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The industrial activity has increased with the world’s population in urban and non-urban environments. Sulphate (SO42-) is commonly found in aquatic ecosystems and is generally non-toxic to aquatic life, unless present in very high concentrations in an environment affected by human activities. Nowadays, there is growing interest in the bioremediation of SO42-wastewater as a sustainable and viable method, with the advantages of employing microorganisms. This paper provides an overview of the sulfur biogeochemical cycle, microbiology of sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB), their application in treating SO42-laden wastewater, the crucial factors influencing SO42-removal efficiency, and more importantly, explores the potential for sulfur and metal recovery from mining and industrial waste, along with the source of electron donors. Previous studies in this field have shown that the removal of SO42-and other pollutants is affected by the wastewater matrix chemistry, such as temperature, pH, SO42-and sulfide concentration, ionic strength, nutrients concentration, moisture, redox condition, and the bioavailability of toxic metal ions. Apart from these results, more than 90% of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) and SO42-can be removed by the desired bacteria. Although bioremediation has disadvantages, it remains a viable method for removing PTEs and anions such as SO42-from SO42--rich wastewater. In the future, the application of SRB in combination with other organic compounds as electron donors and adsorbents is suggested as an effective solution for SO42-bioremediation, and sulfur and metals recovery.

Green's functions of stress and displacement due to wave propagation in a sandwich panel consisting of transversely isotropic face-sheets and aluminum foam core are developed in the present paper. Dynamic partial differential equations of equilibrium for the considered face-sheets and core are expressed in cylindrical coordinates (r, θ, z), and converted into two separate equations using two unknown potential functions. Then, by writing the potential functions as Fourier series in the circumferential direction and using Hankel transform in the radial direction, an analytical solution to the potential functions in Hankel transformed space is developed. Using the boundary conditions and continuity of the problem as well as the place of application of harmonic forces, Green's functions for displacements and stresses in the frequency domain are derived using Hankel's inverse integral transform. These functions are expressed as complex integrals and calculated numerically. To verify the methodology and results, a comparison study is performed for particular cases showing a high level of the accuracy. Green's functions obtained from this paper will give information about the loading models or materials causing the maximum normal stress, shear stress, vertical and radial displacements. In addition, based on the results, with an increase in the core thickness compared to that of face-sheets in a Sandwich panel, an increment in Green's functions of stress and displacement is observed in both real and imaginary parts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is focused on the Navier–Stokes equations. The numerical method employed in this study for solving the Navier–Stokes equations is a meshless approach that combines the radial basis function (RBF) and finite difference (FD) schemes on two-dimensional arbitrary domains. This method, known as radial basis function-generated finite differences (RBF-FD), utilizes the finite difference technique to discretize the time domain and the RBF-FD approximation to discretize the space domain. The RBF-FD method offers several advantages, including high-order convergence rates and the ability to effectively handle sparse node layouts within arbitrary domains. The efficacy and accuracy of the suggested approach are evaluated through the analysis of four unique instances: comprising Taylor–Green vortices, lid-driven cavity flow, backward-facing step flow, and flow around a square cylinder. In the last example, we examined a simulation of air pollution around buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many rivers are classified in alluvial rivers. Stage–discharge curve of these rivers is reliable just in measured conditions and for the sections by the use of measured data. Most of the stage–discharge equations are not able to consider flow resistance, and it causes some errors in qualitative and quantitative modeling. Therefore, it seems necessary to determine the accuracy of stage–discharge curve methods in the river sections without hydrometric stations. In this study, Einstein and Barbarossa (Trans ASCE 117:1121–1132, 1952), Engelund and Hansen (A monograph on sediment transport in alluvial streams. Technical University of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark, 1967) and White et al. (A new general method for predicting the frictional characteristics of alluvial streams. Report No IT 187. Hydraulics Research Station, Wallingford, England, 1979) methods were investigated in four hydrometric stations in Shahroud River. To do so, after field data collection, the stage–discharge curve of studied hydrometric stations was obtained by the mentioned methods. Results revealed that effect of flow resistance factors increased in maximum discharge. Einstein and Barbarossa’s (1952) method enjoyed the most accuracy in the stations with ripple bed form and discharge less than 20 cms. By increasing discharge or changing the bed form, the accuracy of this method decreased, so in this condition Engelund and Hansen (1967) and White et al.’s (1979) methods showed reliable accuracy. In the rivers with anti-dune bed form, White et al.’s (1979) equation had the most accuracy. Additionally, evaluating the effect of bed form, discharge, bed slope and bed load sediment size indicated that all the methods are highly sensitive to discharge flow and river bed form; on the other hand, bed slope and bed load sediment size are not determining factors in choosing proper method for the development of stage–discharge curve in alluvial rivers.

