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Consistent routing updates through Software-Defined Networking (SDN) can be difficult due to the asynchronous and distributed nature of the data plane. Recent studies have achieved consistent unicast routing updates. However, achieving consistent updates with drop-freeness and duplicate-freeness remains a challenge for multicast with fewer known results. This paper proposes a Novel Ordered Update Scheme called Nous, a novel approach that offers a comprehensive solution for consistently updating multicast routing based on SDN. To avoid duplicate entries, Nous configures the inport match field in the forwarding rules. Nous implements a dependency graph to schedule update operations dynamically. It also solves the Replace Operation Tree Migration Problem (ROTMP) using a greedy solution. To compare the greedy solution with the optimal solution, we employ the state-of-the-art mathematical programming solver Gurobi Optimizer 7.5 (for solving the optimization problem), Mininet 2.0, and Floodlight 1.2 (for simulation and comparison) to obtain a near-optimal solution. Simulation results show that using the greedy solution, Nous can usually achieve near-optimal solutions to the ROTMP with an average of fewer than 1.2 rounds and within 10 ms in different scenarios. This makes Nous the first ordered update scheme to guarantee two consistent states simultaneously.

Wetlands, essential for Earth’s health, ecological balance, and local economies, require accurate monitoring and assessment for effective conservation. Data-driven models based on remote sensing are highly capable of monitoring the status and classification of wetlands. This study developed a semi-supervised framework for mapping wetland covers in Zrebar, Iran, using Landsat time series data from 1984 to 2022. A pixel purification technique was applied to the temporal candidate images to refine the initial training data (conventional scenario) and generate purified training data (proposed scenario). The Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm was utilized to classify the land cover within the wetland, and the accuracy of the two scenarios was evaluated and compared. Over the study period, the analysis of land cover changes within Zrebar Wetland revealed significant spatial and temporal changes in soil and farmland, reed, and water from 1984 to 2022. The omission error rates for the classes soil and farmland, reed, and water were decreased from 0.14, 0.14, and 0.12 for scenario 1 to 0.03, 0.05, and 0.05 for scenario 2, respectively. In addition, the commission error for these classes decreased from 0.13, 0.18, and 0.09 for scenario 1 to 0.04, 0.06, and 0.04 after applying the filtered training data in the scenario 2. Finally, the overall accuracy of the initial training data (scenario 1) and the filtered training data (scenario 2) were 0.86 and 0.94, respectively. These results underscore the effectiveness of the proposed strategy in enhancing the accuracy of land cover classification within the wetland over time, highlighting its potential for future wetland conservation efforts.

Confined water has demonstrated distinct structural and dynamic properties compared to bulk water. Although many studies have explored the water structure within simple geometries using materials such as carbon and silica, studies on gas solubility in confined water and the underlying physics of water structure–solubility remain limited. Recent research has illuminated the concept of “oversolubility”, wherein gases display increased solubility within liquids confined in small pores compared to their bulk form. This study focuses on zeolites, naturally abundant materials with versatile applications, to study the hydrogen solubility within confined water through careful experimentation. Our findings underscore the relationship between the pore dimension and gas solubility enhancement within confined water. Hydrogen solubility is closely associated with the rearrangement of water molecules within the porous framework of the zeolite. Our research shows that a 2 nm pore size results in the greatest increase in hydrogen solubility in the water trapped inside the zeolite framework. The double donor–double acceptor (DDAA) bonds play a critical role in hydrogen solubility. Our research provides fundamental insight into the role of the molecular bonding type on hydrogen solubility in water, paving the way for potential applications in hydrogen storage and utilization.

Amniote integumentary appendages constitute a diverse group of micro-organs, including feathers, hair and scales. These structures typically develop as genetically controlled units1, the spatial patterning of which emerges from a self-organized chemical Turing system2,3with integrated mechanical feedback4,5. The seemingly purely mechanical patterning of polygonal crocodile head scales provides an exception to this paradigm6. However, the nature and origin of the mechanical stress field driving this patterning remain unclear. Here, using precise in ovo intravenous injections of epidermal growth factor protein, we generate Nile crocodile embryos with substantially convoluted head skin, as well as hatchlings with smaller polygonal head scales resembling those of caimans. We then use light-sheet fluorescence microscopy to quantify embryonic tissue-layer geometry, collagen architecture and the spatial distribution of proliferating cells. Using these data, we build a phenomenological three-dimensional mechanical growth model that recapitulates both normal and experimentally modified patterning of crocodile head scales. Our experiments and numerical simulations demonstrate that crocodile head scales self-organize through compressive folding, originating from near-homogeneous skin growth with differential stiffness of the dermis versus the epidermis. Our experiments and theoretical morphospace analyses indicate that variation in embryonic growth and material properties of skin layers provides a simple evolutionary mechanism that produces a diversity of head-scale patterns among crocodilian species.

Abstract: Acrylamide is a probable human carcinogen which could produce during food processing via Maillard reaction between asparagine and reducing sugars at elevated temperatures. In this study, microextraction technique was developed for the quantitative analysis of acrylamide in 24 types of roasted nuts and seeds including almond, pistachio, peanut and hazelnut and roasted seeds including sunflower, pumpkin and watermelon. Dispersive liquid liquid microextraction coupled to gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (DLLME–GC–MS) used for acrylamide determination in samples. Critical parameters in analysis step were studied and optimized using central composite design. The risk assessment estimation was done by Monte Carlo Simulation. The detection limit and quantitation limit of offered technique were calculated 0.6 and 2 µg/kg, respectively. The recovery percent for acrylamide in samples was higher than 95%. Relative standard deviation was obtained 8.9% (n = 6). The method was showed good linearity (R2= 0.998) in the range of 5–500 µg/kg. According to the results, acrylamide level in roasted nuts and seeds is variable between 33.36 and 250.90 µg/kg. The highest mean value of acrylamide was found in roasted almond at concentration 176.88 µg/kg and the lowest amount of acrylamide was detected in roasted hazelnuts at concentration 90.61 µg/kg. Divergences in acrylamide amounts in samples were attributed to differences in their composition, roasting time and temperature used in their manufacture. Our results showed that dietary acrylamide exposure through intake of roasted nuts and seeds, is relatively low and the risk of carcinogenicity is considerable. Graphic abstract:

The objective of the current study was to identify the authenticity of lime juice and its geographic origin using targeted approaches based on the AIJN guideline and machine learning. Iranian lime juice (Mexican and Persian), sampled from different regions of the country, was analyzed with chemical features for quality and authenticity. To improve the effectiveness of different machine learning techniques, the forward feature selection method was applied to evaluate the applicability of the chemical features in the classification of lime juice based on geographic region. The findings demonstrated that the samples complied with the AIJN standard in terms of the majority of these features, including density, brix, volatile acids, ethanol, HMF, volatile oils, heavy metals, acidity, citric acid, d-isocitric acid, formalin, glucose, fructose, sucrose, ash, NO3, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium, copper, zinc, and iron. However, sodium (34.6 ± 14.5 mg/l) and malic acid (5.7 ± 2.3 g/l) contents were higher, and sugar-free extract (68 ± 9.9 g/l) was lower than the limit defined by the AIJN. The feature selection method led to SVM with 90%, kNN with 94%, and RF and DT with 100% accuracy in identifying the geographic region of lime juice samples. In all supervised learning techniques except kNN, copper, zinc, and iron were the most vital features in the geographical classification of samples. This is the first time that the authenticity and geographical origin of Iranian lime juice have been well determined using conventional analysis methods and machine learning as an accessible and straightforward identification scheme instead of modern analysis methods.

With technologies that have democratized the production and reproduction of information, a significant portion of daily interacted posts in social media has been infected by rumors. Despite the extensive research on rumor detection and verification, so far, the problem of calculating the spread power of rumors has not been considered. To address this research gap, the present study seeks a model to calculate the Spread Power of Rumor (SPR) as the function of content-based features in two categories: False Rumor (FR) and True Rumor (TR). For this purpose, the theory of Allport and Postman will be adopted, which it claims that importance and ambiguity are the key variables in rumor-mongering and the power of rumor. Totally 42 content features in two categories “importance” (28 features) and “ambiguity” (14 features) are introduced to compute SPR. The proposed model is evaluated on two datasets, Twitter and Telegram. The results showed that (i) the spread power of False Rumor documents is rarely more than True Rumors. (ii) there is a significant difference between the SPR means of two groups False Rumor and True Rumor. (iii) SPR as a criterion can have a positive impact on distinguishing False Rumors and True Rumors.

Road infrastructures are fundamental parts of peoples’ lives, allowing them to access various destinations and activities. Accordingly, infrastructure should be in an appropriate condition. A pavement maintenance plan should be optimized, and pavement condition should be predicted accurately to obtain optimal pavement maintenance solutions. Therefore, the prediction of pavement conditions with high accuracy has been an immense concern. This study aims to introduce a new approach to accurately predict pavement international roughness index (IRI) over the long term. To this end, all the vital parameters, including initial IRI, pavement age, lane width, traffic loadings, structural characteristics, climatic features, and pavement distresses, are considered. With all the vital parameters, the prediction problem includes 58 variables. Thus, the application of a proper feature-selection technique is vital. To this end, a novel hybrid feature-selection method is introduced by a combination of arithmetic optimization algorithm and stochastic gradient descent regression (AOA-SGDR). Moreover, the performance of the proposed feature-selection method is compared with Lasso and all features. Five machine-learning algorithms, including random forest regression (RFR), support vector machine, multi-layer perceptron, decision-tree regression, and multiple linear regression, are employed for the prediction process. By employing AOA-SGDR, the average testing-data mean absolute error (MAE) reduces by at least 7.92%. Meanwhile, RFR provides the highest accuracy, with average testing-data MAE of 0.095 m/km. Moreover, analyzing the parameters indicates that initial IRI, pavement age, equivalent single axle load (ESAL), and structural number (SN) have the most significant relative influence on IRI.

The ongoing deterioration of the earth's natural resources and the increase in the use of chemical fertilizers pose serious concerns about the future of agriculture. Biofertilizers are increasingly being used as a substitute for synthetic fertilizers because they are perceived as being more sustainable. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on the growth, biochemical properties, and nutritional status of potato (Solanum tuberosumL.) minitubers. A pot experiment was conducted via inoculation of PGPR at five levels (Azotobacter chroococcumand Pseudomonas putidaat rates of 100 and 200 mL, and control) separately and in interaction with AMF at three levels (Funneliformis mosseae, Rhizophagus intraradices,and control) on potato plants. The factorial experiment was designed based on a completely randomized design with 15 treatments and five replicates. Co-inoculation of PGPR and AMF significantly improved plant growth and yield of potato minitubers. Accordingly, the interaction ofP. putidaat 100 mL and R. intraradicesled to increase minituber number (116%), minituber weight (181%), shoot dry weight (248%), root dry weight (120%), chlorophyll (Chl) content (57%), carotenoid content (10%), ascorbic acid (8%), proline (18%), total soluble solids (TSS, 49%), TSS to titration acidity (TA, 46%), phosphorus (72%), potassium (27%), zinc (24%), and Fe (17%) compared with the control. Heat map analysis indicated that minitubers weight, shoot dry weight, and TSS had the higher variation in potato tubers with AMF and PGPR inoculations, which can be identified as indicators for further investigations. The interaction of R. intraradicesand P. putidais effective in improving minituber yield of potato plants, which can be beneficial for producers.

This experimental study examines the impacts of two macro synthetic fiber additives (i.e., polypropylene and polyolefin) on laboratory characteristics of roller compacted concrete pavement (RCCP). The mixtures were made at different dosages of 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0 kg/m3. The compressive, splitting tensile, and flexural strengths of RCCP mixtures were determined at 7, 14, and 28 days. Evidently, the test results disclosed adding 2.0 and 3.0 kg/m3fiber additives could improve the compressive strength of modified specimens although adding 4.0 kg/m3lowered the compressive strength. In the meantime, the tensile and flexural strengths of RCCP mixtures were considerably improved due to fiber additives, especially at later ages. It is worth mentioning that specimens with polypropylene fiber could manifest higher tensile and flexural strengths compared to polyolefin fiber and any further increase up to 4.0 kg/m3fiber additives reduced the strength of mixtures over time. Regardless of the fiber type, the toughness of mixtures containing 3.0 kg/m3fibers outperformed plain concrete for enduring flexural loads. Noteworthy, the Vebe test outcomes revealed that adding synthetic fibers could increase the Vebe time significantly. Finally, the relationships between the splitting tensile strength, flexural strength, and compressive strength were obtained as fr=0.60fc′,and ft=0.41fc′,respectively.

A controller needs to solve the multi-commodity flow problem and globally update the network under tight time constraints to maintain optimal network configurations. This centralized optimization in data centers involves many variables and constraints, which has a slow convergence speed and little scalability. In this paper, we propose MiFi, which aims to Minimize Flow cost or intuitively average transmission delay (delay or latency of flows), under reconfiguration budget constraints in data centers. Thus, we formulate this optimization problem as a constrained Markov Decision Process and propose a set of algorithms to solve it in a scalable manner. We first develop a propagation algorithm to identify the flows mostly affected in terms of latency and configuration in the next update. Then, we set a limitation range (the subset of switches requiring network updates) for updating them to improve adaptability and scalability by updating a less number of flows each time to achieve fast operations. Further, based on the Drift-Plus-Penalty method in Lyapunov theory, we propose a heuristic policy without prior information of flow demand and a renewal policy with a performance guarantee to minimize the additive optimality gap. To the best of our knowledge, MiFi is the first paper that studies the range and frequency of flow reconfigurations, which has both theoretical and practical significance in the area. Emulations and numerical simulations, which are much better than the estimated theoretical bound, show that MiFi outperforms the state of the art algorithms in terms of latency by over 45% while making improvements in adaptability and scalability.

Rupelian planktic foraminifera were studied from outcrop sections in the Zagros Basin near Khamir and Gachestan (Pabdeh Formation, S Iran). The study area is situated in the hinterland of Bandar Abbas and comprises mainly Eocene and Oligocene deposits. We have identified 40 species of planktic taxa that belong to 15 genera of the families Globigerinidae, Globigerinitidae and Chiloguembelinidae. Their biostratigraphic ranges cover a total of five planktic foraminiferal biozones (E16 to O3) and provide a baseline for correlation. The planktic foraminiferal assemblages comprise a suite of surface-, intermediate- and deep-dwelling taxa, and a comparison of their abundances shows them to correlate with global eustatic sea-level curves.

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are green solvents that have been considered as promising alternatives to conventional volatile organic solvents. In this work, we employed molecular dynamics simulations to examine the effect of external electric fields (EEFs) on the structural and transport properties of DESs comprising a 2:1 molar ratio of glycerol (Gly) and choline chloride (ChCl). Our calculated physicochemical properties such as viscosity, self-diffusion coefficient, isothermal compressibility, and density of DESs in the absence of EEFs are consistent with the reported experimental data. We calculate the radial distribution function (RDF), coordination number, and the number of hydrogen bonds to study the arrangement of DES species under EEFs with more details at the microscopic level. Furthermore, we obtain the EEF effects on the mean-square-displacement (MSD), self-diffusion coefficient, isothermal compressibility, ionic transference numbers, and viscosity. Our study shows that there is no discernible difference in the position of the first maximum peak of RDFs following EEF application. In addition, applying the EEF leads to an increase and a decrease in the self-diffusion coefficient of DES species and viscosity, respectively, compared to those in DES with no EEF. We find that the movement’s correlation of Gly and Cl reduces with the increasing strength of EEF. We believe that our findings could increase our knowledge in the application of DESs in the designing of novel green solvents.

The role of branding the sports performance of Iranian professional football League players was investigated by adopting a survey-based research strategy. Players with a history of competing in the Iranian Football League made up the statistical population for the study. 200 players were selected from this population as the study sample. The questionnaire data obtained were analyzed using IBM®SPSS® Amos TM 23 software. The validity and reliability of the questionnaires were acceptable and a good fit. The results showed that the structural equation model used is a strong theoretical model for studying the branding of Iranian League players, and that such branding has a significant positive effect on sports performance. Therefore, sports clubs need to understand the power of branding players to increase their athletic performance in sports expertise, competitive style and fair play. On the other hand, the most important aspect of branding is branding the whole club, rather than each product or player, since each individual product can benefit from the income belonging to the brand family of the club or organization. It is suggested that professional and strategic methods can help players and motivate them to acquire the necessary skills to grow branding.

Personality detection is an old topic in psychology and automatic personality prediction (or perception) (APP) is the automated (computationally) forecasting of the personality on different types of human generated/exchanged contents (such as text, speech, image, and video). The principal objective of this study is to offer a shallow (overall) review of natural language processing approaches on APP since 2010. With the advent of deep learning and following it transfer-learning and pre-trained model in NLP, APP research area has been a hot topic, so in this review, methods are categorized into three: pre-trained independent, pre-trained model based, and multimodal approaches. In addition, to achieve a comprehensive comparison, reported results are informed by datasets.

Recently, cost-effective and rapid analysis of carbendazim, in surface, drinking and ground water has attracted a huge deal of interest. Nevertheless, for given applications, the use of present biological receptor-based sensing approaches is limited based on the costs and stability. Hence, the best alternatives are the cost-effective and robust imprinted polymeric receptors. The current study deals with synthesizing MIPs (molecularly imprinted polymers) for carbendazim utilizing methacrylic acid in chloroform as a porogen. The MIP’s binding affinity with carbendazim was assessed in aqueous media. Superior imprinting features for carbendazim were found by MIPs synthesized in chloroform. Imprinted polymers were prepared using bulk polymerization, by mixing MAA as a functional monomer, carbendazim as a template, EGDMA as a cross-linker and AIBN as a initiator were dissolved in chloroform. Here, it was demonstrated carbendazim MIPs merged into a CP (carbon paste) electrode as a MIP-CP sensor platforms to detect the carbendazim. By this simple sensor format, precise determining of carbendazim is allowed utilizing an electrochemical method. We have achieved a detection limit of 3.1 × 10−8mol L−1for this compound in linear range of 0.1–100 μM. By the simple procedure, low production cost, and easy preparation, the MIP sensor becomes attractive for sensitive and selective detection of analytes, even in less-armed laboratories with nominal training.

Continuum‐scale models used to model and predict two‐phase flow in the subsurface are often based on averaged flow parameters and do not consider pore‐scale fluid flow phenomena, for example, ganglion dynamics and thin‐film flow. As such, a major challenge in upscaling two‐phase flow for groundwater engineering applications is understanding the impact of disconnected flow and ganglion dynamics on continuum‐scale flow functions such as relative permeability‐saturation and capillary pressure‐saturation curves. In this study, we explored how changes in wettability and fluid velocity affect ganglion dynamics. We conducted pore‐scale numerical simulations with OpenFOAM to investigate the displacement of decane by water. Additionally, we examined how displaced phase saturation (a continuum‐scale flow function) responds to changes in dynamic fluid connectivity. We identified three different fluid flow regimes, that is, the connected pathway flow regime, ganglion dynamics (GD) flow regime, and droplet traffic flow regime, and studied the effects of changes in the wettability of the porous medium and the velocity of the invading fluid on the transitions between these different regimes. Our research showed that transitions between connected and disconnected pore‐scale flow regimes, which are induced by changes in fluid velocity and wettability, have a significant impact on both fluid displacement efficiency and average fluid flow transport kinetics. The transport and confinement of hydrocarbons, organic pollutants or carbon dioxide (CO2) within rock pores is a complicated process that occurs on a minuscule scale and is crucial to groundwater engineering activities. The interplay of intricate fluid dynamics and alterations in rock and fluid characteristics at the microscopic level can have a considerable influence on continuum‐scale flow properties. Continuum‐scale models used to predict fluid flow in the subsurface are usually based on averaged flow parameters and do not account for the physics that occur at the pore scale. This often leads to disparities between the flow predictions made at the pore scale and at the field scale. A long‐standing challenge in scaling up flow from the pore scale to the continuum scale lies in addressing the impact of disconnected fluid ganglia and ganglion dynamics on overall flow transport kinetics. This work aims to bridge this gap between the pore and continuum scales. We investigate the behavioral response of the saturation function (a continuum‐scale function) to wettability and flow rate‐induced changes in dynamic fluid connectivity. Changes in wettability and fluid flow rate induce transitions between connected and disconnected pore‐scale flow regimesTransitions between pore‐scale flow regimes have significant effects on the saturation function and flow transport kineticsThe Lomeland, Ebeltoft, and Thomas (L‐E‐T) relative permeability model can capture the effects of pore‐scale changes in fluid connectivity Changes in wettability and fluid flow rate induce transitions between connected and disconnected pore‐scale flow regimes Transitions between pore‐scale flow regimes have significant effects on the saturation function and flow transport kinetics The Lomeland, Ebeltoft, and Thomas (L‐E‐T) relative permeability model can capture the effects of pore‐scale changes in fluid connectivity

Common therapy of cancer, such as chemotherapy, has various side effects for the patients. In recent studies, new therapeutic approaches in cancer treatment are adjuvant therapy, along with a reduction in side effects of chemotherapy drugs. Treatment by herbal medicines may have some advantages over treatment with single purified chemicals, also in terms of side effects, the use of plants in cancer treatment is a more secure method. Citrus fruits are one of the most consumed natural products in the world due to the presence of various metabolites and bioactive compounds, such as phenols, flavonoids and, carotenoids. Bioactive compounds of citrus modulate signaling pathways and interact with signaling molecules such as apoptotic and cell cycle (P53, P21, etc.) and thus have a wide range of pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and oxidative stress. The findings discussed in this review strongly support their potential as anti-cancer agents. Therefore, the purpose of this review was to examine the effects of active compounds in citrus as a therapy agent in cancer treatment.

The Lar Formation at the Marghsoo section in the central Alborz Mountains provides an opportunity to characterize porosity related to dissolution by meteoric and hydrothermal water and its link to a newly developed sequence stratigraphic framework. Eight microfacies make up the systems tracts of the Lar Formation. The vertical and horizontal stacking geometries of the microfacies is related to the depositional facies of a ramp depositional system. The vertical stacking of inherent porosity and late fracture porosity is related to the stacking patterns of microfacies within the systems tracts, which make up six depositional sequences (DS1-6). In addition, four types of secondary porosity were identified, namely vuggy, intercrystalline, fracture, and solution-enlarged fracture porosity. Vuggy and intercrystalline porosities are controlled by changes in relative sea-level and rock composition. These porosities are present at the sequence boundaries and top of the late highstand systems tracts (HST) capping DS1-5. This, however, is not the case for DS6, which comprises only a transgressive system tract (TST). The characteristics and intensity of fracture porosity and solution-enlarged fracture porosity of each microfacies are to a large extent controlled by its mechanical properties, i.e. the mechanical stratigraphy. Typically, the microfacies composing the HSTs are brittle and therefore fractured when affected by tectonic stress. In contrast the more ductile and unfractured microfacies composing the TSTs do not display a clear relationship to tectonic stress. Thus fracture porosity within the microfacies composing the HSTs is common and within the TSTs it is uncommon. Finally, the upward migration of hydrothermal fluids along normal faults and fractures also led to the production of saddle and ferroan dolomite and the formation of vertical conduits.

In this study, low-temperature CO2decomposition to CO was investigated experimentally through a dielectric-barrier discharge plasma reactor with the main objective of improving CO2conversion and energy efficiency without using a catalyst. In this regard, the effects of key operating parameters including input power, total flow rate, and CO2volume fraction were evaluated to find the best operating conditions. In contrast with the strategy of experimentation in previous studies at which every parameter has to be analyzed individually while others are kept constant, in this study, all combinations of the operating parameters were included and tested experimentally. There was a direct correlation between power and conversion, but this was less noticeable for higher powers. Thus, the highest conversion of 12.2% could be obtained at a power, CO2fraction, and total flow of 30 W, 5%, and 400 mL/min, respectively. It was also observed that the maximum obtained energy efficiencies were related to the higher total flows and higher CO2volume fractions; thus, the best energy efficiency was around 7% for a total flow of 400 mL/min and CO2volume fraction of 25%. Besides, precise predicting correlations indicating the degree of sensitivity of conversion and energy efficiency toward variation of each parameter were developed based on full factorial experimental design. Analysis of variance demonstrated an excellent agreement between the experimental data and the proposed models. The strategy of experimentation that we adopted in this study gave us a new insight into the effects of operating parameters on the cold CO2decomposition process relative to previous studies.

In this investigation, the in vivo efficacy and safety of biogenic selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) are assessed against acute toxoplasmosis caused by Toxoplasma gondii(Sarcocystidae) in the mice.

The steroid hormones, including brassinosteroids, regulate plant growth under stress. It is hypothesized that 24-epibrassinosteroids (24-EBR) can affect safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) biochemical properties, crop yield, and oil content under drought stress. The objective of our study was to determine the response of three safflower genotypes (Goldasht, Faraman, and Sina) to exogenous 24-EBR (0 and 10–7M) under drought stress, including 85, 65, and 45% of field capacity in 2015. Stress decreased chlorophyll-a, chlorophyll-b, total chlorophyll, carotenoid, relative water content (RWC), seed yield, and oil percentage. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), and proline contents increased in response to either drought stress or 24-EBR. Genotypes behaved significantly different under stress. 24-EBR significantly increased plant chlorophyll contents and oil percentage, and it significantly reduced the malondialdehyde (MDA) content via increasing the proline and carotenoid contents under stress. 24-EBR can increase safflower oil and seed yield under drought stress.

Because water resources for irrigation are limited worldwide, it is essential to embrace proper water-saving practices. Field studies were laid out as a factorial split experiment in a randomized complete block design with three replications in 2015 and 2016 to determine the effect of wheat straw mulch (0 and 7.5 tons ha−1) under different irrigation treatments (100%, 80%, 60%, and 40% of the required water) on the physiological characteristics, grain yield, and oil content of sesame (Sesamum indicumL.) genotypes (Borazjan 2, Halil, and Jiroft). Seed yield, 1000-seed weight, seed number, and capsule number were decreased by 64%, 65%, 60%, 70%, and 66%, respectively, as a result of increments in water deficit (from 100 to 40%). However, the application of 7.5 tons ha−1of mulch mitigated the negative effect of water stress as said factors decreased only by 42%, 40%, 46%, 44%, and 45% as a result of increments in water deficit (from 100 to 40%). Catalase activity (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, proline content, and water use efficiency (WUE) increased with increases in water deficiency, while relative water content (RWC), photosynthetic pigment, and leaf area index (LAI) decreased as water stress rose from 100 to 40%. Applying 7.5 tons ha−1of straw mulch in 60% available water can be considered a promising management strategy due to both reduction in irrigation water requirements and improvement of low-yield sesame fields in water-deficient areas.

Background: Targeting Cancer Stem-Like Cells (CSLCs) can provide promising new therapeutic strategies to inhibit cancer progression, metastasis and recurrence. Salinomycin (Sal), an antibacterial ionophore, has been shown to inhibit CSCs specifically. Recently, it has been reported that Sal can destabilize TAZ, the hypo pathway transducer in CSLCs. Objectives: Here, in the current study, we aimed to assess the differential toxicity of Sal in esophageal CSLCs and its relation to TAZ gene expression. Methods: The esophageal cancer cell line, KYSE-30, was used for the enrichment of CSLCs. The expression of TAZ was knocked down using specific siRNA transfection and then the cytotoxicity of Sal was measured using XTT assay. The qRT-PCR method was used for gene expression assessment and the sphere formation ability was monitored using light microscopy. Results: Our findings showed that esophageal CSLCs over-express stemness-associated genes, including SOX2, OCT4 as well as TAZ (~14 fold, P value=0.02) transcription coactivator. We found Sal can selectively inhibit KYSE-30 CSLCs viability and sphere formation ability; however, TAZ knockdown does not change its differential toxicity. Conclusion: Overall, our results indicated that Sal can selectively decrease the viability of esophageal CSLCs in a TAZ-independent manner.

Background: The present work aimed to evaluate the chemical composition of Curcuma zadoaria essential oil and to investigate its efficacy and safety against hydatid cyst protoscoleces. Methods: Collected protoscoleces from liver fertile hydatid cysts of infected sheep were exposed to different concentrations of the essential oil (75, 150, 300 μl/mL) for 5-30 min in vitro and ex vivo. Then, by using the eosin exclusion assay, the viability of protoscoleces was studied. In the next step, 24 male NMRI mice were examined to assess the toxicity of C. zadoaria essential oil by measuring the biochemical and hematological parameters. Results: Based on the obtained results, the LD50 value of intraperitoneal injection of the C. zadoaria essential oil was 1.76 mL/kg of body weight and the maximum non-fatal dose was 0.96 mL/kg of body weight. C. zadoaria essential oil had a strong proto scolicidal activity in vitro so that at the 300 and 150 μl/ml entirely eliminates the parasite after 5 and 10 minutes; whereas, weak proto scolicidal activity was observed at lower doses. Ex vivo assay, no similar effect with in vitro was observed, therefore, more time is required to show a potent proto scolicidal activity. C. zadoaria essential oil at the concentrations of 300 and 150 μl/mL after an exposure time of 7 and 12 min, killed 100% of protoscoleces within the hydatid cyst, respectively. After intraperitoneal injection of the C. zadoaria essential oil for 2 weeks, no significant difference (p > 0.05) was observed in the clinical chemistry and hematologic parameters at the doses of 0.15, 0.3, 0.6 mL/kg. Conclusion: The obtained results in vitro and ex vivo exhibited that C. zadoaria essential oil had a favorable proto scolicidal activity on hydatid cyst protoscoleces. However, more supplementary works are required to verify these findings by assessing clinical subjects.

Introduction: Various operational research (OR) techniques have been used in different areas of healthcare. One of the areas in which OR techniques can be effective is the medical records department (MRD). The aim of this study is to review the applications of OR in the management of MRD and its related processes.Methods: This is a review article. In order to collect data, English-language studies published between 2000 and 2018, related to the use of OR techniques in MRD, in the Medline, Science Direct, ProQuest and Web of science databases were investigated. From 1165 retrieved studies, 19 articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final review.Results: The results showed that different OR techniques such as linear programming, integer programming, simulation, hierarchical analysis process, etc. have been used in various aspects of the MRD and its ongoing processes such as improving efficiency, workload management, resource allocation, optimal scheduling of staff work hours, patient scheduling, patient admission and discharge.Conclusion: It can be concluded that if the managers and experts of MRD and health information management become familiar with the principles and techniques of OR and become aware of the importance of these techniques in improving efficiency of MRD, there is a hope that in the future these techniques will find their true place in MRD and ultimately enhance the quality of services provided to patients.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the antinociceptive effect of biosynthetic copper nanoparticles from aqueous extract of Capparis spinosafruit.

A simple and efficient one-pot process for the synthesis of 1,8-dioxo-octahydroxanthene and 2,2′-arylmethylene bis(3-hydroxy-5,5-dimethyl-2-cyclohexene-1-one) derivatives via the Knoevenagel–Michael cascade reactions of aromatic aldehydes and dimedone catalyzed by Bronsted acidic ionic liquids (BAILs) in solvent-free and aqueous conditions is described in this study. These heterocycles were prepared in the presence of Bronsted acidic ionic liquids as a suitable, economical, readily synthesized and eco-friendly catalyst. This method offers several advantages such as high yields, simplicity of the workup, low cost, short reaction times, green conditions and use of a reusable catalyst.

Background: Studies showed that biogenic selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) have a number of pharmacological properties, such as antimicrobial ones.Objective: The present investigation assesses the efficacy of biogenic selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) as a new patent against latent toxoplasmosis in a mice model.Methods: Male BALB/c mice were orally treated with SeNPs at the doses of 2.5, 5, 10 mg/kg once a day for 14 days. On the 15th day, the mice were infected with the intraperitoneal inoculation of 20-25 tissue cysts from the Tehran strain of Toxoplasma gondii. The mean numbers of brain tissue cysts and the mRNA levels of TNF-α, IL-12, IL-10, IFN-γ, and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in mice of each tested group were measured. Moreover, serum clinical chemistry factors in treated mice were examined to determine the safety of SeNPs.Results: The mean number of the brain tissue cysts was significantly (P<0.001) decreased in mice treated with SeNPs at doses 2.5 (n=37), 5 (n=11), and 10 mg/kg (n=3) based on a dose dependent manner compared with the control group (n=587). The mRNA levels of IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-12, and iNO were significantly increased in mice treated with SeNPs at the doses 10 mg/kg compared with control subgroups (p<0.05). No significant variation (p>0.05) was observed in the clinical chemistry parameters among the mice in the control subgroups compared with groups treated with SeNPs.Conclusion: The results of the present study showed a new patent in the treatment of toxoplasmosis; so that taking the biogenic selenium nanoparticles in concentrations of 2.5-10 mg/kg for 2 weeks was able to prevent severe symptoms of the toxoplasmosis in a mice model. This indicated the prophylactic effects of SeNPs with no considerable toxicity against latent toxoplasmosis. However, more studies are required to elucidate the correct anti-Toxoplasma mechanisms of SeNPs.

Background: The advent of resistance-associated mutations in HIV-1 is a barrier to the success of the ARTs. Objective: In this study, the abundance of HIV-1 infection in Iranian children, and also detection of the TDR in naïve HIV-1 infected pediatric (under 12 years old) were evaluated. Materials: From June 2014 to January 2019, a total of 544 consecutive treatment-naïve HIV-1- infected individuals enrolled in this study. After RNA extraction, amplification, and sequencing of the HIV-1 pol gene, the DRM and phylogenetic analysis were successfully performed on the plasma specimens of the ART-naïve HIV-1-infected-children under 12 years old. The DRMs were recognized using the Stanford HIV Drug Resistance Database. Results: Out of the 544 evaluated treatment-naïve HIV-1-infected individuals, 15 (2.8%) cases were children under 12 years old. The phylogenetic analyses of the amplified region of pol gene indicated that all of the 15 HIV-1-infected pediatric patients were infected by CRF35_AD, and a total of 13.3% (2/15) of these children were infected with HIV-1 variants with SDRMs (one child harbored two related SDRMs [D67N, V179F], and another child had three related SDRMs [M184V, T215F, and K103N]), according to the last algorithm of the WHO. No PIs-related SDRMs were observed in HIV-1-infected children. Conclusion: The current study demonstrated that a total of 13.3% of treatment-naïve HIV-1-infected Iranian pediatrics (under 12 years old) were infected with HIV-1 variants with SDRMs. Therefore, it seems that screening to recognize resistance-associated mutations before the initiation of ARTs among Iranian children is essential for favorable medication efficacy and dependable prognosis.