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The corrosion inhibition performance of a novel corrosion inhibitor, 1-aminobenzotriazole drug (1-ABT), was comprehensively evaluated through a range of experimental and computational techniques. The effectiveness of 1-ABT as a corrosion inhibitor was investigated using weight loss measurements, electrochemical methods, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Xray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and quantum chemical/molecular dynamics studies. Experimental findings revealed a positive relationship between the inhibition effectiveness of 1-ABT and its concentration, while displaying a negative correlation with temperature. Notably, the highest achieved inhibition efficiency of approximately 98 % was observed at a concentration of 400 ppm. The adsorption behavior of 1-ABT on the metal surface was found to conform to the Langmuir adsorption isotherm, indicating monolayer formation. The thermodynamic analysis further supported the physiochemisorption nature of the adsorption process. XPS analysis and theoretical investigations confirmed the adsorption of 1-ABT molecules onto the steel surface, with the interaction between the N atoms of 1- ABT and the vacant d-orbitals of Fe atoms playing a significant role. SEM examinations provided additional evidence, demonstrating a notable reduction in the corrosion rate in the presence of 1-ABT. These findings contribute to the understanding of the corrosion inhibition mechanisms and highlight the potential of 1-ABT as an effective inhibitor for mitigating corrosion in various applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: According to the latest energy balance sheets, the average energy consumption in the residential sector of Iran is about 41% of the total energy consumption in the country. Increasing the energy efficiency of buildings can decrease the annual energy consumption in the residential sector and, thereby, the energy costs of families. The objectives of this study were to evaluate and prioritize the effective factors in reducing the energy consumption in residential buildings in the north of Iran using the climatic conditions analysis. METHODS: In the first step, the amount of energy consumption in the cooling and heating section was estimated in the base conditions, and in the next step, the amount of energy consumption was calculated. The obtained results were compared with each other with the help of optimization strategies for energy consumption using the Design Builder software. Finally, a set of effective factors were determined to be involved in decreasing the energy consumption. FINDINGS: The results showed that application of the LED lamps instead of the conventional fluorescent lamps could decrease the energy consumption by 980.4 kWh. Moreover, changing the materials of the walls and ceiling, using the polyurethane foam insulation with the thickness of 20 mm, and using the double-glazed UPVC windows reduced the energy consumption by 770 kWh. Energy reduction of about 101.5 kWh was also obtained after external movable awning and internal blind. CONCLUSION: The most commonly used materials were analyzed by the Design Builder software. The analysis was done by integrating building architecture engineering (the best form of orientation and facade) based on the reasonable costs of consuming common materials in the area. The obtained results can be used for both evaluating the energy efficiency in residential buildings and producing a comfortable living environment in a moderate and humid climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Lithium is an alkali metal element which has used in pharmaceutical compounds against diseases of psychopathy disorders, hypothyroidism and depression. This study was aimed to evaluate lithium chronic effects on thyroid tissues and its secreted hormones in female rats. Methods: In this experimental study, 48 female mature rats (Wistar race), were examined. Rats were divided in two random groups; each group had three subgroups in 8 rats. Lithium carbonate solution was injected to the experimental group, intraperitoneally every other day at 8 in the morning with the dosage of 180 mg/kg bodyweight of lithium carbonate saluted distillated water in during 40 days using insulin syringe, whereas the control group just injected distillated water. After 40 days, the rats were anesthetized and blood samples were taken from the left ventricle. Then, the thyroid gland was removed and after anatomical examination it was fixed in 10% formalin. Level of hormones in serum was evaluated by radioimmunoassay (RIA). The structure of the thyroid gland was examined by light microscopy. Results: According to the results, there was a significant decrease in the thyroid weight of the experimental group (P=0.02), and thyrotropin (TSH) level decrease in the experimental group was significant as well (P=0.003). The level of thyroxine (T), T3 and T4 had a significant increase in the experimental group compared to control group (P=0.001). Conclusion: Regarding to the results, lithium carbonate has substantial effect on thyroid gland weight and on the serum levels of TSH, T3 and T4. Physicians should utilize this kind of medicine cautiously. Also it is recommended to warn patient about possibility of tyroidical disorder before treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought as a natural phenomenon has always been a serious threat to regions with hot and dry climates. One of the major effects of drought is the drop in groundwater level. This paper focused on the SPI (Standardized Precipitation Index) and SWI (Standardized Water-Level Index) to assess meteorological and hydrological drought, respectively. In the first part, we used different time frames of SPI (3, 6, 12, and 24 months) to investigate drought in Yazd, a dry province in the center of Iran for 29 years (1990-2018). Then, in the second part, the relationship between SPI and SWI was investigated in the three aquifers of Yazd by some rain gauge stations and the closest observation wells to them. In addition to using SPI and SWI, we also used different machine learning (ML) algorithms to predict drought conditions including linear model and six non-linear models of K_Nearest_Neighbors, Gradient_Boosting, Decision_Tree, XGBoost, Random_Forest, and Neural_Net. To evaluate the accuracy of the mentioned models, three statistical indicators including Score, RMSE, and MAE were used. Based on the results of the first part, Yazd province has changed from mild wet to mild drought in terms of meteorological drought (the amount of rainfall according to SPI), and this