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Cognitive impairment is one of the main complications of diabetes and patients with cognitive impairment are considered to be in an intermediate stage of decreased cognition with higher risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease. This study aimed at evaluating serum activity of two esterase enzymes including cholinesterase and paraoxonase 1 (PON 1) in diabetic patients and association with cognitive performance and metabolic parameters. In this crosssectional study, 128 diabetic patients were enrolled. Cognitive performance was evaluated using the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R). Body mass index, fasting blood glucose, fasting blood insulin, insulin resistance, serum cholinesterase and paraoxonase 1 activity were measured. Prevalence of cognitive impairment was found to be 77% in the study population. Serum cholinesterase activity was found to be higher in diabetic patients with cognitive impairment than the patients with normal cognitive performance (p < 0.04). Further, a negative correlation was found between cognitive performance and cholinesterase activity, albeit statistically non-significant. Alteration in the activity of cholinesterase enzyme was shown to be associated with cognitive impairment in diabetic patients and future studies are required to find the pathophysiological mechanisms of diabetic cognitive dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Positive mood and cognitive flexibility are known to enhance creativity. The present study examines this important issue in the age range of 8 to 12 years, assuming that positive mood is likely to promote creativity by affecting cognitive flexibility. Methods: The study population included all female students aged 8 to 12 years in districts 4 and 8 of Tehran. From the research population, 60 people in two age groups of 8 to 10 (8/80 ± 0/76) and 10 to 12 (11/20 ± 0/76) years were selected by available sampling method. After randomly placing individuals in research groups based on the induced mood and age, individuals were assessed using the computerized version of Wisconsin Card Sorting (1948) and the Torrance Creative Thinking (1974) test. The collected data were analyzed using independent t-test, Pearson correlation coefficient, Mann-Whitney U and Hayes mediator regression model (2018). Results: Regression model analysis confirmed the mediating role of cognitive flexibility between mood and creativity, where positive mood improves individuals' cognitive flexibility and thereby enhances performance in creativity test. Conclusion: The findings of this study as evidence of the importance of mood on the level of cognitive flexibility and creative performance in children emphasized the need to consider this issue in educational settings with the aim of creating and strengthening creative thinking in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

La dissection localisée de l'aorte thoracique descendante ; classe 3 de la classification proposée par la société européenne de la cardiologie ; est une dissection limitée à l'aorte thoracique descendante et de longueur courte. C'est une variante rare et méconnue qui constitue un challenge diagnostique clinicoradiologique. En effet, elle se manifeste par un tableau clinique aspécifique représenté par le syndrome aortique aigu et se caractère par un aspect radiologique confus et intriqué avec les autres diagnostics différentiels. Nous voudrions souligner la rareté de cette pathologie et la difficulté rencontrée pour la définir partant d'un cas traité dans notre établissement et une revue de la littérature. Localized dissection of the descending thoracic aorta; class 3 of the classification proposed by the European Society of Cardiology; is a short and limited length dissection involving the descending thoracic aorta. It is a rare and unrecognized variant that poses a clinical and radiological diagnostic challenge. Indeed, it is manifested by an aspecific clinical profile represented by the acute aortic syndrome and characterized by a confused radiological aspect that entangled with the other differential diagnoses. We would like to emphasize the rarity of this uncommon pathology and the difficulty encountered in defining it based on a case treated in our department and a review of the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The paper aims to present an innovative method for identification of flight modes in the spin maneuver, which is highly nonlinear and coupled dynamic. Design/methodology/approach: To fix the mode mixing problem which is mostly happen in the EMD algorithm, the authors focused on the proposal of an optimized ensemble empirical mode decomposition (OEEMD) algorithm for processing of the flight complex signals that originate from FDR. There are two improvements with the OEEMD respect to the EEMD. First, this algorithm is able to make a precise reconstruction of the original signal. The second improvement is that the OEEMD performs the task of signal decomposition with fewer iterations and so with less complexity order rather than the competitor approaches. Findings: By applying the OEEMD algorithm to the spin flight parameter signals, flight modes extracted, then with using systematic technique, flight modes characteristics are