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The precise control of the laser beam intensity distribution facilitates the optimization of laser processing performance. This not only presents opportunities for enhancing the process efficiency but also proves advantageous in scenarios where the same laser power level is employed, surpassing traditional methods. This study introduces a novel approach by dynamically modulating the laser beam profile to achieve a non-symmetrical intensity distribution. A detailed investigation into the laser cutting process using modulated beam intensities is conducted by employing a high-speed imaging system. Moreover, the maximum cutting speed, cut edge quality, and cut kerf geometries are evaluated when different strategies are applied. The results demonstrate a noticeable improvement in the cut edge quality compared to a static beam strategy (SBS) and the recently developed conventional dynamic beam shaping (DBS). In addition to laser cutting, examples of such modulation in laser welding and hardening are proposed. This innovative technique offers promising advancements in the field of laser processing.

Coastal aquifers undergo multifaceted influences affecting their water quality. Among these factors are climate change, excessive exploitation, and agricultural practices, leading to escalated salinity due to both seawater intrusion and pollution. The primary aim of this study is to identify the principal vulnerabilities within the aquifer by executing a sensitivity analysis of the model. This analysis involves the adjustment of various model parameters—like hydraulic conductivity, specific drainage coefficients, recharge rates, layer thickness, well extraction rates, as well as boundary locations and types—to evaluate their impact on the model’s outcomes. Typically, sensitivity analysis involves altering one input parameter independently. Notably, a substantial alteration in the model’s output resulting from a change in a specific input parameter signifies the model’s sensitivity to that parameter. Our investigation focused on the model’s sensitivity to alterations in surface recharge, hydraulic conductivity, and specific drainage coefficients. The findings of the sensitivity analysis emphasized that the model is more responsive to increased recharge than to reduced recharge. For instance, a 10% decrease in recharge caused a root-mean-square error (RMSE) of 0.770 m, while a 20% decrease resulted in an RMSE of 0.732 m. Conversely, a 10% and 20% increase in recharge led to RMSE values of 0.806 and 0.850, respectively. The southern segments of the aquifer, where groundwater fronts are situated, exhibit higher hydraulic conductivity due to coarser soil particles and greater permeability. Upon assessing this parameter’s sensitivity, it was noted that a 20% decrease in hydraulic conductivity led to an RMSE of 0.833, while a 20% increase produced an RMSE of 0.769. Additionally, a sensitivity analysis on specific drainage coefficients and well extraction rates revealed that while the model is not notably sensitive to specific drainage coefficients, an increase in extraction rates led to a decrease in the model’s error rate. Therefore, within the sensitivity analysis of this aquifer, the recharge rate and well extraction rate emerge as the most influential parameters.

A considerable amount of interest exists in characterizing the nature of carbon black binding to the polymer and associated properties. Even though the existence of different degrees of reinforcement with [...]

The study of rubber-metal bonding in the molding process is subject to continual review due to its vast variety of applications in the medical, consumer products, printing, automotive and aerospace [...]

A significant improvement in laser cutting productivity and quality can be achieved using dynamic beam shaping (DBS). However, the broad potential of improving the cutting performance of thick plates by employing DBS has not been fully explored. This paper uses an extensive experimental campaign to evaluate laser cutting results using DBS for different industrially relevant materials and thicknesses. Moreover, optimum amplitude and frequency for different material-thickness combinations regarding maximum achievable cutting speed are investigated. In addition, the effects of changing DBS parameters on dross, roughness, heat-affected zone, and kerf area are explored and correlated to the material removal mechanism. Finally, the laser cutting performance using DBS is compared with static beam cutting applied on higher laser powers. The results demonstrate that the performance of a 4 kW laser cutting machine reinforced by DBS is higher than a 6 kW laser cutting machine with a static beam strategy (SBS) when cutting thick plates.

The vulcanization process is a thermally induced crosslinking step which imparts strength, resistance to flow and elasticity to the cured rubber. Ever since Goodyear's first vulcanization experiment in heating natural [...]

