Experimental assessment of using phase change materials in vapor compression refrigeration systems for condenser pre-cooling.

The primary objective of this investigation is to empirically assess a new vapor compression cycle while employing phase change material (PCM) energy storage. During off-peak periods, the PCM undergoes charging, and during on-peak hours, it is discharged to cool the refrigerant entering the condenser, thereby enhancing the condenser's overall performance. In contrast to previous studies that exclusively examined the charging or discharging processes of air conditioning (AC) units, this research delves into the entire 24-h charge and discharge cycle.

Dynamic evaluation of a vapor compression refrigeration cycle combined with a PCM storage tank for improving condenser performance.

In this study, a vapor compression refrigeration cycle integrated with a phase change material (PCM) storage tank has been dynamically simulated over a 24-h period. The primary objective of this system is to reduce electric energy consumption during on-peak hours (12:00-19:00) and shift it to off-peak hours (1:00-10:00). During off-peak hours, the vapor compression refrigeration system stores cooling energy in the PCM storage tank.

Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of antimicrobial resistance of non-typhoidal Salmonella from retail meat in California.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global emerging problem for food safety and public health. Retail meat is one of the vehicles that may transmit antimicrobial resistant bacteria to humans. Here we assessed the phenotypic and genotypic resistance of non-typhoidal Salmonella from retail meat collected in California in 2019 by the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) Retail Food Surveillance program.

Experimental investigation on the bouncing dynamics of a liquid marble during the impact on a hydrophilic surface.

Liquid marbles are droplets coated by hydrophobic particles. At low Weber numbers (We), when impacting a hydrophilic surface, the marble may bounce on the substrate repeatedly without any rupturing until the quiescence condition is achieved. The marble bouncing has gained far less attention, although its rich underlying physics is due to the interaction between liquid core, hydrophobic grain, and surrounding air.

Heat transfer study and optimization of nanofluid triangular cavity with a pentagonal barrier by finite element approach and RSM.

Nowadays, several engineering applications and academic investigations have demonstrated the significance of heat transfers in general and mixed convection heat transfer (MCHT) in particular in cavities containing obstacles. This study's main goal is to analyze the MCHT of a nanofluid in a triangular cavity with a pentagonal barrier using magneto hydrodynamics (MHD). The cavity's-oriented walls are continuous cold temperature, whereas the bottom wall of the triangle and all pentagonal obstacle walls are kept at a constant high temperature.

Multi-objective optimization of multiple droplet impacts on a molten PCM using NSGA-II optimizer and artificial neural network.

Embracing an interaction between the phase change material (PCM) and the droplets of a heat transfer fluid, the direct contact (DC) method suggests a cutting-edge solution for expediting the phase change rates of PCMs in thermal energy storage (TES) units. In the direct contact TES configuration, when impacting the molten PCM pool, droplets evaporate, provoking the formation of a solidified PCM area (A). Then, they reduce the created solid temperature, leading to a minimum temperature value (T).

Vibration and Jumping of Ferrofluid Marbles under an Initial Magnetic Perturbation.

Liquid marbles are being promoted as a replacement for conventional droplets in digital microfluidics. Liquid marbles can be remotely controlled by an external magnetic field if ferrofluid is utilized as their liquid cores. In this study, the vibration and jumping of a ferrofluid marble is experimentally and theoretically investigated.

Modeling multi-year phosphorus dynamics in a bioretention cell: Phosphorus partitioning, accumulation, and export.

Phosphorus (P) export from urban areas via stormwater runoff contributes to eutrophication of downstream aquatic ecosystems. Bioretention cells are a Low Impact Development (LID) technology promoted as a green solution to attenuate urban peak flow discharge, as well as the export of excess nutrients and other contaminants. Despite their rapidly growing implementation worldwide, a predictive understanding of the efficiency of bioretention cells in reducing urban P loadings remains limited.

Investigating medical tourism development indicators in Yazd Reproductive Sciences Institute: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Payingspecial attention to the development indicators of medical tourism (MT) can lead to the further development of this industry and tourists' satisfaction.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate MT development indicators in Yazd Reproductive Sciences Research Institute, Yazd, Iran in 2021.

Materials And Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 430 medical tourists referred to the Yazd Reproductive Sciences Institute, Yazd, Iran in 2021 were studied.

Experimental and Theoretical Investigation on the Dynamic Response of Ferrofluid Liquid Marbles to Steady and Pulsating Magnetic Fields.

Liquid marbles are droplets enwrapped by a layer of hydrophobic micro/nanoparticles. Due to the isolation of fluid from its environment, reduction in evaporation rate, low friction with the surfaces, and capability of manipulation even on hydrophilic surfaces, liquid marbles have attracted the attention of researchers in digital microfluidics. This study investigates the manipulation of ferrofluid liquid marbles (FLMs) under DC and pulse width-modulated (PWM) magnetic fields generated by an electromagnet for the first time.

Magnetically Driven Manipulation of Nonmagnetic Liquid Marbles: Billiards with Liquid Marbles.

Liquid marbles are droplets encapsulated by a layer of hydrophobic nanoparticles and have been extensively employed in digital microfluidics and lab-on-a-chip systems in recent years. In this study, magnetic liquid marbles were used to manipulate nonmagnetic liquid marbles. To achieve this purpose, a ferrofluid liquid marble (FLM) was employed and attracted toward an electromagnet, resulting in an impulse to a water liquid marble (WLM) on its way to the electromagnet.

