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Abstract The canned motor pump has a unique design where the motor rotor and pump impeller are mounted on the same shaft, requiring careful balancing of axial and radial forces to ensure reliable operation. The use of a canned motor pump with a floating impeller system helps to balance the axial forces of the impeller, this balance ensures that the impeller is not subjected to excessive axial forces which can lead to premature wear or failure. The purpose of this study is to investigate the axial force on the canned motor pump when overheating occurs due to an operational fault in the distillation column. Investigation of the pump flow rate over 15 days showed a significant reduction in flow rate from 45,000 to 29,000 kg/h, while investigation of the pump amperage showed that the maximum amperage condition was around 54 to 60 amperes.

Abstract Background Chronic abdominal pain is a potential symptom of lead poisoning, which is often challenging to diagnose. This case–control study aimed to evaluate blood lead levels in pediatric patients with chronic abdominal pain. Methods The case–control study was conducted on 190 pediatrics who presented to the Children's Medical Center Hospital clinics, Tehran between April 2021- 2023. The children were divided into two groups: the case group, consisting of 81 patients with chronic abdominal pain, and the matched control group; 109 children without any gastrointestinal symptoms. The statistical analysis of the data was performed using STATA 16. A multiple logistic regression model was used to assess the association of different independent variables with chronic abdominal pain. Results There was no significant difference between mean (± standard deviation [SD]) of age (8.80(2.7) years vs. control group: 9.23(3.9) years), sex, and BMI (16.55(4.6) vs. 17.32(4.7)) of the patients with chronic abdominal pain (case group) and the control group, whereas the mean weight was remarkably low in patients with chronic abdominal pain: 27.25(± 12.1) kg vs. 31.70(± 14.7) kg (P value = 0.028). Fifty-nine percent of children with chronic abdominal pain had serum lead levels ≥ 10 µg/dL. The mean (SD) of blood lead levels was statistically high in the case group: 11.09 (± 5.35) µg/dL vs. control group: 8.26 (± 5.01) µg/dL) (P value ≤ 0.05). The appetite level was significantly low in the case group: 3.8 (± 2.5) vs. control group 5.4 (± 1.3). Conclusions Lead poisoning could be a possible cause of children's chronic abdominal pain. Regarding the high rate of lead poisoning in children exerting appropriate measures to reduce their exposure to lead is necessary.

To ascertain energy availability and system performance, a comprehensive understanding of the systems’ degradation profile and impact on overall plant reliability is imperative. The current study presents an integrated Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA)–Markovian algorithm for reliability-based instantaneous energy performance prediction for thermal energy systems. The FMEA methodology is utilized to identify and categorize the various failure modes of the gas turbines, establishing a reliability pattern that informs overall system performance. Meanwhile, the Markovian algorithm discretizes the system into states based on its operational energy performance envelope. The algorithm predicts instantaneous energy performance according to upper and lower bounds criteria. This integrated methodology has been subjected to testing in three case studies, yielding results that demonstrate improved reliability and instantaneous energy performance prediction during system degradation. It was observed that after 14 years of operation, the likelihood of major failures increases to 79.6%, 88.7%, and 82.8%, with corresponding decreases in system performance reliability of 10.1%, 4.5%, and 7.8% for the Afam, Ibom, and Sapele gas turbine plants, respectively. Furthermore, the percentage of instantaneous mean power performance relative to the rated capacity is 37.9%, 35.1%, and 46.3% for the three gas turbine plants. These results indicate that the Sapele thermal power plant performs better relative to its rated capacity. Overall, this integrated methodology serves as a valuable tool for monitoring gas turbine engine health and predicting energy performance under varying operating conditions.

This paper presents numerical investigations into the free vibration properties of a sandwich composite plate with two fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) face sheets and a functionally graded carbon nanotube-reinforced composite (FG-CNTRC) core made of functionally graded carbon nanotube-reinforced composite resting on Winkler/Pasternak elastic foundation. The material properties of the FG-CNTRC core are gradient change along the thickness direction with four distinct carbon nanotubes reinforcement distribution patterns. The Hamilton energy concept is used to develop the equations of motion, which are based on the high-order shear deformation theory (HSDT). The Navier method is then used to obtain the free vibration solutions. By contrasting the acquired results with those using finite elements and with the previous literature, the accuracy of the present approach is confirmed. Moreover, the effects of the modulus of elasticity, the carbon nanotube (CNT) volume fractions, the CNT distribution patterns, the gradient index p, the geometric parameters and the dimensionless natural frequencies’ elastic basis characteristics are examined. The results show that the FG-CNTRC sandwich composite plate has higher dimensionless frequencies than the functionally graded material (FGM) plate or sandwich plate. And the volume fraction of carbon nanotubes and other geometric factors significantly affect the dimensionless frequency of the sandwich composite plate.

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is related to lipid accumulation and inflammation. Considering the role of lipin-1 and lipin-2 in fat homeostasis and inflammation, this study aimed to explore the effect of galbanic acid (Gal) and resveratrol (RSV) on alterations in the gene expression levels and protein abundance of lipin-1 and lipin-2 in HepG2 liver cells lipid-enriched with palmitate (Pal). Materials and Methods: HepG2 cells were subjected to different amounts of Gal and RSV for 24 hours in the presence of Pal to induce lipid accumulation. The RT-PCR method was employed to assess the expression of lipin-1 and lipin-2 genes, while protein levels were evaluated by western blot analysis. Lipid accumulation was determined qualitatively and semi-quantitatively using the oil-red staining technique. Results: Gal treatment increased lipin-1 and lipin-2 gene expression (P < 0.05). In contrast, the groups treated with RSV did not show a substantial variance in the expression levels of the two genes (P > 0.05). In the groups treated with Gal/RSV, the intensity of lipin-2 protein bands was higher compared to the Pal group (P > 0.01); however, the intensity of lipin-1 protein bands was not significantly different (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Gal, a coumarin compound, significantly increased the expression of lipin-1 and lipin-2 in HepG2 cells treated with Pal. Consequently, this research suggests gal as a novel strategy for regulating fat homeostasis in HepG2 cells.

The circular economy (CE) is reasoned to organize complex systems supporting sustainable resilience by distinguishing between waste materials and economic growth. This is crucial to the electronic waste (e-waste) industry of developed countries, and e-waste operation management has become their top priority because e-waste contains toxic materials and valuable sources of elements. In the UK, although London Metropolitan city boasts an ambitious sustainable resilience target underlying the context of CE, practical implementation has yet to be feasible, with few investigations detailing if and how the existing target implications enable industrial and social-ecological sectors to continue their performance functionalities in the face of undesired disruptions. In this paper, a dynamic Bayesian Network (dynamic BN) approach is developed to address a range of potential risks. The existing London e-waste operation management is considered as an application of study for sustainable resilience development. Through the utilization of dynamic BN, a comprehensive analysis yields a Resilience Index (RI) of 0.5424, coupled with a StdDev of 0.01350. These metrics offer a profound insight into the intricate workings of a sustainable system and its capacity to swiftly rebound from unexpected shocks and disturbances. This newfound understanding equips policymakers with the knowledge needed to navigate the complexities of sustainable e-waste management effectively. The implications drawn from these in-depth analyses furnish policymakers with invaluable information, enabling them to make judicious decisions that advance the cause of sustainable e-waste management. The findings underscore that the absorptive capacity of a sustainable and resilient e-waste operation management system stands as the foremost defense mechanism against unforeseen challenges. Furthermore, it becomes evident that two pivotal factors, namely “diversifying the supply chain” and “enhancing supply chain transparency,” play pivotal roles in augmenting the sustainability and resilience of e-waste operation management within the context of London's ambitious sustainability targets. These factors are instrumental in steering the trajectory of e-waste management towards a more sustainable and resilient future, aligning with London's aspirations for a greener and more eco-conscious future.

Lipid accumulation in the liver is associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), with obesity and insulin resistance being the main contributing factors. The AMPK/SIRT1 signaling pathway plays a crucial role in addressing lipid metabolism issues. Recent studies have demonstrated that the AMPK/SIRT1 signaling axis is involved in preventing and reducing liver damage. Upregulation of AMPK/SIRT1 can regulate lipid metabolism and oxidation in liver cells. In NAFLD, increased activity of AMPK/SIRT1 can inhibit the synthesis of fatty acids and cholesterol by down-regulating adipogenesis genes (FAS, SREBP-1c, ACC, and HMGCR). Therefore, activation of the AMPK/SIRT1 signaling pathway represents a potential therapeutic target for liver disorders. This review summarizes the most recent studies on the AMPK/SIRT1 pathway signaling axis and the mechanisms of herbal activators of the AMPK/SIRT1 pathway in non-alcoholic fatty liver

The oil palm is one of the monocot oil-producing plants in Indonesia. Sorting errors in oil palm fruit are caused by a sorter error when distinguishing the color of ripe and immature oil palm fruit. In addition to inefficient time, the area of oil palm plantations is also a factor that causes the sorter to make mistakes in sorting. This study aims to produce a system that can classify the maturity of oil palms based on feature extraction of characteristics of the hue, saturation and value (HSV) color features. The HSV method is used to produce color characteristics from the image of the oil palm fruit. Classification of oil palm fruit maturity is classified using the K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) algorithm with a dataset of 400 oil palm fruit image data with a data sharing ratio of 70% training data and 30% test data. 280 image data were used as training data, divided into 140 image data of ripe oil palm fruit, 140 image data of immature oil palm fruit and 120 image data of oil palm used as test data which is divided into 60 image data of ripe oil palm and 45 unripe palm oil. Based on the result of tests that have been carried out using a confusion matrix with varied k values, namely, 5 and 7, the average precision is 94.16%.

