Search

The newest virus from the SARS family of viruses called acute syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes COVID-19 disease, was identified in China at the end of 2019. In March 2020, after it spread to 29 additional countries, it was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). SARS-CoV-2 infection mainly starts through the respiratory tract and causes a wide spectrum of symptoms from asymptomatic infections to acute respiratory distress syndrome with multi-organ failure and vasoplegic shock. Among the many immunomodulatory and antiviral drugs that have been studied for the treatment of COVID-19, methylene blue (MB) may play an influential role. This article reviews the history of MB applications, the antiviral effects of MB against SARS-CoV-2, and the results of in vivo and in vitro studies of the use of MB in COVID-19. Based on studies, MB can simultaneously affect most of the host’s harmful responses caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection due to its multiple properties, including anti-hypoxemia, anti-oxidant, immune system modulator, and antiviral. The use of MB is associated with a reduction in the possibility of getting infection, and mortality, and can be used as a safe, effective, cheap, and available treatment option with minimal side effects for the clinical management of COVID-19.

The utilisation of coated controlled-release fertilizers (CRFs) leads to the persistence of residual plastic films in agricultural soils, posing a potential threat to crop health. This study investigates the impacts of four residual films (0.39 %, w/w) derived from CRFs in soil, including petrochemical polyether, bio-based polyether, castor oil polyester, and wheat straw polyester polyurethane on wheat growth. This study found that PecPEUR significantly reduced wheat plant height, stem diameter, leaf area, and aboveground fresh weight by 24.8 %, 20.2 %, and 25.7 %. Through an in-depth exploration of transcriptomics and metabolomics, it has been discovered that all residual films disrupted glycolysis-related metabolic pathways in wheat roots, affecting seedling growth. Among them, PecPEUR significantly reduced the fresh weight of aboveground parts by 20.5 %. In contrast, polyester polyurethane residue had no discernible impact on aboveground wheat growth. This was attributed to the enrichment of wheat root genes in jasmonic acid and γ-aminobutyric acid metabolic pathways, thus mitigating oxidative stress, enhancing stress resistance, and ensuring normal plant growth. This study, for the first time, provides comprehensive insights into the effects of polyurethane film residue on wheat seedling growth, underscoring its potential as a promising alternative to conventional plastics in soil.

The aim of this study was to predict parenting styles based on educational motivation and critical thinking with respect to the mediating role of hardiness. The research method was applied research and its implementation method was descriptive (non-experimental) and the research design was relational - Correlation and mediator analysis. The statistical population of this study was female primary school students in KARAJ (district 4) in 2017, from which 400 people were selected by multi-stage cluster sampling. Research data were collected through these ways: parenting style questionnaire (Baumrind, 1971), educational motivation questionnaire (Harter, 1980), Ricketts critical thinking orientation questionnaire (Ricketts, 2003) and Ahvaz Hardiness Inventory, (2000). In order to test the hypotheses and analyze the data, multiple regression and SOBEL test were used. The results showed that there is a significant relationship between dictatorial, authoritarian and negligent parenting styles with students' educational motivation and critical thinking (P = 0.001). Also, educational motivation and critical thinking were able to predict parenting styles due to their hardiness.

Objective: Asthma is a common disease and curcumin has modest effect in inflammatory disorders. This study investigated the efficacy of nano-curcumin on asthma.Materials and Methods: In this double-blinded randomized clinical trial, 60 patients with non-atopic bronchial asthma were randomly stratified in two groups of intervention (N=30) and control (N=30) groups. Apart from their standard treatment, the intervention group received 40 mg nano-curcumin (soft gel) three times daily while the control group received placebo. During the 60-day study, patients were assessed using spirometry to measure Forced expiratory volume in first second (FEV1). Asthma control test (ACT) was completed every 30 days and asthma quality of life questionnaire (AQLQ) was completed at the first and end of the study.Results: Totally, 31 patients (51.7%) were male and the mean age was 51.45±12.58 years. FEV1 was improved but there was no significant difference between intervention and control groups. ACT and AQLQ domains scores significantly improved. However, it was not statistically different between control and intervention groups.Conclusion: Nano-curcumin at administered dosage had no additive effect on the standard treatment in asthmatic patients.

Fetal hemolysis is caused by maternal antibodies that cross the placenta. Anti-M antibodies can rarely cause severe forms of alloimmunization in the fetus and newborn. We present a case of severe anti-M alloimmunization requiring a total of 8 intrauterine transfusions, in a patient with a prior poor obstetrical history. A 35-year-old Iranian pregnant woman with a prior obstetrical history of one abortion and two stillbirths was found to have had anti-M antibody titers 1:8 and accompanying elevated middle cerebral artery peak systolic velocity (MCA-PSV) of 1.9 MoM suggestive of severe fetal anemia at 17 weeks of gestation. Persistently elevated fetal MCA-PSV was noted despite intraperitoneal transfusion at 17, 19, and 22 weeks. Fetal blood sampling at 27 weeks confirmed severe fetal anemia (3 g/dL), which required additional intravascular and intraperitoneal blood transfusion. At 37 weeks, elective cesarean section was performed. Neonatal hemoglobin immediately after delivery was 10.1 g/dL. In addition to standard supportive care, the neonate required two additional transfusions and remained in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for 23 days.Anti-M antibodies are a rare cause of severe alloimmunization. We present a case in order to improve management.

