Search

A new series of pyrazoline derivatives (3-10) have been synthesized and characterized on the basis of FT-IR, 1H-NMR, and Mass techniques. 1-(4-Aminophenyl)-3-(pyridin-4-yl)prop-2-en-1-one (1) as a starting material was prepared by the reaction of 4-aminoacetophenone and 4-pyridinecarboxaldehyde in ethanol, using sodium hydroxide as a catalyst. Pyrazoline derivatives 2 was obtained via the cyclization reaction of compound 1 by the action of hydrazine hydrate 80% in ethanol. The target derivatives (3-8) were obtained by the reaction of pyrazoline derivative (2) with the corresponding aldehyde in ethanol. The novel pyrazoline derivatives 9 and 10 were synthesized by the reaction of pyrazoline derivative 2 with the corresponding anhydride (maleic or phthalic anhydride) in presence of anhydrous sodium acetate in glacial acetic acid. The synthesized derivatives were screened against several bacterial strains: Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus espidermididis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella and Candida albicans. The synthesized compounds showed promising bio-activity compared with amoxicillin.

Women are more risk-averse and more conservative in making investment decisions.This research examines the relationship between the gender diversity of the board of directors and the investment inefficiency of companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange. The argument is that companies with gender diversity of the board of directors have lower investment inefficiency than companies without gender diversity of the board of directors, and the presence of female directors in the board of directors has a negative relationship with investment inefficiency.This research is quasi-experimental. Also, considering that the results of the research deal with solving a specific problem or issue, it is applied in terms of purpose and in terms of method, correlation analysis with regression approach. Considering that this research uses past information to test hypotheses, it is retrospective. In order to examine this issue, research hypotheses were selected based on a statistical sample consisting of 108 stock companies (based on systematic exclusion) during the years 2017 to 2021 (540 observations) and tested using multivariate regression models.The analysis of the research sample shows that there is a significant negative relationship between the gender diversity of the board of directors and investment inefficiency. The results also showed that board independence moderates the relationship between board gender diversity and investment inefficiency. But CEO tenure does not moderate the relationship between board gender diversity and investment inefficiency.

The main goal of this study is the effect of Stock Liquidity and Corporate Governance on the Financial Leverage. In order to test the hypotheses, a sample of companies accepted in the Tehran Stock Exchange was selected between 2016 and 2021, which was analyzed using R software. The research method is multivariate regression using panel data. According to the research findings, it can be said that there is not a meaningful relationship between Stock Liquidity, Corporate Governance and Financial Leverage. Companies finance through debt regardless of the stock liquidity, therefore, stock liquidity does not play a decisive role in financing. Better corporate governance mechanisms apply more supervision, so that these mechanisms prevent the opportunistic behavior of managers and preventing them from hiding and manipulating information. By examining the mutual effect of stock liquidity and the quality of corporate governance, a significant relationship was found with the financial leverage of companies accepted in the Tehran Stock Exchange. The study tries to contribute to the current literature of corporate governance and corporate capital structure by providing new evidence on the causal impacts of corporate governance quality on financial leverage. Also, this study contributes to the literature on corporate governance quality and financial leverage by exploring the mechanism of corporate governance quality and financial leverage from internal financing and equity financing.

The Constitution, as the highest legal-political instrument of the country, must be immune from any kind of intervention, for which special institutions are usually formed or appointed; otherwise, the rights and freedoms of the people in the constitution will be abandoned and the existence of the constitution will be invalidated. In the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Guardian Council is responsible for the protection of the Constitution in the legislative phase, and all the enactments of the parliament become law after the approval of the council. The challenge that exists in this connection is whether the judges of the courts have the discretion, by insisting on the principle of the supremacy of the constitution and the need to cite to the valid law, as well as the constitutional review entity, not to implement the laws that they consider to be contrary to the constitution and refuse to implement them?; this research aims to analyze and respond to this issue using a descriptive-analytical approach. The findings show that although it is not possible to comment on the absolute rejection or acceptance of the judges' competence in this regard, in relation to the laws passed before the formation of the Guardian Council (both pre-revolutionary laws and laws approved by the Revolutionary Council) and the enactments that became law due to ending the legal deadline for the council’s comments, and also some enforceable legal norms that are not under the review of the Guardian Council, the courts can be given the authority not to implement them.