Die Resektion des Radiuskopfes war in der Vergangenheit bei nicht rekonstruierbaren Radiuskopffrakturen häufig die einzige Therapieoption. Mit den modernen Prothesen steht nun eine weitere Behandlungsmethode zur Auswahl. Die vorliegende Arbeit befasst sich mit der Frage in welchen Fällen die ersatzlose Resektion noch vertretbar ist. In einem Studienkollektiv von 44 Patienten wurden 28 Patienten mit einer Radiuskopfprothese, 9 Patienten mit einer Radiuskopfresektion und 7 Patienten mit einer Radiuskopfteilresektion versorgt. Die mittlere Nachuntersuchungszeit betrug 29 Monate. Insgesamt wurden 13 Mason III- und 31 Mason IV-Frakturen versorgt. Der Score nach Morrey ergab bei den Radiuskopfprothesen im Mittel 79 (83; 47–98) Punkte; bei den Radiuskopfresektionen einen Durchschnittswert von 79 Punkten (74; 56–95) und bei den Teilresektionen des Kopfes einen Mittelwert von 74 Punkten (72; 48–93). Die Resektion des Radiuskopfes bei ansonsten stabiler ligamentärer Führung des Ellenbogens kann zu guten Ergebnissen führen. Bei ligamentären Begleitverletzungen ist jedoch die Radiuskopfprothese vorzuziehen, da durch sie der radiale Pfeiler und somit die Gelenkgeometrie wieder hergestellt werden kann, wodurch eine frühfunktionelle Beübung möglich ist. Unter Berücksichtigung dieser Tatsachen zeigen die RK-Resektion und die RK- Prothese bessere Ergebnisse als die Teilresektion des Radiuskopfes. Diese ist aufgrund verstärkter Schmerzen und Bewegungseinschränkungen nicht zu empfehlen. The resection of the radial head was previously the only therapy option for radial head fractures. Today, modern prosthetics present further alternatives for treatment. The following paper deals with answering the question of whether there are still instances in which resection is justifiable. The patient collective consisted of 44 patients: 28 received a radial head prosthetic implant, 9 a radial head resection, and 7 a partial radial head resection. The average follow up time was 29 months. Altogether, 13 Mason III and 31 Mason IV fractures were treated. The mean Morrey Score after implantation of a radial head prosthetic device was 79 points (83; 47–98); for radial head resections 79 points (74; 56–95), and for the partial resection of the head 74 points (72; 48–93). The resection of the radial head after fracture can yield good outcome in the short-term in a stable joint. If there is a ligamentous instability, the implantation of a radial head prosthetic device is recommended. It stabilizes the radial axis and reconstructs joint geometry, allowing for early functional use. Because of intensified pain and movement restriction partial resection of the radial head is not recommended.

A simple and highly efficient strategy has been developed for direct C–H trifluoromethylation at C-3 of imidazopyridines and C-8 of quinoxalines with readily available Langlois reagent through KMnO4/AcOH system. This protocol showed broad substrate scope and afforded moderate-to-excellent yields of both products. It is the first report that the functionalization of quinoxalines occurred regioselectively at the C-8 position of quinoxalines. Mechanistic studies revealed that reaction proceeded via radical pathway.

The meshless method is used in this paper to provide a numerical solution for a two-dimensional variable-order time fractional advection-diffusion equation. The radial basis function and the finite difference scheme on two-dimensional (2-D) arbitrary domains are the foundations of this accurate and reliable meshless approach. The name of this approach is radial basis function-generated finite differences (RBF-FD). The finite difference technique and the RBF-FD approximation are both employed for discrete time and space domains, respectively. The stability and convergence related to the time discretization of this approach are then discussed and theoretically proven. The advantage of the RBF-FD method is that it has high-order convergence rates and its ability to manage sparse node layouts in arbitrary domains. The use of polyharmonic splines (PHS) as a RBF and the absence of the shape parameter are also a positive points for the mentioned method. The effectiveness and precision of the proposed method are examined with three distinct examples, incorporating two model examples and a real-world application of contamination transportation phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a lethal cardiac condition. However, the clinical implementation of genetic testing has now made LQTS eminently treatable. Next‐generation sequencing has remarkable potential for both clinical diagnostics and research of LQTS. Here, we investigated the genetic etiology in an LQTS‐suspected Iranian pedigree by whole‐exome sequencing and collected all KCNH2variants with consensus based on publications. WES was performed on the proband of this pedigree to reveal the underlying cause of sudden cardiac death (SCD). The variant found was validated and segregated by polymerase chain reaction and Sanger sequencing. Based on the literature review, KCNH2variants were retrospectively analyzed to identify pathogenic variants, likely pathogenic variants, and variants of uncertain significance by using different prediction tools. WES identified an autosomal dominant nonsense variant, c.1425C>A: p.Tyr475Ter, in the KCNH2gene, which appeared to be the most likely cause of LQTS in this pedigree. Moreover, our comprehensive literature review yielded 511 KCNH2variants in association with the LQTS phenotype, with c.3002G>A (CADD Phred=49) being the most pathogenic variant. Variants in the KCNH2gene are considered a major cause of LQTS worldwide. The detected c.1425C>A is a novel variant to be reported from Iran for the first time. This result indicates the importance of KCNH2screening in a pedigree with SCD cases. KCNH2gene encodes a voltage‐gated potassium ion channel protein, Kv11.1, which leads to cardiomyocyte repolarization. The loss‐of‐function variant of KCNH2makes the Kv11.1 protein dysfunction and Long QT syndrome 2.

The process of conventional spinning has been widely used in the production of sheet metal parts, but nearly in all cases, the initial blank of the process has a circular shape. In this article, the novel idea of spinning non-circular blanks is studied. To do so, an octagonal blank made of AL-1050 was chosen and the experimental works as well as numerical simulations, taking the effects of anisotropy into account, were performed. Shape deviation from the ideal form in terms of springback and strain distribution was studied for the deformed component. The numerical simulations revealed that uneven compressive strains at the edges as well as bending moment effects at the edges are responsible for the specific shape deviation in the final geometry. The comparison between the anisotropic and isotropic behavior of shell and solid elements with experimental results in three different thicknesses showed the shell element predicts the springback phenomena better than the solid element. On the other hand, solid element gives better results in the prediction of major and minor strains. The results of the numerical simulations and the experimental works show that more variety of geometries that would otherwise need an extra cutting process can be produced by deviating the initial blank geometry from circular form.

