BACKGROUND:The major issue with intraoperative cholangiography (IOC) is whether its diagnostic accuracy for common bile duct (CBD) stones matches that of other diagnostic procedures,and thus,whether it will become a r...BACKGROUND:The major issue with intraoperative cholangiography (IOC) is whether its diagnostic accuracy for common bile duct (CBD) stones matches that of other diagnostic procedures,and thus,whether it will become a routine diagnostic procedure.The current study aimed to address the main determinants of CBD stone diagnosis in IOC among an Iranian population.METHODS:In a retrospective review database-based study conducted in Taleghani Hospital in Tehran between 2006 and 2008,baseline data and perioperative information of 2060 patients (male to female ratio 542:1518,mean age 53.7 years) who were candidates for cholecystectomy and underwent concomitant IOC for confirming CBD stones were reviewed.The predictive power of this procedure for diagnosis of abnormal biliary ducts with the focus on biliary stones was determined.RESULTS:Overall mortality and morbidity following cholecystectomy in the study population were 0.6% and 2.6%,respectively.Both early mortality and morbidity due to cholecystectomy were higher in male than female.The prevalence of CBD stones in IOC was 3.4% (5.2% in male and 2.8% in female,P=0.008).Among those without gallstones,8.7% had CBD stones and only 3.1% had concomitant gallstones and CBD stones.The main predictors of stone appearance as an abnormal feature of IOC during cholecystectomy were:advanced age (OR=1.022,P=0.001),male gender (OR=1.498,P=0.050),history of abdominal surgery (OR=1.543,P=0.040) and preoperative endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (OR=5.400,P<0.001).CONCLUSIONS:IOC is a safe and accurate method for the assessment of bile duct anatomy and stones.Therefore,the routine use of IOC within cholecystectomy seems reasonable and is recommended.展开更多
In this work, the rheological changes of several crude oil samples exposed to ultrasonic waves for different time intervals in addition to the effect of temperature on viscosity behavior of heavy crude oils were inves...In this work, the rheological changes of several crude oil samples exposed to ultrasonic waves for different time intervals in addition to the effect of temperature on viscosity behavior of heavy crude oils were investigated using a series of steady shear flow and oscillatory tests. The colloidal structural evolutions of flocs in oil samples were illustrated by analysis of the size distribution of flocculated asphaltene particles （confocal microscopy tests）. The rheological investigations indicate that the ultrasonic irradiation dissolved heavy components in crude oil. After ultrasonic treatment, the Kouh-e-Mond crude oil was found to be pseudoplastic. In addition, confocal microscopy confirms that there was an optimum duration for ultrasonic irradiation, at which the viscosity and flocculation rate of asphaltenic crude oils reduced to the minimum values. The optimum was found to be approximately 40 min for the Kouh-e-Mond crude oil. Experimental results illustrate that the ultrasonic irradiation could disaggregate heavy colloid components in crude oil, and breakdown of asphaltene molecules would only occur in a specific time interval of irradiation. Also according to the temperature sweep test, the oil temperature rise caused by ultrasonic irradiation was not the main reason for theological changes of the crude oil and this alteration may be due to physical and chemical phenomena induced by sonication in crude oil.展开更多
Naturally fractured carbonate reservoirs have very low oil recovery efficiency owing to their wettability and tightness of matrix.However,smart water can enhance oil recovery by changing the wettability of the carbona...Naturally fractured carbonate reservoirs have very low oil recovery efficiency owing to their wettability and tightness of matrix.However,smart water can enhance oil recovery by changing the wettability of the carbonate rock surface from oilwet to water-wet,and the addition of surfactants can also change surface wettability.In the present study,the effects of a solution of modified seawater with some surfactants,namely C12 TAB,SDS,and TritonX-100(TX-100),on the wettability of carbonate rock were investigated through contact angle measurements.Oil recovery was studied using spontaneous imbibition tests at 25,70,and 90°C,followed by thermal gravity analysis to measure the amount of adsorbed material on the carbonate surface.The results indicated that Ca2+,Mg2+,and SO42-.ions may alter the carbonate rock wettability from oil-wet to water-wet,with further water wettability obtained at higher concentrations of the ions in modified seawater.Removal of NaCl from the imbibing fluid resulted in a reduced contact angle and significantly enhanced oil recovery.Low oil recoveries were obtained with modified seawater at 25 and 70°C,but once the temperature was increased to 90°C,the oil recovery in the spontaneous imbibition experiment increased dramatically.Application of smart water with C12 TAB surfactant at 0.1 wt%changed the contact angle from 161°to 52°and enhanced oil recovery to 72%,while the presence of the anionic surfactant SDS at 0.1 wt%in the smart water increased oil recovery to 64.5%.The TGA analysis results indicated that the adsorbed materials on the carbonate surface were minimal for the solution containing seawater with C12 TAB at 0.1 wt%(SW+CTAB(0.1 wt%)).Based on the experimental results,a mechanism was proposed for wettability alteration of carbonate rocks using smart water with SDS and C12 TAB surfactants.展开更多
The promising S-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts are considered as a novel frontier due to their superiority in various solar-driven energy-related applications.Recently,a novel atom-specific tailoring strategy ha...The promising S-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts are considered as a novel frontier due to their superiority in various solar-driven energy-related applications.Recently,a novel atom-specific tailoring strategy has been introduced on the construction of S-scheme het-erojunction for promoting the electronic transferability.The S-scheme heterojunction is regulated by integrating high-crystalline carbon nitride with Co-doped CeO_(2).Specifically,this atom-specific regulation of S-scheme heterojunction boosts directional electron-driving effect towards functionalized Co sites,benefit-ing for effective photogenerated charge carrier transferability.Moreover,a series of tracking characterizations show that Co-embedded modification promotes CO_(2)photoreduction into hydrogenation steps,resulting in high performance towards CO_(2)-to-CH_(4)photoreduction,which provides new opportunities for the development of multifunctional cooperation in heterogeneous photocatalysis.展开更多