A solar-powered combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) plant integrated with a water electrolysis unit is investigated in terms of energy, exergy, and exergo-economic (3E) assessments. A comprehensive parametric study and optimization is conducted following the thermodynamic and exergo-economic assessment of the proposed system to evaluate the key performance parameters of the system for efficiency and economic factors. This system employs a heliostat field and a receiver tower by taking advantage of thermal energy from the sun and produces a continuous energy supply with an integrated phase-change material (PCM) tank to store the heat. In addition, a supercritical CO2 Rankine cycle (RC), an ejector refrigeration cooling (ERC) system, and a PEM water electrolyzer are coupled to produce cooling, heating, power, and hydrogen. Thermodynamic analysis indicates that the system exergy efficiency and energy efficiency are improved to 33.50% and 40.61%, respectively, while the total cost rate is 2875.74 USD/h and the total product cost per exergy unit is 25.65 USD/GJ. Additionally, the system produces a net generated power, heating load, and cooling load of 11.70, 13.92, and 2.60 MW, respectively, and a hydrogen production rate of 12.95 g/s. A two-objective optimization approach utilizing a non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA) was performed, demonstrating that the system’s ideal design point offers a cost rate of 1263.35 USD/h and an exergetic efficiency of 34.17%.

Guided ultrasonic wavefield propagation imaging (GUPI) is useful for visualizing hidden flaws in aerospace thin-walled structures, but the need for subjective signal processing involving three-dimensional Fourier transformation to increase the visibility of subtle flaws hinders its wider acceptance. A high-resolution wavenumber bandpass filter capable of consolidating subtle flaw-relevant information from a wide frequency band using only two-dimensional Fourier transformation was proposed. The filter overturns the long-standing belief that modes must be separated based on narrow-band data acquisition or processing to achieve high flaw visibility. Its characteristics and advantages were experimentally demonstrated through enhanced visualization of hidden wall-thinning flaws of a plate specimen. Its strength was further demonstrated through the first GUPI visualization of a partially loosened bolt, with unprecedented clarity to discern bolt tightness levels. The results conclusively proved that the proposed filter significantly enhances the resolution of GUPI within a structured processing framework.

Abstract Healthcare tends to be one of the most complicated sectors, and hospitals exist at the core of healthcare activities. One of the most significant elements in hospitals is service quality level. Moreover, the dependency between factors, dynamic features, as well as objective and subjective uncertainties involved endure challenges to modern decision-making problems. Thus, in this paper, a decision-making approach is developed for hospital service quality assessment, using a Bayesian copula network based on a fuzzy rough set within neighborhood operators as a basis of that to deal with dynamic features as well as objective uncertainties. In the copula Bayesian network model, the Bayesian Network is utilized to illustrate the interrelationships between different factors graphically, while Copula is engaged in obtaining the joint probability distribution. Fuzzy rough set theory within neighborhood operators is employed for the subjective treatment of evidence from decision makers. The efficiency and practicality of the designed method are validated by an analysis of real hospital service quality in Iran. A novel framework for ranking a group of alternatives with consideration of different criteria is proposed by the combination of the Copula Bayesian Network and the extended fuzzy rough set technique. The subjective uncertainty of decision makers’ opinions is dealt with in a novel extension of fuzzy Rough set theory. The results highlighted that the proposed method has merits in reducing uncertainty and assessing the dependency between factors of complicated decision-making problems.

The Kahdelan area in the SW of Sarab is situated in the northern part of the Urumieh–Dokhtar geotectonic zone and Tarom-Hashtjin metallogenic zone. Some of the most important porphyry Cu ± Mo ± Au mineralizations in Iran occur along the NW–SE trending Urumieh–Dokhtar volcano-plutonic belt, lying between the Sanandaj–Sirjan zone and Central Iran. The Urumieh–Dokhtar magmatic arc, extends over a strike length of about 2000 km from northwest to southeast and is characterized by subduction-related calc-alkaline rocks. Due to extensive Tertiary magmatism and extensive alterations, this zone is one of the remarkable Cu-bearing regions in Iran. Therefore, many studies, regarding different aspects of the area, have been carried out by the Geological Survey of Iran as well as some private companies. Differentiating fertile and barren intrusive bodies could be important factors in reducing exploration expenses, and it is possible to identify susceptible areas by using geochemical data. Thus, the main purpose of the present study is to evaluate the granitoid rocks of the Kahdelan area as the possible potential for Cu-mineralization based on mineralogical and geochemical evidence.Regional GeologyThe main intrusions of the Kahdelan area are Oligocene granitoid bodies composed of syenite, quartz syenite, and monzosyenite with light color and granular texture. Syenites are the most dominant plutonic rocks and quartz-syenites are the main host of Cu-mineralization. These intrusive bodies intruded the Upper Eocene pyroclastic and volcanic rocks which gave rise to alteration and mineralization occurrences in the area. Volcanic rocks are composed of basalt, basaltic-andesite, andesite, and trachyte mainly with porphyritic texture.Materials and Methods The present study evaluates the copper mineralization potential of the Kahdelan area for the first time. The represented information can be divided into three parts: 1) ore mineralogy and mineralogy of the Kahdelan’s rocks; 2) the investigating data related to I-type and magnetite series, and 3) the relationship between the obtained mineralogical and geochemical data with Cu-mineralization in the area to compare with porphyry copper deposits along the Urumieh–Dokhtar magmatic arc.Results and Discussion The dominant alteration zones in the area under study are argillic, phyllic, carbonatization, silicification, and hematitization. The primary ore minerals are magnetite, chalcopyrite, and bornite which are generally replaced by secondary minerals including chalcocite, covellite, and malachite. The ore textures are predominantly disseminated, open space-filling, replacement, and brecciated. Gangues (carbonate and quartz minerals) textures are crystalline, open space-filling, cementation of brecciated zones, and colloform.The volcanic rocks of the Kahdelan area are calk-alkaline to shoshonitic and the granitoids are shoshonitic affinity and I-Type nature (magnetite series). In the area of study, sinking solutions washed away most of the pyrites and left behind empty pyrite molds and iron oxides and hydroxides along with different amounts of malachite and neotocite. As the chondrite-normalized REE diagrams display the studied granitoids are enriched in LREEs and fairly depleted in LREEs relative to HREEs The enrichment of LILE elements and depletion of HFSE elements are features similar to those of the fertile granitoids. The rate of decline of the slope in the diagram is similar to that of the copper porphyry deposits also slightly negative Eu anomalies of these granitoids are similar to fertile granitoids (Karimpour et al., 2021). The (La/Yb)n and Eu/Eu* are used in evaluating the oxidation state and investigating the depth changes of parent magma of granitoids. The (La/Yb)n anomalies vary from 4.05-23.17, and Eu/Eu* anomalies vary from 0.32-2.65 with an average of 0.8 that are different from copper porphyry deposits.Based on spider diagrams, the depletion of titanium could be related to the low oxygen fugacity in subduction zones. The Pb and U enrichment point to the role of the earth’s crust in the petrogenesis of these rocks. P depletion could be the consequence of apatite crystallization from the parent magma.Based on the relationship between geochemical data as well as mineralization, three diagrams have been used to distinguish fertile granitoids. The Eu/Eu* versus (La/Yb)n diagram (Karimpour et al., 2021) shows that Kahdelan’s granitoids have a reduced nature. The SiO2-K2O diagram (Peccerillo and Taylor, 1976) points out that the intrusive and the volcanic rocks of Kahdalan are characterized by the much less SiO2 amount compared to fertile granitoids in SNJMB (Saveh-Nain-Jiroft Magmatic Belt) (Karimpour et al., 2021). On A/NK versus A/CNK diagram (Meinert, 1995) the granitoids under study are close to fertile copper porphyry deposits.ConclusionOn the basis of mineralogical and geochemical data, Kahdelan’s intrusive rocks are I-type and magnetite series. The tectonomagmatic setting of the rocks under study lies within Volcanic Arc Granites (VAG), active continental margins, and arc systems. On A/NK versus A/CNK diagram, these granitoids are close to fertile copper porphyry deposits. Quartz syenites are the main mineralization hosts. Based on geochemical data, the average Cu content is 3492.76 ppm in a total of 170 samples collected all over the area and up to 230534 ppm Cu in mineralized Quartz syenites veinlets. Mineralogical, geochemical, and alteration data in combination with fertile–barren discrimination diagrams indicate that the granitoids of the Kahdelan area can be evaluated as the possible potential for Cu mineralization.AcknowledgmentsThis research was supported by Iran Minerals Production and Supply Co (IMPASCO). Our grateful thanks are also extended to the Iran Mineral Processing Research Center laboratories (IMPRC) chief and technicians who provide analytical data for this research. Finally, the authors also would like to thank the Editor-in-Chief and the insightful comments offered by anonymous reviewers for the critical and constructive comments which significantly contributed to the improvement of the manuscript.

This study presents a responsive analysis of the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in risk management, contrasting traditional approaches with those augmented by AI and highlighting the challenges and opportunities that emerge. AI, intense learning methodologies such as convolutional neural networks (CNNs), have been identified as pivotal in extracting meaningful insights from image data, a form of analysis that holds significant potential in identifying and managing risks across various industries. The research methodology involves a strategic selection and processing of images for analysis and introduces three case studies that serve as benchmarks for evaluation. These case studies showcase the application of AI, in place of image processing capabilities, to identify hazards, evaluate risks, and suggest control measures. The comparative evaluation focuses on the accuracy, relevance, and practicality of the AI-generated findings alongside the system’s response time and comprehensive understanding of the context. Results reveal that AI can significantly enhance risk assessment processes, offering rapid and detailed insights. However, the study also recognises the intrinsic limitations of AI in contextual interpretation, advocating for a synergy between technological and domain-specific expertise. The conclusion underscores the transformative potential of AI in risk management, supporting continued research to further integrate AI effectively into risk assessment frameworks.