Background and purpose: Lophomoniasis is a relatively common emerging parasitic disease caused by a pathogenic protozoan called Lophomonas, which mostly affects the lower respiratory tract (lungs and bronchi) of humans. The parasite lives symbiotically in the digestive system of insects such as cockroaches and mites. Acanthamoeba is a free-living amoeba that has two forms of trophozoite and cyst in its life cycle. The respiratory system and airways serve as passage and deployment sites for a wide range of non-pathogenic and pathogenic microorganisms, making it a suitable place for the entry and spread of different species of Acanthamoeba amoeba and the Lophomonas pathogen in the respiratory system, which can cause clinical manifestations similar to tuberculosis. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the frequency of these two parasites in sputum clinical samples from suspected tuberculosis patients referred to the tuberculosis laboratory in Babolsar City to rule out the two mentioned infections. Materials and methods: This descriptive-cross-sectional study was conducted on 201 sputum samples of people suspected of tuberculosis who were referred to the tuberculosis laboratory of Babolsar Health Center in Mazandaran province in 202-2023, and all the demographic and epidemiological information of the patients was recorded. In the morphological method, Giemsa staining was used for Lophomonas and Ziehl-Neelsen staining for Acanthamoeba. To identify the presence of Acanthamoeba, sputum samples were cultured in a 1.5% non-nutrient agar culture medium for 72 to 96 hours. Approximately 50 microliters of patients' sputum were added to the NNA medium, along with 20 microliters of trypticase-yeast extract and maltose (TYM) culture medium, and 20 microliters of an autoclaved Escherichia coli bacteria mixture to enrich the culture medium. The cultured plates were then placed in an incubator at 26ºC and checked daily under a light microscope for trophozoite growth. To accurately confirm the presence of parasites, DNA extraction was performed on the patient's sputum samples using the phenol-chloroform-isoamyl alcohol method. Subsequently, conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was conducted using specific primers on the extracted DNA samples. Results: In the study of 201 people suspected of tuberculosis, it was found that 80 individuals (39.8%) lived in urban areas and 121 individuals (60.2%) lived in rural areas. The age range of participants varied from 7 to 88 years old. There were 113 females (56.2%) and 88 males (43.8%) in the study, with 12 individuals from Afghanistan living in urban areas. Out of the 201 sputum samples examined, a total of 23 samples (11.4%) tested positive for the Lophomonas parasite using the PCR method. Among these positive cases, 7 individuals (30.4%) resided in urban areas (Babolsar), while 16 individuals (69.5%) lived in rural areas. However, none of the samples tested positive for Acanthamoeba in this study using staining and PCR methods. Conclusion: The present study showed that due to the similarity of the clinical manifestations of tuberculosis and lophomoniasis, there is a possibility of mistaking these two diseases clinically. Therefore, it is recommended to check fresh sputum samples of people suspected of tuberculosis, especially in endemic areas, in terms of pulmonary lophomoniasis.

Thanks to their high strength-to-weight ratio, lightweightness, and excellent energy absorption, composite lattice panels can be used in the aerospace, marine, automotive, and other industries. These structures can be used as an alternative to string-reinforced structures, honeycomb (core) sandwich panels, and aluminum grid structures. In this paper, a composite lattice panel is first fabricated from glass/epoxy by hand lay-up method using a silicon rubber mold. In this method, a Kagome composite lattice panel with twelve layers of resin-impregnated fibers was fabricated during a continuous process. After fabrication, the test panel was shown under three-point bending and failure modes. Also, a numerical simulation of three-point bending was performed in ABAQUS software. Then, the simulation results were compared with those of the experimental test, indicating a good convergence between the experimental test results and the finite element ones up to the point of failure. Due to changes in directions of force, these structures have a high ability to withstand damage, and therefore, continue to withstand the load after the failure of one or more ribs. Also, there is no sudden and sharp drop in the load-bearing capacity of the structure despite the force being maximized, which can be attributed to the high energy absorption of such structures. Instead, the force decreases slowly with fluctuations, and the structure continues to absorb energy until final failure. Therefore, such lightweight structures can be used in applications where energy absorption is of great importance.

Abstract Background Leishmaniasis, an illness caused by protozoa, accounts for a substantial number of human fatalities globally, thereby emerging as one of the most fatal parasitic diseases. The conventional methods employed for detecting the Leishmania parasite through microscopy are not only time-consuming but also susceptible to errors. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to develop a model based on deep learning, a subfield of artificial intelligence, that could facilitate automated diagnosis of leishmaniasis. Methods In this research, we introduce LeishFuNet, a deep learning framework designed for detecting Leishmania parasites in microscopic images. To enhance the performance of our model through same-domain transfer learning, we initially train four distinct models: VGG19, ResNet50, MobileNetV2, and DenseNet 169 on a dataset related to another infectious disease, COVID-19. These trained models are then utilized as new pre-trained models and fine-tuned on a set of 292 self-collected high-resolution microscopic images, consisting of 138 positive cases and 154 negative cases. The final prediction is generated through the fusion of information analyzed by these pre-trained models. Grad-CAM, an explainable artificial intelligence technique, is implemented to demonstrate the model’s interpretability. Results The final results of utilizing our model for detecting amastigotes in microscopic images are as follows: accuracy of 98.95 1.4%, specificity of 98 2.67%, sensitivity of 100%, precision of 97.91 2.77%, F1-score of 98.92 1.43%, and Area Under Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve of 99 1.33. Conclusion The newly devised system is precise, swift, user-friendly, and economical, thus indicating the potential of deep learning as a substitute for the prevailing leishmanial diagnostic techniques.