Tissue engineering is an interdisciplinary approach that utilizes cells, scaffolds, and biofactors to develop biosynthetic bone scaffolds for bone regeneration applications. These scaffolds are three-dimensional porous structures with specific mechanical and biological properties that facilitate the attachment and proliferation of osteoinductive cells on their surfaces. In this study, bone scaffolds were 3D-printed using PLA material, and a variety of three-dimensional porous structures, including Kelvin, Octet truss, and Gibson Ashby, were employed. To improve the biological properties of the scaffolds, they were coated with alginate/hydroxyapatite using the Freeze-drying method. The Alginate/HA RVEs were analyzed under periodic boundary conditions, and the elastic modulus was found to improve from 100 MPa (pure alginate) to 149 MPa by adding 30 wt% HA particles. The mechanical properties of the scaffolds were investigated under compressive deformation using experiments and finite element simulations. The results show that the compressive strength of structures follows the order σOctettruss > σGibsonashby > σKelvin. The Freeze-drying process causes pore formation on the scaffold surface. According to the microstructural analysis, the pore size was observed for composite scaffolds approximately at 320–340 μm. After 21-day, most parts of the scaffold surface were coated by the apatite layer completely, and the surface of the pores was blocked by the apatite layer. To characterize cell viability, an MTT assay was used. The scaffolds expose high cell viability around 97% and did not show any significant toxicity.

Evaporation is one of the key factors in the hydrological cycle, and it is one of the most critical parameters in hydrological, agricultural, and meteorological studies, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. By estimating evaporation, it is possible to make a significant contribution to studies related to water balance, management and design of irrigation systems, estimation of crop amount, and management of water resources. In this regard, in the present study, using artificial neural network (ANN) and its hybrid algorithms including Harris Hawks Optimization (HHO), Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA), and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), the daily evaporation value from the reservoir of Qaleh Chay Ajab Shir dam was estimated. For this purpose, the effective parameters in the evaporation process were introduced to each of the models in the form of different input patterns, and the evaporation value from the reservoir was also considered as output parameter. The results showed that the best selected model for ANN is the P3 model including three parameters of minimum air temperature, and daily evaporation data with NASH of 0.89, RMSE of 1.5 mm/day, and MAE of 1.1 mm/day, which was optimized by applying hybrid algorithms to train the neural network. The results disclosed that all three models had a good performance in estimating the daily evaporation value, so that the value of the correlation coefficient for all three models is in the range of 0.95–0.99. Based on evaluation criteria, ANN–HHO has better performance than the two other algorithms in estimating daily evaporation value. The values of NASH, RMSE and MAE for the selected pattern of the test data are 0.943, 0.908 and 0.736 mm/day, respectively. For better analysis, Taylor diagram is used (RMSD = 0.98, CC = 0.97, STD = 4 for ANN–HHO). The results of this diagram also showed that the ANN–HHO model provides acceptable performance when compared with other models. Considering the promising results of the models in predicting the daily evaporation from dam, it is suggested to use the existing approach for landscaping the groundwater balance and design of irrigation systems.

Early substance use initiation (SUI) places youth at substantially higher risk for later substance use disorders. Furthermore, adolescence is a critical period for the maturation of brain networks, the pace and magnitude of which are susceptible to environmental influences and may shape risk for SUI.

The main goal in cluster analysis is finding groups that naturally exist in any given data. Conceptually, observations are generated from a Probability Density Function (PDF). The number of clusters, their shapes, sizes, and densities is dictated by the PDF from which the data are sampled, i.e., level sets of the PDF play a fundamental role in cluster analysis. In this article, a novel cluster analysis algorithm called Level Set Analysis (LSA) is proposed which is based on the theory of the geometry of PDF level sets. LSA presents a unique style of data visualization which labels data points either as distinct clusters or outliers. In LSA, a non-parametric model is trained on data that tries to replicate the PDF. It provides a tool in both exploratory and predictive data mining.

* The field of intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs) has successfully delivered techniques and applications to provide personalized coaching and feedback for problem solving in a variety of domains. The core of this personalized instruction is a student model: the ITS component in charge of assessing student traits and states relevant to tailor the tutorial interaction to specific student needs during problem solving. There are however, other educational activities that can help learners acquire tire target skills and abilities at different stages of learning including, among others, exploring interactive simulations and playing educational games. This article describes research on creating student models that support personalization for these novel types of interactions, their unique challenges, and how AI and machine learning can help., One of the main challenges in devising agents that can act intelligently is to endow them with the ability to understand the behaviors of other agents (human or artificial) in [...]

Elastomers are used in industry primarily because of their remarkable durability, which is in part due to the molecular orientation and ciystallization of these macromolecules. In the adhesive and rubber [...]

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we live in many ways, exemplified most notably, perhaps, by the advent of remote working and the meteoric rise of online shopping. However, [...]

