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• An e-CPA EOS is proposed for modeling H2S-Water-Alkanolamine systems. • A new method is proposed to calculate the composition of liquid phase. • Genetic algorithm is used to obtain binary interaction coefficients. • Among the studied models, e-CPA model has the lowest deviation. In this study, an electrolyte cubic plus association equation of state (e-CPA EOS) has been proposed to predict the vapor–liquid equilibrium of (H 2 S) in aqueous solutions of monoethanolamine (MEA), diethanolamine (DEA), and methyldiethanolamine (MDEA). This EOS is composed of repulsive forces, short-range interactions, short-range ionic interactions, association term, long-range ionic interactions, and Born term. The Soave– Redlich– Kwong EOS is used as a non-electrolyte part. A new iterative procedure based on the Jacobi method is introduced to obtain the compositions of all species in the liquid phase. The genetic algorithm (GA) is used to find the optimal values of binary interaction coefficients between molecules and ions. Compared with experimental data, the e-CPA EOS model successfully describes the vapor–liquid equilibrium of H 2 S in the aqueous solutions of MEA, DEA, and MDEA. The average absolute deviations for 313 data of MEA-H2S-H2O, 156 data of DEA-H 2 S-H 2 O, and 145 data of MDEA-H 2 S-H 2 O systems were obtained as 8.20 %, 8.04 %, and 9.41 %, respectively. In addition, for some similar cases, the capability of the e-CPA EOS was compared with the Clegg–Pitzer, N-Wilson-NRF, e-NRTL, and e-CTS models. The results indicated that the e-CPA EOS has less error than the four other models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complement factor H (CFH) Y402 H (rs1061170) and age-related maculopathy susceptibility2 (ARMS2)/LOC387715 A69 S (rs10490924) polymorphisms shown to have significant association with AMD. In this meta-analysis, we updated and pooled the results of available association studies between combined ARMS2/LOC387715A69 S-CFHY402 H genotypes and AMD to estimate the synergistic effects. Heterogeneity of studies was evaluated using Cochran Q-test and I-square index. To modify the heterogeneity in the variables we used random effects model. Meta-analysis was performed using STATA. To estimate the additive or supra-additive effects we calculated RERI (relative excess risk due to interaction), AP (attributable proportion due to interaction), S (synergy index) and V (multiplicative index). We included 12 studies with 4668 AMD patients and 4936 control subjects. Considering the GGTT genotypes as reference line, the pooled AMD odds ratios for stratified combined genotypes was 2.13 (95% CI 1.64–2.78) for GGnonTT, 2.17 (95% CI 1.63–2.89) for nonGGTT and 7.23 (95% CI 4.95–10.55) for nonGGnonTT. Pooled synergy analysis revealed RERI = 3.90 (95% CI 0.58–10.03), AP =.53 (95% CI 0.09–0.69), S = 2.57 (95% CI 1.27–5.22) and V = 1.47 (95% CI 1.21–1.80). This updated analysis showed a strong synergistic and positive multiplicative effect of these two genes indicating that there is common pathway of ARMS2/LOC387715 A69 S and CFH Y402 H in AMD pathogenesis which may be complement system pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are conflicting results of studies investigating the association between the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene polymorphisms and Behcet's disease (BD). The aim of this meta-analysis is to assess the association between these gene polymorphisms and ocular involvement in BD. We identified relevant studies and reviewed the full-text manuscripts of the studies in order to select those for inclusion. Heterogeneity of studies was evaluated using Cochran Q-test and I-square index. To modify the heterogeneity in the variables we used random effects model. Meta-analysis was performed using STATA. We analyzed TNF-1031, −308 and ACE DD/II genotype difference between BD patients with and without uveitis. Among these polymorphic genetic loci TNF-308 AA genotype has a statistically significant protective effect against BD uveitis (OR = 0.45 vs 1.23, p =.017). Such a statistically significant effect was not seen for other studied genotypes. This meta-analysis revealed a significant protective effect of TNF-308 AA genotype against ocular involvement in Behcet's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In solar energy conversion and utilization in a parabolic dish collector (PDC), the accurate modeling of the system and also the appropriate selection of adjustable operational parameters, are so important. In this work, a helically baffled cylindrical cavity receiver in a PDC system was studied experimentally and theoretically. For optical and thermal modeling of the system, a novel combining method was used. The real solar flux distribution on the receiver internal walls was obtained by using SolTrace software and then, the real fluxes were employed in ANSYS Fluent software to increase the accuracy of CFD modeling of the system. The model was verified and validated with the experimental data, and a good agreement was observed with a maximum deviation of about 2%. The effect of some geometrical and structural parameters such as receiver aperture distance to the focal point ratio, receiver aspect ratio and system geometrical concentration ratio and also, some operational parameters such as Heat Transfer Fluid (HTF) inlet temperature, mass flow rate and solar irradiation intensity on the thermal performance of the system were investigated. The results show that the optimal selection of the mentioned parameters can enhance the thermal performance of the system up to 65%. Highlights • A helically baffled cylindrical cavity receiver in a PDC system was studied. • A novel method was used for optical-thermal modeling of a PDC system. • The real solar flux distribution on the walls was obtained by the SolTrace software. • The receiver position on the focal line has great effect on system performance. • The performance can enhance up to 65% by optimal selecting of effective parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose:To evaluate the possible synergistic effect of at risk genotypes ofARMS2/LOC387715(A69S), DNA repairSMUG1rs3087404,CCL2–2518,C3(R102G),CFH Y402H, complement factor B(L9H), andcomplement factor I(CFI) (G119R) in advanced age-related macular degeneration compared to those of healthy controls. Elucidation of synergistic effects between different genetic loci may clarify their pathogenetic pathways. Methods:We calculated relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI), attributable proportion due to interaction (AP), and synergy index (S) to estimate the additive or supra-additive effects of the mentioned genotypes. Results:ARMS2-CFH [RERI = 4.78 (95% CI 2.17–10.61), AP = 0.65 (95% CI 0.33–0.83), S = 4.11 (95% CI 1.40–12.06)], and CFH-C3 combinations [RERI = 2.71 (95% CI 0.04–7.01) AP = 0.47 (95% CI −0.03–0.7) S = 2.30 (95%CI 0.97–5.45)] have the most significant levels of synergism and C3-CFI combination [RERI = −1.65 (95%CI −4.34–0.06), AP = −0.92(95%CI −3.09 – −0.09), S = 0.32 (95%CI 0.09 = 1.20)] has the most significant level of antagonism. Conclusion:Among different genotype combinations ARMS2-CFH and CFH-C3 combinations have the most significant levels of synergism and C3-CFI combination has the most significant level of antagonism in AMD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: To pool the results of published data regarding association of ARMS2/LOC387715 A69S, CFH Y402H and CFH I62V genotypes with age‐related macular degeneration (AMD) with and without reticular pseudodrusen (RPD). The results of this pooled data used to estimate the contribution of each of these genes in the pathogenesis of RPD. Heterogeneity of studies was evaluated using Cochran Q‐test and I2 index. To modify the heterogeneity in the variables, we used the random effects model. Meta‐analysis was performed using STATA. Odds ratio (OR) of genotypes in each study was calculated. Six studies of AMD with RPD and AMD without RPD cases included in this analysis. Analysis of pooled data showed that risk genotypes frequency of ARMS2 A69S was significantly different between AMD with RPD and AMD without RPD [OR = 1.82, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.26–2.63 for GT versus GG ARMS2 A69S; OR = 2.40, 95% CI: 1.50–3.84 for TT versus GG ARMS2 A69S]. Further analysis also showed that the risk genotype frequency of CFH Y402H was not significantly different between these two groups (OR = 1.02, 95% CI: 0.69–1.50 for CT versus TT CFH Y402H; OR = 1.09, 95% CI: 0.74–1.60 for CC versus TT CFH Y402H). Comparison of above‐mentioned ORs revealed statistically higher values for GT and TT genotypes of ARMS2 A69S compared with CFH Y402H genotypes (p = 0.011, p = 0.014, respectively).Our analysis showed stronger contribution of ARMS2 in AMD with RPD group versus AMD without RPD group, in comparison with CFH genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study