In big and industrial cities of developing countries, illness and mortality from long-term exposure to air pollutants have become a serious issue. This research was carried out in 2019–2020 to estimate the health impacts of PM10, NO2 and O3 pollutants by using AirQ+ and R statistical programming software in Arak, Isfahan, Tabriz, Shiraz, Karaj, and Mashhad. Mortality statistics, number of people in required age groups, and amount of pollutants were gathered respectively from different agencies like Statistics and Information Technology of the Ministry of Health, Statistical Center, and Department of Environment and by using Excel, the average 24-hour and 1-hour concentration and maximum 8-hour concentration for PM10, NO2 and O3 pollutants were gathered. We used linear mixed impacts model to account for the longitudinal observations and heterogeneity of the cities. The results of the study showed high number of deaths due to chronic bronchitis in adults, premature death of infants, and respiratory diseases in Mashhad. This research highlights the importance of estimation of health impacts from exposure to air pollutants on residents of the studied cities.

Leishmaniasis, caused by intracellular protozoa of the Leishmania genus, continues to be a global health issue, with approximately 700,000 to 1 million new cases occur annually worldwide. The disease is transmitted via the bite of infected female sand flies of the genus Phlebotomus, resulting in a range of symptoms known as cutaneous, mucocutaneous, and visceral leishmaniasis. The species Leishmania (Mundinia) martiniquensis, discovered in 1995, has been linked to cases in individuals with HIV, presenting with diverse clinical pictures. Interestingly, biting midges, not sandflies, has proved to serve as its potentially biological vector. This study focuses on understanding the transmission, clinical aspects, and effective treatment of L. martiniquensis infections.A comprehensive search strategy was employed to identify relevant published papers on the epidemiology, transmission, clinical characteristics, and treatment of L. martiniquensis up to August 2024. The clinical manifestations encompass localized cutaneous leishmaniasis, disseminated cutaneous leishmaniasis, mucocutaneous leishmaniasis, and visceral leishmaniasis. Leishmaniasis is associated with comorbidities such as inadequate nutrition, population displacement, and reduced immunity. Risk factors for Leishmania infection include the presence of domestic animals, age, gender, and environmental factors. Amphotericin B deoxycholate (AmB) is the main treatment. Combination therapy with allicin and andrographolide may reduce AmB side effects. Recent research investigates other treatments including 8-hydroxyquinoline, which works synergistically with AmB against L. martiniquensis.

Abstract Background Oral candidiasis (OC) is a prevalent opportunistic infection in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The increasing resistance to antifungal agents in HIV-positive individuals suffering from OC raised concerns. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the prevalence of drug-resistant OC in HIV-positive patients. Methods Pubmed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase databases were systematically searched for eligible articles up to November 30, 2023. Studies reporting resistance to antifungal agents in Candida species isolated from HIV-positive patients with OC were included. Baseline characteristics, clinical features, isolated Candida species, and antifungal resistance were independently extracted by two reviewers. The pooled prevalence with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated using the random effect model or fixed effect model. Results Out of the 1942 records, 25 studies consisting of 2564 Candida species entered the meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of resistance to the antifungal agents was as follows: ketoconazole (25.5%, 95% CI: 15.1–35.8%), fluconazole (24.8%, 95% CI: 17.4–32.1%), 5-Flucytosine (22.9%, 95% CI: -13.7-59.6%), itraconazole (20.0%, 95% CI: 10.0–26.0%), voriconazole (20.0%, 95% CI: 1.9–38.0%), miconazole (15.0%, 95% CI: 5.1–26.0%), clotrimazole (13.4%, 95% CI: 2.3–24.5%), nystatin (4.9%, 95% CI: -0.05-10.3%), amphotericin B (2.9%, 95% CI: 0.5–5.3%), and caspofungin (0.1%, 95% CI: -0.3-0.6%). Furthermore, there were high heterogeneities among almost all included studies regarding the resistance to different antifungal agents (I2 > 50.00%, P

Abstract We conducted a hospital-based case–control study to explore the association between proximity to various land use types and childhood leukemia and lymphoma. This research involved 428 cases of childhood leukemia and lymphoma (2016–2021), along with a control group of 428 children aged 1–15 in Tehran. We analyzed the risk of childhood cancer associated with land use by employing logistic regression adjusted for confounding factors such as parental smoking and family history. The odds ratio (OR) for children with leukemia and lymphoma residing within 100 m of the nearest highway was 1.87 (95% CI = 1.00–3.49) and 1.71 (95% CI = 1.00–2.93), respectively, in comparison to those living at a distance of 1000 m or more from a highway. The OR for leukemia with exposure to petrol stations within 100 m was 2.15 (95% CI = 1.00–4.63), and for lymphoma it was 1.09 (95% CI = 0.47–2.50). A significant association was observed near power lines (OR = 3.05; 95% CI = 0.97–9.55) within