Purpose: A sustainable selection method for facility location of the water treatment is formulated by best–worst method. In addition, the model addresses the selection of appropriate technologies in the treatment plant, management of water leakage in the whole transmission network by using modernization and selection of different transmission technologies. Finally, the interaction between water and energy in this network seems to be paying particular attention. Design/methodology/approach: Rapid population growth and urban development, and the constraints of water supply have become one of the crucial challenges around the world in the 21st century. Hence, the use of refined urban wastewater is increasing in many countries as an alternative source of water. In this regard, the rehabilitation of urban wastewater recycling and reuse has been proposed as one of the most suitable solutions for urban water management. Hence, in this paper, a mathematical model is formulated to design the simultaneous marketing of the urban water distribution network and wastewater treatment (including). Findings: It seeks to ensure that energy is supplied through chemical methods to ensure that the system's energy dependence is on the national electricity grid. And in order to validate the model, a case study has been studied. By analyzing the results, it can be concluded that the upgrading of sewage treatment plants to replace underground water and water from nearby dams in household, agricultural and industrial applications will have positive environmental and economic impacts. One of the notable environmental impacts is the decline in groundwater and water scarcity in the coming years. Originality/value: The summary of contributions is presented follow as: design and planning of water and urban wastewater integrated network; sustainable selection of facility location for the water treatment; capability selecting different treatment technologies in simultaneous design water and urban sewage supply chain; managing water leak in the network; proposed a water–energy nexus model in simultaneous design water and urban sewage supply chain; studying the feasibility of construction of power plants from biogas, the resulting of anaerobic digestion in treatment centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACTIn this paper, the blank shape is optimized by three approaches: a slow and accurate method, sensitivity analysis, a fast and approximate method, fuzzy logic decision-making, and finally, a novel quick and precise way was introduced by a combination of sensitivity analysis and fuzzy logic. It is shown that by using hybrid fuzzy logic-sensitivity, the number of iterations has been reduced down to 1 iteration in both cylindrical and square punch forming when the allowable geometrical error was considered to be less than the 1% of target size. The fuzzy logic code was written in Matlab software, and commercial finite element code Abaqus was used to simulate the forming process. Also, the results of the simulations obtained from finite element method analysis were verified experimentally on AL1050-O sheet for two different cylindrical and square die configurations. There was close agreement between the results of simulations and experiments. The difference was within the acceptable range of almost 3.5% in the square die and 1.8% in the cylindrical die.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) helps ophthalmologists assess macular edema, accumulation of fluids, and lesions at microscopic resolution. Quantification of retinal fluids is necessary for OCT-guided treatment management, which relies on a precise image segmentation step. As manual analysis of retinal fluids is a time-consuming, subjective, and error-prone task, there is increasing demand for fast and robust automatic solutions. In this study, a new convolutional neural architecture named RetiFluidNet is proposed for multi-class retinal fluid segmentation. The model benefits from hierarchical representation learning of textural, contextual, and edge features using a new self-adaptive dual-attention (SDA) module, multiple self-adaptive attention-based skip connections (SASC), and a novel multi-scale deep self-supervision learning (DSL) scheme. The attention mechanism in the proposed SDA module enables the model to automatically extract deformation-aware representations at different levels, and the introduced SASC paths further consider spatial-channel interdependencies for concatenation of counterpart encoder and decoder units, which improve representational capability. RetiFluidNet is also optimized using a joint loss function comprising a weighted version of dice overlap and edge-preserved connectivity-based losses, where several hierarchical stages of multi-scale local losses are integrated into the optimization process. The model is validated based on three publicly available datasets: RETOUCH, OPTIMA, and DUKE, with comparisons against several baselines. Experimental results on the datasets prove the effectiveness of the proposed model in retinal OCT fluid segmentation and reveal that the suggested method is more effective than existing state-of-the-art fluid segmentation algorithms in adapting to retinal OCT scans recorded by various image scanning instruments.

insufficient amounts of survival motor neuron protein is leading to one of the most disabling neuromuscular diseases, spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Before the current study, the detailed characteristics of Iranian patients with SMA had not been determined. To describe the key demographic, clinical, and genetic characteristics of patients with SMA registered in the Iranian Registry of SMA (IRSMA). IRSMA has been established since 2018, and the demographic, clinical, and genetic characteristics of patients with SMA were recorded according to the methods of treat neuromuscular disease (TREAT-NMD) project. By October 1, 2022, 781 patients with 5q SMA were registered. Of them, 164 patients died, the majority of them had SMA type 1 and died during the first 20 months of life. The median survival of patients with type 1 SMA was 23 months. The consanguinity rate in 617 alive patients was 52.4%, while merely 24.8% of them had a positive family history. The most common type of SMA in live patients was type 3. Morbidities were defined as having scoliosis (44.1%), wheelchair dependency (36.8%), tube feeding (8.1%), and requiring mechanical ventilation (9.9%). Most of the registered patients had a homozygous deletion of SMN1, while the frequency of patients with higher copy numbers of SMN2, was less in more severe types of the disease. Earlier onset of the disease was significantly seen in patients with a homozygous deletion of SMN1. The neuronal apoptosis inhibitory protein (NAIP) gene deletion was associated with a higher incidence of more severe types of SMA, higher dependency on ventilators, tube feeding, and earlier onset of the disease. The IRSMA is the first established Iranian nationwide registry of patients with SMA. Using this registry, decision-makers, researchers, and practitioners can precisely understand the epidemiology, characteristics, and genetics of patients with SMA in Iran.

Humeral shaft nonunion is a challenging orthopedic condition that often requires surgical intervention for successful healing. In this case report, we present a 53-year-old male patient who presented with a humeral shaft nonunion, Underlying Systemic Disorders, and Arteriovenous fistula. The patient had a history of a previous humeral shaft fracture managed with open reduction and internal fixation but developed nonunion despite appropriate initial treatment. The complexity of this case was compounded by the patient's preference for a minimally invasive approach and the desire to avoid general anesthesia due to underlying medical conditions.