based on the Soave-Redlich-Kwong equation of state (SRK EOS), a new viscosity model for light hydrocarbons, CO 2 and N 2 has been proposed. The proposed model can be applied in both liquid and gas phases and in high and low ranges of pressure and temperature. The optimal values of the parameters in the proposed model are determined by using the Genetic algorithm and generalized in term of acentric factor. The performance of the proposed model has been compared with the performance of Peng-Robinson EOS-based viscosity model of Guo et al. (2001), the Peng-Robinson EOS-based viscosity model of Fan and Wang (2006) and the Lohrenz-Bray-Clark (LBC) method. In order to have a fair comparison, the binary interaction coefficients in the mixing rules are set to zero. The results of calculations for seventeen pure components (6449 data), thirty eight binary mixtures (2772 data), ten simple and twenty complex mixtures (74 data) show the superiority of the proposed model compared to the other viscosity models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To determine the joint effect of complement component 3(C3 R102G) with CC-cytokine ligand2 (CCL2-2518) or complement factor H (CFH) Y402H polymorphisms on advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods: In this case-control study, 233 patients with advanced AMD and 159 unrelated healthy controls enrolled for evaluation. Selected polymorphisms were determined by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism. Results: A combination of AACCL2(rs1024611) and GG C3 (R102G) genotypes resulted in a super-additivity of the risks: OR = 10.13, 95% CI 1.04–98.49,p= 0.04, adjusted OR = 7.74, 95% CI 0.71–84.75,p< 0.1, adjusted synergy indices: relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI) = 1.38, the attributable proportion due to interaction (AP) = 24.7% and the synergy index (S) = 1.43. Combination of at-risk genotypes ofCFHY402H and C3 R102G resulted in a strong super-additive risk: adjusted OR = 22.65, 95% CI 2.32–220.91,p= 0.007, adjusted AP = 90.4% and the S = 12.86. Attributable proportion of risk owing to C3-CCL2and C3-CFHinteraction calculated at 25% and 90% for advanced AMD. Conclusion: We have previously shown a strong association of C3 (R102G) andCFHY402H with AMD whereas no association was found forCCL2-2518. This study enclosed strong synergistic association of risk genotypes of C3 andCFHY402H with AMD. We also revealed synergistic influence ofCCL2-2518 and the at-risk genotype of the C3 in AMD with an estimated AP = 50.9% (adjusted AP = 24.7%). Present findings show thatCCL2-2518 polymorphism is not an innocent bystander in AMD susceptibility when combined with the at-risk genotype of C3 (R102G). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The age-related maculopathy susceptibility2 (ARMS2)/LOC387715 A69S(rs10490924) polymorphism and cigarette smoking have been shown to have significant association with AMD. In this meta-analysis we used the results of available association studies of combinedARMS2/LOC387715genotypes and cigarette smoking with AMD to estimate the possible synergistic or multiplicative effects. Methods: Heterogeneity of studies was evaluated using the Cochran Q-test and the I-square index. To compensate for the heterogeneity of the variables in the study we used a random effects model. Meta-analysis was performed using STATA. To estimate the additive or supra-additive effects, we calculated relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI), attributable proportion due to interaction (AP), synergy index (S), and multiplicative index (V). Results: We could include four studies with 1982 AMD patients and 1797 control subjects. Considering the GG-no smoking as a reference line the meta-analysis result of AMD odds ratios for stratified combined factors was 3.05 (95% CI 2.32–4.02) for nonGG-no smoking, 2.24 (95% CI 1.39–3.63) for GG-smoking and 4.59 (95% CI 3.51–6.01) for nonGG-smoking. The meta-analysis of synergy analysis revealed RERI = 2.01 (95% CI 1.01–3.25), AP = 0.40 (95% CI 0.22–0.54), S = 2.02 (95% CI 1.35–3.01), and V = 1.31 (95% CI 0.94–1.83). Conclusion: This analysis revealed the synergistic effect of these two factors indicating that there is a common pathway ofARMS2/LOC387715and smoking in AMD pathogenesis which may be the complement system pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper reviews recent studies on the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm. The review has been focused on high impact recent articles that have analyzed and/or modified PSO algorithms. This paper also presents some potential areas for future study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Complement factor H (CFH) Y402H (rs1061170) and age-related maculopathy susceptibility2 (ARMS2)/LOC387715 A69S (rs10490924) polymorphisms shown to have significant association with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In this meta-analysis, we pooled the results of the available association studies between combined ARMS2/LOC387715A69S-CFHY402H genotypes and AMD to estimate the possible synergistic or multiplicative effects. Methods: Heterogeneity of studies was evaluated using the Cochran Q-test and the I-square index. To modify the heterogeneity in the variables, we used random effects model. Meta-analysis was performed using STATA. To estimate the additive or supra-additive effects, we calculated relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI), attributable proportion due to interaction (AP), synergy index (S), and multiplicative index (V). Results: We included eight studies with 2915 AMD patients and 3505 control subjects. Considering the GGTT genotypes as reference lines, the pooled AMD Odds Ratios for stratified combined genotypes were 2.32 (95% CI 1.64–3.28) for GGnon-TT, 2.49 (95% CI 1.72–3.60) for non-GGTT, and 7.82 (95% CI 5.09–12.00) for non-GGnon-TT. Pooled synergy analysis revealed RERI = 4.08 (95% CI 3.15–5.27), AP = 0.50 (95% CI 0.42–0.57), S = 2.31 (95% CI 1.9–2.82), and V = 1.21 (95% CI 0.93–1.49). Conclusion: This analysis revealed the synergistic and positive multiplicative effect of these two genes indicating that there is a common pathway of ARMS2/LOC387715 and CFH in AMD pathogenesis which may be the complement system pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates seawater desalination by coupling cyclopentane hydrate formation and capacitive deionization processes. High induction time, low conversion of water to hydrate, and low ion removal efficiency are the challenges of the hydrate desalination process. In order to reduce the cost of hydrate formation, cyclopentane was used as a hydrate former. Also, the promotion effects of Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles and magnetic field on the cyclopentane hydrate formation in pure water, seawater, and synthetic saline waters containing NaCl, KCl, CaCl 2 , and MgCl 2 at different concentrations were investigated. The results showed that the Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles and magnetic field could improve the hydrate formation and the effect of Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles is greater than the magnetic field. However, the promoting effect on the induction time and removal efficiency was intensified when the Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles and the magnetic field were used simultaneously. The results of hydrate formation in seawater showed that the induction time in the presence of 0.07 wt.% Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles, magnetic field, and simultaneous use of both of them were reduced by 89, 22, and 92%, respectively. The ion removal efficiency reached 79% for Na+ and higher than 99% for K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ when capacitive deionization was used as post-treatment. • Cyclopentane hydrate formation and CDI were used for seawater desalination. • Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticle and a magnetic field were used as promotors in hydrate formation. • Effect of Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticle and magnetic field was intensified by simultaneous use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates well placement in developed coalbed methane (CBM) reservoirs. A workflow is developed to find potential locations for well placement within the reservoir. It consists of a reservoir simulator and statistical analysis. The application of this workflow is to reduce the need to perform computationally expensive simulations in large reservoirs to obtain potential locations for drilling an additional well. The workflow is also used to study the role of dominant reservoir properties in finding potential locations for well placement. The effects of permeability anisotropy, gas and water relative permeabilities, sorption time, and water content in well placement are discussed. Results demonstrate that permeability