Abstract Conventional wastewater treatment processes are often unable to remove antibiotics with resistant compounds and low biological degradation. The need for advanced and sustainable technologies to remove antibiotics from water sources seems essential. In this regard, the effectiveness of a spinning disc photocatalytic reactor (SDPR) equipped with a visible light-activated Fe3O4@SiO2-NH2@CuO/ZnO core–shell (FSNCZ CS) thin film photocatalyst was investigated for the decomposition of amoxicillin (AMX), a representative antibiotic. Various characterization techniques, such as TEM, FESEM, EDX, AFM, XRD, and UV–Vis-DRS, were employed to study the surface morphology, optoelectronic properties, and nanostructure of the FSNCZ CS. Key operating parameters such as irradiation time, pH, initial AMX concentration, rotational speed, and solution flow rate were fine-tuned for optimization. The results indicated that the highest AMX decomposition (98.7%) was attained under optimal conditions of 60 min of irradiation time, a rotational speed of 350 rpm, a solution flow rate of 0.9 L/min, pH of 5, and an initial AMX concentration of 20 mg/L. Moreover, during the 60 min irradiation time, more than 69.95% of chemical oxygen demand and 61.2% of total organic carbon were removed. After the photocatalytic decomposition of AMX, there is a substantial increase in the average oxidation state and carbon oxidation state in SDPR from 1.33 to 1.94 and 3.2, respectively. Active species tests confirmed that ·OH and ·O2 − played a dominant role in AMX decomposition. The developed SDPR, which incorporates a reusable and robust FSNCZ CS photocatalyst, demonstrates promising potential for the decomposition of organic compounds.

Abstract Over the recent years, ever-increasing population growth and higher wastewater production has been a challenge for decentralized wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). In addition, sludge treatment due to high cost for equipment and place make authorities to find a sustainable approach in both of economical and technical perspectives. One of the proposed solutions is transferring the sludge produced from decentralized WWTP to centralized WWTP. However, the appropriate proportional ratio of raw sludge to raw sewage is a challenge, otherwise, it make anaerobic conditions and sewage rotting along the sewer network based on permissible limit of dihydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas (5 ppm). In the present study, seven reactors with different ratios of sludge to raw sewage (0, 15, 20, 25, 50, 75, 100) were used to stimulate the feasibility of transferring Shahrake Gharb WWTP sludge along the wastewater transfer pipe to the centralized sewage treatment south Tehran WWTP plant in Tehran, Iran. The septic situation and H2S emission of different reactors within 7 h (Time to reach the compound in the south treatment plant) was analyzed by gas meter. The results indicated that the optimum ratio of sludge to raw sewage was 15% without H2S production during 7 h. In addition, due to the high volume of sludge produced by the Shahrake Gharb WWTP, the optimal ratio of lime to total solids (TS) in sludge (gr/gr) (0.6) increased the sludge loading rate from 15 to 30% without any H2S emission during the stimulation study period. Therefore, the lime stabilization and transfer of sludge from a decentralized WWTP to a centralized WWTP is a feasible way to manage the sludge and enhance the treatment capacity in local WWTP.

The efficiency of the foreign exchange market is crucial because exchange rates play a vital role in balancing a nation's internal and external economies. Iran's foreign exchange market has undergone significant developments and fluctuations in recent years, impacting its efficiency. This is evident in the monthly time series data for the unofficial exchange rates of the dollar, euro, and yuan from 2001 to 2021. An interesting trend has emerged since 2017: the Chinese yuan appears to be gradually replacing the dollar and euro as the primary trading currency in Iran's international market. Statistical tests, including the Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF), Phillips-Peron (PP), and KPSS tests, indicate weak-form efficiency in the markets for all three currencies (dollar, euro, and yuan). This suggests that these markets remain vulnerable to speculative attacks. Furthermore, Johansen's cointegration and Granger's causality tests reveal an absence of semi-strong efficiency in all three markets. This implies that past price information alone is insufficient to predict future exchange rates. The research findings suggest that choosing the yuan as an alternative currency has had a somewhat positive impact on improving the efficiency of the Iranian currency market.

Efficient thermal management is essential for designing compact and high-performance heat sinks and heat exchangers. This study addresses the challenge of optimizing heat transfer while minimizing pressure losses in systems exposed to concentrated heat flux by proposing a novel approach that employs both active and passive vortex generators. Specifically, a uniform magnetic field generated by permanent magnets and a bluff body are utilized within a microchannel containing a 2 vol% ferrofluid. Numerical simulations were performed across Reynolds numbers ranging from 100 to 500 and magnetic field intensities up to 0.5 T to evaluate the system's performance. The results demonstrate that the combination of magnetic fields and a bluff body induces vortex generation, alters velocity distribution, and enhances flow mixing, resulting in a 30 % increase in heat transfer efficiency and an 11 % reduction in pressure drop under optimal conditions. Although the introduction of barriers led to a 3 % rise in pressure drop, the uniform magnetic field effectively mitigated friction by reducing flow separation and limiting surface contact. These findings highlight the potential of this method for improving the design of advanced thermal management systems.

The systems thinking approach to problem solving is a dynamic and productive approach. However, emphasizing only the objective aspects of a phenomena and neglecting their subjective aspects can decrease its problem solving power. In order to enhance the problem solving power of systems thinking, it is proposed in this article to enrich systems thinking by using the hermeneutic loop. This applied research adopts practical aspects of systems thinking and hermeneutics in understanding and solving problems more effectively. The proposed approach is comprised of an additive loop, named the hermeneutic loop, concerning simultaneously “the whole system and its parts” and “subjectively and objectively”. Requirements of systems thinking are highlighted involving the holism and life cycle of the system. A summary of the considerations for systems thinking regarding holism and lifetime are as follows: (1) feedback in lifetime, (2) feed forward, (3) combining human and tools, (4) resources, (5) stock and flow and (6) carrying capacity (saturation). The utilization of this enriched systems thinking is investigated in three real engineering design processes, including case studies for designers in the field of remote communication. As the result, the proposed enriched systems thinking provides an improved understanding of the whole, which improves the solving power of the designers of components, and adds subjective product design to the objective design.