Although numerical water quality models offer valuable insights into thermal stratification (TSn) and mixing dynamics in lakes, they are often resource and time consuming, limiting their applications for investigating a large number of lakes over a wide geographical area. An alternative approach is using well-known thermal classification systems, which require minimum data to provide acceptable information on TSn and mixing patterns in lakes. This study investigates the TSn and mixing regimes in 198 dam reservoirs located in Iran, using Lewis’s method for analysis. The results highlight that all 198 investigated reservoirs in Iran can be represented by six out of eight possible thermal classifications. The majority of the northeastern reservoirs are categorized as “warm monomictic”. For the reservoirs located in the north and northwest regions, all six thermal classes are observed. However, in the southern part of Iran, only the reservoirs of “continuous warm polymictic”, “warm monomictic”, and “discontinuous cold polymictic” types are located. Our findings reveal that 35.4%, 21.2%, 17.2%, 13.1%, 6.6%, and 5.6% of the investigated reservoirs were classified as “warm monomictic”, “discontinuous cold polymictic”, “continuous cold polymictic”, “dimictic”, “discontinuous warm polymictic”, and “continuous warm polymictic”, respectively. Our results can provide authorities with initial insights for further in-depth studies and decision-making into water quality management in Iran and enhancement strategies for the reservoirs in the country.

Abstract Here, the issue of physical layer security in a two‐way multi‐antenna relay network) is studied. In such a network, two multi‐antenna transceivers attempt to exchange their secret messages via a multi‐antenna relay node in the presence of an eavesdropper. Throughout the first hop, two sources send their messages to the relay node, while an eavesdropper tries to overhear these messages. Then, in the second hop, the relay attempts to send its signal in the null‐space direction of relay‐to‐eavesdropper channel to prevent eavesdropping. The main goal is to obtain effective receive and transmit beamforming vectors at transceivers as well as the beamforming matrix at the relay node to address the secrecy rate balancing problem. The underlying problem is not convex in general. To overcome this issue, the original problem is divided into three subproblems. In the first subproblem the beamforming design at the relay is optimized while in the second subproblem the receive beamforming in a closed form solution is obtained. Finally, in the last subproblem the transmit beamforming is solved using the semi‐definite relaxation and Taylor series expansion. Numerical results represent the effectiveness of the proposed method compared to the previous works in the literature.

Key Clinical Message Subacute thyroiditis which is typically characterized by cervical pain and fever is caused by viral infection and is seen after SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccination. Here we report a post‐vaccination subacute thyroiditis after SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccination. Abstract Subacute thyroiditis (SAT) is possibly caused by a viral infection and is typically characterized by cervical pain and fever. SAT associated with SARS‐CoV‐2 infection or SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccination has been reported, albeit in limited numbers. A 34‐year‐old woman was referred to our clinic with typical SAT symptoms. The diagnosis was confirmed through thyroid scintigraphy after receiving the SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccination, despite testing negative for COVID‐19 via RT‐PCR. There is a theoretical correlation between SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccination and SAT. Vaccination may have a direct or indirect impact on the thyroid, but further studies are required to confirm this relationship. A systematic review of the literature of similar cases was performed for comparison. Ultimately, the overall benefits of SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccination outweigh the potential adverse effects. Therefore, these types of reports should not divert attention from the actual reality.

Introduction: miRNAs originating from colorectal cancer (CRC) tissue receive significant focus in the early diagnosis of CRC due to their stability in body fluids. However, if these miRNAs originated from alternative organs, their prognostic value will diminish. Thus, in this study, we aim to identify disease-specific miRNAs for colorectal cancer (CRC) by employing bioinformatics and experimental methodologies. Method: To identify CRC-specific miRNAs, we retrieved miRNA profiles of CRC and normal tissues from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Subsequently, computational strategies were utilized to select potential candidate miRNAs. Following this, the expression levels of the potent miRNAs were assessed through RT-qPCR in both CRC tissue and serum samples from patients (N = 46), as well as healthy individuals (N = 46). Additionally, the associations between clinicopathological characteristics, survival outcomes, and diagnostic accuracy were evaluated. Results: A total of 8893 RNA-seq expression data were acquired from TCGA, comprising 8250 data from 19 distinct cancer types and 643 corresponding healthy samples. Based on the computational methodology, miR-549a, miR-552, and miR-592 were identified as the principal expressed miRNAs in colorectal cancer (CRC). Within these miRNAs, miR-552 displayed a substantial association with tumors at the N and T stages. miR-549a and miR-592 were observed to be linked exclusively to the invasion of tumor depth and tumor stage (TNM), respectively. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis conducted on the miRNA expression in serum samples revealed that all miRNAs exhibited an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of up to 0.86, thereby indicating their high diagnostic accuracy. Conclusion: Considering the strong associations of these three identified miRNAs with CRC, they can collectively serve as a panel for specific discrimination of CRC from other types of cancer within the body. Although this study focused solely on CRC, this approach can potentially be applied to other cancer types as well.

Abstract Groundwater recharge feeds aquifers supplying fresh-water to a population over 80 million in Iran—a global hotspot for groundwater depletion. Using an extended database comprising abstractions from over one million groundwater wells, springs, and qanats, from 2002 to 2017, here we show a significant decline of around −3.8 mm/yr in the nationwide groundwater recharge. This decline is primarily attributed to unsustainable water and environmental resources management, exacerbated by decadal changes in climatic conditions. However, it is important to note that the former’s contribution outweighs the latter. Our results show the average annual amount of nationwide groundwater recharge (i.e., ~40 mm/yr) is more than the reported average annual runoff in Iran (i.e., ~32 mm/yr), suggesting the surface water is the main contributor to groundwater recharge. Such a decline in groundwater recharge could further exacerbate the already dire aquifer depletion situation in Iran, with devastating consequences for the country’s natural environment and socio-economic development.