anisotropy results in the formation of elliptical drainage areas around the wells. When drainage patterns are orthogonal to the direction of placement of wells, the drainage area of the reservoir is large and penetrated into distant locations. This leads to a non-uniform drainage area and extends well placement options to distant locations. Comparison between well placement in two scenarios with different gas and water relative permeabilities shows that potential locations tend to be on a border region between existing wells and virgin area when water mobility is restricted by water relative permeabilities. This region has the advantage of having higher pressure and gas content compared to locations among existing wells. In this study, changing the sorption time does not affect the well placement within the reservoir. Except at very early times, gas production from presented reservoir models is mainly controlled by Darcy flow in cleat system (permeability-dominated) rather than diffusion process in coal matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Toxoplasma gondii infection, an intracellular parasite, is often asymptomatic or is caused by different clinical diseases without being detected. Evaluation of IgG, IgA, and IgM in order to diagnose the pending Toxoplasmosis may confront some problems. Several researches has showned that Toxo IgG avidity can be useful in the recent active Toxoplasmosis. In current study, modification and importance of improved Toxoplasma Avidity IgG testing has been evlauated for differentiating Toxoplasma gondii infection in early stage of pregnancy. Materials and Methods: This experimental study included 300 pregnant women with risk of Toxoplasmosis in their initial months of pregnancy. We randomly divided 300 serum samples into A group (n=60) with high avidity and B group (n=40) with borderline avidity. The samples with Toxo IgG levels were classified to four subgroups. IgG avidity was evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Results: The mean absorbance of 100 samples in two groups was calculated, and then, two dilutaion curves with plotted absorbance against dilution were drawn for each serum sample. The results of this study showed that in groups with different concentrations of toxo IgG, appropriate dilution of serum is suitable for testing of Avidity. Our findings revealed the subgroups of 1, 2, 3, and 4 with serum dilutios of 1/3 , 1/6, 1/9, and 1/18 respectively, had real and good avidity. Conclusion: One of the issues affectig the results of avidity is high concenteration of Toxo IgG in serum sample. As shown in this study, the best points of dilution for well avidity in both high and borderline avidities are marked with arrows in figures 1-8. This study confirmed that improved methods of measuring Toxo Avidity IgG are very important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anti-sperm antibody (ASA) can decrease sperm motility and, therefore, it is a cause of male infertility. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of varicocelectomy on anti-sperm antibody in patients with varicocele. Methods: This observational study was conducted on 90 patients with varicocele at Sina and Imam Khomeini hospitals during 2006 to 2009. All varicocelectomy candidates were selected for ASA assessment both in semen and serum before and after surgery. ASA level was measured using a direct method for semen and an indirect method of Sperm MAR test, for serum. Paired t-test and McNemar's test were used for data analysis, and p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: ASA level in semen was 13.7% before, and 15.7% after three month of varicocelectomy (p=0.881). Serum level of ASA before and after surgery were 13.6% and 21.7%, respectively (p=0.033). Three parameters including sperm count, motility and morphology showed recovery following, varicocelectomy, but only the difference in sperm motility was significant (p<0.05). Conclusion: This study showed that varicocelectomy has no effect on semen ASA. Although serum antibody has been shown to increase after varicocelectomy but sperm motility will improve. Varicocelectomy seems to have a beneficial effect on semen parameters in infertile men with varicocele. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiprocessor task scheduling is an important problem in parallel applications and distributed systems. In this way, solving the multiprocessor task scheduling problem ( MTSP) by heuristic, meta-heuristic, and hybrid algorithms have been proposed in literature. Although the problem has been addressed by many researchers, challenges to improve the convergence speed and the reliability of methods for solving the problem are still continued especially in the case that the communication cost is added to the problem frame work. In this paper, an Immune-based Genetic algorithm ( IGA), a meta-heuristic approach, with a new coding scheme is proposed to solve MTSP. It is shown that the proposed coding reduces the search space of MTSP in many practical problems, which effectively influences the convergence speed of the optimization process. In addition to the reduced search space offered by the proposed coding that eventuate in exploring better solutions at a shorter time frame, it guarantees the validity of solutions by using any crossover and mutation operators. Furthermore, to overcome the regeneration phenomena in the proposed GA (generating similar chromosomes) which leads to premature convergence, an affinity based approach inspired from Artificial Immune system is employed which results in better exploration in the searching process. Experimental results showed that the proposed IGA surpasses related works in terms of found makespan (20% improvement in average) while it needs less iterations to find the solutions (90% improvement in average) when it is applied to standard test benches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of image compression methods are based on frequency domain transforms that are followed by a quantization and rounding approach to discard some coefficients. It is obvious that the quality of compressed images highly depends on the manner of discarding these coefficients. However, finding a good balance between image quality and compression ratio is an important issue in such manners. In this paper, a new lossy compression method called linear mapping image compression (LMIC) is proposed to compress images with high quality while the user-specified compression ratio is satisfied. This method is based on discrete cosine transform (DCT) and an adaptive zonal mask. The proposed method divides image to equal size blocks and the structure of zonal mask for each block is determined independently by considering its gray-level distance (GLD). The experimental results showed that the presented method had higher pick signal to noise ratio (PSNR) in comparison with some related works in a specified compression ratio. In addition, the results were comparable with JPEG2000. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Disk scheduling is an operating system process to service disk requests. It has an important role in QOS guarantee of soft real-time environments such as video-on-demand and multimedia servers. Since now, some disk scheduling algorithms have been proposed to schedule disk requests in an optimized manner. Most of these methods try to minimize makespan by decreasing the number of disk head seeks as one of the slowest operations in modern computers and crucial for system performance because it usually takes some milli-seconds. In this paper, we propose a new disk scheduling method based on genetic algorithm that considers makespan and number of missed tasks simultaneously. In the proposed method, a new coding scheme is presented which employs simple GA procedures such as crossover and mutation and a penalty function in fitness. To get the best performance of the proposed method, its parameters such as number of chromosomes in initial population, mutation, and crossover probabilities, etc have been adjusted by applying it on some sample problems. The algorithm has been tested on several problems and its results were compared with well-known related methods. Experimental results showed that the proposed method worked very well and excelled most related works in terms of miss ratio and average seeks. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Until now, several methods have been presented to optimally solve the multiprocessor task scheduling problem that is an NP-hard one. In this paper, a genetic-based algorithm has been presented to solve this problem with better results in comparison with related methods. The proposed method is a bipartite algorithm in a way that each part is based on different genetic schemes, such as genome presentation and genetic operators. In the first part, it uses a genetic method to find an adequate sequence of tasks and in the second one, it finds the best match processors. To evaluate the proposed method, we applied it on several benchmarks and the results were compared with well known algorithms. The experimental results were satisfactory and in most cases the presented method had a better makespan with at least 10% less iterations compared to related works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this study a temperature-dependent function of the attractive term, called the alpha function, and the critical compressibility factor (ζ c) of the ER (Esmaeilzadeh–Roshanfekr) equation of state have been modified to improve the performance of equation of state. The ER EOS is a new three-parameter equation of state that was developed in 2006 with special attention to application for reservoir fluids. Using these modifications, saturated liquid density, saturated vapor density and vapor pressure of pure components are calculated more accurate than the ER equation of state. The average absolute deviations of the predicted saturated liquid density, saturated vapor density and vapor pressure of pure components with the modified ER (mER) are 0.95%, 1.17% and 1.20%, respectively. Also, the mER, the ER and the Peng–Robinson (PR) equation of state are used to predict dew point pressure for six gas condensate mixtures and bubble point pressure for five LNG mixtures. In order to have an unbiased comparison between these equations of state, van der Waals mixing rules are used without using any adjustable parameters (k ij =0). The results show that the mER EOS predicts the dew point pressure and bubble point pressure with best accuracy among the other EoSs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Cataract is mainly due to the presence of high molecular weight protein, which disrupts the normal function of the lens. Pathogenic variants in Gap Junction protein alpha-8 (GJA8) have been associated with autosomal dominant congenital nuclear cataract. In general, mutations in those genes that have important functions in lens development lead to congenital cataract. We conducted whole-exome sequencing (WES) in a four-year-old male patient referred to the genetic center for genetic analysis. He had developed cataract at an early age. DNAs were extracted from the blood samples of all family members and subjected to PCR-Sanger sequencing to confirm the WES results. WES analysis on the proband revealed two mutations in the GJA8 gene (c.G12C, c.G58A). His mother, alongside several other members of the third-generation family, had developed cataract. Sanger sequencing of the interested regions showed that these two mutations were co-segregated in all affected members. However, none of the healthy individuals carried these mutations confirming that these two mutations are located in the same allele (complex allele). Bioinformatics analysis of the mutated GJA8 RNA and protein structure confirmed the pathogenicity of the cis-mutations. Genetic segregation analysis in a three-generation family and also bioinformatics analysis showed that the complex-allele containing c.G12C+c.G58A mutations in the GJA8 gene is a pathogenic variant that causes autosomal-dominant congenital nuclear cataract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a hybrid desalination process based on carbon dioxide gas hydrate and capacitive deionization (CDI) is proposed to improve desalination performance. In this method, the formed gas hydrate crystals are dissociated and the produced water is conducted to the CDI process. To overcome the separation problem of the residual brine between hydrate crystals, a reactor that can be capable of compressing crystals was designed. Also, to improve the efficiency of the CDI process, electrodes were synthesized based on the activated carbon and their chemical properties modified using nitric acid. The performance of the gas hydrate, CDI, and hybrid desalination method examined for single and multi-salt aqueous solutions containing sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium with different concentrations. Also, the effects of the hydrate formation temperature, applied voltage, ion type and concentration on the ions removal efficiency have been investigated. The results showed that the compression of hydrate crystals in the hydrate desalination process, and using the modified activated carbon electrode in the CDI process could significantly improve the ions removal efficiency. The results showed that the proposed method could remove around 82% of Na+ and 100% of K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+ from saltwater with similar concentrations to seawater, respectively. • A new hybrid desalination method based on gas hydrate and CDI process has been proposed. • Compression of hydrate crystals has a significant effect on ion removal efficiency. • Ion removal efficiency in CDI process is in the following order K+ > Na+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+. • The proposed hybrid desalination method can remove 100% of K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To report a rare case of bilateral anterior uveitis with hypopyon formation following systemic topiramate use. Materials and Methods: A 40-year-old woman with migraine headache who was under topiramate treatment referred with bilateral ocular pain and visual blurring. Physical examination disclosed shallow anterior chamber and high intraocular pressure in both eyes. Following discontinuation of topiramate a severe bilateral anterior uveitis with posterior synechiae and hypopyon developed. Results: Ocular inflammation resolved with systemic and topical steroid. Because of severe cataract and synechiae formation she underwent phacoemulsification/posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation and visual acuity of both eyes improved to 20/25. Conclusion: Topiramate should be added to the list of drugs that may cause anterior uveitis and hypopyon formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the effects of water-based Fe 3 O 4 nanofluids containing 400 ppm sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and 400 ppm cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) in different concentrations of nanoparticles (0.05 wt%, 0.09 wt%, 0.15 wt%, 0.20 wt% and 0.25 wt%) on the kinetic parameters of carbon dioxide hydrate formation have been investigated and the results are compared with other aqueous solutions including pure water, aqueous solution of 400 ppm SDS, aqueous solution of 400 ppm CTAB and suspension of 0.15 wt% Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles. The kinetic parameters studied in this work included the mole of gas consumption, induction time and apparent rate constant. The experiments were performed at the initial pressure of 2.5 MPa and two temperatures of 274.15 K and 276.15 K. The experimental results showed that by increasing the concentration of nanoparticles up to 0.15% by weight, the effect of nanoparticles on the carbon dioxide hydrate formation increases. However, a further increase in nanoparticle concentration will reduce this effect. It was observed that the effect of the suspension of 0.15 wt% Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticle on the carbon dioxide hydrate formation is more than the 400 ppm CTAB aqueous solution and less than the 400 ppm SDS aqueous solution. Results also showed that among different aqueous solutions, Fe 3 O 4 nanofluid containing SDS with a concentration of 0.15 wt% nanoparticle is the best aqueous solution for carbon dioxide hydrate formation. In this nanofluid at 274.15 K, the induction time decreased by 70.6% and the mole of gas consumption and the apparent rate constant increased about 160% and 120.5%, respectively compared to pure water. • Fe 3 O 4 nanofluid with a concentration of 0.15wt% nanoparticle is the best aqueous solution for CO 2 hydrate formation. • Effect of the suspension of 0.15wt% Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles is less than the 400 ppm SDS aqueous solution. • Effect of the suspension of 0.15wt% Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles is more than the 400 ppm CTAB aqueous solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a new method for the LNG has been proposed based on the SMR process. In the proposed process, an ORC is added to the conventional SMR process and the BOG is used as a coolant in the main heat exchanger. ASPEN HYSYS software utilizing the Peng–Robinson equation of state is used to simulate the SMR and SMR-ORC. The specific energy consumption, total exergy efficiency, and carbon dioxide emissions of the proposed method are compared with the conventional SMR process. Finally, an economic evaluation was performed on both processes. The simulation results showed that in the conventional process the total exergy efficiency and specific energy consumption are 34% and 647 kWh ton , respectively, while in the proposed process the total exergy efficiency has reached 39% and the energy consumption