Nowadays, the Stirling engine is very important for its high efficiency, the usability of any types of the heat source, the quiet operation and the working fluid consistency within the engine. Hence, design engineers have always sought to improve the performance of this engine, using various processes and the optimization. In this article, the performance analysis of the Stirling engine has been performed by the non-ideal adiabatic thermodynamics model and was compared to the experimental results. In addition, the effect of coating on the regenerator and the influence of the coating type and the thickness were also investigated. Besides, a regression model was utilized for the sensitivity analysis. Ceramics coating included YSZ (Densed), YSZ (50% Porosity) and MgZrO 3, with 10 different thicknesses for each material. Obtained results showed that as the thickness of coating increased, the heat loss decreased and the efficiency enhanced. The results also indicated that by changing the coating type, the heat loss reduced and the efficiency enhanced due to decrease in the thermal conductivity coefficient in YSZ (50% Porosity) coating, as the optimum coating type. A good agreement was observed between theoretical and experimental results in the P–V curve and the relative error of the maximum power was observed 22.63%.

Over the past few years, the nuclear issue has dominated news about Iran. The landmark deal recently agreed to between Iran and the United States and other world powers sets [...]

Byline: Hamid Biglari Traditional banking is at an inflection point. A changing regulatory environment and altered consumer expectations are driving a shift away from the usual business models, while advances [...]

Pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC)-expressing neurons in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus represent key regulators of metabolic homeostasis. Electrophysiological and single-cell sequencing experiments have revealed a remarkable degree of heterogeneity of these neurons. However, the exact molecular basis and functional consequences of this heterogeneity have not yet been addressed. Here, we have developed new mouse models in which intersectional Cre/Dre-dependent recombination allowed for successful labeling, translational profiling and functional characterization of distinct POMC neurons expressing the leptin receptor (Lepr) and glucagon like peptide 1 receptor (Glp1r). Our experiments reveal that POMCLepr+and POMCGlp1r+neurons represent largely nonoverlapping subpopulations with distinct basic electrophysiological properties. They exhibit a specific anatomical distribution within the arcuate nucleus and differentially express receptors for energy-state communicating hormones and neurotransmitters. Finally, we identify a differential ability of these subpopulations to suppress feeding. Collectively, we reveal a notably distinct functional microarchitecture of critical metabolism-regulatory neurons.

Context/objective:Examining hemoglobin (Hb) dynamics with regard to the potential of neurological remission in patients with traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI).Design:Prospective Clinical Observational Study.Setting:BG Trauma Centre Ludwigshafen, Department of Paraplegiology, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.Methods:From 2011 to 2017 a total of 80 patients with acute spinal injury were enrolled and divided into three groups: initial neurological impairment either with (G1; n = 33) or without subsequent neurological remission (G0; n = 35) and vertebral fractures without initial neurological impairment as control group (C; n = 12). Blood samples were taken for 3 months at 11 time-points after injury. Analyses were performed using routine diagnostics.Outcome measures:Multiple logistic regression was used to determine the prognostic value of Hb regarding neurological remission respecting clinical covariates.Results:Data showed elevated mean Hb concentrations in G1 from the third day to 1 month compared to G0, Hb levels were significantly higher in G1 after 3 days (P = 0.03, G1 > G0). The final multiple logistic regression model based on this data predicting the presence of neurological remission resulted in an AUC (area under the curve) of 80.5% (CI: 67.8%–93.2%) in the ROC (receiver operating characteristic) analysis.Conclusion:Elevated Hb concentrations are associated with a higher likelihood of neurological remission. Elevated concentrations of Hb in G1 compared to G0 over time might be linked to both a better initial oxygen supply response and a decreased ECM (extracellular matrix) degradation highlighting the role of Hb as a valuable biomarker for neural regeneration after TSCI.

BackgroundTriploidy is one of the most common chromosome abnormalities affecting human gestation and accounts for an important fraction of first-trimester miscarriages. Triploidy has been demonstrated in a few cases of recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) but its molecular mechanisms are unknown. This study aims to identify the genetic cause of RPL associated with fetus triploidy.MethodsWe investigated genomic imprinting, genotyped sequence-tagged site (STS) markers and performed exome sequencing in a family including two sisters with RPL. Moreover, we evaluated oocyte maturation in vivo and in vitro and effect of the candidate protein variant in silico.ResultsWhile features of hydatidiform mole were excluded, the presence of triploidy of maternal origin was demonstrated in the fetuses. Oocyte maturation was deficient and all the maternally inherited pericentromeric STS alleles were homozygous in the fetuses. A deleterious missense variant (p.V1251D) of the cyclin B3 gene (CCNB3) affecting a residue conserved in placental mammals and located in a region that can interact with the cyclin-dependent kinase 1 or cyclin-dependent kinase 2 cosegregated in homozygosity with RPL.ConclusionHere, we report a family in which a damaging variant in cyclin B3 is associated with the failure of oocyte meiosis II and recurrent fetus triploidy, implicating a rationale for CCNB3testing in RPL.