In recent years, the use of a horizontal spinning disc reactor (SDR) as a photocatalytic reactor for the degradation of various pollutants in aqueous solutions has increased. This study was searched based on the PRISMA method. Two autonomous researchers carried out for the relevant studies using Scopus, Web of Science (WOS), and Science Direct databases. The search terms expanded focusing on the performance of horizontal spinning disc photocatalytic reactor (SDPR). In this review article, the main objective of the effect of operational factors on the efficiency of the degradation of pollutants with changes in the type of light source (range of visible light and UV radiation), disc rotational speed, flow rate, initial concentration of pollutants, pH, type of disc structure and flow regime are considered. Current challenges in SDPR include issues such as limited mass transfer, uneven light distribution, and difficulties in scaling up. To overcome these challenges, improvements can be made by optimizing reactor design for better mass transfer, enhancing light distribution through advanced light sources or reactor configurations, and developing scalable models that maintain efficiency at larger scales. Additionally, the use of innovative materials and coatings could improve the overall performance of SDPR.

Substances like asbestos and other air pollutants, such as BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene), are hazardous compounds due to their adverse effects on human health. This study aims to investigate the levels, seasonal variations, spatial distribution, potential sources, and associated health risks associated with BTEX compounds and asbestos fibers in the ambient air of Tabriz. Air samples were taken at 16 different locations during the 2020–2021 period. Glass containers with charcoal were used for sample collection, and the BTEX content was determined using the GC-FID method. Phase-contrast microscopy (PCM) analysis was conducted with a low-volume peripheral pump for asbestos fiber sampling. The results showed that the average concentration of ∑BTEX was 37.94 and 27.98 μg/m3 in autumn and spring, respectively. The same parameter was 2.26 and 1.68 f/L for asbestos in the autumn and winter, respectively. The contribution of BTEX to ozone formation potential (OFP) in the research area showed that xylene and toluene were the major contributors to ozone production in different seasons. The risk of exposure to benzene compounds was 24 × 10−4 in children and 55.9 × 10−4 in adults, while the risk of exposure to ethylbenzene was 3.78 × 10−4 in children and 3.25 × 10−4 in adults. The estimated lifetime cancer risk was found to be the highest for benzene, followed by ethylbenzene. The estimated cancer risk for benzene and ethylbenzene exceeded the threshold values set by EPA, which signals a significant carcinogenic risk due to exposure to these substances in the ambient air of Tabriz. According to the EPA guidelines, the low carcinogenicity risk levels are between 10−4 and 10−6. According to the findings for the exposure to asbestos fibers, the maximum values of excess cancer risk (ECR) and estimated lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) were observed in the 16–30 age range across all locations, suggesting increased exposure to asbestos fibers compared to other age groups.

Understanding the new insight on conversion of organic waste into value-added products can improve the environmental activities driven by microorganisms and return the nutrients to environment and earth. Here, we comprehensively review the available knowledge on application of garbage enzyme (GE) for different environmental activities including waste activated sludge, composting process, landfill leachate treatment, soil remediation and wastewater treatment with special focus on their efficiency. To identify peer-reviewed studies published in English-language journals, a comprehensive search was performed across multiple electronic databases including Scopus, Web of Science, Pubmed, and Embase. The search was conducted systematically using relevant keywords. The eligible studies were analyzed to extract data and information pertaining to components of GE, fermentation process operational parameters, type of hydrolytic enzymes and improved environmental performance. The findings derived from this current review demonstrated that GE produced from the fruit and vegetable peels, molasses or brown sugar (carbon source), and water within fermentation process contain different hydrolytic enzymes in order to facilitate the organic waste degradation. Therefore, GE can be considered as a promising and efficient pathway in order to improve the environmental activities depended on microorganism including, composting, wastewater and leachate treatment and bioremediation process.

Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of death among all cancer deaths. This cancer is classified into two different histological subtypes: non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which is the most common subtype, and small cell lung cancer (SCLC), which is the most aggressive subtype. Understanding the molecular characteristics of lung cancer has expanded our knowledge of the cellular origins and molecular pathways affected by each of these subtypes and has contributed to the development of new therapies. Traditional treatments for lung cancer include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Advances in understanding the nature and specificity of lung cancer have led to the development of immunotherapy, which is the newest and most specialized treatment in the treatment of lung cancer. Each of these treatments has advantages and disadvantages and causes side effects. Today, combination therapy for lung cancer reduces side effects and increases the speed of recovery. Despite the significant progress that has been made in the treatment of lung cancer in the last decade, further research into new drugs and combination therapies is needed to extend the clinical benefits and improve outcomes in lung cancer. In this review article, we discussed common lung cancer treatments and their combinations from the most advanced to the newest.