is reduced to 472 kWh ton . Also, the environmental assessment of carbon dioxide emissions from the production of electrical energy required by pumps and compressors showed that the proposed process has 28.51% less carbon dioxide emissions than the conventional SMR method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a new process with the aim of producing green synthesis gas (syngas) with high thermodynamic energy and exergy efficiency is presented. This process consists of four units including a water electrolysis unit (WEU), an Allam power cycle (APC), a Water/Ammonia power cycle (WAPC), and an organic Rankine cycle (ORC). The process was simulated, and the results showed that the overall efficiency of energy and exergy is 60.44% and 63.22%, respectively. It was also found that for this novel process, total exergy destruction is 10.97 MJ/kg syngas , whereas APC, ORC, WAPC, and WEU units have 66%, 4%, 2%, and 28% share in exergy destruction, respectively. Additionally, the energy analysis results showed that APC, ORC, WAPC, and WEU units have an energy efficiency of 19.07%, 17.76%, 14.48%, and 83.22% respectively. According to the environmental assessment, the direct and indirect emission of carbon dioxide in the proposed process is zero. In this respect, the proposed process has a significant advantage compared to other syngas production methods. • A new process was proposed to produce syngas from PEM electrolyzer and Allam cycle. • The Allam and organic Rankine cycles were used for cogeneration of power and syngas. • The direct and indirect emission of carbon dioxide in the proposed process is zero. • Compared to other electrolysis technologies, proposed process consumes less energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facial cues, such as a person's age, provide important information for social interactions. Processing such facial cues can be affected by observer bias. However, there is currently no consensus regarding how the brain is processing facial cues related to age, and if facial age processing changes as a function of the age of the observer (i.e., own-age bias). The primary study aim was to investigate functional networks involved in processing own-age vs. other-age faces among younger and older adults and determine how emotional expression of the face modulates own-age vs. other-age face processing. The secondary study aim was to examine the relation between higher social cognitive processes (i.e., empathy) and modulation of brain activity by facial age and emotional expression. During functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) younger and older participants were asked to recognize happy, angry, and neutral expressions in own-age and other-age faces. Functional connectivity analyses with the amygdala as seed showed that for own-age faces both age groups recruited a network of regions including the anterior cingulate and anterior insula that was involved in empathy and detection of salient information. Brain-behavior analyses furthermore showed that empathic responses in younger, but not in older, participants were positively correlated with engagement of the medial prefrontal cortex during processing of angry own-age faces. These findings identify the neurobehavioral correlates of facial age processing, and its modulation by emotion expression, and directly link facial cue processing to higher-order social cognitive functioning. • Older adults demonstrated modulation of facial age processing by facial expression. • Salience network was engaged during angry older faces in both age groups. • Both groups recruited overlapping amygdala networks for angry own-age faces. • Empathy correlated with prefrontal activity for angry own-age face in younger group. • Empathy correlated with somatosensory cortex for angry other-age face in both groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the possible association of UBASH3B gene rs4936742 (T > C) polymorphism with Behcet's disease (BD) and posterior uveitis in BD. Materials and Methods: One hundred and thirty-one patients with BD (51 Behcet's posterior uveitis and 80 non-ocular Behcet's patients) and 61 unrelated age-matched healthy individuals as a control group without any inflammatory disease were selected. All BD cases were under follow-up and treatment in uveitis or rheumatology clinics for at least 5 years. All research subjects, including control individuals, received a comprehensive rheumatologic evaluation. All patients and controls were genotyped for UBASH3B rs4936742 (T > C) polymorphism by PCR-RFLP technique. Results: The observed frequencies of genotypes were significantly different among patients and controls (19.7% versus 30.5% for TT, OR = 2.9, P = 0.011 and 36.1% versus 45.8% for CT, OR = 2.38, P = 0.017). Frequencies of T allele showed significantly higher values in Behcet's patients (OR = 1.9, P = 0.004). Subgroup genotypic and allelic analyses disclosed no significant difference between Behcet's posterior uveitis and control groups, neither between Behcet's posterior uveitis and non-ocular BD groups. However, genotypic and allelic analyses between non-ocular BD and control groups revealed statistically significant difference (36.3% versus 19.7% for TT, OR = 4.08, P = 0.003 and 43.8% versus 36.1% for CT, OR = 2.68, P = 0.018, 58.1% versus 37.7% for T allele, OR = 2.29, P = 0.001). Individuals carrying the TT genotype for UBASH3B were four times more likely to develop non-ocular BD than unaffected, control individuals. Conclusion: Our results showed that the UBASH3B gene rs4936742 (T > C) polymorphism is associated with an increased risk of Behcet's disease, especially non-ocular BD, in Iranian population. We could not find any susceptibility role of this genetic locus for posterior uveitis in Behcet's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detecting seizure using brain neuroactivations recorded by intracranial electroencephalogram (iEEG) has been widely used for monitoring, diagnosing, and closed-loop therapy of epileptic patients, however, computational efficiency gains are needed if state-of-the-art methods are to be implemented in implanted devices. We present a novel method for automatic seizure detection based on iEEG data that outperforms current state-of-the-art seizure detection methods in terms of computational efficiency while maintaining the accuracy. The proposed algorithm incorporates an automatic channel selection (ACS) engine as a pre-processing stage to the seizure detection procedure. The ACS engine consists of supervised classifiers which aim to find iEEG channels which contribute the most to a seizure. Seizure detection stage involves feature extraction and classification. Feature extraction is performed in both frequency and time domains where spectral power and correlation between channel pairs are calculated. Random Forest is used in classification of interictal, ictal and early ictal periods of iEEG signals. Seizure detection in this paper is retrospective and patient-specific. iEEG data is accessed via Kaggle, provided by International Epilepsy Electro-physiology Portal. The dataset includes a training set of 6.5 h of interictal data and 41 min in ictal data and a test set of 9.14 h. Compared to the state-of-the-art on the same dataset, we achieve 2 times faster in run-time seizure detection. The proposed model is able to detect a seizure onset at 89.40% sensitivity and 89.24% specificity with a mean detection delay of 2.63 s for the test set. The area under the ROC curve ( AUC ) is 96.94%, that is comparable to the current state-of-the-art with AUC of 96.29%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a complex disease and recently the role of DNA repairing genes in its susceptibility has been studied. It has been hypothesized that polymorphism in DNA repair system genes reduce the capacity to repair DNA damages which may lead to a greater susceptibility to AMD. C-reactive protein (CRP) production is shown to enhance inflammatory processes by increasing oxidative stress and inducing DNA damage. We planned to evaluate the possible association ofSMUG1variants and their possible interaction with high sensitivity CRP levels in AMD. Materials and methods:We included 500 case-control samples consisting of 279 advanced type AMD patients and 221 genetically unrelated healthy controls enrolled for evaluation. Extracted-DNA samples were amplified to obtain fragments including the polymorphic regionSMUG1rs3087404. We calculated relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI), attributable proportion (AP), and synergy index (S) to clarify possible interaction of different genotypes and CRP levels for AMD. Results:The distribution of the genotypes were not significantly different in the AMD patients compared to that of controls (p= 0.849). The allele frequency forSMUG1was not different between study groups. No difference ofSMUG1polymorphism between case and control groups was evident in higher CRP levels (CRP>3mg/dl) compared with lower CRP levels.SMUG1/CRP synergy indices calculated as RERI = −0.12 and AP = −0.18 while S was not calculable. Conclusions:Our study showed that c.