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Scorpions (Arachnida: Scorpions) are one of the medically important oldest arthropods. They have been one of the humans' interests in terms of special morphology, painful stings, mortality, and behavioral attractions for many years. Diagnosis of scorpions is based on morphological characteristics and molecular methods. But, one of the most important and fundamental problems of identifying the Iranian scorpions is the lack of a comprehensive method. Due to the fact that a relatively long time has not passed since the classification of scorpions in Iran and there are no definitive divisions about the genera and species in the country, the current pictorial key was provided to identify the Iranian scorpions. In this study, various methods were used to catch the scorpions. For preparing the pictorial key, different genera of scorpions were collected from urban, rural, plain, and mountain areas in different parts of Iran as well as some archived specimens from the medical arachnid's Museum of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences were used from 2010 to 2020 collection boxes. The key presented in this study was prepared only based on morphological features. It was necessary to remind a few points about this key and its use. Considering the above-mentioned points, this key was provided for 16 genera, 64 species, and 3 families of Iranian scorpions, and the results of other researchers are included in it. The study of various aspects of scorpion life, especially faunistic studies has been recently considered in Iran. Various methods such as molecular methods and composition of scorpion venom can be used for classification, the most common of which are morphological features that have a long history. Therefore, the need to provide a key to detect scorpions in the country has a special priority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Since the beginning of 2020, the world has been grappling with a common problem, the coronavirus or COVID-19, causing a significant increase in worry, anxiety, and stress worldwide. In Iran, the rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus has posed serious threats to individuals' physical and mental health. Due to their extensive physical contact with infected individuals, medical staff experience high anxiety levels compared to other members of society. Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the acceptance and commitment approach on the resilience, self-compassion, and corona disease anxiety of medical staff involved in the COVID-19 response in Hamadan, Iran. Methods: This study utilized a semi-experimental design, including pre-test, post-test, follow-up, and control group. The study population included all medical staff involved in the COVID-19 response in Hamadan in 2021. From this population, 40 individuals were purposively selected and randomly assigned to either the experimental or control groups (20 participants in each group). Before the intervention, both groups underwent measurements (pre-test) using the Connor and Davidson Resilience Questionnaire (2003), the Neff Self-Compassion Scale (2003), and Alipouret al.'s Corona Disease Anxiety Questionnaire (2018). After the intervention of acceptance and commitment therapy for the experimental group, the same tests were conducted again for both groups (post-test). Finally, three months later, the same measurements were repeated for both groups (follow-up). The data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance in SPSS-25. Results: The findings demonstrated the significant impact of acceptance and commitment therapy in enhancing resilience (P ≤ 0.001) and self-compassion (P ≤ 0.001), as well as reducing COVID-19 anxiety among the medical staff in Hamadan (P ≤ 0.001). Moreover, these effects remained stable during the follow-up phase. Conclusions: The results underscore the importance of utilizing acceptance and commitment therapy to enhance resilience and self-compassion while reducing anxiety among medical staff managing the disease. Additionally, hospital educational and executive managers should prioritize training medical staff in acceptance and commitment skills to effectively address COVID-19 anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the beginning of life on earth, mankind has always used animals and plants for its nutrition and has continuously trained and developed them for their benefits and social, cultural, and economic needs. In the past, livestock and crop breeding were done by traditional farmers and ranchers. It improves the performance of livestock and crops, they performed the selection, which is one of the principles of plant breeding and livestock breeding. They made this choice with the help of information that was passed down to them from successive generations. It is a participatory plant breeding and production of crops with the help of researchers alongside farmers. Farmers work with researchers, scientists, and other stakeholders -even consumers-to improve crops and develop resilient plant varieties. Farmers are aware of their needs and have a conscious understanding of their agricultural land in terms of soil type, seed type, weather conditions, surface water, underground water conditions, etc. Therefore, they can play an important role in making decisions about the implementation of plant breeding and the type of planting pattern in the cultivated microclimates. In other words, farmers determine their cultivation goals based on their environments, conditions, tastes, and local cultures. The seed that is obtained in this way by the breed researchers with the help of the leading farmers, actually contributes significantly to the food governance of the people of that region and that country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution of wealth among the people of society is one of the most important subject in the economy, distribution and its methods keep the economic balance among the people of the society. Therefore, fair distribution of wealth leads to the welfare and comfort of all people in society. Distribution theory has been remained a hot discussion and argument among the different economic schools for a long time. Capitalism believes in the freedom of the individual in all areas, the general law in the capitalist system is that each production factor determines its part in wealth. The factors of production are land, workforce, capital and employment. The theory of capitalism in the domain of the division of wealth is that that the land gets lease or rent, the workforce gets wages, capital gains profit and the employer gains benefit. Socialists believe that the equal distribution of wealth is the key solution to all the problems of society and argue: Due to the lack of reasonable distribution of wealth, numerous major problems raised in society. According to socialists, in fact the unequal distribution of wealth in a society is the basic reason of all economic problems among the people of society. They suggest that all tools and factors of production should be taken from individuals and should be controlled by government. The people of society should have fair access to the wealth produced from it, and the government itself should have a mechanism for wealth distribution. However, the Islamic economic system has another theory. Its crux is: the variance in the wealth of the people of the society is a natural matter, all human beings are not equal in wealth. Distribution from the perspective of the Islamic economy has three stages: The first stage is possession of items, the second stage is the distribution based on the contribution of each production factor in wealth production and the third stage is the redistribution of wealth distribution by some distributing mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In severe COVID-19 cases, a hypercoagulable state may occur. Antiphospholipid syndrome-related auto-antibodies (APSRAs) contribute to coagulopathy, but their role in COVID-19 remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of positive APSRAs and their effect on clinical outcomes in confirmed COVID-19 patients. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, severe hospitalized COVID-19 cases were enrolled. Demographic and clinical data were obtained from the day of admission. APSRAs including IgG and/or IgM anticardiolipin (aCL) and anti-ß2-glycoprotein1 (anti-ß2GP1) as well as lupus anticoagulant (LAC) were measured. Results: In this study, 54 severe COVID-19 cases with positive RT-PCR and chest CT scans were recruited. Positive APSRAs were found in 7 (12.9%) patients. Positive LAC was a more prevalent marker as compared to other tests (11.1%). The prevalence of positive aCL (IgM or IgG) and anti-ß2 GPI (IgM or IgG) w as 1.8% (in an elderly woman). Lower oxygen saturation was found in the positive APSRAs group as opposed to the negative APSRAs group (70.3±9 vs. 84.8±9.7%). The mortality rate in the positive APSRAs group was significantly higher relative to the negative APSRAs group (83.3% vs. 27.1%; Pvalue: 0.01). Likewise, the mechanical ventilation requirement in the positive group was also higher (50% vs. 27.1%, P-value: 0.28). Conclusion: This study indicated that LAC might be associated with critical cases and high mortality of COVID-19. Nonetheless, the mortality was not related to macrothrombotic incidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is an inflammatory autoimmune disease that mostly affects different joints of the body. Macrophages are the predominant cells that mediate disease progression by secreting several pro-inflammatory mediators. Different receptors are involved in macrophages' function including the adenosine receptors (AR). Our main objective in this study was to assess the effect of applying A2A adenosine receptor agonist (CGS-21,680) on the gene expression of inflammatory mediators including bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP)-2, 4 and matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-3, 8, 9, and 13 on the macrophages from AS patients compared to healthy macrophages.Methods: Monocytes were isolated from the whole blood of 28 individuals (AS patients and healthy controls in a 1:1 ratio). Macrophages were differentiated using macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), and flow cytometry was performed to confirm surface markers. CGS-21,680 was used to treat cells that had been differentiated. Using SYBR green real-time PCR, relative gene expression was determined.Results: Activating A2AAR diminished MMP8 expression in healthy macrophages while it cannot reduce MMP8 expression in patients' macrophages. The effect of A2AAR activation on the expression of BMP2 and MMP9 reached statistical significance neither in healthy macrophages nor in the patients' group. We also discovered a significant positive connection between MMP8 expression and patient scores on the Bath ankylosing spondylitis functional index (BASFI).Conclusion: Due to the disability of A2AAR activation in the reduction of MMP8 expression in patients' macrophages and the correlation of MMP8 expression with BASFI index in patients, these results represent defects and dysregulations in the related signaling pathway in patients' macrophages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effectiveness of inactivated H9N2 influenza vaccines is doubtful due to changes in antigenic regions of the virus hemagglutinin (HA) protein. One strategy for the development of the efficacious vaccine is the use of nanoparticles that display more immunogenic regions of the influenza virus. In this study, chitosan (CS)-based nanoparticles were developed as a delivery system for intranasal immunization using recombinant H9N2 virus HA1 and nucleoprotein (NP), for the induction of humoral and cellular responses. CS-HA1 and CS-NP nanoparticles were prepared by the ionic gelation method and characterized for their physicochemical properties and shape. The immunogenicity and the protective efficacy were evaluated by measuring antibody titers, T cell proliferation response, CD4+/CD8+ ratio, and quantitative real-time RT-PCR following intranasal administration of the prepared nanoparticles alone or in combination in chickens compared to an inactivated H9N2 vaccine. The average size, surface charge, and spherical structure of the synthesized nanoparticles showed high quality. Serologic analysis revealed that the immunization of inactivated vaccine groups resulted in strong influenza antibodies, which were significantly (p < 0.05) higher compared to the other groups. The vaccinated chickens with CS-HA1+CS-NP developed higher specific anti-influenza antibodies than in those vaccinated with each of rHA1 and rNP. Administration of a combination of the protein-based nanoparticles has stimulated the activation of both CD4+ and CD8+T cells and induced a significantly higher T cell proliferation. The viral shedding was significantly lower in CS-HA1+CS-NP and inactivated vaccine groups compared with other challenged groups. The data demonstrate the potential of CS-HA1+CS-NP nanoparticles for eliciting specific influenza antibodies and conferring protection in chickens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• New hydroxylammonium - based ILs. • Structure confirmed by FTIR and 1D NMR spectroscopy. • Correlation between chemical structure and ion conductivity. In the research work, new protic ionic liquids (Pr - ILs) were synthesized by an acid - base neutralization reaction. The influence of IL chemical structure (i.e. anion and cation nature) on the thermal behavior, viscosity and ionic conductivity was evaluated. To confirm the chemical structure of synthesized Pr - ILs, nuclear magnetic resonance (1H and 19F) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses were performed. Thermal analysis demonstrated that the influence of anion nature on the IL thermal stability was more pronounced than that of cation. The ionic liquids with trifluoromethanesulfonate anion showed the highest thermal stability (T deg ∼ 410–420 °C) as compared with other studied anions (i.e. phosphate and acetate anions). The trifluoromethanesulfonate - based Pr - ILs also demonstrated high ionic conductivity – between ∼58 and ∼64 mS·cm−1 at 150 °C and non - humid conditions. Despite the fact that phosphate - based Pr - ILs were more thermally stable (T deg ∼ 250–280 °C) than acetate - based ones (T deg ∼ 215 °C), acetate - based Pr - ILs revealed a higher ionic conductivity (∼15–19 mS·cm−1 at 80 °C) than phosphate - based Pr - ILs (∼0.2–1 and ∼0.4–2 mS·cm−1 at 80 and 120 °C, respectively). The obtained results confirm that the synthesized Pr - ILs are promising candidates for using them in electrochemical applications, namely, electrodialysis and fuel cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a groundbreaking approach to demand response management, aiming to empower consumers through innovative strategies. The key contribution is the concept of "acquiring flexibility rights", wherein consumers engage with power aggregators to curtail energy usage during peak-load periods, receiving incentives in return. A flexibility right coefficient is introduced, allowing consumers to tailor their participation in demand response programs, ensuring their well-being. Additionally, a lighting intensity control system is developed to enhance residential lighting network efficiency. The study demonstrates that high-energy consumers, adopting a satisfaction factor of 10, can achieve over 61% in electricity cost savings by combining the lighting control system and active participation in demand response programs. This not only reduces expenses but also generates income through the sale of flexibility rights. Conversely, low-energy consumers can fully offset their expenses and accumulate over USD 33 in earnings through the installation of solar panels. This paper formulates an optimization problem considering flexibility rights, lighting control, and time-of-use tariff rates. An algorithm is proposed for a distributed solution, and a sensitivity analysis is conducted for evaluation. The proposed method showcases significant benefits, including cost savings and income generation for consumers, while contributing to grid stability and reduced blackout occurrences. Real data from a residential district in Tehran validates the method's effectiveness. This study concludes that this approach holds promise for demand response management in smart grids, emphasizing the importance of consumer empowerment and sustainable energy practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • This study proposes novel auxetic medical stents. • Two-dimensional metamaterials were fabricated through additive manufacturing technique. • Finite element analysis was employed to investigate the mechanical behaviour. • An excellent correlation was observed between the FEA and experimental results. • The modifications made to the rib-unit cells had a significant effect on the stent's recoil behaviour. Due to the significant mortality rate associated with atherosclerosis-induced cardiovascular disease, the utilization of advanced intravascular stents with superior mechanical performance is imperative for the restoration of obstructed arteries. This study proposes novel auxetic medical stents that aim to enhance critical parameters of biomedical stents. This includes load-bearing capacity, expanded opening percentage, and reduced recoil percentage. On this matter, the missing rib auxetic unit cell has been considered and geometrically modified to achieve these objectives. Two-dimensional (2D) metamaterials were fabricated through additive manufacturing technique and subjected to experimental testing. Then, finite element analysis (FEA) was employed to gain comprehensive insights into the mechanical behaviour of the proposed medical stents. Remarkably, an excellent correlation was observed between the FEA and experimental results, validating the high precision of the analysis. The findings reveal that the stents classified as "E-category" exhibit the highest final opening percentage while concurrently demonstrating the lowest recoil percentage. The base