Knowledge and utilization of digital images are growing rapidly not only in the fields of medicine and industry but also in the field of agriculture. This knowledge can apply it to a computer-based program that is used to detect agricultural products more effectively and efficiently. this research aims to build a system to detect the types of pests and diseases of cocoa pods because in general, an inspection of pests and diseases of cocoa pods is still manual based on the visual analysis of the color of the pods visually by the human eye which has limitations, which requires more energy to sort, the level of human consistency. In terms of assessing the symptoms of pests and fruit diseases, it is not guaranteed, because humans can experience fatigue, and humans also assess symptoms of pests and fruit diseases, sometimes it is subjective. This study utilizes digital image processing techniques to extract the color features of digital images of cocoa pods, the method used to extract the color features of Hue, Saturation, Value (HSV), and the classification algorithm used by K-Nearest Neighbor. The data used as many as 150 images divided into 70% training data and 30% testing data. Based on the results of trials using k values ​​of 5,7,11 and 13 in the holdout method, the best accuracy is 84.44% with a value of k = 5. And in the k-5 cross-validation test, the best accuracy is also found at k = 5 with a value accuracy of 99.33%.

The COVID-19 started from Wuhan, China by the end of 2019 and spread rapidly around the world. Since December 2019, COVID-19 disease has spread rapidly in all regions of the world, from cold and dry to hot and humid climates. The virus resulted in about 4.2 million infections and 280,000 deaths around the world (as of 10th May, 2020). But it has resulted in about 154.4 million infections and 3.3 million deaths around the world (as of 10th May, 2021). It means that infection cases have grown about 37 time and death cases about 12 times during the said interval. The virus resulted about 108,000 infections and 6,700 deaths in Iran (as of 10th May, 2020). But it has grown to about 2.6 million infections and about 73,300 deaths one year later (as of 10th May, 2021). It means that infection cases in Iran are about 24 times and death cases are about 11 times as compared to the global data. The ratios are relatively not far from to average data in the other parts of the world. The world has not experienced such catastrophic phenomena after World War I (1914-1918). The catastrophe is affecting not only our health, economy, culture and life style but also our environment. After one year, ideas about role of this crisis in ecosystem and environment are quite different. Optimists believe that this crisis is the best opportunity to reduce pressure on natural resources and provides time for self-reconstruction of the ecosystems and environment. The most positive impacts of this crisis are reduced pressure on natural resources, decrease in air pollution and climate change, deeper understanding of the ecosystems and environment saving. The significant negative impacts of the COVID-19 are human infection, economic losses, increase in household consumption, medicine, face masks, medical gloves, challenge for burial of household and medical waste, reduction in environmental diplomacy, reduction in accuracy of weather forecasts and treat for wildlife infection. Several impacts have been reported on the human and natural environment of Iran. The impacts on the ecosystems and environment of Iran are similar to that reported in other parts of the world.

This study aims to address the limitations of traditional Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) in managing safety and reliability within complex systems characterized by interdependent critical factors. We propose an integrated framework that combines FMEA with the strategic decision-making principles of Game Theory, thereby enhancing the assessment and mitigation of risks in intricate environments. The novel inclusion of the Best Worst Method (BWM) and Pythagorean fuzzy uncertain linguistic variables refines the accuracy of risk evaluation by overcoming the inherent deficiencies of conventional FMEA approaches. Through sensitivity analysis, the framework’s efficacy in identifying and prioritizing failure modes is empirically validated, guiding the development of targeted interventions. The practical application of our methodology is demonstrated in a comprehensive healthcare system analysis, showcasing its versatility and significant potential to improve operational safety and reliability across various sectors. This research is particularly beneficial for systems engineers, risk managers, and decision-makers seeking to fortify complex systems against failures and their effects.

Hydrogen is gaining prominence as a sustainable energy source in the UK, aligning with the country’s commitment to advancing sustainable development across diverse sectors. However, a rigorous examination of the interplay between the hydrogen economy and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is imperative. This study addresses this imperative by comprehensively assessing the risks associated with hydrogen production, storage, transportation, and utilization. The overarching aim is to establish a robust framework that ensures the secure deployment and operation of hydrogen-based technologies within the UK’s sustainable development trajectory. Considering the unique characteristics of the UK’s energy landscape, infrastructure, and policy framework, this paper presents practical and viable recommendations to facilitate the safe and effective integration of hydrogen energy into the UK’s SDGs. To facilitate sophisticated decision making, it proposes using an advanced Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) tool, incorporating regret theory and a 2-tuple spherical linguistic environment. This tool enables a nuanced decision-making process, yielding actionable insights. The analysis reveals that Incident Reporting and Learning, Robust Regulatory Framework, Safety Standards, and Codes are pivotal safety factors. At the same time, Clean Energy Access, Climate Action, and Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure are identified as the most influential SDGs. This information provides valuable guidance for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and regulators. It empowers them to make well-informed strategic decisions and prioritize actions that bolster safety and sustainable development as the UK transitions towards a hydrogen-based energy system. Moreover, the findings underscore the varying degrees of prominence among different SDGs. Notably, SDG 13 (Climate Action) exhibits relatively lower overall distinction at 0.0066 and a Relation value of 0.0512, albeit with a substantial impact. In contrast, SDG 7 (Clean Energy Access) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) demonstrate moderate prominence levels (0.0559 and 0.0498, respectively), each with its unique influence, emphasizing their critical roles in the UK’s pursuit of a sustainable hydrogen-based energy future.

Introduction Gold deposits formed during mountain-building processes in Phanerozoic terranes that formed in metamorphic environment have a great dispensation in the world (Goldfarb et al., 2001). They constitute an economically important type of gold mineralization called orogenic gold deposits (Groves et al., 2003). The Sanandaj-Sirjan zone is one of the most important areas for orogenic gold exploration and it hosts several orogenic gold deposits (Aliyari et al., 2012). This zone is characterized by regionally metamorphosed and deformed Paleozoic and Mesozoic sedimentary, volcanic and volcanoclastic rocks under green schist and amphibolite facies conditions. (Rashidnejad-Omran, 2001; Abdollahi et al., 2009; Kouhestani et al., 2014(. The Godar Sorkh area is locatedin the central part of the Sanandaj-Sirjan zone, 20km southwest of the Muteh region. The rocks sequence of the Godar Sorkh area comprise of the volcano-sedimentary rocks of the greenschist complex with Paleozoic age rock units intruded by basic and felsic dikes. These country rocks are affected by a NW-SE-trending shear zone and are highly deformed. Rock units illustrate ductile-brittle to brittle shear zones and had been under poly-phase metamorphism. In other words, Godar Sorkh has the most similarity with orogenic gold. Methods In this study after field observations, rock samples were collected from mineralized and altered zones that included 26 thin sections, 47 polished sections and 10 polished thin sections which were prepared for petrography, mineralization and alteration studies, 10 samples were prepared for XRD analyses, 21 samples were analyzed for Au content by the Fire Assay method and 21 samples were analyzed by the ICP-MS method for REE and trace element amounts in the Iran Minerals Research and Processing Center, and 9 samples were selected for XRF analyses in the Kansaran Binaloud laboratory. According to the petrographic studies and the results of chemical analysis 7 polished double sections were selected to determine the amount of gold and other elements by electron-microprobe analysis. Discussion and Results The rocks sequence of the Godar Sorkh area comprise of greenschists complexes including limestone, dolomitic, marbles, micaschists, black schist, greenschist, intercalations of quartzite, calc schist, phyllites and slate, metamorphosed under greenschist facies grade. These units are considered to belong to the Paleozoic age. Rock unites have been intruded by basic and felsic dikes. Rock assemblages are characterized by several phases of deformation and generation of various fabrics and structures. Gold mineralization occurs in ductile and brittle shear zones, along N45W trending and controlled by structures. The main alterations are sericitization, carbonization, chloritization, silicification and sulphidization. Ore-mineralogical paragenesis mainly includes pyrite and locally chalcopyrite, arsenopyrite, covellite, sphalerite, galena and Fe Oxide-Hydroxide secondary minerals such as goethite, hematite and limonite. The results show that the maximum grade of gold in the mineralization zone has been reported to be 9.9 ppm and the average value of gold in the area is about 0.3 ppm. The microscopic studies show native gold minerals in the range of 15 to 30 micrometers. Also, electron-microprobe analysis indicates Au in the lattice of sulfide minerals. Based on geochemical studies, rocks have characteristics peraluminous range and the granodiorite intrusion belongs to S type granitoids. LREE are enriched. Controlling parameters for mineral concentration in Godar Sorkh area are shear zone. Therefore, regarding the development of Paleozoic metavolcanic-sedimentary sequences and the formation of multistage extensional structures including the normal faults, and fractures, texture and structure investigation, mineral paragenesis, alteration and geochemistry, gold mineralization in the Godar Sorkh area can be classified as orogenic gold mineralization. Acknowledgement This study has been supported by the Shahid Beheshti University of Tehran, Iran. The authors would like to thank IMPASCO Company for help and cooperation in the completion of this research study. We also thank the support of the Iran National Science Foundation (INSF). References Abdollahi, M.J., Karimpour, M.H., Kheradmand, A. and Zarasvandi, A.R., 2009. Stable isotopes (O, H, and S) in the Muteh gold deposit, Golpaygan area, Iran. Natural Resources Research, 18(2): 137–151. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11053-009-9103-3 Aliyari, F., Rastad, E. and Mohajjel, M., 2012. Gold Deposits in the Sanandaj–Sirjan Zone: Orogenic Gold Deposits or Intrusion‐Related Gold Systems. Resource Geology, 62(3): 296–315. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-3928.2012.00196.x Goldfarb, R.J., Groves, D.I. and Gardoll, S., 2001. Orogenic gold and geologic time: a global synthesis. Ore Geology Reviews, 18(1–2): 1–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-1368(01)00016-6 Groves, D.I., Goldfarb, R.J., Robert, F. and Hart, C.J.R., 2003. Gold deposits in metamorphic belts: overview of current understanding, outstanding problems, future research and exploration significance. Economic Geology, 98(1): 1–29. https://doi.org/10.2113/gsecongeo.98.1.1 Kouhestani, H., Rashidnejad-Omran, N., Rastad, E., Mohajjel, M., Goldfarb, R.J. and Ghaderi, M., 2014. Orogenic gold mineralization at the Chah Bagh deposit, Muteh gold district, Iran. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 91: 89–106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jseaes.2014.04.027 Rashidnejad-Omran N., 2001. Petrology and geochemistry of metavolcanosedimentary and plutonic rocks of Muteh region (South Delidjan) with special view to genesis of gold mineralization, Ph.D. Thesis. Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran, 436 pp. (in Persian)