Abstract Background Lophomonas blattarum is an emerging protozoan that mostly infects the lower respiratory tract and causes pulmonary lophomoniasis. Radiologic findings in patients with pulmonary lophomoniasis have yet to be studied. Thus, we conducted a registry-based clinical investigation to evaluate the radiologic findings of lophomoniasis. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 34 Lophomonas positive patients were enrolled. Demographic data, relevant characteristics, and radiologic findings of the patients were recorded and analyzed. Results Thirty-four (male = 18, female = 16) patients with an average age of 52.21 ± 20.48 years old were examined. Radiological findings such as Alveolar consolidation (26.5%), Ground glass opacity (5.9%), Centrilobular nodules (23.5%), Tree -in- bud (38.2%), Cavitation (23.5%), Pleural effusion (23.5%), Interstitial opacity (8.8%), Lymphadenopathy (23.5%), Bronchocele (5.9%), Bronchiectasis (29.4%), Nodules (8.8%) and Mass (11.8%) were obtained, that the frequency of all radiological findings was less than 50%. Conclusion In this study, the most common radiological findings in patients with lophomoniasis were tree-in-bud nodules, alveolar consolidation, bronchiectasis, and centrilobular nodules which were mostly seen in the right lung and its middle and lower lobes. Given that the radiologic findings of this disease are unknown, it can be considered in differential diagnosis.

Abstract Self-assembling peptides (SAPs) have gained significant attention in biomedicine because of their unique properties and ability to undergo molecular self-assembly driven by non-covalent interactions. By manipulating their composition and structure, SAPs can form well-ordered nanostructures with enhanced selectivity, stability and biocompatibility. SAPs offer advantages such as high chemical and biological diversity and the potential for functionalization. However, studies concerning its potentially toxic effects are very scarce, a limitation that compromises its potential translation to humans. This study investigates the potentially toxic effects of six different SAP formulations composed of natural amino acids designed for nervous tissue engineering and amenable to ready cross-linking boosting their biomechanical properties. All methods were performed in accordance with the relevant guidelines and regulations. A wound-healing assay was performed to evaluate how SAPs modify cell migration. The results in vitro demonstrated that SAPs did not induce genotoxicity neither skin sensitization. In vivo, SAPs were well-tolerated without any signs of acute systemic toxicity. Interestingly, SAPs were found to promote the migration of endothelial, macrophage, fibroblast, and neuronal-like cells in vitro, supporting a high potential for tissue regeneration. These findings contribute to the development and translation of SAP-based biomaterials for biomedical applications.

This paper evaluates the benefits of cooperative utilization of available flexibility for enhancing the performance reliability of Multi-Microgrid (MMG) distribution systems in emergency situations. Interruptible Load Contracts (ILCs) with voluntary load points, with the goal to reduce the penalty cost of unexpected power interruptions during fault events, are considered as the source of flexibility. In this paper, the business as usual where Microgrid Operators (MGOs) independently plan ILCs for emergency operations is compared with cooperative planning of ILCs shared among multiple MGOs. To do so, a mathematical optimization model is developed to optimally allocate ILCs to each MG considering the presence of other MGs in the MMG distribution system. Decision variables include the optimal location and size of ILCs in each MG for a given incentive rate that motivates customers’ enrollment. The model considers grid topological configuration, capacity, and voltage level as the main technical constraints. The model is formulated as a Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) problem whose solution can be simply achieved via off-the-shelf software packages. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of cooperative planning of ILCs in reducing the overall penalty costs of unexpected outages by 10% to 15% compared to the independent planning approaches, depending on the network characteristics.

Abstract COVID-19 is a highly communicable respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which has had a significant impact on global public health and the economy. Detecting COVID-19 patients during a pandemic with limited medical facilities can be challenging, resulting in errors and further complications. Therefore, this study aims to develop deep learning models to facilitate automated diagnosis of COVID-19 from CT scan records of patients. The study also introduced COVID-MAH-CT, a new dataset that contains 4442 CT scan images from 133 COVID-19 patients, as well as 133 CT scan 3D volumes. We proposed and evaluated six different transfer learning models for slide-level analysis that are responsible for detecting COVID-19 in multi-slice spiral CT. Additionally, multi-head attention squeeze and excitation residual (MASERes) neural network, a novel 3D deep model was developed for patient-level analysis, which analyzes all the CT slides of a given patient as a whole and can accurately diagnose COVID-19. The codes and dataset developed in this study are available at https://github.com/alrzsdgh/COVID . The proposed transfer learning models for slide-level analysis were able to detect COVID-19 CT slides with an accuracy of more than 99%, while MASERes was able to detect COVID-19 patients from 3D CT volumes with an accuracy of 100%. These achievements demonstrate that the proposed models in this study can be useful for automatically detecting COVID-19 in both slide-level and patient-level from patients’ CT scan records, and can be applied for real-world utilization, particularly in diagnosing COVID-19 cases in areas with limited medical facilities.

