Optimization of a solar air heater with phase change materials: Experimental and ‎numerical study

In this paper, a solar air heater (SAH) with phase change material (PCM)-based energy storage is ‎investigated. Paraffin was placed underneath the absorber plate as the PCM. A transient two-‎dimensional laminar model was used in the Ansys Fluent 17 software to study the effects of different ‎parameters on the performance of the SAH, such as the air mass flow rate, the amount of paraffin, and ‎the thermal conductivity of the paraffin. The performance of the SAH was optimized by considering ‎two objectives simultaneously: thermal energy efficiency and maximum nocturnal temperature ‎difference between the inlet and the outlet of the SAH. To validate the numerical model, a SAH with ‎a 2-cm paraffin layer and the same dimensions as the numerical model was built and tested. The ‎results of the simulation showed good agreement with the experimental results.

Exploratory analysis of the relationships among different methods of assessing adherence and glycemic control in youth with type 1 diabetes mellitus

Objectives: The present study examined four methods of assessing diabetes adherence (self-report, diary measure, electronic monitoring, and provider rating) within a population of youth with Type I Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM). Methods: Comparisons were conducted among the four methods of assessing diabetes adherence. Associations among the seven different measures of blood glucose monitoring (BGM) and HbA1c were examined. An exploratory stepwise regression analysis was conducted to determine the best predictors of glycemic control (i.e., Hemoglobin A1c; HbA1c) while controlling for relevant demographic variables. Results: The adherence measures appeared to be interrelated. The relationships between many of the BGM measures and HbA1c demonstrated a medium effect size. The Self Care Inventory (SCI) adjusted global score was the strongest predictor of HbA1c, even after taking the demographic variables into account. Conclusions: The SCI is a robust, easy-to-use, and cost-efficient measure of adherence that has a strong relationship to HbA1c. Demographic variables are important to examine within the context of different methods of assessing adherence. The research methodology utilized to assess both general diabetes adherence and more specific behavioral measurements of BGM should be clearly documented in future studies to ensure accurate interpretation of results. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved

Изучение терапевтических эффектов излучения с длиной волны 670 нм при различных типах диабетического макулярного отека

The purpose of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effects of 670 nm irradiation in patients with diabetic macular edema. In several studies, positive effects of red/near-infrared irradiation showed in a range of ocular diseases such as macular degeneration, macular edema, and retinitis pigmentosa. This study was conducted on forty five eyes of 26 diabetic patients with macular edema between the ages of 51 and 80.Measurement of visual acuity and slit lamp examination, funduscopy, and optical coherence tomography were performed in all subjects. None of the patients had proliferative retinopathy. We used a portable LED device (Warp 10, Quantum Devices) for treatment. Patients held this device at a distance of 3 cm from their eyes for 240 seconds for three months. Full ophthalmic examinations were repeated 1, 2, and 3 months after treatment.After 3 months, the mean visual acuity improved from 0.44 ± 0.38 log MAR to 0.27 ± 0.24 log MAR and vision increased by 1.52 ± 1.16 lines post treatment (р<0.001). The mean central macula thickness decreased from 381.49 ± 144.40 μm to 359.72 ± 128.84 μm (р=0.050). In patients with mild and moderate nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy, the mean central retinal thickness decreased 52.06 ± 67.78 μm and 39.27 ± 44.69 μm, respectively, but patients with severe type showed an increase of 34.93 ± 65.65 μm in the mean central retinal thickness (р<0.001). Also, the severity of macular edema had no effect on final outcomes (р>0.05). Photobiomodulation can positively affect diabetic macular edema, especially in patients with mild to moderate diabetic retinopathy.Целью данной исследовательской работы являлось изучение терапевтических эффектов излучения с длиной волны 670 нм у пациентов с диабетическим макулярным отеком. Ряд предыдущих исследований свидетельствует о положительном эффекте красного инфракрасного излучения при некоторых заболеваниях глаз, таких как макулодистрофия (дегенерация желтого пятна), макулярный отек и пигментный ретинит. Наше исследование было проведено на 45 глазах у 26 больных сахарным диабетом в возрасте от 51 до 80 лет с макулярным отеком. Всем пациентам были проведены определение остроты зрения, осмотр глаз щелевой лампой, фундоскопия и оптическая когерентная томография. Ни у одного из пациентов не было пролиферативной ретинопатии. Для лечения нами был применен портативный светодиодный прибор (Warp 10, Quantum devices). Пациенты держали светодиод на расстоянии 3 см от глаза в течение 240 сек в течение 3 мес. Все офтальмологические исследования были повторены через 1, 2 и 3 мес после проведения лечебной процедуры. Через 3 мес средняя острота зрения улучшилась с показателем логарифма минимального угла разрешения 0,44 ± 0,38 до 0,27 ± 0,24, что показало увеличение показателя остроты зрения на 1,52 ± 1,16 после лечения (р<0,001). Средняя центральная толщина сетчатки в области макулы уменьшилась с 381,49 ± 144,40 мкм до 359,72 ± 128,84 мкм (р=0,050). У пациентов с легкой и умеренной непролиферативной диабетической ретинопатией средняя толщина сетчатки уменьшилась до 52,06 ± 67,78 и 52,06 ± 67,78 мкм, соответственно, а у пациентов с тяжелой ретинопатией наблюдалось увеличение на 34,93 ± 65,65 мкм (р<0,001). Помимо того, степень макулярного отека не повлияла на окончательный результат лечения (р>0,05). Фотобиомодуляция была эффективной при диабетическом макулярном отеке, в частности, у пациентов с легкой и умеренной диабетической ретинопатией