Nowadays, water and wastewater reuse is an important approach to deal with the water shortage in most countries. The present study focused on the feasibility of wastewater reuse form the hospital hemodialysis unit (Saveh, Iran). The combination of coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation (CFS), and ultrafiltration (UF) processes have been investigated to improve wastewater quality for its reusability assessment. In raw hemodialysis wastewater, the average amounts of total dissolved solids, chemical oxygen demand (COD), and total coliform (TC) were 7,440 ± 28 mg/L, 2,400 ± 70 mg/L, and 6.7 × 107MPN/100 mL, respectively. Based on the results, by applying the CFS process, the removal efficiency for turbidity, color, COD, and TC were 96%, 95%, 54%, and 93%, respectively. With a combination of CFS and UF processes, the removal efficiency of studied parameters was enhanced to higher than 99%. Comparing to the removal efficacy of the CFS process without application of clay, the optimum dose of poly-aluminium chloride (PACl) with the addition of 0.7 g/L of clay was 300 mg/L and resulted in 70% reduction of PACl consumption. It was observed that treated wastewater was brackish with a high concentration of organic matter content that could not be used for irrigation. It was concluded that by reusing reverses osmosis reject for irrigation (2,300 L/d), it could be possible to irrigate 287.5 m2of the hospital green space.

Sport is responsible for between 25% and 40% of all eye injuries. Trauma is integrated to the nature of the sport, especially boxing, which is considered a high-risk sport for ocular injuries. Boxing not only brings about injury to the external side of the eye, but in nearly one third of cases, the intraocular components of the eye are also damaged, followed by serious visual acuity complications. However, so far there is a paucity of knowledge on the ocular injury as a result of a strong hook to the face during boxing. This study was, therefore, aimed to perform a dynamic finite element simulation to calculate the stresses and deformations to the components of the eye (i.e. the cornea, aqueous body, iris, ciliary body, vitreous body, sclera, retina, and optic nerve) as a consequence of a hook to the zygomatic and frontal skull bones of a boxer. To do that, well-verified finite element models of the human skull, eye, and punch developed by the current authors were employed to simulate the traumatic model of the skull. The resulting von Mises stresses and deformations in each component of the eye were calculated and compared. The results revealed higher stresses in the components of the eye as a result of a frontal impact compared to that of the zygomatic one. The concentration of the von Mises stresses in the eye components was mostly located in the lateral circumference of the globe. Regardless of the impact sites, the muscle experienced severe damage while the cornea, as the most anterior, and optic nerve, as the most posterior components of the eye, stayed safe with trivial amounts of stress and deformation. These results have implications not only for understanding the possible ocular injuries from a hook but also for providing comprehensive information to medical experts regarding the types of ocular injuries which may occur during boxing.

The synthesis and characterization of three six-coordinated Pt(IV) complexes with the stoichiometry [Pt(Ar)2(S∧N)2] (S∧N = Sbt, benzothiazole-2-thiolate, Ar = p-MeC6H4(1a), C6F5(1b); S∧N = Spy, 2-pyridinethiolate, Ar = p-MeC6H4(1c)) is described. Of these, 1aundergoes, at room temperature and within 18 h, a remarkable C–C reductive elimination process between the aryl ligands to give, as the final products, the stable binuclear lantern complex [Pt2(Sbt)4] (2a) and 4,4′-dimethylbiphenyl. Differently from 1a, solutions of 1b,care indefinetively stable up to 60 °C and do not undergo reductive elimination. Complexes 1a–cand 2awere characterized by IR and NMR spectroscopy, high-resolution mass spectrometry, and single-crystal X-ray crystallography (1b,cand 2a). 1H–19F HOESY experiments on 1bdemonstrated the presence of a “through-space” coupling between proximal F and H atoms of the molecule that are separated by six bonds but are in close spatial proximity.

This study examines day of the week effect anomaly in Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), during post crisis period. The Bangladesh stock market crashed on 19 December 2010, and the stock market remained sluggish for long time. This study used the daily closing prices of two important indexes (DGEN and DSI) during post crisis period, from 19 December 2010 to 31 December 2013. Regression statistics modelled with dummy variables, one-sample T-test statistics, paired-sample T-test statistics and ANOVA (one-way) for parametric test and Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon signed rank test for non-parametric test, have been used to observe the day of the week effect anomaly in DSE. The results revealed irregularities in daily mean returns with different returns volatility in week. The study provides implications for policy makers to develop appropriate post-crisis policy tools and incentives to re-stabilise the market.

Construction of Darian Dam on the Sirwan River at Hawraman, Kurdistan between 2009 and 2015 provided an opportunity to investigate this little-known region of the Central Western Zagros. Salvage excavations carried out at a number of sites along the Sirwan River revealed evidence of human occupation spanning over more than fifty thousand years. During these investigations, about ninety sites and potential sites were recorded by the survey team, sixteen of them—including caves, rockshelters, graveyards, and villages located along the Sirwan, Gerdalan, and Zhawaro rivers—were tested or excavated. This research revealed evidence of human occupation from the Middle Paleolithic through to nomadic and herding seasonal sites of the late Islamic period. In particular, four caves and rockshelters contained Middle Paleolithic, Upper Paleolithic, and Epipaleolithic deposits and one small cave yielded Pleistocene/Holocene paleontological remains. The Darian Dam Archeological Salvage Project has shown that this remote and mountainous region has a rich archaeological potential that requires systematic and prolonged projects to explore and protect it from rapid development.

Clinical next-generation sequencing is an effective approach for identifying pathogenic sequence variants that are medically actionable for participants and families but are not associated with the participant's primary diagnosis. These variants are called secondary findings (SFs). According to the literature, there is no report of the types and frequencies of SFs in a large pediatric cohort which includes substantial African-American participants. We sought to investigate the types (including American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics [ACMG] and non-ACMG recommended gene lists), frequencies, and rates of SFs, as well as the effects of SF disclosure on the participants and families of a large pediatric cohort at the Center for Applied Genomics at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).