The main intention of the present study is to reduce wind, wave, and seismic induced vibrations of jacket- type offshore wind turbines （JOWTs） through a newly developed vibration absorber, called tuned liquid column...The main intention of the present study is to reduce wind, wave, and seismic induced vibrations of jacket- type offshore wind turbines （JOWTs） through a newly developed vibration absorber, called tuned liquid column gas damper （TLCGD）. Using a Simulink-based model, an analytical model is developed to simulate global behavior of JOWTs under different dynamic excitations. The study is followed by a parametric study to explore efficiency of the TLCGD in terms of nacelle acceleration reduction under wind, wave, and earthquake loads. Study results indicate that optimum frequency of the TLCGD is rather insensitive to excitation type. In addition, while the gain in vibration control from TLCGDs with higher mass ratios is generally more pronounced, heavy TLCGDs are more sensitive to their tuned frequency such that ill-regulated TLCGD with high mass ratio can lead to destructive results. It is revealed that a well regulated TLCGD has noticeable contribution to the dynamic response of the JOWT under any excitation.展开更多
The g-C3 N4/Fe3 O4/MnWO4 nanocomposites were prepared by a refluxing-calcination procedure. Visiblelight-induced photocatalytic experiments showed that the g-C3 N4/Fe3 O4/MnWO4（10%） nanocomposite has excellent abili...The g-C3 N4/Fe3 O4/MnWO4 nanocomposites were prepared by a refluxing-calcination procedure. Visiblelight-induced photocatalytic experiments showed that the g-C3 N4/Fe3 O4/MnWO4（10%） nanocomposite has excellent ability to degrade a range of contaminants including rhodamine B, methylene blue, methyl orange, and fuchsine, which is about 7, 10, 25, and 31 times of the g-C3 N4 photocatalyst, respectively.Reactive species trapping experiments revealed that superoxide anion radicals play major role in the photodegradation reaction of rhodamine B（RhB）. After the treatment process, the utilized photocatalyst was magnetically recovered and reused with negligible loss in the photocatalytic activity, which is vital in the photocatalytic processes. Finally, a mechanism was proposed for the enhanced interfacial carrier separation and transfer and the improved photocatalytic performance.展开更多
The influence of the various preparation methods of Cu-SAPO-34 nanocatalysts on the selective catalytic reduction of NO with NH3 under excess oxygen was studied. Cu-SAPO-34 nanocatalysts were prepared by using four te...The influence of the various preparation methods of Cu-SAPO-34 nanocatalysts on the selective catalytic reduction of NO with NH3 under excess oxygen was studied. Cu-SAPO-34 nanocatalysts were prepared by using four techniques： conventional impregnation（IM）,ultrasound-enhanced impregnation（UIM）, conventional deposition precipitation（DP） using Na OH and homogeneous deposition precipitation（HDP） using urea. These catalysts were characterized in detail by various techniques such as N2-sorption, XRD, TEM, H2-TPR,NH3-TPD and XPS to understand the catalyst structure, the nature and the dispersed state of the copper species, and the acid sites for NH3 adsorption. All of the nanocatalysts showed high activities for NO removal. However, the activities were different and followed the sequence of Cu-SAPO-34（UIM） 〉 Cu-SAPO-34（HDP） 〉 Cu-SAPO-34（IM） 〉 Cu-SAPO-34（DP）.Based on the obtained results, it was concluded that the NO conversion on Cu-SAPO-34 nanocatalysts was mainly related to the high reducibility of the isolated Cu^2＋ions and Cu O species, the number of the acid sites and the dispersion of Cu O species on SAPO-34.展开更多
This paper presents a game theory-based method for predicting the outcomes of negotiation and group decision-making problems. We propose an extension to the BDM model to address problems where actors’ positions are d...This paper presents a game theory-based method for predicting the outcomes of negotiation and group decision-making problems. We propose an extension to the BDM model to address problems where actors’ positions are distributed over a position spectrum. We generalize the concept of position in the model to incorporate continuous positions for the actors, enabling them to have more flexibility in defining their targets. We explore different possible functions to study the role of the position function and discuss appropriate distance measures for computing the distance between the positions of actors. To validate the proposed extension, we demonstrate the trustworthiness of our model’s performance and interpretation by replicating the results based on data used in earlier studies.展开更多
The effect of diamond-like carbon(DLC)coating(fabricated by cathodic arc deposition)on mechanical properties,tribological behavior and corrosion performance of the Ni−Al−bronze(NAB)alloy was investigated.Nano-hardness...The effect of diamond-like carbon(DLC)coating(fabricated by cathodic arc deposition)on mechanical properties,tribological behavior and corrosion performance of the Ni−Al−bronze(NAB)alloy was investigated.Nano-hardness and pin-on-plate test showed that DLC coating had a greater hardness compared with NAB alloy.Besides,the decrease in friction coefficient from 0.2 for NAB substrate to 0.13 for the DLC-coated sample was observed.Potentiodynamic polarization and EIS results showed that the corrosion current density decreased from 2.5μA/cm2 for bare NAB alloy to 0.14μA/cm2 for DLC-coated sample in 3.5 wt.%NaCl solution.Moreover,the charge transfer resistance at the substrate−electrolyte interface increased from 3.3 kΩ·cm2 for NAB alloy to 120.8 kΩ·cm2 for DLC-coated alloy,which indicated an increase in corrosion resistance due to the DLC coating.展开更多
A pilot scale modified step-feed process was lmproved to increase nutrient/N ano P） ano organic removal operations from municipal wastewater. It combined the step-feed process and a method named ＂University of Cape ...A pilot scale modified step-feed process was lmproved to increase nutrient/N ano P） ano organic removal operations from municipal wastewater. It combined the step-feed process and a method named ＂University of Cape Town （UCT）＂. The effect of nutrient ratios and inflow distribution ratios were studied. The highest uptake efficiency of 95% for chemical oxygen demand （COD） has been achieved at the inflow distribution ratio of 40/35/25. However, maximum removal efficiency obtained for total nitrogen （TN） and phosphorus at 93% and 78%, respectively. The average mixed liquor suspended solids （MLSS） was 5500 mg·L- 1. In addition, convenient values for dissolved oxygen （DO） concentration, and pH were obtained throughout different stages. The proposed system was identified to be an appropriate enhanced biological nutrient removal process for wastewater treatment plants owing to relatively high nutrient removal, sturdy sludge settle ability and COD removal.展开更多