stent exhibited a relatively high recoil percentage of 15.56%, indicating a significant amount of recoil or spring-back after deformation. In contrast, the modified "E-category" stent displayed a substantially lower recoil percentage of 1.62%. This notable reduction in recoil percentage indicates that the modifications made to the rib-unit cells had a significant and beneficial effect on the stent's recoil behaviour and minimizing potential damage to arterial tissue during stent deployment (angioplasty) and balloon pressure. The modified design likely enhances the stent's ability to maintain its shape and resist recoil, making it more effective and reliable in its intended application. Additionally, more aspects of biomedical stents such as foreshortening, and dog-boning of the modified missing rib stents were meticulously examined through FEA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sparse linear arrays (SLAs) provide a high number of degrees of freedom (DOF) and reduce the mutual coupling effect between sensors of the array. Many design methods for SLAs have been proposed in the last two decades but most of the existing SLA design methods fail to achieve minimum number of sensors for a desired DOF. In this paper, a design method is proposed which utilizes the branch and bound (B & B) optimization algorithm to give a SLA with the desired DOF and minimum number of physical sensors. The proposed SLA design method is obtained by generalizing the minimum sensor array (MSA) design method which is recently proposed in the literature. This generalized method provides the same DOF as the MSA method but with a smaller number of physical sensors. In addition, a version of this design method is proposed which provides more robustness against mutual coupling effect between the sensors of the array. Simulation results demonstrate the superiority of the performance of the SLAs obtained with the proposed method over the arrays obtained with the MSA method and also over the other existing SLAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A novel CNN model was developed for predicting soil texture based on fusing NIR and image data. • Data sizes, NIR pre-processing methods, and image types were optimized. • HSV images and NIR spectra preprocessed with derivation boost CNN performance. • Multi-dimensional CNN accurately predicts clay and silt fractions. • Fused model achieves high prediction accuracy with smaller dataset. Soil texture is very important information for various agricultural, environmental, and geological research areas, however, it has been difficult to obtain data through proximal sensing due to the lack of appropriate predictive models. In this study, sand, silt, and clay contents of soil samples were evaluated using fusion data with the near-infrared (NIR) and image based on the convolutional neural network (CNN) model. For the development of the applicable predictive model, the preprocessing methods such as standard normal variate (SNV) and derivative, image types and size were optimized, and the performance of the CNN model was enhanced using only a small amount of data (n = 250). As results, the SNV and derivative methods increased model performance (R2 > 0.91) for the NIR dataset, and the red–green–blue (RGB) and hue-saturation-value (HSV) image types showed high performance (R2 > 0.84). Meanwhile, the fusion dataset improved the model performance than the individual dataset. The model performance (R2) could be achieved over 0.93 using fusion data of size 30 × 30 regardless of soil fraction. Furthermore, this trained model showed better predictive performance (R2) than the previous models even on the test dataset: 0.69 and 0.80 for silt and clay, respectively. Therefore, these results demonstrated that the proposed CNN model using NIR and image fusion data showed the potential to accurately predict silt and clay fractions despite the small amount of training data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electronic properties of (n,0) zigzag tungsten disulfide WS 2 nanotubes and transport properties of (7,0) zigzag nanotube heterojunction are investigated by utilizing non-equilibrium Green's function formalism (NEGF). The results reveal that inclusion of the spin-orbit (SO) coupling significantly reduces the value of the band gap about 15.52\%. Additionally, strong negative differential resistances take place in voltage regions between −0.2 and −0.4 V as well as between −0.5 and −0.6 V. Moreover, temperature dependent transport properties are elaborately investigated in this work. The results show that, as the temperature increases to 600 K the stronger negative differential resistance occurs in both positive and negative bias voltages. Finally, a reasonably large degree of rectification ratio can be established. Our analysis can provide a comprehensive perspective on the NDR effect and current rectification in WS 2 nanotubes and can be used as a beneficial guide for future designing of novel logical and nanoelectronic and spintronic devices. • All electronic calculations were carried out using ab-initio DFT-NEGF method. • Transport characteristics were discussed with and without SO coupling. • Reduction of band gap and strong NDR were obtained in the percent of SO coupling. • Stronger NDR was occurred by temperature increasing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most important dimensions of cooperative systems, which have existed in Iran since 1974, is cooperative rural production enterprises. In this study, the performance of rural production cooperatives in Iran is examined in relation to the social capital components of the members. This study's statistical population consisted of 16,870 members from 41 cooperatives. 217 samples of cooperative members and 98 samples of the cooperative's management and board of directors were selected using the Cochran formula, and questionnaires were filled out for each group. The results showed that from the viewpoint of the members of rural cooperatives, the most important factor in improving the performance of cooperatives was the use of effective extension training (model-extension sites). The results also showed that members' satisfaction and training members of cooperatives can play an important role in improving the performance of cooperatives. The results of this research, while emphasizing the role of education (especially extension activities), can help rural development planners in improving the performance of rural cooperatives in their regions. [Display omitted] • The study identified the impacts of social capitals on the performance of rural production cooperatives. • The most important factor in improving the performance was the use the extension trainings. • Members' satisfaction and training play an important role in improving the performance. • The level of education in production cooperatives has a direct relationship with trust and satisfaction. • Cooperatives do not perform well in the fields of sales, marketing and insurance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-ionic surfactants have the ability to alter the cell membrane's permeability for enhancing virus replication. The impact of non-ionic surfactant Tween 80 (TW80) on the infectivity of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) was studied in BCL1 cells. The toxicity of different concentrations of TW80 for BCL1 cells was determined for five-time passages. The confluent monolayer of BCL1 was infected by IBDV and subsequently passaged. The adaptation was confirmed by virus titration and RT-PCR assay. Replication kinetics of the cell-adapted IBDV was evaluated in pre-treatment and simultaneous treatment with TW80 at 0.01% concentration. The IBDV infectivity patterns were determined by virus titration, FRAP assay, and transmission electron microscopy. Sequence analysis, RNA secondary structure, and potential N-glycosylation site were conducted for IBDV VP2. Despite the similar cytopathic effects found in both TW80-treated cells and similar ROS levels, the IBDV titer was higher in TW80 pre-treated cells compared to the simultaneous treatment one. Such an increase in IBDV titer did not associate with changes in the VP2 sequence and RNA secondary structure. The possible antioxidant capacity of TW80 can attenuate the ROS damage and improve the cell viability, thereby improving IBDV infectivity. • Infectious bursal disease virus isolate adapts to BCL1 cells following five subsequent passages. • The low concentration of non-ionic surfactant Tween 80 supports IBDV replication to high titers. • A high correlation estimates between the antioxidant activity and the replication of virus. • A synonymous substitution at 1019 nucleotide of VP2 detects as a silent mutation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a long time, electricity is supplied by means of firing the fossil fuels in thermal power plants. Now, it is well-known that the activity has many environmental and health issues, which are sharply menace the future of earth and humanity. Photovoltaic (PV) system is one of the popular renewable types of energy generation, which is available in most parts of the earth. Unfortunately, temperature rise in a PV module, leads to a significant reduction in its electrical efficiency. In this paper, two methods of wind blowing and mounting fins are considered separately and simultaneously, to overcome the mentioned weak-point. The wind velocity is set to 2 km/h. So, four cases are assessed, experimentally. As results, it was revealed that wind blowing of 2 km/h is more effective than fins in cooling PV module, so that, it can create more than 15 °C lower temperature than mounting fins. The mentioned temperature reduction leads to enhance the electrical efficiency and output power by 2.4% and 21.7%, respectively. In order to show the accuracy of results, all experimental outcomes in electrical efficiency were compared with the analytical formula. Moreover, the environmental evaluation of commissioning a 10 kW PV power plant with the proposed cases are reported, too. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessing, predicting, and controlling injection-induced seismicity is a major challenge for developing enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) due to the complexity of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) processes. This study aimed to develop a fully coupled numerical model to assess the complex behavior of a low permeable matrix-fracture during non-isothermal single-phase fluid injection process. A thermo-poroelastic displacement discontinuity (DD) method combining with different forms of finite element method are implemented to encapsulate the fractured medium response and transport processes, respectively. The nonlinear characteristics of normal (changing the joint to hydraulic fracture status) and shear (changing the stick to slip fracture status) fracture deformation are taken into account through fracture constitutive relations. Developed numerical approach was applied to simulate cool water injection into fracture/matrix systems, analyzing the role of coupled processes on spatiotemporal variation of matrix-fracture stresses, temperature and pore pressure and assessing induced seismicity (slippage) and permeability alteration. Numerical simulations demonstrate a fully coupled relation between matrix dilation, shrinkage, and non-linear fracture deformation. The redistribution of dynamic and kinematic parameters along with non-linear fracture deformation showed that although the poroelastic effects are dominant in the early stages, thermoelastic effects dominate in the long-term injection stages. • A fully-coupled Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical approach was developed to model injection process in EGS. • Displacement discontinuity and finite element methods were combined to encapsulate fracture deformation and transport processes, respectively. • Fracture constitutive laws were implemented to model non-linear crack deformation. • Poroelastic effects are dominant in the early stages, and thermoelastic effects dominate in the long-term injection stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Effect of key parameters on LIDM hematite beneficiation was determined. • Evolving MLPs' architecture was successfully optimized by PSO. • DOE-RSM and PSO-MLP neural network, successfully modelled LIDM separation. • PSO-MLP model out-performed DOE model in predicting product Fe content and SE. • Optimization of the operating parameters led to the product Fe = 60.1% and SE = 36.1% The low intensity dry magnetic beneficiation of hematite was studied in this study, and the effect of field intensity (FI: 800–2000 G), drum speed (DS: 25–75 rpm), separating gate position (SG: 55–83°), and mean particle size (PS: 0.5–1.18 mm) on the products' Fe content and system separation efficiency were determined. A new hybrid particle swarm optimization enhanced multilayer perceptron (PSO-MLP) neural network and design of experiment have been employed to model and predict such a beneficiation result. Based on the CCD-RSM response surfaces, the effectiveness of variables on both evaluation criteria was determined to be DS > FI > SG. The mutual interaction between DS-SG was a common interaction for both responses, while FI-DS interaction was found to be significant only for separation efficiency. Compared to the desired levels of the statistical evaluators, the trained PSO-MLP outperformed the CCD-RSM model in predicting the hematite beneficiation results. Product Fe grade of 60.1% and corresponding SE of 36.1% was achieved for FI = 1200 G, DS = 75 rpm, SG = 83°, and PS = 0.5 mm, concluded from optimizing the parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyaniline nanocomposite with controllable properties was used to design and fabricate a novel electrochemical immunosensor for the early detection of type 2 diabetes. Insulin receptor antibody is a powerful predictor of type 2 diabetes development in individuals. A systematic study was carried out to investigate the effects of different polyaniline layers and the Nafion layer on the morphological, chemical, and electrochemical properties of nanocomposite immunosensor, especially the stability. The bioengineered Nafion-Au nanoparticles-polyaniline/gold electrode demonstrated outstanding electrocatalytic performance in the detection of insulin receptor antibodies with a high sensitivity (136.21 µA.ng−1.ml.cm−2) in a linear range from 0.001 to 200 ng.ml−1 as well as a low detection limit of 1.827 pg.ml−1, response time within 10 min, remarkable selectivity, and significant stability of 80 days. Therefore, the developed immunosensor is a suitable nanocomposite platform for insulin receptor antibody level determination in human plasma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the odds and associations of pregnancy outcomes with exposure to biopsy-confirmed celiac disease (CD) in Northeast Iran. Methods: In this regional retrospective cohort study, pregnancy records of all women with celiac disease who visited Celiac Disease Clinic of Imam-Reza Hospital from 2017 to 2023 (exposed group) and a sample of women without CD (unexposed group) were extracted using the Electronic Health Record of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences called "Sina". The unexposed group was randomly selected of the database and matched to exposed group on age, location of residence, socioeconomic factors. Our exclusion criteria included age ≥ 45, presence of concomitant disorders, history of non-obstetric uterine surgery, induction of pregnancy through assisted reproductive technology, and any concurrently ongoing pregnancy at the time of study. Pregnancy outcomes evaluated in this study included normal delivery, miscarriage, preterm labor, preeclampsia, and stillbirth. Adjusted odds ratios were calculated using logistic regression adjusted for confounders. Results: Ninety pregnancy records of women with CD and 270 pregnancies of women without CD were included in this study. Low neonatal birthweight (i.e. under 2500 g) had no significant association with CD (aOR = 0.99, 95% CI = 0.92–1.06), as well as postpartum hemorrhage (aOR = 1.12, 95%CI = 0.91–1.38), fetal anomaly (aOR = 0.89, 95%CI = 0.69–1.15), miscarriage (aOR = 1.00, 95%CI = 0.91–1.10), ectopic pregnancy (aOR = 0.94, 95%CI = 0.73–1.20), preterm labor (aOR = 1.00, 95%CI = 0.92–1.10), gestational diabetes mellitus (aOR = 1.07, 95%CI = 0.98–1.16), gestational hypertension (aOR = 0.99, 95%CI = 0.89–1.11), and gestation hypothyroidism (aOR = 0.95, 95%CI = 0.82–1.11). However, we found significantly lower odds of preeclampsia in pregnancies affected by CD (aOR = 0.83, 95%CI = 0.69–0.99). Conclusion: Celiac disease was not associated with increased odds of low neonatal birthweight, postpartum hemorrhage, fetal anomaly, miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, preterm labor, gestational diabetes mellitus, gestational hypertension and gestational hypothyroidism. Preeclampsia had significantly lower odds in pregnancies affected with CD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ground motion amplitude, frequency content, and duration are commonly identified as the main features of seismic waves affecting structural demand. Among these parameters, earthquake duration can have a substantial influence on assessment of structural seismic demand. The paper proposes a new empirical model for predicting the significant duration of ground-motion records in Turkey. Significant duration is an important parameter in determining the damage potential of earthquakes and is defined as the time interval between two specific values of Arias intensity. The proposed model is as function of moment magnitude ( M w ), Joyner-Boore distance ( R jb ), time-averaged shear-wave velocity in the top 30 m ( V S 30 ), and fault mechanism ( F m ). In the regression process, a database consisting of 850 records from 408 earthquakes in Turkey is used. According to the physics of the problem, mixed effect regression is employed. Next, besides residual analysis, comparison of the mean values with the other prediction models are performed. The results of this study indicate