-31A/G-SMUG1 genotypes/alleles do not have any association with the occurrence or severity of advanced type AMD. There was no interaction of CRP levels andSMUG1genotypes in AMD susceptibility. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Age related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the elderly population. Inflammatory mediators play an important role in AMD pathogenesis and immune-related gene polymorphisms are shown to increase the risk. Complement system is an important mediator of the immunity system and several genes encoding proteins involved in this system are associated with susceptibility to AMD. The central element of the complement cascade, C3 has been a plausible candidate since its cleavage product C3a was found in drusen. This study was planned to evaluate the association of C3-rs2230199 (R102G) variants with advanced type AMD in this cohort. Materials and methods: In this case-control study, 494 participants consisting of 266 AMD patients (187 wet AMD and 79 advanced dry AMD) and 228 samples from unrelated healthy controls were enrolled for evaluation. Extracted-DNA samples were amplified to obtain fragments including the polymorphic region. Results: The distribution of the R102G genotypes was significantly different in the AMD patients compared to controls (p= 0.001).The Odds Ratio compared to CC individuals was 1.69 (95% CI 1.15–2.49) for GC individuals and 6.48 (95% CI1.87–22.43) for GG individuals. The Odds Ratio compared to the C allele was 2.31 (95% CI 0.48–11) for the G allele. GG and GC genotypes and G allele were significantly associated with both types of advanced-AMD. Individuals carrying GG genotype have over a six-fold risk of developing AMD in comparison to those carrying the CC genotype in this cohort. Our meta-analysis pooled data showed that our homozygous individuals for GG have a higher risk of AMD compared to previous publications in different nations (p= 0.017). Conclusions: Our study shows C3 to be a relatively strong susceptibility gene for advanced-type-AMD (exudative-and-geographic-atrophy) in an Iranian population. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) is the most common type of retinal detachment. Purpose of this study is to evaluate the possible association of ARMS2 (age-related macular susceptibility 2) A69S and CFH (complement factor H) Y402H polymorphisms with post-surgical macular complications. One hundred and two RRD patients with macular involvement and proliferative vitreoretinopathy grade A prospectively were enrolled in the study. All patients were genotyped for two polymorphisms of CFH Y402H and ARMS2 A69S by applying Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)—Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP). Scleral buckling or deep vitrectomy performed based on surgeon decision. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) for all patients was performed on three, six, and twelve months after operation. The ARMS2 A69S GT genotype showed significant association with postoperative cystoid macular edema (OR = 3.11, P = 0.039). Logistic regression analysis showed that the effect of ARMS2 GT vs GG genotype remained significant on CME after confounding factors correction. (ARMS2 GT vs GG OR = 4.79, p value = 0.035). No association was observed between studied genotypes and postoperative persistent subfoveal fluid, macular atrophy, and macular epiretinal membrane. The ARMS2 A69S GT genotype was significantly associated with postoperative cystoid macular edema in RRD cases with macular involvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case-control study aimed to evaluate the possible association of MCP-1 − 2518A/G genetic polymorphism with Behcet's disease (BD) in the Iranian patients. This study was performed in 135 Behcet's patients (51 ocular and 84 non-ocular) and 79 healthy individuals. Peripheral blood samples were genotyped for MCP-1 − 2518A/G using the PCR-RFLP technique. The statistical analysis of MCP-1 − 2518A/G showed no significant differences in genotype/allele frequencies between Behcet's patients and controls. There was no significant association in genotype/allele frequencies between either ocular or non-ocular BD patients and controls. Also, different genotype/allele frequencies between ocular and non-ocular BD were not statistically significant. In this study, with a threshold P-value of 0.05 and an estimated power of 0.81 to detect a significant association (odds ratio ≥1.2), we did not observe any association of this variant with Behcet's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) as the leading cause of central visual loss in the developed countries has extensive pathologic similarities with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Saitohin rs62063857 Q7 R polymorphism is associated with increased risk of AD though we decided to evaluate the possible association of this polymorphism with advanced AMD. Materials and Methods: 152 advanced AMD patients (134 wet AMD and 18 geographic atrophy) and 75 healthy controls included in this study. Cases and controls went through a standard ophthalmologic examination by a retinal specialist. Saitohin gene rs62063857 polymorphism determined by using PCR technique and restriction enzyme HinFI. To evaluate the differences between groups we used t-test, Chi-Squared and one-tailed Fisher exact test. Results: Distribution of genotypes was not significantly different between total AMD or wet AMD patients compared to that of controls (total AMD RR+QR: OR = 1.51, CI = 0.82–2.79, P =.12; wet AMD RR+QR: OR = 1.39, CI = 0.74–2.59, P =.19). The RR+QR genotypes were significantly higher in dry AMD group compared to that of controls (RR+QR: OR = 2.75, CI = 0.96–7.9, P =.05). Conclusion: Our results showed that although STH Q7 R polymorphism was not associated with wet AMD susceptibility it was significantly associated with geographic atrophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To analyze the results of scanning slit topography in both eyes of patients with unilateral Fuchs heterochromic iridocyclitis (FHI). Methods: A noninterventional, case-controlled study was conducted with 30 patients with unilateral FHI. Corneal topographic parameters, obtained with the Orbscan II (Bausch & Lomb), were compared between the two eyes and analyzed statistically. The same number of age-matched normals was enrolled as a control group. Results: Thirty patients were enrolled in this study. The mean age was 33.3 years ±± 10.6 (SD). The mean Sim K astigmatism was 1.65 ±± 1.27 diopter in the FHI eyes and 0.88 ±± 0.52 diopter in the normal eyes ( p == .001). Conclusion: Corneal astigmatism is a common finding in patients with FHI and disparity of corneal astigmatism between the two eyes can be considered a sign of the unilateral form of this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate central corneal thickness (CCT) changes after congenital cataract surgery with or without intraocular lens (IOL) implantation. Setting: Ophthalmic Research Center, Labbafinejad Medical Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Design: Comparative case series. Methods: Anterior lensectomy and anterior vitrectomy were performed in eyes with congenital cataract. Eyes had IOL implantation (pseudophakic group) or remained aphakic (aphakic group). The CCT and intraocular pressure were measured in all cases preoperatively and 1 and 6 months postoperatively. Age-matched normal eyes served as a control group. Results: The study evaluated 47 eyes (30 patients), 32 pseudophakic and 15 aphakic. The mean preoperative CCT was 540 μm ± 34 (SD) in the pseudophakic group, 548 ± 61 μm in the aphakic group, and 558 ± 36 μm in the control group (P = .207). The mean CCT in the aphakic group was significantly greater than in the pseudophakic group (587 ± 65 μm versus 539 ± 37 μm) 1 month postoperatively (P = .018) and at 6 months (602 ± 65 μm versus 540 ± 36 μm) (P = .012). Although the CCT values in the pseudophakic group at 1 month and 6 months were similar to preoperative values (P = .463 and P = 1.00, respectively), both postoperative CCT values in the aphakic group were significantly greater than preoperatively (P<.001). Conclusions: The CCT in eyes with congenital cataract was similar to that in normal age-matched eyes. However, shortly after cataract removal, the CCT was significantly greater in aphakic eyes than in pseudophakic eyes. Financial Disclosure: No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), acute postinfectious polyneuritis, is the most common cause of acute neuromuscular paralysis. Infection with Campylobacter jejuni is recognized as a common antecedent of the GBS. This study aimed to determine the frequency of this infection in children with GBS and, the