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This article describes how the assessment of semantic similarities between word pairs is an important component of understanding text which enables processing, classifying and structuring of textual resources. For this purpose, an ontology is a powerful technique when applied to compute similarity. In this article, the authors propose a novel model to represent an ontology in which an N-dimensional matrix is applied, called an N-dimensional matrix-based ontology. This matrix-based ontology attempts to decrease the time complexity of computation. Second, a new semantic similarity measure is introduced and is performed on the N-dimensional matrix-based ontology. Third, the validation of the result of the N-dimensional matrix-based ontology is compared with related studies comparing two well-known benchmarks. The results reveal that in an N-dimensional matrix-based ontology with increasing N, the accuracy of the proposed semantic similarity measure is increased. Moreover, a matrix-based ontology decreases the time complexity when compared to a graph-based ontology.

Automatic quality assessment of laser cut parts is an essential building block in the deployment of data-driven strategies for process parameter optimization, predictive maintenance and continuous improvement in sheet metal workshops. From an industrial perspective, the major quality features of a laser cut edge are roughness, perpendicularity deviation and dross occurrence on the lower edge. While conventional contact-based profilometry can be used for highly accurate roughness measurements, its broad adoption in the daily operations of sheet metal workshops cannot be realized without significant deterioration of the workshop performance. As a faster and less demanding alternative to contact measurements, image-based roughness quantification by means of artificial neural networks has been evaluated in recent publications for a single material-thickness combination. Although promising results have been reported, extensive testing of the system performance is required before the system can be deployed in an industrial setting. Therefore, as the next step towards industrial implementation, this contribution validates the performance of a multilayer perceptron algorithm for roughness prediction of materials with different reflectivity behavior, such as stainless steel, mild steel and aluminium. Additionally, the robustness of the method depending on the cut edge surface conditions and type of lighting is investigated.

Further improvement of quality and productivity are some of the most relevant laser cutting process challenges. One way of affecting the process performance is manipulating the laser beam intensity distribution. Within this work, the feasibility of enhancing the cutting speed and edge quality using dynamic beam shaping in 4 kW fiber laser cutting of 15 mm stainless steel is investigated. Moreover, in order to evaluate the effect of dynamic beam shaping parameters on the process zone, a simplified thermal simulation model is introduced. As a result, the effect of longitudinal beam oscillation on the cutting efficiency is studied experimentally and explained using numerical calculation. The obtained results have shown a significant improvement for laser fusion cutting compared with a static top-hat intensity distribution. In particular, the cutting speed can be increased up to 45 % with considerably better quality. Finally, further steps to optimize the dynamic beam shaping technology for laser cutting applications are proposed.

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The Mycobacterium tuberculosisbacterial pathogen is responsible for the ongoing global tuberculosis (TB) epidemic. Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG), the only currently approved TB vaccine, is successful in preventing disseminated disease in newborns. However, it has a variable efficacy against pulmonary TB in adults. This protective effect of the vaccine varies greatly among different populations and geographical areas, which the increased exposure of particular populations to non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) is considered as one of the reasons for this issue. Numerous studies have shown that exposure to NTM species causes the host immune system to be improperly primed. It has also been suggested that NTM species may be blamed for reduction in BCG vaccine effectiveness against M. tuberculosis. The increased exposure of certain populations to NTM has diverse effects on BCG efficacy. Moreover, the exposure to NTM can induce opposite effects on BCG efficacy depending on the NTM exposure route and survivability. A detailed understanding of the impact of NTM exposure on the efficacy of the BCG vaccine is essential for ongoing efforts to develop new TB vaccines as it may ultimately be a crucial success factor. The aim of this study was to review the findings of the studies focusing on the effects of NTM on BCG vaccine efficacy in animal models.

A piggyback pipeline consists of two pipes such that the secondary line rides on the main pipe with a fixed distance between two pipes in length. The novel strategy is utilized in offshore areas instead of a single flow line. In this regard, there are only a handful of experimental and numerical studies investigating the effect of scour below a piggyback pipeline under steady current. Hence, this study focuses on examining the influential factors on scouring due to steady current including the pipe diameter and the gap between pipes through numerical simulations and experimental tests. Accordingly, at the first phase of the research, a single pipe was established and tested in laboratory to compare the results with those of an empirical equation. After finishing experimental verifications, piggyback pipelines were also assembled to study the scouring under steady current conditions. It was concluded that by increasing the gap distance between the pipes, the maximum scour depth decreases; however, an increase in the small pipe’s diameter results in a larger maximum scour depth. Secondly, numerical simulations were carried out using the FLOW-3D software which was found to be a suitable tool for the numerical investigation of this study. Finally, the numerical results have been compared with the corresponding experimental data and a relatively good agreement was achieved between them.