that the new model is satisfactory while reliable estimates of significant duration could be assessed for the Turkish region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Probiotics are added into the food or feed systems and provide beneficial effects to the human or animal health. This study aimed to isolate the gastrointestinal native Lactobacillus strains with high probiotic, cholesterol-assimilation and aflatoxin-degradation capabilities from native chickens. Materials and Methods: About 70 Lactobacillus isolates were isolated from ileum of the Fars province native chickens and were investigated for their probiotic properties. Results: Of 70 Lactobacillus isolates, 10 showed high probiotic capabilities, including survival at acidic conditions (pH up to 2.5), tolerance of 0.5% bile and 6-10% NaCl salts, growth in a wide range of temperature from 15 to 45°C, antagonistic effects against different important bacterial pathogens (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus mutans, Clostridium defficile, Enterococcus hirae, Salmonella enterica and Staphylococcus aureus) and sensitivity to some important antibiotics. The selected strains had an aggregation time less than 120 min. The 16S-rDNA sequencing showed that the selected strains were highly related to Lactobacillus reuteri and L. casei. Finally, the selected strains in this study along with 10 other probiotic strains isolated and characterized in our pervious study were used to evaluate their cholesterol assimilation and aflatoxin B1 degradation capabilities. The potentials of cholesterol assimilation of the selected strains were significantly different (P<0.05) and ranged from 2.3% to 99%. The highest content of cholesterol assimilation was obtained in isolates M20 and M4 with more than 98% absorption. Moreover, four strains 43, OR7, M21 and OR9 were able to absorb AFB1 with 58.6%, 52.33%, 47% and 31.6% efficiency respectively. Conclusion: It could be concluded that the strains 43, M21 and OR7 showed high probiotic potentials for application in the poultry industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) causes an acute and highly contagious immunosuppressive response in young chickens by targeting B lymphocytes in immune organs. Changes in regulatory T-cell ratio and apoptosis have been demonstrated during IBDV infection in these cells. The possible change in CD19 expression as the precursor of B cells after IBDV replication was detected in this study. Raji cells were infected with an IBDV isolate at MOIs of 1.0 and 3.0. The viral kinetics were determined using the characteristic virus-induced CPE, cell viability, and infectious titer. Induction of apoptosis and also changes in the CD19 expression within the virus infection were assessed by flow cytometry. The Raji cells were found to be susceptible to IBDV infection by producing marked CPEs dependent on MOI. The infectivity titers were determined in intra- and extracellular samples at the defined hours. The kinetics of early IBDV replication in Raji cells were nearly identical for both MOIs, but a significant difference in the infectivity titer was observed at 48 hpi. The quick apoptotic events were observed to be significantly higher in MOI 3.0, which was correlated with the lower virus titer. A significant CD19 expression change in the IBDV-infected Raji cells was revealed. The results suggested that Raji cells mimic the IBDV replication in lymphoid organs and the virus replication is related to CD19 expression frequencies in the lymphoid cells. • IBDV targets the medullary bursa in the avian host with a preference for B cells. • Raji cell line has the potential for IBDV replication and support higher viral growth titers. • Changes in Bregs expression be suitable in monitoring IBDV replication in a B cell-originated cell line. • The change in the level of CD19 marker is closely associated with IBDV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by core symptoms including impairment in social communication and restrictive and repetitive behaviors and interests. Music has emerged in the past decade as an intervention therapy for children with ASD. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of music on cognition impairments in the valproic acid (VPA) rat model of autism. The VPA was administered for animal modeling of autism on embryonic day 12.5 (E12.5) (600 mg/kg). Male and female pups were sub divided into four main groups (Saline.Non‐music, VPA.Non‐music, Saline.Music, and VPA.Music). The rats in the music groups were exposed to Mozart's piano sonata K.448 for 30 days (4 h/day), from postnatal day (PND) 21 to 50. Autistic‐like behaviors were tested using a social interaction, the Morris water maze (MWM), and a passive avoidance tasks at the end of the PND 50. Our results demonstrated that VPA‐exposed rat pups had significantly lower sociability and social memory performance compared with the saline‐exposed rats in both sexes. VPA‐exposed rat pups exhibited learning and memory impairments in the MWM and passive avoidance tasks. Our results demonstrated that music improved sociability in VPA‐exposed rats, especially in males. Furthermore, our findings revealed that music improved learning impairments in VPA‐exposed male rats in MWM task. In addition, music improved spatial memory impairments in VPA‐exposed rats of both sexes. We also found that music improved passive avoidance memory impairments in VPA‐exposed rats of both sexes, especially in females. More investigation in future studies are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Neuropsychological manifestations are increasingly reported in patients with COVID-19, but the subject is poorly understood and our knowledge about cognitive impairment is limited. This study aimed to investigate neuropsychological involvement of COVID-19 and its relation to laboratory data. Material and methods: This study was conducted among patients admitted to a tertiary medical center in Iran, in the period March 2020 to March 2021. Neuropsychiatric assessments were carried out by the Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination (ACE) test in all patients and interpreted by a specialist. It was performed using the Persian version of ACE in six domains consisting of attention, orientation, memory, language, visual perception and visuospatial skills. Laboratory data were assessed among all patients. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS. Results: Among 114 patients with COVID-19, the mean age was 48.46 ±13.61 years, and the male/female ratio was 1.32. The mean values of some abnormal laboratory data were: erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) 57.2 ±29.8, C-reactive protein (CRP) 81.7 ±59.8 and D-dimer 459.3 ±395.4. Cognitive impairment was detected in 41 patients (63%). The mean score of ACE was 80.68 ±19.29. Statistical analysis showed correlations between total result of the ACE test and laboratory findings that were not statistically significant. Conclusions: In our study, no relation was found between laboratory test results and the overall cognitive examination score but statistical analysis showed a correlation between CRP and verbal fluency, between hemoglobin level and language and visuospatial domains, and also between total level of bilirubin and memory. These relations may suggest that we should follow the neurocognitive features in COVID-19 patients earlier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla (Thunb). Ser.), an ornamental plant, has good marketing potential and is known for its capacity to change the colour of its inflorescence depending on the pH of the cultivation media. The molecular mechanisms causing these changes are still uncertain. In the present study, transcriptome and targeted metabolic profiling were used to identify molecular changes in the RNAome of hydrangea plants cultured at two different pH levels. De novo assembly yielded 186,477 unigenes. Transcriptomic datasets provided a comprehensive and systemic overview of the dynamic networks of the gene expression underlying flower colour formation in hydrangeas. Weighted analyses of gene co-expression network identified candidate genes and hub genes from the modules linked closely to the hyper accumulation of Al3+ during different stages of flower development. F3′5′H, ANS, FLS, CHS, UA3GT, CHI, DFR, and F3H were enhanced significantly in the modules. In addition, MYB, bHLH, PAL6, PAL9, and WD40 were identified as hub genes. Thus, a hypothesis elucidating the colour change in the flowers of Al3+-treated plants was established. This study identified many potential key regulators of flower pigmentation, providing novel insights into the molecular networks in hydrangea flowers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A gradual degeneration of the striatum and loss of nigral dopamine cells are characteristic of Parkinson's disease. Nowadays, combination therapy for neurodegenerative disease is considered. This study aimed to investigate the effects of melatonin and dopaminergic neurons derived from adipose tissue stem cells (ADSCs) in a rat model of Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's disease was induced in rats using neurotoxin 6-Hydroxydopamine. The treatment was performed using melatonin and dopaminergic neurons transplantation. Subsequently, behavioral tests, western blot analysis for Caspase-3 expression, GSH (Glutathione) content and stereology analysis for the volume and cell number of substantia nigra and striatum were performed. Treatment with melatonin and dopaminergic neuron transplantation increased the number of neurons in substantia nigra and striatum while the number of glial cell and the volume of substantia nigra and striatum did not show significant change between groups. Western blot analysis for caspase 3 indicated the significant differences between groups. The results also indicated the increased level of glutathione (GSH) content in treatment groups. this study showed that combination therapy with melatonin and dopaminergic neurons could greatly protect the neurons, reduce oxidative stress and improve the symptoms of PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Osteoporosis is one of the most prevalent bone diseases which is preventable. Implementing educational programs is an important step in prevention of chronic diseases in the community setting. One of the theories used for predicting behavior and performing educational intervention is theory of planned behavior (TPB) which predicts the intention of an individual toward doing a specific behavior. This study was conducted to assess the effect of educational intervention based on TPB on behavioral responses of premenopausal women in prevention from osteoporosis in Fasa city, Iran.Methods: This study is a quasi-experimental study performed on 200 women aging from 35 and 55 years who referred to health centers in Fasa city; iran in 2019. Simple random sampling was applied to assign participants to control and intervention groups (100 participant for each group). Data were gathered by a "valid" and "reliable" questionnaire arranged based on the constructs of TPB, nutrition performance and physical activity. An educational program on osteoporosis prevention was conducted. educational intervention was performed in six sessions through group discussions and educational films and booklet for experimental group and then the changes in the scores of the two groups were evaluated and compared. Obtained data were analyzed by SPSS-22 software through Chi-square, independent t-test, paired t-test and ANOVA tests.Results: The mean ages of studied participants in experimental and control groups were respectively 43.39 [Formula: see text] 5.20 and 42.94 [Formula: see text] 5.52. In experimental group, the average scores of knowledge [2 weeks (31.12 [Formula: see text] 4.20) and 2 months (39.04 [Formula: see text] 4.10) after educational intervention (p < 0.001)], constructs of theory of planned behavior [attitude construct: 2 weeks (89.32 [Formula: see text] 9.22) and 2 months (98.57 [Formula: see text] 9.13) after educational intervention (p < 0.001), Subjective norms construct: 2 weeks(88.39 [Formula: see text] 8.84) and 2 months (122.57 [Formula: see text] 8.58) after educational intervention (p < 0.001), Perceived behavioral control construct: 2 weeks (88.56 [Formula: see text] 8.38) and 2 months (120.15 [Formula: see text] 8.33) after educational intervention (p < 0.001), Behavioral intention construct: 2 weeks (54.44 ± 4.72) and 2 months (60.26 [Formula: see text] 4.12) after educational intervention (p < 0.001)], nutrition performance [2 weeks (19.88 ± 2.56) and 2 months (24.14 [Formula: see text] 2.36) after educational intervention (p < 0.001)] and physical activity [2 weeks (16.75 [Formula: see text] 1.42) and 2 months (18.94 [Formula: see text] 1.68) after educational intervention (p < 0.001)] had more significant enhancement than control group 2 weeks and 2 months after educational intervention.Discussion: TPB was effected in nutrition performance and physical activity in osteoporosis prevention of subjects. This theory can be used as a framework for designing and performing educational intervention for preventing osteoporosis and promoting women's health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Oligocene Nasrand intrusive rocks (NIRs), located in the central part of the Urumieh–Dokhtar magmatic arc, are mainly composed of granite and subordinate diorite and gabbro. These rocks are characterized by the enrichment of light rare earth elements (LREEs), Nb‐Ta negative anomalies, and high LILE/HFSE, suggesting a subduction‐related origin. The felsic rocks with granite compositions have high SiO2 content (69.77–77.88 wt.%), low Mg# (0.02–0.43), low Nb/Ta, and Zr/Hf (Avg: 12.53, and 33.08, respectively). The initial 87Sr/86Sr ratio and εNd(t) values in felsic rocks range from 0.70577 to 0.70576 and 0.4 to −0.3, respectively. These data suggest that these felsic rocks originated from juvenile crust by heat rising from basaltic magmas in an orogenic setting. The mafic‐intermediate rocks and dikes are gabbro, gabbroic diorite, and monzodiorite, with low SiO2 content (48.08–56.11 wt.%) and high Mg# (0.37–0.68), with average ratios of Nb/Ta and Zr/Hf are 27.88 and 39.84, respectively. The initial 87Sr/86Sr ratio and εNd(t) values for mafic‐intermediate rocks and dikes are 0.70583 to 0.70476 and −0.1 to +2.6, respectively. These characteristics indicate magma from a mantle source that had undergone minor mixing with juvenile crust. It seems mantle‐derived juvenile magma underplating played an important role in the crustal growth in the Urumieh–Dokhtar magmatic belt during the Ediacaran to Early Cambrian, relative to other time frames. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zircon U-Pb-Hf isotopes, integrated with bulk-rock major, trace element, and isotopic compositions of amphibolites from the Makran ophiolitic mélange complex (OMC), carry implications on the evolution of the Neo-Tethys Ocean. Field and petrographical-geochemical data confirm these amphibolites as products of the metamorphism of a mafic protolith. Zircons from the amphibolites have U-Pb ages of Late Early Permian (273 Ma) to Late Triassic (210 Ma), and their εHf(t) values vary from +6.32 to +15.4. The Makran amphibolites are geochemically similar to transitional- or enriched-MORBs. The 143Nd/144Nd(t) ratios for amphibolites range from 0.51260 to 0.512551, and 87Sr/86Sr(t) from 0.704433 to 0.706244. The Pb-isotope composition of these rocks is radiogenic, ranging from 15.61-15.64 for 207Pb/204Pb(t), 18.98-19.21 for 206Pb/204Pb(t) and 38.88-39.36 for 208Pb/204Pb(t). The isotopic and geochemical signatures of these rocks suggest that they were most likely formed during continental rifting and originated from a relatively enriched mantle source. This is also attested by their high zircon Ce/Ce* ratios. We interpret these amphibolites related to the Permian-Triassic plumes that triggered Gondwana rifting to open the Neo-Tethyan Ocean before metamorphosed, fragmented, and accreted into the Makran accretionary complex probably during Early to Late Cretaceous time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The PVC-based heterogeneous type cationic membranes were constructed by incorporation of copper oxide nanoparticles to enhance the antimicrobial and electrochemical behaviors of them in water treatment. The SOM and SEM/EDX indicated uniform structure for the fabricated membranes. Contact-angle results showed improvement of membrane surface hydrophilicity in presence of CuO NPs. Water uptake also changed by incorporation of CuO. According to 3D surface results, composite membranes showed rougher surface in comparison with pristine ones. The potential, t-number and permselectivity enhanced initially up to 1%wt CuO concentration and then declined by further CuO from 1 to 4%wt. All mentioned parameters increased again at 8%wt nanoparticles concentration. Ionic flux promoted for blended membranes up to 2%wt CuO and then declined by growing CuO. Blended membrane containing 0.5%wt CuO with lowest electrical resistance (< 9.6 Ω.cm2) and (> 94%) selectivity showed more appreciate act compared to reported ones. The CuO induced-ion exchange membranes exhibited superior antibacterial effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilizing subunit vaccines is one of the strategies to address influenza infection. Recent innovations have focused on high doses of vaccine antigens and immune enhancers or adjuvant to induce more robust and long-lasting immune responses. Here, an effect of the B cell-activating factor receptor (BAFF-R) to increase the magnitude and durability of immune responses of the recombinant HA1 (rHA1) protein against the H1N1 influenza virus was studied. The HA1 protein and the effector domain of BAFF-R were expressed in the pET-28a (+) vector. Eight-week-old BALB/c mice were equally grouped into five groups (n=20). The 15 and 25 μg/μL of rHA1 were mixed with 2 μg/μL of rBAFF-R and injected three times for vaccinated groups. Three control groups were received normal saline and two concentrations of rHA1. The ability of rBAFF-R in eliciting HA-specific