The coronavirus disease or the so-called Covid-19 is a highly transmittable and pathogenic viral infection which emerged in Wuhan, China and spread rapidly around the world. The virus has resulted in about 4.2 million infections and 280,000 deaths (as of 10 May, 2020). Covid-19 is affecting not only health, economy, culture and life style but also it is going to affect the ecosystems and environment of the world. The ideas about role of this crisis in ecosystem and environment are quite different. Optimists believe that this crisis is the best opportunity to reduce pressure on natural resources and provides time for self-reconstruction of the ecosystems and environment. The pessimist, on the other hand, state that the positive effects of Covid-19 on the environment is not much and would diminish soon, and the earth is hurtling towards a catastrophe worse than the dinosaur extinction. The most positive impacts of this crisis are reduced pressure on natural resources, decreasing in air pollution and climate change, deeper understanding of the ecosystems and environment saving. The significant negative impacts of this crisis are human infection and death, billions USD in economic losses, increasing in household consumption, medicine, faces masks and medical gloves and challenge for burial of household and medical waste, reduction in environmental diplomacy, reduction in accuracy of weather forecasts and treat for wildlife infection. Iran is the home to the second most infected and recovered cases (up to 75%) after China. Several impacts have been reported on the human and natural environment of Iran. The virus has resulted in about 108,000 infections and 6,700 deaths (as of 10 May, 2020). In response to coronavirus, the government cancelled public events such as Friday prayers, festival celebrations, and sporting events, as well as closed schools, universities, shopping centers, bazaars, and even holy shrines. Consequently, the spread of infection is relatively controlled from over 200 to about 40 deaths per day. The impacts on the ecosystems and environment of Iran are similar to that reported in other parts of the world.

The Ti- Fe mineralization in Bafq 15 anomaly located 35 Km NW of Bafq city, and is a part of Poshte Badam Block in the Central Iran. Mineralization including magnetite, titanomagnetite, ilmenite, and minor pyrite which hosted by gabbro and pyroxenite intrusions syngeneticly. Based on the whole rock chemistry, FeOt, TiO2, CaO, Ni, Cr and V show a positive correlation with MgO, whereas Al2O3, Na2O+K2O, and SiO2 display a negative correlation. These correlations are in agreement with the crystallization of clinopyroxene, amphibole, plagioclase, and oxide minerals in the intrusion. The positive correlation of V, Cr, and Ni with Fe indicates the concentration of these elements in Fe minerals. The chemical composition of ore minerals mostly plots in the solid solution of magnetite- ulvospinel (titanomagnetite) and magnetite- ilmenite fields. In QFM+1> conditions, the high Fe-Ti contents along high H2O content (>2 Wt. %) of parental magma are the most prominent factors controlling Fe- Ti mineralization. According to the proposed model for mineralization, as a new pulse of magma enters the chamber, the high H2O content sufficiently depressed the crystallization temperature of silicates in analogy to oxides, giving rise to early crystallization of Fe-Ti minerals. Increasing of H2O content and magmatic volatiles during magma fractionation consequently may induce immiscibility and separation of oxides from residual melt in late magmatic stage whereas this dense oxides melt flow through pre-crystalized silicates and solidified as intercumulus phase.

Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) is a serious concern and plays a significant role in the marine and subsea industry’s infrastructure failure. A probabilistic methodology is introduced in the present study to assess the subsea system’s resilience under MIC. Conventionally, the risk-based models are constructed using the system’s characteristic features. This helps decision-makers understand how a system operates and how the failed system can be recovered. The subsea system needs to be designed with sufficient resilience to maintain the performance under the time-varying interdependent stochastic conditions. This paper presents the dynamic Bayesian network-based approach to model the subsea system’s resilience as a function of time. An industry-based application study of the subsea pipeline is studied to demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed methodology for the resilience assessment. The proposed methodology will assist decision-makers in considering the resilience in the system design and operation.

The mafic- ultramafic intrusion in the Bafq anomaly Iron located 35 Km northwest of Bafq city, Central Iran. The 15th anomaly intrusion intruded the Rizu sequence series, stratigraphically attributed to early Cambrian magmatism in the west of Posht-e- Badam block. The Rizu sequence series is composed of carbonate rocks of upper Neo-Proterozoic-early Cambrian. The mafic-ultramafic intrusion is dominated by amphibole-gabbro, apatite- gabbro, anorthosite- gabbro, amphibole- pyroxenite, apatite-pyroxenite with predominant granular texture and cumulate characteristics. The associated main mineral assemblage composed of cumulate predominantly clino-pyroxene, Fe-Ti oxides, calcic plagioclase, amphibole, apatite, as well as minor olivine. The intrusion formed from mafic magma and differentiated from tholeiitic to weakly calc-alkaline affinity. Spider diagrams of the analyzed samples were normalized to the standard values of chondrite and primitive mantle. REE– normalized diagrams are characterized by LILEs enrichment and HFSEs depletion and mild negative REEs trend. Different tectonic setting discriminative diagrams and elemental ratios are indication of a subduction related affinity. The parental magma could be generated by melting of mantle peridotites (lithospheric mantle) which previously affected by subduction related fluids. The results of this research is consistent with the previous models which considered the Early Cambrian magmatism in Post-e-Badam block related to the subduction of Proto- Tethys oceanic crust beneath the Central Iran in the north of Gondwana land.

Introduction The Western Alborz - Lesser Caucasus metallogenic belt includes important Cu and Cu-Au skarn, porphyry and epithermal deposits of Tertiary age in Iran, Turkey and Armenia (Karimzadeh Somarin and Moayyed, 2002; Karimzadeh Somarin, 2004). Important deposits such as Sungun and Masjed Daghi have been situated in this zone in Iran (Ghorbani, 2011). Some researchers have called this zone in the north-western part of the Iranian Copper belt Arasbaran Copper belt (Hassanpour et al., 2010). The Mazraeh deposit is located 20 km north of Ahar city between geographical longitudes '47 ° 00 and 47 ° 08', and latitudes 38 ° 40 '. In addition, 38 ° 36' is a part of Arasbaran Copper Belt in the Kaleyber’s 1:100000 geological map. In recent years, it has become possible to study subsurface samples in this deposit to a depth of 300 meters and provide the opportunity for extensive study of mineralogy and geochemistry of this deposit by conducting systematic exploratory drillings by the National Copper Corporation. Considering the relatively high amounts of gold in cores obtained from drill holes, the study of relationship between gold mineralization and other metals in this deposit has become important for assessing the mineral potential of this deposit. Better understanding of the mechanisms of mineralization in this deposit is useful for its comparison with other similar deposits and better exploratory design for exploration of similar undiscovered deposits in this region. Nowadays, the origin of mineralizing fluids can be discussed with higher certainty with advances in experimental methods including isotopic analysis, fluid inclusion and REE studies (Bowman, 1998). We can obtain valuable information about the origin of fluids causing skarn ore deposits by studying the REE ratios in rock samples. The study of stable isotopes also provides valuable information on temperature of mineralization and physicochemical conditions of mineralizing fluids. Contrary to old beliefs that mineralizing fluids originated from magma in all deposits, the study of stable isotopes has shown that water from other sources can also play an important role in the formation of many deposits (Meinert, 1995). Previous studies have proved that both magmatic and meteoric water have been important in the formation and genesis of many skarn deposits (Taylor and Oneil, 1977). In this paper, we tried to use data from sulfur isotopic studies and the geochemistry of trace and rare earth elements to determine the source and type of fluids affecting mineralization in the Mazraeh skarn deposit. Materials and methods In order to investigate and identify the fluids effective in the process of skarn mineralization, 22 samples (20 samples from the mineralized zone and 2 samples from the intrusive body) were sent to the Binaloud laboratory for ICP-MS analysis. The results were used in geochemical diagrams. For isotopic studies, samples were taken from different parts of the mineralized skarn. 10 samples of sulfides (pyrite and chalcopyrite) were selected to study sulfur stable isotopes. After crushing the samples, the sulfides were separated under a binocular microscope from waste gangue and they were powdered in agate pounder to obtain a concentrate of mineral sulfide. Purity of the sulfides as higher than 95% and weight of the samples was 100 to 150 mg. Isotopic measurements were performed by a mass spectrometer at Ottawa University, Canada. The type of sulfides and their isotope values based on isotopic standard of the CDT are reported in Table 2. Results The results of geochemical studies of rare earth elements indicate the combined effects of magmatic and meteoric water in mineralized fluids in the Mazraeh deposit. Accordingly, magmatic fluids have influenced the mineralizing fluids in the early stages of mineralization. However, the effect of meteoric water on mineralizing fluid in the process of fluid dilution and precipitation of sulfide minerals during the retrograde alteration stage has been more effective in the main and final stages of mineralization. The results of sulfur isotope analysis indicated that sulfur in mineralized fluids has originated from magmatic sources. Also, isotopic thermometry shows temperature of 369 ° C for sulfide mineralization. This temperature indicates the beginning stage of sulfide mineralization in progressive alteration stage. Acknowledgement The financial support for this research, which is part of the Ph.D. thesis of the first author, has been conducted by the research and development affairs of the National Iranian Copper Industry Company (Sarcheshmeh). We thank the management of research and development affairs and the staff of the National Copper Company in Ahar and Varzeqan for their cooperation in sampling.

