Importance
The impact of pre‐existing cognitive dysfunction on outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) remains unclear.
Objective
To study the association between dementia and ...post‐TAVR outcomes.
Design
Cohort study with propensity‐score matching was conducted using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample.
Exposures
History of dementia at the time of undergoing TAVR.
Main outcomes
All‐cause in‐hospital mortality, stroke, bleeding requiring transfusion, acute kidney injury, post‐procedural vascular complications, post‐procedural pacemaker implantation, length of stay, in‐hospital delirium, and discharge disposition in patients with and without dementia undergoing TAVR.
Results
Of 57,805 patients undergoing TAVR, 2910 (5.0%) had a diagnosis of dementia. Propensity‐score matching yielded 2895 matched pairs of patients. TAVR was associated with an increased risk of bleeding requiring transfusion (14.7% vs 8.6%, odd ratio (OR) 1.82 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.26–2.63; p < 0.01), discharge to a rehabilitation facility (45.8% vs 31.6%, OR 2.27 95% CI 1.67–3.08; p < 0.001), in‐hospital delirium (7.4% vs 3.6%, OR 2.13 95% CI 1.26–3.61; p < 0.01), increased length of stay (6.75 ± 0.07 days vs 6.11 ± 0.06 days, slope = 1.11 95% CI 1.03–1.19; p < 0.01), but comparable in‐hospital mortality (2.1% vs 2.6%, OR 1.26 95% CI 0.57–2.79; p = 0.57 in patients with dementia compared with patients without dementia.
Conclusions and relevance
This study found that patients with dementia undergoing TAVR had a longer hospital stay as well as higher rates of discharge to a rehabilitation facility and in‐hospital delirium, which may indicate debility and functional decline during hospitalization; however, in‐hospital mortality and other outcomes were comparable between the two groups. TAVR candidates should be subjected to a comprehensive geriatric and cognitive assessment to help risk‐stratify them for potential post‐procedural functional decline. Prospective studies aimed at standardizing cognitive scoring and evaluating the post‐procedural quality of life are needed.
Conventional asphalt pavement is the dominant mode of passenger and freight traffic in Pakistan. As a result, asphalt pavements suffer from various failures, where rutting, corrugation, and fatigue ...cracking are significant. Fine aggregates and mineral fillers play a pivotal role in providing structural integrity in asphalt pavements when subjected to traffic and the environment. The current study aims to examine the effects of various locally accessible fine aggregate and mineral filler materials on the interlocking properties of asphalt mixtures in relation to internal friction angle, rutting resistance, and controlling environmental pollution as an indirect benefit, thereby reducing wastes. Four distinct asphalt samples were prepared using cinders, stone dust, natural sand, and surkhi as fine aggregates and mineral fillers, as a full replacement, as per ASTM D1559, confirming the Asphalt Institute’s gradation for asphalt wearing course. Optimum binder contents (OBC) of 4.40%, 4.1%, 6.57%, and 6.63% by weight of Marshall specimen were concluded for asphalt samples containing stone dust, natural sand, cinder, and surkhi, respectively. The results revealed that surkhi, natural sand, stone dust, and cinder all showed a diminishing tendency in developing interlocking properties in asphalt mixtures at internal friction angles of 35°, 33.7°, 32°, and 28.4°, respectively. The wheel tracking test results revealed that the asphalt samples made with surkhi as fine aggregates and fillers have the highest rut resistance, whereas samples made with cinders as fine aggregates and fillers have the lowest rut resistance. The direct shear test showed that fine aggregates with a larger angle of internal friction are significantly more stable in terms of rut resistance than fine aggregates with a smaller angle of internal friction. The current research will help to prevent pavement rutting and corrugation by adding surkhi into asphalt pavements, with the reduction in brick kiln waste providing an indirect benefit.
The objective of this study is to control the air quality parameters for a selected range of different particulate matters. A comprehensive experimental approach is established to regulate the ...quality of air about a selected range of different air pollutants being investigated in the indoor atmosphere of the church building. Relative humidity, temperature, carbon dioxide, particulate matter and radon were considered as the factors of air quality extents. For establishing the association among the selected parameters, the data were mathematically analyzed. The correlation coefficient confirmed a strong relationship between the indoor CO2 level and the number of public. A negative relationship between the indoor CO2 extent and indoor temperature confirmed that due to the increase in temperature the concentration of CO2 decreased as well. A solid adverse connection among indoor relative humidity and indoor air temperature showed that due to the increase in air temperature, the level of the relative humidity decreased. Some recommendations were proposed for the treatment of air quality in church buildings for human well-being.