antibody response and stimulating T lymphocyte proliferation to induce the cell-mediated immunity was assayed. Induction of protection was evaluated following the challenge with PR8 strain. Analysis of immune responses showed that the co-administration of rBAFF-R with rHA1 boosted HI responses to the antigen in mice, whilst it was not able to promote the T cell proliferation responses against influenza. Compared to rHA1alone, the rBAFF-R/rHA1 generated efficient protection for the animals. There were no significant differences in eliciting the immune responses in mice immunized with the lower dose of rHA1 than that with the higher dose. The data indicate the rBAFF-R can enhance the primary and memory immune responses to protect against influenza infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An ultrasensitive novel electrochemical nano-biosensor for rapid detection of insulin antibodies against diabetes antigens was developed in this research. The presence of insulin antibodies has been demonstrated to be a strong predictor for the development of type 1 diabetes in individuals who do not have diabetes but are genetically predisposed. The proposed nano-biosensor fabrication process was based on the optimized sequential electropolymerization of polyaniline and electrodeposition of gold nanoparticles on the surface of the functionalized gold electrode. The morphological and chemical characterization of the modified electrode was studied by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and micro Raman spectroscopy. Moreover, the role of each component in the modification of the electrode was studied by electrochemical methods systematically. After immobilizing insulin antigen and blocking with bovine serum albumin, the nano-biosensor was used for determining different concentrations of insulin antibody under the optimal conditions. This nano-biosensor could respond to insulin antibody with a linear calibration range from 0.001 ng ml−1 to 1000 ng ml−1 with the detection limit of 0.017 pg ml−1 and 0.034 pg ml−1 and selectivity of 18.544 μA ng−1 ml.cm−2 and 31.808 μA ng−1 ml.cm−2 via differential pulse voltammetry and square wave voltammetry, respectively. This novel nano-biosensor exhibited a short response time, high sensitivity, and good reproducibility. It was successfully used in determining the insulin antibody in human samples with a standard error of less than 0.178. Therefore, the nano-biosensor has the potential for the application of early detection of type 1 diabetes. To our best knowledge, label-free electrochemical detection of insulin antibody based on immunosensor is developed for the first time. [Display omitted] • The label-free electrochemical immunosensor for rapid detection of insulin antibody related to type 1 diabetes. • The controllable electrochemical procedure for fabrication of nano-biosensor substrate to improve accuracy, and stability. • The parameters optimization: electrodeposition cycles, immobilization concentration and time of antigen, and response time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder that significantly affects the quality of life of patients. In this study, we aim to evaluate the effectiveness of dental pulp stem cell (DPSC) transplantation in decreasing inflammation and cell death in brain cells, thus reducing seizure damage. We induced seizures in rats using intraperitoneal injections of pentylenetetrazole (PTZ). In the PTZ + DPSC group, we conducted bilateral hippocampal transplantation of DPSCs in PTZ-lesioned rat models. After 1 month, we performed post-graft analysis and measured some behavioral factors, such as working memory and long-term memory, using a T-maze test and passive avoidance test, respectively. We investigated the immunohistopathology and distribution of astrocyte cells through light microscopy and Sholl analysis. Additionally, we employed the Voronoi tessellation method to estimate the spatial distribution of the cells in the hippocampus. Compared to the control group, we observed a reduction in astrogliosis, astrocyte process length, the number of branches, and intersections distal to the soma in the hippocampus of the PTZ + DPSC group. Further analysis indicated that the grafted DPSCs decreased the expression of caspase-3 in the hippocampus of rats with induced seizures. Moreover, the DPSCs transplant protected hippocampal pyramidal neurons against PTZ toxicity and improved the spatial distribution of the hippocampal neurons. Our findings suggest that DPSCs transplant can be an effective modifier of astrocyte reactivation and inflammatory responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a controller for dc–dc converters to achieve fast load-transient responses. The controller is developed for both continuous conduction mode (CCM) and discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) of operation. The main idea is developed for buck converters, but it is shown that the proposed controller can be applied to other topologies, such as the noninverting buck–boost converter. The controller derivation, analysis, and experimental verifications are provided in both CCM and DCM, and its performance is compared with other methods. The main advantage of the proposed controller is that it minimizes the recovery times associated with load-transient responses in dc–dc converters while maintaining component sizes and other system parameters within the acceptable range. The proposed controller can be used to minimize load transients in electronic portable devices and electric vehicle charging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While steer-by-wire (SBW) systems benefit from improved performance and comfort, they require a large number of sensors impacting whole system reliability. In order to address this challenge fault tolerance property against sensor faults has to be improved. Application of redundancy for the sensors is the best solution proposed so far. This paper proposes a novel solution of analytical redundancy based on various position estimation methods for both electrical motor and steering wheel position sensors. Three different estimation techniques including extended programmable cascaded low-pass filter (EPCLPF), stator flux linkage estimator using stator currents, as well as stator flux linkage estimator using stator voltages are proposed for this purpose. The faulty sensors are recognized using a voting technique in which a comparison between the sensors' outputs with the estimated values is made. In this way, the SBW system reliability is highly improved with no additional cost and space. Simulation and experimental results are presented to confirm the presented fault tolerant SBW system capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater level observations due to the lack of synoptic water-level measurements are often available with irregular time intervals. The results lead to an inaccurate understanding of the parameters affecting groundwater level changes and their time delays. This paper presents a simple and low-cost approach to interpolate the irregular, periodic intervals of recorded groundwater level data for the Najafabad aquifer located in central Iran. Forty-six monitoring wells with an average of 20 years of data were used for this study. Piecewise cubic Hermite interpolating polynomial (PCHIP), cubic spline, linear, and nearest neighbor are the selected interpolation methods. Cross-validation with leave-one-out technique was also applied to evaluate the accuracy of the methods under three conditions, including low, average, and high groundwater level decline. The analysis proved that (1) PCHIP interpolation showed a high performance in all of the groundwater level decline conditions (0.22 < RMSE < 0.59 and 0.72 < R2 < 0.98). (2) Under slight and without abrupt fluctuations of groundwater level conditions, cubic spline showed a better performance than the linear interpolation (R2 = 0.98, RMSE = 0.49 for cubic spline and R2 = 0.98, RMSE = 0.51 for linear). The selected approach reduces the uncertainty in the study of issues such as changes in groundwater recharge and storage, groundwater flow directions, surface–groundwater interaction, and groundwater modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A fully-coupled Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical approach was developed to study injection-induced seismicity and permeability enhancement in low permeable reservoirs. • Fracture deformation and transport processes were modeled using thermo-poroelastic displacement discontinuity method combined with Galerkin and Petrov Galerkin finite element methods. • Constitutive behavior of fault friction was captured using rate-and-state friction model incorporating aging law for history of sliding. • Traffic Light System-based injection protocols yield higher potential in enhancing the fault permeability. • Volume-Controlled fluid injection are far more effective in reducing the seismic risk. In recent years, there has been a substantial increase in the induced seismicity associated with geothermal systems. However, understanding and modeling