Aerospace thin-walled structures are susceptible to various forms of damage and they can be effectively inspected using Lamb wavefields. However, Lamb wavefields contain at least two dispersive modes which interfere with the generation of a clear image for damage visualization. Conventional mode filters produce inconsistent results due to the need for the ad hoc or manual adjustment of the processing parameters by experienced users. An automatic, adaptive mode filter is proposed to remove human subjectivity, thereby improving the consistency of the results and making it more practical to utilize. It converts the wavefield from the space-time domain to the wavenumber-time domain and then consolidates the data in the time and angular axes into a wavenumber response function (WRF) where the modes can be automatically isolated. The single-mode data were converted back into space-time domain for result visualization. Its effectiveness was experimentally proven by keeping 78.2–122.0% of energy for a wanted mode and suppressing the energy of an unwanted mode to 0.1–4.5%. Its automatic adaptability was demonstrated through the improved visibility of a blind hole, corrosion, water-ingress in honeycomb panel, and impact damage in a complex composite wing. Consistent results can be generated in a highly efficient manner while significantly reducing the computational workload and hardware requirements.

Temporal fault trees (TFTs), an extension of classical Boolean fault trees, can model time-dependent failure behaviour of dynamic systems. The methodologies used for quantitative analysis of TFTs include algebraic solutions, Petri nets (PN), and Bayesian networks (BN). In these approaches, precise failure data of components are usually used to calculate the probability of the top event of a TFT. However, it can be problematic to obtain these precise data due to the imprecise and incomplete information about the components of a system. In this paper, we propose a framework that combines intuitionistic fuzzy set theory and expert elicitation to enable quantitative analysis of TFTs of dynamic systems with uncertain data. Experts' opinions are taken into account to compute the failure probability of the basic events of the TFT as intuitionistic fuzzy numbers. Subsequently, for the algebraic approach, the intuitionistic fuzzy operators for the logic gates of TFT are defined to quantify the TFT. On the other hand, for the quantification of TFTs via PN and BN-based approaches, the intuitionistic fuzzy numbers are defuzzified to be used in these approaches. As a result, the framework can be used with all the currently available TFT analysis approaches. The effectiveness of the proposed framework is illustrated via application to a practical system and through a comparison of the results of each approach.

In this research, we propose to utilize the newly introduced Multi-population differential evolution-assisted Harris Hawks Optimization Algorithm (CMDHHO) in the optimization process for satellite image denoising in the wavelet domain. This optimization algorithm is the improved version of the previous HHO algorithm which consists of chaos, multi-population, and differential evolution strategies. In this study, we applied several optimization algorithms in the optimization procedure and we compared the de-noising results with CMDHHO based noise suppression as well as with the Thresholding Neural Network (TNN) approaches. It is observed that applying the CMDHHO algorithm provides us with better qualitative and quantitative results comparing with other optimized and TNN based noise removal techniques. In addition to the quality and quantity improvement, this method is computationally efficient and improves the processing time. Based on the experimental analysis, optimized based noise suppression performs better than TNN based image de-noising. Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR) and Mean Structural Similarity Index (MSSIM) are used to evaluate and measure the performance of different de-noising methods. Experimental results indicate the superiority of the proposed CMDHHO based satellite image de-noising over other available approaches in the literature.

Flight anomaly detection is used to determine the abnormal state data on the flight route. This study focused on two groups: general aviation habits (C1)and anomalies (C2). Groups C1 and C2 are obtained through similarity test with references. The methods used are: 1) normalizing the training data form, 2) forming the training segment 3) calculating the log-likelihood value and determining the maximum log-likelihood (C1) and minimum log-likelihood (C2) values, 4) determining the percentage of data based on criteria C1 and C2 by grouping SVM, KNN, and K-means and 5) Testing with log-likelihood ratio. The results achieved in each segment are Log-likelihood value in C1Latitude is -15.97 and C1Longitude is -16.97. On the other hand, Log-likelihood value in C2Latitude is -19.3 (maximum) and -20.3 (minimum), and log-likelihood value in C2Longitude is -21.2 (maximum) and -24.8 (minimum). The largest percentage value in C1 is 96%, while the largest in C2 is 10%. Thus, the highest potential anomaly data is 10%, and the smallest is 3%. Also, there are performance tests based on F-measure to get accuracy and precision.

Muteh gold mining district is located 60 km southwest of Delijan in the central part of the Sanandaj-Sirjan zone (SSZ). It consists of two main ore deposits, including the Chah Khatoon and Senjedeh open pits, and several smaller occurrences. Rock units exposing in the area underwent greenschist to lower amphibolite metamorphism. They consist of NW-SE trending deformed and metamorphosed volcano-sedimentary and acidic volcanic rocks. The gold mineralization in the study area occurred as quartz- sulfide veins and veinlets along N40W tending, NE dipping normal faults in metarhyolite host rock. Geochemical behavior of gold and associated elements in mineralized and altered samples indicates that among the major elements, S, Si and among the trace elements Ag, Te, Th, Bi, Ba increasing with the concentration of gold. The concentration of REE and the spider diagram of the samples from altered and mineralized zone and comparison with unmineralized sample indicate a general increasing enrichment for the all REE especially in LREE in the altered and mineralized zone. LREE enrichment in gold mineralization samples indicates the effect of hydrothermal reduced fluids enriched in sulfur, silica and CO2 on concentration of volatile and mobile elements (LREE) during active tectonic of the region. The negative correlation between gold and HREE elements is probably due to the fluoride fluids that washed and carried these elements.

Introduction The Bafq region hosts the most important magnetite-apatite deposits of Iran. The geology of this region has been studied by many researchers (e.g., Haghipour, 1977). The ore deposits are mainly hosted by a volcano-sedimentary unit. The presence of a brecciated unit at the margin of the magnetite -apatite ore deposits is discussed by several authors. This unit contains remarkable concentration of Th and REE minerals paragenetically associated with magnetite, actinolite, calcite and albite. Mineralogical properties of the brecciated unit as one of the most important geological events in the magnetite-apatite ore deposits of the Bafq region, and Th-REE mineralization hosted by this zone at the Se-Chahun ore deposit is discussed. Materials and methods The present study has been carried out in four stages including: field work, microscopic studies, ICP-MS and ICP-OEA analysis as well as EPMA analysis. The field work included observations, investigations, radiometry, spectrometry and sampling from different lithologies in both open pits and drilled cores. The microscopic studies were carried out in order to identify the minerals and examine the textural properties of these minerals found in the brecciated unit. The ICP-MS and ICP-OEA analysis were carried out on the samples taken from the ore bodies and the radioactive parts of the mine. The EPMA analysis was also carried out to achieve a more precise hint at the occurrences of the Th and REE minrals and also to investigate the paragenetic relationships between the minerals probed. Results The brecciated unit is generally formed at the margin of or within the ore deposits mentioned. The matrix of the brecciated unit at the Se-Chahun ore deposit is composed of different minerals including magnetite, titanomagnetite, actinolite, albite, apatite, titanite, calcite, epidote, chlorite and Th silicates. The coarse rock fragments are mainly of the rhyolitic rocks and metasomatic fragments. Based on the mineralogical studies, the brecciated unit is the host of Th-REE minerals. The Th-silicates are formed in two crystallized forms including monoclinic (huttonite) and tetragonal (thorite). Thorium occurrence is found in three types: granular, massive and veinlet. The geological investigations indicate the role of solutions derived from magmatic arc originated in calc-alkaline magmas as a source for Th(-REE) in the brecciated unit. Based on the field, mineralogical and geochemical evidence, a remarkable part of Th has been transported by carbonate complexes in basic and reduced solutions. Apatite and monazite show a notable concentration within the brecciated unit. Monazites are found mostly as single crystals not always hosted by apatite crystals. Two types of actinolite are recognized, 1. Older than Th mineralization within the magnetite ore and 2. A younger generation paragenetically associated with Th silicate. Two types of albites are recognized: an early (white) albite found within the magnetite ore; a late (red) albite also found within the brecciated zone in association with Th occurrences. Metals such as Th and REE, at the Se-Chahun magnetite-apatite ore deposit are thought to be predominantly derived from the associated magmas, via magmatic–hydrothermal fluids exsolved upon emplacement into the crust. Two main sources exist for the origin of the metals (Th and REE): 1: sediments on the downgoing slab subducted into the mantle wedge (located between the downgoing slab and the overriding plate); 2: assimilation of crustal rocks within the magma chamber and also during ascending of the magmas. Th-REE have been transported mainly by carbonate complexes in alkaline and reduced environments. The presence of a reduced environment during Th-REE mineralization is evidenced by paragenetic association of magnetite and pyrite (and minor chalcopyrite) supported by negative Eu anomaly. Presence of an alkaline environment is also supported by the presence of calcite crystals, veins and veinlets paragenetically associated with Th-REE minerals. Discussion A limited number of models have been suggested to explain the provenance of the brecciated unit. Mohseni and Aftabi (2012), among others, suggested that this zone is a proximal zone of magnetite-bearing keratophyres formed in submarine environments. By contrast, no clear source for thorium silicate is suggested. Recently, Khoshnoodi (2016) discussed the subject in one of the largest iron-apatite ore deposits in the region, the Choghart. According to his suggestions, the solutions derived from the calc-alkaline magmas are the source of thorium. According to our suggestions, the lower continental crust and also the continental derived sediments on the sea floor adjacent to the subduction zones can be proposed as one of the most important sources for limited amounts of thorium found within the magmatic arc magmas. It is proposed that these magmas and associated mineralization are not limited to the margin of the magnetite-apatite ore deposits. Until now, the importance of the Bafq mining district has been due to its discovered magnetite-apatite resources. Further exploration programs supported by mineralogical and geochemical studies may lead to opening new ways in exploration of uncovered ore deposits in the Bafq district containing more economical resources. Acknowledgements This research was supported by the Shahid Beheshti University of Tehran and the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran. The authors are truly grateful to the anonymous reviewers of the journal of economic geology for their constructive comments. References Haghipour, A., 1977. Geological map of the Biabanak-Bafq area, scale 1:500,000. Geological Survey of Iran. Khoshnoodi, K., 2016. Mineralogy, geochemistry and mineralization of radioactive elements with special emphasis on thorium in the Choghart ore deposit in the Bafq region, central Iran. Ph.D. Thesis, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran, 216 pp. Mohseni, S. and Aftabi, A., 2012. Comment on Significance of apatite REE depletion and monazite inclusions in the brecciated Se-chahun iron oxideapatite deposit, Bafq district. In: Z. Bonyadi, G.J. Davidson, B. Mehrabi, S. Meffre and F. Ghazban (Editors), Insights from paragenesis and geochemistry. Chemical Geology, Amsterdam, pp. 378–381.