obtained. The results indicate that there are some non-standard modes in the nonlinear region due to couplings between the longitudinal and lateral motions. Practical implications: Application of the proposed method to the spin flight test data may result accurate identification of nonlinear dynamics with high coupling in this regime. Originality/value: First, to fix the mode mixing problem in EMD, an optimized ensemble empirical mode decomposition algorithm is introduced, which disturbed the original signal with a sort of white Gaussian noise, and by using white noise statistical characteristics the OEEMD fix the mode mixing problem with high precision and fewer calculations. Second, by applying the OEEMD to the flight output signals and with using the systematic method, flight mode characteristics which is very important in the simulation and controller designing are obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

La diversité des causes des artériopathies juvéniles nécessite une enquête étiologique systématique lorsqu'une ischémie critique des membres est diagnostiquée avant 50 ans. Nous aimerions présenter le cas d'une jeune femme ayant été diagnostiquée porteuse de la maladie du Lupus révélée par une ischémie distale du pied. The diversity of juvenile arterial disease aetiologies requires a systematic investigation when limb critical ischemia is diagnosed before the age of 50. We would like to share a rare case of a young woman who was diagnosed with Lupus disease revealed by distal ischemia of the foot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) essence on growth performance, carcass characteristics, blood parameters and caecal microflora of broiler chickens. Six experimental diets were formulated to include different levels of lavender essence as follows: 0 (control), 100, 200, 400, 600 and 800 mg/kg, respectively. A total of 300 1-day-old male broiler chicks (Ross-308 strain) were randomly allocated to the treatment groups (5 replicates with 10 birds each). Diets were fed as mash form in both starter (1-21 days) and grower-finisher (22-42 days) periods. From findings, no differences among treatments were observed for body weight (BW) gain, feed intake (FI), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) considering the entire feeding period (1-42 days). Birds given 400 mg/kg lavender had lower (P < 0.05) carcass, breast, thigh, wings, neck and gizzard weights than birds from the other groups. With the exception of the serum glucose level, which was significantly (P < 0.05) decreased in lavender fed groups, there were no differences (P > 0.05) in serum levels of total protein, cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and uric acid among treatments. Broilers fed 600 mg/kg lavender essence had lower (P < 0.05) counts of caecal Lactobacillus spp. than others groups. E. coli and Coliforms counts were decreased (P < 0.05) in birds fed 600 mg/kg lavender. Therefore, based on the current study, it can be concluded that lavender essence can successfully be used as antibacterial agent in broiler diets without any detrimental effect on growth performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Encapsulated ZnO nanorods (NRs) with different Cr concentration (0–4.5 at.%) were prepared in two different steps. First, ZnO NRs were grown by hydrothermal method. Then, they were encapsulated by dip coating method. The prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy, and ultraviolet (UV)-visible spectrophotometer analyses. XRD analysis proved that Cr incorporated into the ZnO structure successfully. Based on optical analysis, band gap changes in the range of 2.74–3.84 eV. Finally, UV responses of all samples were deeply investigated. It revealed 0.5 at.% Cr doped sample had the most photocurrent (0.75 mA) and photoresponsivity (0.8 A/W) of all which were about three times greater than photocurrent and photoresponsivity of the undoped sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, super-hydrophobic surface on 6061 aluminum alloy (Al) was fabricated by single-step anodizing and modified by low surface energy materials. This process is a straightforward method which can also be applied at large scales. The effect of anodizing voltage changes on the surface morphology and the wettability of surfaces was also investigated. The uniform roughness on anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) which was fabricated by single-step anodizing and chemically modified by stearic acid (STA) had super-hydrophobic properties. The treatment before and after anodizing process played a significant role in bonding STA onto AAO surfaces. According to the contact angle obtained from AAO and anodic aluminum oxide modified by STA, which were less than 20° and 152 ± 0.3°, respectively, their wettability and surface energy were examined. Moreover, the corrosion resistance of the super-hydrophobic surface was tested by Tafel polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) tests. The results showed that the inhibition efficiency ( η ) of AAO surface compared to super-hydrophobic surface increased from 58% to 97% which is an indication of excellent corrosion resistance of these coatings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of copper (Cu)-containing glasses were synthesized and incorporated into