Aim: This study aims to investigate the prevalence and drug-resistance M. tuberculosis isolated from HIV seropositive individuals in Tehran, Iran. Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is one of the most important risk factors for developing active tuberculosis (TB). Objective: The objective is to determine the rate of transmission and drug-resistant M. tuberculosis (MTB) strains isolated from HIV seropositive patients in Tehran province, Iran. Methods: This study consecutively enrolled 217 TB/HIV coinfected patients from April 2018 to August 2019 at Emam Khomeini referral hospital and 5 other health centers in Tehran province. The isolates were genotyped using 15 loci Mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit-variable number tandem repeats (MIRU-VNTR). Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined for 6 drugs. In addition, mutations were assessed in rpoB, katG, inhA, and ahpC genes using Reverse Blot Hybridization Assay System. Results: A 20 (9.2%) patients were culture-positive for M. tuberculosis and typed by MIRU-VNTR, 13 (65%) strains formed 5 clusters, but 6 (30%) isolates had a unique pattern. The total Hunter– Gaston discrimination index (HGDI) for all 15 loci was 0.846, and the cluster size was 2 to 4 patients. The estimated proportion of recent transmission was 45%. The mutation was identified in 1 isolate, lost inhAW1 and mutation in MT1 loci, which was resistant to isoniazid (INH). Moreover, 1 (5%) and 3 (15%) isolates were resistant to INH and ethambutol (EMB), respectively, of which 1 was resistant to INH and EMB. Conclusion: The transmission rate of TB in HIV patients was relatively high; however, the prevalence of drug-resistant strains and TB infection in females was insignificant in this study (p < 0.05); none of the isolates was MDR strains.

The influence of coating a CdTe quantum dots (QDs) layer on the 198Au nanoparticles (NPs) in biodistribution of 198Au nanoparticles was investigated. The 198Au nanoparticles were prepared by irradiating the highly pure metallic gold in Tehran research nuclear reactor and subsequently 198Au-NPs were synthesized and subjected to surface modification with cysteamine and CdTe QDs to form an adduct. The prepared nanomaterials were characterized with X-ray diffraction, radio thin layer chromatography, transmission electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. In-vivobiodistribution and tumor avidity studies were performed by intravenously injecting of cysteamine@198AuNPs: CdTe QDs nanocomposite into rats. The %ID/g (percent of the initial dose per gram tissue weight) in dissected organs and Fibrosarcoma tumor specimens was then measured. The hydrophilicity of the cysteamine@198AuNPs was increased by surface modification with CdTe QDs. Rapid excretion from body and high tumor uptake for cysteamine@198AuNPs: CdTe QDs revealed that this radiotracer could potentially be used in nuclear medicine as a theranostic agent.

Background and Purpose: Green nanotechnology is an interesting method for the synthesis of functional nanoparticles. Because of their wide application, they have set up great attention in recent years. Objective: The present research examines the green synthesis of Ag and zero-valent iron nanoparticles (AgNPs, ZVINPs) by Feijoa sellowiana fruit extract. In this synthesis, no stabilizers or surfactants were applied. Methods: Eco-friendly synthesis of Iron and biogenic synthesis of Ag nanoparticles were accomplished by controlling critical parameters such as concentration, incubation period and temperature. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier-Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray Diffraction analysis (XRD), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and UV-Vis were applied to characterize NPs. The cytotoxicity of NPs was investigated in two cell lines, MCF-7 (breast cancer) and AGS (human gastric carcinoma). A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis was also performed for characterization of phenolic acids in the extract. Results: Both NPs displayed powerful anticancer activities against two tumor cell lines with little effect on BEAS-2B normal cells. Synthesized AgNPs and ZVINPs inhibited the growth of all selected bacteria. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus mirabilis, Klebsiella pneumonia, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Acinetobacter baumannii and Escherichia coli have been studied in two stages. We initially examined the ATCCs followed by clinical strain isolation. Based on the results from resistant strains, we showed that nanoparticles were superior to conventional antibiotics. DPPH (diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) free radical scavenging assay and iron chelating activity were used for the determination of antioxidant properties. Results showed a high antioxidant activity of scavenging free radicals for ZVINPs and powerful iron-chelating activity for AgNPs. Based on the HPLC data, catechin was the major phenolic compound in the extract. Conclusion: Our synthesized nanoparticles displayed potent cytotoxic, antibacterial and antioxidant activities.