Plasma electrolytic oxidation(PEO)has held great potential for the advancement of biodegradable implants,as it helps in developing porous bioceramic coatings on the surface of magnesium alloys.In this research work,Mg...Plasma electrolytic oxidation(PEO)has held great potential for the advancement of biodegradable implants,as it helps in developing porous bioceramic coatings on the surface of magnesium alloys.In this research work,MgO-based bioceramic coatings containing the Si,P,Ca,Na,and F elements have been successfully fabricated on an AZ31 magnesium alloy plate utilizing the PEO method.The characteristic current-voltage behavior of the samples during the process was surveyed in an electrolyte containing Ca(H_(2)PO_(4))_(2),Na_(2)SiO_(3)·9H_(2)O,Na_(3)PO_(4)·12H_(2)O,NaF,and KOH with a pH of 12.5 and electrical conductivity of 20 mS/cm^(-1).The results revealed that applying a voltage of 350-400 V(that is 50-100 V higher than the breakdown limit)could greatly facilitate the synthesis of a PEO ceramic coating with fewer defects and more uniform morphology.The resulting coating was a compositionally graded bioceramic layer with a thickness in the range of 3.5±0.4 to 6.0±0.7µm,comprising the above-mentioned elements as promising bioactive agents.The synthesized ceramic features were investigated in terms of the elemental distribution of components through the thickness,which indicated a gradual rise in the Si and P contents and,conversely,a decline in the F content towards the outer surface.The growth mechanism of the PEO coating has been discussed accordingly.展开更多
Plants are capable of reducing environmental pollutions through uptaking contaminants in their tissues. In the study site, twenty one-year-old leaves and shoots as well as twenty soil samples were sampled and analyzed...Plants are capable of reducing environmental pollutions through uptaking contaminants in their tissues. In the study site, twenty one-year-old leaves and shoots as well as twenty soil samples were sampled and analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma （ICP）. We investigated the uptaking ability of lead （Pb） and cadmium （Cd） by the leaves and shoots of Platanus orientalis, Robinia pseudoacacia and Fraxinus rotundifolia in Karaj city, the western Tehran, Iran. We also evaluated the total metal accumulation capacity by using metal accumulation index （MAI）. Results indicated that there was no significant difference in uptaking contents of Cd and Pb in the leaves among the trees. However accumulation of Cd in shoots of F. rotundifolia and R. pseudoacacia was significantly higher than that of P. orientalis. The accumulation of Pb in shoots of R. pseudoacacia was significantly higher than the other species. The amount of Pb in the soil of the study area was significantly higher than Cd. Concentrations of Cd and Pb in leaves of the three species are in the ranges of 2.4 2.7 mg Kg-1 and 7.1 14.4 mg Kg-1 , respectively. R. pseudoacacia had the highest MAI value for leaves （2.21） and F. rotundifolia had the highest MAI value for shoots （2.4）.展开更多
The zinc extraction from Kooshk lead-zinc tailing dam’s sample was investigated by bioleaching method. The Kooshk lead-zinc deposit/mine is located in Yazd province, Iran, and its tailing dam contains about 3.64%zinc...The zinc extraction from Kooshk lead-zinc tailing dam’s sample was investigated by bioleaching method. The Kooshk lead-zinc deposit/mine is located in Yazd province, Iran, and its tailing dam contains about 3.64%zinc, 0.97%lead and 24.18%iron. Experiments were designed and carried out by a mixed culture of mesophile bacteria as well as a mixed culture of moderate thermophile strain in the shake flasks. The results indicated that, more than 90% of sphalerite was dissolved during 14 d, while without bacteria, 44% of Zn was merely extracted. In addition, some experiments were performed in the absence of the bacterial medium （9K）. The results of these experiments indicated significant difference in Zn extraction with and without 9K until the 10th day of bioleaching, but after that the Zn extraction was improved and the same extraction was achieved at the end of bioleaching tests. This improvement can be attributed to the increase of the number of bacteria or Fe3＋concentration at the last days of leaching. Zn extraction kinetics of moderate thermophile bacteria was significantly higher than that of the mesophile, therefore sphalerite was successfully dissolved in preference to the pyrite using moderate thermophile bacteria in a lower redox potential.展开更多
In this study, Imperialistic Competitive Algorithm（ICA） is utilized for locating the critical failure surface and computing the factor of safety（FOS） in a slope stability analysis based on the limit equilibrium ap...In this study, Imperialistic Competitive Algorithm（ICA） is utilized for locating the critical failure surface and computing the factor of safety（FOS） in a slope stability analysis based on the limit equilibrium approach. The factor of safety relating to each trial slip surface is calculated using a simplified algorithm of the Morgenstern-Price method, which satisfies both the force and the moment equilibriums. General slip surface is considered non-circular in this study that is constituted by linking random straight lines.To explore the performance of the proposed algorithm, four benchmark test problems are analyzed. The results demonstrate that the present techniques can provide reliable, accurate and efficient solutions for locating the critical failure surface and relating FOS. Moreover, in contrast with previous studies the present algorithm could reach the lower value of FOS and reached more exact solutions.展开更多
This paper investigates the precise trajectory tracking of unmanned aerial vehicles(UAV) capable of vertical take-off and landing(VTOL) subjected to external disturbances. For this reason, a robust higher-order-observ...This paper investigates the precise trajectory tracking of unmanned aerial vehicles(UAV) capable of vertical take-off and landing(VTOL) subjected to external disturbances. For this reason, a robust higher-order-observer-based dynamic sliding mode controller(HOB-DSMC) is developed and optimized using the fractional-order firefly algorithm(FOFA). In the proposed scheme, the sliding surface is defined as a function of output variables, and the higher-order observer is utilized to estimate the unmeasured variables,which effectively alleviate the undesirable effects of the chattering phenomenon. A neighboring point close to the sliding surface is considered, and as the tracking error approaches this point, the second control is activated to reduce the control input. The stability analysis of the closed-loop system is studied based on Lyapunov stability theorem. For a better study of the proposed scheme, various trajectory tracking tests are provided, where accurate tracking and strong robustness can be simultaneously ensured. Comparative simulation results validate the proposed control strategy′s effectiveness and its superiorities over conventional sliding mode controller(SMC) and integral SMC approaches.展开更多
