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The objective of the present study was to develop a novel molybdenum disulfide/iron oxide/gold nanorods (MoS2/Fe3O4/GNR) nanocomposite (MFG) with different concentrations of AgNO3 solution (MFG1, MFG2, and MFG3) for topical doxorubicin (DOX) drug delivery. Then, these nanocomposites were synthesized and characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Dynamic light scattering (DLS), and Ultraviolet-visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopies to confirm their structural and optical properties. Cytotoxicity of samples on Hela cell was determined using MTT assay. Results indicated that nanocomposites possess little cytotoxicity without NIR laser irradiation. Also, the relative viabilities of Hela cells decreased when the concentration of AgNO3 solution increased in this nanocomposite. Using NIR irradiation, the relative viabilities of Hela cells decreased when the concentration of samples increased. Acridine orange/propidium iodide (PI) staining, flow cytometry were recruited to evaluate the effect of these nanocomposites on apoptosis of Hela cells. Finally, results revealed when DOX loading increased in nanocomposite, then cell viability was decreased in it. Therefore, these properties make MFG3 nanocomposite a good candidate for photothermal therapy and drug loading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat transfer and phase change phenomena, particularly diffusion-driven droplet evaporation, play pivotal roles in various industrial applications and natural processes. Despite advancements in computational fluid dynamics, modeling multiphase flows with large density ratios remains challenging. In this study, we developed a robust and stable conservative Allen–Cahn-based phase-field lattice Boltzmann method to solve the flow field equations. This method is coupled with the finite difference discretization of vapor species transport equation and the energy equation. The coupling between the vapor concentration and temperature field at the interface is modeled by the well-known Clausius–Clapeyron correlation. Our approach is capable of simulations under real physical conditions and is compatible with graphics processing unit architecture, making it ideal for large-scale industrial simulations. Three validation test cases are conducted to demonstrate the consistency of the presented model, including simulations of Stefan flow, the evaporation of suspended droplets containing water, acetone, and ethanol in the air, and the evaporation of a water sessile droplet on a flat surface. The results show that the model is able to predict the behavior and characteristics of each case accurately. Notably, our numerical results exhibit a maximum relative error of approximately 1% in simulations of Stefan flow. In the case of suspended droplet evaporation, the observed maximum difference between the calculated wet bulb temperatures and those derived from psychrometric charts is approximately 0.9 K. Moreover, our analysis of the sessile droplet reveals a good agreement between the results obtained by our model for the evaporative mass flux and those obtained from the existing models in the literature for different contact angles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phase transition between liquid and vapor is of vital importance in daily life and industry. Given the importance of the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM), in particular the phase field method, in the simulation of two-phase flows, a robust LBM phase transition model is essential. This study introduces a novel approach by integrating the widely used, Hertz–Knudsen–Schrage (HKS) phase change rate into a conservative phase-field LBM. The phase-field and momentum equations are solved using the Boltzmann distribution function, whereas the energy equation is solved using the finite difference method. Once the necessary parameters for the calculation of the phase change rate are obtained, the corresponding source terms are incorporated into each equation. The model's validation is performed through a series of benchmark problems, including the one-dimensional Stefan problem, Nusselt's film condensation, bubble detachment, centered droplet evaporation, and sessile droplet evaporation. The results demonstrate favorable agreement between the LBM solution and analytical or empirical data. Furthermore, this study highlights the model's ability to approximate steady-state phenomena with minimal reliance on the phase change coefficient of the HKS theory. It also underscores the model's capacity to accurately capture transient phenomena by appropriately selecting values for this coefficient. In addition, parametric studies are conducted to investigate evaporation problems using the HKS theory for recognizing the effect of superheat, contact angle, and droplet size on evaporation. Finally, this model not only can detect trends and behaviors of phenomena but also can adapt empirical and analytical results with good agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research attempted to find out factors that affect students' satisfaction in a higher learning Institution. The students were randomly selected from degree, masters and PhD programs to evaluate the level of students' satisfaction. The primary data source was a questionnaire that was distributed to the students. The researchers collected 165 completed questionnaires out of a total of 190. Four factors were chosen as independent variables namely; gender, race, student status and CGPA. This study showed that the overall services offered by the university were moderate from students' perspective. Findings showed that the academic-related activities are more important than non academic-related such as the availability of financial advice etc. It can be inferred from the findings that the academic activities should not be limited to classroom activities only. It must cover everything that can develop and instill good values, attitude, character and strong personality. Universities world-wide are now competing both nationally and internationally. In order to attain new students and retain current students they should aim to enhance student satisfaction and reduce student dissatisfaction. This can only be achieved if all services that are related to academic life such as implicit services, explicit services and physical services are delivered to a suitable standard. We also noticed that student status have an important influence on the perception of service quality. This is probably because student expectation increases as they have more contact with the university. Another element that also has influence on the perception of service quality is race and nationality. In relation to this, the academic or non-academic staffs that prepared services directly for the students should be able to identify and understand different levels of student expectations across years of study (from first year to final year) and races.