Introduction The Saghand mining district is a part of Bafq-Saghand metallogenic zone in the Central Iranian geostructural zone which is located in northeast of city of Yazd. This area is known to be more susceptible to mineralization of U and Th radioactive elements, but in fact is that its main importance is for relatively large iron deposits. However, in this region similar to some of the ore deposits within the Bafq area, rare earth elements have a high anomaly. Alkali-metasomatism occurs in a large variety of environments and geological periods. It can be spatially associated with ore deposits, as for some IOCG deposits or exists in barren systems such as metasomatism within the ocean crust (Johnson and Harlow, 1999). Although average U and REEs contents of the ore bodies associated with alkali-metasomatism are not high, they represent a promising exploration target because the resources of such deposits are relatively large (Cuney et al., 2012). The alkali-metasomatism could take place in all kinds of rocks. In addition to wide distribution in granite and granodiorite, it could be also identified in all kinds of metamorphic rocks, pegmatites, subvolcanic and volcanic rocks, and they all have mineralization (Zhao, 2005). Materials and methods After field studies, host rocks and metasomatites were sampled from outcrops, trenches, and core drillings. Since the rare earth elements and radioactive elements are present within the same mineralogy (Samani, 1985), surface spectrometry measurements were used in the selection of appropriate samples. For microscopic studies, 210 samples were prepared and studied. Ore minerals were investigated in polished and polished thin sections using optical microscope and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis was done in the Iranian Mineral Processing Research Center. An LEO-1400 SEM with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry and back-scatter electron (BSE) imaging capabilities was used (accelerating voltage, 17-19 kV, and beam current of 20 nA). The 16 samples were analyzed by the ICP-MS method at Zarazma Mineral Studies Company, Iran, for major and trace elements at the various radiations and lithological ranges. The detection limit and precision for determination of REE, U and Th concentration were 0.2 to 1 ppm and 1 to 0.1 ppm, respectively. Discussion and results Based on field evidence and microscopic studies, four main stage of metasomatism with continuous evolution have been distinguished in the Saghand area, including: 1) Na-metasomatism, 2) Ca-Mg metasomatism, 3) K-metasomatism, and 4) Epidote±chlorite±calcite±quartz vein and veinlets. All metasomatic zones are generally enriched in U and REE and compared with the host rocks but economic grades are less widespread and limited to Ca-Mg metasomatite zones near pinkish to red color albitites. The major Ti-REE-U(Th) minerals are davidite and brannerite, which have mainly crystallized during the Ca-Mg metasomatic stage. Ti or Ti-bearing minerals as paragenesis with davidite and brannerite are also deposited in amphibole-albite metasomatic zones. All these minerals are usually fractured and along fractures and its margin is replaced by titanite, leucoxene and rutile. In this study, geochemical analysis results of igneous rocks in the Saghand ore deposit, confirm the active continental margin arc setting and the nature of calc-alkaline magmatism in the region. The good adaptation of the REEs patterns in granites with the quartzdiorite-diorite rocks, can be a strong reason for their common tectono-magmatic origin. This Geodynamic environment had been the appropriate background in terms of protolith, heat engine for metasomatism cycle and supply hydrothermal solution and controlling structural pathways. The proximity of mineralized metasomatic rocks with the granitic rocks and intrusion of the granite apophysises into the metasomatic rocks, mobility of REE elements in the metasomatic environments, adaptation of geochemical properties of REE, U and Th elements in the mineralized metasomatitic rocks with the granitic rocks and finally, there was no evidence of intrusion of unusual magmas such as the carbonatite or alkaline magmas at the current level of ore deposit outcrops. Thesesuggest a close relationship between mineralization and metasomatic events with the granite intrusion. Fluids differentiated from the Douzakh-Darreh granite have entered the fault and crushed zones in a tectonically active regime of marginal continental arc. Due to reaction of the high temperature fluid with the protolith rocks, the ratios of Na+/K+ and Na+/H+ in fluid in equilibrated to feldspars of protolith rock elevated (Cuney et al., 2012). A basically alkaline medium to low temperature hydrothermal fluid is a suitable environment for the activation and transfer of U and REE in the form of hydroxyl complex (Romberger, 1984). Conversely, Th remained essentially immobile during the metasomatic processes (Cuney et al., 2012) and therefore, cannot be in abundance carried by this fluid. Hematite pigmentation of albite and transfer of U shows that oxygen fugacity in the early hydrothermal fluid has been quite high. These geochemical conditions simply allow U, and REEs enter from wall rocks to fluids and form hydroxyl complex of these elements, which are sustainable and are portable. Titanium bearing minerals within the quartzdiorite-diorite rocks and Douzakh Dareh granite easily decompose under hydrothermal activity and form titanium hydroxides, which is a very strong absorbent for U. After mineralization of albite and hematite, oxidation degree of fluid quickly drops and as a result, conditions for instability of complexes containing Ti, REE and U are provided. Acknowledgements This paper is based on a part of the first author's Ph.D thesis at Shahid Beheshti University. This research was also supported by Skam Company and Iranian Mines & Mining Industries Development & Renovation Organization. References Cuney, M., Emetz, A., Mercadier, J., Mykchaylov, V., Shunko, V. and Yuslenko, A., 2012. Uranium deposits associated with Na-metasomatism from central Ukraine: A review of some of the major deposits and genetic constraints. Ore Geology Reviews, 44(1): 82–106. Johnson, C.A. and Harlow, G.E., 1999. Guatemala jadeitites and albitites were formed by deuterium-rich serpentinizing fluids deep within a subduction zone. Geology, 27(7): 629–632. Romberger, S.B., 1984. Transport and deposition of uranium in hydrothermal systems at temperatures up to 300 °C: geological implications. In: B. DeVivo, F. Ippolito, G. Capaldi and P.R. Simpson (Editors), Uranium Geochemistry, Mineralogy, Geology, Exploration and Resources. Institution of Mining and Metallurgy, London, pp. 12–17. Samani, B., 1985. Preliminary study of ore samples from the Saghand area (Central Iran). Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Tehran, Report 168, 17 pp. (In Persian) Zhao, F., 2005. Alkali-metasomatism and uranium mineralization. 8th Biennial meeting, Society for Geology Applied to Mineral Deposits; Mineral deposit research meeting the global challenge, Beijing, China.

Satellite systems undergo several operational phases during their service life, including the assembly phase, ground transportation phase, the launch phase, and the in-orbit operation phase. Among these phases, the one that imposes the highest level of loadings on the satellite is the launch phase. This phase involves a number of highly dynamic loads, all being imposed upon the satellite simultaneously. Investigation of the responses of the structural subsystem of a satellite to these loadings, namely its maximum deformations and maximum von Mises stresses, is critical if a reasonably high level of confidence is to be achieved. This confidence is in terms of ensuring that no material yielding develops in the structure as a result of the imposed launch loadings. In an earlier work, the structural subsystem of a conceptual microsatellite was designed, employing aluminum 6061 alloy as its material. It was then modified through introducing sets of parametrically defined geometric patterns as perforation patterns to remove material, towards reducing the structure’s total mass, as an alternative to employing composite materials. That effort led to a mass reduction percentage of 23.15%. The current work’s research effort focused on computing the responses of the perforated structure to three of the dynamic launch loads that are imposed upon satellites while being launched, namely quasi-static, random, and shock loads. These responses were then compared to those of the baseline, unperforated, version of the same structure. The values of these loads were taken from the relevant sources, with the values being nominal, and represented the loads that any satellite must qualify for before it can be accepted by the provider for inclusion in a launcher. After imposing these load values upon the structural design it was found that the structural responses indicated that the structure would successfully survive these loads without developing stresses that would lead to material yielding failure. This was deduced from computing the yield margins of safety for each loading case, and all margin values were positive, indicating that the structure, at its current development stage, did have sufficient capacity to withstand these loads without material yielding. This reinforced the conclusion of the earlier work, namely that the perforation concept did have sufficient merit to be further developed towards being implemented in future satellite designs.

