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Effective power management is crucial in designing wirelessly powered implants that have a long operational lifetime. It ensures that the received power is optimized for efficient operation and prevents damage caused by excessive or insufficient powering. This brief presents a power feedback control unit for wirelessly powered implanted biomedical devices, which includes an implanted voltage level detector and limiter. The feedback control bits can be transmitted through the link to the external unit as uplink data communication, or used to autonomously prevent overvoltage in worst-case scenarios. This design is implemented and fabricated in a 180 nm CMOS process, which can be used for the power conversion chain of wirelessly powered biomedical implanted devices. The system consumes 144 mu W at a supply voltage of 1.8 V and a chip area of 0.02255 mm(2).

On the basis of biological activities of the ethyl acetate extracts of four Xenorhabdus sp., including Xenorhabdus nematophila FUM 220, Xenorhabdus nematophila FUM 221, Xenorhabdus bovienii FUM 222, and Xenorhabdus bovienii FUM 223, X. nematophila FUM 220 was preferentially selected to track the isolation of responsible compounds. Chemical study on the ethyl acetate extract of X. nematophila isolate FUM220 which is derived from the native nematode Steinernema carpocapsae (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae), was evaluated, and eleven compounds, including xenocoumacin II (1), xenortide-396 (2), xenortide A (3), xenortide-410 (4), xenortide-449 (5), xenematide A 663 (6), rhabdopeptide-574 (7), rhabdopeptide-588 (8), rhabdopeptide-687 (9), rhabdopeptide-701 (10), and nematophin-273 (11) were characterized. In this experimental study, we surveyed the antitumoral potential of bacterial extract and bacterial metabolites to treat human breast cancer (MCF-7), human lung cancer (A549), and murine Tumor (B16) cell lines. We observed that all samples were cytotoxic, but bacterial extracts of X. nematophila FUM 220 and X. bovienii FUM 223 showed higher toxicity on mentioned cell lines. Potent cytotoxic activity was found for compounds 6 and 11 with IC50 of 6.2 μg/ml against human lung cancer A549 cell lines, too. These compounds showed moderated antibacterial activity against Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae strain Xoo-IR42 (Xanthomonadales: Xanthomonadaceae) (MIC of 62.5 μg/ml) and Staphylococcus aureus strain 1112 (Bacillales: Staphylococcaceae) (MIC of 100 μg/ml). The bacterial extracts from X. bovienii FUM 222 showed strong inhibition of the growth of S. aureus strain 1112, by a minimal inhibitory concentration assay (MIC of 53.5 μg/ml). Xenorhabdus genera produce metabolites with potent cytotoxic and antibacterial activity. Single compounds can be isolated, identified, and commercialized, but various species or strains may change their anticancer or antimicrobial potential. The present study brings new clues regarding the qualified of Xenorhabdus as future peptide sources for supplying natural bioactive compounds and challenge multidrug-resistant bacteria, treat cancer, and plant diseases.

Insect infestations are considered one of the major problems causing enormous economic losses in stored grains. Laboratory bioassays were performed to establish the mortality induced by the commercially available Beauveria bassiana strain ATCC74040 (formulated product: Naturalis®) and by Metarhizium anisopliae strain CIST8 against four stored products pests. Adults of four grain and legume pest species (Cathartus quadricollis, Callosobruchus maculatus, Sitophilus granarius, and Oryzaephilus surinamensis) were exposed in laboratory assays to three different concentrations (103, 105 and 107/mL) of each entomopathogenic fungal strain. For each insect species, fungal strain and concentration, the mortality was recorded daily over a period of 7 days. Mean survival time and final cumulative mortality were determined, and 7-day mortality curves were established. A significant effect of insect species, fungal strain, and conidial concentration was observed on the 7-day mortality curves and the final cumulative mortality. Also, the mean survival time varied significantly with the conidial concentration. In addition, a significant interaction between insect species and fungal strain was recorded for all three assessed parameters. In general, at all tested concentrations, B. bassiana strain ATCC 74040 caused higher mortality than M. anispliae strain CIST8 in all four insect species. Our results suggest that entomopathogenic fungi could be effectively used as part of an integrated pest management program for the control of legumes and grain pests. Key Words: Entomopathogenic fungi, Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae, stored-products pests