Background: Nowadays the use of plant-derived products has been extensively examined in the treatment of many types of gastrointestinal cancers such as hepatocarcinoma and colon cancer. Urtica dioica is a traditional herb that has many pharmacological effects and wildly used as a therapeutic agent in cancer. Herein, we have evaluated the effects of the different concentrations of Methanolic Extract of Urtica dioica (MEUD) on viability, death pattern, and expression of the apoptosis-related gene in normal Human Dermal Fibroblast (HDF), hepatocarcinoma cell lines (HepG2) and colon-cancer cell line (HCT116). Methods: A high-performance liquid chromatography method was developed to simultaneously separate 3 phenolic acids in MEUD. HepG2 and HCT116 cell lines as well as HDF normal cell line were cultured in suitable media. After 24 and 48h, in the cultured cell with different concentrations of MEUD, cells viability was assessed by MTT assay, and apoptosis was also evaluated at the cellular level by Annexin V/PI flow cytometry analyzing and AO/EB staining. BCL2 and BAX gene expressions were assessed by TaqMan real-time PCR assay. Results: MEUD showed antiproliferative effects on HepG2 and HTC116 cells after 48h with an IC50 value of about 410 and 420μg/ml, respectively (P < 0.001). Apoptotic cells were observed in HepG2 and HTC116 cells but not in HDF. Furthermore, the increased level of BAX/BCL-2 ratio was observed in HepG2 and HTC116 cells under the treatment of different concentrations of MEUD. Conclusion: The MEUD may influence hepatocarcinoma and colon-cancer cell lines at specific doses and change their proliferation rate by changing the expression of BAX and BCL2.

Here, we aimed to determine the susceptibility of 70 Mycobacterium tuberculosisisolates obtained from different regions of the country to 8 anti-tuberculosis (anti-TB) drugs and possible underlying mechanisms causing resistance to rifampin, isoniazid, and pyrazinamide. The susceptibility of 70 isolates of M. tuberculosisto anti-TB drugs was tested using proportion method. Strains showing resistance to the first line anti-TB drugs were subjected to PCR amplification and sequencing of the rpoB, katG, ahpC, pncAgenes, inhApromoter and oxyR-ahpCintergenic regions to detect resistance conferring mutations. Overall, 77.1% and 77.1% of isolates were resistant to at least one of the tested first- and second-line drugs, respectively. Within the rpoBgene the highest rate of mutation was found in codons 531(450) (56.3%), and 533(452) (12.5%). Also, codons 315 (42.4%) of katG,positions -48, -72 and -77 of oxyR-ahpC(total= 3, 9.1%) and -15 of inhApromoter region (33.3%) were the most altered positions in isoniazid resistant isolates. Only a single mutation was detected for pncAamong resistant isolates. High prevalence of resistance to essential anti-TB drugs among M. tuberculosisstrains isolated from retreated tuberculosis cases is alarming issue necessitating immediate action to prevent the spread of drug resistant isolates in the country.

Background: Microbial resistance to antibiotics and their adverse effects related to these antibiotics are a matter of global public health in the 21th century. The emergence of drug-resistant strains, has gained the interest of the scientists to discover new antimicrobial agents from the essential oil of medicinal plants.Methods: Anti-mycobacterial effects of Trachyspermum copticum and Pelargonium graveolens essential oils were determined against multi-drug resistant clinical strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium kansasii, Mycobacterium fortuitum and standard strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv by a Broth micro-dilution method. Pelargonium graveolens plant named Narmada was discovered by Kulkarni R.N et al. (Patent ID, USPP12425P2) and a formulation comprising thymol obtained from Trachyspermum is useful in the treatment of drug-resistant bacterial infections (Patent ID, US6824795B2). The chemical composition of hydro-distilled essential oils was determined by GC and GC-MS.Results: Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values for T. copticum essential oil against tested isolates were ranged from 19.5 µg/mL to 78 µg/mL. The least minimum inhibitory concentration of P. graveolens extract against M. Kansasii and MDR-TB was 78 µg/ml.Conclusion: The results of the present research introduced T. copticum and P. graveolens essential oils as a remarkable natural anti-mycobacterial agent, but more pharmacological studies are required to evaluate their efficacy in animal models.