In harsh environments, offshore oil and gas support operations are subjected to frequent logistics and supply chain operational disruption, due to harsh environmental factors with their associated risks. To capture these stochastic influential factors and support related decision making, it is helpful to develop a robust and dynamic probabilistic model.The current study presents a proactive methodology that integrates the Pure-Birth Markovian process (PBMP) with the Bayesian network (BN) for the effective analysis of offshore logistics disruption risk. The PBMP captures the stochasticity in the failure characteristics of the engineering systems for estimating the time-evolution degradation probability. The BN explores the dynamic interactions among the most important offshore logistics influential factors to analyze the disruption risk in a harsh environment. The effects of influential factors’ non-linear dependencies are propagated and updated, given evidence on the degree of disruption. The level of logistics disruption is further assessed using cost aggregation-based expectation theory. The theory explores the incurred cost/economic risk under different operational scenarios. The proposed methodology is tested on an offshore supply vessel operation to estimate the likely operational disruption risk in terms of financial loss in a harsh operating environment. The most critical influential functions are assessed to establish their degree of impact on the logistics disruption. At the upper bound probability of disruption occurrence, an economic risk/additional incurred cost of US$2.38E+05 with a variance (σ2) of 3.05×109 was predicted. The result obtained suggests that the proposed methodology is adaptive and effective for dynamic logistics disruption risk analysis in harsh offshore environments.

Introduction The Tabriz basin is an intra-mountain basin (Reichenbacher et al., 2011), which includes the Qom Red Bed Formation along with the Miocene Upper Red Formation. The lower unit of the Upper Red formation, M2mg unit, which hosts copper deposits includes an alternation of green grey sandstone and red marl with the interlayer of gypsiferous and saltiferous sediments (Sadati et al., 2013). Based on paleontological evidence, this unit is middle Miocene in age and is overlain by red sandstone, marl, shale (M3ms, M4sm) and locally up to red conglomerate (M5sc). In addition, this unit has considerable evaporitic layers, such as gypsum and salt. On the basis of field study all mineralization is distributed in the light-colored layers of the red sedimentary sequence, especially at the boundary between a red layer and a light-colored layer and is mostly restricted to within palaeo channels which consist of greenish-grey, well-sorted coarse- to very coarse-grained sandstones to microconglomerates. Both pyrite and copper-bearing minerals usually occur in the stratification of the organic matter- bearing host rocks which are mainly composed of gray sandstone. The size of organic matter varies from a few millimeters to 5-10 cm in length; almost all fragments are flattened and oriented conformably to bedding planes of host sedimentary rocks. Also, fine-grained sulfides are disseminated along the bedding planes in the sandstone. Copper precipitation in these places was possibly promoted by reduction from such organic materials. Sampling and analytical methods Investigations on mineralized samples showed that pyrite is the first sulfide mineral precipitated in the selected samples, followed by chalcopyrite, bornite, chalcocite, digenit, and covellite. The intergrown nature of sulphur-bearing minerals, along with their small grain size and their inter locking with detrital grains and calcite cement, make physical separation extremely difficult, although microdrilling techniques can achieve spatial resolutions for these samples. In the laboratory 25 to 100 µg (weight depends on the mineral analyzed) of the samples derived from microdrilling was combusted in a Eurovector 3000 elemental analyzer, yielding sulfur dioxide that was delivered to an Isoprime mass spectrometer using continuous-flow techniques, with helium as the carrier gas. Also, sulfide mineral powder was analyzed for the sulfur isotope compositions. Some samples were crushed to 40 to 60 meshes and the sulfide mineral separates were handpicked under a binocular microscope. The sulfur isotopes were analyzed at the Stable Isotope Laboratory, Institute of Mineral Resources, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing. The isotopic data are reported using the δ notation in units of per mil, relative to the Cañón Diablo troilite (CDT) standard. Organic carbon (TOC) was determined by treating powdered samples with 6 M HCl to remove the carbonate. The sample was then rinsed to remove the acid. The mass difference between the original sample and the acid-treated residue was used to determine the carbonate content. The dried sample was then combusted and the evolved CO2 was analyzed on the mass spectrometer. During the mass spectrometric analysis the sample peak height was calibrated against organic carbon standards to estimate the organic carbon content. Result and Discussion Framboidal pyrite is the most common typical byproduct of bacterial sulfate reduction (BSR), a process that occurs at temperatures from 0°C up to about 60–80°C (Donahue et al., 2008). The metabolic activity of the sulfate reducing bacteria generally depletes (or fractionates) the resulting sulfide in 34S, by up to 70% (Kalender, 2011). The availability of S content is consistent with controlling δ34Ssulfide in some portions of this study area, but not all. Total organic carbon (TOC) is above 4% for one mineralized sample of the Upper red Formation. Sulfide sulphur and organic carbon distribution shows that pyrite-rich sandstones are the copper ore precursor, and that mineralizing the processes provoked the depletion of both reduced S and organic C as a consequence of interaction with an oxidized Cu-bearing fluid. On the other hand, lowed 34S values are consistent with bacteriogenic derivation of sulphur. Conclusion Taking into account the sedimentary environment, the abundant presence of the former evaporit layers in the host rock, the presence of evaporit layers below and above the mineralized rocks, and the absence of a widespread magmatic sulfur source, it is concluded that the Cu-Co sulfides of the Nahand-Ivand deposits obtained their sulfur by either bacterial or thermochemical reduction of sedimentary sulfate. The examined samples preserved original sedimentary textures (i.e. immature organic matter and sedimentary bedding). These geological evidences point to the fact that a biological (thermochemical) sulfate reduction is unlikely. Therefore, the sulfate-reducing bacteria were responsible for pyrite formation in the examined sample. The S isotope composition of pyrite in this study is related to organic C abundance. Most of the samples show a correlation between S and C, but mineralized samples are relatively enriched in S and TOC content. References Donahue, M.A., Werne, J.P., Meile, C. and Lyons, T.W., 2008. .Modeling sulfur isotope fractionation and differential diffusion during sulfate reduction in sediments of the Cariaco Basin. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 72(9): 2287–2297. Kalender, L., 2011. Oxygen, carbon and sulphur isotope studies in the KebanPb–Zn deposits, eastern Turkey: An approach on the origin of hydrothermal fluids. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 59(4–5): 341–348. Reichenbacher, B., Alimohammadian, H., Sabouri, J., Haghfarshi, E., Faridi, M., Abbasi, S., Matzke-Karasz, R., Fellin, M., Carnevale, G., Schiller, W., Vasilyan, D. and Scharrer, S., 2011. Late Miocene stratigraphy, palaeoecology and palaeogeography of the Tabriz Basin (NW Iran, Eastern Paratethys). Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 311(1–2): 1–18. Sadati, N., Yazdi, M., Behzadi, M., Adabi, M.H. and Mokhtari, A.A, 2013. The role of organic matter in genesis of sedimentary-hosted stratiform copper deposits in Nahand-Ivand area, NW Iran. Goldschmidt Conference, Firenze Fiera Congress and Exhibition Centre, Florence, Italy.