In the current research, the experimental investigation of the mechanical characteristics of 6061 aluminum alloy, which was subjected to Equal Channel Angular Rolling (ECAR) – A Severe Plastic Deformation Process – and artificial aging heat treatment, has been discussed. By performing the ECAR, the strength of the material increases, but the formability will be reduced. Consequently, the usage of this alloy has been limited. The artificial aging heat treatment process has been proposed after the ECAR operation, and the strength, hardness, and formability of the material have been investigated. In this regard, remarkable results were obtained. By controlling the aging time and temperature on the ECAR piece, not only the strength increased but also the ductility increased. Moreover, an artificial neural network was used to find the optimal aging time and temperature. Finally, the best aging time and temperature ranges to achieve the most desirable mechanical properties were provided using the neural network. The result show 150% increase in strength and 50% in formability by performing controlled-artificial aging heat treatment with ECAR process.

As an external combustion powertrain, the Stirling engine uses the temperature difference between a hot and cold source to drive the piston, generating mechanical energy, which is then converted into electricity. Based on the available literature, it was established that utilizing air as the working fluid represents a more cost-effective choice than helium. However, it is noteworthy that when air is employed as the working fluid in a Stirling engine, it tends to yield lower power output and efficiency than helium. Therefore, this study examined the possibility of using a combination of air/helium as the working fluids in the Stirling engine. This research introduces a non-ideal thermodynamic model designed for a gamma-type Stirling engine. Once the model is validated, the study employs a mixture of helium and air as a working fluid in the thermodynamic model instead of a single operating fluid. Following this step, the necessary data were extracted from the thermodynamic model using the Design of Experiments approach, and a curve was fitted to the data to establish the desired functions. Finally, multi-objective optimization based on the genetic algorithm was performed on the obtained functions in the mode-FRONTIER software to determine the mixing ratio of air and helium, in which the efficiency and the power of the Stirling engine increased, and the working fluid consumption cost and heat loss decreased. The optimization results showed that, in four-objective optimization, the most optimal input parameters for reducing the cost and heat dissipation and increasing the power and efficiency were a helium percentage of 34.6%, a speed of 614 rpm, a pressure of 4.5 bars, and a hot temperature of 597°C. Optimizing with an air and helium gas mixture increased power by 124.8% compared to 100% helium without optimization.

•Child safety seat (CSS) would dramatically diminish the injuries of traffic accidents.•The least acceleration to the head of the child was under the angle of 45°.•The highest acceleration to the head of the child was under the angle of 15°.•Highest and lowest displacements were observed at Xand Ydirections.

In the current study, a two-phase simulation of a tidal helical turbine was performed that contrasts with previous studies in two ways. First, the current research simulated the turbine in different states of immersion in water, whereas previous studies simulated turbines mostly in single-phase conditions and full immersion in water. Second, the present study used a horizontal-axis turbine, whereas previous research employed a vertical-axis helical turbine or Darrius turbine. In this study, a simulation was conducted using the volume of fluid method in ANSYS Fluent 18. Results indicated that the complete immersion of the turbine in water generated a high torque, thereby reducing the efficiency of the device. To determine the conditions with the highest efficiency, immersion rates of 100%, 75%, 50%, and 25% in water were examined, and a configuration with best power coefficient (Cp= 0.175 in TSR= 0.47) was found in 25% immersion. In immersion rate of 25%, resistant pressure on blades was minimum.

Spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular bundle of nervous tissue located in the vertebral column. Since the spinal cord is one of the most crucial pathways for information connecting of the central nervous system, it has to stay safe under any blunt impact loading, i.e., accident, punch, gunshot, burst, etc. Therefore, it is important to investigate the possible injuries that may occur in the vertebral column, especially the spinal cord, as a result of blunt loading. However, due to various experimental limitations, numerical modelling, specifically finite element (FE) models, has been beneficial in predicting the injury to the spinal cord. This study, thus, aimed at predicting the stresses and deformations of a patient-specific FE model of the thoracic vertebral body, intervertebral disc, and spinal cord, which have been modelled according to the computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging data, under blunt impact at different angles of 0°, 30°, and 45°. The model exhibited angle sensitive impact characteristics, and the stresses of the intervertebral disc and spinal cord significantly influenced the overall impact response in the simulated impact conditions. The highest amount of von Mises stresses in the vertebral body, intervertebral disc, and spinal cord was observed under the impact angle of 0° with 58.47, 7.26, and 0.13 MPa, respectively. The highest deformation in the spinal cord was 1.42 mm under the impact angle of 0°. The results of the this study have implications not only for understanding the stresses and deformations in the vertebral body, intervertebral disc, and spinal cord under the blunt loading, but also for providing a comprehensive information for the medical and biomechanical experts in regard to the role of the impact angle on the injury to the vertebral column.

This article discusses the use of the skin-stretching technique (SST) to manage large soft tissue defects resulting from various causes. The other surgical techniques for closing such defects, such as pedicle flaps and free tissue flaps, are often associated with significant morbidity and cost. The SST involves progressively stretching soft tissue using an external device to reduce defect size or complete wound coverage. The article describes a simple, inexpensive, and readily available method for managing large wound defects using clasps and rubber bands. The article also highlights the potential complications associated with SST such as skin necrosis, pin site infection, wound dehiscence, infection, and pain. Overall, SST is a promising alternative for the management of large soft tissue defects that are not amenable to direct suturing.

About 95% of cervical cancers worldwide are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). Cervical cancer is preventable and curable if it is detected and treated early. We reviewed the latest national cervical cancer indicators, and barriers to HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening in 21 Asian National Cancer Centers Alliance (ANCCA) member countries. Half (n = 11, 52%) of the countries have introduced HPV vaccination for girls as part of their national vaccination programme, three countries reported coverage of over 90%. Most ANCCA member countries have cervical cancer screening programmes, only five countries reported screening uptake of over 50%. The barriers to HPV vaccination coverage and cervical cancer screening participation have been identified. Ensuring health service accessibility and affordability for women, addressing sociocultural barriers, and strengthening the healthcare system and continuum of care are essential to increase HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening coverage.

