e zinco em plantas de lavanda.

We performed a current study to examine the association between dietary inflammatory index (DII) score and older age-related muscle conditions, including sarcopenia, low muscle mass, low muscle strength, frailty, and/or disability. Systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis. A systematic literature search was performed using Scopus, PubMed/MEDLINE, and ISI Web of Science without limitation until October 04, 2022. Relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were pooled by applying a random-effects model, while validated methods examined assess quality and publication bias via Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, Egger's regression asymmetry, and Begg's rank correlation tests respectively. A dose-response meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the RRs per 1-unit increment in DII scores. Adults (≥18 years) The risk of older age-related muscle conditions (sarcopenia, low muscle mass, low muscle strength, frailty, and/or disability) Data were available from 19 studies with 68079 participants. Results revealed that a higher DII score was significantly related to an increased risk of sarcopenia (RR=1.50; 95% CI: 1.26, 1.79; I2=53.3%; p<0.001; n=10; sample size =43097), low muscle strength (RR=1.47; 95% CI: 1.24, 1.74; I2=6.6%; p<0.001; n=4; sample size =9339), frailty (RR=1.61; 95% CI: 1.41, 1.84; I2=0.0%; p<0.001; study=5; participant=3882) and disability (RR=1.41; 95% CI: 1.16, 1.72; I2=58.4%; p=0.001; n=5; sample size =13760), but not low muscle mass (RR=1.24; 95% CI: 0.98, 1.56; I2=49.3%; p=0.069; n=4; sample size =11222). Additionally, results of the linear dose-response indicated that an increase of one point in the DII score was related to a 14% higher risk of sarcopenia, 6% higher risk of low muscle mass, 7% higher risk of low muscle strength, and a 7% higher risk of disability in adults. Non-linear dose-response relationships also revealed a positive linear association between the DII score and the risk of sarcopenia (Pnonlinearity = 0.097, Pdose-response <0.001), frailty (P nonlinearity = 0.844, Pdose-response=0.010) and disability (Pnonlinearity = 0.596, Pdose-response=0.007). Adherence to a pro-inflammatory diet was significantly associated with a higher risk of sarcopenia and other age-associated adverse effects such as low muscle strength, disability, and frailty. These results indicate a necessity to prioritize the reduction of pro-inflammatory diets to help promote overall older age-related muscle conditions.

Electrowinning is the process of depositing copper of the electrolyte solution inside the cell to the cathode. In the present study, the hydrodynamic simulation of the electrowinning cell of Miduk Copper Complex is studied using computational fluid dynamics. The software used is Ansys CFX. The Navier-Stokes and continuity equations are considered in the form of two phases of fluid and gas, turbulent, incompressible and steady state, and the equation for copper concentration in the electrolyte is solved with consideration of its specific boundary condition. The flow turbulence is modeled using K-ω relationships. Due to large variations in the properties near cathode and anode, and also the large size of the electrowinning cell, to create a good grid, and increase the speed and accuracy of the results, global and local simulations are used together. First, in global simulation, the entire geometry of the cell is modeled by creating an appropriate grid, then, in the local simulation, the volume between two cathodes of the cell only is considered and modeled with a much smaller mesh. Data on boundary conditions of the common border plates in the local simulation are obtained from global simulation data, which increases the accuracy of modeling. The results of this simulation are the velocity vectors, the concentrations of acid and copper, turbulence Intensity, the amount of pressure, and the volume ratio of the oxygen phase in the entire electrowinning cell domain. Finally, for model validation, the model is compared with experiments conducted on actual cells in the industry. Results show high accuracy with less than 2.5% deviation of this modeling technique. Then, the mass transfer coefficient values for the different electrode intervals are obtained by this modeling and the results are validated using the results of the experimental relations, indicating a deviation of only 0.5%. In the next step, the electrolyte mixture containing different mass fractions of oxygen is sprayed into the electrowinning cell from the inlet of the simulated cell. The results demonstrate that spraying 16 liters per second of oxygen at the inlet can increase the overall mass transfer coefficient of the electrode plates up to 7%. The effect of changing inlet temperature and flow rate of the electrolyte on the mass transfer coefficient is also investigated by the obtained model.

The prevalence of asthma among children has been on the rise worldwide, leading to significant morbidity and mortality. Our study was conducted to determine the prevalence of asthma and its related risk factors among school-age children in the Jazan Region, Saudi Arabia. The study was a cross-sectional prospective study that used Phase I ISAAC protocol and was conducted from March to June 2023. The sample size was calculated to be 1600 among school-age children in the Jazan Region Saudi Arabia. This study complies with the Declaration of Helsinki. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 23.0, Descriptive statistics were calculated for study variables, and appropriate tests of significance were performed to determine statistical significance. The total study population was 1368 the majority of them, 96.6% (n=1321), were Saudi nationals, and most of them lived in rural areas (70.6%, n=966). The prevalence of life-long wheezing, wheezing in the last 12 months, and exercise-induced wheezing was 28.0%, 29.2%, and 30.9%, respectively. Risk factors such as having indoor plants, having a pet, and a smoker in the household were reported by 48.0%, 24.6%, and 36.4% of participants, respectively. Living near an industrial area was determined as a risk factor in 98 (7.2%) of the children. Asthma-related symptoms were strongly correlated with all risk factors based on the chi-square test, and some risk factors based on multivariate linear regression. The prevalence of asthma among children in the Jazan Region is higher than previously reported, and the reported risk factors are significantly correlated with symptoms of asthma.