Background: Leghemoglobin is an oxygen transporter and a hemoprotein found in nodule roots of nitrogen fixator plants from Leguminosae family. Leghemoglobin is produced in response to presence of bacteria belonging to Rhizobia family. Structurally, leghemoglobin is similar to hemoglobin and has a kind of heme iron structure. Study of leghemoglobin as a heme iron containing agent can open up a new way for treatment and natural prevention of iron deficiency anemia and substitution with mineral iron salts. Methods: Five different cultivars of alfalfa plants including Esfahani, Bammi, Yazdy, Nik shahri, and Hamedani were cultivated in gardening farm of the faculty of agriculture in Shahid Chamran University in a linear form. Cultivation was done with biological fertilizer containing Sinorhizobium meliloti for test groups and without fertilizer for sham groups. After 60 days, the samples were harvested, and the amount of leghemoglobin produced in nodules was quantified using LaRue and Child fluorometric method. Results: The results from five cultivars of alfalfa planted with biological fertilizer showed a significant increase in viscosity of leghemoglobin in nodules of the test group in comparison with sham group (P

Abstract Scale precipitation is one of the major problems in the petroleum industry during waterflooding. The possibility of salt formation and precipitation should be monitored and analyzed under dynamic conditions to improve production performance. Scale precipitation and its dependence on production parameters should be investigated before using scale inhibitors. In this study, the precipitation of barium sulfate salt was investigated through dynamic tube blocking tests at different injection rates and times. For this purpose, the pressure drop caused by salt deposition was evaluated at injection rates of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 mL/min. The software determined the worst conditions (temperature, pressure, and water mixing ratio) for barium sulfate precipitation. Moreover, during the experiments, the pressure drop caused by barium sulfate precipitation was measured without using scale inhibitors. The pressure drop data were evaluated by the response surface method and analysis of variance to develop a new model for predicting the pressure drop depending on the injection rate and time. The novelty of this study lies in the development of a new high-precision correlation to predict barium sulfate precipitation under dynamic conditions using the response surface methodology that evaluates the effect of injection rate and time on the possibility of salt precipitation. The accuracy and adequacy of the obtained model were confirmed by using R2 statistics (including R2-coefficient of determination, adjusted R2, and predicted R2), adequate precision, and diagnostic charts. The results showed that the proposed model could fully and accurately predict the pressure drop. Increasing the time and decreasing the injection rate caused an increase in pressure drop and precipitation of barium sulfate salt, which was related to the formation of more salt due to the contact of ions. In addition, in a short period of the injection process, the pressure drop due to salt deposition increased sharply, which confirms the need to use a suitable scale inhibitor to control salt deposition. Finally, the dynamic tube blocking tests were repeated in the presence of two well-known scale inhibitors, which prevented salt deposition in the tubes. At the same time, no pressure drop was observed in the presence of scale inhibitors at all injection rates during a long period of injection. The obtained results can be used for the evaluation of salt precipitation during oil production in the reservoirs, in which barium sulfate is precipitated during waterflooding. For this purpose, knowing the flow rate and injection time, it is possible to determine the amount of pressure drop caused by salt deposition.

Abstract In this work, the corrosion inhibition of carbon steel in 1 molar HCl solution was evaluated by experimental and modeling approaches using 2-mercaptobenzimidazole (2-MBI). To this end, an experimental design for the weight loss method using response surface methodology (RSM) was carried out and the corrosion rate (CR) and inhibition efficiency (IE) were determined. The study was completed at various values of temperature, exposure time, and inhibitor concentration to determine the optimal conditions for corrosion prevention. Using experimental data on the corrosion rate and inhibition efficiency of 2-MBI, new models were developed, the significance of which was tested using ANOVA-analysis of variance. The developed RSM-based CR and IE models were highly accurate and reliable, and their P-values were less than 0.0001. The novelty of this study lies in the newly developed model for the evaluation of 2-MBI inhibition performance and its application to high-temperature conditions in the petroleum industry. Besides, the R 2-statistics (R 2, adjusted-R 2, and predicted-R 2), adequate precision and diagnostic plots were used as main measures to verify the accuracy and adequacy of both CR and IE models. In addition, it was observed that inhibitor concentration had the most impact on both CR and IE models compared to other parameters due to its largest F-values (561.65 for CR and 535.56 for IE models). Moreover, the results indicated that adding 140–150 ppm of 2-MBI at low-level temperatures of 30–35 °C had the most interaction effect on the performance of the corrosion inhibition process. In this case, the CR was less than 0.9 mm/y and the IE more than 94%, even after a high exposure time of 105 h. Furthermore, numerical optimization of the corrosion inhibition process for 2-MBI showed that the optimum conditions for maximum IE and minimum CR were achieved at a concentration of 115 ppm, temperature of 30.7 °C, and exposure time of 60.4 h. Under these conditions, the efficiency and corrosion rate were 92.76% and 0.53 mm/y, respectively. Finally, the adsorption of 2-MBI on the sample surface was studied at various exposure times and temperatures. In all cases, the adsorption behavior obeyed the Langmuir isotherm. In this case, the Gibbs adsorption free energy varied from − 33 to − 37 kJ/mol, which reflects both physical and chemical adsorption of the corrosion inhibitor at all tested temperatures and test times.

Abstract Background Needle stick injury (NSI) is the most common cause of infection with blood-borne pathogens (BBP) among healthcare workers (HCWs). This study aimed to assess the prevalence of NSI and it’s contributing factors among HCWs of hemodialysis (HD) units in southwest Iran. Methods A cross-sectional study was performed in 13 HD centers in Shiraz, Iran. A total of 122 employees were enrolled in our study. We used self-administrated questionnaires to collect data about demographics, experiences regarding NSIs, and general health status. The statistical tests used in this study were Chi-square and Independent T-test. A P-value 10 years (p = 0.040), and those who graduated earlier (p = 0.031). The intravenous injection was the most common procedure leading to NSI, and being in a hurry was the most common cause. The average general health was 3.7 ± 3.2, higher among those not exposed to NSI (p = 0.042). Conclusion NSI is a prevalent hazard in HCWs of HD units. The high rate of NSI and unreported cases, besides the lack of adequate information, indicates the necessity of implementing protocols and strategies for improving the safety of this personnel. It is difficult to compare the result of this study with those performed among HCWs in other settings; hence, further studies are needed to determine whether HCWs of these units are more exposed to NSIs.

There is a need for institutions to evaluate their e-Learning educational atmosphere to improve students’ learning experiences. The E-Learning Educational Atmosphere Measure (EEAM) is a comprehensive tool focusing on the students’ perception of the e-Learning environment. To be able to verbally interpret the results of the measure for better comprehension and more effective and consistent usage, it is essential to establish clear cut-off scores. We aimed to determine the optimal cut-off points for the EEAM scores by plotting them as the ROC curves versus a single global rating question. The findings showed that while the range of the possible EEAM scores was 40 to 200, cut-off points of equal or below 127, between 127 to 152, and equal or above 152 indicated students’ perception of the e-Learning atmosphere as “poor to weak”, “moderate”, and “good to excellent” respectively. The Area Under the Curve for scores that reflected the “poor to weak” state was 0.875 (p-value=0.000) with a sensitivity of 84.8% and a specificity of 70.0%. This area was 0.947 (p-value=0.000) for the “good to excellent” state with a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 82.1%. Our findings are useful in studying, evaluating, and monitoring the e-Learning educational atmosphere of institutions or comparing the results of multiple settings.

Abstract Understanding the effects of climate change and anthropogenic activities on the hydrogeomorpholgical parameters in wetlands ecosystems is vital for designing effective environmental protection and control protocols for these natural capitals. This study develops methodological approach to model the streamflow and sediment inputs to wetlands under the combined effects of climate and land use / land cover (LULC) changes using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). The precipitation and temperature data from General Circulation Models (GCMs) for different Shared Socio-economic Pathway (SSP) scenarios (i.e., SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5) are downscaled and bias-corrected with Euclidean distance method and quantile delta mapping (QDM) for the case of the Anzali wetland watershed (AWW) in Iran. The Land Change Modeler (LCM) is adopted to project the future LULC at the AWW. The results indicate that the precipitation and air temperature across the AWW will decrease and increase, respectively, under the SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5 scenarios. Streamflow and sediment loads will reduce under the sole influence of SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 climate scenarios. An increase in sediment load and inflow was observed under the combined effects of climate and LULC changes, this is mainly due to the projected increased deforestation and urbanization across the AWW. The findings suggest that the densely vegetated regions, mainly located in the zones with steep slope, significantly prevents large sediment load and high streamflow input to the AWW. Under the combined effects of the climate and LULC changes, by 2100, the projected total sediment input to the wetland will reach 22.66, 20.83, and 19.93 million tons under SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5 scenarios, respectively. The results highlight that without any robust environmental interventions, the large sediment inputs will significantly degrade the Anzali wetland ecosystem and partly-fill the wetland basin, resulting in resigning the wetland from the Montreux record list and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance.

This study investigates the optimal and safe operation of pumping stations in water distribution systems (WDSs) with the aim of reducing the environmental footprint of water conveyance processes. We introduced the nonlinear chaotic honey badger algorithm (NCHBA), a novel and robust optimization method. The proposed method utilizes chaotic maps to enhance exploration and convergence speed, incorporating a nonlinear control parameter to effectively balance local and global search dynamics. Single-objective optimization results on a WDS show that NCHBA outperforms other algorithms in solution accuracy and convergence speed. The application of the proposed approach on a water network with two variable-speed pumps demonstrated a significant 27% reduction in energy consumption. Expanding our focus to the multi-objective optimization of pump scheduling programs in large-scale water distribution systems (WDSs), we employ the non-dominated sorting nonlinear chaotic honey badger algorithm (MONCHBA). The findings reveal that the use of variable-speed pumps not only enhances energy efficiency but also bolsters WDS reliability compared to the use of single-speed pumps. The results showcase the potential and robustness of the proposed multi-objective NCHBA in achieving an optimal Pareto front that effectively balances energy consumption, pressure levels, and water quality risk, facilitating carbon footprint reduction and sustainable management of WDSs.

ABSTRACT We have an operant model of reaching and grasping in which detrimental bone remodeling is observed rather than beneficial adaptation when rats perform a high‐repetition, high‐force (HRHF) task long term. Here, adult female Sprague–Dawley rats performed an intense HRHF task for 18 weeks, which we have shown induces radial trabecular bone osteopenia. One cohort was euthanized at this point (to assay the bone changes post task; HRHF‐Untreated). Two other cohorts were placed on 6 weeks of rest while being simultaneously treated with either an anti‐CCN2 (FG‐3019, 40 mg/kg body weight, ip; twice per week; HRHF‐Rest/anti‐CCN2), or a control IgG (HRHF‐Rest/IgG), with the purpose of determining which might improve the trabecular bone decline. Results were compared with food‐restricted control rats (FRC). MicroCT analysis of distal metaphysis of radii showed decreased trabecular bone volume fraction (BV/TV) and thickness in HRHF‐Untreated rats compared with FRCs; responses improved with HRHF‐Rest/anti‐CCN2. Rest/IgG also improved trabecular thickness but not BV/TV. Histomorphometry showed that rest with either treatment improved osteoid volume and task‐induced increases in osteoclasts. Only the HRHF‐Rest/anti‐CCN2 treatment improved osteoblast numbers, osteoid width, mineralization, and bone formation rate compared with HRHF‐Untreated rats (as well as the latter three attributes compared with HRHF‐Rest/IgG rats). Serum ELISA results were in support, showing increased osteocalcin and decreased CTX‐1 in HRHF‐Rest/anti‐CCN2 rats compared with both HRHF‐Untreated and HRHF‐Rest/IgG rats. These results are highly encouraging for use of anti‐CCN2 for therapeutic treatment of bone loss, such as that induced by chronic overuse. © 2023 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

Intertrochanteric (IT) fractures are responsible for almost half of the fractures in the elderly. The financial burdens of IT fractures are considerable, not only because of their influence on morbidity and mortality but also because they might lead to functional limitation, alleviated quality of life, and a limited possibility to work. There are several methods of fixations for IT fractures, such as cephalomedullary nailing, dynamic hip screw (DHS), proximal femur plate, and external fixator. Most of the patients with this fracture were unsuitable for anesthesia and surgical procedure. The external fixator is a fast, non-invasive, and bloodless method for fixation which would be performed with light sedation. In the present study, we reviewed recent literature regarding external fixators for IT fractures.

Abstract In this work, the process of low salinity water injection (LSWI) into reservoirs at various salt concentrations was simulated in order to study the change in the oil recovery factor during oil production. The simulation results of the recovery factor were compared with the experimental data. The results demonstrated that the simulation data were in good agreement with the experimental results. In addition, the formation damage (rock permeability reduction) in carbonate core samples was evaluated through coreflood experiments during LSWI in the range of salt concentration and temperature of 1500–4000 ppm and 25–100 °C, respectively. In the worst scenario of LSWI, the rock permeability has reached about 83% of the initial value. Our previous correlation was used to predict the formation damage in LSWI. In this case, the R-squared value between predicted and experimental data of rock permeability ratios was more than 0.97. Furthermore, the recovery factor during LSWI was analyzed with and without the use of DTPMP scale inhibitor (diethylenetriamine penta (methylene phosphonic acid)), and various nanoparticles (TiO2, SiO2, Al2O3). The results of the coreflood experiments showed that the use of scale inhibitor provides an increase in the recovery factor by more than 8%. In addition, the highest recovery factor was observed in the presence of SiO2 nanoparticles at 0.05 wt.%. The oil displacement during LSWI in the porous media with SiO2 particles was better than TiO2 and Al2O3. The recovery factor in the presence of SiO2, TiO2, and Al2O3 with DTPMP was 72.2, 62.4, and 59.8%, respectively. Among the studied nanoparticles, the lowest values of the oil viscosity and interfacial tension (IFT) between oil and water were observed when using SiO2. Moreover, the contact angle was increased by increasing the brine concentration. The contact angle with the use of SiO2, TiO2, and Al2O3 at 0.05 wt.% was reduced by 11.2, 10.6, and 9.9%, respectively.

Pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis (PAM) is a rare inherited pulmonary disease characterized by the deposition of intra-alveolar calcium deposits. In most of the Asian and European countries, PAM is usually misdiagnosed as pulmonary tuberculosis and sarcoidosis. We presented a young case of PAM manifested as chronic progressive dyspnea unresponsive to corticosteroids for one year. The first diagnostic clues were made by high resolution computed tomography. Although Bronchoalveolar lavage and transbronchial lung biopsy examination were unremarkable, however, after performing a Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, the biopsy specimens confirmed the diagnosis of PAM.

Abstract This paper investigates the resource allocation design in device‐to‐device (D2D) communication underlying cellular networks, which is assisted by multiple intelligent reflecting surfaces (IRSs) deployed at the cell boundary to enhance desired signals and mitigate interference between D2D pairs and CUs. In this regard, a multi‐objective optimization problem (MOOP) framework is formulated to jointly maximize the downlink sum‐rate of the D2D pairs and cellular users (CUs). To doing so, the MOOP is first converted into a single‐objective optimization problem (SOOP) by invoking the weighted sum method. Next, to facilitate the high‐coupled non‐convex SOOP formulation, it is decomposed into two sub‐problems through the alternative optimization method. For the first sub‐problem, the inner approximation and successive convex approximations are adopted for jointly allocating D2D transmission power, subcarrier assignment, and transmit beamforming matrix at the BS. For the second sub‐problem, an iterative algorithm based on the penalty‐based method as well as Fenchel's duality approach is adopted to design the passive beamforming matrices at IRSs, which is guaranteed to rapidly converge to a stationary point. Simulation results reveal that a non‐trivial trade‐off between the total throughput of CUs and D2D pairs exist. Furthermore, the proposed framework significantly outperforms existing works addressed in the literature.

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is a chronic multisystem disease that lungs are also affected .However, there are conflicting evidence about the abnormal pulmonary function in diabetic patients. This study evaluated the difference between pulmonary function tests among patients with type 2 diabetes and healthy adults.Material and Methods: This present descriptive cross sectional had been studied in Khorasan Razavi province of Iran from November 2016 to May 2017. The patients with type 2 diabetes which were older than 18 years without history of pulmonary diseases, heart failure, smoking, anemia, musculoskeletal, pulmonary or connective tissue disorders were included in the present study. A group of healthy volunteers participated as a control group with similar age, gender, height and weight to the diabetic participants. Both groups underwent spirometry and body box . Pulmonary function tests among study groups were compared.Results: Total number of 40 diabetic patients as the case group and 40 healthy individuals as control group enrolled in this study. The control group had significantly higher force vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and lower FEV1/FVC (P=0.001, P=0.05 and P=0.001 respectively). Males in diabetic groups had significantly lower FVC and FEV1/FVC (P=0.01 and P=0.003) and diabetic females had significantly higher FVC, FEV1 and lower FEV1/FVC (P=0.001, P=0.05 and P=0.003 respectively). According to the linear regression model, by controlling the effect of gender, diabetes significantly affected both FEV1/FVC and FVC levels.Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that diabetic patients are more likely to develop abnormal pulmonary function and gender can affect the pulmonary function of the diabetic patients.

Introduction: Cancer remains a challenging issue against human health throughout the world; As a result, introducing novel approaches would be beneficial for cancer treatment. In this research, sodium butyrate (Sb) is one of the effective anti-cancer therapeutics (also a potent survival factor for normal cells) that was used for prostate cancer suppression in the platform of modified chitosan (CS) nano-complex (polyethylene glycol (PEG)-folic acid (FA)-Sb-CS). Methods: Different analytical devices including Fourier transform infrared, dynamic light scattering, high-performance liquid chromatography, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy were applied for the characterization of synthetics. On the other hand, biomedical tests including cell viability assay, molecular and functional assay of apoptosis/autophagy pathways, and cell cycle arrest analysis were potentially implemented on human PC3 (folate receptor-negative prostate cancer) and DU145 (folate receptor-positive prostate cancer) and HFF-1 normal cell lines. Results: The quality of the syntheses was effectively verified, and the size range from 140 to 170 nm was determined for the PEG-CS-FA-Sb sample. Also, 75 ± 5% of drug entrapment efficiency with controlled drug release manner (Sb release of 54.21% and 74.04% for pHs 7.4 and 5.0) were determined for nano-complex. Based on MTT results, PEG-CS-FA-Sb has indicated 72.07% and 33.53% cell viability after 24 h of treatment with 9 mM on PC3 and DU145 cell lines, respectively, which is desirable anti-cancer performance. The apoptotic and autophagy genes overexpression was 15-fold (caspase9), 2.5-fold (BAX), 11-fold (ATG5), 2-fold (BECLIN1), and 3-fold (mTORC1) genes in DU145 cancer cells. More than 50% of cell cycle arrest and 45.05% of apoptosis were obtained for DU145 cancer cells after treatment with nano-complex. Conclusion: Hence, the synthesized Sb-loaded nano-complex could specifically suppress prostate cancer cell growth and induce apoptosis and autophagy in the molecular and cellular phases.

Seabuckthorn has multiple-use properties. This review explores the medicinal applications of Hippophae rhamnoides in healing ailments. The plant is being used in different parts of the world for its nutritional and medicinal properties. Sea buckthorn-based preparations have been extensively exploited in folklore treatment of slow digestion, stomach malfunctioning, cardiovascular problems, liver injury, tendon and ligament injuries, skin diseases and ulcers. In recent years, the medicinal and pharmacological activities of Seabuckthorn have been well investigated using limited clinical trials. Homeopathy is a well-respected modality to assist wellness. Traditional and modern medicinal experts have been applied this plant to treat various diseases. Seabuckthorn is an important plant because of its immense medicinal and therapeutic potential. However, several knowledge gaps identified in this paper would give impetus to new academic and R&D activities, especially for the development of Sea buckthorn-based herbal medicine and nutraceuticals. Its full application in dermatology may be attributed to the presence of a variety of flavonoids, vitamins, and unsaturated fatty acids. Great use of the plant in the traditional system for dermatological aspects, demands further comprehensive phytochemical work based on its actual use by the traditional population. Anti-inflammation is the most important applicable ingredient of this miracle berry.

Abstract Discharge of pollution loads into natural water systems remains a global challenge that threatens water and food supply, as well as endangering ecosystem services. Natural rehabilitation of contaminated streams is mainly influenced by the longitudinal dispersion coefficient, or the rate of longitudinal dispersion (D x ), a key parameter with large spatiotemporal fluctuations that characterizes pollution transport. The large uncertainty in estimation of D x in streams limits the water quality assessment in natural streams and design of water quality enhancement strategies. This study develops an artificial intelligence-based predictive model, coupling granular computing and neural network models (GrC-ANN) to provide robust estimation of D x and its uncertainty for a range of flow-geometric conditions with high spatiotemporal variability. Uncertainty analysis of D x estimated from the proposed GrC-ANN model was performed by alteration of the training data used to tune the model. Modified bootstrap method was employed to generate different training patterns through resampling from a global database of tracer experiments in streams with 503 datapoints. Comparison between the D x values estimated by GrC-ANN to those determined from tracer measurements shows the appropriateness and robustness of the proposed method in determining the rate of longitudinal dispersion. The GrC-ANN model with the narrowest bandwidth of estimated uncertainty (bandwidth-factor = 0.56) that brackets the highest percentage of true D x data (i.e., 100%) is the best model to compute D x in streams. Considering the significant inherent uncertainty reported in the previous D x models, the GrC-ANN model developed in this study is shown to have a robust performance for evaluating pollutant mixing (D x ) in turbulent environmental flow systems.

To avoid pollution of transportation applications, renewable energies are deployed. Whereas they are uncontrolled, fully controlled pollution-free energy sources and storage units should be also considered. However, a complicated direct current (DC) microgrid (MG) is obtained, which suffers from nonlinearities, high order, and uncertainties of the power elements. Therefore, it is vital to use advanced nonlinear controllers to assure closed-loop stability and performance of the overall system. In this paper, a neural network (NN)-based adaptive linear parameter varying (LPV) controller is suggested for the whole DC MG power system. The main advantage of the developed controller is that it deploys the operating information of all power energy sources to manipulate each component. This enhances the DC MG stability margin and fast regulation of the power and voltage. Besides, the proposed controller has a systematic and fully offline design algorithm by combining numerical solvers and theoretical theories. The LPV controller is designed via the numerical linear matrix inequality (LMI) approach and the adaptation law for the NN parameters is designed based on the Lyapunov stability theory. A DC MG benchmark including a 5kW fuel cell, a 5kW solar plant, and a 2kW battery package is considered as the case study, which can be utilized in future fully electric boats (EBs). Numerical simulations with different scenarios are conducted to verify the performance of the proposed controller. Furthermore, comparative results are provided to show the advantages of the proposed method dealing with power fluctuations of the solar plant and DC loads over state-of-the-art nonlinear methods.

In this study, a new type of Z-source converter comprising galvanic isolation transformers is introduced based on classical non-isolated Z-source converters, which are promising devices for renewable applications. Compared to the typology of conventional converters with isolation transformers, the proposed converter topology has a simpler structure with fewer power switches and lower costs. Considering the lower number of switching devices required in the proposed typology, these efficiency and reliability of the presented converters are higher than those of the conventional ones. As only one switch is used in the developed structure, voltage stresses on the Z-source converter decreases in each period, which maintains voltage stress low and steady across the switch. Another desirable feature of the proposed topology is reduced converter size and volume with a maximum theoretical and practical efficiency of 97 to 94.05%, respectively. Moreover, these converters need low input voltage and provide the required amount of output voltage in small duty cycles. The theoretical and operational analysis of the designed converter and its comparison with other counterpart converters (e.g., isolated Z-source converters) is presented. The simulation and experimental results confirm the applicability of the proposed system.

Introduction: Covid-19 pandemic has put high pressure on the anesthesia healthcare workforce due to imposing heavy workload as well as high risk of disease transmission. Identifying the risk factors for the disease is the first step to reduce the risk of infection. We aimed to assess the prevalence and the risk factors of COVID-19 among anesthesia healthcare workers.Materials and Method: Between June and September 2020, 199 members including faculty anesthesiologists working in public teaching hospitals, anesthesia assistants, anesthesia technicians, and nurses working in Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 care units were enrolled in this study. A questionnaire including demographics, medical history, job category, history of presence in areas with Covid-19 epidemic, use of safety tips, current clinical manifestations and the results of COVID-19 tests was sent by email to the healthcare workers. Evidence of COVID-19 disease according to WHO diagnostic recommendations, was assessed in all participants.Results: Of 199 participants in our study, 43.7% were Covid-19 positive and 56.3% had no evidence of Covid-19 disease. Comparison of the two groups of personnel with and without Covid-19 disease showed no differences in demographics and blood groups. While, physicians were more infected than nurses and presence of infected cases in COVID zone was much longer. Regarding observance of safety points, there was no difference between the personnel with and without Covid-19 but using filtered N95 masks was significantly more prevalent in infected cases (p = 0.019). During follow-up, 38.0% of infected cases showed some evidence of end organ damages including cardiac complications in 4.3% and renal dysfunction in 4.3%.Conclusion: Our study showed a high rate of Covid-19 infection in anesthesia personnel involving in the care centers of patients with Covid-19. Using filtered N95 masks could not effectively protect the personnel against Covid-19 infection. History of presence in epidemic areas and working in Covid-19 patients’ wards were identified as the main risk factor for Covid-19 infection among personnel.

Background: Gonadal dysgenesis, the most common cause of primary amenorrhea, is characterized by absent or underdeveloped ovaries. Although the coexistence of gonadal dysgenesis and Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) has been reported, it is still quite infrequent. To the extent that authors searched, just one study reported the association between Rokitansky sequence and Dandy-Walker malformation. Clinical Presentation and Intervention: We aimed to report a case with gonadal dysgenesis, MRKH, and the Dandy-Walker variant. In this care report, the authors reported a 15-year-old girl with primary amenorrhea and underdeveloped secondary sexual properties. Her karyotype was 46, XX. The abdominopelvic MRI without contrast demonstrated bilateral ovarian agenesis and no uterus or cervix. Vagina was normal in length. Brain MRI was consistent with the Dandy-Walker variant. Conclusion: Although some affected chromosomal regions have been identified, further genetic analyses should be performed to elucidate the probable association between these anomalies.

ObjectiveThe present work aimed to investigate the feasibility, complications, recurrence rate, and infertility outcomes of the radical and conservative surgical methods for colorectal endometriosis in short- and long-term follow-ups.MethodsIn this prospective study, the patients with confirmed diagnosis of colorectal DIE were included from March 2015 to March 2021, who were referred to an Endometriosis Surgery Center affiliated with Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS). Information on demographics, surgical approaches, intra-operative, and post-operative findings as well as complications were collected and compared. Six- and 12-month interviews were conducted to evaluate the functional outcomes of all the procedures.ResultsOut of 3,111 patients who underwent endometriosis surgery, 837 (28.19%) with the average age of 34.2 ± 5.9 years and average ASRM score of 102.1 ± 36.8 had rectosigmoid endometriosis. Laparoscopic rectal shaving was performed in 263(30.0%) patients while 326 (37.2%) underwent segmental bowel resection, and 248 (28.30%) were treated with disc excision. Prophylactic ileostomy was performed in six (0.68%) patients and peritonitis was reported in four (0.45%). Five (0.58%) subjects developed rectovaginal fistula and one (0.11%) was diagnosed with bladder atonia. The recurrence rate was 3.8%, 1.2%, and 0.3% in rectal shaving, disc, and segmental bowel resection techniques, respectively. Dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, and dyschezia were improved after surgery by 7.3, 9.4, and 12.5 times, respectively. We observed 25.2% of total pregnancy following the operation, the majority of which occurred in the first year after the surgery.ConclusionThere were very few short-term or long-term complications in the three different techniques when the choice was correct.

A newly developed friction-interlocking armor unit called the ‘Double cube’ (DC) was designed to improve the performance of a concrete armor unit used in river/marine structures against currents/waves actions. The DC unit is an octagonal-shaped block made up of two parts: an upper cube set on a lower base that is either square or octagonal in shape. The innovative design aims to provide good performance in terms of stability, to allow for high tolerance placement with various contact points, and to allow for ease of placement. The DC’s shape and placement enhance the unit’s stability by bringing the center of gravity closer to the underlayer and by providing a large contact surface with the surrounding blocks that reduces the chance of extraction and limits movements (rocking, lifting) via the “keystone” effect. The characteristics of this new unit provide a relatively high hydraulic stability number for the armor layer (NS = 2.9), a favorable hydraulic performance due to energy dissipation from turbulence and aeration, as well as a high roughness coefficient (γf ≈ 0.46), helping to reduce overtopping.

The benefits of the fused filament fabrication (FFF) method, including its simplicity, affordability, and accessibility, have made it the most commonly used additive manufacturing technique. Polylactic acid (PLA) is the most widely used material in FFF, but its use has been limited by low mechanical properties and a small processing window. To address this, PLA composites are used to improve its properties. Correlating mechanical properties with process parameters is crucial for producing high-quality composite parts. This study investigated the effects of material and process parameters on mechanical properties, such as tensile strength and elongation-at-break, using a customized Delta Rostock FFF printer. Two types of filaments were used, pure PLA and PLA/Aluminum composites. Printing speed (10, 20, and 30 mm/s) and raster angle (0/90, −45/45, and −30/60) were selected as process input parameters. The Taguchi method was used for the experiment design, and signal-to-noise ratio analysis was used for statistical optimization. The optimal values for achieving maximum tensile strength of 61.85 MPa and maximum elongation-at-break of 17.7% were determined. Furthermore, the signal-to-noise ratio analysis indicated that the filament type had the greatest influence on the tensile strength, whereas printing speed had the greatest impact on the elongation-at-break.

Robust flow measurement in multi-phase systems has extensive applications in understanding, design, and operation of complex environmental, energy and industrial processes. The nonlinearity and spatiotemporal variability of the interactions between different flow phases makes the multi-phase flow measurement a challenging task. Two Sliding Mode Observer (SMO) schemes are proposed in this study for the state estimation of a decentralized multi-phase flow measurement system. The developed observers are shown to be theoretically valid and numerically applicable for a real-life case study data. The multi-phase flow system considered in this paper can be described as two interconnected sub-systems including fluid and gas sub-systems, and two scenarios are considered in the design of the observers. The first scenario considers the interconnections as bounded disturbance (SMOD), while the second scenario considers the interconnections as an uncertainty (SMOU). Hence, the Sliding Mode Observers are adopted to mitigate the effects of disturbance in the system and uncertainties in the parameters. Numerical simulations are conducted using MATLAB and dynamic HYSYS simultaneously, using the data obtained from field-based multi-phase flow measurements. The results demonstrate the appropriateness and robustness of the proposed Sliding Mode Observer (SMO) for estimation of the multi-phase fluid specifications including the density, velocity, and the volume phases fraction in each subsystem. The analysis of the results highlights that the proposed model is computationally efficient with fast transient response, accurate tracking capability of the real process data, and very low steady-state error. This study shows that choosing an appropriate Lyapunov-Krasovsky function results in the asymptotic stability of the decentralized system and improves the performance of the proposed observers. Uncertainty analysis is conducted on the velocity estimation results obtained from the Sliding Observers. Overall, SMOU method shown better performance with RMSE of 0.24%, while RMSE of 0.46% was achieved for the SMOD. Comparison of the numerical results with the field-based flow measurement, as a benchmark, shows that although uncertainty in SMOU is approximately half of the uncertainty in SMOD, state estimation for both schemes was achieved in a finite time with high order of precision. It was shown that both observers developed in this study are well capable of estimating the multi-phase flow variables and states.