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The study of the hard animal matter assemblage from Ali Tappeh Cave, located on the south-eastern shores of the Caspian Sea, sheds new light on many unknown aspects of Epipalaeolithic ways of life in this region and expands our knowledge of techno-economic strategies using materials other than lithic artefacts. Fourteen artefacts from the collection conserved in the National Museum of Iran were selected for the present research. The osseous and shell artefacts were studied using technological and microwear approaches in order to reconstruct the different stages of the techno-economic scheme of raw material acquisition, transformation and utilization of the objects. The technical marks show the use of abrasion, scraping and grooving techniques in the debitage and shaping phases for the transformation of bone tools, shell tools and ornaments. The acquisition and transformation sequences of the shell artefacts were partially reconstructed based on the identification of the finished objects, blanks, waste or potential rough-outs and raw material blocks. The acquisition sequence primarily focused on the collection of dead shells as raw material. The potential source of these materials, the south-eastern coast of the Caspian Sea, during the Epipalaeolithic was located about 40 km from the Ali Tappeh site. The choice of the blocks of raw materials only involves two species: Didacnaand Cerastoderma. Three ways of raw material transformation were identified in this study: shell fracturing, probably connected to the production of discoid beads, direct shaping involving the regularization and perforation of elliptical raw material blocks for the production of pendants, direct shaping by perforating raw material blocks for the production of pendants. Suspension traces indicate their use as ornamental objects. Only one specimen in the whole assemblage was used directly, without prior transformation. The use-wear traces suggest the utilization of this shell tool for hide scraping. Similar processes are attested in some Epipalaeolithic sites in the Caucasus for the perforation of ornamental objects, suggesting analogous transformation methods for hard animal materials.

This study aimed to enhance production of polyhydroxybutyrate P(3HB) by a newly engineered strain of Cupriavidus necatorNSDG-GG by applying response surface methodology (RSM). From initial experiment of one-factor-at-a-time (OFAT), glucose and urea were found to be the most significant substrates as carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively, for the production of P(3HB). OFAT experiment results showed that the maximum biomass, P(3HB) content, and P(3HB) concentration of 8.95 g/L, 76 wt%, and 6.80 g/L were achieved at 25 g/L glucose and 0.54 g/L urea with an agitation rate of 200 rpm at 30 °C after 48 h. In this study, RSM was applied to optimize the three key variables (glucose concentration, urea concentration, and agitation speed) at a time to obtain optimal conditions in a multivariable system. Fermentation experiments were conducted in shaking flask by cultivation of C. necatorNSDG-GG using various glucose concentrations (10–50 g/L), urea concentrations (0.27–0.73 g/L), and agitation speeds (150–250 rpm). The interaction between the variables studied was analyzed by ANOVA analysis. The RSM results indicated that the optimum cultivation conditions were 37.70 g/L glucose, 0.73 g/L urea, and 200 rpm agitation speed. The validation experiments under optimum conditions produced the highest biomass of 12.84 g/L, P(3HB) content of 92.16 wt%, and P(3HB) concentration of 11.83 g/L. RSM was found to be an efficient method in enhancing the production of biomass, P(3HB) content, and P(3HB) concentration by 43, 21, and 74%, respectively.

Due to the strict regulations and reuse policies that govern wastewater's use as an irrigation water resource for agricultural purposes, especially in dry climates, optimization of the disinfection process is of the utmost importance. The effects of solar radiation along with Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles applied to optimization of the photolysis and photocatalysis processes for inactivating heterotrophic bacteria were investigated. Temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen fluctuations in the dairy wastewater effluent treated by activated sludge were examined. In addition, different dosages of TiO2were tested in the solar photocatalysis (ph-C S) and concentrated solar photocatalysis (ph-C CS) processes. The results show that the disinfection efficiencies of the solar photolysis (ph-L S) and concentrated solar photolysis (ph-L CS) processes after 30 min were about 10.5% and 68.9%, respectively, and that the ph-C S and ph-C CS processes inactivated 41% and 97% of the heterotrophic bacteria after 30 min, respectively. The pH variation in these processes was negligible. Using the ph-L CS and ph-C CS processes, the synergistic effect between the optical and thermal inactivation caused complete disinfection after three hours. However, disinfection was faster in the ph-C CS process than in the ph-L CS process. Significant correlations were found between the disinfection efficiency and the variation of the dissolved oxygen concentration in the ph-C S and ph-C CS processes, while the correlations between the disinfection efficiency and temperature variation were not significant in the ph-L S and ph-C S processes. Moreover, the oxygen consumption rate was greatest (3.2 mg·L−1) in the ph-C CS process. Hence, it could be concluded that the ph-C CS process is an efficient photocatalysis process for disinfection of dairy wastewater effluent.

Recent surveys on the eastern hillsides of Bamou Mountain near the current frontiers of Iran and Iraq have led to the discovery of an ancient broken stele in the area of the Sarab-e Sey (Seyed) Khan spring. The stele was made from a large slab of limestone that was broken and of which only two fragments have been recovered so far. The remaining pieces of the stele had a full-size image of a person in a long robe holding a crook in his right hand, undoubtedly a representation of the god Amurru; his left foot rests on the back of a sitting goat while grasping the goat's horns with his left hand. Another, smaller figure stands to the right of the main figure, near his left shoulder, with in front of him carved a star which could be the symbol of Ishtar. The highly damaged nature of the stele and the absence of an inscription does not allow any precise dating, but it may be proposed that the stele of Sey Khan dates to the Old Babylonian period.