clinical and epidemiologic features of this association. Methodology: We performed a prospective case-control study on a cohort of 47 children with GBS admitted to Tabriz Children,s Hospital in the northwest of Iran between July 2006 and July 2008. Serologic investigations were used to diagnose preceding C. jejuni infection. Results: We found evidence of recent C. jejuni infection in 40.4% of the patients with GBS, as compared with 6.1% in household controls (odds ratio 10.5, 95% CI: 2.2-49.2, P<0.001). Duration to achieve independent walking was longer in C. jejuni-associated patients (P<0.013). However 95% of C. jejuni-associated GBS patients achieved independent walking at end of one year. The patients with preceding C jejuni infection were more likely to have axonal neuropathy (P<0.05). Conclusions: Campylobacter jejuni infection is an important antecedent illness in childhood Guillain-Barre syndrome in Iranian children, and is associated with good prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of repeated intra-silicone oil (SO) injections of methotrexate (MTX) on the outcomes of surgery for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) with grade C proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR-C). Methods: In this prospective pilot case series, eyes with RRD and PVR-C underwent pars plana vitrectomy and intraocular injection of SO. At the conclusion of the procedure, 250 µg of MTX was injected into the SO-filled vitreous cavity. Intra-SO injection was repeated at weeks 3 and 6; the minimum follow-up period was 6 months. The main outcome measure was retinal reattachment rate. Results: Eleven eyes of 11 patients (mean age, 52.73 ± 18.01 years) were included. The mean follow-up period was 9 ± 3 months (range, 6–15 months). Total retinal detachment with anterior and/or posterior PVR-C was present in all eyes before surgery. Mean preoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 2.62 ± 0.04 logMAR. All operated eyes exhibited retinal reattachment posterior to the equator during the follow-up period. Mean postoperative BCVA was significantly improved to 1.02 ± 0.51 logMAR (p = 0.003). No ocular or systemic side effects were observed. Conclusion: Repeated intra-SO injection of MTX as an adjunctive therapy for RRD complicated by PVR showed promising results and was not associated with adverse effects. Further studies are needed to confirm its possible beneficial effects on the final anatomic and functional outcomes in these cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coke oven gas is a by-product of the process of producing coke from coal and contains valuable compounds such as hydrogen and methane. In this study, an improved process was proposed for co-generation of power and LNG from COG with low CO 2 emissions and high energy and exergy efficiency. This proposed process includes: LNG Recovery Unit, Organic Rankin Cycle, and the power plant. The results of simulation showed that the exergy and energy efficiencies for this proposed process are 77.9% and 70.29%, respectively, which are considerably higher than other studies. It is found that the total exergy destruction of the proposed process is 4272.95 kW, and the power plant with 3118.1 kW exergy destruction has the largest share in total exergy destruction. Additionally, outcomes showed that ORC recovered 1205 kW of waste heat from compressor exhaust gases and produced 167.4 kW of power. Environmental analysis shows indirect carbon emissions for the proposed process is zero. The CO 2 emissions for the total energy and electric power generation were 0.0034 k g C O 2 / M J and 406 g C O 2 / k W h e l , respectively which are lower than coal or natural gas power plants. • A novel structure was proposed to produce power and LNG from Coke oven gas. • This proposed process includes LNG Recovery Unit, Organic Rankin Cycle and the power plant. • Using ORC made cooling utility consumption reach its minimum value. • The proposed process has low carbon dioxide emission. • The energy and exergy efficiencies are 70.29% and 77.9%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seizure prediction has attracted growing attention as one of the most challenging predictive data analysis efforts to improve the life of patients with drug-resistant epilepsy and tonic seizures. Many outstanding studies have reported great results in providing sensible indirect (warning systems) or direct (interactive neural stimulation) control over refractory seizures, some of which achieved high performance. However, to achieve high sensitivity and a low false prediction rate, many of these studies relied on handcraft feature extraction and/or tailored feature extraction, which is performed for each patient independently. This approach, however, is not generalizable, and requires significant modifications for each new patient within a new dataset. In this article, we apply convolutional neural networks to different intracranial and scalp electroencephalogram (EEG) datasets and propose a generalized retrospective and patient-specific seizure prediction method. We use the short-time Fourier transform on 30-s EEG windows to extract information in both the frequency domain and the time domain. The algorithm automatically generates optimized features for each patient to best classify preictal and interictal segments. The method can be applied to any other patient from any dataset without the need for manual feature extraction. The proposed approach achieves sensitivity of 81 . 4 % , 81 . 2 % , and 75% and a false prediction rate of 0.06/h, 0.16/h, and 0.21/h on the Freiburg Hospital intracranial EEG dataset, the Boston Children’s Hospital-MIT scalp EEG dataset, and the American Epilepsy Society Seizure Prediction Challenge dataset, respectively. Our prediction method is also statistically better than an unspecific random predictor for most of the patients in all three datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a petrochemical complex in Iran, for production of 209575 kg of MeOH/h, 154,712 kg/h of flue gas with a CO 2 concentration of 10.74 mol% enter the atmosphere through a fired heater. The target of this study is to investigate the effect of using post-combustion CO 2 capture technology to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and use it to increase methanol production. In order to, the proposed process was simulated and effect of three different solvents, including piperazine (PZ) 30 wt%, monoethanolamine (MEA) 30 wt%, and a blend of MEA 20 wt %+ PZ 10 wt % were investigated. This study investigated solvent regeneration energy, CO 2 absorption rate, energy efficiency, and exergy efficiency of stripper column. Simulation results showed PZ with 93% energy efficiency, 55.45% exergy efficiency of stripper column, CO 2 emission intensity equal to 0.01 t CO2 /t MeOH and lowest solvent regeneration energy equal to 2.6 GJ reb /t CO2 has better performance than the other two solvents. Also, the simulation results showed that blending CO 2 output from PZ solvent with syngas increases methanol production by 7.8%. The techno-economic analysis also indicated proposed process is more profitable than original process. [Display omitted] • Post-combustion CO 2 capture process was used to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. • Methanol production increased 7.8% by blending CO 2 from PZ solvent with syngas. • The effect of PZ, MEA, and blend of them on CO2 capture was investigated. • The energy efficiency and stripper column exergy efficiency of piperazine solvent are 93% and 55.45%, respectively. • The MEA solvent with 94.25% absorption and CO 2 emission intensity 0.0086 t CO2 /t MeOH was superior to two other solvents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose To evaluate the association of CC-cytokine ligand 2 CCL2-2518 (rs1024611) single nucleotide polymorphism, complement factor H ( CFH Y402H) and their possible interaction in developing advanced age-related macular degeneration ( AMD). Methods In this case-control study, DNA samples from 266 patients with advanced AMD and 229 healthy controls were genotyped for CCL2 polymorphism and also 254 patients and 164 healthy controls were genotyped for CFH polymorphism. The possible associations of these polymorphisms with susceptibility to AMD independently and in different joint combinations were evaluated. Results The genotype frequency for CFH was found to be significantly different between AMD and normal controls (31.5% versus 20.7%, OR = 3.56, p < 0.001 for CC and 52.4% versus 41.5%, OR = 2.96, p < 0.001 for CT genotype). However, no significant association between CCL2 polymorphism and AMD was observed in this cohort ( OR = 1.15 and OR = 0.8, p = 0.172). Interestingly, studying the joint effects of two genotypes ( TT genotype of CFH Y402H and AG genotype of CCL2-2518) showed more significant protective effect against AMD (p = 0.0001), while the risk effect of CC and CT genotypes of CFH was only