Colon cancer is one of the most common spread cancers in the world, which leads to total death of 10%. Prediction of onset of cancer, and the cause of its development in these patients can be of an enormous help and relief to those affected, as they can get back their “normal” life. Data mining and machine learning are important intelligent tools for classification, prediction and hidden relation extraction between patient information. We collected data from Shahid Faghihi Hospital in Shiraz. Features collected are as follows: Gender, age, duration of cancer before surgery, number of times the patients used bathroom, taking anti-inflammatory drug prednisolone, duration of drug use and dosage, kind of surgery and number of times consulted and retreatment of surgery, incontinence, etc. After pre-processing and data cleaning stages, effective features were extracted, and also occurrence of cancer predicts by using different classification algorithms. Then association rule mining algorithms like Apriori were used for obtaining any internal hidden relation between entries. Approaching them with different algorithms and assessing them with support vector machine was with highest prediction accuracy (84%). Due to unbalanced dataset, we chose cost sensitive support vector machine. In another aspect, after applying Apriori algorithm, the conditions of non-inflammation were extracted based on dataset features. Some significant outcomes are in what follows. If surgery treatment or diagnosed was less than 5 years, the possibility of developing colon cancer is lower. Also, as the duration of disease increases, the possibility of reoperation increases, as confirmed by the interiors. Since this issue with these features was raised for the first time in this paper at the suggestion of internists, early detection of cancer and also the extraction of effective laws can be of help to the medical community. In future, to get higher accuracy, the improvement of the dataset in terms of number of samples and colonoscopy image features is considered.

Coordinated peri-ripple activity in the hippocampal-neocortical network is essential for mnemonic information processing in the brain. Hippocampal ripples likely serve different functions in sleep and awake states. Thus, the corresponding neocortical activity patterns may differ in important ways. We addressed this possibility by conducting voltage and glutamate wide-field imaging of the neocortex with concurrent hippocampal electrophysiology in awake mice. Contrary to our previously published sleep results, deactivation and activation were dominant in post-ripple neocortical voltage and glutamate activity, respectively, especially in the agranular retrosplenial cortex (aRSC). Additionally, the spiking activity of aRSC neurons, estimated by two-photon calcium imaging, revealed the existence of two subpopulations of excitatory neurons with opposite peri-ripple modulation patterns: one increases and the other decreases firing rate. These differences in peri-ripple spatiotemporal patterns of neocortical activity in sleep versus awake states might underlie the reported differences in the function of sleep versus awake ripples.

Antagonistic interactions among different functional guilds of nematodes have been recognized for quite some time, but the underlying explanatory mechanisms are unclear. We investigated responses of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) to two functional guilds of nematodes - plant parasite (Meloidogyne javanica) and entomopathogens (Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, Steinernema feltiae belowground, and S. carpocapsae) - as well as a leaf mining insect (Tuta absoluta) aboveground. Our results indicate that entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs): 1) reduced root knot nematode (RKN) infestation belowground, 2) reduced herbivore (T. absoluta) host preference and performance aboveground, and 3) induced overlapping plant defense responses by rapidly activating polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and guaiacol peroxidase (GP) activity in roots, but simultaneously suppressing this activity in aboveground tissues. Concurrently, we investigated potential plant signaling mechanisms underlying these interactions using transcriptome analyses. We found that both entomopathogens and plant parasites triggered immune responses in plant roots with shared gene expression. Secondary metabolite transcripts induced in response to the two nematode functional guilds were generally overlapping and showed an analogous profile of regulation. Likewise, we show that EPNs modulate plant defense against RKN invasion, in part, by suppressing active expression of antioxidant enzymes. Inoculations of roots with EPN triggered an immune response in tomato via up-regulated phenylpropanoid metabolism and synthesis of protease inhibitors (PIs) in plant tissues, which may explain decreased egg laying and developmental performance exhibited by herbivores on EPN-inoculated plants. Furthermore, changes induced in the volatile organic compound (VOC)-related transcriptome indicated that M. javanica and/or S. carpocapsae inoculation of plants triggered both direct and indirect defenses. Our results support the hypothesis that plants 'mistake' subterranean EPNs for parasites, and these otherwise beneficial worms activate a battery of plant defenses associated with systemic acquired resistance (SAR) and/or induced systemic resistance (ISR) with concomitant antagonistic effects on temporally co-occurring subterranean plant pathogenic nematodes and terrestrial herbivores.

The South American tomato pinworm, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), has invaded most Afro-Eurasian countries and is threatening worldwide tomato production. Various strategies have been developed and implemented to manage this pest. Here, we present a timely review on the up-to-date development and practical implementation of integrated pest management (IPM) programs for tomato crops across different world regions infested by T. absoluta. While insecticide resistance is a growing concern, biological control via releasing or conserving arthropod natural enemies and sex pheromone-based biotechnical control are the most successful management practices. Agronomic control-related research is an emerging area where the soil fertilization and/or irrigation, as well as breeding of resistant cultivars, has the potential to enhance IPM effectiveness. Grower survey responses in the native areas (i.e., South America), early-invaded areas (i.e., first report between 2006 and 2012) and newly invaded areas (i.e., first report after 2012) showed that the control programs evolved along with the areas and time since invasion. Growers in the early-invaded areas shifted more rapidly from chemical control to biological control compared to those from the native area. In all concerned regions, the pest control failure risk following chemical insecticide applications and the high cost associated with either biological or biotechnical control methods have been the greatest concerns for growers. The information gathered from the native and/or early-invaded areas may help achieve a more effective management in newly invaded areas. Lastly, researchers are expected to break the bottlenecks of some key issues that would enable lowering application cost of novel biorational alternative management options.

In the present work, three-Dimensional stationary numerical simulations were accomplished for a deeper understanding of the gas mixtures separation by the thermogravitational column. To address the optimum condition and examine the limitation of the process, the thermogravitational column behavior has been thoroughly analyzed. First, the simulation model was validated by the experimental results of Youssef et al. then the model was developed for the pilot column. The mixture of helium-argon was chosen as feed composition. It was concluded that the variation of the separation factor in relation to pressure for both columns was almost the same. The optimum condition verified as p = 0.2 atm , θ = 0.4 , m ° = 4 SCCM $p=0.2\text{atm},\theta =0.4,m{}^{\circ}=4\hspace{0.17em}\text{SCCM}$ .

Stage cut control and simulation are the most important aspects in the optimum binary mixture or multi-component multiobjective cascades. Numerical investigation revealed that by controlling the cut of a separation cascade, defined as the ratio of the product rate to the feed rate, it is always possible to separate a multi-component mixture into two specified groups of components, a light group, and a heavy group, in just one separation run. In this paper, the equations related to the cut control are introduced and it is proposed that for controlling stage cuts, putting one valve in the product section of each stage is enough. By solving the set of non-linear equations related to the machine behavior, valve, and pressure drop in the pipelines and junctions, the valve setting for each stage can be obtained. In the end, some examples of an optimal cascade are studied and valve setting parameters are obtained.

Design of cascade based on operational functions of a single machine is an important goal in the isotope separation theory. By recognizing the behavior of gas in a centrifuge machine, a cascade with desirable properties and parameters can be designed. In the classical theory of multistage separation installation, it has been shown that in an ideal cascade (no mixing) the total number of separation elements flow is minimal, and accordingly, the maximum separation work unit (SWU) of the cascade occurs. In the practical form, the cut and separation factors may assume to be dependent on the feed flow. Using specific functional parameters, the algorithm, design the functional cascades (DFUNCAS), can design the functional symmetric and asymmetric cascades. DFUNCAS can design a cascade with stated waste and product concentration. Furthermore, the program can design symmetric and asymmetric cascades. In this work, four test cases were considered and the results show that the DFUNCAS can design any kind of cascade accurately.

A system-level model of a wireless power and data transmission system with a closed-loop epileptic seizure detector and suppressor device for low-power implantable applications is proposed using the MATLAB Simulink software. The proposed system transmits power and bidirectional data through a single inductive link with a monitoring unit, and records high-resolution intracranial-EEG (iEEG) signals by multiple electrode channels. The recording signals are processed in the analog domain and feed a digital signal processing block to extract five time-domain features to detect the seizure onsets, using datasets from Inselspital Bern. Subsequently, a current-mode multi-channel electrical stimulator is activated according to the seizure detection signal and delivers the electrical pulses to the brain. How to use System Simulink file can be opened in MATLAB Simulink and the whole system can be found. Or, the script of Controlled.m can be opened, the initial parameter should be given and after clicking on the Run button, the system-level modeling simulation results are shown in the separate figures. Publication These system-level models are used in the following conference paper: System-Level Modeling of a Safe Autonomous Closed-loop Epileptic Seizure Control Implant Funding source This project has been supported by the SNSF under project No.200020-18254

Inductive power transfer (IPT) is a developing technique for wireless power and data communication systems in the application of implanted medical devices (IMDs). Multiple implants are developed to cover large areas and satisfy the clinical requirements of distributed and long-term biological data acquisition or treatment. In this paper, an analysis of wirelessly-powered implants is proposed to efficiently provide the required power to send and receive data from multiple implants to the external unit. The concept of using different operation frequencies for each implant is also presented, while data transmission employs amplitude and load shift keying (ASK and LSK) for forward and backward telemetry, respectively. How to use MATLAB codes can be complied separately by simply clicking the RUN button.The simulation results are shown in separate figures. This research was done by Mr. Yuxuan Zhou in his master's thesis project in 2022. Publication These inductive link modelsare used in the following conference paper for multiple powering applications: Simultaneous Wireless Power and Data Transmission Through a Single Inductive Link For Multiple Implantable Medical Devices Funding source This project has been supported by theSNSFunder project No.200020-18254

This study developed an efficient evolutionary hybrid optimization technique based on chaotic sand cat optimization (CSCO) and pattern search (PS) for the evaluation of the minimum safety factor of earth slopes under static and earthquake loading conditions. To improve the sand cat optimization approach’s exploration ability, while also avoiding premature convergence, the chaotic sequence was implemented. The proposed hybrid algorithm (CSCPS) benefits from the effective global search ability of the chaotic sand cat optimization, as well as the powerful local search capability of the pattern search method. The suggested CSCPS algorithm’s efficiency was confirmed by using mathematical test functions, and its findings were compared with standard SCO, as well as some efficient optimization techniques. Then the CSCPS was applied for the calculation of the minimum safety factors of the earth slope exposed to both static and seismic loads, and the objective function was modeled based on the Morgenstern–Price limit equilibrium method, along with the pseudo-static approach. The CSCPS’s efficacy for the evaluation of the minimum safety factor of slopes was investigated by considering two case studies from the literature. The numerical experiments demonstrate that the new algorithm could generate better optimal solutions via calculating lower values of safety factors by up to 10% compared with some other methods in the literature. Furthermore, the results show that, through an increase in the acceleration coefficient to 0.1 and 0.2, the factor of safety decreased by 19% and 32%, respectively.

Soil as a shared habitat of white grubs and entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) is a double-edged sword from the biological control point of view. Soil encompasses a diverse array of EPNs that could be exploited in grub microbial control; on the other hand, soil promotes the natural resistance of grubs to EPNs via the battle between both sides within the soil matrix. White grubs and EPNs have been armed in this battle by a multifaceted range of mechanisms, namely grub structural and physiological barriers, antagonism of grub gut microbiota toward the nematode bacterial symbionts, EPN excreted/secreted proteins, surface coat proteins, ascaroside pheromones produced by EPNs, and evolution of EPN resistance to herbivore self-defense. From the evolutionary point of view, EPN–grub interactions, the most advanced (sophisticated) association among others, could have evolved from other types of associations. Entomophilic nematode (e.g., Pristionchus spp.), the cognate bacterium and scarab associations along with the formation of dauer juveniles, are proof of preadaptation to entomopathogeny in a continual evolution. Here, we delve into the salient features of each component of EPN-white grub–host plant tripartite interactions as well as hints to improved exploitation of EPNs for grub management. Also, evolutionary associations between nematodes and scarabs will be reviewed, in short.

This study deals with the fabrication of hollow fiber mixed matrix membrane, and evaluation its performance toward O2/N2 gas separation. Asymmetric mixed matrix PES membranes with embedded ZIF-8 nanoparticles as the dispersed phase were prepared by dry–wet-spinning method. The morphological, thermal, and chemical properties of spun fibers were characterized by FESEM, EDS mapping, TGA, and FTIR analysis. Effect of spinning parameters and dope composition including bore fluid/ dope flow rate ratio (0.5, 1, 2), bore fluid composition (Water/NMP: 100:0, 50:50, 75:25), polymer concentration (20%, 25%, 30%), and ZIF-8 concentration (0–40%wt at seven stages) were investigated on the morphology of hollow fiber MMMs. In addition, pure O2 and N2 gas permeation through the fibers was tested in order to figure out the effect of different ZIF-8 content embedded in hollow fiber MMMs on the ideal selectivity of O2/N2 separation. Results revealed that the maximum separation performance (ideal selectivity of 5.25) was attained at the ZIF-8 weight content of 10%. The improved performance of hollow fiber MMMs over O2/N2 gas separation could be related to increment in both sieving and solubility selectivity.

For the first time, the effect of calcination process on characteristics and catalytic performances of Pd supported on different MOFs (MIL-101(Cr), NH2-MIL-101(Cr), and HKUST-1) was evaluated. Besides, the various orders of calcination process and reduction one on Pd/MOF and Pd/calcinated-MOF were studied, and their performances in CO oxidation reaction were presented to find the effect of H2 and O2. Results showed that the effect of calcination and reduction processes on the catalytic activities and characteristics strongly depends on the nature of MOF. Among MIL-based catalysts, the catalyst with no calcination treatment showed the best activity. Among MNH2-based catalysts, high activity was obtained for Pd/MNH2, Pd/MNH2-C, and Pd/MNH2(RC) samples and Pd/calcinated-MNH2was the best. Catalytic activities of HKUST-1-based catalysts decreased with calcination due to high changes in their structures. The results are useful for predicting the performance of MOFs in oxidation processes, especially reactions in which high oxygen concentrations are involved.

Industry 5.0 combines automation/digitalization with human capabilities to create a more intuitive, interactive, and sustainable working environment. Additive manufacturing, widely known as 3D printing, is a key technology used to increase customization and efficiency and reduce waste in manufacturing. Industry 5.0 enables manufacturers to create environmentally sustainable and consumer-centric products. However, there is a lack of studies on the introduction of AM technologies to Industry 5.0. The present study investigates the use of additive manufacturing for the fabrication of metallic parts/assemblies and the correlation between human-centric technologies, additive manufacturing, and environmental sustainability. Effective communication between these components is the key to achieving the goals of Industry 5.0, and the important parameters are shown in this article. The present work is focused on an overview and the impact of the futuristic subdivision of additive manufacturing applied to the fabrication of metallic parts/assemblies, more specifically, the 3D printing of challenging alloys or composites (such as copper alloys and/or composites with hard particles).

Wireless power and data communication systems in implantable medical devices (IMDs) are developed to control and report acquired biological data from an implanted device to an external stage in several medical applications. Ultrasonic, capacitive, optical, radio frequency (RF), and inductive links are employed as a wireless power and data transmission technique. Inductive power transfer (IPT) is one of the most commonly used techniques due to its robustness, simplicity, safety, and capability of simultaneous and bidirectional data and power transmission. This paper presents a systematic review and survey of the latest inductive power and data transmission methods for IMDs. The fundamental principles of remote powering through inductive links, the critical parameters of design, and power transfer efficiency calculations are presented. Single and multiple inductive links, the advantages and drawbacks, optimization methods, and comparison by their performances are explored. In addition, modulation schemes, along with improvement techniques reported in the literature, the strengths and limitations, and the measured or the simulated data rate of each are also reviewed. A benchmarking table with summarized design features of systems, essential parameters for wireless powering and data communication, and categorized Figure-of-Merits (FoMs) to compare performances are also provided.

We studied the effect of Trichogramma brassicae Bezdenko (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) parasitism of Tuta absoluta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) eggs on the foraging behavior of Nabis pseudoferus Remane (Hemiptera: Nabidae) feeding on T. absoluta eggs of different ages. Older parasitized eggs (48–72 h old) were rejected after probing with the probosis. A separate experiment showed that probing did not harm developing parasitoids. Bugs greatly reduced their feeding times on older parasitized eggs and spent more time grooming and probing eggs and leaves. Predators exhibited a type III functional response to 24 h-old eggs, but a type II response to older eggs, whether parasitized or not. 24 h-old eggs suffered higher attack rates, and required less handling time than older eggs. Although the predatory efficiency of N. pseudoferus was reduced in the presence of parasitized eggs, the partial refuge enjoyed by T. brassicae in older eggs may permit an additive impact on the pest, and should facilitate the joint augmentation of both species against T. absoluta.

Selective membrane-based separation of light isotopes is considered to be possible based on the quantum phenomena. In this regard, the role of two mass-dependent effects, quantum tunneling and zero-point energy (ZPE), is realized to be consequential for selective separation of helium isotopes using appropriate membranes. In the present study, the efficiency of two analogous nanoporous membranes, graphenylene (GP) and inorganic graphenylene (IGP), for gas phase separation of 3He and 4He has been theoretically investigated. Since the performance of the studied membranes is extremely influenced by the close competition between both quantum tunneling and zero-point energy (ZPE) effects, high precision in the calculations is required to provide more realistic theoretical predictions. The current study attempts to provide such predictions by applying domain-based local pair natural orbital coupled cluster theory (DLPNO-CCSD) to obtain the accurate helium–pore interaction potential, based on which the tunneling rates, as well as the exact (anharmonic) bound levels for the vibration of helium in the pore plane, are calculated. From the analysis of the obtained results, the performance of the GP and IGP nanopores has been investigated in both kinetic competition and steady-state conditions in the temperature range of 10–200 K. The results of this study indicate that harmonic oscillator approximation significantly overestimates the efficiency of the studied nanopores for helium isotope separation. Based on our accurate calculations, both GP and IGP nanopores provide almost similar selectivities in kinetic competition conditions (Stot4/3 ≈ 3 at T = 50 K); however, the predicted permeance for GP (10−8 mol m−2 s−1 bar−1) is about 100 times higher than that predicted for IGP under the same conditions. Under steady-state conditions, IGP has been shown to be more efficient than GP, since it provides acceptable values of separation factor at higher temperatures.

Background: Given the rising rate of infertility, the prevalence of mental health disorders in infertile couples is undeniable. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy (IBCT) on infertility self-efficacy, dyadic adjustment, and sexual satisfaction in infertile couples. Methods: The present single-case experimental study used a multiple-baseline design. The statistical population of the study included all infertile couples referring to infertility centers in Ahvaz City, Iran, in 2019. The research instruments included the Infertility Self-Efficacy Scale (ISE), the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), and the Sexual Satisfaction Questionnaire (SSQ). Following a diagnostic interview, 3 couples were selected using the convenience sampling technique. Integrative behavioral couple therapy was conducted in twelve 120-minute sessions for the intervention group. The second couple entered the study in the second session of the first couple; the third couple enrolled the treatment plan in the third session of the first couple and the second session of the second couple. All questionnaires were completed in the first, third, sixth, eighth, and tenth sessions; the study participants were followed up and re-assessed two months later. The collected data were analyzed in SPSS using chart analysis, reliable change index, and significance statistics. Results: The provided IBCT increased infertility self-efficacy (39.04%), dyadic adjustment (25.91%), and sexual satisfaction (55.01%) in infertile couples. Besides, the improvement lasted throughout the follow-up which indicated the effectiveness of IBCT on infertility self-efficiency, dyadic adjustment, and sexual satisfaction in the study subjects. Conclusion: IBCT can be effective in improving personal and marital variables in infertile couples with infertility problems in addition to their marital problems.

Inductive power transfer (IPT) is a developing technique for wireless power and data communication systems in the application of implanted medical devices (IMDs). Multiple implants are developed to cover large areas and satisfy the clinical requirements of distributed and long-term biological data acquisition or treatment. In this paper, an analysis of wirelessly-powered implants is proposed to efficiently provide the required power to send and receive data from multiple implants to the external unit. The concept of using different operation frequencies for each implant is also presented, while data transmission employs amplitude and load shift keying (ASK and LSK) for forward and backward telemetry, respectively.

The synapse is the fundamental unit of communication in the nervous system. Determining how information is transferred across the synaptic interface is one of the most complex endeavors in neuroscience, owing to the large number of contributing factors and events. An approach to solving this problem involves collapsing across these complexities to derive concise mathematical formulas that fully capture the governing dynamics of synaptic transmission. We investigated the feasibility of deriving such a formula – an input-output transformation function for the CA3 to CA1 node of the hippocampus -- using the Volterra expansion technique for nonlinear system identification. The entirety of the field EPSP in the apical dendrites of mouse brain slices was described with >94% accuracy by a 2nd order equation that captured the linear and nonlinear influence of past inputs on current outputs. This function generalized to cases not included in its derivation and uncovered previously undetected timing rules. The basal dendrites expressed a substantially different transfer function and evidence was obtained that, unlike the apical system, a 3rd order system or higher will be needed for complete characterization. Collectively, these results describe a readily implemented and unusually sensitive means for evaluating the effects of pharmacological treatments and disease related conditions on synaptic dynamics. At scale, the approach will also provide information needed for the construction of biologically realistic models of brain networks.

Amine-functionalized MIL-101(Cr) has been synthesized by hydrothermal (MNH2) and post-synthetic modification (MNH2-p) approaches. Pd/MNH2 and Pd/MNH2-p have been tested in CO oxidation reaction as a gas phase reaction to clarify the difference between two synthesis approaches. Their performance has also been compared with that of Pd supported on MIL as a common MOF and CuBTC as a commercial one. The results show the significant difference between Pd/MNH2-p and Pd/MNH2, where CO conversion of 100% was not observed for Pd/MNH2-p, whereas Pd/MNH2 outperformed the others and exhibited the high reaction rate thanks to the active sites created by amorphization during the reduction process because of impressive effect of hydrogen on its structure. The effect of Space Velocity of Reduction Stream (SVr) has also been studied and the results show that the activity of Pd/CuBTC dramatically enhances at higher SVr and its activity further improves as a result of the formation of 8.9 nm CuO nanoparticles during the CO oxidation process.

The plant extracts were applied for synthesis of Ag-nanoparticles and expected such biological processes benefit from advantages like eco-friendly, cost-effective, and safe for human use. Accordingly, polyphenol compounds and antioxidant properties of this understudy plant extract was initially qualified and quantified by GC-Mass and subsequently its ability for silver nanoparticle (AgNP) biosynthesis was examined. Consequently, under study (ethanol) extract was exposed to various content of AgNO3 solution over 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10 and 15 mM for 24, 48, 72 and 96 h to search best operational conditions for AgNPs production, while sampling were done every 24 h monitoring initial absorption with UV–Vis spectroscopy. The peak with center at 460 nm emerged from surface plasmon resonance of AgNPs which is good indication of successful formation of AgNPs. The nanoparticles were characterized by DLS, SEM, TEM, XRD, and FTIR. Which reveal its spherical, shape and average diameter of 32 nm. Antioxidant activity tests showed that the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) in the C. tuberculata extract was 4.722 mg/ml. Antimicrobial activity of the AgNPs was tested by measurement of inhibition zone around discs modified with AgNPs in cultures of S. aureus, B. cereus, P. aeruginosa and E. coli.