The aim of this study was investigating the phosphate removal from aqueous environments by electrocoagulation (EC) in bipolar connection mode. In the study, iron plates were used as electrode with mucilage of Plantago ovata as a natural aid-coagulant and aid-flocculent. The several operational parameters such as the concentrations of phosphate, pH, operating time on the removal efficiency of phosphate were determined. The results showed that in the operating removal condition when mucilage was added as aid coagulant, the removal efficiency was improved. In this condition, the formed flocs in EC easily floated on surface of the solution. The process is completely effective in low concentration (100% removal in 5 mg/L phosphate). The sludge formed in EC with mucilage could be used to improve poor soils with low iron, phosphorus and organic matters.

Imatinib, a selective BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), was introduced after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). However, the long-term effects of allo-HSCT in chronic phase CML patients are mostly unknown. We retrospectively analyzed the outcomes of 204 patients with sibling donors who received peripheral stem cells and underwent allo-HSCT of chronic phase I (CP1) in the pre- and post-TKI era at Shariati Hospital in Tehran, Iran, from 1998 to 2017 and followed up till the end of 2021. The median follow-up time for all patients was 8.7 (SD = 0.54) years. Fifteen-year overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), graft-versus-host disease-free relapse-free survival (GRFS), relapse, and non-relapse mortality (NRM) incidence were 65.70%, 57.83%, 17.56%, 13.17%, and 28.98%, respectively. Using multivariable analyses, the only risk factor increasing the hazard of death was the time between diagnosis to allo-HSCT greater than 1 year compared to this time less than 1 year by 74% [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.74, P= 0.039]. Also, age is a significant risk factor for DFS (HR = 1.03, P= 0.031). Our findings suggested that allo-HSCT is still an important treatment option for CP1 patients, especially those resistant to TKI treatment. TKI consumption can have a desirable effect on NRM after allo-HSCT for CP1 CML.

Study design:Prospective observational study.Objectives:To describe the correlation between CCL-2, CCL-3, CCL-4 and CXCL-5 serum levels and remission after traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) in a human protocol compared with animal studies.Setting:Germany, Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz).Methods:We examined the serum levels of CCL-2, CCL-3, CCL-4 and CXCL-5 over a 12-week period; in particular, at admission and 4, 9 and 12 h, 1 and 3 days and 1, 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks after trauma. According to our study design, we matched 10 patients with TSCI and neurological remission with 10 patients with an initial ASIA A grade and no neurological remission. In all, 10 patients with vertebral fracture without neurological deficits served as control. Our analysis was performed using a Luminex Cytokine Panel. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to examine the predictive value with respect to neurological remission vs no neurological remission.Results:The results of our study showed differences in the serum expression patterns of CCL-2 in association with the neurological remission (CCL-2 at admission P=0.013). Serum levels of CCL-2 and CCL-4 were significantly different in patients with and without neurological remission. The favored predictive model resulted in an area under the curve (AUC) of 93.1% in the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.Conclusions:Our results indicate that peripheral serum analysis is a suitable concept for predicting the patient’s potential for neurological remission after TSCI. Furthermore, the initial CCL-2 concentration provides an additional predictive value compared with the NLI (neurological level of injury). Therefore, the present study introduces a promising approach for future monitoring concepts and tracking techniques for current therapies. The results indicate that future investigations with an enlarged sample size are needed in order to develop monitoring, prognostic and scoring systems.

Sulfate aerosols (SO42−) in the continental outflow from East China significantly alter the atmospheric sulfur budget across the Pacific Rim, but its formation pathways, especially in the free troposphere (FT), remain poorly understood. Here we analyze stable oxygen (δ17O and δ18O) and radiogenic sulfur (35S) isotopes in SO42−collected at a mountain site in East China to investigate SO42−formation pathways at varying altitudes. We find that Δ17O (=δ17O‐0.52 × δ18O) in SO42−is not correlated with 35S (a direct measure of high‐altitude air masses). This pattern notably differs from the currently known 35S‐Δ17O relation. The result implies that the formation pathway of tropospheric SO42−in East China is vertically uniform, likely due to large emissions and active convection in this region. Our measurements provide unambiguous isotopic constraints for reducing uncertainties in modeling SO42−in the FT over East China, which greatly affects regional climate but current models fail to accurately estimate. Anthropogenic sulfur dioxide (a criteria pollutant) emissions lead to the formation of sulfate aerosols, which profoundly affect air quality, ecosystems, and climate. East China is one of the largest sulfur dioxide emission regions in the world, but there is little information on formation pathways of sulfate aerosols in this region. Here we use isotopic fingerprinting of the elements oxygen and sulfur (stable 16O, 17O, 18O, and radioactive 35S) in sulfate aerosols collected from a remote mountain site in East China to gain insight into the formation process. A major finding is that sulfate in the higher atmosphere over East China is produced in a way similar to that occurring at the ground level, which is never detected by any other current technique before. The identical formation pathways of sulfate aerosols at different altitudes above the ground level may result from a combination of large air pollutant emissions and active vertical mixing in the atmosphere over East China. The measurement presented in this study is useful in improving current atmospheric chemistry and climate models to evaluate the extent to which sulfur emissions in East China influence regional and global climates. Coupled analysis of Δ17O and radiogenic 35S in the same sulfate aerosols collected in East China is reported for the first timeThe insignificant correlation between Δ17O and 35S suggests vertically uniform formation pathways of tropospheric sulfate aerosolsA first‐order approximation shows that 94% of sulfate aerosols in the free troposphere in East China are contributed by the boundary layer