Objective:To explore expression level of interferon-stimulated genes PKR,OAS1,MX1,and ISG15 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of COVID-19 patients.Methods:In this study,changes in the expression of four interferon...Objective:To explore expression level of interferon-stimulated genes PKR,OAS1,MX1,and ISG15 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of COVID-19 patients.Methods:In this study,changes in the expression of four interferon-stimulated genes(ISGs),including PKR,OAS1,MX1,and ISG15,in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 45 COVID-19 patients with different severities were evaluated by real-time PCR method.Results:OAS1,MX1,PKR,and ISG15 were differently expressed in COVID-19 patients with different severity.The results showed that the expression of OAS1,MX1,PKR,and ISG15 genes was significantly(P=0.001)lower in severe patients.Conclusions:Weak and defective IFN response and subsequent disruption of ISGs may be associated with COVID-19 severity.展开更多
Introduction The application of large language models such as generative pre-trained transformers(GPTs)has been promising in medical education,and its performance has been tested for different medical exams.This study...Introduction The application of large language models such as generative pre-trained transformers(GPTs)has been promising in medical education,and its performance has been tested for different medical exams.This study aims to assess the performance of GPTs in responding to a set of sample questions of short-answer management problems(SAMPs)from the certification exam of the College of Family Physicians of Canada(CFPC).Method Between August 8th and 25th,2023,we used GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 in five rounds to answer a sample of 77 SAMPs questions from the CFPC website.Two independent certified family physician reviewers scored AI-generated responses twice:first,according to the CFPC answer key(ie,CFPC score),and second,based on their knowledge and other references(ie,Reviews’score).An ordinal logistic generalised estimating equations(GEE)model was applied to analyse repeated measures across the five rounds.Result According to the CFPC answer key,607(73.6%)lines of answers by GPT-3.5 and 691(81%)by GPT-4 were deemed accurate.Reviewer’s scoring suggested that about 84%of the lines of answers provided by GPT-3.5 and 93%of GPT-4 were correct.The GEE analysis confirmed that over five rounds,the likelihood of achieving a higher CFPC Score Percentage for GPT-4 was 2.31 times more than GPT-3.5(OR:2.31;95%CI:1.53 to 3.47;p<0.001).Similarly,the Reviewers’Score percentage for responses provided by GPT-4 over 5 rounds were 2.23 times more likely to exceed those of GPT-3.5(OR:2.23;95%CI:1.22 to 4.06;p=0.009).Running the GPTs after a one week interval,regeneration of the prompt or using or not using the prompt did not significantly change the CFPC score percentage.Conclusion In our study,we used GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 to answer complex,open-ended sample questions of the CFPC exam and showed that more than 70%of the answers were accurate,and GPT-4 outperformed GPT-3.5 in responding to the questions.Large language models such as GPTs seem promising for assisting candidates of the CFPC exam by providing potential answers.However,their us展开更多
Monoclonal antibodies are attractive therapeutic agents in a wide range of human disorders that bind specifically to their target through their complementary-determining regions(CDRs).Small proteins with structurally ...Monoclonal antibodies are attractive therapeutic agents in a wide range of human disorders that bind specifically to their target through their complementary-determining regions(CDRs).Small proteins with structurally preserved CDRs are promising antibodies mimetics.In this in silico study,we presented new antibody mimetics against the cancer marker epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR)created by the CDRs grafting technique.Ten potential graft acceptor sites that efficiently immobilize the grafted CDR loops were selected from three small protein scaffolds using a computer.The three most involved CDR loops in antibody-receptor interactions extracted from panitumumab antibody against the EGFR domain III crystal structure were then grafted to the selected scaffolds through the loop randomization technique.The combination of three CDR loops and 10 grafting sites revealed that three of the 36 combinations showed specific binding to EGFR DIII by binding energy calculations.Thus,the present strategy and selected small protein scaffolds are promising tools in the design of new binders against EGFR with high binding energy.展开更多
In this study, the effectiveness of a tuned liquid column-gas damper, TLCGD, on the.suppression of seismic-induced vibrations of steel jacket platforms is evaluated. TLCGD is an interesting choice in the case of jacke...In this study, the effectiveness of a tuned liquid column-gas damper, TLCGD, on the.suppression of seismic-induced vibrations of steel jacket platforms is evaluated. TLCGD is an interesting choice in the case of jacket platforms because it is possible to use the structural elements as the horizontal column of the TLCGD. The objective here is to find the optimum geometric parameters, namely orientation and configuration of vertical columns, length ratio, and area ratio of the TLCGD, considering nonlinear damping of the TLCGD and water-structure interaction between the jacket platform and sea water. The effects of different characteristics of ground motion such as PGA and frequency content on the optimum geometry are also investigated and it is observed that these features have some influence on the optimum area ratio. Finally it is observed that pulse arrangement of ground acceleration is one of the most important parameters affecting the efficiency of a TLCGD. In other words, it is found that the TLCGD＇s capability to reduce the RMS responses depends only on the frequency content of the ground acceleration, but its capability to reduce the maximum responses depends on both the frequency content and the pulse arrangement of the ground acceleration.展开更多