Introduction Using stream sediment geochemical exploration has been considered as a useful approach to explore the good potentials for many years. Problems might come up in the course of implementing resolving which may requires the use of more recent findings or auxiliary methods. One of the areas which has faced special problems during the conducting geochemical exploration is the Orzooiyeh region on the border of Kerman and Hormozgan provinces. Stream sediment exploration was carried out in the area in the scale of 1: 100,000. This region includes two different geological zones that are the Sanandaj-Sirjan in the northern part and the Zagros in the southern part. During the statistical analysis and method of eliminating the effects of the upstream rock it was determined that most of the element of chromium’s anomalies are in compliance with the Bakhtiari and Aghajari units which are lacking in the economic importance in the chromium ore. Current geochemical exploration methods often extract the anomalies based on classical statistical methods (Yazdi, 2002). In these methods, the range of the anomaly is just determined based on simple numerical calculations and except for grade, any of the other parameters do not have a significant role in determining the anomaly areas. However, procedures such as fuzzy logic, neural system, regression and hierarchical analysis process enable the users to involve more parameters in data processing (Oh and Lee, 2010; Kumar and Hassan, 2013; Carranza, 2008). For instance, using special algorithms has made parameters such as lithology and tectonic, geophysics and geochemistry effective in processing and determining the anomaly zones, and ranking each of the affective parameters in the anomaly based on their importance, and eventually achieving the maps and valuable anomaly areas possible (Bonham-carter, 1994; Carranza, 2008). This study was conducted to identify the significant anomalies zones using AHP and GIS techniques. Materials and methods AHP (Analytical Hierarchy Process) is the most comprehensive system designed for multi-criteria decision-making. This method was offered firstly by Sati in 1980, and has carried out numerous applications in different sciences until now. This technique also shows the consistency and inconsistency of the decision that is the outstanding benefit of this technique in multi-criteria decision-making and has been proposed for complex and fuzzy problems based on human brain analysis, and consists of three stages: basic, involving the creation of a hierarchy, determining priorities and logical consistency (Macharis et al., 2004). In AHP, the factors are compared with each other in pairs and the highest weight is given to the layer that makes the maximum impact on determining the goal (Carranza, 2008). So in this research, after the detection of the effective factors in determining the anomaly areas in the study area, the factors have been weighed for prioritizing the criteria in their order of importance and the paired comparison matrix is formed based on the characteristics of the area and comparative studies for criteria and sub-criteria. After the formation of paired comparison matrices using approximate arithmetic average, the relative weight of parameters was calculated. Then, the researcher carried out the various stages of preparing and the extracting data layer deals with each of these factors in the GIS environment and finally the layers were integrated with each other and the entire range of the anomaly was ranked based on appropriate models. Results The results of calculating the final weight criteria show that among the study groups, groups Geochemistry .0.45, lithology 0.45 and tectonic 0.1, respectively, are more significant. The ratio of consistency between these groups is 0.02 and is acceptable and the map prepared by the integration of these groups in the GIS environment according to calculated weights shows that a significant proportion of the false anomalies in the region have been eliminated, and the chromium anomalies associated with ophiolites and peridotites of the region show their best. Therefore, this method can be used for providing the mineral prospecting map that the abandoned mines located in the upstream of anomaly areas confirmed the efficiency of this method in the determination of the anomaly areas. Discussion In the present study, the hierarchical process analysis method was utilized to eliminate the false anomalies caused by small and non-significant placer deposits related to the detrital formations in the region. The effective factors in determining the anomaly zones were determined and the final map was constructed by integrating groups, lithology, elemental geochemistry and tectonics that is, the anomaly zones map was drawn in the GIS environment. The results show that the region anomalies are related to ophiolite and ultrabasic and a little bit the region detrital. Therefore, a significant percentage of false anomalies associated with the regional detrital of the area was eliminated by this method and the real anomalies showed their best. This discussion indicates the efficacy of the method of AHP and GIS technique, and they can be considered to be effective methods to reduce the impact of Singenetic factors and naturally to eliminate false anomalies. References Bonham-Carter, G.F., 1994. Geographic Information Systems for Geoscientists: Mod-eling with GIS. Pergamon Press, Oxford, UK, 398 pp. Carranza, E.J.M., 2008. Geochemical anomaly and mineral prospectivity mapping in GIS. Elsevier, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 368 pp. Kumar, S. and Hassan, M., 2013. Selection of a Landfill Site for Solid Waste Management: An Application of AHP and Spatial Analyst Tool. Journal of the Indian Society of Remote Sensing, 41(1): 45–56. Macharis, C., Springael, J., Brucker, K.D. and Verbeke, A., 2004. PROMETHEE and AHP: the design of operational synergies in multicriteria analysis. Strengthening PROMETHEE with ideas of AHP. European Journal of Operational Research, 153(2): 307–317. Oh, H.J. and Lee, S., 2010. Application of Artificial Neural Network for Gold–Silver Deposits Potential Mapping: A Case Study of Korea. Nonrenewable Resource, 19(2): 103–124. Yazdi, M., 2002. Conventional methods in geochemical exploration. Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, 180 pp. (in Persian)

Mass reduction is a primary design goal pursued in satellite structural design, since the launch cost is proportional to their total mass. The most common mass reduction method currently employed is to introduce honeycomb structures, with space qualified composite materials as facing materials, into the structural design, especially for satellites with larger masses. However, efficient implementation of these materials requires significant expertise in their design, analysis, and fabrication processes; moreover, the material procurement costs are high, therefore increasing the overall program costs. Thus, the current work proposes a low-cost alternative approach through the design and implementation of geometrically-shaped, parametrically-defined metal perforation patterns, fabricated by standard processes. These patterns included four geometric shapes (diamonds, hexagons, squares, and triangles) implemented onto several components of a structural design for a conceptual satellite, with a parametric design space defined by two scale factors and also two aspect ratio variations. The change in the structure’s fundamental natural frequency, as a result of implementing each pattern shape and parameter variation, was the selection criterion, due to its importance during the launcher selection process. The best pattern from among the four alternatives was then selected, after having validated the computational methodology through implementing experimental modal analysis on a scaled down physical model of a primary load-bearing component of the structural design. From the findings, a significant mass reduction percentage of 23.15%, utilizing the proposed perforation concept, was achieved in the final parametric design iteration relative to the baseline unperforated case while maintaining the same fundamental frequency. Dynamic loading analysis was also conducted, utilizing both the baseline unperforated and the finalized perforated designs, to check its capability to withstand realistic launch loads through applying quasi-static loads. The findings show that the final perforated design outperformed the baseline unperforated design with respect to the maximum displacements, maximum Von Mises stresses, and also the computed margin of safety. With these encouraging outcomes, the perforated design concept proved that it could provide an opportunity to develop low-cost satellite structural designs with reduced mass.

Critical technological systems exhibit complex dynamic characteristics such as time-dependent behavior, functional dependencies among events, sequencing and priority of causes that may alter the effects of failure. Dynamic fault trees (DFTs) have been used in the past to model the failure logic of such systems, but the quantitative analysis of DFTs has assumed the existence of precise failure data and statistical independence among events, which are unrealistic assumptions. In this paper, we propose an improved approach to reliability analysis of dynamic systems, allowing for uncertain failure data and statistical and stochastic dependencies among events. In the proposed framework, DFTs are used for dynamic failure modeling. Quantitative evaluation of DFTs is performed by converting them into generalized stochastic Petri nets. When failure data are unavailable, expert judgment and fuzzy set theory are used to obtain reasonable estimates. The approach is demonstrated on a simplified model of a cardiac assist system.

Risk analysis in process systems is very important to design effective strategies for preventing and mitigating potential major accidents. Although conventional techniques as Bow-tie (BT) have widely been used in risk assessment of process systems, they fall short in effectively modelling epistemic uncertainty which is prevailing in risk assessment of process systems. The present study is aimed at alleviating this shortcoming by incorporating fuzzy set theory into BT, developing a so-called fuzzy extended Bow tie (FEBT) model. FEBT, compared with previous fuzzy BT methods, uses the intuitionistic fuzzy numbers and thus provides a more accurate cause - consequence model of accident scenarios. A natural gas transmission network is used to demonstrate the application of FEBT.

The presence of noise in remote sensing satellite images may cause limitations in analysis and object recognition. Noise suppression based on thresholding neural network (TNN) and optimization algorithms perform well in de-noising. However, there are some problems that need to be addressed. Furthermore, finding the optimal threshold value is a challenging task for learning algorithms. Moreover, in an optimization-based noise removal technique, we must utilize the optimization algorithm to overcome the problem. These methods are effective at reducing noise but may blur some parts of an image, and they are time-consuming. This flaw motivated the authors to develop an efficient de-noising method to discard un-wanted noises from these images. This study presents a new enhanced adaptive generalized Gaussian distribution (AGGD) threshold for satellite and hyperspectral image (HSI) de-noising. This function is data-driven, non-linear, and it can be fitted to any image. Applying this function provides us with an optimum threshold value without using any least mean square (LMS) learning or optimization algorithms. Thus, it is possible to save the processing time as well. The proposed function contains two main parts. There is an AGGD threshold in the interval [−σn, σn], and a new non-linear function behind the interval. These combined functions can tune the wavelet coefficients properly. We applied the proposed technique to various satellite remote sensing images. We also used hyperspectral remote sensing images from AVIRIS, HYDICE, and ROSIS sensors for our experimental analysis and validation process. We applied peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) and Mean Structural Similarity Index (MSSIM) to measure and evaluate the performance analysis of different de-noising techniques. Finally, this study shows the superiority of the developed method as compared with the previous TNN and optimization-based noise suppression methods. Moreover, as the results indicate, the proposed method improves PSNR values and visual inspection significantly when compared with various image de-noising methods.

The Choghart iron oxide-apatite (IOA) deposit is located 124 km southeast of Yazd, in the Bafq district within the Central Iranian microcontinent. The Choghart deposit is hosted by the rhyolitic rocks of the Early Cambrian volcano-sedimentary sequence (the Esfordi formation). Both host rocks and the orebodies are crosscut by diabase dykes. Tectonically, the Choghart rhyolites represent the continental margin setting and the Choghart diabase dykes formed in the back-arcbasin environment, respectively, indicating that the evolution of the Bafq district is associated with subduction of Palaeotethys oceanic crust beneath the Central Iranian microcontinent followed by formation of continental arc related granitoids and rhyolites and then formation of back-arc basin diabase dykes. Similar to the other subduction-related rhyolites, the Choghart rhyolite is enriched in Th and LREE compared to Ia, Nb, and HREE.The main host minerals of Th and REE in the Th-REE mineralization zone are thorite and sphene. Albitization is the most important alteration aspect related to Th-REE mineralization (mainly Th, La, Ce, Nd, and Y). In addition to albite, Th-REE mineralization is associated with actinolite, augite, diopside, minor microcline and orthoclase, plus magnetite, calcite, pyrite, rutile, and minor amounts of chalcopyrite. The negative Eu anomaly in Th mineralization zone, as well as the paragenetic occurrence of magnetite, pyrite and chalcopyrite with thorite suggest that Th-REE mineralization formed in relatively reduced condition. The presence of paragenetic calcite accompanied by thorite and sphene in the Th-REE mineralization zone indicates that Th and REE were likely transported by the carbonate complexes in the mineralizing fluids. The similarity betweenthe chondrite-normalized REE patterns of the host rhyolite and the Th-REE mineralization zone suggests that post-magmatic driven fluids of continental margin rhyolitic magma played an important role in Th-REE mineralization.