Background: Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) is limited to produce AgNPs with only relatively low concentrations, and is unsuitable for large-scale productions. The use of Myrtus communis (MC) leaf methanolic extract (rich in hydrolyzable tannins) has been recommended to resolve the issues related to the aggregation of nanoparticles at high concentrations of silver ions with added facet of antioxidant properties. Methods: The produced highly concentrated MC-AgNPs were characterized by using imaging and spectroscopic methods. Subsequently, antioxidant, anticancer and antifungal activities of the nanoparticles were evaluated. Results: The thermogravimetric analysis and energy dispersive spectroscopy quantitative results suggested that the nanoparticles are biphasic in nature (bio-molecule + Ag0) and layered in structure, suggesting the formation of nanoparticles through a different mechanism than those described in the literature. MC-AgNPs showed greater scavenging activity of nitric oxide and iron (II) chelating ability than the extract. It also showed good reducing power compared to the standard antioxidant. Remarkable anticancer activity of MC-AgNPs (IC50 = 5.99μg/mL) was found against HCT-116 (human colon carcinoma) cell lines after 24h exposure with a therapeutic index value 2-fold higher than the therapeutic index of standard doxorubicin. Furthermore, distinct antifungal activity (MIC = 4μg/mL) was found against Candida krusei. Conclusion: The current method outperforms the existing methods because it produces a large amount of multifunctional nanoscale hybrid materials more efficiently using natural sources; thus, it may be used for diverse biomedical applications.

Anogenital wart (AGW) resulting from human papilloma virus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases worldwide. Herein, we aimed to evaluate the effects of AGW on patients‘marital satisfaction and sexual function. This cross-sectional study was consisted of 74 consecutive patients including 37 patients with AGW and 37 healthy controls. ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale and Arizona Sexual Experience Scale were completed and analyzed for all patients. ENRICH scale items were not significantly different between the two groups. Sexual function was found to be lower in female than male patients (P<.001). According to our findings marital satisfaction was not affected by AGW. However, a history of previous treatment for HPV decreased the marital satisfaction. In addition, AGW had more adverse effects on females’ sexual function compared to males. Our findings suggest that the psychiatric treatments should be considered when managing an AGW patient.

Las verrugas anogenitales (VAG) debidas al virus papiloma humano son una de las enfermedades de trasmisión sexual más comunes en todo el mundo. El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar los efectos de las VAG en la satisfacción matrimonial y en la actividad sexual de los pacientes. Presentamos un estudio transversal que incluyó 74 pacientes consecutivos, de los cuales 37 presentaban VAG y los 37 sujetos restantes eran controles sanos. Todos los pacientes completaron y fueron analizados por la Escala de satisfacción matrimonial de ENRICH y la Escala Arizona de experiencias sexuales. Los ítems de la escala ENRICH no mostraron diferencias significativas entre los 2 grupos. La actividad sexual fue menor en las mujeres que en los hombres (p<0,001). De acuerdo con nuestros hallazgos la satisfacción conyugal no se vio afectada por las VAG. Sin embargo, el tratamiento previo del virus del papiloma humano redujo la satisfacción marital. A todo ello hay que añadir que la VAG mostró más efectos adversos sobre la actividad sexual de las mujeres que sobre la de los hombres. Nuestros hallazgos sugieren que se debe considerar el uso de tratamientos psiquiátricos en el manejo del paciente con VAG.

Allergic asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways. Th1, Th2 and Th17 cells are the main cells involved in the pathophysiology of asthma. The function of these cells is affected by T-bet, GATA3 and RORγt transcription factors (respectively). Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of ginger (officinal Roscoe) extract on the expression of T-bet, GATA-3 and ROR-γ in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of asthmatic patients, in comparison with healthy volunteers as controls.

•Expression analysis of 10 efflux pump (EP) genes in drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosisclinical isolates.•Ten drug-resistant isolates showed significantly increased gene expression (>4-fold) for at least one of the studied EPs.•Of the EP-overexpressing isolates, 3 and 7 lacked genetic alterations in rpoB+katG+inhAand katG+inhAgenes, respectively.•drrA, stpand drrBwere the most commonly overexpressed genes, being overexpressed in 7, 5 and 3 isolates, respectively.•In the presence of the EP inhibitor CCCP, decreased MICs of rifampicin, but not isoniazid, were observed.

Dispersions of pigments containing differentions have been studied in waterborne latices in which the polymer contains ionizable functional groups. Each system has been tested for related adhesion properties when coated [...]