Revealing grains and very fine dendrites in a solidified weld metal of aluminum–magnesium–silicon alloys is difficult and thus,there is no evidence to validate the micro-and meso-scale physical models for hot cracks...Revealing grains and very fine dendrites in a solidified weld metal of aluminum–magnesium–silicon alloys is difficult and thus,there is no evidence to validate the micro-and meso-scale physical models for hot cracks. In this research, the effect of preheating on the microstructure and hot crack creation in the pulsed laser welding of AA 6061 was investigated by an optical microscope and field emission electron microscopy. Etching was carried out in the gas phase using fresh Keller’s reagent for 600 s. The results showed that the grain size of the weld metal was proportional to the grain size of the base metal and was independent of the preheating temperature. Hot cracks passed the grain boundaries of the weld and the base metal. Lower solidification rates in the preheated samples led to coarser arm spacing;therefore, a lower cooling rate. Despite the results predicted by the micro and meso-scale models, lower cooling rates resulted in increased hot cracks. The cracks could grow in the weld metal after solidification;therefore, hot cracks were larger than predicted by the hot crack prediction models.展开更多
文摘BACKGROUND:The major issue with intraoperative cholangiography (IOC) is whether its diagnostic accuracy for common bile duct (CBD) stones matches that of other diagnostic procedures,and thus,whether it will become a routine diagnostic procedure.The current study aimed to address the main determinants of CBD stone diagnosis in IOC among an Iranian population.METHODS:In a retrospective review database-based study conducted in Taleghani Hospital in Tehran between 2006 and 2008,baseline data and perioperative information of 2060 patients (male to female ratio 542:1518,mean age 53.7 years) who were candidates for cholecystectomy and underwent concomitant IOC for confirming CBD stones were reviewed.The predictive power of this procedure for diagnosis of abnormal biliary ducts with the focus on biliary stones was determined.RESULTS:Overall mortality and morbidity following cholecystectomy in the study population were 0.6% and 2.6%,respectively.Both early mortality and morbidity due to cholecystectomy were higher in male than female.The prevalence of CBD stones in IOC was 3.4% (5.2% in male and 2.8% in female,P=0.008).Among those without gallstones,8.7% had CBD stones and only 3.1% had concomitant gallstones and CBD stones.The main predictors of stone appearance as an abnormal feature of IOC during cholecystectomy were:advanced age (OR=1.022,P=0.001),male gender (OR=1.498,P=0.050),history of abdominal surgery (OR=1.543,P=0.040) and preoperative endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (OR=5.400,P<0.001).CONCLUSIONS:IOC is a safe and accurate method for the assessment of bile duct anatomy and stones.Therefore,the routine use of IOC within cholecystectomy seems reasonable and is recommended.
文摘In this work, the rheological changes of several crude oil samples exposed to ultrasonic waves for different time intervals in addition to the effect of temperature on viscosity behavior of heavy crude oils were investigated using a series of steady shear flow and oscillatory tests. The colloidal structural evolutions of flocs in oil samples were illustrated by analysis of the size distribution of flocculated asphaltene particles （confocal microscopy tests）. The rheological investigations indicate that the ultrasonic irradiation dissolved heavy components in crude oil. After ultrasonic treatment, the Kouh-e-Mond crude oil was found to be pseudoplastic. In addition, confocal microscopy confirms that there was an optimum duration for ultrasonic irradiation, at which the viscosity and flocculation rate of asphaltenic crude oils reduced to the minimum values. The optimum was found to be approximately 40 min for the Kouh-e-Mond crude oil. Experimental results illustrate that the ultrasonic irradiation could disaggregate heavy colloid components in crude oil, and breakdown of asphaltene molecules would only occur in a specific time interval of irradiation. Also according to the temperature sweep test, the oil temperature rise caused by ultrasonic irradiation was not the main reason for theological changes of the crude oil and this alteration may be due to physical and chemical phenomena induced by sonication in crude oil.
文摘Naturally fractured carbonate reservoirs have very low oil recovery efficiency owing to their wettability and tightness of matrix.However,smart water can enhance oil recovery by changing the wettability of the carbonate rock surface from oilwet to water-wet,and the addition of surfactants can also change surface wettability.In the present study,the effects of a solution of modified seawater with some surfactants,namely C12 TAB,SDS,and TritonX-100(TX-100),on the wettability of carbonate rock were investigated through contact angle measurements.Oil recovery was studied using spontaneous imbibition tests at 25,70,and 90°C,followed by thermal gravity analysis to measure the amount of adsorbed material on the carbonate surface.The results indicated that Ca2+,Mg2+,and SO42-.ions may alter the carbonate rock wettability from oil-wet to water-wet,with further water wettability obtained at higher concentrations of the ions in modified seawater.Removal of NaCl from the imbibing fluid resulted in a reduced contact angle and significantly enhanced oil recovery.Low oil recoveries were obtained with modified seawater at 25 and 70°C,but once the temperature was increased to 90°C,the oil recovery in the spontaneous imbibition experiment increased dramatically.Application of smart water with C12 TAB surfactant at 0.1 wt%changed the contact angle from 161°to 52°and enhanced oil recovery to 72%,while the presence of the anionic surfactant SDS at 0.1 wt%in the smart water increased oil recovery to 64.5%.The TGA analysis results indicated that the adsorbed materials on the carbonate surface were minimal for the solution containing seawater with C12 TAB at 0.1 wt%(SW+CTAB(0.1 wt%)).Based on the experimental results,a mechanism was proposed for wettability alteration of carbonate rocks using smart water with SDS and C12 TAB surfactants.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.51961135303 and 51932007)China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(No.2021TQ0310)。
文摘The promising S-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts are considered as a novel frontier due to their superiority in various solar-driven energy-related applications.Recently,a novel atom-specific tailoring strategy has been introduced on the construction of S-scheme het-erojunction for promoting the electronic transferability.The S-scheme heterojunction is regulated by integrating high-crystalline carbon nitride with Co-doped CeO_(2).Specifically,this atom-specific regulation of S-scheme heterojunction boosts directional electron-driving effect towards functionalized Co sites,benefit-ing for effective photogenerated charge carrier transferability.Moreover,a series of tracking characterizations show that Co-embedded modification promotes CO_(2)photoreduction into hydrogenation steps,resulting in high performance towards CO_(2)-to-CH_(4)photoreduction,which provides new opportunities for the development of multifunctional cooperation in heterogeneous photocatalysis.