Podcasting is an innovative, asynchronous communication tool. A pilot study was conducted to assess the utility of podcasting as an educational tool for undergraduate medical students. A paper-and-pencil questionnaire was developed and distributed to the 40 first-year students enrolled in the francophone stream of the medical curriculum at the University of Ottawa, Canada. A majority of participants endorsed the utility of the podcasting of a key-feature focused review of anatomy lecture material. The short length of the podcast, clarity of the content, and guidance with self-paced learning were among the positive aspects noted. The combination of the auditory podcasts and visual PowerPoint slides permitted the students to process information simultaneously using two different modalities. This maximized their use of working memory and facilitated learning. The investigators plan to continue their evaluation of this project by conducting a focus group study in the future. [Funding for this work was provided by the Consortium National de Formation en Sante and University of Ottawa's Bureau des Affaires Francophones and Centre for University Teaching.]

Objective: Theory of mind (ToM) denotes the ability to understand the mental state of others and perceive their unique beliefs and emotions. In this study, we compared ToM between individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) and stimulant-induced depressive disorder (SIDD). Method: This cross-sectional, causal-comparative study included patients with MDD or SIDD admitted to Ostad Moharary Neuropsychiatric Hospital between January and June 2022. Each diagnosis was confirmed through a semi-structured interview conducted by a single attending psychiatrist according to the DSM-5 criteria. After consecutive sampling of 110 individuals, 51 patients completed the study in each group. Demographic characteristics were recorded, and the Persian version of the revised Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) was used to evaluate ToM. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS v.25, employing the t-test, chi-squared test, linear regression, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Results: Our analysis included 102 subjects (65.7% male) with a mean age of 35.17 ± 7.54 years. The two groups were similar in age, gender, marital status, working status, occupation, economic class, and ethnicity (P > 0.05). The RMET scores were 12.94 ± 4.03 and 11.86 ± 3.15 in the MDD and SIDD groups, respectively (P = 0.135). Almost all patients had low RMET scores (< 22); only two individuals in the MDD group achieved normal scores (22-30). ANCOVA revealed no significant confounding effects between the independent variables. Furthermore, regression analysis revealed that the level of education had a significant linear relationship (β= 0.249) with the RMET score (P = 0.021). Conclusion: Hospitalized patients with MDD and SIDD have similar ToM deficits, as measured by the RMET. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A balance disorder is prevalent in older people who cause psychological problems and physical injuries. According to the financial, time, and human resource limitations for developing an elderly rehabilitation ward, this study aims to identify the most significant preventive falling interventions in older population by using the Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) method to allocate resources to the most effective preventive interventions. First, through the literature review all effective balance interventions were extracted then panel discussion, the Delphi method, and the best-worst method (BWM) was employed to prioritize the preventive falling interventions. The result showed that the most significant preventive falling interventions were Neurofeedback (N1), Tai chi (D1), and Balance and strength training (E2) with a weight of 0.5956, 0.3771, and 0.3351are ranked first, second, and third among the criteria, respectively. The outcomes of the research help healthcare systems to allocate preventive care resources more efficiently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]