condition can worsen due to climate change. The models used in ML showed that SPI-6 (score ave = 0.977), SPI-3 (score ave = 0.936), SPI-24 (score ave = 0.571), and SPI-12 (score ave = 0.413) indices had the highest accuracy, respectively. The models of Neural_Net (score ave = 0.964-RMSE ave = 0.020-MAE ave = 0.077) and Gradient_Boosting (score ave = 0.551-RMSE ave = 0.124-MAE ave = 0.248) had the highest and lowest accuracy in prediction of the SPI in all four-time scales. Based on the results of the second part, about the SWI, Random_Forest model (score = 0.929-RMSE = 0.052-MAE = 0.150) and model of Neural_Net (score = 0.755-RMSE = 0.235-MAE = 0.456) had the highest and lowest accuracy, respectively. Also, hydrological drought (reduction of the groundwater level) of the region has been much more severe, and according to the low correlation coefficient of average SPI and SWI (R 2 = 0.14), we found that the uncontrolled pumping wells, as a main factor than a shortage of rainfall, have aggravated the hydrological drought, and this region is at risk of becoming a more arid region in the future., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Introduction and Objectives: Aging is an irreversible process associated with decreased biological functions that can lead to the reduction of reproductive organs capacities in males and females. Paternal age is a significant predictor of offspring health and development. So, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of vitamin C on histopathological and biochemical testicular changes following aging process with a focus on stereological methods., Material and Methods: For this study, 48 adult male NMRI mice were divided into two control and experimental groups. Mice in experimental group were supplemented with vitamin C (150mg/kg) including 24-h interval by oral gavage for 33 weeks. Same regime was performed for animals in control group except that vitamin C was replaced by water. Then, right testes were extracted for stereological and left testes were used for molecular analyses on weeks 8, 12, and 33., Results: Our findings showed low semen quality, decreased level of serum Luteinizing hormone (LH), Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and testosterone along with increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and higher apoptotic gene expression following aging. Stereological studies showed that the volume of testes, the length of seminiferous tubules, and the number of spermatogenic and none-spermatogenic cells decreased significantly during aging. Also, vitamin C consumption for 33 weeks significantly improved biochemical and histological indices. The impact of aging on male reproduction seems to be inevitable worldwide. Therefore, the use of protective and preventive remedies conserving male fecundity is very important and based on our results, vitamin C is a beneficial candidate for improving age-related testicular changes due to aging process., (Copyright © 2022 Asociación Española de Andrología, Medicina Sexual y Reproductiva. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Nowadays, there seems to be no decisive way for treatment of spinal cord injury (SCI).Extensive cell death (apoptosis and necrosis) occurring in SCI can cause considerable progressive sensorimotor disabilities. Preventing cell death by improving endogenous regenerative capability could an effective strategy for the treatment of SCI. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of lithium chloride (LiCl) on the cell survival through overexpression of BDNF and NT3 mRNA level and their receptors in the contusion rat models., Methods: Rats were randomly divided into four experimental groups (eight rats/group) including: contused animals (the non-treatment group); contused animals (the control group) which received laminectomy; contused animals received normal saline (vehicle)and contused animals received intraperitoneal injection of 20 mg/kg LiCl three days after surgery. Injection continued for 14 days as treatment. Basso, Beattie, Bresnahan (BBB) rating scale was used to assess the motor function of the rats. To evaluate the histopathological and gene expression analysis, rats were sacrificed 28 days after surgery. Real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to obtain the relative levels of mRNA for BDNF, NT3 and their receptors., Results: The results showed LiCl ameliorates BBB scores via up-regulation of BDNF and TrkB receptors. Also, histological analysis showed that the numerical density per area of TUNEL- positive cells and the percentage of cavity significantly decreased in the LiCl-treated group., Conclusion: Our findings suggest that LiCl protects neural cells and effectively enhances locomotor function, which was done through up-regulation of endogenous BDNF expression in rats with SCI., Abbreviations: SCI: spinal cord injury; LiCl: lithium chloride; BDNF: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor; NT3: Neurotrophin-3; BBB: Basso, Beattie, Bresnahan; TrkB: Tropomyosin receptor kinase B; TUNEL: Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling.

Neural stem/progenitor cells hold valuable potential for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders. The modulation of intrinsic growth factor expression, such as neurotrophins and their receptors, is a necessary step in achieving neural stem cells (NSCs) therapy. The statins have recently been reported to provide both anti‑inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. In the developing and mature nervous systems, neurotrophic factors are known to impact neuronal growth and survival. In this study, we investigated for a positive effect of lovastatin on the expression of neurotrophins in the neonatal rat hippocampus‑derived NSCs. NSCs were isolated and cultured up to passage three. To confirm cellular identity, immunocytochemical evaluation and flow cytometry analysis were performed using specific antibodies. To determine the optimum concentration of lovastatin, the MTT assay was used. Neurotrophin expression was evaluated using quantitative real‑time reverse transcription‑polymerase chain reaction (RT‑qPCR). Flow cytometry results demonstrated that NSCs were positive for nestin, a marker for neural progenitor cells. An increase in cellular viability was observed with a 24 h exposure of lovastatin. Moreover, results showed an increase in mRNA expression for all neurotrophins compared to the control group. Taken together, the results of this study add to the growing body of literature on the neuroprotective effects of statins in neurological disorders. Lovastatin is a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.