文摘The main intention of the present study is to reduce wind, wave, and seismic induced vibrations of jacket- type offshore wind turbines （JOWTs） through a newly developed vibration absorber, called tuned liquid column gas damper （TLCGD）. Using a Simulink-based model, an analytical model is developed to simulate global behavior of JOWTs under different dynamic excitations. The study is followed by a parametric study to explore efficiency of the TLCGD in terms of nacelle acceleration reduction under wind, wave, and earthquake loads. Study results indicate that optimum frequency of the TLCGD is rather insensitive to excitation type. In addition, while the gain in vibration control from TLCGDs with higher mass ratios is generally more pronounced, heavy TLCGDs are more sensitive to their tuned frequency such that ill-regulated TLCGD with high mass ratio can lead to destructive results. It is revealed that a well regulated TLCGD has noticeable contribution to the dynamic response of the JOWT under any excitation.
基金the financial support from University of Mohaghegh Ardabili
文摘The g-C3 N4/Fe3 O4/MnWO4 nanocomposites were prepared by a refluxing-calcination procedure. Visiblelight-induced photocatalytic experiments showed that the g-C3 N4/Fe3 O4/MnWO4（10%） nanocomposite has excellent ability to degrade a range of contaminants including rhodamine B, methylene blue, methyl orange, and fuchsine, which is about 7, 10, 25, and 31 times of the g-C3 N4 photocatalyst, respectively.Reactive species trapping experiments revealed that superoxide anion radicals play major role in the photodegradation reaction of rhodamine B（RhB）. After the treatment process, the utilized photocatalyst was magnetically recovered and reused with negligible loss in the photocatalytic activity, which is vital in the photocatalytic processes. Finally, a mechanism was proposed for the enhanced interfacial carrier separation and transfer and the improved photocatalytic performance.
基金financial support from University of Tabriz and Iranian Nanotechnology Initiative
文摘The influence of the various preparation methods of Cu-SAPO-34 nanocatalysts on the selective catalytic reduction of NO with NH3 under excess oxygen was studied. Cu-SAPO-34 nanocatalysts were prepared by using four techniques： conventional impregnation（IM）,ultrasound-enhanced impregnation（UIM）, conventional deposition precipitation（DP） using Na OH and homogeneous deposition precipitation（HDP） using urea. These catalysts were characterized in detail by various techniques such as N2-sorption, XRD, TEM, H2-TPR,NH3-TPD and XPS to understand the catalyst structure, the nature and the dispersed state of the copper species, and the acid sites for NH3 adsorption. All of the nanocatalysts showed high activities for NO removal. However, the activities were different and followed the sequence of Cu-SAPO-34（UIM） 〉 Cu-SAPO-34（HDP） 〉 Cu-SAPO-34（IM） 〉 Cu-SAPO-34（DP）.Based on the obtained results, it was concluded that the NO conversion on Cu-SAPO-34 nanocatalysts was mainly related to the high reducibility of the isolated Cu^2＋ions and Cu O species, the number of the acid sites and the dispersion of Cu O species on SAPO-34.
文摘This paper presents a game theory-based method for predicting the outcomes of negotiation and group decision-making problems. We propose an extension to the BDM model to address problems where actors’ positions are distributed over a position spectrum. We generalize the concept of position in the model to incorporate continuous positions for the actors, enabling them to have more flexibility in defining their targets. We explore different possible functions to study the role of the position function and discuss appropriate distance measures for computing the distance between the positions of actors. To validate the proposed extension, we demonstrate the trustworthiness of our model’s performance and interpretation by replicating the results based on data used in earlier studies.
文摘The effect of diamond-like carbon(DLC)coating(fabricated by cathodic arc deposition)on mechanical properties,tribological behavior and corrosion performance of the Ni−Al−bronze(NAB)alloy was investigated.Nano-hardness and pin-on-plate test showed that DLC coating had a greater hardness compared with NAB alloy.Besides,the decrease in friction coefficient from 0.2 for NAB substrate to 0.13 for the DLC-coated sample was observed.Potentiodynamic polarization and EIS results showed that the corrosion current density decreased from 2.5μA/cm2 for bare NAB alloy to 0.14μA/cm2 for DLC-coated sample in 3.5 wt.%NaCl solution.Moreover,the charge transfer resistance at the substrate−electrolyte interface increased from 3.3 kΩ·cm2 for NAB alloy to 120.8 kΩ·cm2 for DLC-coated alloy,which indicated an increase in corrosion resistance due to the DLC coating.
文摘A pilot scale modified step-feed process was lmproved to increase nutrient/N ano P） ano organic removal operations from municipal wastewater. It combined the step-feed process and a method named ＂University of Cape Town （UCT）＂. The effect of nutrient ratios and inflow distribution ratios were studied. The highest uptake efficiency of 95% for chemical oxygen demand （COD） has been achieved at the inflow distribution ratio of 40/35/25. However, maximum removal efficiency obtained for total nitrogen （TN） and phosphorus at 93% and 78%, respectively. The average mixed liquor suspended solids （MLSS） was 5500 mg·L- 1. In addition, convenient values for dissolved oxygen （DO） concentration, and pH were obtained throughout different stages. The proposed system was identified to be an appropriate enhanced biological nutrient removal process for wastewater treatment plants owing to relatively high nutrient removal, sturdy sludge settle ability and COD removal.