visible in the presence of AA genotype of CCL2-2518 (p = 0.044 and p = 0.05). Conclusion Complement factor H Y402H polymorphism is strongly associated with advanced type AMD. Although this study revealed no association of CCL2-2518 with AMD, the risk effect of CFH genotypes was only visible in the presence of AA genotype of CCL2-2518. AG genotype of CCL2-2518 in combination with TT genotype of CFH Y402H showed significant protective effect against AMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A mesoporous gamma-alumina catalyst was synthesized through an environmentally-friendly method by using orange peels as a bio-template. Several treatment and infiltration methods have been compared to achieve the optimum structure of alumina. Based on the obtained results, pretreatment of the catalyst with hot water and acid and using the atmospheric infiltration method at 85 [°C] resulted in the highest Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area. Various structural methods of catalyst characterization were also utilized to analyze the synthesized alumina. Using the N2 adsorption–desorption method, the impact of bio-template on alumina pore structure was studied. The results showed that using orange peels as a bio-template not only improved the surface area of alumina significantly but also created a more uniform pore structure. The typical temperature-programmed reduction of hydrogen (H2-TPR) showed that the prepared catalyst contains weak to strong acid sites. Also, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis revealed that the synthesized alumina possesses a porous structure, which was also confirmed by the results obtained from the BET method. The presence of two conspicuous peaks in patterns obtained from X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) confirmed the formation of cubic-Al2O3 in all samples. Moreover, the energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis confirmed the successful removal of other elements from the prepared samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study was conducted to evaluate the influence of H. pylori infection and anti-CagA status on the efficacy of omeperazole 20 m.g. b.d. for patients with endoscopic oesophagitis. Background: The influence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection and its virulent strain (cytotoxin-associated gene A: CagA) has not been evaluated on the efficacy of treatment for patients with erosive oesophagitis in Iran. Patients and methods: One hundred and ten patients (55 H. Pylori positive and 55 H. Pylori negative) with endoscopic evidence of oeosphagitis were enrolled in this interventional study and treated with omeprazole 20 m.g. b.d. Healing was assessed at repeat endoscopy after 8 weeks of treatment. H. Pylori infection and anti-CagA-IgG (immunoglobulin G) antibodies were determined for each subject by the rapid urease test, pathological assessment and ELISA. Results: At repeat endoscopy, following 8 weeks of omeprazole 20 m.g. b.d. therapy, endoscopic healing of oesophagitis had occurred in 32 % of the HP +ve patients and 23 % of the HP -ve patients (chi square p<0.01). Among the HP +ve endoscopic healing occurred in 11 (32.4 %) of the CagA +ve patients and 19 (90.5 %) of the CagA -ve patients. This difference was significant (chi-square p <0.001). Conclusion: H. pylori infection and the CagA virulence factor are associated with an increased rate of healing amongst patients with endoscopic oesophagitis treated with omperazole 20 m.g. b.d. compared to patients without H. pylori infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of systemic oxygen therapy in the management of acute ocular chemical and thermal burns. Design: Prospective, nonrandomized, comparative, interventional case series. Methods: Twenty-four eyes of 22 patients with grade III to IV acute ocular chemical and thermal burns received conventional medical therapy. The oxygen therapy group (13 eyes) additionally received 100% oxygen using a simple mask at a flow rate of 10 L/minute for 1 hour twice daily. Main outcome measures were time for healing of the corneal epithelial defect and improvement in perilimbal ischemia. Secondary outcome measures included visual acuity, corneal transparency and vascularization, and complications. Results: Corneal epithelial defects healed within 15.23 ± 3.94 days (range, 10 to 21 days) in the oxygen group versus 59.9 ± 23.33 days (range, 28 to 95 days) in controls (P < .001). Vascularization of ischemic areas was complete in 14.54 ± 2.70 days (range, 10 to 21 days) in the oxygen group versus 45.09 ± 22.20 days (range, 25 to 105 days) in controls (P = .001). In the oxygen group, the cornea was more transparent and less vascularized 3 and 6 months after injury. Mean final visual acuity (logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution) was 0.40 ± 0.52 (range, 0 to 1.3) versus 1.11 ± 0.83 (range, 0.1 to 3) in the oxygen and control groups, respectively (P = .018). In the oxygen group, symblepharon or corneoscleral melting did not develop in any patient; however, in the control group, symblepharon developed in 3 eyes and corneoscleral melting developed in 1 patient. Conclusions: In the acute phase of ocular chemical or thermal burns, oxygen therapy improves limbal ischemia, accelerates epithelialization, increases corneal transparency, and decreases corneal vascularization. It also may improve visual acuity and reduce complications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: To compare central corneal thickness (CCT) measurements obtained with a dual Scheimpflug camera system (Galilei), a scanning-slit topographer (Orbscan II), and an ultrasound (US) pachymeter (SP-2000) after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) for myopia. Setting: Ophthalmic Research Center, Labbafinejad Medical Center, Tehran, Iran. Methods: This prospective study enrolled patients who had PRK to correct myopia or myopic astigmatism and a postoperative follow-up of at least 5 months. The CCT was measured in a single session using Scheimpflug imaging, scanning-slit topography, and US pachymetry. Data were analyzed with paired t tests, linear regression, and Bland-Altman plots. Results: The mean CCT in the 100 eyes (50 patients) was 524.06 μm ± 38.56 (SD) with Scheimpflug imaging, 505.92 ± 47.35 μm with scanning-slit topography, and 496.97 ± 42.74 μm with US pachymetry. The lower to upper 95% limits of agreement (LoA) with US pachymetry were 2.4 to 51.8 μm for Scheimpflug imaging and −22.2 to 40.1 μm for scanning-slit topography. After application of a correction factor (0.95), the mean corrected Scheimpflug CCT measurement was 497.33 ± 36.59 μm and the lower to upper 95% LoA with US pachymetry were −25.9 to 25.5 μm. The acoustic factor for scanning-slit topography was 0.94. Conclusions: The CCT measurements in eyes that had PRK were thicker with Scheimpflug imaging than with US pachymetry or scanning-slit topography in the late postoperative period. With application of a correction factor, the Scheimpflug measurements were closer to US pachymetry values and had better agreement than scanning-slit topography. Financial Disclosure: No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Instruction. We investigated the correlation between atherosclerosis and tissue and serum levels of endothelin-1 in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Materials and Methods. Arterial samples were obtained from 35 patients with CKD during arteriovenous fistula placement. Thirtyone patients with cardiovascular disease who underwent coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) were selected as the atherosclerotic group, and a piece of their aorta punched during CABG was obtained. Also, a small piece of the renal artery was dissected during donation in 24 kidney donors (control group). Tissue endothelin-1 level was measured and atherosclerosis grading was determined by pathologic examination. Serum levels of endothelin-1 were also measured in the three groups. Results. The mean tissue endothelin-1 levels were 10.73±7.57 pg/mL, 12.16 ± 3.95 pg/mL, and 0.93 ± 1.06 pg/mL in the patients with CKD, those with CABG, and donors, respectively (P < .001). The mean serum endothelin-1 level was 25.23 ± 15.15 pg/mL in the patients with CKD, 21.13 ± 17.22 pg/mL in the patients with CABG, and 2.66 ± 1.51 pg/mL in the donors (P < .001). Atherosclerosis grades correlated with tissue endothelin-1 level (r = 0.823, P < .001) and serum endothelin-1 level (r = 0.608, P < .001) in the patients with CKD. Multiple regression analysis showed tissue endothelin-1 level as the main predicting factor of atherosclerosis (P < .001). Conclusions. Tissue endothelin-1 concentration is more important than serum endothelin-1 or lipids levels in prediction of atherosclerosis. Thus, blockade of tissue endothelin-1 receptors with its antagonists may prevent atherosclerosis progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]