Foam concrete or foamcrete is a lightweight, porous material with a wide range of applications in the construction domain. This article focused on reviewing porosity, thermal conductivity, acoustic ...properties, compressive strength (
′), elastic modulus (
), flexural strength (
), stability, resistance to hostile environments, density, and fire resistance of foam concrete. A systematic literature analysis was conducted to identify relevant research trends on foam concrete. The challenges and limitations of foam concrete research were highlighted, including the lack of standardized testing methods and the need for more research on the long-term durability and structural performance of foam concrete. The analysis of the literature data revealed that there had been a growing interest in foamcrete research over the past decade. Foam concrete may be utilized in several construction applications due to its adaptability and wide range of uses. Its potential uses can be increased by developing new manufacturing methods and the inclusion of certain admixtures. The present research has the potential to be advantageous for scholars interested in collaborative advancement and the exchange of novel tactics and concepts, owing to the visual and statistical representation of the regions/countries and researchers that have contributed.
A considerable fraction of solid waste, which is harmful, chemically reactive, and infectious, is generated globally. The frequent deposition of these wastes in landfills has significant ...environmental and health consequences. This study aims to develop an environmentally conscious approach by incorporating finely ground waste materials, namely marble powder (MP), glass powder (GP), and silica fume (SF), into plastic waste (PW) based mortar to assess their efficacy in improving flexural strength (FS). Plastic waste mortar samples were cast using shredded PW, replacing sand in amounts ranging from 5 % to 25 %. The FS of these samples was measured after 28 days and used as a reference. MP, GP, and SF were individually incorporated into PW-based mortar formulations in varying quantities of 5–25 %, with increments of 5 %, by replacing cement. In PW-based mortar formulations, waste materials were also utilized in various combinations, including GP+SF, MP+SF, MP+GP, and MP+GP+SF. In addition, prediction models, including decision tree (DT) and artificial neural network (ANN), were constructed utilizing experimental data for the FS of PW-based mortar. The substitution of PW with sand reduces the FS of mortar samples. The research findings emphasize that optimal replacement levels for MP, GP, and SF in PW-based mortar mixtures, based on their ability to enhance FS, were 15 %, 10 %, and 15 % by cement mass, respectively. However, the cumulative incorporation of MP, GP, and SF in PW-based mortar suggests cement should not be replaced beyond 15 %, as it reduces the FS. Both prediction models exhibited a high degree of correlation with the coefficient of determination (R2) value of 0.925 for ANN and 0.959 for the DT model. The findings showed that MP, GP, and SF may be used in PW-based mortar to improve the FS while producing eco-friendly building material.
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Antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains and the consequent surge in infections caused by them have become major public health concerns. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) exhibit antibacterial properties ...and have wide applications in biomedical sciences. In this study, AgNPs were synthesized in the presence of antibiotics: Ceftazidime (Cft), Cefotaxime (Cef), Ceftriaxone (Cfx), and Cefepime (Cpm), along with the extract of
Mentha longifolia
.
Mentha longifolia
-based AgNPs were kept as the control for all experiments. The associated metabolites, structural properties, surface charges, and antibacterial activity of the AgNPs were also evaluated. Overall, a blue-shift of SPR peaks was observed for control AgNPs (λmax = 421 nm, 422 nm, 426 nm, and 406 nm for Cft-AgNPs, Cef-AgNPs, Cfx-AgNPs, and Cpm-AgNPs, respectively), compared to the control (λmax = 438 nm). Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy showed that antibiotic-based AgNPs had distinct peaks that corresponded to the respective antibiotics, which were not observed in the control. XRD analysis showed that there were observed changes in crystallinity in antibiotic-based AgNPs compared to the control. TEM images revealed that all samples had spherical nanoparticles with different sizes and distributions compared to the control. The Zeta potential for extract-based AgNPs was − 33.6 mV, compared to -19.6 mV for Cft-AgNPs, -2 mV for Cef-AgNPs, -21.1 mV for Cfx-AgNPs, and − 24.2 mV for Cpm-AgNPs. The increase in the PDI value for antibiotic-based AgNPs also showed a highly polydisperse distribution. However, the antibiotic-AgNPs conjugates showed significantly higher activity against pathogenic bacteria. The addition of antibiotics to AgNPs brought significant changes in structural properties and antibacterial activities.
Dengue is an arbovirus infection which is transmitted by
mosquitoes. Its prompt detection and effective treatment is a global health challenge. Various nanoparticle-based vaccines have been ...formulated to present immunogen (antigens) to instigate an immune response or prevent virus spread, but no specific treatment has been devised. This review explores the role of nanomedicine-based therapeutic agents against dengue virus, taking into consideration the applicable dengue virus assays that are sensitive, specific, have a short turnaround time and are inexpensive. Various kinds of metallic, polymeric and lipid nanoparticles with safe and effective profiles present an alternative strategy that could provide a better remedy for eradicating the dengue virus.
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