文摘Plasma electrolytic oxidation(PEO)has held great potential for the advancement of biodegradable implants,as it helps in developing porous bioceramic coatings on the surface of magnesium alloys.In this research work,MgO-based bioceramic coatings containing the Si,P,Ca,Na,and F elements have been successfully fabricated on an AZ31 magnesium alloy plate utilizing the PEO method.The characteristic current-voltage behavior of the samples during the process was surveyed in an electrolyte containing Ca(H_(2)PO_(4))_(2),Na_(2)SiO_(3)·9H_(2)O,Na_(3)PO_(4)·12H_(2)O,NaF,and KOH with a pH of 12.5 and electrical conductivity of 20 mS/cm^(-1).The results revealed that applying a voltage of 350-400 V(that is 50-100 V higher than the breakdown limit)could greatly facilitate the synthesis of a PEO ceramic coating with fewer defects and more uniform morphology.The resulting coating was a compositionally graded bioceramic layer with a thickness in the range of 3.5±0.4 to 6.0±0.7µm,comprising the above-mentioned elements as promising bioactive agents.The synthesized ceramic features were investigated in terms of the elemental distribution of components through the thickness,which indicated a gradual rise in the Si and P contents and,conversely,a decline in the F content towards the outer surface.The growth mechanism of the PEO coating has been discussed accordingly.
基金The project was financially supported by parks organization of Karaj municipality
文摘Plants are capable of reducing environmental pollutions through uptaking contaminants in their tissues. In the study site, twenty one-year-old leaves and shoots as well as twenty soil samples were sampled and analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma （ICP）. We investigated the uptaking ability of lead （Pb） and cadmium （Cd） by the leaves and shoots of Platanus orientalis, Robinia pseudoacacia and Fraxinus rotundifolia in Karaj city, the western Tehran, Iran. We also evaluated the total metal accumulation capacity by using metal accumulation index （MAI）. Results indicated that there was no significant difference in uptaking contents of Cd and Pb in the leaves among the trees. However accumulation of Cd in shoots of F. rotundifolia and R. pseudoacacia was significantly higher than that of P. orientalis. The accumulation of Pb in shoots of R. pseudoacacia was significantly higher than the other species. The amount of Pb in the soil of the study area was significantly higher than Cd. Concentrations of Cd and Pb in leaves of the three species are in the ranges of 2.4 2.7 mg Kg-1 and 7.1 14.4 mg Kg-1 , respectively. R. pseudoacacia had the highest MAI value for leaves （2.21） and F. rotundifolia had the highest MAI value for shoots （2.4）.
文摘The zinc extraction from Kooshk lead-zinc tailing dam’s sample was investigated by bioleaching method. The Kooshk lead-zinc deposit/mine is located in Yazd province, Iran, and its tailing dam contains about 3.64%zinc, 0.97%lead and 24.18%iron. Experiments were designed and carried out by a mixed culture of mesophile bacteria as well as a mixed culture of moderate thermophile strain in the shake flasks. The results indicated that, more than 90% of sphalerite was dissolved during 14 d, while without bacteria, 44% of Zn was merely extracted. In addition, some experiments were performed in the absence of the bacterial medium （9K）. The results of these experiments indicated significant difference in Zn extraction with and without 9K until the 10th day of bioleaching, but after that the Zn extraction was improved and the same extraction was achieved at the end of bioleaching tests. This improvement can be attributed to the increase of the number of bacteria or Fe3＋concentration at the last days of leaching. Zn extraction kinetics of moderate thermophile bacteria was significantly higher than that of the mesophile, therefore sphalerite was successfully dissolved in preference to the pyrite using moderate thermophile bacteria in a lower redox potential.
文摘In this study, Imperialistic Competitive Algorithm（ICA） is utilized for locating the critical failure surface and computing the factor of safety（FOS） in a slope stability analysis based on the limit equilibrium approach. The factor of safety relating to each trial slip surface is calculated using a simplified algorithm of the Morgenstern-Price method, which satisfies both the force and the moment equilibriums. General slip surface is considered non-circular in this study that is constituted by linking random straight lines.To explore the performance of the proposed algorithm, four benchmark test problems are analyzed. The results demonstrate that the present techniques can provide reliable, accurate and efficient solutions for locating the critical failure surface and relating FOS. Moreover, in contrast with previous studies the present algorithm could reach the lower value of FOS and reached more exact solutions.
文摘This paper investigates the precise trajectory tracking of unmanned aerial vehicles(UAV) capable of vertical take-off and landing(VTOL) subjected to external disturbances. For this reason, a robust higher-order-observer-based dynamic sliding mode controller(HOB-DSMC) is developed and optimized using the fractional-order firefly algorithm(FOFA). In the proposed scheme, the sliding surface is defined as a function of output variables, and the higher-order observer is utilized to estimate the unmeasured variables,which effectively alleviate the undesirable effects of the chattering phenomenon. A neighboring point close to the sliding surface is considered, and as the tracking error approaches this point, the second control is activated to reduce the control input. The stability analysis of the closed-loop system is studied based on Lyapunov stability theorem. For a better study of the proposed scheme, various trajectory tracking tests are provided, where accurate tracking and strong robustness can be simultaneously ensured. Comparative simulation results validate the proposed control strategy′s effectiveness and its superiorities over conventional sliding mode controller(SMC) and integral SMC approaches.
基金the research council of Kerman University of Medical Sciences,Kerman,Iran(Grant Number:400000232).