Objective: Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis (CVST), a complex and infrequent cerebrovascular disordercharacterized by the formation of clots within the cerebral venous sinuses, occurs as a result of multiple riskfactors and casualties, and its epidemiological picture should be investigated.Methods: This descriptive study was conducted retrospectively on patients with a final diagnosis of cerebralvein thrombosis, who were referred to the emergency room of Ghaem Hospital (Mashhad, Iran) between 2009and 2019. The study included all patients with cerebral vein thrombosis who were older than 18 years. Clinicalsymptoms and causes were documented and contrasted according to demographics.Results: During the 10 years of this study, 749 cases of cerebral vein thrombosis were observed, with womenaccounting for the majority (72.8%). The most prevalent symptom was headache (554 cases; 74.0%), followedby seizures (23.1%), blurred vision (16.0%), nausea (7.5%), vomiting (6.9%), double nose (4.9%), and dizziness(3.3%). There was no significant difference in the frequency of symptoms between the two genders (p

In light of the growing prevalence of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, it has become essential to incorporate cryptographic protection techniques for high-security applications. Since IoT devices are resource-constraints in terms of power and area, finding cost-effective ways to enhance their security is necessary. Physical unclonable function (PUF) is considered a trusted hardware security mechanism that generates true and intrinsic randomness by extracting the inherent process variations of circuits. In this paper, a novel pure magnetic memory-based PUF is presented. The fundamental building blocks of the proposed PUF design are magnetic devices, the so-called mCells. These magnetoresistive devices exclusively utilize Magnetic Tunnel Junction (MTJ) components. Using purely MTJ in the main memory and sense amplifier in the proposed PUF leads to high randomness, high reliability, low power, and ultra-compact occupation area. The Monte Carlo HSPICE simulation results demonstrate that the proposed PUF achieves a uniqueness of 49.89%, uniformity of 50.02 %, power consumption of 1.43 µW, and an area occupation of 0.01 µm2 per bit.

Background: Antibiotics are among the environmental pollutants with stable effects during consumption, they are rarely completely metabolized in the body and 30-90% of them are excreted through urine and feces and enter into the environment. The present study was conducted to evaluate the degradation of cefixime pollutant by photocatalyst Fe3O4@SiO2@TiO2@rGO + UV in the presence of persulfate (PS) from synthetic wastewater. Methods: Fe3O4@SiO2@TiO2 (F@ST) photocatalyst was synthesized by co-precipitation method, and then fixed on reduced graphene oxide (rGO). The structural properties of magnetic photocatalyst were evaluated using FESEM, XRD, TEM, VSM techniques. The effect of variables such as solution pH, catalyst dosage, persulfate concentration and initial pollutant concentration on the performance of the FS@T/rGO/PS/UV process in the degradation of cefixime pollutant was investigated. After determining the optimal conditions, the influence of interfering ions and scavengers on the process, as well as the amount of recovery and reuse of the catalyst were investigated. Results: The synthesized photocatalyst had features such as excellent magnetic properties, crystalline and relatively spherical structure in nano size, high purity, photocatalytic properties in both ultraviolet and visible ranges. Under optimal conditions (pH=6.5-7, PS= 2mM and photocatalyst dosage= 0.1 g/L), after 60 min of oxidation time, cefixime antibiotic with a concentration of 50 mg/L and TOC, respectively, with efficiency > 98% and 55.7% were removed. The performance of the process was affected by the presence of organic scavengers (TBA, NaN3, KI and CH3OH) and interfering ions (Cl-, SO4-2, NO3- and CO3-2); so that the pollutant degradation efficiency decreased in the presence of organic scavengers and interfering ions. The effective reaction species were included h⁺, 1O2, OH• and SO4•⁻ in the degradation of cefixime by photocatalytic process in the presence of PS. The synthesized photocatalyst could be used for 4 consecutive steps, and in the fourth step, cefixime was degraded with an efficiency of 70.1%. The behavior of the photocatalytic degradation of cefixime antibiotic per unit time was a function of the pseudo-first-order kinetic model. Conclusion: : FS@T/rGO/UV/PS photocatalytic process with features such as high efficiency in antibiotic degradation, easy and fast separation, pollutant mineralization, production of side products with simple molecular structure and good performance on the real wastewater sample could be used as a suitable method for industrial wastewater post-treatment as well as pre-treatment in order to reduce organic load and increase biodegradability.

The primary objective of this article is to elucidate that a comprehensive understanding of Greek political thought necessitates an examination of its origins in Ancient Greece. Traditional scholarship in Greek political thought has typically assumed that it originated concurrently with philosophy and the establishment of the polis. In this research, drawing upon the visions of Eric Voegelin and Leo Strauss, we endeavor to establish a refined definition of political thought while challenging the aforementioned conventional assumption. It is argued that political reflection remains intimately intertwined with the theological-mythological beginning of thought in Greece. This theological-mythological mode of thinking initially found expression in the works of Homer and Hesiod, with these poets serving as the foremost intellectual authorities and initial educators of the Greeks. The Greeks, in their self-perception, viewed themselves through a lens of religion and in the mirror of gods and divine forces. Consequently, any exploration into Greek political thought must acknowledge the works of these poets as the seminal intellectual foundations of Greek thought. It is imperative to recognize that political thought in Ancient Greece did not commence with philosophy or the emergence of the polis, but rather with poetry and a distinct form of religious-mythical experience, namely theologia-muthologia.