of injection-induced seismicity have still remained as a challenge. This paper presents a two-dimensional fully thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) coupled boundary element approach to characterize the fault response to forced fluid injection and assess the effect of different injection protocols on seismic risk mitigation as well as permeability enhancement. The laboratory-derived rate-and-state friction law was used to capture the frictional paradigm observed in mature faults produced in granite rocks. All phases of stick-slip cycles, including aseismic slip, propagation of dynamic rupture, and interseismic periods, were simulated. The modeling results showed that the residual values of effective normal stress and static shear stress after a particular event completely dominate the constitutive behavior of fault friction during the next seismic event. The seismic energy analyses indicated that there is a negative correlation between the seismic magnitude and the total injected volume, such that a prolonged monotonic injection eventually results in the steady slip, rather than the seismic slip. Several fluid injection protocols were designed based on a volume-controlled (VC) approach and traffic light systems (TLS) to explore their effectiveness on the seismic risk mitigation and permeability enhancement. The results showed that cyclic injection based on TLS is the most effective approach for irreversible permeability enhancement of faults through promoting slow and steady slips. Our numerical simulations also revealed that fluid extraction (backflow-fixing bottom hole pressure at atmospheric pressure), regardless of the injection style, can considerably reduce the seismicity-related risks by preventing the fast-accelerated fracture slip during the post-injection stage. This study presents novel insights into modeling the rate-and-state governed faults exposed to forced fluid injection, and provides useful approaches for shear stimulation of faults with reduced seismic risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Administration of selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) in combination with estrogen (E2), could be an effective in the treatment of menopausal diabetes. • Combined treatments of SERMs and E2 were more effective than the effects of E2 or SERMs alone. • E2 or SERMs have beneficial effects on cardiovascular system by improving inflammatory balance and reducing Ang II levels. The beneficial effects of the administration of selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) and estrogen (E2), alone or in combination with each other, have been reported in postmenopausal diabetic cardiovascular dysfunction. In the present study, we determined the mechanism of action of SERMs and E2 on inflammatory balance, angiotensin II (Ang II) serum levels, and glycemic profile in a postmenopausal diabetic rat model. Ovariectomized rats with type 2 diabetes received daily SERMs (tamoxifen and raloxifene) and E2 for one month. After treatment, cardiovascular risk indices, glycemic profile, and serum Ang II, TNF-α and IL-10 levels were measured. Type 2 diabetes caused an abnormal glycemic profile, which was exacerbated by ovariectomy. All treatments inhibited the effects of diabetes and ovariectomy on the glycemic profile, with combined treatments (SERMs + E2) showing stronger effects. Cardiovascular risk indices that became abnormal by diabetes and worsened by ovariectomy were improved in all treatment modalities. Also, combined treatment reduced serum Ang II, TNF-α, and the ratio of TNF-α to IL-10, indicating an improvement in inflammatory balance. Our study showed the administration of SERMs and E2, alone or in combination, could be an effective alternative in the treatment of menopausal diabetes, and generally, the beneficial effects of combined treatments were more effective than the effects of E2 or SERMs alone. It appears that E2 or SERMs benefit the cardiovascular system by improving inflammatory balance and reducing Ang II levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the potential effect of flagellin as adjuvant in Newcastle disease virus (NDV) vaccine on the cellular and humoral immunity in chickens. Fifty-six specific pathogen-free chickens were assigned to seven groups of eight chickens and immunized twice with a two-week interval, intramuscularly. Group 1, received phosphate buffered saline as control (C), groups 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 were immunized with inactivated NDV [Ag], Ag + full FliC protein [AgF], Ag + truncated Flic protein [AgT], Ag + native Flic protein [AgN], commercial NDV vaccine [Vac] and Vac + N [VacN], respectively. After 45 days, spleen and bursa of Fabricius samples were collected and analyzed by flow cytometry and responses in control/vaccinated chickens were studied by immunophenotyping. Humoral response was also, evaluated by ELISA during the experiment. Results showed that immunized chickens with Ag + flagellin proteins had significantly higher frequency of circulating CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in bursa of Fabricius in AgF, AgT and AgN, respectively, compared with other groups. Similar results were observed for spleen; however, the highest frequency of circulating CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells belonged to AgT and AgF, respectively. ELISA results showed that all flagellin-adjuvanted groups had higher antibody titers than other groups with the highest antibody response in VacN. It can be concluded that flagellin may induce both humoral and cellular immune responses against ND and is suggested for use as an efficient adjuvant. • Flagellin-adjuvanted groups had higher frequency of CD4 and CD8 T cells. • All flagellin-adjuvanted groups had higher antibody titers than other groups. • Native flagellin enhanced antibody response in commercial vaccine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, carbon nanofibers (CNFs) assisted chitosan (Cs) was utilized to surface modification of poly(ether sulphone) (PES) nanofiltration membranes. The effect of CNFs-co-Cs nanocomposite layer on physical/chemical properties and separation performance of prepared membranes was investigated. The ability of membranes in heavy metal ions removal from water was studied. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Scanning optical microscopy (SOM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and 3D surface images were employed for the membranes characterization. Moreover membrane porosity, mean pore size, water content, water contact angle, flux, salt rejection and tensile strength of fabricated membranes measured. The FTIR analysis verified formation of CNFs-co-Cs layer on the membrane surface. SOM images revealed relatively uniform surface for the prepared membrane. Introducing of CNFs-co-Cs on the PES substrate led to decline of water contact angle from 62.66° to 43.86° sharply. Modified membranes showed higher porosity and water content than virgin PES membrane. The Na 2 SO 4 rejection was measured >66% for PES membrane while it was >82% for PES/CNFs-co-Cs membrane containing of 0.5 wt% CNFs. Pure water flux also enhanced from 4.25 (L/m2.h) for virgin PES membrane up to 13.58 (L/m2.h) for the surface modified membranes. Mechanical tensile strength was also increased considerably for the PES/CNFs-co-Cs membrane containing of 0.5 wt% CNFs that were 3.5 times more than the tensile strength for PES membrane. The Cu, Cr and Pb rejections measured 97.86%, 98.40% and 96.54% for the PES/CNFs-co-Cs membrane with 0.5 wt % CNFs while they were 45.3%, 48.46% and 38.02 for PES substrate respectively. [Display omitted] • PES/CNFs-co-Cs nanofiltration membrane fabricated through intra-networking. • PWF measured 4.25 and 13.58 (L/m 2 h) for PES and [PES/CNFs-co-Cs] membranes. • Na 2 SO4 rejection was >66% and >88% for virgin and surface modified membranes. • [PES/CNFs-co-Cs] membrane showed high ability in Cu, Cr, Pb removal from water. • Outstanding tensile strength obtained for CNFs-co-Cs coated PES based NF membrane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemoresistance is often referred to as a major leading reason for cancer therapy failure, causing cancer relapse and further metastasis. As a result, an urgent need has been raised to reach a full comprehension of chemoresistance-associated molecular pathways, thereby designing new therapy methods. Many of metastatic tumor masses are found to be related with a viral cause. Although combined therapy is perceived as the model role therapy in such cases, chemoresistant features, which is more common in viral carcinogenesis, often get into way of this kind of therapy, minimizing the chance of survival. Some investigations indicate that the infecting virus dominates other leading factors, i.e., genetic alternations and tumor microenvironment, in development of cancer cell chemoresistance. Herein, we have gathered the available evidence on the mechanisms under which oncogenic viruses cause drug-resistance in chemotherapy. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]