文摘Objective:To explore expression level of interferon-stimulated genes PKR,OAS1,MX1,and ISG15 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of COVID-19 patients.Methods:In this study,changes in the expression of four interferon-stimulated genes(ISGs),including PKR,OAS1,MX1,and ISG15,in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 45 COVID-19 patients with different severities were evaluated by real-time PCR method.Results:OAS1,MX1,PKR,and ISG15 were differently expressed in COVID-19 patients with different severity.The results showed that the expression of OAS1,MX1,PKR,and ISG15 genes was significantly(P=0.001)lower in severe patients.Conclusions:Weak and defective IFN response and subsequent disruption of ISGs may be associated with COVID-19 severity.
基金SAR is Canada Research Chair(Tier Ⅱ)in Advanced Digital Primary Health Care,received salary support from a Research Scholar Junior 1 Career Development Award from the Fonds de Recherche du Québec-Santé(FRQS)during a portion of this study,and her research program is supported by the Natural Sciences Research Council(NSERC)Discovery(grant 2020-05246).
文摘Introduction The application of large language models such as generative pre-trained transformers(GPTs)has been promising in medical education,and its performance has been tested for different medical exams.This study aims to assess the performance of GPTs in responding to a set of sample questions of short-answer management problems(SAMPs)from the certification exam of the College of Family Physicians of Canada(CFPC).Method Between August 8th and 25th,2023,we used GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 in five rounds to answer a sample of 77 SAMPs questions from the CFPC website.Two independent certified family physician reviewers scored AI-generated responses twice:first,according to the CFPC answer key(ie,CFPC score),and second,based on their knowledge and other references(ie,Reviews’score).An ordinal logistic generalised estimating equations(GEE)model was applied to analyse repeated measures across the five rounds.Result According to the CFPC answer key,607(73.6%)lines of answers by GPT-3.5 and 691(81%)by GPT-4 were deemed accurate.Reviewer’s scoring suggested that about 84%of the lines of answers provided by GPT-3.5 and 93%of GPT-4 were correct.The GEE analysis confirmed that over five rounds,the likelihood of achieving a higher CFPC Score Percentage for GPT-4 was 2.31 times more than GPT-3.5(OR:2.31;95%CI:1.53 to 3.47;p<0.001).Similarly,the Reviewers’Score percentage for responses provided by GPT-4 over 5 rounds were 2.23 times more likely to exceed those of GPT-3.5(OR:2.23;95%CI:1.22 to 4.06;p=0.009).Running the GPTs after a one week interval,regeneration of the prompt or using or not using the prompt did not significantly change the CFPC score percentage.Conclusion In our study,we used GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 to answer complex,open-ended sample questions of the CFPC exam and showed that more than 70%of the answers were accurate,and GPT-4 outperformed GPT-3.5 in responding to the questions.Large language models such as GPTs seem promising for assisting candidates of the CFPC exam by providing potential answers.However,their us
文摘Monoclonal antibodies are attractive therapeutic agents in a wide range of human disorders that bind specifically to their target through their complementary-determining regions(CDRs).Small proteins with structurally preserved CDRs are promising antibodies mimetics.In this in silico study,we presented new antibody mimetics against the cancer marker epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR)created by the CDRs grafting technique.Ten potential graft acceptor sites that efficiently immobilize the grafted CDR loops were selected from three small protein scaffolds using a computer.The three most involved CDR loops in antibody-receptor interactions extracted from panitumumab antibody against the EGFR domain III crystal structure were then grafted to the selected scaffolds through the loop randomization technique.The combination of three CDR loops and 10 grafting sites revealed that three of the 36 combinations showed specific binding to EGFR DIII by binding energy calculations.Thus,the present strategy and selected small protein scaffolds are promising tools in the design of new binders against EGFR with high binding energy.
基金Pardis College of Engineering at the Univ. of Tehran Under Project No.8108020/1/01Sabok Sazan Sarie Co
文摘In this study, the effectiveness of a tuned liquid column-gas damper, TLCGD, on the.suppression of seismic-induced vibrations of steel jacket platforms is evaluated. TLCGD is an interesting choice in the case of jacket platforms because it is possible to use the structural elements as the horizontal column of the TLCGD. The objective here is to find the optimum geometric parameters, namely orientation and configuration of vertical columns, length ratio, and area ratio of the TLCGD, considering nonlinear damping of the TLCGD and water-structure interaction between the jacket platform and sea water. The effects of different characteristics of ground motion such as PGA and frequency content on the optimum geometry are also investigated and it is observed that these features have some influence on the optimum area ratio. Finally it is observed that pulse arrangement of ground acceleration is one of the most important parameters affecting the efficiency of a TLCGD. In other words, it is found that the TLCGD＇s capability to reduce the RMS responses depends only on the frequency content of the ground acceleration, but its capability to reduce the maximum responses depends on both the frequency content and the pulse arrangement of the ground acceleration.
基金The authors would like to thank the metallography laboratory personnel of University of Tehran for their cooperation.
文摘Revealing grains and very fine dendrites in a solidified weld metal of aluminum–magnesium–silicon alloys is difficult and thus,there is no evidence to validate the micro-and meso-scale physical models for hot cracks. In this research, the effect of preheating on the microstructure and hot crack creation in the pulsed laser welding of AA 6061 was investigated by an optical microscope and field emission electron microscopy. Etching was carried out in the gas phase using fresh Keller’s reagent for 600 s. The results showed that the grain size of the weld metal was proportional to the grain size of the base metal and was independent of the preheating temperature. Hot cracks passed the grain boundaries of the weld and the base metal. Lower solidification rates in the preheated samples led to coarser arm spacing;therefore, a lower cooling rate. Despite the results predicted by the micro and meso-scale models, lower cooling rates resulted in increased hot cracks. The cracks could grow in the weld metal after solidification;therefore, hot cracks were larger than predicted by the hot crack prediction models.