Salinization as a driver of eutrophication symptoms in an urban lake (Lake Wilcox, Ontario, Canada).

Lake Wilcox (LW), a shallow kettle lake located in southern Ontario, has experienced multiple phases of land use change associated with human settlement and residential development in its watershed since the early 1900s. Urban growth has coincided with water quality deterioration, including the occurrence of algal blooms and depletion of dissolved oxygen (DO) in the water column. We analyzed 22 years of water chemistry, land use, and climate data (1996-2018) using principal component analysis (PCA) and multiple linear regression (MLR) to identify the contributions of climate, urbanization, and nutrient loading to the changes in water chemistry.

Prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of anogenital Human Papillomavirus (HPV) carriage in a cross-sectional, multi-ethnic, community-based Asian male population.

Background: Addressing the burden of HPV-associated diseases among men is increasingly becoming a public health issue. The main objective of this study was to determine HPV prevalence among a healthy community-based Malaysian men.

Method: This was a cross-sectional study that recruited 503 healthy males from 3 community-based clinics in Selangor, Malaysia.

Splitting dynamics of ferrofluid droplets inside a microfluidic T-junction using a pulse-width modulated magnetic field in micro-magnetofluidics.

Micro-magnetofluidics offers a promising tool for better control over the ferrofluid droplet manipulation which has been vastly utilized in biomedical applications in recent years. In this study, the ferrofluid droplet splitting under an asymmetric Pulse-Width-Modulated (PWM) magnetic field in a T-junction is numerically investigated using a finite volume method and VOF two-phase model. By utilizing the PWM magnetic field, two novel regimes of ferrofluid droplet splitting named as Flowing through the Same Branch (FSB) and Double Splitting (DS) have been observed for the first time.

Experimental Investigation on the Dynamics of On-Demand Ferrofluid Drop Formation under a Pulse-Width-Modulated Nonuniform Magnetic Field.

Drop formation has been the focus of many studies because of its vast application in biomedicine and engineering, as well as its rich underlying physics. Applying a magnetic force on ferrofluids can provide more control over the formation process of the droplet. In this study, a time-dependent, nonuniform magnetic field was used for the formation of ferrofluid droplets using a nozzle.

Managerial competencies of head nurses: a model and assessment tool.

Head nurses' performance plays an important role in the successful operation of hospitals. Identification and prioritisation of managerial competencies required for these supervisors and evaluation of their performance on this basis are necessary. This study aimed to provide a valid tool for assessing managerial competencies of hospital department head nurses.

Efficacy of Extracorporeal Photopheresis in Patients With Bronchiolitis Obliterans Syndrome After Lung Transplantation.

Background: Lung transplantation (LT) is only therapeutic option for patients affected by chronic respiratory failure. Chronic rejection, also known as bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS), is still the main cause of death and the most important factor that influences post-transplantation quality of life. Currently available therapies have not been proven to result in significant benefit in the prevention or treatment of BOS.

Failure mode and effect analysis: improving intensive care unit risk management processes.

Purpose Failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) is a practical tool to evaluate risks, discover failures in a proactive manner and propose corrective actions to reduce or eliminate potential risks. The purpose of this paper is to apply FMEA technique to examine the hazards associated with the process of service delivery in intensive care unit (ICU) of a tertiary hospital in Yazd, Iran. Design/methodology/approach This was a before-after study conducted between March 2013 and December 2014.

Assessment of Service Quality in Teaching Hospitals of Yazd University of Medical Sciences: Using Multi-criteria Decision Making Techniques.

Objectives: Hospitals as integrated parts of the wide-ranging health care systems have dominant focus on health care provision to meet, maintain and promote people's health needs of a community. This study aimed to assess the service quality of teaching hospitals of Yazd University of Medical Sciences using Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (FAHP) and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS).

Methods: A literature review and a qualitative method were used to obtain experts' viewpoints about the quality dimensions of hospital services to design a questionnaire.

Comparing Performance Indicators of Obstetrics and Gynecology Ward at Yazd Educational Hospitals with Expected Limits of Indicators, 2015.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance indicators for obstetrics and gynecology wards in Iran.

Methods: This study was designed as a cross-sectional study and was carried out in obstetrics and gynecology wards of Afshar and Shahid Sadoughi hospitals in 2015. The information required for the performance indicators was gathered through questionnaires, statistical forms, and direct observation.

Performance Analysis of Hospital Managers Using Fuzzy AHP and Fuzzy TOPSIS: Iranian Experience.

Background And Objectives: Hospitals are complex organizations that require strong and effective management. The success of such organizations depends on the performance of managers. This study provides a comprehensive set of indicators to assess the performance of hospital managers in Iranian Ministry of Health owned hospitals.

Evaluation of histopathologic and histomorphometric changes of testicular tissue and gonadotropin levels following consumption of methylphenidate in male mice.

Background/aim: One of the most common psychiatric disorders in children is attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, which is treated extensively by methylphenidate. This study investigates the assessment of the effects of methylphenidate on histopathologic and histomorphometric changes of the testes and serum levels of gonadotropin in mice.

Materials And Methods: In this study, 36 adult male mice were used.

Equity in Distribution of Health Care Resources; Assessment of Need and Access, Using Three Practical Indicators.

Background: Equitable distribution of health system resources has been a serious challenge for long ago among the health policy makers. Conducted studies have mostly ever had emphasis on equality rather than equity. In this paper we have attempted to examine both equality and equity in resources distribution.