Purpose: This study intended to compare the effects of internet access on unemployment rates in the two time periods before and after COVID-19. Methodology: The research method was causal-disability-analysis. By estimating two regression models and using panel data method for the period of the coronavirus pandemic and the years before it, the impact of internet accessibility index on unemployment rate in these two periods in EU and MENA countries was estimated. Findings: A 10 percent increase in internet access during the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a 0.1 percent decline and in the period before the coronavirus it only led to a 0.04 percent decrease in the unemployment rate. Originality: The contribution of the current study is investigating the impact of internet access on unemployment rate in terms of providing remote working conditions in public quarantines caused by the coronavirus epidemic. Implications: To better manage any future pandemic crisis, policy makers in the field of information and communication technology need to consider the importance of the impact of internet access on the unemployment rate. To realize this, we have suggested the following administrative approaches: internet accessibility, managing the process of supporting enterprises, strengthening export capacity, and expanding e-government services.

Leishmaniasis is one of the most common parasitic diseases in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide and poses a threat to public health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the number of leishmaniasis cases worldwide is estimated at 12 million, and the number of people at risk is 350 million. However, leishmaniasis therapies have their limitations, and today nanoparticle delivery systems such as liposomes are used. Liposomes are bilayered structures made of phospholipids and cholesterol, which contain hydrophilic and hydrophobic components in their structure and enable the uptake of hydrophobic, hydrophilic, or amphiphilic compounds. Since the leishmaniasis parasite is predominantly found in macrophages, drug delivery systems improve the therapeutic index of anti-leishmaniasis drugs and reduce the effective dose and toxic off-target effects of non-specific biodistribution. Targeted liposomal drug delivery systems are achieved by utilizing their different structural features such as particle size and surface charge and attaching other ligands to the surface of liposomes for targeted drug delivery. Today, sugar-coated liposomes, cationic liposomes, arsenoliposomes and peptide-targeted liposomes are used to deliver traditional anti-leishmaniasis drugs to Leishmania, and due to the importance of nanoliposomes and their many benefits, research continues in this field.

Abstract Environmental destruction, water crisis, and clean energy are among the very important challenges worldwide based on sustainable development goals. Photocatalytic fuel cell, a potential candidate for converting chemical energy into electrical energy through a pollution-free method, holds promise in addressing these challenges. In this regard, we investigated the response of a photoanode covered with UiO66-NH2-TiO2/NiF on a porous nickel foam as an attractive electrochemical response to remove antibiotics from aqueous solution and simultaneously produce electricity using a one-step hydrothermal synthesis. Nickel foam with its fine structure provides a suitable space for the interaction of light, catalyst, and efficient mass transfer of reactive molecules. It appears that it can be used as a competitive electrode in fuel cells. In order to investigate the properties of the photocatalyst, structural analyses including XRD, FESEM, FTIR, and UV–vis DRS were utilized. Additionally, polarization and electrochemical tests such as chronoamperometry and EIS were measured to further examine the electrochemical features of the PFC photoanode system. The obtained results under optimal conditions (SMZ concentration = 20 ppm, pH = 6, irradiation time = 120 min) were as follows: removal efficiency of 91.7%, Pmax = 16.98 μW/cm2, Jsc = 96.75 μA/cm2, Voc = 644 mV. The light-induced current flow in UiO66-NH2-TiO2/NiF exhibited prominent and reproducible photocurrent responses, indicating efficient and stable charge separation in TiO2/NiF composite materials, which is a promising strategy for pollutant removal and simultaneous electricity generation.

Abstract Purpose: Sulfur mustard (SM) is a potent blistering agent. This alkylating chemical agent has extremely toxic effects on the eye. MMP-2 and MMP-9 are the two most important matrix metalloproteinase enzymes involved in the pathology of chemical eye injuries. Curcumin is regarded as a natural anti-inflammatory agent. This study aims to compare the anti-inflammatory effects of curcumin versus doxycycline on chemically induced corneal injuries. Methods: TheHCE-2 cell line was used as a model for corneal cells. The effective concentrations of 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (CEES) – as an analog of SM – doxycycline, and curcumin were determined using the MTT assay. The gene expression of MMP-2, MMP-9, and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase (TIMP-1) was evaluated by the real-time PCR method. Also, the activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9 enzymes was determined by zymography. Results: Theexpression of the MMP-2 and MMP-9 genes increased 5- and 3.3-fold after exposure to CEES, respectively. Following the treatment with curcumin and doxycycline, MMP-2 expression decreased significantly. Also, after treatment with curcumin and doxycycline, the MMP-9 expression decreased 2.5- and 1.6-fold, respectively. The reduction in activity was 32% for MMP-2 and 56% for MMP-9 after treatment with curcumin. The corresponding values were 12% and 40% following doxycycline treatment. There was no significant difference between the effects of curcumin and doxycycline on reducing MMP-2 expression, but the difference was statistically significant in the case of MMP-9. Conclusion: Doxycycline and curcumin can inhibit MMP expression and activity in chemically exposed corneal cells. Curcumin has a greater ability than doxycycline to inhibit MMP-2 and MMP-9 enzymes; however, the difference is statistically significant only in the case of MMP-9. After further validation, these substances can be introduced as anti- inflammatory agents to treat corneal chemical burns.