•Our meta-analysis included a total of 47 articles.•The prevalence rates in new TB cases: Any-resistance to first-line drugs: 31 % (95 % CI, 24–38), mono-drug resistance: 15 % (95 % CI, 10–22), and multi-drug resistance to first-line drugs: 6 % (95 % CI, 4–8).•There was a significant variation in the rate of MDR among new TB cases based on the year of publication, location, and DST methods (P < 0.0001).•The prevalence rates in retreatment cases: Any resistance: 68 % (95 % CI 58–78), mono-resistance: 19 % (95 % CI 7–34), multi-drug resistance: 28 % (95 % CI 15–43).

A guideline for adjusting the parameters in rubber-based adhesives for better adhesion to substrates. IN the adhesives and coatings industry, elastomers are used primarily because of their remarkable durability derived [...]

The effect of light weathering on coatings is the result of complex processes of photochemical degradation of the polymers, hydrolysis and oxidation with the participation of atmospheric moisture and oxygen, [...]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between cash holdings, investment opportunities and financial constraint with audit fees in Iran. Design/methodology/approach: In order to collect data, all manufacturing companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange are used to test the hypotheses during 2008–2015. Panel data and combined data regression model were used for data analysis. Tests were performed using R statistical software. Findings: The results obtained from the statistical analysis of research hypotheses indicated that there is a significant relationship between cash holdings and audit fees. Furthermore, the relationship between cash holdings, financial constraints and audit fees was significant. In addition, there was no significant relationship between cash holdings, investment opportunities and audit fees. Originality/value: The current study employed a unique topic in terms of a developing country, and the results may give strength to other developing nations.

Background: Mycobacterium tuberculosis as an intracellular pathogen causes Tuberculosis (TB). Due to the long time required for treatment, hepatotoxicity of drugs and also emergence of Multidrug-Resistant (MDR) and Extremely Drug Resistant (XDR) strains, TB is currently a major public health problem. Some medicinal plants possess remarkable activity against Mycobacterium. Among them, Lamiaceae family are of pharmaceutical interest because of their potential antimicrobial properties. The aim of the study was to evaluate the in vitro activities of Satureja rechingeri, Satureja khuzestanica and Zataria multiflora against MDR M. tuberculosis and two Non-Tuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM). Methods: The essential oils were prepared by the standard method. The confirmed strains were obtained from the microbial collection of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) of essential oils of plants against mycobacterial strains were determined using standard broth microdilution method. Results: MDR M. tuberculosis was completely inhibited by Z. multiflora at 78µg/ml concentration. S. rechingeri and S. khuzestanica also showed same anti-mycobacterial activity against MDR M. tuberculosis with MICs of 156 µg/ml. The MICs of the essential oils against M. tuberculosis H37Rv, M. kansasii and M. fortuitum were in the range from 39 to 156 µg/ml. Conclusion: The studied medicinal plants showed notable effects against mycobacterial strains. Our results indicated that utilization of Lamiaceae family can be helpful for treatment of mycobacterial infections.

This paper presents experimental and simulation study to minimize residual stress in cylindrical deep-drawing process. Eight significant process parameters including initial blank thickness, punch and die shoulder radii, blank–holder force, punch velocity, and coefficients of friction between die–blank, holder–blank, and punch–blank are considered. According to number of parameters, the Taguchi’s method is employed to perform design of experiments. The die is designed and manufactured, and the experiments are carried out using AISI 1006 carbon steel sheet. Hole-drilling method based on ASTM E 837-99 standard is applied to measure the residual stresses in drawn cups. Moreover, the deep-drawing process is simulated wholly using ABAQUS/explicit software and the accuracy of finite-element model is verified using experimental results. Finally, the analysis of variance method is applied to define the most important parameters and obtain an optimum level to minimize the residual stress in cylindrical deep-drawing process.