Effectiveness of Groups for Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus and Their Parents

Peer- and family-based group therapies have been used as separate interventions to improve adjustment and self-management among youth with Type 1 diabetes mellitus. This study replicates a treatment protocol that combined these two types of diabetes management groups, while also using a wait-list control design methodology within an outpatient mental health clinic setting. General psychosocial and diabetes-related variables were assessed at baseline, immediately posttreatment, and 4 months posttreatment. Youths’ medical information, including metabolic control values, was extracted from medical charts for the 6 months prior to baseline and 6 months after treatment ended. At 4 months posttreatment, parents and youth reported increased parent responsibility, and parents reported improved youth diabetes-specific quality of life. Although there were no statistically significant changes in hemoglobin A1c values and health care utilization frequency from 6 months prior to and 6 months posttreatment, other psychosocial changes (i.e., increases in parent responsibility and diabetes-specific quality of life) were documented. Therefore, this treatment was found to be a promising intervention for use in an outpatient clinical setting to aid in improving the psychosocial functioning of youth with Type 1 diabetes mellitus

Quantum Hall Ferrimagnetism in lateral quantum dot molecules

We demonstrate the existance of ferrimagnetic and ferromagnetic phases in a spin phase diagram of coupled lateral quantum dot molecules in the quantum Hall regime. The spin phase diagram is determined from Hartree-Fock Configuration Interaction method as a function of electron numbers N, magnetic field B, Zeeman energy, and tunneling barrier height. The quantum Hall ferrimagnetic phase corresponds to spatially imbalanced spin droplets resulting from strong inter-dot coupling of identical dots. The quantum Hall ferromagnetic phases correspond to ferromagnetic coupling of spin polarization at filling factors between $\nu=2$ and $\nu=1$.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Ichthyotoxism in Capoeta capoeta gracilis (Keyserling, 1861) from west of Urmia (Marmisho Lake), Iran

Fish egg poisoning is a public health hazard although usually the incident rate, mortality and fish species involved are not well reported (Halstead,1970). Four species of Cyprinidae in Iran have been suggested as ichthyotoxic by Coad (1979) .namely Abramis brama. Cyprinus carpio .Schizothorax zarudnyi and Tinca tinca and it was thought that other species may be discovered subsequently.Najafpour and Coad (2002) reported ichthyotoxin in the cyprinid Barbus luteus from Iran ,and the study records another species. The Cyprinid fish Capoeta capoeta known as Siah mahi or gara balig in Iran

Piezomagnetic Quantum Dots

We study the influence of deformations on magnetic ordering in quantum dots doped with magnetic impurities. The reduction of symmetry and the associated deformation from circular to elliptical quantum confinement lead to the formation of piezomagnetic quantum dots. The strength of elliptical deformation can be controlled by the gate voltage to change the magnitude of magnetization, at a fixed number of carriers and in the absence of applied magnetic field. We reveal a reentrant magnetic ordering with the increase of elliptical deformation and suggest that the piezomagnetic quantum dots can be used as nanoscale magnetic switches.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure