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Among the potent anticancer agents, methotrexate (MTX) is very effective against many different types of cancer cells. Implementation of chemotherapy along with radiotherapy, known as synchronous chemoradiotherapy, can augment the treatment efficacy. In the present study self‐assembled MTX conjugated mPEG‐PCL copolymer encapsulating gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) hybrid (mPEG‐PCL‐MTX@Au) was developed as both drug carrier and radiosensitizer. After successful synthesis and characterization of hybrids with different techniques such as hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance (HNMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), ultraviolet–visible (UV‐Vis), x‐ray diffraction analysis (XRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The anticancer activity of designed system was evaluated with a series of biological assays. TEM image indicate that AuNPs encapsulated by self‐assembled mPEG‐PCL‐MTX NPs. It was found that the micelle of that shown in the TEM image contains nine gold nanoparticles (NPs). The hydrodynamic diameter of mPEG‐PCL‐MTX@Au was 81.40 ± 8 nm. As a result, at acidic pH, which simulates tumor tissue, the most drug release is done compared to neutral pH conditions, which are the physiological conditions of the body. About 70% of the drug was released in acidic pH, while in alkaline pH, it was about 35%. The effectiveness of cancer treatment was significantly improved by using developed NPs, which introduces simultaneous chemotherapy and radiotherapy. MTT and apoptosis assays show that the mPEG‐PCL‐MTX@Au as the final formulation improves the radiosensitivity of the 4T1 breast cancer cells and also remarkably kills breast cancer. Furthermore, the result revealed that designed hybrid system extremely able to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) within cancer cells. These results offer powerful evidence for the potential capability of mPEG‐PCL‐MTX@Au in radiosensitization of malignant tumors and opens up a new avenue of research in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanoparticles have been considered in many fields such as medicine and industry due to their very small size and their special physicochemical properties. Biosynthesis of nanoparticles has advantages over other methods. This paper examines the bibliography of the relationship between nanotechnology and fungi from 1985 to 2021. Data were collected from three databases consisting of Web of Science, Scopus, and Dimensions. The number and type of documents were examined and then the analysis was continued using VOSviewer and Bibliometrix-package on the documents of the Scopus database. Analysis of 1203 documents from this database showed an upward trend in the publication in recent years. The term “Fungi” was also identified as the keyword index and India as the country with the most published documents. Future research is likely to be on using modern techniques in the study of nanoparticles as well as focusing on other genera of fungi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Tehran, Iran's most populous province, there has been a notable surge in livestock production in recent years, prompting a critical examination of water resource allocation through the water footprint indicator. This study uniquely concentrates on livestock productions at a provincial level, specifically within four key counties boasting the highest production rates in Tehran province. Employing the methodology introduced by Mekonnen and Hoekstra (2012), a comprehensive analysis of the water footprints (WFs) associated with various livestock productions is conducted. The results underscore that milk production holds the highest average water footprint at 13,007 cubic meters per ton, significantly surpassing other products. Conversely, lamb exhibits the lowest water footprint at 2,266.7 cubic meters per ton among livestock productions. Evaluation of fresh water sources in relation to animal water footprints highlights unsustainable conditions in southern counties, particularly Islamshahr, due to a pronounced disparity between their product water footprint and available water resources. In contrast, northern counties demonstrate lower water footprints, aligning with their abundant water resources. A scrutiny of water resources reveals vulnerability in Tehran's dams, approaching long-term minimum water volume despite the escalating levels of livestock production. While Varamin features a wastewater treatment unit contributing substantial volume (160 million cubic meters) and recycled water to the system, wells and Qanats play a role in water provision but prove inadequate. Given the substantial productions and water resource scarcity, a recommendation is made to discontinue all livestock production; however, if production persists, focusing solely on sheep meat (lamb) in northern counties is deemed a feasible strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 25 m long sediment core from hypersaline Urmia Lake (north‐west Iran) was studied for the Late Quaternary depositional history and palaeoclimate variations using the abundance and compositional characteristics of Artemia faecal pellets. Sediment analysis is supported by scanning electron microscopy – energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, organic and inorganic carbon content measurements, and stable isotopes (δ13C and δ18O) from faecal pellet carbonates. The imprecise chronology of the core back to 50 kyr bp is supported by ten radiocarbon ages from faecal pellets and bulk sediments. The palaeoenvironmental record is subdivided into four periods: (i) During much of Marine Isotope Stage 3, a period of lake level lowering is characterized by a decreasing amount of faecal pellets, and an increasing amount of coated grains, sulphate minerals and reworked shell fragments. (ii) During late Marine Isotope Stage 3 and early Marine Isotope Stage 2 a lake level lowstand and a lake floor exposure is interpreted based on the relatively low abundance of pellets, which are multicoloured and appear together with volcanic lithics and rounded sulphate minerals. (iii) During late Marine Isotope Stage 2 the record is devoid of pellets but dominated by large sulphate crystals suggesting a prolonged low lake level. (iv) During Marine Isotope Stage 1 a relative lake level highstand is rapidly established with sediments that are highly abundant in fresh pellets. The modern lake level lowstand is represented by a salt crust. The δ13C and δ18O records measured from faecal pellet carbonates suggest a link with the precipitation versus evaporation balance in the lake over time. From bottom to top the linear trend towards more negative delta values illustrates the increasing amount of precipitation arriving at the lake from the Late Pleistocene to the Holocene. Two prominent isotope minima during the Late Pleistocene and one prominent minimum in the early Holocene mark relative high lake levels, which can also be linked to Lake Van in Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the qualities of Miscanthus pellets blended with pine sawdust at various ratios (Miscanthus/pine sawdust—0:100, 25:75, 50:50, 75:25, and 100:0) and relate them to energy generation potential under typical production conditions of the widely used bioenergy production technologies according to literature. Samples of each material were milled to the required sizes and blended in the proportions mentioned above. Water was added (6%) to each mixture to achieve a uniform moisture content of 10% on wet basis. The mixtures were then subjected to pressure agglomeration in the form of mechanical compression using a single pellet press so that homogeneously sized fuel pellets were obtained. Thereafter, the pure and blended pellet samples were examined using a range of analytical techniques to reveal any alterations in characteristics important to the utilization of the pellets as a green energy source. The results showed that, although temperature variations generally caused an estimated 6% moisture loss on a wet basis during pelleting with positive influence on the features of the pellets, the quality of the pellets in terms of ash composition (2–4%), hardness (41–46 kg/pellet), and heating value (20–21 MJ/kg) was in general more desirable for the blended pellets than for pure Miscanthus pellet. Structural analysis also revealed low levels of hydrophobic groups in the blends relative to pure Miscanthus, which were consistent with the fractions of pine sawdust and were also the reason for the pellets' increased hardness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the Tethyan belt, the NW-Iranian block is bound by two sutures, the Sevan-Akera suture in the north, and the Zagros suture in the south, where the pre-Cambrian geology is poorly constrained. Lower-Middle Cambrian sandstone in NW Iran is represented by quartz and feldspar dominated sub-arkose and sub-litharenite with well-developed cross bedding structures. They are interlayered with shale and limestone and overlain unconformably by Middle Cambrian dolomite. Here we describe and present U–Pb ages of the detrital zircon and rutile together with in-situ ε-Hf data from Lower to Middle Cambrian sandstones. Some zircons are characterized by oscillatory zoning and Th/U ratios of 0.3 to 2.0, pointing to an igneous provenance. Ages of the detrital zircons range from 481 to 2762 Ma, whereby the majority of zircons have ages between 524 and 1000 Ma (Neoproterozoic), and small peaks at 1800–2000 and 2400–2600 Ma. Late Paleoproterozoic to Mesoproterozoic zircons (1100–1750 Ma) are absent in the detrital record which is a distinctive feature of Gondwana-related detrital zircons. Detrital rutile has elevated Cr contents and variable Zr content (88 to 1087 ppm), suggesting derivation mainly from amphibolite-facies meta-basic rocks. U–Pb rutile ages range from 561 to 1253 Ma. Initial ε-Hf values of the Neo-Proterozoic zircons range from -10 to 20, suggesting an association of highly depleted mantle and crustal magmas. Thus, the Lower-Middle Cambrian sandstones in Iranian Azerbaijan were supplied from a Neoproterozoic igneous and metamorphic provenance. Sandstone whole-rock major and trace elements are in accordance with a detrital material provenance from continental granitoids and Precambrian recycled sediments. These results support the hypothesis that Iranian Azerbaijan Cambrian detritus was supplied from repetitive recycling of the crystalline basement and related sedimentary cover of the Saharides and the Arabian-Nubian Shield and deposited in a passive-margin setting in northern Gondwana land. Our results show a close geological tie between Iranian Azerbaijan, Sanandaj-Sirjan, Zagros, Alborz, and other Gondwana-Land-derived units in terms of Early Paleozoic detritus sources. Northwest Iranian Block was probably a passive continental margin in Late Ediacaran-Cambrian after the so-called Cadomian orogeny. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A highly sensitive microwave sensor for solid material characterization is proposed. A novel design consisting of split ring resonators (SRRs) within a three‐port power divider is developed. The three‐port junction is employed as the host to provide two output channels, and SRRs are loaded through electric coupling to the power divider as the sensing area. The SRRs are located symmetrically so that any change in the electric field of the SRRs is transferred equally to the transmission coefficients of the three‐port junction. The operation of the proposed sensor is based on the downshifting of the transmission zero caused by the loading of samples. The two identical outputs help to control cross‐sensitivity due to external effects. The performance of the fabricated prototype on a 22.2 × 18.8 × 1.6 mm3 printed circuit board is presented. It is shown that a 135 MHz shift per unit relative permittivity change can be achieved. The normalized sensitivity is found to be 3%, which is relatively higher than the sensors reported in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective(s): In the present study, we evaluated the effect of a nanofibrous scaffold including polycaprolactone (PCL), chitosan (CHT), and bentonite nanoparticles (Ben-NPS) on wound healing in order to introduce a novel dressing for burn wounds. Materials and Methods: PCL, PCL/CHT, and PCL/CHT/Ben-NPS nanofibrous scaffolds were fabricated by the electrospinning technique. Their structural and physiochemical characteristics were investigated by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), tensile strength, water contact angle, as well as, swelling and degradation profiles test. The disc diffusion assay was carried out to investigate the antibacterial potential of the scaffolds. In addition, the cell viability and proliferation ability of human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) on the scaffolds were assessed using MTT assay as well as SEM imaging. The wound-healing property of the nanofibrous scaffolds was evaluated by histopathological investigations during 3,7, and 14 days in a rat model of burn wounds. Results: SEM showed that all scaffolds had three-dimensional, beadles-integrated structures. Adding Ben-NPS into the PCL/CHT polymeric composite significantly enhanced the mechanical, swelling, and antibacterial properties. HDFs had the most cell viability and proliferation values on the PCL/CHT/Ben-NPS scaffold. Histopathological evaluation in the rat model revealed that dressing animal wounds with the PCL/CHT/Ben-NPS scaffold promotes wound healing. Conclusion: The PCL//CHT/Ben-NPS scaffold has promising regenerative properties for accelerating skin wound healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the evolving landscape of data security and the rising threat of anomalies in various domains, this study presents an innovative approach for anomaly detection in data streams and extends its application to financial network security. Our research initially focuses on identifying relevant correlation ratios for anomaly detection in the commercial data traffic of some companies listed during the 2014–2020 period. Utilising genetic algorithms (GA), gray wolf optimisation (GWO) for dimensionality reduction, we process 96 different financial streams. Subsequently, we employ the support vector machine (SVM) classifier to categorise companies into anomaly classes based on their financial data. The SVM classifier's initial performance, considering all financial ratios, falls short of our expectations. Our research thus provides a comprehensive approach to anomaly detection, showcasing the versatility and effectiveness of our methods in financial data stream analysis and network security. By combining the strengths of metaheuristic methods in data analysis and advanced deep learning techniques in network security, our work offers comprehensive solutions for anomaly detection in both domains. To enhance the classification accuracy and streamline the ratios, we introduce metaheuristic algorithms. GWO, in particular, stands out, with a fitness function of 0.2940 and an accuracy of 70.06% after 31 iterations. This algorithm successfully extracts 9 crucial financial ratios. These GWO-extracted ratios are then integrated into the SVM classifier, resulting in an anomaly detection model with outstanding accuracy, precision, error reduction, and efficiency, achieving 75.83%, 66.80%, 33.2%, and 80.3%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study developed the revised version of the Parent-Adolescent Conflict Issues Checklist (PACIC) by completing the judgment stage of systemic content validity. In the first study, to examine the necessity and relevance of each item, 40 experts were selected through a purposeful method. After the judgment stage, 92 items were reduced to 47 items and 13 factors. In the second study, to assess the confirmatory factor analysis, adolescent girls and boys aged 12–18 years completed the checklist (N = 1350, mean age 15.4 years, girls 50.1%); also, the Youth Self-Report Scale (YSR), Adolescents' Perceived Family Collective Efficacy Scale (EFCP/A), and the Conflict Behavior Questionnaire (CBQ) were applied to assess concurrent validity, and to establish convergent validity, respectively. The obtained results supported the reconstructed model, and the items went well with the specified factors. The study achieved concurrent and convergent validity. The Cronbach's alpha coefficients between 0.78 and 0.86 showed that this instrument has excellent internal consistency; moreover, PACIC-R has measurement invariance across gender; thus, PACIC-R can be applied to assess the issues of parent-adolescent conflict and the challenges of families as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The N–S-trending Sistan Suture Zone in East Iran results from the collision of the Lut and Afghan continental blocks. The southern Sistan Basin hosts Eocene terrigenous deep-marine turbiditic sequences with carbonate olistoliths, debris-flow sheets and calcareous turbidites. These carbonates represent one or several early to middle Eocene carbonate platforms fragmented and redeposited in a deep-marine environment. Palaeocurrent measurements on the terrigenous and calcareous turbidites show that the source carbonate platform was located on the Afghan active margin. Volcanic debris in the limestone and surrounding turbidites corroborate an active magmatic margin on the Afghan side. The formation of limestone debris-flow sheets is attributed to increased erosion and retreat of the carbonate platform, potentially triggered by the closure of the Sistan Basin and continental collisions in the late middle Eocene, after subduction of the Sistan Ocean beneath the Afghan Block. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New therapeutic approaches can significantly impact the control of colorectal cancer (CRC), which is increasing worldwide. In this study, we investigated the potential of targeting viral proteins to combat cancer cells. Specifically, we examined the anticancer potential of the matrix (M) protein of the mumps virus Hoshino strain in SW480 CRC cell lines. To begin, we individually transfected SW480 cells with pcDNA3 plasmids containing the mumps virus M gene. We then investigated the percentage of cell death, caspase activity, and the expression levels of genes involved in apoptosis pathways. Following this, we performed bioinformatics analysis on the M protein to identify any similarities with Bcl-2 family members and their viral homologs. Our diagnostic methods showed that treatment with the mumps M protein induced apoptosis and upregulated the expression and activity of pro-apoptotic proteins in SW480 CRC cells compared to the control and vector groups. Based on our bioinformatics studies, we proposed that the BH3 motif in the M protein may trigger apoptosis in CRC cells by interacting with cellular Bax. Overall, our study showed for the first time that the mumps virus M protein could be considered as a targeted treatment for CRC by inducing apoptotic pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To solve the traditional radiotherapy obstacles, and also to enhance the radiation therapy efficacy various radiosensitizers have been developed. Radiosensitizers are promising agents that under X-ray irradiation enhance injury to tumor tissue by accelerating DNA damage. In this report, silver-silver sulfide nanoparticles (Ag-Ag2S NPs) were synthesized via a facile, one-pot and environmentally friendly biomineralization method. Ag-Ag2S was coated with bovine serum albumin (BSA) in situ and applied as an X-ray sensitizer to enhance the efficiency of radiotherapy. Also, folic acid (FA) was conjugated to Ag-Ag2S@BSA to impart active targeting capability to the final formulation (Ag-Ag2S@BSA-FA). Prepared NPs were characterized by transmission electron microscopes (TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. Results show that most of the NPs have well-defined uniform Janus structures. The biocompatibility of the NPs was then evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. A series of in vitro assays were performed on 4T1 cancer cells to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of the designed NPs. In addition, the radio-enhancing ability of the NPs was tested on the 4T1 breast cancer murine model. MTT, live and dead cell staining, apoptosis, ROS generation, and clonogenic in vitro assays demonstrated the efficacy of NPs as radiosensitizers in radiotherapy. In vivo results as well as H&E staining tumor tissues confirmed tumor destruction in the group that received Ag-Ag2S@BSA-FA NPs and exposed to X-ray. The results showed that prepared tumor-targeted Ag-Ag2S@BSA-FA NPs could be potential candidates as radiosensitizers for enhanced radiotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hormuz Strait and Makran coastal plains in southeast Iran are significant sources of dust storms in south Asia due to an arid climate with a strong wind regime, low topography, poor vegetation cover, and large watersheds with available loose fine-grained sediments. However, their sedimentology, mineralogy, and geomorphic landforms are poorly studied. Granulometry and mineralogy analyses are performed on 46 samples of the coastal plains to explore the influence of aeolian and fluvial processes on the surface sediment properties of the coastal plains. The geomorphic landforms are mapped based on field observations, geological-geomorphological maps, and satellite images. The results show that the main sources of fine-grained dust are distal alluvial fans and flood plains, supratidal plains, and badlands. Calcite, quartz, and feldspar are major, and dolomite and halite are minor minerals. Calcite displays a positive relationship with grain size and eastward subtractive distribution pattern, while quartz exhibits a negative correlation with grain size and eastward additive distribution pattern. Feldspar shows almost a scatter distribution. The monotonous distribution pattern of chlorite, illite, and kaolinite as the main clay minerals is controlled by fluvial and alluvial processes. Aeolian processes influenced the eastward subtractive distribution of montmorillonite and palygorskite as minor clay minerals. The surface sediment texture and mineralogy of the Hormuz Strait coast are strongly affected by northwesterly wind and dust storms. Aeolian processes are dominated on the western Makran coast with large terrestrial and coastal sand dunes, while fluvial and alluvial processes are dominant on the eastern Makran coast with large distal alluvial fans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The novel mesopores nanosheet Z-scheme NCQDs-BNiO/Bi 7 O 9 I 3 (NCQDs: nitrogen doped carbon quantum dots & BNiO: black nickel oxide) heterojunction nanophotocatalyst has been synthesized by the facile sono-solvothermal method in order to remove antibiotic/fluoroquinolones and solid/liquid phase photocatalytic reduction of CO 2 under the irradiation of simulated solar light. Several analyzes, have been performed to investigate the physical, chemical and optical properties of the synthesized photocatalysts. Raman analysis of NCQDs-BNiO/Bi 7 O 9 I 3 sample shows the increase of structural defects which is the result of the presence of NCQDs in the structure of this sample. The characteristics of the pore volume, surface area and pore diameter of the optimal photocatalyst have been estimated at about 0.209 cm3/g, 44.6 m2/g and 18.8 nm, respectively. The UV–vis DRS analysis indicated the increase in optical absorption range and two absorption edges (373.7 and 526.4 nm). Pharmaceutical pollutants like tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH), ofloxacin, levofloxacin, and ciprofloxacin were removed by the photocatalytic degradation process in the order of 81.6%, 73.6%, 73.4% and 71.5%, respectively by NCQDs-BNiO/Bi 7 O 9 I 3 photocatalyst which it can be asserted because of efficacious happening of surface reactions, facilitation of mass transfer and surface adsorption, which shows the key effect of the created structural model and the usage of ultrasound waves. At the end the photoreduction activity of the quintessential photocatalyst was evaluated which could produce 43.437 µmol/g catalyst methanol after 8 h. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To solve the traditional radiotherapy obstacles, and also to enhance the radiation therapy efficacy various radiosensitizers have been developed. Radiosensitizers are promising agents that under X-ray irradiation enhance injury to tumor tissue by accelerating DNA damage. In this report, silver-silver sulfide nanoparticles (Ag-Ag2S NPs) were synthesized via a facile, one-pot and environmentally friendly biomineralization method. Ag-Ag2S was coated with bovine serum albumin (BSA) in situ and applied as an X-ray sensitizer to enhance the efficiency of radiotherapy. Also, folic acid (FA) was conjugated to Ag-Ag2S@BSA to impart active targeting capability to the final formulation (Ag-Ag2S@BSA-FA). Prepared NPs were characterized by transmission electron microscopes (TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. Results show that most of the NPs have well-defined uniform Janus structures. The biocompatibility of the NPs was then evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. A series of in vitro assays were performed on 4T1 cancer cells to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of the designed NPs. In addition, the radio-enhancing ability of the NPs was tested on the 4T1 breast cancer murine model. MTT, live and dead cell staining, apoptosis, ROS generation, and clonogenic in vitro assays demonstrated the efficacy of NPs as radiosensitizers in radiotherapy. In vivo results as well as H&E staining tumor tissues confirmed tumor destruction in the group that received Ag-Ag2S@BSA-FA NPs and exposed to X-ray. The results showed that prepared tumor-targeted Ag-Ag2S@BSA-FA NPs could be potential candidates as radiosensitizers for enhanced radiotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whole body vibration is one of the main causes of musculoskeletal disorders of drivers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the allowable exposer time, care limit, and driver response to the vibrations of the seat of tractor. A three-way accelerometer was used to measure the vibration of the seat of a four-wheel drive ITM 475 Tractor based on the ISO 2631-1 international vibration standard. The studied factors were evaluated engine rotational speed, gear ratio, and road. The obtained data were analyzed through a factorial experiment based on completely randomized design. The results showed that effects of the main factors and those of their interactions on the total vibration emitted from the tractor seat were significant at 1% probability level. The minimum allowable exposure time and care limit were 1.16 and 0.14 h, respectively, that was in very uncomfortable range. The effect of engine rotational speed on the driver allowable exposure time to vibration is more than that of shifting gear. The results of the present study are useful to reduce whole body vibration and increase exposer time of the tractor driver through adjusting suitable driving conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additive manufacturing has been recognized as an industrial technological revolution for manufacturing, which allows fabrication of materials with complex three-dimensional (3D) structures directly from computer-aided design models. Using two or more constituent materials with different physical and mechanical properties, it becomes possible to construct interpenetrating phase composites (IPCs) with 3D interconnected structures to provide superior mechanical properties as compared to the conventional reinforced composites with discrete particles or fibers. The mechanical properties of IPCs, especially response to dynamic loading, highly depend on their 3D structures. In general, for each specified structural design, it could take hours or days to perform either finite element analysis (FEA) or experiments to test the mechanical response of IPCs to a given dynamic load. To accelerate the physics-based prediction of mechanical properties of IPCs for various structural designs, we employ a deep neural operator (DNO) to learn the transient response of IPCs under dynamic loading as surrogate of physics-based FEA models. We consider a 3D IPC beam formed by two metals with a ratio of Young's modulus of 2.7, wherein random blocks of constituent materials are used to demonstrate the generality and robustness of the DNO model. To obtain FEA results of IPC properties, 5000 random time-dependent strain loads generated by a Gaussian process kennel are applied to the 3D IPC beam, and the reaction forces and stress fields inside the IPC beam under various loading are collected. Subsequently, the DNO model is trained using an incremental learning method with sequence-to-sequence training implemented in JAX, leading to a 100X speedup compared to widely used vanilla deep operator network models. After an offline training, the DNO model can act as surrogate of physics-based FEA to predict the transient mechanical response in terms of reaction force and stress distribution of the IPCs to various strain loads in one second at an accuracy of 98%. Also, the learned operator is able to provide extended prediction of the IPC beam subject to longer random strain loads at a reasonably well accuracy. Such superfast and accurate prediction of mechanical properties of IPCs could significantly accelerate the IPC structural design and related composite designs for desired mechanical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hybrid coating of curcumin and melamine was prepared by a simple electrochemical method. Some physical and chemical properties of the fiber were studied by several methods such as FT-IR, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. The fiber was stable at the inlet of a gas chromatograph at temperatures up to 280°C. The fiber has been used for the extraction of ethylbenzene, toluene and xylenes (ETX). Some parameters of headspace solid-phase microextraction, including extraction time, temperature and salt amount, were optimized. Under the optimized situation, the detection limits were 0.15–0.21 μg L −1 and the linear ranges were within the range of 0.5–1,000 μg L−1 (r 2 ≥ 0.99). The intra-day and inter-day relative standard deviations were 10.2–13.7 and 13.0–15.6%, respectively, at a concentration level of 10 μg L−1 from each compound by applying a single fiber. The method was used to successfully analyze wastewater and pool water samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of soft computing techniques can be largely found in engineering sciences. These include the design and optimization of navigation systems for use in land, sea, and air transportation systems. In this paper, an attempt is made to leverage on novel metaheuristic optimization approaches for designing integrated navigation systems. For this purpose, a simplified version of the inclined planes system optimization (called SIPO) algorithm alongside its two standard and modified versions are used in comparison with the two conventional methods of genetic algorithm and particle swarm optimization. Considerations are made on an INS/GNSS problem with IMU MEMS modules. Outputs are presented in terms of statistical and performance indicators, such as runtime, fitness, convergence, navigation accuracy (velocity, latitude, longitude, altitude, roll, pitch, yaw), and routing along with the ranking of algorithms. Competitive performance and relative superiority of the standard IPO over other methods in evaluating results have been confirmed. So that compared to other state-of-the-art algorithms (GA, PSO, IPO, and MIPO), the best runtime rank with a value of 6/4 by SIPO and the best performance rank of fitness, navigation accuracy for the two assumed IMU modules, and the total rank with values of 4/4, 149/60, 165/60, and 332/128 obtained by IPO, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Recently, the application of nanofibrous mats for dressing skin wounds has received great attention. In this study, we aimed to fabricate and characterize an electrospun nanofibrous mat containing polycaprolactone (PCL), chitosan (CTS), and propolis for use as a tissue-engineered skin substitute. Methods: Raw propolis was extracted, and its phenolic and flavonoid contents were measured. The physiochemical and biological properties of the fabricated mats, including PCL, PCL/CTS, and PCL/CTS/Propolis were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), mechanical analysis, swelling and degradation behaviors, contact angle measurement, cell attachment, DAPI staining, and MTT assay. On the other hand, the drug release pattern of propolis from the PCL/CTS/Propolis scaffold was determined. A deep second-degree burn wound model was induced in rats to investigate wound healing using macroscopical and histopathological evaluations. Results: The results revealed that the propolis extract contained high amounts of phenolic and flavonoid compounds. The fabricated scaffold had suitable physicochemical and mechanical properties. Uniform, bead-free, and well-branched fibers were observed in SEM images of mats. AFM analysis indicated that the addition of CTS and propolis to PCL elevated the surface roughness. MTT results revealed that the electrospun PCL/CTS/Propolis mat was biocompatible. The presence of fibroblast cells on the PCL/CTS/Propolis mats was confirmed by DAPI staining and SEM images. Also, propolis was sustainably released from the PCL/CTS/Propolis mat. The animal study revealed that addition of propolis significantly improved wound healing. Conclusion: The nanofibrous PCL/CTS/Propolis mat can be applied as a tissue-engineered skin substitute for healing cutaneous wounds, such as burn wounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over time, river networks achieve a specific pattern as determined by the function of several factors such as climate, tectonic, geological structures, topography, lithology, and base-level fluctuations. The relative importance of mentioned factors on drainage systems was studied to determine the controlling factors of their heterogeneity across the tectono-stratigraphic zones of onshore Iranian Makran. We applied structural, geomorphological, and climate analysis. Results indicate that the dendritic patterns of N-S flowing rivers in the western part of Iranian Makran are mostly controlled by the Minab-Zendan Fault activity and distribution of olistostrome cover, whereas the dominant trellis patterns in the eastern part are controlled by the well-developed thrust fault-related fold systems. The channel steepness pattern demonstrates that the high values are mostly localized in the hanging wall of thrust and normal faults. Accordingly, the topographic profiles of the steep rivers show the old stages of incision in the Inner and Outer Makran. However, some rivers of the Coastal Makran are in the young stage of incision, where the normal faults are located and active. The sediment connectivity index shows that the Inner Makran has a high potential of sediment supplies, while the Outer Makran intra-mountain basins and the Coastal-plain are more prone to sediments accumulation. Our findings reveal that the river patterns and landscape evolution in the Inner and Outer Makran are controlled by thrust faults, olistostrome and related mini-basins, while rivers in the Coastal Makran are governed by activity of Pliocene–Pleistocene normal faults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We improve the exponent in the finite field sum-product problem from |$11/9$| to |$5/4$|⁠ , improving the results of Rudnev et al. [ 16 ]. That is, we show that if |$A\subset \mathbb {F}_p$| has cardinality |$|A|\ll p^{1/2}$|⁠ , then |$ \max \{|A\pm A|,|AA|\} \gtrsim |A|^\frac 54 $| and |$ \max \{|A\pm A|,|A/A|\}\gtrsim |A|^\frac 54 $|⁠. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethosuximide (ETX) is a common antiepileptic drug in the first line of absence epilepsy. In this study, for the first time, an economical and efficient electro‐membrane (EME) method for determination of ETX in a complex biological matrix using HPLC‐UV has been developed. Factors affecting conventional EME were evaluated. 1‐Octanol was immobilized in a polypropylene membrane and a voltage of 35 V was applied between two platinum electrodes for 15 min. The pH of acceptor and donor phases for ionization of ETX was adjusted to 13 and 11, respectively. Under optimal microextraction conditions, the enrichment factor was 21.02 and the linear range of ETX was 0.25 to 8.00 μg/mL with an acceptable R2 ≥ 0.9986. Inter‐day and intra‐day precision and accuracy of the suggested method were calculated with RSD < 9.5% and relative error <7.0%, respectively. The mean relative recovery of ETX in the human saliva and plasma samples was 81.68% and 74.47, respectively; while limit of detection and quantification concentrations were 0.08 and 0.25 μg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, to evaluate the application of the method, plasma and saliva samples of volunteers administering a single dose of ETX were analyzed successfully by EME‐HPLC‐UV method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, the ZSM-5 zeolite was prepared under organic template-free conditions at different reaction temperatures and initial gel compositions using a hydrothermal process. A kinetic study of the synthesis of Zeolite was performed based on crystal growth. The crystallinity degree of the prepared samples was calculated from the PXRD and FT-IR results and then the crystallization curves were obtained. From these curves, the kinetic parameters were computed. The obtained results showed that by increasing the Na+ content of the initial gel composition, the activation energy for the crystal growth was reduced and as a result, the crystallization rate of ZSM-5 zeolite was enhanced due to the structure-directing role of Na+ cation. The activation energy of the induction step, transition step and crystal growth step are 122.8, 46.2, and 48.5 kJ/mol respectively for the molar ratios of 29Na2O:63SiO2:Al2O3:2400H2O:16H2SO4 and 141.0, 70.4, and 80.8 kJ/mol respectively for the molar ratios of 16Na2O:31SiO2:Al2O3:2400H2O:16H2SO4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater is an important source of drinking water in arid areas, and its quality can affect human health. Groundwater quality investigations were performed to assess the physicochemical quality parameters of groundwater of Northeastern Iran, to determine its suitability for drinking purposes based on the drinking water quality index (WQI). The suitability for drinking purposes was evaluated by comparing the physicochemical parameters of groundwater in the study area with those prescribed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and standard Code of 1053 (Iran National Standard). Five indices were considered to determine water suitability for industrial purposes. A total of 51 water samples were taken based on standard methods (in September 2017 and April 2018) for the measurement of the most important physicochemical parameters, including major anions, cation, pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), alkalinity, and electronic conductivity. The WQI values showed that 30.65 and 65.08% of the groundwater samples were in the excellent and very good water quality categories, respectively. Due to the human impact, 4.07% of the samples were in the poor range category. The results demonstrated that based on the Langelier saturation index (LSI), 34.9% of the water distribution network was corrosive. Furthermore, the Larson empirical index showed that 17.46% of the network had a corrosive potential for the occurrence of holes and leakages. The aggressiveness index (AI) categorised 20.6% of the groundwater resource into a moderately aggressive condition. The high values of WQI in several groundwater samples of Neyshabur indicated that water is suitable for direct domestic consumptions. The results also showed that drinking water tends to be corrosion in the studied area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concentrations of arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) and the human health risk of the metals were estimated through drinking water consumption. Totally, 48 samples of groundwater were collected and analyzed during 2019. Health risk indices were estimated using chronic daily intake (CDI), hazard quotient (HQ) and, hazard index (HI), as well as cancer risk (CR). Except for As (66.6% of the areas were above permissible limits), the concentrations of other three heavy metals were within the US EPA and WHO permissible limits. ∑ HI values in 100% and 75% of the areas were above 1 for children and adults, implying non-carcinogenic risk from sum of heavy metals. Children total cancer risk (CRt) in all areas (except one area with acceptable risk) fell within unacceptable risk. Adults CRt in all areas (except one area with unacceptable risk) were in acceptable risk category. As was the highest contributor to non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks both for children and adults. Our results showed that children were more exposed to health risks, due to intake of drinking water containing As, Cr, and Pb in the study areas. The study can provide a basis for local governments to properly manage drinking water quality and provide a reference for water quality management in neighborhood areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among cationic dyes, malachite green (MG) is commonly used for dying purposes and also as an inhibitor in aquaculture, food, health, and chemical industries due to its cytotoxic effects. Therefore, MG removal is essential to keep the ecosystem and human health safety. Adsorption is a viable and versatile option and exploring efficient adsorbents have high priority. Herein, MOF-5 and aminated corn Stover reduced graphene oxide (ACS-RGO) of typical adsorbents of metal–organic-frameworks (MOFs) and carbon-based classes were studied for MG removal. MOF-5 and ACS-RGO had a specific surface area and total pore volume of 507.4 and 389.0 m2/g, and 0.271 cm3/g and 0.273 cm3/g, respectively. ACS-RGO was superior for MG adsorption and the kinetic rate coefficient for ACS-RGO was ~ 7.2 times compared to MOF-5. For ACS-RGO, MG removal remained high (> 94%) in a wide range of pH. However, dye removal was pH-dependent for MOF-5 and increased from ~ 32% to ~ 67% by increasing pH from 4 to 12. Increasing dye concentration from 25 mg/L to 100 mg/L decreased adsorption by MOF-5 and ACS-RGO for ~ 30% and 7%, respectively. Dye removal was evident in a few tens of seconds after adding ACS-RGO at doses above 0.5 g/L. A significant loss of 46% in adsorption was observed by decreasing MOF-5 mass from 1 to 0.1 g/L. ACS-RGO removed MG in multilayer with an exceptional adsorption capacity of 1088.27 mg/g. In conclusion, ACS-RGO, and MOF-5 showed promising kinetic rates and adsorption capacities toward MG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bovine immunodeficiency virus (BIV) is a member of the Retroviridae family causing a progressive lifelong infection in cattle and buffaloes. Objective: Despite the worldwide distribution of the virus, the studies concerning the prevalence of BIV in buffalo populations have not been conducted in Iran as yet. Methods: The BIV proviral DNA was surveyed in 120 whole blood samples of water buffaloes in southwestern Iran. Nested PCR was employed to amplify a 298‐bp fragment of the pol gene. The BIV Pol sequence was detected in 9.1% of the samples. Among PCR‐positive samples, two amplified fragments were confirmed by nucleotide sequencing. Results and conclusions: The studied sequences were completely identical to each other and had more than 98%–99% nucleotide homology to R‐29 and HXB3 sequences previously deposited in GenBank. Some point mutations that caused coding substitutions were observed in the studied isolates, compared to other strains. A phylogenetic tree was generated based on the BIV Pol nucleotide sequences reported from other countries. All the BIV strains originated from a unique main cluster and then separated from each other over time. This is the first report on the molecular detection of BIV infections in water buffalo populations in Iran. The wide distribution of BIV in different countries including Iran indicates the importance of the infection as it relates to animal health. Although buffaloes show greater resistance to diseases, they should be considered a health risk to cattle. Furthermore, BIV has negative effects on buffalo milk production and can predispose them to secondary infections. Hence, the findings of this study can advance our understanding of the occurrence of BIV infection in Iran, which can play an important role in the distribution of the disease worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study attempts to analyze Alan Ayckbourn’s Henceforward (1987) and Comic Potential (1998) from the standpoint of posthuman feminism. It is argued throughout this study that androids emerge as the extension of humans and are predominantly constructed upon particular ideological foundations laden with essential patriarchal privileges, gender stereotypes, and social norms. Unsurprisingly, comedy scenes are galore in both plays, and in line with the Ayckbournian trademark dramaturgy, tragedy is always offered as a side dish to its side-splitting laughter. In Henceforward, the non-operational composer Jerome hopelessly attempts to consign a motherly-woman role upon his flawed android, Nan while Comic Potential’s actor android Jacie, thanks to her more robust AI, epitomizes female subjugation yet enjoys an incomparably distinctive denouement, evoking the modern-Pygmalion. The plays eventually allow a viable comparative analysis as they share mutual tenets about what essentially makes us humans. It is further maintained that deeply ingrained, historically formed, socially constructed patriarchal fantasies are ultimately reincarnated on the android body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the effect of synthesis conditions on the crystal growth, structural features, acidity, and catalytic properties in n-heptane cracking of the hierarchical ZSM-5 zeolite was studied. Therefore, a series of hierarchical ZSM-5 zeolites were synthesized under organic template-free conditions, using a hydrothermal method in various reaction conditions. The synthesized samples were carefully characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), N2 adsorption–desorption, and temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia (NH3–TPD) techniques. The results showed that the crystallization rate of the hierarchical ZSM-5 is increased with increasing the amount of SiO2 and Na2O in the initial gel, and reaction temperature. Also by changing the initial gel composition and reaction temperature, the porosity, acidity, and crystal size of the hierarchical ZSM-5 zeolite can be controlled. Finally, the role of pore structure and acidity of the prepared ZSM-5 zeolites in the n-heptane cracking reaction was investigated in the present work. The isosteric heats of adsorption and diffusion coefficient results calculated by molecular dynamic simulation predicted that the interaction of heptane molecules with zeolite framework is higher than that of propylene and the interaction of propylene is higher than that of ethylene. The experimental and simulation results show that the selectivity of the ethylene and propylene in the heptane cracking reaction is connected to the acidity and micropore to mesopore ratio of the prepared zeolites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is focused on proposing a new design and setup for electromembrane extraction. A new cap was designed and conductive vials of different shapes were fabricated using three‐dimensional printing. The new cap holds three fibers to enhance electromembrane extraction recovery. Conductive vials can simultaneously perform as electrodes therefore, there is no need to include an electrode in sample solutions. Phenobarbital and phenytoin were used as model compounds to assess the setup performance. Under optimal conditions, these analytes were extracted from the sample solution at pH = 9 to the acceptor solution at pH = 13 with a voltage of 40 V for 20 min, while 1‐octanol was employed as the supported‐liquid‐membrane. The influence of conductive vials geometry on the recovery was examined and the effects of different shapes were studied by performing numerical simulation to establish electric potential distribution. Of the vials tested with circular, triangular, and floral‐like cross‐sections the latter exhibited the best voltage distribution. The circular vial had the highest recovery attributed to its better hydrodynamic shape, which allows rapid fluid sample transport and therefore enhanced system recovery. The extraction recovery and relative standard deviation of the circular vial with three fibers were 33.0 and 7.6 for phenobarbital and 42.2 and 10.4 for phenytoin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backgrounds: This study aims to estimate and compare the parameters of some univariate and bivariate count models to identify the factors affecting the number of mortality and the number of injured in road accidents.Methods: The accident data used in this study are related to Kermanshah province in march2020 to march2021. Accidents areas were divided into 125 areas based on density characteristics. In a one-year period, 3090 accidents happened on the suburban roads of Kermanshah province, which resulted in 398 deaths and 4805 injuries. Accident information, including longitude and latitude of accident location, type of accident (fatal and injury), number of deaths, number of injuries, accident type, the reason of the accident, and the kind of accident were all included as population-level variables in the regression models. We investigated four frequently used bivariate count regression models for accident data in the literature.Results: In bivariate analysis, except for the DNM model, there is a reasonable decrease in the AIC measures of the saturated model compared to the reduced model for the other three models. For the injury models, MSE is lowest, respectively for DIBP (137.87), BNB (289.46), BP (412.36) and DNM (3640.89) models. These results are also established for death models. But, in univariate analysis, only injury models almost present reasonable results.Conclusions: Our findings show that the IDBP model is better suitable for evaluating accident datasets than other models. Motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, left turn deviance, and dangerous speeding were all significant variables in the IDBP death model, and these parameters were linked to accident mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microfibrillar-associated protein 4 (MFAP4) is an extracellular matrix (ECM) protein belonging to the fibrinogen-related domain superfamily. MFAP4 is highly expressed in elastin-rich tissues such as lung, blood vessels and skin. MFAP4 is involved in organization of the ECM, regulating proper elastic fiber assembly. On the other hand, during pathology MFAP4 actively contributes to disease development and progression due to its interactions with RGD-dependent integrin receptors. Both tissue expression and circulating MFAP4 levels are associated with various disorders, including liver fibrosis and cancer. In other experimental models, such as teleost fish, MFAP4 appears to participate in host defense as a macrophage-specific innate immune molecule. The aim of this review is to summarize the accumulating evidence that indicates the importance of MFAP4 in homeostasis as well as pathological conditions, discuss its known biological functions with special focus on elastic fiber assembly, integrin signaling and cancer, as well as describe the reported functions of non-mammalian MFAP4 in fish. Overall, our work provides a comprehensive overview on the role of MFAP4 in health and disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synchronization requirement is a bottleneck of many distributed optimization algorithms, particularly for solving problems with computationally heterogeneous subproblems and during the occurrence of communication failure/delay. This paper presents a double-loop learning-aided asynchronous alternating direction method of multipliers (LA-ADMM) that has information prediction capability and handles a considerable level of asynchrony between subproblems. A momentum-extrapolation prediction-correction technique is developed to enable subproblems to predict their neighbors missing shared variable information instead of using the latest received values. An online streaming-based anomaly classification is designed to observe the performance of predicted data and control Lagrange multipliers update over the course of iterations. The proposed LA-ADMM reduces under-utilization of computation resources, especially if subproblems are computationally heterogeneous. This algorithm also enhances distributed optimization robustness against communication failure/delay that may result in a considerable level of asynchrony between subproblems. LA-ADMM is applied to solve the optimal power flow problem for several test systems. Promising results are obtained as compared to the classical synchronous ADMM and asynchronous ADMM without the anomaly switch control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on addressing issues with the effectiveness of L-carnitine and paraffin oil in treating acute aluminum phosphide poisoning, discussing the importance of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) administration, the timing of gastric decontamination procedures, and the need for standardized treatment protocols to optimize patient outcomes.

Provenance analysis including sandstone modal compositions, heavy mineral assemblages, and LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating with in-situ Hf isotopic compositions of detrital zircons defines two types of Late Cretaceous-Eocene turbiditic sequences separated by the Siah Cheshmeh-Khoy-Misho-Tabriz Fault in the Azerbaijan Province, Northwest Iran: (1) Volcaniclastic turbidites to the southwest and (2) terrigenous turbidites to the northeast. The first appearance of Cr-spinel in Upper Cretaceous sandstones of both sequences indicates the erosion of ophiolites at that time. The southwestern volcaniclastic sandstones contain few Late Triassic and dominantly Late Cretaceous zircon grains whose Hf isotopic compositions suggest a continental magmatic arc provenance. In the northeastern terrigenous sandstones, detrital zircon U-Pb ages cluster in five main age groups from Paleoproterozoic-Neoproterozoic with Hf isotopic compositions typical of continental crust to Late Cretaceous-Palaeocene zircon grains with Hf isotopic compositions similar to those of the southwest turbidites. The provenance characteristics define, along with sedimentary structures, two separate basins, a marginal basin to the northeast, and a deep oceanic basin to the southwest. We conclude that the Siah Cheshmeh-Khoy-Misho-Tabriz Fault overprints a boundary between two lithospheres separated by ophiolite outcrops; therefore, the Siah Cheshmeh-Khoy-Misho-Tabriz Fault is a reworked suture. The Cretaceous arc, witnessed by clastic material, has been largely eroded and/or subducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We aimed to evaluate the rate of infection by endoparasites amongst rodents in the western regions of Iran to enhance the level of knowledge amongst health authorities in this entity. Methods: This study was conducted in the west and southwest of Kurdistan Province, including the cities of Sanandaj, Marivan, and Sarvabad. The field mission of this work was performed in three seasons' spring, summer, and autumn. The rodents were captured alive and their gastrointestinal tracts were evaluated for the worm endoparasites. Results: Herein, 208 rodents from 15 types of seven species, including Apodemus, Meriones, Mus, Sciurus, Cricetulus, Microtus, and Dryomys, were captured. In addition, 67 (32.21%) rodents were infected with endoparasites and 10 types of worms endoparasites, including Syphacia muris, Streptophagus spp., Mastophorus muris, Skrjabinema spp., Trichostrongylus spp., Trichuris muris, Hymenolepis nana, Hymenolepis dimimuta, Heligmosomoide spp., and other oxiuros were isolated from their gastrointestinal tracts. Most of these parasites (60%) were isolated from their small intestine whereas they were least (10%) found in their stomach and cecum. Conclusion: Having compared the results of this study with other studies in different regions of Iran, there is a higher variety of rodents and worm parasites in these regions of Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Compared to the prevalence and complications, there is still limited evidence in this regard. Background: With an incidence rate of 200,000 cases annually and the induction of numerous complications, caustic ingestion imposes a significant burden on the healthcare system. Apart from being fatal in some cases, this injury affects its victims' quality of life as it is followed by many gastrointestinal problems. This injury mainly occurs accidentally among children, whereas in adults, it often occurs with suicidal intentions. Despite recent advances in internal medicine, gastroenterology, and toxicology, this type of injury remains a debilitating and, in some cases, fatal disorder for its victims. Methods: This study retrospectively evaluated the clinical, laboratory, and endoscopic findings of 150 patients admitted to a referral center of toxicology and forensic medicine and assessed factors associated with each type of injury. Results The findings indicated a mortality rate as high as 7.3% in this population. Age, pH, and previous medical conditions were associated with more complications. Higher degrees of injury were also significantly associated with higher mortality. No significant difference was observed between types of corrosive substances. Conclusion: It seems that the most effective intervention for controlling caustic ingestion injuries would be psychiatric support, primary healthcare, and household education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth trend of publications in the field of nanoparticles biosynthesis by bacteria was analyzed using bibliometric techniques to the identification of the areas with significant development and the orientations that have guided the research on bacteria. This study extracted data from the Clarivate Analytics Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus between 2000 and 2020 to compare results. The number of articles published annually, participating countries, resource growth rate, most used keywords and research collaborations were obtained from bibliometric analysis. The results showed that nanoparticle documents in materials science, biochemistry, genetics and molecular biology have improved citation rates as the authors researched in multidisciplinary areas. Although these keywords have the most sites, they are not emerging keywords, and their most common use was in the years 2014–2018. The results showed the upward trend of articles published from 2000 to 2020, most of which were related to the last 10 years. The 5 countries that had the most articles published in this field were China, USA, India, Germany and Iran. The top sources that had the most published documents in this field had a similar scope to our research. The results of each section had a significant relationship with other sections of this study. VOS viewer program was used for quantitative analysis. It seems that bibliometric methods will complement meta-analysis and qualitative structured literature reviews as a method for reviewing and evaluating scientific literature. The advantage of the bibliographic analysis was the awareness of trends in a study area. Documents by subject area of Nanoparticle Biosynthesis by Bacteria that related to material science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Skin wound healing has always been a challenging subject as it involves the coordinated functioning of various cells and molecules. Any disorder in wound healing can cause healing failure and result in chronic wounds. In this study, we hypothesized that co‐cultured dermal fibroblasts (DFs) and Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells (WJ‐MSCs) seeded on an acellular amniotic membrane scaffold could be used to promote skin regeneration in chronic ulcers. Materials and Methods: In this case series, the chronic wounds of five diabetic patients aged between 30 and 60 years were treated with co‐cultured WJ‐MSCs and DFs seeded on an acellular amniotic membrane. Treatment was applied and the wound healing process was evaluated every three days for nine days, with the patients being subsequently followed up for one month. The wound healing percentage, time taken for the wound to heal, and wound size were monitored. Results: The mean wound healing rate (WHR) increased progressively in all lesions. The mean percentage of wound healing after transplantation of the biological scaffold enriched with WJ‐MSCs and autologous DFs after treatment was 93.92%, respectively. The healing percentage significantly increased after three days; significant decreases in wound size and healing time were recorded after six and nine days of treatment, respectively (p < 0.002); and total skin regeneration and re‐epithelialization were achieved by the ninth day of treatment. There were no side effects or complications. Conclusion: Given the current problems and complications presented by chronic wounds, Novel Clinical approaches involving cell therapy and tissue engineering can be regarded as an attractive therapeutic option for the treatment of chronic and difficult‐to‐heal wounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to quantify the long‐term progression of blunt and sharp cartilage defects and their effect on joint homeostasis and function of the equine carpus. In nine adult Shetland ponies, the cartilage in the radiocarpal and middle carpal joint of one front limb was grooved (blunt or sharp randomized). The ponies were subjected to an 8‐week exercise protocol and euthanized at 39 weeks. Structural and compositional alterations in joint tissues were evaluated in vivo using serial radiographs, synovial biopsies, and synovial fluid samples. Joint function was monitored by quantitative gait analysis. Macroscopic, microscopic, and biomechanical evaluation of the cartilage and assessment of subchondral bone parameters were performed ex vivo. Grooved cartilage showed higher OARSI microscopy scores than the contra‐lateral sham‐operated controls (p < 0.0001). Blunt‐grooved cartilage scored higher than sharp‐grooved cartilage (p = 0.007) and fixed charge density around these grooves was lower (p = 0.006). Equilibrium and instantaneous moduli trended lower in grooved cartilage than their controls (significant for radiocarpal joints). Changes in other tissues included a threefold to sevenfold change in interleukin‐6 expression in synovium from grooved joints at week 23 (p = 0.042) and an increased CPII/C2C ratio in synovial fluid extracted from blunt‐grooved joints at week 35 (p = 0.010). Gait analysis outcome revealed mild, gradually increasing lameness. In conclusion, blunt and, to a lesser extent, sharp grooves in combination with a period of moderate exercise, lead to mild degeneration in equine carpal cartilage over a 9‐month period, but the effect on overall joint health remains limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myeloid suppressor cells (MDSCs) are an important class of immune-regulating cells that can suppress T cell function. Most of our knowledge about the function of MDSC comes from studies of cancer models. Recent studies, however, have greatly contributed to the description of MDSC involvement in autoimmune diseases. They are known as a cell population that may negatively affect immune responses by regulating the function of CD4+ and CD8+ cells, which makes them an attractive target for autoimmune diseases therapy. However, many questions about MDSC activation, differentiation, and inhibitory functions remain unanswered. In this study, we have summarized the role of MDSCs in various autoimmune diseases, and the potential of targeting them for therapeutic benefits has been discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current article is focused on introduction and validation of electro‐membrane extraction along with a high‐performance liquid chromatography combined with UV detector for the identification of the antiepileptic drugs phenytoin (PT) and phenobarbital (PB) in plasma, saliva, and urine. In addition, 3D‐printing was utilized to fabricate the designed caps required for fixing the electrodes in the prepared setup, giving us a high potential in device fabrication with various dimensions. To arrive at the highest extraction of PB and PT, the parameters impacting the extraction efficiency of electromembrane extraction for example, supported liquid membrane composition, sample solution pH, applied voltage, extraction time along with effect of graphene oxide are examined in detail. In optimized experimental conditions, the calibration plots were obtained to be linear on the concentration range of 25–500 ng/L with the detection limit and quantitation limit of 7.5 and 25 ng/L for both of PB and PT. Relative standard deviations of <9.9% and <9.1% were found for PB and PT, respectively and the enrichment factor for the presented method was computed to be 25.4 and 44.7 for PB and PT, respectively. The proposed method was satisfactorily employed in determination of PB and PT in plasma, urine and saliva. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article studies a transient M / G / 1 queueing model with k sequential heterogeneous service steps and vacations. Entrants arrive according to a Poisson process, and each arrival is serviced sequentially and consistently in k phases in the order of arrival. The service times follow a general distribution function. Upon completion of the service, the server could take a vacation with the probability θ and remains in the system to provide service to other customers with the probability 1 − θ. For this model, first, we obtain the Laplace transform of the probability generating functions (PGFs) of system size, and then we obtain the PGFs for a special case in the transient state, and the corresponding steady state results explicitly. Also, we derive the system performance measures such as the means system size, waiting time, and busy period in a closed form. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the effects of reaction conditions on the conventional hydrothermal synthesis and crystal growth kinetics of zeolites Y in aqueous sodium alkaline solutions without the use of organic templates were studied. For this purpose, a series of Y-type zeolites were synthesized at different reaction conditions such as various aging temperatures, crystallization temperatures, Na2O contents of the initial gel and crystallization times using hydrothermal process. The prepared samples were well characterized by the X-ray diffraction (XRD) and N2 adsorption–desorption techniques. The results prove that the Na2O contents of the initial gel and synthesis temperature increase the rate of the Y and P zeolite crystallization. The effect of Na2O and temperature on the synthesis of two different zeolite types (Y and P) with a constant initial synthetic composition under the organic template-free synthesis of zeolite Y was studied. In inappropriate conditions, the P-type zeolite was the major impurity obtained along with the Y-type zeolite. Also from the experimental results, the kinetic parameters for both zeolite Y and zeolite P were calculated. The kinetic study show that the activation energy for crystallization of both zeolites was enhanced by increasing the Na2O content of the initial gel due to the structure-directing role of Na+ cation in the induction period and crystal growth step. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given an integer q and a polynomial f ∈ Z q [ X ] of degree d with coefficients in the residue ring Z q = Z / q Z , we obtain new results concerning the number of solutions to congruences of the form y ≡ f (x) (mod q) , with integer variables lying in some cube B of side length H. Our argument uses ideas of Cilleruelo, Garaev, Ostafe and Shparlinski which reduces the problem to the Vinogradov mean value theorem and a lattice point counting problem. We treat the lattice point problem differently, using transference principles from the geometry of numbers. We also use a variant of the main conjecture for the Vinogradov mean value theorem of Bourgain, Demeter and Guth and of Wooley, which allows one to deal with solutions to the Vinogradov mean value theorem when the variables run through rather sparse sets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study describes fabrication of an electrochemical nanosensor using Graphene Oxide (GO), β-Cyclodextrin (β-CD), and Gold Nanoparticles (AuNPs) for simultaneous determination of acetaminophen (Ac), ibuprofen (Ib), and caffeine (Ca). AuNPs/ Epβ-CD/ ERGO built on the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) surface, provides a high electrochemical surface area compared to the bare one and each other. Characterization techniques, such as FE-SEM, EDS, TEM, CV, and EIS showed valuable insights into the elemental content, electrochemical characteristics, and morphology of AuNPs/Epβ-CD/ ERGO/GCE. As a result, the Ac, Ib, and Ca sensing exhibited linearity behavior separately in an extended range (0.1–300.0, 0.1–500.0, and 1.0-400.0 µM), respectively. To go a step further, the modified electrode was applied for the simultaneous determination of Ac, Ib, and Ca which featured low detection limit (DL, 0.04, 0.03, and 0.10 µM) over a wide linear range of concentration (0.1–100.0, 0.1–30.0, and 1.0–50.0 µM), respectively. Moreover, stability, reproducibility, selectivity, interferences, and repeatability of the provided sensor was investigated. The proposed modified electrode represented excellent performance for detection of these drugs in human serum and pharmaceuticals. Schematic illustration for fabricating of the electrochemical nanosensor for the simultaneous determination of Ac, Ib, and Ca. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The drug Liraglutide is an acylated analogue of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) which is indicated for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic obesity. Stability testing of biopharmaceuticals is an essential part of their quality control, aimed at revealing possible degradation pathways and identification of potential degradation products. Up to now, no information on the Liraglutide behaviour in formulation medium under stress conditions has been provided. In the present study, the original innovator and an analogue product of Liraglutide were subjected to stress by exposing to various temperature, pH and oxidation conditions to generate possible degradation products and aggregation. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to determine impurity profiles and identify degradation products of stressed drug samples from different suppliers. Results showed that Liraglutide products exhibit high stability at room temperature. Exposure to high pH resulted in the formation of aggregates and chemical modifications, including oxidation, while exposure to low pH caused peptide precipitation. Liraglutide formulations showed slight susceptibility to oxidation on tryptophan residue. Overall, no significant differences were observed between the originator and the analogue of Liraglutide. Both exhibited similar behaviour in their impurity profiles during forced degradation. The approach used in this study offers potential benefits for industrial purposes in formulation development and product characterization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]