Over-pumping of aquifers and lack of planning for the water resources, and allocation system in coastal aquifers, in addition to minor problems, disturb the ecological balance. This type of exploitation reduces the groundwater level and the hydraulic gradient in the coastal strip and, due to the higher density of saline water, includes the invasion of saline water and salinization of groundwater resources. Due to population growth, migration, drought, and over-pumping in the southern part of the Caspian Sea, this issue has disturbed the balance of groundwater resources, and most of the coastline has been associated with increasing solute concentrations. Accordingly, in this study, using the SEAWAT code, the intrusion of saltwater in the Nowshahr-Nur aquifer has been simulated, and the results analyzed, which showed that in the current situation, saline water intrusion spreads a wide width of 862 m from the aquifer. To control the current situation of saline water invasion in the coastal strip, seven treatment strategies were simulated and the TODIM decision-making method was used to prioritize. For this purpose, four criteria of economic, social, environmental, and groundwater level improvement were selected for decision-making and weighed by hierarchical analysis. The weighting results showed that the criterion for improving the groundwater level with a weight of 0.311 is the most important. Based on the weighting of the criteria, the strategies were prioritized and the results showed that a 20% reduction in aquifer abstraction by combining the construction of an underground barrier was selected as a solution to control the invasion of short water. The results of this solution showed that 317 m of saline water backflow will arise in the Nowshahr-Nur aquifer.

Although radiation exposures in manned space missions are normally below the limits recommended to NASA by NCRP, in long-duration deep space exploratory missions astronauts may receive relatively high doses of ionizing radiation. Novel light polyethylene-based composites can be considered as effective radiation shields in space explorations. However, normally these composites cannot provide desired mechanical properties. Over the past several years our laboratories have focused on developing efficient methods for both physical and biological protection of the crew in long term space missions. In this study carbon nanotubes and either nano-sized or micro-sized boron carbide (B4C) fillers were incorporated into the continuous phase of low density polyethylene (LDPE). In the next phase, the mechanical characteristics of the composites as well as their neutron attenuation properties were studied. Findings of this study indicated enhanced mechanical properties accompanied by an enhanced shielding efficiency for neutrons at some specific weight fraction of the fillers.

In this paper, a new three-port dc/dc converter is presented for hybrid photovoltaic (PV)/fuel cell (FC)/battery applications. The proposed structure comprises a conventional buck-boost and a boost converter. Four power switches and four diodes are employed in the proposed converter. The voltage gain of the presented converter is more than the conventional boost converter. This advantage and having two unidirectional and a bidirectional inputs make the structure a suitable power electronic interface for hybrid generation applications. In addition, there are no limitations in switching the modulation. Therefore, tracking the maximum power of the PV source, setting the FC power, controlling the battery power, and calibrating the output voltage can be equipped by controlling duty ratios of the switches. The input power sources can provide power to the load and either charge or discharge the battery individually or simultaneously. The steady-state analyses of the presented converter are discussed thoroughly in this paper. Finally, in order to validate the feasibility of the presented converter, experimental results are provided.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and lethal malignant glioma in adults. Currently, the modality of choice for diagnosing brain tumor is high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with contrast, which provides anatomic detail and localization. Studies have demonstrated, however, that MRI may have limited utility in delineating the full tumor extent precisely. Studies suggest that MR spectroscopy (MRS) can also be used to distinguish high-grade from low-grade gliomas. However, due to operator dependent variables and the heterogeneous nature of gliomas, the potential for error in diagnostic accuracy with MRS is a concern. Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging with 11C-methionine (MET) and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) has been shown to add additional information with respect to tumor grade, extent, and prognosis based on the premise of biochemical changes preceding anatomic changes. Combined PET/MRS is a technique that integrates information from PET in guiding the location for the most accurate metabolic characterization of a lesion via MRS. We describe a case of glioblastoma multiforme in which MRS was initially non-diagnostic for malignancy, but when MRS was repeated with PET guidance, demonstrated elevated choline/N-acetylaspartate (Cho/NAA) ratio in the right parietal mass consistent with a high-grade malignancy. Stereotactic biopsy, followed by PET image-guided resection, confirmed the diagnosis of grade IV GBM. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of an integrated PET/MRS technique for the voxel placement of MRS. Our findings suggest that integrated PET/MRS may potentially improve diagnostic accuracy in high-grade gliomas.

Due to the growing use of fuel cell systems in electricity generation instead of conventional power generation systems for various reasons, such as high efficiency, non-environmental pollution, optimal dynamic response, and higher durability reliability, in this paper, by presenting an optimal model of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) model and simulating it, the efficiency, and the output power of the fuel cell will be predicted. The main idea is to use a PSO-based Golden Jackal Optimization method to reduce the sum of squared errors (SSE) of the measured output voltage and the output voltage of the PEMFC stack. To validate the proposed approach, it is applied to two examined cases, and the results are compared with those of various new optimizers. The results reveal that the proposed ICSO outperforms the other comparison methods for the optimal estimate of the PEMFC model.