a SiO-ZnO-CaO-SrO-PO-based glass system. Additions of 6 and 12 mol% CuO retained the amorphous character, and glasses were processed to possess similar particle sizes and surface areas. Glass characterization using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance determined that the addition of 12 mol% CuO increased the fraction of Q-speciation and the concentration of bridging oxygens. Each glass presented solubility profiles for the release of Si (18-31 mg/L), Ca (13-16 mg/L), Zn (<3 mg/L) and Sr(2-10 mg/L); however, no Cu or P were released. Cu-GPCs were formulated, and the working time ( T ) and setting times ( T ) were found to be dependent on both polyacrylic acid concentration and CuO addition. The mechanical properties, i.e. the compressive strength (18-30 MPa) and the adhesive bond strength (0.79-1.32 MPa), were relative low which is likely due to the glass structure. Antibacterial properties were evaluated in E. coli (4 mm), S. epidermidis (10 mm), S. aureus (UMAS-1) and vancomycin resistant S. aureus (2 mm) and presented antibacterial effects in each microbe tested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bisphenol A is a high production volume chemical widely used in manufacturing polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins used in many industries. Due to its adverse effects on human health as an endocrine disruptor and many other effects on the various organs of the human body as well as aquatic organisms, it should be removed from the aquatic environments. This study aimed to mineralisation of BPA from aquatic environments by application of novel UV/SPS/H2O2/Cu system and optimization and modelling of its removal using central composite design (CCD) from response surface methodology (RSM). Methods: CCD from RSM was used for modeling and optimization of operation parameters on the BPA degradation using UV/SPS/HP/Cu system. Effective operation parameters were initial persulfate, H2O2,Cu2+ and BPA concentration along with pH and reaction time, all in three levels were investigated. For analysis of obtained data ANOVA test was used. Results: The results showed that a quadratic model is suitable to fit the experimental data (< 0.0001). Analysis of p response surface plots showed a considerable impact of all six selected variables which BPA and Cu2+ initial concentrations have been the highest and the least impact on the process, respectively. -value of model was 54.74 F that indicate significance of the model. The optimum values of the operation parameters were determined. The maximum removal of BPA was achieved 99.99 % in optimal conditions and in that condition TOC removal was about 70 %. Finally, validation and accuracy of the model were also evaluated by graphical residual analysis and the influential diagnostics plots. The higher relevance between actual and predicted values demonstrated the validation and applicability of the obtained equation as the model. Conclusions: According to the results, UV/SPS/HP/Cu system is an effective process in degradation and mineralisation of BPA and CCD methodology is a convenient and reliable statistical tool for optimizing BPA removal from aqueous solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: interpersonal communication skills are required for training and represent one of the most significant parts concerning the character of student learning. In another idea, learning is a constant method and learners favor a position of knowledge forms according to their character and individual practices. Evaluate the correlation between the learning methods and interpersonal conversation abilities of the nursing undergraduate in Medical Sciences Tehran University in 2012 was the purpose of this research. Methods: In this regular detailed cross-sectional analysis, 361 students from the School of Nursing and Midwifery were chosen during a census method. The information collection instruments were regulated, giving a questionnaire called Interpersonal Communication Skills Standards exam and VARK Learning Styles questionnaire. Data was examined by SPSS application (18th edition) by using Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: 320 questionnaires were finished. 60.6% of the members were females. The average number of the students' conversation abilities level was 101.91 ± 10.35. More than half of the samples (58.8%) preferred multi-modal learning styles (Bi-Tri and Quad Modals) and 41.2% of the students preferred single modal learning styles. There were no significant differences between the Interpersonal Communication Skills and the learning styles (P= 0.46). Conclusion: According to no significant relationship between the communication skills of students with learning style and Demographic changeable and Lack of proper form of communication skills, we were ready to build different systems and courses related to improving the skills' level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As the biggest collection among various collections of hospital employees, nurses perform a vital role in the progress of the hospital actions and the improvement of community health. Objectives: This research intended to find the relationship between the shortage of nursing workforce and hospitals performance of Tehran's Medical Sciences University. Materials and Methods: The current analysis was a cross-sectional definitive research, which was conducted in selected educational hospices associated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences during the year 2010. While using three researcher-made questionnaires, information was obtained from all clinical, paraclinical, commercial, managerial and support units of hospitals. Information was investigated according to the patterns of Iran's Healthcare Ministry and Medical Education by employing Excel software. Pabon Lasso model was used for performance measurement during the year 2010. The mixture of 3 indicators was applied to determine the period of stay, bed occupancy time and bed turnover. Results: The outcomes revealed that the personnel of nursing, in the 18 hospital wards (66.67%) were at levels below the standards, just one ward (3.7%) reached the standards requirements, and the remainder of the hospital wards (29.62%) were at greater levels than the standard requirements. Both hospitals were near the value 4 in the Pabon Lasso model. The correlation analysis among the nursing shortage and performance showed a meaningful relationship (P<0.05). Conclusion: Frequently, the examined hospices were challenged with a shortage of nursing workforce and the dissemination of workforce was not suitable. A decent supervision of workforce in conformity with the shortage of staff compensated and achieved the rules needed for the hospital's nursing workforce and this would guide to an improvement in the performance of the hospitals' actions and could present gratification for the personnel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this research polyvinyl chloride/multi walled carbon nanotube–co-copper nanolayer composite nanoparticles heterogeneous cation exchange membranes were prepared by solution casting techniques. The MWCNT–co-Cu nanolayer composite nanoparticles were prepared by magnetron sputtering method. The effect of composite nanoparticle concentration on physico-chemical properties of membranes was studied. The SEM, TEM and XRD results showed uniform distribution and crystalline structure for the deposited Cu nanolayer on the MWCNTs' surface. SOM images also showed relatively uniform particle distribution for the membranes. The membrane potential, transport number, selectivity and electrical conductivity were improved by an increase of additive content in prepared membranes. Membrane average roughness was decreased slightly by an increase of additive concentration. Membrane ionic permeability and flux were decreased initially by an increase of additive ratio up to 0.5wt.% and then showed an increasing trend by more additive concentration. Furthermore, mechanical stability of prepared membranes was improved by an increase of MWCNT–co-Cu nanolayer composite nanoparticle content in membrane matrix. Also, modified membrane containing 4wt.% composite nanoparticles showed better electrochemical properties compared to other modified membranes, membrane containing pure MWCNTs and unmodified ones. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

There are numerous difficulties involved in drilling operations of an oil well, one of the most important of them being well control. Well control systems are applied when we have irruption of liquids or unwanted intrusion of the reservoir's liquid (oil, gas or brine) into the well, during drilling when the pressure of well fluid column is less than formation pressure, and the permeability of the reservoir has a value that is able to pass the liquid through. For this purpose, a variety of methods including Driller, wait and weight, and the concurrent methods were used to control the well at different drilling sites. In this study, we investigate the optimum method for well control using a fussy method based on many parameters, including technical factors (mud weight, drilling rate, blockage of pipes, sensitivity to drilling network changes, etc.) and security factors (existence of effervescent mud, drilling circuit control, etc.), and cost of selection, which is one of the most important decisions that are made under critical conditions such as irruption. Till now, these methods were selected based on the experience of field personnel in drilling sites. The technical criteria and standards were influenced by experience, so the soft computerizing system (fuzzy method) was used. Thus, both these criteria and standards would be of greater importance and indicate whether the optimum numerical method is the same one that is expressed by human experience. The concurrent method was selected as the best for well control, using the fuzzy method at the end of the evaluation, while field personnel experience suggests the Driller method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amendment of empty fruit bunch (EFB) and vermicompost (VC) in coconut coir dust (CD) has been promoted as a potential alternate media in soilless culture. However, in commercial overview, several problems can be seen in the use of amendment with coconut coir dust as a growth media. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of EFB and VC as organic amendment (10%-40%; v/v) on the growth and yield of tomato plant in CD media. Six treatments were used with five replications. A 100% CD with nutrient solution (electrical conductivity [EC] = 2.5 mS·cm-1) was used as control treatment. The other treatments were 30 EFB, 10, 20, 30, and 40% VC, which were equivalent to half strength of the nutrients supplied in control. The results showed that plants grown in CD with 20% VC had higher vegetative growth and yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Gaucher disease is a disease of overload lyosomale which we often met since a score of years. Since 1980 we had to answer several requests for diagnosis of this metabolic disease. Requests emanating primarily from paediatric services. Twelve cases were confirmed within sight of measurement of the intraleucocytic activity of the β-glucocerebrosidase, enzyme intervening in the catabolism of the sphingolipides. We report here our experiment in the biochemical diagnosis of Gaucher disease by showing mainly the variability and the extreme heterogeneity of the activity of the β-glucosidasic during practised measurements. In addition, we expose the problems of diagnosis etiologic which certain patients raise in front of the discordances between the measured enzymatic activity and clinical signs of the disease of left-handed person. In addition, we develop the biological parameters useful to proportion for the monitoring of the treatment which is finally available in our country. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Employing a scenario-based approach to model the uncertainty of intermittent supplies in an electricity market modeled by SFE for investigating the market impacts of large-scale integration of intermittent resources on the incentive of investors. • Application of error correction and sensitivity analysis methods to address the effect of the error on the wind speed prediction in the long-term horizon. • Addresses the challenges with wind generation uncertainty, using a scenario-based model implemented on the IEEE 30-bus system, with the proposed optimization technique to find the firms profits solved using GAMS and MATLAB software. This paper investigates two problems: 1) the decision-making approach for an individual investor in a power market with the uncertainty of wind power generation, and 2) the impacts of expanding the penetration of wind energy on the profitability of the investment. To answer these questions, a comparison framework of two distinct investments is designed in which one is deterministic in a power market including only fossil-fuel generators, and another is uncertain in a power market with wind energy production. The power market is modeled as a supply function equilibrium (SFE), and a scenario-based model is implemented on the IEEE 30-bus system to deal with the uncertainty of wind energy. A novel approach, including error correction and the sensitivity analysis method, is introduced. The concept of conditional value at risk is applied to measure the investment risk. The results show that the wind speed prediction error and the wind probability density function variation create a very low impact on the final result. However, the load duration curve has a high impact on the decision-making problem. The proposed approach can address the ensured gained profit of an investment in an uncertain power market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Substrate-free electrode based on cobalt-based alloy. • High energy density electrode. • A facile and inexpensive approach. Having high energy density, high electrical conductivity and at the same time inexpensive and abundance material are key parameters to build an electrode for energy storage applications. Here, we construct sulfurized amorphous cobalt-based alloy with facile and a low-priced method. Samples were etched in H 2 SO 4 with different molarities. Then, it was sulfurized using chemical vapor deposition technique. Existence of sulfur and its combination with Co was confirmed by Raman spectroscopy and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy. Electrochemical properties were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge-discharge methods. The sample etched in an 8 M H 2 SO 4 had specific capacity of 135 C/g measured at scan rate of 5 mV/s in 1 M KOH. Our results suggest promising application of surface treated amorphous alloy for substrate-free electrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of germanium (Ge)-containing glasses were synthesized based on a starting glass composition of SiO 2 -ZnO-CaO-SrO-P 2 O 5. Additions of GeO 2 (6 and 12 mol%) were incorporated at the expense of SiO 2, which retained the amorphous character, and each glass was processed to present similar particle size and surface area. Glass characterization using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS-NMR) determined that the addition of GeO 2 increased the fraction of lower Q-speciation and subsequently the concentration of non-bridging oxygens (NBO). Glass Polyalkenoate Cements (GPC) were formulated from each glass with 40, 50 and 60 wt% PAA, and presented time dependent solubility profiles (1, 10, 100, 1000 h) for the release of Si4+ (4–140 mg/l), Ca2+ (1–8 mg/l), Zn2+ (<6 mg/l), Sr2+ (2–37 mg/l), PO 4 3− (2–43 mg/l) and Ge4+ (20–911 mg/l) and attained pH values close to 7.5 after 1000 h. Ge-GPCs containing 40 wt% polyacrylic acid (PAA) presented appropriate working time (T w) and setting times (T s), and the corresponding compressive strengths ranged from (14–30 MPa). The Ge-GPCs (40, 50 wt%) presented a linear increase (R2–0.99) with respect to time. Simulated Body Fluid (SBF) testing resulted in the Ge-GPCs encouraging the precipitation of crystalline hydroxyapatite on the GPC surface, more evidently after 100 and 1000 h incubation. Value of the data: • GeO2 was introduced into SiO 2 -ZnO-CaO-SrO-P 2 O 5 -based glass at the expense of SiO 2. • The addition of GeO 2 increased the Non-Bridging Oxygens (NBO−) concentration. • Ge-Glass Polyalkenoate Cements presented linear increase in compressive strength. • Ge release from Ge-GPCs increased with respect to maturation in aqueous media. • Ge-GPCs showed CaP deposits that crystallized to Hydroxyapatite in SBF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coloured wastewater from the textile industries may show toxic or carcinogenic effects on the organism, when discharged into the rivers and lakes, which are changing their biological life. Therefore, in this study, the removal of basic violet 16 was investigated by a magnetite graphene oxide nanocomposites (Fe3O4@GO) optimising by the response surface methodology based on Box–Behnken method. Fe3O4@GO nanocomposite was prepared by a facile in situ co-precipitation method, resulting in a suitable composite for the adsorption of dye. The structure and morphology of the Fe3O4@GO adsorbent were investigated using XRD, FT-IR, SEM, BET and VSM techniques. Base on the SEM images, the Fe3O4 NPs were distributed between the GO sheets and empty spaces with visible large pores between GO sheets. Also, the results of the FT-IR analysis showed that the dominant group was carboxyl group. The various parameters were evaluated in the process such as pH, reaction time, adsorbent dose and initial concentration of dye. The proposed model (quadratic) was approved with a high correlation coefficient (R2 = 0.98) and (R2adj = 0.97). Desirable removal of dye (efficiency: 95.03%.) was obtained under following conditions: the dye concentration of 62.5 mg L−1, the absorbance of 0.2 g L−1, the reaction time of 60 min and solution pH of 7.5. The results of isotherms and kinetics adsorption study showed that the adsorption process follows the Langmuir isotherm (R2: 0.98) and the pseudo-second-order kinetic (R2: 0.99) models. The present study showed that the Fe3O4 @GO adsorbent has a high efficiency in the removal of violet 16. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, filamentous algae-based activated carbon was composited with Fe3O4 nanoparticles and applied as a potential adsorbent to remove Basic Blue 41. AAC/Fe3O4 nanocomposite was synthesised by the impregnation method and characterised by several techniques including, FTIR, FESEM, EDX, TGA, XRD, VSM, and BET. The characterisation results confirmed the existence of Fe3O4 in the nanocomposite structure, which had uniformly dispersed over AAC with mesoporous texture. The effects of various operational parameters on removal efficiency were investigated. The maximum AAC/Fe3O4 nanocomposite adsorption capacity (141 mg g−1) and removal rate (96.76%) were determined under optimum conditions (initial concentration of 100 mg L−1, solution pH of 9, nanocomposite dose = 1 g L−1 at 25°C for 90 min). The obtained adsorption data fitted well with the pseudo-second-order Langmuir isotherm model. The reusability assessment of AAC/Fe3O4 nanocomposite (with acidic solution) revealed about 11% decreases in the removal efficiency after five consecutive runs. Finally, bioassay studies using D. Magna confirmed AAC/Fe3O4 nanocomposite could create low toxicity and acceptable quality effluents. These attractive features make it a potential adsorbent for practical application in actual textile wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The substitution of TiO 2 with network modifiers (sodium, Na + and calcium, Ca 2+ ) within a bioactive glass series was investigated to synthesize amorphous scaffolds from the SiO 2 -CaO-Na 2 O-P 2 O 5 glass system. Three glasses were formulated for this study, a control ( BG ) and two experimental formulations with 9 wt% TiO 2 substituted for CaO ( SC - 1 ) and Na 2 O ( SC - 2 ) respectively. X-ray diffraction presented an amorphous pattern for BG and SC - 1 , with extensive crystallinity present in SC - 2 . Differential thermal analysis presented a higher T g for SC - 1 (559 °C) and SC - 2 (627 °C) compared to BG (531 °C), however a greater distribution of Q-species was evident in SC - 1 and SC - 2 , particularly in the Q 1 –Q 2 regions as evidenced by MAS-NMR. Simulated Body Fluid (SBF) testing presented calcium phosphate (CaP) deposition on BG however no visible CaP layer was observed on the surface of SC - 1 and SC - 2 . Ion release profiles exhibited a much slower Si release rate with respect to time for SC - 1 and SC - 2 , which may be the limiting factor when tested in SBF. The addition of TiO 2 to the glass stabilized the pH during SBF testing and significantly increased the hardness compared to the control BG . Scaffold fabrication was conducted with SC - 1 , and a porous amorphous structure was synthesized at 635 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most important effect of humic acid (HA) as a natural organic matter in water is the reaction with disinfectants and the generation of toxic and carcinogenic byproducts. The aim of this study was to investigate the applicability of the sono-persulphate process for the removal of HA from aqueous media by box-Behnken design (BBD) using response surface methodology (RSM). This study was experimental and was performed in a laboratory-scale pilot. The effect of important operational parameters such as solution pH, persulphate concentration, and reaction time at three levels (+α, 0, and -α) was studied using a constant intensity of ultrasonic (US) waves (37 kHz) and the initial HA concentration of 25 mg/L. Optimisation and analysis of the results were performed by Design Expert 10 and the residual-HA was measured using a spectrophotometer. The results showed that the quadratic model was suitable for the data (Pvalue>0.0001) and the proposed model was confirmed with a high correlation coefficient ((R2 = 0.9966) and (R2Adj = 0.9932)). Under the optimal conditions for the process (pH of 3, optimal persulphate concentration of 0.514 mg/L and reaction time of 39.29 min), the observed removal efficiency was 87.59%. The synergetic degradation of the sono-persulphate process and removal of COD under optimal conditions were 42.63% and 81.2%, respectively. According to the results, the sono-persulphate process was found to be an appropriate process in the degradation of HA, and the BBD was found as a suitable tool for optimising the process conditions in the removal of HA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces PTrees, a multi-scale dynamic point cloud segmentation dedicated to forest tree extraction from lidar point clouds. The method process the point data using the raw elevation values ( Z ) and compute height ( H = Z − ground elevation) during post-processing using an innovative procedure allowing to preserve the geometry of crown points. Multiple segmentations are done at different scales. Segmentation criteria are then applied to dynamically select the best set of apices from the tree segments extracted at the various scales. The selected set of apices is then used to generate a final segmentation. PTrees has been tested in 3 different forest types, allowing to detect 82% of the trees with under 10% of false detection rate. Future development will integrate crown profile estimation during the segmentation process in order to both maximize the detection of suppressed trees and minimize false detections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This experimental study investigated the performance of Catechol degradation by US/TiO2/H2O2 process as an integrated advance oxidation process. In this experimental study, initial pH, dose of TiO2, initial concentration of Catechol, H2O2 concentration and reaction time parameters optimised BBD. The results suggest that US/TiO2/H2O2 process has a high efficiency in Catechol degradation. Optimum condition of US/TiO2/H2O2 process is pH = 3.43, H2O2 concentration = 130 mg/l, TiO2 dose = 0.34 g/l, Catechol concentration = 12.52 mg/l and reaction time = 70.64 min. According to predicate point, the percentage of Catechol removal in this condition was 96.2 and 92.34 as a predicated and experimental percentage of Catechol removal by this process. The kinetics of reaction follows pseudo-first-order kinetic. The synergist effect of sonolysis, TiO2 and H2O2 is 2.09 fold. 70 and 63% of initial COD and TOC were removed. Presence of radical scavenger has an adverse impact on the performance of US/TiO2/H2O2 process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this experimental study, the statistical response surface methodology (RSM) based Box-Behnken design (BBD) was selected for evaluation of the effect of different parameters (solution pH,H2O2 concentration, current density, and time) and their interactions on the degradation of the diazinon by electro Fenton process. The results showed that the quadratic model is suitable for the obtained data (P-value = 0.0001) and in optimal process performance conditions was set equal to 100%. Regression analysis with a high correlation coefficient (R2 = 0.9980) and the model value of 765.56 indicated the adequacy of the model. Based on the results, the electro-Fenton process is an efficient technique for removing diazinon from aqueous media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The renal capsule tissue of lamb was irradiated with ultraviolet-C light and the treated samples were analyzed by uniaxial tensile test, dynamic mechanical analysis, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and contact angle measurements. It was shown that the skin cross-linking is dominant in low doses in accordance with the contact angle assessment. Conversely, the strong bulk degradation takes place at high doses. Similarly, the bulk cross-linking affects the mechanical tests as to enhance the stiffness at low doses, whereas strong degradation occurs at high doses that mainly arises from the strong bulk chain scission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports the detection of a rare Hepatitis C virus of subtype 4r in the southeastern part of France. Details related to the phylogenetic tree for the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) based on the NS5b encoding region, along with the findings of the HCV sequence obtained from the index case, are presented.

One of the simplest and most effective individual measures is to wear a mask to prevent the spread of respiratory droplets from carriers to healthy people and patients admitted to corona wards and their staff. This research aimed to investigate the contamination of internal and external surfaces of various masks used by patients and staff with SARS coronavirus, as well as the possibility of airborne transmission in Imam Khomeini Hospital, Ardabil. For this purpose, twenty-five staff members and ten patients participated voluntarily in this cross-sectional study. Sampling was performed using swaps on both sides (inside and outside) of various surgical masks, N-95, and filtering face piece FFP2 through standard methods in compliance with the relevant conditions and from a surface of at least 5 cm2. Next, the collected samples were immediately transferred to a laboratory and analyzed by real-time PCR method to detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2 virus after viral genome extraction. Based on the obtained results, from a total of 30 collected samples (25 of personnel masks plus 5 samples of hospitalized patients' masks). A total of 60 masks were sampled. For every collected sample, the researchers studied both inside and outside of the mask. Upon analyzing the data, it was showed that 6 mask samples were positive for the presence of coronavirus. Nonetheless, all samples taken from both inside and outside of the personnel masks (N-95 and FFP2 types of masks) were negative. Among the 6 positive samples, four cases were related to the internal part, one case to the outer part of the three-layer surgical masks, and one to the outer part of the N-95 masks in hospitalized patients. As masks reduce the concentration of virus particles, they can play an important role in creating immunity. [Display omitted] • The inside part of all the samples (except N95 masks) were positive for SARS-CoV-2. • External part of the one N95 mask sample and one surgical mask sample was positive. • Mask reduce of the virus particles, they play a critical role in creating immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalent respiratory viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 probably persist for a long time on fomites and environmental surfaces. Some recent studies have detected SARS-CoV-2 RNA on the surface of cell phones, door handles and other items in the inhabited sites of confirmed cases. For the aim of this study, a total of 50 environmental surface samples of SARS-CoV-2 was collected from Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ardabil. Forty-one environmental surface samples were proved negative for SARS-CoV-2 RNA while nine surface samples were positive. Our findings regarding surfaces contaminated with the virus are consistent with the results of recent similar researches as it was revealed that a number of different samples taken from hospital surfaces such as handles, cupboards, light switches, and door handles were positive for the presence of SARS-Cov-2. [Display omitted] • Samples taken from the door handle and room floor can be considered as a high risk. • The bathroom doors handles should be swabbed and analyzed in the daily monitoring. • Testing room floor and Corona wards floor may cause to a transmission of the virus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Extraction and purification of an acid β−glucosidase from human placenta (alglucerase) for the treatment of Gaucher disease, replaced a few years later by a recombinant enzyme (imiglucérase, Cerezyme®), has paved the way to the development of enzyme replacement therapies (ERT) for the treatment of lysosomal storage diseases (LSD) among which Fabry disease for which the long-term efficacy of the two currently available preparations (agalsidase alfa, Replagal® and Fabrazyme®) is still being investigated. Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) type I (Hurler and Scheie diseases), II (Hunter syndrome) and VI (Maroteaux-Lamy disease) also benefit from ERT using laronidase (Aldurazyme®), idursulfase (Elaprase®) and galsulfase (Naglazyme®), respectively. ERT reduces the hepatosplenomegaly and improves the physical and respiratory capacities of MPS patients with a globally acceptable safety profile although the possibility of infusion-associated should always be kept in mind. Alglucosidase alpha (Myozyme®) improves the cardiomyopathy and life expectancy of infants suffering from Pompe disease and is under evaluation for the treatment of the juvenile and adult forms of the disease. CNS involvement remains a major challenge for many LSD and innovative research and approaches are needed to address the fact that recombinant enzymes do not cross the blood-brain barrier and therefore are not expected to lead to any improvement in CNS damages, except if alternative routes such as intrathecal administration would be developed. Molecular chaperones (e.g. migalastat for Fabry disease) and inhibitors of glucosylceramide synthesis (e.g. eliglustat tartrate for Gaucher disease) are currently under investigation in various clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

7-11 November 2010, Tenth International Congress on Drug Therapy in HIV Infection, Glasgow, UK [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abstract of the research paper "Drug Interactions in the Elderly HIV-Infected Patient," by C. Coroiu and colleagues which was presented at the Tenth International Congress on Drug Therapy in HIV Infection held at Glasgow, Scotland from November 7-11, 2010 is presented.